#Eva keeps blushing.. and blushing.. and blushing some more...

[darkficsyouneveraskedfor]

A Man Called Danger 2

No tag lists. Do not send asks or DMs about updates. Review my pinned post for guidelines, masterlist, etc.

Warnings: this fic will include dark content such as noncon/dubcon, violence, and possible untagged elements. My warnings are not exhaustive, enter at your own risk.

This is a dark!fic and explicit. 18+ only. Your media consumption is your own responsibility. Warnings have been given. DO NOT PROCEED if these matters upset you.

Summary: You avoid drama, you avoid confrontation, and overall, you avoid men. But some men can’t be denied. ~ short!late 30s reader

Characters: biker!Bucky Barnes

Note: I have no chill.

As per usual, I humbly request your thoughts! Reblogs are always appreciated and welcomed, not only do I see them easier but it lets other people see my work. I will do my best to answer all I can. I’m trying to get better at keeping up so thanks everyone for staying with me.

Your feedback will help in this and future works (and WiPs, I haven’t forgotten those!) Please do not just put ‘more’. I will block you.

I love you all immensely. Take care. 💖

The morning comes too soon as you toss and turn through the night. You drag yourself out of bed and wrap yourself in your housecoat before braving the cold floors of the house. It isn’t a big place but it traps draughts like a tundra cavern.

You put on a pot of coffee to brew and go through your typical routine. That day is different as you listen for Eva. You told yourself last night, you’re going to lay off. You’re going to let her figure herself out.

As you take a jar of prepared overnight oats out of the fridge and fish out a protein bar for the mid-afternoon, you hear your sister sniff. She yawns as she enters. To your surprise and relief, she dressed, presentably so. She leans on the other side of the counter and flicks her lashes.

“Coffee?” She asks, sounding only a bit desperate.

“Some left,” you confirm.

She grumbles and comes around to get her own mug and pours with another yawn. You could say it. I told you so. I told you not to stay out late for your first day. At least she’s awake.

“Good luck,” you say as you zip up your small lunch bag.

“Right,” she turns and leans on the granite and blows over the mug. You peek over your shoulder as she narrows her eyes. “How did you find me last night?”

You withhold a sigh. You don’t want to argue. You don’t need her walking into her first day in a mood.

“Eva, we can talk later.”

She’s quiet, “really? You’re tracking me?”

You grab your mug, “I really need to get ready.”

“Sure,” she scoffs.

Silence roils and you make yourself face her. “I deleted it last night, okay? I meant it. You’re an adult. You’re going to do what you’re going to do.”

“You still did that,” she says.

“I did and I’m sorry,” you admit. “I won’t make excuses. We can’t keep doing this.” You chew your lip and tap your fingers on the porcelain cup, “I just hope this works out. It’ll be nice for you to have some extra cash.”

“Sure,” she shrugs.

You leave it. She’s going to simmer for a while. In her shoes, you would too. You take your coffee into the bathroom and put it on the counter. As you open the mirror to grab your face cleanser, you wince. You blow through your lips as you shut the reflective door.

You put the bottle down and untie your house coat. You roll up your camisole and cringe. You gently touch the tender spot along your ribs. It's bruised pretty good. The bone hurts too but you’re not too worried about a break.

You shudder and ignore the soreness as you go through the steps. Cleanse, moisturise, tone. Brush your teeth, figure out your hair. Then only a swipe of mascara, a tint of lip stain, and a subtle kiss from your blush stick. Natural but something. You were never one for the whole primer to highlighter parade.

You put on a striped blue blouse and a pair of grey herringbone pants. You spritz a bit of jasmine body spray over yourself then go to get your lunch and purse. You step into your leather loafers and shrug on your beige jacket.

“Eva, am I driving you?” You call down.

“Coming,” she scuffles around unseen before she appears.

If she isn’t in the best mood, she does look her best. She’s added a rosegold chain to her skirt and sweater combo, and a pair of slingback kitten heels, some earrings, and her face and hair are just perfectly done. Not too much, not too little. Her freckles peek through and give her a little extra character.

“Wow, you look nice,” you praise.

“Really? You look dead inside,” she snickers.

You’re relieved that she’s joking. You take it with a shrug, “Time of death, I’d say ten years ago.” She rolls her eyes, “you bring something to eat?”

“Nah, I looked up the place. It’s near Sage. I’ll go there.”

“Okay,” you accept. You’re not sure where she got the money to do so. You eat in chronically but she’s always out with her friends getting all the fancy lattes and fusions.

You head out, not used to the company. It's about time she got something going. She worked at the dentist office for a summer in high school but she hated her boss. You told her that she probably always will. Lord knows you’re no fan of yours.

“No pressure, but try to make this one work, Eva,” you say. “I called in a favour for it.”

“I know,” she snips. “You don’t need to remind me. I didn’t ask, you know?”

“I’m not—I just—I only want the best,” you resign. “I shouldn’t project. I know you will do wonderfully.”

She blows a raspberry, “alright, cheesy.”

You steer along the usual route. Her building is only a block from yours. You drop her off like you would outside school. Her teen years were rough. For you, but not her. After you left her with your mom, you made sure she got to graduation. You feel like you owe her so much more for abandoning her for so long. If you hadn’t though, would you be here? Would you be able to get her out at all?

You continue down to your office building. There’s a loud rumble behind you. A motorcycle. You hate the things. They remind you of someone you’d rather not think of. Not to mention they’re noisy and put out pollution like crazy.

You flip on your blinker as the early morning rider skims past you. Your parking past dangles from the rear view as you find a spot in the grid. You gather up your things and ready yourself for another day.

You march inside and opt for the stairs. You try to skip the elevator at least three times a week. Your job keeps you idle far too much. Even with a standing desk. As you climb, your breath picks up and the bruise on your side throbs. You should’ve popped some advil.

You get to your floor and get yourself set up. You raise the desk and straighten the standing mat. You sign into your station and start down the new list of orders. As you ease into the morning, others arrive and groggily do the same.

Your fingers skitter over the keyboard in a flurry. As you send another request to the mail dock, a shadow appears in your peripheral. Mr. Walker leans the corner of your desk. For a moment, you wonder if he has a brother or cousin that likes to troll the bars for young girls.

Your boss puts his other hand on his hip. Even with your desk raised, he dwarfs it with his size. You pause your typing and look at him.

“Morning, Mr. Walker,” you say.

“Morning,” he returns. “I didn’t even see you here, hiding.”

That’s the problem. Standing, sitting, no one notices you behind the double monitors.

“Big day, huh?” He asks.

You stare at him, confused for a moment.

“Yeah, Hansen was saying your sister starts today?”

“Right, uh, yeah,” you affirm. “Thanks, again. I really appreciated the referral.”

“You’re a hard worker,” he says.

“Thank you, sir.”

“Hansen is a bit of a hard ass. I should’ve warned you.” He adds.

You nearly blurt out your first thought; look who’s talking.

“I’m sure she’ll do fine, she is your sister,” he remarks as his fingers curl around the corner of the desk. “Really kind of you to take her in.”

You don’t think you’ve ever spoken so much to Walker. Not since you asked him to put in a good word for Eva. Even then, he kept to his short replies and grunts.

“She’s family,” you say.

“Sure, but... I don’t know. Thought you would already have one of those,” he replies. You tweak a brow. “Kids, husband? I always sort of assumed...”

“A woman my age, yeah.”

“I wouldn’t... no, not because of that, I just... you’re very responsible.”

“Thank you, sir,” you shift on your soles. “I was just getting started on that Lafayette order.”

“Mmmm,” he hums and tilts his head. He drags his hand down his tie. He’s a big man. Most people are compared to you but he’s gargantuan. “Always working hard.”

“Yes, sir,” you look at your screen and click on the spreadsheet, changing the cell colour of the last completed order.

“Let me know if there’s anything else you need from me,” he slaps the corner of your desk then struts off.

You stay focused on your screens. That was strange but you’re not stupid. He’s reminding you of his favour. He wants you to remember that you owe him. You’re sure you’ll be picking up overtime to pay him back.

Work rolls on. Dull, repetitive, but it pays the bills. You eat your oats at your desk as you make your way through the daily rota. You can’t help but notice Mr. Walker’s frequent trips to the break room. It tempts you to grab a coffee yourself as your eyes burn but you resist. You're trying to cut back on caffeine.

When the day ends, your protein bar sits beside the base of your monitor. You’re hungry but you can wait for supper. You sign off and lock your desk. You check your phone. No messages from Eva. Is that good or bad?

As you come into the overcast afternoon, the day weighs in your shoulders and hips. All day you can’t wait to be done but by the time you’re free, you’re exhausted. You dig out your keys and traipse along the row of bumpers to your car.

You hit the button to unlock the Honda and the roar of a motorcycle tears through the air. To your surprise, it only gets louder. You have the door open as its shadow rolls up behind your car. You throw your bags into the passenger seat and ignore it. That is until, the engine quiets and the steel beast doesn’t move from behind your vehicle.

Don’t tell me Eva hopped on someone’s bike. She would. A final act of rebellion before she surrenders to corporate purgatory. You look over, further disappointed by what really awaits you.

The man in leather undoes his helmet, vintage without a visor or anything. He tucks it under his arm and slides off his sunglasses. You recognise him. That’s not good.

His jacket is zipped to his chin but you’re certain that gold medallion hangs against his chest. It’s the same man as the night before. The one that was a little too late. How did he find you?

You shake your head and dip into the driver’s seat. Before you can close the door, his gloved hand is on it. He keeps it open as he steps up. You sigh.

“Sir, would you kindly move your bike?” You drone as you ram your keys into the ignition.

“Hey, doll, just wanna talk,” he says.

“I have somewhere to be,” you reach for the door and he steps closer, inserting himself so you couln’t close if you try.

You keep your eyes aimed at the windshield. Your other hand reaches for your purse. He clucks.

"Now, you don't gotta go calling anyone. Got a few buddies on the force I wouldn't mind catching up with but I'm being good," he steps back and shows his palms. "Just curious."

"I said I'm on my way somewhere--" you begin and grip the wheel.

"To get your daughter? You're a good mom--"

You stay silent. There's not much you can say that won't make this worse. It's none of your business. Piss off. A few choice epithets.

You search the brick wall ahead of you. Your heart beats faster and faster. No matter how you avoid men, they make themselves a problem.

You grab the shifter and crank it. You hit the gas and jerk backwards. You hit his bike and it crashes with a clatter. He let's go of the door as the door jars him.

"The fuck?" He exclaims.

You have just enough room to turn through the empty spot next to you. It's a deep spin of the wheel but you manage to redirect and roll past his bike.

As you swerve around and set the car straight, you glance over. He rubs his shoulder as he watches you, approaching his overturned bike with stunned steps. To your surprise, there's a big grin across his face.

Shit.

You stomp the pedal and tear out of the lot. You don't look as you turn into traffic and you squeeze the wheel until your knuckles hurt. What the fuck!

[yvesolace]

CULT LEADER - MOTHER MIRANDA

this one was a request and also my very first request! so im very excited about this :3 hope you enjoy @badwriter-official <3 word count 704. content warnings dom!miranda, sub!reader, mommy kink, praise kink, degradation kink, some choking, religious/cult themes, blasphemy, leash and collar, pet names, vaginal fingering, cunnilingus, dirty talk, miranda has a god complex, miranda pretty much uses the reader to get herself off, dumbfication? maybe, begging, church sex (mainly alter sex)

you don't know how you got here or how you got involved with the cult of eva but honestly? you're so fucking glad you did. you eat, sleep, live, and breathe her.. mother miranda- all knowing, the goddess sent from the heavens, your savior, the one you worship every waking day. you would do absolutely anything for her and she knows it. that is why you're on your knees licking your saviors beautifully puffy clit as she grips the leash she attached to your collar that reads 'little bird'. "mm.. that's right you're just mommy's little plaything, come on make mommy feel good." miranda hums to you, you've been on your knees for a bit and they're starting to bruise but anything for mother.. you keep giving her soft licks while you suck on her clit making her shiver above you. "mommy's close kitty... fuck." she whispers lowly while gripping your leash harder making you choke a bit, and with that you start to speed up, licking with more purpose like you're trying to finish a race while also being cautious. miranda starts grinding against your face until her sweet nectar comes out of her puffy cunt. you lap up her juices eagerly not wanting to waste a single drop of her honey.

she pulls you away wiping your bottom lip with her thumb and licks it, she hums at the taste of herself. you look up in awe humping the air, licking your goddess out always gets you so so excited, miranda notices this "is my little bird needy for mommy?" you nod so fast you felt like your head was going to fall off,, "yes mommy please! i need you so bad..." you say pathetically- "tell mommy what you want baby doll." she says smiling that gorgeous pearly white smile of hers with those sweet laugh lines you want to kiss oh so much. you start to blush "i.. i want your fingers are inside me.." you mumble but she heard you and oh it made her chest feel with pride knowing she has this affect on you- on everyone really but the thing is she doesn't care for you, she uses you to get herself off and you let her because you're blinded by her- by her power, her authority.

