#home quarantined stamp

[cutesynamehere]

Day two of however long I can keep this up.

In May of 2020 we were all stuck at home, doing very little, just hanging on by a thread. All of us. To really drive home how out of sorts we all were, I had to look it up because I would have sworn under oath that this happened in July. Because 2020 lasted approximately eleventy hundred months and time made no sense. But, time stamps confirm for me that on May 16th of that year, galaxycon did a virtual cobra kai day/con/panel/whatever they called it. Billy, Ralph and Marty did a live panel and then you could, for the low cost of something or another, buy a couple of minutes of a one on one convo with them. Like a cameo but live. Or, idk, a peep show? Before I could overthink it, I bought one. It was a terrible idea because I am already full of anxiety one on one at a convention. Having the undivided attention of Billy Zabka expecting me to form complete sentences and not burst into tears during the 2-3 minutes allotted to me was a nightmare. So, when the day arrived…I drank. A lot.

The panel is on YouTube and, from what I recall (I haven’t watched it in a really long time) it was good. The highlight was obviously Billy disappearing for a minute and coming back wearing Johnny’s red jacket. Another highlight was that it was the birth of the covid-era distraction of curating pictures of Billy Zabka drinking on zoom. I’m not going to check, but I believe he drank from a dozen different cups during that panel. Water and coffee, I think. I was sticking to the vodka. Directly following the panel, they began the countdowns for the one on ones and it’s all a blur but I made it through that day and we talked about quarantine and lockdown and made small talk and I demanded information about an unreleased movie he directed and they sent the video of the “call” shortly after and I have never, ever, ever, ever watched the whole thing again with sound. It’s too mortifying. I scrubbed through for a couple of screengrabs and to reconfirm info when I shared his stories about the movie and then filed it away to never be viewed again. Too cringe. But, I am so happy that that fever dream of a day happened.

As for the question I asked: I wanted to know about the movie Angel Blues. He directed it. And wrote it. It was his movie. But, it never actually came out. And, man, I would really love to see it. A reel of various scenes is on YouTube. Or was. I’m sure it’s still there. One of the actors in the film uploaded it to their channel. The logline is essentially “A baseball player dies and his spirit jumps into the body of a sweet, simple, out of shape man who becomes a sports superstar”. Given that this was the early 90s and the era of Little Big League and Rookie of the Year and Angels in the Outfield it just seems like another family baseball movie would have been video store catnip. I’m sad we never got to find out.

[takeariskao3]

Day 7: Lover written for #SeveralSunlitDaylights & @corneliaavenue-ao3

a version of this has existed since may of 2020 and it feels so good to finally put it into the universe after sitting on it for three (THREE!) years... i have a feeling i will continue this at some point and hopefully turn it into a full blow fic, but until then, enjoy some non-traditional, pandemic themed, sex pollen, a/b/o dynamics <33

They said it started in China. At the annual festival in Shanghai. 

Some experts claimed the mutation originated because of an uncharacteristically dry winter. Some blamed climate change. Others said it was all part of the cyclical nature of the earth. A purification process. Nature taking its course. 

The more hysterically minded said it was the end of the fucking world. 

Either way, Ginny watched in horror with the rest of Edinburgh as more and more reports flooded the news.

All across the northern hemisphere, the cherry trees were blossoming, and people were going mad.

~~~

The thing about fear was that it spread like wildfire. 

Grocery stores emptied of necessities overnight. The Prime Minister issued stay at home orders, some of the more populated areas even attempted a voluntary curfew. Borders were closed, air traffic came to a grinding halt, restaurants were instructed to only offer takeout, and any non-essential businesses were told to close their doors entirely. 

For a while, it all felt over-cautious. 

At least until the first case hit Cardiff. 

They said the little omega lasted three days in a severe heat until the pain and the dehydration finally rendered her unconscious. Her family rushed her to the emergency room and it was another two days before the hospital identified what was happening to her. They said before she was quarantined, she infected almost thirty people, nine of them hospital staff. 

It spread from twenty-nine confirmed cases to over three-hundred within a week, three-hundred became eight-thousand within the month.

And that was just Wales.

~~~

Birmingham was the third city to reach critical levels of contamination, after Liverpool and Manchester. 

They projected a global spread, the more densely populated areas being hit first. Each day the estimates increased, predicting numbers so catastrophic, there hadn’t been anything like it in over five-hundred years.

The real test, however, was London. 

There were reports that all the major cabinet members had been moved to separate and secure locations. That way if any of them contracted the sickness, at the very least, they wouldn’t infect the rest of the country's leaders. 

The worst part was nobody seemed to know anything. Records of the last pandemic were inconclusive or didn’t exist. No one knew how long the sickness lasted or how debilitating it really was. Less reliable news sources even reported deaths when the first wave hit eastern China, rumours spreading of alphas ripping each other apart over the chance to mate an omega.

But that’s all they were. 

Rumours. 

~~~

Designation had never mattered much to Ginny. It was just something stamped on her birth certificate next to seven pounds two ounces, eighteen inches long. Her ruts weren’t dramatic events, they were hardly even a disruption. Four times a year, she’d get the urge, use her fingers on herself three nights in a row and wait out the subsequent five days of bleeding.

Designation also hasn’t mattered to the world in decades. Suppressants went out of fashion after the turn of the century, the human race’s more animalistic instincts fading with each generation until the ruts and heats became nothing more than quarterly nuisances. Only a very small percentage of the population still needed herbs and homoeopathic blockers to get by, the rest went about their lives business as usual.

Humanity had evolved past such trivial things as Alpha, Beta, and Omega. 

But now, it was all anyone could talk about.

~~~

Dawdling around the townhouse, Ginny took her frustrations out in the form of kneading a lumpy, soon to be loaf of bread while half listening to the news. Her television emitted a scratchy noise every few seconds, but for a dumpster dive, it worked fine enough. Especially since for the six weeks she’d been stuck at home, she’d hardly turned the damn thing off. 

It wasn’t so much that she was dedicated to being informed, she just couldn’t bear the silence.

No honking cars, no nosy tourists, no shouting street vendors.

It was quiet in an uncomfortable way, in an unnatural way. In a way that left Ginny too much alone with her own thoughts. 

As she punched the dough down as hard as she could, her telly warbled out an odd static followed by the evening news anchor chatting animatedly with a couple who supposedly recovered from the sickness.

“And you think having each other,” the journalist asked in disbelief, “helped speed up your recovery?” 

“We realise it sounds a bit crazy, we aren’t even sure if there is science to support it–” a male voice responded. He sounded rational enough even though what he was saying went against every directive of social distancing. “But I’m an alpha, and my wife is an omega. When we both came down with it, we decided to stay home and wait it out together. Within a week or so we felt completely back to normal...”

Ginny snorted. The hospitals reported the illness lasting between twelve to fifteen days, not seven. And what were their credentials besides claiming to have been infected? The news station could interview anyone off the street. They’d probably interview her if she claimed she danced naked, covered in chicken’s blood beneath the full moon and it spared her. If anything, the segment was irresponsible. Now people were going to go out looking for a sex partner for the week.

Sighing at the downturn in journalistic integrity, she tuned out the rest of the interview, content to bask in the early May breeze wafting through the open windows.

Until she heard the squeak of brakes slow to a stop out front. 

And muffled voices. 

Followed by a car door slamming shut. 

She’d just begun to wonder which bluenose neighbour had arrived to hole up in a holiday house when footsteps scuffed up the stone walk, her stone walk, and a key slid into the lock of her front door.

The knob turned, the door clicked open, and Ginny stood rooted to the spot, covered in flour as her landlord (slash older brother’s best mate) appeared framed on the stoop. 

At first, Harry didn’t notice her. He stepped inside, careful to scrub his shoes on the mat before closing the door behind him and dropping his duffle unceremoniously in the foyer. He looked the same as he had nearly a year ago. He scratched a hand through the disaster hair piled atop his head then patted it all down again. His glasses were the same, and he still had the same little divot permanently etching his brow into a scowl. Beneath his anorak she could tell his lean frame still gave way to lanky limbs that shifted into slender fingers. 

Then the telly switched programs, the News giving way to some crime documentary, or something. Ginny wasn’t actually paying attention. At the change in music, Harry froze with his back halfway to her and his shoulders went tight. 

Then he turned on the spot, and he finally registered Ginny’s presence tucked away in the kitchen at the back of the house.

Their gazes held for several beats too long, both of them wide-eyed and startled by the existence of the other in such close proximity. 

Ginny’s heart thundered inside her chest, in a way that was achingly familiar and entirely unwelcome. 

“What are you– I didn’t think–” Harry stammered quickly. “Ron said he was meeting you back home?”

“He was,” Ginny answered, just as flustered. “I’d planned on it but– I couldn’t– I mean, I…changed my mind.”

Harry dug his fingers into his eyes behind his glasses and swore softly. He looked a bit peaky.  

“Christ, I’m an idiot,” He croaked. “I’m so sorry. I should’ve called.”

“No, it’s fine,” she reassured, not quite sure why she was pardoning his intrusion. “It’s still your house.”

They stared at each other in the silence for several beats too long, both of them seemingly at a loss for what to do next. 

“Er–” Harry finally stammered, a grin taking over his face. “Hi, by the way.”

Ginny laughed. “Yeah... long time, no see.”

They went in for a hug at the same time, but it was too light and too quick to feel natural. As he pulled away, Harry averted his gaze and let his eyes wander around the hall and the front two rooms. 

“Is Luna…” he trailed off, as if those two words were question enough. 

Ginny realised she was still covered in baking powder and half finished dough. She grabbed a tea towel from the hook and wiped her hands just for something to look at besides him. “She and her Dad were visiting family in Hamburg when the stay at home orders hit. She’s been stuck there for over a month. They can’t get a flight home.”

Harry nodded and let out a deep exhale of sympathy. “Fuck, yeah, that’d be awful.” He paused, shooting her a furtive glance. “And you? How–how are you?”

“Yeah, fine,” One half of her mouth tipped into a smile. “You?”

Shaking his head as if in thought, his hands fidgeted slightly in front of him. “Well, London is a disaster. They aren’t letting anyone leave their homes, or letting anyone into town. They’re letting people leave, but it took me ten days just to get approval to hop a train. I figured it couldn’t be so bad up here, you know? That’s why I…”

He trailed off again and Ginny wondered if he’d become incapable of finishing a coherent sentence in the time since she’d seen him last. 

“Makes sense,” she nodded generously. 

Harry remained exactly where he was, awkwardly perched on the welcome mat. 

“You can come in,” Ginny asserted and he flinched a bit like he hadn’t expected to actually be allowed to stay. 

“Right,” he cleared his throat and stepped forward like a man walking the plank. 

Busying herself with the kettle, she tried not to be too aware of his progress through the sitting room. 

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him wave to the bookshelves on either side of the fireplace. “I like what you’ve done with the place.”

Ginny grinned. The house held tell-tale signs of being solely occupied by her for the last month and a half. Stray jumpers, and rumpled throw pillows, and forgotten cups of tea sat scattered all around. The dishes in the sink were piled several days too high and the bananas on her countertop were just a shade too brown. 

“It’s a disaster,” she corrected, pulling her last two bags of tea out of the cupboard. 

Harry flashed her a smile, but it was gone just as quickly as it came. “I mean the furniture and things. The colours.”

“The colours?” she repeated incredulously. 

“Yeah,” he hummed, finally inching his way fully into the kitchen. He swallowed as his eyes settled on her once more. “It looks nice. Cosy.”

Snorting, she pulled her nearly empty carton of milk out of the refrigerator. “A sight better than when you and Ron lived here, you mean?”

That fleeting smirk again, there and then gone. “Do you know our sofa broke in two when we tried to move it out?”

“That does not surprise me in the slightest.”

Ginny poured and they both chuckled. She passed him one of the mugs and the milk, remembering how he took it. She reckoned it was one of those things she’d never forget. Like the opening to her favourite Spice Girls’ song, or her childhood phone number, or the rhymes to bonfire night. Two plus two equals four and Harry took his tea with milk, no sugar.

He tipped a splash into his cup, seemed to hesitate for a second, and then burst, “I can get a room. There’s got to be a hotel open in Old Town–”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Ginny cut across him, spooning a heap of sugar into her own tea. Again, she wasn’t quite sure why she was contradicting him, but she refused to chase the thought down, because then she’d have to acknowledge that somewhere deep down she wanted him to stay. 

“Ginny,” he croaked. “I can’t intrude like this. I’ll figure something out. I’ll go stay at Sirius’ place in the country, or–”

“Harry,” she interrupted him again. “It’s your house.”

He seemed determined to put himself out. “But I can’t just show up out of the blue and–”

“Luna took your old room–” she continued as if he hadn’t spoken.

“I mean, you pay rent!” Now he was just talking to himself. “I had no right–”

“And she’s obviously not using it–” Ginny reasoned, though the ramifications of what she was suggesting crept up on her in a gradual recognition of awareness. 

“I bet the Chisholm Hunter has rooms–”

“Harry!” she cut across him in humoured agitation. “It’s fine. Stay tonight, or the next few days, or a week, until you figure it out. It’s fine.”

He blinked, the furrow between his brows deepening in thought. “You’re sure it’s okay?”

“Yes,” she lied, like a liar. “It’s not a big deal.”

It was kind of a big deal, but she could handle it. 

“You said they aren’t letting people into London, right?” Ginny continued. “What are you going to do? Rent a room until they let you go back home? That could be months!”

He opened his mouth as if to argue, then shut it again and exhaled sharply through his nose. 

“Yeah, alright,” He conceded. “But only until I can get ahold of Sirius. Then, I swear, I’ll get out of your hair.”

The statement stung, just a little. As if getting out of her sight was vastly preferable than remaining in it. 

“Where is he?” Ginny asked instead, lifting her mug to her mouth as if completely unaffected. 

Harry pulled out his mobile and punched in his passcode. “Australia. Apparently their cherry trees don’t bloom until September.”

A scoff bubbled up in the back of her throat. “Lucky Australia.”

He muttered something that sounded like agreement and pressed the phone to his ear. As he meandered back into the sitting room, Ginny turned her cupboards in search of biscuits. Surely, she still had a package left somewhere. 

Harry returned within moments. “Didn’t answer.”

“Well,” she shrugged, “Isn’t it like three in the morning?”

Harry gave her a flat look. “It’s Sirius.”

She laughed. “Yeah, okay, that’s fair.”

Something in his expression sparked at her reaction and it made the breath in her lungs go shallow. 

Just like his smiles, the flare of something was there and then gone in an instant. She tried not to feel the familiarity of it, really she did, but something hollowed out spread through her middle at the reminder of her nearly debilitating infatuation, and then its eventual collapse. 

Ginny cleared her throat, coming back to her senses. “So, you said it took you forever to get a train ticket. Have they decreased the routes?”

“Oh, erm–” Harry took a sip of tea that was clearly too hot for his mouth and he winced. “Yeah, and they’re checking into everyone who books.”

Understanding washed over her. “Right, so they make sure people aren’t…”

Great, now she was incapable of finishing her sentences. 

He looked to her uncomfortably. “I hadn’t actually ever seen my birth certificate, I just always figured I was a Beta. Had to have a Doctor check me over once to make sure I wasn’t — you know — that I hadn’t gone unidentified.” 

“Right, good. Nice.”

Why exactly was it nice? She should really stop talking. 

“Is that why you…” He gestured vaguely south with one hand. “Couldn’t…go home?”

“Oh, er-” Ginny resisted the urge to cringe. “No.”

In reality, she’d had plenty of time to book a train to Devon before they started restricting the passengers who were designated one way or the other, but she hadn’t had the funds.

Harry’s gaze sharpened in curiosity. 

