#yay he didn't shave!

[datshitrandom]

Darren Criss at London Palladium | October 15, 2023 | 📸 via Shauna

[pradabambie]

part 2 to this ask - rafexreader fight.

i'm finally back!! yay

let me know if you like this and remember request are always open <3 help your girl out in the creativity department hehe

it's been two weeks since you last saw or talked to rafe, and he was losing it.  

normally, you two were practically inseparable, spending every moment together, a routine rafe had grown accustomed to. 

his attempts to reach you were relentless.  

he spammed your phone with calls and texts, even emails. he not only contacted you, but all your friends. he even showed up at your house a couple times, your parents insisting on the instructions you gave them: you didn't want to see him. 

rafe even visited places you frequented, hoping for an encounter. today, luck was on his side. he spotted you sorting through the apples in your little pink gym shorts, and tapped your shoulder, careful not to startle you as you focused on the music coming out of your headphones. 

you looked up at him, rolled your eyes and pressed pause on the spotify app "leave me alone, rafe" you asserted. 

but as then you looked into his eyes, worn and red, dark bags under them. his hair was messy, and you could tell he hadn't shaved in a couple of days. his plea cut through the air. 

"please, i'm beggin you. let me buy you a coffee or something. i need to talk to you. i need you. i miss you." his words were interrupted by a shaky sigh that left your lips. 

"okay," you said, staring at him expressionlessly. 

"what?" 

"yes, okay, rafe. pick me up at six, and i'll have one cup of coffee with you. that's it." 

a sudden grin lit up his face. "yes! yes, of course. i'll pick you up—" 

"i have to go. see you later," you cut him off, not allowing him to finish. 

the hours leading up to the meeting felt like an eternity for rafe. this coffee date represented his chance to mend things. 

at exactly six, rafe, dressed in a shirt he remembered you liked, stood outside your door. you noticed his effort—neatly combed hair, a hint of cologne. 

you greeted him with a nod, signaling readiness to get it over with. rafe, attempting to conceal his nerves, led you to his car. 

the drive to the cafe was filled with awkward silences. once there, you both ordered drinks, enveloped in the familiar aroma of coffee. rafe took a deep breath, collecting his thoughts. 

"i don't even know where to start," he admitted, eyes focused on his coffee cup. 

you remained silent, waiting for him to continue. rafe took a moment to choose his words carefully, realizing the significance of what he was about to say. 

"look, i messed up, okay? i took you for granted, i realize that. i miss us, and i can't stand being without you," he confessed, his gaze pleading for understanding. 

you listened quietly, sipping your coffee, contemplating whether his words carried genuine remorse or were just another attempt to manipulate your feelings. 

"i've been reflecting on everything, and i want to change. i want to be the person you deserve. please, give me another chance." 

your response was measured. "i want to believe you, rafe, i really do. but how do i know this isn't another one of your little games?" 

he pulled a red velvet box from his pocket, revealing a silver ring with your birthstone right in the center. "i got this for you. i know this doesn’t fix things, but it's a start. i remember you talking about a promise ring or something like that." 

your eyes lit up looking at the ring, you had to admit rafe's good taste remained intact. 

 “it's gorgeous, rafe, but you can't buy me with this, okay?" 

"i know. it's just a little visual aid. i want you for life. i promise to show you i'm committed to this, to you." 

you paused, studying his words. the silence heightened rafe's anxiety. 

"let's just say you're on probation," you finally said. "but i swear, rafe, mess up once, and—" 

before you could finish, strong arms wrapped around you, lifting you off your seat, showering you with kisses. "yes, baby, anything you say," rafe declared, filled with newfound hope. 

[uvuyai]

© uvuyai 2024

ძᥲᥡ 2 ~ һᥙmіᥣіᥲ𝗍і᥆ᥒ + 𝗍ᥡіᥒg ᥙ⍴ [EVENT]

Yandere! Blade x FEM! Reader

–genre. Smut, nsfw

–tw. Blood, skin carving, humiliation, skin writing, non-con, creampie, sadist!blade, spanking, porn with plot(maybe), size difference, stomach bulge, choking, overstimulation, possessive behaviors, blade is called ren, mentions of the hard R in the beginning, neglect, degradation, reader is blades reincarnated lover, prone bone, MINORS DNI, non consensual touching, nipple play, SW and Kafka is helping blade, headlocking, dub-con, blood,

–synopsis. You've been kidnapped by the swordsman of the Stellaron Hunters and brought to their headquarters. It's Valentine's Day and he planned something special.

Mari/yai's message – just know i was very uncomfortable with writing this. I've been drawing lately so it's been a while.

You were tied up in the basement of the Stellaron Hunters headquarters. You were just walking down the streets of luofu till you were grabbed into an alleyway and a cloth covering your mouth and then you inhaled chloroform, passing out into the person's(or thing) arm. When your captor brought you back to where they lived, they introduced themselves as Blade but he told you to call him ren.

Blade. As in the wanted criminal and part of the Stellaron Hunters?

After a while he got tired of your useless attempts at escaping (mostly snitched on by Kafka or Silverwolf by telling blade you escaped.), and then forcefully forced himself onto you. After that he left you.

He would come back occasionally if Kafka told him so if he didn't want you to die. He would bring you clothes and food to keep you alive and helped you take care of your hygiene. You didn't eat in front of him and just pretend to be asleep most of the time in the corner of the mattress.

You tried talking to him but couldn't since your stuttering held you back and you couldn't make eye contact with him since he fiery red eyes would stare into your soul, stunning it immediately.

He brought you stuff like a note book to draw or use it as a diary. Since you barely could get your words out, you wrote ‘Why did you kidnap me?’ on a page. He only muttered the word “Lover” and left it at that.

Well today was Valentine's day as you'd know by the calendar beside your bed. You still didn't love him or let yourself develop Stockholm Syndrome. If you could tell, he hated it.

You behaved well for the days, months, or even years he captured you. He let you out of your ropes and lets you walk around the basement. Various furniture was added like a desk that faced a window(that was very hard to break), a bed set, and a built in shower.

Silver Wolf gave the glory to Blade that he can have one of her old games but he decided to give it to you so you wouldn't be as bored when he went.

Kafka came down and called out for you. You raised your head from your pillow and looked at her with sleepy doe eyes. “C'mon dearie, Blade will be home soon and he has something planned for you.” she grabbed your forearm and dragged you to the bathroom and ran you a bath as if you were her child. She helped you shave your legs(and everywhere else including pubic) and did your hair into something simple. She gave you pink Valentine's Day themed lingerie undergarments to put underneath the white lace night gown.

You wished you knew why Blade suggested Kafka to give you this. The clothes fit you nicely. Your mind was all over the place as you thought about how Blade got the correct measurements of your bra and panties.

Kafka led you out of the bathroom and back to your bed and went back up stairs and came back down with a low black gift box. She skied the top off the box to reveal red ribbons. The box was branded so it must've been from a sex store or somewhere that was expensive. You thought it was for your hair otherwise it's weird to come in a box like that.

Kafka placed her hands behind her back and closed her eyes and let out a pitiful sigh. “I'm sorry, dear.” Before you could turn around something rough and hard hit the back of your head. It put you to sleep on impact.

She dragged your body to your bed and threw you on your bed, grabbing the ribbon and tied it tightly around your legs and wrist. The extras went around your waist and torso. You were truly a beautiful doll. She wrapped soft cloth around your mouth and eyes. Just breathe through

She left the room and as if on cue, Blade stepped through the door. In his deep voice, he spoke. “Did you do what I asked?” Kafka nodded her head and gave off her signature smile. “I did but I had to neutralize her because she was struggling too much for my comfort.” she was obviously lying. He could obviously tell too.

He stepped his way to the basement where you were. He heard distant whimpering and sobs which were coming from you. He reached you and noticed your squirming. Your breath hitched as you heard boots stepping your way. The ribbons were hurting way too much to even ignore for a bit.

“Hey waterlily, It's really disappointing how you didn't behave for her.” he breathed. “You should be punished for that. I see she did most of the work.” you heard something slam on the nightstand next to your bed.

He hooked his finger underneath the blindfold to reveal your doe stricken eyes.

His lips lifted into a smirk while he trailed his bandaged fingers from your face to your collarbone. He noticed your squirming got more vapid. You shook your head as you didn't want him to continue.

His hand ripped the strap that was holding the gown, revealing your covered breast. Your face felt as if it was burning from embarrassment. He pushed you onto your back and got on top of you. Your muffled protests became unheard as he grabbed scissors and cut the straps from your bra, removing it, and revealing your tits.

“You look like a slut... Begging for someone's attention.” he laughed. “That someone's attention you want is me.” he dug into his pants pocket and pulled out a knife and a permanent marker.

He slid the knife down your torso, the force was enough for it to draw blood. He leaned down and lapped at the blood while maintaining eye contact with you. Tears ran down your face and dried ones were replaced.

He fully discarded your dress and panties and threw them somewhere on the bed or ground. He used his gloved hand to finger you. Your slick immediately gathering on his hand. “Has all this fear got to you? I would've mistaken you for being a masochist, y'know.”

He unbuckled his pants and slid down his boxers that revealed his large, thick throbbing dick. It was flushed red at the tip and a white bead of precum was drooling from the slit. He thrusted two fingers into your cunt. He wanted to prep you since it's been a while since he had done anything with you. The stimulation was overwhelming. You desperately tried to kick him away but he grabbed your waist and replaced his finger with his dick rubbing against your pussy. Your juices covered the downside of his dick.

He leaned back to position his dick between your pussy lips. He thrusted up into your pussy, hitting your spongy spot on impact. A little blood covered his dick as well. A bulge would pop up with each thrust of his hips. Your scream was muffled and you leaned your head back on the pillow. You were biting at the cloth that was covering your mouth. It was covered in your saliva as well.

Blade hooked a finger underneath the cloth and pulled it down. Your breathing was harsh in a way that if it was cold, air would come from your mouth. As his thrusts started to pick up and your juices webbed his whole dick, he picked the knife back up and started to engrave a letter below your tits. The letter was his initial, the letter ‘B’. The icy hot pain was all over your body(it wasn't but it felt like it but mainly between your thighs), Blade licked the blood up, enjoying the metallic iron taste from it. His dick landed painful hits to your cervix, making you grimace at the feeling.

During that, yelps, whines, and moans were heard through the basement. If you were loud enough, Kafka and Silver Wolf would hear.

His thrust got more erratic. His thrusts were sure that by the time he finished your pussy would be gapping open and molded into the shape of his cock. You tried to cover your moans by turning your head to the side and trying to muffle them as much as possible. Blade was quick to grab your face, squishing your cheeks together as he got up in your face while looking at your unfocused eyes filled with tears. He trailed his eyes down back to where he drew the letter below your tits.

He slowly itched a small cross(which was a plus sign,) and after a while, he carved your first name initials after. It looked like those cheesy trends where it shows what initials are meant to be for example; B + Y. He did all of this while keeping his thrusts while you squirted your juices onto his lower abdomen and cock. He grabbed the permanent marker and drew a small heart around the heart.

He grabbed you by the shoulders and squished you against his chest. He rocked his hips back and forth and wrapped his arm around your waist to keep you steady. “You are such a slut. Nothing but my cum dump.” The cold permanent marker touched your skin, sending shivers down your spine and to your core. He wrote a few words like “CUMDUMP”, ”SLUT”, and “Blades/ren's property” on your back. He placed a few humiliating words on your collarbone so anyone could see it and also remind him what you are to him.

You pussy clenched around his dick, signaling your. “You wanna cum, yeah? Then cum. Cum for me.” he said between grunts. Your string of moans and mewls of being overstimulated, he released his cum inside you. Your stomach was slightly bloated and thick, sticky cum leaked out of your cunt and onto the bedsheets(it had little bubbles in them and stuck together like a spider web).

Blade was quick to flip you onto your stomach with your ass in the air. He grabbed the knife and released your wrist from the ropes binding them together. Your wrists were finally able to breathe. His rough hands grab at your wrist, pulling them to make you arch your back further.

He angled his cock back at your entrance, pushing his hips forward and his cum and your juices acting together as a secondary lube. The movement of his hips grew faster as time passed.

He leaned down to where his chest was touching your back. He resumed his torcher and thrust into you so hard he could break into your cervix and split you apart. His hand snaked up to your neck, squeezing it slightly so it wasn't hard enough to stop your breath. He used it to angle your head so he could kiss you. You moaned into his mouth and drooled all over his tongue.

His thrust started to get sloppy and he felt your breath get harsher from you breathing through your mouth. He wrapped both of his thick bulging arms around your neck, placing you in a loose headlock. A hand slipped down and tugged at your nipple. You released the kiss as you tried to get your breath back by sticking your tongue out. He placed a loud smack on your ass which made you come on his dick, stunning you.

He came inside you for the second time. You don't know how long he'll be doing this for as you feel his dick hardened inside you.

