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theambitiouswoman · 1 year ago

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Hygiene tips

Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially before eating, after using the restroom, after coughing or sneezing, and after touching public surfaces.

Carry a hand sanitizer with you. Make sure the sanitizer contains at least 60% alcohol and rub it over your hands until dry.

When coughing or sneezing, cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your elbow to prevent the spread of germs. Dispose of used tissues immediately.

Refrain from touching your eyes, nose, and mouth as much as possible, as these are entry points for germs into your body.

Take showers or baths regularly to keep your body clean and fresh. Use soap and water to thoroughly cleanse your body, paying attention to areas like armpits, feet, and groin.

Brush your teeth at least twice a day for two minutes each time, using fluoride toothpaste. Don't forget to clean your tongue, and replace your toothbrush every three to four months.

Keep your nails short and clean to prevent the buildup of dirt and bacteria. Use a nail brush to scrub under your nails regularly.

Regularly clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces in your home, such as doorknobs, light switches, countertops, and electronics. Also, keep your living space well-ventilated.

Wash your clothes, bed linens, and towels regularly, following the manufacturer's instructions. Use the appropriate water temperature and detergent to ensure proper cleanliness.

Avoid sharing personal items like towels, razors, toothbrushes, or makeup.

Practice good food hygiene by washing fruits and vegetables thoroughly before consumption. Cook food to the appropriate temperature to kill harmful bacteria, and refrigerate leftovers promptly.

Keep your surroundings clean: Regularly clean and disinfect commonly touched surfaces such as doorknobs, light switches, phones, keyboards, and remote controls. This helps eliminate germs that may be present on these surfaces.

Maintain clean and healthy feet: Keep your feet clean and dry to prevent fungal infections. Wash your feet regularly, dry them thoroughly (especially between the toes), and wear clean socks and well-fitting shoes.

Ensure that the water you use for drinking, cooking, and personal hygiene is clean and safe. If necessary, use water filters or boil the water before use.

If possible, use a shower filter.

If you are sexually active, use barrier methods (such as condoms) to protect yourself from sexually transmitted infections. Get regular check-ups and screenings as recommended by healthcare professionals.

Take care of your mental well-being by managing stress, getting enough sleep, engaging in regular physical activity, and seeking support when needed. Good mental health is essential for overall well-being.

Sleep with aloe vera on your face to help with scars and acne.

Massage your body with oils and lotions after shower or before bed.

Eat greek yogurt to help fix PH balance, acne and odor in your private area.

Wear cotton based underwear.

Do not treat your body like a trashcan.

To smell good during the day:

Regular bathing helps remove sweat, dirt, and odor-causing bacteria from your body.

Apply antiperspirant or deodorant to clean, dry underarms to control sweat and odor.

You can also use baking soda and lemon to get rid of under arm odor.

Put on freshly laundered clothes each day. Clean clothing helps prevent the buildup of odor-causing bacteria and keeps you smelling fresh.

When choosing clothes, opt for natural fibers like cotton or linen, which allow air to circulate and help wick away moisture from your body. Avoid synthetic materials that can trap sweat and lead to unpleasant odors.

Brush your teeth at least twice a day, floss daily, and use mouthwash to maintain fresh breath. Don't forget to clean your tongue as well.

Apply a pleasant fragrance, such as perfume or cologne, sparingly. Avoid excessive application, as it can be overwhelming to others. Focus on pulse points like the wrists, neck, or behind the ears.

Keep your feet clean and dry to prevent foot odor. Wash your feet daily, dry them thoroughly (especially between the toes), and wear clean socks and well-ventilated shoes.

Regularly brush your tongue, as it can harbor bacteria and contribute to bad breath. Visit your dentist regularly for check-ups and cleanings.

Drink plenty of water throughout the day to flush out toxins from your body. Staying hydrated can help prevent the buildup of odors.

Certain foods, such as garlic, onions, and spicy dishes, can contribute to body odor. Pay attention to your diet and make choices that minimize strong odors if you are concerned about smelling good.

Keep a small travel-sized deodorant, wet wipes, or refreshing body spray with you to freshen up during the day, especially in hot or humid weather.

Ensure your clothes, towels, and bed linens are washed regularly. Use a detergent with a fresh scent to keep them smelling clean.

Spray perfume on your brush or use natural oils that are safe for your hair.

Wipe front to back to avoid infections. Use toilet paper then wipes.

moisturize your skin.

When washing your hair, make sure you are using products that clean your hair without drying it out.

Keep feminine wipes with you.

#hygiene tips #healthy living #health and wellness #womens health #womens health and fitness #personal hygiene #level up journey #levelupjourney #clean aesthetic #clean girl #glow up tips #glow up #high value woman #self care #beauty tips #health tips #healthy lifestyle

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lovewireds · 4 months ago

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been meaning to post my designs for these little guys forever. insane splatoon rambling under cut to explain design choices and lore related things ... read my autism boy

btw this is a repost from our art side blog this was written and drawn like months ago <- minorly rewrote some things tho

thx splatoon users drfreeman & drcoolatta for fueling my splatvrai autism brainrot ... i hate u /J

GORDON

idk how to explain this but Theoretical Physicist is inkling coded . maybe its cuz splatoon species social hierarchy

Native ink color is Orange, but he has Dark Brown tentacle roots.

Uses custom weapons to attach in place of his prosthetic; It works best with Splatlings but can be adjusted to attach other weapons.

If the thing above didn't make it obvious, he's a Splatling main. He switches out depending on his mood though.

sighhhhh technically an Agent... stares at the ceiling...Main character...

His arm loss is like pretty much the same as in-canon but it's with the octarian army shrugs. don't ask me why he doesn't just regenerate it cuz hes a squid thats for me to know and you to find out. (get partially sanitized loser)

Born & Raised in Inkopolis pre-splashtags; He wasn't informed of the switch to Splashtags being expected when participating in most activities around Inkadia.

TOMMY

I forgot why i made him an inkling why did i do that. I think it was bc i didnt wanna make them all octolings but i was wrong srry we all make mistakes /hj I ALREADY REDREW HIM ONCE IM NTO DOING IT AGAINNN

Native ink color is orange-brown.

His hat has an eye guard for sensory reasons; He covers up as much of his skin as possible because he doesn't like the feeling of foreign ink on him.

He isn't a specific weapon main, he just uses any long-range weapon to minimize the possibility of getting ink on himself. If he has enough guarding, he prefers to use N-ZAP '89.

Makes his own gear for sensory reasons as well :) It's legal when ur dad's the G-Man.

Exclusively plays in Turf Wars, Anarchy Battles, etc with friends. He hates playing with people he doesn't know.

Born in Splatsville !! He feels like a Splatsville resident. His occupation is resident I cannot imagine him doing Anything

His dad is that creepy curtain in one of flounder heights windows /j

BENR(E)Y

Octoling bc I wanted him to be sanitized :) Other than the visual part of being sanitized, I thought him being clinically dead fits /hj also lore reasons below

Pre-sanitization, his native ink color was blue.

Great Turf War veteran; He didn't do anything in the war itself, he was just enlisted lol. He was primarily security for the Octarian Domes in the years after the war. Yes, that also means he is over 100 years old.

"Raised" (debatably) in Octo Canyon.

E-liter main (4-star Base + 5-star Scope) and avid squidbagger. He also uses any heavyweight weapons (dynamo, tenta, etc)

Absolutely hates working at Grizzco, he only does Turf Wars and Anarchy Battles. He only works at Grizzco during Big Runs. The type of guy that does X battles.

Professional Anarchy / Ranked / X Battler btw. That's literally 90% of what he does.

Got on Gordon's azz over him not having a Splashtag; i wonder what that parallels.

BUBBY

Genuinely don't have a lot to say about his design. He gives off Splatoon 2 Octoling vibes (showoff /hj) also i wanted to make his hair wispy like it should be.

Native ink color is a light blue-gray gradient.

The drawing doesn't give it credit but I swear those are glasses not goggles .. they're opaque-colored slanted oval glasses !! ^_^ u can interpret them as spiked or just eyelashes, both are right.

oh also the text under bubby says "Is Best" in some splatoon font we downloaded awhile ago . i think it was ripped from splatnet

Blaster main. I don't know how to explain this one but it feels right.

helps with the practical Map props (ie ink rails) and with some weapon gear manufacturing ^_^ tech guy

COOMER

Was going to make him an Octoling for the convenience of making his hair curly but i didn't want to make all of them octolings + i think his personality generally fits Inklings more.

Native ink color is an off white gradient.

Slosher main cuz he likes moving his arms. this makes sense to me. Also is a fan of Splatlings and other Shooters.

i felt ill trying to design coomer without making his eyes two lines with eyelids

War Veteran...Stole some octarian tech and got fucked up super limbs. Cyber Inkling stealing from octos !! [inkadia crowd goes wild] /j

anyways outside of the war™ he's a data researcher. just generally. he does shit with splatfests and eggstra work.

If you splashed him with ink he would stand unmoving. He would not shake it off.

DARNOLD

Ok i'll be honest the Octoling choice is primarily bc Octolings have the afro style & inklings have no textured hair styles (i didnt have the energy to design smth that could work) . His personality fits octoling too though :3

Native ink color is red-orange.

The fucked up guy that makes those drink effects people never use ( i use them ... )

He doesn't participate in Turf Wars or Anarchy Battles, but he works some gigs at Grizzco for extra cash every once in awhile !

the type of guy that goes after flyfish cuz no one else will . god bles !!!

not a lot to say about his design & his place in inkadia , it kinda speak for itself . he just wants to get by and make his drinks in peace . #autism ... he is pretty much exactly the same as his canon self

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bonebrokebuddy · 9 months ago

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@kodedgeekthings eyo you mentioned wanting a dpxdc prompt for Howard, Batman’s mechanic!

Harold misses fixing toys for kids and in his off hours has taken up the habit of answering questions on forums about machining, electrical, engineering, mechanics, and mechanical design that are often frequented by students.

One day, he comes across a request by a college student who is trying to assemble his own car out of scrap he bought from a local wrecking yard.

Ghostly_Boy states that he has previous experience in machining and can make replacements for broken or too-damaged parts if need be, but he doesn’t know where to start and what specific requirements he needs to reach to ensure it’s street legal.

Harold willing to help, he answers a few of Ghostly Boy’s clarifying questions:

- Great questions!

It’s good to note that if you’re not careful, fixing or making your own car from parts can be a moneysink and can cost you more than a brand new vehicle. - That being said, your first major step to ensuring you can drive the car is to get the title of the body/frame of the car you plan to build. It’ll have the VIN on a plate welded to the frame usually near the lower edge of the windshield wipers on the drivers side. It’s how the DMV identifies vehicles for licensing.

- Generally, you’ll at first get a “wreck out” title that shows the vehicle is listed as a total loss, but if you can assemble the parts for the car with that frame, the DMV can check if it’s properly running and road worthy & license for you to use it on public roads if you’ve done the proper paperwork.

- Once that is done, it’s largely a case of getting the right parts and assembling them. Depending on how much you have to repair, you could be taking on a task that could give a challenge to even a seasoned mechanic. There may be additional paperwork depending on what exactly you need to repair, like the breaks, lights, steering, etc.

