#our power is out and my boss is making us stay all day because he has to pay us regardless

[beancalzone]

Boss makes a dollar I make a dime that why I write yaoi on company time

[scoutswritingcorner]

Borrowing The Chauffeur PT.2

Poly!Vee’s x GN!Chauffeur!Reader

Aka Part 2 of when Vox realizes that you are now chauffeuring Alastor now. 

A/n: @aboyscriminalrecord COME HERE POOKIE- COME GET YOUR DINNER!! Also I know these three could kill Chauffeur Reader but I find it funny that they are all collectively simps and in their minds Reader can’t do anything wrong.

TW:Valentino, Chauffeur Reader kinda snaps, Vox being Vox and there is a verbal fight. All the Vee’s get horny for Chauffeur Reader being absolute feral. A LIL NSFW.

It took two weeks for Vox to realize that you were driving Alastor around the town and to say he was pissed was an understatement. He was beyond livid, so when he called you to the tower that night you immediately knew something was wrong. He never sounded that angry when talking to you, glitching every few seconds between his words.

When you arrived at the meeting room in the tower, you were met by all three of your bosses. You slowly walked over to the long table, “Do you know why we called you here?” Vox asked looking up at you as Valentino took a hit from his cigarette and Velvette was typing away on her phone. “..No Sir, I do not. Please enlighten me.” Vox growled his screen glitching and he threw his hands up in the air, “He thinks you're betraying us since you chauffeured Alastor around.” Velvette explained making you stop and had to reset your brain. 

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.” You snarled out, rubbing at your eyes. Vox stopped and leaned back, all eyes on you as you rarely ever got angry like this, especially at them. “You called me at 4 in the fucking morning to yell at me, forced me to come here and now your throwing a fucking temper tantrum because THE Radio Demon, asked me to chauffeur him around a few days out of my work week?” You asked glaring at Vox, his screen glitching every few seconds from pure anger. “You shouldn’t have accepted!” He yelled back making you look at him like he grew two heads and then you looked at the other two at the table. “Are you two pissed off?” You asked moving closer to the table, this was a dangerous game you were about to play and it could be your afterlife on the line here.

“Nope, it’s not really a big deal-” Valentino hummed out as Velvette nodded and went back to her phone as you glared the TV man down, “So- with that out of the way. What in the actual fuck goes through your head? I’ve been loyal to you for decades Vox, is that not enough for you to think, maybe I’ll stay by your side for the rest of my afterlife.” You asked, venom lacing your voice as you slam your hands on the table. “Then why did he ask you? Why did you say yes?” He stood up, electricity pulsing around him, “Vox. Put yourself in my situation. I get home and I get woken up two hours later by the fucking RADIO DEMON at my door. I don’t have the power to stop him and I’d like to not die a second time.” You hissed out clenching your fists on the table, you so badly wanted to knock some sense into him but you took a deep breath, hands shaking.

Vox glared at you before sitting back down, “Do you know what that’ll do to your reputation? To OUR reputation?” He asked, making you slam your fists on the table, “Respectfully, Sir. I couldn’t give two shits right now. So when you stop throwing a damn temper tantrum, call me back. I’m going back to bed.” You snarled out before turning and storming out of the conference room. 

The room was silent as the door slammed, Vox snarled and turned his attention to the sharks behind him. “...That was hot.” Valentino called out making Velvette roll her eyes, “Oh come on, Cariño. You’re gonna sit here and tell me that wasn’t the hottest thing that happened today?~” Velvette sent him a glare as Vox growled, silently fuming in his seat as he watched you storm out of the Vee tower through the cameras. “Fine! It was! I never knew they could snap back like that.” Velvette huffed out her cheeks turning a bright shade of red.

Satan be damned…he was hard.

[shera-dnd]

Alright I have eaten my mato peach and have gained the amazing power to do literary and thematic analysis of any piece of media, no matter how fucking stupid

and as the first activation of my ability, I'm turning it towards the stupid ecchi reverse slave harem manga, Mato Seihei no Slave (or Chained Soldier if you're not as much of a fucking weeb as I am) in order to prove that this is actually thematically consistent and surprisingly well written

(long pause as I let all my followers block me and leave)

but first to address the two shuuki in the room

WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU MEAN YOU'VE BEEN READING AN ECCHI SLAVE HAREM MANGA YOU FUCKING WEIRDO?

Look... LOOK! It's not what you think!

Okay so like a lot of anime and manga recently (primarily isekai) have been including slavery as a thing in their world building, and tho I'm not gonna claim that's the only thing it ever gets used for, it's quite clear that a lot of people are only using that as an excuse for kinky slave play BDSM

and then forget that that stuff comes with like... you know, the horrific implications of slavery as an institution

WELL GOOD NEWS! The author of this manga does not give a shit about disguising his femdom slave play kink as commentary on slavery, this is literally just a BDSM thing and it never pretends to be anything else

...besides, a woman has needs, okay?

WAIT SHOULDN'T THIS MANGA TRIGGER YOU? ISN'T YOUR TRIGGER THE LITERAL CENTRAL GIMMICK OF THIS?

YOU WOULD BE CORRECT! By all logical means I should not be able to read this manga without having the most viscerally negative response possible... except that I don't

I'm not gonna pretend that I know why or how this is working

But I read Monster Musume back in 2015 and it somehow helped me get over my fear of spiders, SO WHO KNOWS maybe niche ecchi manga are how I get over my mental blocks

I would rather it wasn't, but I'm having a hard time proving otherwise!

oh god we're already 400 words in and I have only just finished the preamble. Why am I like this?

Okay okay let us get started as I'll give a detailed explanation as to why Mato Seihei no Slave is about the bonds between people, the ways we bring out the best in each other, and what makes a good dom- ahem I mean leader... what makes a good leader

So for those who don't know the central conceit of this story is that this is a world where women get super powers and men get... to be stay at home husbands

Our protagonist is male wife supreme, Yuuki Wakura, whose main hobbies include cooking, cleaning, and day dreaming about one day becoming a hero

unfortunately for our adorable little boy toy he immediately finds himself falling through a portal into actual literal hell (technically it's called Mato, but like it's just hell) where he's promptly attacked by several giant monsters

BUT GOOD NEWS FOR HIM! He's being saved by a hyper competent hot woman in a uniform (lesbians going "it should have been me!" count should be at 1 by now)

BAD NEWS FOR HIM! She's alone and soon they both get overwhelmed because she can't go full apeshit murder mode while protecting his soft boy ass

Thankfully there is a way for her to save him still, it just requires some collaboration from him

("it should have been me!" count: 2)

And here we are at the main fucking gimmick. The reason why all the ecchi shit happens, the silly excuse for why this bad bitch decides to keep this guy at her side

Chains of Eternity: Slave

Kyouka Uzen (the ultimate girl boss) can forge a contract with someone to bind them to her will as her slave. This will bring out their hidden potential and allow them to fight by her side, turning them into a super powerful killing machine at her command.

In exchange once the task is done she must give a reward to her slave based on the difficulty of the task and the slave's "latent desires"

So yeah, Kyouka doesn't get to decide what the reward is, Yuuki doesn't get to decide what the reward is, only Kyouka's magic can decide what the reward is. Which basically just means the author gets to insert whatever horny fuckery they want into this

Rewards vary from giving him head pats, offering him treats, giving him a back massage, kissing him, to...

well this is a femdom series for a reason

(I think the "it should have been me!" count is at like a 4 or a 5 now)

and now I'm gonna analyze the ever loving shit out of that ability and how it is the crux to all the themes of the show and actually informs us on the nature of Kyouka's character

no, I'm not kidding

Okay so let me just break down what Slave does here from a kink point of view. It basically allows Kyouka and Yuuki to enter into a BDSM relationship where the dom always knows what the sub wants, while still being able to surprise the sub with her actions. She gets to constantly keep her sub beneath her, while also being magically required to reward him and give him aftercare once she's done

Those two have entered a ridiculously healthy BDSM relationship by forging a magical contract that lets them skip all the negotiation bits and go right to what the audience wants to see

(yeah it's gonna be impossible to track the "it should have been me!"s from this point on, so just try to keep your own count at home)

This is also the author's way of like having his cake and fucking it too

Because that way we can have Kyouka as the baddest bitch to ever live AND have her do embarrassing stuff with Yuuki without ever breaking character. In fact the loftier her goals and the more tragic her backstory the more reason she has to accept the reward mechanism as the price to pay for this power

It's also why Kyouka is easily the most developed and interesting character of the manga, to the point that Yuuki is more a supporting character to her arc

This brings us back to those three themes I mentioned waaaaay at the start

Starting with: "how we bring out the best in each other"

For starters it's quite obvious how that works with Yuuki. He wants to be a hero in a world where he should not be able to have super powers, and in comes Kyouka who gives him both the power and the purpose to achieve that goal

But this also extends to literally everyone in Unit Seven and beyond

We have seen the ways in which Kyouka has helped all of her team mates grow stronger and overcome their past traumas, some times by the sheer confidence and kindness of her presence

Hell we see one of her team mates unlock a rage mode power up because someone said Kyouka was a bad leader

and there's even another team leader who straight up evolved her powers into a new stronger form just out of sheer love and respect for Kyouka

This culminates in the development of Lending. The ability to let others take Yuuki's chain and use him in combat

and like I'm not stupid, I'm not gonna pretend this isn't primarily an excuse to have different hot women give Yuuki rewards in ever hornier scenarios, with the added benefit of being able to design cooler monster forms for him

and I mean... those are some really cool monster forms

But that's besides the point

The point is that this also pulls double duty by allowing Kyouka and Yuuki to constantly empower all of the people around them and help them through their character arcs

From helping people stand up to abusive family members, to allowing others to gain the confidence they need to grow, to just decking an asshole real hard in the face

And not once does Yuuki steal other's glory. The final confrontation and the catharsis is always delivered by the person who is being helped. Because lover boy here is the supporting character in his own story

This all leads neatly into another point: the bonds we have with others

DAMN RIGHT MOTHERFUCKERS WE'RE GETTING CHAIN SYMBOLISM IN THIS BITCH!

Oh are we getting a message about how we're all links in the chain and the stronger each of us gets the stronger we all get? FUCK YEAH

Are we getting chains as a representation of a mutual bond of trust and respect, and get to see those bonds be used as a literal weapon to defeat a foe who is antithetical to that idea? ABSOLUTELY

TEAM WORK MAKES THE DREAM WORK, BABY!

But wait there's more! We got a character who can copy other people's skills and she also grows like crazy with each person she bonds with

We got teams of heroes besting villains who refuse to work with anyone

THAT'S THE SHONEN ANIME GOODNESS WE'RE HERE FOR!

(I mean this is technically seinen but who gives a shit, right?)

And that brings us finally to the third point, the series antagonists, and Kyouka's main goal

What makes a good leader?

So far we've focused on Kyouka and her ability, Slave, and how that allows her to help the people around her grow and encourages her to fight on the front line where she can be a shining example for all around her to follow

She treats everyone around her with trust and respect, even the boy who is literally her slave, and is by all metrics BEST GIRL!

Now all of that good shit doesn't mean much if we don't have anything to contrast and compare to

Enter Ren Yamashiro

gonna give y'all a second to simp for a bit before I continue

done staring at her legs? good. Anyways here's why she's awful!

Ren is the commander of the Anti-Demon Corps and easily the strongest character in the setting by a wide margin

She's also self centered, corrupt, physically AND emotionally abusive, horrifically petty, and likes dogs in the exact same way Makima from Chainsaw Man likes dogs

This is, of course, perfectly translated into her special ability, because this author loves having abilities inform characters

So not only does she have some absurd broken power that she has the power of anime and buddha on her side, BUT the way it manifests is as kanji covering her eyes whenever she activates her skills

Quite literally making so all she can see is her own power and greatness

AND her main use of her powers is to fly around, so she can be ABOVE everyone else

This isn't fucking subtle, but it sure as fuck gets the point across

This is a trait that Ren shares with ALL the main villains of the series. Each and everyone of them is blinded by their own greatness and is constantly looking down on others

Ren is just the least subtle. I guess they had to compensate for the fact that she isn't an actual literal evil god

And so all of those are put in opposition to Kyouka, whose goal is to overthrow Ren, become the new commander, and destroy Mato for good

The woman whose power makes her dependent on others, but that allows her to bring out the best in everyone she meets

A power that grows stronger the more people she helps and the more people help her in return

Standing up against all these people who refuse to rely on anything besides their own strength

That is why Kyouka is the shining example of a good leader!

