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bluesidez · 2 months ago

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Gym Rat Miguel Part 13

content warning: alcohol, drugs, 18+ so MDNI, food play??, fellatio, cunnilingus

word count: 5.8k (YAY FOR MY BETA! @slushycoookie )

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GymRat!Miguel who starts the week with hope in his heart.

He was reaching a new milestone in his life and he was really looking forward to seeing you. He’s even started to cross off the days on his calendar as he gets closer to the date. Never mind the fact that midterms were right around the corner.

At this point, the reserved rooms in the library had his and Xina’s name imprinted on the sign-up sheet. He was confident about his progress in his classes while Xina was triple checking everything.

“I swear to god if I don’t make at least a B on this, I’m going to do commit arson.”

“Do you have any gasoline?”

Xina threw her pencil at Miguel while he snickered and dodged.

GymRat!Miguel who noticed that Xina was taking a liking to these brighter sets. The shirt she was wearing right now looked a lot like the one you wore on you all’s anniversary.

GymRat!Miguel who has been texting you as much as he could because he knew your critiques were coming up. You’ve been sending him progress of your work and the occasional paint covered hand. He didn’t know how you got yellows and charcoal on your face, but it was cute and he saved every picture.

GymRat!Miguel who is laughing at his a clip that Gabriel sent him when Xina grits out his name.

“I know you might be free to live, laugh, love, or whatever, but some of us have tests coming up.”

Miguel places his phone down, “I have tests, too.”

“It doesn’t look like it.”

“What’s with you all of a sudden?”

“Nothing,” she breaks the lead of her pencil with how hard she’s writing across the page.

“Xina, I’m sure you’re going to do great on your tests. You’re stressing yourself out over nothing. If this is how you’re like now, the finals are going to take you out.”

“I really need to pass. Some of these tests are, like, 30% of the grade.”

“And like I said,” Miguel laid his head on the table. “You’re going to do great. Trust yourself a bit more.”

Xina flit her eyes from Miguel back to her notes, a flutter in her eyes.

GymRat!Miguel whose phone is on lockdown for the next two hours as per Xina’s request so he was now in line for snacks and drinks.

He was thinking about getting something sweet, a reward for finally finishing one of his papers and the write-up for his game.

“Migster! It’s such a coincidence seeing you here.”

Miguel tenses, that shrieking voice recognizable anywhere.

“Aaron,” he turns with a polite smile.

“Grabbing some munchies for you and your girlfriend? Where is she by the way?”

Miguel shifted his eyes to him in his peripheral and back to the bread on display.

“You’ve never seen my girlfriend.”

“Don’t act all shy, now!” Aaron nudges Miguel’s side to which he doesn’t budge. “You guys look cute together.”

He couldn’t recall a single moment where you picked him up from his robotic team meetings, the engineering building, or the science building where he could see it.

Miguel looked down at him and curled his lip a bit, “Are you stalking me?”

Aaron let out a bird-like laugh, voice making the people in front of him jump, “You’re really a riot. Dude, she’s always outside of the building waiting for you. She gave me an invite to your birthday party?”

He leans in even closer, “You’re not cheating on her are you?”

Miguel stepped forward, the line decreasing and Aaron following him like a lackey.

“That’s not my girlfriend.”

Aaron snickered, “Could have fooled me.”

GymRat!Miguel who returns to the private study room with a knot in his stomach.

He places down a sandwich and a latte for Xina and taps on his own cup of coffee.

“Can I have my phone back?”

Xina slid it back without a fight, “Don’t distract me.”

He checks his phone and it’s only emails from school and a reminder to buy protein powder.

He guesses you’re busy again.

GymRat!Miguel who fights through the beginning of the week just to breathe by the time his birthday gets here.

Peter wakes him up with a mini confetti cannon and a lit cupcake that almost burns through his comforter.

They both panic for a few seconds as they beat the life out of the fabric and Peter looks shameful before he runs to his last midterm.

GymRat!Miguel who sees that his brother has dropped a saxophone rendition of “In Da Club” and dedicated it to Miguel on his TikTok.

The comments are full of praise and begging to see Miguel.

GymRat!Miguel who doesn’t have any messages from you yet.

There’s two from his mom, one from his dad and Tyler, some sporadic messages from his abuela, celebratory words from The Geek Squad, an email from his Steam account, a bunch of messages from Xina, and nothing from you.

Miguel’s shoulders wilt, thumbs flicking through his phone.

The countdown he started stared back at him.

GymRat!Miguel who didn’t really do anything special outside of his normal routine.

Get up. Exercise. Breakfast. Rest. Think about you.

Was his last birthday this uneventful?

GymRat!Miguel who dresses up a bit for this party that Xina insisted on having.

He looks in the mirror and adjusts the chain on his neck and smooths down his jean jacket. He doesn’t feel any different from yesterday, but he does feel like a loser for moping all day.

He should be thankful that he has friends and family that reached out to him. He should be thankful that Tyler slid him a nice amount of cash. He should be thankful that Xina is going out of her way to celebrate with him.

He still wishes you would have called.

GymRat!Miguel who hears the party as he’s walking up the stairs to the apartment door. He doesn’t know what to expect, but knocks on the door with fated breath.

GymRat!Miguel who is pulled into the party and given the ugliest birthday hat he’s ever seen by a guy he vaguely remembers from the gym.

He turns to the crowd and shouts, “The Birthday Boy is here!”

Everyone in the room shouts and cheers, patting him on the back as he weaves through the sea of people.

A beer was placed in his hand and noisemakers were blown past his ears. He smiled a little at the chaos and yelled thank-you’s over the noise.

GymRat!Miguel who saw some familiar faces once he got to the living room of the apartment. Margo was inching further away from Aaron as he laughed at something with a grimace on her face.

She looked up as Miguel came closer and jumped from the couch.

“Miguel!” She gripped his shoulders. “I am so glad to see you here. Let’s go to the balcony.”

She uses Miguel like a bulldozer moving past people drinking and dancing.

As they make it outside, she thanks him.

“Aaron is entirely incapable of reading the room or shutting up. You just saved me from hearing him mansplain the mechanics of Mario Party while Doritos fall from his mouth.”

Miguel smiled apologetically as she shoved a gift bag in his hand.

“And this was a nice experience! But I want to catch a game update that happens at 2am, and I need some shut eye.”

“You’re leaving already?” Miguel huffs, weight shifting in his stance.

“I’m sorry, Miguel. I’ve been here for a while and there’s only so much grass I can take in my clothes before the shots wear off. Also, a couple has been eyeing me since I walked in, and the guy looks sinister. I’ve got to go home.”

Miguel furrowed his brow, “Need me to drive you home?”

“I’m ok. I’ll text you. Enjoy your gift!”

She hugs Miguel and books it, ribbons in her braids trailing after her.

He opens the bag and laughs when he catches the card with a dad joke staring back at him.

GymRat!Miguel who really has no clue who majority of the people standing around are.

He’s chatted with a few people and pushed away a couple of wandering hands, but outside of Margo and Ben, who was currently dancing on top of the table like a video vixen in between some girls, he hasn’t really found anyone.

There was a coarse smell that ran through the apartment. He wasn’t sure if it was because the amount of sweaty bodies pressing against each other or because of the mix of mango pineapple smoke and something else he couldn’t pick up.

The music was rattling his bones and the hairs on his skin were standing upright. Everywhere he turned, someone was there and the weight of it was becoming too much. His height could allow him relief if the ceiling didn’t feel like it was caving in.

He got to a bathroom, praying for a break, only to be met with someone sliding their nose across the counter and another person at their side sitting on the toilet. He closes the door with a panic and shuffles to the kitchen.

It’s a small break, the people lingering around the island laughing over red solo cups. He reached for his phone, heart pumping through his veins as he runs across your name in his phone.

“Nuh uh,” Miguel’s phone is snatched from his hands. He’s about to panic until he sees who it is. “Tonight, you’re living in the moment.”

“But-”

“No buts! Only shots and smiles!” Xina pocketed the device. “Now, let’s have some fun.”

She smiles at him and grabs his arm, chest pressing up against his as she leans towards his face. He can smell the alcohol on her breath before he attaches the back of his hand onto her face.

Xina stumbles back, “So I can’t kiss you on the cheek now, either?”

“No. You haven’t done that in years and you’re drunk right now. Give me my phone back, please.”

“At least enjoy the party a little first. There’s,” she glances over to the middle of the island, “was…cake for you.”

Miguel follows her gaze to a mostly eaten cake with a part of it with teeth marks. He turns back to Xina who is pouring a shot for him.

She hands him a cup, “Just another hour. Please? I haven’t even given you your gift yet.”

“Forty five minutes and I’m going back to my dorm.”

She jumps up at down, loose straps of her dress sliding down. She pulls Miguel into the crowd with laugh and a shriek.

GymRat!Miguel who tolerates the party for a little longer, but the more he’s here, the more he regrets agreeing to stay.

He lost the stupid hat he got when he came and the beer he had was long gone.

Xina is nowhere to be found for what feels like the fifth time and between her topping off his cup every time she sees him and the guy next to him that looks like he’s about to puke over the floor, Miguel wants out.

Three doors, two heated couples, and face down body in, he finds her room.

No one is here so he steps in and sighs. He sits on the bed and holds his face into his hands.

He could hear some people riling each other up just outside the door and the thumping of a bed against the wall. He checked his watch and saw he was well overdue for his escape.

And you still weren’t here.

GymRat!Miguel who jumps up when the door bursts open, a wide-eyed Xina lighting up.

“Were you waiting for me?” her voice is drawn out, dress haphazard. She hops onto the bed and stretches out with a lazy smile.

“Xina, give me my stuff. I’m not asking again.”

“Ooh, touchy,” she takes his phone from her bra with a pout. “I can’t believe you’re still so tense with all of the alcohol.”

He’s been letting it splash out of his cup all night.

“Some people can hold their liquor,” he takes his phone and checks it. Still, nothing. “I’m leaving. Good night.”

Xina whines out a no as she reaches for him.

“Don’t go,” her words get stuck in her throat. “It’s your big day.”

Miguel looks back her, the colors in her face changing from warm to cool. He grabs a trash can from the side of the room and places it at her beside.

“Get to the bathroom if you can, Xi,” he makes quick work to clip her hair up with a lone butterfly claw. “I’ll check on you later.”

As he slips through the door as the sound of her hurling gets drowned out by the packed apartment.

GymRat!Miguel who is standing outside of the apartment by the stairs and leaning on the wall to catch his breath.

It was all too much.

He wonders how know one has come with a noise complaint yet.

He walks down the steps, the tenseness in his neck amplifying.

“Miguel!”

The way he perks up is almost comical.

You’re standing by his car with a gift bag in your hand and a worried look on your face. He hurries to you and engulfs you in a hug, sticking his nose in the top of your scalp.

“Baby, I thought you forgot.”

“How could I forget?” you push him a little. “And you smell really loud. Were you about to drive back like this?”

“I promise I only drank a beer and a shot-“

“And how come you weren’t answering the phone? I’ve been blowing it up all night. And your location is off.”

Miguel groans, “Xina took my phone.”

“Why does she have your phone? Why did she take your phone?” the tone of your voice was sharp.

“She wanted me to enjoy myself tonight,” Miguel rubbed your shoulders, trying to get you to take the wrinkle from between your eyebrows. “‘M sorry.”

You clicked your tongue and pushed his hands off of your shoulders. Miguel called your name like a plea as you walked around his car to the driver’s side.

“Sorry isn’t enough, Miguel. Something could have happened to you. My mind was going everywhere.”

Miguel followed behind, hands floating and wanting to touch, but not wanting to make you madder.

You turned to him with an irritated look and he shot his hands down.

Even when you’re mad, you’re pretty. Your lips curled up and moved a mile a minute and he just wanted to kiss you. You looked so cozy in your sweater and baggy pants. He wanted to bury his head in your chest and hold you for a while.

Your fingers waved in front of Miguel’s face, “Earth to Miguel. Are you listening to me?”

“Mm hm, I-. We…yes.”

A slew of profanities from one of the apartment balconies passed over you both, the silence between you growing.

You turn your palm over, “Give me the keys. You’re not driving.”

“But I’m fine! I can drive.”

“You’re literally dozing off standing up.”

“That’s because you’re gorgeous, bebé.”

You roll your eyes while Miguel smiles at you and crowds you against the door.

“No. No and no,” you shove his face as he laughs. “Stop being cute and hand over the keys. I’m mad at you right now.”

“No te enojes,” he whispers as your eyes peer up over your glasses. “I don’t want you to be.” (Don’t be mad)

You squish his face in between your hands.

“Then go to the passenger side.”

GymRat!Miguel who sits petulantly in his seat while you try your best to navigate back to his dorm.

“Baby, watch the curb-“

“Miguel, I see the curb. I’m not going to hit it.”

“Ok, but slow-“ his body jerks while as you slam the breaks, “down.”

“I’m driving perfectly, but you should remember this moment so that it doesn’t happen again.”

Miguel’s eyes shifted from the narrow road in front of him to your profile, heart full.

“And how do you drive this big ass thing everyday anyway?”

“I’m a big guy, for starters.”

“Stop talking.”

“Claro, hermosa.”

GymRat!Miguel who grips your hand tight as he brings you back to his dorm.

You’re still fussing at him, but your tone has shifted to a softer one. You wanted him to understand how scared you were.

GymRat!Miguel who is ready to pounce on you once you step into his room but you stop him with a wish for him to take a shower first.

“And then maybe we can cuddle.”

He starts hopping on one foot as he yanks his clothes off one by one, feet tripping over each other as he runs towards the bathroom.

GymRat!Miguel who walks into the room with clouds of steam behind him and a towel wrapped around his lower half.

You’re sitting on the bed with your pants on the floor, a blanket covering you, and Miguel has half the mind to dive on top of you.

As he gets closer, you look up from your phone with a glint in your eyes, “Where are your clothes at?”

“I just took a shower.”

He stands beside the bed staring at you, waiting. You scoot over closer to the wall to give him some room.

“How was the party?” you ask, trying your best to ignore your boyfriend’s muscles relaxing and tensing as he stat down. He tugged you in, laying your head against his chest and your fingers twitched as you thought about squeezing it.

“I hated every bit of it.”

“What happened?”

He maneuvered you so that you were straddling his thighs, your glasses almost falling off in the process.

“It didn’t really feel like a party for me,” Miguel fixes your glasses for you, tucking the handle back over your ear. “There were a lot of people, most of which I didn’t know. Xina was also on and off all night. And you weren’t there.”

“I tried, Miguel, I really did. But my calls weren’t going through. I thought your phone was off or something. Plus, I was getting all of your gift together.”

“What you’d get?”

He has a vice grip on your hips as you lean over to grab the bag from the floor.

You place the gift in front of you, the top of almost hiding Miguel from your view.

His hand flies for the top, throwing the red tissue paper everywhere. He reaches into the bag and grabs the first thing, a bottle of oil with a small note attached.

He looks confused before you explain yourself, “I know sometimes after your bigger workouts, your muscles get tense. This is for when I’m with you and can work those out. It smells really good too. And it’s mostly there because the massage gun I ordered didn’t come in yet.”

Miguel’s grin widens, “This is better.” His mind is short circuiting thinking about you in a masseuse scrub that hugs your body leaning over his back. Or maybe no clothes. He wants that.

You tilt the bag and he pulls out some shirts to which you hold up against his skin after you place the bag to the side.

“I think these will fit nicely,” you nod to yourself more than anything. Miguel likes the texture of it and whatever you think looks good on him.

“Thank you.”

“There’s two more things.”

He rummages through the bag again and pulls out a small box. His eyes focuses on the words.

“Is this,” he flips the box around, “us?”

You nod without saying a word.

In his hands, he holds a blind box that you made, the outside decorated in hearts and stars with your names combined together on the tab.

“This is one of the things that took me so long. I was making it from scratch.”

It was a little figure of you both inside from one of the nights of the yacht party. You made the chocolate boat come to life coupled with the red outfits you were both wearing.

Miguel stares up at you in awe, “I love it. I love it so much.”

“I’m glad. I was scared it was too cliché.”

“To who? I’m going to put it on display and project it on the wall.

He spun the figure around in his hand taking in every detail. You got everything right down to the way his hair fell. Even the box had pictures of figures from other dates and meetups.

