#no other gal is her friend for 1 of 4 reasons

[musubiki]

I don't know if you have answered this already so if you have you can ignore this, but how did mochi and coco become friends? Since coco is a bit older is she from another class?

she is a bit older, but not in another class! shes one of those people in high school that either have a very early birthday so theyre always the oldest in the class, or she maybe fell behind a grade (since she had delinquent tendencies growing up)

BUT A GOOD QUESTION AND I DONT THINK I EXPANDED ON IT BEFORE MAYBE??? its somewhat skipped over in that webtoon chapter.... first ill talk about a little coco backstory that leads up to it:

essentially, growing up coco was the lazy, troublemaker, didnt-take-school-seriously kind of student that always had bad grades and skipped class. her parents obviously werent thrilled about that, but they were never really hard on her about it and had a good relationship with coco!! at one point (when she was about 12-13 maybe), they had quite a light-hearted and humorous talk with her about getting herself together before high school, and made a little list of things for her to do to have a good life ("a better life than we did," is how they put it).

the things on the list were rather mundane and normal, sometimes kinda dumb. it was things like "study hard 8 hours a week," "learn to cook," "exercise regularly," etc. it also has rather strange ones, one being "change someones life," which coco spent a lot of time trying to figure out what that one was supposed to mean. at the time she treated it lightly and as a joke, and more of a chore like "ah damn i gotta exercise now?? ill do this stuff later"

anyway, when coco was 14, both her parents and her little brother passed, and coco to this day holds on to that list and tries to fulfill every item (which is why she does the things she does, including running every morning, working hard on studies to go to college, getting a part-time job, etc).

NOW how this relates to mochi: one of the items on cocos list is "make friends with good people." when coco first moved to wessport and started school there, obviously she was new and didnt know anyone. the week she started was (if you remember the beginning of that one webtoon episode!!) a week where lime was fighting off a cold or something, so he didnt come to school and mochi was by herself.

their meeting was actually pretty mundane, but coco was lost in the school and asked mochi for directions to various classrooms and such. mochi was very nice to her (as mochi normally is), like she lent her a pencil and piece of paper cuz coco didnt buy any yet, things like that.

at the end of the school day coco just looks at her for a long time and goes "...hey, so you're a 'good person,' then...right?" and mochi just goes "Uh....I guess I try to be?" and for that week coco seeks out mochi to hang out with her. by the time lime gets back theyre already friends and coco lowkey adopted mochi ehehe (and then that one coco intro episode is where this mini story picks up)

[sulatni-flerida11]

Typing…

premade sandwiches (the scenes in between) | old memories in one drawer | start of main story

a few months before life itself

d&d gals 👑🎀

Lizzie | 7:02 AM

[picture attached]

Seen 7:02 AM

Lizzie | 7:02 AM

Pearl and I are on our way!

Seen 7:02 AM

Katherine | 7:07 AM

Ooooo, safe travel you two !! :D

Seen 7:08 AM

Lizzie | 7:08 AM

Of course :D

Seen 7:09 AM

“Next stop, Suburban District 1.”

Pearl hands an earbud to Lizzie, the latter accepting regardless of whatever songs her friend is playing. It’s something they got used to when they were younger with their other friends – sharing music and other media they consume – and has extended to small speakers playing in their dorm, or earbuds shared in public spaces like these.

Lizzie leans into her seat as the train starts moving, then she looks at Pearl.

She treats the other like a sister, at this point. Actually, she treats their entire friend group like her sisters, her found family. Whether it be from endless cheers for her art (which Lizzie is still a bit scared to share), or being the main people she hung around when they were kids, or that they still keep in touch despite the physical distance between their group of five.

Sometimes, she’s brought back to the time it all began.

~

[years ago...]

~

“Please, just one go?”

Lizzie looks up to see two heads of ginger before her, hands clasped together. For how much they insist that they aren’t alike, Gem and Fwhip look absolutely identical right now.

“Fine,” she groans, quickly followed by Fwhip throwing his fist in the air and Gem throwing her arms around her.

“Thank you, Lizzie!” Gem laughs. “Would you be free this weekend, or some other time?”

“This weekend, just to get it over with.”

“Oh,” Fwhip calls, “bring Jimmy too, will ya?”

“So you could tease him again?” Lizzie raises a brow.

“I said sorry!”

“I’d rather not have a reason for you to say sorry in the first place, Fwhip.”

“But he’s so little!”

“I’m not little!” Jimmy butts in out of nowhere, jumping on Fwhip’s back, strangling him slightly, “I’m 9 and a half!”

“And I’m 10 and a full!” Fwhip retorts, spinning around in hopes of disorienting the other.

Gem and Lizzie laugh, but still cautiously watch their siblings as they play-fight in the school halls.

“Say Jimmy,” Gem starts, “y’think you can bring Grian to D&D?”

Jimmy drops off Fwhip and beams, “Wait, it’s actually happening!?”

“Yup!”

“Oh, joy!” Jimmy tugs Lizzie’s arm, “Can he Liz? Can he? Can he?”

“If their parents say yes, Jim.”

“Invite Pearl while you’re at it,” Fwhip suggests. “They’re also siblings, right? I’ve had the chance to talk to her in Art Club, and she seems cool.”

“Sure!” Jimmy smiles. “I’ll be sure to tell ‘im, though no promises. Last time he was put in some acting situation, he hated it.”

“Tell him to give it a go,” Gem laughs. “Who knows?”

~

[1 notification] Message request: “The Emperors 👑🎭🪄”

You and six others have been added by Fwhip

Fwhip | 4:06 PM

d&d group chat!!

Seen 4:13 PM

Katherine | 4:08 PM

Ooooo

Seen 4:13 PM

Shelby | 4:10 PM

is this why you asked for our contacts the last time

Seen 4:13 PM

Fwhip | 4:10 PM

yes

Seen 4:13 PM

Fwhip | 4:11 PM

and now me and gem don’t have to find lizzie or jimmy if we think of having a session

Seen 4:13 PM

Fwhip | 4:11 PM

or if any of you want to hang out

Seen 4:13 PM

Pearl | 4:12 PM

ooooo what’s this about?

Seen 4:13 PM

You accepted the message request.

Lizzie | 4:15 PM

Oh great

Seen 4:15 PM

Lizzie | 4:15 PM

More places to be bugged by the goblin

Seen 4:15 PM

Fwhip | 4:16 PM

THE GRIMLANDS WILL BE GREATER THAN YOUR SEA

Seen 4:16 PM

Lizzie | 4:16 PM

It’s the OCEAN Fwhip

Seen 4:16 PM

Joey | 4:16 PM

I’m with Lizzie here

Seen 4:16 PM

Joey | 4:17 PM

though my jungle’s still the best

Seen 4:17 PM

Shelby | 4:19 PM

you mean your avatar knock-off?

Seen 4:19 PM

Joey | 4:19 PM

YOU TAKE THAT BACK

Seen 4:19 PM

~

“Say guys,” Katherine starts as the group clean up their session of the day (a fight against some evil demon plotting to destroy the world), “do y’all remember me mentioning a new friend from school?”

Shelby looks up from compiling their character sheets. “The guy that just moved in your village?”

“Yeah… He’s interested in joining, if you guys don’t mind?”

The rest of the group looks at each other, as if waiting for a confirmation. The silence that comes out of the question almost makes Katherine backtrack, but Fwhip beats her to it.

“If you think he’ll fit in, then sure. The more, the merrier!”

~

Katherine added Joel to the chat.

~

“Is Grian ever coming back to a D&D session?” Fwhip asks curiously, while Jimmy and Joel share a look.

“He’ll only come back if it means annoying one of them,” Pearl reasons, “though honestly, I don’t think he finds these games that interesting.”

Lizzie rolls the dice in her hand as she asks, “Will he still be showing up at our hangouts?”

Pearl shakers her head. “Unless we’re doing something other than D&D.”

“I’ll take that,” Jimmy says. “One less person to make fun of my slime trades.”

Joel scoffs. “I do still think it’s kinda stupid.”

“Oh one day Joel, one day, you’ll be forced with this kind of deal and you would NOT be able to say no. Mark my words.”

~

Jimmy | 7:06 PM

since when was THIS a thing ???

Seen 7:20 PM

Katherine | 7:10 PM

???

Seen 7:20 PM

Gem | 7:10 PM

What.

Seen 7:20 PM

Fwhip | 7:10 PM

jimmy what

Seen 7:20 PM

Joel | 7:12 PM

you mean you’ve been invited here for longer than me yet i’ve chatted first ???

Seen 7:20 PM

Joel | 7:13 PM

boy do you not check your message requests ?

Seen 7:20 PM

Jimmy | 7:15 PM

i

Seen 7:20 PM

Jimmy | 7:15 PM

i’ve never seen this before ???

Seen 7:20 PM

Pearl | 7:16 PM

this has been a thing for months now ??

Seen 7:20 PM

Jimmy | 7:16 PM

is this where lizzie gets the hangouts and party info ???

Seen 7:20 PM

Gem | 7:17 PM

Jimmy…

Seen 7:20 PM

Jimmy | 7:18 PM

oh my god

Seen 7:20 PM

Jimmy | 7:22 PM

LIZZIE I CAN HEAR YOU LAUGHING THROUGH THE WALL SHUT UP

Seen 8:25 PM

Lizzie | 7:28 PM

Oh my god I'm never letting you forget this

Seen 7:28 PM

Jimmy | 7:29 PM

YOU BETTER HIDE IMMA TACKLE YA I SWEAR

Seen 7:29 PM

~

The next day, Gem stares at their small group of four, trying to not act too out of the ordinary "So..."

It doesn't work. Fwhip tries to hold back his laughter as he looks at Lizzie and Jimmy, each with matching bruises on their forheads.

"Not. A. Word." Lizzie stares him down, which just makes Fwhip burst out loud.

"Look - I expected Jimmy, but Lizzie?"

"Oh you shut up," Jimmy groans, readying to tackle Fwhip now. Even though Fwhip initiates the rough play between them (it's their love language, don't worry), almost all times, their bits end with Fwhip laughing and gasping out "mercy!" or the like, with the few exceptions being when he has help from Joel or their other friends.

The latter stops, running away from the bruised pair with his hands up.

~

[1 notification] Message request: “d&d gals 👑🎀”

You and three others have been added by Katherine.

Katherine | 3:48 PM

hey guys!!!

Seen 4:28 PM

Katherine | 3:49 PM

or gals

Seen 4:28 PM

Katherine | 3:49 PM

whatever

Seen 4:28 PM

Pearl | 4:16 PM

what do we have here now huh

Seen 4:28 PM

You accepted the message request.

Lizzie | 4:30 PM

Was the separation from the boys necessary

Seen 4:30 PM

Gem | 4:31 PM

Oh please

Seen 4:31 PM

Gem | 4:31 PM

I might not have come up of this

Seen 4:31 PM

Gem | 4:32 PM

But you have to admit that the boys are a bit rowdy sometimes

Seen 4:32 PM

Shelby | 4:32 PM

and loud

Seen 4:32 PM

Gem | 4:32 PM

And messy

Seen 4:33 PM

Lizzie | 4:33 PM

Okay, okay I get it

Seen 4:33 PM

Katherine | 4:36 PM

honestly I made this because Mom wants us to have a girls’s day

Seen 4:37 PM

Katherine | 4:36 PM

because the boys hang out by themselves too sometimes

Seen 4:37 PM

Pearl | 4:40 PM

that’s fair

Seen 4:40 PM

Pearl | 4:40 PM

I’d be down!

Seen 4:40 PM

Gem | 4:41 PM

Yeah!

Seen 4:41 PM

Lizzie | 4:41 PM

Same here!

Seen 4:41 PM

Shelby | 4:42 PM

when would the first one be!?

Seen 4:42 PM

~

Shelby | 6:16 PM

hey everyoneee

Seen 6:18 PM

Katherine | 6:17 PM

Shelby :D

Seen 6:18 PM

Shelby | 6:17 PM

i don’t know how weird this is to ask

Seen 6:18 PM

Shelby | 6:17 PM

but

Seen 6:18 PM

Shelby | 6:17 PM

on our next meet-up

Seen 6:18 PM

Shelby | 6:17 PM

can i have some of your guys pics?

Seen 6:18 PM

Shelby | 6:17 PM

just 1x1 ones

Seen 6:18 PM

Lizzie | 6:19 PM

What for?

Seen 6:19 PM

Shelby | 6:20 PM

uhm

Seen 6:20 PM

Shelby | 6:21 PM

the other people in my high school are doing this thing of putting pictures of their friend groups in the backs of their phone casee

Seen 6:21 PM

Shelby | 6:21 PM

since we’re graduating and all that

Seen 6:21 PM

Shelby | 6:22 PM

you guys are still the best friends i got

Seen 6:22 PM

Shelby | 6:22 PM

so yeah

Seen 6:22 PM

Shelby | 6:23 PM

may i have a picture from each of you?

Seen 6:23 PM

Gem | 6:23 PM

Aw Shelby

Seen 6:23 PM

Gem | 6:23 PM

Of course!

Seen 6:23 PM

Lizzie | 6:23 PM

Oh I look a bit off in my recent ID picture

Seen 6:23 PM

Shelby | 6:23 PM

that’s fine!

Seen 6:23 PM

Pearl | 6:24 PM

I’m willing to give one if you trade me one in return Shelby

Seen 6:24 PM

Katherine | 6:24 PM

Hold on

Seen 6:24 PM

Katherine | 6:24 PM

Is this gonna be a thing now too ??

Seen 6:24 PM

Pearl | 6:25 PM

what

Seen 6:25 PM

Katherine | 6:25 PM

What if we exchange id pics every year?

Seen 6:25 PM

Lizzie | 6:26 PM

That sounds nice

Seen 6:26 PM

~

[present day...]

“You have arrived in Urban District 1.”

[2 notifications]

Jimmy | 1 new message

Gem | 3 new messages

Jimmy | 7:30 AM

you guys there yet?

Seen 7:35 AM

Lizzie | 7:35 AM

We are!

Not seen

Lizzie | 7:35 AM

Just got out of the station

Not seen

Gem | 7:26 AM

Lizzieeeee

Seen 7:36 AM

Gem | 7:26 AM

[picture attached]

Seen 7:36 AM

Gem | 7:26 AM

We’re here now

Seen 7:36 AM

Gem | 7:36 AM

Oh nevermind look up

Seen 7:36 AM

Lizzie and Pearl might as well be knocked off their feet at the sudden “hug attack,” their childhood friends wrapping their arms around them. Of course, the pair quickly return the hug as laughter and excited chatter fill the air.

---

“What’s that on the back of your phone case, Liz?”

Lizzie looks up from her collage to Jimmy, standing with a mug of steaming hot something, (Lizzie smells coffee, maybe from a certain rancher). Joel and Grian trail behind, Grian interrupting her phone peacefully on the dining room table by picking it up and observing the back.

“You look like you had fun lately,” Grian pokes fun at her, light hearted. “Last time I saw your case, it was four squares like 4 Pics, 1 Word.”

“That from your latest hangout?” Jimmy asks, and Lizzie nods with a smile.

“Mhmm. Katherine bought a polaroid camera recently, and she had us pose five different times for each of us.”

“That sounds nice,” Grian comments. “How long have you known them again?”

“Longer than she knew me,” Joel half jokes.

“He’s not wrong,” Lizzie laughs, “but with how we are ‘til now…”

She grins, looking back at her collage – it’s a compilation of pictures with her, Pearl, Gem, Katherine, and Shelby. Some pictures feature them in preschool, in matching uniforms and missing teeth. More pictures have them wearing different clothes and looking older, pictures taken by her parents during the playdates they had when they had time in elementary. Eventually going to different schools made it harder to find common gaps in their schedules, but it makes them treasure their times together more. Most are taken when Lizzie got the go signal to dye her hair pink, when Shelby was allowed to go outside more because she graduated, when Katherine got more piercings, when their group was allowed to meet-up without any parental supervision because they’re ending their teenage years and stepping into adulthood.

And there’s one picture, the latest one, taken in a self-service photo booth they paid with their own savings. The single sheet had eight different poses, each a testament to how much they’ve grown over the years since they first met each other.

“... I’d say I’ve known them forever.”

After some minutes when the glue is dry, Lizzie retrieves the collage she made, admiring it a bit before putting it in a photo album in her drawer. She fishes out her phone, typing a quick message before falling asleep.

d&d gals 👑🎀

Lizzie | 10:57 PM

Say guys

Not seen

Lizzie | 10:57 PM

Mind holding the next meet-up in a shorter amount of time than this one?

Not seen

A/N: i miss empires smp, so i took this as an opportunity to add the empires crew as the first group of friends lizzie, pearl, joel, and jimmy have. gem's character would also be explored on more in the main story, while the rest may just be supporting characters.

if it wasn't obvious, lizzie & jimmy and pearl & grian are siblings, and fwhip & gem are twins (yes empires references -).

[stevesaxetogrind]

Truly those calling it “bad writing” that Robin and Vickie share similarities doesn’t make sense. She’s not been given enough time to be more than just a love interest, but we do have some info about her:

1. Molly Ringwald inspo, giving us shorthand about being kind of a quirky gal. Hat! Visually, she’s similar to Robin, but that’s not a bad thing because literally similar interests draw people together. She is also skirts vs Robin’s trousers. Femme/Soft Butch! You’re telling me Vickie would wear a tie? Lies.

2. Likes goofy jokes, namely Steve’s joke about Muppet Tammy. Which, Robin doesn’t laugh at Steve’s jokes that much- she dismisses them, but it means Vickie has a bit of a jocular sense of humour.

3. Vickie also likes Steve’s brand of movies, not Robin’s- which is pretty fucking funny. Again, this is not making Vickie similar to Robin, but to things shared with Robin’s Platonic Soulmate. Like, bro movies? Stupid lil jokes? I predict Steve and Vickie having a dad joke competition next season & torturing Robin with how corny they are. People like to talk about the similarities to Robin, but not the similarities to Steve! That’s kind of clever drawing Vickie closer to one of Robin’s favourite people, at least superficially.

4. Talks a lot when one on one, but Vickie wasn’t nervous/flustered in the band scene, so we can infer in more crowded spaces she acts differently/subdued - as like she was in the War Zone. This is unlike Robin who does actually ramble in group scenes, like freaking out over the thing in El’s leg, the rabies bit, or generally a lot of Season 4 where she looses her “cool girl” archetype from Season 3 in favour of chaos. Vickie seems more like she would quietly panic, as opposed to Eddie, Argyle, and Steve who all loudly go WHAT THE FUCK. Which is going to be interesting to see as the whole town is now thrown into an open gate downtown Hawkins probably releasing demogorgons every other hour like it’s Pacific Rim up in this bitch.

