#I voted for cheese because I don't know what the cheese is doing here

[mikerickson]

Lifting my self-imposed embargo because I'm weird and don't like posting on social media when I'm on vacation.

I'm at a point in my life where I can financially justify at least one international vacation a year and figured I'd finally cross off the Great White North from the bucket list. I'd never been and Andrew hadn't been back in a very long time despite having dual citizenship. Anyways, just got back, and a bullet-point breakdown of the highlights is after the cut:

I wish every international flight was under two hours; EWR to YQB was almost comically fast.

Had my first French conversation with the very nice lady at the car rental counter for about ten minutes. She complemented my pronunciation and grammar, and wished me luck on the trip. Every French interaction after this point was a linguistic battle for my life that I lost (Toutes les Québecois parlent trop vite pour moi).

We had some time to kill before the hotel check-in so we went to a mall in the suburbs just so we'd have a food court with some options. Turns out shopping malls are not only alive and well but fucking thriving in Canada. I haven't seen a mall that packed with people outside of December since the nineties.

Quebec City was very dense with old architecture which made it feel very European. It was also apparently built on a fucking cliff with streets at 60 degree inclines, which also felt very European.

Took a tour of the Quebec Parliament building (beautiful structure), and apparently they used to be bicameral, but voted to abolish their Senate in the 60's and they were the last Canadian province to do so. What a concept.

It's one thing to know on paper that Canada has about 1/8th of the population of the US, but I was not prepared for just how empty the countryside felt. For someone like me, living in the northeast my whole life, the idea that cities in close proximity to each other not having continuous stretches of suburbs and other smaller cities connecting them was completely foreign.

On the highways I kept thinking I was speeding because I'd look down at the dashboard and see the number "100", but 100 km/h is only like 62 mph, which is nothing.

Similarly, I kept getting sticker shock every time I spent money, and kept having to remind myself that $1 CAD was like $0.73 USD while we were there.

It was really cool to see that the complex for the 1976 Montreal Olympics is still maintained and actively used (we stumbled upon a skateboarding competition and I did not feel cool enough to be in that crowd). Sometimes you hear horror stories about Olympic villages bankrupting cities and falling into disuse afterwards, but that's definitely not the case here.

Montreal is apparently known for their local bagel culture, but their bagels have enormous holes in the middle of them, so you have less cross-sectional area for spreads and they don't really work for sandwiches. My faith in NJ/NY bagel superiority remains intact.

Every city we went to had dedicated bike lane infrastructure and young families with kids, but Montreal definitely had the most of both. Tons of parks, too. Simultaneously felt like a larger and smaller city than I was expecting.

Poutine is okay, but I wasn't prepared for the cheese to squeak when you bite into it. Very odd sensation.

The main Parliament building for the federal government in Ottawa (Centre Block) is stunning, but closed; apparently it's been under renovation since 2019 and isn't expected to be reopened until 2032! In the meantime, we took a tour of where the lower House of Commons is currently meeting. We learned that their electoral districts are routinely re-drafted by a non-partisan committee and that they occasionally add new seats to the legislature to account for changes in population. I had to seethe jealously in silence for the rest of the tour.

Also toured their Supreme Court building (way more Art Deco than I was expecting). We learned that there's currently a vacancy because a Justice recently retired because they're required to step down when they turn 75. I had to seethe jealously in silence for the rest of the tour.

Every single city had automatic/self-serve parking garages where you didn't have to interact with a human (which I was very thankful for), but in Ottawa they have this little jingle that the machine sings at you when you take your ticket, which I found very amusing.

On the drive to Toronto we took a quick detour into the Thousand Islands (yes, like the salad dressing) and visited Boldt Castle, which is technically in New York state. After seeing it in practice, the idea of living on your own private island is more appealing than ever.

Toronto feels like an exercise in what happens when a nation's largest city is allowed to grow without being hemmed in by ridiculous geography. As someone who grew up in NYC, this is another concept foreign to me. The GPS did get very tripped up navigating a particularly gnarly interchange however.

Toured the Ontario Legislative Assembly (yet another beautiful building). At this point we were really good at asking tour guides stuff like, "so if happens, do you guys have a plan?" To which they would reply, "well, no, but let's just hope that never happens!"

I now understand why the Great Lakes are effectively freshwater inland seas; you really cannot see the other shore, and Lake Ontario isn't even the biggest one!

YYC to EWR was under an hour. That's definitely going to spoil me for future trips going forward.

[irlcats-bracket]

bracket 1 FINAL BATTLE

RUSTY versus PRISSY

RUSTY

Rusty used to be a stray and then he had An Accident and now he has three legs (he had been living at a vet's office for a month when submitter adopted him). But he's doing great! Submitter taught him how to climb stairs and built him some steps out of cardboard boxes so he can get on their bed whenever he wants. They think he could be anywhere from 6 to 12 years old, it's hard to say ¯\_(ツ)_/¯. To their pleasant surprise, he does not mind wearing a harness at all, which is good because he still loves the outdoors. He often gets his ear turned inside out while bathing and weirdly prefers dry food over wet.

PROPAGANDA

breaking: semi-feral baby learns to cuddle, becomes addicted to laying on my face

and here he is chillin on the patio with me!

vote for rusty #1 best at sticking out leg

when i first got Rusty he could not go up stairs... but he could go down, so he would get stuck at the bottom of them and meow for help. Of course he also hated being picked up and carried up the stairs.

but now he just goes ZOOP up the stairs doing audible damage to my carpet the whole way, which is so valid of him because i hate carpet on stairs

and something that is not quite propaganda for rusty but important words from rusty's human nontheless

For this semifinal I am going to do a different kind of propaganda.

Next time you are looking to adopt a pet, please consider getting an older animal or one with special needs, if you are able, or even just a shy, timid one. The reason my vet friend came to me about Rusty was because cats like him are usually overlooked in shelters. It wasn't just his injury--behaviorally, it was like he didn't know how to be a pet. For about three months he spent 95% of his time sitting in one spot, doing nothing, mostly indifferent to human attention. And now, after less than two years, he is super active and follows me to bed every night for cuddles. There are so many pets like Rusty who just need somebody to give them a chance, and give them time. If you can be that person, it is the most amazing thing to see what they bloom into!

Thank you for reading my spiel, now here is a picture of Rusty sleeping in the cat equivalent of a T-pose for some reason:

PRISSY

If she's quiet she's either sleeping or somewhere she shouldn't be. Or Both. Openly favors submitter, tolerates others. Very autistic cat: anxious of bad noises, very picky eater, kneads with her right paw out for no reason, must walk a circle around the room before going somewhere, has Specific eating spots for mealtime, etc. She probably knows more English than she lets on. Disobeys authority when she's bored or hungry. Loves the outdoors but she needs her pretty pink harness or she'll run; her favorite activity is playing with grasshoppers. She's a little brat but you can't help but love her when she squeaks at you.

PROPAGANDA

As you can see, she likes tight spaces (it's the 'tism -u-). She has access to larger, roomier sleeping spaces, but she always gravitates to places where I can't understand how she could possibly be comfortable. That round thing in the top right pic? She sleeps on top of that for the night even though a whole leg falls over the side. We've debated getting her a bigger one, but I don't think she'd like it.

She is also a lover of people food; we tried not to get her used to it, but somewhere along the way she broke down our walls. Whenever I snack on cheese puffs on the couch, she's always gotta get up in my face to try to get some of that delicious cheese dust, going so far as to stick her big face in the bag right in front of me while I'm holding it. And if you've got salmon, she will go nuts. I think salmon is her favorite food with cheese as a close second. ...but she'll also beg for chicken nugget.

[Image description: a photo of OP sitting at the dining table over a plate of chicken strips and ketchup, OP on one side of the chair and holding a piece of bitten chicken and Prissy sitting on the other side of the chair with one paw on the table eyeing the bitten chicken strip. OP's face has been painted over with a black spot.]

As for speaking English, I've caught her saying Hello and Mama clear as day, and is working on pronouncing Outside and Water (I mean it, just from her tones and "syllables" of her meows, it's like she's trying to speak).

Sorry for the spam, but she really is that photogenic. And also sorry for the stuff on my bed, but my legs were injured at the time and needed extra support. While they were injured, I also spent a lot of time on the couch, where Prissy frequently sat by my side and especially on my lap. Now that I'm better and not sitting there anymore, she now claims that specific corner of the couch as her own; she's even stolen that spot from me when I get up to do something really quick.

I've also trained her to hop on my lap when she wants to eat, instead of jumping on the table, but at the end of the day she still does what she wants lol. She's always been by my side, from the first day she got here at 3 mos. old and took a nap on my lap right in the hallway.

[trainsinanime]

WIP reblog game

I got tagged by @chaos-has-theories and @into-september. Sorry for the delay in doing this, I just forgot about it.

If you're like me and you have a million WIPs and are anxious about updating them, play this game!

List the titles your top five priorities for WIP updates (link your fics for new readers!)

An upcoming scene, event, or detail in each fic that you're looking forward to writing

Bonus: make a poll for your followers to vote on which top 5 WIP they are most excited to see an update on!

Then tag 10 writer friends!

Let's start with the stories. So, I don't trust myself with multi-chapter stories, it takes me forever to write one-shots already, so (almost) none of these are out yet. You can read the ones that are out over here.

Operation Multifail. Three-chapter story where Marinette tries to convince Chat Noir to stop thinking about Multimouse by fighting as Multimouse, badly, on purpose, so he'll think she's incompetent. It doesn't quite work out.