“I would like to collect them all.”

“That requires at least two and a half more birthdays.”

GymRat!Miguel who watched you brace him for the last gift.

“Why are you so nervous? What is it?”

“Just, don’t laugh. Actually, no, you’re supposed to laugh. I was delirious when I made it.”

He pulled out a blue box with a transparent top, watching as you spun your thumbs in circles. As he untied the ribbon around it, he could see why you looked like you were about to pounce to the other end of the bed.

In the box lay a bunch of cookies in the shapes of hearts and stars to match the blind box. The ones on top are plain with holes in the middle.

He pulls one out.

“‘Birthday Blows?’”

You seal your lips tight as he reads over the rest of the cookies.

“‘Let Me Crumb On Your Face-’”

“It’s a gag gift-“

“Then let’s do it.”

“What?”

GymRat!Miguel who ensured you that the gift was perfect. At least the movement under his towel showed that he was serious.

Now, he’s sitting against the headboard doing something he’d never thought he would do.

“You’re laughing,” Miguel throbs while you sit back and cackle at his state. “There’s a chocolate chip cookie stuck on my dick, and you’re laughing.”

“I’m sorry!” your shoulders shake as you push up your glasses. “I thought the hole would be big enough when I made it. I underestimated you. I also wasn’t expecting you to actually want to use it.”

Miguel twitched as you pushed the cookie down further, the inside of it melting from the heat. Your eyes were sparkling the longer you stared at him.

“A-Amor, we’ve been apart for too long because you should know that all you have to do is mention it once and I’m in.”

“So,” you rub a finger over the tip and like magic, Miguel was sure to follow. You shuffle your position on the bed watching him get harder. “All this took was an explanation?”

Miguel stuttered out a yes as you ghosted your fingers over his inner thighs. His breath hitched as your gaze stayed on him.

Your sweater was pooling over your shoulders and your thighs filled the space in between his.

You bent and took a bite out of the cookie, humming as the taste hit your tongue. Your fingers dig into his thighs as you lean back up.

“That’s delicious,” you chew with your hand covering your mouth. “I think I did a really good job.”

He moves your hand and follows.

“I wanna try.” Miguel whispers. He’s staring at you with heavy eyes. You smile softly and kiss his cheek, his face leaning into your lips.

You bend down and take another piece, Miguel trailing you as come up to his face. He opens his mouth, eyes going from yours to your lips as you place the piece on his tongue. The sweetness explodes in his mouth once the chocolate hits his senses.

You take a hand to the side of his face as he chews, kissing his lips and licking a crumb off. Your other hand runs up his chest, squeezing at it as you take your lips to his neck.

Miguel groans as you suck his skin, nails scratching lightly behind his ear. His hands grip the back of your t-shirt, fabric stretching in his hold.

You feel him swallow and you kiss near his adam’s apple.

“C’mere,” Miguel guides your face back to his. His kiss is desperate as he opens your mouth, moaning when he can still taste the sugar on your tongue.

Your hands warm him up as they move from his neck to his shoulders, thighs shaking when he holds your tongue in between his lips.

“Let me,” your breaths hits his lips, a whine coating your words, “let me finish.”

He continued to leave long kisses over your mouth, “Keep going, then.”

As you moved to bent to take another bite, Miguel knew you were barely holding on. He feels your breath shudder over him as you take another bite.

His mind was hazy as he watched you focus on freeing him. The heat from your face was radiating off of you and your lips were shining, glasses keeping a tiny fog at the corners.

He grit his teeth as you slid the remainder of the cookie up and off. Your tongue followed the line of chocolate along his shaft, glasses becoming crooked. A dribble of pre-cum escape’s Miguel and he trembles as he watches it blend on your tongue. He still has a mind to take the cookie out of your hand and back on the plastic bag it came out of, your mind too preoccupied to continue your endeavor.

You arch your back, shirt riding up as you take his head into your mouth. Miguel just about cries when you hollow your cheeks. The moonlight coming through the curtains leaves cool lines on your body as if he guided it.

Miguel smooths your hair back as you sink onto him deeper, a load moan escaping Miguel’s throat when you pump him with another hand.

It’s messy and fervent watching you try your best to catch every drop of him and clean the chocolate from your hands and his skin.

Your name is on the roof of his mouth as your lips connect to your grip on him.

What’s more is that your other hand reaches in between your thighs, the sound of you mixing with your hums and constricting throat.

“Mi sol,” Miguel feels like the stars are falling into his room. “Amor, bebé, I can’t take it.”

Everything was overwhelming in the best way possible.

The vision of your body before him, from the way your hips folded onto your thighs to the way your ass moved as you bobbed up and down, was perfect. The way your lips swole to sink onto him felt amazing and your fingers moving from him to yourself only moved him more.

You only moan as you move your hand from his length to the place below, holding him in your grasp. The sound of your throat gagging as you take him all in at once pulls him to the edge. He’s loud enough to where you know his neighbors heard.

A swallow or two before he lifts your head off of him, torso bowing and arching. He springs, convulsing as cum lands on your glasses.

“Shit,” he cries as you kiss the tip, mouth leaving flutters all the way down. Just as always, his mind can’t help but to think, “you’re so pretty.”

His core is sore but it’s nothing that you can’t fix. He takes your glasses off and pulls you up. He replaces your hand on yourself with his, mouth quick to taste him on your lips. Your hands grip at his shoulders as he flips your positions.

He yanks your underwear off, reveling in the way the fat of your thighs move. He wastes no time in bending your body up, one knee digging into the bed and the other foot on the ground as he lodges his face into you.

“Miguel!” you grip onto the edge of the twin mattress trying to find your balance as he starts to indulge in you in place of the cookies.

You’re already so wet and it excites him. He’s sucking your clit in slow motions, rubbing his tongue over the nub at a steady tempo. Your eyebrows are furrowed as your sweater scrunches up.

Miguel grips his arms around your thigh on his shoulders, fingers kneading the flesh. You try to muffle yourself as the sound of Miguel slurping you up gets louder and louder.

“My neck, baby,” you sigh through your whines. Your hands hit the bed then grip his hair and you feel fireworks going off.

He only kneels on the ground, holding your hips so you don’t slide off of the edge. He quickens his pace, tongue sliding into your entrance.

You shake and bend around him as he digs his head deeper, groaning as his forehead meets your stomach.

The ceiling is blurry, your brain not knowing whether to focus on the building slick going down Miguel’s chin or the vibration of his voice thumbing through you.

It could also be his buzzing phone that keeps drifting next to you.

Ignoring it is almost impossible, the feeling of it becoming irritating.

You take his phone in your hand, eyes focusing on the blue light and the pit of your stomach drops when the name flashes across the screen.

“Miguel, stop.”

He looks up like a deer in headlights, face flushed and doused.

“What’s wrong? Did I do something off?”

You shove the phone his face, legs pushing off of him to get away, “I don’t know. You tell me.”

He catches the phone as you sit and opens it. You look over to see what feels like a thousand messages from Xina.

“whete did you to?”

“I can’t bepkwvw you lert mr here”

“Mkguel”

“mgel”

“answer the freaki b phohe”

“I knoq you’ee sgull uo”

“come bacl to ny riom”

“k feel ndytee now”

“beter”

“better”

“i missss u”

“You were in her room?” the bed sheets make a peculiar sound under your palm.

“Only to get away from the party and to look for my phone. She came in afterwards. These,” he places the phone on the bed, “these aren’t what they look like.”

“Then what the fuck does it look like? Because to me, it looks like you’re a liar.”

Miguel’s mouth gapes open and he flounders, not knowing what to say that’ll make you see the truth.

“God,” you climb off of the bed and head to bathroom. He crawls into a run after you, tight on your heels. “I feel so fucking stupid.”

“Amor-”

“Don’t. Just don’t.”

“Baby, please, just listen to me.”

“I’ve been listening to you for weeks, trusting you for weeks, and look where it’s gotten me! You let your ‘friend’ run you and belittle me, so we don’t have to do this shit anymore.”

Miguel’s heart sank as he watched you wipe away at your skin furiously. A stutter fights the words leaving him, “W-What are you saying?”

You brush past him and snatch your clothes from the floor. His strides are wide to meet you.

“What are you saying?”

“I’m saying that you’re getting what you want.”

“What are you talking about? I-I don’t understand.”

“This has been going on nonstop. Outside of school, when we rain checked, it was her. When we made plans, you’re always mentioning her. You’re spending every moment with her. I’ve been texting and calling you all fucking day, and you say your phone is with her.”

Your fingers press into his chest with every pronoun, his face crumbling at your words.

“I waited things out because I didn’t want to be the girlfriend that makes herself sick over every girl that passes you by, but this is making me insane.”

He says your name with a crack in his voice, “You don’t have to worry about her. I’ll talk to her. I’ll sort things out.”

You pick up your phone and dial a number, waiting only second before the call drops. You do it again, and turn the phone to his face. His name in your phone is there in all caps, one ring, and the call doesn’t go through.

“What was that again about sorting shit out?”

He pinched his brow, lost.

“You can be so,” you looked around like the word was in the room, “stupid sometimes.”

The settings on his phone are opened to his blocked contacts, your name the only one on the list.

You let out a breath you didn’t know you were holding and almost laughed in disbelief at the situation. Your throat was tight as you looked straight at the wall.

“I didn’t do this!”

“Then who did, Miguel?” you wiped a tear from your face just as fast as it fell. You trudged towards the door, limbs heavy as Miguel pulled at them, a bubble of no’s coating air.

“Let me go.”

“Then please don’t go. I don’t know how this happened, but none of it’s true. We can talk. I-I love you. I need you. Mi amor, por favor no me dejas.” (My love, please don’t leave.)

Your sweater almost rips as you pull his arms from around you and grab the door knob, a sob growing at the bottom of your jaw.

“Wipe your fucking face,” was all you said in response as you slammed the door after you.

Miguel watched the door rattle against the hinges in horror, cheeks burning with tears as he scrambled to put some pants on.

He hit his knee as he made a run for the exit, hoping to catch you before you got back to your own dorm. The chill of the autumn night shocking his skin.

The sidewalk was empty, only the scuttle of dry leaves going across the pavement.

In the dark, stood this weeping man who felt like a boy, lost and heaving out, no hope in his heart.

divider by: kodaswrld + adornedwithlight 🩵

a/n: Trying to update and format this on my phone is so infuriating. And also it took a lot of planning to get here.

The taglist has reached the max number! If you want updates, check my blog, turn on post notifs, or subscribe to it on AO3! (Although, I’ll have to clean this one up because some blogs aren’t here anymore!)

taglist: @ghost-lantern @miguelhugger2099 @emelie-s-h @lake-lili

@obsessed-with-miguels-ass @scaleniusrm @superiorspiderass @lexluvswriting

@flordelalunas @froggygal @vmpz8sauceee @famouscattale @nixinluv02

@jada-of-arcadia @spideykid22 @what-the-jams @julia4today @tojishugetiddies

@samjinxx @sleeklyalisha @the-pan-liquid @prongs-lover @kikaaauu

@urlocallocachica @wanderlustingcastaway @peachey-pie @ch3rry-bl1ss @girl-of-multi-fandoms

@love-kha1 @manlikemilesmyguy @sillysillygoofygoose @monticellohoe @kodzuminx

@lauraolar14 @bruhhvv @m4dyy @farrowroyale @cl3stevu

@ohara-whore @muneca-lemon-steppa @alexa4040 @amelialysm @snails-doodles22

@questionable-behaviour @babygotl01292003 @calig0sto @tatatida @haveclayeveryday

@earth2fae @maiyart @darkstarlight82

@sonicbutbutter @relatednative @slowlyshycomputer @nuetralcolorsenthusiast

@beyondstarlight @leoeloo @just-simpins-blog

@poisamm @thequeenreaders @tinybirdhidedout @aly29a2001 @mimi-sanisanidiot

@snakelore @pigeonmama @darkstalight82 @prettygirleli @koikohib

@jayskookies @xo-zeze @planetxella @thedevax @stressed-cherry

#love lab drabbles 💊#GymRat!Miguel 💪🏾#miguel o’hara x reader #miguel o'hara x reader #miguel o'hara #miguel x reader #miguel o’hara #x chubby reader #x plus size reader #miguel o’hara x plussize!reader #miguel o’hara x chubby reader #miguel o’hara x plus size reader #miguel o’hara smut #miguel o’hara fanfiction #miguel o’hara x you #miguel o’hara x y/n

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velvet-cupcake-games · 3 months ago

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Made Marion Development Update, August 2024

Official Will Route Release Window

I've checked in with the team and we aren't quite ready to release Will's route in (what remains of) the summer, but we're far enough that I have team buy-in on an official release window of the first half of October.

I'll have a more specific date once we begin our beta test in September, which usually lasts two weeks. I may release the first three chapters early for testers while I finish coding the chapters 4.

Will Chapter 3 will be fully written within a week from now. It turned out to be quite a beast. That means that Will's chapter 4s may be a bit shorter each than Robin's were, however, they will also be more different from each other than Robin's were. In fact, the love scenes and the climactic Chapter 4 action scenes are in completely different locations.

I'm going half-tilt on coding while I finish the script, and should have Chapter 1 fully coded soon, as well.

World Name Thoughts

Although the world in which Made Marion is set has three named countries: Avalon, Sunjata, and Nibiru, the world as a whole does not yet have a name.

I probably won't give it an in-universe name because its inhabitants primarily identify with their country of birth and don't really have a view of themselves as being on a planet in a system full of other planets. But still, since I'm planning to create multiple tales in this world (one for each country), I could use a name to call it for marketing purposes.

I've been putting this off for a while, but I'd like something with a historical/folkloric connection that deals with the number three OR that has something to say about the kingdom's themes - Sunjata, the Sun Lands; Avalon, the Middle Kingdom (light and shadow); and Nibiru, the Twilight Realm.

Right now I'm thinking perhaps "Triskelion," named after the Celtic triple spiral pattern. But I'm not 100% satisfied with that since I have two other countries that do not have Celtic inspiration (Sunjata is inspired by Medieval North and West Africa, while Nibiru is very loosely inspired by Ancient Babylon and the Indus Valley Civilization). It's probably not a big deal since it'd be difficult to encompass all three and this entire world began with my desire to thread Celtic elements into the Robin Hood tales, but still. Any thoughts or ideas?

Here's a reward for everyone who made it to the end. Arrapso didn't make those shirtless combat sprites for nothing!

#made marion #made marion dev update #english otome #amare game

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victoria-grimesss · 1 year ago

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tear you apart - part VI

masterlist

->Pairing: König x fem!reader

->Words: 2.8k

->Warning: probably wrong military terms/methods, hurt, angst, mention of wounds, blood, fluff at the end.

->A/N: L/N = last name, also I depict König as an older guy, he takes off his mask in this part so feel free to imagine him differently if my description is not what you want. :)

You double and triple check your ammo, ensuring and memorizing just how much you have, knives strapped to you, your usual gear as well.

The chopper is pumping with adrenaline, you could feel it in the air like electric shocks.

You sit across from König, he's clad in all his gear and is talking with the captain about routes.

You’ve chatted with some of the others on the ride over and you learned they’re also highly experienced.

“You ready? Think you can keep up?”

Another soldier teases you and you laugh nudging him with your shoulder as you go over the plan again.

We drop on the northeast of enemy territory.

König splits the team in two for the two buildings to search.

You and the captain lead a stealth operation on the first building that is supposed to have the hard drives in it.

König and the others will enter the other building and make a distraction, deter the enemies from your building to give you ample time to extract the data.

You’re not nervous, not one bit. But your eyes drift to König and he gives you a wink before returning to the captain.

Your only worry is losing him and that scares the hell out of you.

Never had you had someone on your shoulder, gnawing at the back of your head. Someone you love so much you would die for them.

You’re scared to lose König, but he’s a strong guy. One bullet couldn't bring him down, the scars on his chest prove that.

König stands, the red overhead light paints him like a God, built like one and ready to tear down whatever comes in his way.

“We are approaching the drop point, we will exit northeast and make our way toward enemy lines. I expect all of you to follow the directions given and follow either mine or the captain's orders when directed, do I make myself clear.”

A resounding yes sir echoes the body of the cabin.

“You will radio if anything changes or if you need assistance, we enter this as a team and we leave as one too.”

