#keeping information like this from y'all when you want it SO bad makes me feel so bratty hehehehehehhe

[puppy-wife]

something is telling me the kink is sensory related........... laugh related perhaps even......

listen motherfucker just because I was convinced to have a tickling kink by one of my mutuals (who I have a LIGHT!!! LIGHT CRUSH!!!! on) doesn't mean you are right. these are different faggots okay

[official-cvntified-gay]

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐢𝐞 𝐖𝐞 𝐋𝐢𝐯𝐞 [𝐀𝐥𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐚 𝐃. 𝐱 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫]

❀ summary: You’ve fallen hard for Alcina Dimitrescu, the alluring CEO of a rival company—completely unaware of her plan to use you to gather information on your father’s business. What began as manipulation slowly turned into love, but when the truth comes out, will Alcina be able to win you back, or is it already too late?

❀ time to take this want out the vault, originally a carol aird one but we love ceo alcina, let me know if y'all want part two<3

❀ part two

The city lights flicker through the floor-to-ceiling windows of Alcina’s penthouse as you stand by the edge, staring out at the sprawling skyline. The night air is cool, and yet your skin feels like it’s burning under her gaze. You don’t have to turn around to know that she’s watching you—her presence is magnetic, a force you can feel even when she’s standing across the room.

You’ve always wondered how she does it—how Alcina Dimitrescu commands a room with nothing more than a look. And somehow, she’s chosen you. From the moment she walked into your life, her power was intoxicating, pulling you in like a moth to a flame.

A soft sound of footsteps draws nearer, and you feel the heat of her body behind you before she even touches you. Her breath is warm against your neck as she leans down, her lips brushing the shell of your ear.

“You’re quiet tonight,” she murmurs, her voice low, sultry. “What’s on your mind, darling?”

You close your eyes, letting the sound of her voice wash over you. “Just thinking about how everything’s changed so quickly.” You turn your head slightly, meeting her gaze. Her golden eyes are intense, full of a desire that sets your heart racing.

Alcina smiles, a slow, deliberate curve of her lips. “Change isn’t always a bad thing.”

You nod, though the depth of your feelings for her scares you. You hadn’t expected to fall so hard, so fast. But from the first moment you met her—at that high-profile charity gala where your father introduced you to half of the city’s elite—she’d captivated you. She was mysterious, powerful, unlike anyone you’d ever met.

You couldn’t resist her.

Now, with her standing so close, the scent of her perfume lingering in the air, you feel the pull again, stronger than ever. You feel the need for her, a deep ache that you can’t explain.

Alcina’s hand grazes your arm, her fingers tracing the skin there, and you shiver under her touch. She steps closer, her body pressing against yours, the cool fabric of her tailored suit a contrast to the heat building between you. Her lips ghost over your neck, and you bite your lip to keep from making a sound.

“You’re trembling,” she whispers, her voice dark and full of promise. “Are you afraid of me?”

You let out a shaky breath, leaning back into her touch. “No,” you say, though your voice wavers. “I’m not afraid of you.”

You can feel her smile against your skin, her lips teasingly close. “Good,” she purrs, “because I would never hurt you, darling.”

She kisses the soft spot behind your ear, and you feel your knees weaken, your body responding to her in ways you can’t control. You want her—there’s no denying it. The way her touch ignites something deep within you, the way her voice makes your pulse race. It’s addictive.

Her hands trail down your sides, slow, deliberate, as if she’s savoring the feel of you beneath her fingers. And then, with a firm yet gentle touch, she turns you to face her.

You look up at her, your breath catching in your throat. The intensity in her eyes is almost overwhelming, but you don’t want to look away. There’s something raw in the way she looks at you, something vulnerable beneath the surface of her powerful exterior.

Alcina’s hand moves to cup your cheek, her thumb brushing over your lower lip. “I want to make you feel good,” she murmurs, her voice low, intimate. “Will you let me?”

Your breath hitches, and all you can do is nod. You’re completely under her spell.

Her lips crash against yours, and it’s like fire—hot, intense, consuming. The kiss is full of passion, her hands gripping your waist, pulling you flush against her. You can feel the strength in her arms, the way she holds you as if she’s afraid to let go.

You kiss her back just as fiercely, your fingers tangling in her hair, pulling her closer. You’ve never wanted anyone the way you want her right now.

Alcina’s hands move to your back, sliding down to your hips, and she lifts you effortlessly, carrying you over to the plush couch in the center of the room. She lays you down gently, her body hovering over yours as she looks down at you, her eyes dark with desire.

“You’re so beautiful,” she breathes, her hand sliding up your thigh, pushing the fabric of your dress higher. “Do you know that?”

You can’t find the words to respond, so you just pull her down to you, crashing your lips against hers once more. The world outside disappears—there’s nothing but you and Alcina, the heat of her body, the way her touch sets your skin on fire.

Her kisses move to your neck, then lower, trailing down your collarbone as she takes her time exploring every inch of you. Her hands are firm, possessive, yet there’s a tenderness in the way she touches you that makes your heart ache.

It feels like she’s worshipping you, like she’s pouring everything into this moment. And you can’t help but surrender to her, completely and utterly.

You’ve never felt this kind of intensity before—this longing, this need. It’s like she’s consumed you, and you don’t want it to stop.

But as Alcina’s lips move lower, pressing soft kisses to your stomach, there’s a nagging thought in the back of your mind, something you’ve been trying to ignore. You know so little about her—about her world, her life outside of these moments you share. And it’s strange, isn’t it? That someone so powerful, so enigmatic, would want you?

You push the thought away, focusing instead on the way she’s making you feel—the way her touch drives you wild, the way she whispers your name like it’s the only thing that matters.

But somewhere deep down, the seed of doubt is planted.

In the quiet moments after, as you lie tangled in each other’s arms, your head resting on her chest, Alcina strokes your hair softly. Her fingers trail down your back in soothing patterns, but there’s a tension in her body that you don’t understand.

“What are you thinking about?” you ask, your voice soft in the dim light.

There’s a pause, just long enough to make you wonder if she’ll answer.

“I’m thinking about how much I’ve come to care for you,” she says finally, her voice barely above a whisper.

“More than I ever expected.”

Your heart swells at her words, but before you can respond, Alcina presses a kiss to your forehead and pulls you closer, as if she’s trying to shield you from something you can’t see.

And for now, you let her.

You sink deeper into her embrace, feeling the warmth of Alcina's body against yours, her heartbeat slow and steady beneath your ear. It's the first time she's said anything like that—admitting her feelings so plainly, even if her words are wrapped in mystery.

Your chest tightens, unsure of how to respond. There’s a quiet vulnerability in the air that feels foreign for someone like Alcina—someone so poised, so untouchable. For all her confidence and power, there's something in the way she holds you tonight that feels like she's clinging to more than just your body.

“I care about you too,” you whisper, your voice sounding smaller than you'd intended. “More than I expected, honestly.”

You feel her stiffen ever so slightly, as if she wasn’t expecting you to say it back, but she doesn’t respond. Instead, she continues to stroke your hair, her silence both soothing and unnerving.

Minutes pass like this, the quiet between you growing heavier. You want to ask more—to understand this woman who’s slowly become the center of your world. But every time you open your mouth to speak, the questions get caught in your throat. You don’t want to break the fragile intimacy between you, not when everything feels so perfect… yet so delicate.

Still, that nagging thought returns, like a quiet hum in the back of your mind. You know so little about her. Her life outside of these secret moments is a mystery. And that mystery is starting to weigh on you.

“Alcina,” you say softly, tilting your head to look up at her. Her golden eyes meet yours, and for a moment, you see something there—something raw, almost like guilt. But then it’s gone, replaced with her usual composed expression.

“Yes, darling?” Her voice is smooth, but there’s an edge to it, like she’s bracing herself for what you might say next.

You hesitate, the words hanging on the tip of your tongue. You’ve never been good at hiding your curiosity, and tonight is no different.

“Why don’t you ever talk about your work?" The question seems innocent enough, but the moment it leaves your lips, you can feel the shift in the air. Alcina’s body tenses beneath you, and her hand pauses in your hair.

She’s quiet for a beat too long, and when she finally speaks, her tone is measured. “Business is... complicated. I’d rather not burden you with it.”

You bite your lip, unsure if you should push further. But something about her answer feels off, too rehearsed. You sit up slightly, propping yourself up on one elbow as you look at her, trying to read her expression.

“I don’t mind hearing about it,” you say gently. “I want to know more about you, about your life. You’ve been such a big part of mine lately, but I feel like I still don’t know much about you.”

Alcina’s eyes darken, and for a moment, you see the cracks in her perfect facade. She looks away, her jaw tight. “It’s better that you don’t,” she mutters, almost as if to herself.

That response only makes your heart race faster—because now, you know something’s wrong. Something bigger than she’s letting on.

“What do you mean?” you ask, your voice soft but firm. “Why shouldn’t I know?”

Alcina exhales, sitting up and running a hand through her dark hair. Her expression is unreadable, but you can feel the tension radiating off her in waves. It’s like she’s battling something within herself, something she can’t—or won’t—share with you.

“Because once you know the truth,” she says slowly, her voice low and heavy with something like regret, “things won’t be the same between us.”

Your heart drops at her words. “What truth? Alcina, you’re scaring me.”

She looks at you then, really looks at you, and for a moment, you see everything in her eyes—fear, guilt, longing. It hits you like a wave, the weight of it almost knocking the breath from your lungs.

“I never wanted it to be like this,” she whispers, her voice cracking at the edges. “But I’m not just some woman you met at a gala. There are things you don’t know, things I’ve kept from you.”

You feel a pit forming in your stomach, but you force yourself to ask, even though part of you is terrified of the answer. “What things?”

Alcina stands, towering over you with a look of torment in her eyes. She paces for a moment, running a hand through her hair again, as if trying to figure out how to say what she’s about to say.

“There’s a reason I’ve been so close to you,” she says finally, her voice tight. “It didn’t start because of some chance encounter at a gala. I sought you out. I’ve been... using you.”