“Do you want to put your stuff upstairs?” she asked brightly. “You must be knackered after travelling all day.”

~~~

Ginny retreated to the bathroom, closing the door softly behind her and leaning back against the sink. Shortly after Harry had settled into Luna’s room, his old room, she’d heard his mobile ring. His muffled voice through the mostly closed door had been maddening, and nearly too tempting to eavesdrop on, so she’d escaped. 

She was half-torn. One part of her wished Sirius was offering up his country house to his godson immediately, and the other part hoped there was some flood, or fire, or other natural disaster that made it inhabitable. 

Because the prospect of spending time with someone, but especially him; to not be alone hour after hour and day after day, was almost too exquisite to contemplate. 

Christ, she was hopeless. 

With nothing better to do than simmer in her own thoughts, Ginny turned the taps to the bath and adjusted the temperature until the shower spray was borderline scorching. She spent an excessive amount of time washing her hair and scrubbing her skin. She didn’t bother trying to figure out if she was doing it consciously or subconsciously, but she did know she was avoiding the end of her shower. Because as soon as she left the bath, she’d find out if he was staying or going. 

Both scenarios felt too formidable to contemplate. 

Eventually, though, the water ran cold, and Ginny couldn’t hide any longer. 

After brushing her teeth, applying night cream, and wrapping herself up in her dressing gown, Ginny yanked open the bathroom door to find Harry standing directly in the doorway, with his fist raised as if to knock. 

“Oh, sorry–” He muttered, his gaze flitting down her body and back up again. His face flushed just enough to notice. “That was Sirius,” he continued. “I can stay at his place, so I’ll be out of here as soon as I can book a train.” 

Ginny pulled in a breath and did her best to keep it even. “Right. Good.”

She felt anything but good. 

Squeezing past him and into the hallway, she kept her expression bright and open until she was safe inside her bedroom. 

In her haste, she missed the way his eyes fluttered shut as she passed. 

~~~

That night was unseasonably hot. The forecast had called for it to be a mild week, balmy and temperate, so Ginny wasn’t sure why the air wafting in through her open window felt so stifling. As she tossed and turned, a light sheen of sweat clung to her skin, and she contemplated the merits of another shower. This time a cold one. 

She settled for a glass of water instead. 

Padding down the hall toward the stairs, Ginny skirted past Luna’s room as quickly and quietly as she could. However, in the end, stealth didn’t matter.  

Harry was already in the kitchen, propped up against the sink and looking pale. 

“You okay?” Ginny muttered, taking a tentative step forward. 

Clenching his eyes shut, Harry kept his head down and nodded. “I don’t know what’s happened to my stomach. Food poisoning or something–”

“I may have some Pepti upstairs?”

Harry nodded again. 

She took a step closer, reaching for a glass from the shelf when the scent hit her. It smelled like fresh spring mornings, and the citrus of Earl Grey tea, and the warmth of never being alone. It smelled like home. 

Every instinct she had screamed at her to take in more of it, to surround herself in it. Harry’s eyes met hers through the dim light and she saw him pull in a deep inhale through flared nostrils. 

In an instant, her mind was restless and her body uncomfortably warm. Parts of her she didn’t know could ache, gnawed and cramped in time with her too loud pulse.

She dropped the glass she’d been holding at the same time Harry lept backwards. 

In some corner of her mind, she knew what was happening. All of the doctors listed the same symptoms over and over; heightened senses, irregular body temperature, lower-abdominal cramps, increased libido. However, she was firmly ignoring the signs… especially the last one. It was much easier to dismiss her body’s immediate urges as coincidence. Otherwise, she would also have to admit what triggered it. 

For fuck’s sake, Harry triggered it. 

But that would mean he–

Fucking fuck, fuck, fuck.

[cookie-nom-nom]

The Vortex Tree

Part 1. From a dream I had. Tw animal death

A lone towering tree scrapped the heavens, the surrounding forest ripped to shreds by the whirlwind converging upon the Vortex Tree. Its influence spanned the horizon, weak at the edges but swiftly pulling everything into the maelstrom. The critters of the woods had no idea how it got there, since anyone present at the time was destroyed alongside everything else, surely bashed to death in the chunks of the world torn up into the cyclone.

No one would tell how big the Vortex Tree was. Swirling dark clouds spun in the whirlwind around the trunk, but whatever canopy lay beyond was still too distant to see. But surely there must be one, or else the sun wouldn’t be blotted out. 

The critters had thought it was dust at the beginning, a choking haze settling in gentler breezes at the periphery, carried far by the wind. Surely there was enough debris for there to be, the bedrock exposed as all was whisked away by the winds. It made critters sick, particularly the ones with fur that trapped the dust, or amphibians that absorb pollutants so easily. Coating their lungs, coughed up gunk and exhaling residue. It was hard to see sometimes, the dust so thick it hung in the air. But it seemed minor compared to the desolation of the entire forest that obliterated peoples lives and homes. At least, till the corpses split open and poured out pure pollen.

It spread like wildfire. Where once the stiff breezes at the edge of the vortex were thought to be safer than the whirlwinds, the critters now knew the danger lacing every breath. The dazed contaminated critters often forgot their caution, wandered too close to the tree. As their muscles locked up they couldn’t withstand the winds, swept ever closer to the Vortex Tree. At the hearth the fierce gale would rip their paws from the ground. Sucked into the whirlwind, the critters were bludgeoned against the stone and trunks and trash that filled the vortex. Their corpses burst apart and spread the infection across the horizon, carried on by the tumultuous winds.

Far worse than the deaths was the chilling implication that a second Vortex Tree could be made. 

The critters stamped out any chance of infection they could, quarantining the dead, evacuating large swaths of what little woods remained, covering their button noses and twitching ears and doleful eyes. They shaved off the fur that pollen clung to, or hiding porous amphibian skin. In time the pollen settled too far to be picked up by the winds and spread further. The critters burned everywhere it touched. 

(The pollen would come again in a century, once all the critters forgot its perils. After a few cycles, those with longer lifespans like the squirrels and lizards began passing down warnings through their generations. They dealt as best they could. Such was their philosophy on most matters.)

There was little means of escape for the tiny animals. The world so vast, the journey perilous for any who tried to evacuate. But with time and bravery the civilizations of critters were pushed further and further away from the Vortex Tree, into territories that hadn’t the berries and nuts and bugs to feed both them and the original inhabitants. But beyond was only prairie, where hawks could always see them, and heat bore down upon scurrying backs used to pleasant shade. No, there was little elsewhere the critters could go, forced to survive on the remaining periphery of the woods. The fragments of the forest would have to be enough. 

And every year, the vortex consumed more and more of the world.

[enigmatist17]

The crew of the Voyager sleep on the ship for months after returning to the Alpha Quadrant. It seems wrong not to be on the ship that was home for almost eight years, and for the most part Starfleet doesn't push their weary travelers against doing as such.

It helps with the quarantine anyways, the Doctor making sure that the other Starfleet doctors are gentle with his patients, his crew. Lt. Barclay helps stamp out any nasty remarks or looks, making sure the doctors all knew that the hologram was a member of Voyager, and the crew all threaten to be temperamental with some of the more stubborn doctors.

Captain Janeway lets Starfleet document every upgrade they had gathered, but asks to remain captain of the ship once everything was taken care of. Call her sentimental, but Voyager served her and her crew well despite everything, and Janeway didn't mind being captain for a while longer.

The former Maquis are all pardoned and inducted into Starfleet at the promotions they had all received over the years, and while some of them take some time to see what happened to former friends and family, they all returned back to Starfleet, to Voyager.

While I'm aware Starfleet would probably not keep them together/promote Janeway and Chakotay, I think they'd let it slide for a while to let Voyager serve together for a while longer before they all eventually began to splinter away and make their own paths. Also despite the show never letting it happen (which was so stupid), Harry was promoted twice while in the Delta Quadrant, and is gifted Voyager when he's made Captain.

The Doctor in particular ends up remaining with Janeway for a while, if he's not with Zimmerman and Barclay. While a lot of people doubted the Doctor had grown into his own person, with a soul and life outside of his programming, the news spread quickly. Maybe he fights for hologram rights, or maybe he spends some time updating his files while exploring Earth, but in the end the Doctor just goes to see everything he could ever want, and save lives along the way. He's there long after his beloved crew passes on, being there every time they all pass, but is pleased to watch over the next generations they all pass on, and thats more than enough for him.

I finally finished Voyager, and I have Thoughts 💜

[ask-a-w]

Change of Plans

Summary: Newlyweds Leon and Ada Kennedy keep having their plans interrupted. Set after RE6 and follows OG canon with some RE4R lines as a shoutout. Takes place between Chapters 19 & 20 of my other story, "Life". Oneshot story and contains smut.

FF.net

AO3

---------

The velcro band around Leon’s arm increased in pressure dramatically, lingering for a few seconds before it loosened gradually. A series of pings sounded soon after and the doctor looked pleased. “Well, Mr. Kennedy, you have a clean bill of health, as always.”

Leon returned the smile and patiently waited for him to remove the blood pressure cuff. “Thank you. Does it mean I can be released from quarantine now?”

Dr. James nodded, “Indeed. I suppose you know the procedure, given by how many times they send you to areas with biohazard outbreaks. Please sign this and you’re free to go.”

A plastic clipboard was given to the blonde government agent and Leon scribbled ‘LSK’ in rapid succession on the dotted lines across a few pages. Already, his mind was on his beautiful wife who was waiting for him back home. 

He and Ada got hitched a few months ago and this was his third mission since the wedding. They did not even manage to go on a honeymoon thanks to his unpredictable schedule. It seemed that they were still apart despite being together at last. Was destiny mocking them? 

Leon was still thankful though, as after fifteen years, Ada reached out to him one day and explained that she had retired from espionage. The puzzle pieces quickly fell into place soon after and they settled into domestic bliss. It was only natural that they sealed the deal half a year after she moved in with him. 

The doctor stamped and endorsed the quarantine release form before nodding to his patient. Leon was at the exit within seconds. Dr. James was quite amused by the change in his patient’s behaviour after getting married. As the agent’s physician for over a decade, Leon was always patient and professional with his physical examinations before his discharge from quarantine. Since the beginning of the year though, the blonde was suddenly eager to leave as soon as possible. That’s when the doctor learned Leon was seeing someone. He did not pry into his patient’s private life but gave his congratulations when he spotted a gold wedding band on the agent’s finger during an annual physical check up. 

Protocol dictated two weeks of quarantine whenever agents encountered bioweapons. Even though Leon had never been bit, one could never be too careful. Previously, Leon enjoyed being cooped up in a room for half a month, taking some much needed downtime to himself. But now, the blonde had someone waiting for him and he grew restless. 

[txt] I’m coming home. 

Leon fired off a quick text as he got into his blue Cadillac which was a little dusty from neglect. He was re-adjusting his mirrors when a buzz sounded from his pocket and he immediately pulled out his phone. The message on the screen brought a lovestruck grin to his face. 

[txt] Excellent. Getting ready for our date. ;)

Briefly, he wondered which outfit Ada would be wearing. She had plenty of clothes that accentuated her form in all the right places. Would it be a figure hugging number or one that showed off her sexy back? Either way, his wife looked stunning in practically anything. 

Feet floored the gas pedal and Leon was barely under the speed limit as he drove down a series of familiar roads leading to the apartment complex. At least it was still the middle of the day and he did not have to be stuck in traffic. 

---------

There was someone else in his designated parking spot and the government agent became annoyed. Was it a visitor that did not read the signs? Just because he was away for a while did not mean the space was permanently vacant. Leon circled around for a moment to locate an available slot. 

Glancing at the intruder’s license plate when he got out of the car, the blonde made a mental note to file a complaint with the building’s superintendent. As he reached the elevator, he flipped open his wallet for a keycard… that was missing! Panic set in as he checked all the slots in his wallet and he quickly patted down his pockets, finding a couple of keys that were unfamiliar to him. He remembered his apartment had more keys than this…

FUCK!

Leon cursed inwardly when it finally dawned on him that they moved into a new house shortly before his latest mission. Ada needed more space and his bachelor pad was getting a bit cramped for two people so the couple purchased a nice two-storey home just near the outskirts of the city. It would take at least half an hour to drive to his new matrimonial home. 

Running back to his car, he put on his ear piece and dialled Ada’s number. 

“Hey handsome, can’t wait to hear my voice?” She teased him playfully when she answered the call. 

“Sorta. I’ll be a little late, beautiful. I accidentally drove back to my old apartment. Completely forgot that we moved.”

Ada chuckled, “It will be fine, we still have time.” 

“We might be cutting it close though. Tell you what, why don’t I meet you directly at the restaurant instead?”

His wife murmured in agreement and both said “I love you” to each other before hanging up. 

---------

Given his proximity to the establishment, Leon arrived first and waited in a private booth. Glancing at the menu, he was tempted to order cocktails but both of them would be driving back in their respective vehicles so he reconsidered his decision. 

The blonde settled on mocktails instead and instructed them to be served once his wife arrived. As for the entrees and mains, he would wait for Ada before deciding together. 

Since it was early afternoon, the lunch crowd had long since dissipated and there were only a handful of patrons, mostly tourists, lingering in the restaurant. In the solitude of his booth, Leon closed his eyes briefly to rest. Age was catching up to him and he sometimes found his energy waning in the afternoon. 

He still kept his senses peeled though, listening to the ambient noises of his surroundings. People were having small talk and waitstaff made their way around the tables and kitchen. 

Leon estimated that he was idling for fifteen minutes when he caught a whiff of his beloved’s perfume and heard the soft click of her heels emanating from behind him. Immediately, he opened his blue-grey eyes and waited for her next move. 

“Put your hands where I can see them,” Ada whispered into his ear as Leon turned his head and shot his wife a smile, remembering the time when she uttered the same words to him under different circumstances. He admired her outfit, which was a body-hugging purple turtleneck dress paired with tights and kitten heel boots. It was only after she moved in with him did he learn that she did have more colours in her wardrobe. He was always used to seeing her decked out in shades of red and it still surprised him whenever she wore something that was not her signature hue. 

Obliging her request, he placed his hands on the table, sliding further down the cushioned seat when she made a gesture to make room for her. Ada sat down beside him and pulled out his wedding band from a ring box. “Do you?” He asked before she slid the ring onto his finger and replied, “I do.” 

Whenever Leon went on missions, he left his ring at home for fear of losing it. Plus, he did not want his enemies to know he had a weakness that could be exploited. Furthermore, his physician also told him about the risk of ring avulsions and he certainly did not want to be subjected to such an injury even if he wore tactical gloves. Thus, the Kennedy couple created a small ritual of sorts between them when Leon cleared quarantine and came home. They would reaffirm their vows with Ada putting the ring back on Leon’s finger. 

Leon kissed the back of her hand and rubbed his thumb over her ring. “I’ve missed you. How have you been?”

Before she could respond, their drinks arrived. Ada nodded her thanks as she eyed the beverages. “Isn’t it too early to drink?”

“They’re mocktails, honey. Just wanted to celebrate being with you again.”

A smile perked up on her glossy red lips as she leaned in for a quick kiss. “Why, thank you. I see you have not lost your charm in quarantine.” She took a sip of the pink concoction which tasted like grapefruit and carbonated soda water. “I’ve been busy at work. Valentine has been having me detail all B.O.Ws that I’ve encountered over the years and their weak spots. I’ve also been looking through their current catalogue of known B.O.Ws and updating them for accuracy if required.”

Leon listened intently and was pleased things have been going relatively smoothly in her new job. In an unusual twist of fate, she was now a legitimate employee of the BSAA. Despite having posed as one years ago in the Eastern Slav Republic, some strings were pulled when Jill offered the position of biowarfare consultant to Ada. 

Director Jill Redfield knew a valuable asset when she saw one and even though Chris vehemently objected to Ada’s job appointment, she would rather have another qualified personnel on their side instead of losing a talent to the enemy… or whomever Ada used to work for. 

“Enough about work, what would you like to have?” Ada said when she saw her husband had nothing to add. She flipped open the menu and barely read through the appetisers when his phone rang, piercing through the silence of their booth. 