Kwamidaddy Adrien. Assumes Marinette is the guardian. For reasons, Chat Noir has to take the Kwamis for a while. They all promised not to tell him anything about her private life. Shouldn't be a problem, right? This one may also end up being like three chapters

Chlogami Sabrina's Wedding. I think I posted a rough outline for chapter one here: It's Sabrina's wedding, and drunk Chloé confides in also-drunk Kagami about her complicated relationship to Sabrina, how she's happy for her but also jealous but also knows that because of their baggage, it could never work, while Kagami also has feelings about Adrien's and Marinette's upcoming wedding. I have like half a first draft of a first chapter here and absolutely no clue where this might go next.

Wings AU - Learning to Land. So there's a wings AU concept for Miraculous that keeps coming up every now and then. A bit too angsty for me, but when I first heard it, I thought it was a fun idea to talk about aerodynamics and world building in that context, specifically where Marinette teaches sheltered Adrien how to fly.

Plagg Interview. Now we're deep in the dregs, I picked a folder at random. Alya publishes interviews with someone close to Chat Noir's thinking. That someone: Plagg, who has been bribed with cheese. Marinette is not happy, but she can't say anything because Alya can't learn she's Ladybug. Yeah, this one's been sitting in my folder for a while. As have the others. Probably a one-shot.

Stuff I'm looking forward to in each fic:

The whole thing is based around big action set pieces. Three big Akuma fights, one in each chapter, which Marinette tries to fail at in different ways, and fails to fail, so to speak. I have no idea how to write these well, but I think that can be fun. Super-unpopular opinion: Fanfiction has way too much angst and romance and not enough action, and I'm definitely part of the problem myself.

Adrien interacting with the Kwamis who imprint on him as their father should be really adorable. As should the Kwamis trying their best to get Adrien and Marinette to marry (without revealing too much (they will reveal too much)).

Writing the banter between Chloé and Kagami is fun. I want to write more of it. I can definitely see someone taking that concept and turning it into, for lack of a better word, "normal long fic"; you know, thirty chapters, misunderstanding, they take a trip for a few chapters and return, so on and so forth. I'm not doing that, I don't have the work ethic and it's not actually my favourite genre of fanfic anyway. But what else could this story be? Figuring that out is an interesting challenge.

Aerodynamics! Learning to land! How do you learn to fly in a Wings AU? What does "rich kids aren't allowed to fly" mean for the world building? I don't have a story here at all but I do like the setting.

Plagg and Alya scheming together should be gold. Plagg trying to barter with a Marinette who can't reveal she's the Guardian has also a lot of comedic potential. Plagg trying to teach both of them how much Adrien needs them could be very emotional. Just Plagg.

Also, do you have any title ideas for any of these? I think Operation Multifail is good, the rest are just literally the file names I chose when I started with these projects.

I am tagging, very much at random, @sizzleissues, @pauliestorylover, @oblivionhold, @wrw47, @precious-notes, @kyuunonana, @aidanchaser, @aanabear2803, @valtionrautatiet-official and @cosmiccarrotcake. The requirement for inclusion was "I found you in my activity view in the past three months", so if you don't know what fanfic is, or don't feel like doing this, do feel free to ignore this.

[butts-bouncing-on-the-beltway]

I'm wondering if at some point you'll be up for sharing your full detailed plans for your biomes once they're each done? No worries if you don't want to, it's too much effort or whatever. I just think it'd be super cool to see! (Extra bonus points if there's a bit of a map. Maps are cool!)

So this feels like a fun way to announce a little project I'm working on, and that some lovely folks voted to influence the debut of:

I'm working on a zine!

It's going to involve sharing the plant guilds I'm creating, along with the relevant background information on each plant within the guild, instructions on one type of functional use of the plant, knowledge about how and why one plans and executes a plant guild, etc!

Basically, I figured it'd be a fun and helpful way for me to absorb the information I need about my Food Forest, plan and design it, and execute those plans, and also make that knowledge pleasantly available to others. I figure as the Food Forest develops, I can create additional Zines or adapt the existing Zine to continue to document and share the progress with folks who are interested in learning more about how, why, what, where, when, and all the rest.

It should be a really interesting process, because I expect for a lot of the work to be theoretical for a while, then work-away-from-home for another while, and then finally we'll fully integrate human living into the food forest. That ought to bring layers to how we approach it.

Either way, if you would like to receive announcements about the Zine as I begin organizing and sending out my research, laying out and illustrating the first issue of the Zine, and (yay!) release the debut issue, please fill out the following survey with your preferred contact information:

I've probably fucked myself for getting views via the tags by putting links in here, so lend a hand and reblog ifn you think this is something you or someone you know might be interested in I guess 😆

Me and the wife have been dreaming about this for a long time, you know? Come live our queer dreams with us, they are many and soft, and it's kind of nice to learn how to prepare marigolds and dandelions and corn meal and goat cheese into a vegetable and cheese empanada.

[capesandshapes]

reasons minnesota is the best us state

vote minnesota here, because im right and you know it

minnesota is the longest running democratic state. true blue. these colors don't run. this is probably because we want everyone to know its freaking cold here and staying blue every time we're on a map gets the point across

has the actual worst football team and everyone knows it but no one cares

home to the mayo clinic, 3m, target, and general mills who made what... that's right, count chocula, kids.

hot dish is a cool word and basically like depressioncore cooking

if you live in the south part of the state the hormel plant is slowly killing you to make canned spiced ham which is cool

one time they just elected a wrestler to office and like no one said anything

the state bird is the common loon who minnesotans have turned into indescribable monsters that attack children, cars, and trucks much like the geese that also terrorize half of the state

it is a major activity in at least one minnesotan town to tie a dollar store sled to a truck via rope and do donuts at extraordinary speeds with high schoolers loaded on top of each other in the sled until someone has to go to the er (that town is my town (no one has died (yet)))

Minnesota has the Mall of America which smells like that because there's apparently no heat. The sheer power of sweaty gross tourists helps the mall face the winter. baller.

if you like grocery bags with handles then man do i have good news for you

Diversity win! Gay icon Judy Garland is from Minnesota

Diversity Loss! Straight Icon Bob Dylan is from Minnesota

Minnesota has an amusement park named Valleyfair, which used to host the Berenstain Bears who famously smelled like b.o. and the broken dreams of children. This was good for tourism but bad for children. Now they have peanuts characters who cant dance but do smell better.

Minnesota has the world's second most mid renaissance faire, but you can bring your dog to it and I think that's something you need to know.

the average minnesotan eats 19 gallons of mayonnaise a year. this isn't a real fact but it sounds like it could be.

the minnesota state fair debuted butter on a stick. this was widely regarded to be 'an idea' and 'something that happened'

the twin cities are very flammable. burn them down.

trespassing is a very common hobby with many minnesotans breaking into private or abandoned property because there's not much else to do. this is because there is no jack in the box drive-thru in the state

Lutheran sushi is a dish that was invented by god and probably whispered to a lady named Edna in the middle of the night. It is made of pickles, ham, and cream cheese. Legend says it was the front runner for the official secret state food, bravely competing against tatertop hotdish.

Every minnesotan town is the birthplace of paul bunyan. this is because he was very big. the only place that is not the birth place of paul bunyan is eden prarie which 90% of minnesota inexplicably hates

Minnesotans love complaining about the snow and how cold it gets there, unless you mention that you feel a chill elsewhere, then all minnesotans become the picture of winter survival and mock you for disliking the cold.

in summary, minnesota is the best, screw the rest.

[little-robin-h00d]

Hey the anti-vegan post u rbed really sucks. It puts all vegans (95% of whom just think factory farming is horrible and don’t want to hurt animals in their diet) in a box that is labeled “anti-indigenous, stupid, radical, and crazy”.

Most vegans don’t even try to convince people because they know how their seen. Advocacy against factory farming is not the same as demeaning native practices.

There’s a person replying on the side of vegans in the comments and I think you should read some of what they’re saying because they explain why the post is wrong and harmful. I’m not coming at you with anger btw I like you and your account. But that post is just super harmful and I’m hoping that you would be interested in reading thoughts from the other side and maybe changing your opinion.

Hey there! I appreciate you coming here with a non-aggressive stance, but I think there's been a bit of a miscommunication. Similar to how when people talk about White People(TM), or Christians(TM), they are not saying every single person in the group is bad- they are talking about a specific subsect of the group that uses the ideology and privilege to harm. There are white people who do their best to dismantle the white supremacy they've been taught and advocate for POC, and there are Christians who do follow the teachings of loving thy neighbor and don't use their religion as a kudgel to beat others with- same with veganism.

Someone choosing to be vegan or vegetarian is completely fine- and I will gladly do my best to accommodate all diets, allergies, and food sensitivities when eating with other people. My best friend is vegetarian, and I always have stuff they can eat stocked away in the fridge for whenever they visit.

However, when it's portrayed as the "only ethical way", and that all humans should consume zero animal products- and then these people saying that get POWER, and spread misinformation- is where the issue lies. It's the PETA bitches we're talking about, not some random person who may have a million reasons for personally going vegan. It's their life, it's not harming anyone, cool beans.

Unfortunately, we have yet to come up with the proper language in English to effectively reference these dangerous subgroups, and it would take a while to spread and become common knowledge even if we do find a proper term for it- but having to explain that in every single post we make about oppressive or dangerous groups like that is a waste of time and effort that could be put to better use, and essentially arguing about semantics.

Also, these are personal Tumblr blogs, the vast majority of the time only having one person running them- you cannot expect the same vetting of language and such things in a post on someone's blog as would be on a scientific or news article.

