#where the pinguins live

[satoshy12]

Uncle Pinguin birthday gift

The Fenton family made their way to the Iceberg Lounge, an expensive nightclub located in Gotham City and owned by their uncle, Oswald Cobblepot. It was his birthday, and they had a special gift for him because he loved pinguins. It was pretty hard for Danny and Jazz to get them, so they themselves made their way to his house.

Oswald smiled as he looked at the Fentons and was pretty shocked to see what the gift was from the Fentons.

It was a pair of Petradyptes, the massive prehistoric pingiuns. He had no idea where they found them! But he already loved them. But he would need to hide them from Batman; he doesn't want to explain how he now has an extinct Pingiun race.

Petradyptes is an extinct genus of penguin that lived during the Late Paleocene epoch, between 60 and 55 million years ago.

[marsplastic13]

'Complicated' (part 17) - Kaz Brekker x Reader

Idea - Kaz Brekker hires a prostitute to overcome his touch aversion, and be a better man for Inej, but things take an unxepected turn. Pairing: Kaz Brekker x Prostitute!Reader, (had to use y/n because I'm bad at names) Genre: modern AU, slow burn word count: 5.8k notes: sorry for the slow update, but I don’t want this to end, and it won't have an ending if I don't sit down and write it, right?

@millercontracting @coldmermaidhologram @syd649

@luffysprincess @cryptidghostgirl @beekeepingageissome

@hufflepuff-16 @lukepattersin @jay-is-a-pinguin

The following days were chaotic. Kaz and Y/n communicated mostly by sending each other links for houses to see but couldn’t manage to make their schedules match enough to go see at least one of them. Their days were filled with hurried messages and missed calls, both trying to balance their hectic lives with this new chapter they were stepping into.

They saw each other every night, alternating between their two apartments, where their stuff was starting to get mixed up in the most comforting way. Kaz found himself leaving a few things at her place, while Y/n’s clothes began to take up space in his closet. It was messy and imperfect, but it felt right.

Kaz’s routine had become an eager ritual: he left his keys to Y/N, hoping every day that he would return to find her at his house. One night, he walked into a scene he hadn't anticipated, and it was anything but ordinary.

The argument echoing from the kitchen was both bizarre and oddly intense. Kaz stopped in his tracks at the entrance, his brows furrowed in confusion. Y/N and Jesper were engaged in a standoff, each vocalizing their grievances with an earnestness that made Kaz wonder if they were being serious.

“I’m his girlfriend!” Y/N's voice carried a hint of defensiveness as she spoke from the kitchen, her back turned as she stirred something on the stove.

“Yeah, since when? Two weeks?” Jesper shot back, sounding incredulous as he arranged utensils on the table with exaggerated motions. “I’m his best friend!”

“So what?” Y/N’s tone was filled with frustration and amusement, clearly unperturbed by Jesper’s objections.

“You were with him yesterday,” Jesper retorted, his voice rising slightly.

“And I’m going to be with him tonight,” Y/N replied, her voice dripping with defiance.

Kaz pushed the door open wider and stepped into the kitchen, where he found the scene: Y/N was in the middle of cooking, while Jesper was setting the table with the casual ease of someone who was a regular guest—perhaps too regular.

“Let’s make him decide then,” Y/N said, glancing over her shoulder at Kaz with a smirk that bordered on challenging. “You can’t beat filthy sex, Jesper.”

Jesper, not missing a beat, shot back with a grin. “Oh, I will have filthy sex with him if that’s what he wants to do tonight.” His remark was delivered with such nonchalance that Kaz’s eyebrows shot up in surprise.

Y/n turned to face Jesper, raising a brow, “I mean, what’s that say? Two it’s love, three it’s a party?”

Kaz looked between Y/N and Jesper, his confusion morphing into amusement. “I’m pretty sure you just made that up,” he said, with an exasperated sigh.

“Jesper is jealous,” Y/N stated matter-of-factly, her hands on her hips as she turned to face him.

“Yes, I am,” Jesper admitted, his tone tinged with mock indignation. “Also, you’re out of my ice cream. Did you forget about me already?”

Kaz sighed again, still in disbelief at the absurdity of the situation. “Alright, alright. How about we watch a movie after dinner? All together?”

Y/N and Jesper, still bickering but clearly warming to the idea, responded in unison, “Fine.”

During dinner, the conversation shifted quickly. Jesper seemed intent on avoiding the topic of Y/N’s job, though he was more than happy to soak up the latest gossip about her clients. He leaned in eagerly as she recounted humorous and outrageous stories from her work, his eyes wide with fascination.

“No way that happened,” said Jesper, shaking his head.

“I swear! And then he took the-”

“Y/n, we’re eating,” Kaz interrupted the animated story making them both sigh in shared annoyance.

He watched the exchange with amusement and relief. He was grateful to see them bonding, even if it was through a series of awkward and funny moments. The way they interacted—Y/N’s animated storytelling and Jesper’s animated reactions—was a step towards some kind of friendship, and Kaz felt a deep sense of contentment.

Once dinner was over, Y/N and Jesper settled onto the couch with Kaz. Y/N plopped down on his left side, her body pressed comfortably against him as she made herself at home. Jesper took his place on Kaz’s right, casually draping an arm over the back of the couch and looking as if he owned the place.

“I so wanted to hit on you when we met at the Crow Club,” Y/N said with a mischievous grin, her eyes glinting as she glanced at Kaz. “But Kaz stopped me.”

“Kaz! Rude!” Jesper chimed in, his tone a playful mixture of mock betrayal and amusement.

Kaz groaned, pretending to be exasperated as he reached for the remote. “I don’t think I can handle both of you together,” he said with a sigh, pressing the play button on the movie. 

As the movie droned on, Kaz couldn’t help but notice how quickly both Y/N and Jesper got distracted and started gossiping again about people he didn’t even know.

Since he was in the middle, they kept moving to look at each other better. “Sorry, do you want me to leave?” he asked when they got so close to talk in a conspiratorial tone about whether or not some girl was hiding a pregnancy or not, that they were almost both on his lap. 

“Yes, actually, can you move on the other couch?” asked Jesper. 

“You could make drinks,” suggested Y/n. 

Kaz stood up shaking his head, at least they had stop fighting.

***

One evening, Kaz found Matthias standing outside his door, looking unusually serious. 

Matthias shifted awkwardly before speaking. “I wanted to talk about my birthday party. Jesper is bringing his new boyfriend, this Wylan guy, and I thought it wouldn’t be fair to not invite your new girlfriend. I already talked to Inej, she’s in Brazil for the next two months, so she won’t be there.”

Kaz raised an eyebrow, skeptical. “And what does Nina think about this?”

Matthias sighed, running a hand through his hair. “She’s not thrilled, but she agreed.”

“Thanks. We’ll be there.” He paused, a small smile playing on his lips. “Oh, and she’s vegan.”

Matthias rolled his eyes, though there was a hint of amusement in his expression. “She’s really determined to make everything difficult, huh?”

“You have no idea,” Kaz replied with a chuckle.

Matthias shifted his weight, a rare sign of uncertainty from the usually stoic man. "Look, Kaz, I know things have been complicated since... everything with Inej."

Kaz nodded slowly, understanding the unspoken words. "I know it's not easy for any of you to adjust."

Matthias gave a small, wry smile. "Well, relationships are never simple. But if she's important to you, then we'll make it work."

Kaz felt a weight lift from his shoulders as he nodded thankfully.

***

“No way, Kaz. I’m not going,” Y/n shook her head emphatically. Kaz passed a hand between his hair, they were trying to make some of her toiletries fit in his one-man-who-never-owned-a-lotion-small-bathroom. It felt like playing tetris, and she kept saying that it was just a small part of what she actually used everyday.

“Come on, I want you to meet them,” he said again, his tone gently persuasive.

“Oh, I’ve met them. They hate me,” she laughed nervously, trying to squeeze another bottle onto the crowded shelf.

“They don’t hate you. They just don’t know you and they’re still mad about the fact that I cheated on Inej,” Kaz replied, his voice dropping slightly as he admitted the uncomfortable truth.

“With me!” Y/n's voice was filled with frustration and anxiety. 

Kaz sighed, the bathroom felt even smaller with both of them in it, and the tension in the air was palpable. 

“You’ll see that once they get to know you, they’ll like you,” he insisted, picking up a small jar from the counter. “What is this?”

“This is for my under eyes. Not everyone wants to go around with dark circles like you do,” Y/n snatched the jar from his hand, placing it back with a huff. “I don’t want to be judged by your friends for an entire evening.”

Kaz leaned in closer, resting his hand on the counter beside her. He always liked it when she wore her glasses instead of contacts; it made her look even more endearing. “No one will judge you, except maybe Nina.”

Y/n sighed deeply, pausing in her efforts to organize the bathroom. “What are you going to say when they ask about my job?”

Kaz hesitated, his honesty coming through despite his desire to reassure her. “I don’t know,” he said sincerely.

“See? Terrible idea,” she muttered, her shoulders slumping.

Kaz reached out, gently lifting her chin so she would look at him. “I’ll figure it out. We’ll figure it out together. You’re important to me, Y/n. They need to see that.”

Y/n’s eyes softened, but the worry didn’t completely leave her face. “I just don’t want to be the reason everyone’s uncomfortable.”

“You won’t be,” Kaz promised, his voice steady. “They’ll see how much you mean to me, and if they care about me, they’ll care about you too.”

She looked at him, searching his eyes for the reassurance she needed. “And if they don’t?”

Kaz took her hand, squeezing it gently. “They will, trust me.”

They continued arranging the bathroom, the small, mundane task becoming a comforting routine. Amidst the chaos of organizing, Kaz’s curiosity got the better of him. “There’s something I’ve always wanted to ask you, but don’t get me wrong, it’s just a curiosity.”

Y/n glanced over her shoulder, raising an eyebrow. “Let’s hear it.”

Kaz hesitated for a moment, then asked, “I imagine you don’t plan on keeping your job forever. What’s your plan for then?”

Y/n shrugged without turning her head, her fingers meticulously placing a bottle on the shelf. “I’ll live off my trust fund.”

Kaz’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Your what?”

“My trust fund,” she repeated, sounding as though it were the most obvious thing in the world.

“You have a trust fund?” Kaz asked, his voice laced with astonishment.

“I wish,” she laughed, finally turning to face him, a mischievous glint in her eyes. She grabbed him by the waist, pulling him closer. “I’ll either marry rich or learn how to code.”

“Marry rich, huh?” Kaz smirked, his fingers finding their way to her hair, tucking a stray strand behind her ear. “That’s quite a plan.”

Y/n smiled, her eyes sparkling with playful intent. “Yeah, like staying at home, being pretty, going to Pilates, getting the kids into fancy sports.”

Kaz raised an eyebrow, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. “So you’re telling me your grand plan is to live the high life and leave all the hard work to someone else?”

Y/n chuckled, nudging him with her shoulder. “That’s the dream, isn’t it? To have someone take care of all the heavy lifting while you enjoy the perks.”

Kaz looked at her with a mock serious expression, then shook his head with a smile. “I won’t let you work a day in your life if that’s what you want.”

Y/n's eyes widened, a playful smile curving her lips. “Oh, really?”

Kaz leaned in closer, his tone earnest but lighthearted. “Of course. First, because I can, and second, because I want to. I’ll handle the heavy lifting, the long hours, and the stress. You just focus on being fabulous and keeping me on my toes.”

Y/n looked up at him, her eyes filled with warmth. “And you would be really okay with all that? You’re not just saying it to keep me around?”

Kaz cupped her face gently, his gaze serious now but soft. “I mean every word. If you want to take the lead on decorating the house, planning vacations, and keeping me in line, then that’s what you’ll do.”

Y/n’s expression softened even more, shoving him playfully. “You could have told me months ago.”

He laughed, “I tried.”

Y/n looked at Kaz more seriously. “So, are we really going to see that house tomorrow? Are we really doing this?”

Kaz grinned, his tone upbeat and reassuring. “Absolutely. You’re signing up for a lot of Sundays at IKEA.”

Y/n raised an eyebrow, playfully rolling her eyes. “Well, I’d better update my Pinterest board then.”

Kaz laughed, nodding. “I’m counting on it.”

***

The day of the party arrived, and y/n’s anxiety was palpable. She tried every trick in the book to avoid going. She claimed she was feeling under the weather, that she had a work emergency, what kind of emergency could exist in her work she was the only one to know, and even tried to convince Kaz that she had a sudden family crisis. When Kaz received a desperate call from her grandmother, who informed him that y/n had tried to enlist her help to claim she was on the brink of death, Kaz’s patience finally wore thin.

As they parked outside Nina’s and Matthias’s house, y/n was visibly tense. “We can still leave,” she said, crossing her arms defiantly.

Kaz sighed, grabbing her chin gently but firmly to make her look at him. “Stop being a child about this,” he whispered before leaning in to kiss her, the contact warm and reassuring. “It’ll be fine. Just breathe.”

Y/n huffed, “Oh, I am so going to be a child about this,” she muttered loud enough for him to hear.

They made their way inside, and the initial greetings were awkward but manageable. The atmosphere was thick with unspoken tension, but they managed to navigate the small talk. Kaz felt Nina’s eyes on him every time he leaned in to whisper something to y/n, or when she made him laugh. He could tell she was not pleased with the situation.

The evening’s focus shifted to y/n and Wylan, the new entries to the group. They were engaged in a discussion about Wylan’s career as a musician when Matthias, with a casual air, asked y/n, “So, what about you, y/n?”

Kaz’s hand instinctively tightened around Y/N’s under the table. He could sense her hesitation, the momentary pause as she gathered her thoughts. Before she could answer, Kaz took the reins, his voice cutting through the chatter with unexpected bluntness. “She’s a sex worker.”

The room fell into an almost eerie silence. The suddenness of Kaz’s revelation hung in the air, and the group exchanged bewildered glances. Y/N turned to Kaz, her eyes wide, not with shock, but with a kind of appreciative disbelief. She mouthed a soft “Thank you,” accompanied by a small, grateful smile.

Nina, ever the bold one, was the first to break the silence, shaking her head as if to clear away her surprise. “You’re kidding.”

“He’s not,” Y/N interjected, her voice steady and polite, though her grip on Kaz’s hand tightened ever so slightly.

Eyes darted between the two, curiosity and unease settling over the table. It was Nina who voiced what everyone seemed to be thinking. “And you’re fine with this?” she asked Kaz, her arms crossing defensively.

Kaz shrugged, his expression impassive. “It’s a job.”

Wylan, who had been quietly absorbing the exchange, hesitated before speaking up, his tone tentative. “Is it rude if I, uhm, ask why?”

Y/N leaned towards him, her smile disarming. “Because I’m really good at it.”

The response was so unexpected that Matthias, in mid-drink, choked, his face flushing a deep red as Nina patted his back, half-laughing, half-concerned.

“Really? That’s your answer?” Nina asked, her tone caught between disbelief and amusement.

Y/N’s expression softened as she shrugged. “I could give you thousands of answers: because it’s fun, because it’s easy, because it pays well,” she replied, her voice matter-of-fact.

Nina’s gaze shifted back to Kaz, searching for some sign of unease or regret. “I still can’t believe you’re fine with it,” she said, her tone softer, almost like she was trying to understand.

“That’s how we met,” Kaz explained, his hand moving to cover Y/N’s, offering a rare display of open affection. “I hired her to help me with my issues with skin-to-skin contact, and well—”

“Let’s just say he got over them,” Jesper quipped with a laugh, trying to ease the tension.

Nina looked around the table, her eyes scanning the faces of their friends, as if seeking some form of solidarity in her lingering discomfort. “I can’t be the only one who finds this weird, come on.”

“I never said it wasn’t weird,” Y/N replied with a small grin, acknowledging the strangeness of the situation with a lighthearted tone.

Matthias, who had finally recovered from his coughing fit, leaned forward, his expression more serious. “Isn’t it dangerous?”

Y/N’s smile softened, her gaze meeting his with a calm assurance. “You’re thinking about desperate girls working on the streets. I’m talking about clients who are lawyers, doctors, CEOs—people who just need some company, like anyone else. I’m in control of everything. I set my boundaries. I decide who, when, and where. I have more control over my body and my life than most people do.”

The room fell into a contemplative silence, the weight of the conversation still lingering in the air. Everyone was processing Y/N's words, the way she had calmly and confidently explained her life choices. Kaz, sensing the need to steer the conversation into lighter territory, leaned forward slightly.

“We found a house yesterday,” Kaz said, his voice casual, but the significance of the statement wasn’t lost on anyone.

Nina’s eyes widened in surprise. “You’re really moving in together?” she asked, her tone hovering between disbelief and curiosity. “Isn’t it a bit soon?”

Y/N glanced at Kaz, their eyes meeting in a brief, understanding exchange before she nodded. “Yeah, it is. And we also got a plant,” she added, her voice taking on an excited, playful edge. “If it doesn’t die, we’re getting a dog.”

A few chuckles rippled around the table, the atmosphere beginning to lighten as Y/N’s enthusiasm became contagious.

“A plant?” Jesper teased, raising an eyebrow. “That’s a big commitment.”

“It is,” Y/N shot back with a grin. “Kaz is already paranoid about it, always moving it around to make sure it gets the right amount of light.”

“I really want the dog,” Kaz pointed out, his tone serious, though the hint of a smirk gave him away.

