#sorry i'm on mobile like almost always when i'm on here so i can't always tell when someone is not a good poster 😔

[majormeilani]

just wanted to tell you that cat post you rbed (the URL acidbathcat) shows up as red in Shinigami Eyes :C

AWW WHAT NOO that's a crying shame bc the post was really cute and sweet 😔

[taurusgoddess99]

MINORS DO NOT INTERACT

I posted this on mobile so if it’s a little wonky I’m sorry :(

Trigger Warning for non-con, slapping, breeding, cheating, handcuffs! Please be nice to me im just starting to write again ❤️ Reader uses she/her pronouns and has a vagina

Her legs cross and uncross with nervousness on the hotel bed. The hotel she was staying in was expensive and something that she would never be able to afford.

But he could afford it.

He had booked the penthouse suite just for them. Just for their little meeting as he liked to call it. Two friends meeting up in a hotel room with his wife not knowing? Yeah right, she knew the real reason why she was here.

The high heels that he had purchased felt heavy on her feet almost as if they were weighing her down. The soft material of the dress (that he also paid for) barely covered her ass and she was glad that she was sitting. He knew what he was doing when he sent her all of this stuff. The dress and shoes cost thousands of dollars together! She didn't even want to factor in the diamond choker wrapped around her neck or the fancy lingerie that she had on underneath.

Yes, this was just a little meeting, between friends. Nothing else.

The door opened and closed and she sat up straighter on the bed. Her hands were folded on her lap as she heard his footsteps get closer. Her purse was left behind on the counter in the kitchen. He knew she was there.

She stands when she hears him getting closer to the bedroom. Her nerves are getting the best of her. Her legs shake with each step he takes. He's leaning against the door before she knows it. Her fingers are fiddling around her wrist when she finally looks up at him.

“Hi.”

“Hey beautiful. Why do you look so nervous?”

His eyes traced over the swells of her breasts, pushed up to perfection in that tight dress. He knew she would look down right delectable in it.

“No reason.”

She swallowed as he came closer to her. He was so handsome and her type. She was always so weak when it came to men with brown eyes. His hair was styled impeccably and looked just as perfect as the rest of him. His wife was one lucky bitch.

“Relax, baby, come here.”

She tensed when his hands came in contact with her bare shoulders. They were so large and warm such a difference to the rest of the bedroom. The thin straps of her dress was flimsy compared to the rest. She was a mess under his intense gaze.

“Tony, we shouldn't.”

He presses his lips against her racing pulse point. She shudders in his grasp and let's out a small whine. She wants him and he knows it. He knew it that night when they met at the bar.

“I think we should, baby. I'm here and you're here…”

His hand trailed up her thigh and came in contact with the lace from the lingerie. He had a thing for lace, she learned, after he accidentally sent her that lingerie catalogue or maybe that wasn't an accident.

“...and you got on this nice lace number and you don't think we should?”

“You're married!”

The words die out on her lips when he grabbed her ass. He spun her around to face him. Her hands pressed against his chest as she squirmed in his embrace.

“I'm married not dead.”

He spread her ass cheeks and squeezed them together again. His hips grinded against hers while he grabbed her wrists.

“But you're not married to me!”

He pushed her down on the bed. She let out a yelp as he propped her ass up for him to see. The skirt of the dress had flopped up exposing her ass and her lower back.

“Tony! Get up!”

“I'm afraid I can't do that, baby.”

He pulled out the handcuffs that he had hid in his back pocket. He knew that she would be into this type of thing. He could smell it on her. He could smell that kinky little bitch that was so desperate to be released.

Her head jerked up when the cool metal of the handcuff bit into her skin. She let out a gasp and tried to pull away her hands but it was too late. He had both of her hands cuffed and she was left helpless under his body.

“Uncuff me, Tony. What are you doing? Why-you have a wife! And a kid! You shouldn't be wasting your time with me!”

He grabbed a pillow and pushed it up under her hips. She wiggled back and forth trying to get away from his grasp, but her attempts were useless. He stepped back from the bed to watch her. She was his favorite work of art that he could stare at all day. She was more spectacular than the moon and the stars combined. She was his. He was going to make that known to her and everyone else after tonight.

He watched her ass jiggle with every move she made. She was his delicious little seductress that he was going to enjoy.

“I've been thinking about you like this every since I saw you at that bar. You are the most beautiful woman I've ever seen.”

His fingers pressed into the damp spot on her panties. He could feel her arousal dripping out of her and soaking the thin material even more. He knew that she was a little slut from the get go.

“You’ve been telling me that we shouldn't do this yet you're laying here soaked?!”

He brought his hand down harshly on her ass. She cried out from the sting of the slap and tried to pull away. He held her hips still as he bent down between her open legs. She was in a haze while he ripped the lace panties from her body.

“Look at this little pussy! Did you shave just for me?”

He heard a muffled response and spread her legs a little more. His thumbs spread her pussy lips. He was entranced by her swollen clit and the juices covering her most private part.

“I haven't touched a woman in over a year. After, Pepper had the baby she won't let me touch her. She's so mean now and all I want is this…”

He leaned forward and breathed in her scent.

“You're here and you're ripe and you're so ready for my cock. You tried to hide your glorious pussy from me but I finally got it. Got you.”

His tongue delved into her slick folds burying himself in her clenching pussy.

“Tony…”

His name spilled from her lips like a sigh. Like she was in heaven. He propped her hips up a little more and suckled her clit into his mouth. She was pushing back for more. Her juices were flowing down and into his mouth. He groaned before he pulled away and unbuckled his pants.

“Need more, buttercup? You gonna let me fuck you?”

“No! You have a wife!”

He sighed before standing up. The glow of his arc reactor lit up the room. She was rocking on the pillow. Her juices were soaking the pillow under her as she humped it for a little bit of friction against her clit.

The sound of the handcuffs clinking catches his attention. Her hands were clawing at the sheets while she was trying to gather enough momentum to crawl away.

“Baby, just relax and enjoy this. It's just me and you here. Me and your fuckable pussy.”

His voice trailed off as he pulled at the straps of her dress. They buckled under his hands after a second of pulling and the fabric fell from her body. Her tits were out for him to see and he salivated at the thought of sucking on them. For a second, he could imagine her growing big with his baby and just tasting the delicious milk that she would produce the closer she got to her due date…

Those types of fantasies were for another time.

His hands wrapped around her body. His fingers tweaked her erect nipples causing tears to fill her eyes. Her mouth fell open when he pulled on one and pinched the other. The sensations were so different yet so fucking good. Her body was starting to shake under his ministrations. Her mind was clouded by thoughts of him and only him. She couldn't shake the fact that he was married away but before she could say anything he shifted away from her.

She wanted to whine about the warmth of his hands being took away in the cold hotel room, but maybe he had decided this wasn't going to happen. Maybe, he had decided to go home and work things out with Pepper. Her thoughts were interrupted when the bed sunk under his weight and he was squeezed in right between her thighs.

He grinded against her. The cool button of his pants got caught along her entrance. It was a bizarre feeling that had her shuddering and pressing her face deeper into the pillow. The handcuffs were biting into her skin and she knew that she would have bruises tomorrow. It was a moment of calm as he pulled down his pants and pulled out his cock. She hoped that he would come to his senses and stop the nonsense. She was just some girl he had met at the bar a couple of weeks ago. This shouldn't be happening!

He entered her with one fluid stroke. Her back arched and her jaw dropped. He was way bigger than she was expecting. His hips were flush against her ass while he allowed her to adjust. She was so wet for him that he didn't even need to prep her. His little kinky slut. He would have to show her how much he appreciated her later.

He leaned down over her back and his lips brushed against the shell of her ear.

“Look at you, such a little slut, taking a married man's cock like it's yours.”

She whimpered as she kept her head buried in the pillow. She didn't want to see his face and have to acknowledge her shame. She wanted Tony Stark to fuck her. To make her his personal little fuck toy and use her whenever he felt like it. She knew that's what she wanted that night she approached him at the bar. How many times had she fucked herself with her own fingers or toys thinking about him?

His hand wrapped into her hair and lifted her head up. She yelped at the pain that exploded from the action and he watched her face as he pulled out leaving only the head of his cock in her. He looked back to see his cock covered in her nectar. She was already trying to push back for more but he held her still. He wanted this moment to be special for them. A moment he could look back on when they were vacationing in Bora Bora in a couple of months.

He slammed back into her without abandon. Her toes were curling and she was kicking. A sharp cry had left her throat, beads of sweat was forming on her body, and she was already so close to cumming. A shame really, but he couldn't complain. He would just have her again and again and again…

She was filled to the brim with Tony Stark. He was stretching her, filling her, in a way that she had ever experienced before. He was like a lightning bolt that stroke her body and changed her in some way. She didn't know how she lived without him before.

He was so good. Each stroke hit that spot inside of her and had her screaming out for him. Her body was on fire and she felt like she was flying. It was an odd feeling to describe, but that she felt alive. More alive than she had felt in years.

“You're screaming for a married man's cock, darling, won't you just telling me to stop because of that earlier?”

With each push of his hips, he sent her closer and closer to her orgasm. His hand abandoned her hair and wrapped around her throat. Her cuffed hands gripped a pillow that was within her reach. She could feel the coil in her stomach pulling tighter and tighter. White hot heat was spilling over her spent body as he fucked her like his life depended on it.

“Don't you dare cum. You will regret it if you do.”

His words doesn't make any sense and she cries out into the pillow. Her orgasm hits her like a freight train. Her body is tensed as wave after wave of orgasmic bliss rolls over her. She's barely coming back to herself when he grabs her by the hair again. He jerks her head up and she whines pitifully into air. His hand slaps her face once, twice, three times before he let's her fall back into the pillow.

Her cheek is burning from his abuse. She's sure it's going to be red tomorrow or even bruised. She doesn't have time to breathe because his thrusts are more brutal than before.

“You stupid bitch! I tell you not to cum and you do anyway? Can you not comprehend a simple direction?”

He's shoving her further up the bed with every thrust. Tears are streaming down her face from overstimulation, or maybe her feelings are hurt from his harsh words but his fingers are on her clit before she has time to think. He's rubbing harsh circles on the sensitive bud and he's hitting the spot just right and her vision is blurring and fading before she even has a chance to tell him.

Her second orgasm tears through her body. She let's out an unintelligible shout that Tony couldn't even begin to decipher. Her pussy is squeezing him just right and he cums in her with no second thoughts. His hips twitch with the aftershocks of his orgasm and he doesn't pull out until he knows all of his cum is filling her.

He pulls out to watch their mixed fluids spill out of her abused cunt. He gathers the excess fluids on his finger and forces it back into her pretty little hole. He groaned in satisfaction as he collapsed beside her on the comfortable bed. She's dozing off and still shaking from their activities.

“I hope I fucked a baby into you. That would be nice.”

He trails his fingers over the exposed skin of her back while she shook her head.

“Tomorrow is a new day for us. I already have your room ready at Stark Tower and we're going to be so happy.”

The only response he gets is her wrists pulling at the handcuffs. He figures that tomorrow is a new day and she'll be more accepting of what they have then. At least, he hopes she will.

[theredkennedys]

my au my rules. this au is literally called Chucker Spiderverse AU in the archived discord thread so be warned oooOoOOoooOo . gay men OoooooOo

writing out the backstory that me and my friend Donut have been working on for the better part of a year, most of it was inspired by the new itsv movie that was released then. and because I don't plan on writing anything huge for this I'd like my brainstorming to have a wider audience.

All art posted is most likely @franklindonuts , aka Donut the cocreator of this shit,,,hey buddy😆 go show him some love pleeeease

you can see my art of this au here

this will 100% be somewhat incomprehensive but hey I'm just a fag having fun and I was born yesterday🧚‍♀️

**

Tucker is the spiderman in his universe with Church as his "guy in the chair". (Putting it out there that this Church is Alpha, which is significant later on.)

They both share an apartment, I don't think I ever specified why but probably for school reasons. They're both young adults, I want to say around 19-21, similar to their Blood Gulch years.

