#i didn't expect this to become the new thing that just lives rent free in my brain

[miroimirage]

Edit: ppst, you can get this as a print on my inprnt right now!! There's even a sale! It is FINISHED!! Here you go, a whole illustration inspired by a tweet I keep seeing things I want to change but I can't keep changing things forever - so here you have it, my Frubbo brainrot induced masterpiece

Here it is in dark mode (also very cozy, I find it interesting to see how things like these can change the overall feeling of a piece!)

I also cropped them into profile picture size if anybody would be interested in that

[spider-man-199999]

Pacifier

pairing: Peter Parker x Fem!Reader;

word count: 5K

warnings: drinking; mentions of sex ; Peter is younger than the reader, but still 18. Reader is around 20. Peter is trying to pin reader even though he is younger.

summary: In this one you’re hired as Morgan’s babysitter (and low-key underpaid Stark!assistant). Looking after a little girl isn’t too hard, but looking after her “big bother” as well, definitely is.

an: I might make a part 2; I had so much fun writing this!

part2!

A loud crash from outside the room interrupted the story you were reading to Morgan. She didn't seem bothered, probably used to this type of sounds around the Stark tower, but you definitely weren't. Afternoon naps weren't her favourite and she was almost asleep when someone decided to be so loud outside and interrupt. You sighed and got up. 

"I'll be back in a second." you told the little girl as you paced towards the door.

The crashing sounds were becoming more frequent, like someone was hitting walls, falling over on the floor, knocking things out. You didn't really know what to expect on the other side.

"Hey, asshole, I'm trying to put Morgan to sleep here." you said as you opened. 

You saw a figure fall over on the floor and start rolling immediately after that. A red and blue suit. There was something on his face, it looked like an octopus but not quite and it seemed like it was trying to eat his head. You were relatively new to all of this Avengers thing, you were hired a while ago but Tony kept you at a distance, however, you definitely knew an alien when you saw one.

"Actually, nevermind." you corrected yourself and walked back in Morgan's room, closing the door shut.

That's how you met Spider-man. 

"I could really use a hand here!" he said between pants and grunts, fighting the thing. 

You pressed your forehead against the door, thinking about it for a second. Morgan was fast asleep the second you walked away from her, which made the situation a little easier. 

"I don't get paid enough for this shit." you whispered to yourself and opened the door again, walking out into the hallway. 

You looked around, trying to find something that would be useful. Spider-man was still rolling around on the floor, pulling at that thing that was making weird squeaky sounds and spreading something like saliva everywhere. The closest thing to a weapon there was a vase with the length of your forearm that got knocked over in the process. You grabbed it and walked over to the rolling man on the floor. 

"Stay still." you told him.

He lay on his back, still pulling the thing away from his head as you slammed the vase into it, breaking it. The alien squealed in pain and for a second stopped trying to bite off Spider-man's head. He took advantage of that and threw it to the foor, shooting a web over it after that. He finally relaxed as the fight for his life was over, looking over at you. 

"Thanks." he muttered

"Yeah um, no problem I guess?"

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

"Hey, can you run to the lab, I forgot a black file folder there and I need it for my meeting that's in like 5 minutes." Tony said while checking his watch.  

You were playing with Morgan and her dolls in the living room when he walked in. He seemed in a hurry, fixing his tie. You looked around the room after he spoke, it was just the three of you.

"Me?"

"No, Morgan. Of course it's you, I'll play with her while you're gone. And skim over the papers, there should be 10 pages inside. You have 3 minutes."

You got up and moved as quickly as you could. On most days you were losing the idea of the whole babysitting thing. Often Tony would make you do things like you were his assistant, schedule meetings, arrange travels, send you off buying things. You didn't mind doing that, especially since he was paying you and you got to live rent free in the Stark tower with his family. You were free to attend your university classes, that was part of your contract, but besides that you didn't get any other off hours. A contract that Tony made you rewrite yourself after you got accepted into ESU to fit both of your needs legally. You couldn't really complain though. The job came with more perks than anyone could ever want. Plus, you got to know all of the Avengers and people that talked to you in class were always excited to talk to you because of that. 

You read through the pages in the folder on your way back to the living room. All 10 of them were there and they were about some new materials and research for the Spider-man suit Tony had been making. 

Oh, Spider-man.

After your first encounter with him, things got kind of awkward whenever he came by. He was a nice kid, a little nerdy, but would never pass up an opportunity to flirt with you. It's not like you hated the attention but your life was already too busy to think about boys. 

"Heyyyyyy" you heard when you walked into the living room, looking up to see Peter smile. He was blushing while he looked at you. 

You closed the folder and handed it to Tony while you held the awkwards eye contact with the younger boy. 

"You should review the third page, it's not clarified where the electrum that you're using came from. If it's a naturally occurring alloy or a man-made one. The origin may not be important when you're actually using it, but for the lawyers it is."

"Oh, right, thanks kid." Tony said, taking out a pen from the inside pocket of his jacket so he could write down the missing information. 

You walked over to the kitchen, grabbing yourself a bottle of water. Peter tailed after you like a puppy. 

"Can you pass me a bottle as well?" 

You grabbed one and tossed it in his direction. The two of you took a sip at the same time. 

"So how was school?" you asked him

"Fine, the usual. We had a quiz in physics, I think I did well. How was uni?"

You shrugged at his question, looking over at Morgan. You could see her sitting on the floor and watching something on the TV through the door. Pepper was about to be home any minute now, which meant you were off duty for the night. 

"Shouldn't you be joining the meeting?"

"No, mr Stark thinks the only thing I'll be good at is distract people there."

"He has a point."

"You didn't answer my question."

"I had to skip this week. Tony flew over to Germany with Pepper, I had to run things around here."

"There goes being a responsible student."

You rolled your eyes at him. University classes were nothing like school, you could afford missing them as long as you could catch up on the material on your own after that. Peter was so actively trying to close the gap between the two of you that it was getting annoying. 

"It's fine, next week The Vacation starts. I'll be free for 14 whole days to knock myself out with classes."

"The vacation?" Peter asked, following your steps when you went down the hall, headed to your room.

The Vacation was a tradition that you imposed on the Stark family as "a good habit to establish closeness between them and trust in you". It was an event that occurred for an entirety of two weeks every year since you started working for them. It was the second time they were going to do it and you were more than thrilled that your plan worked. The whole point of it was to bring the family closer together. You would pick the destination, make reservations in a very expensive hotel on a far off island and send all of the Starks there to bond. There were few rules, mostly ideas that you collectively brainstormed. They were not allowed to use phones, the only exceptions that could be made were if 1) the world was ending; 2) aliens were invading earth; 3) someone died. And in those cases, you had to call the hotel and make the staff inform Tony. The only downside was that you didn't get to go. But that wasn't all bad, you had 2 weeks to go to all the college parties your heart desired and do all the things you usually didn't have time to. 

"Yeah, we get two weeks off."

"We?"

"The Starks, I meant. They are the ones who get to go on a trip and relax for 14 days while we keep things running around here."

"Does not sound like something Mr. Stark would do."

"You're right, he hated it at first but after he came back it was... He was very different."

The two of you had reached your bedroom at that point, standing in front of the door.

"So you'll be gone for two weeks?"

"Unfortunately, no, but I already have plans."

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

"Wait what do you mean he's staying here?" you asked, looking around the table. 

Tony said he wanted a big dinner before they left for Santorini, and that somehow translated to your regular once a month "family" dinners with Peter. You looked over at the flustered boy, throwing mental daggers at him while Tony spoke. 

"I took a chance last year, but no I don't really like the idea of you being alone here for an entire two weeks."

"Is this because I did something to lose your trust or do you just think I'm defenseless?"

"I don't think you're ENTIRELY defenseless. But it does feel more comfortable to have someone with, say, super strength around, just in case."

"In case of what? Me wanting to rearrange the entire house? Just a reminder that if I didn't help him three months ago, his head would be in some octopus' belly right now."

"You're exaggerating that!" Peter whined, embarrassed by the reference.

"Look, kid, I know you well enough to understand how irritating this must be for you, and a year ago I probably didn't care enough if you died while we were gone-"

"TONY!" Pepper tried to cut him off.

"-but as I was about to say, now I do. That's my decision and it's final."

You really wanted to continue the argument, to try and persuade him into changing his mind. But you didn't. His words touched you and you could really see where he was coming from. But Peter... out of all the Avengers out there, all of the 8 thousand mutants in New York, he had to choose Spider-man.

"I promise you won't even know I'm here!" Peter said, in a desperate attempt to appease you. 

"Peter, it's alright." 

Your reaction had taken everyone a back, they expected you to fight back more fiercely than this. 

"What?" you asked when you noticed everyone's stare. "Did you really expect me to throw a tantrum over this? Wow, maybe I should come with you after all, apparently you people don't know me at all."

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

The first couple of days were actually going according to your plans. You wanted to go to some parties and you were doing just that. You stumbled out of the elevator, giggling to yourself. A spider web shot your hand to the wall. Normal you would immediately start asking what the fuck was happening, but drunk you just looked at the web and started laughing her ass off. 

"Oh my god I'm so sorry!" Peter ran towards you, pulling at the web on your hand. You kept on laughing. He actually thought you were someone who was trying to break in.

"I'm lucky you shoot webs and not bullets!"

"Well, webs aren't the only thing I can shoot." he muttered under his breath. 

"Ew, Pete, nasty." you giggled, placing your hands on his shoulders. "I'm so glad you have super-strength. I can't walk."

"What?"

"Take me to my bedroom, please." you laughed, your knees feeling wobbly because of the alcohol. He felt you start to relax and wrapped his arm around your waist, holding you tightly. 

"Damn, so Mr. Stark was right, you needed someone around to take care of you." He said, a blushing mess while he picked you up like a bride and started walking towards your room. You wrapped your arms around his neck, your head rested on his shoulder. 

"Pffff, no, I'm the caretaker!! I'm taking care of you too right now!" you protested. 

"Sure you are." he laughed, loving that side of you. He wished your normal conversations could be this effortless and fun. Peter hated the front you were always putting on in front of everybody, especially him. He opened the door to your room, walking in and placing you down on the bed. He looked at you laying on the bed, wondering if he should take advantage of your bubbliness or not. 

Your hands moved down to your jeans, you were drunk, but there was no way in hell you were going to sleep in your clothes. You undid them and started pulling them down your legs. 

"Wow, wow, wow, though we were at least going on a date before this." you heard Peter say, noticing him in the room just now. 

You gasped in shock, starting to laugh after that. He turned his back not to look while you undressed, wondering if he should just leave or not. 

"Hey, I was meaning to ask..."

"Shhhhh, you talk way more than you usually do in my dreams, I'm trying to sleep."

"In your dreams?" he asked, turning his head so fast he almost snapped his neck. You were laying down in your underwear, back turned to him. 

"Yeah, like now, you're almost always in my dreams, but we never talk."

"What do we do then?"

You rolled over on your back, head turning towards him to look in his eyes. Even in the pitch darkness he could feel your eyes burning the skin on his face and it made him blush even more. 

"You know what we do, you're always there!" you said, annoyance in your tone. 

That's when he knew he had to draw the line and walk out of the room, it felt wrong to take advantage of your state and he knew you would kill him the next day if you remembered anything. 

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

Peter Parker was a lucky bastard. Not only did he get to be alone in the same house as his crush for two whole weeks, but somehow he even managed to convince her to go to Flash's party with him. Yes, you were very displeased with that fact, tried everything in your power to convince him it was a bad idea but he didn't listen. 

"How is this not embarrassing for the both of us?" you asked on the way there. 

"Why would it be embarrassing?"

"For starters, you're going to a party with your babysitter. And I'm a college student attending a highschool party... What's next? You blackmail me into being your date to prom?"