;(

[rui-drawsbox]

olba x dumenshi lets goo

little ramble about the worldbuilding cuz it my favorite thing abt dumenshi jkdsfh

besides Ruri and Cove, everyone meets as adults. Derek meets them when Cove s 16-17, Terri and Randy when he's 19-20 and Baxter comes into picture when he's 23

Yeah i'm using Cove's age as the standard lmao, i also made Ruri a half gnome so they could grow up together like in the game lol (i mean at least that's the case with half elves but i just assumed it was something universal haha)

dwarves aaaare super hairy but i wasnt sure about giving derek a full-beard so lets just say he shaves (?)

since baxter meets the gang once he's an adult, to me he spent half his lifetime with the olnf cast but went to the elves continent with his parents and since he didn't liked how dismissive they were toward others races (specially his parents, istg theyre like peak traditionalists lol) he ran off and joined our little group yay

cove is like laios but the "sea creaures" autism instead of the "all kind of monsters" autism

Ruri (and mom, shes also a gnome to me) teached a little magic to Cove, specifically water and healing spells

since gnome magic and elf magic is different, sometimes Ruri and Baxter teach magic to each other haha

dont ask me about their roles in the dungeon i dont play dnd

to me. baxter was this super classy elf, and he shows that classy-ness with expensive elf-like delicate outfits lol

Ma is a drawf (mabye?) and Mom is a gnome, which makes Lee also a gnome! Liz is still a human/tallman. Intentionally didn't make anyone a halfoot bc of their super short lifespan (mabye shiloh or jeremy)

cove suffers when they have to kill mermaids

[moonferry]

yk when u want a specific type of content but it like doesn't exist so u have to make it urself..

anyway have some bachelors x masc farmer ideas/headcanons/rambles. idk i just say words. long post so strap in, folks! honestly these could be considered gn if u squint bc i don't really use masc pronouns in the writing, however there are mentions of masc labels (boyfriend, husband)

mentions of internalized homophobia + depression

i may do bachelorettes x fem farmer next so stay tuned :3

harvey:

- wears his boyfriend's/husband's shirts. literally no exceptions. if you wore it, he is going to wear it too. you left a shirt at his place? oh. it's his now. and he's going to be smiling the entire time he wears it. this being said, i think he'd totally be like T____T it doesn't smell like you anymore and ask for a different one.

- loves to compliment your appearance or just you in general (in my play through he literally says "you look so handsome. did you shave?" like 3 times a week)

- personally, i see harvey as being bisexual + super open about it. like everyone in town supports him & they're so ecstatic for him when they see he has a boyfriend.

- if you have yet to ask him out, though, and he's realizing his feelings i think it would be very hard for him to hide them. someone could be asking him something and you walk into the clinic? his entire train of thought is GONE. i'm talking they have to wave their hand in front of his face to get his attention back.

- don't even get me STARTED on if you propose. he'd literally walk into the clinic, slam his coffee on the reception desk and be like, "MARU, LOOK." pretty sure he fainted and maru had to fan him back to consciousness.

elliott:

- despite elliott's openness with his own sexuality, i think he was terrified of your rejection. not too terrified obviously because something something inspiration from painful experiences yada yada. if you ended up not being interested in him, he probably would've gotten over it - but don't be surprised if you notice some strange subtext in his writing. he's a romantic writer - if he has feelings, they're going to get written down. sorry folks.

- but * yay * you didn't reject him, so elliott is still inspired. maybe you even become the next love interest in his newest novel? who knows.

- in his 14 heart event, he writes a series of letters to you because he has to leave pelican town for a week. i absolutely loved this idea and i think elliott would do this even if he was in the town. they could be something as mundane as what he did that day/week and he just. put it in the mailbox. you still enjoy reading them, though.

- i think he absolutely loves using "my" like "my man", "my husband" "my beloved" just anything, really. he loves you so much - and he knows he doesn't own you, obviously, he's just so glad he is lucky enough to call you his.

alex:

- i think alex was TERRIFIED of falling in love with you. in his 10 heart event, he mentions telling himself that he shouldn't experience these feelings for another man. every act of kindness you showed him ate away at his heart and it drove him crazy.

- i think he experienced a little internal homophobia before finally realizing that it was okay. it doesn't help that george is so adamant about him finding a girlfriend (and that george has a little homophobic arc 🥲). alex probably internalized these ideas and pushed himself into his gridball/weightlifting obsession to quiet his mind.

- after he finally worked up the courage to tell you how he felt - and was entirely relieved when you felt the same way - it was as if a weight removed itself from his chest. he could finally breathe again. the world seemed different - in a good way. colors were more vivid, sounds were more pleasing to hear, the earth felt solid underneath his feel for once. he wasn't afraid of anything, especially not with you beside him.

- now, he proudly walks around the town with your hand in his, smiling to himself.

- sometimes those thoughts start to seep back in, though. like when he's about to sleep at night and his brain just can't shut up. he starts to hate himself again, and then he feels you press against him or hears you mutter in your sleep and his heart softens.

- also he got george and evelyn shirts that say "i love my gay grandson" they wear them proudly.

shane:

- surprised that anyone took a romantic interest in him, not surprised by the fact that you're a guy.

- i don't think shane has a "preference" for dating someone, he goes based off of vibes + personality rather than gender or appearance. he also doesn't label himself or his sexuality/romantic attraction.

- he's definitely a shirt lender. like you see a nice jacket in his closet and you're like "hey, hun, can i borrow this?" "sure."

- thinks you look amazing in his clothes. probably puts the best ones on hangers (or at the top of the clothing pile) in hopes that you'd choose them.

- even if he doesn't show it outwardly, he's super afraid of losing you. because of his mental illness, he can't help but think that every good thing he has will be taken away from him or that he "doesn't deserve" them. (he does, and you often remind him of this if he gets too into his head).

- i picture him reaching over and placing a hand on your arm in the middle of the night JUST to make sure you were still there and not the universe playing a cruel joke on him.

- can cook, but he's so used to making frozen dinners that he often forgets to.

- if you're taller than him, forehead kisses are a MUST. he will not let you leave the farmhouse until he receives his daily forehead kiss.

- i think he loves being the little spoon. it just makes him feel safer, more grounded in a way. he's been at the point where it feels like nothing is permanent and it can all end in the blink of an eye, so being spooned helps him realize that it isn't all that bad and that it will be okay, given the right time and effort.

- shane definitely falls asleep on his husband's chest like.. once a week.

- because mental illness is a constant battle, i imagine shane still gets "bad days". but don't worry! his loving husband is here to help. shane's depressive episodes usually consist of lying in bed (often for days at a time) and it's extremely hard for him to do anything. but the farmer is used to this - he's definitely read up on mental health books and how to support someone with depression. the farmer never tries to force shane out of bed or tells him that he needs to "get over it". the farmer often checks on him in between their farm duties. i imagine when the farmer is completely finished, they sits down on the edge of the bed and play with shane's hair or rubs their hand up and down his back:

"hey shane, are you okay?"

"i will be."

"i love you, chickadee."

"i know."

"do you want some ice cream?"

"yes, please."

sam:

- by far, the most "affectionate"? in a way.

- sammy loves pda im sorry. if you two are walking along, he has to be touching you in some way - whether it's holding your hand. your arm looped through his own, your hand in his hoodie pocket, etc. he just needs physical contact. i also think he'd look at you with big, wet eyes and wait until you kiss him.

- he takes you to band practice !!! seb and abby don't really mind, and you even offer some input on how they should approach their next song.

- absolute golden retriever boyfriend. can and will curl up on your lap and cuddle against you (even if he's ridiculously tall and lanky).

- if and when you attend all his shows/concerts, he definitely pulls you on stage once the set it over and kisses you publicly - sebastian and abigail just roll their eyes (this happens every single time. they're used to it).

- probably has your name written on his guitar.

- i think kent and jodi would be some of the most supportive people ever - they're just happy their son found someone to be with, regardless of gender.

- i think kent would probably sit you down and give you "the talk" about *grumble grumble* if you break my son's heart *grumble grumble*. not that you would, obviously, you adore sam. but kent's words do put the fear of god in you - this is the man who sends you bombs in the mail as a "friendly gesture"

- don't let that fool you, though, kent will be an absolute waterfall if you and sam get married. i also think he'd be more of a "ask for his blessing" before proposing kind of guy, but he'd give it willingly.

- sam loves it when you run a hand through his hair (if he had a tail, it would be wagging).

- sam puppyboy au? thinking thoughts...

sebastian:

- i think the only one surprised that seb has a boyfriend is seb himself. he always pictured himself a "loner for life" and DEFINITELY didn't expect to fall in love with this weird farm boy.

- he probably spends more time at the farm house/wherever you two hang out than his own home. but who could blame him?

- he was so confused about his feelings that he ended up talking to maru for help (crazy, right?) the two of them built a pillow fort near maru's telescope and spent hours talking. it was quiet nice. this helped him realize two things: 1) maybe his sister wasn't all that bad and 2) he was DEFINITELY in love with another man. he didn't know which was more confusing.

- i think sebastian likely confessed first in a sort of "nonchalant" way. i think the conversation went like this:

farmer,teasing: "oooh, you wanna kiss me sooo bad it makes you look stupid."

seb: "yeah, i do."

neither of you were prepared for that. i think he would ease the tension by just. ignoring what he just said.

- i think he smiles like a frog . a sort of :} if you will. like bulbasaur.

- speaking of bulbasaur, that is definitely his favorite pokémon. oh and froakie. he just like the little frog dudes. would love you forever if you won him a plushie from the claw machine.

- it's no secret that seb often thinks no one would notice if he left, but getting closer to you made him realize that.. someone would. and maybe that's enough.

- if he stays up late working on a project, just walk over to his desk and wrap him into a back hug. bonus points if you voice is gravelly from sleep. "let's go to bed, sebby." he'd melt. like full on puddle on the ground.

- because sebastian is like 5'6 you'd think he enjoys being the small spoon. WRONG!!! he is a big spoon exclusively. you don't mind, though.

- he would die if you played with his hands while cuddling. please give this boy some physical affection. he deserves it.

[vodika-vibes]

i know i just requested something (so sorry abt this😭😭) but i just thought of this!!

a modern AU meet cute with fives!! like a romantic little thing with a gn reader please!! maybe in a cafe or restaurant bc i love food lol

Coffee Cake

Summary: You are a busy person, always running hither and thither, running errands for your boss, your coworkers, and your family. And, every morning, you stop at the same cafe for coffee and a piece of coffee cake and hope that the cute barista will finally notice you.

Pairing: ARC Trooper Fives x GN!Reader

Word Count: 1440

Prompts: Modern AU

Warnings: None

Tagging: @trixie2023 @n0vqni @imabeautifulbutterfly

A/N: So this is less meet cute and more they already had their meet cute and are now friends who want more. I hope you don't mind! I also wrote this in under an hour, without any coffee because I have bloodwork this morning, so I'm sorry if there's any mistakes. And I'm, like, 90% sure that I kept this GN, but if I didn't just let me know!

The cafe smells like fresh coffee and fresh pastries. It’s probably the most comforting scent that you know, comforting enough that the moment you step through the doors, stress just falls off your shoulders. 

Stress is a regular part of your life.

Well, okay.

Stress is a regular part of everyone’s lives, but you seem to have twice as much stress compared to everyone you’ve ever spoken to.

“Babe,” They say, “Babe, you’re doing too much. You need to slow down.” And then they dump three weeks' worth of needs on you, and your stress levels just skyrocket.

At this time of day, though, so early that the birds are still waking up and the sun is just barely creeping over the horizon, there are not many people in the cafe. So you’re able to move over to your favorite table and drop all of your stuff on the table.

Technically, your work day doesn’t start for another hour, but you have some emails you need to send, and a speech you need to read over and correct for your friend. Not to mention, Mom needs you to make reservations for her, Dad, and your older sister and brother-in-law at a 5-star resort on the other side of the country.

And then your workday will properly start.

Yay.

You think it’s kind of telling that you’re not invited to the resort for the vacation that you’re scheduling for your family, but you’re not going to call them out on it.

This time.

You jump when someone raps their knuckles on your table, and then turn your head to look at the man standing just to your left.

Tall and broad, with curly hair, a neatly trimmed goatee, and a 5 tattooed on his temple, Fives is probably the biggest reason that you regularly visit this cafe rather than one of the dozens of other cafes in the city.

A small smile crosses your face when you see him standing there, “Good morning, Fives,”

“Morning yourself, early bird,” He teases as he reaches out a tugs on one of your curls, “The coffee cake isn’t done yet, but I do have your coffee.” He sets the paper cup on the table next to your laptop, “Peppermint cream and two sugars, just how you like it.”

You sigh, “You’re an angel among men, Fives.”

He smirks at you, “Oh, I know.”

You laugh quietly and sink into a chair, resting your chin on your knuckles as you look up at him, “Busy morning?”

“Never,” Fives replies as he leans his hip against the table, “You know we have some regulars, but the majority of our clientele is made up of my brothers.”

“Well, you do have a lot of them,” You joke as you pick up the cup and take a sip of the cafe and then pull it back to look at it in surprise, “Did you put—?”

“Whipped cream? Yes, I did. With some chocolate shavings.” Fives replies smugly.

You set the cup back on the table and look up at him, “Marry me?”

“You only want me for my coffee.” He counters with a grin, “I wanted to try something new, if you like it enough I’m going to add it to the menu.”

“Ah, and here I thought you just wanted to spoil me, not that I was playing taste-tester.”

“It can be both,” He says with a shrug, “Anyway, what mess are you cleaning up this morning?”

“Mm…I have some emails I need to send for work. My friend in the governor's office needs me to read over a speech she prepared for the Governer. Oh, and my parents and sister need me to book them a stay in a 5-star resort when they go on vacation.”

