#i don't support dream but damn i love his design

[pinecone-gremlin]

Today I saw the whole world

And I think heaven has a plot to take my life

[anonymouscheeses]

Obvious shit I noticed part 3 (spoilers for welcome to heaven)

Look at her! "Teehee"

Also she's nervous! Foreshadowing omg 🤯

STICKERS! Two pride stickers and a cute donut. Gives me an idea to draw Chaggie at a donut shop while everything is burning down <3 (I'll probably do it but if any artist wants to as well go ahead!)

*CHOKES ON COFFEE* I LOVE THEM. I'M SORRY I GET SO GIDDY WHEN THEY HAVE EVEN THE SMALLEST INTERACTION BUT UGHHH I NEED MORE, IT WILL NEVER BE ENOUGH 🙏🙏

KISSY! MWA! *SCREAMS INTO THE VOID*

Vivzie give me more, moar now. MOAR

DAMN. SHE CAN THROW- or maybe it just exaggerates the perspective in this frame but still- ZAMNNN

Cherri x Sir Pentious fans RISE UP.

I wasn't ever really a fan of it myself but I always thought it was CUTE. Like 3 seconds before this part I was already begging for them to kiss 😭

More foreshadowing!

AAAAAA CREEPY BIRD THINGS!!!

Oh wait- Sera's hot and Emily's already adorable

If heaven don't look like what this is in the show, I DONT WANT IT! (THATS A JOKE PLEASE DON'T SMITE ME)

JEALOUS GIRLFRIEND VAGGIE!! Can I just say how much I love Vaggie's face expressions? Not just here but like all the time. She's just made to be so exaggerated, out of all of them I thought it would be Charlie who would have the most dramatic faces but Vaggie wins it for me. I JUST GIGGLE SO HARD WHEN SHE LOOKS LIKE THIS BAHAHAH

Okay yeah. It's very obvious now. Vaggie is definitely an ex-exterminator. They don't close in on Charlie here so it's made to subtly nudge the attention to Vaggie. HOW DID THEY IMMEDIATELY NOTICE IT WAS HER THO??

Hot-

That's it.

SHARE THAT MOTHUSSY GIRL-

YOU'RE TELLING ME SHE GREW OUT ALL OF THAT HAIR?!? YEAH ITS BEEN A LONG TIME SINCE THEN BUT STILL AJJSJD.

But overall the design is pretty meh. I always loved the idea of short hair Vaggie and even have seen art of it but it's just yknow, alright. Reminds me of Cassandra from Tangled: the series. IM LISTENING TO ONE OF THE SONGS RIGHT NOW HELPPP

THIS SCENE HERE! WOOOOO! SO GLAD WE KNOW WHEN AND WHERE THEY FIRST MET!! Wish we got it extended tho. And also probably push it to next episode so it would have a better impact(atleast I think thats when they'll have the duet). BUT WHATEVER SOMETHING IS BETTER THAN NOTHING! or uh whatever

Vaggie must've been a bit terrified at first. The only sinner she ever sent mercy to was a child. Then to see someone who to her is an adult sinner who just looks really human, that must be crazy. BUT THEN IF SHE WAS TOLD THAT CHARLIE WAS ACTUALLY THE PRINCESS OF HELL? HOOOO, LOCK IN AND STEAL HER. THAT'S SOME WATTPAD SHIT. Also, I wonder how long Charlie thought of redeeming sinners. It would make sense to be after meeting Vaggie, since it could have been a wake up call to the fact not all sinners are bad people. Even though Vaggie isn't a sinner technically, Charlie didn't know that at the time. But maybe Charlie was always like this but just needed to meet someone who could start her dream with her. Long rant uhhh

Haha penis 🫵

SCRAP WHATEVER I SAID IN THE FIRST PART. THEY PROBABLY DO FUCK- OR DONT?? I DONT KNOW- ANYWAY LESBIAN SEX (BOTTOM TEXT). WHY DO I CARE SO MUCH??? SOMEONE PULL THE TRIGGER.

Lute looks like a basic asf anime gorl. Adam doesn't ever take his helmet off, or maybe he just can't. OH HE'S DOING THE GAY SIGN 💅💅 Very appropriate for what he's saying

Mentor, apprentice. I love that Husk is just trying to help Angel grow but isn't going to force him into it if he doesn't want to.

Im not a fan of huskerdust and think they'd be better friends as I can't imagine a relationship with them at all. But it's still nice and they are supportive of eachother so that's like- yknow. Basic rules. Or something like that. (HELP. I ruined it all at the last part)

I- girl- WHY IS SHE GROWLING?? GRR GRR RR (INSERT TWILIGHT SAGA HERE)

VAGGIE'S FACE. SENDS ME. WHO GAVE HER THESE OVERDRAMATIC EXPRESSIONS, I APPLAUD YOU RGAGAGA

Ooo... I didnt like this part at all... Instead of making the choice she just runs off. Then because the plot demands it, Adam says nothing. Kinda whish she atleast avoided the question, maybe in some way that would require actual thinking? For a character like Vaggie, she could choose either way and it feel like it's still her. If she chose to protect Charlie's dream, she would still be perfectly loyal to her but in the act of so would reveal a secret that could harm their relationship(which does happen at the end but that's because the plot wanted it like that). If she chose to side with Adam, she'd be hurting Charlie emotionally, sure, but it would keep a secret that could make Charlie see Vaggie less than who she is to her already(atleast what Vaggie might think would happen). Imo it should've been her deciding to protect Charlie, since it would mean she's devoted to her at all times.

ANOTHER THING! IF SHE COULDN'T MAKE THE CHOICE, THAT IS SOMETHING INTERESTING TO GO INTO. Maybe it could go deeper into how Vaggie doesn't know who she is without Charlie. So when she has a choice to make, like here, she can't do it without feeling the need to ask Charlie. BUT NOOO, YA HAD TO GO WITH THIS!! Wow. That was a long ass rant. Wtf 😭

Maybe I'm a dumbass. Maybe they'll talk about that next episode, but still, atleast touch on it a bit to not seem rushed?

Angel looking out for his kids like a mom. We always did need the motherly figure, the one closest to that being Charlie but girl needs a mother in her life too(damn, wait, I did her so dirty).

Huh, so why does it work here then? 🤨🤨 if it was said in the contract that Valentino can do whatever he wants only in the studio, then why is this the exception? 🤨🤨

Yes I'm stupid. Why do you ask? (No genuinely what's happening here)

OH ITS THE IMAGE! I really like Sera so far, hope we get more of her soon or in season 2.

Now that we know the context of this, yeah, that's fucking insane. And badass. WOMEN.

HMM. THATS STRANGE. DID YOU NOT FOR ONCE THINK THERE COULD BE A POSSIBILITY SHE MIGHT HAVE BEEN AN ANGEL? Okay I probably wouldn't either but I have an excuse, I'm an idiot. Some girl with a standing out outfit, with one eye, looks unusually human, right after/during the extermination... that's pretty solid ass proof. But I'm dumb so don't take anything i say seriously :D

Imagine this. No- shit. Just-

JUST LOOK! THEY ARE SO CUTE! EVEN THOUGH CRAZY SHIT IS HAPPENING.

*SWEATS*

Vaggie is DESPERATE. PLEADING. That's obvious yeah, but don't mind me I had nothing to say for the last 3 images I just thought they were cool

I mean. Slay I guess. 😍💅

Do all the exterminators look similar or is it just Lute and Vaggie? 🤨

Even though Vaggie and Charlie may be going through this horrible thing with a hard punch in the gut, but Vaggie is always going to comfort her and I just think that's so adorable.

Also Adam looks like a chicken hah.

Everyone fears to be like Lucifer. If they don't do bad things they believe are for the greater good and make sacrifices that put them higher than those in hell, they could themselves be fallen. It's really interesting but I don't know if it's going to be fleshed out enough with the amount of episodes left. Which also worries me about everything else that still hasn't be concluded. There's gonna be loose strings I just know it. Hopefully though they rather do that then rush everything out y'know?

I want the next episode to be mostly focused on Vaggie and Charlie's relationship and the healing of what happened. Not for the entire episode of course, it would feel drawn out if it did, but atleast address the problem for the first like I would say 10 minutes? Then the rest would focus on one or two loose threads while also having Vaggie and Charlie acting upon moving on. That's just my idea but yeah-

[pyjamaart]

Every time someone complains about Fully Charged Airmans design, my love for him grows even stronger.

I feel like most people are mad that he isn't blue. Like back in 2014 when people complained that Sonics arms were blue in Sonic Boom. But I honestly don't think it's that big of a deal.

But if you see Fully Charged as an alternate universe to the classic series (which it is), then I don't really get why you'd have to complain about Airman not being blue. I think it's good they tried something fresh with the robot masters. They didn't have that much personality in the classic series, to be honest, compared to Fully Charged. I just think he needed a little more screen time to focus on his character. Just like many other robot masters on this show.

Okay, I have to admit, I did change around his colors a bit for a joke that would have gone along the lines of "Just hire fans, lol", but it actually ended up looking pretty cool, so I can't really make that joke anymore……. Really shot myself in the foot with that one. Anyway, here's blue Airman:

I still think that an episode featuring an air race would have been really really cool. They could have introduced a robot master like Gyroman as his rival. Maybe losing that race could have been the start of his character arc where he finally confronts his inferiority/superiority complex. Along the lines of "Flying is all I have left! If I can't have that, what else am I supposed to do?" Well, now that we're already in headcanon territory, I might as well tell you about all my other ones involving Airman. I believe his family is suuuuper rich. All his siblings have well respected careers and probably make his parents buckets of money. Meanwhile Airman is like the youngest sibling who dreamed of becoming a professional racer, which his parents didn't support at all. Kinda reminds me of another robot master under Lord Obsidians command whose dreams were crushed by his parents......

And as we've seen in that one episode, Airmans siblings are assholes. They just pretend he doesn't exist, like he never belonged to their family at all. Like they're ashamed that he's such a failure.

Oh damn that got dark again, sorry. But just like Drillman, he gets better in the end. While Drillman gets Woodman to look out for him, I've had the headcanon for a while that Airman gets taken in by Blastowoman, since she's also a flying robot master like him. Maybe she even gets him a job as a cargo bot alongside herself. I feel like he really needs someone supportive who's not afraid to call him out on his bullshit in his life. And because I have another headcanon that Blastowoman actually has an adult child (Blastman, lol), she's like the perfect woman for the job. ;)

Coming back to Airmans design, I did change some things about it for this particular piece of fan art. When I was trying to come up with an awesome pose to draw him in, the first thought I had was "Damn, I gotta give this man some heels." And that's exactly what I drew.