A perfectly groomed eyebrow was raised as Ada’s hazel eyes glanced down to his pocket. Leon pulled out his phone with an apologetic look and answered the call, “Kennedy here.”

Judging by the scowl on her husband’s face, it seemed his downtime would be cut short. Ada decided to glance at the menu as she let him continue the conversation. 

“Will Hunnigan be assigned?” 

There was a little pang of disappointment in Ada’s chest as that meant he was going on another mission again. But that was the nature of his job. 

“Good. I’ll be there in an hour.” Leon hung up and sighed, scrubbing his face with the palm of his hand. “I’m sorry, beautiful… Looks like it’s another few weeks away from you.”

Ada placed a hand over his and pulled it away from his handsome mug. “I’ll order something to go for you. I know you don’t like to work on an empty stomach. You can eat during briefings, right?”

He nodded solemnly as his wife tugged the wedding band off his finger. The weight of the ring brought some comfort to him and he felt naked when it was gone. At least he could wear the special watch Ada got for both of them. It was waterproof, had GPS capabilities, and could monitor some vitals. Even if his wife could not be on the field with him, she was able to track him remotely. 

The blonde leaned in to touch his forehead against hers, “I love you, Ada.” His lips met hers and he lingered for a few moments before parting. 

“Love you too, Leon.” Ada Kennedy whispered before she slid out of the booth and made her way to the cashier. She returned moments later with a receipt and spent the next few precious minutes with her spouse as he drained his mocktail. 

“I thought you were being transferred to training work… what’s taking so long?” Ada murmured as she laid her head against Leon’s shoulder. The blonde rubbed circles on his wife’s back. “Manpower shortage, unfortunately. It takes time to train someone to be competent.”

They sat in silence, enjoying each other’s company until a server walked over with a plastic bag and a plate of pasta. Leon sighed with reluctance as he eyed his food. 

“I got you a cheese steak wrap. Time for you to save the day again. Be safe, handsome.” Ada whispered as she gave him one more kiss for good luck. Leon smiled a little as he grabbed the takeout bag and headed to his car. 

His wife never took her eyes off him and only started eating when she could no longer see his car on the road. 

---------

Damn!

Leon thought to himself as the B.O.W. mutated, growing new sets of arms and chucking more debris at him. The blonde quickly vaulted over a railing and landed onto the floor below in a tuck and roll. He had to be careful now, after a rock grazed his forehead from the monster’s first wave of attacks. The skin was stinging as a bead of blood ran down his temple. 

After years of being on the field, he was no longer surprised by grotesque transformations. Instead, it annoyed him as it meant that he had to waste more time taking it down. That was precious time away from Ada. 

The B.O.W. roared when its prey went out of sight. This gave Leon time to formulate a new strategy to take it down. Even though he had enough firepower, it was not wise to waste all of them at once. 

Leon kept to the shadows as the target lumbered down the staircase. It was not quite a tyrant but not a simple zombie either. He had to observe its movements and body for any weak points before deciding his next course of action. 

The extra arms added more mass to its upper body which meant it was top heavy and slightly unstable. There also appeared to be glowing fissures on where the extra appendages attached to the main body. Grabbing his sniper rifle, Leon carefully aimed for what he assumed was a weak spot and fired. 

It yelled in pain as the fissure was torn clean through and the arm dropped to the floor. His assumption was correct! Leon waited to see if it would regenerate and to his relief, it did not. This would be easy. 

The game of cat and mouse began as the blonde ran in circles around the monster, firing off shot after shot to get rid of the extra arms. It grew weakened and more desperate as it broke into a rampage, tossing aside everything in its way, and chasing Leon down to the ground floor of the laboratory. 

When it stopped near a gas canister, Leon seized the moment by pulling the pin on his grenade and hurling it at the creature. The canister exploded in a shower of flames as the B.O.W lit up like a Christmas tree. It shrieked an ear piercing scream, movements getting all jittery as it slowly got incinerated. 

Smouldering corpse dropped to the floor and Leon spared it one last glance before continuing his mission. His report was going to be another long one. 

---------

There was so much going on around him. Yet another self-destruct sequence was triggered and the building was on fire. The surrounding air grew uncomfortably warm and the grey smoke was threatening to smother him. He was also bone tired and had a gnawing hunger in his stomach too. But Leon could not falter now, not when he was so close. His chopper ride was right in front of him as he kicked open the door and burst onto the rooftop. With a surge of adrenaline, Leon ran and leapt off the building, grabbing the ladder that dangled off the chopper. 

His arms protested in pain from the force of yanking on the ropes as he was successfully evacuated. His old shoulder wound was going to be terribly sore after this. He grunted as the winds swirled around him and he made the climb into sanctuary. 

“Aurum checking in,” Leon said as he laid on the floor of the chopper, exhausted and spent. He had new codenames for every mission and this time, he quite liked it. Not too pretentious and nothing that would give away his identity. 

Hunnigan’s voice rang in his headset, “Good job, Aurum. Glad to see you’re in one piece. Looking forward to your report.”

“Noted. I’m going to rest for a while. Do you mind letting A know I’m coming home? Aurum out.”

Hunnigan had become acquainted with Ada in the past few months and while his spouse wasn’t privy to confidential information about his missions, Hunnigan did notify her whenever Leon was coming home.

“Of course. Have a good rest, Aurum.”

Leon closed his eyes and promptly fell asleep despite how noisy the chopper’s whirring blades were. He dreamt of Ada teasing him with a coy smile before allowing him to take her into his arms. 

A nudge to his shoulder awoke Leon some time later and he found Dr. James in his protective gear kneeling over him. “I can stitch up the wound on your forehead after we run your blood work.”

Pushing himself up off the ground, the blonde agent followed his physician to the decontamination chamber and examination room. It was time to serve out his quarantine. 

---------

Fingers flew rapidly across the keyboard as Leon wrote down every single detail from his recent mission. After a good night’s sleep, he was energised enough to begin his report. When he reached a good stopping point, he decided to take a break for today. 

Glancing at his watch, he saw it was dinner time. Right on cue, the bell to his room rang. Leon opened the door and picked up the takeout box on the table just outside his room. From the scent, it smelled meaty. Barbecue or rotisserie chicken maybe? 

His thoughts went to Ada who would be on the way home from work at this hour. He would call her after he ate. It was pretty late when his preliminary medical examination concluded yesterday and he slept in this morning, leaving him no opportunity to hear her voice. They did exchange a few flirty text messages though. 

He dropped her a request to do a video call when he was done with dinner. She responded promptly and her face appeared on his screen soon after. Her hair was damp and she wore a bathrobe, looking like a beautiful vision in his eyes. 

“Hi, gorgeous. Did you just get out of the shower?”

“Hey, handsome. You called at the right time. I was going to start making some dinner,” Ada replied before doing a double take. “What happened to your forehead?”

He touched the bandage above his eyebrow. “Got hit by a rock and the skin split open. It’s not that bad.”

Ada pursed her lips as she made her way downstairs, stopping as she looked down and picked up a fluffy orange cat. “Cobalt misses you, by the way. He has been sleeping on your side of the bed.”

The cat grabbed onto the lapel of her robe, pulling it down ever so slightly and revealing the top of her cleavage. Leon blushed a little as he felt his pants tighten. “Give him a kiss for me.”

His spouse obliged and kissed the top of the ginger cat’s head before setting him down on the floor and taking a seat at the kitchen counter. 

“Everything alright so far?” 

She nodded, “Same as always.” There was a small pause as she continued, “I was thinking of having date night at home when you’re done. I don’t want to waste any more time…” His wife was looking at him all seductively as she opened up the top of her robe just a little more. 

His mouth went dry as he became lost for words. She always had that effect on him. No matter how many times they’ve made love, he would go weak in the knees when she behaved sultrily. 

“Are you blushing, Leon? It’s not the first time you’ve seen me almost naked.”

“You don’t know how alluring you are, Ada,” he replied as there was now some discomfort in his pants from the rapidly hardening erection straining against the fabric. His spouse merely leaned toward the camera and let him get a glimpse of the gap between the robe & her body. She was nude underneath and it was now borderline painful that they could not give into their passions in person. 

Ada pulled away with a smirk and began to take out leftovers from the fridge and a plate from the cabinet. “I am looking forward to our reunion. I hope you can hold out till then…”

“You definitely love to tease me.”

She just continued to smile at him. “Because you look so cute when you’re all flustered, Mr. Kennedy.”

“Hmm, I should learn to take a page out of your book then.” Leon said coyly in return as he leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms behind his head to show off his biceps. 

His spouse regarded him with curiosity and accepted his challenge. “I look forward to it.”

---------

Leon could smell the scent of pizza wafting from the kitchen as he entered the house. He heard the bell jingle as a flash of orange turned the corner and Cobalt trotted up to him excitedly, rubbing his legs. He picked up the ginger cat and carried him to the kitchen where Ada was tossing some salad in a bowl. She was dressed simply in a pair of pajama pants and a sweater with an apron wrapped around her torso. 

“Welcome back, handsome.” She wiped her hands on a towel and embraced her beloved, planting a quick kiss and being careful not to squish their cat. 

“Anything you need help with?” He asked as he let the cat jump out of his arms and wander off. She gestured to the cabinets, “Could you help take out the plates and utensils please?”

“Gladly.” He laid out the required items before hugging Ada from the back. She smiled once more and chided him playfully, “I can’t serve dinner if I’m trapped against a counter.” Even though she could easily free herself from this position, she allowed her husband to have some fun. 

Leon merely pressed a kiss on her temple, “Just giving you some support with my presence.” His hands rubbed her arms sensually before resting them on her wide hips, feeling the curves underneath the fabric. 

“I think you’re just trying to distract me.”

“Whatever gave you that idea?” His voice was a little husky in her ear but the moment got interrupted when his stomach rumbled. 

Ada laughed and turned around in his embrace, lightly tapping his nose, “You’ll need some energy first before you can ravish me.” Leon responded by giving her a lingering kiss before reaching behind her to grab the salad bowl. 

At least dinner was simple and easy to consume. They spent a lot of it quipping innuendoes at each other and getting a little touchy-feely. When they finally loaded the dirty dishes into the dishwasher, Leon picked up his wife by the waist and lifted her onto the island counter. Ada wrapped her legs around him instantly as he showered hot kisses on her neck and reached underneath the sweater to pull it off her hot body. 

He was fingering the straps of her red bra when his phone’s ringtone interrupted their make out session. The blonde ignored it at first as he reached behind Ada’s back to unclasp the bra, giving him a sight of her fair breasts. 

When the ringing refused to stop, Ada sighed and gently disengaged, reaching over the counter to grab his phone. The way her muscles stretched made her look incredibly sexy and he really wanted to take her right then and there. 

Holding the mobile in front of his face, Leon was forced to take the call. Once again, brows furrowed upon listening to the caller’s instructions which indicated that he had to leave his beloved Ada once more. 

“At least you got to eat this time,” his wife said when he finally got off the phone. Leon pouted as he hugged his half naked wife and gently palmed her breast. 

“I should give you something to tide you over until I return,” he murmured as his mouth descended onto her dark nipple and he gingerly scraped the bud with his teeth. Ada let out a soft moan and her fingers sought purchase within his blonde locks, tugging the hair strands when he nipped and sucked her tits the way she liked. Her nipples rapidly peaked within his talented mouth and delicious tingling sensations shot down her spine. 

His hand cupped her nether regions through her pants and his thumb lightly pressed on her clit. At least the fabric was thin enough for her to feel his touch. She bucked against him as she wanted more and he acquiesced. 

Ada’s face was flushed when Leon was done with his ministrations. “Well now I feel obligated to return the favour…” She scooted off the counter and pressed her body against him, capturing his lips once more as her hands undid his pants. 

With a tug, they sagged to his knees and Ada pushed him to sit on the dining chair before kneeling down to free his manhood from his underwear. Before he could register what was happening, he felt his wife’s warm, moist mouth engulf his length and her slick tongue licking him slowly. There was no teasing today, he was on a tight schedule after all. 

“Ada…” Leon muttered as it was now his turn to caress her hair. The blonde did not think he would miss fellatio this much but now he was slowly losing control. He felt himself hit the back of her throat and then a little further. That was new. 

Her throat contracted around his girth as she continued to suck, coaxing him towards orgasm. “Oh god…” He moaned as her tongue swiped the underside of his cock and when she took another swallow, he just lost it right then and there. 

His wife gladly licked him dry as he came and when he stopped shuddering, Ada pulled away with glee. She helped him pull up his underwear and pants before kissing him once more. Leon did not mind tasting himself on her lips as he savoured every ounce of affection she bestowed. 

“I hope that’s enough motivation to slay monsters, handsome.”

“It’s more than enough. Now I can’t wait to properly fuck you when I return,” he replied as he helped his wife get dressed. This time, he departed in much greater spirits. 

---------

Ada was getting ready to leave for work when her phone rang on the last day of Leon’s quarantine. She saw her husband’s name on the display and had a feeling it was going to be unfavourable news again. Such was the nature of being a government agent. His texts were a little sporadic this time and he was not keen on video calls. She figured he was exhausted. Going on back to back missions would be draining, after all. When he was recharged, she would be here for him. They had all the time in the world, after all. 

“Good morning, Leon,” she greeted him after swiping the screen to accept the call. 

“Morning, Ada…”

There was a long silence and she asked, “Is everything alright?”

A drawn out sigh was heard on the other end. “Do you want the good news or bad news?”

“Bad news then.”

“I need to do overtime to finish up some paperwork since I’ve been away for so long.”

Thank goodness it was not another mission. “But no fieldwork, right?”

“Mm hmm. Good news is no fieldwork and I’ll be given a few days off once I’m done with overtime.”

“At least we’ll still be in the same state,” she replied as she picked up her phone and headed out of the door. 

There was another pause, and Ada thought she heard a huff of annoyance. "I thought you’ll be a little more disappointed that our plans keep getting disrupted.” There was a tinge of bitterness in his voice. 

“That’s the nature of your job. I’ve grown to accept it when I married you, handsome.” Ada opened the door to her car and got in, strapping her phone to the holder on the dashboard and putting in her earpiece to continue the call. She turned the keys to the ignition and allowed the engine to warm up a bit. 

Leon snapped back bitingly, “I don’t think you’ve changed since marrying me, Ada.”

His outburst caught her off guard and she glared at the phone. “I won’t be spoken to like that, Kennedy. Did something happen?” The change in his demeanour was perplexing as he was in such a cheerful mood during their last meeting. He would not act like this unless the mission went south.

“Other than seeing more people die, everything’s just peachy…”

Her heart broke for him and she wished she was there personally to soothe his pain. “I’m sorry that happened to you, handsome. Is there-” She got interrupted by the hiss and pop of a can and she could hear Leon chugging it. 

“Are you drinking?” Ada asked worriedly as she pulled out of the driveway. 

He scoffed, “What are you, my mother? And shouldn’t you be a little impatient to see me instead of going to work?”

In the past, Ada would have gladly dropped everything if she was still an independent contractor but now, she was gainfully employed. She took pride in her work. 

If that was how he wanted to behave, she would not be his punching bag any longer. “I know you’re upset but I don’t appreciate that you’re taking it out on me. Until we can have a proper conversation, I am ending the call now.”

“Of course you run away,” she heard him take another swig from his beer can, “when things get dicey. You haven’t changed.”

Ada was dismayed by his response and hung up. How dare he say she did not change! Being a dutiful wife had never been on the cards when she was a spy. Didn’t he know how much he affected her life back in Raccoon City? Falling in love with Leon Scott Kennedy changed everything. 

She was tempted to exhibit some road rage but all her years of training to control her emotions prevented her from lashing out. The ex-spy merely exhaled loudly through her nose and took a deep breath, filing this incident into another part of her thoughts to revisit later. 

---------

There was radio silence from him since yesterday and Ada went about her morning with a slight emptiness in her heart.  She will not reach out to him until he apologised. 