“You’re going on vacation?”

“Well, I wasn’t invited.”

“Wait, you weren’t invited but you still have to do all of the work?”

“Yup.”

“Don’t do it.”

“If I don’t then it won’t get done,” You reply.

“Then it doesn’t get done, it’s not your problem.”

You sigh softly, “Honestly, it’s fine. I don’t have time for a vacation anyway.”

Fives stares at you for a moment and then drops into the seat next to you. He smells like coffee and pastries, and there’s a smudge of powdered sugar on his cheek, and it’s all very distracting. 

“You,” Fives says as he takes your laptop and shoves it back into your bag, “do too much. When was the last time you took a vacation?”

“Uh…I dunno, five years ago, maybe? My sister’s wedding.”

“And was that an actual vacation, or did she make you play wedding planner?” Fives asks.

“...I’m feeling very attacked right now.”

“Good, you should.” He takes your hands in his so you aren’t able to grab your laptop, “You deserve better.”

“They’re my family and my friends,”

“Them being family only excuses so much,” Fives counters, “And you need better friends.”

“It’s not that easy, Fives. Can I have my laptop back?”

“No. This is rest time.”

You sigh, “Fives—”

“The bags under your eyes are so deep that they can probably carry all of my clothes with room to spare,”

You pull back and shoot him an offended look, “That’s mean,”

“I’m worried about you.” He releases one of your hands so he’s able to pull your chair closer, and you can feel his warmth radiating off him, “There’s more to life than…this.” He gestures to the pile of work stuff.

“I know that! I do. I’m just…busy, that’s all.”

Fives watches you for a moment, and then he smiles, “Do you dance?”

“I…what?”

“Dance? Do you dance?”

“Not well,” You reply slowly, “I’m not very coordinated.”

“Well, I’m going clubbing tonight with my brothers,” Fives says, “Come with me.”

“To the club?”

“Yeah.”

“And do what? Sit there and watch other people dance and drink?” You ask.

“Don’t be obtuse,” He rolls his eyes, “You’ll dance with me. I’ll make sure you get home safe.”

You stare at him, bemused, “You want to dance with me?”

“I want a lot of things. But I’ll settle for dancing for now.” He grins at you and continues before you’re able to ask him about his comment, “Anyway, are you in? It’ll be fun~”

You sigh softly, “Yeah, okay. I’ll go dancing with you tonight.”

The broad grin that crosses his face surprises you, though you’re not sure why you’re so surprised. Fives always gets excited when you say that you’re trying something new.

“That’s great! The dress code is whatever you can move in, I’m sure you’ll look amazing,” Fives says, his voice very excited, “But, I have to get back to work. I’ll bring you your coffee cake as soon as it’s done.”

You smile at him fondly, “Fives,”

He pauses before he stands, “Yeah?”

“You have sugar on your cheek,” He blinks at you and wipes his cheek, only to miss the sugar, and you laugh softly, “Hold on, I got it.” You reach out and lightly brush the sugar off of his cheek and onto the floor, “There. Perfect,”

You start to pull your hand back only for him to grab your wrist and, in one smooth motion, he pulls you towards him and crashes his lips against yours. 

You release a surprised noise, and then you melt into him, your free hand coming up to rest against his chest.

In your experience, first kisses are supposed to be soft and gentle. But this one isn’t. It’s deep and probing as if Fives is trying to determine what makes you tick with every press of his lips against yours.

You could lose yourself in him if you had the chance, so it’s probably a good thing that Hevy yells at Fives from behind the counter, “Oi!” He shouts as he flings a ball of paper at his younger brother, “Stop making out with your girl and get back behind the counter.”

Fives flips his brother off without looking away from you, and there’s a small smile on his face as his hand lingers against your cheek. He leans in as if he’s going to kiss you again, only for his twin to jerk him out of the seat.

“I’m happy for you, Fives. But you need to get back to work. Now.” Echo hisses as he drags Fives away from the table.

You lightly press your fingers against your lips, they’re tingling a little bit. And, for the first time in your life, you’re looking forward to going out tonight. 

And, judging by the goofy grin on Fives’ face, tonight can’t happen fast enough.

[mysteryshoptls]

SSR Lilia Vanrouge - Beach Wear Vignette

"Lilia's Super Deluxe Uninhabited Island Special"

[Uninhabited Island – Cottage]

Lilia: Here we go, Stitch. Time to start prepping "that" thing.

Stitch: Got it, okay!

Lilia: First, we need a large pot…

Lilia: Then we take all the fresh fruit we gathered, and… GO LIKE THIS!!

[squeezes fruit]

Stitch: Weehoo ♪

Lilia: Kufufu, doesn't it look delicious? Fresh fruit always tastes best raw or juiced like this.

Lilia: We'll just squeeze the mango and pineapple with magic, just like this…

Stitch: Yeehaw!

Lilia: Ohh…? You've got a tight grip on that pineapple there…

[CRUNCH, CRUNCH CRUNCH!]

Lilia: Nice going, Stitch! You got some nice 100% Juice flowing almost instantly.

Lilia: Kufufu, then I'll leave the squeezing of all the fruit to you.

Lilia: But I can't let you show me up. Let's see, here's the clear water we pulled from the waterfall…

[turns water to ice]

Stitch: !!

Lilia: Surprised? If I use magic like this, I can freeze water no problem.

Lilia: But I have to make sure I don't get carried away and use too much. We don't know when Gantu might attack us next.

Stitch: Yay!

Lilia: Have you finished squeezing the fruits already? Kufufu, you sure are a strong one, Stitch.

Lilia: …You are just like him.

Stitch: ?

Lilia: There's this guy named Malleus. He's descended from dragons, and his power is overwhelming.

Lilia: Even the hardest coconut shell is nothing more than a fragile eggshell in his hands.

Lilia: And he would also throw tantrums left and right if something didn't suit him.

Lilia: Like punching holes in the walls, or encasing the castle in ice, or raining down thunderbolts… To put simply, he was a pretty rambunctious kid.

Stitch: Bad boy appeared… Grr.

Lilia: I suppose so. There definitely are those who think he is a bad boy.

Stitch: Aw...

Lilia: If the people around him are frightened and try to avoid him, of course he'll turn out to be a rowdy kid.

Lilia: But, you know, Stitch. I think that it's okay for a bad kid to stay as they are.

Stitch: ?

Lilia: You may be hunted by Gantu just because you're a bad boy who likes to destroy things...

Lilia: But you've helped us so much with your amazing strength. The most important thing is how you use that power of yours.

Stitch: Ye-huh ♪

Lilia: …Well, I guess you could also say it also depends on the circumstances, too.

Stitch: ？

Lilia: Aw, but, I think that your aggressive and cute little self is just the most charming little thing!

Stitch: Oooh!

Lilia: Mhm, that's a good smile. Okay then, let's get back to the task at hand, Stitch.

Lilia: I say that, but all that's left for us to do is to add some more fruit juice.

Lilia: Oh yeah, we'll need a bowl to serve what we made. The shells are a little too small, so maybe we can make something out of the branches and leaves?

Stitch: Hah-ha!

[thock, thock, thock…]

Lilia: Oho, that's…

[Uninhabited Island – Cottage]

Jack: Lilia-senpai, did something happen? Why'd you call us all to the cottage like this suddenly?

Grim: Sniff, sniff, sniff… Funyaa～ I smell something sweet.

Ace: Eh! Oh, is this some kind reward for all our hard work gathering fruits and drawing water every day?

Floyd: A reward? Well, obviously we should be getting' something, I've been working sooo hard～

Lilia: Very perceptive. You're right, it's a reward! Something I've prepared for each and every one of you. And it's…

Everyone: It's?

Lilia: A FROZEN DESSERT!!

Grim: A frozen dessert!! …Like what?

Azul: He must be talking about a type of sweet made from freezing fruit juice and the like.

Azul: Since it's made of the ingredients found on this island, it could possibly be a sorbet… or perhaps a frappe?

Lilia: Correct. I'm treating you all to some cooooold shaved ice.

Grim: Shaved ice! Yuuuum, hurry and give me some!

Ace: Me too, me too! Every day's so hot, I'd been wanting to have something like ice cream.

Lilia: Kufufu, no need to fret.

Lilia: Now then, I'll take this bucket full of ice, and… DO THIS!

[CRACK!]

Ace: All the ice just shattered from that hand chop!?

Riddle: Lilia-senpai can even fell a large tree almost instantly. …Honestly, nothing surprises me anymore.

Lilia: Once you get a mound of shaved ice into one of the bowls that Stitch made for us…

Lilia: Drizzle some of the syrup we made from the fruits, and… IT'S READY TO EAT!

Lilia: Okay, let's start with you, Grim. Make sure you savor the flavor.

Grim: Nom, slurp, crunch, nom! Oooowee, it's so cold and tast…

Grim: URK!?

Ace: Grim!? Lilia-senpai, don't tell me you made the syrup out of that terrible tasting fruit…!?

Grim: Urgh, my head is numb… But it's so sweet and cold, it's crazy good!

Ace: Oh, you just ate it all tooo fast and got a headache. Sheesh, you scared me.

Lilia: Alright, everyone! I'll make one for all of you. [Yuu], what kind of syrup do you want?

1. Mango flavored! 2. Pineapple flavored!

Azul: I would like to have pineapple flavored syrup. It should have a nice tartness to it for a crisp taste.

Jack: I'll… try the mango. If I'm going to eat it with ice, I'd rather have a richer flavor.

Ace: Lilia-senpai, can I have both?

Floyd: Oh, is that allowed? Then I want both too～

Lilia: Here's the mango flavored one. And this one's the pineapple. And a combo for Ace and Floyd.

Jack: It's so cold and delicious. It's refreshing and I feel like this is a nice way to cool down.

Floyd: Yup. I thought it'd be nothing special 'cause it's just fruit juice over ice, but this syrup is pretty bangin'.

Ace: This syrup rocks! The parts where the mango and pineapple mix together is the best part.

Azul: What, really? Urk, I should have also chosen to have both…

Lilia: Kufufu, there's still a lot of syrup, you can have seconds. And it's all because Stitch helped me so much.

Stitch: Yahahahaha ♪

Lilia: But we have to make sure everyone gets their first helping first.

Lilia: Riddle, have you made a decision? If you're still having trouble choosing, you can also get both syrups.

Riddle: No, thank you, that's unnecessary.

Riddle: My mother always would say, "You cannot eat food made of ice, for they will chill your stomach."

[Uninhabited Island – Cottage]

Lilia: Riddle, have you made a decision? If you're still having trouble choosing, you can also get both syrups.

Riddle: No, thank you, that's unnecessary.

Riddle: My mother always would say, "You cannot eat food made of ice, for they will chill your stomach."

Ace: Ehh! You gonna worry about that now!? There's no way she'd find out even if you had some now.

Floyd: You don't get it at all, huh, Goldfish-chan. It'll be even more delicious when you snag a bite to eat even after your mom says no.

Lilia: Now, now. It's impolite to comment on the customs of other families.

Riddle: Indeed. Therefore, please don't worry about me…

Lilia: Then, I'll make a special dish just for you, Riddle.

Lilia: I'll freeze the mango with my magic, and… DO THIS AND THEN THIS!

Azul: Oho, you've sliced the frozen mangos thin, almost replicating the shaved ice.

Floyd: And you served it in a coconut half shell as a bow. It's all decorated with frozen bananas, pineapples, and even flowers, too.

Lilia: Here you go, Riddle. It's a "Chilled Fruit Dish." There's not a single piece of ice on it.

Riddle: …Heh. This certainly is a dish "made out of fruit" and not "made out of ice."

Riddle: Thank you, Lilia-senpai. Then, I shall dig in…

Riddle: !!

Riddle: Delicious! The fruit just dissolves instantly as soon as it touches my tongue… This is the first I've ever had such a thing.

Grim: Funyaa～～! No fair that just Riddle gets some! Lilia, me too! Me toooo～!

Floyd: Ehh, I wanna eat some too. Goldfish-chan, give me a bite!

Lilia: Okay, okay, I got it. I'll make some for everyone, so just wait a moment.

Azul: But really… Who would even think of freezing fruit only to shave them? Lilia-san, that was a brilliant idea.

Lilia: I just tried copying this one snack I tasted during one of my trips to a tropical country.

Lilia: In the past, there was many a time that I had to make this sort of thing. When it comes to frozen desserts, I'm really quite particular.

Lilia: At first, I was only able to make simple dishes, like shaved ice with drizzled nectar or fruit juice…

Lilia: But there was this one guy who would just revel at eating the shaved ice I'd make him.

Lilia: I thought he'd get bored of continuously eating the same thing, so I tried to make it look more and more gorgeous, adding condensed milk or honey-soaked fruit to them.

Lilia: Back then, I wasn't very used to cooking, but I bet if I tried again now, I could probably make something much fancier.

Lilia: Alright, Lilia's Super Deluxe Uninhabited Island Special is ready! Come, eat it before it melts.

1. Let's dig in! 2. Thank you very much!

Grim: Nom, nom nom!! That rich, sweet flavor just completely melts in my mouth～!

Jack: It's more flavorful than just drizzling the syrup on the ice. This is the first time I've ever eaten fruit like this.

Ace: This frozen banana is also crazy good. It's got a way different texture than the raw stuff. You should try this too, [Yuu].