Sorry for not posting anything for 2 months btw. I got addicted to Metaphor ReFantazio ;) If that doesn't become game of the year, I'm gonna be real mad.

Jenny out.

[chevvsgotanumbrellatattoo]

I haven't even seen the full season, but from Tumblr alone (yall are troopers), I am devastated. Even my shitty fic from 2020 made more sense than this shit (before you ask, no I will not sharing /gen /nm. My writing pre-4-years-of-creative-writing-classes was AWFUL)

Also, the true ending was revealed to me last night in a dream:

Viktor owns and runs his bar. Sissy is alive and well. The two of them and Harlan (kid aged, like S2) live on a farm and go to the record store every Saturday. Mr. Pickles comes along each time. Harlan has no powers.

Ben was never in jail bc crypto currency can't exist when the best phone tech is a rotary phone??? Anyway, he goes to art school, hones his craft, and makes up with the family by inviting them to his first art show. He visits Klaus on Mondays for lunch.

Five works at the CIA. He truly loves solving big puzzles, he learned that from the Commission. After work, he comes home to human!Delores and helps her cook supper. They talk about science and how Five's boss keeps telling him to pick up a new hobby for stress relief. Delores smiles over her glass of wine and suggests picking his guitar back up.

Klaus lives in a 2 bedroom apartment with Dave. His OCD and anxiety is still rampant, but with Dave's support, he gets on meds (which Dave holds onto and administers for him since pills make him nervous) and gets a handle on it. He and Dave have movie nights every Friday and talk about tarot. Dave makes the best menudo Klaus has ever had.

Allison lives happily with Claire and Ray. She learns to manage her guilt and anger, apologizing at length to the family and vowing to herself to be a better person. Claire needs a better role model than the person she'd been. Ray and Allison take Claire for picnics with the at least one of the Uncles once a month. Claire looks forward to it every time.

Diego and Lila are happy. They have their 3 little nuggets and love them to pieces. Diego learns that his father-in-law has a friend at the archery range in the next town over. He drives over with him one day and decides to pick up knives again. It takes a long time to make peace with the fact that his aim will never be marigold-perfect, but Diego is entirely happy with his progress.

Lila is ELATED to have her parents. She talks to them daily and plays Twister with little Grace and the twins while her Mom and Dad take turns spinning the Twister wheel. She goes to the gym to scratch the itch of adventure she sometimes finds herself needing and talks to Diego when something is bothering her. Diego does the same. They call it 'Thick-Headed Therapy Thursdays' and they get ice cream afterwards.

Luther lives in a lovely house with Sloane. He studies space and cooking at the local college and helps Sloane kickstart her fashion designs (based off when she made her KILLER wedding dress in like,, no time at all). They have a small dog named Moon-Moon McGee. Sloane keeps her moon-rock wedding ring safe in a small box in her nightstand.

Grace works at a daycare and is the favorite of kids and grownups alike. She visits Diego and Lila on Sundays and makes little Grace and her siblings pancakes and chocolate milk for breakfast (Lila and Diego partake in this as well).

Pogo works at the library. He prides himself on neat bookshelves and loves when people ask him for help. He calls everyone "Master," "Miss," or even "Mx." and asks politely for preference and pronouns before doing so.

None of them have their powers.

Reginald Hargreeves still has a heart attack and kaputs. Abigail never bothers the Brellies.

The family all make it to little Grace's birthday party. The piñata breaks when she hits it. The cake is gone within an hour. Little Grace and Harlan are damn near inseparable. She makes Mr. Pickles hats for the holidays, much to Harlan's delight.

Case in point, they're all so happy and love each other! They each go to therapy and work out their own issues and don't take it out on each other!! The kids love all their aunts and uncles!! Everyone wins!! (Except Reggie bc FUCK YOU).

[midnight1nk]

this week's episode...

Mr Puzzles Clubhouse

[Spoilers below cut, modified images to timestamps]

Guys, I'm terrified. I can make as many predictions and theories to my heart's content but even I don't know what's in store for us.

If you guys have or haven't been on Twitter, Shadow made a post saying this:

Shadow: I feel very excited today for whatever reason, #smg4 community. What about all of you? ;)

Shadow, you can't say these things a few hours before the episode is released what am I supposed to THINK

(the following is my live-time reaction:)

it's incredibly funny that the show is poking fun at the people comparing the show and the showgrounds to mickey clubhouse (and of course, twitter being twitter *sigh*)

[00:17] I KNEW HE WAS GONNA THINK BACK TO THAT BATTLE

[00:25] it is kinda strange that he would hold a grudge against Melony, Saiko, and Karen but I guess you can argue that since they are part of the crew, Mr Puzzles would associate them for being part of his downfall. It's kinda how when you know this one bad person and then you see their friends and believe "oh, they must be bad too for them to be around this person". Not to say that is what everyone thinks, but it's what some people do. For Puzzles, it's an "everyone's to blame" kind of deal.

[00:36] :(

LOVE the new expressions OMG (couldn't get all of them, sorry)

also love that the episode included a lot of characters from underrated movies!!!

[01:39] designer clothes, huh? who's your tailor, Puzzles?

[02:28] holy shit, that is seriously a good model of mickey! whoever made it, props to them cuz he is so expressive (it's probably not from the crew but either way still props)

[02:57] you know didney is a complete dumpster fire right now when Mr Puzzles of all people doesn't want to join whatever mickey is up to

[03:51] (*reading this frame*) ...upside-down nose disease...eyebrowitis... pausing to read— OH FOR MEME'S SAKE

also don't think I didn't see bill cipher hidden on that contract

[03:59] Mr Puzzles: Well... A professional, such as myself, has... standards! Y'know? And looking at the state of your precious Didney... It's not worth my time.

DAMNNNNNN

[04:57] "It's a re-remake" ...puzzlevision 2? okay i'll stop

[05:20] wow how in every universe, mickey and minny are a lovey-dovey couple

[05:27] i know this has been a fact for a long time, but with the inside out 2 news coming to light, this really hits

(but also smg4:inside out??? 👀)

[05:50] WALL-E! EVE!! oh, it's one of my all-time favorite movies... wait... did they see us make wall-e AUs of smg34 and marware....

[06:26] i guess every entertainer has a rating label, huh...

[06:43] KINGDOM HEARTS MENTION

[07:02] "engine room" oh, so that's what the other side of that door. We solved that mystery, gang, pack it up!

[07:31] Mr Puzzles: "The most... important?" 👀HMMMMMMMMMM🤔

[08:00] GUY GUYS GUYS THE CARNIVAL OMGGGGG

[08:24] ATTENTION EVERYONE WE HAVE A CONFIRMED PARENT I REPEAT MR PUZZLES HAS A DAD

Okay so, Puzzles did have at least a parent back then. They were strolling by outside the park so it didn't seem Puzzles was taken there at all to have some fun. And his dad doesn't support his dream at all. now we don't know when exactly in Puzzles' past does this takes place, if he's in the early stages of his TV obsession, or if this was the event that pushed Little Puzzles to start his obsession.

Either way, because of this, Little Puzzles turned to the TV for guidance and inspiration. If his dad can't support his dream and without any friends, then all he has is himself... and the screen in front of him. Seeing the creativity shown on TV, the answer must be there somewhere... right?

[09:23] ...I should've seen this coming I SHOULD'VE

and yep, it's all because of his dad [*sad sigh*] damn Puzzles can't catch a break, huh.

also the red face is back!!! [*chanting*] eye of ra! eye of ra!

also also thank you Puzzles for getting rid of that rat

[10:27 - 55] Mr Puzzles: "Let's get to work!" [*theme from the "Friends on the Other Side" plays*]

😨

...how did...I literally said this in my "WOTFI 2024 Predictions Revisited" post:

Will we get goop!4? God, I wish. I was listening to "Friends on the Other Side" and I was just imagining scenarios of Mr Puzzles taking complete control of Four with the goo. If it doesn't happen for whatever reason, I'll write it myself.

...do they know...?

Ink, it's a didney villain song. it's just a coincidence.

Sure, maybe. I'm just gonna hide under my desk, just in case...

:) ← mentally unwell

[11:00] consider my gasted flabbered

I'm just waiting for Marty to come up on screen and be like "I too have a grudge for the SMG4 crew, let's work together"

[11:10 - 12] A crew? 😨 LEGGY?

[12:09 - 13:00] just this conversation between Meggy and Mr Puzzles is just *chef's kiss*

(why could I just imagine Puzzles having a similar conversation with Four?)

[13:33] [*hearing Meggy's screams*] 😨 mom I'm scared...

[13:48] Mr Puzzles: "Those fools won't see it coming..."

Me, a theorist: "Surprise me then. Do it. You won't."

[14:06] lastly, congrats to Fakerbingus for being featured at the credits 🎉

.・-: ✧ :--: ✧ :-・.

That... was an incredible episode! Wig? Snatched. Flabber? Gasted. Mom's? Spaghetti! The voice-acting, the bits of animation, the storytelling! 10/10 for me!

Mr Puzzles being TERRIFYING and UNHINGED, I LOVE IT! I feel horrible for Meggy, oh my god. We need to get the whole crew into therapy, like seriously. TRAUMA after TRAUMA. It's nice to see some more of Puzzles lore but I wish we had a little bit more, y'know? Having his dad being one of the catalysts of his troubles is good, but I think we need that extra push to show that yes, Little Puzzles really lost himself at such a young age. "This is what sent him over the edge of his obsession". I'm sure we're going to get a bit more in upcoming episodes but I suppose this is a start.

No Marty, which is surprising, and again, he might be in the next one. Like I said before in my previous theories, the two are likely to work together. "A businessman and an entertainer." And with Karen being in the picture for this year's WOTFI, there is still a chance!

Well, we might have to change some things, that the WOTFI carnival would take place in what is formerly Didney Worl and not the Showgrounds. With what I said in my last review, the whole "carnival coming to the Showgrounds" thing could literally mean the crew receiving those tickets and not take it in the literal sense. We can't rely on the posts on all social media platforms of the crew holding their ticket were taken at the same time frame as the episodes take place. For all we know, the previous episodes happened in the past, before those pictures were taken. WHICH could explain why Meggy wasn't in the picture. Lots to think about for sure... 🤔

Anyways, my dear fellows, it's time to get scared of what's about to come. New WOTFI rap, someone might get sacrificed. Goop!Four? I don't even know anymore. We're getting closer and closer to my predictions coming true, so let's hide under the blanket and hold on to our plushies i guess.

No website change, that I know of. I'm looking over all the recent posts from the people working on the show and they're just TEASING us at this point, THEY CAN'T KEEP GETTING AWAY WITH THIS!!!

