#series: terrible taste in pizza

[possibilistfanfiction]

ava teasing bea about her short haircut growing too long

[turned out silly! god bless]

//

beatrice wanders out of your bedroom around 11, hums in thanks when you get up from the couch where you had been reading to fix her a cup of coffee. she had been up early to surf, like usual, then back to sleep after you had laughed at her drooping eyelids and kissed her soundly after she'd showered. it's not new, not really, but the war is finally over and it feels like a series of small miracles: to sit on the couch as the day warms; to watch the sun float to the middle of the sky after the marine layer burns off; for beatrice to sleep without nightmares, to curl up into your side with her cup of coffee and kiss your shoulder. things are quiet, quieter than they've ever been since you'd had a piece of metal shoved in your back and life roaring through your veins; since you had kissed beatrice, sure you were going to die; since she had kissed you through tears when you finally made it back.

it's normal, these days, for her to nap: even though she won't fully admit it, she's catching up on, like, a whole lifetime's worth of rest, you're pretty sure. and a whole lifetime's worth of pleasure too, which you are all too eager to experience with her: the smell of peonies in the spring, the burst of taste from the plucots from the farmer's market, the feel of her hand buried deep inside you. and then rest — a pleasure borne of safety, of comfort, of finally, finally, not feeling like she's going to die. like, in some way, she deserves to.

she sighs into your neck and you kiss the top of her head, settle your fingers there. 'your hair is getting long.'

she huffs, quietly and mostly for show, which makes you smile. she sits up and rearranges her limbs, still casual, still soft and unassuming in her boxers and her favorite hoodie. 'i know.'

'you growing it out?' she's actively pouting about it, but fun to ask anyway, just to see her frown sharpen.

'ugh. no.'

'so you're just... vibing with this? it's, like, very 2010 justin bieber. i'm into it, though, don't worry.'

it adds a blush to her pout, which is delightful. 'horrible.'

'mmm. harry styles, original the x factor audition? more british, just for you.'

'ava.'

you laugh.

'you think you're very funny, don't you?'

'i'm, like, the funniest person i know.'

'that's okay,' beatrice says, a little smile sneaking its way into the corners of her mouth — delighted enough to make you suspicious. you narrow your eyes just in time for her to say, completely seriously, 'because, you know, looks aren't everything.'

'wow.' you clutch a hand to your chest. 'this is a worse pain than any injury i've ever had. a blow to my soul, beatrice. my very soul.'

it's worth it all, just for her silly laugh, for the terrible wink she offers you, for her apology in the form of a forehead kiss, gentle and reverent. 'i don't think that's true.'

'obviously not,' you say. 'and, also, i know it's a lie. i'm hot as hell. actually, hotter. i would know.'

she sighs, exasperated and overwhelmingly fond.

you brush back bangs that fall into her eyes. 'what's up, then?'

'i —' she pauses, fiddles with the chain around her neck, picks at her fingernails until you take her hand and squeeze. 'i don't know. ptsd and executive dysfunction?'

'ahh. so, super fun in your head lately, huh?'

'i—i've told you,' she says, a little hesitant.

'oh, babe,' you say, scoot closer to her and offer your hands. 'i know. and i'm sorry. you know i understand.'

she nods.

'can i help? i can schedule an appointment with your barber; we can make a little evening of it, if you want. or we can totally just come back here after. you know i'm, like, a sucker for a fresh fade.'

she grants you a gentle smile, a real one, a little indulgent and just for you. 'i do know that.' she squeezes your hand. 'our sisters asked if they might come over later, actually. so, if you could help me make the appointment for late afternoon, then maybe we can have a pizza night afterward, or something.'

never in your wildest dreams a few years ago would you have dreamt of having a pizza night with a bunch of nuns, or ex-nuns — one of whom is your hot butch partner, the rest of whom are your family — but, 'fuck yeah. that sounds awesome.'

beatrice nods, straightening and focusing seriously. you hide a smile. 'okay, i can do it. make the appointment.'

'you can.' you rub her back. 'or i can.'

she gets out her phone, opens her texts. there are... a lot of unopened messages, and you make a mental note to go through them with her tomorrow, but she scrolls to her barber's contact and sends off an extremely polite and perfectly punctuated text, and, like, god, you love her.

'okay, well, can we, like, make a music video or something with this hair before we go or something?'

'no.'

you scramble to follow when she stands up — lithe and graceful and powerful; you're still undeterred. 'what about a video in the car? taylor swift gay love interest?'

'oh, and you're taylor swift in this scenario?'

'you love her. i know it. speak now is like your favorite album of all time.'

'it certainly isn't.'

you follow her into your bedroom, just for fun, and nod when she tells you that her barber is available in an hour.

'hmm. 1989?'

she gives you a muffled sigh from the closet as you flop back onto the bed, and you smile up at the ceiling. her favorite taylor swift album is red, and you know it for a fact, but that's okay; you'll let her keep her silly secrets for now.

she emerges in a men's sage green linen co-ord set, slouchy and perfect, and pristine white sneakers, and holds out her hand. 'lunch?'

you pop up and lace your fingers with hers.

/

beatrice orders six pizzas, all different kinds from the sourdough pizzeria nearby, which you try to tell her is too many, but she's still a little anxious about things so you let her have it; you can eat leftovers and force camila and yasmine to bring some back to mother superion anyway. beatrice also sets the table outside, which is one hundred percent ridiculous, but it's cute so you just tell her it looks nice and put the whole stack of pizza boxes in the middle. there's a whoosh and sulfur and then mary, lilith, camila, and yasmin are dusting themselves off in your living room. you hug them all tight, compliment mary's freshly done braids and camila's t-shirt, yasmine's new earrings. you make it a point to annoy lilith with as many pick up lines as possible until she just walks away from you to skulk around on the patio while you get everyone wine or beer, but she takes the glass of a beautiful chardonnay she and beatrice like with a small, genuine smile.

'your hair looks nice, beatrice,' camila says, digging into her slice of pizza once you're all sitting around the table.

beatrice steels herself for a moment, and you all know she's still working through everything: a lifetime of trauma, from her parents, the church, a holy war. 'thank you,' she says, soft and sure, and you share a smile with camila.

'yes,' lilith says, and beatrice is mid-eyeroll when lilith contines: 'very love island boy.'

there's a brief pause and then mary is delightedly and loudly laughing, beatrice is blushing up to her ears, and it doesn't take long until the entire table dissolves into giggles.

'oh my god,' camila says, 'let's have a love island party!'

'it is summer,' yasmine agrees.

'i'm ordering you a waterbottle, right now,' mary says, phone in hand.

beatrice groans and looks to you, exasperated and adorable. 'better than justin bieber, at least.'

you grin, put your hand on the back of her neck, run your fingers along the grain of her buzzed hair until it fades neatly into the short top, where it's always inevitably, and fashionably, a little messy. 'i'd crack on and then couple up with you every trip to the firepit, if that's what you're asking.'

'i'm leaving,' she says. 'i'm on a journey of self-discovery, and you're all the worst,' but it's all posturing: she laughs and eats her pizza and is apparently swayed into actually having a love island party next weekend by your promise of wearing your tiniest bikini for it.

a few days later, a package does arrive on your front porch, and you almost snort seltzer through your nose laughing so hard when beatrice opens it to find a water bottle with her name on it in bright pink, curly font.

[penvisions]

the melting point {chapter 13}

Pairing: Frankie Morales x Baker! Reader (ex EMT! Reader)

Summary: You find yourself sharing more of your past with the guys, your circle of friends growing as you do so.

Word Count: 4.3K

Warnings: dirty talk, use of pet names (sweet girl, qurida, good girl), p in v smut, unprotected smut (be careful, ya'll), medical jargon, mentions of past injuries, metions of depression, allusions to past depression and self destructive behavior, mutual pining, the ever encapsulating "oh" moment of realization

A/N: hello, hello! this chapter was so fun to write, exploring reader's friendships with the guys had been on my to do for this fic for a while and i'm hoping y'all are still enjoying this!

ao3 link || series masterlist || main masterlist

“Thank you all for coming, you are all so appreciated!” You went on to say that everyone could mill about for the next half hour to enjoy the remainder of the last pairing. You also prefaced that the shop would be closed the rest of the week, until Saturday and the farmer’s market. A few days to reset and get things sorted out. You heard the sound of the shutter on one of your nicer polaroids, Pope and Benny having taken over snapping photos for you of the event.

“Aright, manté! Let’s get one of you in that beautiful dress!” Benny walked up to you, camera in hand and a big grin on his features. You felt a hand snake around your waist as Frankie sidled up beside you, he whispered how gorgeous he thought you looked, and it brought a flush to your face. Another snap.

In a bold move, Frankie carefully moved you to face him completely, his hands holding the flare of your hips and he placed a full, passionate kiss to your lips. Right in front of everyone and all of his friends. His lips were so soft against your own, the lingering taste of one of the drinks from tonight on his tongue as it licked into the seam of your mouth. Your arms automatically came up to wrap around his shoulders, lost in the moment of such unbridled affection. Neither of you heard the next snap of the shutter.

Whistles sounded from his friends and Morgan, who had shown up after the first pairing.

“Would you look at that, manté caught herself a fish!” Pope was smirking when you both separated, stepping away from each other in the wake of the sudden attention. You adjusted your glasses, the kiss having thrown them slightly out of whack. Frankie only grinned as he raised a hand to flip off his best friend. The joking and teasing continued as people began to filter out, it wasn’t terribly late, but it was well into the night. The event having lasted two hours or so. You were about to say something when the food critic approached you with her own photographer and a serene smile.

