#why are good fitting shoes so tough to find

[lowkeyrobin]

yesss love, just saw that ur accepting requests heheheh 🥰🥰

Could I request a Minho x fem reader one, where the gladers are all chilling and having fun together by a lake in the deadheads (similar vibes to bonfire night) and some gladers decide to give her a “proper greenie welcome” by picking her up and throwing her in the lake. However, she can’t swim and tries to resist them but they don’t believe her so still throw her in. She almost drowns, crying for help and Minho jumps in and rescues her. Minho carries her out, and gets mad at them, almost picking a fight.

From here she sees Minho in a different light, could end in spice, if you’re willing, if not then it’s algds hehe 🙈

nah this is so cute lol ; also I do only write they/them / gn readers so I apologize 😭😭 but I'll try and not really specify gender at all to keep it really ambiguous ; i also dont write smut but i tried to make it a little like?? makeout? idk ; thank you for requesting, hope you enjoy! ; also I've seen at least one of ur other reqs to other creators and they're so 🙏🙏 trust me when I say writers love u

MINHO ; sweet memory

summary ; you find yourself looking at minho in a new light after almost drowning

warnings ; language, almost drowning, slightly heated kissing (?)

track ; wildflower and barley, hozier & allison russell

word count ; 1.7k

masterlist

You were the newest Greenie welcomed to the Glade. But, lucky for you, you remembered your name on your first night here. The amnesia was still getting you good here and there, but by the time the sun set on your second night, you were adapting well enough. A large group of you Gladers sit out on some logs in the Deadheads, the sun softly setting over the horizon of the maze walls as you sit around a little bonfire.

A small kind of lake structure sits beside the group, the soft sound of the streaming water filling your ears instead of all the other boys around you talking and chattering over drinks. You sit beside Minho, the Keeper of the Runners, sharing a drink with him. You took small sips here and there, just trying to fit in with the others under the blanket of trees and brush around you. Minho sits the glass jar back on the ground between his left leg and your right leg, talking to Fry a few feet away.

You're more focused on the water than anything else now as the boys talk loudly.

"What's the Greenie looking at?" Gally asks, an eyebrow raised as he talks in almost a mumble, looking between a few other Gladers.

Newt, sitting beside Fry, shrugs. Ben looks over at you, studying the dazed look in your eyes.

"Shank seems focused on the water," Ben speaks, giving a little shrug.

Gally's eyes light up as some invisible light bulb flicks on in his head. "Why don't we give them a proper Greenie welcome?"

"What're you suggesting, shuckface?" Jack sighs, sitting beside Gally.

A smirk tugs at the wannabe tough-guy's lips as he looks at you. You don't notice, as you're still zoned out, staring at the water.

"Let's throw them into the water for a minute"

Gally's plan had been set into motion behind mostly everyone's backs. Ben didn't say a word, considering he didn't actually think they'd be mean enough to throw the newest Greenie into that deep water. Newt and Fry hadn't heard as they'd been bickering about food, and the others, Winston, Minho, Eric, Adam, and Scott hadn't heard either.

Gally stands up, setting his special drink down. Jack, and Doug follow his actions, standing up and setting their definitely alcoholic beverages down. They sneak their way over to you, and stand over you, their shadows cast over you as well due to the fire.

You look up at them, shaking yourself out of your trance-like state.

"Can I help you?" You ask kindly, not wanting to start any drama.

Gally grabs you by the shoes, then Jack and Doug lift you up at your shoulders. They pull you toward the water, where you try and squirm out of their grip and fight back, but are unable to. The attention of the others is caught as they watch and laugh, thinking that your desperation to get away is to just not get wet and cold, unknowing that you couldn't swim.

Minho is the only one concerned, not knowing he was the only one to know that you couldn't swim. You'd brought it up when you first met him, explaining how you weren't much of a special soul, and that you couldn't swim or climb trees, or run that fast like some others could. It was a little dimwitted comment that clouded his vision in the moment.

"No, no, no, please! Please put me down!" For some reason, you didn't want to admit that you couldn't swim.

Doug hands over your other shoulder to Jack so he and Gally could rock and throw you into the water, standing off to the side. You continue to shout in protest as they begin rocking you side to side like they were reading a jump-in jump rope.

You look down at the water, fairly still, but clearly deep. You wouldn't be landing on rocks and busting your ass, you'd be drowning in five seconds if they didn't put you down.

Minho stands up, deciding to intervene as he sets his drink down. "Hey!"

"I can't swim! Put me down!-"

They toss you into the water, listening to your shriek of terror as the water splashes beneath your crashing weight. You reach your arms up as you'd fallen in on your rear, and kick your feet rapidly under you, unable to feel the bottom on your feet.

Being soaking wet was the least of your worries as you felt the water rush into your mouth, struggling to keep your head above the surface. You choke up the dirty, muddy water, trying to use any strength you had left in you to call for help and keep yourself floating.

Minho, now wide-eyed, quickly jumps in after you, realizing you truly couldn't swim. The water splashes under his weight like it did yours, and by the time he resurfaces, you'd fallen under the surface, water quickly filling up your lungs.

Newt quickly rushes forward, Frypan and Ben following him. Newt shoves Gally.

"What're you thinkin' klunkhead?! They said they couldn't swim, yet you throw them in that deep water!" He shouts, looking for an answer or at least some remorse.

Minho pulls you out of the water, the help of Fry and Ben leading you back up to land. You cough up a fair amount of water, completely dripping wet. Your clothes cling to your cold skin, weighing ten times their normal weight.

"What is wrong with you? Are you that shuckin' stupid?!"

Fry pulls Newt away from Gally before he potentially ends up in the slammer. Doug and Jack share unsympathetic looks, same as Gally. He uses the excuse that he didn't know until you shouted it at the last second, and it was just an innocent prank.

The second in command steps away from the three boys, rushing to your aid. Your legs hang over the little ledge, feet still emerged in the water. Minho is slapping your back, trying to help you cough all the water in your lungs and throat out.

Minho rubs your back softly as you finish coughing, your face pale, your eyes clearly showing the adrenaline rush and panic.

"You need the Med-Jacks, Greenie?" The blonde asks, one knee in the dirt while the other leg supports him.

You shake your head no, leaning forward as you pound at your chest and cough on command, wanting to make sure your airway was clear of any water or debris. Minho quickly stands up, stomping toward Gally to repeat the same things as Newt, the two essentially swapping roles.

"Are you stupid? Can't you leave anyone alone?!"

"It was a joke!"

"A joke that could've killed someone, Gally!"

You share a look with Newt.

"Thanks for like, helping me, by the way" You softly speak to Minho.

The group is now departing the Deadheads, seeing as the moon indicates that it's about one in the morning by now. The fire is slowly dying out, crackling as dead leaves crush under your feet while you walk away. You and the runner lag behind a bit, wanting to stay far away from Gally and his friends. Newt leads their way, making sure you're all accounted for. Gally, Doug, and Jack would only have to hope that the blonde wouldn't tell on them to Alby in the morning.

Minho nods in response to your thanks. "Yeah, of course. I mean, I know you can't swim, and it just." He holds his hands up to his head, mimicking an explosion as he opens them. "Sorry about them, really. I think they were just trying to innocently mess with you cause they didn't know, but they should've at least asked. They know that water is deep"

You nod, your hands stuffed in your pockets. You're still damp, but not as cold and not as wet, thanks to the fire. Luckily for all of you, Zart and Jeff didn't have to wake up at that hour to tend to you. They would've killed you all for that.

"Thanks for being nice to me and stuff, I appreciate it," you comment, feeling like you aren't remorseful or thankful enough as he'd probably saved your life.

"It's cool, Y/n." He lightly smiles, making sure you're able to see it.

The fact he called you by your actual name and not Greenie made butterflies rise in your stomach. You didn't even know why, just the thought of fitting in, with him, was infatuating. Your name on his tongue sounded like the most beautiful song you'd ever heard, like your brain was going to melt if you heard it again.

You both stop in your tracks, putting space between you two and the rest of the group, now at the edge of the Deadheads. You share soft smiles, exploring each other's eyes for some sort of look, which you mutually shared.

You lean against the tree behind you, trying to read his expression as he does the same. He's inches away, like he's taunting you.

"I think you owe me, actually," He smiles. Christ, he's really gonna dangle that over your head.

"How do you want me to repay you?" You ask with a soft chuckle. "Not much I can do"

He shrugs, leaning in a little closer. When he speaks, it's just above a whisper, sending a shiver up your spine. "I know that you know how use those lips of yours"

You quickly place your hands on his cheeks, closing the distance between your lips. His hands dig into your waist, pinning you against the tree. Your left hand transfers from his cheek and into his hair, tangling your fingers in it. You feel him melt into your lips, unable to not pull you any closer.

You can feel the bruises he's creating against your lips, the way he's draining your lungs of air for the second time tonight.

He pulls away, needing to control himself. "Thanks, Y/n." He smiles before jogging away, wanting to catch up before Newt discovered their lack of presence.

You watch as he jogs away, then walk behind him as he's a few yards away, a goofy smile on your face.

"Thanks, Minho," you whisper under your breath.

[janeyseymour]

She

an anon requested this song fic based on Dodie's song. It's a really beautiful song about longing... and i attached is my own cover of the song if you'd like to hear my version of it :)

WC: ~2.6k

From the first day you began working at Abbott, you knew Melissa Schemmenti was an ethereal being. She was perfect- stunningly gorgeous, hilarious and quick witted, fiercely protective of those who she cared about- never one to back down from a challenge or threat that presented itself. And somehow you wormed your way into her heart- you still don’t really know why or how. 

Apparently, you were the absolute opposite of someone who would find themselves interacting with Melissa. You were just… you. You were young. You were positive and fun-loving, coming in with your hair done up nicely and always wearing something that had flowers on it. You were far from the blazers and jackets that she wore, but also just as far from the leather that she was usually clad in- your style was more Janine-esque. And oh how she loved to make fun of her colleagues outfit choices most days with her big skirts and ill-fitting sweaters, the clogs and shoes that didn’t have laces. The difference between you and Janine was that your clothes were shaped to your body, showing off your figure instead of hiding it- you wonder if that’s why she doesn’t make comments about your bright and sunny disposition.

But she liked having you around- she made it a point to keep you close to her during staff meetings, lunches, and outside of school- going as far as letting you come over for dinner and making you various meals.

And after so much time spent with the redheaded woman who loved to play hard and tough but was actually one of the sweetest souls, you find that you’ve developed feelings for her. The more time you spend with her though, it makes it harder and harder to mask and keep under wraps. Because she means everything to you, but you doubt she’ll ever know that. And oddly, you find that to be okay because you would rather have her in your life as a friend than as nothing at all. 

——

But are you allowed to look at her like that? Could it be so wrong when she’s just so nice to look at?

You’ve had ample time to look at Melissa- she’s always sitting next to you or across from you if you’re at her house. You would be lying if you said that you never stole a glance at her figure- it’s killer. But what really draws you in is her face and the way that she is so expressive with everything she does. Her eyes light up when she’s happy, and the way that she scrunches up her nose when she finds something so delightfully adorable melts your heart. The redhead’s smile is radiant, and you swear it could light up even the biggest of cities all on its own. And when she’s sad, you see the way that her usually sparkly emerald eyes dull just slightly in disappointment or regret. It’s in the way that she bites her lip subconsciously when she’s hesitant or nervous about something. 

“What’s got you dancing in here?” you ask as your eyes take a glance at the redhead’s voluptuous figure. Your eyes quickly flit up to her face though, and her eyes are brighter than usual, and you love the way that her smile meets her eyes.

“Just a good day,” she grins at you. “My cousin lost a bet, so I don’t have to make dinner tomorrow night!”

“Oh?” you raise a brow.

Melissa nods. “So, we’s getting Vin’s hoagies tomorrow. You’re still set to come over, right?”

“You know it,” you chuckle back. “As long as you promise I ain’t gonna get sick off ‘em.”

“You won’t. Half those reviews are full of shit.”

-

She doesn’t look thrilled coming into the break room for lunch today. Her eyes are dull, and there just isn’t the same pep in her step that there usually is when she sees you. She sits down quietly at her designated seat, keeping her head down and her mouth shut. She hardly touches her lunch that day.

“What’s got you down, Red?”

