#my “professional voice” is like an octave higher

[chumbyy]

[sakurapandadreams]

PLACEMENTS THAT INDICATE ONES A GOOD SINGER

Please take all of these predictions with a grain of salt I'm not a professional astrologer.

FOR ASTRO POSTS HERE IS MY MASTERLIST

This post indicates all the placements that can make one a good singer or one can end up have a good voice

However one placement cannot decide everything one needs to see an entire chart into consideration

Hi @xomoongirlxo here's the post you were asking for

When I have to notice such placements I tend to focus on 3 planets in particular MERCURY, VENUS & NEPTUNE. One rules communication the other artistic abilities and the last one mysticism. And that to me is a singer. Some even say Neptune is the higher octave of Venus which is even better.

🎹 Mercury in Capricorn or Aquarius

Natives with this placement tend to be good at both singing and well as rapping. Be it hitting the high notes or singing a rap verse these people can do both. Highly talented individuals. Their also very good at writing lyrics or making catchy beats.

🎹 Earth or Fire Mercuries

These people just add so much energy to any song. When they write a song they uplift people with their lyrics. Dope lyrics and dope songs. I feel they also have good voices more like chill voices. Also good at singing party songs.

🎹 Mercury conjunct Neptune

These people really have the ability to heal through their voices like they could be singing a song that's really sad yet it would somehow make you feel calm as if someone is listening, as if they understand you and your troubles.

🎹 Water Descendants

For this one I would be honest I've seen many celebrities charts which have a water descendant and mind you these are iconic singers lol. But I don't have an apt explanation for it.

🎹 Aries Rising

These people are just born to perform. Most of them are really good at singing and even if they are not they really pick up quickly not only that you would just love to listen to them talk if they don't sing.

🎹 Water Moons [especially Pisces moon]

Water moons tend to have a voice that puts so much emotions into songs, the songs that make you weep or the ones that make your heart beat. Especially Pisces Moons are such great singers haven't met one that doesn't sing well.

🎹 Saturn conjunct Rahu in the 10th house [vedic]

This placement I saw in the charts of many old singers and they had this exceptional voice. If these people nurture their artistic talents people won't be able to come close to them for competition.

🎹 Cancer Risings in vedic chart

These people have such attention grabbing voice you can try but you won't be able to stop yourself from pausing and listening to their ethereal voices. Siren like voices really powerful placement. Can also sing sad songs really well. Even if your happy if they sing it you will feel the pain & sadness.

🎹 Mercury in leo in vedic chart

These people always get the notes right very perfect for singing. Their also quite hardworking and very particular about music too like if it's a falsetto they will sing it a certain way, if they're hitting a high note to f4 then it shall be pitch perfect.

🎹 Venus and Mercury in the same sign [doesn't have to be conjunct]

These people have such an exceptional ability to sing different notes just effortlessly they don't show even a sign of discomfort on their face. Maybe it just comes naturally to them. Many singer who have this placement people love to listen to them sing even for a second. Their well liked by their fans.

🎹 Rahu in the 2nd house [vedic]

Their songs, the lyrics and their voices all together makes them a perfect singer they learn quickly too can make songs sound ethereal or if can nail songs that need to give mystical vibes.

Signs mostly seen : Pisces, Leo, Aries, Libra.

Honorable mentions : Taurus 2nd house, North node/ Rahu in Taurus.

Credits for the images and dividers goes to the rightful owners

Copyright © 2024 sakurapandadreams | All rights reserved.

[descendingarpeggio]

TLDR singing's confusing and grammarly's an attention whore

this is so weird because i want to practice singing tenor more so that i can sing in my lower voice but like I'm an alto so I'll be singing songs that I'm listening to casually but I'm switching octaves every couple lines and it doesn't help that i only listen to higher ranged singers so it's more comfortable and flows better to sing in my higher range but i need to practice the lower too because that's going to be my professional range soon because I'm not singing alto anymore but alto is still my comfortable range and i struggle with doing high notes in tenor range because i don't want to go up into my head voice while I'm singing tenor and it's really bad when I'm singing in alto range and it gets low so i try to switch into chest voice which I'm getting better about but i ACCIDENTALLY DROP A FULL OCTAVE???? wth??? grammarly just autocorrected my rant and tried to get me to use the word HENCE and then when i started talking about grammarly it had the AUDACITY to try to make me capitalize it's name. what the hell grammarly. anyways i am FIGHTING

[cloudlessly-light]

Could you do a fic where Clyde comes to visit for a case and him flirting with Emily makes hotch really jealous

Rating: Explicit

Warnings: Smut, jealousy, possessive sex, oral, choking, overstimulation, dirty talk

 Aaron sees him through the window of his office, knew that he was coming to consult on a case. He knew that Clyde Easter and Emily had some sort of past, that fact clear when they were hunting down Doyle. But he never got to see them interact, didn’t hear the flirtatious tone coming from him or the teasing smile on her face as he winked at her from across the round table room.

Aaron and Emily weren’t dating, technically they weren’t anything besides coworkers, but that didn’t stop the jealousy from rushing through his veins like lava. Didn’t stop his teeth from clenching as he once again had to listen to the other man crossing the line of what was appropriate as he spoke to Emily at her desk. It most certainly didn’t make his irrational jealousy better when Emily’s cheeks flushes pink the way they usually did with him.

“Prentiss, a moment?” He doesn’t dare ask himself why he gets her attention late that afternoon. She was just about to leave, bag over her shoulder as Clyde, JJ and Derek were waiting for her.

“Uhm, sure.” She nods to her friends, tells them to leave without her before climbing the stairs to his office. “What’s up Hotch?” She asks as he closes the door behind her.

“Do you think your behavior the last few days reflects good on you? On the BAU?” He asks and he sees her eyebrows shoot up, her body tensing.

“Excuse me?” Her tone is an octave higher than normal, the surprise evident.

“The way you’re acting around Easter. Do you think that’s appropriate?” He towers over her even in her boots and he sees the way her face changes from surprise to anger in a matter of moments.

“My behavior hasn’t been anything but professional.”

He scoffs at her reply and her eyes narrow.

“Derek flirts all the time, you haven’t once dragged him into your office. What is this about?” She angles her face, her lips part slightly as her breath comes out heavier, her anger making her body tremble slightly.

“This isn’t about Derek; it is about you. And your behavior reflects badly on the rest of us.” His own voice is dropping, he can still picture the way she smiled at the other man and it makes his blood boil. “You’re flirting with him.”

“What’s the matter Hotch? Jealous I’m not flirting with you?” Her tone is almost demeaning, a small smirk on her lips as his breath hitches and she knows that she’s right. She wasn’t stupid, she had seen the way he had been looking at her since she came back, she had been waiting for him to finally make a move.

He stares at her for what feels like hours, dark eyes heated, breathing labored and then he’s on her. He kisses her roughly, pulls her against his hard body and swallows down her gasp. Her nails rake through his hair, grips it tight enough to sting and he grunts as they move through his office until finally, he gets her on his desk.

“Get naked.” She mumbles between kisses, her own hands already pulling her shirt off her body.

He pulls away from her heated lips only to pull his tie over his head, but then she’s moving onto her knees in front of him before he has time to claim her lips again. He stares down at her as she unzips his pants and pushes them down his hips. His cock is already hard and the feeling of her wet mouth around him makes his knees buckle. Her tongue moves over him, licking a broad stripe from the base to the tip and then she sucks his cockhead between her lips with a moan.

“Fuck, Em… just like that.” He encourages her as his fist grasp her hair. He moves his hips against her face, groaning and moaning as she swallows around him. Her eyes are teary from repeatedly choking on him but she doesn’t stop, only wraps her lips tighter around him until he has to tug her away. “On the desk.” He mutters before she has time to say anything and she stands quickly, only stopping to pull her pants and underwear off.

Aaron bends down and licks through her, feels her wetness coat his tongue and she moans as he sucks her clit between his lips. He feels like he’s ready to burst, so he doesn’t take the time he normally would, and pushes inside of her quickly.

“Aaron!” She moans as his hands pin her hips down and he starts to fuck her hard enough for the heavy desk to shake.

“You make it a habit of fucking your bosses?” He grunts out, eyes on her face.

“You’re an ass.” She mutters back through harsh breaths and the feral smile on his face make her body flush with want.

“I’m going to make sure you never want to fuck another man ever again.” He promises and moves one hand from her hip to brush her clit. He fucks her with heavy, deep thrusts, keeps his thumb on her clit until she’s whining and straining for him.

She comes hard and fast, the pleasure making the air trap in her lungs as he fucks her through it. When her body relaxes he easily flips her around, files and a lamp falling to the floor with the movement.

“Again.” He mutters in her ear and starts fucking into her from behind. He keeps his fingers on her clit, changes the angle of his thrusts and it’s only a few minutes later until she’s trembling through another orgasm.

“Fuck you feel good when you come on my cock.” He whispers as he pulls her up to stand. His hand wrap around her throat, keeps her back against his chest as he starts moving his hips against hers, slowing down enough for her to feel every ridge of his shaft inside of her.

“Please…” She whispers as she rolls her hips back against his.

“Please what?” He mutters as his hand tighten around her slim throat.

“Come inside of me.” She can barely breathe through the pleasure of him and the pressure from his hand but she loves it.

“Not yet, I think you can give me one more.” He pinches her sensitive clit and she cries out, body exhausted from him.

“I-I can’t.” She tries but his fingers only circle the bundle of nerves more insistently.

“Yes you can.” It’s an order and they both know it. Emily’s head falls back against his shoulder, her moans turn breather as her legs tremble as she tries to support her weight.

“Oh my God…” She gasps as the pressure starts to build again as he forces the pleasure from her body.

“That’s it, such a good girl for me.” He encourages her breathily as his hips snap harder against hers. “Come on, come for me, let me feel you soak my cock.” The dirty words continue to fall against her ear as his own orgasm makes his brain fog. He feels her clenching around him, her slick walls clinging to his cock and forcing his own pleasure to rush through his body.

She’s coming only seconds before she feels his hot release inside of her, her body heaving as she comes hard enough for her vision to blacken out and body to completely give up and she slumps against the desk. For a few seconds all that can be heard is their labored breathing until she lifts her body enough to look at him.

“It’s about fucking time.” She mutters with a smirk over her shoulder. “Been waiting for five years for you to finally do that.”

[bluiex]

Hoi! I saw the ask about Ariana Griande seeing Scarlet (I think that's the name the anon used) and just wanting to ride her, and so I wrote this instead of finishing my WIP. This is very much suggestive, but nothing explicitly sexual happens. 

