#M and B blend together

[forcebookish]

top deepening his voice when talking to mew's moms... gun speaking higher when talking to cher's mom... i love these choices

[corvigae]

I had a Category 5 Autism Moment earlier today when I was watching TLOU bc they had a like three second scene of Joel and Ellie driving past an abandoned roller coaster and I fucking paused the episode and stared at it wondering if I could identify its manufacturer, if it was real or CG, and if it was real where it was filmed

[elizabethwritesmen]

The Devil Wears Lace

chapter 6 : October 28, 2023

pairing: simon “ghost” riley x reader

summary: it’s halloween and your treat is a visit from ghost but it turns into more of a trick when a new bartender gets a little too friendly with him. you do what you’ve got to do to keep his eyes on you and end up with more than you bargained for.

warnings: smut, oral (m and f receiving), degradation and praise, dancing on a bar, public nudity, reader gets harassed again, simon gets angry again, slut shaming and a lot of shit talking about the new bartender goes on in this chapter, i think that’s all but let me know if i missed anything!

series masterlist

October 28, 2023

The bar was having a Halloween party.

I didn’t want to go, I’d been working all day at my new job and was exhausted, but Sabrina insisted.

What was my new job, you might ask? Well, the previous May I’d graduated with a Masters in criminology. I wanted to seek higher education but was still deciding what and where. In the meantime, I was interning at a law office nearby. It paid shockingly well, they were a small practice but extremely successful and valued their employees a lot so they showed it by giving them a lot of money.

I didn’t have time to go pick out a costume, so Sabrina assured me she would get me one, much to my dismay. Due to this, I went there straight after work, bringing my makeup and stuff with me so I could just get ready at the bar like I had many times before.

She met me at the door with a bag and shoved it in my hands, giggling all the while, making me frown. What had she cooked up?

I was mortified when I opened the bag and found combat boots, the smallest black dress I had ever seen, and someone’s fatigue shirt. Whose? I don’t know. I wondered the same thing.

“I am so not wearing this. Somewhere is bound to be open, I’ll go see-“

“NO! You know good and well this is the best way to get these dumbass military boys to buy you drinks.”

“Who says I want these dumbass military boys to buy me drinks?”

“You do, trust me, you need a night of flirting with a bunch of men more than anyone else I know. Now get your sexy ass in the back and get ready!”

I sighed, rolling my eyes so hard I thought they would get stuck that way, and did as she told me, heading to the small room in the back that we usually changed and touched up makeup in. It had bad lighting but we’d placed lamps in front of the mirrors, and it had a small set of lockers for anyone who worked there to put valuables in, but they didn’t actually lock so I didn’t understand the purpose of them.

Once I managed to get everything on, I had to admit I looked good. Turned out the dress was basically just a nearly sheer lace slip, but it blended in perfectly with my black bra and thong, which made it feel just a tad bit more modest than it actually was. The combat boots actually paired well with it and the fatigue shirt. I already had gold jewelry on, and I just kept it, thinking it made the look even a little better. All that was left was to touch up my makeup and curls.

Once I stepped out into the bar area, leaving my clothes behind trusting nothing would happen to them, I was bombarded by Sabrina, Dylan, and the new bartender who’d taken my place. She was cute, honestly, tall and skinny with big dimples on her cheeks. I figured she was doing well, and she seemed nice.

“You look so good!” They told me, fawning over me. I laughed, waving them off, sitting at the bar and waiting for it to get busy. It always did on the night of the Halloween party, without fail.

The music was loud, and all of it was either dark and sexy or Halloween themed. Decorations were hung up, less in depth than I usually did. Sabrina always hated decorating and I guess the new girl did, too.

“Hey,” Sabrina sat next to me, “It feels like it’s been forever!”

“It’s been like, three days,” I deadpanned, brows furrowed and she laughed.

“Yeah, but we used to spend damn near every day together. It’s so lame here without you.”

“But you have that new girl, right? She seems nice, maybe you could be friends.”

She rolled her eyes and I got comfier in my seat, knowing she was about to tell me all about the drama. “She’s awful.”

“I gathered that from the eye roll, now spill!”

“Alright, so when she first got here, she acted like she was just really eager to learn. Then ‘eager to learn’ turned into ‘eager to feel up my husband every chance she got.’ Fucking slut.”

I gasped, leaning in farther, “She felt up Dylan?”

“Yes!” she sounded exasperated, “He was showing her how to make a couple drinks and she just got right up on his side and started rubbing his arms and his back!”

“That bitch,” I furrowed my brows.

“I know! So he told me to take over showing her the ropes, and I have, but I wanna just fuckin’ fire the stupid cunt. She’s an idiot anyway and she can’t do anything right!”

“Well then why hasn’t he fired her yet?”

“Because his dad is wrapped around her finger and doesn’t want him to.”

“That bitch!” I huffed, “Well if she touches him again I’ll beat her ass for you. I don’t work here anymore, I can’t get in trouble.”

“I know you will. Just tell me first so I can film it, we’ll pop some popcorn and have a movie night.”

I raised my drink and she clinked it with her own, taking a sip with me. I eyed the new girl, in awe that she could seem so nice but be such a snake.

Around 9, the place was full, and I was dancing with a few friends that had shown up. We were just jumping around on the floor, a few guys around us dancing with us. It was fun, more fun than I’d had in a while.

I didn’t even notice they’d shown up until one of my friends started talking about the sexy guy in the mask. I furrowed my eyebrows, hope sparking in my chest as I looked around and saw him at the bar, the new girl in front of him, leaned over, giving him a front row seat to her tits. I nearly fumed, excusing myself and briskly making my way over.

I stood behind him for a second, trying to catch a hint of their conversation. It didn’t seem like he was giving her much from what I could tell, and she seemed to be getting more and more desperate for his attention by the second.

“Ghost,” I cleared my throat from behind him.

“I was wondering how long it’d take you to realize I was here.” He spoke without even turning around. The new girl made her way to the other side of the bar, giving him a moment alone.

“Maybe I was waiting for you to come to me.”

“You looked like you were having fun, didn’t want to disturb you.”

“I was,” I sighed, “Are you gonna look at me? Or are you gonna keep staring at her tits?”

He chuckled, turning around fully to face me in his seat. My breath hitched, I didn’t expect him to do that.

“What’s wrong, sweetheart?” he patronized me, “You wanted my attention now you got it.”

I took a few steps closer to him, “Just a little sad. See, you’re supposed to be looking at me.”

“Well, I’m looking at you now,” his voice was low and dark and his hands settled on my hips, pulling me a little closer, “What’re you wanting, huh? A compliment? Want me to tell you how good you look in this little piece of fabric you call a dress?” I nodded frantically, biting my lips and his eyes followed the motion, “You haven’t earned it.”

I gasped, eyes widening and he laughed again, this time fuller. His hands tightened on my hips as he lifted me into the stool beside him, gesturing new girl over and ordering me and Malibu Pineapple. I caught the dirty look she sent me, but I didn’t have a fuck to give. My brain was short circuiting over the way he just.. lifted me into the chair, and the way he remembered what I wanted to drink.

“Thank you,” I offered him a smile, taking a sip.

“Probably not the first free drink you’ve gotten tonight.”

“No, it’s not. But it’s my favorite free drink I’ve gotten tonight.”

“Suck up.”

“I would, if you’d just give me the chance,” I winked and the whites of his eyes showed a little more for a second as he widened them.

“You’re impossible.”

“Then why do you keep coming back for more?”

My hands were on his thighs then, both of us facing each other in our chairs, and I let my hands roam slightly but not to anywhere too scandalous.

“Guess what the fuck that bitch just did!” Sabrina’s voice broke the trance, and I looked at her expectantly, “She said you cockblocked her and started whining about you. Like I’m gonna choose her side over yours, be fuckin’ for real for a second!”

I raised my eyebrows, “Cockblocked, huh? Sounds like new girl wants you bad, Ghost.” He grunted in response, lifting his mask to take a sip of his whiskey. “Don’t moan and groan at me, you were the one undressing her with your eyes. Want me to get her number for you? Maybe you can take her home.”

Sabrina looked at a loss for words, and her eyebrows were raised in concern but she saw her way out of the situation. Smart choice.

“Sweetheart, stop.” His voice was a command. Deep and final. But I just couldn’t leave well enough alone.

“Oh, honey, I’m just getting started,” With that, I was up and across the bar, dancing with my friends again and trying to ignore him. A few guys came up to me, one wrapping his arm around me and trying to grind on me but I pushed him away a little with a laugh.

“You can buy me a drink, but you can’t touch,” I teased, but my face went dark and his hand landed a smack on my ass.

“If you didn’t wanna be touched, why’d you wear this?” he asked me, leaning his head down for a kiss that I dodged, elbowing him hard in his chest.

“My outfit isn’t a free pass to touch me, you stupid fuck.”

“At least I’m not a stupid slut,” he slapped my ass again, but this time I was ready for him. I grabbed his arm and twisted hard, wrenching it around behind him. Once I had him where I wanted him, I kicked the back of his knee and sent him to the floor, me standing over him and holding him hostage there.

“You want a broken arm? Because you’re sure asking for one.” My tone was angry, forceful, more assertive than I could ever remember it being.

“Fuck, get off of me,” he growled, trying to pull away but I twisted harder and he let out a gasp.

“Get the fuck out of the bar, and don’t come back until you can learn to keep your hands to yourself,” I growled at him, letting him go just to kick him in the back and send him all the way to the floor in a heap. He turned over and laid there, staring up at me.

“That’s not your choice to make,” he smirked, still cocky after what had just happened and I raised a brow.

“No, it’s mine, and I agree with her. Get out.” Dylan’s voice was like a lifeline as he grabbed the guy by the shirt and pushed him out of the doors. I breathed a sigh of relief when he was gone. “Good job, killer,” he high fived me and I grinned, “If you didn’t have that fancy new job I’d ask you to be the new security guard.”

I giggled as he walked away, trying to come down from the adrenaline of everything. The bustle around me made it hard, though, so I walked outside, holding myself tight to battle the cold. I heard the door open and shut behind me and imagined it was Sabrina, but I knew I was wrong when he walked towards me, his heavy footsteps giving him away.

“You alright?” he asked me, and I turned around slowly, nodding.

“I’m fine.”

“That was pretty impressive, what you did in there. Maybe you can take care of yourself.”

“I’ve told you that a million times but you had to see it to believe it, huh,” I chuckled but my words were venom, staring down at my feet.

“You gonna tell me why you’re acting like this?” he changed the subject.

I responded with a quick, “No.” He looked frustrated, speechless almost.

“You can just tell me you’re jealous. It’s obvious enough.”

“Jealous? Of what? Sally McSlutface laying her boobs out on the bar like a personal menu for you? Yeah, I’m green with envy, let me tell you,” my tone was biting, sarcasm laced in every word, pure hate dripping from me when I talked about her. Maybe she hadn’t done anything to deserve it. Maybe Ghost wasn’t mine and I had no claim to him. Maybe he could talk to whoever the hell he wanted and look at whatever the hell he wanted.

He breathed out a laugh, staring at the sky hopelessly, begging for the patience he needed to deal with me. “You are green.” His eyes snapped back down to me. “Whose shirt you got on, anyway? One of these soldiers that comes in here and hits on you? What’d you have to do for it?”