Lilia: What do you think, Stitch? Is it good?

Stitch: …

Riddle: He's looking very forlornly at his empty shaved ice bowl. Perhaps he would like seconds.

Lilia: Or maybe… Did looking at the cup remind you of someone?

Stitch: …

Riddle: Now that you mention it, the bowls that Stitch made for our shaved ice does have an interesting shape to it.

Riddle: It has a conical shape, as if for ice cream, or gelato…

Lilia: Hm. Well, that reminds me that I once saw shaved ice being sold at a food stand in this one tropical country in a similar conical shape.

Lilia: A tricycle carrying a silver box was parked on the side of the road. They were selling shaved ice to those walking by.

Lilia: Eating shaved ice with a ton of syrup on a hot day is the absolute best. You should try it sometime.

Riddle: Eating while walking is… Ah, never mind. Yes, alright. Perhaps if the occasion arises.

Riddle: Based on your anecdote just now, it may be that Stitch here is from a more tropical region.

Stitch: …

Stitch: …Ohana.

Lilia: I get it. There's a certain "someone" you want to share this delicious shaved ice with.

Stitch: Ye.

Lilia: Mhm, I understand that feeling well.

Lilia: The guy who would always ask me to make him frozen desserts was always the same way.

Lilia: It's not that he wanted to eat it because it was delicious. It's more like he wanted to eat it with someone he cared for.

Lilia: I'm the same way. I used to think that whatever I ate didn't matter, so long as it sated my hunger. However…

Lilia: Even those frozen desserts that I never thought would satisfy me would always be the most delicious when I could eat it with him.

Stitch: Yeah.

Lilia: Now that he's more or less stopped throwing his tantrums, I haven't really made him any shaved ice anymore.

Lilia: Maybe once we escape from this island, it may be a good chance to try my hand at it again.

Lilia: Oh, right. You should make this shaved ice for your loved ones as well. I'll give you the recipe.

Stitch: Great!

Riddle: Eating it with people is what makes it delicious, hm.

Riddle: Lilia-senpai, please teach me the recipe as well.

Riddle: I would like to make it for my dormmates who no doubt are fulfilling my duties while I am gone.

Lilia: Well, of course, I'd be happy to. I'll give you a proper lesson on how to make it, too.

Lilia: I'll have to tell them all about my adventures on this island. Kufufu, that's just another thing to look forward to this summer.

Requested by Anonymous.

[misseviehyde]

BITCH SWITCH

"Yay, thanks so much for doing this for me Tom,” smiledJaney as she practiced her stretches with her body-swapped boyfriend.  “I know you really hate your step-sister Brooke, but by you swapping bodies with her I finally have a chance to get on the cheer team.”

Tom had no idea why his likeable girlfriend Janey was so desperate to be a cheerleader, but he would do anything to make her happy, even swap with his horrible slutty step-sis. 

He and Brooke did not get on - she was vain, spoiled and bitchy and represented everything he despised.  If he didn't love Janey so much he would never have agreed to this plan. Working himself up to say the words of the swap spell had been tough, but now he was inside Brooke's body it wasn’t as bad as he thought it would be.

“Brooke would never have sponsored you otherwise.  This way I can get you onto the team, then I’ll swap back with her. I can’t wait to get my body back once you're on the team. I’m so sick of having to hang out with Brooke's bitchy friends and act like a stuck up drama queen all the time.  I’m glad the try outs are today."

Reflecting on it, it hadn’t been an easy process at all. Brooke had been furious when they swapped, and Tom had had to threaten to shave off her sexy hair and delete all her social media accounts to keep her quiet about swapping.  She had finally gone quiet and sulky, storming off in his body and to be honest he had hardly seen her for the last few days which was a relief.  The trials were this afternoon so by tomorrow he would be able to get back to normal.

In the last few days, Tom had had to learn everything about being a hot teenage girl as well as practice with Janey constantly. Who would have thought being popular would be this complicated?

He would be glad when this was all over.  Just a few more hours and it would all be done.

"Let's get on with this."

**********

Hours later Tom and Janey were half-way through practice, when Tom turned to see his body suddenly enter dressed in a tight fitting leotard.

“What the hell are you doing?” snapped Tom as he shook his head at the ridiculous get up his sister had his body in.

“Oh didn’t I tell you Tom?  Since you stole my body and dumped me in this one, I’ve been doing some thinking.  I’ve decided I’m going to try out for the team as well.  It’s about time we had a male cheerleader again.  I’m sure all the boys at school won’t mock you too badly.”

Tom gasped as he realised she was deadly serious. “You bitch - you can’t do this.  You are NOT entering the try outs as me, forget it.”

Brooke sneered. “You started this by stealing my life. Switch our bodies back or I'll turn you into the biggest sissy bitch at school."

Tom sighed, his devious sister had him by the balls and she knew it.  There was no way he was letting her humiliate him like that.  He had no choice but to give her back her body.

“Sorry Janey, I’m going to have to swap back with her, she’s serious.”

Walking over to the sofa, Tom rummaged inside where he had his favourite hiding place and he pulled out the magic spell book he had used to swap with Brooke, flicking through to the body swap page.

“Oh no you don’t - NO WAY,” screamed Janey. “I am not letting her ruin this for me.  If you swap back with Brooke I’ll never make it onto the squad, especially now we did this to her.” 

Grabbing the book off the surprised Tom, she flicked through urgently. “There must be another spell here we can use to stop her.”

“Janey, be careful with that book, the spells inside are dangerous.”

“Aha - there’s a spell that will give Brooke your personality and memories - then she’ll be more helpful. I don’t know why we didn’t think to use it in the first place.”

Before Tom could stop her, Janey had read the spell and there was a bright flash.

“Oh no Janey, what have you done?” groaned Tom gripping his head.  “That spell doesn't just affect Brooke, you cast it on me as well.”

“What? No! How do you reverse it?” screamed Janey as she saw her boyfriend double over and grip his head in agony.

Janey’s stomach churned as she suddenly noticed there was no way to reverse the spell.  In her panic she flicked through the book looking for a solution but she couldn’t find one!

Meanwhile Tom and Brooke were both going through a new transformation, only this time mental. Their memories and personalities were being exchanged. It was like having all your memories poured out and new ones flowing in.

Tom groaned as his head filled with new thoughts and memories.  His life as Tom was fading and Brooke's slutty memories were welling up to overwhelm him. 

Wow, I never realised how hot it feels to be a slutty bitch.  My step-sister is sooooo cool, mmmmmmh, I like being her. 

The last few days have been such fun, why would I want to go back to being a dumb boy?

What am I saying?  I am Brook now.  I can keep her body and be the bitch I want to be.  I’m hot and popular and I can do whatever I like, no one can stop me.

Tom couldn't fight it. He was becoming a teenage bitch and it felt so good. Laughing he stopped resisting and grabbing his old body laughed in glee. "Yessss give it all to me bitch - I'm Brook now!"

Tom moaned as his pussy dripped with lust and he felt the last of his worthless boy memories flow out of his head.

You are no longer Tom. Now you are Brooke

Stretching her flexible perfect body, Brooke grinned as she pushed Janey back against a wall and grabbed the spell book from her. "I'll take that loser."

She giggled as she tossed her blonde hair in delight.  “You dumb bitch, you just turned me from your innocent boyfriend into your worst nightmare.”

“You should have used this spell instead - the mind control spell,” laughed Brooke as she flicked through the pages. Intoning the words, she read it and Janey and Tom groaned as their eyes went blank.

Brooke grinned. They were hers to program now.

“Tom - you will forget you were ever a girl named Brooke. You have always been Tom and you have the biggest crush on me your step sister.  You no longer want Janey and in fact you despise her.  You will believe you have been fucking me for weeks behind Janey’s back.”

“Janey - you will forget all about the magic book and the events of the last week.  Now wake up both of you.”

Janey and Tom opened their eyes as Brooke hid the book again.  Her former girlfriend was now totally clueless as to what had happened and the new bitch beckoned Tom over.

 “Tom - you look kinda hot in that outfit.  Why don’t you show your dumb girlfriend some of the new moves we have been practicing together?  I’m horny and I wanna cum."

“Are you sure?” he asked uncertainly.

“Yes, do it, show her what you really think of her. Fuck me in front of her and show her what a real man wants in a woman”

Janey gasped in horror as Tom yanked up Brooke's dress and slid his cock into her tight shaven pussy.  She moaned happily as her step-brother began to fuck her in front of Janey - long slow pumps sliding in and out of her tight cunt and making her gasp in pleasure. Sex as a girl felt amazing.

Brooke turned her head to regard her former girlfriend. "I don’t think you should bother trying out for the squad Janey, you have no chance of getting on.  Nobody likes you - not even your former boyfriend.”

“You bitch, how long has this been going on for?” sobbed Janey.

“Oh weeks," lied Brooke. "Tom is my lover now.  It feels so naughty to fuck my own step-brother.  Mom and Dad will be mad when they find out, but I don’t care.  Now Tom, I want you to cum inside my slutty pussy. In fact I have an idea.  Stay where you are bitch, you don’t want to miss this."

Janey cried as she watched Tom intensify his thrusts and with a grunt - orgasm hard into Brooke.  The evil bitch moaned in satisfaction as hot cum flooded her pussy and she commanded Tom to carry her to the sofa.

“I’ve changed my mind Janey. I’ll let you onto the squad on one condition.  Come here and lick all of Tom’s cum out of my pussy.  Show me how much you want to be a cheerleader and I’ll help you after all.”

Lying back, Brooke smirked.  Ohhhh yes, being a twisted slut felt so good.  She was so glad that this happened and she ended up as a bitch. There was no love left for her old girlfriend or life. The memory transfer had been completely successful. Now the only question was, would Janey eat her out?

Brooke smiled with satisfaction as the whimpering girl went to her knees and advanced.  Yes being a bitch really was amazing, she couldn’t wait to find out what else she could make people do now she was hot. This bitch-switch was really going to work out and Brooke loved it.

[cinnamon-piastri]

Cozy Cuddles | Esteban Ocon

Pairing: Esteban x reader

Summary: You love your boyfriends stubble

(or I saw these GIFs of estie today and I can't get them out of my mind so need to make a quick fic x)

Warnings: Pure fluff 💙

There's fewer things better than cuddling up with your boyfriend on a chilly Sunday night and tonight was no exception. You guys were curled up on the sofa watching films with Esteban laid behind you resting his chin on your shoulder.

"oh gosh that tickles" you giggle as he leans to plant a small kiss to your right cheek, his stubbly beard brushing your cheek in the process. He's grown it out recently now sporting practically a full beard instead of his usual clean shaven look.

Esteban chuckled as you squirmed from the touch. "Sorry babe I could always shave it off" he suggested with a goofy grin. "No!" You practically yelled as you turned to look at him. "You can't do that"

"And why's that?" Esteban questioned with a smirk as he gazed at you. "Because I like it" you admitted as you brought a hand up to stroke his stubbly cheek.

"You just like stroking it" Esteban said with a chuckle. "Wait, thats why you always caress my face at night!" He said with a smirk. Recently you would stroke his chin as you fell asleep together, and it's only been happening since his beard started coming in.

"What no I don't" you said defensively. "Okay maybe a little bit" you admitted a little embarrassingly. Esteban chuckled at your defensiveness. "Babe it's okay I don't mind it's quite cute actually" he admitted with a grin. "I didn't realise you'd like it that much but I guess I have to keep it now" He said with a shrug.

Your face lit up as you continued stroking his face now with both hands. "Yay! I mean yeah sure that would be nice" you said with a wide grin. Esteban planted a soft kiss to your lips before chuckling "gosh you're too adorable you know" he said shaking his head.

"Now come on we're missing the film" Esteban said, acknowledging the fact you guys haven't paid attention for a long time now. "Yeah yeah in a second just a bit longer" you said as you continued to stroke his chin softly, grinning up at him.

Esteban laughed as he shook his head. "Fine a few more minutes" he said as he pulled you in for a hug and laid you both down before giving you a kiss on the nose. "what are you like huh?" He asks with a smirk, bringing his hand up to rest on the one you had placed on his face.

Neither of you cared about the film, you could both stay in this moment and each others arms forever.

[ninjagirlstar5]

OH God, he breached containment, oh no-

I didn't want to risk Mitch being selected by the Wheel of Fate so I never put him on the list...but because I like to complete things in a set, that also meant I left the worst for last. Bleh.

Whatever, let's get this over with as soon as possible. I tried to keep his asshole vibes as I changed his design. It didn't change THAT much aside from the colors, with his hair being the most changed as I ended up turning it into a ponytail style with a shaved cut. If he takes it out, his hair would probably look about the same as his OG cut. Does the loose strand of hair from his ponytail make sense? No idea, but I tried to make it look nice (augh). His style of clothing didn't really change that much, aside from his jacket being open. I probably should've made his earring more prominent/bigger but eh, that can easily be fixed in future drawings....if I ever draw him again. I also slightly changed his necklace and readjusted the position of it. I changed his shoes so that they look more like...well, shoes. His color palette changed pretty drastically, as his clothes are now black and gray, with occasional purples and the blue being being changed to teal. With his design done, I am outta here-

And with that, the DRA cast is finally done! Yay!! *falls over* As for what I'm gonna do next, I'm probably going to focus on my writing for a bit cause I've been neglecting some of my writing projects for awhile now. And if I'm ever gonna redesign the SDRA2 cast...I'm probably not going to do that. Mostly because a lot, if not all of their designs are really good to the point that I struggle to think of a better design for them and the changes I would make right off the bat would be minor enough that I wouldn't really bother making a full-fledged redesign. (Seriously, though, why does Nikei have two scarfs?? I barely even see the red one cause the tone blends in with his purple vest. So I straight up forget that he even has a second one.) Buuut I have been thinking of doing a talent swap designs for the SDRA2 cast, so, look forward to that whenever I get around to it. :]

[verdemoun]

Hey, it's me again! Sorry for being mousey last time.