"You're not my babysitter, I'm yours."

"No you're not."

"How am I not? Mr. Stark made me stay over in his house so you wouldn't be alone! I'm the babysitter!"

"Peter you're like 15, you can't be the babysitter when you're the actual baby!"

"I'm 18."

"Wait you are? Why am I driving then?"

Despite the hard time you were giving him almost the entire time, he convinced you. And now he got to watch you while you chatted with his best friend, holding a cup of punch. 

"How do you even know a girl like that, Penis Parker?" Flash asked him, both of them standing side by side while observing you.

"Well, you know, the Stark internship and all."

"Honestly, I thought she was imaginary. She's not a paid actress, right?"

"Yeah, well no, if I paid her she'd have to be nice to me."

You glanced over to the two of them, smiling lightly when you caught them staring. You've been getting stares the whole night, and it really did feel like you were back in high school. The two boys got flustered when you caught them, turning their heads in opposite directions. You shook your head.

"It was lovely talking to you, Ned. But I have a fanclub to tend to, see you around." you said, placing your hand on Ned's shoulder as a goodbye gesture and walked off to Peter and Flash. 

"Ah, if it isn't my favourite senior!" you said with a giggle, standing next to Peter. The alcohol seemed to be kicking in because you were unexpectedly nice to him. 

"I'm Flash, the host." Flash said and reached out a hand to you. 

You looked at him. You didn't know too much about Flash, only that he didn't like Peter and was giving him a hard time. That was one of the reasons why you agreed to this, to help the poor boy out, stop the bullying for a little while. You blinked a few times, not taking his hand.

"Y\n." you said simply, turning to Peter again. You placed your free hand on his shoulder, scooting over to him so you could get on your tip-toes and whisper into his ear. "So that's the mighty Flash guy? Looks like a loser to me." 

Peter laughed softly at your words, placing a hand on your waist to help you keep your balance. 

"So, how do you like the party guys?" Flash tried to bounce back.

The two of you looked at him. He stared back at you, noticing Peter's hand on your waist that you didn't seem to mind at all. Flash was really feeling like the loser tonight. The guy he constantly bullied came to his party with a college girl. And not just any college girl, one that worked for Stark Industries, and was drop-dead gorgeous on top of it all. And she had Peter Parker's arm wrapped around her.

"For a high school party... it's okay." you said, resting your head on Peter's shoulder. 

"Well I throw the best parties! Peter wouldn't know, he's rarely invited."

"Peter's seen way better parties than this one, I take him to the ones we throw on campus all the time, right Pete?" You lied. You were lying to defend Peter and make him look cooler. 

He nodded to your words. You could practically see Flash's face turn red as he was showed up, once again.

"Whatever." He muttered and walked away.

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

The more time you spent with Peter, the harder it got to dislike him. It's not like you really disliked him to begin with, but it annoyed you how absurdly confident he was in the Spider-man suit. He tried flirting as Peter Parker as well, sure, but nothing could compare to Spider-man. And for some reason you hated the fact that he was younger than you. There was nothing morally wrong with liking him, he was 18 and you were just two years older, in perspective this would not matter at all once he got in college, which was about to happen in a few months anyway. Something about the thought of having a high school boyfriend while you were halfway done with your degree really made you cringe. 

But you had to give him credit for trying so hard. The boy just wouldn't give up, no matter how brutal you were every time he tried something. This whole internal conflict of yours was tearing you apart, and it got worse since he moved in for the two weeks. 

"Okay listen." you started as you parked your car in the campus parking lot. "Do not go disappearing on me. And don't drink, not even a sip, you're too young for that. If the police come, run."

"And I thought you were going to have a positive influence on me."

"We're doing this because of you, remember? You were the one who wanted to make Flash shut up by posting a picture from an actual frat party."

"You were the one who lied about that."

"Well, I'm sorry that I was trying to help." 

You got out of the car and locked it after Peter followed. You knew in your heart that this was a very, very bad idea. You were just praying that you wouldn't get drunk enough to do something you'd regret and that he wouldn't get drunk at all. Someone had to drive the two of you back home and it definitely wasn't going to be you. You handed him the car keys before you started walking to the frat house. He put them in his jean pocket, following you like he usually did. Frat parties were nothing like the one Flash threw a few days ago, things here always got out of control. People were taking body shots, smoking, using drugs, making out. The whole "please don't break anything, it's my parents' house" vibe was not there. You knew it, Peter definitely knew it as well. 

"Let's get the pictures and be done with this." you told him over the loud music. 

He nodded, unsure if he actually wanted to stay or leave. He was not a party guy, but he didn't completely hate the experience. You grabbed yourself a drink, greeting a few people you knew from classes. 

"I cannot believe this!" Someone shouted behind you, making you and Peter both turn in sync. It was Lidia, a girl you had a group project with a few weeks back. You texted here and there but you could never make it to places she invited you. 

"Oh hey" you said, hugging the strawberry blonde and smiling. 

"How did you manage to get out of that corporate job you have? And who is this eye candy?" you smiled at Peter, offering her hand to introduce herself. 

"That's Peter Parker, he's my...." you stopped, looking over at him. You started the sentence with the wrong words but it was too late to switch it up.

"Boyfriend." He just had to jump at the opportunity, didn't he?

"He definitely wishes he was." you snapped back at him, looking over at Lidia again. "He's an intern."

"Come on babe, you don't have to be shy about it." 

He was pushing his limits here and enjoying it, smiling at how embarrassed and flustered you'd get trying to deny it. It really made it seem like you were just uncomfortable labeling something you really did have with him and he was taking initiative. 

"Such a shame, if I had locked up a snack like that I would be bragging to the whole world!" Linda said, laughing at your reaction together with Peter. She pulled him closer, whispering in his ear. "I'm not surprised by her act, she doesn't like sharing anything about herself, you have a tough nut to crack."

Lidia left the two of you with an encouraging smile, like you really had something to do with him.

"Traitor." you told him, drinking the entire content of your cup in one breath.

"Wow, take it easy, I'm not carrying you around like last time."

"I'm so mad at you! Why did you say that?"

"Why not? It's not like she'll see me ever again, tell her we broke up next time she asks."

"It was straight up unnecessary!"

He put his hands on your shoulders, lowering himself down on your eye level. 

"You're making a scene right now. Relax, I did it so girls wouldn't flirt with me."

You gave him the death glare that he was so used to seeing.

"Like anyone would flirt with you!"

"Yes, your friend did, the second she saw me."

He was right, she did start her introduction with a flirt, which annoyed you slightly, but it wasn't something you wouldn't get over. 

"Don't try anything with me." you told him. You knew how you got when you were drunk and you'd feel bad if he took advantage of that.

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

"Pete?" you knocked on a bedroom door upstairs. No answer. 

You got absolutely hammered after your argument with Peter. He spent the night running after you like a bodyguard because you would wander off somewhere without even saying a word. You did it again, after he told you to stay put so he could go to the bathroom. He said he'd be back in 5 minutes. He was back in 3, but you were gone. Since you had no perception of time while you were drunk, you thought he was gone for more than half an hour and started looking for him. So, the two of you were basically looking for each other at a frat party. You went upstairs, walking in on two or three couples making out or even having sex while looking for him. He, on the other hand, was searching downstairs. He found Lidia and asked her for help, to which she agreed. 

After not having any luck upstairs, you headed straight out of the house before any of them could catch a glimpse of you. Peter tried calling but your phone, along with the car keys, were in his pocket. 

"I'm really starting to get freaked out here." He told Linda as they walked up the stairs together. 

"Look, if we find her here, I'm sorry. If we don't, I'll start to worry as well."

They didn't find you in any of the frat bedrooms which was both good and bad news at the same time. 

"Is there any chance she could have gone home?"

"No, I'm the one driving back. Unless she took a cab, but I doubt that, her phone is here as well."

They walked out of the house, Peter sat on the stairs and pulled at his hair nervously. How did you manage to disappear into thin air in 3 minutes? He was the one supposed to look after you. Lidia sat down next to him, placing her hand on his back and running it up and down for comfort. She leaned closer to him, her body pressing to the side of his. Peter turned his head to look at her but they were interrupted by a familiar fit of laughter. Peter stood up, looking in the direction of the sound when he saw you down the street. One of your arms was holding onto a lampost while you were swinging around it in circles and laughing. 

"Thank god." he said in relief, offering a hand to Lidia. "I present to you, drunk Y\N. One of the funniest people you'll ever meet."

The two of them paced towards you.

"PETEY!" you said, letting go of the lamp. You were dizzy from the spinning and the alcohol but made a few wobbly steps in his direction, so he could catch you just before you fell. You looked up to him and cupped his cheeks with your palms, squishing his face. 

''Here's my little, almost minor wanna-be-boyfriend!" you giggled. 

He turned you around, pressing your back against his chest and wrapped his arms around you so you could face Lidia. She was staring at you in disbelief. 

"My friend! The only one I have. Pete, look, my friend!" you turned your head to Peter and pointed at Lidia. He laughed at you, kissing the top of your head. Peter couldn't help but fall in love with you even harder when you were acting like a toddler that needed attention. 

"You weren't wrong, this is funny." Lidia said after the initial shock was over. 

"Okay, missy, we should probably go home now."

"No!"

"Why not?"

"Because you'll want to kiss!"

"I mean, I always want to kiss you, I don't see your point."

"But there are no people at home!"

"And?"

"There won't be a reason not to kiss!"

"So you're saying what's stopping you from kissing me here are the people?"

"Yes."

"And if there weren't any people around, you would kiss me?"

"No! You would kiss me!"

"I want to kiss you now as well?" Peter and Lidia laughed, making you puzzled. 

"No, you got it wrong!"

"How did I get it wrong?"

"We can't go home because we will kiss."

"Now you're making me want to go home even more."

You thought about it for a second, confused. You looked up at Peter and then at Lidia who were dying from laughter at that point. It got you even more confused than before. 

"Okay, Lidia, it was lovely meeting you, but I need to get her to bed." Peter said after they calmed down. 

"We can't go home!"

"If I promise not to kiss you, can we go home?"

"I guess."

Peter was holding you the whole time but let you go so you could hug your friend goodbye. He didn't want to let go, it was the only time you would ever let him touch you without getting angry at him and he wanted it to last longer, so when you turned to him again, his arm was wrapped around your shoulders as he escorted you to the car.

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

You were awfully silent the whole ride back. 

"Are you still worried about me kissing you?" He asked after the two of you got inside.

"No." 

"Then why are you so quiet?" he asked, sitting down on the couch. You sat down next to him, staring at him. He turned his head to look at you, a bit weirded out from your act.

"You're starting to freak me out here."

"Sorry." you mumbled, looking down at your lap now.

You turned your head to look back at him, then down your lap again, and repeated the whole process a few times like a robot that was experiencing a glitch. Peter looked at you with the side of his eyes because he was checking the replies to his instagram stories from the frat party. He turned his head fully towards you, his eyebrows furrowed. Before he could say anything, you leaned in and grabbed the collar of his shirt, pulling him towards you. Your lips crashed together and you gave him the softest, sweetest kiss in his life. He dropped his phone on the floor but he couldn't care less about that right now, his crush was kissing him. His hands grabbed your waist while yours were on his cheeks, your lips dancing together. He tried to pull away because he was uncertain of how much you really wanted this but your teeth dug into his bottom lip and pulled him back in again. 

"Pete" you said softly after the kiss, both of your foreheads pressed against each other's as your hot heavy breaths mixed together.

"Yeah?"

"I wanna do the thing we do in my dreams."

