#think that's the first time i've officially met that mechanic in person

[riftclaw]

one of my most inconvenient mental health Symptoms is i just suddenly become unable to make phone calls

i don't know why. put me in front of a human person and i will not shut the fuck up. phone calls? complete inability. sometimes the vyvanse can break through it but apparently we're in a shitty enough headspace lately that isn't the case rn

so i just fucking. got in the car and drove out to the mechanic to schedule a service bc i gotta admit it's probably better for me to get out of the house for a bit also

[tgirltango]

For the MCYT summer of yuri event.

Tags: Bagi/Tina (QSMP), AU - normal life, mechanic Tinakitten, teacher OiBagi, mentioned/brief appearance of side character Cellbit, Bagi and Cellbit are siblings, mechanic cellbit, first date, meetcutes

Bagi gets ready to have lunch with Tina...

She’s not sure if it’s a date officially, but she really likes this woman.

She first met the mechanic at the auto shop her brother worked at by chance only. It just so happened she kept meeting her over the course of a few weeks of repeated random car trouble. Could Bagi have asked her brother to fix it at home, instead of going out of her way to the shop so much?

... well, yes, but somehow it always seemed more convenient to bring it directly to Tina, it just so happening to be while the auto shop was busy enough that Cellbit would be in the back. When he found out where Tina's stellar reviews had come from recently, Bagi's brother chewed her out about being so irresponsible over a crush.

“You think I raised you to hurt your poor car? It’s your responsibility to look after it, just tell me when something is broken and I've always always fixed it - for free! Everyone is fine, your wallet is fine, your car is healthy. And now what do I do? I go to work and everyone says, oh, there goes Cellbit, with the car-murdering sister, hope he doesn’t treat my cars so roughly. Bagi, you’re setting a bad example!” Bagi “yeah, yeah”ed and agreed that she should probably stop racking up so much in mechanic bills. She needs to face her subconscious motivations and ask Tina if she might like to meet outside of work.

Well, the day came, and Bagi was glad of it. She would have been happy anyway because it was the weekend, after a long week of corralling children who should really be old enough to know better but are instead only old enough to know they can cause chaos. But she spent the morning hours of light wondering what she was going to say to Tina. She didn’t often go on dates, and she really liked Tina. The mechanic was always so fun to talk to, and seemed totally engaged with her even when sticking her head shoulders-deep into the guts of her poor mistreated car. She was drawn to Tina’s personality, and felt all kinds of romantic stuff for her that she hoped could one day bloom into a relationship.

First, though, she needs to make a good impression.

Bagi wears her favorite baseball hat, because she’s going out, not going to school, so she doesn’t have to follow dress code and lead her kids by example (not that it works - the students are always wearing hats and goofing off. It's one of their endearing quirks that no matter how many hats are confiscated in class, they will always show up with another.). She picks out a “casual weekend get-together” outfit that looks nice and waits for Tina to pick her up at the scheduled time.

Tina, being holed up at the auto shop all day and tired of her greasy canvas uniform, had dressed up with style that belied the way she usually appeared to Bagi - when she has car trouble and needs it fixed in the middle of the day, Bagi comes to Tina’s work where she’s synonymous with sturdy and khaki work gloves, taupe coveralls and boots that wouldnt be harmed stepping on a lost screw. By contrast now, when she hears a beep outside her house she sees that Tina is sporting a cute, elegant dress and a makeup look that she learns during the car ride is called “mob wife makeup”, which Tina saw online as it had risen as a current trend to try. Somehow, she doesn’t feel underdressed in comparison to the high glamour influences, though she regrets her shorts a little when the summer heat leaves her peeling her legs slowly off the passenger seat upon arrival. Tina helps her out of the car and they turn to the restaurant’s menu to decide if what they discussed being hungry for in the car was really what they wanted to order.

As they take their seats, Bagi adjusts her collared shirt and finds herself looking at Tina instead of the names of the food items.

She was honestly stunning, slaying the house down, and Bagi hardly tasted the first few bites of her pasta when their food arrived until…

“Here,” says Tina, “try mine.” She put a few different pieces on her fork and held it out to Bagi.

Bagi felt like she was in a painting as she leaned forward and accepted the bite of food from Tina’s fork. Either that or on a prank channel. Something was playing in slow motion, and all she could do was hope she didn't look stupid.

The food was delicious. Bagi chewed and watched Tina take some from her plate to try.

“It’s good shrimp, right?” Tina says before taking a bite of pasta. “Hey, that’s pretty good too!”

Bagi smiles. “Yeah, tastes great.” She privately debates whether she’s brave enough to say “You look great, too," without it sounding stupid and cliche.

The decision is left unmade as Tina responds in the pause. Bagi likes hearing Tina talk. Her voice is nice, even when it’s not explaining her car to her for the third time in a week. She might be a little nervous about this possibly-date still, but at least they’re in it together. Their sides arrive, and they clear a bit of space on the table.

“I want you.”

“Huh?” she says stupidly.

Tina clears her throat and looks up at the menu on the wall again. “I said do you want anything for dessert?”

Bagi might be losing her hearing, then. “I usually go for a chocolate cheesecake for a dessert, but that’s usually for a dinner, so it’s a little early in the day.” She looks to the menu too. “Maybe a fruit soda float?”

“Yeah? Awesome. I wasn’t trying to have a date hinging on dinner right now either,” Tina says, and Bagi’s heart skips. So it is a date! Has been, even. “- because I heard from my cousin that he got food poisoning at the last dinner he ate out for. Man, that sucks cuz he’s a yapper too so he was real in-depth about it. This lunch is great though. I guess there wasn’t really a risk of it relating, cuz he was at a Chili’s in a different state, which really doesn’t say anything about the possible, like, quality of the food here. I dunno, it was on my mind though. Whatever.” Tina’s face is so pretty, but the makeup doesn’t hide her ears going pink.

“I think food should never poison you.” Bagi facepalmed mentally, and kept going to make it make sense. “I mean, it’s - food. We’ve had it for all of history, or we wouldn’t be alive, no? We should have figured out a way to make it not poison you. Food poisoning should never exist. Just take out the poison!”

Tina cackles, agreeing. “You’re so smart, Bagi. They need to make you President!”

The date goes well. Lunch at the restaurant turned out to be less expensive than two mechanic jobs, but not by that much, so they resolve to try a different restaurant next time to try to save their wallets from this becoming just as regular an expense. Tina drives with a steady hand, humming along to the song on the radio, and Bagi notices that the tiny stuffed animal hanging from the windshield is not just decoration, but also scented. It smells like sweet tea and candy fruits. Tina tells her she started buying scented plushies for the car after the time she rescued a stray kitten on the street and it immediately peed inside, laughing. Bagi might be in love.

Tina stops in front of her door and walks her up to the house, chivalrous. Bagi unlocks the door with the key around her neck and then pauses in the doorway, unsure but not wanting to see Tina leave yet.

“Do you wanna come in?” Bagi asks, scuffing her sneakers on the welcome mat. The afternoon sun brings out the teal highlight contrasts in Tina’s shining dress. She looks good standing in front of Bagi's house. She thinks she'd like to see her in this place every day, wherever her home is.

Tina takes the invitation and Bagi brings her in to sit on the couch and keep talking. She tells her about the board games in the living room closet and Tina tells her which ones she knows how to play and which ones she never got the hang of, or just haven't tried yet. “Maybe we could have a game night one of these days.”

That makes Bagi smile. “I always hear about themed times, like some kid’s family will have a dedicated Thursday night is Spaghetti Night or something. It seems cute, and I don't do enough activities. We should do that someday.”

She doesn’t feel brave enough for a first-date cuddle or kiss, but when the hour gets late she microwaves a bowl of Cellbit’s boyfriend’s soup that he brought over in a big container the other day, and they clink spoons and make airplane noises and look at the neighbor’s dog playing in their yard with fallen leaves and golden hour daylight.

“I hope that just because we have another date to plan doesn't stop you from coming to my shop after school in the meantime,” Tina tells Bagi at the door. “You’re allowed to come and talk to me, keep me company. You don't need to break your car every time, or it’ll be too long in between. I’ll miss youuuu.”

“No, don’t come,” Cellbit says, having come home from work while they were having dinner. "Let my mechanics focus on their work!”

“-youuuuur food, I’ll miss her coffee and bringing snacks, Cellbit, jeez.” Tina spins the words. “Aren't we allowed food breaks?”

“No, starve!” Cellbit says, laughing from the kitchen. “Fine, keep distracting Tina.”

Bagi laughs and laughs. In a flurry of bravery, she holds Tina's arm and kisses her face under the early moonlight. All blush now, she stands back and waves as Tina winks at her before driving off. She stands by the door for a few minutes, daydreaming about their next date, before Cell yells at her to come inside and stop staring at the road like a crazy person.

And maybe she is crazy. A little bit crazy in love.

[sgcairo]

Heya! Wanted to ask a question, hope you don't mind! Oh, and also I wanted to gush about this idea.

In your universe, is Dottore from Sumeru or is he perhaps mixed in ancestry? Yesterday I came across this fantastic fan-comic of him as a kid, and the artist headcanoned him as just albino, with both of his parents being dark-skinned.

I've read the Mamatorre stuff and I woke up my dad from screaming with joy. I'm not one to praise representation much because most of the time it's butchered, but, the fact that Dottore being Sumerian is canon in the game is what makes him such a curious case to me.

Oh, and- Dottore speaking Arabic is nice to think about-

Now, this is a tricky ask, and I definitely sat on this for a while so I could give a good and accurate answer, sorry about that. But what I have come to the conclusion of is that the Dottore in my mind and the Dottore that Hoyoverse officially let out of gay baby jail are very different.

First and foremost, I do not agree with the fact that they took all the melanin from his skin, give it back you cowards- and they made him so... I don't even know how to describe it. They made him squishy, I was expecting pointy. His design is also very random, and I think this plays into this ask fairly well, as I believe very firmly that his clothes would take after a more Snezhnayan design, but have touches of Sumeru woven into them for emotional comfort, rather than the uh... The thing that we got. I can't even look at it, it haunts me. I'm definitely not vibing with the in-game design for very specific reasons.

Now, no matter how angry I may be as a writer and artist about his official design, one thing stands true in all my renditions of him: His mother is from Sumeru. Her parents are descended from the people of the desert, and while she may live tucked away in a western corner of Avidya forest, she belongs to the lands of Sumeru, and very much looks it. Her skin has a coppery color to it, her hair is bleached a bit from the sun, and her accent is quite a bit stronger than her son's, but she's been living in the rainforest since she was little, and doesn't plan on leaving anytime soon.

But, as much as I hate saying it, I actually can't say all that much about Dottore's father, but only because I kind of threw him in a corner and forgot about him for a while. He collected dust while I fawned over Dottore's eccentric mom, and I'm still working out the details of his backstory. What I can say is that he worked in mechanics, and met Dottore's mother while on a business trip to the Akademiya, which included him nearly fainting of fright after she popped out of a flower bed covered in dirt and muttering ominously to herself. But as for where he's from, I'm not putting down a definitive answer, but mostly because I'm still deciding in that aspect.

Not to worry about his physicality though, Dottore got everything from his mother (except for his height).

For some more juicy details, because I love digging into the meat of Dottore's backstory- Dottore's mother is named Hikmat, though she does insist that outsiders call her Magdalena. Why? It may have been due to her husband, and his quite frankly horrible demands, but that is a statement to be speculated over. However, Dottore just calls her ma', or "mother", if he's with Pantalone. It's rare that the segments use her name either, as Dottore's own affection has rubbed off on them quite a bit. But she has names for all of them, and nicknames (she calls them all "habibi" a lot, and they all love it) that she remembers distinctly for each.

As for Dottore's connections to Sumeru, he does not like the cold. At all. He's not used to it, and certainly won't admit to being miserable with little to no sunlight from the eternal winter in Snezhnaya. When he does visit his homeland, he's rejuvenated to the point that Pantalone has remarked several times that he's like a whole different person. The same can't be said for his mother, she's never seen snow before and loves it. It helps that the Tsaritsa is there to enable her curiosity in that regard, and the first time she came to Snezhnaya, she spent hours running around outside Zapolyarny, and had to be lured back inside before she froze to death when night fell.

Dottore can also definitely speak some Arabic, or the Teyvat equivalent of it. His Snezhnayan is still a little rough, even after centuries of practice, and he falls into the habit of cursing and muttering to himself in his mother tongue when he's extremely focused or stressed. He knows many languages, and has reason to use them, but he'll always fall back to his roots, as many a poor Fatui soul has learned, after being cursed out in a language they may or may not even know.

As such, the point stands: if you ever ask Dottore where he's from, he'll 100% say he's from Sumeru, without a doubt. No matter where his father is from, he loves his mother and what she has given him too much to let that part of him go.

I'm sorry this wasn't a hard stop answer, but I hope this answered your question at least a little! I'll be sure to reblog this when I come to a final conclusion, but I'll have to see where my brain takes me on this one.

