#i do do you?

[snailsandpuppy-dogtails]

I Do, Do You? Chapter 9 A Breakfast of Champions

WC: 3,983 (smut) Ao3

Though his alarm hasn’t gone off yet, gradually he finds himself drifting from sleep, blurring the dream he can’t quite remember, the dream he isn’t sure he had. 

He feels the mattress curling around him, heavy body sinking against it, the stiff sheets above, and without opening his eyes he knows this isn’t home. 

This is a work bed, feels like a work bed- like every other bed, formed and broken beneath the give of a thousand different bodies- a mattress like himself. 

A mattress that makes him uncomfortable.

But something about it, about the room, feels comforting, comfortable. Feels like home. 

No. 

Smells like home. 

Her body wash- her shampoo- her perfume- the pure essence of whatever it is that she gives off- it’s the same smell that’s been weaving it’s way into his bedding for weeks, the thing that’s been weaving it’s way into his life. 

The warmth at identifying the cause spreads through his chest like a dull golden glow, starting slow in the middle of his sternum, gradually radiating outward with a pulsing beat until the whole cavity of his chest is warm and swimming, the feeling tugging more, the comfort of her pulling him from the discomfort of himself. 

Drifting further, being tugged towards wakeness, he becomes aware of the soft feeling of being watched. 

He hasn’t moved, hasn’t opened his eyes, hasn’t heard anyone or felt a movement, but he can feel the heavy gaze pressing on the side of his cheek like fingers, like a hand checking for fever. Cracking a lid, peeking, Luke finds Penelope, elbow propped up, head in hand, looking at him. 

In all the weeks that they’d been sharing a bed, he hadn’t once known her to wake up before him. After last night he wonders if she’s having regrets, if this had also been zero to one hundred and she was just waiting for him to rejoin the land of the living to take it back, to say it was too much too fast, that he was nice but she couldn’t deal with the reality of the baggage his life carried. 

“ ‘everything okay?”  His words are quiet, much quieter than he’d expected, and soft, much softer than he felt, but it cracks the silence like static in the air.

The raising eyebrows and a haughty look they’re met with tell him no, no everything is not okay. Somehow he’s made a wrong turn, stumbled through some transgression. 

“You are rudely attractive.” 

The shallow smile twists imperceptibly small at her peculiar brand of compliment, relieved, he lets the lid drop. Not ready to be so ‘up’ as his psyche seems to want him to be, content to lay, to be here, somewhere between home and not home, he mumbles back, “You think I’m handsome and it’sa problem?”     

“No, I think you’re rude. It’s rude to be so good looking in the morning when you haven’t even showered, or brushed your hair, or your teeth, or shaved- and for the record, that response? Rude. Very full of yourself today I see.”

“Sorry?” 

“Good. You should be.”

Ridiculous. “Penelope, this is what I look like every morning.”

“And now you’re bragging?! Rude!” she shoves at his bare chest, pushing off, pushing away.

Luke grins, enjoying the feel of her hands on him, at the thought that all he had to do was reach out and hold that hand with his, pull her down to meet him, or snatch it, knocking her off balance, and roll over, pinning her beneath him. 

“You are aggressive…ly put together.” He rolls to his side, lifting the covers, lifting his head, and gives the stark body next to his a devouringly languid once-over, Penelope suppressing a chill called by the stroke of his gaze, before his eyes tighten and glitter, Luke amending, “... just not in the morning.”  

That does it.

A shrieking gasp shatters the remaining peace, Penelope shoving at him harder, sitting up, but quickly finds herself pulled down and over him, legs tangling, arms tightening, rough, stubbled cheek scraping against hers, Luke inhaling audibly through his nose at her ear, warm lips pressing to her neck, murmuring, “My favorite look so far.” 

She fights against him at first, but knows even like this, it’s futile, heatless anger quickly loosing steam at well reasoned lips. 

He relaxes his hold when she relaxes her struggle, a finger trapping embrace. Sliding down his left side, she settles next to him leaving her arm draped across his chest, “How long before you have to meet your boss?”  

Her fingertips make lazy swirling passes over tan skin, a trail burning in her wake like magic.

But the reminder that work isn’t done, that he is stillatwork, leaves a bitter taste in his mouth. He glances at the standard issue hotel clock on the nightstand behind her, “A while. After we get back to Quantico.”

“Should we get ready? Get breakfast?”

“Usually when we’re away on a case we all meet for breakfast and check out together…but the agent who started that, David Rossi, retired this year.”

“Oh.” He can see the microscopic deflation, soldiering fingers coming to a halt. “Then you check with your team. See if they’re going…” She didn’t want to keep him from a team tradition just because she was there.

He nuzzles into her hair and kisses it, bitter taste be gone, “I really don’t want to-”

“You should. You should check in with your team, I’ll be fine, I don’t-”

“Rossi put the team and the job over himself and his family. He was divorced three times.”

“And I’m right here.”

For a long moment Luke doesn’t respond, and when he does, it doesn’t match the conversation. “I’m sorry. For how things went down last night.”

Penelope grins and curls her fingers, dragging them down his chest, “I’m not-” 

Swift retaliatory tickles are doled out to her side causing her to jump and press closer into him, “Not that-”  

He stops and she settles, snuggling further into his side, the comfort there, hesitating before asking, not sure if she was allowed, if he would tell her, she cautiously toes, “What happened? I couldn’t hear you -or anyone anymore, and now you’re in trouble.”

“I’ll be fine.”

“Luke. What happened?”

He looks down at her and frowns, then looks to the ceiling and sighs before answering, like he’s being forced to admit something to himself, “Prentiss cut your feed-” 

“So Whitt couldn’t hear you?”

