#there are a lot of interesting things going on here

[piratecaptainscaptainpirates]

This thing popped off way too much for a poll I was expecting ten mutuals to answer. Interesting things so far now this poll has over ten thousand votes

The two most popular options, by FAR, being on opposite ends of the spectrum

Despite this, the people who are picking the "don't even need to be in the same media" option make up almost every notification I'm getting

without fail, everyone in the notes who is saying that I'm a "sweet summer child" who wasn't around for real crackshipping is at least seven years younger than me

many people are answering this as if it's asking "what's the weirdest ship you've ever seen" despite me going to lengths to avoid that in my phrasing of the question

many more people are getting pissed off at me for "policing" ships or are arguing that "everyone should be allowed to ship what they want" even though I did my best to make the language here as neutral as possible, clarified that I anticipated to hold a minority position, and did not bring up morality even at all. many others are getting annoyed with me for the philosophy of the question itself. as i'm sure you can imagine these notifications have been fun to read

lots of people make a very firm distinction between characterization and canon; I would argue that characterization is a part of canon but I might be spoiled here because I like shows that are good and I know many others do not have that luxury

Hey, I wanna talk about how we do fandom! I've come to realize that I, personally, tend to differ from many others in that I highly prefer to only engage with a text as it's written, so I don't tend to really like fanon/extremely ooc characterizations and I find it hard to get invested in ships that aren't canon. My way of doing fandom isn't better or worse than anyone else's, but I am curious about how much of a minority I'm in! So:

*We've all seen ships of characters not from the same media and stuff like shipping the concept of ennui with the color blue, okay, I'm asking what you, personally, find compelling!

[gwens-love]

Haunted

Summary: When ghost Agatha Harkness starts haunting you, fear turns to fascination. As her playful charm captivates you, the line between life and death blurs, igniting an unexpected connection.

Warnings: romance and fluff (even though they’re not really warnings)

Word count: 3.4k

~ghost!Agatha Harkness x reader~

Please don’t copy/steal or translate this work thanks.

~<~>~<~>~<~>~<~>~<~>~<~>~<~>~<~>~<~>~<~>~

It all starts one night as you’re falling asleep. You’ve barely closed your eyes when you feel a presence cold and lingering, like someone’s standing at the foot of your bed, just… watching. You sit up, scanning the room, your heart pounding.

There’s no one there.

With a shaky breath, you settle back under the covers, convincing yourself it was just your imagination. But then, just as you’re drifting off again, you hear it. A voice, low and amused.

“Well, aren’t you a pretty little thing?”

You sit up again, heart racing. “Who… who’s there?”

Silence. You can almost hear your own pulse pounding in your ears as you look around. Shadows stretch across the walls, and the room feels colder, but nothing’s out of place. You let out a long, shaky breath. Maybe you’re just hearing things.

“Not going to say hello?” The voice is closer now, low and rich, with a teasing edge. You whip around, looking everywhere, but there’s no one.

“I..I don’t know who you are or how you got in here, but this isn’t funny,” you stammer, trying to sound braver than you feel.

A soft chuckle floats through the room, followed by a faint shimmer of purple light in the corner. It takes form a woman with light, wavy hair, a wicked smile playing on her lips. She’s… floating, her body flickering faintly like a candle flame.

“What?” You scramble back, pressing yourself against the headboard. “Who are you? What are you?”

She sighs, a little mockingly, as if she’s disappointed. “Well I’m Agatha Harkness dear, don’t you know me? I was quite famous in some places.” She tilts her head, looking you over slowly. “And you, darling, are in my new favorite one to haunt.”

Your breath catches, panic rising. “Haunt? So… you’re a ghost?”

She grins, clearly entertained by your reaction. “Sharp, aren’t you?” She leans in closer, eyes gleaming. “Most people would be thrilled to have my attention, you know.”

You swallow, trying to keep your voice steady. “Well, I’m not most people. So, if you’re done scaring me half to death… could you leave?”

She places a hand on her chest, feigning offense. “Scaring you? Darling, if I wanted to scare you, I’d be doing a lot more than this.”

“Why are you even here?” you demand, gripping the blanket tightly as if it’ll somehow protect you.

“Why?” she echoes, arching an eyebrow. Her smile is playful, and she crosses her arms, taking her time before answering. “Because, my dear, it’s entertaining.” Her gaze trails over you, and you feel your skin prickle under her stare. “And you’re far too cute when you’re flustered.”

You open your mouth to protest, but she just laughs, her form fading until all that’s left is her laughter, echoing softly in the room.

~<~>~<~>~<~>~

The next night, you’re hoping that yesterday was a one time thing. You even go to bed early, thinking if you fall asleep fast, she might leave you alone. But, just as you’re slipping into a dream, you feel that cold presence again. You crack an eye open, and there she is, perched on the edge of your bed, studying you like you’re the most interesting thing in the world.

You jolt up, almost bumping into her. “You’re back?”

She smirks, propping her chin up on her hand. “Oh, did you miss me?”

“No! I was hoping you’d be gone!” you exclaim, exasperated.

She laughs, as if this is the most amusing thing she’s heard all night. “Oh, darling, I’m afraid you’re stuck with me for the foreseeable future. But don’t worry.” She leans in, her voice dropping to a whisper. “I’ll try to make it worth your while.”

You stare at her, half in shock, half in frustration. “Look, I don’t know what you want, but I have work in the morning, and I need to sleep, so if you could just…”

She holds up a finger, silencing you. “Work? Oh, you poor thing. Haunted and working the nine-to-five grind.” She lets out a dramatic sigh. “Fine, fine. I promise I’ll leave you alone… for now.”

With a wink, she vanishes, leaving you feeling both relieved and somehow… disappointed.

~<~>~<~>~<~>~

She doesn’t make good on her promise for long.

The following evening, just as you’re settling onto the couch with a book, she appears again, sitting on the arm of the couch, her eyes fixed on you.

“Can’t say I’m surprised,” she remarks, glancing at the book in your hands. “You look like the type to be nose deep in a novel.”

You sigh, closing the book and looking up at her. “Can you stop doing that?”

She raises an eyebrow. “Doing what?”

“Appearing out of nowhere! And making fun of me!” you snap, though it’s hard to keep your voice steady.

She laughs, a rich, low sound that sends a shiver down your spine. “Oh, sweetheart, I’m not here to make fun of you. I’m here because you’re… fascinating.” She watches your reaction closely, clearly amused by how flustered you’re getting. “And the way you get all worked up over my visits? Adorable.”

You bury your face in your hands. “Please, just… go haunt someone else. I’m begging you.”

She smirks, leaning closer until you can feel the chill radiating from her. “Now, why would I want to do that? You’re so much more fun.”

The nights pass, and Agatha’s visits become a routine. No matter how you try to ignore her or ask her to leave, she always reappears, finding new ways to tease you.

~<~>~<~>~<~>~

One evening, as you’re brushing your teeth, you glance in the mirror and nearly jump out of your skin. Agatha is standing behind you, her face inches from yours.

“Really?” you exclaim, spitting out toothpaste in surprise. “You couldn’t give me a moment of privacy?”

She shrugs, completely unfazed. “I just wanted to see you again.” Her gaze lingers a little too long, and you feel a blush rising to your cheeks. “I must say, you get lovelier every night.”

You roll your eyes, trying not to let her see how flustered you are. “Great. So you’re haunting me because you think I’m… cute?”

“Adorable,” she corrects, smirking. “Don’t sell yourself short.”

You stare at her, unsure whether to be angry or embarrassed. “Well… could you haunt someone else?”

She chuckles, her fingers grazing your arm, sending a chill through your skin. “Oh, but darling, that wouldn’t be half as fun.” She leans closer, her voice a low purr. “Besides, I think you’re starting to enjoy my company.”

You sputter, nearly dropping your toothbrush. “I-what? No!”

She grins, clearly satisfied with your reaction. “We’ll see about that.”

And, like every night, she vanishes just as quickly as she came, leaving you alone with your racing heart and the unmistakable feeling that, despite yourself, part of you is actually looking forward to her next visit.

~<~>~<~>~<~>~

You thought the hauntings would stay confined to the nights, but it turns out Agatha has other plans.

The next day, you’re at work, trying to focus on an email, when your computer screen flickers. You frown, wiggling your mouse and glancing around to see if anyone else’s computer is acting up. Just as you’re about to get back to typing, you catch a glimpse of her reflection in the monitor.

“Miss me?” her voice murmurs, smooth and amused.

You jump in your seat, glancing around the empty office, panic rising in your chest. “What… how did you even get here?”

Agatha leans in closer, her reflection on the screen looking far too smug for your liking. “Ghost, darling. We tend to ignore things like… ‘boundaries.’”

You swallow hard, your face heating up. “I’m at work. I have, you know… things to do.”

Her chuckle echoes softly, and you realize with growing dread that it’s coming from inside your computer. “Oh, I can see that. Fascinating stuff.” She sounds genuinely bored, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “And here I was, thinking you’d have a little more excitement in your life.”

“Excitement? Because a ghost decided to haunt me?” you hiss, keeping your voice low so no one passing by overhears.

Her voice is playful, a low murmur just for you. “Come now, I thought you might enjoy a little company.”

You glance around, hoping no one notices you speaking to what looks like an empty monitor. “I didn’t exactly ask for company.”

“Oh, sweetheart,” she coos, “you’re fun to haunt, and I don’t haunt just anyone.” Her eyes flash with a mischievous gleam. “There’s something about you… something irresistibly adorable.”

You stammer, face turning bright red. “I—please, just… can we not do this here?”

But she only laughs softly, her image flickering on the screen until she’s gone, leaving you embarrassed and flustered. You glance around, hoping no one saw your conversation with, well, thin air.

The rest of the day, you’re jumpy, glancing over your shoulder every few minutes, but Agatha doesn’t show up again. By the time you’re heading home, you’re convinced she’s done… at least for now.

But she’s not done. Not even close.

~<~>~<~>~<~>~

Later that afternoon, as you’re sorting through laundry in your bedroom, you feel that chill again. You freeze, already bracing yourself for what’s coming.

Sure enough, she appears, lounging on top of your dresser, her gaze fixed on you with a gleam of amusement. “Laundry day, is it? Thrilling.”

You roll your eyes, tossing a shirt onto the pile. “Do you just have to comment on everything I do?”

“Oh, but darling, where’s the fun in keeping quiet?” She crosses her legs, watching you with a catlike curiosity. “Besides, I don’t see you telling me to leave this time.”

You throw a sock into the laundry basket with a little too much force. “If I thought you’d listen, I would.”

Agatha laughs, hopping down from the dresser to stand in front of you. “Maybe you don’t want me to leave.” She reaches out, her cold fingers brushing your cheek in an almost affectionate gesture. “Maybe you’re enjoying this little game more than you’d admit.”

Your face heats up instantly. “I—no. That’s… I don’t want to be haunted!”

“Hmm.” She taps a finger to her lips, smirking. “Could’ve fooled me.”

You take a deep breath, trying to steady your nerves. “Can you please just give me a break?”

She tilts her head, studying you with that unreadable expression. “Fine. I’ll give you the rest of the day. But don’t think you’re getting rid of me that easily, darling.”

And with that, she vanishes, leaving you flustered and very much rattled.

But that “break” lasts exactly one afternoon.

~<~>~<~>~<~>~

The next day, while you’re getting coffee at a little shop near your office, you reach for a cup only to feel a chill sweep over you, accompanied by her familiar voice.

“Careful, darling,” she murmurs, as if she’s standing right beside you. “That coffee looks hot.”

You nearly jump, sloshing a bit of coffee onto your hand in surprise. You glance around, your pulse quickening as you realize she’s somehow made herself visible in the reflective surface of the coffee machine.

“Seriously?” you whisper, trying to sound angry but only managing to look utterly bewildered.

She grins at you through the reflection, looking thoroughly pleased with herself. “Well, I couldn’t just stay away all day. I’ve missed you.” She sounds almost sincere, but her eyes are glinting with mischief.

You roll your eyes, stepping away from the coffee machine in the hopes that moving might make her go away. “This is getting out of hand. People are going to think I’m talking to myself!”

“Maybe,” she says, her voice echoing just beside your ear as if she’s standing right behind you. “But maybe they’ll just think you’re a little eccentric.” She leans in, her voice a low purr. “And I like that about you.”

You grit your teeth, your cheeks heating up. “Well, I don’t.”

She chuckles, clearly amused. “You’ll get used to it, darling. Just you wait.” And with that, her voice fades, leaving you standing there with your coffee, trying to ignore the weird looks from the barista behind the counter.

By the time you get back to your desk, you’re convinced she’s gone again, and maybe just maybe you’ll get a moment of peace.

