#'i want a balcony!! i want a pool!! i want a gym!!'

[stinkrascal]

I WISH MY APARTMENT HAD WINDOWS SO FUCKING BAD UGH

[oreocoffee]

Not today or tomorrow, but one day I will find him. He will complete the parts I lack on and give me the most satisfying orgasm. We will have children together and our home will be full of love and laughter.

[hazelsmirrorball]

And they were roommates | F1 Drivers

summary: y/n wanted to live in New York, so that's how she ended up living with three losers faceclaim: Sabrina Carpenter pairings: oscar piastri x fem!reader, lando norris x fem! reader, Logan Sargent x fem!reader, franco colapinto x fem!reader

a/n: Excuse any errors english isn’t my main language. this is inspired by new girl

yourusername via instagram!

liked by logansargent, oscarpiastri and 138 others

yourusername can someone pick me up? I don't think I can live with them anymore

tagged: @logansargent @oscarpiastri @landonorris

view all comments

logansargent we look really hot with our shades on!! But why the hell are Oscar and Lando wearing ur bras?

yourgirlbestfriend omg!! I thought you were joking when you said they used trash cans as pools in ur balcony

-> yourusername nothing is a joke when it comes to them

landonorris shoes off the couch! I sleep there

-> yourusername boo you whore

francolapinto you look so cute :)

-> yourusername omg im blushing

-> logansargent she really is blushing btw

-> yourusername delete this!

-> landonorris @oscarpiastri are you seeing this? isn't this ur girl

-> yourusername stop cockblocking me

-> oscarpiastri We are just friends.

-> landonorris but you wish you were more

-> yourusername do you guys know that private message exist

-> landonorris but I want your whole 100 followers to see that Oscar has a crush on you

-> oscarpiastri I do not.

-> <-

Logan and Y/n stood in front of the tv as the Zumba routine played at full volume. The clock read 4:30 am as the pair tried following the middle aged woman in front of them. Logan skipped in a circle moving his dumbbells side to side. As Y/n hollered when the woman on the TV would ask if they were hype. Oscar, being tired from the night before he could hear the pair having the time of their lives with the zumba. He quickly slipped on some pants not bothering to put on a shirt while walking down the stairs rubbing the tiredness of his eyes. When Oscar finally got to the bottom of the stairs he quickly got flashed with Logan’s short shorts. 

“Oh, Oscar, are you joining us?” Logan said, turning to him as he placed the dumbbells down taking a sip from his water. Y/n also turned jogging in place smiling at Oscar. 

 “I thought you guys were doing that dancing class” Oscar said as he yawned looking at the pair thinking that the clothes they had on was a cause of his imagination and lack of sleep. 

“Yeah, dummy. What do you think we are doing? This is a dancing class. We are doing Zumba. Logan found a cheap disk at a thrift store and he also found these sick outfits so we are matching with the ladies on the tv” Y/n responded stretching her wrist warmers. 

“Yeah, we are getting ripped”

“I thought you guys meant you were going to the gym and that they were offering the class. It's four in the morning guys. That stupid song is driving me insane” Oscar said glaring at the pair as he leaned against the wall. Logan groaned, throwing his head back as Y/n raised an eyebrow at him. 

“You are certainly not invited to our pilates mom group” 

“Logan, you are not a mother. Neither of you are” 

“Well with all you bitching and moaning, I should be” 

Lando pushed open the apartment door after  having one to many drinks at the club he looked at Y/n and Logan and furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. 

“Are you guys supposed to be John Travolta and Jaime Lee Curtis?”

-> <-

landonorris via instagram !

liked by yourusername, oscarpiastri and 354 others

landonorris I just noticed that my whole camera roll is dedicated to my loser roommates. I need a life.

tagged: @logansargent @oscarpiastri @yourusername

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yourusername mom! I swear I don't drink

-> landonorris babe don't lie. those white claws are on ur side of the fridge

-> yourusername those white claws aren't mine, that's Logan side of the fridge

-> logansargent I hope none of you are touching my white claws

yourusername Oscar is such a nerd

-> oscarpiastri Hey! I have instagram.

-> logansargent surprisingly

-> <- Y/n pulled Franco Colapinto’s arm as she quietly tried to sneak him out of the apartment without waking her roommates up. Franco’s clothes hung loosely on her body as she shushed him for what felt like the one hundredth time. As they were almost near the exit, Lando turned on the light with a huge grin on his face.  

“Is this supposed to be his walk of shame?” 

“Lando shut up and go to be” Y/n replied through gritted teeth, as Franco stood in front of the door awkwardly. 

“I will not shut up. This is the first time you bring a guy home. Honestly I am so proud of you. I was worrying that I was the only one bringing people to the apartment. But now I don’t feel as bad.” Lando said walking up to them and wrapping his arms around both of their shoulders. 

“Lando, you literally bring two people daily. I think you should feel bad.” 

“No because, this is different. Wait until Osar finds out. Hold up, this means you are not a virgin anymore. Oh my God my kids are growing up.” 

“Lando, I wasn’t a virgin” 

“That’s what I am saying, Did he..Oh God. Oscar! Oscar, come here” 

The three of you guys stare at each other in silence while oscar quickly walks into the kitchen looking at the trio. He looked Franco up and down, quickly turning to Lando 

“What” 

“Did you know, Y/n isn’t a virgin anymore?” 

“I know”

“You know?!” 

“Who did you took it?”

-> <-

yourusername via insta stories! landonorris via insta stories!

-> <-

The four of roommates sat on the couch quietly scrolling on their phones. They have been like that for like for an hour. The peaceful silence had broke when Lando gasped loudly.

“You guys remember that we agreed on doing a group costume”  

“No one agreed to do a group costume” 

“No, you guys did!”

“You said, we should do a group costume for Charles halloween party and we didn’t answer” 

“Anyways, as I was saying, I saw a tik tok of some roommates that dressed as the main south park characters and that would be perfect for us. Logan can be Kyle, Y/n can be Stan, OScar can be Catman and I can be Kenny” Logan said while showing them the tiktok on his phone. Y/n laughed and turned to Logan. 

“You being Kenny is insane” 

“Why?” 

“Oscar should be Kenny and you should be Cartman” Y/n responded as if it were obvious. 

“Stop defending your boyfriend. I don’t want to be Cartman”

“Lando. You are literally Cartman”

“ I am not! I already bought the costumes in our sizes so shut up”

“Wait, why did my card got charged” 

-> <-

oscarpiastri via instagram!

liked by logansargent, landonorris and 50 others

oscarpiastri I am never saying yes for a 4th of July party.

tagged: @logansargent @oscarpiastri @yourusername

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yourusername who is that lady in the last picture, she is quite attractive

landonorris I look so good in this pic, what the fuck

logansargent oscars active era?

charlesleclerc I think I missed a chapter, what's up with that last picture

-> landonorris I don't even know what's going on, I thought the little guy that flirts was still in the picture

-> francolapinto i am taller than you

Francolapinto invite me next time

-> oscarpiastri No.

-> <-

“Damn it! Everyone to the bathroom right now!” Logan yelled, making everyone enter the small shared bathroom. Logan gripped on his towel showing it to the group. “Is someone playing a joke on me? Honestly, why is my towel still damp?”

“Because that’s not your towel, Logan. It’s my towel” Lando responded, pointing at the blue towel he was holding. Logan looked at Lando with fear. 

“No it’s not. Your towel is the red one. It always has been the red one” 

“I'll tell you this, pal. I've never used that. I do use that one every single day.”

“Oh, God.” Logan said, gagging. 

‘This towel's so warm and fluffy. It's like it's been in the sun forever.” Y/n said, touching the red towel. 

“This means you two have been drying your junk with the same towel.” Oscar commented, trying to escalate the situation. 

“Intimate.”

“Are you out of your mind?! What do you mean, am I... How do you think this is your towel? Do you even wash it?” Logan asked, trying to not get worked up, which he was failing miserably.  

“No, I don't wash the towel; the towel washes me. Who washes a towel?” Lando responded matter of factly while the others looked at him shocked. 

“You never wash?”

“You wash your towel?” 

“You never wash the towel?” 

“What am I going to do? Wash the shower next? Wash a bar of soap? You got to think here, pal.” Lando said, rolling his eyes. 

“I'm furious right now.” 

“ I get out of the damn shower, I'm clean as a damn baby, and I use the towel.”

“Let me ask you this. Have you been wearing my underpants” Logan asked as his eye twitch. 

“Sometimes, yeah. Who cares? You guys don't wear each other's underpants? You're lying. We all wear each other's underwear.”

-> <-

logansargent via instagram!

liked by yourusername, oscarpiastri and 900 others

logansargent loving my roommates (excluding the little one)

tagged: @yourusername @oscarpiastri @landonorris

view all comments

landonorris the little one?! y/n is the little one. I am taller than her

-> yourusername oh shut up short king

-> logansargent take away the king

-> yourusername short

-> logansargent short

-> carlosainz short

-> oscarpiastri short

-> alexalbon short

-> georgerussell short

-> francolapinto short

oscarpiastri you are so American, im scared

-> <-

“I want to see who got podium!” Oscar said through his headset grinning, while lando scoffed. 

“I obviously got podium, did you not see my hard work out there? I for certain won” Lando replied hitting the table in front of him. As the screen went black. 

They all had been like that for the past two hours and none of them had gotten podium. So they had come up with a group strategy for at least one of them to come on top. When the screens comes back up lando yells angrily while Logan groans. 

“You guys didn’t give me five starts!” 

“Come on, Lando! We can’t  all be on the podium” Y/n replied from her room through the headset.

“You are such and ass. My outfit was better than your. Fuck! The theme was Main Character, you did a basic outfit, while I actually played the game correctly and did Sharpay Evans. It pisses me off that I lost. Like this game is dress to impress. Not dress to be mediocre. I am done”

logansargent via insta stories! oscarpiastri via insta stories!

-> <-

yourusername via instagram!

liked by logansargent, oscarpiastri and 127 others

yourusername apartment 512 got a doggy!

view all comments

charlesleclerc now our doggies can have a doggy date

-> landonorris I don't want my dog near your dog, leclerc

logansargent why did we also get pictures of you and Oscar? what happen to that handsome guy

landonorris if you guys are together don't you dare break up because we have a lease together, thanks x

alexalbon since when is Oscar this happy

oscarpiastri via instagram!

liked by logansargent, yourusername and 17 others

oscarpiastri my favorite roommate

view all comments

landonorris I didn't get a post for my birthday

logansargent I think we are out of the loop what is happening

alexalbon Oscar is in his active era. I am afraid

yourusername love you, Osc.

logansargent you guys can't leave me alone with lando if you move out!

[liannelara-dracula]

Where they like to do it?

description: basically locations where the diaboys would have sex with their lover/gf.

note** Obviously the bed is a common spot so I won't mention it for all.

hi all, I thought this would be really fun to talk about. I came up with it a week ago in my bed, laying down out of pure boredom, and decided to work on it today. So just a gift to you all with me being busy consistently.

-Liannelara

⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯

Prompt

Requests are open

Rules

Warning:

slight nsfw

⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯

Sakamaki

Shu:

on the living room sofa

and if his brothers walk in its a plus for him

he's too lazy to move

Another common place is his room either on the bed or the floor.

music room

Mausoleum bc if he's there and you're there, he's too lazy to move

plus there are plenty of benches to sit on there and with the cold stone hitting your skin he can see your reaction.

(That one episode in season one of DL, we see Shu in a Mausoleum in which he is greeted by Yui. Since it's one of the places he goes to outside of the mansion, it's possible he'd have sex there if he happened to find himself there)

Reiji:

Normally his bed

but if you push him or its a full moon, its his lab

And if he gets really bold he'll leave the door slightly open

Just so if his brothers walk by they can hear and slightly witness his dearest underneath him.

Other times it's against his bookshelf

Or on his work desk/lab bench

Bathtub--he will casually walk in on you having a warm bath and from helping you clean to fingering you and then it goes further than that.

And then very rarely the shower.

dining room after all his brothers have left for the 'monthly dinner party' that they have and you are left to help clean up, he can't keep to himself because of your nice dress and appearance.

Laito:

anywhere...

Church, it was wrong😭

school--the locker room

Piano and piano bench and just the music room in the mansion itself.

By the fireplace

the school rooftop

Kanato:

his room usually on the bed with the millions of pillows he has to support his princess's body

out by a lake with moonlight (canon) so on the grass

outside of his room in the hall (wall sex)

And if his brothers see him, he absolutely loves it.

the balcony against the railing or on the wall (not in a way that you'd fall, he's too careful)

the rose garden

graveyard (mostly does this with a bride)

scheduled room in school

his doll room (with a bride only)

Ayato:

he's an almost anywhere kind of guy, but unlike Laito he has some limits.

the pool area in the mansion

school locker room and empty classroom

the gym matt

his closet

in one of the dungeon cells (with a bride only)

Subaru:

in a subaru, kill me

the rose garden up against the wall of the mansion.

his coffin

the shower

no bed, unless its yours

he's pretty private about this since he won't want his brothers to watch

but if he's certain no one is around he will do it somewhere at school

Kino:

his gaming room... where ever that may be...

this guy probably lives under a bridge

locker room

closet, anywhere sneaky tbh

really similar to Ayato because they have the same places it's not surprising if they have run into each other.

Mukami

Ruki:

the red room ;)

against the bookshelf

the school library

kitchen

in front of the mirror

bathroom counter/mirror

by the dresser in your bedroom, or behind the dividers used when you are changing into clothes.

limo, when none of his brothers are there or if you're leaving school early

your parent's house, if he was over and meeting them and felt needy with you around.

