#not looking forward that for my girl what a waste of a great casting too

[savages-weapons]

ok but Saint Alia of the Knife story arc and her entire fate makes no sense if she doesn't kill the baron?

[always-rolling-my-eyes]

Here are my thoughts on the DWTS Cast and Partnerships

Who I’m excited for:

-Stephen and Rylee - Mr. Pummel Horse Man! Before the Olympics even started I thought it would be cool if DWTS got a male gymnast for a change and after he went viral I knew he was a lock for the show. He’s clearly the early frontrunner and barring anything catastrophic, I can’t see them not making the finals because even if his dancing skills are subpar he will for sure be the People’s Prince and will be raking in the votes. I’m a little disappointed he didn’t get paired with Britt or Daniella, but I lowkey feel like Rylee is being primed to be the new face of the show to attract a new generation so, I’m not too surprised they gave her the ringer of the season. Plus, I’m looking forward to seeing what she can do choreography-wise with a competent partner. They’re my preseason winner pick

-Illona and Alan - Love her personality, love her attitude, love her confidence, love her. I am SO happy she is doing the show. I was worried they wouldn’t want more than one Olympian on the season but I am so glad that wasn’t the case. Not only do I think she is going to kill it but I also think she will be the most fun. I have high hopes for Alan, he’s usually pretty reliable when it comes to choreography. I don’t really remember anything remarkable from him over the years, but I also don’t remember anything super terrible, so I think he knows the potential he has with this partnership and he won’t waste it. I think she could be the closest to spoiling Stephen’s win and it’s crazy how possible an all-Olympian Final 2 is

-Tori and Pasha - Donna Martin graduates! Sorry, but my fellow 90’s kids will know exactly what I’m talking about. I cannot be the only person who can’t believe she hasn’t done this show before, especially considering how many other 90210 cast members have been on already (RIP Shannon Doherty 💔🕊️) I don’t think she’ll be a great dancer, probably more middle of the pack, but she does have Pasha as a pro, and that goes a long way in this competition. I think with Pasha’s ability to teach / choreograph to his partner’s strengths and being the perfect 90’s nostalgia vote for the demographic, I can see her going far…unless she’s super, super terrible 😬

-Reginald and Emma - Oh, hi Big Guy! I didn’t even like Family Matters all that much but I still can’t tell you how lowkey excited I was when I heard his name, and I think a lot of others will feel the same. I think he’s going to be lovable and sweet and another one who will hit this demographic right in all the nostalgia feels. And with Emma as a partner, well that girl has proven herself (time and time again 😒) to being a miracle worker, and as frustrated as I am that she always gets partners like this, I can’t say I don’t enjoy the partnerships because she is just so good with them. He’s either an early boot or going far and the show will have to manipulate his elimination

Who I’m intrigued by:

-Danny and Witney - All I know is that he’s a football player and they notoriously do well on this show, so I have to admit I am very interested to see what he can do and WITNEY’S BACK! The last time she came back from a break she was better than ever so I am very much looking forward to seeing her in the ballroom again and I think this pair will be a dark horse to look out for

-Chandler and Brandon - I have never heard of her before. Disney girl, Pretty Little Liars spinoff, that’s all I got when I looked her up. I think she’s going to be a great dancer and Brandon will do great with her, however, I worry about her coming in with what could potentially be a very young and small fanbase and I don’t think the producers will go out of their way to help Brandon, do I can see this couple being a sacrificial lamb to help move forward the producers agenda. Then again, I had never heard of Xochitl last season and she won the whole damn thing so, who knows 😂

-Phaedra and Val - THIS A’INT PHAEDRA! (RHOA fans will understand) She’s hysterical, works hard and knows what needs to be done but doesn’t take herself too seriously. I think she will be a great performer but perhaps some of the more technical dances might be problematic for her but I think her personality will shine through no matter what. Still hate Val.

-Jenn and Sasha - I don’t watch any of the Bachelor / Bachelorette, but I heard she had a DEVASTATING night on Monday, like oh my god. This last minute addition does feel a little bit icky, like ABC is trying to ease some of the blowback they got from fans and the media for how she was treated during her finale, but I hope she has fun and enjoys the experience…well, as much as she can enjoy is with Sasha as her partner. I have zero faith in Sasha’s abilities. Why DWTS feels the need to continuously shove this untalented, misogynistic, offensive gremlin down our throats I will never know but all I can hope for is Jenn gets a positive experience out of it

Who I’m ehh on:

-Joey and Jenna - Like I said, I don’t watch any of the Bachelor / Bachelorette so I still kind of have no idea who this man is. Jenna’s a terrible teacher, so unless he has dance experience already he is not going to be good, but Bachelor Nation will probably carry him to at least the middle of the season, but I am curious if they will split votes between Joey and Jenn. I wonder who Bachelor Nation would rally behind, Joey or Jenn? But the real question is, who would the producers rally behind, Sasha or Jenna? 🤔 Watch this space…

-Brooks and Gleb - I have no idea who this woman is. A Sports Illustrated model? Great, more mediocre, sexy dances from Gleb, just what I was hoping for. I think they’ll get to week 3, MAYBE week 4, until Gleb checks out and they’ll end up being a middle, unexciting elimination

Who I wish I didn’t have to acknowledge their existence:

-Dwight and Dani - Never a fan of SA allegations, so I will not be supporting. Sucks Dani has to deal with this because I know she is probably going to come up with some amazing choreography for him but 🤮

-Eric and Britt - YUCK. So problematic, I just…don’t understand why they would even cast this man…did they think there would be a chance Julia would show up in the ballroom? Who am I kidding, they would’ve settled for Emma, but neither is happing, that’s for damn sure. Why do they keep doing this to Britt? She deserves so much better (no female pro deserves to have to deal with this, for the record) DWTS is never kind to her but at least she’s getting a husband out of it

-Anna and Ezra - I don’t care. I just…don’t care. The ankle monitor just shows how low this show is willing to go which is especially gross when there are plenty of celebrities who have been campaigning to get on this show for years and she doesn’t even seem to want to be here. Ezra, I am so sorry, but maybe they’ll let you choreograph one of the pro numbers?

Me being petty:

SOMEONE CHECK ON SCHEANA (Vanderpump Rules fans will understand 😂)

[baggebythesea]

Queens of the Horde - Tumblr exclusive curtain call

"Aaaaaaaand scene," Double Trouble said and bowed deeply. The audience applauded politely. Double Trouble did a little wave, and the curtain opened behind them, showing the rest of the cast smiling and waving at the audience.

"That concludes the final act of our show 'Queens of the Horde'," Double Trouble said to the audience. "Please, give a hand for our lead actresses, Glimmer and Catra!"

Beaming, the two queens stepped forward with Adora in tow and bowed deeply.

"Tell me," Double Trouble said. "What was it like carrying the narrative."

"Too much like work," Catra said. "But at least Sparkles was cute when she was mopey."

"I got to play the bad girl AND the hero," Glimmer said with a smug smirk. "It was great."

"And how about you, Adora," Double Trouble leered. "What do you think of the ending?"

"Can't hear you over the sound of me hugging Catra and Glimmer for a MONTH!" Adora said, burying her face in Catra's fur.

"And let's here it for our breakout characters," Double Trouble went on. "Jack and Frosta, also known as 'Jack Frost' or 'Snowbunny'. Thank you!"

An enthusiastic Frosta dragged a blushing Jack with her to the middle of the stage. Jack attempted a bow, but before they knew it Frosta had scooped them up in a big kiss, to the 'Oooh's and 'Aaaw's of the rest of the cast.

"How does it feel, knowing that the readers think you're the cutest thing of the entire fic?" Double Trouble asked.

"Darn tooting we are," Frosta grinned while Jack looked at the floor without being able to answer.

"What will you do now?" Double Trouble pressed on.

"We're off to a well earned vacation," Frosta said. "Did you know that Jack has never seen a hot spring? I'm taking them to Mystacor."

"You don't have to tell them that..." Jack mumbled, not looking at the audience.

"Sorry, you're just so adorable when you're flustered," Frosta teased as they stepped to the side of the stage.

"And a big hand for our lovely support characters," Double Trouble cried. "Bow, Scorpia, Entrapta, Lonnie, Netossa, Spinnerella, Perfuma, Mermista, Sea Hawk, all the rest of you, let's give them a big hand... don't set fire to the set, Hot Stuff."

The stage filled up with people as everyone tired to fit in - or in the case of Kyle, tried to hide behind the rest.

"I for one am very proud of everyone," Bow said. "This has been a great show."

"Go us," Mermista said with dry voice and snuffed out a torch Sea Hawk was secretly trying to light.

"DID SOMEONE SAY SWIFT WIND?" the flying horse said has he landed with a crash on the stage, forcing people to flee.

"And let's not forget our Villains," Double Trouble went on as Swift Wind was ushered off the stage. "Can't have proper drama without a good antagonist." Stiffly and without acknowledging each other's presence, Hordak and Shadow Weaver walked up on stage. They glared at the audience for a moment without bowing.

"Now when the fic is over, what's your thoughts?" Double Trouble asked.

"My part was mercifully short," Hordak grumbled.

"Exactly the flat melodrama one could expect from a story staring Catra," Shadow Weaver sniffed. "I am however deeply disappointed in Micah's daughter who wastes her potential on this kind of drivel."

"It's called romance," Glimmer leered, holding Catra and Adora tighter.

"I know what I said," Shadow Weaver said and left the stage with a harrumph.

"The author wishes to thank all of us for doing a great job," Bow said, entering the stage and reading from a letter. "With a special shot-out to Jack for being a really considerate Original Character (the author has been kinda shy about writing those before so thanks for easing them into it) and a special fuck-you to Catra for being emotionally complex and making the fic ten chapters longer than it would otherwise have been."

"Can't let that fucker have it too easy," Catra smirked, while Frosta and Glimmer high fived the flustered Jack.

"The author also wishes to thank the audience," Bow went on. "Every like, reblog, kudos, read, comment, piece of art, spotify-list, tv-trope entry, theory, 'damn you'... It has been an incredible journey, and your engagement has made it all worth it. Thank you so much."

"They are just fishing for more comments, aren't they?" Lonnie sighed.

"Never deny an artist their curtain call," Double Trouble smirked.

"There sadly won't be a sequel," Bow went on, reading from the letter, "but if it were, it would have been about taking down Horde Prime with cunning and teamwork, and the author doesn't feel up to another multiple chapter story of that magnitude."

"Go read 'Queen Glimmer - Supreme ruler of the universe' for that kind of story," Glimmer quickly piped in.

"Then what will be the author's next project?" Double Trouble asked.

"Well, obviously they need another big Glitra project," Catra immediately said. "I know they had an s1 story planned awhile back..."

"...or maybe some Glimmadora?" Adora blushed. "A sequel to Glimmer's hero?"

"Or perhaps another entry in the 'Baker and the Biker' series?" Bow hopefully said.

"All excellent options," Glimmer grinned. "And of course 'Glimmer dates everyone' is still woefully incomplete."

"Yeah, yeah, we get it," Catra said with an eyeroll. "The author has a type."

"So do you," Glimmer said with a sweet smile, causing Catra to turn away her face to hide a blush.

"And 'You even taste like Glitter' will keep update monthly," Bow explained. "Apparently something big is planned for two or three chapters from now."

"Will Catra finally pop the question?" Glimmer teased.

"Shut up, Sparkles," Catra muttered.

"I heard they are taking a stab at original fiction," Double Trouble helpfully said. "A short story about creepy princesses, and then something with mermaids?"

"What?" Glimmer said in indignation. "Why would they want to write about a dumb mermaid instead of me?"

"Because mermaids are, like, awesome," Mermista said with a little smug smile.

"Right you are, my oceanic blossom!" Sea Hawk rumbled and put his arms around her shoulders. She rolled her eyes and moved a bit closer to him.

"Yeah, whatever," Catra said with an eyeroll of her own. "We all know they'll write about a pink princess named 'Flimmer' in half a year or so anyway."

"That's trademark violation!" Glimmer gasped.

"Hate to break it to you, Glimmer," Bow said with a gentle smile, "but you are not the first pink princess in history."

"No, but I'm the best," Glimmer countered.

"You'll find the author's original fiction at Writer's Café and Royal Road, pen name Bagge," Double Trouble quickly interjected. "However, they promise that they won't give up on fanfic either. There will be more Glimmer stories to come."

"There'd better be," Glimmer sniffed.

"Anyway," Double Trouble said, while the cast took another deep bow. "Thank you everyone - cast and readers alike - for sharing this journey. Tons of fun were had, and there will be more where that came from. Keep making fandom great and have a grand ol' time."

They looked straight at the audience.

"And scene."

[agentnico]

Barbie (2023) Review

Snyderverse fans are going to be peed off after seeing this movie, just saying.

Plot: Barbie and Ken are having the time of their lives in the colourful and seemingly perfect world of Barbie Land. However, when they get a chance to go to the real world, they soon discover the joys and perils of living among humans.

There are many who would roll their eyes at me for looking forward to the Barbie movie, however I like the cast and the trailers looked like silly fun, so of course I was going to see it. Conveniently my dear fiancée was super excited too, so we went together and as such I could act in front of other cinemagoers as the partner who was dragged by his misses to see a chick-flick, when in reality I was like “c’mon Barbie let’s go party!!”. And turns out Barbie is indeed silly fun. It’s extremely funny, and in fact may be the most hilarious comedy of this year. It’s bright and colourful and so so pink, with dance numbers and glitter and sparkles everywhere, a cast that is so over-the-top yet so in on the joke, and a good load of feminist themes in there too to bring home the movie’s main message.

First off the look - I’m sure most have read the article where production designer Sarah Greenwood spoke of this film causing a worldwide shortage of pink paint due to the sets of Barbieland and its really evident in the final result. There is so much pink, from the dollhouses to the beaches to the clouds in the sky - everything is so pink. But also not only pink, but any bright colours such as yellow and green are all present on the various costumes of the Barbies and Kens. Greta Gerwig really goes for it when it comes to bringing this world to life, and it looks amazing. Accompanied by a flashy soundtrack featuring some famous pop icons, and if you like pop music I’m sure you’ll get a kick out of Dua Lipa and Nicki Minaj, however I myself more enjoyed the inclusion of the psychedelic notes of Tame Impala and the original song sung by Ryan Gosling’s Ken. But yes, from a technical stand-point Barbie is actually fairly impressive. Even the opening homage to 2001: A Space Odyssey deserves applause.

Right, from a positive I’m going to temporarily sway into a negative, and that’s in the movie’s messy plotline and messages. So the story on its own is decent, however there are so many character dynamics to balance that some end up being left unexplained or wasted. For example, in the movie’s real world America Ferrera’s daughter at the beginning acts like a spoiled mean brat who hates everyone and thing. That would have been alright if they kept that going and then maybe gave her a redemption arc at the end. But no, she is mean at the start but then randomly becomes super nice and kind to her mother and Barbie, and I’m like how did that happen? Also, I applaud Mattel for allowing this movie to poke fun at the corporate execs of its own company, and when they are introduced led by Will Ferrell it’s all fun and games, however later on we have these execs follow Barbie into Barbie-land and at that point the movie forgets about them only to randomly have them feature in scenes without them serving a purpose. I felt like they were unnecessary in the end of the movie. As for the movie’s feminist thematic, the messages are very muddled. At one point the movie goes fully into the idea that all men are pigs and women are all oppressed, and at other points it strives for giving the message of the importance of equality, and it jumps between the two and I’m like - what message are you giving here? Luckily in the end the movie does settle on the decision, but the journey there is a messy one. And last complaint - what the hell have they done to the ‘Barbie Girl’ song? Nicki Minaj and Ice Spice remix it in such a techno-heavy messy pop style and it’s such a disservice to the original song.