As someone who loves meat and cheese and other animal products: I hate factory farms too! But we aren't gonna solve the massive problems with animal abuse by stopping eating any animal-related products. We cannot personal choice our way out of systemic issues- that's an astroturf campaign so many people have fallen for in so many different areas. From climate change and voting rights, to animal welfare and plastic use. These things are simply out of the hands of ordinary people like you and me, and it's why collective action is so important.

I also believe it's a bit of a waste of time to get upset at people who are rightfully critiquing these groups, rather than get upset at the groups themselves for tarnishing the names of innocent people like you.

TL;DR: If the post doesn't describe you, it's not about you.

I do hope you have a good day, and I apologize if this post is a bit of a mess. I've been severely sick for over a month now and am only just starting to recover, I only got 5 hours of sleep, and haven't even taken my meds today because I've been too nauseous.

[ieatadoptmepets]

I may or may not have written my first fanfic and it may or may not be good, but I like it. I think I executed my vision almost perfectly. I hope y'all like it :3

***

"If we were to move our meetings to 4:30-" Annie explains to the group.

"No!" Both Troy and Britta shout.

"I have a regular class at that time. It's like math or other regular classes," Troy says to us, visibly nervous, but no one else is better than reading Troy than I am. They don't notice.

"Yeah, I have something unimportant that can't ever move," Britta agrees. I notice Troy starts breathing harder and is sweating a bit. I know what class he's talking about, he dances. Britta is quick to agree and shuts Annie down too. She must be dancing too. I became aware of Troy's dancing weeks ago when he left his schedule laying around and once forgot to change out of his clothes and tried to convince me they were for football. I let him believe I accepted his lie but I felt bad for him. I suspect it's more than just dancing, but it's not my place to pry, and I don't want to make him feel uncomfortable. The group almost figuring out he dances, though, seems to have put him on the verge of a panic attack. I don't want him to feel like that.

Since we can't move the group's meeting time, we decide to vote on Pierce letting us in at the door. The mention of his name makes everyone grow concerned, he hasn't arrived yet. We all start mourning him until he walks in the door.

Pierce whines about us pretending to be concerned for him but really hoping he's dead and Jeff once again reveals another woman he's sleeping with, and the group disperses.

I take note of Britta dancing too and how scared Troy was, so I ask Britta to stay behind while the group goes.

"Sure, Abed. What's up?" She asks.

"I know Troy takes a dancing class and based on how you both reacted, I know you do too," I tell her.

"What? Psh, no, I don't dance. I DEFINITELY do not tap dance, where'd you hear that from? Wait, is this about Troy? Abed, he's your best friend you can't be homophobic to him, not cool man," She says and rambles on.

"I've known about Troy dancing for a while and it doesn't bother me. He seems really scared about the group finding out and now that I know you dance too, can you help him out? Just try to convince him that it's okay and we all support him," I tell her.

"Aw, Abed, that is so sweet. I'm glad you care about him. I didn't know he was scared about coming out. I'll help you, Abed. Oo, maybe I can accidentally run into him after class and convince him to come out with me to the group."

"Thank you, and don't make it obvious I sent you to do this. I don't want him to feel trapped or forced," I say.

"Don't worry Abed, I got this."

***

I haven't had the chance to see Britta or Troy since I spoke to her. I hope Britta didn't Britta her talk with Troy and that he's doing alright. It's our study time again, but the door is locked. Who could've guessed? We're all here waiting, except for Jeff. He's inside, making out with Professor Slater.

"Hey! Could you open the back door?" Pierce shouts. They look at us in shock.

They let us inside, and Jeff introduces us to Michelle. She likes macaroni and cheese like I do so I guess she's nice. Once she leaves, Britta takes the opportunity to tell everyone about her and Troy dancing.

She grabs his hand and says "Hey, everyone, speaking of secrets, Troy and I have something we'd like to announce." Annie gasps in shock.

"No, no," Britta continues. I suspect that Annie has much less of a chance with Troy than she thinks, for reasons I won't say.

"There is a dance recital on Friday, and I would be honored if you guys would attend. Because since last semester, I have been taking a tap class." She gives Troy a reassuring look. The group points out the irony of an emotionally closed off person like her taking dance classes. Shirley asks Troy about his secret and he looks even more scared than before.

"My secret is that I knew Britta's secret," Troy says. He doubles down on the lie and makes fun of Britta dancing, and then the Dean comes in, having seen Pierce's tweet about Jeff and Slater's relationship. The group leaves and normally I would hang back and walk with Troy, but I let Britta stay with him to talk about what happened. I haven't talked with him much lately. I hope he doesn't think it's related to him dancing, although it is.

Later, Britta finds me sitting outside and updates me on the Troy situation.

"He dropped out of the dance! I don't know how I'm gonna do this, Abed. He's really scared, and I don't know how to help him without revealing our plan. Maybe you should talk to him," She says to me.

"No, I don't know how to help either. If he knows this was a plan he'll lose all trust in me. This needs to be a decision he makes on his own. Let him be, and we'll all he there cheering you on at your show, Britta."

***

Britta's show has started, and it's an endless match between Pierce's complaints and Shirley's shushing. Britta's performance is very underwhelming and she starts to clam up. I follow her gaze and notice Jeff and Slater holding hands. She claims to not be in love with him but she's so bad at hiding her feelings that even I can read them.

Just as I had partially expected, Troy comes on stage to assit Britta. I expected it because it'd be the exact thing to happen on TV, the very masculine man coming on stage last minute to redeem himself and save the damsel in distress. But I didn't expect it because from what Britta said, he was really adamant about not dancing. I'm glad he came.

The performance is over, and Britta and Troy nailed it. Especially Troy. I tell them both they were great and wait for Troy to be alone. I want to come clean with him now that he completed his performance.

"Hey, Troy, can we talk?" I ask him

"Yeah man, what's up?"

"Come talk with me in my dorm."

Troy says his goodbyes to the group and receives congratulations from them, except for Pierce, who tells him it was a creative way to come out. Troy panicks and stutters over his words, trying to say he isn't gay. I ignore it and continue walking with him.

We reach my dorm and Troy, still nervous from Pierce, asks why I want to talk to him in private.

"Troy, I've known you've been dancing for a while. I kept your secret because you're my friend, and because I thought it was about more than just dancing. But when I noticed how scared you were at the thought of the group finding out, I asked Britta to help you out. Now that it's over, I thought it's time to come clean," I tell him.

"Oh. I'm sorry Abed, you didn't have to do all that. You don't have to do all that for me. I know you care, but I'm fine. I didn't want people to know because you know how they'd respond, especially Pierce." I think that Troy's dancing represents more than dancing and actually represents his sexuality, but I don't want to pressure him. I also don't understand anything that isn't crystal clear, so I'm not sure how to go about this.

"You know, when I was a teenager, I started dancing. At first, my dad hated it. He didn't approve and yelled at me for weeks to stop dancing. Then, when I had my first recital, I was surprised he showed up. I was even more surprised when he clapped for me at the end. We got a standing ovation, started by my dad. When he saw me after, he told me he saw how happy I was whole dancing and he couldn't deny that to me. He apologized for being angry and supported my passion for dance ever since," I say to him. It's not entirely true, but he doesn't have to know that. I hope he believes it.

He gives me a look that I can't read.

"Abed, this isn't about dancing, is it?"

"No," I tell him. "I'm bisexual. I figured it out when I was sixteen. My dad was livid, but when he saw me happy on a date with my first boyfriend, he started to loosen up and support me. He fully supports me now. I've really started to think that you're queer too and that dancing has something to do with it, but I didn't want to assume. I think you're afraid of the group rejecting you, but you know that won't happen. We're all here for you, Troy."

"Wait, if you think the group would be supportive, why haven't you come out?"

"Because it was never relevant. If I had a serious boyfriend, I would come out, but I don't. There's no need. It's not like I tell them every time I hook up with someone."

"Ha, nice, you get laid," he laughs. We do our handshake.

"Thank you, Abed. And I am gay. It feels nice to finally say that. But there's more to it. Abed, with you going all these lengths for me, I can't deny it. I have feelings for you. I think I've had then for a long time, I think since we became partners for the Spanish project. But I realized it when I accidentally let Fievel out of his cage. You are an amazing person and I love everything about you. I love the way you care, I love the way you think, I love you for just the way you are. It's perfect. You're perfect, Abed," he confesses.

"I have feelings for you too, Troy. I don't know how to express it like you do, but believe me, I feel the same way." I pull him into a hug and we stand there, in the middle of my dorm, in silence. The sound of us breathing is calming.

After a few minutes, Troy breaks the silence.

"Does this mean we're dating now?"

"Well, do you want to be my boyfriend?" I ask him.

"Yes. Yes, I do, Abed," he says.

"Then the answer is yes."

"Hey Abed?"

"Yes, Troy?"

"I don't want to come out to the group. Not about being gay or us dating. Not yet, at least. I don't want to do it."

"Take all the time you need, Troy," I tell him. And for the first time in my life, I feel complete.

***

!!!!!!!! I finished my first fanfic and I'm happy!! unbelievably tired too but it was worth it. I'm definitely gonna make a chapter 2, but I'm not sure after that. if I make more chapters, they'll likely be more as one shots. I also have a list of other stand alone trobed fics to write, majority about them coming together so there'll be more. and maybe considering an abed x reader or oc cause I love abed and can't really project onto troy?? but don't take my word on that. I also am in need of a title for this so im not sure how that'll go. also I might repost this to wattpad and link it so if I do I'll edit it to add. definitely won't be on ao3 though, I refuse to make an account there. anything fanfic wise that I do will definitely be on tumblr, maybe on wattpad

[lovemesomesurveys]

Does bad grammar bother you? My own grammar is important to me, so if I make a mistake I have to go back and fix it as soon as I'm aware. Although, there admittedly are times where I just go off on a ramble or venting session and just let it flow a little.