Jesper laughed, shaking his head. “Of course, you’d go all strategic on a plant just to get a dog.”

The group chuckled, and the conversation naturally shifted towards dogs—favorite breeds, training tips, and childhood pets. The tension from earlier seemed to dissipate completely as they swapped stories and debated which dog would be best suited for their new home.

Y/N leaned back in her chair, feeling the weight lift off her shoulders as the topic of her job was quickly forgotten, replaced by lighthearted banter and shared excitement about the future. Kaz, too, seemed more at ease, joining in on the conversation with surprising enthusiasm, especially when it came to discussing the potential new addition to their household.

***

Kaz and Y/n were trying to pack some of her things, but Y/n was taking a lot of time deciding what she needed for work and what she had to bring to their new place. A shiver went through Kaz’s spine. Their house. How did they go from Y/n helping him to hold hands to renting a really nice apartment together? He shook his head, marveling at how quickly things had changed.

“Baby, are you listening to me?” Y/n asked, annoyed, snapping him out of his reverie.

“Honestly? No. I can't look at another vibrator to decide if you need it for work or not,” he sighed, laying back on the bed.

Y/n snorted, throwing some of the vibrators into a box. “Do you want to take a shower with me?”

Kaz hesitated. He really wanted to, but he knew it was a potential trigger for his trauma. The idea of being so vulnerable, even with her, was daunting.

“Please, I'll behave, I swear,” she added, climbing on top of him and looking down with a mischievous smile.

He looked at her, taking in her playful expression, the light in her eyes. “Fine, let's try it.”

Y/n grinned, gathering fresh clothes for both of them. She held up a shirt, examining it. “That shirt is not mine,” commented Kaz.

The girl looked at it again. “Are you sure?”

“I’m really sure,” he chuckled.

It took three more tries to find a shirt that was actually his.

“All of these other men’s shirts that you have around are going in the trash,�� he said before kissing her temple, his voice tinged with possessiveness but softened by affection.

Y/n laughed, taking his hand and leading him to the bathroom. She turned on the water, adjusting it to the perfect temperature, and started undressing. Kaz watched her, feeling both excitement and nervousness. She was always so patient with him, so understanding of his boundaries.

They undressed, and Kaz started to feel a bit self-conscious. Of course, she had seen him naked, but never in the bright light like in that moment. He took a deep breath.

“Are you okay, love?” she asked, stepping into the shower first.

He tried to look nonchalant, following her under the warm spray of water. “Yeah, I’m fine,” he replied, his voice steady despite his nerves.

Surprisingly, Y/n really behaved, never touching him, never pushing him beyond his comfort zone. Kaz found himself enjoying the normalcy of it, passing the body wash back and forth, chatting about mundane things. The shower was spacious enough for them to maintain some distance, which helped him relax.

After a while, someone tried to enter the bathroom. “Who locked this door?” asked an annoyed voice from the other side.

“Me,” replied Y/n.

“Are you working?”

“No.”

“Oh, hi Kaz, I suppose.”

“Hi,” Kaz replied, embarrassed, “Do you usually share the bathroom?” he asked, turning to Y/n.

“Always, of course.”

“I shouldn't be surprised,” he sighed, grabbing the towel she handed him. They both stepped out of the shower, dripping wet.

“We take showers together all the time, you know, it saves water,” Y/n winked at him from the mirror, and he rolled his eyes.

A weird thought formed in his mind. “Do you have sex in the shower? When you ‘save water’?”

“Yeah, sometimes,” she shrugged, then turned to look at him, “Does that count as cheating?” she asked with wide eyes.

Kaz sighed, “Honestly, I have no idea at thsis point.”

“We should talk about it,” she said more to herself than to him. “Moving out from here is going to be so weird.”

“You think?” he asked, watching her get dressed.

“Yeah, we've been living together for ages. I'm the youngest, so they always treated me like a little sister,” she said with a small smile.

“Y/n, if you're rethinking this…”

“I'm not,” she interrupted, her tone firm. “Plus, I’ll be here all the time for work, so it’s fine.”

Kaz nodded, hoping that she was sincere. He knew how much her current living situation meant to her, and he didn’t want her to feel like she was giving up too much.

“Can we sleep at my house? Jesper is coming there early tomorrow morning,” he asked, trying to change the subject to something lighter.

“Sure.”

“And can we take your car? I came here with an Uber.”

Y/n laughed, the sound light and musical. “Any other requests?”

“No, I'm done,” he smirked, feeling a bit more relaxed after their shower and conversation.

***

“Turn left at the next exit,” Kaz pointed at the turn. “Why? Where are we going?” she asked, puzzled.

“Just a fast work thing, don’t worry,” Kaz said, feeling the tension build inside him. She was so going to kill him for what he was about to do.

They entered a nice residential neighborhood, the kind with tree-lined streets and perfectly manicured lawns. “Slow down,” he said, pulling out his phone to check for confirmation.

“Okay stop here, love. Don’t turn off the car,” he instructed as he quickly got out, his mind focused on the task at hand.

Kaz moved to the other side of the street, checking the license plates again to ensure it was the right car. Satisfied, he raised his cane and began smashing the car's windows with calculated blows. The glass shattered, creating a cacophony of breaking glass and setting off the car alarm. After a few moments of chaos, he felt satisfied with the damage and hurried back to the car.

Y/n was looking at him in shock, her eyes wide and her mouth agape. “What the fuck, Kaz?”

“Drive!” he commanded, his voice urgent and unyielding.

Y/n pressed her foot on the accelerator, and the car sped away from the scene. Her hands gripped the steering wheel tightly, knuckles white with tension.

Kaz glanced over at her, seeing the mixture of anger, confusion, and fear on her face. He knew he owed her an explanation, but right now, getting away was the priority. The adrenaline pumped through his veins, making his heart race.

“What the hell was that?” she demanded, her voice trembling with fear and anger.

“A necessary evil,” Kaz replied, trying to keep his voice steady. “It was a message. Someone needed to be reminded that they can’t mess with us.”

“Us?” she scoffed, her eyes flicking between him and the road. “I have nothing to do with your shady things! You dragged me into this without any warning!”

“I know,” he admitted, his tone softening. “I didn’t want to, but it couldn’t wait.”

“You could’ve told me!” she shouted, her frustration boiling over. “You could’ve given me a heads-up instead of just springing this on me!”

Kaz sighed, running a hand through his hair. “I’m sorry, Y/n. I didn’t want you to worry. I didn’t want you to get involved, but I needed a trusted driver.”

Y/n’s hand left the wheel for a moment, swatting at him without taking her eyes off the road. “I. Am. Not. Your. Trusted. Driver.”

Kaz laughed, trying to dodge her playful hits, but in the small car, there wasn’t much space to escape her. “Okay, okay, I get it! You’re not my driver,” he said, his tone lightening up.

She shot him a look, her eyes narrowing. “You better remember that.”

He reached over, capturing her hand and bringing it to his lips for a quick kiss.

Her expression softened slightly, but she still held onto her frustration. “That was insane.”

He nodded, his eyes sincere. “I know. Sorry.”

She shook her head, a small smile tugging at her lips despite herself. “Don’t make a habit of it.”

Kaz leaned back, watching her with admiration. “I’ll do my best.”

They drove in silence for a few minutes, the tension between them easing as the adrenaline from the encounter began to fade. Y/n’s grip on the wheel relaxed, and she let out a deep breath.

The morning after the impromptu car destruction, Kaz and Jesper were in Kaz's half-packed kitchen, each nursing a steaming cup of coffee. The chaotic state of the room, with boxes and packing materials scattered around, seemed to add to the casual air between them.

Jesper leaned back in his chair with a grin, clearly enjoying the aftermath of Kaz’s nocturnal escapade. “Good job with that car,” he said, chuckling. 

Kaz snorted, “You should ask Y/n what she thinks about it.”

Jesper’s eyes widened in mock horror. “You brought her on the job? Are you crazy?”

Kaz shrugged, a smirk tugging at his lips. “I couldn’t use my car. It’s too recognizable. And I wasn’t about to call an Uber and ask them to wait while I did a little... property damage.”

Jesper snorted, nearly spilling his coffee. “Unbelievable. So, is she mad at you?”

Kaz sighed dramatically. “Oh, a lot. I’m going to need to swap out her plates later today. She’s never going to let me live this down.”

Jesper shook his head, still amused. “I can only imagine the look on her face. Is she giving you the silent treatment or planning your untimely demise?”

Kaz chuckled, taking a sip of his coffee. “A bit of both, actually.”

“So where is she now, anyway?” Jesper asked, glancing around as if expecting Y/N to appear from around the corner any second.

“Out for a morning run,” Kaz replied, a hint of amusement lacing his voice as he leaned back in his chair.

Jesper raised an eyebrow, looking around the kitchen. “That’s why there’s nothing to eat? You don’t make people that can cook mad, Kaz. Basic survival.”

Kaz smirked. “Did you come here this early because you were hoping for breakfast?”

“Yes,” Jesper admitted without hesitation, crossing his arms and leaning against the counter. “And I’m not ashamed of it.”

Kaz chuckled softly, shaking his head. “She’ll be back soon. You might get lucky.”

Jesper’s eyes lit up at the prospect. “So you’re really leaning into this whole ‘boyfriend’ role, huh? Letting her handle all the cooking?”

Kaz gave him a flat look. “She insists on it. Claims my cooking is a ‘fire hazard.’”

Jesper grinned, clearly entertained. “Smart girl. But you know, you could take a hint and maybe surprise her with a meal sometime. Instead of just living on coffee and whatever scraps you find in the fridge.”

Kaz shot back with a sly grin, “Jesper, light of my days, why do you think I pushed for living together so soon?”

Jesper chuckled, shaking his head. “Yeah, right. You’re really trying to sell me on the idea that it’s all about the cooking, huh? Meanwhile, you’re walking around with those love-sick puppy eyes. You used to be a better liar, Brekker.”

Jesper's playful grin faded as he studied Kaz's expression, now serious. “How are things between you two? When’s the official date to move in together?” 

Kaz took a thoughtful sip of his coffee, then answered, “It’s good. We’re planning for next week, probably.”

Jesper raised an eyebrow, leaning in with genuine curiosity. “You’re really determined? No cold feet? No last-minute panic?”

Kaz held up a finger, signaling Jesper to wait. He walked out of the kitchen, his steps purposeful. He headed to his safe, a sleek, secure compartment he rarely used. Kaz fidgeted with the lock. After a moment, he retrieved a small, velvet-lined box from the safe, cradling it as if it were the most precious thing in the world. 

Returning to the kitchen, he set the box on the table with a deliberate thud. Jesper’s eyes widened in surprise, and his mouth fell open as he looked at Kaz, incredulous. “You’re kidding. Tell me that you’re fucking kidding, man.”

Kaz’s grin widened, clearly enjoying Jesper’s reaction. “I’m not. Open it.”

Jesper hesitated for a split second before lifting the lid of the box. His eyes fell upon a stunning engagement ring, its diamond sparkling even in the dim light of the kitchen. His expression shifted from shock to awe. “Kaz, is this…?”

“Yeah,” Kaz confirmed, his voice steady but filled with emotion. “Of course It’s real.”

Jesper was momentarily speechless, his gaze shifting from the ring to Kaz’s face. “Are you sure about this?” he asked, his tone serious. “This is a big step.”

Kaz nodded, his face reflecting a mix of resolve and contentment. “I’ve spent a lot of time rethinking my actions, my choices. For once, I’m living like a person is supposed to. Y/n has been... incredible. She’s been there through the fears, the panic attacks, the moments when I was at my lowest. She’s more than just what people see on the surface.”

He paused, lost in thought for a moment. “Everyone thinks Y/n is just a wild party girl with a peculiar job, and sure, that’s part of her. But she’s so much more. She’s the perfect fit for me, and I want to show her just how much she means to me.”

Jesper’s shock was slowly melting into admiration. He studied Kaz’s face, seeing the depth of his feelings and the sincerity in his eyes. “Man, I’ve never seen you like this. It’s...”

“Yeah, I know,” Kaz interrupted with a soft smile. “I’ve been guarded for a long time, but with her, everything feels right. I want to spend the rest of my life showing her how much she matters. It’s not just about having her around; it’s about truly being with her.”

Jesper looked at the ring again, shaking his head in disbelief but clearly moved. “You’ve got a lot of guts, Kaz. But it looks like you’re doing something right. This is... impressive.”

Kaz shrugged, a hint of nerves creeping into his demeanor. “It’s not about impressing anyone. It’s about being honest with myself and with her. I’m ready for this, ready to take the next step.”

Jesper clapped him on the back, a wide grin spreading across his face. “Well, I guess you’ve got my support.”

“I’ll go to Alice, ask her permission and everything,” Kaz said, his voice filled with determination.

Jesper raised an eyebrow, a playful grin on his face. “Didn’t think you were so old-fashioned.”

Kaz shrugged, a faint smile playing on his lips. “I’m not, and they’ll mock me about it forever, but deep down I know she’ll like teasing me about it.”

Jesper laughed, shaking his head. “I can’t believe we’re having this conversation and it’s not about Inej. I always thought you two would get married.”

Kaz sighed, a touch of nostalgia in his eyes. “Yeah, everyone did, me and her included. I never thought I could fall for someone else.”

Jesper leaned back, studying Kaz's face. “What changed? Do you understand it now?”

Kaz paused, thinking back to the moments that led him to Y/n. “Inej and I...we had something special. She understood me, but there were walls we couldn’t break down. We always thought that our strength was in our matching trauma, you know? Our similar issues. But with Y/n, I realized I needed someone who could balance it, not match it. She has her own set of problems and fears, ones that are so far from mine that I feel like I can actually help her, just as she did with me.”

Jesper nodded, his expression thoughtful. “That makes a lot of sense. It’s like you two complement each other.”

Kaz smiled, feeling a sense of clarity. “Exactly. With Y/n, it’s not about dwelling in our shared pain. She challenges me, but she also gives me a sense of stability I didn’t know I needed.”

Jesper clapped him on the back, grinning. “Well, it sounds like you’ve found something pretty special there.”

Kaz’s smile widened, a rare warmth spreading through him. “Thanks, Jesper. That means a lot.”

***

more notes: THE RING ENTERED THE CHAT PEOPLE

[talktomeinclexa]

Code Blue at the Zoo

By: TalktomeinClexa

Rating: General Audiences

Warnings: None

Status: One-shot

Summary: “Code Blue. I repeat, we have a Code Blue at the Snow Leopard enclosure. All personnel, insure the safety of our guests. Officer Woods, please locate Doctor Griffin and find the animal before it harms a visitor.”

***

The Grade 2 kids giggle as they follow their teacher into the exhibit. The bravest among them run to the glass panel and press their noses against it, while a few remain at the back, hesitant. Unsure if they are allowed to go near the enclosure.

“Don’t hit the glass,” Clarke reminds them, knowing well how overexcited children tend to get in a zoo.

Two boys look sheepishly at her, their little fists up in the air, inches away from the inch-thick window. Behind it, the penguins resume their swim and strolls, the sudden ruckus already forgotten.

“Okay, come closer, kids. Who can tell me what these are?”

“Penguins.”

“Pinguins.”

“Penaguins.”

Clarke bites the inside of her cheek to stifle a chuckle at the endearing answers. She should start collecting them in a notebook. “These are penguins, well done. And where do they come from?”

“Far away.”

“From the North Pole.”

“From the cold.”

“From the South.”

Aside from taking care of the animals, this is her favorite part of the job as a veterinarian for the Arkadia Zoo. Adults often have a good time and ask pertinent questions. But nothing beats the excitement and genuine interest of children.

“They live in the Southern Hemisphere, including in Antarctica; that’s right. It’s the polar bears who live in the North.” With a conspiratorial smile, Clarke bends forward to come closer to the small ears hanging on her every word. “Did you know that, although they are birds, they can’t fly?”

“Why not? They have wings,” a young boy says, visibly disappointed.

“Because their bones are too heavy and much stronger than other birds. Penguins can’t fly, but they are skilled swimmers. In fact, we don’t call those wings but flippers. Like dolphins.”

Before Clarke can tell them more fun facts about the beautiful black-and-white oviparous animals, a shrill ring echoes around the exhibit. Panicked children bundle closer to Clarke and their teacher, Ms. Vie, their little heads turning left and right in wonder.

“What’s that?”

“What’s happening?”

“I’m scared.”

“Everything is fine, kids. Don’t worry, we’re safe here. I’m sure it’s only a drill.”

Despite her forced smile, Clarke’s brows furrow at the alarm. The schedule didn’t mention any drill as far as she’s aware. Which leaves only two possibilities. A fire and an escape. She’s not sure which she would prefer.

Keep reading

[dimalink]

At the mole`s country place – amongst the flowers

Three-dimensional scene for today based on summer and country house. So, it is already end of winter. And almost start of spring. And somewhere in spring it is good to go to the country house. Where to go? That’s right! To the country house. Soon it will start to grow a grass. And it grows fast. Everything will start to be green very fast.

Country house - it is a best place for free time and relax. It is funny, sunny and everything around is green. Lots of friends around. Frogs and grasshoppers. Frogs are jumping in a  grass. And hiding from a sun. For them, it is very hot. But they can to jump into water, to be long underwater. And grasshoppers – are just excellent musicians. Such a songs they sing. And jumps very good. They are talented.