5. Meaningful look with Robin in the War Zone- not “oh hi band friend!” A scared/caught/dismayed look that she was there. So there is a connection, and she broke up with her boyfriend after that connection. Anything more is speculation, but the way she wasn’t looking at Robin when she gave the “he doesn’t like Fast Times” reason lets the audience draw points and maybe she felt trapped? Like it was just an excuse to pursue a different interest? Obviously because music is playing indicating a romantic relationship. We don’t have much to compare Robin with on this one, but around Keith she still had more confidence and bullshittery trying to convince him to hire Steve when Keith assumed they were a thing.

6. Vickie also doesn’t seem jealous. Robin is jealous. She was livid at Steve for being the object of Tammy’s affections, but Vickie hasn’t seemed to even look twice at Steve- even as Robin looked over at him while she and Vickie had her last scene.

For such a short amount of time in the season, I think that we have a good foundation for similarities and differences to Robin. Also, once again, it’s not a crime to avoid “opposites attract” tropes. Having similarities is good! Like, the amount of couples I know that are essentially the same archetype of queer person is not even close to zero. Especially when it comes to older queer couples who got together in the 80s/90s, they kind of morph into being one granola bar of a human being. Kind of similar with straight people when they genuinely like one another.

I hope they flesh Vickie out, but like, we’ve gotten a similar amount of screen time for Mr Clarke but no one is mad he is “one dimensional” when he is just, some exposition science guy. He’s a stock and standard teacher, has a girlfriend, and kind of goes along with explaining shit without questioning why a lot. But folks love Mr Clarke. Is it because Mr Clarke isn’t getting in the way of your ship?

I never thought I would see the day there were some true blue f/f ship wars, but bruh, Robin’s love life isn’t an A Plot so give the writers some slack. They’re human, not the devil. None of you were gleeks and it shows so fucking much. None of you lived through “angry lesbians on the internet don’t want me dating you”.

Personally I’m looking forward to Robin and Vickie getting together and maybe hopefully kicking monster butt together- or at least, Robin getting a nice little badass moment defending her gal.

[riceballmari]

ranking my favorite marinette pairings

okay, so, i am a HUGE multishipper. like, i greatly enjoy shipping characters with different people. since marinette has chemistry with pretty much most of the cast in some way, shape, or form, i figured i'd rank my personal favorite ships with her that i'm fond of.

5. feinette

coming at #5 we have fei and marinette! i think this is a very unique rarepair and their relationship and dynamic in the shanghai special is adorable! the only reason they're so low is because i just prefer the others with marinette. i think we really need more of them together, as they were the highlight of the entire special for me. overall, very cute, just not my favorite!

4. marigami

if you asked me to make this ranking a year or two ago, i probably would've put these two lovely gal pals higher up. but my opinion of them has changed drastically since last time so.

i think their relationship is so amazing. the "sunshine x grumpy" dynamic is always something i enjoy (hence why i love tohrin for the same reason). aside from surface level stuff, marinette really shows just how much she cares for kagami. she's her first friend, so naturally, marinette wouldn't want kagami to be left lonely with no one. and knowing marinette, she'd do everything in her power to make kagami feel comfortable and happy when they're together (see mr. pigeon 72).

at first, kagami needed time to warm up to marinette, but she really made a strong impact on her life (gee, i wonder who that reminds me of). i especially like how marinette wanted to get adrigami back together, when that probably wouldn't have even crossed s3 marinette's mind. her willingness to be there for kagami is why i love these girls so much. and kagami actually appreciating marinette's friendship is so wholesome. don't ask me about s5 i like to pretend that season doesn't exist, especially with regard to kagami and how her character was handled.

3. zoenette

first off, i just want to say, I LOVE THEM SO MUCH?? zoe's crush on marinette is so so cute and i REALLY like how they handled it in adoration. zoe's confession was so heartwarming and marinette's reaction and reassurance was wonderful.

zoe, who had practically NO ONE when she moved to paris, is automatically befriended by marinette, who didn't even know who she was and was so welcoming to her. marinette cares so much about zoe and worries for her because she doesn't want her to be a doormat to chloe and wants her to stand up for herself.

eventually, once zoe does, marinette is so proud of her and it really reminds me of the time when tohru congratulated yuki for standing up to akito, but i digress. she can see just how far zoe has come since she first arrived and her growth is everything. their relationship is built on support and trust and that's what makes their dynamic so compelling and sweet.

2. alyanette

MY BABIES. i am a sucker for the “best friends to lovers” trope and this is basically that, just without the ‘lovers’ part. they support each other so much. their level of trust is put to the test in s4 when maribug tells alya her identity. alya, in return, helps marinette out even more than she already has. marinette needed to tell someone of the burden and heavy weight that's been put on her shoulders, and i think alya is the perfect candidate.

contrary to popular belief, alya is an AMAZING friend. she's the one who gets marinette out of sticky situations and doesn't get upset easily if she slips up (see the mime). despite not knowing what marinette is up to at times, alya still puts her full trust in her because she knows that, at the end of the day, marinette will make the right decisions.

i could ramble on and on about these two, but you get my point. also, i can't be the only one who could just FEEL the tension in the air rising during their oh so very intimate scene towards the end of the reverse special. no, just me?

1. adrienette

to no one's surprise, adrienette comes crashing down in first place. i love these two SO MUCH. they care about and love one another in different ways. marinette shows her love through gift-giving and grand gestures. adrien shows his love through words of affirmation and by spending time with someone. they would go above and beyond for the other. adrien confronted AND blackmailed lila about marinette's expulsion and her treatment of her in order for marinette to come back to school. (honestly kinda reminds me of haru when he went and confronted akito about what she did to rin). marinette went to adrien's house numerous times to save him from a possible dangerous situation, i.e. oni-chan, gabriel agreste.

in oni-chan, lila sneakily made her way inside the agreste mansion and lied to nathalie about adrien needing to get some extra homework done to bring his grade up. obviously, she has an ulterior motive: to get close to adrien. marinette, hoping to prevent this, follows them. unfortunately, with no luck, she wasn't able to get inside. this does, however, showcase the lengths she's willing to go to for his safety.

another instance of this is in gabriel agreste, after chloe maliciously recorded a video of marinette and her friends talking about gabriel being a bad parent. knowing what this would do to adrien, chloe was planning on showing the video to his father to get him out of school, DESPITE the fact that chloe would never see him again (it's very telling that chloe does not care about adrien or what he wants in the slightest, and would rather fulfill her satisfaction of revenge for shits and giggles).

in contrast, marinette, despite sneaking into the mansion uninvited, comes up a plan with her friends to ensure chloe does not show the video. note that her goal was not to hurt adrien but to save him from chloe's clutches. this was not out of jealousy in the slightest. the video ends up not getting shown, much to chloe's determination, and adrien is safe, which was marinette's goal from the start.

i could list so many different instances where marinette and adrien show their tenderness for each other but we'd be here for hours. their relationship means everything to me. and as much as i love the other dynamics, adrienette work the best in canon, (again, not going to mention s5) and, unsurprisingly, complement each other really well.

[honeyxmonkey]

Sorry, here are the numbers/questions for the question I asked last night.

1. Are they happy with their body?

2. Do they have any secret piercings or tattoos?

3. Do they collect anything?

4. What is their favorite music genre?

5. What music genre, if any, do they hate the most?

6. What is their phone background/lock screen?

7. What is their shoe size?

8. Do they have a favorite fabric or texture?

9. Do they have a favorite professional sport?

10. How do they decorate their living space?

11. Are they messy, or do they clean up?

12. What’s their preferred sleeping position?

13. Did they have a favorite comfort item as a child?

14. Do they have a favorite period in history?

16. What food do they hate eating?

17. Do they have any allergies?

18. What was their worst injury?

19. What movie is most likely to make them cry?

20. What movie or book could they watch/read a hundred times and never get tired of?

21. Can they dance? Do they like to?

22. What was their favorite birthday gift?

23. Which birthday do they look back on the most fondly?

24. What kind of cake or birthday treat would they prefer?

25. What is their favorite animal?

27. What smell do they hate the most?

28. What sound do they hate the most?

29. What video game would appeal to them the best?

30. How would they relax on a day off/rainy day?

31. Are they combative? What is their fighting style?

32. Would they be the one to start an argument?

33. What is their personal style? Favorite outfit?

34. Do they have a dream job?

35. What do they do if they can’t fall asleep?

37. Do they prefer to be really cold or really warm?

38. What recurring dream do they keep having?

42. If they have siblings, do they like any of them? Would they rather be an only child?

43. What do they think is their worst quality? What is their actual worst quality?

44. Do they lie often? Are they good at it?

45. Are they good at keeping secrets?

46. How do others see them? How accurate is it to how they really are?

47. What kind of first impression do they usually make?

48. What are they most afraid of? 49. Would they ever kill anybody?

OH WOW

Hello, my friend, you have BOMBARDED me with these asks, I love it :]

For Sarah and Harley:

Yes, I'd say so. They're pretty young, so they haven't gone through that oh-so traumatic "everything about me is weird and awkward" phase of youth yet. Though, Harley has some self-consciousness of a few of the scars he gets on the SW quest

As of now? No, but Harley gets into punk rock and Sarah is super ride or die for basically any bad idea he has, so when they're 17 they get tattoos without telling anyone. Both their parents are livid about it

Sarah collects cool rocks and Harley collects dinosaurs :]

As said previously, Harley gets into punk rock, and Sarah has One music aesthetic and its the Crane Wives

Oh god, ummmmmm, neither of them particularly hate any music genre. Except for a few country songs that they only make fun of to annoy Steve, who does like Country, for some reason he won't ever explain

Sarah's phone background is a really blurry picture of her dog playing tug-of-war with one of Harley's raptors, and his is also a really blurry picture of the same thing but taken from a different angle

I've never thought about it, I don't really know tbh

Bubble. Wrap.

It's not professional by any means, at least, not in the mortal world--but they both get really competitive about Pyrobligst

Harley puts up tacky and overly colorful posters that don't even make sense because of how little color he grew up with. Sarah is a string lights kinda gal

They're 13 yr olds, of course they're messy

Harley: amidst a pile of raptors. Sarah: hogging all the blankets, she's the worst at sleepovers

They're both still children to me, so I'd say probably little trinkets their parents gave them when they're away from home for demigod business

Sarah is all about the Renaissance, though no one can figure out why. Harley is partial to the 1700s, mostly because a certain immortal pirate captain works for his father and likes to tell him stories of his time on the high seas

Harley can't cook and should never be trusted near a stove. Sarah is only a little bit better, but they're both chaotic and think they can bend the laws of physics to make cooking time go faster. Jim doesn't let them in the kitchen anymore

They both hate seafood. They don't like the texture, they don't like the taste. No I'm not projecting

No allergies per se, though they both get hit with seasonal stuff every spring and it kills their sinuses

Ooohhhhh, uh I will disincline to answer this because Spoilers

Any Pixar movie.

Harley will never, ever get tired of Alice in Wonderland. He relates to her way too much. Sarah doesn't read often because her dyslexia is worse than average for a demigod, but her favorite movie of all time is A Bug's Life

They both love to dance. Sarah is good at it, Harley's skill is better left unsaid, lol

Sarah's was definitely when Carter gifted her one of his knives. Very appropriate for a prepubescent girl, I know. Harley's was when Jim conscripted Leo and Nico's help to make him the infamous Raptor Resonating Chamber whistle he uses to properly communicate with his raptors

Sarah can't actually pick one because her life was pretty normal up until she met Carter. And Harley's will be the one on the island. For as sad as the situation is, they all do their best to make it fun

Chocolate all day every day

Sarah's is any pigeon ever. She found out about their past as domesticated animals and had Big Feelings about it. Harley's is the bat-eared fox. He aspires to pet one someday.

I will cut it there, and then reblog this post later, cause I don't want it to get too long all at once! Thanks for the asks!

[wardenparker]

The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Dating Your Ex - ch 6

Marcus Pike x female reader Co-written with @absurdthirst

When Marcus unexpectedly runs into his ex-wife he is plunged into a world of complications where rekindled attraction and deep-seated insecurities reign. Unfortunately for him, it is also a world where his ex-wife is not the only ‘ex’ around, as a new case crosses his desk that will require all hands on deck. ✨💖Inspired by and based upon absurdthirst’s Tequila. 💖✨

Rating: Mature, but as always this blog is 18+ Word Count: 15.6k Warnings: **Blanket warnings for this series include: divorce, break ups, collegiate Greek life, underage drinking, food/alcohol consumption.** Gal pal gossip, tough conversations, a little bit of dirty flirting, and more of Patrick Jane being Patrick Jane. Marcus’s romance barometer is dialed up *high* and we love to see it. Summary: Brunch with the girls, Marcus and Teresa have a heart-to-heart of sorts, and Jane still somehow manages to make himself a nuisance. But it’s your second first date with Marcus, so you’re determined to make it a good one. Notes: I am not gonna lie to y’all...a lot of working on this chapter was just swooning over the restaurant’s menu. I need to get my ass to L’Ardente in DC stat!

Ch 1 ~ Ch 2 ~ Ch 3 ~ Ch 4 ~ Ch 5

“There she is!” Is the cry from your friends when they finally spot you across the rooftop of the restaurant where you have done Sunday brunch trivia every week for the last year. There are already mimosas and you can see a plate of cinnamon rolls out on the table which makes you grin.

“Sorry I’m a couple of minutes late.” You’re barely sorry, considering the reason you’re late is Marcus wanted to go for a second round in the shower this morning, but you’ll at least feign an apology.

“Mmmmmhhhmmmm.” There is definitely a devilish grin to your oldest friends’ faces as they pointedly examine you up and down. “That is the look of a woman who isn’t sorry one bit because she was too busy getting dick.” Angela cackles.

“Spill!” Jacqui insists, looking at you with bright eyes. Her own marriage is settled, and very happy, but the giggly giddiness of a new infatuation is so much fun to experience with a friend. “Did you finally hook up with that hot curator from Air and Space?”

“Um…” Sitting down between Silvia and Angela, you glance at your young coworker, only to be relieved when she offers you an encouraging if awkward smile. “Actually?” You have to brace yourself. Angie is going to lose her mind when she finds out. “It’s somebody I used to know. And…didn’t think I would ever see again…”

“Do not tell me that you’ve picked up that clown you told us about in France!” Angela had been upset when you left Marcus but she was your friend and supported you through that time with phone calls, international at times. She hadn’t approved of Henri. “What would he be doing here?”

“I—it’s not Henri.” You shake your head and immediately pick up your menu as though you don’t have the bar’s offerings memorized. As though you aren’t craving their amazing eggs cochon. “It’s…well…my ex.” Silvia only knows who your ex-husband is now because of what’s happened, but you don’t think you have ever actually said his name to Jacqui. Until now, it still hurt too much.

“Marcus!” Angie gasps, aware that you have never called any other man your ex. “You were in bed with your ex-husband?” Her grey eyes blow wide in shock, matching the way her jaw hits the table.

“Surprise?” Your laugh is awkward, embarrassed even though no one here knows about what happened with Silvia but you and her. “He lives in DC now…”

“How in the hell did you run into your ex-husband in D.C.?” Angela demands, her face lighting up in overwhelming happiness. She knew that Marcus was the one for you, even if you had been too stubborn to see it.

“Wait— ex-husband?” Jacqui wrinkles her nose in confusion. “This is a good thing?”

“He stopped by the office the other night. Some kind of case.” Silvia blurts out, seeing the restraint in your happiness written all over your face. She doesn’t want to make more drama by telling everybody that she was the reason you saw him again, but she wants you to be happy if that’s how you actually feel. “Does this mean…are you guys back together?”

“I don’t know,” you admit, reaching over and squeezing Silvia’s hand. “I think so? I hope so.” It’s obvious from the way that you light up at the thought that it’s what you truly want, and your young friend smiles encouragingly before you look back at Jacqui. “It was college. We were just kids and I…I got scared. He’s in the FBI now. Director of his department and everything.”

“So…nothing bad happened?” She asks, still cautious because obviously you don’t divorce someone over nothing.

“Oh no, Marcus worshipped the ground she walked on.” Angela huffs, shaking her head fondly. “Sappy. And it was the relationship to aspire to. I broke up with three different guys because they didn’t treat me half as well.”

“It was my fault,” you tell Jacqui honestly. “Marcus didn’t do anything wrong, I just…we were so young and when he started talking about houses and kids and school districts and 401ks, I just panicked. So like I said…it’s Marc that’s giving me the second chance.” You knew Angie would be excited. She had always thought Marcus was amazing and was legitimately mad at you for a long time after you asked for the divorce. You’re not above beyond admitting she was right. “We’re just…taking things slow right now.”

“Oh my god, sleeping together is slow?” Angela snorts and shakes her head before looking at Jacqui and Silvia. “Although that tracks for them. They slept together the first night they met and were inseparable for the longest time.” She reaches over and takes your hand. “Are you still getting noise complaints? Tell me he didn’t peak in college sexually.”

Your cheeks are burning as you studiously avoid looking at Silvia, but you couldn’t hold your grin in even if you tried. “Definitely did not peak in college.” That’s for goddamn sure. He’s got new tricks and everything. “And uh…I don’t know what the people in my building will think, but he has a nice house and everything so…maybe I should make his neighbors cheesecakes or something as an apology in advance.”

“Damn.” A low whistle comes out of your oldest friend, along with a sly grin. “In college, they were encouraged to not have sleepovers at the frat and sorority houses.” She explains. “Everyone would hear.”

“Everyone was very encouraging when we decided to move off campus.” There’s been so much reminiscing lately, and aside from the guilt it makes you practically giddy to be able to think of the happy times again. You’ll make it up to him. You know you will. You have to.

“You have to tell us how you ended up in bed together again.” She demands, eager for details.

“It wasn’t super dramatic or anything.” You demure as best you can, pausing when you feel your phone go off in your pocket. Expecting a text from Marcus, you instead see Silvia’s name splashed across your screen.

Silvia: It’s okay to be excited <3 We’re okay.