“I would absolutely love it, if you let us get a few photos together. If you don’t mind?” She was in a good mood, her notebook clutched in her hand and filled with the countless notes you had seen her taking throughout the night. You made sure she was the first to have each round, fanning out the serving from her table and out to the rest of the fifty or so people that had shown up to the little idea you had that had turned into such a good evening. You had tittered about from the bar and to tables, running the drinks and helping to serve the pastries and treats all evening. The guys had helped as much as they could, not wanting you up on your feet anymore than you could handle, but they understood you wanting to supervise everything closely.

“Yes, of course!” You both decided that in front of the counter would be best. Your small menu of coffee drinks on display behind you and the two cases on either side of you. A few photos were taken, and they were both on their way with the phrase ‘We’ll give you a call!’.

-

The guys and, Luciana, and Morgan stayed the night, everyone deeming it the best idea as the drinks had been delicious and it was a delightful idea to order pizza and huddle in front of the tv in your living room upstairs. You would take the time to clean up tomorrow around interviews. Everyone was nursing one last round as the remaining thirty minutes of Bruce Almighty played. The guys had already agreed that Will and Lucianna would take the guest room, and with sheepish smiles they agreed. Morgan would take the longest part of the couch and Benny and Pope would take the sectional portions.

Mark had gone home a few pairings in, with a formal kiss to your cheek and a side hug. You had been polite and let it happen, though you still weren’t the most comfortable around him after he had boldly given his card to you. That he was integrating himself into Will’s life outside of work now and it just so happened to be shared with his friends and yourself, didn’t settle well with you. He had been…too invested in your interaction with Frankie despite having more important things to deal with according to Will.

You were cuddled up to Frankie, the seat he had chosen allowed him to lean most of his weight against the arm of the couch, in the crook of one of the sectional portions. You were leaning up against his chest, legs stretched out before you, empty beer bottle balanced on your good knee.

You hummed in contentment, one of your hands moving in slow caresses over Frankie’s thigh around you. The ending credits of the movie rolled across the screen, and you let your head loll over to take in the scene of Morgan and Benny leaning their heads against each other along the back cushions of the couch, out for the count in the late hour. Pope was seated on the floor, his back to the knees of Will, Luciana curled up against her date.

It made your heart warm and you looked up from where you had melted into the lap of Frankie, to see that he was looking down at you already. You lazily smiled up at him, reaching up both your hands to cradle his face and lead him down to place an upside-down kiss to your lips. You felt him swell against your shoulders beneath you, and arousal spiked hot down your middle to the space between your legs.

He leaned down and whispered that he was going to shower before laying down and carefully peeled himself off the couch. You stood as the movie ended, the screen displaying the possible next choices for viewing as Will and Lucianna began to rise as well. You showed them to the guest room, saying you had extra clothes they could sleep in, located in laundry room. They thanked you and began to get ready for bed, the door staying cracked behind them.

Pope’s back cracked as he stood and made his way into the kitchen, helping to tidy up the empty pizza boxes and gather empty drink cans and bottles.

“Too sweet, hermano.” You brushed past him, arm coming up to caress his arm as he placed the empties in the sink to be rinsed out in the morning. You leaned your head on the broadness of back, forehead resting between the planes of his shoulders. He turned in your embrace and wrapped his arms around your waist, his chin going atop your head.

“Always willing to help, manté.” You two stood there, embraced in friendly intimacy in wake of a busy night. His hands were tracing small patterns on the expanse of your back, the dress you were wearing soft with the velvet pattern underneath his gentle hands. “I’d do anything for you, you know that.”

It was quiet in the soft lighting of the living room, string lights hung up along the crown molding making up for the fact that you disliked using any kind of overhead lighting. You thought about Frankie, about how his house was all warm tones and cozy. How you wanted to be there more. With him. With him and Lex, with them both as a family.

“…Santi?”

He hummed in response, letting you know he was listening though you could tell by the even rise and fall of his chest that he was close to sleep despite standing with you.

“I just wanted to thank you.” You curled your arms around him tighter, fingers tangled in the fabric of his button up shirt, pulling it slightly from where it was tucked into his slacks. “For still trying to be my friend even when I kept turning down your offers. I just…I really appreciate you and what you’ve brought into my life.”

Your lips placed a grateful kiss to his chest, right over where his heart was beating.

“Of course, a sweet girl like you needs friends who won’t play around and wait to play the ‘nice guy’ card. We love having you be a part of our little group, a wonderful addition. Plus the snacks, oy dios mio, the snacks are a good perk.” He pulled you closer as he patted your lower back in a teasing way, wanting you to know he was genuine and only…slightly joking. You felt heat rush to your face at the praise, still so self-conscious of how well things had been going.

“You truly do make some of the most amazing things, manté.”

He was about to say something else, but the light in the door to the bathroom opened and Frankie walked out with a towel hung low on his hips. His hair was matted with water, fluffy where he had quickly run a towel over it and beginning to fan back to loose curls. He paused as he caught sight of you and his best friend embraced, the quiet atmosphere of the room, the way you were speaking softly to each other. But when you both turned to look at him, eyes lighting up in both your faces and smiles all for him, he didn’t feel a flare of jealousy.

He felt warmth pool in his chest, the two most important people in his adult life getting along was something he had always wished for should he branch out and begin to take part in dating at this point in his life. Lucy had never integrated well, always blew off plans and the guys would try not to make comments, but some would slip through. And then when she began using and pulled him down into that pit with her, all gloves were off and all comments were a reality check for his wellbeing.

“Sweet girl, do you have anything I could wear to bed?” He spoke softly, not wanting to disrupt the serenity of the apartment.

“If it doesn’t bother you, I’ve got some of Taylor’s clothes lying around from when he visited. Should fit you, in the bottom drawer of the dresser.” Your eyes took on a hesitant flicker, you had both talked about him in depth. You explained that he had been someone you dated on and off for years but with the arrival of his son and the drama with his son’s mother, he became your best friend. Helped you through everything before and after the ordeal that landed you here. In each other’s lives since you had been on the cusp of twenty. Bonded, in some capacity that labels couldn’t quite describe. Frankie seemed to understand, but you were still worried, deep down.

He eased your troubles with a soft upturn of his lips.

“Gotcha, you comin’ to lay down soon?”

“Won’t keep her too much longer, Fish.”

With a nod, he retreated back into the bathroom. The light went out and a few seconds later the lamp in your room lit up underneath the space of the closed door.

“I…I wanted to tell you…um,” You buried your face into the soft give of his chest. Breathing in the scent of his cologne so similar to Frankie’s. “About what Tom had been so worked up about…”

You felt tension spike through his body, being so closely pressed to him. It was fleeting, his chest rising with a held breath, but he spoke as he exhaled.

“You don’t have to do that,” Your name fell from his lips in a gentle, cautious tone. “I know you have things that you carry and I do too. Hell, we all do. There’s no need to air them out unless you really, truly want to.”

“Santi,” You pressed your cheek into his chest and watched the shadows of Frankie milling about your room. “I was put on trial for two cases in the aftermath of a school shooting. My partner and I were the first emergency responders on the scene. It was…a lot. I managed to land a fatal shot to the killer, but it took time to slow him down and finally take him out. He…covered a lot of ground and I did the best that I could. The community wasn’t too happy that I couldn’t save everyone and the parents of the shooter weren’t either.”

Your name was whispered into the quiet after your words.

“You did the absolute best that you could. I don’t doubt that, the general public has no idea how hard those situations are to deal with, how much more intense it is even when you’re trained to do exactly that. I’m sorry you had to deal with all of that headache after such harrowing scenario.”

You sniffled, tears creeping up on you in the late hour and intimate conversation.

“Your hip, it was shot, wasn’t it?”

“Yeah, ended up needing a replacement. The illum had been shattered with the force of the automatic the shooter was using.”

“You’re safe now, I’ll make sure of it. Frankie will until his last breath. Will and Benny too. We’ve got your back, now, okay?”

You just nodded and felt a kiss pressed into your hair.

-

“Mmm, Fransisco.” You mumbled as you felt fingers lightly trace along your stomach underneath your sleep shirt. It was early morning, an alarm going off in the space of the apartment beyond the carefully closed and locked door. Frankie may had a lot of love for his friends, but he didn’t trust them not to barge in here to say goodbye to you. They liked to make you blush in the most innocent of ways and he’d rather they not barge in with his mouth on you. He placed open mouthed kisses down the column of your neck, his scruff brushing against you in a tantalizing way.

It was still dark outside, far too early for any of you to be waking up. The drinks had been plenty last night. You felt the man beside you shift, heard the hush of his clothing being pulled off, felt the heat of him as he moved to hover over you. You carefully made room for him between your legs, knee twinging only slightly as you did so. He urged you to sit up enough for him to remove your shirt, exposing the whole of your body to him. You hadn’t put on any underwear after changing out of your dress, something that Frankie was beginning to think was a very good idea.

His chest was warm against your own as he connected his mouth with yours. His hands grasped around your ribs in a secure way that made your head spin. Large, warm, slightly coarse palms caressed your skin up and down. His tongue licked along the seam of your mouth and pleasure spiked hot through your entire body, your hips bucking up to seek out friction. Your nails dug lightly into his shoulder blades as you brought him closer down to you.

“So excited, sweet girl.” He murmured against your lips, disconnecting them only enough to speak before he was back to tangling his tongue with your own. You hummed in appreciation, feeling the hard line of him prodding against your upper thigh. You could feel the wetness that had gathered at his tip, telling you how much you liked it when you used his full name. “You’ve gotta be quiet. All our friends are out there, about to get up for the day. Can you do that for me, can you be a good girl for me?”

