#tos call center

[tos-call-center]

I have a suggestion about jailors executing townies issue. We could have a public execution of them by throwing them inside their own cage and throwing it into a deep lake till they drown!

That by far the Best Idea anyone has come. Not even my Own Team had Occurred something Near Brilliant.

May perhaps i Present to You a Job Offer -?

Farewell Jailor. Nobody will Miss You.

[emotionalmotionsicknessxx]

So you want to see the 1988 Phantom of the Opera proshot at the New York Public Library...

If you know one thing about me on this internet it's that I love when things are spelled out and easy. This weekend my friends and I went to the New York Public Library (NYPL) Theatre on Film and Tape Archive (TOFT) located at Lincoln Center to watch the Phantom of the Opera proshot. I saw some how-tos and asked friends who have already seen it, but it was still a little confusing and I wanted to clarify how my experience went:

Bottom line: if you can make your way to NYC, you too can see the Phantom proshot from 1988 starring Michael Crawford, Sarah Brightman, and Steve Barton and lose your mind :)

Here's how I did it:

I showed up to the New York Public Library Library of the Performing Arts located at Lincoln Center with my two (2) also phanatical friends. We were vibrating. We went when the archive opened at noon. Hours can be found here.

We were directed to the third floor where the archive is. We had to check our bags (but were able to bring whatever in - I brought my phone, a pen, and a notebook for notes)

We met the sweetest librarian who was so helpful - he got us on computers to apply for NYPL library cards AND special collections cards. If you live in NY, you can get a regular NYPL card. If you are from out of town, they will give you a NYPL visitor card (good for 3 months!) We filled out applications you can find here and here if you are curious about the questions asked. Many questions are optional! Note: there was some scuttlebutt about needing to be a student or researcher or even an expert in the field - you don't need to say why you're there unless you want to! I kept it brief: said I was an independent researcher and there for personal interest. They are just happy people are using our libraries! Sign the letter here to stop the mayor from closing our libraries

Once we had our cards (NYPL Card AND a special collections card/number) we were told to head to the archive, where we met a second, lovely librarian who was excited we were there. You can ask for any show that isn't currently running (sorry Hadestown nation). You can find a list of what they have here. All titles available at TOFT begin with the call number NCOV, NCOX, or NCOW. Note: we did not make an appt ahead of time, and luckily no one was watching Phantom but our friend wanted to watch Great Comet and someone already had it. To avoid this, make an appt. To make an appointment, call (212) 870-1642 or email toft@nypl.org.

We signed off to use the archive and were off to the races! That's it! We were put on three monitors and I controlled the pausing and replaying of the tapes. You can replay as much as you want, and can even ask for other plays/musicals that you want to watch during your session there. I took notes in a notebook, I saw other people taking notes on their phone. There are cameras to make sure you aren't doing any recording or photo taking. Note that you can only see this proshot once without special permission, so if you want to come back you'll need to look into what that permission is.

If you're interested in what was actually IN the beautiful, spectacular, amazing, never before been done proshot (it's from May 25, 1988 by the way) listen to my/our podcast, Leroux Less Travelled!

My inbox is open if you have more questions! I hope this clarifies how easy it is if you're ever in NYC!! We will get through phantom-drought together :)

[firelordsfirelady]

II. Banishment

Author: @firelordsfirelady

Imagine: When Y/N—a princess of one of the Water Tribes—is told she’s leaving her tribe, she never expects that she’s to be betrothed to the Fire Lord’s son, nor was she prepared to be exiled the very day she arrived at the Fire Nation. With her life in the hands of her new fiancée, how will life change for the princess? 

Pairing: Zuko x F!Reader

Trigger warnings: arranged marriage, feelings of fear, banishment, mentions of burns/abuse, frustration, violence, betrayal

Word Count: 2119

Destined to be Yin and Yang

I own no rights to Avatar the Last Airbender or any of the characters/story. 

Author’s Notes

The characters as all aged up so Zuko’s banishment happens when he’s 16 

Keep in mind I am bringing a unique world with inspiration from ATLA in their characters, some of the events that happen, bending, etc. Not many things may align or occur with what happened in the show. It’s intended that way, so I hope you enjoy it regardless.

See Y/N's inspiration here.

Destined to be Yin and Yang Soundtrack (YouTube)

I had been fearful my first week or so aboard the ship to practice my waterbending. Since I now had no regular practice, I feared losing the knowledge of my element. As the full moon approached, the urge grew strong to waterbend, and I couldn’t stand to deny myself further. I devised a plan to sneak out on the night of the full moon to practice my waterbending.

The night of the full moon, I put my plan into action. Using small amounts of oil to grease the hinges of the door, I silently opened the door and peered into the hall. When silence greeted me for a satisfactory amount of time, I tip toed into the hallway and pressed my ear slightly against the door across from me. Once again, silence greeted me, and I crept away from the room containing the Fire Lord’s son. Sticking to the shadows, I crept through the corridor and peered through the little window of the door. None of the crew was on the deck, so I slipped out of the door.

The cool breeze of the open seas at night greeted me as I leaned against the wall as I faintly picked up the sounds of laughter and drunken shenanigans happening below deck. The crew had settled for the night to relax, and I felt some tension leave my shoulders. With light feet, I crept to the center of the deck and glanced up at the sky. The clouds parted to reveal the moon in all of its beautiful glory as I smiled at the display. Glancing around once more, I was satisfied to see no one else. 

Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes as I let the pull to waterbend flow through me. Taking a small stream from the ocean, I water whipped the air over the railing on the other side of the boat. I slid my feet horizontally across the deck as I turned the stream to an ice sculpture before closing my fist to rupture the sculpture I just made. A genuine smile settled on my lips as relief flushed my system. Fighting back a small laugh, I danced with streams of water and ice as I embraced the power of the full moon. A sound from below brought my moment of joy to an end as I returned the water back to the ocean and quickly made my escape to my room. I slid into my bed with a smile on my face.

Closing my eyes, I made a promise to myself: I will be doing that every full moon.

The next morning, I was surprised to see Zuko present at the table for breakfast. I gave a polite nod to Iroh as I sat down at my usual spot and fixed a plate of some eggs then made a cup of tea. Zuko sat at the table quietly eating his own plate of breakfast, but he never looked at or acknowledged my presence. Iroh cleared his throat as he gave Zuko a certain look. The loud clatter of Zuko’s fork roughly hitting the ceramic plate as he let out an annoyed huff.

“Good morning, Princess.” Zuko practically growled as his face twisted in annoyance. My former title didn’t sound well coming from the former prince, so I gave him a soft smile.

“Y/N. You can just call me Y/N.” The young man across from me scuffed as he crossed his arms across his chest.

“Father cannot seriously expect me to marry someone as improper as you.” The soft smile on my lips wavered slightly at the prince’s harsh words, but I maintained my composure as I looked at Zuko’s scar. It looked fresh, but healing the best it could. Whatever caused the burn must’ve caused serious damage to his eye, and I speculated the wound had caused some problems for his sight; however, I kept my gaze only briefly on the scar as I shifted my gaze back to my eggs.

“Forgive me, Prince Zuko.” Iroh shook his head as I spoke, but the Prince did not look at me as I continued. “I was just trying to--”

“I told you that you won’t distract me from my mission.” Zuko let out in a burst of anger. “I don’t care about whatever you were trying to do. It won’t help me find the Avatar!” My heart sank to the bottom of my chest as I forced myself to take deep, calming breaths. I could feel tears threatening to gather in my eyes, but I excused myself from the table before retreating out of the room.

“Nephew--” I heard Iroh’s voice as I left the room.

“Do not nephew me! I am not wrong! She’s no use to me in finding the avatar.” Zuko’s angry words caused my eyes to burn more. I blinked away the tears in a desperate attempt to clear my blurry vision as I made haste to my bedroom. Once safe in the four walls I shared with no one, I collapsed on the bed and cried into the pillow. 

A series of soft knocks sounded on my door a few hours later. I sighed heavily as I granted permission to whomever was on the other side to enter. The door opened to reveal Iroh standing there holding a tray of hot tea.

“Would you care for some tea?” Iroh had a soft smile on his lips as he spoke in a gentle tone. I closed the book I had been reading as I gave the older man a soft smile.

“Only if it’s jasmine tea.” Iroh let out a belly laugh as he set the tray down on the small end table next to the bed.

“I am glad to have met someone else who has an appreciation for jasmine tea like myself.” His jovial tone immediately set my nerves at ease. “It is also Zuko’s favorite tea as well.” My heart clenched in hurt at the mention of the prince’s name, and Iroh’s eyes softened at me.

“I must apologize for my nephew’s comment earlier.” I looked at Iroh as he continued. “Not that it excuses his behavior, but would you like to know why Zuko was banished?” I raised an eyebrow at the older man with the long beard as he sipped on his cup of jasmine tea.

“Yes. No one on the ship seems to know why he is banished.” I admit quietly. “I’ve been curious since we boarded the boat.” I sipped on the warm liquid of my cup of jasmine tea, and sighed in content as the warmth spread within my chest and down to my stomach. The older man smiled as he took a seat on the small chair in front of the desk. 

“My brother has quite the reputation for military conquest. There is nothing and no one he wouldn’t sacrifice if it meant meeting his ultimate goal—to be the sole ruler of all the nations.” I nodded along as I listened to Iroh. “Zuko—being the next in-line for the throne—was present at this council meeting with Ozai and his generals. They were discussing a plan to invade and attack, but the crew was made of fresh recruits.” Iroh looked out of the window as he continued.

“When Zuko mentioned that the new recruits were not able to handle the task and would die in the battle, the general merely agreed while Ozai said that war comes with sacrifices.” A heavy sigh left the older man, and I felt I knew where this was going. “Zuko challenged the order, and his father said it would need to be settled with Agni Kai.”

I knew a little about the Agni Kai from the book I had just been reading. Even though Zuko was banished at this moment in time, I had wanted to learn more about the Fire Nation and their customs. Agni Kai were traditional firebender duels that occurred when one’s honor was challenged, and they only ended when one opponent burns the other. I felt the color drain from my face as the reality of how the burn got on Zuko’s face dawned on me.

“Zuko was prepared to fight the general, but when my brother stood across from Zuko at the Agni Kai….” Iroh’s voice trailed off as I closed my eyes. 

In my month aboard the ship, I had learned that Zuko was the same age as me. I couldn’t imagine how he felt when his own father challenged him in a battle of honor, nor could I imagine how he felt when his own father burned him. My heart ached for the young man, but I opened my eyes again to look at the older man who watched me with saddened eyes.

“Zuko hesitated one moment in the Agni Kai, and his father burned him for his weakness.” My thoughts briefly moved towards my own father, and how different mine and Zuko’s upbringing had been. My father would never have challenged me to such a fight, nor would he have caused physical harm to me. I couldn’t imagine what he endured as a child, nor the pain he must feel now. “His father exiled him and told him the only way to restore his honor is to return with the avatar.” Iroh and I exchanged knowing expressions. 

“What a cruel punishment.” I spoke without thought, which caused Iroh to chuckle. “Forgive me. I spoke without care.”

“Oh no.” Iroh smiled at me. “It is quite alright. I fear that I share similar thoughts.” His eyes softened at me. “Forgive me, my dear, for it appears that you too have been unfairly punished by this situation as well.” I shifted my gaze down to my hands as I fiddled with the empty cup.

“I had no clue what was happening the day I was told that I was to be betrothed to the Fire Lord’s son.” I started off in a low voice. “Mother and Father looked hesitant to tell me what terms the Fire Lord had accepted for peace.” 

“I barely had time that morning to say goodbye to everyone before I was rushed away to the ship and on my way to the Fire Nation.” My eyes blinked away tears as I recalled my parents’ somber expressions as I left, and I let out a humorless laugh. “I honestly had no idea what awaited me when the ship docked that day.”

“Part of me wondered—based on the stories they’ve told of the Fire Nation—if I was even going to be alive once I set foot on Fire Nation soil.” I played with a strand of my hair that dangled into my lap. “Lord Ozai said only to follow him, or I’d miss my boat.” Looking up at Iroh, I found more sadness in his eyes.