- If you want to build the car entirely from scratch, chassis and all, that’s an entirely different story with a much more complicated list of requirements to make it street legal, so getting a frame from a junkyard is a great first step!

- Make sure to keep all bills of sale, junkyard receipts, invoices and manufacturers’ certificates on any major parts you used in building the vehicle to prove its road worthy to the DMV when it’s complete!

Harold doesn’t always answer first but over time he’s found the adventures of this kid amusing and keeps up with it.

Ghostly_Boy keeps the forum updated with his progress:

The kid spontaneously deciding to scrap the wiring system and make his own in a span of 3 days, leaving experienced mechanics on the forum practically screaming at the kid for his updates showing him using random wires he salvaged and pigtailing them together to get the length of wire he needed.

Mixing not only multiple types of wires but ones that didn’t have the protection needed for auto use. DIY-ing his own relay and fuses he didn’t have and connecting the wrong grounds and switches. And planning on leaving the wires unwrapped and loose.

Leaving Ghost to promptly redo the wiring, correctly this time, within 78 hours.

Making a repair of a massive rusted hole on the passenger side by the bumper and the front tire via cutting 1/2in past the rust, grinding it pretty and clean, tac & seam welding the vintage aluminum housing material of a toaster to cover the hole to the response of Harold and many others in the forum just going “… I guess that would work?”

Harold and many others telling the kid that this “ectoplasm” material wasn’t cleared through the EPA’s Clear Air Act and could be illegal to drive with it as it’s fuel source unless he got the emissions tested & the center of gravity of the car adjusted to have the center of gravity a gas car has, it wouldn’t pass Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. Nor would the previously untested on material make it easy or quick to get an Emissions testing certificate. Best to just stick with gas.

Removing what he thought was a “skid plate” that turned out to be another rusted out section on the frame on the bottom of his car and repairing it with steel he salvaged from an old medical table he had laying around. (To the multiple slightly confused commenters asking how Ghost had a spare medical table, he replied, “eh, my folks visit every so often and they’ve been giving me things they’re clearing out of the house so they can move closer to my older sister. I just so happened to get the ye olde medical table. They’re an odd couple of folks but that’s why I love them.”)

People just crying at the kid to go to rockauto.com and just buy the damn parts he needs for his car. (A good resource btw)

The kid kept cutting corners to save cash but through the badgering of Harold and many others that he actually would have to spend money to make this car be safe to drive in, he finally got it completed.

Ghost’s post of him leaving DMV waving the updated title to the car in its envelope in the air, titled, “THE DMV FINALLY SAID IT WASN’T A FIRE HAZARD! ONLY TOOK 2 YEARS! THANKS EVERYONE!” Got the most amount of responses he’d ever had with congratulations from lurkers and previous commenters.

Over the course of those two years, Danny learned how to draw his own wiring diagrams, properly solder and weld, and learning to actually plan out his projects so he got it right at least the fifth time instead of the 20th. Not bad for a kid that went straight from graduating high school with a 1.5GPA to construction jobs.

But after finally getting the car approved, Ghostly_Boy returns to the forum with a new problem. Lamenting that his parents keep coming over and “modifying” his car to no longer make it street legal.

At this point, about half of the answers to the submission think it’s either a joke project taken very, very seriously with a good chunk of money behind it, or a kid with parents that have narrowly avoided falling completely down the mad scientist rogue rabbit hole.

After all, what sort of parent would think that the DMV would approve to “anti-ghost missiles” being attached to the outer body of the car? Either way, the submissions always had video attached showing a demonstration, proving that Ghost wasn’t just completely yanking their chain. And a good amount of money would have to be sunken in to not only pay for the fines Ghostly continued to get from the additions to his car, but to actually manufacture and make a unique working product for each plea for help request.

Harold is not only taking notes on some of these defense measures but also decides to bring up the boy to Alfred. Intrigued, they together keep an eye on Ghostly_Boy. Bruce may be their employer, but they can handle a case or two on their own.

- I wanted Danny to try to make smth for himself now that he doesn’t have access to his parent’s lab anymore but he also doesn’t have access to ectoplasm so he’s fairly unfamiliar how to wire things Not for ectoplasmic standards.

Also I wanted to make a prompt where Danny had a good relationship with his parents & went into a fairly realistic job after high school with his fairly bad GPA so he’s saving up for a technical school via construction jobs as he doesn’t like the idea of working fast food for understandable reasons.

#dpxdc #bones writes #i have about 3 dozen ideas for dpxdc ideas to do with Howard #I’m going to be a manufacturing engineer.#i got so many ideas for this dude teaching one of the batkids or a visitor to the batcave about how cad programs work #& why he’s using x material for its purpose #instead of y material #like this dude could just be any of my automation profs

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reasonsforhope · 1 year ago

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"The search has intensified for alternative energy-saving technologies for heating and cooling that don’t run on fossil fuels.

Now, by mimicking a desert-dwelling chameleon, Chinese scientists have developed a cheap energy-efficient, cost-effective coating on houses.

They say the new material could keep buildings cool in the summer or warm in the winter without using additional energy.

“Many desert creatures have specialized adaptations to allow them to survive in harsh environments with large daily temperature shifts,” said Dr. Fuqiang Wang, author on the paper describing the invention and researcher at the Harbin Institute of Technology. “For example, the Namaqua chameleon of southwestern Africa alters its color to regulate its body temperature as conditions change.”

Pictured: A Namaqua Chameleon

...Many systems, such as cooling paints or colored steel tiles, are only designed to keep buildings either cool or warm, and can’t switch between modes.

Inspired by the Namaqua chameleon, Dr. Wang and his colleagues wanted to create a color-shifting coating that adapts as outside temperatures fluctuate...

When heated to 68 degrees Fahrenheit, the surface began to change from dark to light grey. Once it reached 86F, the light-colored film reflected up to 93% of solar radiation.

“Even when heated above 175 degrees Fahrenheit for an entire day, the material showed no signs of damage,” reported Dr. Wang.

The team then tested it alongside three conventional coatings—regular white paint, a passive radiative cooling paint, and blue steel tiles in outdoor tests on doghouse-sized buildings throughout all four seasons...

In summer, the new coating was significantly cooler than the white paint and steel tiles, according to the findings published in the journal Nano Letters.

“During spring and fall, the new coating was the only system that could adapt to the widely fluctuating temperature changes, switching from heating to cooling throughout the day,” Dr. Wang added.

The researchers say that the color-changing system could save a “considerable” amount of energy for regions that experience multiple seasons, while still being inexpensive and easy to manufacture."

-via Good News Network, September 21, 2023

#chameleon #extreme heat #climate adaptation #architecture #green architecture #saving energy #climate crisis #global warming #sustainability #solarpunk #good news #hope #biomimicry #air conditioning

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pinkrelish · 2 years ago

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𝐭𝐡𝐞 "𝐲𝐞𝐬" 𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐲.

singledad!mechanic!eddie x fem!reader

✶It's Christmas morning at the Munson's and Adrie has a small request.✶

NSFW — slow burn, fluff, lovesick yearning, very light angst, 18+ for eventual smut, drug/alcohol mention/use

chapter: 7/20 [wc: 3.4k]

↳ part 01 / 02 / 03 / 04 / 05 / 06 / 07 / 08 / 09 / 10 / 11 / 12

AO3

Chapter 7: Breakthrough

Dreams of sleeping in were crushed one tiny footstep at a time.

Morning broke through the burgundy bed sheet hung as a curtain in the window. Slivers of blue fought away the slumbering gloom clinging to the peeled wallpaper, invading the small bedroom in drowsy clock ticks. Murky wine-colored shadows caressed the bundled comforter, crowded the pillows, soothed closed eyes into sweet dreams. Darkness cradled his head and sold him a lullaby fantasy. An aching yearn of a dream where the cold penetrating the thin trailer walls was kept at bay by more than his own body heat. Arms encircling him, a kiss behind his ear, a gentle wake up call. An idyllic rapture easily woven from the fibers of his unguarded heart. An aspiration quickly escaping his wishful fingers at the sound of running, and the vibrations of the trailer shaking, and–especially–the little voice yelling at him his five extra minutes were up.

“Daddy! You have to wake up.” Adrie jumped knees-first onto the mattress, and bounced her way over to him. “It’s Christmas, you have to get up!”

He grumbled from his warm pocket of air under the covers, and she whined.

“Please,” she begged, crawling towards him.

He winced, and hissed, “Ow-ow-ow, watch the hair. Miss Mouse won’t like me if I go bald.” He dropped his head back to where she sank her mighty fists into his pillow, and she apologized by putting all her strength into shaking his shoulder instead.

Wayne called from the kitchen, “I’m gettin’ started on our famous Christmas casserole.”

“Now that,” Eddie said in an upbeat tone, “I’ll get up for.”

“You’re mean,” Adrie pouted, scooting until her knees dug into his spine, and added on to it by saying it wasn’t fair he was making her wait to open presents.

Eddie twisted around to see her manufactured sad face (practiced over the years to elicit the strongest pity in him), and he snaked his arm out of the blankets to hook it around her, bringing her wriggling self in for a sloppy kiss on her forehead. She made a ‘yuck!’ sound and pushed away.

“Go sit, I’ll be there in a minute.”

Willfully, Adrienne slipped from his hold and sprinted the length of the trailer, rattling the metal window panes along her way.

In the following moment of quiet, he inhaled deep, and sighed through his hands scrubbing over his face. The oil in the electric radiator popped. A bird chirped. Music blasted from a neighbor’s home. A faraway bike skidded, spitting up loose rocks from the trailer park’s entrance.

Eddie rolled onto his back, and blinked at the stained ceiling. He tried to not make a habit of sleeping in Adrie’s bed now that she was older, but sometimes his back cried for a break from the lumpy couch cushions.. His back, his hips, his knees, his neck. All of it. Every now and then he needed the relief, to flatten himself out on the mattress after several long days of work wearing down on his body, even if it was considered weird or wrong by others.

Swinging his legs over the short drop to the floor, Eddie straightened out his thick knit socks, sweatpants, sweatshirt. He rubbed his knuckles against his dry eyes, stinging a line of water along his lashes. Flipped off the switch to the heater. Ran his fingers through his tangled hair, mouth tasting of stale beer from drinking last night with Wayne.

He stepped out of the room that used to be his, and staring at him down the hallway, past the kitchen, at the other end of the lousy home, was his little girl. She sat crisscrossed at the stout tree smelling of fresh sap, illuminated by colorful strands of lights, and backed by old ornaments previously stored in cardboard boxes. Her eyes sparkled with silver tinsel happiness, and her springy curls bounced with the excitement of her wave.

Wayne wrung a damp dish towel around his hands as he and Eddie made their way to the couch, and he gestured at her. “Alright, darlin’, you can go.”

The sacrifices were worth it.

In this lousy home filled with overdue bills and underprivileged struggles, was an abundance of love and awe. Eddie sat at the edge of his make-do bed with scratchy cushions that chafed his skin raw, and brushed his shaky fingers over his lips. “Yeah? Is that the one you wanted?” he asked, grinning so wide his puffy sleep-deprived eyes nearly closed from the unbridled joy he felt watching his daughter tear into the Rockin Robot cassette player and recorder; a toy which had an attached microphone so she could record herself singing onto blank tapes. “Wanna make music just like me?”

