#the switch pro controller working like a charm..

[weedlovingweed]

omggg split fiction is so good… beck & i have been playing most of day and its so hard to stop

[selfishdoll]

❛ HIS FAVORITE FAN...❜

You're my four-leaf clover | I'm so in love, so in love ⁺ 𓂋 𓈒 ♡ JAPANESE DENIM.

ཐིཋྀ ⊹ 𓈒 SUMMARY.

hcs of pro gamer! gojo satoru & his favorite fan, you.

ཐིཋྀ ⊹ 𓈒 CONTENT WARNING.

ooc gojo, cocky gojo (ofc) mature themes in some of them, him being a little shit, fluff, geto & shoko mention, etc.

ཐིཋྀ ⊹ 𓈒 NOTE.

will make an actual fic later. these are messy, sorry for that </3

pro gamer! gojo wasn’t someone you got along with at first. he was cocky, arrogant, and didn’t like following the rules. over extending when playing with his teammates, you just hated watching him play. you remember commenting something on a stream of his, the man eager to go back and forth with you for a while before you decided to leave the stream all together. yet, instead of letting that drop you suddenly received a message on your social media.

“didn’t have anything else to say?” was what it read, a shit-eating grin emoji placed beside it. and well, the rest was history. how you got swept into his arms was beyond you, really.

pro gamer! gojo who has a picture of you as his desktop wallpaper. but not just any picture, a pin up of you in a bikini. he saw a fellow gamer with one and practically begged you to do it, declaring he would pay for it. everything. your hair, bikini, the photographer. all you had to do was bring your pretty ass there, (he proclaimed). after some playful reluctance you gave in, the man basically buzzing with anticipation waiting for the pictures. the moment gojo received them he was uploading it as his wallpaper, cropping it perfectly so your plump ass rested just below his favorite game.

the man has, accidentally clicked off a game to his desktop when on stream, declaring he had to check something. really, it was a message to anyone interested in him or you.

pro gamer! gojo who encourages you to come with him when traveling for events. promising to spend some time with you personally and that he just needs his lucky charm there. most times you’re able to take off work in time, others you aren’t— leaving the poor man upset. satoru will still go to the event, but his heart is definitely not in it; pouting like a child. you’ve gotten messages from geto, complaining about his behavior and making you promise to come to the next one.

pro gamer! gojo who is so good at multitasking it should be a crime. who’s able to have you on his cock, crying and being stuffed full; all while clutching his matches. face cam off, switching his mic on and off between your gasps and moans, rising his hips to adjust in his seat— grinning at the way you nearly toppled into his chest. pressing you against his desk when the match gets intense, shushing you softly when you whined.

finally after the match is done he’s releasing his controller, hands falling to your waist and bouncing you up and down his length. with the cockiest grin ever he’ll say; “you’ll have to hurry and come, baby— the game’s starting soon.” yet will slow you down, just to watch the frustrated tears build in your eyes, and the dreaded sound of the game starting again. so quick to release you, attention turning back to the game as if nothing happened. the cycle continues for so long you swear you’ll break, face pushed into his neck as soft gasps escaped you.

the torture would finally end when the last match of the game is finished, gojo tossing his headphones off his hair, grabbing your hips whilst standing. he would waste no time in turning around, heading towards the bed to drill you into the mattress. satoru just loves the way you beg and beg for a release, all while pretty tears trickle down your face and the gold plated anklet of his name jingles right beside his ear. yeah, he’s coming in minutes, stuffing you so not a drop escapes.

there have been a few times gojo has tossed his headphones a little too hard, rendering geto’s and shoko’s poor ears to your activities. the pair now know to click off the call quickly when they know you’re home.

pro gamer! gojo who feels his heart swell when he sees you at his tournaments in the front and wearing a shirt with his name. it’s cheesy, he would tell you, earning a playful slap on his shoulder. yet satoru loves it, happy you’re there to cheer him on. definitely try hards just to hear you praise and scream for him.

pro gamer! gojo who is pretty cold with his female fans. he’s nice, sure, but with every conversation he’s somehow bringing you up. “oh, my girlfriend likes that color..” “yeah, my girlfriend loves that band.” “no, my girlfriend wouldn’t like that.” constantly reminds them he’s taken and happy. doesn’t entertain anyone that flirts.

pro gamer! gojo who teaches you how to play, mostly fighting games and will be a sore loser if you somehow beat him. the type to bump into your shoulder, smack your controller out of your hand, or even tickle you. also will definitely ask for a rematch, claiming he wasn’t ready (he was).

pro gamer! gojo who will drop a stream just for you, doesn’t matter how little the request is. doesn’t care who’s annoyed by it. you’re priority to him.

pro gamer! gojo who has threatened to fuck you on stream before. maybe you’re waving at his face cam and talking too sweetly to his fans, maybe you’re walking in the camera in your cute little shorts, or maybe you’re just breathing around him. gojo is quick to snake an arm around your waist, pull you close, and whisper the threat right into your ear— all while smiling innocently. it takes everything in you not to challenge him, as gojo satoru, never backs down from a challenge.

pro gamer! gojo who has his issues, but loves you dearly, much more than any video game.

[gothicjester]

Headcanons for OM! Undateables Finding Out You Were In A Car Wreck

Did one for the brothers some time ago, and meant to go through with making one for the undateables. To the wonderful person that commented hoping I would, sorry for the wait, I hope you like it!

Undateables Finding Out You’ve Been In A Car Wreck

Diavolo

He finally got around to the paperwork he’d been putting off when the custom ringtone he set for you sounded through the room. He answered eagerly, hoping you’d be willing to help him slog through it.

It took him a moment to register that you did not greet him as you normally did. Your tone had him alarmed, and it increased to panic when he heard what happened. You were injured, in the middle of the snow and no close shelter; this would not stand.

He immediately summoned Barbatos, ordering him to locate you immediately with an urgency Barbatos had never heard from him before.

Barbatos finds you as Diavolo is still on the line, and the Demon Prince opens a portal straight to you without hanging up. 

He sees you leaning against your friend in support before his eyes travel over to the wrecked vehicle. 

Humans were so fragile. He knew this moreso than most demons after extensive research to make the exchange program work. He had studied what climates your species could handle, outlawed most foods in the Devildom that would poison you, and set his best and brightest as your bodyguards.

Seeing you injured and shaken as you looked up at him brought all of that to the forefront of his mind. All of his planning, and it was the Human Realm you nearly died in.

He clamps down on his anxiety and fixes the grin you love so much on his face. It's easy enough to pick you up. It'll be harder to get him to put you down, you realize later.

He kept the portal open, and ushers you and your friends into the Devildom. There, you are treated by the best healers, and set up to want for nothing.

It's a little matter to Diavolo to get your friend a replacement vehicle. What you and your friends never realize is that the vehicle was equipped with custom protection charms. The vehicle and its passengers could survive a nuke, though Diavolo hopes you never have to test that.

That being said, good luck getting out of the Devildom after this incident. Diavolo closes down any available portals to the Human Realm for a good while after that.

It takes a long, long time for him to be convinced that it was a one off disaster and (probably) wouldn't happen again.

Barbatos

The thing about being able to control time is that you are in a constant state of weighing the pros and cons of switching timelines.

He is so focused on the big events; world ending disasters, Prince Diavolo's duties and image, ensuring the Devildom’s safety… it's all so much to focus on. He never thought such a small event in the grand scheme of things could make him feel as if his world was ending.

A phone call. He was surprised; you usually text him, as you know he's busy at this time of day. He wipes his hand on his apron and picks up his phone.

You were hurt. You were stranded. He processes these things with a cool veneer, but under the surface he is a mess. How could he have let this happen to you?

He could rewind time, go back before the wreck and save you. But Diavolo just sealed the deal with a valuable ally, and there had already been such a slim chance of success on that deal that if anything in the timeline was changed, it could be a butterfly effect and ruin all their careful planning and hard work.

He is still tempted, but decides to assess your state in person before making that call.

When he requests Diavolo to open a portal for him, the Prince is surprised. He's never seen his butler so frazzled. Concern is clearly radiating off of him, so Diavolo does not question it further and simply does as requested.

Barbatos steps out into the chilled winter air, and searches the surroundings for you. He was able to deduce your rough location through magic, but it took a small walk to see the tire marks and vehicle smashed into the tree. You and your friends are huddled nearby, though far enough away to be safe should the car catch fire.

You see him before he sees you; a rare occurrence. Relief is clear on your face as you stumble up to him, and he's sure that his own expression mirrors yours.

Without hesitation he takes off his coat and wraps you in it. In short order, an ambulance is called and a rental vehicle is arranged to be delivered to the hospital. When the issue of money is brought up, he waves your concerns away and settles any costs with the budget Diavolo allotted for “human care”. Solomon rarely used the budget anyways, and Barbatos saw your friends as potential new exchange students. It was an investment, he reasoned. It totally wasn't because of the grateful smile he knew you'd give him when he settled the costs…

You are brought back to the Devildom and doted on. You want for nothing in the next week, as Barbatos is there before you can utter more than a wishful word. Diavolo almost gets jealous, but settles for being amused at seeing his butler in such a state. It was nice to not be the one mother henned for a change, he thinks.

You eventually force Barbatos to take a break. Just watching him balance his usual duties with taking care of you is exhausting, and so you pull him into bed and lay on top of him in an effort to give him a break. You state moving you would hurt your ribs, so he'd better stay put. He stays, but pouts about it. 

Simeon

Simeon never wants to hear you as panicked as you were now, on the phone with him. He had been writing when the phone rang, and had been pleasantly surprised to see your name on the caller ID. But when he picked up, your shaken tone dispelled any sort of joy that had built up.

Being an angel, he has his own methods to get to the human realm. No need to worry about permission, he slips into the Human Realm without any fuss, wings already out and eyes busy searching the snow covered woods.

He finds wreckage, and sees you and your friends immediately after. With a banking of his wings, he circles down and lands, scattering loose snow over you.

He carefully checks you for injuries, not quite believing you when you say that it's only bruises. Healing magic is second nature to an angel, and though Simeon was by no means an expert, he was skilled enough to heal away the injuries you and your friends obtained. 

After he helps get your friends to safety, he takes you back to the Devildom with him. He coaxes you into staying the night, much to his housemates' delight. You’re wrapped up in the fluffiest blanket Grimm could buy, and are treated to Luke’s baking.

When the demon brothers come knocking to find out why you’re there and not at the House of Lamentation, Simeon is tempted to close the door in their faces. He wants to be selfish and keep you there. But that wouldn’t be very angelic, would it?

Solomon

Solomon felt as if he didn’t get as many chances to hang out with you as the others do. It’s why he cherished the times the two of you could get to spend together. 

So when you’re late, it makes him bemused. He had been hoping learning new potions would have enticed you enough; maybe he needed to brush up on what mortals did for fun these days…

Then he checks his phone. It had been on silent; he hadn’t realized he set it to that. Solomon reads your texts with dread.

Over the years, he had lost many friends and lovers to sudden unfortunate circumstances. While one may think an immortal could get used to anything, each time does not get easier… no, the feeling of dread and loss builds more each time.

Solomon has lost so, so many people.

It’s little trouble to him to open a portal. He has his loopholes and demonic contracts, and so doesn’t necessarily need permission. Still, if Diavolo asks, Solomon is certain that this could be forgiven.

The snow is bitterly cold, but when he finds you and your friends, you’re not shivering; whether from adrenaline or you’re entering hypothermia, Solomon wasn’t sure. He takes his jacket off and throws it around you, concern making his hands shake. The coat itself is charmed with temperature regulation, and he’s relieved when color starts coming back to your face.

You were out there long enough to settle your own rescue. Solomon feels guilt over how long it took him to check his phone. So much so, you catch on and thread a comforting, if chilled, hand through his. All of you wait as your friend’s family arrives, shuffling you into the vehicles. 

When talk of hospitals comes up, Solomon waves it off and passes around the healing salve he brought with him. He accidentally walks in on you applying it to your seat belt bruises, and it makes his breath catch to see the stripe of deep violet across your chest.

After that day, Solomon doesn’t leave you alone. Whereas the brothers concern would usually wane after a week or so, Solomon takes a lot longer to assure himself you’re fine.

He pulls you into lessons for protection charms and healing spells, and brews you healing balm that he asks to keep on your person at all times. He trains you on how to summon the brothers should you need their help, and when the brothers learn the reason, they encourage it.

Every morning he uses divination to ensure you do not have a similar event again.

When he attempts to cast tracking magic on you to monitor your health and location, you call him out on it and all but order him to see a therapist. He goes, but only if you go too.

I may have some feelings about Solomon's immortality, and what centuries-long trauma would entail.

[bastardofvairemont]

|| Smash or Pass: Sebastian de Vairemont ||

Rules: pretty self-explanatory. include physical descriptions or pics, and propaganda. the “other” label can be used for “sexuality misalignment” (ie: oc is femme and you’re gay, vice versa or you aren’t into smashing but a specific thing you wanna do with them like perhaps hug or study them under a microscope idc).

Quick Facts

Height: 6'3"

Age: 27

Gender: Cis Man

Pronouns: He/Him

Sexuality: Bisexual with a heavy male lean

Pros

Clever

Calculating

Ambitious

Charming

Graceful

Is an excellent dancer

Will compose music for you

Well dressed

Well spoken

Intense

Passionate

Will court you properly like any good nobleman should

Claims he's not a poet, but can be quite poetic

Will ruin someone for looking at you funny

Has somehow managed to keep himself socially relevant without name or title

Cons

Difficult to truly get to know

Wears many public masks to the point that it can be difficult to tell what is a mask and what is Sebastian

Selfish

Power hungry

Desperate to prove his worth

Slow to trust

Afraid of love and it being manipulated as a weakness

Terrified of being abandoned

Is a blooded heretic

Struggles with anger

Morally questionable at best

Is known to have ruined his own sister's marriage and reputation

Is a walking scandal

Is a bastard with no true name or title

Details

Is known to be the bastard son of Lady Ysabel de Vairemont and the executed heretic Declan Mercer, leaving him with one foot in high society and one foot in the Brume. Though, neither world will truly claim him.

Is thought to be the brains behind the running of House Vairemont. While is sister is the formal regent until his nephew reaches his majority, most believe Sebastian to be pulling the strings. A nobleman in all but name.

Lives for music. He plays the violin, piano, and the cello, on top of singing quite well.

Composes music in secret, sharing it only with those he loves. If you receive a piece he has written for you, it is safe to assume he's fallen for you, even if he has yet to say those words.

Can be quite dramatic. He is prone to throwing himself across divans and bemoaning whatever it is that is bothering him in the moment.

Likes to give and receive gifts. In both cases there's usually a crack in his facade and he appears a bit like a kid on starlight.

Is known to be a rake. Most of Ishgardian high society is aware of the fact that Sebastian has slept around quite a lot. Some regard him as something to try at least once before marriage. Though, it's unknown if this is still true given that he is recently betrothed.

Is a blooded heretic and has all of the ups and downs that come with that. Including the fact that he sometimes struggles to control his draconic gifts and can suddenly sprout scales and horns should his emotions get the better of him.

Is rarely ever seen without a cravat and waistcoat. He wears the trappings of a nobleman like armor. If he arrives on a date with his collar open or his sleeves rolled up, he is putting a good bit of faith and trust in you. He might even have feelings.