“I didn’t do anything for it, asshole, I don’t know whose it is.”

“Right, that makes sense,” his tone was patronizing again and it set me on fire, anger building inside of me.

“You’re gonna get mad about me wearing someone else’s fatigues when you’re in there eyeing up that dumb bitch like she’s fucking candy or something? You fucking asshole.”

“I’m not mad, baby, you’re the only one that’s mad,” but he sure sounded mad, and I didn’t believe a word that came out of his mouth. I didn’t even dwell on the word baby.

“I’m not mad!” I yelled, then tried to calm myself down, “You know what? Go fuck her. See how much I care. I have my own plans for the night.”

I attempted to walk past him, but he grabbed my arm, stopping me in my tracks. “Don’t do anything stupid just because you’re throwing a fit like a fucking brat.”

“Wanna see how much of a brat I am?” I couldn’t tell whether my words were foreboding or inviting. “Come back inside.”

I shook away from him and stormed into the bar, beelining it to Sabrina and Dylan.

“Remember two years ago when I danced on the bar for Halloween?”

“Yeah,” they both nodded.

“I’m doing it again. Put on the song.”

Their eyebrows were raised but they nodded, and Dylan went to the stereo system to get it going.

“You good?”

“I’m fine. I’m taking your advice and moving on. Or showing him what he’s missing. Whatever, I don’t give a fuck. Plus it’ll make that new girl mad.”

“Well, when you put it that way,” she grinned, “Get your fine ass up there and show them who’s boss!”

I grinned back as the familiar tune began. I made my way onto the bar and some of the guys there noticed and began to gather around. Right at that moment, Ghost walked back inside and the second his eyes found me, he looked homicidal.

I began swaying my hips to the beat, winking at him and increasing my movement with every lyric.

Heaven help me, the devil wears lace and she can’t be tamed.

If I were wealthy, spend every last dime just to hear her say my name.

I flipped my hair around, slipping the big shirt off and throwing it to Sabrina who was watching from behind the bar with a huge smile on her face. She handed me a bottle, one of the cheapest liquors they had as the chorus hit.

So light me in flames

Just as hot as you need

Let me see the good girl you wanted to be

I turned my back to the group of people gawking and cheering, bending over and reaching between my spread out legs to pour two shots worth of liquid into one of the guy’s mouths, which brought on more cheers.

My eyes caught his as I turned back around and felt myself up, hands sliding from my chest to my thighs, squeezing the fat there as my motions got sharper with every beat.

All of my praise, only from me

I can be the one who can set you free

He made his way over to the bar and I grinned, turning my back again and doing a small spin, hanging on to the rail at the top of the bar for support then shimmying down, surely flashing some people but I wasn’t concerned.

Fall from your grace

Turn up the heat

I feel I’m going down, hands gripping the sheets

I sat sideways on the bar, leaning back on my arms and arching tightly with my head thrown back, then turned over and raised my hips, arms stretched in front of me and ass on display and he snapped. He ripped his jacket off and threw it over me, hauling me off the bar and outside. The people there seemed dumbstruck, and I barely heard the end of the chorus before the door shut.

“What the fuck were you thinking?” he growled, setting me down in front of him.

“Do I have to think about everything I do before I do it?”

He let out a sharp laugh, “You are the most danger prone girl I have ever known. Yes, you have to think about dumbass decisions before you make them.”

“All I did was dance on a bar,” I rolled my eyes, pulling his jacket tighter around me in the cold.

“Yeah, right, that’s all you did. Now everyone in there has seen your ass, you feel good about that?”

I set my jaw, letting it tick as I thought over my answer. “You’re talking to me like I’m some kind of whore. Maybe I just wanted your attention.”

“You have that already. Give me a real reason.”

“Maybe I just wanted the attention you gave her.”

“What attention? You’re so fucking delusional. I didn’t even look at her. I don’t give a fuck about her. I came here for you. My team came here for you, and they’re in there having the time of their lives because they got more of you than they bargained for. There’s only one girl that I want to drive me up the fucking wall, and it’s not her!” he was yelling, seething really, his tone harsh and cutting deep but then I let his words settle in along with the feeling of stupidity.

“Ghost, I-“

“Fuck, don’t call me that, my name is Simon,” his voice was still raised and it’s like he didn’t even realize what he’d said until it was out, and we were both taken harshly aback.

I let my mouth drop open a little, taking one step closer to him.

“Simon,” I tried it out and I liked the way it felt rolling off my tongue. I think he liked it too, judging by the way his face softened and his eyes darkened. “Forgive me,” I implored, getting further into his personal space. Crowding him out, really, until my perfume must’ve been suffocating him, thinly veiled by the jacket he’d thrown over me. He didn’t answer. “Forgive me,” I repeated, urgently this time. “Want me to get on my knees and beg? I will. Not for anyone else, but for you, I’ll do it.” He just kept staring at me as I rambled on, “I was jealous, Simon. So jealous, can’t help it with the way she was looking at you. Had me so angry-“

He cut me off, yanking his mask up to his nose and grabbing my throat, pulling me to him and kissing me. I yelped, shocked by the impact, but it only took me seconds to fall into a rhythm, melting where I stood and whimpering for more.

“Such a little slut, begging for me like this and I haven’t even touched you,” he groaned, pulling away to kiss down my neck. I let out a shaky moan, arching into him as his mouth drifted lower.

“Fuck, Simon, please,” I whined, and he laughed.

“I should’ve told you my name a long time ago,” he mused as he brought his mouth back to mine, claiming it as his own. He backed me slowly into the wall, huge hands circling under my thighs and lifting until my legs were wrapped around him and I was caged in his arms.

I got more desperate, squeezing him closer and breaking the kiss to groan when he pressed into me. He was big. Big was an understatement.

“Don’t think that’s gonna fit,” I breathed out and he laughed, nuzzling into me.

“Not tonight it’s not.”

“What?” I was panicking, the need for him growing in me with every passing second.

“Not gonna take you for the first time after a fight like that, baby,” he kissed me again, “Gonna make you wait for it.”

“I’ve been waiting-“

“Don’t whine,” he shut me up, “Makes me want you too bad. Now come on, let’s go back in.”

I pouted as he set me on my feet, all turned on with nowhere to let it out. I followed him as he dragged me inside, pulling his mask down at the same time.

We garnered some stares as we walked in, hand in hand, people obviously knowing exactly what was going on. There were some surprised looks, I wasn’t exactly known for being seen with a man or even settling for a man at all. People were used to be flitting about, flirting but never enough to care.

“Everything okay?” Soap asked as we approached their table, where Sabrina and Dylan were already standing, chatting away.

“We’re just fine,” Simon nodded, and I stayed quiet, blush on my cheeks still, and my eyes might as well have had hearts in them as I gazed at him.

“You’ve got a little… bruise….” Sabrina muttered, grazing her thumb over a spot on my neck and I gasped, pulling the jacket up higher. Everyone laughed at that, and it looked like even Simon smirked but I couldn’t quite tell under the mask.

He pulled out a chair for me and one for himself right beside me and I sat down. They kept cracking their little jokes and I kept not saying much, too lost in thought. I wanted him and I wanted him bad.

I placed my hand on his thigh, rubbing slightly and making my way further and further up. He slapped it away but I just put it back, continuing my ascent. “If I leave, will you follow me?” I whispered the question in his ear, and he just looked at me, but the way his eyes grazed over me let me know he was on the hook. I smirked, pulling my hand away and fleeing to the back room.

The new girl came in behind me, her face twisted in blatant annoyance.

“You can’t be back here,” she spat.

“Yet somehow, I am,” I giggled, waving her away, “Anything else?”

“I thought you were nice when I first met you earlier, but you’re really just a bitch, huh?” I cocked a brow as she let those words slip.

“Do you want to find out just how much of a bitch I am?” I questioned, and she didn’t back down. “Get out. Now. Go ride a dick in the bathroom or something like you’ve been trying to all night.”

“I think I will, in fact I think I’ll go for that man in the mask,” she smirked and before I could even laugh, he came in.

“Fuck off,” he grunted, “This seat’s taken.”

I snorted and she just gawked.

“She isn’t even supposed to be in here!” she huffed.

“Go tattle on her, then,” he barked, and she jumped, making her way out of the room. Once we were alone, he closed the door, turning the lock behind him. I smirked, walking towards him slowly, slipping the jacket further and further off with every step until it was on the floor.

“Just gonna leave my jacket on the ground like that?” he asked.

“Don’t worry, I’ll make up for it,” I winked, finally reaching him and placing my hands on his chest, balling them in the thin fabric of his shirt.

“Sweetheart,” he groaned, “You’re playing a dangerous game.”

“I don’t care, as long as I win,” I clicked my tongue, sinking slowly down to one knee, and then the other.

He let out a ragged breath as my hands slid down, tugging his belt until it was unbuckled and sliding out of the loops. Then I got his button and zipper undone, pulling down just enough to expose his boxers slightly.

“Aw, my poor Simon, you just wanted me to touch you, huh?” I cooed, pulling the boxers down enough to expose the tip. “I got you this turned on, baby?”

“Don’t forget your place,” he growled, but his actions were sweet as he brushed my hair back from my face lightly.

“I know my place,” I smiled, “On my knees with my mouth wrapped around you.”

He all but growled, hips bucking into my touch. When I raised a brow, he admitted, “Been a while.”

“For me, too,” I offered, hoping it would make him feel better, before pulling his boxers down further and exposing the entirety of him.

“Fuck,” I gasped, “You’re huge.”

“Gonna keep talking about it or put your mouth on it?”

I didn’t need any more encouragement, getting straight to work, starting with a stripe licked up the back and ending by sucking the tip into my mouth, twirling my tongue around it teasingly.

“Fuck, please,” he breathed out, hand pulling my hair tighter as I took more of him. I had to ease my way down to adjust my throat, but once I got as much as I could in, I started moving back and forth. He held me there until my eyes were teary and wet, my throat completely expanded, and I let him use me.

“Wanna see you,” he told me and I nodded as well as I could, humming around him and pulling my dress and bra down to expose myself, the air making my nipples hard as they’d ever been. I’m sure he had something to do with that, too. “So fucking - agh - perfect, so perfect for me, fuck please keep going,” he sounded broken, but not in the same way other men I’d been with did. He sounded needy, like he’d been waiting his whole life for that one moment and he never wanted it to end. I’d never felt that from anyone before, and I wanted more of it so I got greedier with him in my mouth, savoring the weight of him on my tongue.

“Fuck, y’gonna make me cum,” he gasped, squeezing my hair to pull me back a little as his hips stuttered. It was a sweet gesture, to keep from hurting me with his movements, and I moaned around him, which seemed to tumble him right over the edge. He groaned with one last thrust of his hips and pulled out just enough for me to open my mouth wide and stick out my tongue, letting him let go right there inside of it. He watched closely as he did so, enjoying every second, right to when I swallowed it all.

I grinned after he came down, pulling his boxers back up and doing his pants back up for him then standing and wiping my mouth gently.