“Oh, fuck.” Your back arched as he took a nipple between his teeth and pulled it. He soothed the ache with his tongue, hands beginning to play with the give of your chest. “Yes, please, I’ll be so good for you.”

He didn’t answer you with words, instead he lined himself up with your entrance and bottomed out in one thrust. He kissed you to muffle the noise you made at the sudden intrusion. You panted into his mouth, letting him pound into you in fast, hard movements. You broke the kiss to lean up and bite into the top of his shoulder, keeping the sounds bubbling up in your chest to quiet grunts that melted into his skin.

“Look at you, querida, you’re taking me so well.” He stilled deep inside you, pressed fully to that spot that brought stars to your vision and pleasure to ripple over your heated skin. He circled his hips, grinding into you to cascade waves of pleasure through you skin, lighting it up in a hum. “Letting me do whatever I want to you and being so, so good about it.”

You nodded fervently, mouth and hands not loosening up one bit. You loved it, you loved that you could trust him to do this, to be with you in this way. You loved him.

Fuck, you loved him.

-

The day had been productive. You had deep cleaned the store front and the kitchen around a few interviews for counter help. You wanted to try and train Louise on prep for the actual baking but it had to be done with the realization that she would be starting classes at the local university in a month or so when fall settled in. She was more than willing, having chosen to go after gen eds while she waited to hear from culinary schools for the following year. You urged her to put you down as a reference. You had decided on two more people, all on the younger side to help keep up with how busy it was from open to close now. The article in the paper had really brought in a ton more business.

You also had an inkling suspicion that the guys bragged about your treats at work, respectively.

The leftover bottles from the event last night ended up in the hutch upstairs, though the liqueurs remained down here in case you decided to experiment with fillings or whips. You were seated at the coffee table Will had helped you put back into place, the man seated across the cushions from you as he enjoyed a fresh latte you had wanted to add to the menu. It was a mocha with banana syrup and whip cream.

“Thank you for helping out today. I really appreciate having a strong, capable man around to lift heavy things for me.” You offered him a cheeky smile as you typed away on your laptop, trying to write out a rough schedule for the three people you now employed. It would be one during the week with you in the kitchen and two during the weekends with you in the kitchen. “Even though normally I could handle it myself.”

“I know you could, but you gotta watch those stitches. When are they coming out?” He reached over for the tool box he had been using to dismantle the bar cart you had needed for last night. He had taken Lucianna home around mid-morning, the couple sleeping in past the time Pope, Benny, and Morgan had all needed to leave. Frankie had left after them and headed into a shift at the garage. All three of you had breakfast, it had been easy going and comfortable. You liked Lucianna and had offered her to stop by anytime to try some stuff. She was a teacher at Lex’s school, though she taught the year ahead of the little girl. Come fall, she would be her teacher.

“Doctor said one more week when I went in yesterday and thank goodness. They’re itching like crazy.”

“Yeah, stitches are no fun.” He took a long pull from his café cup. Whip cream collecting in his blonde facial hair. You stifled a laugh at the sight but he just stuck his tongue out and wiped it away. He settled back in the plush cushions, contemplating something before he spoke next. “Pope texted me, and Benny of course, he shared with me what you told him about why you moved here. I’m not going to say I’m sorry because you probably get that a lot. But I am glad you managed to get through all of that and still remain the kind-hearted person that you are.”

“I wasn’t…at first.” Your hands stilled atop the keyboard. You didn’t look over to him, eyes trained on the screen though you both knew you weren’t really seeing what it was displaying. “I was so angry, I was so stressed, I felt so betrayed.”

You brought a hand up to wipe away at a few tears that had fallen over your lash line. You closed the laptop and set it gently on the coffee table and picked up your own drink.

“I hide myself away for a long while, during recovery. I was staying at Taylor’s at the time, having lost my apartment due to being suspended without pay. I didn’t leave the bed for months. And then one day, I just…I really wanted a fuckin’ cheesecake, ya know?” You took a sip of the hot drink, reveling in the sweetness of it. “Hadn’t eaten much of anything while wallowing. But everyone was at work and I couldn’t drive or walk anywhere. So I stood in my best friend’s kitchen and made a cheesecake. It made me feel like a person again, to put all the ingredients together and create something.”  

“I’m really glad you found something to help get you out of that. I’m really glad it brought you here, to my brother’s gym, into our lives. We appreciate you so much, manté. And Fish? He’s been waiting and waiting, putting off dating and too scared to put himself out there. But maybe it was all because he was waiting for you. I’ve never seen him like this, he’s happy. And you did that, you brought that out in him, helped him to create that in his life. In all of our lives.”

“You really know how to make a girl swoon, ya big softie.” You laughed through the few tears that followed the first. He leaned over the middle cushion and wrapped an arm around you.

-

Frankie was nervous, he hadn’t told you he made a reservation for tonight. He had simply told you to be ready around seven o’clock. He had rushed home after his shift and tidied everything up. Your perfume lingered in the air of his house, roses and a hint of lemon and vanilla. He inhaled deeply, liking the way it meant that you had been here, been in his space.

He wanted you here more, he would try to make it a reality. He wanted to see you in his kitchen, happy as you worked away on whatever new recipe you were excited about for dinner. He wanted to see you in his bed, wrapped in his sheets and arms in the early morning. He wanted to place a kiss to your cheek before work every morning. He wanted to see you in his shower, enjoying the water pressure and then slinking back to him with your skin still hot from the water and steam coming off of your shoulders. He wanted to see you in the living room, in front of the tv with him and Lex as they watched movies and did her homework. He wanted you. He just wanted you.

Frankie took a moment to change out the sheets, you two had completely ruined the ones on the bed and he loaded them into the washing machine. He made the bed with a fresh set and was off to the flower shop. He was in luck because they had an array of chrysanthemums for him to choose from. He decided on some that looked like the shades of a sunset. It reminded him of the copper of your hair, the way it shown around you and was almost as bright as your smile.

He saw the shadow of you out on the balcony when he drove up and parked his truck beside your own. A faint smell of nicotine wafted down and he found himself picturing you curled up as best you could in one of your patio chairs, you probably had on one of your various dresses. All of them nice and showed off just enough skin to tease him. He rubbed the back of his neck as he grabbed the bouquet off of the passenger seat, suddenly more nervous now that he was about to be face to face with you.

“Querida, you dressed and ready to go?” He called up, his classic aviator sunglasses helping to shield his eyes from the setting sun. His heartrate picked up as you appeared and leaned over the railing. Your smile was big, spying the bouquet he was attempting to hide behind his back. Your hair was alight with the rays of the sun as it began to dip toward the horizon. The curve of your chest was accentuated by the neckline of the black dress you were wearing, the long necklace around your neck swinging as you shyly waved down at him.

“I am, where the hell are we goin’? It's the middle of the week!”

“I’m taking you out on that date I owe you.”

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taglist: @tanzthompson @clevergirl74 @sullyosully

[cyberghost-scout]

Japanese high school AU and Humanformers AU smashed together.

Mainly cause they are both as is but just about being humans. The only difference with JHA Au is that the girls and pa just moved to Japan.

read here

Again, things are not in order, so most of the information may not make sense in the first read.

~ Suni, after high school grad, enlisted in the military.

Zelda (Phantasma) went to community college for social science and anthropology- for a social worker or anthropologist job.

Mainly because she deeply realizes she lacks self-confidence and, of course, free traveling before enrolling in college to work as a Public Safety Dispatcher.

She will remain a mechanic when she gets out after four years in service.

Flow has many degrees in performance arts, fashion design, and, of course, many in STEM.

~ When finally out of service, Suni can return to dressing to her true self: Goth.

She chopped her hair short and messy after having it long to pull it back into a clean ponytail to a bun for four years. Ditching most of the military clothes save for a few for memento purposes.

Even got her tattoos at 23 as a birthday gift.

~ Suni got Ptsd.

She had it before she enlisted- it just made it more apparent.

Zelda has a deep fear of needles/ being stabbed, especially after an indecent that led to a scar on the back of her neck.

~ Suni had two internal joint prostheses: shoulder-joint replacement and reverse total shoulder replacement on the left side.

It's her fault for that to happen- repeat injuries for her during her time in the active military- she learned her season after getting those implants.

~ Taking a cue from Tokyo tours from King Kogi. The favorite part the twins adore to visit is the back routes of Shibuya Stream and Daikanyama.

~ Unpopular food takes in Japan: Zelda finds Yuzu tastes like if one accidentally smells and inhales the lemon pledge, she misses the Panda Express in the States. The one in Shibuya could be better.

Away from the famous Shibuya scramble, sustained in grungy construction, the street stickers all over, the overpasses and bridges.

The freaking pizza by the slice is just a small comfort of their old home in the States.

Suni does not like Okonomiyaki/ Takoyaki as much as the average person- it's with all the sauce; mayo and bonito are just too much for her.

While Zelda prefers Udon over ramen but will still eat it… Suni likes instant ramen over the real stuff.

Flow does not like mochi textures- too mushy for her.

~ Zelda's favorite manga series is Nichijou. Suni's is Full Metal Alchemist. Flow's is Kageki Shojo!

~ I want to talk about Flow's and Suni's relationship.

It is precious.

Please.

Let me write about Flow going on her first trip to Japan to meet her pen pal in person for the first time and bring her Aunty Eartha with her or her mommies. Let there be a new side of Suni- excited to meet someone. Someone around her age- full-on trusting Flow to be her best friend.

Having the most normal queer platonic friendship despite them not fully understanding that.

Like it is so sweet, even feist-snarking Zelda would not help but smile and be slightly at ease. Because Flow may be intelligent but also not- she's making her baby sister happy with no strings attached.

~ Aside from what happened to the twins at middle school. Yes, it was terrible, but that horrible taste wouldn't fully explain everything about their behavior.