And here in my three-dimensional drawing. Such a virtual three-dimensional world. At scene. You are invited as a guest, by a mole! Mole invites you to visit his place. He is black. And dig a underground passages. But he is clever and intelligence. A clever mole. He can to learn, read books, can programing. And he has a little house. Just like you at your country house place. There is here a little fence. And lots of big flowers! So, this place mole is living! He does not forget about underground passages too. And from his house there is underground way. There is a labyrinth there. And lots of little rooms.

And now mole is sitting at the sun and have a free time. Mole is happy about his life. At the morning he already does dig. He learns something. And now he is doing his free time. Mole is learning how to program a QBasic and C. Today he is having a free time. And tomorrow he will be study all day long.

It is very sunny at his place. And hot. There a river nearby. You can swim there. And speak with fish and a crab. And what a beautiful flowers are here. And everything is green. Grass is green and beautiful. You can sit here for a long time and watch side by side.

Mole has lots of friends. They are frogs, ants, grasshoppers, chickens and different other little animals. And sometimes from somewhere far a goose is going to his place. He is big and has a long neck. Goose can program with Turbo Pascal. Goose is very clever. He can swim. And dive. And it is comfortable for him to speak with fish.

Sparrow is flying here and there and tells a different stories. He is living a little far in a forest. At the tree he has a house. And it is very interesting to listen his stories. And it was crawling already grass snake and tells about programming language python. And game snake he is programming. And crawling next.

And in the evening, everyone will go to drink a tea with a rabbit. It will be beautiful sunset in the evening. It will go different rabbits and bunnies. And it will be lots of fun. They are very positive all the time. Pinguin and polar owl will go. In the evening, It is not hot for them. And everyone will drink a tea.

Dima Link is making retro videogames, apps, a little of music, write stories, and some retro more.

WEBSITE: http://www.dimalink.tv-games.ru/home_eng.html ITCHIO: https://dimalink.itch.io/ GAMEJOLT: https://gamejolt.com/@DimaLink/games

BLOGGER: https://dimalinkeng.blogspot.com/

[unoriginaldotdotdot]

Putting knowledge/news behind a paywall, putting excessive amount of ads on vids that only lasts 20 seconds, or during free mobile games that aren't so free, screens splitting in two to both distract the viewer while watching another video–thus ruining the attention span. Disgusting and horrifying incel/misogynistic/n*zi indoctrination vids.

Music industry is in shambles because of Tik Tok.

ChatGPT.

AI "art".

Social Media not being kid friendly (where's the NeoPets, Club Pinguins, etc?).

This is undoubtedly a screwed up digital age we're currently living in. It's so dystopian.

[flusendieb]

8 songs, 8 people

tagged by: @lovecanbesostrange

RULES: answer the 8 song prompts, then tag 8 people

1. favorite song at the moment: Probably "Hauch mich mal an" by Das Lumpenpack I don't listen to music a lot, but I like this song enough to have bought the entire album "Eine herbe Enttäuschung", which contrary to the title is absolutely not a bitter disappointment. It's all thanks to @famburasch-sohn-des-partram sharing a link to their concert stream at the very beginning of the pandemic :D

2. a song you associate with your favorite ship: Not a shipper, not very into music, so I have no answer to this.

3. a song that could be about you: "Sunshine" by Cosmo Jarvis (it hasn't even been warm for that long this year but I'm already sick of it - thankfully today it rained when I rode my bike back home so I could cool off a little)

4. a song you think is overrated: I honestly can't think of one, because when I'm not actively interested in the music that's playing it pretty much just goes in one ear and leaves out the other without leaving a lasting impression.

5. a song that reminds you of a good memory: "A Whiter Shade of Pale" by Procol Harum - they're my uncles favourite band and when they performed near where my mum lives he invited us to go

6. the last song you listened to: "Gay Pirates" by Cosmo Jarvis - one of the songs that are pretty much always in my playlist, because so far I've never felt like I wanted to skip it, when it came on. This one @pneu-monie recommended to me ages ago and I've since bought several of Cosmo Jarvis' albums.

7. a song that makes you laugh: "The Hotdog Man" by Tripod (or pretty much any of their other songs), "Prejudice" by Tim Minchin, "Malcolm" by The Arrogant Worms (and several other songs), "Der Pinguin" by Die Blutjungs (and also many more) - there's probably more because I like comedic music, but I'm gonna stop myself there xD

8. a song you want your mutuals to listen to: "Grandaddy" by Alex Horne & The Horne Section (ok, I lied, I didn't actually stop myself, I just moved one of the other song's that make me laugh to question 8)

tagging @famburasch-sohn-des-partram, @mj-irl, @vaulties, @ministerscrimgeour, @zephyr-zagreus, @toreos, @whenyourfavouritedies, @iwishiwasatraveler

[join-the-joywrite]

Skipper beating Luke's pinguin's ass, julie "feeling fourteen", the entire concept that too much cough syrup works like a truth serum, YOU HEART SOUNDS LIKE A BALLAD, “Hm, well, who said I wanted to be your friend?”- it's all perfection! loved it! you really have a knack for chaotic comedy!

Jandnxjsjd thann you so much!! Honestly those specific bits all just sort of fell out of my head. I didn't even plan on Julie having a penguin stuffed animal until I wrote out Luke's.

BUT THE COUGH SYRUP BIT that came from a real experience where I was supposed to take a tablespoon's worth but I liked how the thing tasted so I just took a sip from the bottle (I was totally safe for Reasons™, but don't try this at home, kids) and then I knocked myself out watching something in the living room and when my mom came to check on my dazed ass, I confessed to skipping 2 hours of class in 5th grade and I vaguely recall her just petting my head and saying something along the lines of "I know, you're very bad at lying"

I thought it would be simply hilarious to have Luke do the same thing, but confess his biggest secret akxnnss

[b-rainlet]

Totally Crazy AU Idea feat. Time Travel Shenanigans

TUA AU where they prevent the apocalypse by tinkering around in the past and then come back to the Future

BUT of course it’s not that easy because they come back to the Future….changed

Last time Five time travelled and ended up in his 13 year old body with a 58 year old consciousness

This time around it’s worse

Everyone - except Diego - has just gone completely wild. Different ages everywhere.

And not only are they stuck being a younger/older version of themselves, their minds actually adapted to that change

Highlights include (going from oldest to youngest):

A 70? 80? Old Five, who spends most of his time sitting in a chair by the window and sleeping

The only person who could potentially know how to fix this mess fucking. sleeping. the whole day

Diego tries to talk to him in the rare moments when Five’s awake but there’s nothing even remotely useful coming out of his mouth

“Five, I need you to help me change you back to your old bodies.” - “Is there going to be cake? I like cake. My wife used to back a delicious cherry pie...I wonder where she is…..” - “Five you’ve never been married.” - “You remind me of my youngest son….He is an architect. He never visits, that ungrateful idiot. But you’ll visit me, right?” - “....Sure I’ll visit you.”

It’s a fucking nightmare and that’s not even counting the awful times Diego had to give Five a bath

(He tried to ignore that but at some point the smell just got bad. Diego hopes that as soon as Five changes back he’s gonna be on his knees, praising Diego’s kindness)

(He also hopes they never ever talk about this)

Sometimes Five will get up and walk around the house looking for Delores and Diego actually found him napping on the floor in the attic

Most of the time he sleeps though and Diego is quite grateful for that because he’s actually the least of his problems

There’s also 17 year old Vanya being in her rebellious phase, going out to party and cracking the music just that teeny bit higher when Diego tells her it’s too loud

“Is that a hickey?! Who did this?” - “I dunno.” - “You don’t remember???” - “There were multiple people.” - “Multiple People?!”

The cliche “You’re not my real Dad!” but it’s mostly “As your big brother…” - “You’re not my brother! We’re just adopted siblings!”

Vanya - as the only one old enough to have any kind of responsibility in this situation - just not giving a fuck about the age problem

“We need to come up with a plan!” - “I don’t give a fu-” - “Language! Think of the fucking children!”

Also emo Vanya and Diego tries to explain how all of this happened and that he believes that maybe the commission knows how to help

“Wait I destroyed the world?”  “...Yes.” - “Good.”

He doesn’t elaborate how she destroyed the world though but with the current rage she’s constantly carrying around with her…..she really doesn’t need to use her powers

Also: Diego still having to do his whole vigilante gig and Vanya not really feeling the whole Babysitting thing

“That’s your baby brother!” - “I didn’t choose to have one though.” “I fucking didn’t choose this either Vanya, are you fucking kidding me-”

Catch Vanya coming down to - slightly burned - breakfast in black eyeliner and leather pants, wearing Reggie’s monocle even though she can’t see shit with it

“Aren’t you supposed to practise the violin?” - “Aren’t you supposed to grow up and get an actual job?”

Diego doing some good old depression drinking when it’s all getting too much and Vanya just swooping in to drink with him

“This is all getting wayyy over my head, I have no idea what to do.” - “Uh-huh.” - “That’s why you need to help a bit more…-wait, are you drinking Vodka? You’re underage!” - “Don’t derail the conversation now, big bro. We were just making progress!”

There’s at least one instance where Diego says. “Young Lady!” in a really stern voice and then immediately has Reginald’s face flashing in front of his eyes and a impromptu crisis about becoming like him

13 year old Luther who is obsessed with becoming a vet and starts a secret animal shelter in the house that’s not at all secret

“Luther, why’s your jacket moving?” - “I...don’t know?”

“Luther, did your backpack just bark?” - “Nooooo, I-uh, I sneezed.”

(He’s a really bad liar)

Diego frequently stumbles over animals just, fucking, laying in the middle of the hallway

He once nearly stepped on a tortoise

He did step on a caterpillar

Luther’s still looking for it

One time, Luther managed to smuggle a pinguin into the academy

A real life pinguin

Out of the zoo

(Diego is convinced Vanya helped Luther just to fuck with him)

He’s also obsessed with space and convinced that he’s gonna develop the ability to fly next to his super strength

They’ve been in the ER for several hours because Klaus convinced Luther that maybe he could trigger his ‘second super power’ by jumping of the shed

(It didn’t work)

“Who on earth would jump down the shed without at least something soft to land on? Have you ever heard of safety regulations?” - “I had a parachute in case things went wrong!” - “You had an umbrella. It had holes.”

Luther slips up once and calls Diego ‘Dad’ and then panics so hard he forgets to breathe

He nearly faints and Vanya laughing at the whole situation really doesn’t make things better

“You do realize that I am not your Father, right? I’m your big brother.” - “Yeah, of course, sure, youß My Dad? Ridiculous, I’m gonna head to my room now, bye Dad-Diego! Diego! Not Dad!”

At least Luther is kinda a normal kid, not at all like Klaus

10 year old Klaus who still can see ghosts and is fucking terrified of them

They’re everywhere

And Diego honestly has no idea what to do with him or how to help

Klaus is afraid that the ghosts will hurt him when he doesn’t watch them constantly, so he tries not to sleep

By 6 pm, Klaus has already downed three coffees and several cheap energy drinks

Diego tried to limit his supply by taking away his stash under the bed but that only made Klaus more creative with his hiding spots

They’re behind the bookshelf in the living room, in the dusty cookie jar in the kitchen, under a loose floor panel under the table, under Diego’s bed, hidden in the ventilation system…..

Soon as Diego finds one spot, Klaus has another one at the ready

“Maybe they won’t spook you anymore if you just..stand up to them.” - “How?” - “Just, you know, scream at them. Go all out, scream ‘Go away’ at the top of your lungs, show them you’re the one in charge.”

But Klaus is too shy for that

He has braces and due to that, he has a slight lisp

He doesn’t really like talking

He does like making trouble with his brother though when the ghosts aren’t as close

They once stuck a magnet to Klaus braces and then couldn’t get it off again

Diego’s second visit in the ER

Klaus managed to somehow rip out part of it and the wires got stuck in his cheek and slashed it open

Third Visit

There was also that brief stint where Vanya pierced Klaus’ ear. Herself. Because Diego really is the only responsible person around here

Fourth Visit

‘That’s a lot of work!’ you say? Apparently the universe thinks it’s not enough because there are still the two youngest left! Please someone save Diego from this suffering, he never wanted to be a single Dad

There is sweet and cute 5 year old Allison…..

…..who is a brat when she doesn’t get her way

“I want ice cream.” - “All shops are closed now, you should’ve said something sooner.” - “I want ice cream!” - “Well you’re not getting any. And that’s ‘please’ and ‘I would like some ice cream’ not ‘I want ice cream’.” - “I. Want. ICE CREAM.”

Cue a screaming fit, complete with throwing herself down and banging her little fists against the floor

And occasionally looking up to see whether Diego is still watching all the hard work Allison is putting into this. He gets why she’s an actress now

(He may have ended up buying her some goddamn ice cream at the overpriced petrol station one town over. She nibbled at it and the gave it back to him because she ‘wasn’t hungry’)

Diego’s gonna fucking lose it if he has to do this any longer

But she can also be really sweet, playing calmy with her dolls or drawing him pictures

“Look!” - “Oh wow! You drew a….an elephant! Beautiful!” - “That’s not an elephant silly, that’s you!” - “Oh. Of course. How could I not see that?”

He may have cried a little when she gave him a picture of their family, sorted from oldest to youngest, all of them holding hands

”Why am I wearing a cape?” - “Because you’re our hero.”

It’s a good thing that Allison never uses her powers in arguments - the only thing Diego is glad Reginald drilled into her at a young age already - but that doesn’t mean that she doesn’t use it at all

She uses it, alright

“Allison, for the love of god, stop constantly changing your hair colour. I like your hair just as it is.”

“Allison! Stop making the cat fly! And Luther, stop letting stray cats inside the house!”

“Allison! Stop turning your Oatmeal into chocolate! No, you can’t turn Klaus’ Oatmeal into chocolate either! Don’t turn anyone’s Oatmeal into chocolate!”

“Allison, stop turning yourself invisible when you’re playing tag. You know it freaks Luther out and you don’t wanna make him cry again, do you?”

But the greatest challenge of them all may be Ben

(It’s definitely Ben)

See, taking care of a Baby is already hard enough when it’s just a Baby, but a Baby with literal tentacles coming out of their body?

Ben is a quiet kid, let him sleep and - much like Five - he’ll spend his days like that

When he’s awake, play a bit with him, talk to him not at all in baby voices, Diego would never do that, no matter what Vanya claims to have seen

Try not to worry too much about the Tentacles that are constantly out (Is that normal? Were they constantly out the first time Ben had been a Baby? Should Diego like, try to stuff them back in? Would that be a good idea? Probably not)

Ben has killed people with them for fuck’s sake, but they mostly seem interested in wrapping themselves around Diego’s hand and holding on while Ben sucks on his pacifier

(The wiggly boys are kinda cute, in a weird, disturbing way)

Well, as long as they don’t-

“Luther! Get the cat before the tentacles get her! And stop letting stray cats in!”

There are only two rules concerning Ben and his...Bentacles:

Don’t scare or startle him

Diego found this out the hard way when he played peek-a-boo with Ben and was rewarded by having ink splashed into his face

Smelly Ink

Glowing Smelly Ink

Green Glowing Smelly Ink

(He spent two hours in the bathroom. In the meantime, Klaus nearly set the Kitchen on Fire and Vanya sneaked out despite being grounded to dramatically drive away with her girlfriend of the week)

So, don’t startle Ben if you don’t wanna be covered in gross stuff, noted

All is well

Then, Ben gets a cold

Which means he is more whiny than usual and barely sleeps, keeping Diego up all night

But cool, Diego could live with that

If it wouldn’t mean that Ben sneezes

A lot

And the Bentacles sneeze too

The walls of Ben’s room are soaking in ink, it’s dripping from the fucking ceiling and Diego can’t even leave because he’s afraid Ben’s gonna think he left him at the worst time of his life, but he also can’t take Ben into another room because he’d only ruin that one too…..

And Diego spending so much time with Baby Ben is making Allison jealous and Vanya hates being forced to stay around and watch over her little siblings because Diego has his hands full with the Bentacles and it only makes both of them more moody and snappy towards each other…….

It’s a long week for everyone involved

Rule Number Two, maybe the most important one:

Never. Ever. Take his Blankie

And he means never

(Thank fuck that he had pushed Allison out of the way, he still has a massive bruise on his shoulder from being thrown against the cupboard)

Basically, give me this family drama movie about Diego somehow becoming a single Dad to super children

With guest appearances such as:

Eudora, who is actually never physically there

But Diego phones her all the time because he’s freaking out

She categorically refuses to go play happy family with him, there’s no way she’s gonna get involved with that….mess

“Dora, could you come over to-” - “No.”

“Patch, there’s an emergency I need to-” - “No.”

“Could you maybe watch over Ben? Just for an hour?” - “I don’t know how to handle kids. I’m an only child.” - “I met your two brothers??”

Diego phones her and gets send to voice message and it’s just Eudora saying “Whatever it is Diego, the answer is no.”

Diego also keeps calling her to ask her really ridiculous questions about children

“Hypothetically….a kid wouldn’t actually die from swallowing a bunch of buttons, right?” - “A bunch? How does that kinda accident happen?” - “....Maybe it wasn’t an accident…..”

“Do you think it’s okay to curse in front of Babies? They don’t actually understand you, right?” - “Diego, I swear to God, it’s three am. I will kick your ass.”

Grace, who is somehow conveniently malfunctioning right when Diego would need her the most and who just….forgot how to take care of children

And how to not endanger them

Diego catched her giving Klaus tips on how to properly light things up (“Because you wanna make a big fire, honey, don’t you?”)