Yuma:

his garden

the shed!

up against a tree

grass fields

on a boat, if there is a lake nearby the mansion he has a small boat there and you can best bet you two have done it there a few times

especially when his brothers have been bothering him all day every time you two have tried to have some intimacy for the day

kitchen tiles

or by the window in his room, hardly ever on the bed--he's too adventurous.

bathtub/shower

he'd even do it on the staircase if it was possible

and if Kou walks in on it, it's a plus.

"Yeah, he can't do what I do." He'd boast.

Kou:

the floor of his room

the car/limo

Bed

school rooftop

if you're with him at work it's backstage or the dressing room

Azusa:

he's simple and he doesn't do it just anywhere

bed

sofa

bathtub

Tsukinami

Carla:

bed, because he believes it's the proper way to create children.

plus he's very traditional given how old he is, lol.

although he sometimes bends the rules

a secluded area at school like somewhere that is empty

a secret room in his castle

the bathtub/shower when he really can't wait.

behind the dividers used when you are changing into clothes.

Shin:

like his older brother, Shin usually does on the bed because he believes it's the most effective and proper way for you to conceive.

Even if it's not your main goal it's what he always reminds you about because he's old-fashioned.

but so are the rest of these mfs

the mirror, his mirror

up against a tree

the forest

by or in a lake

in the rain

your room (he likes it more than his) on the floor

supply closet at school (canon, he was going to do it there)

the bathtub, if he finds himself around and he's really needy.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

˗ˏˋ 𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑚𝑦 𝑤𝑟𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑖𝑠 𝑜𝑟𝑖𝑔𝑖𝑛𝑎𝑙 𝑏𝑢𝑡 𝐼 𝑑𝑜 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑜𝑤𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑟𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑠 ˎˊ˗ ©𝟐𝟎𝟏𝟔~Present

[therosebud]

Welcome to Sims 4 Romance Reef Challenge!

——————————————————————————

If you struggle to stay focused on legacy challenges or any grind-heavy tasks, this challenge is perfect for you. The aim here is to create drama and have fun!

This challenge is inspired by the TV show “Love Island” but with a twist and you do not have to have seen Love Island to enjoy this challenge. However, if you're curious, I recommend watching the Australian or UK versions, as they tend to be funnier and more unfiltered than the American one.

Thank you to the EA Creator Network for giving me early access to create content for you.

——————————————————————————

Download the Notion Template on My Patreon

I've created a Patreon for those interested in downloading the Notion template to keep track of all your islanders and progress. Notion is an online organization tool with a Pinterest-like aesthetic. My template provides a layout of the rules and space to detail each Islander. It's not necessary, but it's here if you want it.

For fans of my throwback save file, I will also be re-uploading the save there as it’s more reliable than Sims Share. Thank you for your support over the years on my YouTube channel and other socials. I hope you all enjoy the challenge!

Villa Video Update: If you aren't a builder Don't worry because I will update this post when I upload my speed build of my own villa for you to use. In that video I will also talk about the challenge rules. In the meantime, feel free to build your own or use the gallery to update a villa.

——————————————————————————

Initial Islanders: 4 female Sims and 4 male Sims ready to be placed in the villa. They can have any traits, likes, dislikes, turn-ons, and turn-offs, but no skills to keep it fair.

Bombshells: An extra 2 to 4 female Sims and 2 to 4 male Sims in a separate household. These "bombshells" are ready to join and shake things up when needed. They can have traits, likes, dislikes, turn-ons, and turn-offs, but no skills to keep it fair.

Optional Extra:

💡If you want to be extra, you can register all of them with the labor union and use that space to write out a bio for each Sim, but it isn’t necessary.

💡 If you really want to shake things up you could make each sim have a distinct style. For example, one can be cottagecore, sporty, old money, alternative, beachy, urban, witchy, academia, Barbie, outdoorsy, etc. Here’s a list for ideas.

——————————————————————————

Bedroom: One large bedroom with 4 double beds for couples. (And a couple extra single beds if someone gets left out.)

Bathrooms: Multiple shower and bathroom stalls upstairs and additional bathrooms near the gym and pool.

Upper Balcony: Equipped with sun loungers and couches.

Kitchen and Sitting Area: Spacious kitchen and indoor sitting area.

Sundeck: Features a large couch and firepit for eliminations and coupling ceremonies.

Outdoor Kitchen: Includes a barbecue and large bar area.

Dance Floor: Designated area for dancing.

Gym and Yoga Area: Semi-outdoor/indoor setup for exercise and yoga.

Swimming Pool: Large pool area.

Hot Tub or Onsen: Relaxation area with a hot tub or onsen.

Skill Challenge Room: Empty space like a basement to host skill challenges.

Buffet Tables and Drink Trays: Available for parties and events.

Victor Suite: Locked except when won by a gameplay challenge winner. Includes high-end objects like a computer (the only one in the house), spa massage table, fancy tub, and bed.

Secluded Date Area: Gated area to control access for private dates.

Iconic Pathway: Long pathway for eviction ceremonies.

Extras: Poohoo bush, closets, woohoo blankets, and optionally a photo booth for added fun.

——————————————————————————

You don’t have to play with mods, these are my recommendations.

UI Cheats: Allows you to view exact relationship points by clicking the "set relationship" button under each sim's romantic relationships.

First Impressions Mod: Provides detailed explanations of sims' initial impressions.

——————————————————————————

Weather Settings: Turn off rain, thunderstorms, snow, and blizzards in the game menu. Set seasons to the longest possible duration. Start the game in summer for a Love Island vibe.

Aging: Pause aging to preserve the contestants' ages for post-challenge play.

Free Will: Keep free will turned on to allow sims autonomy in their actions. Micro-manage only for needs; let them pretty much choose their interactions, friendships, and rivalries. The exception of the rule is if you are trying to get everyone in one area to start a gameplay challenge. But make sure you turn it back on after everyone is on their gameplay station. I recommend giving them a few hours to complete the challenge depending on what it is of course. Keep track of the order of who finishes (or stopped) the quickest.

World's: I recommend playing in Sulani or Tartosa for this challenge but the new world Ciudad Emamorada would work too (beware the villa would have to be smaller in that world though.) However, feel free to do this in any world you want but it’s best to play it in the summer season.

——————————————————————————

Utilize the in-game calendar system to structure your Love Island challenge. Each round typically spans 4-7 days, depending on your desired pace. Here are the key daily events to plan for:

Private Date Day: Select two or three couples to enjoy a private date in a special area of the villa or off-lot.

Gameplay Challenge Day: Determine the strongest and weakest islanders through skill challenges or quality assessments. The islander with the lowest quality item or skill percentage within a time limit of around 2- 4 in game hours, will risk elimination if they lack significant relationships.

Chaos Spin Day: Introduce random events to stir up drama and unpredictability among the contestants.

Coupling and Elimination Day: Held in the evening on the last day of each round. Contestants dress in formal or party wear for the ceremony. After the first elimination, the gender with numerical advantage chooses their partner first. Those without partners face elimination. Re-coupling may occur if islanders form closer bonds during the round.

"Bombshells": Introduce 4-8 additional sims (evenly split by gender) sporadically in each round to shake up dynamics. Morning of the date day in each round is ideal for their arrival, allowing them to participate in that day’s events.

——————————————————————————

On the first day, your goal is to have everyone meet and interact in the villa. Here’s how to get started:

Equal Numbers: Begin with an even number of males and females to form 4 couples in total.

Numbering Sims: Number each sim from 1-8 for easy reference during wheel spins.

Lovestruck Expansion: If you have the Lovestruck expansion, observe the sentiments and dynamics as the islanders interact. Pair up those with stronger connections.

Initial Dates: Start the day with a few different dates. Roll for the number of current islanders to determine who goes on dates. If a new islander or “bombshell” is entering, they will get the date. Choose their date based on sentiments, attraction, and relationship levels.

Natural Relationships: Let relationships develop naturally. Avoid interfering, but you can offer slight encouragement if you notice two sims flirting. The challenge’s fun lies in the organic unfolding of relationships.

⭐️ Keep the first day focused on introductions and initial connections to set the stage for the rest of the challenge!

——————————————————————————

Setting Up Private Dates

Use a number roller from 1-8 (or the current number of islanders). The chosen number gets to pick their date based on:

- Attraction system

- In-game sentiments/dynamics

- First interaction

Date Execution:

Unlock the gate for the couple to access the private date area, or teleport them in.

Bombshells:

When a new bombshell arrives, they get 1-2 dates to decide who they want to couple up with.

Limit the total number of dates to 3 per day. For example, a bombshell can have up to two dates, and you can still have one date among current islanders.

——————————————————————————

Suggested Skills for Challenges:

- Candle Making

- Cooking

- Painting

- Cross Stitching

- Gemology

- Knitting

- Woodworking

- Flower Arranging

- Media Production

- Mixology

- Nectar Making

- Fitness

- Yoga

- Rock Climbing

- Fishing

- Guitar

- Violin

- Pipe organ

- Juice fizzing

Here’s a list to spin for skill competitions

Challenge Outcomes:

- Winner: The islander with the best quality item, highest skill, timed score (depending on the skill chosen or combo of those) wins a night in the victor suite. They can invite their partner or someone else for added drama. If an unpartnered sim wins, they get a chance to invite someone and potentially steal a partner.

- Loser: The islander with the lowest quality item or skill point is at risk of leaving if they don't form significant relationships by the coupling ceremony. If it comes down to two sims, the one who lost the challenge leaves.

Tips:

☑️ Place skill-related items around the house or in a special skill room to allow sims to use them autonomously. This ensures fairness when spinning for the next challenge.

☑️ Don’t force sims to gain skills; let them choose to do so on their own. Any skill points they gain is all fair game for when it’s time for a gameplay challenge.

——————————————————————————

This day is just to keep you on your toes. The randomness will make your experience more customized and help you determine who is good with whom. I numbered these so you can use a number randomizer to determine which one you get for today.

⭐️ You do not have to read all 45 of them right now if you don’t want to. You may skip to the elimination section.

1. Use a number randomizer to determine which girls are getting into a fight today.

2. Use a number randomizer to determine which boys are going to fight today.

3. The couple with the lowest romance is fighting today.

4. The couple with the highest romance is fighting today.

5. Someone in the couple with the lowest romance is getting cheated on today.

6. Someone in the couple with the highest romance is getting cheated on today.

7. An old villager comes back for a day to cause some drama among a couple.

8. Get some activity tables; we’re doing a group puzzle.

9. Everyone gets on the yoga mats for a yoga class.

10. Throw a party of your choice; this can include villagers who have been voted out.

11. An islander of choice must get close with another islander outside their couple.

12. A massage therapist is hired for everyone today.

13. We get a slip and slide for today.

14. We get a couple of bowling alleys for today.

15. Tanning and beach combing day (if you are in Sulani or Tartosa).

16. Use a number randomizer (1-8) to give a sim 1+ skill points for free to use in the next challenge day.

17. Use a randomizer to determine who’s being messy today and woohooing with two different sims.

18. A couple of choice gets a date alone today; a couple with the lowest romance gets a chance to work on their relationship via a date alone.

19. A couple with the highest romance gets a date alone today.

20. Everyone plays a game of basketball.

21. Everyone has to skill up one point, but they each have to do a different skill from one another (and, of course, skills used for competitions).

22. The losers and winners of the last gameplay challenge day go head-to-head in a redo of the competition.

23. A new bromance occurs today.

24. It’s just me and the girls. Two girls get to be friends today.

25. A friendship occurs between a male and female who aren’t attracted to each other.

26. Everyone makes a friendship bracelet.

27. Throw a house party.

28. Throw a dance party.

29. Throw a pool party.

30. A sudden death occurs. You must kill off a sim; roll from 1-8 to determine who dies.

31. An engagement?! Roll 1-8 to see who’s getting engaged with their current coupled-up partner.

32. Tanning! Everyone just works on their tan today. (Maybe an enemy sabotages someone’s tan.)

33. Get a photo studio; let’s take some pictures for the house.

34. Everyone plays a card game.

35. We take everyone to another lot.

36. Take all of the girls to another lot.

37. Take all of the boys to another lot.

38. A double elimination occurs. The two people with the lowest gameplay challenge score go home.

39. They’re back! A female player that was voted out comes back for the next round.

40. They’re back! A male player that was voted out comes back for the next round.

41. Drama! Three islanders go on a date together in hopes of two coupling up.

42. Use the woohoo blanket.

43. Everyone plays darts or foosball.

44. Use a number randomizer to determine who’s getting a secret lover on Cupid’s corner outside of the household.

45. Throw a costume party and have everyone wear a random outfit from the costume trunk.

——————————————————————————

The first elimination is based purely on the islander who loses the initial challenge, because not everyone might of made a romantic connection yet.

All other eliminations will be based on who has the lowest relationship(s) and ranking in gameplay challenge.

Set up challenge stations in a large room, like a basement.

Randomize the gameplay challenges for a fun and unpredictable experience. Choose skills that produce items with a quality rating or judge by the highest skill points achieved in a set time.

——————————————————————————

Observing Interactions:

Pay attention to Sims naturally interacting, especially if they're already coupled but start talking or flirting with others.

If two Sims start being flirty around each other alone often, you can nudge the relationship by having them flirt once or twice to see if they will keep it going.

Recoupling:

A Sim might choose to recouple if their bond with another Sim grows stronger.

In a love triangle, the Sim that has the least connections (romantic and friend wise) and ranked the lowest among in the gameplay challenges, is the one that will be eliminated.

——————————————————————————

Let Cheating Happen: If a Sim cheats, let it play out naturally. Don't intervene in saving Sims if they die; it's part of the challenge. Butlers or maids can be hired to manage the cleaning.