Now here we are 2k words into this (OH DEAR GOD WHY AM I LIKE THIS), so what was the point of this journey?

Is it me recommending this manga to people and claiming it's genuinely "peak fiction"? OH GOD NO

This thing has so many issues and literally all of them stem from the fact that this is an ecchi harem manga story first and foremost.

Titillation always comes first over anything else, several of the smaller side characters eventually devolve into just different flavors of wanting to dom Yuuki, and that's not even going into all the pet play stuff featuring Ren

This is an unashamedly horny manga with a very specific brand of kink in mind and when I started reading it that was legit all I wanted out of it

But then it refused to be JUST that. It had an interesting story, fun action scenes, compelling characters, and a surprising amount of thought put into its themes

It's not a manga I'd recommend to most people at all, and it requires a considerable amount of tolerance for some capital H Horny anime bullshit

But honestly? If you're cool with that and want a fun and a little unhinged story you can do way worse than this

So what else is left to say except

IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN ME!!!!

[daisybeewrites]

Agents of Shield as ✨DnD Archetypes✨

~Daisy~

Daisy! my baby love girl boss queen… is a sorcerer! She’s smart, she’s fun, she has magic powers from ancient dna in her blood! She’s deeply connected to the natural environment, and is friends with the smallest atoms. She’s cool and everyone knows it.

~Jemma~

Look at her. Look. At. Her. She is smol, she is lovely, she will fuck you up if needed! My girl is a wizard. Her strength may be a solid 10, but she’s got a +10 to all intelligence rolls. She has three PhDs in beating her enemy’s ass. Just imagine her in sparkly robes. Or cool jeans and a jean jacket. Jemma definitely cosplayed as Adaine at some point.

~Fitz~

Our resident nerd is an artificer. Obviously. I feel that I don’t even need to explain this but just in case… he’s a magic engineer. He likes tinkering. Has definitely accidently blown up multiple labs playing with magical items. Duh.

~Melinda~

ROGUE. Melinda May is a rogue. You think you can hear her coming? No. She has sneak attack. She has a 20 stealth and proficiency. My bae sees all. She is Mom, and we all know that nothing gets past Mama May.

~Phil~

This may be a hot take. But. Coulson is a bard! His first instinct is to use charisma before drawing weapons. He may not have many fans (in universe), but you have to admit that people tend to love him. He loves music, he loves jokes, and most of the time he’s more focused on helping out his team than playing the hero. He would be such a good bard!!

~Bobbi~

My lovely Bobbi. Bobbi Morse is a fighter. In every sense of the word. She’s strong outwardly and emotionally; she’s loyal, almost to a fault. She has strong ethos and sticks to her guns. Bobbi watches everyone’s back always, because she loves them. She is the very best fighter there is.

~Hunter~

I wrestled with calling him the clown and calling it a day, however…! I have made the executive decision that Hunter is a ranger. He is great at keeping his distance (derogatory) but c’mon, you can’t stay mad at him. He lays low and moves quickly. I also think it’s funny how caring he is and charismatic he tries to be and literally his strongest trait is dodging all the quips and pillows that are thrown at him. Dex baby! Hunter is (fittingly) a ranger!

~Daniel~

Daniel… my sweet Daniel. Mr. Sousa here is, I firmly believe, also a ranger. Idk. I’m between ranger or paladin, because I feel like yeah sure he’s the boy scout survival guy but at the same time I think he’s the stable, healer type. He has strong morals (square lol) and I feel like that translate well into both ranger and paladin :)

Should I make a part II? ☺️

[daisyblog]

Team Niall

Our Story Masterlist Summary: YN at The Niall Horan Charity Football Match.

Growing up with Louis as a brother, YN learned a few things about football or two. She wasn't a massive fan but she didn't dislike it either. She had been to a couple of the Rovers games with him and of course, Harry and Louis shared their love for Manchester United. Niall had spoken about arranging a football charity match and the boys (except Zayn) had jumped at the chance to play, knowing Niall couldn't due to only having a knee operation early in the year. YN ears perked up as she sat in the dressing room with them.

"Can I come?" she asked out loud, directing her question at Niall. She wasn't going to miss watching her boyfriend in a football kit. Louis eyeing his sister up suspiciously from where she sat with Harry opposite him.

"Yeh 'course you can, you can stand on the side with me and boss all these idiots about" Niall joked, but secretly enjoying the fact that he's going to be managing the team and for once being able to tell others what to do.

Louis still suspicious about why his sister, who wasn't a big fan of football, suddenly wants to go. "Thought you were going home during our couple of days off?" Louis remembered YN saying she was going to go home with their family after the Dublin shows, before heading to Sunderland.

"I'll go after the match, it's not too far" YN shrugged her shoulders, wondering why her brother was making something out of it. "Why..worried I'll show you up with my football skills?" she teased him, knowing she couldn't play football if her life depended on it.

"You're shit at football and any sport that requires a ball Tiny" Louis shot back, Niall and Liam chuckling at the siblings. Harry remained silent, knowing either way he didn't want no part of the conversation.

"Hey!" YN whined, sitting up slightly to turn her body towards Harry. "Tell him I'm good with balls aren't I?". The innuendo caused Niall and Liam to roar with laughter, holding onto each other for support. Louis closed his eyes, wanting the ground to swallow him up. Harry's were wide, lips twitched threatening to smile. Even some of the crew had left the room, trying to hide their laughter.

YN looked around, confused at why they were reacting like this. "Why are you laughing, what have I said?".

---

Today was the football match. The boys had just finished playing three shows in Dublin, Niall was ecstatic that he played near his hometown. Louis and YN's family had even flown over for the weekend to watch the shows, but had now sadly gone back to Doncaster.

It was an early wake up call for the boys and YN today. They had to catch an early flight back to London this morning to travel to Leicester for the match as it was being held at the King Power Stadium. Once they had landed back in London, they said their goodbye's to Zayn who was going home for the day and were escorted to the bus for their two to three hour journey.

YN wasn't certain about who was playing on the opponents team, except there was some playful banter going on between the boys and Piers. But she was glad they were putting the Twitter jokes to use and doing something for charity.

It was unusual for YN to be on the tour bus with the boys, she was usually in the other one with Lou and the other women that was part of the tour team. She didn't like to admit it but she was glad she didn't travel on this bus because it screamed that five boys lived in there. Louis was the worst, where he put things, they stayed meaning there was random stuff thrown into the spare bunk.

Louis and Liam were enjoying some free time and were in the lounge area of the bus, both holding remotes as the game of Fifa played on the screen in front of them. Niall was writing out tweets about the match this afternoon and talking YN and Harry's ears off about how he was so excited but still upset he couldn't play.

“So do I know anyone who’s playing for your team?” YN asked the Niall. Her body pushed up against Harry’s side as his arm is wrapped around her, his fingers dancing along the skin of her arm. 

“James is playing” Harry mentioned, referring to their friend James Corden. 

“And Ronan Keating” Niall mentioned the Boyzone singer. YN’s eyes lit up, remembering how she would listen to their album on repeat growing up and Louis shouting at her to turn it off.

“And I will keep you safe and strong…sheltered from the storm” YN began to sing a Boyzone song that she loved when she was younger and still did. It was no secret that she was a boyband fan. “No matter where it’s barren…a dream is being born” YN continued, Niall joining in as he too was a fan of the band growing up. 

Before they could continue their duet, Louis shouted from his position in the lounge area. “OI YOU TWO..SHUT THE FOOK UP WILL YA?”. YN rolled her eyes and continued to sing even louder, knowing how much her brother wasn’t a big fan of boybands growing up. 

After a two and half hour journey from London to Leicester, they had arrived at the stadium. There was still a few hours until the match was due to start. But fans were gathered outside, hoping to catch a glimpse of the boys and the other celebrities that were playing today.

Once the bus had parked and Paul and the other security had given them the clear, they all made their way towards the back entrance of the stadium. Hearing the fans cheers in the background. 

Being on the road since early this morning meant they had all worked up an appetite and decided to make the most of the hospitality that the venue was putting on for them today. Whilst they all sat together eating, some people came over and greeting the boys. One being James who also wrapped YN into a warm hug, and making a joke about how much she must love Harry if she’s spending her day off at a football game. 

YN knew it was going to be a loud and wild day. The build up to this match had been brewing for a while. But the loudness coming from the men’s changing rooms, was a tad too much, even for her. She was sat a bit further down, scrolling through her phone, waiting for the boys to get changed into their matching kits. 

The sound of the changing room doors opening, caught her attention but to her disappointment it wasn’t who she was hoping it would be. It was just some other players that were on Team Niall, ones she wasn’t too familiar with. After a few minutes Louis and Liam walked through the black double doors. Both dressed in the black and white kit, a long sleeved white football top covering their body and black shorts hiding their thighs.

“Tiny..ya coming out with us?” Louis called down to where his sister was now standing with her back against the wall. “We’re going to head out to warm up a bit, referring to the ball he was holding between his fingers. 

YN shook her head, not moving from her position. “No I’m gonna wait for Harry and Niall, I’ll see you in a bit”. To which Louis gave her a thumbs up and continue to walk with Liam in the direction of the pitch.

When Harry finally appeared, YN’s eyes thought they were tricking her. Instead of wearing the kit that Louis and Liam were donning  a few moments ago. He was dressed in a black tracksuit, matching Niall. 

“Well that’s a bit disappointing” YN pouted as her and Harry walked towards each other.

“Oh thanks Babe…just what I wanted to hear” Harry joked. Slightly confused at what his girlfriend meant.

“Was hoping to see you in a football kit” YN explained why she was disappointed. “At least you’ve done a bun” she referred to the small bun that rested on top of his head.

“My kits underneath, I’m not playing straight away” Harry unzipped his jacket showing the white football tap that sat beneath, before zipping it back up. Leaning in, he pressed his lips to hers as they were still pouting slightly. As their lips moved in sync, Harry’s hands found their way to YN’s jaw and YN’s were now holding onto his hips, pulling him closer.

Lost in each other, forgetting where they were for a moment as their lips moved messily together, hands wandering slightly, they didn’t see James leaving the changing rooms, smirking as he notices the couple up against the wall.

“OH GET A ROOM YOU TWO” he shouted towards the pair, both startled by James’ voice. Both wide eyed, like two deers in headlights. Once Harry realised it was James, he chuckled and relaxed but the blush on YN’s cheeks was rising by the second. 

“Fuck off James” Harry still chucking as he pulls YN into his chest, knowing she would be slightly embarrassed to be caught in a heated moment, despite it not being the first time. 

Knowing James’ sense of humour and how he would love telling the others about him catching Harry and YN locking lips in the hallway, the couple decide it’s time to head out to the pitch and join the others. 

Waking towards the tunnel, they spot Niall and Ben. Both chuckling as the see the couple walking towards them, hands intertwined. “Lunch wasn’t enough for you was it?” Niall teases. The couple instantly knew that James has bumped into them both and filling them in.

Harry chuckles and gives Niall a playful shove on his shoulder and YN rolls her eyes and flips him a finger. Niall still giggling and moving to try and mess YN’s hair up.

As the four enter the pitch area, screams and cheers are heard from the seats where some fans had already entered and sitting patiently waiting for the match to begin. But were excited at the sight of two more members of One Direction entering the stadium. The green pitch was filled with a mixture of both teams warming up, kicking the ball back and forth or doing laps around. Harry had gone to join Louis and Liam as they were kicking the ball back and forth. 

There was a group of girls around the age of fifteen or sixteen calling YN’s name as she stood on the sidelines, slightly in front of their seats. YN always loved meeting fans of the boys, but that doesn’t mean she wasn’t wary at times. She turned around and walked towards the group who all sent her wide smiles. 

“Hey” YN shyly greeted the girls, giving them a small wave as she stood in front of them. She noticed how two of them were holding onto each other in excitement. She wasn’t famous, she was just Louis sister, well and Harry’s girlfriend but she was wondering how they would react if one of the boys were in front of them. 

“Hi, sorry to bother you but we’ve made you and the boys some things” the smaller girl of the group, with long brunette hair held up a few items that looked like personalised jumpers with their names on them.  

YN’s heart warmed at the thought that they’d spent money, time and kindness on making things for not only the boys, but her too. “Aww thank you girls, that’s so kind of you”.

