#pregnant magician

[tales-of-the-ghost-zone]

Okay but like he’s dressed like Constantine and he kind of acts like him. So everyone is just like “oh my god Constantine had a child with an Angel!!!” And their all freaking out. And Constantine is trying to remember if he ever did actually sleep with an Angel, and now he’s just chasing after Danny trying to get answers!

Idea: Danny runs away after fighting Dan. Yes, he stopped that future, and yes, his friends and family are alive, but as long as he’s around they’re in danger! Danny’s ghost form is nothing but dangerous, he destroyed the entire world! So he breaks the portals (Vlad’s portal too) and runs, using a virus Tucker made to wipe all research and blueprints on ghostly stuff. Just like that, he disappears.

A couple years later, Nightingale is known among the occult community for specializing in Death. Dealing with all forms of the undead from ghosts to vampires, he will show up when there is a problem and leave once it’s solved with no method of contact inbetween. Few are as good as he is, not to mention how quickly he gained a name for himself.

The Justice League need his expertise. They weren’t expecting a depressed teenager.

[beatrixst0nehill]

"Please, Master, let me go out and make more money for you today! I want more! I need to please more men, ooo you can take me to that homeless shelter and drop me off for the night so I can satisfy those poor, lonely men! And maybe catch a new bug or two! ❤️"

"Tiffany, I just spent an hour cleaning all that cum and piss off you, you filthy little whore. I can't let you back out, my pet."

"Awww, please! I need cock! I want to make you lots and lots of money, it's my purpose, Master! Please, I beg you!"

"Ughhhh, so bratty. I didn't think you'd turn out this way. I guess a few years of mindless sex and pushing out kids has turned your poor brain to mush. OK, I better let you go."

"Let me go, what do you mean, Master?"

The man snapped his fingers four times in quick succession.

Tiffany blinked a few times, confused, suddenly realizing she's naked. She covered her breasts, completely horrified. "Oh my god, what the fuck is going on!? Huh? My body......? My boobs are huge! Why do I have so many tattoos? I don't under--my belly! No, no, no, no, no! I can't be pregnant, what happened!?" She looked up. "Who are you, why would you.... wait, no...... I know you. You were that magician."

He gestured like he was tipping his hat. "At the county fair. Remember how skeptical you were?"

"Wait, no way. You actually hypnotized me!? I never would've gotten on that stage if any of this was real! You monster, what did you do to me?"

"What day is it? And how old are you?"

"I'm nineteen! It's June 22nd, 2022!"

"Wrong, my pet, you're 22, it's June 16th, 2025."

Tiffany loosened her arms around her engorged breasts. "How could you..... I just thought you'd do some dumb trick, you hypnotized me for three years, into what? Your girlfriend? And did you seriously knock me up? That's disgusting!"

"You aren't my girlfriend, you're my plaything. You were so annoying on stage, not playing along at all, not flirting, not having fun with my show, you just folded your arms and acted so nasty to me and my audience, I simply had to put you in your place. And I didn't get you pregnant, you sleep with hundreds of men every week, there's simply no way of knowing who the father is. Oh, and this is your fourth pregnancy, you've already given birth to fourteen children. Triplets. Quintuplets, and sextuplets. You're actually only five months along right now so you might very well be carrying octuplets for all I know."

Tiffany was devastated, rubbing her thighs together. She felt her big pregnant belly, she looked at her breasts and tattoos. "I feel.... hot."

"Hm? The bath's probably lukewarm at best now."

"No, I--oh......" Tiffany reached between her legs, to her extremely swollen, over-fucked, disease-ridden pussy. "Oh my god! It hurts! It itches so good.... wow!"

"Yeah, you probably have every STD in the book. As my pet you were quite proud of getting them."

"I can see why..... I mean, um, this is so gross! I can't believe you did this to..... mmmmmmm. Oh wow." Tiffany giggled, shamelessly rubbing her sex in the bath, right in front of her captor. "It never used to feel this good! Oh my god, oh fuck. I think...... sir, I really think I need sex. Do I take drugs, too? I think I need some....."

"Indeed, you're quite partial to taking a big dose of heroin, getting so high you're barely conscious, and letting a whole club or bar's worth of men fuck your brains out all night..... You don't seriously want to go back to any of these behaviors, right?"

"Uh-huh!" Tiffany enthusiastically nodded, licking her lips. "Am I still in college? Doesn't matter, ooooo, I can't wait to show my new body to my friends and family and show them what a whore I am! Do you think I can go out after my bath and take my new body out on a test run? I don't know how good I'll be at making money for you anymore, but I'll try, Master!"

"I knew three years was too long....." He sighed. "Poor thing, I really scrambled your independent, clever brain. I guess you're my responsibility now. I was going to do some shows and train a new girl instead...."

"Let's do it! I can be your assistant! Then I can have a slutty sister I teach to whore with me, and we can get pregnant together, and rub our swollen, diseased pussies together! Won't that be wonderful?"

The man drained the water, patting Tiffany's body. "OK, my pet, I'll get you reacclimated to your duties as my whore. And get you a sister or two to have fun with later this week."

"You're the best Master a dumb, cock-obsessed slut like me could ever ask for!"

[stclaretarot]

PICK A CARD⭒ how will your future child make you proud?

reminder that this is a general reading and messages found here may not apply to everyone. take what resonates, leave what doesn't, and don't force anything if it does not fit.

BOOK A READING WITH ME · LINKTREE · 18+ PATREON · TIPS ♡ tips, bookings, and feedback are highly appreciated!

GROUP ONE

cards · queen of swords, ace of cups, knight of cups, page of swords (reversed), the moon.

channelled songs · hello stranger by kai. welcome to the machine by pink floyd. brenda’s got a baby by 2pac.

my dear group one ♡ your future child will make you proud by going against everything placed against them --every expectation and naysay -- in order to go after their dreams and do what they love.

your child may be born with disabilities or may become disabled with time. they may just be disadvantaged, as in having less money and opportunities in comparison to their peers. they may also fall pregnant and become a parent at a young age.

despite this, they will never lose sight of what they want from life and will go after it guns blazing and head held high.

though, for some time, they may wallow and feel hopeless because of the barriers that exist between them and achieving what they want to achieve, they will still come out on the other side surer than ever that nothing is going to stop them. that they will be successful by any means necessary. that they will achieve what they want to achieve, even if all odds are stacked against them.

GROUP TWO

cards · nine of cups, queen of cups, eight of cups, six of wands, the magician.

channelled songs · love at first sight by the front bottoms. born hater by epik high. pricey by nct 127. 

my dear group two ♡ even as a child, your future child will be the kind of person who knows what they are worth and never accepts less than that. 

this is something that may have taken you a long time to learn -- to speak up for yourself, to not let people walk all over you or disrespect you, to enter rooms as if you belong there and not let anyone tell you otherwise. but, for your child, this will all come naturally. 

some people may call your future child a “diva” or say that they think too highly of themselves, but every time they say that you will just roll your eyes because that is exactly how you want your child to be. 

your child will respect themselves so much and have such high standards that they will not tolerate even the slightest disrespect. even as a little kid. picture this, your child is having a playdate with the neighbour’s child; your child will split the toys equally between the two of them, then the neighbour’s child will start taking from your child’s pile. instead of just letting that happen, your child will say, “these are mine and these are yours, if you want to share, you have to ask, don’t just take.”

they will be so good at setting their boundaries, which is largely thanks to you and how you raised them.

GROUP THREE

cards · ten of swords, seven of swords (reversed), three of wands, nine of swords, the hierophant.

channelled songs · el baile del perrito by wilfrido vargas. every little thing i do by soul for real. the hard way by the front bottoms.

my dear group three ♡ your future child will make you proud in that they will never take no for an answer. your child will be fearless, and will fearlessly defend themselves, even when everyone else shoots them done and calls them delusional -- or even insane.

they will be persistent, stubborn, and headstrong -- in the best way possible. in the way that will make them a good entrepreneur and successful business owner. in the way that will ensure that doors always open for them -- because, in many ways, they force these doors to open for them.

they will be someone who has a certain expectation for their life and will not accept anything less than that. if they want to be a doctor, and they keep getting rejected, they will keep working towards it and applying until they get accepted. if they want to be an attorney, and they fail the bar exam, they will do it again and again and again until they pass. if they want to be a business owner and their first business fails, that’s fine, they’ll take what they learnt and start another one.

they will never give up. not on anything, least of all not on themselves.

[gallusrostromegalus]

Hi! where did you get the name Mazel from for your dog? my great-grandmother's name was Masel and we've been desperately trying to figure out where the hell it comes from for decades. thank you!

Mazel (Pronounced Mah-zell) is Hebrew for "Blessing" as in "Mazel tov!" and it was the name that was given to her by the Magician who used her as an animal in his magic show before he left her pregnant at the East Palo Alto animal shelter so who knows what he was thinking.

"Maisel" is a Jewish surname, which some modern people have considered as a given name but it's sorta weird, like naming your kid "Mendez Smith". "Masie" is a pretty common given name in the US, and sometimes first names get spelled a bit sideways, especially if it's the parents want to honor Grandma Mabel AND Grandma Hazel, which is how my friend's mom got named after her grandmothers Bella and Janet by being named "Janella". Which is possibly better than "Benet", but I'm not sure.

[yall-batman-fanfic]

Blurred Photos | Batfam x OC!Magician x Batsis

Synopsis: Gotham press is going nuts with the birth of Bruce Wayne’s daughter and is trying to get a scoop, but it wasn’t just the press that wanted a photo of Gotham’s princess. 

Bruce and Vivian Wayne were protective with their new born daughter. They didn’t let the press get a glimpse of the girl for months. For some reason, every stolen photo of the family whenever they roam the city would have the infant girl blurred or the photo itself would be blurred. When a photographer thought it was just some plot by their costume criminals that has something against digital photographs, they turned to film, but even their shots with the film were compromised. Or their cameras would have some problem before taking the shot. 

Strange.

It infuriated many photographers as their bosses wanted to be the first to publish an article about the most awaited birth in Gotham. When Vivian and Bruce revealed their pregnancy many months ago, people were trying to get a scoop from them – what’s the gender? What’s going to be the name of their child? How do the couple feel about having a baby at this late stage in their life? And for Vivian, how does it feel being pregnant at such an old age? The last part nearly had the chasing paparazzi punched by Bruce if it weren’t for Dick stopping him… and for Jason doing it himself. 

“Alright, what did you do, Viv. You gotta tell us how you did it,” Tim said as he looked at the magazine that had their photo in the mall but with Valerie’s face blurred out. 

It was one of the rare times he and his brothers got to babysit their sister and bring her to the mall, and during their time there, there were so many who wanted to get a photo of Valerie. While Jason and Damian did a good job to get them far from their sister and stop any photos to be taken, there were still those who got a photo of them sitting in a cafe with the stroller. 

Or Jason wearing the baby carrier with their sister happily sitting there and pointing for her bigger and older brother to go near the cat that was in the fountain. 

Or when Damian was carrying her while he let her drink her milk from the bottle. 

It was an adorable sight to see her sons with their sister and would want to have those shots but she knew how the press worked and she needed to protect her daughter so she placed a little glamor to do it.

“A little spell I learned,” Vivian answered as she fed Valerie some mushed food. “It’s a really old spell that witches used to protect their charge and secrets from unwanted people by blurring out the senses of those listening when that charge mentions that secret. What I did is a little tweaking with the spell that would blur out the photos from untrusted people. That’s why you guys get to take photos of little Val.” She then took a scoop of the food to eat. “Smart, right?”

“Yeah, it is,” said Tim.

“Mumma! Mumma!” Val giggled when she ate her mushed food and asked for more.

Tim chuckled. “Viv, that’s for Val, not for you.”

“I know, but it’s really good. Here, have a taste,” she shoved the spoon into Tim’s mouth to taste before he could protest.

“Yeah, not bad,” Tim said and went to get another spoon for Val. He made sure to tickle the girl as he passed her.

“‘Immy!” Val made grabbing motions to him.

“Okay, I’ll stay here with you,” Tim said and sat beside her and fed his sister while Vivian finally had her breakfast. He then took out his phone and took a selfie of him and Valerie holding his finger, then sent it to their group chat.

It instantly had replies from everyone in the chat.

Barbara replied: Cutie! 

Duke said: Adorable! — I can get some more baby food before heading back after patrol, Mrs. P.

Steph said: I wanna squish those cheeks! So adorable… oh, Tim there too.

Cass sent a ton of emojis that were filled with hearts and kisses.

Damian replied: You’re hogging her now, Drake, but when I get home I’ll bring Valerie on mine and Titus’ walks.

Then Jason said: Goodluck with that. I’m on my way home. I’m taking her with me.

Dick replied with a photo of some baby clothes he found in Bludhaven with a caption saying: They got Nightwing onesies! 

Damian replied with: Unfair. How come they don’t have Robin merchandise?

Vivian laughed at their chats and turned her phone on silent for now, as it kept sending notifications. She then fed her daughter another scoop and said: “You are a troublemaker, you know that? And you’re not even doing it.”

Valerie squealed and happily ate her mushed food, and as Alfred entered the kitchen with a warm towel to clean up the girl’s cheeks and hands. “Gampa!” 

Alfred smiled at the girl and asked, “Here you go, Ms. Valerie. Time to clean up.”

Valerie pouted her lips, thinking it would help her grandfather and let him wipe the mess on her face, and then she let go of Tim to clean her hands. 

“There, all clean,” said Alfred.

“Thank you, Alfred,” Vivian said and picked up the girl from her high chair and told Tim she was just going to give Valerie a bath. “Then, we could head to the garden and play with Grandpa Alfred.”

~*~

Bruce rarely has visitors from his family in the office. Vivian didn’t want to disturb him at work as much as she could, but with Valerie now here he welcomes the visits and their lunches together. So, when his secretary mentioned that Vivian and Valerie were on their way up, he immediately packed up so he could meet them halfway in the building and they could head for lunch.

He made sure to leave his blazer and opt for a simple jacket, having learned that lunch with his daughter could mean there is a possibility of a mess.

As he walked through the corridor, he followed the sound of some of the employees that were making a commotion with the whispers of “Valerie Wayne’s here”, because at the very center of it was Vivian holding their daughter who was shy with the sight of the people around them. Lucius Fox was with them and he was more than able to shield the child from the adoring fans who kept calling the child’s attention.

“Dada!” Valerie whimpered and reached for him.