No Careers at the start: None of the Sims should have a career initially. However, you can write them a bio if desired.

Adapt as Needed: If you don’t have a certain pack for a skill or activity, replace it with something you do have.

Managing Needs: Assign a bedtime to ensure needs are met. In the morning, control them to shower and eat. The first Sim up makes breakfast unless you have a hired butler or maid.

Encourage Flirting: It's okay to make Sims flirt or chat generally whenever you like, but for new romances, only initiate flirting once or twice to get things started. Do this only if you notice Sims getting flirty around each other often, as Sims usually won't start a romance autonomously without a mod. After that, don't intervene. If the romance doesn't progress, it wasn't meant to be. Follow their social cues and wants to let you know who they like.

Unlimited Funds: This challenge isn’t about money, so feel free to use the "rosebud" cheat as much as you like. 😉

Rewards: The winners could win the villa and you can renovate it in their style. Alternatively, use them in another challenge.

Questions and Feedback: If you need any clarifications, feel free to ask. If you try out this challenge, tag me! Use the #ts4romanticreef

Sul sul! 🌹

YouTube, Pateron and other socials

[casper-spills]

| Tarot Cards: Places they represent |

✩░▒▓▆▅▃▂▁𝟑𝟎𝟎 𝐅𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥!▁▂▃▅▆▓▒░✩

Hey guys! Welcome back to another post ♡

We reached 300 followers! And I'm gonna do a special for you guys because I seriously am so grateful for all of your support. My blog has been growing so fast and I literally never expected to be where I am today. Thank you! ♡

This post will be a little different to my usual stuff. I was thinking I might start a series like this where I give some tips on how to read your tarot! I'll also include the sources I use at the end in case you wanted to check those out too.

Anyway, here is a list of places that the cards represent ♡

Sincerely,

Cassy the friendly ghost ♡

✦Masterlist ✦Paid Readings ✦Support me through Kofi

𓆩♡𓆪 𝙎𝙐𝙈𝙈𝙀𝙍 𝘿𝙄𝙎𝘾𝙊𝙐𝙉𝙏 50% 𝙊𝙁𝙁 !! 𓆩♡𓆪

Ends on September 22nd

| KO-FI SHOP |

| MAJOR ARCANA |

1. Magician - Kitchen, labatory, shows, music, magic, performances

2. High Priestess - Secret place, secret society, library, somewhere quiet, reading rooms, theatre, halls

3. Empress - Old/stately homes, old school building, old hospital building, boutique, beauty parlor, restaurants

4. Emperor - Royal palace, business establishments, schools, univerisity

5. Heirophant - Church, univeristy, temple, place of worship, corporate building

6. Lovers - Sweet shop, date locations, love hotel, honeymoon places

7. Chariot - Car ralley, racing fixtures, garages, horse racing, highway

8. Strength - Zoo, petting zoos, gym, fitness studios

9. Hermit - Cave, retreat centres, hill walking

10. Wheel - Ferris wheels, london eye, casino, lottery tickets, shops selling wheels

11. Justice - Court, arbitration offices, counselling institution, police department

12. Hanged Man - Bungee jumping, sky diving, thrilling activities

13. Death - Church yard, funeral parlor, butcher, cemetary

14. Temperance - Cocktail bar, queues, waiting rooms, chemist dispensary

15. Devil - Adult shops, clubs, casinos, brothel, strip clubs

16. Tower - Chop shops, tall buildings, skyscrapers, stormy areas, fire

17. Star - Water, ocean, river, stargazing

18. Moon - Nighttime, stargazing, movie, stage, theatre

19. Sun - Birth centre, midwifery unti, hospital, holidays, tanning booths, abroad

20. Judgement - Rehabilitation centres, church, treament centres, spa

21. World - Airport, flying, dance studios

| MINOR ARCANA |

☁︎ 𝒔𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒅𝒔 ☁︎

Ace - Editor's room, skyscrapers, office, library, radio tower

Two - Statue of liberty, new york, seashore

Three - Hospital, rainy place, cloudy areas

Four - Bedroom, quiet places, funeral parlor

Five - Debate club, near water, themepark, competitive environments

Six - Boats, river, cruisers

Seven - Archery, secret location, casino, bomb shelter

Eight - Prison, therapy

Nine - Psychiatric hospital, confessional

Ten - Surgery room, accupuncture clinic, dentists

Page - Fraternity, rowdy places, sports arena

Knight - Windy places, windmills

Queen - Fenced off places, great walls, boundaries, spikes fences

King - Lawyers office

🕯 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒔 🕯

Ace - Workshop, construction site

Two - Balcony, overseas, historical travel, boat

Three - Seaside, boat travel

Four - Fastfood, cafe, outdoors, wedding, celebration

Five - Sport centre, pool game

Six - Market, downtown, show, event, someone/something noticable

Seven - Competitive/violent environment

Eight - Road trip, highway

Nine - Competitive environment, barrier, wall, bouncer, high security

Ten - Workplace, labour, sweatshop

Page - Disco, dance, party

Knight - Hot and dry place, bonfire, abroad, holiday

Queen - Social events

King - Active place, fast moving environments

꒦꒷ 𝒄𝒖𝒑𝒔 ꒷꒦

Ace - Lake, pond, birdbath, birds

Two - Luxury, home, common dating places

Three - Bar, pub, party

Four - Under a tree, graveyard

Five - A place of regret, place of bad memories, hospital, flooded areas, bridge, after party cleanup, alone in a bar

Six - Flourists, schoolyard, playground, nostalgic places

Seven - Highup places, views, drug suppliers, spots where people do drugs, drug shops

Eight - Bookstore, library, cave, quiet

Nine - Bar, party, pub, dinner, home

Ten - Family gatherings, park, outdoor, bbq party

Page - Aquariums, fish tanks, sea parks

Knight - Picnics, peaceful/romantic areas

Queen - Bathtub with cancles, home, skinny dipping, swimming

King - Beach, lake

˗ˏˋ 𝒑𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒂𝒄𝒍𝒆𝒔 ˎˊ˗

Ace - Dispensary, bank, currency exchange centre

Two - Circus, arcade, carnival

Three - Fashion show runway, art gallery, boutique, museum

Four - Uncle scrooge's home, gold reserves, saferoom, secret hideout, vault

Five - The streets, people living in powerty, homeless spots,

Six - Pawn shops, currency exchange shops, trade stores

Seven - Nursery, orchard

Eight - workshop, construction site

Nine - Gardens, green parks

Ten - Market

Page - Field, farm, family business

Knight - Workplace, chores, school

Queen - Home, nursery room

King - Bank manager's office

♥Thank you for your support!♥

Dividers by @cafekitsune, @animatedglittergraphics-n-more

Source

[pink-princess-pussy-pop]

Could I get a "dating ------- would include" for rafe...??? Please?

Dating Rafe Cameron Would Include…

I GOT SO CARRIED AWAY

Warnings: Sexual allusions, language, not proofed

- princess treatment frfr

- being the kook prince’s girl has its perks

- Rose and ward love you

- Wheezie is totally your best friend

- You met through Sarah so you are basically besties with the entire family Cameron family

- Will not let you go ANYWHERE near Barry.

- Not. At. All.

- You randomly called him Rafey one day while drunk

- He fell more in love with you after that

- He gets so sad when you use his real name

- Sometimes when he gets drunk he’ll ask you to call him rafey

- So clingy when he’s drunk

- And when he’s high

- HIGH SEX!!!!!!!!!!!!!

- Oops

- Always has to have his arm around you

- Or his hand in your back pocket

- Or on your thigh

- Or you on his lap

- This man’s love language is physical touch!!!!!

- You’re the only person he can be vulnerable around

- It breaks your heart when he calls you at 2am crying

- “Rafe? What’s wrong?”

- His voice was so small.

- “Can I come see you?”

- “Of course”

- He was at your house minutes later, wrapped in your arms

- You showered him with love as tears streamed down his face

- He fell asleep in your arms that night

- And the several times after that

- He loves how you are always there for him after an altercation with Ward

- From then on, you despise Ward

- When you come to Tannyhill, you are almost always in the pool, the balcony

- Or Rafe’s bedroom

- He fav ofc

- Let’s be honest here…

- Rafe is a fucking Dom.

- You can’t change my mind

- He’s down for ANYTHING.

- But always a consent king

- He’s so mf kinky too

- Choking? Yep

- Edging? Sure!

- Semi-Public sex? Totally.

- He wants to handcuff you so bad

- Pls do it

- You manage to help him with his cocaine addiction

- The process was BAD but you knew he could do it

- So proud of him when he got through it

- Rafe will kiss you everywhere

- He always expects a greeting kiss and a goodbye kiss

- Will POUT if he doesn’t get his goodbye kiss

- A baby about it actually

- It’s really cute, tho

- He’s never loved anyone as much as he’s loved you

- He tolerates Midsummers because he knows you’ll be there with him

- And goddamn you just look so good

- Movie nights all the time

- His fav genres are horror and action

- Gym dates

- Is it really a date if he’s staring at your ass? Or if you aren’t working out and just watching him?? No?? Oh well

- You go on long drives together, just talking and listening to music

- YOU GET HIM TO FINALLY UNDERSTAND BLM AND HE TAKES THE GODDAMN BLUE LIVES MATTER STICKER OFF HIS TRUCK (rafe u literally killed a cop why do u have it????🤧🤧)

- Hand on your thigh obvi

- Or if you’re driving he will link his pinkie with yours on the steering wheel

- He will randomly say something sexual

- Literally you’ll be sitting with Wheezie watching a pure Disney movie and he’ll come up behind you

- “I’m so fucking hard right now”

- Like wtf do you do now??

- “Baby”

- “Sweetheart”

- “Princess”

- Mirror sex

- Wants you to watch what he does to you

- Golf dates

- He’s constantly trying to prove that golfing is a real sport

- You just love to watch him

- He’s not complaining, tho

- He loves the little outfits you wear

- Boating dates

- You wearing your swimsuit and one of his shirts????

- Bye. He’s dead.

- Totally wants you to get sunburned so he can be the one to take care of you afterwards

- You’ve managed to stop several fights between him and the pogues

- Mostly JJ

- “They shouldn’t even be here!”

- “They were invited Rafe. There’s nothing you can do. Just ignore them.”

- He buys you things

- Loves to spoil you

- He gave you a necklace with the letter R on it and you wear it everywhere

- Whenever he sees it?

- Feral

- Omg imagine

- Literally having sex with him and he sees the necklace wrapped around your throat

- FERAL FERAL FERAL

- geez

- Stealing his shirts is a must

- He smells so good

- Rich boy cologne

- I think Rafe’s the kind of boyfriend to buy the kind of perfume you wear to spray around his room so it always smells like you

- Awe

- After the whole Rafe saving the cross fiasco, you are taken amongst the pogues to Poguelandia and he goes insane

- Doesn’t sleep until you come back

- When he’s locked in the room with Kiara he kept asking her about you

- “Fuck! Rafe shut up! She’s fine!”

- Your reunion was at Tannyhill.

- He came back to grab his stuff and you had been at the house with Sarah

- You sobbed when you heard him, running into his arms

- His phone call was forgotten, as was Sarah

- All that mattered was that you were together again

- He vowed to never let you out of his sights again

- This list is so long omg I have to end it

[judes-hoe]

Bitter rivals,Sweet love

Parrings~Lewis Hamilton x oc

Summary~She’s gonna be in f1 for her third year and goes to a team no one expects her to. She’s always got a cold expression and only those close to her know why. Shes been close one to many times to winning a championship and this year she’s gonna get it no matter what.

Warnings~ talks about nonexistent father figure, other than that nothing I think🙃

A/N~so we’re gonna make George the back up driver in this cause I didn’t know what to do😭. Anyways hope you like the first chapter 🙂. Oc name is Vanessa Pesci🤍. We’re also gonna pretend that Lewis isn’t leaving just for the sake of the story😌.

Pt.2 pt.3 pt.4 pt.5 pt.6 pt.7

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

F1 news☑️

Italian Ferrari driver Vanessa Pesci goes to Mercedes.

News went out that Italian Ferrari driver Vanessa Pesci has signed a 2 year deal with Mercedes!

For those who don’t know why this is so big is because Vanessa Pesci and Lewis Hamilton do not have the best relationship.

Over the 2 soon to be 3 years she’s been in f1 their rivalry has gotten worse and worse. It all started in 2021 season, the Spanish Grand Prix. Lewis had supposedly pushed Vanessa off the track and in the next couple of races Vanessa has done it back. They’ve then gone back and forth through the years. Even having some physical contact after races.

Vanessa going to Mercedes will be interesting and let’s see where this is to go?

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

Vanessa scoffs as she reads the article. So what she’s going to Mercedes, yeah she’ll be teammates with her rival but that won’t stop her from trying to get a second championship.

When vanessa had first came into f1 she had moved to Monaco like almost every other driver. Before that she lived in a quiet apartment somewhere in Liverpool. So she did the same thing she brought a house that was no where near the city, you had to drive up a path through some woods, but behind what looked like a forest was this beautiful house, a big front and back yard, a pool, and even on the second floor balcony you could see the ocean.

She didn’t know what it was but she loved the quiet. She decorated the house so it wasn’t so open but wasn’t claustrophobic. it was perfect in her opinion, she loved it. She even had enough rooms to make one a gym, and one her game room; but she still had 3 guest bedrooms over.

The only people who have really been over was her close friends. So that was Charles,Carlos,Lando,Danny,Max, and a few others. Those are her best friends, a few she’s been in karting with. The others she’s just made a good friendship with. Like Daniel, he was someone who was open and would always wanna talk, she ended up seeing Daniel as that father figure in her life after the incident happened half way through her first year in f1. Daniel also being one of the ones she went to and he helped her get through it.

