#so they're cropped and posted like this. sorry

[bishonenspit]

Eroica & the Major - cover cut illustrations for Princess (1984) - Yasuko Aoike 60th Anniversary Artbook: Contrail

[chewyhanniebug]

happy birthday to the sweetest and most endlessly loving person in the world 💖💖💖

[spaceratprodigy]

[ 😇 ] — doodle dump from priv

just some smaller things while I have fun w friends and find my groove again :]

Commission Info | Ko-Fi | My Links

[sevenheaven7011]

I think a cool thing you could do if you want to write like a modern au with manfred as a human kid but like still want to keep emmrich's hesitation to call him his son that he has in game is making him a friend/colleague's child who was orphaned in an accident who emmrich ended up taking in

[northstarscowboyhat]

i need you to do a deltarune yellow interpretation. I have seen NOONE do anyhting that would do it justice. PLEASE

Gosh, that's extremely high praise! A lot of this art is super old, but I might as well post what I had done for this concept! Lots of rambling below!

In this version/AU, Hometown is a very small impoverished farming community. Despite the recent struggles of losing many businesses to the larger human city nearby, it's still a close knit community of everyone knowing everyone! The Sunnysides own the biggest farm in the town and are very well known by all the residents - especially after Starlo, the eldest son of the Sunnysides, takes in Clover, a young human who wandered into the Sunnyside crops, disheveled and dirty with barely the clothes on their back. Aside from remembering their name, Clover claims to not remember anything else, such as where they came from or why they seemingly ran away from home.

Starlo takes Clover in, but Clover is a human in a town full of monsters that they've suddenly been thrusted into, without the history with one another everyone else has. Not only that, Clover's a bit of a troublemaker (at least in appearances), picking fights with bullies and struggling to connect to anyone. The only other monster they've connected with (aside from the Sunnysides) is Martlet, who is a college student in town. She started out as a babysitter looking for extra cash hired by Starlo, until she and Clover began a genuine friendship! They're besties and hang out all the time.

(Ignore that god awful Martlet design... I tried to make her resemble Berdly and oh god. Regret.)

Eventually, Clover stumbles upon the Dark World, and in it, a strange flower darkener who claims to be the prince of the Dark World. Very quickly, the Dark World becomes an escape for Clover. In the Light World, they're a weirdo outcast who has no friends their age. They feel like they only cause problems for everyone, especially Starlo, who has to work twice as hard in order to financially support them. But in the Dark World, they can be a hero, just like all the cool cowboys in their favorite Western films! All the Darkners love them and praise them as a hero, and Clover gets to rescue them from outlaws and save the day. The more time they spend in the Dark World, the less problems they're causing in the Light World, so it's a good thing, right? Flowey and his people need a hero!

(Basically, the Dark World would be a concept that's already established in universe in Chapter 1. This is sort of meant to parallel Starlo's North Star persona in UTY, because you guys know I love my Clover + Starlo parallels.).

(Bonus for all my fellow Starlo fans) Most of Starlo's time, when he isn't working at his family's farm, is spent doing part time jobs in order to raise Clover. He works part time at the local diner at the beginning of the story, leaving very little free time for himself or his interests. RIP bozo having to take responsibility (Orion and Starlo's dynamic would be flipped here, as Orion is the one with a lot more freedoms. He's a college student Martlet's age, and is very busy with his studies and extracurricular activities that he isn't home often, meanwhile Starlo is saddled with a ton of work).

The real story would begin when part of the Ketsukane family (freshly divorced, sorry) move back into Hometown after living away in the city. Chujin's ex wife Ceroba moves back into town with their daughter Kanako, who is the same age as Clover. The two... do not get along right away, which only irks Clover as Starlo is particularly close to Kanako. Kanako is instantly popular and well liked among their peers, and she might have some unchecked biases against humans she picked up from their father. Maybe journeying together in the Dark World would help them grow closer...?

(Again, please forgive this ugly old style. Was trying to go for a superhero theme for Kanako's Dark World design since she's a comic book fan.)

Some other things I didn't have art for

Dalv is the town's librarian! He's also on good terms with Clover, but he's also a bit of a reclusive and doesn't interact with people much.

Chujin was living in Hometown prior to Clover showing up, trying to bounce back from his divorce with his wife (it was on fairly good terms, but still, a massive life change). He claims to work remotely for an important company of some sort, but is secretive about the details. While he's well liked by the town, he's also very outspoken against humans.

Ceroba would also be recovering from the divorce, as she was a housewife her entire time with Chujin, and now needs to find herself as well as a career to support Kanako. She moves back into Hometown in hopes of reconnecting with her old friends and to give Kanako a much calmer school environment.

There have been an influx of missing children reports in the general area around Hometown. Strangely enough, they all seem to be young human children around Clover's age...

Also these guys in the Dark World..... Eh, I'm sure they're not important in the slightest.

[chow0w]

(Re)Designing a winglet! - part 1/7

Hello my beautiful blog readers, happy Wednesday!

While going through my procreate files, I found a jumpscare of an old drawing I made from a winglet I created in 2020. Looking at your old artwork is never fun, but it did give a good idea: redesigning all of these characters! Now that I've improved a lot, it will be cool to see how I can upgrade these designs and characters. I don't remember much about them, so I'm going in as blind as you!

For any artists following my work, these weekday posts are going to be a great time for me to explore my process as a designer/writer + the tricks I use to transform characters!

I REALLY do not want to hear a word about this old art. I can't believe I'm posting it. yes in hindsight it's not that bad but like omg. Sorry about the image quality throughout this post - a lot of these are cropped photos so they're very blurry.

To start off, here's the old character I want to redesign first!

I literally only have his name to go off, but based on first impression this guy seems annoying. He's giving me the energy of someone with high ego and low grades, and his name (Ficus) references Figs. The first thing we should do is fix his headshot, and try to emulate the qualities we know about already!

Identifying key features is important: his frills, eyebrows, smile and horns stood out to me the most because they seem to be what show his personality.

This is so much better! I amplified the key features we just found, and used my knowledge of shape to create consistency in his design. Ficus' expression also got an upgrade, and he looks much more natural in this mid-conversation pose. He reminds me a lot of that cocky snake from the Sahara (If anyone watched that as a kid).

Reading into the name, figs can often symbolize new growth or development - which gives me a lot of ideas about this character! Maybe Ficus is a dragon who starts the story as cocky/self-righteous, but unlearns his bad habits and becomes a more enjoyable person. Maybe he doesn't. Maybe he just gets worse as the story goes along - he's proven right one time and turns into an even more insufferable classmate.

It's important to think about group dynamics when creating a character, especially if they operate in a group setting. Does Ficus get along with his classmates? Do they like him? Do they know how to cooperate, and how does that impact their performance in times of crisis? I would argue that group dynamics can be one of the most influential aspects of a story: they don't just dictate the plot, but the tone of your story and how your audience reacts.

Here's my complete sketchpage for Ficus! I added a full body doodle so we could get a better reference of how he looks, as well as a small sketch of him lounging in a hammock and talking about how great he is. I'm going to leave this uncolored for now, but I might come back to it later!

--

Thank you so much my returning readers + all of you who made it this far! I love talking about art and WoF so this really is a win-win for me. To anyone wondering about the redesigns, those are still happening! I plan on releasing them over the weekend as larger batches, so these conversation posts are just here to fill my blog during the work week. I always love hearing what you guys think of my designs, so don't hesitate to let me know! As always, my askbox is open to redesign requests + general questions or comments!

( ´ ∀ `)ノ～ ♡

[marinersubmariner]

Detail crops from my latest art

And some talk about this AU:

The concept was that this is a canon divergence branching off after TFA (hence Ben-with-scar). One of the many scenarios I like to consider is if they had a full role reversal within the course of the story, so in the middle act Ben turns to the light side just as Rey falls to the dark side. I think of it like an extension of the "missed connections" tragedy of TLJ, where they get close and then bounce off each other again, but this time in opposite directions. Like wavelengths at different frequencies, crossing in the middle and then peaking apart. And then the extreme discordance of them swapping sides makes it that much more satisfying when they finally fully align.

I like reformed Ben so much, I like getting to him earlier in the story, I like the potential for dark Rey to be much more vicious than him (given her baseline murderous rage in "hero" mode), and Ben having already learned from that and drawing on his own experience to pull her back.

While I wouldn't want to trade out the Kef Bir ocean fight and there's no need for a redundant lava battle, I do love the hypothetical idea of them on Mustafar because the volcanic environment is so intense and operatic. Even though TROS technically uses Mustafar, it's wasted as such an unrecognizable throwaway, whereas I wanted it in a way that specifically related to Vader and actually visited the castle. And here I just think it's fun to play it up as an inversion of the snowy Starkiller Base setting—dark Ben and light Rey surrounded by ice, light Ben and dark Rey surrounded by fire.

Also… I'm addicted to atmospheric space Icelands (cf. Lah'mu). Speaking of which, yes I used the final scene of The Northman for reference. (sorry they're not naked)

If I had really committed to my preferred headcanon for post-Kylo Ben I would have given him a white saber, but I've come to associate Ben so strongly with the color blue that I can never pass that up. And aesthetically the contrast of the blue and red just looks cooler and more interesting. I like blue too much!!! Kyber healing will have to wait for another day.

[rhapsody-clown]

Guys please I am BEGGING you to pay more attention to the art you're reblogging

I've seen 2 different posts this week in the poolverine tag of stolen art and they both had over a hundred notes and no one calling them out.

The easiest way to tell is to compare the watermark/signature on the image with the username (no signature in combo with weird cropping is an immediate red flag). Here's one that I've seen recently making the rounds, I highlighted the signature and username to compare

They don't match. HOWEVER, there are artists whose signature is different than their user, and if you're not sure, check the blog. If they're an actual artist, you should be able to tell immediately because there will be other art pieces that match the signature and style. Art thieves tend to post multiple pictures as well, but the key differences are: the speed at which they post (your average artist isn't posting 3 different pieces back to back in the same day, at least not without an explanation), the signatures and watermarks of course, and noticeable differences in artstyle (and even artists who practice different styles are still gonna have tells that it's their art like the shapes, anatomy, coloring, shading are going to resemble each other)

Back to the example blog, let's look at their other posts.

The first was posted the same day as the poolverine piece, and not only is there no signature + obvious cropping, it's a completely different artstyle. There was no credit for the og artist on the post. The second also has a different signature and artstyle, and of course no credit to the original artist. We know now that this person has no problems with posting other people's art and letting people believe it's theirs.

One of the most common excuses these reposters give is that they found it on pinterest or some other site, where there was no credit, and wanted to share it anyway. Except it took me 3 SECONDS to find the artist of the poolverine art by reverse image searching, which you can find HERE. I unfortunately couldn't find the source for the Scarlet Witch art, but I did find the source of "Y/N's hero suit" HERE. Of course, not being able to find the source is even less of an excuse, because you should always get the artist's permission to repost, and you can't do that if you don't even know who the artist is.

This isn't meant to make you feel terrible for unknowingly reblogging stolen art, I understand that if you're just scrolling along it's easy to just reblog something you like without thinking, I've done this myself before, which is why I'm so particular about the art I reblog now. If you're willingly reblogging art that you know is stolen, then you're up there with the thief in your shittiness and you can go fuck yourself.

You shouldn't have to go sleuthing just to reblog art you like, but unfortunately the internet has shitty people that steal, so it's better to be safe than sorry.

[yasministration]

Ron weasley - Opposite teams

Summary: You play a match against your boyfriend, who's a very sore loser. wc: 2k

Seeing him on the pitch shouldn't have had such an effect on you, especially considering you were playing for the opposite team. The gear looked good on him, and confidence was beaming off his skin, but you were one of the best chasers at Hogwarts, priding yourself on how rarely you missed a shot. "Pull yourself together Y/N!" Flint yelled at your frozen form, still in shock of what had happened. It was all because Ron had flashed you that stupidly gorgeous smile when you were about to score that you hesitated - hesitated enough for him to read your body language and predict your next move, easily catching the quaffle when you threw it. Even your boyfriend had been surprised, well aware of how good you played from years of watching you on the field.

"Wow! It seems as though L/N is too charmed by her boyfriend to get a good shot, this is a new one folks!" Begins Lee, rousing up those in the bleachers. "And it looks like Slytherin Captain Flint is calling for a time out! Good choice I'd say!" It was already embarrassing enough that the entire school knew the time out was being called because you were too hot and bothered by your boyfriend, but your face flushed a dark red the second the Slytherin team turned to look at you in disappointment. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I don't know what got into me, he's just so- I can't be the primary shooter I'm sorry!" The entire team looked back at you as you rambled and you felt your face get impossibly warmer realising you were gushing about your boyfriend to six teenage boys. "I'm sorry." You muttered.

"Y/N's right," Starts Flint again, "She shouldn't be the primary shooter for this game..." His voice trails off and your gaze drifting to where to Gryffindor team stands. You can see them laughing for a moment, and Harry pats Ron on the back - the reason you missed literally couldn't have been more obvious and they were having a field day about it. "Got it Y/N?" Your head snaps back to Flint, looking at you with raised eyebrows. Your face goes blank, your mouth opening as though to say 'what' but nothing comes out. "You'll switch places with Nott as secondary." Malfoy says quietly to you, and you perk up "Yes, got it!" Flint doesn't look convinced, but calls time out to be over anyway, and everyone gets back on their brooms.

"Stay focused or I'll knock your boyfriend off his broom!" The remark is clearly aimed at you, but is loud enough for both teams to hear and you glance at Ron, whose face has blanched at the comment. You turn away from him, trying not to smile, and the whistle blows. Nott scores time after time after time, and you can see your boyfriend's confidence decreasing while his anger increases. Nott passes you, high-fiving you on the way back to his post. "Good strategy change by the Slytherin team, it seems that they're back - OHH AND MALFOY CATCHES THE SNITCH, GAME OVER EVERYONE!" You're relieved to be off your broom when the game end and you sigh deeply, rolling your head in a circle to try and stretch a kink in your neck out.

You finally join your team, earning pats on the back by them, and teasing comments "Well he's not gonna be happy about that one." and "Good luck getting laid tonight." The comments follow you all the way back to your dorm since Pansy walks with you back to the common room. "I don't even know how that happened though! You never miss! Like you can't be so attracted to someone that, well that happens. He's going to be in such a prissy mood, good luck with that."