I know this is a bit recent but if I wait too long I'll either lose the idea or my nerve.

For some reason, I adore the Transfem "Kieran" Duffy HC. It's almost certainly projection, because while I was never held hostage by a roving band of psychotic Irishmen, I am shy, neurodivergent, and paranoid to the point of having escape plans I will never use.

I know you already did one for 1899 Kieran (which may or may not have cursed me with a love of an incredibly niche HC for an already very niche character) but could you maybe do one for Timewarp?

Alternatively, if you would like something different, Sean and his father learn about everything that happened in Ireland after their deaths. The 1916 Easter Rising, The Troubles, or Margaret Thatcher as a whole.

As another alternative, disregard this ask all together, and go get a snack. You probably need one.

A snack would be good rn I'll have a snack with one hand and reply with the other.

Transfem Kieran,,, beloved.

Bessie motherfucking Matthews can smell gender dysphoria like a bloodhound and would notice the second they brought the non-verbal smelly homeless former-O'Driscoll home.

Kieran's been sleeping rough for a month, just like when he was first let off the tree in Horseshoe he desperately needs a bath.

After a slight miscommunication about hot water (and the concept of not needing to share bath water), Kieran is sitting on the couch two hours later shivering in three layers of clean clothes and a blanket with Bessie very gently and patiently brushing the knots and mats out of his hair. The first thing Kieran makes close to a noise is a delighted squeak in the back of his throat as Bessie says what nice hair he has. Bessie immediately ties a little braid in Kieran's hair, to another overjoyed squeak.

Kieran absolutely latches onto Bessie as a safe person. When her husband assures her Kieran had always been around the women in camp and just seemed to prefer their company, Bessie takes note.

Innocently saying that they weren't expecting any more timewarpers for a while so Kieran has to go shopping in her wardrobe for a bit. While Hosea's clothes are in there too he picks out a v-neck and a chunky knitted cardigan and looks very content in women's clothing that still fits loose because of how scrawny he is.

Bessie also offers to help Kieran shave. Getting a close shave was still a fairly rare occasion thing in 1890s so she could easily say it was a treat to make timewarping seem less scary.

Instead Mair gets a moment of seeing herself with her hair perfectly washed and brushed and soft and clean shaven in femme-presenting clothes that didn't even exist in canon era and very quickly goes from 'yay men can be pretty in modern era' to the gender euphoria of 'wait am I a man? or am I a pretty lady? can i,, oh i can be a pretty lady!!'.

Bessie would also be euphoric because a) timewarp actually giving people a chance to explore gender identity in a way they couldn't in canon era and proving all the fear and learning to adapt to modern era is a good thing b) she finally gets a daughter because throughout all the children she has accidentally adopted over her lifetime (Arthur, John, Sean, Lenny) she is yet to actually have a daughter due to dying before the gang picked up Tilly.

Bessie would adore brushing Mair's hair and taking her shopping to get fancy nice smelling soaps and clothes. Mair would still be a hoodie gremlin but the classic oversized paired with a mini skirt but the hoodie's so long it just looks like she's not wearing anything under it.

Exception being first-time she sees a dress she absolutely must have. It very much looks like something from the early 20th century and only modern to the gang, with a bell skirt and petticoat to match.

Processing timewarp honestly takes up so much of the gang's time most would struggle to actually recognise Mair as Kieran except for the OG timewarpers who would respect times change I guess Mair is her name now. 'There's cars now and no one owns horses, and robbing banks and getting away with murder is almost impossible, you have to get an actual paying law-abiding job, also sometimes people change gender'.

Molly would absolutely fall in love with having another girl in the gang who doesn't actively hate her (her and Karen still have some beef to work out) and spend hours doing Mair's make-up with all her fancy products and Mair would adore it. Otherwise she is useless at doing make-up because that shit is hard.

She's somehow an even bigger horsegirl because she really identified with the being a girl part. People thought Kieran was obnoxious with his love of horses? Mair is worse, infinitely, infinitely worse. The few who make the connection Mair was once Kieran Duffy? The way she talks about horses.

My Little Pony backpack that goes everywhere with her.

She makes friendship bracelets for her favourite people, because she would never part with any of her precious horse figurines for any reason. She would still bite Sean for touching any one of them.

Bessie: precious darling daughter would you like to get our nails done together? Mair: yes please!! - after - Mair: yay pretty nails!! pretty!! Bessie: Bessie: it's okay if you want to take them off Mair: oh my god yes please

[seasidewanderers]

How Did I Even Get Here? Or As I Like To Call It, How I Became Syscourse Informed

I've been meaning to make this post for a while. I've been in syscourse for years now, more precisely from I think it was 2019. So for those curious of how even does one get into syscourse... Here's all the lore and backstory.

I'll put it under a cut. Read with extreme caution if you choose to, it's... gonna get ugly in here

Warnings: long ass post; talking about trauma, drug and alcohol abuse, self harm/suicide, psychosis

I had just started university and everything was going to shit. Yeah, I like cold opens alright. You should read my stories. A-hem. I had just started university. I was struggling to make friends - I never had friends before university - I had just shaved all of my hair off. New beginning and all that. My grades in high school weren't stellar but I was managing, while in uni it went all down the drain within the first month.

Living alone meant I could be doing everything I could ever dream of! Getting blackout drunk almost every night. I was buying a bottle of gin and a pack of Monster Ultra White cans to mix in my personal gin and Monster tonic every other day. I was an already psychotic teenager fighting regular psychosis with alcohol induced psychosis, having so many nightmares I was consuming the equivalent of 15-20 espressos a day just to stay awake. The only times I managed to get more than 3 hours of sleep I was near comatose. I wish I was misusing the word.

I was near constantly actively delusional.

(I've talked about it once or twice in here in the context of delusions related to trauma and DID, my most prominent delusion is related to survivor's guilt and early infancy medical trauma. I still get episodes, though now it's more chronic bizarre thoughts and sporadic psychotic depression)

In a year, I left my dormitory room to be with other people in the dormitory exactly once.

I also got to know a guy who turned out to be a drug dealer. I mean, a really nice guy otherwise. He never got me on hard drugs (it was his personal policy to not start someone who has never done hard drugs on hard drugs, and I had mad respect for that lad); he did otherwise just give me stuff if I asked for it. Mainly it was sleeping pills.

I was minding my business with a mix of alcohol, tranquillisers and caffeine up until a point where I took a little too much, fell asleep in class, and couldn't wake up no matter how much my friend was trying to get me awake. I got rushed to the ER and now I'm banned from taking sleeping pills again. Somehow my liver is intact though! Yay

So... what does it have to do with syscourse, you might ask. And you'd be absolutely right to ask.

Nothing and everything. I discovered my system eventually in university. I started noticing that even when I was not drinking, I wouldn't remember shit anyway (which only made me drink more, if I'm not to remember anything, why bother staying sober?)

I then started noticing that I didn't remember anything. About anything. My childhood is a blank. Middle and high school is so fragmented I have no idea what happened, and the few memories I have I'd rather forget.

So what does a 19-20 years old with no friends, almost always drunk, lots of the time high as a kite, forgetful and incredibly depressed, do with their free time?

Tumblr. I started out with looking up people who were talking about ADHD, thinking my forgetfulness was poor attention; then nothing really clicked, so I moved on to mood disorders spaces, thinking it was just depression; then again, yes I do have depression, it's been terrible for many years now, but stable enough, so the sudden heightening of forgetting and not being "really there" didn't really make sense to my depression.

By the end of the school year in June by means that I don't fully remember, I landed in system spaces. First just people talking about being plural, then I discovered the pit full of burning acid that is syscourse.

It actually wasn't so bad for me at first, but I was having a nice time online because I was just following that handful of blogs that I liked, and also I wasn't active in syscourse, just lurking around like a bog creature.

When I started expanding my niche of syscourse blogs, it was... something for sure though. I didn't understand why people were fighting. I didn't understand why everyone is so awful all the time. I get that spaces filled with trauma survivors are bound to get emotionally charged, and as the old adage goes, hurt people hurt people. I get that rationally, I get the anger, sadness, and grief, but I wouldn't imagine taking my frustration out on a passerby who's not the cause of my trauma. I don't get being mean on purpose.

At some point a few years ago I stumbled upon @sysmedsaresexist and @thecircularsystem (or rather, circulars-reasoning and circular-bircular)

If I remember correctly, they were both anti endo when I got to their blogs, and I was very pro endo. I didn't, and still don't, have any reason not to be.

I started reading everything they were putting out. Every little link and file they shared got under a microscope by my part.

Part of it was just paranoia - I know they're saying something terrible. There has to be something in there that says endos are all murderers or something and I'll be in so, so much trouble for being pro endo.

Part of it was just curiosity - what do they have to say? Let me take a look at that.

And then... There was absolutely nothing that made me believe they hated me specifically (more broadly, nothing in their resources that disproved the existence of endogenic plurality, but at the time that to me was equal to "if you're pro endo I hate your face and I'll be stabbing you in a dark alley first chance I get")

And... I loosened up a bit. I still didn't properly talk to them until this year, after SAS' Changing Mindsets post, and I can say I regret not reaching out sooner. I kept reading everything they were putting out, laughing at memes, and asked lots of questions. I tried going at it with more and more curiosity and less and less fear of stepping out of an imagined line.

It didn't always go well. I am very paranoid and it takes very little for me to retract into my shell like a turtle. But! I made a lot of progress with that, too. I also learned that a) I don't have to immediately respond to asks, comments, etc out of impulse or anger, I can actually take my time! and b) I don't have to reply at all if I don't want to!!! How great is that!!!!!

I don't know why people keep saying that you can't be friends with pro/antis. That's what I needed to do! I needed to get the fuck out of my own head, get to know other people, talk to them, see where they're coming from.

Though I wouldn't say I'm friends with them exactly, simply because friend to me has a specific connotation, but they are nice people who I love talking to. Who'd have thought the Scary Anti Endo could be *reads notes* a person with their own interests and hobbies?? Oh SHIT this is NEW.

Enough talking about my background, over to the thanks, like it's my wedding day and y'all are my best men.

Circ, Dude (and all other SAS mods, though I know half of you half as much as I would like), thank you. You've done a lot for me even if you didn't know who the fuck I was until two or three months ago. You threw some PDFs and links over to my general direction and, man, I needed that.

I've been very bad. And then I've been slightly better, and then very bad again, and I'm better again. This time I don't plan on going very bad again though. I hope I can get better every day.

[grigori77]

The Mighty Nein: Echoes of the Solstice (Live Show from Mo-fucking WEMBLEY!)

Ah, a hype man ... okay then ...

My ... he's quite salty really, isn't he?

"All the bar staff are like: What team is this? I don't know, but none of them make eye-contact."

He's got a point, we are better at swearing ...

"In this country, the sentence: I twatted the twat in the twat ... makes perfect grammatical sense!"

Ah yes, the first ĺive show since the Pandemic ...

Oh, here we go ...

Fuck me, look at that FUCKING CROWD ... O.O

Ye gods, Ashley what the fuck are you doing to us AGAIN?!!! Bloody hell ... then Liam ... and Taliesin? Look at that SWAG!!! MARISHA!!! Incredible ... Laura! Wow ... that's like ... AND Travis ... basically Jester and Fjord in the flesh ... just a shame Laura's not blue ...

And then we we have SAM FUCKING RIEGEL ... never misses an opportunity, does he?

Matt's going nuts and I don't blame him ...

Ah yes ... what fresh hell is Riegel gonna unleash upon us THIS TIME? The audience are ahead of us already ... oh gods ... no, you really AREN'T Freddie Mercury, mate ...

Bloody hell ... that actually WORKED ... I'm extremely surprised ...

Ashley has an announcement? Blimey ... no wonder she's a little nervous ... oh, but she's getting into it already ... Nice ... and yeah, Crit Role Red Nose Day, always fun ...

Cosplayer nod! Nice! Liam: "Oh man, so many Sprinkles!"

Yay! Animated intro WITH AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION!!!

Liam: "I've had this dream!" Matt: "Thank you all so much for the trauma!"

Recap! Nice!

Oh, so they WERE just Shunted, then? Okay, so what happened then?

So we're about to find out ... where are they? Shush, sound effects problems! Blightshore? Intriguing ...

Ah, so he CAN talk ... Caleb: "It's been a while." No shit, mate!

Oh, so the magical disruption has knackered the collar too ... batter that thing off, Beau! "You know, your wife has shaved me with a greatsword, this should not be too challenging for you." Oh, NOW he's rethinking this plan? Minor Alchemy?

Sam: "No, I want her to punch you!" Liam (as Caleb): "I'm sitting right next to her, it's going to happen!"

Oh crap ... Matt, what are you saying? What the fuck is THAT shit supposed to mean?