“Mm.” Luke hums, “But I swear, I never let you leave my sight. I wanted to go in the second I saw him touch you- We had enough. We had the video, the message board being given targets and choosing, we had him approaching you after they’d picked you- it didn’t need to go-” He stops himself, explaining, “but we have to be given the go ahead, wait for an ok.” 

She can feel him tense next to her, feel his heart beating faster, “She didn’t give it.”

“She wants a solid case. I wasn’t letting him leave that patio with you.” 

Everyone knows what happens when locations change. 

“I went in, I wasn’t cleared to. Tara and Matt backed me up. If Prentiss doesn’t like it, I’ll deal with it, but I know I made the right call.”

“I’d do it again.” 

He says it bluntly, matter of fact. Like there is no greater truth. 

He’s careful not to voice his perspective, events colored by fear and protectiveness and anger, but he holds her closer, tighter, and she watches the muscles around his jaw shift and clench. “I’d be faster. I’m sorry I wasn’t faster.”

“Luke, it wasn’t up to you, you did what you could. Your team followed through and you got him-” She wants to sooth him, show him she understands. She doesn’t blame him for anything that happened, she doesn’t want him to blame himself.

“But I could have stopped him- kept you-“ “NO,” Penelope abruptly cuts him off, “you saved me. Real-life saved me.” Her lips press, melting around hard rib and muscle, feeling the thump of his heart, “I think heroes deserve a breakfast of champions.” If he wasn’t meeting his team, breakfast in bed would do.

Luke huffs a laugh and looks down at the yellow crown pointed towards him, “You know that’s Wheaties, right?”

“I think you’ll find what I’m serving has extra sugar-“ she says, layering another kiss to his side.

As her lips start on a descending path, his fingers flex on her bicep, “Penelope-“ He doesn’t want this to become a habit, replacing hard or bad things with sex, doesn’t want her to think it’s what he wants. She rolls her head to the side, turning her face towards him, cheek pressing into his abdomen and hair brushing between his hip bones, tickling.

She feels him rouse under her, “Are you meeting your team?”  

Damn it. 

Luke shakes his head, breathing out, “Not right now-“

Grinning, satisfied, she goes back to kissing him, “A treat then, a célébration des héros-“

The voice in his head tells him to shut up, to shelve it, discard his guilt. There’s no changing the past, no sense in dwelling on it. Be in the moment.

She slides down next to him, he loosens his hold allowing her to flow around his body, covers rustling against skin.

Her fingers run up and across his abs, over the knots of his ribs, Penelope flowing back up, briefly licking and sucking his soft nipples into pert points, then slinking back down, enjoying the sound of his breath growing thick above her. 

Thinking about his slow build last night, she decides to follow suit. Her thumbs strum and stroke slow across the tops of his pecs, warm wet lips pressing lower, pressing the throbbing pulse running down from his navel, down to his groin. Swallowing, Luke moves a hand to her cheek, brushing and collecting her hair with damp palms, smoothing over her shoulders, feeling the blood rush and his cock harden at her call. Her hands spread over the tops of his thighs, stroking and rubbing the tensing muscle there as she slips between his legs. 

His body zings at her touch, the milky sensations of anticipation, her short nails curling and scraping, the weight of her tits grazing his cock, soft flesh dragging over firm erection, drawing him up, Luke vibrating, the wanting of her hot satin mouth wrapped around him, the wet velvet of her sucking him in. “Pen-”

Her right hand slides, fingers marching across his inner thigh and over short hair, sliding down to gently curl around and squeeze his balls, then let go and, fingers splayed, skate back up, grasping the base of his cock. 

Looking down Luke sees her glance up, biting a coquettish grin under heavy lids. Curled fingers stroke up his shaft, slow, measured, her tongue poking out wetting her lips, the peeking tip coming out more to lick a slick narrow strip up the weighty underside of him. Just a few inches at first, just once, then another, and another. 

Her hand tugs up and then down, blonde head bobbing and turning slowly as she experimentally moves around the head of his cock, little tasting laps left and right, Penelope, unhurried, kissing and licking to her satisfaction, point of her tongue teasing the cum out of his slit, Luke sighing through heavy breath and half bit grunting moans above her. 

Finally, finding him firm enough, slick enough, she places her lips to the side of his tip and takes him in with painstakingly slow suction, tongue swirling around the hard ridge of his silken head. 

Luke tenses, fingers tightening, tugging sharply at the gathered hair in his hand, but a squeak-like protest and flinch of her hand has him immediately releasing her, cupping and caressing her cheeks instead. Swiping and biting his lower lip, he huffs a ragged, “Fuck- Sorry- You’re great.” Her breath is hot, mouth hot; wet and welcoming. The feel of her tongue, slick and rough and plush molding to his aching shaft has him forgetting himself. 

Letting go of her cheek, his hips lightly press up as his body lengthens, Luke sliding a hand up and under the pillow, fingers knotting into the cool backside of the cotton instead.   

Near instantly he’s rewarded with the feeling of her free hand skirting up his torso, landing on his chest, fingers spreading and flexing, body undulating as she relaxes her throat, taking more of him in. 

Normally she’d be self conscious; about the act, about her “performance”, her appearance, but right now she’s not. Right now all she can think about is how badly she wants this too, wants to do this, feel him again, taste him, give this to him, and enjoy how badly he wants her.     

He brushes some fallen hair back from her face and slips his hand over her ear, thumb and forefinger soothing her lobe. Penelope purrs at the tender encouragement, causing his head to press back into the pillow, his eyes to flutter shut, and a sharp inhale, the vibration around his cock in her mouth, cheeks sucking hollow and hard around him. 

Noticing his reaction, she does it again, this time slower, longer, and lower, her wrapped lips pressing a soft vacuum around him. He keens, cursing and calling her name- “Fuck” and “Pen-“ cutting through regulating huffs. 