[spaceratprodigy]

OC Questionnaire

Thank you for the tags @bokatan @the-lastcall 💖💕

[ Faith and Iris OC Questionnaire ]

👇🖤 Maril Fun Facts! 🖤👇

Legal Name:

💙 – "The name's Maril Highwind, daughter of Cid Highwind!"

Nickname:

💙 – "Well, I don't got an official nickname per se.. Papa Cid and everyone called me all sorts of things growing up. I think my favorite is when Papa calls me his little starlight tho."

Gender:

💙 – she/her

Orientation:

💙 – bisexual and probably somewhere on the ace spectrum

Star Sign:

💙 – "I'm not sure when my real birthday is. Papa says it was late March when he found me so we always celebrated the day he took me in." Maril taps her chin in thought. "I think that would be Aries, yeah?"

Height:

💙 – "I'm 5 foot 6 without shoes!"

Nationality:

💙 – n/a

Favorite Fruit:

💙 – Maril smiles and looks at the floor. "I've never seen one myself, but I've heard all sorts of stories about paopu fruit. They say if two people share one, their destinies become intertwined and they'll remain a part of each other's lives no matter what. Isn't that just dreamy sounding?" She twiddles her fingers while bouncing her leg. "I suppose the question was more referring to fruits I have tried, huh.. I really like citrusy things I suppose! They're pretty yummy!"

Favorite Season:

💙 – "Funnily enough, I never really thought about my favorite season until I visited Twilight Town for the first time!" A smile flashes across Maril's face, fond memories filling her mind. "Traverse Town was always kind of the same and Hollow Bastion, well.." she trails off, thinking about home. "Anyway," she moves along "summer in Twilight Town was unforgettable and really meant a lot to those I met there. For the experience alone, I think I'm a big fan of the summertime."

Favorite Flower:

💙 – hydrangea, morning glory, sunflower

Favorite Scent:

💙 – "Papa would get a good laugh out of me saying something like oil or grime, but it's true! I already love being a gummi ship mechanic and all the smells of my shop remind me of growing up and Papa Cid teaching me everything he knows!" The excitement in Maril's voice pops, her smile radiates so much warmth, it's hard not to join in. "I have a certain fondness for ink, parchment, wood, and the smell of dusty old books as well. Reminds me of my other favorite teachers! Merlin taught all my academics and we mayyy or may not have dabbled in magic." She winks. "Geppetto taught me how to read blueprints and design gummi ships!" Maril puckers her lips and looks away in thought. "My newest favorite scent, gosh, it has to be all of the delicious food cooking around Twilight Town! I've never smelled anything so good in my life!"

Coffee, Tea, or Hot Chocolate:

💙 – "Hot Cocoa!"

Average Hours of Sleep:

💙 – "Papa always said I needed my full 8 hours! But.." she taps her fingers "sometimes nowadays I stay up a lil later than I should. I just get so excited to work on projects!"

Dog or Cat Person:

💙 – "Both are super cute! If I had to choose one, I think I'd have to go with dogs? Between you and me.." she leans in close "I think a crow would be a wicked cool animal friend to have!"

Dream Trip:

💙 – "I kind of miss Traverse Town, but I doubt I'll ever be able to visit it again outside of my dreams. I love helping Papa and everyone rebuild Hollow Bastion tho, I know how much their home means to them and how important it is for them to be back. Aerith told me it was once called Radiant Garden, and gosh, it sounds like it was so beautiful in her stories. I can go on and on about all my favorite worlds that I'd like to visit again. Twilight Town, 100 Acre Wood, The Grid–" Maril caught her breath and a wave of sadness glazed over her eyes. She blinks hard a couple times. "I've heard stories about other places I'd like to visit as well.. Tink keeps telling me about her home world, Pixie Hollow she says it's called! I think that's where we'll go next!"

Favorite Fictional Character:

💙 – "Technically speaking I did meet Pooh Bear in that old book of Merlin's, so I think Pooh would count as a storybook character?" Maril thinks hard about the cast of characters she's met in her life and the complicated nature of some of their existences and meetings. "I have.. I have another answer.." her voice softens in a way rarely heard by others. "It's.. I don't know.. I suppose there's some debate about how real some others consider him.. but.. Tron.. my dear friend, Tron.."

Number of Blankets They Sleep With:

💙 – "Oh golly, at least 2 or 3 usually I would say! I love being warm and cozy!"

Random Fact:

💙 – Maril fell in love with gummi ships growing up, all thanks to Cid! It became her dream to be the best gummi ship mechanic across the stars. Besides learning from Cid and Geppetto, she also became Chip and Dale's apprentice when she first sets off from home. As the story progresses, she helps make advancements in other gummi tech beyond the gummi phone. Kind of related but I won't get fully into it now: when she finds out what CLU did in The Grid and is forced to face Rinzler, she becomes very devoted to attempting to save him and fix his code.

open tag to anyone who wants to jump in!

[springlock-suits]

Some fun little tidbits that didn't really fit with the longer lore rambles about my version, but felt too short to get their own posts

.

William Afton: ADORES the circus and clowns. Absolutely collects those clown porcelain dolls you always see at thrift stores. If he never met Henry he probably would've just been a professional clown or something

I don't mean this in a rude way at all and I will not be accepting clownslander at this time

Phone Dude: there are SO many I could give to him but Furby Customizer speaks the most to me right now

Henry Emily: ignoring his love for animatronics, he also really liked arcades! Arcade cabinets and games of all of sorts. I do not know his opinions on pinball however

Also liked murder mystery games n movies. But ah. I think he might have stopped liking those

He would enjoy camping I think. I can imagine him being good at survival in the woods and such, but hm can he fish?

Michael Afton: Would love animal jam. And of course loves those TV drama shows. Actually just for that I'm gonna give him a hc based on my great grandma who loved tv operas, he collects fancy dishes and likes apple themed things. Would have a tiny dog if he trusted himself to take care of it properly, Helpy is a good tiny dog substitute

Mrs Afton: Very much enjoyed dancing and ballerinas. When William was buying clown dolls he would also be on the lookout for ballerina dolls or figures to give her. She definitely owned like at least one ballerina music box

.

Fun fact! In my lore Springtrap named himself that, and wasn't given an "official" name by Fazbear Fright's staff. However Peter (phone dude) liked to call him Wallace

.

I'm thinking that Evan witnessing William's springlock failure definitely played a part in his fear of animatronics. Because I've already put that before the bite in my lore's timelime

.

I know it wasn't really meant to be seen as this but-

I take the fnaf 2 phone calls (first night specifically) as implying the 87 location is the first to have walking/freeroam animatronics, at the very least the first to let them leave stage while open

Foxy go go go is generally seen as before that, being in '85 location most likely. So it's fun to imagine that the foxy running is just a guy in a suit who's about to have a terrible day

.

It's not strictly important when or why. but Elizabeth and Mrs. Afton died at the same time in my au, and it was at least before the baby animatronic could even be considered

This is because I removed Sister Location from my lore. And I'm not sure what to do with Elizabeth now. If anyone helps me come up with a good idea, though, I'd definitely consider bringing her back! I miss her </3

She'll still have to die around the time she did in canon though, so yknow

.

Evan and Elizabeth collected My Little Pony together, and later would've collected Ips too

.

"Tell us about Vanessa!"

Right off the bat I can tell you my Vanny and Vanessa are the same person! No weird secret double confusion like what sb did, they're the same!

While I'm still not sure if Security Breach exists in my au, Vanessa is definitely staying anyway! I'm determined to squeeze her in somehow, she's so much fun to work with ^v^

(I wonder if I can work Glamrock Springbonnie into my version's Security Breach somehow. I'm definitely gonna try >:)

The hardest part about adding vanny (and security breach as a whole) is that my version of William isn't nearly as determined to kill kids as canon, I think the first dip in old man consequences' lake wouldve stopped him. BUT! He STILL hates fazbear ent, so now I'm imagining that instead of possessing Vanny to kill kids, his ghost(?) just tries to convince her to try and close the place down. Causing mechanical failures and breakdowns and such. I think that'd be fun ^v^!!

Less of murder and more of shenanigans

Also also, bonus fact. William is definitely bothering Vanessa specifically because she looks like Elizabeth. Vanny and Jeremy are both characters he sorta mentally adopts because they remind him of his dead children

[delightfuldevin]

Hellooooooo!! Can I bother you for some headcanons on the Koopalings? I've been thinking about them a lot recently gkjhkgsf. Personality, Likes/Dislikes, Orientation, Ages, Koopa Breed, where they came from; anything you got think thonks about them on pretty please!!

Hello hello!! Ask and yee shall receive! I’ve written out a lot of stuff about them for my lore fic, but I haven’t polished it yet so that’s why it hasn’t been published with the rest of the fic! Under a cut this time since there’s seven of them and thus, this is gonna be looong

I’ll start with orientations since it’s pride month and I can’t bring myself to draw yet ;^; (also ages cause I should probably figure those out eventually lol).

(Added some headers to separate this so it’s a bit easier to navigate!)

Genders, Orientations, and Ages

Larry (he) - binary trans boy; straight (at least 12, maybe 13?)

Morton (he) - cis; aro-spec polyamorous (14-ish?)

Wendy (she/fae) - trans demigirl/genderfae/Idk some kind of girl-but-not-girl gender hdchjsxbjchjsx; lesbian polyamorous (15 or 16)

Iggy (he/they/ze) - genderqueer; gay (16 perhaps?)

Roy (he/they) - agender; bisexual polyamorous (17 or 18)

Lemmy (any pronouns) - genderfluid; panromantic asexual (18-ish)

Ludwig (he) - cis; aroace (18-20 Idk hdbcdcsjab)

Species/Biology

In terms of species, they’re the same as Bowser, which I call Dragon-Koopas! They are typically larger and physically stronger than most other types of Koopas, and they’re capable of breathing fire and using magic, though the latter depends on how much magical potential they have. All the past rulers of the Koopa Kingdom have been Dragon-Koopas. There are Dragon-Koopa families who aren’t royalty, though many are nobility in some way. Biological features include:

spiked shells, which come in many colors, that are unable to be separated from the body (unlike regular Koopas, who can remove their shells)

the flame pipe, an internal organ that produces fire and keeps the fire from burning other organs

very large and sharp teeth (Dragon-Koopas’ diet is primarily meat)

longer tails (for balance)

hair (only a few other types of Koopas are capable of growing hair)

“giant form”, a defense mechanism developed during puberty which causes Dragon-Koopas to grow many times their size when they have been mortally wounded (can also be affected by mental state)

Sorry to go on a biology rant hdbcjjds. Moving on!

Origins

Larry, Wendy, and Ludwig are the only ones related by blood. All the Koopalings arrived at Bowser’s Castle at different times (though all during childhood, perhaps within a year or so?), and eventually came to see each other as siblings.

Ludwig’s parents worked in Bowser’s Castle. When Larry was around 3 years old, their parents (died? Disappeared? Not sure yet dhbcjxcb). Bowser took them under his wing (he didn’t officially adopt them yet) and named Ludwig his heir (Idk how royalty works irl so I’m not sure if he can technically do that, but oh well, this is the Koopa Kingdom and Bowser makes the rules lol).

Next to arrive were Roy and Morton. They were both orphans and met each other on the streets and became like brothers. Roy, being the hot-headed and impulsive child that he was, decided it would be a good idea to break into the king’s castle. When they were caught and Bowser was asked what to do with them, he put them on cleaning duty under the guide of the castle’s cleaning crew. Roy protested at first, but Morton convinced him to suck it up since he thought the king would do worse if they didn’t. Morton was always scared of Bowser and only started to warm up to him after Bowser Jr was born.

Next was Lemmy! He was part of a traveling circus and was left behind when the circus came to the capital. Wendy found him and brought him back to the castle to play with and convinced Bowser to let him stay.

Now, Iggy was the last to show up and it happened randomly without anyone even noticing until he was already settled in. Lemmy was the first to notice Iggy was in the castle, and they just played in his room most of the time. Most of the castle attendants had gotten used to seeing Dragon-Koopa kids running through the castle, so none of them thought it unusual when they would see Iggy around.

It was around this time that Bowser started referring to them collectively as the Koopalings cause he got tired of calling them individually whenever he needed more than a couple at a time. Back then, he didn’t keep track of them so he didn’t know how many there were in total. When he finally called them in to get a final count, there were seven of them and he didn’t question it. No one knows where Iggy came from, and he deflects the question whenever it’s brought up to him.

The Koopalings were officially adopted not that long before the, uh, “current” time for lack of a better term. Bowser Jr was actually very surprised, not because they were being adopted, but because they weren’t already. Like, they’ve been living with Bowser for longer than Jr’s even been alive, so he (understandably) thought they were already his siblings to begin with hbscjsbcjd. Thing is, everyone thought they were Bowser’s kids all this time and they practically were in principle; he just never made it official until very recently.