Where the movie excels most at is the comedy. Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach cooked up a very funny script with some great one-liners, however it’s evident there was a lot of improv happening from the cast, especially from the likes of Will Ferrell and Kate McKinnon. But also it was the use of slapstick humour that really got me. The amount of times I’d notice various characters in the background pulling some hilarious expressions, with Kingsley Ben-Adir and Ncuti Gatwa especially standing out in that regard. Margot Robbie is on top form as the central Barbie, showcasing that gullible innocent outlook on the world and then providing the necessary emotional gravitas we know Robbie does so well. Michael Cera pops in throughout as Allen, and his awkward self fits in perfectly into that role. But the real MVP of this movie is without a doubt Ryan Gosling, who may have that rare opportunity to get an Oscar nomination for a comedic performance. Gosling indeed discovers his inner-Ken, and is so outrageously silly as he scene-steals every moment by showing his Ken’s himbo frailty. He goes from Barbie's needy beau to a swaggering, macho doofus as he throws himself headlong into how he thinks a real man should behave. Gosling sells his square-jawed character's earnestness and gets to tap into his "All New Mickey Mouse Club" musical theatre roots simultaneously. He's a total hoot. Oh, and the opening that features the parody of 2001: A Space Odyssey - the girl with the glasses in that segment had some of the funniest expressions - she was great in her short part.

My fiancée also enjoyed all the endless references to the various previous Barbie dolls, so the nostalgia factor is definitely there. Overall Barbie is a super entertaining cinema going experience that will have you belly laughing as long as you are willing to embrace the crazy eccentric world Greta Gerwig has built. Makes me look forward to her Narnia movies. Everyone needs that little bit of Gerwig flavouring, and that is more than Kenough.

Overall score: 7/10

[unidentified-owl]

Rambling

I just want to comment a bit on the new opening for Persona 3 : Reload. It is honestly mostly long winded and nit-picky. I simply wanted to have some fun and dissect the new OP. And I would like to preface that I don't think the original opening for P3 is a perfect, untouchable piece of history. It is older animation that was also low budget. We get a lot of mostly static images with text, abstract visuals, and limited animation. It does match strongly with the feel of Burn my Dread, though. Almost anything would get a boost from having that song playing in the background.

Persona 3 plot and character spoilers below.

First off I'm not sure how much I like the new song. It is difficult to compare Full Moon Life to Burn my Dread as the latter has a legacy of remixes, covers, and nostalgia behind it. And, even from the titles, they seem to be bringing forward wildly different premises. Full Moon Life sounds a lot more celebratory. This, and the whole remaking of P3 from the ground up, is a love letter to the original. I'm not sure I can fairly judge the opening song without hearing how it is transformed later in the game. Right now it does feel a bit generic when it isn't referencing other P3 songs. I'll be curious how the full version sounds and when I have a chance for a few more listens.

I love the MC walking slowly past the iconic Tatsumi Port Island windmills; ocean and gulls quietly calling in the background. Him flipping his player through other iconic songs and selecting the new OP is great. In this short moment we get a nice, atmospheric feel for the MC and the setting. We get quick call outs to the original game and then it transitions beautifully into something new. I think this is well done.

MC walking out and using the swipes and silhouette call backs to the original opening is fine. As are the butterflies as a transition.

And this is my first complaint: who are these people supposed to be? At first I thought it might be a cute Easter Egg of the singers, but it doesn't look like it matches them. Are these supposed to be the NPCs who hang out at alleys with Shinjiro? With the shadow gore I would expect it be someone like Strega. That could keep the ominous gossiping while introducing actual game characters. They feel jarring and a bit of a waste on the very limited time for the OP.

After this are more city scenes with a transition to a jumping Gekkoukan student who turns into a coffin in the dark hour. More non important characters, but this one is at least setting up apathy syndrome/dark hour encasement in a snappy, visually active way. I don't think this matches the atmosphere of stepping out of the station to a world of coffins like the opening scenes of the game does, but it also isn't trying for something that moody. I wouldn't mind it so much if I wasn't already stuck on the previous two not main cast characters.

Now we enter the cast introduction part of the opening. Yukari feels a bit cheated throughout this opening. I would like this set up of her better if the reflection in the sink showed a silhouette of her father disappearing or shattered behind her. Instead, Yukari is reduced to 'the girl.' That's unfairly shallow for a character who is willingly throwing herself into mortal danger for the chance to learn more about what happened to her father. A face down picture frame somewhere might be a nice visual hint too.

Junpei's scene is startlingly good. Persona 'best friend' characters can be a little flanderized. I'm very glad they did not go wacky punching bag here. In daylight we see Junpei as a friendly guy and flip to dark hour trauma. My only very minor point is, when the school switches to dark hour, the giant shadowed column of the school entrance is a distracting shape. It looks oddly floating at this angle and I thought it was someone's persona at first. It might look better as a composition removed to just leave Junpei as an isolated dark shape in the corner, or actually make that a part of someone's persona floating behind him. It is stealing the focus like this.

Mitsuru racing across on her bike is a good scene setter for her. She's a highly active character in establishing both the current situation of the game and the events in the past that led to it. My only wish is the background looming of Tartarus that we see next with Akihiko, Shinjiro, and Ken was part of a transition with Mitsuru. More than any other character, almost Mitsuru's entire life has been defined by Tartarus, the dark hour, and its creation. It haunts her past, present, and the legacy of her future.

Trapping the trio of Akihiko, Shinjiro, and Ken in a train is a good metaphor. Where they are going has already been determined by decisions in the past. They are all together in it, but visually locked in opposition by the camera. We don't learn much about them individually here, but it gives a fast encapsulation of their relationship.

We jump from the train, to Tartarus, to depressed MC in greyscale using his evoker to summon an intensely blue Orpheus. Then to the Velvet Room with Igor and Elizabeth. Looks like they wanted to match the lyrics some with the fires and blood red spider lily that becomes the contractor's key. With what I believe is a crow on the stop light at the beginning of the opening, the spider lily is our second oblique memento mori reference. The original was very overt with those, so this has been a large shift in tone.

The showcase of several of our cast and their persona follows. Seems a pretty standard way to run through a gamut of characters. Fuuka definitely gets the most dramatic scene, which is nice since this is our first shot of her. We don't see Shinjiro, Ken, Koromaru, or Aigis here.

Koromaru doesn't get to show off Cerberus, but we move to the only red drenched setting of the introduction of a sad Koro waiting at the shrine, behind torii gates and what I'm guessing are references to the Hachiko statue. The non verbal character gets some of the strongest environmental cues to represent his loyalty and loss.

Fuuka on the blue drenched Gekkoukan roof works well. It builds on isolation from Koro's scene and references her and Natsuki. Fuuka and Junpei are similar in wanting to join SEES for personal reasons without the history to the dark hour. Fuuka's main impetus being wanting to connect to others without losing herself.

Pharos directly interacting with the camera is a nice touch. It fits with a character who exists outside the world and has knowledge of fate. Ikutsuki 's surveillance does honestly feel more bland than his original introduction scene, spread eagle and mad in the shadow of a bloody Tartarus.

The next scenes are some of the more visually interesting, in my opinion. MC flung to the side with abstract water motif before he watches a waxing yellow moon reveal a berserk Thanatos. The moon blinks and cries blood tears which a yellow scarfed Ryoji steps into. This sequence is strong for both people who are new to the game and are returning. This is also the first time we see Ryoji's color of bright yellow.

I'm not sure if the destruction, or keeping it linked to Ryoji for a moment more, is why we first see Aigis with blood red hair after the transition. The face down tarot around her could represent FES, but more immediately it seems to be her sealing the tarot shadows to prevent Nyx's appearance. The zoom in to her inhuman eye, highlights the hands of the clock and the vague marks of the surrounding tarot the markers as the dark hour is established. Both Aigis and the Fool are trapped in the center. The eye reflection Aigis retains red hair, while the one facing the audience acquires her actual bright moon yellow colored hair. And that giant eye/moon symbol blinks again. The camera transitions to a still damaged Aigis bathed in yellow, shutdown in a lab. Our three moon characters locked in stasis until the events of the game begin. Lots of fun symbolism for past players here.

The last scenes are some of our main cast in their school uniforms. The looking up at the camera as they casually walk reminds me of original P3 image art. And the MC, in an echo of Elizabeth, throws his player to the audience to reveal the game's logo.

Overall, I wish we had more of the memento mori of the original. Finding meaning in spite of the tragedy is such a huge part of Persona 3. This feels much more glossy and does a better job of introducing the cast, but it lacks the strong message that is core to the game.

From the few watch throughs, I did not get a dramatic music and visual sync up like I do from parts of the original. The scene where the clock ticking in Burn my Dread as the MC lifts his evoker and shoots followed by a moment of silent before the chorus starts is an example. It could be my lack of familiarity with these new lyrics.

I'm curious how the rest of Reload will work out. A little less than a month before we can experience it.

[jasonblaze72]

Who Is Adam Sandler Married To? From Big Daddy To A Very Happy Marriage

All of us know that Adam Sandler has formed a great career and a net worth of around $420 million by entertaining people on Saturday Night Live and on the big screen for more than thirty years now. Most people don't know about his love life, and for the past 22 years, he has been enjoying a steady and calm romance with Jackie Sandler, his wife, who was previously known as Jacqueline Samantha Titone.  Over the years, both of them have worked jointly, conveying a lot of sweet memories on the red carpets. But most of the time, Jackie keeps residing a low-key life. If you want to know more about her, you are reading the right article. This article has everything you need to know and what is the secret to their long-lasting marriage.  Who Is Adam Sandler's Wife, Jackie Titone Sandler? Even if you cannot recognize her by her name, if you have watched Adam Sandler's past movies, then you will have no hard time remembering her as there is a high chance that you have already seen her in one of the movies. She was born in Florida Coral Springs, the daughter of Joseph Titone and Lila Titone was a cheerleader at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, and after graduating, she started her modeling career. She gained fame as a model and decided to choose a different path, acting.  How Did Adam Sandler Meet Jackie Titone Sandler? Jackie's first role was in Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo, a 1999 movie. She only played a small part as Sally, but that path changed her career forever. The aspiring actress got noticed by Rob Schneider, a film star and friend of Adam Sandler. This directed Adam to cast Jackie in Big Daddy in 1999. Again the role was small, this time, she played a Waitress, but something significant happened in both of their lives, which was marriage. From Big Daddy To A Very Happy Marriage The movie was released in 1999; as mentioned above, she did not have a major role in the movie, so it did not boost her career as an actress, but it sure did change her love life forever. By the time people began watching the movie, Adam and Jackie were already dating and did not waste any time and looked straight into the future.  In the same year, Jackie transformed into Judaism, and at this point in time, she was far ahead in her modeling career. She was getting a new role as Jackie Sandler. Her conversion to Judaism was a big thing for Adam Sandler, as he is very scornful of his Jewish origins.  Since then, Jackie has been seen in many of her husband's movies, such as Grown Ups, Grown Ups 2, Just Go With It, Little Nicky, and 50 First Dates. In 2003 both of them got married in a Jewish ceremony at Dick Clark's Malibu estate, where they focused completely on their families. There were more than 400 guests, and among them, Sharon Osbourne, Rodney Dangerfield, and Jennifer Aniston were also seen celebrating their wedding. The couple welcomed their first kid in 2006, Sadie and Sunny, in 2008. The couple has been blessed with two daughters.  The Secret To Jackie And Adam Sandler's Marriage Jackie and Adam Sandler have been with each other for the last 22 years, and their bond has been growing stronger every day. In July 2020, they both celebrated their anniversary; on Instagram, Adam wrote, "22 years ago today, we locked eyes and fell deep. Look forward to the next 22, young lady. Love you, my forever girl."  Adam opened up about the secret of his wedding to Closer Weekly, and he said that it was as simple as it could be. According to him, it is just getting more time together. Make sure that you should not run for too long, hang out together, and tell the truth; this kind of thing is all good.  In an interview with ET Canada, Adam said that it is also important to be honest and spend time with each other when you have a deep connection. He added you should know that if your husband or wife is not happy as before, then it is a good choice to talk it out and hang with each other; this will rock them up again. Read the full article

[deonideatta]

EPISODE 7!!!!!!!

OH OH CAMP PROM

ej promised gina he’d save the last dance for her… (the foreshadowing-)

omg gina and the rest of the girls look so good!!! and ricky choked on his fruit punch 😭

rip gina just asked ej to dance with her and he said ‘a couple more prompts’ because hes running lines with everyone because 24 hours til showtime (yk what i understand, they've barely had 2 weeks to put this musical on, id be stressed as hell)

Breakup :(

Im honestly so sad because this could've been done so much better and i really am cursing out the writers room because irrespective of shipping, the writing is so off this season and the breakup could've been so much better.

NO WHY WAS THEIR BREAKUP EMOTIONAL MOMENT CUT OFF BY COMEDIC MOMENT?? FOUL

there was a season 2 breakup with 2 of the other main characters (ricky and the other love square girl) and in comparison, that was done so much better, there was care and thought put into this and not that there isnt for the portwell breakup BUT WHAT IS THIS???

Omg ricky and gina in a room and tension and shes sad and crying and hes like *i wanna help*

Oh my god ricky was about to tell gina about his feelings and then gina saw ej and tension and he asked what happening and she told him about breakup so he decided not to

FINALE EPISODE!!!!!!!

RICKY’S BIRTHDAY!

Oh ricky went to go find gina 

IM HAVING EMOTIONS

pain

well half this episode is just showtime

oH ALSO 2nd girl of the love square is here but she always does for opening nights regardless and its so supportive and loving and AH (also the actress who plays her isnt returning for the next seasons so this is a send off)

No no nooooooooo

ej calling his dad and his dad not even doing the bare minimum of checking on his kid and now hes breaking down but its okay because his friend is there

OK well fast forward and they’re at the premiere of the documentary and the trailer is basically a reality tv trailer where theyre all depicted like enemies and backstabbers

this is so messy 

omg there was a part in the trailer where ricky and gina were alluded to be getting together and right after the trailer ended, gina said she’s sorry but ej said she doesnt have to be, we all saw this coming 😭

oh great confession

and kiss

great

SO THAT WAS SEASON THREE

my least favorite season for many reasons like half the cast being mia, the way characterization was (specifically ej’s)  and how some plots seemed thrown in 

I may have to cleanse and rewatch season 1 and 2

I cant believe they broke up skfjsjd and so unsatisfyingly too??? Bc of bad communication skfjsd I'm crying 😭😭 what about everything they built up before 😔😔 what a waste

No way they interrupted the breakup with a comedic moment 💀💀 that really is foul oml

It's fully possible to write a realistic and acceptable breakup, but from what I'm getting from your description and all the analysis people were posting in the hsmtmts tag this was very much not that lol. Also its really funny to me that they end every season with a breakup 😂

Not ricky about to tell gina about his feelings when as far as he knew she was still in a relationship 🤨 at least he held back in the end lol

The second girl in the square is nini right? I still have no idea what she even looks like lol. Good that she got a nice send off tho!