-

Ariana Griande waved and smiled at her audience, giving them butterfly kisses before going backstage. She sighed and fanned herself, controlling the urge to put her cold hands on her face. She needed to keep the make-up on to see the patrons later on after all the performances were done. Someone approached her, wearing black and headphones on, and motioned her to follow them, concentrated on the notepad. 

She hummed and walked towards probably one of the assistants the open bar hired. Her plate-formers thud against the wooden floor, desperately trying to ignore the ache that came with wearing them for a long time. They went to the general dress-room, one of the girls finalizing her outfit and wig. When she spotted Ariana, she flushed and immediately went back to adjusting her wig. Ariana huffed, flicking her ponytail on her other shoulder, and sat down on the seat the assistant gestured to.

“You have ten minutes to change before going in the audience,” they said in a monotone voice.

Ariana smiled, big and saccharine. “Thank you, sweetie.”

They cleared their throat and left the room, followed by the girl. When she was finally alone, she groaned and resisted the urge to slam her forehead on the counter. She grabbed one of the mini-fans, and got little-to-no cool air from it. So much for a warm reception. It happened every year, and she kept wondering why it surprised her. Performing during the summer was hell incarnated. 

No more dilly-dallying, she took her outfit for the rest of the evening, and in less than two minutes, she was reapplying her make-up, adjusting her wing, and winked at herself in the mirror. The door slammed open, making her squawk. She turned to see who it was, ready to murder them until she saw that famous moustache.

“Mumbo, you scared the shit out of me,” she said, a hand on her chest.

He gave her a sheepish smile. “Sorry, I just wanted to tell you that you were amazing back there.”

She grinned. “No duh, I am a professional.”

Mumbo rolled his thumbs nervously. “Well, yeah, but I figured a compliment wouldn’t hurt.”

Ariana walked towards him and wrapped her arms around his neck, a smug look on her face. He squeaked and his face became red. 

“That’s so sweet of you, Mumbo.” She gave him a kiss on the cheek, holding her chuckle when his ears became red. “Always the gentleman.”

Mumbo nodded vigorously, not getting away from her embrace but not touching her in return. She let go and walked pass him, waving goodbye. 

“I’ll catch up with you later, yeah?”

“Y-yeah,” Mumbo swallowed loudly, voice an octave higher. 

Ariana giggled and left, finding the main floor of the open bar. She really didn’t want to deal with the heat, but she was paid by the hour for this event and no way in hell she was giving up an opportunity like this. She plastered a sweet smile on her face, making sure to exaggerate the swing in her hips and to show her leg in the split of her skirt. Some were whistling when she went more outside, but most were eyes glued to the performance. 

Ariana slightly pouted when most weren’t paying attention to her, so, out of curiosity, she glanced at the stage. Ariana has seen a lot of performances, but what she was looking at was above and beyond. Flowers of all kinds of colours in the wig, a mix of pastel and saturated colours that somehow fit perfectly well together, a shoulder piece that framed her head while her arms were covered in vines and leafs, mini skirt to let her move her legs. But that wasn’t it all. The way she danced and lip-sync was over the top, even for the upbeat song. 

There were queens out there who liked being extra and flamboyant, it just wasn’t Ariana’s style. This queen right there took the flamboyant definition and dialled it up to a hundred. She was wearing legs braces, which seemed to be painted in this orange-pink gradient like the rest of the outfit. She seemed so free in her movements, so expressive, so in her element, Ariana wondered how she’s never seen her before. 

Something touched her bare shoulder, making her yelp and swivelled to slap the person who dared to touch her. She stopped when she realized it was only Mumbo. 

“Stop scaring me like that,” she hissed under her breath.

Mumbo raised his hands in surrender, grimace on his face. He mumbled apologetically and pointed at the queen performing.

“Do you know her? I wasn’t there when they announced her name.”

Ariana shook her head regretfully. “No, never seen her.”

He hummed. “She’s quite impressive, isn’t she?”

Ariana turned her head slowly to her friend, a smirk on her face. 

“Well, well, well, it seems Mister Mumbo Jumbo here does have a favourite.”

He squeaked, face red, shaking his hands and head. “N-no! That’s not what I was implying—”

She put her finger to his nose, bouncing it right back. “I was just teasing.”

He laughed nervously only to abruptly stop. She frowned and looked back at the performance, only to realize the queen was approaching them with a sway of her hips, lips moving to the lyrics. Her mouth opened when she saw her up front. She was stunning, and Ariana saw many stunning queens in the industry. She was right on top of the list currently. Ariana didn’t care if the queen had a larger form than the stereotypical feminism or that even with the makeup, she could see that stubble. 

The flower queen placed her hands on the table Ariana was leaning on, circled her hips and winked at her with her mouth as well. Ariana wasn’t one to blush easily, but she felt her cheeks warming up and the smug look Mumbo sent her. The queen turned around them, making sure not to touch them, but also getting in their personal bubble. Ariana wondered how long this song lasted until the queen finally left them for the stage, finishing the song.

She waved her swooning audience goodbye before going backstage. A volunteer appeared on stage, microphone in hand.

“Good Times with Scarlet, everybody!”

Mambo elbowed her, wiggling his eyebrows. After feigning pain at her friend’s jab, she scoffed.

“C’mon, you saw the way she was looking at you!”

Ariana crossed her arms. “I am still on the clock, Mumbo.”

“Just saying,” he said innocently, diverting his gaze.

She shook her head and went back to entertain the patrons of the bar, going inside and outside occasionally. The queen was still at the forefront of her mind, getting her distracted a lot of times, but the impression show between the other queens were also very auditory distracting. Still, Ariana was good at her job, and she will get paid after the end of the night. 

Except, that didn’t happen. A lot of things didn’t go her way, but she didn’t regret this one. Because in the corner of her eye, after Mumbo left, Scarlet was leaning against the door that lead to the backrooms, a smirk on her lips. She wasn’t wearing the shoulder piece or the flowers in her wig, but was still wearing her flamboyant leotard. 

Ariana took her expression as a challenge and went towards her, grin on her face. Scarlet was slightly towering over her, which made Ariana glad to keep her plate-formers.

“Well hello there,” Scarlet greeted, a mischievous glint in her green eyes.

“Hi beautiful,” Ariana tilted her head, grin widening.

“You’re quite gorgeous yourself.”

Ariana hummed in thought. “Yes, I could tell your eyes were devouring me earlier.”

Scarlet’s smirk only became sharper. “You can’t blame a woman for having taste.”

“No, indeed,” Ariana replied. She went closer to her chest, fingers brushing against it. “Can’t let it go to waste either.”

She made sure to pout and give her puppy eyes. Scarlet let out a laugh (oh god, that laugh had no right of being this beautiful), and leaned closer to her face, hand on her bicep.

“And where would the gorgeous songbird prefer to show her potential?”

A shiver ran through her spin at the nickname, cheeks becoming warmer. She wouldn’t let her seduce her to submission, so she copied her smirk and brought their face close enough for their nose to touch. 

“Don’t worry your little pretty head about, and leave it to Miss Griande to take care of you, hm?”

Scarlet’s face blushed and nodded slightly, making Ariana chuckle. She might not get paid, but she’ll have one hell of a night, and she’ll guarantee it for both of them.

 -- Bloop anon that submitted this instead of putting it in an anon ask. Hope you don't mind!

[you-turn-it-into-light]

KEIKO - CUTLERY (2023) Album Review

I was thinking of giving this album a review immediately after it came out but I had very lukewarm feelings about the new songs and wanting to let them sink in a little so I left my review for a little bit. Anyway, without further ado:

Overall:

Similar to dew's Album covers, I think these are really boring. The dress is really nice, but I really hoped the album cover wouldn't be just Keiko sitting in front of a plain background like all the single covers, but alas. Again, doesn't really relate to the title or even the themes of 'ordinary people' throughout the album.

The Analog edition only coming with two songs is silly. Charging basically 7k more Yen for I'm assuming enlarged album art, a photo book and a vinyl with two songs on it is embarrassing. This could've been a stretch, but maybe an audio version of the Blu-Ray tracks or just a couple of acoustic tracks on there? Even just increasing 2 songs to 5 from the original album would be better.

There seems to be a few issues throughout the album with the quality of the vocal recordings. In Hitori Janai Kara and Yoru no Uso to you can frequently hear pops that the pop filter (the small shield in front of professional microphones) are supposed to hide. In situations like this, I'd expect the staff or even Keiko to realise this and redo the lines, but it didn't seem like they noticed or cared. This isn't as egregious as Hikaru's microphone peaking during basically the entirety of Kawaisou da yo, but I thought it was worth mentioning.

They decided to do the opposite of dew's album, where instead of making a music video for every song they made none. I'm very disappointed by this, would have liked to see at least one. Because of the structure of this album's release though, I'm not sure what the lead single would even be. If I chose one it'd either be Alcohol or Hitori Janai Kara. (I'd like a music video of Amanojaku though tbh)

Even though I like most of the songs of the album, I'm personally disappointed almost all of the songs have Keiko singing in this higher tone with very little emphasis on her heavier tone and lower notes. I get this is how she likes to sing these songs, but I can't help but gravitate to why I fell in love with Keiko's voice in the first place. This has been a running issue with Keiko's solo music for me, but I'd rather her continue to sing the music she wants to sing or hear rather than singing Yuki Kajiura-discount/rip-off music.

Watashi Update (私アップデート) - (6.5/10)

This song seems to be a mix of Amanojaku and Kirai to me. The opening in particular sounds very Amanojaku-esque, while the synth aspects are very Kirai. I appreciate a few parts of this song, like the part right before the chorus, that guitar hits very nice. I like the melody of 「No,それを決めるのは今の僕たちじゃない」 and also the three-part harmonies throughout the song. Random belted D5 as well? Good stuff. Other than that, this song is kind of mediocre to me, not fun enough to dance to but not rock enough to head bang too, just kind of in the middle. I also wish the instrumental mix was a bit louder, it sounds like Keiko is overwhelming the arrangement.

Alcohol - (4/10)

This songs grown on me a little since I first listened to it and I appreciate what it's trying to do, but similar to Latte from dew, it's just not my thing. I find the repeated synth phrase and chorus melody to be a bit grating and overall this song just doesn't do much for me. I appreciate the harmonies in the chorus, especially the low octave. The lyrics are fun and carefree and I find the control of Keiko's vocals, singing a fast melody in a carefree way, to be very impressive, even if a couple moments seem to be autotuned.