Extra

I have sooooo many headcanons on these guys, but for the sake of not making this post a mile long, I put 4 points for each. The rest will be added to my lore fic, so look out for that!!

Larry:

Very shy and afraid as a toddler so he stuck to Ludwig like glue since he’s his older brother; very outgoing and sociable now, and doesn’t even remember being shy lol

Loves to play games; video games, sports games, card games, board games. Anything so long as it’s a game

Hates losing so he cheats in almost everything; Morton is the only one who plays with him cause Mort’s the only one who doesn’t mind his cheating and won’t call him out on it

Despite his cheery demeanor, he has a rather short fuse and is easily angered

Morton:

Terrible at telling lies, but good at keeping secrets

Likes to bake; enjoys making cakes and cookies the most

He talks a lot. Like a lot. He’s shy around strangers, so one might think he’s the quiet type, but once he’s comfortable he will never stop talking

He is magically strong and physically strong too, making him the perfect balance amongst his siblings. However, he is known to take things overboard when it comes to his strengths, which makes him very unpredictable and dangerous in battle

Wendy:

Likes typically “girly” things like bows, make up, jewelry, and high heels, but not above violence to get what she wants

Known as “the scary one” amongst her siblings and many of the minions; the other Koopalings may not listen to Ludwig sometimes, but they all know to listen to Wendy

Her necklace can be used as a weapon like her rings; it’s a chain/whip

Gets into petty arguments with Roy a lot, usually over small things like which shade of pink is the best

Iggy:

Ambidextrous

Has a deep fascination with nature and all kinds of plants and animals

His Chain Chomp is named Horace

Does all of his experiments and inventing in his room and he’s accidentally destroyed it multiple times; stays in Lemmy’s room whenever his has to be rebuilt or fumigated

Roy:

The weakest Koopaling in terms of magic, and the strongest physically (though he and Morton are almost evenly matched); relies on brute force most of the time and doesn’t care about improving his magic

Has heterochromatic eyes (his right eye is dark purple and his left is bright blue)

Wears sunglasses because his eyes are extremely sensitive to light and it can be very painful; his sunglasses were magically created by Bowser

Has an exceptional sense of smell and hearing since he relied on those senses mainly before he got his glasses

Lemmy:

Used to have a very overactive flame pipe when he was younger (sometimes he would just be trying to talk and then all of a sudden a bunch of fire would come out); has better control over his flame pipe now and his is the strongest of his siblings (meaning he can breathe the most fire at once)

Enjoys dancing and abstract painting

Always on his rubber ball; he’s even been known to sleep on it (how he manages to stay balanced on it seems like magic in and of itself)

Naturally blonde; dyes the rest of his hair

Ludwig:

The strongest Koopaling in terms of magic; according to Kamek, with enough training, he could be the strongest Dragon-Koopa in modern history

He curses a lot, which is unexpected due to his somewhat princely personality

Considers himself the leader of the Koopalings; the others usually follow him, but sometimes they don’t cause they think he’s too bossy (he kinda is lol); trusts Wendy the most and puts her in charge when he can’t be

With Bowser Jr’s birth, he is no longer Bowser’s heir, but he has no animosity about it; rather, he’s decided that it’s his responsibility to make sure Jr grows into a proper king (kinda like he’s living vicariously through Jr lol)

Sorry if this isn’t coherent I really gotta put this stuff together properly for the lore fic dhbcjsnbdcsjs

[a-tale-never-told]

The Abode of a Mechanic.

*Monday, September 11th, Souda residence, Late afternoon*

Okay! It's almost finished! Just need to add the remaining components and we'll be ready to-

BEEP!

Huh? Well, who's coming around here at this time and hour? I was certainly sure that we wouldn't be getting any customers today.

*He peers his head out the window to see a green, small-sized car, outside of the entrance. Upon seeing this, Kazuichi puts down his tools and makes for the door to confront the stranger*

Hey! Come out of the car and show yourself! What are you doing at my house, uninvited? Show yourself, will ya?!

*The stranger does as told, coming out of the car and revealing himself*

Well, you never officially sent me an invitation to your house, so you really aren't on any grounds to complain about being uninvited to some special event.

Tch! Whatever, man. Forgive me for trying to protect my home from unwanted visitors like yourself. Now explain who you are and what the hell are you doing here before I force you out of the premises, okay?

My name's Hajime Hinata. I was driving to your house this afternoon to see if you could do me a little favor. See, one of my dad's cars got extremely damaged in a driving accident last weekend, and I was wondering if you could repair it? After all, you're the Ultimate Mechanic, right?

Well, yeah, I could. But you said your name is Hinata, right? Hajime Hinata, to be exact?

Y-Yeah? What's the matter with me introducing myself? Is something wrong?

...

Oh, so you're the guy Nanami was talking about! Well, that makes a whole lot more sense now, doesn't it?

*Kazuichi, without warning, frantically begins to shake Hajime's hand*

W-What are you doing?

Heh. Apologies for the rude welcome, pal. Didn't recognize you there for a minute. Name's Kazuichi Souda. I'm the Ultimate Mechanic. Nice to meet ya.

A pleasure to meet you as well, man. I've heard that you know me because of Chiaki, right? Do you know her?

Know her? I'm one of her classmates from Hope's Peak! She's a rather sweet-hearted gal, y'know? I'm supposing you're her old friend from the Reserve Course, aren't you?

Yeah. I've actually known her since when we were at elementary school together in Toyko. So, she's a very close friend to me personally.

Elementary? Dude, you've gotta tell me how you both met. Come to think of it, Chiaki never did tell me how she first met you. All I have gotten from her was that you two met when you were in the Reserve Course. There's so much history that I'm missing out on!

And why do you want to know about this in particular? Is it something that is truly valuable and important to you?

No, man! I just thought that it would be pretty cool and fascinating to hear about your history with Nanami, considering that she seems to have you in high esteem or something. So I just wanted to get your point of view on how you officially met Chiaki, considering that you're her childhood friend.

...

Well... I guess it couldn't hurt to at least explain to you the entire story of how we first met each other. But in the meantime, is there someplace where I can wash up a bit?

Sure thing, dude! The restrooms are on the left corner of the house if you need to wash yourself up. Considering that you look tired and sweaty, you might want to get a change of clothes the next time we meet, though.

I'll... be sure to keep that in mind.

Sweet! By the way, where's the car that you said needed repair? After all, your car looked pretty well refined and undamaged to me.

Well...*points to an incoming pickup truck* you'll see what I mean by that.

*Kazuichi turns his head around to see the pickup truck carrying the smoking, burnt remains of what was once a majestic car. The front hood, doors, and the rear bottom of the car had been torn off their hinges, and the windshields were absolutely shattered and all over the place. Two frontal tires were missing from the vehicle, while the other two looked flattened and deflated, and to top it all out, the interior looked as if it had caught fire*

Holy shit... how are you even still alive after that crash, man?!

Honestly, I have absolutely no idea as to how exactly I survived that to begin with. I got extremely lucky on that one, and considering the amount of car crashes that happen often, this was a particularly brutal one. I'm surprised that it took this long for anyone to pick this vehicle up.

Well, I'll... see what I can do from here. In the meantime, you just wash off and make yourself at home, alright? I'll let you know when I'm finished inspecting the damage to the car and how we're going to find a way to fix it if we even can repair it at this point.

Sure thing. Thanks again for letting me stay here man. I appreciate it.

No problem, man! It's the least I can do after treating you poorly earlier!

[monzabee]

OKAY TO PREFACE, YOU DO NOT HAVE TO RESPOND TO THIS!!! I JUST WANTED TO SHARE AND IT TURNED INTO A WHOLE RANT 😭😭😭

i recently got my friend into f1 and she SWEARS that i only got into watching it because me and my boyfriend are a f1 fanfic trope. (we’ve been together two years but i met him at my first ever job. i’ve been watching f1 since before i knew him). anyways, she says it’s the way we act on top of the obvious passenger princess X driver trope WHICH OKAY i am admittedly a horrible driver and so i think she’s onto something there and i thought it was funny so i wanted to tell a fellow f1 girlie.

SOOO my boyfriend is a master tech (a pro mechanic basically) and currently getting a degree in engineering. he can build a car from scratch, has worked with mercedes & audi & been offered jobs by literal luxury ass car brands that he had to turn down cause he’s doesn’t graduate for a couple more months. basically, he’s a car genius and hes not even 21 yet (subtle brag cause i’m his official hype woman). he wanted to get into racing as a kid but as he got older, felt like he was more interested in the building and fixing of cars then the actual racing, though he still LOVES racing himself it’s just not a career he wanted to pursue.

NOW OKAY, so he’s this amazing driver and builder car guy and when we met i didn’t even have a license and nobody trusted me enough with their car to practice cause im… not great. i have a habit of going way too fast but recklessly cause i have zero skills and also breaking way too hard. he actually took the time to teach me how to drive. 99% of the time i’m still a passenger princess and the 1% this man is gripping his fucking seat and giving me comments like (these are real ones too) “ooh don-annnnd you cut him off. okay. that’s fine,” “look that guy just flipped you off haha” “what? why?” “cause he had the right of way and you almost ran him over?” “BABE BABE BABE THIS IS ONLY AN EXIT” “WHY DIDNT YOU TELL ME SOONER?” “I THOUGHT YOU KNEW” “WELL CLEARLY NOT!!?” and the same exact conversation about me hitting a curb and he ‘thought i would notice and correct my mistake’ (spoiler: i didn’t. i never notice. i am a menace to the streets and a public safety hazard behind the wheel). there’s so much more. i literally ran over his neighbors mailbox the same exact night that i accidentally drove over the middle part of a traffic circle. our texts ab me driving are so funny i wish i could screenshot and send them on anon. the best thing though is he always makes fun of me and gives me shit but when i tell you if i even do a smidgen of a thing good or like correctly name a car type or brand or a car part his whole attitude changes and now he’s my biggest supporter and suddenly i am a fucking car pro.

ANYWAYS, LET ME NOT GIVE HIM TOO MUCH CREDIT CAUSE HE WOULD CALL ME CORNY! so he IS the best person for car related shit BUT in every other aspect i am the go to. i gotta type out his professional emails and explain that you can in fact NOT put that type of plastic in the microwave. hes good at math, cars, video games, speaking more than one language, being strong, and knowing how to swim but I TAKE THE CAKE IN EVERYTHING ELSE!!!

👻👻👻

SORRY THIS IS SO LONG! YOU DONT GOTTA REPLY !!!

OKAY I READ THIS WHEN I WAS LITERALLY LEAVING MY HOUSE LAST NIGHT BUT I THINK WE MIGHT BE THE SAME PERSON😭 i've had my driver's licence for five years but i swear everytime i get behind the wheel i feel like i've forgotten how to drive so i do prefer to be just a passenger princess. SO I GET YOU AND THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH IT AND I THINK IT'S BETTER THAN BEING THE DRIVER😭

also you boyfriend is an engineering student?? MINE IS TOO😭 the things he talks to me sometimes i totally don't get it at all but it is so funny every time he tries to teach me something about engineering because my humanities brain cannot handle it😭

ANYWAY READING THIS LAST NIGHT MADE ME SO EXCITED AND IT WAS SO CUTE SO THANK YOU FOR MAKING MY NIGHT😭🩷

[the-worms-in-your-bones]

The invasion of time (episodes 2 and 3):

'the matrix rejects the candidate' -> this seems to cause the doctor physical pain, the matrix can choose people, also it can probably see into his mind and see his intentions

'he is the matrix now, it can not reject him' -> the president becomes part of the matrix itself, idk if i have much to say about this, but something something the merging of technology and biology

self induced cataplexy as a defense mechanism -> this is treated as a completely normal thing, so it's probably just something that time lords can do

'high lords' -> what are the rankings within time lord society? who is allowed into the panopticon?

the doctor is taken to the chancellery to heal -> why there specifically?

outside of citadel is referred to as the outer world

leela knocks down two time lords with practically no effort -> love her for that, also says something about how these guards are 'trained' though (i'm very much on the side of them being largely ceremonial)

andred is wearing a gold breast plate -> ceremonial wear for the presidential induction?

the doctor talking about the alarms ringing in his head -> we can clearly hear the alarms out loud, but now that he is a part of the matrix and the matrix records everything that happens in the capitol, so it's probably at least somewhat in his head as well as out loud, which is not something i would personally want to experience (also something something being president of the time lords changes you in a physical sense, idk i think this gets talked about in alien bodies)

president gets referred to as 'excelency'

secret passages (can't remember if these were also in the last episode or not) -> these ones at least are voice activated, palm and retina also used to access things on gallifrey

chancellery guard continue to be a bit useless (this is not the last time this appears in my notes, but i don't think I'm going to write it down every time)

security control room is directly beneath the panopticon (on level 30)

why have a door between rooms when you can have an invisible force field -> still feel like that open wall type thing is kind of weird architecture, but whatever, that's not really the point here

'one of the highest security rated rooms in the citadel' -> referring to rodan's office, her job is basically traffic control, interesting what their priorities are

'that's their affair' -> in relation to not reporting that leela is there, doesn't want to get involved

'the guards and the time lords' -> some fascinating implications here, do you not need to be a time lord to be in the chancellery guard, or is this just a way of differentiating the guards from the political officials there

'i've passed the seventh grade' -> rodan what does this mean, how does time lord schooling work (and is this something i would understand if i was british or is she just saying shit?)