I feel rlly bad for ej hhh he lost both his last summer and his girlfriend 🥲 they really did him dirty, based on what i've seen in the tag lol people were out there writing essays 😭😭 and he deserved some appreciation for putting so much time and effort into the program, and yet he got so little 🥲 big oof that his dad didn't even acknowledge his efforts skdjs he deserves better

I saw the rina kiss and confession in gifs, and yea it was sweet skfjd they shot and acted it really well.

Not ej saying they all saw it coming tho lol rip

The trailer being huge drama bait tho skdjs I saw a clip that someone posted and it really was peak evil editing 😂😂 I wonder what impact it will have

I was going through the tag the day the episode came out and people were speaking facts about how they butchered ej's character, it's so sad 🥲 hopefully the next season will be better for him. At least Gina is happy tho? So ig that's something lol

[nessaxc]

___________________________________

Date Night || Gojo Satoru

Gojo takes you out to dinner, but the flirty waitress at the restaurant really gets on your nerves, so Gojo is determined to assure you that he only has eyes for you.

~ Words: 2.5k

~ NSFW 18+

___________________________________

"I'm glad I got to see you tonight, I've missed my princess," he leaned across the table to nuzzle his nose against yours gently, and you returned the same motion with a soft giggle.

"I've missed you too," you replied, "it's about time you made some time for me," you added.

"Well, you know, Tokyo keeps me busy," he told you with a chuckle, "but I had to take my best girl out, I know how lonely she gets without me around," he teased.

You giggled and propped your elbow up on the dinner table, balancing your chin in your hand as you held his gaze. He was smiling and shaking his head at you, mimicking your pose, only he rested both elbows on the table and cupped his face with his hands as he looked at you from across the table.

"You look beautiful in that dress by the way, but what else is new, huh?" he winked and broke eye contact for a moment to admire the dress that perfectly hugged your figure, "I'm glad you wore it."

You giggled again at that and twirled a small section of hair around your index finger, smiling down at your lap for a moment before you looked back up at him.

"I'm glad you wore that suit and tie. You should wear it more often, because you clean up pretty well," you grinned and leaned forward slightly to whisper, "by the way, you're really pretty too."

"Am I really pretty?" he joked and batted his lashes, letting his jaw hang slack with a smirk that tugged at the corners of his mouth over the way you instantly cracked up laughing. He chuckled airily as he continued to look you up and down, and you had to turn away in attempt to hide the deep blossoming of your cheeks.

"Yes, you're very pretty," you said with a soft chuckle when you turned back to him.

..

"Good evening, can I get you anything?"

A young waitress made her way onto the scene before Gojo could respond to you, and she appeared to be addressing just him rather than both of you. She beamed brightly at him and tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, letting out a hint of a giggle that you couldn't help but roll your eyes at.

"Some menus would be nice," he grinned up at her and she flaunted her smile right back at him, making it a mission to maintain eye contact for as long as possible and throw in a bat of the lashes here and there.

"I'll go get those for you right now," she bowed her head and smiled softly, but she didn't leave until she'd make a point of leaning towards him slightly to tell him, "by the way, that tie looks great on you, really compliments your complexion."

She was already flirting with him right in front of you whilst being so brazen about it, and it was really taking everything in you not to totally snap. You didn't want dinner to be spoiled by your temper, though, you could already feel yourself starting to lose your appetite because you were red hot with anger right now. You sat there silently and waited for her to leave, gritting your teeth and casting your gaze downward the entire time.

"Thank you very much," he thanked her before she walked away and when he turned back around to face you, he was greeted by raised brows, pursed lips and your eyes glimmering for the wrong reasons. You half-smirked at him and cleared your throat whilst picking at your nails to avoid looking up at him.

"I think she's expecting a tip from you tonight," you managed to make a joke out of it and mustered a small laugh.

He chuckled lightly and acted completely dismissive about it, waving it off as her following some sort of transcript, "It's just service with a smile, Y/N."

He insisted, but you just forced a smile on your face. You fiddled with the cutlery that rested to your side and toyed with the napkin as well, offering yourself a distraction rather than look up at him for the moment.

"Yeah, too many smiles in your direction, though, if you ask me," you sassed, and he laughed loudly at that.

"Babe, something the matter?" he raised an eyebrow curiously, an amused grin on his face. Before you had the time to open your mouth and retort, she soon returned with the menus.

She carelessly laid yours down in front of you while she actually handed Gojo his, making sure to brush her hand over his as she did so. You glared at her but your look went missed, and you were doing a pretty good job of keeping your mouth shut so far, no matter how badly you wanted to tell this girl to back off.

She started babbling on about something that he should try on the menu, ensuring to flash him her smile and bat her lashes some more. She was giggling like he had told the funniest joke, and you were clutching onto a fork tightly with a hand, thinking about digging it deep into her neck. Gojo was a bad influence on you. She brought her hand closer to his so she could flip through the pages and show him exactly what she was describing. You cleared your throat and decided to speak up, because this girl was getting on your last nerve.

"Could you give us a few moments to decide what we're having? Thank you," you gave her possibly the most painfully forced smile you could muster, somehow managing to keep a level head when she withdrew her hand and acknowledged you for the first time since she'd stop at your table. She simply nodded and smiled meekly before walking away, and Gojo’s bright blue eyes shot towards you to give you a look that was nothing short of sheer surprise at how sharp you'd been in your manner of speech.

"Did I miss something?" he cracked up laughing, "My little kitten's got a sharp set of claws, eh?" he remarked before his laughter starting to die down. "I thought she was a rather nice lady," he said with another chuckle.

He scanned over the menu to find a dish that stood out to him. You squinted at him and leaned into him, lightly bringing the menu down to have him look you in the eyes instead.

"Really, Satoru? I wouldn't class the light touches on the hand, the needless giggling and overall acting like a fucking schoolgirl with a crush as just 'being nice'," you snapped slightly, "she's flirting with you, a lot, and I'm sick of it."

"Oh, I see where this is going," he said with a knowing smirk that stretched its way across his lips a few seconds later. You noticed this and your hand targeted your menu in an instant as some form of shield to hide behind to avoid the stares he was giving you, and he lowered your menu down just like you had done to him.

"I think somebody's jealous when she really doesn't need to be," he sang and kept his eyes trained on your face. "So what if she's flirting a little bit? I'm not interested in the slightest," he told you, and you heaved a sigh before he continued, "you have nothing to worry about, my sweet," he said with a smirk, amused with your envy.

"Seriously? You mean that?" you asked, nibbling on your lower lip.

"Course I do," he said, "she could be on her knees begging for my cock and I would say no if that'd make you feel better about it," he finished, and you laughed at that.

"I'm not even feeling that hungry anymore," you said, "she's just so irritating," you huffed, and he looked at you like he was thinking of something until his brain hatched an idea.

"Forget about dinner, I know what will cheer you up, c'mon," he stretched his arm out for you to grab his hand, and you quickly took it in yours. He walked with you until you both reached the closest bathroom - the women's room.

"Um, Satoru, I don't think you're supposed to be in here," you quipped with a short giggle.

"Oh trust me, I am," he cooed. Once the door was closed, he lifted you up by your thighs and pinned you to the wall, his lips attacking your neck in little bites and harsh kisses, not caring about the purple marks he left in his wake.

"Satoru," you gasped his name out, much to his delight.

You let out a soft moan of approval through your own lips as you lifted your hips up in absolute desperation, wanting more of him, and wanting it now.

"I only have eyes for you, Y/N, you and only you," he told you as he continued to cover your neck in wet kisses, and you couldn't help lean your head back to give him easier access. Realizing that you both were still out in the open, he carried you into the bathroom stall, pressing you up against the nearest and sturdiest wall.

He tugged his pants down from his hips and quickly pushed his boxers down to his knees, just far enough to allow his thick and fully hard member to spring up. He nearly ripped your panties down your thighs and threw them to the floor, holding you up with one hand and using the other to glide up your thigh, one finger slipping up your wet folds. He grinned knowingly before he leaned in to growl in your ear, "Look at how wet for me you already are," he hummed, "mm, how bad do you want me?"

Just the slightest touch drove you absolutely wild, and you seemed to forget everything that took place before he brought you in this stall. You keened in the back of your throat and rocked your hips down against his finger, moaning out, "Fuck me, Satoru. I need you so bad. Please!" you cried.

"Well when you say it like that, I don't see how I could say no," he cooed. He grasped his member firmly until he was lined up to your entrance, exhaling loudly as he crouched down to push in. He took his time entering your body at first, watching the pleasure overcome your features. Once you had adjusted to his girth, he set a rough pace, taking you quickly in broad deep strokes that jarred your body and caused your head to slam back into the wall as you surrendered yourself to his movements, hips grinding forward in an attempt to keep tempo. He doesn't waste time going slow, knowing you both needed relief fast.

Grasping his shoulders tightly, you moaned, the volume increasing with each thrust until you were sure you would both get caught.

"That's it, let the whole goddamn restaurant know who's fucking you," he managed to say between his own moans and grunts. "You're doing so good, baby, so good," he praised.

You answered with an even louder moan, shoving your hips forward in a demand for him to go faster, grinding your clit against his pelvis whenever you could.

"Your cunt feels so fucking perfect, squeezing me like this, fuck," he ground out.

He obliged your command, snapping his hips into yours relentlessly, the sounds spilling from your lips urging him on.

"You look so good baby, you always do," he uttered through a pant, "you fucking drive me crazy." He quickly added, "Do you know how beautiful you look when you're all stretched out on my cock?"

One hand gripped onto your hair and he tugged backwards just enough to show you dominance as he pounded into you with no mercy, the sounds of your high pitched moans bouncing off the walls, mixed with his deep grunts and the sound of hot skin slapping against skin.

"Look at you, you're always so fucking pretty, so fucking perfect like this," he told you. His hips moved in the most sinful way, filling you up just perfectly, and he seemed to find that special spot inside you so skillfully, making you cry out in ecstasy.

"You like that, baby? You like how good I make you feel? Good girl, moaning for me and showing the entire diner who's gonna make you come," he hissed into your ear as his thrusts became more erratic, slamming into you again and again as he kept his wild pace up.

"Mmmm!" you hummed. You threw your head back and arched your torso sharply, screaming out in pleasure when your body started to quake with the sensation of your orgasm barreling towards you. His fingers left little purple prints on your hips at how tight he was squeezing your hips, knowing you were both close to your climax.

"Show me how much you like it, come for me," he rasped.

He maintained the angle of his thrusts, continually hitting a sensitive spot within your body until you were convulsing in his arms, orgasm rocking you to the very core. He wasn't far behind, taken over the edge by the tight clenching or your walls around his member.

Exhaling loudly, he relaxed his body against yours as you both came down from your peaks. The wall was the only thing keeping you both up as you wilt, exhausted from your spontaneous lovemaking. Finding the energy to pull back, he kissed you gently, running his fingers through your hair to fix the disrupted locks. You smiled into the kiss, body buzzing from your orgasm and heart glowing at his gestures.

You both cleaned up as best as you could in the stall, he helped adjust the skirt of your dress before moving to fix his own disarrayed hair.

"You had no reason to be jealous, Y/N, like I said I only have eyes for your pretty little face," he nuzzled his nose against yours, and you did the same in return, laughing with each other.

"Thank you, Satoru," you said with a soft giggle when you stepped out of the bathroom stall with him.

"Anything for you, babe," he told you as he intertwined his fingers with yours, walking out with you, "now let's go eat," he started, "we can even put on a little show for her under the table so she knows not to mess with you," he suggested with a loud laugh.

"I like the sound of that," you replied with a broad smirk on your face. That wasn't a bad idea.

___________________________________

[dimitrescus-bitch]

Watching (Lexie Grey x Reader)

“Y/l/n, you’re on my service today,” Arizona said as you waited to see who you were joining for rounds that week. 

“Of course, Dr. Robbins,” you said respectfully. You gave her a wink and smirked when she looked away blushing. You were a flirt, but pretty much everybody liked you anyways. Everybody except for Lexie Grey and occasionally Callie Torres. When you were on Torres’ service, she loved having you around, but when Arizona requested you, suddenly you weren’t her favorite resident. “How was your date with Dr. Torres Saturday night?” 

“It was great, thank you for asking. Oh, and thank you for recommending that restaurant to Callie,” Arizona said and you nodded. It was a pretty slow day in peds, but then a pile-up was brought brought in and you found yourself helping out with that mess. Arizona was rushed into surgery and she asked you to look after the two children who weren’t bad enough to warrant surgery. Callie took the little boy with a broken arm to put a cast on him and you stayed with the little girl, presumably his sister. 

“Hi, I’m Y/n. What’s your name hon?” you asked as you leaned down in front of the girl. “It’s okay if you’re scared. I’d be scared if I were you too. Why don’t we go down to the cafeteria and see if they have any cookies? Do you want a cookie?” 

The little girl nodded and you offered your hand for her to take. She grabbed onto your jacket instead and so you picked her up and carried her. She couldn’t have been much older than four or five. You could see the eyes of your coworkers on you as you walked the child down to the cafeteria. 

“It’s just about lunchtime,” you said to yourself as you looked at the clock in the cafeteria. You noticed the girl looking at the chicken tenders when you walked through the line, so that was what you ordered. You got a juice and milk, not knowing which the kid would want, and then paid for all of it. “I don’t think I can eat all of this chicken, can you help me out?” 

“Is Danny okay?” the girl asked as she looked at the piece of chicken. “He hurt his arm and the lady took him away.” 

“I will call Dr. Torres and ask right away,” you promised. You pulled out your phone and called to check in on the girl’s brother. “They want to know who is asking about Danny.” 

“Tara,” the girl said and you nodded. You hung up the phone and then turned to her. 

“Danny is so good, he can join us for lunch,” you said enthusiastically. Callie brought the girl’s brother down and left you to sit with them. You made sure that they were well fed before you brought them to the waiting room to wait for their parents to get out of surgery. You brought a deck of cards out from your locker to play Go Fish with the kids until someone had news or came to get them. 

You stayed with them for a couple more hours and then an uncle came to get them. You were a bit sad that they had to leave, as were the kids, but you were glad they’d get to be out of the hospital. You went back to the ER to help out in any way you could, glad that someone had something surgical for you to do after your day of essentially babysitting, which you didn’t actually mind that much. 

“Dr. Grey, I haven’t seen much of you today,” you greeted Lexie. “What service have you been on?” 

“I was on Torres’ service,” Lexie answered your question. “I hear you were a babysitter today.” 

“Everybody has a job to do,” you defended yourself. “Mine just happened to be less surgical than everybody else’s today. There’s nothing wrong with that, at the end of the day, I cut just the same as I did yesterday.” 

“How were the kids?” Lexie asked, which sort of surprised you. Lexie was caring, you knew that, but she wasn’t towards you. 