"come here." she demands pulling your collar and making you stand up, she leads you to the alter where she bends you over it, see how your dripping aching cunt clenches around nothing waiting for her to enter you. miranda slides her finger through your slit picking up your wetness and she slowly pushes her finger into your hole making you gasp at the feeling of her finally being inside of you. "m-more please mommy" she slides in another finger without saying anything. she just watches you move slightly under her touch, pushing your ass backwards trying to get her to move but she doesn't she stands there watching you fucking yourself on her fingers like the slut you are.

you moan when you feel her add two more fingers now with 4 fingers in you stretching you deliciously well you start pushing back harder trying to get more friction and miranda actually does start thrusting into you albeit at a slow pace but hard- curling her fingers at just the right spot, tickling your sponge cervix making you whimper and moan at finally getting what you wanted. "mmph.. fuc-fuck mommy. yes harder please." she does go harder as well as faster making your pussy stretch in just the right way, you start feeling lightheaded as your mouth hangs open drool pooling out of your mouth. "look at you, fucking drooling all over yourself like a dumb slut. that's what you are though isn't it? hm? you're mommy's little dumb slut?" you whine nodding, "y-yes i'm all yours mommy, all yours mother." she hums at your response, you start feeling your stomach tighten, you manage to mumble " 'm cl-close.." miranda picks up her speed slightly and once she starts lapping at your clit your hips buckle and you cum all over her fingers and down her forearm. you slump over drooling onto the alter "..good girl." she says sliding her fingers out of you and forcing them into your mouth making you taste yourself. you hum, "thank you mommy." she doesn't respond, she's already walking away out of the church, leaving you there in your own mess.

[bxnnywrites]

🖤 Killers Reacting to Nervous!Reader Holding Their Hand (Pt. 2) 🖤

AN :: Since my last one was well received, I decided to do another one as a quickie! I'm also testing out a new layout so lmk what you think!! Hope you guys enjoy <3

Characters :: Kazan Yamaoka (The Oni), Eva MacMillan (The Trapper), Frank Morrison (The Legion), Susie Lavoie (The Legion), Bubba Sawyer (The Cannibal), Ellen Ripley (Bonus!) Pt 1 Here [link]

༉ Kazan Yamaoka :: The Oni

[PT: Kazan Yamaoka: The Oni]

✴ He's surprised by it at first, your small hand in his giant one.

✴ It puts into perspective just how tiny you are compared to him, though these days it's rare for anyone to be bigger than he is.

✴ You're so small, so frail. It gives him a surge of protectiveness, the need to keep you safe.

✴ He leans over and brings the back of your hand to his lips, kissing it softly, gentlemanly.

✴ Fucking hell that makes you blush even more.

✴ He chuckles a bit, ruffling your hair with one hand. A small act of affection to let you know you're safe.

✴ He will keep you safe, no matter what.

༉ Evan MacMillan :: The Trapper

[PT: Evan Macmillan: The Trapper]

✴ Honestly? He's a bit nervous too.

✴ He won't admit that though, won't even show it. Him? Nervous over someone holding his hand? Nah, he would never.

✴ He squeezes your hand in return, pulling you just a bit closer, but doesn't have much immediate reaction to it.

✴ Absolute sap about it in private though, can't stop thinking about it. It was so simple but it reminded him that you loved him, only him.

✴ The next time you're together he takes the initiative and holds your hand first. Keeping you close to him to really let everyone know who you belong to.

✴ Fuckin dork.

༉ Frank Morrison :: The Legion

[PT: Frank Morrison: The Legion]

✴ Aw, lookit you! You're so nervous from just some hand holding.

✴ "You're damn cute when you blush like that, babe."

✴ You pout in return and he chuckles, pulling you a bit closer and kissing your forehead.

✴ "You're just provin' the point, y'know?"

✴ More pouting and he's grinning ear to ear, bastard that he is.

✴ But you suppose that's why you love him in the first place, cocky son of a bitch.

✴ Anyways, similar to Michael, his hand now. It shall be returned within 3-5 business days. Dw about it.

༉ Susie Lavoie :: The Legion

[PT: Susie Lavoie: The Legion]

✴ asdfghjkl;'

✴ Oh my god hand? Hand Holding???? You are Holding her Hand?????

✴ Screaming internally

✴ You're blushing so much oh fuck you're so cute you're so pretty

✴ What does she do oh shit fuck uuuuuuh

✴ Holds your hand tighter, trying not to implode from her own nervous wreck of emotions.

✴ Eventually, and very quickly, she kisses your cheek.

✴ Trying not to die from her own blushing and embarrassment.

✴ You give her hand an affirming squeeze, smiling at her, and she relaxes.

✴ God how did she get so lucky?

༉ Bubba :: The Cannibal

[PT: Bubba: The Cannibal]

✴ You...you're holding his hand?

✴ You're so gentle, your hands are so small, so soft.

✴ He could crush your hands if he wasn't careful, a similar worry to Michael's.

✴ But you were holding his hand!!! Your dainty little hand was in his!!!!

✴ It was a sign you loved him, really loved him!

✴ He starts giggling, he can't help himself. He doesn't even notice how nervous you are, consumed with his own delight.

✴ Pulls you into a really, really tight hug. One of the ones where you have to remind him to be gentle.

✴ He makes an apologetic noise and nuzzles his face into your hair, picking you up bridal style to hold you close.

✴ He's so happy you love him, he loves you just as much. He's so darn lucky to have you.

༉ BONUS :: Ellen Ripley

[PT: Bonus: Ellen Ripley]

AN 2: wifewifewifewifewifewifewife

✴ Damn that's sweet.

✴ Sweet like the feeling of fresh coffee in her veins, like hearing her cat purr against her chest.

✴ And you're so damn cute all nervous like this, it makes her heart sing.

✴ God she's so glad to be trapped in this hellhole with you.

✴ She kisses the back of your hand and runs her thumb over it gently, giving you this look that lets you know you mean the world to her.

✴ And you look at her the same way.

✴ Wordless but full of meaning in such a simple touch. Affection that goes beyond what words could describe.

✴ The other survivors are gagging from how sweet you two are.

Final Notes :: I'm a big butch lesbian so I added my Wife as a bonus because this was a bit of a sausage fest (besides Susie, perfect lil angel baby). It was weird writing romance for Susie tbh bc when I look at her I'm just like "Ah yes, my child." because whenever I play as her I get weirdly protective and if she gets palette stunned it becomes like, a personal offense. That's my fuckign niece dude!!!!! But I know some peeps would love to be romantic with her so I am here to provide. As is the authors duty. If you make it weird I'm shanking you behind a Wendy's.

Anyways, hope you enjoyed! Don't forget to rb and follow if you enjoyed!! <3

[shawsimmer]

hi! do you have any tips on how to make teenagers look like actual teenagers? venus looks so good!

hi!! so i don't use the preteen mod, but i do use the shortest height preset from this set by luumiasims. so far there really isn't a huge animation issue because her friends are using the same preset and other animations with adults/kids (like hugging) don't look that bad. however, i'm noticing that there are some clipping issues when trying to pose her, though. i hate how teens are the same height as adults and i really wanted to play out the preteen/early teen life stage with the girls. other than the height preset, i think i just made her eyes bigger and cheeks fuller. i think adding blush and braces also make her look younger. i try to use hairstyles and accessories that look "younger", but tbh i'm having a hard time finding clothes for her atm. here's a photo to show what the shortest height preset looks like standing next to an adult and a child. i hope this was helpful!

more asks under the cut!!

byeee this is so funny. i forget i never really posted the beginning parts of this save so not many know the lore of these three. oh god, i'm gonna yap for a bit. short story of their relationship is eva & kato got together in their early 20s and were going to have a son named saturn, but sadly eva had pregnancy complications and they lost the baby. unfortunately, it made things really difficult in their relationship and they decided to break up. during their time apart, eva meets judah and falls in love, but she ends up cheating on him multiple times with kato (even the night before she got married to judah ) and they literally wouldn't stay away from each other. years later after both girls were born, she confesses to judah and they take time apart. i know what you are probably thinking, how tf does this end in the big happy family we have now? eva basically made it known that kato is her soulmate and she could never really be done with him. they would have never broken up if not for the loss of their son, but she was also so in love with judah and the family they had created together. she proposed the throuple idea (lmao the audacity) and both kato and judah were veryyyy hesitant, but ultimately, they both loved her so much that they decided being with her was worth it. at first, they decided to just move in together and kept their relationships with eva separate. ngl it was such a weird and tense time in my game and they would constantly get jealous/upset with each other. i ended up using a mod allowing more than one partner and things settled down. after some time living together the guys realized they actually fw each other and they were lowkey bestiess. they have been together #challengers style a few times, but they usually tend to be romantic with eva separately. i know it's a weird situation, but now i'm happy with how things turned out. no one holds any ill feelings towards each other and all three of them just really enjoy doing life together and parenting the girls the best they can. there's soo much more to it, but i tried to keep it as short as i could lol.

totally!! you don't have to credit me, but i would like to seee

hmm i'm not really sure. i normally label my sims as maxis-mix. maybe more alpha? i think i prefer alpha skin details and clothes over mm. my build/buy cc is a good mix. it's nice not having to force myself into one style

ty :)) i don't really play legacy challenges. having rules sometimes ruins the gameplay for me, though i do think they are super useful when it comes to using/playing with certain features of packs that i wouldn't mess with otherwise. i tried nsb 2.0, but i'm still on gen one lmao. sorry i don't really have any to recommend.

hi!! it's actually really easy if you have sims4studio and a photo editing software. i use photoshop. first i find either a painting or photo frame that i like, then i export the diffuse map in s4s. i take the png file and basically paste my photos on top of whatever was in the frame (in photoshop) and then i import it back into s4s & save. if you want an in-depth tutorial i could definitely make one, but there are also a lot of great ones here on tumblr and youtube.

had to ask my bf about this lol. i have 0 idea what any of this means:

cpu: amd ryzen 5 3600, ram: 16gb ddr4, gpu: rtx 3060, 1tb m.2 nvme ssd (x2), motherboard: asus prime b550-plus, 650w power supply

i think i've had this account since 2018, but i didn't start to really use it until around 2022. i was suuuuper involved in the simsta community at the time. i was always kind of intimidated by tumblr (and the people here) and didn't really know how to use it. now that just seems funny.

well, first i think i should mention that i absolutely do get bored and experience burn out. sometimes i don't touch the game for months. i feel like this is common and i know a lot of my friends experience it too, so don't feel bad about it.

not sure how great my cas advice is considering i feel like i make the same sim over and over, but one thing that helps me keep things fresh is using cc, presets, and aesthetics that i don't normally use. i find myself using the same skin details a lot and things can get boring. use that hair that you never touch, try out different aesthetics, mix and match different skin details together, utilize different sliders, pick a fun hair color, try different makeup styles!

when it comes to keeping gameplay interesting, my advice is to try not to micromanage everything. i knowww it can be difficult, especially if you have a certain storyline in your head, but i feel like if you control every little thing, it's easy to lose steam and things can get boring or unenjoyable fast. it's really fun to let your sims tell their own story and it keeps you guessing what will happen next, especially when they decide to do things you wouldn't normally choose for them. for example, when eva had her pregnancy complications it took everything in me not to cheat it away, but some of my sims wouldn't even have been born had i not let things play out. another example is when she decided to be unfaithful. it's not something i'd normally want my sims to do, but it created a whole different story that has been so interesting to play. also let your sims have flaws! not everyone is a saint. let them be mean, let them fail, and let them develop their own personalities as you play. i pay attention to their whims and choose to do the things they want. when my sims age up, i like to use the randomizer on their traits and pretend it's fate. now this isn't to say i don't have some storylines or things that i'd like them to do planned out, i just wouldn't recommend planning their entire life out all at once, you know? but this is what keeps things interesting for me, it may not be for everyone :)

as for the right time to take screenshots, it depends on your personal preference and what you want photographed. i personally take screenshots of my sims doing everything so much that i feel like a proud parent. every once in a while, i go through my screenshot folder from the beginning of my save and watch everything back like a movie :'). when it comes to actually posing my sims for a screenshot, i like to keep it to a minimum because setting everything up can sometimes take me out of gameplay mode lol. i really only pose them when i want to take photos to decorate their home or if there's a pose i really want to use to tell a story.

hi!! this is so nice :')) thank you!

i don't really have anything specific when it comes to posting on tumblr, other than using hashtags that help others see your posts. i don't care about numbers or anything like that. i post whenever i want, sometimes multiple times a day and sometimes once a month. i feel like as long as you are posting what you love, the right audience/community will find you. definitely interact with people in the community! there's so many creative people here that inspire me all the time. if you have specific questions about how to put sims up for download (like exporting their files) or anything like that, feel free to dm me! i'm happy to help. :)

ooo okay, so presets help a ton. northernsiberiawinds has some head presets and i use #8 all the time and it gives the head a narrower shape. here is a gif showing how i use sliders to pull the face down because i honestly don't know how to explain it in words and figured a visual would be of more help anyway. hope this helps! <3

[doc-pickles]

sent to save me | sidney crosby (ch 7)

series masterlist

summary: vivie’s birthday party!

warnings: a little angst hehehe

notes: have fuuuuun!

xoxo

nina

“Mr. Sid! You’re here!”

Sid has barely walked through the door of Annie’s house before Vivie was in front of him. A braid twisted with pink ribbon adorns her golden curls, matching the pale pink dress that has glitter and flowers all over it.

“I am, couldn’t miss your party,” Sid grinned as Vivie hugged his legs. “I even wore my nicest shirt.”

Vivie examines the dark blue button down before nodding and dragging Sid further into the house. Geno and Anna are already standing in the kitchen, talking with another set of parents who are holding an infant not much bigger than Eva. There’s some more parents mixed in with the kids that are running around their feet and Sidney suddenly feels very out of place.

“Hey stranger,” Annie’s voice is a welcome reprieve as Sidney turns to her, his breath catching in his throat. She’s dressed in a simple light blue and white dress that flows around her calves, her wild blonde curls pulled away from her face with a ribbon. “Welcome to the fun zone.”

“It’s definitely something,” Sid chuckles as he surveys the room. “I feel out of place, everyone seems so… In their element surrounded by kids.”

Annie places one hand on his arm and rolls her eyes, “You’ll fit in fine. Don’t be a wuss, Crosby.”