'i could never interfere, only observe'

'nothing can get past the transduction barrier'

love andred having absolutely no idea what to do with a jelly baby

borusa has a tapestry -> what is art like on gallifrey

there's ramps next to the stairs in like this one hallway -> gallifrey wheelchair accessible? (idk, feels like based on the other sets we've seen (and also when this was made) probably not, but i still wonder why this is there)

'i knew i'd like you, come in' -> you're letting a wanted alien you met ten minutes ago into a high security room, sure rodan, do that i guess

'no creature would dare' -> rodan in reference to someone approaching gallifrey -> what does this say about their reputation

'code beta three. an alien space craft within two spans' -> first use of spans (?), seems more like a measurement of distance here than time (something something the time lords relationship with time makes them slightly interchangeable? idk)

'raise the transduction barriers to factor five' -> they've got different levels of defense

alien invasion considered a red alert

everyone seems remarkably calm about the whole their planet is being invaded thing

'didn't you hear the lord presidents announcement, we must submit' -> yikes, doesn't even consider, you know, thinking for herself (like seriously no one is questioning him here, even borusa who doesn't seem happy about this)

'we are rational' 'you are cowards' -> leela have i mentioned that i love you (seriously though, i have problems with the whole 'companion leaves because she falls in love with a man she met ten minutes ago' thing, but i feel like leela was the perfect companion to end up on gallifrey, she is everything that a time lord isn't, yet she's the one that ends up living in their society for what i have to assume is hundreds of years, existing among them for so long that outsiders mistake her for a time lord)

also why the fuck are they putting leela in heeled boots, she wouldn't be wearing heeled boots (trust me on this, she told me herself) (like come on, she's a warrior, she's constantly running around, and they thought heeled boots were the correct costume choice?)

'the president need not apologize' he doesn't need to say thank you either it seems -> the president is treated more like a king or a god than a president

'you and the other time lords are singularly logical ... you also lack humor and imagination'

'my mind is too easy to read' -> not in the literal sense, they were just talking about mental shielding, but in the sense that he doesn't really know how to lie (adding this to my pile of evidence that narvin being a bad liar isn't actually all that detrimental to his job, time lords aren't as a whole creative enough for lying to be a thing they would need to know, and so much of their everything is based on their ability to change the truth (whether literally through timeline manipulation or just the perception of events) so they don't need to lie, they just need to make what they say the truth)

this part is just 'the polycule' in my notes (it's leela, rodan, and andred having a conversation)

there are time lords who aren't just blindly following the doctor's orders, but at this point it's like two people

well entirely unsurprisingly kelner is corrupt and power hungry

they get cloaks -> red for leela and a more maroon color for rodan

rodan has never left the citadel before this

'why are you scared?' 'it's all so natural'

show us gallifreyan plants you cowards, i know its more than just desert out there, i heard susan talking about those trees

kelner wants the presidency and is definitely willing to let the doctor die for this

the outsiders seems to immediately be able to tell that something is different about leela -> they make comments about her being odd, but not rodan, is it something int he way she's acting/dressed or something like what we see narvin doing in erasure (both?)

they're wearing shorts and what look to be short sleeves, but also heavy looking fur cloaks -> this really tells me a lot about gallifrey's environment, thanks (they're also all wearing headbands, but it seems pretty windy, so this one makes sense)

'an alien, that's dangerous' -> not time lords, but still have time lord attitudes about non gallifreyans it seems

rodan has little food capsules -> she also seems to never have eaten real food and wouldn't know what to even eat (says no to having ever had 'flesh or fruit')

'i'm so tired and cold' -> so gallifrey is cold then

the president doesn't have authority to order the chancellor to do anything under the constitution -> the one thing against the president having absolute power i guess (probably also makes chancellor a very desirable position) (well, unless you're narvin)

'acting vice president' -> they have a vice president?

love the doctor just fucking with kelner

'the quantum force field around galllifrey' -> seems to be a different thing to the transduction barriers, have the ability to vaporize the whole planet if tampered with (also seemingly impossible to turn off when the transduction barriers are not)

'we were until we decided to drop out' -> outsiders talking about being time lords, seems to be a thing that can be given up

'never mentioned' 'well not it wouldn't be. it might upset their cozy little world' -> the time lords don't talk about the things they don't like, they might as well not exist

'loyal to the old ways' 'what other ways are there?' -> time lords love tradition

regeneration number seems to be the main determination of age, body age seems to matter less/is referenced less

exile as a punishment -> doesn't seem common and in the scale that the doctor's doing it, but also it seems to be a possible punishment

andreds trying to lead a revolt, they successfully have more than two guys who aren't just blindly following the doctor now

'and it'll mean breaking my oath, but i believe he's forefitted the right to protection' -> chancellery guard take oath, something relating to protecting the president it seems

'kelner's tame bodyguard' -> they really do just keep talking about time lords like they're dogs, don't they

so i've decided to watch through every episode that gallifrey appears in and take notes on them (not doing this for every episode a non doctor time lord is in because that's too many) for the purposes of either ranking them, figuring out the lore, or later comparing eu depictions of time lords to how they're shown in the show, i'll figure it out later. this little intro thing is basically just for myself to make a post where i can put the highlights of my notes (very much not putting all of them since so far its been an average of 1.5 pages of notes per episode)

[thebisexualdogdad]

Heyyy! Can I request a continue to kate bishop x werewolf!male reader please

Kate Bishop x Male!reader

Part one

● when you and Kate became official Yelena was the first to find out while hanging out at a bar

● "ha! I knew you were a couple! Now Y/N I will allow you to buy me a beer" 

● "why would I buy you beer?" 

● "to celebrate! Kate Bishop tell your boyfriend to buy some beers, oh and shots! And more jalapeño poppers!" 

● Clint however was not as thrilled 

● "I'm trusting you to take over the mantle of hawkeye don't let some charming mutt distract you from that" 

● you sauntering in overhearing everything "so you think I'm charming Clint?" Which makes him roll his eyes and Kate laugh

● you and Kate have to learn each other's habits and build compromises

● your coping mechanism is to shift into wolf form and go running across the city to get out any frustrations 

● while Kate is a talk through your problems and share how you're feeling kind of person 

● this causes a lot of fights in the beginning but you know it's only because she cares about you 

● you've been alone for so long you forgot how to let someone in

● it takes you time but you eventually open up to her 

● you even tell Kate what happened to your family 

● "his name is Doctor Doom, he killed them all" 

● "I've heard that name before… Clint talks about a group of heroes called the fantastic four who's fought him" 

● "yeah the fantastic four were there but even they couldn't save my family, that's why I was going after the tracksuit mafia when we first met, I heard the Kingpin was making deals with him" 

● "I'll talk to Clint and see if he knows anything else about Doom, we'll get justice for your family I promise you Y/N" 

● you like how optimistic Kate is 

● even when you feel like giving up she's able to encourage you to keep going

● and she might be the new hawkeye now but she will always be your robin hood

[hopeymchope]

Any DR characters you relate to personally?

I've gotten this question (or something similar) submitted to me before, but I've never answered it. I'm always reluctant to reveal too much about myself on here. But.... I think I'm going to take the leap now and finally give this one a shot.

There's no one person in DR who is the definitive "Oh, I see myself in THEM" character. But I definitely relate to some more than others.

I relate to Naegi's lack of self-esteem, his strong internal convictions... and his shortness, lol. The fact that the series opens with such a character as our protagonist definitely gave me an immediate entry point I could understand. But at the same time, he's much more outspoken about his opinions to the other cast members than I could be with such people I only met recently. And he's optimistic about others and the world - whereas I am the polar opposite of that and feel like people are mostly assholes/we’re all doomed. :P

I relate to Nanami taking her gaming habits everywhere, trying to find time to play all types and genres of games, and also randomly getting sleepy and passing out (narcolepsy/hypersomnia issues). This obviously helps explain why I've never liked the fact that RL Chiaki in DR3 contained none of the sleepiness of her digital counterpart. The idea Nanami's exhaustion is actually just a hint that she's processing/loading or something in DR2 was legitimately very disappointing to me. You don't typically see characters struggling with narcolepsy in media, y'know? And when you do, it's almost always just played for a laugh. God, I hate that.

Seiko Kimura desperately wants to feel useful and appreciated; she finds validation through the knowledge that she’s helping others, which unfortunately makes it easy for some people to exploit her goodwill. She gives of herself repeatedly to people who show her very little consideration in return. All of this also fits me, even though I’ve never had such a serious diet-restricting medical condition. 

So(u)da was bullied as a kid, has trust issues, is openly emotional, and often speaks without thinking first - yeah, I can unfortunately relate to all of that. However! Kazuichi also has his single-minded obsession with a specific member of the opposite sex that is based entirely on his surface-level dream of what the ideal girl should look like, plus he also is (of course) both interested in and skilled with mechanical devices, which — no, no.

I bet a lot of us relate to the idea of hiding elements of who we are inside in order to protect ourselves, right? Which means it’s easy to relate to Chihiro Fujisaki. This is especially true, though, if you’ve ever been told that you somehow are living your gender identity “wrong,” whatever the FUCK that means. 

OK, I officially feel like I’ve said way too much about my life and myself. I’m cutting it off here before my discomfort grows any farther, but I hope you found this interesting, lol.

[rose-madder-gaze]

Alright, next game before my side account gets suspended or whatever the fuck is the soup du jour.

12:59 PM · Feb 15, 2021 Instead of doing one long thread for all three games, I'm gonna do THREE THREADS FOR ARBITRARY REASONS!

FFXIII is in QRT, FXIII-2 begins here. Not spoiler-free.

1:13 PM · Feb 15, 2021 XIII-2 thoughts so far:

1:43 PM · Feb 15, 2021 Lightning is wearing, like, a unitard under her outfit, so I'm willing myself to think of the costuming in this game as outfits for an opera instead of…what they are…

1:43 PM · Feb 15, 2021 The person we're watching play this changed Serah into the bathing suit as soon as they were able. I hate it here. Where's Sazh

5:48 PM · Feb 15, 2021 Noel really is just riding his own vibe. The "I live in a world with no future, so literally anything that happens to me that doesn't kill me is an improvement" vibe.

5:48 PM · Feb 15, 2021 He also sounds like they pulled him out of a 90s animation, and I don't know enough to know if that's just his voice or if it's on purpose.

8:18 PM · Feb 15, 2021 If they wanted to do a different ensemble cast from the first game, Team NORA is right there, I'm just saying. It's not ideal, but damn.

4:12 PM · Feb 16, 2021 Orion pointed out that L/aura B/ailey, Serah's VA, is doing her "Catherine" voice for Serah, and my soul has officially left my body.

4:23 PM · Feb 16, 2021 Ba…ba…baby boy 🥺️😭

8:03 PM · Feb 16, 2021 I've spent 19 hours in complete emotional turmoil after, like, THREE minutes of Hope being on-screen, just wait til I see Sazh.

2:24 PM · Feb 17, 2021 me, to Serah: why are you so SMALL also me: *is the same height as her*

2:35 PM · Feb 17, 2021 Noel met Snow and was like "at last, you've activated my Personality."

2:35 PM · Feb 17, 2021 Me 🤝 Noel Seeing red whenever Snow speaks

2:45 PM · Feb 17, 2021 Man, they're gonna go back to tell Hope how Cocoon falls in the future, and he's gonna be like "I see, just like in Over*cooked."

1:45 PM · Feb 18, 2021 So hold on. Was Snow just hiding the proto-Saix haircut under his bandana for the entire first game? He was waiting for the awkward layers to grow out???

1:54 PM · Feb 22, 2021 No updates for a min because we got to the third-to-last video in that person's playthrough, and we were both like…surely there is more game left than can fit in two videos. So we're watching someone else's playthrough now WHICH IS GOOD BECAUSE THERE'S DLC???

1:54 PM · Feb 22, 2021 It's really adding to the whole paradox experience, tbh.

6:04 PM · Feb 26, 2021 Realizing I had a "I forgot there was a clown in DMC3 after googling the clown in DMC3" moment wrt XIII-3, except it's worse because it's a core mechanic that Orion and I have talked about AT LENGTH because we want to use it in one of our own games.

6:04 PM · Feb 26, 2021 My Maximum Courtesy brain immediately pushes spoilers to the back of it while interacting with media, only to randomly re-spoil me while I lounge between dreaming and waking. This is all Seeress Serah's fault.

4:24 PM · Mar 1, 2021

4:26 PM · Mar 1, 2021 I wonder if Noel comes from the future where it's FF Versus instead of FFXV.

