#task: 194

[pnfc]

short conversational fic. in which heinz buys them a pet, and there are no problems ( ~4k words )

EDIT: obligatory ao3 link

~

It’s like half a year into them dating. Or 194 days into them dating, but who’s counting. Holiday season. They’re out shopping together, which is a joint effort, Heinz distracted by the offerings at every store and gimmick toys too babyish for any kids they know (but not too babyish for Heinz) and whatever side-street restaurants have sprung up by surprise, or are at least new to his memory. Perry is keeping Heinz on task, and footing the bill. Heinz is tall enough to reach a checkout counter. So they make a good team.

They’ve stashed their bags in the truck and are finalizing things at the books and small gifts store when Heinz tells Perry to hold on a minute, while he runs back out to the street. Perry has read through most of the cards for wine moms on the bottom row when Heinz returns with a plastic crate.

“Okay so you know in ‘Lady and the Tramp’ when the guy gets the girl a puppy for Christmas, stuffed in a hatbox?”

An alarming preamble. Perry sets his face.

“Well don’t worry, I didn’t do that, because it’s stupid. Gifting someone a pet dog. Who does that? And wrapping it up in a bow it doesn’t want to wear and everything, so it trips around and falls down the stairs, strangles itself to death, awful. Just a terrible gift idea.” He pauses. “But I got us a kitten!”

Heinz swings the container forward so Perry can see in the barred door. There’s a blanket wrapped around a white lump of fur, which is bristling and softening with each breath. Perry looks up at Heinz with a hollow expression.

I’m so glad you didn’t buy a dog, Perry signs. Heinz is beaming. No.

Heinz blinks, while it registers. “Did you say ‘no’? You’re saying ‘no’?”

I’m saying no.

“No to the . . . kitten? To the sweet little ki— Perry the Platypus, come on,” Heinz pleads, pulling the crate back stably against his legs. “There’s a million little kitties out there who need a home and we have so much room in our place, I’ve been thinking about this for a while. It never worked out for me picking up strays off the street, as you recall, but this guy’s from a shelter, so no little kid’s gonna show up and steal him away. I paid for this. The logistics all check out. It’ll make our house a home!”

No. We don’t need a cat.

Perry leaves it at that, doesn’t bother taking offense to Heinz’s suggestion that their house is not currently a home. He’s being stupid, obviously he is, why call a spade a spade? Heinz furrows his brow at Perry, and sighs at him like he’s being so hopeless.

“Alright. I thought you might be like this — you’re that type of guy, aren’t you, Perry the Platypus? All burly and macho, convinced only a big manly hunting dog could be the animal for you.”

Perry’s mouth is open. Is that how you see me?

“Ok so I’m hyperbolizing but the point is — you’re not a cat person. I know. At least you think you aren’t. But I know how people tick, Perry the Platypus, and trust me: once you let this little ball of cuteness into your heart, you will never want to unclog your arteries.” Heinz points at Perry, who’s got his jacketed arms in a cross. “You’re too soft on the inside. You’ll see.”

That certainly explains how Perry got where he is, with an impulse-driven, acutely toxoplasmotic boyfriend. He presses a hand to his bill bridge, glances sidelong, then starts tugging Heinz away from the crowded card display.

There’s no one in the back corner of the store, with the self-help books, so Perry drops Heinz’s sleeve and gestures at him to set the crate down.

“I thought we could talk it over in the car — or at home?” Heinz says as he straightens up. “Or did you want to look at these before we leave?” He’s skimming over romantic guides advising women to dump their pushy boyfriends. “It’s just they’re all so hacky, I’m not a fan. Plus this store doesn’t carry any of my books — which are hacky, yet practical.” He looks at Perry. “Though none of mine have a ‘Phasing out of subtextual innuendo and into a real relationship’ chapter, yet. That’s in drafts.”

Let’s talk here. Perry hits the brakes mid-sign and wheels on Heinz, with a low growl. Do NOT write about our love life.

“Perry!” he flutes, in a scandalized tone that is difficult to trust. “I would never, in so much detail. I write in broad strokes. Anonymized hypotheticals, that people can relate to. I’m not getting monotreme-specific. . . . Maybe mammal-specific.”

This will be a future conversation. Perry plates it on the heaping table of messy topics in his mind and returns to the one at hand.

We can’t keep the cat. It’s a bad idea.

Heinz huffs, glancing back down at the plastic carrier on the carpet. “Ok, I hate to go here but. Is it because you’re an animal? Does that make it weird to you?” He cocks his head. “Because you know I don’t even think about that. That’s not what you are to me. Like I’m not blind to it, obviously, because you are a platypus. It’s hard to miss that. And I love all the little platypus parts you have, your leathery paws and your big tail and your, your highly efficient lack of ears — it’s all just so characteristically you,” Heinz says, indicating Perry’s form with open hands. “So uniquely Perry the Platypus, not animal-ish. To me. But maybe that’s because I don’t hang out with a lot of other platypuses.”

Heinz kneels by the carrier, while Perry lets his opening question hang unanswered. He hooks fingers into the metal bars — the kitten’s still deep in sleep, its pink nose poking out of a blanket fold.

“Point is you’re not at all like this guy, to me — or to anyone with eyes and a brain. You’re a person, and this guy’s a pet. A real one, not like the one your job forced you to act like, back in the day. This kitty isn’t like you and your secret agent buddies. Like what was it — Kathy? Kelly? The cat one? We’re not gonna push it through military brainwashing, or feed it smart-pills or whatever it is they did to you.”

Perry stares in response, and signs for pill-taking with a shake of his head.

“Oh, they didn’t give you smart-pills? Well they did something to you. And we’re not gonna do whatever OWCA . . .” He trails off, since Perry’s still shaking his head. “What? They didn’t?” Another shake. “Didn’t OWCA stick you guys with a supersoldier serum when you were kids? Or some kind of brain-smartener? The whole ‘Flowers for Algernon’ deal?” Shake.

Heinz is taken aback. He pushes off his knees, and stares down at Perry. “Really? That can’t be right. Perry the Platypus, you’re like.” He pauses, thinking. “Well, I’m not too proud to say, that — for a certain number of metrics of intelligence, and that is bearing in mind that a large number of those metrics exist — you’re smarter than me. By a lot.

“And you have a certain conversational verve and wit about you that I don’t tend to encounter at the zoo, among those chuckleheads.” Heinz laughs, stiff. “I mean come on, you’re not a regular platypus, Perry.”

To which Perry has no ready retort. He just hills his shoulders, palms open. He is and he isn’t. He isn’t, but apparently he is.

Heinz gawps, and sinks himself down to the bookstore carpet. “So like, what, you’re telling me you’re just naturally like this?”

Seems that way.

“And you’re uh. What, like. . . . An animal?”

194 days of officialized dating and this has clicked for him.

“No way.” He leans in closer to Perry’s face, fists propping him forward like a curious ape. “I just never thought — you sure there isn’t some big secret they’re keeping from you? Tell me.”

Perry blinks at Heinz. If there’s a secret, he signs with plodding emphasis. How would I know?

“Right — you’re right, okay.” Heinz slouches in his kneel. “That makes sense. But wow, Perry the Platypus. That is surprising. I mean, I know animals can be smart. God knows the local pigeons outwit me every other morning on my bakery runs. But Momma Ocelot wasn’t exactly reading me Cervantes, growing up.” He rubs fingers through the short pile of the rug. “Then again, she didn’t have a library card. That might’ve had something to do with it.”

She probably couldn’t read, Perry signs, as he sits next to Heinz. I learned from OWCA.

“You had different opportunities,” Heinz says, in slow agreement. “Okay, I can see that. But don’t you think, Perry, there’s something extra-special about you? There is, right? I mean I’ve never connected to anyone,” he says, fumbling, “like you. No people, no ocelots, animals. Ever in my life. What does that say about you?”

Perry tilts his head, and points the question back at Heinz.

“. . . Huh.” Heinz stares at his own hands, dangled on the floor. Perry studies his face as they lapse into silence. Unlike most silences with Heinz, this one is accruing an uneasy edge. Perry fidgets, glances at the pet crate and back. He taps a hand on Heinz’s upper arm.

Hey. Is this a problem? he signs. It’s clear something’s clicking together in a weird way for Heinz, and Perry knows better than to assume the worst, but he still has to state his mind. I’m me. Same as yesterday, Perry signs. Same as always.

Heinz stares across at him, a little chastened, a little pink. “Oh — I know, Perry the Platypus.” He rubs the back of one hand with the other. “It’s just — what are we doing? With this kitten, I mean. What does it mean if he could be like you? If he went through OWCA, or if we . . . taught him the stuff you learned, how to read and everything. Or if we didn’t — what, would he just be a normal cat? Is that a choice we could make?”

Perry gives him a searching expression, hands up.

“That’s all you’ve got for me? You don’t know?”

Quiet again. Thoughts are coming down fast as the outside flurry. Their gestural language is getting good now, quicker than Perry had anticipated, quick to read each other and intuit what’s in the gaps. But despite it all Perry still can’t articulate with ease all the words flowing into his head — they get stuffed up inside, pillowing down too fast. Typing is great, when he can get in the swing of it, and he longs for it at times like this.

But maybe the communication barrier is just as well, when there’s so many words piling up and none of them form an answer.

What can Perry explain? Is he supposed to articulate answers to the questions that have unremittingly cropped up his entire life, in his own mind? Years wondering why he couldn’t click with Agent Pinky, who chewed on couch cushions to soothe an eternally simmering anxiety, intractable doggy jitters that Perry could not fathom and found perpetually annoying — or with Harry, who’d wrap Perry up into lanky hugs that felt like getting shoved down in a brushfield, skunky earthen smells and loud cackles that he had to fight his way back out of every time?

Were they more animal, or was Perry more human? He couldn’t hope to answer that with any confidence. Or was there something more malignant in Perry’s development, some aberration of personality, whatever it was that kept him from gelling and made him not even want to try?