Sid laughs at the annoyed expression on Annie’s face, the sound alerting Geno to his best friend's presence. He wanders over, Eva cuddled up on his shoulder, and greets Sid and Annie.

“Sid you take Eva, have to wrangle Niki before he start jumping off couches,” Geno doesn’t give Sid a chance to respond before handing Eva over and walking off.

To his credit Sidney easily takes the infant, Eva only fussing for a moment before she settles into the cradle of his arms. Annie watches him intently, noting how he’s begun to sway slowly as he whispers to Eva.

“Hey sweet girl, sorry daddy dropped you with Uncle Sid,” Sid smiles and runs a finger down the baby’s chubby cheek. “S’okay. You’re much calmer than your brother was, he would’ve been screaming by now.”

“I don’t think Vivie was ever that small,” Annie whispers as she peeks over Sid’s shoulder. “She’s so precious with those cheeks.”

“Did Vivie have chubby cheeks like that?” Sid sways slowly as he keeps his eyes trained on Eva. “My mom said I did until I was a toddler but I think Viv is too old to be able to tell now.”

The comment rips a hole in the middle of their conversation, the words bringing up the ugly realities of their situation. Annie takes a step back and Sidney immediately tries to stop her from leaving.

“Annie I didn’t mean-“

“It’s fine Sid. You two are very cute, you’re a natural,” Annie comments, voice thick as she presses a hand to her chest. “I have to- I’m sorry. I need to go.”

Annie rushes from the room without another word, leaving Sid standing dumbfounded as he looks at her retreating form. A hand settles on his arm and Anna is standing there with a sad smile, “Give me baby. You go chase after your girl.”

Eva is carefully handed from Sid to Anna before he follows after Annie with a quick thanks thrown behind him.

+

“Look at you,” Sid turns and grins at Annie as she sidles up next to him. Her hand falls to his arm as she peeks over his shoulder. “He’s beautiful, looks like Kris.”

Sidney’s house was crawling with Penguins players and their families celebrating the holiday season. Sid held Alex Letang, Kris and Catherine’s newborn, as everyone else milled about. The infant had finally fallen asleep in his arms and he didn’t want to disturb him.

“I’m thinking we can have a few of these,” Sid muses as he looks at Annie with a sly grin. “A boy first. With your blonde curls.”

Annie blushes and leans her head onto Sid’s shoulder, “How about a little girl with your eyes?”

“One of each,” Sid turns slightly to press a kiss to Annie’s hair. “I can’t wait to have a family with you.”

“Someday.”

“Someday”

+

Annie is standing in the backyard, hands braced on the top of a wooden picnic table as her shoulders shake. Sid quietly closes the slider behind him, standing and watching Annie for a moment.

“Annie,” Sid’s single word has Annie whirling around, tears streaking her cheeks. There's no words exchanged between them as they meet each other's eyes. Sidney slowly makes his way across the deck and Annie finally speaks when he’s standing right in front of her.

“I… I had dreams for years of a white picket fence and kids and a dog,” Annie sniffles, looking away from him. “I had everything planned out, how we’d buy a big house in Sewickley and what color our mailbox would be and our wedding that wouldn’t be huge but would still be a blast. All of it Sid…”

“Then why didn’t you tell me about Vivie,” Sid’s tone isn’t accusing or venomous as his fingers brush over her bare shoulder. “We could’ve had all of that.”

“Because you made me feel alone Sid,” Annie huffs out the words, still facing away from him. “You made me feel like I didn’t have a partner and that… I would be raising our baby alone. And I thought that maybe it would be easier to truly do it alone instead of you only being there when it was convenient for you.”

“Annie-“

“And I left. I knew I was pregnant and I left and it was the hardest thing I’ve ever done,” Annie sobs. “I don’t have regrets Sid, I never have. But seeing you with Eva… It broke something in me. And I'm sorry I can’t give you back that time with Vivie. I wish things had gone differently but when I left Pittsburgh I felt like I had no one and coming back wasn’t an option.”

“You could’ve come back, you could’ve had me, Annie,” Sid pleads as he steps in closer to her.

“But that’s why I left! I didn’t feel like I had you when you were still there,” Annie cries as she turns and meets Sidney’s eyes. “I was so alone while we were still sharing a bed. Did you know Vivie was conceived the only time we slept together in two months?”

Sid doesn’t have a rebuttal as he stares at Annie with a blank expression. His heart is racing as they stand chest to chest, mind spinning as he takes in everything she’s saying.

“I wanted you to be there so badly Sidney, I really did,” Annie sniffles, her voice gone rigid and emotionless. “But you weren’t and I didn’t want Vivie to feel like that too. So I left.”

And there, Sid thinks, is the truth of everything that had happened between them. Annie needed him and he wasn’t there. And she didn’t trust him to be there for their daughter either.

Annie heaves a sigh and closes her eyes, chest shaking with the weight of the tears she’s holding back. When she opens them again she meets Sid’s eyes and cups his chin.

“I don’t have regrets but I wish you were there for me. I wish things could’ve turned out differently. Maybe we were just in the right place at the wrong time,” Annie sighs before she walks away toward the house.

“I’m sorry that I wasn’t there,” Sid says, stopping Annie in her tracks. “I was… so wrapped up in myself that hurt everyone around me, including you. But I promise I’ll be there for you and for Vivienne. And if I have to spend the rest of my life proving that to you then I will.”

Annie doesn’t respond, just stands there for a moment before finally going back inside. Once the slider is closed Sid falls onto the seat of the picnic bench, head in his hands as he evens out his breathing.

+

“Happy birthday dear Vivie! Happy birthday to you!”

A loud cheer echoes as Vivie blows out the candles on her cake. Sid is positioned toward the back of the crowd but he can still see Vivie’s wide smile as Annie kisses her cheek.

“You still have chance,” Anna’s voice jolts him out of his thoughts as he turns towards her. “She love you, can see in her eyes.”

“Doesn’t matter if she doesn’t trust me,” Sid shrugs, not wanting to give himself false hope. “I wasn’t there when she needed me.”

“Then be there now. Be there for Annie and Vivie,” Anya settles a hand on Sid’s shoulder and squeezes the spot. “You have second chance, don’t blow it.”

Sid watches as Vivie swipes some frosting on Annie’s face, both of them laughing together. He wants this more than anything, to use his second chance to be a real family together.

Sid loves Annie and he loves Vivie and he doesn’t want to be apart from them ever again. And if it takes him the rest of his life to show Annie what the two of them mean to him then he’ll do it.

+

Later that night Vivie is worn out as she climbs into bed and lets out a yawn. Annie smirks at the little girl as she brushes her curls back and presses a kiss to her forehead, “Did you have a good birthday?”

“Yes mama,” Vivie snuggles into her side. “And I made such a good birthday wish.”

“Did you wish for unicorns to live in the backyard?”

“No mommy that’s silly,” Vivie giggles as she swipes at her eyes, holding back a yawn. “‘m not supposed to tell you my wish or it won’t come true.”

Bringing the comforter up to under Vivie’s chin Annie smiles wistfully at her daughter. She’s half asleep now, her peaceful face reminding Annie so much of Sidney.

“I wished for my daddy to come home, so I can have one like everyone else,” Vivie mumbles the last part as she snuggles down into her pillow. “Night mama.”

“Goodnight sweet girl,” Annie whispers, choking back tears. It’s not until she’s in her bedroom that she lets her tears fall, wrapping herself in her blankets and crying until sleep overtakes her.

[witheredoffherwitch]

some hatred towards alysmond is coming from people with weird moral indignation i'm afraid. how do i know? cause in 9 out of 10 aemond×oc fics reader is soft, submissive, boring as hell and aemond is possessive, jealous and control freak. certain people will never like alys cause they can't relate to her. she is cunning, knows how to survive and make the best of it, and she is immediately labelled as dangerous seductive famme fatale. i don't care what they say, i knew for many years that really strong women don't put down those who clearly are confident and smart because they don't feel threatened by them. even if that's about the fictional character but you see those people can't tell a difference between real person and fictional character as they proved when telling olivia they hate her cause she plays a cunt and insulting gayle looks just because they expected eva green of katie mcgrath so they can get the confirmation she seduced him with her looks. sorry to disappoint you but even maesters noticed aemond in harrenhall didn't choose some younger ladies to bed but alys. they can't understand aemond fell in love because she was smart, witty, resourceful? maybe to him looks didn't matter but i dunno, something like personality? but they don't know what personality is so what to discuss here? now having oc with no personality bland as fuck is sign of genius. you know you can't write smart character with personality because then people won't self insert. they only can self insert into complete idiots. good to know they are impressed by someone nameless and faceless and personalityless. fools can only identify with fools.

not gonna lie helaemonds have a part of trashing alys cause they can't get over their disappointment she would be casted when they were sure alys would be cut cause her powers went to helaena. i have ss of their comments or posts so if they piss me off i would public it. they also can't comprehend why aemond would leave capital to begin with he was to fuck helaena during the war. huge bunch of helaemonds openly admitted they don't care about aemond, all they care about is helaena being with someone better than aegon. they don't understand aemond and his motives, they constantly trash aegon as worse than daemon and viserys combined so best to ignore them, their brains don't work anymore.

alys suffers from both teams cause both teams need a punching bag. tb does want every woman to uphold the patriarchy to just call them karens and they will be hugely disappointed because alys doesn't support the patriarchy so this argument works only with alicent and even helaena. tg is full of people with parasocial relationships with ewan and aemond as if any of them would ever have sex with them. they are jealous alys gets to have sex with him and they have to self insert into bland copy paste oc.

i feel really sorry for these writers who think writing alys as bad bitch will make their uninteresting self insert bland oc great or more shippable with aemond. how they are stuck in their black white thinking of the world when they write alys as smart, ambitious=bad bitch and oc naive, innocent, soft, submissive=great girlfriend material. it must be so boring to feel threatened by fictional character who isn't brainless like most of their ocs. so they need to cope by writing blushing virgin for aemond and that's how they convince themselves they'll find their aemond is real life. imagine how sad their life is!

Hi nonnie 🤗

This ask has been sitting in my inbox pile for ages; but fear not, I have finally unearthed it 😭

And honestly, there's not much to add - your words ring true and I couldn't agree more. Keep spilling that pipin' hot tea!

[chloe-spade]

A Doomed Love Story (Noco x Island of the Slaughtered)

We were both young when I first saw you

I close my eyes and the flashback starts

❤️

Noah saw a boy when he entered the docks, a strange brown-haired boy, but he was smiling. It was weird; no one had smiled at him like that before, but he waved before joining the others.

It was one of Noah's first moments with Cody.

❤️

I'm standin' there

On a balcony in summer air

See the lights, see the party, the ball gowns

See you make your way through the crowd

And say, "Hello"

❤️

"Hey, I'm Cody, Cody E.J Anderson, you?" The boy smiled at him as they unpacked at the cabins. "We never introduced ourselves to each other."

Noah was silent, but he spoke briefly, "Noah Mudalier Streaca."

"Oh, I like that name. How about we get some breakfast together before the challenge?" Cody recommended. "Maybe we should get to know each other? I get it if you don't, though."

"I prefer to read, but…if you insist," Noah nodded and got up, following the boy out.

Cody was an interesting person, to say the least, and Noah could see that he tolerated him, even during the challenge. He felt odd, but he knew what it was; it was love, an emotion he thought was foreign to him, but being with Cody made that emotion much more known.

❤️

Little did I know

That you were Romeo, you were throwin' pebbles

And my daddy said, "Stay away from Juliet"

And I was cryin' on the staircase

Beggin' you, "Please don't go, " and I said

❤️

Before the challenge began, Noah, being a schemer, knew he had to take a chance with someone in hopes of winning. He started with Owen simply by tolerating his jokes, pretending to laugh even, but Cody was a different story, so when they were together, no one was there. Noah had to make sure that Heather wasn't even there as well.

Cody was confused but felt chills as Noah wrapped his arms around his neck and whispered an invitation in his ear.

❤️

Romeo, take me somewhere we can be alone

I'll be waiting, all there's left to do is run

You'll be the prince and I'll be the princess

It's a love story, baby, just say…

❤️

Noah smiles at Cody's blushing, but it works enough that after the first challenge to chat amongst themselves, he can't help but let these feelings develop, even to a small shy kiss behind the cabins, to their enjoyment. They talked much about themselves, both from not-so-great upbringings and joining Total Drama was an attempt to be bigger than they were.

But that is when things get worse since Geoff's screams fill the camp.

Ezekiel, the Canadian homeboy, was murdered, and body pieces were spread around the camp, which resulted in the abandonment and the string of murders when they stayed even longer.

❤️

So I sneak out to the garden to see you

We keep quiet, 'cause we're dead if they knew

So close your eyes

Escape this town for a little while, oh oh

❤️

He remembered why it all started and how badly things kept going, but having new friends, Owen, Eva, and Izzy, made him feel better. Having a small fling with Cody also helped. Even when they were alone, things were made better, but Noah knew it wouldn't last in this horrid place.

Cody did say something that made him better.

"Focus on the now,"

Noah did. He always tried to focus on the now, only planning when he had to. This helped many survive close encounters. Owen claimed that Noah was a great leader, but Noah couldn't be bothered with that position, especially with his messed-up head after seeing Tyler's elongated body, which made him throw up at the sight.

❤️

'Cause you were Romeo, I was a scarlet letter

And my daddy said, "Stay away from Juliet"

But you were everything to me

I was beggin' you, "Please don't go, " and I said

❤️

When the day came to rummage, Noah was with Duncan, Bridgette, Izzy, Courtney, Cody, and Katie, while the others were with Eva. Noah kept his mouth shut regarding Duncan's rash demands, but within the circumstances, Noah didn't make it a big deal. But when Noah realized they were around in circles, he had to call it out, which, in hindsight, didn't help with Duncan. Noah didn't come to fight, but Duncan did, as Noah tried to end it. Duncan escalated it to japing at Noah's loneliness and odd obsession with being with someone else despite being a loner.