~<~>~<~>~<~>~

That evening, as you’re finally relaxing on your couch, watching a movie and trying to unwind, there’s a familiar cold chill. You don’t even need to look to know she’s there.

Sure enough, Agatha materializes beside you, draping herself across the back of the couch, her head propped up on her hand as she watches you with that sly, knowing smile. “Watching a movie, are we?”

You groan, pressing your hands over your face. “Oh my god, you don’t have to comment on everything I do!”

She laughs, unabashed, and leans closer. “But where’s the fun in that?” She glances at the screen, raising an eyebrow. “Romantic comedy? How… sweet.”

You groan again, throwing a pillow at her, but it goes right through her and lands on the floor.

She smirks, clearly pleased with herself. “Nice try, darling. But I don’t think you’re getting rid of me that easily.”

You sigh, flopping back against the couch in resignation. “Are you ever going to stop?”

Her expression softens, just a little, as she tilts her head, studying you. “Why would I, when you’re so… entertaining?”

Despite yourself, you feel your cheeks warm again. “I’m not here to be your entertainment.”

She chuckles, leaning close enough that you can feel the faint chill of her presence. “Oh, darling, you’re so much more than that. But if it makes you feel better, I’ll try to be… gentler.”

You stare at her, unsure if she’s joking or if this is her version of an apology. Before you can ask, she smirks and vanishes once more, leaving you alone on the couch with a racing heart and an undeniable anticipation that, like it or not, you’ll see her again tomorrow.

And, even more confusingly… you don’t exactly mind.

~<~>~<~>~<~>~

The nightly visits continue, and despite your best efforts, you find yourself… adapting. At first, you still jump whenever she appears, but over time, your reactions soften. Agatha’s hauntings, once intrusive and nerve wracking, start to feel almost like part of your routine.

One night, you’re curled up with a book, trying to ignore the flickering of the overhead light that signals her arrival. Sure enough, Agatha materializes beside you, leaning back against your headboard with that familiar, teasing smirk.

“Back in bed with another book?” she asks, eyebrow quirked. Her gaze slides to the cover, and she feigns a shocked expression. “Romance? I wouldn’t have guessed.”

You roll your eyes, a smile tugging at your lips. “I like it, okay? And it’s… relaxing.”

She laughs, the sound rich and surprisingly warm. “I’m sure it is. Though I’d think you’d have all the excitement you need, with your very own ghost lover dropping in.”

Your face heats up instantly. “You’re not my… ghost lover!”

“Oh?” She’s amused, but there’s something softer in her expression as she tilts her head, studying you. “Well, I suppose I’ll just have to haunt my way into your heart then.”

You try to act exasperated, but her playful flirting has started to get to you. There’s something intoxicating about the way she hovers just close enough for you to feel her presence, but far enough that you can only imagine what it would be like to reach out, to touch her.

Each night, her teasing becomes gentler, more thoughtful. Sometimes, she doesn’t even try to scare you. She’ll sit on the edge of your bed while you talk about your day, or she’ll hover nearby as you work, making little comments that keep you entertained. It’s… oddly comforting.

And somewhere along the way, the lines blur. You find yourself looking forward to her appearances, to that flutter of excitement that fills you whenever you sense she’s near. You start to notice things about her, too—the way her laughter has a warmth to it, or how, sometimes, she looks at you with a strange softness in her eyes, like she’s truly seeing you for the first time.

~<~>~<~>~<~>~

One evening, she shows up while you’re cooking, and you’re no longer startled by her arrival. Instead, you simply smile, lifting an eyebrow.

“Hungry?” you tease.

She grins, crossing her arms as she watches you move about the kitchen. “You do realize I can’t eat, right?”

You shrug. “Doesn’t mean you can’t keep me company.”

Her smirk softens, and for a moment, her gaze lingers on you in a way that makes your heart flutter. She steps closer, just near enough that the air around you cools.

“Well, if you insist,” she murmurs, her voice low and warm. “You might be the first living person who wants me around.”

You laugh, stirring the pot on the stove. “Maybe you’re just growing on me.”

She falls silent, and when you glance over, there’s a vulnerability in her expression you haven’t seen before. “You know,” she begins, her voice uncharacteristically soft, “most people would have banished me by now. Or called a priest.”

You look at her, really look at her, and suddenly you realize just how lonely she must be stuck between worlds, visiting people who never wanted her there. The thought tugs at your heart.

“Well, I guess I’m not most people,” you say softly.

She smiles, a real smile, and it’s enough to make your heart skip a beat.

~<~>~<~>~<~>~

As the weeks go by, you notice the way Agatha lingers a little longer each night. She becomes less of a ghostly presence and more… familiar, almost comforting. You find yourself drawn to her, to her quick wit and the way she seems to know exactly how to make you laugh. You wonder if maybe she feels it too—the strange pull between you, like an invisible thread connecting you both.

One evening, as you’re getting ready for bed, she appears by your side, watching you with a softer, almost hesitant expression.

“What?” you ask, feeling oddly self-conscious under her gaze.

She shrugs, looking away as if she’s embarrassed. “Nothing. Just… you look nice.”

Your face warms, and you duck your head. “Thank you.”

There’s a silence, and you sense she wants to say something else. When you look up, her eyes are fixed on you, serious in a way that makes your breath catch.

“Why aren’t you afraid of me anymore?” she asks, her voice barely above a whisper.

You pause, searching for the right words. “Because… I know you now. You’re not just some ghost haunting me. You’re… you’re Agatha.” The words come out more tenderly than you intended, and you see something shift in her eyes, a softness that makes your heart race.

Slowly, she steps closer, her hand lifting as if she wants to reach for you. But she stops, hovering inches away, her gaze locked on yours. “You… shouldn’t look at me like that,” she murmurs, almost to herself.

You swallow hard, the air between you electric. “Why not?”

“Because,” she says, her voice trembling slightly, “if I were still alive, I’d kiss you right now.”

The words hang in the air, and for a moment, all you can do is stare at her, your heart pounding. Part of you knows it’s impossible, knows she’s a ghost and that you’re separated by a barrier that can’t be crossed. But another part of you—a braver, more reckless part—leans in, letting the cold of her presence wash over you, wishing for just a moment that you could close the distance.

“I think…” you whisper, barely able to get the words out, “I’d let you.”

Agatha’s eyes widen, surprise flickering across her face. For a second, you see a glimmer of regret there, of longing for something she knows she can never have. And in that moment, you realize you’re falling in love with her despite everything, despite the impossible chasm between you, you’ve fallen for her.

She draws back, her face sad but softened with a gentleness you’ve never seen before. “You really are one of a kind,” she murmurs, more to herself than to you.

~<~>~<~>~<~>~

The next few days, she visits you less frequently, almost as if she’s afraid of getting too close. You miss her, that electric energy that always filled the air when she was near. But then, just as you’re starting to wonder if she’s gone for good, she appears again, standing by your bed in the middle of the night, her expression determined.

“You’re not getting rid of me that easily,” she says, her voice laced with her usual bravado, though her eyes hold a vulnerability you hadn’t seen before.

You sit up, your heart pounding. “I wouldn’t want to.”

She sighs, taking a shaky step toward you. “You’re not making this easy, you know that?”

You smile, feeling that familiar warmth spreading through your chest. “Maybe I don’t want to make it easy.”

A ghost of a smile touches her lips as she gazes at you. “Then I guess we’ll just have to find a way to make this work, won’t we?”

And with that, she reaches out, her hand hovering just inches from yours, as if she’s daring herself to bridge the impossible divide. And though you can’t touch, you both feel it the unmistakable connection, the shared longing.

Somehow, it’s enough.

~<~>~<~>~<~>~<~>~<~>~<~>~<~>~<~>~<~>~<~>~

Fin <3

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Bluesky and enshittification

NEXT WEEKEND (November 8-10), I'll be in TUCSON, AZ: I'm the GUEST OF HONOR at the TUSCON SCIENCE FICTION CONVENTION.

I would like to use Bluesky. They've done a bunch of seriously interesting technical work on moderation and ranking that I truly admire, and I've got lots of friends there who really enjoy it.

But I'm not on Bluesky and I don't have any plans to join it anytime soon. I wrote about this in 2023: I will never again devote my energies to building up an audience on a platform whose management can sever my relationship to that audience at will:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/08/06/fool-me-twice-we-dont-get-fooled-again/

When a platform can hold the people you care about or rely upon hostage – when it can credibly threaten you with disconnection and exile – that platform can abuse you in lots of ways without losing your business. In other words, they can enshittify their service:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/08/17/hack-the-planet/#how-about-a-nice-game-of-chess

I appreciate that the CEO of Bluesky, Jay Graber, has evinced her sincere intention never to enshittify Bluesky and I believe she is totally sincere:

https://www.wired.com/story/bluesky-ceo-jay-graber-wont-enshittify-ads/

But here's the thing: all those other platforms, the ones where I unwisely allowed myself to get locked in, where today I find myself trapped by the professional, personal and political costs of leaving them, they were all started by people who swore they'd never sell out. I know those people, the old blogger mafia who started the CMSes, social media services, and publishing platforms where I find myself trapped. I considered they friends (I still consider most of them friends), and I knew them well enough to believe that they really cared about their users.

They did care about their users. They just cared about other stuff, too, and, when push came to shove, they chose the worsening of their services as the lesser of two evils.

Like: when your service is on the brink of being shut down by its investors, who demand that you compromise on privacy, or integrity, or quality, in some relatively small way, are you really going to stand on principle? What about all the users who won't be harmed by the compromise, but will have their communities and online lives shattered if you shut down the company? What about all the workers who trusted you, whose family finances will be critically imperilled if you don't compromise, just a little. What about the "ecosystem" partners who've bet on your service, building plug-ins, add-ons and services that make your product better? What about their employees and their employees' families?

Maybe you tell yourself, "If I do this, I'll live to fight another day. I can only make the service better for its users if the service still exists." Of course you tell yourself that.

I have watched virtually every service I relied on, gave my time and attention to, and trusted, go through this process. It happened with services run by people I knew well and thought highly of.

Enshittification can be thought of as the result of a lack of consequences. Whether you are tempted by greed or pressured by people who have lower ethics than you, the more it costs to compromise, the fewer compromises you'll make.

In other words, to resist enshittification, you have to impose switching costs on yourself.

That's where federation comes in. On Mastodon (and other services based on Activitypub), you can easily leave one server and go to another, and everyone you follow and everyone who follows you will move over to the new server. If the person who runs your server turns out to be imperfect in a way that you can't endure, you can find another server, spend five minutes moving your account over, and you're back up and running on the new server:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/03/04/pick-all-three/#agonism

Any system where users can leave without pain is a system whose owners have high switching costs and whose users have none. An owner who makes a bad call – like removing the block function say, or opting every user into AI training – will lose a lot of users. Not just those users who price these downgrades highly enough that they outweigh the costs of leaving the service. If leaving the service is free, then tormenting your users in this way will visit in swift and devastating pain upon you.

That not only helps you steer clear of rationalizing your way into a bad compromise: it also stops your investors and other people with leverage over you from pressuring you into taking actions that harm your users. These devils only sit on your shoulder, whispering temptations and threats, because they think that you can make things worse without spoiling their investment. They're not cruel, they're greedy. They will only insist on enshittification that they believe they can profit from. If they understand that forcing you to enshittify the service will send all your users packing and leave them with nothing, they will very likely not force you to wreck your service.

And of course, if they are so greedy that they force your hand anyway, then your users will be able to escape. Your service will be wrecked and you'll be broke, which sucks for you, but you're just one person and your pain is vastly outweighed by the relief for the millions of people who escape your service when it goes sour.

There's a name for this dynamic, from the world of behavioral economics. It's called a "Ulysses Pact." It's named for the ancient hacker Ulysses, who ignored the normal protocol for sailing through the sirens' sea. While normie sailors resisted the sirens' song by filling their ears with wax, Ulysses instead had himself lashed to the mast, so that he could hear the sirens' song, but could not be tempted into leaping into the sea, to be drowned by the sirens.

Whenever you take a measure during a moment of strength that guards against your own future self's weakness, you enter into a Ulysses Pact – think throwing away the Oreos when you start your diet.

There is no such thing as a person who is immune to rationalization or pressure. I'm certainly not. Anyone who believes that they will never be tempted is a danger to themselves and the people who rely on them. A belief you can never be tempted or coerced is like a belief that you can never be conned – it makes you more of a mark, not less.

Bluesky has many federated features that I find technically admirable. I only know the CEO there slightly, but I have nothing but good opinions of her. At least one of the board members there, Mike Masnick, is one of my oldest friends and comrades in the fights for user rights. We don't agree on everything, but I trust him implicitly and would happily give him the keys to my house if he needed a place to stay or even the password for my computer before I had major surgery.