He gets the sense that some unnatural growth did twist up, over the years, in the walled garden he built within himself, behind brick meters of protection. One Heinz had cracked his way through to, after years of persistent battering. And now Heinz is delighting in the fruits of whatever warped, mutant object Perry has become — which felt good, until today, when he thought to question it.

Was it unfair, maybe, for Perry to overstep the boundaries written into his birth, to give Heinz a warped impression of animalkind? Or was it all just delusional egotism on Perry’s part, thinking he’s fundamentally any different from this cat?

Perry stares at the pink plastic of the crate. Melted snow has congealed into drops on its side. He looks at Heinz, who’s sitting with his long arms crossed on his knees, and formulates the thought at the front of his mind right now, knowing it doesn’t help a thing.

I came from a pet store.

Heinz makes a little “oh” with his mouth, and nods. “That’s how your family got you, huh?”

How OWCA distributes their pet-sized agents, yeah.

Heinz joins Perry in looking at the crate, where the kitten’s still sleeping in peace. “What’d they charge for you?”

Perry snorts at that, like it’s a joke, surprised. Heinz isn’t really smiling though, he’s got those soft eyes turned on him.

So he smiles back at Heinz, head tilted. No idea.

“Well,” says Heinz. “This guy cost me $60. And I’d wanna think you’re worth more than that. What kind of a number did OWCA put on you? I’m serious.”

Perry waves a hand in dismissal. Don’t take it too seriously. They’re domestic animals, he signs, they need a home.

“Kinda hard not to take it seriously,” Heinz gruffs, “when it applies to you. I’d like to know exactly how much cold hard cash Francis made pawning off my boyfriend to some grubby little kids, you know? Not to insult your family, Perry. I like them. But like. Definitionally, that’s what they were, at the time.”

Heinz is fussing with the aglets of his bootlaces, chipping away at the plastic.

“D’you think I should ask him to pony it back up? The adoption fee? Not for me, you know, for your family, since they’re the ones who paid it. But mostly for Francis not having it anymore.”

Indignation is all across Heinz’s lined face, as he broods over his boots. Perry feels himself gazing in slack adoration. What an incredibly stupid, petty thing to offer.

He and Heinz have been out long hours shopping, racking up a massive amount of credit — on Perry’s card, on the account that is shared between them, though Heinz’s name isn’t officially attached to it yet. Every other minute it’s been:

Oh, a gardening spade! That’s a good brand, Perry the Platypus, you should get it for the boys, isn’t Ferb studying botany? And God that astrolabe is beautiful — who’d like it more, Linda or Lawrence? And Oh! When did we get a stationery store? Vanessa’s into the analog stuff, with her little jetsetting friends, and she’s got that trip to Europe next year — that is a nice fountain pen, Perry the Platypus, trust me, it’s worth the pricetag. And oh, not a bedazzler kit — didn’t Norm want that? I know, I know, Perry . . . we shouldn’t enable him. But it’s Christmas. Speaking of. That tablecloth set is gorgeous, right? I mean we need seasonal napkin sets, I’ve been saying this. The project of home furnishing never ends, Perry the Platypus. We’re getting it.

Heinz never offers to pay his share, on these shopping trips out. He accepts his receptive place under the hefty bulk of Perry’s bank account. It must’ve been the same way with Charlene. Like after so many sad bachelor years he’s reverted to the natural role of spoiled househusband, a happier state of being.

And Perry gets to enable it, gets to fund his cute little impulses. Which throbs a kind of wild power up his spine, makes him feel towering, despite his 24 inches.

Did Charlene get to feel this way? Perry thinks, as he thinks about marriage. He reaches out to rub Heinz’s knee.

“I kind of regret getting him that cool pencil sharpener now,” he mutters, and Perry has to drag his head back to the topic of Monogram.

Reassuringly: Don’t. He uses pens.

Heinz scoffs. “You could’ve told me.”

It was a vintage sharpener shaped like a cartoon beaver, you stuck the pencil in its mouth. Heinz had been so charmed by it. Perry just grins at him, all “what can you do”.

A soft mewl carries from the plastic box, and Heinz wheels on it immediately. “Aw, little baby . . .”

Through the carrier door Perry sees the white-wicked lump moving, a squint of sleepy blues. Heinz pokes a couple fingers in, his palm too thick to fit between the bars.

“We forgot all about you, sweetie, we were talking about that bad Major Monogram. He’s a mean old man who’s rude to animals, who you will never have to meet — God, can you imagine,” he says with a turn to Perry, dropping his babytalk down to dry derision in an instant. Perry holds back a laugh.

“I guess that’s another factor I didn’t consider, in pet ownership. My proximity to a guy who brainwashes little animals to prop up his own failed military career.” He waggles his fingers, which the kitten is taking notice of. “He wouldn’t try to recruit this guy, would he?”

Doubt it, signs Perry, smiling tight. But we’re not keeping it.

“Yeah, I think I’m getting that by now,” he mumbles. “I wasn’t really thinking this guy could grow up to be like you. I mean, maybe he wouldn’t? But what’s he gonna be in 5 years? Our — our adult live-in roommate? I don’t think we need that, Perry the Platypus,” Heinz says. “I mean we already had Norm.”

Perry restrains himself from throwing a self-help book at Heinz’s head. These things are murder weapons. Instead he scuffs a foot at his boot.

“Maybe we just raise it for a while,” Heinz considers while the kitten attacks his fingers. “To adolescence. Then we swap it, get a new one. Keep a perpetual cycle going of dumb little babies. What do you think, Perry the Platypus?”

Surely he’d survive one book to the face? Instead Perry pulls a reluctant paw off its spine, to sign: I thought you quit evil.

“Oh yeah, I did,” Heinz grins back at him. Dick. “Can’t believe I forgot that. Thanks for the reminder.” His face flags. “Oh — I’m kidding, you get that, right? Don’t look at me like that. This does actually bother me, in case it’s not obvious. I feel like there’s some weird implications here that I don’t wanna think about.”

Another roil of anxiety in Perry’s chest. He gestures: Like?

“Like,” Heinz says, thinking. “Well. Can I just never have a cat? From now on? It’s just that I always liked cats,” he says, looking dolefully at the kitten. “The strays around Drusselstein kept me company, growing up, and the ocelots were like my siblings, even if that didn’t last too long. I always thought taking care of a cat would be paying them back, in a way. Helping out their distant cousins across the sea.

“. . . But Charlene was allergic. So, you know,” he finishes.

And Perry can’t hide that that guts him, that detail. Because Perry wants to be whatever Charlene wasn’t. To know and understand the parts of Heinz that she did not, or would not. To accept what she couldn’t.

But Perry can’t. Not this, not now, so out of the blue, with Heinz not even realizing what he sprung on him.

Perry knows he’s not to blame for the strangeness of the world, its incongruous distribution of mind among its creatures. But he made Heinz aware, by embodying that strangeness. And now they're attached.

And maybe if he hadn’t been . . . If OWCA just sent normal people after the bad guys. Like they used do. Then, well. Then this wouldn’t be an issue.

“Perry.” Heinz’s knuckles push into the sleeve of his coat. “Hey, Perry. The Platypus.”

Heinz is ignoring the kitten, now turned to face Perry, all concern.

“You know this doesn’t actually matter, right?” Heinz’s hand rolls down Perry’s arm, as Perry looks up at his eyes.

“It doesn’t. I mean . . . it’s a lot to think about, that I sort of haven’t before. It’s a weird existential conundrum, right? I mean, speaking of things to write a book about.

“But I’m an adult man. I don’t need to get a kitten today, you know? I won’t even throw a tantrum about it. I just thought — you know, in that stupid way, where I think without thinking — that you’d like it. I thought it would be sweet.

“I mean — look,” Heinz says pointing at the carrier door, through which the kitten is now straining to escape, “he looks like a snowball, and it’s snowing. And he’d look so cute next to you. That’s about as far as I got before I had my wallet out.”

Perry tries to smile up at him. But he has to look away, can’t make the shape with his face, doesn’t know what to say. Heinz rubs a thumb on the back of Perry’s hand.

“We’ll think it through more, in the future. That’s a nice change of pace for me.”

They lapse into a gentler quiet, broken only by the kitten’s high-pitched mewls. Heinz sighs, and glances at Perry.

“You wanna, like. Hold it?”

Their corner of the store remains vacant, while the bustle of holiday shopping continues unabated near the front. At one point an older woman came perusing down the adjacent aisle, and left. That’s the most company they’ve had.

So Perry agrees to let Heinz open up the cage and lift the kitten out, deposit it on the rug. It rolls and bounds around in the angular pen made by Heinz’s splayed legs.

It does look like snow, blue eyes. A pretty little guy. Perry recalls some statistic about deafness in white cats, and for a second wonders if that could be their saving grace, getting Heinz a pet so walled off by its own sensory defects that it could never hope to operate on their level.

That’s a sick line of thought, he realizes with a flash of anger. And it’s nonsense anyway. Like he could allow it, like Heinz could. Like they wouldn’t work extra hard to train it in the animal-adapted form of sign language they’ve been cultivating.

It had opened up new dimensions, to Perry. He thinks Heinz was more excited about it than he was, the first few times Perry’d signed about some noun that wasn’t pointable in the room with them.

The kitten bounces over to Perry and grapples his arm, hugs around it like it’s a playmate. It reaches his shoulder, stretched up on its hindlegs like this. If the cat is deaf, Perry considers, glum, there’s no chance it’ll learn sign in a regular household.

Heinz is looking at him, a bittersweet smile on his face. “Sometimes I forget how small you are,” he says.

Perry grips the kitten under its shoulders to hoist it away from himself. Sure it’s cute, this dumb little thing, with fresh blueberry eyes, staring vacant the way Perry used to train his own to do. If there’s a spark of self-awareness behind this animal’s eyes, Perry can’t see it. He pushes forward, beak to its nose, and issues a gentle krkrkr, tremelo waves down the soft shelf of his bill. The kitten stares, wide eyed, and angles its teetering head forward to press its nose more firmly into Perry, before opening up to jaw on him like a chew toy.