“I was so relieved to not be dead upon arrival, but I had a new fear that I wouldn’t survive three seconds on the boat.” I gave a small smile at the memory. “I am glad that my fears were just that—fears. I couldn’t imagine what Zuko must be feeling or what he’s thinking about.” 

“You are far wiser than most adults are:” Iroh said with a smile. “The Prince does not yet know how lucky he is.” My cheeks felt hot at the comment, but I shrugged away my embarrassment. 

“Mother and Father always told me to never judge someone before you get to know their story, and to always try your best to show kindness to strangers.” I shrugged as I looked out of the window in the room. “I was to be a ruler one day, and I wanted nothing more than to be a kind ruler like my father.” Shaking my head, I looked at Iroh. “Thank you for sharing this with me.”

“You’re welcome.” Iroh nodded. “I know it doesn’t excuse Zuko’s behavior—“

“No, but it does help me understand this situation a bit more.” A sad smile found its place on my lips as Iroh gathered his tea tray. “Thank you for the tea and conversation. I really enjoyed it.” 

“If you ever need tea, I am always willing to make some.” He sent a small wink my way before he left, closing the door behind him. 

As I sat in the silence of my room, I felt a heavy feeling sink in my chest. The Fire Lord probably sought out the engagement as a source of embarrassment to place upon his son—as if he hadn’t been embarrassed enough. Instead of wallowing in self pity, a new idea slowly crept into my head, and I smiled at the thought.

I need to speak with the cooks.

Tag List @chevysstuffs @puttyly @hypnoticbeing

[passionateseadruid]

Snake King’s Bride

Warning: Profanity (The F bomb), unhealthy relationships, human sacrifice, deals with the devil. (Why tf am I writing this 😭(because I had an idea and it wouldn’t get out of my head that’s why)) Other warnings may be added.

Part one The Exchange

You were so excited to move out and go to college. But in this economy everything is expensive, so you got a roommate and a job at this adorable little thrift store. (Employee discount for the win). 

“Bye, Lilian! I’m off to work!”

“Okay! I’ll be home late, so don’t wait up!”

“Alright! If you feel unsafe or if you want to leave the concert early feel free to call me!”

“Okay!”

You made your way to your job and entered the shop.

“Kaitlyn I’m here!”

“Oh hey! Come in come in! I was just reorganizing some stuff.” She stood on a chair as she swapped some things on shelfs, next to her lay a bag of flower petals (fake ones most likely).

“Anything new or interesting get dropped off?”

“My step-sister Regan dropped off a ring earlier today.” She said hopping down.

“Ooh! What does it look like?”

“It’s gold and it’s shaped like a snake coiled around your finger. And it’s eating a little ruby in the shape of an apple.”

“Can I see it?”

“You’re… interested?”

“I guess you could say so.”

She smiled, almost exited and relieved at once. “I’ll go get it.”

She left and after a few minutes you were worried so you went to find her and you heard her talking in the break room.

“…

I promise she’s perfect

…

Trust me! Rea Rea doesn’t have to get hurt

…

See?!

…

Oh thank you!” She walked out of the break room and you hid behind a clothing rack. 

You pretended to be coming back from the bathroom. “Hey, I just want to say that I hope you know I’m here for you if you need anything. Like I know this is out of pocket but I thought I’d tell you because we’re getting close.”

“I’m fine. Here’s the ring.”

“This is beautiful!”

“Put it on!”

“What? Why?” You laughed.

“Why not? I won’t tell. Just do it.”

“Okay but only for a minute.” You slipped it on. “Okay that’s enough… why won’t it come off?”

“It’s… not coming off?” Kaitlyn asked nervously.

“I’m going to see if I can loosen it with maybe some soap or something. Where did your sister get this ring by the way?!” You yelled from the bathroom. The shop was usually empty on weekdays so you didn’t really care about how loud you were being.

“Um… my little sister said that it was a family heirloom to be passed down to the first woman born into that family on her 20th birthday.”

“Okaaaay…”

“I’m not finding anything; but while you have that ring on why don’t we have some fun!”

“What do you mean by that?” You asked cautiously.

“Why don’t we just pretend that you’re getting married?”

“What?” You laughed.

“Come on! It’ll be fun!”

"Why not?" You smiled.

You pulled out an old wedding dress and the matching shoes. She arranged the flower petals from before in a circular pattern and placed some candles around. "I think this dress might be a bit big on me."

"I'll grab some safety pins." Kaitlyn smiled.

You changed into the dress and when you went to zip it up it felt like the dress shrunk to fit snuggly on you. It was a white ballgown dress with a sweetheart neckline and long sleeves. She then changed into some white close toed wedges with faux gemstones dangling from the strap. It felt like the shoes were expanding as you slipped into them. "Huh, everything is a perfect fit." You then slipped on a chocker that had two rows of pearls and a big diamond in the center and finally placed the veil that came with the dress on top of your head.

Stepping out Kaitlyn had adjusted the veil to cover your face and lead you over to the ring of flowers. "Okay stand here for a second."

"Kaitlyn, something doesn't feel right about this." You said as you stepped into the circle.

"Shut up."

"Excuse you!"

Kaitlyn starts speaking in Latin as you try to step out of the circle. "Kaitlyn stop! You're scaring me!" A forcefield stopped you from leaving the circle. "What the fuck? What the fuck is this? Let me out!"

A fiery rift slices through the air and a dark demonic voice calls out.

"Please, Dark King of hell take her as your bride in exchange for Regan!"

"Deal now leave me be."

"What NO!" You screamed as the floor erupted from under you.

[dejaonline]

same space | shuriri x spoiled!black!fem!reader

Summary: you and shuri have a unique romantic history—the two of you have been bonded by an “arrangement”, but it’s been a good while since you’ve seen each other last. What happens when a routine drunk call + rescue reveals that it is no longer just the two of you.

Content includes: mentions of drugs and alcohol, swearing, semi-offensive insults.

Translations:

nkosazana- princess

umhle nkosazana yam- you look beautiful, my princess

Author’s note: ahh! Baby’s first fic! I am extremely nervous posting this, but i’m equally just as excited. I wanna say thank you to my baby boo @prettymrswright for all of her help and encouragement throughout the process. my tummy is achinggg (anxious girlies stand up!) but i cannot wait to hear what you guys think! thank ya’ll in advance for reading <3

Tagging some of my favsss: @prettymrswright @sapphicvqmpires @kisskourt @inmyheadimobsessed @pvnks0ul @vampzxi @quintessencewrites

Shuri took a deep breath, bracing herself for the chaos awaiting her just behind the heavy doors of the mansion. She could feel the music up through her arm as she pushed through the barrier.

She stepped inside and took in her surroundings. Glitter covered the marble floors, shimmering beneath the beams of light coming from one of the many disco balls hanging down from the high ceilings. A neon ‘Studio 54’ sign was mounted on the wall surrounded by vintage photographs and abstract art pieces.

To the left was a dimly-lit lounge with large, plush earth-toned couches and loveseats. People dressed in rhinestone covered jumpsuits and bell bottoms were socializing throughout the space, some smoking or sitting at the bar with decorated martini glasses.

The young royal ventured down a dark hallway to the right of her, following the sound of music emitting from the commodious ballroom. Colorful rays of light bounced off the walls and beneath Siri’s black boots, multi-colored tiles danced around to the beat.

The queen stood out amongst the sea of metallic gogo boots and fringe. Her slender frame was concealed beneath a black, oversized blazer and perfectly tailored pants to match. Her wandering eyes hid behind her favorite pair of black shades.

Shuri did her best to avoid getting sandwiched between a couple of inebriated bodies thrashing around her. She swiveled her head, attempting to locate you amongst the crowd until finally spotting you.

You were tucked away in a roped off section, attention focused on someone sitting dangerously close to you in the conversation pit. In the center sat a glass table, littered with empty liquor bottles, ashtrays, and assorted sizes of plastic bags. Your smooth, rich skin was covered in a sheer, floor length gown. Diamonds cascaded in detailed patterns across the fabric and tufts of feathers decorated the sleeves and hem, sweeping the silver open-toed platform heels on your feet. Your fresh braids lay parted down the center, hanging down to your lower back. You looked opulent and sexy in the iconic gown. The shimmer on your eyelids and glossy lips catching the light.

You sat with your legs crossed, one arm stretched out beside you and the other resting on your thigh while you sat back engaged in a conversation with a girl in a beaded mini dress. You watched her lips as she chatted about..stuff.

Your liquor induced arousal was immediately redirected once you caught sight of the slim figure looming behind the stranger.

“I hate to cut you off baby, but my ride is here.”

You eyed Shuri from head to toe, lingering on the bit of exposed chest behind her blazer. You leaned forward to plant a quick kiss on the girl's left cheek before standing to take Shuri’s awaiting hand.

She pressed her palm against the small of your back, steadying you.

“You okay to walk, nkosazana?”

You looked to Shuri with big, pleading eyes and she took the hint. She wrapped one of your arms around the back of her neck and scooped you up into her arms bridal style.

The two of you made your way back to the entrance. You were highly intoxicated and giggling in Shuri’s hold, your head pressed against her chest. You caught a whiff of her signature scent, the mix of sweetness and musk that you recognized as Tom Ford Vanille Fatale. You bought it for her a while back and it had been her favorite ever since.

Meanwhile, Shuri was playing it cool, trying not to make it obvious how happy she was to have you this close again. She cracked a smile at how easily tickled you became at her praise.

Although the noise level had significantly quieted down, Shuri whispered into you again.

“You look beautiful, my love.”

Another giggle escaped you and it was music to Shuri’s ears.

“Thank you, shuri bear”

“I thought I told you to stop calling me that, y/n” Shuri huffed before letting you down, her still wrapped around you until the swaying ceased.

“Oh, by the way, this is Riri.”

Shuri softly tapped on the tinted window, prompting the stranger to roll it down.

Riri sat stone-faced and unamused. Her sharp jaw clenched in annoyance before she threw an uninterested two finger wave your way. She still had not looked in your direction, but your gaze locked in on her. She sat slouched in the front seat of Shuri’s Maserati Quattroporte, wearing a baggy denim jacket over a tight fitting white crop top with matching baggy jeans.

Your attention focused on the neat star design braided into the side of her head and the joint tucked behind her ear.

Even drunk, you could sense that she didn’t like you. Or at least she didn’t care much for you. She didn’t even know you, how could she not like you?

“You good, Cher?”

Riri’s low voice pulled you from your thoughts and you tightened up immediately, flipping your braids back and straightening out your dress. You wouldn’t let her see you sweat, but can admit you were impressed she caught the reference. You threw on a fake smile before bending down to reach her level.

‘You’re in my seat, Riri—“

Before she could respond Shuri snatched you away from the window.

“Hey watch the dress!” You shouted.

Shuri pulled you around to the driver’s side pushing you up against the side of the car. You yanked your arm out of her grip.

“The fuck was that for?”

Shuri stepped closer to you, the front of her body touching yours.

“Riri is my girlfriend, she’s not riding in the back.”

You stared blankly at Shuri as your thoughts began to race again.

Girlfriend? When did this happen? How did this happen?

It seemed Shuri could read your mind.

“We can talk about this later. Just sit in the back and be good for me, please? Riri likes to fight.”

Shuri opened the back door, helping you inside. She was about to close the door, but stopped to pop her head back inside the vehicle, taking your chin between her thumb and index finger.

“Play nice” she whispered

Your eyes followed Shuri as she hopped back into the front seat. The engine purred to life and the three of you were off.

You stared out the window at the star lit sky, watching the lavish residence disappear from view, thinking back to the last time you had seen Shuri.

Four months ago the two of you were inseparable. Showing up to parties together, showering each other with gifts, sneaking away to private islands. It may have seemed extravagant to others, but it was a lifestyle the two of you were accustomed to.

You enjoyed your time together, but both parties especially enjoyed the freedom that came with not committing.