“I’m fine,” Melissa blinks quickly a few times. She tries to bring back the sparkle 

in her eyes, but it’s lacking. And it’s still lacking come the end of the day when the two of you walk out together.

“C’mon,” you say softly. “Tell me what’s going through that pretty head of yours.”

She sighs. “I think I have to break it off with Gare.”

“Oh?” you raise a brow as you adjust the strap to your backpack.

“It’s just not working out anymore,” she says quietly. “He wants more than I can give him now, and maybe ever.”

You reach out and take her hand gently. “I’m here if you need support.”

“Thanks,” she says through a sad smile as she squeezes your handle gently before dropping it.

——

And she smells like lemongrass and sleep, she tastes like apple juice and peach.

Your phone rings to life at the ripe hour of one in the morning. There is your favorite coworker’s smiling face; and with you knowing what she was going to do earlier in the evening, you answer.

“Mel?” you ask, trying not sound as though you weren’t just in one of the deepest slumbers of your life.

“Please… come over.”

“Are you okay?” you ask her softly as you pull the covers back and slip on the sneakers by your bed.

You hear her sniffle. “Not really… no.”

“I’ll be there in ten,” you promise her.

And you are. Without the hustle and bustle of the city to detour you, you’re able to pull up to her townhouse in just seven minutes. When she opens the door, you can immediately smell the scent of lemongrass that is coming from the diffuser over in the corner, and she looks exhausted- as if she’s just woken up herself. But she’s also holding a glass of wine, so you really don’t know what you’re walking into. 

“Mel?”

“I- I thought I was fine. I was drinking some of the apple wine that you know I like and I dozed off on the couch. When I woke up… it hit me that I’m- I’m single again,” she whispers. “I don’t want to be alone right now.”

“Okay,” you reply just as softly as her. “That’s okay. I’m here to keep you company.”

She nods as you reach for the bottle of peach wine that she keeps for you at her house. After she’s finished off the apple wine, she pours herself a glass of the peach.

The two of you begin to spend much more time together now that she doesn’t have to go out with Gary for dinners and for various events that his company would invite him to.

——

Oh you would find her in a polaroid picture.

Since her breakup with Gary, you and Melissa have been joined at the hip. It makes her feel less lonely, and you don’t mind being able to spend time with the woman that you’ve realized is essentially the woman of your dreams.

The two of you are currently out thrift shopping when you come across an old polaroid camera. You pick it up with wonder in your eyes. Melissa comes up behind you with a smile dancing across her lips.

“You should get it,” she says quietly. “It’s cheap, and it’s definitely vintage at this point.”

One of the people working there sees that you’re interested in the device and makes her way over. “It’s got a roll in there too. Works nice. We tried it out when it got here.”

You grin, keeping it in your hands. When the two of you leave the store, the camera stays safely nestled around your neck. 

It’s a rather sunny day out, so the redhead has her sunglasses on and looks like she’s practically glowing. Without her noticing, because she’s walking across the street, you snap a picture of her. The Polaroid comes out, and you dry it quickly as you catch up with her before looking at it. 

Yeah, she belongs in that polaroid picture. When you show it to her, she rolls her eyes. But then she gestures for you to take another. You hold the camera up to your eye, and she rolls those striking green eyes again.

“With you in it, ya goof,” she instructs.

Your lips form into a small ‘O’ before you take it off your neck and face the lens so that you’re both hopefully in the frame. She playfully pretends as if she’s kissing your cheek when you do snap the photo. The film comes out, you dry it, and when you look at it… wow. Your heart swells, and she looks at it in approval as well. 

It stays on your fridge. 

——

She means everything to me.

She just does. It’s that simple. She’s Melissa Schmmenti, and you would be a fool for not seeing her for the absolutely goddess-like woman that she is.

——

I’d never tell. No, I’d never say a word. And oh, it aches. But it feels oddly good to hurt.

You would never, ever tell her of the feelings that you’ve developed for her. Not after she’s been so upset about breaking it up with Gary. Besides, you know she says things like ‘decisive women are hot’ but what does that really mean in the grand scheme of it all? And even if she was attracted to women, who’s to say she’s attracted to you- that you’re her type at all?

And somehow, you’re okay with not telling her of your feelings. Because at least you’re lucky enough to have the woman in your life. If you were to confess your feelings and then she was never into you, it would crush you. You wouldn’t want to lose her forever. So, you hurt in silence. And it feels oddly good to hurt over this one- because at least she’s there.

——

And I’ll be okay, admiring from afar, cause even when she’s next to me, we could not be more far apart.

You sit outside of your classroom for your preps most days, responding to emails and grading papers, because you like the change of scenery. It doesn’t hurt that you usually get to see Melissa Schemmenti roaming the halls to chat with her work wife or with any of your coworker friends.

You can always smell her and hear her before you can see her, the lingering scent of lemongrass and clacking of her heeled shoes letting you know that she’s on her way down the hall. When she passes, you smile up at her. She smiles back, giving you a gentle wave, before continuing down the hall towards her classroom.

Sometimes she brings her own things out to work with you- or at least next to you. But you’re still worlds apart. Her single days now consist of going out and staying out to forget about all her problems, while you enjoy the warmth of your home. She tells you about the different people that she meets out at the bars and how they’re good company at the time, but she’s not destroyed when she parts ways with them. You know deep down that you won’t be out at the bars trying to pick anyone else up anytime soon- not as long as your feelings for the redhead are as strong as they are.

——

Cause she tastes like birthday cake, and storytime, and fall. But to her, I taste of nothing at all.

Coworker birthdays usually mean birthday cakes, gatherings, and just enjoying the company of each other. And at the beginning of the school year, your birthday falls on a Saturday. So naturally, you surround yourself with those that you love- your coworkers. Your parents are too far away, you don’t necessarily have friends around here. So, the Abbott crew is at your townhouse, happily sitting outside and enjoying the last of the Summer air with a few beers in hand before the crisp Fall air pushes in.

Melissa had taken it upon herself to make your birthday cake this year, and it’s perfect. It’s absolutely divine, and you can’t help but watch as she eats her own creation. She knows its damn good- you can see her smirk as the others praise her baking. 

As night falls, the cool air sneaks in, and you’re reminded that Fall is just around the corner. And as the moonlight, along with the streetlights out front, light up your backyard, stories begin to come out of times before you had joined the Abbott crew.

Barbara tells you all of how her and Melissa came friends, Mr. Johnson tells stories that you take with a grain of salt but deep down now that there are little bits of truth sprinkled into his tall tales. Melissa lets all of you know that compared to when she started, y’all are soft.

You hang onto her every word, and she looks to you occasionally, but her eyes mostly stay on her work wife as she reminisces about what she claims to be the good ol’ days.

Those tales that haunt the halls of Abbott somehow turn to other stories that don’t revolve around Abbott.

Compared to some of the other people in her life, you realize, you mean nothing to her at all. 

——

And she smells like lemongrass and sleep. She tastes like apple juice and peach. You would find her in a polaroid picture. And she means everything to me. Yes, she means everything to me. She means everything to me.

As your sitting on your couch alone on a Friday night, you stand to get some more wine from the fridge. Hanging on the metal box is that sweet picture of the two of you that you took on your polaroid. The other picture of just her is hanging there as well, as much as she tells you its ridiculous for you to have it hanging there- but you can’t help admiring her beauty. 

Just as your about to sit back down and dig into yet another mindless binge watch of your favorite television show, the doorbell rings.

It’s late, so you don’t answer- pretending to be asleep.

“It’s Mel, and I know you’re still awake,” you hear her voice call.

You make your way over to the door and open it. She looks… well she looks as beautiful as ever with her hair tied up messily and clad in her Eagles apparel, but she also looks beyond exhausted. But she’s here.

“You okay?” you open the door as you invite her in. Her smell lingers as she brushes past you, two bottles of wine in hand.

“I can’t sleep, as much as I tried, and I knew my favorite night owl would still be awake,” she tells you as she settles on your couch. She opens the first bottle- one that has hints of apple. Then she opens the other- a peach wine.

“You brought peach wine?” you raise a brow.

“I know it’s your favorite,” she shrugs. “What are we watching tonight?”

As the night continues on, you stay awake. But her head falls gently on your shoulder as she gives in to her exhaustion and is taken away into a dream- unable to stay awake with you and watch the world pass by in a gentle silence. 

You glance down at her. The frown lines or smile lines that are usually in her face are gone as she’s completely relaxed against you. Her warmth makes your heart swell. And she… she does mean everything to you- even if she’ll never know it. 

[sapphicromanoffxo]

Tap Down | n.r x w.m

Pairing: Natasha Romanoff x Wanda Maximoff

Word Count: 3K+

Warnings: Natasha has a penis, semi-public sex, quickie, fingering, praise kink, degrading kink, blow job, face painting (ehe), daddy kink, a bit of edging, Nat being a horny mf, lmk if I missed something

Summary: Wanda decided to enrol herself to a tap dance class, a childhood dream of hers and Natasha had a deep sexual reaction to it.

A/N: so this is based on a request from a friend and I hope I delivered. 🫣

╰┈➤ Masterlist

Taking on the role of being an avenger has been quite a tough journey for Wanda. The tough training alone is physically demanding, but the reward comes from being able to help her team during missions that require her unique powers. To bring some balance to her superhero life, Wanda decided to join a tap dancing class—a dream she had as a kid.

When she was younger, Wanda really wanted to pursue dancing, but life often got in the way. Surprisingly, she managed to fit this interest into her busy life as an avenger, creating a nice break from all the action.

Excitedly sharing her tap dancing plans with Natasha, Wanda was met with a really positive response that warmed her heart. She talked about how, as a child, she used to beg her mom to support her dancing dreams. Natasha, understanding the need for a life outside of avenging, not only cheered Wanda on but also helped her find the best dance class in New York, showing true support for her girlfriend's passions.

Natasha had to take Wanda to her first dancing class because she had a meeting at SHIELD. Wanda was super excited for the day and gave Natasha a kiss goodbye. Carrying her duffle bag, Wanda entered the class with a ton of energy, making it feel like she could light up the whole city.

The class was pretty easy-going. The instructor started with the basics and then gradually moved on to dance sequences, which Wanda really liked. Wanda, being all pumped up, had practised a dance routine in advance in the compound. The instructor noticed her natural talent and let her show off her skills. This made a good impression on the class. Little did Wanda know, Natasha was watching her with proud and bright eyes, happy to see her girlfriend gaining confidence in her newfound talent. A pang of arousal shot through her and is plotting ideas for the night to come.

The first session ended, and Wanda was feeling pumped up and proud of herself. She didn't quite feel the exhaustion in her body due to the excessive training that she's having at the compound. She has to thank her girlfriend for her relentless workout since it's definitely paying off not just during missions, but also in her dance class.

"Wow, you did so good on your solo routine," Natasha complimented as she's approaching Wanda. "I'm not even the only one who was amazed by you, sweetheart."

Feeling suddenly shy, Wanda blushed at her girlfriend's compliment. "Thank you,Natasha. It just comes all natural to me."

Both women made their way to the shower room, and Natasha waited and sat on the nearby bench. Her mind is replaying how relaxed and confident Wanda was in her natural element. It also made her remember her days being a ballerina. Although those days do not bear any good memories so she set them aside and brought her attention back to her little witch.

Unsurprisingly, her dick twitches every time she imagines Wanda's perfect lithe body, under the spray of hot water. Her mind is playing tug of war on whether she should go inside the shower room and have her way with Wanda. However, her thoughts were interrupted by the girl whom she is currently salivating over.

"Natasha. I'm ready."

Freshly showered, Wanda's cheeks were flushed due to the hot water that soothed her muscles. Natasha found it extremely cute and decided to give in to her dirty thoughts.

"Wear your tap shoes for me?" Natasha requested with a twinkle in her eyes.

"Uhh. Why?" Wanda was suddenly perplexed by Natasha's request especially when they were about to go home.

Natasha looked around and was satisfied to see that they were alone. "Do you trust me?"

That question alone is loaded. It got Wanda thinking what is it that Natasha wants to achieve here?

"You know I do." Wanda responded while sitting on the bench to tie back up her tap shoes.

The moment Wanda had finished tying her laces, she was immediately hoisted up by Natasha which made her yelp in surprise and she wrapped her legs around her waist. Wanda will never get over how strong her girlfriend is and takes pleasure in being manhandled. What surprised her even more is when she felt Natasha's bulge touching her ass and can't help but to tease her a bit.