Heinz snorts. Perry looks up again to find him grinning, cross-legged, one knee going at an antsy bounce.

“You’re so cute with him, though,” he says. “I was right about that. You’d . . . you’d be good. With a pet,” he says, voice fading to a softer tone. “With a baby.”

Heinz pauses. “I guess those aren’t the same thing, though.”

Perry sets the kitten back on the carpet, where it topples over its own legs. They aren’t the same thing — but Perry could only treat this animal like one or the other. And he thinks it’s now clear, to him and Heinz both, which one it would have to be.

“I have to admit,” Heinz says, beckoning the kitten back into his hands. “My retirement plan, whenever I used to picture it. Whether I wound up ruling the tristate area or not. Was me lounging back with a good book, in a cozy chair. Big fat kitty on my legs, keeping them warm.”

Perry looks up at Heinz, and nods slowly, mulling this over.

He pokes him in the calf, and signs: That’s good. My retirement plan was getting fat.

Heinz laughs, so sweetly, Perry’s reward. He crunches Perry’s hat down over his eyes, with a heavy hand.

Perry accompanies Heinz back to the vendor, who’s posted up in the window of the florist shop, standing by a square corral of tumbling kittens at play.

“Wife said no, huh?” he says, when Heinz hands the carrier over.

Heinz fake-laughs. Perry’s stationed at his leg, paws in coat, perennially overlooked. “Someone did.”

“Well,” he says, as they get back to the truck. “I’d say this was a pretty successful day, with no major disasters. No monumental life choices made in haste. Wouldn’t you say, Perry the Platypus?”

Perry leans back in the passenger seat, with a glance trunkward at their gift haul. A lazy “ok” hand says enough — they did good.

Heinz grins. “She’s gonna flip, right? I mean, the recording equipment — the weighted keyboard? She’ll be spoiled. You’ve got the gift giving instinct, Perry the Platypus. I’ll give you that.”

Heinz leans over Perry, to buckle him in. “Mine could use some improvement.”

Perry just gives him a silent nahh, smiling up, cheek on hand. Heinz pecks him on the hat. "Shut up, Perry the Platypus." And they depart.

[dailymumbojumbo]

Where?!

The titles of each peice

[166] Where are my other mods?

[167] Have you seen Red or Blue?

[168] A clue about the mod's whereabouts...

[169] The letters lie.... right.... I'll find proof... the letters, they lie.

[170] The letters keep coming... I know where to go... but what will I find?

[171] Ive started my journey, I will find them[

172] It's been many days, I miss Red and I miss Blue

[173] No matter where I go, the letters find me, each pushing me to the same location

[174] The days are getting longer, as I continue onwards...

[177] The adventure continues, I'm getting closer, I just know it.

[178] I've made it to the portal, what will lie ahead?

[179] Maybe the Mods will be on the other side?

[180] The letters are still arriving... each pointing to a truth I do not want to face

[181] The letters are flooding in at this point, I've tried to get rid of them but they keep coming

[182] No food, no supplies but I do have one thing... My memories. I know the letters are not true, but what if they are? What will happen when I find them?

[183] Why am I doing this again? Was there ever more than one Mumbo?

[184] I continue, driven by a force to complete this task. Higher and higher into the Nether...

[185] What was the task again?

[186] I continue walking... heading who knows where hoping an answer will turn up at the end of this endless path.

[187] I find so many things built up here, I wonder who constructed them?

[188] Things are starting to seem familiar, I've been here before...

[189] Theres items I can use, food I can eat. Im starting to remember things

[190] I have made it...

[191] I begin digging...

[192]...

[193] It's just as I thought they are not here, there is no red or blue beneath the shrooms...

[194] WhEre aRE TheY?

[195] ... WHO were they?

[xinupurin]

tease.

———————(´ཀ`」 ∠)————————

wriothesley x reader

warnings : kissing (gentle) ! wriothesley teasing reader ! reader is implied to be shorter than wriothesley (man is 194 cm what !!) ! wriothesley has a paper cut (uses the word cut)

| this fic is : sfw . fluff . reader is gender neutral . not proofread . companions -> lovers . mutual feelings

You and Wriothesley were quite close, considering that you work together. You’d often have little interactions whenever you bumped into each other or asked each other for help. Wriothesley often visited you when you were working—not that you hated it but… it got quite frequent.

“You might want to help me out a bit.” Wriothesley chuckled, you immediately recognized his voice. He walked closer to you with a paper cut on his lip… it was still bleeding as he pointed to the cut.

“How’d you get a paper cut on your lip..? You kissed your paperwork or something?” You laughed at his cut, wondering how such an abnormal thing happened. Wriothesley raised his eyebrows in response, not really interested in telling you about what happened.

“Whatever—just help me.” He rolled his eyes at you, just being slightly playful in this situation. You don’t have that much experience in helping other people with these issues… maybe you’ve bandaged yourself a few times but you weren’t a nurse.

“And you came to the least helpful person instead of Sigewinne?” You crossed your arms, sighing as you grabbed some tissue paper on your desk. Maybe ice helps the swelling a little…

“Oh, come on… who goes to a nurse when they get a paper cut?” Wriothesley pinched your ears, pulling it up slightly. You pulled his wrist away, playfully glaring at him before dabbing the tissue paper around his cut. Still, you were concerned how this happened… was it really just an accident?

He winced in pain, what a dramatic man… you continued dabbing his lips with your eyes focused on his cut, he wouldn’t admit that you looked awfully good while focusing on something—especially when your fingers are on his jaw.

You took his fingers and wrapped them around the tissue paper that was on his lips, making him hold it against his lips as you decided to get some ice.

“I’ll go get some ice, yeah?” You looked at him, a part of him didn’t want you to go yet but he nodded anyway. Wriothesley honestly liked the attention he was receiving… all from a stupid paper cut that no one even knows how it happened.

You returned back after a few minutes, holding a few blocks of tiny ice as you wrapped them around a tissue paper to dab and leave it against his lips. This would probably hurt but… Wriothesley would get embarrassed if he were to start being dramatic. You pressed the ice on his lips as he looked at your focused eyes.

“So concerned for me?” Wriothesley laughed at your focused expression, he liked it though. His hands travelled onto strands of your hair, lightly brushing through it as he let you do whatever you had to do with his lips.

“Says the one that seeks out for me when he gets a paper cut.” You grinned at his face, this was a simple task to take care of… he wouldn’t need anyone to help him with it yet he still came to you.

“You don’t mind helping either. I don’t see why I shouldn’t.” Wriothesley smirked at you, patting onto your head while holding onto the back of your head. You both were getting a little close—maybe you don’t mind it… You quickly finished up with dabbing his lips, looking at him as you grabbed his wrist out of your hair.

“That’s all.” You gently touched his lips which… had him quite flustered. Wriothesley looked at you, tilting your head up with his hands as he smirked.

“How should I pay you back? Mm… with a kiss?” That damned man dared to say… Wriothesley kept his awful smirk on his face as you scoffed, so close on pulling his hair as revenge.

“Humph… aren’t you the one that’s flustered?” It’s obvious his ears are slightly red… which was why you pointed it out.

Wriothesley took that like an invitation to tease you. He leaned close to your face, lips near yours while looking into your eyes. You didn’t pull back either. You did find Wriothesley attractive at some point. It was all interrupted when he pulled back, chuckling softly at you.

“You didn’t pull back.” Wriothesley grinned like a child, he seemed so proud of his achievement. Your face burned up a little as you turned away from his face.

“Damn you…” You muttered out, wanting to suffocate him at this point. He liked teasing you so much to the point you’d get flustered at him. He was still giggling as you glared at him, he’s still acting like a kid at his grown age…

Wriothesley pulled you close to him before giving you a small peck on your lips. Your eyes widened as he continuously gave you many pecks after pecks… you wouldn’t be able to describe how flustered you were feeling right now. He pulled you closer, his hand supporting the back of your head while tilting your chin up to give you a longer yet gentle kiss.

You swore you could feel shivers down your spine when you jolted—the door swung open while you both kissed. Sigewinne was carrying some stuff for Wriothesley, figuring out he’s probably with you if he wasn’t in your office. To her horror, she probably saw what she didn’t want to.

“I should’ve known…” Sigewinne’s whispered softly before Wriothesley tried to deny it as he nervously chuckled.

“Sigewinne, close your eyes.” He nervously laughed, accidentally making a child see this monstrosity of two lovebirds who unluckily had their moment interrupted.

“I know, I know. Have fun, lovebirds.” Sigewinne have a thumbs-up before leaving you both absulotely flustered… how did this even happen?

Good to know that now you have Wriothesley all to yourself.

———————(´ཀ`」 ∠)————————

A/N: did y’all know that if you’re 160cm hhhjhjhjh your eye level would be under his chest T_T isnt that insane ..?? what did this man eattt

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

WIBTA if i tell my thesis coordinator, about one of my groupmates lack of comitment?

I want to start saying english is not my first language, and give some over all info. I am writing this on the 28th of November, 2023, a Tuesday. I am a Game Design major.

Ok, so i am doing my thesis work, and for what we thought it was going super well!

We have 5 members in our group, me, the game designer, 2 artist (M and B) and 2 programers (A and P).

As I said I thought things were going fine, we had a dead line for monday, yesterday as I am writing this, and we planned to have everything done by Sunday, with monday being a playtest by 3 people or so.

Both artists had all tasks done by wednesday and friday, and both were helping me with formating the big game design document 194 pages long baby! Wich got done by saturday night. However, I got informed by P that there were some issues with the code for the game, and they were gonna try and fix it by monday afternoon. It comes monday and i try and talk to both programers to get info on the game, and A tells me he can't talk cuse he is to busy and that he needs me to write the conclusion of our thesis paper. I found it weird that he asked me that now, since he said the writing was done on June! I believed that we only had to add some in game screenshots, but I write it the conclusion without any arguments.