The unexpected sentiment really just shows how mature she is, and you’ll have to make sure that you and she have some time to talk it out on your own, without other friends or coworkers around, but right now you just send back a barrage of hearts as a return message and feel the internal sigh of relief as warmth and giddiness floods your chest. The smile spreading across your face is instant. “We actually…after the thing at the office…we ran into each other on Friday night. I guess neither of us wanted to spend our night at home alone so we both had the idea to go out…and ended up at the same bar.” It feels like a fairy tale, allowing yourself to get excited has you nearly vibrate in your chair. “We had dinner together. And then…I invited him back to my place. I honestly had no clue he’d end up staying over.”

“This is…I still can’t believe that Marcus is here. And you two are rekindling your romance.” Angela sighs wistfully. “It gives me hope that soulmates exist.” She grins at you. “Really hot soulmates that make your legs shake, right?” Her grin grows just a smidgeon. “Like mine.”

"You can't believe it? Imagine how shocked I was." Interrupted momentarily by your table's waiter, you add your order to everyone else's and sit back in your chair after the young man walks away. "It's...surreal. But...kind of wonderful."

The girls all murmur their own agreements, Angela nodding. “I imagine so. Have you two talked?” She asks seriously, sliding her own mimosa over towards you to have some since another round is on its way.

“About what happened?” You nod, grateful to have even a watered-down mimosa when the guilt hits. Someday, you hope, you’ll stop feeling these waves of horrible regret. But that day is not today. “Yeah. We’re talking through things. And we’re, um…we’re going on our first actual date tonight. Dressed up, out on the town, the whole nine yards. I don’t know where yet, but you know Marc. It will be memorable.”

She’s nodding, glancing over at the other two women. “He’s a great guy.” She promises them before she looks back at you. “Honey, I know you. I know you feel guilty, but he’s a big boy.” She reaches over and covers your hand with hers. “If he wants to give you another chance, don’t second guess it. Dive in and enjoy.”

“I’m trying.” She’s your oldest friend - having stuck around through the bullshit and long distance and telling you to your face when she thought you were making a mistake - and you know if Angela thought that pursuing this was a bad idea she would say so. But she’s encouraging and excited for you, so you nod your head and finish the rest of the mimosa she handed you, and try to smile. “I’m not gonna fuck this up twice. I love him too much for that.”

“You always have.” She reminds you, smirking slightly. “Henri had nothing on Marcus and neither did any of those other idiots.” She scoffs. “It’s been obvious that he’s never forgotten you. Just look at the song.”

“Okay.” You huff and puff, looking at her in wonder. “Did everybody know about the song but me?” Jacqui and Silvia both look on in confusion, exchanging bewildered glances before Jacqui also looks to Angela for an answer. “What song?”

Angela snorts, “Of course. Danny - you know, Dan Stevens, he’s the one who arranged to have the song looked at.” She explains to you before she looks over at Jacqui and Silvia. “Do you know that country duo, Dan + Shay?” She asks, making Jacqui frown slightly but Silvia nods. “I do.” She tells Angela. “Well, the song ‘Tequila’ is about our girl right here.” She states proudly.

“I’m sorry, what?” Jacqui’s jaw drops, her face drawn in surprise and awe as her attention swings back to you. “It is not?!”

“Wait that’s the song?” You’ve heard it before - it’s on the regular rotation at the coffee shop you frequent, of all places. One of the baristas always seemed to be playing country. It had always twisted your gut with memories before, but now? Now you’re on the verge of tears. “Marcus said he wrote a song but…he didn’t tell me it was that song.”

“Yeah….” Angela bites her lip, giving you a soft smile. “Danny saw it and knew it could be a hit. It summed up his relationship with you perfectly.”

“So Marcus is the reason we never get a pitcher of margaritas when we go out?” Jacqui smirks at you. They’re her favourite drink, so she always just orders for herself even though the other two women love them also. “I’m gonna have to have a little chat with this man.”

You can’t help but laugh, pulling out your phone in your lap again to send off a text after you shake your head at your friend. “I think we can do that now, from time to time. The memories suddenly don’t hurt so much.”

To Marc: You didn’t mention that you sold your song to Danny. Turns out I’ve been listening to it every week for ages. Miss you ❤

******

Marcus is far less relaxed, sitting at his desk, writing down notes and impressions on the case so that he doesn’t miss anything. When his phone buzzes, he picks it up, smiling when he sees that it’s from you.

To ❤ : Miss you too. You didn’t ask. 😇  Enjoy your girl’s day.

From ❤: Angela knew. Because of course she did. Can’t wait for tonight!

The reply text comes through almost right away, telling him that even while you’re with your friends, he’s at the front of your mind. Marcus smiles as he looks down at his phone, opening the emails to reconfirm the reservation he set. He wants to make sure that you enjoy the ‘first date’ with him.

A gentle knock on his office door startled him it off his thoughts, and when he looks up, Teresa is standing in his open doorway awkwardly. “Morning.” She murmurs, holding up the tray of coffees and bag of bakery treats she brought as a peace offering. “Wasn’t sure if you had breakfast yet or not.”

“Come in.” Marcus almost stands up, but he doesn’t. Overthinks it for a moment and wonders if he would stand if she wasn’t his ex-fiancée. And he wouldn’t, so he doesn’t. He does motion her forward and gives a polite smile that would be HR approved. “You didn’t have to do that.”

"Yesterday was tense." She observes, setting the drinks down on his desk and handing him the coffee, keeping the cup of tea for herself. "Consider it a peace offering."

“Tense might be a mild term for it.” Marcus accepts the coffee, opening the lid and noticing that it was exactly how he always took his coffee. She had apparently remembered. “It would have been less so if your husband hadn’t been so...himself.”

“He forgets that not everyone finds him hilarious or ingenious.” Teresa sits carefully on the other side of the desk, smoothing her tunic blouse over her bump as she does. The baby isn’t too active today, thankfully, which means the morning has gone fairly smoothly. “Patrick is…he’s just Patrick. And while I love him, I know he’s not everyone’s cup of tea.” As if to prove the point, she takes the lid off her own cup and swirls the milky liquid around with a stirring stick.

“You could have been honest.” Marcus tells her after a moment. “I would have understood more than most would have.” He would have, that’s the irony. The you-sized hole in his heart had never healed, nor could it have been filled with anyone else.

“I didn’t really know.” Teresa admits, casting a look down at her own belly before looking back up at Marcus. What she put him through…he should despise her. Refuse to help on principle. But Marcus is a better man than that and she knows it. “I knew that I had hesitations, but I didn’t really know what or why until Patrick got on that damn plane.” She tilts her head, almost shaking it at herself and closing her eyes for just a half second. “I’m sorry. For what happened between us. Not that we had something, but…for how I handled it.”

It takes a lot to apologize and now he’s gotten two apologies in the same week from the two most important relationships he’s had. If he were a lesser man, he would see it as him being morally superior in some sense. Being a ‘good guy’ in the way that all men who are not good men claim to be. Teresa doesn’t have to apologize. She’s moved on in every way possible and he’s already helping with her case, so this isn’t some kind of exercising some pent-up guilt. Instead of basking in the apology, Marcus takes a sip of his coffee and nods. “I appreciate that.” His smile is softer this time. “Really. Thank you. Apology accepted. And I apologize for rushing you into things.”

"Apology accepted. Water under the bridge." The smile on her face is genuine as she takes an almond croissant out of the bakery bag that she brought and nudges it toward Marcus. "So...I have to ask. Your ex-wife? Really?" He hadn't talked about the first Mrs. Pike often while they were together, but she had always gotten a sense that she had hurt him. Badly.

“My ex-wife.” There is not the pang of sadness and hurt that had been there before. “It— there’s never been anything like being with her.”

"So you're happy?" He deserves that, after all. To be happy. Someone with as big a heart as Marcus Pike, she wouldn't wish anything else. "I don't mean to pry, I just – if you're happy, then I'm happy for you."

“Honestly?” Marcus bites his lip and looks down into his coffee, thinking about how he had pushed you up against the wall of his shower and made you cry out this morning. “I don’t remember the last time I’ve been this happy.” It’s his turn to give her an apologetic smile. “I think, deep down, it’s always been her.” He knows it’s always been you, but it’s still his ex he’s talking to.

"Then I'm happy for you." There's no point in feeling slightly hurt over not being the one that got away from Marcus when she was the one who made the choice to leave him, so Teresa sits forward with her breakfast and looks over the file on his desk. Learning to read upside down was a fun little trick that Jane taught her. "Notice anything new or interesting this morning?"

The moment seems to be over so Marcus spins the file around so she doesn’t have to strain herself. “Take a look and tell me what you think.” He has always respected Teresa professionally and now is no different.

"That is a lot of different places called Johnson's Ranch." The sheer number of possibilities makes Teresa cringe as she looks up and down the list. "I'll get a list of prior residences for the family and see what we can cross reference. Maybe we can at least narrow it down to a region and then use the pictures to pinpoint location."

“Perhaps it’s a family vacation spot?” Marcus kicks around, leaning back in his chair. “It would make sense that it would be somewhere tied to the family.”

"Could be." Teresa nods slowly, rolling the idea over in her mind. "I'll start with deeds and homesteads and move through rental properties and businesses second. Something of this place has to have survived."

“Could even be a place that was rebranded.” Marcus groans, shaking his head. “This is going to be a miracle to solve before you give birth.”

"Oh god," she laughs at that, huffing at the idea of still being on this case in that many months. "I'll text Patrick and ask him to bring us a map of the US and maybe...three or four different colours of pushpins? We can start mapping out possibilities and colour-coding the locations. It's going to take a while to get through." When she glances up at him, Marcus's brow is furrowed, focused on the list in the folder in front of him. "Tomorrow we'll use physical markers from the pictures to help narrow it down further, and hopefully your— Dr. Pike— will be able to help us figure out some more clues we might have missed."

“She’s good at what she does.” Marcus might have done a little professional snooping at your accolades. “If anyone would be able to help, it would be her.”

"We knew you'd have the right person to bring onto the case." Even Patrick Jane, who wanted to scrub most vestiges of Marcus Pike out of his wife's past, had admitted that he was the man that could help most effectively. "We just...had no idea it would be her."

“The irony.” Marcus can’t help but give a small chuckle. “If we hadn’t divorced, she might not have been where she is now to help. Our lives might have been very different.”

"You might not have been in the FBI at all." She points out, reaching for her tea again. It's particularly soothing today. "Law enforcement wasn't your original idea, if I'm remembering correctly."

“It hadn’t been, but it’s a good thing we are where we are.” Marcus can’t regret everything. He’s done a lot of good, and put some bad people away.

"They say everything happens for a reason." Though she isn't usually the kind of person to use aphorisms for comfort, this particular one is what she's really got to go with at the moment. Because if she hadn't said yes to Marcus, then Patrick might never had gotten the kick in the pants that he needed to tell her how he felt. Which, in turn, left Marcus single again to reunite with his ex-wife. It's all just...complicated. "Let's see what we can get done today. I know you don't want to be sitting here for twelve hours, and we need our expert to get through the detail work. So let's just prep and do some digging through land deeds and family assets today. When Patrick gets here with the map we can start charting things out, and we can all call it a night for dinner."

Nodding, Marcus agrees. “Not exactly the way I wanted to spend a Sunday, but I’m sure you feel the same way.” He snorts. “If you get tired because of the little one, just lay down on the couch behind you.”

"Thanks." He knows she isn't one for complaints or excuses, and that if she lies down it will just be with the file in her lap instead of on the desk in front of her. She doesn't however, miss the way Marcus glances over at his phone and smiles - the lines around his eyes crinkling ever so slightly. "You guys have plans tonight?"

“Dinner.” He nods and looks at his phone again. “She’s at brunch with her friends, but we are having a date tonight.” It’s still slightly surreal, but he can’t wait to see you again.

“Well.” Her own phone goes off - a simple text from husband acknowledging what she’s asked for, and then followed immediately by a picture of a bag of apples. Her current pregnancy craving. It lights her up unapologetically. “We’ll make sure you get to it,” she promises.

“Thanks.” Marcus nods, feeling like the air has been cleared between the two of them and he doesn’t feel like he needs to add anything else. He turns towards the notes and starts pouring over them again. Eager to get done for today and get ready for his date with you.

******

With no instructions except being told to dress up and expect him at six-thirty, you've been excitedly pacing around your apartment for the last ten minutes as you count down to his arrival. The texts back and forth with your sister have been animated, to say the very least, and with Angie's encouragements this morning and Leah's this evening, you're feeling about as dreamy as you have in a long time. A second first date with Marcus. The thing you've been dreaming of for years.

While he rationally knows that it’s a little silly to be this excited about a ‘first date’, he’s grinning as he parks the car. He’s always wanted to do this, from the first time he had really thought about you seriously, which was about day two of knowing you. Marcus wanted to take you out to a dinner he never could have possibly afforded by then. Picking up the gorgeous bouquet of flowers, Marcus exits his car and walks up to your building to hit the button for your apartment. Wanting to do this right.

You grin when the buzzer goes off, knowing he easily could have texted or called, but this is Marcus. He's always been determined to be proper whenever possible. You hit the button on the panel in your hallway to let him up and double check your appearance in the mirror one last time. The heavy thumping your heart is doing is just as eager as the first time he came to pick you up - though your apartment and sorority house are worlds apart.

It was probably about a week after the first party that Marcus had taken you out on the first official date of your relationship. Like you hadn’t been sleeping together for a solid week. He had taken you to Sonic for a burger and a grape slushie. All he could afford at the time, but he had wanted to do more. Always wanted to do more, and now - he could. Once he makes it to your floor, he strides down the hallway with confidence, a spring to his step that has more to do with seeing you than anything else and knocks quickly.

There isn't an ounce of shame in how fast you open the door. You're not going to pretend like you weren't right in the hallway when you were, but it stops mattering the instant you open the door. All dressed up in a perfectly cut suit looking like a dream, Marcus is holding a bouquet of your favourite flowers - he remembered, you sigh inwardly - with a bright smile on his face. "Hey love." The sight of him takes your breath away, and you really can't tell if you gasp or not before getting your composure back. "Do you want to come in for a minute?"

“Sure.” Marcus steps inside and offers you the bouquet. “I know you have a vase or ten to put these in.” He remembers how you used to admire the beautiful vases when you were window shopping. His grandmother had given the two of you a beautiful crystal vase when you had gotten married, and he wonders what happened to it.

“It’s an addiction,” you admit, cheeks heating a little but not really embarrassed. The soft pink and white ranunculus flowers deserve the best vase you have, especially because they’re from him. From the side cupboard in your kitchen, you dig through the smaller and more everyday vases you’ve collected over the years to come out with one made of gorgeous cut crystal. “You might recognize this one…” There were a few tokens that had gone with you to your new life, unable to completely let go of the one you had built with Marcus. Your wedding gift from his grandmother was one of them.

“I had just thought about that vase.” Marcus admits, grinning as he watches you unwrap the band from the flowers and move over to the sink to put a few inches of water in the bottom of the vase. There’s no hurt feelings over it, he had told you to take whatever you wanted when you were packing up, and he’s happy to see that you kept it. “It’s perfect, I think.” He hums. “Very fitting.”

“I feel very coordinated.” The flowers embroidered on the handkerchief hem of your black dress dance in the overhead lights from the kitchen as you set the vase in the center of your table and turn back to him. “What do you think? Is this appropriate for the mystery date?”

“Very appropriate.” Marcus agrees, stepping back slightly and dragging his eyes from head to toe. If it weren’t for the fact that he wants this date, he would be pulling you back towards your bedroom in a heartbeat.

“Later.” You point a finger at him and grin, being well-acquainted with that look in his eyes. “I’m pretty sure you’ll like what’s under the dress, too.”

“Damnit.” Marcus huffs, although he doesn’t mean it for a second. “Sonic doesn’t have reservations.” He’s done this to himself but he also knows you will be very happy with tonight.

“Sonic, huh?” Your eyebrow ticks up at him as you pick up your purse and open the door again. “Are we having a repeat first date?” That would be awfully sentimental and fairly on brand for the two of you.

“While I still say that the grape slushie is the best flavor, no.” Marcus chuckles and steps outside so you can close up your apartment. “I made reservations for us at L’Ardente for 7 o’clock.”

“L’Ardente?” The impressed noise you make has him puffing up slightly. “Well aren’t we very fancy tonight.” This is him, though, too a tee. Even when you were scraping by on pennies, he was trying to think of ways to make everything the nicest possible version of whatever DIY you could afford.

“Followed by drinks and dancing at Sax.” Marcus adds as you slip your keys into your purse and he takes your hand. “If you’re up for that after we try the forty-layer lasagna.”

“Dinner, drinks, and dancing?” Leaning into his side a little when you get into the elevator, you lend him a dreamy grin. “Cary Grant has nothing on Marcus Pike.”

“The experience I wanted to give you so many years ago.” He had, to an extent. Dinner was fast food or whatever you could afford at the time. Drinks and dancing was shots of tequila and parties on campus, but this is more mature. The way he had always imagined taking you for an anniversary dinner ten years down the road, still having that spark between you. “Now I get to.”

“You know I loved every date you ever took me on.” The boy he was would be so proud of the man he’s become, and it makes your heart swell knowing that you had been any part of it - though you push away the ache of knowing you could have been there for everything.

“I loved them too, but I always imagined this in our future.” He admits, the doors opening and both of you step out into the small atrium of the apartment building and walk by the post boxes to the front door. He had parked on the street in the ten minute parking so he could bundle you into the car and hurry off. “When we were ‘old and boring.” He teases.

“It’s a privilege to get to be old and boring with you.” You promise him, waving to your doorman on your way out of the building.

Marcus laughs as he opens the door to let you get in the passenger seat. “You mean we aren’t now?” He asks, winking at you as he closes the door to round the hood to slide in beside you.

“Maybe a little.” When he slips into the driver’s seat beside you, you lend him a grin. “If we tried partying like that again in our thirties we’d break something.”

“Hangovers.” Marcus moans. “Who knew they would get so fucking bad?” He asks rhetorically.

“I swear it’s why I’m pickier about what I drink now.” Years ago, the cheapest liquor in the world didn’t bother you. Now your home bar is carefully stocked with pricey splurges that craft beautiful cocktails. “If I’m going to deal with a hangover, I want it to be worth it.”

“Exactly. It’s why I try not to get trashed anymore unless it’s a special occasion.” Marcus jokes.

“And we have the dreaded work tomorrow.” Not that either of you dread your jobs, but it makes you both smile and you slip your hand into his as he steers the car into the flow of traffic. “How was today, by the way?”