It was no secret that you and Shuri had undeniable chemistry. She would do anything for you, go anywhere with you.

The reason you weren’t in Riri’s position was because you didn’t need to be. Girlfriend or not, Shuri was never really out of reach. Your history ran deep and you had been through a lot together. Somewhere down the line, friends became more and things became romantic.

You both saw other people, nothing serious. Shuri usually had a few girls on rotation. It didn’t really bother you because she would abandon whomever she was using to occupy her time with to be with you.

It was one of the things you loved most about her. She was kind and attentive, kept you in check, never let you get lazy or unfocused.

On top of that she really knew how to f—

“-uck is she back there daydreaming about?” Riri snapped.

“She does that a lot” Shuri laughed.

“You wanna hit this or not? Don’t got all night.”

Riri held the lit joint between her fingers, pointing it in your direction.

“Thanks.” You replied dryly

You took it from her, then began to examine the bubblegum pink rolling paper.

“You roll this, Riri?”

“Yeah. Problem?”

You didn’t miss the small smirk that crept upon her face as she awaited your response.

“You used my rolling papers.” You stated matter-of-factly.

Your voice came out more shrill than you intended.

Shuri cut her eyes to you through the rear view mirror. It was a look you had come to learn was a silent warning.

“You left them behind the last time you were over, nkosazana”

You looked back over to Riri, who had now cracked a full blown smile. She watched in amusement as you took a long drag, letting the smoke fill your lungs.

You blew a path directly at her with the remaining smoke, letting it drift around her chiseled face and creating the illusion of her sitting among the clouds.

Her gaze had yet to leave yours. She was studying you: the way your nose scrunched up in annoyance, how your plump lips seemed to always sit in a permanent pout, and fixating on the way your chest increasingly rose and fell.

Maybe it was the weed or maybe it was the fact that Riri was stunning. Her eyes were intense as they bore into you, it made you nervous. It also made you extremely horny.

The car finally rolled into Shuri’s garage. And although you felt a suffocating heaviness in the vehicle, neither you nor Riri moved. You both knew better than to touch your own door handle.

Shuri went for your door first. You stepped out and pushed right past her, leaving no room for conversation. The clicking of your heels echoed throughout the vast garage as you stormed off, hips swaying beneath your dress.

The couple silently watched your figure stride past the rows of parked vehicles and vanish behind the door, making your way inside the house.

Shuri sighed deeply, carefully contemplating her next move. She grabbed Riri’s hands and kissed her knuckles before guiding her inside.

Inside, you made a b-line straight for the kitchen. You swung open one of the cabinets just above your head, snatching a wine glass from inside before slamming it shut.

Shuri was leaned up against the wall, right next to the small space that housed her impressive wine collection. Her eyes traveled down to the glass in your hand and she rolled her eyes, turning to grab the handle.

She disappeared inside, a look of contemplation on her face as she scanned the rows of bottles. Finally, she reached for a 1973 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay. She sauntered toward you, sending you a cryptic smile before heading right for the same cabinet you were just abusing.

In her hand she held two more wine glasses.

“I taught you better than that, y/n.” She teased.

Shuri made her way into the living room and you followed behind.

Riri sat alone on one of the couches, her hand rested over her face.

Shuri stood before you two, looking as beautiful as ever, oozing with charm and sex appeal. She set two of the glasses down, prompting you to add yours to the mix. You jumped at the ‘pop’ of the cork, anxious to have the glass back in your grasp.

“I think we should play a game, get to know each other a little better.” Her accent was thick, but it was no match for the tension in the air.

“And why would we do that?” You questioned.

The last thing you were interested in doing was learning anything about Riri. You felt you had gathered enough information about her from the ride to Shuri’s place: her name and the fact that she has a nasty attitude. Which is rich coming from you.

“Because, princess,” Shuri paused as she filled each glass. “If I’m going to keep both of you in my life, I want you two to bond, learn to get along.” She passed one to Riri, then you, before picking up the last for herself.

Before she could take a sip, her kimoyo beads hummed to life, signaling that someone was trying to contact her.

“I’ll be right back” was all she said before rushing out of the room.

Silence once again fell upon the house. You sipping from your glass, Riri staring you down from across the room. She was the first to speak up.

“So, what escort service did she find your ass from?”

You choked on your drink, appalled at the accusation.

“What the fuck did you just say to me, Keebler elf?”

You were trying to keep your voices down, afraid Shuri would hear from wherever she ran off to.

Riri stood up from her seat, coming face to face with you.

“There’s no way someone would be desperate enough to cling onto someone with a whole ass girlfriend the way that you do without getting paid for it.”

You stood your ground, pushing your upper body up to meet Riri halfway, mere inches away from her face.

“And you’d have to be one dumb bitch to think that title has any meaning.”

“Y/N!”

Before you could register the end of that exchange, Shuri grabbed you up for the second time that night, dragging you down the corridor and into a guest room. She slammed the door behind her, shoulders raising and dropping as she breathed heavily.

Stupidly, you opened your mouth to defend yourself.

“Shuri, that’s not fair, she was being awful to me—“

“I do not care! That is my partner, you do not speak to her like that. You disrespect her, you disrespect me. You’re lucky she even allowed you to step foot in our home!”

Our home. Your throat tightened at the sound. You were starting to feel sick.

“I should have told you earlier, I’m sorry.”

Shuri kneeled in front of you, taking your hands into hers.

“I met Riri a while back, when I went on that trip to Massachusetts.”

“That was six months ago.” You were trying to keep up with the timeline of events that Shuri was explaining to you.

“Yes. We kept in touch, nothing serious.” She peered up at you, waiting for your reaction.

“Go on.”

She cleared her throat before continuing.

“Of course you know, I got this place here in New York to be closer to you. But then I had to return home for a while.”

Things were starting to add up. You remembered having to say goodbye to Shuri, how much you had missed her over the last 4 months.

“Riri came to help me in the lab and we grew to enjoy each other's company. Not in the way that I’m used to, this was real. We made things official and when all the chaos settled, I asked her to return to the city with me.”

You were speechless for a moment, taking in Shuri’s words. You didn’t find yourself being angry, you had no right. The two of you were never exclusive and until a few weeks ago, you didn’t even entertain the thought of it. It had never bothered you that Shuri preferred an open relationship, but hearing that she was serious about Riri struck you to your core.

“Does she know?” You whispered.

“About us?” You nodded in response.

“Yes, I told her up front. My love for you never ceases. No matter who I am with, no matter where I go. You may not have chosen me, my love, but I will always choose you.”

Classic Shuri, girl always had a way with words.

“So how does this work?”

“Riri doesn't care for monogamy, that is how this even works in the first place. We’ll have to set some boundaries, of course, but I believe that we can figure this out. You just have to trust me, okay?”

It was a lot to consider. To say that you and Riri were at odds was an understatement, and establishing mutual tolerance would take some work. But you saw how much this meant to Shuri.

“I missed you, Shuri” you said honestly. Fatigue began to overcome you, and Shuri knew she didn’t have much longer to converse with you.

You laid back onto the bed while Shuri removed your heels. She covered you with a blanket and bent down towards your face. Your eyelids grew heavier with each passing second.

“We’ll talk some more in the morning. Get some rest now. Did I already tell you how beautiful you look?”

“Yeah, but you can tell me again.”

A big smile broke across Shuri’s face. She placed soft kisses on your cheeks, one after another, and lingered as she made contact with your forehead.

“umhle nkosazana yam”

It was the last thing you heard before sleep carried you off.

[javierpena-inatacvest]

Chapter 4: Add You To My List

Summary: After you spend the night together, you wake up to a surprise. You and Javi spend the morning getting ready together after he offers to spend the day running errands with you.

Warnings: Smut (18+), unprotected P in V sex (wrap it up, y'all), shower sex, oral (m receiving), vaginal fingering, some teasing kissing, mentions of panic/anxiety, mentions of food, language, Lorraine occupying space in Javi's mind

Word Count: 6.3K

A/N: This got split into two parts after their morning together and their shopping trip got WAY too long. Osita is me, as I too also take showers the same temperature as the surface of the sun.

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Sunlight spilled through your windows, slowly waking you up. You can’t remember the last time you’ve slept that well, especially the last time you slept wrapped in someone’s arms. The fact that Javi’s arms were so strong and sturdy only made it that much more pleasant. You scrunched your face, stretching your body to try and wake yourself up. 

“Good morning” you mumbled, still half sleeping. 

No response. 

You turned over, assuming Javi was still asleep, not bothered by the sunlight. Except, he wasn’t there. Sheets were left tangled on his side of the bed where he had slept last night, the space he once occupied empty. 

Trying to use every ounce of rationality you, you took a deep breath. It’s fine, he’s probably just in the bathroom. Still naked from the night before, you slipped out of bed to grab Javi’s button down you had sported the majority of last night. 

His clothes were gone. 

Your heart started to beat faster as you grabbed an oversized shirt from your drawer and quickly tip-toed over to the bathroom. 

Lights off, door open. 

Maybe he’s in the living room? Kitchen? You were trying so hard to convince your brain to not panic, but it was getting harder. 

“Javi?” You softly called out to an empty living space. 

No response. 

In a last ditch effort to convince yourself there was any chance Javi hadn’t up and left, you looked by your entry way to find both his shoes and keys missing. 

Fuck. 

You could feel the tears welling behind your eyes as devastation flooded your body. You fucking idiot, you curse silently to yourself. How had you gotten your hopes up that much? Of course he left. You got way too comfortable. You told him you really liked him. You wanted to go on a date with him. You had just met this man and you thought it was a good idea to show him a picture of you as a kid with a sharpie mustache? You got way ahead of yourself. God, was it the sex? You knew it had been a while. It was amazing for you, was it not good for him? Was he mad that you put out after barely any time hanging out with him? Fuck. Your head was spinning with doubt as the tears you were trying too hard to suppress came streaming down your cheeks. 

Defeated and heartbroken, you grabbed a blanket and curled yourself up in a ball on the couch. You knew all of this had to have been too good to be true. Trying to find any temporary distraction to ease your disappointment, you reached over for the remote on the TV to turn on Sports Center to turn on highlights from hockey playoffs you missed yesterday. Your watery eyes blurred last night replays, sniffling to yourself, curling deeper into your blanket. So distracted by your own thoughts, you hadn’t even heard the door open behind you. 

“Oh, you’re up!” A sweet, low voice carried across your living room, prompting you to peek your head above the couch. 

There stood Javi, dressed in last night’s outfit, holding a sizable to-go bag and two travel coffee cups. Immediately noticing your red, wet face, he set down everything on the entryway shelf and made his way to you. 

“Hermosa, what’s wrong?” His big hands gently cupping your face. 

You could barely form any words from the confusion and embarrassment rushing through you. “Wait, I thought that- I woke up and- it’s just, you were gone, I thought I did something wrong and you were mad, and I-“ 

“Did you think I got up and left this morning?” 

“Yeah…” 

“No, of course I didn’t leave. I just got up early and knew you didn’t have a lot of food so I figured I’d go get breakfast from down the street. Osita, I’m sorry, I left you a note and put it on the door, did you not see it?” 

“Wait, a note? What note?” You looked over at the door in confusion.

“Fuck.” Javi got up to look around your doorway, after a few seconds, he held the slightly crumpled sticky note in his hands and passed it off to you. 

Osita,

Went to get breakfast. Figured you didn’t want to eat Mac and cheese this early. Be back soon. 

                                                                -J 

P.s. you’re cute when you sleep, even if you took up the whole bed last night 

“It must have fallen off when I closed the door behind me. Shit, I’m sorry. I figured I’d be back in enough time to be back before you even woke up. You striked me as someone who isn’t happy if they miss out on breakfast so I wanted to have food here when you got up.” 

Wiping your tears with the back of your hand, you took a deep breath of relief. “No it’s okay, I didn’t even think to look on the floor. I’m sorry, this is really embarrassing. But you are right, I do get grumpy if I don’t eat in the morning. Thank you.” You both laughed quietly as you unwrapped yourself from your blanket cocoon and Javi pulled you up to stand. 