Yoru no Uso to (夜の嘘と) - (8/10)

This song sounds very Kajiura-esque, especially with Keiko's vocals and I really appreciate it. I like how the arrangement increases to a crescendo, starting with piano then acoustic guitar, then adding electric guitar, drums and strings and ending with adding another harmony for the last chorus. It's simple, but I appreciate it. I don't think I'll ever get over the chorus' melody and how Keiko subtly adds emotion to it, especially the 「この愛をどうすればいい」 in the last chorus. The richness of her voice really brings the entire song together and elevates the song for me. The only things I wouldn't say I like about the song is that the melody and structure of the verses and bridge are a bit boring and don't add much to the song except to elevate the chorus, which is fine but I'd like if they gave me more to chew on.

Kirai. (キライ。) - (5/10)

This song has gotten a lot of hate (hehe) and I didn't like it at all at first either, but comparing it to the other song most similar to it (Alcohol), I like it more than than that song for sure. I appreciate the vibes of this song a lot more and very much delivers the city-pop feeling Alcohol kind of failed to bring for me. I like the switch between the lower toned verses and the very high chorus. I will say the chorus is a little grating on the ears, and I'm sure most of it is autotuned a little bit. Given Keiko most likely isn't going to sing that D#5 live, I don't know if I'll ever figure out if she ever sang it or if it was autotuned. At the end of the day though, this type of song still isn't really for me and I don't find myself listening to it much.

Close to you - (6/10)

Similar to Kirai, didn't like this song at all at first. Thought it was very boring and forgettable for a long time. But after many listens, I kind of like it? Doesn't hit as much as Yoru no Uso to, but I'd say it's a good song. I like the blend of the piano and Keiko's gentle singing with the electronic elements (they kind of hid the string synths lol), even if I would appreciate a more pulled back version. I quite like the first verse and bridge/second-verse, sounds kind of romantic. I don't have much really to say about this song, it's kind of a cheesy chill love song that's just kind of okay I guess?

Amanojaku (天邪鬼) - (8.5/10)

This song catchy as hell! Took me a bit to warm up to this song, but this is definitely my kind of song. The fun guitar arrangement and relatively heavier mix is really my kind of tea. It makes when it pulls back and explodes back in even more effective. I love really all of this song, it's so fast-paced, interesting and catchy. I also love the lyrics with the theme of following Japanese folklore, interesting stuff. If there was anything I could complain about, it'd just be usual of Keiko not singing in a heavy-enough tone for my taste. Makes it sound more poppy than intended in my opinion. Probably my favourite song on the album ngl.

Fly, Black Swan - (7.5/10)

Keiko's lower range and tone is back (for one more song) baby! I don't know how I'd describe this, sounds a bit jazzy and I like it. I really like the arrangement and instrumentation of the verses, the fast-paced percussion with the scattered guitar and bass phrases created an interesting vibe. The muted and subtle sound of whatever brass instrument is present is nice as well. This track is kind of sexy as a whole, especially the pre-chorus. I don't usually like multi vocal layering, but I like the choice in this case. I've got it as 7.5 because while I really like it, I don't absolutely love it. I wish there weren't any electronic elements like the synths and keyboard and didn't rely on electronic percussion at times, I feel as if it clashes with the rest of the song at times. Also, overthrill definitely isn't a word lol.

Yura Yura (ゆらゆら) - (6.5/10)

Similar to Close to you, took a while for me to warm to this song but I like it more than that song to be honest. Thought it was very forgettable. I think I keep getting disappointed after not hearing a more dramatic or heavy song and forgot to just appreciate the song as it is. And this song is very sweet. Keiko's singing style in this song isn't off-putting and in fact fits the song very well. I love the arrangement with the strings, especially in the bridge, sounds very dreamy. The verses are very sweet and cute, adds to the whole vibe of the song. While I really like this song, it isn't a song I'd listen to a lot and I don't like the chorus as much as the rest of the song.

Your (ユア) - (1.5/10)

Here it is, the Revolution of this album. At this I've listened to Revolution a few more times and like her singing in that song. This entire song just screams 'cheesy' to me, and not in the charming way. It's trying really hard to very uplifting and bright, but none of it hits for me. I hate the electronic elements and especially the English sections. The 'I will fall in loooooooove' line is.... ugh, it sounds like Keiko's just shouting it (I know she's not, it just sound just she is). I don't like the verse, the chorus, the bridge, the arrangement or instrumentation. Keiko's singing is impressive as usual throughout most of this song, so I'll give it that.

Hitori Janai Kara (ひとりじゃないから) - (6/10)

I definitely like this song more than when I first heard it, but I don't have overwhelming positive feelings for it either. I like the melody most of the song and my favourite part is definitely the bridge, definitely the height of the song, especially the 「変わりのいない君と」. Keiko sings that entire part with such power. Despite that, the song is mostly a bit boring and the issues with the recording bring me out of the atmosphere of the song a bit. It's a nice song, but nothing too memorable to me. Looking forward to hearing it in every single live performance from here out.

Bottom Three Songs: 3. Kirai, 2. Alcohol, 1. Your

Top Three Songs: 3. Fly, Black Swan, 2. Yoru no Uso to, 1. Amanojaku

[illegal-heartbreaker]

Could you write Morticia x reader? Where r is a teacher at the school and she sees reader for the first time and she can’t help but look at her curves and she basically has reader under her control? I’d love if you could have tish having her hand on r waist at all times, as well as her lap? (And smut with a strap & daddy kink?) just r teasing tish and her being as sexy as fuck

She calls reader (cara mia, baby, sweetheart and darling)

Mesmerised (m. addams)

summary: req above

relationship: reader x morticia addams

extra/warning: teasing & implied smut, changed it slightly

____________________________________

You stood at the top of the stairs looking out into the yard, lunch duty. checking your watch ever 5 minutes waiting for the warning bell to sound, you bend down to pick up a few stray pieces of plastic that escaped the bin.

“Excuse me? Could you point me in the direction of the Dorm mom of Ophelia Hall?” A voice asks from behind you, standing up to your full height you look at the owner of the voice. A woman- most likely a parent.

Her eyes wandering down your body, unnoticed by you, but the shift in her posture was noticeable. “Yes, hello, lucky for you I am her, and who are you?”

“Morticia Addams, Larissa told me to come to you to talk about Wednesday..” pausing in your movements and slowly turn your head back to her, this was the Morticia Addams.

“My duty will end in a minute and then we can talk, if you want to stay here and wait?” You offer turning your head away from the lady in front of you to check on your students as they head to their next classes. Moments pass and you feel her piercing gaze on you.

“Shall we head in side?” You indicate towards the arched door way, no verbal response but the hand being placed on your shoulder gives you enough of an answer. Leading the way through the halls to your public office you couldn’t help but feel slightly nervous of the woman next you especially since the hand was slowly slipping down your back.

Opening the door to let her in, you make sure to lock it right after. "Take a seat Ms Addams," You smile rounding your desk to sit down opposite her. Looking at her, the butterflies in your stomach started flittering. "What is the issue?"

"My daughter, Wednesday. She seems to be passing every class except this one." Pulling up Wednesdays portfolio, you silently agree it is the only class she is failing in.

"That is because all she does is ask questions about my personal life." Halting in your words when you see her start to rise from the chair, "Ms Addams please take a seat-"

“She’s done a very good job at that though.”

“Pardon?!” You exclaim eyes knitting together in confusion.

"Australia, how was it growing up there?" She asks, rounding the desk and spinning your chair round to face her. "What-" You start before realisation hit you.

"What do you want from me, Ms Addams?" your voice rising an octave higher as she kneels down in front of you, placing her hands on your knees. Looking down at her as she kisses your legs, slowly making her way further up them. "You." is all the confirmation you needed to make your stomach churn in pleasure. "But do you want me?" The women who was situated between your legs asks, as she looks up at you through hooded eyelids. Nodding quickly- professional be damned. "no, cara mia parla" Morticia demands, her hands moving further up your leg. "please, i do, ms addams..!"

PART 2?

[beyondthetemples-ooc]

tl;dr I suspected I’m a mezzo-soprano, but now I KNOW SO! (At least, according to a video. And I will get this Professionally Confirmed someday, but today is not that day.)

Okay, this video’s getting Free Advertising because it helped me figure out something I’ve been struggling to figure out ever since my choir teachers gave me mixed messages throughout my 8-year school choir career.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_fr6Fk4qIp0

Long story but basically the older I got and the more my stepmother abused me, the more stagefright I got, so when I was like 10 I could sing for vocal assignment tryouts well with a natural relaxed voice, but by age 15 I was TERRIFIED and could hardly squeak a note out (important context: my voice gets lower and my range shortens DRAMATICALLY when I’m emotional). My elementary/middle school teachers all assigned me soprano like IMMEDIATELY but my high school choir teacher put me as an alto for a year or two because “You have a strong G” (remember: that was When I’m Terrified). I knew it Kinda Hurt to sing in that range and I had less pitch control as an alto and I liked singing the higher notes better so I sang the soprano parts anyways, but That Made Me Wonder. I knew at home I could sing along with music like the C Section in You Would Have Loved This by Tarja (the part that goes “I long to touch your hand”) and the vocalization after the C section in Whisper (that really high note on the album that’s dramatically lower on Anywhere But Home) and all of Simone Simon’s voice except the Especially Low Parts. 

But what if he was right and I was wrong? What if my strong G meant I was really MEANT to be an alto and I was fooling myself into thinking I’m a soprano? What if I just liked singing the more dramatic melodies than the harmonies and it wasn’t about range at all?

Also relevant context: When the entire choir was singing my junior year (when the levies failed so we cut senior choir, and thus my choir teacher treated the entire choir like a senior choir), we ran a test to see how high we could all go collectively. And even though that was a year I got assigned alto, and even though he encouraged us to drop off when we felt it was too high, and even though it wasn’t pretty in the slightest, I hit a fucking C# ABOVE THE TREBLE STAFF.

(I don’t know which octave number that is on a piano because dyscalculia, but I very clearly remember that it was the one above the treble staff.)

So anyways. This video. It contains chromatic scale testing and explains how to recognize where your voice shifts registers.

And there’s a chart involved that tells you which ranges and shifts correspond to which voice classifications.

So my “Quality” range (not breathy, not forced, not straining) is apparently A#3 to C#5.

(Which, uhh. I didn’t realize I had a quality range of 2.5 octaves until now. I knew I could sing a lot of range-y songs, but OKAY.)