The words hit you like a physical blow, and for a moment, the room seems to spin. You stare at her, trying to make sense of what she’s saying, but it doesn’t add up. It can’t. Not after everything.

“Using me?” you repeat, your voice trembling. “For what?”

Alcina closes her eyes, as if the weight of her confession is too much to bear. “For information. Your father—his company. Dimitrescu Enterprises and his corporation are... rivals. I needed leverage, and I thought I could get close to you, seduce you, and...”

She trails off, unable to finish the sentence. You don’t need her to.

Your mind reels as the realization crashes over you. The private dinners, the late-night conversations, the way she always seemed so interested in the details of your life, your family. It wasn’t love—it was manipulation. A calculated move to get to your father, to destroy his business from the inside.

You push the blanket off, sitting up fully, feeling like the walls of the room are closing in on you. “You... you’ve been lying to me this whole time?”

Alcina’s eyes snap open, and the pain in them is undeniable. “It started that way,” she says quickly, stepping closer. “But then I fell for you. I didn’t expect it, I didn’t want it, but I couldn’t stop myself. This—what we have—it’s real. You have to believe me.”

You shake your head, backing away from her as tears prick your eyes. “How am I supposed to believe anything you say now? You’ve been using me, Alcina. All of this—” you gesture to the room, to the bed, to the moments you shared— “it was just part of your plan.”

“No,” she says, her voice breaking. “It’s more than that now. I swear to you, I never meant to hurt you. I fell in love with you, and that wasn’t part of the plan. You have to believe me.”

But the weight of her betrayal is crushing, and the walls of the penthouse, once a sanctuary, now feel like a prison. You can’t breathe. You can’t think.

“I... I need to go,” you whisper, grabbing your clothes, your hands trembling as you dress.

“Please,” Alcina begs, her voice desperate. “Don’t leave. I can explain everything.”

But you can’t listen to her right now. You can’t look at her, can’t see the woman you thought you loved standing there with so much guilt in her eyes.

Without another word, you turn and rush out of the room, the sound of Alcina calling your name echoing in your ears as you disappear into the night.

───────── ౨ৎ ─────────

⟢﹒requests are open (but don't expect much since I'm just coming back to writing, hope you enjoyed this<3)

[sommerbueckers]

HIHI ITS 🤍 I LOVED THE LAST ONE SHOT YOU WROTE FOR MY REQUEST SO IM BEING GREEDY AND SENDING ANOTHER⁉️

so basically it’s fluff with paige finding out her gf/flirty friend?? doesn’t know how to drive/isn’t good at it and teaching her🤭🤭 just imagine paige teases her about her bad parking, hand on her thigh the whole time she tries to focus on driving, praising her when she’s doing good

need this woman SO BAD

Did y'all miss me??

HI BABY, so glad you loved the last one and I hope this one meets ur standardsssss

Paige sighed as she pulled into a gas station and parked the car. It was mostly deserted with the exception of a family that was taking their leave.

"I'll pump and you grab snacks?" she quirked a brow at you and was met with a nod.

The two of you were four hours into your adventitious road trip and you could tell Paige was getting tired. You had encouraged her to get as much rest as possible so that she'd have enough energy to make the full drive, it's not because you didn't want to drive, but because you didn't know how.

You had never learned to drive simply because you never needed to. Throughout high school you had taken the bus to and from school, your friends and parents drove you to every public event, and you never went anywhere you didn't feel absolutely inclined to. So learning to drive was never something that crossed your mind.

But sitting in the passenger seat of Paige's car with her barely able to keep her eyes open, it was the only thing on your mind.

You grabbed two Redbulls from the refrigerator section and a couple random snacks before making your way to the register. Pulling out your wallet you said, "Can I put twenty-five on pump four?"

...

"You get me Tru Fru?" Paige perked up when she noticed you approaching the car.

"Duh, a Redbull too, can't have you fallin' asleep behind the wheel," you snorted, hoping she got the message.

"About that," the blonde started, leaning in through the driver side window, "I was thinking you could take over for a little."

"Take over what?"

"Driving, what else?" she laughed.

"How am I gonna watch my show if I'm driving?"

"C'mon ma, just for a little. I just need a break."

"I told you to go to sleep last night but you wanted to watch another episode, now you have to pay the price."

"Bro," she groaned, resting her forehead on her forearms. "It's not like you were against watching another episode, you wanted to see the recoupling just as much as I did."

"Wait we need to talk about that for a moment, because that shit was crazy."

"Nah for real though! I love Mackenzie 'n' all but choosin' her over Courtney was fuckin' crazy."

"Yeah, yeah and-"

"No, stop," Paige interrupted, "you're trying to distract me from the conversation."

You sighed in defeat, "It was working for a moment," you mumbled.

"Please peach, just drive. Drive for a little and then we can switch back," she pleaded.

"Paige I can't..."

"Why not?"

"Because I-" you sighed and rubbed your hands over your face, "I can't drive."

"What do you mean?"

She was met with silence as you shook your head and leaned back, embarrassed to admit it out loud.

"Look I get that you don't want to but I don't want to drive another-"

"No, Paige I literally can't drive. Like I never learned how."

"Huh? You're jus' lyin' so you don't have to drive," she frowned.

"Dude why do you think I never drive to your house?"

"'Cus you don't have a car."

"And why do you think that is? 'Cus I can't fuckin' drive."

Paige stared silently at you, her eyes wide with shock as she processed the information. She bit the inside of her cheek and tapped her fingers against the door. When the pump popped out of the socket, she placed it back into the hold and got into the car.

She didn't start it back up, just stared at you with a teasing smile.

"You really never learned how to drive?" she asked.

"Never."

"You never wanted to learn?"

"I never needed to."

"So how did you get everywhere?"

"The same way I do now. Ubers, busses, my friends."

Paige shook her head, "I can't believe this, we gotta do somethin' about this."

...

"What is this?" you frowned, pausing your Netflix show and looking through the windshield.

"This is my course."

"Your what?"

"My driving course, where you're gonna learn how to drive," Paige said.

"Paige what? No, what're you doing?"

Paige parked the car and unbuckled her seatbelt, not answering your question as she stepped out and walked over to your side.

"Either you can get out this car willingly or I can get you out myself. You pick."

You looked up at her with pleading eyes, begging her not to make you do this. But she didn't seem to care, leaning patiently against the car door as she waited for you to get out.

"Ugh, fuck."

...

"Alright adjust your mirrors, make sure you can see your surroundings," Paige instructed.

"Oh my god, look at my eyebrows!" you frowned, running your finger across all the little hairs surrounding them.

"Focus!" Paige exclaimed, thumping your head. "Now put the car in drive."

"It won't move," you roughly tried yanking the gear stick back but it wouldn't budge. "Maybe this is a sign that we shouldn't be doing this."

"Shut that shit up," Paige snorted, "put your foot on the break and then change gears."

Once you switched the gears and let your foot off the break, the car began to move on its own. In a panic, you slammed your foot back down, jerking the car forward.

"Shit! I wasn't even pressing the gas," you frowned at the blonde.

"Yeah the car moves by itself," Paige suppressed a laugh as she nodded at you. "Just relax," she breathed out, gently rubbing her hand up and down your thigh. "You don't gotta be scared, i'm right here."

You nodded your head and gave her a smile, turning your attention back to the empty parking lot in front of you. With a deep breath, you finally eased your foot off the break.

...

"Go up more...little more. Good girl," Paige gave your thigh a light squeeze as she praised you.

You could feel your cheeks heat up at her words and you did your best to focus on driving.

"Alright now put the car in reverse and turn the wheel that way as you back up," the blonde said.

"Can't believe I'm fuckn' doing this," you breathed out through a laugh.

Paige smiled, "Doin' great baby."

Paige's hand inched higher and higher the more you backed the car into the lines. As her hand crept toward the inside of your thigh, you panically -- for the second time -- slammed your foot on the break.

"What just happened?" she asked when you parked the car.

"I got nervous," you shrugged innocently.

Paige smirked knowingly at you before unbuckling her seatbelt and getting out of the car to check your job. Her eyebrows shot to her hairline and she tilted her head, chuckling to herself.

"I don't think I've ever seen worse," she said once back in the car.

"Stop. Was it really that bad?"

"No, no," she smiled, taking your hand and placing a kiss on your knuckles, "You just need a lil practice, that's all."

"You sure? Don't lie to make me feel good," you said.

"I'm not lying."

"Okay."

A beat of silence passed before Paige spoke again.

"I have seen Drew do better though..."

"Paige!"

...

"You're not being a very good student right now," Paige whispered, using her thumb to drag your bottom lip down.

"I'm only as good as you make me," you smirked.

You softly pressed your lips against hers, smiling when you felt her hand travel to the back of your neck and hold you close.

"You're so pretty," she caressed your cheek with her other hand, "and smart...even though you can't drive."

"You are such a dick," you playfully slapped her arm, pulling away and sitting back in your seat.

She shrugged to herself and opened her bag of Tru Fru, tossing a few pieces of the chocolate into her mouth. "Next lesson."

...

"Alright so this is an intersection," Paige explained, "it's packed."

You stared blankly out at the empty parking lot, furrowing your eyebrows and then side-eyeing her.

"Art of imagination," she patted your thigh. "Now the car on the left of you was here when you got here, but the car on your right got here at the same time as you, do you know what to do?"

"The car on my left goes first," you answer.

"Right, but what about the other car? Who gets to go first?"

"Whoever presses the gas harder," you snort, only to be met with Paige's unimpressed expression. "Fine. Uh...don't they go first? I have to yield to cars on my right."

"Bro you got it!" Paige smiled.

You clapped briefly, shyly shrugging your shoulders as you looked up at her. "I think I deserve a kiss."

"Oh do you?"

"Mhm...et lite kyss," you mumbled.

"Fuck that's so sexy, say somethin' else," Paige said.

"Kom hit," you gestured for her to come here with your finger, connecting your lips in a slow kiss.

"Hmm," she hummed against your lips, "you ready to go?"

You nodded your head, "Please. Do I have to drive?"

"No, not gonna make you do that."

"Good, 'cus if you did, there'd be no kisses for you tonight."