Heading back to the entryway, he picked up the food and coffee and set it down on the kitchen table. “Wanna eat?” 

“Yes, please.” 

Yesterday, it became very clear to you that in the bedroom, if Javier Peña was anything, it was through. It obviously must’ve carried into all aspects of his life, because he pulled out just about one of every breakfast item out of the to-go bag. 

“How many breakfasts were you planning on eating?” You giggled as the contents spilled on to the table. “This is like Mary Poppins’ bag.” 

“I wasn’t sure what you liked so I just got a lot to choose from.” 

“Lucky for you,” you opened the container of pancakes, “breakfast is my favorite meal of the day, and I will eat it at any and all hours, morning, noon, or night.” 

You reached across the table for one of the coffee cups. “Do you want anything for your coffee, or do you just do it black?” 

“Just black.” He responded, opting for what looked like some hashbrowns and eggs from the bag. 

“Gross.” 

You brought the vanilla coffee creamer you had from the fridge over to the table to turn your coffee from a dark, rich brown to a very light pale tan. 

“Gross? Hermosa, that’s creamer with a little bit of coffee.” 

“Sorry I’m not manly enough to drink straight black coffee.” You teased. 

“It’s not even a matter of manliness, I just don’t think you really like coffee.” 

“I do. Just with lots of cream.” You smirked and shrugged as you began cutting up the pancakes in front of you. “Thank you for all this. You didn’t have to do that. Sorry again for putting myself in a panic over something I didn't need to. You are right, though. It does beat breakfast Mac and Cheese.” 

You both quickly downed your breakfast and packed the leftovers into your sad looking fridge. Looking at its limited contents, you scribbled down some much needed items on the grocery list you had clipped to your freezer. Realizing the list now spanned front and back after neglecting to go last week, you let out a huff knowing this was about to be a long grocery trip and you didn’t want your inevitable Sunday To-Do’s to interfere with your time spent with Javi. 

“Never seen someone so stressed about a grocery list.” Javi laughed, taking a sip of his coffee. 

“Well, I didn’t go last week and I pretty much have nothing left in this house, so it’s about to be a big trip.” 

“Why don’t I go with you?” 

You whipped your head around and gave Javi a bewildered look. “What do you mean?” 

“Go grocery shopping with you.” 

“But it’s grocery shopping?” 

“Do you not want me to go?” 

“No, I do, but again, it’s grocery shopping? 

“And?” 

 “It’s like the most boring thing to do. I have to run other errands while I’m out too, I don’t want you to be stuck with me if you have other things to do.” 

“Well wouldn’t it be much less boring if you had someone with you? I have no plans today, Osita. I’d love to spend the day with you, if that’s okay. Even if it means grocery shopping.” 

You licked your tongue over the top of your teeth, trying to keep your grin from spreading all the way across your face. “It would definitely be much less boring if you came. Guess grocery shopping just got a lot more exciting.” 

Javi stood up from his chair and made his way towards you in the kitchen. “Do we have to leave right now?” He leaned down as your lips met his, giving you a quick kiss and wrapping his broad arms around your body. 

“No…” You pressed your body closer into his. 

“Do we have to leave any time soon?” His lips met yours again, this time lingering longer, his hands moving down your hips to grab your ass. 

“Also no…” You reached your arms up to hook around his neck, forcing you to stand on your tiptoes. “Any reason why?” You mocked, knowing exactly why he had asked the question. 

His answer as to “why” was lifting you up so that your legs wrapped around the small of his back and carrying you down the hallway to your bedroom. After fumbling your way down the hall, Javi practically flung you on your bed, shrieking in delight as he did. You pulled at the ends of his opened button down to bring him closer to you. It didn’t take long for Javi to work his hands under the hem of your shirt, softly squeezing your breasts under your oversized t-shirt. Prompting you to lift your arms over your head, Javi helped you shed your shirt, leaving your underwear the last thing he needed to remove. You were already drenched, a wet spot pooling in your panties as Javi hooked his fingers under the edges to slide them down your legs. Nudging your knees open, he smirked at the slick already forming, your pussy glistening from its wetness. 

“Always so wet for me, Hermosa. Anyone else ever made you this wet, huh? Anyone else ever made you feel this good?” 

He was confident, but he wasn’t wrong. You shook your head as you stared into the dark, lustful pools of his eyes. You wiggled your bottom half, shifting around on the bed, trying to do anything to put friction between your legs to ease your throbbing ache. 

“Answer me, Osita. Answer me and I’ll give you what you need.” 

“No, Javi. No one has. Fuck, you make me feel so good. Please touch me, please.” 

“Needy, are we?” 

Two fingers slowly circled around your entrance, gathering your slick and barely rubbing it against your clit. You could tell Javi was teasing you, taking his sweet time as you got more and more worked up. You were absolutely desperate for him to do something. 

“Javi, pleaseee…” You whined. 

“Don’t worry, baby. I’ll take care of you. 

One finger dove inside you, thick and finally satisfying your emptiness. The worn pad of his thumb ran back and forth over your clit as a second finger quickly joined the first. Your moans were breathy and desperate, realizing just how worked up you were. Javi’s fingers curled, bumping up against the sweet, soft spot inside you. The wet sounds of his fingers pumping in and out of you filled the room. You could tell Javi was talking it all in, mentally mapping in his brain the things that made you lose your mind in the best way possible. You weren’t going to last much longer. Your pussy began to clench tighter around Javi’s fingers and the feeling in your stomach began to build. Javi knew you were close- He had already stored those clues away in his mind. 

“So tight, baby. I know you’re close. Come for me.” 

Only a few more thrusts of his hand and your body was shuttering as it was sent over the edge. You grasped on to your sheets as your orgasm pulsed through you, euphoria running through your veins. Last night, Javi brought you down from your high, slowing his pace before removing his fingers. This time, it was not the case. After you came to, you felt Javi’s fingers still plunging into you. Worked up and on the edge of overstimulation, you looked at Javi, who now had a satisfied smirk growing across his face. 

“Gonna give you one more, Osita. I know you can take it. Gonna be a good girl and come all over my hand again?” 

“Yes, holy fuck.” Words barely forming in your brain. 

Javi played with you in a way that kept you craving more. You were already so on edge, you knew it wouldn’t take much. 

Magic dick AND magic hands. 

His pace intensified both with his fingers and his thumb rubbing over your throbbing bundle of nerves. You could feel your legs shaking as your second orgasm built inside you. It didn’t take much to send you reeling once again, coming even harder than you did just moments ago. The soft screams of Javi’s name echoed against the walls as your body filled with pleasure. 

“Such a good fuckin’ girl. Did so good for me.” Javi mewled, slowly pulling his drenched fingers out of you. 

Out of breath, Javi gave you a few seconds to come back to life before landing a hot, wet kiss on your mouth. 

“I’m adding magic hands next to magic dick on the tombstone of the grave you’re about to put me in, Javier Peña. Fuck, that felt so good.” 

You could feel how painfully Javi’s cock must have been straining against his zipper as the denim bulge in his jeans rubbed across your thigh. Your hand reached down to palm the outside of his jeans, and made your way up to his belt buckle and zipper. “You want me to take care of you, baby? So hard already.” 

Javi rolled his head back as your hand crept down his pants. He absolutely did, but right now, he had other plans. 

“Fuck, Hermosa, I do. But I wanna fuck you first. Wanna fuck you from behind and see that pretty ass of yours. Can I, baby?” 

“Holy shit, yes.” 

Javi quickly undressed the rest of himself, shuffling his pants down his legs, sliding his boxers along with them, freeing his cock, already red and leaking precum from its tip. Leaning over you, he reached down in your nightstand drawer, his hand shuffling around the condom box. He moved his hand around the insides once more to make sure. Empty. 

“Hey, uh, Hermosa,” He pulled the box out of the nightstand. “We’re um, all out.” 

“It’s okay.” 

He looked down at you curiously. 

“I know we didn’t talk about it yesterday, but I’m on the pill.” You shifted under him to reach in your drawer, pulling out the half-finished packet. “I take it religiously, and I had my OBGYN check everything just to be safe, but I, uh…” 

“But? It’s okay, talk to me.” You swore there was something about looking into those chocolate brown eyes that would have made you spill any of your secrets in a heartbeat. 

“It’s embarrassing.” Javi said nothing. Those sweet eyes coaxed it right out of you. 

“I’ve um, I…I’ve never had sex without using a condom before.” 

Javi froze. He looked shocked. You cut him off before he even had a chance to ask anything. 

“I know, I know, it’s dumb. I always used them and I started taking birth control years ago but I still made Paul use condoms because I think subconsciously I was terrified of even the most minute chance of him being the father of my children. But it didn’t really matter anyways because he was too busy fucking somebody else that we never had sex anyways.” 

“Osita, if you still want me to use a condom I can. I haven’t been with anyone since I got back from Colombia and I got checked when I got home too but I want you to be comfortable-“ 

“No. Unless you really want to. Javi, I want you to-”

Your mouths were crashing together again, your body grinding into his. He pulled you in closer, the hair on his mustache tickling your neck as he whispered in your ear. “Tell me what you want, baby girl. Tell me what you want and I’ll give it to you.” His words left you dripping, desperate to ease the emptiness between your legs, you moaned. 

“I want you to cum inside me Javi. I want you to fill me up. Please. I need you in me.” 

“Jesus, Hermosa. Keep talking like that and you’re gonna make me bust right now.”  The Adam's apple of his throat bobbed as he swallowed and let out a deep exhale. “Are you sure?” 

“Yes, I’m sure.” 

“Hands and knees, baby.” He gently nudged you to turn over as you lifted up your ass, playfully shaking it at him. He grabbed the soft flesh, kneading it in his hands. “Fucking love your ass.” He leaned down to kiss where his hands once grabbed. Spitting in his hand, he stroked himself a few times before running his tip through your folds. “You ready for me?” 

“Please, Javi.” 

Just like that, Javi carefully sunk himself into you. Holy shit, did it feel good. You could feel every inch of him against your walls. On top of that, the way he had you propped up on your hands and knees had his dick pushing in you in a way that somehow felt even better than before. He took his time with each stroke, letting you adjust to his uncovered length. Your brows scrunched at the sweet pinch of him stretching you out in the best way. He began to pick up the pace of his thrusts as you pushed your ass back into him, whimpering at how good it felt. Javi lightly smacked your ass, massaging it after. 

“Does it feel good? Feeling all of me baby, knowing I’m gonna fuck you full of me?” 

“Yes, fuck, fuck, Javi it feels so good. I love feeling you in me.” 

His fingertips gripped your hips, pulling you deeper on to him. One hand slid between your legs, rubbing back and forth against your clit before grabbing you and flipping you over on your back. Grabbing underneath your calf, he took your leg and propped it over his shoulder keeping his pounding pace steady. His forehead glistened with sweat, making his dark curls stick to it. The muscles on his arms strained as he held you in place, filling you with each thrust. 

“I wanna see you when you come, baby. Not gonna last much longer after you do. Wanna watch how good it makes you feel when I fill you up.” His voice was low and raspy, grunting with each thrust. God, his filthy words and voice alone was almost enough to finish you right then and there. His hips snapped into yours, picking up speed. He knew you were close from the way he could feel your pussy begin to flutter around him. Suddenly, something in you snapped. You could feel yourself gushing around Javi’s cock, screaming his name, feeling like you had been lifted off into another dimension. You came so hard you practically felt like you were seeing stars. 

“Fuck, you’re so wet when you come for me, Hermosa. Still want me to give it to you? Cum inside you and fill you full of me?” 

You came so hard that you couldn’t even think straight. Some way or another your fuzzy brain frantically nodded “yes”, desperately. Javi lowered the leg on his shoulder down to the bed as you wrapped both of your legs around his back, keeping him as deep in you as possible. He took his arm and slid it under your back, pulling you up to sit on his lap. As he pistoned into you, you could feel his movements become more sloppy and frantic as he came closer to his release. Only a few more pumps, and you heard Javi begin to let out a low moan, followed by the feeling of him spilling into you, his spend covering your walls. You could feel his sick throbbing inside you, milking himself of every drop he had in him. You could feel the mix of both of you running down your thighs, soaking Javi’s lap. He laid you back down on to the bed, slowly pulling himself out of you, making your oversensitive heat clench at the loss. Kneeling over you, he leaned down to nibble at your ear and whisper. “Everything you’d hope it be?” 