“I’m here, Val,” Bruce picked up his daughter and kissed Vivian in greeting. “Val, is everything alright?”

Valerie hid her face at the crook of her father’s neck and held onto him like her life depended on it.”

“Dada,” Valerie muttered.

 “Lucius, we’ll just head out for lunch.”

“Of course, Mr. Wayne. Do enjoy your lunch. It was nice to see you again, Professor Pryor, and a delight to see little Valerie Pryor-Wayne.”

Vivian thanked Lucius for the help and joined Bruce to their walk out of the building and to their favorite cafe that wasn’t far. They took their table inside by the window that showed Wayne Tower, Valerie liked looking up to see the gargoyles there. 

“How was your day?” Vivian asked him.

“Meetings. I might take a trip to Argentina to see our division there. There’s some issues that need addressing. I was thinking of bringing you both along. Dick can look over everyone.”

“Val’s first trip out of the country,” Vivian fed their daughter with mashed food. “Wanna see Dada work?”

Valerie, as if she understood, nodded and reached to get more from her spoon. 

“Good thing she already has a passport. Just tell me when and I’ll prepare our things. Man, the others will riot when they find out that we’re taking Val for a couple of days out of the country.”

“How about you two, how was your day?”

“Usual. Val and I dropped Damian off at school. Then we headed home where we played with Alfred in the garden. She almost ate mud but we caught her before she could take a bite of her mud pie.”

As they had their lunch, conversing about their day, a man outside the window passed by and took a photo of Valerie before they could even notice. The flash startled Valerie that the girl started crying. Bruce was quick to his feet and started running out of the cafe and chased the man who took the shot. Vivian, while holding their daughter, looked out of the window and saw the man about to cross. With a wave of her hand, she had him blocked by a runaway shopping cart. 

Bruce approached the man and held out his hand to him. “The camera,” Bruce glared at him. He knew that the photo would be compromised, thanks to Vivian’s spell, but he wasn’t going to let anyone get away with something like this. Especially when it wasn’t a public event nor has he given the press any permission to post photos of his daughter on their papers. Not that they could anyway. 

“Come on, Wayne,” the man chuckled. “It’s not like it hurt anyone.”

Bruce grabbed the man by his arm, pulled him up and pointed in the direction of the cafe window where Vivian was trying to calm Valerie’s cries. “No harm? My daughter is barely one, and you’re already circling her like vultures. I should report you for taking my daughter’s photo without our consent.”

“It’s just the job – come on!”

Bruce wouldn’t have it, he took the SD card from his camera and pocketed it. “I’ll give this back to your boss,” he said then walked back to the cafe where Valerie reached for him. 

Bruce took his daughter and her cries calmed instantly in her father’s arms. “You’re okay,” Bruce whispered to her. “You’re okay.” Sitting back down, Vivian pulled down the blinds of the window, and sat next to Bruce as she checked on her daughter. “Thanks for the shopping cart, if you hadn’t I bet that chase would have gone for a block.”

“I’m sure you would have found some way to catch him,” Vivian wiped her daughter’s tears. “I guess lunch is ruined, huh?”

“We can get these to go and eat at my office.”

“Val would make a mess.”

“It’ll be fine… I think we should have just had lunch there in the first place, but she does like to look at the gargoyles.”

“Another Wayne trait she got,” Vivian chuckled. She then asked one of the staff to pack their food to go and to bring the bill. 

After packing up, the couple went back to Wayne Tower where they continued their lunch at Bruce’s office. They settled on sitting on the ground where Valerie could crawl on her outdoor blanket and see out the window. She didn’t have her gargoyles there but she did have  the city and she was close to the sky. 

“Mumma!” Valerie pointed out to the horizon.

“You want to fly?” Vivian asked as she ate her lunch.

“Mumma!” Valerie raised her arms up.

Bruce pulled his daughter to sit on his lap and fed her more of her food. “Soon, we’ll fly around Gotham. I’ll take you flying.”

“Or we could ask Clark or Jon or Conner to help out,” Vivian teased him.

“No,” he said with a deadpan face.

“Dada!” Valerie kissed his cheek. 

Vivian could easily just take Valerie flying with her using her magic but she knew how important it was for Bruce to give that experience to their daughter so she kept the offer to herself. 

“Also, when we went to the store earlier, Val was pretty insistent on this, and I just can’t say no,” Vivian pulled out a toy from their bag. When Valerie saw the plush, she reached out for it and hugged it as soon as she got hold.

“Ba-man!” Valerie pointed at the toy, telling her father who it was.

Bruce chuckled. “Who is that?”

‘Ba-man!” 

They had an agreement, the entire family, that for the safety of their secret identities and for Valerie too, they won’t disclose to her about the whole Bat-vigilante gig they had going on. They would come to see her in their costumes, since she would be too young to remember any of it, and it seems the silhouette of the Dark Knight imprinted on her mind that she can easily identify Batman whenever she sees them. 

“Maybe we shouldn’t bring her to the Batcave so often now,” said Bruce.

“She’s still young, Bruce. She won’t remember much. What she will remember is that Batman and the Robins are there to protect her,” Vivian kissed his cheek. “Also, the boys are jealous when I showed them the photo of her hugging Bat-plush, so they started looking for their plush merch.”

“Are there any?” Bruce raised a brow.

“I’m sure Bludhaven has a Nightwing one, can’t say for Robin and Red Hood or Batgirl… I think Jason and Barbara are planning on making their own.”

~*~

“I got the baby bag,” said Tim. 

“You forgot her snacks,” Jason shoved the small Tupperwares into the bag.

“What about Bat-plush? You think she’ll want it?” Damian asked.

“Bring it anyway,” Dick replied.

It was one of the rare days when they get to babysit Valerie. Bruce and Vivian were called to a meeting for the Wayne Foundation about a charity event they were going to host and with Alfred helping to set up the caterers, they didn’t have anyone to look after their daughter, which meant she’ll be left with her brothers and sisters. 

It was only Damian at the manor that time and he swore that he can look after his baby sister on his own, while Bruce and Valerie had complete faith in him to protect Valerie, they were not so sure about handling the diaper changes or the feeding or what are allowed for babies to do and have. So, they called for the only son they knew who had good experience after looking after all of them all. 

Dick. 

But for reassurance, Bruce also called Tim. 

Then Jason also arrived, out of the blue, to see Valerie. So, now there were four. Then Duke arrived after finishing his patrol and was about to head out to visit his parents who were still at the hospital (for further observation after Vivian cured them of Joker gas) but decided to do so after the four were settled with Valerie’s things.

Now there were five of them. 

Five brothers.

Five Robins.

What could go wrong, right?

Duke only watched as Dick, Jason, Tim, and Damian fussed about what to put in the bag and how to use the stroller while he held Valerie on the counter. The girl was more than content to be in his arms while she munched on a soft biscuit. 

“Duke!” Valerie handed him a biscuit from her plate.

“Thanks, Val,” Duke chuckled and ate the biscuit. “They’re taking a while, aren’t they?”

Valerie sighed and tugged on his hoodie. “Lena,” she said, pointing out the kitchen window to the garden. 

“Wanna visit Helena?” Duke asked.

Valerie nodded.

“Okay, let’s wait for them there,” Duke picked up the baby from the counter and took the Batman plush from the seat before they went out to the garden and wait for the others to finish their discussion on the list of things that’s needed in the bag. Completely forgetting about the list that Vivian placed on the refrigerator for their guide.

Sitting on the grass, Duke set Valerie to stand on the ground and held her hands. 

“Mumma?” Valerie asked.

“Mrs. P is in a meeting today so it’s just us, Val.”

“Dada?”

“Also in a meeting.”

Valerie pouted. 

“I know, Val. But we’re gonna have loads of fun today, if Tim gets to finish packing.”

Valerie sighed again and sat on the ground with her Bat-plush, she started playing with the toy, moving its stubby arms and legs around, until a shadow loomed over her. Looking up, Valerie grinned, showing her two front teeth, and reached out to the person.

“Cassie!” Valerie got up to hug her sister.

“Hi, Val,” Cassandra sat on the ground and hugged the girl. “Miss you.”

Valerie didn’t reply, she only hugged her tight and settled on Cassandra’s lap.

“Hey, Cass. Didn’t hear you come in,” said Duke. “I thought you were following on a lead.”

“Finished. Now babysit.”

“Vivian told you, didn’t she?”

Cassandra nodded. “Missed Val,” she hugged the girl and kissed her cheek. Val giggled and returned the gesture. “Taking long?”

“Yeah, Tim and the others can’t figure out how to use the stroller and what to put in the bag.”

“Let’s help. Then we went out,” Cassandra handed Valerie to Duke again and the three of them went inside. Upon entering, they were greeted by the sight of Dick and the others having a hard time to figure out how to fit all the things they prepared into the bag and how to fix the stroller. 

Sighing, Cassandra took the note from the fridge and showed to them what needs to be brought along. What made Duke laugh was the first line on the note in Vivian’s penmanship: Congratulations, you finally found this! Or Cassandra and Duke found it and showed it to you four. What to bring for Val’s baby bag… 

Then for the stroller, Cassandra took the thing from Jason and with one push of a button she had the thing standing from its folded state, then back to being folded so they could put it in the car.

“Easy,” she said to them and carried the thing out. They’ll be bringing Dick’s car since it had more space. Next challenge was putting the car seat, luckily Duke was familiar with how to do it, as he watched Batman set one in the Batmobile once, not sure why but he did help Bruce when they bought one for the car. With the car seat in Dick’s car, not everyone would fit in the vehicle. Jason gave in to taking his bike and meeting them in the park with Cassandra.  

Once at their destination, with Valerie riding her stroller that Jason was pushing, they were met by Barbara and Stephanie, and Kate, who wanted to see the youngest member of their family. 

“There she is! My little cousin – once, twice, thrice, I don’t give a fuck, removed,” Kate picked up the girl, who happily pulled on her red hair as it reminded her of her mother’s red hair. “Yeah, ow, ow… Someone get the baby now.”

“Alright, Val, let’s go!” Barbara took her but got the same treatment too so Jason took her from them. 

“What are you guys doing here?” Damian asked.

“Dick messaged me that you guys were taking Val to the park,” said Barbara.

“I was really just going to do errands, but when Dick said to the group chat that you were heading here, I thought why not see the little princess first. Cass, wanna come with?” Steph replied.

Cassandra nodded, after saying goodbye to Valerie with a kiss on the cheek and went with Stephanie. 

Kate shrugged and said: “Would you believe me that I genuinely wanted to see the kid?”

“A little hard to do,” Jason snickered.

“Honestly, I did want to see Val but I also need to head out.”

“Listen, I gotta bounce too,” Duke said. “I’m gonna visit my parents at the hospital.”

“Okay,” Jason tossed him his bike. “Not a scratch.”

“You got it. Thanks, Jay,” Duke then tickled Valerie’s tummy. “I’ll see you later, Val.”

“Duke!” Valerie grabbed his face and placed a smooch on his forehead. “Play!”

“I gotta go, kiddo, but I promise we’ll play when I get back.”

Duke bid his goodbye to her and left with Jason’s bike to see his parents.

Alone in the park, the four brothers set the baby on her stroller to walk around. The entire time, Valerie was pointing at things and saying what they were and calling for either of them to pick her up. When they came to the playground, Damian had Valerie on his lap as they rode the swing. Dick was sure to keep watch just in case she falls off. 

“You sending a pic to Vivian?” Tim asked Jason.

“Yeah, Ma asked me to send her one once we’re at the park,” Jason said and hit send. “I never really liked playgrounds.”

“Any reason?”

“It’s where perverts hang around.”

Tim frowned. “Oh.”

Jason leaned back and looked around the area, taking in every individual he spotted and reading their actions like a hawk. After hearing what he said, Tim too was on high alert and not just for his little sister but for the other kids in the playground too. All of them were there to protect these people, not just Valerie. 

“Jay!” Valerie got down from the swing, and while holding Damian’s hand they were walking towards the bench where they sat. 

Jason smiled and got up to meet her halfway. “You hungry, little bird?”

Valerie nodded. 

“Okay, let’s get you some snacks.”

Sitting on the bench, Jay placed her on her stroller and had Tim prepare her food and Dick cleaning her hands. 

It was when it happened, they saw the paparazzi trying to hide behind some bushes and take shots of Valerie with their cameras. They knew about Vivian’s spell but as Bruce said, if they let it happen it would have the press suspicious of them that they were the ones responsible for the blurred photos or see the Waynes as weak and take advantage of it.

Dick and Tim were the one who acted on it and went to approach the guys who were taking the photos, the two chased the photographers and blocked their path. As they discussed with them about the photos, and Tim videoing it live while saying they were taking photos of kids at the playground without the consent of the parents, Jason decided to get some food himself as the situation was taken care of.

And it was there he saw it. The odd one in the playground. The one person that wasn’t supposed to be there. It was a man wearing a plain looking jumper and shirt, with his slacks and leather shoes. He wore glasses that were slightly tinted – probably transitional — And he had his phone pointed at Valerie’s direction as she crawled on her blanket towards Damian and the Bat-plush. 

Fucker!

Jason ditched the hotdog stand and jumped on the guy, grabbing him by the arm and twisting it to his back.

“What the fuck!” The man exclaimed. “You’re going to break my arm, man!”

“I should, but my little sister’s here so I’m not going to break your fucking arm for taking photos of her, perv.”

“Todd!” Damian had Valerie in his arms and was about to approach him but Jason said to him and to everyone in the park: “DON’T COME ANY CLOSE, KID! THIS ONE’S BEEN TAKING PHOTOS OF KIDS IN THE PARK!”

Damian instantly hid Valerie from the man’s direction and placed her in the stroller. 

“I’M NOT!” The man called out.

“Really? Show us your phone.”

“You’re not the police!” 

Tim and Dick came to the commotion and the former took the phone from the man’s pocket. He opened it by using facial recognition and went to the photos. Normally he wouldn’t pull something like this, but the moment he saw the photos, he held the phone and punched the man across the face.

“You’re fucking, sick! She’s a baby!” Tim grabbed him by the shirt. 

“I already called GCPD,” said Dick. “I’ll take it from here, Jay.” He was a police officer and he could talk to the GCPD about this since he was out of his jurisdiction. 

Jason released the man and handed him to Dick. “I’ll take Val home.”

“Yeah, that’s a good idea. Tim, go on ahead too.”

“Alright,” Tim handed the phone to Dick and whispered to his ear, “Val’s photos are blurred out. But there’s photos of other kids there.”