Ah, Imogen ... Beau: "She was kind of cute." Caleb: "Don't cross the streams!"

SNAP!!! Thankfully collar not neck, at least ...

Yes! Get her to Yasha! Go! With Caduceus? Awesome ...

Hey! The Blooming Grove! They made it ... oh, this is PRETTY!!! Calliope! Awwwwww ...

BABYYYYYYYYY!!! :3 Ashley: "I touch her everywhere, make sure she's fine! Well ... maybe not EVERYWHERE ..." Caleb: "I've seen them like this when they've been apart for a few hours."

CADUCEUS!!! Yeah, boy!

Ooh! Munchies!

New armour? Sweet ... the "Oh no, I have to leave in a hurry kit"? Intriguing ...

Dream Beau can be an asshole, apparently ... Beau: "But if you felt like exploring, maybe ..." Yasha: "Oh, I didn't know that was on the table!"

Oh yeah, Veth has, like, PRIORITIES now ...

Beau's accidental kleptomania ... XD

A splinter from the Nein Heroes? Intriguing ... and they're on the ship! Yay ... docked? Oh, hey, Nicodranas! Sweet!

Good lord, what are they doing? Matt: "How did we start this so horny?"

REUNION!!! Yay!

Jester's been getting headaches from her Sending ... yeah, that's right, makes sense ...

Perception check? Oh, first roll ... Travis: "Nine!" The crowd cheers! Of course they do ...

ALL of the Assembly ... yeah ... Trent Ikithon, of course, I thought so ...

Yeah, get Veth! Yay ...

Weird dead seabeast? What is that shit?

Matt: "Interrupt MY story, why don't you?"

A Message to the Ruby ... and she has to roll a D100? Nuts ... 48? 14 points of Psychic damage? Oof ...

Yes, she COULD heal herself, but it's par for thd course, really ...

Blud! Hi!

Spooked seabeasts ... hmmm ...

The Brenatto residence ... here we go ...

VETH!!! Yay!

Veth: "The world has been turned upside down!" Beau: "What's wrong?" Veth: "I HAVE A FUCKING TEENAGER!!!"

Luc wants to be an adventurer? Of course he does ... yeah ... how old IS he? Veth: "Whatever feels right!"

Veth: "To be fair, I was drunk for most of his childhood." XD

So what's the plan?

Oh, Scrying? Yeah, try it!

I love how Jester's being do sweet about Ludinus, it's hilarious ... oh, NOW she gets it? Jester: "He's a douche, I hate him!" Yeah ...

Here we go then, go Jester ... Travis: "That's right, use the 5th Level, nothing can possibly go wrong ..."

Jester has a DICK COLLECTION now? LOL

Reminding Jester who Trent is ...

Oh hey, here's Artigan! Nice! Oh ... how rude!

Caduceus: "We're not big problem people." Jester: "Are you saying we're NOT going to push the Moon back into the sky?"

Oh wait ... is Veth NOT coming?

Jester: "Um ... the Lavish Chateau is NOT a whorehouse." Veth: "A speakeasy with benefits?"

Luc? Hi! Wow ... he's an EMO TEEN now? Interesting ...

Veth making fun of Fjord being the weakest of the Nein ...

UNCLE Caleb ... :3

Jester! DO NOT give Luc a tattoo!

Wow ... Veth REALLY IS bowing out ... that's so sad ...

Veth makes Jester take another 8 points of Psychic damage ... XD

Wow ... AWKWARD goodbye ...

To the Cobalt Soul in Rexxentrum? Okay ...

Everybody runs into the circle ... wait ... WHST THE FUCK?!!!

Luc? Seriously? Wow ... he even has a Character Sheet! He's do cute ... :3

Here we are, then ... and they've just realised they're not alone ...

Sam's doing an emo teen voice now ... I love it ... this is gonna be SO MUCH FUN ...

Are we EVER gonna learn howold he is?

Yasha: "Hit me!" Seriously?

Oh, so we're doing this ... and she CATCHES his punch ... of course she does. Adorable ...

And now he's in a huff ...

And now he's gonna try and hex Beau instead ... this really is getting funny now ... Beau: "I'll cover my eyes to make it more fair." XD

Ah ... Caleb gives him THE TALKING TO ...

Wow ... he's really good at THIS ... oh, totally working the heartstrings, definitely ...

Oh wow ... they're coming around ... oh, so they're giving CAD the deciding vote? This'll be interesting ... and he makes a good point.

Ground rules from Caleb ... as it should be ...

Caduceus casts Death Ward on Luc just to be safe ... Nice one, mate.

Ovedo? Okay ... apparently things are chaotic ... oh, this doesn't sound good ...

Matt once again using the feedback constructively ...

Ah, teenage bravado ...

Volither ... hmm, nice hair.

Aggy? Who's that?

Dark tunnel? Okay ... no, DEFINITELY not Luc in the lead ... an extra luck roll for him? Nice one, Caleb!

Oh shit ... the magic seals are DEAD. Not a good sign ...

Crap ... what the hell is THIS shit? Oh, that's fucking CREEPY ... scary monster monologue ...

Beau just closes the door on whatever the fuck THAT was ...

Oh, it's still going? He does love to go on and on ...

Hello who's this?

Wait ... a guest? Oh shit! It's Daniel! You sneaky bastard ...

A dwarf? Intriguing ... a blue kilt? Even more so ... and WINE? Hmmmm ... a bit tipsy, apparently ...

Whoa ... he bested Beau? Wow ... and then he offers her a DRINK ... of course she accepts. XD

Aggy: "Is that a little boy?" Luc: "I don't trust this guy, he looks over 30."

Luc: "Hey! Don't insult me and then explain it to me!"

Yes, Matthew, what HAS HE found?

"Unattended baggage" ... SNORT ...

See Invisibility ... oh, hello, Star Razor ...

Eldritch Blast! Yay!

Aggy HEADBUTTS the wall Fjord just attacked ... wow, and he just NUTTED a dozen open. Cute ...

Constitution check? 9? Oh, and what does THIS mean? Oh dear ...

He thinks Caduceus is a horse ... I love that ...

Daniel: "I look like a very small, short John Wick, by the way." XD

Aggy just walks RIGHT IN ... and now there's more illusory nonsense ... wait ... the Shadowhand? Ooooh ...

Ah, so ... going down, then? Hmmm ...

Oh dear, this doesn't look too good ... what now, then?

Wow .. clearly Aggy is NOT particularly bright ...

Whoops? Holy shit ... Nice dodge! He's now tumbling down the stairs and FLASHING EVERYBODY ... oh dear, what now? Another dexterity roll? NAT20!!! Nice ... he is UNSCATHED ...

Daniel: "I am just sucking the Dice Gods' dick!"

He is almost ACCIDENTALLY good at this ... oh, here we go ... CRITICAL FAIL!!! Finally ...

Oh dear, what has he gotten into now? 76 points of Force Damage? Holy fuck ... is Aggy DEAD ALREADY?!!! Fuck ... a DISINTEGRATION TRAP?!!! Shit ... so that's it? Aggy is DUST ...

Farewell, Daniel ...

Oh yes, that's right, technically he IS an Admiral ... Admiral Tusktooth. Nice ...

DO NOT let Luc check for traps ... oh yeah! Mage Hand ... and Jester Guides him too ... :3

Wow ... that's a lot of traps ...

Another magic mouth ... for the gods' sake ... he's so full of himself ...

Another door? Okay ... check for traps again ... and ANOTHER mouth ... even MATT is now acknowledging that Trent is full of himself ...

Oh you ARSEHOLE ... not cool to taunt Caleb like that ...

Ah yes, the Tower? Sweet ... yes, rest.

The Aeorian Security Cannon ... and a FLUFFERNUTTER?!!! Holy fuck ...

True Seeing ... oh dear ... now Caduceus has Beau tripping balls again ... fuck, a Nat20 for a full 27 perception ... sweet fuck ...

Athtiri Menthal ... huh?

Beau has a +16 to her Arcana? Fucking hell ...

Ashley once again Stop It-ing Sam when he sneezes. VERY LOUDLY this time, too ...

They're fighting Trent AND a thing, or Trent AS a thing ... lovely ...

Okay, so rest and regrouping, then ... back to Caleb's tower, then head out in the morning ...

Mahogany? Hmmm ... certain dirty minds, I swear ...

Okay, then ... and time for a break! Well then ...

Aaaaaah ... Welcome To Wildemount returns ... always fun ...

And we're back ... Heroes' Feast! Nice ...

Caleb has a personal talk with Luc, and gives him his Luck stone? Wow ... oh fuck, WISH?!!! Seriously? 5th Level Simulacrum ... so he's now CLONED himself ...

Yasha: "Whoa! There's no riding going on! Except on me ..."

"Beth"? Hmmmm ... typical teenage boy, clearly ...

Beau and Yasha and AT IT ... of course they do. And Fjord and Jester. Liam: "No-one more competitive than Laura Bailey."

Good night's rest ...

Beau finds TWO Calebs TWICE as insufferable ...

Luc chugs the weird Potion ... oh boy, what's this shit gonna do? Oh crap ...

Whoa ... wait, what ... oh no ... extra confidence? Oh that's not good ... crap ... Luc is DEFINITELY gonna be even more reckless now ...

Death Wards on both Luc AND Fjord, then ...

Crown of Stars? Crazy ...

Caleb 2 is now a sabertooth cat ... of course ...

And so now Caleb has come home ... group stealth check! Blessing of the Trickster to Yasha? And she doesn't even need it ... but Beau TANKS it ... at least everybody else rolls spectacular ...

Now what?

Ring of Telepathy ... and Trent is still insufferable ... and fucking NASTY with it too ...

This is just gonna be a fucking RECKONING ...

No ... Caleb, DO NOT say your fucking goodbyes right now ...

Assault of memories ... ouch ... this is just CRUEL ...

Two undead presences? Oh you fucking evil bastard ...

Jester goes in with Caleb ... Beau and Yasha go round back ...

"Uncle Deuce" ... Caduceus: "Oh, I'd forgotten about that ..."

The bastard REALLY HAS brought Caleb's parents back ... that's fucking monstrous ...

Insight check ... oh yeah, they're not right, definitely ...

Jester just goes STRAIGHT to Turn Undead ... and they BOTH fail? Fuck ... that's effective, at least ...

I'm sorry ... the house just EXPLODES?!!! Fuck ...

34 points of Fire damage? Oh wait ... no, Fjord has some protection! Nice ... just 17, then. Same for Jester, too ...

Well, they're definitely NOT his parents anymore ...

BATTLEMAP!!! YAY!!! Cue Sam's plug for Wizzkids ...

And ROLL FOR INITIATIVE!!!

Jester Invokes Duplicity! :3 Awwwww ... tiny voice Laura doing the Jester voice is adorable as she directs Matt ...

She attacks Trent with her Spiritual Weapon and HITS!!! Nice ... but it just MISSES him? WHAT?!!! Meanwhile while the duplicates scatter, she bolts out the door ...

Yasha Rages and bamfs out her wings for Radiant Soul! Nice ... charging in to get ready for attack next turn ...

Beau POWERWALKS inside ... and attacks Trent from behind ... but the punch does NOTHING?!!! Seriously, what the hell?

She attacks the dad ghoul instead ... POP POP!!! But it resists the Stun ... Flurry of BLOWS, then ... and Patient Defense.

A METEOR SWARM?!!! Seriously?

And that is just OUCH all round ... crap ... thank fuck for saves for most ... Caduceus takes THE FULL DAMAGE ... and so does Luc? Crap ... but he has Evasion? Oh, so just half, then ...

Fjord casts Hexblade's Curse on Trent, then throws FOUR Eldritch Blasts ... a miss on Trent, first misses on the dead dad, but the other 2 HIT!!! Boof-boof!

The undead back off but Beau gets an Attack of Opportunity ... daddy is FUCKED UP ...

Mind of Mercury? Nice, Beau! And she gets the first HDYWTDT! On the dad ... oh dear ... well, it's a mercy, really ...

Rapid Cast of Chain Lightning from Trent ... oh no, Caleb just Counterspells ... but he can't actually see him, so it misses? Ow ...

Shit ... Caleb is DOWN ...

Caleb 2 turns into a T-Rex! Okay then!

Death Save 1 fails? Oof ...

Luc casts See Invisibility ... Trent is ACTUALLY hiding behind the tree ... Laura: "Like a little bitch!"

Caduceus casts Mass Heal ... 100 each? Holy fuck ... that is all round a SWEET FUCKING SAVE!!!

Jester runs to find Trent ... Fortune's Favour? Nice ... something that doesn't need line of sight? So she just casts Anti-Magic Field his magic! Nice ... that's it, he's now REVEALED!!!

Yasha charges in best she can ... but she can't attack now ... crap ... so she just casts Zealous Presence and YELLS in his face while flowering everybody else ...

Beau charges in too and just SWINGS for him with her staff ... and TANKS the attack roll! Okay ... second strike ... Fortune's Favour! Oof ... Flurry of Blows! FINALLY hits ... 14 damage plus Stunning Strike ... but he shrugs it off ... then 17 and another Stunning Strike ... but he uses Legendary Resistance even though he Crit Fails ... Extract Aspects ... he's resistant to ALL magic? Interesting ...