“Yes! I love it!”

It didn’t take long for Adrie to open her presents in the established order–smallest to largest. Stocking stuffers first, which she dumped out onto the pine-needled carpet, and snatched all the chocolates to put on the coffee table next to the plate of cookie crumbs and empty Looney Tunes mug. Tossed the pack of new socks and dress into a pile, but wore her pink rain boots. The talking Barney the Dinosaur doll, cassette recorder, and Barbie Fold ‘n Fun play house were placed aside for assembly and batteries later.

Wayne gathered the ribbons and bows she discarded to be saved for next year, and said, “Okay, Miss Adrie. Looks like you have one present left.”

The forest green bag with a portrait of Saint Nick sat propped against the tree, nearly as tall as Adrie when she stood and grabbed the handles. She peeked inside, and in one motion, dropped to the floor, and dislodged gift after gift. An eight-page book with reusable stickers she could move around to create scenes of dinosaurs roaming the land. A big box of 64 crayons with two coloring books. A plastic jewelry making kit. A puzzle. Containers of Play-Doh. And the very last item, turned over and shaken out from the bag, was a unicorn.

Adrie squealed, and swept the stuffed animal into her arms for a merciless hug. “He’s so cute!” she said, burying her face in the powder blue fur.

Eddie stopped tracing his lips. Wayne tilted his head at the scene, confused.

Spotting a small red envelope amongst the torn newspaper her presents were wrapped in, Adrie picked it up, and mouthed out the handwriting she wasn’t familiar with. “Santa left this for you.” Adrie held it out for Eddie to take.

Prying his gaze off the unexpected hoard, he accepted the envelope with his name on it, not uttering a word, nor reacting more than necessary. She bolted for her toys, and Wayne’s scrutiny was hot on the side of his expressionless face, watching him slide his finger under the corner of the flap and break the seal gently, avoiding tearing the paper.

He pulled out the card to reveal an illustration of two cardinals in a pine tree flocked with white glitter snow with a generic greeting on the front. Certain words were underlined in pen afterwards.

Have yourself a merry little Christmas

He opened it to see if anything was written inside.

One glimpse.

He smashed the card closed and turned his face away from his uncle.

Collecting himself, Eddie sniffed and ran his knuckles along his jaw until he reached back and wrung his nape as he stood up, and walked to the coat hooks, slipping on his jacket and shoving his feet into his work boots without acknowledging his family.

“Where’re you–?” Wayne stared at his back in quiet bafflement.