“Tara was shy at first, but she was really good at Go Fish. Danny liked dinosaurs and knew more about bugs than I thought possible for an eight year old,” you said with a fond smile. “It’s amazing how kids can bounce back from things. It makes me hopeful, like maybe that’s still in me too.” 

“You are infuriating sometimes,” Lexie said with a sigh. “I mean, you’re an asshole and you flirt with every woman you see, but then I see you like this and suddenly I think I like you again.” 

“Again?” you asked with a small smirk. 

“Yes again because that stupid smile you always give me at Joe’s and the way that you stand up for people it makes me like you,” Lexie said and you smiled. “But you’re all bad and not someone I should be with.” 

“I flirt because it makes girls smile and there’s nothing more beautiful than a woman’s smile. I like to surround myself with beauty because if I don’t, then I get sucked into the dark and depressing parts of the world. Spending time with the kids in peds reminds me how precious everything is, so yeah, I’m more flirty when I’m on Robbins’ service. That’s when you’re always a little angrier with me, I’ve noticed. What I’m trying to get to, is that I’d like to take you out sometime so that you can learn these things about me and I can learn things about you too,” you rambled. “Other than that you’re a stress eater and when I catch you looking at me in the morning, you’re extra stressed that day.” 

“Stop being perceptive,” Lexie told you. 

“Dinner on me tonight?” you asked and Lexie nodded. “I look forward to seeing you after surgery in the cafeteria Dr. Grey.” 

“You’re not taking me out?” Lexie asked and you shook your head. 

“And waste an opportunity for you to miss your favorite cafeteria meal, no way,” you said as you walked into the OR. You could see Lexie watching you, just like you’d noticed her watching you pretty much all day. 

[paper-cuts-and-fresh-bruises]

So once again I’ve taken my time to collect my thoughts because wow, I am all in the feels right now (warning, long post). First things first, I am so oddly HAPPY that they didn’t give us a Nancy and Ace kiss, because beforehand yes I was wanting it and by all means I still do, but it made so much more sense with how everything played out. Plus, the proximity Nace had in the dreamscape was immaculate, and when dreamscape Ace said “knock ‘em dead”, oh lord that knocked me dead for a good minute. Plus, we’re in it for the slow burn, and part of that is letting it unfold naturally and gradually, not forced by circumstance or manufactured; make no mistake, the writers are invested in giving us everything we could want and more, but they know how to do it without falling in too deep into the rabbit hole, they have to take clarity in real time, we can only do that after the fact. I personally find that for once the writers know me better than I do, I’ve thrown out theories (some I’ve shared on here and some not) that I’ve had into the void with varying levels of accuracy, from none, to partial, to spot on (this last one being more rare personally). And honestly, I’m actually quite comforted at the moment with my trust in what the writers will do just in general, but obviously especially with Nace. For now I’m living on Kennedy’s words “just let it ride baby”. Plus, season 3 is the place to be for it to flow naturally like a river, give us that progression and have it happen.

Another Nancy x Ace feature I loved was Ace’s tendency to be more touchy (literally) and drawn to Nancy in the finale, because although make no mistake Ace has had numerous moments through the season in terms of his journey towards Nancy, Nancy has definitely been a bit more loud on that side of things although it does make total sense for the both of them. Nancy’s near death experience was definitely a catalyst in the journey for Ace to acknowledge those feelings, I mean the eye contact when Nancy woke up was astoundingly loud. Also, going back a bit for a second, aside from the fact I am so glad that Nancy dumped the dumpster fire that is Gil, I am also so giddy at what Ace said to Nancy because it was so sweet but I also adore his clear affirmation to Nancy that she can do it and that her breaking up with Gil was all her, she has the strength and as can be seen she proved that. Also quick note, aside from the back rubs and hand holding, his concern when the blood was draining, MY HEART. On top of that his “I feel like I left something behind” is giving me everything, and btw I can give you an eye witness description Ace, plus any additional info if you’d like. Coupled with Nancy’s speech she was rehearsing at his door, the girl has it bad for our boy, he just needs to gain clarity in return.

Other things I want to mention, I know we kind of talk about who Nancy’s gonna be with next but I’m gonna throw it out there and say no one, at least not until Ace comes along, at which point they play the game of awkward interactions and figure things out. The Nancy we’ve known up to this point has jumped from guy to guy, but we understand at this point that that’s down to her avoiding her trauma, which she’s now not only in charge of but has to face head on, which means not diving into just any guy’s arms, she understands at this point that it’s not healthy and it’s not helpful. As a result, I think she’s gonna fuel her time with other things; this will obviously include investigating, but maybe even hanging out at Ace’s house whilst he’s on the “romantic” trip (also I really don’t like Amanda defending Gil, I can understand defending family to a certain degree, but girl “he got dumped for no reason” is complete bs, did you even ask or just assume? Ace is right about all he said, and as someone with a brother myself I’ll say it doesn’t take having a sibling to know that, you didn’t even acknowledge Gil’s toxic behaviour properly when Ace called you back). I feel like even though Ace encouraged the trip that he’s already not feeling it, because his feelings are elsewhere *hint hint* right now, it’s more of an excuse to run from what (or who) he’s feeling different about, but when he returns we’re gonna get a lot of juicy content (I don’t think they’ll waste much time doing this for season 3). 

The episode really went there, addressing a lot but not making it feel rushed. Which whilst we’re on the subject, aside from Nancy’s whole ordeal, it’ll be interesting to see if maybe there’s a solution for finding a way to separate George and Odette (I’ve had this theory in my head that Temperance might be the devil they have to make a deal with), though if they do I want it to be a case of Odette being freed and her moving on, because Bess deserves to find someone (as they hinted in the interview for the finale) and not just be dragged back because whilst it was cute for a bit, the whole Odette thing was definitely messy regardless of her noble choice to not resurface again, but also give George her life back where she isn’t having to rush milestones and Bess can get the screen time (which btw I think they deliberately scaled her back this season to serve the other plots better so that they could do more for her in season 3, to give the writers credit where it’s due). Another thing, from the interview as far as the Bobbsey’s are concerned, as far as I know they’ll be taking a backseat, which has me intrigued as to how they’ll be used if they do turn up. On top of that, I loved the reference to Nancy and Ace’s feelings as “nothing casual” which leads me to the last bit of this long post (I will likely make more posts but I’m trying to control myself).

For the longest time I’ve shipped Nancy and Ace, like day 1 type stuff. And part of me just thought it was my brain working overtime and wanting it to be that way, especially when season 2 rolled around and we got all this CONTENT. It could’ve been the writers just latching onto us. But as it turns out I and the rest of us Nace shippers have been right in what our eyes saw this the entire time. They looked at Ace (Alex Saxon) as a love interest for Nancy (Kennedy Mcmann) the moment they had him cast. It’s such great validation because in season 1 amongst other scenes, especially when they went to the library and there was that look between them when they read the emails, I was like...am I? are you seeing this? the seeds were being planted. Anyways, that’s all that’s on my brain right now (surprise surprise), nevertheless I can’t wait for what’s next overall, but obviously I and the rest of us will have to. Luckily though it’s not a whole year we have to wait so we are truly blessed. Looking forward to what’s in store.

[thessaliah]

favorite and least favorite characters introduced by fgo?

Favorite list will be an image set later. But just the mobile game and not Arcade, my ten least favorite ones are (no particular order):

Scheherazade

Boudica

Koyanskaya

Beryl Gutt

Musashi Miyamoto

Fergus

Clytie Van Gogh

Artemis/Orion (Count as one ish)

Ranmaru X

Edward "Blackbeard" Teach

I tried not to put pseudos because those would fill this list with ease, since they are in most cases shallow versions of a beloved character and focused on new characters. There are of course unsympathetic bastards like Columbus, but I kinda like his unapologetic hateful portrayal so I can't say "I really hate this character." Here's why of those picks (has some spoilers for Avalon Le Fae):

One strong reason is disillusionment. I absolutely loved Boudica and Scheherazade as historical or semi-historical figures since childhood and their portrayal makes me spill tears of rage. I think I burned Boudica many times out of sheer anger when I rolled her because I couldn't bear her presence in my inventory. Only after two years, I stopped. But I ascended her last from all my Servants (I ascended all I had in JP server and left Boudica for last). That's how bad it burned me. It doesn't help I was looking forward before FGO to have those girls as Servants.

Next are characters with a particular idiotic concept and an awful execution: Ranmaru X (why was this even a thing? felt superfluous to the Guda Guda event, and I love Guda Guda cast and characters so much), Koyanskaya (it's so hilariously stupid, you don't know if they're pulling your leg when you read her real backstory), "Van Gogh" (nonsensical abomination. if had been Van Gogh sister or just genderbend Van Gogh, I wouldn't mind her but nope. I love her design, what a waste). The crazy background is risky, if you can't pull it off as Nasu did with Avalon Le Fae cast, don't try it and play safe!

Bland, offensive, or just eye-twitching portrayal even if I wasn't personally invested with those characters: Teach (he was fine in Okeanus and occasionally when he interacts with Drake, but that he was flanderized as an otaku lolicon makes me want to slap someone); Fergus (he's there in representation to all the males who got reduced to "horny loser who only moves and breaths with his libido" just as poor Fionn and David too, but Fergus got hit even worse); Artemis and Orion (their slapstick unit which is the best example of how normalized is to abuse a male character because is "funny." Crossing the line and making other people think that abuse is normal, gross. They are great in Atlantis, of course).

Personal distaste/negative emotions aka just flat out hate this character because of how it was portrayed and developed in the main story even if I was neutral/liked them in the beginning: Koyanskaya ( went to competent love to hate villain to try to woobify her unfairly with a conclusion that dragged other characters down with her. Vile), Beryl Gutt (like Koyan, had a lot of potential as a villain instead we got...something, huh. Wasn't woobified because he's a male and not a playable waifu, but his characterization lacked any interest when he's directly or partly responsible for the death of numerous actually interesting characters like Woodwose, Pepe, Kirschtaria and Baoban Sith), Musashi (god to think I liked her in her quest and Shimousa, she quickly developed into a Mary Sue. Her story should have ended in Shimousa instead of trying to shoehorn her in two Lostbelt chapters, in particular Olympus. She offered nothing but to hoard resources and story focus that other characters sorely needed ugh).

[itsallyscorner]

so, I was watching the video that came out today and I was thinking about a age gap seb x reader around his friends like Jessica or maybe chace? And they're just hanging out and they both have this lovesick look on their faces and when she leaves the room for some reason they don't waste any time addressing how in love she is with him, and sebs glad bc they were kinda wary of her at first?

Hiyaaa babes! This is my first request so woohoo🥳 Since you mentioned the video, I literally thought of the pictures that were released while they were filming 355, and now I can’t get the image of Seb in Paris because holy shit he looked good. So I’m gonna be using Jessica❤️

- This came out so long, I’m a sucker for background info and can’t get past writing a story without one💀 Enjoy!💜

💌.

Lovesick

You and Sebastian were unexpected. Literally the chances of you guys getting together were so off and you guys were at different times of your lives. He was in his late 30s, already living most of his life as a successful actor. While you were in your early 20s still in college working on your doctoral degree to become a Pharmacist (It was the only major I could think of atm because it’s the one I’m planing on lol.) You guys met at the cafe near your campus. You always went there every morning and would spot him drinking his morning coffee with his nose stuck in a new script he was reading. You two would sneak glances at each other, admiring each other from afar. Until one day when the cafe was fairly packed and you needed a place to sit. You spotted his familiar face and asked him if you could sit in the seat across from him. Obviously he agreed and you guys talked, getting to know each other the whole time. When it was time for you to leave for classes, you guys exchanged numbers and kept in touch.

Which brings us to today. You and Sebastian have been going strong for about a year now and were approaching your second year together. Though you two are as happy as can be and are still in the honeymoon phase (even after a year), the first few months of the relationship were quite rough. There was an obvious age gap between you two, it didn’t bother you two as much, but the public didn’t react too nicely about it. Your parents weren’t too fond of the idea of you dating an older man, but after getting to know him they knew his intentions with you were well. Same goes for your friends and family. When it came to his fans and the media finding about your relationship, that’s when it went to shit.

The media made Sebastian look like some creep who was going through a midlife crisis for dating someone much younger than him. A few “fans” even claimed that he were a “groomer” after pictures of you and him heavily making out on the street were released. These issues caused some bumps in the road for your relationship, though after many arguments, you two realized that the only opinions that mattered were each other’s.

Now you two were staying at a hotel in Paris. Sebastian was currently working on a big project, “The 355”, something he was very excited about. This was one of the first projects that he was really involved in, from script to screen, he played a pretty big role in this project.

You were typing up a report for your class when Sebastian entered the hotel room. He was still in his set clothes, a light blue shirt, dark jeans, and a pair of Chelsea boots. He approached the bed where you were typing and pressed a kiss to your temple.

“Hey sweetheart, how’s school going?” He greeted you as he settled himself on the bed, laying on his side.

“Meh, it’s going...but I finished my report on time. Now I just need to proofread it.” You smiled as you finished typing the last sentence of your report. When Sebastian discovered he was going to film in Paris, he immediately told you, knowing you’ve been dreaming of visiting Paris. Luckily for the both of you, your school allowed you to do online learning (it probably doesn’t work like that but just go with it) and you were able to tag along with him.

“I’m sure it’s prefect, you’re a great writer.” He complimented, you hummed in response. Turning to him you run your hand through his short hair making him lean into your touch. You loved his fluffy hair but the short hair was starting to grow on you.

Sebastian turned his head and pressed a kiss into your palm, stormy eyes gazing up at you.

“How has your day been?” You asked.

“It was good. We got through a good amount of scenes without messing up, so I’d say it was a successful day.” He answered. You smiled at his enthusiasm. Sebastian’s face always lit up when he was talking about a project and it was one of the things you admired most about him, his passion for his work.

“So, you’ve been cooped up in this damn hotel all day. Why don’t you come to dinner with me and the cast tonight? You’ve been waiting to visit Paris all your life and you haven’t even been outside this hotel for days.” He suggested. It was true, you haven’t done much but do school work, order room service, and binge watch shows on Netflix.

“Are you sure they’d want me to come? I might be intruding.” Honestly you were nervous to meet the rest of the cast. You’ve met Jessica a few times but they were brief and she seemed like she didn’t like you. Though that could just be your thoughts making you paranoid, you were still nervous to meet the people Seb worked with. You didn’t want them to think you were using him for money or to travel around the world because you weren’t. You loved Sebastian for himself, not the money and the fame, you could care less about all that.

But they were still Sebastian’s friends and you wanted to have a good first impression on them. You didn’t want them to think you were just some immature college girl who needed money to pay off her college funds.

Noticing you were drifting off, Sebastian pressed another kiss into your palm and grasps it. “You wouldn’t be intruding, Jessica actually suggested you come along.” He mentioned.

“Are you sure?”

“Positive, baby. Come on, let’s put this stuff away and get ready. We’re having dinner at the Eiffel Tower.”

“I— the Eiffel Tower?”