Do you save your shoe boxes or any other box? I used to, but nah I just get rid of them now.

What's the craziest rumor you've ever heard about yourself? I never heard any.

How many sweatshirts would you guess that you own? I own a ton of sweatshirts. I wish I lived somewhere that had colder weather for a longer amount of time.

Are you a fan of Taylor Swift? No.

What's the coolest name you've ever heard someone have? I'm blanking at the moment.

What's your least favorite genre of music and why? I'm not really into like EDM or house music.

If you wear make up, what's some good brands you'd recommend to someone with very pale skin? I stopped bothering with makeup a few years ago and prior to that I was certainly no makeup expert. I kept it really simple, so I'm not the one to ask.

Do you usually complain a lot when you first wake up? I can be irritable and blah when first waking up. I need time to wake up first and take my medicine and just come to life somewhat at least. I'm more of a zombie these days, though. I'm barely functioning and awake it feels like.

What did you last complain about? It's getting summer weather here already and I hate it.

What's something you're thankful for? God, my mom, and brother. They keep me going. I seriously could not do it without them. Especially my mom, who has had to do so much and taking care of me right now takes up so much of her time.

What era had the best music/movies? 90s and early 2000s.

Did you ever like nursery rhymes as a child? What was your favorite? Yeah. Just think of the main/popular ones.

What do you usually purchase at gas stations? (aside from gas of course) Sometimes I might get an Icee, a soda, or a snack of some kind.

Do you drink regular or diet soda? Both.

What's one of your favorite artists/bands, and least favorite song from them? I don't feel like thinking of one right now.

Have you ever seen them live?

Do you go on walks regularly? I don't go on walks, ever. Last year around this time my mom and I attempted to do that a few times a week, but it was super short lived, ha. I should try so I can bring up my upper body strength, but blahhh. I have zero energy and motivation for that. Getting out of bed is a major feat for me.

Do very sociable people aggravate you or more shy people? Well, I'm "shy people", sooo. I can't handle sociable people right now. Apart from my family, I'm not up for social interaction.

Are you registered to vote? I am.

When was the last time you raised your voice? Recently because my mom couldn't hear what I said from the other room.

Do you consider graffiti to be true art or just messy? It can be. I've seen some really cool art. I don't like when people do that kind of stuff where they're not supposed to and damage places. That's not cool.

Describe something odd that you own. I don't know.

What last overwhelmed you? It doesn't take much to be honest. I'm easily overwhelmed nowadays.

Do you wear a lot of pink? No. I own like a couple of pink clothing items.

Do you currently have a fan on? No.

Do you take a lot of pictures? I take a lot of screenshots.

Do you like the name Aidan? Sure.

What is the first thing you said when you woke up this morning? "Thank you."

What's your McDonald's order? If I'm going then it'd just be for their breakfast, in which case I'd usually get their breakfast burritos. Sometimes I'll get an egg and cheese McMuffin or their breakfast platter. I might add a muffin or cinnamon roll as well.

When did you last have a donut? A few days ago. I have a glazed donut in the kitchen currently that has been calling my name, though…

What's the longest word you know that you can accurately spell? shrug

Do you live in a city with more than 100,000 people? No.

Does your name begin with B, L, M, T, or H? Nope.

What do you do when you can't fall asleep? Well, I have my normal nighttime routine of watching ASMR and scrolling through Tumblr until I fall asleep. I also try to drink peppermint or chamomile tea. These days, though, I just doze off and on until I finally decide to stop fighting it and go to sleep. I don't know why I do that, it's so stupid. I can barely keep my eyes open these days. I have no energy.

What did you last watch on TV? Full House.

Do you know anyone who keeps a Christmas tree up year round? shrug It's possible.

Who were you last in a vehicle with? My mom.

What's the strangest video you've ever seen? Uhhh.

What country are you from? I'm from the US.

What's something you care strongly for? My faith and my family.

What goes best with dessert, coffee or milk? Coffee goes pretty well, actually.

If Kirby absorbed you, what power would they get? I don't know anything about Kirby.

Who has better coffee, Dunkin or Starbucks or maybe somewhere else? They both have good drinks.

What's your go-to appetizer? Chips and dip.

Have you ever received a present that made you cry? Yes.

Would you rather read a history novel or fiction? Fiction.

What's something you are addicted to? Caffeine.

Do you know what time you were born? 4:30ish in the evening.

Don't you hate when you jerk yourself awake while falling asleep? Ugh, yes.

Do you know of any haunted buildings in your town? No.

Do you think too much about your past or future? My past.

Is anyone on your bad side lately? No.

What's the most random song on your playlist that people wouldn't expect? I don't know, I don't care.

Do you wish Bzoink would let you put music on your profile? I don't do anything with mine, so I don't care. I just go on there to get surveys.

When did you last receive a business card from somebody? I don't recall.

What makes you want to take a survey? Just when the mood strikes. It takes a little more these days for me to take them, though. I'm definitely not cranking them out like I used to. Just taking one takes me longer now.

What song did you last hum or sing along to? The Full House theme song.

What TV streaming service do you use the most? We recently switched to Xfinity and they have a streaming service now, so we watch TV via an app on our smart tv's or we can on our phones. Apart from that, we have all the main/popular ones as well.

Would you try that flaming hot mountain dew? isn't that so wild? lol I can't have spicy stuff anymore, unfortunately. It really doesn't sound good anyway, but I probably would given it a sip at least.

What's something strange that you enjoyed when you tried it? I really don't know cause I'm so basic and particular with my food. Nothing strange comes to mind.

Do you own any adult coloring books? Yeah, several.

What did you last draw or write down? I wrote something in the Mother's Day card earlier that we're sending to my Nana.

Do you always smile in pictures or what is your go-to pose for pictures? I give a little closed mouth smile and a slight angle of my head.

What's a topic you love discussing with others? share something with me about it (: TV shows and movies I'm into.

Would you say that you're an outdoorsy type person? Ha, nooo. Definitely not. The only exception is the beach.

Do you use matches or lighters more? I personally don't use either one or mess around with fire in any way cause I'm a big scardy cat.

Have you ever played pinball on a machine or just online? I've played on a machine.

Do you have any chores you need to get done? My room could use some straightening up, but I don't have the energy or motivation at all for that. It's almost 8PM and I barely got out of bed for the day about an hour ago…

If you had to get a tattoo, what would it be of and where would you like it? I've wanted "free bird" for a long time, but I'm too scared to ever actually do it. There was a brief time whereI wanted a nautical star, too.

Have you ever had a bad sunburn? Ugh, yesss. I burned my arms and shoulders really bad once omg it hurt so bad. I could barely get a bra and shirt on.

Have you ever seen a play? What was it about? I've seen a few.

Would you enjoy being famous or does it seem too stressful? That is definitely something I would not want or enjoy at all.

What's something that makes you happy? Going to the beach or Disneyland.

[00katrinka00]

Landcaster Legacy Gen 7 Update #43

Dear Diary, It's Prom day! I think I should be more excited than I really am, but I'm stressing about battle of the bands tomorrow. I'm also not excited about watching Sage and Janie dance around and be all lovey dovey tonight. -Violet

Violet decided it was best to get in as much practice today as possible. Who knew how much time she'd have tomorrow morning. "For the sake of the watcher and everyone's ears can you stop!" yelled Lacy. "Jeez, I don't know what's gotten into you, but you need to chill out."

"You know I need to practice," Violet told her. "Just do it somewhere else, I'm trying to get ready for prom," Lacy retorted. "Prom is like 10 hours away, and you're literally what sitting there." "Whatever," Lacy rolled her eyes. "Just leave me alone." "Rude lately."

That evening when Violet and Lacy came down the stairs, Mads was waiting. "You both look absolutely beautiful!" she exclaimed. "Oh, thanks mom!" "Thank you, Mads," Lacy said.

And for the obligatory before the prom fireplace photos.

"Violet looks pretty," Rosie told her big sister. "Thank you, Rosie," Violet grinned at her. "Take picture?" "Absolutely," Violet agreed. "Say cheese," said Mads from behind the camera. "Oh, sweetheart, you're too big to be sucking on your thumb." "Baby Alex does it."

After everyone else arrived they headed outside for even more pre-prom photos.

Nat and Leo spent the whole night dancing together, and they both felt quite enamored with one another.

"Ugh!" Violet exclaimed to Owen. "Just look at them over there, making me want to puke." "Do you want to dance or something?" Owen asked. "All we've done is sit here, and I'm getting bored." "Then go somewhere else!" Violet snapped. "Maybe I will."

Little to Violet's knowledge, Janie and Sage were not having a good night. "So, what dirt did you get on Violet?" Janie asked. "What?" "You've been spending all this time with her, I thought it was to spy on her, figure out what she's playing tomorrow for battle of the bands."

"That's wrong!" Sage angerly exclaimed. "The fact that you think I'd do something so unethical." "THEN YOU'RE USELESS!" Janie yelled stomping her food on the ground. "Excuse me?" "You heard me, we NEED to win tomorrow, and you playing friendly with the enemy won't help!"

"If that's the case then I guess you don't need me," Sage said "So, I quit, the band, being your friend. Violet was right, you're no good" "You can't quit," Janie told her. "Battle of the bands is tomorrow" "I can, and I just did!" with that Sage walked away "You'll regret this!"

