#that was the best i could do caro i'm sorry;;

[friendshipgun]

Good evening, here's more emojis; 🎢, 🎨, 🤩. And 🧠 for Rose please :3c

GOOD EVENING! :D Which of your fics would you call your wildest ride?

of the ones up on ao3 i think it's prob hands down 'in the spirit that i crave,' due to the mystery aspect. currently working on wilder rides :3

How do you feel about fan art of your stories?

I LOVE IT. it's like. honestly there's no way for me to adequately convey how happy it makes me. like for one thing it's just incredibly flattering any time anyone spends the time to make it, that they liked my fic that much. but then it's also just cool to see how people interpret different scenes/characters, and then it really fucking rocks to see something i wrote brought to life like that too.

always just feel that anything i can say about it is inadequate though. like i typically just get the impulse to roll around on the floor going aaaaaaaaaAAAA about it lol.

Who is your favorite character to write?

this is actually a really hard question bc right now it's probably Ethan but i also just have more fun writing Karl. Karl is also easier for me to write in a lot of ways, which contributes to that, but i also just really enjoy the "normal dude reacts to Resident Evil nonsense" that you get from Ethan lol. that is one of the biggest draws of his character for me.

(bonus characters that have been my favorites to write in the past: Sanemi [kny] and Zell [ff8].)

Rose Headcanon:

i am very sad to say i don't really have any lmao. V has a very interesting read of Shadows of Rose that i personally subscribe to, but otherwise i just...haven't thought about Rose that much. like my most pressing thought when finishing the dlc was "where tf was Mia." (the answer is that Capcom shoved her back into storage bc they have no idea wtf to do with her character actually.) wait here's one from future spirit hat canon: Karl sends a very young Rose a Paw Patrol toy as a dig at Chris and Hound Wolf and unfortunately for Chris she gets very into Paw Patrol.

[leahswife]

the in-betweens

summary: in which you and aitana go from normal best friends to best friends who kiss.

a/n: this is the before of "where do we stand". gotta post some aitana fluff after all the jenni filth. i'm sorry if this feels rushed but i just couldn't find any more ways to describe the goddamn act of kissing 😭

prequel, part one, part two, part three

"ven a bailar conmigo, porfaaa." aitana begged as she grabbed your hand. 

"no no no aita–" you tried to protest but the girl's strong arms pulled you up from your seat, in the direction of the dance floor. you looked back at where you were seated besides caro and marta, sending them a pleading look to save you. they sent you an apologetic look but knew even they couldn't reason with a buzzed energetic aitana. you groaned at being dragged, you weren't in the mood for drinks tonight and you pretty content sitting next to the calm couple.

you don't know where aitana managed to find so much energy to party after a long game. but she did. and insisted on trying to force some of it into your worn out body.

you danced for a while, aitana screaming along to the spanish songs playing. you were unable to keep your frown on, with a smile pulling at the corners of your lips as you saw how happy she was.

she finally calmed down and wrapped her arms around your neck which made you comfortable enough to wrap yours around her waist, pulling her closer. you felt like your heart could combust with how close she was. she was breathless and clearly still high on a buzz when she got closer to your ear to shout "quiero besarte!" you furrowed your eyebrows in confusion, not quite understanding what she said, a mix of language barrier and loud music not allowing you to. she grabbed the back of your neck to pull you closer and shouted again, "i want to kiss you!" she smiled excitedly.

you felt like your eyes couldn't grow wider if you wanted to, shocked at what you just heard. "you want to kiss me?" you asked her, disbelief in your voice. she just nodded with a happy smile and kept on dancing like she just didn't drop those 'too drunken' news on your 'too sober' self.

you went along with her wishes for a while but the pressing of sweaty bodies against you was starting to make you uncomfortable and so you got closer to aitana to shout in her ear, "i'm tired, tana. i'm going!" she nodded, starting to get drained too and both of you went back to your friends' table to gather your stuff. she tripped a bit on her own feet and you quickly put your hand on her waist to steady her, "okay, i'm taking you home." you say as you grab her stuff for her, she just giggled and let you take the lead, "at least take me to dinner first."

once you got to her house, you search for her keys in her purse and open the door, planting your hand on her back to guide her inside.

"so much better." you let out as you relished in the warmth of aitana's apartment, compared to the night's relentless cold outside. you turned to aitana to see her shivering in her dress, holding tightly onto her jacket.

"aitanita, go change into your pajamas." you rubbed up and down her arms and she nodded, "you can use my pajamas too" she suggested quietly, sleepiness taking over her.

"oh that's okay, i can go ba–"

"i'd like for you to stay." she whispered, looking up at you. she was sobering up by now and you could see it in her eyes there was something she needed to let out. did she remember what she said earlier? about you two kissing? she could really just let it go and blame it on the alcohol but you knew aitana felt the need to carefully explain any behaviour that could come across as weird. so you nodded. you went to grab her pajamas and got ready in her bathroom while she got dressed in her bedroom.

when you walked in, aitana was sprawled in her bed, dead asleep. you looked at her for a moment, heart beating slightly faster at the thought that your best friend might like you back. anyway, that was something for you to obsess over later. you chuckled at her figure and tucked her in, pulling the warm covers over her. you grabbed a blanket and made yourself comfortable on her couch.

–

"why did you sleep on the couch?!" 

you groaned and reluctantly opened your eyes as a scolding aitana woke you up.

"you don't have a guest room." you mumbled sleepily.

"so you should've slept in my bed." she crossed her arms.

"hm. couldn't disturb your beauty sleep." you put one arm over your eyes to keep away the light.

"idiota." you heard aitana mutter under her breath as she continued to throw complaints in catalan at you.

"aita, aita, aita" you repeated in hopes of interrupting her, in which you were successful, resulting in aitana shutting her mouth but not without sending you a scowl.

"qué?"

"has anyone ever told you that you're extremely loud and talk way–" you're interrupted by her rolling her eyes and moving towards the kitchen, ignoring you, "-- way too fast!" you yelled after her.

soon after, you feel a body sit down next your lying one. you opened your eyes to see aitana offering you a plate with fruit and eggs and some orange juice. you sit up, a smile forming on your face. "you didn't have to."

"eat." 

"bossy."

"as i speak."

you looked at her, getting slightly anxious at what was about to come next. but you nodded and started diving into your plate.

"i said something last night." she started, hesitantly. you nodded again, focusing more on your plate rather than looking at her so she wouldn't feel so much on the spot.

"i didn't– i don't want to make you uncomfortable with what i said."

"did you mean it though?" you finally lift your gaze towards her. 

"i– i did mean it. but i don't know what that means for me. if that makes sense." aitana was looking at her hands, fidgeting with them. this was clearly a sensitive topic. you noticed her breathing starting to get irregular and you put your plate and glass on the coffee table so you could get closer to her.

"i just don't want to lose you and i'm sorry if i made things awkward or different–" she started rambling the same time her tears started flowing down her cheeks. you pulled her into a hug and held her tight, "hey, tana–" "i don't want you to look at me differently or avoid me–" she was trying to control her breathing at this point, so you grabbed her cheeks, "aitana. stop." you said firmly, trying to ground her. she finally regained control of her breath and looked at you with slightly red eyes. 

"aitana, i can assure you that you wanting to kiss me is not a problem. at all. i don't feel weird or uncomfortable or whatever. hell, i feel flattered that aitana bonmatí wants to kiss me." you winked at her, trying to lighten up the mood. she giggled and wiped her nose. you felt relieved when you saw the smile back in her face, "i know this is probably overwhelming for you right now and you have a lot to discover on your own. but i can't lie and say i don't want to kiss you either." 

she looked up at you, eyes wide at your confession. 

"but if that's something you're not ready to explore, let's leave it at that and let it go."

–

and you did. let it go, that is. for a little while.

none of you spoke about it. you figured aitana should be the one to bring it up when she's prepared, so you went back to normal. as if nothing happened.

until it did.

–

you and almost the whole barça team were hanging out at mapi and ingrid's house for bonding night. you had played a few games and were now gathered around the living-room, watching a movie.

you were sitting at one of the ends of the couch, with aitana cuddling you by your side. you'd often whisper things to her to explain some scene from the movie or make some joke about what was happening. you'd do anything to see her smile and give you her absolutely lovable giggle.

at one point she nudged you to face her. "hm?" you asked, highly aware of how close your faces were. "i'm going to take a nap, wake me up when it's over." she whispered and you could feel her breath on your lips, which was far too intoxicating. you could simply nod and try to not look at her lips. 

she smiled as a thank you and flicked her eyes to your lips before gazing back up at you. you felt her inhale a short breath before looking down at your lips again and moving closer, pressing her own against the corner of your mouth. if your heart wasn't beating fast before, it definitely was now.

you started at each other, both understanding that that changed something.

she leaned her head on your shoulder again to try and take her nap but there was no way aitana was able to fall asleep now with the thundering in her chest.

–

the ride back to aitana's house was silent. there was unspoken tension between you two and you both knew it.

you got out of your car and walked her over to her door, not quite sure what to say and feeling like a teenager with a crush who's just dropped her date off at home and doesn't know what to do.

you huffed in frustration. the silence was killing you and you had to do something about it. you stepped closer to aitana and carefully cupped her cheeks, looking at her as if asking for permission. she didn't pull away so you leaned in, noses touching, you giving her another chance to back out if she wanted to.

she didn't. so you took your chance and softly pressed your lips against hers. 

you honestly didn't know how to describe it. it was tentative, gentle, delicate but - comfortable? like your lips were always meant to touch hers and knew exactly how to move against hers as if you've kissed a hundred times before. 

after what felt like ages to you but were actually seconds, aitana kisses you back. you keep kissing for a few more moments before you pull back, hands still cupping the catalan's cheeks and stare at her, breathless.

"i swear, aitana, if you still don't speak after that i–" you're cut off by her sweet little giggle before she presses multiple kisses on your lips. "you want to come in?" she asks, biting her lip to try and keep her grin from widening even further.

"damn, bonmatí. a girl gives you a finger and you want the whole arm." you shook your head in fake disapproval.

"callate." she grabbed your hand and pulled you in. 

the rest of the night was spent with you two letting your lips and tongues explore each other's mouths. it started off as shy and tender but as comfort and boldness started to settle in, your kisses got harder and provocative.

however, no matter how much your hands and lips delved into each other, no labels were defined. 

and they wouldn't be for the next months to come.

–

a routine started to settle in. you would show up at each other's houses for "best friend's night" and it always ended up with you locking lips. whether it was while aitana was cooking or when she beat you at a board game and you wanted to shut her up.

the same conversation also started to settle in between make out sessions. "just friends, right?" aitana would whisper breathlessly against your lips, and you would nod, agreeing with whatever she wanted so you could press your lips against hers again and again.

"i just," she would cut herself off to kiss you, "can't be," kiss, "in a relationship right now." kiss. you would agree because you would accept anything aitana would give you, no matter how small or little it could be.

you couldn't keep off of each other even at training, with you often pulling her inside closets so you could press her against the wall and muffle her giggles with your mouth. or when she would drag you into the changing room while others were at lunch to playfully bite your lips and leave you winded up.

but aitana was a busy person. she had family, friends and her career to focus on. but all she seemed to focus on now was you. and that was starting to worry her. she never had to make room for someone else in her life since starting her career, except for the casually meeting friends once in a while and visiting her family when she could. but to share everything with someone?

so she started to pull away, she wouldn't reach out to you during trainings, choosing to focus on getting there earlier for gym sessions and staying after to practice some more. this was her life, this was her focus. it had to be. so the "best friend's nights" started to disappear as well, aitana claiming she was too tired after trainings. and she was, she really was. as much as she trained, she didn't feel as fulfilled as before. the more she pulled away from you, the less accomplished she felt. but she also pulled these feelings away.

football was once her entire life. and it would be again.