Tucker loves being spiderman. He loves helping people, being almost an idol for people- a lot of jokes were thrown around about that:

Imagine Tucker after he got his sword. He has a genuine purpose now and he's going to be good at it.

but goddd Tucker is Tucker and is stupid and reckless. being spiderman doesn't make him invincible but he loves to think otherwise. he pushes himself too far too often because he knows if he doesn't he wouldn't be able to sleep at night if someone got hurt when he was taking it "easy". Church knows this but he's still pissed off when Tucker comes back bloodied and bruised from a Villain of the Week that he shouldn't have taken on :/

(Donut art)

mental illness

It's literally just the Spiderman Effect. No one will Ever be able to understand what it's like to be spiderman but other spiders, regardless of how much you tell them or show them, they won't get it. and Church doesn't Get it. He's not stupid, he understands WiTh GrEaT PoWeR y'know but there's a mental toll that can't be communicated in a way that makes sense :/

regardless, Church hates it but he also hates how much he cares about Tucker. Cocreator said that he figured they were both close and willing to become A Thing but the time was never right, and Tucker was scared of liking a dude, etc. Normal stuff between these two. But they're insanely close, I'd like to think even moreso after Tucker's whole spiderman thing and the fact that Church also has to realize that Tucker is not invincible.

(despite them not being A Thing, Donut art of The Spiderman kiss and other gay shit)

Now this is the kicker of why I said to take note of the fact this is Alpha Church specifically.

Now I'm aware of the clowning on the whole "canon event" thing and some people's opinion on it (mostly that it's dumb and cliche), but I find it a very unique and convenient way to give a character a significant plot boost.

That being said, Tucker's "canon event" is Church's death.

I don't ever think I solidified how/why he dies, moreso that it's just a wrong-place wrong-time type of thing. Some brainstorming from Donut about it:

but i never asked him for elaboration so I don't know what the fuck he's talking about. anyway

Tucker finds Church similar to how Miles found Peter in the first Spiderverse movie. He doesn't know what to do. He's frantic and scared and horrified that his best friend is coughing up blood with raspy breaths.

(Alpha s10 parallel with tex lalalala)

Obviously. Obbbviousllyy Tucker is distraught and inconsolable. Something something he has the Worst depression of his life. He doesn't know what to do with himself, the one person who knew about everything is gone, and I'm sorry (not) lol but it's not like in rvb where Church revives 8 times before dying like a normal person.

Church was always there for Tucker and he's at a loss of what to do now because, despite the threat of it, he should've never died. It wasn't even a concern in his head ever because it seemed so unlikely.

Tucker doesn't know what to do with himself, he wouldn't have gotten this far without Church. But really, it was All Tucker. All Church did was give him little tech bits to help him function better but it was All Tucker. But he isn't able to realize that through everything and it ruins him.

I will have to make a continuation post because I love adding images and Just hit the mobile limit🧚‍♀️

thanks for reading if you got this far

[thebabyprince]

OK SO THIS POST IS FOR @spongebob636 AND @charlieqs WHO ASKED FOR LITTLE!WALLACE (and cg!Mobile!!!) hi guys!!!!

Sorrrryyy your question got deleted, i accidentaly sent it into queue and couldn't get it back :(

i'm personally not picky at all so in my perfect EVERYONE REGRESSES AND EVERYONE CAREGIVES so here ya go!! :3

Little!Wallace (and a bit of Cg!Mobile!!)

Wallace was always the caretaker. Almost never on the receiving side. It's how it always was, so he says he got quite used to it. He had a ton of experience as a caregiver, but the thought of regressing himself never crossed his mind.

That was until Mobile came along. Who is, as we know, very intense, and likes to ask a lot of very logical questions Wallace can't answer. Which confused him when they first started dating, cause hey, he's the normal, stable, and rational one!

"Daily alcohol consumption is not very rational" "...... :/" "Drinking 2 liters of diet coke every day is not very rational" "...... :/" "Neither is falling asleep in your outside clothes" "Sorry :("

Sad little guy got scolded for the first time since he was 10 and spent the whole evening sulking, apologizing for something that he has little control over and craving comfort. Poor boy. He wanted hugs! Cuddles! He wanted to be told he's good and everything's alright!

And Mobile provided just that, and even let him fall asleep on his lap as he works.

"Have you considered the thought you age regress yourself?" "No" "Clearly".

Wallace would describe his little age as either around 7, or just "Dunno, tinier than usual".

It took him a lot of time to actually learn to accept care when he regresses. His first few times regressing he was anxious he'd be too much, so he kept insisting on how he could do everything himself, he's a big boy, don't worry, he can handle everything!!

Then he got his shoes tied for him and he got very emotional.

Then he got called "Wally" and he cried.

Wallace is a very talkative and attentive little! Needs to know all the gossip even though he's 7 years old. Also asks a ton of questions

"Whatcha dooin? :3 What's that thing for? Did you know that?..."

He's very hard to put down to sleep cause he wants to talk and talk and talk!

I think he'd enjoy hanging out with baby/toddler regressors while he's regressed, and being the big brother!! He's very social, so he has many and many playdates

Also! Little vampire Wallace! It's his favorite play pretend! He wraps a blanket around himself like a cape, makes bite marks with a red marker and runs around munching on fruit and hissing on lamps.

[pedrito-friskito]

I'm back with another!! Fluff prompt #1 for Frankie, please 😇💜 (sorry I'm on mobile so I can't copy and paste it 😬)

yay fluff!! this was actually the same request as the one I got for Joel from @iamskyereads - but this one took a very different turn!

(prompt was: “Should I stop talking?” “Don’t, your voice is very soothing.”)

this was VERY self-indulgent, and it got a little (a lot) spicy, but I would truly do anything for Frankie Morales so so here we go!

eventual smut under the cut!

requests are open until saturday midnight!

the cold

(word count 1.7k)

Frankie is a suck when he’s sick. Like, man-cold to the nth degree. He’s a baby, in every sense of the word. But you can’t help it, taking care of him every way you can.

Flu season is a bit of a write-off in your house. While you fill your body with antioxidant teas and immune-boosting vitamins, Frankie thinks it’s all bullshit, waving off your offers with a mumbled, “I don’t get sick.”

Except, he does.

It starts fine; it always does. A bit of a cough, clearing his throat repeatedly, rubbing at his nose and making that scrunched-up expression you secretly love (more so when it’s not the first sign of impending sickness…). He asks for soup for dinner, grumbles at you that his throat is sore, takes longer, hotter showers than normal. But he powers through, refuses to call into work cuz, “It’s just a bit of a cold, baby. I’m fine.”

Except, he’s very quickly not fine.

His truck is in the driveway when you get home from work, which is your first clue. Frankie’s almost never home before you, and as you pass his truck on your way to the door, you can see wads of tissues scattered on the bench seat, lozenge wrappers decorating the dashboard. You sigh as you fish your keys out of your pocket, unlocking the door and stepping inside. He whines as soon as he hears your shoes on the tile.

“Baby, I’m sick.”

You have to stifle your giggle, unloading your work bag and purse from your arms, toeing off your shoes and locking the door behind you. “You don’t say, Francisco.”

He’s sprawled out on the couch, wrapped in the flannel blanket that usually lives on the back of the sofa. He doesn’t look well, to start; his skin is pale, his forehead shining with a thin sheen of sweat, his eyes bloodshot. You step to the back of the couch, leaning over and touching the back of your hand to his forehead. He’s warm, too, and holds your hand to his skin with something like a whimper on his lips.

“Your hands are so soft, baby.”

You chuckle, rolling your eyes as you head for the kitchen. “Have you taken anything?” you ask, beelining for the cupboard where you keep the meds, fishing out a package of cold and flu, along with another baggie of lozenges and one of the echinacea teabags you’ve been hoarding since he first started coughing. “Fish?”

“No,” he calls back, clearing his throat, which sends him into a coughing fit. You pop two of the pills out of the blister back, fill a glass of water, returning to the living room and perching on the coffee table as he stops, offering the water.

“Drink,” you command, and he listens, clammy fingers brushing yours as he takes the glass. “And take these, too.”

He makes a face as he takes the pills from you, wincing as he swallows. “I hate being sick.”

You shake your head at the big suck he’s turned into, reaching out to brush his hair from his forehead. “I know, baby.”

The rest of the evening is spent waiting on Frankie, and you go full nurse-mode on him. A box of tissues is left on the coffee table, along with more lozenges, a bottle of water, and a cup of tea with honey. When he starts coughing again, you find a tub of vapour-rub, and order his shirt off, perching on the coffee table again so you can smear the stuff on his chest. It helps some; you can feel his breathing even out a bit beneath your hands, his lungs less rattle-y against his ribs.

He whines when you take your hands off of him, and you settle onto the couch instead, pulling his head into your lap while you find something to watch on Netflix. One hand still rubs at his chest, the vapour-rub long absorbed, but every time you try and stop, he nudges at your arm, makes some unintelligible noise, begging you to continue.

“How was your day?” he asks, his voice a little nasally, sniffing loudly as you hand him a tissue.

You tell him about your day at work, launching into a story about your coworkers. You ramble a bit; usually you two have a big, long chat over dinner, which usually cascades out onto the couch after you’re finished tidying up, so you have lots to say. And you keep rubbing at his chest, his skin hot against your palm, his head rising and falling with your breaths.

You’ve been talking for nearly twenty minutes, and you realize he hasn’t said a word. He started out with quiet affirmations he was listening, uh-huhs and oh reallys interjected every so often, but it’s a been a while since you heard one.

“Frankie?” you say softly, not wanting to wake him if he’s asleep. “Honey, should I stop talking? Why don’t we get you to bed, hmm?”

“Don’t,” he rasps, turning over onto his stomach, burying his face in your lap. Your hand moves to his hair, curls sliding around your knuckles. “Your voice is very soothing.”

“Oh, is it?” you ask, smiling as you move your hand through his hair, making a little moan fall out of him. “I’m sure it would be even more soothing in bed.”

He shakes his head against you. “Don’t wanna move.”

“How about the shower?” you ask, and his head perks up instantly, sleepy eyes blinking at you.

“You gonna join me?” he asks, and you laugh.

“Yes, Fish,” you reply, ruffling his hair. “Don’t trust you to stay upright without me.”

It’s the fastest he’s moved all evening, kicking off the blanket and waiting for you to stand up. He wobbles a bit as he gets to his feet, and you fit yourself under his arm, leading him down the hall to the bathroom.

He looks dead on his feet as you shuffle him into the shower, the spray nearly as hot as it’ll go, filling the bathroom with steam. You strip yourself quickly, pulling the curtain back into place. Frankie slips his arms around your waist as soon as you’re within reach, leaning his head into your chest, his back pressed to the cold tile.

“Comfortable?” you ask, angling yourself so he’s not getting sprayed directly in the face. He nods into your collar, and you sigh as you feel his hands slip lower, palming your ass as he pulls you a little closer. “Frankie.”

“Huh?” he mumbles, kissing at your collarbone. “What, baby?”

“You’re sick,” you say, coming your fingers through his wet hair, slicking it back over his head.

“But I need you,” he almost whines, head moving up so he can suck at the skin of your neck. “Always need you, even when I feel like shit.” He pauses, wrenches his head up and coughs towards the wall. “Especially when I feel like shit.”

“Breathe deep,” you tell him, rubbing your other hand up and down his back. “The steam will help.”

He fits his face back against your neck, hands roaming your body again, and you can’t help but lean into his touch a little. He knows your body better than you do, knows where to squeeze and caress in just the right way, sending sparks of heat to your core.

You feel him twitch against your thigh, and you can’t help yourself, moving your and around from his back, down his arms, over his stomach. He groans in your ear as you skim your fingers along his waist, over the curve of his stomach, and he twitches again, cock filling at your attention.

He squeezes your ass again, his other hand reaching between your legs, but you push him away. “Baby—” he starts to protest, nose still buried in your throat.

“I’m taking care of you, remember?” you mumble against his hair, kissing the crown of his head. “Let me.”

“What about you?”

“I’ll take care of myself later,” you say, revelling in the gasp that slips from his throat as your fingers close around his cock. “I’ll let you watch.”

He groans into your throat, arm going tight as anything around your waist. You stroke him slow, bringing your hand to your mouth after a moment and licking a stripe up your palm. He groans louder when you touch him again, your spit and the water easing your movements, making him pulse in your hand. You curl your fingers tight, thumb riding the thick vein along the underside of him, and he whimpers into your neck, clawing tighter at your waist, pushing his hips into your hand.

You know his body just as well as he knows yours.

You move your other hand to the base of his neck, fingers still knotted in your hair and tug lightly, just enough that you can press your lips to his forehead. “You gonna cum for me, Frankie?”

“Uh-huh,” he breathes out, nearly stuttering the response as you push him back slightly, until his back is flush against the tile again. You pump him fast and hard, just like he likes, thumb swiping against his sensitive head on every upstroke. “Fuck, baby, please.”

“Take it, Fish,” you whisper, holding him close, your hand moving faster on his cock. “C’mon, baby, wanna make you feel good.”