“Got it, thanks.”

After cleaning their hands at the park faucet, Tim and Jason packed up and took their sister away from the park. Valerie didn’t want to go just yet and nearly cried as she was having fun and because she sensed the tense mood with her brothers. 

“Dick?” Valerie asked them.

“Dick will be home later,” said Tim. 

“You should have broken his arm,” Damian muttered.

“And traumatize those kids and Val?” Jason glanced at Damian at the rearview mirror. “Let Dick handle it. He’s got everything he needs to have GCPD to put him away.”

When they got home, they immediately called Bruce and Vivian to discuss what happened. The couple were at the door minutes later and went to see their daughter who was mindlessly playing on the bed in the nursery with Damian and Tim. Not long, Dick also arrived and informed them that the man was arrested – he’s been arrested for similar charges and selling photos of children online. Didn’t matter to who.

Vivian held her daughter in a protective embrace, it made her feel so sick to know that someone would do that to Valerie and to those children in the park. It disgusted her. Bruce was silent for a while before telling Dick and the others that they needed to find a way to find how this man got his network. Batman’s villains are not just the costumed criminals in Gotham but all those who do crime, especially those like the man they encountered. He’ll make sure to mention this with Jim tonight during Patrol.

Sensing the down feeling in her family, Valerie started to tear up and hiccuping, she hid her face in her mother’s embrace and cried silently.

“Oh, Val,” Vivian rubbed her back. “It’s okay.”

Valerie cried.

“Maybe we should go somewhere to lighten the mood,” she told them. “Maybe we can settle at Helena’s garden for a while just to ease the tension. I think she could sense it.”

“Good idea,” Bruce brushed his daughter’s hair. “Come on, love,” he reached for his daughter and let her cry on his shoulder. Before they left the room, he placed a hand on Jason’s shoulder and said, “you did good. All of you did.”

“I’ll head out and start hunting the perv’s network,” said Jason.

“Jason,” Vivian called for him. “Stay for a while.”

“I’ll be back once this is done, Ma.”

“Jay,” Valerie whimpered.

Jason smiled sadly and patted her head. “I’ll be back, I promise. I just have to do this first.” Turning to Vivian, Jason wrapped her in an embrace and placed a kiss on the top of her head. “This is what I do, Ma. I gotta go while the trail is hot, I’m sure his network is now packing up. I’ll have Roy to make the chase fast.”

“Okay,” Vivian sighed and squeezed her son’s hand. “Come home, okay? Val misses you.”

“I will.”

With that, Jason left and went on his hunt, and the Red Hood and Arsenal’s work was fruitful. In less than twenty-four hours they found one of the man’s networks, and from there they traced everything to a pimp that ran the forum and was based in Gotham. After informing Batman of their find, Batman informed Jim Gordon. With the Batfamily and the GCPD, they shut down the whole operation.

Along with the arrest of the whole operation, Vivian insisted that the Wayne Foundation aggressively supporting to organizations that were fighting against such syndicates to put to stop such disgusting acts. Many were 

~*~

“Why don’t we just hire a photographer?” Stephanie asked as they took their place at the mantle with Tim trying to arrange them all to fit the shot.

“Because it’s safer if we just take the family photo than hiring someone else,” said Time.

Standing before the mantle, the entire Batfamily gathered with Vivian sitting on the leather seat with Valerie on her lap. Bruce stood at her right side, a hand on her shoulder, and his other hand on Damian’s shoulder. Cassandra sat on the armrest of Vivian’s seat and beside her was Stephanie and Duke. Alfred stood just behind Damian, and the rest were gathered around to fit the photo.

“Until when is the ban on posting photos of Val online?” Stephanie asked.

“Until she’s old enough to attend galas,” Vivian answered.

“Fair enough.”

“Okay, Jason, move over so I can just —” Tim hit the button and ran to his spot with time to spare.

“Master Timothy, how long is the timer?” Alfred asked.

“Yeah, Tim, my eyes are drying out,” said Stephanie.

“Tim, Val doesn’t have a long attention span yet,” Vivian said through her smile. 

“It’s just ten seconds,” said Tim.

“You sure?” Dick asked.

“Yes!” 

Click!

The photo was taken and it had Tim yelling out startling everyone, and Valerie laughing at him.

[millenialfanfictionaddiction]

Shigaraki, Overhaul and Dabi

with a Pregnant Partner

Shigaraki x GN! pregnant reader; Overhaul x GN! Pregnant reader, Dabi x GN! pregnant reader

Warnings: reader being reckless, fluff, reader is a villain in Shigaraki and Dabi’s part (is that a warning? Idk)

AN: just me being me again 😌💅 living out my hopes and dreams with soft villains

Shigaraki

Shigaraki was a busy man. He was always looking for ways to further his league of villains all while destroying All Might and his stupid protégé, Izuku Midoriya. However, his biggest challenge currently wasn’t his determination to end hero society or even to create a larger foundation for the league but instead, it was keeping his very pregnant partner contained.

“You never let me do anything fun!” You grumbled as Tomura looked at you, completely unfazed by your usual usual temper tantrum. You were six months pregnant and Tomura had learned very early on how little you appreciated his opinion on keeping yourself out of villainy duties, especially since you had become pregnant.

“So you want to give birth in prison YN?” He responds to you as you glare at him, looking around to garner any support from your fellow league memebers.

“Hey don’t look at us Yn, hand man has a point,” Dabi chuckles as Shigaraki ignored his comments, turning back to the house of cards he was currently building.

“YN my dear don’t you think you should prioritize rest especially in your current state?” Mr. Compress interjects as you turn your glare to the magician. You chose to ignore them and go back to the source your current frustration.

“Tomura I’m bored! You can’t keep me locked up in this bar forever!” You whine as Shigaraki sighs. He honestly has no idea what to do with you, and if you meant less to him, he’d probably just kill you but alas, his stupid feelings for you had always gotten in the way.

“Please listen to Tomura Shigaraki YN, he is only looking out for you,” Kurogiri adds as you continue to grumble, folding your arms and stomp your feet. You really were being completely insufferable.

Shigaraki sighed, standing up and resting his head on your shoulder while gently grazing your bump, “YN will you please stop being a brat and listen to us? We- I want you safe and you know what the doctor said. Now please will you stop annoying everyone?”

You rolled your eyes at his confession knowing Tomura meant every word he said. He was rarely affectionate but when he was, you truly knew he cared.

“Ugh fine!” You grumbled as you felt a smirk grow you’re partners face knowing he won, “But the first Nomu attack after I give birth I get to go too!”

Shigaraki chuckled, shaking his head, “whatever you say brat.”

Overhaul

Overhaul opened the door to the bedroom, wanting to do nothing more than to crawl into bed and cuddle with you. He was exhausted, his serum to eliminate quirks was nearly finished and the Shie Hassaiki was ready for phase two of his plan. He opened the door and turned on the bathroom light, looking over to see you sound asleep. Only he wasn’t met with the usual angelic picture of you in slumber, instead he was met with an empty bed. He sighed, leaving your joint room and heading down to the kitchen. His suspicions were confirmed when he noticed the light beaming from below the door.

He slowly opened the door, peering in as he saw you sitting on a stool, eating your current favorite pregnancy craving as you happily hummed away, enjoying every bite.

“Darling, what are you doing?” He asked as you looked up, face beaming with content as you finished your snack.

“Hi Kai! Are you done working? I was waiting for you in bed but then I couldn’t sleep so I figured I’d come and have a snack!” You cheered as Kai came next to you, pulling out a stool and sitting with you.

“Would you like a bite?” You asked.

Overhaul looked at you, a look at disgust on his face at your offer, “YN you know I don’t share food.”

You stare at him, deadpan at his confession as you roll your eyes, “you are aware of how I got pregnant right? So you’re really going to sit there and tell me that you won’t eat a bite of my food?”

Kai chuckled as he stood up, grabbing your empty plate and walking it over to the sink. You stood up, heading over to the sink to wash the dishes as Kai stopped you.

“Let me just do the dishes quick and then we can head to bed ok?”

“Leave them darling, someone will take care of them in the morning,” he said as you gaped at him.

“Who are you and what have you done with my husband!” You mock gasped as Kai rolled his eyes and grabbed your hand.

“You need to rest YN, now let’s go,” he said grabbing your hand as you followed behind him. You sighed knowing how much your husband loved and cared for you.

Dabi

Dabi was use to living life on his own, that was until you weaseled your way in and never left. At first he found you annoying, and to be fair, the annoyance never really did go away. However, he now found himself in a position he never thought he’d be in and that was head over heels for you. At this precise moment, however, he was more ready to kill you than he was to hug and kiss you.

“You idiot what are you doing out so late!?!?” He yelled a question you knew was retorical as he dragged you through the back alleyway of the leagues hideout. He was pissed and you knew it.

“Well you said you were coming back around midnight and when you didn’t, I got hungry and since we didn’t have anything to eat, I decided to go and get something to eat,” you declared as Dabi growled at you, turning on his heels and glaring daggers into you. You knew you were in some major trouble but unfortunately, cravings don’t wait.

“YN you know we have food, I just got food for you earlier today!” He whisper shouted as you stood there.

“Well I didn’t want that food! The baby wanted instant ramen which we didn’t have!” You growled back as your partner groaned, his hands going to his head as he paced around the alley.

“YN you realize that we are both wanted criminals right?” He said as you rolled your eyes at him.

“Are we really? I had no clue!” You mocked as you made your way to the entrance of the league’s headquarters, bag of noddles in hand.

“YN you need to stop acting so reckless! It’s one thing for me to get caught but you? Giving birth in Tartarus wouldn’t be a walk in the park!” He shouted as you headed to the kitchen.

“You act like giving birth anywhere will be a walk in the park,” you chimed, annoyed at your boyfriend as he followed you. Dabi was furious but he knew he had to calm down. This was exactly the way you were and it’s one of the big reasons he loved you so much, despite how stupidly you acted at times.

“YN listen, I’m sorry for yelling but you are literally being the biggest idiot right now,” he relented as you went about making your noodles.

“Yeah but I’m an idiot with ramen now,” you sang, unphased by your partners outburst.

“What the hell am I going to do with you?” He said, sitting down as you turned to him and smiled.

“Love me?” You questioned as an annoyed smirk entered his face.

“You’re lucky I already love you idiot.”

[caitwritesao3]

Jason: “Hey B, I got Tim pregnant…”

Bruce: *choking on his coffee* “I-what?”

Tim: “Jason got me pregnant. Keep up ‘world’s greatest detective’.”

Dick: “That’s physically not possible though. You both have dicks!”

Jason: “Tell that to the third rate magician Tim pissed off.” *side eyes Tim*

Tim: “He was a seven hundred year old wizard, Jason. All I said was his cloak didn’t match the rest of his outfit! It’s not my fault he couldn’t handle the truth.”

Damian: “Wow Drake, you truly are both the smartest and dumbest person I know.”

Tim: “You think I’m the smartest?”

[bedoballoons]

─⊰⁠⊹ฺ✿𝔾𝕖𝕟𝕤𝕙𝕚𝕟 ℍ𝕖𝕒𝕕𝕔𝕒𝕟𝕠𝕟𝕤⊰⁠⊹ฺ✿─

{༻~Giving the reader gifts for the baby~༺}

A/n: I thought I had written my last baby related headcanons, but I absolutely could NOT get these ideas out of my brain so here they are!

CW: Readers pregnant! Extremely fluffy! Mentions of Lyney being a orphan!

(Includes: Lyney, Albedo, Alhaitham, Heizou, Wanderer, and Neuvillette!)

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

𑁍༄Lyney:

Your heart swelled as you neatly folded baby clothes, preparing the room for when the little one would arrive and looking at all the sweet gifts you'd received during your baby shower. It still seemed unreal, having a baby...let alone having one with a famous magician like Lyney, you couldn't help but wonder if they would end up taking after their father and also going down the path of magic.

"Lost in thought mon amour?" Your eyes widened in happy surprise as you turned to face the voice, your face blushing slightly as Lyney walked up to greet you, placing a kiss on your forehead and gentle touching your round tummy as a means to say hi to the baby as well. "Just thinking about what it would be like if our child wanted to be a magician like you, wouldn't that be cute?"

His eyes shimmered with excitement at being able to share something he loved so much with his baby, something he had always wished he could have shared with his own parents had he had any. "Well, I'd certainly be happy to teach them...buuut every magician, needs a fancy hat. Hmm I wonder..." He stepped away from you for a moment, taking his top hat off his head and reaching inside as if he were searching for something, a act you'd seen quiet a few times by now.

"Aha! I'm sure this will work right?" He pulled his hand out of his hat revealing a smaller, softer version of it, perfect size for a baby to wear and so cute you could barely stand it. "Oh my gosh!"

𑁍༄Albedo:

You squinted, attempting to peek through the cracks of Albedos fingers, his hands covering your face while he lead you to the surprise he'd made just for you and the baby. "Ready love?" His question made your heart skip a beat out of excitement, his hands pulling away and your eyes shooting open to see the most beautiful of gifts.

The babies nursery, now fully stocked with furniture you'd thought wouldn't be there for weeks and decorated with adorable toys and baby items, but most perfect of all was the walls...each one now hand painted with pastel versions of the stars, constellations dancing around the room. Your emotions were already all over the place and seeing his hard work snapped whatever hold you'd had on them, happy tears pouring down your face as Albedo hugged you tightly, kissing your cheek to comfort you. "Do you like it?"

"Albedo...it's perfect."

𑁍༄Alhaitham:

You were still in shock, Alhaitham...the man who you loved oh so much and were currently carrying the child of...had made you a surprise? It's not that you thought he wasn't kind enough to do so, not at all, but the idea of such a quiet bookworm, who himself wasn't a fan of surprises, was giving you one...seemed unbelievable. Had Kaveh put him up to it? "Alhaitham, you sure you came up with this?"

"I wouldn't lie. I'm sure once you see the surprise you'll know it wasn't anyone else's planning that brought it to fruition." His hand was intertwined with yours as he carefully lead you into the nursery, your eyes closed so you wouldn't be spoiled to the surprise and your large tummy making it difficult to maneuver through the room without bumping into anything.

"Alright open." Following his instructions you opened your eyes, looking around the babies room until your eyes landed on the newest addition to the furniture, a book shelf, absolutely filled to the brim with baby books galore and topped with toys he must have picked out when you weren't around. "I figured since I am not good at socialising, I could read to the baby and maybe teach them some thing early."