The walls around them when socializing. They're used to the long hours Fidel (Like OMG, I forgot his name until seeing that old post) working and being home alone- but they still care about Fidel and fully respect him.

But clearly able to function with independence in doing chores and stuff, aside from financial freedom and proper mental health- Papa Fid is teaching them that.

Their lives before meeting Fidel were depressing.

They do not know their biological father- they (the twins) never spare a thought. And their birth mother wasn't horrible but clearly not a good person or mother: mediocre.

They don't know of their other relatives, let alone if their mother is the only one alive or was cut off.

Fidel recently moved into their apartment complex (closer to his place of work) when the twins were in mid-late elementary.

Fidel noticed a little early on something strange about these two girls sitting outside one door. No one was letting them in or was too upset to say inside after learning from passive conversations with the neighbors and noticing some suspect visitors to the apartment. He contacted the girls and spoke to them.

They don't trust him at first- feeling like he's like the other people going into their house. Zelda even threw a shoe at him while standing in front of Suni.

Eventually, Fidel's patience and offer of letting them stay in a warm apartment with food eased the two, putting away their distrust and turning him into their sitter. Fidelis never got to fully meet their mother, only glimpses.

How did Fidel become their guardian?

Oh- their mother got murdered.

Fidel fought tooth and nail to get the girls under his custody.

~ For Rai @askburningpassion​. Hear me out. It's not part of the long-reaching plan of Rai's true bio papa, but it would be funny if one of his goons got beaten up by Suni/ Zelda, but they couldn't report it as they've got beaten up by a bunch of high schoolers. The embarrassment. The same for Rai's mom's ex-gang members.

(Timeline Fidel was just about to win the fight for adopting the girls and setting up to move the three of them to Japan when those sad excuses of friends threw Suni under the bus. And they know the twin's mom got murked.)

Talking about their time before meeting Fidel is a loaded situation for the twins. Either it comes out so blunt with honesty the listener is too aghast or answers with ominous silence. It's best to talk to Fidel about the past.

Fidel may not know or realize, but he saved a higher-ranked Decepticon in the day, so they're waiting to return the favor.

Because this part was talked about in the DMS and from a past thread, it is more or less about Rai as the girls get older.

It's messy.

With the murder of the parents, the kidnap of the poor child, and Riki being forced to leave for a family friend. And I know how Rai might be kidnapped by a rival ninja clan, and the two girls and Riki are worried sick for her.

Suni went as far as invading the Decepticon base and beating almost everyone in a rampage to find answers.

And once the bittersweet reunion happens, and Rai gets some revenge...

Rai and Zelda would watch in the distance as a suitor approached Suni-- murder wouldn't be involved.

~ Given all the information I gave about Suni's and Zelda's past, I'm tempted to make a scene:

~ Rai would be perplexed with Flow. At first, she'll be worried that she's like those girls chasing her older brother or worse, those mean ones. But seeing her in person, she looks like a fairy.

And again very much like the twins when talking with her brother. She later learned while yeah Flow found him cute she kept her distance. Suni wrote about him to her, she first thought it was hyperbole of his distasteful love life until she witnessed the mobs of lovesick girls.

The albino would be very concerned about his mental health about that.

Also, Rai would be Flow's little model as the fashion princess gave her cute little outfits and accessories. Same with Rai's and Riki's mom.

Those ex-friends of Suni essentially betrayed her trust and left her under the bus until she moved out of the States because they were jealous she was a rising star in the wrestling team instead of them.

Years later, without contact, Suni would have blocked all contact information with them.

She told them she gave up the sport because it associated so much pain of being abandoned by people the girl would have thought she could trust before marching out of the area.

News for some international school competitions whisps around, but it puts Suni in a grouchy mood and blocks it out. And she (mutual peeps) and Zelda accidentally meet up with Suni's old wrestler team coach.

Suni wants nothing to do with them and tries to leave the area while the former couch (not aware of Suni's distress) tries to stop her, apologizing for their part and wishing her luck for the competition only for Suni to snap at them.

~ @braveggg-hq Out of the twins, depending on which brave member you've asked, you'll get a different response on who is the scariest Visser twin.

We got Suni. Despite being an introverted string bean who loves to garden and fix up cars, she will react like a vengeful spirit when forced to fight... 

Then there is Zelda.

Of course, the group would be delighted to hang out with the twins with some unique visits from their father.

She keeps getting into places she should not be allowed and the information she obtained. Making the person she wants to mess with annoyed, angry, or legit cornered.

However, the ninjas found a way to stop her grubby hands on any dangerous information and the AIs' big secret:

Vanilla Wafer.

The golden-eyed little shit's cursed long Furby. Kidnap the cretin and bargain with the sassy teen whenever they need her to back off.

But will they feel a little guilty?

They couldn't get too close to the girls and their father- the Braves have far too many secrets about their true nature. But if they do tell them all they can about themselves --it'll be unfair to let these people lose their everyday lives and get involved with crime and E.T. threats.

And that is way before learning that the twins went through shit because of underhandedness- the reason Suni had a hard time trusting her peers in her school. At the same time, Zelda generally is hostile, if not bombastic, to almost everyone- even more so if her baby sister is involved.

The guilt will grow.

And then those who want to get closer to one of the twins.

Duke- not a human but a disguised one- Suni, an actual human.

Suni needs to learn about Duke's or the rest's big secrets of them being robots. Duke is developing a crush on Suni; he'll be devastated because she's outside the group of humans that knows the many secrets of the B.P.- GGG braves.

He is scared that if she finds out, she'll hate him and never want to see him and the others again. 

Can you imagine the scenario of seeing something terrible happen to Suni that puts Duke in a tight spot?

He can't get out into his proper form in front of her.

People briefly go their separate ways after high school.

And running away would make things worse, against his code to help people. Or be trapped in his human disguise and forced to watch Suni get hurt or die before his eyes.

Or

It happens.

The braves got a call from 110 (911 for Japan) of someone getting stabbed by a suspect they were looking for-- and the person who got stabbed was Zelda.

Duke didn't confess his feelings as Suni went to enlist, and Zelda was busy with college.

The Braves are doing their own thing, too. So they never had a chance to be together, let alone contact.

For years, the group being together was just a part of life that came and went... but what if not?

It was a reunion they didn't want to happen like this.

Zelda survived, but at that very moment, everyone thought she was not lucky when she was in intensive care.

~ Also, @bladedalchemistreplica, I don't have all the details but hear me out: a combo of this au and your new environment au.

To start, teen Ozar is somehow on Earth. It was a brief time- he is baffled about meeting Flow, maybe saving her from some unsavory group.

Eventually, he returns to his place-- Flow writing about her bizarre adventure to her confused pen pal Suni. While teeny, Ozar told Olia and Te-osh that an angel or an Altean hybrid helped him. It would only lead to something once they're adults. (cause time dilation, y'all )

Or some Blade sees the teens' father and says, "Yeah, I want that (courting)."

[ultimateaclrecovery]

Invited the boy over for pizza for Valentine’s Day and I’m so irritated by how bad him offering to bring the dough and sauce makes me feel. It makes me feel like he thinks I’m a terrible cook and that if he lets me try it’ll be a terrible meal and just so inferior and I feel so stupid about that because like he’s clearly just being nice. Like I’ve just straight up never made pizza dough or sauce before and like he’s done it regularly and like has a pizza steel and has looked in to making a straight up pizza oven. I have only ever made frozen and have mentioned that my general approach to cooking is to take all the shortcuts. We both know these things.

I used to feel very okay with my level of cooking skills. I’m not like particularly into cooking but I make all my own meals and I am generally very happy with their taste and quality. And I am fairly good baker and do enjoy baking for others. But really cooking for others. This was a fine neutral thing. But now that I’m in a position to be dating somehow who is a much better cook than I am, I am feeling so bad about it. I just want to impress him and have him think that I’m a good cook and I just don’t feel like that’s achievable here. I know have some not so great competitive slash inferiority complex tendencies but holy crap does this really highlight them. I don’t normally feel this insecure about things either so I don’t even know what to do with this much of this feeling.

I literally read that message and wanted to cry. It just felt like such patronizing pat the head of oh don’t worry about it, just let me do it. And I’m so irrationally annoyed by that. It’s especially stupid because like straight up if I were too make pizza for myself I would honestly just buy frozen pizza dough and store sauce and never taste the difference. But he would never ever use store bought over making his own. This kid has a straight up giant textbook series on the best way to cook things. And built his own sous vide machine in college to try to make the perfect burger. We just have wildly different approaches to cooking. But his message still made me want to cry.

I know too that if I said I would still do it he would let me, but that doesn’t really make me feel any better

[crazycookiecrumbles]

Hii sorry i know it’s been forever since you’ve been done with a terrible taste in pizza but would you ever write a second series since the epilogue gave a little teaser? maybe even have the reader involved with aphrodite’s vase ? idk and thank you!

Heeeey thanks for writing. Glad you liked the story. Your idea is a good one!

However, i don’t post stories anymore since my reader interaction dropped insanely. It felt like I was just writing for myself without any comment or reblogs, so I don’t see the sense in posting my work anymore

[invisiblefoxfire]

This sends me back to a high school health class decades ago, 15 years old, the first task the teacher gives us is to sort a list of foods into "healthy" and "unhealthy." Everyone's lists look similar. Garden salad, apples, milk, bread: healthy. (This was back before certain fad diets tainted the idea of "bread" for so many people, and the dairy industry was running ads telling you how your bones would shatter if you didn't drink a glass of milk every day.) Butter, cookies, ice cream, pizza: unhealthy.