She basically does what the kids ask her to without any kind of regulation

They had cake for breakfast, lunch and dinner for one week straight before Diego forbid her to cook and took over that task himself

(Now, stuff may be slightly burned but at least healthy)

She helped Luther when he hid from Diego because he refused to take a bath, lying to Diego’s face - to his face - that she had no idea where Luther could be

She actually disfigures her arm so the Bentacles can play with it (!)

She gave Allison scissors because she wanted to cut her hair (!!!)

And she uses swear words in the weirdest situations because someone - Diego suspects Luther or Klaus but it’s actually Vanya - keeps teaching them to her

“Mom, have you seen Allison?” - “I have no idea where that hoe is, Asshole.”

“Diego, sweetheart, would you hand me the fucking bowl?” - “The what?”

She also does breakdance with Klaus to pretty inappropriate music

“My neck, my back, lick my-” - “JOY TO THE WORLD, THE LORD HAS COME”

She also keeps malfunctioning further because she doesn’t seem to get the concept of liquids being bad for robots

(She plays tea party with Allison a lot. Pogo has to try and fix her after every time)

Speaking of Pogo

He’s not around a lot because he spends all his time going through Reginald’s documents to either find a way to fix Grace or find some clues about Time Travel Shenanigans

(Klaus also cries every time he sees her and Allison refuses to talk to him, so it’s better if he’s not around that much)

He spends a lot of time with Vanya though under the guise of helping him with his research

(She really just likes jamming out in the same room as him because he doesn’t mind how loud her music is and he doesn’t annoy her as much as the others)

When the appropriate amount of time has passed for all the weirdest scenarios to play out and them to grow closer as a family in-between visits to the ER and mental breakdowns on Diego’s part and just general chaos all around, with some super elements thrown in

Diego has a lead about how all of this is actually the commissions fault

(Because of course it is)

So I am begging you to imagine Diego, storming into the commission headquarters, in full on Vigilante Mode, with the appropriate amount of Leather on his body and a broody look on his face

Basically ready to kick some ass

With Baby Ben strapped to his chest, in one of those Baby Carriers

Babbling and giggling, clutching his Blankie while Diego takes out all his knives

And he fights the bad guys in badass showdowns but still manages to cover Ben’s ears when they throw insults at him because “There’s a kid present! Show some class!” - “Sorry.”

Also one of them (maybe the big bad?) dares to take away Ben’s Blankie (because of course) and Ben handing his ass to him without as much as blinking

Proud big bro baby talking Ben like “Who’s my little Tentacle Boy? You are! I’m so proud of my murderous baby bro, yes I am!”

While all of that goes down, the others are told to wait in the car

Well, Vanya, Luther and Allison are supposed to wait in the car

Klaus got the huge responsibility of staying home and watching over Five because he’s in no state to be near any dangerous situations, not with his lack of sleep and his jumpiness

(Vanya, Luther and Allison were also supposed to stay at home, but both Luther and Allison refused to let Diego go alone - full on flinging themselves around his legs - and Vanya was already sitting in the car when the other three got there, not even saying anything)

But Diego is stubborn so he doesn’t let them go in with him (he has this whole speech about how Ben needs to be there because it’s the only place where Diego can properly protect him... but Diego is just really soft for Ben and doesn’t want to possibly lose sight of him)

Ben may possibly be Diego’s fave but don’t tell the others

Anyway, Vanya, Luther and Allison don’t make it more than three minutes before leaving the car

If asked, accusations would go wild, everyone blaming someone else, but fact is, Luther got out of the car first

(He saw a kitty)

Allison then got out of the car because Luthe got out and what he can do, she can do double

(Also...Kitty)

Vanya is the teenager stereotype who doesn’t even notice that they go because she’s listening to music on her walkman like an emo and trying to scope out the place as best as she can from her position

And then turns back to the others after a while

“Do you think everything’s alright back t-SHIT!”

So, they end up going to a whole other section of the evil headquarters and kick ass there

First Luther and Allison kick ass together, deciding to go find Diego if they’re already out of the car anyway

Followed by Vanya, who still believes she’s powerless and takes out guards sneaky style, hitting them over the head with a desk lamp or whatever else she can find

UNTIL

Luther and Allison are cornered by the bad guys and they don’t care whether they hurt children or not and it seems like L and A have lost

The guards are closing in and Luther positions himself in front of his sister to at least try and protect her while Allison hides behind him and both of them are crying…..

They close their eyes…..

And then there’s a loud clash and screaming and the sound of bodies hitting the floor and when they look up again there’s Vanya standing in the middle of the room, eyes white, guards laying dead to her feet

She doesn’t stay WV though, she comes back to herself to rush over to her siblings and check whether they are okay

Cue a short cuddle pile

“You have powers! Awesome!” - “Yeah, I….I guess so.”

Somehow, they reunite with Diego and manage to threaten the Handler enough she rights time, making them grown ups again and promising Five and Klaus are adults again too and that Grace should be functioning now

(Let’s just pretend she can do that and we can trust her for the sake of this AU. The important part is the whole de-aging anyway)

So, they come back home, slightly bruised but mostly okay and Vanya and Diego definitely have a heart to heart in the car about her powers while Allison, Luther and Ben are asleep in the backseat (a leftover gift from being children in stress situations)

“Thanks Diego. For all that you did.” - “I was a terrible surrogate Dad though.” - “You were a thousand times better than our real Father.”

Bonus: They come back home and just find Klaus and Five sleeping on the floor, looking like they’ve been through the apocalypse all over

Because watching over Five was supposed to be easy and even boring

But with Five sleeping - as usual - and Grace shutdown for the night already (and Pogo locked in his studies to figure out a solution) there’s nothing standing between Klaus and the ghosts

So Klaus mixes himself a drink containing three different Energy Drinks and a bunch of sugar

And sets it on the table to down it as soon as he’s peed

He comes back, prepared to drink that stuff and not think to hard about the taste

But the Glass is empty

And Five’s gone

Five + accidentally drinking something strong enough to kill someone? A disaster

He’s on the loose

And he somehow thinks someone has abducted Delores?

Wtf?

Klaus has to spend the rest of his night chasing Five, who keeps glitching around the house like a maniac, yelling and rambling and…..fighting the air? With a sword?

Where the F did he get a sword???

And it’s impossible to get Five to sit down - or at least get off the table

orthechandelierhowdidhegetonthechandelier

He’s so high on sugar he is vibrating

(Klaus is fearing for his life)

And then there’s also the fucking ghosts, who keep lurking in the shadows and reaching out for him, moaning and cursing his name…..

But Klaus doesn’t have time for this right now and he is fed up of having his life controlled by a bunch of dead people

He wants to be able to sleep again

He wants his life again

So he thinks of Diego, of his advice, and he takes a deep breath and just screams at them

“GO AWAY!!”

And it actually works

The ghosts recoil, shocked when Klaus doesn’t cower before them like usual

And they disappear

Just….disappear in a dust of smoke

And then he’s an adult again

And Five - who took the time to strip to his boxers and use lipstick like war paint - is too

Klaus rides out Five’s sugar high as best as he can, sighing in relief when he finally falls asleep, crashing down on top of him and taking a nap with him right there, on the living room floor

Where the others find them

That’s all I got tbh, but it’s already a lot askjkaj

Bls Hollywood, make it happen

[randomkpopscenarios]

Twice Mina as Girlfriend

very fluffy, little bit of smut, little bit of angst

A/N protect the pinguin

Daily life

UGH THE SOFTEST GIRLFRIEND

you see her smile?

some disney-ass birds start singing

when she sings?

the world stops

when she’d hug you?

the flames of hell aren’t anything compared to the heat on your cheeks

imagine listening to her soft voice late at night

lots! lots! lots! of hugs

but! indoor because she’d sooo shy with pda

would preferably be 24/7 with you

hugs you realllllyyy tight when she has to say goodbye

just... cares so, so much for you

converstation can go two ways:

really deep and interesting conversations about idk books and poetry and your place in the universe and such

or! really random stuff

some 3AM memey convos

really funny

just wants to be happy with you!

yay

Dates:

hear me out tho

WHEN IT RAINS OUTSIDE

AND YOUR CUDDLED UP IN BLANKETS

AND YOU READ SOME BOOKS

AND DRINK TEA

and that’s a date

BUT ALSO

ballet performances

and she mumbles comments about what the dancers are doing?

BUT ALSO

when you drag her with you to go shopping

and she wears the cutest dresses zezhrfeh

I think she’d usually prefer calm/ relaxing things to do on dates

but DANCING!!!!

slow dancing in the living room

and then a more funky song comes on shuffle

and you just headbang and pull some weird-ass moves

and IT’S JUST FUN

and Mina’s laugh echo’s in the room

AND cooking!

cooking japanese! those cute little riceballs i don’t remeber the name of!

OR CUPCAKES!!!

even if you’re not the best cooks!

I think she’d like museum dates too every once in a while?

when it’s about something related to her interests?

and you walk between the masterpieces,

holding hands

and quietly talk about how you like the art? or not? or what you think it means?

and maybe at the end you’d say something like “Out of all these master pieces, you’re still the most beautiful.”

a n d  s h e ‘ d  b l u s h

and ughhhh

I’m so soft for her

How she shows she loves you

I think Mina can be very romantic

But she’d also a but shy to express it?

Solution?

Love letters

sometimes it’d be short poems about the first flowers of spring blooming?

sometimes it’d be a semi-essay, long letter where she expresses how much you mean to her?

BUT! She wouldn’t want to be around when you read them since she’s shy shy shy

so she’d leave them on the breakfast table? or on the couch/ bed?

And then you’d randomly find them

and of course spoil her and tell her how much you love her next time you see her

Mina would like these really long hugs were neither of you speak but there’s this comfortable silence

she’d rest her head against your shoulder and have her arms wrapped lazily around your waist.

But you two just feel each others warmth

and feel close and intimate

And she’d sent you lots of pictures of the places she goes

and say things like, “everything would be even more beautiful if you were here...”

She’d be shy with nick names

but if you call her something like sweetie idk

you bet your ass she’l come up with something to caal you too!

and like some old, married couple you’d only call each other that

forehead kisses

loves getting them, loves giving them

since they’re cute and intimate, but not in an extreem way, she’s also comfortable with getting them in public

other in public: holding hands

every thing else in too personal

Making out ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

it’d only happen if you two were completely alone

and if you had time

probably likes if you were laying down

next to each other

and one of your arms would be lazily drapped over her waist

and soflty rub her back

you’d rest on the other one

Mina would be a bit hesistant at first

wouldn’t really know where to put her hands

but as the kiss continued she’d take your face in her hands and play with your hair with on of her hands

and the kiss would be slow and romantic

when you’d pull back you’d whisper sweet nothings

and when she’d lean in again you could feel her smile

and then you’d pull her closer and roll over so she’d be on top of you

and you two would smile really wide in between kisses

and stare into each other’s eyes

after a while you two seperate and Mina lays her head on your chest and you two would lay like that, in silence, holding each other close

and it’d be like the kiss didn’t really end since you’re still just there with each other

may start talking about random things

may start kissing you again later

probably lasts hours

-> just really intimate

( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) sexy time

Mina is a soft girl

vanilla

really just wants you two to enjoy your time and each other

and make sure you feel loved

and feel loved, herself

and it wouldn’t be a matter of dom or sub

it’s more like, both of you do the effort to make it nice for the other one

is! really! romantic!

so like, baths or rose paddles or candles and slow music

and leaving trails of kisses

and pressing foreheads againts each other when you’re almost done

and holding hands

Arguments/ Fights

If there was something bothering her she’d crop it up

until there were to many things that she didn’t like

and all of them would spill in a sour tone

if you can i can cash that, you’d two would be able to talk it out in a calm way

if not, you two would probably fight :/

but! you’d make up soon because fighting isn’t nice

and then you’d just do something nice

In general

I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again

Mina is a precious angel

and she deserves the world and everything

I’m just, so soft for her

Mina would be such! a loving! girlfriend!

love love love

masterlist

who i write for

request

[marsplastic13]

'Complicated' (part 19) - Kaz Brekker x Reader

Idea - Kaz Brekker hires a prostitute to overcome his touch aversion, and be a better man for Inej, but things take an unxepected turn. Pairing: Kaz Brekker x Prostitute!Reader, (had to use y/n because I'm bad at names) Genre: modern AU, slow burn word count: 7.9k

@millercontracting @coldmermaidhologram @syd649

@luffysprincess @cryptidghostgirl @beekeepingageissome

@hufflepuff-16 @lukepattersin @jay-is-a-pinguin @le-clair-de-lune @theravenphoenix26

Kaz arrived home to find Y/N and one of her friends in an intricate position on the carpet. “What are you doing?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Yoga and talking about dick,” Y/N replied with a smirk, making her friend giggle.

“Of course you are,” he sighed.

“Kiss?” she asked, looking up at him with a playful glint in her eyes. Kaz looked at her, noting she was half upside down with no easy way to reach her without inappropriately touching her friend. “Maybe later.”

He retreated to the kitchen, listening to their explicit conversation drift in from the living room. As he poured himself a drink, he heard bits of their chat.

“Wait, the one with the mustache?” her friend asked.

“Exactly, he likes when you do nothing, just lay there,” Y/N responded.

“Really? Why did you keep him until now?”

“Are you kidding? I even squeezed naps in between whatever he thinks he’s doing, he always takes hours to finish.”

Kaz’s mind wandered, pondering if she ever discussed him like that when he was her client, imagining her saying  to her roommates that he just wanted to hold her hand and didn't even manage to do that very well. He sighed, knowing that it happened for sure.

“Fine, I’ll take him,” her friend sighed. “But why are you leaving me that lawyer too? You always said he’s really good.”

“I guess now I have someone else that fucks me just right,” laughed Y/N, joined by her friend.

Kaz stopped mid-sip, taken aback. He wasn’t sure if that conversation was meant for him to hear or not. He couldn’t hide a proud smile; he still struggled with the thought of not being enough for her, and that was another reassurance he needed. Her words echoed in his mind, giving him a sense of validation that his efforts were truly appreciated. As he listened to Y/N continue her conversation with her friend, Kaz felt a surge of protectiveness and affection. He wanted to be the one who fulfilled her needs in every aspect of their lives together. The idea that she was willing to adjust her professional boundaries for their relationship was both humbling and gratifying.

“Is he that good?” asked the friend in a conspiratorial tone.

“Oh, he is, and he's a really fast learner.”

“Well, with a teacher like you…”

The girls kept laughing, and Kaz heard them shifting positions. He couldn’t help but feel a swell of pride at Y/N's words. Despite his confidence in most aspects of his life, he still harbored insecurities, given her experience. Hearing her praise meant more to him than he could easily express.

“Can I try him?”

“No way, I’m not leaving him in your dirty hands” replied Y/N.

“Your hands are dirtier than mine,” laughed the other girl.

“Well, he’s my boyfriend,” pointed out Y/N.

“So you are jealous.” 

“No, I'm not,” protested Y/N.

“Ask him then.”

He heard her sigh, “Kaz! Do you want to have a threesome with us?”

Kaz paused, considering it. His mind raced through the implications and possibilities. On one hand, he knew Y/N liked to push boundaries and explore new experiences, and he wanted to support her in that. On the other hand, he wasn’t entirely sure how he felt about being shared between the two girls. He decided to play along, if only to see where it might lead. “Sure,” he replied with a smirk.

He heard the noise of the girls falling on the ground, clearly taken aback by his response. A moment later, Y/N peeked into the kitchen, her eyes wide with surprise.

“Really?” she asked, clearly not expecting him to agree.

“No, love,” Kaz laughed at her expectant face, “not yet,” he winked.

Y/N made an amused face before returning to her friend. She always left hints, more or less direct, about what she wanted to try with him, but never made him feel pressured about them. It was one of the things he appreciated most about her—her willingness to explore and communicate without forcing him into anything he wasn’t ready for.

Kaz couldn’t stop thinking about the fact that she was leaving some of her clients, which was unexpected. A small smile tugged at his lips at the implications of that. It meant she was slowly shifting her priorities, and he liked to think it was because of him.

“I've been asked to babysit tonight. I was thinking of bringing her here. Is it a problem?” Y/N asked.

“No, it's fine. I have some work to finish,” Kaz replied, his mind already shifting to the tasks at hand.

“Shower?” she asked with a smirk, her eyes gleaming with mischief.

“Shower,” he replied, letting her take his hand and guide him to the bathroom. They had purposefully chosen a really big shower to be able to share it comfortably. Kaz was feeling more and more comfortable with the contact with wet skin. He had stopped panicking when their fingers brushed while passing things, but they still hadn't gone much further than accidental brushes.

As the warm water cascaded over them, Y/N turned to him with a teasing smile. “Do you know who asked me out?”

“Tell me,” Kaz said, intrigued.

“Pekka Rollins.”

The bottle of body wash Kaz was holding slipped from his grip, crashing onto Y/N’s foot with a dull thud. She yelped in pain, reflexively grabbing his arm to steady herself.

“Kaz, fuck, that hurt,” she exclaimed, her voice filled with pain and surprise.

The sudden contact sent an involuntary shiver through Kaz, his body tensing. He took a long breath, fighting against the surge of instinctual panic that urged him to shove her away. He clenched his jaw, his mind racing with conflicting emotions. He didn't want to hurt her, but her touch was a stark reminder of his ongoing struggle with physical contact.