[djbunnie]

reddit inspired AU DamiRae

Rachel (19) was in a relationship with her high school sweetheart, Garfield (19). They had been dating since their sophomore year, a total of five years. After graduating high school, they moved to the big city, shared an apartment, and Rachel began pursuing a degree in Finance. Fortunately, she had a scholarship, and her parents covered her tuition, but she still needed a job to cover rent, utilities, and other expenses.

Rachel paid for everything without complaint, willing to make that sacrifice for her boyfriend.Garfield, he on the other hand, was pursuing his dream of becoming a DJ and influencer. While he did some work, it consisted mainly of small jobs like dj school dances and other small events. 

Things seemed normal until Garfield decided to have a serious talk with Rachel. During their conversation, he dropped a bombshell on her.

Garfield wanted them to have an open relationship, meaning they would both be free to date other people while still being together.

The idea completely shocked Rachel. From the beginning of their relationship, Rachel had been the "loser" while Garfield was the "popular" and the "it Boy." Like any other kid in school, she had longed to be accepted and have some like Garfield by her side. Imagine her luck when she experienced a growth spurt over the summer and developed a curvaceous figure. By her second year of high school, she had transformed from "loser" to "pretty girl." Rachel underwent an incredible glow up but remained quiet and timid. Garfield noticed her newfound popularity and began dating her.

Rachel was overjoyed.

She believed they were exclusive: just the two of them, committed only to each other. That was her understanding and expectation, especially since they had moved to the big city and were living together.

When he suggested changing this fundamental aspect of their relationship, Rachel initially refused, but eventually Garfield pressured her into agreeing. 

Rachel tried to convince herself that this new arrangement was acceptable and normal, and that she was truly okay with it.

Of course, they established some ground rules:

They needed to text each other beforehand about the time and location of their dates to avoid scheduling conflicts.

They would not discuss other partners with each other.

They were not allowed to bring other partners to their apartment.

And so on.

For the first four months of this polyamorous arrangement, Rachel was unhappy. It hurt to see Garfield seeing other women, as he had dates almost every day. Feeling neglected and alone, she couldn't complain because she had agreed to the terms and didn't want to appear controlling.

After four months, she decided to go out. She went to a bar and met Damian (19). They hit it off immediately, and she told him about her open relationship with her boyfriend, asking if he was comfortable with it. Damian agreed, explaining that he had recently ended a bad long-term relationship and wanted to enjoy his youth.

After a couple of dates, Rachel and  Damian really hit it off. They were constantly calling and texting each other. Whenever Rachel was with her friends, she couldn't help but talk about Damian. Every time she said Damian's name, she smiled. Damian was always on her mind, and she looked forward to their dates.

There were times when she completely forgot about Garfield.

Rachel: "Great news! Damian is ahead of his classes. He called me last night, excited because he's on track to graduate a year early!"

Donna: "That's awesome, Rae! Any plans to celebrate?"

Rachel: "Yeah! you won't believe my luck. I was able to get a reservation at that nice Italian restaurant. Someone had to cancel their reservation last minute, and it was available the day I called."

Donna: "Nice!"

Donna: takes a sip of beer "By the way, how's Garfield doing?"

Rachel: "Who? Oh! Yeah, um... he's doing okay, I guess."

At this point, Garfield was rarely home because he was constantly out with other women. Their relationship had grown increasingly distant, to the point where Rachel saw him as nothing more than a roommate—and a freeloader since he wasn't contributing financially.

Rachel stopped planning dates and buying Garfield gifts. she ceased calling and texting him, and he didn't notice because he was preoccupied with his other relationships.

Damian and Rachel were at his place, both slightly intoxicated. Sexual tension filled the air as they made out on the couch. The atmosphere heated up, and Damian began kissing her neck. 

Rachel moaned as she grind against his crotch.

Damian: feeling cocky “bet your boyfriend doesn't make you feel this good”

Rachel: "Who?"

Damian pulled away, halting their intimacy.

Damian: "Your boyfriend...Garfield? Did you forget about him?"

Rachel: "Oh! Yeah, um... I'm sorry..."

Damian: "Rachel, is everything okay?"

Rachel wasn't sure if it was the alcohol or her trust in Damian that made her so vulnerable. she confessed everything to him: how Garfield had pressured her into an open relationship and how lonely and neglected she felt. At that moment, Rachel realized she no longer had romantic feelings for Garfield. And without intending to, she confessed her feelings for Damian.

Rachel: "Oh shit! I'm sor-"

Damian: "I love you too Beloved."

Both were shocked. Rachel was overjoyed to hear him say that. He leaned in to kiss her, but she stopped him.

Rachel: "Dami, wait!"

Rachel: "Don't get the wrong idea. I'm so happy we confirmed our feelings for each other, but I want to be in a monogamous relationship."

Damian: "Me too!"

Rachel: "Great! Before we take this further and make it official, I need to break up with Garfield first."

So no physical intimacy between Rachel and Damian... yet.

On the drive home, Rachel received a text from Garfield reminding her that he was leaving for a gig tomorrow and wouldn't be back for two weeks. Seeing this as an opportunity, Rachel decided to make her move. she acted normally until Garfield left the next morning. Rachel called her best friend, Donna, and other college friends to help her pack and move into Donna's place. After moving all her belongings, Rachel texted Garfield that they should break up, informed him that she was no longer on the lease, and sent him this month's rent money via Venmo. She told him not to contact her and blocked him on everything before starting a relationship with Damian.

When Garfield returned from the gig, he bombarded Rachel with texts, calls, voicemails, and other messages. He was distraught, begging her to reconsider and claiming that opening their relationship had been a huge mistake. He confessed that the women she had dated only wanted sex and never truly loved him. He realized that Rachal was the one who truly loved him and admitted he was foolish for letting her go. He pleaded for another chance, unaware of her relationship with Damian. (plus Rachel was paying for everything, he didn't have any money) 

The first few months were chaotic, with Garfield becoming increasingly unhinged. Fortunately, law enforcement wasn't involved, and eventually, Garfield gave up and moved on. (maybe Damian was the reason why and didn't tell Rachel about it lol) However, Garfield continued to try to contact Rachal for another chance every year, but she never responded.

Rachal graduated and began working for Wayne Enterprises Finance Department.  Damian became CEO and proposed to Rachel, she said yes. They started a beautiful life together, living in the Wayne Manor with 6 children. 🥰🥰🥰

[christinesficrecs]

hello chrissy poo! please save me and recommend me some accidental baby acquisition fics. thank youuu

Accidental babies are my favorite! 🩷

I Know Where Babies Come From, Derek by DiscontentedWinter | 51.9K | Mature

Stiles finds a baby on the porch.

It looks exactly like him.

Well, this is awkward.

Foxglove Eyes by AllTheseSquaresMakeACircle | 47.8K | Explicit

Stiles didn't know how long the woman had him collared and working for her. (See forcing him to be a magical slave.) But he knows when he finally gets the collar free, it's the same night the compound is raided by wolves. Somehow, he ends up with them, and, in the process, becomes the adoptive father to a baby werewolf that seems to hate everyone else. Oh, well, worse things have happened.

You And Me (Baby Makes Three) by clotpolesonly | 5.4K

Pulling out his phone, Stiles said, “I’m sure dad’ll be thrilled to be woken up at two in the morning for an off the books amber alert, but he’ll suck it up.”

He’d only taken a few steps away before Derek said his name. Stiles turned back to see one of those little grabbing hands reaching out for him. Her eyes were brown, apparently, when they weren’t glowing, and they were wide and wet and looking up at him beseechingly from Derek’s arms, and Stiles couldn’t walk away from that.

“Oh, jeez.”

He was so screwed.

He’s Not Mine by Sunnee | 68.5K | Explicit

Derek comes home to find an abandoned werebaby on his front porch and Stiles volunteers to help him out. Surprisingly, that is just the beginning of his problems.

Bundle of Accidental Joy by tearsandholdme | 69.9K | Mature

Stiles is just trying to live a simple life. Have a job, pay his rent, and survive enough to eat his next meal. But then he's fired from his job, watches a mother abandon her baby, tries to stop her and picks the baby up, and now everyone thinks the baby is his. Even his very handsome and moody boss, Derek Hale, who forces the responsibility onto him at the cost of keeping his job or else.

Reasonable to Assume by  Saucery | 32,476 | dropbox link

“You’re a werewolf! He’s a werebaby! How can you not know what to do with him?”

Didn’t See That Coming by  knittersrevolt | 83,838

Stiles leaves Beacon Hills in the dust after he catches his husband cheating on him.

He finds his way to New York where he starts working for the Hale House Nursery, accidentally adopts a werewolf baby (through no fault of his own thank-you-very-much), and somehow starts training to be an Exorcist Emissary. So, in general, life was going good.

Then he hears that demons have found their way into his hometown. Can he face his inner demons and go back to save the day?

The Littlest Alpha by  triedunture | 52.5K | dropbox

Derek and Stiles have taken out the Alpha Pack and pretty much saved the world. Okay, the town. Okay, their remaining friends. But the Alphas left something behind: a baby. And this baby is an Alpha too. Derek is determined to take care of the abandoned child, and Stiles is stuck going along for the ride.

But Stiles doesn’t expect the ride to include seeing another side of Derek, or to find another way to say “family.”

The One Where They Adopt a Selkie by mikkimouse | 7.7K

“That’s a kid,” Stiles said.

Derek growled. “It’s a selkie.”

“It’s a selkie kid,” Stiles pointed out, because really, they did not need to be arguing semantics right now. “Do selkies just go around leaving their kids sleeping in caves on the beach?”

Everything With You by ElStark | 9.2K | Explicit

“What’s going on?” Derek asked.

Scott shook his head, “You need to see.”

“Would you stop with the fucking mystery and just tell us already?” Stiles snapped at him.

“We found a baby,” Scott relented, starting to half jog towards the opposite line of trees they had been standing in front of.

3 Idiots and a Baby by WithMyTeeth (Ylith) | 42.1K | Explicit

One little abandoned Were-baby changes everything.

What to expect when you aren’t expecting by MemeKon | 16.9K

The baby is warm and small and she’s all wrinkled and frowny, bow lips somewhat pursed and pouty. Stiles’ palms feel cold and sweaty against the blanket enfolding her as he holds her tight to his chest.

“What do you mean she turned up out of nowhere?” Derek asks, frowning at him, hand twitching above the baby’s head, as if he wasn’t sure touching her wouldn’t make her disintegrate into nothingness. Stiles rolls his eyes at him and bounces on the balls of his feet when the baby squirms.

[lorkai]

づ A/N: This idea has been living rent free in my head for a few months now and I finally had time to sit and write down. Might write a part 2 but idk yet. Also reblogs are appreciated!

Characters: Thirteen, Solomon, Simeon & Barbatos

There are stupid things that are expected to be common sense. For example, everyone knows that eating Solomon's food is an extremely dumb idea. Alas you are dumb and decided to eat the pasta he had made after one lesson you had; resulting in you gaining immortality.

.⁠｡⁠*⁠♡ Thirteen is the first being to notice the change. Your candle is forever frozen just like Solomon's, motionless, the flames static and the reaper is left in a mix of feelings when she understands what happened; what that terrible wizard have done to you, poor you and your beautiful soul and mortality. She questions you about it as soon as she sees you, no matter who is around, questioning you about your immortality, about what happened and if you are happy with your decision.

.⁠｡⁠*⁠♡ For her, this was what you wanted so when she finds out that you didn't even know about it Thirteen doesn't know how to react. You recount the day's events to her, how you trained magic with Solomon and then had dinner with him. It's so comical, so unbelievable, several humans searched for a way to obtain immortality and you just had to eat the food that Solomon prepared for you. She is crying with laughter and rolling on the floor at this point, however, the reaper will be more than happy to help you find a way to undo your immortality if you so desire.