The party in the common room is in full blow when you finish showering and getting dressed. You're clad in a tight black mini-skirt with a red crop top, something your boyfriend will hopefully appreciate. "I see what you're doing." You're interrupted by Draco, who eyes your outfit once before handing you a drink. "I think you underestimate just how capable I am of getting my boyfriend in bed, Malfoy." He grins, shaking his head "Well if you have the effect on him that he had on you, I doubt it'll take much." You scoff in amusement, the jokes will never end. "Hey if Marcus asks where I am, don't tell him I'm sleeping with the enemy." But Flint is already beside you, muttering "Cheers" under his breath, so you scurry away quietly, starting your trek to the Gryffindor common room.

The Gryffindors' party is completely different. The music in the background is quiet, and the Gryffindor Quidditch team sits together, each player with a drink in hand while they talk. Others seem to be having more fun than them. When Ron spots you walking towards him, he rolls his eyes, clearly upset. His teammates, on the other hand, greet you kindly, some even joking about the slight incident on the field. You stand in front of Ron, putting a knee on the couch between his legs to support yourself when you put your hands on his shoulder, leaning into his body.

Despite Ron's free hand coming to the back of your thigh, he still mutters "I'm not in the mood." though he leans into your touch when one of your hands comes up to play with his hair. You tilt your head down so your lips barely graze his ear "You're so hot when you're angry." Ron stiffens, looking up at you, but your head is already dipping lower so you can press kisses on his neck. He shivers at the cool touch of your slightly wet hair on his collarbone, and his eyes flutter close for a moment. When he opens them back up, Harry is grinning at him and wiggling his eyebrows. Someone wolf whistles, but he doesn't know if it's directed to you. He feels your teeth graze the spot you've been sucking on right below his ear and he sighs, trying to disguise his pleasure as annoyance, pushing your hip away from him.

Yes, he wants you, but he has to at least pretend that he doesn't for a while longer because he's still angry, and wants you to feel as though you need to try a little to win him over. You've played his game before, and you know what follows. When Ron nudges at your hips one more time, you separate from him, tilting his chin up so he can look at you. He's putty in your hands, but you like to give him the illusion of being in control, so when you kiss him, it's a soft, almost desperate kiss. "Ronnie," you plead "Please." And that soft whisper is enough to make him begin to stand up. You back away, pushing your bottom lip forward and making doe eyes at your boyfriend to stop yourself from grinning in accomplishment.

His shoulder brushes past you and he begins walking up to his dorm, but when you catch up with him, snaking your hand in his, he only holds your hand tighter, so you know you've won. Ron's door slams shut behind you, and immediately, hands are on you, pushing you against the door and groping your ass while he kisses you aggressively. The kiss is filled with angry passion, and Ron's tongue is fighting against yours for dominance. Both your arms are thrown over Ron's shoulder in an attempt to pull him impossibly closer to you so your tits are pushed up into his chest. The hands on your ass move to your front, sliding up your crop top and cupping your tits, while Ron pulls away from the kiss to attack your neck.

Moans are immediately escaping your mouth in soft breaths, your back arching into Ron's hands, pulling and massaging at your breasts, teasing your nipples. His teeth bite at your neck, and one leg comes to shove itself right between your thighs and you jerk up, an electric shock being sent right through you. At your loud gasp, Ron looks down to where his leg connected with your cunt, and his hand immediately pushes your skirt up to find that you're not wearing panties. "What a little slut. No underwear under a mini-skirt? You're practically begging." He grunts, and you whine, grinding your pussy against his thigh. "Just for you, Ronnie."

The comment seems to make him happy, at least happier than he was before since he starts working on taking your top off. "Get this skirt off now." He mutters, his attention back on your tits the second they're exposed. Your bra drops to the floor at the same time your skirt does. Ron pulls away from where he was leaving hickeys on your tits, and takes a moment to oggle at your naked body. You falter under his stare, a hand coming up to grab the material of his t-shirt. "Ron?" At the sound of his name, he looks back up, taking an impossible step closer to you and pressing his lips to yours in a slow kiss. "You're so fucking amazing." He mutters between kisses, all of his previous anger seemingly gone "Don't deserve this. Don't deserve you." Before you can react to his words, his hands are wrapping around your waist and carrying you to his bed, where he immediately shuts the curtains of his four-poster.

He wastes no time pressing his clothed cock against your naked, which has you moaning his name, bucking your hips up for more friction. "Take it off, take it off." You beg. He complies, chuckling at the sight of your hips bucking up, but takes his time stroking his cock once it's finally freed. His demeanour completely flips the second he pushes into you; his hips snapping at a faster pace than you can keep track of, his hands grabbing both your legs to pull over his shoulders. The angle is perfect and with the way his cock is hitting the right spot with every stroke, you're sure you won't last ten minutes.

You're tightly gripping the bed sheets and you're almost positive that your eyes are going to get stuck at the back of your head because of how hard they're rolling back. "Mmph, bloody hell you feel so nice." The compliment only spurred the pleasure inside you and you moaned louder, bucking your hips up for something more - anything more. Ron's hand comes down to your clit in a harsh slap, and quickly starts putting pressure on it, watching as you squirmed underneath him at the extra friction. His pace sped up and your legs started to shake on his shoulders, a sign that you were clearly close. Ron's hand begins rubbing quick circles on your clit and hips start erratically jerking into you as he releases his load into you, triggering your very own orgasm.

Ron rides out both your orgasms, stilling his movements when you put a hand on his chest. He pants, his chest heaving with every breath he takes as he takes your legs off his shoulders. "Christ, that was too much exercise for one day." He mutters, looking down at you when you open your arms wide for him. He falls into your awaiting arms and mumbles "Can't sleep. Need to clean you up." You moan, shaking your head at him. "Just five minutes."

[shesgaymichaelscott]

your stories are so good!! i started reading them on ao3 and was really happy to see you posting here as well :)

this means everything to me🥺. i love writing sm and the sweet cheeks fic is literally my baby so i'm sharing some other chapters! this is friendsgiving with the abbott fam and thanksgiving with melissa/the schemmenti family ❤️

Word Count: 8.9k

(fluff/romance, lesbian gfs in love, eventual smut, strap!, jealous melissa {thanks to kristen marie 😌}, melissa comes to a realization 🤭)

taglist <3: @writerspirit @schemmentigfs

Lilia stood at the front of her classroom, rubbing chalk dust off her fingers as she prepped the board for their Great Gatsby timeline. Outside, the late November wind howled against the windows, but inside, her eighth graders were buzzing with a whole different kind of storm—pre-break restlessness and a dangerous level of curiosity.

"Ms. Greenley," Jamir piped up from the front row, his eyes gleaming with mischief, "do you and Ms. Schemmenti share Thanksgiving dinner? Or do you just feed each other turkey and whisper sweet nothings about history?"

The class erupted into giggles.

Lilia turned slowly, eyebrow arched. "Do you want extra homework?"

"No ma'am," Jamir said quickly, but grinned. "Just curious."

"Oh my God, Ms. G blushed," Destiny whispered not-so-quietly from the side. "She totally did."

"Y'all are wild," Lilia muttered, turning back to the board with a small smile tugging at her lips. She wasn't about to let them know how accurate the teasing was—especially after the cozy weekend she'd had curled into Melissa's side, watching Real Housewives and eating leftover pumpkin pie like domestic queens.

A folded paper airplane sailed across the room and landed near her boots. She leaned down, unfolded it, and read the scribbled message:

Are you gonna be Mrs. Schemmenti someday?

Her jaw dropped.

"Okay! Everyone!" she called, trying not to laugh as she waved the note in the air. "Let's redirect our curiosity to the roaring twenties, shall we?"

The class groaned dramatically in unison.

Lilia was halfway through explaining the symbolism of the green light when a soft knock came at the classroom door.

Before she could even get the words "Come in" out, it swung open—and there stood Melissa Schemmenti, looking like sin in slacks and a cropped red cardigan, a smirk already on her face.

"Sorry to interrupt, Greenley," she said, eyes sparkling. "But someone left their lunch in the fridge again." She held up the little bento box with its telltale purple lid.

Lilia blinked. "I—how did I—?"

The class didn't give her a chance to finish.

"OHHH IT'S MS. SCHEMMENTI," Jamir practically sang, clutching his chest like he was watching a romcom. "She brought her girl lunch!"

"She's wife material!" Destiny squealed.

"Oh no," Melissa murmured, sauntering up to Lilia, "what did I walk into?"

"They're... being themselves," Lilia sighed.

One of the students in the back chimed in, "Ms. Schemmenti, are you gonna propose at Friendsgiving?"

Melissa snorted. "Not unless I wanna get tackled by Barbara Howard mid-sentence." She winked at the class. "But don't worry, I'm taking good care of your teacher. Make sure you are too, huh?"

A chorus of dramatic ooooohs rang out.

Melissa leaned in toward Lilia's ear as the kids erupted in whispers and laughter. "You owe me for this," she whispered with a teasing smirk. "Big time."

Lilia smiled despite herself, fighting a blush. "I'll pack you two lunches next time."

"I want something better than lunch," Melissa whispered, eyes dropping meaningfully for a split second before she turned to leave. "See ya later, kids."

"BYE MS. SCHEMMENTI!" they shouted, waving.

As the door clicked shut, Lilia turned back to the board and muttered, "We are never speaking of this again."

Destiny raised a hand. "I just wanna say... y'all are, like, endgame."

Even Lilia had to laugh at that.

⸻

The smell of too-strong coffee, orange-scented cleaning spray, and Janine's hand lotion filled the room as Lilia dropped into one of the cracked vinyl chairs with a dramatic groan.

"Tell me again why I chose middle schoolers?" she asked no one in particular, flopping her forehead to the table.

"Because they have the emotional range of a soap opera and you love the drama," Jacob chirped from the corner, where he was elbow-deep in paper turkey decorations and multi-colored string lights. "Also, because you're chaotic in a poetic way."

"Speaking of chaos," Janine said, breezing in with a clipboard and a mission, "Friendsgiving prep is in full swing, and I need everyone's food assignments locked in by the end of the day."

"Janine..." Gregory warned, lifting his eyes from his grading pile. "You said this wasn't going to be a production."

"It's not! It's just a lovingly coordinated, themed, potluck-based evening of togetherness," Janine replied with her signature grin. "Lilia, you're doing dessert, right?"

"Apple pie," Lilia said automatically. "Nonna's recipe. And maybe a pumpkin something if I survive grading these Gatsby character journals."

"Ooh," Ava called from the doorway, sauntering in with a caramel apple in hand. "I'll bring vibes. And drinks. But mostly vibes."

"We need chairs, napkins, serving utensils—" Janine began ticking off items.

"Girl, it's a Friendsgiving, not a wedding," Ava cut in, flopping dramatically on the couch beside Gregory. "Let it breathe!"

"Okay, okay," Lilia cut in with a hand raised. "What are we doing for music?"

"Oh thank God someone else cares," Jacob said, launching into a rant about playlists that didn't include "the same five Michael Bublé songs."

Melissa stepped in a few moments later with a bag of pretzels and a look that clearly said she was Not Here For The Nonsense. "Why is it every time I walk in here, it's like a therapy circle run by Pinterest?"

"Ohhh, the wife is back," Ava smirked.

Melissa didn't even blink. "And she brought pretzels. Which I'm hiding from Greenley if y'all don't get it together."

Lilia was still sitting with her head on the table and just gave a thumbs-up.

Janine, entirely unbothered, handed Melissa the clipboard. "You're on sides. Make your famous roasted garlic Brussels sprouts or face the wrath of Barbara."

"I fear God more than Barbara," Melissa muttered, scribbling her name next to the side dish column anyway.

From the hallway, they could already hear Barbara's familiar voice drifting closer—and with it, the realization that if they didn't at least pretend to be productive, the queen herself would give them all that patented disappointed mom stare.

"Alright, alright, back to work," Gregory said, pushing off the couch.

"Back to pretending to work," Jacob corrected.

Ava raised her caramel apple like a toast. "To chaos, carbs, and communal trauma bonding."

The Abbott crew all echoed with varying degrees of enthusiasm as they prepped for what was sure to be an unforgettable Friendsgiving.

⸻

Dessert prep meant extra practice, and Melissa of course was eager to assist. The apartment smelled like cinnamon, cloves, and sugar—an autumn dream wrapped in warm light and soft jazz from Lilia's record player. Her countertops were floured, her apron dusted, and a mixing bowl sat like a battlefield in front of her, halfway filled with peeled apples and brown sugar.

Melissa leaned against the kitchen doorway, one eyebrow raised, sleeves rolled up, and a suspiciously innocent look on her face. "So you're telling me this whole process takes, what—three hours? For one pie?"

Lilia didn't even glance up. "You're only asking that so you can calculate how much time you have to flirt and be unhelpful."

"Guilty." Melissa sauntered closer, wrapping her arms around Lilia from behind. "But I also brought wine. That counts as helping."

"It counts as bribery." Lilia reached for the cinnamon and shook it liberally into the bowl. "And I'm not falling for it."

"Mm," Melissa hummed, nose brushing against the curve of Lilia's neck. "That's what you said last time."

"Melissa."

"My love."

Lilia sighed dramatically, her cheeks flushed—whether from the warm oven or the woman currently pressing kisses to her neck was unclear. "If this pie ends up lopsided, I'm blaming you."

"I'm good with my hands," Melissa murmured. "Let me prove it."

"Oh my God," Lilia laughed, pushing her away with floured hands. "Go get the crust out of the fridge before I throw this bowl at you."

Melissa grabbed the chilled dough, smirking like the troublemaker she was. "Yes, chef."

"Don't you dare start that again."

Melissa rolled it out with exaggerated flair, and every time she bent forward over the counter, Lilia tried not to laugh. "You're doing this on purpose."

"I have never been so insulted in my life," Melissa said, eyes twinkling.

"You're literally wiggling your ass at me."

"Maybe I'm just happy to be domestic with my girl."

Lilia stopped, hands mid-stir. That made her heart flutter. "You're cute."

"I know."

They fell into a surprisingly productive rhythm—Lilia slicing apples, Melissa arranging them in the pie shell with shocking precision.