Violet and Lacy both made sure to get their votes for prom royalty in.

Lacy ended up winning Prom Royalty, and Owen won Prom Jester. The crown conflicted with Lacy's pink hair and ended up glitching out. She seemed pretty embarrassed about it.

Later, Violet found Sage sitting alone in the corner. "I like your dress," Violet told her. "It's really pretty." "Thank you," Sage said. "Is everything alright?" Violet asked. "You're sitting alone and seemed sad." "I quit Janie's band." "Really, why?"

"So, yeah," Sage said when she was done explaining everything to Violet. "Janie basically just wanted me to spy on you, and I decided enough was enough." "Well," Violet paused. "Thanks for having my back." "Yeah," Sage trailed off. "Can I ask you something?" "I guess."

"Why didn't you ask me to prom?" Sage asked "Huh?" Violet said in disbelief "I was waiting for you to ask, and when you didn't, I accepted Janie's invite" Sage explained "I kind of thought we had a thing going there" "I was waiting for you to ask me" Violet admitted "Wanna dance"

Violet and Sage then danced the night away. "Is Owen going to be mad, you kind of ditched him, and he's your date," Sage asked. "We're just friends," Violet assured her. "I only said we were going together because you told me you were going with Jan

"Can I kiss you?" Violet asked after several dances. "I'd like that," Sage smiled at her.

Lacy was not having the best time at prom, so she headed outside top get some air. Owen noticed, and since Violet was busy dancing with Sage, he followed her outside. "Is everything alright? You seem upset," Owen asked her. "Not really, I didn't even really want to come."

"You didn't?" Owen asked. "Jenna is just super persistent," Lacy began to ramble without even thinking. "The last time I was in high school prom didn't exist, so I guess I was a little curious, but now I'm just annoyed." "The last time you were in high school?" Owen asked.

"Oh-uh," Lacy stuttered. She didn't want people to know that Violet had brought her back from the dead. "Uh, yeah, I mean the school I went to before this one." Things weren't adding up, but Owen decided to ignore it. "Since we're both out here anyways, do you want to dance?"

Together, Lacy and Owen continued to dance for the rest of the night.

Here's some more prom photos, because I took way too many.

[jelliezellie]

The Fairest of Them All - Asmodeus

'Obey Me! Shall We Date?"

A/N: Short but cute fluff. Unestablished/secret relationship. G/N reader :)

The artists - You and Asmodeus. The (reluctant) models - Belphegor and Beel. You narrowed your eyes. "You ready to crash and burn, pretty boy?"

"Oh, I love it when you call me that! I'll make you call me 'Pretty boy' over and over again when I win!" Asmodeus challenged.

Three hours. With the tap of a button, you started the time. You and Asmodeus raced to his bathroom to get any makeup supplies you could find in order to make the boys look 'pretty.'

Your model was Beel. He had his ups and downs, but he had a more manly face than Belphie, which would make it harder to make him look feminine. Nonetheless, his skin was more clear.

You grabbed everything you needed and Asmodeus grabbed everything else. You both laughed as you raced back to the boys. "BEEL, KEEP YOUR HEAD STILL!"

"BELPHIE, STOP FALLING ASLEEP!"

"WHY DO YOU HAVE CHEESE DUST ON YOUR FACE?! BEEL!" You shouted, wiping his face. He frowned as you yelled. "Sorry Beel, I just have to win this." He nodded and you covered his face lightly with foundation. (Quite honestly, I don't know much about makeup, other than eye makeup, so this part may be rushed)

You put orange and pink eyeshadow on his eyes. Beel's color palette was cute and easy to match with his skin color. You put a bit of eyeliner on him, too. He wouldn't look good with a lot of it, so you kept it to a minimum.

"How's it going over there, Asmo? Are you sucking like always?" You teased.

"It's going great, thanks for asking. Are you swallowing like always?"

Both Beelzebub's and Belphegor's eyes widened. "Huh-" "SHUT YOUR MOUTH, BEEL!" You screeched, glaring at Asmodeus. You applied nude lipstick to his lips. You grinned, making the finishing touches to his face. "You look perfect, Beel!" You whispered as you patted his cheek.

He admired himself in the mirror, smiling, "Wow, I look nice. Can I go eat yet?" You shook your head.

Asmodeus frowned. "I thought I was perfect." "You are! I'm just saying that Beel looks great too." "But you said that only I'm perfect." You smiled at him, not noticing Beel and Belphie exchanging confused glances.

Asmodeus showed Belphegor his face. Belphie slowly blinked, then began to fall asleep. "No!" Asmo exclaimed, keeping Belphie upright.

You called Lucifer, Mammon, Satan, and Levi to come judge them. You grinned as Lucifer inspected Beel. "Well, I must say," Lucifer started, "Beel looks very good with these colors."

"I like Belphie's purple palette though," Levi commented. Satan and Lucifer voted for Beel while Levi and Mammon voted for Belphie.

You frowned. "A tie?!"

"We're not having a tie! Get Diavolo in here!" Asmo shouted.

Diavolo appeared, looking at the two boys. "Wow. They both look great, although," You and Asmo tensed up, "Belphie's makeup is smudged."

You took a deep breath, letting out a loud cheer. "Yes! Yes, I win!"

"What?! No!" Asmo shouted back. He splashed water on Beel's face. "What the fuck?!" You screeched, splashing water on Belphie's face.

"Hey, why are we suffering?!" Beel exclaimed.

"We should've just taken the tie!" Asmo whined. "Why? Cause you wouldn't have lost?" You joked.

"No, because we're supposed to be equals in this relationship!"

Everyone was silenced.

Diavolo raised an eyebrow. "You two are...?"

Asmo grabbed you by the waist and kissed you. As he pulled away and looked into your eyes, he whispered, "Yes."

Asmodeus frowned, still jealous of your victory. "I'm gonna win next time," He claimed. You chuckled, crossing your arms, "No way!"

You both noticed everyone staring at you. "Really? You're all looking?" You grumbled. "It's not that big of a deal," Asmo said, "But if you're looking, we'll give you a show," He winked.

Everyone filed out of the room, leaving you and Asmo alone. "Wanna go take a bubble bath?" You suggested.

"With you? Of course!"

[noisyalmonddreamer]

Dating Alex Fierro would include

(P/g): preferred gender

(A/N) sorry this took so long to take out

-accepting Alex as soon as you met Him/Her

-you had a crush on Alex when Alex was having his/her (p/f) l days

-you where surprised when you found out that you still liked him/her on (p/g) days

-before you start dating being confused if he/she is flirting with you or being mean/ insulting you

-sometimes you're still not sure

-having fake arguments to pass the time

-sometimes just knowing his/her pronouns

-othertimes asking Alex his/her pronouns when you introduce him/her to friends

-your friends being confused

-Alex finds it funny

-if you ever try to say something cute he/she would making some sarcastic comment

-Alex likes cuddles

-maybe not as much as some of the others *cough magnus cough* but he/she still really like's them

-he/she is always big spoon, well most of the time at least

-Don't ever try and fight him/her on this

- "Oh please (y/n) we all know I'M big spoon"

-if he/she wants to cuddle and your doing something, you're going to cuddle

- "(Y/n) get your ass over here and cuddle with me"

-Putting his/her hair into hairstyles when he/she isn't paying attention

-Have y'all seen the hairstyle Keith from voltron had with the big pony tail? It's that

- "(y/n) what the Hel!"

- He/she likes hickeys

-Alex will give you a hickey a lot lol

-he/she likes seeing hickey's on you

-Alex is kinda cocky about you having them

-he/she also likes getting hickeys

-he/she likes showing them off to your floor mates

-it's kinda like he/she is saying "Look what we did last night~"

-it's kinda annoying but he/she likes it so it's tolerable

-though some of your floor mate's get uncomfortable

-PDA is kinda all over the place

-If he/she is feeling it there's a lot

-like kissing, hugging you know?

-if Alex is really feeling it he/she will have NO SHAME

-like would make out with you in public

-most likely has had sex somewhere public when no one was around

-If he/she isn't feeling it than Alex will normally just be holding your hand or wrap his/her arm around your waist

-well sometimes

-fighting together during battles

-the first time you guys went to combat after you started dating it was funny

-when one of you died you shared a cheese romance movie moment as a joke

-voted 10/10 most likely to play the no touch game (is that what it's called?)

-if you don't know this game is where you kiss someone, or makeout. You don't touch the person you're kissing and whoever touches the other person first loses.

-I feel like Alex would assume he/she would be amazing at this game

- "Oh please this is pointless (y/n) you know I'm going to win"

-He/she will lose pretty quickly

-Alex thinks you cheated somehow

- "What! You cheated"

- "HOW?"

-he/she initiated the first kiss

-if you could call it "initiating"

-he/she just kinda went for it

-I honestly think he/she is scared of real relationships but doesn't want to show it

-i feel like he/she want's to act like leo

- "Oh it's a matter of time someone locked me down pfffftttt"

-I feel like Alex's kisses are kinda intense

-Alex, to me gives me intense vibes so I feel like his/her kisses would also be intense

-I want to say that the people on floor 19 have found y'all more than once in an intense lip lock (lol)

- "Oh uh sorry guys"

-I feel like Alex would be a bit embarrassed but later on act all cool about it

- "You're just jealous you arn't getting any."