[noaltbruh]

@multifandom-hcs Hope you're having a good day too! :))

Bruno and Hermes dating hcs ❤️

Hermes 💋

Chaotic gf. I don't know if you're an introvert or an extrovert, but she will most definitely be more hyped than you for anything.

Loves to try new things with you and go on all sorts of date! From carnivals, to road trips, to that one random place you saw and you're not quite sure if it's a restaurant or a sex shop, but you'll find out together!

Wakes you up at three am. because she just got an idea for what you could do together and you have to do it NOW.

Big on PDA, she's constantly touching you or holding you near her even when you're in public, HECK ESPECIALLY when you're in public.

Loves to show you off to the Stone Ocean gang and can't shut up about how great her partner is.

Definetely teases you and gets even mushier with you if she sees you getting shy.

She'll speak up and stand up for you in any situation, whether that is a stand battle or someone cut in line in front of you.

Always has the biggest grin on her face as soon as she sees you.

Loves to drag you in troubles, but she honestly just wants to have fun with you. Don't worry, if things get out of hand, she knows how to handle policemen.

I think her kisses would be a bit rough, like you can just feel how eager she is to feel her lips on your body.

Is literally always complimenting you and your look, calling you hot, beautiful, handsome, pretty...Whatever you prefer!

"Breath taking as usual, caro/cara!" "I'm...Literally in my pajamas" "Your point?"

Shoplifts for you, I'm sorry. Like- maybe you just saw a cool jewel in a shop and told her you liked it, without really thinking much about it. The next day, you find that exact jewel at your front door.

Opens up about her past and how much she misses her sister, it's one of the few times she genuinely seems sorrowful.

Would love you even more if you accepted to visit her sibling's grave with her. She might cry on your shoulder, so please comfort her.

On a more optimistic note, if she visits her on his own, she even talks to her and you and how awesome you are.

She lets you keep your stuff in her tits without even having to ask her, it's just routine for you two by now.

Loves to do your makeup. Alternatively, if you don't wear it, she still asks you if she can try it on you because she's fully convinced you'd look great with it.

VERY flirty and completely shameless about it, no matter who is watching.

Can't cook lol, but she will gladly take you to any restaurant you like and she'll offer to pay for both of you!

...Yeah, pay.

Bruno 🤐

The boyfriend ever.

He's so romantic and gentle he literally makes me want to cry because he's so perfect and VSGABCAHZCSS.

Just being near him makes you feel safe, you'll never have to fear being judged as long as this man is your partner.

He's calm and understanding. No matter if something is troubling you or you're simply in a bad mood just because, he'll never lose his patience with you.

Encourages you in everything you do, whether that is a small task or a lifelong goal you're trying to pursue, Bruno will always be ready to support you and help you in any way possible.

Might be a bit busy from time to time due to his job, but he makes you to call and text you anytime he gets the chance too. He loves hearing your voice and he wants to be sure that you're doing alright.

He never closes a phone call without an "I love you, tesoro" at the end.

Will make up for the time he missed once he gets back home. He'll do whatever you want to and there aren't limits to how much he's willing to spend for his love.

Do you want to go on a trip to France for the weekend? He already has two tickets and a reservation in the best hotel of the city.

Remember that very fancy restaurant in the city center? Guess who has already reserved a table for two with a beatutil view on the entire city?

Truthfully, however, Bruno enjoys anything as long as he gets to spend it with you. Despite his role in the mafia, he also loves simpler, everyday life with his partner.

Even just going to the local market to buy something together makes him so incredibly happy, and gives him a sense of normality in the mess that's his life.

Not super big on showing affection in public, at least not as much as Mista or Narancia- but he always maintains even a small touch between you.

He loves to hold your hand as you walk, lets you hold on to his arm, or he wraps his arm around your waist.

Way more touchy and flirty in private. Bruno is smooth and knows excabtly where to provoke you or what to tell you to make you blush.

He puts his hand under your chin or on your cheek if you were to look away from him. You can see his proud, little smirk on his face.

The best cook in the gang, male wife material. His fish dishes are the best you'll ever try in your entire life.

Speaking of that, he'd love to go fishing with you. It reminds him of the time he spent with his father and sees it as a way to continue his family traditions. After all, you are his future wife/husband.

He has the kindest look on his face while explaining to you how to fish and it makes me want to explode.

He loves to massage your shoulders, for some reason. Maybe because it helps you relax, but it just feels very intimate to him.

He rubs your back and kisses you on the forehead whenever he hugs you. His embrace is warm and you wish you never had to let go.

Gives you flowers or any sort of gifts on the most random occasions. Don't worry, buddy, you didn't forget and important date, he's just a sweetheart and wanted to give you a present to make you smile.

Also, since you're dating him, you'll now have to take care of five children, aka the gang. I'm sorry, but you did this to yourself the moment you became his partner.

Don't worry, Abbacchio will help you... Perhaps.

On a more serious note, Bruno would love to have a family with you in the future. This man is MADE to raise children, adopted or not, anything is fine for him.

He thinks you'd be a great parent, but of course, if you don't want to be, he'll never force it on you :)

[alexiabae]

TIRED; caroline graham hansen x fem!reader

Summary: in which caro rant to y/n about how she felt on her national team.

Warnings: short fic for this precious sunshine.

Note: English is not my first language.

not my gif.

She read the breaking news.

And she was devastated.

If it was true, how can you leave out two of your best players out?

Two players who came to win the champions league.

Y/N grabbed her phone and was meeting by a photo of her with her girlfriend, making her forget momentarily about what she was going to do. She searched for Caro's number and pressed the button once she found it.

A tone.

Two tones.

And at the three tones, Caro answered it.

"Hola min kjærlighet." Caro greeted her in a groggy voice, clearing her throat after.

"Shit. Are you sleeping? I don't watch the hour, sorry." Y/N curses, making the forward laugh.

"Don't worry. I needed to wake up soon." The blonde informed, letting out a yawn.

Y/N bit her bottom lip; "I read the news... It's true?" She asked unsure, not wanting Caro to get mad or upset.

Caro sighed.

"It's true. I don't tell you anything because I don't care anymore about this national team." Caro hissed the last part.

Y/N could hear how pissed she is about it.

"You don't have fault about anything, okay? Neither Ingrid." Y/N let her know, even if she didn't know the full story.

"I know it. It's the fault of Hege. She didn't listen to us, to her players... It's frustrating. Sorry, I don't want to bother you about it." The Norwegian rarely gets mad or angry or raises her voice.

Y/N shakes her head even if her girlfriend couldn't see her. "No, no. You know that you can count on me, and if you want, I will be grateful to hear it." She said with a soft voice, putting herself better on her seat on the sofa, watching by her window the dark sky.

"Hege punished us for telling the truth. She didn't care if we lost match after match. She only cares about herself. We aren't good enough because we don't work sufficiently on it. We need staff people who care about us, not participating in the world cup. It matters if you do ridiculous things in front of the world." Caro said in a rush, her voice getting raised as her angrier thoughts showed up. "And Ingrid? She didn't say anything bad. She admitted our mistakes, but of course if you want to play you need to shut up and nod." She finished.

Y/N was really surprised by Caro's statement. Not from the words, if not for her tone of voice. It was a mix between angry and sad, winning the temper.

"My advice is that you need to do it for your teammates, they don't have the fault for your coach being uncompetitive." Y/N muttered, not wanting to disturb Caro. "And for your country. The people who show you their support, no matter the countries they are from. Like me for example." She tried her best to cheer her up.

Caro let out an inevitable soft chuckle at her last comment. They are in silence for a few minutes, processing everything in their minds.

"You will see Ana today." Y/N remind her, playing with her laces from her pajama short.

"Yeah. Something good, at least." The blonde muttered, rolling on her bed, closing her eyes.

"How is Ingrid?" Y/N can't resist asking by her friend.

"Affected. But she received some calls before and she is better. And she has us too." Caro explained.

Y/N felt bad. She found an hour ago about Norway's news and probably Mapi or some familiar found it hours ago and called the brunette.

"Sorry about not calling before... I was working." Y/N apologises, regretful for having a shit of a job.

"I supposed that you're working. Don't worry, babe. I just want it to be over and fly to the warm city where I live." Y/N giggles, finding funny how her nordic girlfriend hates the cold.

"What about me?" Y/N teases.

Caro plays a lazy smile. "You are the most I miss right now... So, be prepared when I come back because I'm not going to let you go."

"I can't wait." Y/N whispered, smiling remembering the moments with her.

"I will let the national team after the world cup." Caro confessed after a moment of silence. "I can't anymore. I'm really tired of their behaviour. They know what they want and they don't want me. So..." She trailed off, sighing.

"I will support every decision you make." Y/N support her.

Caro smiled; "Thank you, min kjærlighet. I just want to focus on us, family, friends and my club. That's all I want."

"Well, I'll let you rest a little more." Y/N said watching the hour on her phone, setting an alarm to watch the game in a few hours.

"Sorry that you asked for the morning to watch me play..." Caro said sadly. "I'll make it to you, I promise."

"Don't be silly. You don't have the fault. And sadly that type of shit always happens. So focus on passing to the next level."

Caro laughed at how her girlfriend denominated it like a video game.

"I will try my best if they let me." The blonde said. "For you." She added in a whisper.

"Te quiero." Y/N whispered back.

"Jeg elsker deg mer."

[valentine-cafe]

Alessio 164 teaching his darling how to kiss? 👉👈 As a request, if you guys have time😇😅 * trying not to feel too embarassed over asking something that may lead to smut*

Also i am biased so i can't say who would be the best in bed but, i am guessing someone who has lived very long (though many have)? ...Who would be the best? I'm curious now

-🌹 Stay safe and take care! (Also sorry for mini spamming your inbox!)

. ˚◞♡ 𝒇𝒐𝒍𝒍𝒐𝒘 𝒎𝒆  ꒰ 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒐𝒇 𝒎𝒂𝒈𝒊𝒄 ꒱◞ ₊˚

⊹ ۪ ࣪ ᥫ᭡ 164 alessio / fem/masc!reader ꒱ when he found out that you hadn't had your first kiss yet, he was more than happy to help out

𖹭. content warnings◞  explicit content . clit rubbing / jerking off ( at the end ) . 0.6k

𖹭. receipts◞  hehe absolutely 🌹 baby!! hope this suits your tastes

. ˚◞ ꒰ 🍰 𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒌𝒔 ꒱ m.list . guidelines . characters . lorebook ⊹ ۪ ࣪ 

♡. when you came to him and asked of him if he could teach you how to kiss, he sat you down almost immediately. a lovesick grin on his face, that said it all.

♡. “let us start out with the simple moves first yeah? I’ll put my lips on yours and you’ll press yours against mine.” he’d hum as he did just as he said he would.

♡. as you press your lips against his, a spark of excitement clashes into the pools of his core and he leans closer to help guide you through the kiss. his hand on your cheek, moving to the back of your head and pulling you in for a deeper kiss.