“We’re massive fans, we love the boys and you too, we think you’re so funny” the blonde girl, standing in the middle of the group spoke, leaving out a shy giggle. 

“You’re too kind” YN pretend to blush at the comment, causing the girls to laugh. “Who’s your favourite?” YN asked, knowing that although fans loved the boys as a group, deep down everyone had a favourite. Four of the girls answered Zayn at the same time and laughing with each other.

“Oh Zayn’s not here but I’ll definitely tell him I met his biggest fans and give him this jumper” YN explained to the girls who still looked just as excited to be there. YN noticed that one of the girls didn’t answer when she asked who their favourite was. “What about you babe, who’s yours?”. 

YN noticed the slight blush on the girls cheeks and how she shook her head shyly “I like all of them”.

Before YN could accept her answer, the taller of the group interrupted “She’s lying, Harry’s her favourite, she’s just too shy to tell you because you know…you’re his girlfriend”. 

“Oh that’s okay babe, he’s my favourite too…well after Niall” YN joked with the girls, once again making them all giggle. YN turned to find Harry in the chaos. Spotting him stood on the side talking to Ben, she called his name and waving him over. The girls now wide eyed and trying to hide their excitement as Harry walks closer to them. 

“Hi” Harry waved and greeted the girls. “Are you excited for the game?”. Each of them just nodding their heads, too starstruck to speak. Making YN giggle at how chatty they all were just now. 

“They’ve made us all jumpers with our names on, look” YN spoke to Harry. Motioning her head towards them gathered in her arms, making Harry smile with happiness. 

“Oh waw, thank you so much girls” Harry took one from YN and took a better look, now that I was opened up. 

“You’re welcome” they said in unison, still a tad shy to make conversation with him. YN took note of this and offered to take a photo of them with Harry. 

But to YN’s surprise they asked if she could be in the photo too. YN took one of the girls phones and set it to front camera before holding it up, making sure everyone could be seen. The girls huddled closer together as they were still behind the barrier. Harry ducked down slightly behind YN, resting his hand on her shoulder so his tall frame wasn’t hiding the girls. Giving back the phone, the girls thanked them before waving at them as they walked back to where the players seats were. 

“That’s probably the nicest fan encounter I’ve ever had” YN admitted to Harry as she wrapped her arm around him, her hand landing on his hip. Naturally Harry’s arm followed and rested around her shoulder. 

“Really?” YN nodded as she looked up as he stood tall “They did seem nice to be fair”. Harry pecked her temple, keeping the affection calm, knowing that their every move was being filmed.

YN and the boys were standing on the sidelines, waiting for the game to start, when the music playing through the stadium changed to Best Song Ever. Of course, heating music from their favourite band, the fans in the audience begin to sing along. YN being a massive fan too, couldn’t help herself either. 

And we danced all night to the best song ever We knew every line, now I can't remember How it goes but I know that I won't forget her 'Cause we danced all night to the best song ever

YN continued to sing along, dancing and actively annoying Louis in the process; trying to get him to join in with her. But to her disappointment, he wouldn’t budge. But if anyone would join in with her singing and dancing along to One Direction, it would be their other biggest fan, Niall Horan. 

When the game began, Niall, Harry and Ben were up on their feet, pacing up and down the sidelines and shouting encouragement at the players on the pitch. 

YN followed their movements, with no idea what the rules of football was, she copied their lead. Cheering when they cheered, acted sad when they let out a sign of disappointment. And if she asked Harry once when he was going to go on to play, she must have asked about thirty. To which he patiently replied “not yet babe”, “soon baby” “be patient” “ask Niall”.

After half time, Niall told Harry that he needed to swap with another player. Harry removed his tracksuit jacket and trousers, revealing the white football shirt with the number 12 on the back and black shorts. Then to warm up, James decided that Harry needed help and began to rub his leg and shoulders; earning a playful but slightly serious "Hey..keep ya hands off my man" from YN.

Now having Harry to stare at on the pitch, running around chasing the ball, YN could see why people were so passionate about the sport; as she stood with Niall and cheered loudly for their team. Team Niall was currently losing as Team Piers had already scored one goal.

Harry was guided to take a penalty. Niall and YN were standing on the side, both hands up to their mouths in a praying position as they watched the scene in front of them. Running towards the ball, he kicked it towards the goal, everyone watching in suspense and as the ball hit the net, the crowd cheered.

Harry had scored the first goal for Team Niall. Niall and YN hugged each other tight, jumping up and down together, celebrating the goal. The other players from the team, including Louis and Liam had surrounded Harry trying to pull him into to celebrate.

But Harry pushed passed them and ran towards YN and Niall. Picking YN up from the ground and spun her around in circles as her she held onto his neck in a tight squeeze as they celebrate his goal. Placing her back down, YN was quick to peck his lips, a way of showing him how proud she was. Niall pulled Harry into a brother hug, and Harry telling Niall "That was for you".

And despite Team Niall losing Niall expressed his appreciation at the end of the match. “Although my team didn’t win, I still enjoyed every minute of this game! I would like to thank all the players who donated their time free of charge to support this event. I am looking forward to making this even bigger and better next year.”

liked by annetiwst, gemmastyles, and 765,554 others

yntomlinson I'm now a football fan ⚽️😍 View all 8,541 comments

annetwist My boy ❤️

zaynfan5 Me and my friends met YN and Harry today!! YN is so lovely and sweet! 💜 ⌞ynharryfan Story time please...? ⌞yntomlinson So lovely to meet you girls today! Thank you again for the jumpers, me and the boys love them 😘

harryfan3 I'm now a fan too x

1dfan2 Omg! I was there today, Harry running over to YN after he scored was so cute 💘

niallhoran TEAM NIIIIIAAAAAALLLLLLLL!!! ⌞yntomlinson BEST TEAM EVER!! ❤️

louist91 Well done H!! Lovely penalty mate!! ⌞louisfan8 Louis completely ignoring YN's comment 😂

1dfan7 YN is such a Harry fan!! ⌞yntomlinson I am his number one fan 😉 ⌞1dfan7 omg you replied!! ily so much!!

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[intimidating-fettuccine]

I fell asleep waiting but it's ok because the power of alarms woke me and my dog up

Could I request a hurt/comfort scenario with slender and platonic reader who is has not adjusted well to their new environment? I was thinking like a therapy session but whatever you think works cos you're the boss here 😎

It was... Strange. Strange, and new, and scary all at once, suddenly being thrust into the Underworld. You'd been taken in by a man that you wanted to believe was kind and trustworthy, but your instincts refused to trust a man without a face so easily. The other residents of the mansion you now called home were a mixed bunch, some incredibly friendly, and others with glares that made you want to turn into a puddle, even if the kinder ones assured you they meant no harm. So, needless to say, adjusting to this new lifestyle wasn't exactly easy.

Slender had been doing his best to keep his eyes on you, as he always did with the new recruits. He'd made sure you were keeping on a healthy schedule, had encouraged the others to work at becoming friends with you, and made sure you were eating and staying hydrated, however... He could sense your innate fear and distrust of the situation. He could see it in your body language and sense it seeping off of you as you went about your days in the mansion. He wanted to try and appease your worries and get to the root of them, and so he'd invited you to his office to have a little session together, although, as you sat before him in the enclosed space, you seemed more nervous than ever.

-

"Is there anything I am able to do to appease and soothe your worries?" His voice, reverberating inside your head and startling you, had you jolting as you looked up at him. Despite having no face, it appeared that if he had brows, they'd be furrowed in concern.

"I- I don't... I don't know if- do you always speak in our minds? I don't know how to... I'm just so nervous here, there are so many people..! Some of them are... Different? No, that's rude, isn't it? They're just- This is all so-!" Your words were tumbling out in a nervous ramble, and he raised his hand to silence you before his voice could be heard in your mind again.

"As for your remark on how I communicate, unfortunately, in this form I am only able to communicate inside your mind. I do have a human form I use as a disguise, however, I feel it would be best if you could get used to being around me in this form. It is the one I will primarily be in, after all." He paused for a moment, and you gave him a short nod, and he continued.

"I can understand your nervousness around the group of people residing here. Some of them are inhuman, and all of them have things about them that make them 'different', as you said. However, I assure you they mean you no harm, and that they can do you no harm. As was listed in the contract you signed, one of the house rules is that inhabitants may not cause injury, especially life-threatening, to any other inhabitants. Some of the rowdier ones may bicker and fight on occasion, but I don't think you have to worry about that."

You swallowed as you listened to him speak, nodding your head every now and then to prove you were listening. You'd recalled the rule he mentioned, rule number one on the thorough document he'd had you sign when he'd brought you back here. While it calmed you a little to know that none of them could truly harm you, there was still the issue of existing around all of these strangers, strangers that were just as damaged and used by society as you were, and it didn't make you relax at all to think about that. Slender seemed to sense your worries, and he sighed, reaching his hand out towards you. After a moment of hesitation, you placed your own on top of it, and a strong, soothing sensation washed over you.

"A gift... From my mother. I can forcibly soothe the worries of the soul, but I rarely use it as it's bad to tamper with them too much." You looked at him in awe, waves of comfort and ease washing over your mind as you continued to maintain contact with him.

"That's... Incredible." You finally said after a moment. There was no fear as you looked at him now. There was no fear as you glanced around his confined office, either. 

In your moment of calm, you were able to notice things now that you'd blocked out before. The collection of mugs on a nearby shelf, most of which had a variation of "World's Best Dad" written on them. Photos lining walls and shelves of all the people you'd come to know, all of them smiling and happy. Books, wondrous looking books, lining the spare space in his room, books so enticing you'd wanted to leap up and look at them. You felt at peace, calmed. You'd felt at home in that moment. You glanced back at him, and he nodded at you, placing his other hand over yours as the calming sensation began to leave your body, however, when it was gone... None of your fear returned.

"It's scary here to a newcomer, I know... I try to do my best to comfort you all, to make you feel at home. I'd like this place to become that for you, a home for you to rest in, and feel happy and comforted in. There will be hard days, and angry days, and loud ones, quiet ones. But they're days that we all spend as a family." His face trailed to the various pictures along the room that you'd just been entranced by moments before. "I will do my best to provide a home to you, so I hope you can do your best to settle down. If you need any further assistance or someone to talk to, you may return to me if you wish. Or, perhaps, try leaning on one of your newfound friends as well. They've all got their own stories from their first days here, and I'm sure they'd be happy to share."

He patted your hand before releasing it from his own, and you thanked him for his words. He'd told you that you were free to leave if you wished, and so you stood, thanking him again, before politely scurrying out of the room. You took a deep breath as you closed the doors behind you, and looked around you. The corridors that once scared you felt a touch more welcoming, and you took another deep breath as you promised yourself that you would try your best to fit in here. If only you could memorize the pattern of the moving rotations of the rooms and floors of the mansion. Perhaps that would be your first question if you could figure out how to get downstairs.

[filmofhybe]

Smallest among Millions - Jake Sim - PT2

synopsis : you know you aren’t well known in your company, but when your company is having a celebration of their 50th anniversary, you went all out, coming out of your comfort zone. Causing your boss - Jake, to admire you more than just you in the office building.

Pairing : jake sim x fem! Reader

genre : Boss x employee AU! , fluff

word count : 967

© filmofhybe on tumblr — do not copy , translate or share.

a/n: part 2! I hope you enjoyed this :)

part 1 | part 2

Everyone all cheers together along with the CEO after he finished his speech. I was sat opposite of Jake on our table, as the waitress brings out the elegantly decorated food out the kitchen. People around us was all chatting and laughing. But among those conversations and laughter, Jake and I found ourselves stealing glances at each other. We continuously shared secret smiles and even small little conversations that made my stomach do flips. Unfolding a different type of comfort in our unspoken connection.

“No but seriously your really good at your job y/n..” He chuckled as he pick up his glass and sipping his champagne out of it. His head tilts back, showing his sharpe jawline. I mumbled a small “thank you” before sipping on mines. I can feel jake’s eyes on me as more colleagues continue to ask me questions. Asking why I’m not in a bigger position and why would I want to stay in this department. “Well I just like it here more, It’s a safe place you could say.” I told them before turning my head to jake. Who already has his eyes on me, before throwing me a smile.

As the night progressed, Jake couldn't resist the urge to express his feelings. He discreetly invited me to the balcony, a secluded spot overlooking the city lights. With a gentle touch on her arm, Jake started speaking.