He then asked us to choose one food to take with us on a desert island, and that would be the only food we could eat for the next three years, in order to stay healthy.

When everyone was done, and just about everyone chose something like "salad" for their desert island food, he told us we'd been lied to all our lives. He explained that the world (and largely advertising media) had taught us that foods that tasted good were bad for you, and that calories were unhealthy and to be avoided.

All of these foods are healthy, he said. You can't survive on any one of them alone because they all give you something you need. Although too much refined sugar had been shown to cause heart disease, that didn't make foods containing sugar inherently bad to eat. Fat is not bad for you. Flavor is not bad for you. Calories are not bad for you - calories are literally the fuel we need to survive.

Those students who tried to survive for three years on lettuce alone were going to die of malnutrition, and probably have pretty terrible diarrhea along the way.

If you need to survive, you want the pizza. You want the cookies. You want to be eating sticks of butter to keep yourself fueled.

This led to a series of in-depth lessons about what different types of nutrition do for our bodies, what calories actually are and do, how the presence of refined sugar in a food did not negate the nutrition the other ingredients provide, how hunger is a sign that you should eat, how starvation is not healthy, how pleasure should not make you feel guilty.

This was almost 25 years ago, so not all of the information was in line with what we now know about these things. There was unfortunately no lesson on how fatness or thinness were not any sign of health or lack of it, nothing about how BMI was nonsense, nothing about how your weight and body shape are mostly determined by genetics alone.

But the lesson that calories are not the enemy, that eating so-called "unhealthy" food is better than not eating, that salads are great for some things but you need butter too, that pizza is extremely nutritious. How even the ice cream has calories, fats, calcium, and vitamins in it that your body needs. I will never stop being grateful to that teacher for imparting that knowledge to me at a formative age.

And a lot of you on this site today are around that age, and probably being bombarded with even more vile propaganda trying to twist your relationship to food. So let me pass this on to you.

Eat the ice cream. It's good for you.

I've decided to use the term "convenience food" instead of "junk food."

I think it's more honest, and less loaded. It's all food, some of it is more appropriate when you don't have the spoons left for food prep. It takes slightly more energy to peel a banana than to open a bag of chips.

We try to save the convenience food for days when we need something easy, so eat a banana.

[nightmare-fredbear]

how would you rank every fnaf game?

terrible question to ask me because unfortunately me and my tastes are Annoying. all personal opinion. obviously.

not going to include games i didn't play, for the most part. gave little explanations as to why i placed them where i did because i'm annoying. sorry anon

1- fnaf 1 nostalgia blind but i think it has the most solid gameplay loop w/o being overwhelming and i like the general ugly grungy aesthetic. i think it works best in the series as a horror game and has the best atmosphere. i wish freddy himself had more of a presence in-game.

2- fnaf 2 i think the gamplay is honestly cluttered but the game is iconic. i also think it has some of my fav character designs in the whole series. too chaotic to be even remotely scary however. atmosphere kinda sucks. i think seeing the animatronics down the hall w/ no door fucking rules.

3- fnaf 3 honestly i barely remember the gameplay loop but i remember liking it at the time even if im still of the opinion springtrap should've been a freddy suit. the ending screens still make me a little emotional. i think i am the only person in the world who thinks the phantoms are cool.

4- controversial take. fnaf world look fnaf world is Bad but i am paradoxically endeared to it. i think the designs is cute and im fond of the repetitive gameplay, even if the effects of the game are nauseating and its gameplay is bland. i love to do occasional challenge runs of fnaf world. help me.

5- fnaf 4 i could get into how i feel abt the soft reset of fnaf lore here but i wont. i have trouble processing sound so this game was literally unplayable for me. i found the designs of the animatronics to be over the top to the point of goofiness but i'm endeared to them regardless. mostly higher up bc of nostalgia. nightmare's jumpscare is cool however.

6- ultimate custom night i only played it very briefly but it does what it wants to do just fine so its alright. i don't find the humour very funny but i like hearing some of the voices and i appreciate the concept, i guess.

7- sister location did not like sister location. sorry. the designs are fun though, it was nice to see some humanoid animatronics. this is the point where i jumped ship bc i didnt like the direction the games were going anymore.

8- security breach sorry i lied i didnt play this one but i was exceptionally disappointed with its execution. some of the designs are fun but i am significantly less endeared to its quirks than others. i can at the very least appreciate the actual design of the map and some of the sound work. the clanking footsteps of the animatronics is very satisfying to me for some reason.

i didn't play pizza sim bc i jumped ship at SL so i dont really have any opinions on it other than i predicted porkpatch's existence and i really like him. also didnt play vr bc i don't have access to vr.

[heartitout-posts]

What makes some good comfort food?

“Some foods are so comforting, so nourishing of body and soul, that to eat them is to be home again after a long journey.”

Remember when Anton Ego dug into his bowl of ratatouille? He is immediately transported back to how his mother’s cooking made him feel after a terrible day. That’s what comfort food can feel like. From digging into ice cream tubs and slurping Maggi to securing some good old wine bottles during the blues, the feeling of comfort remains pacifying. Be it a stressful day at work, break-up with your partner or fight with a best friend or even a bad day at school, eating comfort food at the end of the day or right in the middle, it gives you the power to keep going against the tide. 

What is comfort food?

The term comfort food, first appeared in 1997 in ‘The Washington Post’, refers to food items whose consumption gives people a sense of consolation and feeling of wellbeing. Research found comfort food has high calorific value and tends to be associated with childhood memories and happy times of life. There is a reason people say “there is no better feeling than a warm pizza box on your lap”. 

The Emotional Connect

Food can bring back strong feelings and memories from the past. The belief that comfort food can be linked to a specific person, place or time, with which the food has a positive association helps to explain why most people indulge in comfort food when experiencing negative emotions. This is also the most common representation of comfort food in the media, be it delving into an ice-cream tub after a break up or snacking on chips after a bad day. We attach our senses like taste, smell, touch to feelings. Some foods can take us back to memories with our friends, families or times we’ve felt warm and fuzzy. When you feel really uncomfortable and anxious, relishing a food you associate with comfort can be grounding. This is probably why chai hits different in the Dublin winters or Filter coffee brings back memories of Bangalore rains.

Rajma Chawal or McChicken?

While what can be comforting to one may not be to others. For some their grandmother’s Rajma Chawal recipe can be comforting, while it is the McChicken for me. And every time I savour it, I remember going to McDonald's with my family for happy meals. These visits in due time made and didn’t realise that in the process the McChicken became my comfort food. While it has been argued that eating healthy induces feelings of wellbeing. It is the emotional association that the narrow range of comfort food holds with people or memories which makes it the knight in shining armour.

Your Knight in Shining Armour

Quotes from favourite Netflix series, one-sided relationships with celebrities or even photographs and letters- each fulfilling a belonging need for a person feeling the lonely hues. These non-human entities called social surrogates become a go-to for under-weather hues. Comfort food is thus, due to its amazing consoling capacity, considered a form of social surrogate: something to keep us feeling warm and comfortable when the world feels uncertain.

I believe that while comfort food is helping people sail through their emotional disturbances, uncertain times may provide opportunities to add more items to their list of comfort food - I added cinnamon rolls and Pazham Pori to mine. What are you planning to add?

[feladi-fority]

Oh hello! Wow these questions aren’t very suited to me at all lol X33

Three ships: some ships I’ve been writing in some personal roleplays include. Dovewing x Tigerstar (I love these two, Tigerstar is objectively a horrible person but he’s so sweet to Dovewing), Dixie (friend’s OC) x Ashfur (ah yes, Ashfur not learning from his mistakes and going onto hurt someone else, classic, love the angst), Mera (my OC) x Kristen (friend’s OC) (these two are both terrible TERRIBLE people who are used to being in positions of power over others learning what a relationship with no power-dynamic looks like, but it doesn’t stop them from being terrible people, they are irredeemable bastards lol)

First ever ship: probably Brambleash. I thought it was funny to pair up Squilf’s two abusive boyfriends together so they could be horrible to eachother lol X33 tbh Squilf deserves a break

Last song: been listening to the Pizza Tower soundtrack a lot lately. I really need to buy that game DDX

Last movie: I just watched The Texas Chainsaw Massacre! That film is fascinating. There are so many ways to analyze it and it says so much about the time it was created in. Also the atmosphere was fantastic. I’d recommend it if you have the stomach fur it.

Currently reading: rereading Homestuck fur the third time X33 let’s see if I get hyper-fixated again

Currently watching: I haven’t watched a tv show or web-series in a while, but I really wanna catch up on Chainsawman. The last web-series I watched was Vita Carnis (a little too close to Genesis Home Entertainment for my taste). And the last tv show was Arcane I think (fantastic show! somehow made me care about LOL aside from just finding Yuumi attractive)

Currently consuming: you <3

Currently craving: nachos sound great right now!

9 people you want to know better

Ty @loststolenorstrayed for taggg ily

Three ships: all the obvious Francis SoR dynamics (Lydia, Paula, Jennifer, Mikhail) (could rant about the ALL); all the Der Tod dynamics, mmmmgirl I love me some inhuman eldritch mental illness themes; aaaaand god for OC dynamics idek I have so many I love… if you know you know

First ever ship: God it was either Minecraft Diaries Garmau or something from Percy Jackson (Percabeth or Solangelo)

Last song: Another Town, Another Train. ABBA. I’m thinking about Francis and Paula and dying inside, they deserved a kinder world.

Last movie: Felicity: And American Girl Adventure (2005). It goes SO hard. Thank you American girl historical dolls for being so incredible and such a good lens into history, honestly that’s my favorite movie from the American Revolution period. I forgot how good it is. Also it does a horse girl plot very well.