"Aweeee Alhaitham..."

𑁍༄Heizou:

Your eyes widened at the sheer number of toys that sat in front of you, each one specifically picked or made by Heizou and varying in different pastel colours, the only issue was...you had absolutely no idea what some of them were. "Heizou these are really cute and incredibly well made, but what are they?" You looked next to you, your face turning slightly pink as he walked up to you and hooked a arm around your waist, his hand on your tummy like he always had it.

"They're all investigation tools that detectives use, just baby proofed. I figure with these types of tools, our baby can solve just about any playground crime and maybe catch a couple naughty children in the process. I even made them a little case so they could carry it all." He smiled happily at you, pride filling him as you giggled, "Baby isn't even born yet and you've already planned to be the best crime solving duo in existence, it's perfect."

𑁍༄Wanderer:

(I use the nickname Scara for him!)

"It's not anything that special, I just figured since I'm the father I should get the baby something." Scara looked away from you, his face slightly pink as he held up a small box for you to open, its exterior decorated in light blue wrapping paper and on the top sat a bright white bow, from the size of it, you'd have guessed it to be some type of jewelry.

"Scara...that's really sweet of you." You smiled at him sweetly, doing your best to hug him despite your large tummy and finding it adorable that when you pulled away, his hands had rested on the spot the baby was now kicking at. You almost wanted to say something about it, but decided against it, knowing he'd probably get flustered and end up with a little attitude, so instead you opened the gift.

After peeling back the wrapping paper and gently opening the box...you gasped, its contents hitting you much harder than you'd thought, your eyes watering at how much this must have meant to Scara. It was a baby bracelet, small golden chain with a singular charm hanging from it...a bright pink heart. "Oh my gosh..."

"People took my heart away, but...with you, it feels like I have one again and I wanted to make sure the baby had one too." He seemed to have trouble talking, like it was hard for him to explain, but you understood every word...

𑁍༄Neuvillette:

You couldn't help but feel slightly nervous, melusines lined up in front of you, each with a gift for your baby or you and all of them wanting to wish you a happy pregnancy. Neuvillette of course stood next to you, his hand holding yours to comfort you as best he could and protect you just in case, he truly didn't think the melusines would cause any harm, but he was incredibly protective of you and even more so now that you were carrying his child.

After the melusines had each given you a gift you turned to face Neuvillette, shocked to seem him holding one last present...a stuffed seal plushie that appeared to be hand sewn and somehow slightly resembled him, to the point you almost giggled in response. "Awe Neuvillette it's adorable! Did you make it? Oh it's so soft!" You accepted the stuffie from him, impressed by how fluffy it was and even more impressed by how light it seemed to be, perfect for baby to play with as they got older.

"Yes ma chérie, apologies if it isn't perfect..., I've never attempted to sew till now." You shook your head, hugging him happily, "It's absolutely perfect Neuvillette, our baby is going to love it."

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

ଘ(੭*ˊᵕˋ)੭* ੈ♡‧₊˚Have a nice day*⁠.⁠✧

[niallsstainedcoffeecup]

A Scoop of Love

Y/N, a single mother, who no longer believes in love, meets the new ice cream shop owner, Harry Styles. Can she balance a new love, her ex-husband, and her daughter? Or will it all fall apart?

This is a new miniseries I'm working on. Let me know what you think, and if you would like to see anything in the future parts. Lots of love! Love either bloomed beautifully or withered wastefully.  Y/N witnessed this first-hand with her parents’ marriage, then her own.  Her parents loved one another, from sharing multiple morning kisses before leaving for work to drawing lavender bubble baths for one another after a rough day.  She grew up surrounded by love, so naturally, she searched for and planned her true love.  They would meet at a bookstore or in a university lecture, and then he would propose after three blissful years of dating.  They would get married in the church her parents got married in, she would wear a modern version of her mother’s wedding dress, and there would be bouquets of beautiful pink peonies everywhere. However, a higher being glanced over her plans and laughed.

She met her husband at the first university party she attended.  He was in his second year of university, and she was in her first year, but her dark humor and extensive music knowledge kept him entertained all night.  They dated for an exciting year filled with morning kisses before she left for class and late-night conversations about their future, and then they were blessed with the news that she was pregnant. 

Her parents rejoiced, but his parents forced him to propose.  They were married in her parents’ garden, under a floral arch her mother designed, with very few guests because his parents did not want their friends to see the small bump under the maternity wedding dress that she despised.  At twenty, she gave birth to their beautiful daughter, Daphne. 

The couple attempted to raise their daughter together, but the morning kisses turned to cold glares, and conversations about the future transformed into hate-filled mutters about feeling trapped.  A few weeks after their daughter’s third birthday, she divorced the man she planned to spend forever with.  Her marriage devoured her hope for love. * * * * *

Oldies from the sixties and seventies flowed from the Bluetooth stereo and throughout the small kitchen.  She flipped the sizzling bacon, plated the burning eggs, and buttered the steaming toast.  Pausing the music, she listened for movement, like the sound of her daughter’s electric toothbrush or the squeak of those awful shoes her daughter’s school assigned as the required dress code.  The sneaky eight-year-old was known for slipping back into bed after her mother returned to her busy morning schedule; however, they could not be late this morning.  The bathroom door’s squeaky hinge informed her that Daphne just finished her morning routine and should appear in the kitchen soon.  She chugged the remainder of the French vanilla coffee in an attempt to muster all possible energy.

Two bouncing ponytails hovered beside the wooden kitchen table and then descended until they disappeared with a giggle.  “Did it look like I was walking downstairs? Daphne asked, hopping up the minute her mother chuckled at the illusion. 

She nodded, wrapping her arms around her daughter’s small frame.  “My little magician.  Who taught you that?”

She knew the answer before she asked the question, recalling mornings when her ex-husband would send her into a fit of laughter by claiming he left the eggs downstairs and then descending behind the counter until he reappeared with two eggs in his hands.  Late at night, she often wondered what happened to that man.  Did she kill his spirit?  Or did he reserve that side of himself for people he actually loved?

“Daddy.  Will he pick me up after school?” She never knew how to answer these questions.  She should have a solid answer, but her ex-husband loved creating excuses as to why he couldn’t watch their daughter during his scheduled weekends.

Instead, she replied by handing her daughter the breakfast plate.  “You need to eat breakfast.  We’ll leave in ten minutes.”

Daphne hopped onto the nearby stool, taking turns between eating breakfast and kicking her feet along with the music’s beat.  Her mother rushed around the apartment, shoving expired library books into the young girl’s pink backpack.  No matter what time her mother woke up, she was always in a hurry.  She couldn’t remember a time when her mother wasn’t busy, even when they visited her grandparents, her mother took it upon herself to cook everyone dinner. 

“Are you ready to start our Friday?” Y/N asked, helping the little girl into her black raincoat.

Daphne nodded, flashing her mother a wide, toothy grin before running down the quiet hallway.  Shushing the eight-year-old and her heavy feet, she followed her daughter down the stairs and into the real world.  She despised Fridays because Fridays looked like her, alone in the apartment with a Chinese delivery and a movie that she ignored in favor of thinking about where her life was headed.  Her best friend, Christie, often suggested that they go out and find someone new, but she knew the love of her life wasn’t in a bar waiting for her.  Romantic love skipped right over her, so years ago, she decided she would focus on the only love in her life, her daughter. * * * * *

A higher being loved irony, especially when leading her through life.  Although her chances at true love were dashed when she signed the divorce papers, she spent the majority of her days photographing random couple’s wedding photos.  Sure, she also photographed family portraits, fashion shoots, and other various photography projects, but many of her customers were couples in love. 

Today, she was capturing the love between Peter and Samantha, a young couple who planned a Shakespearian wedding, so they dressed as Romeo and Juliet for the wedding invitation photos.  She wondered whether Romeo and Juliet were couple goals because wasn’t the play criticizing the societal norms that killed the teens?  Peter’s check told her to shut up and do what she did best–photograph the sweet couple.  She had about thirty photos before her ex-husband’s ringtone startled everyone in the studio.

She sighed, waving over her assistant, “I’m sorry.  Kira will provide you both with champagne while I answer this call.”

Kira poured the champagne for the happy couple, who reassured them they needed a break anyway.  She walked away from the small group and farther into the studio’s storage room because her gut knew Tyler’s call was not about what he ate for lunch.

“Hello?” She prepared her heart for the excuse.

She heard shuffling on his end as if he wasn’t expecting her to answer his call.  “Hey, I’m sorry to call you at work.  How are you?” His deep, hypnotic voice shook with guilt.

The first time she heard that familiar shake in his voice, she thought she still made him nervous.  However, she quickly learned that his voice shook when he was about to utter another lame excuse as to why he couldn’t be a father that weekend.  She rolled her eyes because she did not have the time for this.

“Tyler, what is it this time?”

He sighed.  “I need you to cover for me this weekend.  Jo asked me to drive her to the doctor’s office, and she also planned a romantic weekend away.”

A low growl pulled her lips back into a snarl.  “You can’t spend time with our daughter because you have to drive your girlfriend to the doctor?  Can she not drive herself like an adult?  Do you not understand how much Daphne misses you?”

“Listen, I didn’t call you for a lecture on parenting.  We all can’t be perfect parents like you.” Tyler hissed, a tone she knew very well from their relationship.

The couple could argue about anything, from when the milk expired to why he never wanted to hold her hand anymore.  The passion in their marriage centered around their hatred of one another until, one day, the arguments stopped, and a cold silence enveloped the couple.  The heart of their marriage had shriveled up and died.

She chuckled bitterly, running her free hand through her hair.  “I’m not asking you to be the perfect parent.  I’m asking that you be there for our daughter, and you can’t even do that.  Have fun with your girlfriend.”

Tyler ended the call without another word.  Did he not respond because he knew she was right?  She would break Daphne’s heart when she told her the news, but they would still have an amazing weekend because her daughter deserved it.  Sighing, she regained her composure and returned to the lovely couple, whose love reminded her that love was still alive for everyone except her. * * * * *

“He canceled on Daphne again because Joanna needed an uber?  Did you tell him to fuck off?” Christie complained as if she were the one who divorced Tyler.

Y/N chuckled, shaking her head.  “No, I did tell him to fuck off in parent though.  Does Joanna not understand that Daphne misses her father?”

“You mean the woman who ruined your marriage is trying to separate your daughter from her father?”  Christie’s sarcasm usually made her laugh, but those words stilled her hand on the computer mouse.

The wedding photo she was editing once again mocked her situation.  Her marriage wilted away for two years, but Joanna produced the final drought that destroyed every root and petal. 

She recalled the day, replaying the moments as if they were scenes from a movie.  She left early that morning, dropping Daphne off with her parents while she went shopping for her daughter’s birthday party.  She purchased party hats detailed with a singing, independent princess and ordered two cakes decorated with the same princess and her quirky sidekick.  Deciding to surprise her husband with a lunch date, she returned to their apartment, where she found her husband kissing another woman in their kitchen. 

The cheating couple spun around toward her, and his only response came in the form of an apathetic mutter, "I thought you would be gone all day." They divorced a few weeks after that.  She never cried because Joanna slept with her husband; she cried because the couple shared an emotional connection far deeper than what they ever had.  The love in his eyes returned and sparkled brighter than she had ever seen, all for a woman he met five months ago.  He found his soulmate, and it wasn’t her.

“Y/N?  Hello?  Did the call drop?” Christie’s frantic questions rescued her from the dark spiral she fell into. 

She gasped, realizing she had fifteen minutes of editing time before she had to pick up Daphne from school.  “Yeah, I guess this photo distracted me for a moment.  I’m sorry.  I’ll call you later.”

The problem with phone calls is that Christie couldn’t spot her friend’s distress.  Her teeth gnawed on her bottom lip, her fingers picked at her fingernail polish, and her knee bounced erratically under her desk.  The couple’s smile in the photo made her stomach churn with jealousy and sorrow.  When would she find her soulmate?  Could anyone love her?  After downloading the images onto her thumb drive, she locked away the hideous feelings behind her studio’s glass doors and walked toward her sunshine.  * * * * *

Daphne dried the hot tears from her cheeks, swallowing the sobs she wished her father could hear so he would cancel the plans that kept him from her.  Her watery vision focused on the delicate rings decorating the hand holding her left hand, which provided the warmth and comfort needed to soothe her broken heart.  Glancing up, she admired her mother's ever-present smile that never seemed to falter, especially when her father did not have time for her. 

After her mother broke the news outside of the primary school, she wiped the tears from her daughter's damp cheeks and mentioned a surprise.  Walking down the busy sidewalk, they slowed their pace once Y/N spotted the neon blue sign that read Dream Cones.  Two months ago, Daphne returned from a friend's birthday party and raved about the delicious ice cream served.  Today, Y/N saw the friend's mother at the school, and she asked for the ice cream shop's name to surprise her daughter.  Her daughter's sparkling eyes and enthusiastic giggles revived her heart from her earlier conversation with Tyler and Christie. 

“Surprise.  Should we go inside?”  She asked, already knowing the answer she would receive from her daughter.

Daphne nodded, gripping her mother’s hand with the strength of a hundred sugar-crazed children.  Y/N might regret her decision later, like during their bedtime routine, but her daughter deserved a good childhood, and she would strive to provide her with that. As they entered the shop, a golden bell chimed loudly above their heads.  “Welcome to Dream Cones.” The men and women cheered from behind the white marble counters. The warm, sugary scent of freshly baked waffle cones greeted their noses.  Y/N's eyes flitted around the room, stopping briefly on the cerulean walls, the ornamental vanilla cone hung above the menu, and the wooden tables crowded with laughing families.  Despite the conversations melding together into nonsensical noise, she could still pick up the soft pop music flowing through some unseen speaker.

Daphne seemed to speak the words she was thinking, “This place is cool.”

They approached the marble counter, reading the various ice cream labels, which featured unique names like lemonade over ice.  She enjoyed the clever names; however, her eyes and stomach could not believe how fluffy and creamy each flavor looked.

“Mommy, will I like Sign of the Limes?” Chuckling at the amusing name, Y/N wondered whether the staff competed to create the unique names or the owner carefully curated each one. 

“Yeah, do you want a cup or a cone?” The eight-year-old took a second to consider her options before ultimately choosing the waffle cone.

Y/N nodded, waiting until one of the women behind the counter asked for their order.  She ordered the flavor Watermelon Sugar in a cup and Sign of the Limes in a cone for Daphne. 