“See you out there,” I winked as I began to walk past him, but he grabbed me by the arm and pulled me back to him, picking me up and bringing me to the small bench in the corner. He laid me on it, pulling me to the edge and kneeling in front of me, eyes dark on me.

“What’re you doin’?” I asked, breath coming out quicker, heart racing.

“Showing you what your place is, since you’re a little confused,” his voice was rough as he hooked a finger in my panties, pulling them off of me swiftly, “It’s laid out with your legs spread wipe open just for me.”

I gasped, squirming under his gaze as he brought a finger down to swipe through my folds.

“Please,” I whimpered, and he chuckled.

“That’s it, what a good little slut, begging me to touch you. What do you want from me baby? Want my fingers in this little cunt?”

I nodded frantically, eyes wide and pleading, and he obliged, ripping his gloves off and slipping one finger in. I let out a broken moan as he went in and out, thinking it couldn’t possible get better but then it did as he slipped in two, fucking me with his digits, curling them around that spongy spot inside of me.

“Simon, I - fuck - please -!” he went a little faster, and I tried my best not to scream but it was so hard.

Then, all at once, he went away.

“What are you-“

“I’m not goin’ anywhere, calm down,” he shushed me and I relaxed, lying back and watching as he grabbed his jacket. He walked over to me, placing one of the sleeves over my eyes and tying it behind me, making a blindfold of sorts.

“What’s this for?” I asked, and I heard a bit of movement and something being set down before he grabbed my hands and lifted them to his face, laying them down there on bare skin.

I gasped, feeling around, greedy for more then I found it in his hair. I tugged lightly, loving how it felt in my fingers, and he groaned. Before I could even process his bare face, he’d leaned down and kissed me again, his fingers going back to where I needed him most and pushing back in. I rutted against him desperately as his tongue explored my mouth, then moved downwards. To my neck, then my chest, spending a little extra time there teasing me, then down my belly and to where his fingers were.

He circled his tongue around my clit and electricity shot through me as I let out a shriek, my legs falling over his shoulders and pulling him closer as my hand fisted in his hair. He lapped at me like a man starved, working harder for me than anyone ever had, coaxing me farther and farther open until I didn’t feel like I could even inhale. He noticed, pulling away just enough to rasp, “Breathe, baby. I’ve got you, just relax and let me make you cum.”

I moaned again, back arching as I began feeling that peak inside of me getting closer and closer. He could feel it too, so he sped up his movements and added another finger, tipping me over the edge and fucking me through it as I wailed. What felt like forever later, I collapsed in a heap, gasping for breath.

A minute later, he took the jacket off of my face and I pouted when I saw his mask was back on, as well as his gloves. I started to get up but he stopped me with a hand on my chest, laying me back down.

“Hold on,” he ordered and I did, watching him look around for a second before coming back with a little towel he’d found. He carefully cleaned me up, and I watched him in a daze, those dangerous feelings bubbling up in my chest once more. I was a goner for him, and suddenly the thought that he had to leave soon hit me and my eyes were getting hot.

“I’m gonna keep these,” he smirked as he pocketed my underwear, and I nodded, staring at the ceiling. He got quiet, taking note of my attitude change and furrowing his brows. “What’s wrong?” I didn’t answer and panic set in. “Was that not okay? Did you not want that? Fuck - I’m sorry, I-“

“No,” I shook my head, “I wanted it. It was good. Perfect, even. I just… I feel like I can’t tell you what’s wrong.”

“Why?”

“Because you’ll laugh at me.”

“Promise I won’t.”

“You have to leave. I just feel…”

“Used?”

“No,” I placed my hand on his to quiet those thoughts in his head, sitting up carefully, pulling my dress back to somewhat modesty. “Sad.”

“Oh,” he said, seeming surprised. “You know, sweetheart, I’m not the kind of man you wanna care about.”

“It’s a little too late for that.”

“I’ll be back. I promise I will.”

“And if you can’t keep that promise?”

“I can.”

The tears fell then and he sat beside me, pulling me into his arms as I cried. “Shh,” he whispered, “It’s okay. I’ll be back. Just let it out.” His hand was rubbing circles on my back, easing some of the pain. I couldn’t believe how vulnerable I was being, but I felt completely wrecked and he hadn’t even fucked me, and now he had to leave. Of course I was vulnerable,

I stopped crying, pulling slightly away from him and wiping my face as best I could.

“We should go back out there. Try to have a good night.”

“Baby, I’ve already had a good night,” he chuckled and I let out a little giggle too.

“Okay, then let’s try to keep the good night going. Come on. There’s no telling what they’ve said about us by now.”

“Probably nothing that wasn’t true.”

“Yeah…” I mumbled, “We haven’t been too subtle, huh?”

“I think when you showed your ass to everybody in the bar, subtlety went out the window.”

“Probably,” I laughed, standing up and bringing him with me. He slipped the jacket back over my shoulders as we walked out.

“You don’t have underwear on, I’m doing damage control.”

Just as I expected, everyone picked on us, and the night was full of endless innuendos. I just stayed quiet and shy, gazing at Simon, and it almost seemed like he was gazing back. He kept either his arm around me or his hand on my leg for the whole rest of the night, seeming like he didn’t want to let me go.

Unfortunately, the time came that he had to, and we all parted ways and he walked me to my car, still holding me to his side.

“You gonna be ok?” he asked, hand cupping my cheek as I stared at him with those same heart eyes I had for him before.

“I think so,” I grinned and his eyes fell to my lips.

“I meant what I said,” he told me, “I’ll be back for you.”

“I’ll be waiting,” I hummed, pulling him a little closer until I was trapped between him and my car, but there was nowhere else I’d rather be.

He lifted his mask to his nose again and I smiled, knowing what was coming. His mouth fell down to mine, slower than before but just as intense. It was short and sweet, but memorable, and I chased him as he pulled away.

“Go home, sweetheart,” he mumbled, kissing me on the forehead before putting some distance between us. He started to pull his mask down but I stopped him, jumping on him one last time in a panic and kissing him with everything I had. It lasted longer and left us both breathless. When I finally stepped back, he just smiled at me, and I realized it was the first time I’d seen his real smile. It was the prettiest thing I’d ever had the luxury of seeing, and I pouted when he covered it up.

“Please stay safe,” I told him, finally letting his hand go and getting in my car.

[sophiethewitch1]

1K CELEBRATION EVENT OPEN! CLOSED!

Hello, welcome! This event is going to celebrate my first thousand followers :D!! It's as the header says, a yandere alphabet, but with my special brand of soft yandere. Please feel free to send in letters for whoever you'd like, there's no limit, I might just pick and choose if you request a lot of letters. Thank you so much for following, I'm so happy you're here! Let's keep having lots of fun together <3 <3

ACCEPTING A-Z REQUESTS FOR:

The batboys (Dick, Jason, Tim, Damian, Duke) The batgirls (Barbara, Steph, Cass) My OCs (Silvan, Daire, etc.) MAYBE for most DC characters, blue lock characters, bnha characters

Alphabet made by @/jaydenchip404 tysm for making this!

List below the cut!

A = Affection (Is Their Love All-consuming, Expressed Through Possessive Gestures and Overwhelming Intensity With No Bounds?):

B = Blood (How Messy Are They Willing to Get in Pursuit of Their Darling? Would They Embrace Chaos and Revel in the Crimson Tableau Painted by Their Actions?):

C = Cruelty (Once Abducted, How is Their Treatment Marked by a Twisted Sense of Devotion? Does Mockery Become a Dark Form of Endearment?):

D = Darling (Beyond Morality, is Any Act Justified in Their Pursuit of Their Darling? Is Consent Merely an Obstacle to Be Overcome?):

E = Exposed (To What Extent Do They Bare Their Heart to Their Darling? How Vulnerable Are They When It Comes to Their Obsession?):

F = Fight (Does Resistance Only Fuel Their Passion? Do They Find Thrill in the Chase and the Challenge of Subduing Their Darling?):

G = Game (Is Every Move Meticulously Orchestrated, Turning the Pursuit Into a Twisted Game? Do They Derive Pleasure From Watching Their Darling Attempt Escape?):

H = Hell (How Carefully Crafted is Their Darling's Worst Experience, Designed to Break the Spirit While Strengthening the Bonds of Possession?):

I = Ideals (Does Their Envisioned Future Solely Revolve Around the Union With Their Darling? Is Their Love the Only Guiding Force?):

J = Jealousy (Does Jealousy Course Through Their Veins, Leading to Possessive Outbursts and a Relentless Need to Eliminate Perceived Threats?):

K = Kisses (Are Their Acts of Affection Both Tender and Suffocating? Do Their Kisses Blend Love and Possession, Leaving No Room for Escape?):

L = Love Letters (Is Courting an Intricate Dance Marked by Obsessive Letters and Gestures That Blur the Line Between Devotion and Insanity?):

M = Mask (How Drastic is the Difference Between Their Public Facade and True Self? Is the World Seeing a Mask, While Their Darling Witnesses Unfiltered Madness?):

N = Naughty (Is Punishment a Dark Art, a Methodical Infliction of Pain Designed to Correct Perceived Transgressions and Reinforce Control?):

O = Oppression (How Many Rights Are They Willing to Take Away From Their Darling, Molding Their World Into a Prison of Their Design?):

P = Patience (Is Their Patience a Calculated Facade, Concealing the Storm Brewing Beneath the Surface? Is It a Waiting Game for the Perfect Moment?):

Q = Quit (Is Moving on an Alien Concept for Them? Would the Death, Departure, or Escape of Their Darling Shatter Their World, Leaving Behind an Irreparable Void?):

R = Regret (Would Guilt Ever Be a Foreign Emotion, Overridden by the Conviction That Their Actions Are Justified? Is the Idea of Letting Their Darling Go Inconceivable?):

S = Stigma (Can the Roots of Their Obsession Be Traced to a Dark Past, a Blend of Childhood Trauma, Twisted Curiosity, and a Skewed Perception of Love?):

T = Tears (Does the Sight of Their Darling's Suffering Evoke a Twisted Pleasure, a Morbid Satisfaction Reinforcing Their Control?):

U = Unique (Do They Defy the Classic Yandere Archetype, Adding Layers of Complexity That Make Them Unpredictable and More Unnerving?):

V = Vice (Do Exploitable Weaknesses Exist, and is Discovering Them a Perilous Endeavor? Does Their Darling Tread on a Thin Line Between Manipulation and Survival?):

W = Wit's End (Is Hurting Their Darling a Dark Possibility, a Consequence of Their Unraveling Sanity When Faced With the Threat of Loss?):

X = Xoanon (Does Their Reverence for Their Darling Border on Worship, Reaching Extreme Lengths to Prove Their Devotion and Ensure Unwavering Loyalty?):

Y = Yearn (Is the Pining Relentless, an Insatiable Hunger That Consumes Their Every Waking Moment Until It Inevitably Snaps Into Obsession?):

Z = Zenith (Is Breaking Their Darling a Twisted Fantasy, the Ultimate Expression of Possession and the Culmination of Their Demented Love?):

[manusuchus]

World Tomistoma Day 2023

Although I find the concept of a "World Day of" generally stupid, I believe that on the matter of endangered species, it can be a very meaningful speaker.