But even the best boards can make bad calls. It was just a couple years ago that we had to picket to stop the board of ISOC – where I had several dear old friends and comrades – from selling control of every .ORG domain to a shadowy hedge-fund run by mustache-twirling evil billionaires:

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2020/12/how-we-saved-org-2020-review

Bluesky lacks the one federated feature that is absolutely necessary for me to trust it: the ability to leave Bluesky and go to another host and continue to talk to the people I've entered into community with there. While there are many independently maintained servers that provide services to Bluesky and its users, there is only one Bluesky server. A federation of multiple servers, each a peer to the other, has been on Bluesky's roadmap for as long as I've been following it, but they haven't (yet) delivered it.

That was worrying when Bluesky was a scrappy, bootstrapped startup with a few million users. Now it has grown to over 13 million users, and it has taken on a large tranche of outside capital:

https://fediversereport.com/on-bluesky-and-enshittification/

Plenty of people have commented that now that a VC is holding Bluesky's purse-strings, enshittification will surely follow (doubly so because the VC is called "Blockchain Capital," which, at this point, might as well be "Grifty Scam Caveat Emptor Capital"). But I don't agree with this at all. It's not outside capital that leads to enshittification, it's leverage that enshittifies a service.

A VC that understands that they can force you to wreck your users' lives is always in danger of doing so. A VC who understands that doing this will make your service into an empty – and thus worthless – server is far less likely to do so (and if they do, at least your users can escape).

My publishing process is a lot of work and adding another service to it represents a huge amount of future labor:

https://pluralistic.net/2021/01/13/two-decades/#hfbd

But I would leap into Bluesky and gladly taken on all that extra work, every day – if I knew that I couldn't get trapped there.

I don't know why Bluesky hasn't added the federation systems that would enable freedom of exit to its service. Perhaps there are excellent technical reasons to prioritize rolling out the other systems they've created so far. Frankly, it doesn't matter. So long as Bluesky can be a trap, I won't let myself be tempted. My rule – I don't join a service that I can't leave without switching costs – is my Ulysses Pact, and it's keeping me safe from danger I've sailed into too many times before.

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/11/02/ulysses-pacts/#tie-yourself-to-a-federated-mast

[hometoursandotherstuff]

This 1960 mid-century modern in Morro Bay, CA has seen some things. It was the backdrop for adult films in the 1980-1990s, so it's got an interesting history. 3bds, 3ba, 1,369 sq ft, $990k.

Look at how attractive it is outside. This is cute.

The living room has a unique 2 step platform for the wood stove. I like the shade of green they chose.

In the corner, there's a cute little built-in counter, plus room for a dining table. Architectural features include high, cut-out ceilings with windows and skylights.

Love the kitchen colors. Lots of natural light, vaulted wood ceiling, lovely blue tile and that tree really makes it pop.

Nice guest powder room has a sink that matches the kitchen.

Bedroom with a vaulted ceiling.

And, this bedroom has a ladder going thru an opening in the ceiling that leads to a loft. That's a unique architectural feature.

The primary bedroom has a skylight, thick beams with pot lights, a garden window, and a large en-suite.

The bath has the same blue mosaics that match the kitchen, plus a sunken tub and a rock wall.

Some round MCM sinks with gold swan faucets that are 'in" right now.

Lattice covered patio includes an outdoor kitchen with blue mosaics.

Stairs go up to a gate that opens to a lovely roof top deck. Look at the view.

It's so nice up here.

And, there's a little outdoor laundry area.

This unique house really stands out in the neighborhood. It's not far from the ocean, either. 2,400 sq ft lot

[jediplinth]

This is going to sound like self-aggrandizing, but I want all of my dozen followers to know that it's not.

When I was in 4th grade, we did a history unit that covered the notion of "Renaissance Men" (forgive the sexism, it was a very long time ago) and there was something about that really stuck with me. Although at the age of 10 I didn't have the language for it, I made it my goal to know more than a little about a lot of things and a great deal about several things.

And generally speaking, I reached that goal. Part of knowing more than a little about a subject is to know the essential questions that are part of that subject matter and that allows you to have common ground in a conversation.

But there are some things that have happened in life that were partly coincidence and partly the essential question thing. Here are a few examples - when I met my then-girlfriend-now-spouse's parents, her father had just gotten involved with the masons and had gone down the rabbit hole of the Templars etc. I had a long conversation with him about all of that and later on he was speaking to his daughter and said, "wow! JediPlinth is really interested in the history of the Templars!" and she had to break his heart saying that, no he actually doesn't. He was just being polite.

Another time, I was in an appointment with a GI doc of mine who had been out for a couple of months and I didn't know why. And when I saw him, I took a hard look and said, "hey - I hate to pry, but you have Bell's Palsy, don't you." And his jaw dropped open and he looked at my chart real quick and said, "wait, you're a software engineer. How did you know that?"

I'm pretty sure that some of the 5 people who read this are going to think, "Sounds like autism or ADHD." and no - I don't score particularly high in either when I've done self-tests. I just like to learn things and my recall is very good. Plus I tend to be an introvert and this party trick is a way to engage with people.

One of the most bizarrely cool people I’ve ever met was an oral surgeon who treated me after a ridiculous accident (that’s another story), Dr. Z.

Dr. Z. was, easily, the best and most competent doctor or dentist I’ve ever encountered – and after that accident, I encountered quite a number. He came stunningly highly recommended, had an excellent record, and the most calming bedside manner I’ve ever seen.

That last wasn’t the sweet gentle caretaking sort of manner, which some nurses have but you wouldn’t expect to see in a surgeon. No; when Dr. Z. told me that one of my broken molars was too badly damaged to save, and I (being seventeen and still moderately in shock) broke down crying, he stared at me incredulously and said, in a tone of utter bemusement, “But – I am very good.”

I stopped crying on the spot. In the last twenty-four hours or so of one doctor after another, no one had said anything that reassuring to me. He clearly just knew his own competence so well that the idea of someone being scared anyway was literally incomprehensible to him. What more could I possibly ask for?

(He was right. The procedure was very extended, because the tooth that needed to be removed was in bits, but there was zero pain at any point. And, as he promised, my teeth were so close together that they shifted to fill the gap to where there genuinely is none anymore, it’s just a little easier to floss on that side.)

But Dr. Z.’s insane competence wasn’t just limited to oral surgery.

When I met Dr. Z., he, like most doctors I’ve had, asked me if I was in college, and where, and what I was studying. When I say “math,” most doctors respond with “oh, wow, good for you” or possibly “what do you want to do with that after college?”

Dr. Z. wanted to know what kind of math.

I gave him the thirty-second layman’s summary that I give people who are foolish enough to ask that. He responded with “oh, you mean–” and the correct technical terms. I confirmed that was indeed what I meant (and keep in mind, this was upper-division college math, you don’t take this unless you’re a math major). He asked cogent follow-up questions, and there ensued ten or so minutes of what I’d call “small talk” except for how it was an intensely technical mathematical discussion.

He didn’t, as far as I can tell, have any kind of formal math background. He just … knew stuff.

I was a competitive fencer at this point in time, so when he asked if I had any questions about the surgery that would be necessary, I asked him if I’d be okay to fence while I had my jaw wired shut, or if it would interfere with breathing.

“Fencing?” he said.

“Yes,” I said, “like swordfighting,” because this is another conversation I got to have a lot. (People assume they’ve misheard you, or occasionally they think you mean building fences.)

“Which weapon?”

“Uh. Foil.”

“No, it won’t be safe,” and he went off into an explanation of why.

Turns out, he was also a serious fencer – and, when I mentioned my fencing coach, an old friend of his. (I asked my fencing coach later, and, oh yes, Dr. Z., a good friend of mine, excellent fencer.) (My coach was French. Dr. Z. was Israeli. I never saw Dr. Z. around the club or anything. I have no idea how they knew each other.)

So this was weird enough that later, when I was home, I looked Dr. Z. up on Yelp. His reviews were stellar, of course, but that wasn’t the weird thing.

The weird thing was that the reviews were full of people – professionals in lots of different fields – saying the same thing: I went to Dr. Z. for oral surgery, and he asked me about what I did, and it turned out he knew all about my field and had a competent and educated discussion with me about the obscure technical details of such-and-such.

All sorts of different fields, saying this. Lawyers. Businessmen. Musicians.

As far as I can tell, it’s not that I just happened to be pursuing the two fields he had a serious amateur interest in – he just seemed to be extremely good at literally everything.

I have no explanation for this. Possibly he sold his soul to the devil.

He did a damn good job on my surgery.

[captainmera]

completely random question, but what are evelyn’s sisters like? e.g. their relationship to evelyn, possible dynamic with caleb, personalities, etc…

i really enjoy the way you flesh out evelyn and caleb, giving them backstories and families of their own. they’re all so compelling!

THE CLAWTHORNE SISTERS:

Wendy is conflicted between resentment and love. While Evelyn has always looked up to Wendy and admired her.

Bronwen moved out when Evelyn was still little, and with Ev having trouble getting friends, she was often shoehorned into hanging out with Wendy. Which Wendy hated. Wendy sought refuge with friends outside the home, and always being told to bring Evelyn only fuelled the annoyance.

Evelyn has always been an easy target for both bullying and being taken advantaged of. And Wendy has always stood up for her, and also shoved her out of her room.

Bronwen is a mediator between the sisters. When she was recently moved out (with then boyfriend, now husband) she was still visiting a lot to look after her sister's wellbeing.

Their mother plays favourite with Evelyn, which neglects the sisters in different ways.

- Evelyn gets put under too much pressure and can't say no, and thinks her purpose in life is to always be helpful: even at the loss of herself.

- Wendy gets put at the wayside, treated as Evelyn's chaperone and not somebody who has her own life or schedule. She's often told that "for the family" she has to drop everything, for Evelyn. She wouldn't hate doing it, if it wasn't forced.

- Bronwen and her parents never saw eye-to-eye. She has always been a rebel that questioned the way they did things. If she didn't want to do it like that, she wouldn't! And it was the cause of many fights. Bronwen rejected the pressures of becoming "important" early on.

Unfortunately, her fighting spirit only made Wendy not want to fight. She didn't like all the arguing, and instead opted to be compliant. Which only gave her a lack of autonomy in the end. While Evelyn never learned to choose herself at all.

Bronwen has a bunch of kids that becomes the founding seeds of the Clawthorne clan (alongside Evelyn & Caleb's kid, but they're a different branch of the clan.)

CALEB:

At first, the Clawthornes thought Caleb was a magic-less witch by the name Jasper Bloodwilliams. He was wearing a hat that covered his ears when he first visited the realm.

He made up the cover story on a whim that he and Evelyn bumped into each other as researchers in the human realm. That he, too, was interested in humans because (as Evelyn's reason also were) "Humans don't have magic and get by just fine!"

Wendy has never met another half-witch before, and is both happy and a little upset that this is Evelyn's friend. (she's a lesbian guys, don't worry, no triangle drama here.)

Once she finds out he's a human, though, she's upset at Evelyn. She thinks the reason Evelyn "researches magic-less solution" is because she's trying to find a consolation price for Wendy.

Caleb mends the bridge between the sisters by telling Wendy about what Evelyn has been up to in the human-realm. They have a heart-to-heart, bonding over being older siblings who have to give something up for the younger ones.

Bronwen and Caleb have a meaningful conversation about moving away from people you love. Choosing himself, choosing to let go of the past, that sort of thing.

Caleb, via the Clawthorne's, grows increasingly more self-aware of his situation with Philip and how it's not a very healthy one. Mainly on his part. And tries to figure out what he can do.

[traumasurvivors]

hello, do you have resources on recognizing whether or not you're in an abusive/toxic friendship?

I don't, but here's some red flag thoughts I had.

If you try and talk about something they've done that upset you/bothered you, and they turn around and make you feel bad. This might be done by them going "oh, I'm such a terrible person. You shouldn't be friends with me."

They only talk to you or initiate contact if they want something from you.

They "jokingly" say mean things about you.

They compare you to other people. It might be things like "oh, well, so-and-so would do this for me."

They make you feel guilty for having boundaries.

If you're having a bad time, they need to be having a worse time. Nothing can be about you, and the attention always has to be drawn back to them.

They make you feel bad about your interests. "Oh, damn, I guess not everyone has good taste in music.

Constant negativity. They are constantly "raining" on your parade if you're happy about something. Example: You are super happy because you had a great time with your dad. You rave to them about this, and their response is "wow, it must be nice. My dad and I have a terrible relationship." While their feelings are valid, it's really inappropriate if they feel a constant need to bring you down whenever you're happy.