Pleasured sensation gives way to encompassing thought, how nothing he’s done should result in this, how right she feels, how good she feels. How he wants to give to her. He’s never been passive, patient yes, passive, no- a man of action. 

Every impulse in him is whispering to quit this show of restraint and change the aria she’s playing into a more fitting duet, to slip a hand between her thighs, how his fingers would find her just as wet, just as wanting, -just as hot as her mouth, a célébration of his own. 

That specific trait penetrates all decision, all unspoken agreement, his fingers starting to loosen their hold. But the bed dipping under them penetrates the thought, Penelope kneeling up, head and chest canted down, a better angle, taking more of him, taking her further away, just out of reach-  

Luke’s eyes open, gluing to the sight before him, watching her hair sink and rise, her mouth and cheeks contracting around his cock, the slick noises she’s making, watches her body rock into the movement, hand coming to his thigh to brace herself. He watches as the covers slip the remaining inch or so off her hips, exposing her ass turned skyward, a glorious rosy mountain in front of him, her shining lips in the mirror behind her. His mind conjures images of things they haven’t done…Penelope bent in front of him, his body curled over hers, soft, warm full breasts heavy in his hands, thumbs teasingly brushing over her sensitive nipples, the swell of her ass retreating against him in response, how she’d turn her cheek up to him, lips parting in a beautiful o, Penelope softly moaning as he reached deep within her, deep in her eyes, deep in her cunt. 

He tries to keep his hips still, to not thrust or jerk when she looks up at him, gaze molten, he’s left slack-jawed and panting, gasping, “Pen- fuck- ah- yeah-” strangled, straining “I- I-” 

Squeezing the top of his tremoring thigh, she makes no move to back off, to stop. Instead Penelope ducks further, going all the way, pressing her nose flat to the tensing muscle of his groin, her lips at the base of his cock, giving another low, even hum as she does.  

His dick swelling, unable to hold off, hold back, Luke’s hips jerk thrusting, coming, Penelope gagging, saliva flooding, tight throat constricting around his cock as she reflexively swallows around him, his toes curling and fists balling in the pillow and the sheets as a stifled throaty growl peals out of him. 

She swallows the cum shooting down her throat and pulls off, hands slickly pumping him through his remaining moaning thrusts. She’s breathing hard and her jaw and throat are sore, she can feel the saliva on her chin and the wetness at the corners of her eyes, only then thinking of the makeup she hadn’t washed off. By severe contrast he’s dazed and flush, brown eyes sparkling, a beautiful cast of pink under tan cheeks and shoulders. 

Slowing, then stopping, she sits back on her heels running a finger under her eyes, taking him in, “-really unfair. Why do you look even better?” 

The dull raise of his eyebrows and slack mouth, blinking back at her is a look of uncomprehending confusion, but then his eyes widen and his mouth narrows to a lopsided grin. 

Her eyes are glassy, and there’s bits of mascara shadowing below, her cheeks are red, and her lips are shining and swollen, her breath is heaving, chest heaving, and her hair is a mess, and it’s very possibly the sexiest thing he’s ever seen. Sitting up he wants to tell her so, instead he just stares at her bringing a hand to her chin holding her still and kisses her. 

From experience, he knows there’s nothing he could say that would make her believe him, so he doesn’t try. He rocks his forehead against hers, eyes closed, and trails his nose across her cheek, lightly dragging kisses over her jaw, hand lightly trailing down her neck to rest on her collar. When he opens his eyes they connect with hers, small smile curling below cheeks turning a deeper crimson tell him she gets the meaning, his feeling.  

“Hmph.” Penelope makes a sound of disapproval, looking away, “Yeah. Keep trying to make up for it.” Disentangling herself from the bedding she walks across the room, then, stopping at the bathroom door she turns back, “I’m getting in the shower.”

Luke watches her go, listening to the start of the water and the sound of the curtain being pulled back. She didn’t close the door. 

Maybe she never did, because of how early he’d leave, he didn’t know, but yesterday she had, yesterday he’s sure he’d even heard the flick of a lock. 

That would have been habit, this is an invitation. 

One he fully intends to accept… one where he can make it up to her. 

He’d come in and find her, hair piled high at first, body glossy and shining in the light, and crowd her against the wall, kiss her in greeting, kiss her with force. He’d bury his face in her neck and curl his fingers inside her, he’d lick the spray trailing down her curves and drink the waterfalls streaming from her breast, muscular lips wrapping around nipples, pumping and sucking and kissing and curling and laving and stroking until she’s quaking around him, jellied legs sinking down the wall, down his hand, panting and protesting, clawing and crying out for him… 

But all thoughts of Penelope coming undone under the water, of continuing their celebration of heroes, suddenly and coldly come to an end at the ring of his phone. 

Jolted out of the daydream, he stiffens answering, spine going straight where he sits on the side of the bed. 

It’s Tara. She’s called to relay a message from Prentiss. He’s being told to take Penelope back to Quantico, she’s required to write her own account of the evening’s events. Tara tells him because of how he acted, his “display of unprofessional behavior” and his “seeming inability to be level and rational…and follow orders around his wife”, Prentiss isn’t allowing him to help with the process. 

Tara hears the grit of his teeth and defiance on the other end of the line, she and Matt were chosen to deliver the news for this reason. He’d listen to them, even if he didn’t like it, he’d hear it better coming from them. 

In an attempt to soften the blow, she goes on explaining, “You know it’s just a CYA. Prentiss is trying to help, she needs to make sure this is airtight. We can’t afford for it to, at the very least, end up another situation like Matt and the bank. It would bring us down to two agents…” She gives it time to sink in before adding, “but it is an order, Emily wants me to be clear, she’ll send suits to get her if you don’t bring her with you…”

Tara waits for a response, he doesn’t give one, but he hasn’t hung up either, he’s internalizing, pouting she thinks, “If it helps, Matt and I will be the ones walking her through writing the report while Prentiss is ripping into you over last night.” 