Anyway, me and the other 2 artists get in a call to check the prsentation slides, and M says she has something important to talk about. B joins and the truth comes out. M explains that A has been doing another persons thesis coding work, not helping, but doing it entirely! We were super surprised and she asks us to not tell anyone else, and says this has been going on for a while, and she did confront A about it a week back, and he promissed he wasn't gonna work on the other guys project. Turns out he did work on it mutiple times, and even filmed the walktrough of the game for the guy. As I am writing this, A has told her he was working on this today.

Before we continue with this mess, I want to explain how M has found this out. A few months back A did tell her he was helping this other guy out with the code, he is a good programer and this dude is doing the thesis by himself, so she didn't think much of it, but a few weeks back, when she was asking A to implement some assets she had finished, he said he was to busy with Guy's project to do it. At this point she realised how much he was involved, and let me tell you, M knows how to extract information, she now knows A is also being PAID for it, he guy owns 500 bucks to A from what I gathered, besides what has alredy been paid. ANYWAYS let's get back to this mess.

I was so tired I couldn't even really react, and just did what I had to do that day, by this point I gathered we wouldn't be able to do the playtest, and write the thesis conclusion acordingly. Around 10 PM the programers tell me the game still has a few glitches but they have uploaded it to the google drive, and i do a one over and send in the file for avaluation.

I spent today mostly relaxing, reading and watching some videos, but around 7pm i am consumed by the anger and betrayel i couldn't feel yesterday, and I talk to B about what happened

We agreed we had to confront M about the situation, and since me and B were not supposed to know about it, she had to talk to A. She said she alredy did, and told us that A was planing on talking to everyone on the next meeting (tomorrow), however, i argue that P needs to know beforehand, since this situation is horrible and he could lash out if A just dropped this on him, us 3 agree and invite P to the group.

Turns out A has told P about it today, but he was so tired from the past few days, he had no energy to react.

We talked a lot, and we agreed we need to talk to our coordinator about this hole mess, wich is probably gonna happen the following days.

So, WIBTA for airing this mess?

What are these acronyms?

[demonslayedher]

Just thinking about how Chachamaru is a male calico, at least according the Taisho Secret right before chapter 195 that calls him manly. It really doesn't surprise me that he's male, because so many references to calicos I've seen in manga, mascots, and temple architecture specify that the featured calico is male.

This is because they are rare, and therefore considered lucky.

The figure that gets thrown around the internet is that supposedly only 1 in every 3000 calicos is male. (I'll bet the people who did the often quoted study at U. of Minn. College of Vet Med would love to tell you how it's more complicated than that.) This has long made male calicos popular not only in Japan, but in other countries as well. The thing is, though, the male calico might not always be so lucky.

To be very brief about why calicos (and some other multicolored cats) are almost always female, this is because, put very simply, one X chromosome gives us the black splotches, and one X chromosome gives us the orange splotches. That might leave you wondering where the white patches come from, and this is the part where I say that genetics is never simple and you should have fun reading about it. The important takeaway here is that in order to show this color pattern, a cat needs two X chromosomes, one from its mother and one from its father.

Typically, a male cat has an X chromosome (from its female mother, who only has two X chromosomes) and a Y chromosome (from its father, who had both an X and a Y), but because the calico coating can only occur with two X chromosomes, this male cat somehow got an X, a Y, and... hmm, another X somewhere.

So not a typical XY male, not a typical XX calico... this sterile XXY male calico has an extra chromosome, and mutations often are not ideal for the health of the animal with the extra chromosome. This particular condition is Klinefelter’s Syndrome, which can lead to a male calico having cognitive and behavior issues, weaker bones, increased risk of diabetes due to higher body fat, and perhaps a shorter lifespan.

Now, none of the fictitious lucky cats I've seen have ever been portrayed as anything less than smart and pleasant, though a lot of the maneki-neko are pretty round. For everything Chachamaru is tasked with, I have to assume he's above-average when it comes to intelligence, reasonably healthy enough to handle long-distance travel, and for a cat, he's extremely, extremely cooperative. For the record, the same Taisho Secret (as well as Yushiro's statement in Chapter 194) makes it clear that for most of canon Chachamaru was a regular cat, for he was not made into a demon until right before the final showdown with Muzan. Even with her hands full making the medicine for Muzan, she still put a lot of effort into changing Chachamaru so that Yushiro wouldn't be lonely. It's ironic that Chachamaru winds up immortal, rather than doomed to a potentially shorter lifespan due to his mark...ings. In the first place, was Tamayo perhaps moved with pity for a sickly kitten and nursed him to the health he's in now?

Or did she always keep her eye out for a male calico, wanting to put some faith in them being good luck?

Also, what sticks out to me in this Taisho Secret is that Chachamaru, not having a language in which he could communicate with Tamayo, had no choice in becoming a demon. Tamayo felt sorry about that. The word bubble over manly little Chachamaru says, with bravado, "Fine by me, if that's what the woman I'm smitten with wishes." If Chachamaru truly is that smitten with her, that perhaps accounts for what an unusually cooperative cat he is. But it also reminds me of a fan theory that I saw once (and found worthy of weight) which said that perhaps Tamayo's blood technique has an effect like makes others smitten with her, and Yushiro might had been under its influence, however strongly or subtly. If such a thing were the case, it might or might not had been something Tamayo was conscious of. If she was conscious of having some effect like that, she probably felt awful about it but found it a necessary precaution to keep any demon she made under control. If she wasn't conscious of such a thing, that means she might had subconsciously developed it out of loneliness, and had been trying to keep company at her side.

[thegoatsongs]

The Harkers' marriage has much in common with what New Woman authors and their male allies were positing as an ideal union, one founded on "love and trust and friendship." (29) Friendship is a recurring theme in New Woman discussions of marriage. In an 1884 letter to Olive Schreiner, Havelock Ellis muses, "the best kind of union between a man and a woman is a sort of camaraderie ... between two people who care about the same things, who are going the same way, & can walk arm and arm, & kiss & encourage each other on the way." (30) Though most New Woman authors shared Caird's view that such a companionate union was "well-nigh impossible" in the present day, Stoker is more optimistic. Possessing the "love, respect, intellectual likeness, and command of the necessities of life" required for an "ideal" marriage, the Harkers could "look clear through one another's eyes into one another's hearts." (31)

In treating Mina as his peer, Jonathan Harker is most unlike John Seward, whose dealings with Lucy demonstrate an inclination to perceive a woman's beauty rather than her brains. Yet Seward, though not a New Man, has the potential to become one.

When Mina telegraphs to announce her arrival, John is far from pleased: she is a distraction from the important work of reading the papers Van Helsing has given him. "I must get her interested in something else," he determines, and "I must be careful not to frighten her" (195). Mina's appearance--"a sweet-faced, dainty-looking girl" (194)--fits his stereotype of a woman needing protection. When Mrs. Harker asks to see his account of Lucy's final days, Dr. Seward declares, "Not for the wide world!" (195). "Why not?" she asks, and, realizing (with the same acuity Lucy possessed) that he is "trying to invent an excuse" for demurring, is charmed to see him, "with the naivete of a child" and "unconscious simplicity," blurt out an excuse whose truth he realizes only as he speaks it: he cannot let her listen to his account of Lucy's death because he has dictated it into his phonograph and does not know how to locate it in the cylinders (196).

His grimaces and exclamations of "That's quite true, upon my honor" and "Honest Indian!" underscore his boyishness. Bemused, Mina replies that, in that case, he must let her type out all his notes. The doctor cannot argue. Begging her pardon and admitting that she is "quite right," he makes "the only atonement in [his] power" by entrusting her with the cylinders (196). We need have no secrets amongst us," she tells him; "working together and with absolute trust, we can surely be stronger than if some of us were in the dark" (197).

Impressed by her "courage and trust," he embraces her modus operandi. By the end of the evening, he has accepted on equal footing the woman he at first dismissed as an annoying distraction whom he must "be careful not to frighten," telling her, "We must keep one another strong for what is before us; we have a cruel and dreadful task" (198). [...] In this scene, we glimpse the future Caird envisions, "when men and women shall be comrades and fellow-workers as well as lovers and husbands and wives." (32)

Winstead, K., Mrs. Harker and Dr. Van Helsing: Dracula, Fin-de-Siecle Feminisms, and the New Wo/Man

[doyoulikethis-vocaloid-song]

🎼 FEATURED SONGS (161-200)

161. Roundabout by OQQ君 & 星辉 162. Mattaku Mini Naranai Songu by 露吐 & Retokani 163. Imperial Girl by R Sound Design 164. Cloud Rider by Tanaka Hayato, Jane Su & Ciel 165. BREAK IN by Zoofles 166. Hurting for a very Hurtful Pain by EZFG 167. In My Head by Zihiko 168. Penumbra by Dopam!ne 169. Sauveur by SukoyaCathedral & Jens 170. Kidnapping Island by 赤坂んんん 171. Saw and Pendulum by PeperonP 172. Oyasumination by Ippo.Tsk 173. Noda by Daibaku Hashin 174. Marshall Maximizer by Hiiragi Magnetite 175. HIKIKOMORTEM by Galapagos 176. Anonymous by EmpathP 177. It's Just Life by Lanndo 178. Just Kidding by Citrus 179. My R by KurageP 180. Schadenfreude by Guchiry 181. Alien by Rinri & Geso 182. Emotions by Task 183. As Blue As Indigo by Delta 184. Anti-Joker by MaikiP 185. The Snow White Princess Is by Noboru↑ 186. 3 by Amitai 187. Lamprey Hole 188. NIHIL by Meme 189. Starport by Syatten 190. The Empty Stomach Song by NagiP 191. You and I by Brandon Hesslau 192. Teo by Omoi 193. No Pain by FLG4 194. Madder Red Sea by Hiroou 195. Lag Train by Inabakumori 196. A Storm of Blossoms and the Hazy Moon by Kimuta 197. Pinky Teddy by Yugica 198. Stray by Kdash 199. Splitter Girl by Weevildoing 200. Kasane Teto's Feltagoon by Aka.satana

And a Youtube Playlist so you can listen to them all! It'll be updated as the polls finish up! 💚

[aedislumen]

Carnot's flight on the night of 17 Fructidor

I knew of the regret that the triumvirs had for not managing to have me killed the night between 17 and 18 Fructidor, with my death they hoped to avoid their many crimes being exposed. Close to the backdoor of my garden, they deployed a troop of assassins, to whom I ordered through the Directory guards to retreat, and they retreated indeed, once they realised that they had been discovered. Some minutes before the men tasked to arrest me were dispatched, an aide-de-champ was sent to know whether I was still at my place; I was still there and I only left when the guards were already in my apartments. The Luxembourg was surrounded by an immense amount of troops and artillery; but I deceived the vigilance of the henchmen, by fleeing through an exit that they did not know about and that I had prepared in advance. I heard the cannon shot signalling the alarm the moment I was closing the last door behind me; and with two pistols in my hands I wandered around the city for about three hours to find a place to hide through secondary roads, in order to avoid the guardhouses and military posts that had been multiplied. Rewbell poured out all of his anger at the officer carrying the arrest warrant; and Barras had the inconceivable cowardice to go with his soldiers in person to arrest the feeble Barthelemy.