“Goin’ out for a smoke,” he answered, and shut the door behind him.

~~~

Tree branches stilled after the delicate breeze knocking them together ceased. Hungry dogs went inside for kibble and warm blankets. Kids stopped riding their bikes when their moms called their names. Humidity dampened the crisp air. Everything hushed.

Eddie sat on the frumpy loveseat on the porch built onto the trailer. His forearms laid on his thighs, and the card remained clapped between his palms. He took a shaky breath. Exhaled. Or tried, anyway, to breathe despite his nose stopping up.

He opened the card again and read the message spanning the entire blank space available.

merry christmas eddie,

i hope adrie likes the gifts!

i know it’s hard for you to find peace,

so i tried going for quiet things that would

keep her busy, like the puzzle. it’s double sided!

that’ll keep her entertained. and i loved

play-doh as a kid, so i hope she does

too. & i can get her more coloring books if

she doesn’t like the animal ones. i know

Continued on the other side–

the bracelet kit says ages 7+ but maybe

you can supervise her. i remember having

one when i was little, before parents cared if

we choked on the beads.

SEASONS GREETINGS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR

if she’s not still in her unicorn phase, spare me!

it was too cute to pass up.

anyway, please get lots of rest over the holidays.

you deserve to relax.

–♡–

mouse

His daughter came dashing out the door, and ran up to him with her jacket flapping around her arms. He shoved the card under his thigh, and shifted his focus to zipping it up for her to silence his emotions from surfacing, not having the energy to risk shattering the facade of the morning by explaining why the unicorn she galloped up his leg meant more to him than it did her.

“You like what Santa got you?” he asked, running a heavy hand over her hair.

“He knew exactly what I wanted,” she rejoiced.

With the temperature dropped, and her boots shiny, she raced the stuffed animal up to his hip, and left him to babysit it while she played outside in the frozen-over yard.

Gladly, he tucked the unicorn companion under his arm as Wayne pushed open the squeaky side door and joined him.

Under normal circumstances, Wayne’s old man stoicism worked wonders on getting Eddie to talk. It was a sure thing. He’d see him come home with red-rimmed eyes, or that far away gaze on the worser days, and he sat in earnest patience, knowing his nephew needed the cool down time to organize his thoughts, and then he’d explain what had him upset.

It worked less well in the years following the incident which led to Eddie’s ostracization from Hawkins, but he just had to be patient. It would work. Eventually. Just had to be patient.

And when his nephew refused to speak, Wayne sparked up a cigarette, and ventured, “I don’t, uh, remember us buyin’ those last presents.”

“They’re from the receptionist at work,” Eddie stated. He didn’t move his gaze from staring holes into the worn down floorboards, but he did sink back into the couch, combing his fingers through the unicorn’s white mane.

“Oh,” Wayne said in genuine surprise. “That was nice of her.”

Treading carefully, his uncle spun his hand as he thought of the best way to approach the real conversation he wanted to have. “She seems nice.. To you, and to Adrie.”

That was when Eddie shook his head. “I know where you're going with this,” he warned, absent of any real threat behind the words.

He went silent in stubbornness.

But Wayne just had to be patient.

“She’s very.. uh.” Eddie sighed. He started again, this time looking up at the rusted awning as if it had all the answers to his love life woes. “She’s very vibrant, y’know? From the city, lives a big life, loves performing for people. She doesn’t need a gray cloud like me hanging over her.” He laughed a hollow laugh, and bumped his shoulder into Wayne’s, pretending their conversation was of the light-hearted variety. Like admitting these things aloud didn’t cause a devastating blow to his neglected self-esteem. “Doesn’t need someone like me tying her down to a place like this.”

Wayne scanned the same trailer park in the same small town with the same curse of bearing the Munson name, but he viewed them with less disdain. Less animosity. “You used to be vibrant too, kid. Used to always be talkin’ about your hobbies, playing music too loud, sittin’ out here with your guitar. Always bringing your friends over. What happened?”

Too many things happened, and they were not the kind he verbalized often, so Eddie chose the most obvious.

The corner of his mouth twitched at the joke flashing through his mind. He got in real close to Wayne’s face, raised his hand, and directed his attention. “My vibrancy’s currently ruining her new shoes.”

Tracking his finger, Wayne slowly turned his head in time to see Adrie crack the ice barring her from a puddle, and stomped it into smithereens, sending mud up her pajama pants and into her pretty pink rain boots. She jumped, and jumped, and giggled, and jumped, all over her dad’s heart.

Satisfied, Eddie hugged the unicorn to his chest after making his point.

“Have you considered maybe she likes gray clouds? Or she’s the type that looks forward to the rainy days?”

“We can drop the weather analogies, Wayne,” he said in a curt tone, cutting off his uncle's incessantness. “It’s not that, anyway. I know she likes me, I’m not that dense.”

Wayne didn’t put much effort into keeping the humor out of his voice, “Then what are you being dense about?” The contemptuous head tilt and accompanying eye roll were earned, but not regretted.

“She might be moving away at the end of summer.”

He took a long drag on his cigarette. “Might be?”

“She doesn’t know yet.”

He watched Eddie’s expression slacken to stark blankness again–face and posture wilting, weighed down by his fate–already resigning on a relationship he hadn’t yet given a chance. “Don’t you want to at least try? I mean, you never know. What if she–?”

“Don’t you think I’ve thought about that?” Eddie interrupted, growing annoyed at the topic and allowing it to seep into his temper. “Don’t you think I’ve sat here, day after day, and thought about it from all angles? Over, and over.” He became more animated as he spat out questions rapid-fire. “What if she stays? What if she leaves? What if things work out? What if they don’t? Do I deserve it even if it’s short term? Can I handle it when Adrie asks me why she’s not around anymore? Like, fuck. It’s all I think about. Constantly! Just again, and again. She could move back to New York and live her accomplished life without ever giving me another thought, but what if she doesn’t want to go back? What if she wants to stick around? What if she wants to work with me at the garage forever, and we get married, and buy a small house with a white picket fence, and live out our textbook dream together with 2.5 kids and a dog. Who knows!” Done ranting, Eddie ended it in a full bodied shrug, and collapsed into the cushions, releasing the most cathartic, yet dramatic sigh Wayne had ever heard. “She’s all I think about. Drives me insane.”

Wayne held out the pack of Camels to him, but it was rejected in a limp wave.

“I..” Eddie’s mouth hinged on the words, bottom lip quivering as the questions he posed washed over him as an exhausted, watery-eyed truth, “I didn’t even realize how bad the stress had gotten until she just..” He motioned. “Fixed it.”

Acknowledging the bitter reality, Wayne nodded. “You are much nicer to be around since you two started hanging out.. Adrie sees it, too.”

Not that Eddie meant to be an asshole, but after grueling hours of hard labor, he had little tolerance for the arguments before bath time, or the meltdowns before school. Months prior, he was alongside his daughter, crying harder than she did when the smallest inconvenience set her off, ending with both of them huddled on the floor; one of them screaming to be understood, and the other in a hopeless heap of a man who reduced himself to a shitty father who couldn’t do anything right, drowning under the pressure, anxiety, responsibility to not fuck up again.

Now, he was able to swim to the sun glimmering on the surface.

Wayne landed his rough palm atop Eddie’s untamed bedhead, and soothed him, “You should give yourself a chance at something great. I’ll be here to pick up the pieces if it doesn’t work out.”

Eddie sniffed, and wrung his lips to the side. “You gonna pick up Adrie’s pieces too?” he asked softly.

“I will, son.” Despite the rocky times in their relationship–the slammed doors, the yelling matches, the coming home with a newborn and no money to afford baby formula–Wayne promised him, “Whatever it takes to make you happy. I’ll do it.”

The egg timer in the kitchen dinged.

“Breakfast’s ready,” he grunted, stubbing out his cigarette in the ashtray, and giving the quick-nod-with-a-flattened-smile older men were known for after confiding in one another, and he went inside.

There wasn’t much time for Eddie to process the weight of his internal decision before Adrie was climbing onto the loveseat. And if she noticed she left a trail of mud up his pant’s leg on her way to kneeling beside him, she didn’t care. All that mattered was her icicle skin melting in the warmth of his heavy arm wrapped around her middle; and effortlessly, she fell into the comfort of his embrace while working her hands beneath his hair, untucking it from his jacket’s collar, and hugging him back.

Eddie stashed the card in his pocket, and grabbed the unicorn by the back of its head, putting the nose to her cheek and pretending it was giving her kisses. “Did you have a good Christmas?”

“Mhmm,” she hummed, pulling strands of his curls around her fingers while her cold nose was pressed to his throat. “Can Miss Mouse come over to play?”

“Not today. She’s busy with her own celebrations.”

It was weird how calmly he could answer her. No twisted tongue sitting in his mouth like lead, no tensed stomach from an assault of nerves, no racing thoughts of you and Adrie becoming too close before he was ready to disappoint her. The fear was still there, of course. But he didn’t dread it. He held his daughter tucked against his body, and whispered into the unruly hair she inherited, “But she will soon, okay?”

“Yay!” She showed her excitement by constricting her arms around him in a perfect vice.

He wedged the unicorn between them and scooped her onto his hip. “What say you, Princess Adrienne? Shall we go in for a bit of Christmas morning casserole, and partake in reindeer games after getting you into your winter attire? Hmm?” She wasn’t responding. “Adrie?”

Her mouth was hung open, and her hand out, palm turned upward, making a grabby motion at something over his shoulder.

Eddie listened to her, and turned.

Snow fell, fell, fell from the low hanging clouds smudging the sky in shades of gray, bestowing the trailer park with fat flakes drifting beyond the safety of the porch, melting onto the dead grass and brushing past his car’s mirror. Pretty, pretty things of childlike magic Adrie caught on her fingertips. Special things floating to the edge of the wobbly floorboards, and sticking to his hair for her to laugh at.

“I love you,” he said in a kiss to her bitter cold cheek.

“Love you too, Daddy,” she replied in the same fashion, with an additional kiss from the unicorn to the tip of his nose.

Doors around the trailer park opened. Wide eyes of wonder gazed up, and around, searching for friends to celebrate with. Eddie felt exposed in his all black outfit against the growing landscape of white. They were looking at him. Judging him. Munson. But, unlike any other day, the desire to bolt from their intrusive stares dwindled with each graze of his thumb over the card in his pocket.

#eddie munson x reader #eddie munson #stranger things #eddie x reader #eddie munson smut #mechanic!eddie #eddie munson fanfic #stranger things fanfic #the yes policy

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jenroses · 1 month ago

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After a series of appliance fails that had to result in new appliances being bought, it feels like absolute victory that we were able to fucking FIX the stove burners rather than throw the whole thing out because it was too expensive to fix. We had an oven where when it went, the replacement part was going to be $500 not including labor. It was maybe a $600 oven. That was a few years back.

When we moved into this house in 2007, we bought a bunch of new appliances and every FUCKING one of them went out within 7 years. IIRC, this stove was bought in 2003-ish, it's a Whirlpool, and they still make the parts for it, and the parts cost about $60 total. Hubby pulled the stove out, roommate did the mechanical stuff, I troubleshot it when something wasn't working, and the end result is that two wonky burners are now functional burners (we replaced the infinity switches).

Anyway, I don't think Whirlpool makes perfect appliances, but they make REPAIRABLE appliances, and that counts for a whole fucking lot.

We had a frigidaire, once upon a time, that we got an extended warranty on... but they manufactured the shelving out of non-cold-resistant plastic that cracked excessively and when we tried to get warranty service on them they said "Those are consumables" and I was like, "I'm not EATING THEM. They're just badly designed." It cost like $60 PER DRAWER for brand name replacements which promptly broke. We finally fixed things with duct tape until it stopped keeping food at the right temperature and fixing it was going to cost more than I wanted to spend on a fridge I now loathed with the hate of a thousands suns, and after about 5 years it stopped being functional enough to keep food at refrigerator temps and was repurposed into a spare freezer as that was what it was determined to do.

Meanwhile, yes, the whirlpool fridge we now have had an issue with the lid for the water filter, which we were able to replace for idk $20 and the ice maker sometimes freezes over but then fixes itself, and the light doesn't work right, but it keeps the food the right temperature, and the water works and it's the right size and we've been able to manage.

Anyway, right to repair is NECESSARY and planned obsolescence is evil.

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adelheidvonschicksal · 10 months ago

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Sanguine

Summary:

The wedding ring was a sweet lie that Polendina desperately clung to in order to placate the painful beating of his mechanical heart. After all, no one has ever heard of a puppet loving a human. He knows this. However, he still decided to validate these illogical emotions through the young man and his lies.

Yet when Polendina sees his fellow puppet and the young miss together, he starts to think that the ring wasn't one of Pinocchio's sweet lies after all.

Pairing: Pinocchio x Fem!reader, implied!Polendina x Antonia

tags: light angst, 3rd POV, no y/n, fluff, 2500 words

•---------•