He is quite intense. Both in his passion for those his loves and his in his quest to prove himself to the world as something more than an bastard that should have been left to the Brume when he was born. This can be a lot for some people. Too much, even.

His alignment is absolutely neutral evil. While this won't be immediately obvious to most who interact with him, the closer you get and the more layers you peel back the more apparent it becomes.

Sexually: Sebastian prefers to take a dominant position in the bedroom. While one could say that he is a switch/Verse, to get him to that point would take quite a lot of work and only one person has been successful thus far. So for all intents and purposes he is a Dom/Top who leans heavily into praise and rewards. He will be as adventurous and experimental as his partner is willing to be.

Romantically: Polyamorous. Depending on his partner he can be quick to catch feelings but slow to reveal them. Love is terrifying for him. Sex is far easier. He will often lead with a sexual relationship only to fall in love later on and struggle with just how to express those feelings, if he should even trust them at all. He is the sort to say 'I love you' in every possible way he can think of before uttering those three little words. Though, once he has fallen in love with someone, they are his world. His everything. His eternal muse. There is very little he won't do for those he loves. And as someone with questionable morals, that says a lot. But, he also tends to open up and become more vulnerable and more honest. There is a sweet, casual, and sometimes goofy side to Sebastian that only those closest to him are allowed to see.

[wfagamerants]

This is a funny thing to discuss. I am obviously not saying we need a new one ASAP, with Jamboree still being so fresh and in fact, I still play it a lot.

What got me interested in writing about this is the Switch 2. With new Nintendo hardware on the horizon, it’s inevitable Mario Party will make the jump there and given the series’ more frequent release schedule, that could happen as early as 2026. 

Thinking about what the new system could mean for MP just gives me a desire to talk a bit more about one of my favorite game series. My affection for Jamboree has not gone down at all since launch, but I did notice some things I feel could be addressed in a future title.

In particular I prepared 10 personal points I think would be pretty darn neat to see addressed in a new game. These aren’t ordered in any way, just general talking points

Fewer, but more focused modes

This is moreso the culmination of several points I’ll get to talking about, but they can also be summed up under this umbrella.

Jamboree has a lot of modes and that’s not an issue by itself. I actually consider it NDCube’s most successful attempt at a variety pack type approach and even the Hudson era games had bonus modes.

Thing is, 4 months later it’s easy to tell I barely touch the Motion Islands much at all, with Party Mode, Koopathlon and Kaboom Squad as the default trio I keep going back to and Party Planner Trek as the charming single player campaign.

This isn’t to say the other modes are bad, even Paratroopa Flight School to me is inoffensive at worst, but for future games I’d be more than cool with focusing the resources on adding even more to the very replayable modes.

Ditch Motion Controls

I don’t mind motion controls and will say they work very well in this game. At the same time, they do feel tacked on, like something they felt they had to keep because Super had it. 

While I do enjoy Toad’s Item Factory and find Rhythm Kitchen to be a cute, if lacking in Sound Stage’s competitive aspect, follow-up to said mode, I find both to lack in replay value. Paratroopa’s Flight School even more so.  That mode really is just a big gimmick that has its appeal, but once the novelty wears off it just doesn’t have much to make you return to it, even with three modes on offer.

Where I start to have more issues with it is Party Mode. Motion Controls are merely an option, but playing without them does lock several mini-games away from play. This hurts because while Jamboree *does* have the most minigames in the series, they are many different types. 

34 of the 112 minigames are not present in Party mode and on top of that, between 5 Duel, Item and Boss minigames each and 10 Showdown minigames on top, that’s another 25 minigames that aren’t part of the regular Free for All, 2v2 and 1v3 rotation. Take out motion minigames from those categories and that’s another 12 minigames off that list, leaving 41 minigames as part of that rotation, which feels quite compromised.

I got used to the single joy con to access all the games, but this isn’t really a situation that should exist. Either go all in on that control scheme, abandon it or offer a button control alternative for Pro Controller players.

Even more customization

Superstars introduced a really cool thing by letting you choose what kind of Bonus Stars you want. Jamboree would add an entirely separate, additional ruleset, as well as the ability to vote for minigames, replacing the roulette. All those are great additions, but what started as a cautious toe tip can easily be turned into a cannonball.

In particular the return of old options such as 50 Turn games or being able to make every character a CPU. They are niche options, but there is a place for all of them. Additionally, the custom minigame pack from MP4, letting you choose what minigames can appear, that’s a no brainer that I am sincerely shocked is only in one game.

Besides that there is a lot they can do. A custom bonus star option where you choose a set of three from all available ones. A toggle to turn Hidden Blocks on and off. A similar toggle for Jamboree Buddies. Really, the sky's the limit.

Mario Party becoming more customizable just offers a lot of room to spice up the game, while also not leaving those who prefer the default way of doing things out, since they are merely options.

Minigame Modes like in the older titles

The minigame modes on offer in Jamboree are…passable. It gets the basics of the job done, but it’s hard to deny that they are very samey. They basically all just amount to win the most minigames or get the most points.

I miss modes like Decathlon, where it was about the speed you complete minigames in or Rocket Rascals, where you win minigames to gradually build a path to the rocket in the middle. Heck, even non-Party Mode minigames can offer potential for such an extra mode, as Bowser Challenge in 10 showed.

Modes like that offer their own rules and gimmicks, which give more of an incentive to replay the minigames outside the board context and are extremely fun on their own. What we have now is passable, but nothing beyond the bare minimum and lacking in long-term appeal.

Returning GameCube and onwards boards

I am a big fan of Mario Party going the Mario Kart route, with returning boards, on top of the new stuff. It’s a very valid way to boost the board count and thanks to the inherent mechanical differences of each game, they feel very fresh anyways.

The purely N64 focus though is something I can do without. The later games to me had a lot of the most interesting boards and frankly, it just feels like N64 bias to appeal to nostalgia. It didn’t land for me in Superstars and I am still not a fan, even as someone who started with 2, played all the games in order from there and got MP1 via a lucky flea market find between 4 and 5.

Even with that N64 focus, it also stands out how much 3 gets shafted and I’d gladly see that changed too. Both 1 and especially 2 have great boards I’d happily put on a favorites list, but 1 is the flawed first attempt and 2 is what truly got the basics down. 3 onwards is where the series could expand and do more elaborate and unique things with the boards, thanks to 1 and 2 providing the foundation and that’s why I would rather see more 3 onwards stuff come back.

More 6-8 and DS-type star gimmicks.

MP6 marked a turning point for the series that I always really enjoyed. On top of traditionally styled boards, there were also boards with completely new star gimmicks. 

Sometimes everyone already starts with stars and it’s all about stealing from each other.

Other times you try to reach the end of the board to get the star and then go back to the beginning to start the process over.

Yet again other times you brave a mansion, trying to figure out the randomly set up paths, to find the room the star is in.

And the list goes on.

Mechanics like that always felt like a natural extension of the MP gameplay and it goes a long way making each board even more distinct from the rest. Roll em’ Raceway already feels a lot like these kinds of boards, but I’d like to see them take it further again.

Bring back Bowser Party

I am a vocal MP10 enjoyer and I’ll say this: Bowser Party would make for a great returning side-mode.

In hindsight it very much feels like the precursor to Kaboom Squad and Coinathlon/Koopathlon and it’s not like boards created for side modes are anything new. Making it more explicitly a side-mode also makes the same kind of content amount that the OG Bowser Party had (three boards, ten minigames) more reasonable than if it was promoted as the main point of the game.

More than anything, I just think it’s a really fun mode and my preferred kind of playable Bowser.

Relatedly:

Bowser

I want the series to make up its mind about Bowser.

I firmly think it’s okay for him to not be playable in MP. The role he plays is just too irreplaceable and Kamek in Super really showed how lame attempts to replace him can be.

Jamboree does go for a compromise by introducing Imposter Bowser and I am fine with that, but even then they lock Bowser out of the Bowser centric bonus modes, Koopathlon and Kaboom Squad.

In general the fact we got two Bowsers running around is further proof how important Bowser playing his usual role is to this series and nobody does it better than him. He has the imposing appearance, the humorous, yet villainous personality, the dangerous hide-outs and minions for minigames and boards.

Sticking with the Imposter Bowser solution would be perfectly fine by me, I just want them to commit to it, if they do so and not lock Bowser arbitrarily out of some modes anyways.

Keep the roster big

It’s hard to say where the series will go in that area, but simply put, I want the character roster to stay in this kind of size area. Be a Super and Jamboree, not a Superstars.

Yeah, characters don’t affect the gameplay, in terms of who you play as, but I am also tired of pretending these games don’t sell more than ever before and by a significant amount at that.

There is a reason Pauline got an entire trailer dedicated to just announcing her. They knew people wanted her, people like having these characters on the roster, there is no reason to cheap out on that.

It’s flavor, but flavor matters a great deal, it’s why people will still pick their favorite character, instead of saying ‘’I don’t care, it won’t affect the gameplay’’. Nobody actually thinks like that and after Superstars and Strikers Battle League, I am done trying to find understanding for bad rosters.

And on behalf of my friend Mod Mamono: Keep Montgomery Mole.

He funny.

Take it easier with Lucky Spaces

Lucky Spaces are a contentious mechanic and I am of two mindsets about it.

On one hand I don’t inherently mind them, particularly in Jamboree, which has enough ways to spend or lose coins that the bonuses that come from these spaces feel like a deliberate part of the game’s economy.

At the same time there really are a lot of them and I feel they should be something more special than essentially a second flavor of Blue Space, that sometimes feels similarly common.

Thinking about it though, making them more uncommon could cause different problems, by giving those that manage to land on them too much of an advantage.

Hard to say what could be done, spaces this powerful do mean playing with fire when adjusting things, but I do feel SOME kind of tweaking would be good.

Those are my main sticking points.

I adore Jamboree. While I spend a lot of this post pointing out things I feel could be done differently, I would still happily call it my third favorite MP.

Frankly, it’s so good I would gladly wait a year or two longer than usual for the next one. I am just a big MP fanboy, so the inevitable prospect of a new one, with new hardware on the horizon, makes me muse what could be, since the future of the series is an exciting one.

[viric-dreams]

OC smash or pass!!

Rules: pretty self explanatory. include physical descriptions or pics, and propaganda. the “other” label can be used for “sexuality misalignment” (ie: oc is femme and you’re gay, vice versa or you aren’t into smashing but a specific thing you wanna do with them like perhaps hug or study them under a microscope idc).

tagged by: @esteemed-excellency

name: Robin Jones

age: 39

gender: male

sexuality: in modern terms, bisexual

🦊 Pros:

Very interested in what you like to talk about, listens and asks questions

Very good read on people and able to respond with what you most need at the moment

Whimsical, charming, bit of a prankster, and incredibly dedicated to the bit

Absolutely loves improv, will "yes, and-" you all evening

Very dry sense of humour, though will often absolutely lose it at the stupidest thing imaginable

Loves playing games

Communicative--likes to work out problems directly, will tell you immediately if he's upset and why

High respectable score, someone you definitely want at your side at parties

Active in several London social communities, seems to know and get on with many people, not disliked by anyone

Switch dom with a penchant for roleplay, loves trying things out, see point two

Dirty talk game chart-breaking

🦊 Cons:

Theatre kid

Very good read on people and able to respond with what you most need at the moment (will give you the answers you're looking for)

Very particular about his personal space. His own bedroom is absolutely off limits.

Many strange quirks and habits, gets very defensive when they're brought up or criticised

Does not like getting challenged or forceful pushback. Willing to have a peaceful conversation, but will shut you down if you try to force any issue.

Will not go out for dinner with you. Will not have any meals with you

Doesn't seem to talk about himself, and manipulates the conversation to be about you instead

If pressed, will lie to your face about what he does for a living

Does not sub. Regardless of position, has to be the one setting/controlling the pace

Incredibly chatty during sex. Will not shut up.

Additional noise considerations if you have flatmates or thin walls

[anonprotagging]

i trust your opinion on pokemon games more than basically anyone else on the internet. should i buy scarlet/violet. i really hate being so out of loop with the new gen, suddenly not recognising pokemon feels so bad :( but i also don’t really wanna buy the games? but i wanna play them. augh.

okay, so it's kind of hard to judge the story based on my run so far since I haven't even gotten to the first gym, but I think I've gotten a good enough grasp of the mechanics and stylization to offer some pros and cons! (under a cut to save people's dashes)

cons:

-This game is BUGGY. holy shit. I thought, okay, maybe people are just getting mad like they do with every game, but nope!

it's worse than swsh, and honestly it's nearly worse than gen 1 because at least gen 1's bugs were caused by, y'know, developers trying to optimize the hardware and assets, instead of using all the switch's power trying to render 12 billion things at once.

I got stuck in my own living room within 3 minutes, and within 2 minutes of reaching the first big city I got stuck inside a building corner and had to fly out of there.

npcs jitter around constantly, there are T-posing issues (nemona was t-posed until I got close to her, it was weird), if you catch any pokemon the camera clips through the floor so you can see the out-of-bounds of the game?? overall disconcerting but also a little funny.

-I miss the PLA controls so bad you have no idea lol. the button for dodging is now the button for sneaking??

you Can still bean pokemon over the head with a ball, even if it is just to start a battle, but the aiming controls are SUPER finnicky and won't work half the time if it's anything in the air or water. not a fan of that.

-you can change your clothes or look (except hair) at any time in the game! but the controls to find it are unintuitive unless you look it up or someone tells you (it's the left joycon's arrow buttons.) I'm sure there are more control issues like that that I haven't noticed yet too.

-no shiny sparkle sound in the overworld. also the textures are kind of... not conducive to seeing if pokemon are shiny? I killed a shiny igglybuff bc I didn't look at the screen when I started the battle to see the sparkle animation. :(

pro Or con depending on your preferences:

-I honestly don't think it's that much more handhold-y than swsh or gen 7 so far, tbh? after the opening starter bit and rival battle and a little bit of railroady plot (akin to the lillie spearow opening in gen 7), I was able to explore the whole first massive open-world section of the game with no hassle.

it might get worse later? I'm not sure. I don't think anything could be more railroady than the start of gen 7, which I love dearly despite all that, so it's not a big factor for me.

just make sure you go outside ASAP and get down the road to the place where you can start running BEFORE you explore the area around your house. it will save you so much frustration.

-there's sections inside the school with optional classes and whatnot, which I personally like? it's not quite like the hassle with gen 7's trainer school so much as it is like the school sections of Super Mystery Dungeon.

-Lots of items to collect for Lots of things to unlock. I personally like this kind of thing (helps me explore every part of the map!)

-the pokemon designs. I thought most of them were ugly and weird when I looked them up, but in-game I think they're actually quite charming!!

-big!! this is my first Real open-world game and it's very big!! a little intimidating for me as a completionist but I'm also having fun with it!

-character customization. cute for the face, limited for the clothes (and hair imo). depends on how much that matters to you -- I would look up the accessories ahead of time to see if you can make do with them if you usually play with a specific look!

-team star. I know a lot of people love them, but for me they're just some weird little combo of team flare and team skull. I've only run into them once so it's hard to judge overall, but they're going to have to work Quite hard to earn my respect.

-I personally like the music! but it depends on your taste :o

-no voice acting

pros:

-the creatures can walk with you!! they're not very smart at battling without direction though. or following quickly. BUT still better than swsh and bdsp!!