"You're hard already huh?"

A mild slap on Wanda's ass reverberated in the small shower room and her back was planted on the nearby wall.

"You turned me on much. Let me fuck you real quick in here, baby." Natasha whispered in her ear and proceeded in sucking on her neck.

A loud moan came out of Wanda's mouth and had a mild panic when she that they could be heard. She turned on the shower head with her magic so the sound of water hitting the floor will cover up her moans.

Natasha made a quick move to pull down her zipper as her dick is aching to be set free. Wanda flicked her wrist to help her girlfriend be free of the confines of her pants and boxer shorts so they can get going with their quickie. Thankfully, Wanda was only wearing a skirt and Natasha pulled her panties to the side. The widow didn't even check if Wanda was wet enough for her and immediately penetrated her hole in one swift thrust.

With her back arched against the wall, Wanda moaned sinfully at the sudden intrusion of Natasha's big dick and oh, the burn felt so damn good and would never complain by being fucked like this.

"Natasha!"

Ofcourse Wanda is already wet and would not need any foreplay to stimulate her. Natasha felt satisfaction within her core knowing that her baby can be easily fucked and would be so pliant for her.

"That's my good girl, so wet for me."

Wanda held on Natasha's shoulders as she felt her back hitting the wall with each forceful thrust. She knew Natasha would never drop her ass and her tap shoes are click clacking behind Natasha.

For some reason, the sounds of Wanda's shoes are turning Natasha on even more and doubled her efforts in pistoning her dick inside Wanda's pussy.

The wet sounds of Wanda's pussy can still be heard despite the sound of water running and Natasha continued her rough pounding by gripping Wanda's hips.

"Detka, I'm not going to last long. Your pussy feels so good around me." Natasha growled as she continued pushing Wanda into her orgasm.

With her eyes rolled back, and mouth wide open, Wanda couldn't even respond and only whined loudly to convey how much she loves it when Natasha talks to her like that.

Both of their orgasms are climbing high and their combined moans can be surely heard outside but couldn't give a fuck if anyone can hear them. Natasha latched her lips on Wanda's and kissed her intensely.

"Natasha, I'm cumming!" Wanda screamed while her legs shook violently, her shoes bumping to each other making sounds simultaneously.

"Me too,baby. Gonna fill you up real good."

Wanda grabbed on Natasha's biceps as she felt the white spurts of cum being unloaded inside her. Both women are breathing heavily after the intense quickie and Wanda's thighs are now feeling the strain of being held for too long against the wall.

Natasha pulled out her dick from Wanda's pussy and the witch pouted at the loss. "I want you to be inside me forever."

Chuckling at Wanda's dramatics, Natasha brought her down gently and tested first if Wanda can stand up properly.

"You good?"

"Yeah, my thighs and calves are now sore to be honest."

Wanda felt Natasha's cum ooze out of her pussy and a small drop landed on her shoes. Oops. She wiped it off at the back of her calf before Natasha noticed it and smiled wickedly at what she had done.

"Let's head home, I need to properly fuck you."

***

When they were on their way home, Natasha could not keep her hands on the wheels and ended up fingering Wanda. Wanda was sitting in an awkward position with her back resting on the door, her legs wide open and her pussy being fucked relentlessly by Natasha's talented fingers.

This is a testament on how good Natasha is in multi-tasking. Navigating through the streets of New York with practice ease and at every red light, she would lean down to suck Wanda's throbbing clit only to be edged once the traffic light turns green.

"Fuck, Natasha!" Wanda whined loudly after the third time of being falsely led to the brink of her orgasm.

The devil that she is while her three fingers are still inside Wanda, Natasha only chuckled at her girlfriend's frustrated state.

"Relax, detka. Let Daddy play with you."

Natasha then continued toying with Wanda's pussy, pushing her fingers deeper and making sure to hit the spongy spot that makes Wanda's eyes roll at the back of her head.

"Oh my fucking god, N-Natasha! Don't stop, don't stop!" Wanda pleaded as she's nearing her orgasm again, she can feel the tightening sensation deep in her stomach, she's focusing on reaching her high so she'll be put out of misery from being edged.

Just a few seconds more, Wanda chanted in her head and right when she knew she's about to finally let go, with her orgasm building and nearing its end point, Natasha purposely pulled out her fingers all together which made Wanda scream in frustration.

"What the fuck, Natasha?!" Wanda raised her left foot and was ready to kick Natasha's shoulder, still with her tap shoes on,but ofcourse Natasha caught it easily with her right hand and placed it on the back of her instead, effectively trapping her leg from moving.

With Wanda's current position, Natasha can clearly see how Wanda's pussy was glistening. Her dick twitched painfully inside her pants and was dying to be freed once again and to be buried deep inside Wanda's aching cunt.

"Patience, my love. You know that I will never leave you unsatisfied. Just wait until we reach the compound, okay? For now, behave for me."

Wanda huffed in response and rolled her eyes at her girlfriend. At this point there's really nothing else she could do than have her pussy be openly ogled at Natasha. But she's racking her brain on how to get back at Natasha somehow and much to her delight, an idea came into her mind. She estimated that they'll probably reach the compound in less than five minutes and knew can pull off her wicked plan. She carefully removed her trapped foot behind Natasha's head and sat properly this time around with both of her legs stretched out in the passenger's legs space.

Natasha glanced to her right, contemplating whether she have pushed Wanda too far and she was ready to reassure her even more that she'll be thoroughly fucked when they get home. What she saw instead was Wanda, with her eyes closed, biting her lips while her right hand was dipping lower and lower until it reached her pussy.

"What are you doing?" Natasha asked.

Wanda opted not to respond and moaned instead as her 2 fingers played with her sensitive clit, the smallest and lightest touch got her insides trembling. Touching herself while Natasha was literally inches away from her was something that she would never do, but the moment called for it and she decided to go with it. She heard Natasha groan beside her and that encouraged her to continue teasing her clit, she's really not planning to orgasm. There is no harm in playing with her girlfriend, right?

"Stop what you're doing." Natasha warned and Wanda only smirked at her reaction.

"But I wanted to cum, and you would not let me so I will do it myself instead." Wanda responded defiantly and inserted 2 fingers in her pussy.

The clenching wet sounds of Wanda's cunt filled the car which does not help the current boner Natasha has. She hit the gas even more, the engine roaring angrily throughout the busy street, eager to reach the compound so she could punish her girl for her bratty behavior.

Wanda's heart was beating erratically from both the desperate need to cum and the way Natasha was so focused on driving to the point she was no longer speaking and would not spare a glance at her. She moaned loudly when her fingers hit her g-spot but was feeling unsatisfied with the inconsistent flow of pleasure since only Natasha can make her see stars behind her eyes. She then later noticed that they had reached the garage of the compound. Natasha immediately climbed out of the car, opened the passenger's door and yanked Wanda out of her seat.

"You're too desperate to cum when I have just given you one in the shower room." Natasha growled behind Wanda's ears and pushed her to walk towards the car's trunk.

"Sluts like you deserve to be punished, don't you think?'

Wanda found herself being bent over, her arms twisted behind her and her chest resting on the trunk's spoiler. She whimpered at how she was manhandled but damn it, she likes it when Natasha is rough with her.

Belt unbuckled and zippers down, Natasha brought down her pants, not even bothering on removing it all the way off her feet. She spanked Wanda's left cheek three times for good measure and barked a command, "Open your legs wider, Princess."

The witch complied easily, eager to feel Natasha's cock inside her again. She didn't have to wait any longer when Natasha snapped her hips forward, penetrating her aching core with forceful thrust. It's as if today was one of those days where there was no time for foreplay and go straight to fucking.

"Your cock feels so good inside me."

"Oh yeah? I bet your fingers could not compare to this, huh?" Natasha taunted Wanda while perfectly giving her a backbreaking pounding and the sound of slapping flesh echoes throughout the open space of the garage.

"Jesus fuck, Wanda. Your pussy is clinging on my cock tightly. I can barely move." Natasha pulled her cock all the way out and reached her left palm towards Wanda's face. "Spit."

Wanda did so and spit a good amount of saliva on Natasha's palm which she lathered up to the tip of her cock for an added lubrication.

"Good girl."

Natasha buried her veiny shaft once again and this time, it's gentle and slow, wanting to feel more of Wanda's velvety walls hugging her lengthy cock. Her pace increased with each grunts to which Wanda welcomed wholeheartedly, driving her closer to her orgasm.

"I can't stop thinking about you, dancing on that tight dancing dress you've got. Fuck!"

"You're gonna make me cum!" Wanda whimpered desperately at what Natasha had said while also chasing the high that she's been wanting after being edged minutes ago.

"I knew I have to fuck you right after, you're so good baby. So fucking good." With great restraint and control, Natasha had to focus deeply to stop herself from cumming and spilling her seeds inside Wanda since she had different plans for her second orgasm. "You can cum now, baby. Give it to me."

Not waiting for a second longer, Wanda's juices coated Natasha's cock even more from the climax that was finally granted to her, and stars were swimming behind her eyes as she catches her breath from coming down the high. She then noticed that Natasha had stopped moving behind her and had already pulled out her shaft; it is evident that she has not ejaculated yet.

"Natasha?"

The woman only hummed in response and roughly pulled Wanda into a kneeling position, facing her dick which was slightly hitting her face.

"Suck."

Oh. Wanda understood right away what Natasha wanted and took the whole length in her mouth effortlessly. Giving Natasha a blowjob after she had her orgasm is one of her favorite things to do since she knows what's going to happen next.

"Ohh, that's it, sweet girl. Your mouth is so warm around me."

Natasha praised her girl while gently thrusting her hips forward, wanting to feel the tip of her cock hit the back of Wanda's throat. The moment it did, she held Wanda's head and this time, she's not being gentle and was forcing Wanda to gag on her dick.

In a swift motion, Natasha pulled out her meat and pumped it aggressively in front of Wanda's gaping mouth, "Shit, shit! I'm gonna cum!" Her thick semen landed on Wanda's face, and some went down her tongue, and lips. She made sure that every drop of her cum has been pumped out and panting heavily after.

Natasha looked down at her girl, who was currently using her fingers to gather the spurts of cum in her face and licked them clean with her tongue. The sight alone had her dick going hard again.

"Holy shit Wan—", her sentence was interrupted when FRIDAY' voice filled the room, making the two women jump.

"Agent Romanoff, Miss Maximoff. My sincere apologies for the interruption but Mr. Stark will be heading down soon and will be here in a minute or so."

The AI's warning was subtle yet clear, a silent reprimand for them to say that they should get the hell out of the place before both of them get caught in a very uncompromising position.

Natasha scrambled to put her pants up, thanking the lucky stars that she had decided to not fully remove them from her ankles.

Wanda on the other hand was horrified at their current predicament of being on the verge of getting caught, had it been without FRIDAY's warning, she might have taken Natasha's shaft in her mouth again.

"Oh my god!" Wanda exclaimed in a panic. "Let's get out of here, Tash."

Remaining composed and relaxed, Natasha simply smiled and reassured, "Relax, baby. We're okay. You've got nothing to worry about. We'll just walk nicely and act like nothing happened."

Trusting her girlfriend's calm demeanor, Wanda nodded and allowed herself to be guided by Natasha. They expectedly ran into Tony, who greeted them, "Ladies, I hope you had a good drive in the city." His gaze focused on Wanda, who was hiding behind Natasha, and he frowned at her unusual behavior, then noticed something.

"What's that on your hair, Wanda?" Tony inquired naively.

Natasha answered for Wanda without any shame in the world, "That's my cum. Bye, Tony." She dragged Wanda out of the garage, leaving Tony with his mouth hanging open.

[pawnshopbleus]

These Are the Days Nine - Theodore

Abby Anderson x Fem!Reader High School AU

For the summary, warnings, and more, please visit here.

Previous Chapter.

You’re grateful for days like these. When it’s not too cold and not too hot. When the weather calls for a light sweater instead of the puffy jacket your mom bought you three years ago. Surprisingly, it still fit. 

The window in your room showcased the falling leaves that danced in the wind. That’s one of the reasons why you decided to move your desk in front of it. It brought you peace of mind and let you focus on something other than Abby. 

She was the only thing you’ve been thinking about. When you’re eating, sleeping, watching TV, listening to music, reading; It all comes back to her. 