Upon reaching the office, her supervisor, Mary, informed her that she had to go down to the DSO for a meeting since the staff who was supposed to attend it was feeling unwell. Ada took the clipboard and glanced at the meeting agenda. A frown appeared when she read her husband’s name. “Wouldn’t there be a conflict of interest? I am his spouse after all.”

Mary shook her head, “This has been cleared by the director. You are not handling any purchases or signing agreements with the DSO for this meeting. There is no COI.”

Ada remained silent with a pensive look on her face and Mary probed a bit with concern, “Trouble at home?”

She almost responded with a piercing glower out of habit. Her private life was just that, private. Instead, she gave a look that said she did not want to talk about it. Ada decided that she will conduct the meeting professionally, separating work from personal matters. 

Mary’s gaze softened. Even though Ada was known to be quite a force to be reckoned with and having nerves of steel, she could sense some form of unease radiating from her. “We could always postpone it until-”

“I will go ahead as planned,” Ada said calmly as she strode off to her desk to pack a briefcase of files and stationery.

Meanwhile, at the DSO, Leon Kennedy was feeling a headache forming at the sight of the never-ending stacks of reports piling up on his desk. Even though he worked almost non-stop yesterday, it felt like he barely made a dent in his workload. Good thing he now had a small office to himself so he could curse out loud without disturbing anyone else. 

He strode over to the window and opened it, allowing a bit of fresh air to stream in. The room was still a bit musty from weeks of disuse, after all. Almost immediately, he could hear the AC cut off thanks to him activating the window sensor. The blonde turned back to his desk and glanced briefly at the framed photograph of him and Ada on their wedding day. 

A whirlwind of emotions coursed through him. God, why did he pick a fight with her? She probably would not want to forgive him now. Going after her like that after his gruelling debriefing was a cheap shot. Sitting there and listening to his superiors berate him for the body count took a toll on his psyche. Leon really should have gotten a grip on his emotions before the phone call with his wife. 

At the same time, he wished Ada showed some neediness instead of being so level headed at his absence. It had been almost two months since they spent quality time together. Did she even miss him at all? What’s the point of being married if his wife was so unflappable? Just once, he wanted to be fawned and fussed over. 

He sighed and angled the photo slightly away from him so he would not be too distracted by his thoughts. The blonde got down to work, reading through the multitude of emails that kept entering his inbox. He tried to clear it during quarantine but his expertise was well sought after by many parties, hounding him with email after email. 

A pop up on his desktop reminded him of a  biowarfare meeting with a BSAA personnel in half an hour. He wondered who it could be, Chris or his spouse, Jill? Those were the only two people he knew from that organisation who were typically sent out to meet others.  Whoever it was, he would find out later as he squeezed in some time to reply to some urgent queries. 

A knock on his office door fifteen minutes later interrupted him and he called out, “Enter.” The door handle jiggled and one of his co-workers, Jin-hee, opened the door. 

“Hey, you have a visitor from the BSAA. I’m going to let her in, alright?”

Leon shook his head, “I appreciate her punctuality but please show her in at the appointed time. I still have some work to do.”

His colleague nodded, “I’ll just let her continue waiting in the lobby then.”

Outside at the entrance of level five, Ada sat on a bench in a prim and proper posture, exuding confidence and professionalism. Even though she acknowledged those who walked past her with a polite nod of her head, they gave her a wide berth as she exuded a vibe that indicated she was not in the mood for small talk. The DSO staff who escorted her in felt like he was going to disintegrate under her penetrating scrutiny too. 

She turned her head upon hearing footsteps rounding the corner and stood up when she saw Jin-hee. He motioned her to take a seat though. “Apologies, Mdm. Wong. I’m afraid Mr. Kennedy is still not done with his current appointment. I will escort you in at ten o’clock.”

Ada nodded in response. It was surprising how her husband was sticking so rigidly to his office schedule. He was never in a rush on the battlefield but she surmised he had a lot of paperwork to complete. Well, if it meant delaying their “get-together”, she was sure he would be relieved. Given how he did not contact her this morning, he probably wanted to avoid her… for now. 

No point dwelling on that, she ought to take the time to go through the agenda once more. It was mostly a discussion on ways to take down bioweapons and known patrons of the black market. 

She jotted down some points on the sheet when someone cleared his throat from beside her. “Pardon me, Mdm. Wong. Mr. Kennedy is ready to see you now. Please follow me.”

Meandering through the various open concept cubicles, Ada did a quick glance of the office floor. Most of the workers appeared to have their heads buried into their laptops but she could sense them peering at her from the corner of their eyes. Everyone was well trained here, including her. They were all silently sizing each other up and the ex-spy maintained her poised stance. Eventually, the atmosphere changed into a relaxed manner as they acknowledged the other party’s expertise. 

She was then led down a narrow passageway of rooms that had name plaques on them. Scanning through the names, she finally located Leon’s at the end of the corridor. 

Jin-hee knocked on the solid wooden door and called out, “Leon, the BSAA staff is here.”

“Okay. Thanks, Jin-hee.”

His colleague gestured to the door and Ada murmured a soft thanks before he scurried away. She waited till he was out of earshot before she opened it. Ada was quite certain her husband would exclaim upon seeing her and it could potentially cause a scene. 

She knocked and heard him asking her to enter. Taking a deep breath, her hand rested on the handle and she tugged it down, pushing the door forward. She was greeted by an empty chair before her eyes panned to the right where Leon Kennedy was seated. He was dapper in a light grey shirt, red tie, and a navy blue jacket. 

His eyes were still fixated on the computer screen as he was speed typing a final response on the keyboard. Ada took the opportunity to look around his office as she closed the door behind her. It was small and a bit cramped, with filing cabinets that were ajar and filled to the brim with documents. Not as neat or spacious as his home office and the air felt slightly humid and smelled a little stale too. 

The setup reminded her of old detective shows from the 50s which was not surprising, given how he used to train as a cop. If the Raccoon City incident did not happen, he could have the potential to be a sleuth now. More papers littered his desk and she noticed a photo frame angled toward a bookshelf instead of facing him. Hm, at least the photo was not face down on the table. 

The typing ended and Leon sent the email. “Sorry about that, I-” he looked up and saw his beautiful wife dressed smartly in a coral coloured two piece blazer and skirt suit. Blue-grey eyes widened in shock. “Ada? What are you doing here?!” He realised his last sentence came out a little harsher than he intended as Ada regarded him coolly. 

“I’m your ten o’clock appointment from the BSAA.”

His face must have twisted into confusion as Ada raised an eyebrow, “I am on the whitelist and have cleared security.” She strode forward and pulled out the chair in front of his desk before taking a seat. “Let’s get down to work, shall we? To keep things professional, you will address me as ‘Mdm. Wong’ and leave our personal lives out of the conversation.”

Leon had to admit that he was a tad disheartened that she was not identifying herself as ‘Mrs. Kennedy’ but nonetheless relieved she was wearing her wedding ring and did not use ‘Miss’ as a prefix. 

“… Alright then.” He made room on the desk by picking up a few stacks of files and dumping them on a stool beside the bookshelf. Ada merely opened the briefcase on her lap and laid her notes on top of it, opting to ignore the space on the table. 

That did not go unseen by Leon and he noted that his wife was probably still displeased with him. 

“Do you mind if I take off my jacket before we begin? It’s a little stuffy in here,” Ada asked as she was ready to pop the buttons off her blazer. 

The blonde knew that he would be thoroughly distracted by the tiniest hint of cleavage that peeked beneath her blouse and raised a hand. “Let me get the window for you, ma’am.” He rolled his chair back and reached behind to slam the window shut. The AC kicked in and hummed to life, blowing cold air into the room. 

“This is going to be a sharing session on B.O.W. termination methods and known individuals who patronise the black market,” Ada said as she clicked her pen. 

Leon linked his hands together on the table as he listened to her intently. “For termination, it depends on the type of bioweapon and the host. Is it a virus or parasite? Human, animal or an advanced gross mutation?”

Ada nodded in agreement, “Indeed. The common technique for humans would be a headshot, am I right?”

“Yes and not just any part of the head either. Preferably between the forehead,” he pointed to the spot above his brows. “Shooting them in the cheek just makes them look ghastlier,” Leon sniggered a little to himself as he recalled a zombie that struggled to moan while its jaw was barely hanging on. The sound it made was quite absurd, almost to the point of being funny. 

His wife still maintained a neutral expression, preferring to jot down some notes. “The same target area can be used for animals. Just that they are more mobile and harder to hit. Some are too big to be destroyed with a single bullet,” she added, remembering Leon talking about an alligator in the sewers of Raccoon City and a shark-like entity in Tall Oaks. “… and that’s where explosives come in to deliver more firepower.”

It was refreshing to see Ada work like this outside the field. So professional and charismatic with a tinge of charm. She would definitely not be out of place in a boardroom meeting. 

“Mr. Kennedy? Did you hear what I said?” Ada asked with slight bemusement. Less than five minutes and he was already spacing out?

“My apologies, could you repeat that?”

“I said that it’s a good thing that despite mosquitoes transmitting plenty of vector-borne diseases and causing a high number of human deaths yearly, there has been no evidence of them turning living things into B.O.Ws.”

The thought of that horrified him. It had never crossed his mind before. He hoped no scientist would try to turn mozzies into biohazard carriers. “Let’s hope it stays that way.”

“And that’s why any correspondence about anti-biowarfare has to be kept confidential. Don’t want people getting ideas now, do we?” She eyed him with a fleeting grin that disappeared when his stare lingered too long on her luscious, ruby red lips. “Now, do you have anything more to add for infected creatures or can we move on to advanced mutations?”

With a shake of his head, they began to discuss the methods of defeating stronger enemy types. Mainly highlighting weak points like glowing spots, fissures, joints or other things that looked out of place. 

“If there are no obvious weak spots, scientists usually leave notes lying around that provide hints on how to destroy them,” Leon cited his Regenerador example and even though he had personally recounted his side of the story to her before, Ada still wrinkled her nose in disgust, glad that she only ran into the B.O.W’s corpse back in Spain. 

“And when we have zero knowledge of how to defeat one, the best option is just to run. No point wasting precious ammunition if they cannot be stopped,” Ada replied as scribbled down more remarks on her documents. 

Leon patiently waited for her to complete her scrawls and he could not help but admire his wife, liking the way her brows narrowed ever so slightly when she was concentrating. What was their argument again?

Without looking up from her files, she said, “You’re staring.”

“I was waiting for you to finish writing before I start talking,” the blonde countered smoothly. Sometimes he forgot how well trained she was, being able to detect a person’s gaze on her without giving any indication that she was aware of their scrutiny.

Ada made a small ‘hm’ as she was finishing her notetaking. “Alright, now that we are done with bioweapons, it is time to talk about black market personnel.” 

“I guess you might know more than I do about this,” Leon replied as he leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms.

“Doesn’t hurt to compare notes first,” she mirrored his posture too and also crossed her legs, balancing the files carefully on her lap. “And I am quite sure you are pulling knowledge from our personal life into this.”

Ada spent a lot of effort to make sure what she knew was not public knowledge, at least, not amongst government agencies. Many corrupted officials in the past were willing to keep her name off the books in exchange that the dirt she had on them would never see the light of day. 

It was obvious they were now silently challenging each other but neither side was going to yield. The awkward tension in the air was borderline uncomfortable as well. Being so formal and courteous around each other just felt so unnatural. This tiff was just getting ridiculous.

“It felt like old times for a moment there, must have slipped into my previous habit,” Leon conceded in the end, knowing he did not have more time to waste with his growing mountain of paperwork. 

“I certainly do not miss the old days,” Ada relaxed a little as well after their standoff but something in her words triggered her husband, causing those blue-grey eyes to harden, making them a few shades darker than they usually were. She was taken aback and it was reminiscent of the time he choked her when he was under a Plaga’s influence. 

Leon felt himself tapping his arms irritably as he glowered at her, “Old days huh? Is that why you didn’t miss me at all? Disappearing when everything’s calm and then re-appearing at unexpected moments.”

If looks could kill, Ada’s eyes narrowed so dangerously and Leon felt as though lasers were going to shoot out from them. She spat acidly, “Are we really doing this right now?” 

His arms loosened from his torso and they rested on the table as he nodded back at her. 

In a composed manner, Ada packed her things into her briefcase and set it on the floor with a thud. With her chin held high, her voice was strong and unwavering. “What seems to be the problem here?”

Leon had a scathing retort ready but closed his mouth as quickly as he opened it. A small, rational part of his brain urged him to be civil. His wife remained patient, cupping her hands against her knee so she would not fidget. 

After a moment, the blonde decided he was tired of locking horns with his wife and chose to confide in her, “I am upset that you don’t seem frustrated that I’ve been sent on back-to-back missions. You don’t even ask about my well-being either when I return home.” 

Ada saw the change in his posture as he hunched over slightly and his gaze turned sorrowful. She had to be gentle now. “I am sorry for hurting you, Leon,” her voice took on a delicate tone. “Do you want to hear from my perspective?” 

All Leon could do was nod in response. 

“I feel that since you’re a grown man, and an extremely capable and experienced agent, you do not need to be fussed over. If I did not care about you, I would not look at the stats from your watch every time I wake up or before I go to sleep.”

Leon turned his wrist and glanced at the sturdy watch adorning it. The watch face was black while the hands and numbers were silver. The bottom of the watch had a digital display and he remembered toggling through various functions to showcase his vitals, elevation, direction, day, etc. His wife put a lot of thought into getting a set of matching wedding gifts that she too, had a similar one on her wrist. 

“What stats do you see?” 

“I mostly look at your pulse and blood pressure to make sure you’re still alive. And your current location as well so I know you’re making progress. If there are any anomalies, I would personally find you myself. I worry about you all the time when you’re on missions.”

Leon already knew what she would say but he wasn’t completely satisfied. “Hm. And can the watch read my mood?”

Ada shook her head. It finally dawned on her what an utter fool she was. How could she have missed all the signs?

He took a breath and sighed, “While I’m physically alright… mentally, it’s a hurricane inside.”

Ada leaned forward and looked into his eyes sincerely, “I take full responsibility for how my actions made you feel unwanted… What can I do to make things right?”

“I just want to hold you,” Leon whispered as he finally relented, accepting his beloved’s apology. 

Without hesitation, Ada got up and went around his desk before plopping herself down on his lap.  His arms immediately circled her waist in a vice grip and she wrapped her arms around his shoulders, burying her face into the crook of his neck. 

Leon pressed his lips against her temple, inhaling the sweet scent of her shampoo and he  was instantly comforted by her presence. 

The Kennedy couple spent the next few minutes just embracing in silence, occasionally rubbing their spouse’s back soothingly. No words were needed as they basked in each other’s companionship. 

After a while, Leon pulled away and said earnestly, “I want to apologise for my outburst over the phone. I shouldn’t have taken it out on you…”

Ada laid her warm palm against his cool cheek and stroked her thumb gently on the faint scar adorning his skin. “Would you be open to suggestions?”

The blonde nodded against her hand before laying a quick feather-light kiss on the fleshy bit of her palm. 

“I think you should go for therapy, handsome.”

He closed his eyes and huffed a bit. 

“You’ve been through a lot since you were twenty-one, Leon. I don’t want to see you keep hurting yourself drinking like what…” the words got caught in her throat as painful childhood memories resurfaced within her, “- like what my mother did.”

Leon had rarely heard Ada sound so vulnerable before and it tugged at his heartstrings, vowing to never make her feel this helpless again. He opened his eyes and muttered an affirmative. 

The blonde leaned in and rested his forehead on Ada’s before cradling her face. Their breaths mingled and it was inevitable that their lips met in a tender kiss. Ada responded with fervour, deepening it after a few moments and Leon reciprocated with equal passion. Hands roamed everywhere and Leon groaned when his wife lightly grinded against his crotch. Both were deprived of much needed intimacy and before Ada knew it, her back was on his wooden desk. 