“Feels so good,” he groans out and pushes his head back as he cums, ropes of white spurting onto your stomach, over your knuckles, dripping onto his thighs. He stutters out your name as he goes, head tipped back against the tile, eyes rolling back in his head. You stroke him through it, savouring every sound he makes, the heat and pressure between your own legs pulsing in time to your heartbeat. Later.

You only slow when he starts to whine, one hand pushing at your own. You tug him beneath the water again, letting the hot spray wash you both clean, and he fits himself against you, hand roaming your body once more.

“You’re so good to me, baby,” he mumbles into your neck. “So fucking good to me.”

[malsfefanfics]

Lorenz and Bernadetta :3c

To the angst mobile~!

"I'm sorry," she stammered. "W-what was that?"

The floor was falling beneath her. She couldn't believe what she'd just heard. It had to be a joke. A sick prank. Surely, there was no way that Lorenz of all people would ask to court her. It was just something she misheard. Yes. That's right. He was probably asking which way to the courthouse or something. Maybe he needed to look up records of a burial. That's what the flowers were for, right?

Lorenz handed her the bouquet. "I said 'you are a truly beautiful bloom, Bernadetta. And I would like to formally ask to court you.'"

Oh, she thought. So she hadn't misheard him. He did ask that.

"But...why? I mean...why me?"

"Why not?" Lorenz asked. "I find your company to be soothing. You are creative, well-mannered, and I always find I try my hardest when you are around. You inspire me. And I would love nothing more than to grow closer to you." He smiled sweetly, face dusting pink. "And perhaps, should this courting go well, we could consider marriage."

"M-m-m-marriage?"

Marriage. He's...he's that serious? Marriage? To her? It's not possible, right? This had to be a dream. A farce. It's not possible. Not possible. Not-

"Bernadetta?"

"I...I-I-I-I....can't...."

"Bernadetta?!"

Lorenz's hands rested on her shoulders as she struggled to gain a breath. Everything spun to a blur. A sharp pang cut through her head as the flowers dropped to the floor.

"Can't...breathe...."

"Easy there. Here, have a seat in this chair. Deep breaths."

Bernadetta shut her eyes tightly, leaving Lorenz to guide her to the seat. In her mind, she counted up to ten, then back down to one, and back up again. Steady hands kept her shaking from throwing her to the ground beside the flowers. Tears bit and clawed at her until a gentle cloth brushed her cheeks.

She wasn't sure how much time had passed. By the time she'd calmed down enough to speak again, small goblet of water had been placed in her hands. She slowly opened her eyes again, and Lorenz was there, kneeling beside her with concern.

"Are you alright, Bernadetta?" he asked calmly.

No. She wasn't. She knew she wasn't. And she knew why she wasn't. She shook her head, downing the water quickly to try and regain composure.

"I can't...I can't do courting," she muttered. "I just can’t. Not right now.”

This was it. This was the end, for sure. He'd storm off in anger and she'd never see him again. Bernie braced herself, waiting for the cutting remarks.

To her surprise, however, Lorenz didn't seem angry. Rather, his expression was almost relieved.

“That’s ok," he said softly. "Is...is it alright if I wait for you?"

Bernadetta stared at him. "What?"

"I...was wondering if I may wait for you." He took the empty goblet from her hands and set it aside, before taking her hands into his. "I am truly sorry if my attempts to woo you have caused you any sort of pain. It was not my intention. I truly do adore you, Bernadetta. And I would still wish for a chance to win your heart. But only when you're ready."

"...you're really serious about this? There's got to be better girls out there..."

"There's only one woman in all of Fódlan I wish to spend my days with." He pressed a kiss to her knuckles. "As a friend, or a lover. As long as you will have me by your side."

She looked at their hands, and a gentle wash of comfort wrapped around her. "You...you might be waiting a while."

He smiled. "That is fine by me. I will wait until you're ready, as long as it takes.."

[kaphzzz]

Do you use photoshop to edit your pictures? Their so crisp and clean and I just got 4k res on my pc.

If so, can you maaayyybbee give us a brief tutorial on how you enhance these for previews for tumblr. Because they always come out so clean even in the preview images.

hiii!!! omg sorry almost didnt see this! congrats on getting 4K!!! it's truly life changing *tears up*. and thanks for such a high compliment 🥹🥹🥹

i do edit my photos yes, but i don't do it in photoshop, but rather in mobile apps so i can just do it during time i cant do other stuff like on the subway so, yes, i can give a tutorial, but it's going to be general steps and guidelines :) sorry i can't give anything like photoshop specific! and i know you're only asking for editing advice but i'll go over the whole process for anyone else who wants to read this as well, so please bear with me. (and please don't take my advice too seriously, i'm only an amateur hobbyist too)

1. The base photo

So firstly, I think it's important that the base picture itself looks good when you capture it in game. With a good photo straight out of the game you can avoid a lot of further editing down the line.

One common mistake I see a lot is that the field of view will be left unadjusted to the default value, which is good for landscape shots, but for portraits it will have a wonky fisheye effect. For portraits you'd typically want to zoom in a lot so the character doesn't look super thin and distorted. In photo mode this is the "lens" option, I typically just zoom in to the max, and tweak what fits into the frame with the freecam. Here's a pic with good FOV for a zoomed in character shot vs. one with the default FOV (his whole face is skewed, as well as pupper):

Also, the in game environment is important for setting up a good shot. You'd typically want some kind of light vs. dark contrast to make your subject pop out, especially against any background. I like to use Rampage Trainer to tweak the in game time and weather and freeze them for better lighting and atmosphere, and sometimes spawn an extra light source but that's a rare case. For example, okay vs. not very okay lighting that's impossible to salvage even with editing:

I also like to blur the background and foreground in the game, with either the focus tab of photo mode or with depth of field reshade presets, because it's a big hassle to blur those during editing. It's quite subtle most of the time but really helps focus the shot on your character, especially if the background is so messy it can swallow your main subject (trees, I'm looking at you).

The photos in this section aren't edited; my point is that with good lighting, composition etc in game, your base vanilla photo can already look pretty good :D This is RDR2 after all.

2. Cropping

I typically crop my images at 3/4 or 2/3 ratio, depending on what looks better. But I think a general rule of thumb is that you want to crop your image so that the contents look balanced; I don't know how to explain this in concrete terms... Basically the same way centering your subject or cropping it by the rule of thirds serves to balance an image. All these pics are more or less 'balanced' in different ways, even though they're not straight smack centered. It's an eyeing process but I think with time it will be easier to tell how to balance your photo...

3. Editing

So! Editing!

Editing I think is just a lot of fine tuning based on what you have with the base image. Me personally, I used to do a lot of colour and lighting editing, but more recently since figuring out that you can just make your base image look good right out of the game, the editing has become a lot lighter. The game can definitely do the heavy lifting, but still editing is important.

I'll demonstrate with two images (hello my babygorls *kissy noises*):

So these two images obviously need some work. Firstly, I'll tweak the lighting, so that dark and light areas aren't too extreme, and also improve the definition/contrast, not too much, but just enough so that the subject is more defined. For Arthur's image the lighting is too murky so I used RGB curves to sort it out a bit.

Then I will colour grade it a little by tuning the warmth and the tone (not touching filters yet). For Charles, it's at night so I've made the tone a little colder for the blue, and for Arthur a little warmer, as well as some custom light patches just to make his face stand out a little more against the background. Some other mild adjustments.

Then if I think the background is still too attention stealing I'll blur it out a bit more. Again, I try to just blur it enough in game, since manually blurring is faulty and annoying.

Then if I think overall the lighting and colour is fine, I'll go through the filters the app offers to see if I can improve it a little more. Since I focus on portraits (pretty bois how could I not) and not do really cinematic/dramatic scenes I tend to stick to the more natural looking filters that just harmonise the colours a bit more.

And that's pretty much it for the editing.

On a side note, contrast is a good thing, but not limited to contrast in lighting, and not necessarily in lighting either. Contrast can be in the colour of your subject and in the back/foreground, or in the conplexity of your subject and blankness of everything else. I think for especially atmospheric photos you'd actually want less contrast for that softer feeling, and not like super hard silhouettes. So yeah, the editing process depends a lot on the image itself and what kind of emotion I want it to have.

4. Other miscellaneous things that help

Besides using mods to customise lighting and props and character pose etc. to your liking, reshade is definitely also a big help. It has a lot of presets that can help your photo to have better colours or add blur. I don't really have a recommended list since I don't remember how I set up my Reshade, but I think a lot of the most popular or built in ones work really well, just play with it and see what you like.

A mod I sometimes use for colour grading in game is the 'Seasons' mod. I don't like too much green so I often set the season to Autumn for that warmer tone to the grass and trees. The other seasons also have different colour tones so it's good for trying different tones! Without vs. with the mod set to Autumn (ignore the quality on those they are from ages ago):

5. Most importantly! Do what you think suits your visual preferences and taste!

So personally I think this is definitely the most important point! I think while you should look at others' work for inspiration and analyse what they're doing well, you should also definitely always prioritise your own preferences on what you like to see in your own pictures :D I think it's important to just do what you like in the moment instead of worrying about what's necessarily right or wrong, or looks good to others.

For example for me my style changed a lot over the past year and a half, and there was definitely a learning and realisation process along the way but I think my more recent preference isn't necessarily better and how I used to do things wasn't necessarily wrong either, it's just different taste.

Hope this was helpful!! :D

Please ask me if you've got any more questions or would like me to explain anything else <3

[vinsmokewife]

misery / chapter one

Sequel to Who Is This Person Nine months after the catfishing incident and Sanji still can't catch a break. After a major arguement with Zoro on the night of his birthday, Zoro breaks it off entirely claiming to have found someone new. Sanji moves on and meets Charlotte Pudding, a popular food infulencer, whom he develops a superficial but pleasant relationship with. However, news gets around that Zoro goes missing and Sanji can't help but dig into what happened. read on ao3

authors note: Well shit. After my much-needed hiatus, I am back with a sequel to Who Is This Person? Sorry for the delay in this story, I tend to have a relationship with One Piece where I binge 200 episodes then don’t watch it for a year. A lot has happened recently. I had a mental breakdown, it was incredibly suicidal and I'm currently in recovery from that. The Counseller I'm seeing while I’m waiting for a diagnosis said I should go back to writing fanfiction (as my last happy period was when I started this account) I was also really into JJK for a while but I’m dwindling back into One Piece. Sorry, this is who I am XD Anyway, all that aside, I’m so excited to be working on this story again. I really enjoyed writing Who Is This Person so I’m here to give you all Misery.

The buzzing of his phone brought Sanji into alertness. He had been pulling an all nighter studying for his exams and only the incessant beeping of his mobile device could bring him out of it. He looked at the clock seeing that it was two in the afternoon. He had slept in quite significantly. 

A lot had happened since the so called ‘Zoey incident’. That was nearly a year ago now. Nine months exactly. In the aftermath, Sanji tried to move on with his life. He had a renewed sense of vigor about his ambitions and wanted to climb higher. Sanji had been nonstop pestering Zeff about being made a sous chef. See, he was fine with just being a regular chef, but he saw himself aiming a bit higher. Zeff...as always said no. The old man never directly said any of this, but he didn’t want Sanji to become tied down the Baratie. Again, Zeff never said this but always seemed to push Sanji to explore more options. He wanted him to aim higher than being here.  

Culinary School seemed like the next step which...had kept him busy. Enrolling had kept him busy. Classes, assignments and then the practical tests seemed to consume his time more than working at the Baratie ever had. He sometimes almost forgot about nine months ago. 

Almost 

It took Sanji a few moments to wake up fully as he sat up in his bedroom. He still lived in the same place. He looked out of the window from where he was sitting. He didn’t intend on leaving his room today. But once he felt ready to see the message, he grabbed his yawn and with a big yawn and a stretch, he was ready to open the message. It was from Luffy. It had been a few days since he had seen Luffy.  He hadn’t been working nights, so he didn’t even get to see Luffy that way. Every now and then, Luffy will send messages begging for Sanji to close so he can come and take the food he used to almost a year ago. 

L: SANJI 

L: ANSWER ME 

L: angryface angryface 

L: WHERE ARE YOU? 

And the rest of the messages were angry gifs and angry faces. Sanji watched them roll in. It seemed that Luffy had been trying to get a hold of him. It wasn’t long before Sanji replied. 

S: Sorry I was asleep. 

S: What do you want? 

L: LMAO were you sleeping during the day? 

S: Some of us are busy and work.  

L: I WORK 

S: Bothering Shanks at his job doesn’t count as work. 

L: > : ( 

S: Okay. What did you message me for? 