You can't rely on them for support. While it's valid for people to have limits and not be able to provide support all the time because of their own mental health, it isn't okay if a relationship is one-sided and you offer support and they never do.

When you have arguments, they got for "low blows" rather than trying to resolve the conflict. This might mean they scream at you, or throw insults at you, or throw past mistakes in your face.

No one is perfect, and it's understandable that people slip up sometimes and make mistakes. Lash out even. But they should hold themselves accountable for these mistakes, and not make you feel bad for being upset. They also shouldn't laugh off or be dismissive of their own behaviour.

Being passive aggressive.

They pressure you into doing things you don't want to do.

A lot of this falls under manipulation, and I wrote an article about it here.

I want to bring up that nuance is really important. For example: my best friend and I regularly "roast" each other and genuinely find it amusing. But there are certain topics that are off limits, and we'd never do this if it genuinely upset the other.

Obviously, again nuance is important. Sometimes these bad feelings come up for our own reasons and aren't necessarily the other person's fault, but here are some thoughts I had on things you might be feeling if a friendship isn't right for you.

You feel relieved if plans are cancelled.

You feel a feeling of dread when you see a message from them.

You are anxious to tell them things like really good news because they might make you feel bad about it. Or even really bad news, because they might try and compete with you.

You are anxious to tell them if they cross a boundary or upset you.

You withhold telling them the real truth about things. You might be worried they can't be trusted with the information, or that they might use it against you.

You feel trapped or like you have to be their friend.

You feel completely drained by them. Maybe it's hearing their name, seeing their name, or just being around them.

Sorry, I rambled, but hopefully there's something helpful here!

[baigepueckers]

Caitlin Clark X Reader

Courtside Secrets

The fever game is intense and the energy in the arena is magnified. You’re in your usual spot, sitting just a few rows behind the bench. Cheering loudly every time your girl makes an amazing play. She’s in her element playing with a confidence that’s impossible to ignore, and you can feel the pride in your chest. But your excitement simmers every time you feel another gaze in your direction. It happens more often than you like to admit…

Tonight is no different and just before halftime a guy a few seats down leans your way, giving you a casual friendly smile that’s a little too comfortable.

“You’re always here, huh?” he says raising his voice to be heard over the crowd. “You must be a big fan.”

You nod politely, sending him a small smile. “Yeah, I guess you could say that.”

“Well, maybe you could show me around sometime. I don’t know many people who are this dedicated to the game… I kinda like that.” he says, his eyes checking you out as he watches you.

Out of the corner of your eye, you catch Caitlin glancing over. She’s usually focused and unbothered by anything off the court, but tonight her gaze stays on you for a moment too long and her eyes narrowing as she takes in the guy’s obvious interest. You see the way her lips press into a hard line before she pulls her gaze away, channeling her frustration into the game.

When the second half starts Caitlin’s intensity has somehow turned up even more. She’s putting on a show driving to the basket with an aggression that makes it clear she’s got something to prove. She sinks a lay up and for a brief moment her eyes lock with you, the fire in her gaze unmistakable. It’s as if each point, each block, is a silent message to everyone else in the arena telling them exactly who you’re here for.

If the extra intensity was supposed to discourage people….it’s not working. During a timeout a woman a few rows down catches your eye and walks over, flashing you an excited smile.

“You must be her lucky charm or something” she says nodding toward Cait, who is breathing hard…her focus on the court. “I see you at every game. She really knows how to put on a show, doesn’t she?”

You nod, giving her a polite smile. “Yeah, she’s amazing.”

The woman tilts her head and eyes sparkling with interest. “Maybe after the game, you could show me around the area? It’s my first time in town… I could buy you a drink.”

You hesitate trying to think of a polite way to brush her off without giving away too much. You’re here for Caitlin of course…and part of you wants to make it clear, to shut down any hint of interest. But you both agreed that keeping things low key was the best way to protect her during this rookie season. So instead, you kindly thank the woman and turn back to the game.

Still the moment doesn’t go unnoticed by Cait. You see her jaw tighten from where she’s standing and when she returns to the court, her frustration is there. She’s relentless in every play almost as if she’s trying to make a point to every single person who thinks they can just walk up to you. She scores again and again…barely celebrating with her team, her eyes returning to you between plays, her frustration clear in every look she shoots your way.

When the game finally ends and the crowd begins to dwindle down…you linger in the seats, waiting for her. But before you can move, another guy (someone who’s clearly noticed you are in regular attendance at Caitlin’s games) approaches with a confident grin.

“Hey” he says, offering his hand. “I’ve seen you around here a lot. Huge Clark fan, right? Maybe we could link up and go to a game together?”

The idea that anyone else could think you’re free…that they have a chance to steal even a moment of your attention, feels almost laughable. But you’re still stuck unsure of how to respond without making things complicated for Caitlin. Before you can even respond, you feel a hand slide around your waist…warm and unmistakable.

“Sorry, we already have plans” Caitlin says her voice smooth but her grip is firm as she shoots the guy a look that would send anyone backing away. He mumbles a quick apology and disappears into the crowd.

Caitlin turns to you her face a mix of irritation and something deeper, almost raw vulnerability hidden behind her jealousy. “We need to go” she says her tone low with unspoken frustration. She doesn’t wait for a response, simply intertwining her fingers with yours and leading you out through a side exit into a quiet hallway away from the crowd.

The silence stretches and it’s heavy, until she finally lets out a sigh running a hand through her hair. “Do you have any idea how hard it is to watch them hit on you? To see them trying to make plans with you, thinking they actually have a shot?”

You reach for her other hand, squeezing gently. “Baby, i’m only here for you. I don’t flirt back…I don’t even encourage them. You know that.”

She meets your gaze, her frustration clear but her tone softening. “Then why don’t you just shut them down? Tell them you’re taken… tell them you’re with me.”

You glance around remembering all the conversations you’ve had, all the times you both agreed to keep things low key, especially during her rookie year. “Because we agreed this was for the best…for your career. We didn’t want anyone making a mess of things and taking away what’s ours, remember?”

She lets out a frustrated sigh looking down at your hands, her thumb rubbing gentle circles against your skin as she contemplates with her emotions. “I know…but watching them act like you’re free, like they can just take you out..it drives me insane.”

Her grip on your hands tightens, her gaze intense as she continues. “You’re mine Y/N and I hate that I can’t just make it clear to everyone. I can’t sit there and pretend it doesn’t matter when all I want to do is tell the whole arena you’re with me.”

You step closer running your free hand gently up her arm until you’re holding her face, forcing her to meet your eyes. “I know it’s hard baby, but it’s only temporary. After this season we’ll tell everyone…we’ll let the whole world know. But for now we know I’m yours, whether anyone else knows it or not.”

She closes her eyes leaning into your touch, letting out a soft sigh as if she’s finally letting go of some of the tension that’s been building up all night. “It’s just hard” she says, her voice barely above a whisper. “I don’t want anyone else thinking they have even a chance…it pisses me off.”

“Babe, no one else is even close” you assure her, your voice steady. “You’re the only one I’m here for, Cait. I don’t care what anyone else thinks.”

She pulls you closer her arms wrapping around you tightly as she rests her forehead against yours. For a moment it’s just the two of you, wrapped up in the quiet. Caitlin’s jealousy, her protectiveness is something you’re used to seeing. You know that every possessive look, every intense glare is her way of showing how much you mean to her.

“You know what, baby?” she murmurs, her lips brushing against your forehead. “Once the season’s over, I’m telling everyone. I’m done watching from the sidelines while everyone else thinks they can get close to you.”

You smile, your heart swelling at the fierce determination in her voice. “Then it’s a deal, sweetness. Once the season’s over, we don’t have to hide anymore.”

She pulls back, just enough to look into your eyes…her expression soft but her gaze showing the same intensity. “Until then, I’ll be counting down the days.” she says softly, her voice thick with promise.

[random2908]

Iowa has historically been a swing state! It went for Obama both times! It went for Gore in 2000, Clinton both times, and even was one of the few states to vote for Dukakis in 1988. In other words, in the past 36 years, it's only gone red three times.

More seriously, there are three big possibilities here.

The first, and possibly most likely, is that this poll is--unfortunately--just wrong. Selzer is reputed to be a high-quality pollster, but her polls tend to be pretty small; and so no matter how good she is, she's going to get wrong results sometimes.

The second possibility is that opinion is swinging really fast in Harris's favor this past week, and this reflects a real change in people's opinions.

The third, and most likely, possibility is what's called "bias". This isn't bias like it's used in common English. This is the data analysis sense of bias: something wasn't taken into account, so all of your results are offset in one direction or another.

What's interesting about the bias hypothesis, though, is there are so many ways it can go. Are people embarrassed to say they're Trump voters, so you undercount them? Are the people more likely to vote for Harris less likely to answer polls, so you undercount them? Are pollsters trying to take these things into account in their data analysis and accidentally going too far? Not far enough? So many possibilities, so many explanations, and we won't know until the election.

But. There's an interesting source of bias that Nate Silver brings up about once per election: herding. A poll comes out, and all the other pollsters are like, "Ok, this is the TRUTH. So anything I get that isn't similar to this must be bias." So then they reanalyze their data with this "bias" in mind, and then when they publish their poll results, their results look very similar to the previous poll. This is thought to be especially likely to happen if the previous poll showed an even split, because for some reason people tend to think that's a "fair" result so it must be true.

The pollsters can't help but put their fingers on the scales, because they KNOW bias is a thing they have to watch out for in their weighing of results. But they don't know what the bias is that they have to counteract in their weighting. So all they have left is their bias--in the regular English sense! their personal beliefs and assumptions--to counteract the technical bias. And there's no reason to think that's right, either, but what else are they going to do. The result may be that they tend to predict elections are going to be closer than they are, because they believe that's "fair" and "normal".

And then here a completely different poll comes out from a very trusted pollster, and maybe she's right. Or, maybe she just adjusted her biases differently in a way that was equally irrational. (Her claim is actually that she does a lot less bias adjustment than most other pollsters. Which is interesting, because you wouldn't think that's necessarily a good approach--after all, polls miss entire demographics of voters. And anyway, a lot less isn't none. That said, as a scientist, I agree: when you know, go ahead and subtract out all the biases; but when in doubt, it's always better to analyze less.)

In the end, though, whatever the answer is, we won't know until the election.

Reports are coming out that Harris is leading in Iowa.

So what does this mean for Iowa voters?

Iowa was red in 2020 and has historically been red. As someone who lives in AZ, a red state that is now a swing state, it is entirely possible to flip a state or at least make the Republican Party sweat. So if you are in Iowa and were considering not voting because “your vote won’t count in a red state anyways”, please get out and vote.

Obviously polls can be inaccurate, but how great would it be if we could flip a state that republicans considered an easy victory?

Iowa also allows same day in person registration!!! So if you are over 18 and a U.S. citizen who resides in Iowa it is not too late! Click here for info on voting in Iowa: https://voterready.iowa.gov/registertovote/

Link to article: https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/politics/iowa-poll/2024/11/02/iowa-poll-kamala-harris-leads-donald-trump-2024-presidential-race/75354033007/

[littlemissmaples]

🎂PICK A CAKE!🎂 II Who is your fs? + General Messages ( this second part wasn't intentional, kinda just happened lol)

Pile 1: 💚

• Your fs is very, very, very "segsy" I hear, haha (I was asked to spell it that way) they're giving me this very calming energy about them. They say "that's my mind baby" they're very flirtatious and could either be black, mixed or middle eastern, perhaps Arabic. This is more of my ethnic pile. I do sense there's the chance one of them has a beard–

Ooooh wait, one of them? Is there 2? Here I'm getting more of a masculine energy here so could it be you're not sure who your fs is and you're just debating what it is that you want? That's alright. I don't think that you're battling between 2 people, I think you're battling between 2 versions of yourself and 2 different ideals. What it is that you want and you think that you need. Or perhaps you might have a misunderstanding of what the kind of guy you want is. I'm getting some of you are in a relationship right now and you feel like things just don't connect. "You're a princess" for some of you, your father treats you well, listen to them because it's true when they say that you deserve better. Or perhaps you're involved in an arranged marriage, I feel that you still have the chance to step away from this it doesn't matter how far along you've been in this game, speak up now or forever hold your peace...

Anyways, I feel that your type is "the bad guy" maybe you like older guys or you currently like an older guy. If not I'm getting some of you, the person that you like is your fs but you're too stuck in your mind, waiting to be saved to realize it, that they're more than happy to develop something with you but while you dont have to take the lead, it's important to take the initiative and let yourself be known, let yourself say that you're interested, it's okay to let yourself be "saved" and pulled away from all of this but only if you tell them, otherwise they're going to keep on sitting back on their motorbike, completely unaware of your feelings. For a lot of you, you already know this person but they havent realized their feelings yet. Spark that initial light and set it all ablaze, they'll follow along and take care of the rest. But you have to communicate, they assume their silence is "self-respect" and they dont see you as a damsel in distress, reflect for sometime and see how you would like to go about all of this.