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

I'm ashamed to admit that I am in fact a lazy son of a bitch...sorry

[notafragilething]

Late Night Buck & Tommy Rambles: Surprise, Bitches. I'm Back!

It has been a very long, chaotic summer but I'm back. Now that we've gotten more than some CGI bees and mustache jokes I'm emerging from hiatus and ready for season eight of 911 to consume far to much of my time.

We have several new quotes from Tim, some stills from the season premiere and my predictions for this season. This is going to be a long one but I hope you'll read and comment. I've missed y'all and need to ramble because I have thoughts!

So let's start with the interviews. There are two that dropped that have caught my attention because they confirm that Tommy will be back and that Buck & Tommy are still together.

So What's New? These Articles! (They include stills from the episode as well)

There is the TVLine interview here from the 9th that gave us the following quote: "On the bright side, Buck’s relationship with Tommy is going strong (“They’re still getting to know each other a little better”), so at least he’ll have someone to complain to after a long day of putting up with his racist, sexist, homophobic boss."

Second, today we got an EW interview here by Patrick Gomez. I bring up the interviewer because you might recognize him as the same one who did an article on the Tommy deleted scene over the summer (which I swear, PR or marketing had to be involved with).

The important Buck & Tommy bit from the EW interview: Minear says not much time has passed between the events of the season 7 finale and the season 8 premiere, so there haven't been many developments in Buck and Tommy's relationship. "But we see that they're more comfortable together," he explains. "We'd definitely call them a couple. Obviously they're comfortable hanging out with Eddie, but when you couple with somebody, it takes up some of your time, so that also leaves Eddie a little bit out in the cold. Well, not out in the cold, but Buck doesn't have as much free time as he did before, let's put it that way."

So what do I think this means? Let's get into my predictions!

I'm going to start out by saying this is 100% speculation. I may be right, I might be wrong. I don't have some secret inside source that is sneaking me information. I'm just going off what we've gotten so far and vibes.

But...I've had the feeling for a while now that the show was going to commit to Buck and Tommy going into season eight. This started with the joint interview, the release of the deleted scene and the following articles about it (which did seem to possibly be influenced by PR/Marketing) and the lack of Buddie we've been getting so far in bts stuff.

Now, I know some buddie shippers have taken the Eddie mention in that EW quote as proof it's happening but truthfully? That seems like a very, very bad sign for them. To me, this seemed like a gentle way of preparing the fanbase that Buck and Eddie weren't going to be spending as much time together in season eight as in the past.

This lines up with what we saw at the end of season eight with Eddie really depending far to much on Buck to handle his issues (something Ryan himself commented on). We saw that didn't work out in the finale when Buck couldn't and wouldn't attempt to make Christopher stay for Eddie. I think this season is going to make Eddie face and handle his own issues without Buck. I predict they'll still be friends but I wouldn't be shocked if the "family" dynamic started to fade away.

The fact that they're also saying Buck and Tommy are comfortable and getting to know each other makes me think that they want to show us their relationship building and getting serious. Which would make narrative sense if you were planning this relationship to be long term.

I'm intrigued to see if this pattern continues with future interviews and promotions that will be dropping over the next two weeks.

I do have a theory of what might play out in the first three episodes but that includes some spoilers (and I like to keep these mostly spoiler-free outside of what is in articles and official promo) so I'll be posting that in a little bit as a separate post.

With all that said. I'm pretty excited for this season and Buck's storyline. How are you all feeling? You getting the same vibes as me?

[hockpock]

Glasses Review - Firmoo

Hello vision impaired friends, I bring you the gospel of Ordering Your Damn Glasses Online

I have previously ordered from EyeBuyDirect (luxotica/lenscrafters'/America's Best in disguise, sorry.) and Zenni Optical ( most well known online provider, A+ would recommend) and have seen lots of ads for free pairs from a competitor, Firmoo. I have too much prescription for the free pair offers to ever work out from ANY provider, but their fun designs put them on my list.

When my current glasses broke, I was dinking around and saw their current promotion is Buy One Get One Free PLUS 20% off lenses and as lenses are the real $$$ I jumped on that like tigger on crack. I am VERY nearsighted with astigmatism and the average pair of glasses from lenscrafters used to cost me $300 minimum.

After much deliberation with a million tabs open and a poll I ignored the results of for Reasons, I ordered a pair of clear frames and a pair of purple steampunk-y wireframes . Two pairs of HIGH PRESCRIPTION glasses for $87 shipped. I could cry, y'all.

Note: I have an up to date prescription and a nifty app that measures Pupillary Distance or 'PD'. you will need both these things accurate to have the best experience buying your glasses online.

I ordered them 9/22, they shipped 9/25, I received them 9/29 with regular shipping. They came well packed - each pair was in a bag made of cleaning cloth material inside a sturdy plastic case and they come in a foil bubble mailer.

Both pairs feel well made, with lots of attention to detail-

however I did not pay attention to detail or pay extra money for the Re-he-heaaallly thin lenses. So the clear ones are slightly too big and I hate the way the nose pieces sit, while the purple ones are a wee bit small across the temple and heavy to boot. I haven't had dents in my nose like this since I was 12.

the website lists their exchange policy as 30 days, the pamphlet that came with the glasses says 60. Either way it was pretty painless to go into my order history and select "exchange". The form I filled out with my reasons for dissatisfaction promised me I would be contacted within 24 hours.

My 'personal Firmoo consultant', 'Karen', emailed me with a code for the full price before discount of both pairs + standard shipping, as well as the usual customer service canned answers about checking the sizing information and did I know I could upgrade the lenses?

Also I could keep the failed pairs 'FOR NOW', here are some places that accept glasses as donations. (mixed messages, Karen, but sweet!)

New friends are April006, round anodized wireframes with a cute dingly gem thing, and Sandy020 , literal tortoiseshell cat eye frames.

This time I used the site's search terms to cut the temple width and earpiece length options down and double checked the weight of the base frames. (14g vs 24g for the round wireframes before my coke-bottle lenses. RIP my nose. )

New order was placed 10/5 and they arrived 10/17 . (last time I checked the tracking estimated arrival had creeped from the 19th up to the 23rd so grain of salt. This may be a tactic to make the order feel like it got here faster or legit delays. In my case there was a federal holiday involved.)

Complete disclosure I'm gonna grab a pair of pliers and take the little dangly off the wireframes. It makes a noise when I move my head and if I don't fold the frames in the right order when I take them off it'll scratch up the lenses. I ain't gonna remember to avoid that, so off it goes.

The Good:

Large selection, Good Quality, Good Communication. Lots of Off the Beaten Path options for internet weirdos. Firmoo p much always has a promotion going.

My wallet is so happy. SO HAPPY. Frames run $20-30ish to start. lenses will vary with your prescription and options.

If y'all want 50% off your first frames and to give me a $10 credit they have a referral program and my code is T4Z8I2. BOGO20 is a better value but it expires 11/01/23.

The Bad:

Not flexible about lens options- you go down one track and pick your options within that. If there was a way to put tinting on a pair of glasses other than blue light blocking I couldn't find it. (in contrast I believe Zenni lets you choose a range of colors and tint depth on any pair, designed as sunnies or not)

You Will Get Emails. Firmoo REALLY wants you to buy more glasses and post about it and tell your friends and HERE THIS CODE IS ONLY GOOD FOR 3 DAYS, GO BUY NEW GLASSES. They are marketing themselves to fashionable young influencers who change styles every month. Unsubscribe with impunity.

like Zenni, this is a company with the majority of it's functionality based overseas. It's cheaper because you're ordering directly from a factory and not paying Luxotica's markups to itself. Customer service is mostly English as Second Language speakers and there may be delays.

Not For Emergencies. I was able to coast on a pair of glasses from a prescription or 2 ago but it's gonna take time for your order to be made and shipped.

Overall I'm very happy with them and will probably order again.

Next time I have spare money I'm aiming at Wherelight because y'all. they are next down on the list of reputable to shady AF but they have the most amazing WTF designs.

[lynxtheserval]

Can I request headcanons for yandere SFOTH deities? (Firebrand, darkheart, etc…)

Tw: Yandere stuff !!

Yandere SFOTH deities !!

Y'all this took a while I'm so sorry !!

I made Icedagger's platonic because it felt better then writing romantic for me, I hope that's okay !! I think I got them all but I might have not ! Also I'm sorry if any are ooc because I'm still kinda new to the fandom I'm ngl ;-;

Some are longer than others , and I'm sorry about if there's any grammar errors !!

VENOMSHANK:

You were Swords friend, and he met you through Sword.

He thought you were interesting. Your face, your voice, how scared you were of him…

He loved to watch you. Seeing you feel paranoid, seeing you at your top alert.

He loved talking to you too, but getting you to stay was hard. You always had to suddenly go somewhere.

After a while he started to physically follow you around. He then realized that you were suddenly going because:

You were scared.. and.. you were seeing someone.

He was NOT pleased with this information.

He tries to get the person away from you, due to the fact he's more of a manipulator, making people stay away from you and making you stay away from people. He'll even try threatening them.

If they end up not getting away from you though, Venomshank will either kill them, or turn them into a zombie.

After that, you would obviously be worried. Venomshank would comfort you, of course not telling you what he did. He doesn't want you to hate him!

If you didn't stop being worried, or get suspicious of Venomshank, he would just take you! And no running this time!

DARKHEART:

He met you while you were exploring crossroads, and he thought you seemed… sweet. Such a kind, beautiful, individual.

He was nice to you, and offered to be friends, so you guys hung out more! He loved your company.

Overtime, he got a little obsessive. Somehow always appearing when you were around others, always taking you away from them, saying "we need to show you something" or "come with us".

He tries to keep you entertained, interested in him, but it was hard at points.

If you tried to leave him, he would just make sure you didn't! It's not that hard. 

ILLUMINA:

He saw you at crossroads, and took interest in you. Such a pretty face!

At first, he was sure his feelings would pass, but they didn’t. They got stronger.

He tries to get to know you, but him being a deity, and you being a mortal, of course you were a little scared.

He didn't realize he was in love until he saw someone with you, a mortal, not even a phighter! 