Fuck, is he running? What is this thing? An artifact ... oh shit, is he changing? What's he doing?

Sam: "Guys, we're fighting Trent Ikithon in Wembley Stadium!"

Everybody's blasted back ...

An orb of black shadow is just growing ... and now he's just a great horrible black shadow creature ...

Whoa ... a SECOND Battlemap? Fuck ...

It's the whole town ... Trent is a FUCKING KAIJU!!! He's suckimg the life out of people and stuff ...

Hexblade's Curse! Go, Fjord!

Caleb stays prone, jnstead turns into Gelidon the Nightmare in Ivory? Whoa ... and Matt has the miniature ready! Wow ...

Caleb 2 charges in with Luc still on his Dino back ... but they keep a safe enough distance ...

Luc casts Enlarge on the T-Rex! Fuck ... Matt doesn't have a larger model for THAT ... Godzilla is now loose in the streets!

It attacks Fjord with a tendril ... Liam: "Keep your hentai out of this!"

Caduceus runs to Yasha ... Holy Weapon to her, so she has boosts to all her weaponry! Nice ...

Jester casts Gate to pull Artigan through in front of the creature. SHIT!!! And he is suitably SHOCKED by what she's got him into!

Arty casts Chain Lightning on it ... 38 points of lightning damage! Nice ...

Yasha charges in and attacks! Lots of damage maths, apparently ... 101 points of damage in ONE FUCKING HIT!!! The crowd goes wild! She attacks again! Another hit! 59 points this time! Bloody hell ...

Beau rushes in znd attacks ... Nat20! Yeah! And another hit! 19 damage, then 16! Flurry of Blows ... 20 misses? Oof ... Debilitating Damage? Oh, okay ... and now it's vulnerable to Ice Damage? Nice, Beau!

Oh fuck ... EVERYBODY takes 31 points of Necrotic damage? Ouch ... now it concentrates on Yasha ... Ire of Oblivion? Oof ... a Nat20 save? So she only takes 70 damage? Oh great ...

There's a weak spot? Okay then ...

Even Sentinel with a Nat20 doesn't stop it? Crap ...

Fjord takes 2 swipes with the Star Razor ... both hit! 42 points of damage, snd a Divine Smite for an extra 16! Nice ...

It responds with a Void Claw ... Fjord just hits the brakes and it just MISSES him ... phew!

Caleb just brings his whole dragon mass down on it and vomits ice into its face! 77 points of Ice Damage! Nice ... and he has a Frightening Presence? Okay then ...

Caleb 2-zilla bites the thing's arse ... no joy! Claw strike! Hits! 21 points, then 14!

Luc looks for the egg ... he casts Brenatto's Voltaic Bolt, then shoots the gun into the egg! 26 points of damage to the artifact! Okay ... that looks to be the sweet spot!

Caduceus prays to the Wildmother, makes the creature's ichor turn into ice ... now he can see through it to find out how it works ... he pulls out Yasha's Holy Weapon and inflicts 26 points of Radiant damage on the creature! Cool ...

Jester teams up with Arty to hold her spell with him ... Guiding Bolt with his Enhancement ... balls ... shit roll spoils the shot ... crap ...

Yasha flies up and goes RIGHT for the egg ... and misses! Agh! Reckless! Go again! Another miss! FUCK!!! Oh Fortune's Favour! Okay ... balls! That was ALMOST awesome ...

Beau RUNS UP the creature! Holy shit ... she tries go reach into the chest snd tear the egg free ... strength check! Marisha: "WITNESS ME!!! NATURAL 20!!!" The crowd EXPLODES!!!

Matt: "Beauregard Lionett, how do you want do this?" AAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!!

She tears the egg free, which pulls Trent into it, throws it into Caleb's mouth, and he BITES IT TO FUCK!!! YAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!!

Caleb has his vengeance at long last ... the survivors of the town applaud (as does the crowd). Nice ...

Jester congratulates Arty for saving the day ... oh flattery ... he gushes in response ... then she drags him into helping with the clean-up ...

The Calebs return to normal, Caleb sends what's left of the egg into some kind of nether realm. Then they big Luc up a bit, while still zlso grounding him.

Fuck ... Fjord just PROPOSED TO JESTER!!! AAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!! Matt: "You motherfucker!" Jester OF COURSE accepts ...

Caleb's cats prepare a feast for all, and there is celebration, but only a small victory against the larger backdrop of CHAOS from the Apogee Solstice ...

And that's it! Everybody takes a bow!

Well, this was a whole hell of a lot more epic than usual ... but altogether just the AWESOME reunion we wanted. I just hope it won't be the LAST time ...

[grayintogreen]

im abt to be so predictable but: director's commentary on the vox/lucifer/lilith dynamic during the months where alastor was away?

HEE HEE. Predictable, maybe, but I've wanted to talk about it.

And I shall do it in a bulleted list!

So Lucifer did not end up keeping Vox's soul contract very long, because there was absolutely no way that Vox was gonna be able to FIND Alastor in a place where very few people ever actually go in Pride and well out of range of technology. Vox absolutely tried though and when that failed, he came back to execute PHASE TWO. Take everything Alastor holds dear! My hotel now, loser.

Obviously this posed a problem when he sat there in the metaphorical door with metaphorical shaving cream on his hands for a MONTH waiting for Alastor to come back and meanwhile Charlie is standing beside him like "have you considered that maybe you put way more effort into hating Alastor and being obsessed with him than is healthy." Vox didn't appreciate this.

He does realize that Alastor might not be coming back and that, in that month, Lilith has been trying to soften him up because she's hotter than Charlie and also scarier and she's very, very persuasive, so he decides, eh for a lark, he'll indulge the "therapy."

Therapy kinda works?? But it's mostly working because he off-sets his psychosexual obsession with Alastor with a new psychosexual obsession: becoming the evil vizier to the royal family. (Not his words, my words.)

Lucifer doesn't trust him, but he appreciates Vox's incredible organizational skills and his ability to actually do interviews and press for the hotel without panicking. They work shockingly well together, which pisses them both off, but Vox is delighted because he's cemented himself as Lucifer's right hand and Lucifer is happy because he isn't forced to do public speaking anymore. Both of them also bond about Alastor sucking and how they kinda both secretly miss him. Lucifer does not tell Vox about the time he visits Alastor, because he knows he'll make it weird.

Lilith doesn't trust Vox either, but she has Charlie's unflappable faith in people coupled with the willingness to destroy you if you break what trust she places in you, so Vox's dick is so scared of Lilith in the worst and best possible way. If there was a way for him to watch Lucilith have sex (there's not- Lilith's wards are amazing), he would be doing it. Instead, he just kinda showers Lilith with compliments and kisses her ass to make Lucifer roll his eyes, because he doesn't really get jealous. At least not over people like Vox.

So to recap: Vox has kinda replaced Lilith and Lucifer as surrogate Vees, except Lucifer is more of a stand-in for Alastor than he is for Valentino. He is thriving in this trio and believes it fully to be because he has them wrapped around his finger because he makes himself EVER SO USEFUL TO THEM.

they know what he's doing. they're not stupid.

they both are kinda into him in that "he is so clearly desperate for attention and approval and we are both dealing with a lot and despite his clearly overinflated sense of importance and villainy, he is actually VERY competent at what he does, so like fine we have an evil vizier now whatever."

Vox is actually winning even if he is still not fucking them. Fuck you, Alastor.

Charlie, for her credit, only thinks about this situationship in terms of "yay progress" and refuses to indulge that Vox is either secretly still evil or fucking her parents. The other hotel guests/employees have actual money on whether or not they are fucking.

DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY ASK GAME.

[tinkabelle24]

To Build a Home

Chapter 5: She Burns

TW! Conversation pertaining to suicidal ideation, familial abuse (mentioned).

Masterlist / Chapter 4

---

Apparently, it took some convincing, but Raph said (in the handwritten note he'd slipped under her window) he was able to secure a meeting. Except it wouldn't just be the two of them, but the entire family. Not only the Turtles, but their human friends as well.

Talk about being thrown into the deep end...

The morning after he left, Val received a call from a private number - it was him, confirming a date. She found it odd they knew her contact number but didn't press the matter; she figured it was a security thing.

They agreed on next Thursday night, as she only had her morning shift at the café that day. She offered to host them, but he insisted she'd be eaten out of house and home if she were to do so. So, back to the 'Lair' she'll be heading...

Well, it was next Thursday night, and she was freaking out.

Raph was scheduled to pick her up at 8 pm. She'd been ready for hours. She'd shaved twice, washed her hair, brushed her teeth, done and redone her hair and makeup several times, and was onto her third outfit.

She struggled finding anything she felt complimented the scarf he'd gifted her. She contemplated asking Molly for advice, but ultimately decided against it; her friend would ask too many questions and she would not know how to answer any of them.

So, she was on her own. She eventually settled on a pair of ripped boyfriend jeans, graphic tee, jacket, and her trusty knock-off Dr Martens.

Val likened this moment to preparing for her first ever job interview, eight years ago. That shy 15-year-old who struggled with even the simplest of social tasks (e.g., approaching a cashier to place an order or pay for goods), had the seemingly impossible task of convincing a stranger to allow her into their ranks.

Now, imagine not just one stranger - but seven.

Yay...

It'll be okay, she attempted soothing herself as she feverishly paced the length of her apartment. Over and over she repeated this mantra, but it wasn't helping. It didn't help her last night, either. Instead of sleeping, she found herself baking brownies, and polishing the sink. Thrice. She brewed herself the largest, strongest latte she could to get her through her shift.

I hope I don't crash and burn...

About two minutes before eight, Val gathered her bag of goodies and hurried to the ground floor. She was to meet him in the alleyway beside her apartment building.

Right on the dot, the truck pulled up in front of her. She was expecting only Raph, with the hope they could have their private chat prior to being bombarded with people. But she was surprised to find Mikey there as well, grinning at her from the cabin.

"Good evening," he greeted in a proper English accent, as he climbed out to open the passenger side door for her. "Your chariot, milady."

Admittedly, she was a little disappointed, but she figured it was just another security thing. Safety in numbers, and all that jazz. She took a deep, shaky breath, then climbed in.

Val immediately locked eyes with Raph, seated in the driver's seat. He looked better. Much better. His head wound looked to be healing nicely, though he'll likely be stuck with a sizeable scar. It wouldn't be his first, as he was covered in them. His shoulder wrap was gone, replaced with a large waterproof bandage. His lean muscles were a little more toned compared to last week, as well. She may have stared a little too long at them...

"Hey," she greeted with a soft smile.

"Hey," he briefly returned the smile, before shifting his gaze to put the truck in reverse.

"Mmm, that smells divine!" Mikey piped up, eyeing her bag. "What'd you make for us?"

Val beamed with pride. She was rather experimental with her recipes, often swapping out ingredients in favour of healthier ones, with similar properties. Unfortunately, it doesn't always work out. Unlike cooking, baking is a science and thus, rather finicky.

So, when a recipe finally does work out, she wastes no time in sharing her accomplishment with others.

"Brownies," the brunette answered, opening the bag to hand him the container. As the orange-banded terrapin keenly inspected its contents (from the outside), Val listed the ingredients.

"Chickpeas, coconut oil, cacao powder, maple syrup, peanut- shit! You guys aren't allergic to nuts, are you??"

Raph chuckled. "No," he answered. "We ain't allergic. You're safe. Just don't tell Don ya put chickpeas in his brownie."

Donnie's the one in purple, yeah? Okay. Got it.

Val eyed him suspiciously. "Why?"

"He eats pop-tarts for breakfast," Mikey answered simply. That was all the information she needed.

"Ew," she laughed, then shuddered.

Mikey spent the remainder of the short drive rattling off names and brief descriptions of everyone she'd be meeting that night. While appreciated, Val was struggling to pay attention; she and Raph were too busy stealing glances at one another.

"You look nice," he finally murmured, low enough only she could hear. She tried maintaining a straight face, but the blood spread across her cheeks like wildfire.

Breathe in...and out...

"Thanks," she managed. "You, too."

At that, the red-banded terrapin turned away, but she caught the faintest pull at the corner of his mouth.

When they arrived, Mikey jumped out first to open Val's door. She faltered upon hearing music and chatter in the next room, anxiety creeping in on her again.

In...and out...

You'll be okay.

She continued forward.

As they were about to enter the open doorway, she heard a shrill "Uncle!" A small child with a mane of jet-black hair came barrelling toward them, and the brunette froze.

"Hey, bud!" Raph crouched down to greet the toddler, scooping him into his good arm. "Did ya miss me?" He cooed. "Cos I missed you. Yeah, Raph was bein' silly and got an ouch. Two ouches. Gentle hands, please."

Val watched as the two snuggled, equal parts confused and enraptured.

"Oh, hi!" A familiar feminine voice snapped her out of her reverie. She turned to find April approaching her, alongside a tall man with equally luscious black hair.

"Valerie, is it? I had a feeling that was you when you came into the shop."

"Hey..." The brunette was a smidge embarrassed by the fact that her stealth mission was, in fact, not the slightest bit stealthy.

The redhead pulled her into a brief hug. She was okay with this; she was more of a hugger than a hand-shaker, anyway. "It's great to finally meet you. Mikey told me what happened; thank you so much... I'm April, by the way, and this is Casey. And that-"

She gestured toward the toddler, whose arms were still tightly wound around Raph's neck. "- is our son, Tyler. Yes, that's Valerie, sweetheart. Can you say 'Valerie'?"