It does help. 

A little. 

Luke scoffs, admitting as much, and his posture softens, shoulders hunching and curling, elbows coming to his knees, rubbing at his forehead, “Any hope you can delaying things until Prentiss is done with me so I can at least be there with her?” “Not a chance. Even if we could, you interfering again is exactly what she wants to avoid, the defense could claim tampering or collusion, get the whole case thrown out and come down on us- we really don’t need that kind of investigation right now.”

“Yeah. Right,” he mutters in agreement. He knows the position he’s put them in, but he can’t really bring himself to care where she’s concerned.

“Catch her up to speed as much as you can on the way in and she’ll be fine. She’ll be with us.”

“I know. I just…feel like I should be there.” 

“Aw, that’s cute. See you in a bit.”

“See ya.”

“Feel like you should be where?”

Luke looks up to find Penelope standing near the bathroom door wrapped in one of those over-looped white hotel robes, blonde head cocked to the side, towel in hand drying her hair in a kind of scrunching motion, looking at him expectantly, the whole scene feeling comfortable, domestic, it brings him back to earlier. This is something he’d been missing out on all those early mornings, all those missing days.  

He lets the casualness of it wash over him before standing and crossing the room to bringing his arms around her and kissing her. 

It’s soft, a bit sorrowful, nothing like the impatient, demanding one he’d been imagining minutes ago. Lips hovering hers, he murmurs, “should have been in that shower with you.”

“Mmm,” Penelope hums in agreement, biting her lower lip. Dropping the towel, her arms encircle him, hands splaying up the flat shift of muscle on his back, “So why weren’t you?” 

He kisses her again, inhaling, fingers sweeping from her cheek down her neck, sighing at the missed opportunity, “There’s been a change of plans, Prentiss wants you back at headquarters so Matt and Tara can walk you through reporting the events of the operation.”

She pulls back to look at him, arms looping his neck, “But not you?” 

Giving a small shake of his head, he tells her, “I’ll be there, but not with you.”

The understanding is there, she already knows he’s in trouble for what he did, this must be a piece of that. But she wonders if there’s more to it, if there’s another reason they want her in person. If they were finally able to find it. Would they have told him? She's sure he would have told her...

The shower had given her time to think, the quiet dawn before he woke...and the more she thinks, the more resolve she has, the more she hopes they have...

Slowly Penelope nods, agreeing. She had insisted on being part of this, insisted on being bait, and inserted herself in ways he didn’t know about. “We need to get ready then.”

[writers-ex]

july showers + you = <3

no cheating go read the prolong first for more context >:|

bride!lia x bride!reader

warning: literally fluff ppl

“well i do wear the pants in the relationship.” biting her lip lia tries her best not to let out a laugh in the middle of the most important day of her life.

“shut up and pay attention my love.” knowing you wouldn’t hear the end of it late you wink at your bride and turn to face the officiator speaking now to the two of you. after you exchange your personal vows for each other they have you face each other to finish off the ceremony. given the rings lia says her lines and says ‘i do’ while choking up as she slides her ring onto your dinger all eyes fall on you to complete the ceremony.

“-take choi jisu to be your beloved wife?” finding your vision blurry with tears you nod and squeeze her hand.

“i do.” your hands start to shake as you try to place your ring on her but drop it to the ground making lia laugh as you curse trying to wipe your eyes with one hand and feeling the ground for the ring. once you find it you look up and see your expectant bride looking up waiting for you , on your knees once again you slide the ring to her finger. lia drops to the floor with you and pulls you in for a deep kiss as everyone cheers for the happy couple.

eventually due to weak knees and a hungry stomach you both get up and walk down the aisle hand in hand beaming with joy as you make your way outside to the car to head to the reception area. on your way there the back seat is full of giggles and stolen kisses between you and your new wife.

“i can’t believe we did it! mrs.last name lia~now i get to spin my wife down to the dance floor where we’ll-oh no…” one by one little drops of rain hit the car before a full on shower occurs obscuring the view of the driver causing him to go slower. your phone blows up on texts from various party goers already at the venue.

‘hannie: bestie the venue is flooded! everything is ruined even the cake got soaked 😭 what are we going to do???’

lia reading the text takes a slow deep breath before looking at you with a sad smile.

“well…i hated the flavor of that cake anyways, i guess we owe ourselves one reception party for our one year anniversary then?” rubbing your hand all your frustrations and months of planning melt as you eye your wife looking calmer than the storm brewing outside.

“how are you so…ugh hold that thought, driver can you please take us back to the hotel? it’s nearby i believe.” giving you a nod he starts his journey back.

‘hannie: the weather man lied! i’m going to write him a very angry letter when i get back home, what will you do now?’

‘me: start our wedding night earlier than expected…?’

“i guess we’ll be able to get out this clothes sooner then we thought?” nodding lia snuggles close to you closing her eyes as the rain drops echoes fill the silence. at the hotel entrance you’re greeted by staff waiting to escort you to the room when you see familiar faces walking up with a few gift bags in their hands. “ryujin? chae? what are you-“

“we wanted to have a backup plan just in case your outdoor party had some…complication. so enjoy your own private party up in your suite with your gifts and a special cake on the house.”

“aw you guys!!” hugging them tightly lia starts tearing up hugging her friends closely as you take the gifts from them. after wishing them goodbye you both enter the elevator heading up to your room, lia takes the lead guiding you toward the room when she gasps.

placing the things down you follow suit and hold her waist closely. the room has transformed into a mini reception hall decorated in the same fashion with a small cake in the dinning room table. balloons and flowers paint the walls and chairs as music plays through the TV speaker, you turn to face lia and find her doing the same.