-fast travel is unlocked from the START. (obv. only for places you've already been) and can be accessed from anywhere, at any time. getting clipped into a building wasn't too bad because I could just fly to the nearest pokecenter immediately.

-the landscape is very like PLA in terms of traversing it! there are some differences -- the MC can't climb up ledges as easily, and won't take damage when they jump off a cliff, but the best parts of the PLA maps are still here!

-hehe running away from the plot every time they say "Go here!" go brr

-boxes accessible at any time! for the first time ever! very cool!!

-if you're not so much into the story, there's an option to skip all cutscenes in the menu!

-uhhh... I guess this one's subjective too, but honestly?? I've been having fun with it!! more than with the start of SWSH, less than the start of ORAS or XY or SUMO, about on par with the start of USUM or HGSS?

overall thoughts from 6 hours of gameplay without reaching the first gym? (your results will vary lmao, I don't think most people take the time to grind up and explore Every Available Corner so much FKHSDJF)

I don't know if it's worth a full $60 in this economy, but I would pay a solid $54.99 (max) for it. I got the game as a christmas gift, but it's online right now for around $42-47 pre-owned!

I would say: if you can spare 40 bucks right now, go for it! that's a pretty good deal for a Switch game!

OR if you have any friends with the cartridge, borrow it from them for free to see if you like it!

[advertisingoperationsmaster]

The New Trend in Nail Art: DIY Your Way to Fingertip Fashion

Tired of repetitive nail salon designs? Want to change your nail look anytime without frequent salon visits? Then DIY press-on nails are your stylish new choice! Creating your own press-on nails is becoming a favorite among nail enthusiasts due to its convenience, individuality, and cost-effectiveness. The answer is a definite yes—you can create stunning press-on nails all by yourself and craft your own unique nail art. 5 Basic Nail Art Designs – Charm Starts from Your Fingertips!

Why Is DIY Press-On Nail Art So Popular?

Quick and Convenient Say goodbye to long salon queues. You can easily do your nails at home—even during short breaks in your day.

Cost-Effective The materials cost far less than professional salon services, making it a more affordable long-term choice.

Customized Style You’re in full control of colors and styles. Create one-of-a-kind nail art that reflects your personality. Check Out the Latest Custom Press-On Nail Trends for 2025

Versatile Designs Whether you like minimalist, glamorous, or cute styles, you can easily match your nails to any outfit or mood.

Gentle on Nails Reduces the need for filing and exposure to harsh chemicals, protecting your natural nails.

Instant Style Change Want to switch up your nails? Just peel and stick—get a brand-new look in seconds.

Reusable Well-made press-on nails can be reused multiple times—great for both the environment and your wallet.

Must-Have Tools for DIY Press-On Nails

To create beautiful press-on nails, you’ll need:

Nail Tips: Available in various shapes and sizes. ABS plastic tips are beginner-friendly.

Filing Tools: Nail files and buffer blocks for shaping and smoothing edges.

Adhesives: Nail glue for long-lasting hold or double-sided tabs for easy removal—choose based on your needs.

Base Colors: Gel polish or regular polish—your color, your rules. Gel polish requires a UV/LED lamp.

Top Coat: Adds shine and protects your nail color.

Decorations (Optional): Glitter, rhinestones, stickers—add sparkle and flair to your design.

Nail Art Tools (Optional): Brushes and dotting pens for painting designs and applying embellishments.

UV/LED Lamp (for gel polish): Essential for curing gel polish layers.

Removal Supplies: Nail polish remover or soak-off wraps for safe removal.

Cleaning Supplies: Alcohol wipes or cleanser to prep the nail surface.

Step-by-Step DIY Guide

Select Nail Tips Choose tips that match the size of your natural nails. File them down if needed.

Clean the Surface Wipe natural nails and tips to remove oil and residue.

Shape & Buff (Optional) File edges and buff the surface to help polish adhere better.

Apply Base Coat (Optional) For gel polish, start with a base coat and cure it under a UV/LED lamp.

Apply Color Apply 2–3 thin coats of gel or regular polish. Cure each gel layer; let regular polish air dry.

Get Creative (Optional) Use brushes for patterns or dotting tools for gems and decorations. Express Yourself with Custom Press-On Nails

Top Coat Protection Apply a top coat—cure if using gel polish, air dry for regular polish.

Stick It On Apply glue or adhesive tabs to your natural nail, align the press-on tip, and press firmly.

Pro Tips for DIY Nail Success

Be Patient: DIY nails take care and attention. Don’t rush the process.

Use Quality Materials: High-quality tips and polish improve the final result and durability.

Keep It Clean: Clean hands and tools prevent infections and improve adhesion.

Thin Layers Work Best: Apply polish in thin coats and cure between layers for smooth, vibrant color.

Be Creative: Try new colors, patterns, and decorations—make your design truly yours.

Store Carefully: Keep unused press-on nails in a storage box to avoid damage and dust.

Remove Gently: Be gentle when removing nails to avoid damaging your natural nails. Use proper adhesive remover if you used glue.

In Conclusion

DIY press-on nails not only let you change your look anytime but also offer a fun, creative way to express yourself. They’re convenient, cost-effective, and let your imagination shine. Start your DIY nail journey today and discover the fun and satisfaction of creating your own fingertip fashion!

Thank you for watching. We hope this has helped solve the problem you encountered. Though small, nail art has the power to brighten your every day. Start with the basics and let your fingertips be the first step to charm and confidence!

For regular updates on nail trends, design inspiration, and professional nail care tips, don’t forget to follow Nailelf!

[cleanchoice]

Spotless Stays: The Ultimate Guide to Airbnb Rental Cleaning in Milton Keynes

Contact Us On: +44 7788 806086

Running a successful Airbnb in Milton Keynes isn’t just about location or price—it’s also about cleanliness. A pristine rental creates an unforgettable first impression and earns those coveted five-star reviews. Whether you're a host managing multiple properties or just listing a spare room, understanding the ins and outs of Airbnb rental cleaning Milton Keynes is crucial to keeping guests happy and coming back.

Let’s dive into how you can elevate your rental game with professional cleaning tips, local resources, and actionable advice tailored to Milton Keynes Airbnb hosts.

Why Airbnb Cleaning Standards Matter More Than Ever

In the age of post-pandemic travel, guests expect nothing short of hotel-level cleanliness. Airbnb even introduced the "Enhanced Cleaning Protocol" to ensure every stay meets high hygiene standards. Failing to meet these expectations can mean negative reviews, reduced bookings, or even suspension from the platform.

Think of cleaning as your silent ambassador—it communicates your commitment to guest comfort and safety before they even meet you.

What Makes Milton Keynes Unique for Airbnb Hosts?

Milton Keynes is a vibrant town blending modern urban planning with rich historical charm. With attractions like Bletchley Park, Woburn Safari Park, and the MK Theatre, it's a magnet for both tourists and business travellers. That means Airbnb hosts here see diverse guests with high expectations for comfort and cleanliness.

Moreover, the town’s fast-paced rental turnover and short-stay guests make it vital to have a fast, efficient, and reliable cleaning strategy in place.

DIY Cleaning vs. Hiring a Professional Service

Let’s face it—cleaning between guest check-ins can be time-consuming. While doing it yourself saves money, it can become overwhelming as your bookings increase. That’s where a professional Airbnb cleaning service in Milton Keynes can become your best ally.

Pros of Hiring a Cleaning Service:

Time-saving: Professionals are fast and efficient.

High standards: Trained cleaners know Airbnb expectations inside out.

Consistency: Your place stays immaculate every time.

Extras included: Linen changes, restocking toiletries, and even damage reports.

Cons:

Cost: It’s more expensive than DIY.

Scheduling: Last-minute bookings can sometimes clash with cleaner availability.

If you're just starting out and have limited funds, DIY might work. But as your bookings grow, outsourcing is often the smarter choice.

What Should Be Included in an Airbnb Cleaning Checklist?

No matter who does the cleaning, you need a consistent checklist. Here's what a solid Airbnb cleaning session in Milton Keynes should include:

Kitchen:

Wipe countertops, cabinets, and handles

Clean and disinfect all appliances (kettle, microwave, toaster)

Empty bins and clean interior

Replenish tea, coffee, and sugar if offered

Bathroom:

Scrub toilet, sink, and shower area

Disinfect all surfaces

Replace towels and toiletries

Check for mold or mildew

Bedroom:

Change and launder bedding

Dust surfaces and wipe mirrors

Vacuum carpets or mop floors

Check under beds for items

Living Area:

Dust all furniture and electronics

Clean remote controls and switches

Fluff cushions and arrange decor

Ensure WiFi information and local guides are in place

Don't forget the little touches—fresh flowers, a welcome note, or a locally sourced treat can set your listing apart.

Best Airbnb Cleaning Services in Milton Keynes

If you decide to go pro, you’ll want someone who knows the Airbnb scene. Fortunately, Milton Keynes has several reputable options. Look for services that offer:

Same-day turnaround

Short-notice availability

Deep cleaning options

Eco-friendly products

Some highly-rated AirBnB Rental Cleaning milton keynes (as of recent reviews) include:

MK Cleaning Services

Housekeep (with local cleaners)

CleanToGleam MK

Spic & Span Airbnb Cleaning

Always ask for references or check their reviews on Google and Trustpilot. It’s your property—only work with cleaners who treat it with care.

Tips to Maximize Cleanliness Without Overspending

Want to keep things clean without breaking the bank? Here are some hacks:

Stock up on essentials in bulk: Buying toilet paper, detergent, and toiletries in large quantities saves money in the long run.

Invest in easy-to-clean decor: Leather sofas, wipeable blinds, and minimalistic furniture save cleaning time.

Automate inventory: Use apps or checklists to track when supplies run low.

Schedule mid-stay cleans for longer bookings: Offer these at an extra charge for added guest comfort.

These small tweaks can boost your listing’s value without a huge investment.

Conclusion: Clean Homes Lead to 5-Star Reviews

In Milton Keynes, where competition for short-term rentals is rising, cleanliness isn’t optional—it’s your ticket to success. Whether you clean yourself or hire the pros, setting and maintaining high standards will lead to better reviews, more bookings, and a thriving Airbnb business.

Remember, your guests are trusting you with their comfort and safety. A spotless space doesn’t just impress—it builds trust, earns loyalty, and sets the stage for an unforgettable stay.

[elementhomex]

Lighting Tips to Brighten Up Your Dining Room

At ELEMENT Home, we understand that lighting plays a crucial role in enhancing the ambiance and functionality of your dining room. Right from dinner parties to everyday family dining, proper lighting will set the mood and enhance the dining experience. Here are a few tips from the pros on how to light up your dining room:

Statement Chandeliers: Make a bold statement with a stunning chandelier over your dining table. Choose designs that would match your style of decoration, right from modern to traditional, even eclectic. Besides providing abundant light, a chandelier brings grace and elegance to the room.

Layered Lighting: Make your dining room lighting deep and multi-functional by layering different sources. Combine overhead chandeliers or pendant lights with wall sconces or recessed lighting. With it, you can vary the lighting intensity for various occasions and moods.

Dimmer Switches: Provide dimmer switches to your dining room lights so that you can control the brightness of the light. Lowering the level of these lights can bring an intimate and cozy feel during meals or gatherings while allowing for brighter settings for everyday chores or tasks like cleaning up.

Natural Light Maximization: Provide the most possible natural light with obvious windows, along with sheer curtains or blinds that allow sunlight to pass through them. A natural light source will increase the overall illumination level in the room and decrease the need for artificial lighting.

Task Lighting: It is always better to install a task light at a buffet table or serving area. Table lamps or under-cabinet lights can provide focused lighting on specific things like task completion but not so that they flood the entire dining area with light.

Placement of the Artificial Lighting: Position lighting features so that they light up the table and the area around it perfectly. Ensure everyone at the table is well-illuminated to enjoy their meals and have exciting conversations.

Lighting Fixtures for Decorative Purposes: Choose lighting features that also decorate your dining room space. Select unique designs, materials, or colors that will blend in with your dining furniture to enhance the general aesthetics of the space.

Be it the serene look for family dinners or the exotic one to entertain guests, we have a collection of solutions that ensure your dining room shines in every sense. Let's light up your dining experience with the perfect lighting design developed according to the unique personality and needs of your home.

How to Choose the Right Dining Table Lighting: A Guide by ELEMENT Home

At ELEMENT Home, we believe selecting the appropriate lighting for a dining table is crucial in crafting a welcoming and functional space. Whether updating your current setup or starting fresh, the right fixture can perfect the dining experience and work perfectly with your decor style. Here's a complete guide to help you make the right pick for dining table lighting:

Measure the Size and Scale: The first measure you must take when deciding on the kind of light fixture your dining table will have is to measure it for scale. At the least, ensure the diameter of a chandelier or pendant is half to two-thirds the width of a table for a rough idea.

Keep Your Decor Style: Take the light fixtures to match your dining area style. Whether modern minimalism, classic elegance, or eclectic charm, there are many designs —from slim pendants to ornate chandeliers—that can enhance the appeal of your dining room.

Height Adjustable: Always use the adjustable height option in any lighting fixtures. These allow you to vary the hanging length to match your table and ceiling height, offering the proper adjustment without blocking views across the table.

Intensity of Light: Pay attention to the type of light and its intensity. Pendant lights and chandeliers with several bulbs are well-lit in terms of ambient light, while dimmable ones give you more control over the ambiance of intimate dinners and noisy parties.

Material and Finish: Consider the material used and the finish applied to the lighting fixture. Metal finishes such as brushed nickel or bronze will mesh easily with many different décor styles, while glass and crystal accents feel elegant and disperse light very radiantly.

Lighting Layer Effects: Layer dining table lighting overhead at the dining table with more sources of light, which can be coming from wall sconces, floor lamps, or accent lighting. This kind of layered approach makes your dining room lighting scheme versatile and deep.

Energy Efficiency: Opt for energy-efficient sources like LED bulbs or fixtures with Energy Star ratings. They are not only energy-saving in use—cutting bills—but produce less heat for a safer and more comfortable dining experience.

Here are a few tips provided by ELEMENT Home to choose the perfect dining table lighting for your space, which enhances your meal and also decorates your dining area. Let's create this dining space with all meals enjoyed in the perfect glow, specific to the unique style and function of your home.

Remember, the proper lighting can transform your dining experience, making every meal special and every gathering memorable. Don't hesitate to contact us for expert advice and personalized recommendations. Let us help you illuminate your dining space to perfection!

[dwarfhorse]

Rune factory 5 Initial Thoughts

Hi! I'm a little frustrated because I already had a paragraph typed out but this site is atrocious especially on a tablet. I usually use mobile but it really fucks my phone's battery up so I'm using my tablet to write this. excuse any errors please.

So I'm about 6-7 hours in and I thought I'd give my first impression instead of waiting to do a full one and then come back when I finish and give final thoughts. I just unlocked Lucas.

I'm going to begin with cons and reminder that these are all opinions. You're entitled to your own, as well. I'll use a bulleted simplified list so people don't need to read paragraphs upon paragraphs and lose focus.

Keep in mind when reading this and playing the game that its the first in years and the first on the switch, plus the first 3d one in years. The team probably didn't have enough funding to do a lot of things that I'm sure they would have liked to do. That all being said, even with cons it's still really fun! I think a few patches would fix things up quite a bit.