.⁠｡⁠*⁠♡ Solomon was by your side when Thirteen appeared suddenly and he is so surprised by this information. I mean, he doesn't understand how a simple pasta can make you immortal since he himself only became immortal through one of his failed experiments, but he also didn't know his cooking could do this??? He is not at all sad about the news as now he know his beloved apprentice will live forever, however, yes, immortality has its downsides; the death of friends and family, the pain of remembering how you forgot their faces, voices and cherished memories and there is nothing you can do to get them back.

.⁠｡⁠*⁠♡ But he is here to support you in every difficult and painful moment as well as in the most joyful and happy moments. He's here forever to be by your side, to give you a helping hand and a shoulder to lean on. Though saddened he would help find a way to reverse your mortality if you truly wished for it.

.⁠｡⁠*⁠♡ Simeon's mouth had never been so open. You, immortal? How, when, why? He listens to you recount the day's events, but he still can't comprehend how Solomon's dish could do something like this. Simeon knows that the thing Solomon calls food is capable of doing, but being able to grant immortality to someone? By heaven, he doesn't even know what to say, he doesn't even know what to do. Do you need to be comforted? Do you want a hug? Are you well? He's more nervous than you are, honestly. Simeon tries to calm you down and offers solutions to your problems.

.⁠｡⁠*⁠♡ When everything was done and said, he felt a little happy. Angels don't know what the pain of loss is like and he wishes he didn't know what it's like, he wishes he didn't live to find out what life was like without you. You're like a ray of sunshine, so cheerful and chaotic and a welcome part of his life.

.⁠｡⁠*⁠♡ Barbatos found out about it from Simeon. The embodiment of "disappointed but not surprised", if you subjected yourself to eating the horrendous pestilence that was Solomon's food then you knew the risks you were taking and didn't care. The lord of time holds back from giving you a good lecture as soon as he sees you. Who in their right mind would eat that??? Why, MC, why??? He wants so much to understand what you were thinking at that moment and what you are thinking now, what you feel now, becoming immortal can be a bit shocking, even more so with all the pros and cons that come along with the experience of being immortal.

.⁠｡⁠*⁠♡ He is the one who helps you adjust to your new life as the years go by. The one who helps you get a house, new documents and teaches you how to deal with everything when things get too much. He already did it once to his master and now he's going to do it to you now. If you ask and Diavolo allows it, Barbatos will look into the future for a way to reverse your immortality. That's your wish and he respects it but then why does this possibility leaves an empty feeling in his chest?

[lawbin-archive]

Lawbin Dressrosa Analysis 1: Dating while handing over Caesar team

Finally, I finished re-reading dressrosa! It's probably one of my favorite arcs. Maybe top 3 haha The other two are probably Wano and Enies Lobby. The pacing in manga is definitely way better, so I actually enjoyed this arc more. I might missed something because I was too immersed into the story and sometimes I forgot to jot down notes lol But anyways, let's start!

As usual, things highlighted in purple are my delulus.

Warning: It's my personal blog so don't read it if you don't like lawbin, include lots of delulu :D

~LAWBIN ALLIANCE PHASE~ why can't I choose yellow on tumblr anymore?! :(

Chapter 700: Law hates bread

Robin weird thoughts always live in my head rent free. I also like how most of the crew are complaining or interrupting Law but Robin (and Zoro) just listen to his plan. Of course it's also because their personality is similar (they mostly won't say anything unless something it's wrong), and I think they just trust Luffy hence they trust Law.

I love the fact that Robin's favorite food is sandwich but Law hates bread!! It's gonna be a funny debate between them about bread!! >< I also find Robin and Zoro just follow their captain and ignore Law's plan are so funny. (Remember this, it's changing in the upcoming plot *wink*)

Chapter 701: Adventure in the land of love, passion and toys [This is the actual title of this chapter] That's kinda obvious is it? That's where all the love starts *smirk*

Every time they are together is such a beautiful panel, (maybe I shouldn't said that people will say I ship them just for their aesthetic haha it's like that's a problem) The *aggressive* *calm* *calm* *aggressive* combo is also really interesting and entertaining, I can understand why Oda will choose Robin and Usopp to be Law's companion. Or maybe Law chose Robin himself to spend more time with her?! It didn't say how they assign the team but in any way, I'm sure Robin and Law realize they have similar personality. Robin even found Law's plan fun haha. Their mind just sync a lot and I think Law will appreciate to have Robin here because she's the only one that follow his plan without a complain lol. And from this point, Law & Robin started become a "I want to scare Usopp just for fun" team. (and also Caeser but I don't think they give a fk about him lol)

Chapter 705 ~ 711: Let's go to Greenbit

Again, the aesthetic is just ~amazing~. I'm gonna compliment it regardless, they look good together and that's a part of why they have good chemistry to me. I'm not gonna deny it! And I like it so much that Robin and Law are sitting across each other, they can see each other clearly!

They really look like they are on a secret date together! >< (minus Usopp and Caesar I'm sorry) I saw a newspaper poster (made by a one piece theme park in Japan, but it's closed now) and this "news" was saying they found out Law and Robin secretly meeting? (I'm just guessing) Literally create my vision of them getting caught dating haha And I like how they share a lot of common knowledge - they know how dangerous CP0 is and recognize them is right away. At least I think most of the straw hats won't recognize and realize who they are.

The small bickering they have are so cute, Robin isn't scared and she's super calm but she has her little complain that she expected fish to look like a fish (maybe that's the only complaint she has haha) and Law was like "Looks like a fish to me". It’s like she hates gum because she expects food can be swallowed.

I'm always wondering who's Law talking to here haha because Robin & Usopp are the ones who fight the fish after but from where he's pointing, isn't look like he's talking to Caesar either. So maybe he's telling Robin don't need to worry? If that’s true, that means Law cared about her haha I feel like the whole time, he just want to talk to her and teasing Usopp only

~LAWBIN FRIENDS PHASE~

From this point, I think Law and Robin started to trust each other more and treated each other as friends. At least you can see their interactions are more friendlier. I will explain a little bit more later.

They even sit together on the Caesar hot air balloon!! In my mind, it's probably Usopp scared to sit in the middle because he might fall and Law being a gentleman so he volunteered to sit in the center (less safe). If you think about it, this could be their date lol Going to a cafe, fight some fishes and sitting on a hot air balloon. Law planned the whole thing and Robin was like *I have fun with this* the whole time haha. Robin likes to explore and Law's hobby is wandering around. They just seem to get along so well together!

I think I already explained a few times that how they both get so investigative once they arrived at Greenbit they are so similary in lots of ways!! They both will analyze the situation and environment they are in.

Robin can see through him so easily. She probably can figure out how he did it anyways And see how Robin changed her attitude so much?! From distrusting him and observing him a lot in Punk Hazard, and now she's teasing him. If she didn't get close with someone, she probably won't say anything and just observe. That's definitely a sign that she got closer with him and a friendly behavior.

I like how Law already knew what each Straw Hat specialized with and ask them for help. And again, only Robin listened to Law. She looks like she enjoyed the adventure so much and I'm actually surprised Robin just followed Law here. I guess after Punk Hazard, she found he isn't a bad person so she just followed his plan. But also mainly because Luffy trust Law.

The first thing Robin woke up is to think about how to contact with Law (and also care about Usopp of course) When I was reading the Greenbit part, I actually thought Robin is gonna tell Law where she is and he can use his ability to transfer him and Caesar to underground, so Doflamingo couldn't find them there haha. But my delulu didn't come true ;'(

I also saw a person said the reason why they ship lawbin it's because Law treat Robin differently than others. And here is one of the evidences, when he was talking to other straw hats, he usually just order them around lol and for Robin, he's like *help me using your intelligence skills* *ok I understand* it's just seems he is so much calmer in front of her, like they can actually communicate without arguing. I wouldn't say he cared about her but at least he is nice enough to say good luck to her too. Robin actually treat him differently than others too. She said "Good luck" to him, something I rarely seen Robin did to other people outside of straw hats and Robin worried about him a lot in this arc (again I'll elaborate later on, there is so much to talk in this arc omg ><!)

When the whole Greenbit shaking, Robin worried about Law's fighting. Their relationship really change drastically here. Robin seems to care about Law a lot more. To be fair, I think the whole crew started to care about Law's safety in this arc a lot and of course it's natural to care someone that's an ally of you. But also if I really compare, Robin seems like she cared the most about Law maybe after Luffy.

I actually think Law is so similar to Robin here. He really gave me the Enies Lobby Robin vibe here. In my perspective, I don't think he really meant to use straw hats at this point (definitely yes before tho), I think he told Doflamingo he is using them to try to protect them. So Doflamingo will think it's useless even he threaten Law he is going to kidnap the rest of the straw hats because Law said he won't care about them. (the mind games). Law and pre-time skip Robin are so alike, they always try to take all the responsibility to themselves or sacrifice themselves in order to protect others. Law didn't even bring heart pirates to here is just like when Robin pretend to be betray the straw hats in Enies Lobby sigh :(

If Law is really using the straw hats, he is gonna betray them once Doflamingo is defeated, but he kept his promise to defeat Kaido. That's one of the reasons why Law is one of my favorite characters, even he looks so unbothered and sometimes mean on the outside, his actions always tell the opposite >///<

And it’s cute that during Dressrosa, Robin is the one who cares about Law a lot and once they get into Wano the situation switched haha the feelings are mutual!!!!

That's it for today! Thank you for reading! <3 I think I have talked too much again lol I will probably start writing about the rest of the arc soon! Hopefully I can finish writing the whole arc under 2 parts! (probably not) I actually have something to write about my thoughts on other ships during dressrosa, uhm maybe I will briefly talk about it next one.

[i-love-frensh-fries]

✨I dreamed of being stuck in the dorm of the phontom troupe in a modern AU ✨ .

🕸️🕸️🕸️🕸️🕸️🕸️🕸️🕸️🕸️🕸️🕸️🕸️🕸️🕸️🕸️🕸️

🕸️I had a weird dream that day and then it came back last night. And it's living rent free in my head.

Slight sspoilers about the new pt manga chaps.

It was the the phantom troupe in a modern AU and then there was a school that was kinda like a special academy and of course there was dorms ( like the houses from hogwarts but the hunter administration that treats your file is the one doing the sorting) and obviously my delulu chrollo juc thirsty bitch that I'm ends up t in the phantom troupe dorm aka ✨the spider house ✨that everyone is scared of. But first he is some contest about them :

It was the the phantom troupe in a modern AU and then there was a school that was kinda like a special academy and of course there was dorms ( like the houses from hogwarts but the hunter administration that treats your file is the one doing the sorting) and obviously my delulu chrollo juc thirsty bitch that I'm ends up t in the phantom troupe dorm aka ✨the spider house ✨that everyone is scared to be sorted to ( you need to have a murder recored to be sorted their but most student s don't know bout that.

But first here is some context about them bitches :

🕸️ The school was like the hunter association and in the Spider house the only people allowed are the once that killed someone before. So I guess I got their becose I killed somebody? I don't know I just lived with them.

🕸️But there is the thing with the members is that they technically didn't "kill" anybody, at least that's what the authorities assumes before going trough Juvi.

🕸️That day they just happened to be in the wrong place wrong time.

🕸️It happened when they were kids maybe in elementary, they all lived in the same orphanage from the poor side of the city so they always hangout in a certain place after school.

🕸️At that time that were a bigger friend Groupe. But one day, one in particular didn't show up at school but it's fine they didn't think about it much, they were like " it's fine we will see her at the playing spot after school, Sarasa may miss school but never play time anyways" .

🕸️Class finishes they go to their usual spot expecting to find their friend *Sarasa*, but all they find is a black teach bag waiting to be oppend.