Sometimes it doesn’t even pertain to only Abby. Your mind wanders off to Owen and how he doesn’t deserve someone like her. What about him makes him so special? He’s not cute, he smells like dirt and cigarettes, he’s not that smart, and he’s moderately okay at football. He’s had everything handed to him just because his father is the football coach. He doesn’t respect women and acts like a child when he doesn’t get his way. Abby is too kind and smart for him. 

The sound of your parent's cars pulling into the driveway pulls you out of your hateful monologue and back into the present. They weren’t supposed to be home for another five hours so the fact that they’re here makes you scrunch your eyebrows together. 

You quietly make your way downstairs and into the foyer. Your parents are pulling off their shoes and hanging up their bags. When they turn to walk into the living room, they’re caught off guard by your presence. It’s as if they forgot that another person lives here. 

You simply stare at your parents, emotionless. This is the first time you’ve seen them in two weeks. 

“I was nominated for something at school. I'm going to be speaking at the school board meeting.” 

Your mom opens her mouth to give an excuse as to why they can’t attend. You’ve gotten used to this. You hold up your hand and shake your head. 

“I know you can’t go. I just wanted to tell you guys.”

You’re running up the stairs and back into your room before they can say anything. You’re sure that they weren’t going to congratulate you by their exchange of annoyed looks. 

Being the daughter of hard-working people is tough, but being the daughter of neglectful parents is a pain that no child should ever experience. You would give anything in the world to go back in time and tell your parents to abort you. It’s harsh, but they weren’t ready to be parents. Their reckless actions resulted in you being punished. 

You’re staring at the window once more, but this time you could care less about the stupid color-changing leaves. Your eyes find your reflection in the glass and for the first time in a long time, you allow yourself to cry. You’re not crying because your parents can’t make it to the board meeting, you’re not crying because you think Abby deserves better, you’re not crying because Owen’s an asshole - you’re crying because you don’t deserve to feel this way. 

You’ve been nothing but nice to Owen. You’ve shown Abby that she deserves better. You’ve been nothing but a good and obedient daughter to your parents and this is how they make you feel. You have more than enough reasons to become the villain but you don't want to. You aren’t evil. You aren’t vain. You are the kindest person to walk the earth and you need to start putting yourself first. 

If Abby’s going to keep going back to Owen then you’re going to stop being there for her. No matter what you do or what you say, she always goes back. Maybe this time she’ll realize the mistake she’s making. 

–

The first step in putting yourself first is getting a pet. You’ve always wanted a furry little friend to keep you company but your parents refused. Your mom hated the idea of animals living in the same space as she did. You were asked to never bring the topic up again and you listened. For the past seventeen years, you sat quiet and still while you yearned for a pet. Now, you were going to go out and get it. 

Dina picked you up in Ellie’s Jeep. Dina’s car was in the shop for some minor repairs and Ellie, being the kind girlfriend she is, let Dina use her car for the time being. She was more than willing to come pet shopping with you.

‘Shopping’ was a bit of a stretch as the two of you would go to the local animal shelter. You know what it’s like to be unwanted and alone so getting an animal from the shelter was a no-brainer. 

There are rows upon rows of sleeping kittens and barking dogs. A piece of paper near each cage says their name, age, and a little description of how each animal got here. A few dogs caught your eye like Maggie, six, donated by the owner, and: Cookie, one, found in a box on the side of a road. Although their stories were sad enough, the volunteer who was guiding you through the shelter brought you to the last cage at the end of the hall. There sat a shaggy black and white dog. His placard said that he was a seven-year-old Pomeranian named Theodore. He was found on the side of the highway after his owner dumped him there. Witnesses say that he was seen running after the car but he eventually grew tired. 

You lean down, place your hand on the glass, and let the cool surface rest against your warm palm. Theodore hesitantly walks up and scratches at the glass. His tail wags aggressively now that he knows you’re not a threat. You stare at Theodore with nothing but love in your eyes and for the first time in a long time, you feel whole.

Next Chapter

Taglist: @rew1nds @colbyweirdo

Thank you for reading!

[lvrsparadise]

'CIGARETTES OUT THE WINDOW' - M.S

synopsis - When she has a tough time with quitting her addiction.

warnings! - Smoking, mentions of depression, self-esteem issues(implied), profanity, I think that's all.

A/N - I don't know what came over me, but I just got a REALLY good idea. Or at least I think it's good. Anywho, enjoy! ♡

God. I didn't want to do this. I shouldn't be doing this. Why am I doing this?

But yet, here I stand, in the nearest shitty gas station I could find, buying a pack of cigarettes.

I send a tight-lipped smile at the cashier as I grab the bag of snacks and the pack of cigarettes. I make my way out of the gas station, and I walk a good few blocks, headed to the city.

I can feel my phone buzzing in my pocket, but I could care less. I know who it is, and I should answer it, but I just can't bring myself to do it.

I make it to a somewhat secluded area that has a billboard, a few benches, and an abandoned food cart. No one's here. Not surprising, considering it's the middle of the night and it's wet and humid from the rain we've been getting.

I sigh as I plop down on the bench and set the bag next to me. I look at the billboard to see an advertisement for some fitness company. I shake my head softly as I rummage through the bag and grab the pack of cigarettes.

I just stare at them, in my hand. I take a deep breath before opening it. I grab one out and grab my lighter from my pocket. I hold the cigarette to my lips and light it before taking a long drag.

I look at the full moon as I exhale all of the smoke. It's almost satisfying watching the cloud of smoke leave my lips and into the night sky. I feel a familiar burn in my chest at the sensation, but it's nothing new.

I take another drag, this one shorter. I hold it for a few seconds before exhaling it all out slowly. Watching the light from the streetlamp next to me illuminate it.

After a couple long drags, I put the cigarette out. Throwing it out into the street at my feet.

I sigh as I pull my phone out of my pocket. Looking at the screen, I see multiple text notifications from one contact.

Matt's contact.

I grab the bag of snacks from next to me and stand up. I shove the box of cigarettes in my pocket along with my phone and lighter before I start walking back to Matt's house.

I had originally gone to the gas station for snacks for all of us so we could watch a movie. I mean, I did get the snacks. But I couldn't help it. I know I'm trying to quit, but it's hard.

----

I make it back to Matt's house. I take a few deep breaths before I walk in the door. I immediately hear a 'yay she's back' from the living room. Probably from Chris.

I slip my shoes off before walking up the stairs and into the living room. I set the bag down on the coffee table and excuse myself for a moment.

I walk to Matt's bathroom and look at myself in the mirror.

I sigh before grabbing my spare toothbrush and some toothpaste and brush my teeth. Hoping to get rid of the taste and smell of cigarette smoke.

I dry my hands and walk back to the living room.

"So, what are we watching?"

"I want to watch Let It Shine."

I shrug and see the looks of agreement from Matt and Nick.

I take my seat next to Matt on the chase of the couch in the far corner of the room.

The movie starts and we're all just watching in silence.

----

About halfway through the movie, Nick retreats to his room, saying he's tired.

Once the movie finished Chris went to his room, probably to get on his game or something. Me and Matt clean up a little before heading to his room.

"You do know I can smell it on your shirt." I hear him say as he shots the door.

"What do you mean?"

"What I mean is, I can smell the cigarette smoke on your shirt. Why'd you do it?" I sit down on the foot of his bed, him sitting next to me.

His voice is soft and loving. I know he's not being mean. But I can't help but feel sad. Sad at the fact I was caught. And sad that I even bought the cigarettes in the first place.

I can feel the lump in my throat, making it hard to speak. I shrug.

"I don't know." My voice strained and quiet. I feel a few stray tears slide down my cheeks.

His hand is on my back, rubbing up and down in calming motions. I can feel his gaze.

"I guess I just needed an escape or something. I shouldn't have done it, but I did." Tears evident in my voice. His hand moves to my shoulder, pulling me to him.

I rest my head on his shoulder, his head leaning on mine.

"It's going to be okay. I promise." I hear him whisper before he presses a kiss to my head. Sending more tears down my face.

"I love you Matt. I love you so much."

"I love you too. More than you think. That's why it's hard for me to see you like this."

We sit like that until I stop crying. Once the tears have dried, we sit up and he takes my head in his hands, pulling me in for a kiss.

We separate and move to lay in his bed. We situate ourselves before getting closer to one another. He wraps his arms around my waist and pulls me to him. He rests his head on my chest, and I run my fingers through his hair.

I fall asleep with a small smile on my face. Thanks to him, I no longer feel so drained.

Tags! ✮

@dwntwn-strnlo @ssturniolo @strniolo @20nugs @prettysturniolo

If you want to be added to my taglist all you have to do is ask! ✮

Have a wonderful day and / or night ! You deserve it ✮

[judysxnd]

hello could u do one where you dress you and Pedro's baby up as baby yoda

Baby yoda?????? Grogu!!! Despite this little mistake I will write your request 😂

I apologize first for being away for a few weeks, but it’s been really difficult for me. I’m moving back to my parents and I don’t really like the whole situation. So it’s really tough on me, I am not really feeling good mentally. So, I don’t really do anything, I don’t play, I don’t write, I don’t read.. I’m trying, but it’s not easy.

This is relatively short, but I think it turned out to be good. I’m coming back gradually. Also, I only dressed up the baby here and not the reader like you wanted, because I thought the reader would have had to dress more like the mandolarian and not as Grogu, so that’s why. Also, first, I thought you were talking about matching pyjamas or something, so yeah here both of them would have be okay, but I wasn’t really sure so I did that. I hope you still like it!

————————————————————————————

Last week you went shopping for new baby clothes. Your little one is growing extremely fast and it’s not easy to follow. He is almost one year old, but already fits in 14months. So, it was only natural to go buy some new stuff.

You went after work, as baby boy was with the babysitter, Pedro was on set filming, so you knew you had plenty of times. You bought shirts, pants, some socks, a new pair of shoes, and some bodysuits. You were in the last shop of the mall when your eyes met Halloween costumes. You had to check it out, you’ve always wanted to dress your baby up so it was the perfect opportunity. After looking around, you saw a little costume of Grogu. You couldn’t help but laugh. Pedro will love it. Not thinking twice, you took it.

Once you were home, the babysitter left, you could finally enjoy being with your child. Smiling and laughing to your weird and silly faces, your heart was melting. It was almost 6pm when Pedro texted you that he was leaving set, which meant that in around thirty minutes he would be here.

You decided to open the costume of Grogu and change your baby. It would be such a cute surprise for Pedro. Luckily, the costume wasn’t very complicated to put on. A big brown jacket and a headband with Grogu’s ears on the side. You had a big grey basin, so you put him inside, struggling to make him stay in, but to do just like in the tv show.

Right when the door opened, you quickly put the basin on the floor not far from it, and hid behind the counter. Pedro didn’t have time to see you, and his eyes fell immediately on his beautiful baby boy.

“oh my god what happened to you?” He started to laugh. You were secretly filming the whole scene. He kneeled in front of him. Both of them were smiling. “I can see that mommy got you a nice outfit” he started to tickle him a little to make him laugh. “My little grogu, tu eres lindo” he carried him out of the basin, hugging him tight once he was in his arms. “Now, where did mommy go?” And your now little grogu pointed to the counter where we could see you a little. You laughed and got up.

“Isn’t he cute?” You had big smile, as you approached them.

“Where did you find this?”

“At the mall, I went shopping for new clothes for this big boy” you said tickling him which made him laugh. “And I found this, I couldn’t resist”

“I can see why” you both looked at each other

“Our beautiful baby boy” you were both staring at him. Instinctively you got closer to Pedro, putting your right arm around his waist, hugging him from the side, as you held your baby boy’s hand. Pedro kissed the top of your head, which made you look at him. You both smiled before kissing passionately. The sight of you kissing made your baby Grogu laugh, which made you both laugh also.

“I need to send a picture to Bella” you laughed. You let him go to grab his phone. He took some pictures of the three of you, then just some of the baby alone, and sent them to Bella.

[mingyusfool]

Something to Believe In: Prologue Part Two

Pairing: n/a, this section will just be a backstory for newsie!reader.

Prompt: Newsies inspired Seventeen fic

Warnings: Violence and bullying.