I don't even know what the next episode is going to be about, we would just have to wait and see.

but like seriously,

WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT EPISODE?

/pos

(but also scared?!?!?!)

[starlightshadowsworld]

Ok so I was watching a danganronpa animatic of an AU where Kokichi and Shuichi are soulmates and of course my brain goes on to think about the themes of trust and love that Kokichi and MAKOTO have (for some reason. I love my boy too much I guess) and was mentally thinking of a scene in some kind of "Makoto is in V3 instead of Shuichi but the events of canon still happened" AU where Kokichi is, y'know, reaching his breaking point where he can't figure out how to stop the killing game and Makoto, y'know, he understands both during this killing game (because he was trying to stop it too or at least keep everyone alive) and all the other previous ones and in private tries to offer him support and tells him how he thinks Kokichi's a good person and he trusts him and loves him (I don't really care in what way this is taken as. Maybe aggressive support?) and Kokichi, of course being at a breaking point and having trust issues, casts him aside kind of angrily because Makoto seems like he trusts people really easily and has probably never felt betrayal like Kokichi had and therefore doesn't believe him when he says all those positive things about him and Makoto SHUTS THAT DOWN HARD. Like he pulls out the determined slightly angry positivity (I don't know if I want to describe it like that but I don't know how else) where it's just like

Makoto is standing tall, his shoulders are tense, and his finger's in Kokichi's face like: Hey, no. I love you and trust you. You don't know anything about me so I will tell you how many times I have been betrayed by friends just because it was convenient and they never or barely gave a half-ass apology. The girl who I thought I could trust to have my back in a situation JUST LIKE THIS WITH THE BEAR AND EVERYTHING tried to set me up for murder. Another girl sacrificed me to find "the truth" on multiple occasions and barely gave me an apology after I was almost starved and had a ton of injuries. I had to try to kill someone because they wouldn't just talk to me instead of attempting to commit mass murder. So when I say I trust and love you I mean it. I may say it often but that doesn't mean I take it lightly. I can't force you to accept those feeling but please do anything but deny or take them lightly. Because I DO love and trust you so much.

Kokichi is fucking BALLING in my head.

Anyway I just wanted to share that since it was on the brain and this is usually my go-to blog for sharing my random DR day dreams and ideas with. Whenever I pop in anyway.

(Sidenote: Protag switch AUs (or even detective switch AUs with Shuichi and Kyoko) between Makoto and Shuichi are so underrated. I don't write fan fiction so I hope and pray everyday that one day I will stumble across one with the quality of the A Change in Variables but that might be wishful thinking)

Oh damn.

That's such a cool idea.

Agreed I love all the protags, Makoto just holds a very special place in my heart.

The way I envision what you've said is that Makoto takes the place off Rantaro or at least plays a similar role to him.

As the Ultimate Survivor, aka someone who's survived the game before and remembers.

Possibly going undercover and not letting anyone else go through this shit again.

The reason for him being there to the outside world could be that Tsumugi wanted a guest star.

And you know having the Ultimate Hope would get people watching.

Makoto talking down Kokichi would be such an interesting scene because he'd be one of the only people who don't hate him.

And would be willing to listen and stand up to him.

Also because Makoto knows what he's doing, he can see through Celest I guarantee he can see through Kokichi.

And it would throw Kokichi off because he's designed this whole thing to have everyone against him, he'd got the perfect plan.

But that's Makoto for you, unpredictable is basically his middle name.

[ava-dambrosio]

"Care to join me?"

Matteo's deep-set chuckle resounded from Ava's phone, matching the happy look in his eyes as the newly reunited couple shared their morning FaceTime.

"Go ahead, baby, I'll follow," he replied smoothly, as if there wasn't some 1,300 kilometres between them. Beaming in response, she took a minute or two to carefully roll off her bed before making her way to her en suite bathroom.

Ava loved her home and everything about it. Designed specifically to fit both her specific taste and needs, it served as a sanctuary for a pilot whose work consisted of long-haul flights. Her bathroom was of no exception. It was where she could strip down — literally and figuratively — and cleanse herself of everything that weighed her down.

Stepping inside, she set her phone on the counter before taking her boyfriend through her morning routine as if he was really there with her. On a high from the recent developments of her relationship with Matteo, it was clear that the parents-to-be were making the most out of their long-distance relationship. 

Soon bare from head to toe, Ava's arm instinctively and naturally cradled her growing bump. Picking up her phone to move Matteo in the shower, she sat the device down next to her shampoo and conditioner. It was a good thing too, as the wall served as an immediate support for when a sharp pain struck her belly.

"Amore, what's wrong?" Matteo's concerned voice filled the air at once. "Are you okay? Is he getting heavy?"

Ava gritted her teeth, swallowing back the pain. Damn Braxton-Hicks, she thought, exhaling slowly to calm herself. She'd been feeling them on and off this past week but never quite this painful. Remembering that this was a normal occurrence during pregnancy, she explained this to Matteo in an effort to reassure him.

"It'll soon pass, don't worry," Ava said just as another shock of pain pierced through her, harsher than before. This time, she couldn't hide the sheer intensity as written on her face. "Hang on, my love, I need a minute..."

It took Ava several slow, deep exhales before she managed a soft sigh of relief. At last. The worst is over.

Matteo barely had a word in before Ava's attention shot to the corner of her eye. There, a stream of pink water was running down her pristine white tiles towards the drain below. Confused, she quickly looked around for its source. Nothing. Her shower was as clean as ever.

So, where?

The sound of the shower and Matteo's muffled voice soon melded in the background as Ava's heart began racing. More so when the colour deepened to a darker crimson hue that even fresh running water failed to dilute it.

No... It can't be... If it didn't come from anywhere else, then...

With shaky hands, Ava finally reached between her legs. There was no way it could be coming from her, she fought to believe. Her pregnancy had been smooth sailing thus far, even with all the outside stress she's had to endure. She had multiple ultrasounds and routine checks as proof!

But one lift of her hand, and her heart stopped at once.

"Matteo..."

***

Everything onwards was a blur. A dream. A nightmare.

It was a few hours after the incident when Ava found herself waking up in a room that was not her own. Disoriented, she looked around to find herself in the hospital. But why?

Suddenly, flashes of that morning came back in a rush of hazy snippets like ones from a horror movie. The all-too-innocent video call with Matteo. The shower. The blood. The ambulance. The operating room. The pain. The pain of having to deliver...

Ava's hand shot straight to her round belly, a natural maternal reflex to ensure her baby was okay. But it didn't feel the same. It didn't feel right.

"Hello?" Ava called out loud, groaning as she tried to sit up. Expecting to see a nurse pop in, she was surprised to see both her boyfriend in the flesh, with her brother beside him.

"Wh—... " She had so many questions, she didn't know where to start. "Why am I here?" She finally asked, scared to put the pieces together. "Why am I in the hospital?"

Glancing at Matteo first, then Adrian, then back to Matteo, Ava was growing impatient. Their silence was not helping her anxiety as it hiked higher and higher up her chest until she felt like she was suffocating all over again. "Is our baby okay?"

If they could only answer one question, please let it be that.

Matteo was the first to speak, his voice as somber as his face, as Adrian's face, and as the doctor's face when she came in and closed the door behind her, amplifying the already deafening silence. Ava wasted no time getting straight to the point.

"Dr Galanis," she spoke to her doctor with a tight smile. "With all due respect, can you please tell me what's going on? Why am I here, and how is my baby???"

Not wanting to agitate her patient further, the doctor crossed the room and stopped to stand at the foot of Ava's bed. It was finally time to answer her most pressing questions.

"You were rushed to the hospital today, heavily bleeding," Dr Galanis began. "They brought you straight into my OR so we could assess what was happening, and make sure you and your baby were all right. But upon further assessment, I found that you had experienced what we call a placental abruption," she explained, finally delivering the news she was most dreading. "It's when the placenta peels off the uterine wall before the mother is ready to give birth, thus preventing the baby from getting the nutrients and oxygen he or she needs to develop. And, without knowing when the abruption happened, or how long he's been without oxygen..."

The doctor has had to share the news to Matteo and Adrian earlier that day when Ava was asleep, resting. But now, it was time for the mother herself to hear every parents' worst nightmare come true.

"I'm so sorry, Ava..." the doctor said with great sorrow and deepest regret, "but your son—... he didn't make it."

[sunnysorcerer]

24 - favorite thing about Cloud?

Oh my gosh I don't think it's possible for me to pick just one thing so here's a couple:

1. My most favourite thing about him is how he's just a regular guy. His dream was to become a famous SOLDIER just to impress a girl. But that failed. His dream never happened. But despite that, he still managed to take down Sephiroth and save the planet. I think that's amazing. And in the process he learned to be true to himself and not let his past define him.

2. A more personal reason is I really relate to his trauma and mental health issues. I like that his friends support him through it all and never blame him for what he's going through. It's comforting to me! Also his mental illness feel so real to me, it's not just "waah I'm sad so I'm gonna be mean to everyone, that's just how I am." We know he's a good person with a kind heart because he shows us constantly. His mental illness doesn't define him and doesn't make him any less worthy of love or friendship.

3. I think Cody Christian does an amazing job with his voice. I like how it sounds deeper and more stoic when he puts on his SOLDIER act and how it sounds softer and more emotional when he's more himself. Also he's great at making 16 year old Cloud sound younger and more innocent before his life completely changed. (Just to note, I don't dislike his old voice by Steve Burton, I'm just not used to it. All Clouds are good Clouds in my opinion!)

4. This is shallow as hell but the man is attractive. There, I said it. Not just that but his design is iconic.

5. Lastly I think he's just really cool. Even though he doesn't believe it himself, I think he's so strong and amazing, especially after everything he's been through. I know he's fictional but damn, I want to hug him and thank him for inspiring me.

So to wrap this up... I literally can't think of anything I dislike about him. I'm rotating him in my mind constantly like a rotisserie chicken. He's MY rotisserie chicken.

[nickmillermit]

What can home theaters teach us about CX?

Can I share a secret with you? Well, I'm a bit of an audiophile -- which is the snobby way of saying that I really like high-end (see: expensive) audio gear. Whether I'm strolling to class listening on my Sennheiser cans, at home A/B testing my Fender CS 1963 Strat through a pair of Amplified Nation and Dr. Z cabinets, or just sitting on my couch watching Netflix at my home theater...I like to listen, a lot, and I like to listen LOUDLY.