🕸️The kids were skeptical about it, some were scared but chrollo, the "main twinck" of the groupe insisted about looking inside of the bag that was suspiciously weird and suspiciously well tied. He tired at first but couldn't do it then then finx shoot his shot but didn't succeed either.

🕸️The kids grew frustrated and all tried opening it leaving their tiny finger prints on that bag. But that until Uvogine te bigger one arrives and finally opens it.

🕸️The first thing they noticed was the metallic smell (in the dream I was kinda their but not their), when everyone hesitated so look, chrollo did. And god he regrets to this day, looking at the inside where his friend's remaining body was.

🕸️Too scared by what they fsaw they run to the orphanage and told the adult not know that they will be used to cover some higher up from the city and with enough money they will be accused of killing their friend and all end up in a specialised juvi ( cause they were minors) that will change their life's and ruin their childhood forever.

🕸️After 5 years in juvi They all come out, many of their friends died during that time many lost their minds. But they survived and are now 16 years old. They get accepted into the hunter association academy? I guess? And that's how they become the most feared students of the .

🕸️ And that where the self insert potential gets jucy. And that's where I get in the story. Apparently I killed my mom? ( we had an argument that night before I dreamed 😂). And that's how I ended up their. I was so freaking scared. But weardly some of them were nice.

🕸️Paku oda was mommy. Machi was kinda sceptical. Shizuku didn't mind same for korutopi, bonolenove and Franklin.

🕸️ Phinx was decent he is from Egypt 🇪🇬 and I'm from Algeria 🇩🇿 so African besties✨✨, we watch égyptien and algerian comedy some times and we speak arabic too. And the fact that some kings from my tribe back in time were faraones ( yeah 'cause I' m amazigh) so we get in preety heated argument about it some times, but over all he is fine. Same for nobunaga we bond over video games and samurai movies ( blue eye samurai)

🕸️But their tiny bestie just straight up hates me. He dispises me sooooo much. He tried to kill I think. Put poison in my coffee ☕ 😂.

🕸️ But the weirdest one out their is chrollo. I think he sees me more like a lab experiment. He follows me with his eyes in such a creepy way. He asks where I got who are my friends. Why am I getting along with hisoka 'cause hisoka was supposed to be the scariest he told me not to approach him cause he would kill me but then we ended up being the bestest of friends so I guess he was kinda jealous.

🕸️But anyways I ranted a lot. But this is what happened when I woke up I thought that I got into a coma cus wtf it's was a looooooooong one and it gilt so vivid a and real.

🕸️If anyone read thins and wants to make It a story or something please tag me the phontom troupe dorm is such a brain rot for me I don't know.

Anyways baaay

[charmedtodeath]

These Traps We Fall Into | Robert Stahl/fem character (Part 1)

Summary: Agent Stahl is working on a case investigating corruption in the NYPD when he discovers his asset has more to offer than just intel and evidence. (Third person POV)

TW/CW: stalking, obsession, obsessive behavior, abuse of authority, abuse of power, possessive behavior, inappropriate behavior, general creepiness, age gap

a/n: Hello, fellow Warren Kole enjoyers. I didn’t want this to be Shades of Blue 2.0 so in place of Harlee, the detective character is a man with an unnamed adult daughter. Third person despite being a reader insert because it’s easier to tell the story that way and a lot of people hate first person POV lol. Loosely inspired by an idea sent to @rors-grvs

Read on AO3

Part 2

Special Agent Stahl has never been the type of person to just let things go. Winning and being right are the most important things to him, and he'll stop at almost nothing to get what he wants. He craves control and power, among other things. What he didn't expect during his most recent investigation on corruption in the NYPD was how much he ended up craving her.

Stahl, of course, had profiled her detective father and knew almost everything there was to know about him: where he lived, what kind of car he drove, where he stopped for coffee in the morning, and all about the racketeering and corruption he was about to be arrested for. His daughter, on the other hand, only thought of her dad as a morally upright man who'd sworn to protect and serve, and had no idea about the payoffs he was taking. He was just one of New York's finest. Dear old dad was simply making the community a better place and it showed, according to the improved crime statistics in Brooklyn.

So when her dad suddenly began having to work on more cases than usual and was acting strange, she chalked it up to coincidence. New York City was always a busy place and there's no rest for the wicked. She herself was too swamped to really pry into him and figure out what was going on, and she felt like a bad daughter for not trying harder.

After all, emotionally supporting him was the least she could do while he was letting her stay with him, rent free. Medical school isn't going to be cheap and scholarships and grants won't cover everything. She's been spending nearly all her available time picking up extra ambulance shifts to save as much money as possible in an attempt to avoid drowning in debt later down the road.

As much as she wanted to follow in his footsteps and become a detective like him someday, she took after her mother instead. They had been a stereotypical couple; a cop falling in love with an emergency room nurse. After a couple of kids and a divorce resulting in her younger brother preferring to live with their mom and stepfather, she stayed in NYC with Pops.

Medicine seemed like a more promising career, anyway, with a lower likelihood of getting hurt on the job. On the advice of her pre-med academic advisor, she had picked up a job soon after turning 18 as an EMT for the FDNY to get a taste of emergency medicine. She loved the adrenaline rush and the chance to help people at their worst. Eventually, she was able to complete the steps to become a paramedic the year before finishing her undergrad degree in biology. The acceptance to four different schools soon came along and she'd be starting at NYU this coming fall. She loved the energy of the city and didn't want to give it up for more rural locations. There was simply no better place to live and breathe the intensities of emergency care.

All in all, it was really the perfect situation- she got to move back in with her father and save thousands on rent, work was close by, and it would still be a few months before she had to start commuting to Manhattan for school. That being said, things had changed by the end of May. Her dad was suddenly working insane hours and she'd usually end up eating dinner alone, sometimes not running into him again until the following morning. Seeing him abruptly run down and anxious sparked her worry and she decided to catch him at breakfast to investigate after a week of his strange behavior.

"Is everything okay at work, Dad? I haven't seen you around much this week."

"Oh, there's no need to worry about me, kid. Just have a lot going on with an extra heavy caseload, that's all." It wasn't unrealistic for him to have a thick stack of case files to get through, but it had been relatively quiet in Brooklyn for the past few months. The uptick in activity has been worrying her.

"If you say so. Just so you know, I'm gonna be back super late tonight. Running a double today."

"Don't hurt yourself working too hard. I love you."

"Love you, too. Maybe you should take your own advice, though. I'll see you later." Without another word, she slides on her work boots before leaving the apartment, and she swears she hears him sigh in relief once she's halfway through the door.

It seems like everyone in Brooklyn decided that today was the day they absolutely needed to go to the hospital. There were nonstop ambulance runs all morning and afternoon, and she and her partner barely had time to go back to their base location in between runs. So much for catching up on podcast episodes.

By the time she gets back home, it is well after midnight and all she wants to do is shower off the sweat and grime before collapsing in bed. Luckily, she's on second shift next so she would be able to sleep in. If she had been more awake and alert, maybe she'd have noticed the contents of her dresser being slightly askew, or her hair brush a few centimeters to the left of its usual spot. Her father had taught her to always be alert and observant, but pure exhaustion made her overlook the fine details.

In fact, she had become so hyperfocused on work and training a new EMT for the past few days that she had failed to notice she was being tailed. Nobody would have questioned a man in a suit with a badge at the scene of a shooting. If she had seen him, she would have assumed he was just another detective milling about while she treated victims and sent away anyone who needed to be transported to the hospital. The following day, she paid no attention to the same man watching her in the freezer section of the grocery store on her way home.

She had learned to be vigilant about more traditional threats in the city- people walking a little too closely behind her at night, creepy onlookers who were overly fascinated by female paramedics and tried to flirt while she was working, or intoxicated patients that harassed and tried to hurt her in the back of the ambulance. These kinds of threats felt more real because she could see, hear, and sometimes smell them.

All the years of training and learning to defend her personal space and emotional boundaries were worth nothing compared to someone who picked apart people for a living. Her father and his Street Crimes Unit had been under surveillance for weeks before he was ever arrested, and she was simply an afterthought to most people working on the case. Daughter, age 23, lives with surveillance subject in Brooklyn is what they'd note about her before moving on to the next part of the profile. Robert Stahl is not most people.

At first, he was only interested in taking down her father's corrupt lieutenant and trying to link him directly to the laundered payoff money. But as soon as Stahl laid eyes on her, he knew this detective was the one he'd be picking up and offering an immunity deal to in exchange for becoming an FBI informant. Her dad was very careful to hide all of this from her, not wanting to add any more undue stress in her life when she was about to start medical school. Stahl was careful to hide his tracks as well, making sure she didn't spot him while he was watching her and not stealing anything each time he broke into their apartment. He would look, he would touch, but he wouldn't take.

She had become a personal project to him, a bonus that came along while he was working on a real investigation. It took only weeks for his obsession to grow and fester into something so powerful that he swore he'd do anything to protect her. If her father didn't hold up his end of the bargain and ended up in prison, Stahl would ensure she was taken care of. He could give her a better home and a better life than her father was capable of.

When things began to fall apart for the detective and he was spending more and more time away from home, Stahl was able to sneak into their apartment as often as he wanted. With a GPS tracker carefully hidden in the thick sole of her work boots and location tracking on her dad's phone, he didn't have to worry about either of them showing up at home unexpectedly. He was free to invade her space, touching her clothes and imagining her wearing outfits for him, laying in her bed and picturing her there with him. He was fully hooked and didn't want anything getting in his way. He'd be damned before he let another man take her away from him.

Stahl quickly began manipulating her environment to get what he wanted, jealousy getting the better of him. The little things bothered him the most. Firefighters talking to her and making her laugh, male partners on her ambulance, and any other man that got a little too close for Stahl's comfort when he was watching her.

All of this, and she had no idea he was there in the background every step of the way. She didn't have that feeling of being watched. There was no presence in every room she went into, or an inkling that she was being followed down the street. Stahl was too careful for that, so he intervened in invisible ways.

She often stops at a convenience store near the EMS station to pick up snacks and drinks, and it was clear one of the clerks had taken a liking to her. Most of the time she'd be in and out in less than five minutes, sometimes by herself and others with her partner. Either way, Stahl didn't like the way this young man looked at her.

"Getting the usual again, I see." She places the energy drink and peanut M&Ms on the counter, pulling out her credit card to pay as her trainee waits by the door, flipping through a magazine and sipping his own energy drink.

"Any small treat on a busy day is worth it. Probably shouldn't be drinking this crap, though."

The clerk takes the opportunity to shoot his shot with her, and clears his throat before making a move, "I know you come in here all the time and that you're really busy, but if you want to let off some steam, there's some pretty good parties in Flatbush on weekends. Let me know if you ever feel like hanging out. Don't bring the ambulance, though." Seeing that cute little laugh through the windows is enough to make Stahl furious.

To rectify the situation, he takes out his phone and places a fake 911 call for an old woman having chest pain in the vicinity of the convenience store, knowing the call will almost certainly be sent to her unit. He smiles to himself when he sees her talking into the radio. Once she comes outside again, he can finally hear that sweet voice.

"10-4, ALS unit responding," she tells the dispatcher. "Come on, Probie. Let's see how you do with this one."

Stahl watches as she hops in the back of the ambulance while the trainee rides up front with her partner, flipping on the lights and siren before pulling away from the curb. He follows far behind, not worried about losing them since he already knows where they're headed. It's too bad he can't follow her around for longer today. After all, there's still a real investigation to work on and he has to meet with his asset. He wants to hate her father to the core, but this angel was created by the man he so desperately wants out of the picture and he has to be somewhat thankful for her existence.