“Y/N, please let me go,” he muttered under his breath, his voice strained but controlled.

“Sorry, sorry,” she quickly apologized, releasing his arm and stepping back. Her eyes were wide with concern and regret, the pain in her foot momentarily forgotten.

Kaz’s heart pounded as he watched her, his mind a whirlwind of thoughts. He hated how his past still had such a grip on him, how it could intrude on moments like these. He took another deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. 

“Pekka Rollins?” he repeated, trying to focus on the issue at hand. He turned off the water, the warmth of the shower suddenly feeling too overwhelming.

“Yeah, can you believe it? I said no, of course,” Y/N replied, her voice softening as she wrapped herself in a towel, her eyes never leaving his face.

Kaz stepped out of the shower, his thoughts racing. The implication of his attempt to ask Y/N on a date sent a fresh wave of anxiety through him. Was it a coincidence, or was it a deliberate move? He needed to know more. Maybe it was time to be more public about their relationship, to send a clear message. Or the opposite? Should they keep it even more private?

“Baby, are you okay?” Y/N asked, her concern evident as she moved closer, her hand gently touching his arm.

“Yeah, sorry,” he said, his voice distant. His mind was still processing the implications, the potential threats.

“Kaz, even if you didn't have history with him, and we weren’t together, I would have never said yes to him, he’s creepy.”

“I know, I know,” Kaz said, leaning on the sink. He looked at his reflection, seeing the tension etched on his face. Turning back to her, he asked, “Why are you leaving some clients?”

Y/N made a small smile, a hint of vulnerability in her eyes. “I don't know, just felt like it.”

Kaz hummed, stepping closer to her, needing to understand her reasoning. “Are you sure you don't know?” He reached out, his hand gently cupping her cheek. He liked seeing her trying to stay vague about her intentions, but he needed clarity.

“Oh you know, I was making too much money, didn't want to make you feel bad,” she chuckled, and Kaz knew better than to push further.

A few hours later, they found themselves on the couch, Kaz typing rapidly on his laptop while Y/N and the little girl were engrossed in a Disney movie. The soft glow of the screen illuminated their faces, Y/N’s arm wrapped protectively around the toddler as she watched with wide-eyed fascination. Every now and then, Y/N would lean in, whisper something funny into the girl's ear, earning a burst of giggles that filled the room with warmth.

Kaz kept stealing glances at them, his fingers slowing on the keys as he observed the peaceful scene. They looked so comfortable, nestled together like that, and the thought hit him—Could this be his life? Evenings spent on the couch, kids’ movies playing in the background, worrying about bedtimes, schools, and being present. Being a father.

The notion unsettled him, not because he didn’t want it, but because it was something he never thought he could be. A father. The idea felt foreign, like trying on a coat that didn’t quite fit yet. How could he, with his past, teach someone how to be a good person? How could he be a role model when his life had been so full of darkness, crime, and survival at any cost?

But then, as he glanced over at Y/N, gently stroking the girl's hair as she drifted off to sleep, Kaz felt a flicker of hope. He had overcome so many obstacles he once thought impossible. He had built a life, brick by painful brick, out of ruins. Maybe, just maybe, he could do this too. Not alone—but with Y/N by his side, they could figure it out. Together.

Sensing his gaze, Y/N looked up, her eyes softening as she smiled at him. It was the kind of smile that made him feel grounded, like he could take on the world if she was with him. Kaz smiled back, the corners of his mouth twitching upward in a way that was still new for him. He tried to refocus on the deal in front of him, but his mind kept drifting back to the two of them.

Before thinking about kids, he needed to get one important thing done—proposing to Y/N. He hadn’t yet decided if he should pop the question on a random day, catching her off guard, or plan something more elaborate, like a weekend abroad where they could be alone, away from the weight of the city and his business.

Then there was the wedding. He didn’t want to rush her into anything. They’d take their time, make it theirs. After that, he would have to start extricating himself from the darker, shadier parts of his dealings. He couldn’t bring a child into the world with all that still hanging over his head. But the idea of a future—their future—was something he hadn’t imagined possible until now.

Kaz shook his head slightly, almost in disbelief. His life had shifted so quickly, and yet it felt like everything was falling into place in ways he never thought he deserved.

***

Kaz came home to the smell of cake lingering in the air. Y/N reached him in the entryway, linking her arms around his neck and pulling him in for a kiss. He smiled against her lips at her enthusiastic greeting, feeling the warmth and familiarity of her embrace. “Are you baking something?” he asked, a hint of amusement in his voice.

“I made three cakes,” she hummed, their noses touching as she spoke. Her hands wandered around his chest, tracing the contours of his muscles. “I'm going out, I have…” She took his lower lip between her teeth playfully, “13 minutes, what do you say?”

Kaz chuckled, his amusement evident. “I say that Jesper is right behind me.”

Y/N glanced over Kaz's shoulder and spotted Jesper standing there with a grin. “Fine by me,” she said with an allusive smile, making Jesper raise an eyebrow.

“Sure, love,” Kaz laughed, shaking his head. “Jesper is staying for dinner.”

“Alright, there's uhm, cake and beer I think,” she said, walking towards the kitchen with a casual sway in her step.

Kaz raised an eyebrow at Jesper, who shrugged at the peculiar menu. “If I don’t have to cook, it's fine.” commented Jesper. 

Following her into the kitchen, Kaz rested his hands on her hips as she checked the cake in the oven. “Where are you going?”

“Just home, girls' night watching the Kardashians,” she smiled, turning to face him.

“Did you eat?” Kaz asked, noticing a hint of hesitation in her demeanor.

Y/N hesitated, her eyes darting away for a moment. “Yeah, sure.”

“Y/N,” Kaz said more firmly, his eyes narrowing slightly as he looked at her.

She sighed, her shoulders slumping a little. 

Kaz’s expression softened, and he cupped her face gently, his thumb brushing over her cheek. “Y/N-”

“I know,” she replied, looking up at him with a small, apologetic smile. “I’ll eat there.”

Kaz nodded, his fingers lingering on her skin for a moment longer before he let her go. He glanced at the cakes, the sweet aroma filling the kitchen. “That smells amazing, by the way.”

“Thanks,” Y/N said, a bit more cheer in her voice as she turned back to the oven. 

Jesper, who had been lingering awkwardly by the door, finally spoke up. “So, what’s the occasion? Or is it just a regular Tuesday cake?”

“Just felt like baking,” Y/N replied with a grin, pulling the last cake out of the oven and setting it on the counter to cool. 

After a while, Y/N excused herself to get ready for her night out. Kaz and Jesper settled on the couch, beers in hand. Y/N reappeared in the living room, dressed for the evening. She kissed Kaz passionately goodbye, her lips lingering on his just long enough to leave him wanting more.

"Have fun," Kaz murmured against her lips, feeling a pang of longing as she pulled away.

"I will," she winked, grabbing her bag and heading out the door.

Kaz watched her go, a slight smile on his face. He turned back to Jesper, who was already engrossed in a work document.

About an hour later Kaz and Jesper were immersed in their work, discussing plans and strategies for their next job. The room was filled with the soft clinking of beer bottles and the rustle of papers.

Suddenly, Kaz's phone buzzed, breaking his concentration. He glanced at the screen and saw a message from one of Y/N’s roommates: ‘Can you tell Y/N to answer her damn phone?’

Kaz stared at it, a knot of unease forming in his stomach. They were supposed to be together. His mind started racing, envisioning all sorts of scenarios. As soon as he clicked on the notification to answer, the message got deleted. Kaz frowned even more, feeling a surge of worry. He had no idea what was going on.

"Everything okay?" Jesper asked, noticing Kaz’s troubled expression.

"Yeah," Kaz replied, his eyes still on the now-deleted message. He debated whether to call Y/N or wait for her to get home and talk face-to-face. Was she lying to him? Where did she go? The questions bugged him, leaving him with a strong sense of unease all evening.

When Kaz heard the door open around midnight, he was already in bed, playing on her Switch. The familiar sound of her footsteps echoed through the apartment, accompanying the tension building inside of him.

Y/N peered into the bedroom, "Hey," she greeted softly, heading to the bathroom to take off her makeup.

Kaz tried to keep his composure, thinking about the imminent conversation. He wanted answers, but he didn't want to accuse her unfairly. His mind raced with conflicting thoughts, each one making him more anxious.

Minutes later, she emerged, half-naked, her skin glowing in the soft light. She climbed directly into his lap, snatching away the console from his hands to get his attention. Kaz's eyes couldn't help but get lost in the sight of her cleavage, particularly the new tattoo she had between her breasts that made focusing increasingly difficult.

"Hi," she said with a smile, guiding his hands to her waist.

"Hey," he replied slowly, his mind still on the text.

"How was your day?" she purred in his ear, rocking her hips slightly against him.

"Good," he said, his breath hitching as she bit his neck. He knew he had to ask her, “Love?”

Y/N hummed against his skin in return, her hands wandering on his body.

“Lia texted me, telling me to make you answer the phone,” he said, purposefully using the wrong name to gauge her reaction.

Y/N didn’t falter. “Lia? We were together. You mean Mia?” She corrected him without hesitation.

Kaz felt a mixture of relief and suspicion. She corrected him well, but was she just quick on her feet? “Yeah, Mia. She wasn’t with you?” He allowed her to guide his mouth to her neck, humming in satisfaction as he kissed her.

“No, she has this new guy,” Y/N explained, her hand sliding inside his boxer, skillfully working him up.

Kaz struggled to maintain his focus. “Why didn’t you answer her?” he asked, his voice strained.

“My phone was on mute,” Y/N replied, her hand’s movements making it increasingly hard for him to concentrate.

“Why did she delete the message?” he asked, feeling his resolve slipping away.

“I don’t know. She must have remembered that I wasn't with you,” Y/N said, her hand working him more intensely now, making him forget his doubts as pleasure took over.

Kaz’s mind fogged over, his earlier concerns buried under a wave of desire. He wanted to trust her, wanted to believe in their relationship. As Y/N’s lips found his again, he decided to let go for the moment, losing himself in her touch and the reassurance of her presence.

***

They spent the next morning in bed, between sloppy kisses and drifting back in and out of sleep. The sunlight filtered through the curtains, casting a soft glow over them. Y/N curled against Kaz, her head resting on his chest as his fingers lazily traced patterns on her back. They exchanged lazy smiles, savoring the rare luxury of a morning without obligations.

"Do we have to get up?" Y/N murmured, her voice thick with sleep.

Kaz chuckled, his hand moving to play with a strand of her hair. "Not unless you want to. We can stay here all day if you’d like."

She nuzzled closer, planting a gentle kiss on his chest. "Good, because I’m not ready to leave this bed."

Kaz tightened his arm around her, drawing her even nearer. "Neither am I."

They lay in comfortable silence, the only sounds being their steady breathing and the occasional rustle of sheets as they adjusted their positions. Kaz’s mind drifted back to the previous night, the lingering worries pushed aside by the sheer contentment of the present moment. He felt Y/N’s fingers dance across his skin, a soothing rhythm that kept him grounded.

"I love mornings like this," Y/N said softly, her breath warm against his chest.

"Me too," Kaz replied, kissing the top of her head. 

Their kisses grew more fervent, passion slowly rekindling. Y/N rolled onto her back, pulling Kaz with her. He hovered above her, their eyes locked in a silent conversation filled with love and desire. The connection between them felt stronger than ever, a silent promise of their commitment to each other.

***

But the doubts of the previous night crept back into Kaz’s mind when Y/N disappeared again that evening with another vague excuse. He had a work thing and returned home late, finding her already asleep. He stood in the doorway, watching her peaceful form beneath the blankets. She had once told him she cheated on all her previous boyfriends, but Kaz believed he was different. He thought he could be the one she wouldn’t stray from. He needed clarity, but he didn’t want to accuse her without evidence.

Her phone buzzed persistently on his side of the bed, pulling his attention. He knew it was wrong, that invading her privacy would be a betrayal of trust, but his doubts gnawed at him. With a heavy heart and hands shaking with guilt, Kaz reached for her phone.

He glanced at her one last time. She had an arm draped over the pillow, her face nestled into it, completely oblivious. He began checking her notifications: three were from clients, one was a payment confirmation. Kaz's tension eased slightly, but the unread messages from the tennis guy caught his attention. Fifteen unread messages, all asking to see her and seeking explanations for her sudden absence. This information eased his mind somewhat; it seemed she wasn’t with him at least. But still, there was no clue as to where she had been that evening.

Kaz's thoughts raced. He considered waking her to confront her, but he knew that would lead to a defensive argument and likely no answers. Instead, he decided to wait for the morning. He would ask her directly, hoping for honesty. He placed her phone back on the nightstand, gently, as if it might shatter under any more pressure.

He undressed quietly and slid into bed beside her, careful not to disturb her. His mind replayed every interaction they had over the past few weeks, searching for signs he might have missed. He loved her deeply, and the thought of her betraying that trust tore at him. But Kaz also knew he had to be rational, not let jealousy cloud his judgment.

***

The next morning, Kaz woke up to the smell of coffee and breakfast. Y/N was in the kitchen, humming softly as she cooked. The sight of her in one of his shirts, moving gracefully around their shared space, made his heart ache. He joined her, wrapping his arms around her waist from behind, his chin resting on her shoulder.

“Morning,” she said cheerfully, turning her head to give him a quick kiss. “I made your favorite.”

“Morning,” Kaz replied, his voice steady but his mind racing. Looking at her so at ease made it impossible for him to start the conversation. He decided to trust her, at least for now.

‘I’m babysitting tonight,’ her text pulled him out of the books of the Crow Club. Kaz couldn’t help but ask himself if it was a lie or not. He shook his head, the bittersweet flavor of doubt lingering in his mouth. If he had decided to trust her that morning, then why had he slipped an AirTag inside her car when he went out?

He checked her location obsessively. Y/N stayed home until around 4 when her car made the journey to her other house to work. At 7, Kaz received another text, ‘Just finished work. I’ll be home around 11, you?’

He contemplated his response. ‘Still not sure,’ he decided to reply.

About an hour later, her car started to move, and Kaz’s heart was about to explode. He came close to praying that she would turn toward her friends’ house to babysit, but she didn’t. Her car stopped in the parking lot of a hotel. A nice one, but not nice enough for her to be with one of her clients. His heart sank; he couldn’t believe it.

Kaz had no idea what to do. He didn’t want to confront her, didn’t want to accept the truth that it was really happening. He texted her that he wouldn’t be able to come back home that night and decided to bury himself in work and alcohol.

Kaz made his way home not too early the next morning, and he met Y/N as she was going to the gym. “Hi, love,” she greeted him with a smile, kissing his jaw. “Where were you last night?” she asked.

Kaz did his best not to scoff. Where were you?�� he wanted to ask, but instead, he just shrugged, “Work stuff.”

Y/N hummed, her hand still on his cheek. “I could make it up to you after Pilates,” she said, batting her eyes.

“I’m probably going to sleep all day,” he said, and Y/N frowned, clearly taken aback by his rejection. “Are you free after dinner?”

Y/N made a tight smile. “I think I’m busy.”

Kaz nodded, his heart breaking. He didn’t even ask her what she had to do; he couldn’t bear to hear another lie. He just kissed her forehead and let her go.

As she walked away, Kaz felt a gnawing emptiness. He trudged to the bedroom and collapsed onto the bed, the weight of his suspicions pressing down on him. The AirTag had confirmed his worst fears, but he was still clinging to the hope that there was some explanation, some reason that didn’t involve betrayal.

***

After an entire week of lies, Kaz found himself outside the hotel, his heart pounding in his chest. All their conversations flashed through his mind—their shared moments of vulnerability, her doubts, the times she had warned him that she would only end up hurting him. Her ex-boyfriend’s words haunted him, taunting him with the prophecy that Kaz would become just like him. At the time, it seemed impossible, but now he was right there, having looked through her phone and stalked her location. Kaz laughed at the bitter irony, shaking his head. 

The ring was still waiting for her, carefully hidden away. What was he supposed to do if they broke up? Take it back to the shop? Sell it? Dramatically throw it in the harbor?

After about an hour, Kaz spotted Y/N leaving the hotel, a man walking closely behind her. They stopped to talk for a while, but when the man cupped her cheek with his hand, Kaz couldn’t take it anymore. He strode towards them, his anger boiling over.

“Y/N,” he said coldly as he reached them. Y/N turned, her eyes wide with shock. “Kaz, what are you doing here?”

A manic laugh escaped his lips. “Me? What are you doing here? You always said you didn’t work outside your house, so what the fuck?”

“Work?” asked the man, puzzled.

“Kaz, wait,” Y/N began, her voice pleading.

“No, Y/N, come on, not even six months?”

“Love-”

“Who is this?” the man asked.

“He’s my boyfriend,” she replied softly.

“I was about to fucking propose to you, Y/N,” Kaz shouted.

Y/N froze, but then a small smile spread on her lips. “What?”

“You heard me. Why did you have to do this?”

“Kaz-”

“I can’t believe this is happening, Y/N.”

“KAZ!”

“Why, Y/N-”

“This is my father.”

Kaz stopped dead in his tracks, his mind struggling to process her words. “Your father?” he repeated, his voice barely more than a whisper.

The man nodded uncomfortably, clearly sensing the tension. “Yes, I’m her father.”