“I need to make up for what I did…” Leon said huskily as his hand caressed the hem of her skirt. 

Ada could only grin and she merely kicked off her heels before placing one foot on his shoulder to halt him, “Do you mind drawing the blinds?” As thrilling as it was to have fun in his office, she did not want prying eyes to intrude on them in the throes of passion lest he get fired…

He agreed to the request and stepped back to tug on the string, allowing the blinds to fall and darken the room slightly. “Now, where was I?” He asked cheekily as his hands went back to her knees, feeling the soft skin beneath his fingertips.

“You were going to make it up to me,” Ada replied and already, she could feel her underwear getting a little damp from the anticipation. 

“Mm hmm.” 

Leon kept stroking her knees before he slowly pulled up her skirt to expose her bare thighs. His touch was delicate and gentle as he skimmed over the muscles underneath, remembering the way those shapely legs wrapped around his waist during lovemaking. The way they tightened along with her core during orgasm before turning to jelly. He was getting hard just thinking of the various ways he would get her to come.

As eager and impatient as she was to get to the main event, Ada allowed her husband to slowly take his time with her. Good things come to those who wait, after all.

His fingers trailed into her inner thighs, drawing circles on the skin before skimming over to her black lace panties. Ada whined a little when he skipped her clit altogether but was pleased when she felt him tugging on the waistband of her underwear. He merely chuckled at her reaction.

She automatically lifted her butt off the table to aid her husband in removing her panties. Leon tugged the garment off her and laid it on the table before gently nudging her knees apart. He was greeted by the sight of her glistening womanhood. 

“I am flattered, beautiful.”

“You have that effect on me, handsome.”

Leon smiled at the compliment and began to stroke her labia, feeling the moisture from her arousal gather at his fingertips. His wife let out a happy sigh and relaxed against the table from his touch. “Did you touch yourself while I was gone?”

Ada raised an eyebrow and replied coyly, “What do you think?”

“Touché.” He leaned down and captured her lips before slipping two fingers into her wet entrance. Ada’s back arched off the table and her moans were muffled against his mouth. She wrapped her arms around his strong back, wanting him to be as close to her as possible.

Leon braced himself against the table with his free hand, careful not to squash his wife beneath his weight. She was getting more slick with each passing second and he used the extra lubrication to repeatedly slide in and out of her slit, feeling her walls contract against his fingers. He had to do his best in multi-tasking now that he was lost in her kisses and also pleasuring her with his hands. 

Ada continued to quietly vocalise her approval and he alternated between gliding his two slicked fingers on either side of her clit before plunging his fingers back into her hot flesh. He was determined to make her come. 

He curled both fingers upward to play with the spot of textured flesh within her and his thumb came into the fray as it rubbed circles around her swollen clit. That proved to be her undoing and she quivered with immense pleasure, almost melting into the table. They finally pulled away for air as they caught their breaths. 

“I’m not done yet,” Leon muttered matter-of-factly as began to fumble for the zip located at the side of her hips. The skirt unravelled and he opened it like a blanket for her to rest on. The blonde took a seat and gingerly tugged those sexy legs forward till her pert ass was almost on the edge of the table. 

Carefully placing her thighs on his shoulders, he dove into her flushed sex and took an agonisingly slow swipe from bottom to top. 

“Oh God…” Ada panted. He barely gave her time to recover from his fingering and now he was giving her oral. If he kept this up, she was going to explode again pretty quickly. Emboldened by her reaction, Leon continued to deliver relentless kisses to her slit and clit, feeling the little bud engorge some more beneath his tongue. 

Her hands were now fisting at the skirt beneath her as she tried so desperately to hold out. As if sensing her resistance to the orgasm, the blonde moved away from her vagina and nuzzled her inner thigh instead. Ada sat up and admonished him, “Leon!” 

“I’m giving you a respite, dear. Don’t you want to enjoy this a little longer?” 

“I do but I want you inside me too…”

He smiled at her reassuringly, “Then relax and just enjoy this. I’ll give you more in the future.”

She nodded and laid her head back on the table, closing her eyes and doing slow inhales and exhales. Soon, she felt the tension leave her body and relaxed, surrendering herself to what he had planned. 

Leon trailed kisses from her thigh and down to her labia once more, sweeping his tongue from left to right and lightly brushing against her slick opening. Her hips jumped a bit from that teasing motion and he took the opportunity to slip his tongue inside, drinking in her essence. She tasted just as sweet as ever and he would never get bored of it.

This time, Ada allowed a series of delicious sensations wash over her. Her pulse quickened and her breathing became more frequent and erratic. Leon was truly a man of many talents… 

While he was either stabbing his tongue through her moist folds or swiping it all around her slit, his thumb found its way back to the little bundle of nerves at the clitoral hood and he stroked it firmly in broad circles. 

Ada seized up once more and her vision went white as she rode out the second wave of release. When her eyes could finally focus again, she found her husband gazing at her with adoration. “You really know how to spoil me.”

“You deserve it,” he replied as he took a sip of water from the tumbler on his desk. His pants were now unbelievably tight as his erection was straining to be freed. Leon reached down to unbuckle his belt and he barely popped the button on his pants when there was a knock on his door.

“Agent Kennedy? It’s urgent, I’m coming in.”

The door handle rattled and Ada sprung up, deftly snatching her panties and skirt off his desk before rolling off and ducking under the table in a split second. If the situation was not so urgent, Leon would have continued to admire her sleek flexibility. She managed to grab her fallen heels just as Leon scooted his chair inwards, feeling it press up against Ada’s form. It was a good thing his desk was enclosed on three sides and fully flushed to the floor. No one would be any the wiser. 

The door creaked open and he recognised the man to be one of the trainers. He struggled to remember his colleague’s last name but recalled his first name starting with a ‘G’. Gerald? Gregory? Georgios! 

“How can I help, Agent Georgios?” Leon asked as he felt Ada shift from his knee to between his legs. The raven haired woman laid her skirt on the floor and proceeded to sit cross legged on it as she waited for this interruption to end. 

Georgios looked apologetic as he stepped into the room, “I know you just got back but could you approve the latest cadets for probationary field work?” He saw a briefcase beside the empty chair. “Sorry, do you have a visitor?”

“From the BSAA, yes. She went to use the restroom.” At his remark, Ada rolled her eyes and as she gazed at his crotch from her vantage point, a wicked idea formed in her mind. She reached up and gently stroked the bulge on her husband’s pants. Leon stiffened his legs as he tried to close his knees but Ada was holding them open. What on earth was she doing?? 

Leon got his answer when he felt his pants zipper get slowly pulled down. Was she serious?! He prayed that his co-worker did not hear anything unusual. 

“That scary-hot lady in orange earlier?” Ada paused her stroking of Leon’s hard-on as she too, was curious on what this man was saying about her. “She was the walking definition of ‘if looks could kill’. I saw a ring so I guess she’s taken. Lucky man.”

Leon gave a small grin, “I guess so.” He then felt Ada slide her fingers through the split in front of his briefs and grasp at his manhood, bringing it out into the open air. He shifted ever so uncomfortably in his seat. 

Georgios thought the blonde’s discomfort stemmed from agreeing with him that the BSAA visitor was beautiful. “Lighten up, Kennedy. You’re not cheating on your wife if you think she’s pretty.”

Ada took the opportunity to put her husband in a tough spot by brushing her lips on the tip, her wet tongue teasing the glans in a feather light touch. 

His breath hitched in his throat and he closed his eyes to compose himself. With a quick exhale, he looked at Georgios in a no-nonsense manner. “It just so happens that she is my spouse.”

Leon was rewarded with a lick on the sensitive ridge on the underside of his cock and his manhood involuntary jerked in response. 

There was a brief moment of silence before Georgios stammered out an apology. “I wish my partner would surprise me at work too."

“This is probably a… one time thing…” Leon dragged out his reply when Ada finally took him into her mouth. She hollowed her cheeks and began to suck him quietly. 

Georgios went back to the task at hand, “Anyway, do you think the cadets can go to the field? The higher ups are pushing for more active agents.” 

“If their performance is to my satisfaction.” Leon was trying very hard to concentrate when Ada was varying the tempo and laved her tongue on the entirety of his rigid length. “It’ll be a waste of resources if they all die because of a mishap.”

He remembered the castigation from his superiors on his latest debriefing and it was a good thing he was being thoroughly distracted by his wife’s talented mouth to even feel an ounce of disappointment right now. 

If he approved all the rookies and they failed on the first mission, it would be his head on the chopping block. The higher ups could wait a damn while longer. 

Ada noticed the change in her husband’s demeanour and was determined to keep him in a good mood. Her hands glided along his thigh with practised ease, knowing how he was sensitive there. 

Leon definitely felt horny at that moment and the blood was rushing everywhere but his brain. He had to force his lips to remain in a thin line when they would rather hang open and slack with pleasure. 

Georgios mistakenly thought his words were making his colleague relieve a bad memory. He had heard rumours that Leon was recently chewed out from his latest mission. Damn, this was bad timing. “You’re right. If we lose all of them, we’ll be forever stuck in a loop of recruiting a fresh batch of cannon fodder. Maybe approve whomever passes your strict criteria.”

“That’s the plan.” Leon could feel Ada slowing down her movements and impatiently drumming her fingers on his knee. 

“Thanks. I’ll take my leave before your missus gets back.” Georgios retreated out of the room and swung the door shut behind him. 

His wife released him with a wet pop and Leon rolled his chair back, glancing at Ada’s rosy cheeks and mischievous grin. “You’re being a bad wife,” he mock scolded her but his eyes were full of mirth. 

“Perhaps you should punish me then.” Was her reply as she stretched out her legs, giving him a tantalising view of her womanhood. 

As much as he wanted to roll around on the floor with her, Leon reached down to help his wife up and he planted a swift kiss before walking towards the door. The lock engaged with a loud click. 

He turned back and saw Ada perching on his desk and crossing one leg across her knee, accentuating the roundness of her hips. Both his pants and underwear were left discarded on the floor within seconds as he hurriedly returned to his wife while he tugged the jacket off his torso. 

Their lips came crashing into one another once more as Leon unbuttoned her blazer, peeling it off and leaving her in just a crisp white blouse. A surge of desire knifed through him as an image of her bent over his desk appeared in his mind. 

“Turn around…” he asked and she complied. He plucked off a cushion from his chair and placed it on the desk in front of his wife to make her more comfortable. 

The craving inside Ada was now on the verge of bursting as her legs and hips shifted restlessly while she got comfy. The sight of her wiggling her butt only made him even more aroused as his cock brushed up against the top of her ass. 

“Hmm…” The disparity in height was going to be an issue but he got another idea as he eyed her footwear on the floor. “Wear your heels, beautiful.”

She could only smile, “How kinky.” Her feet slipped into the heels easily and the additional inches now allowed Leon’s manhood to align perfectly against her entrance. 

Leon slid between her legs in a slow rocking motion, eliciting a throaty groan from her as she bucked up against him. 

“Patience, dear.” He was coating himself with her essence and also getting himself nice and hard for the intercourse. It was a prelude for things to come and her thighs were a close mimic to the real deal, much to Ada’s chagrin. She rather he just got on with it already! 

Once he was all worked up, he grasped her lush backside and slowly eased himself in. Ada’s eyes nearly crossed from sheer pleasure while Leon was amazed how snug her walls were hugging his shaft in this angle. 

When he was fully sheathed inside her, he took the chance to lean down and shower more kisses on her neck while one of his hands plucked at the buttons of her blouse, splaying it open. His fingers slipped under her bra to play with a hardened nipple, pinching the brown bud lightly as he felt his wife shudder once more. Ada was practically melting like putty under his touch and she gave into all the affections that he was lavishing upon her. 

He pulled out almost all the way before driving in at a languid pace, over and over again. Sounds of his wife’s throaty whimpers and the wet smacking of their hips filled the room which spurred Leon to give it his all. The grip on her ass cheek became firmer, leaving red finger marks on her snowy skin. 

“Fuck, you’re so tight in this position,” he whispered into her ear as Ada squeezed him with her pelvis, giving him extra pressure on his cock. He reflexively twitched his length within her and she gasped when it stimulated another spot she did not know about. 

“Do that again…” She begged and he obeyed, twitching once more as he slipped out and continued their fornication. “Harder…!”

Leon yielded to each demand and felt the tremors quivering down her legs. Sensation was building within him and a fire was now concentrating in his belly, threatening to incinerate at a moment’s notice. He was getting closer and he increased his speed, not letting himself slide out as much as before. 

Ada was still vocalising her delight with each thrust and one of her hands reached up to grasp his arm that was on her chest. She was holding onto him for dear life and on the final push, she exploded into sheer ecstasy for the third time with a cry of his name on her lips. 

Leon lost control soon after and his manhood erupted, flooding her vagina with his seed. He sunk his teeth into her shoulder as he emptied himself into her over and over, almost never ending. 

The couple collapsed in a collective heap on his desk as they still spasmed from aftershocks of their lingering orgasms. Ada felt Leon’s heart pounding against her back and his ragged breathing took a minute to normalise. She was blinking away the stars in her eyes when he tried to pull out but her core was still tensed up. Both moaned at the intense friction of his manhood rubbing up against her walls when he eased his way out inch by inch. 

If they did not have work to do, there would surely be a round two… or more. 

Leon gently pulled his wife up and turned her around. Her raven hair was slightly damp with perspiration as it plastered on her forehead and almost all the lipstick was gone from her dainty mouth. His shirt, on the other hand, was drenched in sweat. She did not care about their appearances as she hugged him close. “That was incredible, Leon.”

“Indeed… I think I’ll forgo overtime and come home tonight for an encore.”

Laughter bubbled from her, “We never did quite finish our meeting either.”

“How about we conclude it over lunch?” 

The next few minutes were spent dressing each other up to look presentable. Luckily Leon had a set of spare clothes in his drawer and he now donned a matching white top like his wife. Ada had to playfully swat away his hand when he began to grope her butt over the skirt. “You need to get back to work, Mr. Kennedy.”

“Just brushing away some lint, Mrs. Kennedy.”

She rolled her eyes as she helped to fasten his tie and flatten the creases on his jacket. When they were fully clothed, he thumbed a switch on his desk and the bookshelf slid to the side, revealing a secret exit. 

While unexpected, Ada was not too surprised by this. Her previous line of work had desensitised her to hidden entryways. 

He provided an explanation nonetheless, “I’m frequently called away on missions at a moment’s notice that they decided to give me an office with a private entrance.”

“That’s handy.” She said as she picked up her briefcase and took his outstretched hand. 

They stepped through the archway and the motion sensor lights activated, illuminating a short L-shaped corridor. The bookshelf rolled back into place behind them. Both of them followed the lights and as they turned the corner, an elevator greeted them. Now Ada was impressed. 

“It skips even numbered floors. You didn’t think they would make me run down so many flights of stairs now, would you?” Her husband remarked upon seeing the admiration on her face. 

The couple stepped into the elevator and Leon punched the button for the basement. “What would you like to eat, Ada?”

Her stomach growled at the mention of food. Their intense lovemaking definitely worked up an appetite. “Something with rice. How about sushi?”

“That sounds good.” The elevator chimed upon reaching their destination and the doors opened up to the parking garage. 

The Kennedys enjoyed an early lunch before parting with the promise of a spectacular night at home. 

---------

Leon had managed to squeeze in time after lunch to contact the in-house psychiatrist and was immediately put on leave for his lingering trauma. The shrink was appalled that the blonde agent was being made to work overtime after such a punishing mission. Even though he had cleared the physical check up, there was zero assessment done on his mental state. Leon felt relieved that he could make good on his promise to his wife as he got off work on time. 

Now, he had the most magnificent view of Ada’s breasts bouncing in rhythm with her movements. He drank in the sight of her once more, forever mesmerised by her form. His hands roamed everywhere, down her smooth back, the dip in her hips, and then the curve in her ass. It had been a while since he saw her in the nude. She was relentless as she gripped his shoulders, letting him glide in and out of her soaking core, stimulating the pleasurable spots within her. 