•

To say you were intimidated and scared shitless was an understatement. Here you were in the Eiffel Tower having dinner with some of the most talented women in Hollywood. Like seriously Jessica Chastain, Lupita Nyong’o, Penélope Cruz, and Diane Kruger. Of course Seb and Édgar Ramírez where there as well. Then there was you, NYC local college student. You didn’t wanna say you felt out of place, but you did. These were successful people who probably starred in some of the movies you watched growing up. Now you’re literally in the Eiffel fucking Tower having dinner with them.

Dinner was going smoothly, everyone was talking about the set, shared some funny stories, and you were keeping to yourself simply eating your steak. That was until the attention was brought to you.

“So (y/n), Sebastian mentioned you were in college, what are you studying?” Jessica asked. Everyone turned to you and you swear you felt like a deer in headlights. Seb nudged your thigh with his, a reassuring smile on his face.

“Yes I am! I’m actually taking a PharmD program at St. John Fisher to become a Pharmacist.” you answered.

“For your masters?” She followed up curiously, slightly leaning forward to you.

“No, for my doctoral degree.” You corrected her proudly. You didn’t want to come off as an ass, but you were proud of your work and you worked your ass off for it.

Everyone at the table was taken back by your response. Except Sebastian, who had a just as proud smile on his face. They knew you were in college but not studying something as serious as Pharmacy.

“St.John Fisher College? I had a cousin that went there, it’s a great college.” Lupita was the first to break the silence.

“So are you working in the field yet? For some experience?” Penélope chimed in. Sebastian snorted, “Oh she has experience, trust me.”

You chuckled as you softly smacked Seb’s bicep, “Well currently, I’m interning as a Pharmacy Tech at a hospital pharmacy. They’re thinking about making me a permanent one until I graduate so fingers crossed!”

As you answered all their questions about your personal life and your major, Sebastian couldn’t help but just admire you. Just like how you admired the way he talked about his projects, he admired the way you got lost in rambling about your soon career. The way your eyes lit up, how your hands moved while you talked, and that hint of a smile on your face. He absolutely adored every single thing about you.

Dinner continued, the last question for you about why you chose to do college in New York, which segwayed into a conversation about— well New York. As the others talked about their love for the city, Sebastian wrapped his arm around your shoulders. Your back was now pressed to his chest, both of you not listening to the conversation. You pressed a kiss to his arm and looked back at him.

“Hey you.” You hummed at him rubbing your thumb along his arm.

“Hi.” He gazed down at you with that smile that made his eyes crinkle. The moment was interrupted by your phone ringing. Quickly glancing at the contact ID, it was the hospital pharmacy you interned for.

“You should take that.” Seb whispered into your ear.

“No, Seb that’s rude. We’re at dinner, I’m sure it can wait.”

“I have a good feeling about this call, draga mea.” He coaxed you. Having a feeling that he might be right you excuse yourself from the table. When you’re gone the table goes quiet.

“Sebastian, you’ve got one hell of a girlfriend.” Penélope stated as the rest of the table agreed.

“She’s so smart! What the hell, a doctoral degree? Kudos to her because the amount of motivation I would need to even try!” Jessica followed up with an amazed look on her face.

“I think you guys are forgetting to mention how whipped they both are for each other! Those two were in their own world over there!” Lupita pointed out. The whole table laughed as Sebastian was turning red. Of course he was whipped, he knew he was.

“I love her guys, she’s, she’s something else. The spunk she has, her intelligence, she’s-,” Sebastian began to list but was cut off by Édgar, “Out of your league?”

The whole table burst into laughter as they agreed with Édgar. You were also coming back to the table after your call. Sebastian spotted you, eyes connecting to yours immediately.

“Everything alright?”

“They gave me the permanent job!”

draga mea - my darling 

[heytherejulietx]

“Stop Trying” ~ George Weasley

Masterlists

Requests are OPEN

Notes - I finally got this written! You guys have no idea how long I procrastinated over this. But I’m really happy with how this turned out! I hope you all like it! 💜

Warnings - Mentions of death.

Word count - 2k.

When George first laid eyes on the Huffepuff girl in his potions class, he was shocked. He'd never seen a Hufflepuff so unhappy. It wasn't that she looked sad, she just didn't look happy. There was no smile or flush in her cheeks like basically the rest of the house. And when he got seated next to her, it started to worry him.

She was almost like an empty shell. Her body was slumped a little in her seat, leaning forwards on her forearms with her head down a little. Her hair was down, falling in front of her face a little so she couldn't be seen - and he couldn't help but wonder if that was on purpose or not. She didn't speak to him, not once that whole lesson. The only time they shared any sort of communication was when she held her hand out for the book he had so she could read it too.

"Your partner looks like fun." Fred chuckled as he met up with George after class, bumping his arm with his twin's.

"Yeah," George chuckled humourlessly, watching her walk away quicker than other people, still concerned. "Fun."

It took George three more classes of being sat beside the girl before he decided he wanted to help. The only problem was that he knew literally nothing about girls whatsoever. He couldn't go to Fred; he knew his brother would just tease him about wanting to help a girl, and he knew Fred also had no knowledge on what girls were like. So he went for the next best thing.

"Don't be mean," Ginny told him first of all.  "If she's actually upset you'll just make it worse. So don't try and prank her, either."

"Yeah, I know that one." George rolled his eyes, though he stopped sassing back when Ginny had shot him another look.

"George, just be nice to her. Help her with potions, give her a complement, say hi to her in the corridors." Ginny shrugged a little. "If it works it works, and if it doesn't then at least you tried."

George smiled and nodded, kissing his sister's cheek as he wrapped an arm around her smaller frame. "Thanks Gin, I owe you one."

When George stepped into the potions classroom the next day, he was determined to talk to her and make her smile. He strutted into the class confidently, a confident smile over his lips. This was George Weasley who we were on about. If George had enough courage to literally elbow a Slytherin in the face during a Quidditch game, then he could make a girl smile.

She was already there when he'd walked in, looking down at the potions book everyone had to have for class. So George sat beside her, noticing she didn't even spare a glance at him. Though he didn't take notice of that as he shifted in his seat a little to look at her. "Hey there."

The girl turned to look at him once he'd spoken, simply raising her eyebrows a little.

"I'm George. Weasley. George Weasley," he carried on a little nervously seeing as she'd said nothing. "Since we're partners this year, I kind of need to know your-"

"Y/N." She cut him off by simply stating her name. "I'm Y/N. Can I get back to my book now?"

"Yeah, yes, sorry." George nodded, watching as she simply rolled her eyes before casting her gaze back on her book.

Maybe other people would've been annoyed at how quickly she shut him down, or even irritated by her snappiness, but instead George was a little proud that at least he got her to talk, and now he knew her name. If he was being honest he thought it was a pretty name, and he would've told her that if he didn't want to leave her alone for a little while. Maybe she'd open up a little more as time went on.

She didn't. Five more potions lessons passed and their conversations were only short and snappy, always ended by her. He couldn't understand how someone could be in such a foul mood for such a long time. It was definitely worrying him, and he probably let it show a little, but if Y/N knew then she definitely didn't show it.

Seeing as talking to her in class clearly wasn't working, George had decided to catch her outside of it. So on Friday morning, when everyone was having breakfast before first period - which just happened to be potions - George left Fred sat at the Gryffindor table with Lee Jordan, giving him an excuse about wanting to talk to his potions partner about the work before heading over to the Hufflepuff table to find her. It wasn't any surprise to George that he found her seated alone at the end of the table, her nose in a book as she ate a slice of toast.

He pulled a smile onto his face as he took a seat beside her, causing her to look up from her book and stare at him in confusion.

"Hey Y/N." George greeted, only getting a small nod in return from the girl who still looked a little confused. "Mind if I sit?"

"Well, you're already here." She sighed, shrugging as she took another bite of toast.

"What're you reading?" George asked, trying to spark conversation with her.

Though the spark never lit into a fire, as she continued to shut his attempts of conversation down. It carried on like this all through breakfast, and all through potions. George didn't give up trying, but once class had finished he was even more confused and worried than he had been before. He couldn't fathom why she wouldn't just talk to him. Everyone talked to him and Fred if they weren't yelling at them, but she didn't even seem to dislike him. She just disliked conversation. 

But George was determined, so the next day he sat beside her at breakfast again. Only this time, she spoke first.

"Why do you keep trying to talk to me?" Y/N asked as soon as George had sat down, studying his features with a hard gaze.

George stumbled over his words for a moment. What was he meant to say? He couldn't say that she was interesting, because they barely had spoken properly. So after a moment he just sighed and decided to tell the truth. "Because you just seem a little down, and I want to help." He told her softly with a small smile.

Y/N's eyebrows furrowed as she stared at George. It took a moment for her to process what George was saying, though once she had Y/N frowned. "Stop trying." She snapped almost venomously, grabbing her things quickly and abandoning her breakfast at the table to storm out of the Great Hall.

George watched her walk away for a moment before quickly getting out of his seat and following her against his better judgement.

He found her sat in the courtyard, her head in her hands as she sat underneath a huge oak tree.

Nothing was said as George took a seat beside her. She knew he was there, as she glanced up at him, though she didn't complain that he had followed her so he took it as a good thing.

"Have you ever heard about a boy called Nick Y/L/N?" She asked quietly.

Immediately George knew who she was on about. Nick had been on the quidditch team last year, so he'd seen him a few times. The last summer, word had gotten around that Nick had died after being hit by a car. Nick had been pretty popular, so a lot of people had been pretty sad over it.

"Yeah." George nodded, before frowning as he looked at Y/N. "Was he your boyfriend?"

"No." Y/N chuckled humourlessly, lifting a hand to wipe away tears that George only then noticed were running down her cheeks. "He was my brother.”

George frowned, his stomach immediately sinking. If he'd have known, he would have went around trying to make her talk to him a lot differently. He couldn't help but feel guilty about thinking she was just moody, his gaze softening as he looked at her.

"We were so close," Y/N started seeing as George hadn't said anything. "It was such a shock when he died and I-I just didn't know how to process it. I don't think it's quite hit me yet but.. but he's gone, and I'll- I'll never-" Y/N cut herself off as a sob wracked through her chest, many soon covering as her hands flew to cover her face.

George wasted no time in wrapping his arms around her, pulling her into his chest as he held onto her tightly. He expected her to pull away or start yelling at him, but instead she just wrapped her arms around him and started crying into his chest. The ginger boy frowned, his own eyebrows furrowing as he rested his chin on top of her head.

He couldn't help but pick up on the fact that this was the first emotion he'd ever seen her show properly. Sadness.

After that, George carried on sticking with her. Only Y/N let him. She never spoke about what happened by the oak tree, though George could tell she was grateful. At first it was the same - Y/N didn't really respond to anything George said, and when she did it was just short and snappy replies. But after a while she started talking to him. They conversed through potions, and at breakfast when George had permanently started sitting with her, talking about the most random things. She smiled a little at a few of his jokes, and though it didn't quite meet her eyes, it made George smile twice as wide to know he'd made her smile.

George soon fell in love with the small things she did. Like the way she would fiddle with the ends of her robes in class if Snape was talking. Or how she would bite her lip whenever she was writing or focusing on potion brewing. Or the way she'd subtly smile at George because of a joke he'd said or a funny story. Along with it all, George fell in love with her.

Eventually, he made her laugh.

The two had been talking all breakfast, as usual, playfully bickering about one thing or another. They both knew there was no ill intent behind the words, as it was something they did all the time.

"Are you serious? No, George, pineapple does not belong on pizza." Y/N shook her head, smiling slightly as she spoke.

"When I find where I asked for your opinion I'll take it, but I haven't found it yet so I’ll stick with mine." George quipped back.

Instead of shooting back something else, Y/N couldn't help but break into entertained laughter. The sound was like music to George's ears, causing him to smile as he watched the beautiful girl in front of him laugh. Even after the spout of laughter had finished, there was still the most beautiful smile he'd ever seen painted across her lips.

George couldn't help himself. Without thinking he leaned forwards towards her, a hand lifting to her cheek as he let his lips collide with her's. It was short, as once he'd realised what he'd done the boy pulled away just as quickly with a shocked expression.

"Blimey I'm sorry!" He quickly apologised. "I shouldn't have-" Y/N cut him off by kissing him again.

When she'd pulled away, she had a soft smile across her lips that made George's heart melt with just about the rest of him.

"Thank you." Y/N said softly, looking down at their hands when George had grasped one of hers, lacing their fingers together.

George didn't have to ask what she was thanking him for, because he already knew. Instead he smiled back just as wide, giving her hand a gentle squeeze as he nodded his head. "You're welcome, love."

[yacoka]

MARRY ME

──⊱ [repost] three times kuroo said marry me, and the one time he (really) meant it

character(s) — kuroo tetsurou, kozume kenma, yaku morisuke, kai nobuyuki

pairing — kuroo tetsurou x reader

genre — fluff

warning(s) — none

word count — 2400+

beta(s) — none

the first time

Your phone buzzes for the millionth time, and you don’t even need to check it to know it’s Kuroo complaining about how he had left his lunch at home. Even though you knew he was just complaining for the sake of it, you planned to rush home and make him lunch anyways. For him, you would do anything.

If it meant rushing off straight after class ended and running back home under the scalding afternoon sun, so be it. After all, love makes fools out of everyone.

You ignored the yelps of surprise and annoyance as you dash past people on the streets, checking your watch occasionally. You had to be back in school in an hour to make sure Kuroo had at least half an hour to eat, and you weren’t going to waste a single second.

The second you reached home, you threw down your bag and began yanking out the necessary ingredients to make his favourite dish - grilled salted mackerel pike. You knew that that was meant to be saved for your brother’s lunch tomorrow, but he could always buy another one in the evening.

Strands of hair stuck to your sweat-slicked neck, and you resisted the urge to brush them away, your hands handling the pungent fish. You had never understood Kuroo’s love for fish, but if he liked it, you would cook it.

Once the vegetables and fish were done, you carefully plated it into the bento box, laying them as nicely as you could over the rice. You didn’t have any time to make it look presentable, and you figured Kuroo would be too busy scarfing it down to admire the aesthetics of it anyways.

A quick glance at the clock told you there was only ten minutes left for you to get back to school, and you let out a sharp curse. There wasn’t enough time for you to do the dishes. Casting a guilty glance at the mountain of dirty utensils and pots in the sink, you sent a silent apology to your parents, swearing to do them when you got home later.

You dashed out of the house, bento box clutched tightly in one hand and your phone in the other. As much as your chest tightened in protest of the lack of oxygen from how hard you were pushing yourself, you kept going.

Kuroo needed his lunch, oxygen could wait.

Skidding to a halt just before the gym doors, you checked yourself in the phone camera. You grimaced at your tousled hair and flushed face, there wasn’t much that you could do to fix those right now.

Right, time to give the damn rooster head his lunch. A few deep breaths to even out your breathing, and you stepped into the gym, where Kuroo was slumped onto the floor next to Kenma’s sitting figure, complaining loudly that he would die from hunger if Kenma didn’t share his lunch with him.

“Kids these days have no respect for their elders, leaving them to starve to death.” Kuroo pulls a face at the two-toned blonde.

“Kuroo!” You called out, cutting off whatever retort Kenma had planned.

“Oya? Y/n? are you here to bring me food?” He teased, getting to his feet.