“Y/n, thank you for staying in my department. Knowing someone like you, being so dedicated to this job means a lot to me. Your sweet and kind personality really is capturing more attention to this department. And I must say, your smart and independent side made me fall so in love with you, to be honest I don’t even fucking know what I’m saying right now, but all you need to know is I like you, I love you. I thank you everyday for staying and I would never ever take you for granted because without you I don’t even think we would be here tonight.”

As jake reveals the depth of his emotions. My heart skipped a beat, and a radiant smile illuminated my face as I reciprocated those feelings. I grabbed his tie before pulling him into a sweet kiss. His hands travels to my cheek. Stroking it softly before pulling away. Our smile shining brighter than the moon above the dark night.

In that magical moment, time seemed to stand still. Both newly couple reveled in the joy of their newfound connection, feeling an undeniable bond between them. Jake, being a kind-hearted and considerate person, offered to escort Y/N home. They walked side by side, sharing stories and dreams as they strolled through the quiet streets to Jake’s car. Y/n admiring the city lights as Jake sneakily look over his gorgeous girlfriend time to time. Hoping this isn’t some sick dream he’s in.

When they finally reached y/n’s doorstep, a sense of bittersweetness filled the air. Jake leaned in, gently placing a kiss on y/n’s forehead, cheeks and her soft lips, bidding her goodnight. They exchanged loving glances before parting ways, thanking each other for this sweet memorable night, and making the promise of a bright future lingering in their hearts.

The following day, the news of Jake and y/n’s enchanting evening spread throughout the department like wildfire. However, instead of judgment or gossip, the employees embraced their relationship with open arms. They recognized the genuine connection between Jake and Y/N and admired their courage to follow their hearts.

As time went on, Jake and Y/N's relationship served as a testament to the power of love, resilience, and mutual respect. Their story became an inspiration within the company, reminding everyone that love could bloom even in unexpected places.

taglist : @surefornext @spilled-coffee-cup @skepvids

To be on my taglist, please comment or reblog to be added :)

[silver-rings-and-rabbits]

Home is Where You Are

A/N: This is an alternate universe where Rafael made it to Brazil and the attack never happened. I've always HC'd that my MC would tell Raf he would always be welcome to stay with him if he needed. So this is what happens when Brazil doesn't work out for Rafael and he decides he needs to be back home in Boston...to the place he knows will be open for him.

It was hot in the office. Rafael sat amongst a small group of people with his back to the window, beads of sweat dotted the back of his neck. November brought the beginning of summer to Brazil, where he had been living for about a year now. The move from Boston, Massachusetts hadn’t been easy by any means – not least because he was leaving his grandmother behind – but it had been what he’d needed to do at the time.

He’d been growing restless and unhappy, though his family had been as supportive as they could, and eventually he’d decided to return to his roots; back to the country where his mother had grown up, and where a lot of her family still lived. They had welcomed him with open arms and he’d spent three months on his cousins couch before he’d managed to rent a room.

It wasn’t the height of luxury. He lived with a middle-aged woman and a recent college graduate in a slightly neglected apartment that was prone to power failures, but it was affordable. He had juggled several jobs from takeout delivery to bartending, but then he had landed a position at a small law firm that specialised in vulnerable clients: support for the elderly or traumatically injured, and providing guidance to their families. With a higher salary and the promise of a career that could help people, things were definitely looking up now.

Rafael adjusted the tie that was growing uncomfortable around his neck as one of his colleagues opened another window. Their boss walked into the conference room as soon as she sat down.

“Good morning,” he greeted them, speaking Portuguese. “Thank you for meeting me today. I don’t intend to take up too much of your time.

“As you know, my family started up this firm with the intent of helping people who needed it most. We wanted to ensure people could put their full trust in us to take care of their loved ones without handing over their life savings at the same time. We have always sought to keep our fees to the client as low as possible, however this doesn’t come without a challenge. Certainly last year, it was very touch and go.”

A few colleagues murmured in agreement, but Rafael hadn’t been part of this.

“I am delighted to announce that we will be merging with a firm specialising in family law. The merger will make both our teams stronger in the long term and we hope our employees will benefit from the additional, eventual rewards. However…” the boss trailed off, growing serious.

“As often happens with mergers, we have had to make some sacrifices, the main one being that there will be staff lay-offs. And I regret to inform all of you that you will be made redundant in twenty-eight days.”

There was a seconds pause, and then sounds of shock and protest filled the room. To the man’s credit, the boss looked genuinely sad to have to give the news as he took questions about redundancy payments, contracts and references.

Rafael, however, had just gone numb, not even noticing the damp sweat on his neck anymore. That was it. The new life he was trying to find, had started to build since starting the firm three months ago…it was over. He would have to go back to several low paid jobs at once if he wanted to keep his room. Cheap rooms tended to be cheap for a reason, and he couldn’t put the burden on his cousin again.

His tie was too tight. The room was too hot. And he was all alone with nowhere to go.

****

In the Northern hemisphere, November brought the dark days of winter and Boston was no exception. The excitement of Halloween had passed, although Thanksgiving and Christmas were still on the horizon for people to look forward to.

Matthew Valentine didn’t care. Not that he didn’t like the holidays, but being a doctor in the best hospital in America meant the holidays brought longer working hours. Besides, it had been a rough couple of years and the fresh start of January sounded more appealing for once.

He checked his phone for messages but there were none. Nothing from the person he’d had dinner with three nights ago, and was starting to accept they wouldn’t see each other again. It wasn’t a disappointment as such – the conversation had felt a little forced – but it was difficult not to compare it to the man he had so comfortably clicked with, who had left him behind to live on the south side of the continent. The best things  would always be out of reach.

A cold wind bit his hands – he had forgotten his gloves -  as he went to open his apartment mailbox but there was nothing new. A few takeout flyers for places his friends would look at and agree to try sometime but probably never would.

“Anyone home?” he called out as he entered the living room, but no one was. He just changed out of his work clothes and started preparing a stew.

The methodical chopping of vegetables and the sound of simmering broth was soothing, when a sudden, frantic knock on the door broke through the quiet. Matthew frowned as he walked over, fully prepared to tell some religious weirdos not to bother, but he was completely unprepared for the person who was actually stood on his doorstep.

“…The hell?!”

Rafael was looking back at him, bedraggled and windswept. He had a small suitcase beside him and didn’t quite seem to believe it either.

“Hey,” he said weakly. “I, um, kind of convinced myself you didn’t live here anymore and…I don’t really know what else to say.”

There were lots of things he could have said – ‘sorry’ being one of them – and Rafael realised he hadn’t chosen the best words when he noticed Matthew’s eyes tightening by just a tiny amount.

“Please,” he said quickly, before Matthew could slam the door in his face. “Let me explain. I’ll…I’ll tell you everything.”

Matthew’s hand tightened on the door knob, but he nodded once and stepped aside to let Rafael in.

“No one else is home yet,” he said, closing the door after them.

“Good. I mean…not that it’s good, I just…I hoped I could see you first.” Raf scratched the back of his neck, glancing at Matthew who was looking away again. Seeing Rafael so lost and out of place in Matthew’s apartment was deeply surreal, and Matthew turned back to the stove to occupy himself. It was a big portion; these days he liked to make sure he’d have plenty of leftovers for the day after. He glanced back at Rafael, then sighed wearily.

“Have you eaten?”

“Not since the plane…”

“Do you want some of this?”

“Um…yes please.”

Matthew took two bowls out of the cupboard and ladled out two portions. Rafael hesitated by the table as Matthew paused. It was concerning how on edge Rafael appeared to be.

“Look, I don’t know when the others will be home…or what they’ll say,” he said. “If you’d prefer privacy we can go into my room.”

Rafael nodded, looking relieved, as he took his suitcase into Matthew’s room, however the enclosed space seemed to amplify the awkward silence as they ate. Not helped that Rafael sat on the edge of the bed and Matthew sat at the desk with his back to him.

Finally, even the clinking of the silverware fell silent. Rafael cautiously placed his empty bowl on the bedside table. Matthew didn’t turn around. He wasn’t going to be the one making the first move.

“I know you weren’t expecting to see me at your doorstep,” Rafael said cautiously. “But truthfully I was barely thinking straight. I just…I felt like I needed to get back to Boston and…all I could think about was when we were saying goodbye and you said I’d always have a place to stay with you.”

Matthew remembered the softly spoken promise he’d made during the goodbye that had shattered his heart. He’d never really believe Rafael would come straight back to him when he had his whole family waiting, and yet here he was. And he had no intention of breaking that promise now. Rafael notice his posture soften slightly.

“So…what happened to make you come back so suddenly?” Matthew asked. “Did you…did someone hurt you, or…?”

“No, nothing like that.” Rafael scratched the back of his neck. “What tipped me over the edge was…I got made redundant. I had been grinding several jobs once I got to Brazil, then I got a job in vulnerable client law and thought I’d be able to make that work. But then the firm announced they were merging with another and a bunch of jobs would be cut.”

“Including yours,” Matthew said. He finally turned around to look at him. “I’m sorry to hear that. Was there a way to stay in Brazil?”

“I would have had to go back to my cousin’s one room apartment, or work multiple jobs again. And my cousin is great, and so helpful, but I didn’t want to impose. And the jobs…I was exhausted already. I almost couldn’t bear to look at who was hiring. The fall from having my next steps planned out to having to starting over again was almost overwhelming.”

“So…you came back to the American Dream?” Matthew said dryly.

“I came back to the city I knew best.”

“You came back to me,” Matthew said flatly. “I just don’t understand why you’d turn up to my apartment first, of all places. Does Sora even know you’re back?”

“Oh…we broke up a couple months after I moved,” Rafael explained, and Matthew’s tension returned. “The distance…I think it just exposed that we weren’t right for each other anymore. It’s been a long time since high school…” He bit his lip. “I’m sorry, Matthew. I put you through so much…”

“And you think ‘sorry’ is just going to make it better?!” Matthew burst out. He had tried to accept it was Sora, not he, who was meant for Rafael and had tried to support and encourage Raf’s move without revealing his own hurt, but now he couldn’t stop the frustration from coming tumbling out. “I didn’t think you were the type to chop and change. You dropped me pretty quickly, hopped on a plane to Brazil, did the same to Sora, and then decided to pick up where you left off?”

“That’s not fair,” Rafael said coldly. “None of those decisions were taken lightly, I’ve always tried to do what’s right by everyone.”

“Calling me one random night to tell me you were choosing the other guy?”

“Hey! I said I would come to you to talk in person, you told me to tell you then and there!”

“I figured it didn’t matter since the end result would be the same,” Matthew growled, turning away from Rafael again and pushing a hand through his hair. “Did you think I’d just fall at your feet and forgive you?”

“I’m not asking for forgiveness, I just…I…”

“Dammit, Raf, why the hell did you just show up at my apartment?!” Matthew snapped, slamming his hand on the desk as he turned back round.

“Because I still like you, OK?” Raf groaned. “I do still like you and I screwed everything up at every turn and maybe I thought to come back here because I missed you!”

“So what did you want—”

“I don’t know what I thought, or what I wanted to happen! I honestly wasn’t thinking of anything except what I was doing in the moment.” He scratched the back of his neck, then rubbed his face. “Honestly I think I just wanted to see that you were OK. And happy.”

There was a pause after that and Rafael eventually looked up to see Matthew was glaring at him, not just in anger but with deep hurt. The knuckles gripping the back of his desk chair were white and his lips were pressed together…and tears were welling in his eyes.

“Matthew…”

“I’m not,” Matthew said, shortly. “And you’re not the only one who can pack up and leave.”

“What do you mean?”

Matthew stood and pulled a handful of notes from a binder on his desk and chucked them onto the bed. Raf quickly scanned the first page: New York Pres Matthew had scrawled Pros: east coast, high standards of diagnostics, patient satisfaction…

“I’ve been thinking about leaving Boston after my residency; it’s probably easier to move on with your life in a city that someone didn’t live in all their life. And I actually did start feeling better when I was researching other hospitals, and now you’ve reappeared and made everything complicated again…” The tears started falling before he could stop. “I never stopped liking you, and god I tried. Recently I’ve been more hopeful than I had been for months and you being here is just…god, if there was a chance…” his voice trailed off and he turned away, wiping his eyes as the memories came back.