“i love you lia, thank you for saying i do.”

“i love you more my love, thanks for asking~” cupping her face you lean closer and kiss your wife full of eagerness to start your new lives together.

go back and change your outfit 💄

[kenapiece-main]

Can you believe I'm having to make this meme even after successfully finishing up taxes and applying to job

[captainjonnitkessler]

>Join a union

>Hear people constantly complaining that the current union leadership is super corrupt, it's all just the same ten guys making all the decisions in secret and nobody else in the union ever gets to know what's going on

>Go to the monthly union meetings that are completely open to all 1200 union members

>The only attendees are the same ten guys every month, giving detailed reports about everything that's going on

[mayhemchicken-artblog]

in the hour or so it took me to draw this op turned reblogs off

EDIT: reblogs are STAYING OFF. op was right and correct and i have never regretted making a post as much as this one. if you want to reblog my art you can reblog something else from my blog. or commission me, lord knows i deserve financial compensation for the nightmare this post has put me through

[theblob1958]

people are saying do it scared, but you also gotta do it alone. you'll miss out on so much you want to do if you wait til someone will do it with you. do it scared and do it alone.

[yiga-hellhole]

me when i have like 20 notifications in the span of five minutes and when i go check its just the same guy rapidfire liking and reblogging posts

[stil-lindigo]

they're burning ballots in the US now btw. in case you wanted to know where things are at.

Edit: to clarify, locations mentioned are Vancouver, Washington and Portland, Oregon. This news story does not involve Canada.

Important info: Context: Dropbox location was Fisher's Landing Transit Center near Southeast 162nd Avenue Hundreds of ballots lost, voters should contact the Clark Auditor ASAP Clark Auditor contact info: clark.wa.gov/auditor (Washington voters) can confirm your ballot was received on: vote.wa.gov (Oregon voters) can confirm your ballot was received on: sos.oregon.gov General Ballot tracker: voteamerica.org/ballot-tracker

[12neonlit-stage]

you're allowed to discuss and work together, reblog for a higher sample size or something

You have 1 week, good luck!

[s-aint-elmo]

pass it on!

(ID in alt text)

[pangur-and-grim]

a lot of you probably knows Belphie's story, but I'll summarize just in case.

Devon Rex cats are better for people with allergies (less shed fur + less Fel d1 protein in their saliva), so on February 16, 2024, I went the breeder route and put down a deposit. before Belphie even opened his eyes, he was mine!

every Friday, the breeder sent me a new photo. I had a broken leg, and was basically rotting in bed at that point, so it was the best part of my week. then, at 12 weeks old, I BROUGHT HIM HOME!

at first, he was so alive! like a wind-up monkey that never shut off. he dangled from the wall-hangings, savaged my feet as I walked, and used my elderly cats as jumping poles to do cool acrobatics over. but all this gradually faded.

first, he stopped playing. then he stopped climbing. then he stopped moving much at all. my vet ran tests on him and found multiple pathogens (calcivrius + mycoplasma), but the medication didn't help - he kept declining.

on September 17th, I woke up to find him swollen like a balloon. we finally had an answer: he had Feline infectious Peritonitis, aka FIP. before 2017, this would've been a death sentence. he would've kept bloating until he drowned in his own fluids. and before 2024, I would've been forced to inject him with black market drugs. but thankfully, South Tower Animal Hospital in Fergus, Ontario was doing a study on the oral medication! we drove two hours, enrolled him, and left with the GS-441524 pills.

and he went from those photos above.....to this:

I thought Belphie would die as a kitten. I'd accepted that he would never grow up. but now he gets to LIVE!

and all for the low cost of $7,553.....ahhhahaha........god.

that + a recent home disaster has wiped out my savings, but I still need to pay for Belphie's medication. to remain in this study, I need to do bloodwork monthly until Feb 2025, and he'll need daily pills until March 2025.

I've put a risograph print + enamel pin set up at greerstothers.shop. I hate asking for help, but if you'd like to support Belphie's continued treatment, please consider checking them out!

[snailsandpuppy-dogtails]

I Do, Do You?

A Criminal Minds/ Married At First Sight AU Strangers, Penelope Garcia and Luke Alvez are matched on the arranged marriage reality show, Married At First Sight. ~3,500 words, on AO3 Chapter 1 The Interview

“So, Mr. Alvez. Luke,” the production assistant interviewing him says with a little too much familiarity for his liking, “tell us; why have you signed up for this? I mean, surely a good looking, healthy, man like yourself doesn’t have a problem meeting women.”

She leans in placing her hand just above his knee. Luke isn’t sure if this is some kind of test for the last part of the selection process or if she’s actually hitting on him while interviewing him in the final stages where he’ll be matched with the (hopefully) love of his life. Either way he finds it crass and uncomfortable, he’s here for a reason and he’s given zero indication he’d welcome such a touch. He’s also nervous. Nervous because he knows how this looks, how it will look. A guy like himself single and hitting his mid 40s? He wasn’t old, but he was getting there. When people his age are single there’s a reason, and usually it’s not a good one. His wasn’t terribly great either, but it wasn’t the worst.