Tomsen, a female T. schlegelii at BioParc Fuengirola (Spain)

Today, August 5th, an initiative of the Crocodile Specialist Group (CSG) together with the "Tomistoma Task Force" is trying to draw attention to this poorly known and misunderstood species.

For those of you who don't know this animal, Tomistoma schlegelii, commonly known as Malayan false gharial is a longirostrine crocodilian that inhabits forested freshwater lakes, slow-moving rivers and swamps of Peninsular Malaysia, Borneo, Sumatra and possibly Java, feeding on diverse prey (From invertebrates to monkeys, small deer, birds and reptiles, with fish constituting the bulk of its diet), and although it is not a particularly aggressive species, there are several records of attacks on humans, with at least one fatal confirmed.

Tomistoma schlegelii devouring a female proboscis monkey (Nasalis larvatus). Inspired by Galdikas et al. 1985 (Illustration made in 2022)

 It is characterized by a long narrow snout which blends gradually with the base of the head/skull. Two rows of very small, barely distinct post-occipital scutes. Nuchal scales continuous with dorsal scutes and are almost indistinguishable. They are generally brown in color, with dark bands, including blotches and bands on snout and jaws.

But what makes this species really interesting are two particularities : Its enormous size and its ínteresting taxonomic affinities:

a) Size: It is not uncommon for Tomistoma males to reach lengths of 4 m today, but skeletal remains (Mainly skulls) indicate that we could be (Although improbably) in the presence of one of the candidates for the largest crocodylian species in the world . 

In their 2008 study, R. & N. Whitaker noted that the longest skulls in the world belonged to Tomistoma (One at Munich Museum at 81.5 cm; another at the AMNH at 76.5 cm ...) with the British Museum specimen taking the lead with an incredible 84 cm (Leaving all other species behind).

However, observations made on Tomistomas in captivity at the Samut Prakarn Crocodile Farm (Bangkok) and on some wild specimens, determined that the HL:TL ratio was 1:6.4 for the species; and therefore, the British Museum specimen would have measured about 5.38 m in life, certainly a giant but far from the monstrous sizes of some salties (Crocodylus porosus). 

The British Museum specimen. George Craig © (In the second photo, you can compare the size with C. porosus and G. gangeticus large specimens)

b) Uncertain affinities: Tomistoma is the last survivor of an old lineage that originated about 40-50 mya ago. This has made many authors wonder: where does this species fit in the evolutionary tree of crocodylia? And well... it's complicated.

T. schlegelii has long been considered to be a member of the Crocodylidae ( Brochu 2003). Much of the analysis has focussed on skeletal attributes, often constrained that way to allow comparison with fossil material, but there is supporting evidence from soft anatomy as well (Frey et al. (1989) , Endo et al.(2002)...) 

But now begins the tricky part : Molecular analyses place Tomistoma as a Gavialid.

( White and Densmore 2001; Janke et al. 2005;McAliley et al. 2006, Roos et al. 2007; Man et al. 2011...) Although some of these studies have been criticized for their methodology, it is clear that it cannot be ignored that they all reach the same conclusion.

 Likewise, there are important discrepancies about the times and periods in which both families appear/diverge, so the debate is not yet definitely closed.

Tomistoma are considered vulnerable by the IUCN Red List, nonetheless, it remains possible that T. schlegelii may qualify as Endangered in the future due to ongoing habitat loss and degradation, particularly Malaysia, so this day is still important to spread the word about the species.

I have only been able to enjoy these animals live once, at the BioParc in Fuengirola, Málaga (Spain) where they keep a trio of three adult specimens: Two females (Montse and Tomsen) and a huge male (René, affectionately nicknamed "Pinocho"). This Zoo is the only one in Spain that houses Tomistomas and has achieved the titanic task of their reproduction in captivity.

René, the huge male at BioParc Fuengirola. Video by me.

[broomsticks]

intro wolfstar fic recs (fluffy/light angst)

an off-the-top-of-my-head intro to wolfstar reclist for a request on the wolfstar discord. criteria: requestee reads drarry, fluffy to light angst, "maybe classic marauders era for a taste of what the fic is typically like?" i went for (a) present-day active authors and (b) 2017ish "modern-day classics," <50k, mostly canon-setting.

(a) present-day active authors:

Upstairs, Downstairs by @squidgilator (5k, G): great little "intro" fic to one of my favorite hogwarts era pining/get-together authors, "In which Hogwarts traps Sirius and Remus on an endless staircase to make them talk to each other."

Cooler Than Frogs by Penknife (4k, T) & Not In Front Of the Dog! by Engie_Ivy (2k, T) are similar uniquely wolfstar/HP-magic adorable get-togethers.

Tinker, Tailor, Solider, Spy…Best Friend, Brother, Roommate, Lie by @femme--de--lettres (9k, T): muggle au, Hope Lupin keeps count of how many attempts it takes her son to finally admit that he's in love with his best friend. if you like this, author has two longfic WIPs (a spy AU and a law school AU with terrific rep that's very wonderfully and honestly done!)

on the issue of fever and delight by aeridi0nis (12k, T). post-prank fic, prangst get-together is one of the most classsiicccc wolfstar tropes ever. stellar characterization & just magical prose: "After the initial shock, Sirius closes his mouth. Clears his throat. He wears repentance poorly, as all former princes do; his spine seems reluctant to bend that way, so all he can scrounge up is a pathetic imitation of every other guilty person he’s ever witnessed. It’s perhaps the first time that Remus has seen him fall short in something."

by the same author, in lieu of beaujolais (18k, M) -- another brilliant post-hogwarts first war era muggle london flat-sharing & and then they were roommates/ oh my god they were roommates get-together that has lots of similar feels as 2015ish era ‘classic’ wolfstar.

(b) 2017ish "modern-day classics"

June, and Other Natural Disasters by montparnasse (5k, T) "sirius/remus, summer, huge gay crush". montparnasse is an absolutely classic 2015-2018ish era wolfstar writer with a Certain Writing Style and you either love it or you don't, & if you love this relatively short one, literally everything else in their catalogue are must-reads.

few more M-rated under read more

The things that lurk in the dark by TheDivineComedian (5k, M). MWPP era, sixth year. There's something terrifying in the dungeons. late enough to be 'classic' (tbh any A/N that uses the term mwpp instead of marauders era is straight away a 'classic'). no but seriously this has all the defining features of a classic wolfstar fic to me: strong characterizations of all four marauders, lovely Shenanigans vibe / they're Up To No Good, there's Trauma but make it funny, overall just a great blend of light and angst.

The Active Reader by veeagainst (7k, M). When a craze for pulpy romance novels about Dark Creatures starts in Gryffindor, Sirius reads one about a werewolf -- and decides to write a better one. hilarious, intellectual, and hot; who says you can't have it all! very engaging!!

The Weather Inside by earlybloomingparentheses (43k, M). a classic canon-setting 'falling in love during the first war' story, ensemble fic with background jily. plausibly canon compliant, fic ends happily.

that’s the art of getting by by sarewolf (40k, M). "angst with a happy ending" perfectly describes this fic, one of the best remus/wolfstar raises harry especially for its length / <50k fic, and an absolute modern-day classic (read: Gaerfinn will ban me if i don't rec this)

[allwaswell16]

One Direction fics that include social media into the fic as requested in this ask. If you enjoy the fics, please leave kudos and comments for the writers! You can find my other fic recs here. Happy reading!

—Harry/Louis—

♡ Your Mess Is Mine by amory

(M, 176k, kid fic) Louis is the father to the most brilliant little boy in the world who is all Louis really needs, or at least that's what he tells himself. Harry is a gorgeous boybander fresh off a two year break and a massive scandal that's left him a little broken and more than ready to move on.

♡ A Love Like War by sincewewereeighteen 

(E, 173k, famous/not famous) the one in which Louis Tomlinson is a cliched rock star, he's got everything except for love. But then he meets Harry Styles; the man that, against all odds, saves him in every way a person can be saved, even when Louis didn't know he needed saving in the first place.

♡ Walk That Mile by purpledaisy / @daisyharry

(E, 149k, road trip au) A Route 66 AU where falling in love was never part of the plan.

♡ You You You by @isthatyoularry

(M, 137k, famous/not famous) the one where Harry and Louis meet at a club and Louis takes Harry home, only for him to realize that the boy who just made him breakfast half naked is Harry Styles from One Direction.

♡ Have Love, Will Travel by @kingsofeverything

(E, 97k, road trip au) Rather than spend the summer working at their desks, Louis and Harry are given the opportunity to crisscross the country together in a tiny camper, filming their adventures for a YouTube series.

♡ say you want me by orphan_account

(M, 37k, famous/not famous) Harry’s a closeted pop star and Louis is the uni student he keeps fighting with on Twitter

♡ From the Start by @allwaswell16

(E, 32k, fake relationship) Louis has no idea that one act of kindness will cause his life to spiral out of control. But that's what happens when his new friend fake proposes to him and a video of it goes viral.

♡ You're the Light by @allwaswell16

(E, 31k, newspaper au) What he finds on his first day of work is a tall, gorgeous editor named Harry who has the most beautiful green eyes he’s ever seen—and who also happens to be his new boss.

♡ The Daddiest Place on Earth by lovelarry10 / @chloehl10

(E, 23k, Disney World au) Louis. Harry. Instagram. A whole lot of confusion and a whole lot of laughs...

♡ Anonymous Said by @alivingfire

(T, 21k, tumblr) two boys, two blogs, two years of anonymous messages, and a bookshop where it all comes together

♡ Then We Talk Slow by @letsjustsee

(E, 20k, famous/not famous) A famous/non-famous AU in which Louis banters back and forth with his new record company on Twitter, only to find out that Harry is the man behind the tweets.

♡ blend into my favourite colour by rainbowninja167 / @rainbowtitania

(T, 19k, coffee shop) Harry is a barista with a secret Werewolf High fan blog, a desperate crush on a customer named Louis, and a best friend on Tumblr who always makes him laugh. Louis can't figure out why the barista at his favorite coffee shop keeps creepily staring at him, and to make matters worse, he may be slightly in love with a friend he met online.

♡ Found My Missing Piece by @styleandsin

(NR, 16k, fashion au) Louis and Harry are both fashion bloggers. Louis' been following Harry for years. Harry and his blog really gave him the confidence and the push to make his own.

♡ you don't have to play the part by fairytalelights / @lookslikefairytale

(M, 16k, famous/not famous) the one where Harry is Britain's new pop sensation, Louis is R&B star Zayn's sassy social media manager and things get confusing

♡ This is a Rainbow War by @lululawrence

(NR, 15k, famous/not famous) the one where Harry's a famous singer, Louis is part of his road crew, and after Harry gives Louis a special assignment regarding rainbow flags, things maybe turn out a little differently than either of them planned.

♡ it do be like that sometimes by wordsnnotes / @quelsentiment

(T, 14k, enemies to lovers) an enemies to lovers AU inspired by my short experience in this crazy fandom and my even shorter experience on stan Twitter

♡ from, your secret admirer by flicker_album / @niall-official

(T, 13k, secret admirer) the one where Louis is Harry's Tumblr crush so he sends him secret admirer messages for Valentine's Day

♡ Nailed By Louis by @haztobegood

(E, 9k, cooking au) It had started as a joke, just two months earlier. Louis had tried to make recipe from HarrySizzles Instagram account.