It had taken him by surprise when he’d started falling for Raf, having never really had strong feelings for anyone. He hadn’t realised how much his mind would wander, thinking about Raf in the middle of a work shift, but it had always been lovely when they met up after work and Raf was equally happy to see him as he was to see Raf. Raf had brought magic to the mundane: even if they were just going to go home to watch TV and sleep, it was exciting. Because they were together and that was all that mattered.

And then it was gone in one afternoon, with a single phone call, and now the surprise was how the break up had been almost physically painful like Raf had torn it in two with his bare hands. And suddenly nothing was interesting anymore, as if the world had lost it’s colour. The potential future – travelling together, meeting the others family and friends – had gone up in smoke, with nothing taking it’s place. Raf had a new partner, and then a new country, and Matthew was left adrift. He had started putting together the steps to leave Boston by himself, and his dear friends had done their best to keep his head above water…and here was Raf, unexpectedly trampling on it yet again.

“Why do you keep doing this? You just show up and…change the trajectory of my life and…it’s like I can’t be at peace.”

He cringed inwardly, wondering why the hell he’d got so corny all of a sudden, but Raf didn’t seem to notice. He stood up slowly.

“I’m so truly sorry for everything,” he whispered. “I wish…well, I wish I could undo a lot of things. But…if you want me to leave, I’ll go. If you never want to see me again, I understand.”

“I…”

The sensible thing to do would have been just that, to see Raf out the door, block his number and put Boston behind him. But…

“I don’t want you to go,” he muttered. “At least, not now. I just…god, I don’t know. This is just insane. I thought I’d be coming home to eat, research and then go to bed. Not this.”

“I’m sorry for this too,” Raf said, seeming almost desperate. “Matthew, please…whatever you need to say, just say it.”

I love you. The words were on his tongue and had been ever since Raf had been injured during a call out to a subway derailment two years ago. He’d avoided saying it then for fear of it being too early, then refused to say it when Raf left for Boston for fear of being selfish and disrupting his life plans. He’d regretted both accounts…but somehow he couldn’t say it now. Not yet.

He looked up at Raf with narrowed eyes.

“You hurt me.”

“I know. I’m sor—”

“Don’t say you’re sorry. You keep saying that…but you haven’t said why you broke up with me in the first place.”

Raf spluttered, glancing away nervously and then back at Matthew as he tried to straighten his words out.

“Well…long story short…I convinced myself I wouldn’t be enough for you.”

“What?!”

“Because you’re cool and clever with an amazing career ahead of you. I didn’t think I could have anything to offer in return. And��part of the reason I decided to move to Brazil was that, on a subconscious level, I was running away from the unresolved feelings. It wasn’t fair on you, or Sora.”

Raf was doing his best to hide his tears but Matthew’s eyes were glistening and it was getting harder and harder to retain control.

“You say that…did you ever ask?” Matthew groaned. He stepped closer. “Did you know that I could have talked to you about everything? You were so important to me…I thought I was so lucky, we had it so good…”

Matthew’s tears started to fall and Rafael couldn’t hold back anymore. He let out a choked sob and, with a trembling hand, he ever so gently cupped Matthew’s face and brushed away one o his tears.

“We did,” he choked. “And you did nothing wrong. I screwed everything up, please don’t think you were to blame for anything.”

Matthew leaned into Raf’s touch, closing his eyes for a minute. Their foreheads rested together, enough for him to feel Raf’s trembling breath. His touch was making Matthew’s skin tingle. He gazed at Raf’s lips, remembering how soft they were…

He leaned forward and kissed Rafael. Raf tensed, but before Matthew could pull away, he wrapped his arms around him and returned his kiss. Soft and gentle, like Matthew remembered, but it was also like he was afraid Matthew might break.

“Stay,” Matthew whispered against his lips, and Raf kissed him again, gentle and sweet.

“I’m not going anywhere.”

Their kisses continued, just soft and gentle, nothing feverish or demanding. It was as if they were afraid of scaring the other if they moved too fast. Matthew wondered if he was dreaming…and he was in no hurry to wake up.

The sound of the front door and voices in the living room drew them apart. Matthew’s roommates were home; it was now very difficult for Raf to leave without being spotted.

“Maybe I could climb through your window?” Raf suggested, wondering if the window would even open wide enough, but Matthew snorted.

“What are we, high schoolers? Look, it’s been a long day, especially for you. Just…stay here for a night. You can come up with a plan in the morning.”

“Thank you. I’ll sleep on the floor if it’ll make you more comfortable.”

Matthew supressed the urge to roll his eyes as he sat down on the bed. Raf hesitated for a second before cautiously sitting beside him.

“I’m sorry for what I said to you tonight,” Matthew said gently. “Y’know, about you chopping and changing.”

“Well, I probably deserved that,” Raf sighed. “Like you said, I hurt you. I don’t blame you for being angry.”

“It’s that kind of grace that makes you one of the best people I know,” Matthew sighed. “How could you think you weren’t enough? I’ve never felt safer than I did with you.”

“Really?”

“Yes. Even though I said I’d be at peace if you had stayed away. That’s not true.” He clasped his hands in his lap, looking down at them. “I’ve been a little bit lost without you.”

Raf carefully edged closer.

“I meant everything I said tonight,” He said. “I meant every apology and I meant it when I said I still like you. And if there were even the slightest chance of us being able to start over, I would take it without hesitation. But…if you’re serious about leaving Boston, I won’t stand in your way.”

“I…don’t know,” Matthew sighed. “About leaving Boston, I mean. There are reasons beside you for me to stay.”

“Like your friends? The diagnostics team?”

“Yeah, partly. But also we were bought out by this tech billionaire last year. So much money was thrown at the hospital and everyone got a big raise. I did the math…if I’m careful, I could pay off most if not all of my med school debt in five years.”

“That’s big. From what I know of med school debt, if you can pay it off soon that’s not to be sniffed at.”

“Exactly. I’m not gonna lie, that’s probably my biggest reason for staying in Boston for now.”

There was a brief pause. They could hear the sounds of Elijah’s video game from the living room.

“When I said I’d never stopped liking you and wanted you to stay, I meant that,” Matthew said. “But…I don’t think we should make any decisions right now. I need to properly consider my options for after my residency. And…well, don’t take this the wrong way but you need to sort your life out.”

Matthew smiled at him nervously and Raf laughed.

“You’re not wrong,” he said softly, and for the first time that evening they had relaxed. Matthew sat back and stretched out on his bed, giving Raf an easy smile that made his pulse quicken as he returned it. But the stress of the day and the flight were taking it’s toll, and Raf yawned.

“Do you mind if I get some sleep? I can set up on the floor…”

“Raf, you’re not sleeping on the floor. If you’ll be more comfortable on the bed, take it.”

“Thank you,” Raf murmured.

Matthew waited for Raf to settle down and get comfortable, turning off the main light and keeping the bedside lamp on. He planned to read to get sleepy, but he couldn’t resist lying down for a minute and sliding his hand through his.

“I missed you,” he whispered.

“I missed you, too.”

****

Matthew woke a few minutes before his alarm, which seemed to be a regular occurrence these days. He could sense Rafael sleeping beside him even before he’d opened his eyes. It was hard to believe last night had really happened. Now…where to go from here?

He remained still, not wanting to wake him, just watching the rise and fall of his chest until the alarm went off, and Raf stirred and groaned.

“I have to get ready for work,” Matthew murmured. Raf might have said something in response as he climbed out of bed and went to the bathroom, coming back a few minutes later freshly scrubbed.

He put on a pale green shirt and dark green sweater with dark trousers, drawing in a deep breath as he drew in his Dr Valentine persona. Raf had barely moved.

“Raf? I can leave you the key if you need to sleep longer…”

“No, that’s OK,” Raf groaned, though he sat up with great reluctance. “I…should probably go back to my family sooner rather than later.”

“So…um…if you don’t sneak out now, you’ll likely run into my roommates,” Matthew said awkwardly. “Which is fine, but…to be honest, Jackie in particular…well, you’re not her favourite person at the moment.”

“That’s OK. It’s a bit early to explain everything now anyway.” Rafael sighed. He stood up and straightened his clothes. “What about…you and me?”

“I’m not promising to stay in Boston,” Matthew warned.

“I wouldn’t expect you to.”

“Good. But…I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t interested in where this might go.”

Rafael’s expression lifted with hope as he scratched the back of his neck.

“In that case…when things are more settled, could I take you on a date?”

Matthew did his best to hide a small smile.

“Ask me again when things are more settled.”

****

Although he’d been wearing the same clothes for more than a day, Raf went into a small café for breakfast to give his family some more time to wake up. He was a little anxious at the reception he might get after turning up out of the blue, but it turned out he needn’t have worried. Juliana shrieked in delight and embraced him in a huge hug before he’d even said hello. His parents reacted similar once they’d gotten over the shock and all of them promised Raf he could stay rent-free with them for as long as he needed.

After careful consideration, Raf decided he would start training as an occupational therapist. A medical administrator position was open at Edenbrook which he applied for and got, which would keep him going during his applications and training (Matthew had been right about the exponential pay rise). Everyone at Edenbrook seemed happy to see him back, even his old friends.

Jackie was tricky to win over. Although Matthew had discouraged everyone from taking sides, Jackie had sided with Matthew and turned noticeably colder to Rafael. She wasn’t too pleased about his sudden return to Boston, determined to make sure he wasn’t using it as a romantic gesture to win Matthew back over.

Matthew himself took a little while to relax, which Rafael had somewhat expected. After the night in Matthew’s bedroom, they didn’t spend time together alone for nearly a month, instead meeting up for drinks at Donahue’s or games at the apartment with the whole group. But Raf noticed over the weeks, Matthew relaxed when they sat next to each other, his gaze grew soft, and the jokes came easier. Once Rafael was confirmed to start his new admin job, he asked Matthew on a date as promised.

He decided to take them somewhere they hadn’t been to together before. Although the street markets were great and their favourites were favourites for a reason, they were starting anew. And what better way to start afresh than by introducing Matthew to a new haunt?

Matthew hugely enjoyed the pop-up brasserie Rafael decided to take them to. The stroganoff he ordered was delicious, the vanilla souffle even more so. But best of all was how the time had flown by as conversation between he and Rafael ran without pause, and they talked and laughed as if nothing else had changed. When they were done eating they slowly wandered through the city; Raf had wanted to walk Matthew home and Matthew was happy to keep the night going.

“Thanks for walking me home,” he said…then carefully cupped Rafael’s face in his hand and stepped closer to kiss him. Raf responded in kind, as gentle and sweet as he always had been.

“Does this mean I can take you out again?” He asked, resting his forehead against Matthew’s.

“Maybe I want to take you out first,” Matthew teased, kissing Raf again.

He wanted to tell Raf that he loved him, but he continued to make himself wait. This honeymoon period would pass, and then he’d know for sure it was real.

Months later, Raf would be staying overnight. They would be lying together in the early hours of the morning, not asleep but not quite awake, when Raf would pull him close. Matthew would lie with his head against Raf’s chest and brush his fingertips against Raf’s warm skin.

“I love you.”

He said it quietly, quiet enough that Raf could pretend he hadn’t heard. Instead Raf held him closer.

“I love you too.”

And some years after that, they would whisper those words to each other again, as they stood hand-in-hand, in front of their cheering family and friends, their eyes blurred with happy tears as they sealed their marriage vows.

[thislovintime]

The Monkees on the set of Head, 1968.