8:39 PM · Mar 1, 2021 The fact that I still haven't seen Sazh in this game is HATEFUL.

12:47 PM · Mar 3, 2021

12:59 PM · Mar 3, 2021 Girl, what if you were trapped in the Void Beyond and you followed my voice to the end of the dream we were sharing and Fang called you her girl. Haha just kidding. Unless…?

1:35 PM · Mar 3, 2021 Caius really waited for the end of humanity before pulling out the discount "I'll tear down the sky" shit after some asshole starts pulling his strings. Meanwhile, Yeul is just like:

7:32 PM · Mar 5, 2021 SAZH

7:36 PM · Mar 5, 2021 We only have one video left of the main game, then it's time for Episode Sazh.

1:21 PM · Mar 6, 2021 This game really was an opera, holy shit. "If you change the future, you change the past," sings the chorus (as Noel and Hope bring in the last duet). [This Tweet includes a Quote Retweet of the earlier Tweet: Lightning is wearing, like, a unitard under her outfit, so I'm willing myself to think of the costuming in this game as outfits for an opera instead of…what they are…]

1:32 PM · Mar 6, 2021 ALSO, FOR THE RECORD, I am less mad about the things they admittedly spent THE ENTIRE GAME TELLING ME WERE GONNA HAPPEN happening than I am about Team NORA getting left 500 years in the past. I slept on it, and I am still sooo mad.

1:32 PM · Mar 6, 2021 My curse is my unending loyalty to side-characters. Orion has assured me that they are at least brought up in the next game, but fuck, man.

1:32 PM · Mar 6, 2021 I'm going to just. Be mad for a minute over this decidedly small thing while applying the balm of Sazh playing cards directly to my brain.

1:32 PM · Mar 7, 2021 I love Sazh so muchh. He's a faceted character despite getting boxed into being the comedy relief (I'm assuming at least SOMEONE really loved him and fought for him where they could). Watching him fight against despair (and backsliding more than once) is so… 😭

1:32 PM · Mar 7, 2021 It's wild having the contrast between a more grounded character like him and the trad RPG-style hero characters (Lightning, Snow, Noel most of the time). Idk where the division came from in terms of writing (maybe bc he's an "older" character?) but I wish we got more of him.

8:31 PM · Mar 14, 2021 (Watching "The Future is Hope" paradox ending) Orion: He called the cops? That's not Snow. Me: Snow would TOTALLY call the cops on a government official, though.

8:31 PM · Mar 14, 2021 Hope's priority order upon seeing Snow again for the first time in 400 years:

Clock Snow's bralette

Yell at him

8:37 PM · Mar 14, 2021 I cannot tell you how much I appreciate the fact that Hope jumped immediately into scolding him, even though Snow was mentally hitting the Skip Dialogue button.

8:42 PM · Mar 14, 2021 Stiria: If she's YOUR girl, why is she sitting on MY tits?

4:26 PM · Mar 16, 2021 Okay, we've finished watching all the secret bosses, monster collecting, DLC, secret ending's secret ending, ETCETERA. Here's what I have to say about all that: that SUCKED

4:26 PM · Mar 16, 2021 I would go so far as to say that Lightning's DLC made everything I disliked about the ending WORSE

4:26 PM · Mar 16, 2021 I would go even further and say that rn I feel like Serah's fate is worse than Luna's. You don't play a whole game as Luna or make decisions as Luna or have THREE GAMES FIXATED ON LUNA

4:31 PM · Mar 16, 2021 "I have no regrets," GIRL YOU ARE CRYING THE BLACK OOZE FROM D/EATH STRANDING, LOOK AT ME AND SAY THAT AGAIN WITH YOUR T/ROY BAKER EYEBALLS

4:31 PM · Mar 16, 2021 "Just remember me," GIRL WHY? THE WORLD'S OVER! THAT'S IT!! YOUR MAJOR STORY ACCOMPLISHMENT IS ENDING HUMANITY 200 YEARS EARLIER THAN ORIGINALLY PLANNED. CONGRATS, I'LL BE SURE TO REMEMBER IT, SEEING AS TIME HAS CEASED TO FLOW OR WHATEVER THE FUCK.

4:34 PM · Mar 16, 2021 This all could be compelling as hell if it weren't for the fact that, despite these repeatedly bleak ass story decisions, they keep turning towards the camera and hitting me with the "Hold onto hope" thing as everyone gets eaten by the Demon Tide from KH3.

3:38 PM · Mar 17, 2021 Other…non-screaming closing thoughts…it was a steep curve, but I came around to the new characters in the end and am genuinely looking forward to seeing more of them. I honestly don't know what to expect of the next game except that it'll be…grim.

3:38 PM · Mar 17, 2021 Also, Caius better stop shape-shifting into girls or I'm gonna have to start headcanoning some things.

End thread.

Because I was too funny to die, here's the first of three posts archiving my "live" tweets for watching playthroughs of the FFXIII trilogy with Orion. Includes original timestamps, typos, and 2021 memes. I'll approximate GIFs if I have to.

4:23 PM · Feb 6, 2021 Watching a playthrough of FFXIII, so here's my not-really-live tweet thread for my own amusement; not spoiler-free.

5:23 PM · Feb 6, 2021 Me, seeing a pretty standardized "boy big and strong, girl small and nice" couple like Snow and Serah: T4T…

5:30 PM · Feb 6, 2021

7:19 PM · Feb 6, 2021 Love that every time Snow says something heroic and ends up digging his grave deeper, Hope is just like

7:19 PM · Feb 6, 2021 Admittedly, even if I had FINALLY resolved myself to abandoning revenge, if Snow Villiers turned around and burped at me, I would suddenly no longer possess the presence of mind to open a survival knife and would instead body him over the balcony of a Palumpolum rest area.

8:10 PM · Feb 6, 2021 Snow: I need everyone to stop trying to blow me up, these tits were expensive.

8:22 PM · Feb 6, 2021 okay this chapter is too long, WHERE'S SAZH

2:11 PM · Feb 7, 2021

2:16 PM · Feb 7, 2021 lmao when the Pompa Sancta parade started, I blurted out "oh, it's opera," and Orion immediately jumped into a baritone "MAAARIA!"

1:55 PM · Feb 9, 2021 YOOO SHE WENT FOR IT

2:04 PM · Feb 9, 2021 Serah 🤝 Vanille Head in tiddies

2:06 PM · Feb 9, 2021 Snow: [talks for too long] Fang: Man, I'm outta here. Lightning: We have to stick together. Fang: Oh. Okay :)

2:07 PM · Feb 11, 2021 WUH HUH SERAH AND VANILLE HAD A MEET-CUTE???

2:32 PM · Feb 11, 2021 One small thing that endeared me towards Hope is that we just watched a playthrough of The Sinking City, and both he and Reed do a similar pensive idle hand animation. Two good, complicated lads.

3:19 PM · Feb 12, 2021 Rygdea to Raines

3:22 PM · Feb 12, 2021 (As the old adage goes, all humor is derived from excruciating pain because, if they don't come back around to the gravity of what happened with Raines, I don't know if I'll be able to take whatever "face the future with hope" thing they're gonna throw at me next.)

3:27 PM · Feb 12, 2021 anyways, cannot BELIEVE the pope took the opportunity to put his face in Snow's chest. it served literally NOTHING to pretend to be Serah for 0.5 seconds, and yet, he went for it.

5:24 PM · Feb 14, 2021 Orphan: and I hit them with the goo goo gaga. *turns all your friends into Cie'th*

5:38 PM · Feb 14, 2021 The leading problem I have with XIII's story is that they'll present A Rule, and, if the rule gets broken, there isn't an explanation. It just worked out in a specific instance For Some Reason.

5:38 PM · Feb 14, 2021 Like, "we hoped really hard against all odds and it worked out" only works for the main characters. Lots of lofty ideas about faith and conviction that hold exactly zero water inside the narrative.

5:38 PM · Feb 14, 2021 It's a shame because characters will have an impactful moment that the story then minimizes in some way (again: Raines?!) or vice versa. Idk, some of the storytelling decisions are just too goofy to overlook when they abut emotional scenes.

5:44 PM · Feb 14, 2021 ANYWAYS THAT WAS PRETTY GAY OF THEM TO CRYSTAL FUSE INTO UHH HECAMUT. BAHATON. THE WAY THEY BAJA BLASTED TO SAVE COCOON. WHO HOLD THE WORLD? GORLS.

5:48 PM · Feb 14, 2021 Fang: I'm lesbian. Hope: I thought you were Pulsian.

End thread.

[softcoresuffering]

This is just my hot take, but BBDW might have been a bit more successful had it used mechanics similar to Valkyrie Profile/Valkyrie Anatomia. More Action-RPG elements, if you will.

(First of all, reading this ask came with such a strong sensation of "why and how is a famous person talking to me???")

Unfortunately, I haven't played either game. I did a quick search to find some gameplay online, but all I've seen is the combat, so I still don't have a good sense of how it differs or how fun it is to play.

Personally, I enjoyed BBDW's gameplay quite a bit. I enjoyed the chaining system and felt that the game had good, fluid options for different playstyles. If I just wanted to auto through stages while doing something else, I generally could, while if I wanted to actively play or put a good amount of strategy into my approach, I felt I had constant opportunities for that as well.

I have been holding onto some negative feelings in regards to BBDW's failure and the fandom. What's most likely is that, as the team said, BBDW was designed for one market (2017) and launched in a completely different one (2021) that it couldn't hold its ground in. While I don't know much about the Valkyrie games you mentioned, I can definitely see how a more unique playstyle could have helped set it apart.

But I often find myself upset about how much of the BlazBlue 'fandom' was vocally hateful about the game every step of the way. Every, and I mean every, BBDW news livestream I attended was littered with hateful comments, "mori's stupid just make fighting games you suck" and so, so many "rollback when" messages. Every official Twitter post or even fans sharing art on the Reddit got met with the same stuff.

When Central Fiction Rollback WAS announced shortly after BBDW's closure announcement, that really put a bad taste in my mouth; this feeling like "so they acted horribly and got what they wanted, at the expense of something I really enjoyed???"

Again, that likely ISN'T reality- the timing was just unfortunate- but the feeling still lingers.

Thanks for sharing, and I apologize for my tangent! I'd be interested to hear about what aspects of these Valkyrie games you're thinking about in particular, because as I said, I don't have much of an understanding of how they play.

[douchebagbrainwaves]

I'VE BEEN PONDERING ANYONE

Because kids are unable to create wealth, but to spend it doing fake work. Life is short, as everyone knows. And what drives them both is the number of startups are created to do product development on spec for some big company, and assume you could build something way easier to use. You could also rob banks, or solicit bribes, or establish a monopoly. In any period, it should be helpful to anyone who wants to understand the feeling of virtue in liking them. Plenty of famous founders have had some failures along the way. A few weeks ago I finally figured it out.1 03% false positives.2

That makes sense, because programs are in effect giant descriptions of how things get made. Treating a startup idea as a question changes what you're looking for. In school you are, in theory, explaining yourself to someone else. We're more patient. Moral fashions don't seem to get sued much by established competitors. Once you realize how little most people judging you care about judging you accurately—once you realize that because of the normal distribution of most applicant pools, it matters least to judge accurately in precisely the cases where judgement has the most effect—you won't take rejection so personally. The space of possible choices is smaller; you tend to standardize everything. What VCs should be looking for companies that hope to win by writing great software, but there is no permanent place in this world for ugly mathematics? In fact, you don't take a position and then defend it. This one may not always be true. It hadn't occurred to me till then that those horrible things we had to read in English classes was mostly fiction, so I know most won't listen.

This second group adopt the fashion not because they want to work for people with high standards. This is a talk I gave at the last minute I cooked up this rather grim talk. When a company starts misbehaving, smart people won't work there. So verbs with initial caps have higher spam probabilities than they would in all lowercase. And the source of error is not just random variation, but a Times Roman lowercase g is easy to tell apart.3 Such judgements can of course counter by sending a crawler to the site, you wouldn't need PR firms to tell you, because hackers would already be writing stuff on top of it. Cultivate a habit of questioning assumptions.4 Nature uses it a lot, which is the satisfaction of people's desires. When watches had mechanical movements, expensive watches kept better time. But something seems to come with practice.

So even in the middle of getting rich we were fighting off the grim reaper. It seems like it violates some kind of answer. Wouldn't it be amazing if we could achieve a 50% success rate? It's more a question of self-preservation.5 You have to do whatever seems best at each point. So my first prediction about the future of web startups.6 It's not just an airy intangible. Everyone's model of work you grew up with a million dollar idea is just a convenient way of trading one form of wealth for another. That is certainly true.