Following another attempt of getting her father to wear a wire to collect a scrap of indictable evidence, Stahl waits in his car to listen in on the conversation while scrolling through all his pictures and videos of her. He touches the screen in an attempt to stroke her soft skin, his imagination working on overdrive to think of what it would be like to touch her. It would be so easy for him to sneak into her room later while she's sleeping and play with the loose strands of hair splayed across the pillow or sweep his fingers over those strong legs she keeps hiding from him under her cargo pants. But no, he wants her to want him first. He needs to hear her say it.

[lynne-monstr]

i finished the spirealm show this morning. ramblings, both the good and the bad, under the cut. spoilers ahead!

i guess i should preface this by saying that i don't think most of the stuff I hated was bad. i just didn't like it. that's very much a me thing and i'm willing to own it. also i reference episodes in viki-length episodes.

anyway. i absolutely loved loved adored and am obsessed with the first 26 episodes. all the characters are great, the door mysteries are fun, and i really enjoy the glimpses of life outside the doors. yes, it's a video game murder show but for the most part, it's a fun romp.

super fun, super gay. literally every episode gave me something fun to shout about.

around halfway through i started bracing myself for people dying, but when it didn't happen i dropped my guard. and then episode 27 happened and i was not mentally prepared for cute fave li dongyuan to actually die.

to be honest, the reason i binged the last 12 episodes was because after he died, i lost a lot of interest and investment in the show. but i still wanted to know how it ended so instead of dragging it out for several more weeks, which i like to do when I'm enjoying something, i closed it off in under 24 hours.

that being said, i don't think they way it handled li dongyuan's death was bad. i loved that they kept referencing him afterwards. so many shows forget about characters the moment they die and i appreciate that my cute fave's presence continued to be strongly felt.

and then the more lovable side characters that died, the more i emotionally pulled away. I feel bad that my emotional enjoyment tanked so suddenly because I enjoyed the door with all the boxes and bonus that it was packed full of such good shippy stuff. but I mostly watched it on autopilot.

also it was a bit of a letdown that the big bad villain turned out to be so pathetic in the end. though on the other hand, it's exactly what he deserved.

I don't know if this is an unpopular opinion but I really loved all the stuff that happened after the 11th door when ling jiushi wakes up from his "coma." i guess because I love the trope of what happens once the hero's journey is over and they get booted back into normal life. there's so much good possibility there, especially with ling jiushi knowing all of his friends but now they're softer versions of themselves who don't know him.

i have a desperate need for post-canon fic where ling jiushi goes on a befriending mission with all the people who had become his family. together they use the power of friendship and combined financial assets to hunt down pieces of the original world that are still present in the new reality. ljs uses these pieces to bring rnz back to life. the whole team gets up to all sorts of shenanigans trying to get him a real identity and make sure no one else can find the clues to bring back the original murder game.

also i want the chen fei backstory of why he switched from veterinary medicine to people medicine in the new universe.

(the entire 50 Years Later epilogue was equal parts ridiculous and depressing and I'm going to pretend like it never happened. it gave me the sad vibe if ling jiushi never managed to connect with any of his old friends or ruan nanzu again. and so he made fake copies of them that he could play pretend with.)

okay this got way longer than expected so I'll end with my absolute favorite scene of the last 12 episodes that will live rent-free in my head forever. and that's the three-way obsidian group hug that happens after the npc reveal. specifically the way chen fei rests his chin on ruan nanzhu's shoulder. excuse me while i die of happiness. they're a team, they're a family!

[theredcapeofk]

20 Questions More

A deeper and more detailed version of the 20 questions for AO3 fanfic writers. Thanks @fazedlight for the tag!!

1) How do you keep getting ideas for your ship/fandom?

I have three main sources of inspiration:

my own brain where my ship and fandoms live rent-free.

tumblr: other people's works keep the passion alive and new ideas coming

discussing the ships and fandoms with other fans

2) Which authors inspire you in your fandom, and why are they so freakishly good?

So many of you guys do inspire me for so many different reasons it's hard to make a list.

3) Aside from the characters of your main ship, who are the characters you love to write?

I love to have Eliza around she brings a sense of calm and reassurance to my scenes. I also love to have Esme, she's so cute and I like having her melt everyone's hearts from sheer cuteness.

4) Are there pairings or tropes you know for sure you'd never write about? Which ones?

Writing and reading fanfics have taught me that my views tend to change on ships and tropes. So my never today could inspire me tomorrow.

5) What is your writing process and why is it cursed?

I don't know about a writing process... I get an inspiration and start writing. Sometimes I outline longer fics and sometimes the stories cannot be outlined so I let it write itself as I go. Of course I make the whole thing coherent.

If that wasn't cursed enough, I'll just add that there are times where my brain just won't English so I have to think my writing in French and translate it.

6) What is your favorite part of your writing process?

The outpour of inspiration that makes me write until my eyes/fingers hurt

7) What’s the weirdest thing you’ve had to research for a fic?

I honestly don't remember. But every research I ever make for a fic is a fall down the rabbit hole. You start by a word research and two hours later you end up watching a tutorial on how to comb a Giraffe's hair...(It never actually happened, but you get my point lol)

8) Is there a particular writing rule you struggle with (grammar, spelling, tense, reality in general)?

Sometimes all of the above plus typos and the sequence of tenses? This used to never be a problem, but the further I get from my English classes the blurrier sequence of tenses become.

9) What was your hardest scene to write so far and why?

Fight scenes and action scenes. Like how am I supposed to describe who does what and how...?

10) Have your characters ever done something you didn’t expect, changing your plot completely?

Very often. In Change my Direction Kara was supposed to heal a lot faster. And then she didn't and here we are lol. In My Eyes are Up Here Kara was supposed to spill the secret sooner but she couldn't. And in a project I'm still working on on the rift era, Lena was supposed to cave in sooner but she's stubborn lol

11) If you could converse with any of the characters, who would it be and why?

Definitely Kara and Lena. I have so many questions and I would love their take on what canon left unsaid. I would also like to speak to Brainy and Cat. I would pester Brainy about the 31st century to know the extent of Kara's and Lena's legacy. I'd ask Cat how she managed to create Catco and also what finally gave Kara away.

12) What are some of the tropes or themes that you find yourself returning to in your writing?

Kara and Lena are always idiots in love in my fics and when they do admit their feelings to each other, they only live for one another.

As for themes, I tend to come back to the rift era because canon created a tension that needed solving and their version only broached the surface. And this conflict brought so many things to the surface for the characters there are so many alternate answers to be given I feel that it's an exploration that keeps on giving.

13) What's your most important resource as a writer?

My phone. I've been writing mostly on my phone for years and I love the flexibility it gives me. I can carry it around with me and write whenever inspiration strikes.

14) Can you share some of your strategies for editing and revising your work?

You guys actually have strategies for that? Hahaha. What I tend to do, is highlight words or sentences as I go along. Then, when I'm done with a chapter, I put the fic away for a few days and then I start re-reading the chapter from the start. Best-case scenario I take the highlights off, worst-case scenario I highlight more stuff lol. As some words need translating I try to do this step incrementally because I know how long or hard the language check can be.

When I get stuck to a point where I can't move on, I beg my English speaking friends for help. @lenaralanvers has helped me so much since 2021

15) Which is worse: making the summary, picking the tags, or the anxiety when you post your fic?

The summary is always my absolute nemesis

16) How do you define success for your fanfic - hits? Kudos? Comments? Bookmarks? Or just if you like it?

I think I define it from the hits.

17) Do you have a playlist for your favorite character/ship?

I do have a playlist for Supercorp and it's always growing. There's a lot of Celine Dion and Greek pop songs in it. There's something about Celine Dion's voice and late 90's and early 2000's songs that just screams Supercorp to me. The Greek pop songs have a special way of expressing pain and regret that fits perfectly with the rift era.

18) If fan art was going to be made from your work, which fic would you pick and which fan artist would you like to create it?

If I had to pick someone, I would commission them :). maybe 2024 is the year I finally do this.

And if anyone wants to create fanart from any of my fics please feel free to.

19) How many WIPs do you currently have?

Phew...tough question! I don't have time to actually count them all, but I'd say twelve? out of the top of my head. Some will be one shots, some will hopefully become multichapters.

20) What's your advice to new fanfic writers?

If you want to write fanfic go for it. Don't let anything or anyone stop you from ever writing. Never plagiarize anyone and if you get your inspiration from someone, always give credit.

- - - - -

Tagging (respectfully and without pressure). If you've done the game before, feel free to send me a link to it ;) @chaotic-super, @lenaralanvers , @inkedroplets , @fyonahmacnally if you want some rapid-fire q's thrown your way. But also anyone who'd like to do this!

[miroimirage]

Yet another wip! I don't want to do the background... but I'll have to get to it eventually

The background makes everything flat since it's just a wip, but here are the characters only (I like this version much better, the background right now is just a guide so it makes it all look unfinished)

[mirage-of-the-virtuoso]

Because I've been thinking about it again: there is an au that lives rent-free in my head about Chrysallus becoming a courtier.

NMC!Chrys (who will be referred to as "Siren") deals a lot with staying detached, with seeming wild and chaotic (to the point of off-putting other courtiers), and generally just making himself out to be the villain for Dreamers and Courtiers alike.

When he first awoke after the whole debacle with the Dream getting attacked on the day of his awakening, Chrys did have a lot of people eyeballing him, gossiping about him, suspicion in their eyes because what sapling would stand there and try to connect with something that is very clearly trying to kill them?

With the new fascination with observing duality among their kin, Chrysallus then heard whispers in the shadows. He heard their hushed murmurs about him being a courtier spy, about him falling to Nightmare, how he reminds them too much of other sylvari who turned against the Court.

They decided his identity before he even had a chance to forge his own. The Grove painted him as a monster, as a villain.

And for a while, he tried to prove he wasn't. Chrys did everything he could, helped other Dreamers, protected the innocent, anything to help others see him as a person.

But it grew quickly into rampant people-pleasing, believing him near obsessed. And now, they thought his offers for help were false, only there to perform and make him look like something he's not.

As Chrysallus was a mesmer, it certainly didn't help when others made their accusations based on their bias against him.

Aurienal tried their best to help. But before they could stop him, Chrys had fled the Grove, clearly distraught and flowers scattered to the wind when he vanished.

Then, reports trickled in, both Wardens and Courtiers were turning up dead in Caledon. Patrols went from 3-4 to about 8-10 to prevent more from dying. But all that did was leave more bodies.

There were some who came back physically unscathed. Mentally, however, they were traumatized.

Those that returned, they spoke in panicked breathless voices, paranoid about the things they were currently seeing.

A mesmer - voice distorted to sound like they were two different people, completely covered and face hidden behind a full mask and wielding a staff - was luring people deep into the forests where monsters lurked, then hit with illusions so powerful that they couldn't help cowering in fear.

When other Wardens demanded answers from the attacker, all they said was "You wanted to see me as a monster so badly. You should be more careful what you wish for."

Even a Courtier had sought temporary refuge with a Warden patrol, clearly shaken and saying "I didn't sign up for this" before delving into a similar story that the Wardens had reported.

The Courtiers began referring to this attacker as "The Mad Siren." Other veteran warriors believed this "Siren" to be Soundless, since they could not be felt in the Dream, and the Courtiers were clearly fearful of them.

Auri, meanwhile, searched desperately for Chrysallus. He had been missing for this entire debacle, and was afraid that his mentee, the one with the fate of the world on his shoulders, had been snuffed out by this attacker.

So, they ventured into the woods where the Siren was rumored to be hiding out.

"Of all people I expected to see here, you are not one of them," came the whisper on the wind. Auri didn't receive the same treatment as the others. "Why are you here?"

"I want to know, Siren, if you have seen a young student of mine. Blue, has white leaves, a mesmer like you."