L: I need you at the Baratie! Tonight. 7. 

S: I’m not working at 7 just for you to get freebies. 

L: No no as like a not work thing? 

L: YOU DON’T NEED TO WORK. 

L Is what I’m tryingt o say 

L: *trying to say* 

L SANJI IT’S SO IMPORTANT PLEASE COME AT 7. 

Sanji frowned, rubbing his eyes of the sleep that was still there. What did Luffy have to message him about a surprise for. He didn’t respond just yet. He stretched his muscles feeling all the tension in his back from sitting at the desk all night. Then, he replied. 

S: Fine. I’ll be there. 

Sanji tossed his phone to the side and then stood up. He shook off the remnants of sleep. Seeing as his plans of lazing were finished, he decided to have a shower. Just a quick shower before getting stressed and going into the kitchen where he made himself a strong cup of coffee. As the coffee machine hummed and the smell of Arabic coffee roamed in the kitchen, his mind began to drift as it often did when he was alone. 

Zeff was right. He often was about these things. Going to school had broadened his horizons.  It challenged him on the way he thought about food. It had been good for him.  

However, his mind often went back to one person and no matter how much he tried to forget, he still thought about him.  

He made his cup of coffee and sat down at the table. 

Zoro. Even just thinking about him made his stomach turn. Zoro and he had been incredibly rocky recently. From the outside, it looked as if Sanji and Zoro got on a lot more than they used to. They hung out alone. They went out for dinner. They would go home and hook up then Zoro would leave. However, Sanji still held him at arm's length. Any attempt Zoro made at deepening their relationship was batted away. Sanji didn’t want to deepen their relationship. They were friends with benefits and nothing more.  

As much as he tried to, Sanji found it difficult to move past what happened. Nine months later. Sanji gripped his cup as resentment and confusion pinged inside of him. He took a long sip of his coffee as he felt brewed. As much as he tried to shake these thoughts, they always go back to the same thing. It bothered him – the fact that Zoro seemed to take up so much space in his mind.  Not even his exams took up this much space. The boundaries had been made clear; at least that was what Sanji told himself anyway. They were just friends with benefits. A little friendlier than before. A lot more complicated. The lines blurred in a way that Sanji couldn’t control. He hated it. Truely and utterly hated it. 

Nine months. Nine months really should have been enough time to move on. However, whenever he closed his eyes at night. All he saw was Zoro. 

With a frustrated sigh, Sanji put his cup on the table a little too forcefully, the clatter of porcelain and the glass table jarring him out of his thoughts. He needed to clear his head. Thinking about Zoro wasn’t helping. He had to figure out why Luffy was insistent on meeting up tonight but if he knew Luffy, it would be chaos which was very much a welcomed distraction. 

As the day went on, Sanji decided to push the thoughts away and not acknowledge them anymore. He instead focused on trying to play a guessing game about what Luffy is planning. He laid out an outfit, opting into going for something that is casual but put together. After all, this was his home turf, the Baratie, even if he wasn’t working tonight. Old habits die hard. 

As the day went on, the idea of Luffy planning a surprise took up his mind and he wasn’t thinking about Zoro anymore. It could be something endearing to outright disastrous, both ends of the spectrum Sanji had experienced time after another. By the time the evening rolled around, Sanji made his way down the stairs and there he was, standing in front of the restaurant. He pushed the doors open and noticed the quiet atmosphere. The evening rush had obviously not happened yet...which was weird for it being 7. He looked towards the kitchen and seen Zeff there, barking orders at the other chefs with his usual gruff demeanor.  

“Oi. Old man,” Sanji called out as he looked through into the kitchen. Zeff glanced up, a brief look of surprise but then went to his usual gruff nature. 

“Thought you were taking the night off, eggplant?”  

“I was. Luffy said I needed to come by 7,” Sanji said, leaning against the counter. 

“Oh. If it’s Luffy you are looking for, he’s around the corner,”  

Sanji nodded before continuing to go around that way. However, once he got around the corner, he was meant by thunderous yelling.  

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY” 

Oh yeah. It was his birthday today.  

He was so busy with school that he must have...forgot. No, he didn’t forget. Who forgot their birthday? No, he just wanted to wait until he was a little less busy to celebrate his birthday. So, up till this point, he didn’t make too much of a big deal about it. He didn’t know how this translated into him getting a surprise birthday. 

Sanji’s eyes scanned his friends. Nami, Usopp, Robin, Franky and of course, Luffy standing there. Luffy was grinning widely and bouncing with his usual excitement. A large cake decorated with bright icing. He recognized the cake; he had seen Zeff making it, but he had insisted it was an order for someone else. So, Zeff was also in on it. Huh. 

“Luffy...” Sanji looked away, trying not so subtly to mask his embarrassment. When he looked elsewhere, he was Zoro. He was drinking a beer, as always. The sight of him made Sanji’s heart do weird shit so he looked back at Luffy, “You know I didn’t want to celebrate until I finished my exams...” 

“Nonsense!” Luffy said, grabbing Sanji by the arm and pulling him towards his friends, “Everyone needs to celebrate their birthday properly,” 

Sanji was pulled over to the table by Luffy who was determined to make sure that Sanji enjoyed his birthday with his friends surrounding him. 

“You didn’t have to go all out,” 

“This isn’t all out.” Luffy waved off his concerns with an infectious laughter. 

Sanji couldn’t help but smile at Luffy’s infectious energy. He glanced at Zoro, still drinking beer pretending he was too cool for his birthday party.  

Luffy’s excitement was appreciated though. He took a seat between Robin and Usopp. The cake was nearby. He couldn’t help but appreciate the effort. 

“Still, you didn’t have to-” 

“It’s not all out,” Luffy insisted with a grin, his eyes sparkling with that usual excitement. “We wanted to do something nice for you. Nami and Zoro helped quite a bit,” 

Once again, his gaze went back to Zoro who was now avoiding his gaze. The mention of Zoro helping plan this seemed to catch Sanji off guard. He had to wonder how much Zoro contributed to the arrangement of this part. It made his chest feel rather tight which...was problematic to say the least. 

He could not. He could not let his emotions ruin the night. 

“I find it hard to believe that Zoro actually helped...” Sanji rolled his eyes, sitting back in his chair trying to give off an impression that he didn’t care, “It actually is thoughtful which makes me doubt it,” 

Zoro shot him a look, still nursing his bear as his scowl deepened, “Yeah, well, don’t get used to it,” He muttered, although looking closely there could have been something of the smallest hint of a small very small smile, something soft that almost felt like fondness. 

Even if Sanji tried to be indifferent, his mind felt like it was racing. Honestly, he didn’t know why but inside it felt like it pissed him off. These little, small meaningful gestures made it incredibly hard for Sanji to separate himself from Zoro. It made it easier to...forget about what happened. Sometimes, it felt like he could maybe ease up around Zoro. 

Maybe...just maybe. 

“Maybe next time, stick to what you are good at,” Sanji shook his head, “You know, heavy lifting and lack of direction,”  

In front of everyone, their banter felt normal. It felt like things had never changed. It felt as if they had just moved on from their lives. However, Sanji felt a weird edge right now. Tension with unresolved feelings between them as he tries to still be indifferent. 

Luffy, obviously oblivious to everything that was going on, laughed, “You two never change!” He said before grabbing another slice of cake. “But hey! At least the gang is here!” 

Breaking eye contact with Zoro, his attention was back on Luffy. Luffy was right. This was a nice gesture from all three of them. It would be a shame to have it ruined by his own racing mind. He looked at Zoro who avoided his eyes. 

“Yeah, you are right,” Sanji smiled, “I appreciate it...thank you,” 

The rest of the evening passed in a blur of laughter, jokes and the comfort of being surrounded by friends. What Sanji didn’t know was that Zeff had closed the whole restaurant so that they could focus on Sanji’s surprise party. Amazing food came out as well as drinks and desserts. Luffy definitely had his fair share of food and Zoro had his fair share of drinks. 

When desserts came out, Sanji excused himself and went outside. He needed to...collect his thoughts. He needed to think about things outside. When he was outside, he sat on the step of the door and lit up a cigarette. He was lost in his thoughts outside when the door opened. 

“Are you okay?”  

Thankfully, it wasn’t Zoro. It was Robin. Sanji exhaled a long plume of smoke. The orange glow of his cigarette lit up his face in the darkness. He didn’t immediately respond. He just let the silence speak for itself. Robin was...for better or worse, incredibly perceptive. She always had been. Sanji had heard that Robin had been...somewhat involved in the club that Zoro frequented...or used to.  

“Yeah,” He said, although he wasn’t sure if he believed that and his voice lacked the conviction for her to believe him too, “Just needed a breather...” 

Robin didn’t say anything immediately, but she did sit next to him. She allowed him another puff of his cigarette before speaking. 

“It’s okay to feel overwhelmed, Sanji,” She said, her voice understanding but cautious as she didn’t wish to overstep, “Especially on nights like this. Birthdays can be...a time of reflection,” 

Sanji took another drag as he watched the smoke curled into the night air, “I guess. I’m certainly in a reflective mood tonight,” 

Robin nodded as she watched the smoke dissipate into the night air, “It’s understandable,” She said as her tone was gentle, “A lot has happened recently. It’s only human to be affected by what happened,” 

Sanji shook his head with a very bitter chuckle, “I thought I moved on. I feel terrible... Luffy, Nami and... Zoro put a lot of effort into this and I... well, can’t help but think about things,” 

Robin decided to let him talk rather than inject her own thoughts as her hands rested on her lap, looking out into the air. Her presence felt...so warming that he couldn’t help but talking even more. 

“It’s like...you know, I tell myself that it doesn’t matter. I’m better off just focusing on my career and future but then,” Sanji gestured animatedly in the direction of the restaurant, “Zoro does something...stupidly kind... and I feel like those walls I’m trying to build up around him just...”  

He realizes how it sounds and retracts slightly. Robin didn’t need to know every single detail of what was going on. He retracts and takes another puff of smoke, feeling even more bitter than he had done. 

“It’s clear that Zoro has some sort of effect on you. It’s not easy to let events go...” Robin responded. 

Sanji frowned. It wasn’t what he wanted to hear. He wanted her to call him a jerk but then again, that wasn’t like Robin. Robin was...perspective.  

“Nine months. I’m still stuck,” 

Robin turned her head slightly, “Moving on isn’t a linear process. Sometimes, it’s two steps forward and one step back,” 

Sanji let out a sigh, running his hand through his hair. “But I don’t want to have these feelings. Zoro did the worst thing he could have done to be me ever and I can’t let it go. I just...want to let it go...” He clenched his fists, the frustration and bitterness simmering inside, “I hate him. I really really hate him but sometimes I don’t,” There was a beat of silence before Robin spoke up. 

“Then, you need to talk to him about it. Make those boundaries clear or forgive him. Either way, holding onto it and hoping that it will go away, will only hurt yourself,” 

His jaw tightened. He wanted to reject her advice and brush her off. He had gone for the past nine months without talking to him about it, but he knew that she was right. Holding onto this anger, this bitterness and it was bothering him. The truth was sinking in. Maybe it was time to decide. The thought made his stomach do funny things, but Robin was right; he couldn’t keep running from it forever. He had to face this head on. 

“Thank you, Robin,” His voice softer, more sincere than it had been before, “I’ll think about what you’ve said,” 

She gave a small nod before standing up. 

“One step at a time,”  

Sanji watched her get up and go back inside. Despite her being gone, her words echoed in his mind. He wasn’t sure what he was going to do now but for the first time in these past nine months, he felt like he had direction...he knew what he had to do. 

He took the final drag of his cigarette before stubbing it out. With a deep breath, he stood up and turned back towards the door. The night was still young. His journey was not yet over, and it was like Robin said... 

One step at a time. 

- 

The night went on for a couple more hours, nearly approaching midnight.  Everyone had a great time. The evening continued with laughter and conversation. Thankfully, Sanji’s mind felt more at ease as he joined the rest. Even if he had to decide what to do, it was enough peace to let him enjoy the rest of the night. As it approached a new day, the group's energy began to wane, and people began to leave. Robin and Franky, who were still a steadfast couple left together, Luffy and Usopp left with intentions of going back to Luffy’s and Nami left with the intention of spending the night with Vivi who she was still very much dating. As Sanji began to watch everyone leave, it left him alone...well...not exactly.  

Sanji was assured by Zeff that he would handle the mess in the morning which had Sanji having his last cigarette of the night outside. He looked towards the stairs leading up to his apartment. He was about to turn and leave when he heard someone else leave the restaurant. 