“The first day of shooting was scheduled for February 11, 1968 — but there was another snag before Rafelson could begin filming. ‘Mike was the shop steward of The Monkees during that whole period,’ explains Dolenz. ‘He introduced us to an agent called Jerry Perenchio, now one of the most successful men in the business. He said, ‘You guys are really getting ripped off.’ So he encouraged us to strike. Peter, unfortunately, didn’t agree. He was the scab, so to speak. That took the wind out of the sails of our opportunity.’ Tork: ‘I felt it was another power play by Mike. It was strange, because I was raised a labor progressive. If ever there was a guy who understood the dynamics of labor organizing, it was me. What Mike meant was, “Let me be the be boss.” The other three did stay out for the first say of shooting, and, basically Bert allowed a little trade-off and gave them a face-saving concession. But I got paid nothing for Head. I was given a piece of the action and it died.’” - Mojo, June 2002

“It’s not an abstract movie. It’s surreal, but it’s not abstract. It took me a while to recognize the difference. Certain scenes never fail to break me up with laughter to this day. But I wish we had been able to better capture on film what the writers had originally envisioned. The one thing we did not want was a 90-minute episode of the show. And I think we accomplished that.” - Peter Tork, leoweekly, June 8, 2016

Q: “The parts you played in the movie seemed to be based more on yourselves than the parts in the series?” Peter Tork: “Yeah, the movie was about who...who we were... [Peter pauses for a long time before continuing the sentence] ...I think as Bob Rafelson saw us, who the individuals were. The ways it was. I was spaced out with my newage philosophy, Davy is a little rough neck and Mike is a conniver, Micky, I don't know, but Micky's character hadn't formed at that point, he didn't know anything about him. But yeah, it was about who we were and not who the characters on the screen or TV-show were. The movie was about the Monkees-phenomenon and people and Hollywood and some of my complaints, the black box, we complained about what later became the black box a lot.” Q: “How much influence did the four of you have on the script?” PT: “On the movie? Oh, I think we had a lot. The producers and director were very pleased with us, we had a conference before we began work at the movie. The 7 of us [i.e. Peter Tork, Michael Nesmith, Micky Dolenz, Davy Jones, Bob Rafelson, Bert Schneider and Jack Nicholson] went to Ojai in California, a peaceful part of the world, and we sat in a motel and we talked about what we wanted and that what we all wanted was not to have another TV-episode. That was very important to all of us. And I don't think they hardened by that, because I think they wanted to make a good movie, I wish they could have made a movie that had had a commercial success, too, but they chose not to. I think that that was their choice, too, which I'm very disappointed about.” - interview by Lise Lygn Falkenberg, 1994

[callmewrinkles3]

Exclusive: Former Formula One Champion Daniel Ricciardo Releases New Autobiography, Exclusive Excerpts Inside

The Perth News, July 2035

One of the things I’ve been asked is why it took me so long to make my relationship with Em public. If I’m really honest I had more than one reason.

I’m the one who chose this. I’m the one who decided to go into racing, to pursue F1. I made that choice but my loved ones didn’t, and in this case Em definitely didn’t. When we met she had no idea who I was. All she knew was I worked with her neighbour in motorsport and travelled a lot. Even when she found out she chose to stay. She likes me for me and not for my job. It was never fair to make her have to choose between our relationship and her reputation.

More than once I woke up to watch her sleep, wondering what the hell she was doing staying by my side when everyone was throwing rocks at her for being there. But like Taylor wrote, people throw rocks at things that shine and nobody shines as brightly as she does. I always knew that, but some people didn’t and they decided to throw even more at her.

And then we started working together. Making that jump from our relationship to adding working with each other was huge, but the main reason we did it was she was already working with us without realizing it. Before she started she did freelance stuff, and when she had spare time between clients she helped Blake, and then she helped Michael. We were talking about how ridiculous F1 merch was at the time for fans and she had the glorious idea of making Ric3. Then we realized we couldn’t survive a day if she wasn’t there.

How do you explain to people that the woman you love is a genius? How do you explain to the world that she’s the reason your life became not only better, but easier? How do you explain and make strangers understand this beautiful woman is not what ridiculous rumors made her look like? That the reputation they invented for her was just that, a ridiculous baseless invention?

We knew we were in love. But we also knew that some people would think that she was the gold digger sleeping with her boss, or that I was abusing my power. That’s one of the reasons why everything to do with her work went through Blake. He was officially her boss, but really she was in charge. We always joked saying she’s our tiny boss because she really is. She told us where to go and what to do. And the reason we made all of these decisions was because I didn’t want to subject her to the media and paddock gossip. People make jokes about how small the paddock is and how much everyone know. It’s a rotating cast of 1,300 people who live together for half the year. Everyone knows everything and the partners of the drivers on the grid are the best gossip material there is and I didn’t want her to be part of that material.

Em has told me time and time again that it wasn’t our fault that we fell for each other from that very first night we met. She told me she could take whatever happened, and she did and she could, but she didn’t deserve it. She didn’t deserve any of the things people said about her. It was my job to protect her and our relationship and the best way I knew at the time was to keep our love to ourselves, even when we wanted to yell it from the rooftops. Our friends all knew. A lot of people across teams I’d worked with knew. But we wanted something for ourselves. We desperately needed it. 

One of the biggest issues was that when we made the decision to tell people about us that option was taken away from us. It sounds silly but we never got to do the cute social media hard launch - and Emmy had chosen photos - we never got to say it ourselves first. I never got to tell the world “look at this woman who I’ve loved for four years and I feel ok and safe telling you all now.”.

I still remember that day like some kind of sad movie. In a year that was tough on so many levels, it stands out as one of the worst days. It was already hard for Em to go to the paddock. We’d gone through some personal things and she had to miss some races so the gossip machine was yelling all sorts of untrue lies. Coming back was difficult for her.

We had to work out a media plan, and the four of us decided to go our separate ways as soon as we got to the paddock. I went first with Michael, trying to keep the cameras on me. That way when she came in with Blake ten minutes later they could be ignored, it’d just look like two people with paddock passes coming in for the Thursday events. Once we got in it was straight to my drivers room and we could control it from there. Em would do the social media post from her account, when I inevitably got the question about how I was feeling about the race I’d answer “good, I’ve got my whole team around me again so things are great”, we could keep this to our schedule. The start of the plan worked. For some miraculous reason nobody bothered Emma so it was a win. At least, we thought so.

One of the things I hate to see the most is tears in my wife’s eyes. I’ve seen her cry with happiness nine times in my life, every other time she’s cried I’ve just wanted to fix things. And that day the tears were some of the worst she’d cried, and I couldn’t fix any of it. I came out of an engineering briefing to Blake pulling me into a corner to tell me “someone got a photo of you and Ems kissing goodbye this morning. It’s gone viral.”. It was such a hard pill to swallow, and I’m not exaggerating when I tell you my vision turned red and I sprinted across from hospitality to my drivers room where Em was sobbing her eyes out at comments being made about her. All I remember is my girlfriend, the woman I love more than anything in the world, sobbing in my arms because her chance to try control things and let it happen at her own speed was gone.

She knew people were wondering where she was and if she’d appear. Gossip sites online reported alleged sightings of her and that pressure was hard enough. But a photo of what we thought was our last private moment before willingly telling the world being put on social media without being asked? It hurt. It was supposed to be us and our best friends in an empty car park.It was supposed to be one last kiss with my girl while I was still just her Danny and before she had to share me with the world and act like I was just DannyRic. We know people always take pictures outside the paddock, we learn to live with it in some kind of way. It comes with the recognition or whatever you wanna call it. Its part of the job. But nobody was supposed to be taking pictures in that place that morning, especially not a photographer that should only work inside the paddock.

I felt like I failed her. Four years of protecting our privacy and trying to protect her and at the very last moment someone stole that away from us. All I could say was that I loved her but if she wanted to walk away I didn’t blame her, I’d book her flight myself. And then Emmy just looked at me and told me that nobody could get rid of her that easily.

When I tell you she’s incredibly brave and simply badass I’m not joking. There’s a reason some of the younger drivers called her Mama Badger. She was crying in the only place in the paddock where we got any privacy, but then she dried her eyes and covered up the signs she’d been crying, getting me to make sure she looked ok. And then the woman I had known for so long I was going to marry took a deep breath and held my hand to walk into the McLaren garage with her head held high. I could never forget it.

Emmy did it because she knew I needed her, and in the years since I still don’t have the words to thank her enough. I don’t know if I ever will. But the one thing I could do that day was try to control the only piece of the narrative that we had left, so after she gave the ok for me to give a little bit of information I went and did that interview with one of the few journalists we could consider a friend.

[whatchuwaitinfor]

A Theory We Have About Adam and Lute’s Glitching Masks in Season 1; Episode 8.

None of this is technically true other than what we know of sinners can’t go to the other rings in Hell; they can most likely still only go and stay at the Pride ring.

In Hazbin Hotel s1/e8, when Lute stabbed Dazzle and left him to bleed out and Adam was strangling Charlie, almost killing her, their masks glitched for a minute.

How the theory we have goes is our favorite boy Lucifer went to Heaven either before or after the first extermination so he can settle a deal with Heaven but specifically with Sera, Adam and Lute.

Making it so they only have access to the Pride ring, aka Lucifer’s ring and they can only exterminate if they don’t kill any hellborn. We see hellborn all throughout Helluva Boss and somewhat in the actual series of Hazbin Hotel. Like all of the cast of Helluva Boss and Razzle, Dazzle, KeeKee and Fat Nuggets in Hazbin. He had to say ‘not hellborn but sinners are fine I guess’ because Heaven wouldn’t take the extermination just not happening. It’s the only option they’d listen to. They get to kill sinners to deal with what they want to deal with, they touch a spear/just try to kill a hellborn for a millisecond, the deal is broken and Lucifer can come in and slaughter them and then it’s full out war between Heaven and Hell. Since Lucifer’s power is really close to God’s, he’s the leader of Hell, no exorcist is stronger than him. Adam comes close to Lucifer’s power but nope. Dead.

Anyway, back to the glitching masks. The exorcists masks start to glitch as a warning in telling them that they’ve gone too far because they killed a hellborn or are about to kill a hellborn. Now Lucifer can come in and kill them if he wants to and they caused a full out war between Heaven and Hell.

Once Lute stabbed Dazzle and after bleeding out, Dazzle died and Adam tried to kill Charlie because she’s technically a hellborn but not because she was born in Hell between Lucifer and Lilith, they’ve caused a war.

Or the deal was, if they tried to kill Charlie and the other people of hell that aren’t sinners, they’ve caused a war. It’s one of those things, but we kind of believe the top thing more, but either way, something’s up with the glitching because it doesn’t make sense unless you really think about the possibilities.

Again, these are just theories, none of us truly know what the reasoning is, not even the VAs, just the people who made the show for us to watch. If you wish to put what you think in, you can, just be respectful, that’s all I ask.

Thank you! Have an amazing day, my girls, guys and non-binary they’s!

[jaeellec]

Wandering Star Snippet

Currently working on something! (Hint hint: log collection cover with a certain captain...) But today I was thinking about this scene I've had written for a while now! Keep in mind it's not polished or finalized 100% yet, but I think it's funny and have been wanting to share it for quite some time. And since Carmen's powers have been revealed as of last episode, I just decided to go for it today. It is a tiny bit spoiler-y, as it is from a way later episode.

Read below the cut!

Breakfast sizzled and popped in the skillet, and Killer removed it from the stove top to add it to a clean plate on the beaten island countertop behind him. Most of the spread had been picked clean by the crew - minus the captain - who sat and ate at the two tables just on the other side of the counter. The sound of forks scraping plates or cups being put back on the table replaced the usual morning chatter, and upon tiring of the silence, Heat gave a sigh.

“Alright…I’ll be the one to say it: Something happened.”

Most of the crew exchanged glances.

“Yeah?” seated directly across Heat, Haikei raised an eyebrow. “You were at the bar the other night– you saw what went down.”

“No, I mean after that. On the bow. Even after the bar, she still chose our ship. We’re all ordered off deck, and then she doesn’t show for two days?” He glanced over his shoulder to the kitchen. “Boss say anything about it to you, Killer?”

“Not a word,” Dishes clanged out as Killer placed them in the sink, and he grabbed a damp rag to wipe his hands. “You know he isn’t much of a talker.”

“Best stay out of the boss’ business,” Oscar interjected from the other table, warning his fellow crewmates. “This seems personal.”

Wire added, “And as much as I hate to say it…May as well get used to not having her around, anyway. We don’t have much longer before we reach the last island…” as he spoke, Carmen could be seen carefully peering into every angle of the room through the porthole window in the background, though she went unnoticed as Wire finished his thought. “Unless…Think maybe the boss will ask her to join the crew?”

Before any response could be given, the door opened and shut behind Carmen as she strolled in like she was already a part of the crew. Though they were taken off guard by her sudden appearance, they were just as delighted to see her again.

“Budgie!!” Noe happily threw his arms up in a greeting, and she hugged his neck from behind and sweetly spoke.

“Morning, boys,” she let her fingers gently brush against Heat’s smokey locks as she walked past and made her way into the kitchen to see the first mate. “Didn’t make my honey toast?”

“Didn’t expect you to join us – I’m a little surprised to see you this morning.”

Haikei called out to her as he took a bite. “Yeah, what’s the deal? Boss ban you from the ship again or something?”