But in short terms who is your fs??

A guy that you already know that is somehow always on your mind even if you dont think about him much or hold heavy romantic feelings for him at the moment.

But just know this If you need it, he wants me to tell you: "I think about you too." For some of you "I think about THAT" too" perhaps a moment happened between the both of you. Be attentive and careful yes, but ultimately, at the end of this game we call life we all die. So follow your heart, choose your own path and cause a little chaos if you have to. But most of all, make sure you have fun 💛

I'm sorry if I didnt answer your question, but this is what's coming in.

Pile 2: 🧡

• Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god! Wow! Jeez, your first impression of this guy is going to be bizarre is not jaw dropping. They almost feel like they're a celebrity! If they're not a celebrity I feel like they're like a celebrity-look-a-like, they have a very similar face, tone of voice, even a matter of walking as someone that you like. This might be a singer/song-writter, actor for some or even a YouTube. I'm getting they might be in college and they could be white, I keep seeing Timothee Chalamet in my head but I'm getting he's more of a Tom Holland kind of guy, while your fs looks exactly how you want, he is a little bit more of the masculine kind. And for those of you who are a masc energy reading this I get the sense that, much like my fem readers I get the feeling maybe some of you actually want that "spiderman" type of love or a Tom Holland and Zendaya kind of scene about the two of you. I feel like you might, but I'm also getting that you need to not let yourself fall in a daydream too much, not because you wont have this but because you shouldn't reduce your partners and future romantic relationships into just this. I get the feeling that for some of you, your fs isn't who or how you think they are but they have traits of how believe they could be and what it is that you envision them like. But you should be flexible with this, just a little bit, I promise you'll have your dream come true but for many of you, he may sound a bit "manlier" perhaps you wanted him to have softer, more delicate features and he does but those traits dont encapsulate him entirely and for my fems, perhaps she may not be as tall as you like and maybe she might not hold traits like Zendaya but she's definitely gonna be your type. This energy Is just now coming in but some of you may be lgbt, have many types or simply are poly. That's great! But the same messages apply to you, you'll have your dream! You can have your cake and eat it too! But you have to step back for a minute and reflect for something, who are you? What kind of life do you want? Who do you want to be with? Why? Why not? I'm not saying tear yourself into parts but I'm really getting some of you ( I'm hearing "us" some of you dont separate yourselves from a group and see yourselves as individual persons in society and instead as a "unit" while is great, you are more than that) succumb yourselves to a lot of subcultures or reality just societal ideals of what you believe your life should look like. Take inspiration and make your own life worth living and stop looking at everybody else's as the "perfect guide book" to follow. There is no perfect anything and it's incredibly harmful to yourself and others to believe that there is, you dont know why people are the way they are or what happens behind closed doors. Follow your own path and make something beautiful out of you, even if it resembles somebody else's or looks completely different. Some of you need to come out the closet, haha, (once you feel safe and comfortable to do so of course). I'm been pulling in many directions in this pile so I'm going to cut it here. Know that you are okay and that the path you seek will find you but you need to let yourself realize that you're a unique individual with a mind of their own, let yourself have fun on the path that you walk on and choose if you want this one or not. You can get on an off of it as many times as you want and even choose a new one as many times as you like.

In short words, who is your fs? For some of you, you dont want a future spouse, you just want a life partner and a friend a you will find that, you will find the people who match you and fall into the right place. – For others of you, know that your future spouse is currently looking for you and they are exactly as you envision, if not better. The only thing about them is that you might have a couple traits off such as their nose or skin tone and perhaps ethnicity. They might have some "imperfections" as well that you might not think of, maybe they have braces and for some of you I'm hearing "knee surgery" so it's likely one of them has had an injury and either has a scar they're worried about or they have a slight subtle awkwardness to their walk. Dont worry so much about this, some of you overthink about these imperfections and for many of you I'm getting they're not even there and you're just anxious, I promise you'll be okay, haha. The universe knows your heart and it is good and full of love and that love will go into the right hands. You'll be alright, now go rest your pretty head, some of yall have been up all night 💤💤

Pile 3: 💜

• Wow. I cant even tap into your energy, I just tapped immediately into theirs. This personal is serious, this person means BUSINESS maybe even HAVE a business. They're not playing, they seriously want a commitment. I'm getting that they're a "hot mess" but they may just be very passionate. Much like pile 1 this personal may be black, if male brown skin, tall, tall, tall~ and very endearing gentle eyes. If she's a woman then by LORD she's gorgeous, likely darkskin, clear skin, lip gloss and possibly Christian, she takes her faith very seriously but as serious as she may be or come off she's actually so silly and goofy and just the sweetest soul to have around. She wont play about you. This won't apply to all of you but for some of you this person might be mixed and freckled or a red head, possibly a July Leo (or this might just be you) though this is for a few of you so take only what resonates. Your fs is very well read and well spoken, they're very educated although I'm getting for some of them they never went to college, for a few of you though they already have their masters or are on their way of getting it. They might have a similar background to you and or have the same political beliefs. Honestly what I'm getting from this is almost like a "background check" kind of vibe haha, they're like handing me a clip board and having me be your middle man and "vet" for them, I feel like you might be "hard to approach" or you dont just let ANYBODY in your energy like that, you dont just give anyone YOUR time of day and they're aware of that so they're not playing ANY games and getting straight to it and letting you know straight away why they are a great candidate for being your one and only partner. Although I am getting that they are kind of "flawed", not flawed as in bad but flawed as in, they come off as perfect but I believe you may somehow see through it, that while they are very confident and self sufficient and honestly, very, very, very remarkable, reliable and most of all loyal and dependable, they genuinely are a great catch..while you know all this you also know how they seem to be missing a piece of themselves, theres a loneliness in this and it's very gentle, very tender and childlike. They're very mature but ultimately, they just want love. They want love at it's rawest, purest form, they want to be infatuated with you, by you, lost in you, they want to crave you and admire you and receive at least fraction of that same love as well if possible. They're are a hopeless romantic and altho they may not show it at first I feel like you'll get that first wall to crumble without much effort, the rest of it will simply just dissolve the moment you're finally with them. This person wants something serious and if it applies for some of you even marriage and children or both. But even if you dont want this, it doesn't matter because they only see you and not a check list of things to cross out. They want to share something true with you and see how it blossoms into something beautiful.

This one has heavyyyyy 18+ messages in them, it was hard to hold back from typing them but for a lot of you before you go off doing the do with this person know that they are INTOXICATINGGGGG and soooooooo irresistible and they treat you sooooo so good so WRAP IT UP!!! BECAUSE THE TWO OF YOU HAVE VERY MATCHING ENERGIES AND ARE VERY VERY FERTILE SO IF YOURE NOT USING SOME KIND OF CONTRACEPTION (birth control, condom etc) YOU  W I L L  HAVE BABIES!!! 🍼👶🍼👶😭😭

Safe sex = Great sex, take care now✌

(I'm being so serious, wrap it up, some of yall dont listen, I get the heat of the moment might be fun or take you in but babies are a serious 18 year long commitment and if you're not ready for that please don't be hard headed and keep you and your partner safe. Thanks!! That's all bye! 💛💛💛)

[sexlapis]

Actor!Toji has my heart and soul.

Imagine while they’re still trying to hide their relationship something gets out that it’s a real relationship and now the internet is going crazy. They’re still trying to deny it, but sadly there’s a paparazzi photo of them in a very.. interesting position, and they really can’t deny it. One of them on live or in an interview and all they are being asked is about the relationship and the photo. How far is either one willing to go before they crack and confirm their relationship?.. I’m going crazy

UHM…ARE YOU GUYS DATING?

ʚɞ actor!toji x gn!reader

s4w, one shot, short fic, fluff, crack, unintentional relationship reveal (toji’s fault ofc…)

a/n: these asks have been in my inbox since november 2023 so…sorry about that.

actor!toji masterlist

general masterlist

*

What you and Toji were doing was just a complete joke at this point.

The blatant glances in interviews, the paparazzi pictures of you two together in cafes, museums, on set, at parties, the shocking innuendo replies under each others posts, the way you were always caught wearing a clothing item of Toji’s at least once a month…

…Just who did you think you were fooling?

Because it definitely was not the internet.

Every so often, after a questionable photo of the two of you or a clip of you both being overly physical in an interview, your names would be trending or your ship name.

Parasocial relationships on social media have no bounds.

People were assuming, guessing, planning, solving and just plain trying to figure out what on earth was going on between the two of you.

Some thought you were just close friends, others believed you two were so obviously dating.

But everyone agreed on one thing: there was no way that the relationship you and Toji had was platonic.

No way.

Of course, when asked about the nature of your relationship, which was very often, you both denied it.

“We’re both just friends”, you’d say.

“We’re just really close”, Toji would say.

“I couldn’t ask for a better person to be friends with”, you’d say.

“Well, yeah, I like her a lot…doesn’t mean anything’s going on!” Toji would claim

But all of these lies come to an end when a picture comes to a light.

You and Toji, at the park, sitting on the grass and…you’re stradding his lap, facing him and cupping his cheeks and Toji’s smiling, no, not one of his sleazy smirks, he’s really smiling like he’s looking at the love of his life.

There was nothing either of you could say - no like you could utter, no truth you could tell - that would stop everyone from stating the very obvious.

You and Toji are a couple.

And the internet is going crazy.

The top three hashtags that were trending on the day the photo was leaked were: #TOJIYN, #THEY’RE DATING?, and #I KNEW IT.

So it is safe to say that…everyone knew.

And nobody is shocked. Not really.

A week after that compromising photo was leaked, Toji is invited to speak on a popular podcast.

It barely even takes ten minutes before it is mentioned.

“Toji, thank you for coming! It’s really great to have you here!” The host praises, his eyes sparkling mischievously.

“Yeah, of course, thanks for-“”

“Are you and y/n dating?”

Toji stops mid sentence, his mouth open and seemingly surprised by the hosts’ straightforwardness.

“Uh-“”

“Because there’s a photo of the two of you.” The host presses on. “You know that, right?”

“I-“”

“Let’s a take a look.”

The podcast host picks up a remote, one that controls the computer monitor, clicks a button snd there it is…the leaked picture of you an Toji.

“See? Look at that.” The podcaster says, shaking his head. “What do you have to say about that, Toji?”

“Uhhh…” Toji bites his lip. “…I had something on my face. She wanted to take look at it.”

“Look at it or sit on it?”

“LOOK at it.” Toji confirms, a soft blush rising on the apples of his cheeks. “Just wanted to…you know, see what his was.” He shrugs, scratching the stubble on his face.

Toji and the podcaster are silent for a few moments, staring at each other.

“You guys are dating.”

“Yeahh, we’re dating.”

*

໒꒰ྀིᵔ ᵕ ᵔ ꒱ྀི১

[cuinaminute229]

With death comes life

pairing: Agatha x Rio x reader

summary: To fall in love with both life and death is almost impossible. They contradict each other, they are different sides to the same coin. Agatha once managed the impossible. But time and grief can break almost anything, and this time it breaks what feels like everything.

a/n: there will be more parts to this. I find this dynamic rather interesting and I am definitely going to explore it. not a lot of warning in this part except for mild swearing. slightly protective Rio.

...

Life and Death go hand in hand.

One can not exist without the other. 

It’s a partnership that transcends time itself.

Agatha Harkness does not understand this. She can not, because for the longest time all she has ever known is death.

All she has ever done is take. She takes and takes and takes until there is nothing left to give. Until there is nothing left you can give.

Death will love her. Life will despise her. 

That is how it will be for centuries.

…

The witches’ road is a place that does not welcome you. It fights you every step of the way.

It is a graveyard. It takes what it wants without thoughts of sympathy or solace. It digs up fear and trauma like gold. It twists and stretches and tears the desires of witches brave enough to step foot on the road.

You hate it and yet you are summoned.

The dirt between your fingers is a sensation that feels as familiar as holding death's hand. Clawing your way from beneath the earth is not something you're very familiar with.

You're not usually summoned alongside her, this is different.

The echoes of multiple screams ring in your ears as you crawl your way out of a fresh grave, growling through clenched teeth when you finally break the surface.

Your joints and bones pop as you twist and jerk to realign what's been broken. You swear you're going to ring the witch's neck that's summoned you. 

You tilt your head and feel a crack in your neck, you grimace before you jerk your head and relief seeps into your muscles.

With a flex of your fingers you adjust your clothes before the colors of the leaves scattered amongst the ground catches your eye.