Still breathless, you ran your fingers through the damp locks of his hair and nibbled at his chin. “Even better than I could have imagined. Thank you.” 

“No need to thank me, Osita. Feel honored to have been the first.” The possessive part of his brain hoped he’d also be the last. “Let me clean you up. Do you have a towel I can use?” 

“Yeah, there’s washcloths and towels underneath the sink in the bathroom.” He kissed your head and made his way to the bathroom in all of his naked glory. This man seriously looked like he was sculpted by a Greek God. You giggled as you watched him walk away. He turned around, hearing you. 

“What are you laughing at?” 

“Just admiring. You realize how fucking hot you are? What’s not to admire?” you gestured with your eyes around the width of his broad body.

Javi blushed, taken aback by your compliment. Smiling and turning back around he disappeared into the bathroom, emerging moments later with a wet washcloth in hand. Sitting next to you, he gently took the warm towel and wiped up the mess the two of you had made and threw the towel across the room into the hamper. 

“Okay, Michael Jordan, nice shot!” You laughed, impressed by Javi’s throw. 

“Oh, he’s that basketball guy, right?” He replied, trying to make sure he understood the reference. 

“The basketball guy?! Chicago Bulls former superstar? The greatest athlete in the world? God, you really did miss out on a lot when you were in Colombia. Guess we have a lot of catching up to do.” You playfully nudged him. Feeling bad about bringing up anything about his time away, you felt the need to reassure him you were just joking.  “I’m just giving you a hard time.” 

“It’s okay, Osita, I know. I’m glad I’ll have someone around to get me up to speed on everything.” 

You both sat next to each other, exchanging soft smiles. Something about being in each other’s presence felt so comforting, even in the small moments of silence that fell between you. 

“Well, as great as this has all been, I should probably shower before we go out to do anything. I’m pretty sure I reek of sweat and sex, which is not a stench I need to be rockin’ out in public.” 

“Yeah, a shower is probably a good idea. Do you wanna go first? I don’t mind waiting.” 

“What do you mean, do I want to go first?” 

“Like, take a shower first?” 

“You don’t want to just shower with me? There’s room for both of us in the shower, if that’s what you’re worried about.” 

“Just didn’t want to intrude. Wanted to give you your space if you needed it.”  

“Well that’s very sweet of you, but I don’t mind at all. Just like grocery shopping- It’s a lot more fun if you do it with someone else.” 

Javi couldn’t think of the last time he had showered with someone. He hadn’t really afforded that luxury to any of his informants back in Colombia. Fuck, the last person he must have showered with had to have been Lorraine. The last time he had talked to his ex-fiancé was a few years back on a HR mandated break where Javi had been home for a week or so with his dad. Before that, it was the night before their wedding, packing his bags and getting ready to leave across the country, and leave her at the alter. He had tried to shower with her a few times in their on again, off again relationship, but every time he tried, she was always annoyed with his presence, wanting him out of her way so she could hog all the hot water and carry out her 4,000 step beauty routine in peace. But right now, she was the last thing Javi wanted to think about. He knew it was baggage he was going to have to unpack to you at some point, but right now wasn’t the time. 

He watched as you retrieved two big fluffy towels from under your sink, placing them on the edge of your bathroom counter before heading over to the shower to turn on the water and let it heat up. Your bathroom was a surprisingly decent size for being a one bedroom apartment, without constantly bumping into each other. He could tell you were quietly humming to yourself as you pulled a brush out of the small linen closet and focused in the mirror as you detangled the messy ends of hair. He couldn’t help but gawk at you, his eyes running up and down the lengths of the curves of your naked body. God, you were beautiful. He stared at your reflection in the mirror, his eyes locking with yours, catching you by surprise. 

“What?” You giggled, face still focused on brushing your hair. 

“Nothing.” He shook his head, still smiling at you. His words had said “nothing”, but his tone meant “everything.” 

“What are you humming?” 

Your cheeks turned pink. You hadn’t even realized you had been signing to yourself, which was embarrassing enough, let alone the song. 

“A song by Queen.” Hoping that would be enough to fend off the next impending question. 

“What song?” 

Dammit, Javi. You knew there was no point in lying- this man really could read you like a book. 

“Um, it’s uh, Somebody to Love.” You didn’t think your cheeks could get any redder than they were right now. The 4 letter word at the end of the song title felt like a bomb about to explode. You had known Javi for 5 days. Not even a week. There’s no way you could feel that way about someone in 5 days, right? Fuck, you didn’t feel this way about Paul once in the 3 years you were with him. You hadn’t felt this way about anyone you’d ever been with. Something about Javi made you feel so safe, at home, like you had known him forever. Everything felt so easy. Was it too easy? 

“Oh, I’ve uh, heard that one before actually. It’s been a while, don’t really remember it. You’ll have to play it for me sometime.” 

At least the bomb was partially diffused, for now. 

“Glad you’re asking me to play it and not sing it for you, I’ll spare your ears.” 

“I heard you sing yesterday when we were cooking. You have a pretty voice.” 

One shade more shade of red and your face might have well been a tomato. 

“Thanks. I don’t mind singing, I know some people hate it. Being an elementary school teacher I just end up singing random things to the kids to help them remember to do stuff or remember what we learned.” 

“My mom would do that, too. Me and my dad would always get annoyed with her because she would have the songs stuck in her head all day and then get them stuck in ours when she got home.” 

“Do you remember any of them?” It filled your heart to know Javi was comfortable talking about his mom in front of you. You had heard stories from you co-workers about what a great woman she was, and you would have never pried to get him to talk about anything he wasn’t comfortable with.

“Not really… Except for that God awful one about what day of the week it was.” 

“The one that is set to The Addams Family?” You smirked, hoping it was the song you were thinking of, considering you sung it to your class every day. 

“Fuck… You’ve gotta be kidding me.” 

“Days of the week… Days of the week… Days of the Week, Days of the Week, Days of the Week.” You sang in an obnoxious tone to the show’s theme song. 

“This song is the worst, you know that right?” Javi loudly stated over your continued singing. 

“There’s Sunday and there’s Monday, there’s Tuesday and there’s Wednesday. There’s Thursday and there’s Friday, and then there’s Saturday!” 

“I could go my entire life without ever hearing that song again.” You both burst into full on laughter at the ridiculous sight of you nakedly serenading him with a song about the days of the week. 

“Can’t say I blame your mom for that one. If we have to suffer with that stupid song every day, so should you.” Still laughing, Javi playfully smacked your butt. 

“Get your ass in the shower, Osita.” 

“Fine. I will warn you for future reference, I am a chronic shower singer, but I will spare you any more concerts today.” You winked as you slid the shower curtain open and stepped over the edge of the tub under the running water. You let the water run down your face, pushing your hair back and out of the way as Javi stepped in behind you. 

“Holy shit!” 

“What? Are you okay?” 

“The water is fucking hot!” 

“It’s not even that hot! This is my starting temperature!” 

“Starting temperature? Osita, this is hot enough to burn your flesh! It’s hotter than Hell in here!” 

“Fine, ya big baby, I’ll turn the heat down.” 

You twisted the knob and turned around you face Javi. “Better?” 

“Yes, now that it’s not the surface of the fuckin’ sun in here.” 

You went to reach over Javi towards the shower caddy hanging on your wall. “Can you pass the shampoo, please?” You squeeze a sizeable glob in your hand, before passing it off to Javi, who did the same. You repeated the same routine with the conditioner, switching spots every so often to let each other rinse out your hair. 

“Body wash me!” 

“Which one? There’s two.” 

“Doesn’t matter. You pick.” 

“What one did you shower with yesterday?” 

“The mango coconut one, why?” 

“You smelled good yesterday.”

“You were smelling me yesterday? Weirdo.”

“No, I uh-“

“Javi, shhhh I’m just kidding, don’t worry. Mango coconut it is.” 

Javi shook and squeezed the contents of the bottle into your hand. This time, instead of scrubbing down yourself, you lathered your hands together and ran them across Javi’s chest. You felt the tenseness of his muscles ease as you worked the shampoo across his body. You worked your way across his back and arms, feeling his heavy sighs releasing his stress. Your hands began to roam lower, squeezing his butt before trailing down the V of his hips. You could feel him half hard against your leg with the little distance between you. Lowering your grasp, you reached around his girth, now hard and heavy in your hands. 

“Can I take care of you?” 

Javi leaned his head back. “Fuck me- Yeah, baby.” He let out a low breathy sigh as you lowered to your knees. You continued twisting around his base as your tongue met his tip, hot and heavy against you. Twisting your tongue around before taking a long, slow lick along his length, you could hear Javi swearing under his breath in a mix of Spanish and English. You began to take him further into your mouth, bobbing your head back and forth until he reached the back of your throat. You could feel the veins of his cock pulsing along your mouth as you continued to work around him.

“Where do you want me baby?” 

Batting your lashes to look up at the broad figure hovering above you, your mouth slid off of him with a pop before you answered. 

“In my mouth. I want you to come down my throat. Want to taste you so bad.” 

Your words just about did him in. “Jesus Christ. Dirty fuckin’ girl. Want me to come down your throat, fill you with me again?” 

“Please.” You nodded before kissing his tip and then engulfing him back into your mouth. Your twists and sucking became faster and sloppier, knowing that Javi was hanging on by a thread. You felt him place his hand along your jaw, guiding your head back and forth along him. 

“Fuck, Osita. I’m close. Fuck, fuck, I-“ 

His cock pulsed in your mouth as his sweet, salty release coated the walls of your throat. A low groan followed as you swallowed his seed and licked the rest dribbling along the tip. “God damn, Osita. You’re too fucking good at that.” 

Helping you up off of your knees, he pulled you in closer to kiss you, the taste of him still heavy in your mouth. 

“Yeah, it felt good?” 

“More than good, baby. Fucking amazing. You want me to take care of you?” 

There was no denying that what just happened had left you dripping, but the amount of times that Javi’s thick fingers and huge dick had been inside of you in the past 12 hours, and the long dry spout you had before last night had you feeling a little tender. As much as you wanted to, your body needed a break.

“No, it’s okay, you've gone down on me more than any man has in the last 5 years combined, I just wanted to do something to return the favor.” 

Javi wasn’t convinced. “You sure? Am I doing something you don’t like? If I am, you can tell me, it's okay, I promise, I just wanna make you feel good.” 

“Oh my God, no Javi. The opposite, actually. You’re fucking amazing. So amazing that I am a little bit sore from your magic hands and magic huge dick, and lack of sex up until this point. Plus, it makes me feel good knowing I made you feel good. You went down on me like 4 times last night, believe me, its the least I can do.” 

“Okay, Osita. Well, if you change your mind, just let me know. I'm more than happy to make that number 5 times whenever you want me to. You still okay if I wash you?" He smiled at you gently, squirting the sweet smelling soap into his hands.

“Thanks, Javi. Are you just looking for another excuse to touch my butt?" You giggled as the bubbles built in his hands from scrubbing them together.

"Maybe." He smirked, planting a soft kiss on your lips.  

Javi gently scrubbed around your body, his huge hands engulfing you in his grasp. You let him enjoy his extra time working around your boobs and ass, knowing he was very much enjoying himself. You both took one final rinse under the shower head before turning it off and stepping out to wrap yourself in the fluffy towels you had set out. He ran the towels through his wet dark curls before wrapping the towel around his waist and resting his hip along the bathroom counter. You wrapped yourself up as well, grabbing a smaller towel from under the sink to wrap up your hair and a caddy with some beauty products to put on the counter next to Javi. 

A dismayed look spread across Javi’s face. "Is it okay if I stay in here while you get ready? I can leave if you want me to, sorry."