“Watermelon Sugar is my favorite flavor.” The cheerful worker commented, handing out the coral-colored ice cream.  “Let me know how you like it.”

“Absolutely,  I’m a sucker for anything watermelon flavored.”  She giggled, agreeing with her customer that anything watermelon flavored was superior.

“Okay, your total is 23.96.”

Y/N's eyes widened, and she nearly gasped when she heard the price.  She appreciated the artistic decor and the friendly workers; however, twelve-dollar ice cream was expensive for a single mother's budget.  Smiling through the pain, she handed the woman her card.

“This is delicious.  Can we have ice cream every Friday?” Daphne asked between mouthfuls.

Y/N giggled, wiping the messy corners of her daughter’s mouth with a napkin.  “Of course.”  She would find room in the budget for twelve-dollar ice cream as long as it made her daughter happy.

She stole a spoonful of ice cream from Daphne, which resulted in her daughter shooting her a playful glare, which she fixed by giving her a spoonful of her own ice cream as an equal trade.  Between the two flavors, she could not decide which one she enjoyed the most.  While she liked how the lime's zestiness did not overpower her palette, the watermelon found a balance between salty and sweet due to the salt crystals disguised as watermelon seeds.  However, she knew one thing for sure, she loved the shop.  After they finished their treats, they returned to the counter. 

“Well, what is the verdict on Watermelon Sugar?” The woman asked, wiping the counters with a wet dishrag.

“Absolutely delicious,” she licked her lips.  “Can you give our compliments to your boss?”

The woman nodded fervently, “Of course.”  Then she paused, processing her idea before responding with a smirk.  “Would you like to tell him yourself?  He recently returned from a late meeting.”

Y/N shrugged, unsure about the possible interaction, but she recalled the numerous compliments she received from customers and agreed to the suggestion.

The worker walked away, disappearing behind a door labeled Employees Only.  Y/N understood her compliments could brighten the owner's day; however, the longer the woman remained behind the door, the longer she had to overthink the future conversation.  What if the owner did not care about her opinion and laughed in her face?  What if the owner misunderstood and expected her to complain?  Her worries eased once the door swung open, revealing the worker and a Greek God.  The moment her eyes fell upon the curly-haired man with his lime-green sweater, her mouth ran dry. 

“Hello, I'm the owner, Harry.” The man's low and slow tone melted her heart like ice cream on a summer day.

She smiled dreamily, “Hello, I'm Y/N, and this is my daughter, Daphne.”

Before she could produce a compliment, he turned and faced the little girl.  “Hello Daphne, did you enjoy your ice cream?”

She watched in awe; not only did he acknowledge her daughter, but he also cared about her opinion.  The girl's father rarely asked about her interests.  She reminded herself not to idolize this stranger's kind gesture simply because her ex-husband lacked decent human qualities.

“Yes sir, my mommy bought me a lime cone.  She said we could come back every Friday.” Daphne gushed, revealing their plan with a toothy grin.

Harry's smile widened, unveiling two crescent-shaped dimples that dented his cheeks.  The man was perfect.  “Awesome, you must have a cool mom.”

Daphne agreed, smiling proudly at her mother, who blinked back happy tears.  Y/N cleared her throat, feeling slightly embarrassed that her daughter's compliment nearly brought her to tears.

“We appreciate you and your staff.  Everyone is so kind, and the ice cream tastes wonderful.” She mumbled timidly. 

His crystal green eyes found hers, sending chills down her spine at how they seemed to sparkle from the compliment.  He reached up, placing his palms over his heart. 

“Thank you.  Our customers brighten our day, but compliments like these are the reason why we opened this place.  What flavor did you try?”

“Watermelon sugar, and I think I’ll crave it until next Friday.” She giggled, shaking her head in shame over her sweet tooth.

Harry threw his head back, releasing an abrupt cackle that fluttered her heart.  Her mind stuttered, questioning why her body was reacting to this man she met five minutes ago.  Why did his beautiful laugh make her want to join in? 

“Imagine how I must feel working here.  I spend a majority of my day in my office because if I didn’t, I would have to reopen my gym membership.”

Now, it was her turn to laugh, a proper boisterous laugh, which she had not heard in quite a while.  However, her ex-husband's cruel nature rang loudly in her head, reminding her not to be annoying.  She quickly recovered, silencing her laugh and preparing an apology, but before she could speak, Harry settled her doubts and insecurities.

“You have a beautiful laugh.” He admired her melodic laugh. 

She ducked her head, hiding her sheepish grin from him.  Daphne's eyes traveled back and forth from the curly-haired stranger to her bashful mother.  The interaction made her question why her mother and father never laughed or smiled around one another.  Did her mother like this man more than her father?  Daphne hummed, examining the man further, deciding whether or not she liked him, and since she liked the lamb on his sweater, she decided the man was okay to talk with her mother.  However, she needed to leave soon to change out of her uncomfortable shoes.  

“Mommy, my feet hurt.” 

Daphne's whines reminded Y/N, that as a mother, she should not flirt with random men.  She didn’t have time for a relationship and should focus all her efforts on her daughter.  Cooing, she lifted the exhausted little girl up into her arms. 

“Well, I hope to see you two soon.  Daphne, next time try the Lucky Charms ice cream." Harry suggested, waving goodbye to the mother and daughter. 

Daphne created a mental note to try the suggested flavor next time.  However, she doubted her father would bring her next Friday, so she hoped her mother might bring her back before then.  Y/N wondered whether she could return to the ice cream shop.  Her heart rejoiced from the attention like a middle schooler who received a note from their secret admirer.  However, she could not allow this infatuation to blossom into anything else.  She would return because Daphne loved the ice cream, but she would not flirt with the handsome man. * * * * *

Red paint bled through the thin paper and mixed into the watery blue paint, coloring the princess's hair a violent purple.  The plastic paint brush fell against the kitchen counter at the familiar sound of jingling keys unlocking the apartment door.  The little girl raced toward the door that swung open to reveal her mother’s beaming smile.

“Mommy, I missed you.” Daphne confessed, jumping into her mother’s loving embrace.

Holding her daughter tight, Y/N chuckled and dropped her purse onto the nearby table.  “I missed you too, Nugget.  Where is your Aunt Christie?”

“She’s cooking dinner in the kitchen before you think I abandoned your daughter.” Christie shouted from the kitchen, making the mother and daughter giggle.

When setting her daughter down, she spotted a bright red paint stain on the girl’s uniform, which transferred onto her blazer.  Pressing her palm against her forehead, she hoped Christie bought washable paint so she wouldn’t have to purchase another uniform blouse for Daphne.

“Mommy, come and look at my painting.” Her daughter grabbed her hands, leading her toward the kitchen, and with that simple gesture, her worries about stained clothes washed away. 

While some might consider the painting grotesque due to the amount of red paint coating the cartoon princess’s body, she admired the art as if Van Gogh completed the masterpiece himself.  She grabbed a yellow alphabet magnet from one of the kitchen’s drawers and hung the art on the fridge. 

While the little girl danced with joy, Christie announced, “Watch out world.  A new artist has entered the scene, and her name is Daphne.”

Since last Friday, Y/N noticed how Daphne rarely cried over Tyler’s absence, and she finished the wedding photos without any more pity parties.  Choosing to ignore her previous stressors, she found herself singing and laughing more often.  Eventually, she knew Christie would ask about her sudden change in mood, and the question came during dinner.

"You two seem happier.  What happened?  Did Daphne pour sugar in your cereal?" Christie wondered, earning a giggle from her niece.  

Daphne responded first, answering the questions through a mouthful of broccoli.  "No, do you remember when Andrew had delicious ice cream at his birthday party?  Mommy took me to that ice cream shop, and I ate an entire scoop."

Christie’s brown eyes widened in pretend shock.  “An entire scoop by yourself?  Are you sure your Mommy didn’t help you?”

She nodded as if she were convincing her Aunt of something unbelievable.  "I did because it tastes like your key-lime pie, but next time, I'm going to try the Lucky Charms flavor because Mr. Harry told me to.  I like Mr. Harry.  He made Mommy laugh."

At the mention of Harry's name, Y/N ducked her head down like a teenager avoiding an awkward conversation with her mother.  Taking an interest in the vegan meatloaf on her plate sounded better than making eye contact with her nosy best friend.  However, once Christie cleared her throat, she knew she could not escape the inevitable questioning.  Glancing up, she found herself face-to-face with Christie's smirk.

“Who is Harry?” Those three words manifested a swarm of butterflies in her stomach. 

She attempted to shrug nonchalantly to convince her best friend that he was not important, but her robotic movements unveiled her nerves about the subject. 

“He owns the ice cream shop.  We complimented the shop, and he thanked us.”

Christie knew her best friend better than anyone else, and the slight sparkle in her eyes told her all she needed to know.  Y/N finally found a man worthy enough to develop a crush on.  This time, she hoped she wouldn't ignore her feelings and allow herself to find happiness.

“Is this Harry attractive?” Y/N squeaked at the straightforward question, which only made Christie laugh loud and long.

Munching on the lumpy mashed potatoes, Daphne watched the women talk about Harry.  She noticed how her mother wore the same smile from Friday, the smile showed more teeth, unlike the tight-lip grin she sported around Daphne's father.  Her grandmother wore a similar smile when she told her granddaughter the story of how she met her grandfather.  Was this what adults call love?  Shouldn't her mother love her father?

Y/N took a sip from her glass of red wine before responding, “He could be a Gucci model.”

Christie hissed as if she burnt her hand on something hot.  “You caught the attention of a Gucci model, and you didn’t ask him to father your children?”

Y/N gasped, reaching across the table to lightly slap her friend's arm.  "Daphne is in the room." She grumbled, shaking her head with embarrassment.  

Christie frowned, deciding it best to change the subject.  They could discuss the possible Gucci model at a later date when her niece was not around.

Instead, she turned toward the little girl and asked, "Babe, did you tell your mom about music class?"

Daphne gasped, falling into an animated story about how Ms. Lee assigned her the role of drummer in the class band.  Y/N hung on every word, but her mind and ears groaned at the mental image of her parents surprising Daphne with her very own drum kit.  After that story, they all took turns telling stories from their day until their plates were empty.  At the end of the night, Christie hugged them goodbye and informed Y/N that she would call tomorrow for more details about Harry.  Once she shut the door, Daphne asked the question that had been on her mind since dinner.

“Do you love Daddy?”

Y/N froze, gaping at her daughter like a fish out of water.  Tonight must have been the night for shocking questions because every question caught her off guard.  How should she answer?  Should she call Tyler before she answers?  Her heart uttered the words, just be honest with her.

“I do love your father, but not in the same way that grandma loves grandpa.  I want your father to be happy and healthy, but we stopped being in love a long time ago.” She hoped the questions would end there, but her daughter was as curious as her mother.

“Why?”

She hummed, kneeling so she could look into her daughter’s eyes.  “Well, your father and I were very young when we met, and we did not know who we were as people.  During our marriage, we both changed and realized that we were better off as friends than husband and wife.  I’m sure your father is happy we ended our marriage because he found Joanna, and she makes him happy.”

While Daphne nodded, Y/N could see her mind trying to process the information before coming to the conclusion, “I’m glad that Daddy is happy, but I want you to be happy too.”

Tears blurred the woman’s vision, and she choked through a heartbreaking sob.  How could her daughter not see that she was one of the few people who brought her happiness?  She shook her head, cupping her daughter’s cheeks.  “Baby, you make me the happiest mom in the world.  Now, how about we cuddle and watch some cartoons before bed?”

“Yes, can we watch my favorite show?” Daphne asked, bouncing with excitement. 

“Of course.” Standing up, she walked into the living room with her daughter by her side.  Watching the silly cartoon, they forgot about the heavy conversation and enjoyed each other’s company.  Y/N would answer Christie’s questions tomorrow, but today’s conversation with Daphne reminded her that her family was more important than a handsome man. * * * * *

The bright sun peeked out behind the dreary clouds, drying the murky puddles from the sidewalks and streets.  Birds flew from the damp branches, lightening the solemn mood with cheerful chirps and songs.  People fled from their busy schedules to spend a few moments outside, enjoying the sights, sounds, and smells of nature. 

Since her next client booked a later appointment, she decided to eat lunch at the nearby park.  The fork poked at the roasted brussel sprouts while she watched the crowds of people around her, from the family of three setting up a picnic to the lovely couple sharing a lunch before their offices called. 

There were moments when her parents dropped all worries and duties to escape into nature for a few days, like the weekend her parents planned an impromptu camping trip because the deadlines became too much, so instead, they taught her how to build a fire and enjoy the music of the critters.  She carried that sentiment into her life, finding moments throughout the week to feel the fresh air on her skin.  However, her buzzing phone interrupted her second of silent gratitude.

Sighing, she answered the call despite knowing what it would bring.  “Hello?”

“Hey, I need a favor.  Before you lecture me about the importance of parenting, just know that I will pick up Daphne, but my boss scheduled an emergency afternoon evening.  We probably won’t get out until six, so can you watch her until then?  I would ask Joanna, but her boss double-booked her.” With wide eyes, she pulled the phone from her ear to double-check that the man speaking with her was her ex-husband.

This man would rather spend time with his daughter than create an excuse to skip out on his fatherly duties.  Typically, she could hear the annoyance in his voice as if having a child were a burden.  While her heart soared at the possibility that her daughter might finally have a father who took an interest in her life, her mind questioned and created reasons why he suddenly cared about their daughter. 

“Of course, should I feed her dinner?  Or do you and Joanna have dinner plans?” She asked, thinking of how long it had been since she and Tyler had a civil co-parenting conversation.

He hummed in thought for a second before deciding, “We can feed her.  Wait, I almost forgot, could we keep her until Monday?”

Her heart stuttered when she thought about spending the entire weekend away from her daughter. She could not recall the last time she spent more than a few hours, let alone a day, without her. Also, she worried about her ex-husband's fatherly nature. Sure, she wanted him to spend time with their daughter, but she worried that he would not successfully prepare her for a school day.

His reassurance broke her reluctant silence.  “Y/N, you can trust me.  I have a few pairs of her school uniform, I know her schedule, and I will walk her to the front gates.  I can even update you.  Please, let me keep her for the weekend.”

She sighed, rubbing her temples with her free hand.  “Fine, but promise me that you will call me if anything goes wrong.”

Tyler chuckled, shocking her even more because she hadn’t heard that delightful sound in so long.  “I promise.  Joanna and I planned a Sunday dinner with my parents, and they asked if they could see Daphne, complaining that they haven’t seen her since her birthday party.”