König looks at you as he speaks to the room but he wants to make sure you hear every word he says.

“These people will not hesitate to kill you or capture you, their torture methods are not pleasant so shoot to kill.”

We approach the ground and your heart races, like before a big test.

The group exits quickly as soon as we land and the chopper takes off to avoid fire or drawing attention to the group.

“Will the enemy group know of our arrival?” Someone asks the captain as they readjust their straps.

“No. They have a supply drop in the area and at the same time they won’t think anything.”

You all trudge along, König at the front you close behind and the others behind you with the captain at the back.

König seems like he carries the world on his shoulders on the field and he kinda does.

He has a large gun in his arms with a sniper on his back, full gear makes him look otherworldly and broad as all hell.

His head is on a swivel and you scan the surroundings, the sunset casting dark shadows across the landscape and you think of the last time you and König were together when the sun was setting.

Dust kicks up behind the group and long sets of footprints scatter the ground.

It’s only the sound of boots on the ground, carabiners catching on metal, and gloves readjusting on guns.

The walk is lengthy and you keep up next to König’s paces, the group keeps close and you all keep a lookout.

We’ll go back to my place after this promise.

You made him promise you something, to help your morale you said, he had laughed.

“We’re approaching the split point, everyone stay on their tasks and we’ll be back to the evac in no time.”

You and König exchange a nod and you stay back to stick with your captain and your smaller group.

The dirt road splits, a lightning struck tree split down the middle is your marker and the two groups split. König’s back is to you and your heart aches the slightest before turning back and returning to your group

Go in quietly and get out.

You round the first corner of the building, heavy tree cover aiding you nicely.

Cold shadows move around you and you keep looking out.

“L/N, enter the upstairs window and move down the hall, take out who you can. We’ll sweep over the bottom floor and move upwards, most combatants will be downstairs.”

Your captain boosts you up to the side railing and you scale it and enter through the window, entering a dusty supply closet. The dust and spores are visible in the air.

“L/N, have you entered the building?”

Your captain questions.

“Affirmative, exiting the closet and beginning a sweep. Will move left down the hall.”

You reply, you stay low, bringing a silenced pistol out and opening the door.

You encounter the first couple enemies and you take them out silently, you hear the coms spark to life again, König’s team has breached the building and the commotion from there stirs this building to life.

You hear the enemies roaring to life talking about an ambush and you move a little bit faster.

“L/N, have you breached the room yet?”

“I’m approaching, standby.”

The hallway is dimly lit, dusty, and heavily rundown.

You open the door and the room is expansive and large crates block the room's view.

“Breached the room, searching for the computer towers.”

“Copy, stay alert L/N firefight sounds heavy on the other side.”

For a brief moment you wonder if König is okay. Heavy firefight but he’s capable.

You make your way to the tower and dig the USB out of your chest pocket.

“Room is empty, no sight of activity lately.”

You hear a response from your captain and you listen quietly to König’s team's chatter.

They take down enemies quickly, König reporting a majority of the kills.

“USB, inserted. Hacking through the firewall and transferring the files.”

You don’t hear any response.

It’s quiet.

Then the room shakes and you hear a bang, then a flash.

“Shit.”

You move behind a crate but still close enough to the computer to see the progress.

The coms crack

“L/N, copy?- Get out, ambu- large scale, -bad intel.”

Your captain's voice is choppy but you get the idea, bad intel and an ambush great, a taste of what you’re supposed to be giving the enemy.

You cough as the smoke clears the room and you drop lower, the coms are frequent with reports about where the ambush came from the who might have tipped them off.

Rapid gunfire is heard everywhere, you hear the team downstairs firing and the comms indicate the same in the other building.

You fire at the silhouettes that enter through the door you entered, they wear gear you’ve never seen.

You duck again as fire rains over you and you can’t forget about the USB, the whole reason you’re there.

“Fuck, fuck fuck.” You're frustrated but not discouraged.

You fire blindly back and you hear your captain call for rapid evac, inform HQ of the ambush and support is needed.

“L/N I need you out of that building.”

“Copy Colonel.”

It’s König and his tone is demanding, harsh.

“Evac out of the buildings now, we’re shooting our way out of this.”

You try to move from your current position to retrieve the USB but you’re nearly grazed by a bullet and move back into position.

“Requesting backup at my position, I’m under heavy fire. Whatever they have in these files it’s important and they don’t want us leaving with them.”

“Copy L/N, trying to move upstairs but heavy fire down here is deterring, try to get out any way possible.”

Your captain speaks, his voice strained.

The intel you received was right about one thing. This is the info you’re after but the enemy targets know damn well they're not going to let your team leave with it. The one thing no-one knew was that the targets were requesting more troops to their area and today, actually right now, is when they arrived.

The night offered good cover to your team, you could slip away into the trees with the data and leave.

Moonlight now streams through the boarded windows behind you, it’s so dark and you move, quickly retrieving the USB just as someone shoots the computer and it grazes your arm, leaving an angry red gash, sparks from the computer fly everywhere, some rain onto you like a mist.

You manage to shoot a few combatants and you rain fire upon them and book it across the room aiming towards the side room which leads to a stairwell and backdoor.

You’re inches from the door when someone rams into you from the side knocking you back, the air is dislodged from you and you scramble to gain the upperhand.

It’s a larger man on-top of you, eyes narrow and eyebrows furrowed.

“L/N, do you copy?”

König doesn't sound patient.

L/N, do you copy?!”

He’s frantic now as the man above you gains the upper hand and wraps his hands around your throat. You reach for your knife and stab him in the thigh, he falters and you’re able to get a hit in to his cheekbone.

You crawl to your gun that had slipped from your grasp but the man gains his strength back and pulls you by your leg away from the gun.

“Can you just fuck off?!”

You yell at him, you kick him in the stomach but he straddles you again, wrapping his hands heavily around your throat, König is yelling for you in the coms, he demands a response from you.

—

His gun is putting down enemies faster than ever, he tears through people with the ease of tissue paper.

Dust flies through the air with the way the bodies hit the ground.

“We move to that building now, get over there now!”

He demands and they're rounding the building, the door to the back is barricaded from the inside and he kicks it right in the center of the double doors and it flies open with ease.

He’s laser focused and his mind is only on finding you.

For someone so big his steps are quiet, he rushes through the building dropping enemies like they're nothing.

The stairs in the back creak under his and the other members feet, they scale them quickly and he slams the door open.

The team guns down all the enemies and he sees you in the back of the room, his eyes are locked onto the man above you and he’s felt no rage as hot and acidic like this.

He would love to tie this man to a chair and make him wish for death each day.

His hands grasp the man's neck and he tears him off of you and you gasp for air, regaining your composure.

The man's eyes go wide at the sight of him, like many do.

König grips his neck and leg as he raises him above him, he drops him hard onto his knee and the sound of the man's spine breaking cleanly is heard in the room.

König is on you next, he holds you so close you think your spine might break too.

One hand is in your hair, he smells it deeply and you can hear how his breathing shakes.

“I’m okay.”

“I know, I know liebling.”

He helps you up, you and the rest of the team make your sweep through the rest of the building taking out whomever is left. König has the most precision you’ve ever seen, his marks never miss and he keeps you close to him.

König and the captain meet up and your team takes a moment to call for evac, one of the other members took a bullet in the process and you help him wrap it and you take that time to wrap your arm as well. König watches you carefully, he cursed himself for letting you get hurt as you did, whoever gave the intel is going to hear from him, none of the words he will share with them will be kind.

Your team moves through the woods quietly, the creatures of the night stirring with your movements. Moonlight is your guide and the chopper lands down on a fire burnt hilltop where you finally get to leave.

—

The ride back is silent, it always is. No-one was expecting such a firefight but there were no casualties on your side and for that you are all thankful.

The captain applauds everyone's works, you hand over the flashdrive to König for safe keeping, he’ll send it over to the intelligence department once you all get back to decrypt the text. But for now you are resting your head on his shoulder and he’s content you can find sleep.

—

When you are back to base you deflate in the medical unit, you let them check you over and they clean your graze wound. You wince a bit but you’re just happy to feel the pain, that was a close call but the way König fought ignites a weird primal part of you that loves that he protected you so.

König told you he had to speak with someone when you got back, he left you with a light push towards the medical wing and now that you’re done you just want to get the grime off your skin and sleep.

His room smells like a mixture of the two of you now. His cologne and your shampoo in his bed make you drowsy but you strip off your gear, setting it on the dresser and slowly strip in the bathroom. You look over the bruises and the wrapping on your arm, the water is hot when you enter and it eases your muscles.

“Liebling?”

“In the shower my love.”

Your heart flutters with him being nearby. He entered the bathroom after shedding all his heavy gear.

“I’ll only be a little longer then the shower is all yours all-right?”

“I was thinking we can shower together.”

“With your hood on? Won’t it get all soggy?”

You giggle at the thought of him naked except for his hood which is dripping wet and I would assume that would feel like being waterboarded.

“I will join you without it.”

You hear beats faster.

“König- you don’t have to. I mean if you're not ready.”

“I could not be more prepared. I almost lost you today and I want to share my whole being with you, if you would let me.”

“Of course.”

You smile sweetly and you watch in the fogged glass of the shower door as he discards his clothes, his skin becoming more visible. His hood is last and you see a blurred version of him.

The shower door opens and he steps in, he hangs his head to get under the water, you step aside and admire him.

The way his short hair blends into his stubble, the eye paint bleeds down his face from the steam now. His lashes are dotted with water droplets and in here his eyes are ever bluer. His nose is sharp, broken and healed again so it’s slightly askew. A scar traces from his eyebrow into his hairline, another one kisses the top of his lip. He has lines on the outer corner of his eyes, and his forehead is scattered with a few as well. A marker of his life lived.

Your eyes draw down and look him over completely as a whole now.

“You’re gorgeous König.”

You breathe it and your hands place themselves at his abdomen before drawing up to his shoulders then bringing his head down to yours, you kiss slowly under the water.

“Thank you liebling, I- I am happy to be able to share all of you with me. It is like a weight being lifted off my shoulders.”

He kisses you softly and you smile, you shower together slowly.

He shampoos your hair and you do his, he has to lean down quite a bit and you laugh telling him you’ll need a shower stool if you are both to continue showing together.

You wash each other's bodies and take care in washing the gunpowder and using gentle hands over the blooming new bruises.

He kisses your neck where the assailant left his mark, he holds you sweetly with the same hands he used to kill that man.

Your fingers are pruney when you both leave the shower and stand side by side brushing your teeth, the view in the mirror being something you both want to see for a long long time.

—

Tag List: @theredviolets , @saint-chlorine , @cndy-l0v3

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angelsanarchy · 1 year ago

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Alkaline: Euronymous x Y/N Series CH 19

Tagging: @ophelialaufey@madamemaximoff06@forever-not-gonna-sink@ajmiila02@liquidsmoothdomme@shady-the-simp @auggiethecreator @tempt-ress @blacksoul-27

For the first few months of the shop being open, there had been complaints about noise, property damage, lewd acts and even some random garbage fires. The neighbors were too afraid to call the police but they had no problem complaining amongst themselves. Oystein had called Hammed about setting up an account that way he could get daily deliveries but told him he would only tip double if Y/n was the one to deliver it. Hammed agreed without hesitation but reminded Oystein she still gets to decide if she's going to do the deliveries.

The first week she left the food on the step of the shop and or had someone who was going in give it to Oystein. She was later informed Hammed had to dock her pay because Oystein wasn't receiving his orders. As much as she wanted to go into the shop and beam his order at him, cursing him out. She decided that she would play this game.

She walked into the shop to see he had three customers standing at the counter. She waited for the business to be done and he smirked at her as she approached.

"I see you finally made it in again. I told Hammed that I missed some orders." Oystein explained.

"Yeah he docked my pay. Sorry you didn't get the food I very clearly place on the step and made eye contact with you." Y/n gave a fake smile and Oystein nodded.

"I'm sorry to hear that but it is your job to hand deliever the food, isn't it." She stared at him for a few seconds before walking closer and sticking the food out.

"Yes, yes it is. Here is your food." She place the food in his hands and he smiled.

"Come on Y/n. This can't be that bad. I doubled the tip, doesn't that count for something?" Oystein asked wishing she would let her guard down just slightly.

"Listen, my only job is to make sure that bag of food gets into your hands. You don't double tip for me to stick around and have conversations with you." Y/n explained with a smile.

"What if I tripled it?" He tested.

"As long as your names on the check and not your dad's." She leaned over the counter towards him. He was speechless. No one could cut him up like Y/n. She smirked knowing she had won this round and left the store. Every day she brought him his food, she made sure to put it in his hands or sit it in front of him. She wasn't going to get docked again and she refused to let his comments bother her.

Whenever he tried to start a conversation or make a snarky comment, she would make sure to knock something over or flip a record around knowing he would have to come around the counter just to fix it. She knew it annoyed him. Truth was, he accepted it. All he wanted was to interact with her.

"Hey did you see Enrich sweet talking the shop girl Euro is obsessed with?" Faust leaned against the counter talking to a customer and Oystein took his headphones off.

"Speak freely, asshole. What was that?" He challenged seeing the guy put his hands up.

"Hey man I'm just looking out for you. He's been pushing up on that sandwich shop chick that brings your lunch every day. He's trying to get signed by you." He could feel Faust's eyes on him.

"Wouldn't make much sense to do that if he wanted to get signed." Faust said blowing the guy off and telling him to take a hike. Oystein made a mental note of the interaction and keep his eyes out for whoever this Enrich guy was. She pushed the door open and he leaned back in his chair. She tossed the bag on the counter and gave him the finger before spinning on her heel and heading right back out the door.

"I can see why you like her." Faust croaked making Oystein roll his eyes. He was the only one who was there enough to see the on goings of their complicated connection. He never really

Today his order was running late. He had walked to the door ready to head to the shop and pick it up but he noticed Y//n was actually talking to someone. It was a guy who had come into his shop often looking for records. Nothing truly standout about the guy but he knew he didn't like her talking to other metal heads. He gave her a side hug letting her before she started towards the door. Oystein walked back around the counter so she wouldn't see him and tried to play it cool.

"You're late." He said taking the bag.

"Take it out of my tip." She said quickly.

"What tip?" That caught her attention. She turned slowly and looked at him. He opened the bag and sighed.

"It's cold now. I'm considering a refund and you're worried about a tip?" Oystein slid the bag back towards her and she glanced at Faust who looked away quickly.

"Today is not the day. Don't fuck with me-" She started.

"Look the shop is literally five minutes away. Don't get pissy at me because you can't walk a bag five minutes without it getting cold." Oystein knew he was being a prick but he was salty. She was talking to people who frequented his establishment, who wanted to be signed to his label and she thought he would just be okay with it? Not a chance. He was in fact petty.

Y/n snatched the bag off the counter, cussing under her breath. Oystein and Faust shared a look and they both chuckled.

She returned 10 minutes later with another bag that was not only hot but free according to the note on it from Hammeed. She pulled bills from her pocket and slapped it on the counter.

"You can keep the tip." Oystein said but she laughed.

"Oh no this time you can keep it. Use it. Take it to store and get a razor. You look like a vampiric pedophile, you fucking clown." Y/n seethed before giving Faust the finger.

"You're welcome for the free show." She left the shop annoyed and Faust laughed.

"She might actually kill you." He shrugged sitting in front of the TV once more and Oystein shook his head.

"Probably." Oystein whispered taking his food into his office.

#R!Euronymous #R!Euronymous x Y/n #Film: Lords of Chaos #Alkaline #Alkaline series #One Shot Series #Rory Culkin #Culkin Cult #19/35

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satansapostle6 · 1 year ago

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Josh Futturman has always had a crush on his beautiful coworker, the sharp, sexy scientist he thought he could only dream of talking to.

Warnings: Mature themes/language. Sexual content.

Part Four

Part Five: My Balls, Your Court

Josh knew that he had to make a move with Brynne, and soon. He knew this partly because for the last few days, Ray had continuously been telling him, ‘You gotta make the first move’.

The ball was in his court, and he needed to act quickly. So, he was trying to work up the courage to do so. After all, he knew for a fact that Brynne was single, but he also knew that women like that didn’t tend to stay single for long if they didn’t want to.