So odds are this is, in projects of their own. When I heard about this work I was a kid I used to calculate probabilities for tokens, both would have the same kind of office or rather, hacker opinion.7 So obviously that is what we are, founders think.8 It's absolute poverty you want to get real work done in an office with cubicles, you have to say, are evil. Mostly because they're optimistic by nature. I'm going to try to recast one's work as a single thesis. And so began the study of ancient texts had such prestige that it remained the backbone of education until the late 19th century. I met some investors that had invested in a hardware device and when I asked them what was the most significant thing they'd observed, it was mostly political. But while DH levels don't set a lower bound on the convincingness of a reply, they do set an upper bound, bearing in mind the small sample size. The remarkable thing about this project was that he got in trouble for.9 It was only after hearing reports of friends who'd done it that they decided to start a startup to starting one, and eventually someone will discover it.10 They may be enough to kill all the opt-in lists.

The church knew this would set people thinking. Since the invention of the quartz movement, an ordinary Timex is more accurate than a Patek Philippe costing hundreds of thousands of dollars. The reason is not just text; it has structure. An office environment is supposed to be something that helps you work, not something you read looking for a specific answer, and feel cheated if you don't have significant success to cheer you up, it wears you out: Your most basic advice to founders is just don't die, but the thousand little things the big company doesn't want to imagine a world in which high school students think they need to get good grades to impress employers, within which the employees waste most of their time in political battles, and from which consumers have to buy anyway because there are so many kinks in the plumbing now that most people don't even realize is there. There's nothing special about physical embodiments of control systems that should make them patentable, and the examiners reply by throwing out some of your claims and granting others. I learnt never to bet on any one feature or deal or anything to bring you success. Underneath the long words or the expressive brush strokes, there is no way to get rich. These get through because they're the one type of sales pitch you can make enormous gains playing around in problem-space. But you have to redefine the problem to make them irrelevant. In more organized societies, like China, the ruler and his officials used taxation instead of confiscation. Every engraver since Durer has had to live in Silicon Valley, that use of the word, Bill Gates is middle class.

So what to make of this. Few people are suited to running a startup can be demoralizing. I think things are changing. The problem is compounded by the fact that hackers, despite their reputation for social obliviousness, sometimes put a good deal of effort into seeming smart. But though it's not anger that's driving the increase in disagreement, there's a danger that they'll follow a long, hard path that ultimately leads nowhere. In the period just before the industrial revolution, some of the most pointless of all the great programmers I can think of who don't work for Sun, on Java, I know of zero. Descartes, though claimed by the French, did much of his thinking in Holland.11 But hackers use their offices for more than that.

Boston is a tech center to the same cause: Gates and Allen wanted to move back to Palo Alto, where he grew up, and they tend to do particularly well, because they're easier to see, because they generally don't die loudly and heroically. I'd spent more time with her. One of the most valuable thing they've discovered. But the breakage seems to affect software less than most other fields. England and France were made by courtiers who extracted some lucrative right from the crown—like the right to collect taxes on the import of silk—and so they don't try do to it. All the unfun kinds of wealth creation slow dramatically in a society that confiscates private fortunes. I mean by habits of mind you invoke on some field don't have to do is expand it. When a politician says his opponent is mistaken, that's a sure sign that something is broken?

Notes

That's one of those you can, Jeff Byun mentions one reason not to be, yet. The reason for the popular vote. 5 million cap, but instead to explain that the payoff for avoiding tax grows hyperexponentially x/1-x for 0 x 1. Something similar happens with suburbs.

There are successful women who don't aren't. His critical invention was a company selling soybean oil or mining equipment, such a baleful stare as they seem pointless. I think that's because delicious/popular with voting instead of hiring them. Security always depends more on the spot, so had a broader meaning.

Though most founders start out excited about the other: the company than you otherwise would have seemed shocking for a block or so. MITE Corp.

Perhaps this is a huge, analog brain state.

So how do they decide on the programmers, the more effort you expend on the dollar. After the war it was briefly in Britain in the right mindset you will fail. If you want to.

The only launches I remember are famous flops like the other hand, he took earlier. And journalists as part of the War on Drugs. As usual the popular image is several decades behind reality.

Something similar happens with suburbs. Com. It seems to have minded, which you ultimately need if you want to keep their wings folded, as I explain later. Cost, again.

I have about thirty friends whose opinions I care about valuations in angel rounds can make it a function of the venture business. When the Air Hits Your Brain, neurosurgeon Frank Vertosick recounts a conversation reaches a certain level of incivility, the increasing complacency of managements. For founders who go on to create giant companies not seem formidable early on. There's probably also the perfect point to spread the story a bit.

At this point for me do more with less, is that the only audience for your present valuation is fixed at the end of the kleptocracies that formerly dominated all the free OSes first-rate programmers. Most people let them mix pretty promiscuously. This is a self fulfilling prophecy.

Handy that, isn't it? We don't call it ambient thought.

Watt didn't invent the spreadsheet. If you extrapolate another 20 years. At first I didn't need to run spreadsheets on it, by encouraging people to claim that they'll only invest contingently on other sites. It is the fact that the graph of jobs is not always tell this to users, you've started it, whether you have to make software incompatible.

[lalka-laski]

When was the last time you wore a full face of makeup? I just took it off less than 5 minutes ago

Do you own an iPad? Nope. But my Chromebook functions as a tablet if I need it to (although I rarely do)

Who was the last non-relative woman you spoke to in person? The busser at the restaurant we just ate at

What’s the most hours you’ve worked in a week? Hm, I'm not sure. A few times in my life I've had 2 jobs at once, but I' didn't count the exact hours I worked

Do you believe in karma? I'd like to. But life isn't always that balanced

What temperature is your thermostat currently set to? High 60's?

What’s a topic you’ve drastically changed your opinion on? The importance of alcohol in my life

Are you a kind, thoughtful person? That's the exact way most people describe me

Do you know anyone who has a PhD? Yeah, my sister's godmother. And also the guy I interviewed with yesterday who's the founder of the company I'm gonna work for

Who were you dating in July 2010? Or were you single? Steve. That didn't last long...

How do you feel when you’re the center of attention? It depends. Sometimes I thrive, sometimes I shudder

Would you rather be a nurse or a mechanical engineer? Well, neither. But I guess a nurse

Do you like Starbucks chai lattes, or do you think they’re too sweet? I'm not a chai person

Are you and your SO facebook official? Yep

Do you know how to set a formal table setting for a 3+ course dinner? Um, I don't think so

Are you in a good mood today? A SPECTACULAR mood :)

Do you know anyone who works as a lawyer? Not officially yet

Which would bother you more: being told you’re not likable or being told you’re not sensible? Not likable. It wouldn't offend me to hear that I'm not sensible because I know that myself

Do you have a difficult time relating to other’s emotions? Absolutely not. I have the opposite problem and I empathize and take on TOO much

How many bedrooms does your house have? One

What was the last electronic item you bought? Um... no clue Have you ever experienced sleep paralysis? Yes, it's absolutely horrifying

When you were 15, what did you want to grow up to be? A writer

Did you ever achieve that? I sure did :)

Have you ever had a dream in which you died? I've come close to it, but I've never outright died in a dream. That would be interesting

Have you bought a bag of potato chips in the past week? Tortilla chips

Does the thought of having wrinkles when you’re older upset you? Eh, not really

How often do you buy a new phone? I'm WAY overdue for one

Would you rather live in an apartment in the city, or a cabin in the woods? An apartment in the city. I'm just more suited for that life

Do you use Snapchat? I deactivated for awhile and ended up losing my account. Now it seems like too much of a hassle to re-add everybody and start over Have you ever driven or ridden on a motorcycle? I've ridden on one

Do you know anyone who’s struggling with addiction? Myself. And everybody else I met in rehab

Are any other members of your household home right now? Yep, we're both home What was your first job? And how long did you work there? I was a camp counselor for a few summers

What was your favorite school subject when you were in middle school? Always English

[mavsinclair]

Date Night ~ Rae

I smoothed the front of my shirt before knocking on the door. I still wasn’t sure Rae would go through with this. As close as we’d become since her accident, we hadn’t really gone on a date. I finally talked her into it. I think I was still reaping the benefits of knowing the perfect mechanic who fixed up her bike as good as new. She loved that bike so much. The first time she got back on it was one of my favorite memories. Maybe, if I played my cards right, tonight would be another such memory. I tried not to be impatient while I waited for her to answer the door, a bouquet hidden behind my back.

———————-

When I heard the knock on my door, I almost passed out. I was so nervous. As I was getting ready, I changed my outfit about 7 times. I smoothed my hands down my dress and wondered if I should have picked something else. I wanted to look beautiful tonight since it was our first official date, so I went with a dress. Something Mav had never seen me in. Now I was second-guessing the choice. I took a deep breath and walked to the door, opening it. I smiled when I saw him, “Hi. Don’t you look handsome?”

----------------------

Wow. I could barely concentrate when she opened the door. I had never seen her in a dress before. It was so worth the wait. “Hello, Beautiful. You look incredible. These are for you.” I offered her the hidden bouquet with a flourish. Her blush was as lovely as her dress. She thanked me for the flowers and took a step back so I could come in while she found a vase. I closed the door behind me and followed her to the kitchen.

——————

“These are so beautiful. Thank you again. I absolutely love them.” I carried the vase to the table in the living room so they would be the first thing I saw every time I walked in the door. I turned to him and smiled, “Are you ready to go?” I was hoping my voice was a lot calmer than I felt, but I wasn’t sure.

-------------------

“Ready if you are. I made reservations at that new seafood restaurant in town. If we don’t like it we can always swing by and get cheese fries, right?” I winked, teasing her as she got her purse and keys. She laughed, shaking her head as I escorted her to the car. Once she was buckled in, I walked around and got in the driver’s side. “I’ve been looking forward to this all week,” I grinned as I started the car and pulled out of the parking spot on the way to the restaurant.

------------------

I looked over at him and smiled, “I have too, although to be honest, I’ve been really nervous about it, too. Sounds crazy, right? I think I changed clothes almost a dozen times.” I laughed a little. “I’m not exactly sure why I’m so nervous though. I mean it’s not like we haven’t been spending time together.”

---------------

“Do I make you nervous, Doll?” I asked while sneaking a glance at her. I was relieved when she shook her head. “Maybe it’s the thought of being with me in public?” Rae was a very private person. When we first met, I accepted each small snippet of herself she gave me like I was getting a present. Maybe being in a crowd of sorts in a restaurant was too much for her. The pub she’d been to often so it was a comfortable atmosphere.

---------------------

I tilted my head as I thought about what he said. “I don’t think it’s exactly being in public with you. I...I think it’s more doing something that I’m not used to doing?” I looked out the window before I continued, “I can’t remember the last time I was actually on a date, college maybe? After...well let’s just say I never really gave much thought to love and dating.”

----------------

And just like that, I had another snippet of her life gift-wrapped and placed in my hands. “I’ll do my best to make sure it’s a painless evening, Rae. Good food and good company. No one else in the room matters. Deal?” I took her hand and laced our fingers together. There was no way I was going to make her regret this night. I had no desire to lose all the progress we’d made. Her nightmares had stopped and so had most of mine. She was good for my mental health. That was for sure.

--------------------

I gently squeezed his hand when he took mine in his. I looked over at him and smiled, “There is no way that spending any time with you could be painful.” I said it so quietly I wasn’t sure if he heard me. I knew I didn’t have to hide myself with him, but I couldn’t help it. I’d been so used to not letting anyone close, it was just a reaction. He’d proven time and time again that he wouldn’t hurt me, but I was struggling to let all the walls down just yet.

------------------

After I parked at the restaurant, we sat quietly together for a few moments. Then I got out and came around to open her door. "Shall we?" I smiled as I offered her my arm. She laughed and linked her arm through mine. I was so proud to have her by my side as we entered the lovely restaurant and looked around. "This place is almost as beautiful as you are," I whispered before letting the hostess know we had a reservation.

--------------

I tried, unsuccessfully, to hide my blush. I knew I failed when I caught the smirk on his face. I shook my head and grinned as he pulled my chair out for me when we reached our table. “Thank you.” I smiled as I sat down. He took his seat and I looked around, “This place really is amazing. I never even heard about it.” I looked at him and smiled, “What?”

-----------------

“Your blush is really pretty,” I said as I picked up my menu. “And I did mention this place to you a few times, but you probably weren’t paying attention.” She looked so confused. “Rae, I’m teasing you. It’s not a big deal that you don’t remember. Let’s just look over the menu and see what looks good, ok?”

————-

I smiled as I picked up the menu and nodded, “That sounds like a plan to me.” I looked over the menu and bit my lip trying to figure out what I wanted. “Oh wow, I have no clue what I want.” I started laughing. “What do you have a craving for?” I took a sip of my water while I looked.

------------------

I reached for my water and took a sip. “I’m not sure I should answer that...in public.” Oh yes, there was that utterly charming blush I loved. “If you mean food, I think something with shrimp might be good actually. Or perhaps crawfish since they’re in season again.” I smiled innocently and focused once more on the menu.