Vanessa was also an only child growing up so she seen the others as her older/younger brothers.

It was the first team meeting for the new season, she got introduced to everyone by Toto. The meeting just consisted of talking about strategies and the car and what’s new. After though was when Toto called for Vanessa and Lewis to stay behind and go to his office. They followed him to his office and sat in the 2 chairs across his desk. As she sat in the chair she felt his arm brush against hers making her arm get goose bumps.

Toto looked at them and smiled. “So I wanted to talk to you both,” he said taking a pause. “I don’t want this rivalry getting in the way of us winning, your both great drivers, but the minute I see the rivalry get in the way we’re gonna do something about it,” he said in a stern tone. All she could do was nod her head, seeing Lewis nod his head also and she gave him a quick look before looking at Toto again.

Toto then excused them both and said they could leave. When she got up her and Lewis look at each other and have eye contact, she felt his arm against hers and quickly remove it and walk over to the door and tells Toto she’ll see him in a couple days at the Bahrain Grand Prix.

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

She arrived to Bahrain around Wednesday in the morning. She checked into her hotel room and got changed into her Mercedes merch because she had about two hours till she had to go to a press conference.

To pass time she texted Charles and Lando to see if they had the first or second press conference. They both had the first which was hers, she also found out Daniel would be there to. Her press conference had Charles, her, Lando, Daniel, Fernando, and she thinks Pierre.

Once she passed some time by, she went down to her car and drove to the paddock. She got there and still had 20 minutes till the press conference. Thankfully Charles and Lando were already there. She walked over their way and said “ciao.” They looked at her a greeted her back with a hello. “So what’d you guys do over break,” she asked the two men. “I went skiing over break,” Charles said with a smile. “Really me too, I also streamed a lot on twitch,” Lando said. “What about you nessa,” Charles asked. “Didn’t really do anything I guess, I mean played on my racing sim…OH and Danny came and stayed at my house for a week and we hung out, he took me to Australia with him,” she said with a smile on her face as she talked about hanging out with Daniel. “No invite,” Lando said sassily. You just rolled you eyes because he literally also hung out with Daniel.

As the 20 minutes passed the other three drivers arrived. Vanessa immediately going over to Daniel when he arrived. They got called into the room and all sat on the couch and she sat herself between Daniel and Charles.

She sat there zoned out for the first 30 minutes. It was the only thing she hated about press conferences, was that she never got asked anything. She heard her name called and looked up to see a man standing. “Ciao,” She said with a little smile. “Hi, my question is, now that you’re with Mercedes and your teammate is Lewis, your rival, how are you guys gonna work together,” the man asked politely. She took a deep breath before answering, “Well, even though me and my teammate have a rivalry that’s been on going for 3 years, we’re gonna try and avoid it for the teams sake,” she said with honesty and was truthful. “Thank you,” he said sitting down.

She zoned out again for the last 40 minutes. The drivers once in awhile getting her involved with the questions. They all walked out the room and the next group went in, which had him in it. She didn’t have anything else to do today and she didn’t just wanna go back to the hotel. “Anyone wanna go out to eat?” She asked them. “I have a meeting with my PR manager,” Charles said. “Me too sorry,” Lando agreed. She had a little pout on her lips she made sure wasn’t noticeable before getting ready to go back to her hotel room. “I can go out kid, where you wanna go,” Daniel said which made her smile again.

She suggested a diner she saw on the way here, they went there and hung out for awhile before going their separate ways to their hotels.

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

Liked by: Danielriccardo, and 278K more

Vanessa.pesci: First race of new season😝 (also a small Danny post🤍🙃)

Comments:

Danielriccardo: my favorite kid

Vanessa.Pesci: I love you Danny🤍

Danielriccardo: I love you too kid🤍

Charles_Leclerc: when will I get a post like this🙄

Landonorris: honestly🙄

Vanessa.Pesci: yall get one soon🙄

Landonorris: last slide is so real😭

Vanessa.Pesci: me during press conferences🫢

User7: need a friendship like Vanessa and Daniel😫

User4: same☹️

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

A/N~made it as long as I could I just wanted to get the first chapter out🤍

Taglist: @happy-golden-hour @tallrock35

[persimmonthusiast]

Here comes my third build for the Foundations for Families challenge rebooted by @rockethorse! This time with a modern and rather fancy townhouse for rising soccer star Tyler Gravel.

The ground floor is mostly an open concept with the suspended staircase being the centerpiece. Even though Tyler lives alone, he likes to host parties and have friends and relatives over. I wanted the living area to feel spacious despite the house having a relatively small footprint. The entry hall is only separated from the main area by an arch, and includes a desk, access to a toilet and the staircase to the basement. And the kitchen would not be complete without a blender for Tyler's morning protein smoothies! (More pics under the cut)

The first floor has two bedrooms: a guest room furnished with twin beds, and Tyler's bedroom with a closet and high bay windows opening onto a private balcony. Tyler puts a lot of effort into his looks, and the main bathroom reflects how much time he likes spending there, complete with a massaging shower, corner bath and a large vanity.

Tyler's home gym is located in the basement, with an attached bathroom and combined shower/sauna cabin. The rest of the basement is occupied by a "play room" to entertain his... special guests And of course a bachelor needs a nice terrace, including a hot tub and outdoor lounge for grilling/pool parties.

Again I struggled a bit with the layout for this one but I had a quite clear vision from the start of the vibe I wanted to achieve, and I think it turned out pretty close to what I envisioned!

[weemsfreak]

Botany...Of Course, Pt 3

Larissa Weems x OCTeacher

Tw: alcohol comsumption

Note: As requested here is part 3!! Thank you to everyone who reads and shares their thoughts! I was thinking about maybeee taking requests if anyone has some, but the thing about me is when I like a fic idea, I cannot make it short, I want to make a whole story out of it lol

~3500 words, Enjoy :) @alder-saan @i-love-nerdy-stuff @digital-demise @im-a-carnivorous-plant

Link to Pt 2

Saturday

You awoke to the sun shining in from the curtains, almost blinding you in the process. You were alone, Larissa's conference must have already started. You opened the doors to the balcony, the fresh smell of the plants hit you and made you feel really awake. You figured you'd venture to  the gym and grab a quick shower. You got ready to go out to the second garden, you were excited to see if you could find any other interesting plants. Grabbing a coffee and a cinnamon bun, you sat on a bench amongst the trees. You looked up at some balcony's across the river. There was a large balcony, it looked like it could be a restaurant. You spotted someone who was very tall, pale, and dressed so elegantly. Ah, must be the stately sequoia tree herself. You smiled, she looked so content. She was talking to a woman while having a bite to eat. You were glad she got away from Nevermore, even if just for a few days. You couldn't believe she liked women. She was just so put together, and feminine, and proper, and honestly, if you didn’t know her, from afar she kind of looked like she would be against it. You laughed, what stupid stereotypes. Okay, maybe she should know that you like women too. Would that make her more comfortable or more uncomfortable around you? You didn't know. You will tell her when you feel it is right. You thought about the events of last night. Somehow, you had almost forgotten what had happened. How could you forget something so crazy, so traumatizing, so sad. You didn't want Larissa to be sad any longer, she didn't deserve that. Every minute you thought about erasing that memory for her, you convinced yourself a little bit more. You spent the day studying more plants, and planned a relaxing evening for you and Larissa, hoping she would be up for it.

Her conference was done a bit earlier than yesterday. She came in and plopped down on her bed, the same as the day before. She was wearing her grey dress with the belt that cinched her waist perfectly. God damn, you tried not to stare, again. "Are you tired Larissa?" She took a minute to sit up, but she lit up when she looked at you. "Well I am a bit, but we're on vacation. Did you have something in mind?" Truthfully, you had lots of things in mind that you wanted to do with Larissa, but you thought one thing would be particularly relaxing. Well, a couple things would, but one was a safter option. Sitting up quickly and turning to her, you were obviously drunk. You had a few drinks again waiting for her, what else were you to do alone? She laughed at your expression, your face lit up with excitement. "Do you want to go...to the waterpark?" Her expression softened, that's not what she was expecting you to ask. "They have a pool, a floaty river, and a hot tub with a bar!" You looked so excited, how could she say no. "I would love to Peyton, but I didn’t bring a swim suit" she said, trailing off when admitting her mistake. You frowned instantly. You thought for a minute, then had a fabulous idea. "Let's go buy you one!" you beamed at her, giddy from thinking about her in a bathing suit. Calm down, you told yourself, don't act too intrigued. She pondered for a minute, but the look on her face told you she had already made up her mind. "Okay, let's go" she said quickly, getting up and grabbing your hand.

At the mall, there were so many stores to choose a bathing suit from. You both ended up in a really fancy store that looked like you could never afford anything in there. As Larissa went to the bathing suits, you scanned your eyes over a price tag. You gasped when you saw the price of a skirt, and you quickly looked around hoping nobody heard and knew how broke you were. Larissa heard, and she walked over to you, laughing. She laid a gentle hand on your back, "Don't worry darling, if you want anything I can get it for you." Jeeze, she wasn't your sugar mommy, but if she wanted to be…just joking. You followed her to the swim suits, and she picked out a two piece white one, a two piece light blue one, and a one piece nude coloured one. You thought they would all look stunning on her, but you secretly wished she would get the white one. "I'm going to try them on" she hollered over to you. "Okay, let me know which you choose." "Why don’t you help me pick one out?" she cooed at you, and your eyes widened as you ran to her, following to the dressing room.

Of course you were right, they were all stunning on her. As she tried them on and presented them to you, it took everything in you to keep your mouth from dropping open or from getting giddy. Every time she would show you one, you grinned wide and blushed, trying to hide it by looking away or fiddling with your hands or tucking your hair behind your ear. You didn't realize until now how tall Larissa really was, how long her legs were, how flawless her pale skin was, the freckles on her arms. She noticed you blushing each time she came out of the dressing room, but she just thought it was adorable that you found her pretty. When she came out in the white suit, you weren't sitting outside of the room anymore. You were over looking at clothes, trying to distract yourself from her. Why did you think swimming would be a good idea? You didn't think you would get so flustered just from seeing her in a swim suit, what is wrong with you Peyton! "Peyton, do you want to see this one?" she called from the changing rooms. Honestly you did, but at the same time you didn't. You walked back to the change rooms and this time you couldn't stop your jaw from actually dropping. She was wearing the white suit, top coming to tie around her neck showing her cleavage, and high wasted bottoms with a belt. The metal parts were gold and it came with a long white cover up. This was definitely a Larissa outfit. You caught yourself and slammed your hand over your mouth, looking to her face and quickly mumbling a sorry. She laughed loudly, a genuine Larissa laugh. Well, at least she found your doting over her amusing and not creepy. "So I take it you like this one?" You took your hand from your mouth and put on a straight face, "Larissa I- this suit was definitely made for you, and only you, holy-." She giggled and walked over to you, grabbing your hands and leaning in to whisper, "How are we going to go swimming if you can't keep your composure over seeing me in a swim suit?" You were frozen from her proximity, and so embarrassed, even though you knew she had noticed your fluster. "I didn't think of that when I suggested it" you mumbled to her, a lie. She took your face in her hands and gave you a cute smile with a scrunch of her nose, turned, and went to get changed.

Back at the hotel room, you were putting on your swim suit. Black, the opposite of hers, like a Ying yang, but different. Stepping out in to the room, Larissa handed you a glass of wine from her bed and paused to stare at you in your swim suit. She giggled, took your hand, and twirled you around, looking you over. You knew she was doing this because you were admiring her earlier, so you laughed. "Oh Peyton, this swimsuit looks divine on you darling." Divine, that's a new one you thought. Blushing, you sat next to her on her bed. She was watching some fashion show, so you watched with her. You looked at her, her hair all done up, makeup still perfect. "How are you going to swim with your hair done up and makeup on?" She looked down at you with a straight face. "I just won't get wet, only my body goes in the water." This sent you into a fit of laughter, you didn't know why, probably just the way she said it. You were lying on the bed laughing, trying not to spill your wine. She started laughing at you, "Peyton what's so funny?" she chirped. You composed yourself and sat up, "Larissa it's not as fun if you don't go all in, you have to at least take your hair out." The truth was Larissa didn't let people see her with no makeup often. Her hair wasn't that big of a deal, but she only felt sophisticated and pretty when she was done up. She looked at you, a slight frown on her face. "What's wrong? Do you not want people seeing you not done up?" She smiled a bit at this, as if you read her mind. She pondered for a minute. You were so gentle and kind to her. Really, you both didn’t know each other well, but she felt like you would never judge her. "Will you take the pins out of my hair?" she said in such a low tone you almost didn't know what she said. You smiled and turned to look her in the eyes, "Of course, if that's what you actually want, you don't have to Larissa." She looked back at you, and gave a quiet "Please." You moved your hands up to her hair and found the pins, removing them slowly. It must feel so much better to have her hair down after it being up so long. You watched as her hair fell, wavy and reaching past her shoulders. It was longer than you thought it would be, and softer, like silk. You put a hand under her hair and ran your fingers through the back of her head, giving her light scratches. She smiled and leaned into it, sipping her wine. You took her in, so casually just sitting here watching tv, but she looked ethereal, she always did. You were so caught up in her beauty that you only half realized when you slipped a "Larissa, you're absolutely beautiful." You took your hand away from her hair and went wide eyed. She definitely thought you were too much now. You didn't want her to think you were trying to pick her up, you were just in awe over her. She looked you in the eyes and tilted her head to the side. As you went to mumble a 'sorry, I didn't mean to say that aloud', she spoke questioningly, "Really?"  Of course she was, everyone who laid their eyes on her must have thought that. Maybe they thought it, but never had the guts to say it. You barley had the guts to tell her, you did by accident.