♡. he breaks the kiss for a moment, muttering against your lips: “wrap your arms around me, amore, it enhances the intimacy.”

♡. listening to him once again, you wrap your arms around his neck. shifting yourself closer to him. pressing your lips to his.

♡. slowly, without words. without warning. his tongue pokes at the bottom of your lips, and you stiffen out of slight panic for a moment, not knowing what to do.

♡. a deep blush spreads across your face as you hear the small chuckle emit from his throat.

♡. “part your lips baby.” he hums “I will not use tongue yet, it will simply be deepend kisses.”

♡. the second you’ve parted your lips, you feel him pressing his kiss against your lips with his own parted ones. tilting his head and yours to kiss you a little more intimately. passionately.

♡. a little whine slips past your lips at the feeling — it feels so good. his soft lips connected with yours, moving in a gentle, slow rhythm.

♡. at one point when he notices you are losing breath, but losing yourself in the kiss as well. he breaks it and parts with a little, a string of saliva connecting to the two pair of parted lips still facing each other.

♡. “you have to remember to breath caro” he chuckles, admiring the way your lips are beginning to swell slightly.

♡. when he sees the way you’re looking so desperately at him, he can’t help but pull you close again. kissing you, albeit a bit more hungrily than the last he did it.

♡. he savors every little taste, pressing you further against the couch the both of you had been sitting on, until he’s leaning over your form beneath him, laying right there on the couch.

♡. slowly, his hands begin feeling you up, squeezing gently in areas he knows you’re comfortable being touched in before slowly, making his way to ones he hasn’t touched as much, unless it was without your permission.

♡. “can I? please, tell me if I am going too fast.” he’d mutter against your lips and breathe heavily against them. looking straight into your eyes with a heat he hasn’t shown you yet — a look he’s only given you when you were not looking.

♡. “yes — yes you can,”

♡. fem ) and the second you had answered his hands would move down in between your thighs, his skillful fingers running down your clothed slit, before he carefully moves the fabric of your panties to the side. thumb finding your clit as he presses heavy, panting, open mouthed kisses against your lips. circling it gently, and humming as he hears your soft moans.

masc ) and the second you had answered his hands would move down in between your thighs, his skillful fingers running down the growing hard bulge in your underwear. carefully moving his fingers beneath the fabric and rubbing his thumb against your tip. circling the area gently, as he presses heavy, panting, open mouthed kisses against your lips. and humming as he hears your soft moans.

♡. “fuck, doing so well for me, gonna keep going a little longer, yeah?”

𖹭. taglist◞ wanna join the taglist? fill out this form

𖹭. remember◞ you make a writer's day every time you like, reblog and/or comment on their piece. if you enjoyed my work, please considering doing so<3

. ˚◞ ꒰ 🍰 𝒑𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒓 𝒔𝒖𝒑𝒑𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒖𝒔 ꒱ tip jar . masterist ⊹ ۪ ࣪

[revryebread]

Everything Is Interstitial: Games inside of Games inside of Games

Interstitial is a game that takes characters and rips them from the cloth of where they come from and quilts them into one world. “Everything is Interstitial” is an extension of that: what if you could do that with mechanics and games?

I have teamed up with 5 designers to bring their games to Interstitial. When you turn the page from one to the other, you will stop being in Interstitial and start being in one of their games. They'll still be playbooks for Interstitial, but you will have the power to get into the gears and change the fabric of how you interact with the base system.

The best way I can put this is like in Dead Cells when you pick up the Hollow Knight needle and suddenly you can incorporate elements of Hollow Knight’s movement and gameplay into the game. I want that for Interstitial. (You can jump on people's heads and swing down, adding parrying and the weird bounce from the HK to a game that does not naturally have it!)

TAKUMA OKADA

Takuma is someone I have known in the TTRPG scene for what feels like ages, and their work has always been deeply impressive to me. They're a creator who has a way of stringing words together that could never come to me, and whenever they release something it feels like it changes the way I think. 

You may know them from Stewpot, Alone Among The Stars, and Old Home!

CARO ASERCION

Caro Asercion is someone I could work with every day and not get tired of it. When I read a game by them, it feels like momentum instead of action–their games let you be the movement of the gears, instead of the thing that is forcing them to turn. It feels second nature, and it makes things happen like magic in front of you.

You may know them from i'm sorry, did you say street magic?, Exquisite Biome, and The Long Shift!

TYLER CRUMRINE

Tyler has an absolutely incredible eye for resolution mechanics, and more importantly has a writing that lets me know cleanly and clearly how those mechanics work work cleanly and clearly. I come out of reading those rules like I've always known how to play. The Possible World RPG series is something I carry around with me when I'm traveling,  and whenever I show them to people they are amazed and impressed. 

You may know them from Beak, Feather, & Bone, Hounds, and Grandpa's Farm!

BRANDON LEON-GAMBETTA

I remember one of my first times ever being on Discord, sitting in the One Shot community, and turning to my wife and going "Oh woah, there's someone in here who actually makes TTRPGs!". That game was Pasión de las Pasiones, and that person was Brandon! I have been following his work forever, and between the experimentation that comes from his podcast or the genre work he's doing in his games, it's always incredible.

You may know him from Pasión de las Pasione, Stop Hack & Roll, and RadCrawl!

BRIAR SOVEREIGN

There is a wealth of big robot games out there in the wild, and to make yours stand out is a feat of strength. Briar's knack for amazing design both in layout and mechanics has made their work resonate clear above everything else. They are an absolute joy to know, and to work with them will be a highlight of my life.

These designers are each going to take one of their games and port it into Interstitial as a playbook, layout and all. This'll give players new mechanics to play around with, and hopefully ways to break everything. All of these designers are incredible at what they do–-- and they're bringing what they do to Interstitial. As long as we can hit that goal!!

[luneariaa]

ᯓ★٠ ࣪⭑ UNWELL. ( claudio s. )

missin' claudio hours,, :") and been unwell for the past two days, so have written this out of boredom 💜

no warnings except for the possible grammatical errors + lovey nicknames + fluff so i hope you guys enjoy 💌 ‼

dividers by @/saradika-graphics !! 💫

It has been a relatively slow day so far-- or the past few days, dare you say. As for right now, you're still laying on bed with no plans being mentally made like you usually do, especially with the house chores since you feel as if you got no energy to spare; and it's still like around morning. Not that early, that is.

You somehow despised times like this, very much unbothered with your current posture, to which your legs are practically dangling by the edge of the bed and your head is not even on the pillow.

These past few days also have been undeniably exhausting, to say the least. But today, the feeling has become more evident than usual.

Not too long after and while you're still stuck within your own thoughts, Claudio stepped into your shared bedroom after doing something earlier-- presumably having prepared breakfast for the two of you like he always did. He's the best cook between the both of you, and you knew that well.

Something felt quite off, and he couldn't tell himself as to why just yet. Maybe it's because you would usually done something by now, or merely something akin to it. He doesn't have the heart to wake you earlier, knowing how peacefully you slept beside him, and all cuddled up.

The Italian exorcist adjusts your figure by placing them properly on the bed, before his hand landed upon your forehead, just in case if his instincts are correct. His slate blue eyes widened ever so slightly at the unexpected heat radiating off from it after.

A frown slowly forms upon his lips, but more so in a concerned manner, and you didn't even pay that much attention-- seemingly assumed that it's nothing too serious.

"Amore, you're burning up right now. Are you feeling alright?" He inquired gently, whilst checking your body temperature on some necessary parts; now letting you rest your head against his chest.

"Huh? Oh, now that you mentioned it.." You chuckled rather weakly and a bit unintentionally, nuzzling your face into the provided warmth of his hand that's apparently there. "I do, in fact, feel a little weird today with myself. Perhaps that might be the case."

He secretly detested to see you in this state of sickness-- it worries him a lot even if it's just something minor.

The frown remains, yet one of his hands are still on your face, caressing your cheek so, so lovingly tender. Despite it all, you could tell that he's deeply concerned by your current condition, even if it's not that all bad to you.

"I didn't even realize that I truly have fallen ill. I'm sorry for worrying you, caro."

His expression would instantly soften upon your words; sighing a bit, and a small smile is present after.

"You don't need to apologize for being sick, amore mio. It's never your fault; it's human nature after all, it's always bound to happen sometime."

"Besides, as your husband, I will happily and gratefully take on my responsibilities to take care of you forever, if I may and if fate allows us."

You didn't dare to deny his words at all, for all of them held the mere truth of his pure devotion towards you. It's making you feel all mushy and warm inside, and the sensations he's naturally giving you is almost too surreal to experience firsthand-- he always did it so flawlessly.

"But love, what about your work..?" You questioned him out of pure worry that you might have distracted him from doing something far more important, especially with his daily jobs. The hint of guilt is evident within your simple statement, and it saddens him deeply to hear you speak such words over your well-being.

But none of it mattered at this moment-- and he's sure of it. You are his top priority as his beloved wife; someone who's very much important to him. One that he cares and cherishes so much, more so than himself.

"Cuore mio, my works can always wait." He moves several strands of hair away from your face; his usual affectionate grin is present. "And I'm not going anywhere until you're fully healed and all better."

Any attempts of arguing with him would be very much futile, considering your current state of condition at this point. But eventually, your smile mirrors his own lovingly and understandingly, clearly appreciating his efforts.

Upon noticing the expression that you're giving him; Claudio couldn't help but to let a small endearing chuckle out of his lips, along with a forehead kiss being given out to you.

"Just stay here for a bit. I'll bring in some breakfast here that I've prepared earlier, so we can eat it together."

"Don't worry about the possible mess, or anything at all. I'll take care of everything, I promise you, tesoro mio."

@luneariaa. do not repost; reblogs are welcomed. all rights reserved.

[changingplumbob]

York Household: Chapter 9, Part 10

In this part Kelly may be stood down from school for the day but that doesn't mean Aaron won't find them something to do.

CW: Mentions of body dysmorphic disorder and dysphoria

The Yorks are Italian so if you see them using words that don't look like English it's Italian, or what google assures me is Italian. Caro/Cara: Dear Buongiorno: Good morning Piccolo: Little one Tesoro: Treasure Nonno: Grandfather Nonna: Grandmother Si: Yes Grazie: Thank you Per Favore: Please Buon Compleanno: Happy Birthday

Kelly had asked Joey to speak to their family about her identity and, once Joey assured her it was fine, she joined the family for dinner.

Calista: Cara, I heard you got in a few fights today

Kelly was so used to being called caro, while cara was used for her sisters, that it took her a moment to realise her ma was addressing her.

Kelly: Si ma

Calista: Can we say the second fight may have had something to do with you being a girl?

Kelly: *sighs* Si ma. The dung brain said only girls needed to know about periods and stuff so I got mad and stomped on her foot

Deanna: I think that’s a sensible response even if you were a boy

Aaron: Deanna! Violence is never the answer

Joey: You say that like you don’t want us to get arrested

Aaron gave Joey a look that could melt steel.

Joey: Sorry pa, bad joke

Calista: I'll call your school and talk to them about separating kids by gender, in this day and age it's stupid. How about the first fight cara

Kelly: What do you mean

Calista: You were having trouble in English. Do you want us to get some help

Kelly: *sighs* That jerk was saying I had dyslexia but he doesn’t know what goes on in my head

Aaron: Still, it’s better to look into help now so you won’t be hindered at university

Deanna: Pa, she’s only just started high school

Aaron: Never too early to start thinking of the future

Aaron: But if you don’t want to talk about it tonight we can fit it in tomorrow

Kelly: What do you mean fit it in

Aaron: You don’t think I’m going to waste a day you’re not in school do you?