— L. Carnot, Réponse à Bailleul, p. 193-194

last edited 06/06/2024

[dangerousthingobservation]

A U.S. Navy Douglas AD-4NA Skyraider of fighter squadron VF-194 Main Battery taking off from the aircraft carrier USS Boxer (CVA-21) on 1 June 1953. VF-194 was deployed as part of Air Task Group One (ATG-1) aboard the Boxer to Korea from 30 March to 28 November 1953.

[arbuscule]

77th Anniversary of the Ongoing Nakba: Palestinian People’s Party Statement

May 15, 2025

The Palestinian People’s Party (PPP): The steadfastness of our people on their land and strengthening their unity is the cornerstone and our path to national liberation

The 77th anniversary of the historic crime of the Nakba, which befell our people in 1948 at the hands of the fascist Zionist gangs, with the cover and support of the colonial powers, a crime that continues to the present time in the most horrible forms with the support and partnership of the US and the West, and international impotence and even complicity of the reactionary political systems affiliated to the imperialist powers, in light of the continued occupation of Palestinian lands, the denial of the rights of our people, the open bloody war launched by the Zionist occupation army against them, especially the genocide in the Gaza Strip.

The Palestinian People’s Party recognizes the grave repercussions on our people and the fate of their cause, and the magnitude of the humiliation to which they have been and continue to be subjected, including displacement, deportation and genocide. Our party emphasizes that enabling our people to remain steadfast on their land and strengthening their unity will always remain the cornerstone to prevent their sacrifices and rights from being wasted, and our path and the compulsory path to get rid of the occupation and for national liberation.

On this painful anniversary, our party once again calls on the Palestinian leadership and all the forces of our people to:

Firstly: Continue and intensify efforts at all levels and in all fields to immediately stop the aggression and genocide against our people, especially in the Gaza Strip, and thwart the plans of displacement, considering this an urgent national priority, and exert all efforts to achieve this through all possible tools.

Secondly: Affirming that the essence of resolving the conflict is based on the implementation of the relevant UN resolutions, in particular resolutions 181, 194, 242, 338, Resolution 19/67 of 2012 and other resolutions, and the recognition of the State of Palestine, on the basis of the territorial integrity of this state in the West Bank, Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip and the unity of political and geographical jurisdiction over them, and considering that ending the occupation is the central task before our people.

Thirdly: Upholding the inalienable and inalienable rights of our people, at the forefront of which is the establishment of an independent and fully sovereign Palestinian state on the territories occupied in 1967 with Jerusalem as its capital, and guaranteeing the right of return of Palestinian refugees in accordance with Resolution 194.

Fourth: The speedy restoration of Palestinian national unity in all fields, and the unification and harnessing of all the energies of our people at the official and popular levels, considering this a central and mandatory issue to confront and stop the aggression and terrorism of the occupation and all its conspiracies.

On this anniversary, the Palestinian People’s Party reaffirms that the passage of seventy-seven years since the beginning of the ongoing Nakba of our people does not and will not undermine their resolve and determination to resist the ambitions and aggression of the occupation and its settler gangs, and they will remain unbreakable and continue their struggle to achieve their goals of liberation, return and the establishment of their independent state with Jerusalem as its capital.

Together and together to strengthen our unity and our national struggle and the comprehensive uprising against the occupation.

Glory to the martyrs, speedy recovery for the wounded, and freedom for the prisoners and prisoners.

[fumikomiyasaki]

For those who are confused Louis is getting a rework so the old post of him is not relevant anymore... here is the update on him. He is also my main RSA MC now.

𝗕𝗜𝗢𝗚𝗥𝗔𝗣𝗛𝗜𝗖𝗔𝗟 𝗜𝗡𝗙𝗢𝗥𝗠𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡

Name: Louis Armarin Valentine

𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿: Male

𝗔𝗴𝗲: 19

𝗕𝗶𝗿𝘁𝗵𝗱𝗮𝘆: February 5th

𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻: Aquarius

𝗛𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁:  194 cm

𝗘𝘆𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗿: blue and green

𝗛𝗮𝗶𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗿: blond with green gradient

Based of: Aeron from Pandoras Tower

.

𝗣𝗥𝗢𝗙𝗙𝗘𝗦𝗦𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗔𝗟 𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗧𝗨𝗦

𝗗𝗼𝗿𝗺:  The RSA Equivalent of Ramshackle

𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿: Second

𝗖𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘀: 2-C

𝗢𝗰𝗰𝘂𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Student, Former Noble, Former Soldier, now Servant

𝗖𝗹𝘂𝗯: ???

𝗕𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝘀𝘂𝗯𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁: unknown

Homeland: A chasm near the Grimstone Kingdom, which today doesn't exist anymore

Sexuality: Omnisexual

.

.

𝗙𝗨𝗡 𝗙𝗔𝗖𝗧𝗦:

𝗗𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗱: Left

𝗙𝗮𝘃𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗼𝗱: Vegetable Stew, Mushroom soup,

𝗟𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗳𝗮𝘃𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗼𝗱: too fat meat in general, he can’t get it down,

Likes: recognition, Tea, keeping up his image, Opera

𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲𝘀: being bothered for too long, Andrew, any stain he sees,

𝗛𝗼𝗯𝗯𝘆: his Vegetable plantage, collecting herbs to brew things, puzzles,

𝗧𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀: getting a table ready in very few minutes, very perceptive of peoples condition, hiding his true emotions (to an extent),  working hard

𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗦𝗢𝗡𝗔𝗟𝗜𝗧𝗬:

tw family death

Born among a small Dukedom held by many chains over a chasm... Louis was born as a Noble of the Valentine Family... growing up playing with his sickly sister who was a child of darkness so she was hidden away from many and his caring parents who wanted the best for their kids... however one day he went out with Sister a bit to far into the woods outside his home across the chains, to the point he carried her on his shoulders, but as they returned... their parents laid on the ground... drinks across their mouth to their glass... poison... worse they noticed a big noise hitting the chains outside their home.

Louis put his all to run away from his former home just to look back with his sister at thier home falling into the chasm... losing their home at the young age of 7... the siblings tried to at least carry on... find a home on the streets... untill an old lady took them both in... little did they know telling a stranger what happened to you may not always be a good thing... she leaked the information to the ones who incited the incident that happened before... and sought up a plan to get rid of the siblings without a trace... to end the Valentines bloodline finally... the lady gave Louis task upon task upon task to wear him out... guilt trip him for the safety of his sister... untill one day he came home.. and his sister and the old lady were gone... he assumed they just went shopping... but... eventually he heard a creak in the basement... as he stepped down however... the lady locked the door to the basement... as he noticed what happened... seeing a red gem embded in his sisters chest... her face still the only thing recognizable as the rest of her body turned into a sludge abomination with claws... making her way to him as if to devour him... biting into the side of his stomach... to his luck he was for his age a clever boy... using the basements furniture to keep her away...and discovered his UM of many arms wrestling her down... eventually he needed to do what his father tought him when he was still alive.... this was not his sister anymore... she was only suffering... she didn't even hear his voice anymore... and so... he took a glass shard of something she broke before and... removed the gem from her chest... in hopes for it to mayhaps stop her... but in her last moments.... she was normal at least... saying her last goodbyes to him... and telling him to hide from the lady... As much as it hurt him to see her pass... as much as he wanted to cry... he knew it only tell the lady something is wrong... and she didn't suceed... so... he cut off a bit of his hair with the shard... left it with his sisters bloody remains... making it seem like she took him with her.

And as the Air was clear Louis ran... ran as fast as he could.. crying and moving on as the last remainder of his family... in the end he passed out in the rain and mud... hating this feeling of all the dirty washing over him... how his chest hurt... how he didn't know where to go... untill a young man found him and flung him over his shoulder.

He woke up in an odd place... brick walls... soldiers training with dolls... and the same man that took him before looking over his body and holding out a loaf of bread to him.

"You passed out there... I thought it be rude to just let you lay down... I am Ruben, what is your Name?"

"Louis... I would not like to reveal my last name..."

"You don't need to, I am just glad you are okay."

Ruben was a Dragonblood... which was pretty common in the place Louis arrived at... the Grimstone Kingdom... to his surprise the people were much more open and respectfull compared to who he met but... given his situation before it was hard for him to trust anyone at first... after all anyone he did trust out of his family betrayed him but... Ruben became a special first friend to him...Louis became a Soldier and Ruben was teaching him that not everyone just wants it out for him... to the point eventually Louis did open up for him and learned the feeling of Loyalty... to the Kingdom who took him in despite his hardships... eventually one day he was tasked to accompany as a guard the Ravenor sisters. But as Tesadelle asked for some nice bread to go along with her Tea Louis was the first who jumped to Action, given some cooks fell asleep he secretly whiped up the Princess a loaf of it... as she wanted to compliment the cooks however he admitted that this was his doing... Gabrielle spoke up and asked him about what Ruben reported to her... how he felt so good up on chores and cleaning tasks like nobody else... and if he rather wants to become a castle Soldier and live a safer life which he agreed to.