- Alex is a jealous type, try and change my mind

-if Alex is jealous of anyone he/she will try to kill that person during combat no matter what

-it could be an inconvenience and Alex would still go and try to kill them

- "ALEX THERE'S SOMEONE TO YOUR SIDE DON'T GO THAT WAY"

"GIVE ME A SEC I JUST GOTTA STAB A BITCH"

-You wouldn't get jealous that often

-I think it's because Alex comes off pretty strong

-even with you when you first met you thought he/she hated you

-you guys are just like the whole "teasing each other" couple

[andmyvape]

"Please tell me you're not wearing that."

Elayn looked down, then back up with a wide grin. She tugged at her bright rainbow suspenders with her thumbs. "What, not tacky enough?"

Serana gave the ensemble another slow scan. "No, it's… definitely tacky. The combat boots with the khaki shorts is a nice touch."

The grin got wider as she stuffed her hands into her pockets. "They're going to be throwing candy, and I wasn't anywhere near prepared enough last time."

Serana rolled her eyes, but softened it with a smile. "You're ridiculous."

"Isn't that why we're dating?" her girlfriend asked as they headed out the door.

She took a moment to lock up while Serana laughed. "'Careless Whisper' on a boom box outside my window. I can't believe my dad didn't kill you. I know you stole that, by the way. We both went to see that movie when it came out."

"They marketed it as a romcom!" Elayn protested.

They were in the car now. It would be a trick to find parking, but they were running early thanks to Serana's habit of scheduling everything. Elayn was more the type to go with the flow, but living together had her adapted enough that the flow she went with was largely dictated by Serana's schedule. As a research chemist, she worked interesting hours at times, but Elayn was a good roommate, she cooked and cleaned, mostly because she had the time. Lacrosse wasn't a well paying sport compared to something like soccer, but the off seasons gave her plenty of time to maintain their loft. 

"Five dollars an hour?" Elayn griped as the machine printed out their ticket. 

"Homophobia strikes again," Serana said with mock solemnity. 

She snorted and wrapped an arm around her girlfriend's waste. "Which park did you say this thing started in again?" 

It was a little place surrounded by tall buildings, but it was a green patch in a city largely made out of grey. It being Pride Month, the grey was broken up by rainbows. The two wandered around as they waited for the parade to start. 

Well, at least, they started to wander when Elayn caught sight of a dog and all but dragged her girlfriend over to say hi. 

"What's his name?" she asked, so full of enthusiasm she practically floated. "Can I pet him?" 

The dog's owner, someone with a short haircut in a crop top that was orange, yellow, and white striped, nodded. "If he lets you. Sometimes he's not so-- oh gosh," they said, eyes wide as they watched Elayn kneel down and offer a hand to sniff that was immediately accepted. "You must have good vibes." 

"She's a dog person," Serana said with a laugh as the dog put its front paws on Elayn's shoulders so he could lick her face. 

"What's his name?" she asked through slobbery kisses. 

The butch grinned. "That's Duke, I'm Cas. It's nice to meet you!" 

The two introduced themselves just in time for a volunteer to come up with bottles of water. "Our city got voted best water in the state," she said cheerfully. "Take a few, it's gonna be a hot one." 

Before the march, there were speeches. The first was an introduction to the city's first pride parade since the 80s. The second was from a drag queen inviting everyone to the show later that night. Finally, the speeches were closed by an Episcopalian pastor trying to make up for the rest of Christianity's sins. 

"It's starting!" Elayn said excitedly when the crowd started to funnel out of the park. 

The march went down the sidewalk for a few blocks. Traffic was halted and the waiting cars honked while passengers waved. Elayn waved a lesbian flag, Serana had a bi flag, and the two of them dragged a rainbow striped cooler. 

"Mom! Mom!" Elayn heard behind her. "Look, it's two cicadas going at it!" 

She glanced behind her. There was a set of twins, about twelve years old, one of them draped in a trans flag and holding the cicadas that were indeed trying to reproduce. Elayn snorted and hit herself in the face trying to keep a laugh contained. "You like bugs, huh?" 

The girl in the trans flag beamed. "They're my favorite! Well, except for tarantulas, but Mom won't let me have one." 

"The rabbit gets out of its cage enough." The way the girl's mom said it, this was an age old argument. "I don't want to squash it when it ends up in my shoe."

"I had a snake when I was growing up," Serana chimed in. "A corn snake that never got out." 

The twins turned out to be part of a family unit. One twin was trans, and their older brother was too, and as Elayn found soon, was very excited to start HRT. "Get a Gc2b binder," she said. "When I'm feeling like a flat day, it works really well." 

The boy, a younger fourteen, practically floated with excitement. "I will!" 

Serana chatted with the parents while Elayn occupied the kids. "Have you folks been to Pride before?" 

Their mom, a woman named Chelsea, shook her head. "Nope, both kids came out last September and they've been talking about the festival ever since." 

"You seem like really supportive parents," Serana said. It carried the weight of one speaking who has not had contact with their parents since high school. 

Chelsea could tell, and she opened her arms for a hug that Serana was more than happy to accept. 

The march was only about a mile long, and it ended in another park. Elayn craned her neck and said, "I think I see the beer line, wait here?" 

"We will!" said the girl, who was very proud to be named Luna now. 

Serana and Chelsea shared a grin. "I guess we'll wait here," the mom said. 

It was a bit of a line, which was probably not a good thing, but apparently people were restricted on how many drinks they could buy, so at least there was that. While Elayn waited, she was joined by two people wearing pronoun pins that said "she/her". 

Elayn's jaw dropped at the sight of one of the girls' dress, which was a flowing, fae like ensemble. "Holy shit!" she said. "You look amazing!" 

She blushed and ducked her head as she smiled. "Thank you, I got it from Amazon." 

"It's her first Pride," her friend added.

That just amazed Elayn more. "With the sparkles and the green eyeshadow, I wouldn't have guessed. Everything you've got going on is just amazing."

"Thank you!" she squeaked. 

Elayn wasn't alone in thinking the dress was gorgeous. Another person came up to compliment it, and they had such dope tattoos that Elayn could not help but comment. 

"The guy that did them is great," they gushed. "He does blacklight work too!" 

So she got a website saved on her phone for the next time she really wanted to get a tattoo on top of the three she already had; scrollwork on her bicep, a wolf on her shoulder blade, and a small date on her wrist that was the day she met Serana. 

When she got back to her girlfriend and the others, an IPA in hand that was frankly piss, she told them about the girl in the fae dress. 

"I saw her!" Serana exclaimed. 

"Amazon." 

"No way." 

Next was food, especially if she was going to drink a beer. Assuming she actually drank it. "There's some food trucks," she pointed out. "I could go for a corndog." 

"I'm going to get some mac and cheese," Serana said. 

"Mom! Mom!" Luna's twin brother, Ian, tugged at his mom's sleeve. "Can we get pretzels?" 

Chelsea sighed good-naturedly. "I suppose. Do you two want to meet up after?" 

"Over by the stage?" Elayn suggested. 

The group separated. She found the line for corndogs and funnel cake. While she was waiting, the woman ahead of her glanced her way, so Elayn said, "Howdy!" 

"Hey there, hun!" She clapped her on the shoulder. "Having a good time?" 

"I am," she said with a grin. "Everyone here is so nice. There were some moms back there handing out hugs!" 

"Well, I'm a mom, would you like a hug?" 

"I would love that." 

It was a lovely hug, the woman was warm and smelled floral. When they separated, she said, "I'm Elayn! It's good to meet you. Can I get you a corndog?" 

As she pulled out her wallet, the woman waved her money away. "It's Nessa, and actually, I'd like to buy you a corndog." 

"You don't have to--" 

Nessa laughed. "I miss my daughters, you'd be doing me a favor." 

They chatted while the line went down, about lacrosse and about university. It turned out Nessa's two daughters went off to college in other cities, so it had been a while since she saw either. "I had a son," she said. "But now I have a very happy daughter, and I'm so proud of her." 

"I wish I had a mom like you," Elayn said, thinking about growing up foster care. 

Nessa grabbed her in another hug. "Now you do!" 

When she got back to Serana and the others, they were listening to the music booming from the speakers. She had to yell to tell the group about her new mom. 

Chelsea looked a little sad, because she could connect the dots, but Luna and Ian were too busy freaking out over the cotton candy Nessa had bought her too. 

Not long after, the stage was occupied. Elayn was chatting with Luna with her back turned, so she missed it until Serana tapped her shoulder and turned her around. 

"Holy shit!" She hollered and clapped at the sight of a gorgeous, sequin clad drag queen in four inch heels doing a backflip off the stage and onto grass. "Holy shit!" 

As it turned out, the drag queens took tips, and it was at that point that Elayn knew she was about to spend a lot of money. Each queen that performed, and there were many, got a five in exchange for the sheer joy Elayn got when the queen before her touched her hand. 

When there was a break in the performances, she went back to Serana, who had a smirk on her face. "Should I be jealous?" 

Elayn cupped her face, and in a fit of sheer enthusiasm, kissed her girlfriend soundly, to the delight of the twins who hooted. "Don't worry, babe," she teased. "You're the only queen for me." 

"Flatterer." Serana swatted at her chest, but the smile on her face was pleased regardless. 

It was all a blur from there. Fair food, loud music-- and Elayn found beer that wasn't piss! She taught the twins a new vocabulary of cuss words the moment she found out their mom was fine with foul language. They parted around five in the afternoon, when a voice through a megaphone warned attendants that the festival was about to start catering to adults. There was a concert with more drag queens, this time in much more risqué outfits that Elayn would have given a kidney to see on Serana. 

When she said something, her girlfriend got a light in her eye. "Really now?" she purred. "Maybe for your birthday." 