Cody and Izzy, as expected, defended Noah, but Duncan wasn't having it. Noah didn't expect Duncan to grab them both harshly in the arms and demand to leave. But Noah couldn't let that happen. He felt powerless, even when he tried to speak. Duncan was more threatening, and his delinquent status made it easy for the girls to listen to him.

But Noah looked Cody in the eyes, and Cody knew what those eyes meant.

❤️

Romeo, take me somewhere we can be alone

I'll be waiting, all there's left to do is run

You'll be the prince and I'll be the princess

It's a love story, baby, just say, "Yes"

Romeo, save me, they're tryna tell me how to feel

This love is difficult, but it's real

Don't be afraid, we'll make it out of this mess

It's a love story, baby, just say, "Yes"

Oh, oh

❤️

Noah wished he could've kept his mouth shut but was alone and scared. Imaging him with his friends helped, but only a little. The only noises around him were the wind brushing against the leaves and the occasional howl of the wolf, an unfortunate reminder of Sadie's demise a few days prior.

But he felt bitter, and he chose to sit down to collect his thoughts, but he couldn't, even when he tried.

❤️

I got tired of waiting.

Wonderin' if you were ever comin' around

My faith in you was fading

When I met you on the outskirts of town, and I said

❤️

Those thoughts of loneliness were amplified as he felt the rope around his neck and the knife stabbing his shoulder. His body was forced into the water, and his body sank. He had never felt so cold in his life, and he was shivering once he burst out of the water, trying to gasp for air, but a realization hit him.

He didn't need it anymore.

He was dead.

Noah was dead.

He was now a ghost, a ghost who saw his own body lifeless on the docks. Seeing his eyes dull and lifeless was odd, but he couldn't help but stare at it for who knows how long.

Noah remembered it clearly, but he should have expected it. But the loneliness continued; it made him question why he even fought with Duncan in the first place. None of it truly mattered, did it? Noah hated it, feeling like a naive fool. He wanted to scream, but his voice was more hoarse than usual, and no one could hear him. He could only look forward.

But his worst fear came to reality.

He heard Cody scream his name, his voice becoming more panicked as he continued to cry. Noah didn't want Cody to see his dead body, but it was too late. He saw how Cody stopped midscream, and he rushed towards Noah's dead body, his hands hesitating to grab his body. Cody didn't want to comprehend that Noah, one of the most intelligent people he knew, died so quickly. Noah could hear Cody begging Noah's body to wake up, but nothing could wake a dead body.

Noah sighed sadly, wishing he could tell Cody to leave, but it was inevitable at this point.

❤️

Romeo, save me, I've been feeling so alone

I keep waiting for you, but you never come

Is this in my head? I don't know what to think

❤️

Noah gasped as he saw Cody cuddling his dead body, sobbing. He didn't comprehend how much Cody would feel. He heard a loud proclamation of love; his voice was broken from sadness and terror even when Cody cried. He knew Noah could probably hear, but it fell on the dead ears of his love.

❤️

He knelt to the ground and pulled out a ring

And said, "Marry me, Juliet

You'll never have to be alone

I love you and that's all I really know

I talked to your dad, go pick out a white dress

It's a love story, baby, just say,

❤️

Noah, despite being internally soaked, felt tears dripping down his face, and he swam close to Cody, hating how the brunette held his dead body close, trying to warm him up the best he could.

He knew he had an answer to that…

"Yes."

That was the last thing he could even say before Gwen had to pick him up and walk away.

Leaving Noah alone.

Again.

(Island of the Slaughtered owned by @eavee-ry)

[theacedragon0w0]

Sage's Ex, Final

There's no warning this time, as this is the good ending of this story, a hoe gets murdered though so there's that, plus Sage and Rosalina are at a shopping date here!

It took some days to track the ex with the help from Vox and Eva, both wanting to join as they had a soft spot for Sage. It was rare for any sinner to be openly genuine and Sage was good for Velvette, she was less prone to tear into the models than what she used to before Sage came into the picture. Not to mention that Eva found a friendship in someone who is so open on music choice, with even suggesting some bands that Eva wasn't aware of. Hazel went to work explaining to Sydney, Iris and begrudgingly Xana to the situation when they got to the address of a run down apartment complex.

Xana asked repeatedly, "So when we kill is hoe for beating our Sage man, we are free to take her shit right?"

Hazel was so done with Xana "I said I don't fucking care what you do afterward but if you find a denim jacket that has a lot of patches on it, it belongs to Sage, period."

Sydney and Iris were eager to serve some justice for their friend, they liked when they hung out during the overlord meetings as Sage will bring tons of snacks for them to enjoy and saw them as equals.

Velvette, snapping her fingers to get everyone's attention "Ok ladies we know what we came here to do right?"

In unison the guards except Xana responded "yes ma'am "

"Good, let's make this washed out crusty hag pay for laying a finger on our girl."

MEANWHILE, AT VOXTEC TOWERS

Rosalina didn't know what to expect when she was tasked to "keep Vel's pup happy until they were done with some business " honestly if there was any demon that Velvette wanted to make disappear she should have turned to her first, but she figured this would be fine.

Vox and Eva were arguing about Sage's prosthetic, with Vox wanting to add all kinds of bells and whistles that would in his words "make life tens times more easily than before," with Eva cutting in by stating "You dense flat microwave Sage here shouldn't have to connect to the wifi in order to jack off,"

Sage, being the subject at hand, was sitting on the elongated table, kicking their feet almost like a kid at a dentist office.

Rosalina kept thinking to herself, how did that one managed to charm both Velvette and Hazel? Even getting a soul bind deal from the former as well.

Sage, feeling the gaze from across the lab, turned and waved at Rosalina, forgetting that the arm was being worked on and received both profanities from Vox and deep laughter from Eva

Oh that's why, Sage is a fucking dork,

Rosalina realized, hiding her face from showing the deep blush of her cheeks

BACK AT THE BASTARDS HOUSE.

Hazel was instructed to knock the door even though she was hoping to break it down all together

After a few minutes a figure answered the door, seeing the demon up close was a shock for everyone to see; to start, the demon's frame was similar to Hazel's, albeit a more sickly appearance, most likely due to the notable needle marks that were visible on one of her arms.

Her beak looked chipped and cracked, perfect to be smashed in. To add, the demon had large plate-like growths jetting from both sides of her head.

"Uh, can I fucking help you?" The bastard finally answered

Hazel shoved the beast to the side, with everyone following suit to step into the apartment

"Why yes you can, " Velvette answered sweetly, "we are here to grab some of the stuff belonging to someone dear to us"

The ex, being corned by both Sydney and

Hazel, knew better than start a fight as they are definitely outmatched,

"If it's about that bunny bitch I used to bang, you are free to take her shit ba-" being cut off by receiving a kidney punch from Hazel

"Don't you ever call her that again" Hazel growled at the shaking perpetrator

"Oh I wasn't asking dear, we are getting her stuff regardless of what you say, we just wanted to see how cooperative you would be."

After 10 minutes of scavenging the entire complex, the jacket was finally located, Xana being more focused on grabbing miscellaneous trinkets. Iris passed the coat toward Velvette to inspect the treasure.

The jacket looked beautiful, the handstiches were neat and still held strong despite the history it had. The patches that were sewn into the coat were from a collection of some indie bands, with the most striking one depicting a two-headed serpent, their tongues intertwining.

"Yup, this is the one" Velvette announced, snapping her fingers to let the others know to wrap everything up, if anything this is the most important thing that mattered.

"Hey you can't just barge into my crib and ransacked it like a pack of flea-ridden whor-" the ex shouted before receiving another punch from both Hazel and Sydney

"Actually we can bitch," Velvette's voice sharpen, "You hurt my love and you think I'm going to let you go knowing that you are still roaming around like the cockroach you are?"

Velvette was at the doorstep, holding the coat as if it were made of jewels and gold,

"Ladies, make her last hours of here absolute hell" she commanded with a furious cackle

IN PENTAGRAM CITY

Sage was not expected to be this pampered, especially not from the lust myth dragon herself,  but she was still learning to accept whatever compliment or gift that was given to her.

"Rosalina, ma'am, "

Rosalina corrected Sage,

"Please dear, call me Rosa, we are close enough to drop the formalities"

That part was somewhat true to Sage, they both had the experience of sharing the same affection toward Hazel and Velvette, but Sage was still nervous around Rosalina, not intimidated but was rather the desire to be connected with her.

"Ok Rosa, this is the six clothing shop that we have been in, you don't need to get me any of this," pointing at another dress shirt that Rosa grabbed off the shelf.

"Well then you shouldn't look this cute in any of them then," Rosa argued, smiling at seeing the face of the short guard growing a deep red, Sage was still getting used to being called cute.

"Well I guess you have to get used to it then," Sage retorted, not expecting to receive a peck on the lips from the tall woman herself.

"I guess I will then~" satisfied at the guard attempting to hide their face as it became a more deeper color, she could swear Sage was going to turn purple.

______________________________

Returning to the tower, Sage saw everyone surrounding something that she couldn't make out,

Sage dropped everything that she was carrying and rushed over to the group, why were they covered in blood? What are Sydney and Iris doing here? And Xana too? Didn't Hazel and Xana hated each other?

Hazel patted Sage's arm, revealing a box wrapped around with shiny red ribbon.

"Bluebell, we think this belongs to you."

Sage, seeing the group's anticipated looks, carefully removed the ribbon and opened the box, containing the intact denim jacket, which was stainless compared to her peers.

Silence deafened the room,

did Sage like the gift?

Was this a good idea?

Hazel was startled when Sage quickly jumped into her, arms and legs wrapping around Hazel like she was a tree that happened to be made if fur.

Questions were spilled from her mouth in-between sobs, mainly in the form of "How?", "Did you went through all this trouble to get it?" And "Did you guys had any trouble with that bitch?"

Hazel, now supporting Sage with her arms answered with reciprocated energy, "It was nothing Bluebell, we figured that you would want something you busted you ass to make and that piece of trash will never bother you again."

"More like pieces!" Xana snorted, holding two cardboard boxes. One contained some more of Sage's items such as metal trinkets and old shirts from different indie bands and the second one holding other junk like silverware, boots and a dingy microwave. Which Sage proceeded to smash it into a million pieces, finally putting that end of that chapter to rest even through pleas from Xana. Hazel informed the imp to "let her have this"

After obliterating the microwave to debris, Sage turned to her friends and partners, toothy grin from ear to ear

"Who wants steak tonight?"

THROWS THIS AND RUNS ANYWAY SAGE GETS A HAPPY ENDING HOORAY

Hazel belongs to the amazing @puffymucher

Rosalina and Xana belongs to the legendary @mirconreadzztuff22

Sydney belongs to the awesome @tamberwoof

Iris belongs to the adorable @helluvadyke

And Eva belongs to the gorgeous @bigfatbimbo

Yall deserve the best desserts <3

[meaningful-negativity]

Evelyn had joined Thomas in his workshop, sitting with him as he worked on a new toy. She enjoyed sitting with him, keeping him company. Sometimes they would talk, other times they would sit in companionable silence.

Her breath caught briefly when he'd rolled up his sleeves. He'd unbuttoned the first few buttons of his shirt as well, offering a tantalizing view of his chest. When he moved she could just see a few of his chest hairs.

He spoke and her attention snapped back to his face. She blushed at being caught, her cheeks fairly glowing.

"Hm? Oh! I was just looking at the figure you're working on!" she answered, almost breathless. "The way the pieces interlock are most fascinating!"

"Eva, if you were looking at me that's fine. I like the attention or at least I like it from you. You don't seem to make me feel as though I'm a piece of meat." He chuckles then and looks down at the toy on the bench "I would like to have your opinion on something my friend. What would you rather have, a friend or a lover? Someone asked me that in the village the last time that I went in for supplies and I've been thinking about it a lot since then. I had thought that a person that represented both might be better than having one or the other but you know me, I'm always looking for a way to find more from less."

Thomas then picks up the figure again and starts to put together the mechanism that will make the whole thing move which is the hardest part of work like this, getting all the parts and pieces to move when you want them too and how you want them too. As he works he listens to Eva or to her silence "It's not a pop quiz in a college setting Eva, it's just wanting to know your thoughts on the whole thing but if you don't want to answer you can tell me to mind my business." He chuckles and tilts his head to the side as he works

"Yes, the way this particular doll is put together it should simulate having a very real baby to hold if that is what the buyer wants. I've been most reluctant to bring it to the children because I believe that their playtime should be filled with things that they want to do or that are fun for them not a way for their parents to teach them how to be responsible in the future." Thomas then smiles at the doll as he starts to test it out. The movement is slow and sluggish but it's not bad for his first try at a toy like this and he counts it as a win. He holds it up to show Eva "I'll have to work out some kinks but how does the protype look to you?"

@frombehindpaleeyes

[smolwritingchick]

Forced To Believe Chapter 58- Bad News Dinner

Chapter Summary:  Evolution and The Shield continue to clash. Morgan is forced to go on a date with Bad News Barrett and makes it a memorable one. The Shield go on a rampage on Smackdown. Morgan declares an intense match stipulation for her singles match at the upcoming PPV.

Words: 5,000+

---------

At the bar, Melanie began to celebrate her birthday with all her friends. It was a great feeling, to celebrate a birthday with the people you love. It was nice to see that the WWE roster was like another family to her. She sat at a table with the divas while Milena put a birthday tiara on her head. 

"Haha! Adorable." Milena smiled. 

"That looks awesome. Let me take a picture of that." Nikki took out her phone. 

"Oh boy." Melanie laughed and let her snap a few pics.