"I learned from the best," she said when Lilia complimented her layering.

"From who?"

"You," Melissa answered simply, brushing her flour-covered fingers against Lilia's cheek and kissing her temple.

The moment stretched between them—soft, golden, and heavy with something unspoken. Love, unhidden.

Lilia smiled as she slid the pie into the oven. "You're dangerous when you're sweet."

"And yet," Melissa said, leaning against the counter, "you still let me near hot ovens."

"I must really love you or something."

Melissa winked. "Must be."

⸻

Janine's place was warm, loud, and packed wall-to-wall with mismatched chairs, folding tables, and the smell of way too many side dishes. Her signature paper leaf garland was strung across the ceiling, and Luther Vandross crooned softly from her Bluetooth speaker in the corner.

Melissa, Lilia, and Jacob stepped in together, arms full of food and wine.

"Look at the throuple!" Ava called out from across the room, sipping champagne with one pinky raised. "Y'all look like a walking ad for gay Hallmark. I love it."

Jacob blinked. "I—wait, thank you?"

Lilia laughed as she handed her pie to Barbara, who was already eyeing it like it owed her money. "It smells amazing in here."

"That's because I handled the mac and cheese," Ava said, flipping her hair. "I don't play when it comes to soul food and vibes."

Melissa leaned close to Lilia and muttered, "You think she actually cooked anything?"

"No chance."

"Excuse you!" Ava popped her head between them. "I boiled the noodles. That counts."

Janine was bouncing between guests, beaming like it was her wedding day. "Okay! Melissa and Lilia are here! That means everyone's officially accounted for."

"I like that we count as one," Lilia teased.

"You're basically joined at the hip now," Janine said, pulling her into a hug. "You guys look cute."

"Thank you. It's my girlfriend's shirt," Lilia replied, smug.

Melissa made a show of rolling her eyes. "I knew I should've picked something uglier this morning."

Jacob was already mixing cocktails in the corner and gossiping with Mr. Johnson, who had shown up in a turkey hat "for morale." Barbara and Gregory were deep in conversation about stuffing techniques, of course, and Ava had taken it upon herself to critique everyone's outfits like she was hosting a roast.

They all squeezed around the table, plates stacked, glasses full.

At one point, Janine insisted on everyone going around to say what they were thankful for.

When it got to Melissa, she shifted in her seat, clearly uncomfortable with the spotlight. But Lilia gently touched her knee under the table, steadying her.

"I'm thankful for this weird little family we've made," Melissa said, glancing around. "And for good people. Especially one in particular who's made this year feel... lighter."

A chorus of soft "awwws" and some not-so-soft "ooh girl"s echoed around the room.

Lilia looked like she was about to melt.

Ava raised her glass. "To Abbott. And to love. And to me, for organizing the liquor table."

"To Ava," everyone said in semi-sarcastic unison, glasses clinking.

The night buzzed on with laughter, arguments over sweet vs. savory cornbread, and dance breaks every time the playlist hit a throwback.

Lilia caught Melissa swaying in the kitchen later, tipsy and relaxed, humming along to Earth, Wind & Fire while stealing bites of someone else's pie.

"You having fun?" Lilia asked, leaning against the counter.

Melissa grinned and pulled her close. "I always have fun with you."

They kissed behind the fridge door, unnoticed and unbothered, wrapped in the kind of ease you only find when you're truly home.

"What would you say about pulling an Irish goodbye and having our own fun at home?"

Melissa grinned with a glimmer in her eye, "Lead the way, baby."

The Friendsgiving chaos was finally winding down. Half the guests were slipping into food comas, sprawled across mismatched throw pillows and folding chairs. Someone had put on a slow R&B playlist, and the vibe had mellowed into cozy candlelight and lingering pie.

Lilia glanced up from Melissa's shoulder and caught Jacob yawning into his wine glass.

"You okay, honey?" she asked.

"I'm fine," Jacob sighed. "Just emotionally drained. Ava made me play Never Have I Ever with Mr. Johnson and now I know way too much about the Vietnam War and sex on the roof of the Franklin Institute."

Melissa snorted. "That's on you for agreeing to play anything with Ava after dark."

Jacob waved his fork weakly. "I need a night of warmth. Peace. Companionship. Maybe a heating pad and a romcom. Maybe a long sleep at your house—"

Melissa didn't even blink. "Nope."

Jacob blinked. "What?"

Lilia tried to hide her grin behind her cider. "Babe."

Melissa turned toward Jacob and patted his shoulder once—too firmly. "You've had a good run. But tonight? It's a no. You're cut off. Find another couch."

Jacob's jaw dropped. "You're kicking me out? After everything I've done for this couple?"

Melissa shrugged, standing and slipping her coat on. "Don't take it personal. You were always temporary housing."

Lilia stood up and kissed Jacob's cheek. "We love you. Truly. But I've had my hand on Melissa's thigh under this table for the last forty-five minutes and if we don't leave now, I'm going to start saying very inappropriate things in front of Barbara."

Jacob narrowed his eyes. "You're monsters."

Melissa threw him a wink over her shoulder. "Monsters in love."

"Just don't get anything on my weighted blanket," Jacob called after them.

"Too late!" Melissa shouted back as she tugged Lilia out the door.

The second the front door clicked shut behind them, Lilia felt the air shift.

It was quiet except for the rustle of jackets and the low hum of the hallway light. Melissa set her keys in the dish, then turned—slowly, deliberately.

Her eyes landed on Lilia like she was the only thing in the room. "You really had your hand on my thigh for forty-five minutes?"

Lilia stepped closer, unbuttoning her coat with lazy fingers. "Mmhm."

Melissa's gaze flicked down to the motion, her jaw tightening. "That's rude."

"You liked it."

"Did I?" Melissa closed the distance in two strides, backing Lilia gently against the wall. "You're lucky I didn't drag you out of there an hour ago."

Lilia smirked, breath catching at the closeness. "You tried."

"Yeah, but then you did that little thing with your fingers..." Melissa's voice dropped, her hands slipping around Lilia's waist. "Got me all distracted. You're dangerous, Greenley."

"Am I?" Lilia tilted her head, her lips just brushing Melissa's. "Maybe you like me dangerous."

Melissa didn't answer. She kissed her instead—slow, deep, claiming. The kind of kiss that made Lilia's knees buckle and her body melt. Melissa's hands slid lower, gripping the backs of Lilia's thighs and lifting her off the floor without effort. Lilia wrapped her legs around her, laughing into the kiss.

"Someone's in a mood," Lilia murmured against her lips.

"You have no idea."

Melissa carried her straight through the living room and into the bedroom, tossing her gently on the bed. Lilia landed with a breathy laugh, curls bouncing around her face as she looked up, flushed and wanting.

"Clothes," Melissa said, peeling off her sweater. "Off. Now."

Lilia bit her lip. "Yes ma'am."

She sat up slowly, teasingly pulling her top over her head and shimmying out of her jeans with a sultry roll of her hips. Melissa watched like she was starving, pausing only to kick off her own boots and unzip her pants.

Lilia leaned back on her elbows in nothing but a lacy bra and underwear. "Come here."

Melissa crawled over her like a predator, nipping along her collarbone, hands already everywhere—possessive, reverent. Her lips found Lilia's again and she murmured, "Mine."

"All yours," Lilia whispered, arching into her.

Melissa was already losing herself in her.

Lilia lay sprawled beneath her, flushed and breathless, those eyes half-lidded and shining like she'd been waiting for this exact moment. Melissa pressed kisses down her chest, open-mouthed and hungry, sliding Lilia's bra straps off her shoulders with slow, deliberate intent.

"You drive me crazy," Melissa rasped, her voice wrecked with lust. "All night, the way you touched me under the table—"

She kissed the curve of Lilia's breast, nipped gently, then soothed the bite with her tongue. Lilia whimpered, her fingers tangling in red curls.

"Keep talking like that and I'm not gonna last long," Lilia said, barely holding herself together.

Melissa smirked against her skin. "Then don't. I want to watch you fall apart."

Her hands trailed lower, slipping beneath Lilia's panties, dragging them down inch by agonizing inch until they were off and discarded. Melissa paused to look at her—just look—like she couldn't believe she was real.

"So fuckin' perfect," she muttered, mostly to herself, before moving back in, tongue tasting every inch of skin she could reach, devouring her in worshipful frenzy. She kissed down Lilia's stomach, eyes locked with hers as her hands gripped her thighs and pushed them open.

"Melissa—" Lilia's voice broke as her body arched off the mattress.

Melissa didn't give her a chance to breathe. She buried herself between Lilia's legs with single-minded purpose, her mouth greedy, tongue skilled and deliberate. Lilia cried out, one hand flying to the headboard while the other fisted in the sheets.

"Oh my—fuck, Melissa—"

Melissa moaned against her, which only pushed Lilia closer to the edge, her legs trembling, her moans turning desperate and high-pitched. Melissa kept going, relentless, arms hooked under her thighs, holding her in place as she coaxed every bit of pleasure from her.

When Lilia came, she came hard—back arching, vision white-hot, a scream tearing from her throat as Melissa didn't let up for a second, milking every last wave.

Melissa finally pulled away, mouth slick, eyes dark and wild with need.

"Still with me?" she asked, voice thick.

Lilia blinked, utterly limp and glowing. "Barely."

Melissa smirked. "Good. 'Cause I'm not done."

She reached into the nightstand and pulled out the harness she'd stashed there last week, eyes gleaming with intent. Lilia's breath hitched.

"Oh," she whispered. "You've been planning."

Melissa slid it on with practiced ease. "Damn right I have. You really think I'd let you tease me all week and not do something about it?"

Lilia's thighs squeezed together in anticipation.

Melissa climbed back on the bed, kissed her deep and messy, then guided Lilia onto her stomach, tugging her hips up gently. "Gotta show you what happens when you make me jealous and horny in the same night."

"Please," Lilia gasped, already breathless again.

Melissa lined up behind her, ran a hand up her spine, and pushed in slow—deep—drawing a long moan from both of them.

She set a rhythm that was steady at first, then harder, faster, as the room filled with the sounds of skin, breath, and Lilia's ragged, desperate cries. Melissa bent over her, biting her shoulder, panting in her ear.

"This what you needed?" she growled. "Letting everyone see how good you look, knowing you're mine?"

"Yes—yes—fuck, Melissa—"

They moved together like fire and gasoline, Lilia collapsing under the weight of it, Melissa driven by nothing but pure, aching hunger.

"You're so fucking beautiful under me, tesoro. Such a good girl."

Lilia barely had time to catch her breath before Melissa's hands gripped her hips again—tighter this time, fingers digging into soft flesh hard enough that she'd absolutely be bruised come morning. She didn't care. She wanted it. Wanted all of her.

"Mel—wait—" she gasped, but it wasn't a protest. Not really.

Melissa leaned down, teeth grazing her ear as she pushed in deep again, making Lilia choke on a moan.

"No waiting," Melissa growled. "You begged for it. Now you take it. Be my good girl."

Lilia whimpered, body shaking. "I am—fuck, I'm trying—"

"You're not trying. You're doing perfect." Melissa yanked her back by the hips to meet every brutal thrust, her rhythm punishing, obsessed. She was completely lost in her—sweat-drenched, flushed, and feral.

"Gonna fuck you until you forget your name," she snarled into Lilia's neck, one hand trailing up into her curls and yanking her head back, forcing her spine to arch, exposing her throat.

Lilia sobbed out her pleasure, eyes rolling, drool on her pillow as she took it, helpless under the overwhelming weight of Melissa's lust.

"You feel what you do to me?" Melissa gritted out. "You ruin me, Lilia."

The sounds were obscene—slick, soaked, absolutely drenched as Lilia's body responded without pause, her climax building again fast and furious.

"Melissa—I—I can't—" she cried.

"Yes, you fucking can," Melissa growled, snapping her hips forward so hard the headboard slammed against the wall. "You can give me one more. You're gonna gush all over me like the good girl you are."

Her hand snaked around Lilia's front, fingers finding her swollen clit, rubbing with expert, filthy precision.

Lilia broke.

She came hard, again, this time squirting, her whole body jolting as liquid splashed against the sheets beneath her. She screamed Melissa's name, her thighs trembling violently, breath gone.

Melissa moaned like she was the one coming, rutting through it, not letting up. "That's it. That's my girl. Fuckin' beautiful."

Lilia collapsed fully, face down, sobbing from the overstimulation, hips twitching as Melissa finally slowed her thrusts—but stayed deep inside her, still panting.

She kissed down Lilia's spine, easing her back to earth. "I got you," she murmured. "I got you."

And Lilia could only nod, completely wrecked, blissed out, and entirely, irrevocably Melissa's.

Lilia's body was boneless, melted into the sheets like warm honey, still twitching with aftershocks. She didn't even try to move—couldn't. Her breath came in soft, uneven puffs as Melissa gently pulled the strap from her, setting it aside before leaning down to kiss the small of her back.

"You alive?" Melissa whispered, voice wrecked but full of fondness.

"Mmm." Lilia made a soft, indecipherable noise that was half sigh, half giggle.

Melissa chuckled, warm and low. "That was a yes, right?"

"Barely," Lilia croaked, finally turning her head to the side. Her cheeks were flushed, eyes still glassy. "You were... out of your mind."

Melissa climbed off the bed and disappeared into the bathroom. Lilia heard the water run, then a soft rustle as Melissa returned with a warm washcloth and a tender look in her eyes.

"You make me crazy," she said, voice softer now, as she began to clean Lilia up with slow, reverent movements. "Don't act like you don't love it."

"I do," Lilia whispered. "So much."

Melissa leaned down, brushing her lips across Lilia's shoulder blade. "Let me take care of you, baby."

She helped Lilia up—though her legs were jelly—and guided her into the bathroom. The tub was already filling with warm water and lavender bubbles. She stepped in first, then reached out and pulled Lilia into her lap, both of them bare now, skin flushed and glowing.

Lilia melted into her like she was made to be there.

They sat in the tub, the water gently lapping around them, Melissa's arms wrapped securely around Lilia's middle. Fingers trailed soft, lazy patterns over her skin.

"You're gonna have bruises," Melissa said eventually, voice full of something tender and sheepish.