Carried by the quiet of the night, the gramophone highlights the foyer in a gentle tune. It’s a soft instrumental that keeps Polendina and the few survivors still awake at this hour company, drowning out the ticking of the clock above the check-in desk steadily traveling closer to midnight, the many occupied sounds of pen scripting against paper, and the tinkering of designs and weapons from the far corner of the room. The voiceless melody of the instruments is accompanied by rhythmic humming replacing the missing lyrics. The voice is peaceful, only loud enough that Polendina can barely parse the highs and lows of the pitch mimicking the song from his place behind the counter. It’s an angelic sound, at least if you ask Polendina, who turns an inquisitive eye to the record player.

In the empty space between the gramophone and decorative plants, Geppetto’s puppet and the young miss are resting on the floor. It’s a tight fit but neither seems to mind when their shoulders press together. The young miss sits partially on her right hip with her legs curved to the side towards the puppet while he draws his knees up, neatly positioning himself to allow one foot to sit just in front of her ankles and the other to taper off to the side. It doesn’t seem like the most comfortable position Polendina can imagine but it’s the one the two have taken up since they first started up the turntable.

It seems the young miss is starting to feel the effects because as soon as the thought crosses his mind she shuffles, and it’s an easy adjustment to switch the sides of her position and lean more into the boy instead. As Polendina watches her, he can’t help but notice how at ease she looks.

It’s been a habit to keep an eye on her since she first moved into the hotel as nothing more than a rambunctious orphan child taken under Lady Antonia’s wing and raised in her unbridled kindness, aging into someone somewhat recognizable as a proper lady. In her childhood, his watch would be careful and purposeful, mostly to make sure nothing in the hotel would be accidentally broken. Now, it’s mostly out of concern for Lady Antonia’s daughter. One that, by extension, he almost can call his own.

As much as him, the disease that has beset the proprietor of Hotel Krat has been a source of stress for the heiress. It’s been weeks since he’s seen a modicum of consternation disappear in her practiced expressions and taut speech, and it’s only when the boy angles his head to rest on top of hers that there’s a smile. It looks like Polendina’s watch is no longer required for the time being.

However, he doesn’t turn his sight.

•---------•

Polendina has seen many things in this world. From the first time he opened his eyes as a newly manufactured puppet fresh off the lines of the Venigni Works' assembly plant, he was privy to the many emotions of humans. Polendina has witnessed pride. It showed in the wide grin of satisfaction, a twinkle in the eye of his creator when he’s stamped with the approved insignia of the company and imprinted with the Grand Covenant, a sign that he would never stray from his duties.

A new model. The latest and greatest assistant from the Venigni line of puppetry.

It’s only by chance that he’s assigned to be the assistant serving Lady Antonia, which meant he was to work at the haunted Hotel Krat until his bolts rusted, joints creaked, and he could no longer function as well as whatever new models were to follow after him. Because of this, many would assume he doesn’t know much about the world. But Polendina can see so many things from here.

Polendina has seen the love between newlyweds. The hotel serviced many a blushing bride and a lucky gentleman. It’s his first introduction to love, an emotion he never thought would ever be the energy that keeps his heart beating and gives meaning to his life.

Polendina has seen the beauty of ball gowns across a crystal floor. He’s heard more stories whispered in between dances and music than most have probably heard their entire lives. Thus, he has also heard the stories of heartbreak. He’s seen the sullen tears draining in black down the face of a discarded lover. Polendina pondered once if oil would seep down his face in the same manner should he be discarded (a fear that he had no need for after so many years by Antonia's side), and he listened to the wails and screams of betrayed souls.

This world was harsh, it seems. But he was lucky enough to have witnessed the true beauty of it in the image of a young woman with dark blonde hair braided in bands and falling over the ear. A beautiful long pearl necklace complementing an elegantly strong neck and pale shoulders. A dress falling over a sturdy yet feminine frame in lovely layers and adorned with white bows as a feathered hat sat atop her head. The elegant gown hid what was underneath, which was an intelligent and ferocious young woman, who could play the part of a perfect lady and a bold lioness all at once. Something the portait of her hanging in the library captured and portrayed better than any clothing.

Polendina never met that young woman but he did meet her as a strong and independent matriarch, and it made it easy to fill in the blanks when his mind would drift to how it would have been to seen her then. Would she have captured his heart as easily as she did now? He'd like to think so as his love for Antonia deepened every year he spent serving at her side.

Unfortunately, Polendina never expected time to happen so fast and so severely.

It’s not age that caused her beauty to wilt but illness. It took pieces of his heart with each second his mistress had to battle this blasphemous disease. It’s a losing battle, he can tell, even though he wished to deny it.

This sense of dread was a new emotion, different from the one that would grip him with every letter of marriage that would eventually wind up at the estate even though he was aware that Lady Antonia never entertained suitors, or perhaps never found one that interested her enough. This emotion was festering, picking at whatever “soul” he possessed and its pitibiable yearning for an affection that was never meant for him to give nor to have.

Because of all the things Polendina has seen, he’s never seen another puppet that loved a human. For what puppet could ever have the capacity for genuine love, and what human – aside from that eccentric who was so thoroughly mocked – would ever entertain a relationship with a puppet, who wasn’t supposed to have illogical emotions like love in the first place?

If Lady Antonia was the exception, he’d never find out. He’d never dare tell her in the first place. It isn’t a burden he wants to place on her fragile heart.

Still, his own mechanical heart burned to tell someone, to have this desperate feeling held close and nurtured tenderly, and to have himself forgiven for this adoration for his human mistress. So, in an act of desperation, he drafted the letter. He placed it at the front desk and signed for Geppetto’s puppet.

Then, he waited.

Polendina could sense his heart beating faster when he heard the heavy steps of his friend stop in front of him. Pinocchio watched him patiently, still holding out the letter. With fear in his heart, Polendina braved to explain his situation. He explained his love for his human master and his fear of her impending death. When all that needed to be said was said, Polendina dared to ask Pinocchio, with all his knowledge of things puppet and human, “Can a puppet and human fall in love? Have you ever met a puppet who loves a human?”

The other puppet tensed, leaving an impregnable silence, which Pinocchio hardly ever spoke out loud to anyone aside from his father, Sophia, and occasionally Gemini unless absolutely necessary. So, this expected silence shouldn’t bother Polendina. But, it does. When Pinocchio finally showed a little insight into his thoughts by tilting his head and averting his gaze to his feet, Polendina knew the truth the young man wanted to say – the truth Polendina knew all along.

Pinocchio has never seen a puppet who loves a human.

Then, Pinocchio’s arm twitched, not one of his sporadic twitchy tweaks, but a hesitant one before he reached into his pocket. The boy opened a tightly clenched hand, presenting a ring delicately crafted with precious metals and with the words “forever yours” scripted into the band.

Polendina has seen a great many wedding rings during the hotel’s heyday, all excitedly shown to Lady Antonia by the many love-soaked honeymooners that would stay at the hotel and the ones gifted to Lady Antonia herself to convince her to accept a stray proposal.

Pinocchio showing him this now must mean that he’s seen it. Somehow. Somewhere. He’s seen a puppet and a human in love, and this ring was the symbol of that love. Polendina would never tell Lady Antonia his adoration for her, but it’s comforting enough to know his emotions were real and another puppet somewhere in the world experienced them as well.

Or most likely, it’s one of the boy’s sweet white lies and these feelings were the daydreams of a fool.

In the end, it’s a lie Polendina chose to believe and savor every fateful day despite never seeing the proof himself.

•---------•

As the gramophone rips and begins to play another song, the smooth humming is replaced by beautiful singing from the record. It’s a cozy and homey song; best shared by the fireplace. Feel, if he remembers the lyrics correctly. It always seems to be a favorite of the boy.

As it plays, the two in the corner look lost in their own little world. For the better part of it, at this time of night, with most retiring to sleep and Polendina himself quiet, this might as well be a world only for them. It didn’t used to be this way. The young miss would usually be held up in her room this time of night, studying the many books on medical remedies, searching failingly for a cure, and the boy hovering at his father’s side as he slept like a faithful hound.

Polendina should have picked up on this change when Pinocchio started to follow her around more often, seeking her out during the hours in between his missions. Quietly studying her humanity, like the others. Polendina is also well aware the boy can speak. Through his time here, the list of those he shared words with has grown exponentially but none more so than with the young miss.

However, that does not stop his hand from resting on the soft junction opposite her elbow. He slowly drags it up her skin, scribbling soft writings into her wrist. Polendina is unaware of what he spells, but the motions are slow and delicate, opposite the aura Pinocchio would have when he’d arrive at the hotel after a mission, tracking black oil, red blood, and blue—whatever—through the entrance, much to everyone’s dismay.

The quiet laughter from her and the small blur of confusion in Pinocchio’s expression explain all Polendina needs to know. Whatever was said was unknowingly innocent, and she traces an affectionate reply back into his palm. The necessity of this line of communication between them melted long ago and instead became a secret language that is only meant for the two of them; a convenient excuse to touch. Soothing messages dance across one another’s hands, the warm smile of a woman in love and the careful touches of a boy who hasn’t yet realized what it means to be in love.

The music plays on late into the night, far beyond the time for the hotel to retire. Polendina goes about his nightly rounds. The guests are relatively clean but there are always one or two things out of place.

When he finishes, the only people remaining in the foyer are himself and the young mistress whose head rests against the shoulder of a puppet undoubtedly adored. Pinocchio’s eyes are shut, and he lies motionless next to her but he’s surely still awake – not needing sleep as a puppet. However, he hasn’t dared to move from the spot since she fell asleep (thirty minutes judging by how many times the same song replayed).

For some reason, Polendina feels guilty for disturbing the pair.

“Pardon me,” he begins. In an instant, Pinocchio opens his eyes, but he still refuses to move, not even to lift his head to look at Polendina, but the attendant can tell the young man is alert and listening. “I hate to interrupt but it would be best if the young miss retired to her room for the evening. I’m afraid Lady Antonia would not be lenient with either of us if she were to catch a cold on our watch.”

Understanding, Pinocchio nods.

Polendina expects him to wake you up to go to your room; but instead, Pinocchio carefully shifts and slides his humanoid arm behind your knees and the other across your back. He cradles your body in his arms, adjusting only to encourage your head to fall against his chest before he lifts you off the floor. He nods at Polendina again, this time as a bid good night. As Pinocchio walks towards the main staircase, Polendina can swear even his steps sound purposely lighter.

It's an act Polendina has not seen the boy perform before. It’s not a base function for him, Polendina believes, but he carries you up the first step anyway. Polendina can sense his heart squeezing, the ergo inside him humming with memories of a ball. Memories of a beautiful young lady in a white dress. Memories of a sweet smile and a rejected proposal:

��What need is there for me to marry at this age anyway? My dear Polendina has always been plenty.”

There’s a forgotten happiness drumming inside him. Happily, he submits without fight and allows this passionate fervor to blanket him wholeheartedly. This time there’s no regret or guilt as he watches Pinocchio turn up the stairs and disappear to the upper floor. At this moment, he thinks maybe Pinocchio didn’t tell a sweet lie after all.

For Polendina has seen many things.

He’s seen the joy of marriage and family.

He’s seen the tears of heartbreak and love lost.

He’s seen the beauty and harshness of this world.

And now, he too, has seen a puppet in love with a human.

#p x reader #p x reader lies of p #pinocchio x reader #lies of p x reader #lies of p polendina

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the1975attheirverybest · 8 months ago

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CENTERSTAGE

A/n: I can’t remember when exactly this was written or why. I think shortly after the buzzcut debut? Idk. Anyways. Matty and Amelia slutty on tour. Enjoy.

Warnings: smut.

***

“Y’ seen Amelia anywhere? Can’t find her…” Matty asked, turning around, his eyes darting around the crowded backstage area in an attempt to locate his partner.

“Sorry, haven’t seen her, no.” Polly shook her head.

He patted her shoulder lightly as she squeezed past, mentally going through a list of places Amelia could be. They had a set post-show routine. She would wait for him in the exact same spot backstage after every show,

kept him company as he debriefed with the band and crew, often helping him to unwind and get ready to be taken back to the hotel at the end of the night.

Tonight was a London show, though, so it’s possible she’d run into someone — Perhaps gotten stuck in a conversation a bit too long — and simply hasn’t been back yet.

Retreating from the cacophony of the end of the show into his dressing room, he reached for his phone to text her and found that she had already beat him to it.

MATTY HEALY TO MAINSTAGE PLEASE; MATTY HEALY TO MAINSTAGE. Xx

Matty grinned as he read the text, confused, but hurried to report for duty anyway.

***

“Darling?”

She heard him before she saw him, in the pitch darkness of the venue, she bit her lower lip, flipping the switch that a tech had shown her earlier, to turn on some dim, moody lighting.

“Oh.” Matty squinted as the lights came on. “Oh my- you look-“