But you know what I don't like? Like, really, really don't like? The process of buying this very gear that I love so much. In fact, I get anxiety just thinking about trying to mix and match speaker impedance levels, amplifier power ratings, and frequency response curves. Even worse is when the damn package finally shows up at my door and I find myself in a labyrinth of instruction manuals, cable snakes, and an array of switches or vaguely named controls that look like the cockpit of 747.

As Adam Richardson says in his HBR article on customer journeys, this experience should be "plug and play" but in reality is more "plug and pray." But why does the experience for such amazing products often suck?

The concept of mapping out a customer's journey from "cradle to grave" is something that many businesses are either A) not doing, or B) not good at doing. As the global economy has turned decidedly digital, many e-commerce providers have seemingly focused on selling top-tier products at the expense of creating world-class experiences. Whether it be due to cost compression, commoditization, increased competition, more efficient buying processes, or none or all of these things, the customer is the one suffering from a worsening experience.

Richardson's take on the use of customer journey maps to improve the end-to-end experience therefore hits home for me. The essence of it all is simple: understanding the step-by-step saga customers endure, often represented visually, from the initial allure of product research through the maze of its acquisition and implementation/setup, to the eventual daily use and beyond. This journey, ideally, should be a seamless adventure with proper customer support at key junctures.

Retailers and manufacturers, let me be loud and clear: you need to embed the customer's voice and experience into every product and process. This isn't just about solving problems -- it's about anticipating them, and designing experiences that preempt confusion and frustration. Next time you start creating a new product, take the time to interview customers, understand their journeys, and learn what it's like to research, purchase, use, and maintain or repair your items. All that's at stake is your entire brand.

As someone who lives and breathes for the joys of experiencing high-fi sound, I dream of a day when the end-to-end process of setting up my sound systems is as smooth as Stevie Wonder. Let's just hope the industry is listening....

[thg-rcg-simps]

White blossom

I just reread the Treasures story of White blossom, aka one of the prettier memorials/Treasures in the game, aka one of the Grinding suits as I like to call them.

(Spoilers for Kimi's parents and the origins of White blossom, a Treassure from Apple and a little on Sayet)

And I honestly just can't fanthom their love story, Lunette and Schiller are so...pure. We don't get the chance to hear a lot about them, besides the obvious, that their love was very strong and very big. But even after that, the game doesn't delve much into it. Which seems normal for Kimi's character, being relativly reserved in order to function. But we also find out somewhere in the middle of the game about her softer and more vulnerable sides. How much she cares for her father and how much her mother's death actually affects her. (At least I didn't catch anyone massively mention any of that, but I am behind in some of the story and lore due to grinding on things that aren't the lore, which is entirely on me and my ADHD)

In this is where White blossom comes into game. We do get the info that the suit was created for Kimi's mother, Lunette. That the suit shows and represents the deep love and affection Schiller feels for his wife. How much she just means to him.

But getting the insides of their love is just AGHH! Give me more please!

It's just so cute! I could scream! (And I did!)

Their affection and the way how natural yet strong their connection is. How neither of them expected something like this happening yet it happened like it was the easiest thing to them, like breathing. And their confession to one another that they need each other like they need air to breath? Wonderful! And so damn romantic!

Lunette is the perfect companion to Schiller. At first, you would really think that they can't work because of just how completely diffrent the two love birds are, but it feels like this is a point for them. Lunette brings Schiller much needed insight into empathy and optimism, just like Schiller is the rock in see that always seems to catch Lunette from falling to her deep end. Comforting every time she finds out again and again how cruel the world just can be. Being the realist on how things sadly work, but determined to make it better for and with her.

He doesn't think of himself like someone truly deserving or worthy of such love (as so much it seem, we don't get enough info to properly confirm my theory), but Lunette shows him just how much he's important to her. For him, she is just like a white blossom, her being as innocently pure and vulnerable as blossom petals, natural beauty, and him being the winter that causes her to die. But in reality, he is much rather her protector, the sun that makes he bloom and biggest supporter on her journey to herself and her dreams. For her, he is the designer which pieces she loves, and is mesmerized by them as if they would be woven out of pure beauty.

In her world, he was the man that hung the stars, and in his, she was the sole reason why the moons and stars exist. She was his muse, his partner, his friend, his everything.

And as a symbol of their love story, a white blossom tree was just as magical as their love. They were so much in love, they were so happy. Kimi was their most cherished token of their love.

And knowing all this, his demeanor of White blossom makes just so much more sense!

It's not simply a pretty suit he designed. It's not a Treasure. It's not a suit he crafted out of King Sayet's relic. No, no it's the embodiment of their love and their story. It's her, what he loves about White blossom.

And sure, you can criticize him massively on his behavior after Lunette died and just how much of an overworking workaholic he became. How much distant he got from his daughter, but to me, it can be forgiven due to his grief he could never really allow himself to feel. He had a country/nation to run and raise a daughter while losing the most important person in his life. So he is definitely deserving of some empathy.

But this is also exactly why he is willing to risk just about everything for White blossom. It's not about the material, it's not about Sayet's relic, it's not because of the gold the suit is worth. No, it's because this is everything he has left. This was made for Lunette, who was taken from him, it was her suit. And now, they want to take even that away from him.

What makes the suit so valuable in my opinion, is the sheer emotions he used to craft the suit as much as the memories that formed due to it. It's a visual, physical representation of their love. Kimi is much the same, yet her own person, and I think it's beautifully made clear he doesn't view her just as the daughter of the love of his life, but as their product of love, and he respects her much more her being and opinion than just because of being Lunett's daughter. But White blossom is different. It's her suit. It's her light, he used to make it.

And since we know Sayet liked to implement memories and very strong feelings into his works to make them so special and valuable, it can just very well be, that the memory of their marriage/the important life points of their love when she wore it, are implemented into the suit.

This also, to me, implies the whole Treassures entry, in fact all their entrys feel like the memories and emotions that menifested in said suits, which is why they are Treasures in the first place.

Anyways, Lunette and Schiller are super cute and it's so darn sad she has to die, but maybe there is one version of this time loop where she survives and those three are a sugar happy domestic family! And when there isn't, it's my job to make this headcanon real, hehe ^^

-RikkaCatGirl (Okami Imouto-chan)

[ispeaktheyburn]

Okay, Parade closed two weeks ago, but I haven't stopped thinking about Leo and Lucille, so I'm gonna try to finally articulate my theory about what Lucille's "you're finally free" line in the finale means.

At the beginning of the musical, Lucille sees Leo as someone who's sure of himself and wishes she had his confidence ("Don't I wish I could be sure like him, like Leo?"), but "How Can I Call This Home?" shows that he's actually not that sure of himself. In fact, he's deeply insecure about the fact that he's different from everyone else in Atlanta, including his wife, and he "lives in fear" that his neighbors will start a conversation with him. The song also tells us he feels "trapped" in the South and in his marriage, and that he dreams of being free -- but interestingly, he acknowledges that he's trapped "by his own design," i.e. he's the one preventing himself from being free, not Lucille.

I think Lucille's misunderstanding is due to her mistaking Leo's single-minded focus on his work for confidence. But as we find out later, it's actually the opposite; he "hides behind" his work so he can feel "safe and sure of what to say," unlike when he talks to Lucille or his neighbors. When he's arrested, he no longer has his work to hide behind, and Lucille's perception of him starts to change. The first time she visits him in jail, he acts like an ass to both her and the guard, but underneath the boorishness, he's terrified because he's now literally trapped and it's very much not by his own design. When he flips out over the food the guard brings him, he's not just being entitled; he's trying to control the desperate situation he's found himself in and avoid feeling helpless. Same when he flips out at Lucille and sends her home -- he doesn't want to admit vulnerability by letting her comfort him. But when he finds out the case is going to trial, he insists on her being there. He says it's because he'll look guilty if she isn't, but I think she senses that he's afraid and needs her support, and this convinces her not to leave town.

It's not until "It's Hard to Speak My Heart" that she sees just how afraid he is, though. The song is addressed to the jury, but it's really about his relationship with Lucille, and it explains everything about why he acts so distant toward her -- he's terrified of being vulnerable, and this is the most vulnerable she's ever seen him. He's also, I think, terrified that Lucille will believe all the lies she's just heard about him, even more than he is that the jury will (I say this because when I saw the show, he looked in her direction while singing the final lines). But Lucille, unlike the jury, knows he's telling the truth and resolves to do everything she can to save him.

The next time they interact, Leo's been in jail for a year. He knows by now that Lucille isn't going to abandon him and he's grateful, but now the situation is even more desperate; all his appeals have been denied and his execution date is fast approaching. This only exacerbates his fear of feeling vulnerable and helpless and his need to be in control, so he's frustrated to find out that Lucille is talking to reporters and telling them his plans, but I don't think it's really her he's frustrated with; he's frustrated by his own inability to prove his innocence. Then Lucille expresses her own frustration with how he's treating her and gives him a reality check that forces him to accept that he can't control everything from his jail cell. There's a lot of justified anger in "Do It Alone," but it's coming from a place of love; she believes in him so much that she wants to "scream across the whole damn South" until everyone knows he's innocent. At the end of the song, she's saying "I love you; I need you to have faith in my love for you if we're going to get you out of here." Her courage in telling Leo how she feels gives him the courage to accept his vulnerability and let her take the lead.

"This Is Not Over Yet" is the first time in the musical that Leo isn't afraid. He knows everyone else in Atlanta still hates him and wants him dead, but it doesn't matter because Lucille loves him, and now he's seen what that love can achieve. He's found a freedom in realizing he doesn't have to do everything on his own and they're stronger together. Which leads to the realization of his love for her and him finally expressing it in "All the Wasted Time." His demeanor in their last conversation is a far cry from the person he was in "How Can I Call This Home?" Without any of his fears holding him back, he's playful, he's tender, he's content with himself, he no longer feels "trapped" in their marriage, and he's even started to appreciate the South, as his willingness to join Lucille in her fantasy of being on a picnic in the country demonstrates. He's still in jail and doesn't know if he'll ever get out, but because of his love for Lucille (and hers for him) he's more free than he's ever been emotionally. And that's how Lucille remembers him after his death.

[walkingstackofbooks]

DS9 3x18 Distant Voices thoughts (I'm re-watching, so there may be are future spoilers)

I remember feeling disappointed by this episode the first time I watched it, but I think that was probably because the aging took me by surprise and speed-aging make-up always brings me a little out of immersion - let's see what it's like going in aware!

Garak! :3 always a little treat

Julian is not good at social niceties, is he 😘 (Honestly slightly jealous, the amount of times I've pretended to be delighted by a mug when I don't drink hot drinks because the design has been thoughtfully chosen is definitely not zero)

"This year is a little different." He says it so ominously XD

30 also marks the point where he's known he's an augment for exactly half his life... I don't think that's a major reason, but maybe even a subconscious factor for his unease about his birthday.