"Here comes the cake!" Brie said with excitement, bringing out a large red velvet cake for the group.

Melanie couldn't stop smiling when everyone sang Happy Birthday. Well, a half drunk version of it, which made her laugh. She blew out the candles and everyone continued to party. 

"Our Melly is growing up." Nattie slurred as she tried to give her a hug while being intoxicated.

"She got drunk that quick? We've been here for 45 minutes!" Ariane exclaimed. "This girl can't handle her drinks at all!" 

"She pregamed before coming here. It could have been worse." Melanie chuckled and helped Nattie stay on her feet with Ariane.

"Hey! Let's do some karaoke!" Nikki suggested, to which everyone agreed. "Who wants to sing first?" 

"We will!" Jon Uso volunteered with Trinity. 

They got on the stage and decided to sing American Boy by Estelle and Kanye West. After that, everyone began cheering for them. 

"Hey Mel, how about you play the guitar?" Renee grinned. 

Melanie widened her eyes, taken aback. "Me? Oh no. I couldn't. That was just a one­ time thing at WrestleMania." 

"I don't think so. I spotted you trying to sneak and play a few notes backstage with the guitar you hit Triple H with on Raw."

"Yeah, come on, girl! I wanna see you play." Ariane nudged her. 

"Yeah Mel, play." Colby grinned and started chanting her name with everyone.

The Philly Diva laughed. "Okay, okay." 

She stood up while everyone cheered. She walked up to the stage and grabbed the acoustic guitar while taking a seat on the stool. "Who is singing first?"

"I will! You know She Will Be Loved by Maroon 5?" Nic (Dolph Ziggler) hopped on the stage. 

"You bet." She smiled. "I can't believe I'm doing this. What have you guys gotten me into?" 

"We love you too, Mel!" Eva blew a kiss, causing the birthday girl to blow a kiss back. 

"I better get paid in grapes by every one of you, for this." 

"We'll think about it." Jon winked at her, making her playfully glare at him. "Love you!"

Melanie couldn't keep glaring for long because she started to laugh. Everyone watched with amazement while she played the guitar for the song. After it was over, everyone cheered. 

"You're gonna make me blush! Stop it." she chuckled. 

"Can you play Beverly Hills?" Nic asked. 

"You got it," she replied, pulling up the guitar notes on her phone, and periodically glancing at it to make sure she played the correct notes.

She started playing more songs for him like Seven Nation Army by The White Stripes, and Are You Gonna Be My Girl, which got some people dancing and grooving to the beat. Everyone began to sing along to the songs, which made her smile. Later, all the guys decided to sing Dani California by Red Hot Chili Peppers while they were tipsy. Then they sang 'This Love' by Maroon 5. The rest of the roster began to take over by playing the guitar and drums while singing other songs. Overall, a fun birthday, and Melanie couldn't have been happier. 

----

During Raw, Evolution, and Rosa were in the ring, dressed up, cutting a promo on The Shield while Batista and Rosa were seen holding hands together, hinting at a relationship. 

"The Shield have absolutely no idea what they've gotten themselves into." Batista said. "Deal with that." 

'Sierra' 

'Hotel' 

'India' 

'Echo' 

'Lima' 

'Delta' 

'Shield' 

"Here we go!" Cole said. "They may just deal with that." 

The Shield gets in the ring while Rosa and Evolution get out and walk up the ramp. 

"Wait a minute, where are they going?" King asked. 

"Maybe they're giving up the yard," JBL said. "Mind games from Evolution." 

"Hey, I hate to break it to you guys, but last week wasn't the first time we've been beaten up and it probably won't be the last," Ambrose said. "Yeah, you guys did a real number on us, well done...well done...but hey I got a question for you, Mister Cerebral Assassin. Do we look...humbled...to you? Do we look humbled to you Triple H!? There's a reason you hired us to protect you and that cream puff over to your left, Randy Orton. You know like everybody here knows, The Shield we are the meanest, nastiest, dirtiest, most ruthless animals in this industry! These dogs are hungry and now these dogs are angry!" Ambrose gave the mic to Seth and started pacing around. 

"Heh heh heh, take it easy, yeah, you're angry, you're angry and you have every right to be. We have every right to be angry after what you did to us last week," Seth said. "You and what? 12 other guys of course. But Batista for you to say that we have no idea what we've gotten ourselves into is ridiculous, we have every idea! We started this! So let me give you a dose of reality." Seth mentions. "You stand up there in your little suits, you don't wanna fight. You talk about how destructive you are; you talk about how powerful you are. Talk about how you were built for dominance. Well you're not. In two weeks, at Extreme Rules, you're gonna come face to face with the Hounds of Justice. And it's gonna be all out war!" 

"Batista has a lot of Hollywood obligations, you're gonna be looking out for Batista. Heh, and the Game, Cerebral Assassin, King of Kings, yeah, you're gonna do what you always do...you're gonna do what's best for the boss. What you're looking at is the most dominant force in the history of this company and in two weeks at Extreme Rules, we are gonna rip you to pieces." Seth continued. "And this little reunion that you're so proud of, haha, it's gonna come to a halt. And you got no one to blame but yourselves because when you made the match, Evolution versus The Shield, you put a nail in your own coffin. And at Extreme Rules, we're gonna be the hammer that drives it home!"

Roman took the mic. "Last week you gave us an ultimatum. This week we give you one. Here in a few seconds I'm gonna drop this mic and we're coming up that ramp, and we're gonna beat your asses. You got two options. You can be men and a woman and you can try, try to fight. Or you could be creampuffs, and you can cower away and you can hide. Watch." He dropped the mic and the four of them got out of the ring.

All of a sudden the guys that beat up The Shield last week, walk to the stage to much of the crowd's dismay. 

"Oh great..." Cole groaned. 

"Wait a minute..." King mumbled.

"You got ten guys back there," Dean said.

"You're real proud of yourselves, real proud of yourself," Seth yelled. 

"You talk about being humbled...Morgan seems to be. Morgan, you're becoming a little bit more respectful since Bad News Barrett won that match on Smackdown. Is that why you're not being Outspoken tonight? " Triple H taunted. 

The Philly Diva glared at him and kept her mouth shut. She was ordered to not be that talkative tonight and later on had to be back in the ring for Wade. It was not her night and she was irate but kept her composure. 

"Morgan hasn't been herself after she's been humiliated by Rosa," Cole reminded. 

"Now, option three, there's always an option three. Listen up guys, I said it once, I'll say it again. In life, you either adapt, or you perish. That is Evolution." Triple H dropped the mic. 

"They're cowards! They're cowards! You think we're that stupid huh!?" Seth yelled while Evolution's theme came on. 

Later, Sheamus was already in the ring to take on Bad News Barrett to advance in the Intercontinental championship tournament. All of a sudden, Morgan walks out and everyone is surprised. 

"What is Morgan doing here?" Cole asked. 

"Oh dear...I bet this was Wade's doing," King grumbled.

She walks up to the stage with an annoyed look on her face. She hated The Authority with a passion. She was forced to come out with an attire of Wade's choosing, which was a short black dress, and had to do what he said or get fired. Normally she would protest but she had no choice, for now. She gets in the ring and takes a mic. 

She sighed and reluctantly began to speak while rolling her eyes. "Ladies and Gentlemen...I'd like to introduce to you...the future...intercontinental champion...the bare knuckle brawler...and..."

"This is total humiliation. I bet Rosa and The Authority are getting a kick out of this." JBL looked on. 

"And the manliest man in the company...Bad News Barrett..." The Outspoken Diva reluctantly announced. 

"A personal ring announcer? Really? Give me a break!" Cole exclaimed. 

"She has no choice until after the date," JBL reminded. 

"Speaking of the date, we'll be getting exclusive content of the date on the WWE APP during this Friday's Smackdown," Cole informed. 

'God Save Our Queen' 

Barrett walks out with a cocky grin on his face, cutting a short Bad News Promo before getting in the ring. Ignoring Morgan's glare, he smiles and kisses her cheek, making her roll her eyes again. She watches his match with a bored expression and after he wins with the Bull Hammer, he motions for her to get in the ring to raise his hand in victory. Then he puts an arm around her, making her even more annoyed.

"Tonight is just not Morgan's night," JBL looked on as they left the ring together.

----

Backstage, Morgan and Wade were with The Shield. The three men were irate at Wade who had a smug look on his face.

"I can't believe this is happening..." Seth grumbled. 

"It could have been worse..." Morgan mumbled. 

"Boys, boys, she's in good hands. We are going to have a great time together, aren't we?" Wade looked at her, completely ignoring Dean's sharp glare and constant growling whenever he spoke to her.

Dean had to be held back by Roman before another fight broke loose. 

Once Rollins, Wade, and Roman leave to give Dean and Morgan some time to speak privately, Rollins grabs Wade by the collar and pushes him against the wall.

"If you touch her, or hurt her, I swear..." He growled. 

"If you hurt her, you're not going to see the light of day anymore." Roman glared at Barrett. 

"Easy...easy..." Wade looked amused.

With Dean and Morgan, Ambrose was sitting on a chair, trying to calm down and collect his thoughts. The fact that his girlfriend who he just got back is going on a date with Wade, the man who they tried to keep away from her a year ago, made Ambrose very angry. He started to get graphic thoughts in his head on how to destroy Barrett. 

Morgan, who couldn't take the silence anymore, finally spoke up. "....Are you mad?" 

No answer. 

"...At me?" 

Silence. 

"...I'm sorry I didn't win..." 

"It wasn't your fault." Dean stood up. "I just don't want to lose you." 

"You're not going to lose me. Why would you think that?" 

"Because you're mine and only mine. I just got you back, I'm not losing you again." 

"I don't want to lose you either. Don't worry. We'll be okay." She wraps her arms around his neck. "Just one date and it'll be all over. And then we'll get our revenge for all this bullcrap,"

------

For WWE Main Event, during a backstage segment before Morgan's match, the cameras were seen rushing backstage to the loud commotion of the Outspoken Diva getting attacked by Rosa and some of her goons. Morgan was seen getting attacked by Rosa, Aksana, Layla and Alicia, and even started going after her neck. Morgan yelled out in pain once Rosa gave her a harsh stomp on her neck and that was when Nikki, Nattie, Cameron and Naomi rushed over to help her.

"Get away from her!" Nikki shouted, kicking Layla.

Rosa and the girls ran away, proud of their work while Nikki and the rest of the Total Divas went to help her with some referees.

"Morgan, are you okay?" Naomi asked with worry.

"Ah...my neck..." Morgan winced in pain, rubbing it. "That didn't feel good at all,"

"Morgan, we need to take you the the trainer's room," the refs were telling her as they helped her up.

Morgan tweets 'If you needed three girls to help beat me down, it's obvious you're not confident in trying to beat me one on one.' 

-----

Later in the ring, Morgan manages to get into the battle Royal because she wants to fight through the pain in her neck. The stomp Rosa had given her was with heels and although it was advised not to do the match, she still wanted to try to be the number one contender for the Diva's Championship. 

Sticking it out, Morgan was one of the final divas in the match and it was between her, Nattie, Tamina, and Nikki. When it seemed like she was about to eliminate Tamina, Brad Maddox ran down the ramp to distract her. 

"Wait, what is Brad doing here?" Tom asked as the crowd booed. 

"What are you doing!? Get out of here!" Morgan yelled but suddenly got eliminated by Tamina as the crowd looked displeased. 

Brad looks satisfied with his work and starts walking up the ramp, meeting up with Rosa, who high fived him.

"Morgan just got screwed." Tom exclaimed as she looked upset at the two laughing at her. "This must be Evolution's dirty work." 

------

"Good evening ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to Friday night Smackdown. We have some exclusive content on what really went down between Morgan and Bad News Barrett during their date Thursday Night. Let's take a look." Cole said. 

'WWE Exclusive Video' 

Wade and Morgan were at a restaurant sitting down at a candlelight table. Morgan was looking bored while Wade checked out the menu. 

"Oh god...I have never been so bored in my life. Just kill me now..." She moaned and put her head down. 

"Trust me love, you and I are going to have a great time," Wade said while she raised her head up. 

He took the opportunity to put his hand over her hand. Disgusted, she removed her hand immediately and glared. 

"Don't touch me. Touch me again and I'll stick this fork in your hand." she threatened. 

"You're a feisty woman, you know that?" he smirked.

The Philly Diva rolled her eyes. This was beyond embarrassing. First, she lost her match against Wade, got cake in her face by Rosa, lost her number one contender's match, and now this dinner. The Authority must be enjoying this with a bowl of popcorn. 

Maybe Morgan could get out of this by acting wild and crazy to turn him off. While she pondered about various situations of turning Wade off, a male waiter walked over to their table. 

"Good evening, what can I get you two lovebirds?" 

Wade grinned. "Well-­"

"Ha! You funny! You think I'm going out with this guy?" She pointed to Barrett. 

Wade put an arm around her shoulder. "Don't forget you have to do as I say. Don't make me mad." He warned in her ear before pulling away, making her even more upset.

"You got grapes?" She asked the waiter, ignoring Wade's threat and trying hard not to punch him in the face.

"Yes, we have grapes," the waiter responded.

"Okay. I want everything made of grapes."

"What?" 

"I want everything made of grapes."

"Um-­"

"I want everything made of grapes!" 

"Don't you want some protein? Or a salad-" Wade spoke up. 

"Hey! I was not talking to you BNB." She snapped and turned her attention back to the waiter. "I want grape cobbler, grape cake, grape pie, grape muffins, wine, grape juice, grape chicken, grape salad, you know the drill." 

"R-­right way!" The waiter rushed back to the kitchen. 

"I uh, didn't expect you to be such a grapeaholic." Wade cleared his throat. 