Release Date: September 19, 2024

Summary:

You find yourself out of work and are looking to secure a new job working as a newsie for the largest newspaper printing company in the city: The New York World. Daunting as that might be, you head to Newsies Square early to beat the other newsies to the stand to buy papes and hopefully impress them. However, luck is not on your side and your day ends up quite differently than you planned...

Prologue Part Two: Welcome to Newsies Square

You tread across the cobblestone path as you clung to a small bag thrown over your shoulder. In it, a collection of your personal belongings that you decided to take with you. The rest, you’d given to the other newsies who seemed to need it more than you. An old slingshot that you enjoyed when you were younger but no longer found use of, you’d given to your youngest, hoping she’d enjoy it just as much as you had. A couple of articles of clothing that no longer fit you, you’d given to some of the others who were a bit smaller than you, and they’d repurposed their old clothes to those who were smaller than them too. It was something you’d always instructed everyone to do, to make the best use of your resources, but it was especially important now that you wouldn’t have each other to rely on anymore. 

You ensured everyone found a new job before the GG was shut down, whether that was as a newsie working for a different company, in a factory, as a shoe shiner, or something else of that nature. You needed to make sure your people were safe and taken care of. So much so that you’d barely thought about yourself. You’d saved up enough money to survive a couple of weeks on your own but you didn’t want to spend those weeks by yourself on the streets. You needed to find work fast which is why you found yourself in this particular part of town, staring up at The New York World Building. 

It was the tallest of a couple of structures that were responsible for writing and printing the most popular selling newspaper in the whole city. If you had your choice, you’d love to take a shot at writing for them, but you know they’d never let you with your lack of experience. You’d never written like that for anything. You’d only ever written short stories in a journal you kept, occasionally reading them to the younger newsies as bedtime stories. Though you lacked experience, your stories had gotten good reviews, even from a couple of the older ones who swore they were only listening because it was impossible to turn off their ears. 

The place you stood in now was entirely different from Gramercy. You were only used to your small group, your tight knit family who hardly left your side. Gramercy was quiet, full of trees and nature; your little peaceful oasis away from the rest of the city. Now you were surrounded by skyscrapers and you felt an unmatched energy all around. You could picture these streets during the day, flooded with newsies, as they would be within the hour, you were sure. However, you’d gotten there early, before anyone else in fact. You knew with there being so many newsies living around these parts that it was the only way you could make your coin for the day. 

You managed to find the window where the papes for The World were sold and were greeted with a middle aged man who flashed you a smile. He smoked a cigar as he counted a couple stacks of coins before him. 

“Tough morning, kid?” he asked, looking you over. 

“Not particularly…” you asked, furrowing your eyebrows and fishing in your pocket for your coins. “I’ll take five stacks of papes.” 

“We don’t got five stacks,” he told you, taking a puff on his cigar. 

“How long until you get the papes for the day?” you asked, not wanting to be caught up here for the whole morning. Surely The World was just finishing up their printing for the morning and the papes would be released any moment. No one could afford being late in this business. If the papes weren’t released to the newsies at first light, then the newsies wouldn’t be able to sell them to anyone on their way to work, and The World wouldn’t make any money. And one thing was for sure, you were never late. 

“You’re about an hour too late,” he told you. 

You stared at him in disbelief. You had gotten up extra early that morning so you could be certain you would get to the news stand before everyone else. You knew you needed to buy my papes and beat them to the streets so you could make your keep today and prove to the Manhattan newsies that you would make a good addition to the team. Now that plan was ruined but there was still plenty of the day left to make decent coin. 

“I’ll take whatever you have left,” you told the man. He promptly slammed one stack of papes on the counter and you sighed. Then you paid him and left the news stand. 

You made your way out of Newsie Square and took to the streets of the city, taking a quick look at the headline at the top of the news. It was another political story, which luckily everyone wanted to read about. You quickly thought of a much more interesting headline than the one that was written and began shouting “Political Brawl in Queens!” to try to catch the attention of anyone passing by. You managed to catch the attention of a couple individuals, selling them papes and moving on down the street. 

As you continued shouting, you were approached by two younger gentlemen, both dressed in matching bowler hats. 

“You look lost, kid,” one of them said to you with a snide smirk on his face. 

You looked up at them. You were not in the mood to play games with men like this. “Do you boys wanna buy papes or can I be on my way?” 

“Don’t you newsies usually travel together? Ya know, to keep each other out of trouble?” the other man said, crossing his arms. 

“And to protect the weaklings…” the first man frowned, mocking a pout. “Just in case something like this happens!” 

Suddenly, he slapped the stack of newspapers you were carrying out of your hands and onto the ground. And of course with your luck, they landed scattered across a mud puddle. The two men laughed and you glared at them. 

“What are you going to do? Cry about it?” the second one cackled. 

You needed to escape these schmucks as soon as possible and you knew what you needed to do. While the one man was cackling you stamped as hard as you could on his foot. He screamed in agony and awkwardly hopped away on one foot. As the other man approached you, you spit directly in his face as a diversion and started running in the opposite direction. 

However, as soon as you turned around you ran face first into someone’s chest. The force knocked you back onto the ground and you landed right in the mud, with the two men not far behind you now. 

“Are you alright?” 

Whoever you had just bumped full force into extended a hand in your direction. When you looked up, you saw a young man, dark eyebrows furrowed with concern. He wore a white tank top that clung tightly to his skin, leaving his arms out on full display. His tan trousers hugged his thighs and were held up by a pair of suspenders. And atop his dark hair sat a tan newsie cap. A couple of other young men stood behind him, their outfits similar to his. 

“Yeah, I’m fine,” you replied, taking his hand and allowing you to pull him up with ease. 

“Good,” he said, then he stepped to the side to face the two men who had been bothering you. “Well if it isn’t the Delancey Brothers. I knew I smelled an unpleasant aroma. I don’t know how many times I have to tell you boys to leave my newsies alone.” 

“Well your newsie was sellin’ us a fake headline,” one of the men said, glaring at you. 

The newsie looked at you. “Is that true?” 

“‘Course not. I only glorify the headline, like every other newsie. I don’t make up entirely new stories,” you told him. 

“Ya heard it here boys. Us newsies only speak the truth! Now why don’t you go and find a real job instead of botherin’ us folks? Must be hard for you now that everyone knows you got fired from The World,” the newsie said with a smirk. 

One of the men suddenly pushed the newsie back a few steps but he held his ground. He was much bigger than both of the men. 

The newsie chuckled, “C’mon Oscar, is that really the best you’ve got?” 

The man, Oscar, came at the newsie again, but this time he was prepared. He sidestepped and Oscar flew forward, losing his balance. On his way toward you, you managed to trip him and he fell onto the ground, face first into the mud. 

The other man swung at the newsie but he caught his hand, skillfully twisting his arm behind his back and locking him in place. 

“If I ever find you messing with my newsies again, there will be no place in this entire city where you’ll be able to show your face again and not end up with it unrecognizably smashed into the pavement. Have I made myself clear?” the newsie growled at them. 

After confirming that they understood, he let both of them go, watching as they did, making sure they didn’t come back. You finally got a chance to clearly observe all of the newsies before you. These were the newsies from the center of the Manhattan borough. They were tough, there’s no doubt about that, but not nearly as tough as the Brooklyn newsies. It’s safe to say that everyone felt a little uneasy when it came to the Brooklyn newsies. But you knew these Manhattan newsies were no joke either. These were the ones who were responsible for the start of the strike about a month ago now. These were the ones who took charge and created their own union, demanding fair working conditions from the chief editor and publisher of The World: Joseph Pulitzer. It’s thanks to these newsies in particular that all of us have those fair working conditions now and it’s thanks to them that we’re not just looked over as if we were scum. All newsies owe it to them, which is why you felt a bit anxious standing there as they all perceived you. 

“I was doing just fine on my own-” you began turning to face the newsie who was seemingly the leader of their group. 

“Fine, I’ll watch the Delancey Brothers ruin your pretty mug next time,” he spat. 

“You didn’t let me finish,” you said to him, deciding to disregard the fact that he just called you ‘pretty.’ “I was doing just fine on my own but I’m glad you were there to help me stop them. And don’t let that get to your head.” 

“Too late,” you heard one of the other newsies call out, though you weren’t sure which one. 

“They call me Coups… Leader of the Manhattan borough.” 

“I’m y/n, leader of- Well I used to be the leader of the Gramercy Newsies. We just got shut down a few days ago which is how I found myself here,” you explained. 

“So now you wanna work for The World?”

“Listen, I loved working for a company like the Gramercy Gazette but I can’t take that chance anymore with all these smaller companies getting shut down,” you told him. 

“Can I ask you somethin’?”

“Shoot.” 

“Why be a newsie?” Coups asked. “There’s plenty of other jobs in the city. Prob’ly better payin’ ones too. Why spend your time sellin’ papes?” 

You’d never thought about it before. You just did the job because that’s all you’d ever done. Of course you’d grown to love what you do… but why? 

“I suppose… I suppose it’s ‘cause I like stories. I like to know what’s going on in the world and I like reading about it. I think there’s a lot to learn from reading the news, and reading in general. Everyone deserves to know what’s going on in the world and everyone should stay updated when it comes to the news. Not saying the news is completely factual, but staying updated on the news unifies the world a little by little each day. It brings us together. And I like to be one of the many people helping to get that news out there.” 

Coups looked you up and down, then looked around as the other Manhattan newsies. 

“I like that answer, y/n. It will be good to have someone like you on the team who cares about this job as much as the rest of us do,” Coups smiled at you. “Now why don’t you stick with us for the rest of the day. I’m sure you could use a couple people on your side right about now.” 

He raised his hand to his mouth, spit in it, and offered a handshake. 

“Friends?” 

You hesitated but after he assured you that “it’s just business,” you did the same, spitting in your hand and shaking his. 

Author's Note:

Okay part 2 is finally done and thank you for reading it! I think this part of the story was a lot more interesting than part 1 and it's only going to get more interesting from here. Finally some of the boys have been introduced AND Scoups got in a little fight for you hehe. Can you tell I'm blushing through the screen? Of course I had to include the Delancey Brothers and if you're a Newsies fan you'll get it! I should be getting out part 3 a lot faster than I got out part 2; my life has been a little crazy over these past few weeks. Hopefully you'll stick around to see where this story goes! Thanks again and I'll see ya in the next one! :)

[justanotherpersonsuniverse]

Hey cap :3

miscellaneous meta lore question for OM this time!!

also I need you to know that I can't spell miscellaneous. every single time I have and will type it have been autocorrected it's like my worst enemy

Anyways- prelude time.

Other Magic is like so much fun because of the sheer variety of mythos and magic you incorporate into it. I mean; Alya is a twist on Selkies which have always been one of my favourite scottish folklore stories, there’s this one story about a boy who was a selkie that I read when I was way younger but I cannae remember enough details to find it again. Then you’ve got someone like Kagami who is a Nekomata from Japanese folklore which was super interesting to see and then subsequently do more research on, cause I didn't know they existed before that which was a failure on my part. And then you’ve got the more miscellaneous monsters of vaguely european origins which also fit the specific character themes wonderfully, like Juleka being a Vampire, Nino being a Gargoyle (which btw rocks (pun intended) for the whole protection thing he has going on) and Sabrina being a changeling the list goes on.

I honestly can’t tell if you’re just really good at finding the perfect fit or just such an excellent writer that what you chose feels like the perfect fit for your version of the characters. Probably a bit of both. 

Obviously you know all this, you’re the one who wrote it. What I’m getting at is; how the fuck did you decide how the magic system works?

Is it, like, not a concrete thing? Do you make it up as you go along?

Or do you have a proper magic system in place that fits behind all the crazy variety of sources you’ve pulled the monsters from?

If you make it up as you go along, what are some of the things you have decided are like hard rules of magic? (which do not go into spoiler territory! Perish the thought that I am vying for spoilers. Your response about how time worked in the PN universe without veering into spoiler territory was fantastic. and I'm insane about your drawings of Alix.) 

And if you don’t… how the fuck have you got a system in place for all this? Is it a hard magic system or a soft magic system? Please I beg of thee tell me how it works. 

Deciding on magic systems for things is the bane of my existence. Pokemon types and moves even count as one, so don’t get me started on how crazy insane I’ve gone for the origins of magic and how it works for the planning of my own miraculous fic is. like I need to stop. 