Rolling her eyes, she exhaled the irritation growing in her chest. Her relationship with Tyler's parents was rocky. During their first meeting, they wooed her with luxury cars and expensive food, which differed from the lifestyle she grew up with.

However, once she announced her pregnancy, his parents uninvited her to their events and took to uttering hateful comments about their future granddaughter. Everything about the situation threatened their social status in the gated community. The cruel comments ceased the moment they laid their eyes on the beautiful baby, and instead, they turned their cold glares and vicious whispers toward Y/N.

They criticized her parenting skills and provided unwarranted advice on how to raise a polite young lady. Despite their hostility, Y/N sent frequent updates and planned weekends for them to visit, so their comment to Tyler irked her. If they had not seen Daphne since her birthday party, it was because they chose not to. 

“When will your parents stop being so charming?  Daphne will be excited to see her grandparents.”

Tyler laughed sarcastically, understanding the trouble his parents caused everyone.  “I’m glad that someone will be happy to see them.  Well, I better finish these reports.  I’ll see you tonight.”

Ending the call, she sat, shocked that they discussed their daughter without starting an argument. Throughout the years, she could count on one hand the amount of civil co-parenting conversations they had. She wondered how long this civility would last and if her advice about being a better father finally permeated his mind. She shook her head, deciding to focus on the positive rather than overthink the conversation until she found a reason to spoil it. If she was on after-school duty, then she and Daphne could stop by Dreams Cones, which meant she might run into Harry again. She leaned her head back, thanking the sun for blessing everyone. * * * * *

Children gathered around the marble counters to speculate about the new ice cream flavor, teenagers borrowed board games from a bookshelf to rid themselves of the pressures from school, and parents claimed tables to discuss upcoming weekend plans. 

Daphne sprinted toward the crowd, ignoring her mother’s stern reminder that people do not run indoors.  The magenta-colored ice cream gained everyone's attention because, unlike the other flavors, this new sweet treat lacked a name.  Instead, someone had scribbled three question marks onto the paper card taped to the glass display.

Harry chose unique names for the other flavors, so she wondered why he hadn't done the same for this one.  Perhaps he needed to workshop the name some more, but his excitement insisted that he could not keep the flavor from his customers any longer.  Maybe he chose a name but taped the wrong placard to the display. 

Breaking her focus from the mystery container, she looked up, expecting to find the grinning woman from their last visit; however, she found herself face to face with the owner’s irresistible dimpled grin.  All the air from her lungs became trapped in her throat, and her heart tried beating out of her chest and into his beautiful hands.

“Y/N, I'm happy to see that you and Daphne returned.”  The sincerity in his voice made her heart flutter wildly.  Despite the numerous customers he met daily, he remembered their names and actually sounded happy to see them.  She wondered whether or not this man was real.

Locking away her bothersome emotions, she responded rationally and calmly.  “Thank you.  I haven’t stopped thinking about you.”  Well, she tried.

Harry's eyebrows shot up, but once the initial shock cleared, he didn't seem disgusted by her comment.  Instead, his warm smile shifted into a smug grin as if her slip-up intrigued him.  While he handled the situation with grace, she prayed for the ground to open up and swallow her whole.  She pictured some higher being cackling at her as she shook her head fervently. 

“I'm sorry.  I meant to say I haven't stopped thinking about your ice cream.  I promise I'm not trying to hit on you." Her mind begged her mouth to shut up.  She didn't want him to think she didn't find him attractive.  "Not that you aren't incredibly handsome."

Processing the conversation, she groaned and dragged a palm down her face. At that moment, she decided someone could die from embarrassment. She recalled when she could speak normally with people she found attractive, but her skills must be rusty from their lack of use. 

An amused chuckle flittered past his rosy lips as he crossed his arms across his chest, clearly enjoying the sight of her squirming and scrambling to correct herself.  “Thank you, I needed that today.  I woke up feeling unsure about myself.  Would it be inappropriate to say that you look beautiful?”

“It's not, thank you.”  She mumbled, biting back a bashful grin. 

For a moment, she basked in his sweet words, allowing her heart to soar with excitement because he thought she was beautiful.  Would she replay this conversation before she fell asleep tonight?  Yes, she would repeat his words and alter the situation so that it ends with them on a romantic date.  Her dreams were the only space she could be selfish and chase after the life she wanted.  

Daphne watched the shy couple flirt with one another, stopping her staring only once to wave and smile at Harry when he looked at her.  Thanks to her friends, she realized that her mother might have a crush on the curly-haired man. 

During recess, she told Ziva and Andrew about the situation, and they informed her that her mother like-liked Harry.  However, Ziva raised an important question, did Daphne want a new father? She didn't know.  She never questioned her parent's relationship because her earlier memories always featured her father's girlfriend.  Did she wonder why her parents weren't in love like Ziva or Andrew's parents?  Yes, but if her father could be happy with Joanna, then her mother deserved happiness too.  She was hesitant to replace her father with Harry, but she would accept him because he made her mom happy.

“Hi Daphne, how are you?” He asked, returning her wave. 

“I’m excited because I get to spend the weekend with my dad and Joanna.” She announced through a toothy smile.

He glanced at Y/N, scanning her face for negative emotions before returning his attention to the little girl.  “I hope you have an excellent time with them.  Did you want to surprise your father with a cup of our ice cream?”

She shook her head while her mother answered his question.  “Although my ex-husband loves surprises, he despises anything sweet.” 

Then Daphne added some vital information, “He’s also allergic to milk.”

Harry chuckled, nodding slowly.  “Well, that’s too bad, but at least you can still enjoy ice cream.  What flavors will you two be trying today?”

Daphne found herself in a predicament.  The Lucky Charm ice cream promised colorful marshmallows and cavity-causing sweetness, but the mystery flavor guaranteed excitement and amazement.  What flavor did her mother want?  Could she convince her to order the new flavor while she stuck with the safest option?  Before Daphne could decide, her mother eased all of her stress.

“I might try the new flavor.” His dimpled grin reappeared at her response.

He nodded once before bouncing toward the purple treat, his head bobbing side-to-side with each step.  Elation radiated from his heart and soul, eliminating anyone's sour mood in a two-mile radius.  Y/N and Daphne shared an amused look and a giggle before following the man.  The short distance between them allowed Y/N to peek at his outfit for the day, which consisted of navy blue dress pants, a pastel blue striped dress shirt (which he folded at the elbow, a look she found herself drooling over), and a sweater vest with white sheep dotted over it.  She should hire him as her stylist since her closet consisted of worn shirts and blazers for work. 

“Recently, I created a new ice cream flavor, but I struggled with the naming process.  I wrote down multiple unoriginal names.  Until I had an idea to let my customers choose the new name.  If you order the ice cream, you will also receive a slip of paper to write down your idea and drop it in the box by the door.  In two weeks, the staff and I will choose our favorite suggestion, and the winner will receive free ice cream for a month.”  Once Harry finished his announcement, she realized a crowd of curious customers had gathered around them.  Perhaps she should have paid attention to the contest rules instead of watching his rosy lips curve around each word. 

“How fun and creative.  Can I have one scoop of the mystery flavor in a cup, and a–” she paused, realizing she hadn’t asked Daphne what flavor she wanted.

Luckily, he heard the lull in her speech and jumped in where she left off, “Daphne, what flavor would you like?”

“Lucky Charms in a cone.”  Daphne's anxious heart rested easy because now she could taste both flavors without the risk of wasting her Friday treat on an icky treat.

Before scooping the sweet treat, he readjusted his sleeves, pushing the starchy material further up his arm.  Y/N couldn't help but admire the concentrated crinkle between his eyebrows as he created the perfect scoop.  Her knees even went weak when his pink tongue poked out to swipe over his bottom lip.  Why did this man have such a powerful effect on her?  Was she really that lonely?  Her mind reminded her heart that true love did not exist, and her feelings were caused by a chemical reaction. 

“Here you go, love.  Be careful, the cone is a bit messy.” He mumbled, handing her their order.  While reaching for the cone, her fingers brushed against his soft hands, sending her heart into a frenzy.  What did her brain know about love?

Before Harry could ring up the two scoops, two teenagers shouted their orders at him.  He appeared hesitant, stuck between helping these new customers and continuing his conversation with them.  However, he chose the former in an attempt to ease the customers’ scowls.  Another cheerful staff member informed Y/N that he could finish where his boss left off, and although she doubted that, she followed him to the register.

“What does the flavor remind you of?” She asked, processing the tangy yet fruity flavors dancing along her tongue.  Did she taste blueberry or blackberry?  When was the last time she ate a blackberry? 

Her daughter hummed, tapping the spoon’s handle against her chin.  “Christmas.”

Confusion halted all other thoughts about the flavor.  Instead, she chuckled lightly, raising an eyebrow.  “Christmas?  Why?”

The little girl shrugged, delving into her well-thought-out response, “Every Christmas morning, Grandma surprises us with blueberry muffins, and when I taste this, I miss Christmas and Grandma.”

In parenthood, there were many moments when a child might say something sweet, which not only made the parent proud of the small person they were raising but also brought tears to their eyes. She rubbed the corners of her eyes, catching any stray tears from rolling down her cheeks.  When she missed her parents, she would replay memories of Christmas mornings in her mind because they radiated love and happiness, and now, she learned that her daughter also cherished those moments.

“Well, we should suggest the name, Christmas morning.”  A gleeful giggle bubbled past Daphne's lips as she watched her mom write down the name on the slip of paper.  “Should we leave?  Your father should be at the apartment soon.”

Daphne nodded, sliding off the chair.  “I can’t wait to see Daddy.  Do you think he’ll take me to the zoo?”

While her daughter bombarded her with questions about the weekend, Y/N glanced over at Harry, wondering whether she should say goodbye; however, his furrowed brows and the crowded counter convinced her to walk away.  Dropping the paper slip into the box by the door, she answered a few of her daughter’s twenty questions.  She ignored the painful tug in her heart caused by the thought that she wouldn’t see Harry until next Friday. 

Reigning in her emotions, she reminded herself that she did not have time to date.  Also, why would Harry want to date a single mother?  She pictured him dating a beautiful, up-and-coming model who spent her free time ending world hunger.  He belonged with someone as wonderful as he was and who did not have as much baggage as she did.  Thankfully, Daphne pulled her mother from another spiral with a hilarious joke about cows and movies.  Laughter dissolved her stress as she wrapped an arm around her daughter’s shoulders, bringing her ball of sunshine closer so that her gray clouds might float away. * * * * *

Neon-pink lights illuminated the dark room while trendy music blared from a nearby speaker.  Draping a feathery boa around her shoulders, an optimistic university student discussed her dreams about the future.  She imagined exploring unknown locations, tasting world cuisine, meeting new people, and falling in love with strangers.  She might even find her soulmate on a beach in Greece.  While the camera captured the young woman's beauty, Y/N listened intently as if this girl were her daughter.  Through a warm smile, she showed her support for the young woman and her aspirations because they reminded her of the goals she made before meeting Tyler.  However, she hoped no one derailed this woman from achieving her dreams. 

“Scrolling through the photos, the woman gasped.  “Wow, you made me look beautiful.”  She whispered in awe, selecting the perfect one for her birthday Instagram post.

Y/N chuckled, returning the extra props to the storage room.  Since her next appointment was after lunch, she would reorganize the items once the customer left.  Easy days, like today, were great because they allowed her to catch up on simple tasks she kept putting off.  If she bribed her assistant, Kira, into helping, they might be able to leave earlier for lunch.

“Remember, the camera captures the art.  You were always beautiful.  I hope you have an excellent birthday.”

The young woman pouted her lips and cupped her chest.  “Thank you.  Can I give you a hug?”

The woman briefly hugged Y/N, then spun around and walked out as if she were on her next mission, but not without almost bumping into Kira at the door.

“She’s in a hurry,” Kira mumbled, glancing back at the young woman getting into her Uber ride. 

Y/N grinned. "It's her birthday, so she scheduled a self-love day. What did you bring me?" She asked, eyeing the two plastic cups filled with iced coffee. 

Growing up, she despised coffee and coffee-flavored products. However, once she gave birth to Daphne, her body craved the extra energy, juggling between university classes and a newborn baby.  As long as she flavored the drink with creams and syrups, she could find the strength within to swallow the liquid.  Now, her body could not function without an ounce of coffee coursing through her veins.

“I ordered two brown sugar coffees with oat milk.  Have we tried that one?” Her assistant asked, handing her the cold drink.

Every week, they ordered a drink they hadn’t tried before, but she also didn’t remember trying this drink, so it had to be new.  She shook her head, sipping the caffeinated beverage, immediately tasting the harsh, bitter coffee notes rather than the sugary sweetness she was used to.  She couldn’t disappoint her assistant, who appeared to love the drink by the speed at which she was drinking it, so she hummed and nodded her head as if the drink impressed her.

“Thank you.  It's delicious, but I miss my usual order."  She lied partially because she did miss her favorite caramel-flavored coffee, but she did not enjoy the new drink.   

“I'm glad we tried something new,” Kira admitted before glancing at the crowded storage room.  “Do you need help reorganizing the props?”

She nodded.  “If we finish early enough, we can have a long lunch.”

“Sure thing.”  Kira followed her toward the room, pausing the moment she remembered the last-minute appointment she had not added to her boss's calendar.  “Wait, I scheduled an eleven o’clock appointment.  The client’s name is Gemma Styles. She and her brother want to surprise their mother with a sibling portrait.”

“Okay, that sounds easy enough.”  She mumbled, loading a few props into her arms.  “Will you stay at the front desk and wait for them?”

While tidying the storage room, Y/N thought about Daphne and the weekend.  Tyler's parenting skills surprised her.  He planned a zoo visit, sent her photos of Daphne with the flamingos, and called her every night so their daughter could say goodnight.  He hadn’t been a present parent for two years, but she couldn’t be happier that something or someone finally woke that side of him up. 

Her only complaint involved the lack of information about yesterday’s dinner with his parents.  When she asked about his parents, he avoided the subject, which meant they either criticized his parenting skills or hers, but curiosity bubbled within.  What did they say?  If it was about her, did he stand up for her?  Was it about Joanna?  She hoped Daphne could answer these questions when she picked her up from school.

“Welcome to Artistic Lens.  My name is Kira.  How may I help you?” Kira’s question announced the arrival of her afternoon clients. “Hello, I’m Harry.  This is my sister Gemma.” Her ears perked up the moment she heard his angelic voice. 