He responds, painting on one of his bright, winning smiles as he removes her hand, and sits up straighter, lacing his fingers in his lap. A sound comes out that’s like a laugh dying in his throat, then he answers, “Thank you, but, I do. Ah. People have a way of romanticizing things that are often hard on a person…maybe to distract themselves from the reality of it. The life of a soldier, office workers working overtime everyday, long-haul trucking - solitary lifestyles… My jobs have been very time consuming and isolating, and for a long time I romanticized that life. I let them take the place of real connection in most instances, when people didn’t fit in those areas, I let them go…I didn’t try to find a balance. But I’m trying to get better at it. For the last three years I’ve been able to call a place home, it’s the longest stretch of time I’ve been in one city. For most of my adult life I’ve devoted myself to causes I felt were important, but in doing that I sacrificed really fully being in a loving, committed relationship. That is definitely an area I could improve in.” Unbothered by the rejection, she goes on, “You mentioned that your job has been a factor in finding love. Is that still a concern, or do you feel you can dedicate the time needed to form a deep relationship in our eight-week time-frame?”

Luke takes a minute, his eyes close, the tip of his tongue swiping at the seam of his lips, taking to heart the question, considering it. “I won’t lie, it could still be an issue. My job doesn’t have set hours or weekends off, I can be gone for undetermined lengths- but I’m willing to devote time to work-arounds, I’m willing to make things work for the right person.”

“And do you think that’s a fair thing to ask of a stranger?”

“Honestly? No. But I think the right person would understand, and in time, can help me learn to strike that balance.” He’s sure they’ll drop him now.

—-----

“Ms. Garcia, tell us why you signed up for Married at First Sight.”

“Don’t let this exterior fool you- I date. A lot. Love to go out; drinks, karaoke, the whole nine- zero problems finding some Mr. Mr. to join me out on the town. The problem is,” her face scrunches, “and this is gonna sound like, well duh, that’s everyone’s problem, but I’m kind of crap at picking guys. I had a lot of toxic relationships early on after my parents died, control freaks, stalkers, clingers… this one guy I went out with even tried to kill me…shot me after saying goodnight…”

Penelope quiets, frowning before sniffing and looking back up blinking rapidly, cheering. “But he was something else entirely. Now Sam, Sam was good. Sam was sweet. We just don’t work on that level, you know? It was good and all, but there wasn’t that…spark. It wasn’t romantic love if we were really looking at it and… I want romantic love. I can’t trust myself to pick it, so I’m hoping this matching process can. Well, that, and my best friend Derek got married to this gorgeous doctor and I can’t have him trying to set me up on pity dates when we go out to dinner any more. -Oh! But don’t tell Derek I said that! He won’t see this, right? You don’t show these parts?”

The assistant ignores the question and moves on, “We heard you’ve been proposed to before, but turned him down. Mind telling us what happened there?”

She’d been concerned about being upfront with that detail of her past when filling out the form. She went back and forth clicking ‘yes’ and ‘no’ alternately until eventually deciding on just being truthful. They wouldn’t have included it as an option if they were automatically going to exclude her because she’d turned down the proposal, right? If she lied and then someone mentioned it while she was being filmed, production would have a field day. No, it was better to be honest about it.

Except now here they were asking about it.

Dang it.

“I wasn’t at the right place and he wasn’t the right person.” She says it simply, with so much nonchalance even she feels it’s entirely true.

The interviewer, apparently, however, has met this casual indifference before. They look up at her from over their glasses, “But you’re in the right place now?” they ask with some skepticism. Penelope grins wide, Tulip-pink lips stretching “I know I am. The only question is if you can find me the person worth marrying.”

—-Telling Family and Friends—-

~For traditional couples, informing friends and family of upcoming nuptials is a time of celebration, happiness, excitement, and shared joy. For our couples, however, this can be stressful. Situations may need to be handled with care, families aren’t expecting this major life change for their loved one. Brides and grooms can be met with hostility, suspicion, bargaining, hurt feelings, and dismissiveness at choosing an unconventional path to finding love.~

As her family lives out of town, Ms. Garcia has chosen to inform them of the big news over Zoom.

“Carlos! Gideon!” Penelope greets excitedly over her computer as their images bob and freeze.

“We’re here, Penelope, is everything ok?” an older man with thinning, dark hair asks in mild concern, “The only time you set these things up is on holidays and it isn’t a holiday that I’m aware of.”

“Everything’s fine. Great in fact…Actually…” she grins at their images on her screen. Gideon and Carlos will support her, she knows. They may not understand it at first, Carlos has strong convictions, but Gideon always tries to see where each of them is coming from and help the other understand. He’d come around. “I kind of have some big news…" she continues, figuring she should just rip off the bandaid, "I’m getting married!”

The faces peering back at her are understandably confused. After a moment of silence, each working things out on their own, Carlos is the first to respond, “...Morgan’s leaving his wife?”

It was a jumble of words then as all three talked over the other, “What?! No! It’s not Derek,-” Gideon frowning and shaking his head chuckling, “And ditch that doctor? Not a chance. Penelope, what do you mean? You’re not-”  “it’s…well even I don’t know who it is yet! I was kind of selected through this matching thing and they have these experts and well, it’s-”

Excited dawning sparks on her brother’s face as he shouts over both of them, “IT’S THAT SHOW!”

“Wha- Yeah. It is. I’m going to be on ‘Married at First Sight’...So are you guys…are you upset?” Neither sounded mad, they didn’t look mad, but who knew? Give either time to think and it’s possible they ended up that way, frustrated at her impulsiveness, what they saw as reckless behavior.

Gideon took the lead, Carlos feeling thrown off, but excited, hesitantly happy for his sister. “Peanut, you’re old enough to make your own decisions. Hell, you’ve been doing it since before you were old enough…Though I don’t know that I agree with your choice to have your private life splashed all over every tv and computer around the world with as deep and quick as things spread, I trust you know what you’re doing. If you think this is the best way for you to find happiness, that’s all your mom and dad ever wanted. It’s all we want for you, too. And, it’s not Kevin.”

“I’m just surprised at your restraint,” Carlos jumped in teasing, “you’re tellin’ us you haven’t hacked their systems, found who they matched you with, and searched him down to the very first time he even touched a computer?”