Just as the realization settles and you finally understand where you are, a hand that brushes against the length of your back is the only thing that seems to ground you. You lean into her touch with a slow forced exhale.

Rio is here, that is the only comfort you feel. 

You absolutely hate the witches’ road.

When you finally glance up at the witches who were just screaming bloody murder, you notice her right away. 

Her thick brown hair falling against her shoulders, the white button up shirt that complements her dress pants, the locket that’s always with her. 

Agatha Harkness and this coven of four have summoned you and Rio to the road. 

The rage that heats your blood is a sensation that you will never get used to, it burns like the sun and yet it's all you can feel as you glare daggers at her.

The only thing that stops you from lunging at her is Rio’s quick reaction. The hand that was resting on your back has encircled your waist, she tugs you back against her, resting her chin on your shoulder. 

“Easy there tiger.” Her soft chuckle of amusement is not distraction enough from what you want to say. 

“What the fuck are you doing Agatha?” Your words are harsh and yet you feel no sympathy when she flinches at your tone.

“Excuse me?” The witch in the pink dress places a hand over her heart like you personally offended her. 

“You’re excused.” You pay her no mind, your eyes are only on Agatha. “Now answer the question.”

Agatha says nothing. Her eyes look from you to Rio and back like she can barely believe what she’s seeing. Like she didn’t intend for this to happen.

“Cat got your tongue?” Rio teases, her smile predatory, the hold on your waist a touch possessive. 

“How did you—?” This time she points at the two of you. 

“We were in the neighborhood.” Rio interrupts her with a casual response. There is no need to explain further, she will know the truth.

“But uhh,” The youngest member of the coven, a teenage boy, lifts his hand up like he’s waiting to voice his question. You frown at the notion, not quite understanding.

“Yes Teen?” The oldest of the group turns to look at the kid who answers once the attention turns to him. 

“Why are there two of them?” He gestures between you and Rio, his confusion clear as he then turns to look at Agatha like she has all the answers.

You scoff at the thought, she knows nothing. Not when it comes to you and especially not when it comes to Rio. That was made very clear centuries ago.

Agatha glares at you as if this time you truly have offended her but all you do is glare right back.

The moment of eye contact drags on longer than you thought it would. The witch's pride is a strong thing and you know she hates backing down first but you are not in the mood to give in. 

You refuse to give her what she wants.

When fingers dance along the thin fabric that covers your ribs you jerk involuntarily, turn to glare at Rio. She gives you an innocent smile but her eyes burn with something that silently tells you to calm down.

“Doesn't matter.” Agatha's anger is a harsh bite, hiding the vulnerability that comes with seeing the both of you. “We have a green witch. Now let's go.”

The whoosh of her coat is followed by a slow breath that relaxes your shoulders. You can not let your anger get the best of you while here. The road will only take it and twist it until it gets a chance to throw it in your face.

“Being summoned is so much fun isn't it? Just like old times.” Rio teases you, presses a soft kiss to your shoulder in a silent apology. 

Before you can turn and properly question her about why you are here a voice calls your attention. “Uhh hello?” 

You roll your eyes but turn to glance at the three witches that have lingered after Agatha stormed off.

“Hello.” You merely say in return. You owe these witches nothing more.

“So uh did we summon two green witches?” The witch with red in her hair gestures to the two of you. You feel Rio shake her head from where her face is still pressed into your shoulder, her chuckle is low enough that the others do not hear it. 

You find her amusement endearing and annoying.

“To keep things simple, yes.” 

The continued looks of confusion merely make you smirk at the unsuspecting women. 

With one last brush of fingers over your ribs, one last ghost of a kiss that tickles the skin of your neck, Rio steps away. Her smile is bright, the twinkle in her dark eyes promise nothing but mischief and self entertainment.

“We're supposed to walk this thing right?” She steps around you and points toward the road. When she only gets a few shrugs of consensus she hums in response before leaving you behind with these confused witches.

You shake your head with a soft smile, of course she would find a way to ignore all your questions for even just a little bit longer.

“Let's get this over with.”

[glitter-stained]

I think it's interesting that Alfred is so bad because when you look at him, he's not a hero, and not just as in he's not a good guy but as in, he's on the periphery of the story. Things don't happen to him, things happen to people around him and he shakes them to move them forward so the story can continue; that's why I see him less as a character and more of an incarnation of the narrative. Systematically in the comics when is raised the question of "why did Alfred do that" the answer is "because the writers wanted him to". Why did Alfred make Tim/Damian/a literal army of street kids into Robin? Well, it's a batman story, there needs to be a Robin. Gotta replace the last one. Why would he prioritize his daughter? She's not a main character. Of course Bruce is more important, he's Bruce Wayne. Why is he leaving Bruce when his back is broken? Well, if Bruce can't be of use anymore... Why is he portrayed as a wise old man while spewing the most unhinged classist + victim blaming rethoric, turning a dead child into a cautionary tale and rewriting history to convince/feed into bruce's lie that Jason was always doomed to end up that way? Well. Guess who is trying to convince you, the reader, that all of these things are true.

(I'm not saying that he is a 100% flat character, that there are no motivations to his actions aside from it or that he is never criticized, I don't think that's totally true and I've also not read everyone of his apparitions god save me, but I do think this is what he represents in dc.)

Personally I use Alfred as kind of a meter as to what fuckery dc is going to try and feed me next, because paying close and critical attention to what that specific character is saying and doing is a good tool to be critical of what they're trying to feed you. He's a fucked up little deus ex machina that is here not to make sure the characters get away but that he can continue to tell the story of the main character, no matter what or how many children he must sacrifice on that altar, and I have to say his death destabilises me a lot (though i gotta say, dc pulling an Alfred band-aid "solution" with Pennyworth manor even beyond the grave is extremely funny.)

He is also objectively terrifying as a character. Like, yk that fanon headcanon that Alfred is casually immortal? This, but make it eldritch horror. He will raise you and outlive you no matter what you do. You cannot escape the narrative no matter what you do.

one of the biggest lies the fandom with tell you is that alfred pennyworth is a good man.

he’s horrible. people just don’t realize he’s horrible because they’re all too focus on the superhero’s.

not many people in the fandom know this, but alfred literally has a daughter. her name is julia. why does no one know about julia? BECAUSE HE ABANDONED HER. it’s canon that he chose the wayne’s over his OWN CHILD. when she’s introduced in the comics she hates her dad because he abandoned her in england to raise a child that wasn’t even his.

the infamous jason “a good soldier” memorial? yeah, alfred did that. bruce wanted it taken down. alfred also left jason’s destroyed robin suit on display.

alfred is the reason tim is robin. dick and bruce are trapped by two-face and alfred just… gives tim a robin costume and sends him on his way. no formal training. no nothing.

every blame dick for damian becoming robin? wrong. it was alfred. dick was against it. alfred is the first one to give damian the robin costume, like he did to tim years before. dick did eventually choose damian as his robin, but that was while damian was ALREADY ROBIN. (he even tells tim that he doesn’t pick tim to be his robin because he considers tim to be an equal, not a sidekick, but i digress)

when bane breaks bruce’s back, alfred literally packs up and leaves. he travels. he just drops everything and goes to explore the world, until dick eventually hunts him back down.

it’s also a common theme that alfred couldn’t find the right balance between being a father figure and a butler, so he was constantly enabling bruce growing up (and still does) because technically bruce was his boss… even though he had custody of him.

edit: actually technically (in some runs) bruce’s uncle has custody of him but literally makes being absent an olympic sport But you get what i mean

[married-to-google-translater]

Request: Ok, but imagine this: any of the Yandere Diasomnia boys with a multilingual fem darling. I myself speak English, Spanish, and French. If the boys cross a line, their darling. Will. Snap. If she’s really mad, there’s a good chance that yelling will be in Spanish or French. Thoughts? I hope this isn’t too much. I’m sorry if it is.

@onehellofashadynerd

Sebek is here

This is for Malleus and Lilia

Yandere Lilia Vanrouge

Awwwwwe it's cute that you think you can hide something from Lilia.

Oh dear it really wouldn't be that easy.

Despite his youthful nature, Lilia would have lived a very long life.

He would be great at understanding hidden meanings and small gestures.

You two really don't need to speak the same language for him to understand what you mean.

Lilia would find this interesting.

It's never too late to learn a new language.

However, you really weren't willing to teach him anything at all.

Which would be understandable after the kidnapping.

Lilia would decide to learn the language on his own.

Oooh, this is going to be interesting.

Your surprised expression when you realize Lilia understands what you're saying in the middle of an argument would be worth it.

Unfortunately, Lilia would learn things REALLY fast.

You'd better enjoy this benefit while you still can.

Yandere Malleus Draconia

A lot of funny situations could arise from this.

Malleus would admire your ability to speak several languages and learn them quickly.

He thinks this could help you adjust to your "new home".

Your new home that would be your home even if you don't necessarily want it.

Oh you could speak many foreign languages with him.

Malleus really wouldn't understand what you were saying.

If you said an insult in a friendly tone, Malleus would think it was cute for him.

Oooooh you made him so happy.

Of course when he finds out the true meaning of the word you would be punished.

Malleus really doesn't like it when you yell at him, and he likes it even less when you yell in a foreign language.

It would be a reminder that you would have had a life without him.

A possessive dragon doesn't like to be reminded of that.

If you continued this, you would probably get "time out".

A nice way of saying that Malleus puts a sleep curse on you so he can cuddle you in peace.

How to resolve conflicts in a relationship 101

[the-tarot-witch22]

Your Next Glow Up! - Pick a pile

Pile 1/ Pile 2/ Pile 3

My Paid Readings | My insta | My year goal post | Giveaway

Liked my blog or readings? Tip me!

Hello everyone ! This is my another pick a pile or pac reading so please be kind and leave comment or reblog, and let me know if it resonated with you!

Note : This is a general reading or collective reading. It may or may not resonate with you. Please take what resonates and leave what doesn't. And it's totally okay if our energies aren't aligned!

How to pick : Take a deep breath and choose a pile which you feel most connected to! You can choose more than one pile, it just means both pile have messages for you!

I worked really hard on this pile please show some love by leaving comments, likes and reblogs!

Pile 1:

(The cards I got for you - 3 of cups, 7 of wands, and page of cups)

Okay so the very first thing i feel and heard is celebration and wedding/engagement or just something celebratory, that's when you will get a glow up, I also feel when the glow up happens, you will be so happy and content with in your life, for some of you it could be graduation too, I also feel as much as you had like to glow up physically for you guys i see emotional glow up, physically yes, but the way you will glow up "mentally and emotionally" is just amazing, I also feel some of you could be recovering from working very hard, which has left you certainly drained and very much crushed, but i see it getting better, I feel you will get a chance to relax, and not be productive and being in your own energy, so I had say you will know so take that chance, I also feel there might be a new crush/love interest which will help you glow up, you know when you are in love you just glow naturally that type of thing, and i also see you putting effort not only in your appearance, but inner conflicts too, it won't be at all superficial but much more deeper, and it will stay with you, and i see this glow up happening in upcoming years like 2025, you might turn age of 24, 20's or in your 30's, it will be very natural, and i see lots of self pampering and giggles, which is just amazing, I also feel in this time you will recover from your trauma or past. I also see your personality being much more confident, and less anxiety which is a bonus, all i feel is you guys will be doing good, everything you have suffered it will get better~ Not only that i see academic or professional glow up, like you manifesting and getting good grades , you wanting the job and getting it, which goes with i heard celebrations.

That's all pile 1, I love that all i see and feel is growth here, couldn't be more happier for you, you deserve it~

Pile 2:

(The cards I got for you - 5 of cups, 2 of swords and 2 of cups)

Okay so the very first thing I feel and heard is when you glow up next, you would be going through something a transformation or an awakening. I feel that will be really hard on you, and you will just ask universe, or question it, like what have we done to deserve this?. I feel it won't be easy, like the timing, but the way i see it, it will be a blessing for you because the way you will be becoming your best version and glowing up, is just amazing! alright let's dive deeper, what i feel here is when you glow up next is you will be going through a breakup of friendship/relationship/ or a loss of something might be you would be leaving behind things, which will be hard for you because i sense this pile might like to stay in their comfort zone, I also feel the next glow up will come with challenges, i see you getting through them, but i see you become hot ass version of your own self, like yes I freaking know my worth I also feel. It will bring you a sense of balance in your life with some peace, you will be able to have clear thoughts, without not feeling everything is a burden. I also feel there will be a period of darkness for you which will turn into something beautiful later. I also see you making some decisions, cutting people which are not serving you, or bringing you down. Which will naturally lead to peaceful situation and you feeling better about it. I also feel you guys are just not good at decision making lmao, like you don't know you cant trust yourselves, and this is for some of you not everyone! I also feel, there will be choice you would have to make for your own mental peace, and i see you being confused, but in the end you will have to go with your gut, because only that way i see you having a beautiful future. trust yourself is really a theme here, I feel you guys might have Capricorn/ Aquarius and Gemini/Libra as your sun/ moon / rising! I also feel you will have someone a friend/partner/or your parent especially mom, to help you guide right way, and you working on their advise and them bringing out best in you! You will definitely have big glow up in your mindset and physical self~ I also feel some of you might join gym/yoga or do it at home, or get in habit of it, thought i should mention what i was getting!