Currently reading: The Adventures Of Robin Hood (1956), by Roger Lancelyn Green. Fairytaleverse lore researching time, it is ;). Kinda shocked I actually have an answer for this one, I don’t read as much as I did before highschool. (Obviously I read shit in HS but reading for school AINT the same as reading for fun.)

Currently watching: Seal of Roses/Bara no Fuuin (2003) (Takarazuka) on repeat, this shit makes me cry every time. Shows wise, trying to pyche myself into finishing Castlevainia and The Umbrella Academy. It’s been since 2020 since I made any progress 😭

Currently consuming: I mean the last thing I had was chocolate milk and TJs toquitos but now I’m just in bed with water. Lol

Currently craving: Tbh I’m happy not eating rn bc whenever I eat I’m like fuck I gotta clean my othrodontic shit right after. Which is sad. Bc I like eating. Ig I’d pick potatoes bc none of the grocery stores near me have had breakfast potato’s in ages :(

Let’s see. Most of my friends have been tagged already. Adding: @feladi-fority @theommune + whoever else sees this

No pressure tho guys :)

[littlelioncub43]

Feeling This

Summary: You host this month’s little get together at your house. There’s games, laughs, and drinking, lots of drinking. You didn’t “like” like Lance, he was just a good fuck... right? (wow, I’m terrible at writing summaries, I’m so sorry lol)

Pairing: Lance Tucker x fem!reader

Warnings: Fluff(?), mutual crushing, jealous Lance, pet/nicknames, plot with no porn, mentioned fucking, excessive drinking (y’all be safe, don’t drink and drive, pretty please), 18+ so MINORS DNI, not beta read so all the mistakes and bad writing is my own

Word count: 2.3k

A/N: This was a hard one to write, mostly because I’m so excited to write the upcoming parts! I feel really good about where the story is heading. I wrote this on very little sleep, so if it makes little to no sense in some parts, I do apologize. But! With that said, I present to you: part 3

Kisses! 

—K

Previous part Series Masterlist Next Part

~~~~~~

Everything was going to be fine. Everything was fine. 

Your house was clean, you had snacks, frozen pizzas, games, darts, drinks and drinks galore. Everything was fine. Then why did your stomach feel like an angry bunch of butterflies were ready to take off? It definitely wasn’t because the small party you were hosting was in less than 10 minutes. And it definitely wasn’t because it meant that Lance was coming over. Nope. No way. Not a chance. 

He’d been over to your place before. But that was different your mind nagged at you. A cluster of excited knocks on your door pulled you from your anxious bubble. Checking your reflection in the mirror one more time, you opened the door to greet your friends. 

“Hey, guys!” you called as the small group flooded your apartment, making a bee line for your kitchen. 

“I come bearing gifts,” your best friend Alona announces and pulls out 2 more cases of beer.

It was going to be one of those nights, you chuckled to yourself. 

Halfway through your first drink, another knock at the door drags you away from your game of darts. Swinging the door open, you’re met with a familiar pair of ocean blue eyes. You can’t help the coy smile that finds its way to your face. 

“Hey, Zeus, I was almost worried you couldn’t make it,” you tease and open the door wider for him to enter. His jaw ticked in slight annoyance at the nickname, “like I would miss a chance to see Chris make an ass of himself at darts,” he smirks as he enters. 

He was wearing his favorite pair of black jeans, the denim accentuated the thick muscles of his thighs (you couldn’t help but sneak a look), and a plain white t shirt. It wasn’t the most dazzling outfit, but it seemed to highlight just how naturally gorgeous Lance Tucker really was. He made his way into the kitchen, fixing himself a drink and greeting the rest of the party. 

It was your turn in darts, though for some reason you weren’t interested in playing the next round anymore. While you took your turn, Lance nursed a beer and watched from the kitchen. Your outfit was casual; hair down in all its natural glory,  jeans and a long sleeved knit crop top. You looked… cute, Lance shook his head briefly, focusing again on the fragrant taste of his beer. 

You were standing with Alona when you felt a tap on your shoulder. You knew Jesse from the gym, but he was coached by Lance so you didn’t really talk with him all that much. He was a bit shorter than Lance, his hair a deep blonde; he wasn’t ugly by any means but he definitely wasn’t your type. Gentlemen may prefer blondes, but you sure don’t. 

“Hey, um, there was talk of a round of beer pong, would you wanna be my partner? F-for the game,” Jesse asked, nervously chewing his thin bottom lip. You could practically feel Lance’s hard gaze glued to the side of your face. 

“Oh, no thanks, Jesse, I don’t feel much like playing just yet. I’m sure Alona would love to play!” With a small defeated smile, he nods and retreats to the kitchen where your dining table is being cleared and lined with cups.

You sigh as Jesse leaves, relieved that you seemed to have let him down easy enough, and head into the kitchen, you needed a drink. You’re met with cold blue eyes as you browse the array of drink options on your counter tops. 

“So, what did he want?” Lance asks in a curt whisper, not looking your way as he watches the first round of beer pong commence. 

“Jesse?” 

“Mmhmm.” 

“Oh, he wanted to see if I would play beer pong with him,” you settle on a bottle of water to help balance out the beer you drank. 

Lance could tell that the little twerp liked you. I mean, the guy practically had a tent in his pants the moment he laid eyes on you, and the way his eyes raked over you like he was starving was obvious to everyone but you apparently. “Oh,” is all Lance said before chugging the rest of his drink.

“Mmhmm, why?” You ask and sip your water, leaning against the counter top next to the brooding brunette. 

“No reason,” he casually shrug, “do you want to play beer pong?” 

You pause for a moment, thinking why not? “Sure.” is all you say with a small nod, a smile fighting its way across your lips. You try your best to hide it behind your water, but Lance still caught it. 

“We got next,” he calls from the kitchen, Jesse turning to glance at you both, a twinge of jealousy spiking in Lance’s chest. He was going to destroy that kid.

Soon the round was over, Jesse and Alona had won by a landslide against Margret and Daphne, who were currently chugging water down to appease their beer-filled stomachs. 

“Alright, Princess, let’s do this,” Lance whispered to you as he approached the table, his gait oozing with a cool sense of confidence that you couldn’t help but admire. Jesse and Alona stood opposite you, their red cups matching in formation to your side. Pulling a coin from his front pocket, Jesse smiled at you softly, avoiding Lance’s harsh stare. 

“You call it,” he said and tossed the coin into the air. 

“Heads,” you call. 

“Heads, you guys toss first,” you take the ping pong ball from the center of the table and hand it to Lance. Grabbing his shoulders, you turn him to look you in the eyes. 

“Let’s take ‘em down, Zeus.” With a smirk and a nod, Lance took a stance at the end of the table, and the games begun.

~~~~~~

It was the last few tosses of your second round. Your side still had 4 cups left, the drinks from losing the last game starting to catch up to Jesse and Alona. You were 1 cup away from victory, and you had no intention of losing tonight. 

“Yer cheatin’ or somthin’,” Alona slurred at Lance, who was about to throw. 

“Hey! No talking to the shooters, Alona! You’re trying to throw my guy off his game, keep your mouth shut!” you scolded your friend, and Lance’s heart couldn’t help but skip at the sound of you calling him “your guy.” 

It was the beer, he tells himself; he shakes his head clear subtly and refocuses on the lone red cup at the other end of the table. Holding your breath, you watch as he tosses the little ball through the air, and land with a small plunk! Into the bubbly drink. 

“Yes!” You cheered jumping up and down, laughing at your friends upset expressions. You give Lance a high five, “thank God for the Olympian!” 

He laughed and turned to see Jesse’s flushed face grimacing at the drinks he needed to finish, “drink up, buddy,” he practically spit the word, pride and satisfaction bubbling in his chest. 

“I think we need a drink t’celebrate, don’t you, Lance?” 

“Definitely, ya got anything else other than this piss flavored beer?” 

You rolled your eyes, fighting the smile that made its way to your lips, “let’s go find out.” 

The kitchen was packed, apparently all 8 of you decided that this was the best place to sit around and chat. I mean, it was closer to the snacks and drinks, so they did have a good reason. Weaving through the maze of sardined bodies, you find your fridge and the glorious contents within it. 

“Whatcha got, Princess?” Lance asked from behind you, only loud enough for you to hear. 

“Well, bad news, Zeus: we only got that piss flavored beer, y’love so much,” you chuckle and hand him another, popping open your own can. Normally your kitchen felt like it was average size, but with 8 people (and 7 drunk people, might I add) it was quite the tight fit. So here you were, standing basically chest to chest with Lance. You could smell the delightful mixture of scents that permeated from him: the rich, warm oak of his cologne, the fermented tang of beer, and the natural musk that was left on your sheets each time he’d come over. You took a few moments to breathe in the intoxicating aromas of the man in front of you.

Looking up, you’re met with a soft smile and a warm gaze. His eyes were glazed over, you gave the alcohol credit for that, his cheeks a soft pink, they almost match his lips. He opened his mouth to speak and just as he does someone knock into his back, sending him crashing into you. Your hands naturally move to catch him, although your movements were more uncoordinated as the beer started to catch up to you. A slurred “sorry, man,” is muttered as Lance sways unsteadily. Your hands on his sides to hold him, you can see the moment the anger flashes across them. 

“Hey, now, s’okay,” your hand catches his jaw gently as he moves to yell at whoever almost knocked him over, “you’re okay, was an accident.” 

Your voice is as gentle as your hand on his cheek, his chest huffs in agitation but he manages to keep himself from lashing out. 

“There you go,” you affectionately pat his cheek with a giggle. 

“He’s a dick,” he grumbles to himself and finishing the last of his beer. 