Dinner was left forgotten in the oven as Ada was preoccupied with riding Leon, slapping her hips against his repeatedly. They had practically jumped on each other when Leon arrived home, shedding their clothes in rapid time before she shoved him on the sofa and eagerly impaled herself on his rigid length. Their cat was thankfully still asleep somewhere. 

While they took their time in the office, Ada was currently impatient and wanting, the temptress in her unleashed as she was focused on having her fill of her husband’s cock. 

“Twitch for me,” she said commandingly and he granted her wish. Feeling her walls grip him tightly once more. God, how did she get so snug? Does not having sex for a couple of months do that?

It did not matter now, they were reunited at last. Her nipple brushed against his lips and he took it into his mouth, eliciting an airy “Oh!” from her. His teeth raked against the bud and it always made him pleased when it hardened under his tongue. He released it and gave the same treatment on her other breast. Ada slowed down her motions, lazily rutting against him as she relished being pleasured in two places at once. 

Even though she had reduced the intensity of her movements, the fire was burning brightly in his belly again with her muscles still clenching around him. “I’m going to come soon…” he rasped as she growled a bit. 

“Not yet, not yet. I’m not done.” She moved again with determination, grinding the tip of his manhood on her G-spot. 

Leon could barely hold back the rushing tide of his orgasm and he reached up, pulling her body down before rolling them onto the carpeted floor with his wife on her back, still joined. 

Both her legs automatically wrapped around his waist; just the way he loved it, and he withdrew his manhood before roughly plunging it inside. Ada was practically shrieking with delight as he drove into her repeatedly at a furious pace. 

“You’re completely irresistible…” he panted between thrusts before reaching down to stimulate her sensitive and swollen flesh. It didn’t take long for her legs to squeeze his waist as she trembled with bliss from head to toe, murmuring a mixture of words that consisted of “Oh yes!” and “Leon!”

Her name spilled from his lips continuously and he came hard once more before leaning down to kiss her passionately. Her nails raked down his back and he was too caught up in the throes of passion to even register the stinging sensation. 

Both pulled apart for breath and Leon slumped down, bringing them to cuddle on their sides. His hand reached up to stroke her cheek before he gently touched foreheads, “That was one hell of a welcome home greeting, beautiful.”

She leaned into his palm and smiled, “You got me all worked up the entire afternoon with thoughts of you.”

“I spent a portion of the afternoon going for a preliminary therapy session.”

If there was any surprise, his wife did not show it. Instead, she continued to beam at him. “I’m proud of you, Leon.”

Both their stomachs rumbled and they chortled with laughter. “Let’s get started with dinner,” he said as he carefully disengaged from his wife. 

They slipped on their undergarments before tucking into a hearty dinner, discussing potential destinations for their honeymoon. With their first marital crisis resolved, the couple was confident they would be able to tackle anything in their marriage as long as they were together.

[astrologicaldiary]

Saturn transit in Pisces : New age of spirituality

I want to talk about this Saturn transit in Pisces. When I first heard the astrologers from TikTok about this transit, I didn't actually care for it... Maybe because I was consumed and overstimulated, but I didn't quite listen carefully of what is the meaning of this transit. But I remember when I was scrolling on Twitter, I saw a post of another Twitter user who screenshots of an Instagram post of Kalis Uchis saying that we as a collective should be careful of how much alcohol we are consuming in our bodies, then I think she said that she stopped drinking alcohol... This is just a summary of what she said, and if you don't know who she is... my friend, you are missing out

Then I followed an astrologer on Twitter, and they captioned the post as the embodiment of Saturn in Pisces... I wasn't quite confused about this, but I know I'm seeing the pattern and seeing the waves of people shifting their beliefs surrounding religion.

Literally today, I watched a video of Kelly Stamps. She's a popular YouTuber, and I love her channel and her vibes. Believe it or not, she had helped me to be comfortable being alone and she made me laugh while we were all quarantined at home. But anyways, she posted a clip of her celebrating Easter, and I guess it made some of her followers pissed.

She created a new channel called " whataburgerqueen" ( just love her sense of humor), and she went on a rant about how her followers on the Youtube space were calling her conservative and shocked to see that she's a Christian... That really lost me because the United States' main religion is Christianity, so I usually assume everyone is Christian especially for me being a Muslim. So when I hear people saying that they didn't she was a Christian, as a Muslim, I don't usually share my religion with anybody because to be honest *some* people are weird and they asked too many questions. I'm like go google and leave me out of it! So I usually keep it to myself, but now you know. To get to the point, Kelly was saying that we are living in a world with no grace and a low vibrational society. And she also stated we are living in a society that cares about money, getting things fast, and not trying to reflect more on certain things. I agree with her too!

She also said that this will be her new era embracing her Christian values and other things that truly matter without worry about clicks and followers...

With this transit, I predict the collective especially the influencers, celebs, and other public figures are going to praise their faith out loud, and there's nothing wrong with it! But I fear there could some religious supremacy happening or people thinking that they are better worshippers than others. Mind you, my sister who doesn't pray and doesn't fast as often, she is listening Islam podcasts and she's working on repairing her faith in Allah ( it means God before you panic!).

I feel like we are going to be seeing a rise in people working on their faith. Now the negative side of this, there are going to be evil people who use religion as their power source to shame other people who are not as traditional as the holy book. For example, we are seeing white Republicans trying to ban drag shows and controlling and alienating transpeople...

I'm curious how this will impact the society we live in, but these are all my opinions and I ain't no professional astrologer ( maybe I should....but we will never know).

I'll talk to you soon.

[simplydominican-news]

Planning a trip to the Dominican Republic? You need to know the entry rules. Many travelers think they need a COVID-19 test or vaccine proof. But that's not true! As of September 11, 2024, the Dominican Republic doesn't ask for these. Instead, they use an e-ticket system for all visitors. I've helped hundreds of people plan their Caribbean trips. My work with travel agencies has taught me the ins and outs of Dominican Republic entry rules. These rules can change fast. That's why it's key to stay informed. Ready to learn more? Let's explore the must-know facts for your Dominican adventure. Key Takeaways - As of September 11, 2024, the Dominican Republic doesn't require COVID-19 tests or vaccine proof for entry. - All visitors must complete an e-ticket application before travel, with processing options ranging from 30 minutes to 24 hours and costs from $95.99 to $190.99. - Passports must be valid for at least six months beyond the planned return date, and travelers need one blank page for the entry stamp. - Most tourists can stay for 30 days without a visa, but some nationalities may need to apply for one before travel. - Travelers should stay updated on travel advisories through official sources, social media, and embassy contacts to ensure a safe trip. Essential Travel Documents Traveling to the Dominican Republic requires specific documents. Here's what you need to enter the country: - Valid passport: Your passport must be good for at least six months after your planned return date. Make sure you have a clear copy of the info page. - Blank passport page: You need one empty page for the entry stamp. Check your passport before you leave home. - E-Ticket: Apply for this online before your trip. You'll need a valid email address and a credit or debit card to pay. - Health form: Fill out a health declaration form. This helps track any health issues among visitors. - Tourist visa: Most visitors don't need a visa for stays up to 30 days. Check if your country is on the list of those that do need one. - Return ticket: Bring proof of your plans to leave the Dominican Republic. A round-trip flight ticket works well for this. - Travel insurance: While not required, it's smart to have. It can cover medical costs and other travel issues. - Yellow fever vaccine proof: If you're coming from a country with yellow fever, you'll need to show you've had the shot. COVID-19 Requirements The Dominican Republic has eased its COVID-19 rules for travelers. As of September 11, 2024, visitors face fewer hurdles when entering the country. - No vaccine passport needed: Travelers don't have to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination to enter. - No pre-travel testing: The country doesn't ask for a COVID-19 PCR test before you fly. - Random testing on arrival: If you're not vaccinated, you might be picked for a COVID-19 test when you land. - No quarantine rules: You won't have to stay isolated after arriving in the Dominican Republic. - E-Ticket still required: All visitors must fill out an electronic ticket before their trip. - Mask guidelines: Check current mask rules for public spaces and transportation. - Health insurance: While not mandatory, travel health insurance is strongly advised. - Stay informed: Keep an eye on the Dominican Republic's official health website for updates. - Local health services: Know where to find medical help if needed during your stay. - Follow basic health practices: Wash hands often and use sanitizer to stay healthy. E-Ticket Application Process After addressing COVID-19 requirements, travelers must complete the e-ticket application process. This crucial step ensures smooth entry into the Dominican Republic. - Gather essential documents:- Valid passport - Working email address - Debit or credit card for payment - Choose a processing option:- Standard: 24 hours, $95.99 - Rush: 4 hours, $128.99 - Super rush: 30 minutes, $190.99 - Fill out basic information:- Personal details - Travel dates - Accommodation info - Verify information and make payment:- Double-check all entries - Select preferred payment method - Complete secure transaction - Upload documents and submit form:- Scan and attach required papers - Review final application - Click submit button - Receive e-ticket via email:- Check inbox for confirmation - Download and save e-ticket - Print a copy for backup - Present e-ticket at airport:- Show document to airline staff - Keep handy for immigration officials - Ensure QR code is visible and scannable Health Declarations Health declarations play a key role in entering the Dominican Republic. Travelers must fill out an electronic form before their trip. This form asks about health status and recent travel history. It aims to prevent the spread of diseases like COVID-19, yellow fever, and other infectious illnesses. The Dominican government requires this step to protect public health. Visitors should be honest when completing the form. False information could lead to denied entry or legal trouble. It's smart to keep a copy of your completed declaration handy during your stay. This helps if officials ask for proof of compliance with entry rules. Passport Validity After addressing health declarations, let's move on to passport validity. This crucial aspect of travel can make or break your trip to the Dominican Republic. Your passport must stay valid for your entire stay in the Dominican Republic. For visa applications, you need at least six months of validity. The country also requires one blank page in your passport for the entry stamp. Officials may ask to check your identity, but this doesn't relate to passport validity. These rules apply to all travelers, including U.S. nationals. Keep these points in mind as you plan your trip to places like Santo Domingo or Punta Cana. Always check your passport's expiration date well before you travel to avoid any last-minute issues. Visa Requirements After checking passport validity, travelers must consider visa requirements. The Dominican Republic offers visa-free entry for many nationalities, but some still need to apply. - Most tourists can stay for 30 days without a visa - U.S. citizens don't need a visa for trips under 30 days - Canadians can visit visa-free for up to 60 days - EU citizens get 90 days visa-free - Visitors must have a round-trip flight ticket - Tourists need to fill out an E-Ticket form online before arrival - The E-Ticket replaces the old paper tourist card - Diplomats and some private aviation passengers are exempt from visas - Longer stays require a visa application at a Dominican embassy - Work and student visas have different rules and longer processing times - Overstaying a visa can result in fines or deportation - The General Directorate of Migration handles visa extensions in-country - Visa rules can change, so check official sources before travel Supplementary information on Dominican Republic travel The Dominican Republic offers more than just beaches. Visitors should know about health risks, safety tips, and emergency help. Common health concerns for travelers Travelers to the Dominican Republic face several health risks. Mosquito-borne illnesses like Zika virus and malaria pose threats, especially near the Haiti border. Visitors should use bug spray and nets to protect themselves. Other concerns include rabies, HIV/AIDS, and cholera. The country requires yellow fever shots for people coming from areas with ongoing transmission. Tourists should also watch out for food and water-borne sicknesses. Hepatitis A and B vaccines can help prevent some of these issues. Getting a flu shot before travel is smart too. The flu season in the Dominican Republic runs from October to May. Visitors should practice safe sex and avoid unprotected contact to prevent sexually transmitted infections. Travel insurance that covers medical care is a must-have for any trip. Safety advice for international visitors Stay alert and aware of your surroundings in the Dominican Republic. Violent crime rates are high, so avoid flashing wealth or expensive items. Don't wear fancy watches or jewelry that might attract unwanted attention. If someone tries to rob you, don't fight back. It's safer to give up your belongings than risk harm. Take extra care at night and in isolated areas. Stick to well-lit, busy streets when possible. Use official taxis or trusted transportation services instead of public buses or unlicensed cabs. Keep your passport and important documents in a secure place, like a hotel safe. Trust your instincts - if a situation feels unsafe, leave the area quickly and calmly. Contact information for emergency consular assistance Safety advice for international visitors leads us to another crucial aspect of travel: emergency consular assistance. Tourists in the Dominican Republic can reach out to their home country's embassy or consulate for help in tough spots. The U.S. Embassy offers round-the-clock aid to American citizens through its emergency line at 809-567-7775, extension 0. For less urgent matters, U.S. travelers can email SDOAmericans@state.gov. Canadian and Australian visitors aren't left out either. The Canadian Embassy in Santo Domingo and the Australian Embassy in Mexico City stand ready to assist their nationals. Local emergency services play a key role too. Visitors can dial 911 for general emergencies or to contact the Tourist Police. This number works across the country, including popular spots like La Romana. Having these contacts on hand can make a big difference in tricky situations, from lost passports to more serious issues like sexual assault or road accidents. It's smart to save these numbers in your phone before your trip. How to Stay Updated with Travel Advisories Staying informed about travel advisories is crucial for a safe trip to the Dominican Republic. Here are key ways to keep up with the latest updates: - Follow official social media accounts. The U.S. Department of State posts regular updates on Facebook and Twitter. - Check government websites often. Visit travel.state.gov for the most current advice and warnings. - Sign up for email alerts. Many countries offer free email services that send out travel notices. - Use trusted news sources. Read local and international news outlets for real-time info on safety issues. - Download travel apps. Many apps provide instant notifications about changes in travel conditions. - Join online travel forums. Fellow travelers often share recent experiences and tips. - Contact your embassy. They can provide the most up-to-date info for your specific situation. - Monitor local media. TV, radio, and newspapers in the Dominican Republic may have timely updates. - Talk to your hotel or tour operator. They often have insider knowledge about local conditions. - Set up Google Alerts. Create custom alerts for keywords like "Dominican Republic travel advisory. Conclusion Traveling to the Dominican Republic requires careful planning. You need to know the entry rules and health guidelines. The e-ticket system makes check-in easier for visitors. Keeping your passport valid and checking visa needs are key steps. Stay alert to travel warnings and local safety advice. With the right prep, your Caribbean trip can be smooth and fun. For more insights on exploring coastal attractions, check out our detailed guide on marinas in the Dominican Republic. FAQs 1. What entry requirements do I need to know for visiting the Dominican Republic? Picture this: You're all set for a Caribbean adventure, but wait! Before you pack your swimsuit, let's talk entry requirements. As a U.S. citizen, you'll need a valid passport and a tourist visa. Don't forget that round-trip flight ticket! It's like your golden ticket to paradise. Oh, and here's a fun twist – you might need to show proof of funds. Think of it as your "I can afford to have fun" badge. 2. Can I extend my stay in the Dominican Republic? Imagine you're having such a blast that you want to extend your tropical escape. Good news! You can apply for a stay extension. It's like asking for extra dessert – sweet, but with a bit of paperwork. Just remember, overstaying without permission is a no-no. It's like trying to crash a party after the host has called it a night – awkward and potentially trouble-making. 3. What health precautions should I take before and during my trip? Let's talk health, shall we? It's not the most exciting topic, but it's crucial. Think of your body as a fortress, and you're about to enter new territory. Arm yourself with routine vaccinations and consider a flu shot. Watch out for sneaky invaders like hepatitis B, chikungunya, and the oropouche virus. They're like uninvited guests at your vacation party. And let's not forget our old frenemy, travellers' diarrhea. Pack some meds, just in case. 4. How safe is public transportation in the Dominican Republic? Ah, public transportation – it's like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're gonna get. Microbuses are common but can be as unpredictable as a game of musical chairs. Taxis are safer, but negotiate fares upfront. It's like haggling at a market – fun, but necessary. And remember, traffic laws here are more like suggestions. It's a bit like a real-life video game, so keep your wits about you! 5. What should I know about medical facilities in the Dominican Republic? Let's paint a picture of the medical scene. Public hospitals are like busy beehives – lots of activity, but not always the smoothest operation. Private clinics? They're more like exclusive resorts for your health needs. If you're into medical tourism, you're in luck! But remember, it's not all sunshine and lollipops. Make sure you've got solid medical insurance. It's like an umbrella on a sunny day – you hope you won't need it, but you'll be glad you have it if you do. 6. Are there any specific laws or customs I should be aware of? Now, let's dive into the local rulebook. It's a bit like learning a new dance – you need to know the steps to avoid stepping on toes. The Hague Convention on International Child Abduction is a big deal here. It's as serious as a judge's gavel in a courtroom. Work visas? You'll need one if you plan to do more than sip piña coladas on the beach. And here's a quirky one – giving the right of way in traffic is more of an art than a science. It's like a complicated game of "after you" on the roads. References - https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/DominicanRepublic.html - https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/dominican-republic/entry-requirements - https://apply.joinsherpa.com/travel-restrictions/DOM?originCountry=USA&tripType=roundtrip&affiliateId=studentuniverse - https://www.godominicanrepublic.com/media/travel-alert/ - https://www.tourism-easy.com/fill-out-dominican-republic-e-ticket-form.html - https://www.godominicanrepublic.com/travel/entry-requirements/ - https://www.travelvisapro.com/blog/dominican-republic-entry-requirements (2023-09-14) - https://www.godominicanrepublic.com/travel/faqs/ - https://www.passporthealthusa.com/destination-advice/dominican-republic/ - https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/yellowbook/2024/itineraries/dominican-republic - https://do.usembassy.gov/services/ - https://www.state.gov/travelers/ - https://travel.gc.ca/destinations/dominican-republic - https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories/dominican-republic-travel-advisory.html (2024-06-18) Read the full article