By 11pm, Elayn was high on the party atmosphere and a few beers. The festival was over, and the walk back to their car would be a trick. "Did you have fun?" she asked Serana as they walked hand in hand. 

She got a kiss on the cheek. "I'm so glad I have you. When are we getting married?"

"When I figure out how to surprise you with a ring." 

[crimson-snowfall]

Ikevamp HC: When they play Among Us

Mansion Edition

Napoleon

Plays as green

His character wears the chef hat

Tries to monitor the movement of other players in the admin room. Tries to peek at who it was who just vented on the nearby room but gets chased and killed

As an impostor, he would try to isolate players by triggering the reactor or oxygen sabotage and killing anyone he runs into in the hallway provided that no one else was nearby

Accomplishes his tasks as soon as possible but prefers to do them alone

Lurks near the reactors after finishing his tasks to immediately respond in case of a sabotage

Arthur

Plays as blue

As an impostor, he prefers carrying out his kills under a light sabotage and/or door sabotages

Will try to frame others but never Theo because it always backfires on him

Unbeatable when Theo is his co-impostor, as they always manage to synchronize their double kills

As a crewmate, he keeps track of everyone who performs a visual task when there is one in order to narrow down the list of who may be the impostor

As a ghost, he will join Dazai in following Isaac around

Isaac

Plays as pink

His character wears the cherry hat. He hates it because Dazai won't shut up about it being an apple, but he doesn't bother removing it

Hates being followed, gets followed all the time

But when it comes to doing tasks, he prefers doing them in the company of the people he doesn't find suspicious

Doesn't really hate getting killed and being a ghost if it meant he can do his remaining tasks more efficiently and without being followed by Dazai

Gets spooked when the lights get sabotaged. Will hurry to the emergency button and accuse anyone who tries to approach him

As an impostor, he would only ever kill near a vent. He would then proceed to spend the entire time hidden away in the vent until someone discovers the body or an emergency meeting is called

Vincent

Plays as yellow

His character wears the party hat

Always finds a dead body, reports it but oftentimes he has no idea who did it

Will never accuse anyone without a basis and would sometimes even defend William

Accidentally self-reports, nobody suspects him

Sometimes he forgets or doesn't notice that he's actually playing as an impostor and accidentally kills someone in front of other players

Will never kill Theo

Theo

Plays as cyan

As impostor, he will prioritize killing William first, followed by Arthur (if Arthur is not a co-impostor)

He will also sabotage the oxygen supply and try to land a kill while the characters are stacked on top of each other

Sticks with Vincent all the time, and won't hesitate to sell out his fellow impstors if any of them dares kill Vincent

Will never kill Vincent

Dazai

Normally plays as violet, wouldn't mind playing as lime when Jean is playing

His character wears the bird's nest hat

Follows around Isaac whenever he can. Follows him all the time after becoming a ghost

Accidentally presses the emergency button at the start of the game. Gets voted out for it

Likes to vent but doesn't really take advantage of it to secure kills, but will go after anyone who catches him venting

When he's about to be voted out, he will try to frame a random crewmate by dropping implications that they're his co-impostor

William

Plays as red

Doesn't really last long in the game; most likely to get voted out early on

Tries to prove his innocence by performing visual tasks... ends up dead eventually anyway

Doesn't rage quit even after he becomes a ghost but stops doing his tasks and just spends his time following around anyone who catches his attention

Sebastian

Plays as black. In charge of customizing the game settings

Heads straight into the admin or security room after finishing his tasks to see what the other players are up to

One of the first respondents to a sabotage, more likely to get ambushed

As an impostor, he will try to find a lone target who seems to be in the middle of doing a difficult task, then kill them

Reminds the other players to do their tasks. Will also voice suspicion on players who don't seem to be doing their tasks/or is faking it

MC

Normally plays as white

Sticks with larger groups of people when doing tasks

Once she's done with her tasks, she finds a place where there's no vent nearby. Will run away and find a new hiding place if anyone approaches her

Likely to get caught in the act as an impostor. Won't try to deny the accusations and would actually admit that she's an impostor

Jean

Doesn't really play that often, will play as violet when he does

Will refrain from killing Mozart

Doesn't talk in the chat

Doesn't really bother with the tasks unless he thinks they could actually win via task completion

As an impostor, sometimes he would lock himself up in a room. No one knows whether this is intentional or not

Will only kill anyone who tries to follow him

Mozart

Doesn't really play that often, will play as white when he does

His character wears the tissue paper roll hat

Will refrain from killing Jean

Doesn't like the killing animation so as an impostor, he prefers to spam sabotages and let the other impostors do the killing

Doesn't report a dead body unless he has seen who killed it or no one else is nearby to avoid the risk of being falsely accused of self-reporting

Gets really angry when falsely accused. Rage quits when killed/voted out

Purebloods (+Castle) Edition

Vlad

Plays as white. In charge of customizing the game settings

His character wears the flower hat. He thinks it's cute

Sabotages the lights, kills the first person to attempt to fix the sabotage, vents. Frames whoever reports the body

Usually the first one to to accomplish all his tasks

As a ghost, he will follow around whoever has killed him or accused him. Will spam the sabotages if he died as an impostor, but will stop doing the tasks if he died as a crewmate

Would sometimes get into a heated argument with Comte in the chat where they would try to accuse and vote out each other

Faust

Plays as blue

His character wears the horn hat

Attempts double kill, co-impostor didn't get the memo (1)

Will find a potential target by checking for the player's locations on the admin panel

More daring with his kills and is quite skilled in framing other players

Stays near the emergency button once he's done with all his tasks

Charles

Plays as red

Co-impostor who didn't get the double kill memo (1)

Also: "FAUST WHY ARE YOU VOTING ME OUT I THOUGHT WE WERE ALLIES"

Faust hates being co-impostors with him tbh

As an impostor, he just kills whoever he ends up alone with. Would forget about the security camera sometimes and get caught in the act

Loves door sabotages. Unintentionally ends up locking his impostor with the body they just killed

Votes to skip voting for no reason

William

Plays as pink

Lasts longer when playing with this group because at least not everyone is trying to vote him out

Regardless of his role, he is always on the move and doesn't like staying in a particular place for too long

Doesn't respond to sabotages and delays carrying out tasks that take multiple steps to accomplish

Prefers to kill where the body is least likely to be found immediately, and refrains from passing by the area where he knows there's a body

Comte

Plays as yellow

His character wears the cheese hat

Attempts double kill, co-impostor didn't get the memo (2)

Prefers killing in rooms than in hallways

Thinks venting is too risky

Trusts only Leo and prefers to do his tasks alone most of the time

Monitors the other players by keeping an eye on the doorlog once he's done with all his tasks

Will follow Vlad around as a ghost

Leo

Plays as brown

Co-impostor who didn't get the memo (2)

Neglects his tasks as a crewmate altogether

Has way too much fun with the exploring the map using the vents and seeing how they are connected, likely to get caught venting

Too lazy to get out of his way to kill people when he's impostor, would rather spam reactor and oxygen sabotages

Once pretended responding to a sabotage... by going through the vents. Gets caught

I would also put Dazai and Sebastian here since they're part of Act 2 but it would be pretty much the same as it is in the mansion edition, only this time Dazai would be following Charles instead of Isaac I guess?

See also: Ikesen version

[eryiss]

Ship: Freed x Laxus

Rating: Teen

Prompt: Fruity

Summary: Being personal security for the president, Laxus always had to be alert, particularly in a foreign country. This would be fine, if it weren't for the beautiful waiter who kept catching his eye at every moment.

Notes: This is for day five of Fraxus Week 2021. As normal, check out @fuckyeahfraxus for more content.

Links: Event Masterlist ||| Archive of Our Own, Fanfiction

From the Fields of Italy

Year: 1922

Location: Rome, Italy

Dissasosaition was a key part of Laxus' job. Being a member of the President's personal security team meant he was privy to multiple private and politically significant conversations. Debates, arguments, and compromises would be made in front of him, and he would learn things that a man of his station had no right knowing. Another man might have taken the opportunity to eavesdrop, but Laxus cared little for that. His entire focus was to be on protecting his charge, and as such the politics were unimportant.

Particularly when the dick seemed to stand against everything Laxus cared about.

It had become necessary to learn to focus on other things. Counting the bricks on a nearby building, watching as people passed by, and sometimes going so far as to make up little rhymes and brain teasers in his head. It all allowed him to drown out the bullshit the president was talking about, and better do his job.

Of course, he did focus. Anyone approaching the president was immediately a danger, and Laxus had to watch every move they made, particularly when they were out of country. When Laxus had been told that the president would be undergoing a European tour to better connect with the other countries now that the war was long over, he had known it would be difficult. Anyone might take issue with the president's international opinions, and as such Laxus needed to be wary of everyone near him.

This would have been acceptable – it was his job, after all – but an issue had arisen. The waiter.

The beautiful waiter

Even thinking of the man as beautiful was unprofessional. Laxus was there to do a job, not indulge in his own interests. It was why he'd been consistently given small rooms, cheap and uncomfortable seats in the flight, and little to no respect from his employers. He was there to do a job, not to enjoy himself.

But there was something about the man that was alluring. He was of a good height, with slighter features than Laxus' own but strong in his own sense. His skin had the slight tan that came with the European sun, and a single mark below his eye was the only break from perfect symmetry. His long hair swished down his back in long, silky strands, and Laxus had found himself wondering what it would feel like to run his hand through.