“Why are you apologizing? You don’t have to be in here if you don’t want to, but I'd love to have you in here with me. I don't think I've ever met a guy who's wanted to stick around after I'm not naked from the shower anymore. I asked Paul once if he wanted to hang out while I got ready and he looked at me like I had asked him to shove an octopus up his ass. I’ll kick ya out if I need to, don’t worry.” 

Javi laughed to himself as he sat on the lid of your toilet seat for the next 20 minutes watching you with his puppy dog eyes as you got yourself ready. The bathroom was filled with a quiet, comfortable silence as you focused on finishing your routine quickly. You were convinced that Javi’s eyes hadn’t left you even for a moment. The beautiful, half naked man sitting next to you in your bathroom was making it much more difficult than usual to concentrate. Your last step was brushing your teeth, globing your toothbrush with minty toothpaste.

“Do you want a toothbrush? I have extras.” Your mouth half foamy as you brushed. 

He nodded as you shuffled around in your closet to pull out a new toothbrush and hand it to him. After reaching over you to fill his brush with toothpaste, he stood behind you, his broad frame filling the mirror. It was so simple. You two standing in your bathroom brushing your teeth. Something you did every day, without thought. A simple moment that filled your heart contently. You both spit out your toothpaste, and went to set your brushes back on the cup you had on your counter. Without a word or thought, Javi put his right next to yours. Like it had always been there.

[eyesofshinigami]

Eddie and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

Rating: T

CW: None

Tags: Established relationship, Eddie Munson loves Steve Harrington, Steve Harrington loves Eddie Munson, very very mild sexual content (blink and miss it)

Prompt: For @lihhelsing "Love is helping them unwind after a rough day"

WC: 852

Written for @steddielovemonth Day 19

Eddie knew it was going to be a bad day as soon as he woke up. He managed to stub his toe twice on the way to the shower. His waffles got burnt in the toaster and they were out of syrup. He missed the bus by a minute, watching it drive away from the stop just as he ran up to it. It started raining while he was waiting for the next bus, so of course he got drenched.

He hoped that it had ended there, but no. Eddie got to work fifteen minutes late due to a traffic jam, wet and hungry and already done with today. His boss yelled at him and put him on tape-sorting duty, marking down the new shipment of tapes. Of course, halfway through, his pen exploded and covered him and the sheet he was using, so he had to start over.

By the time the end of his shift had rolled around, Eddie was tired, had a headache the size of Montana, and he was ready to throw himself into the void. Mack, the other guy on shift, patted him on the back and all it did was make his skin crawl. 

The journey home wasn’t much better. The bus was late again, and Eddie couldn’t find a seat so he had to stand. The bottom of his sneaker apparently acquired a random hole and he had to walk back to their apartment with wet socks.

Eddie was done. He was so fucking done that all he wanted to do was crawl into the bed and cry until he couldn’t anymore. He also hoped that Steve wasn’t home yet from work; he was scared that something bad would happen, like they would end up arguing or not speaking to each other.

What Eddie didn’t expect was to come home to a house that smelled a little like heaven. It was warm and he called out, “Steve? That you?” 

“Yup! In the kitchen!”

Eddie toed off his shoes and stripped out of his still damp jacket and hung it up on the rack. He still felt really keyed up from the day he had, so he steeled himself against his own feelings and headed into the kitchen. 

Their table was set. A lasagna was cooling in the center, set on a potholder right next to a spray of daisies. Two beers were set beside their plates, still cold enough that condensation was gathering on the glass. 

Steve himself is dressed in comfortable clothes, bent over the oven and pulling out what looked like cheesy garlic bread. Fuck, if it wasn’t all of Eddie’s favorite things wrapped up in one beautiful little scene. “Hey! I must have timed it just right!”

Eddie felt tears starting to gather in his eyes. “How… how did you know?”

Steve set the garlic bread down on the stove and pulled off his oven mitts before he reached up to cup Eddie’s cheek. “I heard you this morning. And then Mack called me before you left, saying you’d had a pretty shit day. So… I got home a little early and wanted to surprise you with something good.”

Okay, yeah, Eddie was absolutely going to cry now. “For me?”

“Of course, baby. After dinner, I figured we could take a bath together and I could wash your hair? Then we could crawl into bed and watch that new Beetlejuice movie? I grabbed it on the way home.”

“Steve… that…” It sounded incredible. It was perfect. So why was Eddie blubbering like he’d just been told his dog died? 

But Steve, wonderful, beautiful Steve, seemed to just understand. “Because you deserve it. You had a bad day, and I just wanted to make it better. You’d do the same for me, have done it in the past. Let me take care of you, okay?” 

What else could Eddie do but nod?

Dinner was delicious, Eddie ate until he couldn’t anymore, realizing he’d forgotten to eat lunch in the midst of the rest of his terrible day. He listened to Steve talk about what he’d done that day, letting his boyfriend’s words wash over him. 

The bath was just as nice. Even if they were two grown men, they managed to squeeze themselves into their tiny tub. It was ridiculous, but it made Eddie laugh and he felt light for the first time since he’d woken up that morning. Steve had washed his hair, took his time rubbing conditioner through Eddie’s curls, and then it ended up with them wrapping hands around each other’s cock and Eddie panting into Steve’s mouth.

Fuck, but he loved this man so much. 

Loose from the bath and from his orgasm, Eddie crawled into bed with Steve and curled up as the movie started.

“Love you, Eds,” Steve murmured, kissing the top of his head. He grabbed the remote from the bedside table to fast forward through the previews.

Ed smiled into Steve’s collarbone. The day might have started pretty fucking awful, but Steve had turned it right around. Now, it felt like the best day ever.

[nebraskas]

4/26/24 Nebraska/IA Tornadoes

a continuously updated list of resources

last updated 4/27/24 at 8:13 AM CST; find how to help those affected at the bottom

All

Aid/Assistance/Reunification

If you are disabled and impacted by tornadoes, call Disability & Disaster Hotline 800-626-4959 or email hotline@disasterstrategies.org (per The Partnership for Inclusive Disaster Strategies on X)

Nebraska Humane Society can house animals that need emergency shelter. Contact Animal Control at 402-444-7800 ext. 1. (per NE Humane Society on X)

Footage

Images and videos from across the storm's path.

Bennington

Aid/Assistance/Reunification

Three Timbers Church - S 2nd and Warehouse Street, St. John's Lutheran Church - N Molly Street and Howard Lane, and City Hall - 156th Street and Warehouse Street are all locations to find assistance. (per KETV7)

Clean Up

13505 N. 216th St. in Bennington needs to keep several things in mind:

The landfill will be open 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday.

Green debris limbs must be cut into pieces 4 feet or smaller.

Debris can be mixed.

Home appliances and hazardous materials are not accepted.

(per KETV7)

Blair

Aid/Assistance/Reunification

The Red Cross has set up a location at First Lutheran Church at 2146 Wright Street (per KETV7)

Elkhorn

Aid/Assistance/Reunification

A Facebook page where people are offering resources

Common Ground Recreation Center at 1701 Veterans Drive will serve as an overnight shelter for those affected and pets. (per KETV7)

Anyone needing relief or assistance due to the storms, St. Patrick’s at 204th and Maple Street is your go to. Do not go for unrelated reasons. (per Omaha Scanner on X)

Command Post has moved to 204th and West Maple in St Patrick’s Church parking lot. Media staging is now at the Walgreens parking lot at 202 W Maple (per OPD on X)

Currently there is a reunification center being established at Elkhorn Middle School located at 3200 N 207th street for parents. (per Douglas County 911 on X)

PETS: PetSmart Veterinary Services is at the Walgreens at 202nd and Maple in Elkhorn for pet triage and stabilizing services for animals needing care from tornado injuries. (per Brian Beech on X)

Clean Up

Pheasant Point Landfill as a debris drop-off location, closes at 3 PM today (per KETV7)

Damage

Residents who have suffered damage to their homes in today's severe weather event should call 2-1-1 or go online at http://dogis.org/211 to make a report. (per Douglas County on X)

Omaha

Aid/Assistance/Reunification

Heartland Hope Mission has two locations in west and south O that offer help. West - 15555 Industrial Road, South - 2021 U Street (per KETV7)

How to Help

NE Humane Society is taking food and litter donations at 8929 Fort Street; also accepting monetary donations. (per NE Humane Society on X)

On 4/27/24 at 7:30 AM there will be a meeting at Relevant Church 21220 Elkhorn Drive held by Rapid Response America to help with disaster relief. Bring your own PPE (gloves, long sleeved shirts, closed toed shoes) and you will have to sign a waiver. More info here.

A Facebook page where people can offer help

My City Church is partnering with other area churches to offer assistance. It's asking for volunteers to help in a variety of ways:

Meet at the Relevant center at 212th Street and West Maple Road at 7:30 a.m. Saturday. Volunteers are asked to bring chainsaws, trucks, trailers, shovels, rakes, brooms, garbage bags, etc. to help clean up

Meet at Brookside Elkhorn Campus at 9 a.m. Saturday. Volunteers need to bring necessary tools and work gloves.

(per KETV7)

[cryptidcorners]

Suit & Tie - Mike Schmidt x GN!Reader [ 100 Follower Special ]

Description: You've been stood up on a blind date you were deathly excited for. Miserable and smeared with disappointment, you decide to visit Mike to cool your frustrations—though, it looks like you aren't the only one having a hard night.

Media: FNaF!Movie

Character: Mike Schmidt

Tags: 100 Follower Special, Hopeless Romantic!Reader, Rough Night, Fluff, Romantic, Friends to Lovers, Confessions, Lots of Kissing, Sweet Talk, Flirting, Shy/Awkward + Tease!Mike, Slice of Life, Domestic, Mike being a Sweetheart.

No Warnings.

read my TOS + Mike Schmidt Masterlist

It was one of the worst nights of your life.

You had fixed yourself a wispy, rich fit for your blind date. As well as saving up enough to pay and have some leftovers to indulge in last-minute activities. Blinded by excitement, you had prepared too much for your own good, and ended up waiting in your booth until after hours. Wrecked with frustration, you began to march outside to hook a taxi driver to drive you home silently. Only to realize a storm you hadn't expected muddied up the roads and made it almost impossible for someone to risk their time for a hopeless romantic like yourself.

So, now you were straying along the lines streets lightly flooded with blankets of darkened rainwater that were filling your shoes and weighting your fabrics. Disaster unveiled within your already distressed twister of a mind, as well as regret and heartbreak. You felt like an oblivious character thrown into the spotlight with a single to be humiliated and ragdolled. You couldn't believe your date had done that. All those bubbly giggles across the phone line, smooth walks in the park. You hugged yourself in an attempt to warm your frosted skin, as well as applying some solo comfort. Hot breaths tunneled out of your throat desperately to challenge your aches, blowing on your timid hands didn't give you a lick of justice. Nor hope.

How badly you wanted to go home and sink into a mindless of blue-screened entertainment from your glitching television to forget everything. To just pass away after all this cruel effort and embarrassment.

Had you really felt so connected to your date? To somebody you'd talk to over a table dressed with scarlet and a vased batch of yellow tulips within the center? Did you think it would work? To click with somebody—it felt so foreign, so alien, so unreal. You hardly knew them, but you still made the glorious effort to fall into available arms at any chance. To be cradled lovingly, to be covered in soft kisses, to be cared for. Would you ever find that?

Your eyes narrowed as tears mixed in with the shower above the black sky. Would you?

As silence crept into your conscience, you heard a voice thorned into your attention. You jolted up, eyes flickering like some startled deer. You wondered if you had imagined it, and your energy halted. 

“—Hey! What are you doing outside?” Your eyes veered towards a tall house, drenched in shadow and fog. It was Mike, calling your name. Suddenly, you felt your heart throb intensely, from not only the sight of him, but from embarrassment. You chewed your lip at the thought of Mike strolling past his dripping windows and seeing your figure, head down getting soaked by the rain. You could draw him being incredibly startled in your head. 