Kelly: I was kind of hoping to crash on the couch and play some games

Aaron steps up and pulls Kelly into a hug despite her protests.

Aaron: Cara, your ma and I love you. Very much. But a shift like the one you’ve started won’t be a simple one. We want you to get all the help available. I'm taking a vacation day and first stop tomorrow is a doctor who specialises in adolescents

Kelly smiles and tries her best not to tear up in front of her siblings, she has a reputation as an evil sim to maintain.

Calista: Are you okay Kelly

Kelly: Si ma. I just… wasn’t sure how you’d all take… me

Calista: Oh cara, like your pa said, we love you. We’re your family. We’re always going to be on your side

Kelly: Even if I kill someone

Calista: *laughs* Please try not to kill anyone *whispers* although I have a feeling that your pa would absolutely be your lawyer

Aaron: *laughs* Well don’t just go encouraging her to be a killer

After a hug with Calista Kelly lets out a celebratory cheer.

Deanna does not wake up feeling well. She gets dressed but can’t be bothered putting her contacts in today, glasses it is. She grabs some leftover cake and goes past Kelly and Aaron, barely taking them in.

Aaron: What’s wrong cara

Deanna: I have a horrible headache and feel like poop

Kelly: You mean you feel as bad on the inside as you look on the outside

Deanna: Probably

Kelly: No retaliation? *sighs* Just admit you don’t want me to have fun today

Deanna: You should be at school gremlin but you got in fights. Excuse me if I’m unimpressed

Kelly and Aaron head off while Deanna contemplates a nap rather than homework. What use are good grades if you’re dead?

Kelly: Why am I seeing him

Aaron: Harvey said his son had a good time

Kelly: Pa no one has a good time at medical appointments

Aaron: *sighs* maybe not but he said it helped him, how’s that?

Kelly: Guess it’ll do. So long as he doesn’t try to un evil me

Aaron: Tell him about the trouble you’ve had in class

Kelly: Si pa

Aaron: And tell him your family support you being trans because he’ll want to know

Kelly: Si pa. Think you can stop telling me what to do now?

Dr H: Kelly York?

Kelly: Yeah that’s me, this is my pa Aaron

Dr H: Nice to meet you. I’m Doctor Xander Hanks, the psychiatrist here. Will you be joining us Aaron?

Aaron: Kelly wanted to do this by herself if that’s okay

Dr H: Perfectly fine but I’d like to bring you in at the end to discuss next steps if that’s okay with Kelly

Kelly shrugs and walks herself into the office, choosing the couch that most faces the door. Dr Hanks sits down opposite her.

Dr H: Let me tell you a bit about myself. Following medical school I-

Kelly: Don’t care about you

Dr H: We can skip the pleasantries if you prefer

Kelly: You talk weird

Dr H: Why don’t you tell me why you’re here today

Kelly: *shrugs and kicks foot* They kicked me out of school for a day

Dr H: They? Why did “they” do that?

Kelly: The principal got batpoop mad because I punched one kid and stomped on the foot of another, but they had it coming

Dr H: Do you often have trouble with your temper Kelly

Kelly: I’m a teen. You're a professional, don't you know we have trouble with everything

Dr H: Anything you’d care to share

Kelly: Well ma and pa wanted me to come because…

Here she pauses. As hard as it was to tell Joey who loves her, telling a stranger is a harder task.

Dr H: Why don’t you tell me about why you got in the fights

Kelly sighs and tells him about Roger, the kid who teased her about her struggles in English class.

Dr H: Why did that upset you so much

Kelly: I don’t know. I can usually take a joke, I’m the first to make a joke after my friend Fergus. I guess… I was a bit worried he might be right. I survived middle school but now the words are longer and smaller and they can jam together sometimes in my head. But I’m not crazy!

Dr H: I wouldn’t call someone crazy Kelly. It is possible you have an undiagnosed learning disorder. I can send you to my colleague after this visit for an assessment if you’d like

Kelly shrugs noncommittally and Dr Hanks continues.

Dr H: What about the stomped foot incident

Kelly: I was trying to talk to my best friend Anya about what she learned in health because they separate the class boy girl style. I was curious, I mean I’ve only heard a bit, and this other girl took offense at me learning because I was a boy so she complained loudly then I stomped on her foot. That just made her scream more

Dr H: Was she unaware you’re trans

Kelly: *defensively* How’d you know that

Dr H: Forgive me if I’ve overstepped. Your father used the pronoun her when he ushered you in-

Kelly: I know this outfit doesn’t exactly scream natural girl but…

Dr H: And you said you were a boy when the disagreement happened

Kelly: Oh…. Right, I did… Sorry. I’ve only just come out to my family it’s still... difficult

Dr H: You have nothing to apologise for. I find the term “natural girl” to be unhelpful when talking about gender. If someone is the gender they were assigned at birth, they are cisgender. If they are not the gender they were assigned at birth, they are transgender. Have you heard that language before

Kelly: Here and there. I mean my friend’s older sibling is… oh shoot he did tell me the term…. Non something…

Dr H: Nonbinary?

Kelly: That’s it! So technically he, I mean they, are trans?

Dr H: *nods* You’ve got it. There are many ways to be female, just as there are many ways to be male, or both, or none. Was this why your parents wanted you to see me?

Kelly: Sort of. I mean I know I’m a girl but *sighs* I don’t know what to do about it. Transitioning just seems so big

Dr H: Maybe talking it out can make it a bit smaller huh

The two discuss the situation a bit more and when Kelly feels ready Dr Hanks retrieves Aaron from reception.

Dr H: Your daughter certainly knows her own mind. You must be proud

Aaron: I am. She can be a handful but I am

Kelly: Being stubborn has benefits okay pa

Aaron: I know

Dr H: After this I’m going to send you to my colleague who will do a learning assessment on Kelly. She may benefit from additional academic support. We have discussed possible next steps for her identity as well

Aaron: What are they

Kelly: Basically the government is stupid and science hates me

Aaron: I’m sure that’s not true

Dr H: There are scientific debates about at what age we can start on hormones and other physical interventions. At the moment the youngest age for medical transition is 16

Kelly: But he says I don’t have to do that if I don’t want to, any changes I make will be up to me. I say who I am, I'm in charge

Aaron is glad to see Kelly smile at this.

Dr H: There are many non-medical changes that can be made while she thinks about it. Kelly has already switched pronouns, she may want to change her name or her wardrobe. I’m going to refer her for therapy-

Kelly: He says I might get this thing called body dysmorphic disorder. Or anxiety, or depression or whatever

Dr H: Body dysmorphia can overlap with gender dysphoria so I like to make sure my trans patients have adequate support. I’ve prescribed some antidepressants which I think will be helpful as support during the transition period but I’d like to order some blood tests to make sure we don’t need to do any medical interventions yet

Aaron: What can me and her ma do

Dr H: Keep supporting her. She has expressed some anxiety about her personality traits. I would urge you and the rest of her family to remember her gender identity is not responsible for her personality or vice versa despite being a big part of who she is

Aaron: We can do that

The two get up to leave and Aaron is surprised when Kelly not only thanks the doctor but gives him a hug as well. Maybe her evil trait will be easier to balance with age.

Results of today’s medical appointments. Kelly has dyslexia and body dysmorphic disorder. Sorry it was a bit long, I didn't want to cut her off mid session.

Previous ... Next

[copper-16]

So happy for the barca girlies, but where is engen and what is Horan and Ada doing there ? But most importantly where are the defenders ?

I am sorry but this award is becoming a popularity contest now with the award going to those with strong prs and popular football countries. Will be glad if aitana wins( she is surely gonna win it ) but if caro wins won't it help the kids of norway there for football...

Hm...I think I might disagree with you a little bit here!

While I find Horan's inclusion VERY strange, I don't follow Lyon enough to comment on Ada's performance. I will say that I wasn't surprised that Ingrid wasn't nominated, I personally never expected for her to be.

Don't get me wrong, I love Ingrid and think she's an awesome player. But I'm not sure I would consider her top 30 in the world, not over some other phenomenal CBs such as Girma or Buchanan. I totally think she could get there, absolutely, but I wouldn't put her above certain players for this year. I think you could make a case for both Keira and Ona to some degree, but again just not sure that top 30 with their performance from the past year is necessarily where I would have put either of them (Especially with Spain's Olympic performance and the absence of GB entirely). They're both amazing, but it didn't feel particularly standout to me to argue that they must have been included.

I feel like also the majority of us (including myself) are super biased. I know that I personally do not watch every league and every team, so there's a ton of individual talent out there I don't know about! Yes Barcelona might be considered the best team in Europe after winning the UWCL this season, but that doesn't mean each individual player is the best themselves - there is the team aspect you must consider that attributed to the win. There is a ton of amazing individual talent outside of the WSL and La Liga, even if those leagues are where a lot of nominations typically come from. I was personally jazzed to see Barbra Banda and Bunny Shaw on there!

All that being said, I completely agree with the whole thing being a PR award. I think that was made very clear by Rapinoe's win back in 2019. The categories to me leave a lot of room for interpretation (having criteria such as "class and fair play" with the inclusion of "character", for example), and means that some of the award is inherently not about football specifically but also a more political/social agenda. I don't think these categories have a lot to do with what help the award could do for certain countries/populations (ie. Norwegian girls), but rather what a player has done outside of football that is more what is being evaluated (not saying that this is fair, but just seems to be more of the thought process from what I perceive).

[puraiuddo]

1/3 HI don't mind me lured back towards tumblr for JP -- it was cool seeing your rec include some older and non-ao3 fics, both because those fics are FUN and because I'm excited someone else has gone down those strange trails haha

2/3 Your list is similar to mine! enough thaaaat ok ok if you're already aware of these and chose not to feature them that's 100% valid and I'm sorry to presume, but given that ffn tf is rough to search, here's a few maybe you haven't seen and might enjoy reading? 3/3 In length order, with ffnet url endings: /s/2980742/1/Just-the-Cat-s-Meow (9k). /s/7188310/1/Yellow-Ribbon (50k) /s/9586024/31/Caro-Transmutata-Metallo (168k actually a "best friends" one iirc, also it's been like 10 years since I've fully read it, so it's ???)

lolololol s'all good! you got good taste in fics!!

Thank you for thinking of me!!

Also I couldn't help but laugh at "strange trails" being used in ref to ffn lmaooooooo. I first started reading fanfics on deviantart and then some wattpad. So ffn was the ordinary path after that. Now of course, I read fanfics on ao3 like everyone else, but when I've banged through all the fics in the pairing or topics I'm looking for, ffn's the natural choice after that lol. But now that ppl are starting on the internet with ao3, it's definitely leaving so many wonderful ffn fics in the dust which is super sad... Recently I've been using FicHub to download all the ones I really love so when ffn burns at least those won't be lost.