You felt sad by the way she questioned you, but took this as an opportunity to make her believe it as true. "Yes, of course I do, one hundred percent yes. You must know that you are, people must tell you all the time" you said with a hopeful smile. "No, not really" she looked down at the wine in her lap. "Well, maybe nobody ever tells you because you can be intimidating" you let out a giggle and put your finger under her chin, turning her face to you "but I know everyone thinks it, and I'm telling you that you are stunning, with your hair done and without, with makeup on and without." She was smiling now, you hoped it was sincere, you hoped she at least half believed you. She drank the rest of her wine and put the glass down. She turned toward you and wrapped her arms around you, pulling you in to rest her head in your neck. You felt so comfortable, so content, so at peace, and you couldn't wipe the smile off of your face if someone tried. She let you go after a minute and you were immediately cold. She looked at you with glistening eyes and cupped your face with her hand. "Thank you Peyton, for making me feel comfortable with you." This made your heart swell, all you wanted was for her to have a friend that she could be herself around. "Of course pretty girl. Do you want to go to the waterpark now?" you gave her a genuine smile. She shook her head excitedly and you were on your way.

You were floating down the lazy river behind her. She looked so relaxed, and you were having so much fun. You had never been on a lazy river before. As you floated, you looked at the scenery. There were plants polluting the water park like the rest of the hotel, but there were also a lot of kids. You swam closer to her, trying to float faster to reach her. You caught up to her and looked at her, laughing as you said "beep, beep" and rushed past her. As you floated in front of her now, you turned around to admire her, your head resting on your hands. She laughed at you, admiring you back. You gave her a smirk and batted your eyelashes, and she winked at you. You blushed and turned away from her, trying to float faster away, what a flirt.

As Larissa settled in the pool, you went to the bar to order your drinks. You got in with her and started swimming around. There were only two other girls in the pool, so you almost had it to yourselves. Out of nowhere, Larissa splashed you. You couldn't believe she had been so bold. You looked at her, drenched, and walked up to her slowly as she backed away. "NO, not my hair" she stated while backing away from you. "Ah, ah, that's not fair, you started it." You were right, she did start it. You felt bad ruining her makeup or getting her hair wet, but she let you take it down, so she was comfortable, right? You splashed her, but not as much as she had splashed you. She let out a squeal, and you instantly swam away. You knew she would get her revenge. "Drinks are ready" the bartender hollered, setting them on the counter. You got out to get them and brought them back to the pool. "Don't splash me now, you'll ruin the drinks" you warned, and she listened. As soon as you put your drink down at the side of the pool, Larissa caught you off guard and splashed you again. You let out a squeal this time and lunged yourself at her. You wrapped your arms around her waist and knocked her over, ducking her whole head under the water by accident. You helped her resurface and then froze, you were so scared. That's not what you meant to do, but she would never believe you. "OH shit, I'm so sorry Larissa, I actually didn't mean to do that" you pleaded, hoping she wouldn’t drown you. She grabbed your face and you were scared for your life, but she started laughing, like she was having a blast. Her mascara was running a bit now, but her lipstick was still perfect. She was so gorgeous like this, having fun and not caring about her appearance. You wiped the mascara from under her eyes, and scrunched your nose up to give her a cute face.

As you did this, you got closer to her. While she was laughing, you caught a distant but snarky "What are they, girlfriends?" from one of the other girls in the pool. You ignored it, so focused on Larissa. "Ew, I hope not, she is way too old for her anyway." Yep, you heard what you thought you did, and this time, Larissa heard it too. She glared at them, still holding your face in her hands. You couldn't turn to look at them because of this, so you just stared at her. "Excuse me, are you talking about us?" she sneered at them, you got nervous. One of them started with her. "Yea, we were talking about you, what are you anyway, gay?" You became increasingly more angry and moved away from Larissa's grip. What the hell is wrong with them, it's 2023. Larissa slowly moved closer to them, "I'll have you know that I am gay in fact, and I'd appreciate it if you would leave me alone." You were about to back her up when you remembered that you weren't out to Larissa yet. You opened your mouth but closed it quickly. "What's wrong with your little girlfriend there, she can't speak for herself?" Not wanting to drag you into this, Larissa started "They shouldn't have to speak to immature bigots like you, and anyway, they're not my-." "Baby, it's okay, let's just enjoy ourselves" you walked over to her, grabbing her arm and trying to force her away from them. "Yea, listen to what your little girl says" one of them stated and both of them snickered. You would let them make fun of you, but you'd kill them for taking digs at Larissa and her age. "You know, I bet you both that I can steal your drinks from behind you there without coming withing 10 feet of you. If I can't, we will leave. If I can, you have to watch me kiss my girlfriend." You said this with the most bold tone you think you have ever used. You stared them down, then looked up at Larissa when she grabbed your hand. She was wide eyed and tilted her head in question, she didn't know why you were trying to defend her by pretending to be her girlfriend. "You don't have to do this" she whispered in your ear. "Do you mind kissing me?" you whispered back. She shook her head no as a blush crept up on her cheeks. "Bet" one of the girls said. You smiled and took Larissa to the far end of the pool, away from the girls. You put your right hand out and concentrated hard. You didn't use your telekinesis a lot, maybe you should practice it more. One of the girls drinks started levitating and then slowly moving toward you. It landed in your hand and you downed the whole thing. You put the glass on the side of the pool and turned to the girls. They were both in shock. One was trying to form some words, and the other couldn't do more than blink. You winked at them and turned to Larissa, cupping her face with one hand. "Come here Riss" you whispered as you went up on your toes to reach her level. You kissed her softly, just like you always wanted to. She grabbed your head and pulled you closer. You didn't kiss for too long, but you almost forgot that the girls were there. You pulled away, turning back to them. "Not only are we gay, were also outcasts. Get a load of that, bitches." And with that, you took Larissa's hand and lead her out of the pool.

As soon as you got back to the room, Larissa started laughing all giddy. Seeing her like this made you do the same. You laid down on your bed together, laughing. After a few minutes, she turned to you. "Peyton, you didn't have to do that for me, but thank you" she sounded really appreciative and sincere. "Well honestly Larissa, it pissed me off when they started about your age. But, I have something to tell you." You paused, wondering if she caught on. "You like women, don't you" she said, her smile so wide her white teeth were showing. "Yes" you laughed, "When did you figure it out?" "Well, when you wanted to kiss me. But I had a hunch when you couldn't contain yourself as I was trying on swim suits today." You rolled away from her groaning, burying your head in your hands, a blush forming on your face again. "Sorry about that" you muttered. She sat up and pulled your hands away from your face. "Peyton it's okay, we both like women, we have something in common" she said sweetly.

Coming out of the bathroom with your pajamas on, you found Larissa asleep on her bed, still in her swim suit. She looked adorable lying there. You didn't want to disturb her rest, but she still had makeup on and she couldn't sleep in that. "Rissa, wake up pretty, you have to get changed" you whispered in her ear. You saw her smile before her eyes opened, maybe she wasn't really asleep. She got up and went to the bathroom, saying nothing to you. You laid in your bed ready to fall asleep, it was a long day. A few minutes later she came out sans makeup, and sat on the edge of her bed. You looked at her, she was just sitting there looking at the ground. You thought this might be a repeat of last night, but then she looked up at you. She had a needy expression on her face, like she wanted something from you. You pushed the covers off of yourself and opened your arms, inviting her in. Despite her height, she laid down and put her head on your chest. You hugged her tight and stroked her silky hair, moving some out of her face. You kissed her forehead and mumbled "Sweet dreams Rissa."

Pt 4

[stardewnoodles]

And I shall lie here, betwixed by love and resolve, unsure which I am loyal to, or if either are even real. Teach me again how to be real.

I had so much fun with this one. Up now on AO3! Or read it below:

I

“You think Pico did it? He- no, you don’t talk! Shut the fuck up! You don’t scare me. Yous don’t know anything. By the time your “calvary” swooped in, he was finished cappin’ off Cass’s ass. Look at the tapes. Shit, look at the look on Pico’s face. He. Did. Not. Do. It. Cassandra did. She and her goons. She came in, spouted anarchist bullshit, and… why would anyone do that? And he’s the reason you even have a witness, period. Rest of us are dead, missin’, or hidin’ in the lockers you’re checkin’ in the school. Of course it sounds like I’m makin’ it up: an alien disguised as a goth shoots up a school, but as I been tellin’ you, I dunno what else to tell you, other than that. The truth. Go look in the gym. Body’s still warm. Pico saved my life and he saved Nene’s and whoever he could. That bastard did more than your entire pig force could in the same fuckin’ situation. You will give him the time alone he deserves. You will not walk to your ‘media buds’ and tell this city that my best friend is a murderer. He ain’t the hero you want, but he is one.”

“Nice little speech, brat. Look, I want to believe you as much as the last guy, but there’s one issue with your story. I don’t blame you for distrusting us-“

“Cut the shit. Don’t give me your fake ass pity.”

“Okay. Okay. The bullets we’re finding in most of the… school children… the fingerprints match the people you say caused this.”

“Oh, so for once you’re doing your job?”

“BUT there’s a small issue with your story. The alien bit makes no sense.”

“Check again, dumbass! It’s there! It’s-“


“There is no body, Darnell. Just a pool of blood dragged out to the playground and a leg. Oh please, don’t look like you’ve seen a ghost, no one could’ve survived that much blood loss.”

“…What?”

II

It’s a windy summer evening, making it impossible for the lighter to hold a flame for longer than a second. Pico keeps trying to make it last anyway, even as the wind seeps through the fissures in his cupped hand and blows out the light. He nibbles on the cigarette in his mouth, frustration building. The wind practically spits at the bags under his eyes; the sting of rejection by nature hurts as much as people’s do. Too tired, yet not tired enough, to give up. Pico lifts his eyes off the floor. The city doesn’t look like such a dump at night from a high rise balcony. God willing, it’s the perfect place to get shot at while witnessing the light show. The wind would be too harsh to the trajectory of the bullet, they’d need to account for that as he stands there, waiting with open arms. Nothing happens. Pico spits out the cigarette and watches it fall into the dark abyss below. A bad fog is rolling in, so death can’t see him now. His sweater threatens to rip off his body the way the wind is eager to please him, caressing his waist. With Darnell on his way—he texts this, and it could mean anywhere from five minutes to an hour, because that fucker loves to walk home—Pico falls into the restless delusion that this is a message from Darnell. Fate is bullshit. It serves as someone else’s means to an end that a servant of fate blindly follows. On his worst days, he can’t help but see its appeal. Pico blows a kiss to the wind and begs for it to fly off to Darnell. Only fate can be the reason they share this luxurious room. Darnell is a pyro fanatic who happens to be his best friend since childhood. It’s the classic tale of young love. These are one of the days where Pico looks to the city, outstretches his hand, and ponders.

“Darnie,” Pico whispers. “You wouldn’t love me if we weren’t in this together, would you? A freak accident made you step away from college, that’s all, before we met up again. How could you.” The wind howls and laughs at the man deserving of such. “I wonder a lot, uh, you know, if I stole your future from you. You could’ve been the next Oppy, heh. No. No, what am I saying.” Pico rubs his temples, then his eyes, groaning. If his brain is an office, then all the employees have left and the lights are turning off, one by one. “We both know why you’re not with those freaks. Still…” Life could be kinder to his one and only than this. At the cost of stealing the life of another man, Pico lives in a luxury he dreamt of as a kid. The kitchen has a marble-slated counter with a built-in microwave on the side. The refrigerator is behind an ivory wood door and a bronze handle. The bed is a king sized for two, draped with a blue velvet blanket and a thick comforter to make it easier to fall into the clutches of sleep. Each room is a different color. In the main room, the walls are a dark green. In the bedroom, it’s wallpaper of a boat sailing across the ocean, unsure of its destination, but traveling forth all the same. The brown couch is a perfect excuse for a second bed with how soft its fabric and pillows are. That’s not even the best part. The 4K TV hangs on a brick wall that has a gas fireplace built underneath it. The wooden floor is a standard light brown oak series of planks, but the rug in front of the couch is majestic: a handmade rug based off of Pico’s favorite show of all time, Invader Zim. A priceless investment.

Out of the corner of his eye, he glances at the many weapons strung along the ground. Two out of the four are in dire need of repair This apartment room is one of many safe houses scattered across Newgrounds, paid for in full by the blood and tears of his kills. Vigilante is too nice of a word. A vigilante is supposed to be a hero in some way, shape, or form. Pico is no symbol of hope; he’s the reason windows have locks and figures in power, lurking in the shadows, have twenty men instead of five by their side. There is no side, usually. It’s the money that counts. He’s a bounty hunter, plain and simple, who rarely refuses an offer. A person who blends in with the crowd seamlessly, able to hook Newgrounds like a fish to bait. Despite this, he is simultaneously the very person they never want to meet in their entire life. It turns his gut into a Fruit Roll-up, but he must admit (oh yes, Pico licks his lips to it), the initial shock, the realization, it never gets old. He has to keep it fresh, or else it’s too boring. Raw human emotion is on the same level of eating strawberries the first day he buys them. They are succulent, ripe, and oh so juicy in a way that sticks with him until the next batch. It’s so fresh it gives his mouth an orgasm as it runs down the corner of his lips. Pico taps a finger against the railing. The taste is slightly different, batch after batch. Similarly, no one person evokes the same response to a topic. How delicious. Sophomore high school literature said that, at least. Pico steps back inside and closes the sliding door. The roar of the wind is forgotten by the soothing crackle of false embers.