Okay so pile 2, that's all i got for you~, honestly as it may seem hard at first, with time, i see t getting easier and better for you!

Pile 3:

(The cards got for you - The magician, the sun and the king of cups)

Okay so pile 3, the very first thing i feel and hear for your pile is your next glow up will be mind-blowing, like you won't be recognizing yourself anymore such growth, in every way possible. I also feel this pile might be a overthinker or a creative mind, just random messages i have been getting, anyhow let's dive deeper! I feel your next glow up will be you finding your potential, in career way, or even you might tap into your divine feminine energy, i see this pile is very feminine yet you might also be trying to balance your masculine side of yourself which is just beautiful! I also feel, you guys would be making the best of what you have like not dwelling in future anymore, or trying to live in a moment, this glow up will bring you much needed life changes, you guys can check pile 1, i feel there might be messages for you there, I also feel you guys will glow up financially like the situation will be improving, things will be much easier, the rocky situation has passed, I also feel and heard "no more challenges, if there are it will be easier for you", I also feel you will be improving the way you communicate with others~ , not only this but i see infinite happiness, and so much growth and prosperity for you, I also feel the self growth and realization will go crazy~ (in a good way) I also feel some of you guys could seem very innocent , but you aren't your guides were like add that part, they are being funny rn hehe, Okay so I also feel this group might not show their emotions very effectively so i feel it will get better too! The zodiac signs for you guys are Sagittarius/taurus/Pisces/Scorpio in big 3 or 6!

Alright! Pile 3 that's all i got for you, i love how many positive messages i got for you and you deserve that! you got this my babies~

Thank you for stopping by! Take care and remember you are loved <3

[s-awturn]

For As Long As It Takes || TW

summary: Y/N had always known what it was like to live with transient people in her life, so since she became a single mother, her main goal was to prevent her daughter from having to deal with people coming in and out of her life frequently. Dealing with a divorce is never easy, especially after sharing over a decade with someone, so the last thing Toto wanted, it was dealing with a new relationship, but life had new plans, both for him and Y/N.

Or where Toto waits five years for Y/N to accept him into her life.

cw: superficiality, a little anguish, a lot of cuteness, Toto completely surrendered, cute kid, media persecution, mention of hoax.

a/n: I know I owe Toto content 😩 and you can blame Carlos Sainz for that, but we finally have something here to soothe your needy hearts. There will be nothing suggestive here, but I know you'll like it (you better like it, understand?)

‘Darling, you're the one I want / And paper rings, and picture frames, and dirty dreams / Oh, you're the one I want’

Five years before...

When they met, Toto was going through a difficult divorce and her daughter had just turned one year old, and even though Toto was not inclined to enter into a new relationship. But there was no room for him to make a choice, when he saw her in the garden of Lewis's large summer house, playing with her daughter and the pilot's nephews, Toto saw his convictions fall to the ground. He spent a few seconds looking at you, who was smiling and playing with the children with great familiarity.

He asked Lewis who she was, and the pilot laughed, because Toto couldn't take his eyes off where she were.

"She's Y/N, she's my parents' neighbor, we've been friends for years" the Brit said, hiding his face behind a glass of peach tea "are you interested in her?"

"What are you talking about? I was just curious... I've never seen her at your parties or anything like that" he quickly dodged. There was no room in his life for anything other than his children or his job, he definitely didn't need another relationship. Lewis agreed, even if he didn't believe his friend's words, it was obvious that Toto was interested in Y/N; the pilot knew that Toto's marriage to Susie had been in crisis for over a year, so much so that Toto spent much more time at the factory or in a London apartment than at home with his wife. Toto had been living just for work for a long time.

Later that day, Y/N was sitting in a rocking chair by the lake, humming a lullaby while her baby napped on her lap, her daughter slowly fell asleep, enjoying every second of her mother's sweet voice, and Toto watched this from the balcony of the house, taken by the tenderness that the vision conveyed. As much as he wanted to deny it, something strange was emerging within him.

Y/N got up carefully so as not to wake the sleeping baby in her arms and gave a little jump when she found Toto there, she didn't expect to have an audience.

"Sorry for scaring you, I didn't mean to" he whispered so as not to wake the baby, he hadn't handled babies this small since Jack, and it had been a long time since then.

"It's okay, I just didn't expect anyone to be here, everyone is busy with the karaoke championship inside..." She replied, climbing the steps of the porch staircase.

"Better to go through the kitchen, there's less noise there and you won't wake your daughter," he suggested, indicating the place, the Austrian's perceptive eyes never leaving her face.

"Really? I should have known Sebastian and Fernando would make a show of it," she snaps, heading for the back entrance of the house and Toto, who had been following her at a polite distance, opened the door for her. S/N realized that Toto was right, there was less noise in the kitchen and living room, Sebastian was ruining another ABBA song "That's a shame, I won't be hearing Dancing Queen for a while now," she said, making Toto laugh behind her.

Toto remained in the kitchen, trying to understand what he was doing, he had no intention of getting involved with anyone, he really didn't need to get into another relationship while dealing with the end of the previous one. Toto was lost in thought when S/N approached, with a baby monitor in hand, he offered her a large glass of orange juice and the two listened to the horror show that Fernando and Sebastian were putting on in the living room of the house.

"Since when have you known Lewis? This is the first time I've seen you at one of his meetings," Toto inquired, trying not to sound too curious.

"We've been friends since I was a kid, he's a few years older than me, but that didn't stop me from being friends with him, especially because my dad was his go-kart mechanic" she replied, swirling the glass of juice to melt the ice cubes. "We became friends organically and spent a lot of time at each other's houses, I spent a few months with them when my parents had to return to America when I was a teenager."

Toto nodded, looking at her from the corner of his eye, Y/N stared at the baby monitor, even though she was present in the conversation, her senses were focused on the device, monitoring her daughter's sleep. Little by little, the conversation between them gained new topics, Toto really appreciated how S/N could move from one conversation to another very naturally. She was an intelligent and witty woman, making acidic and humorous comments whenever she could.

"And what is the name of the sleeping ladybug?"

He appreciated the genuine, loving smile that appeared on Y/N's face, letting her know how much she loved the baby.

"Agnes, I know it's silly and I'm not even religious, but my daughter was born at midnight, exactly when the day dedicated to Saint Agnes began. I interpreted it as a sign and named her that..."

"It's a beautiful name, the symbolism behind it is strong... Saint Agnes is the patron saint of what?" He questioned, it was obvious how much S/N loved talking about her daughter.

"of chastity, gardeners, young women, grooms, rape victims and virgins" she replied and finally took her eyes off the baby monitor. The tenderness with which she spoke of her daughter made Toto's heart twist in a strange way, Y/N was stirring Toto's already very compromised interior in ways he didn't know.

"You chose well"

"Isn't it? I think so too."

The two talked a lot more for the next couple of hours, Y/N did her best to dissect Toto until he was transparent to her eyes and he allowed it. There was something about her that made Toto spill everything that was on his mind, it was as if she had made him drink truth serum and wanted to know everything.

"Separations are not easy, how is your child coping?"

"Jack's doing well, as much as he can, I guess..." Toto murmured, running his index finger along the pattern of the granite counter. "Susie and I were honest with him, and Jack took it well, he himself said that he would rather Susie and I remain friends than fight like mortal enemies"

"That's good, it makes it less painful for him and God knows it sucks to see our children suffer," Y/N said thoughtfully. "And how are you with all this?"

"Honestly? At first I was a mess, I loved Susie a lot and but that love turned into friendship and we didn't know how to deal with it" he confessed "I'm still processing it, but it still sucks"

"The worst advice you'll hear today, you'll get over it, you'll survive, think that you were mature and dealt with it the right way" she said, there was bitterness in Y/N's voice and This took Toto by surprise "you could come out more hurt, Jack could come out destroyed"

"You're right, again," he replied and they both laughed, listening to Lewis try to stop Felipe, Sebastian and Fernando from singing as a trio.

Three years before...

“Torger, I told you I didn’t need it.” She looked at the huge dollhouse Agnes was playing with, the girl used the incredibly pink rooms as hiding places in a general headquarters. She created scenarios full of emotion and adventure with the Barbies, instructing Jack how he should move the dolls, making Y/N smile.

“It was no big deal, schatzi, I thought she would love a new hiding place for her spy Barbies,” he said, crossing his arms as he watched the little girl playing with Jack. “and I was right, apparently.”

“You spoil her too much, that’s not right,” she scolded him, making Toto raise his hands in surrender. “So much spoiling is detrimental to her education, and you know that, after all you have three children!”

“This is the last time, I promise”

“You said that the last two times, why should I believe you now, Wolff?” she arched her eyebrow, giving him the famous ‘mother look’, eliciting a spontaneous laugh from him, but Toto raised his little finger as he placed his left hand over his heart.

“I’m serious, schatzi, I won’t give Agnes any more gifts without any special occasion, I promise.” he said solemnly, making the woman roll her eyes before link your little finger with his.

“This is your last chance, Wolff, or I'll make you eat that pumpkin puree you hate” she threatened him and Toto grimaced, he really hated pumpkin puree.

“Urgh, no need to tell me twice,” he assured, “and how are things at work after your promotion?” he asked, keeping his eyes on Jack and Agnes playing. It was a pleasant surprise to discover that the two children loved each other at first sight, even though the age difference between them was very large, Jack and Agnes became friends the first moment they saw each other and played together whenever Toto took the boy to visit Y/N and Agnes.

“Obviously I have twice as much work now, but I can work from home and spend more time with my little bee, so I don't mind the extra work if it gives me more time with her," she said, smiling. "I've been waiting for this for three years, so obviously I'm happy.”

“That’s great, schatzi, I know how important it is for you to follow the growth of the sleeping ladybug.” He noted. “If you’re working from home right now, maybe you could join me for a run or two, the team appreciates and misses you both.”

“Toto... “I’m still paying off the apartment and I can’t get into debt like that right now,” she said, rubbing her hands on her jeans. “And don’t even think about offering to pay for it all, I wouldn’t accept.”

“What’s the point of having so much money if you can’t spend it on friends?” he said softly, “money that will stay here after I’m dead, so that I can enjoy it to the best of my ability while I am alive.”

“Anyway, I can’t accept it,” she insisted, not wanting to give in.

“Don't be stubborn, Y/N, you know that the money I spend doesn't make me miss it, nor will it make me poor tomorrow, you deserve some rest time sometimes, you are an exceptional mother, a splendid professional. And it will be good for Agnes too.”

She bit her lip, hating how Toto could hit sore points with well-articulated arguments. She hated it when he was the team boss. For better or worse, Agnes had come to love Formula One and loved watching the races with her. Y/N had set a goal that she would take the girl to see a race at the racetrack as soon as she could, but the apartment payments didn't seem to be decreasing, she hadn't received her pay yet after the promotion, so thinking about any other kind of expense was almost absurd.Toto never seemed willing to pay for things for her and Y/N was aware of his feelings for her, and for this reason she always felt reluctant to accept anything from him, she didn't want Toto to think that she was using his feelings for her own benefit.

"Please, you are important to me, I want to share with you and Agnes one of the best things I have, which is working with Formula One, and you love racing... Come on Y/N, accept my invitation" He cried out, holding her hands. “Try it once, if it’s uncomfortable for you or Agnes, I’ll send the jet to bring them right away,” he whispered the promise, watching her slowly soften.

“Torger...”

“Come on, honey, I know you’ll like it, trust me”

“Sure, we will, but we won’t go to races far from here, Toto.”

“What do you think of Spielberg and Spa?”

“I can’t believe you managed to get her, I’ve been trying since my time at McLaren, but she’s always said no,” Lewis said, teaching Agnes how to play with Roscoe, the bulldog lay on his back to receive petting from the girl.

“I almost begged for the intercession of some saint, you have no idea how hard it was,” Toto replied, placing the cap on Jack’s head. “You told me she was stubborn, but I hadn't imagined it was so much”

“She is, I thought I told you”

“Do I need to let you know that I’m still here?” she asked Jack, the boy shrugged in confusion.

The little boy approached Y/N and asked, "There's a box of Legos in my dad's office, can I take Agnes with me?"