It was Zoro and they both looked at each other. Sanji continued to smoke, and Zoro watched him as if he wanted to say something, but didn’t so Sanji was the first one to speak. 

“Wanna come up stairs? It’s a long way home,”  

It was the nicest way of asking Zoro if he wanted to stay the night. Now that everyone else was gone, Sanji and Zoro could drop the acting.  

“Sure. I didn’t want to walk home anyway,” 

Sanji shook his head with a humorless laugh. His reply was gruff as usual but there was some warmth behind it. They stood there for a moment, the silence between them was thick with words they couldn’t say then.  It was tension that in the past nine months had become very familiar. It had begun to define their relationship...their very complicated relationship. 

Once he was ready, he stubbed out his cigarette as his mind reeled from the advice he had been given by Robin. It couldn’t be put off any longer. Sanji had to do something about what was on his mind.  

“Come on. Let’s go then,”  

Zoro followed Sanji without a word. The quiet footsteps on the stairs were the only sound as they made their way up to Sanji’s apartment. 

When they were inside, Sanji flickered on the light. There was a soft glow in a familiar space. Zoro looked around. He was unreadable. Maybe he could tell that change needed to happen too.  

Sanji busied himself to begin with. He kicked his shoes off, tidied up a few items and the like as if to avoid talking to him. As normal, Zoro helped himself to a beer from the fridge and sat on the sofa, watching Sanji clean up.  

“Are you okay?” 

Sanji stopped what he was doing and looked at Zoro strangely. Was it that obvious? 

“I’ve been in a reflective mood...” Sanji muttered, thinking about the conversation he had with Robin recently. 

“Yeah?” Zoro said but more to prod more of an answer as if wanting to know Sanji’s thoughts but all it did was bring hesitation to the blond who stopped what he was doing and sat on the chair across from the sofa, away from Zoro. The familiar tension felt strange. 

“Yeah...” Sanji’s voice was low as he leaned back in his chair. 

Zoro’s expression remained stoic but there was a flicker of something on his face, but it was unreadable. Sanji didn’t know whether Zoro was also feeling reflective or if he had no idea what he was talking about. Either way, Sanji leaned forward. 

“I keep telling myself that I hate you. I really do hate you. Yet, when you do things like what you did tonight with Nami and Luffy...” Sanji ran his hand through his hair, “It pisses me off because you do these kind decent little things and then I don’t know how I feel...” 

Zoro didn’t say anything. What could he say? They’ve been over this countless times. No matter how many times they ended up in each other's room or have these little meet ups, they still go around in circles talking about nine months ago. Neither of them was over it nor honestly, no one could be blamed. 

“I hate you for this. I really do...” 

Zoro looked directly at Sanji, “I don’t blame you,” 

Sanji’s breath caught. That was it. Zoro accepted it with bluntness, and it caught him off guard entirely. He had expected an argument, maybe a gruff retort but instead, Zoro accepted it. 

And that just annoyed him even more. It was suffocating and yet, this was the most honest that they had been with each other this whole time. 

“I don’t want to keep going around in these circles,” Sanji’s voice was strained, “But I don’t think I can move forward...the way that things are going,” 

“You think I haven’t tried? That I don’t want to try and move on?” Zoro responded, clutching his beer like an anchor, “Do you think I haven’t suffered from this too? I know nothing I can say will make you accept what’s going on...” 

“Then why do we keep doing this? Why help with the party? Why do you keep coming back to my place? Why?” 

There was a beat of silence. Sanji had clenched his fists so hard that specs of blood appeared on the palm of his hand, but it didn’t hurt. He had bigger fish to fry right now, and it was all about Zoro. 

And Zoro just continued to stare at him. He settled his beer down on the table and leaned forward, as if trying to close the distance between them, “Because...” He began, his voice lower and more measured than normal, “No matter how much we hate each other and no matter how much we hurt each other, I cannot stay away from you. You think I enjoy this? That I love how much of a mess we are?” 

And that felt like an honest admission from Zoro. Something that Sanji could not honor in return as he scowled, “Then why the hell are we doing this? If you can’t stay away and I can’t let it go, then what the hell are we doing here?” 

And there it was again. That silence showed that neither of them knew the answer. Those raw feelings just bubbled below the surface. 

“I don’t know,” Zoro sighed, “I don’t know okay,” His voice low and rough, “I don’t have the answer, but I wish I did but I don’t,” 

Sanji scowled and pinched the bridge of his nose, “I can’t keep doing this with you,” 

“You don’t have to,” Zoro said, standing up as if something finally snapped, “No one is forcing you to do this. Maybe we should stop seeing each other,” Sanji’s heart clenched at those words even though a part of him had been expecting this conclusion. He had thought about this countless times before, about what it meant if they did cut ties and moved on. Yet, hearing Zoro vocalize it, made it real. 

“Is that what you want?” Sanji didn’t stand up. He looked up at Zoro who looked as if he was about to leave, as if he’d had enough. 

Zoro hesitated but the tension in the room pushed him to talk about it, “You’ve made it clear. You can’t do this anymore. So, you don’t have to. I’m giving you an out,” 

Sanji took a deep breath as if trying to steady himself. Everything felt as if it was crumbling around him, and he was grasping to give himself some normality. But maybe it was too late. Maybe this was the new normal. Everything felt already broken.  A wave of emotions crashed around him as a mix of anger and sadness. Zoro’s words were logical and to the point. He was giving Sanji an out and that was logical, but it was a punch in the gut after everything they had been through.  

This was the exact moment he had feared and wanted. 

“You are giving me an out?” Sanji stood up, shaking his head in disbelief and frustration, “Like it’s that simple? Like walking away will finish all of this?” 

Zoro clenched his jaw, “Maybe it is that simple, Sanji. Maybe we are making it more difficult than it had to be,”  

It was the moment he had to decide. Sanji’s heart raced and for a moment, he just couldn’t find the words. What did he want? 

“I think you are right,” Sanji said. Maybe he was right. Maybe they needed to stop. “Maybe walking away will help,” 

Zoro nodded, his face unreadable but he looked towards the door and then back to him, “I agree. I will leave you alone then...” His words hung in the air, heavy and final. The silence that followed it was suffocating and filled with things that they didn’t even get a chance to say. Finally, there was an end to this unrelenting cycle. 

For a moment, time stopped. By the time that Sanji realized that time’s arrow marched forward, Zoro opened the door and was gone. The blonde stood there frozen. So that was it. Zoro had walked out of his life as if it was nothing. He had wanted this – to end this cycle but now that it had happened, Sanji felt hollow. He clenched his fists again, realizing the pain of cuts on his hand but it was nothing compared to the pain in his chesrt. Nine months. He’d put up with this for nine months and for what? What did he have to show for it? 

Instead of relief, he felt loss.  

He sat on the sofa, the exhaustion of the night caught up on him. He rubbed his face, noticing the wetness on his cheeks. 

One step at a time. 

But what was the next step? What did he do next? How did you move on now? 

Sanji leaned back on the sofa, reaching for his lighter and cigarettes. He lit one up and stared at the ceiling. He had made his choice, now he had to live with it. Maybe that’s how it was supposed to end.  

One step at a time. 

[lokiforever]

🖤 Love in the Dark 🖤

Mafia!Loki x Fem!Reader

Series Masterlist

Warnings ⚠️🚨: Slightly agressive Loki...

Chapter 3

➡️

"No, you need to listen to me! It's important. She...she was to marry him. That is why his men kidnapped her!" Barnes said

Loki's face immediately went pale "Did she- did she know?" He said after a moment "No clue" Loki clenched his jaw and balled his fists. Anger was bubbling inside him with a hint of...... possesiveness? He was not sure of whom actually he was mad at...that bastard who most certainly did not deserve someone as pure as you..or you, if you knew...

He stormed outside the room.

You were waiting outside and the force with which Loki opened the door left you in shock. He was seemingly mad.

"Loki ?" you cautiously said, he was moving towards you with calculated steps his face seemed neutral but you knew he was fuming. You were taking steps backwards till your back hit the wall. "Did you know?" he said but you didn't quite get it "W-what?"

He walked even closer to you leaving your bodies inches away. "Did. You. Know" he said through gritted teeth"D-did I know what?" "Goddamn- Did you know why they kidnapped you" said he as he slammed his fist into the wall, making you flinch "N-no"

He was trying hard to control his anger. Not wanting to do anything he might regret later.

He stepped back turning his back to you as he started walking out so as to control himself from saying something harsh to you. "Loki!?" "Loki- listen!!" he said nothing and moved out of the room, the whole mansion, actually.

You were now scared of what did they want...what if they came back?! Slowly the fears overwhelmed you as sat alone in your room which eventually caused to cry ... badly.

After an hour or so, you heard a faint knock but were a bit too preoccupied with tears to notice it. The gate opened as Loki entered... he cautiously took a few steps closer to you "Y/N?" his voice was very soft, almost like a whisper . Getting no response, he crouched beside you "Y/N, I'm so sorry. Please forgive me. I was just... It's not your fault, I know, I'm sorry. Please don't cry, darling" he cooed softly. You looked up at him with teary eyes "I know you didn't mean it, Loki, but what if they get me again?" You managed to say between the sobs "No one will harm you" "Who are those people and why did they kidnap me!?" "You don't need to know that. You're safe with me" his words sounded so pure, so true that you could do nothing but trust him, believe in him.

You always had a hard time trusting someone fully and yet here you were, trusting someone who was so strange and yet seemed so close, with nothing less but your life. He extended his hand for you to take which you did. "Thank you so much, Loki...I can't thank you enough"

'You being here is enough' he thought

He simply gave you a smile and revealed a white paper bag. "This is for you. Consider this as an apology" "Oh, Loki... Thank you " as you opened the bag, it had premium, brand new mobile in it "Loki ..." "I mean, you cannot talk to your friend without a mobile, can you?" he said. The next thing he felt was you hugging him feeling which his body immediately stiffened but after a second or two he returned the hug. It felt nice, much to his surprise. After a few moments you released him from the hug. Though he'd never admit, he wanted to stay like that for longer.

"Thank you so very much!" said you "You're welcome, darling. And,Y/N..." "Yeah?" "I'm forced to go to a party tonight and you're coming with me" "Me? Why me? I don't even know anyone here"

"You don't know me?" "Of course I do" "Exactly, and that's enough. You are going with me" "Do you think I can't say no to that?" "You better not" he said with a hint of playfulness in his voice.

He sounded....a little different today... changed, for good, of course....but still... Little did you know it was the true him, one of the rare times when he lets his guard down.

As decided earlier, you were now getting ready to go to the party. You wore the same dress that Loki almost forced you to buy at the mall. However, you had to admit, it was gorgeous. It was in a shade of green that many could mistake as black, had a perfect fit on you and reached till above your knees.

Pairing it with a set of stilletos and some make-up, you finished your look and walked out in the living room, where he was waiting for you.

Loki was wearing a dark green, velvet tuxedo with his hair neatly done, looking sinfully gorgeous.

He almost stopped breathing for a second when his eyes landed on you. And lord knows, he put every last bit of his self control to not kiss you and more right there and then. "You're look absolutely ravishing, darling" causing you to turn to a deep shade of red. "Thank you... You look great yourself"

Oh, he looked breath-taking, the suit was suiting him very much. His hair looked so soft and oh, his scent . It was something rich, leather, musk and a ting of a citrusy perfection.

On stepping out Loki walked to the limousine with you, it was none other than the wonderful limo, Rolls Royce Phantom. The chauffeur opened the door for you as you and Loki sat in.

"Which's your favourite car brand, darling?" "Oh, mine's this, Rolls Royce. They have such great models, what bout' yours?" "Oh, I agree with you, mine's the same. This car is in my top five."

"Oh, really? Which's your numero uno?" "Oh, I'll show you someday"

~°~~~~

You both entered the party, Loki had placed a gentle hand at the small of your back as he walked across the room, he sensed someone coming towards "Ugh, meet one of the most annoying people you'd find in here" he said loud enough for only you to here and then turned towards the person "Ethan Fletcher." "Hey!!! Got yourself a girl , did you, Laufeyson?" the person with an awkwardly chirpy and over-excited voice whome you know knew as Ethan said with a pat on Loki's shoulder making him cringe internally, he resisted the urge to roll his eyes and said "She's not my girlfriend. Excuse me" and walked towards the person who apparently wanted to discuss something with him "Uh, Y/N, why don't you get yourself some drinks while I tackle this little buisness?" "Are you sure?" "Totally, just stay safe and if you find anyone suspicious, just come to me. Barnes' bot here unfortunately, else I'd have sent him with you. But don't fret, I'll be swift." "Alright, thanks" you said with a small smile and a nod

You walked towards the drinks counter, ordering the least alcoholic drink as you didn't want to go raving and do something embarrassing especially when you had the company of Loki.