"You must be living under a rock then,"

"I would stay on my good side because The Authority is watching you." He pointed to Stephanie and Triple H having dinner nearby at another table. 

Morgan closed her eyes and exhaled before opening her eyes again. "Are you kidding me?" 

"Just so there's no funny business." 

Really? The Authority just had to be there. Maybe getting out of this date will be tougher than she thought. Later, the same waiter came by and put down a bowl of grapes for her. 

"From the lovely couple over there." The waiter said and walked away. 

Morgan looked ahead and saw Stephanie and Triple H looking amused at her before clinking glasses of wine together. She scowled and had the urge to attack the both of them but what good would that do? She let out another sigh and popped a couple of grapes in her mouth. As eating grapes calmed her down, she noticed Wade staring at her.

"This may be cliche but why don't you just take a picture so it'll last longer?" She retorted. 

"Can't help looking at such a beautiful woman," he replied. 

She took her phone out and gave it to Wade. "There. Look at my pictures and leave me alone for the rest of the night. Just stop talking. You're giving me a headache," 

She started popping more grapes in her mouth while Wade admired the photos on her phone. While he was distracted, someone walked by and slipped a note on Morgan's side of the table. She recognized the person's scent. Leather and after shave? She picked the note up and turned around but didn't see anyone walking nearby. She put the note on her lap and read it

'Think you can survive a little bit longer, sweetheart? I know you want to bash their heads on the wall.' 

'Dean' she thought as a smile began to show on her lips. 

"I think I can..." She mumbled. 

"Did you say something?" Wade asked.

"Nope."

"Champagne?" A familiar voice asked. 

"Yes please," Wade replied, without looking up. 

Morgan picked up her glass of water and gave Wade a confused look. 

"Wait, why do we need­-" She glanced up and widened her eyes, earning a wink from the waiter. 

Suddenly, she dropped her glass of water in surprise, making a mess.

"Morgan, are you okay?" Wade grabbed a few napkins to clean up the mess. 

"Yeah. Yeah I'm fine." she continued to look at the waiter. 

The waiter chuckled and gave her a pat on the back before walking back to the kitchen. The Outspoken Diva ran her hands through her hair. Seth, in a waiter's outfit? What the heck is going on?

"Uh, I gotta use the bathroom." She stood up and walked away after grabbing her phone back.

"Finally." Wade exhaled as Triple H and Stephanie walked over to him. "How long do you want me to keep this up? You need to know that I don't care about that crazed woman anymore." 

Wade began to do The Authority's dirty work for a while now and he was ordered to go after Morgan, for a distraction. However as time went by, he wasn't interested in her anymore. She was too wild for him. And The Shield were all filled with a bunch of nutcases. He didn't want to deal with the nonsense anymore. It was her loss that she decided not to be with him and chose Ambrose instead.

"Where did she go?" Stephanie asked. 

"Restroom," 

"Excuse me." she smiled and headed to the bathroom. 

There was no way in the world Morgan was going to bail on this dinner. Wade won fair and square and he was going to get his date, no matter what. Even if it was for a distraction. Once she walked into the bathroom she saw Morgan fixing her hair in the mirror. 

"Well, well. Trying to bail?" Stephanie asked.

Morgan rolled her eyes. "Is it necessary for you to spy on me? I lost. I'm paying up for it. Can you leave me alone?" 

"You do know your little teammates are here." 

Morgan arched a brow and decided to play it cool. Stephanie truly did not know The Shield was here but wanted to watch her body language to see if something was up.

"Nice joke. But you're not going to get my hopes up. Stop lying." Morgan replied smoothly.

That seemed to get her off her back. Once Morgan went back to the table, she saw Wade coughing more than usual as she sat down.

"Wade, that isn't funny. I'm not giving you CPR." She retorted but began to notice that his coughing was serious as he cleared his throat. "Whoa, are you okay?"

"It must be the champagne." He coughed and took a look at the glass.

She observed the glass. Seth came with a bottle of champagne and Wade must have opened it and took a sip. Meanwhile, the Hounds of Justice were spying on The Authority and Morgan. They had satisfied smirks on their faces as they watched their prey suffer. Roman decided to spike the champagne to make him sick so Morgan's date could end earlier than expected. 

Noticing problems at the table, Stephanie and Triple H walked over to see what was wrong as Morgan patted Wade's back.

"What did you do?" Stephanie assumed as Wade continued to cough. 

"Listen I didn't do anything. I was just in the bathroom, just like you. The dude just started coughing out of nowhere," Morgan replied calmly.

"Aw..." Wade groaned and held his stomach. "What was in that drink?"

"I know you did something." Stephanie scowled at the Philly Diva.

"Did not." she shrugged.

"Did too." 

"Did not..." 

"Did too!" Stephanie screamed, earning a few glances from the other people eating at the restaurant. 

Morgan slowly popped a grape in her mouth as she watched Stephanie go on and on. All of a sudden, Wade threw up on Stephanie, making Morgan drop her jaw in disbelief.

"Oh no." Triple H cringed at the sight. 

Stephanie stood there in shock as she looked at her blue dress covered in throw up. 

Seth laughed nearby and high fived his brothers. "Mission accomplished!" 

Morgan started laughing while Stephanie screamed and stormed off, making Triple H go after her. 

"Wait! Stephanie, it was an accident!" Wade explained and tried to go after her. 

"No! Stay away from me!" Stephanie shouted as they all went outside the restaurant. 

Morgan chuckled and shook her head. "Wow..." 

Dean sat next to her while Roman and Seth put chairs at their table to sit with them. 

"You okay?" Ambrose asked and kissed her cheek.

"You guys are lifesavers." she grinned and pounded her fist with theirs.

"We always have your back. Come on, we gotta go before they come back." Roman said with a grin. 

"Totally," she replied and they stood up to leave. 

But then she rushed back in and started eating a few grapes from her grape bowl. 

"Come on, Morgan," Seth called out. 

"Okay." She walked away to meet up with them. 

Moments later she came back and grabbed a handful of grapes. 

"Morgan," Roman called out. 

"Coming! Coming!" She replied and took the handful of grapes with her. 

Later on, she came back, empty handed after munching on the grapes and began eating more of them from the bowl. 

"Morgan!" The three men shout.

"All right! All right!" She took the whole grape bowl with her, grabbing a handful to put in her mouth as she rushed to meet up with the boys.

Naomi tweets 'And this is why I keep an eye on my drink!'

Seth tweets 'I think we should send WWEMorgan101 to grape world.'

Morgan replies 'WWERollins Grape World!? Count me in! Where is it!? Let's go now! ASAP!' 

Roman tweets 'WWEMorgan101 it was a joke. There's no grape world.' 

Morgan replies 'WWERomanReigns No! You guys suck!' 

A fan tweets 'Hahaha! Morgan coming back for those grapes was priceless!' 

Morgan replies to the fan by tweeting 'What can I say? I got Grape Problems' 

-------

Later on Smackdown, Morgan was walking backstage with a cup of coffee in her hands. She just witnessed her boys get even with Jack Swagger by giving him the triple powerbomb in the ring. Tonight will be the night that The Shield will get revenge. Meanwhile, 3MB were backstage, getting pumped up for their match tonight with The Shield. 

"We're back in the main event, this is what we've been waiting on," Heath said. 

"You better be fired up. Are you fired up?" Drew asked. 

Jinder pointed over to Morgan who was stirring her coffee. 

"Well well, look who it is. It's Morgan. And guess what? She's all alone. How did that beating taste on Monday?" Drew taunted. 

Morgan smiled and threw her coffee in Drew's face as the crowd cheered. 

"Ah! Stupid b­-" Drew lunged at her but Seth got in front of her, making him freeze. 

Jinder checked on Drew's face while Heath chuckled at the duo. 

"Look who we have here. Rollins helping The Shield's Girl out. 3MB and Seth Rollins, and Morgan." Heath grinned. "Don't worry Morgan, we're gonna make you watch us beat up Rollins. And once we're done beating him up, we're coming for you. Seth, you're coming by yourself to help her out? Are you crazy?" 

Morgan and Seth glanced at each other while Ambrose stalked his way into the situation. 

"There's three of us of two of you. Morgan isn't a challenge. But we're gonna wait till later on tonight. Later on tonight, we're gonna take you guys out." Heath turned around and froze as Roman stood before him with an intimidating stare. 

Morgan hits Jinder with a spinning kick to the face while Dean and Seth take over by beating up him and Drew. After they lay them out, The Shield surrounds Heath. 

"Look, we can just wait till later, all right?" Heath started to look nervous. 

He turns and gets kneed in the stomach by Dean and eats a Superman punch from Reigns. Roman glances at his teammates and pats Dean's chest before leaving the scene. 

----

Backstage with Brad Maddox, he was on the phone.

"Yes. Yes, sir. Um..." Brad stopped talking on his phone and saw all 4 members of The Shield in his office. 

Seth takes the phone away from him and gives it to Dean who throws it away. 

"Listen, I know you're angry but this is not the way to deal with your frustrations. Beating up superstars, or divas." Brad glanced at the Philly Diva. "I know you're planning on doing that, it is not the way. It's not going to prove a point. Okay?" 

Roman takes Brad's tie and starts wrapping it around his hand. Rollins pats on Brad's back before Roman throws him all the way to the wall. 

"Whoa!" Cole exclaimed as Morgan, Roman, and Seth moved the couch. 

Seth is about to go after him but Dean puts his arm out. 

"Whoa, what?" Roman started to look confused. 

"What are you doing?" Seth asked. 

Morgan starts to look amused as Dean makes a growl and jumps over the couch to start unloading on Brad. She glances at her teammates while Dean gets up. Seth chuckles and puts his arm around him to pat his back while she shakes her head in amusement. 

"The Shield are taking out everybody," Cole said.

"How many are gonna be left!?" JBL asked.

On the stage, Fandango and Layla were dancing, and doing their entrance because they were about to take on Santino and Emma. The crowd begins to cheer loudly when Dean, Seth and Roman walk onto the stage while Layla's jaw drops and slowly backs up, looking petrified. They stare down Fandango while Morgan gets on the other side of the stage, where Layla's back was towards her, having a guitar in her hands. 

"Don't turn around! Don't turn around, Layla!" JBL warned. 

Layla turns around to eat a harsh guitar shot by Morgan as the crowd cheers at the assault.

"Good grief!" JBL shouted.

Morgan shakes her head and drops the guitar. She walks over to Fandango while The Shield beat him down and begins to stomp on him. She joins in with the stomping until Seth and Dean drag him over to the end of the stage. 

"What are they gonna do now?" JBL asked as they set up for the Triple Powerbomb. 

"Oh no. No! Look at this John!" Cole shouted. "Fandango! Off the stage, look at this!" 

The Shield drops Fandango off the stage and onto a couple of tables. Moments later, Morgan puts her fist out with the boys.

"Don't think they're dance fans," JBL said. 

"Who is gonna stop The Shield?" Cole asked. 

Later during the show in the ring, The Bella Twins were taking on Alicia Fox and Aksana in a tag team match. The Bellas were taking control until they heard The Shield's theme. 

'Sierra' 

'Hotel' 

'India' 

'Echo' 

'Lima' 

'Delta' 

'Shield' 

"Uh oh!" JBL shouted. 

The crowd explodes while the divas start to look terrified. They begin to look around the arena until the crowd cheers louder as they spot Morgan in the crowd, on the top of the steps. She had her thumbs in her pants pockets and tilted her head to the side, gazing at the divas in the ring. 

"Uh oh! Morgan does not look happy!" Cole exclaimed. 

"Get out of the ring! Get out of the ring!" JBL warned as she slowly walked down the steps and jumped over the barricade. "This is not good." 

The Outspoken diva gets in the ring and hits Alicia and Aksana with a double clothesline as the crowd cheers. The Bellas quickly get out of harm's way and head backstage while Morgan begins unloading on Aksana who begins screaming for her life. Alicia throws her off of her and goes for a big boot but Morgan ducks it and drops her with a backfire. 

Aksana tries to crawl out of the ring but Morgan grabs her foot and drags her back into the ring. 

"Nowhere to go now!" JBL shouted as Morgan picked her up to her feet and dropped her back down with a kick.

The Outspoken Diva rolls out the ring and grabs a chair. 

"What is she doing with that chair?" JBL added.

She slides back in the ring and opens the chair up before setting it down. She picks up Aksana and hits the Morganizer on top of the chair, making it close and fall as the crowd cheers. 

"And Morgan taking advantage with the chair! This is no more fun and games." Cole said as she stood up, brushing some hair from her face. 

She grabs a mic and exhales as she closes her eyes, earning more cheers. 

"She didn't even break a sweat," JBL said as the crowd chanted her name. 

After a dramatic pause, she opens her eyes with an angry expression.

"...Extreme...rules match..." She dropped the mic and exited the ring to loud cheers while The Shield's theme came back on.

"Wait, wait a minute. No way, an extreme rules match against Rosa Mendes!?" JBL exclaimed. 

"A first ever diva extreme rules match." Cole informed as Morgan walked up the ramp. 

"Is she out of her mind? It's not too late to reconsider! Morgan think about this! Think about what you're doing!" 

"These two want to kill each other. This may be the best match to do that in."

[scalamore]

Detail Ch 102: Rupert’s good looks

Rupert knows that he is blessed with good looks that he inherited from Eva + papa felipe (he got his physique/muscle/height from the dad). Before she died, she had trained him on how to use that beauty to his advantage - after all, people are weak to attractive individuals - he’ll be able to manipulate them easily and gets what he wants from them. She taught him every trick she knew of of how to manipulate and seduce others using that beauty as a weapon.  So that’s why we see him in Lari’s face so often - it’s what he does to intimidate/charm others. 