“As a matter of fact, I am,” you thrust out the lunch box.

Kuroo’s mouth popped open. “That- that’s for me?” He pointed at himself.

You rolled your eyes. “No it’s for Kenma, because he clearly needs a second lunch.”

The mentioned boy snickers, earning a glare from Kuroo before he turns back to you.

“Y/n,” he says, face filled with seriousness. “Marry me.”

You flush, heat spreading all the way to the tips of your ears. “Shut up and take the food or I’ll leave with it!”

He grins and takes the container from you, fingers brushing lightly against yours. Once you were sure he had a firm grip on it, you yanked your hand back and clutched it to your chest, fingers burning where he had touched.

“Enjoy it or whatever, just return it to me tomorrow.” You turned on your heel abruptly and darted out of the gym, catching only the thanks Kuroo threw after your retreating back.

“Thank you Y/n!”

the second time

If you had a dollar for every time Kuroo disappeared from your side because he got distracted by his friends, you’d be a millionaire by now. Somehow you had managed to walk for god knows how long, just rambling to yourself without even realizing he had vanished. You let out a sigh of annoyance and began backtracking. Hopefully, you would bump into him somewhere along the way.

As you maneuvered your way through the various groups of students lingering in the hallway, you heard a familiar voice chuckle nervously. Your head whipped towards the source and found Kuroo backed up against the wall by a few girls who had sickeningly sweet smiles plastered across their faces.

You purse your lips in an attempt to keep your laughter back, amused by the desperate look on Kuroo’s face.

“Kuroo, are you free after school today? I know a great cafe that just opened down the road!” One of the girls batted her lashes at him, leaning in as she spoke.

Kuroo pressed himself further into the wall. “Ah, I have volleyball practice later. But thank you for the offer.”

He tried to inch his way out, but the group tightened around him, forcing him to stay put.

“Aww, can’t you skip just once? You’re always having practice,” another girl pouts, resting her hand on his bicep.

You stopped laughing.

Okay, that was enough fun at his expense, that girl was crossing a line by touching him. You cleared your throat loudly as you strolled forward, a look of pure boredom plastered across your face.

“Kuroo, how many times are you gonna get lost?” You chided him, intentionally ignoring the girls.

A look of pure relief had appeared upon his face the second he spotted you, and his eyes screamed ‘save me’ even as he replied to you smoothly, “As long as you come find me, I'll be fine.”

You frowned at him. “What if I decided not to find you one day?”

Kuroo let out a gasp of fake offense. “You wouldn’t!”

“Ahem, we were having a conversation here.” The first girl shot you a nasty look.

Raising an eyebrow at her, you replied coolly, “It seems to me that the conversation is over, so maybe don’t interrupt the one we have now?”

She scoffed, flipping her hair over her shoulder, narrowly missing Kuroo’s face. “Who said it was over? You’re the one who barged in.”

You stifled a laugh at the indignant look on Kuroo's face at almost eating hair. “I said it was over, I need kuroo for other things that are more important than you trying to come on to him. C’mon kitty, let’s go.”

Ignoring the soft protest from Kuroo at the nickname, you pushed past the girls and grabbed his arm, tugging him out of the circle they had formed around him.

“Bye girls.” You waved over your shoulder and walked off with Kuroo in tow.

Once you were a safe distance away from them, Kuroo draped himself over you. “Please, marry me. Maybe then they’d leave me alone.”

Trying your best to calm your racing heart and pretend you weren’t affected by him, you shrugged him off.

“Oh shut up, if you weren’t so friendly all the time maybe they wouldn’t try to make so many moves.”

Kuroo sighs loudly. “It's called being civilized, you should try it sometime.”

You raise a brow at him. “Did that save you from them?”

“....No.”

“Right so shut up.”

“Marry me tho?”

“I said shut up!”

the third time

You sat under a tree, leaning against it as you flipped through your textbook. You were waiting for Kuroo to end volleyball practice so that you could go for dinner. His treat, he had promised you the other day, for finding kenma and dragging him to practice.

The time for the end of practice came, and you sat there patiently, waiting for him to walk past you. Members of the volleyball team had already greeted you on their way out, but still no Kuroo. Finally, as Yaku and Kai appeared, you stood up and walked up to them.

“Hey Yaku, Kai.” They greeted you back. “Where’s Kuroo?”

Yaku grimaced slightly as he replied. “The idiot got a leg cramp right as practice ended, so he’s sitting in the middle of the court trying to wait it out right now.”

You rolled your eyes. “Seriously? Okay, thanks, I’ll go find him and make sure he’s okay.”

“Give us a call if you need help, We’ll come back to school.” Kai told you.

“What? No, we won’t-“ Yaku squawked in outrage as Kai elbowed him. “Fine, we will.”

“Thanks guys, but I doubt I need to. I should be able to handle this oversized cat on my own.” You smiled at them and took your leave, heading towards the gym.

On your way in, you bumped into Kenma who had his eyes glued to his switch.

“Kenma!” You reached out a hand to steady the boy.

“Oh, hey Y/n. he’s in there,” Kenma nods inside. “He has a leg cramp.”

“Yeah, Yaku told me. I’ll take care of him,” you patted Kenma’s arm. “Don’t walk and play, you might trip.”

Kenma frowned slightly, “I haven't tripped yet.”

You laughed and shook your head, waving at him as he left. Crossing the threshold into the gym, you spotted Kuroo lying spread eagle in the middle of the court, eyes closed.

“Oi, what happened to dinner?” You called out to him as you walked over.

He started, body flinging upright as he stared at you wide-eyed.

“Oh shit, that was today?”

You stared at him in disbelief. Really? He forgot?

Examining his face closely, you noted how exhausted he looked, with dark circles under his eyes and the exhaustion that sat heavily upon his shoulders. Sighing heavily, you sat on the floor next to him.

“Alright, which leg is it,” you asked, prodding both legs.

He pointed to his right calf, and you got to work, kneading the tight muscle. Kuroo groaned in pain.

“Could you be, a little gentler?” He gritted out.

Raising your eyebrows at him, you pressed down particularly hard, causing him to yelp and attempt to pull his leg away.

“Stop complaining and let me do my thing,” you demanded, smacking him lightly.

He sulked but stopped trying to move away from you, the occasional grunt coming from him as he watched you massage his leg. When you were sure the cramp had passed, you let go of him, shaking out your now sore hands. Kuroo grabbed onto them, clutching them gently as he looked at you.

“Marry me.” His voice sounded so serious for a second that you were taken aback until he burst into laughter. “Your face! God, you looked so startled!”

Scowling, you smacked him across the head hard. “Shut up, idiot! You’re the one that always fakes proposing to me when we’re not even dating!”

He grins at you, a smile that reaches his eyes as he asks, “Well then, will you date me?”

What.

Kuroo takes your silence the wrong way and begins rambling. “Unless you don’t like me and I’ve been reading the signs all wrong, Then you can totally just take it as a joke because-“

You slap a hand over his mouth. “Yes.”

He says something, but the words are muffled by your hand and he tugs it down to repeat his words again. “Yes as in you’ll date me or yes as in I read the signs wrong?”

“Yes as in you read the signs wrong, because why else would I do all the stupid shit I do for someone who I don’t like.” You deadpan. Kuroo’s face shifts into mild panic and you facepalm.

“Yes, I do like you, you idiot!”

“Oh, jesus, don’t play with my feelings like that! What if I got a heart attack? I'm old, you know!” He yelps as you punch him in the chest.

“You’re 18, not 80.”

“Okay but you’d still date me if I was 80 right?” He smirks, tugging on the collar of your uniform.

“Who said I’d date you now?”

“You just did! And there’s no taking back that confession!” He laughs gleefully.

“What’s stopping me from rejecting you though,” you smile darkly.

He freezes, arms in mid-wave.

“Uhhhh, I’ll buy you food?”

“Deal.”

plus one

It's been a while since you had seen your boyfriend for more than brief moments in the morning and night, and for the first time in weeks, he said he was going to end work early and come home for dinner.

You hummed as you went around the kitchen preparing a variety of dishes for him, the most important one being his favourite grilled mackerel. Even after years of being together, you still hadn’t gotten used to the smell of fish and fought the urge to gag as the smell wafted up to you.

Kuroo knew how much you didn’t like it, so he never requested you to cook it, opting to eat it only when you guys went to his parents' house for dinner.

But seeing as how he had been working hard and pushing himself to the brink of exhaustion, you decided to suck it up and prepare the dish for him. What was one mere dish in comparison to love, huh?

Right as you set the last dish onto the dining table, Kuroo came through the door, tossing his bag onto the sofa carelessly and draped himself over your back.

“Hey kitty, how was work?” You smiled as you felt him burrow his face into your neck.

“It was tiring, as always. how was- is that grilled mackerel?” He lifted his head to stare at the table, where the dish sits smack in the middle smiling at him.

“Yeah, it is,” you said casually, twisting around in his hold to face him. “I figured you’d like to eat your favourite after working so hard for the past few weeks.”

“Marry me.” It comes out as a rush, the words tripping over themself as his tongue twists over the words.

There’s a ringing in your ears as you process what he just said, taking in the nerves that have settled upon his face.

Your answer escapes in a breathy laugh as you grin up at him.

“Yes.”

A smile stretches across his face and he pulls you into a deep kiss, pouring every bit of happiness and love he felt for you into the kiss.

“I love you so much,” he says in between pecks. “I love you so so so much.”

“I love you too, Tetsu.”

“.....I forgot the ring!”

[foilfreak]

Beauty and Her Beast: Chapter 7 (aka the ‘big boobie vampire mommy’ and ’mutant servant girl that is very horny for her’ chapter)

WARNING PLZ READ BEFORE CONTINUING: This fic is rated NSFW and contains graphic depictions of things some people may find disturbing or alarming, including, but not limited to: violence, gore, unhealthy family relationships, Oedipus complexes, gratuitous amount of pornographic literature, ableist language, physical, mental, and emotional abuse, etc. If you are someone who does not enjoy fiction with these elements in them, then I suggest you refrain from reading this, because this fic will have all that, and probably a lot more. So, this is your first and final warning to turn around and go somewhere else if stuff like this just isn't your vibe, because from this point forward, your emotional wellbeing is in your own hands, and I will not be accepting blame if you disregarded my warnings and ended up reading something you didn't like. Idk why I feel compelled to write one of these despite this being Resident Evil fanfic, but I figured I'd cover my ass just in case.

(AO3 link below:)

“Good evening, sir. Is there something I can assist you with, tonight? It’s quite late, and my mistress has already retired for the evening due to the strenuous nature of today’s events, so while I’m sure the good Lady Dimitrescu won’t be too terribly displeased if you’ve come with urgent news that requires her immediate attention, I’m afraid anything outside the realm of absolute importance will have to wait until morning, when my mistress will be better rested and therefore better able to address whatever concern you’ve brought” The low and smooth voice of an older teenage girl said, staring slightly downward at Salvatore with a level of such blank indifference that he would have wondered if the girl hadn’t seen him had she not outright greeted him upon opening the door.

With piercing red eyes, dark skin and long, black curls tied up neatly and carefully into two thick buns on either side of the top of her head, and dressed in a pretty, but still practical dress, the older teen looked every bit as much the role of a dignified estate’s head servant as she acted, right down to the pencil straight stiffness of her body. Despite how uncomfortable the stiff position looked to Salvatore, the subtly bold way she carried herself did give the older teen an air of confidence and reliability, however what it didn’t do was answer the multitude of questions flying around in Salvatore’s head about who she was, and more importantly, where she came from.

And then it hit him.

“Y-you’re… Alcina’s g-gift… aren’t y-you?” Salvatore asks aloud, though seemingly more to himself than the girl standing in front of him. Said girl furrows her brows in confusion for a moment before huffing in, what appeared to be, mild offense. Though what on earth Salvatore could have done to offend the young teen, he had absolutely no idea.

“I have no idea what you mean when talking about these so called “gifts”, however I think it's important for you to know that I am a very busy woman with a great many things to do, so if this is all some kind of sick game you’re playing to waste my time then I’m going to have to politely ask that you take your rotten whale behind and go throw yourself into the nearest body of-”

“Anastasia?” a low, feminine voice booms from somewhere behind the older teen standing before him. The girl immediately stiffens, her skin around her nose and cheeks darkening even further, her eyes growing wide and her breath catching in her throat as she turns around. Immediately abandoning Salvatore at the still open front door, the young servant clumsily made her way further into the room before disappearing out of the narrow view the hooded man had been given of the castle through the crack in the door.

Taking a step forward and opening the door enough to slip inside, making sure to close it securely behind him, Salvatore lingered along the walls of the room, merely observing the events before him unfold as the young girl, Anastasia, quickly moved to stand in the center of the circular design on the floor of the entrance hall. Waiting for her on the landing at the top of the stairs was none other than the lady of the house herself, Alcina Dimitrescu, standing as tall, proud, and intimidating as Salvatore last remembers, though it would appear that the disfigured man’s fear of the much larger woman was not shared amongst everyone in the room.

“Y-yes Lady Dimitrescu! Is there something I can do for you this evening, my Lady?” Anastasia asks, hands clasped together in front of her and eyes blown wide at the gargantuan woman leering from above, like a lovesick puppy dog waiting for a command from its beloved owner. Eager to perform. Eager to please.

“Why yes, my sweet, I was just wondering what on earth all that racket was and if it could wait until morning to be finished? The girls and I have had quite the taxing day and I do so wish to retire to the sound of peace and quiet” Alcina coos warmly, causing Salvatore to pause in confusion.

“Oh goodness, I apologize, mistress. It’s just that there was a visitor at the door and despite my repeated attempts to convince him to come back when you were rested, he insisted upon making a nuisance of himself. Please forgive me if my attempts to preserve your restful evening were for naught” the girl said sadly, bowing deeply in apology as she continued to speak.

Alcina practically purrs in delight at the teen’s polite, but genuine behavior. “Fear not, my dear, I had only just taken off my earrings when I heard the commotion. I came out here merely to see if things were getting out of control, but it would appear as though you’ve handled things perfectly.”

The girlish blush on Anastasia’s face only darkens in color as the young teen casts her adoring gaze to the floor, joyous glee from having been praised by her mistress evident all over the younger girl’s body.

Not wanting to stay here any longer than absolutely necessary, especially if this is what he’d have to witness the whole time, Salvatore gathers all of his strength and uses it to clear his throat and take a step forward, revealing himself to both women as he gingerly comes out into the light.

“YOU!” Anastasia yells, immediately turning on her heel and making a beeline toward the increasingly anxious Salvatore. “So not only have you made enough of a nuisance of yourself to disturb the lovely Lady Dimitrescu just as she’s about to retire and rest from a very long and taxing day, but now you’ve decided that you’re so above everyone else that you can just waltz right into someone else’s home without even the slightest hint of respect or admiration for the incredible woman living in it, how dare you be so crash and selfish you overcooked blowfish, exit this castle immediately, or I’ll shove my boot so far up your rear end you’ll be fishing around for it for weeks you-”

“Anastasia, calm yourself, dear” the loud, but calming sound of Alcina’s voice said, causing the young teen to pause in her angry scolding of Salvatore.