“Because that worked so well the first time,” she teased with a smirk and Killer slapped her hand when she reached for a piece of toast on the counter. “I just figured you guys were getting sick of me and decided I should show the other crews some love. So! Now that you’ve had a little break, I came over to invite you fellas out tonight. Wanna come? We can have a bit extra fun since it got ruined last time.”

“You know you can count us in, Budgie,” Heat told her, but Wire chimed in with the concern.

“Doing okay? We haven’t really seen you since the other night.”

She crossed her arms and leaned her hip against the counter, not thrilled that the topic came up. “I’ve certainly been in worse situations.”

“That bastard….” Bubblegum gripped his fork just thinking about it. “Boss shoulda killed him.”

The Massacre Soldier spoke up. “Who’s to say he didn’t? At the very least, that guy won’t be walking that hit off for quite some time. So good news there. And speaking of the captain…” he turned his attention to Carmen. “Why do I get the sense you’re avoiding Kid?”

With a successfully stolen piece of toast in hand, Carmen could only offer a poorly-done change in subject. “Where’s your ‘Don’t Touch Anything’ apron? I like when you wear it.”

As she awaited his answer and went to bite into a corner of the toast, the door opened, causing her eyes to go wide and her body to drop on all-fours. The crew sounded out with casual greetings that were a mix of “Morning, Captain” and “Morning, Boss”, though she only heard him grunt in response and his approaching footsteps as she crawled around the far end of the counter, hair dragging the floor and toast hanging from her mouth.

“Morning, Kid,” Killer told his captain, who now stood where Carmen had just been as he handed the redhead the freshest plate.

“Go ahead and start morning routine without me, men,” Kid’s delayed reply was an order, and Carmen pressed her back into the end of the island as she intently listened, especially for footsteps. But for now, it seemed she was safe with more orders. “I got some work I wanna get done. Last I checked, we’re still on course to dock this afternoon. I want one of you to take an inventory check – see if anything needs restocked.”

“How about fruit?” Wire suggested. “Budgie may be willing to make us some more jam.”

From her hiding place, Carmen gave a thumbs-up to Haikei who confirmed for the crew. “Yeah, good idea. I get the feeling she’d be happy to.”

“Not much use for jam if there’s nothing to spread it on,” the redhead was aggravated as he observed the plate with a single piece of toast and mere crumbs. “Which one of you took an extra piece?”

Carmen’s face was flooded with dread as she heard Killer began his answer. “Oh, that was my mistake, Kid. Almost forgot,” the Massacre Soldier’s hand reached and yanked the somehow unscathed toast from her mouth, and she listened with wide eyes as he explained. “It got dropped this morning. The floors are clean if you want it.”

She heard his typical grunt of a response, but then came the concerning part – approaching footsteps. In a panic, she was on all-fours again, scuttling her way around to the outside of the counter. Some of the crew members were amused while others exchanged nervous glances as they watched her attempt at stealth while the captain once again stood where she had just been.

With only one arm, he placed the plate on the counter and began pouring a glass from one of the available pitchers. But with his height and the worried grimace on Carmen’s face, it was clear there was a real possibility of her being caught – any movement from her would be sure to catch his attention.

“Um…” Wire nervously spoke up. “Were there any more orders, boss?”

Carmen listened carefully with bated breath. From where she was pressed up against the island, she could just get a glimpse of those ridiculous lizard-print pants and that maroon feathered captain’s coat.

“Morning routine. Inventory,” he spoke after some thought, and stuffed his mouth with two pieces of bacon from the plate. “Prepare to dock in a few hours.”

“We’re on it, Kid,” Carmen heard Killer say, and the captain must’ve looked to his first mate because Bubblegum frantically gestured for her to move with his eyes. Quickly and quietly, she used her powers to levitate just above the ground and move towards the other end of the island, her calves down glowing blue and the usual trail of sparkles lighting up behind her.

“If one of you handle inventory, I’ll take over your part of morning routine,” Reck offered to anyone. “It’s been slow around here lately; I wouldn’t mind some extra work.”

Just as he finished his sentence, Carmen safely pressed her back to the end of the counter, though the sanctuary would be short-lived.

“Whatever, just get it done,” Kid placed his cup on the plate where bacon had been and carried the dish in his single had. “I’ll be in my quarters.”

Carmen had heard the footsteps immediately after the words, and before she knew it, she caught a glimpse of him walking by out of the peripheral of her wide eyes. An instant reaction, she was on all-fours for a final time, scurrying back around the counter, past Killer in the kitchen, and all the way back around to the far end where she stayed until she heard the captain kick the door close behind him.

“Whew!” she exclaimed when she bounced up, and the first mate already had his eyes on her through the mask.

“You owe me.”

“Of course, Kill,” Carmen took one of his hands and looked up to him with the utmost gratitude. “Buy you a drink tonight?” She offered as she span around him back into the kitchen where she was delighted to see that last piece of toast still on the plate. “Ooh~” As quickly as she saw it, she swiped it and was already hurrying to the exit. “Actually, I owe all of you for that. First round on me tonight! See you boys later!”

And just like that, she gone – door closed behind her and all – rushed out to avoid any and all questions.

“Alright…” the Massacre Solider spoke up to his crew, but those blue eyes behind that mask were fixed on the door. “Something happened.”

[wily-one24]

The easy one to ask for me is Olivia Benson. But in case someone already has or you want a different choice: Amanda Rollins or Alex Cabot.

Time to buy a lotto ticket, because Imma do all three (!!! in my dreams, right?)

OLIVIA BENSON

--> How I feel about this character:

I mean, it's no secret that I love Olivia Benson.

I was speaking to a friend the other day about SVU and how it's lasted a long time. It's not just because the stories are interesting (they are) or even titilating (sexual assault, molestation, murder, they all have the possibility of titilation, but I don't think SVU goes there... not often at any rate... they do a pretty good job of not glorifying the abuse and horror).

A large part is, of course, Olivia Benson. She is the beating heart of SVU.

Olivia is strong, empathetic, fierce, she takes no prisoners, her morals are strong, she is caring and protective, and she will fight like hell for justice, sometimes at great personal cost.

Olivia is the person each of us has needed at one or more points in our lives. Also the person that the majority of us did not get.

Mariska talks about fans sending her letters to tell her how much Olivia has helped them. And it's true.

We have all wanted and needed an Olivia in our lives. And we have all, to some degree, wanted to be Olivia.

She is not perfect, she has her flaws, but they are easily overlooked for all the benefits she brings.

And we have watched her from baby Benson to seasoned Captain. We have grown with her.

She gives us hope.

And that is why we have 25 seasons of SVU.

--> All the people I ship romantically with this character:

Well, Elliot obviously. It's very strange, I don't even really like Elliot that much and during my rewatches by the end of S12 I am just counting down the episodes until he leaves. BUT, he is Olivia's main choice and he makes her happy. So, because I love Olivia, I want her to have what she wants.

Alex. Amanda. Barba. Langan (thought I get why they never went there). Rita a little.

I don't really read much of anything besides EO, but in my little dreams, I think the others would make excellent partners, or at least bedmates.

--> My non romantic OTP for this character:

Just to completely step on my own toes from the previous answer, but...

Barba. I adored their canon relationship, the besties that they were. They adored each other and were there when each needed the other. She needed a strong friendship like that, that wasn't tied to being their boss.

Obviously Noah. She waited so long for that boy. She loves him dearly and he loves her and they deserve all the happiness in the world together.

--> My unpopular opinion about this caracter:

I don't know if I really have one. She's a little too quick to anger and she's always a little too ready to break the law to suit her needs. But these are not opinions.

Perhaps, despite her later claims that she never wanted to be part of the "good ol' boys club" and how she acts distraught at the possibility one of her old interrogations may have been a forced confession... in the early years Olivia is all too ready to look the other way and, in fact, join in when Elliot and even Fin are being overly rough and forceful and breaking about ten different codes of police conduct.

There was one episode I saw recently where Elliot got all up in a step father's face, yelling, red faced, almost spitting out his hatred as he spoke of this man's lust for his daughter that they assumed he'd raped... it was quite heavy handed. And the guy eventually reacts and goes at Elliot. Olivia is instantly cuffing this guy and gleefully arresting him for assaulting a police officer. And like... Olivia Margaret Benson, you litereally just WATCHED Elliot provoke him.

Elliot's violence got results and she was all too ready to excuse him for it.

She never would have grown into the amazing police woman she is had Elliot stayed around. She gave him way too much power in that partnership.

--> One thing I wish would happen/had happened with this character:

I want somebody to choose her.

So many of the people she has loved have ended up leaving, because they stayed too long, because they sacrificed their own morals for her, because they broke the law for her, because... because... because... and she even says "I didn't ASK you to" and it makes no difference.

I'm not saying they didn't have good reason to leave. They're adults they can choose.

One thing I have consistently said, is that the show repeats "the average stint in SVU is two years" several times. That is, of course, unless you meet Olivia Benson. Then it becomes your life's purpose. She doesn't see that these people have stayed for her, stayed longer than is healthy, longer than they meant to.... and all because of her. She doesn't see that, she sees them leave.

But just once I wish someone would choose to leave the job and stay with her.

Girl deserves a bit of happiness and stability.

[avaantares]

📓

Oooh, so now comes the hard part: Deciding which story to share!

The truth is, I have a huge folder of story ideas and WIPs, some of which are just a document with a line or two of notes reminding me of the story's premise. A finite amount of writing time guarantees that most of these stories -- while fully developed in my head -- will never see the light of day. This means I have at least a dozen fics that could fall into the category of "haven't written but you've daydreamed about."

(Of course, this also means that if multiple people send me 📓, at least I won't run out of material... 😅)

Okay -- I've picked one on the basis of @iamtheshriekingguineapig bringing it up AGAIN a day or two ago. (That will teach me to tell her I have story ideas for fandoms she likes, LOL. Maybe if I post the treatment, she'll be happy with that?)

The fandom is Devil May Cry, and this is one of those stories that has the potential to be so big and sprawling that I haven't even bothered making notes for it, because unless we get hit with another pandemic (please no), I will never, ever have time to write it. (See also: Children of the Future Age, my 330K behemoth that was only, like, 60 or 80K until I was stuck in lockdown for a year and a half.) But despite the lack of written outline, this is one of those things that just lived in the back of my head long enough that I mentally scripted entire scenes and blocks of dialogue for it while doing the dishes or whatever.

Here goes:

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

Lucia (who makes an appearance because I got SO MANY COMMENTS on CotFA asking me why she wasn't in the story >.<) gathers the DMC team and informs them that a new -- or possibly ancient, but recently awakened -- evil threatens the safety of the human realm. Lucia remains in the human realm to coordinate teams of devil hunters and deal with the rogue demons who have grown agitated due to the rising malice. Nico stays behind with her, outfitting the hunter teams and engineering defensive systems and weapons to protect human cities from the encroaching demons. The rest of Team DMC (a.k.a. our main cast, inclusive of Vergil) head for the underworld to deal with the malevolent energy at its source.

During their search, the hunters discover a massive star-shaped array stretching across miles of the underworld. The array is generating an impenetrable shield around something at its center, which is likely the source of the demonic energy. In order to gain access, they need to disable the seals at each corner of the array, which are the shield's anchor points. Only when all five are disabled will the shield fall, allowing them to confront the evil creature staging a comeback.

The team splits up for efficiency (and because I mentally structured this story in true video game format, with each area a "level" that characters proceed through, culminating in a boss fight). Dante, Vergil, Nero, Trish, and Lady each head for a different seal. Dante suggests making it a contest to see who can disable their seal the fastest. Never one to let a challenge go unescalated, Vergil makes a parting crack about finishing the final fight himself before the others have even returned to the center of the array.

Combat and stuff happens (I'm condensing for space!) as they make their way through their respective regions. Ultimately, as each hunter finishes off the area boss, they discover that at the center of each seal is another layer of shielding containing a power source. The objects generating the power for the greater array are arcane artifacts. Weapons. Amulets. Old, but not necessarily ancient, though they have clearly seen extensive use. And... oddly familiar, for some of the hunters.

Nero is the only one who doesn't find an artifact at the core of his seal. Instead, when he breaks through the inner shield, he finds an old man imprisoned in the array -- a human, possibly a former hunter by the looks of him. Like Dante and Vergil, his hair is white, though Nero isn't sure if that's because of his age or because he shares their unique heritage. The man's athletic build hints at his former strength, but he's been weakened and aged by the constant power drain. His memory, too, seems to have suffered -- that, or he's being deliberately cagey with his answers. It's hard to say. At any rate, he doesn't give Nero a name by which to call him. He thinks he's been trapped in the array for several years, but time moves strangely in the underworld, and he had no real frame of reference for its passage. What he wants now is to find his way back to the human realm, though he's not sure where the access points linking the two worlds have migrated to in the time he's been imprisoned.