Long winded rant on ffn aside...... (￣▽ ￣˵)ゞ

in terms of the fics you linked... //barely holds off on exploding into a hundred pieces in a good way// OK SO... THERE'S BEEN THIS SCENE STUCK IN MY BRAIN... AND I COULD NOT REMEMBER WHAT IT WAS FROM OR HOW TO FIND IT. I AM QUITE CONFIDENT YOU HAVE HANDED IT TO ME IN YELLOW RIBBON. IF SO, I OWE YOU A DEBT OF GRATITUDE. 🫡

Now I really, really have to read it.

edit: It wasn’t it, fam. 😔

As for the other 2, I have Just the Cat's Meow in my ffn bookmarks! It was a cute fic, I'm just not sure I'd call it a JazzProwl fic I guess? 🤔 I do so love jazz being an angel of benevolent chaos tho, but I'm not so sure anything else about it like really especially stuck out to me? I guess I go for the worldbuilding or eerie fics more than anything lol. If there's something for me to overanalyze, I'm there.👌🏼

I'm also certainly gonna have to check out Caro Transmutata Metallo, though! It does sound awfully familiar so I may have saved a link for it somewhere with the intention to go read it later, but then never did... rip. Not sure about its standing on the JP list if it's Gen, but I'm looking forward to reading it regardless!

Thank you for your recs!!

[maudiemoods]

First thing. I ADORE the setup your van has!!! Second thing. If someone was to consider living in one, what steps would they take? Based on your experience.

Alright hey ready for a long post because it took me three years to finally try this out

I recommend watching every video about living in a van that you can. Most glamorize it a bit and honestly, it can be really awesome!! But make sure you're also watching the ones that explain the cons!

Now, if you've watched all the videos you can and you still wanna try, here's what I did.

ONE!! Think of your goals! What do you want to do while living in a van? Travel? Stay close to home? Be able to cook and stand? Go off road? All these questions help answer the most important one of them all! What van should you get?

TWO!! get a van!! Or!! Research other vehicles you can live in! You can make anything work BUT not everything can fit all your specific needs! You could get a truck with a bed cover but that leaves you with very limited space! But!! It allows for better off roading for cool campsites! I've seen others use a Honda element! They get good gas mileage but also don't have a lot of space.

Picking a vehicle can be hard. The more you want in your van, the bigger you should get. There's huge caro vans you can even put a bathroom in! Or just a portable toilet! But that means you gotta deal with cleaning it and maintaining it. Also, those tend to cost a little more! Again, do tons of research and know what you want in your van but I also recommend keeping an open mind and being very flexible to different ideas. I changed my mind at least twenty times about how I wanted to do this!

THREE!! decide how much you want to do to your van build wise and how much money you want to spend on it! Some people go crazy and put wires and electric fridges in their van! And that's a good idea if you're looking for something super glam and long term! But again, pricey! I have battery powered string lights and a cooler and that's good enough for me!

The only building I did was the floor! And I did it very unprofessionally! I wish I had taken pictures but I didn't! I was too focused on getting it done! Building takes a lot of time and research. You should really aim for doing it the best way possible. I wanted to build my bed and cabinets but I ended not doing that after having so much trouble with the floor. I'm honestly surprised I haven't had any issues with it yet!

FOUR!! before starting any major pricey build, try it out first! Get an air mattress and go camp for a week! Go sleep in a parking lot! If you don't like it, you can always sell your van! Definitely make sure it's something you want to do!

FIVE!! ok, I know I've been all "make sure you really want to do this and be smart about how you do it" BUT also don't stress!!!! I stressed and procrastinated so much!! If it's something you want and you begin to start your project, go all in!! I think that if you learn all the cons and challenges and still want to do it then you'll probably love it! You can make as many accommodations for yourself as you want! That's the cool thing!! It's completely customizable and unique to yourself!! Best advice I can give is to not copy one person's build but to take inspiration from multiple. Find what you want and throw it in your van!

Sorry if this was all over the place! I'm not good at explaining these things through text! I could ramble on but I'd probably end up repeating myself. So in short! Research → buy van specific to your needs (you may have to compromise on a few things) → try it out as simple as possible → start your build (look up "no build van conversion" if you don't want to mess with anything like that) → have fun!

But really if you have a super specific question just ask because I literally spent YEARS procrastinating and researching this stuff

[joaquinwhorres]

Tailspin - Part 4 (Fanboy Garcia x F!OC)

SUMMARY ››››› Having grown up just across the bridge from North Island, Carolina Alvarez has been told her whole life to stay away from the Top Gun boys. And for the most part, she has. That is, until Fanboy catches her putting quarters in the jukebox at The Hard Deck and initiates a game of cat and mouse that ends with her exactly where she swore she’d never be.

PAIRING ››››› Mickey “Fanboy” Garcia x F!OC

WORD COUNT ››››› 5,592

WARNINGS ››››› None?

MASTERLIST ››››› Here

A/N ››››› The moment you've all been waiting for. Unless you've somehow managed to avoid all of the spoilers I have on my blog about this.

She didn't respond to any of his texts.

His calls went unanswered too, the line ringing only once before routing to voicemail each of the three times he tried.

But it wasn't until the small Read 10:59 AM appeared on Bob's phone that he started to accept that Phoenix might be right. 

His face fell as he stared at the screen for a moment longer before handing the phone back to Bob. "Thanks," he said, the word sounding flat and hollow. 

The other man's mouth made silent attempts to form words as he accepted the phone, only stopping when Fanboy shook his head, relieving Bob of the sense of duty to respond. Bob sighed, pressing his lips together in a commiserative frown as he placed his phone upside down on the bar in front of him. "I'm sorry," he finally managed. 

"Jesus, he doesn't need your condolences," Hangman sighed loudly from where he lay across the leather couch nearby. The accompanying eye roll was practically audible. 

Bob side-eyed Hangman, his lips twisting in contempt.

"Oh, come on," Hangman scoffed as he rose into a seated position, throwing a hand out to gesture towards Fanboy. "You're acting like you just found out your mother died just 'cause some ex from five years ago who blocked you."

The words either didn't reach Fanboy or rolled right off him because his attention remained fixed on the phone in front of Bob. 

"I just don't get it," Fanboy murmured. 

"She's. Not. Interested," Hangman asserted, ignoring the warning looks from the other aviators. "Get over it or give up the dream that you're going on this mission." The blonde shook his head as he stood up. "If I stay at this pity party any longer, I'm going to start growing ovaries," he quipped, heading towards the door.

"Like you could handle them," Phoenix called after his retreating form. Hangman didn't slow down or even acknowledge her statement though as he disappeared out to the hallway. 

Bob shot Phoenix a smile as she shook her head. "Asshole."

"As much as I hate to say it, he has a point," Payback said gently from his seat next to Fanboy. "You've been off your game up there."

"I–"

"Come on man," Payback cut him off with a sympathetic smile. "I've seen what you can do. You were the best Wizzo in our class."

"I know," Fanboy said, hanging his head. "I just can't shake it." 

Payback pressed his lips together, meeting Bob's eyes over Fanboy's hunched form. The other WSO widened his eyes meaningfully, the loss for what to do written clearly on his face. Payback jerked his head in dismissal, and Bob slid from his seat, patting Fanboy's back once before heading over to Harvard and Fritz. 

With a quick glance up to the heavens and prayer for help, Payback scooted closer to Fanboy. "Look, do you still trust her?" he asked, keeping his voice gentle and low. 

Fanboy looked up, meeting Payback's eyes, and he could see that his closest friend here—the only one who knew just how little sense this all made—was approaching the end of his rope. 

"Yeah, of course." 

"Then trust that whatever reason she has for not wanting to talk to you is a good one." 

It was a solid piece of logic, easily traced back to the golden ring that encircled Payback's left finger. Fanboy could practically hear Neema's voice in the advice, reminding him that Caro had never done anything without a reason. While each of her decisions were explained with a breezy sentence or sharp quip, there had always been a thorough and conscientious thought process behind her actions.

But she had always offered up her reasonings willingly. They had never been so much as veiled, let alone something he had to pry from her. 

And it was that thought that led him to shake his head, eyes peering appealingly at Payback, urging him to understand.  "I can't," he whispered, the admission coming out pained and apologetic. 

Payback didn't have the time to do much more than sigh before there was a shuffling at the door that drew their attention. An administrative officer stood in the doorway, clipboard in hand. "Coyote, Payback, Fanboy, you're next." 

The three men nodded, Coyote using Yale's distractedness to spin a shot into the goal before backing up, grinning from the foosball table. Payback slid from his seat, clapping Fanboy on the shoulder as he did so. "Come on. We'll figure this out after we go make an old man do some push ups." 

"198…" Hondo counted, following it up with a loud, "Down!" 

Fanboy wasn't sure what hurt more: his muscles that had been battered from the flying and subsequent push ups, his ego at having Maverick continue to best them despite having no WSO or wingman, or his conscience for being the reason that Payback and Coyote were both sweating next to him. 

Because he couldn't stop thinking about it.

About that look on her face when he told her he'd missed her. 

About the stupid gray letters that appeared on Bob's phone. 

About the last time he'd seen her and how he should have just said it. 

"200!" Hondo announced. "You're good to—" 

The rest of his sentence was lost as Fanboy pushed himself up off the ground and onto his feet, taking off down the tarmac.

"Fanboy!" Payback called after him, but the backseater didn't stop, starting towards the building with more purpose than he'd even shown in the goddamn air. 

Ahead of him, Hangman grinned, the sun glinting off his golden hair. "You know, if you ever get her to talk to you, make sure to thank her for me. For taking out the competition." 

Fanboy's jaw set, his hands clenching into fists, but he continued on and into the showers, to wash away–even temporarily–the feeling of failure. But even the scalding water couldn't burn it away, and he emerged from the showers feeling somehow worse than when he went in.

"Fanboy." 

The sudden sound of his name caused his heart to jump in his chest, jerking around to see Phoenix's form waiting beside the door. She pushed herself away from the wall to fall in line with him. 

"What was that?"

He shook his head, turning back around so he could head towards the debrief room early for some peace and quiet before Hangman, Harvard, and Yale came down. 

"Hey," Phoenix called after him, catching up with long strides. "I'm serious. Calling the wrong break is the kind of error that gets you washed out of flight school."

Fanboy shook his head, looking away from Phoenix. He could still feel her gaze on him, insistent and intense. "I know," he mumbled. 

"Look, I've already got my hands full with Rooster; I can't have you spinning out too," Phoenix sighed, hand pushing at his arm to turn him towards her, finally getting him to stop. "So explain it to me–why is an ex you haven't seen or spoken to in the past five years so in your head?" 

Fanboy sighed, running a hand over his head, the short hairs tickling his palm. His eyes rested on a photo of a pilot grinning in the seat of an old F-14. 

"Because when I left, she loved me, and now she looks terrified of me. Something happened."

He chanced a glance at Phoenix's face finding the pilot staring at him with furrowed brows. "Five years happened." 

He shook his head. "It's bigger than that. I mean, if you're right, she blocked me a while ago, and I don't know what I did." 

"Maybe you didn't do anything," Phoenix shook her head. It was his time to look at her confused. "Maybe it isn't about you. Maybe she needed to block you to move on. Maybe she has."

The sentence hit him like a punch to the gut, knocking the air out of his lungs. It was a moment before he could breathe again. 

"But why wouldn't she just say that?"

"I don't know," Phoenix shrugged. "But you need to figure out a way to let this go and get your head on straight. We need you on this mission." 

Her last sentence was lost to him though because finally someone said something actually actionable.

He needed to get his head on straight. And that's exactly what he would do.

Renew Chiropractic was a six minute drive from base.

Six minutes.