Other things are just personal opinions that I have that I think would improve this or be good notes for their future games. Course I doubt anyone from xseed or marvelous will even see this, but oh well. I still recommend buying it on sale they get funding to make better future ones, plus it's still really fun!

• Some functions are flat out broke or don't work as intended. Auto camera and farm camera are almost impossible to use. Good thought not good execution. The farm camera shows the top of your character and field while you farm, thankfully you can turn both of these off. These matched with the fact that aiming is HELL doesn't pair well.

• Framerates and skidding. The game wants to go faster than it actually is running. What I mean by this is you're constantly running fast aaand then the game goes real slow. Loading screens are a bit long too. If youre running and then take something out, you slide.

• Placing and aiming are both hell. Especially trying to straighten furniture.

• Glitching happens often but I think it's as a result of frame rate.

• No transition animations so sometimes things look choppy. Ie I saw people giving characters wine and they clip straight on the ground, if they sit on a bench, they don't squat from what I've seen,they just suddenly go from stand to sit. This could be a glitch but I've seen it on multiple people's games so far.

My opinions. Again these are only my thoughts and feelings, really the whole post is just how I'm initially feeling. These also list some pros so I won't make a list for pros, because these are the rest of my thoughts.

• Dialogue is lacking. Where rf4 is charming and has so many lines, rf5 is repetitive dialogue. Don't get me wrong, the characters are still fun and charming. They just repeat, a lot. I believe it could be fixed by a patch, but it'd probably take them...a lot of time even if dialogue is randomized.

• The running animation looks wonky, this is a bit picky so not too important.

• The game is GORGEOUS, but I think different mix ups in texture and more trees would've been nice. I also think the mountain areas should've been worked on more to look more rocky than smooth.

• whyyyyyyy did the seed captain have to look like she's 10. enough dragon girls looking like kids I want milf dragons.

• Fuuka barking and growling really freaks me out too much to romance her? I have to for the sake of the blog and opinions on romance options but I'm not looking forward to it. I try to brush it off but in the end I hope she starts like. using human speak more.

• The town is huge which. I like but it makes it a little hard for me to navigate, some parts of the town and game in general don't look like they have much detail than others.

• Priscilla and Lucy are gfs no doubt. This isnt an opinion on the game but I hope they bring rival romance back.

• The game is really fun once you get used to the new controls.

• Characters are still really fun and a joy to talk to when they have a new line!

• Time going slower is a little annoying. I often get stuck waiting for a character to show up somewhere.

• I like how easy it is to know where a heart event is and who's, don't like how I accidentally triggered Lucy's trying to walk by her and find another character. I have about 6 events to do, because romance seems faster than rf4, it's just the waiting of characters to show up the next day to finish the event that irritates me.

• I just unlocked Lucas and have no idea what's going on in the main story yet, hoping that is about to change.

• LOVE that there's marriage between any gender now. Now I just wish we could get some older looking romance options!

• farming dragon is neat but I wish I could pet it

• I like how easy switching weapons is

• martin is best boy

so.. in my opinion! definitely worth a play and new games will probably improve if enough people buy it! any issues aside it's still fun! 

[zeetasposts]

Arthur - Drive from hell

Fandom: Ikevamp

Pairings: Arthur x Reader

Genre: Fluffffff

Words: 1600

Warning: Learning to drive.... so yeah

Comments: Eeeeep, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TANIIIII! Hope you have the best day! //dances around ❤❤ ❤Sending ya alll the hugs and yummo birthday cake! 😳🥺! 🥺😳❤🌈 @nuttytani

.*:・’ﾟ:｡.*:ﾟ･’ﾟﾟ:。’ .*:・’ﾟ:｡.*:ﾟ･’ﾟﾟ:。’･ﾟ｡.*:・’ﾟ: ｡.*:・’ﾟ:｡.*:ﾟ･’ﾟﾟ:

“You ready, duckling?” Arthur asked, full of beans, climbing from the driver’s seat and doing a light lil ol jogging around the car to open the passenger door for you.

Today was the day! You were now officially legal, and Arthur had taken it upon himself to teach you how to drive. To say you were nervous would be a gross understatement— you had barely, BARELY even passed your learners exam, and now here you were, about to be sat behind the wheel of arguably your greatest challenge yet, a 4x4 Hilux, a beast of a car in its own right.

You had already started regretting your life decisions when Arthur had to give you a hand up to get into the big beast of a car, never mind barely being tall enough to see over the steering wheel.

“Safety first, Luv,” he grinned from the passenger seat, reaching across you to help secure your seatbelt as you acclimated yourself to the change in position. How strange it was to be sitting on the other side, peddles below, massive wheel in front. And not to mention all the switches and buttons— so many little things that you had no idea what they were for or how they worked— and yet all so tempting to press and try out.

You looked over at Arthur, anxiety only growing as you had no idea where to even begin. “Alrighty, let’s get this show on the road,” he clapped his hands together, smiling broadly as he put on a pair of blue polka dot sunglasses.

Truly this man had far too much faith in you.

“Arthur, are you sure about this?” you asked one final time before placing your one foot on the clutch while the other pushed the brake—you know, just in case.

“Of course, what kind of rotten boyfriend would I be if I couldn’t even teach my lovely lady how to drive, now first things first, the safety checklist.”

He held up his gloved hand, counting off all the points to remember when driving, “Number one, make sure the car is in neutral before starting it. Number two, keep your foot on the clutch. Number three, turn the ignition all the way, and once you are ready to rumble, release the handbrake and slowly lift your foot from the clutch as you step on the gas. Got it?”

You nodded, half the instructions going completely over your head— you got this, you got this, you kept repeating to yourself like a mantra.

Your shaky hands reached for the keys, turning them until the car roared to life.

“I did it! I DID IT! Loook Arthur, look! I switched the car on!” you exclaimed, smiling brightly at Arthur, who clapped his hands together in praise.

Next, you slowly release the clutch forgetting all about the petrol and hand brake, causing the car to lurch forward and stall. You let go of a high pitched squeak, eyes going wide and knuckles turning white from gripping the steering wheel.

Clam as ever, Arthur patted you on the head, “Ah, it’s alright, Luv, see nothing to be afraid of; you simply forgot to step on the gas.”

It appeared as though Arthur had nerves of steel talking you through every instruction, patiently teaching you, and frankly, it wasn’t before long; you actually got the car moving. More than moving even, you were DRIVING!, no jerky movements, just girl vs the open road! Oh, the freedom and sense of independence were exhilarating, even at 20km per hour.

Meanwhile, Arthur was having a very different experience from the passenger seat.

Oh Lord Arthur was thankful he had taken you out to an abandoned field to learn how to drive, even more, grateful that you were driving an off-roader and not Vincent’s old fashioned bright yellow beetle, cause heaven knows death would be knocking otherwise.

Yes, despite his calm facade, he was desperately gripping the fear handle— an appropriate name, really, for what he felt in this moment was truly fear. “B-bird d-don’t you think you should slow down a little,” he stammered out; any chance of composure had been long gone as you drove at top speed (40km/h) across the planes of the field, launching the car into the air as you drove over yet another tiny hill.

“By Thunder, please, I beseech thee if there is a god I promise to live a wholesome life from this point onwards, please just spare meeee- ahhh,” he implored, sunglasses now halfway down his nose, revealing his wide shot eyes.

You drove without a care in the world, thoroughly enjoying the whole experience of driving over the small rolling hills. You rolled your eyes, one hand on the steering wheel, the other one giving Arthur’s hand a reassuring squeeze. “Come on, Arthur, don’t be so dramatic, ooooh look another dip, hold on tight,” you quickly announced with a delighted squeal navigating the terrain like a self-proclaimed pro.

The car rattled and jerked,” F-f-f-udge,” Arthur yelled out, hand shooting forward to the glove box to steady himself and prepare for the impact.

“Whoooooohooo! This is great! Who knew driving could be this fun,” you exclaimed full of joy, eyes sparkling as you spotted the next mountain to go up and conquer.

Arthur’s panicked eyes followed your line of sight, and it certainly didn’t take a genius to know what you had planned. “My love, my darling, my heart and soul, for all that is good and holy, please I beg of you, please PLEASE STOP THE CAR”, he pleaded and prayed. It was not his birthday, but hells, he was making a birthday wish on your behalf—the wish to see another day.

You looked over at Arthur once more, and upon seeing the distress crossing his feature, you cut your bundu bashing adventure short. Although realization quickly dawned upon you, spending all this time driving across the mountainside, you had not really mastered the art of coming to a smooth stop. So, you did what any new learner would do when someone demands the vehicle to a standstill. Thrust both your feet forward at the same time and pull at the emergency brake.

Arthur launched forward as the car came to a screeching halt, dust being kicked up and settling around the car— the perfect execution of an emergency stop, you mused.

Heart hammering in his ears, Arthur let go of broken laughter, hands feeling himself in disbelief, “I’m alive? I’M ALIVE! GOD, I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO DIE.”

You rolled your eyes, looking over at him, completely unimpressed, “ohhh, come on, it was not that bad? Was it?”

“I think I might just need a change of underwear after that ‘thrilling experience’,” he exaggerated, throwing the car door open and dramatically flopping onto the ground.

Why he was so happy, he almost kissed the ground. He looked at you from his place on the dirt, “I am going to need a stiff drink. Blimey bird, that was nerve-wracking.”

You turned the car off, hopping from your seat and slinking up to Arthur to offer him a hand up, mischief glowing in your eyes, “I mean, but did you die tho?”

With a shake of the head and another thankful chuckle emanating from his chest, he placed his hand in yours, “And who taught you to be this cheeky, honestly Luv.”

Climbing into the driver seat, Arthur adjusted the mirrors and started the car, his usually charming grin once more gracing to his features. “Shall I show you how it is done,” he bragged, full of confidence, happy to be back in control of the mechanic stallion.

He started the car; however, as the saying goes, ‘pride before the fall’, he failed to give enough gas and stalled the vehicle upon pulling away.

‘Shit’, he thought, sparing you a sheepish glance only for you to burst out into full-blown laughter. “You are going to show me what now; perhaps I should be the one to teach you,” you smacked your knee snorting out.

Arthur pouted, a shade of pink coming to rest upon his cheeks in embarrassment. But before he could even answer, an unimpressed grunt could be heard coming from the back seat, “That’s it, both of you out! NOW!”

Two pairs of eyes snapped back to the source of the voice only to lock onto a very, VERY traumatized and unimpressed looking dutch. He stomped out of the car before dragging Arthur from the driver’s seat.

��That is the last time I EVER let either of you near my car,’ he scowled angrily, turning the ignition and putting the car into gear.

“Hmpf can’t believe I fell for the ‘let’s go and get some birthday pancakes’ trick,” he grumbled under his voice, making his way back to the main road.

“Why old goat, that is an excellent idea!” Arthur chimed in from the backseat, starting a chant that would inevitably lead to getting what he wanted.

You joined in, of course, chanting happily with an equally broad smile littered on your face, “birthday pancakes, birthday pancakes, birthday pancakes.”

With a scoff of irritation, Theo was helpless but to go along with the whims of the day; after all, he did love pancakes, and after that traumatizing experience, he would need some sugar to cleanse his soul.

“Hmpf fine, but only because it is this one’s birthday,” he finally barked out with a roll of the eyes, yet an unmissable smirk of excitement making its way onto his lips.

[mdverse]

the kurt art was just so absolutely gorgeous and it inspired a new ask !! what do you think the vb au characters would wear in their day to day lives when theyre at home? - space :)

space coming in strong with another vb au we truly love to see it! i was gonna wait until the airport tmo to answer this but clearly i have no self-control when it comes to vb au my most beloved <3

ok anyway regular outfits!

santana tends to gravitate towards sporty but comfortable streetwear? like here, sports bras/graphic tees and sweatpants, stuff like that. occasionally she'll switch it up to jeans and a leather jacket (the rosa diaz aesthetic) but only when she's going out. her style doesn't really change much when she's at home, but i reckon she has stolen at least one of finn's shirts and/or hoodies and wears those in bed or when she's feeling particularly homesick

kurt likes to dress well, even if he's working on stuff at home, so he'll usually be wearing a button up and unnecessarily tight pants. cardigans if he wants to feel nice and cozy. if he's sewing and knows he'll be working for hours, he'll wear short sleeves so they don't get in the way. if he's just chilling, he will 100% switch to sth much comfier like sweatpants and those like,,, super thin hoodies he wears in s4? like the one he's wearing when he meets cassie july? i spent ages looking for any gifsets with that specific scene and i cant find a single one smh my head but yeah hopefully u get the picture

finn is a simple not very fashionable man. large shirts, sweatpants or basketball shorts and he is happy. he also tends to dress like s4 teacher!finn with soft warm neutral colours, oversized sweaters, etc. kinda similar to reid in criminal minds but lighter brown colours. it was 100% kurt's influence that made him dress better when he started teaching i don't make the rules here

britt sometimes dresses similarly to santana's sport streetwear but with much brighter colours. in general tho her style is probably the most inconsistent of them all, because she just wears whatever she feels like wearing. in every single video she has posted to youtube (aside from vb practice/travel stuff), all of her outfits are wildly different from one another. at home, she is a big fan of pyjama pants with lil animals/prints or plaid, and will combine it with completely differently-patterned tshirts. kurt is simultaneously horrified and charmed

sugar is rich and it shows. she'll wear casual chic stuff but in very bright colours (pink-orange-yellow usually) and it's all very fashionable and expensive and i love it for her. she's a big fan of accessories, too. at home she sticks with that colour palette but will have a lot of like,,, fluffy stuff? fluffy socks, fluffy sweaters/hoodies with lil animal ears, fluffy sweatpants, you name it and she probably has it. there is fuzz everywhere. bright coloured fuzz everywhere you look. you can't escape it

quinn's aesthetic is very cottagecore. if she weren't a pro athlete living in a big city, you'd think she was some sort of gentle forest spirit. lots of pastel/floral dresses, skirts and blouses, very much the opposite of what she's like on the court. at home its just like,,, sweatpants, college tees, very comfort-based. she is way too exhausted to care what she wears at home so she'll just throw on whatever is clean

tina's style is kind of a cross between sugar's and quinn's, in a way? she's one of the more fashion-conscious girls; she leans more towards dresses than sug does but with earthier tones? also,,, idk how to explain this better so like,, look up mondrian and you'll probably see a bunch of these paintings,,, she would wear dresses that have this kind of aesthetic too. at home she'd probably dress similar to quinn - sweats/leggings, tshirts (but not oversized)

as you have probably noticed, i rarely draw the girls in anything other than their vb uniforms and that's just cause im too lazy for patterns. that and i like drawing them when they're playing so i gravitate towards the uniforms anyway lol but seriously i hate patterns and i should practice them more

[bakugohoex]

Can I request Bakugou with angst prompt #7 ? Congrats again on 1k 👏🏽👏🏽✨

“that blood, it’s not yours is it?”

pairing: katsuki bakugo x female reader

cw: angst, death, blood play

word count: 1500+

a/n: idk what the fuck this is, but i thought this would be a good idea for the prompt

summary:  in which villian!bakugo comes to your apartment, confessing to his sins before finding himself surrounded by pro heroes after your call for help, with nowhere else to go, his only option to take you down with him

1k event masterlist

↞ back to my hero academia masterlist

Midnight had struck, you sat beside the window, watching the sky fill with blood. Villains always cascaded down alleyways, always loving the stench of blood, you had read the news about the latest call for the escaped S rank villain. The man you had loved, the man you had fought for to bring him back to the heroes side, the day he left stayed in your head. 