"...it becomes harder and harder to ignore the passage of time." Actually I think this is more significant than just a worry about aging? I dunno, this whole conversation feels like there's something more that he's not saying, he seems super emotional about all this. I revise my earlier statement - this is all about him finding it more difficult to ignore his fear that he can't keep his Secret for much longer, and being so aware that he needs to do as much as he can as quickly as he can before his life is over when it all comes out.

"If I choose to be grumpy about it, that's my prerogative." "By all means, Doctor, be as grumpy as you like." "Thank you for the support." I love these two :)

"Excuse me, Doctor." "What?!" Wow, he is on edge...

Garak is fascinated by this exchange. Look at him!

"Don't take it personally, he's turning thirty." XD JUlian does look chastened by this though, he knows he's acting unreasonably

"Who's there? Show yourself!" Okay, yelling at a presumably violent entity with no backup and no weapon is pretty damn brave. And I do love it when he gets angry

This makes so much more sense knowing it's a dream, with the way the crew are acting so differently

Julian taking charge when he finds the others in the Wardroom is just <3 He's so calm and collected <3

"I'm...in a coma." He says that in the same way he tells his patients bad news about their illness

"I am not some figment of your imagination!" ... You kind of are, I'm afraid, Kira 😅

"If I were to guess, Chief, I would say that you represent my doubt and my disbelief." "No I don't." XD But the gentleness with which he then says "I knew you were going to say that" though! <3 <3

I love how he automatically just keeps on playing tennis when he's dropped into it

"Major..." He knows it's not real but his sadness is though. Does he usually call her Major or Kira?

Okay Odo dying is the creepiest thing

Julian's last glance back at Kira, ohh

"I like the real Chief better than you." XD

I love how mind!Garak is always there for Julian.

"You're going to help me." Garak laughs. Okay I take it back? mind!Garak isn't nice.

"But other than that, I feel wonderful." Oh I LOVE him so, so much.

All of Garak's expressions are excellent.

🎵 "Happy birthday, dear Julian." <3 Was about to go !!! First time Garak calls him Julian???? because I keep forgetting it's not the real Garak 😅

Is the woman throwing the party supposed to be anyone? [Answer: no, she's a random Dabo girl]

"My, hur, tennis balls.."

"That doesn't sound like the Garak I know." "We've been through this, Doctor. I'm not Garak. I'm you." "Well it doesn't sound like me either." YES JULIAN

"Now it's time to make things easy on yourself." "Oh, you mean, just give up? I don't think so." YOU TELL HIM, JULIAN

"You didn't want to be first in your class. You couldn't take the pressure." I love how this can be interpreted as "You couldn't take the pressure of taking first place because of your augmentations" or "you couldn't take the pressure that being first might increase the likelihood of you being found out".

"Then let's talk about Lieutenant Dax. You like her, don't you?" "She's my friend." He's so protective <3

"Orrrr what, hmm?" Idk, this little bit is such a good act of an old man.

" I do have feelings for her, but the important thing is she's my friend. You know? Friend? And I wouldn't exchange that friendship for anything." I love that they've been allowed to mellow out into an excellent friendship (I'm already not looking forward to s6 again... 😅)

"This is where I belong." the little quaver in his voice on belong, DS9 means so much to him <3

It's so weird seeing him young again! He looks too young!

I thought their lunch dates were every week, but this is only two days later :3

"Their telepathic attacks are almost always fatal. I guess I was lucky." "Cardassians don't believe in luck, Doctor. You survived because you're strong." OR he survived because he has more control over his mind etc. than an unenhanced human....

"And what I find interesting is how your mind ended up casting me in the role of the villain." "Awww, I wouldn't read too much into that, Garak." He's SO soft :3

That last touch though! Julian's expectant/confused/worried pausing face before Garak speaks again.

Okay this was an excellent episode, and I spent far too long writing it up afterwards because there are so many interesting scenes to re-watch or dive into!

[lehdenlaulu]

Okay, SaB S2. I'm groggy as hell and only have time for a couple of episodes, but here we go. Ep1.

Alina looks fantastic but I have to wonder where'd she find a curling iron in the middle of the sea. Unless the ship had a convenient tailor on board.

Aw, they cute.

I'm still impressed with the visual worldbuilding and production design so far.

Yeah, the Crows' brooding cello 'theme' still makes me immediately think of 'Vodka Inferno' by Diablo Swing Orchestra, if the overall vibe of the show didn't already.

Kaz backstory here we gooo.

Wow, very well-funded police force if they can afford purple uniforms. Assuming dyes work the same way they do in our world. Which I do, since that kind of thing has to be a conscious design choice.

Aw baby.

Hi Nikolai. I don't know you yet but I know who you are.

Huh, I thought Kaz had known all along and Jesper knew he knew. But I guess they needed to spell it out for the audience.

Damn, Mal. I'm not sure if that's just fancy editing or if we're supposed to believe he's Special somehow. (I know he's supposed to be but not like that I guess??)

And these would be the twins, yes? Hello there.

And here's the dude with the Finnish name and the Scottish accent. Hah.

And Wylan. Hi, Wylan!

Nina! Nice save, babe.

"Funny guns and angry hat." 😂 Perfect.

Poor Genya.

Nice acting from Dani on the 'love of my life'. The realization when she said that out loud.

Ep. 2

There's something about Nikolai I'm not buying. Maybe it's the acting, maybe the whole pirate angle is a little much and the balance of the vibes isn't quite right. Hmm. 🤔

Like, I get that the character is probably playing a part to a degree, but... yeah. Let's see how it unfolds.

Well done with the ship, though, it's actually properly cramped instead of absurdly spacious like in many films/shows.

I still really love the lighting of this show. Especially in comparison to so many other things recently.

I like that we're seeing Kirigan in human light as well, not just as the mustache-twirling villain cliché. The scenes with Genya are fascinating and disturbing. Great job Ben and Daisy.

Honestly I'm so glad they've aged these characters up. I would never believe they're teenagers. I mean, Wylan, maybe.

Huh, flashback or fantasy? I was under the impression they hadn't gotten to that part yet in the last season.

I wish the show had explained the amplifier thing a bit better, tbh. And did we even know about the Sea Whip and the Firebird last season, at all? And if she's been dreaming of them, shouldn't we have seen those dreams?

Ooh, an Alkemi! A cute one. Very... hmm. He might make a great Armand, actually.

Am I supposed to be feeling something between Alina and Nikolai? Because I'm not. At all.

And that would be a Tidemaker, I guess?

Well, that one definitely is one.

Wylan's acting a bit like jilted ex, which is weird and sort of funny. I suppose there's a reason.

Okay, no, everyone's apparently fighting like that now, not just Mal.

Ep. 3

Yeah, I doubt you'll take the Fold down in the third episode, my darling.

Okay, Nik, let's see if I buy you better now that the charade is over.

Aww babies.

Nadia! Hi! Wait, is that the same actress? I don't think it is.

Hi Zoya, good to see you.

Yeah, I thought it was something like that about the jilted ex behavior.

I guess Jesper is musiciansexual. 🤭

Kaz and Inej are better this season, I'm starting to buy it. Well, it helps that Kaz is starting to open up a bit, of course.

I love Nina and Inej, though. Inej needed someone like her around.

Well, everyone really is fighting like that, huh? It's getting sliiiightly unbelievable, but at least it looks awesome.

He's hot all bloody and disheveled I must say. 🤷‍♀️

Get it girl get it.

Listen, I love that Mal is supportive and they're very sweet but especially contrasting with the scene immediately after, I don't really care as much as the show probably wants me to. And that's not some shippy opinion, either, I don't really have a horse in this race.

Oh that's a very good shot of Kaz. Good job with the lighting and colors and blocking.

No, I honestly think Kaz is scarier than Kirigan.

Ooh, Tidemakers have green keftas? Yup, that's the one for me then.

Heh. I wrote this. Almost, anyway. Mine was slightly less creepy.

Well, that last scene felt familiar. Hah.

Okay, now some sleep, last four tomorrow night.

[mrsphork]

Hello. My name is Melly. I'm a twenty six year old girl who was thrown into the weirdest day of my life a couple years ago. They always tell you of that instinct where you either fight or flight and you only know when it happens which way you go. Well, turns out, I don't fly away. This is my story of August 22, 2019 a Thursday I'll never forget.

My morning started typical. I worked for Chipotle as I went to school learning nursing. My mother was such a bitch and forced me to go to college. As dumb as it sounds, I wanted to become an architect and design futuristic houses. I guess it was a dumb dream and being a local Ohioan with no money community college had nursing courses that I was able to take without loans. So this Thursday started off as any particular day. I wake up at 7:30AM and get my shower. I have a look I have to attend to. I'm not skinny, but I'm definitely not a hippopotamus by any metric. I was myself, shave my legs, my lady bits, and wash my hair. My hair is curly so that takes a majority of my mornings if I want to be able to strut my look. 9:45 rolls around and my phone alarm rings saying, "Time to leave for work in 10 minutes". I dreaded going into work today. We just had two guys quit and

honestly; I don't want the extra load. I have two exams coming up Monday and I only have three days to cram my head full of information to hopefully pass them. I only have 9 months left and I'll be out. I put on my bra and panty set that my boyfriend had bought me as a gift, more for him but damn if I don't feel sexy in strappy stuff. I pull up my black leggings and button my shirt that says "Melony" and "Chipotle" on it. I get into my car, my 2009 Toyota Camry, and off to work I go on my long 5 minute drive. Six red lights.. six... Why does it take so long?

I pull into work, I notice my manager isn't there and only two co-workers showed up. Luke and John. They are decent enough but with only three of us? Are we going to have to close the place until someone else comes in? We open at 10:45.. This is going to be miserable. Eight hours with a short staff again for a measly $9.00 an hour. It's no wonder I have to sell pictures of my ass on reddit, maybe I should just do that full time. My boyfriend supports me but that also seems a bit demeaning. I do love the attention though but the amount of creepy assholes makes it not worth it. "Hi Luke, John! Where's Nicky?" "She called off says John, she can't come in." "Fuck me" I sigh as Luke gives me that creepy stare. I'm pretty sure he imagines me at night, he's a bit weird and I do my best to stay away from him. I get some serious rapey vibes from that guy, at least I know John would

kick his ass if he ever tried anything. "Well, are we going to try to do this with only three of us or should we put the sign up guys"? All I hear was silence. I'm the youngest here, only been here for a few months, why do they always have to be so god damn indecisive. "Fine, let's put the sign up and I'll call to see if we can get someone else in here. I guess we should at least prepare incase we find someone".