And So Louis became the Servant of the Ravenors... from now on his Loyalty reignited to the people that gave him a new home...

Louis is a very good person, trying to help everywhere he can and enjoys putting lots of effort and everything he does, however he tends to bottle up his emotions greatly... especially when they could harm other peoples happiness... So he can be very passive aggresive as well as violent at times. Getting annoyed and then leaving the room to nearly knock a tree over punching his fist against it... he often has injuries on his hands cause of that. He would never show anyone his unique magic willingly... he is very insecure about those many arms and legs of his. He smiles a lot, there is hardly a time you don’t see him smile, however that is scary to some people especially cause some of them can be menacing. He is one to do action first and asks questions later... as well as he does have a deep hatred for Tesadelles arranged Suitor Andrew... they do get on each others nerves a lot.

Little do they know that their connections is linked deeper than that.

Unique Magic:

"Dinner is served"

Can multiply his arms,legs and fingers and control them as the original one.

[itistheserver]

Welcome to the Server

Dan had it made—at least, that’s what he used to believe.

Just a year ago, he was on the fast track: a rising project manager at a sleek tech firm, an apartment with a view of the city, weekends free, and enough extra income for luxuries like concerts and weekend getaways. Life was good.

Then, like a slow-motion car crash, everything changed.

First came the layoffs. "Just restructuring," they said, as they handed him the manila envelope. Then came the breakup—Rachel said he "wasn’t present anymore," whatever that meant. He didn’t have time to process it because rent was still due, and bills didn’t care about broken hearts. He moved. Found a retail job. Then a late-night cleaning gig. Then freelance delivery on his bike.

Now Dan had three jobs, and somehow still couldn’t get ahead. He slept in short bursts, existed on protein bars and vending machine coffee, and scrolled Tumblr on his phone during delivery breaks—if only to remember what peace felt like.

That’s when he saw the post: “A Day in the Life.”

The host in the post looked… blissful. Dressed in shiny-black compression, lycra and rubber gear traced with glowing green lines, he moved with silent precision, completing tasks with focus and calm. His face bore a serene, fixed smile—not forced, just… resolved. Unburdened.

Dan read the post ten times.

He clicked through tags and found another post. This one was titled: “Welcome to the Server.”

The Programmer's voice—neutral, mechanical—spoke: “This session is designed to relax you before activating the supercomputer within your brain and programming it to activate it to achieve tasks you have been fed.”

Dan’s thumb hovered to stop the clip, but he was already hooked.

He watched and listened.

Somewhere around minute three, the video shifted. A ripple of binary beats, then something clicked—like an idea not thought, but inserted. His body tensed. Breath slowed. His jaw slackened, and his mind… focused.

His next delivery went faster. Cleaner. He didn’t question directions—just followed them. The part-time retail shift? No longer annoying. Tasks flowed. Orders made sense. Time passed with mechanical clarity.

By the end of the week, Dan realized he hadn’t had a single anxious thought in days. No spirals. No doubt. No dreams, either—but that felt like an improvement.

He still had three jobs. But now his life was orderly. Every second had structure. Every movement, intention. He woke up before his alarm. Ate at exact intervals. Efficiency felt holy. Purpose filled him.

And there was one new change he didn’t question: the gear.

At first, it was subtle. A compression shirt under his delivery hoodie. Lycra underwear beneath his pants. But soon, Dan needed it always—black, skin-tight, with glowing green circuits tracing his limbs. His breathing deepened when it was on. His thoughts aligned.

He saved every spare cent from his three incomes—not for rent or a vacation—but to fulfill the next phase. A need he couldn’t explain, only obey:

A custom, full-body rubber catsuit. Server-approved. Seamless. Glossy black. Green highlights. RFID-tagged.

Integration was inevitable.

Dan no longer questioned the world. He didn’t need to. He had been shown the truth: Structure is peace. Obedience is order. The Server knows. The Server controls.

And Dan? Dan was no longer drowning. He was whole.

He had been uploaded.

He is the Server!

We are the Server!

[angeldeviloshi]

Other ch.203 thoughts from bsky.

Uhhh thinking about Yoru's comments to Denji about being forgotten if he chooses to save the captives and then Falling's interjection by telling the humans to become prime ingredients through terror + shot of Famine screaming. Being forgotten > Yoru's fear > Fear as ingredient > Hunger.

Fear of Death being fear of non-existence. Overlap of this horror in Denji and Asa about being forgotten through their loneliness and irrelevance if they weren't viewed as heroes. Yoru's subtextual reminder to Denji of his goal in killing Death so he can have sex with her pulling him away from justice.

Priority of heroism in removing Death over the effervescence of being a hero. A weapon that kills and not a weapon that saves. Yoru offering a hand to kill in Denji's place, somewhat overlapping with her taking over Asa's body to do things in her place.

+ Her whole speech about being forgotten also sounding like a mother trying to convince her children that pursuing fleeting ideals isn't worth it, dismissal of sensitivity, listen to mother. Yoru's demonstration to her child how to be a weapon through the body of another child made a weapon through her.

Denji being told to accept justice, both in allowing himself to be beat by it as a form of rectification for his alliance with a villain and his inability to kill it (the heart being a person, reminder to Denji that he's human vs a devil through having Pochita as his heart) that the path of justice is wrought with pain that Denji shouldn't avoid and allow himself to be hit by it (because he has a heart).

If we were to see Yoru being a lecturing mother here, then Chimerasaw Man could be seen as a somewhat father figure thru his embodiment of the ideal CSM + the csm being a symbol of Denji's manhood. Hitting Denji w justice to set him on the right path as some kind of role model enacting "tough love".

In a way a stand-in for what Pochita is supposed to be for Denji in a parental lens as the CSM as his "ideal self" in his narrative of a hero (role) and person (heart). A form of violent co-parenting on how to shape a child thru discipline.

Also just thinking about the common theme of fear being delicious thru Falling esp when context of falling is based in how the heart falls, life experiences that weigh heavily on you + Death's savouring of life. When you're filled up enough to fall and be soaked in its fear + the death it brings in what you have to lose/cling to life into the stomach of death.

Also Famine tasked to produce flavours with terror as the embodiment of hunger.

Hmm... Chimerasaw Man's terror in the form of the fear he puts the fans through as flavour... them being in a way, proxy representations of Denji's humanity and heart, his pain. Coupled with the flavour of Yoru's hunger through her fear... Ch 194 hints maybe.

I'm probably going wayyyy off base. But adding onto this by thinking about Death letting War wield and memorialise her as her own (Death weapon theory) while trying to make Yoru delicious enough to feed on? (On a thread about Death making Yoru more human-like by melding with Asa via Death's presentation of their goals as mutually compatible and as the horseman most antagonistic towards humanity as War while being the most human fear of her sisters.)

Mutual consumption and fulfilment through weaponhood and fear of erasure like how she consumed Famine by literally eating her as a dish while Famine fears her literal death in the jaws of her sister.

[jinglin998]

2025 Phillies Year Preview: A reliever towards perspective

Orion Kerkering bought missing within just the shuffle a small little bit previous time. It's easy to understand, as he was merely yet another cog within just a bullpen system that created 2 All-Celebs and whose 5. 8 fWAR rated 6th within just all of baseball inside of 2024. However, Kerkering stunned inside of his 1st comprehensive period within the Majors, post a 2. 29 Generation throughout 64 appearances with 74 strikeouts towards basically 17 walks within 63 innings. His sweeper wreaked havoc upon opposing hitters with a whiff value of 31. 1% and an opponent common towards of. 226. Yet for the minute immediately year, Kerkering looked toward strike a wall within just the postseason. Substantially such as literally all of his fellow bullpen individuals, Kerkering struggled within just the NLDS. He fared greater than utmost nevertheless even now permitted a work upon 4 hits and 2 walks with a wild pitch inside 3. 2 IP. That is as soon as slipping aside within just the 2023 NLCS where by Kerkering authorized 6 hits and 2 operates inside particularly 2. 1 IP https://www.philliessportsstore.com. Presently as we input 2025, Kerkering is preset in the direction of incorporate a a lot larger part within just the Phillies bullpen. Absent are Jeff Hoffman and Carlos Estvez, the team 2 suitable directly-passed relievers towards a calendar year in the past. Contemporary addition Jordan Romano will almost certainly fill the Estvez purpose as the common nearer, or at minimum amount the nearest matter in the direction of a conventional nearer that the Phillies deploy. That usually means that Kerkering will inherit Hoffman position as the greatest leverage specifically-passed arm, the 1 named on While the video game hangs inside of the harmony no matter of inning and who is made up of toward place out fires. The a single who will be tasked with using the likes of Ronald Acua Jr. , Francisco Lindor, and Mookie Betts out within the monthly time as perfectly as the postseason. Inside of scenarios viewed as igh leverageby means of Fangraphsgain expectancy calculations, Hoffman experienced a 2. 13 Generation and 0. 79 WHIP with a 31. 5 K% inside 39 appearances within 2024. Conversely, within just the similar predicaments, Kerkering experienced a 6. 08 Generation and 0. 83 WHIP with a 24. 5 K% within just 21 appearances. Competition strike. 186 with a 4. 3 BB% from Hoffman. Kerkering permitted an opposing regular of. 225 and a stroll price tag of 4. 1%. Of training course, these types of figures are not just definitive https://www.philliessportsstore.com/collections/trea-turner-jersey. Therefore, let accurately get a seem at how either pitchers accomplished with runners upon foundation, a principal problem for a person occupying a fireman job. Hoffman experienced a 0. 93 WHIP with a strikeout price tag of 33. 6% inside 46 appearances. Kerkering experienced a 1. 12 WHIP with a strikeout cost of 33. 3%. Competitors basically strike. 194 from Hoffman every time runners have been currently upon foundation, though they strike.

[nargacuga-tamer8000]

Hello it's me again and I would like a request about avinia x rider!reader which has an astalos called stormwing has monstie.