So when he got close to Countess Lemille and whispered seductively in her ear, he was satisfied to see her pause and blush and lose her composure. After all, that is the “correct” response: they would become short of breath, flustered, and get nervous, avoid eye contact and would usually do what he wanted. 

Except Lari. 

She seems to be unaffected by his good looks, and even worse, tells him he’s too close and to please back off. He starts thinking what’s the point of being attractive, when it doesn’t work on the person he wants it to work on the most (haha!).

From details earlier in the series, we also know that Lari does indeed find him very attractive, but she strongwills herself to keep a poker face and it actually does fool him into thinking she’s unaffected ^^; So he has to resort to getting extra close and touchy, and THEN she starts getting flustered and backs away. So he still thinks it’s not because of his good looks, it’s just him being too close to her ^^;. 

Ch 33 - Rupert see’s she’s terrified of him

Ch 36 - Lari’s hiding her terror well, he just sees her being unbothered by him getting close to him. 

Ch 53 - She was really bothered about something, but pretends nothing is wrong even when he gets close. 

Ch 91 - He’s worried for her, but her first instinct was to be scared and flinch at his touch when he gets close. 

Ch 99 - Given Lari’s track record of either having no response, or terror when he comes near, he has to resort to really get up in her personal space, flirt with her with words and physical touch by caressing her cheek to FINALLY get the appropriate response: her blushing. But he thinks her blushing isn’t because of his good looks/charm, but rather he’s too close and she generally doesn’t like to be close around him or other men ^^: Especially him (Sigh....)

To add more to the insult, when he was shirtless in chapter 32, she freaked out and was terrified of him, when he was shirtless in chapter 86? She freaked out and wanted to run away, and he was SUPER offended she called him a pervert for him wanting her to look at him (for the cursed mark). In Ch 97, she freaked out when he locked them in her room together (because it’s improper). This basically told Rupert that Lari has no special feelings for him, she’s shy, and she would rather not be in any situation with him ^^;;;; Regarding his good looks, she only complimented him at the start, and half the time she was doing it to suck up and earn his favor. She hasn’t given him any complements in years. Literally everyone compliments him except the one he likes hahaha. 

Basically by this point he likes her a lot, and wants to get SOME sort of hint that she might like him back.. like if she gets nervous being around him because he’s good looking, or if they separate after bickering she finds him first to check up on him ^^; She as usual, acts polite and keeps a proper distance.  ---- Another cute detail, is that at the beginning of the series we learn that although Rupert takes care of himself/grooms himself well, he doesn’t care much about his attractiveness. It’s useful that he’s so-good looking (because he can charm others), but otherwise he doesn’t care if he gets scarred or disfigured.  But when he starts falling in love with Lari and wanting to get her attention and affection, he feels stuck because she doesn’t want money/status/power, and she especially isn’t swooning over his good looks. But after becoming a couple, where Lari now openly compliments him on his handsomeness, he’s very happy and jokes that he has his good looks because he’s meant to seduce Lari with them ^^;;;

[andromeda-astrology]

HIS WOMAN ~ Ismandes Nili ( oops 🤧 ) x Female!Oc [ Romance Club ] Song of crimson Nile ( Part 1 )

Part 2 ------>

Title: His Woman

Pairings: Isman Nili x female! Original Character ( Harmony ) Evthys x Ramessss, Dia x???

Summary: After being a student under Rammeo's eyes, harmony catches the eyes of Isman and the two hit off and become more than friends.

Warning: None except Kissing and fluff.

Fandom: Romance Club ( Mobile Game ) Song Of Crimson Nile

Author Note - This one shot will not be canon. Doesn't take place in the accurate game / story. Some things are different or changed.

Enjoy!.

The day started ordinary for people. Harmony was mostly a morning bird, she liked to get up and watch the sunrise. She was always and will be a happy and energetic person.

So today was one of those days where you get up and realize something will happen today.

But what will happen?.

She'll have to find out.

Going downstairs, Harmony found her study group she always studied with.

Ramesses, Eva and Dia.

All the others she didn't recognize nor did she care.

Eva greeted her as she did every morning. “ Hey, good morning girl”.

Harmony smiled at her. “ Hey to you too beautiful, and good morning to you as well. And that includes everyone”.

Everyone greeted her, even Ramesses. He always flirted with her every morning.

“ you look nice today” he whispered.

“ Who me?” she asked. Ramesses nodded and Harmony blushed and looked away.

This was a daily routine now, but she wouldn't have any other way.

She sat down and the teacher, their teacher Remmao began the lesson.

[ ~ ]

After the lesson, Harmony went for a walk. For the last few years she has been avoiding Eva's brother / friend Isman. He was on his way to become a healer and that made her heart melt.

It was very rare you see something like that.

Every time he comes around, she takes a walk and gets to avoid him at all cost.

But it seemed today fate had other plans.

She was walking down an alley, when she saw him.

Isman.

Eva's best friend/ brother.

Her crush.

Her heart begins to race, she doesn't want to face him at the moment.

Ugh, why now?!.

Harmony sighed and kept waking, maybe he'll keep moving and won't say anything.

But nope he saw her.

Isman jogged over to her, and her knees almost gave out.

“ Hey, you're Harmony right? Eva's new friend?” Isman asked, smiling.

Oh my! His smile was so beautiful and contagious.

She smiled back.. “ Yes, it's officially nice to meet you” she replied beaming at him.

Isman chuckled.

“ the pleasure is mine. ” he then frowned. She felt her heart take a drop slightly. “ Actually would you like to take a walk with me? I'm not busy at the moment ”.

Harmony spoke before her brain could cooperate with what she was saying.

“ Sure. I would love to”.

The two acquaintances walked and got to know each other.

[~]

Some time later, well a month later. Isman and Harmony got closer the crush grew stronger, and it wasn't long before they admit their feelings.

Even their friends were encouraging them to admit their feelings and get together already.

But the two were stubborn And didn't want to admit the truth.

Until one day it happened.

The friends / crew were sitting at the table, Rammeo was going over some things and for some reasons Isman was there.

And it was strange.

It was like everyone knew something.

But what was It?.

She shrugged it off.

And the lesson went on.

~

After the lesson, Harmony felt something on her leg. She looked down trying to slap at it, but she blushed when she realized Isman's hand were on her knee.

Looking around trying to see if anyone saw what was happening, she breathed a sigh of relief when no one was paying attention.

She slowly moved her hand until it was rest on top of Isman's, he entwined their hands together.

And her heart never beat so fast in her life.

She wanted to just reach over and kiss him until he couldn't breathe anymore.

Finally everyone stood up, she gathered her things and walked away before anyone could stop her.

It wasn't until later, Isman caught her once again.

This time he walked and cornered her into a wall, she felt her breath leave her lungs.

Was this really happening.

Isman pulled a strand of hair from the front of her face and looked into her ocean's eyes.

“ Beautiful ” he whispered.

Harmony blushed and melted under his gaze. His intense emotions were driving her insane.

“ Do you like me, Harmony?”.

She bit her lip and nodded her head yes, she knew this would come back and bite her later, but at the moment this was too intense to let go.

“ Y-yes ” she replied softly. Her voice made her sound younger, not her current age.

Isman looked at her looks and begging for consent. “ Can I kiss you?” he asked.

“ Yes please ” Harmony begged, tugging on his arm.

Isman gave little time, he closed the gap between them and leaned his head down until they reached her lips.

His lips softly touched hers.

Harmony opened her mouth, and he kissed her harder and more hungrily.

The kiss passionate and wild.

Some time later they both pulled away.

Isman beamed at her. “ Come on, let's go. There's something I want to show you”.

Harmony nodded. “ of course”.

But on the inside she felt like a child on a Christmas morning. Her heart was skyrocketed, and she licked her lips, she could still taste him on her lips.

She touched her lips and she could still feel him, even a soft tingle.

her stomach made a weird moment.

Was this... That butterflies?.

Wow, she never felt that.

Even with her ex.

The two begin to walk away and enjoyed the rest of their day together.

Where no one bothered them.

[~]

To be continued....

Author Note - [ Part 2 is coming soon. ]

[pentacass]

Was Eva separated from her sister as a child or did Eva discover she had a sister later in life? Does Ves have a plan for if things go wrong when knowingly knocks back a poison drink or is Ves just a dumbass? Does Roziq and Elara's reunion happen more or less like a romanced Elara in game or does it go differently?

*head rattling sounds continue in the distance* <3

Was Eva separated from her sister as a child or did Eva discover she had a sister later in life?

Eva was close to her older sister, Elarin - who is Force-sensitive. When it manifested, their family kept it tightly under wraps for years, until Elarin couldn't control it anymore. She was 'gifted' to the Sith to build relations with the Empire.

Eva was heartbroken when Elarin left, and devastated when they received news of Elarin's demise a year later. The family probed, but all they got was a vague 'Jedi ambushed our Sith acolytes' story. They recognised the smokescreen, but only Eva decided to pursue it further. She wanted to believe her sister is alive; if not, then she would give Elarin proper last rites.

To get closer to the truth, she needed get into the Empire. She spoke to the family's Imperial contact, who knew of her espionage training, and got her into Imperial Intelligence...where she eventually became Cipher Nine.

She'd only found scant info about her sister's acolyte group being 'ambushed' by Jedi, before her life was fucking ruined turned upside in the class story. Even after she set herself free with the Black Codex, Eva was too busy dealing with trauma and galactic affairs to resume the search for her sister proper.

Fast forward to when Task Force Nova is formed, Eva offers her services in the search for Jedi, thinking to scrape info from them after getting nothing in the Empire. Then - she catches Elarin's name falling from a Jedi's tongue, pursues that lead with dogged fervour, until she has her Jedi sister held tightly in her arms.

Does Ves have a plan for if things go wrong when she knowingly knocks back a poison drink or is Ves just a dumbass?

You look at this fucker's face and tell me if anything goes on in her head before she puts anything in her mouth.

To be (a little) fair, she'd already tested the drink discreetly and taken a sip before Eva told her it was poisoned. At that point, there were two possibilities - either Ves' detection had failed, or Eva was lying. But she had already ingested the poison, and if Eva's warning was true, she'd die anyway. So in a Supreme Dumbass moment, she went 'fuck it. can she really kill me if even I can't kill me??' and downed the rest of the drink.

Honestly, Ves was betting that Eva's lying; if Eva wanted to get into the Alliance, and Ves was her best hook, then why would Eva kill her? Eva never tells, and Ves never knows. Eva did slide her a pill at the end of their chat, but for all Ves knows, it's just a sugar pill to keep up the illusion.

Also something something Force techniques, Ves has some ways to slow poison in her body until she can get an antidote from her stash. Darth Avriss has probably seen multiple poisoning attempts by now. No biggie. Just don't tell Lana she fuckin. slammed back a poison drink like she was doing shots.

Does Roziq and Elara's reunion happen more or less like a romanced Elara in game or does it go differently?

Gonna be honest, I haven't thought much about Roziq and Elara! Since Roziq wasn't with Aelirra on Iokath, they'd reunite on Odessen, when Elara returns with the Commander.

They would be happy to see each other safe and sound, Roziq lifting Elara from the ground in a bear hug, while Elara tries to hide the blush on her face. They'd have a rowdy time in the cantina with the rest of Havoc Squad, before sitting down in private to hash out what's happened between them.

I mean, they did part ways when their goals weren't aligned, despite wearing on their fingers the vow to always be there for each other. It'll be okay though, don't worry!!!!!

[brokenrealitylooper]

Pilots' Table pt.3

The "kids" have some conversations, and we see a bit more of their Dream lives from inside Instrumentality.

Hopefully another long one.

EVANGELION! Pilots' Table pt.3

Shinji and Asuka stood side-by-side at the grill, the adults behind them quietly talking while the other four Children—each had at least one life where they Piloted an EVA—set out various side dishes or plates and utensils.

It was a quiet afternoon, perfect weather as the world slowly recovered as more and more people returned from red waters across the globe, those same waters slowly turning blue again.

Instrumentality had shown everyone dozens and hundreds of lives, near infinite ways they could've lived in worlds both with and without Evangelions and Angels.

For Asuka and Shinji, it had been thousands. Lives with each other in every way, from bitter enemies to the closest of lovers. Some live in the middle of that scale had been with others, like the one they knew they needed to talk about with Hikari and Touji, and with Rei.

The two of them, the Second and Third Children, knew each other intimately now. Thoughts and histories laid bare to each other as Instrumentality had raged around them, trying to drown them in infinite worlds that played at being perfect.

But all those worlds, no matter how perfect, hadn't been. Something had always been missing. And that something had been each other. Except for a few, like Asuka's life with Touji—or lives where things hadn't played out completely before something jerked them back into the storm, before dropping them in another illusion—each Dream had placed them into a world where only they were real.

But the others hadn't really had that anchor, that connection Asuka and Shinji shared because—even at their worst—the two of them had clung to each other by their fingernails.

It was hazy, but the two could recall surfacing a dozen or more times. Every time they'd realize they were alone, and they'd dive back in with the single-minded goal of dragging other out.

So now here they were, with those closest to them around them, and others slowly returning. And they needed to clear the air for a couple of them.

o0o

Asuka eyed the meats on the grill, her time as an adult and mother of two—as well as her controlling nature, though most of that was less demanding now—causing her to keep watch even knowing Shinji was a master cook.

"You think we should have our chats now? While the 'grown-ups' are distracted?"

"I think that'd be good." Shinji's voice was low, like Asuka's, and thoughtful, "You could send Hikari over, and we'll talk while you check on Touji."

"Then us 'girls' can go talk down at the edge of the yard?" Asuka teased, reminding them both of his slip the other day in talking about Hikari and Rei like they were they kids they appeared to be, both of them grinning, "I'll send her over. Don't burn anything."