So the morning goes absolutely terrible. I'm calling everyone and only Amanda picks up and she, in a very short in sweet way say, "Yeah, fuck no I'm not coming in". So At 11:00AM I gave the call to my area manager that we were just simply under staffed completely. Nobody would come in and even my manager had called out. She told me to basically pack it up, leave the sign on the window and we'd open up tomorrow at our normal time. I guess I'm getting out of a full day of work. That'll give me more time to study for my exams and maybe I can see my boyfriend tonight. That would be awesome! So we basically have to toss anything we can't use tomorrow and in true employee fashion we make ourselves lunch before doing so. I was wiping down the front assembly line when I heard the glass break. I looked up and there's a very large man holding what seems to be a gun in his hand. I

immediately froze. Speechless the man walked toward me and yelled, "OPEN THE REGISTER NOW, GIVE ME THE MONEY". Well, I'm not going to fight this, just do what he says.. it's on camera. I literally feel myself pee a little in fear. I open the register and mutter the words, "There's only $50 in here, we aren't open today and that's all we have." The man proceeds to walk towards me, very dark complected wearing a very thick north face jacket. I hand him the money as he grabs my arm and pulls me almost over the counter. I feel the cold steel against my head as he says, "Give me your phone". I mutter, "It's back there" as I point to the shelf behind me. He lets go and I turn to get it only to see Luke's face in the window of the back room door just off to the side. He just nods and I don't know what came over me. I grabbed my phone and turned around. As I handed it to the man

he had one hand on the gun and I just... went for it. The following moments seemed like a decade. My hands pushed the gun into the air as Luke dove out of the doorway to tackle the man. Before Luke made contact the handle of the gun struck me in the head and everything immediately went black. The next thing I remember I woke up to the sound of police sirens. I look up and there's Luke, only the "creepy" look on his face is gone. He's genuinely holding me and I'm laying on the floor with my head in his arms. "Are you ok Melly? He got you in the head". "My head hurts pretty bad". "Don't move, I think you've got a concussion. We're laying behind the assembly counter, I remember staring at the sour cream fridge when everything just went dark. The sound of the sirens slowly silenced and all I hear is Luke telling me to stay awake.

"She was dead, I had to do what I had to do" Luke spoke up. She passed out in my lap and I thought she was dead. The police came in right as she passed out and checked the scene. The man was dead on the floor, me and Melly behind the counter, and I have no clue where that pain in the ass John ran to. They pulled their guns on me and I said we're innocent and that the big man was the attacker. "I need an ambulance, she's dying!". They told me to sit tight and made calls on the radio. Everything was a blur. I could tell something was wrong with Melly as she wasn't breathing right. I took my boots off and laid her head on them. I knew this was it, she's either going to die or I'm going to save her. I always knew she thought I was some weird creep. The amount of money I spent on her pictures on a website called reddit; if she only knew it was me. I laid her head on my boots and

put my hands together. I took me hand and slowly put it on her chest between her very supple breasts. I couldn't think about that, I had to save her life. The training I was taking to become an EMT was her only hope. There was a sharp object between my palms and her chest and my own moral compass fought me hard. I reached under her uniform and felt and her bra had a metal clip where what felt like a bunch of straps met. I lifted the shirt and saw a clip and unbuckled it. I resumed with my hands pushing into her chest. Down and up, thirty times... "Training Luke, training you got this" I repeated to myself. She was out and not breathing. On the thirtieth compression I knew I had to do it. Something I'd only had imagined in my own head but for a completely different purpose. I closed her nose and pressed my lips against hers and breathed into her. I felt her chest rise

and fall as I repeated this twice. "Training Luke, training". I resumed compressing her chest as my eyes began to water. "I'm losing her" I said to myself as there was nobody to hear me. It seemed the police had found John in the back room. What a fucking coward, I'm going to have his hide. Down and up.. Thirty times, just like the dummy in class. "She's so beautiful, please don't let her leave me god". "Thirty... Training Luke, training." I pressed my lips against hers and breathed into her just like training. I felt her chest rise and fall. I didn't know what else to do. She still wasn't breathing. I grab her wrist, no pulse. Again I push into her chest up and down repeating to myself, "training Luke, training". I can't lose this woman, I never took my shot and it can't end this way. "Training Luke, training" as my arms locked together push into her chest and out

again. "Training". Our lips create a seal as I breathe into her again. There's droplets on her face, why does she have droplets on her face?" I go back to compressions repeating in my head, "Training Luke, training". I feel a hand grab my shoulder and say "Let us help her!". The EMT's are there and that's when I notice, the droplets are from my face. I'm crying as I'm giving her CPR. I look down and her eyes are open as I stand up and one EMT is walking me away. "Mel" is all I get out under the face of tears which are now just happiness and sadness all at once.

Fast forward to Friday morning. I'm sitting in my bed, I've woken in what seems to be... a hospital? Oh.. that's right... We got robbed at work, my fucking head hurts.. what the fuck happened. "HELP!" I scream and the beeping of a monitor goes off. "Mel???" I hear a familiar voice but... wait.. "Luke?? What are you doing here? Where is Mark? Where's my mom or my dad? Why are you here?!?!" I instantly became afraid. Why is creepy Luke in my room. Then he spoke up. He told me what had happened with Marlon (the would be robber or possibly killer). Luke lunged at the man as he swung and hit my head. I fell and hit my head on the shelf on the way down. He wrestled the man and the gun went off. "Look" he said as he extended his arm. The one bullet that was fired grazed his arm and struck the man in the chest instantly killing them. "I'm sorry if I startled you like this

but.. well.. I had to see you again". "I'm sorry about what happened and I had to give you CPR, you stopped breathing and I thought I lost my only chance to tell you..." He stopped, turned red, and went to walk away. "What?!" I said, just say it! "I thought I lost you there, in my arms. I think... I think... I think I love you Melly".

The utter amount of emotions that went over me were innumerable. I was in shock. My head hurt, my chest hurt, and I was confused. Luke continued. He told me all about finding me on Reddit, buying over $2000 in content that I made without ever messaging me. I was stunned. "Why didn't you tell me Luke?" "I was embarrassed, you had a boyfriend, and I just wanted to help you". "You bought naked pictures of me to help me?" "Well, I never even really looked at them. I got them in my email and just never bothered, I just knew it was helping you with school and knew you wouldn't accept if I offered it. Look, I know it's dumb, but I've always been shy around you because I don't know what to say. My stomach turns into butterflies and I don't want to scare you off. I'm sorry Mel, but that's how I feel." "I need some time to think but please, don't be embarrassed Luke. First, you

saved my life when you didn't have to. Second I always thought you were staring at me being creepy. I never realized and should have talked with you. Thank you for being there and here. Where are my friends and family?" Luke hands me my phone. I see messages from my mom and dad because I didn't call them. Nothing from my boyfriend Mark who was even supposed to meet me last night. Needless to say we're going to have a conversation about that Mark. I look at Luke, "I need time to think, but I need a hug. Please?" He embraces me and I can hear the tremble in his voice, "Thank you for not leaving, I thought I lost you".

Fast forward to today (pointing at a small child in a car seat carrier), that's little Luke. His dad is at work and still every bit of the hero to me and his son as he was that fateful Thursday. Mark had been cheating on me and my mother had no clue what had happened until I called that following morning. I owe Luke my life, and now that man is out there saving lives every day. He is a hero to all, especially his family.

[buggachat]

Hellooooo not sentiadrien related but I just wanted to pop in and say I ADORE the bakery au you have going!! It brightens up my day to see it in my feed!!

I am curious tho, assuming that Adrien has complete freedom over his life after high school graduation and nothing is stopping him from choosing any occupation, what do you think he’d end up doing? Do you think he’d choose to work in the bakery like ur au??

I’m just curious hehehe :) I like seeing people’s takes on what they think Adrien’s dream job would be (given that he has the freedom to actually do it)

Aah thank you!!

Adrien's future path is honestly something I struggle with a lot. Despite him being my favorite character and my strong love for aged-up scenarios, I honestly have no clue at all what I think he'd do with his life (and, according to wishmaker, neither does he lol).

Like to me, Nino obviously wants to be a director, Alya obviously wants to be a journalist, and Marinette obviously wants to be a fashion designer. Adrien.......... I just have no idea.

Here are some random strings of consciousness about Adrien's future. It got really long so I'm putting it under a read more for anybody who wants to indulge my ramblings.

Adrien clearly doesn't want to be a model. I like seeing him as a model in future AUs, but only as a "something he's still doing to please his father, because he feels like he has to" sort of thing. I never see modeling as his actual dream or his "end goal", just another thing to create conflict in his life. (that being said, if he and marinette were married, i can see him modeling her stuff. but not as his full-on career, just as a way for him to want to be a part of his wife's life and support her cuz he love her so much 🥺 but more as something he does Every Now and Again, and only when he wants to, and nothing more) _

 I think Adrien taking over "Gabriel" / the family business is just about the worst thing that could happen to him. I don't think he wants anything to do with "Gabriel" tbh (and honestly, I don't think Marinette will either, but that's a rant for another day. Basically keep his abusive father's company that will burn to the ground the moment he's outed as a terrorist as far away from Marinette and Adrien as possible. I think people forget the company is named "Gabriel", not "The Agreste Company", and i honestly just think it should burn.) Him taking it over is good for angst fics and stuff though, I'll give it that. If it was ever thrust upon him I'd hope he'd just liquidate the damn thing. _

 Ironically..... I don't really think he'd become a baker. Though I think it'd be really cute!! It's kind of something I like to see but don't necessarily believe would be the case under normal circumstances. (he didn't seem super enthused about it in weredad lol) _

 Adrien being into Physics is really popular (he said it was his favorite subject in the french dub of Evillustrator, I believe), but it's honestly not something I ever got very into? I think just the visual of Adrien alone in a room doing lab work or sifting through academic paper after academic paper just doesn't appeal to me. Feels too sterile and lonely and void of emotion for the boy whose whole life is overly lonely and sterilized and emotion repressing (and to be clear, I love physics. This isn't me dunking on physics, just that it doesn't really feel like it fills the holes in Adrien's life that I think he has) (that being said, the idea of Adrien using phsyics knowledge to do some wacky stuff with his destructive powers is very appealing. I like him liking physics, just not necessarily going into it full time or it being his main passion?) _