“My Lady?” The young teen asks, dutifully awaiting orders.

“Let the wretched man inside, he’s the furthest thing from a threat to us, even if he is an annoying little manthing. Although, I’d be lying if I said a visit from you at this hour of night is something I’ve come to expect of you, dearest elder brother.”

The disfigured man swallowed thickly as he stepped past Anastasia to fully face his other younger sister, who looked all the more intimidating from her looming perch upon the upper story.

“I-I know this is s-sudden…” Salvatore begins, hoping he’d at least be able to explain himself before Alcina tossed him back outside on his ass.

“I’ll certainly say” Anastasia bursts in angrily, but she’s quickly silenced and sent away to tend to her other duties by Alcina, who motions for Salvatore to ascend the large set of stairs leading up to the rest of the castle and join her on the landing for a moment.

“Spunky little thing, isn’t she?” Alcina says when Salvatore finally makes it to the top of the stairs, panting slightly as he follows the much taller mutant’s gaze to the door that Anastasia had just exited the room from.

“Th-that’s certainly… one way… o-of putting it” Salvatore stutters, not wanting to offend Alcina by calling her servant rude, but clearly not seeing what’s so great about someone who just yells at you a lot the second you walk through the door.

“Yes! She apparently received a strain of cadou that was quite similar to mine, however her need to consume blood to maintain herself is far more similar to that of leeches. Rather than having to consume it regularly in smaller doses, like myself, she’ll only require one feeding every few weeks or so, which I thought was quite interesting. The only issues Mother Miranda brought up was the fact that her hunger, if it gets bad enough, can trigger both her transformation, as well as some sort of feral and animalistic meltdown that only ends once she’s finally had her fill. Apparently more than a few villagers were lost in the process of learning this information” Alcina comments casually, tucking her hair behind her ear. “Mother only brought her over earlier today, just before dinner, and yet she’s already managed to carve quite the little space for herself here. I hadn’t realized how dirty this place was without any girls left to take from the village until she went through and washed all the walls in the west wing spotless. It was like night and day, I could hardly believe how open and bright the halls looked” Alcina stated.

“W-wow… so th-then… d-do you think y-you’ll keep her a-around… long term?” Salvatore asks curiously, craning his neck so he could get a better look at his sister’s face.

“Perhaps. I’m certainly thinking about it. Not only is she an incredibly hard and fast worker, but she’s also got such a lovely spark of energy and excitement to her, and she’s always very polite and respectful, if a bit obvious in her “admiration” of those she looks up to… not that that’s a bad thing, necessarily. It’s quite sweet, actually!”

“S-she did look… q-quite taken… by y-you” Salvatore comments, having noticed the girl’s far-too-eager-to-be-innocent disposition when Alcina was in the room, vs. when it was just him. Not that it was a terribly surprising turn of events. Alcina, for all her monstrous height and sheer mutant bulk, was still a very beautiful, and very desirable woman at the end of the day, meanwhile Salvatore was only about 2 rolls of the genetic dice away from sharing a more recent common ancestor with the blobfish than he did humans.

“I know, isn’t she adorable? She came exactly like this, too. Mother Miranda has no idea if this is a result of the mutation process or if it's merely her former personality finally returning now that she’s awake and out of containment, but I suppose the logistics of things aren’t really important in the end. I'm so glad I chose her over the other two, I don’t know what I would have done had such a promising and delectable little morsel like her go to waste on the rest of you imbeciles” Alcina coos in amusement. “Regardless of what Mother Miranda said however, I was almost certain this whole “gift” situation was going to be nothing more than a pile of useless drivel that I’d be left to clean up all on my own once the novelty wore off, however after having Anastasia here for these past few hours, and seeing all that she’s willing and capable of doing, I’m beginning to wonder if perhaps I’d been too hasty in my final decision.”

“Funny… K-Karl thought m-much the… th-the same thing i-initially… w-when I t-talked to him… th-the other day… th-though… knowing him… I doubt h-he’s having q-quite as much… of a ch-change of heart… as you a-are” Salvatore said suddenly, more than anything due to the incredible shock that was the concept of Alcina and Karl sharing a similar opinion, at the same time, while both occupying the same dimension of reality.

Alcina’s face immediately turns sour at the mention of Karl. “Oh, did he now? That’s an unfortunate thing to learn,” she says in annoyance, clearly displeased by the notion of agreeing with Karl on anything.

“Y-yes… he… he th-thinks that maybe… M-Mother might b-be using the g-gifts… to d-distract us w-while she’s g-gone away… o-on her mission… b-but that maybe… sh-she also wants… s-something else out of a-all this… something… th-that she isn’t t-telling us… f-for some reason” Salvatore explains, unsure if he should be revealing all this information to Alcina, notorious and open critic of Karl and quite literally everything the younger man has ever done and said, is doing and saying, and will do and say sometime in the span of his chaotic lifespan.

Contrary to what Salvatore assumed, however, instead of looking bored and uninterested in what Karl thought about this whole situation, Alcina looked just the slightest bit… intrigued, if still clearly wary. “Really? And what, pray tell, does our dear sweet little brother Heisenberg believe will come of this whole situation then? Did he say?”

“H-he… he never m-mentioned anything s-specific… but he th-thinks that the g-gifts… might p-play a l-larger role… in all th-this… than M-Mother has been l-leading us to believe.”

“I see,” Alcina says, remaining silent for a moment as she thinks, looking almost concerned by what she’s heard. “And what do you think of this whole mess, Salvatore?”

“U-um… well… I-I think it’s nice… th-that Mother trusts us e-enough… to g-give us her p-previous experiments… and u-use them however w-we want… b-but I’d be l-lying if I s-said… that I d-didn’t think Karl… was o-onto something… I-I don’t know w-what I believe to be t-true a-at the moment… but I d-do know… th-that I’d like t-to give… g-give a gift of m-my own… to Nadine… and that… and that y-you might be… s-someone else who c-could help me… w-with that” the hooded man explains nervously, hoping that Alcina was in a good enough mood to feel like humoring him and his sudden request.

“Nadine?” The tall, pale woman asks in confusion, before suddenly nodding in understanding. “Ah, your gift…”

Salvatore nods. “D-Donna… is f-fashioning a n-new dress… for her… a-and even gave me… this b-beautiful nightgown… to hold h-her over until… until the real one is c-complete. I th-think she w-will… e-enjoy the nightgown b-but… but I’d like to… l-like to get her something else t-too… like a… like a necklace… a-a gold one… o-one that w-would… c-complement her skin tone… j-just right.”

Alcina briefly stares at Salvatore with a blank expression, momentarily making the hooded man worry that he’d overstepped his boundaries and said something to offend the much larger woman. His nerves are thankfully calmed when Alcina turns and orders Salvatore to follow after her, which the disfigured man happily does if it means what he thinks it means.

The two siblings arrive at Alcina’s personal chambers just as Anastasia is exiting them, her arms filled by a large basket of blood soaked towels and clothes, some collected from Alcina’s room, the others likely from either Bela, Cassandra, or Daniela’s rooms.

“Good evening, Lady Dimitrescu! Are you finally retiring for the evening?” Anastasia asks, bowing cheerfully as she finally notices her mistress approaching her. “I’ve already gone ahead and prepared your bed for you, as well as collected all the soiled laundry from today’s harvest. Is there anything else I can do for you tonight?”

“Thank you, my dear, but not quite, I have one more matter to attend to before I fully turn in. Since you were so kind to offer however, I would greatly appreciate it if, once Lord Moreau and I are finished with our affairs, you would be so kind as to escort him to the front door and bid him a good night, for me. You are free to retire to your own chambers for the evening once he’s left” Alcina orders softly, which the young girl obediently nods her head to.

“Of course, mistress, thank you very much! And I’d be happy to see Lord Moreau out for you, so please don’t hesitate to call me once you’re finished with your meeting” Anastasia says, bowing lowly to both Alcina and Salvatore before wordlessly skittering off to do… whatever it was she planned on doing to those dirty garments.

“Now, about that gift you were talking about” Alcina says upon entering her personal bedroom, immediately striding over to her vanity and beginning to sift through several boxes worth of jewelry, “you said you wanted gold, correct? And a necklace specifically?”

“Y-yes! I-if you have anything y-you’re willing to… g-give away… of course… I’d feel t-terrible taking something i-if it meant a g-great deal to you” Salvatore answers, standing awkwardly in the doorway as he waits for Alcina to return to him with whatever she finds.

Of all 3 of his siblings, Alcina was the one Salvatore was easily the least close to, despite having been the only two around for a considerable amount of time before the eventual arrivals of both Donna and then Karl. It wasn’t that Salvatore was displeased when Mother Miranda first informed him that he’d be getting a “sibling” all those years ago, but Alcina’s natural personality, coupled with her terrifying size and strength from the mutations, had made the very meek and timid Salvatore hesitant to reach out and form any kind of sibling bond with the younger woman, like he had with Karl.

Karl was a royal pain in the ass to deal with on even his best days, but at the end of it all, there’s still only so much a 6 year old can do to you, anger issues and mutant metal bending powers or not. Alcina was both a royal pain in the ass to deal with more often than not, but also a fully grown adult when she first joined the family, so needless to say the 2 oldest siblings hadn’t been given very many appropriately opportune moments to bond or get along.

That being said however, the simple but elegant golden locket that Alcina procures from one of her many boxes of jewelry has Salvatore wondering if maybe he had misjudged Alcina, having never expected her to show him something as luxurious and real-looking as this, especially when the understanding was that she’d be giving it away whatever item of jewelry Salvatore took a liking to.

“This is an old locket I received for my 3rd birthday from a relative who died long before I was old enough to care about who they were, though all those diamond star details on the front do make me think they could have been close with us at one point, or perhaps they just had that much money to throw around? It’s an old and well-loved piece of my collection, but Duke has been bringing back such wonderful treasures from his travels that I just have to start getting rid of some of these old sentimental trinkets so I can make room for all the new additions I plan on purchasing once he finally returns” Alcina explains, gingerly handing the necklace over to Salvatore, who could do nothing but gawk at how extravagant and, to be perfectly honest, expensive the necklace looked.

With 4 small diamonds, likely real knowing Alcina, embedded into the surface of the locket’s front cover, surrounded by small engravings that give the glimmering stones the appearance of stars in the night sky, the necklace looked like it belonged upon the neck of a fair and noble princess, into which the radiant beauty could then place the photo of the man who’d stollen her innocent heart. Nadine wasn’t actually a princess and Salvatore all but gagged at the idea of a picture of his face, mutated or not, being put somewhere for anyone to see, however the necklace was far too perfect for the hooded man to possibly turn it down.

“So what do you think? Will something like this do?” The taller woman asks, curiously. “I could continue looking if that isn’t quite what you’re after, however if that is the case, then I would like to politely request that you come back and look at them tomorrow. It's already so late and I’d have to have the rest of my collection fetched from the vault downstairs.”

“N-no no… th-that’s alright… this i-is perfect… thank y-you… Alcina… this w-was very k-kind of you to do… f-for me” Salvatore says, carefully tucking the glittering necklace into the bag Donna had placed the nightgown in.

“Don’t fret about it too much, I only did it because I had a bit of time to spare prior to going to bed, and you happened to catch me in a good mood. That’s it” Alcina states firmly, though something in the back of Salvatore’s head can’t help but take the taller woman’s words with a grain of salt, feeling as though there was more to Alcina’s sudden generosity than just pure coincidence. “Besides, who knows what gaudy thing you’d have shown up with had you not made the surprisingly wise decision to invoke Donna’s and my vastly superior knowledge of the feminine experience. I don’t even want to think of what tacky little trinket you’d have tried to gift her. Why the thought of that alone is enough to make me want to run for the hills, how on earth do you think your poor little gift would have felt? I’d have had to murder you on the spot if I found out you tried to pass some disgusting pile of garbage off as an appropriate gift. In fact, if I didn’t know that Donna was working on a more fitting dress for her already, I’d have half a mind to skin you alive for only having a flimsy nightgown to take back with you, but I doubt any of the dresses I have, that would be appropriate to wear with that kind of necklace anyways, would come close to fitting her, and I really do want to start making room for some newer, more exciting pieces. So, with all that in mind, count your blessings that the stars have aligned in your favor tonight, dear brother, because I won’t be doing this for you again… unless, you’d be willing to do me a few favors in exchange for some of the other pieces of my collection, that is.”

Aaaaaaaaaaand there’s the Alcina that Salvatore knows and secretly likes. In vehement denial that she feels anything positive for her 3 siblings and also actively trying to get someone else to do her dirty work for her. It's certainly not how the hooded man prefers to operate, but he supposes that if Alcina can somehow convince everyone around her to do all of her work for her, why wouldn’t she take advantage of that as much as possible?

“I-I think that’s e-enough… for t-tonight actually… maybe i-if I decide I’d l-like to get her s-something else… I’ll c-consider that offer y-you brought up” Salvatore says, bowing politely to his sister as he makes his desire to leave obvious.

Thankfully, Alcina seems more than happy to send her older brother on his way, calling Anastasia to come lead Salvatore back to the front door so he could finally begin making his way home.

“Th-thank you again… Alcina… I really a-appreciate this… an-and I'm sure Nadine w-will love the gift t-too” Salvatore says just as he’s about to bid Alcina goodnight and begin following the young servant girl.

“Yes, yes, you’re very grateful of my wondrous kindness to you, I know, you’ve made that fact more than clear already, brother” the taller woman says with an only mildly annoyed roll of her eyes as she stands just outside the door to her chambers. “Just make sure you don’t waste the opportunity my graciousness has afforded you, do you understand?”

Salvatore stiffens nervously as Alcina shoots him a pointed look that screams ‘don’t fuck this up or I’ll fuck you up’, a threat which the hooded man knows she’ll make good on, should Salvatore make it necessary for her to do so. Salvatore wasn’t sure how Alcina had picked up on the nature of his budding affections for Nadine so quickly, or how she seemed to instinctively know what he was planning despite having never asked directly, but clearly she’d noticed something and was now in the process of making the matter of whether Salvatore successfully courted his gift her business.

Heavens above have mercy upon whomever is unlucky enough to have their problematic situation noticed and meddled with by Alcina Dimitrescu.

“Y-yes… I u-understand… an-and I’ll be s-sure not to w-waste... waste the g-golden opportunity you’ve g-given me… OH! An-and Donna w-wants her mannequins b-back... too… sh-she wanted m-me to tell y-you” Salvatore replies, his anxiety only mildly calmed when Alcina makes a face at the mention of Donna’s yet-to-be-returned-still mannequins.

“Oh for goodness sakes, I always forgot about those stupid things. Anastasia?”

“Yes, Mistress?” The young servant dutifully answers.

“Please make a note to remind me to have Heisenberg come by so he can collect and return the manequins Donna leant me while I was commissioning some dresses from her earlier this month. That foul-mouthed mutt owes me a favor, and so if all goes the way I’d like I’ll be making this his problem in the morning” Alcina says devilishly, crossing her arms over her chest.

“Of course, Lady Dimitrescu, I’ll be sure to remind you of that first thing tomorrow morning” Anastasia replies warmly, though her amicable grin is quickly replaced by a flush and a girlish giggle when Alcina waves and turns on her heel, swaying her hips in an obvious fashion before bending down to enter through the door of her chambers.