Lilia smiled. "Good. I want them."

"Naughty girl." Melissa kissed her shoulder, then tucked her chin into Lilia's neck. "I've never felt like this, you know."

"I do," Lilia whispered. "Because I feel it too."

They stayed there until the water cooled, trading kisses and quiet words. Melissa washed Lilia's hair, kissed the tip of her nose, and told her she was beautiful.

Later, tucked back into fresh sheets with candles flickering low and a soft jazz playlist murmuring through the room, Melissa pulled Lilia close, bare skin against bare skin.

"I love you," she murmured against Lilia's temple.

Lilia smiled, still drowsy. "I love you more."

Melissa chuckled, squeezing her tighter. "Not possible."

The morning sunlight filtered through the curtains in soft golden stripes, casting a warm glow across Melissa's bedroom. The air was still, quiet, thick with the kind of post-Thanksgiving-Friendsgiving haze that left everything feeling a little dreamy. Melissa stirred slowly under the sheets, her body sore in the best ways, muscles relaxed and limbs heavy with satisfaction.

But the second she blinked open her eyes, she realized one very important thing: Lilia wasn't next to her.

"Mmm... baby?" she mumbled, voice rough with sleep, reaching blindly toward the other side of the bed.

No answer.

But then—then she felt it.

Soft kisses down her stomach. Fingertips smoothing up her thighs. And then the heat of Lilia's breath, hot and purposeful, nestled between her legs.

"Jesus Christ," Melissa hissed, back arching instinctively. Her hand fumbled down, tangling in Lilia's curls beneath the sheets. "You're gonna kill me."

Lilia didn't stop. In fact, the little grin she flashed upward—barely visible in the morning light—only confirmed her plan to do just that.

Melissa couldn't think, couldn't breathe. Lilia had barely begun and she was already falling apart, whispering her name like a prayer, cursing under her breath, one hand gripping the headboard and the other fisting the sheets.

And when she finally shattered, it was with a low, guttural groan that echoed off the walls—her thighs trembling around Lilia's shoulders, her voice breaking into a laugh as she collapsed back down.

"You're insane," Melissa panted, pulling Lilia up and kissing her fiercely, lazily. "But you're mine."

Before Lilia could say something smug in return, Melissa's phone buzzed on the nightstand.

She groaned dramatically and blindly reached for it, answering with a rasped, "Ma?"

"Melissa Caterina Schemmenti," her mother snapped immediately. "You sound like hell."

Lilia slapped a hand over her mouth to keep from laughing and buried her face in Melissa's shoulder.

"I'm fine," Melissa said, clearing her throat. "We had Friendsgiving at Janine's last night. Little too much wine, that's all."

"I'll bet. Is my sweet Lilia there?"

Melissa raised a brow at Lilia. "Yeah. She's here."

"Good. Because she better be at Thanksgiving. If you show up without her, I'm locking the door behind you. That girl is an angel, Melissa. An absolute doll. She brought me wine and tiramisu. Tiramisu! You haven't even made me toast since '08."

"Ma, please."

"I'm serious. She's the best thing that's ever happened to you. I'll come back from the grave and haunt you if you mess this up."

"I know, I know. I'm treating her right."

"You better be. And for the record, I'm already telling everyone she's family. So don't screw it up."

Melissa rolled her eyes with a secret smile and caught Lilia's hand under the covers, intertwining their fingers.

"Lilia's coming. You've got nothing to worry about."

"Good. And tell her I want her cannoli this year. None of that store-bought crap. Tell her I said that. And give her a kiss for me. On the cheek, I mean. Jesus, Melissa, I'm still your mother."

Melissa hung up with a sigh and turned to Lilia, who looked far too pleased with herself.

"Cannoli?" Lilia teased, propping herself up on one elbow. "That's a big responsibility."

"You've already won her over. She's not gonna let me live it down."

Lilia kissed her with slow affection, their bare legs tangled beneath the covers.

"Don't worry. You've got me wrapped around your finger too," she whispered.

Melissa grinned. "Damn right I do."

"Coffee?" Lilia pouts.

"C'mon, baby," Melissa gets up and pulls Lilia with her, giggling happily the whole way downstairs.

The smell of coffee drifted through the kitchen like a warm blanket. Lilia, still wearing Melissa's flannel shirt with nothing underneath, stood at the stove barefoot, gently stirring a pot of oatmeal. She hummed softly to herself, hair messy, cheeks pink from earlier. Melissa leaned against the counter in sweats and a tank top, sipping her coffee and watching her with a fond, smitten look that she didn't even bother trying to hide.

"This is dangerous," Melissa said eventually, eyes trailing Lilia's bare legs. "You makin' breakfast like that. No pants. Soft music. Domestic bliss. It's giving wife."

Lilia glanced over her shoulder, smirking. "Then maybe you should put a ring on it, Schemmenti."

Melissa choked on her coffee.

"I'm joking," Lilia added, laughing as she handed her a small bowl of oatmeal topped with fresh fruit and a drizzle of honey. "Kind of."

Melissa took it, still smiling. "Mmhm."

Before Lilia could reply, the front door creaked open—and in stumbled Jacob, wearing sunglasses and yesterday's clothes, looking like he'd lost a fight with a bottle of whiskey and some bad decisions.

"Jesus," he mumbled, squinting. "Why is it so loud in here?"

Melissa raised an eyebrow. "It's not."

"Why does my soul hurt?" Jacob continued, dragging himself to the kitchen island like a dying man. "That bartender was a mistake. I'm pretty sure he ghosted me before we even said goodbye."

Lilia passed him a glass of water and a banana with the nurturing precision of someone who had clearly done this before.

"I told you not to try and match Ava shot for shot," she said, patting his back gently.

Jacob whimpered. "She called me 'lightweight supreme.' I had something to prove."

Melissa snorted. "What you proved is that your liver is made of glass."

Jacob groaned dramatically. "And yet, here you both are—radiating intimacy and morning sex glow. I hate it here."

Lilia kissed Melissa's cheek just to spite him, grinning. "We're heading to the store soon. Need anything?"

"Dignity," he mumbled.

Melissa finished her coffee and stretched, muscles loose and happy. "You can tag along. We're stocking up for Thanksgiving. Ma made it very clear that if Lilia's not there—and not bringing cannoli—it's gonna be a problem."

Jacob dramatically laid his head down on the counter. "I will be recovering on this surface for the next two hours. You go live your perfect domestic life."

Melissa smacked the back of his head lightly on the way out of the kitchen. "Come on, babe. Let's get outta here before his hangover infects us."

Lilia laughed and followed her to the bedroom to throw on a cozy sweater and leggings, stealing another kiss before they slipped out the door into the chilly morning.

The grocery store was bustling, a pre-holiday rush already in full swing, carts clattering and kids whining and cheerful oldies music playing overhead. Lilia had taken charge of the list, scribbled neatly on her phone, while Melissa—unsurprisingly—was already going rogue.

"Melissa," Lilia called from the produce section, holding up two different kinds of apples. "Honeycrisp or Granny Smith?"

Melissa appeared beside her, tossing a random bag of kettle chips into their cart. "We're makin' pie, not a damn science project. Honeycrisp."

Lilia arched a brow. "We're making pie? I thought I was making pie and you were distracting me with loud opinions and snacks."

Melissa leaned in, smirking. "Semantics."

They kept bickering playfully as they made their way through the aisles, grabbing ingredients, debating butter brands, Melissa trying to sneak more junk food into the cart while Lilia caught her every time. To onlookers, they were unmistakably one of those couples—easy rhythm, casual intimacy, little touches and teasing that gave them away as deeply, comfortably in love.

That was, until they turned into the frozen section—and there stood Gary.

"Melissa?" he said, blinking in surprise. "Hey!"

Melissa stopped mid-step, her hand still resting on the cart handle. "Oh. Hey, Gary."

Gary—tall, awkward, wearing a Phillies beanie and a windbreaker—offered a sheepish smile. "Wow, it's been a while. You look good."

Melissa reached for Lilia's hand immediately. "Thanks. You, uh... how's vending machine life?"

"Actually—no more vending machines! I opened a little shop with my brother. And I got married!" He held up his hand to show off a simple gold band. "Got a baby on the way too."

Lilia watched Melissa closely, but Melissa's smile was genuine. Warm, even.

"That's great, Gary. Really. I'm happy for you."

"Thanks. And, uh..." Gary glanced at Lilia. "This your girlfriend?"

Melissa's grip on Lilia's hand tightened proudly. "Yeah. This is Lilia."

Gary nodded politely, then gave a small, self-deprecating laugh. "Guess you were right to say no, huh?"

Melissa chuckled. "Yeah. Guess I was."

They said their goodbyes, and Melissa didn't look back as they walked away. Lilia squeezed her hand gently, and Melissa glanced over with a little shrug.

"That was the guy who proposed?" Lilia asked softly.

"Mm-hmm."

"And you said no?"

"Twice."

They kept walking, but something about Melissa's posture had changed—just a touch of tension in her shoulders, her voice more careful. Lilia didn't press.

"You okay?" she asked gently.

"Yeah," Melissa said after a beat. "He's a good guy. Just... not for me. He wanted a life I didn't. Marriage. Kids. Suburbs. It was all mapped out, and I wasn't even sure I wanted to be on the road, let alone the destination."

Lilia nodded, sensing the weight in her tone. "That's fair."

Melissa gave her a glance, something fond but clouded. "I think I thought marriage was just another way to lose yourself. I'd already done that once. Didn't want to do it again."

Lilia didn't push. Instead, she slid her arm around Melissa's waist, leaning her head against her shoulder as they stood in the aisle between frozen peas and tater tots.

"You're allowed to want something different now," she said quietly. "You're allowed to take your time."

Melissa looked at her, the tension melting just a little at the edges. "Yeah. I know."

They kissed softly by the freezer door, and when a little kid nearby loudly yelled, "Ew, girls kissing!" they both cracked up laughing and pushed their cart along.

"Alright," Melissa said, recovering. "Let's go get your fancy vanilla and get outta here before we run into another ghost of boyfriends past."

⸻

The kitchen was alive with clatter, jazz playing low in the background, and the scent of cinnamon and brown sugar already wafting from the oven. Lilia had flour on her cheek, a dishtowel slung over her shoulder, and was elbow-deep in mixing the apple pie filling with practiced precision. Melissa, apronless and totally unhelpful, was leaning against the counter with an apple slice in one hand, smirking.

"I thought I was your helper," Melissa teased, tossing a slice in her mouth.

"You were supposed to be slicing apples. Not eating them one by one like a squirrel," Lilia said, side-eyeing her without pausing her stirring.

"I'm quality control."

Lilia chuckled, shaking her head. "You're chaos control."

Jacob wandered into the kitchen then, bleary-eyed, wrapped in a blanket like a robe and holding a mug that said #1 Reading Dad in faded letters.

"You people are too functional," he grumbled. "I just walked in on a Hallmark movie and it's not even 11 a.m."

Melissa didn't skip a beat. "You're just jealous because you woke up alone with a hangover and we woke up to an orgasm and coffee."

Lilia dropped her head into her hands. "Melissa!"

Jacob pointed at them dramatically. "See?! This is what I mean. This is what perfection looks like. You bake together. You banter. You bully me. I feel like I'm in a domestic cult."

Melissa handed him an apple slice. "Drink your coffee and peel these."

Jacob did his best, managing to mangle three apples before Lilia gently took the peeler back and gave him a mixing bowl instead.

"Here. You're in charge of filling the cannoli shells. Do not break them. We only have twelve."

Jacob made a face. "Cannolis too? You two don't stop."

Melissa, already leaning behind Lilia to nuzzle her neck under the pretense of checking the oven, muttered, "No, we don't."

Jacob fake gagged. "I'm calling Janine."

He pulled out his phone and immediately FaceTimed her. "Janine. I need refuge. They're baking pie and making cannolis while flirting. I can't survive this kind of love bubble. It's too powerful."

Janine's face lit up on the screen. "Awwww, I love that for them. But poor Jacob. Do you need a safe haven?"

"Yes. Take me in like a stray. You'll have one extra for Thanksgiving."

"Deal. But only if you bring a cannoli."

"Done," Jacob said, and then, to Lilia, "You heard the lady."

Lilia tossed a bit of flour at him. "You're lucky you're cute."

"Tell Janine that," he called over his shoulder, already grabbing one of the pastry bags and overfilling the first cannoli dramatically. "I have so much love to give."

Melissa watched him messily fill the next one, a glob of ricotta splattering onto the counter.

"You're banned from cannolis," she declared. "Stick to moral support."

"And commentary," Lilia added, sliding the finished pie into the oven with a pleased sigh. "You're very good at that."

The three of them settled into the rhythm—Jacob sipping his coffee and giving dramatic monologues about true love, Melissa trying to sneak more filling into her mouth than the shells, and Lilia wrangling them both like a saint.

It was warm. It was chaotic. It was the kind of morning that felt like the start of a holiday movie. And somewhere between the second pie and the last cannoli, Melissa caught Lilia in the middle of a laugh—her cheeks pink, hair a little wild, hands dusted in flour—and thought:

This is it. This is the life I never knew I needed.

It was late, the pie tins were cooling on the stovetop, and the smell of warm cinnamon still clung to the air like a blanket. The house was quiet now, dimly lit by the soft glow of lamps and the flickering light from the TV they'd left on but weren't watching. Lilia was in Melissa's oversized Phillies T-shirt, brushing her teeth lazily in the bathroom, while Melissa leaned against the bed, scrolling on her phone, a tiny smile tugging at her lips.

She was texting furiously—quick back-and-forths, her thumbs flying across the screen with the kind of attention that was usually reserved for sports scores or dragging someone in a group chat.

When Lilia came into the room, toweling off her hands and flopping onto the bed beside her, she caught the tail end of Melissa tucking her phone under her pillow like a guilty teenager.

Lilia raised a brow, smirking. "You hiding your Candy Crush high score from me?"

Melissa shot her a casual look, even as a blush crept up her neck. "Nope. Just Kristen Marie being annoying."

Lilia narrowed her eyes playfully. "Annoying how?"

"You know. Sister banter. She's harassing me about what kind of wine to bring tomorrow, like I haven't told her twice already. She's gonna bring Prosecco anyway, just to be a brat."