“I would never!”

“Ahh, someone recognized you.”

“They did not!-”

“Who was it, huh? Some tech nerd for sure. Hey! If things don't work out with whoever they set you up with maybe go for him, yeah?”

“Shut up! Fine.” She huffed, “It was a mic guy. He told production and they put it in my contract that if they found out I did that, they’d replace me. And I reeally wanna do this! I guess it’s kind of fun not knowing…you know, if the anxiety of it doesn’t kill me before the wedding day.”

~~

She hadn’t gotten anxious when telling Carlos and Gideon, JJ and Derek on the other hand were a different story. JJ wouldn’t say much, she didn’t often judge, but Derek, Derek was fiercely protective and very vocal when he felt she was making a mistake.

She didn’t think it was a mistake, but she could already feel those brooding eyebrows’ and careless tongue’s lashing sting, building up the wall of resistance to let her news be known.

Looking at her friend’s curious faces on the other side of the coffee table, she wished she could dive into the crashing waves of the magazine  cover between them Mary Poppins style.

She’d invited them over for brunch, just the three of them, meaning to casually drop the news while whipping up Belgian waffle batter. But fruit had been sliced, waffles cooked, doused, and consumed, and glasses drained of mimosa nectar all while tension built and she danced around the big reveal.

JJ and Derek speculated while Penelope busily cleared plates and cleaned up, insisting she didn’t need the help. Was she moving? Was she in trouble? Had she happened upon some government documents again while messing around online and bored? Did she adopt them each a pack of dogs?

Finally, with nothing left to distract her or use as an excuse, she was sitting pinned to the cushion in front of them.

“So…?” JJ prompted.They both were leaning forward, elbows on knees. Penelope dropped her eyes to the rug, playing with the hem of her skirt. If she didn’t have to look them in the eye it wouldn’t be so bad.

Derek sat back, exasperated. “Baby girl, we know something’s up, just tell us! If you need it, we can help-”

Her eyes shot to his across from her, “It’s not like that, I want to, really, I do! But, I’m worried…I’m worried you’ll be mad. You have to promise you won’t get mad- it’s nothing bad, I swear!” Her eyes bounced from Derek to JJ and back again. “It’s just, you might think I haven’t thought things through, or I'm being impulsive, or maybe I'm doing it as a reaction to what happened before, but I’m not and I have and I really believe it could be a good thing.”

Telling friends shouldn’t be more stressful than telling family, telling either exciting news shouldn’t be stressful at all. She thought about her mystery husband (as she’d taken up privately calling him) then; was he having as much trouble telling his family? Were they accepting? Were they close? Did he have a good relationship with them? Did he even have family? Siblings, parents, cousins, grandparents… Did he have lots of shallow friendships or few but deep ones? Would his friends go to the ends of the earth to protect him…like hers had?

“Ok, now you really have me lost…Pen, what is it?”

Penelope looked up, as ready as she’d ever be, “Jayge, you have Will and that’s awesome! And Derek, you have Savannah, and- and that’s wonderful and you’re both so happy and your little families are so cute and I’m so not wanting kids- but I do want that happiness, and it’s hard sometimes being around you both when I don’t have someone. And we know how well my gut’s been at choosing-“

“Hey-” Derek started, “You can’t blame yourself for that, there’s no way you could predict some piece of shit  would shoot you.”

“No, but you were right…Some random guy at a- never mind. That’s not my announcement. Anyway.” Her busy hands swept the veering track away, dropped to her lap, then flew into the air as a massive smile spread across her face, “I’m getting married!”

Derek’s face contorted grossly, “Don’t tell me you went back to Kevin-”

JJ’s grew incredulous and disgusted, “Oh my god, Penelope, no! He wants you to live on a farm!”

Ah, yes, this. This is the judgment and presumption, this was the reason she had been so apprehensive about telling them, well that and her impulsiveness. No matter, it wasn’t what they thought and that would definitely be worse than what it is…

“It’s not Kevin. Well. Actually, I guess it could be, but the odds are incredibly low that it would be? The truth is I don’t know who the groom is because well, I signed up for a show, and I was selected, so some professionals have chosen a husband for me, it’s all very scientific- and we get to meet him together on the day of my wedding” she paused in her nerves, trying to read the emotions of her closest friends from their body language.

“…That is, if you’ll both agree to be there with me? Please. I need you there. I’m already getting nervous. My feet are itching and my palms are sweating just telling the two of you about it.”

JJ was stunned, Derek, predictively, looked less than thrilled. His arms crossed tight against his chest and a jet eyebrow arched sky high. “You tell Gideon and Carlos yet?”

“Not that it has anything to do with me telling the two of you, but yes Mr. Nosy, I told my family.”

“And?”

“And what?! They’re happy for me, Derek! Carlos is flying out here from California and Gideon is driving down from his cabin in a few days so we can have dinner as a family before the ceremony...”

JJ leaned forward, hand grasping Penelope’s, smiling, “That sounds great, Pen,” then looking pointedly at Derek, “of course we’ll be there, we wouldn’t miss it for the world. You, me, and Savannah can go suit shopping for the boys.”

Derek rolled his eyes but relaxed into the chair, “Yeah mama, of course we’ll be there, just name the date, since you can’t name the groom.”

-For security reasons film crew were not permitted onto the office grounds of Participant Luke Alvez.-

He’s shocked he was selected, he figured with his history of emotional and physical unavailability along with the restrictions around filming him, they simply would have gone with an easier candidate, but he’s hopeful and excited nonetheless. With background checks and interviews behind him, all that was left was checking in with work and telling his mom and Isabella.