Nero knows there's a major battle ahead and doesn't want to be slowed down, but his conscience won't allow him to leave a weak, helpless old man to fend for himself in the underworld, so he helps him stand and offers to escort him to some place that, if not entirely safe, is at least moderately deserted and well away from the energy-draining apparatus. His plan is to stash the old man somewhere and then pick him up on the way out of the underworld after they take out the Big Bad at the center.

The stranger keeps up with Nero fairly well for someone in his condition, and the longer he's out of the array, the healthier he looks. Nero decides the man is not quite as old as he originally guessed, though he doesn't stop calling him things like "gramps" in place of his missing name. For his part, the man seems very interested in Nero himself, asking questions about the devil hunting business, and then about Fortuna and Red Grave City when he learns Nero is familiar with both. Nero is cautious with his answers, but he can't fault the other man for feeling him out -- or for wanting to speak to another person after being imprisoned for so long -- so he makes polite conversation. It's not like there's anything else to do while they're slogging through the underworld.

Upon learning that Red Grave was nearly destroyed, the stranger falls silent for a while. It's not until they meet up with Lady, returning from her own seal-breaking mission, that he rouses. Lady has retrieved a Devil Arm from her seal, a pair of gauntlets that, while undeniably powerful, is of little use to herself (a dex-based ranger human) or Nero (who already has his own devil power-augmented arm). The stranger asks if he might use them, since he currently has no weapons. This confirms to Nero that the man isn't entirely human -- Devil Arms won't allow just anyone to utilize them -- but he can't think of any reason not to let the guy have some means of protecting himself. At minimum, it will make him feel less guilty about ditching the man while the rest of them go off to fight the Evil Thing.

The stranger expresses the same kind of polite curiosity about Lady that he did with Nero, though he seems more particularly interested in her heritage than her present circumstances. Lady gets a little tetchy when he prods her about her lineage one too many times. In an effort to keep the peace, Nero interrupts to suggest they pick up the pace, or Vergil really will take on the final boss before they've caught up.

The stranger definitely reacts to that name. When he recovers, he feigns polite curiosity and asks who this Vergil is. "My old man," Nero replies, with a hint of vinegar because their relationship is still (understandably) fraught. "He's a hunter, too. He and his brother are down here with us."

The stranger controls his outward reaction to this statement a little better, but he's obviously very interested. Before he can ask more, Lady, still agitated from the probing about her parents, adds a sarcastic remark about Vergil only being a hunter when it suits him -- in between laying waste to entire cities.

The man stops dead and asks her to explain that, which she does: "Vergil's the one who destroyed Red Grave City. Again. Though to be fair, Dante and I managed to stop him, the first time around. He only wiped out one borough back then. But let me tell you, the wholesale district was never the same after Temen-ni-gru punched a hole in Market Square." She sobers. "But even that was nothing compared to what the Qliphoth did. He killed thousands of innocent people when he released that thing."

The man's reaction to this information is difficult to read, but decidedly not happy. He insists that they take him to meet Vergil. Nero balks and suggests that it would be better for him to wait someplace out of harm's way; there will be time for him to meet everyone after they've dealt with the main event. The man says no, he will see Vergil now, and for the first time Nero gets the sense that he may have really, really underestimated this "helpless old man." Because this is clearly somebody who is used to being obeyed, and he does not like repeating himself -- and probably has more than enough power to back it up, when he hasn't been used as a human (or not) battery for who knows how many years.

Lady clearly gets the same vibe, and Nero sees her shift into a defensive stance. But before things can escalate further, they're hailed by Trish, who has finished her own seal mission and detoured to join them when she saw the group coming across the demonic wasteland.

The stranger sees Trish.

And that's when things get... interesting.

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So, yeah, that's my fic about where Sparda has been for all these years and why there's been no trace of him, and the whole setup is just a petri dish for more angst (Sparda learning of Eva's death and having to deal with Trish's presence, which is probably even more jarring to him than it would have been to Dante; Vergil having to face his father after he Done Messed Up Big Time), comedy (Nero having a cognitive meltdown after realizing he's been calling the OG Savior "gramps," and then having another one when he realizes the OG Savior actually is his grandfather), and family feels (Sparda finding out he has a grandson! Who is the goodest boi! Even if he is the son of Elder Son Who Done Messed Up Big Time). Which is why it promises to be another CotFA if I let it, and why I really, really, really don't have time to write it. 😅

(I am also fully aware that with the right treatment, this could potentially work as a sequel to CotFA, which I fielded a question about last week... but it all comes back to time and energy. Sigh.)

[shion-yu]

Today sucked again, rant under the cut coz nobody has any reason to read this negativity but I feel like shouting into the void...

Another horrible day where the only reason I stay at my job is because I love my patients and I need health insurance. Another day where management does everything in their power to make it as hard as possible to actually take care of the underprivileged people we're supposed to serve. I work the job of 3 people and yet get voluntold to take new projects on while the people I clean up after daily just chill bc they management knows they don't even do their current jobs so they can't rely on them to take on more. I want to leave it all alone but I literally can't. I have to do it coz I care about the fucking patients and they know that and take advantage of it. I don't get paid more to translate every day. I don't get paid more even though I single handedly increased the capacity of this program sixfold. I turned down a transfer bc I was supposed to be promoted when my boss said he was gonna retire last summer. And then this winter. And yet he's still here and gets paid more even tho I do his whole job.

I wish I could quit. If my parents weren't alive I'd be so out of this country. I mean thank God they are but they're the only reason I stay in the US. I miss Peru. I miss when work was more fun bc I had two of my best friends here but one quit bc of harassment and one got (illegally) fired for reporting a sexual assault. I'm trying to enjoy my pregnancy but instead all I can think about is work. I want to travel, even take a babymoon, but I can't even do that coz I have no leave after work asked me to volunteer in another country for a month last year and then made me use all my own leave to actually carry out the obligation. (But ofc they still so proudly like to say someone from our work did this amazing project!) I'm so over everything and I know the program's gonna literally fall apart when I go on maternity leave and I can't even feel properly smug about it bc I care about the patients too damn much.

UGH. FUCK.

[yellowhollyhock]

Tmnt Memory mash up part 2 (finally ran out of jokes for the first one)

Concept is, there is no concept we have no idea what’s real because memories are wonky, everyone is a storyteller, and Casey is gaslighting them all. (Actual concept: characters remember the same events differently because that’s how brains work, but now it’s taken to an extreme where the basis for different turtle realities comes from each set of memories.)

Rise Raph, 2012 Mikey, 2003 Donnie, 2007 Leo, 1987 Splinter, 1990s April

Leo: You guys need to focus. It’s just like I learned during my training—

Raph: Your training? Are you talking about when you became a mascot for that basketball team?

Donnie: Raphie, be nice. You know Leo takes ninjitsu very seriously.

Raph: *cackles*

Mikey: pfft yeah haha, he’s a big goofy dork who loves cartoons, trying to act all serious haha (he tried to sacrifice himself again last week why are we laughing)

Mikey: Yo dudes, I made us some pizza, shaken not stirred, canned meat supreme with jalapeños and strawberries, light on rosemary heavy on hot sauce. We’re ready for movie night!

Raph: You’re so creative with food! ❤️ You were watching that cooking show you like again, weren’t you?

April:

Leo:

Donnie:

Splinter: You are a great chef, Michelangelo. Because of my peculiar tastes I will be eating sushi.

Casey: There’s definitely algae on this pizza.

Leo: Casey shut up we’re eating

Donnie, on the last slide of a PowerPoint: And so, Leo, I think you will plainly understand, you cannot go outside.

Leo: What about Raph and Mikey?

Donnie: Did Mikey almost accidentally ally with our family’s nemesis?

Leo: No, but—

Donnie: Did Raph get poisoned at the Battle Nexus?

Leo: Well, no, but—

Donnie: Did Raph or Mikey or Splinter or April or even Casey fight an army of Foot by himself while still recovering emotionally from our first presumed defeat of said nemesis, and end up facing him again, getting thrown through a window, and falling into a coma?

Leo: But you said you were abducted by aliens! And what about all those adventures in alternate dimensions you talk about? Your safety is also important! (fuming)

Donnie: Well I’m not the one who had to go away for training. 😘

Leo: But you did take that horrible phone line job while I was away for training, and do not tell me that was less traumatic!

Donnie: … phone line job???

Leo: Yeah, the—didn’t you—Casey told me you worked in tech support?

Donnie: Casey told you—Casey said—I am the cofounder of O’Neil Technologies he told you I got a phone line job?

Splinter: You must center yourselves, my students. The mind is a powerful weapon.

April: So does he always just call you guys his students?

Donnie: Nah, I think he says ‘my son’ more often than he says my name, he’s just in training mode right now.

Leo: Yeah, it’s more in private conversations that he’ll use familial terms. He really means it with just as much affection when he says students.

Mikey: lol I have been called both son and student with varying degrees of affection and annoyance. When he says my name I run for my life

Raph:

April: Um, you okay Raph?

Raph: He mostly just calls me Red…

Everyone: Dude….

April: Hey do you guys remember that guy who got mixed up with a bad crowd, almost did something really irreversible but then met you guys and turned it around and helped us instead?

Donnie: Angel!

Splinter: Ah, yes, young Carter. I hope his studies are going well.

Mikey: Mondo Gecko my man!

Leo: Do you mean your boss Winters? I mean he was the most recent.

Raph: That was Casey.

Casey: That was me.

April:

April: Anyway I was talking with his dad the other day—

Mikey: You ever had feelings for someone, Leo? Feelings you didn’t know what to do about? Feelings that kept you up at night?

Leo: Mikey I told you, I didn’t stay away that extra time because of a girlfriend.

Mikey: Maybe even feelings that make you act stupid. Feelings like Raph has for his Mona Lisa, or Donnie for April?

Raph and Donnie, eavesdropping:

Raph: What’s going on with you and April??

Donnie: Nothing I’m aware of. Maybe she borrowed a tool without asking or something. Who’s your Mona Lisa?

Raph: Raph wishes he knew.

Mikey: The heart’s a soft muscle, dude. Squish squish.

Leo: I literally have no idea what you’re talking about.

Casey: Hey Mikey! How are things going with that time traveling girl you liked? I can’t remember her name.

Mikey: Time-traveling girl..? Wait yo dude that hasn’t happened for me yet. I think you just accidentally revealed my future!

Casey: Cool, I didn’t even know I was from the future. I wonder if I could convince Leo he might start an apocalypse if he doesn’t find, like a certain artifact or something….

Donnie, again on PowerPoint: If I were to disappear, the whole world would fall to pieces. Shredder victorious. Raph and Leo estranged forever, unable to reconcile after Master Splinter’s tragic death. Mikey and April, the lone fighters against the growing tide of darkness, barely clinging onto hope. Mikey’s lost one of his arms, and with it the spark of joy in his eyes.

Raph: Who let him have coffee

Splinter: I believe he has had a nightmare. We must guard against these dark thoughts.

Donnie, staring into the distance: That dragon-daimyo merged guy nearly won the Battle Nexus. It looked like the blue bunny poisoned Leo, but in the end he stood beside him in battle. At least Raphie won his planet race.

Raph: Who let him have poison pizza puffs

Mikey: Ay Raph that’s scarily specific?

Mikey: They always forget that I’m good at science, too. I help Dee out in the lab with ideas and stuff. I mean, I don’t understand science, but I got good instincts for it. They need to remember that.

Casey: Yeah, like when you created Ice Cream Kitty.

Mikey: Yeah! What.

Casey: Or when you cured Donnie of that stuff that made him super dumb.

Mikey: No yeah but go back to what you said about Ice Cream Kitty.

Donnie: Do you guys remember that jungle dimension we went to with the really big bugs?

Mikey: Did you just call our own city a jungle dimension?

Leo: Reminds me of my training. I miss the jungle….

Mikey, humming to himself: welcome to the jungle, it’s worse here every day, you learn to live like an animal in the jungle where we play

Raph: Did you guys all portal somewhere without me?

Mikey and Donnie: You wanted to see the giant bugs?

Raph:

Raph: Well, no, but—