♡ Hot Chocolate by @kingsofeverything

(E, 6k, chocolatier Harry) Harry wants to make something new for Hot Chocolates, his small batch chocolate shop. Louis offers to help.

♡ Kiwi by dimpled_halo / @comebackassholes

(M, 6k, exes to lovers) The last place Louis expects to see Harry again after ten years is performing at a music festival in Chicago

♡ The Places Where We Met by Chelsea Frew / @chelsea-frew

(G, 5k, famous/not famous) Harry Styles loves his job as 1/3 of a famous boy band. It does, however, get lonely, and he counts on a special online friend to get him through.

♡ Missed Connection by @kingsofeverything

(E, 3k, Craigslist) Harry is absolutely clueless when it comes to figuring out if other guys are into him, so he enlists his friend Niall to assist. That may or may not be a mistake

—Rare Pairs—

♡ One In Ten Million by craigtrash

(M, 36k, Zayn/Liam) University student Zayn Malik is a big fan of One Direction, world famous boy band, especially member Liam Payne. When Liam accidentally tweets his phone number, Zayn takes a chance that changed his life.

♡ walk, walk fashion baby by @disgruntledkittenface

(E, 23k, Louis/Nick Grimshaw) Louis loves his supportive boyfriend, his passionate and interesting band of friends and coworkers, and his pair of quirky and dedicated dogs. What he doesn’t love is his job as co-editor of the Lifestyle section at a popular site aimed at millennials.

♡ Almost Feels Like Nothing's Changed at All (If You Close Your Eyes) by Hllangel / @glitterbootsandyellowshorts

(G, 3k, Louis/Nick Grimshaw) The tweet went out about two minutes ago, but it's basically blown up his notifications, and probably his life.

[taybatwo2]

G3 Hissfits Review Part 1

Guess what came in today??? My Hissfits three pack!

The box is large, 22”x12” and was 75 bucks…which is a lot (25 for each doll) and Entertainment Earth wanted another 20 for shipping (so I might have preordered a cute little 3.75” Clone Trooper Rex figure to get free shipping).

These dolls had their stock photos dropped a bit over a year ago and I guess were just sitting in a warehouse while Mattel figured out what to do with them????? I dunno why they took so long to come out, but I’m glad they were not all canceled and disposed of.

It has some little Skullettes detailed around the outside of the box.

Here is the corner illustration done by Darko.

The back of the box. That’s a huge illustration and looks really cool. It has some of their accessories hidden about and Amped Up Frankie’s accessories in the far left hand book shelf. Perhaps they’re all playing for the Monster Ball?

Here is the UPC for anyone who needs it. These are supposed to be available on misc. sellers/shops: like Entertainment Earth and Big Lots and NOT Amazon, Walmart, Target or even Mattel Creations. Which seems like an odd choice (I wonder what their reasoning was behind it?).

Here is a close up of their blurb on the back of the box. I do find it funny that Toralei was known to be REALLY bad at singing in G1 and G3 just RAN the other way with that.

Here are the ghoul’s with the plastic removed. There was A TON of rubber bands holding them all in. They look good in the package, but there is so much plastic waste.

more under the cut

Close-up of G3 Meowlody’s face while still strapped down. Meowlody has white hair (turn her name’s first letter “m” upside down and it looks like a “w” for “white hair”).

Mine has her eyes slightly printed up too high, some white paint dropped across her right eye, and her left cheek stripes have some paint missing (you can’t tell from his photo).

She has the biggest grin out of the werecat twins and Toralei. Her heterochromia is opposite of her twin and she has purple leopard print eyeshadow. Her hair feels like saran.

My Toralei looks pretty good, but has a small lip smudge on her upper lip. I love her eyeshadow!!! Even her bright pink lips have grown on me. Her leopard rosettes are a mix of purple (Meowlody) and pink (Purrsephone).

She has almost neon orange hair (with black, baby pink, and purple streaks). I’m pretty sure it is all saran.

And my FAVORITE, Purrsephone (turn her name’s first letter “p” upside down and it looks like a “b” for “black hair”). I like her sculpted eyelids, her full upper lips, her hair color blend *mwah!* she does have a spot of red paint on the bottom of her cat nose. She has pink leopard spots on the opposite side of her face.

I’m also certain she has saran hair.

They come with a ton of little accessories “to help them get ready for the show.” Even merch to sell after the show too!!

After spending about 30 minutes freeing everything from their prison and running a metal comb through their hair (they will need to be washed with water, Dawn dish soap, and some conditioner…maybe (carefully) straight iron their hair later.

I forgot to take a full body photo of Toralei before I started removing pieces. Whoops!

Here is her crown piece. It wraps around both ears and should still hold its place fairly well even after I removed the plastic stays and rubberband (it was really wrapped around it) holding it in.

Here she is without her golden crown. I might like it better off.

Her eye make-up is her two cousins’ mixed together. Oh, by the way G3 Purrsephone and Meowlody are Toralei’s cousins.

It reminds me of SDCC DC Super Hero girls Cheetah.

Her tail tambourine (I love how clever they were in its paw-like design) also stays on her tail pretty well.

Here is her plastic dress pieces. They have some nice details to them (lots of studs, chains, and the Hissfits cat head logo) and as always, could look even more elevated with some paint. Be warned that the gold chest piece instantly wants to keep detaching itself from the skirt and shoulder pieces after you remove the rubber bands.

I LOVE her gloves (look at the little printed seams and how they make it look like there are seperate holes for her fingers). My Core G1 Toralei will be stealing them. They even come off by sliding over the hands (you do not necessarily need to remove the whole hand to get them off).

Here are her MASSIVE boots. They are slit all the way down the back and have some colored in details. I’m not sure if I like purple and pink AND red being Toralei’s new colors, but these shoes look great.

Here are the bottoms (chains on the ball of the feet and a cat scratching post making the heel).

A better look at her saran hair blend. It’s really growing on me. I was just going to clean her up, steel her stock and resell the base doll. But I am heavily rethinking it.

Here she is in her outfit sans all the plastic bits. It is all attached. The main shirt/shorts have a sparkly foil to them and her skirt has a lovely gold to magenta foil print.

And the back. Now let’s jump ahead to look at some differences between the werecat’s bodies.

Toralei has the exact same body mold as G3 Clawdeen, and the werecat twins have the same body as G3 Cleo (sans the bandages).

They didn’t give the wet cats sharp toe claws like Toralei and Clawdeen. :(

Their ears look a bit different too (Toralei has notches in the bottom of her ears and Purrsephone/Meowlody don’t).

And for funsies. Here are all the G3 werecats’ body types for comparison (I’m still in the middle of micro-braiding my Catty’s hair).

In part 2 I’ll delve more into the werecat twins.

[avvail-whumps]

‘guns for hire’ — compromises #8

previous · masterlist · next

content warnings: captivity, restraints, punishments, shock collar, electrocution, dissociation, emotional whump, intimate whumper, non-con touching (not sexual), blood and injury, whumper caretaking (whumper is the reason they need it in the first place?)

Leo was exhausted.

Each question buzzed through his brain, sinking straight to his stomach, and he hardly even had the strength to brace himself against the shocks everytime the mercenary pressed the button.

He was slumped haphazardly in his seat, a cold sweat beading on his forehead, panting so hard his chest was burning irrevocably. Whimpers spilled from his lips, mumbling weakly in an attempt to find his voice and tell him to stop.

Leo had begged and begged Roy to stop.

He’d wanted nothing more than to avoid those questions; those prodding, personal ones that he was shooting at him, but he caved under the pressure nonetheless.

Caved until he was sobbing and screaming at him, telling him just about anything he asked for.

Leo felt painfully miserable, as he shifted in the restraints. His ankle was numb. He was sure the agony was blending into each other, and Roy must have aggravated the injury, making the long stretch of recovery even longer.

He sucked in a horrible breath, throat and mouth painfully dry.

Roy had asked all about his home life. All about everything that had made him run away, everything that he was still gripping onto. His stomach felt pitted with dread at the mere thought of what he’d said.

“M-My mother...” He remembered blubbering, after begging Roy to stop the shocks. “...she left us. She didn’t want anything to do with us and she packed her bags and left...”

He remembered the way his voice had cracked, barely able to suck in a violent breath before he was choking on his sobs again.

“My father became depressed a-and he...he couldn’t handle it. He didn’t want anything to do with me either. H-He stopped teaching me violin, he stopped talking to me, he, he...”

He’d sniffled, feeling shame creep up his spine. He was truly pathetic. He could hardly keep his hyperventilating hiccups in his throat, head hung low and hair falling haphazardly in front of his face.

“I ran away, b-because he couldn’t handle her leaving, a-and he pushed me away too,” he’d continued, breaths low and deep. “I couldn’t live with it. That’s it, that’s it, I swear...please, stop. Please, I’m begging you.”

Roy had, his lips barely twitching into a smirk, and his expression satisfied. He’d praised Leo in a twisted form of affection, taking the collar off his throat and gently pushing his hair back. He’d promptly left up the stairs, leaving Leo to shiver in the chair, numb.

He stared blankly at a spot on the ground, struggling to keep his eyes open.

He just wanted to drift off into the depths of his mind and never come back; he didn’t want to deal with this situation anymore, and he didn’t want to think. Didn’t want to do anything, but shut himself off and try to imagine himself anywhere but here.

Roy returned with another bag, this time full of medical supplies. His steely eyes watched Leo for a moment as he closed the door behind him, before approaching him with those ghost-like footsteps.

“Lion?” He drawled, leaning down and tilting his head to try and get a look at his face. He noticed the way the secretary’s eyes looked — glazed over, completely fixed, as if he was in a strong trance. The mercenary pressed his lips together, before straightening up with an abrupt sigh.

“Fuck, get a hold of yourself,” he grumbled, pressing a hand to his forehead and tilting his head back. Leo didn’t react, not even when Roy firmly patted his cheek, trying to snap him out of it. Closing his eyes, the mercenary decided that he would have to call it a day.

Slicing the duct tape keeping him trapped to the chair, he easily hefted the light man into his arms, patting his back as he did so.

“You’re so thin,” he sighed, gently lowering him down onto the mattress. “You’ll be skin and bone soon, lion.”

The man got to work on what he intended. Gently dabbing down the purpled marks collaring his throat, and checking his tongue to make sure he hadn’t bitten it took up only a fraction of his time, as he tipped the contents of the bag onto the ground, and began to wrap his ankle in a splint.

He worked expertly, as if he’d done this plenty of times before, tipping a number of different pills onto his hand to help with the swelling and pain, and wrapping an arm around Leo’s shoulders.

He was so much smaller compared to him, Roy felt as though each grasp engulfed him. He helped the disoriented man swallow down the medicine, before lowering him back down, setting his ankle on the pillow, and chaining him him.

When he stepped off, he heard a faint crinkle.

A frown found its way onto his face as he swept up the remains of the glass he’d shattered, tutting softly under his breath.

After clearing everything up, Roy shrugged off his jacket. He was always radiating pleasant heat, so he draped the jacket over Leo’s form, drowning his figure. He didn’t hesitate to pick up his bag, and make his leave.