"Hey" you heard a voice behind you which most definitely was not Loki's you turned around to find the owner of the voice finding a blonde guy standing there, he was wearing a black suit and had a smile on his face. He sat on the bar stool beside you "I'm Marc" "Y/N" "Would you mind sharing a dance with me?" "Uh.... I'm sorry, I don't feel like dancing today.." "Oh, come on. Just one dance..." you tried to deny him but he was just too adamant so you eventually gave in

In the dimly lit ballroom, the music swirled through the air as you gracefully moved across the dance floor. The atmosphere was electric as laughter and conversation filled the space. Unbeknownst to you, Loki stood at the edge of the room, his piercing gaze locked on you. You continued the dance, unaware of the storm brewing within Loki's heart. A twinge of jealousy flickered across his face, quickly masked by his composed demeanor.

Deep down, Loki struggled with his emotions, haunted by a tragic incident from the past that left him scarred and closed off to the possibility of love.

Little did he know, fate was about to challenge his resolve, and perhaps, unravel the walls he had meticulously built around his heart.

🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤

Taglist:

@holdmytesseract @jennyggggrrr @lotsoflokilove23 @jaidenhawke @wolvesmom1 @gruftiela @mary-jinx @mischief-dream@ladychota @dishahaldar @eleniblue @foxherder @allesiaandnx

[holdmytesseract]

Against the odds

Chapter Nine - Revelations

a/n: The next chapter is here, guys! 😁 Enjoy! ☺️

Word Count: 3,7k

Warnings for this Chapter: angst, mentions of past trauma, swear words, pregnancy things

Masterlist

Your brother's eyes darted from you to the suitcase and back, mouth agape. "Y-Y/N that's, uhh..." "Yeah..." You said, zipping up the suitcase once again. "Consequences... Like I said..." Chris was visibly shocked, expected everything to see in that suitcase, but definitely not an ultrasound picture. Being a triple dad himself, he knew exactly, what that meant. "I-I can't quite believe this..." Your brother started, shaking his head. "Y-You're pregnant?" You nodded. "My little sister is pregnant?" "Yep. After trying again and again and again for months with absolutely no luck, one slip up was enough." Chris still needed a moment to grasp this. "But, it's, uh, Tom's baby, right?" You scoffed in offense. "Of course, it's Tom's! Do you think like Nate now?! That I'm screwing through the actor world?" Chris' eyes widened, when he realised with horror what he had said. "No, no, no, of course not! It's just... So sudden and unrealistic! I'm so sorry, Arielle!" You sighed. "You better be..." Unpleasant silence spread throughout the room, before Chris cleared his throat. "So... My brother-from-another-mother is going to be a daddy... Woah, that's crazy. I bet he's super happy about it! He always loved kids." At his words you swallowed hard; felt your guilty conscience creep up on you again like so many times before. "Tom doesn't know it yet." You quipped in a quiet, ashamed voice. Once again, Chris' eyes widened. "What? You didn't tell him?? You just left without telling him??" "I know, I know, I'm horrible... I just... I had to go, I couldn't..." You didn't know what to say; felt the tears burning in your eyes. "I know, Y/N... I know..." Chris pulled you in another hug, wrapping his arms tightly around you. You sobbed against his chest for minutes and minutes, while your big brother just held you and comforted you. "You gotta tell him, Arielle..." Chris whispered. "He deserves to know." "I-I know - and I want to, b-but... It's just a lot at the moment." You felt Chris nodding against your shoulder, before he retreated from the hug. "Go to bed, rest." "Yeah... That's for the best, I think." Your brother placed a kiss on your forehead. "As soon as Liam arrives tomorrow, we are going to take you out, get your mind off things." You gave Chris a weak smile. "Sounds wonderful." "Good night." "Night." Chris left the room, closing the door behind you. A big sigh escaped your lips. Oh, what a mess...

You actually wanted to go to sleep, but then decided to pack out your things, you had haphazardly thrown into your suitcase before you left London. The ultrasound picture fell into your hands once again, of course. You stared down at it - at the small, innocent life, which was growing inside you. That was all you ever wanted and dreamed of, wasn't it? And yet you felt so torn. Shaking your head, you placed it back in one of the pockets in the suitcase and unpacked all your other stuff. It took a little while and managed to pull your thoughts off of all the chaos - and the gorgeous, handsome, heartbroken Brit at least a little bit.

It was almost midnight, when you sunk in the cosy sheets of the bed in the guest bedroom. A last check of your mobile shot a painful ache through your heart. About ten missed calls and dozens of messages from Tom. You squeezed your eyes shut and quickly turned off your phone, before the tears could start to fall again.

Sleep didn't come easy to you that night. You tossed and turned; thousand thoughts were running at lighting speed through your head. Your brain just couldn't turn off. The hours ticked by and at some point, you were mentally so exhausted, that you just slept in. But nevertheless, the sleep wasn't restful and therefore you felt awful as you stood up the next day...

"Morning." You slumped into the kitchen, tiredly rubbing your eyes. "Hey, good morning." Elsa greeted you with a soft smile. She was just preparing breakfast as it seemed. "Slept good?" You shook your head. "Not at all. My brain just couldn't shut up." Her expression shifted immediately, turned compassionate. "Oh no, I'm so sorry..." You sighed, before you sat down on of the chairs. "Yeah... Not even at night can I have a little bit of peace... This all haunts me even then..." Elsa's face scrunched up in worry, as she made her way over to you, sitting on the chair beside you and placing her hand on your shoulder. "You definitely need to get your mind off things, sweetie. I know, this is a difficult task, with Tom and the media being constantly present in your life, but if you don't do this, your mental health is going to suffer from this." You looked over at your brother's wife, almost helplessly. "I-I know, but... I just can't, I..." You had to swallow hard, in order to suppress the upcoming tears. She reached for your hand and took it gently in hers. "You will. Take time off. Rest. Text Tom you need a break. Turn off your phone. Ignore anyone and anything. It will help, I promise. Clear your head and sort out your thoughts and feelings. We are going to make this. You can do this, Y/N." You shook your head. "I-It's not just that, I-" You took a deep breath; about to drop the bombshell. "Elsa, I-I'm pregnant."

You expected for her to be totally shocked and surprised - but she wasn't. Quite the opposite. A gentle smile tugged at the corners of her lips, as she squeezed your hand. "But that is wonderful, sweetie. Isn't that what you always wanted?" You looked at her, blinking. "Y-Yes, but Tom and I never talked about it, a-and we're barely six months together and the publicity and-" "Hey... It doesn't matter. You know why?" You shook your head. "Because first off, Tom loves kids. He would never turn you down. Never. Secondly, he loves you. I could see it in his eyes. From the very first time he met you. You turned this man's head - hard. He will fight for you. You two belong together. And thirdly... Don't let yourself get down by the publicity. Sounds easy, I know, but you have to learn to not let them get to you. Show the truth. Show them what a wonderful life you have with Tom. Show them how happy you two are. Be proud of what you have." You almost started to cry again right then and there at Elsa's sweet words. "Do you... Do you really think that?" Elsa smiled, giving your hand another squeeze. "I know it. You take a break now, breathe, and then we're going to get your man back." Her positivity and assurance caused you to smile - and for the first time in days, you had the feeling that everything would be alright again sometime. Elsa was the first who could really get through to you. Without hesitation, you pulled her in a hug. The angle was quite a bit awkward, but you didn't care. "Thank you so much." You spoke in a quiet voice. Elsa didn't answer, just squeezed your body gently, before you and her retreated from the hug. "Now let's get some breakfast into you. That's the first step we are going to take. After all, you need to eat for two now." She said, winking and smiling. "And then you are going to text Tom and turn your phone off for a week or more." "Yes ma'am." You saluted, giggling. Elsa rolled her eyes, but laughed as well. She went to pick up the pancakes she had made and placed the plate on the table; sitting down opposite you. "Where's Chris?" "Bringing the kids to school and kindergarten, before Liam arrives." You nodded. "Do you know when he's going to be here?" Elsa shook her head and shrugged her shoulders. "Sometime today..."

After breakfast, you did what Elsa told you. You texted Tom and turned off your phone, before you buried it deep underneath the pile of clothes in your suitcase, which didn't fit in the small wardrobe in the guest bedroom. Then you helped Elsa clean up a bit, distract yourself - until Chris came back home, with Liam in tow. The reunion was great. You hadn't seen your brother in a while. The morning flew by quickly and in the afternoon, you put Chris' plan into action and drove all together to the beach for a nice day in the sun. The kids were hyped for this as well, of course. Especially, because they had their aunt and uncle around to play - and that's what you did. You and Liam played frisbee with them first. Tristan, Sasha and India were in one team, you, Liam and Thor in the other. The dog love to catch frisbees.

After taking a swim with them together as well and having an ice cream, the kids went to play in the water with their dad, while Liam took you aside to talk. It was important for you to know, what your other brother thought of this as well. Therefore, you and him grabbed a surfboard from the surf school across the beach bar and paddled out on the open sea. You would've loved to surf for a while, but you didn't want to risk losing the baby. Liam and you sat both on your surfboards, swinging softly in the water, because of the gentle waves. "It just got too much and the voices too loud. I had the feeling, that if I wasn't going to leave now, I would break and go insane. I just had to leave..." Liam nodded. "Sounds quite understandable." "My reputation is so utterly bad... I've been corrupted by the press - and I didn't want to pull Tom into this as well. I didn't want to stain his reputation. I didn't want him to get ruined by the publicity, just because of me..." You sighed, shaking your head. "He doesn't deserve this. I don't want to be the reason for his career to fail. I-I feel like I am just a millstone around his neck. I'm impeding him and his career..." Liam nodded. "I understand the way you think, Y/N, but I don't think that this is the case. Tom loves you - and love is way more important than fame. That may not be the way everyone thinks, but Tom does. I am sure of that. I would stake my life on it. Can't you see that you mean everything to that man?" You swallowed hard at Liam's words. He wasn't wrong, was he? "Tom would trade his fame for a life with you in a heartbeat. Don't let such a man slip through your fingers. Both, you and he deserve to be happy together." "A-And what do you think I should do now?" Liam shrugged his shoulders, as if it was the easiest answer in the world. "Shut the publicity out and concentrate on love. Concentrate on becoming a family with Tom and that kid." Your brother stated, pointing on your stomach with a smile. You nodded, fiddling nervously with your hands. "I-I really hope you are right and someday Tom and I can become a family." Liam paddled closer to you. So close, that he was able to wrap his arm around your shoulders. "Not 'someday', sis... Soon." He gave you a smile, before gently nudging your side. "See that buoy over there?" You frowned at his words, but nodded. "Yeah?" Liam gave you a boyish smile, before he quickly laid down on his surfboard. "Whoever's last at the buoy is a lame duck!" He prompted and started to paddle quickly. "Hey!" You yelled appalled. "That's not fair!" Liam was already ahead, laughing. "Oh, you're so going to regret that, big bro!" You quickly started your race to catch up on Liam, giggling.

A shiver ran down Tom's spine, as he stepped out of the hot shower into his noticeably colder bathroom. He slung a towel around his hips and ran a hand through his still wet hair, as he walked over to the sink. Placing both his hands on each side of the basin, the man looked up in the mirror and got greeted by his reflection. Actually, Tom wanted to brush his teeth, but now he was standing there, staring at his messed-up self. His hair completely wet and dishevelled. The beard covering his chin and cheeks wasn't just a stubble anymore. Dark circles underneath his faded blue eyes were the proof of the countless nights he spent wide awake. Yes, the sudden disappearance of you had took its toll on the Brit. The past three, almost four weeks had been cruel. Tom felt like he wasn't himself anymore... Especially not without you. It was like a piece of himself - of his heart was missing. A sigh escaped Tom's lips, as he rubbed a hand over his face. Almost four weeks... Four - and still not a word from you. Sure, he could've flown after you to Australia, but he didn't do it. Why? Because you had practically asked for it. For him not to follow you. 'Again, I'm sorry, Tom, but I need time. Alone. Don't come after me, please.' Your message was echoing through his head over and over again. His heart was yearning for you. To get things right again, but he would respect your choices and pleads. He wouldn't follow you, even if it hurt him to the core and he had to fight against the urge every day. The man shook his head in order to get himself out of his thoughts. He reached for his toothbrush and just wanted to start with the task ahead, as his doorbell rang. He ignored it at first, but when it rang again, he dropped the toothbrush and made his way towards the door with an annoyed groan.