“It was…interesting.” Marcus tells you, shrugging slightly. “Apparently when it comes to apologies from exes, when it rains - it pours.” He chuckles quietly. “Teresa wanted to clear the air.”

“That’s good, isn’t it?” Not that he deserves apologies from multiple people, but that things are getting cleared up. Making things less awkward will be good for everyone. “I take it her husband was not a part of that conversation? He doesn’t seem like the apologizing type.”

“No, he didn’t come for the apology tour.” He doesn’t really care, it’s water under the bridge. “But I also had to apologize to her too.”

“What for?” The only account of their relationship that you’ve heard places the end result squarely in Teresa Jane’s lap, but things are never that black and white in real life.

“Because while I cared for her…” he reaches over and takes your hand to bring it up to his lips to kiss it softly. “I was running away from the fact that she wasn’t you. And that there was still something missing because she wasn’t you.”

“I love you, too.” There really isn’t any escape to it - not that you want one. Not at all.

That sugary warmth that settles over him every time you say those words descends again and he looks over at you and smiles. “Good to know.”

“So…” You squeeze his hand and thread your fingers together easily. “Do you happen to remember my friend Angela? She was my roommate freshman year - black hair, grey eyes, supermodel tall?”

“Angela….” Marcus frowns for a second. “Angie Carter?” He nods. “Yeah. I hear she still keeps in touch with a lot of our old friend group. Marcus talked to some of them, but he had made it clear that he didn’t want to talk about you. It had been too painful. They had all respected it for the most part, obviously why he didn’t know you were in D.C.

“Angie Carter-Kim, now. She got married about a year ago to one of the other lawyers at her firm. But yes, same Angie.” The streets zip by as he drives steadily through traffic, turning up the length of Massachusetts Avenue toward the restaurant. “She’s extremely excited to hear we’re…doing this. She was over the moon at brunch.”

“She’s in D.C.?” Marcus isn’t surprised, Angie was always very driven and interested in the political side of the law, but it’s good to know that you have old friends who knew him as well as both of you when you were together. “That’s good that I have one person’s approval.”

“She wants to have us over for dinner so you can meet Harry, so I told her I would ask.” Truth be told, doing things like suggesting double dates with friends and giggling over Marcus at brunch made you feel so comfortable today.

"We can do that." Marcus agrees, knowing that it would be nice to have another person that wasn't work related that he knows in D.C. Especially since you were still close to her. "Tell her that we will set something up." It might be after the case, considering he doesn't know what is going to happen, but it would be something to look forward to.

“You’ll like Harry. He absolutely thinks the world of Angie and treats her like a goddess.” Just as she had said this morning - she didn’t settle for anything less after seeing the way Marcus had treated you. Which really should have proved a point to you, but hindsight is 20/20.

"She deserves someone like that. From what I remember she always had a good head on her shoulders. Even with us being dumb kids." Marcus hates letting go of your hand, but it's necessary to turn. "It'll be nice to catch up with her and meet her husband."

The restaurant has a valet, of course, and you slip out of Marcus’s plush SUV onto the sidewalk to wait for him. It’s silly - childish even - to feel like the few moments it takes him to join you is longer than you want to be apart, but when he steps up beside you and puts a hand in the small of your back to guide you into the restaurant, you’re home again just from his touch.

“I was thinking Le Diplomat, but decided that you might have been there and wanted to see what this place was about.” He murmurs as you both walk into the swanky restaurant and over to the sleek host stand. “Reservation for Pike.”

“Ah, of course.” The host smiles warmly. “Right this way, Mr. Pike. Mrs. Pike.” The table you’re led to is secluded, and the restaurant’s mood lighting is fairly obvious but not in a bad way. It’s inviting and romantic, which are perfect for tonight.

“That might be something you haven’t heard in a while.” Marcus is the one who holds out your seat for you, always feeling like the little gestures matter. “Being called missus rather than doctor.”

“I don’t mind.” It’s the first time in years you haven’t corrected the person, actually, and you love the way it feels, even if it’s not technically correct. “If you don’t, I mean.”

“I don’t mind it.” He admits softly as he pushes you in and rounds the table so he can sit down across from you. The candlelight is between you and he smiles as the menus are handed to you.

The host says nothing but to let you know your waiter will be over in a moment before he retreats, but you swear you don’t hear a word. Your focus is entirely on Marcus. On being with him again. “Is it really sappy if I tell you I’m a little misty about this whole thing?” You have to laugh at yourself a little, or at least have a sense of humor about it.

“I’ve been looking forward to tonight all day.” Marcus confesses with a laugh of his own. “I left the office early because I couldn’t get any more work done.”

"Angie came back to my apartment with me to help me pick out an outfit." It's such a silly thing, but you had been so excited and so nervous that your friend had jumped at the chance to do something so nostalgic as help you get ready for a date. "I almost had to remove her bodily from my apartment. I think she wanted to hang out long enough to see you."

“It good that she doesn’t hate me.” There had been a few of your sorority sisters that had been convinced that the story you had told your friends wasn’t true. That he had to have done something. It wasn’t something he had told you about, but it had been good that he hadn’t been on the market for dating for a long time because the well had been poisoned.

"She absolutely doesn't." You can promise him that with absolute certainty. "I'm the one she was pissed at, and rightfully so. She never approved of what I did."

"She shouldn't have been mad at you." Marcus shakes his head and frowns slightly. "You— you were doing what you thought was right, I know that you never meant to hurt me or yourself."

"I was an idiot, and she told me as much." There's nothing to do about it now but shrug, and you reach across the table to squeeze Marcus's hand. "Either way, I'm glad to be us again. Even if it took a while to get here."

"Me too." Sending you a small wink, Marcus wants to shift the topic of dinner. He doesn't want this to be a dinner of regrets, this is your new beginning together and he wants this to be positive. "Now, let's figure out what we are going to share for dinner." He teases. "Because I know we are going to steal bites."

"I don't know, but I think I heard something about a forty-layer lasagna?" You waggle your eyebrows at him, knowing how much he loves lasagna in absolutely any form. "So I think the question is what am I going to get that you can steal a taste of?"

"I am honestly trying to decide if you are going to choose the Duck Hunt or the Venetian Rosotto." He hums as he looks over the menu. "Duck ravioli and foie gras or riced calamari and king crab?" He asks teasingly. "Or do you want the Vitello Parmigiana? Stir things up with veal?"

"Oh, come on now." The menu is expansive and expensive, and you shoot Marcus a smirk. "The duck ravioli is under small plates, you don't think I would ever pass up duck as an appetizer in any universe, do you?" You had never had it before the very first fancy restaurant that his parents took the two of you out to when he brought you home to them, and it had been your favourite fancy food ever since.

"Then we split the Duck Hunt for an appetizer and then you order what you want." He sends you a small wink. By 'share' he means he will take one bite and then let you have the rest of it. "And we order a bottle of Krug to wash it down with. I think champagne is appropriate tonight."

"Krug?" One eyebrow ticks up at him from where you had been looking at the menu and your smirk turns to a glowing, slightly dopey looking smile that lights your whole face up. "If you want to celebrate, who am I to disagree? Just as long as you let me spoil you the same way from time to time."

He rolls his eyes at you, knowing it will be a debate later on down the road but he's happy he's going to get his way for now. "Let me do this tonight, okay?" He asks softly, wanting it to be a night you remember forever.

"As long as it makes you happy, baby." You really would give him anything. As long as it's within your power, you would hand over your whole life to make him happy. A bottle of champagne and a fancy dinner are the least of it.

It will, it will be the fulfillment of a promise he made to himself a long time ago. Nodding, he winks at you again. “I’ll make sure that I thank you for this later.” He promises huskily.

With all the stops he's pulling out, you should be the one thanking him, but you keep your mouth shut when the waiter comes over to take your order. Marcus orders the bottle and the first course and the waiter is gone again in a polite flash.

“Now...if we can fit in dessert, what would you want?” He asks, smirking at the dessert menu.

You hum like there isn't an absolutely obvious choice, if you can even make it that far into the night. "If we make it through two courses of pasta without bursting, there is a thirteen-layer chocolate cake that I think I might build a shrine to if it turns out to be as good as it sounds."

“You always choose chocolate.” He muses, smiling fondly at the memories of you thanking him profusely for the little Dove chocolates he would bring you when he had the chance.

"It was a miracle we didn't end up with a chocolate wedding cake." The decision had been close, but the beautiful strawberry and cream cake had been delicious. "We don't have to get chocolate cake, honey. It just sounds good."

“We can always get a slice to take home.” The mere mention of a wedding cake has him almost jumping to promise that the next one will be chocolate. To plan, to map out the future with you. Instead, he looks up at you to see if you agree. “Chocolate is perfect.”

"Marc..." You tilt your head and lean your chin on your other hand, trying to hold in the beaming smile that it threatening to crack the surface. "That's not what you were going to say first."

“And how would you know that?” His brow arches up playfully and he leans in, watching the candlelight dance in your eyes.

"You clench your jaw when you second-guess yourself." It's been his tell for his whole life, apparently, but the way he's looking at you is almost entirely distracting you from teasing him. "Your mother told me about that one."

“Damn.” He rolls his eyes slightly in good fun, and shakes his head. “Betrayed by my own mother.”

"What were you going to say?" If he really doesn't want to tell you then you won't push, but you don't want him to hold back. If either of you is tiptoeing on eggshells then you're only going to add to the communication problems down the line.

The answer is delayed by the return of the bustling waiter with a gorgeous bottle of Krug, along with a bucket to be placed on the table for easy access. Marcus leans back as the bottle is uncorked after he approves of it and two glasses of frothy champagne are poured. He nods his thanks as decides to answer you truthfully as the waiter rushes off. “I was going to promise you that your next wedding cake could be chocolate.” He admits as he picks up the thin stemmed glass. “To new beginnings.” He offers, giving you a chance to just ignore his comment if you wished to.

“New beginnings.” It’s a beautiful sentiment, and you tap the rim of your glass against his before taking your first sip. The crisp, bubbly liquid cools its way down your throat before it starts to warm you, and you hum at the sensation. “And I agree to a chocolate wedding cake only if we supplement it with fruit. Like those chocolate oranges you love at Christmas.”

Your comment makes him freeze. For a moment his entire system seems to shut down and reboot before he manages to smile at you. “You remembered those things?” He asks with a small chuckle.

“Of course I do.” How could you forget the little things that make him unique? They’re the things that make up the man you’ve loved for your entire adult life. “And I also remember that you like hot fudge on raspberry ice cream, and chocolate covered strawberries. So the pattern is unmistakable.”

“So we could always have chocolate dipped fruit as garnish around the cake.” He smiles, beams, at the fact that you knew him so well.

"We absolutely could." Any amount of dreaming from him has your insides twisting and filling with glee. "A piece of chocolate dipped fruit with every slice of cake. That would be gorgeous."

There’s a tiny portion of him that breathes a sigh of relief when he doesn’t see you hesitating or holding back. He knows what you said, but it’s hard to readjust after twelve years of believing he had pushed you away because of his need to give you everything. “Chocolate covered dehydrated raspberries are a current obsession of mine.” He admits with a grin. “There’s a little sweet shop around the corner from the Hoover building that sells all kinds of things like that.”

“We’ll have to go by sometime after work.” It’s pure encouragement, at least to you, when his shoulders drop ever so slightly and the warmth in his cheeks rises. Marcus without dreams isn’t Marcus at all, and you want to give him back that sweetness and joyfulness more than anything. “I want to share all of our new favorite things.”

“You would like it. They have all kinds of chocolate covered things.” He hums. Before, he had avoided thinking about you in there, but he knows you would like the chocolate covered rice crispy treats.

“Chocolate-covered-everything is my favorite everything.” He remembers that, apparently, and it makes you smile in the most pleased, adored kind of way possible. “I keep a container of chocolate covered sunflower seeds on my desk and I know it sounds weird, but they have a little candy coating on them and it’s the perfect combination of sweet and salt.”

“That sounds good, not weird.” He huffs. “Like a chocolate covered cashew or peanuts. But have you had a chocolate covered gummy bear?” He asks, raising a brow at you.

“Of course I have.” The look on his face is like he’s trying to keep himself from being positively giddy, and it makes your chest tighten with happiness to see him so relaxed again. “What do you think I put on my ice cream?”

“They are amazing. And I bet they are even better when chilled.” Marcus bobbles his head in agreement.

“I’ll build you a little chocolate-covered-gummy-bear scene on top of a cheesecake sometime.” You shoot him a grin and sip your champagne.

“What about in a cheesecake?” He tilts his head and considers it, looking at you for confirmation or disagreement with his idea. You love to bake, he could make cookies the density of hockey pucks.

“I bet that would work in a no-bake Cheesecake.” The idea is just silly enough to work and you stifle a giggle. “Now I have to try it.”

“Oh nooo.” Marcus groans, rolling his eyes. “You have to test something and I’ll be forced to try it.” He sarcastically tosses out. “What ever will I do?” He had always been willing to be your taste tester and had loved it.

“You’ll be at the gym more,” you snort, grinning and giddy at the lighthearted tone the night has taken. “It’s harder to just fuck away the calories than it used to be.”

“That’s way more fun than fucking running on a treadmill.” Marcus grumbles, sending you a small wink right before the waiter comes back with the appetizer for you to share.

I know says the twisted smirk on your lips, but you behave yourself with the waiter approaching.

The plating is beautiful and the smell makes his mouth water as he looks at the ravioli and foie gras. “This will be amazing.” He nods his thanks to the waiter and looks back over at you. “Well? Shall we try it?”

It tastes even better than it looks, which should be impossible, and the two of you dive back in for second and third bites with record speed so that it takes almost no time for the little plate to empty. You’d be mad that it’s gone except that it bodes such wonderful things to come. “Oh my god,” you moan softly, giggling happily. “That was insane.”

“Yes it was. And that forty-layer lasagna is going to be mouthwatering.” Marcus hums, sure that this place will quickly become a favorite. Just maybe not with the expensive champagne. “Have you decided what entree you are getting?”

“I’m torn between the Campanelle Nere and the carbonara they have listed.” Having told the waiter that you were in no rush, he had excused himself after your appetizer without taking your entree order. The night’s rhythm and theme are indulgence, so neither you nor Marcus has any intention of rushing. If you’re still dancing the night away after midnight, you won’t be surprised. Well… you might be surprised that you’re still awake, but not that you’re enjoying yourself.

“Ohhh pulling out the out of left field choices.” He teases, grinning at you and reaching for the champagne bottle to top off your glasses.

“It’s a special occasion,” you reason, laughing at his teasing tone. “I figured why do anything ordinary?”

Marcus grins. “So order both.” He suggests indulgently. “The leftovers can always be our midnight snack after we get home from dancing and…working out.”

You practically snort at the way his eyebrows lift with the suggestion, barely able to muffle it when the waiter returns to take your dinner order. Campanelle nere for now - carbonara to go. And it’s all you can do not to snicker behind the falsely dainty hand you’re holding in front of your mouth.

Marcus grins, ordering the lasagna with the short rib meat and hands his menu to the waiter. “Thank you, we just have…big appetites.” He offers, unrepentant at the double entendre in the statement.

The whole meal is as exquisite as that first plate, and half the slice of gorgeous chocolate cake is packed away in a bag with your pasta to be brought back to whoever’s house you end up at after tonight’s adventure is over. There doesn’t seem to be any question of the fact that you’ll be spending the night together, though, which sends a familiar thrill up your spine as Marcus leads you out of the restaurant. Yes, you’ve both grown up, but you’re still fundamentally the same people that you were the first time you had a first date — and those people are crazy about each other.

“Now, do we head to Sax now, or do we stop somewhere else for drink first?” He asks, trailing his fingers up and down your back as he asks what you want to do. Marcus of old would have planned everything down to the minute and hated straying from the plan, but he wants you to enjoy tonight fully.

“Let’s go to Sax.” Leaning into him on the sidewalk, you breathe in his cologne and sigh inwardly. There’s a comfort to this man that has not diminished with time, and it makes you so happy. “We can sit and scope the place out before we’re ready to dance.”

“There is bottle service there as well.” He points out, digging out his valet fob to give to the driver at the stand.

“Of course there is.” You raise your joined hands to leave a kiss on his warm skin. “It’s perfect, baby. Just a little over the top, but right from the heart. That’s the way you love, and I love you for it.”

He hums, warmed by the sentiment and he tugs you closer as the two of you wait for the car to be brought around.

The drive between places is only a few minutes and there’s another valet at the ready as you step out onto the sidewalk to wait for Marcus again while you take in the opulence of the club in front of you. It looks moody inside, dark and romantic and seductive - with jazz playing loudly and raucous laughter from the countless patrons already inside.

“Did you know that this is a restaurant most of the time?” Marcus asks as the two of you scout out a booth to snag for your private use. “They convert it into this place on the weekends.”

“We’ll have to come back for dinner some night.” It’s so easy to curl into his side when one of the waitresses shows you a clear table and sashays away with a promise to be right back.

“That sounds good to me.” The atmosphere is smokey, despite there being none on the air. The feel of it seems like you might have stepped back in time to war-time dances with GIs home from the front line. Marcus picks up the menu and hums. “What are you feeling now, baby?”

"Little bit turned on." You laugh, knowing that that wasn't the question he was asking. "Are we too adult to order a bottle of tequila?" It would be symbolically appropriate, but one of you does have to drive home tonight. And you both have to work tomorrow. So it might not exactly be safe.

“Do you want to order a bottle of Tequila?” He asks, arching a brow at you in surprise. A shot the other day was almost required, but he didn’t want to you to feel like it was a must.

"The only reason I stopped drinking tequila was because it made me miss you." That much, at least, is completely true. But you still tilt your head at him and smile. "But we also have to work tomorrow. So maybe we should stick to wine?" If he wants to reminisce over a bottle of tequila you'll join him in a heartbeat. You just don't want to pressure him.

Marcus smirks and looks back down at the menu. “I think we should do it. Our first date included tequila too.”

"We are tequila people, it seems." When you nod to the menu, you lean over a little and press a kiss to his cheek. "Let's do it, baby."

“We can have that hungover shower together in the morning.” A place like this was no stage for body shots, but Marcus orders a bottle of Don Julio when the waitress returns. Along with a couple of waters to make sure you don’t get too wasted.

"We used to be really good at those." Standing under a screaming hot shower with your arms around each other was a Monday morning special back in the day. "I bet we can get it back. Hangover shower, a gallon of coffee, and a stack of pancakes and bacon."