With a light flick, Amelia disrobed, taking off the long coat she’d had on, to reveal what was underneath. She stood in the spotlight that she had manufactured for herself, her heart racing. She wondered if she would ever grow used to being on the receiving end of his undivided attention.

Matty looked up at her, devoured her with his eyes. The dress she’d put on had left very little to the imagination. He was particularly fixated on the way that the lace pattern on her breasts had creatively incorporated her nipples into the design. Flower petals framing it invitingly. Daringly.

“Join me, would you?” She gestured at the couch in the center of the stage, turning away from him to hide the fact that she was blushing.

“Oh, try and stop me.” He grinned, rushing over to her, and almost stumbling his steps.

“Drink?”

“I’d love one, actually.” Matty sat in the center of the couch, legs spread wide open.

He lit a cigarette while he waited to be served his beverage.

“Not gonna lie,” he mumbled, the cigarette dangling from the corner of his mouth as he spoke. “This feels a bit trippy.”

Amelia stood in the space between his legs and took a sip of his drink before handing it to him. The clinking of her rings against the glass as it passed from her hand to his turned him on.

“Feels like I’m role playing a fantasy or my own real life.”

She smiled, “I thought you liked the whole ‘what’s real and what’s acting’ schtick.”

“I- I did. I do. ‘S just….whats the occasion?”

Amelia could feel her confident facade wearing thin as she stared down into his big, brown eyes. She shrugged. “I mean, I just thought….you’ve built a literal house. We never get to use it.”

“That’s usually cuz they’ve got to disassemble it really quickly-“

Amelia helped herself to the cig right out of his lips, staining it with her freshly applied lipstick.

“Fuck me.” Matty whispered, his hands reaching for her waist, but she slipped right out of his touch.

“Wait, one second. Let me set the mood.”

She walked over to the record player, popping on an instrumental. On her way back to him, she adjusted the lighting a bit better.

“Right,” she whispered, sitting in his lap and turning to straddle him. “Where were we?”

Matty never put his drink away faster in his life. “I believe I was just about to kiss you….”

When their lips finally touched, Matty felt it like fireworks in his face.

Her hands grabbed his face, she leaned in further, sliding into his lap, her legs wrapped tighter around his waist.

Matty let out an involuntary moan, his hips bucking instinctively. Her clothed center perfectly lined up with his.

She swallowed his breath, stubbornly refusing to let up, even as she, herself, began to struggle for breath, images of him from earlier, his trousers doing little to conceal what’s underneath as he swayed under the revealing lights of the b-stage all flooded her brain. She grabbed his wrist, pulling his hand and placing it at her neck, as if begging him to choke her.

“Please. Need you.”

He turned their intertwined bodies so he could lay her down on the couch, her legs refusing to unwrap him. She whined when he stopped kissing her for a moment. How dare he let her need him. Even for a second.

His body hovered over hers. She couldn’t quite make out the look in his eyes. Somewhere between breathlessly admiration and animalistic hunger.

“Gonna make you feel so good.” He whispered, leaning forward and dipping his head below the skirt of her dress.

Her legs finally loosened around his hips. She was growing aware of how wet she was. How he’s about to see it all.

“So ready for me.”

There it was. The smug satisfaction.

He pushed the center of her underwear to the side. It landed against her skin with a snap, making her gasp. The ever so slightly sting only enhanced her anticipation of the pure ecstasy of his tongue on her cunt.

Matty deliberately exaggerated the licking and sucking noises that his mouth made. Normally, she’d find it absurd. But he had her head spinning, she whined for more, pushing harder into him, her nails scratching at his newly shaved head, her hand keeping fixed against her core.

The force of her hands making it harder for him to breathe only egged him on. He worked her, dutifully, to a trembling cusp. He reveled in the sound of her voice as she called out his name, desperately. Over and over. His hand wrapped around her neck, squeezing faintly and listening for stifled moans that he felt get caught in her throat.

“More.” He whispered. “Say my name more. Say it over and over.”

She almost couldn’t hear him over the sounds of her own pleasure. A part of her wondered if she had made up his words. Maybe the lack of oxygen and maddening near-orgasm had caused her to imagine things. But then she felt the vibrations of his voice against her cunt as he groaned.

“Louder, Amelia.” He demanded. His voice calling her by her name cut through the fog, hitting all the right pleasure centers. Nothing turned her own more than hearing her name on his tongue. He owned her. Mind, body, and heart.

“Oh, fuck- Matty- I-“ she squeaked, barely getting her words out.

“Do it” he nodded. “Cum. Now!”

Her body tensed up. He felt her clench. She went stiff with white, hot blinding pleasure.

“Another one.” He simply said, refusing to let up on her sensitive body even as she whined and tried to squirm away. “You’re gonna give me one more.” His strong arms snaked around her waist, fixing her in place and pulling her closer to his mouth. He adjusted the angle of her hips slightly, giving himself better access, and heard her cry and scream.

“There it is. Can feel that you’re just on the edge. Let go. Give in. It’s okay.”

And she did. Letting out a guttural cry as she came again, shaking violently underneath him, not a single throw pillow was still on the couch by the time that he was done with her.

***

Matty kneeled by her feet, undid the strap of her heels, one foot at a time, and took her shoes in his hand.

“Shall we hit the showers?” He stood up, sticking his free hand out for her to take.

She let him pull her up to her feet, and then into the side of his body. She held on to him tightly. She wasn’t sure how much of it was necessary and how much was just that she enjoyed being fussed over by him.

Matty looked up above him. “You know there are cameras in this place.” He giggled.

“Oh! That reminds me!”

She rushed to the control board as they walked past them on their way backstage.

“What’re you-“ Matty watched her eject a USB. “You recorded-“

She looked up at him, winking. “I’ll send you a copy. Not now though. When you’re touring Europe without me and feeling lonely.”

#matty healy fanfiction #matty healy fanfic #matty healy smut #matty healy writing #matty healy fic #matty healy one shot #matty healy x oc

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motherstone · 2 months ago

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Silas's true colors

Ok, y'see @chi-the-idiot and I have been losing our minds when we combined our observations about Silas, and I thought it's developed enough to be a meta post about him and his actual character.

He's not a good person. He's not even a "flawed" misunderstood type - nope, just straight up someone who genuinely doesn't have the wellbeing of others in mind.

Main Points

Silas has always been suspicious since Book 1

Leon has a miscommunication with Emily about Silas’s intentions.

He assumed that Silas passed away too soon to tell Emily his noble goals. Thing is, if that was truly Silas’s intention, he would’ve prioritized saying that on his deathbed, especially when he’s fully aware he’s going to bite the dust soon.

Except he didn’t.

From the get go, Silas first attempt to hook Emily into claiming the Amulet is that it grants power and authority - not the ability to help other people.

Indeed, Silas’s last laments weren’t even about his failure to help the Resistance, but rather his failure to achieve great power. When Emily makes it clear that she’s not interested in it, Silas makes a point to switch tactics, and this time properly nails Emily’s actual desire - an ability to return to a time she’s happier.

And then, proceeds to give the worst possible advice to Emily about stonekeeping - listening to the stone (Which we already know, it’s a horrible idea). And to add insult to injury, he wistfully wishes that he at the very least could partake in the Amulet’s blessings would apparently gift Emily with, but alas, the bell tolls.

What’s even more sinister is Silas’s last words to Emily’s valid question of “why me?”

Silas already knows Emily won’t be able to reject the stone to begin with. It’s not a stretch that he manufactured or at the very least allowed the events to happen that would lead to such a situation.

From start to finish, this was a sales pitch. A trap. And Emily has so very little choice but to take the bait - all hook, line, and sinker.

2. Miskit’s design and potential purpose (All Chi's notes)

Chi brought it up to me about her suspicions about Miskit’s design.

Miskit’s design looks like a plushie - he’s small, cute, all round features unlike the harder edges of bots like Cogsley or Theodore.

For one, it’s quite unique and unusual, even among bots seen in the series. But especially when compared to the rest of the Charnon bots:

Put Miskit there and he sticks out like a sore thumb.

Oh, and also, he’s Silas’s apprentice and has all his knowledge stored in his memory banks. Which is. A very weird design choice. You’d think an adult like Silas would design a bot that matches him more - but Miskit looks out of place when put beside Silas.

Unless, Miskit wasn’t built for Silas’s sake.

But rather, for his successor, Chi noted. A child successor.

Miskit, standing next to Emily, looks like a perfect match. He was built to be her companion from the get go. Silas was never going to choose his son or Karen for the stone - he had the intention of an adult succeeding him to begin with. Miskit’s design, in context of the story, is meant to emotionally manipulate the successor, because Silas wanted someone malleable, someone who is yet to grow into their place and their sense of self, and who is more perfect for such a role than a child?

3. The Charnon bots and their reliance on Silas's stone.

I want you to take note of some things:

Emily’s stone fizzled out the same time Silas died, meaning his life force is connected to it.

2. Pink energy glows and crackles in the bots' eyes.

It goes unstated, but it’s clear that Silas uses his stone to power the house AND the bots. The lights and bots going out isn’t for dramatic effect nor the stone shutting down - it’s Silas’s will over the magic spell that keeps them up running fizzling out at the same time as his life does.

Signature pink energy crackling as they're restored back to life - they're powered by their very creator, and currently, their new master.

The house lives as long the stone does. It’s why Miskit is so panicked when Silas dies and is frantic on begging Emily to accept the stone - aside from being saddled with a massive duty out of nowhere, their lives quite literally depend on it. Sure enough, when Emily accepts the stone, they all come back to life. I’d bet my entire shoe collection (which comprises three shoes) that had Emily rejected the stone, they, along the house, would remain stone dead.

Sounds reasonable enough that Silas would use his stone to power them - it is a power source after all.

But the thing is - he doesn’t need to do it.

We don’t get further context later, but then we get to see other bots in the series and -

They all operate independently of a stonekeeper providing them power to function. We get that confirmation as early as book 2.

Meaning Silas built in the bots' dependence on him from their inception - they’re quite literally chained to Silas by life. It’s true that they’re loyal to him by choice, but that’s all the more convenient for Silas, as he makes it quite clear that he has no intention of letting them go if they wish to - either they serve him, or die.

In other words - SILAS HAS ALWAYS BEEN A TERRIBLE PERSON. I don’t know what the fuck Kazu was thinking trying to retcon him as a flawed hero, but it’s obvious he was never a good guy to begin with. He’s a power hungry, control freak who’s a slave to his desires - there’s not an ounce of decency nor noble intentions in this man.

#motherstone meta #kazu kibuishi #silas charnon #amulet series #contrary to what you may think this just excites me so much #Me and Chi (excitedly): oh my GODDD this guy fucking sucks!!!#yessss broken pedestal babeyy I really wished the series went on this route but alas

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feathersandfairytales · 2 years ago

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Potent love. [S.S & O.G]

Warnings: A little angst, but fluffy + steamy ending. Not explicitly smut, more of a make-out session,but Dom!Ominis, Sub!reader and Switch!Sebastian.

Synopsis (suggested): Sebastian and Ominis x reader where the reader smells them both in the amortentia potion, and ends up avoiding them in fear of being rejected.

Word count: 3.4k

Poly!Sebastian x gn!reader x Ominis

A/N: Not proofread. A little more angst than I intended it to be, but it's still cute. I hope @danielle-marie (who requested this) enjoys it, as it's my first request hehe.

"Today." Professor Sharp started, his monotonous voice cutting through the chatter of students. "We will be brewing the amortentia potion. Can anybody tell me what such a potion is used for?" He asks quietly, limping out from behind his desk to stare the class down with an icy glare. You look away, Sharp's intimidating demeanour sending a chill right down to your bones. You knew he was a just and fair professor, kind in his own way, but it was hard not to be a little scared of him and his stern exterior- especially taking into account how many powerful wizards he'd taken down during his time as an auror. Just as you were about to open your mouth to answer his question, another voice spoke. "It's a love potion, sir. Used to cause the drinker to fall in love." You looked over to Ominis with a smile, glad to see him participating in a class you knew he didn't particularly enjoy.

"Correct, Mr. Gaunt. 10 points to Slytherin." Proffesor Sharp said with an impressed nod, before turning to the chalk board behind him and waving his wand. With the flick of his wrist, words began to appear upon the black surface- information about the amortentia potion and the necessary instructions to brew it. "However, amortentia does not precisely create love. Love is an emotion so complex it is impossible to manufacture or force. Amortentia merely causes an intense infatuation. It is banned upon Hogwarts grounds for a reason. The power of obsession is not to be trifled with, it can cause darkness in people that most wouldn't think possible- in fact, I dare say that it may be one of the most powerful concoctions known to the wizarding world."