Salvatore passed exceptionally confused glances back and forth between his sister and the young servant standing in front of him, totally clueless as to what just unfolded a moment ago as a feeling of disgust, the kind you get when you see something you wish you hadn’t, began to curl in the pit of his stomach. Whatever it was that was going on in the Dimitrescu house, and more importantly with their new servant girl, it was clearly none of Salvatore’s business. Not that he’d wanted it to be in the first place.

Salvatore had enough problems to deal with regarding his own gift, he didn’t have time to worry about whether or not Alcina was already making moves on hers.

“Have a safe journey home, and do make sure to stop by with Nadine if things turn out well between the two of you. Based on how today played out, it would seem as though things are about to get a lot more interesting around here… and a lot more fun too. Goodnight, Dear Brother” is all Alcina says before gently closing the door to her chambers, effectively ending their conversation without so much as a single word from Salvatore, not that he minded being handed the chance to finally get out of here, especially after… whatever the hell that exchange between Alcina and Anastasia was.

Best not to think too hard about it, probably, especially when there was another woman back at the reservoir who was much more deserving of Salvatore’s lustful and impure musings.

“Uuum… the front door is this way… Lord Moreau,” Anastasia says suddenly, her face still dark from embarrassment, though whether it was from her earlier treatment of him before she learned he was another Lord and not just some random man from the village, or from… that thing he just saw that he doesn’t feel like thinking about anymore, the hooded man couldn’t tell.

Nor did he particularly care to find out.

[watermelonlipstick]

Dreams, Chapter 11

If you haven’t read this series before, you might want to start on Chapter 1, or check out the Dreams Masterlist! Here’s the series description:

When Dean dies for good leaving Sam and his girlfriend (the reader) behind, they must figure out how to carry on without him. Alone, reeling, and unsure what to do next, trying to honor Dean’s memory and follow their hearts gets even more complicated when their nightmares become dreams that feel a little too real.

Title: Dreams, Chapter 11

Pairing: (past) Dean Winchester x Reader, (eventual) Sam Winchester x Reader

Word Count: 2616

Summary: Another dream makes things more clear for the reader and less clear for Sam.

Warnings: angst, fluff, swearing, s l o w  b u r n

           The booths are those plastic-coated pressboard swoops that are so easy to clean, one row down either side of the long room once you walk past the counter to order. Like other pizza places, there are red pepper flakes and grated parmesan on the table, but they also keep ranch dressing in a minifridge behind the counter as a concession to Midwestern sensibilities. You know you’re just outside Dayton just like you know the pizza shop is run by a family, father and two older teenage daughters deftly throwing dough and scattering cheese evenly over it in a way that shows their years of practice. Dean sits across the table with his elbows on it, one forefinger and thumb picking through a plate of nachos between you. His black t-shirt, amulet, and lack of flannel make you notice the hum of the air conditioner in the background, straining over the 90’s alternative radio and reminding you that you’d been here in a heat stroke the summer after you and Dean had gotten together, his golden freckles and lightened tips of his slightly messy hair underlining the memory.

           “They don’t serve nachos here.” It’s half statement and half question.

           “Babe, it’s your dream. They’ll serve whatever you want. Does the pizza suck in Wisconsin or something?”

           The two sisters are whispering to each other as they look over at your table, an almost-argument that ends with who you suspect is the older sister poofing a pinch of flour into the other’s face. They’re both cute girls but she’s adorable, soft cherubic cheeks and messy bun piling impossibly glossy hair on her head as she walks over to the table with a gigantic pizza. “Can I get you anything else?” she asks in a perfect welcoming cheerleader pitch.

           “I think we’re good for now, sweetheart,” Dean purrs with a wink. That you remember; you’d playfully chastised Dean for dazzling the teens, laughing in his face when he’d said it wasn’t on purpose, that he couldn’t help it if chicks dug him. The wink had proved your point then and now it makes the girl’s cheeks flush red.

           She catches herself remarkably well, the stammer almost slipping under the radar as she assures you that you can “holler if you need anything!”

           Dean brushes his fingers free of nacho debris and loosens a piece of pizza from the melting cheese of the ones next to it. “Last time you had all kinds of sweet nothings and questions for me and now you’re Silent Cal?”

           “I don’t think this is real, but I’m pretty sure if I push it you’ll either die in this dream or I’ll wake up, so my plan is to stay here as long as we can.”

           He drops the pizza back into the box and wipes off his fingers on a napkin before slouching into the booth, arm stretched across its length. “So test me then. Gimme a question only I would know or something.”

           “Well if I ask you something that I know the answer to, my brain will just project you knowing it. See the problem?”

           Dean squints and pouts in consideration, touch of a smile dancing across his face and if it isn’t the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen may you be struck dead right now. “Then ask me something you don’t know the answer to.”

           You think about explaining how that too could just be some part of your subconscious recreation of Dean but you don’t want to keep pulling at loose strings in the event that it wakes you up. It’s too hard to keep from smiling, seeing Dean charming and relaxed like this, and when you grin it makes Dean bite his lip. “What’s something I don’t know the answer to?”

           “Ah, ah—I thought I’m just a hologram, how would I know?”

           “Projection, but okay,” you stall. “Wait, here’s one. Sam said when I first started going on jobs with you guys that you had to have a conversation about staying focused. What was that all about?”

           He runs his tongue along the inside of his lower lip. “Man, why would he tell you that?” he says under his breath, smirking mostly to himself before leaning forward to meet your eyes. “Fine. I’m not even sure that you’re going to remember this. There was a vengeful spirit in Indiana, some like homesteader guy, ring a bell?”

           You have only the vaguest sense of recollection and sort of waggle your head to show it.

           “It was way at the beginning of when you started coming on jobs with us. You and Bobby got into it because he wanted you to bring your own car so you could ditch us if we were ‘acting like cretins’ or some shit like that?”

           That fits the last puzzle piece in for you and makes you chuckle. “He ended up giving me like $250 of mad money in case I needed a new room or a bus ticket, yeah. I remember.”

           “I didn’t know that part but that’s gotta be the same trip. The whole thing was really stupid. Basically we were supposed to have your six but both me and Sammy wanted to carry a shotgun instead of doing that protection spell because it looked cooler. We were arguing about it when the spirit whipped a chunk of the barn’s scaffolding at you and we didn’t catch it in time. You heard it coming and ducked so nothing ended up happening, but it fucking demolished the wall behind you. It was a huge fuckup—thing could’ve taken your head clean off, you know? Sam was so broken up about it he was wasted for like a week solid after we dropped you back off at Bobby’s.”

           “Really? That doesn’t sound like him at all.”

           “I know, usually he does some kind of pouty baby bullshit. But I mean both of us felt really guilty that bitching at each other could’ve taken you out.”

           Dean’s eyes rake over your face, seeming to linger over every inch like he’s going to draw a topographical map of it later by memory. You can tell he’s waiting for you to say something but you can’t think of anything other than tracing each of his freckles where they dust across his nose.

           A hand reaches over the table to run his fingertips along the back of yours, and that certainly feels real enough to send an ache into your gut. “What if you ask Sam? If he says that’s not what happened then you can keep saying I’m not real and you don’t have to listen to me.”

           “But he already basically told me that. The only thing I probably wouldn’t have guessed about that is Sam getting drunk about it—these could’ve been just well-informed guesses about when it probably was or the kinds of things it seemed like he was implying.”

           His lips press into a firm line and the barest touch of pink rises in his cheeks. “We, um, we pinky swore on it.”

           The adorableness of his embarrassment makes you grin teasingly as much as the divulgence does. “A pinky promise? You guys must’ve been pretty serious to take such a sacred oath.”

           He rolls his eyes at your ribbing and throws his hands back in his lap with a defeated smirk. “Laugh it up. Would that be good enough proof for you?”

           It seems like Dean has figured out a loophole in the system, but you’re sure the light of day and Sam’s scrutiny will figure out why it isn’t actual evidence of communication with Dean beyond death, and you tell him that.

           A curtain of suspicious confusion falls over Dean’s face. “Sam being weird about it is what’s keeping you from trusting this? Kid, I’ve been talking to Sa—”

           And you woke up.

           The bed was empty next to you but you could smell something sweet in the air and hear the light clinking of pots or pans Sam was trying his best to keep quiet. You blinked back a few tears of frustration—who even cared if it was real or not? Reliving a great memory with Dean was more than enough and instead of enjoying it you’d wasted a chance at some small respite from your constant ache of grief. And even then, you hadn’t used any of your time to figure out how the whole thing worked, how you could see him again.

           But the most pressing issue was what you thought Dean had been trying to say before disappearing; that he had gotten through to Sam. Sam, of course, deserved to have secrets, but if he had been sitting on the resolution to all the angst you’d been struggling through in the last weeks (months?), you couldn’t imagine a reason why that wouldn’t hurt. Nothing would be solved by laying in your bed to sulk about it, though, so you threw on some clothes and went to brush your teeth.

           When you came out, Sam was hunched slightly, the standard stove highlighting his decidedly non-standard height as he shuffled a pan’s handle. He had a dishtowel over his t-shirt clad shoulder, a habit from the bar that sometimes held over when he was in the kitchen at home, and bare feet under old jeans. They were wearing through at the knees, and you knew they were absolutely pajama-soft from having periodically thrown them in with your own laundry. Through the kitchen window, enough snow-brightened sunlight came into the room to cast him in a halo glow that gleamed off of his hair. As long as it had gotten, chunks still swept into his face as he looked down at the stove, and he tucked one behind his ear as he looked up, half-singing a Buddy Guy song that was playing softly. It was stunning—he was stunning, statuesque and strong and right there in front of you. Cooking you breakfast while you slept in, of all things, chocolate chip pancakes he had to have remembered were your favorite from ages ago. You couldn’t even remember the last time you’d had them and right now, nothing in the world sounded better. He beamed and tilted the pan toward you. “Morning! I made pancakes, you want some?”

           And you should’ve just let the moment rest, sat in the rare bright winter morning and eaten chocolate chip pancakes and relished how well the boiler was working, maybe later in the day read a predictable murder mystery or taped off the living room to be painted and listened to REM until your shoulders were sore from running rollers up the walls all afternoon. Instead, about as stupid and weird a flop as if a toad had come out of your mouth, you said, “Have you been talking to Dean too?”

           Sam’s face fell but not in the right way. There was too much angle in his brow and that confirmed it. “What?” he asked, but it didn’t land.

           “How long have you been talking to Dean?”

           He kept that curious smile for a second, like maybe he could push through by playing dumb and you would forget, but finally his lips flattened and his jaw clenched as he stacked a finished pancake on top of its predecessors. “Just because I’m having dreams about him doesn’t mean it’s really him,” he finally answered, softly and as though he was telling the bubbling pancake batter in front of him, unable to meet your eyes.

           You felt the lump forming in your throat and tried to get the words out ahead of its solidifying. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

           “For what?” He let go of the pan and turned toward you, supporting his weight on the countertop. “So we can both—”

           “Both what? Be delusional? Is that what you were going to say?”

           Sam didn’t answer, but the set of his jaw was firm and he kept his eyes locked on yours.

           “He told me you were drunk for a week after the hunt you were talking about.” You watched as Sam’s pupils widened a touch. “And that you didn’t just promise each other to buckle down, you pinky swore.” Sam’s Adam’s apple jumped in his throat. “It’s true, isn’t it? I can see in your face that it is. Did you already know it’s really him?”

           He looked down at the floor and clenched his jaw. “I was pretty sure. Or at least I really hoped I was pretty sure.”

           You felt more than consciously allowed your mouth’s falling open. “How? How long?”

           “It just—I don’t know, it just felt different. I—uh, the first time was after we made those cupcakes; he asked about the cupcakes.”

           You slumped against the countertop opposite him, speechless. He shoved the pan off the hot burner a little too hard, put a palm on either side of the stove to brace himself. The two of you stood like that for a long minute, the smell of chocolate not matching the stiff heaviness in the air at all.

           “I don’t—what if it’s not real?” His throat sounded bound even though you couldn’t see his face, hulking mass of him spread across the tiny kitchen.

           He seemed so defeated, so young, and then you couldn’t believe how selfish you’d been, not putting two and two together that something challenging Sam’s grip on or understanding of reality must shove him back to the brain melting torture he’d endured in the cage and the months—years, maybe, he was always so tight-lipped about it—afterward. What the fuck were you thinking, not seeing it before, how this could seem like a perfectly laid trap for Sam, the most poetic way to whip his mind into stiff peaks of meringue. It made so much sense why he would need time to really suss it out, see the situation from all angles and investigate, check and re-check. Tears pricked the corners of your eyes but you blinked them away. This was not about you or your complicated need for him, it was about Sam, what he’d been through, what he was likely putting himself through even now.

           “The, um, the pancakes smell really good.”

           “Yeah?” There was half a laugh behind his words, humorless as it was. “I hope they’re okay, I know they’re your, uh, your favorite.”

           “I’m surprised you remembered.”

           Sam leaned on one arm to rub his face with his other hand. “Yeah, well.”

           “Can I help?”

           After a beat, he stood up and offered some space next to him on the stove. You worked hip to hip, sprinkling the chocolate chips while Sam flipped. He was scraping the last of the batter into a last little runt pancake with a spatula when you couldn’t help yourself and wrapped your arms around his waist. He seemed surprised, if sad, before setting down the bowl and covering as much of you as he could, folding over you like a protective shell. It reminded you of that dirty motel room, months and months ago, when Sam held you together as you cracked in his arms. All he could do then was be steadfast in reminding you he was still there, if nothing else was, and you hoped you were able to give him the same now.

           You silently laid two place settings on the kitchen counter while Sam set the food out. He sat next to you and had picked up his fork when you touched his wrist to still him. “If it’s not real for you then I’m losing it too.”

           Sam thought for a second, then raised his forearm and kissed the back of your hand where you held onto him before cutting into his pancakes.

-

Continue to Dreams, Chapter 12

Thanks again for reading! If you liked it, check out my Masterlist or send me a request!

Tags: @sams-sass​ @vxnderlindes​ @deanwinchesterswitch​ @akshi8278​ @itsjensenanddean​ @flannellover67​ @weepingwillowphoenix​ @tj-drinks-tea​ @whatareyousearchingfordean​ @winchestergirl2​ @winchest09​ @samwisethegr8​ @nobxdy​ @nurse-sarahrn​ @lovers-in-japan-reign-of-love​ @deanwanddamons​ @stressedoutkitten​ @winchestershiresauce​ @tatted-trina6​ @percico-heronstairs​ @downanddirtydean​ @queenoftheunderdark​ @lyarr24​ @waywardwifey​ @thinkinghardhardlythinking​ @wonder-cole​ @sergeantsea​ @peachyafshawn​ @tjfinnigan​ @that-one-gay-girl​ @calaofnoldor​ @mrspeacem1nusone​ @theveridianmoon​ @underc0vercryptid​ @daringvixon​ fairlyspnfanfic treat-winchesterswithkindness samfreakingwinchester

And as always, if you want to be on my taglist, were on the taglist and changed your handle, or I lost track of it, please let me know!