Lilia gave a suspicious hum but let it go, snuggling in closer, one arm around Melissa's waist as she kissed her shoulder. "You two are weirdly close."

"We're weirdly Italian," Melissa corrected, tucking Lilia closer. "It's a lifelong disease."

Lilia chuckled and reached behind Melissa to turn off the lamp, plunging the room into warm darkness.

Melissa stared up at the ceiling for a beat after Lilia got comfortable against her chest, then slowly reached for her phone again under the pillow. She angled it away, typing something out with careful silence.

She's the one. I don't know when it happened but... I want this every day. Every night.

I'm seriously thinking about asking her to move in.

Is that crazy?

The bubble from Kristen Marie popped up almost immediately.

Not crazy. About damn time. You're in love, Miss Forever Bachelor.

And I better be your maid of honor or I'll throw hands.

Melissa smiled softly, biting her lip. She read the message over again, heart thudding. The idea of marriage had once been something she filed away as a closed chapter—a burned one. But with Lilia?

It didn't feel like a trap. It felt like home.

Lilia stirred beside her and murmured, half-asleep, "You still texting Kristen?"

Melissa smiled into the dark. "Yeah. She says you're a perfect angel and I don't deserve you."

Lilia giggled against her skin. "Well, she's not wrong."

Melissa kissed her forehead, then the top of her head, and whispered, "I know."

⸻

The morning sun streamed through the windows far too early for Lilia's liking, but there was no chance of sleeping in. Not today. Not with Thanksgiving at the Schemmentis' looming like a final exam she wasn't quite sure she'd studied enough for.

She stood in front of the mirror, hair curled and pinned to perfection, tugging slightly at the lower neckline of her gold blouse—the one Jacob had insisted would "bring out your eyes and make you look like a sultry forest nymph." She wasn't sure if it said "respectable and lovable potential daughter-in-law," but it would have to do.

"Babe, you look amazing," Melissa called from the kitchen, her voice muffled around a piece of toast. "C'mere and stop stressin'."

"I'm not stressing," Lilia lied, applying another thin layer of mascara with precision that could rival a surgeon's scalpel.

Melissa appeared in the doorway, barefoot and casual in black jeans and a rust-colored sweater, still chewing, one brow arched. "You've put on perfume three times."

Lilia whirled. "Your mother is terrifying!"

"She's five-foot-nothin' and wears bunny slippers that bark when she walks."

"That's what makes her so powerful."

Melissa laughed, crossing the room to wrap her arms around Lilia's waist from behind, resting her chin on her shoulder. "You've got nothin' to prove, Greenley. They already love you. Ma's been calling you 'the angel' for like three weeks."

"That doesn't mean she won't turn on me if I bring the wrong wine."

"You brought your nonna's favorite and homemade tiramisu," Melissa said into her neck. "You're already MVP."

Lilia took a deep breath and nodded. "Okay. Okay. Let's do this."

They loaded into the car, Lilia clutching the dessert carrier like it held a Fabergé egg. The car ride was filled with a comfortable silence, broken occasionally by Melissa's soft humming along to the Motown playlist they'd started that morning.

"You're really not nervous?" Lilia asked, adjusting her hair in the passenger mirror for the third time.

Melissa glanced over at her, smile tugging crooked at the corner of her mouth. "Nah, you're my date. I already won."

That made Lilia's heart flip. "You're so cocky."

"I'm right, though."

Lilia reached over to take her hand. Melissa squeezed back. The car turned onto the familiar block just as Lilia's stomach did somersaults.

"I feel like I'm walking into the Colosseum."

Melissa snorted. "You'll be fine. Just don't tell Uncle Sal you like pineapple on pizza, and don't ask anyone if they've seen The Godfather. We've all seen The Godfather."

Lilia laughed despite herself, eyes wide as the Schemmenti family house came into view—cars lining the driveway, laughter already spilling out of the open front door.

Melissa parked, turned off the engine, and looked at her with warmth and a glint of mischief. "Ready?"

Lilia inhaled slowly and nodded. "Ready."

Melissa leaned in to kiss her gently, then whispered, "Try not to let Kristen Marie steal you. I'm already on thin ice."

"Oh, I'm definitely going to flirt back this time," Lilia teased, grinning.

Melissa groaned, threw her head back, and muttered, "I'm gonna have to fight my own damn sister today."

Lilia had barely unbuckled her seatbelt before one of the littlest cousins flung open the front door and shouted, "Auntie Mel's here! And she brought Lilia!"

That was all it took.

Within minutes, Lilia found herself swept into a sea of noisy greetings, warm hugs, cheek pinches, and a blur of names she could barely keep up with. Melissa stood back, watching with a mix of awe and smugness as her girlfriend charmed every relative from the toddlers to Nonna Lucia, who'd declared, "She's got the eyes of an angel. Don't mess this up, Melissa."

"She's perfect!" someone cried from the kitchen.

"When are you bringing her back? I wanna show her my science fair project!" another cousin insisted, tugging Lilia toward a folder on the table.

Lilia, radiant in her shimmering golden top and high-waisted slacks, laughed her way through every question. "School's been good! Of course I'll come back! Maybe I'll bring books next time?"

From across the living room, Melissa leaned against the doorway, Kristen Marie at her side, both of them watching Lilia like she was their favorite holiday movie playing out in real time.

"She fits in like she's always been here," Kristen Marie said quietly, nudging Melissa's side. "You love her."

Melissa didn't deny it.

Kristen Marie tilted her head, a rare moment of softness in her teasing demeanor. "You think maybe this one's it? Like... actually forever?"

"I think about it every damn day," Melissa said, her voice low. "Scares the hell outta me sometimes."

Kristen Marie put an arm around her sister's shoulders. "You deserve something that scares you in the best way. You've been stuck with me all your life—at least now you got a real upgrade."

Melissa huffed a laugh, eyes misting slightly. "She really is somethin' else."

Their mom joined them at the edge of the doorway, arms crossed, a dish towel thrown over her shoulder. "She loves you like it's the easiest thing in the world. And it is, for her. That kind of love doesn't come around every day, kiddo."

Melissa glanced back at Lilia, who was now holding one of the babies on her hip like she'd been born to do it. Her curls bounced as she swayed gently, her laughter mixing with the chatter and the music coming from the kitchen. She looked completely at home.

"I'm scared," Melissa admitted softly.

Her mom leaned in, kissing her temple. "You're allowed to be scared. But don't you dare let that fear make you lose her."

Melissa nodded, emotion catching in her throat.

Her mom smiled. "Now come on. Help me bring out the wine before your father pours it all into the sauce again."

The dining table groaned under the weight of platters piled high with roasted vegetables, lasagna, a golden brown turkey, and enough sides to feed a small village. Lilia was tucked beside Melissa, who took it upon herself to load Lilia's plate with exactly what she knew she'd want, adding extra stuffing and slipping her a wink when no one was looking.

Across the table, cousins shouted over each other about fantasy football, while Melissa's dad passed around his infamous homemade wine, sloshing generously into mismatched glasses. Babies were passed around like bread baskets. Lilia found herself holding a toddler one-handed while still managing to cut into her turkey. Melissa looked absolutely feral over it.

"She's gonna kill me," Melissa muttered to Kristen Marie, who smirked.

"You? I think she's already got plans to marry you."

Melissa nearly choked on her stuffing.

Dessert came next—apple pie, cannolis, and a mystery cake that no one admitted to making. Lilia got about three bites in before Kristen Marie flopped into the seat beside her with a wine-drunk grin and a conspiratorial lean.

"So," she said, propping her elbow on the table. "You and my sister. You makin' her soft on purpose or does it just come naturally?"

Lilia gave her a warning smile. "She's already soft where it counts."

"Oh-ho!" Kristen laughed, nudging her knee against Lilia's under the table. "God, you're fun. Are you free next Thanksgiving?"

Melissa appeared out of nowhere and set her wine glass down with a distinct clink between them. "No, she's not."

Kristen Marie just grinned wider. "There she is. Knew I could get your blood boiling."

"Careful," Melissa warned, arm sliding protectively around Lilia's shoulders. "You keep pokin' the bear, you're gonna get mauled."

"Ooh, a warning. How romantic."

Before Lilia could burst out laughing, the kids started yelling from the living room that it was game time.

Kristen Marie made it her mission to be on Lilia's team for every game. She whispered over-the-top guesses into Lilia's ear and leaned too close too often, until Melissa dragged Lilia onto her lap during Cards Against Humanity and declared, "We're a team now."

Kristen Marie winked. "Fine. But only 'cause she looks hot when she wins."

Melissa just growled and pulled Lilia closer, burying her face in her neck. "Gonna kill her," she muttered into Lilia's skin.

Lilia giggled and whispered back, "You love it."

Kristen Marie, however, showed no signs of slowing.

She curled up on the arm of the couch where Lilia sat, balancing her wine glass like she was born to flirt over cannoli crumbs. "So, Miss Greenley," she began with a slanted smile. "You always this good at charming Italian families, or are we just lucky?"

Lilia laughed nervously, cheeks pink. "I've had practice."

"Oh, I bet. You're all polite and warm and gorgeous—total teacher's pet vibes."

Lilia raised a brow. "Is that a compliment or an accusation?"

Kristen grinned, bold and unrelenting. "Both. You've got that 'read me poetry and then ruin my life' thing going for you."

Melissa, seated across the room in a recliner, had been nursing a bourbon and trying to play it cool. But her grip on the glass tightened with every passing second.

When Kristen leaned in, brushing a piece of imaginary lint from Lilia's sleeve and murmuring, "Bet you're dangerous when you want to be," that was the final straw.

Melissa stood abruptly. "Babe, come with me."

Lilia blinked, caught off guard. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah, just—come on."

She tugged Lilia by the hand, leading her down the hallway to the guest bathroom and shutting the door behind them with a little more force than necessary.

Melissa leaned back against the counter, arms crossed, trying to look unbothered and failing miserably. "She's doing it on purpose."

Lilia stepped closer, amused and touched. "Yeah. I know."

Melissa huffed, cheeks pink from more than just wine. "She's been like this since high school—likes to rile me up. But tonight she's pushing it."

Lilia leaned in and slid her hands around Melissa's waist, resting her chin on her shoulder. "Well, I've got news for you. You're the only Schemmenti I'm going home with."

Melissa finally let out a breath, her hands settling low on Lilia's hips. "Damn right you are."

They stood like that for a moment—quiet, close, their foreheads almost touching. The sounds of laughter and clinking glasses drifted faintly through the door, but here, it was just them.

"You okay?" Lilia asked softly.

Melissa nodded. "Yeah. I just... she makes me feel like I gotta stake my claim sometimes. Like if I don't say it enough, you'll forget how much I—" She caught herself, then smiled. "You know."

Lilia kissed her, slow and sweet, fingers brushing over Melissa's jaw. "I know. And I love it. You, being protective."

"I'm not usually like this," Melissa murmured, a little embarrassed.

"I think it's sexy."

Melissa chuckled, leaning in to kiss her again, deeper this time. "Well in that case..."

They were still tangled up together, whispering and giggling, when someone knocked on the door and yelled, "You two makin' out in there or what?"

Kristen Marie. Of course.

Melissa rolled her eyes. "Go away!"

Lilia laughed against her neck. "You ready to go back out there?"

"Not yet." Melissa kissed her again, breathless and a little desperate. "Let me have a few more minutes with just you."

⸻

The night wound down in a blur of laughter, soft jazz, and the scent of leftover stuffing. One by one, coats were tugged on and kisses were pressed to cheeks. The kids emerged from the basement bleary-eyed and giggling, the adults moving slowly with the heaviness of wine and full bellies.

Melissa helped her mom clean up, tossing foil over trays and stacking dishes in the sink while Lilia said her goodbyes to the rest of the family.

Kristen Marie gave Lilia a dramatic, lingering hug and whispered in her ear, "Seriously. If she screws this up, I'll disown her."

"I'll keep her in line," Lilia whispered back with a smirk, and Kristen just winked.

Melissa's mom waited by the door, her warm hand cupping Lilia's cheek as she pulled her into a fierce hug. "You're a dream, sweetheart. Don't let my daughter be a pain in the ass, alright?"

"I'll do my best," Lilia chuckled.

"No, really," she said, holding Lilia's gaze with unexpected seriousness. "We've never seen her like this. Happy. Settled. Like... like she knows what she wants."

Lilia's heart squeezed. "That means a lot."

"She loves you," the older woman said quietly. "You can see it all over her. So don't go anywhere, okay?"

"I'm not going anywhere."

Melissa appeared then, coat in hand, tugging Lilia gently toward the door. "We outta here?"

"Before anyone tries to get us to take leftovers home we didn't ask for," Lilia teased, waving goodbye one last time.

They stepped out into the cold night, Lilia's hand finding Melissa's like it always did—naturally, instinctively. Their breath came out in soft clouds, and the crunch of leaves followed their footsteps down the driveway.

In the car, Lilia glanced over as Melissa let out a long, contented sigh.

"Wasn't so bad, huh?" Lilia asked softly.

Melissa smirked, eyes on the road. "You kidding? That was the best Thanksgiving I've ever had."

[directdogman]

hey dog! sorry to bug you with a coding question, but i'm learning rpg maker mv for a fangame & i'm wondering how you did a couple things. if it's not too much trouble, could you quickly explain some of it? i've scrounged around as much as i can but i cant find what i need so i thought it'd be worth asking directly ^^;

how did you get the players name to show up in the message log? i know theres a plugin that adds the name windows for other characters & i've got that figured out, but i have no idea how to get the players name to show up in the history after selecting stuff

how'd you get the graphic for the route diverging choices to show & play During choices? so far ive figured out that looping the images recreates the visual but then the game doesn't progress, bc its just stuck in that loop...

how'd you disable ( + grey out) dialogue options after selecting them??

how'd you add the fullscreen option? i found a code that was supposed to add a fullscreen option to the optionscore settings but that one just breaks the plugin & i simply Don't know enough javascript to figure it out myself

i'm using all the same plugins that dialtown has so clearly these are possible without extra ones, i just don't know how to do it,, thanks for explaining your pronoun system a little while ago btw! i wasn't the one who asked but your post was super helpful when i was setting it up for myself :D

It's been close to 6 years since I started making DT, and I had to figure out a few solutions to specific issues that cropped up which I've likely forgotten now, but I'll answer what I can remember. I'm also gonna give you some advice and advise you not to use RPG Maker for projects like these.