He knew that the annual Kronish Ball, a formal office party before Christmas, was coming up that Friday. So, he figured, that would be the perfect opportunity to ask Brynne out on a date, or at least hang out with her at the hall if he couldn’t get his shit together and ask her out. Ray was heavily encouraging this, and so was Dr. Kronish, for that matter.

That afternoon, Josh Futturman had finally worked up the courage to head up to the lab a little while before leaving work that day, when he found that there might’ve been a slight problem with that plan. As he headed towards the lab, he saw a couple of scientists leaving in a hurrry, looking shell-shocked.

“Oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck,” the young woman breathed.

“It’s okay, it’s fine, we just have to fix it,” the young man told her.

“Hey,” Josh frowned as they looked at him, “What’s going on? Is Dr. Camillo in one of his moods again?”

The female lab assistant quickly shook her head, seeming terrified. “No. It’s Dr. Johansson,” she informed him in a hushed tone.

“Dr. Johansson?” Josh said in surprise.

“Yeah. Someone messed up a bunch of data, and now we have to start running the tests all over again. Set us back two months. She’s fucking livid,” the male lab assistant explained.

Josh said nothing, cautiously approaching the lab, half expecting a war zone. He walked in on Brynne scolding one of the underlings, presumably the one responsible for the mistake, sounding disturbingly like Dr. Kronish on the rare occasions where he would actually get angry.

“No, that’s not what I’m asking you,” Brynne stated, seething beneath her calm exterior. “Did you, or did you not, forget to check the input dates?” she demanded.

“I… Forgot to check the input dates,” the young man told her, barely able to look her in the eye.

“And how is that possible?” Brynne interrogated him. “Did the forms not specifically say to double check, triple check, fucking quadruple check, the input dates, because there might be some confusion on that?”

“Yeah,” he admitted, “They did.”

“And did Dr. Fernandez not specifically tell you to notify him before submitting the reports?” she concluded.

“Yeah,” the guy nodded. “He did.”

“Well then, why the fuck did you not do it?” she demanded.

Josh stood there awkwardly in silence, never having once seen her this angry before.

“I don’t know,” he murmured, avoiding her gaze.

“‘I don’t know’?!” Brynne repeated. “‘I don’t know’ is not an acceptable response for someone working in a laboratory! You’re curing disease, not making a fucking McChicken!”

Her voice had a terrifying echo throughout the empty room, and although Josh was paralyzed with fear, he now knew that Brynne’s rage was completely justified from what he heard.

“I’m gonna ask you again, because I hired you, and am therefore responsible if it turns out I hired someone completely incompetent. Now, why… in the hell… did you not have Dr. Fernandez check your work before you submitted it?” she prompted.

“I…” he paused, seemingly realizing how careless he sounded. “I thought it was good. So I just submitted it.”

“Unbelievable,” Brynne muttered, “That was careless, lazy, and above all, just arrogant. You cost us two months worth of testing, and thousands of dollars to restart the entire process, with one little careless mistake. You realize that, at a place like this, I can fire you for that?”

He was quiet for a moment, then responded.

“Yeah.”

“Now, I’m pissed, but you realize I could have you scrubbing the fucking toilets for Josh over there?!”

Josh gulped nervously, realizing he was now a part of the conversation.

“Josh. How would you like a day off, hmm?” Brynne asked, obviously a rhetorical question. “How would you like a nice day off, while Brennan here cleans up a whole building worth of shit?”

Josh just frowned awkwardly. “Uh… That sounds nice.”

“See, if I was an asshole like Dr. Camillo, you’d be scrubbing shit right now,” Brynne pointed out, “You’d be scrubbing shit for the rest of your career, and you’d still have to thank me, because working in Dr. Kronish’s lab is still a privilege. But I’m gonna be beyond fair, and have you personally run up to Dr. Kronish’s office and tell him why we can’t go public for another two months, if we’re lucky.”

“Alright,” he nodded, not having anything else to add.

Josh was suddenly pushed aside as Dr. Camillo barged into the room, fuming.

“Is this the jackass that fucked all the data to shit, and cost us another two months?!” he boomed.

“Stu… I swear to fucking God,” Brynne Johansson warned. “Get the fuck out!”

“I don’t work for you! I work for Dr. Kronish,” he argued.

“Oh yeah? Go and fucking tell Kronish you’re pissing me the fuck off right now, and see what he says!” she suggested. “Do it! I fucking dare you!”

Josh and Lucas Brennan were both equally terrified for their lives as they watched Dr. Camillo rush out of the room with his tail between his legs. Brynne turned back to her employee, about past her breaking point.

“Brennan. Go tell Dr. Kronish what happened, specifically your part in it, and then go work on restarting everything,” Brynne exhaled slowly. “If I hear you disregard anything you’re told again, you’re fired. If I talk to Dr. Kronish later today and he says you never told him the full story, you’re fired. Understood?”

“Yeah,” Brennan nodded quickly, “Understood.”

“Go,” she barked, not wanting him in her sight for any longer.

Josh quickly stepped aside for Brennan as he quickly rushed out of the room. He looked over at Brynne, who just stood in the middle of the empty room, one hand on her hip, and one hand squeezing her temples in an attempt to soothe her approaching stress migraine.

“Hey, Josh,” she sighed, sounding exhausted.

“Hey,” he said awkwardly.

“What’s up?” she asked him.

Suddenly, Josh no longer felt like asking her out on a date.

“Sorry, it’s nothing important, if this is a bad time, I can just leave you alone,” he offered.

“No, no, it’s fine,” she assured him. “Sorry. I didn’t want anyone else to have to see that.”

“It’s okay,” he promised her, “I get it.”

“You must think I’m an asshole,” she scoffed, a sad bitterness to her tone, “I felt like Dr. Camillo.”

“No,” Josh shook his head immediately, “Definitely not. I mean, you’re tough, and everything, but… You’re fair.”

Brynne just nodded appreciatively, genuinely comforted. “Thanks. I… I’m just pissed we have to start all over again.”

Josh realized that this was one of the first genuine conversations he’d ever had with her; no flirting, no banter, just talking.

“Yeah, who wouldn’t be?” Josh agreed sympathetically. “Weren’t you scheduled to go public with everything after New Year’s?”

“Yeah,” she nodded, frustrated by her current predicament, “We were. Now, everything has to be pushed back.”

“Jesus,” he murmured.

“Anyways. Enough of that for today. Did you wanna talk to me about something?” she wondered.

Josh gulped fearfully, having no idea how to segue.

“Uh…”

He only got more nervous as she looked at him, naturally expecting an answer.

“The Kronish Ball! On Friday!” Josh managed, realizing he wasn’t making any sense.

Brynne just nodded, not understanding the relevance. “Oh, yeah. I almost forgot about that.”

“You’re going, right?” he asked her.

“Yeah,” she nodded, “I’ll be there.”

“Great!” he laughed, horrified as he realized there was more to that sentence. “Did you, uh… have a date?” he croaked out.

She shook her head, and he nearly jumped for joy.

“No, I was just gonna come on my own.”

“Great!” he blurted out again, not knowing where to go from there. “…Me too!”

Josh cursed himself as he realized that was all he knew to say. She just stared at him blankly, equally unsure of how to continue the conversation.

“Cool.”

“Cool,” Josh forced a smile that was really more of an awkward grimace, slowly backing out of the room. “Cool…”

The word was about to lose its meaning. Frantic to say something, anything at all, he opened his mouth before his brain had actually planned out what to say to her.

“My balls…! Your court?!” he yelled out an invitation, alarming the both of them.

He was mortified as he realized what he’d actually said to this woman, a distinguished scientist with a PhD. She just blinked, completely dumbfounded by his words.

“…What exactly are you asking me, Futturman?” she questioned. “I’m not sure why, exactly, but should I be contacting HR?”

“No…! Sorry!” Josh laughed, close to tears, “I just… Uh…”

He quickly realized it would sound worse if he were to just stop there, so he figured he was forced to correct himself.

“I was just wondering… Since we were both planning on going alone…” he had no idea what she was thinking.

“Yeah?” Brynne prompted.

“I, uh… Did you, maybe, wanna… go to the party, together?” he slowly stumbled over the sentence. “As, like, a date?”

He was horrified as she paused for a moment, her beautiful features seeming completely blank.

“Yeah, Futturman,” she chuckled, lightly brushing back her coppery hair, “Yeah, I would.”

“Okay! Great!” Josh exclaimed, in awe of himself. “Cool!”

“Cool,” Brynne nodded.

She stood there, watching in amusement as he slowly backed out of the room before racing down the hallway to celebrate, silently screaming as he pumped his fists in the air

Part Six

#josh futturman x reader #josh futturman #josh hutcherson x reader #mike schmidt x reader #mike schmidt #mike schimdt x reader #josh hutcherson #future man 2017 #future man #future man x reader

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kazoosandfannypacks · 3 months ago

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Summary: When Gandra needs help creating a virtual laboratory, she enlists the help of fellow misunderstood scientist Fenton Crackshell Cabrera, who agrees to help with only one stipulation: that their partnership remain strictly professional this time. How hard can that be? (Set somewhere between The Dangerous Chemistry of Gandra Dee! and Beaks in the Shell! missing moment; canon compliant.) Word Count: 4234 a/n: I decided to post this as a oneshot here on tumblr, but it's posted as multiple chapters on ao3, so if you'd like to read it that way, that's an option as well! Taglist: I don't currently have a taglist for DuckTales or Fendra fics! if you'd like to be added to one, let me know!

Strictly Professional

"It's now or never," Gandra muttered to herself, opening up her phone for the millionth time and typing in the contact name SUIT.

Before she had a chance to talk herself out of it again, she hit the call button, almost hoping he wouldn't pick up.

"Hello?" the voice on the other line came back, confused but not entirely appalled, which was a good sign.

"It's me, Gandra."

"Uh, yeah," he said, "I've got this great new invention that they call 'Caller ID.' Let's you know pretty quickly when a crook is on the line."

"Really?" Gandra asked, trying to hide her surprise and offense with a calculated sarcasm, "and here I assumed that you'd deleted my number by now."

"I never got around to it," he replied, "I've been pretty busy these past few weeks."

"Too busy to help with a project?" Gandra asked, and after a moment of silence, she let her feigned confidence fall. "Listen, Suit, you've got every reason to say no to me, but I'm working on something bigger than me, and I need someone like you to help me out. No one else understands what I'm doing."

After another moment of silence, a strained reply came back.

"You're right that I have every reason to say no," he grumbled.

"This was a mistake," Gandra thought, but before she could stumble through an apology and hang up, he continued:

"But, in the name of scientific curiosity, what is it?"

"A major coding project that's going to revolutionize indie tech," she said, "one that I can't work on alone."

"That's not very specific."

"It's not something I can tell you," she said, "it's something I have to show you. Does the Gizmoduck helmet have VR capacity?"

"Oh, you'd love to know that," he huffed.

Right. He also had every reason to be protective of the Gizmosuit around her.

"Well, if you have a VR headset," she backtracked, "and you want to be part of the next scientific revolution, just follow the link I'm about to text you."

"That sounds awful fishy."

"It's legitimate," she said, "you can run a triple spyware check on it— you won't find anything."

"I'll be the judge of that."

"And once you've judged it correctly and your natural 'scientific curiosity' gets the better of you," she said, "I'll be waiting."

With that, she hung up, sent him the link, and then put on her own virtual reality headset.

***

It always took a few seconds to adjust from the dark corridors of FOWL to the well-lit virtual laboratory she'd programmed. She blinked a couple times as her surroundings flickered into view— in the distance, a crashtest chamber and a large worktable, as well as an enormous whiteboard scribbled with calculations and a lab table covered in beakers and test tubes that had multiple tubes and coils connecting them. In front of her was a disorganized desk, and she got up and took a seat on the edge of it.

The lab was the only thing that made joining FOWL worth it, her one sanctuary from all the small-minded voices calling her a freak. This had been her safe space the past few months, a place all her own, and she had taken a big risk in inviting someone else to invade it.

She'd started out this project starry-eyed and ambitious, but the longer she worked, the longer she knew it would take her, and the more she realized she'd bitten off more than she could chew. If FOWL found out what she was doing before she got it finished, everything would be lost. As much as she hated admitting it, she needed help.

It wasn't long before her virtual solitude was interrupted by a rift in the system, followed by the entry of a familiar face sitting across from her at her desk chair.

"Blathering blather…." he began, but his trademark phrase trailed off when he saw her.

"Didn't think you'd actually show up," Gandra said, not entirely untruthfully.

"Where are we?" he asked, looking around with astonishment.

"This?" Gandra asked, gesturing around the room with her hand. "My lab."

"Remarkable," he said, touching the handles of his chair with astonishment at their solidity, "a virtual laboratory."

"And check this," Gandra said. She waved a hand and a beaker appeared in each of her hands, "chromic acid and acetic acid."

She watched the fear on his face as she poured the two chemicals together. Predictably, they exploded in her hand, sending virtual shards of glass around the room. She then held her hand up, unscathed, showing there'd been no cause for concern.

"Perfectly safe," she said.

"No real elements, no real danger!" he smiled.

"Exactly," Gandra said, "once we get this server up and running, the scientific community will be able to perform any experiments we want, without all the big shots calling us crackpots."

"We?" he asked, the wonder on his face replaced with apprehension.

"I can't do this alone," Gandra said, her calm airs wavering. "I need your help, Fenton. For the name of science?"

She held a hand out for him to shake, and for a second, the look in his eyes said he was considering it— but he then closed his eyes and shook his head.

"Don't you work for FOWL now?" he asked.

"I work for myself," Gandra clarified, "and as soon as I've finished pirating FOWL tech for this, I'm leaving them for good."

"But that doesn't change now, Gandra," he said. "You're running an entire server right under FOWL's nose and putting everything shared here at risk."

Gandra took a deep breath. This conversation was still going a lot better than she'd realistically expected, but nowhere near as great as she'd hoped it would. Without his help, she'd never get the cloud up and running before FOWL found out.

"As a proud McDuck Enterprises employee," he said, "well, technically, two McDuck Enterprises employees, if you count Gizmoduck, either way, as a McDuck Enterprises employee, I can't support this project."

"I figured," Gandra said. She started to put her hand back down, but he quickly took it and shook it firmly.

"But from one scientist to another," he said, "you've got yourself a partner."

She smiled. "Partner?"

"Professional work partner," he said, quickly letting go of her hand. His tone shifted from lighthearted to serious, "strictly professional."

Gandra nodded. After what she'd done, that was only fair for him to request as well.

"You've got a deal," she smiled, "partner."

Fenton's touch on the lab was revolutionary. With a fresh set of eyes, he pointed out things that she had grown a little too accustomed to to notice.

"Why do scientists always have to work in these cramped lab spaces, anyway?" he had asked, early on.

"It's a controlled environment," she'd replied.

"This whole world is a controlled environment," Fenton said, "can't you just imagine being able to work on even the most delicate of experiments outside, with no spacial limits or threat to public safety? Why work inside a box for ideas that think outside of it?"

It wasn't a bad suggestion at all, and they'd spent the next two weeks creating plants, trees, and multiple different environmental backdrops.

"We need quick-access lab tables," Fenton said, sometime later after the third daily digital trek to the labspace from their current outdoor work area, "all the essentials from privately built laboratories right at your fingertips."

It was a great idea, and Gandra set to work on it immediately.

"This place needs some kind of time function," he said, a few weeks later.

"What do you mean?" Gandra asked.

"Optional day and night cycles, or built in alarms after extended sessions," he said, "it's easy enough to get lost in your work in the real world, and it's proven easier now that we're up in the clouds. The amount of times I've gotten out of the cloud late and M'ma had dinner waiting a little too long…."

Gandra couldn't remember much more of what Fenton said in the rest of that sentence, only that it continued for at least a minute or two before Gandra could get a word in edgewise, and that, while it wasn't the first time she'd been party to one of his rambles, and it wouldn't be the last either. Though she could see how others might be annoyed by his constant rambling, she was almost endeared by it. Too long she'd worked in silence, and she didn't mind him filling it.

What surprised Gandra the most about their whole operation, though, was how well she and Fenton worked together. She'd expected some awkward tension, arguments over the best way to do something, a struggle for power over who gets the final say.

Instead, they made a great team. Fenton's big ideas paired perfectly with her recklessness, especially with no real threat of danger to hold them back. His tendency to stay on task helped her stay focused, and once she realized how easily time crept away from him, she started reminding him to take more frequent breaks. Somehow they both made up for the areas the other lacked in knowledge. Despite her fears about this joint project, she almost wished she'd enlisted his help sooner.