“Blueberry?” Marcus asks hopefully, loving blueberry pancakes when he feels like day old, dried up dog shit after too much drinking.

"Blueberry." You nod with authority. His smile is so soft and so genuine that you can just feel your heart bursting in your chest. "If you don't already have a favourite diner, there's one by my office."

“You always knew the good places for pancakes.” He agrees, nodding. “So I guess we just need to figure out which bed we are pouring ourselves into tonight.”

"Hmmm..." Even though the answer is easy, you tap your chin like it's something ancient philosophers might have muddled over for centuries. "Well. I'm thinking it's gonna be the place where we both have clothes. Which is your house."

“Maybe one day….” Marcus leans in and kisses the finger on your chin. “It can be called ‘our house’?” He asks softly. “Not now, I mean, but one day?”

"I have..." It takes a second to do the math, but the proximity of him makes you fuzzy and warm. "A little less than four months left on my lease. Is that too soon?" The annual re-signing of your lease isn't a bad thing, but you do want it to be your house together as much as you want to wake up beside him tomorrow and the next day, and the day after that.

“I think four months is a good time to decide if we are ready to move to the next step, don’t you?” Marcus asks. He would say tomorrow, but he knows that’s not rational.

"I honestly don't think we're going to spend too much time apart over the next four months." Maybe it's speculative, or just wishful thinking, but the flushed warmth under your skin is as honest as anything you've felt in a very long time. "But it sounds like a good amount of time for an official decision."

“Of course, we should probably make the decision before the last minute.” He teases and winks at you. “I’ll make you sign a lease if it makes you feel better.”

The second you open your mouth you shut it again, worried about pushing him or making him uncomfortable. "I don't need you to make a fakey lease for me," you tell him finally, nesting a little closer into his side. "But you do have to let me help with the bills."

“Groceries….” Marcus compromises. “And whatever else you want. How about that?” It was crazy to talk about combining finances, and he doesn’t want you to do that if you don’t want to, but one day you will have to have that talk.

"Utilities," you bargain when he puts his arm around you. "At the very least. We both make good money now, love. It's got to be equal somehow. A life shared, ya know?"

“We can talk about it when you— we decide what we want to do.” Marcus promises, taking your hand and kissing the fingertips of each finger.

"Can I tell you what my first thought was?" Tipping your head back lets you catch his eyes and you swallow down some nerves in an effort to be completely honest with him. Honesty is the thing that you're working on harder than anything else. You can't hold back this time. "When you said our house?"

“You can tell me anything.” Marcus tells himself that the two of you should talk often. Honestly and openness will go a long way. Even if it’s not exactly what he wants to hear.

“I was thinking…” It makes you sniffle a little, but your smile is beaming. “About how many firsts we’ll get to have there.” The specific image in your mind was domestic as hell - a scene of you and Marcus decorating for a kid’s birthday party. How excited and proud he would be every single year. “Including coming home from our first honeymoon, because we’re finally going to take one. But…I thought about how perfect it will be for parties.” You grin, squeezing his fingers a little in yours. “Especially kids’ birthday parties.”

Marcus closes his eyes for a moment, letting your dreams and ideas just seep into his soul. It's what he's always wanted with you, twelve years ago it had been his goal and he had thought he was going to have to live it with someone else. Now you are here and offering it to him again. Eyes still closed, he nods, almost ready to cry. "Yeah."

“Hey, hey.” You lean over to kiss his cheek and hold him a little tighter to your side. “Was that too much?”

"No." His denial is immediate, eyes flying open to lock onto yours. "No, I just— it's that I never imagined that I would be able to dream about that with you." He admits softly. "Just- just absorbing it. It's good, I promise."

“Okay.” Your voice stays soft and encouraging when the waitress comes back to deliver the bottle Marcus ordered along with a small but stylish tray of appropriate mixers, salt, and lime slices. You thank her and pass along an extra tip, but never take your real focus off of Marcus. “If you had said four months was too long, I would have agreed with you, for the record.”

"Baby....I'm trying not to rush you." He almost pleads with you to understand. "I just— I want you to set the pace this time."

"I know, baby. And I'm saying that my pace might be a little bit faster than what you expect." You set the bottle in front of him and pick up two shot glasses, wanting to bring the mood of the night back to something joyful rather than fretting. "Come on. Let's have a couple of drinks and dance. That's what we came here to do, right?"

He can agree to that. The last thing he wants to do is to turn this into another angsty debate about the future. “To the Tequila that brought us together.” Marcus offers taking one shot from you and holding it up.

"To second chances." The rims of your shot glasses tap together with a crystal clear tnk and you share a grin, lifting your other hand to cheekily offer him the salt you sprinkled on your skin.

Marcus keeps his eyes on yours, smirking as he leans down and laps at the salt with a slow drag if his tongue before he straightens up and tosses down the shot of tequila before reaching for his lime. “Still better off your tits.” He decides.

"Well yeah." And thanks to that comment as well as his unyielding eye contact, you're about ready to jump him right there in your booth. "You like everything better when my tits are involved."

“They are great tits. We could always take the bottle home.” Marcus coos, cock twitching in his pants. “Lick salt off your pussy and tequila off your tits.”

"Fuck, Marc." His name comes out in a whine and you pout at him as dramatically as possible. "You're gonna kill me."

He chuckles, smug in the feeling of you wanting him right now. “Drink your shot, baby.” He nods towards your drink. “I want to dance with my wife.” It slips out of his mouth before he can change his words, because it was what was running through his mind.

“Mmm.” You could tease him for it. For the slip of the tongue and how honest it is. But it fills you with such tangible joy that all you can do to keep from throwing your arms around him is hum and murmur: “I think I can arrange that.” Before taking your own shot with the salt ready and waiting on his hand.

There is a filthiness in the way your tongue flicks against his skin, making him groan quietly and shift in his seat. “Fuck.” He pants out quietly, his mind going extremely x-rated again.

“That’s what happens when you play with fire, Pike.” The wink you aim at him is unmistakable and devious, and you’re already sliding out of the booth when he groans in protest. “Come on, handsome. Dance with me.”

He lets you pull him out of the booth, standing up and letting you lead him to the floor. If he wasn’t an FBI department director, he would be dragging you to the bathroom to see about recreating a club quickie. He doesn’t think his boss would approve of the scandal.

The band on stage is playing something slow and sultry, the last strains of a love song cast out over the crowd as you step out together. You’re barely paying attention to what the song is, though, with Marcus’s hand tangled in yours and the notes morphing into something more upbeat. Less seductive but no less romantic. A very good combination for a second chance at a first dance.

Holding you close, Marcus soaks in the atmosphere and closes his eyes with a sigh. Everything is perfect, stars aligned in the skies, and he wants to live in this moment.

The Postmodern Jukebox-esque band on stage croons on, but your focus is entirely on Marcus. The way he cradles you close is near reverent and you keep close like you’re afraid he’ll disappear if you move away even a fraction of an inch.

The two of you had danced before. A lot of it had been the normal grinding on each other and used as foreplay. This was almost as intimate and twice as romantic. He turns and presses his lips to your temple and sighs softly. "I love you." He promises, lips near your ear.

“I love you.” Three words. Three tiny syllables. But enough meaning to shake you down to your very core. To feel like you’re being broken down and rebuilt every time he says it, and every time you say it back.

Marcus closes his eyes, resting his head against yours and keeps you swaying with him to the rhythm of the song. Lost in the little bubble of a world around just the two of you. Not even caring about anyone else on the dance floor.

It’s your own little world, being caught up in Marcus’s arms like this. No one else exists and the music playing all around you might just as easily have been the radio in the living room of your little apartment off campus where you liked to dance barefoot and squish your toes into the carpet. If you can manage to remember a single one of these songs beyond the rhythm of his beating heart, you’ll make sure you dance to every single one of them again when you marry him again.

Soon, the need for a drink, Tequila or water, makes him pull away and kiss you once more before guiding you off the floor. “We need a drink.” He murmurs when you give him a doe eyed pout.

“Okaaaay.” He’s on point, as always. You just hadn’t realized you were thirsty because you’re so wonderfully distracted. “Should we mix up something fun this time?”

“What do you have in mind?” Marcus asks, intrigued by your idea of fun now. Wanting to see what it consists of.

“Apparently the best kind of Dirty Shirley is one made with tequila.” Or so you had been told many times over, when Jacqui was trying to get you to dress-up your mocktail on nights you didn’t necessarily feel like drinking. “My friend swears by them.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever had one of those.” Marcus knows that after this drink, he will need to cut himself off or call an Uber. “Let’s try it.”

When you slip into the booth you pull Marcus after you, not wanting to be even a few feet away from him. The things on the tray in front of you are enticing, but not as enticing as he is, and the tequila will absolutely wait while you press your lips to his in the moody darkness of your private booth.

He’s surprised when you pull him to you. Not because kisses have been few and far between, but because of the urgency behind it. Slightly desperate and feeling like those early make out sessions when you first got together, Marcus crushes you against him with a moan.

Once, you absolutely would have climbed into his lap and completely blocked out the world. Right now there is something about the moment that feels invariably nostalgic and at the same time like you're clinging to the future. Each little sound that pours from one of you threatens to drown the other but it only makes you work harder, encouraged by the tight grip of his hands as he drags you close and the way your fingers bite into him to keep him pressed against you.

The whispering that is occurring to just the left side of the booth shouldn’t capture his attention. And it doesn’t, not when all he can focus on is the way your moan vibrates across your tongue to his. Not until there is a very pointed voice. “See? I told you he would choose this place after dinner.” Marcus’s eyes spring open and he freezes as the booth cushion depresses as someone slides into the bench seating. “Ohhh Tequila. I’d love a shot but we should get Teresa some water, huh?”

Fuck. Marcus cannot believe that Patrick fucking Jane is now interrupting his date with you.

You feel Marcus freeze against you before anything else registers, and a whine of protest is halfway past your lips when you open your eyes to see all the colour drain from his face. It’s another split second after that that you recognize another voice - and it takes everything you’ve got not to curse him out for interrupting. “You have got to be kidding me.” Mumbling under your breath, you try to rearrange your face into something less murderous before you turn around. “Well this is certainly a surprise,” you bite out, hoping you sound more surprised than angry.

For her part, Teresa is mortified. Half embarrassed at the way her husband is proving himself to the biggest asshole and half embarrassed that a man she used to sleep with was very enthusiastically making out with his ex-wife. “Patrick – let’s go!” She hisses, pulling on his arm before she throws you an apologetic look. “I am so sorry. I didn’t know he was – was— was—”

“Planning on crashing and ruining my plans with my wife?” Marcus fills in for her, finally able to speak again.

“Oo! Have we already gotten rid of the ex part of that title?” Patrick is already flagging down your waitress to request a bottle of water, acting like he’s crashed your book club instead of your foreplay.

“What are you doing here?”

“Patrick, let’s go.”

Marcus and Teresa speak at the same time, both of them sounding exasperated with the same man who is helping himself to the bottle of Don Julio on the table.

“He’s keeping tabs on us.” One of your eyebrows ticks up at Patrick Jane and dares him to say otherwise. To contradict you or play innocent. But this isn’t the first time you’ve met a man like Patrick Jane - and unfortunately it won’t be the last. “God forbid our reunion be more romantic or a better story than how he leapt onto the plane to bear his heart to the fair maiden and win her love away from the invader.” It would make you furious if it didn’t also make you feel sad for him. What a small, scared man he must be for that to be true. “Since he intended to gloat about his marriage and his growing family and can’t do that now that he found you happy, he had to think of a different way to feel superior.”

“That’s not—” Patrick frowns and shakes his head. “That’s not true. I—” He huffs. “I saw Marcus’s ideas written down in his office and it seemed like a good idea.” He admits. “Something better than sitting in the hotel room.”

“And you intentionally chose the one you thought was most likely to interrupt them?” Teresa sighs, shaking her head a little, but her fondness for her husband pushes through the annoyance and embarrassment. “This is his way of saying we should all go out together. By just putting us all in the same place.”

Marcus looks over at you, frustrated but wanting to see your thoughts on the situation before he says anything. Being cockblocked by your current boyfriend's ex-fiancée's husband wasn't exactly on your to-do list for today, but you take a deep breath to make sure you don't vent your frustration directly at Patrick Jane again after basically accusing him of narcissism to his face. "We were going to have one more drink and head home." You decide on a white lie, feeling that it's relatively harmless under the circumstances. "Why don't we have a round together and then you two can have the table?"

“That would be good.” Marcus jumps on the idea. “I’ve heard dancing is good for babies, so you should definitely take your wife out on the dance floor.” He smiles at Patrick like it’s a perfect solution.

“Of course.” Patrick Jane puts one hand to his chest like he’s offended that Marcus would ever doubt him.

“First I have to hunt down a bathroom.” Teresa looks embarrassed yet again, but shrugs. “The joys of pregnancy,” she laughs, rolling her eyes a little. “It’s in the back corner.” For as displeased you are that they’re here, you’re not going to fault a pregnant woman for having to pee. And honestly, you’re a lot pent up from nearly climbing Marcus like a tree on the dance floor…so it’s not a bad idea for you either. “Come on,” you offer, squeezing Marcus’s hand right before letting go. “I’ll go with you.”

Marcus waits until you are out of the booth, watching as you guide Teresa towards the bathrooms before he looks back over at Patrick. “Why are you really here?” He demands, pretense dropped and the beginnings of a scowl on his face.

“I find you utterly fascinating.” Jane deadpans, pouring himself a large amount of tequila lime along with lime juice and soda water. “Now that I don’t have to pry you away from Teresa, I am engrossed.”

“Why am I fascinating?” Marcus asks, completely bewildered by that answer. It had been the last thing he had expected to come out of Patrick Jane’s mouth. He waves off an offer of a shot of the tequila he’s paying for and watches as Patrick shrugs and lifts his own drink.

Jane leans back in the booth and smirks, raising the glass to his lips with a shrug. “A man as desperate to commit as you should have had this all worked out years ago. I always wondered why you were single when you obviously wanted so badly to be married.” In fact, the other men on the team in Austin had been sick of hearing about it. “But now I see why. It has to do with her.”

“I’m sure you’ve been in love at least once.” Marcus’s tone is just shy of snarky and he picks up his bottle of water. “The kind that never fades, no matter what.”

"I've been married twice." The other man reminds Marcus, frowning momentarily.

“Don’t have to love someone to marry them.” He retorts, scoffing slightly. His hard on is gone, the pleasant buzz he had is a thing of the past.

"Seems a shame to skip that part." Jane seems not to care about anything but his drink, watching the way it refracts the dim club lights in his glass. "You would never skip that part." He has to ask. To push the needle in just a little bit harder. "Would you, Marcus?"

“Are you asking if I loved your wife?” Marcus asks, stonily staring at Patrick. Wondering why the fuck does this have to be rehashed again. “And why does it matter? You are with her, like you should be. You’re having a baby, congratulations. Why does this matter now?”

"A curious man can never be satiated." With more enigmatic bullshit than sense coming out of his mouth, Patrick Jane seems particularly proud of himself and not inclined to make much sense.

Marcus’s sigh is half frustrated, half resigned. He reaches for the tequila bottle and uncorks it. “If I had been with Doctor Pike—” God, he loves saying that. “I wouldn’t have looked twice at Teresa, or any other woman. Ever.” He admits to Patrick. “She’s had a spell on me since the first time I saw her. And I’m the luckiest son of a bitch alive to have her back.”

“Funny.” A wry smile quirks to the corner of Patrick’s mouth. “That’s what she told Teresa about you.”

“What can we say?” Marcus shrugs slightly although his heart is bursting with pride that you were happy to have him back. “We love each other.”

“Yeah, we do.” You hum, appearing beside Marcus with a bright smile on your face. Teresa rounds your other side and slips back into the booth beside her husband while you nestle back in with Marcus. “Glad to see you two boys didn’t come to blows while we were gone.”

“I really think Marcus would like to punch me.” Patrick announces, looking hurt at the prospect. “But I’m going to be his best man when he remarries you.” He predicts, winking at you playfully.

“With no offense intended whatsoever,” you squeeze Marcus’s leg under the table to keep from bursting out laughing. “I don’t think the timing will probably allow for that. Unless you’re planning on moving to DC and this is how you’re telling us?”

“Oh God no.” Teresa manages quickly. “I think Marcus would transfer to the moon if Patrick were coming to D.C. permanently.”

Her husband huffs at her and shakes his head. “How little you trust me.” He gives her a wounded look. “And here I was trying to push them to do what he’s already dying to do.”

“We’ll remarry when we’re ready to.” You desperately need the cocktail you’re pouring for yourself, and you look to Marcus to see if he does, too.

“So you don’t know….” Patrick hums, smirking at Marcus. “Interesting.”

“You’re absolutely infuriating.” You tell Patrick flatly. He seems to thrive from pissing people off and at this point you’re trying very hard not to raise your voice. “Marc and I don’t owe you an explanation or a justification just because you’re morbidly curious about our relationship.”

“Don’t.” Marcus reaches over and takes your hand. “We don’t have to explain anything, and he likes poking. Just to see what he can get.”

“Maybe we should go home.” The defeat of having your first date invaded and the whole mood soured is starting to get to you, and making you doubt the whole thing. Like the universe is trying to tell you that just love isn’t enough.

“Please don’t.” Patrick urges you. “I would feel terrible.”

He should feel terrible, but you don’t say as much. “It’s up to you,” you murmur to Marcus, knowing that you’ll stay with him either way. If he wants to stay, you’ll stay.

“Baby, if you want to go home, we’ll go home.” He promises you, leaning in and brushing his nose against yours. “Do you want to go home?” He doesn’t want to push, but wherever you go, he’s going.

"I just want to be with you." The whisper is barely loud enough for him to hear because at this point you're convinced that Patrick Jane can read lips or has somehow planted a microphone on you. The night has been rudely hijacked but there is still time to get it back.

“That’s all I want too.” Marcus promises before he decides on what he wants to do. “Kiss me.” He demands softly, reaching up and grasping your chin.

Now that is a request that you will gladly agree to. It takes barely any effort to make it happen - just tilting your head backward and barely tipping your chin to press your lips firmly and eagerly to his. Your hand on his jaw just connects you a little bit more, focusing your energy entirely on him as you let yourself dissolve into the kiss.

Marcus ignores the sounds of approval from Patrick, focusing on the feeling of you, the way your lips melt against his. Forgetting in just a few seconds that they are even there. Whatever his endgame is here, you're not fighting it. The chance to give yourself over to the moment - to just have it be you and him with the rest of the world not mattering one single bit - is too good to pass up.