When Tom opened the door, he was a slight bit surprised. He didn't expect one of his best friends standing in front of the door - at almost nine o'clock in the evening. "Ben? What are you doing here that late?" The tall man across him, with short dark brown hair and green-blue eyes smiled at his friend. "Getting you out of your misery." Benedict said, walking inside and closing the door behind himself. "Come on. Get dressed. I'm taking you out." "Ben, I'm not in the mood to go out, I-" Benedict shook his head, interrupting him immediately. "No, that argument doesn't count. You've been sitting inside here for weeks, thinking and thinking. That's not good, my friend - and you know it. Drowning in your misery isn't going to help you or the whole situation. Come on now. Put on a shirt and some jeans. You need to see something different than just the same walls every day." Tom sighed frustrated. "You won't leave without me, right?" The other Brit crossed his arms over his chest. "Right." Reluctantly, Tom trudged back into his bathroom, in order to get dressed and ready for going out with his friend. He slipped in a shirt and some jeans, before applying a touch of cologne and styling his short, blonde-brown locks a bit. Nothing too fancy. After all, he still wasn't in the mood for this and definitely not looking for a hook-up. Not in his wildest dreams. He wanted no other woman in his life, but you. "Tom, are you ready?" Benedict's voice brought him back down to earth again; out of his thoughts. "Coming!" He took a last look in the mirror, before joining his friend again. "Better?" The brown-haired man nodded. "Way better, but..." "But what?" Ben gestured towards Tom's face. "Does the beard stay?" Tom crossed his arms over his chest and raised an eyebrow. "Yes, why? Something wrong with it?" Benedict just shrugged his shoulders. "It's just different from usual..." Then he chuckled. "You literally look like James Conrad in that bar scene. I don't know if that is a good idea, regarding the womankind..." Tom sighed. "Ben, I am not going with you in order to pick up a woman." The man lifted his hands in awe. "I know, I know, sorry. I was just trying to make a joke and lighten up the mood, but well... Come on now." He clapped his friend on the shoulder and ushered him towards the main door.

Benedict took his friend to a small, quiet bar at the outskirts of London. It was a bar, where they were often before and usually wasn't very crowded.

Ten minutes later, they were seated inside the bar, both with a beer in hands. "Still nothing new from your beloved?" Ben asked, taking a sip of his beer. Tom shook his head. "No. Nothing. It's been almost four weeks, Ben... You know I respect her wish for me to stay away, but..." He swallowed hard. "I-I'm afraid I might lose her, I..." The blonde-brown haired man cut off his own sentence, running a hand over his face. "What... What if I already lost her?" His voice was filled with sadness and despair. "I-I love her, you know... Like I never loved a woman before and... Shit, Ben, I can't lose her. I don't know what to do without her." Benedict looked at his friend with a compassionate expression. "You won't lose her, Tommy. I am very certain of it. I mean, I didn't meet her very often yet, but I saw the love in her eyes for you. The way she looked at you. That woman loves you with all her heart, man... She won't let you go. She just needs time. The media was literally ripping her apart... Just like her poisonous wanker of an ex. Let her sort out her thoughts and get along with her life being suddenly the centrepiece of every tabloid out there. This isn't easy. We both know that. Just think back to your relationship with TS... It was just as bad." "It was - and that was the day I swore to myself that I would never let that happen again, and now? I fucked up. I failed to prevent exactly that from happening... I should've done more, Ben... Protect Y/N better from all the hate and disrespect." The blond-haired man shook his head. "You did protect her, Tom. The publicity was just stronger. Now stop blaming yourself. It's in the past. This isn't about the 'Should have's' or 'Would have's'... This is about the 'What now?'. This is about how you get your woman back. You've got to free her from the publicity's claws - that much is clear, but-" Benedict got interrupted by the ringing of Tom's mobile. Frowning, the Brit fished the device out of his jeans pocket. Who would call him that late, unless his mum, sisters or Luke? When he saw the name popping up on the screen, he felt his heart speeding up. Ben noticed that immediately. "Who is it? Y/N?" Tom shook his head. "It's Chris..." "That's very close to Y/N..." Tom nodded. "I know... Do you mind if I...?" "No, no, please, go ahead." He threw his friend a thankful gaze and quickly stood up, leaving into the dimly lit hallway, which led towards the toilets.

"Chris?" "Tom! Hey! I hope I didn't wake you up?" "No, I, uh, I am in a bar... Benedict dragged me along." Tom frowned again. "Why are you calling me at that time? It must be pretty early in Brisbane..." Chris sighed at the other end of the line. "It is, but... I have to talk to you. I can't do this anymore. I can't keep this longer from you. It threatened to eat me up inside... It's about Y/N..." Tom swallowed hard at his friend's words; felt how his heart rate increase once again. This didn't sound good at all... "Y-Y/N? W-What is it?" Tom feared the worst, to be honest. The Aussie sighed once again. "She's probably going to kill me for this, but I don't care..." Chris took a break to take a deep breath. "Listen, brother... She... She's pregnant - with your baby." Tom felt all his facial features derailing. He was speechless; couldn't believe what Chris just said. His head was empty, except for the last words, which left the Aussie's lips. They ran through his mind in an endless loop. "Tom? You still there?" Tom blinked, "Y-Yes, I-I..." and shook his head in order to get his mind straight. "S-She's... p-pregnant? A-And it's m-my baby?" "Yes. I'm sorry that I'm the one who tells you such an important thing, but... I couldn't keep it longer from you. You just had to know... And of course it's yours, Tom! Who else's?" And suddenly Tom felt like he couldn't breathe. The news overwhelmed him completely; over rolled him with the force of an 18-wheeler truck. He stood like petrified in that hallway. "Tom?" Once again, his friends voice urged towards his ear. "I-I call you back." With those words, he hung up and literally stumbled down that hallway, back to Benedict - who thought Tom looked like he had seen a ghost. "Tom? Everything okay?" Tom just stared at his friend for a long moment; a trillion things running through his head. Y/N. Pregnant. Your baby. Becoming a father. "I-I..." He stuttered, blinking, before he suddenly stumbled to pick up his things, like stung by an adder. "I have to go, I have to leave. I have to fly to Brisbane, I-" Benedict stood up as well, placing a hand on his friend's shoulder, looking at him worried. "Tom, what's wrong? What happened?" "S-She's pregnant, Ben. Y/N's pregnant, I..." He shook his head and turned around to literally run away, before Benedict could even answer. Going home as fast as somehow possible, he checked several flights on his way, booking the first available to Brisbane. Arrived at home, he threw some random clothes carelessly into a suitcase and left in a hurry towards the airport. Now that Tom knew that you were pregnant with his child, he couldn't just sit here at home and wait. He just couldn't. He had to break his promise.

Tagging: @crimson25 @kikster606 @huntress-artemiss @123forgottherest @lovingchoices14 @ozymdias @vbecker10 @coldnique @lokixryss @simplyholl @peaches1958 @lokibadguy @jennyggggrrr @stephenstrangeaddictions @holymultiplefandomsbatman @mischief2sarawr @mypsychoticlove @mochie85 @muddyorbs @ijuststareatstuffhereok89 @simping-for-marvel @lady-rose-moon @goblingirlsarah @kats72 @vickie5446 @buffyfan2833 @12-pm-510 @ladymischief11 @somewiseguy @woooonau @cabingrlandrandomcrap @alchemxx @honeyrydernot

[tls123]

Sorry if I bother you, but I really love your gif sets! Do you know some tutorials or, app, or anything, to learn how to make good gif? I am learning and I feel very stupid because all my gifs are shit. (if my ask is inappropriate or anything, please ignore me)

you're not bothering and none of this is inappropriate, you're more than welcome in my inbox! as for your questions, let's see what i can do.

1) tutorials — i've been doing this for long enough that i don't really have much to recommend here, the only tutorials i use nowadays are all about specific things and not how to make gifs as a whole. that being said i've linked this one before, i personally do some things differently but it's a very good tutorial, well-received by gifmakers who are just starting and well written, from what i've skimmed through.

another good post to look through is this one, not a gifmaking tutorial per se but it goes into sizes, sharpening, and how to get neat & clear gifs. two of the main points are A) while you can get away with making gifs out of a 720p quality video, 1080p is what is usually recommended. you could use 4k as well, but a 1080p video is usually easier to find, will take less space in your storage, and will give you really good results already. no need for overkill <3 as for B) size matters here on tumblr dot com, mostly width. the op of the post linked in this paragraph has included a nice graphic for the size limits for gifs, you can refer to it as you make your gifs so that whatever you make won't turn out pixelated once you upload it to tumblr.

if you're curious, i've been asked about my sharpening settings here and i spoke before on tumblr sizing here

2) software — you mentioned app, if by app you mean mobile stuff then i'm sorry, i can't help you! i've never made gifs through mobile and i wouldn't even know which direction to point towards for you to find more information. as for computers, if you mean programs then these are what i use to make my gifs: potplayer (for taking screencaps) and photoshop cc 2020 (for making the actual gifs, this is the post i used but here's one with more links)

now i'd like to mention something my grandma always used to say: no one is born learned. you're not stupid just because it's taking you a while to do something, learning is a process and everyone has their own pace. i've been making gifs for a decade now and i know there are things i could do better! i'm also still learning, i make plenty of "shit" gifs before stumbling my way to something i am okay with posting, and sometimes i'm really proud of what i've made and other times i think it's just "good enough". i understand feeling disheartened but please do not feel stupid about any of this!

no use in putting yourself down, now hold my hand and let's add the finishing touches on this long ass reply <3

3) tips — we've mentioned video quality, sharpening, and sizing. what else, what else. personally i would start simple (and i did, way back when, and still do!! most of my gifs are quite simple). so: cropping/resizing + coloring + sharpening. it'll help get the basics down and then you'll have a good foundation for everything else you might want to learn. i mentioned in another ask, almost two years ago now lmao, that i used to download other people's free psds (that is, pre-made settings and layers to color your gifs) and instead of using them i would open them up and pick them apart to see how people were coloring things, which layers they used, in which order, stuff like that.

remember: there is no right or wrong to do this! you could ask ten different people how they make their gifs, and their preferences for any specific part of the process, and you'd get ten different answers. if you find a tutorial and don't vibe with it, throw that aside and look for another. pick and choose, find what works for you and what doesn't! and that means do not be afraid to experiment and try things out.

also, don't like photoshop? no problem! i started with gimp, now personally i wouldn't recommend it over ps but it's a good program, it taught me a lot, and there's really nothing to hate about it. it might have less functions than ps though, and already a decade ago there weren't that many tutorials/resources for it.

don't like photoshop AND don't want to download a program? try photopea, i haven't used it but it works directly from your browser and it should do everything photoshop does!

let me know if there's anything else i can help with <3

[ednito]

pretty please talk about your crane.

Yes!!! I'd love to talk about him!!!

TW: gore and abuse- I'm sure there's more but I'm blanking on what it could be so be careful on reading!! Also sorry I'm on mobile and idk how to insert the keep reading thing LMAO

So in my verse my crane has been scarecrow for much longer then others, it started immediately after killing great granny- he grew up tortured by him and he hated her and his birth mother with all of his being. He never knew his father and his mom died in childbirth, while pregnant with Jonathan though she tried her best to kill him without getting an abortion which led him to have fetal alcohol syndrome disorder, he was also born with coloboma, scoliosis, and had a bad overbite when he was younger. Before going to college (I'd say around 17 to 18) he and his grandmother got into a tussle that lead to her death, he was so angry he skinned her face off and drenched her blood into her prized white scarf, he wears the face as his mask as scarecrow and also wears the scarf.

No one in Gotham knows he's scarecrow, most people if not all believe scarecrow is just a rumor, a boogeyman of sorts to warn people to not be so reckless but no he's real. He stalks at bars and strip clubs waiting for the right people to jump out and beg for him to swoop them away (in his mind at least), he's pretty well connected with people and holds a lot of black mail on specific bar/club owners so they let him do his business. Scarecrow has a lot of hideouts around Gotham that he dubs as "crows nests" where he keeps most his equipment, not a lot of them have victims but when they do they're organized but it's extremely disgusting. He keeps them in dog cages (sizes very) almost to completely naked, the cages are rusty and more then occasionally has someone in it still (dead or alive is 50/50), these specific crows nests is where he experiments his fear toxin on them, to see how strong it is and the affects- he does a lot of experiments from very simple ones like just injecting it into the vains to extreme or questionable like seeing if body excrement like urine or sweat can extract the fear toxin if injected in high enough doses. When people die though depending on their usefulness he uses in creative ways, some he creates as human chemical chambers as he'll insert a bunch of chemicals that when given energy (like from a defibrillator) would cause a chain reaction and produce fear toxin or a close equivalent to it (usually these are people who are still alive somewhat), others he'll dump them in the Gotham bay or dump, places he knows people don't care about.