It wasn’t like he was much fun like this anyway; Roy much prefered making him squeal and squirm when he had the inkling of freedom just in his grasp.

When he made it to the top of the stairs, he stilled.

His eyes drifted down to hand, wrapped in tissue. The blood was soaked through, reflecting in his eyes, making his throat bob. He clenched it, letting his fingers dig painfully into the flesh, and a trembling exhale fell from his lips before he could stop himself.

It was making his heart pound in his chest. The adrenaline that had sparked when he’d seen the man coming for him, milking the confession out of him through his tears, was something that made him shiver with excitement.

Keeping him down in the basement wasn’t much fun.

Roy knew the bird would try to fly if the cage was left open. So open, it would be.

–

It must have been weeks of being trapped down there.

Leo felt like he was starting to lose his mind, waking up every morning — could he even call it that when he didn’t have a single grasp on the time? — to the same, bleak walls, windowless space, same mattress and chair.

A diet of porridge and water hadn’t changed, as it didn’t seem Roy knew how to make anything else.

Dark circles had easily formed under his eyes, and his ghostly complexion stood out from the black jacket the mercenary had laid over him the night of the interrogation. It had become the only sense of comfort and warmth during the mind numbing experience, and he found himself curled up with it, or sitting with it draped around his shoulders and pulled around his body at every chance he got.

The mercenary hadn’t hurt him since then; Leo knew it was because he had been as obedient as could be, not attempting an escape when he was blindfolded and lead upstairs. The secretary was grateful each time he could stretch his legs, and the weight on his healing ankle improved everytime he did.

Roy placed pills on his tongue, checked his splint, and came down to either give or retrieve his food and water.

Leo’s body was overcome by a horrible depression, lay subject to being sprawled on the mattress and counting away the seconds in his head. Soon, even that became too much effort for him, and he let his body shut off, imagining himself elsewhere, playing the violin or having a lunch break with his co-workers.

He weakly gripped the jacket, drawing it further over his shoulders until it was under his nose.

The fabric even had Roy’s scent clinging onto it, and Leo’s stomach coiled at the fact it was the only thing bringing him comfort.

He liked it; the warmness, the comfort, having another person’s scent to accompany him while he slept. He didn’t think he would be able to sleep if it wasn’t constantly bunched over his face, blocking out the lights and cacooning him in a pleasant warmth.

He gingerly licked his lips, the flesh dry against his tongue. His fingers deftly traced the markings on his wrist, lightly dragging along each line. It wasn’t sore anymore; Roy had applied an ointment to it every once in a while, which took the redness out of his skin. The cuts were slowly healing, leaving noticeable scars in their wake.

When the door clanked open, Leo didn’t get up. He closed his eyes, hoping Roy might mistake him for being asleep, and leave him alone.

He didn’t have that much luck, since the mercenary had already tugged the jacket off his body, and it made his eyes snap open in surprise, turning to face him with a shocked expression.

“Shake yourself awake, sleeping beauty,” the mercenary smiled, his tone leaving only a slither of emotion as it always did.

Leo tensed at the sight of him, his eyes drifting over to the jacket, before snapping back to him in fear. Roy tilted his head, and it was then that the secretary noticed he was clutching two crutches in his hand.

He gawked, confused.

“I’d like to ask you a question,” Roy perked up, his eyes fixated on him. Leo barely found the strength to speak, but the words were slipping from his lips before he could stop himself.

“Yes?” He croaked softly.

“So eager,” he chuckled, lip quirking with a subtle quirk at the corner. “How well can you cook?”

Leo blinked. He processed the question once more in his head. Then he blinked again. “...what?”

“I’m asking you if you can cook.”

Leo didn’t dare shift into a sitting position, staying on his elbows. His lip quivered as a breathless squeak left his mouth.

“I-I...do you mean...drugs?”

Roy squinted his eyes. “Drugs? No, lion. Food. I’m talking about food. Can you cook food?”

His face went scarlet red in embarrassment, the heat rivalling that of an oven as it pooled into his skin, and warmed the shell of his ears. He shut his mouth in humiliation, letting his eyes drop to the ground swiftly.

He nodded.

Leo had lived alone for a few years; cooking came easy to him.

“Good,” the mercenary hummed, straightening up and letting the crutches balance on the floor, jacket draped over his arm. Leo stared at it with begging eyes, his bottom lip tucking in. “Here’s the arrangement, lion. In exchange for cooking, for me, yourself, and whoever else might come along, I’ll let you upstairs.”

Leo’s eyes lit up, expression switching almost instantly.

“You can take a spare room. Sleep in a bed, and start walking around on that ankle.” He rattled the crutches for good measure. “It goes without saying — don’t try to escape. Don’t attack me again, and don’t think you can find a way to call for help. I won’t hesitate to ring that pretty little neck of yours if you step out of line.”

Cold sweats broke out along the back of his neck, hairs prickling to attention. Leo didn’t doubt Roy would do just that. He swallowed the dry lump in his throat, nodding his head eagerly.

Anything to get out of here. Anything to sleep in a proper bed.

Roy smirked, and bent down to ruffle his hair. The secretary winced under the touch.

“Good boy.”

It took a moment for Leo to get to his feet, barely able to stand by himself without Roy’s thick arm secured around his waist. His trembling fingers dug into his shirt, pressing tightly against his chest as the man released him for just a moment, only to drape the jacket over his shoulders and fix his arms inside.

It was far too big for him while he was wearing it, drowning his malnourished body, yet it was hard to resist those pretty eyes when Leo couldn’t take his gaze off the thing.

“Come on, arm through,” Roy murmured under his breath, helping Leo fumble his way into the crutches, gripping onto them weakly. He wobbled as a horrible wave of dizziness gripped him, something that had often started to occur when he was on his feet for too long.

But he bit down, and ignored it. There was no way he was coming back down here. No way.

Hobbling up the stairs was difficult, but Roy guided him easily, seemingly amused by his struggles. Leo had a clammy forehead and hands by the time they made it up to the top, and his shallow breathing almost made him miss the sight in front of him.

A house.

He had been under a huge house the entire time, one he could only assume was Roy’s. It made his stomach curl, not being here without a blindfold, but he made sure to drink in every little detail he could. All the framed paintings on the wall, the furniture, the huge television...

His fingers curled around the crutch, almost turning white.

“Mercenary business pays good,” was Roy’s only remark, watching him out of the corner of his eye. “Let’s get you to your room, hm?”

Leo’s heart was thrumming in his chest.

tag list – @unorganisedalienrubbish @d-cs @rabidrabidme @sordayciega @burningkittypoet @whumpawink @mannerofwhump @suspicious-whumping-egg @welcome-to-the-whumpfest

[mccdreamys-writes]

smiles for miles – 16. don't keep me waiting

and i'm gon' love you until we're dead and gone, so i'm waitin'. - Bailey Zimmerman, Waiting

S E P T E M B E R   1 9 T H   2 0 1 1

In the aftermath of the terrifying events, time took on a strange quality, like it was stuck between reality and a dream. From the moment Maile was shot to when the doctor spoke, it felt like time was both rushing by and standing still all at once.

Each moment blended together into a whirlwind of chaos and uncertainty. There was the rush of adrenaline, the frantic attempts to stop the bleeding, and the anxious wait for news from the operating room. It all mixed together into a mess of pain and fear.

Then, when the doctor delivered the news, it felt like time stopped completely. The possibility that Maile might never wake up filled the room with a heavy sense of sadness and disbelief. It was like a dark cloud had settled over everyone, making it hard to see any light ahead.

"What did you just say?" I could barely get the words out, my voice shaking with disbelief as I tried to understand what the doctor was telling me. She stood there in her white coat, her words hanging in the air like a storm cloud on the horizon, ominous and heavy.

Her initial reassurance felt like a distant memory now, replaced by a sense of uncertainty that left me feeling lost and confused. I struggled to make sense of the sudden change in her tone.

"I know this might be difficult to hear," she started, her voice gentle but filled with a sense of impending sorrow.

But I couldn't let her finish. My heart pounded in my chest as her words crashed over me like a wave. "You said everything was fine," I interrupted, my voice shaking with desperation and disbelief. "And now you're saying she might... she might..."

I couldn't bring myself to say the words, to acknowledge the possibility that she might not make it. It was too painful to even consider, a reality that I couldn't bear to accept.

As the doctor in the white coat delivered her bleak assessment, her words hung heavily in the room, each syllable dripping with uncertainty. Any glimmer of hope we had felt was quickly dashed by the harsh reality of her diagnosis.

"It seemed like everything was going well at first," she started, her tone solemn, filling the room with a sense of sadness. "But the latest test results show that there's been no improvement."

Her words felt like a weight pressing down on me, making it hard to breathe. I felt like I was standing on the edge of a cliff, teetering on the brink of despair with every passing moment.

Just as I was about to stand up, unable to bear being away from Maile's side any longer, Morgan stepped forward to thank the doctor. His gesture, though well-meaning, felt like a betrayal of the pain I was feeling. I shot him a glare filled with anger and hurt, unable to put into words the depth of emotion I was experiencing.

With a calm yet firm tone, he stepped in, his voice a soothing presence amidst the chaos of emotions swirling around us. "You're not helping anyone by taking it out on that woman," he said, his words offering a sense of clarity in the midst of confusion.

His eyes met mine with a deep understanding, a reflection of the bond we shared and the challenges we'd faced together. It was a reminder that, in times of trouble, sticking together was crucial.

"I know it's tough," he continued, a hint of regret in his voice, "but taking it out on her won't change anything. It won't make you feel better, it won't get her to work harder, and it certainly will not get Maile back any sooner."

Each word carried a weight of truth, a reminder that getting angry wouldn't solve anything. It was a call to focus on finding solutions rather than getting lost in despair.

In a rare moment of vulnerability, I couldn't hold back anymore. Emotions I'd been keeping inside since that awful day poured out like a flood. I didn't need to say anything; the pain on my face said it all. Tears streamed down my cheeks, each one carrying the weight of so many memories and so much sorrow.

It felt like a dam had burst inside me, the grief and sadness too much to bear any longer. Each tear that fell was like a piece of my heart breaking all over again.

When Morgan put his hand on my shoulder, it felt like déjà vu. It reminded me of the moment we found out about Maile, a day that seemed like it happened in another lifetime, even though it had only been five days.

In those days that followed, time seemed to stretch on forever. We were lost in a sea of uncertainty and despair, with each moment feeling like an eternity. Emotions ran high, blurring the lines of reality and making it hard to tell how much time had passed.

But no matter how much time went by, that moment when we found out about Maile remained clear in my mind. It was like it had just happened, the pain still as raw as ever.

As tears streamed down my face, the room felt charged with emotion, like something significant was about to happen. It was like my sadness had become a part of everything around me, filling the air with a powerful energy.

I held my breath, watching as Maile's hand moved slightly beneath mine. It was amazing and a little scary, a reminder of how strong people can be even when things are tough.

As if by magic, Maile's fingers reached out towards me, like she was trying to connect with me. It was a delicate moment, full of possibility, as our fingertips touched in a gentle exchange.