“Hey?” Mike echoed. “You’re soaked! Come—Get over here!” Now knowing you couldn’t ignore his signals to warm hospitality, you sailed across the street. Almost limping as you felt incredibly uncomfortable at the feel of mushy socks growing heavy in your pooled shoes. You huffed, scrambling up the steps to meet Mike’s gaze. His wear was surprisingly lacking that cozy picture you had seen so many times. Instead, he was sharp. Ruffled curls now backed and silky, face lightly shaved and his wear neatly ironed. Your face flushed nervously, “Hey. Hey, how are you?” You sheepishly smiled. It was a pathetic attempt to look grounded, but you couldn’t help yourself. Feeling vulnerable in front of him tugged you in a way you couldn’t explain, as if you had to impress him somehow.

Yet, despite his golden appearance, he looked defeated, and heartbreakingly exhausted. You desperately wanted to kiss his pain away, or see his face light up with that infectious grin you could never mentally shut up about. Mike stepped aside, inviting you inside. “Don’t worry about me just yet. Come inside,” he said and once you entered, Mike unleashed a concern lurking in his mind, “weren’t you supposed to be on a date? A—what’s it called? A blind date?” 

“A blind date.” You confirmed, eyes awkwardly flicked on the mud and storm you were dragging on his hardwood. Mike noticed and stammered quickly, “I can get you a towel, or something. Coffee?” He scrambled quickly to his kitchen, flicking on the light after holding onto your gaze for much longer than he wanted. Before you could speak, you could already hear the flicker of the stove. Mike called over, gripping a bag of coffee beans that was light from great useage. You wanted to deny, but you were too broken to push aside such an offer. With a slim exhale, you answered shyly, “That’d be nice, thank you.” 

As the smell of brew calmed your senses, you relaxed on one of the dining room chairs. Mike turned back to you, smiling, “Right, so. What happened? I thought you wouldn’t be here until midnight?” His gaze hung to the bubbling coffee in the pot, opening up the cabinets to prepare a decorated cup. “Was the date early? Oh, traffic?” 

“No, oh God, no.” You huffed, “I got stood up.” you said casually, and you heard something clatter from the surprise. Mike immediately turned to you, shocked. Without the context, you would probably laugh at his dumbfounded expression. You cleared your throat, “It’s—fine, really. We didn’t even know each other that well,” 

Mike poured the coffee with his eyes occasionally flickering towards you. “I’m so sorry.” 

“It’s fine,” 

“No, really.” Mike approached, “Here–,” and you whispered your thanks. “I just didn’t expect you to get up like that, you know? And you had to walk home? I could drive you back after you get dried up, you know it’s never a problem for me.”

You breathed heavily, “Thanks, Mike. But, I think I’ll be walking home. You’ve already made me coffee.” you humored. “I think I’ll be fine.” Despite the feel your cup resembling cinder against your fingertips, you still swallowed and cringed at the heat. Though, it pumped some warmth through your veins despite lightly damaging your throat.

Then, you felt your skin grow hot as he leaned close to you. “I insist.” Typically, Mike getting close to you wasn't all that rare, it was just something he did. Though, tonight felt different. “I’ve had a rough night too, and me helping you could make us both feel better.” He explained, “Of course, you don’t––you don’t have to. I’m just, suggesting.” Mike pulled away.

You were fond of his quick rambling, so this question was plastered with a smile, “So, what happened to you, handsome?”

“Fired.” He stated.

“What?” You coughed, regretting your playful tone in a flash. “Mike, that’s horrible!” That explained why he looked like that. His gaze washed, “I know, but, I have a lot of other numbers in my cabinet. I could look, they seem to pay well.”

He sat next to you, “It’s not as bad as what happened to you, though. I haven’t even told Abby yet.” Mike sighed. “I don’t know what to do.”

“Mike,” you were shocked. “Don’t compare what went down tonight for you, that’s—terrible, I can’t even grasp how sorry I am for you.” You cleaned your coffee-stained lips. Mike’s eyes had been particularly hyper focused on your expressions, your body language, your lips. Just to name a few. Mike shrugged as you leaned forward slightly, “I guess we didn’t get what we wanted.”

“Well, I wouldn’t say that.” Mike suggested. You were immediately confused, “What do you mean?” you hadn’t realized how quiet everything had gotten. Even the rain pitter patting against the window had no affect, it was only you and Mike. Paired up with your warm breathing. Mike’s eyes, for once, were maintaining contact. “I mean, I can still tell you how I feel. Like, how pretty you are. And how much I wish I could give your date a piece of my mind right now.” His laugh had always enchanted you. There was something so healthy and wonderful about it. It sounded as if nothing terrible happened to him, that he was content. Mike’s face flushed, “I’m sorry, am I going too far?” he asked breathlessly. As if he weren't tearing you to shreds right here and there. If he knew he was such a tease you doubt you'd be the victim of so many oblivious moments where you swore you were going to faint due to Mike's antics.

You whispered as your tone grew intimate, "No. It looks like you have more to say,"

"Well, I can say whatever you want me to." Mike's voice mirrored yours, and he dragged his chair. Your legs were touching, yet you pretended not to notice. You knew you were so lovesick, and that you could possibly be romantically interested in your best friend. The man that had always been there for you. His attitude was a flux, and Mike was raising his head with a sluggish grin as if he were surprised he uttered such a line. Which somehow made him more desirable in your world.

"I won't tell you anything. You need to tell me honestly." You toyed, "I know you're holding back."

Mike exhaled, "You know you're opening a door you can't close, right?"

"Maybe I want the risk." You tried to stay stable, "Who said I was scared?"

"Nobody."

"You looked like you were implying it, Mike."

He answered with a low chuckle, "So, you aren't going to run away?" Mike's face was dangerously close now. You could taste his breath, his skin was fresh with cheap cologne and lavender soap. Paired up with his lazy gaze and tired voice. It was enough to drive you to the edge, and you could barely muster a reply. "No."

He was so desperate for your approval, the moment you shook your head and opened your mouth, Mike was already smothering you gently. You melted into the kiss, your wet clothes and skin dimming onto his neat fit. Mike's hands were secure around you, obviously testing the waters and going slow. Meanwhile, you were needy. And desperate. And a little new. Both of you were, but that was the magic wasn't it? You had always prayed Mike would be the first person you would kiss. Even if it didn't cradle romantic context. You just wanted him. His giggles, his kisses, his kindness, his love. You wanted his love more than anything it hurt your heart how much, your passion burning in your gut.

You were both growing tired of sitting, so you stood up, growing handsy and messy. It wasn't until Mike found your neck, you folded. Before you could sink into pure joy in the moment, Mike pulled away, gasping. "I'm sorry, you're just standing. Are you okay?"

"More than okay,"

"Well, good, because I—" you cut him off, dragging him by only his tie and your lips to his couch. Passion stirred within the air as you began to unveil his collar and pepper his throat. Where, surprisingly, he was most ticklish. Mike was giggling the whole time, while also growing antsy. You had no concept of how long you two were making out for. Maybe a couple minutes? An hour? You didn't care, even if it hurt your lips, you wanted to be with him. With Mike. Somebody who understood. Your eyes grew glossy as he pulled away, catching his breath while pathetically mumbling a: "I love you, so much. So, so, so much." Then, he brought you back into his eclipse of pleasure. Everything was blurring and the only way to detect a number was by counting all the red marks on his skin because of you. It was all because of you.

You were growing crazy, humming and chuckling as your mouth grew tired of sharing oxygen with him. Once it was finally over, Mike rested his ruffled up curls against your forehead. You were more or less the same. There was silence, until you delivered: "I'm in love with you too." And it had circled, all over again. His lips and hands were on yours, just like you wanted.

Then, you both really stopped. Mike was drinking up the air robbed away from him. He giggled, face bleeding from blush from his flustered expression. "I'm sorry just—give me a second, Lord. I'm gonna pass out."

"Take it easy." You joked and you rested his head on your chest. Your skin was still radiating from your fling, and you couldn't help but blush like a teenager when he gazed up at you, eyes dark with an obvious love for you. He felt the need to repeat, "I love you."

"God, love can't even top what I feel for you." You cupped his face, "But that being said, I'll always love you more."

[eldintower]

something i've noticed is how when you put together the symbol of messmer's flame & the seal of melina's eye, you create something quite close to the frenzied flame symbol. messmer's flame matches very closely to the outside of it; melina's three toed fowl's foot (an in-world sign of ill omen which is very fascinating storytelling) resembles the curl of flame at the center of it, specifically in how the digits themselves curl. that leaves of course the rest of the interior design....

melina's deathly eye contains an eddy of twilight, which, given that the siblings as counterparts- death and the serpent, death in the embrace of flame, the one who walks alongside flame, etc- could fill in the sort of ragged swirl within the symbol. not literally, considering it's empty, but as a match. the sigil of blackflame fits it best (upside down, lol). now, i don't believe melina is the gloam eyed queen- the gloam eyed queen of the godskins wrought in legend (don't think she's marika either)- so keep that in mind. to me she represents & was born one half of prophetic doom- the death to messmer's flame- and the blackflame represents that, the oblivion to which the base serpent delivers. the resemblance between the blackflame symbol & metyr's fingerprint, the abyssal woods, the abyssal serpent, blackflame being heavy... Anyways I think it's interesting. mostly because it calls more into question the nature of melina's seal, aside from the in-world superstition, or rather because of it. she's quite interesting! she has a lot going on!

[tos-call-center]

As an Escort you should always "Roleblock" your Fellows Town Investigatives. So you can Give them some Relief from the Stress of Town diying.

[neriumxoleander]

If you could explain, I'm only learning this now! What's going on with Gato? I've only seen vague posts but I know all social media is gone (because by god fucking twitter apparently) I've seen from the fake gatobob account post about recent events and I'm soo confused. Could you please shed some more light on this? If you are as clueless as I am, you don't need to respond. - @your-very-own-anon (mod speaking)

Sorry for the late response, I've been trying to retag some things while I'm focused on this account for once. I'll try to be brief? please don't take me as the authority on this, I just happened to get into the tags while it was unfolding earlier today. still going under a read more though. i suppose a tw for mentions of racism and xenophobia are warranted. And please do not interact if you are a minor or have no age listed on your blog, I will block you.

Gato deleted her social media accounts this morning (tumblr, twitter, pillowfort) and explained on patreon it was for her mental health and safety (which... safety? hm) and someone here immediately claimed the gatobob url. which happens, it's tumblr. but this person is using it basically as a callout center.

the callout seems to be about an incident that happened in the patreon exclusive discord server before it got shut down a couple months ago. tldr according to this person, someone (a mod?) made a racist comment towards someone, and gato apparently handled the situation poorly and neither her or the mods apology were really that great. I was in the server as a lurker more than anything, but I don't remember being there when this happened.

other people sending in asks to this new gatobob account have also been calling her out for xenophobia, but I have a feeling that's looking a little bit too much into statements she's made about her games being redistributed in Russia and Spain specifically if i recall correctly.

this new blog is demanding gato and the aforementioned mod properly apologize for their behaviour, but in my opinion, this is a really weird and bad way to go about it. Smart to use her url as a way to boost the problem, but... I haven't seen any solid evidence besides some very vague screenshots, none of them including the racist remarks (the screenshots they've posted so far definitely aren't good responses or apologies if they ARE linked to this incident, and it should have been taken seriously) And the victim from the racism incident is NOT the person running the new gatobob account, so it feels very weird to me that this person is taking it upon themselves to stir everyone up and demand things from gato and the mod.

as far as I can tell, gato hasn't said anything about this on patreon, although she's likely taking her separation from social media very seriously. If she is aware (and I'm sure she's getting plenty of DMs about this on patreon), she'll likely make a post there addressing it in the next couple days, but that's just speculation.

I'm keeping a mostly neutral stance in this whole thing, but I'm encouraging people to not interact with this new gatobob account. There's nothing we can really do; they aren't impersonating her, posting anything against ToS as far as Im aware, and people have been hoarding urls for years. Just... listen and learn, I think is all I can suggest. Form your own opinions, but don't go on a witch hunt about it, if that makes any sense.