So the passagios, I wasn’t sure if I was measuring them correctly because I didn’t notice a “break” or MASSIVE shifts, but I’m PRETTY sure my primo passagio was at F4 and secundo was around D5.

The chart puts me squarely as a mezzo, but definitely into the soprano range.

(I can also definitely go higher with good vocal quality, I just need to be more warmed up than singing along to a song and a half like 9 hours ago. <XD Also I just ate so I can’t engage my diaphragm properly or I WILL have problems.)

I wanted to make a post about this because “AHA I FUCKING KNEW I’M NOT AN ALTO” and also “Good to know I’m not fooling myself because I like soprano voices”. (Though really, I know I like them because I can sing along with them easiest and sound the best while doing so.)

Also: Have you ever heard me speak? I’d be absolutely shocked at myself if my squeaky-ass high-pitched voice didn’t land SOMEWHERE in the soprano range.

(Important note: shift is leaning heavily towards b and ra today and I KNOW that impacts my singing voice. Results might be different if h was active.)

[uncle-fruity]

i saw your post abt t and singing and something i have been nervous about is how my singing voice will change. would you be willing to share more of what that was like?

Sure! Happy to share my experience so far! Sorry it took so long for me to respond, anon. Heads up, I'm probably gonna use musical roles as a reference point, because it's all I know lol

I've been on T for about a year and a half. I was an alto for most of my choir experience (which I did for about 8 or 9 years between school & college). I had a decent range -- though, I don't have the specifics -- and a strong voice. For a frame of reference, I was pretty comfortable singing along to the likes of Eponine & Fantine (Les Mis), Mrs. Lovett (Sweeney Todd), Millie (Thoroughly Modern Millie), Tracy Chapman, Janice Joplin, and others in that sort of ballpark. That said I could bust out a few high notes when I was all warmed up & actively singing all the time.

So, that's some context to explain the shift I've experienced. I'll say that so far I haven't had much trouble singing! I've had to shift some of my muscle memory, especially when I want to get those deeper & richer tones. There's a small part of my range where my voice just can't handle it right now & will crack or squeak, right around the shift between my chest & my head voice. Though, I had trouble with that shift even before starting T, so 🤷🏻‍♂️ could just be a gap in my skillset exacerbated by the changing vocal chords. I probably need to get an actual voice coach to help me with it or something.

The way my voice dropped has been steady. I'm not sure if it's at the lowest it's gonna be now or not, but it's decently lower than it was before. It was a gradual process. I'd take my shot, and sometimes I'd get a small sore throat for a few days (usually accompanied by some acne 😒), and then suddenly my voice would be capable of lower notes than before. And that's happened a couple times over the year & a half. More frequently in the beginning of my treatment.

In terms of depth, right now I can achieve most of Javert's (Les Mis) notes except for one or two of the lowest in his songs that I might be able to reach with more training. I'm very comfortable with all of Valjean's (Les Mis) parts, with pretty much no major gaps in terms of range. As long as I'm singing with the right muscles!

Can you tell I've been singing a lot of Les Mis recently? Lol

But actually? I feel that my voice is quite versatile. Like, I'm certainly not the most skilled singer in all the land, and I have some pretty obvious issues I'd need to fix if I wanted to be an Actual Professional, but I have some real range, that I feel is even better now that I can go lower. I sacrificed some of the higher notes, but I was barely using them anyway. I can still sing tons of songs from my old range (though, my tone is different & the notes aren't as strong as they used to be), which is pretty nice. I'm wondering if I'm #blessed or if that ability's gonna go away at some point.

What I will say is that my voice doesn't seem to have fully settled. I still have fluctuations in my voice that can be difficult to control. Sometimes, after a sore throat bc of the vocal chords changing, my voice will be tired & weaker bc I guess it gets worn out doing all that work! I think if a person whose main profession was their voice wants to go on T, they should expect to have to take it slower & maybe take a small hiatus up front until their voice settles a little & they get the hang of using it.

But yeah! I feel like I've rambled on here (as usual). I guess my main feeling is that I was never going to stop singing no matter what happened to my voice, and while it was the change I was probably most actively concerned about pre-t, I am absolutely over the moon that I can sing something like "Stars" in the intended octave now! I have so much more fun with singing now! I feel so much more comfortable with myself, and more confident in general, and so I just let loose and my voice is starting to come into its own.

I still have lots of learning & practice ahead of me, but so far it's been a satisfying journey! I'll have to report back in another year & see what changes I've undergone at that point!

All that said, I'm just one guy. Our bodies & our voices may be wildly different from one another & I wouldn't be able to tell you. I honestly feel pretty lucky to have the voice that I do. I don't know if other people are especially insecure or if I'm especially capable as a vocalist, but I feel like I see trans dudes who talk about having a harder time adjusting than I have, so I can't even tell you if my experience is standard or lucky or whatever.

Not that you asked for my advice, but I think you probably don't have to be too nervous (in my unprofessional opinion). The brain is very good at concocting up worst case scenarios for you & it's pretty much never that bad.

I think that as long as you love to sing, you'll always find a way to use your voice no matter how it shapes up. It's not so much what you have as it is how you use it, in my opinion.

But, as always when it comes to taking T, I think you should take your time and come to terms with your anxieties about it before starting it. T *will* change you in all sorts of ways, and it's okay to take your time sorting all your feelings out before diving in.

Hope that helps, anon! Hope you do what makes you happiest!

[nazifa94]

Table Read

“It’s a matter of pride for me, honestly from my end it has always been 100% professional. Every. Single. Time.” I said earnestly to my disbelieving co-star.

“I just don’t get it; I couldn’t help but fall for Charlie when we first did our scene together.” Natalia grinned.

“Hell even I had a crush on Dacre during season 3” Maya admitted, making the rest of us giggle. I didn’t know what to say to convince them, but I honestly hadn’t had a crush on any of my male co-stars, but the girls were convinced that with my new big romantic arc coming this season that, that would change.

“I bet this new guy will make you feel differently” Maya teased.

“Listen, the day I have a crush on a co-star is the day that pigs fly” I stated very matter of factly.

The girls laughed loudly together as we collected our coffees, making our way to the table read.

Once we reached the room there was an buzz of excitement, everyone greeted each other and soon it was like we’d had never left. The bell rang and everyone sat at their respective seats. The girls were sat opposite me and smiled. I noticed that the seat next to mine was empty and the name tag read ‘Joseph Quinn’. He must be the new guy.

“Hi” said a voice and I looked up.

Shit.

“I’m Joseph” he smiled as he sat down next to me.

“Hi I’m Y/n” I said in a slightly higher octave than I intended to, I cleared my throat.

“It’s nice to meet you Joseph, have you been settling in well?” I asked.

Is my heartbeat racing?

“Oh yeah man, thank God. I was terrified. It’s hard being the new guy, let alone in Hollywood. I was bracing myself for the worst case scenario but thankfully everyone has been gracious” he laughed flashing his beautiful smile. I couldn’t but smile back.

“I must admit it’s nice sitting next to a fellow brit” he beamed as he lightly squeezed my wrist. Trying to ignore the rush of electricity shooting up and down my body over his touch, I held his hand and responded “ditto and hey anytime you need a decent cuppa you’re more than welcome to my trailer. Not to brag but I have my own kettle and custard creams.” I grinned with a wink.

Am I flirting?

His eyes bore into me as his tongue quickly traced his lips. “I’ll definitely take you up on that” he smiled. I felt my heart skip a beat as I placed my hand back on the table.

I looked across the table and saw the girls giggling and winking back at me. My phone buzzed and I quickly opened the message that read:

“BREAKING NEWS: PIGS FLY”

Dammit.

[tropes-and-tales-archives]

Sonny Carisi:  Hold My Hand

Word Count:  2192

TW:  Fluff; pining; needle phobia.

To say that you intimidated Sonny Carisi was an understatement.  

You had worked together briefly in Brooklyn’s SVU (you had spent most of your career there, he had lasted almost a month) before you both – separately – transferred to Manhattan’s SVU.  Sonny only beat you by a week, so he was technically more senior, but no one bought that line – not even him.  

You were an impressive detective:  you knew every square inch of the borough, you spoke three languages fluently (and could fumble some basic questions in Mandarin), and you were an encyclopedia of proper police procedure.  Sonny had admired you – you had fit in so well with the Brooklyn squad while he had floundered.  

In Manhattan, though, you were both the new kid.  You were paired off with Fin while Sonny was paired off with Amanda, but after your respective training periods in Manhattan were over, Liv made you partners.

He liked you a lot, but he couldn’t seem to get any closer than arm’s length.  You were the dictionary definition of professional, so offers to grab a beer after work were usually declined with a polite smile.  Once, when he was dealing with car problems, you picked up him and dropped him off at home every day – but you always declined offers to get dinner or come up to his apartment and let him cook for you as thanks.

Still, it cut both ways:  while he couldn’t seem to build a cozy rapport with you, he also wasn’t teased mercilessly by you.  He could run his mouth, talk about his ma, press cannoli onto you, and you never gave him grief for it.

Sonny eventually just resigned himself to a purely professional partnership with you.  It was too bad:  he was harboring a painful little crush on you, like a piece of popcorn kernel stuck under his gum line that he couldn’t unstick.  You were gorgeous in a buttoned-up sort of way, and in the rare times you genuinely smiled at him, he felt a sick sort of queasy feeling that could only be love.

On the other hand, the two of you worked extremely well together, and before long, your solve rate was rivaling Fin and Amanda’s.  You had started gifting Sonny with air high-fives, which was something.  

At that rate, he’d maybe get a hug within the next fifty years.

-----

He didn’t have to wait fifty years, ultimately.  The circumstances around that first hug between the two of you were this:

A patrolman who had been aiding in the pursuit of a rapist was shot on duty.  While the man was in fair condition and in surgery, he had lost a lot of blood.  When you and Sonny arrived at the hospital, Liv was already there.

“How’s he doing?” Sonny asked.  He felt, as he always did in these situations, the sick, heavy feeling in his stomach.  It could have just as easily been him…or you.  The detective’s badge wasn’t a guarantee for safety.

“He’s lost a lot of blood,” Liv informed the two of you.  “The blood bank is sending over some, but he’s got a rare type.  B negative.”

“I….I’m B negative,” you said in a small voice, and Liv turned and pointed you to the nurses’ station.  You didn’t move, though, and Sonny glanced down at you.