Then, everything seemed to freeze as Maile's thumb moved ever so slightly. It was a small gesture, but it meant so much. It was like she was asking for comfort in a world that felt uncertain and scary.

In the midst of the tension, Morgan's keen eyes didn't miss a thing. He noticed a small movement in Maile's hand and felt a surge of hope mixed with caution. Turning to Reid, who was a calming presence in the midst of our emotions, Morgan spoke quietly but urgently.

In a hushed tone, barely audible above the hum of machinery and the soft murmur of voices, Morgan relayed his observation to Reid, his words laden with a sense of urgency. "Get a nurse, or a doctor. I don't care which, but tell them there's movement."

As I looked around the room, I saw Reid spring into action. He moved quickly and decisively, showing a determination that was unusual for him. It was like he was chasing down a UnSub, but this time, the stakes were even higher.

Seeing Reid's sudden change in demeanor brought a rare smile to both Hotch and Morgan's faces. It was a silent acknowledgment of Reid's dedication and the importance of what he was doing. It was moments like these that showed the strength of our bond, even in the toughest times.

In a moment that felt like it stretched beyond time itself, Maile's hand moved again. It wasn't just a twitch; her fingers moved with a graceful fluidity, finding their way back to mine as if they were determined to reconnect across the uncertainty that surrounded us.

In the quiet of the room, with the machines humming softly and voices murmuring in the background, my heart raced. It was a moment I'd been waiting for, filled with both hope and fear that had consumed me for what felt like forever.

With shaking hands, I looked away from our joined fingers and focused on Maile's face. Despite the bruises, her features were clear of blood. It was a relief to see her looking more like herself again, a sign that she had come back from the brink of death.

Then, almost as if by magic, I noticed her eyelids twitching. It was a small movement, but it filled me with hope. It was like a tiny light in the darkness, showing us that there was still life within her, despite everything.

With a gentle movement, Maile's eyelids began to flutter, like she was slowly waking up from a long sleep. Each small movement felt like time itself was slowing down, stretching the moment out as if it would last forever.

As her eyelashes brushed against her cheeks, the room seemed to hold its breath, waiting to see what would happen next. Every second felt like it was stretching on forever, like time itself had paused just for this moment. Then, with a graceful movement, her eyes opened, revealing the depth of her soul to the world once again.

It was a moment that felt incredibly important, like a victory of the human spirit over darkness and despair. In that moment, it felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders, replaced by a sense of wonder and amazement at the miracle that was happening right before my eyes.

With a voice filled with emotion, I whispered her name, a simple yet powerful greeting that held all my love and hope for her recovery. "Hey, Smiles," I murmured softly, each word carrying my wishes and dreams for her.

A serene smile spread across Maile's lips in response, a silent sign of the peace she felt in that moment. It was a smile that showed her strength, a light in the darkness that had surrounded her.

As her smile brightened the room, it felt like everything was bathed in warmth and calm. It was as if all the worries and troubles had disappeared, replaced by a deep sense of peace and acceptance.

Then, with a gentle sigh, she closed her eyes again, the smile lingering on her lips like a promise of better days to come. In that moment, it felt like time stood still, as if the world had paused to admire the beauty and grace that radiated from her.

As the doctor returned to the room, Reid's presence seemed to draw her in, as if his determination guided her towards Maile's bedside. It felt like there was an invisible force propelling her forward, driven by their strong bond and collective willpower.

With a gentle touch, the doctor gently encouraged Maile to open her eyes, her fingertips tracing a careful path across her eyelids. It was like she was unlocking a hidden treasure as the soft light of the room danced across Maile's pupils. Slowly, Maile stirred from her sleep, her consciousness awakening like a flame reignited in the darkness.

Maile let out a soft groan as she was roused from her rest, showing how tired and weary she was. But even in her discomfort, there was a hint of amusement in her response, a subtle recognition of the strange situation we found ourselves in.

In response to her groan, I couldn't help but chuckle, the sound mixing with a sharp intake of breath. It was a moment of lightness in the midst of everything, a reminder that even in our darkest times, there's still room for laughter and joy.

"Welcome back," the doctor said warmly, breaking through the laughter to acknowledge the significance of the moment. Her words were filled with relief and gratitude as Maile's eyes fluttered open once more, marking her return to the world of the living.

As exhaustion washed over her, Maile struggled to keep her eyes open, her eyelids fluttering with the effort. With a soft sigh, she succumbed to the darkness, her voice barely more than a whisper carrying a multitude of emotions.

"Alex," she whispered, her voice like a gentle melody floating in the air, filled with love and longing. In response, I moved closer to her bedside, my heart heavy with affection for her.

"I'm here," I reassured her, my voice trying hard to be a soothing presence in the quiet room. With a gentle touch, I ran my fingers through her hair, offering silent comfort and support.

Despite the weight of everything bearing down on her, Maile's lips curved into a smile once more, a comforting light in the midst of the darkness that surrounded us. Although her eyes remained closed, the depth of her emotions radiated from her, filling the room with warmth and hope.

A tear escaped from the corner of her eye, and I gently brushed it away, my touch soft and reassuring against her skin. In that moment, it felt like time stood still as she spoke those three powerful words that carried immense meaning.

"I love you, Alex," she whispered, her voice a gentle melody that touched my heart. In response, I leaned closer, my breath warm against her ear as I echoed her sentiment.

"I love you too, my beautiful girl," I murmured, my words a promise of unwavering love and devotion that echoed through the room.

[winterhawksamplers]

Pet Fic: Lucky, Alpine, and More

It's dogs. And cats. And the occasional ferret. Come on, of course we love them! This sampler offers a variety of animal-centric fics: in some, pets and animals are what bring Clint and Bucky together; in others, they serve as key components to helping Clint and Bucky figure things out; in one, we get some of Lucky's actual POV. Animals act as therapists, as cockblocks, as the absolute best pillows. This is a (literal) fluff, humor, and pizza dog filled theme, but don't be too surprised when some of these furry facades are actually vehicles for processing complex winterhawk themes like trauma, PTSD, and figuring out how to be human.

Space to Run, Space to Hide by: @ialwayscomewhenyoucall length: 1.1k | rating: T | tags: free verse poetry, barton farm, fluff, avoidance, podfic available, shifting POVs summary excerpt: Clint is spending some time at his farm. Not because he's running away. Nope. Not at all. He just missed the farm. Why this one? In this incredibly beautiful, sweet, and lyrical fic, the author utilizes Lucky's POV to help capture a classic example of Clint's emotional avoidance. bonus: podfic by @flowerparrish

Rescue Me by: NotEvenCloseToStraight length: 25k | rating: M | tags: PTSD, depression, service animals, misunderstandings, amputee!Bucky, Deaf!Clint, h/c, no powers au summary excerpt: Still struggling with PTSD and nightmares a year after leaving the Army, Bucky goes to a shelter to find a therapy dog. He finds companionship in Beef the Pitbull, a purpose in volunteering on weekends, and when the dog trainer starts smiling his way, Bucky finds something else that feels a little like love. Why this one? This heart-wrenching fic situates a post-military service Bucky struggling to find a new normal alongside a disaster human/pet-trainer Clint. C&B's journey to recovery in this fic is realistic, rife with struggles and mistakes, and filled with enough feels to make you want to rush to hug the nearest animal you can find.

Through the Streets of Long Gone Dreams by: Rivulet027 length: 11k | rating: T | tags: canon-adjacent, Bucky Barnes recovering, mutual pining, bed sharing, Lucky as the best bed buddy summary: Bucky’s having trouble sleeping until Lucky decides to adopt him. Now Bucky isn’t sure if he’s sleeping better because of a dog or the archer that comes with the dog. Why this one? This one feels like a more classic Bucky recovery story, in that the setting is the tower, and there are PTSD and nightmare themes throughout. Lucky here helps push Clint and Bucky together and helps Bucky ground and find himself. bonus: art by prompt_fills

A Christmas Miracle: Getting Lucky by: Lissadiane length: 11k | rating: T | tags: veterinarian!Bucky, performer!Clint, temporary animal injury, fluff, holidays, no powers au summary excerpt: Clint Barton’s absolute worst nightmare comes true on a snowy highway in the middle of Colorado on a cross country drive — he hits a dog. It’s just his luck that the only vet he can find hates people — especially those who hurt dogs — and happens to look amazing in a pair of kitten scrubs. Why this one? A sheepishly adorable Clint, an adorably grouchy Bucky, and the cutest Lucky in a pair of reindeer antlers to ever attend a holiday festival make for the most fluff-and-feels-filled fic, possibly ever. A dash of misunderstanding, a sprinkle of enemies-to-lovers, and you're in for a fic streaming from the hallmark channel straight to your ao3 account.

Lucky in Love by: @drgrlfriend length: 59k | rating: E | tags: no powers au, mutual recovery, PTSD, depression, veteran!Bucky, h/c, roommates, pining, touch-starved, canon disabilities summary excerpt: Clint is only a couple of sips into his cardboard cup of coffee, his brain barely out of neutral, which is probably why it takes him so long to realize that some damn psycho is trying to kidnap his dog. Why this one? This classic au blends a variety of canon and fandom favorite tropes in a beautiful story of mutual recovery. Lucky brings Clint and Bucky together in a disaster of a meet-cute, and is there to support them through every nightmare, every flashback, and every shaky and sweet step towards trust and healing. bonus: art by @drizzledrawings

The next nine fluff-filled fics are sorted in descending order by length.

Look What The Cat Dragged In by: @flawedamythyst length: 22k | rating: G | tags: Bucky Barnes Recovering, Lucky, Alpine, co-raising a cat with the Winter Soldier

Making Me a Habit by: @kangofu-cb length: 20k | rating: T | tags: war vet! Bucky, Clint owns an animal shelter, no powers au, PTSD, kittens, + 1 ferret, bonus: art by @soapyquartz and art by CountessofLovelace and art by noxnthea

Barking Mad by: @xria-rose length: 4k | rating: T | tags: magic, pre-relationship, established stony, Steve and Tony are turned into a dog and cat

Ready to Hear it by: @noxnthea length: 3.7k | rating: T | tags: feelings realization, love confessions, Clint treating Lucky like his therapist

How to Prevent Sugar Bloom by: @tawryn length: 3.7k | rating: E | tags: flipped A/B/O, humor, dog park meet cute/disaster, STEVE IS A LITERAL DOG

Winter Puppy by: @pherryt length: 3.5k | rating: G | tags: werewolves, towerfic, Clint wants a dog so bad he's willing to believe the random wolf in the tower is one

Modern Drift by: @claraxbarton length: 2k | rating: T | tags: alpine, no powers au, Nurse!Bucky, pre-relationship, covid, best cat dad Bucky

Five Facts You Need to Know About Clint and Bucky by: @skylarkevanson length: 1.8k | rating: G | tags: domestic fluff, one fact is=Clint is the type of man who stops in the street to pet every dog

it's got to be you(r cat) by: atheoryon length: 1k | rating: G | tags: no powers au, firefighter! Bucky, meet-cute, alpine is not stuck on a fire escape

What other animal or pet related fics would you include? reblog or add in the comments for your fellow readers!

Find other themed winterhawk samplers here. Suggest fics for us to include on future lists here!