You flipped open your potions text book, skimming through a few pages until you found the page on amortentia. It was complicated- and you weren't exactly the best at potions as it was. You were pulled out of your thoughts when you heard footsteps behind you, and it took a good ounce of effort not to whip your wand out then and there. After a year of being hunted by poachers and goblins alike, you had a hard time remembering that not everyone behind you was a threat. "(Y/N)?" You heard the familiar, low rumble of Sebastian's voice behind you. "I left my potions textbook in the common room...do you think I could work with you on this?" He asks with a sheepish, shy grin, a red blush growing on his freckled cheeks. You notice him swinging his hands by his sides, a nervous habit you knew he'd had after a year of being friends with him. You let out a small, light-hearted sigh, shaking your head with a smile. "Be more careful next time, okay? Sharp won't be too happy with you if you make a habit of losing your things." You speak, stepping to the side slightly to make more room for him at your potions table. Perhaps having Sebastian's help wouldn't be so bad- he was pretty good at potions, after all.

After a short run down from Professor Sharp on the instructions of brewing amortentia, you began to set out all the things you'd need. Ashwinder eggs, pearl dust, a fwooper feather and a few other things. "Okay. I think we're all ready!" Sebastian said, clapping his hands together with a smile as he looked down at your potions table. Ominis was working on the table beside you both- potions class was one of his least favourites, as it wasn't really possible for him to use his wand to navigate. So, he'd gained the habit of working closely to you and Sebastian, whom he trusted with his life, in case anything were to go wrong. He trusted the both of you to tell him if he was about to mess up- because in potions, a small mistake could be the difference between life and death. After all, potions was a precise art and it was difficult sometimes to be precise when you couldn't see.

You got to work filling your cauldron with a base of water from the black lake, stirring in a small amount of pearl dust- so far so good, it had already begun to take on the pearlescent sheen that was characteristic of amortentia. You heard Sebastian click his tongue from next to you, and saw him wave his wand. A fire roared to life under your cauldron, the flames licking up the sides softly. "Now now, (Y/N), how do you expect to brew a potion without the cauldron bubbling, hm? Perhaps your mind is elsewhere today?" He teased softly, unaware that he was quite right with his little joking assumption. You weren't really focused today, all that seemed to plague your mind was thoughts of your best friends. Sebastian and his effortless charm that made you flustered beyond words. Ominis and his subtle care and tenderness that made your heart race out of your chest. "Quiet, Sallow." You deflected quickly, shooting him a playful glare. He was about to say something in retaliation, only to stop short when he was stared down by Professor Sharp.

Sebastian cleared his throat awkwardly. "Okay- stir clockwise for 5 whole minutes.." he trailed off with a groan, but began to stir the potion with his wand nonetheless. While he did that, you got to work. Placing a graphorn horn into the mortar and pestle, you began to crush the tough material. It was a bit of a struggle, and you could only get it into small chunks, while it was supposed to be a fine powder. Sebastian was busy stiring the cauldron, so he wouldn't be much help right now. Just as you were about to give up hope and cast reducto to reduce the horn to powder yourself, another voice spoke up behind you. "You won't do much to that horn by just crushing it. You have to grind it." Ominis spoke kindly, coming up behind you and hovering his hands over yours. "May I?" He enquires softly, which made you smile. Ominis was always so considerate. You nod, and he places his hands over yours, guiding your hands to perform a grinding and pulverising motion. Your face flushed at the proximity, the feeling of his chest pressed against your back, his hands closing over yours and his fingers a hairs breadth away from interlocking with yours. You watched as he skilfully crushed the graphorn horn into a powder, wondering how he did it so well without being able to see what he was doing.

When he finished and stepped back, you felt your heart skip a beat- perhaps relief that he'd stepped away and allowed you to breathe again? Or maybe dissapointment that he was no longer so close to you. "T-thank you, Ominis." You speak quickly, trying to act like you're not freaking out internally. He returns to his table with a gentle nod, and you could swear you saw a flush across his pale cheeks. As you turn and place the mortar and pestle back on your table, you accidentally brush up against Sebastian. The action causes him to jolt in surprise, and knock the ashwinder egg off of the desk. You bend down to get it, but in one swift motion, Sebastian has one hand across your shoulder, holding you up, and the other cupping the egg. Just how good were his reflexes? "Careful. If this broke, we'd end up with a magical fire on our hands- and Professor Sharp really wouldn't like me then." He smirks, his face so close to yours that you could feel his warm breath. In that moment, you weren't sure if the heat that was pulsing through your entire body was because of Sebastian or the egg he was holding that radiated warmth.

You quickly shift out of Sebastian's grasp, placing the ashwinder egg back on the potions table, inside a small nest that you'd conjured to keep it from rolling away or falling again. If either Sebastian or Ominis speak again, you don't hear it, too busy dicing up a mandrake root for the potion. As you put the ground graphorn horn and mandrake into the cauldron, it begins to take shape. It is a faint purple, shiny spots dancing in the liquid, and a swirling, spiraling steam begins to emit from it. The faint scent of ancient magic lingers in the air, causing you to sigh happily. You'd never sniffed amortentia, but knew it always smelled of what your favourite scents were. Adding the last ingredient and casting a small charm on the cauldron, it burst up in a cloud of bright pink smoke. Large hearts were floating up above the potion, mingling in with the smoke and steam. "Well done. 10 points to your house, (L/N)." You heard Professor Sharp's approving tone behind you, bringing a proud smile to your lips.

Class was dismissed, and you packed up your things and slung your book bag over your shoulder, gazing over the classroom for your two best friends. Sebastian and Ominis were talking to eachother idly, walking off to their next classes. You jogged up to them, jovially placing an arm around both of their shoulders, practically inserting yourself between the both of them. "Ah, (Y/N), there you are. Look what I snagged." He says with a grin, shaking a small vial of bright pink liquid between his fingers. You gasp, playfully smacking him over the head. "Hey! I did most of the work making that, it's only fair you give it to me." You huff playfully, snatching it from his hand. Ominis only smiles and shakes his head, a deep chuckle coming from his throat. "I've never smelled it before- hang on, I wanna see what it's like." You say, twisting the small golden cork off of the bottle and bringing it up to your nose. You were immediately hit with a whiff of ancient magic, an acrid but still pleasing scent that almost seemed to crackle with electricity and sent jolts through your body. Laced amongst that, was a mossy and damp, but musky and pleasant hint. One that immediately had your eyes widen the size of saucers. It was the same smell that clung to Sebastian- it had since that night in the catacombs, and although it was initially unpleasant had now become one of your favourite, comforting smells. Also unmistakable, was the hit of smoky yet floral, expensive musk of Ominis' cologne. Some luxurious French brand you couldn't even pronounce. Surely this was a trick- you had to be smelling it because of your close proximity, not because you were secretly in love with them or something. "I have to go." You shoved the potion back to Sebastian, leaving the classroom in a rush without another word.

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

You'd spent the next couple of days avoiding Ominis and Sebastian wherever you possibly could. Hiding away in your dorm, not sitting at the Slytherin table during feasts like you usually would, making excuses whenever they asked to talk with you. You felt really bad and even a little lost without them, but it was better than what you'd convinced yourself the alternative was- them finding out about your feelings and being disgusted with you or ruining what you had. In classes, multiple teachers had asked if you were feeling okay, noticing that you weren't with your best friends as you usually were. You'd been paired with Ominis in astronomy, and skilfully avoided any questions he asked you by outright ignoring him. You saw how disheartened he looked, how his face dropped as he quickly gave up trying to talk with you.

Right now, you were sitting outside of your common room, revising your herbology homework in peace. The scratching of your quill against parchment, and the crackling of the hearth burning next to you lulling you into a sense of security and familiarity. You were humming a faint tune to yourself, only bought out of it as you spotted feet paused right in front of you. As you looked up, your eyes met a very pissed looking Sebastian and a hesitant Ominis, eyes fixed to the ground even though he couldn't see. "Alright, what's up?" Sebastian hissed, his arms crossed over his chest. "You've been avoiding us for 3 days straight, and you've hurt Ominis' feelings!" He growls out with such anger that it actually makes you shiver. Your face falls at this information, breath hitching in your throat. "What?" You choked out, looking over at Ominis with saddened eyes. You hadn't meant to hurt either of them, and it broke your heart to know that you had.

"Ominis, Sebastian, I-" you began, placing the parchment you were working on over the desk, and standing up slowly. Your nails were digging in so hard to your palms that you felt blood begin to bead from the indents. You hung your head, biting your lip as you thought of what to say. When you looked back up again, Ominis was gazing at you with his typical calm demeanour, and Sebastian was looking at you expectantly, waiting for you to continue. "I'm sorry." Was all you were able to choke out, trying to fight back tears that picked at your eyes. "I just...the other day, during potions. I smelled the both of you in the amortentia- and I guess I panicked. Suppose I didn't know what to do, because I'm so damn scared of being rejected and ruining what we have- and, it's not like I could have the both of you, anyway." You hadn't even realised that you'd been rambling or that there were tears streaming down your face until Ominis had his lips against yours, his hand cupping your cheek and wiping away your tears.

When he pulled away, you looked like a deer in headlights. Body stiff and a shocked, flustered look on your face. "(Y/N) (L/N), you absolute git!" Sebastian laughed loudly, pretty much running into you and hugging you so forcefully that you were pushed right up against the wall. "Shut up. Ominis and I have been smitten with you since fifth year, how have you not noticed?" You pushed him away, looking up at the taller with an incredulous expression. "Wait, you what?" Your voice was raised, but not angry. "It's quite true, I assure you. Sebastian and I look at you like a mooncalf looks at a full moon." He chuckles quietly, and you sigh in relief. You're so glad that you didn't cause any irreparable damage in your relationship with the two, although you still felt horrible for hurting Ominis' feelings.

"My turn." Sebastian spoke simply, pulling you into his chest and leaning down to kiss you. His kisses were more rough than Ominis', fiery and passionate but not aggressive- even as he held you, his grasp was gentle and tender, a nice contrast to his feverish kissing. When he pulled away, a string of saliva connected both of your lips, and your faces were both bright red. Ominis was off standing to the side, his face equally as warm- he wasn't really hiding the fact he was enjoying the prospect of his two friends kissing. You knew that Sebastian and Ominis had both liked eachother- they'd both confided in you at separate times, and you'd done what you could for them. It hadn't crossed your mind that they'd also liked you too.

"I say we go somewhere more private, yes?" Ominis rumbled into your ear, his voice more husky than usual. You felt his warm hand slip into yours, and Sebastian followed suit, his hand finding purchase on your other. Now, you were sandwiched between two pretty Slytherin boys, and you couldn't think straight. "I agree." Sebastian nodded with a smirk, beginning to walk. You let the two guide you, unsure of their plans- although you weren't complaining either way. You got a few odd looks from some students as they watched the three of you walk hand-in-hand, but most people wisely looked away. The three of you were notorious after last years events, and most people were too intimidated of you, Seb and ominis and thankfully steered clear. As you climbed up the stairs of the astronomy tower, you realised that the boys were taking you to the room of requirement.

"This is your idea of private?" You giggled, about to speak again when you were roughly shoved against the wall by a pair of strong hands. "As long as you're quiet, no one will be any the wiser." Ominis laughed, his hands running over your hips as Sebastian's lips collided with yours. The sounds of yours and Sebastian's lips gliding over eachother's were almost lewd and caused a heat to pool in the bottom of your stomach. You felt Ominis slip between you and the wall, caging you between himself and Sebastian. The taller pulled away from your lips, leaning his forehead against yours as Ominis' hands found their way to your ass. You felt him roughly grasp at your flesh, kissing his way down your neck as Sebastian kept his hands on either side of your head. The feelings were overwhelming your senses in the best of ways, a mix of a gasp and a moan ripping it's way from your throat.

Sebastian pulled away completely, as did Ominis- you were about to complain, until Ominis took control and shoved Sebastian against the wall just as the latter had done to you moments ago. It took them mere seconds to begin kissing eachother, Sebastian's hands intertwined in Ominis' usually slicked back hair. It was an insanely hot sight, Sebastian, who usually tried to act tough, coming undone under the hands of his best friend slash boyfriend. Your breaths were coming out laboured, heat blossoming all over your body. When the two pulled away from eachother, their lips were swollen and red from kissing, wet with eachothers saliva and their hair tussled messily. It was truly a gorgeous sight to behold, the boys you loved making out with eachother.

Sebastian looked at you, obviously breathless and red, and extremely shy. Ominis didn't even need to see to know that he'd made a flustered mess of both of you, a proud grin on his lips. You sat down on the cold floor, grateful that it cooled your flushed, sweaty skin. You slipped your robes off, rolling up your sleeves. It was only now, as your adrenaline began to subside, that you noticed the sting in your hands, and the blood thickly dripping down your palms. Oh, had you dug your nails in that deeply? Sebastian sat down next to you, clicking his tongue as he noticed the wounds- they weren't deep or serious, but they hurt a bit. "Tsk, how'd you manage that?" He asked softly, taking your hands into his and examining the wounds. He hummed, taking out a small vial of wiggenweld potion from his pocket- you and Ominis had convinced him to carry at least one with him at all times because of all the duels he got into.