Your face was as white as paper, and your eyes were wide in animal fear.  “I, uh, need to take an Ativan first,” you stuttered.

Liv pointed a second time.  “Go,” she ordered.  “There’s no time.”  Then her phone rang, and she spun off to go answer it.

Sonny put his hands on your upper arms and turned you to face him.  “You okay?” he asked, confused.  “You look sick.”

You gazed up at him with eyes that were already filling with tears.  “Sonny, I can’t,” you pleaded.  “I know…I know I have to, but I can’t.”

“Of course you can.”  He rubbed your arms briskly through your coat.  “It doesn’t hurt at all.  Just a little pinch – “

“I know it doesn’t hurt!” you yelled back at him, and your voice was an entire octave higher than usual.  “But there’s a needle in my vein, Sonny, and a plastic tube, and they slide the tube into my vein…”  You trailed off, practically gagging on your building hysteria, and Sonny realized suddenly what the problem was.  

You had a needle phobia.

It all made sense, all of a sudden:  the NYPD paid for annual flu shots, but you always spent two weeks combing the city for the nasal spray vaccination while everyone else just got the shot on-site.  And during those on-site clinic days, you always kept carefully away, running lab work or killing time in Barba’s office.  Sonny just now put it all together.

“Hey, hey, listen to me,” he replied.  He shifted his hands from your arms to your face, cupping it gently and forcing you to look at him.  “You can do this.  I’ll stay with you the whole time, okay?”

“I can’t – “

“You can.”  He nodded at you encouragingly until you started to mimic him and nod back.  “You’re the strongest person I know, and you can do this.”

“But I don’t – “

“There’s not a lot of time,” he cut you off gently.  “That officer in there needs you, okay?  And I know that you’d never turn away from someone who needs you, right?”  It was a dirty trick, channeling his Catholic guilt at you like that, but it convinced you.

“Okay,” you said, but giant tears were rolling down your face, and you were outright sobbing as Sonny led you to the nurses’ station.

“She has the same blood type as the officer who was brought in,” Sonny informed the nurse.  “But she’s got a bit of an issue with needles.”

The nurse, God bless her, smiled and led the two of you to a private room, promising in her most soothing tones that she’d get the very best on staff to come draw your blood.  You settled onto the exam table (dragging your feet the entire way, and so tense that Sonny could feel your urge to bolt coursing through your frame), but when you saw the little plastic vials sitting on the counter, you burst into fresh tears.  

You sat at the edge of the exam table, so Sonny stood beside you, and after a moment’s hesitation, pulled you into a hug and let you cry.  And you didn’t just cry – you babbled out a torrent of words, apologizing to him for being unprofessional, apologizing for crying, apologizing for being weak…you were saying terrible things about yourself, calling yourself names, a coward and an idiot and worse, and he had to hush you.

“Everyone’s got something they’re afraid of,” he murmured as he cradled your head against his chest.  He could just make out the scent of your shampoo, and that painful little crush he was nursing was dangerously close to tipping into love.  “I’m terrified of Mr. Met.”  That made you laugh against him, and he added, “it’s not rational, but those cold black eyes are scary.”

“Yeah, but your fear of Mr. Met isn’t putting someone’s life in danger,” you muttered as you pushed yourself away from him a little.  You refused to look at him, and Sonny could feel the shame radiating off of you.

“You never know,” he teased.  He kept one arm around your shoulders, unwilling to give up the sudden closeness with you.  “Mr. Met looks like he’d be good for a string of subway flashings.  We might have to catch him one day.”

Finally you looked at him, your eyes wide and solemn.  “I’m sorry I reacted badly,” you said.  

“Don’t apologize.”  He tightened his hold on you and hoped it felt comforting.  “Now I know you’re a regular ol’ human like the rest of us.”

You smiled at that and started to reply, but there was a knock on the door.  A nurse entered and settled into the chair and took down all your information.  Sonny could feel you trembling against him as you answered her questions, and then he felt you slide your hand into his own, unbidden.

The nurse then made her way over to you and pulled on a pair of latex gloves.  Sonny went to release you, but you only squeezed his hand tighter.

“Can you keep holding my hand, please?” you asked, and you sounded so small and plaintive that he only nodded and squeezed your hand back.

“That’s right, hon,” the nurse said in a thick Jersey accent.  “Keep holdin’ your boyfriend’s hand.  I’ll take the other arm and you’ll be outta here before you know it.”  You didn’t acknowledge her faux pas in calling him your boyfriend, and Sonny felt a warm flush at the suggestion.  

The nurse had you shed your coat and then unbutton your sleeve, rolling it up until the crook of your arm was exposed.  When you saw the rubber tourniquet, you gave a pitiful whimper and turned your face into Sonny’s chest again.

“Maybe talk to her,” the nurse suggested, sotto voce as she prodded at the delicate skin in the fold of your elbow.  Sonny reached with his free hand and stroked your head, and he told you an embarrassing story about his prom when he split the pants of his rented tuxedo as he was trying a dance move he in no way was capable of pulling off.  

You were rigid in his arms, but when you felt the prick of the needle, you went limp, and Sonny realized that you had passed out.  The nurse noticed too.

“Just ease ‘er onto the table,” she told him, and he did.  Your face was slack, and the nurse taped the plastic tubing to your arm and monitored the filling bag.  She placed her fingers on your wrist and counted your pulse.

“It’s low,” she said a moment later.  “Probably why she passed out.”  She went back to her computer and added the data to the screen, then added, “if the two of you ever wanna have kids, might want to get that needle issue of hers resolved now.”

Sonny only nodded at her – no point in correcting her now, and you were still out like a light and hadn’t heard it.  Still, when you slowly came to and focused your eyes on him, you broke into a dazed grin that completely obliterated his crush and transformed it into love.

“You’re almost done,” he murmured, and he squeezed your hand.  You shut your eyes and nodded at him, and it was all fine from there:  the nurse removed the tubing and gave you a Band-Aid (with Hello Kitty on it – she informed you that she was the children’s phlebologist, which made Sonny snicker).  Then she left and told you to take all the time you needed.

When you went to sit up, you swayed a bit, and Sonny was there to steady you again.  Little by little, you became steadier, and you eventually stood up and pulled your coat on slowly.  You started to apologize again, and he stopped you before you could get the words out.  Instead, he offered you his arm, and you took it with a grateful smile and let him lead you out of the room.

“How’re you feeling?” he asked.

“Tired,” you answered truthfully.  “Embarrassed.  Wondering if Brooklyn SVU will take me back now that I’ve shamed myself in Manhattan – “

“Don’t you dare,” he cut you off.  “This really wasn’t as big a deal as you think it is.”

The two of you stopped by the waiting room, but Liv was nowhere to be found, so Sonny took you outside.  The cold wind seemed to revive you a little, and you released his arm and turned to him.

“Thanks for not being a jerk about my meltdown,” you said.  You still looked ashamed though, and after tonight, the last thing Sonny wanted was for you to rebuilt those walls you had kept between the two of you.  “I really appreciate your help, Sonny.”

“Anything you ever need, I’m here for you,” he replied.  Maybe his tone was more earnest than usual, because you tilted your head a little and gave him a smile.

“Anything?”  Your voice had a teasing lilt to it.  “Because I’m famished, and I’ve heard that fresh pasta is just the thing for a traumatic blood-letting.”

He reached out and twined your arm back through his.  “Hon,” he said, adopting the nurse’s thick Jersey accent.  “I’m just the guy you’re lookin’ for.”  You laughed and let him take you home to your apartment, and he whipped up a meal so enticing that you didn’t just hug him that night – you kissed him too.

Of course, it was just a friendly brush of your lips against his cheek as you saw him off from your front door, but Sonny knew with absolute certainty that it was just the beginning of the rest of his life – a life with you in it, partners in every way two people can be partners.

[qsphyxias]

voice deepening tips

ok like, i feel like my voice has gotten low enough and i've been practising enough to be able to help out here

this is for transmasc people, ftm people, or whoever who wants help with deepening their voice

- something i noticed helps a lot of people including myself, is honestly just sickness and dehydration. i literally never drink water, and every day i wake up my voice is sore/raspy and it's the perfect opportunity to start my day off with a really low note.

- i'm not telling you to not drink water, but like, idk maybe it helps?(ALSO!!!!! you actually need to drink a lot of water if you go on testosterone bc amab's need different amount of water than afab's, apparently. so keep that in mind too!!!!!)

- when you wake up and your voice is raw, be sure that the first thing you say in the morning is something deep, like, as deep as you can go, uncomfortably but still possible. honestly, if this is your first time deepening your voice, it is really uncomfortable but i promise you, i swear to god, with practice eventually it's like second nature. it took me like, 5-7 months of practice did i finally get it and finally get used to it.

- talk louder, find an excuse to talk with your deep voice. even when you don't usually say something during a specific situation, say something!!

- these are some tips that helped me or what i think helped me in getting over my fear of sounding stupid when i tried to deepen my voice.

1. i was forced to speak in a deep voice because i was afraid i wouldn't pass bc around that time, a bunch of cis guys thought i was cis, and i didn't want them to change how they acted if they found out. aka, pressure and stress.

2. i listen to a lot of M4M audios, specifically of guys with really low voice (i suggest auralescent, nord, maybe just listen to corpsehusband speak??[for deep voice], angels&bread, ice cold audio[for just in gen]) and i honestly don't know if i genuinely was listening to the audios and absorbing how they talked on purpose or automatically, but i'm 100% sure it helps. he has a lot of masculine mannerisms, and it's awesome because it helps me kinda get into the habit. aka absorb how cis men talk, whether it be your dad, your favourite character on a tv show, your uncle, some boys laughing at a joke in the hallway, whoever it is, just copy them. copy what they say, copy how they say it (if that's what you want to sound like, bc there are a huge selection of cis guy voices to choose from, you just have to choose who you want to sound like)

3. you will always feel stupid when you start out deepening your voice, but heres some advice. don't feel stupid. cis guys don't care, so why should you? ofc this is toxic to say, but this is what i told myself to help get over my fear of sounding stupid. trust me, it's worth it in the end.