A whisper comes from the gas. Pico gets close to the fire, cocking his head at the heat brushing against his face. The allure is still there in the form of the frustrated dance of the flames, anger begging to be unleashed. A faint outcry can be heard the longer Pico stares at the fireplace. Something calling to him with such bitterness, the flames may as well be spitting in his face. There are enough people to count on one hand who he’s heard with such hatred. He cautiously reaches out to it. The fire suddenly bursts with new life and swipes Pico’s right hand away. A hundred microscopic bullets tear through the inside of his flesh. His eyes widen in shock when he looks at his hand. The heat, which was meant to be cool at all times, was hot enough to add another battle scar to the collection in a mere second. Pico licks his dry lips. Hot as hellfire.

“Shit!” An issue with the gas? A warning? What else could it be? Pico shuts it off quickly and kisses the new burn mark on his hand. It’s right next to the other hand he sustained over two years ago when Cassandra… “Everything fucking breaks that I touch!” Pico shouts at himself, pissed off, embarrassed. Static sets in. It’s so loud in his head, blaring like the theater, but he can’t leave, he’s glued to the floor.

A rap at the door echoes inside the room. Pico draws the uzi strapped to his waist, ignoring the sharp pain running up his right hand, then up his arm. The safety flicks off easily. The fire dies down, its noise in his head replaced by the roaring static and the drumming beat of his heart. The average draw time of a lousy shooter is one and a half seconds. A better one, maybe a second. The best, six tenths of a second. Taking into account the fact that this is a safe house and he knows nobody else here, he has to assume they’re good at their craft. He either shoots the moment their gun crosses the safety of the hallway or dies. No, he has no idea who it is, he can’t shoot immediately. A shadow blocks light from crawling under the door. Keys jangle as the intruder figures out which one to use. Pico squints. Any second now, and then the noise will stop. Any second now, and he’ll have to worry about buying 5 gallons of bleach. Any second now—

“God damn it, which one of these damn things is it?!” An irritated voice hisses from the other side of the door, just as the lock turns and the door swings open. The static dissipates. Pico lowers his uzi, clutching at his head. Stupid fucking faggot , he grits his teeth, cursing at himself. Look at you . “Peeks? You look like you’ve seen a ghost, or a demon, or some crazy type shit. You good?” Darnell’s wearing his white sweater and jeans today instead of a flaunting hoodie to blend in more with the crowd. He’s been trying new styles lately, this time with a touch of black lipstick he smacks his lips on. His hair has been cut down from a tall flattop to box braids reaching his neck. He got the haircut last week, and it still leaves Pico in awe. He’s gorgeous, divine, raw. “You’re wearing my hoodie again.” Pico clicks the safety on and straps the uzi back to his waist. He takes off his gun belt and tosses it onto the couch.

“Is there a problem with it?” Pico sighs deeply. He tugs at Darnell’s purple and yellow hoodie. It smells like him. It’s soft like him. “Thought you were someone else. You didn’t knock five times, just twice.”

“Oh, I was supposed to- oh shit, I was. I’m sorry man, I totally forgot. '' In his hands, Darnell has two black plastic bags that he grips tightly. They’re lightly covered in rain drops, a sign of the coming storm looming over Newgrounds. Pico looks out the window. Bleak clouds steal the sunlight and use it for their own machinations, absorbing each other like an amoeba. As if on queue, thunder rumbles in the distance. Darnell drops the bags and kneels down to inspect Pico’s hand. Darnell’s face distorts, as if he cannot believe what he’s seeing. He blinks a few times, making sure it isn’t a hallucination engraved on Pico’s hand. Darnell inhales and exhales sharply. “Fail at cookin’ again?” He says with a weak smile.

“No, no the uh… the fireplace.” Pico raises a brow at Darnell, but Darnell doesn’t leave him time to counter with his own question.

“That shouldn’t cause a burn. It ain’t real one in the first place. The gas is only hot enough to keep the cold out of this place. Yeah, that’s hot, but not hot enough to do that.”

“I know, but it did. It lunged at me like it had a bone to pick with me. Really fucking weird. It felt like being bitten. Reminded me of…” A lump gets stuck in Pico’s throat. The word cannot properly form and be uttered, even after all this time. What a coward he was. “You know…”

“She’s, uh,” Darnell pauses, biting his lower lip. He clears his throat. “She’s dead, dude, and last I checked the only person who could maybe revive the dead is busy rearrangin’ your ex’s guts and on our side. I’m sure it’s just a fault with the gas line. I’ll call about it tomorrow.” Darnell squeezes Pico’s hand affectionately before letting go. “Weird burn tat, though.” Part of the training Pico’s father made him endure was the reading of emotions through tonal shifts and a person’s eyes. Slight twitches and awkward shuffles reveal truths that were meant to stay buried. Pico can dig them up, and Darnell, here in the room with him, looks at his hand with fear.

“Huh?” Pico hasn’t been paying attention. Earlier it was too red to make out, but now that it’s settled, he can’t rub out of his eyes what he sees. It’s real. A fiery, distorted, inverted cross. Pico shudders. “Darnie! You don’t find that crazy?! Not at all?! Are you nuts?!” Pico whispers, venom in his tone, afraid of speaking out loud in case the tiny ignition flame that burns day in and day out is listening. Darnell jumps. He rubs his lips with a finger; he does it whenever he’s lost in deep thought, pondering the unknown.

“I’m out there, small time inventor with some fireworks on the side, not a D&D Necromancer. Ain’t nobody but the Dearest fam is, and they’re literal demons. Peeks.” Darnell urges his lover to think about anything else in the known universe. Pico chuckles at Darnell. Small time inventor is one way to describe a pyromaniac. He knows no harm can come to him when said pyromaniac is in the room with him, but he can’t rip his gaze away from the imprint on his hand. Maybe… maybe… maybe? Pico shakes his head. “Well,” Darnell claps his hands together. It brings Pico back to reality. “I did buy some new gloves for your motorcycle ‘cause you whined about it every day to me for the last two weeks. You wanna try them on?” Darnell eases out of the topic while rubbing Pico’s back and sits down with him. He presses the tip of his fingers against the aching muscles in his back. Pico forces down the rising whines of affection.

“Yeah. Yeah.” Pico nods to make his decision clear. Darnell takes the fingerless gloves out of the first bag. They’re purple and the same striking shade as Darnell’s hoodie. It’s a thick material with velcro straps. He puts them on with the help of Darnell, who slowly slides them onto his boyfriend’s hands. As Pico tightens the strap, Darnell rubs a thumb against Pico’s palm. The ginger’s cheeks paint themselves pink.

“Shit’s fire with the hoodie.” Darnell kisses Pico’s glove, looking into Pico’s eyes as if he is royalty. A chill spreads through his veins the moment after Darnell made contact with the glove, taming the wildfire in his hand. The heat travels elsewhere. Pico’s face turns red as a pepper. “I been doin’ the wrong thing, not lettin’ you wear my favorite hoodie more often. You sho seem to love it.”

“Shut up.” Pico says with a wide smile. He balls his hands into a fist. The pain is gone. “Thanks. Really, thanks.” He debates making out with Darnell, exploring the feel of the gloves against Darnell’s hairy chest. He decides against it; now isn’t the time, as much as his body screams at the slightest signs of affection. “What else you get?” Pico turns his attention back to the windows. Thunder booms outside the apartment building. Lightning flickers in the distance—nature’s alarm has been set off. Pico counts the seconds between each strike. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven. Another clap of thunder. One, two, three, four, five. Thunder rumbles the building and lightning touches down like an SOS, a call to get inside and stay inside. He turns back to Darnell, who’s holding two matching motorcycle helmets. Streaks of black lightning decorate the top, with an explosion of different shades of purple, like fireworks molding into each other, covering the rest. The visor, with its sleek black shade, blocks out UV rays from the sun to make driving easier. Pico notices how easy it is to see the inside of the helmet despite this. Another thing he notices: they are the perfect size for Pico and Darnell, respectively. Finally, the cushioned interior makes it wear for long periods of time without causing the annoying throbbing Pico is used to. It’s meant for Pico, no one else. It’s perfect. The craftsmanship could’ve only been done by one person in the whole world. “Darnie, you made these?” Pico asks, despite knowing the answer. Darnell gives a devilish grin. Pico wipes the grin off his face with a kiss to the lips, leaning over to roughly press against his. Darnell gingerly sets down his helmet before wrapping Pico in a bear hug. Darnell smells of ash and weed; it’s pungent, leaving the ginger dazed. He allows his body to sag into his lover’s arms, who tugs at his hoodie to brush a finger against Pico’s back. Kisses meet the freckles on Pico’s cheeks to form a constellation out of black lipstick. The longer Darnell goes at it, the more it smears, the less Pico can hang onto reality. It’s messy, how they like it, with tongues clashing and lips dragging. Darnell presses back harder. Pico’s eyes roll back. He is afraid to lose his grip, fall endlessly into the abyss, but Darnell’s hand interlocks with his gloved one and keeps him afloat. Their passion drowns out the rolling thunder. Pico opens one eye to look at Darnell. His eyes are fluttering, with sparks exploding inside of them. He’s still grinning. He’s in love, somehow, and Pico wishes he knew why. Darnell runs a finger up Pico’s back, but Pico wants to shy away from Darnell. Stop, stop! His brain shuts off, hurls itself into the void. He wipes saliva off of his mouth.

“Peeks? You drawlin’ again? Did I do something wrong?” Pico stares at the floor to try and escape. He opens his mouth, then closes it. He opens it again, this time forcing out the question looming over him like his shadow.

“Why do you love me? What… What the hell is there to love? We’re five months into this and I still can’t… I don’t get it. Fuck, man.” Darnell furrows his brows. He thrusts Pico’s helmet into his chest. “The fu-“

“Get it on. We’re goin’ out.” Darnell ruffles Pico’s hair and stands up, grabbing his coat by the door. He’s quick to move, agitated, hastily foraging the drawer by the door for the motorcycle keys.

“Going out? That storm’s going to wreck through here in, like, ten minutes! It’s gonna be shit!”

“Better bring a raincoat then so ya don’t ruin my hoodie. Trust me.” Darnell is calm, assuring. Pico’s soul flutters, warming his body. Pico does. Pico does with his heart and every drop of blood pumping through it. The worries fade. His heart blossoms.

“Bet.” Where Darnell goes, Pico follows, and so he follows.

III

Nene was quick to flee the graduation party scene and find a wall to lean on and a cigarette to smoke down to a stub. No one had been to class since the massacre, but rules were rules, and a ceremony had to be held for the remaining graduating class. “To safeguard their future endeavors and commemorate their resilience,” the Dean of Students stated in an interview the next day. Pico never showed up. His diploma was mailed to the current house his father lived at, since his mother had passed a year prior. Darnell clutches his heart. He’s ashamed to admit he hoped for this outcome. Nene hears Darnell’s footsteps before he sees her. When he rounds the corner to greet her, her cigarette is ready to melt his eyeball.

“Fuckin’ A, woman!” Nene giggles and goes back to dragging on the cigarette. They stand in silence, watching crows circle the school’s leftover property, as if there’s still blood to be found.

“We’re not going to college.” Nene states it as a fact, not a question, and even though Darnell shrugs, he knows she’s right. “Not like we planned on it in the first place. We’re maniacs, the three of us, destined for greater things.”

“Does that destiny include this shit?” Nene looks away, twirling the cigarette, making the smoke dance for her amusement. The risk of burning herself is alluring.

“I’m just saying. I’ve managed to get to Pico over the phone. He’s thinking about continuing what his father thought about starting after his wartime. Sounds like a hell of a time. I may join in.” Darnell stares at her, dumbfounded. Nene flicks the cigarette into the sewage vent by her feet, blowing ash off her hand. “Bounty Hunting. Does he tell you nothing? You’re supposed to be his BFF: Bro’s Faggot Forever.” Darnell rolls his eyes. “You should laugh or I’ll burn off your hair.”

“Haha.” Darnell retorts in a deadpan voice. He rubs his arm nervously. Being a mercenary sounds exactly as Nene put it, a hell of a time. They’d be able to make a load of money off of it. Even if the massacre didn’t happen, all three are adept in methods of killing. Cutting loose after all of this sounds like the best thing to do. Darnell weighs his options. The real world is a boring repetition of waking up for a job you hate and a life you wish you never had. Most people, on average, only achieve happiness in their 40s, unless they have rich parents. Darnell shakes his head. He takes this, he can skip more than twenty wasted years of his life.

Pico will be kept in his sights.

“I ain’t feelin’ good about this.” Darnell lies. Nene punches him in the arm.

“Mhm, don’t be such a pussy. Hey, didn’t you want to talk to me about something?” She asks while playing with spit in her mouth. A shiver runs up Darnell’s spine. He slowly nods.

“They never found Cassandra’s body, only a body part .” Nene chokes on her spit, doubles over, lungs clawing at her trachea. “I can’t tell Pico this, but you-”

“That bitch! She could still be out there! We gotta get her! We got to grind that bitch to dust! Then burn the dust!”

“Sssshhhh!” Darnell covers Nene’s mouth. She glares at him and licks his hand. He recoils back, wiping the saliva off on his graduation gown. “Fuckin’ gross. There’s no way she’s alive. They say the blood left behind is enough to be fatal.”

“Cops will say anything, Darnell, you should know this.” Nene drops her head. “I get why you want to believe it. What a fucking joke. All the shit Pico did for nothing, then.” Darnell wraps an arm around Nene’s shoulder, pulling her close. She pleads to whatever higher power may exist that they aren’t plotting the worst joke of the 21st century. “If anything happens, he’ll shoot you in the face for not telling him before storming off after her.” Darnell frowns. He’s motionless, but not like a statue. Rather, he acts like pudding.