"Blatherskites, Gandra!" Fenton said one morning as he signed onto the server, "Are you still at it?"

Gandra didn't look up from her microscope.

"Good morning to you too, Suit," she grumbled.

"Did you manage to figure out the bug in the system?" Fenton asked.

"I think so," she said, pulling a glitching object spawn out from underneath the scope, "turns out, the bug was an actual bug." She pulled up the task manager with a pinch of her thumb and her index finger. "If I restart the program, that should fix the whole thing."

She watched as the bug in her hand curled into a ball, then popped back to life and crawled away across the table, not a single pixel popping out of place.

"That's incredible," Fenton said.

Gandra looked up at him for half a second, half a second too long.

"It's no big deal," Gandra smiled, and the mere fact that she was smiling at Suit told her more than she was willing to listen to.

"Sure," he said, though he shook his head as he did, and it took conscious effort not to watch as he walked away to begin the day's work.

Moments like these kept happening, despite her best efforts. A little too much appreciation here, a touch too much eye contact there, a growing acknowledgement of admiration for each other— all of this was adding up into something she couldn't let happen, not again.

Later that day came the first of the worst of them all. Fenton had this awful habit, one that only grew over his time spent in the cloud, where whenever he was lost in his own little bubble, as though he were the only one who could hear himself, he would start singing.

This would've been an annoying habit if he was moderately alright at it. It would've been irritating if he was horrible. But, unfortunately for Gandra, he was the worst thing of all: really, really really good at it. The first time she'd heard him, she'd almost thought he was just testing out the cloud's mp3 capability, and it took her a second to realize that no, that was Fenton's singing voice, and even more startling was that she enjoyed hearing it.

Today was no exception, as he absentmindedly started singing some showtune that carried from his workstation across the way to her. For reasons she wouldn't bring herself to admit out loud, she stopped her work and just listened, and watched the look on his face as he sat at his desk, fully engrossed in his work and lost in the melody he was singing.

What washed over her next was a wonderful feeling, and the horrible realization that came with it.

She was falling for him.

"Hey, Suit," Gandra said, leaning over the edge of his desk.

"Hey, Gandra," he said.

"I think I finally got the day/night cycles worked out," she said.

"That's great," Fenton smiled.

"I might need a second pair of eyes to monitor them with me," she said, "just to make sure I didn't miss anything. Know anyone who can help?"

"I'm your man," he said.

"I wish," Gandra thought.

"Besides," Fenton said, minimizing his desk, "I needed a break from the physics coding."

"I think the optimal spot is right over here," Gandra said, generating a blanket on the ground in front of them, and reclining on it, "that way we can best get a visual on the sunset, and then get a check on the constellations and make sure those aren't funky either."

"Sounds great," Fenton said, and he took a seat on the blanket as well, just about as far from her as he could be while still sitting on it.

"Note to self," Gandra thought, "next time, program a smaller blanket."

No, this wasn't her best idea, not by a long shot, but in the past week and a half, her falling for Fenton had only exponentially increased in acceleration. She'd agreed to maintain a strictly professional relationship with him, and she wouldn't risk the project to ask him out on a date or anything like that— no, not at all. Surely, though, there was nothing more professional than getting a second opinion on your contribution to a shared project, right? And if it happened that they were watching a beautifully programmed sunset together and spending a few hours stargazing afterwards, that wasn't really her fault, was it?

***

"Suit," Gandra said, hurriedly, trying to play it cool as Fenton logged into the server, "I finally finished that project of mine."

"Does that mean I finally get to find out what it is?" Fenton asked.

"Yeah," Gandra smiled, "remember last week when I fixed the bug where you get thrown out of moving vehicles?"

"The fix we tested with that long drive together down the backroads of the cloud?" Fenton asked.

"Yeah," Gandra sheepishly replied, then regained her confidence, "I thought today we'd really put that to the test. Behold!"

With a wave of her hands, a wrought iron fence with a wide-open gate sprawled before them.

"What's that?" Gandra asked.

"Carnival," she said, and she walked through the gate, with him following close behind, "I figure it has everything we need to really put those vehicle mechanics through their paces: drop tower, ferris wheel, carousel, rollercoaster, scrambler, tunnel o' love, bumper cars…"

"Is that really necessary?" Fenton stopped in his tracks.

"Bumper cars?" Gandra asked, "oh sure. The crash testing alone is…."

"The 'tunnel o' love, Gandra?'"

"Don't be ridiculous, Suit," Gandra said, "of course it is. We haven't done any real testing so far on boats, running water, lighting, or realistic sound quality in tunnels, and that way we can kill four birds with one stone."

"Alright then," Fenton smiled, "let's start there."

***

"I just had another thought," Gandra said one afternoon, as if it wasn't something she'd been thinking since at least their carnival experiment last week, "we've put a lot of testing into users interacting with the physical world."

"Indeed," Fenton said.

"But we haven't put much test into users interacting with each other."

"How do you figure?" Fenton asked.

"Well, I know that when I touch something," Gandra said, reaching across her desk to tap a fist on Fenton's desk, "I can feel it. I don't pass through it."

"That's right," Fenton said, "there's a mass effect applied to each individual object, otherwise we'd spend all our time here in the cloud falling through the terrain."

"Right," Gandra said, "but can we interact with other users in the same way? Can we pull them out of the way of a stupid mistake, or high-five them when they get something right?"

"We can find out," Fenton said. He held a hand up in the air, and Gandra high-fived him, letting her hand linger a moment longer than she'd intended.

"Perfectly fine to me," Fenton said, and he turned back to his work.

"But does the system have any issue with sustained contact?" Gandra asked, "and on another note, is there an auditory lag between server accesses?"

"I hadn't considered that," Fenton shrugged, "I suppose we could brainstorm some tests."

"Oh, I have an idea for one," Gandra said, tucking her hair behind her ear, coyly, as though the idea had come on suddenly and not been premeditated before the conversation even began.

"What is it?"

"This is gonna sound silly," Gandra said, "but what about dancing?"

"Dancing?" Fenton looked up at her, a bit nervous.

"Yeah, it was a silly idea."

"No," he quickly interjected, "no, I think it'll work. The musical accompaniment provides auditory testing, and attempts to keep in time with the music and each other should take care of the rest."

"Perfect," Gandra snapped her fingers and cleared away their desks, replacing them instead with a standard jukebox, one that, coincidentally, only played ballroom dance music in three fourths time.

Fenton generated a coin into his hand and dropped it into the slot of the jukebox, then pushed a couple buttons.

"The Blue Danube" Gandra said, recognizing the song as it began playing.

"You hear it too?" Fenton asked, "good."

"So that part of the test is working properly," Gandra nodded, "now…."

"Miss Dee," he asked, holding out a hand to her as the music swelled in the background, "shall we dance?"

Prince Charming in all his glory couldn't've looked better in that moment than Fenton, still with a virtual labcoat over his standard garb, the digitized ballroom music from the jukebox playing in the background.

"For the sake of science," Gandra said, "I suppose I ought to say yes."

She took his hand and tried not to show her delight as his other hand rested on her side, or at the smile on his face as she placed her own hand on his shoulder.

"Have you ever danced the waltz before, Gandra?" he asked.

"Once or twice," Gandra said, hoping she wouldn't have to reveal that all of those times were in the last week, in preparation for this very moment, "have you?"

Fenton sighed, and began moving with the pace of the music, Gandra following suit.

"M'ma enrolled me in dance lessons when I was younger," he said, "I suppose I should thank her for it. A lot of the principles I learned there really come into play for Gizmoduck."

"Really?" Gandra asked.

"Oh, sure," Fenton said, and as the music twirled, so did they, "don't tell your buddies at FOWL, but if they sent a ballroom dance virtuoso against Gizmoduck, they'd win every time."

"My lips are sealed, Suit," she said.

At exactly the right moment, he spun her out, then back towards himself with magnificent flair, and she found herself closer to him than she'd been before. She also noticed that the daylight they'd been in when they started had shifted to another perfect sunset. Had she been a bit more focused, she would've pondered the sudden change in the skies, a change hours ahead of schedule. She might've even begun to wonder who, between the two of them, had the thoughts and ideas that began this change, settling in a new ambiance, replacing what had been with a gentler, almost romantic mood as they danced across their virtual outdoor laboratory. Had she been paying attention, she probably still couldn't've been sure which of them set the early sunset in motion, anyways, so maybe it was for the better that she chose not to think of it and instead focused that attention on her partner.

"And where'd you learn to dance?" he asked.

"I've been taking lessons," she said, "I've gotta keep my skills up and make it at least look like I'm trying next time Gizmoduck gets the jump on me. Word around the street is that he's getting pretty good at what he does."

Febton smiled like an absolute dork, which was fortunately the way Gandra liked him.

"I'll have to tell 'Gizmoduck' later that you said that," he teased, "he has such little self esteem these days."

"I don't see why," Gandra said, with a smile, "I happen to think he's a pretty great guy."

"I am? I mean, he is?" Fenton asked, and though he stumbled over his words, his feet didn't falter.

"Yeah," Gandra smiled.

"I'll take that as a compliment," he said, "you know, you're not so bad yourself, for a FOWL agent."

"Is that all I am to you?" Gandra asked, and though her words maintained the lighthearted tone set by their light footwork, she meant it, having been wondering for weeks why he stuck around so long on this project in the little minimal amounts of free time he had between jobs.

"No, not quite," he said.

Against her better judgment she asked, "then what am I?" and for a terrifying second it seemed he might answer.

But instead, as they followed through the steps of the music, he led her into a dip and held her there, as though frozen in time.

She looked up at him as a star or two began to twinkle into existence in the lavender skies behind him. His arms, wrapped around her, supporting her back, were strong but gentle, and so were his eyes, overpowering, intense, and yet resting on her with the most gentle softness she'd ever known— and all that intensity and passion seemed to be directed at her.

If she could've stayed there forever, her hands around his neck, their beaks inches apart, his eyes washing her in their rich beauty and hers doing the same to him, she would've done it in a heartbeat. As it was, he already held her there a measure longer than the flow of the song necessitated, and then another and another, as though building to some beautiful unspoken climax.

But that climax never came. The song behind them ended, not naturally, but suddenly, so suddenly she expected to hear a record scratch.

In that same moment, Fenton sighed, and averted his gaze from her as he stood her back to her feet and let her go.

They both stood in front of each other for a moment, Fenton still not looking her in the eyes.

"You need to continue the project without me," he said, quickly and quietly.

"What?" Gandra asked, hoping she'd misheard him, "I can't do this without you, Suit."

"You can," he said, coldly, "you're one of the most brilliant minds I know."

"I need you here, Fenton," she restated, and she knew she wasn't just referring to the project they'd started.

"I can't," he said, "not now. Not anymore."

"Why not?" Gandra asked, hoping she could soften the blow and slow the shattering of her suddenly very heavy heart.

"We made an agreement when we started, Gandra," he shook his head and tucked his hands into the pockets of his labcoat, "but I feel I can no longer continue a professional working relationship with you."

"Why not?" Gandra asked, "if it's something I…"

"It's not you," Fenton said.

"Then why can't you stay?"

He closed his eyes and answered quietly, with a shrug of his shoulders. "Because I'm still in love with you."

Her heart stopped and started all over again.

"What?" Gandra asked.

"Do I have to spell it out for you?" He asked, with frustration in his tone that didn't seem to be directed at her. "I never stopped loving you. I fell for you when I first met you, and that never changed. After you betrayed me, and then came back to help me, then left again without a word, you'd think I'd start to like you at least a little bit less! Somehow," he shook his head and took a deep breath, "somehow I like you even more. Why do you think I agreed to work with you again? Why do you think I'm even still here, Gandra?"

"But you said when we started," she said, "'strictly professional.'"

"I needed to remind myself of that," he said. "The first time I trusted you, it almost hurt a lot of people, people I care about. I can't have that happening again. I thought maybe this time I wouldn't get attached," and he stopped just a moment, and he looked her in the eyes for half a second, before shaking his head and turning away, "but even the great Fenton Crackshell Cabrera can't do the impossible. I have to go."

"No," Gandra said, "no, you don't. This time's different."

"Really?" Fenton asked, "what makes this time any different from last time?"

Some feelings had always been natural for Gandra: disappointment, insecurity, regret. But this feeling? It was a totally unfamiliar territory.

But unfamiliar territory was what science was all about. She took a step closer to him, and took his hand in hers, and he looked down at it in surprise, and then back up at her.

"Because this time I like you too, Fenton."

He smiled that same dorky smile again.

"Really?" he asked, but then let his guard back up, "and how do I know I can trust you?"

He'd turned his face away from her again, but she placed her hand on his cheek and tilted his head back towards her.

"Look into my eyes," she said, "I trusted you with the virtual lab, and now look at what it's become— look at what we made together."

"We do make a pretty good team," he said, with a halfhearted chuckle.

"Suit," she said, "I trust you, and I like you. Can you trust me too?"

He smiled, and wrapped his hand around hers as it rested on his cheek.

"I trust you," he said.

She smiled, and though she'd be reluctant to admit it, she may have giggled a little as he kissed her forehead.

"So," she asked, "partners?"

"Strictly professional workplace partners?" Fenton asked, with a raised eyebrow, "or strictly 'only professional when we're in the workplace, otherwise, perchance, daresay, romantic and wholesome and loving partners?'"

Gandra laughed. "That second one sounds about right."

"Then you've got yourself a deal," he said, "partner."

And this deal they sealed not with a handshake, but with a hug and a kiss, the beginning of the most lovely partnership any two scientists had ever begun.

#fendra #gandra dee #fenton crackshell cabrera #ducktales 2017 #dt17 #fanfiction #fanfic #fendra fanfiction #dt17 ff #kazzy writes #every day they're out there writing ducktales

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invisibleraven · 2 months ago

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is there anything i can do to help?

sweet tarts

Carrie was not having a good day.

She had slept in, leaving her less time to get ready, so she didn't feel as put together as she would like, but she also had a test first thing that morning and couldn't afford to be late. Then her car gave her trouble, meaning she had to park near the back of the lot, and run to class.

From then on it was just little things, like having to eat the school lunch because she had forgotten hers at home, banging her elbow on one of the sets in drama class, and of course it was a freshly painted one. By the end of the day all she wanted to do was bury herself in her blankets and escape from the world.

But of course, when she got to her car, it wouldn't start.

No matter how many times she turned the key or stepped on the pedals-nothing. She screamed, thrashing about as she vented her frustration.

Then-a knock on her window, and she turned to see the very concerned face of Reggie Peters. She knew him by association of course, his band and hers often performed at the same venues, and he had always been very sweet, but they never spent a lot of time together.

"Hi," she said, rolling down her window. "Sorry you had to see that."

"Hey, we've all been there," Reggie replied. "Car giving you trouble?"

"Yeah, it's been acting up lately, and I guess it decided to give up the ghost," Carrie sighed, blowing a strand of hair out of her face.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Reggie asked.

"No, I can call Triple A, and my dad can come get me," Carrie replied, getting out of the car. Only of course, her phone was dead. "This fucking day, I swear."

"Here," Reggie said, offering his own phone. "You call, I'm going to look under the hood to see if I can figure it out."

"You really don't have to-" Carrie started to say, but then her mouth dried up as Reggie stripped off his ever present flannel, tying it around his waist. Who knew he had arms like that? Carrie certainly didn't and had to shake herself from staring to even lift the phone.

"They'll be here in lik twenty minutes," Carrie said after ending he call.

"Your oil pan is drier than Arizona in the summer," Reggie replied. "No wonder she wouldn't start."

"I...I don't really know much about cars," Carrie admitted. "My dad has a guy for that."

"Well your dad's guy neglected yours," Reggie stated. "It's not hard to fix, but still-he should have been checking your oil regularly."

"I'll make sure to tell him so," Carrie replied.

"Plus your alternator is close to shot-you're essentially driving a death trap," Reggie said.

"Maybe you should be my car guy," Carrie said.

"Oh no," he demurred. "I know my way around thanks to shop class and working on tractors on my grandparents farm, but I'm no mechanic."

"You seem like one to me-far better than the boob my dad hired."