You continued looking out to the sky, the crystals of stars encasing each blue and black spiral up above. Signing, you moved away from the window as you went to go turn the television off, the pictures of your ex floating across the screen. His blonde hair and tattoos surrounded his arm and shoulder, even now he kept the costume he had worn when the two of you were heroes.

Ever since you both found out the true purpose of heroes and UA, his whole life being a lie. He couldn’t stand it, you looked at his face one more time, remembering the day he had confessed to wanting to leave the hero's life. 

“I...I can’t do this anymore.” Bakugo spoke, his hands on his face as he finally looked up at you. 

“What do you mean?” You questioned walking up to him about to touch his shoulder.

His hand grabs your own, grip tightening as it felt more painful than anything else, “don’t touch me.” He shouted, making you flinch back, his grip began to tighten even more, you could almost feel him rip through your skin with his nails. 

“Katsu...owww.” His nails indented more into your skin, eyes filled with fury as he stared into your eyes, you felt blood trickle down your arm at how easily he had been able to hurt you. 

He finally let go when he saw your eyes begin to water, “I can’t do this anymore, my life it’s been built on a lie and I don't think I can be a hero anymore.” You didn't meet his eye, grabbing a towel to wipe away the red oozing blood. “I need to get out of here, I’m sorry Y/n.”

“Wh...where are you going?” You whispered out, he walked past you as if you weren't even there. 

He saw your watering eyes, how he had hurt you so easily. But he didn’t care at all, he saw right through you. “I can’t do this anymore, don’t look for me.” 

It was the last words you heard from him, he had left without a word, you had thought he had just gone for a walk and he’d be back within a day. You were so wrong, in the end he had come back to the apartment, removing all of his belongings and the sign on the screen in your agency showing the murder of a civilian. 

The splattered blood across the wall and fires that surrounded him, with a ring hanging off a nail, the ring you had gotten him. The ring that was now around your neck on a piece of metal. He had murdered someone, you needed to remember that. But all the photos were still up of the two of you. All the memories that you both lived here together surrounded the apartment, pictures from your time at UA together, to your first date, sea shells from the beach you both had visited. Even more so, the apartment remained the both of yours, it was never just yours.

You finally switched the television off ready to go to bed, but the sound of glass being smashed was heard instead. Your arms went to your head just as you saw a shadow in front of the smashed window. “Y/n.” The voice was breathless, it had been months since you heard that voice, the way he stood up scratched across his body and the most significant part the blood seeping through his hands and clothes. 

“Bakugo.” You paused, your eyes widening as you realised what he was doing, “that blood, it’s not yours is it?” 

“What happened to Katsuki, baby?” He disregarded your question, quirk activating as he had a lust for more blood. 

“Katsuki.” You breathed out heavily.

Just as he tried to come closer to you, he collapsed leaning against the sofa to gain support. “I thought you were the polite type to your guests, get me some water.”

You could barely move, but even then, he always knew he had a sort of charm with you. He had the ability to easily control you in any way, he looked at you, keeping the light off as he watched you teeter over. “Wh...what are you doing here?”

“You haven’t gotten dumb since me leaving, cops showed up whilst I was hunting some guy down.” He had become sadistic gulping the water down as you could smell the blood across his body. “I don’t bite.”

You hesitantly moved closer to the man, he looked at how your eyes had become more tired and how you refused to meet his gaze. “Why’d...did you come here?”

“You wouldn’t snitch on me, my love.” He was almost mocking you now, the way he brought his bloodied hand to your face, he put the blood around your lips. “Go on, taste it.” His voice felt enchanting as you did as he spoke, the metallic taste of blood cascaded down your throat. 

“L...leave.” You whispered, the blood creeping down your face and down your neck. You knew why you said for him to leave, the way you had gone into the kitchen and sent a text to Midoriya saying the one word you knew he’d understand. You were helping Bakugo, helping the boy to not get caught. 

“Why? Because you called for help?” He smirked, licking his fingers off the blood before moving his saliva ridden fingers around your mouth again. “I know you Y/n, you were supposed to be my good girl.”

You felt mocked and humiliated, he knew what you had done but even then, he remained by your side. His fingers moving past your lips and touching your teeth as he felt your own saliva move through his fingers. “Pl...please, go before they come.” You whimpered as he moved his fingers away from you. 

“Why? Scared I’ll kill them all.” He could almost smell the heroes and knew what the protocol was for a scenario like this, stealth was key, to get you out and into protective custody. “You could’ve caught me already, why haven’t you baby?”

“I promised you.” he remembered the promise you made after he got his hero license, that you both would never use your quirks on each other. 

The steps towards the door became louder as you felt anxious that this would be the moment Bakugo was finally caught. “Y/n.” Midoriya shouted from the broken window, having jumped up to see the two of you on the ground as other pro heroes boomed through the front door. Bakugo got up a smirk on his face as he looked at you and only you.

“You really thought this would work.” He could feel Midoriya come closer, fist clenched ready to push him, Bakugo grabbed your waist as you let out a shout as Bakugo moved past Midoriya’s one for all move, Bakugo jumped from the window with you in his arms. Quirk activating as he landed on the edge of the roof. 

“Kacchan, why?” Midoriya spoke of jumping out of your apartment, with the other pro heroes in suits. 

“Why, Deku? Because my whole life was a lie, we don’t save people, heroes create evil and vengeance, I killed all those with quirks that could kill others. I had to kill them and if you think I’m getting caught, then you’re strongly mistaken.” Bakugo shouted, you became limp in his arms, the man you loved holding you like a ragdoll. 

“Let her go, let Y/n go, she was your girlfriend, you loved her, let her be safe.” Midoriya bargained as he saw Kirishima come beside him as they both landed on the roof themselves. 

“Bakugo.” Kirishima spoke, “let her go.”

“What is this a fucking reunion? She means nothing to you, let me have her.” You couldn’t break the promise you had vowed to the boy, but in this moment in his arms, as bad as it sounded. You felt loved for the first time in months, maybe you had gone crazy, or maybe it was Bakugo stepping further and further towards the ledge that made you realise you loved him. 

“Kacchan, please, she wouldn’t want this?” Midoriya shouted, he had no plan to save you and Bakugo’s eyes were filled with fury at the two heroes who were trying to stop him. 

Bakugo saw lights flash onto him and you from a police helicopter, he knew he’d been caught but what was it to him anymore. He stopped caring about this world, he missed you, needed you and he wasn’t going to let you live in a world without him. “Goodbye.” Bakugo whispered.

He fell off the building, your arms around his neck waiting for the plummet, “I love you.” He softly spoke into your air as you collided down the building, the wind encasing your hair and clothes.

“I love you too.” You whispered, the last thing you heard was a scream from the pro heroes who had called you their friend, and Bakugo’s tight arms around you, bones crushing on impact as you fell out of this world with the man you loved.

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[royallyprincesslilly]

Title: The Confession {8}

Chris Evans x Best Friend Reader

Warning: Cursing, Angst, Plot, PLENTY WORDS

Words: 9.6k

Summary: Not this time.

Note: Thank you for reading lovelies! 😘😘

Thank you guys so much for reading! If you enjoyed this, LIKE, COMMENT, REBLOG.  ❤️❤️

***Loosely Edited/Proofread***

***Mildly Interactive***

***Picture Heavy***

Previous Chapters: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |

At four in the morning, you found yourself wide awake sitting in front of your vanity, staring at yourself, not moving a muscle.

 At five in the morning, you hadn’t budged, and honestly, you didn’t know if it was a good idea to go anywhere.

You heard your phone notifications firing off every ten or so minutes. Each and every one of them, you ignored. Ten hours ago, you’d had a plan. That plan consisted of you waking up at four to get yourself together to ensure you left the latest five o’clock to make it to the camping trail parking lot. You’d planned everything so well that you’d done the majority of everything that would take forever the night before.

 After ending your conversations with Chris and Jaxon, you made yourself some dinner, drank a bottle of wine as you did some work that you’d planned for the weekend that you wouldn’t get to. Then you moved on to pacing your closet while second-guessing your decisions for the weekend’s plans. That second-guessing led you to your second bottle of wine, which you drank rather quickly. By the time you reached the bottom, you were back on the train of it being acceptable and not a big deal to go. So you packed your bags with everything you’d need.

 You knew Chris would take care of all the logistic items such as the tent, firewood, ponchos, security needs, safety needs, and so forth. The man’s brain worked so analytically it was a wonder he’d become a real boy at some point in his life to make human relationships work. It was that way throughout your childhood. He would have the analytical part covered, and you’d pick up the slack with intuitive thinking. He’d always tease you about it by saying you’d never survive an apocalypse cause you’d feel and use your heart way too much. Ironic, you thought.

 “I just need to be more analytical. That’s all,” you professed out of nowhere as you stood.

 “Think with your head, not with your heart. I can do that. If he can do it, I can too.”

 Though you were trying to hype yourself up, it was barely working. Still, you pushed yourself to believe you could do this. So what if you hadn’t accomplished being analytical in all your years of living. You’d never mastered it as he had. This weekend you’d be the pro.

 Seeing that it was near half-past five, you quickly changed and did a once over of your home to ensure you had everything you’d need, then hauled your bags to the trunk of your car to begin the twenty-minute drive to the outskirts of town. The whole drive there, you played music that wouldn’t allow you to contemplate things any further. You didn’t need time to think any more. You knew if you had the twenty-minute drive to contemplate your options more, you’d turn around and chicken out.

 Your phone rang and loudly announced the caller on the speakers in the car.

 “Risa, the sun hasn’t even come up yet.

 “I made an effort to be awake to give you a call to check on you. I’m sure you’ve talked yourself up and down the ledge. Where are you?”

 “On my way.”

 “Oh, so you’re still going. Wow. Impressive,” Irisa bellowed.

 “Impressive? Didn’t you say it was a good idea?”

 “It is, but you always end up doing what you want to do. I just didn’t fully believe you’d go through with it.”

 Your mouth hung open. That said, a lot.

 “How are you doing?”

 Debating in your head, if you should play the nonchalant card or the brutal honesty card, you tapped onto the steering wheel as you came upon the exit to the grounds.

 “Uh----well, you know. cool.”

 It was a half-lie, but you fully turned onto the exit. There were no more outs unless you pulled a whole U and illegally reentered the highway while possibly causing an accident. It sounded terrible, but you wouldn’t rule it out.

 “You, my friend, are the opposite of cool. My god,” Irisa said, laughing at you.

 “I just don’t want things to get—worse. Ya know?”

 “I get it. you want things to stay the same.”

 “No. That’s not what I mean,” you began.

 “So, you want them to change.”

 “No. Jesus, I don’t know,” you grunted out.

 “Maybe use the weekend to figure it out and come to a decision that best suits you and no one else. Figure out what you can’t live without, not what you can live with,” Irisa counseled.

 You could see the entrance to the trail steadily approaching. It was relatively empty except for maybe a handful of cars. You weren’t worried. The destination you and Chris had in mind was off the beaten path, a piece of heaven carved out just for the two of you.

 “Thanks, Risa. I guess I’ll talk to you Monday. Once we head out, you know cell reception is nonexistent.”

 “I know the drill. Have fun. I know how you love camping out there. This might be one of if nor the last time you can.”

 She was right. Jaxon didn’t like camping, and you doubted you’d ever feel right bringing him to that spot. This was yet another thing you and Jaxon didn’t have in common. You enjoyed nature and relished any chance to be in it, but Jaxon preferred pampering. You thought it came from your opposite upbringings, him the only child of a career political force. He’d always had the proverbial golden spoon in his mouth. Maybe you could live without camping trips like this, you thought, as you rolled past an unexpected blast from the past.

 Slamming onto your breaks, you looked back in the rearview mirror to see Chris leaning against the monstrosity from your teenage years. You loudly snorted as the laughter bubbled up within you only to fill the car. He didn’t, you thought as you rolled into the nearest parking spot on the other side. When you got out and walked around to the back to get a better look, you let out a howl of laughter again.

 “Aaah, oh my god! I am not going anywhere in that hideous thing.”

Chris’s jaw dropped. “What!?”

 “You heard me. Which nineteen seventies hell did you crawl into to drag that thing out of?”

 “Shut up. You love it. Don’t listen to her girl; you’re gorgeous,” Chris said as he soothed the car by rubbing gentle strokes along its hood.

 “Oh my god, you’re ridiculous. I have not seen this thing in ten years.”

 “That’s an exaggeration, six the most.”

 “I thought this was gone.”

 “Never, I’m hanging on to this baby for the rest of my life. I couldn’t part with her—too many memories,” Chris said.

 The two of you stood in silence for a few moments. You ran through all the memories of this decades-old wagon and all the things it had seen, the adventures you’d been on. It still looked in mint condition, which was another nod to Chris’s mind. He always did take care of the things he valued.

 “Wow. So many memories,” you said, lost in your thoughts.

 “So many.”

 Your eyes met and rested for several long moments before you cleared your throat loudly, beginning to walk back to your car.

 “How many bags you got for me this time?”

 “Shut up. If it’s such a hassle, I can carry my own bags. This princess doesn’t need a prince charming.”

 As the trunk opened to reveal your four black and white matching camp duffle bags and one black weekender bag, you attempted to grab them, but Chris beat you to it, effortlessly grabbing the five bags in total.

 “That’s the beauty of the princess and her prince charming. He knew she was more than capable of saving herself, and he loved that about her, but he was so deeply in love that he vowed never to let it come to that—princess,” he said, ending on a whisper at your ear before walking away.

 A shiver ran through you, and just like that, the nerves that had faded when you pulled up returned tenfold. After straightening your back, you closed the trunk and went to the backseat to get the remaining three bags that you’d packed. Again as you moved to grab them, Chris opened the other side and took them before your hand ever touched them.

 “Is this it, or are you setting a record with nine bags?”

 “Christopher!”

 He walked again, laughing to himself. He thought he was so damn funny. You gathered your things from the front seat, excluding your phone, then locked up your vehicle. Before you crossed the parking lot, you took several breaths.

 “Conceal, don’t feel,” you whispered to yourself.

 Though Elsa was horrible and annoying, that was some excellent advice. You hoped it would work out better for you than it had for her with it.  When you got to Chris’s wagon, you slide your fingertips along the smooth paint and smiled as you walked to the passenger side. When you climbed in, Chris looked at you.

 “Ready?”

 It was a straightforward question, but it was asking so much. Were you ready for this weekend? Were you ready to do this? Were you ready to figure your shit out once and for all? Were you ready to possibly walk into the unknown leaving everything you’d ever known for sure behind? Were you ready to be unapologetically happy no matter where it took you? Were you ready to let go? All good questions. Were you ready? Who the hell knew, but it was too late to turn back now.

 You slide your sunglasses in place though the sun had barely begun to rise. “Hit it.”

 Without asking again, Chris did as he was told. Within minutes you’d exited the parking lot and were on the driving path that would lead you deeper and deeper into the Massachusetts wilderness. Well, the wilderness that had been carved out for humans who wanted to be close to nature without the threat of being eaten by bears. Though Chris was always analytical, he knew how to read a room. Either it was natural or a Hollywood trick that he’d picked up.