“Hey, ah. Emily, can we talk in your office? I have something to run by you…” Luke asks as he catches her walking into the bullpen.He’s approaching with coffee, she can’t help but notice he seems off, almost on edge. “Of course, everything alright?” she asks as they make their way up the stairs and across the catwalk.

Entering her office, she perches on the edge of her desk and gestures to the open door, “Should we…?” If he was disguising his emotions this poorly, asking to talk in private, and attempting to soften her with caffeine it must be pretty important, and Luke tended to be private regardless.He was half way to sitting, but stood up wiping a hand on his jeans, “Uh, yeah. Yeah, maybe.” he said, reaching over to close it, feeling the latch catch before letting go.

“Look, before I say anything, what I’m asking, I’m asking Unit Chief Prentiss, not Friend Emily. I know you’re going to want to mock this, but please before you do that, try to address it from the perspective of the Bureau first, then you can say whatever you want.”

Putting on her best Ambassador voice and face, she responds haughtily, “I resent that you feel I would be anything other than strictly professional in this building…” her lips twist into a smile, “but knowing you think I’ll think it’s stupid makes me feel better.”

Luke shakes his head as if to say “You couldn’t wait” but goes on. “A few months ago, as you know, I took some time off to visit family. Being around my mother and my sister, talking about Papi and my abuelo, hanging out with my nephews, they got to talking about me and naturally there was the whole ‘why aren’t you married, you’re breaking my heart, your father would be crushed the family name is dying, yadda yadda.” He looks up at Emily, poorly disguising her knowing smile with the rim of her cup.

“I didn’t know we shared a mother.”

Luke laughs, rolling his eyes, “Ok, well. I didn’t think it bothered me, but I guess it did, because I couldn’t stop thinking about it. Not from a guilt perspective, but I just started thinking they were right. Not about the family name, but what am I doing? Am I going to wake up 10, 20 years from now in some motel the bureau’s put me up in and realize that’s all my life has been? That all my life’s amounted to is having put a few dozen murderers behind bars?”

“Hey, that’s no small feat-”

“Yeah, but you of all people know how isolating this job can be, how lonely, how hard it is to find someone willing to stick it out with our schedule… and how easy it is to let it eclipse everything. So when my sister called a few weeks later talking about this show, saying applications were open, making jokes about how it would be the only way I’d ever ‘lock down a wife’ I told her go for it, sign me up. And after assuring her I was serious, she did. I guess they liked what she wrote because they picked me, and matched me with someone...”

Luke took a deep breath, “So, my question is…am I allowed to do this? Not, can I take time off again, but logistically as a Federal Agent, will I be fired if I go through with this? Would I need to use a fake name or take a leave of absence?”

“Oooh,” she sucked her teeth, “Yeah. That might be a little more complicated. I know we make appearances on tv from time to time on certain cases; informing the public, addressing unsubs, but the Bureau is not going to like this. A reality show? Luke, the optics if it goes poorly... Look, I’m not telling you you can’t do it. If you think it’s worth it, I can check, but I’m confident there isn’t a rule against it. Maybe just don’t say on camera what you do for work. We don’t need any of that kind of blowback, especially in this political climate.”

Luke sat back, shoulders hiking down, relief taking over as worry left his body. He didn’t realize just how stressed he’d been over the whole situation. “Thanks, Emily.”

She beamed an evil, toothy grin back, “Don’t thank me yet, you still have to tell the team, and lucky you, I was just about to gather everyone…”

~~

Breaking the news to his mother had gone about as well as he’d thought. She was overjoyed he was finally getting married, settling down, and starting a family (or so she imagined), but appalled and borderline scandalized at the spectacle a reality show would be and the fact that no one knew the girl or her family.

“If you insist on going through with this can’t you persuade one of your computer friends at work to check up on her, mijo?” had been bargained down from “I don’t understand why you refuse to meet up with any of the nice girls I know from the neighborhood and church. I can find you a good girl with good family at the church. Doloris’s daughter-”

“No mother, that would be a violation, not to mention a misuse of government resources and personnel…and,” he shrugged though he was on the phone alone in his apartment, “I kind of like not knowing…the anticipation. It’s exciting.”

“You’re an idiot” were her last words on the matter, everything else after had been communicated through his sister. But she was coming, and it wasn’t to hold a protest.

[butchfalin]

the funniest meltdown ive ever had was in college when i got so overstimulated that i could Not speak, including over text. one of my friends was trying to talk me through it but i was solely using emojis because they were easier than trying to come up with words so he started using primarily emojis as well just to make things feel balanced. this was not the Most effective strategy... until. he tried to ask me "you okay?" but the way he chose to do that was by sending "👉🏼👌🏼❓" and i was so shocked by suddenly being asked if i was dtf that i was like WHAT???? WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY TO ME?????????? and thus was verbal again

[potofsoup]

Oh look, it seems like there's a Republican-led movement to purge voter rolls in the lead-up to the election! It's almost as if your vote matters and they don't want you to vote! Anyway, I whipped up a quick map (based on this) that shows when the voter registration deadline is in each state. There are a few deadlines coming up in the next week or so.

If you live in a state that regularly purges voter rolls for infrequent voters (the orange ones in the first map), or if you moved recently, it's good to check if you're still registered to vote.

Vote.org makes it super easy to check your registration: https://www.vote.org/am-i-registered-to-vote/

Just put in your address and DOB and they'll tell you whether you're registered. (And they give you a quick link to register online if it turns out that you're not! Only the 9 states in white on my map don't have online registration, and for those they provide instructions on how to do it via mail or in person.) If you want an extra verification, find your state's election website and double-check there.

So yeah, give yourself peace of mind -- do a quick check. :)

[just-spacetrash]

the 'what if you played it a little risky' post literally Changed my life but i cant fujkign find it in my blog because its. a tiktok screenshot