Reggie grinned, highlight a smudge of grease on his face, and Carrie had the strongest urge to wipe it off-or maybe leave it there, because it looked damn good on him.

Soon enough the tow truck was there, and the driver asked if she needed a lift to the garage.

"Nah, I'll get her home," Reggie said, and Carrie smiled at the offer-she really wasn't looking forward to getting in the dirty tow truck, and given her phone was dead she couldn't exactly call an Uber.

Reggie led her to his truck-a beat up looking red beast, but it was clean, and more importantly, worked so Carrie didn't really care. Plus he had a charge cord so her phone could slowly come back to life as he headed towards Malibu.

"Where do you live anyway?" Carrie asked. "Hopefully I'm not too far out of the way."

"Used to live in Silver Lake," Reggie hummed. "But it was a bad situation, so now I'm shacking up with the Molinas in Los Feliz."

"Oh." That...complicated matters. Carrie and Julie had been friends once upon a time, but had a falling out a few years back and hadn't spoken since. She always regretted it, but couldn't find it in herself to be the bigger person and apologize.

"Yeah, Julie's a good friend. Plus her dad lets us use his garage for band practice."

Oh yeah, the lead singer of Reggie's band was Julie's boyfriend-that made sense. Carrie just hummed, letting the LA scenery pass her by.

Reggie pulled up in front of her gate, whistling at her house. "Damn, you live here?"

Carrie shrugged. Yes, it was an impressive house, but it was also empty, lonely, and not really a home. Not like the one it sounded like Reggie had with the Molinas. "Thanks for the ride."

"Anytime," Reggie said with a smile. "And when you get your death trap back, if you want me to look at it, just gimme a call."

"Cuz your my car guy now?"

"I'm your guy for whatever you need," he said sincerely.

Carrie couldn't help but blush at that, biting back a smile as she waved goodbye, squealing a little as she shut the door behind her.

"Hey Carrie," her dad greeted her-a rarity for sure, but there he was, sipping a tea at the kitchen counter. "Good day?"

Carrie beamed, going over to make herself a cup as well. "The best."

#filled prompts #ficlet #jatp sweet tarts #julie and the phantoms

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vyxated · 8 months ago

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finally answering asks I've been keeping for a while ~.~

📝 sims2 & chalk'd ui, phone icons & wallpapers, cas bg recolor, font replacement, and some more (reshade & rig helper asks will be answered at another time ;; )

tysm anon!! I had to wrestle a bit with the file to make the taxi image work, and at the end it came out looking super neat! Especially if you have the sims 2's music playing (found a super cool music override that does that). It's such a cool idea, and I've been researching on how to do it 😆 ngl, making cc objects is something I wanna do someday, tho from the looks of it it's gonna take me a while to understand the process lol. If/when I make any breakthrough, I'll be sure to post about it :p (It'd be neat if it costs money too to use the taxi.)

jdfklsjf tysm @hellofears & @oshinsimblr !! I've been doing some final adjustments so hopefully I can release it within this week c:

thanks anon ^7^ you can replace them as long as you have access to the files (pancake1 made a pie menu & wants sound replacement and buurz replaced the in-game music with ones from other sims games). I looked around and found these resources you might want to check out: TS4 Sound Tool, UI sound kit & UI audio instance list

hehe tysm anon! My UI mods won't remove the shop icon so you'll need to grab other mods that do that. I decided not to do it myself to avoid having a new mod conflict ^^

Hii @simplyamazingsims, I've tested both mirroredup & triple mirror and both v3 files are working w/ the latest update. The reflection setting must be set to low or higher for the reflection to show up. You can also try clearing your caches and try removing the resource.cfg file (file will regenerate, and doing this fixes the issue for some). Oh and ofc having other cas backgrounds can cause mine to not show up so make sure there's only one in your mods folder ^^

@claravizeu it's a map override that I'll probably work on whenever I'm in the mood 😆

Hi anon! For the phone icons, I used xosdr's phone icons psd to create mine. For the wallpaper, I haven't found someone who've gathered & shared the files for it, so I'll see if I can do that myself :)

Heyy anon, it's a CAS bg that I made for the previews so it's not available to download. I haven't got the chance to prepare the files yet, but I'll try to find the time to do so ^^

Hey anon, unfortunately the notification wall is associated w/ the texture file that handles most of the UI panels, so you won't be able to remove a specific file to achieve it. I've received a request just like yours so what I can do is share it a separate file later on ^^

Hii as well, it's compatible yes ^^ you can use both mods as they don't have any files in common that conflicts with each other.

heyy @icyaliyah, sorry it took a while to respond! While I don't have plans to recolor them, you can download these pink recolors by estellics & dumbabie ^^ and thank you very much!

Hii as well, it's been a while so I don't know if you're still having the issue or if it's already been fixed. Afaik my mod shouldn't cause any loading issues on its own, as well as if you have the conflicting mod & files present and if you remove the conflicting files. So far, I've not received any reports of this exact issue, so I can't be of help. Sorry if that doesn't answer your question 😅

ahhhh @veone thank you as well for using it ever since it came out!! 🙈

Heyy anon, basically you'd want to only remove the files that conflicts w/ the mods that you do use, and not the other way around. For example, if you use TOOL, you'd want to delete the files in the Additional Files > TOOL folder (either both text and texture files or just the text file alone, depending on which one you prefer). If you don't use TOOL, keep the files be. So, if you only have the UI Cheats mod and none of the listed conflicting mods, then you don't need to remove any files ^^

heyy @swithdream, well very belated happy new year to you as well despite it being april already lol there's an update to the cas organizers that I haven't done yet, and when the time comes that I update those, I'll try to include the psds for all the templates I did ^^

Hii @kneptoone, it's a font replacement using TS3's Helvetica Rounded font that I made & haven't shared yet, yeah ^^ I can try putting it up for download since there isn't one out yet.

Heyy anon, I've been focusing on other things so I haven't yet found the time to work on my older uploads >< I'm definitely interested in doing those, but not sure when that'll be.

Hello anon, tysm! I'll do it at some point but not sure when :x I haven't properly played around w/ CAS since last year :X

#ask

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goatsludge · 6 months ago

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EvolutionGear IS-EG NGAL Laser Aiming Module

For those of you that shake your fist to the heavens cursing L3Harris for not releasing a civilian version of their famed NGAL, you're probably at least tangentially familiar with EvolutionGear -

They do the OEM parts manufacturing for InvisibleSight, who offers a higher quality level of QC, but is infamous for their astonishingly long lead times.

EvolutionGear sells the 'cheaper' version of the IS-EG NGAL which you can buy direct from them if you wanna bypass the year-long inspection wait and don't need all the different options offered through InvisibleSight.

Before I get into the details of the unit itself, I'd like to clear up a lot of myths about EG - the common consensus about them is that they're known for not shipping their items, but from my own research, I really could only find an evidence case of one from a dude who was dumb enough to order during Chinese New Year and threw a tantrum when it took longer than expected to receive a tracking.

I opted for the more expensive UPS shipping option, and while it was kinda awkward having to wait for a live representative to email me a paypal invoice rather than going though a site-based payment portal, I didn't have any issues ordering from them and everything arrived within a week of receiving a tracking.

Here's where I'll get into the initial impressions.

The body of the unit is forged 6061 aluminum, and unlike the Somogear NGAL's, these actually have recoil lugs integrated into the body with a proper L3Harris-style screw clamp, as opposed to the crappy PEQ15 clamp the Somo units have.

The selector switch, I find somewhat mushy (due to the integral o-ring added for waterproofing), but still tactile enough to satisfy me, and the button has a positive enough click for my needs as well. The rear focus knob for the IR illuminator is a little bit stiff, but no major red flags about it.

Another nice feature of the EG NGAL is the fact it includes actual diffuser caps whereas the Somo units are only provided with blackout covers. The visible potting of the unit seems very well-done and I'm definitely excited to see how well this holds up considering EG touts this as a 5.56-capable laser where Somogear continues to scream "airsoft only" from the rooftops.

The unit included two different sets of stickers (one laminated, one not, interestingly) as well as a pressure pad and an eggcrate-padded plastic storage case.

The pressure pad is where I'm going to focus a majority of my initial critique.

On the website, EvolutionGear claims they offer the option of an LA23 Plug or an ATPIAL Crane Plug version. I triple checked that I'd be receiving a crane-ported NGAL, and the customer service acknowledged this.

The switch they provided is an LA23 version and upon testing the port with a surplus Insight PEQ-2 Pressure Pad, there was no function from the laser, meaning my request was completely disregarded and I'd been given an LA23-ported version instead.

Not a humongous deal to me, but it would have been nice to have a wider choice of aftermarket switches instead of proprietary ones that cost 100-300 fucking dollars.

Anywho, the switch they include is what I'd describe as solidly "meh" - it feels like a very cheap silicone, the click is positive enough, but the cable is visibly hot glued in and it's just left me wishing that Somogear offered their fantastic Modbutton Lite knock-offs a la carte.

Might email them later to see if I can get one.

The build it resides on presently is my FDE A2 Retromod, and despite being an offset beam unit, I still find the lasers are just a little too close to a standard FSB for my comfort.

I plan on possibly doing a URG-I build out of my Colt LE6920 in the near future, so this is definitely not the build the EG NGAL is staying on forever.

Later I'll give it a look under NODs and see how that goes.

#ngal #laser aiming module #ir laser #night vision #nightfighting rifle #evolution gear #somogear

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frownyalfred · 1 year ago

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So I've been reading through bloodletting and I'm very curious about how the Creator's Style works

You use it to give the translation hover option whenever characters speak in Mando'a and I'll be honest, I had no clue that was even an option or how to even go about doing that for my own fics

Sorry if this is a stupid question, but do you have a resource for how to use Creator's Style like that?

Hi anon! I'm copy and pasting a post I did with instructions and comments on how I use this function (below the cut). I hope it helps!

I had an awesome commenter (the lovely @notquiteaghost) suggest a CSS script, since the initial hover text translations I used didn't work on mobile.

Here's the link to the instructions: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30290274

Fair warning, it took me a little bit to get the hang of it. If you're like me and need a little hand-holding, here's how I implement the script:

Copy the code from the CSS section into a new work skin (or the one you're currently using)

Save that skin and make sure to enable it in the work you're going to implement hover text on

Open up your chapter or fic and switch to "HTML" instead of "Rich Text"

When you find the word or phrase you want to have hover text, paste this:

Next, replace the Text to hover over section with whatever your original word or phrase was -- this is the only place that word should appear, and it should still have whatever punctuation you need in it

Replace the text for the tooltip section with whatever your translation or hover text is

Finally, triple check that there's a space between the final section and the rest of your sentence or paragraph. If there isn't a space, sometimes the script pushes the translation onto the next word or shoves them together and italicizes them

Here's what this looks like in my HTML view:

Here's what that looks like in my rich text view:

and here's what the final product looks like:

You should be able to hover over those underlined sections on mobile or desktop and see the translation you inputted. If you don't see it, there might be an issue with how you set up the individual tooltip, or the workskin itself.

My other tips for using this:

Keep a copy of the basic HTML tooltip script to copy and paste into your work as you edit it

Test your hover text in draft view on ao3. You should be able to see it.

Using italics can make the HTML part a little bit harder but it's not impossible

Keep an eye out for your punctuation! Sometimes the formatting can throw your commas and periods around without warning

Try to keep any translations or comments to one sentence max, otherwise the hover text bubble can be cut off in mobile view or stretch the view strangely

If you're translating many words (like I am in my current fic) it's easier to copy and paste a HTML tooltip that's complete but shorter so it doesn't throw off every single line (like copying a one-word translation instead of the original tooltip template)

Hope this helps! I really love using this for my fics and I'm so grateful to @notquiteaghost and everyone else in my comments who offered solutions for my hover text issues.

Here's my current fic with the hover text if anyone wants to see how I'm using it throughout the chapters.

#asks #anon #bloodletting #bloodletting my beloved #fic #fic writing #html #ao3 #ao3 tips #archive of our own #hovertext #ao3 tutorial

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pastelwitchling · 1 year ago

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Rearview Mirror malex au chapter 3 teaser.

***

Michael thought he’d been used to feeling lost. When Alex had first left after high school; and then again when he’d come back after a decade away, but didn’t want to have anything to do with Michael; then when he’d disappeared for good, unwilling to ever set foot in Roswell again. Michael thought he’d known what it felt like to exist like he was existing now, sitting on Max’s couch and staring through the stone floor as Max gave Isobel and Kyle the facts of the case, unable to really hear them; to not really be in his own body, his mind on autopilot.

It was nothing compared to this. Because this time, Michael had held Alex tight, and Alex had left anyway. This time, Michael had tried, and Alex had chosen someone else. He got a sudden sick feeling that he couldn’t fight off before it was swarming every inch of his mind, haunting him with questions; was this how Alex had felt when Michael had turned away from him, over and over? Was it just this much hurt every time?

He put a hand to his chest, exhaling shakily, the world crashing back down around him in a flood of noise and gasps and whispers. Had he been doing this to Alex for years?

“You’re not my problem anymore.”

“So Liz is wrong!” Isobel demanded.

“Is,” Kyle tried, “it’s what the tests say.”

“Then the tests are wrong!” she snapped. “O-Or, I don’t know, the blood was wrong. Or the samples got mixed up!”

“Liz wouldn’t make a mistake like that,” Max heaved. “Look, she doublechecked and triple-checked and quadruple-checked before she said anything to me. She didn’t even want to tell me, I got there and she tried hiding the papers!”

“Because she knows they’re wrong,” Isobel insisted. “She knows that you can’t be a clone, and Michael can’t be Jones’s son!”

“But I am,” Michael said despite himself. His was voice low, but it cut through the room like an axe. Isobel flinched. Michael met her eyes with all of Alex’s steadiness, wondering if it was the lingering scent of Alex’s scent around him or the still-there feel of his skin against his own that was making it easier for him to say the words.

Something about the way Alex had held him, and after so long, like he still wanted him after knowing who he was. Michael looked to Max, watching him as though he could read his thoughts, and knew that this was why Max had called Alex before he’d given Michael the news. He’d known that if Michael needed anyone to get him through the shock, to help him see that he was still Michael, it could only have been Alex.

Standing, his shoulders straight, he repeated if only to himself, “I am.” He shook his head. “Everything we’ve found out about our moms so far, it all makes sense if . . .”

Max raised a brow, a grim smile tugging at the corner of his lips. “If I’m a clone?”

“You’re you,” Michael defended at once, echoing Alex. “No matter what some damn tests say.”

“Yeah!” Isobel insisted, red-faced with anger, eyes brimming with tears.

“Baby?” Kyle asked softly, putting a hand between her shoulder blades.

Isobel wiped her tears away furiously and made a sound between a scream and a groan. “Doesn’t Ortecho ever have good news?!”

“Hey,” Liz huffed, glaring from the doorway at Isobel, a stack of files in her arms, “I’m just the messenger, okay? You want someone who’ll lie?”

“No one blame’s you, Liz,” Max sighed, kissing Liz’s cheek before picking at the corner of one of the files. “What’s all this?”

“Alex asked me to bring these by,” she said. “It’s the tests, he wants a look at them himself.” Michael reached for them, but without a moment’s pause, Liz unloaded the stack into Kyle’s arms.

Michael frowned. “Why are you—”

“Sorry, cowboy,” Liz said. “Alex said he has to pull an all-nighter, so only Kyle can give him the files.”

Kyle didn’t look the least bit surprised, and it hit Michael then; only Kyle had access to Deep Sky, so only Kyle would be able allowed through the front door. Behind which, Michael was sure, Alex and Forrest were planning to cozy up together for the rest of the night. No one to bother them.

Like hell . . .

He caught up to Kyle on his way to his car. “I’m coming with you.”

“What—no, Michael, I can’t just—”

“Yes, you can,” Michael demanded. His phone buzzed in his pocket, but he ignored it. He’d been so close to getting Alex to listen to him, to fixing what had happened. Alex had touched him and it was a drug he’d been addicted to since they were seventeen. He needed him back, he needed Alex touching him again. And now.

He thought Kyle would argue with him, but he just shook his head, resigned. “Alex isn’t going to like this.”

Yes, Michael thought, remembering the way Alex had held him, the look in his eyes, the hope that he didn’t want but rose in him anyway, and he knew he wasn’t the only one yearning. He will.