“If he finds out, I don’t think he’ll recover. Nene, we have to see how this plays out. We have to act clueless. I can’t lose him, too. I miss our third musketeer. I want him to live. I want him to smile again.”

IV

Pico’s beaming smile reveals his missing tooth. It brings life to Darnell, and Darnell has to wipe a tear from his eye after he takes his helmet off. No, it can’t be. Darnell never cries, everyone knows that. Pico parks the motorcycle under the giant tree overlooking Newgrounds. Pico doesn’t pester. Surely, he thinks, it’s one of the many raindrops coming down. They run for cover under a garden dome that is closer to the cliff’s edge. They hop over the CAUTION railing and dash into the old rusty dome. They’re careful not to trample over daisies surrounding the stairs. It was made out of metal and silver, a gift to the first mayor of Newgrounds when the town was founded over a century ago. It’s seen three reconstructions in one hundred years, stripping it of rust and remodeling it to the image the founders intended. Regardless, rust and age return without fail. Another remodeling will soon be planned to hide its age, but it will be unmasked again in the future, and the cycle will repeat itself. Their helmets are placed on the soaked metal bench. The design is so bright, he wonders if it can be seen from Newgrounds. Darnell sits down, catching his breath, shivering at the water sticking to his butt. Pico cups his hands and shouts. Raindrops drip from their clothing like a leaking faucet. The dome gives the impression of a circular waterfall coming down from heaven, minus a small clearing that gives the perfect view of Newgrounds thanks to a protruding metal arrow that points north.

“WOOOO!” It comes back from the city, the trees, the sky, the stars, here on the cliffside. Pico’s pale eyes glow yellow as he stares at Newgrounds from afar. From here, the city is a petite Christmas decoration. Its lights illuminate the darkness in his mind and form twisted shadows in places he’d never think to look. Pine trees swaying in the wind give barely any protection from the downpour, but the taste of their sap reaches the lover’s tongues. The damp ground exposes the earth’s scent to civilization once again. Mud, grass, flowers, pinecones, all work in tandem to bring Pico to a calm state of mind. The rain is too loud to tear his thoughts from Darnell. Darnell, the fire that ignites passion, the only flame he’d reach out and risk holding close. “I can’t believe I’ve never been here!” Pico shouts over the torrential rain.

“Now you have, bozo! Ain’t it cool?!”

“Fuck yes!” Pico twirls around, taking in the sights and smells. He trips on his own foot and falls into Darnell’s arms, who reacts quickly enough to stand up and catch him. The raindrops cannot hide his blush. He brushes the water off of Darnell’s face with his gloves. His cheeks, Pico notes, warm his hands underneath the fabric. The fire in his eyes keeps his body warm.

“You asked why I love ya.” Darnell snakes his arms around Pico’s chest. Pico can barely keep his breathing steady once Darnell locks his hands together, trapping Pico. Each word pouring out of Darnell’s mouth, down to the syllable, rubs on his lips like a kiss. The ruthless bounty hunter crumbles and burns when Darnell plants a kiss on his forehead, which he can feel even after his lips depart. Pico whines, submits himself. He dares not touch it, fearing the black lipstick would then run down his face and ruin such a gift. The rain patters above, muffled by Darnell’s words. “I be seein’ an answer written on your face. Should look in the mirror more and see the man I’m seein’.” Another kiss. The two lingering kisses massage his mind. Pico’s breathing becomes erratic. “You’ve never been, and never will be, Cass’ mutt. She’s not who you are. You’re the one who ran on hellfire and came back swingin’. You’ve grown so much. And her?” Darnell lets out a heavy sigh. He looks away from Pico momentarily, then focuses his gaze back on him to keep him entranced. Receiving any sort of acknowledgement hits Pico where it hurts–the heart. He fights back tears, lips quivering. “Got all the qualities I love, too. Total bitch who never stops for nobody. Tough. Strong. Cute.”

“My father would be disappointed.” Pico mumbles with bright red cheeks. Darnell shakes his head.

“Tsk, tsk. We don’t care what he thinks in this house. I had no idea where to go, or who to trust, and you took my hand anyway like we never stopped seein’ each other. Saved me about as many times as I saved you. Ain’t nobody able to keep up with me but you. That’s besides the point. Look, Pico, you could be none of these things, you could still be that damned nerdy runt with glasses and braces who decided to book it to college, and I’d still sneak into your dorm and count stars on your face.”

“Why?”

“When I say I love you, I mean I love you . Not the bullshit you think you need to be. You .” The knot keeping Pico calm, collected, unwavering, snaps. You–the sharpened word was strong enough to cut deep into his soul. His duel against his pent up emotions has at last ended. Pico lets go of Darnell, slumps down to the ground, fists clenched. He trembles, and it isn’t from the cold. It begins to rain inside the garden dome.

“Me.” Pico chokes on the word as tears fall. Darnell sits back down, this time on the metallic floor, with his legs outstretched. He pats his thigh and softly smiles at Pico, who understands immediately what is being offered, and crawls over like a sick dog and lays his head on Darnell’s lap. “Darnie…”

“It’s all good. No one’s gonna hear you here.” The haunting flames Darnell sought to push back are quenched. Pico twitches in his grasp. His assurance washes over Pico, who curls up and bawls like a child. Not a soul is able to hear his cries over the fury of the rain except his boyfriend.

[ceasarslegion]

Not to keep talking about my new job but. Its insane how the concept of money and how much you have gets warped when youre used to scraping by. Going from starving college student working 2 jobs to pay for Toronto cost of living for 4 years to minimum wage for almost a year to suddenly shooting up into benefits, a union, paid vacation, and a 60k a year salary with guaranteed raises every year based on job performance is kind of messing with my head as i look for my next apartment.

I can... i can get the good ones now, the spacious ones with the balcony and the separate bedroom. I can get those units in the buildings with pools and gyms and attached convenience stores. I can get a car, and it doesn't have to be used. I want one of those hybrids from Nissan. A bit of saving and I can just get a Nissan hybrid if I want it. That is an achievable goal that wouldn't leave me in crippling debt for the rest of my life. I don't have to live with anybody if I don't want to. I can get the good steak at the grocery store instead of asking if they have anything discounted that i can freeze. And I'll still have more savings left over from all that every month than my entire take home paycheques before. And I straight up don't believe it

I only see the numbers and start coughing and gagging. I've never spent THAT much money in one month in my entire life, and I was raised in what's basically THE wealth-flaunting nation. I've never held that much money in my hand before. You gotta remember that my parents are schoolteachers; we were comfortable but we werent rich by a long shot. I can't comprehend the amount im going to have as one person, nor can i comprehend that ill have sizable savings after the fact.

And the thing is, thats not even that much. That's not enough to buy a house with anymore. That's not enough to raise kids with if I wanted them. That's enough for a one bedroom apartment with a balcony in a nice building in the good part of town with a car i wouldnt have to worry about breaking down on me. And that still seems like luxury after 5 years of scraping and clawing and surviving on great value brand spaghetti.

[treason-and-plot]

Anya tells Phoebe on the phone that Roy has gone to the gym and is then going to take his kids somewhere, so they will have the apartment to themselves for a few hours. She also slyly tells her she’s making waffles. A navigation app would advise that it is a fifteen minute walk between the art gallery and Roy’s building but Phoebe manages it in under ten. The building is a well-known landmark, art deco in style and clad in brown granite, white marble, bronze and glass. Phoebe strides across the cool marble foyer and presses the buzzer for the penthouse on the 25th floor. Anya’s voice floats across the hushed and rarefied air to tell her to come straight up, the front door will be open. A warm sweet toasty smell greets Phoebe as soon as she exits the elevator. She walks through the open door of the apartment to find Anya in the kitchen in her underwear, balancing a plate of waffles in her hand.

“I hope you’re hungry,” Anya starts to say, but Phoebe’s attention has been captured by the view. She slides open the heavy glass doors and steps blinking onto the balcony, soaking in the sunshine strobing off the surrounding buildings. She feels like she can reach up and touch the sky. She stays out here for several minutes. When she goes back inside Anya has placed her plate of waffles on a small table next to the window. Phoebe sits down and sighs.

“I’m so depressed,” she says. “Damn, Anya. That view.”

“You can literally see all the way to Riverview,” says Anya.

“Can you imagine standing out there and watching the fireworks on New Year’s’ Eve?”

“Right?” says Anya. “There’s a spa pool too. I’ll show you as soon as we’ve finished eating.”

“So what’s your amazing news?” says Phoebe after she’s disconsolately swallowed several buttery forkfuls of strawberry-topped waffle. “If he’s asked you to marry him I don’t want to know. It’ll make me lose my appetite.”

“As if, Feeb,” says Anya. “I’ve only known him for three weeks. “

“Nothing would surprise me where he's concerned. So what is it?”

Anya coyly drops her gaze to her plate, smiling as she cuts off a corner of her waffle.

“You know how he moved back into the family home after his wife had her breakdown?” she says. ”Well, he asked me if I’d like to move in here. Into the apartment.”

“Are you kidding me?” says Phoebe. “You’re finally going to cut those apron strings? Oh my God, babe! Praise be! Halle-fucking-lujah!”

[petri808]

Day 11 @flufftober “sweet tooth” TakaRitsu . Just tooth ache fluff kind of Drabble.

It’s their first vacation trip as a married couple, and Masamune wants to make it so memorable, that his husband will always remember the time they spent together. Of course, in Japan it’s not a legal marriage, but now that Ritsu is added to his family registrar, Ritsu Onodera is now legally, Ritsu Takano… Oof, just thinking about it still gives Masamune goosebumps. Everything they’ve gone through to get to this point is in the past, and now their future is looking bright. Two successful men in the publishing world, who will one day take over Onodera Publishing, but for today, all that awaits is sand, sea, and a little paddle boarding in Anaeho’omalu Bay in Waikoloa, Hawaii.

The six day, five night honeymoon trip is a collective gift from both sets of parents to give the young couple a little relaxation before starting their fresh beginning. Many tourists choose Oahu island because of it’s wider array of things to do, but considering Ritsu and Masamune come from he city, a city vacation is a the least enticing idea. Therefore, Waikoloa on the west side of the Big Island of Hawaii was chosen for it’s warm climate, and natural beauty— A place where life moves at a relaxing, slower pace that ebbs and flows like the waves on the islands sandy shores.

At the Waikoloa Marriott, Masamune and Ritsu are checked into an oceanside suite on the top floor that overlooks Anaeho’omalu Bay. It’s a pretty typical hotel with it’s pool, bar, restaurant, a salon and small gym, but what makes it special is it’s ties to the local culture. In ancient Hawaii, the local islanders would use the natural landscape of some bays to create what is referred to today as aquaculture ponds and fisheries. By adding rocks and wooden slatted gates, they would entice young fish to swim through the gate by providing abundant food sources, so by the time they try to leave, they’re too big to get through the slats anymore. The shoreline of the hotel features a renovated pond so tourists can see this amazing technique up close. It then stretches out into a mile or so long white sand beach where vendors rent out surfboards, kayaks, and paddle boards.

Around 4 pm, Masamune convinces Ritsu to go out with him on a tandem paddle board as long as he can sit while Masamune does all the paddling for them. It’s September, so the air is still fairly warm despite moving towards autumn. Plus, they didn’t plan to stay out too long.

“The sunset will look the same whether from our balcony or the beach, so I don’t understand why you want to be on a board in the middle of the bay.” Ritsu complains.

“Well,” Masamune counters, “the balcony is not really romantic and the beach has other people. This way, we can relax without distractions.”

“Guess that’s true” Ritsu relents as he sits down in the center of the board.

After kissing his husbands forehead, Masamune stands up and pushes away from the sand with the help of the vendor staff. Thankfully, the weather is on their side with very little wind to stir up the waves. For about twenty or thirty minutes, he paddles against the tide to get them past the break-point in the waves maybe two-hundred yards off-shore. It may not seem so far when you’re just looking out over the water, but when the waves are working against you, and you’re trying hard not to lose balance, it takes time to travel such a distance. But finally, they reach a point where it feels like the tide is no longer pulling too strongly and they can relax, just floating and bobbing surrounded by the deep blue sea. Masamune sits down behind with Ritsu between his stretched out legs, then passes the paddle forward to Ritsu to hold in front of them.

“What do you think?” Masamune asks Ritsu as he wraps his arms around the man. “Isn’t it so much more relaxing like this?”

Ritsu shifts back against his husbands chest. “Okay, I’ll admit it kind of is… Even the way the water is shimmering from the sunset is cool.”

Masamune sighs happily in his contented win. “Boy, the pictures of Hawaii’s sunsets don’t do it enough justice. They’re mostly red and oranges in the photos, but who knew they came with pinks and purples too!”

“I can imagine some of my clients immediately seeing these sunsets and breaking out their colored pens,” Ritsu chuckles and sighs too with a smile. “They’d look amazing with watercolors.” He turns his head so he can see Masamune better. “Thank you for bringing me out here.”

Over the gentle pitter-patter sounds of the water lapping against the fiberglass board, light whooshing of the trade winds, and occasional seabirds flying above, a sense of pure euphoria drowns out the conch shells roar in their ears. There’s a crinkling and tinge of moist shine in Masamune’s eyes as he smiles and leans in, placing a pressure-laden, long-lasting kiss on his husbands lips. “No,” his voice grows fervent, “thank you, for being here with me.”

What a perfect way to end their day.