4. honestly, idk if this helps anyone, but i took on the voice of a fuck boy, so i say a lot of things like, "nah, yeah, bro, bruh, fr tho, like," when i start a sentence, because it's like a habit. if you don't want to take on fuck boy voice, a very good way to start talking low is, saying, "um, uhh, also, but, etc." but the lowest you can go. like, if you're about to start a sentence, start it with a simple word but say it in the lowest tone you can. (i got this advice from some professional on tik tok)

ex. "um, i'll have a log on a bog." and when you say "um", say "um" really low, like really really low, because it'll help set the bar/octave on where the rest of your sentence will go. it's important to start low because once you speak the rest of your sentence, your voice will probably go higher on instinct, so it's ok if it does but try to keep it on the low. (it doesn't have to be the word "um" but it's the easiest)(also you can do this several times, or every time you start a sentence if you feel like your voice has automatically gone too high)

5. talk with your chest(masc), not your nose(fem). when you're talking, or practising your deep voice, keep your finger on your nose while you talk; if you feel a vibration on your nose, go lower, or just go somewhere where you can't feel the vibration any more. and then keep your hand on your chest to try and feel a vibration there.

6. widen your throat(but don't exaggerate it). can you croak like a frog? like, can you make your throat expand? because if so, that's really useful!! i saw this thing in a youtube video where you have to act like you have a snowglobe in your throat or something, and try talking like that (talking at the bottom of the snow globe, so your chin ig?? or basically your throat)

7. talk louder than you usually do. i'm not telling you to yell or anything, but like, definitely, if you are shy, try to be a little louder and confident in terms of voice. sometimes this doesn't help tho, because sometimes when you're quieter it's easier to control where your voice is going.

8. i said this already, but if you have cis guy friends, mimic what they're saying and how they're saying it naturally. i think this tip is what helped me the most. just watch a show where you like a male character and want your voice to sound like that, eventually, if you're an impressionable person like me, you'll start to mimic them without even realizing it.

9. try to practice talking in a deep voice by going out to order food or something, like, idk you're at a starbucks, talk real low. don't worry about sounding weird or sounding like you have a forced voice. you're practising your deep voice and using it in public is the hardest thing to do, but you have to do it. and listen, if you're embarrassed by what the cashier might think, don't be. because you'll probably never see them again, and if you do, then you can redeem yourself with an even more natural deep voice. (this is what i told myself, so im kinda projecting)

10. i tend to slur my words a lot and kinda talk with my chin, if that makes sense?? i find that i sometimes jut out my chin when im talking really low for some reason, maybe that'll help?? idk like, i think slurring your words probably sounds masculine too.

[romirola]

Romi!! Could i possibly ask for a “you look like you were jealous.” from the smut promt list for elliott and sunshine? >.<

A RedactedASMR soft-smut prompt and fanfic fill below! 18+ ONLY. MINORS, DO NOT INTERACT! Thank you!

Elliott raised his hands in mock surrender. “I’m not saying anything!” he defended, his voice an octave higher by the time he got to the last word. “But, if I were saying something…” he added cheekily. “I would say that you looked like you were jealous.”

Sunshine angrily tossed a pillow at Elliott’s face.

“Hey, hey, hey!” he stammered as the pillow collided with his face. “Uncalled for!” he giggled. “And there’s a zipper on this one. Careful, Sunshine. You could take my eye out if you’re not careful.”

“I was not jealous,” Sunshine seethed. “I was…” They bit their lip, searching for a less-charged word that Elliott would still believe was accurate. “I was concerned that the client was asking you about the possibility of seeing their erotic dreams and surprised at the fact that they were so forward to note that you’ve been included in them. Concerned and surprised. Not jealous!” Sunshine insisted hotly. They plunked down onto the bed as they removed their socks and changed into their clothes for sleeping.

Elliott had been one step ahead of them, already pulling up the sheets over himself. He crossed his arm in front of his bare chest. “Concern and surprise,” he smugly repeated. “Those aren’t two emotions that typically produce such a vivacious response in you. Or anyone. It’s okay, Sunshine. Just admit it. You were a little jealous. That’s nothing to be embarrassed about.”

“I was not jealous and I am not embarrassed!” Sunshine yelped. They whipped their socks across the room into the laundry basket sitting in the corner.

“Okay. ‘Intense,’ then,” Elliott amended. “You have to agree with that.”

“‘Intense’…” Sunshine considered the connotations. “I’ll allow ‘intense.’ I mean, don’t you find their behavior a bit suspect? That the client would make this big deal about wanting to keep those erotic dreams hidden, which you totally assured them that the dreams would be, since you’re a professional and all, and then for them to have the gall to tell you that’s good because they dream about you?” Sunshine pushed themselves backwards so they were next to Elliott. “That’s such a little fucking power-play move. And that coy smirk that was plastered on their face as they said it… Don’t tell me they didn’t know exactly what they were doing. And all in front of me! You bet your ass I was ‘intense!’”

“Hey.” With a half-smile, Elliott threw his arm around their shoulder to give them a quick kiss. He lingered for a bit longer than he anticipated when he felt how quick their breath had gotten in their anger. “Whether you were jealous or not, you don’t have to worry about anyone else. Ever,” he vowed, letting his thumb press little circles into their arm. “I only have eyes for you, Sunshine. And your dreams are the only ones I want to be in. Erotic or otherwise,” the dreamwalker winked. “I love you. And one flirty client with a ‘coy smirk,’ as you call it, could never and will never change that. No one in the entire world with all the dream magic the meridian has to offer could ever make me dream of anyone but you.”

“Oh, Eli,” Sunshine sighed, totally absorbed by his true words. What moved them the most was that they knew those words were completely honest. Their bond with Elliott was stronger than they ever felt before in their entire life. “I love you so much.” They gave their boyfriend a kiss to seal that promise, and found a heat burning in their chest as their mouth opened wider for Elliott to chase the taste of them on his lips.

He hated to admit it to himself, but the thought of Sunshine getting jealous over him had turned him on earlier. The unexpected sight of seeing them so upset on his behalf, weaving their way around his body as if to prove to his client that Elliott was theirs and they were his. It was almost too much for him to take, but he had kept his cool because he was in public, nor did he want to be misinterpreted that his arousal was due to the client and not Sunshine. “You up for a little fun tonight?” Elliott proposed confidently.

But now, here they both were. Together with only their bed for company. Now, Elliott’s electric mind told him, he could act on all those feelings he shoved down during his work meeting.

At Sunshine’s quick nod and wide grin, Elliott continued. “After all,” he said as he let his hands dance over Sunshine’s collarbone. “Why settle for an erotic dream when you’ve got the real thing right here in front of you?” It was a rhetorical question with quite a bit more confidence than Elliott usually felt when he initiated anything involving sex that didn’t include his dreamwalking magic. Like many dreamwalkers, Elliott knew that he sometimes relied on his ability to bend reality in dreams to escape any insecurities or inadequacies he had about himself in real life. While Sunshine always assured Elliott that they wanted real-him just as much as they wanted dream-him, Elliott almost had trouble believing that fact. Sunshine was the most desirable person he’d ever met, and the idea of them choosing Elliott was unbelievable, even with his incredible powers. For them to say they choose him in real life, too?

Elliott never even let himself dream that would ever be the case as he pined for Sunshine all those years.

“Oh!” Sunshine’s breath hitched as Elliott let his hands glide across their chest, down to their torso. “Elliott,” they gasped, breathing into the growing heat that burned within them. “You’re so decisive tonight.” They squirmed underneath Elliott’s touch, leaning into the friction and fire their bodies created together.

“Well, you were pretty decisive yourself earlier tonight,” he whispered into their ear. He took their lobe in between his teeth and tugged lightly, earning him a squeal of pleasure from Sunshine. They brought a leg up and over Elliott, pulling him closer as they squeezed to close any distance between them. Elliott barely suppressed a moan of delight as he let his hand cup the back of Sunshine’s knee so that he could position them just as he wanted them. “Glaring daggers with those incredible eyes of yours,” he called through misses that trailed back and forth along Sunshine’s ribs. “Digging your nails into your soft palms. Pushing your tongue to the side of your kissable cheek.” Just visualizing those small glimpses of Sunshine from earlier that night had Elliott hard. “You’re so fucking hot like that, when your jealous over me.”

“Oh yeah?” Sunshine laughed, letting their head tip back, though whether that was from the laugh or from the movement of Elliott’s mouth, they didn’t know. “Then maybe I was jealous,” they confessed. “I was jealous. What are you going to do about that?” they challenged, letting their fingernails weave their way around Elliott’s shoulders and back in a spiral pattern that drove him wild.

Elliott could feel his blood boil at Sunshine’s invitation. “How about this?” he suggested smugly. He arched back to give himself the room to fit his hand between their legs. Sunshine quickly spread themselves further and thrust their pelvis up to give him ample room as he captured them, slick and warm and so ready for more. “Go ahead,” he encouraged, though Sunshine had already begun to grind into him. “There you are,” he praised. “I love making you feel like this, Sunshine. Because I know how good I can make you feel, and that I’m the one who makes you feel good.” Elliott’s mouth found theirs again, practically devouring them as they bucked and swayed against him.

“You… Eli…” Sunshine panted, lost in a sea of stars and satisfaction as they felt themselves break. “I love you,” they stuttered, sinking back a bit in the pillow as a wave of dizziness overcame them. “I love you so much, Eli.” After a beat, they vaulted up, throwing themselves into Elliott’s chest as they took his face in their hands. They kissed him again, slowly and steadily, enjoying every single second their mouth was joined with Elliott’s. “If you thought I was intense at the meeting tonight, wait until you see just how intense I can get,” they promised, ready to give Elliott the same care and attention he showed them, and then some.

It was another two hours before either of them got any sleep that night.

[thatmexisaurusrex]

Oooh, nice choice, @cielosafeplace! I hope you enjoy the drabble! 🥰

Prompt 3: SamBuckySteveNat

| 2 | Prompts | 4 |

Nat was at Sam's door. Sam was watching Natasha Romanoff, SHIELD agent, professional spy look from side to side nervously as she tried to stuff a letter under Sam's front door.

She was having an uncharacteristically bad time at it.

Sam kind of wanted to watch her. See if she could finally get the letter under the door. Sam couldn't, though. He couldn't waste time. Not when she was right there in front of him.

Sam cleared his throat as Nat flinched, desperately trying to hide the letter as she stood up and faced Sam.

"Sam," said Nat, her voice an octave higher than usual, "You're home early."

"I got off work early," said Sam, tilting his head so that he could see the letter Nat was hiding behind her back, "What are you doing at my apartment? Is there another secret infiltration of HYDRA at SHIELD that you need help stopping?"

Nat turned to shield the letter from Sam.