“I know I told you they were dead, but—” Y/N began, her voice trembling.

“They’re not. Alice told me,” Kaz said softly.

Y/N looked confused. “When did you talk to her?”

Kaz felt a surge of embarrassment for the scene he had just caused. “When I asked her for her blessing to marry you,” he admitted, his voice tinged with regret.

Y/N’s eyes widened, then a laugh bubbled up, her amusement genuine despite the tension. “You asked for her blessing? You're so old-fashioned, baby,” she teased, reaching out to touch his arm.

Kaz and Y/N’s father exchanged an uncomfortable glance. Kaz wanted to disappear, feeling the weight of his lack of trust in her. As he looked closer at her father, he could see the resemblance between them—a shared softness in their eyes, the same determined set to their jaws.

Y/N took control of the situation, turning to her father with a reassuring smile. “So, this is my boyfriend, Kaz. I’ve talked to you about him.”

Kaz extended his hand, and they shook. He felt a bit under scrutiny, the older man's gaze assessing him. “My pleasure. I’ve heard a lot about you,” Y/N’s father said with a tight smile.

Kaz nodded, feeling both relief and unease. He didn’t know much about Y/N’s parents; she had preferred to think of them as dead. Now, he found himself unsure of what to say. 

“You went to Alice to ask for her hand—that's a nice thing to do,” her father continued, trying to bridge the gap.

“Thank you, sir,” Kaz replied politely, feeling the formalities help ground him amidst the turmoil. The awkwardness hung in the air, thick and palpable. He was acutely aware of the judgmental glances exchanged between Y/N and her father, each assessing the other’s significance in her life.

Her father nodded, looking slightly more at ease but still wary. “I appreciate that. It shows respect.”

Kaz forced a smile, trying to read the man in front of him. He knew so little about him, yet this stranger was so crucial to Y/N’s life and past. “It felt like the right thing to do. Y/N means a lot to me.”

Y/N’s father gave a small, approving nod. “I’m glad to hear that.”

Kaz nodded, understanding the weight of those words. “I know. I’m here for her, always.”

Y/N watched the exchange, her eyes darting between them. She placed a hand on Kaz’s arm, grounding him further. “I think we should catch up another time. There’s a lot we need to discuss, but not here.”

Her father glanced at her, then at Kaz, before nodding in agreement. “You’re right. We’ll talk soon.” He turned to Kaz, offering a hand again. “It was good to meet you, Kaz. Take care of her.”

Kaz shook his hand firmly. “I will, sir.”

Once alone, Kaz and Y/N locked eyes. The tension between them was palpable, the air thick with unspoken words and lingering emotions. Kaz took a deep breath, struggling to find the right words to apologize.

“I’m so sorry, Y/N, I—”

“I was acting shady, I understand, Kaz,” she interrupted, her arms hugging herself defensively.

“No, I crossed the line. I should’ve talked to you instead of jumping to conclusions.”

“I should’ve come to you too,” she replied, looking away with a sigh. “Usually, I love public scenes, but how about we go home?”

Kaz nodded with a small smile, relief washing over him. “I have to stop at work for a second, but I’ll reach you there.”

He turned to go to his car, but Y/N grabbed him by the arm, her serious gaze locking onto his. “Kaz,” she said, her voice steady and filled with emotion, “I love you.”

Kaz felt a weight lift from his chest at her words. “I love you,” he replied, squeezing her hand reassuringly before walking away.

Kaz didn’t go to his office. Instead, he went to buy flowers and those vegan chocolates Y/N liked. He wanted to show her how much she meant to him and how sorry he was for doubting her.

When Kaz arrived home, he found Y/N making drinks in the kitchen. She had changed into one of his shirts, which hung loosely on her and exposed her legs. The sight of her like this made his heart ache with love and regret. She looked up and smiled at him, her eyes softening when she saw the flowers and chocolates.

“I’m sorry,” he said softly, stepping closer to her. He kissed her temple and handed her the gifts.

Her smile widened as she accepted them. “You didn’t have to,” she said, but Kaz could see the happiness in her eyes.

“I wanted to,” he replied, his voice earnest. “I needed to.”

They settled on the couch, drinks in hand, the atmosphere between them more relaxed now.

Kaz settled next to Y/N on the couch, feeling the need to clear the air further. “He contacted me a few weeks ago,” she started, her voice tentative. “Said he wanted to get to know me. I wanted to understand his intentions before talking about it.”

“Why?” Kaz asked, his brow furrowing.

“I don't know,” she admitted, looking away. “I didn’t want to jinx it, I think. I was afraid that if I talked about it, it might not turn out the way I hoped.”

Kaz nodded, understanding the fear of misplacing her hopes. “What do you think about him now?”

Y/N sighed, leaning back against the couch. “I still don’t know. He seems sincere, but at the same time, his family has no idea I exist. It’s complicated.”

Kaz gathered his thoughts, knowing he had to come clean. “I thought you were cheating on me,” he confessed. “I went through your phone one time while you were sleeping. I even put an AirTag in your car and followed your position.”

Y/N’s eyes widened slightly, but she remained calm. “That’s fucked up, love,” she said, though her tone was not accusatory.

Kaz cradled his head in his hands, feeling the weight of his actions. “I know. I’m so sorry. I was paranoid and I let my fears get the best of me.”

“I can understand, Kaz,” Y/N said softly. “I did everything I could to make you doubt me. I always repeated how unworthy of trust I was, so it’s not surprising that at the first sign of shadiness, you thought the worst.”

“You’re not mad?” he asked, lifting his head to meet her gaze.

“I mean, I didn’t think you would actually do those kinds of things, but I can understand why it happened,” she replied. Her eyes were filled with understanding and sadness. “I know you’re not a crazy stalker.”

Kaz pulled her close, wrapping his arms around her tightly. He was immensely grateful for how things had evolved. “I’ll do better,” he whispered. “I’ll trust you, and I won’t let anything ruin what we have.”

Y/N nodded against his chest, her arms around him just as tightly. “And I’ll be more open with you,” she promised. “No more secrets.”

They sat like that for a while, the silence between them comfortable and filled with unspoken promises. Kaz felt a sense of relief wash over him, knowing they had come through this stronger. 

Kaz felt a surge of anticipation as Y/N's grin widened. “So, you were about to propose?” she asked, her eyes twinkling with excitement.

“I still am,” he replied, determination clear in his voice as he stood up. He walked to the safe, feeling the weight of the moment pressing on him. 

It wasn't absolutely the proposal he imagined, but with her, nothing went as he planned. 

With steady hands, he retrieved the ring, taking a final look at it in its box. It was perfect, just like the moment he had been envisioning, despite all the turmoil they had been through.

Y/N covered her mouth with her hands, her eyes wide with disbelief and joy. “Is this really happening?” she asked, her voice trembling slightly.

Kaz nodded, feeling a rush of adrenaline as he dramatically dropped to one knee. He ignored the sharp pain that shot through his leg, focusing entirely on her. The sight of her laughter and tears mingling together filled him with warmth. 

“Y/N,” he began, his voice strong but filled with emotion, “will you marry me?”

She opened her mouth, uncertainty written all over her face, but he gently cut her off. “I want you to know that I'll wait for you. You said one day you're going to leave your job. I'll wait for that day. If it's tomorrow, or in ten years, I don't care.”

Her eyes softened, tears welling up. “Will you? Really?” she asked, her voice barely a whisper.

“Yes,” he affirmed, his eyes locking onto hers with unwavering sincerity. 

Y/N's face lit up with a radiant smile, her hands trembling as she reached out to him. “Yes, I'll marry you,” she said, her voice choked with emotion.

Kaz slid the ring onto Y/N’s finger, the smooth metal encircling her finger with a perfect fit. The moment felt suspended in time, the culmination of all their shared experiences and deep feelings. He stood up slowly, his heart pounding as he pulled her into a tight embrace, feeling the steady rhythm of her heartbeat against his chest. The warmth and intimacy of the moment were overwhelming, a powerful affirmation of their love.

Y/N responded by kissing him deeply and passionately, her lips pressing against his with an intensity that conveyed all the love and commitment that words couldn't fully capture. Her kiss was both a promise and a celebration, a silent testament to the depth of her feelings.

They pulled back slightly, their foreheads resting against each other, eyes locked in a gaze that spoke volumes. “I love you,” Kaz whispered, his voice filled with tenderness and relief, the words almost a sacred vow.

“I love you,” Y/N replied, her eyes shining with happiness, reflecting the joy and gratitude she felt. Her voice trembled with emotion, each syllable laced with sincerity.

Kaz looked at her, his gaze softening as he took in the sight of his fiancée, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. Taking a shaky breath, he couldn’t help but tease her gently. “Are you crying?” he asked, shoving her slightly with a smile.

Y/N laughed nervously, her tears slipping freely down her cheeks. “Yes, I’m fucking crying,” she admitted, her voice trembling as she met Kaz’s gaze. “No one ever showed me this kind of respect before. I always thought I wasn’t worthy of it, you know? I never expected someone to be so committed, so... real with me. It’s a lot to take in.”

She took a deep, shaky breath, trying to steady her emotions. “It’s just... I’ve been through so much. I always felt like I had to fight for every bit of validation, every ounce of respect. No one ever really took me seriously. I was always the one who had to prove herself, to show that I was worth something.” Her voice wavered, the vulnerability clear as she continued. “And I ended up doing it to myself too, you know? I learned to doubt my worth, to think that maybe I wasn’t deserving of something real.”

Her eyes shimmered with fresh tears as she looked at Kaz, the weight of her past struggles mingling with the joy of the present. She swallowed hard, trying to steady her voice. “It’s a bit overwhelming,” she said softly, her breath catching. “I never allowed myself to believe I could have something like this. I’ve always held back, convinced myself that I wasn’t deserving of this kind of happiness.”

Kaz’s heart ached at the sight of her vulnerability. He gently cupped her face, his thumbs brushing away the tears that continued to spill. His gaze was intense and full of emotion as he spoke, each word measured and sincere. “Thanks to you, I’ll be able to have a normal life,” he began, his voice carrying a profound sincerity. “I thought I would never be able to be so comfortable with someone. You might not realize it, but you’ve changed everything for me. I wasn’t able to hold someone’s hand without feeling like I was suffocating before meeting you. I couldn’t get kissed without throwing up from anxiety.”

He paused, taking a deep breath, trying to capture the gravity of his feelings. “You’ve made me feel things I thought I’d never experience. You’ve shown me what it’s like to be loved without fear, to be with someone who understands me and accepts me completely. I’ll be grateful every single day for this— for you.”

Kaz’s thumbs continued to caress her cheeks gently, as if trying to imprint the moment in his memory. “You’ve given me a chance to live a life I never thought was possible. And every time I look at you, every time I hold you, I’m reminded of how lucky I am.”

She managed to laugh a bit, her voice carrying a light, playful edge. “You ruined my reputation,” she teased, her eyes still glistening with emotion.

Kaz chuckled, his fingers gently drying a tear from her cheek. “How are you going to survive?” he asked, his tone light but filled with affection.

“I guess we’ll find out,” she replied with a wink, the playful spark in her eyes returning.

Kaz scooped her up effortlessly, though his limp was more pronounced as he carried her toward their bedroom. She playfully protested, giggling and squirming in his arms, but he just smiled, determined to make their moment special. 

They stumbled onto the bed, laughing and catching each other in a deep, lingering kiss. 

“Can you believe that we’re engaged?” Kaz murmured against her skin, his lips brushing over her shirt as he kissed her nipple through the fabric. “I won, love.”

“You won?” she hummed, scratching his head affectionately. “I didn’t realize it was a competition.”

“Of course it was,” Kaz grinned, his eyes twinkling with mischief. “I’m here to claim my prize.” He lifted her shirt with a flourish, trailing kisses down her stomach, reveling in the way she arched under him.

“My friends won’t believe it,” she whispered, her voice a soft murmur as she relaxed into his touch.

Kaz smiled against her warm skin. “Why not?”

“Let’s say I always had strong opinions about how boring committed relationships are,” she admitted, her tone playful yet sincere.

He bit gently at her hip bone, making her hiss in response. “Are you bored?”

“Not yet,” she teased with a satisfied smile.

“You always said you wanted children,” Kaz said, his curiosity piqued. “How did that fit into your plans?”

“Oh, it was good,” she replied, a mischievous glint in her eye. “All four of us were supposed to have the same sperm donor and raise our children together in a big, confusing family.”

Kaz hummed against her inner thigh, mulling over the unconventional plan. It didn’t sound all that bad. “Can I send it to them?” she asked, holding up her phone to show him a picture. 

Kaz glanced at the screen, seeing his head clearly positioned between her legs, but the explicit part of the scene was partially obscured by her hand that displayed the engagement ring. He grinned, thinking it would make a great wallpaper for his phone. “Just to them, and to me,” he agreed with a crooked smile, returning to his affectionate attention.

“We could use it for our engagement party invitations,” she laughed, tossing her phone aside as she surrendered to the pleasure, her head falling back against the pillows.

“Matthias would carve his eyeballs out,” Kaz laughed.

Kaz increased the rhythm of his tongue, his fingers working in tandem, sensing her growing restlessness and the mounting pleasure.

“Are you going to tease me all night?” she whined, her voice tinged with frustration and desire.

“Yes,” Kaz replied with a smirk.

“I’m sorry for the neighbors then,” she moaned loudly, her voice thick with pleasure as Kaz gently nudged her clit with his teeth. Her moans filled the room, mingling with the soft rustling of the sheets and their shared breaths.

Kaz’s heart raced at the sound of her unrestrained sounds, each one a testament to the pleasure he was giving her. He loved how vocal she was, her cries of ecstasy echoing off the walls and cutting through the silence of the night. 

Her reactions were music to his ears, each moan and gasp a reminder of how alive she was beneath his touch, silencing the voices in his head. With every cry she released, Kaz felt a sense of liberation.

He reveled in the way her body responded to him, how her hips arched and her breaths came in quick, uneven gasps. Her hands gripped the sheets tightly, and he could feel her heart racing beneath his fingertips. It was a visceral, intoxicating experience, and he found himself lost in the sensation of her warmth and the sound of her voice.

***

The next morning, Kaz was jolted awake by a cacophony of voices coming from the hallway. Groggy and irritated, he threw on some sweatpants and stumbled toward the noise, which was clearly escalating into a full-blown argument. As he got closer, y/n’s voice cut through the chaos with a sharp edge.

“I’m so sorry if your husband can’t get it up anymore!” y/n shouted, her tone laced with mocking.

Kaz rubbed his eyes and shook his head, a smirk tugging at his lips. He could hear the muffled responses of their neighbors, but y/n’s voice was the loudest, filled with defiance.

“You know what? Maybe if you didn’t spend so much time eavesdropping on us, and more getting down on her, you wouldn’t have to be so uptight!” she continued, her voice rising.

Kaz reached the hallway and saw y/n standing with their disgruntled neighbors, their faces a blend of shock and fury. The couple from next door were clearly at their breaking point, their eyes wide with indignation.

Kaz leaned against the doorframe, an amused smirk playing on his lips as he surveyed the chaotic scene unfolding before him. “What’s going on here?” he asked, barely containing his laughter.

The husband’s face was a deep shade of red, his anger palpable. “Your noise last night was out of control!” he roared, his voice shaking with frustration.

Y/n, clearly at her limit, threw her hands up in exasperation. “Oh, please! Have you ever had good sex in your life? Maybe if you did, you wouldn’t be such a stickler about it!”

Kaz struggled between laughter and embarrassment. “We got engaged last night,” he said, trying to provide some context, “we were celebrating.”

The wife shot him a look that could have frozen fire. “It’s not just about one night! It’s about being considerate! You’re disturbing everyone!”

Y/n’s eyes narrowed, her temper flaring. “It wasn’t even that long!”

The husband’s jaw dropped in disbelief. “You went on for almost three hours! We were trying to watch a movie!”

Y/n’s smirk widened as she turned to Kaz, clearly enjoying the moment. “Almost three hours? Good job, baby.”

The neighbors scoffed, their faces a mix of shock and indignation. Kaz, now thoroughly red-faced, tried to hide his grin, feeling both mortification and amusement.

The wife’s face contorted with frustration. “This is absolutely ridiculous! You can’t just make everyone else miserable because you’re celebrating!”

Kaz couldn’t hold back any longer. “You’re the only  one complaining, just turn up your volume a bit.”

The husband glared at him, but Kaz’s easygoing demeanor seemed to infuriate him even more. “We’re going to the building manager with this. This isn’t over!”

As they stormed off, Kaz turned to y/n, shaking his head with a mix of disbelief and amusement. “That was something.”

Y/n laughed, stepping closer to him. “I’d say they needed to get a life. They can’t handle a little excitement now and then.”

Kaz grinned, pulling her into an embrace. “They were right.”

“They were absolutely right,” agreed y/n laughing.

notes: hope you liked a bit of a rollercoaster here:) I'm sorry to say that next part is going to be the last, we've made this journey with them and they kept us entertained all summer but now it's time to let them live happily.

[monkey-network]

Wanna get this off my chest cuz it’s been on my twitter feed a few times. I read this article saying that Cuphead bears some deep seeded ignorance because King Dice and the art style came from an era where racist caricatures were prevalent back then. Now, I’m an African American that knows well about the pretty racist ideals of the earliest cartoon industry. Hell, I’m fully aware of Memin Pinguin, a Mexican originated character that I can arguably say is the most offensive looking character I’ll ever see. But I have a few points about this article...