Anyway. The point is. Every single time you introduce a characters monstrous side you inevitably have to explain how that works in relation to the other magic (pun intended) and the fact that you’ve managed that without contradicting yourself or making things seem far fetched or shoe horned in has me clawing at the walls in my cage. Are you a magician. seriously, how did you do it.  

That and I’m curious if you’ll get more into how Miraculous magic affects regular magic (that feels like an oxymoron, as if magic could be normal). Cause obviously we got Little Red and Wicked Witch being akumatised together cause they were both holding the glove, but their closeness even while evilised felt like it was because of the familiar bond. 

This is a super broad question sorry if that’ll be difficult to answer!! however observations and notes on things plus hyper specific questions are coming soon! I simply must organise myself. (and have my 18th birthday tomorrow… so soon may be later than expected, i keep forgetting that’s happening this has changed my plans significantly. fuck)

Magic systems are pretty tough!! I originally made it up as a I went along, but what I did then that I feel like was important was- instead of just doing things and saying they were related, I tried to branch out the system by asking lots of "why" and "how" questions with myself.

So, for example with Alix, my base was; "Wouldnt it be cool if she wrote down spells like Luz and the Kane Chronicals" which is kinda lame. But still, I worked to try and clean it up. "Spells and Runes are like Code commands to magic." became the cleaner base. Then I asked; "Why not just use a wand?" So I asked myself "What makes wands different?" and so on.

I then asked myself if the answers I made could connect and become answers for other things. Which creates an interconnecting system.

Making it up as you go along is natural and inevitable, the only difference between planning and making it up is how long you think about it without touching your keyboard. I asked myself my big magic questions because of points in the story where I had no idea how something worked and instead of trying to fit it with what I originally knew, I tried to figure out how things would accomodate the new thing.

ALSO HAPPY EARLY BIRTHDAY!!!!

[starsurface]

Hello!! I'm glad you're feeling better! Can I request Little (baby-toddlerspace specifically) Reiko HCs please with CG Rain? Thank you!! 🥰

-🦈

Hi!!! Of course!! :D

Quick warning: There's some angst and mentions of war. There's also some Shao . . . not hate, but like, calling out his parenting styles?? I dunno how to explain it, but I do wanna establish that I don't take Shao!!!

<3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

CG Rain w/ Baby-Toddlerspace Regressor Reiko Hcs

💧 I like to think Rain and Reiko would be really good friends (Personal hc that Kitana, Mileena, Tanya, Rain, and Reiko are all friends, being around the same age growing up in the palace)

⚔️ Rain is also one of Reiko’s to-go CGs

💧 Which is why it confused him the first time Reiko regressed to small

⚔️ The first time Reiko was breaking down, regressing extremely tiny and very clingy

💧 All he could to was babble as he hide in Rain’s arms, sniffing and crying about what was upsetting him 

⚔️ Either it’s after a super long and difficult mission or training, or really bad memories getting to him

💧 I’m not exactly a Shao hater (kinda like General Shao now adays, ngl) but he put Reiko through . . . a lot as a child

⚔️ He raised a weapon, not a child, and didn’t realize the consequences of his actions until Reiko was a fully fledged adult that knew nothing other than bloodshed and war

💧 Rain found him in his bathroom, hiding in his bathtub and absolutely sobbing (Rain knew Reiko didn’t seem good that day and wanted to check up on him)

⚔️ Rain gently coed and shush him, helping the crying boy into bed so they could lay there and cuddle

💧 Rain gave Reiko a small magic show and Reiko fell to sleep much more happier than he had intended

⚔️ For a small while, Reiko only drops that small if he’s having really bad memories or nightmares

💧 Rain doesn’t mind being the one Reiko goes to, in fact, he encourages it!! Mostly because Reiko has a difficult time admitting when he’s that tiny and upset

⚔️ Eventually Reiko does start dropping this small for more ‘normal’ occasions, like a really tough week or he just feels tinyer than usual

💧 But. . . he gets really fussy about it

⚔️ He’s supposed to be a big boy!! He’s always regressed older!!! He shouldn’t be regressing so young- He never did before!!

💧 It usually ends with Rain having a very pouty and teary eyed toddler that only knows the word No

⚔️ Rain is very patient, he knows Reiko’s processing regressing younger sometimes, and he doesn’t mind handling some hissy fits then and there

💧 Eventually, Reiko gets a bit more use to regressing smaller, and ends up really liking being babied (he adores the praise and attention)

⚔️ No, Reiko’s favorite and least favorite word <3

💧 Rain wants him to put on shoes before going outside? No, Reiko doesn’t want to do that, but he will cry when he touches teh hot cement and tells Rain hew as being mean by letting him do that

⚔️ But Rain said no? Blasphemy!! Everyone must here of this atrocity!! He can’t believe Rain would ever do this!!

💧 ^ . . . Rain said that Reiko couldn’t eat the pretty slime that Rain had >:(

⚔️ Baby Reiko is borderline nonverbal, but will scream at things he wants (he finds it funny . . . Rain doesn't find it as entertaining though 🙄)

💧 Toddler Reiko does more one words, and maybe a few short sentences

⚔️ Tiny Reiko likes a lot of things big kid Reiko does

💧 Wrestling?! Sign him up!!! :D

⚔️ . . . He can only do pillow fights though, and Rain usually lets him win

💧 Rain won once and Reiko started getting all teary eyed because he was suppose to win and it wasn’t fair 🥺

⚔️ Usually Reiko’s a bit of a patience tester, and this goes into his baby-todderspace

💧 Rain said not do something? Well Reiko wasn’t even thinking about it, but like, now he has to do it!!! How can he not?!

⚔️ But he doesn’t like getting scolded at when he’s this young, so he won't go too far or break rules

💧 Rain’s noticed Reiko’s a bit mroe sensitive when he’s this tiny, and doesn’t like seing Reiko start sniffing and hiding his face because of something Rain said, even if Rain truly meant no harm

⚔️ Tiny Reiko does have a small habit of accidents, mostly at night and especially when it comes to nightmares, but absolutely refuses to wear padding

💧 He knew he regressed small, but it was embarrassing wearing something like that, his dignity and pride were on the line

⚔️ Rain eventually encouraged him to ateast try pullups, but they mostly use those potty mattress pads thingies (i forgot what they’ll called) because Reiko doesn’t make that big of a fuss with them

💧 Rain, unfortunally, won’t let Reiko go do what he wants >:(

⚔️ Why can't he touch his cool swords? What does Rain mean he'll hurt himself? Okay, then why can't Reiko go touch Rain's books? What does Rain mean that Reiko will eat the corners again?!?! That only happened . . . four times- But still!!! >:\

💧 Reiko has a small habit of shoving whatevers in his fist into his mouth, which included his fist

⚔️ Crayon? Well he doesn’t wanna taste it, but maybe it’d be nice to chew on!! (. . . it wasn’t, he will try again later)

💧 Rain ends up getting Reiko a paci, which he gets all huffy at, but he does end up using it more than he’d like to admit, even when he’s a big kid

⚔️ Rain's nicknames are Bubba, Fishy (Reiko thinks its funny), and just grabby hands

💧 Sometimes Reio gets really huffy, and demands Rain to 'go away another day' and it actually cheers Reiko up a little bit

⚔️ ^ Go away, cause his name is Rain, and Rain Rain Go Away? . . . Reiko thinks it's hilarious

💧 Rain might not find it as humorous, but he enjoys seeing Reiko happy, so he keeps quiet

⚔️ Reiko gets many nicknames, Baby Boy, Precious, Little One, Sweetheart, nicknames he might enjoy while bigger, but can get all shy and giggly about when smaller

<3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

I'm so sorry, I didn't have many good ideas, which kinda sucks because I like this duo. :(

I can always do more!!!!!! :D

[whosyourcreepyunclenow]

alright, maybe I'm finally alive enough for that. thank you, @rreskk

Were you named after anyone?

hmm as far as I know, my parents just heard my name in a song and both were "yup, this one would be okay"

Do you have kids?

waht? I'm a kid myself

Use sarcasm a lot?

sarcasm is all I've fucking got

First thing you notice 'bout people?

their auras 👀 (but actually the only thing I need to know about people irl is how to avoid them or how to interact with them in the least traumatic way - so it'd most likely be their mood and their attitude (+mimics & body language) and what they probably expect from me. in very very specific cases I can notice some random things from their appearance, like eyes or hands or a haircut or a t-shirt print or a shoe color or earrings or even a face)

Eye color?

medium brown

Scary movies or happy ending?

action movies only. I love watching cool tough men doing cool tough stuff with cars and guns and knives and each other (with happy endings or without them if you know what I mean))

Special talent?

ehh. some people say I'm good at drawing, or at writing, or at reading tarot, or at googling hard-to-find things, or at being indifferent lazy fuck, or at sucking a dick, or at wasting my life for nothing, or at shitty jokes. but actually idk, I'm just average at everything (but wait wait, I'm incredibly great at DISAPPOINTING PEOPLE, yeeeees, that's my special talent, appreciate it)

Your hobbies?

most of them I've already listed in things-that-make-me-happy, so they're gaming&drawing&writing, screenshoting everything, shooting and throwing knives sometimes, enjoying my hyperfixations to the fullest etc. years ago I also was much into mbti and stuff (intp-t who's tryna be intp-a, haha you bought that) to understand how humans work and how I suppose to fit in (spoiler: nohow, and I'm okay with that). can say I'm also kinda fluent in tarot and runes tho rarely use them for myself, more exploring and researching their very systems. had occasional attempts at yoga tho I'm too lazy for doing that at regular basis, so nothing serious, just chilling

Any pets?

I loooove animals but I can barely keep myself alive and full, let alone another creature. If I adopt someone, it'd be the matter of time when one of us will eat another ¯⁠\⁠_⁠༼⁠ ⁠•́⁠ ͜⁠ʖ⁠ ⁠•̀⁠ ⁠༽⁠_⁠/⁠¯

Playing any sport?

I hate losing, so nope. but guess I can play some darts or badminton without competition just for a good time

How tall..?

175 cm (5′9″)

Favourite subject in school?

biology, math. y'know, the fun ones

Dream job?

(fuck why I can't just spam motherlode and live my life peacefully why the fuck I have to make money to simply exist why) dunno, I hate responsibilities and I can't work properly on someone's order even when I'm actually trying. I only do shit well when I'm doing it for myself, and if someone would pay money for that shit, it could become my dream job or something. but since any of my shit ain't worthy in commercial sense and I'm too dumb to do scores, motherlode would be the best answer yeh 🙌

[fangirling-heart]

1, 2, 3, 10 and 15 for the TOH ask game :D

Thank you so much for the ask! :)

Sorry it took me a while. Strap in, that's a long one!

What episode got you invested in the show? Why?

I was pretty interested in the show from the first episode, but I think I was officially invested when I saw Agony of a Witch. I know it's much later, but that was the series' first major turning point, as many major stuff in the season had been building up to this and the next episode and it absolutely delivered. With Lilith's attempts to capture Eda, Eda's curse, Belos' introduction and of course the whole familial relationship between Luz and Eda. The driving force and heart of this episode. Pushing Luz to steal the healing hat and Eda to fight Lilith in one of the most awesome fight scenes I've ever seen, despite the curse flaring up. And those last moments after it takes over, with her saying goodbye to Luz and Luz having to back alone only to find out Eda had prepared with King a whole surprise for her... Titan, that's good angst.

2. Ramble about your favorite character of all time as much as you want. We're listening

Mmmmm, that's a bit tough. This show has a lot of characters I love, but the favorite of all time is a constant change between Luz and Hunter. Luz gets a bit of a bonus though, for also being my highest kin, so let's talk about her!

Luz is amazing! Absolutely amazing! She's an eccentric, wonderful girl who starts out treating the Boiling Isles as her dream magical playground but then grows to actually understand and love it for what it is, along with all the wonderful people she meets there, who she helps grow just as much as they help her. Also, in that firt regard, and combined with the fact that she gets in over her head sometimes, Luz makes mistakes over the course of the show, but isn't afraid to take responsibility for them (sometimes more than she has to) and try to fix them. And watching her grow, with every mistake and every act of kindness, was a truly wonderful journey.