Like Venomshank, he usually starts with manipulation to keep you away from people.

But if they ended up not staying away from you, he started getting upset. You were a mortal, why didn't you want to hang out with him, but instead hang out with other MORTALS?! Weak ones at that!

As soon as he saw you and your "friend" again, he would take you, and kill your friend. 

If you tried running from him, well, that wouldn't turn out well for you, would it, dearie?

Of course, he kept you well fed, taken care of, entertained. But you never seemed happy. To be honest, he didn't really care if you were happy, you were staying whether you like it or not.

FIREBRAND:

You met him through working and being friends with Valk and Dom, and he thought you were so kind, so thoughtful! 

He decided to try to get to know you more. 

Over time you guys became friends, and it was going okay until he started noticing you hung out with some… not great people, in his eyes at least. They would hurt you! Kill you even!

Of course he always tried to get you away from them, but if you resisted, he would just force you to come with him. He doesn't want you to get hurt, after all!

After your relationship got a little.. bumpy, and you tried to leave he would just lock you up. You can't leave him! It's not safe! He loves you!

WINDFORCE:

She met you through you being a prisoner at Banland. She noticed you didn't do much, just steal from a store. You needed food.

She didn't feel bad for you, but she did notice you were quite an interesting and a pretty little mortal.

Sometimes she would watch you, after a while of just watching you, she told Banhammer to bring you to her.

Once you get to her, she locks you in one of her many rooms.

If anyone tries to get you out or steal you from her, she WILL result to murder, almost immediately.

Also, if you try running from her, she will knock you out, it's not too hard to. You're weak, compared to her, of course!

She tries to get to know you but her aggressive and upfront nature scares you a little.

She never really admitted to loving you, but she definitely loved to be close to you.

If you EVER talk about having a partner already, they'll be dead in a matter of hours. You're hers now! 

GHOSTWALKER:

You accidentally ran into him once, and holy cow, were you something. He wasn't sure if it was your personality, your looks, maybe it was everything.

Since he can't feel regular emotions, he feels fairly confused in his own way. What is this? Why are you doing this to him?!

He decided to start stalking you after that, watching you, seeing if you casted a spell on him or something! He asked Illumina what was happening, asking for answers.

Of course Illumina said something surprising.

"You're in love. I don't know how but.. you're in love." Illumina laughed.

After a while of him just following you, he decided to take you, at least for a little.

Of course when you woke up, you were confused and scared. He promised he wasn't going to hurt you, he just wanted to keep you.

He kept you well fed and tried to keep you happy, but you never seemed to be happy. 

Sometimes he took you out with him, making sure you wouldn't run away though. Always holding your hand and making sure you were close.

After a while, he decided you weren't going anywhere, you're his now, permanently.

ICEDAGGER (platonic):

After watching a few Phighting matches from a distance, he couldn't help but notice you each time. You looked so nice, so friendly!

He overcame his anxiety when he saw you in crossroads once, and introduced himself. 

After becoming friends he started getting a little.. jealous.. when he saw you with other people.

Why wouldn't you hang out with him instead! He was more powerful than everyone else! 

He continued to get more jealous but, he never kidnapped you, or killed anyone, just got incredibly clingy.

Please stay friends with him! That's all he wants! All he NEEDS!

[sissylittlefeather]

Just when you thought it was over...

A Very Quiet Life: Epilogue

A/N: Y'all know I couldn't leave you without ANY smut to end this series! This really is it, though.

Warnings: 18+ minors DNI, smut, fingering, kissing, cussing, oral sex (both receiving), reader calls Elvis daddy in a sexual context... don't want to give too much away here...

Links to the rest of the series in case this is the first you've seen it:

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Just a little happily ever after...

Song that started it all:

Gif set to end all gif sets:

Epilogue

It's been a year since the day the kids call "Happy Breakfast Day". Elvis moved into your house the next week, rocking the neighborhood with a bigger scandal than it had ever seen. Susan Walter still won't speak to you, but you don't consider it much of a loss. Beth successfully sold the house to a nice family from Chicago with 4 kids that love to play with yours. She moved downtown to be closer to her office... and her boss.

Today is your wedding day. You and Elvis didn't wait long after his divorce was finalized to start making plans. Now, you're standing in a dressing room looking at your dress hanging on the back of the door. It's a modest little number in eggshell with a knee-length skirt. This being the second wedding for both of you, you decided to keep it small and informal.

You're holding a crumpled piece of paper in your hand as you stare at the dress. You can't do this without telling him. You poke your head out of the room and holler at your sister.

"I need Elvis! Will you get him for me?" She looks at you like you're crazy.

"You know that's bad luck."

"I don't care. I need him."

"You're literally going to see him at the altar in two hours."

"Yes. And I'm telling you, I need Elvis now." Just then, he rounds the corner.

"Who needs me? Ack! I'm not supposed to see you!" He covers his eyes and tries to walk over to you, bumping into a chair on the way.

"Oh, will you just come in here? I'm not even in my dress yet." He uncovers his face and looks at you with his eyes lit up, hoping you're naked. He walks into the dressing room and is disappointed to see you're wearing a robe. Still, he puts his hands on your hips and looks at you lustfully.

"If ya need me that bad baby, we can just skip the wedding..."

"No. Elvis. I-I, well, here." You push the piece of paper into his hand and stand back waiting for his reaction. He looks down at it.

Ms. Y/l/n, the blood test confirmed your pregnancy. Please schedule another appointment as soon as possible.

He stands there speechless for a second. Then he looks up at you with tears in his eyes.

"Pregnancy?"

"Yes."

"A baby?"

"Yes."

"Our baby?" This time you just nod your head. There's a lump in your throat that keeps you from speaking. He drops the paper on the floor and wraps himself around you, kissing your cheek and pressing his face to yours. You feel a tear escape and slide down, not sure if it's his or yours. He pulls back and kisses you fully on the mouth. Then, he presses his forehead into yours and closes his eyes.

"This is the best news, honey." You figured he would be happy, but this is even better than you expected. He's downright elated.

"The kids! Do they know?"

"I figured we would tell them together later. Jane will be thrilled. She's been asking for a baby for years. Michael's a wild card, but he won't mind as long as you still read comics and build cars with him." He nods fervently.

"They're still our kids. This is just another one to add to the pack. Oh, baby, I'm so happy!" He nuzzles into your neck and squeezes you. Then, he pulls back quickly.

"Was that too hard? Can I squeeze you?" He looks at you with a concerned frown on his face. This is going to be fun. You laugh and assure him that you can do pretty much everything you normally do.

"Everything?" He raises his eyebrows suggestively. You respond by running your hands up his chest and kissing him deeply. He takes the hint and grabs the back of your thighs, lifting you so that your legs wrap around him. He carries you to the little couch and lays you down underneath him. He kisses down your neck and chest to the place where the robe comes together between your breasts. Slowly, he pulls on the belt and slides the pieces of your robe to the side and off of you.

His eyes widen when he sees your white lace bra and panties. They were supposed to be for tonight, but you don't care. He presses his lips to your nipple through the lace before removing your robe and bra and then kissing down your stomach. He stops at the top of your panties and kisses gently just below your belly button. Then, he runs his tongue along the line where the lace meets your thigh. His closeness to your center has you dripping with desire. He slides his thumb between your legs and under your panties, feeling the wetness.

"Mmm. That didn't take long."

"Blame the pregnancy hormones." You both laugh. He uses his thumb to make circles on your sensitive button. A soft moan escapes your lips and he smiles. He pulls your panties to the side and slides two fingers into you. He loves to watch you be undone by him, so he moves his fingers inside you, eliciting another moan and more wetness from you. Eventually, he pulls his fingers out to slide your panties down. You whimper a little at the sensation of emptiness. When he gets back up to your center, he presses his mouth to you and swirls his tongue in a circle.

"Oh my god..." you moan loudly. He laughs.

"Shhh, baby, everyone is right outside. You're going to have to be quiet for me. Can you do that?" You whimper and nod. He lowers his face back down to you and drags his tongue up your slit slowly, then goes back down and pushes his tongue into you. You arch your back and suppress a moan, somewhat unsuccessfully.

"If you can't be quiet, I'll have to stop." He says sternly. Now it's a game. You whisper frantically.

"No! No, I can be quiet. Don't stop." You weave your fingers in his hair and gently push his head back down to you. He smirks, enjoying your need for him, and then goes back to work with his tongue. You bite your lip and squirm a little, trying desperately to stay quiet. As your climax builds, the softest moan escapes your lips and he pulls back.

"I said quiet." You nod wildly and without even thinking a response slips out..

"Yes, daddy." His eyes widen and darken. Hearing you call him daddy impacted him in a way he didn't expect.

"Say that again."

"Yes daddy." You feel his breathing speed up and he goes back to licking you with a new urgency. When he can tell you're right on the edge, he whispers into you.

"Come for daddy." And you do, pleasure rushing through you until your fingertips tingle, wetness spilling out of you uncontrollably and your legs quaking. It feels like your body is disconnected and floating while he continues to move his tongue over you. Finally, you come back to earth. Elvis stands up and takes his shirt and pants off. Before he can lay back down on you, though, you sit up and pull his hips in line with your face. You wrap your hand around his hard dick and begin to pump him slowly, pulling his foreskin back to reveal his sensitive head. He closes his eyes and moans softly as you lean forward and run your tongue around him.

"Is this what you want, daddy?" His eyes pop open and he looks down at you sitting there with his dick in your mouth. He tangles his fingers in your hair as you move on him.

"Yes, good girl. Keep going." You hum a little and the vibration makes him almost double over. You reach around and grab his ass with both hands to steady him. Then, you open your throat and take him all the way into your mouth, pressing your nose into the patch of soft hair at the base of his shaft.

"Oh, fuck." He moans loudly. You pull back off of him entirely.

"I thought we had to be quiet?"

"Oh no, baby, please don't stop." He whispers. "I'll be quiet." My how the tables have turned. You smile to yourself, knowing that you can make him fall apart too. You lick small circles around his head and then run your tongue along the bottom of his shaft and back up again. You pick up a steady rhythm and he thrusts softly into your mouth, matching your pace. After a little while of this, he grunts quietly and whispers again.