I basically Scott Cawthon'd DT and forced the engine to yield to my demands because I wanted to use the one I knew best. A few of these solutions are over-complicated because the easier ones (which would've worked in other engines) had to be constructed differently. I'll also mention a few solutions to problems you might not have encountered (but inevitably will if you try to recreate DT.) With that out of the way...

1)

You'll want these settings for the backlog plugin. the \c[x] commands refer to standard name colours. Log special inputs set to true, followed up by this below:

\n<\c[4]\n[1]\c[0]>%1

With \n[1] being the name you want and the number after the first c being what colour you want.

I'll also save you a potential future issue: I'd actually recommend you find the backlog plugin I used in DT's files (located inside the www/js/plugins folder) and use the version I have instead of the official release if you're not already, because I made a small change to fix an error. Basically, it breaks slightly with the plugin that lets you bring up the menu during dialogue because text reloads when you leave the menu and re-enter the text box, causing text to be logged at least twice after you pause it. If you keep bringing up the menu, you'll get constant duplication. I simply added a line of code that tells the log not to have two duplicates in a row. Not a programmer, but it seems works.

2)I did it in a funny way to ensure the engine wouldn't screw it up. Basically, there's 3 steps to the event and it's kinda hard to explain (and would be annoying to reproduce without a lot of trial and error for a beginner.) It's easier if I show my code. The first thing I do is run a common event (you can also just paste this code in and run it from the event) that renders the frames used by the popup, so they're loaded into memory + ready to go.

As you can see, they're set to 0 opacity but now ready to be used. Obviously they have to be on a layer that isn't being used by anything else in the scene (and won't be during this part of the game.) I run this event ahead of time, usually 4 messages before the choice comes up or so, so even slower PCs should have time to get them up.

The 'if head' thing just switches between the files for phone/typegingi's heads. I render each frame on separate layers and toggle their opacity from one to the next on a single frame to avoid flickering (bc RPG maker's renderer is hot trash and I have to work around it. Case in point.)

Step 2 is a second command event that orders the frames to fade in.

One layer is the text (which doesn't move) and the other is the first frame of the little head animation. A switch is also turned on at the end, and this signals the animation to go, which is handled by an event on any map where a choice like this comes up.

The event page that handles the animation itself has 2 pages, one to handle the animation as it goes and the other to handle when it stops (note that you could use one page and simply use a conditional branch. I didn't.)

Set to parallel so it runs in the bg behind normal events. As you can see, every 17 frames, I command one image to fade out over a single frame and another to fade in. It loops perfectly, cycling from middle frame, to left, to middle, to right, back to middle. Finally, when you select any route diverging choice, it sets off a second switch, which activates the second event page and commands the game to dispose of the graphics and then turn itself off.

Basically, it's the same animation but with a twist. The text is faded out over 60 frames and then the same animation is played as before, except the values it fades back into go from 255, to 170 to 85. Each of those commands is also followed by a 17 second fade to the opacity of the next frame. So, frame one renders in one frame at 255. Then seventeen frame fadeout to 170... Next frame renders for 1 frame AT 170, then fades out gradually to 85. Then next frame renders at 85 during 1 frame, fades to 0. This is how i synced the turning animation to fade out convincingly.

At the very end, I turn both of the switches this event page uses off so both event pages don't continue on loop. I also have a check for the first event variable to check if the game should still think the animation is running, as a failsafe. I don't remember if this mattered.

3)It's a function in the YEP Extended Message Pack. You'll see the commands for hiding (temporarily removing) + disabling choices (greying them out) as you scroll through the help list, almost 2/3 down. The thing you have to remember though is that messages that are commanded to be hidden/disabled will STAY disabled unless you turn them back on. So, ANY time there's a possibility to make a choice with a disabled or hidden message, add this plugin command to EVERY selectable choice

ClearChoiceSettings

This will ensure the game doesn't break from having a choice permadisabled. If you use loops or labels to make the game return to a previous choice, make sure the looping point is BEFORE any logic that may disable/hide a choice so it doesn't autoenable everything if the game has to go back.

4)Make a new RPG Maker project, copy the js folder from www/data/js and open the new project alongside your other one. Then check my YEP Option core plugin and follow this path in the plugin editor

This code should work.

On a similar note, I'd also take a look at how my plugins are ordered, if your list is different. I had to meddle with the list to make sure some plugins functioned correctly. This engine is held together with duct-tape and spite, so do what this advice what you will.

Hope this helps!

[sanjisboyfie]

one piece smau: dating sanji edition

— modern! au , so fun , slight nsfw bc sanji is funny like that ig LMFAO

— SANJI X MALE READER one of my favorite pairings to ever cross the universe

liked by [name]s.chef, uso_pp, 9k others

lvrboy[name]: oh my god hes so fine someone give me this guys' number

[name]s.chef: BEAUTIFUL BOY MY NUMBER IS XXX-XXX-XXXX PLEASE SAVE MY CONTACT AS PRINCE SANJI I WILL ALWAYS BE AT YOUR BECK AND CALL

-> dni_nami: no fucking way, why did this guy just leak his number TO HIS OWN BOYFRIEND

uso_pp: the day sanji doesn't comment in all caps to his boyfriends posts is the day the apocolypse comes

-> roro.zoro: fr why he always yelling at him....

-> freeluffy: sanji is so aggressive to his own boyfriend, should we help [name]? -> [name]s.chef: YOU MORONS HAVE NEVER BEEN IN LOVE AND IT SHOWS

-> uso_pp: ruhroh he angry

love.pudding: is he single?

-> [name]s.chef: I AM A GAY MAN AND IN LOVE WITH MY FUTURE HUSBAND - I AM NOT INTERESTED IN ANYONE ELSE BUT MY LOVER, I AM A LOYAL MAN TO MY BOYFRIEND. DO NOT INTERACT WITH ME OR HIM IF YOU WISH TO DATE EITHER OF US. WE ARE DEEPLY IN LOVE AND ALWYS WILL BE.

[liked by lvrboy[name]]

liked by freeluffy, dni_nami, boahancock, and 10k others

[name]s.chef: I LOVE MY BOYFRIEND HE MAKES ME SO HAPPY HES THE LIGHT OF MY LIFE AND I WILL ALWAYS LOVE HIM

tagged: lvrboy[name]

dni_nami: never seen you smile that wide before

-> roro.zoro: i wish i never saw it, it's terrifying

-> [name]s.chef: i fucking hate you, dont interact with any of my posts you idiot

-> [lvrboyname]: holy shit whenever you guys breathe do you have to insult each other

-> [name]s.chef: I WON'T ANYMORE MY BABY

SUPERCOLA: do you guys remember when sanji said he hated [name] and rejected the idea of being in love with him.

-> lvrboy[name]: LMFAOAOOA

-> {name]s.chef: that wasnt me, that was my evil twin that was plotting on my downfall.

liked by [name]s.chef, roro.zoro, and 10k others

lvrboy[name]: personal bottle boy <3

tagged: [name]s.chef

[name]s.chef: until the bed breaks. as many rounds as you want, any position you want, anything.

-> dni_nami: sanji please be fucking normal challenge

[liked by roro.zoro and 100 others]

dr.law: is this sanitary???

-> lvrboy[name]: deez nuts in your mouth are about to be sanitary

-> [name]s.chef: TELL HIM BABY TELL HIM !!!

-> dr.law: this shit doesnt even make sense ???

liked by [name]s.chef, lvrboy[name], and 15k others

freeluffy: i can't eat when sanji is making out with [name] across from me. i'm never going out with these two again.

tagged: [name]s.chef and lvrboy[name]

uso_pp: LMFAO i thought it was known to never go out with sanji and [name]? sanji just ends up ignoring you and only paying attention to [name]

-> [name]s.chef: and that's the way it should be. who else should i pay attention to when my beautiful, handsome, erethral boyfriend is right in front of me?

robinkills: i have never heard luffy sound so serious before, what did you two do to him?

-> roro.zoro: probably traumatize him

lvrboy[name]: i'm sorry lu, i'll make it up to you sometime

-> freeluffy: pay for my meals on campus for a week straight :D

-> lvrboy[name]: i'll pay for it for two weeks, i'm really sorry luffy </3

-> [name]s.chef: DONT STEAL MY BOYFRIEND FROM ME YOU FUCKING IDIOT I'LL SKEWER YOU ALIVE

roro.zoro: i think i vomitted in my mouth a little bit, happy for you guys ig.

-> lvrboy[name]: thank you...?

liked by [name]s.chef, dr.law, and 10k others

lvrboy[name]: my bby in crop tops >>>

tagged: [name]s.chef

[name]s.chef: I WILL WEAR WHATEVER YOU WANT BABE WHATEVER MAKES YOU HAPPY, I'LL WEAR. I HAVE EYES FOR NO ONE ELSE BUT YOU!! I LOVE YOU!!!

-> lvrboy[name]: i love you so much muah

SUPERCOLA: sanji and [name] stop making out challenge literally fucking impossible.

[liked by dni_nami, uso_pp, and 90 others]

-> skullnsoul: they're so funny

liked by lvrboy[name], roro.zoro, and 14k others

[name]s.chef: my beautiful boy suprised me by preparing me food with his own recipe today, i think i could cry genuine tears. you guys don't understand how happy i am that i found him and am now able to call him mine. i will love [name] until my last breath. i am so, so lucky.

tagged: lvrboy[name]

uso_pp: okay i guess this was a cute post or whatever.

[liked by dni_nami, robinkills, and 100 others]

lvrboy[name]: sanji i'm gonna cry :< i love u sm too

-> [name]s.chef: pls dont cry my love

ttchopper: my favorite couple, you two are so sweet!

roro.zoro: cant even say anything mean, this is very heartwarming

-> lvrboy[name]: sanji won't tell you this but he giggled and kicked his feet when he read this.

lvrboy[name]'s story

my boyfriend's so fucking sexy-

[name]s.chef replied to your story: CAN I KISS YOU PLEASE COME BACK TO BED SO I CAN KISS YOU PLEASE CAN I KISS YOU CAN I PLEASEEE-

[lietogirlsss]

EVERYTHING I KNOW ABOUT LOVE !

୨ৎ summary : wherein singer!reader books her next role in the ballad of songbirds and snakes after starring in the third highest-grossing movie of all time called avatar: the way of water, and falls for the bad guy... of course

୨ৎ warnings : cussing, that's pretty much it HEHEEHEH

୨ৎ author's note : YA'LL I've never seen laufey as a faceclaim in these before she's gorgeous. Also, your character in atwow is named Magnolia Quaritch, you're in Daisy Jones and The Six as a Jazz singer named Vienna Cartwright and a character in House of The Dragon named Theadosia Baratheon.

yourusername

tagged: @/jamieflatters @/baileybass @/jackchampion

liked by rachelzegler, sukiwaterhouse, hunterschafer, baileybass, jackchampion, livkatecooke and 176,987 others

yourusername the sexy skxawngs are SO back 🤩🙏🔥

view comments

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⤷ yourusername ure too kind 🫡 🫶

user9 HELPPP BECAUSE JAMIE'S FACE IN THE BEGGINING

⤷ yourusername he tried gochujang for the first time

⤷ jackchampion top 10 worst anime fails

user7 I think you cropped me outta some of these babes 💋

user8 imagine breathing the same air as y/n y/l/n is rn like I cannot imagine 😔

user10 y/n what's ur favorite hot wheels car

user11 come home the kids miss you 😔

user12 can magnolia come and dissect me like that bladder polyp 30 minutes into the movie

yourusername

tagged: @/lionsgate

liked by rachelzegler, hunterschafer, jackchampion, tomblyth, joshandresrivera, oliviarodrigo and 500, 975 others

yourusername show our girl mira sage baird some love, the ballad of songbirds and snakes out now November 17th!

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user1 STOP STOP STOP

user2 THERE'S NO FUCKING WAY SHE'S PLAYING MIRA SAGE

rachelzegler welcome to the rodeo big sis 🎹🎶✨️

⤷ yourusername let's fcking do this thing

user3 im literally screaming crying and throwing up right now OMFG RACHEL JUST CALLED Y/N BIG SIS

user4 STOP BCS I just finished reading tbosas yesterday

user5 OH MY FUCKING GOD MIRA PLAYING THE PIANOOOO

user6 these stills are everything to me

jackchampion SO SO SO PROUD OF YOU 🙌

⤷ yourusername #1 WINGMAN FRL 💯

user7 her first freaking role was literally playing stephen lang's daughter in a james cameron film, then immediately booking the role of serafyna freaking baratheon in house of the dragon, then playing a jazz singer in daisy jones and the six, NOW SHE'S IN THE BALLAD OF SONGBIRDS AND SNAKES???

user8 no one's doing it like her frl

user1 "OUR GIRL MIRA SAGE BAIRD" WHAT IF I START SOBBING

user5 like hello I'm never getting over this tf 😭💔💔💔

user3 Y/N Y/L/N THE WOMAN THAT YOU ARE

tomblyth hey nightingale

⤷ yourusername wsp gent

user9 OH MY FUCKING GOD NO ONE TALK TO ME RIGHT NOWWWWWWW

⤷ user3 DID THEY JUST CALL EACHOTHER BY THEIR NICKNAMES OH LORD

user5 they saw an opportunity and took it

ashleyjliao oh ya'll are not READYYYY

user11 TOM BLYTH AND Y/N Y/L/N NATION RISE

user8 IM LITERALLY SCREAMING RIGHT NOW HOLY SHITTTTTTTT??@@?@?!!?!,#*#(

⤷ user1 someone time this exact moment these two made frickin history tonight

⤷ user6 I'm so glad I stayed up for this holy shit

⤷ user8 it's literally 5:39 am for me rn I literally have to defend a thesis in 3 hours and I am wide awake bouncing around my dorm

⤷ yourusername oh babes get some sleep 😭 (good luck on your thesis btw you're gunna kill it! 💓)

⤷ user8 IM GOING TO BED RN MISS MA'AM 🫡

⤷ user10 replying to user8 NAW GIRL I CAN'T BELIEVE SHE REPLIED TO YOU

⤷ user8 replying to user10 IT CAN ONLY GO DOWNHILL FROM HERE DUDE

user7 I WILL NEVER FORGET THIS MOMENT OMFGDYDHDU

baileybass can't wait 🤍

⤷ yourusername I love you so much bai bai 🫶🏼

user12 oh my FUCK is that the scene where sejanus and mira have that conversation outside the hob???