“Well, if it makes y’feel any better, he’s goin’ home now,” you slip out from the kitchen to say goodbye to your group of friends. 

“Thanks for the drinks,” someone called from the end of the hall, “it’s Daphne’s turn to host next month, don’t forget!” your friend Alona mentioned before a very sober Rachel, the designated driver of the evening, had to practically carry her to the car. 

Your once flooded apartment was now drained, leaving only you and Lance. You were surprised to find him in the kitchen, putting the snacks away. “They never help clean up, s’fuckin’ barbaric,” he grumbles when he notices you standing behind him. Laughing, you start putting the rest of the food and drinks away, and soon the kitchen was clean (or as clean as two drunks could get it). 

“Alrighty, Princess, s’been fun but I really ought t’be headin’ home,” he slurred and reached for his car keys, but you weren’t having it. 

“Nuh uh, you’re still drunk, Mister,” you snatched his keys away from him and held them at a distance, moving them farther when he reached for them. 

“Aw, c’mon, don’ be like that,” he wrapped his arms around you and tried his best to grab his keys but you managed to keep them just out of reach. 

“Not a chance, I don’ wan’ you drinkin’ and drivin’. Ya could get hurt,” you reasoned and he sighed, rubbing his face, trying and failing to hide a yawn. 

“Fine, fine, fine, I’ll stay til I sober up. There, ya happy?” 

You nod and smile triumphantly, a yawn of your own interrupting your response of “good.” Looking up at him, you can see the sleep he’s fighting off; his eyes red and eyelids droopy. 

“Why don’ y’just sleep it off here?” You offer, whether it was the alcohol in your veins or some divine surge of bravery, you don’t know. 

If Lance was being honest, he didn’t expect things to go this way. He wasn’t prepared to be invited to sleep over. Sure, he’d been over at your house before, but he never slept over. He didn’t do sleep overs, especially with girls he was just hooking up with, so he doesn’t know why he was nodding and agreeing so quickly. 

“If y’don’t mind, tha’ might be best.”

Idiot. Sound more pathetic next time, Lance, his brain mocked him as you guided him to your room, shutting the lights off as you went. 

You were in the bathroom, quickly doing your bedtime routine. He’d been in your room before, but that was when he was fucking your brains out, not going to sleep next to you. 

“Y’want different clothes to sleep in?” You ask as you exited the bathroom, starting to climb into bed. Lance couldn’t help but chew his lip at seeing you in your pajamas, you’ve seen her naked, man, grow the fuck up, his brain teased once more. 

He shook his head, “nah, m’fine, Princess, thanks,” he said and stripped to his boxers. 

You couldn’t help the blush that heated your face. It was weird seeing him practically naked when he wasn’t about to give you the fuck of your life. It felt more real, more domestic, more…right? You were too drunk to decipher how it made you feel, so you told yourself. 

Lance climbed into your bed, sighing as he relaxed into the mattress. The smell of your laundry detergent and shampoo filled his lungs once more. God, he loved this smell. 

You could feel the heat of his body against your back as you laid on your side, the sensation just as addicting as its always been.

“G’night Princess,” he whispers to you in the dark. “Goodnight, Zeus,” you whisper back. You can hear his deep chuckle and feel the shake of his shoulders. You both lay in silence, settling in, and avoid touching each other (even though you’ve done much worse in the very same bed). 