He’s not going to let Patrick ruin this, to take away from this amazing night that the two of you have shared. If it means making out in front of him and Teresa, so be it.

You don’t resist when Marcus deepens the kiss, sighing softly when he slides his tongue along the seam of your lips and letting him in instantly. All thought of the Janes has faded from your mind and the only thing left there is Marcus, leaving you in a perfect state of relaxation and bliss with your arms tight around each other.

He makes it soft and yet completely overwhelming, wanting to put the dreamy look back in your eyes. Choking your chin and tilting it up as he tangles his tongue with yours.

If not for air, you would never have stopped. If you could breathe in Marcus, you absolutely would. Unfortunately, the human body does require oxygen at a certain point, and you have to pull back even just for a moment. With your eyes still closed and your forehead pressed to his, you shiver a little in his arms.

Humming happily, Marcus just breathes you in. Unconcerned with what the two behind him are doing. “You want to dance again?” He murmurs softly.

All you can do for a second is nod, with your heart beating out of time in your chest and your blood pounding in your ears, you're just looking at Marcus like he hung the moon. "Yeah," you whisper when you remember how to speak. "Yeah, I do."

Marcus offers you a smile. One that says that he’s glad you said yes, because it was what he wanted. Not even bothering with the niceties of excusing the two of you - he hadn’t invited the Janes to this date after all - he stands and helps you out of the booth to guide you back to the dance floor.

The song doesn’t matter just like all the other people on the dance floor don’t matter, because the world may as well have ceased existing as long as you can still have Marcus here beside you. It makes you wonder - just days into this revived relationship - how you even managed the last twelve years without him. “Back in our own little world,” you hum softly, going to him like a magnet. There is nothing you want more than to be held in his arms.

“That’s what matters.” Marcus pulls you close and his arm around your waist keeps you anchored to him. “I’m sorry.” He murmurs quietly. “I was deciding what dancing venues would be best and had them written down. I guess he saw them when he got to the office today.”

“You have nothing to apologize for.” The man who should apologize has probably never done so sincerely in his entire life. “Think of Patrick Jane as a test for the most annoying parts of having a child without any of the positive moments,” you joke, knowing what some of your friends and coworkers have said about their own kids. “If we can take the interruptions with grace now, we’ll be fine when it’s tiny people we love.”

“Tiny people we love.” Marcus instantly gets soft at the idea of mini yous running around and wrapping him around their fingers. “I like that idea.”

“So sometimes we’ll be interrupted.” You both hold each other a little tighter, melting into the idea. “That’s okay.”

“Hmmmm.” Marcus leans in and kissing you softly. The idea of kids is always something he’s loved but with you it’s extra special. The rekindling desires he had harbored when he was newly married to you.

“Love you, baby.” The soft murmur against his lips is more honest than anything else in the world right now, and you wrap one arm around his shoulders to keep close. “So much.”

The music is soft and slow, allowing the two of you to slowly sway side to side without actually moving your feet. Marcus is aware when Patrick and Teresa come onto the floor to join the two of you but he doesn’t even look over, too busy looking into your eyes.

“Think this band does weddings?” You can’t help the thought, imagining dancing to this same music in a hotel or vineyard somewhere. Something more mature and artistic than the wedding his gracious parents had thrown for you as literal children.

“I’m sure they do.” Marcus smiles, closing his eyes and sighing softly. “It would be nice. Although now you know we have to have a Tequila bar at the reception.”

“I was thinking tequila-based signature cocktail.” You admit with a grin. The thought had occurred to you this morning at brunch and made you smile. “Maybe both. Whatever we want.”

“You’re already planning our next wedding?” His grin matches yours and stretches a little wider. “I think I like that.”

“I’ve dreamed up a million different ways it could go.” Over the years it became the daydream that both haunted and uplifted you. Wondering if the day would ever come. Now that it’s within reach it feels like it’s lighting you up from the inside. “I want it to be perfect for you.”

“Baby.” Marcus shakes his head and leans in to kiss you again. “Only thing I need for it to be perfect is for you to be walking towards me again.”

“I promise.” Tomorrow on your lunch break you’re going to go and do a little shopping, you decide as you press your lips to Marcus’s. For something he would never expect in a million years. Something he deserves more than anything.

“Mmmmm.” He loves when you kiss him. He always has, reaffirming that men need to feel special as well. It makes him smile against your lips happily.

“This band. Tequila bar. Chocolate cake with fruit. I’m cataloguing it all away.” You promise him softly. “It will be perfect.”

“Now, the most important thing.” Marcus teases. “Where do we want to honeymoon?” The last time you got married, it had just been a weekend in a hotel but he wants to take you anywhere you want to go.

“This is a much harder question,” You laugh, still swaying with him even when the music picks up. “It could be somewhere neither of us has ever been before? Or we could go two places and share our favorite places with each other?”

“Honestly…” Marcus blushes slightly and gives a small shrug. “I’ve always imagined Paris with you.” He knows you have been, you lived there for awhile, but he wouldn’t mind going back. “But we don’t have to.” He adds quickly, not wanting you to mired in guilt.

“I can show you everywhere I wanted to share with you while I was living there.” Your tone goes dreamy, soft and full of warmth. You had dreamed so many times of showing him your favorite places - the chance to actually do it in real life sounds perfect. “And we can do new things, obviously. But I…I would love to share Paris with you.”

“Then that’s where we should go. Experience it together.” He sighs softly, imagining it with almost movie like clarity in his head.

“Perfect.” And if you happen to come back with one of those tiny people who you love on the way? You’ll just have to hunt down a Fabriqué à Paris onesie.

“So now that we’ve planned most of it out, we’re all set.” He knows these are vague fantasies, but they are helping him get more comfortable with wanting it with you. There’s no panic there for you, he’s gotten better at reading you with his FBI training.

“Oh yeah, planning a DC wedding is no sweat.” You practically snort, knowing how much work Angela and Harry’s wedding took to get right. You had never realized until then just how much of the work his mother had done for you.

“Honey, we plan what we want and hit we want.” Marcus winks at you. “And we can afford a wedding planner.”

“How very fancy of us.” You can’t help but giggle a little, knowing that you used to think vaguely of having a vow renewal fifteen or twenty years in the future. If you had only known then. “We’ll have to dream up just the right place, then. Some places have planners assigned to couples when you book them.”

“Wherever you want.” Marcus is easy in the venues and to be honest, doesn’t know D.C. like you do. “The people there are what matters to me.”

“I could get us a deal on a Smithsonian wedding.” You waggle your eyebrows at him, not above Throwing your seniority around to make sure your second wedding is unforgettably beautiful. “If you wanted to. It’s just an idea.”

“Is that what you would want?” Marcus asks seriously, intrigued by the idea. He’s never heard of a Smithsonian wedding, but it seems like it would be amazing.

“I’ve definitely thought about it before. A lot, actually.” Always him. Always wondering how many new friends would be added to the old ones and how many of your combined family members would be crowing ‘I told you so’. “Maybe we can make date nights out of visiting the galleries they rent out and seeing if we like any of them for us?”

“Whenever you want.” He agrees easily, nodding at the idea and looking forward to another date night. “I’ll let you arrange it so Patrick doesn’t find out.” He snickers quietly.

“We’ll leave a list of decoy ideas.” You laugh right along with him, smothering the spine but not the way your body shakes. “Send then to some very odd places.”

“Ohhh please tell me you have the address of a sex club or something.” Marcus begs quietly. “Something discreet so he doesn’t know until he gets inside.”

“I was thinking of the address for the Department of Sanitation or something.” But you burst out laughing, holding Marcus close as you shake with it. “I’ll have to see if Angie has had to do any interesting recon for a case that’s past. She might have something fun for us.”

“I like the way you think.” He chuckles with you, happy that the night had returned to being about the two of you and no one else. This is what he wanted.

“Anything for you.” Especially if it’s something to make him smile. Living without that smile for twelve years has only proven to you how precious it is to have back again.

Marcus might be the luckiest man in the face of the planet. “Let’s go home, baby.” He murmurs softly, ready to strip you down and make love to you.

"Absolutely." Home. With him. It's the exact place you want to be.

Marcus grins and glances over where Patrick and Teresa are dancing. “Let’s go.” He motions over to the coat check and bypasses the table where you had been sitting.

It almost feels naughty, to just skip right out on things, but you cling to Marcus's hand as he leads you to the door and passes off his valet ticket to the girl waiting by the door, but the only damn thing in the world is that smile on his face. When his car is pulled up to the curb you slide into the passenger's side and sit back in the leather seats with a sigh.

“He deserves it.” Marcus offers with a slight shrug if his shoulders and a slightly malicious grin as he throws the car into drive. Patrick will foot the bill, which is the least he can do for crashing your date.

"Let's go home, baby." His words were the perfect choice, and you giggle softly as he heads back through the winding streets of DC.

Home. He loves the fact that you think of it as home already. “Maybe- what do you think about spending all week at the house and then next week we can stay at the apartment?” He offers, not wanting to just make you stay at his place all the time if you want to be in your own space.

"You can see if you like any of my furniture better than yours." The grin you flash him while he's driving is excited and nothing less. "But I don't think it will take long for us to be spending our time at the house."

“As long as that’s what you want.” Marcus murmurs with a matching smile.

"I do." The word choice makes you fluster, like saying those specific words to him as a full sentence again is some sort of spell. "I mean, it is."

“Nah….” Marcus reaches over and takes your hand, pulling your hand up to kiss it. “I like your first answer.” He hums.

------ Master Tags: @pixiedurango @chattychell @winter-fox-queen @lady-himbo @artsymaddie @princess76179 @paintballkid711 @missminkylove @pedrosbrat @ew-erin @sarahjkl82-blog @sharkbait77 @justanotherblonde23 @lv7867 @recklesswit @mylittlesenaar @f0rever15elf @gallowsjoker @steeevienicks @athalien @sherala007 @skvatnavle @thatpinkshirt @jaime1110 @girlimjusttryingtoreadfanfics @goodgriefitsawildworld @greeneyedblondie44 @katheriner1999 @littlemousedroid @harriedandharassed @churchill356 @ajathegreats-blog @hardc0rehaylz @beardsanddetectives @kirsteng42 @ladykatakuri @adancedivasmom @madiebear @tanzthompson @emilianamason @bigsdinger @xocalliexo @pedr0swh0r3 @avaleineandafryingpan @charlyrmv @avidreader73

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[yamchaisawesome]

PENNY IS TRANS AS FUCK: An Essay.

WARNING, SPOILERS FOR POKÉMON SCARLET ABD VIOLET

So I saw some TERFs getting mad at someone headcanoning Penny from the new Pokémon games as trans saying they’re intolerant because they, and I paraphrase “headcanon every vaguely gnc person as trans.”

Anyway I, a cis man, am out here like: Did we play the same fucking game? So I’m going to compile every bit of evidence that I can find in support of this gal being trans.

Let’s start with what I like to call Trans Evidence Lightning Round. These are things I can’t write ridiculous amounts about but still feel important to include. These include but are not limited to: 1.Her wearing a large hoodie (possibly a dysphoria hoodie)

2. Her terrifying proficiency with coding and hacking. (Note, this is in no way dismissing cis women in coding or stem as a whole. The trans girl coder stereotype is just really common and Pokémon loves its shorthand)

3. She has a FUCKING SYLVEON (literally has the trans flag colours as the colour scheme) as her ace when you battle her.

4. She says “Shine bright like the starry sky and become who you really want to be!” When terrastalising said Sylveon, which can be taken in a number of ways.

5. The fact that none of the team star bosses knew her name before she left, only referring to her as “The Big Boss”

I’ll probably add more later. Now, onto the juicy stuff. Some of this doesn’t fit together but they all seem to imply the same thing and they’re all there.

It is revealed later on that, like the rest of the team star members, Penny was bullied relentlessly. It got so bad that she eventually just shut herself inside and never left the house. This isolation was so intense that up until the end of the Starfall Street story, none of her closest friends (the team star bosses) ever saw her real face. This isn’t the strongest bit of evidence but we’re never given a particular reason like we did with Eri or Atticus, so it’s in no way out of the question that the bullying could’ve been transphobic in nature.

Ortega’s Tutor (the director of the academy before Clavell took over) refers to the “Big Boss” (AKA Penny) as a he before sending her back to Galar as “punishment” for 1.5 years. Now this could just be a mistake on the devs’ part, but that seems like it gives us a rough timeline of eggcrackery, intentional misgendering (which seems out of character for the guy), or it could simply be that he had never met Penny due to the aforementioned social isolation and based it off of the student database which in my experience rarely updates this kind of stuff.

Nemona doesn’t recognise her. I repeat, NEMONA doesn’t recognise her. The most extroverted of extroverts, the super popular girl who’s on the student council and could probably look at the student database if she wanted to, the girl who has been at the school for AT LEAST two years for the simple reason that the events of the main story is not her first treasure hunt does not know this girl despite her being there before. There are many ways someone could write this off, including the aforementioned social isolation and her not knowing too much about team star in general but that is still really weird considering that this is NEMONA that we’re talking about. This could easily be supporting evidence for her transition over the 1.5 years in Galar.

And let’s say you’re still not convinced and you think she’s cis. That’s fucking fine. Nobody is going to judge you for that. But don’t be a piece of garbage and get mad at someone for headcanoning her as trans. To me and many others, she’s a genuinely cool trans character that doesn’t shove that fact in your face. Seriously, anyone who does this (btw if any of you TERFs stayed up to here, thank you but why?). Y’all get mad that “The media shoves trans shit in my face” then when there’s a character who either isn’t trans but resonates with trans audiences or is more subtle about their identity you get angry when anyone calls them trans. It’s very contradictory and I dare say hypocritical.

[yourlocaltrashcan657]

Mental Hospital AU! Yandere! Attack on Titan x Female Reader. Prologue.

“Cmon Y/N! We’re going to be late for our first day at this shitty job!” Ymir said fixing her uniform.

”Ymir! That’s 50 cents in the jar.” Krista exclaimed quickly turning back to fix her makeup.

”Fine.” Ymir said only to quickly shout. “Oi! Sasha stop eating all of the food!”

”Lets go now. I’m all ready.” Y/N said grabbing her bag and slipping on her shoes.

The four girls have been friends since they were young so it was no surprise when they all moved in together at an apartment and got the same job.

Whilst walking to your new workplace Krista talked about how we should be careful about this workplace due to the accidents and how we should carry around pepper spray just in case.

That soon led to Ymir laughing and saying how Sasha would just drink it all. The four of them giggled before finally reaching the workplace.

It had a faint smell of cherry which was different from the last time you came which was to give your resume and to do an interview in which you all succeeded.

Y/N led them to a room in which they signed in and got their land yards to open locked doors around the hospital.

“We have 10 minutes to spare.. let’s just stay here like everyone else.” Krista said as she sat down on a chair.

“Which ward did you guys get?” Ymir asked as she plopped down onto the couch in the lounge room. “I got ward 6 and it’s all the way on the other side of this crappy building!”

”I think there’s a reason you got an easy ward, Ymir..” Y/N said, earning a scoff from the freckled woman.

”Yeah Ward 6 is for slightly unstable people.. I got ward 4 and I think that’s for children who need help..” Krista said before sulking at the thought of children being in a mental hospital.

”I got Ward 3! I’ll be able to see Krista every now and then so it won’t be that bad.” Sasha said making Ymir groan in annoyance.

”I got Ward 1.” Y/N said bluntly making the whole room go quiet. “What?”

”Y/N, Ward 1 is where all the crazy shi- I mean uh stuff happens.” Ymir said. “Before we applied for this crazy job, so many doctors have died just by taking care of one patient in Ward 1”

”Ymir! Stop scaring us like that!” Krista said.

”It’s true! I’ve heard that one of the guys in there is so crazy that he just stares at you and you’ll want to die!” Sasha exclaimed scared.

”Sasha! S-stop it!” Krista exclaimed. “Y/N if you ever need to swap Wards I think you can ask the boss or some higher up.”

”I’ll be alright.. I think I got placed there due to my grades and experience.” Y/N explained with a smile.

”I heard only experts work in Ward 1 so good luck with those people.” Ymir said. 

*RING* *RING*

“That must be the bell for us to start working.. see you later Y/N.” Sasha said before waving goodbye and walking off with Ymir and Krista who also did the same.

I made my go Ward 1 only to be greeted by a tall, blue eyed man and a and goggled, brunette woman.

”You must be Y/N?” The tall man asked reaching out to shake her hand. “We are in charge of Ward 1.”

”Yes. I’m working in Ward 1, it’s a pleasure to meet you” Y/N said shaking his hand.

”I’m Erwin Smith and this Hange Zoe. I’ll be accompanying you for today to see how it goes.” Erwin said smiling.

”If you ever need me I’ll be in my office, pretty gal.” Hange said before smirking and walking off.

”Let’s begin, shall we?” Erwin said.

[fereise]

The latest tribute for my awesome friend @skykain and their Skaven gals (modern versions) with their ‘Music Bands’ once again, this time featuring the main crews and additional details for their alt-rock and metal (mostly) band called the “Morrslieb.”

Brief story of the band:

It's start when 'Waffle', who had a part-time job in a modern world as DJ decided to team up with 'Martha' and 'Globi' who cover pop & rock songs as their hobby (being a music enthusiast like Waffle, Martha was the one who do this stuff first, Globi like it and join later) and 'Ratly' who is interested in Rock & Metal music in general for making a music band together and play a various kind of "cover songs" and their own songs in nightclubs. The result was great, and the band could be able to made it into bigger stages from times to times. 'Jezza' later join the band, although it takes quite a lot of persuasion for her to join since she's a lonesome type of girl and mostly cooperated and/or tagged along with Martha for personal reasons.

However, Ratly later asked her friends to separate from the band and join the Hard-core gals (Silvia, Packie, Gutty, and later Hilda) creating another band that mainly cover Heavy Metal songs called "The Rodents". The rest of Skryre gals understand her and have no problem with it and she can still return to help her former band for playing drum again for sometimes. As for the empty position, it was replaced by Grinda who unexpectedly offer her help and show her drum skills to everyone.

Positions of the 'core' band members:

1. Warpfire Thrower aka 'Waffle': Turntable, Samples & Programming, Vocals/BGD Vocals, Kbds

2. Poisoned Wind Mortar aka 'Martha': Vocals/BGD Vocals, Gtr (both Rhythm & Lead), Samples

3. Poisoned Wind Globadier aka 'Globi': Keyboard/Keytar, Vocals & Background Vocals, Bass, Guitar (Rhythm), Samples, Occasionally Turntable.