It was now that the Siren had appeared for Auri to see. Dressed as a human noble, face hidden behind a mask (half-comedy, half-tragedy), hair hidden by a feathered hat, hands covered by gloves.

"... I fear you have come too late, Aurienal. That Dreamer you seek no longer exists."

Auri was shocked to hear the news. Chrysallus was dead?

"Do not misunderstand," Siren had said. "I did not lay a hand on him. But, he is not the same person you knew. Do not blame yourself, you did not drive him away. But for this reason, he will not be able to return to the Grove."

"He... he's fallen to Nightmare, hasn't he?"

Siren sheathed their weapon, then removed the hat and mask in one movement.

It was Chrysallus, but his bark had darkened and shifted color from pure blue to having patches of faded purple, green, black, and brown along the blue bark. His eyes had altered somehow, to having black sceleras to outline his white irises. But somehow, still recognizable. At least, to Auri.

"Chrys-"

"No. Chrysallus is no more. They killed that Dreamer the moment the condemned him as a spy and refused to hear anything other than their own bias and beliefs," he growled. He stopped at the expression of pain on their face. "He was too weak for them, not good enough for them. They wanted him to be the villain so bad that they drove him out with gossip and rumor to see if he would."

He teleports to the branches above, surveying the land. "They wanted drama to give their own lives some excitement, some adrenaline. A drama needs a tragic hero. A drama needs a villain who will push them so far to near hopelessness, regardless of outcome. Who am I, a mesmer, an actor on this stage of life, to disappoint a crowd like this? They need someone to despise. They got what they wanted. They should have considered the cost of this desire."

Aurienal was livid. They wanted nothing more than to take Chrysallus away from here, make sure he was safe, help him come back to himself. But there was little that could be done. There were few that truly fell to Nightmare that could be saved.

"Promise me that you will be safe, that no innocents will be harmed if I leave you be."

He looks at them solemnly. "I only attack those who strike first. I will not harm one that is unarmed."

The violet mesmer nods, then asks, "Will I ever see you again?"

Siren sighs. "It would be wiser if you didn't. But, I will not stop you. I can promise that you will not be harmed."

"What will you do?"

"I will be joining the Court," Siren had said, shocking Auri once more. "I will make it clear who's side I'm on, no matter where my allegiances lie in the moment. Just because I am with them does not mean they are safe."

Siren replaces the mask and hat. "... Forget about me, Auri. If they ask, say that he was lured by me and killed. Let his name die as one who tried to protect the Grove, no matter the cost. It's all he has left."

When he does join the Court, he has the same energy as an unhinged jester, and one that became a mender for the Court. Though, anyone that tried him usually ended up poisoned or dead. They left him to his devices until he later left and joined the Priory, then eventually joined with Trahearne to defeat Zhaitan.

The rest, currently, is history.

[mermaidsirennikita]

ARC Reviews: You're the Duke That I Want by Lenora Bell

3/5. Releases 12/26/23.

Vibes: Grease, romcoms, rakes, and good girls.

Heat Level: 2.5/5.

When sheltered Sandrine meets Danny Smith, there's an immediate connection. But she assumes they'll never meet again after he's called away for an emergency--until she goes to London and discovers that Danny is actually Dane, the (potential) future Duke of Rydell and notorious rake. Determined to get back at the now-seemingly-careless Dane, she decides to turn over new leaf and become bolder, brasher, and much harder for him to resist.

This is a very clear Grease retelling, and though I didn't know that until right before I read it--Iove Grease, so I'm good with it. The approach is funny, irreverent, and cute. The heroine is charming, the hero is hot (if not especially original as far as rakes go) and the writing is good. Where the book goes wrong is... well, towards the end, where I kind of feel like Lenora fumbled the ball. Which is disappointing, when you expect the book to be at least a 4-star read (or above) for so much of the story.

Quick Takes:

--When I say this is a Grease retelling... it's really a Grease retelling. Not just in terms of of the names, or the innocent girl re-meets guy she thought was a sweet boy when he's actually a bad boy thing. There are Pink Ladies. There's a curricle called Lightning Streak. "Rydell". Sandrine describes herself as "hopelessly devoted" to Dane at one point.

Again, I like Grease. This book did the retelling part right--it's obvious, it's campy, it's self-aware. If you're not familiar with Grease, I think it would still work for you? You might see it as a bit over the top, but it's still fun. If you hate Grease? This may be inaccessible for you. As a Grease lover, it's hard for me to tell.

--Sandrine and Dane have a really cute chemistry. It's frothy, it's sexy, and I generally loved how boldly she came on to him. He was completely bowled over by this little virgin, and the book milked a lot of humor from their interactions as Sandrine starts asking for what she wants. (And she does just like... ask. Which I also enjoyed. I mean, Sandrine begins the book not knowing what orgasms are, and by the end she's basically asking him to service her.)

--There's a whole subplot about general trauma and the way that mothers can hurt their daughters without meaning to. I didn't expect it, and I would overall say that it's actually done pretty well. Bell went with a bit of a twist that I found... a little weird in context at first, but overall interesting and solid.

--Okay, so how did this go from a pretty strong read for me for so much of the book, to a disappointment? For one thing, I was really expecting the series setup here to follow the other Pink Ladies (Sandrine's new girl gangs, based on Grease's somewhat scandalous Pink Ladies clique) and it was... surprisingly tied up at the end. I was so excited to read about a fully-fledged story about Roslyn (based on the jaded leader Rizzo) and her on again/off again rake hookup, Kenwick (based on T-Birds leader Kenickie, Rizzo's FWB who's clearly in love with her). And... it doesn't seem like that's going to be happening. Their subplot sounded so interesting, and it gets a really rushed tie-up.

Which confused me, to be honest. Sandy and Danny's story in Grease is iconic, but very classic good girl/bad boy that was really set apart by campy humor (Sandy telling Danny that she's not going to be "your... your SIN-WAGON" lives rent-free in my brain) and John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John's chemistry. The story itself is not that different. So while Sandrine and Dane are so cute, I was really expecting Lenora to go somewhere different by fleshing out her historical Rizzo (who's aged very interestingly as a character, in my opinion--a bad girl with a secret soft side) and Kenickie. And she... isn't? I guess? I was bugged.

--The entire ending is super rushed, to be honest. It felt like at the last minute Bell realized there were other Grease markers she wanted to hit, and you went from some fairly high-stakes conflict to a quick semi-grovel and the ONE Grease reference that just... did not work. Lenora Bell is a talented writer; I've liked other books from her. There was a line I think she crossed towards the end that basically devalued her writing ability.

--Sandrine put up a fight towards Dane's desires and goals for them towards the end that felt really tacked on, in both a false conflict way and a "ummmm she's a feminist I guess?" way.

The Sex:

Solid! I actually really enjoyed the sex scenes in this book, and they were creative and fun and not just based on penetration. There's a scene where Dane basically teaches Sandrine how to receive cunnilingus (and this is led up to by an adorably inexperienced seduction from her that he naturally is just destroyed by) and at the end he tells her she did well? And at one point she had to pause for a really realistic reason and when she returns she just pops her legs open? It was honestly so cute in a strange way, and I found the book generally super sex positive.

The sex was really one of the best parts of this novel, and I do think that should be comended.

So yeah. I'm a little let down here. I really wanted my Roslyn and Kenwick book, and I just disliked how this was rushed towards the end. If you're a super (hopelessly) devoted Grease fan, try it. Otherwise, you may be disappointed.

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon for providing me with a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[em0tionl0rd]

Life Update: November

I need a cheaper place, but I'm not earning enough for rent (and groceries), let alone savings.

My dad talked me into this place, propping me up with money he doesn't have. Lying. Always lying. And laughing me off.

Just like how my mom always bullies me for my shortcomings. Accepting money from her always bears the risk of having strings attached.

I'd get a second job if I could. If my body would let me. I'm just about at my physical limit, but I'm stable now. Almost fully independent.

These people that I'm renting from seem nice, but they're retired, and have too much free time. Thankfully, they've left for the winter.

I get worried texts about whether or not I am doing certain things and it drives me up the wall. I don't need them judging me for how I manage my space. I have a lot going on on top of my health issues.

- - -

Yesterday, I broke down crying after talking to someone. I started a casual conversation at a meeting with a few people, and after recognizing one of them, they turned out to be the neighbor from the farm I was living on.

I started relaying my story, because I felt like it was important that they Knew what was going on. And as it turned out, they didn't know.

They called me "The Quiet Girl", and kept reiterating how I needed to find "The Right Person" to talk to, and how I should find some kind of help..

This frustrated me and made me feel like I wasn't being clear. I was also walking a very fine line of explaining a situation to somebody well-known in the community ABOUT somebody well-known in the community Who Was The Problem.

Somebody I was terrified would spread rumors about me and subsequently affect my ability to find work in the community.

There is no easy way to do this, and the whole time I was expecting to be told that I was wrong, and that I know nothing about the person and their work because the person I was talking to was someone they were friends with. But they were receptive.

I still don't know if what I did was The Right Thing, but I did.

I was shaken to my core.

I switched my focus to the remaining people but broke down before I could say anything.

Crying in front of strangers is so embarrassing. Especially when you're trying to put up the facade of "Having Your Sh*t Together"..

- - -

I was volunteering with the local Democrats, mostly to get out and socialize and become a part of the community, but also to share in the positive vibe of the inclusive space that was their local office.

I felt like I was able to meet so many people and connect in ways that I intended, because now I've got so many more things to participate in. It's been very healthy.

And I'm happy one of our candidates one.

Small victories.

- - -

After the election, I felt a way I hadn't in a very long time. Which resulted in me feeling.. Indifferent to a lot of things I once cared about. Skeptical. Cynical. Harsh.

I felt like my interests needed a reality check, and I need to focus on more realistic goals. Like nothing ever can and will ever truly be the same, thus resulting in a completely new direction for my art.

Focusing on the here and now, and our/my connection to the movement going forwards.

Ways to inspire change that didn't also feel like just another form of unreality and escapism.

Like, I couldn't care less about creature and character designs, cute animals, and hyper-detailed fantasy art. I just didn't care anymore.

I feel like I've let go of a balloon that has been keeping me in place for so long. All of this BS distractions of imagination used for coping.

I genuinely feel like it was a waste of time.

I also don't blame myself for it.

- - -

[thevoicefromanotherworld]

"DON'T TORTURE ME LIKE THAT"

Do you remember that a couple of days ago I uploaded a screenshot of my computer desktop to show you the stories I was writing?

Well, this is the one called "Phone-Sex Logan Story"

I hope you like it!

The professor had sent you on a mission with Ororo and Jean to rescue a couple of mutants that the humans were experimenting on at a military base.

You were happy that Xavier saw that you already controlled your mutation well enough to send you on a mission, but at the same time sad because that meant staying away from your boyfriend for a couple of days.

You were packing a couple of things you were going to need into a bag, when you felt his powerful presence behind your back. You turned around and saw him leaning against the door jamb. A smile appeared on your lips when you saw him, he imitated your gesture.

-Hello - you said-

-Hello princess - he answered pointing with his head towards the bag- Packing?

-Don't say it like I'm not coming back - you said closing the zipper, you took the bag and left a soft kiss on his lips - I'll be back soon - you murmured - you won't even know I'm gone

-I'll be waiting for you - he winked at you, while kissing you again - goodbye

-Goodbye - you whispered turning around quickly-

You didn't like goodbyes, so you always preferred to do them quickly, like ripping off a band-aid so it wouldn't hurt so much.

The mission that was supposed to last one day turned into three due to a surprise factor that they didn't expect: the security of the complex was such that it didn't matter how they entered, they would be detected as soon as they set foot near the facility, so they had to come up with a new one, and doing so took time.