Val smiled and gave the toddler a small wave. He mumbled something that sounded vaguely like her name, then promptly buried his face into Raph's injured shoulder; pulling a discomforted grunt from the terrapin.

"Hey, gentle hands, buddy," he chided.

"Careful, bud. Uncle Raph is a little precious right now,” Casey winked at Raph as he pried his son away. He set the toddler down and directed him toward Mikey, who was eagerly waiting for cuddles. “Go see Uncle Mikey; he’s a little sturdier. That’s it, good boy.”

As he stood, Casey reached out to shake Val’s hand. His were large and calloused, but his grip was gentle. “Nice to meetcha,” he said, with a warm smile. “I’m Casey, obviously.”

The brunette returned the smile and nodded.

That was when Donnie and Leonardo entered the room, from where Raph was first kept.

"Hey, Valerie," Donnie greeted as they approached. He seemed on edge, not quite looking her in the eye. "It's nice to see you again."

Val was finally able to get a proper look at the purple-banded terrapin. He was the leanest of the four with near unblemished olive-green skin. He had soft features and the familiar, amber-coloured eyes. He wasn't as boyish as Mikey, but he had an innocence about him.

"You too," she replied.

Her gaze then fell on Leonardo, who acknowledged her with a brief nod.

"It's good to see you, Valerie." Both his tone and expression emitted little to no emotion.

All business again, I see.

Val politely returned the gesture.

Dinner itself was rather uneventful. It wasn't a sit-down meal, thank God. Instead, they were free to pick away at the several boxes of pizza set up on the dining and coffee table.

Her brownies were a hit. Donnie, blissfully unaware of its contents, devoured half the batch on his own. Everybody else picked off what was left.

“They’re delicious. Thank you,” he complimented, popping the last intact slice into his mouth.

Raph flashed Val a knowing look.

April spent the better part of an hour by the newcomer's side, enquiring about her life and career. The pair had found a comfortable spot on one of the many sofas in the living room, far enough away they could still hear one another, over Mikey and Casey getting slaughtered on Call of Duty. Raph was seated beside them, ribbing them every step of the way.

Whenever the brunette chanced a sideways glance, she often found the red-banded terrapin already looking her way. It felt strange to be drawn to someone she barely knew. She wondered whether he felt something similar...

Val was deliberately vague about her childhood ("we moved a lot") and relationship with her mother ("we aren't real close") but emphasized her and her siblings' close bond.

She worked weekdays and Sundays as a cafe all-rounder; hosting, waiting and bussing tables, and brewing coffee. On Friday and Saturday nights, she moonlit as a bartender at a swanky underground jazz club. Saturday nights were her favourite as they played live music, and she could finally showcase her thrifted 20s garb.

"I can't believe it," April mused. "I've lived here my entire life and I've never heard of this bar. Where is it, again? It sounds like fun."

"Harlem," Val answered. "Don't worry, I had no idea it existed either. My friend took me there for my 21st. I fell in love. They had a position open, so I applied. You should come sometime. Ask for me; I make a mean Cosmo..."

She then added gingerly. “Hey, I was wondering how you and Casey met...”

"...The turtles?" April finished. "Purely by chance. Raph helped Casey stop a mugging one night; those two get on like a house on fire. I met them first, though. Years ago, I was a lab assistant under a guy named Baxter Stockman. Turned out, I was inadvertently helping him pull off some shady shit. When he found out I knew he, um... tried to have me... killed."

"Jesus," Val gasped, eyes wide. "What happened?"

"They happened," April replied, nodding toward Mikey and Raph, then to Donnie and Leo, who were seated at the kitchen table. "Stockman sent... robots after me. They chased me into the sewer, where the Turtles found and saved me."

She then chuckled softly. "I dropped like a sack of potatoes when I first met them. It was so embarrassing. You handled it so much better than I did."

You've no idea...

"I wasn't the one about to get killed," Val countered gently. "I think you handled it well, all things considered."

April smiled warmly.

A slight upward tilt of her gaze prompted Val to turn around, flinching at Raph suddenly standing beside her.

"How long have you been there for??" She breathed.

"Not long," April answered for him. "A few seconds."

The terrapin crouched to the brunette's level, hand braced against the chair arm behind her back. "I was wonderin' if you still wanted to have that talk?"

Val instinctively turned to April, who waved her off. "Go on," the redhead reassured her. "I'm gonna go see if there's still some pizza left."

Raph snorted. "Good luck."

The women then rose from their seats; April ambled toward the kitchen, while Val followed Raph up a flight on concrete steps, stopping at the mouth of a dimly lit corridor.

With the only route in and out clearly visible, Raph was confident no-one would be able to listen in on their conversation undetected. He'd contemplated bringing her into his room, but that felt too weird.

"So, how's it goin'?" He started as they settled against walls opposite one another. "Sorry about all this; it wasn't my call."

"Don't stress," Val reassured. “It’s been nice, actually. April and Casey are lovely, and Tyler’s so sweet. He loves you.”

“Yeah,” the terrapin chuckled. “I’m the favourite uncle.”

She looked as though she wanted to say something else, so he encouraged her to continue.

"I was just wondering what the deal is with you guys? I mean, aren't you all adults? I get that families have different dynamics, but why... I-I'm sorry, I'm overstepping. Just forget I said anything..."

"It's a hierarchy thing," he answered. "Leo's the oldest by, like, two seconds, and he's the most cut out for the role. Debatable, but I digress. So, he gets to call the shots."

"Who decided that?"

"Our father."

"Oh. Where's he?"

“He’s uh...” Raph paused a moment to compose himself. “He’s... dead.”

"Oh... I'm sorry. Are you okay?"

"Is what it is," he shrugged. "Can't do anythin' about it."

Let's change the subject...

"Hey, I totally forgot to wish ya a 'happy birthday' last week."

Val appeared confused at first but quickly recovered. "Oh, yeah. Heh..." she tittered, cheeks flushing a soft red. "T-thanks... Can I ask how old you guys are?”

“Twenty-four.”

“Nice. This year?”

“Nah, our big two-five's in the next couple months.”

“Quarter of a century,” The woman mused. “Feel old, yet?”

Raph chuckled again. “A bit, yeah. Time goes super slow when you live underground.”

Val then gestured to her scarf. “Did you make this?” Her smirk indicated she already knew the answer, but wanted him to admit it.

Raph promptly averted his gaze.

Is that a smile I spy?

"Yeah... they make 'em shit these days, so I thought I'd give ya somethin' that would last. I owed ya for destroying your other one... and losin' your knife."

“So, am I right in assuming red is your favourite colour? Red wool, red bandana...”

“It was the only colour wool I had. But yeah, you’d be correct.” He then motioned to her predominantly black outfit. “I’m guessin’ black's your favourite colour?”

There was that look, again.

“Black isn’t actually a colour,” Val corrected. “It’s a shade.”

“Oh, 'scuse me,” Raph retorted playfully. The woman giggled, sending his stomach aflutter. “Is black your favourite shade, then?”

“Yes, I like black. Black looks good with everything..." The corners of her lips then fell into a softer smile as she returned her attention to her scarf.

"In all seriousness, though, thank you for this, and the knife. You didn’t need to. I’m just glad you’re okay.”

Though he fought hard, Raph felt the beginnings of a stupidly large grin pull at his face. She giggled again.

Stop it!

“...So, about that night...”

When he finally mustered the courage to look up, she was staring at the floor.

“I showed you a part of myself I've never shown anyone; a part I never wanted anyone to know about... My mom... l-let’s just say that... I know what it feels like to be in the position you were in, a-and I’m so sorry you had to see that...”

Raph blinked, taken aback. “Why are you apologisin’ to me?” He asked. “You didn’t even know I was there-”

“It doesn’t matter,” Val was looking at him now, dark eyes piercing his. The tautness of her jaw indicated she was retaining a measure of anger. She mentioned her mother; there could be some underlying resentment going on in that relationship.

He understood all too well...

"Did you..." He wasn't sure whether it was appropriate to ask, but he had to know. “Did ya really want to...?”

That was when Val started fidgeting; twiddling her thumbs and bouncing her foot. She was now looking everywhere but at him.

“I didn’t want to...” The brunette finally croaked. He could see tears brimming her eyes.

Shit...

Before Raph could protest, “I just wanted the pain to go away... In that moment, I didn’t know what else to do; I was just so done, with everything.”

“...Was it because of your mom?”

“She's what triggered it, yeah,” Val sniffled, wiping a tear from her cheek with her sleeve. “All these little things just kept piling up and she was the last straw...”

Raph felt useless in that moment; he wanted to comfort her but was at a loss as to how. He was never much of a talker, less so regarding heavy topics like this; he'd always end up saying the wrong thing. He did the only thing he could think of: he reached out to her.

She didn't protest when he touched her arm. To his surprise, she placed her own atop his and squeezed gently.

“Thank you,” she murmured, with a reassuring smile. “I’ll be fine. Things are much better now. I promise.”

Raph had a thought.

There was a fire inside her, he'd seen it; she just needed to learn how to harness it. If he could help her do that, perhaps it'd make her life a little easier. It may also help sway his brothers.

Two birds...

“Channel it.”

Val blinked at him.

“I saw you beatin’ on that brick wall.” The moment those words left his mouth, the brunette went beet red.

“Oh, God...” she groaned, burying her face in her hands.

“I don’t think it was a... worthy opponent.”

“No, definitely not,” Val tittered nervously, returning her gaze to his.

“Obviously, it won’t solve all your problems,” the terrapin explained. “But havin’ a healthy outlet for your frustrations could really help.”

You could talk; you drown your own feelings in drink...

“Okay...?” she nodded. “What do you propose, then?”

“Did ya bring the knife?”

“Well, yeah,” the brunette shrugged, growing suspicious. “Why?”

“Good. Know how to use it?”

---

Masterlist / Chapter 6

If you'd like to be tagged/untagged in these updates, please let me know! 😊

@android-cap-007 @miss-andromeda @happymoonangel

[wonderlandleighleigh]

A follow-up to this

"That cannot possibly be him."

Ella takes a breath as she and Lane step into the little coffee shop near her apartment. It's actually really cool; it feels like stepping back into the 1930's. It's decor is deeply retro.

But Lane isn't paying much attention to the art deco style. Her eyes are trained on the boy sitting at the back of the shop with overgrown hair and a bushy beard.

"I did mention he burnt out really fast in California, right?" Ella offers.

"You did, but I didn't realize the burnout included looking like a mountain man," Lane hisses. She sighs. "He's really that bad?"

"He's not great," Ella responds. "Look, I know you guys left things on weird terms, but give him a chance. As a guitarist. And...maybe as a friend?"

Lane steels herself, standing a little taller and nodding. "Okay. Friend. Guitarist. Guitarist. Friend. That's a better order."

Ella nods as well and leads her back to the table, where Dave is nursing a large coffee. He looks up, and his eyes widen, bringing him quickly and clumsily to his feet.

"Lane."

"Dave," she responds, crossing her arms.

"Hi."

"Hi."

"Great start," Ella grins. "Lane, what's your coffee order?"

"Oh," she says, blinking. "I uh...I usually just have what Luke makes."

"Latte?" Ella offers. "They're really good here."

Lane thinks about that for a moment. About how angry her mother would be about her drinking all that caffeine and sugar.

"A latte sounds great. Vanilla?"

Ella smiles. "I'm on it." She turns to another table and waves for the young man sitting there, who has his head behind a book. He can only be Jess. "Come get coffee with me."

"I drank mine," he responds without setting the book down.

"Keep me company and maybe I'll give you a handjob later," Ella tells him.

The book lowers slowly. "It's not a terrible offer," he responds as he gets to his feet.

"I'm aware."

Lane watches them go before turning back to Dave. They both sit slowly.

"That's weird," she comments.

"So is everything these days," Dave mutters sullenly.

"So...I wish I'd known you were back on the east coast," Lane tells him.

"Why?" Dave asks. "I broke up with you."

"Well, yeah, but..." she shrugs. "I still cared. I would have tried to help."

He watches her for a long, quiet moment. "You really would have, wouldn't you?"

"Why wouldn't I?" Lane asks.

"Because I broke up with you," he repeats. "Over the phone. Like an ass."

"I dated Zach," she comments. "I now have a new, higher bar for assery."

Dave wrinkles his nose. "Zach?"

"Yep. Big mistake."

"I'm sorry," he offers. "That it didn't turn out how you hoped."

"Well, I've learned my lesson," Lane says. "About dating guitar players."

"Yeah, I...I guess you have," Dave nods sadly. "I'm really sorry I was one of those lessons."

Lane gives him a gentle smile. It's a nice apology, to be honest. More than she expected. "I appreciate that."

"So. Ella wants us both to be in her band," he says. "Do you uh...do you think we could do that? You know. Be exes and bandmates?"

"On one condition," she says.

Dave lifts an eyebrow.

"For the love of god, shave," Lane orders.

He laughs; really laughs. He's not sure when the last time he did that was. "You have a deal, Miss Kim."

She smiles. "Then, Mr. Rygalski. I guess we're bandmates."

"Oh, yay, you're smiling and laughing!" Ella cries as she rushes back over with Jess and everyone's coffees. "Does that mean we're a go?"

Lane nods. "We're a go."