4. Warplock Jezzail aka 'Jezza': Bass, Double Bass/Cello, Addnl string instruments, BGD Vocals

5. Warp-Grinder aka 'Grinda': Drums & Percussion, BGD Vocals, OCC Gtr (Rhythm), Samples & Programming (supports Waffle)

For the most frequent guests:

6. Ratling Gunner aka 'Ratly': Drums & Percussion, BGD Vocals, OCC Gtr

7. Eshin Triads aka 'Tang': Violin/Viola, Addnl string instruments, Vocals/BGD Vocals

8. & 9. Rictus Clan's Stormvermin (Sword & Shield) and Stormvermin (Halberds), aka 'Rebecca & Regina': Gtr (Rhythm) & Bass, BGD Vocals, Troublemakers (screw around on the stage XD), On-Stage guards

10. Gutter Runner aka 'Gutty': Lead Gtr, Vocals/BGD Vocals

11. Pack Master aka 'Packie': Bass, Vocals/BGD Vocals

Other guests:

12. Plague Monk aka 'Plagie': Drums & Percussion, Vocals/BGD Vocals

13. Plague Monk Censer Bearers aka 'Censi': 2nd Drums & Percussion, Vocals/BGD Vocals

14. Mors Clan's Storm Vermin (Halberds) aka 'Hilda': Vocals/BGD Vocals, OCC Gtr (mostly Rhythm) and Bass

15. Mors Clan's Storm Vermin (Sword & Shield) aka 'Silvia': Vocals/BGD Vocals, Gtr (mostly Rhythm), OCC Bass

16. Ikit Claw: Vocals

The rest are future characters and even outsiders (non-Skaven characters) who want to jam or support/assist the band.

Notes:

1. After a discussion with SkyKain, a suitable Warlord as a guest for Morrslieb would be Ikit Claw since she likes some of the more elegant or classy music and there are a lot of Skrye apprentices here.

2. The message on Martha's guitar refers to the Red Hot Chili Peppers/RHCP' amazing performance at La CIGALE in Paris, 2006. Particularly John Frusciante's (a guitarist, one of Martha fav idols)'s performance during “Don't forget me.”

3. Grinda developed her interest in music after seeing her friends playing the cover songs during their rehearsals. She decided to choose drum as her main instrument by seeing Ratly and some of the famous drummers as her inspirations. For the latter, the examples are; Karen Carpenter - a vocalist (mainly) and drummer from the Carpenters, and Chad Smith from RHCP.

However, with her personal reasons, she decides to learn how to be a professional drummer in her own way by secretly taking jazz classes alone (Ikit approve this, btw). She later shows the skills she learned so far to her friends and was immediately accepted into 'the Morrslieb' band not long after Ratly informs everyone that she wants to join 'the Rodents' and the band plan to recruit a new drummer.

4. Also note if the band wanna cover RHCP, the suitable bassist for this is gonna be Packie (as a main guest), I believe she's the one who is skillful enough and being so energetic like 'FLEA' (the band's bassist and usually regarded as one of the best bassist players in the world, also one of her fav idols for several reasons, lol XD). While the (main) vocalist I think it's gonna be Waffle.

5. Of course, the icons for Skaven belong to SkyKain.

[hockeychatstea]

K, so some burning thoughts on Daniella & Vince

1. All their fights have to be about Instagram. The whole nuts emoji was done retroactivelyon a post that was posted WAY BEFORE they got together and stans started hate following her. Fight- you never comment on my posts. Proceeds to comment on a post before they got together that very few people who gossip about him ignoring her will go back to look at. Fight - you don’t post me. Posts video of her ambling down the beach like a drunk person wearing a hat and sunglasses. He seems to want to humiliate her.

2. She’s pitched him on being a social media manager — maybe even creating his personal TikTok. The fan insta account was definitely her. (Though, any thoughts about how some of the captions sounded like they were written by someone who spoke ESL — like calling her posts of events “registrations” and other weird wording?) The new Tumblr is her. She tags clothing brands in hers and he’s started doing it in reverse on old posts. Her content is boring af and she’s edited beyond recognition. (Literally don’t know how she hasn’t untagged herself on those hair salon pics. She’s very cute, but not this itty bitty nosed, high cheekbones gal on her insta.) She’s young, and Instagram creates dysmorphia, so I feel bad for her here. She’s not below him or any crap that tries to put her looks down. I am not bashing her actual looks. Fellow strong nose, baby faced woman myself. Just over the top editing. Anytime she posts, I think of that beyonce song “to the left, to the left”, like look at the camera and just be yourself! She has friends with decent followings, who do blogs, but she just has no self-identity and personality besides drinking, eating out, being a pro gf and taking photos for the gram. I also think she just doesn’t get why her followers don’t keep going up.

3. She doesn’t want to work, and never planned to. I don’t know if her mom did the same thing, and whether she worked before marrying rich and if this is just the family way, or what. She will keep trying to do some influencer/social media to pretend she has a “job”. Check out her old influencer profile trying to get brands to hire her taking about her skills in editing. lol.

4. The video from his interior designer says it all to me on how much he thinks of her. She mentions that he wants to entertain, have a game room, pretty much that’s it. The designer specially calls out that bathroom goes relatively untouched, no mention of closet overhauls. Two things any live-in girlfriend would definitely would have wanted to have done — room to get ready/a nice vanity and custom closets for girl stuff. The bathroom they showed was dark and would be awful to do makeup in. He updated his bachelor pad for single guy stuff. Period.

He also seems genuinely terrible, and I am not into him like when TikTok pretty much forced me to think he’s hot. But this is a train wreck and I just can’t look away for some reason. Vapid attracts vapid, so maybe they are perfect for one another.

I agree with you anon their relationship is just so fucking weird to me 💀

[louisisalarrie]

https://www.tumblr.com/louisisalarrie/751165968174153728/so-i-keep-seeing-stories-from-girls-saying-theyve

So this ask is me and you asked what makes it believable…well, the podcast story for one (which was from last year I think) seems pretty believable to me. It’s actually a cute story. No shade thrown at Louis, she says he was lovely and a great kisser. He took her number (don’t think he gave his) and messaged her a few times - by then he’d left LA - and then contact stopped. He’s not that big of a name in the music/celeb world - don’t get me wrong I love him but he keeps a fairly low profile - so this girl has no reason to lie in my opinion. Most folks who listen to her podcast probably have no idea who he is apart from the 1D link. Her podcast doesn’t appear to be about 1D - although I’ve not seen what else she’s done. She doesn’t appear to be a fan in fact I don’t even think she knew who he was at first, others told her.

Her story is also very similar to others that claim to have made out with him. Girl meets him in a bar/club where he’s usually with at least one other friend, they kiss, his friend kind of protects their privacy…and then nothing beyond. No stories of them going back to his hotel, sleeping with him or anything like that. Just club make outs! There was a photo doing the rounds a while ago of him sat with a girl in Mexico I think. The story from her friend was that they’d made out and it does sort of look that way from the pic but honestly who knows!

I’d say he has a type!

Of course none of these may be true (and I’m quite happy for you tell me they’re not!) but there does seem to be a reoccurring theme…

Eepers. Welcome to the show, anon!

ok I think im just gonna touch on a couple of things here for you anon:

1. About him being not big enough/why would people lie: he’s not Harry, and so it’s simply because it’s more believable. We don’t see Harry out and about at clubs. We don’t see him getting drunk and surrounded by gals in a filthy club. But we do see Louis doing that. Louis is open about his alcohol and drug use so it’s a lot easier to fabricate things about him because it’s no secret that he goes out. But I simply don’t believe he’s on the pull.

2. Continuing with texts: if he was on the pull, he wouldn’t just make out with a girl, keep texting her, and then ghost shortly after. I feel like it would be a hit it and quit it more likely, because why bother texting after if you have no intention on seeing them again? Would it just be to make him look better/because he’s a nice guy? I think it makes it seem that he was more interested in her. But in my experience, artists don’t do that, unless they wanna uphold the relationship to see that person every time they’re in town. But I just don’t think it’s the case.

3. Not being a fan: of course she wouldn’t post this from a Louis account or whatever, as it would make it more unbelievable. And you’re right, I doubt she’s a fan, and becaude she’s like “oh im not a fan” it makes it seem, again, more believable.

4. Similar stories: upholding the narrative is what makes these stories more believable. Someone says a story, paints a picture of Louis, then another person claims they made out with him too but aligns their “story” with what the other person said because it seems consistent, and the more people with a similar experience, the easier it is to believe it’s him.

5. Club make outs: these are by far the easiest to fabricate, because going back to an artist’s hotel these days seems ridiculous and too far fetched. You have to uphold a longer and more detailed story, and you’ll probably get more hate, ya know?

6. Random girls: like… okay. Listen. Making out with randoms is a surefire way to get sick when on tour. You don’t know what germs you’re getting and it’d be a big risk. Hook up with someone and wake up the next day with a sore throat? Soz, your show is cancelled!

And finally, just to put things in perspective:

Would you believe me if I said I’d hooked up with Louis? I just run this account because I once believed larry were together and I still fight for them because of the injustices they went through as kids. I’ve never discussed it before, because it’s quite clear im a fan, and it would sound quite unbelievable. But when I worked with him on tour, he invited a few of us for post show drinks, and we went out to a club with a VIP area out of sight. Oli and his crew were there, and we all drank and laughed, and had a dance. Louis grabbed my waist and we started making out, and it was super hot. I was obviously really shocked! But he was super sweet and a good kisser so I just went with the flow.

So, we continued to dance and make out and oli and security kinda noticed a few people from the dance floor below the balcony VIP area we were in, started to notice that there may have been someone famous up there. Oli moved to the front to block us, we continued making out, and luckily there was only one photo posted and I immediately asked the person to take it down. We carried on drinking shots and vodka redbulls together, celebrating an awesome Australia tour.

Louis was very touchy for the rest of the night, but we just had a laugh. He asked for my number, I gave it to him, and he said he’d text me the next day. I went back to my hotel with my workmates, and was in absolute shock and so weirded out that he was actually into women!?!?!! The whole Larry thing just dropped for me, and it turned out that yeah… the other stories were true.

We texted back and forth the next day, both laughing about our hangovers, and he was super sweet. He said he’d like to see me again when he’s in AU, and kept in touch even when he left. Communication fizzled out on his end and I figured like whatever he’s a super busy guy, and I left it at that. He was super gentle and sweet though, and very funny and loud. It was so wild!

[ultimatebottom69]

"Which is crazy since apparently they been together for years but so far I feel like I am in my office job and everyone is saying random nonsense and backstories but no one truly cares about it. Like I legit tried to play HSR because well a girl has a to try."

Lmaoooo why are you so real for that? I don't get the friendly vibe with the squad except from Lane's internal monologue. The only friendship vibe I get is from Anna and Greg's interactions with each other.

I mean for real. Remove Lane internal monologue and try to paint any relationship as actual friendship.

Like Noah is the only one who is well developped and seems to be in fine terms with Greg and Anna but it seems to be a stretch to assume they're friends. Lane say "They seem to work good together" that could just mean they got used to each others quirks and brittles not that they're friends. Also it's been at least 3 years the squad knows each others. I sure hope they know how to work together better then a random newcomer gal.

I also wanna say about the guy who disapeared. I am unsure that I should care, let me cook, I mean. We didn't see him at all, in fact we saw him so little I forgot his name. I am unsure if it was Nick or else. Except Greg calling him teamate...When he gets back inside the team they don't treat him like someone who was missed at all. In fact they treat him like an infected. They treat him like someone who may explode verbally at any moment. And if I remove Lane internal monologue. Bro is fine.

Also can we discuss how Lane got a sort of vision dream thing...And it hasn't happened at all since season 1 ? Like except for that one instance girl never saw the future again.

Oh and on Anna's route she stresses over Anna dying a lot...Like a lot. Like it happened 3 times if I remember well. Dead Anna looks hot but that's another topic. Anyway back on the squad.

Except for Kira every side character has an extremely common name like Greg and Anna. Which is hard to retain since they basically don't appear enough. Heck i forgot the name of the guy with the tatoo on his arm and the name of the one who got killed by Boris. You know one of the rare squad members who wasn't white. That we never got to know at all but we are supposed to care. Yeah the guy whose death is never mentionned again. Yeah him.

Like...I don't ask that they all act like besties or anything I am asking you to show me the characters care about each others further then basic decency as human beings. And also That's Anna's job to heal people so I am not really counting most of her questions/ actions toward the squad. Cause the story seems to try to show that she cares about Kira...That's it. Funny how they are the only two women in a squad of...Do we ever learn how many people are in the squad actually ?

Like I genuinely don't remember ? Why don't I remember how many people are in the squad. How could i forget that.

See that's also a big problem. I should be able to tell you how many people are in a "friend" group without looking up. Into the wiki.

Like it is just. Side characters wise.

Pigeon the demon.

Ashela ? The angel gal who talks like twice. Maybe 4.

Noah the cook grumpy guy. Who I kinda like as a friend.

The tatoo guy.

Kira. (Fuck that gal by the way. I'll stab her again)

Oh and the not kidnapped guy.

Ok so. You telling me out of 6 side characters. None of them appear as friends. Like genuine friends. About the Ashlela gal she is an angel so her helping the Pigeon guy means next to nothing. I'm treating the same as Anna. Unless further proof I ain't counting that one interaction.

So yeah...They feel like reluctant colleagues to me.

My grading is simple by the way : Out of apocalypse reasons. How likely would any person in the squad would be to got out together regularly for no reason other then seeing each other. No romance. Just friendship.

Anyway Author let Lane and Anna kiss before doing rhe bury your gays trope thank you. My rant here is done.

Sasha madam, please write platonic relationships, you can even ask Remy for that one. Yes. Even her.

[marvellouslymadmim]

20 Questions for Fic Writers

Thanks for the tag, @andordean

Tagging @room-on-broom @cassiopeiasara @tiffanyachings @nellectronic and whomever else wants to do it!

1. How many works do you have on A03?

Ninety five.

2. What's your total A03 word count?

1,840,502 (and counting...)

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Currently? The Witcher. I do have a few other WIPs for other fandoms but we'll see if they ever see the light of day. Previous fandoms include The Worst Witch 2019, Criminal Minds, plus a few one-shots in a few other fandoms. But those are the big ones.

4. What are your top five fics by kudos?

Pearl Diving (hells yeah the Lesbians win again), A Night with the Queen, Veiled Truths, Chaos Thy Name is Circe, Survival Skills.

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

Almost always...mainly because I feel extremely guilty if I don't (so if you have ever commented and didn't get a reply in return, don't worry. I still remember. It haunts me.) but also because I genuinely love geeking out with fellow fans. I legitimately have made some amazing friends (and also met the love of my life!) through conversations that started simply through fic comments.

6. What's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Oof...I definitely went through an angst phase so there are plenty of contenders. The Hunter's Remorse (24), Cassandra's Lament, The Unknown Known (both Battlestar Galactica), Walking Dictionary (Criminal Minds), Heart to Ashes to Stone (Game of Thrones), Long May We Reign (Reign), and Orbis Incognitus (The Walking Dead)

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

All That Glitters, Veiled Truths, Monstrous, pretty much anything I've written since about 2018ish.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

oh god. once, yes. in the Criminal Minds fandom. Granted, I pulled a surprise cliffhanger that, looking back, I would have breadcrumbed more--but I got SO MANY PEOPLE on ffnet screaming at me and generally being abusive because I *dared* to put a character in danger. it genuinely upset me so much that I stopped writing for a long time.

9. Do you write smut?

Absofuckinglutely.

10. Do you write crossovers?

I think once or twice? But I'm more of an AU kinda gal.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I know of. But I did have someone lift very specific ideas from my fic (i.e. an AU where a certain character was given a very specific nickname and occupation, which another author then took and used in their own AU), and ngl, it made me feel hella weird. For the record, I wouldn't have minded it if they had simply put in the author's notes: "hey this idea was inspired by Mim, in her fic xyz". I didn't need them to come formally ask for permission or anything like that. But to see it in the wild and see readers commenting on their "originality" really put me off that writer as a person tbh (granted they're sus af for entirely other (worse) reasons too so this only solidified my feelings).

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Not that I know of. I have had readers who weren't fluent in English run my fics through translators for Arabic and French, which I thought was hella cool.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

I don't think so? Honestly don't remember.

14. What's your all-time favourite ship?

God. ALL TIME? Idk. I do love me a dynamic of "A thinks they're unlovable and B is the most patient and loving person alive", so definitely ships like Hackle and Cal/Eist are my top faves.

15. What's the WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

Some of my old Criminal Minds stuff.

16. What are your writing strengths?

Characterization.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Pridefulness over my characterization. And also...I am a fucking calathea of mental health and creativity. Everything must be *just so* or I cannot write. No messy house, no loud noises, no stress, no sickness, no dishes in the sink, no work emails to answer, NADA. Otherwise we shrivel up and die. Fun stuff.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

I have, and knowing my insane ass, I most likely will again. Sometimes it's just fun. But ya gotta actually know the language and be 1000% certain about what you're saying.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Oh god. I think it was Cats. Yes. The musical.

20. Favourite fic you've ever written?

This is like asking a mother which child is her favorite 😅 I have a different relationship with each story, and love them each equally but in totally different ways. I will say that my favorites to re-read for comfort myself are: All That Glitters, Veiled Truths, Monstrous, and A Night with the Queen.

[foibles-fables]

tag game (Horizon)

stolen from @hellcheercaine!!! Thanks for the excuse to put off starting work for another few minutes.