 Adrien being a teacher is very appealing (not a professor, though. I think that's too academic. I like him being a collége/middleschool teacher). I think I'd probably rank it at the top of possible careers for him. Personally, since I'm weirdly averse to the physics thing (that I know is a little silly of me, but it just doesn't gel in my head), I like the idea of him being a piano or literature teacher. Piano for obvious reasons, and literature because I like the idea of Adrien really liking poetry / the parallels to Mme. Bustier.... but physics of course makes sense too >:P I'll just be a little pouty about it I like the idea of Adrien being That Teacher™, like the one that students would go to talk to about their personal lives and trust with sensitive information that they can't trust with other adults. I think that's also why I like the idea of him teaching piano or literature, because I guess in my experience, the teachers that tend to have that effect on students are the ones who lead the more emotionally-driven classes. It's easier to open up to a teacher who talks about feelings than one who doesn't, and it's more likely to hear a music or lit teacher discuss Feelings than a physics teacher. .... I'm sorry this is turning into a weird rant about physics adrien I promise I don't dislike it that much and it's honestly probably the most canon thing anyway so you're all right and i'm wrong lmao _

Stay at home dadrien is cute, I like it for the symbolism of it being the exact opposite of what Gabriel did when it came to raising Adrien. I like the idea of Adrien absolutely loathing the idea of having to tell his child "I can't play with you, I have to do work" because that's exactly the thing Gabriel would've said to him. That being said, while I think it'd be something Adrien would do for a few years while his kids are growing, I still think he'd probably want to do something else before he has kids / once his kids are old enough / etc. So I see it more as something supplementary to whatever else he does and not a complete picture on its own. _

 I always thought actor/theater!Adrien was a fun idea, though I think it's more something I like in AUs than what I'd actually want/expect from him in canon. Adrien canonically is a good actor, and as Chat Noir we know he has a lot of showboatiness in him. I think Adrien being a star in a musical would be so fun, and him being an actor is a nice connection to his mom. It's very similar to modeling, and acting also is technically something Gabriel makes him do, but at least he'd probably find it more fun than standing still for hours while people take pictures of him? Again, I think it's good for AUs but not necessarily what I'd default to his future being. I think generally he wants to get out of the limelight/stop being a celebrity, so obviously that doesn't quite fit. But it's fun! _

 Not something I really see as a career so much as a hobby, but I like the idea of Adrien getting kind of into photography. Something about him being behind the camera instead of in front of it feels symbolic and nice somehow. That, and that scene in Reflekdoll where it made a point that Adrien's picked up a lot of photography knowledge from all his time on sets? Idk. It's fun. _

 That one shot in wishmaker where he and plagg discuss opening a cheese shop together has never quite left my brain. Adrien hates smelly cheeses and Plagg would never be able to part with cheese being sold, I know, but that shot just stuck with me, okay? It's cute. I just want an AU where marinette works at a bakery and adrien works at a cheese shop and their shops are side by side and they have to do business together or something. Someone make it happen idk _

 Flower shop Adrien. I don't really have much to say about it other than it passes the vibe check. It's really cute and I love flower shop aus and he loves roses okay idk so sue me _

 Definitely more AU territory I think, but Adrien being Marinette's assistant is so juicy. Basically Adrien being Marinette's Nathalie.... I think it's fun, it fits them. I've thought a lot about a post-Hawkmoth defeat AU where Marinette and Adrien never met and Adrien applies to be her assistant at her start-up fashion company. He applies because he's desperate for work after the smearing of his name and has a lot of fashion-industry experience on his resume that he can use, and Marinette gives him the job because she feels guilty about Ladybug ruining his life. Also probably some "oh no i miss my partner who i lost after the final battle" stuff sprinkled in, idk, I'm nothing if not predictable. But the idea of Adrien being the one handling Marinette's schedule, of being the one to talk to her like "oh boss, you need a break! I scheduled a weekend off for you :) you seem stressed" and them gradually becoming BFFs.

But yeah, I'm not really completely married to any of these ideas. So if anybody has any other ideas on things he might do, I'd also love to hear them. I'm always thinking about this stuff.

[gv80gb]

Wedding Bells

––Thank you so much –– Claire said to her hairdresser. Her hair was beautifully pulled into a low bun, in a perfectly messy way. Her makeup was already done too. The only thing missing was getting into her amazing light green dress. She was getting ready in her mother–in–law's hotel suite with her and with Hope, her sister-in-law. Her husband, Hunter, was in the groom's suite, helping his brother Hank get ready for his big day.

Hank was getting married to his High School sweetheart. It was a destination wedding, so we were all staying at a resort in Cancún where the wedding would take place. The ceremony would be starting at 2:00 pm, so an hour and a half from now, and it would take place in the beach. The reception was set to be in one of the resort's ballrooms, and it promised to be a great party. Everything about the wedding sounded fantastic, except for the fact that she would have to be carrying around her eight and a half months baby in this heat. She was sweating already, despite the fact that she was still inside an air-conditioned room. Besides that, small detail, it all sounded like a dream

––Honey, before you get dressed, I brought you something that I think you will find useful–– Rita, her mother-in-law said ––. My sister got married when I was pregnant with Hunter and I don't think I would have made it through the wedding without one of these.

She handed Claire a piece of elastic skin-colored fabric –– Spanx? –– I asked surprised.

––Yes! ––She answered ––It's designed for pregnant women. If you see, the fabric around the abdomen is softer, and the legs, the ass, the hips and the back is what will be tight. It will support your belly and back while applying pressure on your hips, relieving the tension you may have. Plus, it will make your ass look fantastic.

Claire laughed at this ––God, sounds like the invention of a lifetime –– she said, rubbing her big belly. She did need the support. Looking at it, it looked like it would fit a 5 year old. It was the tiniest piece of clothing I had ever seen for a full-grown adult, let alone a pregnant one.

Rita saw the doubt on her face and giggled ––. Don't worry dear, it expands. Here, I'll help you put it on –– She placed it in the floor opening it up so the two holes for the legs were visible. Claire stepped on them both and Rita started pulling it upwards ––. You need to close your legs tight Clairie, so this thing goes up ––. She did, and after 10 minutes or so of pulling it up her legs, the damn Spanx was finally hugging her ass and hips as it should. It felt tight, but in a good way. Pulling it past the belly was an easy task because, indeed the fabric on that area was softer. They only had to pull it a little in order for her to put my arms int the straps.

––Fewff, that was hard work ––Claire laughed, cleaning a droplet of sweat from my forehead. Damn heat!

Rita laughed with her ––. I promise you, you will thank me later –– She was sure she would, she already felt relief from something holding up the weight of her unborn baby.

Plus, her ass did look amazing with the fabric ending mid tight, and since the spanx ended went around her breasts, leaving them exposed but supported, her rack looked pretty good too.

The ceremony was beautiful. She watched her husband stand right beside her brother, fulfilling his duty as best man. The bride and groom looked radiant and filled with love for each other. And the ocean flowed peacefully behind them. A few (okay, maybe more than a few) tears slipped from her eyes as they told their vows. And everyone cheered when the minister proclaimed them husband and wife.

The only thing that could have made the ceremony better is if they had used better chairs for the guests. By the end of it her back was aching. Of course, nowadays it wasn't unusual for her back to be in pain. The beauty of the third trimester.

All the family members took some pictures with the newlyweds. Hunter and Claire had a beautiful picture taken as well. Hunter grabbing her protruding stomach lovingly while they looked into each other eyes. The next shot the photographer took of them both, Hunter was smirking, and Claire was red as a tomato. Because in that moment Hunter whispered against her ear ––When I saw you in that dress, all I could think of is how I will take it off. You know what? You look so good in it that, that maybe I'll even leave it on for our first round–– And that was the magnificent moment the picture captured.

The reception started at 4:00, and it was just as pretty as everything else (Except for the damn chairs, of course). They said hi to lots of family and friends. Hunter and Claire even danced for a while, before the pain in her back told her it was better to go sit down.

She was on her way to the bathroom when Hunter's aunt found her ––Hello Claire dear! How are you doing? ––The old lady asked.

––I'm doing great, thanks! Are you having fun tonight? –– Claire asked, even though her back was killing her. Every few minutes the sharp pain would come back, but still she smiled at her.

––Yes, yes of course. How far along are you Claire? You look ready to pop! ––She asked with a smile on her face.

––Still half a month to go! ––She said.

––Oh God! I could swear you were overdue with the size of your bump ––She frowned –– You are going to have a huge baby.

––Well, I wouldn't be so surprised, look at her father's size.

––Of course, yes! And you are not short either –– She said. She was right, Claire's stomach was enormous, but what she told her was true. Hunter was a massive guy with 6"5. And Claire wasn't exactly short, so chances were they were having a very large baby. She shuddered just thinking about pushing a watermelon sized human being into the world.

Claire's trip to the bathroom was an odyssey. She was peeing herself, but of course she had to take the Spanx off first. That was hard enough, especially around the hips, but she managed to do it. The real deal was putting it back on. She had to call her mother-in-law so she could come to the rescue. Standing in the middle of the ladies room Rita helped her put it back in place (And put her dress back on again) She finally zipped her up and went back out to the party.

Even though the party was magnificent, Claire couldn't help but feel uncomfortable. At 9:00pm her back was aching more than usual, the pain sometimes even spreading to her lower belly. She was hot and sweaty and all she wanted to do was lie down. She turned and looked to her husband, he was laughing alongside the cousins who lived on the other side of the country, they never saw each other, and everyone seemed like they were having the time of their lives. She thought she would wait another hour so she didn't seem rude and she would go back to her room. That was one of the advantages of staying at the same hotel where the wedding was going on at.

At 10:00 pm Claire grabbed Hunter's knee to grab his attention. He turned to her with a smile on her face.

––I'm heading to the room sweetie ––She said to him in a low tone.

Hunter frowned ––Why? Are you okay?

––Yeah, my back just hurts a lot, I've been standing a lot, and the fancy shoes don't help my comfort.

His frown disappeared ––Okay, let's go

––Oh, no honey! You don't have to come with me! Enjoy your family! It's your brother's wedding for God's sake ––She said sincerely. She didn't want to spoil anyone's fun.

––Are you sure baby? ––He asked

––100% You have fun

––Call me if you need anything? ––She nodded at his question. She quickly said her goodbyes around the table. And headed to say goodbye to her in- laws. Promising she would see them at breakfast tomorrow. She finally started her walk towards her room.

The thing about resorts is that sometimes they were too... big. Claire had been walking for twenty minutes when she finally reached the elevators. Once inside, she took off her shoes, allowing her feet to stretch. Another one of the back pains hit her hard. God, she needed to lay down and rest. On the walk towards the elevator, she have had 4 aches. This last one spread into her stomach, just as a few had done back in the wedding. After around 40 seconds the intensity subdued.

The elevator opened and she still had to walk through a long hallway to get to her room. she rubbed her back trying to ease another pain coming.