[ntriani]

OQM Playlist: Life during quarantine #4 A new life during quarantine playlist reminds Nick Triani of first encounters with Roberta Flack's music whilst a DJ in Belgrade To quote Ian Curtis, “Where will it end? Where will it end?” No one knows Ian. Our disciplined homestay goes on. That silent trust that seems so apparent amongst the Nordic countries, doesn’t exist elsewhere. That faith repays itself with people in general terms sticking to agreed plans. Still, a certain twitchy feeling is arising.  Should we start to relax about COVID-19? Or should we keep up the restraint that keeps us safe?

Roberta Flack‘s First Take album, an unacknowledged masterpiece from the end of the 1960’s finally gets the deluxe reissue treatment and a welcome boost to its rather ignored standing. I open this week’s playlist with a new bonus cut from the album that offers an indication of the quality throughout. I first encountered First Takealmost 30 years ago, when I was a DJ in the former Yugoslavia at a Belgrade-based radio station Marketing Union. I arrived in Belgrade from England just as the sanctions from the UN kicked in.

As the war between Yugoslavia and Croatian forces raged, Yugoslavia was seen as the aggressor of the conflict. Looking from the outside, this may have seemed the case – the reality on the streets of Belgrade was rather different. Refugees from war torn parts of the country were flooding into the city. There was a sense of danger, a squalid aesthetic, political unrest, a dictatorial presence whilst anti-war feeling was riding high. After all these years I still can’t understand two things: what was I, a 25-year-old doing in Belgrade in 1992? And why, what is now known as the Croatian War of Independence, was tolerated by the people on both sides of the conflict? It was a family affair, with many people in Belgrade having cousins, brothers, grandparents and other family members on both sides of the divide. Blood was running thicker than usual.

I was paid handsomely for my DJ job, with packages of cash left for me monthly in a shady café. Near my first hotel, there was a street market and an excellent record stand. That’s where I found Roberta’s First Take.  I was doing long stints on the radio and although the company that employed me were sending me new music (often unavailable in Belgrade due to those sanctions), I still needed more. So I became a regular customer at the market.

After many months, leaving Belgrade proved difficult. I was depressed by the war and its effects. I was also feeling mercenary. It was hard to justify my existence when so much hardship was around me. A stand-off for some weeks due to my expired passport delayed the stamping of my documents. Suspicious authorities ultimately relented which led to a scary train ride via Hungary that got me to Austria and a plane back to England. To travel light, I’d discarded much of the records accumulated during my time in Belgrade, but Roberta’s First Take made the trip home and has accompanied me ever since.

[laresearchette]

Friday, October 20, 2023 Canadian TV Listings (Times Eastern)

WHERE CAN I FIND THOSE PREMIERES?: BOSCH: LEGACY (Amazon Prime Canada) THE PIGEON TUNNEL (Apple TV+) SHAPE ISLAND: CREEPY CAVE CRAWL (Apple TV+) JOE BOB’S HELLOWEEN (Shudder/AMC+) NIGHT OF THE HUNTED (Shudder/AMC+) CHECKIN’ IT TWICE (W Network) 9:00pm

NEW TO AMAZON PRIME CANADA/CBC GEM/CRAVE TV/DISNEY + STAR/NETFLIX CANADA:

AMAZON PRIME CANADA BIG LOVE BOSCH: LEGACY (Season 2) THE OTHER ZOEY SAYEN: LA RUTA SECA SILVER DOLLAR ROAD SURROUNDED UPLOAD (Season 3)

CBC GEM THE BANNOCKING CODE 8 ONE NIGHT

CRAVE TV A LOVE SONG THE MACHINE MAUDIE PASSCHENDAELE WIPEOUT (Season 2B, Episodes 1-5) YOU CAN LIVE FOREVER

DISNEY + STAR WEREWOLF BY NIGHT IN COLOR

NETFLIX CANADA BIG MOUTH (Season 7) CREATURE DISCO INFERNO DOONA! ELITE (Season 7) FLASHBACK KANDASAMYS: THE BABY OCEAN’S ELEVEN OLD DADS SURVIVING PARADISE VIERAN TOMIC: THE SPIDER-MAN OF PARIS

GRAND SLAM OF CURLING (SN) 11:30am: Tour Challenge - Draw 14 (SN1/SNPacific) 3:30pm: Tour Challenge - Draw 15 (SNPacific) 7:30pm: Tour Challenge - Draw 16

MEN’S RUGBY WORLD CUP (TSN4) 3:00pm: Semifinal - Argentina vs. New Zealand

NHL HOCKEY (SN1) 7:00pm: Flames vs. Blue Jackets

SHASHA & MILO (Family Channel Canada) 7:00pm (SERIES PREMIERE): Shasha wants to experience all the human world has to offer; unfortunately, her curiosity also unleashes an ancient army of Krystal Warriors.

NBA BASKETBALL (TSN/TSN4) 7:30pm: Wizards vs. Raptors (SN Now) 8:00pm: Grizzlies vs. Bucks (TSN2) 10:00pm: Warriors vs. Lakers

MURDER FOR SALE (Super Channel Heart & Home) 7:30pm: Gabbi's longtime friend Kimberly Stark is finally selling her home after residing in it for many years. However, the morning after the first open house, her broker, Joe Parillo, is found dead in her foyer.

MLB BASEBALL (SN) 8:00pm: NLCS: Phillies vs. Diamondbacks - Game #4

MARKETPLACE (CBC) 8:00pm: Smartphones and laptops are loaded with private information to find out if technicians will snoop on the devices.

THE REAL HOUSEWIVES OF JERSEY (Slice) 8:00pm: Ladies Who Launch

PLANET WONDER (CBC) 8:30pm: Johanna investigates the forecast on her phone and discovers how climate change has affected accuracy and created a voracious need for more data; she slurps spaghetti to explain chaos theory.

FRIDAY NIGHT THUNDER (APTN) 8:30pm: Allan Downey finds himself embroiled in a hotly debated racing wreck with another driver. This forces him to build a new car with the help of some friends, only to become entangled with the same driver again a week later.

THE FIFTH ESTATE (CBC) 9:00pm (SEASON PREMIERE): Bob McKeown goes behind the rhetoric about Chinese police stations in Canada to reveal that far from being caught unaware, the Canadian government and the RCMP have long cooperated in China's hunt for supposed fugitives in this country.

TRANSPLANT (CTV) 9:00pm: Bash reconnects with the man who got him to Canada.

SICK (Showcase) 9:00pm: While quarantining at her family's lake house during the pandemic, Parker and her best friend are threatened by an unexpected visitor.

A LOVE SONG (Crave) 9:00pm: Faye is a lone traveler who bides her time fishing, birding and stargazing at a rural Colorado campground as she awaits the arrival of Lito, a figure from her past who's navigating his own tentative and nomadic journey across the rugged West.

CFL FOOTBALL (TSN/TSN3) 10:00pm: Stamps vs. Lions

W5 (CTV) 10:00pm: Finding Sharron’s Killer: W5 investigates why hate crimes and how they can be stopped. An extraordinary schoolbreaks through to students with developmental delays.

CRIME BEAT (Global) 10:00pm: Seeking Justice for Myles Gray

[fgallo7]

The Erratic Time Stamped QR Code - Sept 14, 12023

I arrived at LAX at the appropriate time - three hours before an international flight to a potentially unfriendly site. But the attendant could not have been nicer. She smilingly booked mu bags, checked for my boarding pass and my China visa (good until 2028}, She then said thIs was good to go after i set up a QR code. I asked if this was just for Americans and she told me "No. The Chinese government required it for all china travelers, no matter your nationality. I saw several Chinese guys going through the same ordeal.

At first the survey seemed pretty straight forward - name, address, phone, locations visiting in China, who you are meeting, what is their phone number, passport number and expiration date - and then "in the past 14 days have you or anyone close to you had covid? Do you/they still have it? Have you ever had it? When was that? Have you had any long systems? Have you been vaccinated? How long ago? When was your first shot? How many have you had? When was your last shot?

Give the exact location of your itinerarary. By this time i was quire frustrated because the drop down menus in English did not have the places i was going, So I began to fictionalize my report. I selected locations I had heard of rather that the ones I was actually traveling to because they were not listed.

There seemed to be one major inconsistency however, the expiration date on my QR Code ended before my scheduled arrival time in Guangzhou. "The flight attendant told me not to worry because no one will pay attention and you will be waved through. HOW WRONG!

Upon arrival in Taipei, I was led to the EVA Air Club where I rested for a few hours, had a snack and a drink and vegged out until my flight in 2 hours

The flight to Guanzhou was uneventful until arrival. Sheeplike, I followed the flock until I get to the quarantine area where they were going to check the recently made in LA QR Code (The one they made in LA).

I was 15 minutes from getting out into the airport, but alas, no such luck. As I made my way to the Quarantine Gate, 15 yards from the departure gate, i was told that me QR code had expired and I had to re-do. My broken Chinese argument went hollow. The fact that I did everything according to the rules and was given an expiration date in full understanding that I was scheduled to arrive after the expiration date, the quarantine clerk, who had no freedom to act, knew only one command. "Go back to the quarantine gate and re-do your QR Code.

From 23 years of China experience, I knew the chances were nil of changing this person's mind. She had not only no freedom to act, she had no freedom to think.

.So i begrudgingly returned to the QR line where there were six machines and 15 Chinese people trying to use them. I have never been good at breaking through Chinese lines when there is no order. In fact, it was chaos because the machine system was broken and information could not be recorded I was tempted to just move away and sit on the floor until some worker with a soul came to rescue me. I realized this could take an hour. So I persevered and approached someone who looked like a willing soul. Much to my delight, he did it for me in 5 minutes and I was soon on the departure line again. The QR Code was accepted and i was soon among the hordes of travelers waiting to get their passports stamped and allowd entry into China. One thing I learned years ago was there was an expedited lane for senior citizens over 65. I got on that line thinking I was home free, But alas, there were 60 people in wheel chairs ahead of me. Each pf them had to be had lifted to get their photos taken which essentially doubled the time. This was further complicated by the system being down and needing repair several times while I stood waiting with my heavy back pack. (I am still suffering from this indignity,

But now all is well. Great dim sum yesterday and more to come today. Stay tuned for the continuation of Frank's Excellent adventure.

[acquavergine]

I wanted to also ask you some questions but I really lost the day yesterday going though boxes of books photos and letters. My husband lost his father and brother much too early so along with his own personal belongings he also has both of theirs. His father saved hundreds of envelopes because he collected stamps, the envelopes are so beautiful and inside some of them are tons of little corners of other envelopes that he tore off to keep just the stamp. Maybe that’s why I’m melting our messages with the idea letters and pen pals. I didn’t speak Italian before I moved here… actually I didn’t plan to move here at all… I just came to escape providence for a minute because it can feel like claustrophobic soap opera sometimes. I lived in Rome with some “friends” at first and they gave me a little room with a bathroom and balcony.. and fed me and treated me really sweetly. Their two daughters were 9 and 11 at the time and they told me I could stay as long as I wanted since their girls were at an age that was somewhere in between needing a nanny and preparing their own lunch everyday. So I ended up staying with them for 2 years! Or maybe even longer.. and preparing lunch for, and eventually with, the girls almost every day! During that time I received my dual citizenship recognition (which was not straightforward/took longer than necessary for various reasons) and of course there was the quarantine and pandemic etc. Also my parents were going through a divorce so looking back I think I was kind of hiding out in that cocoon of a room and reforming my ideas about family structures and dynamics. Any way, I really admire this family and the way they live/are/exist. The parents are exactly the same age as my parents but had their kids 20 years later. The girls are now 14 and 16 and are very dear to me. Their nonna, who lives across the street, became one of my closest friends, (she also has a particular story which I should save for another time, too). Plus I found and married Matteo Lolli and moved to his house at Lake Nemi which is a mystical/sacred place that I had been researching shortly before we meet! So now here I am, really trying to speak Italian though I have these fits of shyness. But I am just about at the photo studio so I plan to write you more on the train ride home. The topic about domesticity seems to come up in almost all my conversations lately. It’s complex of course and for me the way I feel about it changes all the time. But the first time I ironed the bedsheets…. (I never had a full size ironing board before; Matteo’s aunties got me one as a Christmas gift) I went into a trance! It was meditative, my mind was clear and tranquil. And it’s happened each time I’ve done it since and now I even look forward to it. I do feel the mid century overlap, too…. I want to reflect on that more. I read a Natalie Ginzburg book recently “family lexicon” I think about it a lot. I will keep my eye out for “happiness, as such” .. I like that as a title even more than “caro Michelle” ! and i haven’t seen any films by Agnes varda although I know who she is and can visualize her imagery. There are so many films I wish I had seen or that I have seen but completely forgot because I fell asleep or daydreamed instead. It’s a bad habit I have... I fall asleep even at the cinema. I don’t think I will compile a cookbook of my recipes. There is this stereotype here of “American/British/Aussie ‘expats’ who have Married an Italian guy and made a Cookbook” that I really am trying to avoid  but whenever I buy fish the lady there gives me the best most simple and unusual suggestions and vocal recipes.. and I have thought about asking her if she wants to collaborate on a cookbook (her recipes and my writing/translations) but I haven’t gotten up the courage to propose it. (I sent you a pic of her… Lina) I think i might like to archive the recipes of others who are masters of their trades more so than writing my own cookbook.. I do read food writing: Most of the substacks I follow are written by cooks. And a lot of the magazines and podcasts i ingest are discussing food topics. I’m really interested in the food system/sustainability movement/hospitality service evolution of course and try to stay updated as much as I can by keeping up with new ideas and researching about the way they did things in the past.. in the years B.P. As my friend calls it: “Before Plastic”..