Kissing his cheek—earning a whistle from Misato that Asuka ignored—she stepped away.

o0o

"Hey, Hikari, Touji." Asuka greeted the pair with a smile, gesturing back at where Shinji stood talking to Kaworu, "Shinji wanted a word, Hikari. Don't worry, I'm not stealing your man, I have my own and he's a handful."

Touji laughed as Hikari blushed and sputtered, the girl moving towards Shinji.

Though not before lightly slapping Asuka's shoulder, earning more laughter from both Touji and the redhead.

"Shin-man gonna straighten her out?"

Touji's soft words, spoken with amusement and a touch of exasperation, refocused Asuka, "Yeah. We've both noticed how edgy she's been, and I noticed how frustrated you've gotten."

The Osaka boy rubbed his face with a sigh, his eyes following Hikari as she reached Shinji while Kaworu walked away.

"Yeah." He huffed, relaxing a little, "I think it's over the Dream where you and I got together. She doesn't seem to remember the kids, but the fact I picked you instead of her, even if she picked Kaworu in that one..."

"Yeah." Asuka echoed, sighing as she leaned against the porch railing, "Shinji and I talked a few days ago. We're settled, no worries about drifting back to our Exes-" they both chuckled, smiling, "-but we could tell Hikari and Rei need some help."

"I noticed Blue was getting close to Boy Wonder." Touji hummed in thought, turning his gaze to follow Kaworu and then Rei, "And he seems open. But he's always so calm and happy, so it's hard to tell."

"I'll talk to them both in a few minutes, but we thought we'd clear up 'us' first." Asuka shrugged, then straightened to go catch Hikari as the other girl stepped away from Shinji, "Food should be ready in a few."

"You know I'm always ready for food."

Asuka's laugh carried across the yard.

o0o

"The barbecue was a good idea, Shinji." Kaworu told his friend as he walked over, smiling softly like always, as Asuka approached Touji and Hikari, "A friendly and open atmosphere for conversation."

"Thanks, Kaworu. And that was the idea." the boy smiled back, relaxed in his skin like he hadn't been before Instrumentality, "Asuka and I think we can help Rei and Hikari adjust if we clear the air."

"I do hope Asuka is able to ease their worries." Kaworu hummed, watching the horizon for a moment, "I know we all cherish those precious memories we made in some of those lives, but this is the life we must live."

"We do, and we will." Shinji smiled, waving the tongs in his hand at Kaworu to shoo him away, "Better move, Hikari is coming."

Kaworu chuckled, saying hello to Hikari as he went back inside.

"Asuka said you needed me?"

"We know you're struggling." Seeing her startle at his blunt words, he smiled softly, "Taking a page from Asuka's book. You know Touji loves you, right?"

"I do." she stuttered, blushing, before wrapping her arms around herself, "It's just... it doesn't feel like cheating, to you? Either of you?"

"No." he shook his head, calm and gentle like always, "We talked. We know we're meant to be together. We still love you both, but we made our choices when we escaped Instrumentality."

"How do you..." Hikari growled, frustrated tears in her eyes, glaring down at the grill, "how do you reconcile it all?"

"One step at a time, and by talking things out." Shinji's smile slipped, lopsided, "Something we weren't at all good at, Before."

There was a pause, as Hikari took in his words, before he continued.

"Asuka and Touji had two kids in that Dream." At her surprised expression, Shinji smiled softly, "It's a connection between them that we have to accept. It doesn't mean they'll leave us."

He held up a hand, stopping the girl from speaking, "Touji loves you, Hikari. Like I love Asuka, and she loves me. Yes, we still love the two of you, but it's not the same now."

He waited, watching the words sink in for her as she glanced down.

"You have to talk with him, Hikari." Shinji's voice was soft, but firm, drawing her gaze back to him, "He learned to be better, being with Asuka. Just like our life taught me to be open, their life taught both of them the same. He'll listen, really listen, and be serious."

"Okay." Hikari sighed, straightening, "Okay, I will. And... I love you too, Shinji. You and Asuka both."

"We know." He smiled, then waved out at Rei, alone in the yard as she watched the sky, "Go on. Asuka wants to talk with you and Rei."

o0o

Asuka joined Hikari as they walked out to Rei, neither speaking though they shared a smile.

Hikari seemed more settled, Asuka thought, watching the other girl from the corner of her eye. Hopefully whatever Shinji had said would stick.

She paused, and Hikari stopped to look at her with a curious and confused frown.

"If I know my baka, he told you about Mana and Kyo." Asuka's blunt words were joined by a... a fragile smile, if Hikari had to call it anything.

"He didn't mention their names, but yes." she paused, then offered a smile, "Tell me about them?"

"You really want to know?" The hopeful grin that lit Asuka's face eased something in Hikari.

Whatever Asuka and Touji had in that Dream, it was unique. Something important. And if she wanted to be with Touji like he wanted to be with her, she should learn, "Yes."

So there in the middle of the yard, Rei a few feet away—obviously listening, but not commenting—Asuka talked about her children.

o0o

"I think," Hikari began, letting Asuka pull back from a hug before continuing, "I think we'll get to see them again. They sound too much like their parents for us not to."

Asuka brushed her eyes clear and smiled gratefully, "You're right. And I don't mind being Kyo's aunt if Touji can be Mana's uncle."

"Of course." Hikari blushed, smiling back, "I don't want to break this... bond you two share. You both mean so much to me, and I know I can trust you."

"That means a lot to me, Hikari," the sincerity in Asuka's voice touched Hikari, "Shinji is the one I'll live out my life with, but I'll always love Touji."

"I think I understand," Hikari thought about the times she'd spent with Shinji and Kaworu inside Instrumentality, "In a way, I still love Kaworu, and even Shinji. So I can appreciate how you feel."

"Our three men," Asuka chuckled, "Somehow, they seem like the middle of this rag-tag band."

Hikari laughed with her friend, it did seem that way now that she had mentioned it.

Odd, in a way, that they would be the focus for so much. Touji had shown Asuka a full life, Kaworu had shown Asuka she could be loved just as she was and shown Hikari a full life, and Shinji had shown both girls that all they had to do was reach out and take the risk because the reward was so very worth it.

And then it hit her.

Asuka.

Shinji had been in control of Instrumentality whether consciously or not, and he had shaped those many lives to help them, but especially to help Asuka.

And as she and Asuka spoke for a few more minutes and laughed over stories about Mana and Kyo, she realized Asuka would never accept that.

Not that she would be ungrateful, but rather that her sense of self-worth would still cause her to dismiss the idea of Shinji doing that for her out-of-hand.

It made her a little sad, and she realized they still had some work and growing to do.

o0o0o0o

Next we'll see the three girls talk, and everyone talk to the adults.

[rndyounghowze]

NYC-22

Bettye And The Jockettes

Written By: Christie Perfetti Williams

Directed By: Sara Thigpen

Presented By: Retro Productions

We were just talking about wanting a nice show with a clean happy ending. It’s nice to see a hard hitting drama or topical piece on current events. But then sometimes we’re a sucker for sappy rom-coms. It's also great to see a funny female centered drama that feels like the drama or the comedy isn’t forced. Bettye and The Jockettes by Christie Perfetti Williams are D for “All of the Above”. Directed by Sara Thigpen Retro Productions is on the air and ready to make you laugh.

Closed Door Meetings

There’s a certain amount of genius that happens when you’ve been writing for so long. Williams (who has been writing for 20 years) found a very great solution to a problem we’ve had for years. We hate when we feel that there’s an invisible “play on the other side of the door” that the plot relies on. Williams gets around this by having characters talk in the sound booth while we watch through the glass. It means that the characters can still have their “closed door meetings” but we’re clued into what’s going on.

Kept The Plates Spinning

Black boxes are sometimes the hardest but most rewarding stages to direct for. In each corner of the stage there could be multiple parts of the stories going on at once. Thigpen had to keep two or more storyline plates spinning and make sure that blocking and business never had performers running into each other. Also she had to draw our focus where it was needed. She found ways to draw our focus to booth or stage right or left when needed. Thigpen knew how to keep the plates spinning and create wonderful stage pictures in such a short place. Making a tiny space like that look large is a huge talent.

So Much Out of So Little

This was one of our favorite sets we’ve seen this year so far. Barber created a set that had depth and a life in such a small space. It also felt lived in and fatigued. Ricky used to design and build small sets like this so they recognized the hustle required to make so much out of so little. Yet it’s so highly functional and makes so much out of so little.

The Happy Ending The Works Best For Them

In a world full of plays that end on a very “meh” note it was beautiful to see a well written story with well-developed characters that has a happy ending. Happy endings aren’t anathema to good storytelling. More importantly women-centric stories are allowed to have a mix of characters of all shapes and sizes. They are all allowed to get what they want. Their happy endings don’t have to be romantic either. They get the happy ending that works best for them.

NYC-23

Redemption Story

Written By: Peregrine Teng Heard

Directed By: Sarah Blush

Presented By: The Associates

“What is normal to the spider is chaos to the fly”. Morticia Addams said that. We’ve all heard how the Hollywood machine can chew young hopefuls for breakfast and spit them out. This is not a question. No matter how bad it is now it used to be much much worse. Peregrine Teng Heard brings us into the parlor of Connie Lee, a washed-up Hollywood star who takes in baby-faced Billy Jay. Directed by Sarah Blush this story of Hollywood in the 70's will make you want to binge some classic Noir movies...and then take a shower.

A Predatory Hunger

This story centers on Connie’s mutation of Billy from the good boy from Astor to a Hollywood shill. In that plot, we feel a predatory hunger. That is somewhat mirrored and echoed in Billy’s other relationships (Except for Eva). Yet the other characters seemed to pull away from instead of supporting Connie and Billy’s main thread. For example, as the parallels between Billy and her son Harrison deepen our understanding of Connie’s pathology, we don’t feel Harrison needs to say a word. There is something more substantial about him as a looming threat than a real human being. When he finally speaks we thought he was a figment of Connie’s drug-fueled imagination.

Silence Spoke Volumes

Directing for alley staging is no easy feat. The stadium-style seating creates a chilling challenge, If one side of the audience sees what’s going on does the other side miss it? Or does one side get the big reveal sooner than the other? Blush handled all of this as if it were second nature. Due to no fault to Blush, some of the entrances and exits were clunky. However, that could be an occupational hazard of working on a stage like this.

Blush’s direction was mostly seen when characters had to break and become part of the crew telling Connie’s story. There’s a choreography to these scenes played mainly in silence that spoke volumes.

LORT Quality

We know how hard it is to design sets for a black box space on a budget. We know it’s almost impossible to create a set that looks LORT quality in a black-box setting. It was minimal and versatile. He created a realistic diner/apartment that allowed the performers to move around freely. Qiu’s lighting design felt like it came directly from a Noir movie. The most masterful lighting designers seem to work with shadows instead of light. Qiu’s lighting played with shadows and highlights bouncing off the glossy and leather surfaces. It enhanced that mysterious effect. We must mention the big spotlight that would occasionally invade the stage. It created a surprising and stark contrast to the rest of the staging. It immediately put us in a different world.

Containing Multitudes

These were the best performers for the parts. Each performer was able to embody the complexity of the roles. None of these characters are surface-level. Each of them is multi-layered and contains multitudes. They were able to access this complexity. They could plumb the depths, chart the expanse of these characters, and interpret them onstage. The performance is the key to this story. Each of these performers was our handhold throughout.

[leaguepremsinfo]

name: bethany bronisława mazur (née rotfeld)

age: forty-seven (june 20th, 1977)

sexuality: bisexual

marital status: married

nationality: polish

family: fil mazur (husband), jonathan mazur (son), eva mazur, noa mazur (daughters), esther mazur (granddaughter)

occupation: housewife, grandmother

born in kazimierz, krakow, bethany's childhood was one of poverty, but one that was still fun and full of joy. her parents were older than most and had already had four children before her -- it was easy to parent a young child when the other siblings were old enough to look after her.

her father worked in a library, her mother was a seamstress but they still managed to keep food on the table and the kids in nice enough clothes. their grandparents also lived with them, who both helped with the kids' education and

bethany excelled in school, threw herself into her studies in order to someday get a high paying job to help support her parents and, if she found someone, her own family.

when she was fifteen, bethany got a job helping her dad's friend working with wisła kraków, a professional football team in the city. she had imagined it'd be something incredibly glamorous, her teenage brain concocted something wild and wonderful. perhaps she'd be working with the big bosses, perhaps she'd be a cheerleader (did football teams have cheerleaders?).. but no. he was a groundskeeper and her saturday job was to help out with his odd jobs. she couldn't turn it down - it meant getting some cash to help her mother with groceries and to also go out with her friends for a couple hours here and there.

at the club was where she'd meet a young filip mazur, another fifteen year old making his professional debut -- apparently clubs all over europe wanted him.. and, though the thought made her blush, beth did too. she was charmed by him, would stand and watch the training sessions just to hopefully catch his eye and it soon worked.

the two became sweethearts and she was head over heels for him, so when arsenal returned to ask for him to join their club at eighteen, she pushed him to accept. it'd be better for them both in the long run, beth was certain. he took the offer and disappeared off to london, followed by beth after six long months.

fil took off in london, quickly becoming a fan favourite -- he was eligible to play for both poland and england internationally, through his grandfather and after years finally got his call. one of the greats of his time, fil enjoyed success and became a staple of north london.

they had jon when beth was nearing twenty and eva a little too soon after him, raising their children with their own traditions and morals, jon becoming the apple of his father's eye. it was a surprise when a third child came along, but they loved noa all the same.

fil played for too long at the club, it made beth fret. made her fret even more when he played against his own son, the two glowering across the pitch at one another, but she was always supportive of his career and was there on the pitch the day he played his last game for arsenal, holding his hand tight.