 For the first thirty minutes, the drive was relatively quiet except for the music that played. He’d had the good sense to allow you complete control over that. You were sure the way you switched songs that your nerves were in the air. Just as one of you was getting into the song, you would change it after a minute. It was one of your nervous ticks, fidgeting. You fiddled with the switch to change songs, you fiddled with your fingers, your bracelets, and even fiddled with your engagement ring.

 Though your body was in the car, your head was miles away, everywhere but nowhere all at the same time. You were going over the endless possibilities and probabilities of the weekend. It was a probability that things would get very transparent, and it was a possibility that transparency would blur lines. You didn’t know what gave you more anxiety, the possibility of being laid bare or the possibility of blurry lines. They were both terrifying.

 “It’s so loud in here.”

 Your head snapped to Chris, who turned to look at you. There was a small smirk on his lips.

 “What? The music isn’t even that loud.”

 “I didn’t say it was the music that was loud,” Chris countered.

 Crinkling your brows and scrunched your face showing your confusion.

 “Your thoughts. They’re loud. Stop.”

 Kissing your teeth, you exaggeratedly rolled your eyes the way you only did when he really annoyed you, and you had to show him just how much. Chris snorted and laughed loudly, clapping his hand across his chest.

 “Whatever, Christopher!”

 “You act as if we’ve never gone camping before, like this is the first time we’ve gone anywhere together. Relax.”

 “I am relaxed, shut up. I am fine,” you argued.

 “Prove it, stop fidgeting.”

 Kissing your teeth again, you straightened your back and rested your hands on your thighs as if you were some android awaiting instructions. With your eyes straight ahead, you watched the winding path the car traveled. After ten seconds, you were dying to move. By the time thirty seconds passed, it was such a strong urge. You had to look over to Chris to see if he was watching. Sure enough, his ass was watching you with the look on his face that said he expected you to fail. Asshole, you thought before you rolled your eyes again and began to bounce your legs again.

 Like clockwork, Chris laughed again.

 “Stop laughing at me,” you whined.

 “I’m sorry. Okay.” Chris straightened his face and focused on the road again for a few minutes before he spoke again. “You don’t have to be nervous around me, Y/N. It’s just me—just us.”

 You knew he was right, and when you thought about it for longer than a few seconds, you wanted to kick yourself. He was still Chris, you were still you, and at the end of the day, he was still your best friend. All the other stuff didn’t matter.

 “Did you bring your humidifier?”

 “Of course.”

 “Good, don’t want your truck horn sneezing to attract bears,” Chris teased.

 Your jaw dropped, which had him laughing again and drastically lowering the tension in the car, and that tension remained lowered for the remainder of the drive.

About an hour after driving, Chris finally pulled up to your piece of the forest, the piece that you’d accidentally found, and was now your go-to spot. While you were busy looking around and stretching your legs, Chris got to work with the bags that were in the trunk. When you went back to help him, he tried to deter you, saying he could handle it. Any protest ended when you added it would go quicker with your help.

 Ten minutes found all the bags on the ground where you chose. Twenty minutes from there, Chris had the tent pitted and had moved on to the grounds area, which housed a separate tent that you used to keep the food items secure. While he set up that tent, you began to bring bags into the sleeping tent and arranging them around the tent, leaving the middle open for the blow-up mattress.

 When you realized it was the one mattress, you froze sitting on the floor of the tent. You hadn’t thought about it because this is how it usually happened. It was always a queen-sized mattress that you brought. There was never a problem. However, in light of the confession of Chris’s feelings, you felt this might have been too much.

 “What’re you doing?”

 “Uh—nothing. I was uh—the mattress.”

 “Okay, then why are you just sitting here? Forgot how to do it?”

When he stooped down beside you, he saw you ferociously chewing your bottom lip, another nervous tick.

 “What’s up, princess?”

 A shiver ran down your spine again. Forcing yourself to shake off the unexpected feeling you debated on if you should tell him. as if reading your mind, Chris took a deep breath.

 “If you think it’s not a good idea to share the bed, that’s fine. I can take the ground, or I can even take the tent with the food. I don’t mind.”

 Your chewing speed picked up, as did the pressure from your teeth.

 “Y/N.”

 Looking at him, you studied his face and gazed into his eyes, trying to make a decision. It was Chris, you thought to yourself. You’re making it weird. You’re making this worse than it is. Your internal monologue went back and forth before finally going in on you prompting you to relax. After several minutes of your silence, Chris began to stand.

 “Okay. I’ll make the decision.”

 You shot your hand out to grab his. Chris stopped then sank back down.

 “It's fine.”

 “Are you sure? I want you to be comfortable. I don’t want this to be a thing in your head that it’s inappropriate or even that I’m going to try something on you. I’m not. I may be an asshole, but I’m never an asshole to you,” Chris explained.

 Sighing, you closed your eyes and gave yourself a mental kick. “It’s fine. It’s always been fine. I trust you, Chris. I’m just--.” You waved your hands around, hoping that was enough of an ending for him because you couldn’t find the right words to finish your thought.

 “Insane, I know,” Chris finished making you give him the evil eye. His smile was playful, which was the only reason you didn’t hit him. Instead, you pushed him back, forcing him to lose his balance to fall back on his ass.

 “Since you love to talk so much, you can blow this up yourself,” you said, standing and walking out of the tent.

 “You act like I don’t like working with my hands. I can do this all day!”

 You didn’t doubt it. While Chris finished up there, you brought the food bags into the tent and situated them. What was supposed to be a five-minute task turned into almost fifteen minutes of you organizing things according to food category because once again, your anxiety had gotten to you. Halfway through, it was clear to you that both of you had brought more than enough food for two days.  After taking some time to get your head right, you returned to the sleeping tent to find Chris arranging the bags around the tent while the blown-up bed remained bare. From the looks of the bags, you knew his analytical brain had gotten the better of him. Your bags were on the right while his were on the left. He’d managed to put them all perfectly spaced from the other, but he left your overnight bag on its own toward the upper side of the bed.

 “Perfect spacing,” you teased as you walked to the foot of the bed. “What happened here?”

 “I forgot sheets,” Chris admitted.

 Snorting, you shook your head. “Of course you did. Such a man,” you joked as you walked to your bags. You looked through each of them, unsure which one you’d packed the sheets into. Once you found them, you turned and held them up.

 “Ta-da.”

 “Of course, you’d pack a set of sets.”

 “Let’s get it straight. I packed two sets of sheets,” you said as you tossed him the pillowcases.

 “Shit, I forgot my pillow.”

 Chris smirked and walked to the large garbage bag that was on the ground and pulled out a replica of your pillow.

 “I already knew you would. It’s like a given with you.”

 Smiling, you nodded. “Okay, thank you.”

 For the next few minutes, the two of you made lite work of making up the blow-up mattress. Your bodies passed each other working together to make sure it was done correctly. When you were putting on one of the pillowcases on the left side of the bed, you glanced at him. This all felt so domestic, so—natural. Jaxon always hated helping with the sheets because you had a particular way you liked them and that particular way got on his nerves because he could never get it right.

 Chris folded down the shimmery cream silk fitted sheet over the lite faux fur blanket that was a complementary hue so that it was neatly resting at the top of the mattress right underneath the pillow. Once he was finished with that, he folded the end, so it created a perfect inward triangle. You continued to watch as he smoothed his palm across it brushing away any creases, then his eyes landed on you. It was perfect.

 “What?”

 Smiling, you shook your head. “Nothing. You did good,” you answered, placing the pillow down, completing the look. “It’s perfect.”

 “I know. You and your OCD ass,” Chris joked before walking out of the tent, leaving you to admire his handiwork and fold your side into the triangle.

 When you got outside, Chris was setting up the location for the cooking setup. That was your queue to gather some wood so he would be able to light a fire in a few hours. After letting him know your intention, he warned you to keep close but returned to preparing the area. Before you turned away, you saw him take off his plaid long sleeve shirt to show his tank top underneath. His muscular arms stopped you for a few seconds before you continued with the mission.

 As you walked around the perimeter of the camp, you quickly got lost in your surroundings. The trees' beautiful green matched the grass's vibrant green and complimented the wildflowers that littered the ground about you. Bending, you picked up a branch that would do nicely for the pit and picked one of the flowers nearby. Tucking it behind your ear, you carried on with your search for branches.

 Ten or so minutes later, you returned with an arm full of branches to find Chris with his tank top off. He was setting up a safety perimeter. From behind, you could see the lite layer of sweat that decorated his body, giving it a look as if he’d been rubbed down with baby oil. The sheen glistened with the light and almost had your jaw-dropping. When did he get all that? Before your thoughts could stray any further, Chris turned.

 “There you are. I was going to send out the search party.”

 You cleared your throat and approached where Chris has set up the fire pit location and dropped the branches.

 “About done here?”

 “Uh—after I arrange these, yeah. Why?

 “Let’s go for a walk, you know, get the blood pumping in other directions.”

 Chris looked at you, quizzically. “Other directions? Like where and from where?”

 Avoiding his eyes, you spun around, trying to decide on a direction. “How about that direction?”

 Without waiting for him to answer, you walked ahead.

 “You wanna give me a little time?”

 “Catch up, and put a shirt on. Your pale ass burns easily,” you shouted behind you while continuing your walk.

 Using the free minutes of alone time you had left, you tried to screw your head back on right. In all your years of friendship, you’d never looked at him like that. You barely noticed if he had muscles or was skinny and scrawny like he was when he was a teenager. You never saw it.

 “What the hell was that, Y/N?”

 “What was what?”

 Looking beside you, Chris fell into step with you as if your rapid pace was comfortable.

 “Nothing. Why didn’t you bring Dodger?”

 “Uh—I was tempted. I just thought it was a good idea to leave him.”

 “I miss him. Jaxon doesn’t like dogs. He doesn’t like pets actually,” you absentmindedly said without thinking.

 “Huh.”

 Looking at him, you realized what you’d said. “Shit, I’m sorry. I don’t know why I just brought him up.”

 “It’s fine,” Chris professed.

 “Is it?”

 He took a deep breath, shrugged, and looked ahead. “Look, it’s no secret I don’t like the guy.”

 “You sure acted like it.”

 “What was I supposed to do, Y/N? Tell you I don’t like your boyfriend?”

 “Why not. Maybe we could have found a way for you to like him,” you replied.

 “I was never going to like him. I will never like him or anyone else you’re with,” Chris said, his tone pointed but also soft.

 Studying him, you realized again what you’d said. The two of you walked in silence for a few moments; both lost in your own thoughts.

 “This is so crazy,” you huffed out.

 “Did you like all my girlfriends?”

 As soon as he asked, you snorted out and laughed. “We shouldn’t talk about this.”

 “No, we should. That’s what this weekend is for. Honesty,” Chris finalized.

 Glancing at him, you found his eyes already on you. “You’re sure?”

 “Yeah. I’m sure as hell not going to hold anything else back.”

 Taking a few moments to gather your thoughts, you changed directions getting closer to the river bank.

 “I love this spot so much.”

 You stood there staring out at the majestic sight before you. The beauty of the green trees and mountains in the distance was breathtaking. Your favorite part was how the backdrop mirrored in the lake, making it seem as if another replica world was right underneath the water's surface. It was easy to feel small here and easy for you to get back to the simplicity of things.

 “If by girlfriends you mean the ones that stuck around past five months, then I liked them all except two,” you confessed.

 “Which two?”

 Smirking, you pinched your lips and looked at him. “The one with the nose, and the one with that hideous back tattoo. What the fuck was that?”

 Chris busted out laughing. It was a contagious laugh because you had to join in seconds later. The two of you laughed uncontrollably for a full minute until it slowly died down.

 “You know what, I guessed one, but the other—I’m shocked. She was nice.”

 You rolled your eyes and kept walking, already tired of the lies. Soon Chris was beside you again.

 “She wasn’t nice?”

 “She was fake. She wanted two things from you, and she got them.”

 “What are those two things?”

 “It’s not important,” you countered.

 “Of course, it is. I wanna know. what two things?”

 Bouncing you with his bulky shoulder, you staggered sideways before you turned to him, stopping for a moment.

 “Tell me.”

 “Fine. She wanted a good dick down and clout,” you replied, then continued walking.

 “Woah, woah, woah. A good dick down? What do you mean? How do you know my dick down is good?”

 “Shut up, Chris. You’re the biggest hoe, and you always thought that no one talks when you hoe around. Everyone talks. There have been some stories that I’ve heard that are just—nuts. I’ve heard of twosomes, threesomes, hell foursomes, and even the one time you found yourself at some Hollywood sex orgy party. I had to give Scott a double take from that one. Honestly, how many women have you slept with? Then you turn around and tell me you’ve been in love with me since high school. Come on!”

 You’d rambled like a manic, letting your frantic thoughts get the better of you. When you realized he wasn’t walking beside you, that was when you took a breath. Looking back, Chris had stopped and had his head hung as if he’d lost his most prized possession.

 “Chris--,” you remorsefully began.

 “I know how my actions seem Y/N. I know what the rumors say. I know everyone calls me a whore and thinks that all I care about is ass. I know.” He walked closer, then stopped in front of you. “You’re my best friend; I just wish you didn’t think that about me too.” With that, he walked ahead of you, leaving you standing there.

 Sighing, you dropped your head back to roll your eyes. “Great.”

 The walk was quiet after that. Chris either kept his head down or eyes straight ahead. He also remained in front of you and didn’t return beside you after that. You knew he was sensitive about the whole whore thing. It wouldn’t have usually been something you would have brought up, but it was on your mind. It had remained on your mind since he confessed his feelings. It was something you couldn’t wrap your head around. If you knew how you felt about someone, you couldn’t just sleep around with others as if you felt nothing, especially when you came home and saw them for holidays and even family functions. It was something you needed answers to, but seeing Chris’s disposition, you decided against it.

By the time the sun was highest in the sky, and you’d made it to the top of a cliff that gave you a bird's eye view of the forest, you’d reached your level of avoidance. You had to know.

 “I--,” both of you began at the same time.

 You pinched your lips together and waited for him to go just as he did the same.

 You spoke again, “I--.” Again Chris began the same time you did.

 “You go,” Chris offered.

 “Do you know how many women you’d introduced me to?”

 He sighed but didn’t do what you expected. Instead, he turned to you and gave you his undivided attention.

 “Tell me.”

 “Six. Including your latest even though that was over FaceTime. Six women, Chris. Six women during the entirety of when you said you were in love with me. Six women. Six women, you paraded around, fell in love with, had sex with, six.”

 “I’ve never been in love with any of them.”

 That was when your jaw dropped, and you gaped at him.

 “It’s a dick thing to say, especially now, but it’s also the truth. I loved three of them but was never in love with any of them.”

 You didn’t need him to tell you that there was a difference between being in love with someone and loving them. You knew there was a difference.

 “Jennifer? Danika? Your mom thought you’d marry one of them.”

 “I loved things about them. Was I ever in love? No. I tried, I just—couldn’t.”

 You couldn’t believe your ears.

 “It’s something to you never being in love with any of your old boyfriends.”

 Your head swiveled to him. He didn’t look cocky, though. He just looked sure.

 “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

 “I’m the only person who knows what I’m talking about when it comes to that, apart from Irisa.”