As crane he pretends to he jolly, he's always smiling calmly and us very kind and gentle with his patients though realistically he doesn't care about them whatsoever. Nurses think he's got an ugly boy charm about him and are friendly to him and most psychiatrists there are pretty respectful of him, no one ever questions him and his actions as compared to everyone else he's the smartest member of the team, only one to question him is arkham but he's too intimidated by him to do anything.

He's extremely cunning and violent, he often plays games both as crane and scarecrow and is often in a goofy silly mood- a serious crane/scarecrow is an absolutely scary thought ngl! He doesn't really have any friends, closest I'd say is arkham (who when finds out he's scarecrow is forced to become his assistant) and riddler, I think I've mentioned it before in the post about Quandarism but riddler does a lot of exiling and he usually give those exiles to scarecrow as he knows he'll wipe them out of existence

Also here's a list of little tidbits about him that I'm only now remembering

He was born with bad joint and muscle problems and thus is always in discomfort or pain, because he's so used to it he can't tell the difference in pain when being punched compared to his joint and muscle problems, he's pretty resilient because of it

Also because of his joint problems he has a cane, the handle is in the shape if a crow

He uses Sickles instead of a scythe

He often has trouble finding companionship or even the heart to care, when he does he doesn't know how to handle it and usually leads to death or even worse

When not being scarecrow or pretending to be dr. Crane he's just dissociating.

He doesn't have DID, I can definitely see him having it but I just don't feel comfortable writing that for him (reasons)

He doesn't care or like most things, he doesn't like animals, he's not a fan of music or movies or art, he doesn't eat a lot of food so he doesn't care. When he does like something it's extremely specific and nothing is consistent

That's a gist I think, there's a lot more about him but that's all I can really think of for him atm. I have another anon asking about my riddler that I'll get to later- hope you weren't too grossed out! Lmao!

[catboybiologist]

Hi! So as someone who has done a bachelors in microbiology and biotechnology I would like to hear your thoughts on the definitions of both male and female i.e male being the sex that is capable of producing the numerous smaller mobile gametes; presence of the y chromosome (XY, XXY) etc. Do you think that it is a concrete definition? Do you think that sex is on a spectrum for homo sapiens. Much love and congrats on your journey! /gen

Almost by definition, since intersex people exist, sex does have to be on a spectrum or at least have exceptions to any binary classification.

So let's strip down to the bare bones. Yes, for fertilization to occur, you need an egg and a sperm. In novel species with dramatically different reproductive systems as us, the size of the gamete is what is used to classify male vs female vs hermaphroditic (or as JK Rowling would say, the woman is the producer of the large gamete). If you want to define this as biological sex, then go ahead. It does have to be this way in a laboratory context for genetics, establishing crosses and tracing hereditary traits, because of course it does.

(note that I'm using hermaphrodite as a purely gamete based definition, I know the terminology sounds weird or bad, that's the point).

Under the gamete-centric system, we can end up with concrete a trinary classification, and in mammals like humans, one of those classes is exceptionally rare (although it's the predominate one for many).

Couple problems here.

The first is that this is commonly associated with other markers that we consider "biological sex", but not always. You brought up some examples- Klinefelter's, or individuals with XXY, presents as someone who is capable of producing sperm, but has low levels of any sex associated hormone, and gains secondary sex characteristics that aren't fully consistent with any classification. It's a fairly common intersex condition. People who have it are normally classified as "male" due to genitalia, but often developed breasts and other soft tissue features we wouldn't consider male. So in this sense, gamete production is correlated with, but often not strictly associated with, other biological markers of sex.

The extension of this problem is, which "biological" markers of sex are perceived as gendered to society at large, and whether those are directly tied to gamete production. The answer is that some are correlated, and some even aren't. This point is a bit beyond the scope of what you're asking since it deals with gender, but it's important to note that no one perceived gender based on gametes, because gametes are an internal cell.

Another problem is how even completely cis and sex binary people can be left out by infertility. As mentioned before, gamete production isn't always tied to other markers of sex. Someone incapable of producing a gamete will most likely still show many other characteristics of one sex or the other.

It's why the terms "male", "female", and "hermaphrodite" feel so clinical and removed from normal speech. Yes, those are the terms we use when referring to people as gametes. But it's hard to extend that beyond this classification. It's useful for parentage, but can't really be a strict classification beyond that.

The overall theme here is that these are all correlations and clusters of traits that will always have exceptions, and you always have to cherrypick what's "biological" or not.

Thanks for this ask, it was fun to answer! I hope it was clear enough, it was mostly written pre-coffee. I'm also sorry it wasn't a very clean answer lol.

[arbuz-ik]

Touch myself

(The title is taken from one GRLwood song because I love that song, lol.)

Pairing: Sylvie x fem!reader

Word count: 4.1k

I hope there are no mistakes here.

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Sylvie was glad to finally get some rest. She knew that Loki would not have made such a sacrifice for nothing. He wanted the best for her, even if it wasn't going to be with him. Loki did what needed to be done and what needed to be done, as Sylvie certainly didn't want to sit in one place somewhere in ruins for the rest of her very long life, and Loki knew it.

Sylvie walked down the road and drank a soda from McDonald's, already thinking about how she would have a good strong coffee after she got back to her small flat. Tomorrow she also had a shift at McDonald's, but Sylvie wasn't complaining. Everything was fine until a text message arrived on her mobile phone. She knew that storing future technology in 1983 wasn't a good idea, but it was the only communication she had with you.

"What are you doing?" your message read. Easy and simple enough, making Sylvie smirk in thought.

She had met you before the whole Loki thing. Sylvie had accidentally fallen into your timeline then, as TemPad's charge was running low. So she had to stay at your flat for a while, and you two... Yeah. Yeah, and it seems like Sylvie knew you didn't mind her coming round afterwards, so she came round to fuck.

And then the whole Loki thing, TVA, and then McDonald's, where she could finally think things through. You loved her, really, even though she'd thought it was just sex before. But now the two of you were almost like a couple.

"Coming home from work." replied Sylvie dryly.

You never liked that. Sylvie only sent you hearts emojis when she was maxed out drunk, and mostly everything was short, to the point, and literate.

"Shame it's without me." was the reply, which made Sylvie take another sip. She knew what you'd texted her for.

***

Sylvie arrived home about ten minutes later. Her coat was now lying on the sofa and she was in a grey t-shirt and plain pants, sitting in the kitchen drinking coffee while it was night outside.

Sylvie couldn't have come to your timeline so often. Firstly she didn't want to spoil you, secondly she was working, thirdly she just liked to know how you were writhing with desire because she only came to you twice a month.

"I know what you're writing to me for." wrote Sylvie, waiting for a reply, which of course wouldn't come, so she wrote a couple more minutes later. "Thinking about me again? Dirty. Very dirty."

"I'm sorry, Sylvie, sometimes I just can't stand it."

"You never know how to do that."

You sighed unhappily as you read the message. Your own hand slid more slowly under your trousers now, as you didn't expect Sylvie to text again. Your own room was dark and quiet, apart from the heavy breathing and the fact that you were typing with one hand. "I can do that."

Sylvie smirked, even snorting, knowing you were lying stupidly.

"Masturbating, are you? I already know you're already imagining mine instead of your fingers, and thinking about how I could whisper some nasty things in your ear, right?" Sylvie knew you were probably already blushing and squealing at this. You were easy to tease.

Your fingers sped up slightly, though Sylvie looked completely neutral if you could see her. You bit your lip with a quiet moan. You missed her caresses, her hands, her voice and just her in general, so you had to do it almost every night. And you always loved it when Sylvie helped you with it, even like this.

"Yeah, sorry."

"Don't apologise. Just be my sweet princess and push your clit harder. Don't be shy, honey."

A slight moan escaped your lips and your hand did as Sylvie asked and goosebumps ran down your skin and the slight throbbing inside your body increased slightly.

"Will you want my photos afterwards?"

"Sure." Sylvie replied, taking a sip from her mug, biting her lip slightly. She did, after all, have a separate folder of such photos, which she was very fond of. "Now slowly insert another finger, don't be gentle."

There were now two fingers inside, causing a low sweet moan to escape your lips and your eyes to close for a moment in pleasure. Until another message came from Sylvie.

"Yes, move gently. Move and think it's me doing it. Except of course my rings on fingers won't be hitting your tender flesh with every thrust, but that's fine too." Sylvie felt that at this rate you would be coming to climax in about a minute, maybe less. She herself was already squirming in the chair, feeling aroused and eager. "Be a good girl for me."

Your hand moved faster and faster as you thought about how Sylvie could be here. You imagined how you could feel the slight chill coming from her, since she was half Jotun after all. Moans escaped your lips more and more as you reread Sylvie's messages over and over to cum.

"Obedient but dirty girl who likes to masturbate while she thinks of me and misses me." read another message, which was the last straw before your orgasm. It made your body shudder and your tongue stuck out for a couple of moments while requests popped out of your lips into the void.

After a moment, you calmed down, which allowed you to text Sylvie. Finally.

"You're going to get me someday."

"Don't worry, next time I'll fuck you so hard you won't be able to sit up."

[zimithrus]

Could I please have 3, 9, 10, 22, and 28 for the music ask? 💚💚💚

You most certainly can!! 💚💚 (I'm doing this on mobile so sorry about the weird formatting! 😅)

3 a song that makes you think of summertime: That would be Summertime Sadness by Lana Del Ray. 🌞 Any time I hear the word summertime I think of that song lol!

9 a song that makes you happy: yknow there's a lot of those out there lol! I listen to a lot of music and have too many favorites that make me smile! But for this ask I'll go with a song that makes me dance every time it comes on, which is One More Time by Daft Punk 🪩

10 a song that makes you sad. There are a ton of good ones that make me sad, too many to list lol but the most recent one that hit me the hardest would be Motley Crew's Home Sweet Home. 😇🤘

22 a song that moves you forward. That'd be an English cover of Rolling Girl done by Lollia (originally made by Wowaka) I've always loved the original one, and this cover was a wonderful tribute to the original composer and beautifully done. The lyrics have always been amazing; don't give up lonely girl, even when you feel like you can't go on, it will all pay off, I've got you. 💯

28 a song by an artist with a voice you love. Sooo many good songs here too lol, it's such a broad question and hard to narrow down so I'm going to go with an all time favorite of mine, Atmospheric Light by Celldweller! (I almost always fid a way to sneak that one in a music ask lol! 🤣)

[miasmaghoul]

so i was rereading your work today, and i just have to say. you are such an amazing writer. i have only been moved by a few works before, and chapter 5 really tore my heart to pieces. i mean, i sat in my bed crying for a good half of an hour.

if you don’t mind me asking, do you have any motivation for the stuff you write? like what inspired you to write suspended reality and make it as sad as it was?

i hope you continue writing this heartbreaking work until the end of time because god you are so talented. thank you for giving us such amazing work

OH BOY, TIME FOR THE BIG REVEAL (not really but kinda)

Personal talk time! I'm on mobile so I can't add a read more line, so skip this one if you aren't interested.

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Suspended Reality was, initially, inspired by the impeccable @coreyvoss tagging a post about how Dew would react to losing his spot in the band. "Without this I have nothing."

I took the concept and ran (real fuckin far) with it. Eventually, it just became me telling my own story. Changed names and circumstances, obviously. But the story I told here is actually something I experienced.

Every single thing that happens in this story - yes, every one - is something I went through in real life. Every bit of isolation and self harm and suicidal ideation. Everything from the incredibly regretful hate sex to the attempt itself. Mine, obviously, didn't take. Not for lack of trying.

And from Aether's perspective? That was me too. Dealing with the suicide of my best friend. I still have the necklace she left me. Miss her every day.

I've been holding on to this shit for...close to 15 years now, between the two events in question. So when people tell me it feels real, and believable, and visceral and uncomfortable...that's why.

That said, I've needed to get this shit out of my head for a long, LONG time. With the ghouls being the blank canvases they are, it was the perfect opportunity. I never expected it to take off the way it has, or for so many people to relate to it.

So yeah. No real motivation or inspiration. Just a story that's been in my head for almost half my life that I finally let myself tell.

Sorry if this is hard to read, if you've made it this far, but it feels important to say. For everyone who wanted a happy ending - I'm sorry, but it doesn't always work that way.

💜