#alex manes #michael guerin #malex #malex fic #roswell new mexico #roswell nm #tyler blackburn #michael vlamis

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elisysd · 11 months ago

Text

51. Heaven knows I should let go, it’s nothing that I don’t already know

Masterlist - Previously - Next

Chapter soundtrack: Bad Omens - 5SOS

She was not used to triple headers anymore. She had barely the time to rest when it was already time for Zandvoort. It was always a peculiar atmosphere. People were always very passionate there. She had arrived on Wednesday, to work a little on the side, away from the whole show that would start the next day. She wanted to work on a few documents about the next car sent by Maranello at the beginning of the week. She could have done it in her hotel room but she preferred to work in the atmosphere of the garage, surrounded by the smell of burned rubber and metal.

She sat on the floor and pulled out her laptop from her bag and started to read through the documents, taking notes and writing questions that were popping into her mind. She chewed on her pen. Some data from the testing were not correlating the data from the sim. And it was not as if the gap was minimal which worried her. For a moment she feared that they were going in the wrong direction in the development. A brief vision of a certain USB stick popped into her mind and she briefly regretted not having it near her… She promised herself she wouldn’t use it to work on the current car development but, after all, there was no wrong finding inspiration in a car that was performing really well for the next one. It was not cheating. It would not be the exact same anyway. And a lot of cars were getting inspiration from other teams for their development, there was nothing wrong with it.

As she was focusing on her screen, she heard footsteps coming in the garage. She looked up her laptop. It was weird. No one would come here unless there were mechanics that needed to set up the car and she had checked with her dad, they would only arrive during the afternoon. She stood still, listening to the sounds made by a person who clearly didn’t want to get caught as they seemed to move slowly and tried to stay as quiet as possible. She put her laptop on the side and got up to find herself almost face to face with a man in an elegant black suit.

“Julia? What are you doing here?” asked Carlos, clearly surprised to find her there and could she dare to say, a bit uncomfortable.

“I’m working. I could ask you the same thing.” she replied.

“I’m… going on a trip down memory lane.”

“Reminiscing on the times my dad was kicking your ass back then?” she smiled.

“He was not. We were equally talented teammates.” he scoffed.

“Sure… If you want a full trip to reminisce on your time as a driver, I can get my dad. I’m sure he still has a few videos of you both on tracks.” she was about to take out her phone when Carlos stopped her.

“No! I mean… you don’t need to bother him. So how does it feel for you to join the team?”

“Nice. I’m still getting used to everything.” she said, a bit defensively.

“It’s brave, you know. To stay on the side. To not help the team developing the current car when you could as you’re always near and in Maranello. To wait. I don’t know how you do it. I would sneak around, I wouldn’t be able to help myself. You’re definitely better than me. You follow the rules like your dad and you’re wise like your mom. They must be so proud of you. Their perfect daughter.” he said in a calm voice, slowly turning around her like a lion toying with its prey. She felt a shiver down her spine. “But anyway, I should get going. I have people to meet.”

“Carlos?” she called him out as he was leaving.

“Yes, Julia?”

“Remind me again how many championships you won?” she smiled

She saw a brief glimpse of anger in his eyes as he stared at her before finally leaving. She knew she shouldn’t have said that, that it would only irritate him more and it would come to bite her in the ass. But she hated what he implied, the implicit threats. She should have gone straight to her dad to tell him that Carlos was lurking in the garage but nothing had happened, it was all good and when she came to her room she was caught off guard by Martin standing in the middle of the bedroom, a huge teddy bear in his hands.

“If you don’t want to go to the fair, it’s the fair that comes to you. There is one a few kilometers away from the track and we went there with a few people from the team. I knew you would find that boring so I didn’t ask you but… yeah. I won that for you.” he explained, blushing as she was staring at him not knowing what to say.

“Oh well, that’s a nice gesture… thanks.” she awkwardly smiled.

“You don’t like it.”

“No! I do… it’s just… I don’t even know if I’m supposed to tell you anything.” she sighed.

“You know you can tell me anything.”

“It’s about the car and data. It’s not matching. I’m trying to understand where the gap comes from but I fear we are making a huge mistake in the development. And Carlos was there for no reason and that worries me…”

“Hey, breathe Julia. I trust your judgment and I trust your skills. Whatever the problem is, you’ll find it, I know it. And as for Carlos… maybe he wanted to see Elijah? It wouldn’t be surprising, he is one of his sponsors.”

“I don’t know. I have a bad feeling about this weekend.”

Martin forced her to sit on her bed as he got behind her and tried to appease her by applying slow massages on her neck and shoulders.

“You have to relax. Nothing bad will happen, you’ll see.”

She hoped he was right.

Ethan hated Zandvoort and what it meant for him. It was always a very tense weekend where every single one of his moves were scrutinized. Everywhere he was going, the shadow of his father was looming above him. He could see it in the eyes of the fans, in the eyes of the race stewards who were looking at him and of course in the sea of orange he was welcomed with anywhere he would go. He didn’t consider him as his own homerace, too much history, too much weight on his shoulders with the feeling he had to have a good result there. But still, he had a special helmet for his dad adding a gold lion, the five championships he had won with the years associated with them. It was simple but with a strong meaning, a way for him to embrace his lineage, hoping it would help him to make peace with it.

The qualifying had been great, far from the pole he had been on the week before, with a nice sixth place, behind his teammate. Kyle was on pole and able to race, making Ethan feel relieved. He knew how racing was Kyle’s everything and he hoped it would go well for him. On Sunday morning, when he arrived, he immediately found his dad and mom talking to Charles and Julia. Max had a hand on the girl’s shoulder and was laughing with the Ferrari team’s principal. He rolled his eyes. If only he could find a way to avoid them… but he knew it was useless and he was a better man than that. Or at least was trying. He straightened his posture, put a nice smile on his face and went to the group. He put his arm around his mom’s shoulders, kissing the side of her head as he shook Charles’ hand and winked at his dad. He didn’t want to ignore the brunette who was staring at him but he didn’t know how to act around her anymore. So he stared, in a very awkward way as he saw her blushing and looking at her feet.

“We have to go on a run as soon as you’re back in Monaco, Leclerc! It’s been so long.” said Max.

“Eager for me to beat your ass?” replied Charles with a smile.

“Julia? Care to join us, so you can be the referee.”

“I’m not sure I can keep up with you…” she grimaced.

“Enrico said you made great progress, I’m sure you could, Ju’.”

“Maybe Ethan can come. So you have company while you’re dad and I are fighting.” added Max.

“Dad… I hate running!” whined the blonde.

“You need to work on that cardio, son. It’s important.”

“Oh, don’t worry I’m sure Ethan’s cardio is doing more than okay. His girlfriend is taking good care of it.” Julia snorted, arching an eyebrow.

“Girlfriend? What do you mean?” said Max, caught a little off guard.

“She is talking about Sofia.” Ethan explained.

“Sofia? Are we talking about the same Sofia?” Max repeated.

“Because he is screwing more than one Sofia?”

“Sofia is my therapist.”

He saw Julia’s mouth open and close, before blushing of shame and for a moment he felt like an idiot for having played her. From the corner of his eyes he saw Charles and Max leaving and he quickly apologized to the girl.

“So… you’re seeing someone.” she said when they finally were alone.

“Yeah. It feels good. I’m starting to understand myself a bit more. She helps me feel more grounded, focus on my races. It’s nice.”

“I’m glad. I… I hope you’re not doing that for me? You don’t change for me, I mean.”

“I do that for me. I needed it. I do that for me, then for the sake of my family and the unresolved issues I have with dad… and you. I want to understand where and why we went wrong. So I can be better. I want to be a better man.”

“Don’t change too much, though. I like it when you’re a little asshole.” she smiled, nudging him in the shoulders.

When he got back to the hospitality, he was grinning. His interactions with Julia were still awkward but it started to go from weird awkward to nice awkward. They had still a long way to go before even considering being friends. Somehow, it was still hurting him. He missed her. A lot. Even if it was just her screaming at him, it was still something. He hated her indifference more than anything else and it had always been this way ever since they were kids. If back then he wanted nothing more than to make her frown, now he wanted her smile. But he would take everything she would give him.

He arrived in the hospitality, right on time for the pre-race meeting. He sat down next to Chloe who was already there, reading her notes. She smiled at him giving him a high five as he started to do the same. They went through the procedures and the strategy one last time and when they finally got out of the meeting room, Ethan wanted nothing more but the peace and quiet of his driver’s room. But when he opened the door, he didn’t think of finding Louis there, reading on his sofa.

“Louis? What are you doing here?”

“I wanted to hang out with you before the race. There are too many people in the Ferrari’s hospitality.”

“Do your parents know you’re here?”

“Yeah, I told mom.” he shrugged.

In fact, even if Louis had indeed told his mom that he was going to find Ethan, Lyanna had not heard him and was now freaking out, in the arms of her husband who was on the verge of sending a search party for his son. Julia had tried to reach him but quickly stopped as he had left his phone in the hospitality.

“He can’t be far away.” tried to reason Martin who was rubbing her back to appease her.

“You don’t know my brother! The last time he ran away, we found him alone, sitting in the middle of the woods.” Julia harshly said.

“Is there a place he would like to be in the paddock? Maybe a quiet place?” Martin ignored her.

“He hates attending races… I know he said he was going more to see Ethan than to support dad.”she sighed.

“Maybe he is with him? Do you think he could have gone to Ethan, to wish him luck?”

“I mean…. Maybe? It’s a possibility that is worth trying.” she said, putting on her coat and walking towards the exit.

“Go, Ju’, we'll stay there in case he comes back.” her dad told her.

She ran to the Maserati hospitality as fast as she could, Martin following behind, but was stopped in her tracks by the security officer.

“I’m sorry miss but you don’t have the badge to enter.”

“I know but… I have reasons to think my brother is with Ethan and…”

“Sure. That’s a new one. Get the hell out of here.”

“But mister…”

“Julia? Is everything alright?”

“Chloe, oh my gosh I’ve never been so happy to see you! Have you seen Louis?” Julia asked.

“Well, no… but I can ask if Ethan saw him.”

“Please do.”

They waited a few minutes before Ethan arrived, Louis right next to him and Julia ran to her brother, not without glaring at the security officer. She hugged the young teen as he didn’t really understand where the sudden burst of affection was coming from.

“But I told mom!” he complained when Julia explained the whole family was freaking out.

“Next time make sure she listens to you, Louis.” Julia replied.

“How did you find me this fast, though?”

“Martin thought you would be with Ethan, since you like him…” Julia explained.

“Saint Martin coming to save the day once again…” Ethan commented with a half smile.

“I mean, Louis loves you. I just thought that if someone could at least help us out it would be you.”

“Next time he does something like that and tells me he warned someone, I’ll text you. To make sure.”

She smiled at him, running her hands in the hair of her brother as he was making an annoyed face.

“We should go… you have a race to focus on and so does Martin.” Julia finally said when the silence became too awkward.

As they were leaving, Ethan screamed at them to wait a moment and ran to the hospitality, before coming back to them, a Maserati’s cap between his hands which he put on Louis’ head.

“I need my number one fan to wear it so it brings me luck.” he smiled, hugging him.

Seeing Ethan acting all sweet and genuine around her brother never failed to make her feel fuzzy and warm inside. She joined her mom after Martin left her at the hospitality. She didn’t even remember if he had kissed her. She was surprised to not care that much.

“Ethan is great with your brother.” Lyanna said after Julia told her everything.

“He had always been.”

“You know, I saw how Louis changed around Ethan. He is more open towards people, more expressive, less in his own bubble. It’s great. I never thought I would see him like this. You know what Louis told me yesterday?”

Julia shook her head as her mom was clinging to her mug of tea.

“He said he wanted to go to university when he would be able to. He doesn’t feel ready for high school but he says he wants to study more outside, in the library. And he wants to take guitar classes. When I asked him why guitar, he said that Ethan told him it was the way to get girls. I laughed because he said it in such a casual tone, you should have heard him… Ethan helped him so much and I don’t think he knows it. I want to thank him. Would you be okay if I was inviting him for dinner, maybe when the season will be over?”

“No, of course not. You’re right, it’s a great idea. Louis will be happy.” she replied with a lump in her throat.

“What about you?”

“Mom… I think I made a huge mistake.”

Ethan felt calm in his car. The orange army of fans wasn’t phasing him anymore, his dad watching him wasn’t giving him any added pressure, really he was okay and ready to race. So when the lights went out he confidently maneuvered his car through to avoid any overtakes. In front, Elijah was already fighting with Kyle for the lead of the race, something the American was not ready to give up on so easily. As for Ethan he was following Chloe closely. The strategy was simple, since she was in front, he had to protect her until the team would tell him otherwise.

The laps went on one by one and for the first time in months Julia found the race boring. Each car was following each other without anything interesting happening. No crazy overtakes, no strategy mishaps, no scary move from anyone. Julia even had to admit that she got so bored that she had started drawing to take her mind off things. The more she was thinking about Martin and their relationship, the more she started to come to terms with the fact that she had jumped into it blindly and stupidly. It would never work out no matter how hard she would try. It had been sweet and lighthearted, it had helped her heal a little and get her confidence back. But that was it, they wouldn’t go further than that. It was doomed to fail from the very start, she had always known deep down. She had been too stubborn to admit it. She hadn’t been fair to Martin either and even less to her. Now, she had to find the courage to tell him.

“Fuck, Ferrari is ferrarying…” swore Lyana, making Julia jumped, not used to hear her mother swear.

“What is happening?” Julia asked, looking up from her drawing.

“They screwed up Elijah’s pitstop. He is now P15…”

“He is going to come back in front.” Julia commented, focusing more on the race.

It didn’t take long for him to regain his position, behind Martin this time. They were both aggressively fighting for the P3 and Julia was surprised to not hear any team’s orders asking them to bring both cars home safely. Elijah was pressuring Martin and Julia knew better than anyone how prone to mistake he could be under it. She hoped with everything she had that nothing would happen. The team didn’t need that after the comeback in the standings they had managed before the summer break.

Julia anxiously started to bite her nails until she heard the whole hospitality gasped before she saw the images. They both had crashed. On the replay, she could see Elijah going for the inside and overtaking Martin but as he drove past Martin, his rear slightly touched Martin’s front and as he tried to stay on the road he slipped and took Elijah with him in the gravel.

Both drivers were getting out of the car angry and Julia swore she had seen Elijah pushing Martin in the shoulder. For a moment she wondered if she should go to him, to comfort him but now Ethan was in the fight for a podium as well as Ludwig, Kyle and Chloe and she really wanted to watch her friends. Martin probably needed time to cool down.

When he had seen the Ferrari’s out, Ethan had smiled inside his helmet. Now he was in the fight for a new podium and nothing could stop him, this time he would stand on a step and he wouldn’t have any doubts of where he was supposed to be.

“You’re faster than Chloe, we are switching positions.”

“Copy.”

And indeed his teammate slowed down a little in the long straight line to let him pass, giving him full permission to go and catch Ludwig to take the P2. He managed to do so in the penultimate lap and when he finally crossed the line after Kyle he let out a scream of joy, quickly followed by his race engineer.

“Second P2 in a row, let’s fucking go!”

“You know what they say, Ethan. Never two without three.”

“No, next time I want a win. I’m tired of being second place.”

Julia was clapping her hands in front of the race results. She was so happy for her friends but most of all happy for Ethan. She knew how underpressure he must have felt during the weekend and seeing him achieving a podium in a race he was more than dreading, she was proud of him. Whatever his therapist was doing with him, it was working. She got out of the hospitality to face a journalist that cornered her and shoved his camera right to her face.

“And we are with Julia Leclerc, future member of Ferrari’s engineering team. We all saw the crash that happened today between your drivers. Is that a lack of communication between Martin and Elijah or a lack of communication inside the team? We were all surprised to notice no team orders.”

“Well… I mean.. I don’t know, that’s a question you should ask to their team principal.”

“We also saw a very nice battle towards the end, what did you think of it?”

“Of course, Kyle is an exceptional driver. It shouldn’t surprise anyone to see him win another race. He is the kind of guy who, when he starts on pole, nothing can stop him. But I’m really astonished by Ethan’s driving lately. It’s so calm and precise, he always had an amazing racing intelligence but I feel like he improved a lot on it. And his overtakes are one of the cleanest of the grid. It’s just a matter of time before he stands on the highest step of the podium. Truth be told, if I were a team principal I would try my best to sign him and give him the car he deserves because the car he is in currently is not made to fight for pole positions and podiums. That’s how talented he is.”