"Gonna come, baby." You decide to let him and save the real fun for your wedding night tonight. You keep going, tightening your lips around him slightly. When you feel him twitching, you pull him fully into your mouth again and suck. He shudders and fills your throat with his warmth as you swallow it down.

"Oh, god, y/n" He groans as he nearly collapses on top of you. He falls onto the couch next to you and leans his head back with his eyes closed.

"Wow."

"You'll have to wait until tonight for the rest. We're not married yet." You laugh and he chuckles with you, putting his arms around you and pulling you close to him. He kisses the side of your head.

"I'm so glad you moved in next door."

"Me too, Elvis. Me too."

******

Fin

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Taglist:

@itlover8000 @deniseinmn @elvisalltheway101 @ccab @hernameisnoellex3 @ashtag6887 @arabellapresley @littlehoneyposts @dkayfixates @elvisxsposts @joshuntildawn13 @msamarican @returntopresley @mrsbutler99 @blog777e @cattcb @delulubutidontcare

This series is done, but if you'd like to be added for my future work, let me know!

[monsterblogging]

So, something finally clicked into place re: Harry Potter and why people get so attached to it, despite it being... shall we say, not that good.

Now I want y'all to keep in mind, I am saying this as a former Harry Potter fan who still occasionally feels nostalgia for the franchise. As in, what I'm about to say here is informed by personal experience and self-analysis as much as anything.

It finally clicked that Harry Potter hooks you by the emotional vulnerabilities.

As someone who's studied various cults, and knows how they play to your emotions to suck you in, I can definitely say that Harry Potter many of the same moves.

Now, I'm not saying that Harry Potter fandom is a cult. I'm not saying that JK Rowling did this with any kind of deliberate intention. I'm talking about this to get anyone who has any kind of positive feelings toward this franchise critically thinking about what the foundation of their relationship with it really is.

To put it quite simply, cults often promise an escape from the ordinary world, and an entry into a world filled with wonder, belonging, and a sense of identity. There's groups out there who will tell you what kind of magic space alien your soul is, and what your very special purpose for incarnating on this Earth in a human body is.

The actual beliefs and moral precepts cults hold to are never really deep, but are always geared to play to your emotions. There's nearly always a clear-cut enemy responsible for everything we're supposed to hate. Cults often praise love and unity as the best things in the world, and believe that their power can overcome all evil.

It's easy to miss how the wizarding world is actually a soul-crushing dystopia when you're being distracted by the latest magical novelty.

It's easy to overlook how cruel and petty people in wizarding society actually are when your emotions are being played with stuff about love being the greatest magic of all.

It's easy to miss how the Hogwarts house system functions to foster rivalry between students and creates an environment (Slytherin House) where students are allowed to simmer in and internalize the Wizarding World's most rancid political ideologies when the house you or a quiz picked for you is your shiny new identity.

"I like Harry Potter because it's about the power of friendship triumphing over evil!" Yeah, that's... exactly my point.

And like, I'm not saying that the fact that this stuff appeals to people is a bad thing in itself. All of this stuff touches on very fundamental psychological needs. The point I'm making here is that these things are so fundamental that when we're deprived of them (whether or not we even consciously realize we're deprived), when something seems to offer them to us, it creates this massive emotional attachment that does not fade easily.

I still have an emotional attachment to Harry Potter, even though when I stop and ask myself what it's got that I actually find all that spectacularly compelling or interesting, I struggle to actually come up with an answer. Now, when I think about, say, Harry getting his wand and buying magic books and taking magic classes I feel a sense of excitement, but that's not really the same thing; because these emotions are coming from my experience as a very isolated, repressed, and understimulated child coming upon a novelty and power fantasy. When I try to think up anything in Harry Potter that I'd actually like to rotate in my mind, there's just... nothin'.

Now some of you out there might be thinking, "yeah but what about building on her ideas? What about AUs?" and like, the thing is? It doesn't appeal to me. I've got enough skill and knowledge at this point that I can sketch out a better OC than she could ever create in a couple of minutes, and a better fantasy setting in a few days or so.

To wrap this up, I guess I'll just say that really important to be able to distinguish between fiction that's actually saying something worthwhile, and fiction that's just hitting you in your emotional vulnerabilities. Of course friendship and love are important. And of course there's nothing wrong with power fantasies and escape fantasies. And not every story has to be all that deep. But you should ask yourself: could it the case that superficial messages about love, friendship, and family are distracting you from a pretty rancid worldview beneath it all?

Also, before I go - I'm just gonna say that anybody who responds to this post with praise for the fandom or the fanfiction or tells people to go buy fan merch or pirate the series or whatever is going to get blocked. Go clown somewhere else.

[shinesurge]

ALSO while we're on the topic of audiences and editing: i made some irl comic friends and they're both extremely Colorado Art School Kids, and my own storytelling education is "angry weird child trapped in appalachia making art out of necessity" so we run into a lot of fundamental differences in our approaches (WHICH is good and fine actually! i'm Learnin stuff). One of the biggest ones is oh my god, holy shit, creators have GOT to interact with audiences more.

One thing my Very Seriously Educated Comic Friend keeps wanting to help me with is that kc tends to be harder to parse because I don't hold the audience's hand, which y'all know is a thing I angst about a lot for various disorderly reasons. He's right! There are a lot of places I could improve in that regard. Mechanically. There's nothing for it as far as actual content goes; Kidd Commander deals with a lot of nuance and abstract concepts and there's not much to be done about that without compromising the story, which I personally won't do, so I've accepted it's better to lean into it rather than worry about appealing to a bad faith audience.

When I tell him this, that there's little sense in trying to dumb things down because there IS no point where that will work any better than it does now, we usually argue (like, the way that you argue about art over coffee). He thinks the goal here is much closer than it is, he's proposing a quick detour to the gas station instead of trying to land on the fucking moon lmao. It is. So SO clear that he (and most storytellers I talk to tbh) has only ever discussed storytelling with other educated artists and not the majority of actual comic readers/media consumers, who have never engaged with media analysis in their lives. Even when he's trying to discuss the theoretical Common Denominator Reader it sounds like this

When I quit interacting directly with The Webcomic Ecosystem for my own health I made the conscious decision to immerse myself into the reader side of things, specifically BECAUSE there are always going to be more Readers reading me than other writers, and I feel like that feedback is very valuable. I also want to understand another perspective that is different from mine! It's certainly got its pitfalls but there are a lot of positives that come from this and I do recommend it if you've got the stomach for it. I genuinely think one of the things that has improved my work and my relationship with it the most is spending a decade reading feedback from people who will never, ever, ever understand comics more complex than instagram pop psychology strips. Or relatives who don't understand how sequential pages work, or people who watch youtube Ending Explained videos, or readers who don't know what to do when a protagonist makes a bad decision. I ALSO went to school for storytelling, I was primed to have this exact problem and I did for a while. But being brought up isolated in a creative wasteland irl AND jumping directly from academic media analysis to the fucking webcomics reddit did a great job burning away a lot of that lmao. WE'RE the weird ones for writing papers about books, or caring to learn enough to create functional stories; this is a WEIRD WEIRD THING we are doing and it's important to know that so you can make informed decisions about your creative actions. Read the comments, be horrified, adjust expectations accordingly.

[ryethebrokengae]

TW/CW: If you have compulsive skin picking issues or paranoia surrounding your skin please read with !Extreme Caution!

TW/CW cont: Brief mention of self harm, in depth description of experiencing compulsive skin picking, talk of things(not alive things) under skin

Let me know if I missed anything <3

Thinking about Ghost Riley with an S/O who has a really bad skin picking issue(Head cannon):

~When you two just started dating he noticed, but didn't feel it was his place to point it out

~He knew you picked at your skin, just didn't know the extent you did it

~Until 4-5 months into y'all being in a serious relationship did he see how you picked and scraped at almost every small bump or blemish you found on your skin

~I think he would find out because you two were walking next to each other and his arm brushed yours and you flinched just a little bit

~You looked from the corner of your eye, hoping foolishly that he didn't see it

~But he did, of course he did

~He wouldn't bring it up in public because it was clearly a private matter

~He would bring it up to you as soon as you got home

~He would have a stern look on his face, asking you what happened, telling you to show him what's wrong

~He didn't understand why you were so embarrassed at first

~He just thought that maybe you scraped your arm on a wall or got a bruise

~Though in the back of his mind he was really wondering if someone had hurt you.

~When you finally took off the jacket you wear over *everything* he saw

~He saw the acne scars, the scabs, the red blotchy skin, spots swollen from irritation

~He would be so confused

~Don't get him wrong, he noticed the way you would always pop and pick at the pimples or black heads on your face, but almost everyone did that

~But this

~He didn't know what to make of it

~I feel like first and foremost he would sit you down and put ointment and bandaids on the really bad spots

~He normally wouldn't force the subject, but in his mind this was pushing straight up self harm

~Once he was done with his first aid on your arms he would lean back, and look at you

~He would tell you to look at him

~Grabbing your chin to gently force you to look up

~He would ask you what's going on

~Your cheeks would be flushed, embarrassed tears threatening to fall

~He would immediately become 10(ten) times more worried

~His face would soften, grabbing your arms, mindful of the sore spots, pulling you into a hug

~He would tell you in a soft voice that it was okay, that he only wanted to help

~Eventually you would pull back, wrapping your arms around yourself, and tell him

~Explaining to him how it doesn't have to do with being insecure about your skin, or worrying about what others think

~But that you can't really control it

~It's something that you've done for years and you can't stop, you've tried

~You'd explain to him how sometimes all you can think about is there being dirt and black heads, and pus under your skin

~How you can't stand looking at any black head you see without picking at it

~He would listen intently the entire time, not interrupting you, letting you get it all out

~When you finally finished explaining it to him you would look up at him expectingly

~He would keep his eyes on you, nodding while processing all the information you just gave him

~He would lean in, really looking at you

~And he would ask what you needed

[Personally I would sob if this happened cause oml that's so sweet and kind]

~You would look at him baffled for a moment, before explaining that he can't really help with the thoughts, but he might be able to help with you not acting on them

~You explained that he could hold your hand(s) when he noticed you picking, letting you fidget with his fingers

~Or help find you something to do with your hands if you're not doing anything

~He, again, would listen intently to what you have to say

~Keeping track of it all in his head

~In the next few days to weeks you would notice him leaving crochet/knitting materials and patterns on the kitchen counter

~You wouldn't realize you were picking at your skin, and you'd look up to find Simon gently pulling your hand away from your arm/face

~Rubbing gentle circles on the back of your hand

~If you were in public, he'd simply put some kind of fidget toy in your hand, even if it was just his keys, anything to keep your hands busy in a non-harmful manner

~Every Night when y'all went to bed, he would kiss the top of your head, mumbling into your hair how proud of you he is

~And for the first time in awhile you would feel a semblance of control over your life

A/N: I only write about things I experience so I can write as accurately as possible. I really hope y'all enjoyed this. I know the ending was cut a bit short, but let me know if y'all want a little ficlet about the ending!