1.ride or die ship (your otp): Aloy/Talanah. my rotten soldiers my sweet cheeses my good-time gals

2. most annoying ship: nah you know I don't play that game <3

3. second favourite ship: Aloy/Yarra

4. favourite platonic relationship: Aloy and Erend, Talanah and Milu, Aloy and Sylens

5. underrated ship: gonna say Aloy/Yarra here too. Also Fashav/Kotallo, Beta/Milu, Alva/Seyka (thoughts of an angsty Loyalist!Federa fic won't leave my brain ALONE)

6. overrated ship: see question 2 bls

7. one thing i would change in canon: Oh man. There are...many things, lmao. The clear and obvious one is having Talanah join the base (as we now know was the original intention [rolling_in_the_deep.mp3]). But since that one is a given--completely toss the Zeniths out of HFW. Ground the narrative conflict in gathering the subfunctions, the collapsing biosphere, and Regalla's rebellion instead. Bring GAIA back only at the very end. Save the Zeniths for the major H3 antagonist instead, negating the need for Nemesis as the Bigger Fish. How absolutely baller would it have been if the Beta reveal came as a post-credits stinger instead? (Gerard's voice: "Are you ready to finally make yourself useful, Beta?" and then a camera pan over the face of a Sobeck clone, GOD)

8. something canon did right: The entirety of "Deep Secrets of the Earth" in HZD was a masterclass in storytelling. Every part of exploring PZD HQ was remarkable. The datapoints, the juxtaposition of "The Bad News" with "The Good News," the latter of which as the culminating reveal of the mystery that's been building throughout the entire narrative--it's pretty much perfection.

9. a thing i'm proud of creating for the fandom PLEASE BRAG ABOUT YOURSELF I WANT TO SEE/READ YOUR ART: may I present to y'all my AO3 trashpile

10. a character who is perfect to me (wouldn't change a thing): ALVA. My personal shining star amongst the HFW companions. I'm also contractually obligated to say Talanah here, even if I want to shake her by the shoulders sometimes (affectionate)

11. the character i relate to the most and why: This is a tough one. I see pieces of myself in a number of the characters, but I'm not sure if there's one that I'm like, yes, that is ME. I could prrooobably say Alva again? But it's not a definitely one-to-one.

12. character(-s) i hate the most and why: All the homies hate Ted Faro, that's for sure. But that's low-hanging fruit. So I'll give Amadis as well, though not for the seemingly-obvious reason--I cannot stand the sole purpose for which he was written, from the comic all the way through his weird unsatisfying ending in HFW. He's a repeated character with a repeated conflict that was already handled much more compellingly through Nil and is rendered useless and storyless by the end of Need to Know. Bringing him back in H3 would be the sorest mistake the narrative could make aside from a sacrificial ending for Aloy. He's just unneeded character bloat in an already-admittedly-bloated cast.

13. something i've learned from the fandom: You will make some of your very best friends here. Everyone is creative and hilarious and so smart. We all connect to the Horizon universe in a different way, and sharing your enthusiasm with others is what just makes the world feel even richer than what you could have imagined.

14. three tags i seek out on ao3: I typically don't browse AO3 directly!

15. a song i strongly associate with my otp/favourite character: you're gonna make me pick ONE?? oh man, okay. so this changes by the day, and today I'll say Oceanator's "I Would Find You" is THEE Hawk and Thrush anthem.

tagging: since I stole this untagged, I challenge YOU to do the same! Choose your fandom and talk about it!

[angelfoodcake222]

@cow-stealin-gal, here's some answers to that list of questions you mentioned. You weren't kidding when you said this was a lot of questions. It took me a good hunk of the week to answer them all. Whew!

1. "What's the lie your character says most often?" The usual ones: "I'm/it's fine" "I'm/it's okay" "That doesn't hurt" "I'm peachy keen" etc.

2. "How loosely or strictly do they use the word 'friend'?" she uses terms like "My friend", "My dearest friend", or "My beloved friend" as her relationships evolve, in that order. The first one comes when she is comfortable in TADC.

3. "How often do they show their genuine emotions to others versus just the audience knowing?" She shows her more tender, caring side to the main cast, but the audience sees the beast lurking just beneath the sugary surface...

4. "What's a hobby they used to have that they miss?" See Question 38 below. Thank you :3

5. "Can they cry on command? If so, what do they think about to make it happen?"

6. "What's their favorite [insert anything] (I picked food & clothes) that they've never recommended to anyone before?"

7. "What would you (mun [???]) yell in the middle of a crowd to find them? What would their best friend and/or romantic partner yell?"

8. "How loose is their use of the phrase 'I love you'?" Boa-Constrictor-catching-its-prey loose. Though she never verbally says those three words in that order or anything similar to it, she prefers showing it rather than saying it. Gift-giving & Words of Affirmation are her specialties. Sometimes she is physical though this is sparce.

9. "Do they give tough love or gentle love most often? Which do they prefer to receive?" She is a kind, compassionate soul, but adaptive to an uncanny degree. That being said, her type of 'love' varies from character to character with other elements like the immediate environment/scene/situation, etc. at play.

10. "What fact do they excitedly tell everyone about at every opportunity?" How fast rabbits are & what bugs are the cutest.

11. "If someone was impersonating them, what would friends/family ask or do to tell the difference?" Have a brief scene written specially for this question! >:3

"Do you think you baby us too much?"

"People do not need to be coddled & babied 24/7. Though it is a nice occurrence to happen when you need it to keep your sanity, too much could do just as much harm as not doing it at all. With that out of the way, dearies-." She snatches the smug double by the arms, ears sharpening like downcast horns. Deep & demonic, her voice reverberates through the double's body to dominate any chance of retaliation. "Who the bloody f@ck do you think you are, messing with my friends, you low-budget, dollar-store wonton!?"

Violence censored by a Cain & Bubble-themed 'Technical Difficulties' screen blocks the scene.

12. "What's something that makes them laugh every single time? Be specific!" Really bad jokes. Dad Jokes, puns, & dark humor, mainly.

13. "When do they fake a smile? How often?" She smiles much like Jax but not for the same reasons. She does this smile quite often to try cheering up anyone who may need it. Jax is the exception as he angers her very well.

14. "How do they put out a candle?" When in a good mood, she'll cup her hand behind the flame & blow air with a soft whistle sound. When upset or wishing to look imposing, she'll pinch it out, no finger lick, nothing. Only pinches while holding eye contact with whoever she's attempting to intimidate. The candle (probably) isn't the only thing she would extinguish in this way when put to scale.

15. "What's the most obvious difference between their behavior at home, at work, at school, with friends, and when they're alone?" Publicly, she is a caring, nurturing, understanding, healing influence who is an ambivert. Privately, she is a candle down to her wick's end & ready to bring virtual hellfire upon this plain of childcore-coded torment. Being conducive to everyone's mental & emotional betterment is her sanity's glue & staples at this point.

16. "What kinds of people do they have arguments with in their head?"

17. "What do they notice first in the mirror versus what most people first notice looking at them?"

(18). "Who do they love truly, 100% unconditionally (if anyone)?" Insufficient information on the writer's part. This question will be answered later when the story is more developed.

19. "What would they do if stuck in a room with the person they've been avoiding?"

Option A) Makes peace as best as she can.

Option B) stays silent & keeps her distance (physically, verbally, emotionally, mentally).

Option C) If the first two fail, time to boss up & whoop a blockhead into rubble.

The last one is once in a Blue Moon but can happen if the person she's been avoiding completely ignores her very visible attempts at peace on purpose. If it's out of worry, she returns to Opt A.

20. "Who do they like as a person but hate their work? Vice versa, whose work do they like but don't like the person?" Jax & Cain, for the first half. She loves how laidback Jax is & his impish ways are amusing at times, but she hates when he's malicious & uncaring to the others. She doesn't care about her well-being, only about others, so this is the kindling of her internal conflict. Cain, though charming & charismatic, seemingly caring for his 'cast/friends/coworkers', tends to be a little too much for even her. The unpermitted touching makes this worst. She is not a fan of his activities as they do not entice much brain power to solve & often leaves the crew in danger routinely. Lady loves a good brain scratching when it's safe.

The second half is herself. See, she feels a little guilty about inadvertently putting herself out there as the main maternal figure within the cast when Ragatha was there long before her. Even though she is happy to help everyone reach self-betterment, Ragatha included, she cannot stop the shame from reaching her heart.

21. "What common etiquette do they disagree with? Do they still follow it?" Handshaking. Not everyone is comfortable with physical contact like her so she tries not to do this. She will do this if the person is insistent about it.

22. "What is an example of a simple activity that most people do/can do that scares your character?" Acrobatics & yoga. She isn't too big on heights &/or things that scream "possible body horror" to her.

23. "What do they feel guilty for that the other person(s) doesn't/don't even remember?" How she tried to avoid them when she originally blipped into existence under the digital big top.

24. "Did they take a cookie from the cookie jar? What kind of cookie was it?" No, but if she did it would be a shortbread cookie with raspberry preserves on top.

25. "What subject/topic do they know a lot about that's completely useless to the direct plot?" The amount of rabbit/hare/bunny breeds there are currently & the fun facts for each & every single one of them.

26. "How would they respond to being fired by a good boss?" Takes it on the chin like a champ but is crumbling on the inside.

27. "What's the worst gift they ever received? How did they respond?" Glitter trap from Jax. Cain was going to clean her off with the snap of his fingers but stopped when she started laughing merrily & heartedly. "I love fine glitter! Thank you, Jax!" She actually hates glitter of all kinds, fine or chunky, shaped or not. She only did this to damper Jax's malicious smirk. She let Cain clean the rest of the surroundings but wore that glitter for months just to prove a point. Yes, she's motherly & kind, but she has her peeves & limits. Jax pushes all of it.

28. "What do they tell people they want? What do they actually want?" To help everyone be their best selves. She wants to be the shoulder(s) to cry into, for the crying person's sanity & hers.

29. "How do they respond when someone doesn't believe them?" Understanding. She isn't everyone's container of favored beverage & she knows it. If the situation is too bad for her to be this way, she will get snippy with the person if that person is rude or ignores her words.

30. "When they make a mistake and feel bad, does the guilt differ when it's personal versus when it's professional?" This varies. Bigger the issue/mistake, the worst the emotions & vice versa. She's trying her best though.

31. "When do they feel the most guilt? How do they respond to it?" Whenever someone comes to her for advice or comfort instead of Ragatha. She helps them with whatever they're asking with the usual bonus (if desired by the asker) to bring Ragatha's second opinion into play for possibly better results. Ragatha herself comes to her occasionally to talk over subjects they share interests in.

32. "If they committed one petty crime/misdemeanor, what would it be? Why?" Jaywalking & motor vehicle offenses. Jaywalking because she is not fond of crowded routes &/or places period. Motor Vehicle Offenses (Speeding & running traffic lights) because girlie has no head for speed management & has poor vision at a distance.

34. "How do they greet someone they like/love?" All the warm, soft, cozy vocals you could think of. Hugs are optional. She is careful to note what the liked character does & doesn't like to do.

33. "How do they greet someone they dislike/hate?" Very formally. No warmth, no softness. Cold, hard tones through & through until the person catches on to her behavior. What the character does next determines her behavior onwards. Physical contact is at the negative numbers as is her normally kind adaptability.

35. "What is the smallest, morally questionable choice they've made?" Tricking Jax into a box filled with Gloinks as punishment for his mean actions. Due to her respecting the Gloink Queen unlike any other, aside from Kinger, the Queen granted her leadership of some lesser Gloinks to carry out Jax's retribution. Both were pleased with his annoyance & anger.

36. "Who do they keep in their life for professional gain? Is it for malicious intent?" Nobody & nope. She is stuck in the circus & takes care of everyone, even Jax (occasionally & sneakily). This is more like maternal intent for most.

37. "What's a secret they haven't told serious romantic partners and don't plan to tell?" Sadomaso to the bone. More on the 'Sado-' than the '-maso', but she has a motherly reputation to uphold.

38. "What hobby are they good at in private, but bad at in front of others? Why?" Domestic chores; baking, cooking, laundry, & so on. What good are such activities if there is zero need for them?

39. "Would they rather be invited to an event to feel included or be excluded from an event if they were not genuinely wanted there?" A bit of both. She loves feeling included & welcomed but if she isn't wanted then that's okay. She'll just take a long walk around the grounds or retire to her room. Now, if the invitation is verbally delivered with wholehearted want, she'll attend solely for that one person's contentment. If she is in a position where not one person likes her, she'll shrug. "Don't let me spoil your merriment, dearies. I'll be off now."

40. "How do they respond to a loose handshake? What goes through their head?" Put simply, she's worried & confused. "Is this person well? Am I grabbing/shaking too hard? Maybe they don't like being touched & are just doing this for etiquette's sake? I'll make a note of this & find better-tailored ways to interact with them if they'll grant me their friendship at any level."

41. What phrases, pronunciations, or mannerisms did they pick up from someone / somewhere else?

42. If invited to a TED Talk, what topic would they present on? What would the title of their presentation be?

43. What do they commonly misinterpret because of their own upbringing / environment / biases? How do they respond when realizing the misunderstanding?

44. What language would be easiest for them to learn? Why?

45. What's something unimportant / frivolous that they hate passionately?

46. Are they a listener or a talker? If they're a listener, what makes them talk? If they're a talker, what makes them listen?

47. "Who have they forgotten about that remembers them very well?" Her family back in the real world. In her defense, nobody remembers anything of their past lives when in the circus.

48. Who would they say 'yes' to if invited to do something they abhorred / strongly didn't want to do?

49. Would they eat something they find gross to be polite?

50. What belief / moral / personality trait do they stand by that you (mun [???]) personally don't agree with?

[catindabag]

TBOSAS AU ✨CRACK! TAKE✨: The 10th HG Mentors According to Drunk Dean Highbottom. (Part 4)

⭐️❄️⭐️

Well, here is the last part of this TBOSAS Crack! Post. Still, for the new readers, I would like you to read part one for context.

Here are all the parts anyway: [1] [2] [3]

⭐️MENTORS⭐️

Palmolive Monthly? Chimaera Moon Tea? (Palmyra Monty)

Eats expired food on a daily basis.

How are you still even alive?!

Immune to poison, but don’t ask how.

A Diabolical Bimbo Psycho.

Sweet but might kill me in my sleep.

Therapists are afraid of her.

Your mama is unhinged AF.

Stop sending your classmates to the hospital every other day!😫

Almost destroyed the school kitchen.

Is banned from entering any public kitchen.

Is very skilled with a blade kitchen knife.

Can’t be trusted with anyone’s life.

May have accidentally killed people before.

My hospital bills left the chat.

The Capitol’s health care system only existed because of you.

Almost killed me with cursed cookies.

Your family only got rich by owning the largest distillery in all of Panem.

You literally owe me and your class a lifetime supply of posca!

You do know your family murdered a lot of rebels via food poisoning, right?

Can and WILL certainly win the Hunger Games, but don’t ask how.🤢

Dominatrix Whim Sicko? Domestic Whim Sea Witch? (Domitia Whimsiwick)

The “Dairy Heiress” of Panem.

Very kind and caring.

Willing to trade a fat chicken for good grades.

Brought a dairy cow for ✨Show & Tell✨.

Knows how to make delicious cheese.

Has a “therapy” goat named Mr. Peachy Pants.

Can bride anyone with a slice of butter.

Gave me a fresh bottle of milk when I got hospitalized from food poisoning.

Your father is too carefree to be a business tycoon.

Your family’s mansion looks more like ranch. Just saying.🙄

Why do you wear farm boots to school?

Does my school look like a barn to you?!

Can easily wrestle a bull.

Is allergic to raspberries for some reason.

Don’t crash your family’s tractor in the entrance hall again.

Forever banned from driving any kind of vehicle in the Capitol.

Stuck on her “Farm Gal” era forever.

Likes to take pictures of cute feral squirrels.

Will only win the Hunger Games if she was allowed to ride a cow to victory.

Tennis String (Dennis Fling)

Likes to smuggle and trade illegal goods.

Business minded.

Manipulative AF.

Very friendly, but untrustworthy.

Is painfully likable AF.

Likes the smell of money.

Can find any loopholes to avoid jail time.

Too dangerous to become a lawyer.

Is not allowed to go into politics.

Claimed to have seen at least a hundred banned films.

Your family is shady AF, and everybody knows it.

Don’t send me a literal horse head as a joke again!😠

Your family only got FILTHY RICH by illegally establishing and running the Capitol Black Market.

Remind me again on why I haven’t expelled you yet.🤔

Gave me a stolen but expensive painting for Teacher’s Day.

Yes. I know. You can’t be reaped as a Tribute in the Hunger Games if you can bribe everyone and anyone, even your own mother that you never existed in the first place.

Apple Ring (Apollo Ring)

Extremely friendly.

Likes to wear identical outfits with his twin.

Sometimes has delinquent tendencies.

Is a certified Himbo.

Has a sunny personality.

Happy all the time, even at funerals.

Acts like a golden retriever.

Stop stealing and eating my cupcakes every time you visit my office!

By the way, how the heck did your family got super rich just by selling pajama onesies?!

And why can’t you give me that exclusive lion onesie for free?🥺

Most likely to surrender himself for a puppy.

Likes everyone, even the mean girls.

Too carefree for his own good.

Greets danger like a friend.

Gave me a very nice mug for the winter holidays.🥹

Survival rate is almost close to zero.

Will NEVER win the Hunger Games. You’re literally too nice for your own good.

Dino Ring (Diana Ring)

Always on her “Soft Girl” era.

Has a sunny personally.

Dangerously lovable AF.

Is a certified Bimbo.

Too carefree to survive a war.

Was almost labeled as the only “normal” student of her class.

Is always optimistic, but in an unhealthy kind of way.

Acts like a very jolly corgi.

Loves to eat sweets.

Tell your rich parents to send me a free but exclusive onesie.

Also, don’t tell your mama that it was me who was asking.

Likes to give big sisterly warm hugs to everyone but me.🥺

I know that you were the one who stole my precious jar of marbles.😠

I should give you a demerit for that alone.

The only student who gave me a holiday greeting card.🥹

Will NEVER win the Hunger Games, just like her own twin.

Tiny Harry Tone (Pliny “Pup” Harrington)

Is a very good swimmer.

Your father is strict and scary AF.

Your family members are known to value cleanliness and good manners above all else. So why are you such a slob?

Thinks he’s the class clown.

Hangs out with garbage boy every weekend.

Knows how to hype up a crowd.

Is good at throwing the best underground parties ever, but don’t tell his dad.

Can forge anyone’s signature, even his own father’s.

Sometimes skips school to secretly go clubbing with a bunch dropouts.

Gave me a freaking jar of sand from District 4 as a “thank you” gift.

Claimed to have the ability to talk to freaking dolphins.

Has no interest in following his father’s footsteps.

Can literally sleep anywhere and everywhere.

Once slept under the teacher’s desk without anyone knowing.

Once slept inside my office cabinet without me noticing.

Don’t go into my office if you just want to skip class and sleep all day!

Likes to eat any kind of soup.

Can stay underwater for about 5 minutes. Impressive, really.

Can win the Hunger Games by hiding and sleeping all the way to victory.