The moment she closed the door of the room another one followed, this time making her bend over a little, since it was spreading so much further in her lower stomach. She grunted with the pain. Could it be? No, she dismissed it, she was just exhausted form the day.

She decided to lay down on the bed, the pain in her back instantly diminishing. But now, the next pain hit her directly in the abdomen, forcing her to grab her belly. She couldn't deny it anymore. That had been a contraction. Shit, was all those back pains in the wedding been contractions as well? That would mean she had been labouring! For almost 8 hours!

She got up from the bed so she could grab her phone and let Hunter know what was happening. The moment she straightened her back a warm gush of liquid exploded out of her.

––Shit, my water–– A contraction hit her with renewed strength, making her moan ––Mmmmmmggodd ––She grabbed her belly in an attempt to relief the pain. When the contraction was over she stepped aside from the pool of liquid at her feet and decided to get the dress off so she could move better. The dressed was zipped from behind, so she had to maneuver to hold the zipper. Not even two minutes after the last one, another contraction hit her, with her still holding the zipper in her hand. The pain made her break it from the dress, and the fabric pooled at her feet.

She continued her way to the front table, where her phone was. She unlocked it and as she was opening the phone app, it died ––Oh, no no no. C'mon! –– She hit the phone against her palm uselessly.

She made her way across the room to charge her phone. She was wondering about her possibilities. She could go back to the ballroom and let Hunter know she was in labour. But that would imply getting dressed and walking for another 20 minutes on her way there only to have to get back. It sounded like a lot. Or she could wait here, labour by herself and wait for Hunter to arrive to the room. It was already 11:00 pm, so he probably wouldn't take that long, maybe a couple of hours more. She had read tons of books on pregnancy, and they said that first time mothers usually had a long labour, so Hunter would probably get in time to help her.

She decided to settle in the bed for a while, panting and moaning with her contracting body, each one stronger and deeper than the last one. She stayed there for about 45 minutes, grasping the sheets and her stomach whenever the intensity became too much. The contractions were getting closer together, only a couple of minutes between them, sometimes even less.

After a while she realized that her phone had to had battery already, so she got up from her side of the bed as she could and walked to where her phone was charging. But before she could reach it something tangled in her feet. The dress she had left on the floor made her stumble, falling on her knees. The moment she touched the floor she felt something drop against her cervix, sliding right into her birth canal. She suddenly started feeling the urge to bear down.

Without thinking a lot about it, she positioned herself in all fours and started following her body's instincts. She touched her chin to her chest and pushed as hard as she could. The pushing helped with the pain of the contractions, so Claire continued to push, happy that the pain wasn't as intense as just some moments before. But soon enough, the head was against her entrance, causing a burning sensation to surge form within her. She moaned in a way she never had before. With her hand, Claire touched her slit and felt it bulging against her tight Spanx.

DAMN IT, she had absolutely forgotten about the Spanx. Without enough time to think about what to do, another contraction pressed her belly, and without realizing it, she pushed again. The baby's head was pushed forward with this, causing the elastic fabric further. When the contraction was over, Claire stopped and took a breath. The fabric between her crotch receded, pushing her baby back inside her. Claire screamed painfully at the loss of her progress.

She had to get out of that evil piece of clothing. Putting all of her weight on her knees, she started pulling at the straps, she slid out her arms until they were free. Before she could slide the Spanx down her huge frame, another contraction came, this one longer and stronger than any before. She fell to her side as she bore down, only able to push the bulging head a little before the confining item made it go back inside. The pressure inside her was driving her crazy, and not being able to push her baby out was more painful than anything.

She needed to birth her baby as much as she needed to breathe. Anxiety started rising up within her, worried about her baby being in her birth canal way too long. Claire managed to shift from her side to her butt. She quickly rolled the tight fit down her belly, liberating her upper body. With this, the tension around her crotch was less, so when the next push came, the head started crowning. It still couldn't go completely out, but at least it was making some progress. When the pushing stopped, it went back a little, but not completely as it had been doing. Claire smiled at this, even against the burning sensation, knowing that she was closer to meeting her child.

After a contraction was over, she tried pulling the Spanx down her hips. But the fabric was so tight it was unmovable. Plus, she had to lift her bottom from the floor and she wasn't managing to do it. Before she could think another contraction came, and the moment that one finished, a new one started.

Her legs were slightly parted with the crowning head, and she realized that if she wanted the fabric to budge she had to close them. Knowing it was the only way to get out of her tight hell, Claire closed her eyes and with her hand pushed the head of her baby back inside of her. She let out a pained shriek and closed her legs as fast as she could, so her baby didn't come out again. She planted her feet on the floor and rose her ass. She was tugging at the fabric when another contraction hit her middle, she fell right down on her ass. Suddenly something shifted inside her, a new pressure started building from the top of her stomach. It fell like her own body was placing weight against her baby so it would be born faster.

When the contraction ended, the pressure did not lessen. It took all her might, but she lifted herself again, resting her weight against the side of the bed. With her legs closed the fabric was giving in more, not a lot, but definitely more. She managed to get it past her hips and to her thighs, liberating her aching pussy. The moment her ass touched the ground her legs fell open. Not a lot because they were still being obstructed by the tight roll the Spanx had created. The roll was hurting the skin on her legs. Without meaning to, the moment her legs opened up a bit the head surged again quickly, this time going up to the brow.

Beads of sweat were covering Claire's entire body. By this point, the contractions were almost non stopping, so her body pushed again, against her will. The head emerged and a gush of liquid fell from her. She began feeling the shoulder slamming against her entrance. She bore down again, with all of the strength she had, needing this baby out in that very moment. But the baby wasn't moving. She tried opening her legs more, but she couldn't. The baby was trapped once again.

Claire tried pulling down the Spanx further down, but again, her open legs wouldn't let her do it. A tear rolled down her cheek knowing what she had to do. Once more, her hand travelled to her crotch, grabbing the top of her baby's head she pushed on the opposite direction it should be going. If getting the head out was painful, getting it all back in was excruciating. Fresh tears rolled down her face, and she couldn't stop screaming in pain.

––FUUUCK, FUCK, FUCK. SOMEBODY PLEASE HELP MEEEAGHHHHHHHH –– She screamed at the top of her lungs, pain swallowing her completely. As she pushed the head back in, she felt something inside of her resisting it. I t was like there was something inside her trying to block the baby's way back in. But after the most painful seconds of her life, the head was successfully inside of her once again. She closed her legs strongly and tugged down at the torture that the Spanx had been. She managed to move it right above her knee, she could barely reach it anymore, but she was scared that if she opened her legs the baby's head would pop out again, she knew that the item was still not going to allow her to open up fully in order to let the shoulders out.

She stretched her arms as much as she could, but as much as she tried she couldn't reach it anymore. She was pushing against her closed legs in order to relief some of the pressure building against her vagina. Maybe if she stood up the fabric would fall to her feet. But, how was she going to do that? Before she could think the next contraction hit her like a train. It left her without any air in her lungs, she even began feeling dizzy. Her legs fell open once more, and she whined. But everything started to seem blurry. It was like everything was far away from her, and she couldn't care that her legs were open again. She didn't realize she was crying, and her eyes started dropping in exhaustion.

Suddenly the door of her room opened up. It was 01:20 am. Hunter's eyes widened and his heart skipped a beat at the sight of her wife spread naked in the floor, her legs restrained by a piece of clothing and their baby's head hanging out of her lips. She was pale and looked like she was passing out.

––Honey ––He rushed at her side –– Oh God Claire, c'mon focus on me, baby.

Claire opened her eyes ––Hunter? –– She asked in a breath that turned into a moan. She grabbed her husband shoulder as the pain awakened her. Her immense belly's shape changed with the contraction.

––Yes baby, I'm here. I need you to focus on getting this baby out, okay? How long have you been like this?

––I've been pushing for around two hours. –– She said. No wonder why she was exhausted ––. I can't get the baby past the head. The Spanx won't let me. Please get it out of me –– She begged. Hunter didn't know if his wife was referring to the Spanx or the baby, but he got to work. He couldn't slide the fabric sown with her opened legs. So he grabbed one of them and bent it, so the feet was out of the hole. Once he did this, Claire was able to open up completely. He quickly slid the Spanx out of her other leg and tossed it aside.

––Okay Claire, now you can push –– He told her. She bore down and she felt the shoulders straining against her lips. Now that she was finally open she could still feel the strange weight against her baby, pushing it out of her. Her womb contracted and her lips stretched wider than they ever had –– You are doing amazing honey, You are almost done.

In the next contraction one shoulder was out, in the following two the other. And with one last push the baby slid out of her into Hunter's expectant hands.

––It's a boy, baby. We had a boy! ––Hunter exclaimed, tears falling down his face. He placed the baby on top of the mother's chest and he leaned in to kiss her ––You are incredible honey. I'm sorry I wasn't here for the most part.

––It definitely would've made it easier ––Claire laughed. She was crying too, out of joy and pain. The contractions in her stomach were still going on, but she didn't worry, she had read that the uterus contracted until the afterbirth was delivered. A few minutes passed when something changed –– Hunter, love –– She said, panic in her voice ––. Something is not right. Check me please.

She didn't have to say it twice. In a second, Hunter was between her wife's legs. He inserted his fingers at her entrance when he felt it. Something hard and round. He smiled ––How do you feel about twins babe?

Her mouth fell open ––WHAT? ––She yelled. Soon enough a hard contraction took her body, squeezing it and torturing it ––. UUUUUUGHNNNNNN, I feel it in my birth canal.

––Yup, that's exactly where it is. I need you to push hard honey. This will be over soon. With one arm still wrapped around her baby boy, she grabbed just one of her knees and pushed as hard as her tired body allowed her. She pushed contraction after contraction, feeling the baby sliding down. She was beginning to crown when Hunter said excitedly ––I can see the head baby, you are incredible. Keep pushing!

With his hand, Hunter was controlling the progress of the baby so she wouldn't tear. With each push the baby came closer to meeting the world. After a few more contractions the head sprang out. Hunter found the cord around the neck and told her to hold off her pushes. He disentangled it and gave her the green light to keep going.

10 minutes later a cascade of fluids coming from her insides fell out of Claire, accompanying her second baby boy.

––We have another boy! ––Hunter laughed. After a while he helped her aching wife onto the bed with their sons. She breastfed them and Hunter watched fascinated. Claire didn't miss the bulge forming in her husband's pants, and she smirked, knowing that besides all the pain, she would totally do it again.

Now they rested together as the family they were. Tomorrow they would have a long explanation to give when they showed up to breakfast with two extra guests.