[twinsunstars]

Thoughts on The Bad Batch Episode 6 - Infiltration - A Discussion Post

This week's two episodes really took us through another rollercoaster. Let's look back on all the details that got us excited!

(SPOILERS IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN THE EPISODES YET! all screencaps from cap-that.com! https://www.cap-that.com/starwars/the-bad-batch/306/)

Rex makes his return by delivering Senator Avi Singh and his droid GS-8 to Senator Riyo Chuchi on Pantora, who continues to recruit people for fighting against the Empire. I was surprised to see Senator Singh again; every episode that's happened in the series really had a good purpose for the story.

Howzer also appeared, and I'm so happy he's back!

One of the Clone X troopers had appeared, sneaking around and attempting to attack the senators. Rex and the others try to attack the trooper, and Howzer manages to stun him. The trooper ends up being another unidentified clone, and the boys take him into custody.

We arrive at the monastery on Teth, which had first appeared in the Clone Wars movie. Rex and the other clones have built themselves a base here, where they are safe and far away from the Empire.

Rex and Howzer go to see the CX trooper they took into custody, as they had the shocker removed from their teeth, learning from the scenario that happened last season. Rex tries to reason with the trooper, who refuses to talk.

Fireball had looked through the device that they found with the CX trooper, and Omega was shown on that device. Rex decides to contact Echo and Hunter, calling them here to talk to them about the situation. Everyone's after the poor girl, and none of the clones are able to catch a break.

The CX trooper that we've all got our eyes glued to appears once again on-screen, asking "Why have I been activated?" We finally get to hear this trooper talk, and his voice is very hidden by the helmet. He is given a mission to track down the CX trooper that went missing, and we go on to pay close attention to him throughout the episodes. When I tell you my heart was racing every time he appeared on screen, I was really trying to think hard and connect the dots. I'm a Tech believer, but with the new theories emerging on this trooper potentially being other clones as well, every theory is so intriguing.

While on the way to Rex's base, Omega copying Crosshair was the cutest thing ever. She went from copying Hunter in Season 1, copying Phee in Season 2, and now this in Season 3. (Hunter's definitely having flashbacks.) Girl's growing up too fast for me 😭

Can we just take a second and look at Wrecker's smile here? It was so heartwarming to see him smile like this while he was petting Batcher. He's so cute.

The crew arrives, and Howzer keeps his eyes locked on Crosshair. The little nod Rex and Omega shared was so adorable. Howzer speaks up to talk to Crosshair, who stays silent. He reminds him of Ryloth and what happened, and he has good reason to be upset.

Not gonna lie, I was expecting Rex to look at Batcher and be like when did y'all get a dog 🤨

Before leaving to go pick up Gregor (wherever he is), Echo gives Omega a new crossbow, replacing the Zygerrian crossbow she used to have before being taken to Tantiss. I still wonder what happened to that weapon, it was just completely lost. Omega loves her new gift and thanks Echo, and I can't wait to see her use it.

Rex and Howzer show Hunter and Crosshair the information they got so far from the device they obtained from the CX trooper they have, and Crosshair starts to open up about what he went through on Tantiss, talking about Hemlock's conditioning. Howzer continues to suspect anything Crosshair says, and Hunter gets protective for his brother. The boys decide to ask Omega about why they wanted her on Tantiss, and she says that it was so Nala Se could work for them.

I feel like I could tell that Omega does not want to talk about anything she went through on Tantiss and whatever she experienced. She looks so hurt at times ever since she became reunited with her family, and she wasn't even eating in this episode. She always keeps giving Batcher her food. Omega mentions "M-count", which Rex has heard of before, but doesn't know what it means. I wonder when they'll learn what it means and how they'll try to figure out why Omega is needed for this.

Meanwhile, the CX trooper sent from Tantiss had arrived on Teth and located the clones' base, and had snuck in without ANYONE noticing. Batcher's senses felt something was around, but she shrugged it off and continued eating. Not even Hunter's enhanced senses had felt something was around. I felt like maybe these troopers were designed to avoid those kinds of things, and maybe Hemlock learned about Hunter's abilities and attempted to avoid them.

Anyway, he looks around and spots Omega, immediately running out and contacting someone.

When Crosshair found out they have one of the CX troopers in custody, he goes with Rex, Howzer, and Hunter to see him. The second he lays eyes on the trooper, there is genuine fear in his eyes. What did he go through on Tantiss?

The CX trooper recognizes Crosshair and begins to talk, and knows the Empire is coming for them. Crosshair insists they leave, while the others keep wanting information, and Howzer gets more suspicious.

Right outside, the bombs CX-2 planted around the base are set off, triggering multiple explosions. He re-enters the base, firing shots, as everyone hurries to protect the base. The trooper manages to shoot the CX trooper they have in custody, making them unable to get further information. The fight continues until the base is wrecked, causing the CX trooper to be crushed under rubble, and the others get locked in the place they kept the trooper in custody after the rubble blocks their way out.

RIP to Fireball 😭

Wolffe finally makes his appearance! He continues to be a soldier of the Empire, but he definitely is no longer under the influence of the chip. The episode ends here, and I was screaming the entire time Wolffe appeared. Someone go summon the force ghost of Plo Koon so he can knock some sense into his son.

This episode was full of context, but there's still so much mystery behind everything. The next episode was full of even more action, and I had my eyes glued to the screen.

Episode 7 Discussion

[sunlitlemonade]

y'all can actually 100% disagree with me on this. like genuinely. but every time ian is mentioned and alex is like 'he was training me into something i never wanted to be' i have to take a second and wonder if it was actually like that or if he's just a teenager who never even knew his parents finding out the only living relative he had, the one who brought him up, was something alex never expected him to be. he must feel untethered and betrayed. add to that the trauma he was so nicely handed on a platter right after ian's death and seeing that the skills he had been taught by ian actually helped him. there must be so much bitterness. i think that's part of the reason why every memory mentioned then on is just,,,, tainted with that visceral mix of emotions he never got to process.

lemme show y'all some snippets from Spy Trap. it's a short story set between Skeleton Key and Eagle Strike. anyone who hasn't read it/doesn't want to, the gist is: alex and crawley are in 'car crash' and alex wakes up in a place which acts like a rehabilitation center for MI6 operatives after missions with absolutely ZERO memory of what happened for him to get there. truth is alex and crawley are being kept on a steady diet of drugs to keep them confused and loose to extract valuable intel under the guise of therapy sessions and there was never any car crash. they were drugged and brought in. it was not a hospital for MI6 agents but a set up by foreign intelligence. with all of that in mind - y'know that alex is clearly very disturbed and agitated and under the influence of bad bad stuff - lets see what he has to say about ian [and i know i put a significant chunk here but bear with me]

do you notice how he was prompted into saying what ian wanted from him when dr feng said 'and he wanted you to be a spy too'? for real, with conviction, i know for a fact that he would have refused to elaborate/volunteer any information on ian just the way he did with jack. he wouldn't have said another word. not if that sore spot wasn't hit. and in the very last section we see it boil down to him feeling like luckiest boy in the world but learning he was lied to. we see it all came down to 'I don't even know what Ian really felt about me. Did he like me or did he just want to use me?'

tell me this isn't a boy that hasn't had every memory he had with his uncle overshadowed and tainted by grief and lies. he just wanted love and i truly do think ian loved him. maybe that's just me but hey you're reading my post and i for one am incapable of being normal about these guys.

just think about it - alex was ian's only remaining family too. tell me ian wasn't worried that the way john's work had caught up with him and had gotten him killed, the same might happen to him too? or maybe one day alex could be used as leverage against him and he wanted alex to be ready to defend himself? ok, you might say 'but sunny. that explains the martial arts and physical fitness. what about all the extreme sports and other skills.' well there's this lovely little post by @lapseinart that might give you a little insight. besides, we are working on very little material because we really don't know much about ian except the fact that he was one of the best operatives MI6 had and was important to alex and his competency as a spy.

anyways so immediately after this he says:

and you can see him actively trying to put the session behind him because he seemed to verbally admitted to things he hadn't even admitted to himself before.

idk. i just have a lot of emotions and thoughts but its very interesting to see it progress from 'ian had taught him *insert skill* which is useful here!' to 'ofc another thing ian taught him to discreetly make him into something he didn't want to be'. there's never any proof that ian did that to turn him into a spy [at least as far as i remember lmao. i read the books years back and am on the 4th one on the reread. so my memory of the rest of the books is pretty hazy. correct me if im wrong lol] we never will have a concrete answer because well. ian's dead lmao. we'll never know what he had in mind for alex and why exactly he did all of this. but also,,, the way sorrow and lividity at being lied to twists alex's way of thinking about ian is Something Else.

[orangeocelotmartyn]

This post has been a long time coming because I have been rotating Datastream!Doc in my head for a bit

He is--if not evil--then outright abusive to c!Martyn

Here's the facts--the datastream is a bare bones setup--he isn't falling Constantly though it, because sometimes he has to 'game' from the stream, rather than going into the game, but he's said "a sofa would be a luxury!" on that piece of artwork, which tells me that he's being treated as...a drone? or like, a tool, rather than, y'know, a human being who is Trapped, thanks to Doc's negligence. He can't even enjoy creature comforts anymore, because they aren't necessary

another point in the 'Doc sees c!Martyn as a tool' category is that he isn't even allowed to know the language Doc uses.