[vilaspatelvlogs]

अभिनेत्री रेखा के हाथ पर लगी होम क्‍वारंटीन की मुहर, बंगला भी सील

अभिनेत्री रेखा के हाथ पर लगी होम क्‍वारंटीन की मुहर, बंगला भी सील

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सोशल मीडिया पर ‘बिग बी’ को लेकर उड़ी अफवाहों को नानावती हॉस्पिटल ने किया खारिज

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[becomingkatie]

Happy weekend!

On friday I tried moderntable vegan macaroni and it’s SO GOOD! I’ve now tried their classic cheddar and white cheddar flavors and white cheddar is best. Better than Kraft non-vegan macaroni, waaaaay better than daiya and other vegan brands. Then Ken and I got some very much non-vegan sushi for dinner!

Yesterday we ran errands together for the first time in ages. We went to REI to return some hiking shoes he got that didn’t fit right and I ended up buying a cute hat, then we got flu shots and picked up some cans of beer from our favorite local brewery.

I also painted and stamped this Halloween manicure and Theo was very interested in helping me, ha! The pics are from before I cleaned up the edges so they’re not the best pics but I really love it!

Today Ken had a long gravel ride (in rainy cold weather!) so I had the house to myself. I spent it doing some chores and watching Schitt’s Creek and it was lovely. I haaaated the show at first, mostly because Roland is just so gross I can’t stand him, but now I’m so attached to all the characters it makes it easier to get through the episodes where he makes a big appearance. Currently binging to try to get through it so I can search for cute gifsets here without accidentally spoiling it for myself.

[whostolemytrousers]

The Limey

Steven Soderbergh Marathon. #2

Dir. Steven Soderbergh; Wri. Lem Dobbs

I love Steven Soderbergh right now. It’s the way he knows exactly what he's doing and what he’s making and uses that to his advantage that interests me so much. It’s like he chooses a certain sandbox to play in - in this case the noir/revenge thriller - and uses everything he finds there to form his own new thing. And it’s not overly knowing or winking at the audience either. Clever, but in a good way.

There’s no way you call a movie ‘The Limey’ without knowing the clichés you’re dealing into. The main character at times is so over the top with his limey/West End-ness that he positively gurns at the camera. But that’s kind of the fun of it. On the surface it’s your bog-standard revenge narrative, but he infuses a melancholy too throughout that raises it above that standard.

There’s a motif all the way through that I really enjoyed where different times are juggled and mixed together to form a collage of sorts. I read later somewhere else that this was meant to invoke memory and the regret of the main character, but what I got from this was a sense that the events we are seeing are almost still happening. They seem to be constantly reverberating, leading you to feel there is no real beginning or end to the narrative. It’s core just sort of carries on after the end.

And I guess this is what people refer to when they talk about nostalgia and this film. Nostalgia reverberates through us as if it was still happening, or we wish it was still happening. Both the Terrence Stamp’s Wilson, who has been in prison for a long while, and Peter Fonda’s Valentine, who mourns for and is said to be stuck in the late sixties, are both very much out of time. That is definitely what the film is too. But purposefully so.

Again, Soderbergh arrives in a genre that could be stale, and makes this - a really enjoyable film. If you can’t undermine a genre, adopt it wholeheartedly.

[Link for Sex, Lies and Videotape]

[indianhelp]

Couple suffers allergic reaction due to home quarantine stamp ink | Nagpur News The couple had an allergic reaction and developed pus within hours of stamping Nagpur: A couple from city who arrived from Pune by flight two days ago was stamped on hand for home quarantine.

[absolutebl]

2021 BL Wrap Up - Top Trends

I keep a pretty detailed spreadsheet of everything I watch in BL each year but I don’t watch/track a whole lot of Pinoy stuff, please be aware it is not represented in this analysis. 

TOP 10 BL TRENDS OF 2021

1. BL Gets Meta 

We had a number of BLs this year self referencing, being cheeky about tropes, and using parody to get meta over yaoi roots, something that has actually never happened before in the genre. Gen Y, Absolute BL, Lovely Writer, Call It What You Want 1 & 2, Love with Benefits, and Fish Upon the Sky (started, then retracted, it was... odd) all did this. Several of them employed voice over and/or 4th wall breaking to execute. 

I personally loved this, but it felt very teenage industry discovering itself and testing its limits. Also it’s pretty impossible to recommend these shows to outsiders, since they edge into incomprehensible if you don’t already know the genre, so this is also an odd kind of fan service. 

2. BL Goes Soft

Pretty much everyone tried on softness in 2021 (mutual gentleness and care) even Japan (a real shocker, Kieta Hatsukoi). Perhaps it was reactionary, a hunt for comfort in troubled times, but it was so crazy that even Taiwan went there. Generally Taiwan prefers to push boundaries and rough it up a bit but they casually trotted out Be Love In House: I Do’s epic level of tenderness, See You After Quarantine?’s gentleness, and Love is Science?’s ultra modern queer domesticity as if they were no big deal. These were the soup dumplings of BL - soft, a little chewy, and full of comforting cozy warmth. 

Thailand has always leaned soft (since Love Sick piloted in 2014) casual physical contact and affection, gentle touches, care, lingering glances, and cuddling have been part of their BL style, but they leaned into super squishy in 2021 with shows like Nitman, Y-Destiny, Golden Blood, Lovely Writer, Second Chance, and Close Friend. 

Even China got a little soft with Word of Honor which no one expected and we are all surprised was allowed to happen. I mean there was a high low hug AND a shoulder lean and everything. 

I really hope this trend continues and while I doubt Japan will ever go fully soft (their right back to emo with Utsukushii Kare), I have high hopes we might see softness leak more into Taiwanese and Korean BL. 

3. BL Gets Domestic 

Thai BL has dabbled in family home life before, and when we are lucky we get reps of sweet domesticity (especially if the seme is a caring Dom - Solo, Dean, Leo, Sun, etc...). But it felt like we got way more than normal this year and of a more intense style with different countries putting unique stamps on it. This might be a side effect of C19 and it’s certainly something that suits confined spaces and a home setting (making it easier and cheaper to film). 

I think the earliest rep we have for this kind of thing is Ai no Kotodama from Japan (2008). And there was a trickle of stuff from Japan and China for about a decade that dabbled in domesticity but none used it to drive narrative (Japan’s Does the Flower Bloom? from 2018 is sort of the culmination of this nascent form). Thailand first did it with 2016′s Grey Rainbow (this is the Thai BL THAT SHALL NOT BE NAMED - sry do not watch it). 

But now we’re getting true windows into gay domesticity and family life, adopted kids and all. And our little gay family sometimes even gets to stay together. Some examples included: 

Ingredients (Thailand) 

Papa & Daddy (Taiwan)

Nation’s Brother (Vietnam)

Me Chon Dau Cao - Monster In Law (Vietnam) 

Love is Science? (Taiwan - BL side plot in a het drama) 

But others also have is as a core conceit, especially those set primarily in the home like Be Loved In House, To My Star, Still 2gether, See You After Quarantine? or even Golden Blood. It’s a trend I really hope continues and grows, so comforting. 

4. BL Plays With Its Food  

Basically prior to 2021 we had 3 BLs with food settings: 2019′s I Am Your King 2 from Thailand and 2020′s Pinoy offering My Day and Taiwan’s Craving You. (And a few Korean microfilms.)

In 2021 we got a lot more. Even if it didn’t all entirely take place in a cafe or restaurant that setting played a significant role. 

To My Star (Korea) 

Peach of Time (Korea/Thailand) 

Evening Cafe (Thailand) 

Love Area (Thailand)

You Are Ma Boy (Vietnam) 

My Lascivious Boss (Vietnam) 

Bite Me (Thailand) 

The Tasty Florida (Korea) 

My Sweet Dear (Korea) 

Apparently chefs are the new engineers. There were also professional chef/barista/waiter characters in series that were not set in the industry like Ingredients, Brothers, and My Mate Match. And more to come in 2022. 

5. Ukes with Agency!  

Kiyoi in My Beautiful Man, TeaKyung in Light on Me, Bank in Golden Blood, Nampu in Top Secret Together, Jin in Nitiman, Nut in My Boy, Kaitoon in Love Area, Pob in Don’t Say No, and Kaow in Brothers all represented for ukes in strongly uke/seme driven stories who still had a ton of agency. This was usually expressed as a desire to emotionally communicate with their semes, verbally or physically. Also, they all showed a certain amount of self awareness, self acceptance, and self understanding around being gay as a result. Occasionally tho, they just punched their idiot seme. And that was fun too. 

Also shout out to Note & Ta (no uke/seme dynamic) in The Yearbook who got very little screen time but might be the best gay communicators we’ve ever seen in a BL.  

You go boys! 

6. BL X3 - The Dreaded Love Triangle  /_\

BL has always had faen fatals but love triangles, not so much. (Japan’s 2008 Taiikukan Baby is the only one I have on record). A true love triangle just means the story, screen time, and the visual tropes treat both possible love interests as entirely viable and possible. 

Gen Y the series - side dishes Thaunu’s seme with 2 ukes love triangle, pretty unique actually 

Top Secret Together - part of the friends to lovers side plot 

Light on Me - the cherry on the love triangle Sunday 

Love Area - the second lead syndrome was fierce with this one 

The Tasty Florida - edged into it but mostly was using the faen fatal 

My Mate Match - cohabitation quarantine project 

Kieta Hatsukoi AKA Vanishing My First Love - started out with each person liking the wrong other person, circular love triangle M2F2M2M, but sorted it fast 

I’m A Fool For - Hong Kong’s little offering (sad) 

Love With Benefits - cohabitation quarantine project 

I don’t like love triangles but even I thought Light On Me was excellent. Still I’m not wild about this particular trend (and I wonder if it’s a Kdrama side effect), but it sure was fun to watch all the different countries tackle it and Japan’s take (Kieta Hatsukoi) was really unique and clever. 

7. Do I Spot Actual Queer Rep? 

Honest queer rep has started to show up more (FINALLY). Everything from out gay main characters (please may this be the death of gay-for-you) to the rise of the gay advice dad (HIStory 4, Be Love In House, Top Secret Together, Love is Science?) to mention of (and implied use of) actual lube. 

It used to be so rare to see any BL characters in leading roles who identified as gay (outside of Taiwan). Now it’s almost - dare I say it? - commonplace. Or if not common in the leads, at least some of the support cast will code/identify as gay. 

Thailand put an out gay IRL actor couple together on screen and stopped caring about pushing a gay-for-you agenda. They seem to be at the hand-wavy stage of “you can believe he’s bi, GFY, or gay, we don’t care to define it anymore.” They even directly addressed it as problematic in Bad Buddy. They also had more out gay mains than ever before (explicit or not), a pansexual in Don’t Say No, and TharnType got on screen married. Thai BL still punches down on femme and trans characters, but a little flame is leaking in whether they like it or not (side eyes My Boy), and that aspect is fabulous. OF COURSE IT IS. 

Taiwan gave us tons of actually queer stuff, Papa & Daddy, See You After Quarantine, Light, Love Is Science. As well as depicting a marriage of equality actually on the screen in a BL (to be fair they did that first with Craving You in 2020). They also depicted discussions about verse, topping/bottoming, safe sex, consent, and surrounding queer fam. Even Pride showed up. Taiwan leans into masculine presenting, weak seme/uke couples, which means their femme and gender fluid rep is poor but I still gotta give them credit for the equality agenda they are pushing on a very willing audience. Give us MOAR, we can take it!  

Vietnam got in on the action and gave us a cross dressing gay main character with out gay besties working in a cafe and running an accidental long con on their boss, who consequently has the shortest bisexual identity crisis ever. Watch My Lascivious Boss, it’s groundbreaking BL - we haven’t had anything like it since I am Your King (Thailand 2017) or Udagawachou de Matteteyo (2015) and neither of those were this happy. Also Vietnam repped butch GLs in high school! (Stupid Boys Stupid Love). Which I think is an actual first. We’ve had lesbians before but butch? SO GOOD. 

Even Korea gave us an out bisexual in Tasty Florida AND crossdressed for BL. I stil can’t get over Nobleman Ryu’s Wedding. I mean it wasn’t even played for laughs, it was genuine and treated gracefully... by Korea. Can you BELIEVE we got that? And more is coming in 2022. 

I know these seem like baby steps in the west but trust me these are big-ass murder-walk stiletto strides being taken. 

(Also tiny shout out to Korea’s The King’s Affection, the first time I’ve seen one of the ubiquitous “girl disguises herself as a boy” historicals actually deal openly and honestly with a bisexual identity crisis and acceptance. And now... how many of us now want Rowoon to do BL? Pretty much all of us.) 

PRODUCTION TRENDS 

8. BL Takes to the Skies 

Wellp, BL discovered drone tech this year. We saw a number of BLs employ drone work rather ruthlessly. China in WoH, of course, but also Taiwan and Thailand used drones in some of their stuff. Close Friend was the most startlingly egregious, but you know, boys with toys. 

What can you do? 

9. BL Gets Up in Your Face 

On the flip side, I think the wild success of ITSAY last year impacted taste in close filming style that we haven’t seen much of in Thailand before now. Nitiman, Hometown Embrace, Second Chance, Golden Blood, and Y-Destiny all zoomed in crazy close on faces. More than I’ve ever seen the Thai pulps do before. Let’s be frank, I wouldn’t trust the Thai makeup crew either. But it was Yearbook that really forced me to notice this trend. 

Full frame faces is a popular indie filming stye for encouraging claustrophobic-intimacy and emotional tension in drama, and I don’t mind it in limited doses (Japan & Taiwan) but I’m not wild about a lot in one drama or extensively in one scene. 

Like drone work, it can be easily overdone and makes me stop thinking about the story and start thinking about the directing. And I am one of those who believes that in BL, I shouldn’t be getting distracted by technique. 

Speaking of technique...

 10. BL Forgets its Roots 

Finally (and sadly for me) there wasn’t much use of yaoi style (live action manga) framing and staging techniques. Possibly because there were so few manga adaptations. Color Rush hit it out of the park, Light One Me put its own blue/white twist on the clarity of this style, and, of course, Given was on point. But that was about it. 

There were tiny nods from H4 and the end of year stuff from Japan, but apart from that, it seems like this is a stye of staging and framing has had its heyday. 

It also demonstrates that no one storyboards anymore. 

*insert whimpering here*

POSSIBLE 2022 TRENDS?

I expect most of the above to be amped up and continue in 2022. In fact, as I type this queer rep already got a major boost in Episode 9 of Bad Buddy (which is from heavy hitter GMMTV, notoriously slow to evolve), by directly addressing and correcting for

gay for you

wifey language 

inadequate GL rep 

If felt a lot like GMMTV was trying to correct for SOTUS’s mistakes. How far they have come in 5 short years. Honestly, I have to say a lot of this is probubly due to global reach and international popularity and the active interactions of the fandom. 

Tears & Blood 

I think we are going to see a spike in dark BL from Taiwan, Japan, and Thailand maybe even Vietnam - gritty pretend realism with sad & amorphous endings, heavy illness content (AKA the cancer mom stories), violence, and even kink. It’s going to take the guise of mafia and if we are lucky boys-in-uniform, (possibly sports), but also youthful more serious trials with family and illness. Think Your Name Engraved Herein style content with lower production values. 

Taiwan and Japan have always dabbled in this kind of BL (see 2021′s Light & Pornographer series) but they are going to start to really push (subconsciously) to distinguish themselves from Korea with grittiness. Both might even lean more into heavily queer affirming stuff as Japan finally tilts towards marriage equality (which goes hand in hand with realism - code for darker content). 

Thailand, on the other hand, is producing so much content, each new BL with gumption is going to look for ways to distinguish itself from all the other Thai BLs, so I think we might see the pulps lean darker, or at least wistfully sad. As disappointing as I found The Yearbook, Seven Project, and The Best Story I think they might herald a trend.* 

* I wrote this before GMMTV announced its 2022 line up and now I feel terribly chuffed with myself. 

I have a data analysis post where I go into growth numbers and statistical trends here. 

BL 2021 STATS & TRENDS BY COUNTRY  

(source)