 That cornered feeling you hated was creeping up onto you.

 “That also includes this one you’ve convinced yourself you want to spend the rest of your life with.”

 “I love Jaxon,” you quickly defended.

 “Maybe, and that’s a huge maybe. You’re not in love with him.”

 “How the hell do you know that, Chris?”

 Chris studied you for several long moments. Every second of silence only made your anxiety rise higher and higher. When you were sure he knew you were about to lose your shit, he spoke.

 “I’ve known you since I was a kid. I know everything about you. I know every tick, every sign, signal, nerve ending. The only thing I can’t figure out is why you’d move up a wedding you don’t want to have in the first place. So tell me, Y/N. Why?”

 Gulping down the water in the bottle, you focused on the scenery. “And I can’t figure out why you’d break your lifetime of silence this many months after my initial engagement. You’ve done this at the worst possible time, and now you just expect me to what—leave Jaxon and throw all this time and the plans away. What’s to say next year this time you’re not changing your mind?”

 “I’ve never not been in love with you, Y/N. Never. I loved you close in high school. I loved you from afar when you went off to college and me LA. I loved you through the good, the easy, the complicated. I’ve been in love with you through it all. I never thought I had a chance so I held my peace until I couldn’t. then---I was afraid not only of the rejection but also the love that I felt.”

 Chris quickly looked at you then scoffed. “You don’t get it,” he began. “Have you ever felt something so powerful that it—supersedes anything you’ve ever felt and makes it impossible to feel anything else for anyone else? Nothing I ever felt for anyone came close to what I feel for you. Nothing I thought of anyone was anything like what I thought of you. I compared every woman to you on every single level.”

 You took a deep breath, and though you wanted to look away because the intensity of his stare was making your skin tingle and your heart race, you didn’t. You kept your eyes on his.

 “I can see the fear in your eyes. I’ve always been able to see it,” Chris began as he slid closer to you, so there were just a few inches between you.

 His long spider-like legs were open and bent over yours that were crossed. His hands rested on your thighs, and it was an action he’d done hundreds of times. It shouldn’t have made you look to them or even made your heart flutter, but it did.

 “What’re you afraid of?”

 Meeting his eyes, you got so nervous that you had no idea what to say.

 “I’ve planned my life.”

 “So what? Plans are meant to change, be adjusted, reevaluated—upgraded,” Chris said.

 “And you’re the upgrade?”

 He slowly licked his lips before he bit into his bottom lip. You could feel his fingertips gently sinking into your thighs. It felt surprisingly good.

 “I’d be cocky as fuck if I said yes. I’m just going to say when it comes to you—yes. We’re comfortable with each other. We know everything about each other. I know how to handle your neurosis, your OCD, your ticks, and all the nuances that make you who you are. I know what you like. I know what makes you happy and angry. We’re similar where it matters. I’d never change you or expect you to change or try to fit into my life or my world.”

 When you looked down, he lifted your chin to face him again. “I’m not trying to shame you or anything, Y/N. You asked.”

 “Yeah, I know.”

 For a few minutes, the two of you just stared at each other, neither of you speaking or moving. His hands remained on your thigh, and the longer they stayed there, the more used to it you got. The more used to it you became, the more his warmth seeped into your skin and began speaking to you, making you not mind if this one move could be disrespectful. Five minutes turned to ten and ten to fifteen, and that was when you moved to suggest you began making your way back to camp.

 As the hours waned, you and Chris enjoyed nature doing the competitive things you’d done since you were kids whenever you came here. Usually, you’d compete for jobs and roles such as cooking and producing the day’s meals or clean up duty this time, Chris decided to switch things up. You had a scavenger hunt for pinecones, which he won. His reward was one IOU. You went down to the lake, skipped stones, an event you always rocked, so you got the IOU. After that, you took turns seeing who could take better nature pictures based on category. Again, you rocked at anything creative, so you took the win though it wasn’t an easy one.

 By the time got the fifth activity, making a craft from four things you found in the vicinity, the sun was beginning to make its descent behind the mountains and trees. As you sat on your side of the forest with your back leaned against a tree focusing hard on the twig, flower, and feather dreamcatcher, you found yourself glancing up and around the tree that was supposed to be serving as a wall between you so your creations would be a surprise.  He was sitting once again in his tank, brows knitted and head focused down on what he was doing. You could tell his jaw was clenched from the way his mouth was set. Every few seconds, he’d bit onto his bottom lip in a way that piqued more than your attention. When he looked up, you always played it off as if you were looking somewhere else into the distance.

 “Five minutes left,” Chris shouted.

 “Don’t rush me, Evans.”

 “I’m not, Y/L/N, just following the timer.”

 “Worry about yourself. You have five minutes left,” you shot back. Chris’s snickering echoed in the forest, making you smile.

 You hurried to put the finishing touches on your craft because Chris was a stickler for being on time. It was a pet peeve of his, one you enjoyed messing with on a regular. You were able to squeeze ten minutes extra out of him to his annoyance. When you shouted out that you were ready, you peeped behind the tree to see his smiling face.

 “Don’t be shy, princess.”

 You walked toward him with your craft hidden behind your back while smiling like a thief. Once you got close enough, you turned around at the same time he did to press your back to his.

 “I can’t believe we’re still doing this,” Chris scoffed out.

 “I know. It’s great. I love this.”

 “That’s because you always get the point. Your crafts are incredible,” Chris whined.

 “Aww. Your crafts are great too. I still have everything you've ever made me.”

 “Really?” He sounded shocked, and you understood why. None of the things he made you were out in plain sight. You had them tucked away in a decorated box from when you were fifteen. It was embarrassing.

 “Yeah. I’ve never thrown anything away. I would never.”

 You could see his eyes lingering on yours for a few moments before he looked away. “I didn’t know that.”

 “Yeah. Anyway, ready to give me this win?”

 “So damn cocky. I don’t wanna hear anything about me.”

 Giggling, you shimmied against his back, accentuating the height difference between you.

 “Okay, on three.”

 As he counted to three, you got more and more excited to reveal your craft. Once you both turned, both of your jaws dropped.

 “Oh my god, Chris.”

 “Me? Woah, how’d you make that?”

 He marveled at the dreamcatcher in your hand while you stood there astonished by the three wooden cravings in his. As Chris reached for yours, you reached for his. He’d somehow managed to hand carve three figures, and he’d managed to put so much detail into them.

 “How did you—are there two me?”

 “What gave it away?”

 You inspected the figurines closer. One looked to have very curly like hair that was done with swirls in the wood. The clothes he’d somehow designed were adorable; it was a crop top of some form and a pair of jeans with hearts on the pockets.

 “Oh my god, Chris is this—are these the jeans I always wore in high school? The ones with the hearts?”

 He was smiling widely as he rubbed the back of his neck.

 “Oh my god, this is amazing, and this one.”

 You studied it and took note of the difference between the hair and the clothes. This one looked like your dress from that first Hollywood event he took you to. It was the one that you’d spent nearly a fortune on because you wanted to make sure you didn’t embarrass him. That was the night he assured you that nothing you could ever do would embarrass him, and he didn’t care what the press thought. You remembered then the words he said when you turned the carving to the back to see the same words.

 -I love every single thing about you and wouldn’t change one thing. You’re my perfect.-

 Slapping your hand across your mouth, you looked at him, completely unsure how you could have forgotten.

 “The two most significant times, I’ve fallen in love with you. I told you, I’ve said it tens of times.”

 What the hell did you say to that? You wondered how many times he’s plainly said it, but you just never registered it the way he meant it. Was your entire life and friendship a lie?

 Thanks to the eight activities, you managed to get three IOUs, but Chris was the one who came away with the overall win with five IOUs. He took pity on you and volunteered to handle dinner, which allowed you to get yourself to the one place you were too excited to get to. When you walked a little further past the lake in the middle of the forest, there was a beautiful pond like enclosure with a picturesque waterfall and cave. If anyone saw you, they might say you looked like an idiot walking through the woods wrapped in a towel wearing your rain boots carrying a bath caddy. No wonder he always made fun of you, you thought, as you laid your towel across a boulder.

The water was just right. Taking your time, you swam around, being careful not to get your hair wet. You knew it was inevitable your hair would get ruined by the end of this weekend, but that didn’t mean you should help it along its way. It was easy to get lost in the sereneness of your surroundings. The only sounds around you were that of birds chirping, the breeze through the trees, and the soft rustling of bushes as harmless animals scampered around. It all sounded like one of the sleep mixes you used when your mind refused to shut down at night.

 By the time you actually began soaping your skin, the sun was disappearing, giving the sky the most beautiful glow. It wasn’t a glow that could be wholly appreciated in the city. It was its best here. As you watched the sky change colors from pink and purple to orange and every variation of it until it became near navy. Something about being here made you feel freer, more like yourself, or who you were at your core. For some reason, you always felt like you had to be a neater, more restrained version of yourself in the city. It was exhausting. You never felt that way with Chris, but you didn’t know if that was necessarily a good thing or not.

 Something made you look back, and that was where you saw Chris at the bank just staring at you with his mouth wide. Though it was dark, you could perfectly make out his features. The way he looked ar you made your stomach flutter. When your breathing became short and more strained, you noticed your heart's racing and the way it made you slightly dizzy. This was a first. Part of you said you should be appalled or close to it, but it was such a small part it was easy to ignore. Still, you found yourself sinking lower into the water until it reached your shoulders.

 “I’m sorry,” Chris began as he turned to the side, dipping his head low. “I didn’t mean to—I shouldn’t have—I should have—I didn’t see anything,” He finished.

 Not knowing what to say, you kept quiet.

 “I came to tell you dinner was ready not—perv out while you’re,” he trailed off.

 “You’re only perving it you jerk off while you’re being a creeper.”

 “I might tonight,” he said under his breath, but thanks to the way water carried sound, you heard him loud and clear. The thought was the first of its kind ever to have entered your mind.  Had he thought about while he jerked off before?

 When you didn’t speak for a while, Chris spoke instead. “So uh—see you back at camp.”

 With that, he walked off, leaving you alone with your thoughts.

 By the time you got back to camp, you saw that Chris had set up a blanket in front of a roaring fire as he waited for you to join him. You quickly dipped into the tent to change into something comfortable. It wasn’t longer than five minutes before you’d reemerged in a pair of grey shorts and a white cropped tank that you covered with an oversized cable knit sweater.

“I’m here. I’m sorry.”

 “It’s fine. I know your ritual, shower before eat or else you don’t enjoy your meal,” Chris lectured.

 A soft smile spread across your lips. It was comforting having someone who knew you so well. There was safety in regularity.

 “This looks great. I didn’t know you brought steak.”

 “When don’t I bring meat.”

 The two of you giggled because it was true. Chris was a steak and potatoes man through and through. The fuss and muss was not for him, and you loved that. There were nights he’d be completely happy with a burger and fries as opposed to some frilly meal. Another thing he and Jaxon didn’t share, especially looking at Jaxon’s two gourmet restaurants. He loved frill. You didn’t care either way.

 “It looks and smells amazing,” you said as you dug into the meal before you. as you chewed the tender steak, the flavorful juices had you moaning. “God, you always knew how to make a steak be the best I ever had.”

 “That says a lot especially thinking--,” Chris began before you cut him off.

 “—I know.”

 That was that. He didn’t push to know more or discuss it any further. You ate for some time in silence. It wasn't because you had nothing to say; you were just once again lost in your thoughts. By the time you’d moved on to the shrimp, you’d found your voice.

 “Thank you for the carvings.”

 “Thank you for the dream catcher. Maybe it’ll help bring the good ones to life.”

 Your eyes lingered for a while before he brought his beer bottle to his mouth. Looking away, you finished yours and reached for your third.

 “The liquor store didn’t have your wine,” Chris began.

 “I’m not nearly as bougie as you think I am. Beer is perfect.”

 Chris snorted and shook his head as he took another swig.

 “Says the woman who wore a full face of makeup to a pool party.”

 “Look, it was waterproof. I needed it. Why wouldn’t I want to look good in the water?”

 He laughed so loudly you knew he’d scared some animals away that were inching toward the glow of the fire.

 “Stop laughing at me,” you whined.

 “Fine. Sorry.” He tried to stop laughing, but it took a while for his face to go back to straight. The whole time you glared at him unamused. Once he was straight-faced again, he raised his hand before he reached for his third beer.

 “Are you wearing makeup now?”

 “No,” you replied.

 “Guess you don’t need it. You looked plenty good in the water,” he murmured before he brought his beer to his mouth.

 Was that an innuendo? Was he flirting? You’d never experienced it before, so you had no idea.

 “Was that inappropriate? It probably was. I’m sorry.”

 “No—it’s—it’s fine,” you said, utterly unsure if it was or not.

 “Is it?”

 You stared, silently sizing each other and the moment up. This was completely unchartered territory. Was it inappropriate? Did it bother you?

 Slowly, you responded with the first thing that came to your mind. “Yeah. It’s fine.”

 Chris stared at you as he rubbed the spout of the bottle against his plump bottom lip, drawing your eyes right to it. He looked as if he were trying to either come up with a game plan on how to move forward or if he was doubling back on an already established plan. He looked like he was just as confused as you. When he looked away and into the fire, you did the same.

 “Were you just—did you just flirt with me?”

 Chris snorted and shook his head. “See, this game you say I have is nonexistent.”

 “So you were?”

 When he nodded, your eyes bugged. “Wow. I completely didn’t—I feel like our entire life and friendship has been a lie.”

 “I get that,” Chris assured.

 “How could I have been so blind? So—I didn’t even think that the things you said, or the way you said them meant anything beyond you being my best friend. I didn’t know how you felt. How do I know that the times we were just laying together on your couch or mine didn’t--,” you trailed off, gulping down the remainder of your beer before reaching for another.

 “I’m sorry,” Chris started.

 “Stop saying you’re sorry!” It was unfair. You knew it but hearing him saying sorry so much got to you especially thinking that he’d been saying the same thing for years. You just hadn’t been listening.

 The silence between you stretched for several minutes, and it gave you time to finish your fourth beer. You sure hoped he’d brought more than this one twelve pack. Once it was finished, you took a deep breath and tried to be an adult and use your words.

 “You’ve been saying the same thing for years. You’ve said it so many times, so many ways. I never listened. I never heard you.”

 “Y/N, I took the coward’s way. Yeah, I said it, but I knew there was one way to say it that you couldn’t ignore, but I didn’t. I was too afraid to. This is my fault. I don’t want you blaming yourself for this. I was a coward. I deserved for you to live your life and meet other people and all of this pain I’ve been in. I deserve it.”

 In seconds you’d moved over to him and grabbed his hands. “Stop it. You didn’t deserve this. God. Sometimes you piss me off so bad.”

 Chris snorted and shook his head. “I should have said something sooner.”

 “You should have. So much could have been different.”

 He angled his head and gave you a look that had you realizing what you’d said. “What could have been different?”

 Dropping your head, you toyed with his fingers. “I don’t know.”

 “You don’t say something like that unless you know. Tell me.” His fingers laced with yours, and though it wasn’t something new, it felt new.

 “I don’t know. I mean—who knows, tons of things could have been different. We don’t know how things would have played out.”

 “You think we’d be together now?”

 You stared at him and contemplated his question. Was it possible?

 “You don’t think we know too much to work?”