Ominis sat on your other side, waving his wand and conjuring a pot of tea in front of you. You felt Sebastian's calloused fingers tracing over your hands, then a sting that made you jolt back into Ominis' lap. "Ouch, sorry-!" Sebastian winced, but you shook your head, grateful for the help as you watched the small wounds slowly heal up until your hands were as good as new. "No, it's okay. Thank you. Both of you." You whispered shyly, taking your hands back and fiddling with your fingers. The three of you sat in comfortable silence, the close proximity making you feel safe and cozy. The crackle of the hearth and the chatter of the beasts from your vivarium was enough to eventually lull your tired body to sleep. Unbeknownst to your now sleeping form, Sebastian and Ominis were smiling down at you, chattering quietly.

"Sebastian?" Ominis spoke quietly after a short while of silence. The other hummed in response.

"I think I really love them." There was silence, and Ominis could immediately tell that Sebastian was pouting deeply- it was almost scary, his ability to tell what was going on despite his lack of vision.

"Oh, don't be jealous, you prat. I love you, too." He softly shoved the other boy, but then leaned over your sleeping form to kiss Sebastian.

"I love you both, too."

#hogwarts legacy #ominis gaunt #x reader #sebastian sallow #sebastian sallow x reader #ominis gaunt x reader #harry potter

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adnauseum11 · 8 months ago

Text

Operational Risk Management (John Price x Reader)

Kate calls with some bad news.

1k words

CW: swearing, military inaccuracies

This work is part of the S.N.A.F.U. series, master list also pinned to my blog.

Masterlist

Ao3

John’s phone lights up in the center console with an incoming call just as you are returning to the flat. Two hefty shopping bags of new glitter-less decorations are safely secured in the back seat. His patience ran out about half-way back from your excursion, locked in a snarl of holiday traffic. When he began to grumble about the lack of common sense on display, you reminded him that he wanted to tag along with you. The look he gave you afterwards was dark, but you didn’t let it faze you, used as you are to his intermittent grumpiness. Still, you’re happy to claim your spoils and clear off so he can take his phone call in peace, his annoyance doing nothing to dampen your spirit.

“Hello?”

John’s tone is curt. The familiar sound of chopper blades swells and then he can hear Kate over the staticky line, immediately picturing her cupping her hand over the bottom of the phone as she clears the rotors.

“John? Got some news, you aren’t going to like it. Can you talk?”

She’s moving, likely just landed. John’s brain is leaping ahead, trying to fill in the gaps.

“Yeah. What happened? Gaz alright?”

Kate cuts straight to the chase, apparently no time to waste on pleasantries.

“The commander Gaz is working under is a younger brother to man killed in Las Almas - belonged to Shadow Company. He’s leveraged his position with Norris to start knocking on doors to find out what happened to his brother and he’s managed to get enough intel to hold the 141 responsible.”

“Jesus Christ Laswell.”

John’s palm comes down with a slap on the steering wheel, his mood worsening. He can feel his blood pressure rising as Kate’s terse voice washes over him.

“I suspect Norris is feeding him information. We’re going to keep working on that end, see if we can confirm anything. When you turned down the contract and that photo popped up, he tried a different path. The commander did basic training with your girl’s would-be-assailant years ago, before the dishonourable discharge. We think he’s currently switching tack again. Gaz is obviously compromised, and they’re about to ship out.”

“Ah hell Kate.”

John’s violently pushing his fingers through his hair, the implications of Gaz being in the thick of this commander’s operation making his stomach turn to lead.

“I didn’t know John, didn’t think Norris’ men needed further vetting. Lesson learned. I’ve got a potential intercept point. Right now, we’re handling some rendezvous communications for them as we’ve got friendlies in the field, Gaz being one. They’re going to be sent to recon a chemical manufacture plant in Lithuania for a potential raid.”

Kate’s tone suggests she’s well aware of her fuck up, and John respects her enough to leave it there, satisfied with her acknowledgement.

“There’s got to be a vulnerability we can exploit to get Gaz to safety.”

John’s instinct is to plan, even without any intel yet.

“Ghost is planning an avenue of approach for the potential intercept point before whatever the commander is up to comes to fruition out there. We urgently could use an extra set of hands in the know, Captain. Timing is critical here. Gaz’s assigned taskforce won’t be expecting us. If we do this correctly, we can bury this for good with no one the wiser.”

John looks up at the flat, can almost picture you flitting around, rearranging items to account for your new prizes. His heart sinks as he makes the only decision his conscience will allow.

“Yeah, my bag is mostly packed. I can be at the base in a few hours for pick up if you can arrange liaison.”

Kate asks the question he’s been dreading since this conversation started. He can guess at the outcome and is in no hurry to be proven right.

“Your girl going to be ok with the last-minute change of holiday plans?”

At the mention of you, John’s brain immediately pulls the image of you naked in the shower, flushed from the orgasm he’d just given you, admitting you’re in love. The center of his chest aches at the thought of leaving you alone during the holiday you’re so obviously excited to share with him. At one point, early on, he was confident that he knew exactly what he was doing. His emotions lately tended to be out of control and headlong, almost impossible to moderate. After years of relentlessly telling himself it was better to keep his distance, to stay platonic, he’s finally getting what he’s coveted after all this time. And still, he can’t stop his greedy heart from wanting more. He fights back the uncharacteristic swell of emotion and clears his throat, refocusing on the conversation at hand.

“I’ll handle it. Not leaving anything this volatile for someone else to clean up. I want assurance it’s over.”

“If you’re sure. You’ve been moving fast with this woman John. I’m assuming you know what you’re doing here.”

His laugh is dark, the sound of a man whose best laid plans are unravelling in front of his eyes.

“Gaz would do the same. I’ll sort it out on my end, set up the liaison for 19:00.”

John is all business, putting any indecision firmly to rest in short order.

“We appreciate the assist; I’ll debrief you further once you’re on route. And John?”

“Yeah?”

He’s preoccupied, already trying to work out how to explain what’s about to happen to the woman he loves.

“Good luck, hope you bought her something nice.”

Kate’s tone is a mix of gentle teasing and honest concern. John’s foul mood refuses to rise to the occasion.

“Piss off Laswell.”

John grates out before hanging up the call and sighing deeply, gripping the steering wheel tightly. He shouts a handful of curses into the empty car, grateful for a mostly vacant street to witness his outburst. He takes several deep breaths to gather himself again before stepping out of the car to rejoin you in the flat and break the news.

Next Chapter

Tag list:

@deadbranch @beebeechaos @cadotoast @writeforfandoms @syoddeye @itr-00 @chloepluto1306 @batw3nch

#fanfic #captain john price #call of duty #john price #john price x reader #john price cod #friends to lovers #john price x f!reader #captain john price x reader #john price x you #captain price #captain price x you #captain price x reader #fanfiction

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aihoshiino · 9 months ago

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chapter 140 thoughts!

Reminder: because of the content of this arc in genera and this chapter in particular I will unavoidably have to discuss CSA and topics related to it, including grooming, emotional abuse and sexual assault. I do not discuss them in great detail, but if you very understandably just aren't in the headspace for that, no hard feelings - look after yourself and I'll see you next time.

So a lot of stuff goes on in this chapter but weirdly, I feel like I don't have a lot of stuff to say about it compared to the last few. Partially because it speaks so strongly for itself but mostly because, sort of similarly to 137, this is just clarification and reiteration of some themes and information that's been floating around loosely for however many chapters and we are just now actually pinning it all down into something more coherent.

Or at least, 15 Year Lie is pinning this all down into something more coherent. We're definitely playing a bit more with like, presentation and diegesis in these sections of the movie than we were with previous scenes. With the B-Komachi scenes, we very rarely fully entered the in-universe diegesis of the movie and the scenes being filmed quite firmly remain scenes being filmed by actors who are having their own thoughts, feelings and character arcs both about and separate from the material.

By contrast, both this and last chapter lean more into presenting these scenes as full flashbacks, fully immersing us in the material that the movie's diegesis essentially overtakes and becomes the manga's diegesis. It not only creates a sense of immediacy but also one of authenticity - by removing all the reminders that this is something being manufactured, a piece of in-universe dramatized fiction, the reader is invited to accept it uncritically as fact.

And honestly? I think this is a very clever trick. While I do think the broad emotional arc and relationship beats we're being presented with here are probably more or less true, there's a big question still hanging over the movie's presentation of things: how much of this is true and why is it being shown to us? This is a movie about Ai's life supposedly, right? So if this is the case, what's with this sudden POV switch to Kamiki… and how exactly did Aqua (and the rest of his 15YL collaborators in general) get this level of insight into 'Boy A'?

But I'm getting ahead of myself a bit…

Like I said up top, I think a lot of this chapter kind of speaks for itself, so all I'm gonna say is that this did a huge amount to really endear me to the HKAI dynamic, at least as 15YL is portraying things. It's just such a nice change to see Ai bouncing off someone her own age, squabbling and getting along and butting heads like a regular kid. It does a lot to really get across just what it was about this relationship that drew the two of them to each other. They have a good rapport and some cute chemistry and I'm finding myself rooting for them even in spite of knowing how it all ends.

The scene of them at the restaurant was honestly just a complete and total delight. It's been so fucking long since we got any content of Ai just being her likable goobery self so getting to see that again (and her and Hikaru's shocked and appalled reactions to the bill) was just so good.

The short exchange that follows is also so, so important, I think. Similarly to an early AQKN moment, we are shown Ai from Hikaru's POV - in which she wears a lovely smile and stands framed as the focal point of not one but two panels of brilliant light. This feels like a sort of answer to something I noted last chapter where HKAI's relationship seemed to be in the process of echoing both the AQAK and AQKN relationships - in Hikaru, Ai sees someone who has the potential to understand her. In Ai, Hikaru sees light. I'm interested to see if this will keep getting reiterated on as we get more scenes of them together.

god the more details we get about Airi's abuse of Hikaru, the more vile she becomes. The money she gives him rings eerily true to the way real life abusers of this nature really do use money and material gifts as a method of control over their victims. And it's also not hard for me to see her as using this to frame things as somehow transactional - to pretend Hikaru has any power in this entirely unbalanced dynamic.

I continue to be impressed with how OnK is portraying Kamiki's abuse. As I mentioned last time, I often find that manga is pretty tasteless and sometimes even downright exploitative and offensive in its portrayals of sexual abuse, framing it in a titillating way for the viewer to gawk at. By contrast, not only is OnK's portrayal a layer removed from the actual events, being in-universe fiction, but it gives us no lurid details to gawk it. We are forced to look only at Hikaru's pain and the emotional reality of the horror and exploitation he's experiencing and the story dares us to flinch and look away. Just like plenty of people do.

I also really appreciate that the story leaves absolutely no room for plausible deniability and just outright calls Airi exactly what she is: a pedophile. I was a little worried with last chapter that there was going to be an element of like 'oh Hikaru is just so cute even an adult woman can't help herself' but once again, the story pulls no punches in calling this abuse what it is and the perpetrator what she is. Harrowing as the material is, I'm glad that it's being handled well thus far and I hope Akasaka doesn't flub it.

that said i have to ask. where in god's name is the intimacy coordinator on this set.

The scene that follows is also very interesting for all the reasons I mentioned above. For Oshi no Ko as a manga, it's clear this material is here to challenge the reader and ask us to see Kamiki as human, to try and empathize with him despite his reprehensible actions. What purpose this monologue serves for the in-universe 15 Year Lie movie is less clear. But in both circumstances, I still have to ask: to what end, exactly?

After all, isn't this a movie overflowing with spite and hate? A script written for Aqua's revenge that will allow him to kill his father? If so, why are we being challenged to empathize with Kamiki? Why did Aqua write a script that portrays his father as a victim? And how, exactly, did he come to such a deep and nuanced understanding of this man he hates so much when it took Ruby three and a half mental breakdowns to start understanding her beloved mother?

This all raises a whole lot of questions about exactly what the final movie is going to turn out like and exactly what purposes it really serves and I'm tentatively excited to get some answers. I'm definitely still more than a little fatigued with the movie arc as a whole and a lot of my biggest issues with it have yet to really be resolved but I'm at least more interested than I have been before about where things are going to go.

Holy crap, no break next week… are we beating the biweekly allegations, gang???

#oshi no ko #oshi no posting #chapter reviews #onk spoilers #csa mention

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