Y/N smiled “sure, if she wants, but do you promise you’ll take care of her while you’re there?”

“Yep, I can! I’ll ask Jess to stay with us there.” He smiled, the same way Toto did that made her heart soften. Jack nudged Agnes gently, asking if she wanted to play with Legos. The girl's eyes lit up at the mention of the toy, she gave Roscoe one last pat before skipping after Jack, who was holding her little hand.

“I’ll appreciate it if you stop talking about me in the third person, you idiots,” she scolded, slapping both of their shoulders. Lewis muttered a curse and Toto laughed. “Now, I want to know if anyone is willing to show me the pitlane, I always saw it on TV and now that I'm here in person, I want to see everything”

“Sure, I'll take you schatzi, Lewis will have a debriefing with his mechanics and engineers to align the strategy for the last free practice session” Toto said, seeing the Briton snort before agree with a reluctant nod. “We'll be back in forty minutes, let Jess know if anything changes.”

“Sure, sure, as long as you two don’t hide in a dark alley and end up losing track of time...” he suggested, entering the small meeting room, where the team was already waiting for him, without hearing Toto and Y/N's insults.

Toto made a point of walking with Y/N throughout the pitlane, introducing her to whoever she wanted to meet, the Austrian contained his jealousy when he saw her acting like a groupie with Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz. But it was worth it, she was happy and that's what mattered.

“I didn’t know you were a Ferrari girl...” he tried to sound nonchalant, but Y/N laughed, noticing the jealousy bubbling beneath his polite disguise. Toto was not as discreet as he thought.

“I like Formula One because of my father, and he’s been obsessed with Ferrari since the Alain Prost era, I ended up inheriting his love for the Tifosi team,” she explained, crossing her hands behind her back. unable to hide her smile.

“Any chance you could become a Mercedes girl?”

“If Lewis tried to take me to the German side of Formula One and couldn't, you're not the one who's going to succeed.” Y/N gave a playful smile, seeing Toto close his eyes, but smile.

He made sure to take her to the paddock shop and get her and Agnes some souvenirs — all Ferrari, even though he really wanted to replace the prancing horse with the three-pointed star.

“I hate to admit it, but you look great in red. Damn,” he said, placing the cap on her, admiring her wide smile. Although to Toto, she was beautiful anyway.

“Listen up Toto, I’m beautiful no matter what. I mean, is that any way to compliment me?” she said, laughing all the while letting her ego grow a little.

Toto wanted so much to kiss her there, Y/N was radiant under the mild sun of Spielberg. Without the worry lines, the frown, she seemed even more stunning in his eyes. Only God and himself knew how hard he was trying not to kiss her, but Toto would respect her limits, he would make Y/N want to kiss him too, Toto hoped, fervently hoped that she would reciprocate his feelings, so he would wait.

He would wait for her however long it took.

One year before...

“You shouldn’t have given in to Agnes’ blackmail, I know you’ve been very busy with your work and Red Bull has been a thorn in your side… Really Toto, you didn’t have to come… And you even brought his kids along! They certainly had better things to do...”

Toto clicked his tongue, dismissing her concern. He pointed to Rosa, Benedict, Jack, and Agnes gathered in a corner of the school theater.

“I would never miss Agnes’ first play, Y/N, and that’s not up for discussion, and as for the kids, they insisted so much on coming, they love Agnes as much as I do, I didn't even insist, they themselves said they would come”

Her heart gave a huge jump inside her chest, Y/N could bet that if there wasn't a sternum there, Toto could see how much her heart was racing. For some time now she had noticed that her feelings towards Toto were changing, the way he was always around, the way Toto made a point of being her support in difficult times, she could no longer ignore that imagining life without Toto was almost absurd, the idea of moving away from him was ridiculous. Not that that would happen, Y/N did not intend to be away from him.

“Thank you for coming, Torcer, it’s important for both of us to have you all here”

It wasn't long before Agnes waved at you and ran backstage, then Rosa, Benedict and Jack returned to their seats, she didn't expect to get along so well with Toto's children, but to her — pleasant — surprise, Toto's heirs adored her, came to her house whenever they could, and included Agnes in whatever activities they were doing in London.

“She looks so cute! I can’t wait to see her in the bee costume!” Rosa said, clapping her hands, eager for the play to begin.

Benedict agreed with a murmur, “I thought she would be nervous, but the ladybug is quite calm.”

Y/N smiled, she felt so happy to know that her daughter was loved, cared for by people who, in theory, shouldn't even know of her existence.

She clutched Toto's hand tightly, anxious as the lights dimmed and the curtains parted, revealing the carefully painted stage, Agnes and her classmates in their places. The girl was not the protagonist, but he stood out, drawing laughter from the audience when he made some clearly improvised jokes. Y/N couldn't hold back the tears of pure pride, Agnes didn't show any nervousness, the stages seemed to be her natural habitat and she moved elegantly in front of the audience.

Toto slid his thumb across the back of Y/N's hand, without taking his eyes off the stage, he wasn't even paying attention to the other children, the businessman's eyes were fixed on Y/N's daughter. It was clear how much Toto loved Agnes and how much he cared for her.

“She's perfect, isn't she?” he said softly to Y/N, watching her nod as she cried silently, unable to stop smiling. Toto finally understood what had made him fall madly in love with Y/N since the first time he saw her: Y/N was overflowing with love, unconditionally and sincerely and ever since, he wished he could be enveloped, blessed by the love she emanated so strongly without realizing it.

“Yes, she is”

The rest of the play was filled with tears, laughter, and pride intertwined with genuine love. Y/N understood that there was no way to push Toto away, Wolff loved Agnes as if she were his blood, Toto loved her, he could no longer deny that Toto had become so deeply embedded in their lives that there was no way to pull him out.

“Toto!!” Agnes came running to them, she had already taken off her costume, but she still had makeup on, simply the cutest thing in the world. Y/N's heart pounded as she saw Toto pick up Agnes and throw her into the air, making the little girl laugh out loud "You really came to see me!!"

“I would never miss your first piece, little bee,” he said, leading her to the middle of the circle where Y/N, Jack, Rosa, Benedict and the Hamiltons were. “You were perfect up there, weren’t you scared?”

“Nope, I knew you would be here with mommy, so I looked to you guys whenever I felt scared” she confessed, blushing under the bee makeup. Y/N picked up the girl and kissed her non-stop, until Agnes laughed out loud, nestled in her mother's embrace. “My makeup, mommy!”

“You’re still beautiful, little bee! I’m so proud of you, you were the most beautiful in the play!”

It wasn't long before Agnes jumped off Y/N's lap and went to receive congratulations from Lewis and his relatives, and Y/N was wrapped in Toto's arms, feeling his soft kiss on her hair. .

“When are you two going to start dating?” Rosa asked, seeing them both blush.

Despite the blush on his cheeks, Toto was undeterred. “Whenever Y/N wants, and no matter how long it takes, I will wait.”

Y/N lost the rhythm of her heartbeat, her eyes wide and her mouth open, she didn't expect Toto to confess — if that wasn't a confession of feelings, then she was going crazy — in front of her children. Jack clapped excitedly, Rosa and Benedict smiled knowingly. Everyone who really mattered seemed to support their union, she just had to agree.

She stammered, not knowing exactly what to say and Toto smiled, sliding his thumb along the curve of her cheek “Take your time, Y/N, I’ve waited my whole life to find you, waiting for the rest of my life for you is a privilege”

Without thinking much, she wrapped her fingers in his shirt and kissed him, taking Toto by surprise, the children made a sound of disgust and moved away.

“You don’t have to wait, Toto. We’re on time,” she murmured as she pulled away, watching him smile before kissing her again.

Weeks after the play...

Y/N was surprised by Jack coming to tell her that Susie wanted to talk to her. The boy said that his mother was trying to contact Y/N, but her phone was listed as unreachable. Since the beginning of her official relationship with Toto, Y/N had been persecuted by the media, being labeled as a lover and home wrecker, several gossip tabloids, aggressive fans and other news sources claiming that she had been the pivot in the end of the relationship of one of the most beloved couples in the paddock. Since then she had blocked all calls from unknown numbers and avoided talking to strangers about her relationship with Toto. Not that she cared about other people's opinions, those who really mattered agreed and that was enough.

She entered the café that Susie had suggested and found the blonde at a table in the distance, Toto's ex-wife was absorbed in a book and didn't see her arrive.

“Sorry I’m late, the traffic was crazy,” he explained, putting his coat on the chair before sitting down. Susie gave a knowing smile and called the waiter over.

“Don’t worry, I should have suggested a quieter time...” she said and the two ordered, making small talk to break the awkward atmosphere. The waiter took their orders, They both ate in uncomfortable silence and Susie finally introduced the subject. “I was one of the first people to know about Toto’s interest in you.”

“I figured so, you and Toto spent a lot of time together... It was only natural that you ended up friends after the breakup...”

“I'm grateful that you understand and even if you do, I want to emphasize that I don't have any romantic feelings for him, and that brings me to the reason that brought us here” the blonde placed the cup on the table and looked at Y/N. “I don’t intend to get in the way of your relationship, I’m happy that Toto has finally found what he’s always been looking for and for you too, obviously.”

Y/N was not surprised by Susie's behavior, Toto had said several times that his ex-wife was noble and fair. She expected Susie to behave that way, like a true lady.

“I should say you’re lucky to have him in your life, but I suspect Toto is the luckiest one in the whole thing,” she said with a half smile. “I wish we could get along, our children adore each other and I don't want to take Jack away from Agnes, I suppose you feel the same way”

“Yes, you’re right, they really like each other and I love Jack, he’s a sweet boy and I would be devastated if I couldn’t have him around, so of course Susie, I think it’s great if we can get along.”

“Excellent! Jack talks so much about you and Agnes that I’ve been curious for years, and I understand, at least in part, why he seems to like you so much...” Susie said, causing Y/N to blush and widen her eyes.

“Uh, well, he also said amazing things about you and also made me very curious to meet you, it’s easy to see where his sympathy came from.” She said, as if telling a secret and they both laughed.

They spent hours talking and ordering more coffee, finding more common ground than they expected, neither of them considered the idea of ending up forming a bond, but at the end of that meeting, Susie and Y/N could expect that a friendship was blossoming.

When he arrived home, he found Agnes, Jack, Rosa and Benedict playing Twister in the middle of the living room while Toto worked at the kitchen table. In all the time she lived in that apartment, she never found the space small, after all it was just her and Agnes almost always, alone, however with Toto and the children staying with them — Y/N would never allow them to stay in a hotel, claiming she would be offended if they didn't —, The apartment seemed really small, but she didn't mind. She loved bumping into the kids or Toto. They made her house feel even more like home.

“Mommy!” Agnes broke free from the knot they had formed in the game, knocking the other three over without noticing and ran into Y/N’s arms “Do you want to play Twister with us?”

“Agnes?!” Jack yelled seconds before he was buried by Rosa and Benedict, making the older brothers laugh at him. The three of them stood up, rubbing their arms and legs that were sore from the game and Jack went with Agnes, curious to know what had happened at the meeting with Susie.

“I doubt I can play Twister as well as you guys, so next time, little bee,” Y/N replied, patting Agnes’ cheeks before ruffling Jack’s blond hair. “Susie is great, I hope she can have lunch with us sometime,” she said, feeling Toto’s searching gaze on her.

“How about you guys go take a shower so we can go out to dinner?” Toto suggested, joining the group in the middle of the room, he heard the excited screams of the children, fighting over who would enter the bathroom first, only when the doors closed did Toto turn to Y/N “how it was?"

“Susie is amazing, I didn’t lie about that, we get along well, I know she’s important to you and of course, to Jack... I can say that she and I are friends”

Toto breathed a sigh of relief, he didn't expect the two to end up fighting, but he was afraid that their personalities would end up clashing, both Susie and Y/N were temperamental...

“I’m glad you understood each other, family gatherings are going to be busy from now on,” he commented, wrapping his arms around the woman’s waist and he made a point of kissing every inch of her face, making Y/N laugh. It didn't take long for Y/N to lift her face and allow Toto to kiss her however he wanted, calm that there was someone who wouldn't leave her, who wouldn't be temporary. Toto had earned his place in her and Agnes' hearts with patience, he persevered until he finally managed to stay.

“Thank you for staying, Toto...” she tried to continue, but Toto kissed her again.

“It’s not something that needs thanking, schatzi,” he murmured, cupping her cheeks, “I’ve already made it clear that I’ll wait for you for as long as it takes, no matter what.”

Y/N felt her heart expand with all the feeling Toto poured over her, the certainty of his words digging deep into her soul, intertwining the calm and hope of finally having someone in your life, someone to hold on to when things weren't firm under your feet. Someone to take care of your heart.