 “No, I think because we know so much we would work. You’ve seen me at my absolute worst,” Chris mentioned.

 It was true, and you thought that was one of the reasons you wouldn’t work. Could you be with him knowing his history? It was more questions to put on top of all the others you already had. You doubted anything would be worked out by the end of the weekend.

 Once the two of you’d finished eating, you were on clean up duty while Chris went to get a bath. You spent ten minutes cleaning up and securing the tent with the food before you wandered down to the lake to stare out at the moon. The glint of your engagement ring caught your eye, and it was there your eyes remained. Though you’d brought Jaxon up before, this was the first time you thought about him. Even now, it wasn’t an intimate thought. It was more the concept of him.  

 You twirled the ring around your finger, something you realized you did quite a lot. You remembered Irisa telling you an old wives tale about if a woman spins her engagement or wedding band, it meant she wanted to get out of the relationship. It was never a thought to you before now. Within the last week, you’d never been more confused in your whole life. One minute your head was in one place, and the next, you were backtracking. Things were so confusing that you saw things differently than you ever had, and that second sight had you questioning your actions that you were so sure about before.

 Holding up your hand, the ring on your finger looked as if it was competing with the full moon in the sky. The moon was just barely larger than the diamond you wore. Jaxon’s whole concern was making sure it was big enough. Groaning, you rolled your eyes and dropped your hand, slightly annoyed that your mind kept jumping to anything Jaxon related. One of the points for this weekend was to get away from everything.

 Thinking there was no plausible way for you to get through the weekend with a constant reminder of everything you were supposed to be getting away from, you made your decision. Slipping your ring off of your finger, you held it in your free hand beside your outstretched one. You’d taken it off before, of course, but this time was not to shower or anything technically related. This time was different. This time was the first possibility you wouldn’t put it back on. You were afraid of it—terrified.

 By the time you returned to camp, you were sure it had to have been an hour later. The only lights on were the twinkle lights Chris had strung around the camp to allow some form of light in the middle of the dark forest. The fire was on its last legs; you knew it would be outed before morning. Reaching the tent, you unzipped the flap to go inside. Once you did, you stopped in your tracks, seeing Chris’s bare ass. He spun around completely as bare as the day he was born, showing you all his glory.

 Your jaw dropped, but you didn’t turn. You couldn’t. Your eyes were glued to his groin. Good lord, you thought as your mouth actually watered. You don’t know how long Chris stood there in all his glory, but when he grabbed the discarded towel to hold before his crotch, you finally averted your eyes.

 “Oh my god. I’m so sorry,” you rushed out as you turned your back.

 “I’m sorry, I should have,” Chris began.

 “No, I should have knocked, or made a sound, or wiggled something. Shit, oh god.”

 You quickly rushed out of the tent, and paced around the campfire, lost in your thoughts. It wasn’t the first time you’d seen Chris naked, but it was the first time you’d seen him naked since you’d gotten out of teenage years. Good lord, had things changed. What the fuck was that? Did your mouth actually water? You were so lost in your thoughts that you didn’t hear Chris come up behind you until you bumped into him.

 “I’m sorry.”

 “It’s fine. It’s just nudity.”

 “Just nudity? Oh my god, I haven’t seen you naked since we were teens, no twenty,” you ranted.

 “No big deal.”

 “No, Chris, that was a big deal, that--,” you motioned toward his junk.

 The amusement on his face was so obvious.

 “Don’t make me laugh. This isn’t funny.”

 “It is when you think about it. It’s insane we’ve never gone through something like this before,” Chris eluded.

 “I’m so sorry.”

 “It’s okay. I forgive you. I’ll consider it even seeing I walked in on you earlier. Let’s go to bed. You know the sun rises early out here.”

 Groaning, you walked ahead and into the tent with Chris on your heels. Once you’d climbed in, you laid on your side with your back to him and just stared out. No matter how much you tried to think of something else, you couldn’t. All you could see was his dick, his impressively girthy dick. You flipped onto your back and stared up at the night sky, and took a deep breath. You’d forgotten about this view and forgotten how breathtaking it was. The stars in the sky shimmered like tiny specks of silver and white glitter.

“Wow.”

 “I know. The best thing about nights out here,” Chris countered.

 You glanced at him and saw him lying on his back with his arms behind his head. He looked calm and at home, like he wasn’t ashamed in the least. The two of you remained quiet, staring at the sky, soaking it all up.

 “Chris,” you began.

 “Yeah, princess.”

Biting your bottom lip, you swallowed any angst you had about asking this question.

 “Have you thought about me?”

 He didn’t speak right away, and you didn’t have the guts to look at him, so you waited for him to speak.

 “Do you think I’ve thought about you?”

 “I don’t know. I’ve never thought about it before tonight.”

 “And now that you have?”

 You turned your head to him just as he turned to look at you. Your eyes lingered before you watched his eyes drop to your mouth. You knew he knew what you were asking.

 “Yeah—I’ve thought of you, more times than I’d like to admit,” Chris confessed.

 You’d gotten into this mess with his confessions, and there was another one. Your belly fluttered, and your heart raced. Biting your bottom lip, you looked to his and wanted more than anything to know what they felt like. He must have read your mind because that was when he turned to you. After a few seconds, you turned to him the same way and rested your hand on your pillow. Chris moved his hand and engulfed yours, lacing his fingers with yours.

 Staring at him, you felt as if this was a do or die moment, and depending on what decision either of you made, your lives would turn. Chris leaned forward and kissed your forehead.

 “Good night, princess.”

 With that, he laid back down, keeping your hand in his.

 Oh fuck, you thought.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

***If you want to be tagged please SEND AN ASK SO IT WILL BE EASIER FOR ME TO KEEP TRACK OF. Thank you for reading!!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

TagList:

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***There are a few that are bold that I tried to tag but your @ wasn’t coming up. I’m not sure why. I’m sorry.

[grailfinders]

Fate and Phantasms #137: Chloe von Einzbern

Today on Fate and Phantasms we’re making yet another servant with absolutely no other media beyond Fate Grand Order, Chloe von Einzbern! Basically, small, vampiric Emiya. 

Check out her build breakdown below the cut, or her character sheet over here!

Next up: Another 13-year-old anime character in a bikini. Joy.

Race and Background

Like your sister you’re a homunculus... kinda? Anyway, that means we’re going Custom Origin from Tasha’s giving you +2 Dexterity, a Small build, History proficiency to keep track of those cards, and the Piercer feat. That bumps your dexterity up by another point, you can re-roll a die of piercing damage each turn, and critical hits deal an extra die of damage if you’re using a piercing weapon. Knives pierce, use those.

Since you were your sister (or rather you two were the same person who wasn’t entirely one or the other previously... plurality is weird.) for most of your life, that means you’re also an Inheritor. Survival is the default proficiency, but since you took most of the magic when you left you also get Arcana proficiency.

Ability Scores

In case you couldn’t tell from your racial bonuses, you’re pretty good at Dexterity. You’re fast, and you’re good with knives. After that is Charisma, to help you tease Illya a bit. Also, you’re a kid, kids are cute. Your Wisdom comes next, you can’t tease people if you don’t notice stuff to tease them on. After that is Constitution, you’re the more physical fighter of the family. Your Intelligence isn’t great since you’re a kid, and even though it’s one of our casting modifiers that doesn’t mean we actually need it. Finally, dump Strength. You are child, you have noodle arms.

Class Levels

1. Fighter 1: You specialize with daggers, but we need to be good with every kind of projection you can make, that means we’re a fighter first and foremost. As a fighter, you learn the Thrown Weapon fighting style, letting you toss more daggers in a turn and also deal +2 damage with thrown weapon attacks.

You can also use your bonus action to use your Second Wind to heal yourself. Not super fancy, but not dying’s always nice.

2. Monk 1: First level monks get Unarmored Defense, because... yeah, that doesn’t qualify. This means your AC is now 10 + your dexterity modifier + your wisdom modifier while not stuck in armor. Plate mail isn’t really your thing.

You also learn Martial Arts, giving your monk attacks a base damage of 1d4. You can also use dexterity instead of strength when attacking, in case you find yourself using something larger than a knife. Finally, you can use your bonus action to make an unarmed attack if you make a monk attack with your action. You’re already probably using your bonus action for knife attacks, but switching things up is a good strategy. 

3. Fighter 2: Second level fighters get an Action Surge once per short rest, letting you slap an extra action onto a turn. It’s kind of like an extra attack, but not!

4. Fighter 3: Third level fighters get their martial archetype, and if you want to summon weapons there’s no better way to do it than the Eldritch Knight. Thanks to their Weapon Bond (a ritual performed over a short rest) they can summon one of two bonded weapons to their hand as a bonus action, and you can’t be disarmed unless you’re incapacitated. You also learn some Spells, but since they use your intelligence we’ll have to hold off on the big guns for now.

Grab Blade Ward and Shield for some protective weapon summoning, Mage Hand for finer weapon control at a distance, False Life for a tiny bit of vampirism, and Magic Missile for some super accurate dagger tossing.

Also worth noting that your Weapon Bond only lets you project the same two weapons over and over again, but I mean... you already do that.

5. Fighter 4: For your first Ability Score Improvement, bump up your Wisdom for some more AC. Can’t have enough of that stuff.

You also learn the Alarm spell, because it’s one of the few that barely even feels like a spell. Just flavor it as like, a regular alarm system. Bam, done.

6. Fighter 5: Fifth level fighters get an Extra Attack, for more smack when you attack.

7. Fighter 6: You’re cursed to share Illya’s pain, so it makes sense that you should also get Illya’s Tough feat for some extra HP. Probably.

8. Monk 2: Back in monk now, second level monks can use their Ki to dash, disengage, dodge, or attack twice with their bonus action. You have a number of ki points equal to your monk level, and they recharge on short rests.

You also get Unarmored Movement, making yourself a bit more agile as long as you aren’t stuck in some leather.

9. Monk 3: You like stabbing. Kensei monks also like stabbing. It’s a match made in heaven! As a kensei monk you gain Kensei Weapons, two types of weapon (one melee, one ranged) that will be used for other features. I’d highly suggest daggers as your melee, the rest can be whatever you’d like to project later. You can use kensei weapons to make an Agile Parry, adding 2 to your AC when you make an unarmed strike as part of your attack action if you’re holding onto it. You can also make a Kensei’s Shot with your ranged weapons as a bonus action, adding 1d4 damage to the attack. Throwing a knife counts as a ranged attack, so slap as much damage onto it as possible.

You also learn the Way of the Brush, obtaining the power of the gods, Painter’s Supplies proficiency.

Also also, you can Deflect Missiles as a reaction, reducing incoming missile damage, and possibly yeeting it back by spending a ki point if you reduce the damage to 0.

10. Monk 4: Fourth level monks can Slow Fall as a reaction to reduce falling damage. I mean, if you project enough knives downward, it’ll eventually break your fall! Wait...

You also bump up your Charisma with this level’s ASI. It’ll make more sense in a bit.

11. Monk 5: Your extra attack isn’t usable here, but you do get a Stunning Strike, forcing a constitution save when you smack someone by spending a ki point. If they fail (its DC is 8+ your proficiency + your wisdom modifier btw) they’re stunned until the start of your next turn.

Finally, you can burn ki even faster thanks to your Focused Aim, spending 1-3 ki points to add 2 per point to an attack roll for extra accuracy.

12. Monk 6: Ki-Empowered Strikes and Magic Kensei Weapons mean all your monk attacks are magical to avoid resistances. You can also spend ki to make Deft Strikes, adding a martial arts die in damage to a kensei weapon attack once per turn.

13. Warlock 1: Yeah, sorry, this is another 3-class build. We need vampirism, what can I say?

We’ve called the grail a Great Old One before, and I think that can work here too. As part of your pact you learn Pact Magic, spells that you can cast using Charisma and that recharge on short rests.

Your Awakened Mind lets you speak telepathically to creatures within 30′ of you, even if you don’t share a language. I mean you probably have some kind of twin bond with Illya, right? We’re mostly here for the later levels anyway.

For spells: Sword Burst and Eldritch Blast let you summon more flying knives without having to worry about actually making them. You also get Expeditious Retreat for even more speed, and Charm Person to lay on the smarm.

14. Warlock 2: Second level warlocks get Eldritch Invocations, ways to spice up your warlock life. Grab Agonizing Blast for deadlier knives, and Beguiling Influence to beef up your Deception and Persuasion checks for deadlier puppy-dog eyes.

Yeah, we’re not getting improved pact weapon for once. Are we running a fever?

You can also cast Comprehend Languages now to translate your anime. Just make sure to get subs too!

15. Warlock 3: Thanks to the Pact of the Blade, you can now project any weapon you want into existence as an action. The weapon counts as magical, and you always have proficiency with it.

You can also cast Cloud of Daggers to make a cloud... of daggers! They take up a 5 foot cube, and deals damage to creatures who walk into the area or start their turn in it.

16. Warlock 4: Use this ASI to bump up your Charisma for stronger and more accurate spells.

Speaking of being more accurate, the cantrip True Strike lets you get advantage on an attack next turn, but it’s a lot easier just to attack twice. You can also use Misty Step to speed up past the point the eye can see.

17. Warlock 5: Fifth level warlocks get third level spells, meaning we can finally get our hands on Vampiric Touch for an energy draining kiss. You can make a touch attack each turn for up to a minute, dealing necrotic damage and healing half that amount each time you hit.

You also learn the invocation Eldritch Spear to up the range on your magical dagger throws. Just because they’re 100 feet away is no excuse to not attack them.

18. Warlock 6: Our last goolock goodie is the Entropic Ward. Once per short rest you can impose disadvantage on an incoming attack. If that attack misses, you get advantage on one attack against them. Evasion and a critical rate up, that’s dangerously close to an actual skill!

You also learn Counterspell this level. Rule Breaker is a weapon, so you should be able to project it well enough.

19. Monk 7: Finally bouncing back to monk after our long time away for Evasion. Half damage from failed dexterity saves, no damage from successes, you probably know the drill by now. You also get Stillness of Mind, letting you end charms and frigtens as an action.

20. Monk 8: Our capstone level gives us one last ASI, so max out that Dexterity. More AC, more damage, what’s not to love?

Pros:

Thanks to your various damage bonuses, you’ve got some deadly daggers on hand that can deal very consistent damage. You can deal 2d6+1d4+7 piercing damage on a single dagger with few resources spent, meaning you can keep that damage going for the long haul.

Speaking of dragging out a fight, you’re hard to hit thanks to a base AC of 17, the ability to boos that with Agile Parries and Shield to a maximum of 30, and disadvantage thanks to entropic ward. Getting hit: not even once.

Throwing daggers around gives you range, and your 45 feet of movement and teleportation gives you the mobility to abuse that. You’re even harder to hit when you’re constantly out of the enemy’s range.

Cons:

Even if options for making more, throwing weapons are still a pain to use, and require a bonus action or full action to recreate. On top of that, your spell slots and ki points are also pretty limited, reducing your effectiveness in long battles somewhat. Efficiency only goes so far.

Your bonus action is pretty crowded, thanks to regular monk stuff, healing, weapon bonds, and so on. Not necessarily a bad thing, but it does mean you’ll have to prioritize. 

Your Low Strength means that the occasional enemy that gets too close can knock you around. Just hope Illya’s around to distract them while you get back up.