The man was serving the president, who didn't give him a second glance. He brought water, food, and cutlery without making his presence known, and yet Laxus was transfixed. He was quietly elegant in his movements, walking with the slightest sway and it felt like he was dancing around the room with each step.

How was nobody else being affected by this?

Maybe they were, and just hid it. That's what Laxus was forced to do. He stood as part of a circle of six, allowing the president to eat safely in the public restaurant. No doubt the people around them posed no actual threat; even if the stop in the restaurant looked impromptu, it had been planned months in advance and no doubt all the people had booked upon hearing it, and had been checked over time and time again. It was all for show; just a gentle reminder that, although the Italian people might not be pleased about the president's actions during the war, they couldn't do anything about it. They needed to look stone faced and intimidating.

The waiter wasn't at all intimidated. He was completely uncaring towards the fact the president was before him, and instead acted as though he was any other customer. He'd even asked the president a question directly, and was unblinking at the glare he was given for his rudeness.

Watching the man was like watching a show. Laxus just didn't know how it would end.

By the time, the main course had been brought out, Laxus had regained his focus. He was there to protect the man sitting and eating, not to be quietly fascinated by the man who was bringing him his food. Laxus got passing fancies on men often, it was natural given his inclination for men and the inability to actually follow through on anything because of his duties. This was no more than seeing a man he would like to dance with at a club. The waiter just had the unfamiliar addition of not being American, and therefore felt somewhat exotic.

He'd told himself that, and convinced himself it was true, until the desserts were brought out. The waiter placed them before the president and his party and, just as he turned to return to the kitchen, he looked to Laxus and smiled.

Laxus felt like he'd been struck.

No smile had affected him, not in any way. Laxus was hardly a romantic person, and the idea that someone might smile at you and turn your world around was overly sweetened crap written in books to appeal to lonely people. But as the waiter looked at him for just the smallest of moments, hair falling across his face slightly as his white teeth split apart, he felt nauseous and ignited all at once. He couldn't think of any other way to describe it.

The man went back to the kitchen, and Laxus knew his stance had wavered and his concentration gone. For a moment he stood in a gaping silence, wanting to both flee the scene and to storm into the kitchen to demand an explanation for what had happened. Instead, he caught the eye of his commander, who glared him back to attention.

He just had to ignore the waiter. Push him to the back of his mind, and within the hour he'd be gone.

---

"What are you eating?"

The words were a silky-smooth sensation, and deeply Italian. Laxus took a moment to realise that he was being addressed, and turned with the smallest of frowns to see who had spoken to him. He was alone, and he certainly didn't know anyone who spoke in such a chocolatey accent. Nobody on his team had even half the rumbling baritone, and he found himself wondering who that voice would belong to.

When he turned and saw the waiter, he froze.

How was the man here? It was the evening now, and Laxus was nowhere near the restaurant the waiter worked at. He was somewhere tucked away, not in the tourist areas of the city but not exactly near the residential areas. He supposed this was where a pretentious man might call the 'Real Italy.' Did the man live here?

Before he could fall into questions, he realised what the waiter had asked. He looked down to the chalky lettuce and cheese sandwich he'd been given for his evening meal, then back to the man who was frowning at him.

"A sandwich," Laxus said, because what else could he say.

"A sandwich," The waiter parroted.

"Yes."

"You realise that you're insulting everyone from my country by eating that here, don't you?"

"If you wanna take it up with my commander, feel free."

"You could not buy something more respectable?"

"Not allowed to carry money around."

Why was he talking with the man? Well, he knew at least in part it was because he had been truly spellbound by the man, and the revelation of his incredible voice had only further added to the man's majesty. Laxus was not one to shy away from strong emotions – not that he felt them often – and he wasn't going to cower now that an opportunity had presented itself to him. But why were they talking about his dinner?

The man, in the dimming sun, looked radiant. He still wore the uniform of the restaurant, but his hair hung loose now, and he seemed more relaxed. Now, without the need to watch his charge, Laxus could see the sharp cut of the man's jaw and the deceptive fragility of his skin. He truly was beautiful.

"That is ridiculous, and certainly not acceptable," The waiter sounded affronted. "Come."

Laxus processed the demand a moment later, and found himself following him before he could think. Both survival instincts and training deemed this a stupid idea – he was following a total stranger through an unfamiliar city – and yet he did it anyway. The man had authority, and Laxus had been attracted by it.

"I would have thought you'd be looking after that repulsive man you deemed fit to lead you," The waiter commented when Laxus was in step with him. So he had remembered Laxus then; he hadn't been sure.

"Night off," Laxus shrugged. "And I don't think he's fit to lead. But the vote said that he was."

"And yet you still serve him?"

"It's a living."

"Hardly seems like living when you're leaning against a building eating bread and cheese because of your commander while in a cultural monolith known for its delicacies," The man hummed aloud, turning a corner, and increasing his pace. "In my mind, that it more a way to get money than a way to live."

"It is what it is."

"Your employer ate at a lavish restaurant, had four courses and larger servings than normal," The man shrugged. "It was expensive. The money could have been diverted from him to you."

"That's not how it works."

The waiter didn't say anything after that. He kept walking, and Laxus kept following.

Eventually, an open-air marketplace appeared, and the waiter walked directly towards it. Laxus kept in pace, allowing himself to be guided through the vendors who shouted for their attention and custom. Laxus' Italian was bad at best, and so the shouting merged into a mess of unfamiliar slang, and so he let the waiter take the lead completely. He spoke to vendors, passers-by, and did so with beautifully fluent Italian. Logically Laxus knew that would be the case – the man was Italian for god's sake – but it was beautiful to hear.

Quickly, they were at the other end of the market, and the waiter had accrued a hamper of food and a bottle of wine. He'd paid for it all himself and, as their conversation hadn't continued, Laxus found himself wondering where his place in the situation was. Still, he followed.

"Sit," The waiter said again, motioning to a small stone wall overlooking a stream.

"You're demanding," Laxus commented, but he did sit.

"And you work a job where you follow orders of a man you don't like, so I suspect it won't bother you," The waiter sat on the wall also, and placed the hamper between them. "My name is Freed. What's yours?"

"Laxus."

"It's strong," Freed commented, unwrapping some of the food from the hamper. He made a gesture towards the food as he uncorked the wine. "Eat."

"What?"

"Eat."

Laxus looked down to the hamper of food. It was filled mainly with fresh and colourful looking fruit, but also wrapped packets of cheese, biscuits and two small pastries. He hesitated for a moment, and glanced up towards Freed. The man was looking at him with a peculiar mix of intensity and patience, and Laxus felt himself flushing slightly as he reached into the hamper and tentatively picked up a strawberry. Freed waited patiently, watching Laxus as he slowly brought the strawberry to his lips and bit into it.

Well, he certainly didn't expect it to taste quite so… vibrant.

Apparently, his expression must have betrayed his shock, as Freed laughed openly. Laxus wanted to glare, but instead found himself hypnotised as Freed lifted the opened wine to his lips and drank straight from the bottle. Good god, did the man know what he was doing to Laxus?

"You must have travelled a lot over the past few weeks," Freed stated, reaching into the hamper, and pulling out the wrapped cheese. He pulled out a chunk of it, crumbled it and placed it onto a cracker. He then picked up a single grape, placed it atop the cheese and ate it. Laxus found himself following the movement of his neck as Freed swallowed.

"Suppose so," Laxus nodded.

"Anywhere particularly interesting to you?"

"Not really," Laxus replied. He hesitated for a moment, then looked down to the hamper of food and pulled out an apple. He bit into it before he could second-guess himself. "It's my second night off since we landed, and the first night was at a docking town so hardly beautiful."

"Good," Freed commented. "Rome will look rather good in comparison then."

"So far, yeah."

"Perhaps one day you will return as a tourist?"

"Doubt it, can't afford it."

"Shame," Freed hummed, looking towards Laxus with the same beautiful smile that sent a flicker through Laxus' spine. "You should make the most of your night here."

"Suppose I should."

They were quiet, and Laxus could feel Freed's eyes roaming over him unapologetically. Laxus didn't do anything to stop it, and instead took a bite of his apple and allowed the man's eyes to wander. He might have tensed his bicep when he knew Freed was looking at his arms, and Freed laughed but made no complaint.

He looked beautiful when he laughed and Laxus wondered how he could get better. He was quickly answered because what Freed did made him radiant.

It was nothing, really. He simply had taken one of the large peaches that he'd brought and bit into it. That was hardly anything, and yet it made Laxus' stomach churn. The way the mans eyes closed, the way his teeth closed around the fruit, the way the juice seemed to intentionally drip down his throat, coating it in an indescribable sheen of fruit-flavoured droplets that reflected the flickering lights surrounding them.

When Freed's eyes opened again, he looked directly to Laxus. He paused for a moment, eyes scanning Laxus' face, before he grinned a little. It was a private sight, and Laxus found himself copying the expression.

"As I said," Freed spoke again, voice quieter. "Make the most of it while you're here."

Laxus didn't need to be told twice. He leant forward and pressed their lips together, the tantalising taste of fruit and cheese melding as they leant into one another. Laxus did what he'd wanted to do the moment he saw Freed, and wrapped a hand deep into his hair, and slowly began to stroke it as he leant into the man. Freed groaned slightly, tilting his chin, and kissing him deeper.

He didn't care that someone might see him, it didn't matter. He was in an unknown city from a foreign country where nobody knew him, and he would indulge himself. He would take what he wanted, and delight in the company of this beautiful man and take whatever he would be given.

He deserved this, and if nothing else, he would always have the memory of kissing the enchantingly handsome man. An untainted memory for him to cherish.