I've mentioned in some other posts, that I have been in her shoes, spending a good chunk of my life in an environment that wasn't kind to me, but then leaving and finding my place somewhere else, so watching her flourish in the Boiling Isles really resonated with me, as did her whole personality. Apart from that, Luz also reminded me of the girl I used to be: an outspoken, loud little weirdo that wouldn't give up until she was sure she and others like her were heard and understood. A part of me that got beaten out before I found my Boiling Isles, and I still sometimes struggle to hold onto. But then I remember Luz and her story. I remember that it's okay to embrace and celebrate being a weirdo, that I don't have to beat myself up and punish myself for making mistakes, that it's okay if I still need time to figure out some stuff about myself and my life. And that there are people who will love me not despite my weirdness, but because of it.

3. Favorite episode? Why? Ramble as much as you'd like.

Thanks to Them! Without a doubt! (I gave in another ask a brief explanation, but since here I have a free pass to ramble, ramble I shall!)

In all honesty I was expecting this episode to feel small and maybe too fast and lacking, wondering how they would fit so much in one episode (screw you disney again!). But everything in it just fit so well! The opening segment was just amazing, giving us a charming montage of the Hexsquad's time in the human realm and I was sure the crew had fun putting it together.

Speaking of the Hexsquad, they were all so so great. Every little interaction they had with each other was an absolute hit, with moments of absolute hilarity like the exploration of Gravesfield, and also lot of heart like Luz and Hunter's moment in the basement of the shack.

As a matter of fact, much like my other favorite episodes in the show, Luz and Hunter were both in a very interesting place in this story, with the first being the worst she's ever been and the second standing in the middle of the best and the worst, constantly going back and forth. It was a great character exploration for them both, seeing them both trying to deal with the aftermath of S2's final events and how the others tried to help them, before...

Before the final act happened and all hell broke loose once again. No matter how many times I watch it, this part of the episode always hits me like a truck. The amazing build up, the creepy atmosphere, the fight scene, Hunter finally standing up to Belos, Flapjack's sacrifice, Luz opening up and the return to the Boiling Isles with Mama Camila this time... If Agony of a Witch is good angst, this is the best angst! (Flapjack's death crushed me tho. I was nearly catatonic after I first watched the episode)

10. What's something you wished would happen? Can be as nonsensical as you'd like.

There are lots of things I could put here (again screw you and your shortening, disney!), but the first thing that came to mind was having the hexsquad be a bit more involved in the finale. I loved the final battle with the owl fam and having Raine there was also great, but I wish the others could be there too. In my opinion, Hunter deserved to give at least a punch in Belos' face. And Amity deserved to see Luz in her Titan form.

15. Favorite antagonist? Why?

The man, the bitch, the legend, Emperor Belos himself. This guy has got to be one of the best villains to ever come out of a work of fiction, and one of my favorite characters in the show.

Now, Belos is a lot of things: a liar, a necromancer, a murderer, an absolutely terrible person, but above all, he's a tragedy. A tragedy of circumstance, but also most of all, of choice. There are parts of his story that explain (big emphasis on that word) why and how he got where he is, like growing up to be a witch hunter and then Caleb, his only family, leaving him for a witch, but he still had multiple chances to get better, like his brother did. And he just made wrong choice after wrong choice, digging himself deeper and deeper, until the little boy that liked playing with his brother was gone and all that was left was a monster made of mud.

Also, backstory aside, Belos is also so good at being a villain. Every time he is on screen, it feels like everything goes still and everyone's on edge. His scenes as Emperor establish how much of a threat he is, not just because he's a powerful magic user, but also because he is in control. Especially in scenes in S2, like the last scene in "Follies at the Coven Day Parade", where the audience and the heroes know he's up to no good and yet everyone else is cheering for him, completely unaware. And that's the thing. Lots of other villains, when in positions of power, use fear to control the people, but Belos aside of that, also uses and twists good things, like unity, to trick them into falling in line.

Which is why I found his last moments so satisfying. When he tries to pull that shit again and trick Luz and give himself some sense of control again and she is just not having it. Not saying him a word and ignoring him completely, thus taking away any power he could have. (The moment needed some more haunting tho, ngl)

[paulmarrington]

My Recumbent Tadpole Trike

Everyone has different needs. It is good to pimp your trike to meet them best. My configuration is for adventure on new paths without worrying about climbing hills. Speed is not an issue. I am about looking around, not getting there quickly.

Configuration Based on Needs and Budget

My first trike was a HP Veloteknic Gekko fx 20 - about 12 years old as of 2023. The original configuration was tough to ride. Now I know why. The lowest crank ring had 40 teeth. I did not understand the options then, so I installed a crank e-drive and a Nuvinci hub. Electric assist worked well for my commute but did little for my fitness. I have now given my Gekko a third lease of life to travel the rail trails and tracks.

Pedals

My wife suffered from a "leg suck" when we first started riding. Leg suck is when your foot slips off the pedal, and you attempt to run over yourself. At best, you end up with a very bruised calf muscle. I would hate to think what "at worst" would be. I did not understand the mechanics at the time. To be safe, we started to wear clipless cycling shoes. The name is a misnomer as these shoes clip onto the pedals so your feet cannot slip off. Clipless shoes have problems. They are expensive and often not that comfortable to walk in. The clips protrude from the sole - making walking on wooden floors a no-no. The worst problem for me is that the clip places the pedal on the ball of the foot. It maximises the stress on the angle and front of the foot while riding. The pain limited the distances I could ride comfortably. It turns out that the leg suck issue my partner experienced was from the length of the boom. I cut it a little shorter and moved to mountain bike pedals. I get the most oversized mountain bike pedals I can find that have good anti-skid spikes. Wear sneakers or walking shoes that allow the pins on the pedals to fit between grips on the shoe sole. Just as importantly, use the correct boom extension. Your leg should still be bent between 5 and 10 degrees when a pedal is away from you. You won't get leg suck if your foot cannot leave the pedal. There is another reason for this boom length. It is inefficient if your leg straightens entirely at the end of a stroke. All your stroke power occurs before your leg is straight.

Crankset

The original Gekko crankset had the lowest gear ring with 40 teeth. I thought I could not keep up on the hills because of my weight. It was a bit of both. The first thing I do now with a new trike is to replace the crankset with a mountain bike rig of 22/32/42 teeth and 152mm cranks. The 22-tooth ring is the first step to easing riding up hills. It dropped the Gekko from 24 gear inches (GI) to 13 for hill climbing with a standard derailleur set on the rear. For me (at 85kg/13 stone), 13 gear inches means I still have to push harder for a 5-degree slope. It is possible but tiring. The other unusual thing about these cranksets is the 152mm length cranks. Most cranks are longer than 170mm. Longer cranks work on an upright bike where you can use your weight for leverage. We don't want our knees bending more than 90 degrees for a recumbent. Think of doing squats with your back to a wall. The further you lower yourself, the harder it is to stand back up. Most of our riding energy is over a bending range of about 70 degrees. The shorter crank works for everyone, including beanpoles. Also, it is way better for your knees.

Mobile Phone Mount

I like to watch my ride with either Ride with GPS or Strava. There are quite a few other apps. They all have their strengths and weaknesses. Unfortunately, mobile phone holders for upright bicycles are not always suitable for a recumbent. As you can see from the photograph, I have modified (as in bent) a handlebar accessory mount to suit my purposes. The phone angles slightly downwards to minimise glare. Modern screens can be seen clearly at that angle.

Tires

I have spent most of my trike riding hours on road tires. They provide a hard ride and minimal grip on grass or dirt. I have switched to balloon tires. The Schwalbe Big Ben tires are 2.15" balloons. By running them at 20psi, I get good suspension below 15kph (10mph) and more surface area for off-road excursions. They also have good protection from thorns and similar nasties. I know when it is time to pump up my tires if the trike hops when I ride over a gutter. What they do not have is a nobbly tread. They will probably not work as well in sand or mud. I have put Kendra tires on my partner's trike to see if the difference is worth considering.

Brakes

The Gekko has standard mechanical disc brakes on the front and a rim drag brake for the rear. I much prefer drum brakes on the front wheels. They stop you as quickly but feel a lot more gentle. I am not sure it is even possible to switch them over. I will look for softer compounds when my pads for the disc brakes wear out. The Gekko has a rim brake on the rear wheel and a locking control lever on the left handlebar. I have always used it as an excellent handbrake. Then I was told it was a drag brake used to slow your descent on hills. What an excellent idea. It will save me having to always hang on to the brake levers - if I ever remember to use it.

Flags and Camera Mount

Flags hang from a thin fibreglass pole - except for my trike. I like to film my rides with a 360 camera, so I have mounted a trekking pole with a camera mount using a metre of 1" aluminium tube. I can drop it down when on the car. I was tired of flags being lost or pinched, so I purchased a roll of orange bunting flags. They will last me a lifetime or two. They are attached with hook and loop cable ties so I can remove them while filming.

Hub Gears

Like almost every trike sold, the Gekko came with derailleur gears. I stuck with them until I put a crank motor on for commuting. Derailleur gearing and electric motors don't play well together. When you stop pedalling, the e-bike system takes a second or two to drop power. You can't change down while going uphill under load. By the time you can change down, it is often too late. We have a 250w limit on e-bikes. I imagine there would be much less need for gear changes with a 1000w motor. I switched to a Nuvinci (now Enviolo) 360 hub "gears". The quotes are because the Nuvinci is a continuous design without gears. I ran with the Nuvinci for many years. It is a good and reliable system. You can change the gear ratio from 0.5 to 1.8 - a difference of 360%. It is slightly better than the original derailleur system giving me a low gear of 10 GI (gear inches) with the crankset above. While ten gear inches is enough to ride up 5-degree slopes without stress, I cannot pedal 10-degree slopes without pain. The figures will differ for you as they depend on weight and resilience. For my retirement chariot, I installed a Rohloff 14-speed hub. Everyone agrees that it is the Rolls Royce in bicycle gearing with renowned reliability and a gear range of 526%. My low-speed gear inches is now at 6. A Rohloff hub is expensive - adding another half to the price of a trike if you want to climb any mountains. I hope to have a more economical solution soon. The Nuvinci hub did not go to waste. It is now on my partner's Catrike Villager. Installation was a doddle as I kept it on my Gekko rim. She weighs 50kg (< 8 stone). I think 10 gear inches will work for all the hills we ride. Time will tell (as will William).

Exclusions

Well, one exclusion, anyway. Adding an electric motor in the hub or crank has become very popular. I had one for when I was commuting. Now I am riding for exercise and pleasure. Electrification takes that away for me. I also want to travel and try out distant rail trails. Electricity needs charging points. An e-bike system also adds complexity and increases the chance of failure. A modern mid-drive (crank drive) with a torque sensor allows exercise, but you will need the power to replace the lower gearing you lose when installing the drive. It comes with a 42-tooth chainring - compared to the 22 tooth smallest chainring on my crankset. A hub electric motor allows you to keep all derailleur gearing but precludes hub gears such as Nuvinci or Rohloff. There is another option. A Schlumpf Mountain Drive replaces the crankset. It has two gears - 1:1 and 2.5:1. One version comes with 27 and 38 tooth chainrings. At low range, this gives the same as an 11-tooth chainring giving six gear inches using the standard derailleur at the rear. There is no turning back once installing a Schlump system since the installer has to bore out the bottom bracket.

Imperfections

For every problem, there is a solution. Every solution creates another problem. - The disc brakes feel scratchy and a bit abrupt. I will be interested to try softer pads. - The brake handles are too short. Putting the gear change below the grip means the brake handles mount lower. Longer brake handles stick out further from the handlebar, making them harder to use. I minimise discomfort by adjusting the brakes to activate when the brake handles are close to the handlebar. That's about it - for now.

In Conclusion

I am happy with my setup. The perfect recumbent tadpole trike will vary from person to person and from use to use. Please let me know what your preferred setup is. Read the full article

[gokyotrekking]

How to Find the Right Fit: Tips for Buying Trekking Shoes Online

Having a hard time selecting your choice of trekking shoes? Good footwear either makes or breaks the entire experience overall. Therefore, the choice made should be very mindful. Gokyo is here with its excellent collection of shoes to opt for hikes and treks, which will enhance the overall experience while letting you enjoy your trek without any hindrance. However, it is extremely important to choose the one that fits you well without being too loose or too tight. 

Here is the ultimate size guide to shoes. 