I'll try to answer other questions, but I'm just one guy on the internet who doesn't usually get tangled with things like this. Please be patient.

[emkayewrites]

Another photo that inspired one of the chapters of ''Curtain Fall', my Lukola fanfiction.

Here's a sneak preview:

It was going to be a hot summer.

She could sense it.

Traditionally, English summer involved occasional rain showers and the need to pull on a warm pair of socks but this year the weather had been consistently dry and warm.  In fact, the fluffy pink socks she had bought to London were still in her suitcase over a month later.

These were the thoughts on her mind that evening as she stepped into the twenty-fifth floor apartment that she was calling a temporary home.  The space was open plan; a kitchen complete with marble worktops that stretched into a living room that was surrounded by large windows. An orange-red sunset painted the city skyline before her. 

She slipped out of her black, open-toed kitten heels and enjoyed the soothing coolness of the floorboards on her sore feet.  She switched on a few lamps, moving around the cream sofa and glass coffee table that took center stage in the living room area.

Ping!

She deliberated ignoring her phone.  All she wanted in that moment was to soak in a bath, then curl into bed and fall into a very deep sleep.  Her better nature advised her against it, recalling that the last time she had been out-of-contact for an entire day was also the last time her mother had almost had a panic attack. 

This was the thing about press days.  They were all-consuming.  Today, it had been swelteringly hot but there had been no opportunity to stop and sufficiently hydrate herself, let alone answer a text message.  She reminded herself that there was a time in her life where she would lose entire days to social media; feeling a sense of shame when she came to the end of her Instagram feed, something she had not known was even possible.

The message was from Luke; it was a screenshot from an article.

The article was titled: Nicola Coughlan wowed in a chic white shirt dress by London designer Simone Rocha. She was greeted with an image of herself: blonde hair expertly parted at one side with bright-red lips.  The dress in question was cinched in at the waist by extra sleeves that functioned as a belt. It was a look that Aimée, her stylist, assured her was sophisticated and fashion-forward. 

“Wow, I know her!” He had commented.

She laughed despite herself, flopping down onto the sofa.

She was still in the dress.  The photo had only been taken a few hours ago and was already featured in Vogue’s Best Dressed At Wimbledon list before she had even had a chance to get home and into a change of clothes.  Life had gradually become strange but since the Derry Girls finale last month, the media and fan attention had ramped up in a very noticeable way.  

“For the last time - get me OFF your Google Alerts, demon.” She texted back, still smiling.

There was an ongoing chain of messages between them that had started since their weekend away.  Some mornings she would wake up to a meme from him.  Other times, she had been the one to share a random musing that sparked a day of back-and-forth commentary, complete with GIFs.  They had continued this pattern despite the reality of her life catching up to her.  Very quickly, she had become an actress that was ending her run on one highly successful show and about to headline another.  Her publicist and agent were inundated which meant she was inundated. 

Now, days were spent at some glamorous event or other and any free time was dedicated to catching up with work emails and her family and where possible, Luke.  Everyone and everything else would have to wait.  This would be her routine until Bridgerton started filming.  Speaking to Luke every day was important.  It reignited the trust and humour that was central to their friendship.  It was not a spark she wanted to lose this close to the start of filming even if some days all she could muster up was an emoji response.

You can read more here:

[merrysithmas]

re: nursing & Nurse Chapel in SNW @ Paramount/the fandom

new trekkies have begun to notice that Nurse Chapel eventually becomes a doctor in TOS canon. i'd like to challenge the stale (and rife with outdated sexism) misconception of that event with a more modern lens that hopefully SNW can retcon...

Christine does not stop becoming a nurse to become a doctor. She can be a doctor AND a nurse.

A DNP (clincial doctor of nursing practice) or nurse phd (researcher) or nurse educator/researcher (phd). One of my main issues with TOS canon is how they made Chapel "upgrade" from a nurse to a doctor which is extremely outdated and inherently insults the field of nursing (implying medicine is a hierarchy which it isnt - and SNW does a good job showing the partnership btwn mbenga &her). Most nurses never venture into physicianship but instead pursue doctorates in their chosen field: nursing. Because they want to be nurses.

I hope this is one thing they retcon and make clear she is a clinical doc of nursing (who have all the same diagnostic/prescriptionist responsibilites as a doctor of medicine) or some other variant of doctor of nursing.

Christine likely became a nurse because nurses have diff freedoms (and a closer patient relationship) and can expand to work in innumerable specialities - as nurses are trained as multi-specialty healthcare providers - whereas doctors are more limited and stick to their specialty. She chose to be a nurse because she wanted to be a nurse.

People choose nursing over becoming a physician for MANY reasons - and let me tell you, it's absolutely 100% not because the doctors are more intelligent lol. Nursing is a multifaceted field which consists of myriad opportunities, learning experiences, specialities, 1:1 patient connections, and freedoms that a physician will never have. Nurses can work in an ER, OR, Labor and Delivery, community health center, an herbalist shop, someone's home at their bedside, and research lab all in the same week. Physicians cannot do that - they have various legal and technical limitations (still a great field, but different).

Nurses are a medical jack of all trades - that is what Christine is.

An accurate portrayal of nursing is hardly ever shown in modern media which either erases nurses entirely (see House or ER or any other medical show), or sexistly mischaracterizes the field and ignores that nurses are hard scientists who partake in research, war, and can attend up to 10 yrs of schooling in their specialities (more than an MD). Not to mention that it is nurses who train in and learn the practical knowledge of medicine (injections, sterilization, IV admin, patient positioning for expelling mucuous, suctioning sputum, etc - doctors do not train in practical medicine and if they do they do not practice it).

If you are at the hospital and you have a head nurse and a physician resident making a call - guess who is going to have the last word. It isn't the doctor. And that is a respected norm.

It is thrilling to watch as Christine participated in research, engages in community outreach, joins fellowships, continues her education, assists surgery, diagnoses patients, engages in war and Starfleet, and cares at the bedside.

The old fashioned notion of "just a nurse for now" is about as stale as some of the sexist/misogynist concepts in TOS - and Christine is a GREAT example of a modern nurse character, highly accurate, and SNW would do well to correct further misconceptions of the field by making her an example of a Doctor of Nursing.

As far as I know, being a trekkie forever, they never stated what kind of doctor Chapel was - perfect opportunity.

[fantasy-anatomy-analyst]

heyo! i was wondering, do you have any general guidelines or tips on how to make goatfolk/goat-like humanoids? like, things that based on your judgement should be essential to their physiology and/or society. your opinion is highly appreciated and valued! ^^

sure! I'm going with a really standard domestic goat as reference here, but there are many breeds of goat with their own distinct features, so don't take this as the only way to design goat people. some goat breeds don't really have horns or the little beard, or they have floppy ears instead of tall ones, etc. sheep and goats are also very closely related and have a lot of features in common! sometimes what you think is a photo of a goat is actually a breed of sheep! So you kind of have to decide which specific goats you want to use as a reference point.

image description: faded photos of a goat and some close ups on a goat's face and hoof, all outlined in red. notes on the photos point out specific features. horns, short body, horizontal pupils, cleft lip, and even toed hooves. end description.)

I think the facial features here are probably the most important to keep in mind, as they'll be the same for any goat breed. they all have eyes with horizontal pupils and they all have that upper lip with the cleft. I tried to look up another word for that, because cleft lip also refers to a congenital condition in humans and animals where there's a split in the upper lip and possible the palate of the mouth. a lot of animals like goats and rabbits and cats have this sort of line dividing their upper lip into two parts. it's also called a philitrum, but we use that word for the dip between a human lip and nose as well. unfortunately an internet search for "what do you call it when animals have that separated lip thing going on" mostly turned up information on the congenital condition and how to treat it in livestock and pets. so i don't know if there's a better term for it other than a cleft lip. either way, it is a very recognizable feature on goats and I think it helps make a goat humanoid look more goat-like.

(image description: sketches of an anthropomorphic goat, with a close up on their face. They are short and chubby. end description.)

This is a design that leans heavier on the goat features, but you can go for something more humanoid, like a satyr. depends on what your end goal is for the design!

as for their social and cultural aspects, here's a couple of articles on goat behaviors:

article 1

article 2

important details to keep in mind:

goats are foragers, they wander around to find food and they're well known to have very broad diets, including the ability to eat some things other animals avoid, like tough thorny vines.

goats tend to have a lead female, also known as a doe, guiding the herd. a lead male, known as a buck, will usually bring up the rear. the lead female makes decisions about where the herd will go, the lead male guards the back and is very defensive.

a herd of goats usually has a hierarchy going on and they will defend their own places in that hierarchy. age, sex, and horn size are common determining factors.

goats are climbers, and they'll climb anything including each other. baby goats are especially active about this.

goats headbutt each other for various reasons. this includes establishment of hierarchy, defense, and play.

so goat people might have a matriarchal system, with males as guards while females are guides. they may have a culture centered on fighting as a form of social communication and entertainment. they could be nomadic as well. their dance style is probably very acrobatic, jumpy, and reflective of their fighting style.

those are just a handful of ideas off the top of my head! i hope it's helpful and i wish you luck and fun as you design your goat folk!

[forest-hashira]

also fuck it LEMME GET A DRABBLE TOO WHY NOT….. >:3 kenji + flying ehehehehe 🤓🤓 mwah mwah congrats once again <33

EEEEEEE TY LOGAN!!! kissing u on the forehead ily smmmmm 💜 the randomizer i used rlly said "hmmmmm. i know this is for logan. give her The Boy" AHAHA so i hope u enjoy ur lil romantic gojo drabble 🥺

“Toru?” you called, stepping into the apartment you shared with your boyfriend; the lights in the entryway were off, and it seemed like only the kitchen was dimly lit. Odd, you thought, knowing he usually steered clear of the kitchen. You’d had a long day at work, though, and decided not to dwell on it. Instead, you toed off your shoes, tucking them away into their proper spot, and hanging your keys on their designated hook by the door before stepping further into the apartment.

Before you made it more than a few steps, though, Satoru was in front of you, a bright grin on his face and a bouquet of your favorite flowers in his hands. “Hey, sweetheart!” he greeted cheerfully, though he dialed back his enthusiasm a bit when he saw the exhaustion that weighed your body down. “Bad day?”

You gave a small shake of your head. “Just long.” You gladly accepted the flowers as he offered them to you, leaning in and closing your eyes for a moment as you gave them a sniff. “Thank you, baby. The flowers are nice.”

“I made dinner, too,” he told you with a smile, placing a hand lightly on your back and guiding you towards the dining room.

“You… cooked?” Satoru tried his best, you knew he did, but cooking was not his strong suit, which is why he was generally relegated to prep tasks when he helped you in the kitchen. Because you loved him, you’d eat at least a few bites of whatever it was he made, but you were already mentally running through your options for places to call and order something for delivery.

“No, I know better than that,” he replied with a small chuckle. “I’m not very good at cooking without supervision.”

As you stepped into the dining room, you saw that the table was set, with candles lit in the center, and this time it was your turn to laugh. The dinner your boyfriend had “made” for you was still in its little white takeout boxes, each box placed neatly in the center of a plate, with chopsticks and a glass of wine on either side – well, you thought it was wine at first, but them you noticed the bottle of sparkling grape juice Satoru had placed between your place settings.

“It looks delicious,” you said, looking up at him with a soft smile. “Thank you, Toru. I really appreciate it.”

Just then, your stomach decided it was the perfect time to make the most ungodly gurgling noise, making heat rush to your cheeks with embarrassment.

“Maybe you should stop appreciating it and start eating it,” Satoru teased, kissing your cheek and taking the flowers from your arms. “Sit, eat. I’ll put these in a vase and then join you.”

Finding no reason to argue, you did as he said, taking your seat at the table and picking up your glass, taking a small sip of the sparkling beverage as you turned to watch your partner move around the kitchen, looking over your small collection of vases before picking one, carefully trimming the stems of the flowers, then placing and arranging them in the vase once it had enough water in it.

You’d never felt luckier to have him in your life.

for my 100 followers milestone event!