⤷ user9 OH THERE'S NO WAY

⤷ user13 STOP WE'RE FINALLY GETTING THE "you're everything I could ever have wanted" SCENE

⤷user9 AAAAAAAAA I CAN'T WAIT OH MY GOD?!?!?

⤷ user6 UGHDGDFC MY SEJMIRA HEARTTTTTTT 😭💗

⤷ user3 I apologise for the person I will become once I see Sejanus and Mira at my local theatre

⤷ hunterschafer me neither

⤷ user3 HUNTER'S A SEJMIRA SHIPPER CONFIRMED?????

⤷ user6 hunter I love you

⤷user3 HUNTER SHIPS SEJMIRA YA'LL HEARD IT HERE FIRST 🗣🗣🗣

⤷user12 NO BECAUSE IF WE'RE GETTING THE HOB SCENE THEN THE CLIFF SCENE IS 3 DAYS AFTER...

⤷user13 oh...

⤷ user1 I DON'T THINK I WILL SURVIVE THIS

⤷ user2 yeah and neither does-

⤷ user8 NAWWW STFU @/user2

⤷user12 don't even go there @/user2

⤷user10 GET THE HELL OUT @/user2

⤷ user10 DONT EVEN CONTINUE THAT SENTENCE @/user2

joshandresrivera prepare to have your knocks socked off

⤷yourusername oh they dunno what's COMING

⤷ rachelzegler stop because tell me why I was sobbing even more than you were while you were performing mira sage's song 😭

⤷ yourusername we were inconsolable that day 😭😭😭 i think even Tom was tearing up too

⤷ tomblyth no you're wrong there was a busted pipe above my spot it kept leaking into my eye

⤷yourusername sure honey.

user14 NAWWWW ☝️☝️☝️

user15 someone check up on tom if he's still breathing cuz if y/n fucking y/l/n ever called me honey I'd be GONEEEEEEE

user16 @/tomblyth are u alright pal

⤷ joshandresrivera his eyes were literally irritated when I looked at him during our first initial take

⤷tomblyth nice going josh

⤷ yourusername rachel never let him go

⤷ rachelzegler duly noted

user17 y/n y/l/n as mira sage baird oh someone up there is looking out for me frl

rachelzegler

tagged: @/yourusername

liked by yourusername, tomblyth, joshandresrivera, hunterschafer and 168, 753 others

rachelzegler new york, new york - Frank Ocean

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joshandresrivera alright I see how it is

⤷ rachelzegler it's not you, it's me?

yourusername I'm coming after your entire career Joshua

tomblyth I asked if you wanted to go hang out in new york with me and you told me you were busy?

⤷ yourusername but I was 😁

⤷ rachelzegler get in line blyth

⤷ tomblyth I'm devastated, truly

⤷ yourusername it's not my fault I'm incredibly sought after, I'm sorry Tom

⤷ hunterschafer go tell 'em honey!!!

⤷ yourusername better luck next time @/tomblyth

⤷ tomblyth there's still a next time?

⤷yourusername For you? Always

⤷tomblyth I'm the luckiest man alive, I feel like I'm going to soar out of my flat any minute now, maybe do somersaults in the sky I'm not sure, we'll see.

yourusername liked this comment

user1 not Tom Blyth being down bad

user2 HELLO??? TOM???

user3 why do they sound so flirty wtf...

user4 dosen't Tom have a gf HELPPPP

user5 I don't think it's confirmed

⤷ user4 it better not be cuz why am I kinda eating this up

user6 NO BCS SAME ADFSDGSJSSHZ

lionsgate our favorite sister duo 💕

⤷ yourusername iktr 🙏

⤷ rachelzegler this is a WIN

user7 OH WE NEED THOSE DIGICAM PICS RNNNN

user8 @/yourusername LETS MAKE IT HAPPEN ‼️‼️‼️

user9 Y/N AND RACHEL IN NEW YORK Y/N AND RACHEL IN NEW YORK Y/N AND RACHEL IN NEW YORK

user10 THERE'S NO WAY I WAS 5 MINS AWAY FROM THAT RESTAURANT AND DIDN'T GO THERE 😭😭😭

user11 y/n l/n and rachel zegler my bestfriends

user12 HELP THE TEXT WITH Y/N AND RACHEL IM CREASING

⤷ user11 IKR THIS IS SO UNSERIOUS

⤷ user10 I wonder if she actually got the Lucy Gray barbie

⤷ yourusername everywhere we went it was sold out 😭

⤷ user12 NAHHH QUEEN YOU DESERVE SM BETTER

user3 @/tomblyth you might wanna get onto that

⤷ user5 @/tomblyth GET THIS GIRL HER LUCY GRAY BARBIE

⤷ user4 @/tomblyth YK WHAT TO DO

user14 HAHAHAAYAH NOT YA'LL TAGGING HIMMM 😭😭😭

user15 I know Y/N was mourning for that spilt coffee

⤷ rachelzegler OH YOU BEST BELIEVE SHE WAS DISTRAUGHT

user16 and they were thrifting too UGH I wanna be able to go thrifting with y/n and rachel

⤷ user14 I wonder who got those cowboy boots

⤷yourusername actually we both saw it at the same time but I ended up giving it to Rachel because I'm a wonderful person! (and we totally didn't fight over it inside goodwill!)

rachelzegler 😭😭😭

tomblyth

tagged: @/joshandresrivera @/rachelzegler @/yourusername see more...

liked by yourusername, rachelzegler, joshandresrivera, ashleyjliao, hirokiberrecloth and 268, 836 others

tomblyth HG film dump. We had our flaky croissants, our chewy croissants, but alas, not one croissant on earth could live up to these beautiful people. teebosass coming to theaters near you. ❄️❄️❄️

rachelzegler FIRST!!!

rachelzegler ugh blyth you sap

⤷ tomblyth what can I say

ashleyjliao 🥐🥐🥐

yourusername that cucumber salad did not taste as good as you manipulated me into believing

⤷ tomblyth hey you could use the vitamin K, you're welcome ❤️

⤷ yourusername this is what playing a pre tyrannical president of a dystopian world does to you kids

user1 yes mom 🫡

user1 AWWW THE GROUP PIC OF ALL THE MENTORS 🥹🥹🥹

⤷ user2 I'm abt to sob

user3 so excited OMGGG

user2 YA'LL THE CABIN SCENE I WILL NEVER RECOVER...

user4 sofia crying makes me wanna cry too wtf

user5 the tributes and mentors aww

⤷ user3 I'm having that picture framed and put on a pedestal

user6 Y/N getting her own picture is so cute 🫶

user7 holy shit ur right

⤷ user2 replying to user6 she literally got a single picture all to herself while the others were with someone else on every photo

⤷ user8 CHAT WHAT IS GOING AWNNN

user8 no because y/n having her own picture meanwhile everyone else had to share the spotlight is making me think thoughts...

user9 oh twitter's about to blow up and second now

user10 @/y/nsidehoe on twt 🔥🔥🔥

user11 you were amazing in Billy the Kid!

user12 RACHEL IS SO POOKIEEEE

user13 these photos are so well shot though

user14 the tributes all hugging eachother ugh MY HEART

user15 josh's posture is cracking me tf up 😭

⤷ user10 BWHAHAGSSJAJSSJS

user16 10 MINUTES AGK HOLY SHITTTT

user17 y/n's face though HELP ME

user18 Y/N NATION HOW TF ARE WE FEELING???

user19 I don't even wanna speculate anything atp remember what happened to her and Charles Leclerc?

user17 oh NAWWW they were definitely a thing, did you SEE those yacht pics?

user10 it was a shame they never confirmed it though they were so cute 😔

user20 YALL dosen't tom have a gf???

⤷ user18 nothing's confirmed, pretty sure he said him and the girl were good friends in an article somewhere LMFAO

⤷ user8 omg link

⤷ user13 (2)

⤷ user18 hold on dms

user21 josh and rachel have my heart fssss 🫶

user22 y/n nation boutta start shipping them I'm frl calling it

user23 it'll be gone in a week or so then she'll hop onto the next male lead in her next film

⤷ user22 HAAHAHA SHUDDUPPP

⤷ user23 for promo ✨️

⤷ user24 she's doing smth to these men I swear, spiking their drinks, keeping voodoo dolls of em or sumn

⤷ user23 WAIT STOP AHAHSHSAH

[bebewrites]

wip page 08 - an all-inclusive wip page

preview / code

several people have asked for this one, so sorry it took me so long to release it!

featured image and sections for synopsis, themes/tags, links, project details, major characters, minor characters, and general sections like 'locations' and 'terms to know' which can be use for anything

footer section for additional info, but you can delete it if you don't want it

slide out menu with a second image, can be used for additional information or to feature an excerpt

pls like/reblog if you use, let me know if you run into any bugs, and pls don’t remove credit. thanks! ♥

additional info under the cut :)

if you'd like to change any of the icons, you can find more at phosphoricons.com

scripts are noted in the code so you can delete them if you want a javascript-free theme. without the javascript, the slide out menu will not work, just an fyi! delete the slide out menu at the top of the html section, and delete the script at the bottom of the code.

all images in preview via unplash.com. i recommend using unsplash or similar websites for images because they're free and high-res. (to create the character icons, i just crop the images into a square, upload into a tumblr post, save as a draft, and then right click the images for the url.)

[toxicanonymity]

Parole.

3k words, joel miller x f!reader

Jojo playlist, joel master list, @toxicfics for notifs

SUMMARY: PWP. Phone sex and just-got-out-of-jail sex.  

WARNINGS: I8+, dirty talk, jacking off, groping while driving, oral F receiving, Unsafe P in V intercourse, semi-public (bathroom). Reader can sit on a sink.

A/N: cellmate's nephew!Joel, part 3 of 3 (just 8k total) , follows Jailbird and Collect Calls but you just need to know his aunt Mabel is your cellmate. This is the last of Jailbird for the foreseeable future. It’s been a fun diversion.  This is not the last of Jojo.

—---

All goes well at your parole hearing. After you get your 72 Hour release notice, you call Joel. 

He answers the phone, "You're gettin' out," and you can hear his smile. 

"How did you–did Mabel tell you?"

"Had a feeling.  So what, 3 days now?" He opens and squirts the lube. 

"9pm Monday."

"You just made my dick so hard, baby."

"Jojo. . ."

"Hmm?"

"God, sorry - Joel"

"Call me whatever ya want, jailbird. Mm. Call me joel, call me jojo--mm, call me call me any time baby”

“Can’t wait to be on the other side of that glass.” 

"And I'm gonna pop that post-penny cherry" (post-penitentiary) 

“Shhh”

"What they're gonna un-parole ya 'cause there’s a hard dick waitin’ for ya?"

“Well, I like the sound of that,”  you purr. 

“Oh we’re gonna get nasty, baby,” he breathes. 

“Mmm”

“You wear thongs, g-strings, whatcha wear?” His fist slurps up and down his cock. 

“Thongs,” you tell him. “Boy shorts if I wanna be comfy.” 

“Damn. . . that ass in boy shorts?  Whew.” 

“How ‘bout you?”

“Boxer briefs.” 

“Mm, shoulda known. Those tight-ass pants”

“Yeah, ya like’em?”

“Like how ya wear’em”

“How’s that”

“Packing somethin’ fat and juicy for me.”

He moans. “Fuck yeah i am, just for you baby”

“Just for me?”

“‘S’all for you, baby. How ya want it first?”

“Honey, I just want it.”

“Can i come inside ya?”

“Mmmm, yeah. . .” 

“Fuck, i’m gonna pump you full,” his voice tells you he’s already close. 

“You better.” 

“Fuck yeah, baby.” His hand is moving faster. “Ohhh, fuck” He shudders and groans long and drawn out as he comes.

“Started without me didn’t ya” 

“Wouldn’t do that,” he says in a transparently false tone. 

“Hope ya can last longer than that,” you tease.

“Fuck you,” he laughs. “Shit, maybe I can’t. ‘S’what ya do to me, baby.” 

“Then we’ll just have to do it again.”

“Oh I’m grocery shoppin’ like it’s the apocalypse. Won’t have to leave the house for a week.”

—------

Mabel gives you one last poke-and-stick tattoo, a heart on your other hand, mirroring the location of your "clover." The last thing she tells you is, “He’s snipped, ya know. I took care of him after he did it. ” 

“Nice.”

“Yeah, he knows he's not dad material," she explains, then lightens the mood with, "he's daddy, not dad," and a wink. 

You're gonna miss her. But if things go well with Joel, you’ll see her again in a few months. 

—----

Walking down the ramp from the tower toward the jail lobby, you can taste the freedom and almost forget what you’re wearing – booty skirt, platform heels, mesh crop top, fishnets. 

His posture is what catches your eye first. Feet spread, arms crossed. Your eyes fall to his bulge then pan up to a white t-shirt struggling to contain the tattooed arms crossed in front of him. Gold chain, Adam's Apple. As his face comes into focus, he tilts his head back and squints, pursing his lips in a pained expression as he looks at you. His expression is enough to remind you what you’re wearing. By the time you reach him, he’s biting his lip, shaking his head at you with his eyes smiling. 

He opens his arms and wraps around you for a full-body hug. He smells like fresh cologne, and he feels safe and comfortable.  He feels like – ohhh, yeah, he’s already getting hard. You’re holding a plastic bag of your belongings—phone and keys—against his back. 

“God damn,” he whispers into your hair and his pelvis subtly presses his growing arousal into you. He murmurs, “Mmm, let’s get the fuck outta here.” 

He grabs your hand and your shoes click as you walk through the sliding doors to the parking lot. As soon as the doors slide closed behind you, he drops your hand and grabs your ass.  His hand spans much more of your asscheek than you're used to. The beauty of the sky at dusk overwhelms you, even with the lights from the jail. 

“Let’s make it to the car,” you laugh. 