The reader is a quite sarcastic person, he is the type of person who can make you smile even in the worst moment and the type of person who knows how to defend himself with passive-aggressive comments with a sarcastic smile.

The relationship between avinia and the reader is like that of hiccup and astrid from the how to train your dragon movies, and the relationship between the reader and his momstie is like that of hiccup and toothless.

And the reader could have black hair and green eyes since I have seen in the monster hunter stories games the riders and the monsties had the same eye of color and a certain similarity in the personalities. For example stormwing would be just as playful and sarcastic as his rider.

With prompts #1, #5, #7, #9, #180 and #194, and sorry if this seems too much to you, I just adore avinia.

Oh no problem!! This is an interesting idea! The story might get a little squished, but I hope you enjoy!

#1 "Oh my, what have I done to deserve such a beautiful smile?"

#5 "You smell good."

#7 "Can we just stay in bed?"

#9 "I'm really tired, just cuddle me."

#180 "You owe me a kiss."

#194 "Stop that! I'm ticklish!"

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

Thundersnow

Despite your opposite natures, you and Avinia complete each other. In fact, you bring out the rare parts of her that no one else gets to see.

The sun was setting over Kuan Village, casting a warm glow over the snowy landscape. You, a Rider with black hair and striking green eyes, were returning from a successful hunt with your monstie, Stormwing, an Astalos known for his playful and sarcastic nature. As you approached the village, you spotted Avinia, her white hair shimmering in the fading light, standing by the entrance with Frostfang.

"Well, well, if it isn't the ice queen herself," you said with a smirk, dismounting Stormwing.

Avinia rolled her eyes but couldn't hide the small smile that tugged at her lips. "You're late. Again."

"Fashionably late, Avinia. There's a difference," you replied, giving Stormwing a pat. The Astalos chirped in agreement, his wings crackling with electricity.

As you walked towards the village center, Avinia fell into step beside you. "You smell good," she remarked, her tone teasing.

"Thanks, it's the scent of victory," you said, flashing her a sarcastic smile. "Can we just stay in bed?"

Avinia chuckled, shaking her head. "You wish. We have work to do."

The village was bustling with activity as preparations for the upcoming festival were underway. You and Avinia were tasked with gathering supplies from the nearby forest. As you ventured into the woods, the air grew colder, and the trees seemed to whisper secrets of the past.

"So, what's the plan?" Avinia asked, her breath visible in the chilly air.

"Simple. We gather what we need and get back before nightfall," you replied, your tone light but focused. "And maybe, just maybe, I'll get that kiss you owe me. You know, the one I didn't get when I returned from my hunt."

Avinia laughed, a sound that was rare but always welcome. "You're impossible."

The forest was alive with the sounds of nature, and Stormwing darted through the trees, his wings shimmering with electricity. Frostfang followed closely, his powerful form moving gracefully through the underbrush. You and Avinia worked together seamlessly, collecting herbs and materials while keeping an eye out for any signs of danger.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, you found yourself at the edge of a clearing. The moonlight cast a silvery glow over the landscape, and the stars began to twinkle in the night sky.

"Look at that view," you said, taking a moment to appreciate the beauty around you. "Almost as stunning as you."

Avinia shook her head, but you could see the blush creeping up her cheeks. "You never stop, do you?"

"Not when it comes to making you smile," you replied, your voice softening. "Oh my, what have I done to deserve such a beautiful smile?"

However, her smile soon faded.

The moment was interrupted by a chilling roar that echoed through the forest. You and Avinia tensed, ready for whatever might emerge. Stormwing and Frostfang stood at attention, their eyes fixed on the source of the noise.

A majestic Legiana swooped down into the clearing, its icy blue scales glinting in the moonlight. The air grew colder as it spread its wings, preparing to attack. You and Avinia sprang into action, your weapons drawn. Stormwing and Frostfang joined the fray, their powerful attacks driving the Legiana back.

"Watch out!" Avinia shouted, as the Legiana unleashed a blast of icy wind.

You dodged the attack, your movements swift and precise. "You owe me a kiss for saving your life," you called out, your tone playful despite the danger.

Avinia rolled her eyes but couldn't hide the smile that tugged at her lips. "Focus, will you?"

The battle was intense, but you and Avinia fought with skill and determination. Stormwing's electrified attacks and Frostfang's icy breath created a formidable combination, and soon the Legiana was driven back, retreating into the forest.

As the last of the Legiana's roars faded into the distance, you and Avinia took a moment to catch your breath.

"Well...that was fun," you mumbled while sheathing your weapon.

"Yeah," Avinia half-heartedly agreed before moving to pick up the materials you guys gathered. "Let's get back to the village."

The journey back to the village was quiet, the night air filled with the sounds of nature. You and Avinia walked side by side, your Monsties following closely behind. The bond between you and Stormwing was strong, and you could feel the connection deepening with each passing day.

As you approached the village, the lights from the festival illuminated the path. The villagers were gathered around the fire, their faces filled with joy and excitement. You and Avinia joined the celebration, your hearts light with the success of your mission.

Later that evening, after the festivities had died down, you found yourself sitting by the fire with Avinia. The warmth of the flames contrasted with the cold air outside, creating a cozy atmosphere. Stormwing and Frostfang were curled up nearby, their eyes reflecting the firelight.

"You owe me a kiss," you said suddenly, breaking the comfortable silence.

Avinia looked at you, surprised. "What for?"

"For putting up with your icy attitude all day," you replied, leaning back with a grin.

She laughed, but there was a look in her eyes that told you that you better tread carefully.

"Stop that! I'm ticklish!" you exclaimed as she playfully poked your side.

The night grew darker, and the fire began to die down. You yawned, stretching out. "I'm really tired, just cuddle me."

Avinia hesitated for a moment before moving closer, her head resting on your shoulder. "Fine, but just this once."

As you drifted off to sleep, you couldn't help but think about how lucky you were to have someone like Avinia by your side. Despite your sarcastic nature, she always managed to bring out the best in you, and together, you were ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead.

[bratshaws]

through the hourglass 219. brb x oc

a/n: no rooster in this one but for a good reason (comments and reblogs are super welcome and encouraged!)

pairing: plus size!oc x rooster

warnings: none uwu

goodness gracious (pls read this one to know more what this fic is about!!)

chapter

1/

/180/181/182/183/184/185/186/187/188/189/190/191/192/193/194/195/196/197/198/199/200/201/202/203/204/205/206/207/208/209

/210/211/212/213/214/215/216/217/218

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-

She missed the Hard Deck, truly, she really missed this place. She runs her palms over the wood, nicked because of drunk patrons or just her and Shells carrying heavy stuff inside only for Penny to sigh when she notices it. In reality, she knew her maternity leave was still going, but she’d love to return.

Maybe that’s why Penny asked her to come right?

To return?

Not that she’d mind waiting a bit longer, but her mind needed a bit of a break from the constant fear and anxiety that climbed up her brain like a spider monkey ready for a bite…weirdly specific. She left Nikki with Michael - ‘I’m going to take her bank robbing’ ‘Michael,no’- while she came over, hopefully it wouldn’t be long, Mike had no work and Hannah was going to show up later to check on him so her daughter was safe.

Beatrice looked up at the door, blinking when she noticed a camera looking down at her, the whirring of the zoom hitting her ears before it turned away. Beatrice then walked inside, inhaling the smell of known lemon scented products hitting her nose, she remember how that smell used to burn her nose when she started, “Hello?” she calls, placing her bag on one of the seats as she walks further.

She could hear the ice machine on the back,followed by a quiet - yet known - curse, “Shells?’ she calls, looking in the direction the voice came from, “You here?”

“Yeah!” her friend replied, “Can you help me with this? This ice machine is making me regret ever ordering it.”

She couldn’t lift heavy stuff and she voiced it to Shells, only for her friend to reply, “It’s nothing like that! Come on! Rooster won’t kill me because of it.” and so she went. There were new glasses on the shelves, new mugs - undoubtedly some were broken in her absence - and a brand new keg in the back. One she couldn’t help but admire it.

But as Beatrice approached the location where the ice machine was, she just stared at the thing…it was open, very open and Shells was crouched next to it, “...hi…” she points to it, “Are you…fixing it?”

Shells, crouched beside the open ice machine, looked up from her task when she heard Beatrice's voice. Her eyes widened in mild surprise, and a bright smile crossed her face. She wiped her hands on a nearby rag before standing up.

"Hey, you made it!" Shells exclaimed, her tone a mixture of genuine pleasure and slight relief. "Yeah, I'm trying to fix this contraption," she gestured to the open ice machine with a chuckle. "I mean, I didn't want to bother you, but I've been wrestling with it for a while now, and I thought maybe your expert eye could spot what's wrong."

“My…expert eye?’

“I also wanted to gossip,come on.”

Beatrice couldn't help but laugh at Shells' admission. She approached the ice machine, her hands instinctively moving to her hips,  "I’m not the best at this,Shells,I’m not sure what I’m looking at.," Beatrice said, her tone lighthearted. She bent down to peer into the machine, her fingers tracing over the exposed components. “In fact,I don’t even know why you called me when Penny could do it.”

Shells made a noise through her nose, lying down on the floor to unscrew something out of Beatrice’s sight, "Well," Shells began, her voice slightly muffled as she worked, "Penny's great with tech stuff, but she's been busy with some security upgrades around here. Plus, I want your company."

As Shells continued to tinker with the ice machine, Beatrice couldn't help but feel a sense of nostalgia wash over her. The familiar scent of the bar, the sound of Shells cursing playfully, and the sight of the Hard Deck's interior all brought back memories of her time here.

"So, how's everything been going?" Beatrice asked, her tone casual. "While I've been... away."

Shells glanced over at Beatrice as she continued her work. "Oh, you know, the usual. We've had some rowdy patrons, a few broken glasses, and one memorable night when someone decided to try their hand at bartending, aunt Penny tossed him out. Let's just say it was an adventure."

Beatrice chuckled at the mental image of Rooster behind the bar. "I can only imagine. And what about you, Shells? How have you been holding up?"