Know your size: while you might already know your foot size, it is always better to double-check. Moreover, when it comes to shoes for trek, the concern is more than just a number. For the perfect size, measure your foot from heel to foot while keeping in mind your foot width and arch as well. Make sure that you leave room for socks so that it does not get congested and tight when worn with a layer of socks.  If you're planning on wearing cushioned socks, consider going half a size up to ensure comfort.

Read reviews: when in confusion, customer reviews are always there to help you out. Refer to customer reviews to check if the product is true to size and the information given on the website. Get to know if the product quality is durable or not or are it worth investing in the the long run (literally).  Make sure you also check if the shoes support different types of feet (wide, narrow, flat arches, etc.). 

Understand the terrain and type of trekking: the type of terrain you are heading to says a lot about the shoes you should opt for. While going for a short trek, prioritize breathable and flexible shoes. It may not provide ankle support and that is fine. When going for a tough trek, opt for boots that have good cushioning to absorb shocks and protect your feet from any strains. To prevent any kind of injury, make sure it provides ankle support as well. 

Prioritize comfort features: comfort is the key when it comes to any outdoor adventure. Look for good cushioning that will absorb shocks on uneven terrains and provide arch support. Make sure that the shoe hiking allows air circulation and is made of breathable material to keep your feet dry and cool. Ensure your trekking shoes have adequate protection at the heel and toe, especially if you'll be navigating rocky or uneven terrain.

Use a size chart or brand-specific guidelines: before confirming the shoes,  refer to the detailes size chart that the brand or the website has to offer. Many online stores provide a size guide for each brand, so take advantage of these resources. Pay attention to any brand-specific sizing guidelines or notes about how the shoe fits. Just in case, you find yourself between two sizes, it is always recommended to go for a size up. 

Conclusion: 

Good hiking shoes can transform your experience, and that is why it is very important to own things of excellent quality. We, at Gokyo, cater to all the needs of a globetrotter without compromising on the quality or looks. Navigate our digital aisle and get your hands on the best footwear for your trek. 

[mathewmartin1]

Find Your Perfect Pair of Biker Boots for Style, Safety, and Comfort

Riding a motorcycle is a thrilling experience, but it comes with its own set of challenges. Among the most essential gear a rider needs is a good pair of biker boots. Not only do these boots make a fashion statement, but they also serve a critical role in protecting your feet and legs while riding. In this article, we’ll explore why biker boots are a must-have for any motorcycle enthusiast, how to choose the right pair, and what features to look for to ensure you’re getting the best bang for your buck.

Why Are Biker Boots Important?

Riders understand the importance of safety gear, but some may overlook their footwear. Wearing biker boots is not just about looking cool—it’s about staying safe on the road. Did you know that around 40% of all motorcycle injuries involve the lower extremities? This statistic highlights the critical role proper boots play in ensuring your feet, ankles, and legs are protected from potential injury in case of an accident or even a small skid.

Here’s why biker boots matter:

Protection: The thick material and strong design of biker boots provide a shield for your feet, ankles, and legs from impacts and abrasions.

Grip and Control: Good boots offer enhanced grip on foot pegs and the road, giving you better control of your bike, especially in rainy or slick conditions.

Comfort for Long Rides: Unlike regular shoes, biker boots are designed to be worn for extended periods, providing support and reducing fatigue on long rides.

Weather Resistance: Many biker boots are waterproof or water-resistant, protecting your feet from getting soaked during unexpected rain.

Types of Biker Boots

With so many options on the market, it can be overwhelming to choose the right pair of biker boots. Let’s break down the different styles to help you find the perfect fit for your riding style and personal taste.

Racing Boots

Designed for speed and performance, racing boots are engineered for those who spend their time on the track. They’re often lightweight, highly durable, and built to offer maximum protection in case of high-speed crashes.

Cruiser Boots

Ideal for long rides, cruiser boots are built for comfort. They offer a classic look with a low heel and are typically made from heavy-duty leather to withstand long hours of riding.

Adventure/Touring Boots

If you’re the type who enjoys off-road adventures, adventure boots are the way to go. These boots offer maximum protection, grip, and durability, perfect for tackling tough terrains.

Urban/Casual Boots

These boots are more stylish and casual, great for city riding or short commutes. While they offer less protection than racing or adventure boots, they balance safety and fashion for the urban rider.

Key Features to Look for in Biker Boots

Before you rush to buy a pair of biker boots, make sure you know what features to look for. A good pair of boots can make all the difference between a safe, comfortable ride and a risky, uncomfortable one.

Material

Leather is by far the most popular material for biker boots. It’s durable, resistant to wear and tear, and provides great protection against the elements. However, synthetic materials like Gore-Tex are also excellent choices for water resistance and breathability.

Sole

The sole of your boots is crucial for grip. Look for anti-slip soles with deep treads to help you maintain control in wet or uneven conditions. A solid rubber sole is ideal.

Ankle Protection

One of the most vulnerable areas during a fall is your ankle. Make sure your boots offer solid ankle support and protection, with reinforced areas around the heel and ankle.

Toe Reinforcement

Many biker boots come with reinforced toe caps to prevent injuries from impacts or gear shifting. Steel toe boots are a great option for those looking for maximum protection.

Comfort

You’re likely to wear your biker boots for hours on end, so comfort is key. Look for boots with cushioned insoles and a good fit. Keep in mind that some boots may take time to break in.

How to Choose the Right Pair of Biker Boots

Choosing the right pair of biker boots depends on a number of factors, including your riding style, the type of terrain you’ll be riding on, and, of course, your personal preferences. Here are some tips to help you find the perfect pair:

Assess Your Riding Needs: Are you a city rider or do you prefer off-road adventures? Your riding style will determine whether you need urban boots, touring boots, or something in between.

Fit and Sizing: Don’t buy boots that are too tight or too loose. Your feet should have enough room to move but remain secure inside the boots.

Weather Considerations: If you live in an area that experiences a lot of rain, waterproof biker boots are a must. Look for boots made from water-resistant materials like Gore-Tex or treated leather.

Budget: Biker boots come in a wide range of prices. It’s important to find a balance between affordability and quality. While it may be tempting to go for the cheapest pair, investing in high-quality boots will pay off in the long run.

Safety Tips for Wearing Biker Boots

Always wear socks: Thick socks will make your boots more comfortable and prevent blisters during long rides.

Lace them up tight: Ensure your boots are securely fastened to avoid accidents caused by loose laces or straps.

Break them in: New boots may feel stiff at first, so wear them around the house or on short rides before taking them on a long journey.

Regularly maintain your boots: Clean your boots after every ride, especially if you’ve been riding in mud or rain, and condition the leather to keep them in good shape.

Industry Insights: What Experts Say About Biker Boots

According to Motorcycle Gear Expert, "Investing in quality biker boots is one of the best decisions a rider can make. Not only do they offer protection in case of an accident, but they also provide comfort and support for those long road trips."

Another expert from Ride Magazine adds, "A good pair of biker boots can be the difference between walking away from a crash with minor injuries and dealing with something much more serious."

The Future of Biker Boots: Trends and Innovations

The future of biker boots looks promising with brands continuously innovating to make them safer, more comfortable, and stylish. Many manufacturers are now incorporating cutting-edge materials such as Kevlar and carbon fiber to provide extra protection without sacrificing comfort or style. There’s also a growing demand for eco-friendly materials, with some companies offering boots made from sustainable leather alternatives.

Conclusion

Whether you’re a seasoned rider or just starting out, a solid pair of biker boots should be a non-negotiable part of your riding gear. They offer a perfect combination of style, comfort, and—most importantly—protection. By investing in the right pair, you’re not just upgrading your wardrobe, but also enhancing your safety on every ride.

[okkatelynjosey]

Here's a picture of Chris performing as the Black Swan (Oddille) in the Swan Lake ballet 🦢🖤, she was 14 years old when she did this, and I'm sorry if the shadow doesn't look much like a shadow l, I tried, but this image could also go to show what Chris the killer's strength is.

The reason why I'm talking about strength and flexibility, is because ballerina's are strong and very flexible, for example, if your start your first ballet class as a little kid (I don't know how old you have to be) you would have to go through some tough stretches and some tough ballet exercises to become strong, flexible, well balanced, and your feet also flexible and strong enough to keep yourself balanced, so Chris is strong and very Flexible. The pointe shoes (the ballet shoes) are made to help you get on the tips of your toes, which is called pointe, but you still need the strength to get on pointe without any struggle and be in good control of your feet with every single step you take, pointe shoes are not very comfortable either, that's why they wear toe pads, toe pads do make your feet more comfortable, but you still might feel a little bit of pain while dancing in pointe shoes, that's just the design of the shoes themselves, but the more you dance and trane in pointe shoes, the more use to them you will get, and once you get stronger and more flexible in ballet, you will find it easier to dance in them. However, children don't get their first pointe shoes until they are 11 or 12, which is the age that their bones are most likely to be more stronger now, and should be ready for pointe, so little kids always dance in what ballerina's call "warm-up shoes" which are basically ballet shoes that don't go on pointe, because their ballet flats, but they are more comfortable than pointe shoes.

Although Chris is strong, but she doesn't just go in for the kill, she's good at setting up traps so that she can easily catch you, that's what makes her more dangerous, she could be spying on you and then sneak at trap right where you might be heading and could even lure you in by calling out to you, so that you could walk right into it so that she could catch you alive.

The reason why I find this fitting, is because the Black Swan knows who she is, she knows what she wants, and she will not stop until she gets it, however, Chris the Killer knows who she is too, she knows that she is a serial killer, but she has a desirable thirst for blood, and she will not stop until she feeds that desire, and let's also add the fact that she does wear black all the time...The Black Swan 🙃.

Hope you guys like this picture and I hope that you've enjoyed my opinions about what ballet has to do with Chris's strength.

[evelynjohn001]

The Ultimate Guide to Women's Tennis Socks

When it comes to enhancing performance on the tennis court, every detail counts. From the right racket to the perfect pair of shoes, everything plays a role. However, one often overlooked piece of gear that can make a significant difference is a good pair of tennis socks. Here’s why women’s tennis socks are crucial and what to look for when choosing the perfect pair.

Why Tennis Socks Matter

Comfort and Cushioning: Tennis involves a lot of quick, dynamic movements, and your feet bear the brunt of this activity. High-quality tennis socks provide extra cushioning in key areas like the heel and ball of the foot, reducing the impact and preventing blisters.

Moisture Management: Sweaty feet can lead to discomfort and blisters. Tennis socks are designed with moisture-wicking materials that keep your feet dry by drawing sweat away from the skin, ensuring you stay comfortable even during intense matches.

Support and Stability: A good pair of tennis socks offers additional arch support and snug fit, which helps in maintaining stability and preventing injuries. This support is crucial for those rapid lateral movements and sudden stops.

Durability: Tennis can be tough on socks. The constant movement and friction can cause wear and tear. Tennis socks are made with durable materials that can withstand the rigors of the game, ensuring they last longer than regular socks.

Features to Look For

Material: Look for socks made from synthetic blends, which offer the best combination of moisture-wicking and durability. Common materials include polyester, nylon, and spandex. Some socks also incorporate natural fibers like cotton for added comfort.

Cushioning: Different socks offer varying levels of cushioning. If you prefer a more plush feel, opt for socks with extra padding. For those who like a closer connection to the court, thinner socks might be preferable.

Fit: The right fit is crucial. Socks should be snug but not too tight. Look for options with a bit of spandex or elastic to ensure they stay in place without slipping or bunching up.

Height: Tennis socks come in various lengths, from no-show to crew. The choice depends on personal preference and style. Crew socks offer more protection and support around the ankles, while no-show socks provide a more minimalist look.

Ventilation: Breathable mesh panels or other ventilation features can help keep your feet cool, especially during long matches or in hot weather.

Top Brands to Consider

Nike: Known for their Dri-FIT technology, Nike tennis socks offer excellent moisture management and comfort.

Adidas: With their Climacool technology, Adidas socks are designed to keep feet cool and dry.

Thorlo: Renowned for their padding and durability, Thorlo socks are a favorite among tennis players who prioritize comfort.

Balega: Balega offers socks with seamless construction and superior fit, making them a popular choice for athletes.

Conclusion

Investing in a good pair of women's tennis socks can significantly enhance your performance and comfort on the court. By focusing on key features like material, cushioning, fit, height, and ventilation, you can find the perfect pair to support your game. So, the next time you gear up for a match, don’t forget to give your feet the attention they deserve with the right tennis socks. Happy playing!