He puffs out his cheeks with an exhale and gets his keys out of his pocket with his free hand.  Then he points to a big truck and unlocks it. 

He opens the truck door for you and his hand on your ass helps you up into the seat. Oh the simple joy of getting in a vehicle. You start to grab the seatbelt, and he tells you, “nah, hold on a sec.” When he gets in the driver’s seat he slams up the center console, slides over and you turn to face him as he reaches you.  

He grabs the back of your head and pulls your face into his. His tongue parts your lips and his mouth is minty.  He sucks hard and gently chews your lips as he grabs your far thigh and puts it over his lap.  Then he grabs you by both hips and pulls you all the way into his lap with your help so you’re straddling him. When your crotch meets the warm steel rod in his pants, you whimper and he sighs vocally. Then your mouths connect again. You’ve been dying of thirst and he’s a tall glass of water; you just can’t get enough. 

His hands run down your fishnet thighs as you grind on him and make out. He playfully plucks one of the diamonds and murmurs in such a deep voice, “Thought ya weren’t wearin’ these, hmm?” Then he attacks your neck with his mouth, and you sigh.  Out of the corner of your eye, you see a Corrections Officer headed your way. 

“Shit,” you say, “We should go.” 

He groans. 

“They're comin’, we gotta go,” you repeat and pry yourself off of him. 

He takes a deep breath and his hips lift out of the seat as he adjusts himself, then scoots back over to the driver’s seat and buckles his seatbelt. You start to go back to the passenger seat and buckle yours, but he says, “get back over here.”  He hands you the middle seatbelt. 

—----

You tease, “we 'bout to peel outta here?”

"Buckle up, baby.” 

He puts his hand behind you to back up. A whiff of his sweat under the cologne makes you want him even worse. 

You awkwardly try to keep your hands to yourself. He’s the one driving, so you’ll let him initiate any distraction. "Where we headed?"

"How ‘bout we get ya some real food, ya hungry?”

“Yeah, I could eat.” 

He gives a low whistle and says, “so could I, baby. can’t wait to taste ya." He looks at your legs. “Fuck.”  He puts his hand on your thigh, a ring pressing into your skin. “Mmm.” His voice is so deep. “Been savin’ this just for me, huh?'' His wrist pushes your skirt out of the way as his hand slides toward your crotch.  He finds your clit with ease, even while driving. He clearly knows what he’s doing and he could get you off like this in a minute or two, but he needs his hand back to make some turns. 

You put your hand on his meaty thigh and ask “can I. . .”

“*can* you? Fuck yeah you can” He lifts his elbow, welcoming your hand to his lap. 

You grab the bulge in his jeans and get a zap of need in your core. You slowly press your hand into his warm, hard package and feel the outline of his thick cock.  You’re aching for him. You’re about to ask him to pull over when he puts on the blinker and see you’ve arrived at Waffle House. 

“Here good?” He says as he pulls into a parking space.  

“Hell yeah,” you answer. 

He breathes a sigh of relief. “Cause if ya don’t like WaHo, we ain’t gonna work anyway.” You both unbuckle your seatbelts.

"Oh, here," you take your hand back as he reaches back behind the passenger seat, and your eyes glue to his huge bulge. He hands you a leather jacket, and says, “Just if ya want it.”  It’s a little warm for it, but it’s a nice thought if you wanted to cover up. At WaHo, you don’t really care. That’s the magic of it. He reaches back behind the seat again and you glance at his earring. He returns with a target bag.

You peek into the bag. There’s a casual tank dress, flip flops, and . ..boy shorts. Your heart flutters that his dirty question led to such a wholesome gesture. 

“You bought me clothes?”

“Yeah, coulda brought some’a Mabel’s but–”

“That could get weird”

“Yeah.” 

—---

You walk in front of Jojo into the breezeway, then into the restaurant. No one bats an eye at how you’re dressed.  You hold up the bag of clothes and ask, “Mind if I change ‘fore we eat?” A waitress behind the counter leans to the side to look around you, checks Jojo out and says, “get it, girl.” 

“That’s what i’m talkin’ bout,” Jojo murmurs to you and gives her a wink. 

Both the individual bathrooms are occupied. Joel stands with his back against the wall facing the bathrooms, so y’all are waiting out of view of the grill. You’re facing him.  He grabs your ass with both hands, pulling you into him, massive erection straining his pants, yearning to get to you. His cock digs into your front.  You kiss him and he kneads your butt cheeks as your mouths consume each other. He moans quietly into your mouth.  His hard cock twitches against you. 

He breaks the kiss and breathes heavily against your ear, then whispers “feel like i’m gonna die.” 

A toilet flushes. The bathroom smells faintly of cleaning supplies, and it doesn’t look dirty. The illusion of cleanliness is enough to not think about it. 

You wanna be right on top of him, but as he locks the door, you find yourself slowly taking a step backwards, watching him in anticipation, almost like you’re daring him to come after you and show you what he’s got.  He looks at you darkly and prowls toward you, unbuckling his belt, lips parted, eyes dark like a stalking animal.  You freeze. He unbuttons his jeans and walks until his hardness bumps into your thigh. 

Then, at a faster pace, he walks you almost all the way to the sink, then grabs your butt to stop you.  He hikes up your skirt so it's all the way over your ass. He grabs your ass with one hand and pulls you into him again. The strength of his erection through his exposed boxer briefs gives you another shock of arousal on top of your already desperate need. He pulls back his hips enough for his free hand to engulf your crotch.  His thick middle finger presses down on the (very) damp spot in your leggings. 

"Soaked for me, aren't ya?" The hand on your ass slides down and curls between your legs. His warm finger slips into one of the fishnet holes. 

He uses both hands, one from the front and one from the back, to rip open the fishnets. “Fuck yeah,” he growls. The hand from the back returns to your asscheek, while the other hand remains between your legs.  The side of his index finger meets your dripping seam. “Mmmmmm,” he slides his hand up and down for just a couple of seconds, then looks at the sink. “Think ya can sit up here?”

“mm. yeah, if you–”

He helps you onto the edge of the sink. You hold onto the sides and he immediately squats down with his head between your legs. 

“Just fuck me,” you say, dying to have him inside you. Your walls are twitching as though your cunt is making a gimme gimme motion like a fist.

“i gotta taste ya," he mumbles as he spreads your thighs.  “Sorry, just a sec.” He further rips the fishnets, exposing you to the cool air then sighs, “fuck,” as he reaches behind you to hold your ass. He whispers “just real quick,” his hot breath on your mound, before he plants his mouth on your cunt. 

He licks at your entrance.  “Mmmm,” he tongues and sucks your clit, then takes one hand off your ass to palm his boxer briefs. 

You fist his hair, sighing, “Ohh God, I need that cock, baby. We got time for this later.” You’re physically aching to be filled. 

He kisses your clit goodbye, then whispers, "god damn."  He puts both hands on your thighs as he stands up.  When he’s standing, he yanks his boxer briefs down and his naked cock bobs heavily, making you nearly drool. He’s shaved. It’s thick. Length-wise you might be able to take it. The girth will be a stretch. 

He curls his fingers under your mesh crop top and you raise your arms as he discards it. “Fuck it, you’re changin’, right?” He tugs at your bra, and you take it off. 

“Oh, fuck me,” he takes in the sight of your tits and can’t resist sucking a nipple into his mouth while palming the other. 

You grab his cock. “Are you gonna put this in me tonight or nah?”

“God damn, you need it don’t ya?” He wraps an arm around you  and you put your arms around his neck. He nudges you by the ass toward the edge.

“fuck just give it to me.” 

He runs his swollen, mauve tip through your slick, then notches it at your entrance and plunges into you with a groan. You gasp as his girth spreads you apart. You can’t remember the last time you felt a stretch like this. But he pushes it right in. You’re so turned on, it works. You watch his cock disappear into you. You glance up at him to see his mouth hanging open with a sigh of relief as his tip nudges your cervix and makes you whole. He sucks in a deep breath as he retreats, then says “FUCK, that’s a nice cunt.” 

His fingers dig into the plush flesh of your ass and he begins to fuck you. You pull up his shirt and it’s so tight that it stays where you leave it. He has a slutty little hip tattoo that says yeah. His lips latch onto yours as he buries his length in you again and again.  It’s all sucking and biting and hot, humid breath as you moan against each other’s cheeks before your tongues are in each other’s mouths again. The bottom half of your face gets slobbery.  He fucks you like he means it, grunting and moaning, “oh yeah.” Your bodies are dewy where your skin meets. 

You wrap your legs around him. Your pelvis grinds against his and your orgasm is building. You tell him,  “Don’t hold back”

“You want me to last?” He asks as he pumps in and out of you. 

“In here?--ohhhh–time for that later” 

“Oh, you already close, ain’t ya?” he speeds up and his chain bounces with the power of his motions. “Fuck yeah, baby, c’mere, c’,mon” His cock pistons into you. It’s even better than you imagined so many times in your pathetic excuse for a bed. Oh shit, will you really sleep together? The thought of it melts you. The thought of a real bed alone melts you, but with him, with this cock inches away, god this cock, it feels so, it’s so—A primal grunt comes from his chest. His heavy breathing and grinding against your clit have you on the edge ready to tip. 

You whimper, “baby,” pinching your eyes shut. 

He grips your ass harder and grinds his shaved pubic bone into you as he fucks you smooth and fast. He fucks like a porn star. “C’mon, jailbird.” 

He buries his length in you even faster, then pleasure seizes your whole body and you come on his fat cock. 

“Ohhhhh yeah, fuck yeah,” he breathes. 

He thrusts into you a few more times, “fuck, baby,” then bottoms out and erupts. He sighs a long sigh as his warm release coats your insides. 

“Mmmm,” you savor the pulse of his cock and you twitch with aftershocks. “Oh, god.” He hugs you and you rest your head on his chest while you both catch your breath. His chain feels massive on on your cheek.

Someone finally knocks on the door.  He pulls out and helps you down off the sink. 

“Someone in here,” he tells them. He pulls up his pants, then leans against the tile of the bathroom wall as he zips them up and fastens his belt while you change. 

You thank him again for the clothes as you look in the mirror and turn around. 

“Look good on ya. Guess I did alright.” 

His face is flushed pink and his hair is a little messed up.  He seems to notice you looking at his face and he pushes himself off the wall to look in the mirror. He rakes his hand through his hair, then scratches one side of his beard, turning away from the mirror. 

–

You sit down for a late dinner. Neither of you look at the menu. Jojo orders cherry coke and a texas cheesesteak with double hashbrowns covered, smothered, and chunked. You order your favorite meal and he compliments it. Your eyes are on his forearms and tattoos. As he brings the sandwich to his mouth. God damn, how’d this fine ass man practically fall in  your lap? You feel like  you owe Mabel big time. 

You ask, “You really go grocery shoppin’?”

He raises his eyebrows and smiles with his mouth full, nodding.  “Mmm-hmm.” After he finishes chewing he washes it down with a sip of cherry coke, then adds, “but you know what i really want.” He looks at you darkly. “So tell me it’s all you can eat, baby.” 

“Just for you, Jojo. . .”

-----

yeah he wants to be covered and smothered in that.

Thank you so much for reading and engaging. I love your passion and your comments and reblogs really motivate me. <333

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[luv-again]

Aha another question!

How would Shadow and Amy take care of each other when the other got sick?

I imagine that Shadow would be alerted because it would bring him back to when Maria was sick so he would not leave Amy’s side but maybe you have a different view on it.

yippee another question !!

going to chuck this all under the cut, because my answer is not as short as i thought it was going to be lmao (also be warned this regrettably is a veery shadow-centric yaparoo)

first of all, i'm absolutely on the same bandwagon as you. like,, you cannot tell me shadow would sit idle when someone else gets sick. you cannot tell me something like this scene in dark beginnings would never be repeated again in a future circumstance :

doesn't matter how, shadow's gonna fret. he's gonna be pedantic. not overbearing, but definitely more stern and watchful. shadow has known to make parallels between his current situation and that of an occurrence with maria (i mean, just look at those cutscenes in sa2 !). she is ingrained in his memory - linked to trauma or not - she is always in his mind and heart

shameful plug, but i wrote something in similar here in one of my shadamy fics, where shadow, in a moment of vulnerability, confesses his worry for amy's wellbeing (with the implication his past playing a factor in his instinctual response). contextually, not quiiite in the same ballpark, but close enough to say i definitely share your mindset

"Sorry, I don't mean to sound impertinent; seeing lethargy in you triggered a warning in me and I... I worry." — Sin and Sublimation

you're right though, shadow would remain by amy's side, whether she's come down with the common cold or something long-term. that scene in dark beginnings alone could say that not only does he care about maria, but he's a caretaker in general and therefore wouldn't likely leave amy to deteriorate while she's under the weather

i don't remember where the post is or who posted it, but someone had an awesome hc where they believe shadow serves a similar function to how a medical care animal would and i don't remember if this was part of the post, but i hc that shadow has an ability/sense to sniff out illness before symptoms even crop up. or if it's long-term, sense a flare-up before it hits. of course, it wouldn't help him any with prevention in most cases, but a part of him is always aware

point is, shadow's onto it. he's finding the best way to minimise suffering if it's within his power to do so. of course, he's not going to leave amy bedridden and miserable - and that applies both through inaction and being too controlling. he's going to look after her but won't hold amy back if she feels capable of doing something. anyway, all this allows for him to be able to step back into a role familiar to him. one he treats with utmost diligence

amy however, is so much harsher on shadow. and that's because he was under the belief he couldn't get sick (next stop : denial station ??). as a thought, he was possibly immune to every condition known at the time, but that's the thing, especially regarding airborne illnesses (iykyk) : they evolve. i think shadow in general probably has a rough as guts immune system, so it might fight whatever it is off before it becomes a problem, but if it did hit ? amy's going to make sure he doesn't do anything reckless and instead rests well. shadow probably has a hard time being cared for, all things considered, so that on top of being sick is all overwhelmingly new to him. i think amy likes to make chicken noodle soup and bring him a hot water bottle and watch movies with him - that kinda thing :) she herself is probably used to looking after cream or vanilla when they're sick so she knows just what to do to help someone through their sickness

regardless, they're a loyal team, your honour. i stand by this 'til my last breath, i do <33