Just because the Fleischer style of animation came from a racist era, doesn’t mean the art style is nor the content is because of the style. Again, I understand that blackface and minstrel gags were in Fleischer, WB, and Disney cartoons of that era, but that doesn’t mean that was all there was to the cartoons of that era. Cuphead never incorporates those gags in any place in the game, they just replicated the art style in an authentic manner. You can do that when creating a video game.

I guarantee nobody bought Cuphead expecting any “”woke”” connotation of its art style, no less demanded any. Just because we all have the ability to engage with art in a meaningful way, doesn’t mean we have to or need to with every piece of art, especially when it can amount to superficially finding an animated run-and-gun game to be bigoted because one of the people behind it said that Cuphead’s 1930s aesthetic “is just visuals and that’s about it. Anything else happening in that era we’re not versed in it.” I won’t tell people how to experience a game, but if you were seriously going into Cuphead with the ideal that it should have racially charged subjects to comment or think about, you’re honestly playing for the wrong reasons. That’s the equivalent of saying every season of Pokemon needed to PSA about animal cruelty in some way or it’s ignorant towards animal rights. Just because Cuphead doesn’t engage with the racial implications of the bygone era, doesn’t mean they’re trying to whitewash or erase the racial implications of the bygone era. That’s essentially trying to spin the creator’s vision to cry outrage which is dishonest as fuck.

Just because the game has motifs of gambling, doesn’t mean King Dice is the epitome 1930s stereotype of black people being lazy, sinful dice rollers, that is desperate logic. 

First of all, you wouldn’t recognize that King Dice is a homage to Cab Calloway unless you are familiar with the man himself, and even then the character is enjoyable with or without knowing the reference to him and is not depicted as a stereotypical caricature in any semblance. So you can argue that race had little to do with his design.

Secondly, King Dice is among a world of anthropomorphized objects, especially in his boss stage, and with the gambling motif, it’s fitting that the owner of a casino.... is a living die. I understand that black representation can be a reasonable addition, but I don’t see how King Dice can be depicted in any way that doesn’t just add to the stereotype. I mean if you take him out of the game, you’re essentially taking out the core theme behind the game. So you can argue that race had little to do with his design.

Third, even when King Dice is a considerable gambler, every other boss is too since the point of the game is that you’re taking the soul contracts of those that lost to the Devil. The tagline of the game is “Don’t Deal with the Devil,” no one is above the Devil’s influence as they make a choice to bet, not even his right hand man. And the majority of human boss characters are considerably white coded, so this goes against the idea of gambling in Cuphead being a full on black people thing regardless of the era it’s influenced from, meaning you can argue that race... had little.... to do.... with his design.

And if race was involved in his design, to me, to acknowledge that they got Calloway’s look down and his style in dance perfectly, and the fact that they got a black woman to respectively sing his theme with gusto more than makes up for any racist implications this character may have.

Trying to compare Cuphead to Jay-Z’s The Story of OJ is like comparing Watchmen to the fucking Powerpuff Girls. One wants people to understand or interpret a message with its imagery and lyricism, the other just wants to have a good time. You can appreciate both, learn about both, but one clearly isn’t trying to be all that serious as I’m certain no one is demanding it to. It’s not bleaching the past, but having fun with the good that came from it. This article almost sounded like it wanted racist things in Cuphead only for the game to point it out that it’s bad, thus earning brownie points.

Again, I find no wrong in understanding the racially charged history of the cartoon industry, especially knowing that diversity in media is far more and arguably better now than back then, but that is no reason to try and wag your finger at a studio that just wanted to game with a 2D art style of the past that people can play for 6 or so damn hours. I may be black, but do I have to be reminded or constantly remind myself that my kind was considered a burden to a good sum of people with any bit of media I consume? This article just felt like the author needed to say Cuphead of all things was problematic, make it appear bigoted for nothing at all. There’s a difference between being critical towards art and thinking something needs to be critically invoking. This ain’t it, chief.

[z-nogyrop-draws]

Pinguin- Needle Pokémon

Type- Ice/Steel

Ability- Fluffy/Snow Warning/Iron Barbs (Hidden)

Pinguin’s body is covered in thick, insulating feathers to keep it warm in the freezing temperatures where it lives. This makes them extremely soft and cuddly, but it also means that they overheat very quickly in non-polar temperatures, so trainers must be wary. They’re naturally curious and will follow around Snoway that enter their territory.

Pingushion- Stitched Pokémon

Type- Ice/Steel

Ability- Fluffy/Snow Warning/Iron Barbs (Hidden)

Evolves from Pinguin at level 31.

Pingushion are covered in metal spines, but the pointy tips of these spines are usually covered up. If they feel threatened, the orbs that surround the tip migrate to the base of the spine, exposing the sharp points. In the wild, they travel in large groups to conserve heat and keep Pinguin safe. Jackets made out of their feathers keep the wearer warm even in a blizzard.

[kpop-melody]

BTS reaction to their child refuses to call them dad because they were away for so long

Anonymous said :

BTS reaction when they haven't met their child for years and when they finally see each other, she/he (their child) doesn't want to call them appa and how can they fix it, please :)))) I love ur work so much, keep working hard 😘

Hi lovely~thanks for requesting ! .. here’s your requested reactions and I really enjoyed writing this so I hope you enjoy it too >< .

Jin :

All he was thinking the way home is his little kid .The last call he had from you was about his little boy’s first birthday ! ..he went to the military when you were in your second month ..so his biggest dream was to see his child for the first time ! ..when he knocked at the door he expected his child to come running like a little pinguin and hug him ..but what happened wasn't as he expected the meeting to be ..his little child showed up with his diaper and smiley face ..which has changed the moment he spotted his father ..Jin was in heavens that time ..untill his baby ran fast inside ..screaming and calling for his mom ..and you were already on your way to the door ..you stopped the moment you saw your dear husband ..smiling as if you have never smiled before ! ..but your child ? he was behind you ,hugging your leg ..begging for protection ..and that was the last thing Jin wanted to see ..no papa ? ..no appa or even daddy ? ..that broke him from the inside ,so the hug wasn't that tight ..he was sad ..so deeply …which didn't make him sleep that night ..he was thinking of a way to change the way his baby sees him ..so he decided to spend more time with him ,till he -with no control- called Jin (appa) because how strong their relationship was !

Suga :

A 7 months girl won't remember her father ! ..especially if he left for tour for about another 8 months ! ..that would make it even more complicated..he heard his girl saying her first word when you recorded it  ..so he was so excited to hear it live ..when she is calling him! ..calling him (appa)!! ..he came home at 4 am ..after hugging you and showering you with kisses, he dashed to his girl’s room to see her sleeping in her one peace pijama ,with an angelic face and silk brown hair .He sat next to her and kissed her face ,two seconds and she was staring at him ,and his smile never faded away ,till she started crying so hard …calling her mom (AMMA!! ..I’M SCARED !!) ..you ran to her room and saw Suga staring at the wall ,in an another world . You hugged her till she calmed down ,and Suga still didn't make any reaction !.. you said ,trying to save the situation “..ohh baby ..this is your father !..why are you scared ?”..she kept crying “NO! ..HE IS NOT MY APPA!! ..HE IS NOT!” ..and buried her face in your chest .. you looked at your husband as you could clearly see him tearing up ..but before you could open your mouth to say a word he carried his body out ,and disappeared in his studio .In the next day ,you saw Yoongi for the first time ,so cuddly and caring ..he tried his best to make her feel protected and comfortable when he is around ,and that worked ! ..at the end of the day ,after a family trip to the amusement park ,he was sitting with her on the carousel..she was laughing so happily in his arms when he was smiling till his ears ,she said in a loud voice between her giggles “YOU ARE THE BEST DAD EVER!” .

Rap Monster :

You and your little boy were waiting for your husband at the airport ,when he was away for one year with his mother ,trying to do some surgeries for her because she had two kinds of cancer,and you couldn't leave with them due to your job .Your little boy was one year and a half ,so he had only few unclear memories about his father ,he looked at you “mom ? ..when was he all the time ?” ..you smiled and looked down “our grandma was sick so he was helping her !” ..he pouted “but ..when I was sick he didn't help me !” ..you remembered when your child once had a virus and he was at the hospital for two days ,you knew that would affect on him because his father wasn't there ,but you hoped nothing negative would happen .When Namjoon appeared you smiled brightly and pointed at him “look ! ..he is there !!” and you ran to him ,hugging him so tight ,and your boy? ..still standing where you left him ,and when Joonie took few steps toward his child ,the last one took another steps back ,there Namjoon was shocked ,and you knew how much that distance had affected on him ,even though the first conversation between them two was “you know that I asked about you everyday? ,your photo in my wallet ..and I take it everyday and I kiss it !” ..” ohh ..thanks ..you seem as a good man ..like grandpa Max in Ben10 !!!” ..and that moment you knew that Namjoon was broken ,as a knife stabbed him so deeply or as his heart was broken into peaces ,but what doesn't kill you ,makes you stronger ! ..he took a vocation for a month to spend it with his boy ..and , it has beed successful ! .

J-hope :

His military service had to end today ,so you waited for him at the balcony with your little kid ! ..till he arrived with his soldier’s vest ..your boy cheered “mom look ! ..a soldier! “ ..you smiled brightly “yeh baby ..he is your father !” ..and you ran downstairs, when your boy stood still and mumbled “my father ?” .You hugged your husband as if it was the first time to see him after 100 years ,so you shouted at that kid on the balcony “COME AND HUG YOUR DAD!” ..but he didn't move ,so Hobi just kissed you and whispered “I'll go for him!” ..and when he was two steps away from his child ,with the happiest face ever ,your boy said “so you are the hero my mom told me about ?” ..he nodded and pulled him in a warm hug ,but your kid broke it ..so Hoseok pouted “what's the problem my baby?” ..your kid simply shouted and ran away “I DON’T BELIEVE YOU !!!” ..Hoseok with no control started crying with no sound and you couldn't do anything but hugged him, when he refused “you didn't show him my photos ? ..didn't you tell him the messages I wanted him to hear ? ..didn't you tell him that I love and miss him so much ? ..why he hates me ?!!!” .After days he was trying his best to get closer ,but we cant deny that he had some difficulties to deal with ,his boy was a closed one ,not like his father ..but ,they made it at the end .

Jimin :  

Another one was away for tour ,but he suffered from another problem , a member was sick and he had to be next to him ,which made him be away for 9 months ,and that wasn't so accepted by his little girl who he left when she was 3 months old and now she is one year old .He asked the driver to drive the fastest so he would see his daughter, he missed her till he couldn't control himself .And when he was in front of her ,he came closer and hugged her as if it was the first time ..and she couldn't make any reaction..all she was thinking about was (is he really my father?) ,and he didn't notice that till he was taking a shower and you making the dinner ,when she moved in hesitated steps and knocked at the door of the bathroom “umm ..mom said the dinner is ready !” ..he opened the door with the biggest smile and carried her on his shoulders .When they were on the dinner table ,Jimin kissed you and mumbled “you are the best mom! ..I was afraid she would enter the bathroom so I locked it !” ..you smiled and looked in a teasing way at her “ohh..that's weird ,because she usually doesn't knock ,but enters with no warnings !” ..your daughter looked at her plate in a guilty way “but you taught me to be polite with those I don't know !” ..and that moment Jimin choked and sank in his blank thoughts ..that his daughter is no longer his  ,but just a girl he loves and she doesn't ! ..that made him cry in his room alone at midnight ,also made him make a plan to let his daughter knows that he is not a stranger , but a person who loves her more than she thinks .

V :

It wasn't his choice ,he had to leave for some business and you couldn’t go with him because you had to take care of your parents and your work ,so he left for a year and a half to complete the deals with many modeling companies ,he was a lit! ..after he realized that his family has the right to see him ,he canceled any new deals and went right back to his hometown .He was outside of his huge house’s garden ,when he saw his little girl running after her dog ,she was wearing ballet skirt with wings of a fairy ,till she stopped when she saw him ,he opened the gate and ran toward her ,picked her up and swung her in the air which made her giggle ,he pulled her in a hug and let her down ,so he sat on his knees ,admiring her beauty and how much she grew up without him ,that thought made him tear up ,till she shocked him saying “you are a cute like my joje (her puppy) …and you look like my dad~” she said with an accent of a cute little girl ,which made him smile brightly “ohh ..so your father is cute ? ..how about I AM your father ? …your TaeTae ?” ..she giggled “ohh no you are not ..bye stranger !!” ..and she waved ,left him there looking at her running after the dog again ,stranger ? ..that was the last thing he would like to hear ,for a family man ? ..that was a living nightmare ..and u knew that when he entered the house and his face covered with tears .But ,that didn't stop him ,he got out of that scary hell and started all over again ,playing and chasing the dog with her ,till they became bestfriends ,till he became her TaeTae .

Jungkook :

That scholarship he had for the most famous music school in the world ,he dreamed of having it ,and when he got it ,he waited no second to accept it ,and when he knew he can't get his family with him ,he had to risk ..two years he could only see you on FaceTime, but what really made him break down every night ,that his kid refused to FaceTime with him ,as he was that shy around strangers ,he didn't have the courage to talk to that man who called his father and never saw him before ,that made Jungkook give up the rest of his scholarship and go back home .Out of his kid room he stood there ,afraid as hell ,will he accept it ? ..he knocked at the door and that three years boy opened it with his pijamas on ,the moment he saw his father his eyes went wide and slapped the door ,as if he slapped Kook on the face ,his feelings were down as he was holding himself not to cry ..”babe ,open the door ..I'm your father you were FaceTiming with ! ..I came but will never go again ! ..now open the door and let me hug you ..!!” ..but that didn't affect on the insecurity of his kid ,but made him shout out loud “NO ..!!” .After that situation, Jungkook tried everything to get his kid’s heart ,from watching his favorite cartoon with him to playing with him his favorite games ..it needed time but ,it was successful too !.

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-Admin M

[kapmar17-blog]

Hey everybody. This is #ushuaia . There's only ice behind where the pinguins live.🐧 . . . #antarctica #travel #travelblogger #instatravel #mytravelgram #voyage #cruise #cruiselife #shiplife (at Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina) https://www.instagram.com/p/B7g4Cg1IjKq/?igshid=hkr5byqd3ilh

[writemywalks]

Letters to the piece of my heart: Ushuaia

After last year events I haven’t flashbacked much, in fact, they cured me of all the drama-related crap and now I barely whine or regret about trying new things like  i rarely feel that out-of-nowhere sadness. Sometimes true sad things set life priorities for you and you just chill the hell down.

Ergo, with that mindest I left home (aka new home/grandma house) a day after Christmas to the airport with a clenched butt, since my budget for the actual trip was very low and I had no credit card to back me up. But in spite of it, with a whatever comes attitude, me and my friend took off and myself finally enjoyed a flight for the first time, since the last two i did, I had a bad time being suspended on air in a locked-up plane.

For the first time in my life, I made this trip with zero expectations, like I wasn’t daydreaming or creating likely scenarios in my head. The only thing that was at the back of my brain was that, this Plan B was going to be made in honor of what Plan A should have been about. Even though our flight was delayed for almost three hours, everything was fine and we made it safe and sound.

Outside the airport while looking for a taxi, we came to realize that it was very windy and that in fact, there wasn’t a drop of the heat we left back in Buenos Aires. We were kind of insecure about the hostel we booked, since it looked too good to be true, but at this point we were already free falling. Once we checked-in and settled in our rooms, we saw that, in fact, everything was just like in the booking page pictures, and we had a plus: our shared bedroom had a dreamy view with mountains that seemed to be 5′ away. 

Gotta say I love having anecdotes of roomates farting in the middle of the night, or people having smelly feet that make you almost pass out, you really hate it when you’re there but I look back laughing now.

I think our first tour was “The end of the world” train that is basically a comfortable train with big windows indeed that takes you throughout dreamy landscapes while you’re being told the old prisoners stories that used to work in the mines located there.

It was a nice ride and bet my life that must be a whole dream on winter, with all those mountains and landscapes full of snow. There were some waterfalls, little lakes, and some good scenery that a movie would do.

On the same day we also booked a tour to the “Canal Beagle”, a channel where there’s the iconic “end of the world lighthouse”, sea lions and pinguins. This was the tour which worth every penny we payed. When we took our sits inside the catamaran, the view from the window of the city from afar looked similar to the Niek Engelschmanbrug buildings in Amsterdam. Once the city landscape was out of sight, we decided to approach the bow of the boat and there are no words to express how much freedom, feeling like singing and all that carefree crap i felt right there. I was like, living in the present is the moto one should live with.

After our first tour we went back to the hostel and spent the following two days boring the hell out of us. Me neither my friend are what we would call antisocial but we are really laid back people, so we weren’t having much sucesss regarding making new friends in the hostel, so we spent the time drinking mate, laying down in the sofa listening to music and scrolling down IG (and with our friend scolding us from her own beach vacation through FaceTime for being lazy asses).

The following day we woke up very early since we had to go to Laguna Esmeralda, a 2 hour and a half trekking to a Lake with a emerald color with white-peaked mountains as far as eye could see. I must have lost almost four pounds walking up and down those muddy paths where I baptized half leg after my friend pulled me down when she almost slipped herself.