For the past week, he had only been one well-timed traffic light or random turn down a side street away from seeing her on one of his runs. Instead, it took a Google Search and a four hour wait until his scheduled appointment slot. 

His head was still reeling with the revelation as he pushed open the glass front door, entering the serene chiropractic office. Everything about the room was meant to be calming: the soft jade color of the walls, the essential oil blend puffing out of the diffuser, and the soothing nature sounds bubbling from the speaker. Even the row of empty chairs along the wall looked more plush than one might expect from a doctor's office. 

None of it seemed to have any effect on him though, each muscle in his body still tense and on alert as he approached the front desk. 

A tall, thin black man with wire-rimmed glasses looked up as he approached, eyes widening for a second upon seeing Fanboy in front of him. 

"Hi, can I help you?" the receptionist asked. The middle-aged white woman sat next to him cast him a puzzled look before her eyes too wandered to Fanboy. She sat up a bit straighter in her seat, hazel eyes narrowed slightly as she followed his progress towards them. 

"Yeah," Fanboy said, stepping up to the desk. "I have an appointment with Dr. Alvarez." 

He offered them a hesitant smile, one that he hoped softened the edges of his obvious anxiety. Instead, the woman's mouth drew in tighter, dangerously close to a frown. The man next to her however schooled his features into professional sympathy. "I'm sorry, sir. Dr. Alvarez actually had to step out." 

Fanboy's shoulders sank under the weight of his disappointment. He'd known it'd been a risk using his name while making the appointment. A part of him had considered using a fake name, but ultimately decided that would cross the line into unhinged.  "Do you know if she'll be back today or this week?"

The man shook his head. "She didn't say." 

"Dr. Houten is still in and he should be finishing up with his last patient if you would like to see him instead," the woman offered, rising from her chair. "I'll just let him know." 

Fanboy took a deep breath, eyes floating to the open hallway behind them as he weighed his options. He could stay and waste his time getting adjusted by her colleague which meant he'd have to wait until next week in order to try catching her here again or he could just leave and camp out in the parking lot like a total lunatic—he didn't finish the thought. Instead, down the hall a door opened and out of it came Dr. Lane. 

The same woman who had spilled a drink on Caro that first night back at the Hard Deck. 

Who, when he asked during his physical, had scoffed at the very idea of knowing Caro beyond that incident.

Who now made eye-contact with him and clearly and solemnly said, "Shit." 

She spun on her heel, hands coming up as if to push someone behind her, but instead, the person brushed her aside, coming out and peering down the hall to see what had prompted the reaction.

Caro.

She was openly shocked, her eyes wide and locked on him. Dr. Lane cast a quick glance between Caro and Fanboy before fixing her own determined gaze on him, her jaw set as she started down the hallway towards him with long purposeful strides. She stopped next to the older woman who had freed herself from behind the receptionist's desk.

It took less than a second for him to discern what was happening, the piercing realization bringing with it an acute and sharp pain in his chest. They were barricading him from the hallway. They were protecting her from him. 

His face crumpled, brows furrowing and lips bowing into a frown. "I just came to talk," he said, his voice desperate and thin.

Dr. Lane shook her head. "You should head back to base." The words were technically a suggestion, but they sounded far more like an order. "She knows how to reach you if she wants to talk." 

Fanboy opened and closed his mouth again, eyes shooting over her shoulder to try to find Caro. She had come closer, reaching the trio now and laying a hand on the other doctor's shoulder. "Jas," she said calmly, gently pushing her to the side so that she could come out into the waiting room. "It's ok." 

The statement did little to pacify Dr. Lane. Instead, the other woman shot Caro a look that very clearly expressed her distrust of the situation. She didn't say anything though, allowing Caro to pass in between her and the Renew Chiropractic employee. 

"We can talk outside," Caro said, pointing to the door behind Fanboy. 

He nodded, leading the way out, pausing only to hold the door open for her before he headed down the path and out of sight of the glass front door. 

When he turned to face Caro, he found her with her hand stuffed in the pockets of her maroon scrubs, her face carefully and uncharacteristically impassive. 

"I'm sorry–" he started before Caro cut him off.

"You found where I work?" Her words came out even, dull almost, but he could sense the danger underneath them. 

"I tried to text and call, but–"

"But I didn't answer, so you decided to ambush me at my job," she finished for him, folding her arms across her chest.

"It wasn't an ambush!" he protested, his heart rate rocketing at the accusation. "I made an appointment. So you'd know I was coming." 

He watched her process this statement in real time. Her brow scrunching in the middle and corners of her mouth tugging down slightly. Her eyes slid to the right, towards the building, before snapping back to him. It was then that she seemed to see him for the first time—noticing that he was in his service khakis and the tension in his shoulders and maybe even the plea in his face for her to just give him a chance. 

Caro took a deep breath, audibly pushing it out through her nose. "Ok," she said, her voice having lost some of its edge. "I can give you fifteen minutes." 

Fanboy also breathed out a sigh of relief, eyes falling to the ground between them before flickering up to her. "You know, the website said forty-five," he attempted with a smile which faded quickly as her eyes hardened once more. "Sorry, yeah, fifteen minutes." 

Silence entwined itself between the two of them as they stood in front of her office building, both in their respective uniforms and both wishing very much that this wasn't how they were spending their day.

Caro was the one who finally broke the silence. "You wanted to talk?" 

"Yeah," Fanboy breathed out, hand coming up to rub the back of his head. "Yeah, I did." His eyes met hers again, despite the fact that every time he seemed to look at her, she seemed to grow even more guarded, even further away. "The other night at the Hard Deck…and then now…" he took in a deep breath before releasing it and the remainder of his sentence with it. "It just seems like there's something wrong between us." 

"I was just surprised," Caro shrugged.

"Yeah," Fanboy agreed, hating his masochistic need to push the subject. "It just seemed like more than surprise. I know it's been years, but I thought…you just didn't seem…I don't know…"

"Happy to see you?" Caro supplied, raising an eyebrow. 

He flushed at the accurate indictment of his own ego, and she shook her head at him. 

"What were you expecting, Mickey?" she asked, exasperation tingeing every word. "Me to throw myself into your arms like nothing's changed?"

The thought had crossed his mind more than once, but even he knew that outcome was more of a daydream, a fantasy, than a possible outcome of his arrival back in Fightertown. 

"No," Fanboy shook his head. "I just thought we were good." 

"We're fine." 

"Then why did your receptionists just try to keep me from seeing you? And why has Dr. Lane stepped in to keep you from spending more than five minutes with me?" 

He didn't want to know the answer to either question. There couldn't be a good reason–one that would get him back on track and restore his focus on earning a spot in the mission. Whatever she said was going to spin him out worse than he was already. But he had to know. Because if he left it at Caro's lie he would never forgive himself. Just like he already couldn't forgive himself for just accepting that the original plan for their relationship's end was just fine. That nothing had changed from the moment they made that agreement to his last moments of saying goodbye.

"They're overprotective," Caro supplied. 

"But they don't even know me." 

"They know about you. That's enough."

He grew quiet, and the urge he had to walk towards her, to close the space between them, died. Instead, he pulled back some, as if she had poked a finger into his chest the way she used to when she was mad. 

"What do they know?" 

For the first time, Caro was unable to meet his gaze, her eyes going to a large ceramic flower pot that lined the path. "They know I loved you and that you left and blocked me so I haven't seen or heard from you in five years."

"What?" His horrified whisper seemed to suck out all of the air and sounds from their surroundings. 

Caro met his eyes, and he could see the emotion there for the first time, thick and threatening.  "You left," she repeated, "And you blocked me." 

"I didn't block you–" he started, voice still wavering and almost soundless. 

"You did," Caro said with a nod. She took a breath in, and like that, the emotions fell back down into her and away from the surface. "It's fine, though. It doesn't matter anymore."

"It matters," Fanboy insisted, finally taking a step towards her. 

"No it doesn't. I'm over it." 

"It matters to me," he tried again, taking another step, but Caro tightened her arms against her chest. 

"It shouldn't," she said flatly. "Because it wouldn't change anything. You'd still have gone to Virginia, I'd still have been here, and life still would've moved on for both of us."

"Would it have?" He sounded almost as desperate as he felt.

"It did," she said, quietly. Caro ran a hand through her hair, looking over his shoulder and out into the parking lot. "Things are different now."

There was something in her voice. A distance almost as if trying to avoid coming too close to what exactly life had changed. 

A thought popped into his head, and before he could stop himself, the question was escaping. "Are you seeing someone?"

Caro's expression turned stony, and she straightened her spine. "What? You'll only respect the fact that I'm not interested in starting whatever it is you're hoping for if another man is involved?"

"No," he sputtered. 

"Then why does it matter if I'm seeing anyone?"

The pressure in his chest felt worse than any G force he had ever experienced. 

"I just–" he started, struggling to form a response that wouldn't further drive her away. "I'm trying to understand."

Her eyes fluttered closed in obvious annoyance, but he supposed the gesture was better than having her turn away. When she looked at him once more, she was still clearly frustrated, but her gaze had softened some.

"I'm not seeing anyone," she admitted. "I'm just older now. I have more responsibilities, and I can't—" she cut herself off, swallowing and then breathing and then restarting again, slower this time. "I can't do this again," she finished, gesturing with a finger. "I need something stable now."

He was able to nod twice before the weight of his thoughts caused him to just hang his head to stare at his shoes. "Yeah that's...that's fair," he managed. Quiet once more settled itself around them, ballooning in the space between them so he felt even further from her. "Could we at least maybe get a drink while I'm here. As friends?"

"Mickey," she said, gently. Too gently. "You know we can't be just friends."

A car door slammed in the parking lot behind him, pulling Caro's attention from him. The color drained from her face, taking with it the awful look of sympathy. Instead she looked horrified, like she might throw up or pass out. Or both. 

"Caro?" Fanboy asked, closing the space between them in two long strides. "Are you —"

"Mama!" A delighted shriek cut him off as quick and heavy thwaps hurtled towards them. He turned, watching with wide eyes as a little girl with bronzed skin and dark pigtails barreled towards Caro, only stopping when she collided with the chiropractor's legs, narrowly missing him. 

He was going to be sick. 

"Look!" The little girl demanded, shoving her hand up into Caro--her mother--'s face. "Kelsey painted my nails!"

Each little finger nail was a different color. Some a neon green, others a deep glittery navy, a sleek red, and a metallic purple. No two colors or textures were the same. 

"I see," Caro said with a nod, taking the girl's tiny hand in hers and tilting it back and forth to inspect each nail.

For a second it looked as if she might glance up to meet Fanboy's eyes, but instead she looked into the little girl--her daughter--'s face. 

"You know Bryson would probably like to see your nails, " she commented, releasing the small hand. "Why don't you go show him, and I'll meet you in there when I'm done talking? Then we can go home." 

The little girl looked up at her before suddenly shifting her attention to Fanboy, her big brown eyes peering intently at him, assessing. 

Evidently he failed as she frowned and then turned back to Caro, appealingly. "Um, what if you came with me?" Caro gave her a small smile, reaching down to brush hair out of her daughter's face. 

"Give me five minutes ok? You can ask Kelsey to help you keep track," she said, looking up to where the babysitter—Kelsey—hovered. It was then Fanboy noticed that she was staring between him and Caro, brow furrowed. She seemed to snap out of it at the sound of her name though, reaching a hand out for the little girl. 