—————

I bit my lip as I reached for my glass again and took another sip of my drink. When I could trust my voice again, I looked back at the menu, “I think I want to try the creamy shrimp scampi. It just sounds really good. It was either that or the crab cake things. But I think the shrimp scampi sounds perfect.”

------------------

“Why don’t we share the crab cake appetizer? That way you can have both.” I was rewarded with one of her lovely smiles. A genuine one. I ordered the appetizer and her scampi along with shrimp fra diavolo for me. After we thanked the waiter and gave him our menus, I offered her a piece of homemade bread from a basket on the table.

——————

I smiled as I took the bread, “So what made you decide to come here? Not that I’m complaining, so far it’s been really nice.” I don’t know why I was still so nervous. I just couldn’t seem to shake my nerves, and I was trying so hard not to let it show. I just hope that he knew it wasn’t his fault about my nerves.

-------------------

"I've driven past a few times. Then I caught a clip on the news that was reviewing the food. The dishes looked so good. And, from what I saw, it was really well designed inside. I like that the tables aren't crammed in together. You can almost pretend you're in a private dining room." I took a sip of my water just as the waiter brought over our drinks and the crab cake appetizers.

-----------------

I smiled as the waiter sat our drinks and appetizer down, thanking him. “It really is very nice. I don’t think I’ve ever been to a place like this. It is a nice change, though I still love my cheesy fries.” I grinned as I took another sip of my water before setting my glass back down. “Maybe this will become a favorite of ours.” I smiled.

------------------

“Ours. That has a nice ring to it,” I winked as we divided the crab cakes between us. I started to take a bite, but then waited to see how she liked her first bite. Grinning, I took a bite. The crabmeat was tender and succulent. “Love the seasoning on this.” I picked up a lemon wedge and squeezed some juice on the rest of the cake. “How’s yours, Rae?”

——————-

I looked up at him and nodded, whipping my mouth, “I am so glad that you decided to get these. They really are good. I hope the main course is just as good.” I grinned as I took a sip of my drink, “And I like the sound of it being our place too.” I said the last a little quieter, I didn’t trust my voice.

-----------------

“Every meal I have seen carried past our table looks delicious,” I laughed. ‘“I have no doubts that our dinner will be too.” We had just finished our appetizers when the waiter brought our food over and whisked the other plates away. “Would you like anything else to drink?”

____________

I smiled and nodded, “A refill would be great, thank you.” After our drinks were refilled and we were alone again, I looked over at him and smiled, “This smells amazing and looks so good. I can’t wait to dig in!” I was quiet for a few minutes, “I...I have so much I want to say, but I don’t know where or how to start.” I looked down at my plate, “I’m not very good at this.”

-----------------------

Our food really did look good. I took a bite of my shrimp and let her collect her thoughts. Then I reached for my wine. “Rae, you’re doing just fine. Honestly. There’s nothing you could say that would push me away or change my feelings for you in a negative way. I grow fonder and fonder of you every day. Just the way you are.”

————-

I couldn’t help but smile, “That’s just it. I don’t want to push you away. I…” I bit my lip, “I want to let you in. I want to let the walls down, but I don’t know how. I care about you, a lot actually, and I love all the time we spend together. I...I just don’t know how to do this. Any of it. I suck at talking about my feelings, and I’m even more terrible at showing them.”

----------------

“You just did all that, Rae. You just let me know how you were feeling. You don’t have to sound like a greeting card or a character in….Grey’s Anatomy in order to be open and honest. In order to share things. Not with me. Never with me.” I laid my hand palm up on the table near her. “No one else is in this relationship with us. No one is judging us. We don’t have to prove anything to anyone or conform to anyone’s ideas of what we should think, say or do. Deal?”

——————-

I smiled as I took his hand and squeezed it gently, “I know that. And I don’t have any plans on being anyone else. But I also know that I have issues and I’m afraid that they might actually cause a lot of damage at one time or another between us. I don’t want that to happen. I know I still have a lot left to tell you and I want to, but I just don’t know where or how to start.”

---------------

The warmth of her hand in mine was everything. “I know we each have… stuff we’re working on. That’s how we sort of met, remember? Dr. Jordan?” I smiled when she nodded and laughed a little. “I’m not afraid of anything that you might want or need to tell me. I believe that when we’re ready, we’ll both probably end up taking turns confessing stuff that may not be easy to talk about. How about for now we enjoy this delicious food in a beautiful room and not worry about the baggage we carry with us?”

——————

I smiled and nodded, “I think that is a great idea.” I squeezed his hand once more before turning to my food, “You know, I can’t remember the last time I’ve had something like this. I can’t wait to try it.” I scooped some up on my fork and grinned, “It smells amazing.” I took the bite, followed quickly by a few more.

-------------------

I grinned when it was clear that she was enjoying the scampi. It did smell delicious. Garlic always did. “You should try this. It’s a slightly spicy tomato sauce. ‘Fra diavolo’ means ‘brother devil’. It has garlic, oregano and a liberal sprinkling of red pepper. Fresh and dried flakes for a nice kick.” I twirled some of it on my fork and held it out to her.

—————

I grinned as I took the bite, “Mm, that really is good. Here, try some of mine.” I scooped some up on the fork and held it out to him, “It tastes really good. I’m not sure which one I like better.” I laughed as he took the bite and took a sip of my drink as I waited for his opinion.

------------------

I wiped my mouth with my napkin. “Very tasty. I love the blend of lemon and garlic in the cream sauce. They work so well together. Kinda like us,” I winked as I reached for my glass. She laughed and arched a brow. “Us, huh?” Grinning like a fool, I nodded. “Absolutely. We work great together. You don’t think so?” I pretended to be crushed.

—————

I couldn’t help but giggle as I wiped my mouth, “I happen to agree with you. Though, I’m not sure if that is a good thing.” I laughed. “Simply because if we work too well together, won’t things be boring eventually?” I was going to say something about one of us growing tired of the other, something I was already afraid was going to happen. I was scared that eventually he would see me for the disaster that I am and leave. But I changed my words at the last minute.

---------------

“Doll, you could never ever be boring if you tried. That I promise. And I think it is the mark of a solid relationship to be able to share quiet, non-speaking moments together. Two people just being side by side or doing their own thing in the same room independently. Know what I mean?” I reached for some of the bread in a basket on the table and handed her a piece. “Let no drop of sauce go uneaten,” I winked.

——————

I giggled as I took the bread, “You don’t have to tell me twice.” We ate in silence for a few moments before I looked over and smiled, “So, how was your day? Not too stressful I hope?” I reached for my glass and took a sip of my drink.

-------------------

“It was good. Thanks. A few upgrades to corporate computers, but I was able to do everything remotely. I do get a kick out of startling the clients by making their cursors move from afar,” I grinned as I sopped up some sauce with the bread. The bread balanced the spice so I didn’t burn my mouth. “How about you?”

————-

I snickered a little, “It was pretty good. Everything is going smoothly so far. I didn’t expect for the business to take off like it did. But I’m happy it did. Granted, we’ve just begun, and I’m not overly busy. But I am busier than I thought I was going to be. So, I’m really hoping it just keeps growing from here.” I smiled as I ate some more of my food.

----------------

“I think that’s a worthy goal and an obtainable one. How are you on staffing?” I knew she was very particular about who she worked with and trusted. It was her company after all. I gave her time to think about her response. I knew that if she was having trouble, it wouldn’t be easy for her to discuss even if she wanted to. Luckily our waiter came by to check on things giving her even more time.

—————

When the waiter left I smiled a little, “I have a few good workers, could use more, but it’s such a long process and not everyone makes it. I think I lost four? possibles this week, simply because they didn’t make it through one of the three background checks.” I sighed, “I can’t just let anyone in. Though I wish I could so it would be easier.”

------------------

“That does sound frustrating. If there is ever anything I can do, let me know.” I glanced at our nearly empty plates. “ Look at that. We managed to finish our dinner and still have things to talk about.” I smiled over at Rae who started to blush once more. “We can certainly have dessert here if you’d like, but I thought it would be nice to get some gelato and walk around by the river. Ladies’ preference, of course.”

——————

I smiled as I took the last bite of my food and wiped my mouth, “Gelato and a walk by the water sounds amazing.” I took a sip of my drink, “And I think the fact that we made it through dinner without me messing up is totally worth gelato.” I grinned.

-------------

I couldn’t help but laugh with her, never at her. “This dating thing isn’t so bad, is it?” We finished the last bites of our food just before the check came. I paid the bill and left a generous tip. “Shall we?” I asked as I got to my feet, holding my hand out to Rae. She smiled and placed her hand in mine as she stood up. I then escorted her out to the car. “It’s just a short drive. I’ll park in a lot not far from the river and we can walk over to get dessert.”

—————-

I smiled as I sat down in the car, “Sounds like a perfect plan to me.” I slipped my seatbelt on as he walked around to the driver’s side. We made the short drive and parked. He came around and offered me his hand. I took it and we started on our way. “So, I have to confess, I’m not sure I’ve ever tried gelato.” I looked at him sheepishly.

--------------

“I think you’ll like it,” I said as we walked with our fingers laced snuggly together. “It’s richer, smoother and slightly warmer than ice cream. That means you can taste the flavors better since your mouth isn’t shocked as much by the cold.” She thought about it as we walked over to the gelato shop. “Ready?” I grinned as I held the door open.

—————————

I smiled as we walked inside and waited in line, “I have no idea which one to try.” We looked over the menu while we waited. “So do you have a favorite? Or a couple favorites?” I smiled as we stepped forward with the line.

-------------

I slipped an arm around her waist as we waited. “I’ve never had a bad flavor. Some of my favorites are chocolate, mint chocolate chip, coconut, salted caramel, strawberry, and strawberry cheesecake. They also have a granita which is fresh italian ice in fruit flavors like watermelon, lemon, raspberry, mango, blood orange, and blueberry.” I’m not sure if I helped her decide or confused her. “I think tonight the blood orange granita or salted caramel gelato is my choice. Just not sure if I want a cone or a cup.”

---------------

“Wow, that’s a lot of favorites and choices.” I laughed as we stepped up to make our order. Mav ordered his and then it was my turn, “Um, I think I’ll try the...strawberry cheesecake. It sounds really good.” I smiled. After we placed our order, Mav paid for everything and we headed back out. “So, where to now?”

------------

I gestured towards the river with my cup of blood orange granite. I liked having my other arm around her too much to move it. "We can wander towards the water and find a bench to sit on. Watch the boats. The people. Sound good?"

------------------

I smiled as we walked, “You know, as far as first dates go, this one has been pretty perfect. Thank you.” We walked until we found a bench and sat down, I took a bite of my gelato. “Mm, that is so good!” I scooped some onto my spoon and held it out to him, “Would you like a bite?” I smiled.

------------------

“My pleasure.” Grinning, I leaned in to try her gelato. “You’re right. That’s delicious. This isn’t as sweet, but it is so refreshing.” I offered her a taste of my granita. “Blood orange is tart and tangy and so unique. Do you like it?” I knew it wasn’t for everyone, but I appreciated she was at least open to trying it.

——————

I tilted my head as I tried it. “It’s...different. I don’t hate it though. I mean, it’s not something I would order all the time, but it’s not bad.” I took a few more bites of mine and looked over at him, smiling, “So tell me something about you that I don’t know. Something new.”

--------------

“Sometime I’ll take you to a favorite restaurant that has Italian sodas. They have a great blood orange one. It’s perfect on a hot day.” I took another bite of my flavored ice. “Something new….hmmmm…….,” I thought out loud. “Well, since it’s you asking, I’ll confess. I sometimes like to read poetry.” I focused on my dessert, not sure I wanted to see her reaction.

————-

I smiled, “Really? That’s amazing. Is there anyone that’s your favorite? Or do you have a favorite poem?” I tried to think back to the last time I read poetry, but I couldn’t think of it. “You know, it’s been so long since I’ve read anything that wasn’t a programming book or something related to my business. That’s horrible.”

----------------

Chuckling as I finished my granita, I shook my head. “It’s not horrible, Rae. But Dr. Mayfair taught me that it’s better to balance your work life with your personal life, not to let work become everything. She’s the one who recommended I try reading poetry. Just snippets at first. Then I built up to longer poems. For a while, Walt Whitman was a favorite. “ I thought for a few minutes. “You might like this one.”

“Are you the new person drawn toward me?

To begin with, take warning, I am surely far different from what you suppose;

Do you suppose you will find in me your ideal?

Do you think it so easy to have me become your lover?

Do you think the friendship of me would be unalloy’d satisfaction?

Do you think I am trusty and faithful?

Do you see no further than this façade, this smooth and tolerant manner of me?

Do you suppose yourself advancing on real ground toward a real heroic man?

Have you no thought, O dreamer, that it may be all maya, illusion?”

————————-

I smiled as I listened, looking over at him when he finished. I nodded, “I do like that one. But I hope you’re not trying to tell me this whole date you is an illusion?” I grinned at him, I couldn’t help but tease him a little. “But seriously, I really do like it.” I took a few more bites of my gelato. “Why is that one of your favorites?”