"I don't even know why I came by," said Nat, laughing nervously, "Completely forgot. I should probably go - "

Sam and Nat froze as they heard noises from inside Sam's apartment. Nat and Sam exchanged glances, a silent conversation between them before Sam quietly unlocked his door, Nat preparing her gun as they walked in and found -

"Bucky?" Sam blurted, scaring the scruffiest man in the world half to death as Bucky almost broke the vase of flowers he apparently brought with him.

Nat groaned.

"What the hell?" said Nat as she strode in and jabbed a finger at Bucky, "You're supposed to be on the lam. How are you competition?"

Bucky flushed as he gazed between Sam and Nat, as if the sight of them both in the same room was almost too much.

"I was just - he's just so - " Bucky fumbled, trying to find the words before he took the vase of flowers and knelt before Sam as he offered it to Sam, "Samuel Thomas Wilson, you're a dreamy cookie. A divine fella. A heaven-sent he-pal. Anyone would be lucky to have you in their arms, but I hope I might be that fella. Are you - are you rationed, Sam?"

Sam gaped at the proposal. How earnest Bucky was, blushing up a storm as he just knelt there, still offering Sam the flowers.

"No. You don't get to steal my thunder," said Nat, pulling out her letter and opening it up to read allowed, "No. I get to ask him out first - "

"But I already asked him out," Bucky pointed out, which was technically true, but Nat just began talking over Bucky.

" 'Dear Sam'," Natasha read, " 'Ever since I laid my eyes on you during that sexy, sexy jog in that adorable grey sweatshirt, I've wanted to get to know you more. As a person, as a friend, as more. I thought about asking you out, but a letter felt more personal and felt like a better way to organize my feelings about you - ' "

Natasha stopped when she heard a knock on the door. Sam realized that he was in a room filled with trained killers when Nat and Bucky both took out their guns. Sam wanted to roll his eyes, but... maybe they were sensing something Sam wasn't.

Sam let the two of them flank him as he walked to the door, opening it to reveal Steve. Steve dressed in his best button down and khakis as he beamed at Sam.

"Sam," said Steve, grabbing Sam's hands in his and completely ignoring Nat and Bucky's annoyed faces behind Sam, "I've been thinking about you. Thinking about you ever since I've met you."

"Oh, come on!" interrupted Nat as Bucky cackled, "I decide to profess my feelings and two super soldiers come out of the woodworks to do it too?"

"Hey, no. Out of the three of us, I win," Steve stated plainly, "I'm the one asking Sam for a second date here."

"Second date?" echoed Bucky, not laughing anymore.

"That's what that weird breakfast line was about," whispered Nat.

"Sam, I've been kicking myself for leaving without waking you up that morning. Leaving you alone in bed without even a goodbye, without even breakfast," said Steve, as he grabbed the bag of breakfast supplies next to him, "That's why I brought you breakfast. I want to have breakfast with you. Of course I do. So. What do you say? Let me take you on that second date?"

Sam looked between the three of them. Nat. Bucky. Steve.

Sam smiled.

"Do I have to choose between any of you?" asked Sam, glancing at the faces of this trio before him, these people filled with awe as they wrapped their minds around it too, "What if I want to date you all?"

"I... I guess I'm okay with that," said Nat, giving Sam a small smile.

"If you want to, I - I'd like to," said Bucky to the floor, blushing once more.

"I'd love that," said Steve as he squeezed Sam's shoulder.

Sam beamed at his new boyfriends and girlfriend.

"What about we eat that breakfast together, then?" asked Sam.

Sam's new partners rumbled agreements as Steve went over to cook the meal and Nat and Bucky joined Sam in his living room. Sam hadn't expected any of this. But he was happy all the same. How could he not with the new partners he was dating now?

*****

This is a fic for my Lovely Pairings Event! If you want to send in a prompt, please check out the list of Sam pairings I have and send me an ask!🥰

[superpixie42]

Hi love ❤️ Please tell us more for Bite the Bullet!

Hello Hello Hello @dawnrider @witchygirl99 & @liz8080

So Bite the Bullet is actually at the top of my WIP list since it's plot has a lot to do with some stuff going on in my life recently.

Thing the First: It is entirely @mrfeenysmustache 's fault :D

It's inspired by one of those Trope Mash-Up prompt lists I posted...oh so long ago and can of course no longer find. If I remember correctly the prompt was something like "the doctor is your Ex & zombie apocalypse" or some other bonkers mix and my brain immediately decided on a continuation of What's Eating You?, and true to form for that AU I am gonna be so, so mean to poor Kagome. Since it's full of spoilers for WEY I'm putting this below the cut --

The breakdown:

Set between the ending of the one-shot and the mini epilogue, Inuyasha and Kagome are just arriving at the hospital to have their baby when- due to a massive shortage of doctors and a cruel author - they learn that the only OB available to help them birth their son is Inuyasha's ex-girlfriend Kikyou.

A snippet:

Inuyasha quietly took the few steps to stand beside the bed and grasped Kagome’s hand, hoping beyond hope that maybe Kikyou wouldn’t recognize him, that maybe she would keep her professional mask - both literally and figuratively - firmly in place and say nothing to him. If nothing else, maybe a contraction would hit at just the right time for Kagome not to hear Kikyou say, “Oh! Yash, hi! It’s been what-- a year now?”

But based on how Kagome’s head turned almost Exercist style away from the monitor she’d been watching and around to him, he knew hope was out the fucking door and gone already. 

“Dr. Hidaka,” he replied, hoping the formality would reset the tone in the room. It didn’t.

“Oh Yash, no need for that,” said Kikyou, tossing the exam gloves in the trash and coating her hands in sanitizing gel, “I was just telling your friend,” -- Inuyasha wasn’t sure if it was a contraction or the term that made Kagome flinch so strongly -- “she’s already at 5cm and things seem to be going smoothly. There will be a nurse with you full time, but I’m the only OB at the moment, so I won’t come in ‘til the end.” She gave a polite wave to Kagome as she backed out of the door, already sprinting down the hallway to what he assumed was another patient. 

“So, Yash,” he heard Kagome say, her voice a full octave higher than usual, “have anything you want to talk about?”

Inuyasha looked up at the heavens and tried to remember what he’d done to deserve this. 

He sat down at the end of the bed, “Is now really when you want to get into all of this, Kagome?”

“Considering that this just saw me naked and poked my cervix, yeah, I think now is a good time.”

A note: I'm not totally sold on the title? I thought it was a funny, but the more I took at it the less I like it, ya know? So if anyone reads this and thinks "ooooh new idea" let me know. @lavendertwilight89 named the first instalment for me 💜

[turtle-go-brrrr]

4 times Leonardo was a dork and the time he wasn’t

Heya! I adore the "strong stoic character does something embarrassing or dumb" trope, and Leo has been left behing from that one. Also, my fervent Leo Simp Friend said these were all good ideas and I trust his judgment completely, so it's also for him. Enjoy, you Dork-ass Looser (affectionate) @weird-flex-but-ok

I have one of these "4 times ______ and 1 time ______" stories for each of them, I just got really inspired by him all of a sudden. But they're coming!

There might be a few typos here and there, but I really don't wanna wait any longer to post it :3

Requested: No

Pairing: None, platonic

Word count: 2500 +

Triggers: cursing, injuries, blood, intrusion

Summary: You were always sort of intimidated by the leader in blue, but a series of events shows you he might not be as serious as he wants you to think.

__________________________________________

First time

It took you a while to get along with all of them.

Not because you didn't trust them, or because they made it difficult, and certainly not because they're mutants. You're just not that good with new people, and you tend to shy away. Especially when you have New York's heroes in front of you.

So yeah. It took a while. But soon enough, you warmed up to your new friends, and you had a great time. Mikey was the first who made you feel welcomed, always asking questions about you and insisting you came to the lair in the first place. Donnie followed soon, after you started asking about what he was working on. It took a bit more work to get closer to Raph, but it turns out sarcasm was the way to go.

If only their leader was as approachable.

He never made you feel unsafe or unwelcomed, don’t get me wrong, he just kept a professional distance with you, which started to become quite painful as time went on. You tried not to take it personally, thinking he maybe was as shy as you were.

You had time anyway.

It was early in the evening when you made your way to the lair. For the first time since you met the turtles, you went there alone. You were a little nervous, thinking you might get lost in the maze of tunnels under the city, but figured you could just call someone if anything happened. Lucky for you, you found your way to your friend’s place, but not without hustle.

As you entered, you realized it was uncharacteristically quiet. The only sounds you could here were the faint music and the not so faint curses from Donatello’s lab. The smart decision seemed to be leave him alone, which is exactly what you did.

You haven’t been here long enough to know where to find the others, and as you didn’t exactly felt like staying alone in the living space, you tried finding your way to the dojo, as it was one of the other places you knew well.

Of course, now you got lost. Venturing into the sewers was fine, but walking into your friend's home wasn't, apparently.

You found something else, however. This particular tunnel led to a room you could identify as someone's room. You could see the large bed in the middle of the room, a small table with a bottle of water, a book, and a makeshift alarm. A set of twin swords were hanging on the right wall, just above a small bookshelf.

On your left was another table with a (healthy, you noted) bonsai tree, and next to that was Leonardo, facing a mirror. He had his right arm lifted up to his head, and was looking right to you through the mirror.

He looked absolutely horrified.

What the fuck.

He slowly rubbed his face in his hands, let out a long sigh, and turned to you, more tense than you've ever seen him. He cleared his throat as you pince your lips in a thin line to hold back a smile.

"Hello, Y/N. I... didnt think you'd come in so early."

Despite the badly lit room, you can see him bite the inside of his cheek.

"Yeah, uh, I didnt mean to... interrupt you," you say. Your voice is slightly shaking as it takes all of your willpower not to burst out laughing. And he definitely notices.

"You didn't! I uh, wasn't doing anything anyway. So, tell me- what brings you to the lair?" He asks, avoiding your eyes.

"Oh, Mikey invited me, he said I wasnt allowed to skip on movie night. You know how strong willed he is," you smirks, unable to handle it much longer.

Stiff as a board, you see the corner of his mouth twitching and hear him whisper, "... I wasn't flexing."

Silence.

You snort laugh hard enough to choke on it as you quickly turn around to hold yourself against the wall, the insanity of the situation crashing on you. Leo sat at the foot of his bed, head in his hands, and you could see him shake in repressed laughter once you wiped your tears away.

You sit next to him after finally calming down from the hysteria. He sighs, straightens his back and gives you a side glance.

"I'm not judging."

"You're still laughing, though."

"Yeah, but like, I guess I just wasn't expecting that. Still not judging."