Her hands paused their movements while her mind raised questions.  Was Harry actually in her studio?  Did he know she owned this space?  Is that why he chose this location?  Wiping the sweat from her palms onto her jeans, she ignored the questions distracting her from moving. She cleared her throat, reminding herself to remain professional because he was her client first and potential crush second.  She could not afford another slip-up like the last time they spoke.

She spotted his curly locks first, then his floral sweater, which featured an array of bright colors like turquoise and sunflower yellow.  Gemma, his sister, wore a floral dress that contained similar colors to her brother's outfit.  The siblings shared characteristics, such as their astounding beauty and cheek dimples.  She wondered if they had tried modeling.  She could picture them walking the runway in Gucci, Bode, and other big-name designers.

“Hello, I'm Y/N, and I'm the photographer.”  She plastered her best customer service grin onto her face to appear unbothered. 

When he heard her voice, Harry experienced four distinct emotions: confusion, realization, happiness, and lastly, embarrassment.  A sheepish grin unraveled across his face while his eyes met hers once before glancing around the room.  She smiled at his sister, chalking up his shy behavior as his reaction to seeing her outside the ice cream parlor, like a student seeing their teacher out in the wild.  However, Kira and Gemma witnessed the interaction, leading his sister to embarrass him further.

“It’s lovely to meet you.  Harry, didn’t you just tell me about a woman named Y/N, who you found very—” Harry’s eyes widened, and his hands covered his sister’s mouth before she could finish her sentence.

While Gemma shoved her brother away, Kira and Y/N shared an amused look. He huffed, fixing his posture and rolling his eyes. Y/N giggled, finding the entire situation sweet and flattering because, according to his sister, Harry talked about her. 

“Harry and I have met.  My daughter and I love his ice cream shop.  Now, tell me about your vision.”

She moved the conversation forward and away from their flirty friendship, watching his shoulders deflate and his dimpled grin return as if he could finally relax.

“Our mom always complains that we never take pictures together anymore, so we planned on surprising her with photos of us.” Gemma explained, obviously taking charge of the surprise.

Y/N nodded, motioning toward her camera and the backdrops.  “Great, we can get started over there.  Kira, will you bring us the wooden bench from the storage room?” While her assistant disappeared to the storage room, she positioned the Styles siblings in front of the gray backdrop.

Before beginning the photoshoot, she checked the lighting, flipped through the camera settings, and examined their outfits. Harry paired his bright sweater with beige pants, and Gemma tied a pink scarf around her neck to match the peonies on her brother's top. She feared the light colors might wash out the siblings; however, the camera captured their beauty and radiating glow.

“You both look amazing.  I selected your first pose, but feel free to move and pose as you like.  I want the photos to look natural rather than two perfectly still models.”  She explained, snapping a few test shots.

Kira returned shortly with the bench, placing the item beside the backdrop. "Should I turn on your playlist?"

She nodded, “Sure, unless Gemma or Harry, do you want to play a certain playlist?” Lifting her head from the camera, she saw Harry shaking his head.

“No, you should play your music.  People find my music taste—” He paused, rummaging through his mind for the correct word to describe his music, but Gemma responded for her brother before he could even stop her, “Eclectic.”

“Yes, so please, play whatever you like.”  His eager smile contained a level of excitement that she found endearing, almost as if he truly wanted to learn what music she loved.

Shuffling the playlist, she smiled when her favorite singer crooned through the speaker.

“I love this song,” Harry confessed, bopping his head to the beat. 

“Me too.  Don't you want to sing along?” She asked, humming with the love-sick singer.

She pictured a life where she and her spouse would listen to this music while cooking dinner. A life where they would sing along, off-key, of course, while chopping vegetables. Her spouse would grab Daphne's hands and dance with her around the kitchen. She would capture these important moments with her camera. A room overflowing with love and laughter. 

Lately, these daydreams featured a curly-haired, green-eyed man. His hands would grip her hips, spinning her around and away from the cutting board while he hummed some romantic song. They would waltz around the kitchen, discussing their days in hushed whispers. Eventually, he would let her finish dinner while he helped Daphne with schoolwork.  During these moments, she believed someone as handsome as Harry could love her. 

Gemma chuckled, shaking her head while finding a new pose.  “You don’t want me to sing.  Unlike Harry, some of us weren’t born with an amazing voice.  Did you know he was in a band?”

Her head shot up from the camera as she blinked the shock away.  Harry, feeling sheepish again, twiddled his thumbs while she stared at him in awe.  “First, who cares if we suck at singing?  We should sing along anyway.  Second, you were in a band?  Please tell me more.”

While dragging his fingers through his hair, a nervous chuckle fumbled past his rosy lips.  “When I was fourteen, me and my mates decided to start a band.  Our parents and friends hired us for local events, but the band barely survived two years.”

“During his university years, he performed solo at pubs.” Gemma added, smiling proudly at her brother.

Y/N smiled through her shock.  During their university years, she and Tyler spent many weekends at pubs, and now, she wondered if she and Harry were ever in the same room. However, she thinks she would have remembered his angelic voice and alluring presence. 

“Well, I think that’s amazing.  You are quite the catch, Harry.”  She winked, bringing back his dimpled grin. 

Continuing the photoshoot, Y/N focused on backdrops, props, and poses. Everyone fell into a comfortable silence, only speaking when Gemma mentioned a topic she planned on discussing on her podcast. During these moments, Y/N agreed with her positive attitudes and views. She could see Gemma joining her and Christie for Sunday brunch, where they could gossip and laugh over mimosas. Should she befriend the sister of the man she was crushing on? Her eyes washed over him, admiring the sparkle in his green eyes and the two tattooed swallows on his chest. She paused. When did this gentle, shy man get two tattoos?  Were there more?

“You have a tattoo.” What should have been a question came out as a statement, one that made Harry scan his body as if searching for which tattoo might be on display, which only answered her question that there must be more than the two on his chest, then with a furrowed brow and worried eyes, he made eye contact with her intrigued ones.

He cleared his throat before speaking up. “Yeah, I have multiple tattoos.  During uni, my mate bought a tattoo gun, which resulted in many stupid tattoos, but I don’t regret them.  They remind me of a different time.”

While listening to his explanation, her heart fluttered.  “That’s incredibly sweet.  I want a tattoo, but I’m terrified of needles.  I nearly fainted when the nurses gave me the epidural for Daphne’s birth.” Her confession made the siblings chuckle.

“I was like that during my first tattoo, but now, I'm a pro.  If you really want one, I could come with you to keep you company."  He stuttered through the end of the sentence as if his mind processed what his mouth said.  “Unless you want to bring anyone else who isn’t a complete stranger to you.”  He rambled, trying to fix his earlier statement.

She shook her head with an amused giggle.  “Harry, you aren’t a complete stranger.  I’m very touched by your offer, and if I ever decide to get a tattoo, you will be the first person I call.”

He sighed with relief, dropping his shoulders down from his ears.  Gemma observed the interaction, noting her brother's unusual behavior.  Throughout her life, she witnessed Harry's confidence first-hand.  From the moment he could talk, he loved being the center of attention, and his charming attitude introduced him to more relationships than she could remember.  She recalled a time when he tripped over a rug, ripped his pants, and still received a phone number from the person he was chatting up.  His confidence carried him through life, and she had never seen it falter until she watched her brother flirt with the photographer. 

“Okay, we are all done.  I think your mother will love these.” Y/N bragged because although she captured the magic, she couldn’t have done it without Gemma and Harry’s natural beauty and warmth.

“Thank you so much.” Gemma giggled with excitement, wrapping her arms around the photographer’s body.

Y/N chuckled, returning the comforting hug.  She spotted Harry’s warm smile over Gemma’s shoulder, which served as his “thank you” for the photographs and for entertaining his sister.  The smile resembled that of a loving boyfriend, happy that his girlfriend impressed his family.  Her stomach clenched with butterflies at the idea of Harry as her boyfriend. 

She pulled away from the hug, dropping her gaze from him. “Once I edit the photos, I’ll send them to you.  Should I have any questions, is the number on file a good one to reach you at?”

Gemma nodded, then hummed as if a thought just struck her. “Well, I probably won’t answer if I’m in an interview.” She turned toward her brother with a mischievous grin, revealing her intentions. “You should give her your number too.  You answer the phone more than I do.”

He nodded once, scribbling his number onto the contact sheet Kira provided them. Y/N could sense his annoyance with Gemma's constant embarrassing comments, so she planned to make the rest of the interaction fast and painless. She handed Kira the sheet, which they would file later, and then faced the siblings.

“Great, I hope you two have an excellent day.” Y/N smiled.

Harry mumbled a “you too” under his breath, shuffling toward the glass door, unlike his sister, who had one more plan up her sleeves. “Wait, have you eaten lunch?  Harry and I would love to treat you to lunch as a thank you.”

Y/N’s breath hitched in her throat, her mind racing with every reason why she should not accept the invitation.  Harry noticed the hesitation in her eyes, which landed on his, and searched for any sign that he did not want her to join them, but all she found was a warm welcome.

“You should come.  I’d love to get to know you more.”  He spoke up, running a hand through his hair.

Y/N nodded, matching his dazed grin.  “Well, I’m never one to turn down a free lunch.  I would love to join you.” 

[intuitively-her]

What career fits you best?

Pile 1-(6 of wands, The Star, The Moon, The Magician, 6 of swords rx, 6 of cups rx, 8 of cups, 2 of wands, The Devil rx, 5 of wands rx, Knight of wands, King of pentacles, 10 of cups)

You need to be in the spotlight!📸 Someone here wants to be an actor/actress. Or maybe you like to perform in theatre? Burlesque dancer? For someone specific, this is something you wanted to do since you were a kid. Your confidence is out of this world! It needs to be showcased on a stage somewhere.🤩 More people should know your name. Get into some acting classes if you can. For someone specific, you should get into a dance class. Someone here needs to take an etiquette class. Or something related to speech and communication. For some of you, this will require you to move somewhere new. Atlanta, Texas, or California could be significant.🌍 Something about this career could be unconventional. Performing naked/half dressed? Idk I keep getting a sexual theme here. This career will bring in endless abundance for you.📈 You possess many skills. It's like one day you're playing an extra in some movie, and then the next you're doing a big show on Broadway. You shouldn't limit yourself with your creativity in your line of work. There's nothing you can't do pile 1!🌠

🎶channeled songs: R.I.P by playboi carti & Cameras by drake

Pile 2-(4 of swords, The Hermit, Knight of swords, Page of cups, The Moon rx, Death, The World, Wheel of fortune, 9 of pentacles)

This is my artistic pile.🎨 Someone here could be into graphic design? Or clothing design. Your style of art is unpredictable. You set the trends. Realism art? Someone here could be into mural art. Your art could have a morbid nature to it. If so, people love this. You might primarily work from home. In your own little sanctuary.🏡 You could like to create art that "speaks" to people. Or you like to create art that evokes emotion from the audience. Someone here likes to draw cartoons? Reflect on your childhood for better inspiration. Maybe something you used to draw as a kid? A childhood t.v. show? You wanna contribute to the public and give back to people through "art". You're a very down to earth person in general and can get along with just about anyone. Use that skill to network with others in your field. It would be very beneficial for you.

Pile 3-(The Empress, The Hierophant, 4 of wands, 10 of cups, 5 of pentacles, Knight of swords, 3 of pentacles rx, Ace of cups, Wheel of fortune)

You would make an amazing teacher!🏫 For someone specific, you should look into spiritual teaching. Or maybe working in the church? You could be in the middle of a career change right now. Someone here wants to run a daycare? Or teach small children. You make others feel comfortable. People love how you're easily vulnerable with them.🫶🏽 You're an open book to most. Someone here would make a great therapist. People might've seen you cry before. Or you're often a shoulder to cry on for others. You're very good at consoling others. It pretty much comes natural to you. You're the type of mother that others wish they had growing up. Someone here could be newly pregnant or nursing.🤱🏽 For someone specific, your cooking is the best! There's no one that compares to you in the kitchen.🤣 Someone here could be in a feminist organization? Or you should try one. Many would describe you as a "godsend". You make others feel at home, always. You always know what to say at the right time. Your advice makes people see the bigger picture. It makes everyone around you want to be a better person.💫

[a-d-nox]

tarot hypothesis: major arcana and squid game player numbers

paid reading options: astrology menu & cartomancy menu

enjoy my work? help me continue creating by tipping on ko-fi or paypal. your support keeps the magic alive!

067 (0+6+7 = 13 -> death)

has a very transformative experience while playing the games especially when playing marbles. unfortunate for her, she has an unforgettable death moment where she's dying from her internal wounds only for 218 to "unexpectedly" kill her before she could succumb to the wound. like the mourners in the card, 456 is so devastated by her death that it changes his outlook on the final game.

218 (2+1+8 = 11 -> justice)

is the first person to mention the voting process to leave the game on the show. also kindly let ali borrow money and his phone... despite the final rounds, he began the games with a level of fairness kept in mind.

101 (1+0+1 = 2 -> high priestess)

perfect definition of reversed high priestess energy, he shows time and time again that his is disconnected from his own intuition - he doesn't know who to trust outside or even inside the games. he also relies too heavily on others when it comes down to it...

456 (4+5+6 = 15 -> devil)

gi-hun is like the terminator he just keeps coming back for more - but seriously homeslice literally comes back to the worst place he has ever been and where he has faced his own addiction with games... also he tends to make the same mistakes over and over like trusting people he thinks he knows...

333 (3+3+3 = 9 -> hermit)

myung-gi is a cryptocurrency influencer... its virgo male coded... but also i would like to predict him dying in darkness or being alone in some fashion during the final season's games. if not that then, i believe 222 is going to leave him in the dust.

388 (3+8+8 = 19 -> sun)

tell me dae-ho doesn't have hella youngful energy? also of naivety??? the sun is explorer so either he is a VIP or he could escape (by mere luck)... OR, which i think is most likely, he will end up being somewhere he shouldn't be and be killed for it.

246 (2+4+6 = 12 -> hanged man)

martyr coded... we just knew he was gonna die... and it's a horribly sad story because his sick daughter is all alone now...

120 (1+2+0 = 3 -> empress)

GET IT GET IT GET IT!!! i am sorry WHAT that is so on the nose. a trans woman as the empress is crazy spot on. i love it!! i saw that and was like *GASP*!!! also *gasp* because its park sung-hoon

007 (0+0+7 = 7 -> chariot)

oof more reversal energy... that man hesitated so hard when it came to getting his mother in my opinion and he hesitated when voting too... not to mention the lack of impulse control that he has...