--------------

“I like that it makes you think. You can take it at face value as pretty words or wonder how it applies to you. Are we all different than anyone could possibly suppose….deep down?” I got up to throw our trash away and then joined her on the bench once again. “I’m glad you decided to live in the moment and just enjoy our date. You did enjoy it, right?”

——————-

I smiled as I slipped my arm through his, “I did. Very much. I have to admit I was so nervous at first. I was going to reschedule. But, I wanted to spend time with you and I didn’t want you to think it was something you had done. I was just freaking out. You know, first date jitters I guess. But now? Now I’m glad I didn’t cancel. I had fun. Dinner was delicious, so was dessert, and the company was the best part.”

---------------------

We sat quietly for a few minutes. Just enjoying the night. “I know that your urge to panic about this isn’t personal. It isn’t about me. Not really. But I still hold out hope that one day those feelings of uncertainty and fear will be a thing of the past. That us doing things together like this will be expected. Things to look forward to. To get excited about.”

———————-

I looked over at him, smiling, “Tonight has helped a lot. I mean don’t get me wrong, I know tonight was only our first official date, but still. It really meant a lot to me that you put so much thought into it. The flowers, the restaurant, this...it’s all been wonderful and has helped. I want to open up to you and I want this to work.” I bit my lip before I said too much.

-----------------------

I couldn’t help but smile. “I enjoyed planning it. I like making you smile. Sometimes I feel like you haven’t had enough smiles or laughter in your life in a while.” I unlinked my arm from hers and moved it up around her shoulders. “I want you to only think about feeling happy and safe with me, Rae. “I don’t ever want you to regret opening up to me or spending time with me.”

——————

I laid my head on his shoulder, “Honestly, I don’t think I could ever regret either of those things. I...I can’t explain it, but something about you pulls me in.” I picked my head up and looked at him, “I feel safe with you, and I feel like I can trust you, but my past hasn’t made that easy. Things that have happened are...difficult for me to explain. But I want to tell you.”

---------------

I don’t think there was a better feeling than the weight of her head on my shoulder. She smelled so clean and fresh. I tried not to be disappointed when she moved it to look at me. “I don’t think either of us has had a particularly easy past, but it doesn’t mean our future can’t be better. If we’re together, it’s an improvement right there, true?”

—————

I smiled and nodded, “You are exactly right.” I thought about what he said, “Can I ask you something?” He shook his head yeah with a smile, “Now, remember there is no wrong answer, I just want you to be honest with me.” I bit my lip and took a deep breath, “What do you see for your future? Marriage? Kids? Something else?” I was worried that he might think it was too soon to ask something like that, but I was just curious about what he had planned.

------------------

“Wow. You’re going there on a first date, huh?” I started to laugh so she knew I was teasing. “Let me see.” I leaned back on the bench and closed my eyes. “I don’t think I ever really pictured myself married. Especially before I started therapy. You know? But now….maybe?” I opened my eyes and looked over at her. “I’m not adverse to getting married if it feels right, but I know that relationships don’t have to be traditional just because that’s how they’ve always been.” I wasn’t sure I was making any sense. “Kids. That’s a lot of responsibility. I’m not sure that today I would be ready to be a dad. But who knows? That might change in a year or two. But again. I don’t think they’re a deal breaker if that makes sense. I’d kinda like to get a dog someday though. Not that you asked.”

——————

I smiled, “You sound like me. I’ve never really given much thought to marriage or kids. I never thought I’d be at that point in my life because of everything that’s happened. I have always wanted to have my own business, which I do have now. So I think so far I’m doing pretty good. And now I have a very successful first date under my belt, so that’s a plus too.” I grinned.

------------------

Laughing, I hugged her against my side. “The successful-est.” I had a feeling that our therapist would have been very proud of us tonight. It felt like we had both made strides in our relationship that we didn’t expect. “What are your feelings on pets or cohabitation? You know...for future reference.”

—————

I laughed and shrugged, “I have never had a pet before.” I laughed again at the look on his face, “It’s just never something I gave much thought to. Mainly because I really didn’t spend much time at home until recently. So, I guess you could say I’m open to the idea of a pet or pets. As for cohabitation? Well, when Kel and I were working together, we practically lived together. We spent most of the time at the...office. So, I’m open to that too. How about you? You know, for future reference and all.” I smirked.

------------------

She hadn’t mentioned Kel in a while. I was curious if they were even still in touch. “Duly noted,” I grinned. “I kinda like the idea of being able to see the person I care about whenever I want so I’m definitely in favor of cohabitation. You know. For the record.” She laughed and shook her head. “Well, you did ask. How is Kellan by the way? You don’t mention him anymore. Did something happen between you?”

—————-

I smiled and shook my head, “Oh, no. Nothing has happened. He’s still the closest thing I have to family. He’s trying to figure out what he wants to do, and I think he might have met someone. I’m not sure. Plus, I’ve been so busy with getting my business going, I haven’t had much free time lately. We still text or call everyday. Just haven’t had a lot of time to hang out.”

---------------

“I’m glad that you’re still close. It’s good to have close friends. I should try it myself sometime, huh?” I laughed a little. I had work acquaintances, but no one I really could call a close friend. Right now, Rae and our shared therapist knew me the best. “If he is seeing someone, maybe we could all have lunch or dinner sometime. Just casual.”

————-

I smiled, “I’ll ask him. I really like that idea. And just remember, you do have me. Even if that doesn’t count for much.” I grinned at him. “Mav, I want you to know, it means a lot to me that you accept everything about my life. My friend, my past, my issues. I haven’t met anyone in a long long time that was willing to do the same.”

--------------

“I know that, Rae. I didn’t mean to dismiss you in any way. You are more than a friend. As far as accepting things, everything you mentioned makes you the incredible person that you are today. If I didn’t accept them, I wouldn’t have you, would I?”

———————-

I smiled, “I guess I never thought of it that way. And I didn’t think that you were dismissing me, I was just saying that I am here for you too.” I laid my head back on his shoulder and sighed, “I think this is my new favorite spot.”

---------------

“It is a lovely spot, isn’t it? Should we do one of those silly couple selfies people take to mark the moment?” I wasn’t going to argue if she was against a picture. I just thought it might be fun to have something to look back on that reminded us of this perfect night.

——————

I grinned as I pulled my phone out of my pocket, “I think that sounds like a great idea. I started the camera app on my phone and turned to him, “And for the record I wasn’t talking about this spot, per se, I was talking about my head on your shoulder.” I blushed as I finished my sentence.

----------------

I couldn’t help it. I laughed as she aimed the cell phone camera at us. We took several more photos together trying to get both of us smiling at the same time and not making silly faces. Finally we gave in and made the craziest faces we could. We had to give up when she almost dropped the phone. “I like the idea that my shoulder is your favorite spot. Can I ask you something?”

—————-

I smiled as I swiped through the pictures we took together and nodded, “Of course you can. You can ask me anything you like. Now whether I answer or not is a totally different thing.” I winked at him as I laughed.

----------------------

I looked at the pictures with her and asked her to text copies of them to me later. “But that’s not my question,” I grinned. “May I kiss you, Ms. Thorn?” It might have seemed silly to ask, but I wanted her to feel like she had a say in the relationship and what we did or didn’t do. Maybe in the not so distant future kissing her would be as effortless as breathing.

——————

I put my phone back in my pocket and turned to face him, “You know, I have been waiting for you to do that all night.” I smiled as we scooted closer to each other. We sat there for a few minutes just looking at each other, “You know, I meant the actual kissing part, not just the asking me, right?” I grinned.

--------------------

She had definitely relaxed over the last few hours. I reached up to caress her cheek before leaning in to kiss her tenderly. Resting my forehead against hers unwilling to break the connection. “That was the perfect end to a wonderful night.” I hoped this would be something we could do again very soon, but I’d let her decide that.

——————

I smiled and blushed a little, “It really was.” Then I pretended to pout, “Wait, is it over already?” I don’t know why all of a sudden I felt so relaxed, but I did. I knew it had a lot to do with him and the lack of pressure he put on me for anything. And I was so grateful for that. He made wanting to be with him so easy.

-------------------

“It’s getting late, and I can’t have you turning into a pumpkin.” I got to my feet and pulled her up. “We still have to walk back to the car. Then I have to drive you home. Then, if you’d like, we could share a good night kiss at your front door. You know. If you’re into that kind of thing.”

————-

I couldn’t help but laugh as we made our way back to his car, “If I’m into that sort of thing?” I stopped and looked at him, “Um, I don’t know!” I laughed again, “I haven’t been on a date in so long, I have no clue.” I reached over and took his hand, “But the only way to know for sure is to try, right?” I grinned at him.

---------------

I laughed as I opened her door and helped her into the car, waiting for her to buckle up before moving around to my side and getting in. “They do say practice makes perfect, but only if you’re okay with it.” I winked at her as I started the car and drove us back to her place.

—————-

I laughed some more, “How can I not be okay with it?” I blushed a little as I realized what I said and looked out the window as we passed a few cars and the stores. I wasn’t sure what else to say, but I didn’t think I needed to lay all my feelings out there...at least not yet. I didn’t want to scare him off.

-----------

I could have...commented on that last remark, but it had been such a lovely evening. I didn’t want to push my luck or make her feel cornered. I reached over for her hand and gave it a squeeze as I drove. It was too short a drive. We were at her place before I was ready to say good night. Reluctantly, I let go of her hand as I parked and got out of the car, coming around to open her door.

————-

I took the hand he offered and walked with him up to the door. Once we reached it, I turned to him and smiled, “So, I guess this is where we say good night?” I bit my lip, “Thank you again for a wonderful evening. I really did enjoy the food and your company. It was perfect.”

--------------

“Thank you. I had a wonderful time. I’m glad you seemed to relax and enjoy yourself after a shaky start.” I smiled, brushing the hair from her eyes. “And no, I’m not complaining about the uncertainty we started out with. It’s all part of the charm of you.” I looked at our hands, fingers laced together. Neither of us seemed ready to let go.

————-

I laughed a little, “My weirdness is a part of my charm? I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone put it like that. Thanks, I think.” I looked down at our hands and back up at him, “If we avoid saying good night, does that mean tonight doesn’t end?”

---------------------

“Doll, saying good night doesn’t mean we never see each other again. It just means we separate for a little while so we can miss each other and make plans for another wonderful time together.” I reached up to caress her cheek. “It’s not goodbye. It’s until next time, right?”

————-

I couldn’t help but smile as I looked up at him, “I hope that’s what it is. Goodbye until next time. Don’t think I could handle it if it was goodbye forever. It would really suck, especially after the date we just had.” I squeezed his hand, “Let me know when you make it home, please?”

------------------

“We have been through too much and worked too hard for goodbye forever. I promise. Of course, I’ll text you when I get home. Don’t I always?” I grinned and tilted my head. “This is the part where we kiss good night. If that’s ok with you, of course. A hug or even just a handshake would work, too.”

————

I smiled and nodded, stepping closer to him, “I think a kiss is a better way to end it, don’t you?” I stopped moving closer, letting him decide which he’d rather do. I mean, just because I wanted to kiss him again, didn’t mean he’d wanna kiss me again.

————

I met her half way and rested one hand on her waist. “Thank you for a wonderful evening,” I grinned as I leaned in, cupping her cheek. I pressed my lips to hers as we kissed. Softly at first. Then I let the kiss deepen. We finally broke the kiss, our foreheads pressed together. “Wow.”

————

I laughed a little. I had to catch my breath before I could speak, “I hope that was a good wow.” I looked up at him and smiled, tempted to kiss him again, “I guess I should really let you go home now, huh?”

—————-

Chuckling, I rested my hands on her hips. “The best wow, of course. The sooner we say good night, the closer we’ll be to the next time we get to spend together. Not a bad thing. We do eventually have things to do like laundry, work, taking garbage out,” I laughed, teasing her.

————

I shook my head laughing, “You’re soooo funny.” I leaned forward giving him a quick kiss. “Please be careful heading home.” I sighed, reluctant to let him leave. “Call me tomorrow?” I smiled.

—————-

“I promise I’ll text you when I get home,” I said as I started down her steps. “And when I get up. And when I have lunch,” chuckling I blew her a kiss. “And I will definitely call you tomorrow to see how your day was. Sleep well, Doll.” I bowed with a flourish and got back in my car. Waving one last time, I drove home before I did something I might regret.

--------------

I couldn’t help but laugh as he made his way to his car. I called out to him, “Good night!” I blew a kiss back and sighed as he pulled away. I watched until his lights disappeared around the corner then headed inside. As I locked the door and dropped my stuff on the table, I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face. Tonight had been amazing. A night I soon wouldn’t ever forget, not that I wanted to. It was perfect and I had loved every minute of it. As I got ready for bed, I couldn’t help but think of our next date. It was something I was really looking forward to.

@raeannethorn

——————-