[luxssim]

https://www.patreon.com/posts/view-estate-by-75483172The View Estate by Luxssim

Hello All, I am so happy to finally bring you this new build and I hope you like it as much as I do. I have been wanting to create my version ever since I saw this home on Instagram for sale. Based off the real 'The View Estate' in Trousdale 90210 currently for sale for $88,000,000, Now you can enjoy the build in 'The Sims' with The View Estate By Luxssim. With 5 Bedrooms including grand master with balcony, large walk-in-robe and beautiful bathroom, plus Office, 6 Car Garage, Multiple Seating Areas, Modern Kitchen & Butlers + Bar, Elevator, Gym with Indoor Spa & Sauna + Massage Room. Large Indoor Cinema, Outdoor Infinity pool and panoramic views over Del Sol Valley. Your Sim Family will love it! Paid Content you will need to download for an exact replication: - Cars by Sims4_Cars_Breezemotors [X][X][X][X] & Porsche 911 Speedster Important Note: -This Build is placed on 50x40 lot in Del Sol Valley - Before placing lot ensure 'bb.moveobjects on' cheat is turned on first - If floor or wall tiles do not show for you please re-install here [X] - Ensure your game is up to date with all the latest batch fixes DOWNLOAD HERE Follow me on Instagram   A big thankyou to all the CC Creators. Enjoy! Luxssim

[lorifragolina]

Sweet Pies

Seventh entry for Mungrove Summer Bingo 2023 prompt: C1 Outdoor concert

@mungrovebingos

Four rings and a last concert

Eddie Munson looked through the curtains at the side of the stage.

Gareth Emerson was at his side. He was paler than usual, and sweaty.

“Do you think it’s the right thing?”

Eddie turned to Gareth, smiling to who despite all, was still his best friend.

“Of course. 100%. The best thing”.

Gareth sighted, not persuaded.

All started, and in some way finished, a week ago at the mansion in Montecito.

Eddie, Billy and Steve just confessed to each other they were in love, and that they wanted to be boyfriends, and also confessed to the band they were the three together and the photos a gossip magazine published lately weren’t a problem for them.

It was a little weird but they didn’t mind, on the contrary they were relieved because they wouldn’t have problems working with Steve and his series. Gareth even asked him to sign his book.

They had a little party after the dinner, to celebrate they finished their work and they had only another gig to go before some well deserved time off.

Eddie sometimes looked at Gareth and Martha, his girlfriend, because he overheard some calls between them and was a little concerned; they were a little distant, it seemed to him, during the dinner. He was just looking at them when Gareth called for their attention touching the glass with a knife.

“Friends, could you please take a drink?” Fred gave a soda to his children, and Martha took another for herself. Eddie poured three whisky shots.

Gareth looked at Martha and smiled. “Well, Martha and I… we are expecting!” he blushed really a lot, and Martha started crying and everything they tried to say after that was covered by their absolute roar of happiness.

What Eddie overheard were in fact concerned calls, because they had a miscarriage the last year, that they didn’t tell anyone, and while Gareth was at the mansion, they were waiting for the analytics Martha took. Finally everything was sorted good, she reported personally at the mansion, they are finally pregnant and not with only one, but with two big and healthy babies.

Eddie had to comfort Billy, who was weeping, and he couldn't completely process the fact that Gareth wanted to take some time from Corroded Coffin to focus on his family.

“What news” smiled Billy, when they returned to Eddie's room, still shaken and excited.

“Indeed” said Eddie, laconically, going to the balcony to light a cigar.

“It’s all ok, Eddie?” said Steve, taking off his shirt.

“Are you worried for the band?” insisted Billy too.

Eddie smoked a little, quietly. The pool was surrounded with lights, he could see the moon and smell the summer in the air.

“Eddie?” Steve came out on the balcony. He wore only his underwear, his skin was covered in sweet moles and his skin was lightly gold, shimmering. Eddie looked at him, he was so happy and joyful and felt the warmth of his skin.

“It’s all right, yes” he smiled, throwing away the cig. “I’m going to buy this place” he added, coming into the bedroom.

“What?” said Billy. “It would cost a fuckilion, Eddie!”

Eddie laughed. “Well, maybe a similar place is a little less expensive. But I want to buy a house here. I really want”.

“Are you sure? What happened?”

“Well… I have money. And I… we can stay here together. I mean…I can build a studio here, and a gym for Billy, and… well, whatever Steve does”.

Steve opened his eyes and snorted. “I write, Eddie. I’m a writer. I write”

“Oh yes? Ok, whatever…” Steve threw a pillow against him. “There is a little outbuilding where you can stay away from our chaos”

Eddie looked away, lying on the bed.” I… I am happy, really. I want to be happy forever”

Billy lied down at his side. “And you think you can be happy buying this place?” he laughed.

“Maybe” Eddie smiled. Steve took the other side. “And if it won’t work, at least I’d fuck you two in the pool”.

Steve laughed in return, and tickled him, then sat on top of him and kissed him deeply.

And now, they were there, side to side, backstage, in a big stage in Central Park, New York, for the last concert they would do together for a large amount of time.

“You can tell me the truth, Eddie, are you really fine with this?”

“Gareth, it couldn’t be in a better moment. We just released the album, we finished the jingles and the soundtrack, and I think you can come to the studio sometimes if we need you. We also just finished the tour… don’t worry. It’s the right thing, absolutely”.

Gareth smiled shyly. He took a little box from his pocket, stroking it with his thumb.

“What if I am a bad father? Or if I couldn’t be a good… husband?” he was shivering a little, opening the box, and Eddie thought he needed to calm down to play in a few minutes. He already saw Gareth scared, in their first concerts for example, but never scared to death like in that moment.

“Gareth, you’re simply as good, I promise you. You just have to try, it’s what all us do, and you’re good. Don’t be scared now, it is nonsense”.

Gareth let go a little whine. “What if I ruined everyone’s life?”

“And what if you don’t? Come on, Gareth…” Eddie hugged him lightly and looked him in the eyes. “You can count on me and I… I am scared too, you know”.

Gareth smiled and shook his head. “For the rings? Don’t be silly, you have never to be scared of”.

When they returned from Montecito, Gareth called Eddie one morning. He asked him to join him for a coffee and Eddie knew it was strange.

Gareth asked him to go with him to buy a ring for Martha. They talked about marriage before, and the two agreed it was not a priority for the moment. But now, with two babies on the way, Gareth wanted to give Martha a present, a real ring and a wedding to give her peace and safety.

“This one is really you” Eddie pointed to a red gold ring with a dark yellow stone, with a lilac accent. “It really recalls your eyes”.

“Oh, you’re being really romantic, aren’t you?” Gareth smiled and looked him in the eyes, then took the ring and looked it near.

“Now the girl will think we are boyfriends” Gareth whispered and giggled silly.

“Yeah…” Eddie answered a little absent minded. His look was captured by a display with simpler and more masculine rings.

“I’ll take this” insisted Gareth. He paid, but Eddie still stared at those rings.

“Eddie?”

“What if… what if I buy those rings?” he pointed to a wide white gold band with black enamel hints, matte, and a little stone of yellow gold in the center.

“For…”

Eddie nodded. “For… for them both. Maybe it’s too soon?” he looked at Gareth, and he saw, maybe for the first time, a real struggle in Eddie’s face.

“Why not?”

“I… I love Billy and I love Steve, but I met him a really little time ago, but…”

“What do you think if you imagine giving them a ring?”

Eddie smiled and seemed lightened a little. “I imagine myself really happy…”

“Eddie, you found two people that see the life just as you see it… what makes you happy make them happy and you all have the same idea about the relationship, and it’s so rare… throw yourself”

Eddie nodded. They both left something to engrave on the rings and Gareth explained his idea for the proposal to Eddie, who happily agreed.

“You can’t be scared of the rings, they will faint for happiness”.

Eddie nodded. “Yes, but it’s not for this,” Eddie sighed. “I made an offer for a mansion in Montecito,” he confessed. Gareth cursed a little.

“What?” was the only thing he could say.

Eddie nodded again. - I wanted a house, and I made an offer. It’s almost all my money, and if something goes wrong I will be homeless and broke-.

“Wow” said Gareth, and “Wow” again, after a while. “With… Billy and Steve?”

“I would live with them, yes, but the house would be mine… I never had a place of mine before” .

“Yes. I am sure all will go right, you can always count on me” smiled Gareth, and now he didn’t feel so scared anymore.

When they came out on the stage, Eddie tried to find Billy and Steve in the crowd, but it was quite impossible. He offered them the VIP zone but they preferred to have a picnic and a rest in the park trying to maintain a low profile. He hoped they were in the crowd hand in hand, and kissing while he was singing. He tried to put all the love he felt in his performance.

When they unexpectedly announced that that would be the last concert in a while, the crowd exploded and people got closer and more moved, screaming and singing the songs and dancing and cheering.

Near the end of the show, he presented his bandmates and they went out together. After a little while, Eddie came out again with an acoustic guitar and a stool, and the crowd gasped and rumbled in waiting.

Eddie took the mic.

“Well, my friends, today is a really unique day. We announced we will get a pause from live concerts, and I think now you expect our encore with our classic tracks that we love dearly. But today is special” Eddie's voice shivered, and he took a breath, he was really, really moved himself “and I want to call on the stage my best friend, you know, Gareth Emerson, my brother. Come on, come here, Gareth!”.

The crowd started to call Gareth loudly, and the drummer came to the stage with a nervous smile and completely red.

Eddie hugged him, and looked with the corner of the eye to the VIP zone, where Martha was just as curious as the others. Jeff went to her and took her hand driving her to the ladder of the stage, and she giggled and went to the stage covering her face, with her little baby bum visible under her Corroded Coffin crop top. The silence of the crowd was tangible.

Eddie sat and started strumming softly on the guitar.

“Come on, Gareth” he whispered, far from the mic. Gareth nodded, touching his back pocket. He tried to talk to the mic and his voice was uncertain and thin.

“Well, Martha, Eddie helped me do this thing, so please don’t be mad at me” and then people laughed and he gained confidence. “Everybody, she is Martha, my girlfriend, Martha, please, come nearer”

Jeff pushed a little Martha and then went away.

“How’d you do, darling?” said Eddie, distracting her. She giggled and said something, and in that moment Gareth took the ring box from his pocket and said in the mic: “Marta, do you want to marry me?” and then knelt in front of her.

The crowd went crazy, Eddie didn’t feel ashamed for the tears he was crying, and Martha was speechless hiding her face in her hands.

Gareth opened the box and handed it to Martha. He was smiling silly and a little nervous.

Martha nodded, at first just a little, then more convinced. “Yes, yes!” she cried at last.

Gareth put the ring on her finger and then they hugged and kissed.

“She said yes,” said Eddie from his corner, and everybody laughed, breaking the tension. Gareth took Martha’s hand and showed it to the crowd, clapping, screamed and whistled, completely happy.

Eddie kept playing during all the show, and when Gareth and Martha went away, he announced the last song, a new ballad he secretly wrote in the last two weeks, that he called "Sweet pies”.

“This song is… for somebody out there. You completely changed my life and you gave me the sweetness I didn’t know I needed, " he said, his voice trembling.

He wasn’t used to writing love songs, but he sang with his heart in his lips and, again, searching in the crowd his two boyfriends, while he was feeling his own box in his own back pocket, like it was vibrating.

He went down from the backstage, some fans were there and he signed a couple of autographs, then two special fans reached him, holding their hands, one with a baseball hat and mirror glasses, wearing a really hot pants and a crop top and another with an oversize Corroded Coffin sleeveless shirt and a little red sunburnt in all his uncovered skin, and no sunglasses.

“The joy of being a writer, nobody knows your face” said Steve, pointing to his burned skin.

“I told you to use sunscreen, I even offered to spread it on you”.

Steve kissed Billy sweetly, then smiled at Eddie who was looking at them with sparkling eyes.

“Come here” said him, taking the hands of both into the backstage again, where they were alone.

Billy took off hat and glasses and immediately clung to Eddie, kissing him hungrily. Steve came in turn and they stayed a long moment kissing and touching ferally.

“That song was beautiful” whispered Billy, trying to take off Eddie's shirt while Steve was busy with his pants. “Awesome,” added Steve.

“Wait a minute, guys, wait” Eddie tried to stop them, that was really strange, and both looked at him with a concerned glance.

“Let me say a thing first” Eddie put a hand on his back pocket. - Did you say what Gareth did, right?”

They nodded. “Oh, it was really, really sweet,” said Billy, drying his eyes. Eddie knew that things could only get worse and wetter.

“Yeah” continued Eddie. “And I think…” he took the box and showed it to the other two “although we can’t properly marry, I think, for now… I wanted to give you something…” he opened the box and they saw the three identical rings, in a red velvet fabric, shining quietly in Eddie’s hand.

“Oh my god” said Billy, weeping again, to no one’s surprise. “Oh my god, is it real?” he looked at Eddie, and then at Steve, who was speechless for once, processing and realizing things.

“Eddie…” he said carefully, looking at the rings. “You really want… we… we know for a little time…”

“Yes, I know, but… but I feel this is the moment. With you both. I… I love you. Really. I want to…” he couldn’t find the words.

“Yes” said Billy, smiling and crying and shivering. “Yes. Yes!”

Steve nodded too, he was so overwhelmed his voice was dull in his throat.

Eddie took a ring and put it at Billy’s finger, then at Steve’s. He put his ring to himself and they hugged together feeling it was indeed the right moment and the right place.

Then Eddie slipped his hands under Billy’s top, and he rapidly dried his face and put a sly smile on it.

Steve came back to Eddie’s pants, and after a while he dropped to his knees, maybe it wasn’t him who had to kneel for the proposal, but nobody complained.

Eddie leaned against a table and grabbed his hair with his now engaged hand.

He engraved E, B, S, in each ring, and it was really all they needed, now and forever.