He nods, still smiling. His voice is at least 3 octaves higher when he asks, "Please, don't tell the others."

"And what, give them the privilege of knowing about your little... ritual? Nah, don't worry about it."

_______________________

Second time

The second time your assumptions about the leader were subverted happended only two weeks after the... incident.

You had invited the whole crew to your place for the very first time, and they were all excited to come. You made a copious dinner: a few veggie cakes, chicken wings and a bowl of roasted potatoes. They were supposed to bring the drinks and movies, and April and Casey were in charge of the desert.

A perfect night, it seemed.

And it would have been if they could decide what to watch first without jumping at each other's throats.

"You guys need to grow up."

"Leave me out of thi-"

"Donnie's suggesting Velocipastor of all things and you think we need to grow up? Come on, Y/N, I thought you were better than that."

"Okay, first of all, how dare you. And second, this movie's a masterpie-"

"Yeah, because everyone knows that his supremior intellect means he's the only one who gets to choose a dumb movie. Why won't you guys watch Sharknado?"

"Supremior isn't a word. And it's because unlike you, peasants, I have taste." A devilish smile creeps up Donnie's face. The bastard is doing it on purpose.

"Peasants?!"

"You ugly-ass son of a-"

"Hey! Leave Dad out of this!"

"We could watch Shrek instead?"

You decided to go get some glasses in the kitchen, leaving the children to their stupid fight. Searching through your cupboard, you hear a crashing sound, quickly followed by utter and complete silence.

Oh no.

In insight, leaving them alone was maybe not the best idea. You were reconsidering bringing glasses into the mess as you made your way to the origin of the sound. And what a mess it was.

Your friends were all expressing shock in some way, Casey (surprisingly) being the most dramatic of them all with his hands right in front of his face and his jaw hanging open. They were all looking back and forth between you and another direction near the table.

The really cool bowl that held the delicious potatoes you made was broken on the floor. There was glass and potatoes everywhere, but the biggest shards were in a neat pile, right behind Leonardo, who looked like a deer in headlights.

"... nothing happended."

"I'm... starting to think it's a habit of yours," you say as you watch him not so discretely try to hide the broken pieces behind his foot.

"Look, if you keep putting your foot in there you're gonna hurt yourself. Just, step away a bit, will you?"

"I'm sorry I broke it. Let me help you clean up, I don't want you to cut yourself."

"It's okay! Don't touch it, I'll get a bag," you say as he starts to gather the biggest shards.

Won't even listen for one second, will he?

Raph was already picking up the untouched potatoes to put them in the plates on the table, and April went to the kitchen with you to retrieve the bag and cleaning supplies.

"Ew, Mikey don't eat that."

"Thirty seconds rule, baby."

"It's five seconds, you moron. And it's way over thirty anyway. Spit it out."

The rest of the night went on without further issues, but Leo still looked apologetic during the movie. Which is probably why he was standing before you as his brothers were leaving.

"Thank you for the evening. And I'm... sorry again for the bowl."

"Hey it's okay, man. Don't worry about it. As long as no one gets hurt it's not that big of a deal."

"I'll get you a new one." He doesn't wait for your answer and ruffles your hair before taking off.

"Text me when you guys get home!" You scream into the night, hoping one of them heard you.

______________________

Third time

It's surprisingly easy to mess with Fearless.

You were in the living room, getting your ass beat on Mario Kart by Mikey, when you decided to take a break for your stomach (and ego)’s sake. You made your way to the kitchen, where Leo and Raph were in a heated discussion. Raph looked

“I’m telling you, 4 inches is too small. What do you get from 4 inches ? Nothing. But 10 inches ? It really makes you feel something.”

…

What?

You looked down on the table and saw multiple ingredients lined up on the table, with a long piece of bread on the side.

Oh, sandwiches. Got it.

Leo’s back was facing you, but Raph gave you a knowing glance, one that said ‘do it’. So, you did. Not without a smirk, first.

“Oh, wow, Leo ! I didn’t think you’d be so open about that kind of conversations.” You open the fridge, hoping you can hide your smile behind the door.

“What ? What do you m-” His face falls. Raph starts chuckling next to you and it looks like Leo’s brain is rebooting. 

“I mean, I’m not judging. You do you, buddy, I’m happy for you. Just surprised you choose lunch time to talk about it.” And in other circumstances, you’d mean every word. But right now, messing with your friend is too good to pass on.

“No, hold on- I didnt mean- It’s not what you think ! I’m talking about sandwiches !” He tries to show you the ingredients currently on the table, but Raph decides it’s time to join the fun.

“Lying isn’t vey Bushido of you, Honor Boy,” he winks at you and you can’t repress a giggle.

He puts his face in his hands, knowing very well that the both of you ganged up on him but unable to save face. He just smiles, goes back on his chair and hides his head in his arms, hoping you won’t see how embarassed you made him.

“Hey, you like what you like. Have fun with your sandwiches.” You give him an innocent smile, pat him twice on the shoulder, and join Mikey back on the couch with a plate of grapes.

You could hear Raph’s light chuckle from the kitchen.

______________________

Fourth time

Mornings are hard.

And they’re even worse when you spent the whole night sewing an arm back together after a sword gave it a nasty cut. And getting glass shards off of your friend’s shell. And putting a bone back in it’s rightful place after a particularly bad fall.

Yeah. Long night. And a tense one, too.

Because with the physical pain came the chock and residual fears, the anger and blaming. Everyone was stil on guard, and all that tension was exhausting. You barely slept, too worried that one of your friend’s state would degrade if you didn’t keep an eye on them at all times. Which didn’t really help you get the rest you needed.

If you were hoping the morning would be kinder on all of you, you quickly realized that it was a mistake. While, luckily for the turles, the mutagen was already healing their physical wounds, the emotional exhaustion of the previous night was still heavy. Of all of your conscious friends, not one dared break the eerie silence.

It was weird, seeing them like this. But you couldn’t force yourself to say anything, strangely scared of what could happen. You resumed to making breakfast for everyone and bringing clean towels to the still sleeping feverish turtle in the medbay. Splinter and Mikey were at the kitchen table, quietly accepting your offering, when Leo came into the room from the medbay.

He was still half asleep, and in his drowsiness didn’t see the wall he accidentally ran into.

“Oh, sorry. Didn’t see you there.”

Everyone turned to Leo, who it took a solid minute of staring blindly at the wall to realize what just happened.

Donnie was the first to laugh. It didn’t take long for april and Mikey to join, soon followed by Splinter affectionately patting his son’s arm. Leo smiled and shook his head, as their lighthearted laugh was contagious.

The leader in blue was more of a goofball than what you first expected, and you were grateful for it in the fading tensions of the morning.

______________________

One time he wasn't

When someone intrudes your home, especially at 4 am when you were sleeping in the next room, a lot of things go through your head.

Did they take anything?

Yes. Your bag with your wallet, some cash, your credit card, your ID, and a few fidelity cards from various stores. Your laptop. A set of keys. That one blanket Raph made you (probably to carry everything without making too much noise).

Why you?

Why not? Your apartment isn't isolated, but it's not exactly on a main street either. It was probably practical for them.

Were they armed?

Who knows. Maybe. Maybe not. Probably. Statistically, most likely.

What could have happened if you had tried to confront them?

A lot of things. Maybe, if you let them know you were awake and knew what was going on, without necessarily confronting them, it would have been enough to make them run away. Or maybe there were multiple armed people, and they wouldn't hesitate to use force if necessary.

Who knows.

Can the police find this person?

Statistically? No. At least, that's what Casey told you when you asked him. Unless they got really lucky, they won't find anything.

Or at least the stuff they stole?

Again, unlikely. Unless they can trace your laptop back to the guy, or someone can give a physical description and a direction, there's not a lot they can do.

What can you do now?

Call your bank. And your insurance. And your landlord. Let them know what happened and follow their directive, they'll guide you through their procedure and help you soften the blow.

Casey was the first person you called when you woke up this night, and he was at your place within minutes with two other colleagues (the closest he could find). He spent the rest of the night reassuring you, helping you with the phone calls, asking around for witnesses, but nothing.

It's weird, feeling unsafe for the first time in a place you had called Home for years. It's disturbing. You can feel the nausea your anxiety is giving you, and a headache starts to grow at the back of your skull.

You don't really like this feeling.

So when your turtle friends dropped by the next evening without telling you and you welcomed them with a swing of your favorite pan, let's just say reactions were split.

"I can hack into your computer to find its location if you want. Wouldn't be the first time."

"What?"

"What? I mean, I didn't do it for your location last time. I know all about your search history, though."

"We're gonna have a talk about boundaries and privacy once we're done dealing with that," you sigh. You crash down on the couch next to your friend and mindlessly watch him work.

Leo comes up to you and gently nudges your shoulder. "Hey, do you have a toolbox somewhere? We brought locks to put on your door and windows. You know, just in case."

You nod, quiet, and lead him to your room where you keep most of the most useful stuff you own, including but not limited to a toolbox and a first aid kit.

Your movements were almost mechanical as you retrieved the box and handed it to him, and you decided to help him put up the locks to keep your mind occupied.

He was concerned. You looked like you were still in choc, which he could completely understand. Getting robbed is awful in itself, but getting robbed while you're sleeping in the next room? Horrific, in his mind.

He was also furious. He couldn't be there for you. This person had the nerves to go after his friend, and what if you got hurt? He wouldn't have been able to do anything about it.

He noticed he was staring when your eyes met his.

"Hey. We're gonna do whatever we can to find them. We're also gonna focus our patrols in your neighborhood for at least a few weeks, until you feel better," he puts a hand on your shoulder. "It's gonna be okay Y/N. Trust me."

You look up to him, and when you look into his eyes, you know he means it. You let your head fall against his plastron as he holds you against him, a silent promise for safety.

"Hey shorty," Raph pulls his head into the crack of the door to address you. "Wanna learn how to fight? I can turn you into a death machine."

You heard the faint "Raph, what the fuck" coming from Mikey who was still in the living room.

You gave a small laugh as you got up, Leo following you closely to the living room.

"Hey! Fighting isn't for everyone. But I could make you a really cool taser, if you want."

"What's with you and tasers?"

"They're efficient."

The bell ringed and April came in holding 4 boxes of pizza, that Mikey assisted her with as soon as she set a foot inside.

You looked around at your friends as April brandished the pizzas like a trophy while Raph and Donnie went back and forth trying to decide who, between man power and electricity, would win in a fight.

And you realized that yes, Leo was right.

It's gonna be okay.