"Come on, Dalia. Let's go show Bryson." 

The name caused all breath to escape from Mickey's lungs, and this time Caro's eyes did shoot to his, their gazes locking on each other. 

Neither of them took their eyes off of the other as the little girl reached for her babysitter's hand, letting the teenager guide her inside and away from Fanboy and Caro and the tension between them outside. 

"Dalia?" He asked, the repetition of the name more than just a question of whether or not he had heard it correctly. 

He was met with silence, which maybe should have been answer enough. Still, he felt like he needed to hear it, needed some sort of response, and so he attempted to ask again. 

"Is she…?" he trailed off, looking to the door the little girl had passed through just moments before. 

The little girl.

His–

He couldn't finish the thought. 

Because she couldn't be. They had been safe—mostly— and who was to say that she hadn't been with anyone after he left? And it was entirely possible that when he'd shared that name with her five years ago, both of them wrapped up in her sheets with his arms around her and her head resting against his shoulder, she had decided that she'd liked it too and wanted to use it herself for any future children.

But when he met her eyes again, he could see it all over her face. 

"Oh my God," he murmured. 

"Mickey, I—" 

"Why didn't you tell me?" he asked, heart pounding as the world seemed to spin around him, alarms whirring to life to signal that he was crashing. 

"I tried."

The words came out so small and quiet, it broke something in him. 

"What?" his voice cracked on the word. 

"Right after I found out. I tried calling you and texting, but nothing went through. I even tried reaching out on Facebook, and I was blocked." She spread her hands wide, shrugging.

It hit him then: he had blocked her. Right after he had returned to his squadron and gotten word of their upcoming short deployment. It had been too hard seeing pictures of her pop up on his feed. He wasted hours talking himself out of reaching back out and begging her to at least try long distance with him. He'd blocked her to protect her from any potential weak moments on the carrier. 

"Shit," he breathed out, stepping backwards. His hand going up to his forehead. He missed his curls, something to hold onto to ground him in reality.

"I–" he started before taking another breath and trying again. "Do I need to sign papers or something?" 

"Papers?"' Caro repeated. "For what?" she asked.

He lifted the hand from his head, gesturing to where his—Dalia had disappeared.  "For her."

Understanding dawned on her face as she offered a smile that made him want to scream just to dislodge the emotion caught in his throat, threatening to choke him. She shook her head. "You don't need to do anything."

"I should help. I want to help," he pressed, correcting himself. 

"Mickey," Caro said clearly, sternly. The same way he imagined she spoke to Dalia. "You're fine. Nothing changes just because you know now."

He breathed out a disbelieving, humorless laugh. "Everything changes."

"You're still in the Navy."

He sucked in a breath. Fuck. 

Fuck.

She didn't need to continue. Bringing up the Navy was enough, but she went on anyway, whether because she thought he'd need more explanation or because she wanted him to feel the weight of her world. 

"You're still stationed on the other side of the country. You're still gone in a month. You still have deployments and missions and wars and I don't want that for her." Caro stopped, and he could see the emotion back on the surface. It was everywhere from her eyes to her now slightly slumped shoulders to the desperate edge her voice had taken on. "I'm just trying to do what's best for my daughter here. You see that right?" 

Fanboy's shoulders dropped. "I know," he said. "It's just…I have a daughter, Caro. I want to at least meet her. Even if it's not as her dad." 

Caro was quiet, and he could see the thought turning over in her head. The tinkling bell of the front door opening interrupted her, prompting the pair to turn in tandem to see who was coming back out. Fanboy's breath caught hoping for Dalia to come bounding around the corner. Instead, it was Dr. Lane.

"Caro?" she asked. "I've been sent to inform you that it's been six minutes."

Caro nodded, offering a quick reassuring smile. "I'll be right in." 

Dr. Lane nodded, her eyes falling on Fanboy with a hard, assessing look. She remained standing, just off to the side, resolute. 

This prompted a softer, more genuine smile from Caro. "Can you let her know Jas?" she asked. The other doctor seemed more than a little reluctant to head back inside, disappearing with another sound of the bell.

Caro waited a second more, as if not entirely sure Jas was gone. Finally she faced him again, more relaxed than he'd seen her since he returned to San Diego. "I'll think about it," Caro assured. "Just promise me you won't try to come back here again or try to see her on your own. Please." 

Fanboy nodded, taking a deep breath. "Yeah, I promise."

"I'll text you. Either way, I'll text you, and we'll talk. Deal?" 

A sad half smile crossed his face remembering all of the other deals they'd made. This felt like the worst one by far. 

"Deal," he agreed.  

Caro re-entered the office to find Dalia standing on one of the chairs, peering over the reception  desk. 

"Dalia," she sighed, hand going to her head as her daughter's head whipped around. "No standing on the chairs, remember?" 

"Sorry," Dalia and Jas both apologized and Caro's eyes slid over to the auburn haired woman as her daughter jumped down off the seat.

"I thought you'd have headed back." 

Jas shrugged. "Thought I'd stick around just in case." 

"That's kind of you, but I'm fine," Caro said, heading forward to her daughter, wrapping her arms around the four year old's torso in a swaying hug. 

Jas snorted. "That has got to be the least convincing I'm fine ever." 

"I'm sorry, I didn't know," Kelsey apologized from where she had taken her mother's seat next to Bryson.

Caro shook her head. "You have nothing to apologize for. Thank you for dropping her off." She looked down at the four year old. "And giving her a fun day." 

Kelsey smiled as her parents came down the hall together, Dr. Houten giving his wife the same look he gave patients who came in after complicated car accidents. His eyes found Caro's, and her stomach dropped. 

"Are you ok?" 

"I'm fine. Really," Caro dismissed. "It was just awkward." 

"What was awkward, Mama?" Dalia asked, leaning her head back to peer up at her mother. Caro offered a smile.

"I got a surprise visit from someone I haven't seen in a really long time. And sometimes when you haven't seen someone in a long time, things are awkward."

"Oh." Dalia said, hanging herself forwards on Caro's arms. "Can we go home now?"

Caro nodded. "Let me grab my things from my office, ok?" 

She headed towards the back and Dr. Houten followed her. "Robin filled me in a little on what's going on. If you need to take a few days to sort this out, I can take your patients and we can reschedule the rest–"

"It's fine. Really," Caro said, bending over her desk to pick up her purse. "He won't be back."

He raised an eyebrow.

"He doesn't want to see Dalia?"

Caro looked up at him. "He won't be back here. I just–I need this to keep me busy."

He looked unsure, pressing his lips together before nodding. "Ok. But if it becomes obvious that you need time off, I'm not giving you an option."

"Thanks, Mark," Caro said, shouldering her purse. "Really."

He smiled, looking for a second like he might be tempted to give her a side hug before realizing that'd be even more awkward than a regular one. Instead, he laid a light hand on her back as if ushering her out of her own office. 

Dalia was straddling two chairs when Caro exited the office, her hands wrapped in Jas' for stability. The guilty look on Jas' face killed the reprimand on Caro's tongue, replaced instead with a laugh and shake of her head. 

"Ready?" She asked her daughter. 

Dalia jumped out of the chair, tugging her hands free from Jas'. "Can we get ice cream?"

Caro loved her daughter. 

She was so good. So easy all things considered. She wanted her mother and ice cream and fun, and she didn't need any complications to her life. 

"Hmm," she hummed, squinting in mock-thought. She could practically feel the excitement bubbling off of the four year old. "I don't know…."

"Pleeeeeeease," Dalia begged, skipping forward to wrap her arms around Caro, head tilted up to implore her mother with big eyes.

"Ok," Caro agreed, tapping her daughter's nose. Dalia let out a cheer, releasing Caro and bouncing off towards the door. 

It was entirely possible that more sugar was the last thing Dalia needed, but the girl apparently knew a thing or two about timing her questions. 

"You know," Jas said, sidling up next to Caro. "I like ice cream."

Caro raised an eyebrow as she pressed out the door, waving a hand to the staff remaining behind. "Is that supposed to be a subtle hint that you'd like to join us?"

"To be fair, subtlety is not my strong suit," Jas admitted, walking alongside Caro. "If you'd rather keep it just a mother daughter thing, though, I totally get it."

Caro smiled at her new friend before her eyes darted to her daughter about to hop into the parking lot. "Hand please, Dalia," she called out. The little girl turned and scampered back, taking hold of Cato's outstretched hand. "What do you think?" Caro asked her daughter. "Can Jas join us for ice cream?"

"Yep," Dalia chirped as she skipped next to her mom. Caro looked back at Jas with a smile. 

"You're in."

Next Chapter (Coming Soon)

[khthonyk]

Writing Prompt Day 12: “He had an hour to get home. If he didn’t make it…”

sorry guys, back on my bullshit. I had a bit more time in my break yesterday (I'm off at a work training, so my lunchbreak is an hour rather than the 30 minutes I get at work) so I was able to write a bit more. hope you enjoy

“He had an hour to get home. If he didn’t make it…”

Caro nervously stared up at the time table. The train had already been delayed fifteen minutes and he was beginning to worry. He only had an hour to get home before Tomas got off work. If he didn’t make it—

Shaking his head, he pushed the thought aside. It wouldn’t help to think about it now. Looking up again, he began debating if it would be quicker to just run (it wouldn’t, but he was beginning to grow desperate). Still, the time of arrival didn’t budge.

Chewing his lip, he fidgeted with a loose string on his coat. He continued trying to brainstorm ways home, but having only his keys and his metrocard with him, he was fucked.

Fuck. He really needed to scrounge up some money for a prepaid phone. At least if he had a second phone he could have a chance of figuring out another way home. He almost wished he had brought his phone. But Tomas tracked every step he took through the damned thing. He watched everything he did, everything he looked at. So Caro would slip away, take the train across the city to visit the library any time he needed to use a computer for something he didn’t want the Alpha to see. He was always so careful to be back before Tomas would come home from work. He didn’t know how he had lost track of the time so badly. That combined with the train being delayed had him mentally calculating how much time he had before he was really, truly, royally fucked.

Tomas had explicitly told him he was not to leave the apartment, but he had to slip away. He had created a second email, one the Alpha didn’t know about. He had been using it to keep in contact with Chrysanthos, since Tomas had begun keeping an eye on the communications between the two omegas.

Caro released a silent sigh of relief as the train finally, fucking finally, pulled up. He would be cutting it close, but if he ran the seventeen blocks to the apartment he would just be able to slip in before the Alpha.

The omega made sure to position himself right by the doors to ensure he was able to get off as quickly as possible. It felt like the ride took ages. But finally the train rolled to a stop at his station. He elbowed his way up the subway stairs, earning himself some dirty looks in the process, but it would be worth it.

Unfortunately, crowds were beginning to form along the sidewalks as people began to leave work and head home for the day. It slowed his progress as he had to dodge oncoming traffic, and running seventeen blocks had sounded much easier in his head than in practice, but the sleek grey building eventually came into sight.

Bypassing the lobby, Caro entered through the carpark, best not to be spotted by the doorman or front desk. 

He got lucky, the elevator rose past the lobby without stopping, taking him straight to his floor.

Releasing a breath he didn’t realize he was holding, Caro pulled his keys from his pocket and let himself into the apartment. His relief immediately turned to horror as he found Tomas waiting for him, arms crossed over his chest.

The Alpha’s eyes were cold as he closed the distance between them. Roughly grabbing the brunet by the arm, he pulled him into the apartment, slamming the front door. 