Tiredness began to take its toll and your eyes began to droop. Just before you drift off, you feel the bed move as he shifts beside you, a strong hand hesitantly coming to rest at your waist, and warm puffs of air rolling down your neck. Instinctively, your own hand moves to hold his, your small hand encasing his much larger one. The rhythm of your breathing deepens as a comforting haze of sleep takes you both.

~~~~~~

Taglist: @slothspaghettiwrites​, @tumblin-theworldaway​, @inlovewithsebstan​

[thatssocheezy]

Anthony's Pizzeria & Ice Cream Parlor - Miami Ave in Wildwood Crest, NJ

So this review is going to be my first post in a series I'm calling Wildwood Za 2022. There are SO MANY pizzerias in the Wildwoods but in my 30+ years of going, I have yet to find a plain slice as good as Mack's. There were a number of spots I wanted to try last year and just didn't have the time to visit, so this year I made an effort to get to all of them and was ALMOST successful. I had a couple new spots pop up that I just had to try so a few will have to wait until 2023.

First up is Anthony's, a pizzeria right on the beach in Wildwood Crest that my parents told me was good. Boy, were they wrong. While the location is prime (literally on the beach), the pizza was straight garbage. I had a bad feeling when I walked in and saw no slices on display and laying eyes upon my heated up slice cemented those fears. As you can see, there was WAY too much sauce and it wasn't even good as it was overseasoned beyond belief. It pretty much tasted like frozen pizza and I wouldn't be surprised if that was exactly what it was. I will admit the crust was fine as it tasted like a breadstick, but honestly, that's not enough to save this slice. Absolutely not worth the $3 price tag. Avoid at all costs.

P.S. When I told my dad it was terrible he said he had a different threshold for bad pizza. Understandable.

[openheartfanfics]

Newly Added Fics

July 30 - Aug 5, 2022 

🎭 Angst  |  🦚 Angsty Fluff  |  🛸 AU  |  ☁ Fluff  |  ♥ NSFW  |  📚 Series  |  📷 Edit  |  📱 TextFic  |  Ⓜ Mature

BRYCE X F!OC / F!MC

Kitchen Wars - @peonierose  ☁

Making soup turns into a kitchen war. [Cooks]

Please Let It Be Coffee - @peonierose  📱 ☁

Text/Insta exchange between Luna and Bryce. Because now that Luna is pregnant no more coffee for her. [Pregnancy]

That Sounds Like Pizza to Me - @peonierose  ☁

Luna and her cousins have their pizza night where the debate comes up pineapple on pizza or not.

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star - @peonierose  ☁

The twins are excited to see their parents. [Domestic; Family]

ETHAN X F!OC / F!MC

A Rock and a Hard Place - @coffeeheartaddict2  🎭 Ⓜ

Ethan has a decision to make about how much of a relationship he wants to have with Louise. TW: mentions of addiction

All The Things We Run From - @kat-tia801  📚 🛸 Ⓜ

[mini: wip] After her residency leaves her with heartbreak and lasting scars, Brynn sets off to find a change of pace. But as she’s trying to escape her demons, she crosses paths with someone who’s fighting secret battles of their own. TW:  depictions of mental health struggles, character death

CH 1: A Million Miles An Hour

Birth Control - @txemrn  🦚 Ⓜ

After a heated conversation with friends about the Ramseys’ decision not to have children, Tatum begins to wonder if their plan is truly what her new husband wants. TW: Medical complications affecting fertility; bullying/shaming Feat. Sienna Trinh

Darkest Hour - @coffeeheartaddict2  🎭 Ⓜ

Ethan finds out a painful secret from Casey’s past. TW: non-physical domestic abuse

Happy Birthday, Dr. Ramsey - @liaromancewriter  📷 ☁

Cassie posts Ethan’s birthday wishes on Picta. [Birthday]

New Horizons - @jerzwriter  ☁

It’s Kaycee’s last day at Edenbrook. While a friend is there to support her, Ethan and Emma are there to take her home. [Domestic; Family]

Not Meant to Be - @lucy-268  🎭

Ethan went to the Amazon promising Samantha they would still be together when he came back. So, who changed his mind? Feat. Harper Emery [Amazon]

So Close: An Open Heart/The Royal Romance Crossover  - @sincerelyella  📚 🛸

[extended: wip] Ella was stuck in between two men, Bryce and Ethan. When she had to make a choice, she ultimately chose Ethan … but he refused. Now what?

Sugar High - @jamespotterthefirst  ♥

He makes her body do something no one else has before. [Oral]

The Great Bake-Off - @mysticalgalaxysstuff  ☁

Ethan makes pancakes (!!) with his daughter. [Domestic; Family; Cooks]

The Heart Wants - @genevievemd  🎭

After going on a terrible blind date, Ethan agrees to meet up with Genevieve. But it’s harder than they both imagined. [Pining, Ethan POV]

What Now? - @potionsprefect  ☁

When Luke and Lily finally fall asleep, Victoria and Ethan wonder what they should do. [Domestic; Family]

With You - @jerzwriter  ♥

After dropping Louise off at rehab, Ethan & Kaycee share an emotional ride back to Boston. Kaycee assures a worried Ethan that she is there for him, always… in every way. [2.16; Public Places]

You Are My Sun, My Moon & All My Stars - @mvalentine  ☁

Ethan Ramsey wants to take his girlfriend out on a date. Except he doesn't tell her the where, the what or the why. [Date]

Z Toboyu - @ofmischiefandmedicine  ☁

During their drive to visit Laura’s mother, Ethan gets a taste of her culture.

102 Days of Smiles - @genevievemd  📚 📷

[extended: wip] One post a day, for 102 days, with something that made our new bride smile.

ETHAN X M!MC

Drama Queen - @peonyblossom  ☁

Sydney fawns over their cat a little too much after her bath. [Pet]

Hottest Man Alive - @dr-colossal-pita  ☁

Oliver  is scrolling through their phone and randomly says “wow this guy is so hot!” out loud causing Ethan to wonder who he’s talking about. 

JACKIE X M!OC

First Date - @openheartfanfiction  ☁

Rowan asked Jackie out on a date and here is how it went.

PLATONIC/ENSEMBLE

Roomie Evening - @potionsprefect​  📷

Victoria spends an evening with the roomies.

Underneath the Tree - @liaromancewriter  ☁🎄

Cassie is in the mood to spread some Christmas cheer and her loved ones are happy to help. Feat. Ethan Ramsey, OH Gang

SIENNA X M!OC

Break Time - @liaromancewriter  📱 Ⓜ

Max and Sienna find ways to keep their relationship fun, even from a distance.

TOBIAS X F!OC / F!MC  

Boys Night Out - @jerzwriter  ☁ Ⓜ

Tobias runs into some opposition when he tries to convince the guys to  join him in his man cave. Feat. Bryce Lahela, Ethan Ramsey

For Keeps - @jerzwriter  ☁

Tobias drags his best buddy around Boston to find the perfect ring for Casey, but in the end, she has the biggest surprise for him.

50 Days of Love - @openheartfanfiction  📚 📷

[extended: wip] Just 50 Days of Adelaide showing love to many different things.

_

SUBMIT OPEN HEART FICS & WRITERS HERE

[babyraptor]

just in case anyone is interested, i would like to share some of my favorite Stardew fanfics. some of these are parts of a series, some of them are still in progress, some of them are sadly unfinished and all of them are excellent in my mind.

you will likely notice a theme here.

i'll be updating my list every so often. (and if you really want to know, i'm secondofjune on AO3.)

Edit: my list has expanded to the point where i should probably start organizing it better. i decided to sort by fic length for the time being.

One-shots

Sleeping With a Friend

Field Research

Rainy Day Confession

Cock Fight

"you taste like fucking candy"

Unboxing

The Moon and the Sun

Stay

Until You Meet Yourself

You Will Be Buried in Pelican Town

An Honest Answer

Turning From A Whisper

Into A Scream

In someone else

to get you home

Pierced Perceptions

Tonight, Tentatively

Terrible Tribulations

Favourable Firsts

Fate Is Funny Like That

Revelation

Nothing More

Short stories

8-bit

The Clearing

Heart Events

A Player Has Joined the Party

Friendship, Love and Other Hard Things

Testing the Waters

A Time You Broke

Preferably, You

It's Not Gay If You Do It For Pizza

'tis the damn season

Open Your Heart

The Shadow over Pelican Town

The Things That I Wanted, I Had All Along

Ten Things I Love About You

Wild Nowhere

Fluorescent Lights in the Dark

The Sun Won't Rise

sebastian is so hot omg

Longfic

The Way Through The Woods

Out of The Woods

Stand By Me

Heartstrings

Sunshowers

Seasons Change, but So Do We

Strings That Tie To You

Her

Cloudburst

Like You Mean It

The Lines of Your Hands

The Magic of the Night

The Jock and the Rock Star

Ruin of a Place

Catch of the Day

Like You're the Only One In the Room

Everything Good Happens After Midnight

Hive

1 Willow Lane

Sunshine Through Dark Clouds

Looking For Signs in the Snow

For A Long Time Looking At Stars

Tumble

Mutually Beneficial

The Largest Eggplant In The Valley

Star Burst

The Lost Wardens

A First For Everything

My Heart Was Always in the Valley

Series

The Woods (series)

Just Between Us (series)

Riley Universe series

The Pelican Gang series

Dear Farmer

Always Meant to Bee

[incorrect-hs-quotes]

Alpha kids + trolls and whether or not they like Twilight

Hooooo boi this is gonna be a long one but alright challenge challenged

ALPHA KIDS:

Jake: Yes. A thousand times yes. This guy canonically has no taste in movies of course he's gonna watch Twilight and enjoy it. He thinks Renesme is brilliant. The direction astounding, the soundtrack, effervescent. He cannot be stopped, swayed, or distracted from his love of Twilight

Roxy: Yes, for separate, but similar, reasons than Jake. She knows it's trash. It's garbage and poorly written, and you know what? Sometimes the garbage is okay. Great even. She has taste in movies but she's also completely capable of enjoying a bad movie without tearing it apart. Because a bad movie is better than a boring movie.

Jane: No. Hard no. She thinks they're idiotic and nonsensical, the plot pandering and meandering with no point or direction, like a frisbee caught in a tornado but less entertaining. The first thing she does as soon as she can is buy up every copy and stop distribution online to halt it's continued existence in Earth C

Dirk: No, the last thing he's looking for is another trite hetero love triangle between the personification of beige, a Dirk Strider Clone a pretentious control freak and a Dirk Strider Clone an angsty furry.

TROLL TIME

Aradia: The girl loves all things dead and dying, she is goth incarnate. Of course she likes it. I wouldn't say she loves it though. She just thinks it's neat. Like the kind of movie you put on a lazy sunday afternoon or when you wanna read something on a bus ride. Quaint is a good word for how she sees it

Tavros: I'd say he likes it tbh. It's an engaging story for him, not for any plot reasons but more for the drawn out character conflicts. He thinks the people in it are intriguing and largely play off each other well.

Sollux: No, and you couldn't make him read it with a warship to his head. The writing is boring and just all edge with no point, like a pizza cutter, and if he wanted one of those he'd go to the kitchen section and he is a terrible cook. Metaphor is getting out of hand but the point is he thinks it's dumb and looses a bit of respect for anyone who does like it.

Karkat: Do I need to say it? Probably because this is what this whole thing is about. Yes he adores this series. He hates the plot but who cares about that when you get such strong emotions pulled out between bell-bottom jeans and ed wood, though he thinks it would have made more sense as a ashen-rom once jake's weird clone entered the picture where taco bell pits fullmetal vampire against sharkboy and she has to play ringmaster and mediator. But for what it is it's great in his book.

Nepeta: Absolutely not. Ehhhhh threw you for a curveball there didn't I? Anyways, no, Nepeta cannot bring herself to tolerate Twilight even in passing conversation. The plot is serviceable but the characters have no chemistry to be spoken of. They're only together because they're the main characters, there's nothing they have in common other than being as tasty as celery, and Nepeta want's a juicy romance with some m33t on it's bones.

Kanaya: Yes, so much yes that it is like one of the first things established about her character. She likes Twilight. No, she ADORES Twilight. The angst, the longing, the separation and then the reunion of the leads, it's tastier than any blood she drinks. This is the closest she had ever come to understanding being attracted to men, though she normally mentally rewrites them as ladies when she can't be bothered to manually regender the characters.

Terezi: No, she's not averse to it but she's got better, less self-indulgent things to do with her time. She can picture herself maybe reading it after a particularly rough breakup or if she's in an uncharacteristically angsty mood, but otherwise no. Besides, romance isn't normally a priority for her, it's more having a good time. Or at least that's what she tells herself

Vriska: Yes, definitely, absolutely. She is a sucker for trash a la Mindfang's journal and is also, in my opinion, a hopeless romantic with bad taste and even worse judgement. It's just the right amount of saucy and intriguing for her to follow, but she does bemoan the lack of Bella kicking ass. Otherwise though it's a regular read for her.

Equius: Yes, but with some caveats. He would never openly admit to enjoying Twilight, as per the norm is for him, but he looses himself picturing himself as Bella, being longed after and not hurting someone for once while still being focused on for whatever reason. It's cathartic for him.

Gamzee: I don't think he can read, but even if he could he wouldn't pay any attention to it in any state of mind. Stoned Gamzee would think it's just part of a really long commercial and sober Gamzee would dismiss it as boring.

Eridan: Yes, it appeals to his melodramatic nature. A five movie long conflict over who gets to kiss whomst that could have easily been solved in a week or so by actually sitting down and thinking about what you want in life? Sign him the fuck up!

Feferi: Nah, she's had enough of that bullshit and she's not about that life. She thinks Bella is a wishy-washy protagonist and the story is nothing special. She wishes people would get over it and read other stuff, there's plenty of fishes in the books and this one isn't really worth getting in a twist over in any sense of the word.

-Mod Terezi

[crazycookiecrumbles]

Hi, would u ever write a terrible taste in pizza sequel series ? and if u wouldn’t would u ever be comfortable with someone drawing a little inspiration ( with credit) and writing their own spin on the ares and frank tie?

Hellooooo

I’m not entirely sure if I’m going to go back to posting my works on here. There’s a chance I might do a sequel bc of how I left the ending? But I’m still unsure.

I wouldn’t mind seeing fan art of my work, but I would decline anyone writing their spin on it. I worked really hard to make that story, and I’m not comfortable with someone using it as a basis

[holocene-sims]

🎮 🍽 🌙 🎁 for Grant!

thank you so much for the ask!!

🎮 - what’s their favorite game?

i would say for sure his favorite game is mass effect. he's a big space nerd anyway, even without his love for video games, so that series is absolutely perfect for him and suits his tastes and interests 👽

🍽️ - what’s their favorite food?

very typical and boring answer but grant admittedly is a big fan of pizza. and yes, he does believe pineapple belongs on pizza 🍍🍕

🌙 - what’s their sleep schedule like?

tbh his sleep schedule is pretty busted. he goes to bed late, like bare minimum he'll go to sleep at midnight, and he wakes up early, like eight a.m. at the latest. he's used to getting up early for work but even on the weekends, grant usually wakes up early. half the time he's up at like five or six a.m. because laying down for hours and hours is one of the worst triggers for his chronic pain issues, and it often rudely wakes him up when he would like to be sleeping

🎁 - how do they feel about their birthday/birthdays in general?

he loves celebrating other people's birthdays!! but he's not a big fan of celebrating his own 😭 grant did like his birthday as a kid but he stopped enjoying celebrating it the day his older sister died. since then, it's always felt wrong for him to celebrate life when she's not here, and it's especially painful now that he's far older than she ever lived to be. that's a weird thing...outliving your older sibling...

he tends to be super depressed around his birthday, but his family and friends are pretty unrelenting and try to make it enjoyable for him. luckily it usually works! grant might feel terrible deep inside but he'd feel worse rebuffing his loved one's efforts. he can and will warm up to a celebration