149 (1+4+9 = 14 -> temperance)

i have seen a lot of people saying that she is a VIP and i disagree especially if this matrix numerology is still spot in s3. she is definitely a "friend" and not a foe.

390 (3+9+0 = 12 -> hanged man)

another martyr coded person. he was set up so the audience would love him and feel like he was a good person only for him to get swept away by someone who he just knew too much about.

222 (2+2+2 = 6 -> lovers)

bro please hear me out... front man's wife died carrying their baby - what if his empathy and projection of his history on to her is what ends up saving her life?? he did make a few comments (no i don't think he just has human decency lol) about taking it easy and to be careful because she is pregnant...

044 (0+4+4 = 8 -> strength)

when i was watching the show i was like i don't see it - i get moon (18) energy vibes but not strength (8) then she had her mini meltdown and i was like there it is... there is the vulnerability under that mask of "faith" in fate.

125 (1+2+5 = 8 -> strength)

then on the other hand... this is an extremely vulnerable character with zero back bone seriously reversed energy...

230 (2+3+0 = 5 -> heirophant)

thanos - tell me that man's ritual was not popping a pill and getting out there in the game.

001 (0+0+1 = 1 -> magician)

OBVIOUSLY no one can trust anyone what equals 1. its a duh moment (even in the 8 show - which i may do next if this does well) - the magician is a creator when upright and a manipulator when reversed...

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[brucewaynehater101]

Turns out Janet was actually a swan maiden, Jack stole her cloak of feathers. Instead of being an obedient, biddable wife, as he expected, Janet channeled the swan. She was unruly, aggressive, and utterly two faced since to everyone else she looked like the epitome of grace and serenity.

She was also very monogamous and even more angry at being caught by Jack because she was already pregnant when he took her feathers! Tim's bio parent was some random wizard who turned out not to be worth Janet's loyalty, especially since the idiot assumed that Tim was Jack's child despite the timelines not actually working. Jack was also stupid enough to assume Tim is his son.

Tim finds his mother's cloak after he gets back from the Brucequest. It doesn't have the same power to bind him the way it bound his mother, but they were her feathers, she is his son, her blood, and he can wear them.

Tim mostly takes to napping in the pool at the manor or some other body of water there since none of the Bats, or Damian's pets, will bother him while he's a swan making it a safe place to sleep. He does not tell the Bats that he's the swan. YJ knows and they put a pond into their base where Tim can hang out.

Yo? Is this based off of that one myth/legend/story where magician turned swans into women to try to marry them? I don't remember much about that story, but hella sus for the magicians. They can't manage to find someone they are compatible that they try to turn animals into humans hoping the animal will be so grateful they fall in love with the magician 🤨

I don't know about y'all, but if someone, without my consent, transformed me into another being hoping I'd marry them, I would commit a murder. This is all I've known. I don't want to be anything else.

Anyways, I'm not too sure about the cloak of feathers part. Is that similar to the selkie? Selkie have a "coat" that allow them to turn into their seal counterparts. In the legends, humans who obtain the coat thus trap selkie on land and can force the selkie to do what they want (like pieces of shit). This usually leads to nonconsensual marriage. I'm not an expert, so feel free to look more into this myth. I like AUs that chat about it.

Anyways, good on Janet. I hope she made Jack's life hell for that stunt. What a piece of shit. Also, since the magician doesn't have her feathers, I hope Janet killed him. May the gods never rest his soul.

I'm curious if Tim, since he's the son of the magician, has any magic powers.

How much did he know about his mom and her situation before her death?

Has Tim ever turned into a swan before finding the feathers, or did he just suddenly become a swan and have to deal with it? How much part swan is he? Does he have any physical traits when he's human? Behavioral tendencies? Can he eat bread?

This is a cool AU I'd love to explore more of ^^

[egypt-museum]

"In ancient Egypt, a woman’s primary role was that of mother, and as such she ensured her place within both her household and her community. And so, gods, doctor-magicians, as well as ghosts were all called upon to help the woman become pregnant.

Pregnancy was not without risks, and the many tests, prescriptions, and spells that have survived to this day help us to understand obstetrics as it was practiced in those distant times. Once the woman had eluded the ill will of Seth―who was held responsible for miscarriages―and had reached her term, she was faced with the much awaited and yet also feared moment of birth. The successful delivery of a child into the world was seen as a gift of the gods, but it did not mean that the parent’s worries were over. Indeed, it has been estimated that a third of all children did not reach the age of five years despite the combined efforts of parents and doctor-magicians to protect them.

Amandine Marshall draws upon a wealth of sources, including texts, images, iconography, artefacts, and children’s bodies themselves, as well as medicine, anthropology, and ethnography, to examine these issues and more, and in doing so sheds unprecedented light on the experience of maternity and early childhood in ancient Egypt."

— Motherhood and Early Childhood in Ancient Egypt: Culture, Religion, and Medicine, by Amandine Marshall

[stclaretarot]

PICK A CARD 🐣⭒ your partner's reaction to finding out that you're pregnant...

reminder that this is a general reading and messages found here may not apply to everyone. take what resonates, leave what doesn't, and don't force anything if it does not fit.

BOOK A READING WITH ME · LINKTREE · 18+ PATREON · SUGGEST A PAC TOPIC · TIPS ♡ tips, bookings, and feedback are highly appreciated!

GROUP ONE

cards · nine of pentacles, judgement, nine of swords, the magician.

channelled songs · happiness/the gondola man by elliott smith. so good right now by fall out boy. the catch up by ambré.

hey there group one ♡ your partner will have an initial burst of excitement. they may jump up and run to you, and grab your shoulders and hug you.

they’ll start pacing around the room as they talk about all the people you need to tell next, how the nursery is going to look, all the things you need to buy.

but, the more they talk, the more real it will start to feel and the more it will start to stress them out. they’ll start to overreact. they’ll start to worry about the future, finances, and if they will even be a good parent.

you’ll have to calm your partner down and remind them that you are in this together. that no matter what, you will have each other through this whole journey of pregnancy and parenthood.

GROUP TWO

cards · ace of cups, nine of wands, six of swords, justice.

channelled songs · i’m with you by grouplove. alive by empire of the sun. all i want is you by 112.

hey there group two ♡ you and your partner may not be married when you fall pregnant, though some of you may be engaged.

your partner may be a bit traditional in this regard -- and may also take into account that you may not want to be pregnant at the wedding, and look pregnant in your wedding photos -- and so may immediately suggest getting married now. or moving the wedding date sooner, for some of you.

they seem like a methodical, logical person. so while there will be smiles and kisses and excitement, their reaction will be more practical. they may already be doing mental calculations about the cost of raising a child, and the cost of having a wedding or changing the plans around your wedding.

GROUP THREE

cards · page of wands, knight of wands, knight of swords, the hierophant.

channelled songs · war of hearts (acoustic version) by ruelle. meaning of love by nct 127. gondolier by dalida.

hey there group three ♡ your partner may already have children or a child from a previous relationship. they have already done this before, but that does not make them any less excited to be doing this for you.

they will get excited for the pregnancy itself, but they will also get excited that their other child (or children) will now have a new sibling.

your partner may have always wanted a large family and so they will feel fulfilled and will start telling you about all the things they want to do in the future, together, as a big blended family.

they may start rambling about how great it was being a first time parent, and how excited they are for you to have this experience too. and, most of all, for them to be doing this with you.

GROUP FOUR

cards · the devil (reversed), seven of wands, eight of cups, ace of swords.

channelled songs · rose parade by elliott smith. tulsa jesus freak by lana del rey. one mo’ gen by mariah carey.

hey there group four ♡ your partner may feel despondent. they may ask you if you really want to keep it, if you’re sure that pregnancy and parenthood is something you’re really for.

because that is not something that they are ready for. they may not have entered this relationship with seeing a future with you, and will be scared of what a baby could mean for their future. what it could mean for their plans. what it could mean for their dreams.

they may withdraw in that moment, and almost shut down. even if they do not say in that moment that they don’t want this baby, you will be able to tell from their body language alone.

[boytumms]

Fuck it, guy in a magic body suit that has the only purpose of keeping him pregnant and crowning. Possibly a botched spell

Ooo or maybe something more subtle like a ring or necklace? It could easily be used as a way to put a curse on someone, maybe a rival kingdom sends the cursed item to another royal family, for the prince lets say, as a way to prevent them from having any more heirs. As soon as the prince puts it on, his belly instantly grows into a 9 month pregnancy in seconds, tearing through his clothes and revealing the bulging swell. His water breaks and he feels the need to push, screaming in fear and pain as he blindly follows what his body tells him to do. He has no idea what’s happening to him, all he can do is drop to his hands and knees and bare down.

The royal court watches in horror as their prince howls and writhes on the ground, belly huge and bulging as something slowly emerges between his legs. A baby’s head stretches him wide open for all to see, but once it reaches its widest point, it refuses to come out any further. No matter how much the prince pushes and shoves with all his might, the baby doesn’t move and inch.

The king calls for the royal magician as quickly as he can, ordering him to break the curse on his son, but the magic is too strong, and the item cannot be removed. The king orders his knights to search for a way to break the curse on his son, but they have no idea how long it will take. It could be weeks or months before they find something that works, and all the while the prince is stuck, crowing around the baby’s head, writhing and screaming through endless agonizing contractions as the baby inside him slowly grows larger and larger

[sweet-evie]

Baby Megumi & Best Sister Tsumiki Headcanons feat. Teen Dad!Gojo because I love this family unit, and my JJK brainrot is worsening the closer we get to 6th of July. 🫠

These are probably done before, but idgaf because we're about to see baby Megumi and high school Gojo again~ 🥹 Also, I'd rather do these instead of write fics because my Death Note X Code Geass crossover still needs my attention.

Megumi has a stuffed animal collection. 🐺 It started with one stuffed wolf that Satoru got him for his 1st birthday with Gojo, and Megumi pretended he didn't like them, but ummm... 8 years later, Megumi has 75 animal plushies. I like to think they're all small and cute.

If Shibuya and the other BS didn't happen, Megumi would have received another stuffed animal or two for his 16th birthday. Because tradition. 🥹

Just like Megumi has a collection of stuffed animals, Tsumiki has a collection of dolls. *cough cough* Barbies... It started with Licca-chan and eventually Satoru caught her eyeing Barbies in toy stores, so he bought her one. And then two. And then whole sets for Christmas or her birthday or whenever she showed Gojo her report card.

In addition to dolls, Tsumiki definitely had one of those big Barbie houses when she was 8.

Tsumiki ropes Megumi into playing dolls with her. He does it to make his sister happy. And they always include Megumi's stuffed animals.

Tsumiki had Barbie Posh Pets. (Totally not projecting... Maybe I am). I had those as a kid and the set includes a pregnant mama cat + 3 kittens. You can open the mama cat's tummy and take out a pink kitten. (That's kind of fucked up when I think about it now 🤦‍♀️). I imagine it's that sort of nightmare-inducing shit that Satoru notices and gets because he thinks it's funny. 🙃

The Barbie Posh Pet in question that Tsumiki definitely owns:

Anyway... Speaking of Barbie... Tsumiki saw her first Barbie movie because Satoru brought home a Barbie as the Princess and the Pauper DVD on one of their movie nights. He was just assuming she would like it...

She liked it, and they always had Barbie movies in the movie night roster ever since. Tsumiki loves them. Megumi thinks they're whatever but is amused, because Barbie movies have talking animals, and Satoru just loves to poke fun at the plot.

Megumi watches wildlife documentaries for fun. He's a National Geographic and Discovery Channel kid. He has a DVD collection that came with the encyclopedia set Satoru bought.

Megumi liked movies with animals. Are we surprised? He's seen all of the Dr. Dolittle movies.

Tsumiki cried watching Bambi. 🦌 Someone else definitely got teary-eyed while watching Bambi too. That 'someone' will also never admit it, even if Satoru totally caught that particular someone rubbing his eyes with his small fists during that scene.

Speaking of getting teary-eyed at watching cartoons. Satoru's damn lucky he can hide behind his blackout sunglasses, because he was totally sad and emotional when they finished watching The Fox and the Hound. 🦊🐶 You look at that Tod and Cooper friendship and tell me it doesn't remind you of SatoSugu a little bit.

The refrigerator in Megumi and Tsumiki's apartment is stocked with 80% sweets. It's Satoru's fault.

Satoru attends Megumi's and Tsumiki's parent-teacher meetings in elementary school, and he's popular with the PTA parents (especially the moms). Megumi hates it, Gojo revels in the attention. Some teachers invited him to be in the PTA, but ultimately, this special-grade sorcerer always has to decline. He's way too busy.

Elementary career days = Satoru telling the kids that he's a very powerful magician. 🎩🪄🐇 The kids believe him and the adults think he's joking. Well technically, he isn't.

Satoru is prone to bribing child tantrums with McDonalds. It doesn't always work.

Satoru, Megumi, and Tsumiki definitely went camping a couple of times. Sometimes Shoko tags along, but she never stays overnight.

Satoru lost Megumi at the mall. Tsumiki always found her little brother. He's honestly not that hard to find. He's either in a bookstore or a pet shop or a toy store that sells things Megumi likes.

Tsumiki is very forgiving of Satoru's tendency to lose Megumi in the mall.

Ice cream or parfaits for dinner are normal when you're living with Gojo. 🍨🍦

They've been to Disneyland. 🏰

Megumi likes zoos and aquariums.

Tsumiki is fond of handcrafting appreciation gifts for Satoru. 🎁Friendship bracelets, knitted socks and mittens she made in homeroom once that are way too small for him, multi-colored dreamcatchers (she made one for Megumi too of course), birdseed ornaments, lots of origami, very small bead bowls, flowers made of cupcake liners, etc.

Satoru has all of Tsumiki's DIY handicrafts tucked away in an Air Jordan shoebox. He also has a jar full of origami paper cranes that Tsumiki made when she was in her origami phase.

Satoru always took the kids to fun festivals whenever he could.

Satoru gave Megumi and Tsumiki the childhood they deserved -- gave them the childhood they were almost robbed of when Toji and Tsumiki's mom abandoned them, gave them the childhood Gojo never got to have.

All of that before Megumi lost Tsumiki and his life started spiraling for the worst. 😭

#Save&FreeMegumiPLEASE!