“And just where the fuck have you been? I specifically told you not to leave the apartment, did I not?”

“Tomas, I– I just went out for some air.” Caro held up his hands, placating.

Tomas’ grip on his arm tightened and he pulled the boy in until they were face to face. “Do you think I’m stupid, Caro?” His voice was dangerously calm.

“Of course not. Why would you even think that?”

The man immediately produced the omega’s abandoned phone from his pocket. “I wonder why you would leave this behind. You’re practically glued to it whenever I see you.”

The brunet looked fearfully between the phone and the Alpha. “I–I just went around the block—”

Anger turned to outright fury. “I’ve been waiting for you for over two hours. Would you like to try that again?”

Caro opened and closed his mouth, there was nothing he could say. No lie or excuse he could weave would get him out of this. Dejectedly, he looked to the floor, shoulders slumping. “I’m sorry.”

The man laughed bitterly. “I bet you are. Go wait in the bedroom while I decide how to best address this little ‘misstep’ of yours.”

He knew better than to argue. When the Alpha released his grip, he made a beeline for the bedroom, hoping Tomas would let him off easier if he obeyed.

Shutting the bedroom door, he removed his coat and shoes before sitting down on the bed. The waiting, in his opinion, was worse than whatever punishment the man could come up with. 

After an eternity, he heard footsteps approaching the room. Coming into the bedroom, Tomas shut the door firmly behind him. It seemed he had calmed a bit in the time away (to the omega’s relief).

[iamthecomet]

CHALLENGE!!!! Based on a hc of mine. After Terzo, Secondo, and Primo died Copia didn't have anyone to talk to about the his decisions for the band. (because like hell was he going to talk to Nihil or Sister) so he turns to the oldest member Mountain for advice. They grew close and Mountain couldn't help but fall in love with his adorable Copia and vice versa

Ok, I've been saving this one for when I was feeling in the mood for writing sweet things. My brain wants fluff. So today's the day.

He doesn't know when it happened. When Copia stopped being a helpless fumbling man and turned into a real leader of the church. Mountain can't pinpoint the change in him. It's been slow. Confidence growing in him millimeter by millimeter. When Copia first called Mountain into his office he was distraught. Wearing a path on the hardwood floor as he paced in behind his desk. The light from the stained glassed window casting a kaleidoscope of colors over Copia's white suit. He was frazzled, hair a mess, eyes wide. He looked at Mountain and panic lacing his features. What do I do? Tell me what to do.

And Mountain did his best. He's the oldest ghoul at the Abbey, he's seen this happen over and over again. And everyone else had help, had a predecessor, and a father, to walk them through it. Copia had nothing. Mountain found himself in Copia's office most afternoons between lunch and dinner. Talking him through countless pages of paperwork. Putting a hand on the center of his back when Copia would dissolve into tears.

Mountain gave him something steady to cling to. And Mountain--Mountain fell. Mountain fell for Copia the same way he fell for Aether, for Dewdrop. Hard. All of a sudden. Like the floor tipping out from under him. He watches him rifle through papers, drag his hands through his hair, messing it up even though he has an important meeting later. And Mountain's heart hammers in his chest. He catches Copia looking at him sometimes, when Mountain is reading something to help him, or pretending to nap on the sofa. He sees the way Copia's face goes soft as soon as Mountain walks into the room. It makes something in his stomach clench. "Caro, are you listening?" Mountain's eyes jump to Copia's, he drags his hand over his face and tries to look at the paperwork Copia has just shoved in front of him. Copia's hand is right next to his, their pinky's just barely touching. "I'm sorry, Papa."

"How many times do I have to tell you I'm not Papa yet."

Mountain meets his eyes. "You will be, soon."

Copia's cheeks go a little pink. He's still uncomfortable with the whole idea. Even though it's been the plan since day one. He will lead the church. And he will be good at it. Mountain knows it.

Mountain puts his hand over Copia's and squeezes. "Mountain," Copia's voice has gone breathy. Mountain's stomach flips with butterflies. He can't remember the last time he felt butterflies--the last time he fell this completely. "Do you--I mean do ghoul's ever--with humans--I mean, would you--could you feel--"

Mountain shifts, leaning over the desk and catching Copia's lips on his before he can fumble any further into the question. He doesn't have the right words to answer. Everything he thinks of feels lacking. Paltry. Like the words don't exist in English--or Italian, for that matter. When Mountain pulls away, Copia puts a hand on the back of his neck to keep him close, Mountain tips his forehead against Copia's, mindful, as always, of the horns. "So you do, then?"

"Yes. I do."

[imjustabeanie]

hello!! 🥹 if that's okay, may i get an obey me matchup??? <3

about me: my name is carolina but i mostly go by caro! my pronouns are she/her, i'm afab and demipansexual. i was in one long-term relationship before but it wasn't the best as my previous partner used to treat me really badly, and i defended her for being emotionally abusive like my life depended on it. i'm an ESFP and my ennegram is 8w3!! i'm italian and currently live in italy. i am studying to become a voice actor!

personality: i'm extremely talkative and random, i got told that by how out of context i am i could be a stand-up comedian. i always see the best in people and most of the times end up only seeing that and not the negatives, which lead me to bullying grewing up, but i just don't have it in my blood to be mean towards people. i'm a huge extrovert!

looks: i'm 150cm tall, have a round face, light skin and grey eyes. i have a wolfcut with face framing bangs and dye my hair scarlet red with the lowest layer and a part of my bangs on black! i am extremely into fashion, and am often wearing either "visual-kei" or "jirai-kei" my eyesight is also quite bad, so i wear glasses! specifically iron/silver ones. i also always wear red liptint.

fun facts: i'm a huge nerd (i quote what i remember from reading homestuck in 2020 on a daily basis for the funsies of it.) i speak english, italian and french. i love styling my friends a lot!

likes: fashion, otome games, digital art, just yapping about anything honestly, compliments and complimenting people, SHOPPING, cuddles platonic or not!!

dislike: fake people, wholeheartedly.

love language: my biggest is gifts giving, but i also am a sucker for physical touch and words of affirmation. (in giving!) on recieving anything is fine as long as the person loves me.

ideal type: someone better than my ex (it's really easy.) (SORRY FOR ALL THIS EX SLANDER I AM GETTING OVER IT STILL.) just not being mean to me is enough (jokingly is okay!)

Howdy! I hope you'll like it!

Your obey me match is...Asmo!

Not gonna lie, Levi is a very close match. He just...needs someone very patient with him in relationships given how jealous he can get. But Asmo is a very chill but loving partner.

Now I can understand if you consider Asmo as a little fake. He is but once you get into his inner circle he shows his true self. You just have to show that you accept all his sides, even the uggly ones. Also come on besides the twins, Simeon and perhaps Solomon all brothers have another side. It comes with the package.

Asmo likes your humor, he encourages your career and would glady promote it if you asked. Even if it's not his field he'd be happy to help his lover. Asmo shows his love by being appreciative of you and quality time. He's very touchy, loves complimenting you and takes you on nearly daily dates! He includes you in all aspects of his life. One of his favorite things is going shopping with you and doing self care routines/makeup together. He's for the cameras, if you have an issue with it warn him so he can arrange the situation. He'd never force you to anything, consent is the best beauty out there.

Asmo always stand up for you,his lovely nerdy lover. If anyone dared to bully you and he knew of it? (he'll know). You can be sure their social life is gone. It's messed up to bully, especially with someone as positive as you. Seeing the best in everyone is a lovely quality that he adores about you. He'll be mean for you don't worry. Especially to your ex.

Asmo definitely speaks italian and french. Vu ce qu'il représente et son âge c'est normal de parler plusieurs langues. Tout le monde dans OM sont dans le même panier. Asmo is also a sucker for your gifts and cuddles! He doesn't get jealous too so you can cuddle everyone peacefully. He always parades your gifts and makes sure to properly thanks you for em. It's good that you like physical touch and words of affirmation cuz that's exactly his love language.

[perplexedflower]

Debito Fluff Alphabet - [N]icknames

Fandom: La storia della Arcana Famiglia.

Category: F/M.

Relationship: Debito x Female Reader.

Type: Fluff Alphabet.

N) Nicknames: What he calls you.

~~~~~~~~~~

Since you and Debito have gotten together, he has not once called you by your name when addressing you, preferring to use only pet names. One of the nicknames he most often uses is "Bambina", which means "little girl" in Italian; and although you love to hear him use this pet name when he addresses you, it always leaves you somewhat shameful, deep down. This nickname was originally the one he used for Felicità, for a long time, but that was before you came along. When you first met Debito and started growing closer to him, you happened to hear him call her this way often, and as your feelings for him developed, you couldn't help but wish he would call you the same way; eventually, after the two of you learned to know each other better, he realized you took a liking to hear him use it on Felicità, and so he decided to stop doing so to instead use it for you, and you only. Despite not being a child, unlike Felicità, hearing him whisper it against your skin always works its magic and you, and you never grow tired of it. Aside from "Bambina", the second pet name he uses for you is "amore" or sometimes "amore mio", which translates to "love" or "my love". You simply melt every time he sensually speaks words of Italian to you, especially when it is to call you affectionate nicknames; others include "cuoricino", meaning "little heart" and "amorino", meaning "little love", though Debito uses them only occasionally. He will sometimes call you more standard, classic pet names, such as "love" and "darling", but will avoid falling into the clichés whenever he can, as he always likes to spice up the ways he can call you. Debito will sometimes try to come up with new names to give you, to prevent you from growing bored of one, repetitive routine, and to make sure he is always full of surprises. You admire all the efforts he makes to keep every aspect of your relationship fresh, including the ways he can communicate his love to you.

Mini Scene

I sat down on the marble fountain and looked up: although it was only evening, the sky was already of a deep blue and decorated with countless shining stars. I set my hands beside my thighs as I closed my eyes, letting my soul be rocked back and forth by the lulling sound of the flowing water behind me, and a yawn slipped through my lips.

"Long day, amore?"

I opened my eyes upon hearing Debito's voice and a warm smile appeared on my face as I watched him make his way to me. Once standing in front of me, he slowly leaned in and held my face with one hand, after which he left a loving kiss on my lips.

"Sorry I'm late, Principessa, I had something to deal with at the casino at the last minute." He apologized as he sat next to me.

"It's okay... darling. I just got here, so you didn't make me wait at all."

Something in the way I spoke did not sound right, and Debito could tell: without a word, he turned to me, and without a word, he asked me to tell him what was on my mind.

"You know..." I started, awkwardly. "You're going to say this is ridiculous, but I always think my 'darlings' sound underwhelming, in comparison to all the varied pet names you give me..."

He smiled at me, a soft and kind smile, before he started passing a hand up and down my back.

"Are there any nicknames you'd like me to give you?" I promptly asked him while I turned to look at him in the eye.

"Not that I can think of." He answered with a light shrug, still smiling.

"Maybe I could use 'mio amato'? Or 'tesoro'?" I continued, focused on my train of thought. "... Oh, actually, what would suit you best would be 'caro', or better, even, 'carissimo'."

Debito presented one of his hands to me to make me stop talking as he chuckled at my uninterrupted list.

"No need for all of that, love." He said as he moved his hand under my chin and left it to rest there as he stared at me with passion. "Nicknames mean little to me, what I like to hear the most from your voice is when it says my name."