“I don’t want you getting embroiled any deeper than is absolutely necessary. You have what you need to carry out your searches. Just leave the rest to me..”

That? That's fucked up. He isn't allowed to know "more than necessary" which means that he is--if not being outright lied to--he's at the very least not allowed to know Key Information. He doesn't know why he's fighting, just gets pointed at what Doc wants him to do.

"Mission logs aren’t stored on the device, they go directly to Doc’s drives and are archived. If Martyn needs to cross reference a piece of information, he has to call Doc."

He has to ask for information that He created. It's a power move to ensure he knows his place, which is under Doc's thumb, being a good little solider.

He can't talk to anyone but Doc, because Doc has drilled it into his head that everyone else is just an NPC.

"Doc is the only ‘real’ contact he has. Somebody outside the datastream who he’s actually met before and can trust. The only other humans he encounters are all faceless C.H.E.S.T agents in game, but being on opposing sides of this battle means there’s no tea and cake to enjoy together."

In fact, its Literally a coping mechanism for him. Doc has successfully isolated him in a way that means he can't ask anyone for help. He is stuck doing what Doc wants, when he wants it (ignoring the fact that he has gotten attached to some of the reoccurring NPCs in his life (specifically Ren) Doc has made him afraid to tell the truth, that he's not even 25 (maybe as young as 18!) and stuck, embroiled in this conflict that he doesn't actually know is real or not.

Now let's talk about how Martyn talks about Doc. The words he uses to describe how Doc speaks to him...it's Bad, y'all.

Even when talking about a 'humorous' situation, he still uses words like this: "LOLOL stealing from one DOC to appease another." Appease is an...interesting word choice. It makes it seem as though Martyn is trying to keep Doc happy, trying to keep from getting on his bad side--likely because, again, Doc is his only point of contact. If Doc gives him the silent treatment, then he's got No One.

There's also this, "They made an agreement (more a demand on Doc’s part)". Like. "Demand." Doc feels comfortable demanding Martyn do what he wants, because he knows he's shoved Martyn into a corner, made it so he's Martyn's only hope, his only point of contact, and he likes it that way.

There's also the fact that he just so happened to have something set up that would suck some random person into the Datastream just by playing a video game, and then had a less than 25 year old show up to get a game fixed. Like why the fuck would you just have that laying out? Why would it be That Easy to get sucked in, if it weren't a trap?

The dude is--if not negligent, stupid as all hell for just having a random unlabeled button that shoves someone into a Datastream and unable to get out. That, on top of the being abusive thing, lol.

@galaxyofender

[mydysfunctionalvampirefamily]

Wowowow Miles is waking during the day??? Call me suspicious.

AAAAAAAHHHHH did he just fucking bloodbond Wynn???

Noooooo. I mean also I get it but this is such a fucking Miles solution?!? What the hell. 😂😂

But also why are his fingers in her mouth??? That just seems so unnecessary.

'Oh no I'm Miles, I know what's best even though it's often a bad decision, but I will take responsibility and will not confer with anyone else because this is my burden to bear, and also I just know better than all of them.'

Goddamnit Miles don't talk about fucking territory, reach down in your feelings and show Wynn that you care for her!!!

Also I still don't understand why this would help??? I was informed that this is what he wanted to do the night before and he wants to try to get her to 3 before Lucint.

Oh noooo Ventrue are arrogant? You don't say...

Yes Wynn tell him!!!! Make this fucker see.

Miles..... This is so not about you, it's about Wynn rn.

MILES people you associate with???? Even now you can't say you fucking care about her??? Goddamn you piece of shit. 😂

Of course he ignores you lmao, Miles can't be told he's wrong! That's crazy. Smh.

I mean.... At least he asked if she wants another? But is that really fairbif she's bloodbonded. Yeah like Wynn says she doesn't want it to be a choice because having to say yes to something you do not want at all is horrible.

Ooooooooffffffff y'all idk how I feel about this. I have a lot a lot of emotions. I just keep flashing back to when Britta was level 2 bloodbonded with fucking Rowlands and how obsessed she was with him and what he thought of her.

This has all been very upsetting and I have a lot of complicated thoughts and feelings about all of this.

😭 Wynn subconsciously walking past places where she thinks Miles is. Don't you see how fucked up this is!?!

Goddamn Wynn. I am so glad they're having all these talks, I just wish the reason wasn't so shit.

I can't. I know I am not saying anything about Wynn and Johnny's conversation about their kids, but I can't. I'm just sitting here, listening, crying.

Johnny calling Wynn family. 😭

Oh. My. God. She woke up in his fucking arms???? Pendragon why don't you tell Britta again that she can't have any power over you. You are WHIPPED.

What??? How did she lose all that blood?

Sore and aching from last night???? What the hell??? Is this a sex thing or a vampire thing? Or both? It sounds like someone took blood from her right?

Lmaoo now she also try to roll to not eat from him??? Isn't their relationship already complicated enough without her feeding and also bloodbonding???

Lex saying he is having her roll with difficulty 9 due to the circumstances, like he wasn't directly responsible for those circumstances! 😂

"Then feed" My mouth fucking dropped!!! They already bonded the night before. He wants her to bond more to himmmmm what a fucking creepy asshole Jesus!!! Did this man just try to trick her into going to lvl 2 bloodbond by making sure she wakes up at 0 blood????

Also don't you fucking so what Britta you sob you know what she is getting at!

WHAT IS WITH ALL THESE FUCKING BLOODBONDS BTW???. I NOT FUCKING READY FOR ANY OF THIS SHIT.

Don't you give that dismissive very well then! Sir!!! You should be on the naughty step for that! You're a bad boy!!!!!

God Johnny we need you and your kindness. 😭 Britta going to Johnny because she can trust him to help her not hurt anyone. THAT'S WHAT BRITTA NEEDS!!! someone nice, dependable, kind, with her best interest at heart! Not some fucking egocentric, selfish, uncaring, manipulative, toxic, horrible, teringhond of a man who would try to manipulate her into a bloodbond and then let her wander the halls alone when he knows thst she'd be scared and upset!

Johnny and Neil taking care of Britta. 😭 This is the content we need.

I'm sorry, he won't even give her the time to feed???? I swear!!!!

I love how much this coterie cares for each other and takes care of each other.

It's delightful to see the justicar and Pendragon squabbling over the coterie.

I think there is a chance that Wynn might be more than the justicar bargained for.

What does the thermos do???? Omg she is bloodbound through the thermos? I thought the whole thing was that you needed to feed directly from the source.

[dareactions]

I just have a few requests x3

How about the companions react to a Young!Inquisitor reacting to solas's betrayal by saying this: "I dont know why I was surpprised, everyone I have ever loved has either left me,died,betrayed me somehow,or given me copious amounts of trauma. I'm kinda numb to it all at this point" and they stop hiding their emotions and they just look....so old? Like almost broken old?

I return just to hit y'all w the angst hammer im so sorry. (I'm not <3)

Solas goes first bcs he is a big meanie and should feel bad for hurting poor young!inquisitor smh

Solas: It's not the answer he expects or the response he wants. There's no doubt that he knew from the beginning that he'd hurt them, that no matter what happened they would look at him as if he'd lit their entire life on fire and watched it burn down but not once had he even considered that they'd look so- aged. There's a horrifyingly burning feeling in his chest and he wants to grab their shoulders and beg for them to be angry, kick, scream- do anything a normal person would. But instead, they're just staring at him so exhausted and for once Solas feels dread.

Cassandra: Her first initial feeling, is anger. Cassandra always responds to things with that first burst of fiery rage and need for justice, but once that passes it's just the need to protect. She finally understands her own brother, a bit. Cassandra helps in the only ways she knows, holding the Inquisitor until they finally let themself cry, and after that, she makes it her own personal life goal to cave in the skull of anyone who ever makes them make that expression again. She considers for just a moment if maybe she is part of the problem (she knows she is, she remembers the first time they met in that cell), but she can't bring herself to think about it.

Blackwall: He knows he is part of the problem, of that long list of people who have lied and turned tail when it came down to it. And fuck if he doesn't feel bad. Blackwall hates to admit that he is an expert in self-pity but he really can't help the wave of self-hatred that seeing the Inquisitor like that brings. He has never seen someone young seem so old but then he remembers young soldiers, young mages, and templars all with that same dead look in their eyes. Blackwall turns away, he might make them small trinkets and keep an eye on them but he is nowhere near brave enough to look them in the face for nearly a week after that.

Dorian: So, he is adopting them- everyone shut up, you don't get to pick. It's his younger sibling now and as their new legal guardian, he would want everyone to back the fuck off. Dorian is the most likely I think to fall into the attempts of regaining normalcy for the Inquisitor. He treats them the same, doesn't matter what horrifying piece of information they may have dropped he keeps the same level of jest and care between them. But he is more keen-eyed on making sure nobody gets too close, that nobody says something that no teenager or child should year. Nothing is more horrifying than a Pavus with protective habits, let me tell you that much.

Sera: I love Sera, but she is fucking horrid with the emotional support and she knows it. Sera will step around like she is walking on glass shards, get annoyed and say something bordering on insensitive and then realize what she has done- and try her best to mend things. Sera forgot their age, she said and had them help with things that maybe a child shouldn't deal with but no child in Ferelden isn't broken a little bit, so she isn't entirely sure how to navigate someone so numb to it all. Sera of course suggests crime, that always makes her feel better and it'll make them feel better for sure.

Iron Bull: See, the Inquisitor is a member of the Bull's Chargers. That means they're family and they're looking so fucking miserable and sad right now that it just means that he kicks into that need to protect. Bull knows better than to lean onto his past mistakes and regrets, think about everything he could've done better at this point to protect them. He just is more weary, more aware of their age- he does his best to keep some semblance of childhood in their life even if its far too late. And if things get too hard he pats their shoulder, leans down and reminds them 'horns pointed up, chin high' because nobody can take them down and if they are too numb to go on then he'll just have to re-ignite their flame.