She didn’t know where it was coming from but she couldn’t have helped herself to spill her guts to the journalist. And it felt good. She smiles and thanked him before running to the podium's celebrations.

She made her way to the front right in time for the trophies to be given. Ludwig, Ethan and Kyle had a huge smile on their faces and when the champagne popped, she had never seen them being this happy to spread it. They were drenched and Julia was sure that the hug they were giving to one another would be on the front pages of newspapers.

When she came back to the hospitality to find her boyfriend, his race engineer told her that he had left straight after the meeting. He didn’t even bother to send her a text to tell her he was already back at the hotel. When she arrived in the room, he was scrolling on his phone, barely looking at her. She laid down next to him, trying to catch his attention.

“If I were a team principal I would try my best to sign him and give him the car he deserves because the car he is in currently is not made to fight for pole positions and podiums. That’s how talented he is.” he said in a bitter tone.

“Martin..”

“I don’t even want to talk about it, Julia.” he cut her.

“I’m sorry… he asked me about the race and…”

“No matter what it will always be him. You always come back to him. Always! When I’m right here. I could give you the world Julia, I want to but you don’t let me!”

“I’m trying! You said it was enough for you!” she argued.

“Maybe I lied! Maybe I was wrong! Maybe it’s not enough. Maybe I thought I could make you forget him, I could make you happier, I could be better than him. But I can’t fight against your feelings Julia! He is not physically there but he is everywhere!”

“What do you want me to say?” she asked.

“I don’t know? Fight for me! For once, stop running away and fight for something! Choose me.”

“You can’t ask me that! That’s not fair!”

“Because you’ve been fair with me? That’s rich coming from you.” he laughed, looking at her like a mad man.

“Do you think that I decided to still love Ethan? I can’t control it! And I’m tired of fighting it! I know I’m not fair, and maybe I never was. I know you didn’t deserve it, I know it was selfish to ask you to love me when I can barely look at myself in the mirror. That’s twisted and wrong. I know all of that! But you can’t ask me to choose you. I can’t lie to you. I can’t lie to myself. Not anymore.”

She was about to leave the room, when he called her out and what escaped his lips made her heart sink in her chest.

“I love you, Cecile!”

“Cecile?” she repeated in disbelief.

“I meant, Julia. Gosh, no… I’m so sorry, I don’t know what happened, I…”

She let out an emotionless laugh.

“I don’t want to hear it. It’s useless. We know that this, whatever it is, will never work out. It was stupid to try and I’m sorry if I led you on. Truly. You deserve better. We both deserve better.” she said through the tears.

“So it’s over…”

“It never really started.” she stated, leaving this time for good.

Author's note: So Martin and Julia are over! Finally! And no it doesn't mean that she will run straight into Ethan's arms... you know me now.

What do you think will happen next? Let me know your theories, I love to read them.

Don't hesitate to leave a comment or an ask, as well as reblogging and leaving a like. Besides the fact that I absolutely love to read you, it helps a lot for the story to find its audience. I also have a taglist for this story, so if you want to be added so you never miss a chapter, let me know.

Taglist:

@herondalism @aundercover @musingsbyshreya @karmabyfernando @reengard @mycenterfold @smoooothoperator

#writing #fiction #charles leclerc #f1 fanfic #f1 x oc #f1 fic #charles leclerc fanfic #max verstappen #max verstappen fanfic

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20dollarlolita · 1 year ago

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hi! me again. cut/sew 015 has me in the trenches. if you don't mind, do you think you could look at the instructions and tell me if they're setting me up for failure? specifically steps 9, 10, and 18. i've tried pinning the shirring to the bodice in every way i can & it either doesn't turn out the way that step 18 indicates OR the straps come out twisted. i'm not sure if i did something wrong at steps 9 and 10 (i've triple and quadruple checked and don't think i have) or if it's a misprint. ty!

So, I have the instructions here, but the instructions do not specify notches, so I'm doing a little bit of guessing here.

Quick note from someone who's been doing amateur lolita sewing tutorials for almost 9 years now: when you make a design that will be lined, write the instructions such that you treat the lining as if it's a different fabric from the face. Even if the end user decides to line the garment with its self, it will help people understand what is going on. This is because a lining in the mirror version of the face fabric. When you have four pieces that are identical, except that some of them are mirrored, things get very confusing very quickly.

Anyway, for everyone new to the party:

Cut/Sew dot Co is an indie pattern brand. They're basically one incredibly dedicated woman who designs, patterns, cams, builds, tests, writes instructions for, markets, and distributes the patterns. She's made nearly 100 different patterns, as far as my counting goes. Their goal is to make alternative j-fashion inspired patterns available for everyone, especially beginners who don't have a lot of technical sewing experience.

They're relevant to this blog because 1) they make patterns that they claim are lolita fashion patterns and 2) one incident in 2020 where the designer had a go at the lolita fashion community because we said her designs weren't actually lolita and 3) someone specifically asked me about this pattern.

I've previously made one of her patterns, and the main issue that I had with it was that none of the images of the pattern actually properly represent what the pattern will actually make. My other issue is that the patterns seem to have 1/4" seam allowance, which is a really bad seam allowance to use when you're sewing a garment that needs to be adjusted and have techniques like gathering and zipper application. 1/4" seams are usually used in quilt piecing, where they're being used on stable plainweave cotton and not on curved, load-bearing seams.

Anyway, CUT/SEW 15: Lolita JSK appears to be a self-lined JSK with a 1/4 back shirring panel and a 12" invisible side zipper closure. It has a front faux-lacing panel, and princess seams with trim along the princess line that extends all the way to the hem. The hem has two wide ruffles.

I'm not here to critique this pattern. That will be later.

So the questioner here has kindly provided me with the instructions, and here's my best ability to help them. The question is that steps 9 and 10 explain how to assemble the bodice, which is then set aside until step 18. When we pick the bodice back up in step 18, it feels like it has somehow changed and does not line up with step 10.

I am posting the instructions here in the hopes that my input will help other people who bought this pattern use it effectively. These instructions and images are posted to help cut/sew's customer base use their product without frustration.

STEP 9:

9. Place the sewn bodice front face up in your work space, making sure the dress straps are laying flat. Take a bodice side back piece and lay it under one of the dress straps so one edge of the strap just meets the notch along the top edge of the bodice side back. With the angle of the straps, the other edge of the strap should hang off past the bodice side back by about 3/4” - that’s okay! Pin this strap in place right at the notch, then take it to your sewing machine and baste the strap in place, sewing 1/4“ away from the edge..

Lay the sewn bodice front face up in your work space, then take another bodice side back piece and lay it over top, face down. Match it to one of the basted bodice side back pieces on all sides, then pin the two together. Take the pinned bodice to your sewing machine and stitch the two together along the top, sewing 1/2” away from the edge. Pull out the basting stitch underneath, then press out this seam.

Repeat this entire step with the second set of bodice side back pieces on the opposite strap. When finished, flip both bodice side back pieces out so they’re face up, then press the seams you’ve just sewn flat.

Okay so this makes plenty of sense to me, once you remember that this is self-lined. This means that there are four side-back pieces in play. We're going to call that left-sideback-face, left-sideback-lining, right-sideback-face, and right-sideback-lining. LSF, LSL, RSF, and RSL, if you will.

The image up there shows the in-progress picture, but here's what I think it'll look like when you've finished everything, and you're at " flip both bodice side back pieces out so they’re face up, then press the seams you’ve just sewn flat.":

The important thing to note is that, from my understanding of these images, you will have the straps attached with the short end (where is says SA in my drawing) facing the center.

For the record, this is where commercial patterns have notches. You notch the side seams on all patterns so that you don't get confused about what pieces connect to the side seams. Notches make patterns easier.

10. Place the shirred bodice center back face up in your work space. Lay a sewn bodice side back piece over top, face down, and match the edge with the notch and strap to one raw edge of the bodice center back. Pin the two together along this side, then take the pinned bodice to your sewing machine and stitch, sewing 1” away from the edge.

Repeat this step on the opposite side with the second bodice side back piece to create one continuous bodice.

So here is where the instruction diagrams confused me a little bit. I added some color to clarify things: The PINK line is the back sewn to the shirring panel. The GREEN line is not sewn to anything.

When this step is over, and we lay the complete bodice out, it will look like this:

If this is what your bodice looks like at step 10, when we pick back up in step 18:

18. Place the bodice front face up in your work space. Lay the bodice back over top, face down, and match the two together on the right side. Pin them at this seam, then sew both together by stitching 1” away from the edge. Trim the raw seam with your pinking scissors, then press open this seam.

Note that you're only going to sew one side seam here, because the other one will have the zipper installed. We can't actually lay the piece flat anymore, but if we could magically lengthen one of the straps so that it was suuuper long, it'd look like this:

I think your part is getting twisted because that image up there that I had to add the green/pink line on isn't very clear about what side is being sewn. If you look at that and sew the sides that LOOK like they're lined up in the picture, you'll sew your side backs backward.

I just want to emphasize that THIS is what notches are for. Notches are a means of communication between the pattern developer and the user. Placing your standard one notch on your side seams will allow the person who uses the pattern to know for sure what pieces are being connected to what pieces, and where those should be. The decision to not notch the common things (back and front, side seams, sleeve holes and sleeve caps) is just something that makes no sense to me.

While not directly asked, I am also VERY confused about the instructions for placing an invisible zipper in this dress.

I really, really want to like cut/sew as a company. Their mentality is in line with my own: make things easy for beginners, and make the environment they're in accepting and supportive, and people will be able to build things and have fun. I regularly have to remind myself that just because something didn't get done my way, it doesn't mean it wasn't done effectively. Cut/Sew has put out something like 100 patterns, which were all the work of one incredibly dedicated individual. My general complaints with the company have been with social media presence and marketing, as well as not having clear images of the garments and/or technically usable fashion flats. My other beef that I had with them, the 1/4" seam allowance, seems to be resolved in this pattern. It looks like they've gone up to 1/2".

If there's enough demand, I can buy this pattern, make it, and provide a technically accurate flat as well as complete images of the garment. Just let me know if you want to see that and then get ready to wait possibly literal years until I acutally get it done.

Hope this helps somehow. G'night.

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divinekangaroo · 1 year ago

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I keep seeing takes indicating T/G would have been living together for 2 years prior to their marriage. This has always bugged me because it would have been a social suicide at the time, a respectable women living with her lover? No way they would have risked it as Tommy was trying to climb the social ladder plus he would not have risked tarnishing Graces reputation? Her family would have disowned her and no one would have turned up for the wedding. Grace was fronting the "single mother and a grieving widow" until it was socially appropriate to remarry? Tommy also looked to set everything up for them to start living together - his trip to NY to bring her and baby back, the wedding, the new house - it just seem to fit that they would have stayed in touch but would have only got together maybe a few months prior to the confirmed wedding.

This was my take watching the show or maybe I'm missing something here. I remembered you addressed this vaguely in one of your fic. I know you do tons of research and I would love to hear your thoughts/facts on this subject :)

I had it in my head that Tommy didn’t see Charlie until Charlie was 6 months old, which was a 15 month duration from conception to Tommy going to New York to collect Grace and Charlie. This would mean he and Grace only really had, let’s say 1 month pre-wedding honeymoon in New York together, and 6-ish months in Arrow House together prior to the marriage. (6 months is long enough to float a new charitable institution...)

But, this time gap for me was motivated more by headcanon/thematic desire rather than well researched. I mean, thematically, I just *really liked* the idea that Tommy never saw any of his women pregnant with his children or their early lives (Zelda (Duke-17y), Grace (Charlie-6m), Lizzie (Ruby-3m)).

There were a few other factors which might lead to the lag between conception and Charlie being 6 months old, but these are more floater thoughts or first perceptions than anything I've double/triple checked:

The biggest one: I assumed Grace went back to America with Clive the morning after Derby Day, because Tommy didn't get back to her in time. Because she was probably a *minimum* of 6 weeks pregnant at that point, possibly 8 (had to miss two periods minimum; no pregnancy tests back then and cervix takes 6 weeks before it looks different to a gyno), she told Clive the baby was his on the steamer to protect herself on the assumption Tommy didn't want to proceed with her. (If this doesn't happen, and Tommy manages to catch her before she leaves, it's possible she could have physically left Clive then and lived the full two years or so with Tommy and just weathered the scandal.)

The simplest possible divorce (Grace accepts fault for committing infidelity) would be 6 months, however I assumed with an investment banker for a husband, that divorce would be very complicated, so let’s say an 18 month process.

Once Clive died, with no word of divorce mentioned, an uncomplicated estate settlement can also be around 9 to 18 months. (if Clive committed suicide on his own in America without a divorce processed, and Grace was in England, she would have had to travel back to America for settlement)

Back in the day, pregnancy was still fairly high risk, and medical advice cautioned against extensive travel during pregnancy, especially in the later stages, due to the potential discomfort, risks associated with the journey, and limited medical facilities on board steamers. Given my assumption she went back to America, Grace was probably four months pregnant by the time she and Tommy agreed (via remote correspondence! every letter taking 10 days! phone calls with terrible lag and disconnections!) they would get married and worked out a disentanglement strategy with Clive, they decided to wait until the baby was born before starting any of these proceedings.

The risk of travelling with a newborn was similar, and recommendations in the day suggested waiting until they were older to deal with all the foreign bugs. So whatever kept Grace in America until Charlie was born, meant she had to stay until he was older anyway.

In terms of what did keep Grace in America until Charlie was born, rather than simply getting on the next steamer back to England at 4 months pregnant and dealing with all divorce etc remotely, I headcanon that:

Grace’s strategy was to wait until Charlie was three months old (so she could be fully supported in America) then admit the infidelity and process the divorce

Tommy agreed with her at face value, then promptly executed his own secret strategy, which was to find dirt on Clive and blackmail him into saying he committed the infidelity, and Tommy tried to push this as fast as he could; the quicker the divorce was processed the better, and as far as he was concerned, Grace could get on that ship at whatever point and he’d throw a bunch of doctors on with her if needed to get her there

Whatever Tommy found, whether he tabled it with Clive, whether Grace got emotional and told Clive everything, whatever it was: Clive committed suicide before Charlie was born. This threw a spanner in Tommy’s ASAP-timeline because Grace then had additional reasons to wait in New York (until Clive’s estate settlement was dealt with, as well as Charlie being old enough to travel safely). In the meantime she was able to be supported by Clive’s money as a widow. My irony headcanon: inadvertently, this pre-birth/pre-divorce suicide also left her with Clive’s fortune, and after her death, left Tommy with her fortune *gasp*. For me this fortune-transfer headcanon is also thematically relevant – that whole “everyone Tommy touches” curse, but even as people die around him, all the time his net worth and assets increase.

So yes – mostly headcanon and themes rather than anything concrete! I don’t think fear of scandal would have bothered Grace all that much. BUT, given how supportive her family actually were – they only picked on Tommy’s corrupt reputation with mild concern -- I can assume there was no hint of pre-marital infidelity or divorce. Tommy was a dubious match, but there was no suggestion he and Grace committed infidelity, and no one seemed to blink twice about Charlie so would assume the family thought he was Clive’s and Tommy adopted him. I also had the undercurrent Grace's family thought Tommy was marrying Grace (as another man’s widow/seconds, and taking on another man’s child) to socially advance himself, and they could reluctantly understand that coming from a man like him; they were satisfied enough with the match because he had his military record, he was firmly new money by then, and Grace was, after all, widowed and had a child, had no parents or sibs to support her (they were all uncles and cousins), was very happy with Tommy, and would have been difficult to convince to a different pathway/marry off again. So they acquiesed.

(On scandal -- Grace's whole profession seemed scandalous for a woman (?) -- I just don't think she would've cared all that much about a reputation for infidelity given she was basically prepared to sleep with men (Campbell's orders) as a spy. Society/family might have different opinions but I just didn't see it too much as Grace's motivational concern. In my head, Tommy was probably more concerned about that reputation landing on Grace (hence his scheme to have Clive take the fall) than she was.)

#honestly the number of times i stare between scenes in PB and wonder about the logistics...

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