Even though you stop to take some pictures, none of them does justice to what your retinas and brain keep for the rest of your life. The most I remember was being eager to reach the lake, the wind against my face, feeling so small in front of those enormous and even more majestic mountains, Indeed some things that a snapshoot would never show.

The first thing we did when we arrived to the lake was devouring our ham and cheese sandwiches, we were starving like mad after such long walk. Then well-fed and full, we decided to take a 5′ nap in front of this movie set-like place. I tried FaceTiming my family but we were so far from everything that we didn’t have any signal at all. I remember trying to capture a lot of videos of my camera and there’s some pictures on my cellphone with my ass laying near the lake trying to capture some good shoots from below. Some other people were icing their beer amongs the rocks since the water was quite cold and there were people gather here and there chatting and with the same wide-eyed gaze we probably had.

When we had enought rest, we walked beside the lake and tried to find some another view closer to the white-peaked mountains. Whatever we looked, it looked dreamy and sadly, we only had 40 minutes to record that in our minds before the truck came to take us to the city again. Our way back to the entrance seemed to take hours, since we were completely out of air and our legs were already giving up. 

Since my budget was low, I just knew these were about to be the only three tours and experiences I would have in the whole trip. They weren’t THAT expensive but I didn’t have much to spend around and we still had to buy our New Year’s Eve dinner. 

On December 31th, me and my friend woke up with the idea to just walk around the city since even walking the streets was a dream. Don’t ask us how but we ended up taking another tour since I remembered I had the hostel deposit left, I made my last bet and we made our way to Glaciar Martial.

The way to the Glaciar was non-stop uphill, we would stop once in a while to catch some air because contrary to the Lake, the path never went downhill. But as we got closer to the peak of the mountain the air was not only more fresh but we saw from afar people playing in the peak of the mountain full of snow?

Let me tell you, my experience with snow is ZERO, I never had a winter holiday and I never seen it falling down and played like in a Christmas movie. I remember watching some vlogs of people playing with snow before I left for the trip but I knew it wasn’t winter season so there was no chance of seeing snow. I remember reaching the summit with my friend and walking over it with my trainers and since we had left with the idea of just walking around the city, my boots were sleeping in the hostel room and I told my friend “I feel I’m walking over my freezer” and my friend who already went to the South in winter said behind me “girl, this is what snow feels like” and I remember sliding down the hill and sincerely having the time of my life. 

And again, a picture never captures your ass freezing, the back of your mind singing that new song you just listened to and feeling the world is so full of wonder and a lot yet to be seen. The view from the top was outstanding. On our way back down, turning to the entrance some grief came out of nowhere and I started tearing up again. That’s how it works, I guess.

.While we were walking down, we were talking with my friend how much of a dream the ski center must be on winter, since there were some chairlifts hanging there and a winter place off service and my longing to see snow falling increased a bit more. Someday.

My wet ass and my friend came back the hostel and some guests were just chilling so we decided to call our Chilean friend we had made two days earlier and fetch some dinner, since the supermarkets closed at 6 pm.

Wish I could tell how much fun I had that night. Meeting a group of Russians, making Italians taste some Argentinian homemade beverages, eating different Chinese dishes made by a guy from Hong Kong who talked in a spotless british accent, laughing with the tall German guy who suggested picture poses and laughed everytime. I bet he barely spoke spanish or english but we understood each other. And ending up dancing with all this people. Duuuude, it’s so odd seeing foreign people dancing to local music but we laughed and man, the beer made in the South, let me tell you, it’s the best I’ve tasted in a while.

The countdown was such a thrill, that’s when I knew I wanted to spend every NYE ahead at places I haven’t seen yet. The rest of the night we spent it, chillin with the only people awake in the hostel: the Argentinians. Everyone else were already sleep by 2 am. Extremely odd for our culture.

I wish I could tell how much I learned from this trip, how people who traveled on their own encourage us to do it, how safe I felt walking around the city at night with the friends we made there, that if you’re open enough, chances can be infinite.

I’m looking forward to more adventures like that.

It’s never too late to wake up to life.

[tirsaroundtheworld]

New Zealand - South Island

Well well, it’s been a long while since my last post! No worries though, I didn’t get stuck under a pile of snow or freeze to death - I’ve had the best time! After the most horrible journey one can possibly imagine from Bali to Queenstown, involving issues with everything from visa and onward flights issues to long delays to intense questioning and searches- all during the night - the stunning approach to Queenstown and the reunion with my favourite partner in crime made up for it. Oh how good to be back together after over two months! We have been crossing the South Island of beautiful New Zealand in the most literal way since.

After the happy reunion in Queenstown we met up with our wonderful new friends from Amsterdam, who we first met in Mongolia, then spent new years eve with in Japan and then met again in Thailand. We followed them on their tight schedule along the West Coast up north via Abel Tasman National Park and Blenheim’s wine-heaven to Picton, where their ferry to the North Island parted us after three super fun and exciting weeks.

After that we made our way back and further South, driving over almost each of the South Island’s highways. These highlights happened along the way of the past few months down under:

# Lucky enough, Lodewijk had arrived in Queenstown a few days before me and stayed with a couple who happened to sell a family-car-transferred-to-ultra-basic-campervan; just what we needed! Unfortunately the garage wasn’t in tune with this fast pace: it took 6 days from my arrival to get our Warranty of Fitness and pre-purchase checkup done. It then took another 10 minutes in the post office to register and the Mitsubishi Delica Spacegear was rightfully ours and ready to rumble. Luckily Queenstown had enough to keep us entertained during the wait: we soaked in its beautiful views while walking through the cute streets, beautiful harbour and lushy botanical garden, stuffed our faces with the fabulous hamburgers of Fergburger on four consecutive days, celebrated travelerlife with our friends in their super luxurious motorhome, made a trip to beautiful Glenorchy and collected all we needed for the roadtrip. # As soon as we were roadready, we made our way to the beautiful Milford Sounds. As we arrived in the dark, we were in for a surprise; when we woke up we found ourselves surrounded by endless majestic, lushy rockformations dotted with countless waterfalls and partially hidden under a mystical blanket of clouds. It was stunning! We went on a boat trip to get up close with the breathtaking sounds, quite a warming up to New Zealand’s beauty! # One of New Zealand’s most popular activities is tramping - trekking and camping. There are a number of ‘Great Walks’ in the country along completely stunning paths that usually take several days to complete. Now that it’s winter, many of the huts along the paths aren’t open for camping or sections of the walks are closed because of the conditions; limiting us to only go on one day walks or just parts of the great walks. The first proper trekking we did was along part of the Kepler track - following a path through different types of bush and past several Lord-of-the-Ringsy scenery before reaching the stunning Manapouri lake. A great first walk! # One of the most beautiful places that we’ve seen on the South Island is the West Coast. Also referred to as the Wet Coast, and for a good reason.. We had to dodge the occasional intense shower but hey, nothing new for us Dutchies. Apart from the simply stunning coastal scenery, we especially enjoyed the beautiful Pancake rocks, formed by the sea and its tides, the close encounters with the cheeky indigenous Kea birds and the a ma zing Fox and Franz Josef glaciers. Unfortunately the weather didn’t allow us to take a helicopter ride up to the glacier for a walk, so we had to do with admiring the blue mass of ice from the ground. Tough life! 😂 # From the West Coast we made our way up north, via the stunning Nelson Lakes National Park where we enjoyed an indoor campervan picnic admiring the rainy view, to Nelson, a proper city at the northern coast of the South Island. We planned just a short stay in Nelson to stock and fuel up before entering the more remote world of Abel Tasman National Park, but ended up needing more time to visit the Leonardo DaVinci expo at the regional museum, wake up with some New Zealand style Dutch oliebollen from the weekend’s farmers market, shopping, playing minigolf and eating the best falafel so far found in New Zealand (twice 😏). # Once in Abel Tasman National Park, a large, forresty park, dotted with deserted sandy beaches, clear blue sea and other hidden gems, we got a watertaxi to drop us at beautiful Anchorage bay. From there, we followed the end section of the Abel Tasman Coast Walk back to where we started, taking a detour to find Cleopatra’s pool, hidden in the forrest. At the end of the day we had walked for about 6 hours and mainly seen all different types of bush! In hindsight it might have been better to take a walk more to the north, or to rent some canoes and observe Tasman’s beauty from the insanely blue water. Live and learn! 🙃 # After our proper work-out in Abel Tasman National Park we figured we deserved a drink, and what better place for that than the beautiful Marlborough wine region, famous for its delicious Sauvignon Blanc! Based in boring Blenheim, we visited 6 different vineyards to taste their variety of wines and our absolute favourite was Peter Yealands. Not only did we looove their all organic and delicious wines, there’s also a self guided tour around their completely stunning vineyards; right at the cliffs to the sea with amazing views all around and crawling with the cutest Babydoll sheep on land mowing duty. Wine will never taste the same! 😂 # And then we were on our own. Our plan was to follow the east coast to Christchurch, but an earthquake had already shattered that plan over a year ago (how did we not know this?!). That meant a detour and an extra stop in Nelson for that divine falafel before we made it to Christchurch. This interesting city was largely destroyed by a series of heavy earthquakes in 2013, but didn’t lose its positive spirit. Even though the effects of the earthquake can still be seen around town, the people picked their lives back up, built a very cool mall from colourful containers, completed a half collapsed cathedral with perfectly printed cardboard and filled the gaps of destructed buildings with pieces of art. Such an interesting city! Another big plus of our time in Christchurch was of a different kind: for many tourists Christchurch was the end of their trip, so campervans had to be returned and the little fridges and wardrobes cleared out. And all the 'left overs’ were left in the camp kitchen or presented to us at our van! After a few days there we left with unopened bags of pasta, kilos of rice, different herbs and spices, fruits, fresh bread, bottles of wine, local beers, pillows, wine glasses and even a heater. Our time in Christchurch was definitely worth it!! 😂 # Right under Christchurch is the beautiful Banks Peninsula, a gorgeous piece of land that is formed long ago by two volcanic eruptions. We followed the Summit Road to get from the end of Christchurch to Akaroa - the peninsula’s main city- which, as the name suggests, took us along the edge of one of the original craters. We were blessed with one amazing view over the rugged land and bays with crystal clear water after the other; this is hands down one of our most favourite places on all the island! # We had already found out that our favourite thing to do in NZ is just to drive around and soak in the amazing beauty and insane views around each corner, again and again, and the scenery on the way to Lake Tekapo once again proved that. Unfortunately, it had been raining a lot and before we knew it we got stuck in the mud while exploring a possible camping spot in the wild. Oooops. Nowhere near civilization we were bound to try and try, stuffing branches and other debris from the forest under the tires, until we finally managed to get out of the mud, turn around, dive right back in and get out again at the other end. We aged about 10 years in that hour, gotta love adventure! And a different campsite for the night. # Absolutely the best way we found to admire Lake Tekapo is from the summit of Mt John, where the cute cafe with viewing deck enabled us to sit back, secretly eat our own lunch and sip on some green tea while soaking in the seriously eye-popping view over the snowy, hilly landscape completed with the bright blue lake. Wow! # Just when we thought we had seen the most beautiful thing on the island, we made our way to Aoraki / Mt Cook National Park. Already the drive past the stunning Lake Pukaki, which bright blue colour was completely covered with mystical mist when we first drove past it on the way to the park, got us reconsidering our favourite view. But then the sun broke through the near constantly present clouds while we hiked between the mountains through the Hooker Valley until we reached the terminus of the Hooker glacier, with views of crystal clear springs, snowy Mt Cook and floating icebergs in the impressive Hooker Lake. Yet another most beautiful view in the world! # After all that time in the mountains, we made our way to the beautiful beaches of Southland. This not at all touristy area is marked with stunning cliffs and rockformations, trees that are blown away by the heavy, salty winds and a lot of wildlife. Between the picture perfect lighthouses, driftwood filled beaches and grassy dunes we got up close with some smelly sea lions lazing around, spotted a variety of birds and, most specially, watched a couple of super rare Yellow Eyed Pinguins get back on land after a day out in the sea, wiggle ashore and retreat to their hidden nests. Wow that was really cool, even though we were quite far away in a camouflaged viewing hide not to disturb the beautiful creatures in any way. Another absolute highlight from our time in Southland was our day with Ian, the fun local we met in a bar in Colac Bay. After a drink in that bar, we got invited to his farm the next day where we got to help out with marking the new born lambs with orange hearts, re-arranging the fields and feeding the cattle. Even though we managed to mark the wrong lambs and probably cost more work than we made up for, we had a great day! Big thanks to Ian, such a rockstar! # Our next stop was in Dunedin, the 'Edinburgh of the South’, a surprisingly lively city at the east coast. So far, we hadn’t seen any entertainment after 16.00, but here were actual youngsters and students and bars and all! Nothing crazy still, but we enjoyed to be in a city again. We visited the beautiful Toitu museum, crossed all down town tracking different pieces of streetart, walked up the hilly shopping street and bought delightful treats on the Saturday morning farmers market. Lovely! # Under Dunedin is another peninsula; the Otago Peninsula. We were hoping to find some Banks-like views, but no. The road to the end was no where near as spectaculair as Banks’ Summit Road, it rained all day and the clouds prevented us from seeing any views at all. We went to see the world’s only mainland breeding place of the majestic Royal Albatrosses at the end of the peninsula, which is really cool, but probably during naptime; we barely spotted any action. You win some, you lose some, right? 😂 # We were definitely winning again when we got back up to Wanaka! We had been ready to go snowboarding for weeks, but the weather on the slopes hadn’t been good so we moved on twice before there finally was a good forecast. Not even just good; great - three times a charm! So we got ourselves gear and liftpasses and drove up to Treble Cone, where we had the best day trying out the not really fresh but still nice New Zealand snow, shredding almost alone along the quiet slopes, absorbing the sun and admiring the to die for view. Soooo worth the wait!! And as the good weather kept on coming, we went for another day on the slopes - this time at Cardrona, where it was possibly even better. The snow was fresher, the slopes were wider and their was a lot of freestyle jumping going on in preparations for the Winter X Games that would start soon. Another fantastic day, we looove New Zealand! # From Wanaka we made our way back along the stunning Haast pass to the West Coast. Instead of moving straight up north from there, we decided to make our way all the way south to the end of the line at Jackson Bay first. Just as the rest of the West Coast, the drive to get there was stunning! Jackson Bay itself was a bit sleepy, but functioned as a great place for a picnic with view on its natural harbour - the only one on the West Coast! Moving back up north from there was possibly even more stunning than the first time as we had great weather this time. Bliss! # By now we had tackled almost all main highways on the island, except for this very exiting one; Arthurs pass. Ofcourse we couldn’t let that happen, so right after Greymouth we took the exit and left the West Coast for a 'slight’ detour into the heart of the country. Our intention was just to drive through the stunning mountain pass untill we reached Arthur’s Pass village - but heavy heavy rain prevented us from properly enjoying this scenery so we decided to continue to Christchurch for the night. And it was a good choice; we got lucky with free stuff at the camping again and we woke up in bright sunshine. In the end we got to enjoy every bit of the drive back to the West Coast, from the majestic, rocky Castle Hill to the impressive viaduct in the mountains and its views to the magical world of Kumara’s Glowworm caves and to the satisfaction of ticking this one highway off the to do list. 😜 # Back at the West Coast we decided to go to the northern end of the line too. The very last stop all the way up the West Coast is Karamea. Most of the crowds (that are extremely limited in winter anyway) do not come up there, so we found ourselves between a bunch of retired New Zealanders that semi-permanently parked their huge housebuses at the cute Karamea Domain ground, ready to kick off the whitebaiting season just around the corner. The atmosphere was however fantastic and we had a lot of fun joining the oldies in their daily gettogether before dinner. Moreover, Karamea is at the entrance of the beautiful Kahurangi National Park. Along the Heaphy Track, another one of the great walks, we made our way to the beautiful Scott’s Beach, which we shared with no one but a cute little seal. Then we walked practically every short walk in the absolutely stunning Oparara basin, where we were blown away by beautiful natural arches, caves, rare blue ducks and other natural treasures. W. O. W. Those ends-of-the-line work for us! # Even though in a straight line it would only be around 75 km to the Northern tip of the South Island, there is no direct road there. From the West Coast we had to drive all around Abel Tasman National Park to reach the northernmost point of the South Island; Farewell Spit. The drive is worth it though, we passed some seriously contestants for 'most beautiful view’ and made several stops in the Golden Bay before we reached the end. Especially the walk, or more like climb, we made through proper Hobbit scenery to find the well hidden Harwood’s Hole and adjacent view over the valley took our breaths away. We ended the day with a simply perfect sunset at Wharariki Beach with its iconic arches on the shore, life is good! # The last drive we took on the South Island was probably our favourite; it took us right into the Malborough Sounds along the so called French Pass. We had attempted to take this drive after saying goodbye to our friends, but the sky was crying at the time so we didn’t see a thing and returned. This time though, it was perfect. The sky was almost clear, the gravelroad wasn’t as bad as can be and the scenery was amazing. Dramatic views of bushy, green sounds popping out of the sea, exotic emerald waters and fields with lambs all along the way. No picture would capture the beauty of this place as it is, but I tried anyway. 😜

And then we reached Picton.. After 2 amazing, breathtaking and overly satisfying months, some very dear new friends, the most unefficient route, 2 flat tires, a new waterpump, a completely new wardrobe and a new pile of memories it is time to get on a ferry for the next part of our New Zealand adventure; on to the North Island! 🇳🇿⛴🌏