At that moment you were alone in your motel room, the girls had gone to get something to eat and to ask some questions about the facility to the locals to gather information. You decided to stay and watch the fort. They understood. It was your first mission and you didn't want to go into action yet.

Your mind went back to Logan. He had never really left it. As far as you were concerned, he lived in your mind rent free. You reached for your phone and dialed his number.

Rogue had taught him how to use the device, and he thought he was an expert just for knowing how to change the wallpaper. You smiled remembering his face when you taught him how to do it.

He answered on the first ring

-Hey Kid –he greeted- Is everything okay? –he asked worried-

-Everything okay –you nodded, he let out a breath- What were you doing?

-Thinking about how much I miss you –he confessed making you blush- Do you miss me?

-You know I do- you answered honestly-

-Hey- he said, his voice had become hoarse and dangerously low, which showed what his intentions were- Why don't you open one of your portals and come see me? - he questioned- it will be a couple of minutes, they won't notice that you're gone

The offer sounded tempting, but you forced yourself to remain firm. As much as you wanted to, you didn't want to shirk the mission using your mutation. You felt that if you did, you would betray the trust that Ororo, Jean and especially the Professor had placed in you.

With all the pain in your heart, you shook your head

-I can't- you said, he clicked his tongue on the other end of the line- I want to do it- you admitted- but I can't

-Oh so you want to do it, huh? -he asked, his playful tone made you shift nervously in the bed-

You could almost see him in front of you, with his mocking smile and his gaze on yours, challenging you.

-Logan, stop- you said, his husky laugh filled the other end of the line-

-I'm not doing anything, honey- he smiled- tell me what you're wearing- he added making you blush-

-Nothing- you provoked, he let out a curse under his breath, which made you laugh-

-Shit, don't torture me like that- he growled, when he saw that you didn't answer he continued saying- I bet you're already wet- he whispered making you stifle a moan- I correct you, I KNOW you are- he murmured-

Without realizing it your hand slipped under the pajama shorts you were wearing, and inside your underwear.

You brushed your bundle of nerves with your fingers, while you continued listening to him.

-I know you're touching yourself," he growled. "Fuck, I miss you so much," he confessed. "My girl," he said making you gasp. "Are you going to be a good girl for me?" He asked, you nodded as you answered.

-Yes," you whispered breathlessly. "Yes I will be Logan," you murmured. "Please I can't…" you whimpered. "I need you so much." -I know princess, I need you too. "He growled. "When you come back I'm going to lock you with me in our room." He said. "You won't come out until I allow you, until your legs shake from my thrusts and you feel so full of me that you can't think of anything else." A gasp escaped your lips. "You'd like that, wouldn't you?" -he questioned- that your daddy would show you how much he has missed you

-I would love it -you gasped when you felt that you were close- fuck, Logan I can't… -you sighed- I can't hold on any longer, I need…

-Do it, cum for me -he ordered, and so you did-

As you rested on the pillows trying to catch your breath, his voice sounded on the other end of the line.

-When are you coming home? – he asked, his voice now genuinely worried-

-If everything goes well tomorrow afternoon – you answered-

-I hope everything goes well – he murmured you nodded, even though he couldn't see you- I need you here, by my side

-I want to be there with you too – you said- I promise that tomorrow at this time I'll be curled up against you in our bed

-You better – Logan joked making you smile- your side of the bed is getting cold

-Then we'll have to warm it up somehow – you said without realizing what you had said-

A silence took over the line before Logan broke it saying:

-Well – he muttered quietly- I can think of a couple of things we can do to fix it

[k-dokja]

Sally misunderstood a few things and demanded clarity on a few others.

"Thanks for helping me move," Eli sighs before unlocking the door to his rented room, "there's not a lot, so I believe we should be able to do it in one trip."

In his arms, Yenna giggles giddily at the unusual crowded presence, "Ga!" Behind the two of them, Sally and Warren stand waiting. Both of them exchange a smile, equal in relief and apprehension. It has been a while since they have another member living in the Hostel building. Eli's return is welcomed, but strange at the same time. So much has happened.

"Do you need me to help look after Yenna?" Sally offers. "So at least you can have free hands to pack."

"No, it's fine," Eli gives her a pacifying smile and nudges the door in. "She won't stay home today, anyway. We don't have to worry about her getting in the way. Right, Yenna?"

Like she understands him, Yenna replies. "Ba!"

Sally exchanges another look with Warren, he returns her his own confusion. Something about this feels strange.

The two of them follow inside after Eli. His rented room is a small one. The sleeping area and the kitchen are all packed in one room. It is what Sally envisioned before she comes over. Yet, there is a lot that she fails to determine. Things that leave her stumped.

"Hey, [nice] crib," Warren says. The crib in his sentence is not the synonym for living space. Indeed, it is an actual crib he's talking about. Not an old, well-used one that blends in with the remainder of Eli's living space, but an expensive wooden crib put next to a wall. It is… unbearably out of place.

At least, it would be had it not for the copious amount of toys surrounding it. Every and each one of them bears nothing of the market toys Sally often sees on her shopping trips. In fact, they are a better fit for one of those luxurious catalogues than anything else.

Sally feels vaguely ill.

"Ah, thanks," Eli says, "I didn't pick it though, it's a gift from a friend."

Nervously, Sally echoes him. "A friend?"

"Yeah," he continues blithely, ignorant to her concern, "you should be able to meet her soon, she's coming over to pick Yenna up."

Again, Sally's eyes meet Warren's. Both of them share the same thought. At least, that's what she has in mind until she sees the passive expression on his face. He has a nonchalant expression worn on, a contrast to her panicked one. Warren mouths at her, "What?"

But there is no way she can have this conversation with him behind Eli's back if he cannot understand what's going on. Really, Sally'd never expect Eli of all people to be the one ending up with a sugar mommy. Then again, none of them expects Yenna to come when she did either. Life is full of strange things that Sally wants to avoid, but it appears she has no choice this time around. Not to mention, she was not in Eli's position. Raising Yenna mustn't have been easy, it is no wonder Eli has to resort to this.

As Sally watches Eli putting Yenna's toys into a basket, her heart aches for him. Maybe with their help, Eli would no longer have to get the money that way anymore. However, if he chooses to continue with this path, everyone in Hostel will have to make peace with it somehow. Sally rolls her shoulder, bracing herself for what is to come. She will do better this time, she will be supportive.

"You left the door opened."

Just as that thought concludes, a new voice comes up from behind them. Sally becomes paralyzed. She knows her resolved only settled a moment ago, yet she does not expect the next challenge to come this quick. No matter how she puts it, she's not ready to face Eli's sugar mommy.

"This is wrong…!"

"Huh, hey," Warren is the one to respond before Sally. His face lacks the surprise she expects from him. Whether it's because he's unmoved by anything, she doesn't know, but it's not a response one should make to their friend's sugar mommy. Eli's glucose mother!

"You must be Sally and Warren, Eli mentioned you."

Sally turns slowly, her eyes open until the tiny peek turns into full-on eye contact with the newcomer. It is a face far younger and far prettier than anything she drummed up in her mind the moment prior. Posh clothes in fine materials with beautiful, refined features. This girl is even more out of place here than the crib at the corner of Eli's room. None of the words in Sally can describe this girl in full except "opulence."

"And you are…" Sally begins, tentatively. However, before she has the chance to hear the answer from you, Eli is the one to answer her, joining the three of you from further in the room.

"The friend I mentioned," Eli explains in succinct terms, "she's going to babysit Yenna for today's afternoon so I can move."

With that, he hands you Yenna. The little girl giggles in increasing excitement as she sees you, hands reaching out to grab for you. "Mama!"

You smile at her call, accepting her into your arms with practised ease. "Yes, mama's here. We're going to have so much fun today. Right, Yenna?"

"Yenna!"

"Mama…?" Sally turns to stare at Eli. His eyes widen, and his mouth opens then closes. The struggle to explain draws clear on his face. However, that conversation has to wait for later, you are the one to interrupt it from happening.

"Well, I'll be taking my leave," you nod at the three of them, "call me when you're done."

The last of your words are aimed toward Eli. However, he only replies with a distracted, "Okay," then he fixes on a small smile, false cheer evident, "you two have fun!"

"You know she always has more fun with me than you," you stick your tongue out at him, surprisingly childish in contrast to your refined and elegant appearance.

Sally is appalled, not knowing what to make of the exchange. However, Eli only takes your taunt with a feigned offence, "Ah, that hurts me in here." He clutches his chest but continues to maintain his smile. This time, it's genuine.

To Sally's further shock, Yenna shows no resistance while you walk away with her. In fact, she even turns to wave at Eli. "Ba! Papa!" Something which turns Eli's affection into another form of softness. The entire exchange is nothing out of ordinary, yet it is utterly bizarre in Sally's eyes.

Once you're out of the earshot, Sally turns her heel on Eli, "Mama?"

"Listen…" Eli raises his hands in defence. "I can explain."

Sally holds back a little, only because of how overt she realizes she's being. "I'm sure you can, this is…! This is!" She waves her hands in the general direction of your departure. "How do you explain it?"

Eli scratches the back of his neck, "Well, she's… wealthy," he says, "enough to have a lot of money to spare and… It's complicated."

Finally, Warren decides to be helpful, "[Make it] simple, then." Only that he's not being very clear on his helpfulness.

"I'm not accepting all of these for free, you know," Eli sighs, "I do intend on returning her generosity, but until I can do that…"

He bites down on his lower lip. Whatever he has in mind, it's not easy to put into words. Sally can see that and the need to pull back from this aggression arises in her. She sighs, relenting to give him the slip. "All right, but we'll need to have a serious talk about this later. Especially the mama thing."

"Oh," Eli smiles awkwardly, "I can explain that now actually, she just spends a lot of time babysitting Yenna, so hence."

"And she makes Yenna call her mama?" Sally frowns.

"No, no, she didn't make Yenna do anything," Eli laughs a little, flustered more than anything, "I was trying to teach her and using whatever worked, I guess she caught up on it."

Sally eases her tension a little, it makes sense… but at the same time, it doesn't sit with her. "Are you dating her?" Sally nods towards your exit once more. "Is that why she's helping you?"

Somehow, Eli's fluster vanishes to leave places for something worse. Sadness. "…No, we're only friends and I don't think it's possible either. Her helping with Yenna is already more than I can ask for… I can't possibly…" He sighs. "I know my place, I'm happy with what I have. It's already more than I deserve. If I get any greedier about it… she's a good friend, I don't want to lose her."

No matter how many questions she has, Sally has to accept that pushing it further at this moment would do no one any good. She steps back, and a sigh passes her lips, "I understand but… Can you promise we'll make head and tail of this once we're back at home?"

"Promise," he says, "we can sit her down to talk about this if you want, I think she'd understand."

Sally presses her lips together, pondering that thought. "I'll think about it, but I want to talk to you about it first before anything. But if you're happy…" She says. "What else can we do except be happy for you?"

"[That's] right," Warren adds, "besides, [she's] pretty, [I can see] why Eli likes her."

Momentary puzzlement takes over Eli's features, "I don't like her simply because she's pretty… Wait, is it that obvious that I like her?"

With an unctuous smile, Warren nudges Eli's side, "Yep, [everyone can] see it, [right], Sally?"

"Stop swallowing your words," Sally deadpans, "but yes, everyone and their mother see it. We really need to have a talk about that too."

"...Really?" Eli mutters. "I thought I hide it pretty well, after all… she shows no sign of knowledge about my feeling at all. Maybe you guys can see it better? What if she knows and chooses to not acknowledge about it? Maybe she doesn't want to make it awkward between us, that's probably it..."

"Oh, Eli."

"Right?"