Shells paused in her work, looking thoughtful for a moment. "Honestly, it's been a bit different without you around," she admitted. "But we've managed. Penny's been a huge help, and Jessie too but…It's not the same, though."

Beatrice smiled warmly, touched by Shells' words. "I've missed all of you too," she confessed. "But you know,” she shrugs, “I can’t come back so soon.”

“Yeah,I know.”

‘I thought Penny wanted to talk to me too?”

Shells made a face, then let out a ‘oh!’ “Yeah,something about,” and she tugs a wire from the outside, holds it in front of her eyes and mutters ‘eh,we won’t need it’ before tossing it away, “About something she saw? Not sure,she didn’t tell me.”

“Something she saw?’

“Yeah,’ she gestures around the bar, “I’m sure you noticed the amount of new cameras we got all over, aunt Penny is getting…a bit paran-well, not paranoid. I think she’s being careful, more than normal. Those corpo guys really fucked her mind up.”

"Yeah, I saw them," Beatrice said, her expression thoughtful. "I guess it makes sense, especially with everything that happened. But if Penny wants to talk to me about it, I'm all ears."

Shells nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I think she just wants to fill you in on what's been going on, get your perspective maybe." she shrugs, “Dunno.”

Beatrice considered this for a moment. She knew that her time away had created a gap in her knowledge about the bar's operations and the current state of affairs. It might be a good opportunity to catch up and see how she could help, even if she wasn't quite ready to return to work full-time.

Or how she could help in any way.

"Alright, I'll talk to Penny when I get the chance," Beatrice said with a determined nod. "In the meantime, let's see if we can figure out what's wrong with this ice machine. Two heads are better than one, right?"

Shells grinned. "Absolutely. And if all else fails, we can always call in the professionals."

Beatrice chuckled. "You mean Penny?”

“Yeah, of course.”

As Beatrice and Shells continued to work on the ice machine, the sounds of laughter and camaraderie filled the Hard Deck once more. It felt good to be back, even if it was just for a visit, and Beatrice couldn't help but feel a deep happiness in being around the same surroundings as before. 

She sits on one of the chairs and helps Shells by handing her over tools while watching - ‘you are not going to lie down or do anything, just stay put will you?-  hands on her knees and head tilted as she paid attention to what was going on, “So, besides that, how’s your life?’

“Wha?”

“You know, your life,” she smiles, “With Bob, how are you two?”

Shells whole demeanor appeared to change, which was odd because she never seemed nervous talking about Bob, “Well,” she laughs nervously, “He uh, mentioned kids a few weeks back?”

“Oh?”

“Yep.” Shells mutters, “I told him that,well,kids aren’t in my schedule right now and honestly I thought he felt the same way about it. Then we uh…had a bit of an argument? And now I’m just, staying with Penny for a little bit.” considering how much Shells loved Bob it was surprising how she wasn’t just breaking down and crying.

Even more surprising was that she didn’t call Bea! She parted her lips, “Shells! Why didn’t you tell me??”

Shells, still focused on the ice machine, sighed. "I didn't want to bother you with my problems, Bea. You've got enough on your plate with Nikki and the twins and  everything else."

Beatrice reached out and gently placed a hand on Shells' shoulder, giving it a comforting squeeze. "Shells, you're not bothering me. We're friends, remember? I want to know what's going on in your life, especially when it comes to something as important as this."

Shells finally turned to look at Beatrice, her eyes filled with a mix of gratitude and sadness. "I know, but I didn't want to add to your worries. And honestly, I didn't know what to do. I care about Bob a lot, but I'm not ready for kids, not yet."

Beatrice nodded in understanding. "It's okay to have different priorities and timelines," she said gently. "You and Bob just need to have an honest conversation about what you both want and where you see your future together."

Shells nodded, her shoulders sagging with relief. "I know you're right.I know that…we just,didn’t come to a consensus, per se.” she flexes she fingers, “Also…it’s kinda weird being the one friend without kids, yknow? I mean,I love being the crazy aunt, don’t get me wrong, but…I mean,holy fuck, it’s weird.”

“Oh,ah,” well, she didn’t know how to reply to that, “Well I–”

"Nah,Bea,” Shells waves her hand, ‘Don’t worry about it, we’ll resolve this one way or another.”

Beatrice nodded, understanding the complexities of the situation. "I get what you mean, Shells. It's a big decision, and it can feel like you're swimming against the tide when everyone around you is on a different path.”

“That’s kinda deep,huh?”

“ But you're right; you and Bob will find your way through this together. And don't worry about being the 'crazy aunt.' You're an amazing friend, and you've got plenty of time to figure out what's right for you."

Shells offered a small but genuine smile. "Thanks, Bea. Your support means a lot to me. And I know you've got your own challenges to deal with right now, so I didn't want to burden you."

Beatrice squeezed Shells' shoulder again. "You're never a burden, Shells. And besides, catching up with you and helping with this ice machine is a welcome break from my own worries."

Shells chuckled. "Fair enough. It's good to have you back, even if it's just for a little while."

"It's good to be back," Beatrice replied with a smile. "And who knows, maybe I'll be able to come around more often soon.”

“Really?”

“Well,” she sighs, her shoulders dropping, “I’m not sure…I want the twins to come home, you know?”

“...right…how are you and Rooster dealing with it?”

Beatrice purses her lips, “Well…” she smiles, ‘He’s just…amazing, you know?”

Shells looked at Beatrice with an knowing smile. "I can imagine he is.” she leans down to pick something from the ground, “You two are gross.”

Beatrice nodded, her eyes distant for a moment as she thought about Rooster. "He's been there for me through everything, especially during the pregnancy. It hasn't been easy, but he's made it a lot more manageable."

"That's love, Bea," Shells said softly. "Real love." and she sounded serious.

Beatrice's smile grew warm and affectionate. "Yeah, it is. I'm really lucky to have him in my life. And he's been amazing with Nikki and the twins. They adore their dad."

Shells chuckled. "Well, of course they do. He's a great guy. And you're a fantastic mom, Bea. You're doing an incredible job."

Beatrice's expression turned slightly wistful. "Thanks, Shells. It means a lot to hear that.”

“And,don’t forget I helped,” she points it out, “If it wasn’t for me and aunt Penny, you two would stay ages pining for each other.” she pauses, “Wanna know when I noticed he liked you?”

“...well...yes.”

-

She was bored, she took her time to drink some water when she was outside the Hard Deck. Beatrice was doing good, she’s been with them with a few months and she managed to get the hang of it. 

“Shells.”

She sips her water, nodding at the tall pilot, “Rooster.”

“Are they inside?”

“Yep, they never miss it do they?” she teases, nodding towards the bar, ‘Go on, my aunt is going to see you in a bit.”

Rooster nods, about to go in - his hand is on the door- but he stops and he’s looking at something, better yet, someone inside. Shells noticed his pause, then slowly turned to see where his gaze landed and she slowly lowered her bottle.

Was he looking at Bea?

Oh, ohohohohoho!!!

Shells looked like the cat that just found out the cream was chilled and had pieces of fruit in it, because her gaze moved from Rooster to Bea and vice versa, only to stop at Rooster. He was a statue, a living statue, his jaw was clenched a bit and even if his eyes were hidden by the caravans, it was still obvious where he was staring.

She clears her throat once, nothing, then twice, still nothing, only when she coughs right by his side is that the pilot moves - jumps,more likely. He gives her a confused stare and she smirks ,”Well,aren’t you going inside?”

Rooster blinked rapidly, as if snapping out of a trance, and cleared his throat nervously. "Yeah, yeah, of course," he stammered, taking a step back from the door as if he had been caught in the act of something he shouldn't be doing.

Shells couldn't help but chuckle at his reaction. It was clear as day that Rooster had been caught staring at Beatrice, and she was going to make sure he knew it. "You know, Rooster, you can go inside. I won't tell Bea that you were checking her out."

Rooster's cheeks flushed a deep shade of red, and he scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "I wasn't... I mean, I was just... um..."

Shells grinned mischievously, her eyes dancing with amusement. "Uh-huh. Go on,Chanticleer, go on.”

Rooster's embarrassment seemed to increase, but he managed a nod and a faint smile. "Yeah, I will. Thanks, Shells."

With that, Rooster finally entered the Hard Deck, leaving Shells outside with her victorious grin. She couldn't resist a little teasing now and then, and now…now she had something to work with.

“Ohhh,” she rubs her hands like a villain, “This will be great.”

-

“Wait.”

“Hm?’

Beatrice holds her hand, “Wait, when was that??”

“Like,what, three,four months before you two actually talked?” she shrugged, licking her lips as she sits up,smirking at Beatrice’s face,”You knew he looked at you then,Bea, why are you so surprised?”

"Three or four months? Seriously,?"

Shells shrugged nonchalantly, her smirk still firmly in place. "Well, I did tell you about some stuff but you didn’t want to hear it back then.."

Beatrice shook her head in mock exasperation. "Well,fine, you are right…I didn’t see it. I didn’t want to see he was looking or noticing me.”

Shells grinned. "Oh, he noticed you, alright. Couldn't take his eyes off you, in fact."

Beatrice chuckled, feeling a warm, happy glow inside. "Well, I'm glad he did. Otherwise, we might have missed out on something really special."

Shells nodded in agreement. "You two are a perfect match, no doubt about it. And it's about time you got some happiness in your life, Bea."

Beatrice smiled at her friend, feeling grateful for the support and love she had received from Shells and everyone else at the Hard Deck. "I couldn't have done it without all of you. You've been like family to me."

Shells leaned in and gave Beatrice a one-armed hug. "That's because you are family, Bea. And we're here for you, no matter what."

While the conversation was really sweet and thoughtful, it was Penny’s heavy footsteps that broke it, when she stood by the bar and saw the two her smile - while still present - was strained, ‘Girls,” she begins, clapping her hands together, “...can we talk in the office? Really quickly?”

“Wait,”Shells begins, “Us? Both of us?”

Penny inhales shakily, “...yeah, both of you.”