Varric: Oh, he has seen that look before. Hawke carried it like a horrifying shadow of dread after their mom, after everything. He remembers the glazed over look, the empty tone of voice and the exhaustion. The way nothing is hidden on their face and he hates it. A part of Varric had promised himself to not let it get to this point, and he failed miserably. Varric never saw himself as much of a parental figure but somehow he falls into one pretty easily after that reveal, he is far less willing to let things slide. Varric is the first to admit he will put a bolt through Solas throat if he sees him again though.

Vivienne: She sees that expression, hears those words and she sees red. If you've ever seen this woman mad you've never seen her mad like this and it's like watching a mother lion with its cub. It's almost laughable when people try to get too close to do something after this, it's as if the Inquisitor has their own personal mom to freeze people at will now. She can't undo that hurt, she knows she can't, but she sure as hell can help them in the future.

Cole: Oh this poor lad, he feels that pain into his very core and it makes him feel like he will shatter and break himself. Cole is hovering, but not in the way that Cass of Vivienne is- he hovers in a surprisingly...helpful way. Cole whispers words of comfort, reminds them of the good and is well aware of when to be quiet. Sometimes he can help, not with everything, but this he can help with and he does so the only way he knows- words of truth and letting the Inquisitor wear his hat and hug him, obviously.

[biggerbetterbat]

WITH YOU [10] GOOD LUCK TO US THEN

Daryl Dixon x OC (Charlie Reed)

Summary: The group has to fulfill Jim's last will. Charlie and Daryl get closer to each other on the rode. The CDC is not what they expected.

Warnings: language, death, mostly fluff tho

Song: Snow On The Beach Taylor Swift&Lana Del Rey

A/N Hello! Short chapter today, because episode 18 of season 10 just destroyed me. And absolutely hate this chapter... Next one will be much better and longer, I promise. Feel free to comment and I hope you enjoy this one.

WITH YOU ON WATTPAD

The RV? A mess.

White smoke was coming out of the hood, while Rick and Dale tried to come up with an idea of how to fix it.

"I told you we'd never get far on that hose," said Dale. "I said I needed the one from the cube van."

"Can you jerry-rig it?" Rick asked.

"That's all it's been so far. It's more duct tale than hose." Dale shook his head. "And I'm out of duct tape."

"I see something up ahead. A gas station if we're lucky." Shane said as he put down binoculars.

"Y'all, Jim...It's bad. I don't think he can take anymore." Jacquie gasped as she ran out of the RV.

"Hey, Rick, you want to hold down the fort?" said Shane. "I'll drive ahead, and see what I can bring back."

"Yeah, I'll come along too and I'll back you up." he nodded and headed into the RV to talk with Jim.

"Y'all keep your eyes open now. We'll be right back." Shane informed everyone.

There was no saving Jim. The ride was just killing him faster. He felt every bump, the smallest rock was causing him pain. Besides, he was like a bomb, ready to blow and it was just dangerous to have him around. Charlie knew it. Shane knew it. Daryl knew it. And Rick had to face it. There was no way he would make it to the CDC, and he probably didn't even want to.

"It's what he says he wants," said Rick.

"And he's lucid?" asked worried Carl.

"He seems to be." nodded Rick. "I would say yes."

Dale looked around. "Back in the camp when I said Daryl might be right and you shut me down, you misunderstood. I would never go along with callously killing a man. I was just gonna suggest that we ask Jim what he wants." he said. "And I think we have an answer."

"We just leave him here?" Shane asked. "We take off? Man, I'm not sure I could live with that." he shook his head.

Charlie furrowed her eyebrows as she looked at him. He was acting all good and pure, he couldn't live with that...But there was no problem sleeping with his best friend's wife.

"It's not your call, either one of you," said Lori.

Eventually, Rick and Shane helped to carefully walk Jim out of the RV. They placed him under some tree, so he could lean his back on it, and everyone gathered around him- Charlie a little at the back, hiding behind Daryl.

"Hey." Jim breathed with a smile. "Another damn tree."

But nobody laughed or even smiled.

"Hey, Jim." Shane leaned in. "I mean, you know it doesn't need to be this."

"No. It's good." he shook his head. "The breeze feels nice."

"Okay. All right."

Jacquie kneeled beside him and sniffed as she looked at his pale face. "Just close your eyes, sweetie. Don't fight."

After that, she placed a gentle kiss on his cheek and smiled to make him feel better- if a smile could make someone feel better in a situation like that.

"Jim, do you want this?" asked Rick, showing his gun to Jim.

"No," he said. "You'll need it. I'm okay."

Charlie said nothing to Jim. She looked as everyone were trying to come up with something nice, but it was just unnatural because they didn't know him. He was a stranger. He was always keeping his distance from the group and nobody really knew him. His family was dead and he was the only one that made it alive.

And she didn't want to be fake and say things she didn't mean or just to make him feel better. He was dying for God's sake. Probably the most painful death that was killing him slowly.

Her eyes met his. She stopped furrowing her eyebrows immediately and she felt uneasy on the inside. Charlie remembered his words from before and now with how he looked, they were even more scary to her. So she just turned around and sat in the car, waiting for Daryl.

"You didn't like Jim?" Daryl asked as soon as he got inside and started the engine.

"He didn't like me," she answered.

Daryl hummed.

"You are still sad?"

"I wasn't sad." she sighed, not looking at him.

"That's a shame then because I wanted to give you this."

She looked at him and saw the small package in his hands. She gasped. He was shaking small bright red package that screamed to be opened. "No way! Where did you get them?"

He shrugged, giving her sweets.

Once she felt the sweet taste of chocolate, she had to close her eyes. It was the best she felt since a long time. Sugar overflowing her body, she could almost feel how it already gets to her blood. First little square was to just tease her, but soon she just stuffed whole fist of it.

"And you?" she asked with a mouth full of little KitKats.

"What?"

"You didn't like Jim?" Charlie asked.

"I guess he didn't like me, either," Daryl answered.

She smiled and stuck her fisted hand, waiting for a bump. He looked at her hand and then in her eyes, big question marks inside.

"Come on," she said. "Welcome to a club."

"What club?"

"People that are not liked." she encouraged him. "Well, we will come up with a better name." she shrugged.

"You are liked," he said. "Shane seems liking you more than others."

"Please," she rolled her eyes. "Now give it to me. I now you want to." Charlie smiled and moved her brows.

"You are lame," he said.

"I guess we're lame together."

He shook his head in disbelief, but finally, he fist-bumped her and saw even bigger smile on her face.

"You're my brother now!"

"I'm not your brother," he said.

"Best friend."

He looked at her skeptically.

"Friend."

Daryl grimaced.

"Man that saved my life...oh, no. That's Glenn," she said. "Umm...A man that is driving a car."

"Mmm. I liked you more when you were sad and looking out the window."

"Yeah, you gave me sugar. I'm like a child when I eat sugar." Charlie replied and put even more KitKats into her mouth. "And I haven't had it since forever, so..."

That made him think about a question that never entered his mind before. "How old are you?"

"Twenty-four. You?"

"Double your age."

"You're forty-eight?!" she gasped, looking at him with wide eyes.

"Just forty," he said.

"Woah," she said. "You look good for your age...for a Merle brother...for a man who spends most time in the woods...for a person that whole life went to shit. Is it because you never smile?"

Daryl sighed. "What happened to your face?"

Charlie looked in the mirror as if to remember what happened to her. After all the events from the last days, the fight with Ed seemed to be forever ago.

"Cool, right?"

"No," he said. "Somebody just beat the shit out of you."

"Yeah and now I look cool." she smiled. "Laundy can be dangerous. Especially when Ed Peletier is your husband."

"Hitting his wife was too boring for him?" he scoffed and rolled his eyes.

"You knew? Why haven't you done something?"

"'Cause she's not my wife," Daryl answered as if that was the most obvious answer.

Silence fell in the car again, but only for a minute. "Did you have a wife?" she asked.

"No. Why?"

"Nothing. Just curious."

"Curiosity killed the cat," he mumbled.

"Are you a dog person or a cat person?"

"Stop," he said.

"But-"

"But don't." he cut her.

Charlie sighed and looked out the window. But she was in a much better mood than a moment before. She knew he was just acting, he loved her presence...well, maybe he didn't love it just yet, but he enjoyed it more than he thought he would. Daryl on the other hand, was content, too. For a strange reason, he was really happy that he was able to make her feel better. Besides, it was the longest conversation he ever had with any person from the camp.

"Did you have a boyfriend?"

"That's a complicated question," she said.

"You either had or ain't." he shrugged.

She sighed.

But it wasn't that easy. Charlie wasn't a person everyone took her for. She wasn't gentle and sweet like a porcelain doll that needed protection. All she cared about before the turn was money and a comfortable life in luxury, that's all. That's how she was choosing her partners. Charlie didn't expect this big love from romantic comedies with butterflies and sleepless nights when only the touch of your person can calm you. And of course, they could read each other's eyes, what the fuck?

Now, sitting in a stolen car with some stranger man, made her realize how shallow she really was. How heartless for everyone she really was.

"I was seeing someone. And the relationship was more from his side. I was his girlfriend and he was...just a boy to me. Someone I could talk to in the gaps of my schedule." she confessed.

"You weren't in love?" Daryl asked.

"No. In fact, I never was in love." she shrugged. "Feelings are...complicated. They make your life complicated." She looked at him. "Say it. I'm a heartless wrench."

"No, you ain't," he said. "You just haven't met your person yet."

"Like you?" she asked and looked at him. "Haven't met your person?"

"Merle was my person," he answered.

Then she rolled her eyes and made him smile lightly at that. She clearly forgot about whatever was on her mind, which made her feel uneasy.

"Yeah. I haven't met her yet."

"Well, then good luck to us," she said. "Population is getting less and less."

As to confirm her words, they drove into the city and Charlie put back the pack of sweets, sitting up straight on her seat, because nothing could prepare them for what they saw...or smell.

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