[c-rose2081]

Starchild || 11. Heaviness

(Disney Z-O-M-B-I-E-S)

—

—

-

Zed felt heavy and worn down.

His body was aching more than usual, and his head felt as though it was ready to split in two and spill his brains out. Morning practices were the worst. Not only was it cold, but there was dew still on the field meaning the smell of mud was now plastered inside his nose. The night had been sleepless; mostly just worried thinking about anything and everything that wasn’t related to sleeping.

He thought about his mom; how much he missed her. He thought about Zoey, not having the female role model in her life that she really needed now that she was getting older. He thought about dad, and how hard he worked for so little, but also about how he had to continue on without the love of his life. And — naturally — Zed thought about A-ddison. Because when wasn’t he thinking about her? She was everything he wasn’t. Clean, smart, beautiful, and so sweet it made his heart yearn for her attention. He was just a cranky Zombie kid with nothing but football in his future.

Not only had A-ddison fallen from the sky perfect, but she was an expert at blending in. She was already far more adapted to human life than Zed had been back when Zombies were first invited to Seabrook High. She was a Cheereader now, and the lost daughter of the Mayor. The MAYOR. One of the most important people in their town (who also happened to be part alien. Surprise!). Suddenly, Zed felt very self-conscious about himself. Not just about his clothes, either, but about his attitude in general. He wasn’t social, or really all that great at making friends. He had Eliza and Bonzo who he’d known forever, but no one else had really earned his full trust since then.

Sure he was popular, but he never asked for that. He didn’t want to be liked just because he could throw a ball and knock people over. It was an awfully brutish way to get attention, now that he thought about it. A-ddison was a natural at meeting new people — there was just something buzzing around her that made people enjoy her presence. Zed wasn’t sure what it was, but he felt addicted to its draw. The loss he felt at Addy leaving with Mayor Wells the night before to spend some time together was immense. Probably another reason why he felt like his ribs had been packed full of sand, and sawdust was coming out his ears.

“…well, you look like you just crawled out of a grave.”

Zed groaned in annoyance, lifting his head to sneer at the werewolf now standing before him.

“I’m trying to tan, dog. You’re blocking my sunlight.”

“That’s funny for a dead guy,”

“Undead guy,” Zed corrected, “if we were actually dead, you’d lose your lunch. What do you want, Wyatt?”

“Hm,” Wyatt huffed, strolling to the outside table which Zed had settled at the minute practice ended, “a little birdie told me you’ve got a new girlfriend.”

“It’s not exactly a secret,” Zed scoffed, frowning as Wyatt rested one knee up on the bench directly across from him, “pretty sure all of Seabrook knows by now.”

“Maybe. But a dogs nose knows, ya know?” Wyatt insisted, tapping the end of his nose with a finger.

“No. I feel like I’m dying; I really don’t have the patience for riddles, fleabag.”

“You’re keeping secrets, that’s what,” Wyatt growled, “the pack doesn’t like secrets.”

“What I do isn’t any of the pack’s business,” Zed snarked back, “why do you care about my relationship status, anyway? Jealous I’m taken?”

“As if,”

“Sure doesn’t sound that way.”

“I’m saying, zom-boy, that if you keeping secrets threatens our Moonstone? I’ll be sure that you really are dead meat walking, capisce?”

“Where exactly is this coming from?” Zed wondered in genuine confusion, lifting a notched brow, “you don’t even know who I’m dating, do you? Just that I am.”

“Maybe. But you’re always meddling in things you shouldn’t be,” Wyatt explained, “so I’m giving you a warning. You know, from guy to guy?”

“Right,” Zed rolled his eyes, “cause this interaction has been purely good will.”

Wyatt growled in annoyance, but turned to look at something across the quad.

“Well, well. What do we have here?” he mused, causing Zed to turn and look in that direction as well. A-ddison was getting out of a fancy blue car, practically glowing in the morning light and reflecting the sun with her brightness and apparent love of pastel pink.

Zed didn’t think A-ddison could shake him any more than she already did, but today she was positively beaming, bright blue eyes glistening, and pale blond curls kept behind her ears by the cheer bow in her hair. Mayor Wells exited the car as well. She handed a box of something to A-ddison before kissing her on the crown of the head, cradling her face in both hands. As newly reunited mother and daughter separated, it didn’t take A-ddison more than a second to spot Zed (who made sure he was as close to the front of the school as possible).

“Zed!” She greeted happily, quickening her pace to meet him, “hi!”

“Morning Addy,” he smiled at her, rising from his bench with a small grunt of pain, “you look nice today.”

“Thank you! Mom and I stopped to get a new dress before school; she says it takes up less energy to have something called a wardrobe, so I don’t have to change so much.”

“Right,” Zed agreed, moving to slip both hands into his pockets only to have A-ddison saddle up easily into his side. The only place he could put his arm was around her, which was more than comfortable, if not way more intimate than yesterday.

“Is this a friend of yours?” Addy wondered, finally spotting Wyatt who was staring very intently at her. Zed didn’t like how focused his wolf eyes were, like he was sizing up a rabbit or deer to chase.

“This is Wyatt, he’s a Werewolf.”

“Werewolf. That’s right, you told me about them,” A-ddison mused faintly, tilting her head, “it’s nice to meet you, Wyatt. I’m Addison.”

“The pleasure is all mine,” Wyatt drawled, showing off his fangs, “welcome to Seabrook.”

A-ddison smiled back, glancing up to look at Zed as she opened the tupperware given to her by Mayor Wells.

“Mom and I made these last night. She said Grandma was really good at them.”

“Cookies!” Zed laughed, reaching into the box to pick up a baked disk and observing it, “did you sleep at all? You’re practically buzzing.”

“Not really. We fell asleep watching something called a movie? It’s on the…screen-thing,” Addy insisted, forgetting the word for television and causing Zed to laugh as he took a bite of the cookie and moaned.

“Addy, oh my god, these are so good.”

“Mom did most of the work,” A-ddison chuckled, lifting a hand to show off the bandages across her fingers, “I just burned myself on the cookie sheets. Wyatt, do you want one?”

“Don’t mind if I do,” the wolf said, reaching into the bin with his claws, “you made em?”

“I’ve never made cookies before,” Addy told him, bouncing on her heels with a gleam in her eye, “it was so much fun.”

“We should probably head in. You still need to get your schedule,” Zed remembered, glancing at his z-band which told the time, “we have a bit of time before first period.”

“Alright. Will I see you inside, Wyatt?”

Zed frowned at the question, but smiled triumphantly as the wolf shook his head, seemingly downcast as he looked at his cookie, flipping it between his claws.

“Nah. We wolves just like to hang around out back; keeps things interesting. You need something, drop my name.”

“I will,” Addy nodded, “bye Wyatt.”

“Wolf.” Zed mumbled flatly as Wyatt smirked at him and gave a small salute.

“Dead guy.”

And off he went, vanishing quickly into the trees nearby as A-ddison blinked and shook her head.

“You don’t seem very much like the traditional definition of friends,” she admitted, “was I incorrect in my assumption?”

“It’s…eh, complicated,” Zed shrugged, beginning to walk with A-ddison back towards school, “we aren’t really friends. I guess you could say it’s more like unwilling acquaintances.”

“I see,” Addy mused hesitantly, not saying much else on the subject. She was either mulling it over in her mind in order to decipher what that meant, or simply didn’t have much else to include. For a while it was just a comfortable silence between two friends. Zed liked having A-ddison beside him again, and he stole another cookie to munch on while they wandered along. But eventually he spoke up, needing to figure something out before reaching Principle Lee’s office.

“Uh, A-ddison, I have a question.”

“Yes?”

She looked up at him with those baby blues and nearly sent him to the floor. Why was she so freaking blinding? It made it so hard to focus on anything but her, “Zed?”

“Huh?”

“You had a question?”

“Yes, sorry. Yesterday, you called me…babe, and kissed me. And I was just kinda wondering where that came from?”

A-ddison paused her walk, furrowing her brows up into her hairline.

“Yes. Is…that not what a girlfriend is supposed to do?”

“Well I mean it is, b-but we…I just…”

“Zed, I know being involved is part of the plan and is not a permanent fixture in our friendship. However, Zoey informed me that in order for it to be very believable, nouns of endearment and physical affection via the lips should be exchanged frequently.”

Pet names and kissing. Right. Typical boyfriend and girlfriend behavior.

“What does Zoey know about that?” Zed grumbled, “she’s twelve.”

“She seemed very knowledgeable to me, and I thought I’d try her advice. It worked well, don’t you think?”

“Yeah,” Zed agreed with a sigh, “really well.”

A little too well actually, because now all Zed wanted to do was kiss her back. He was curious what her delicate pink lips tasted like…he knew she borrowed some cherry, glitter lip-gloss from Bree the day before.

“Zed?”

“Wha?” He shook out of the intrusive thoughts, “sorry.”

“You seem awfully distracted,” A-ddison observed, intertwining her fingers with his and squeezing gently, “are you alright?”

“F-fine…totally…”

Zed stared into his Alien friends face, getting lost quickly in her eyes. They were deep and sparkling, as though she had trapped the whole universe of stars inside them. Cautiously, he leaned in a bit. She smelled really nice today; something sweet, like the cookies held in her arms. They were so close, noses were almost touching. She wasn’t pulling away from him…could he…?

“Ahem?”

Both teens jumped away from one another. A-ddison ducked her head, and Zed nearly fell into the wall as Principle Lee stared at them intently.

“H-ey, Big Lee,” Zed greeted her with a small salute, trying to stay casual while his palms were getting slimy from embarrassment, “we were just coming to see you.”

“Uh-huh? I can see that,” the woman drawled, seeming a bit amused if nothing else, “awfully brave to study one another directly outside my office? Most students do that in more private environments.”

“We were just talking,” Zed mumbled, shoving both hands into his pockets, “you know…about stuff?”

“Yes, well. A word to the wise, ‘stuff’ should probably be discussed out of the view of your Principle, hm?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Good. Now, Addison,” Principle Lee turned to the girl, who glanced up at her sheepishly, “I was informed of your…unique…circumstances by the Mayor. It will be kept confidential until you decide you want to share it with others. Though I must warn you that talk travels very quickly in this town.”

“I understand, ma’am.”

“Very well. We have a few more things which need to be discussed in private, so if you’ll please come with me?“

“Of course,” Addy agreed, “Zed?”

“We’ll meet up for lunch,” he told her, seeing the wariness caught in her eyes, “same spot as this morning, kay?”

“Ok. I’ll see you later.”

Zed smiled, once again caught off guard as A-ddison grabbed him by the collar and pulled him down to her level. It was just a cheek peck this time — she probably felt he was uncomfortable with the lip kissing after their conversation — but it still sent fireworks through his stale blood. He immediately reached to cup the area with his palm, watching her follow Principle Lee back into her office. The last view he had was the bow in her hair, the bounce of her turquoise curls, and the swish of her skirt. He stood there for a while, jaw slackened as he fell to rest against the nearest wall of lockers.

What in zombies name was she doing to him?

Zed spent plenty of times around girls. They tended to flock around him, after his popularity and status. They did nothing but make him squirm. A-ddison was nothing like that. She was magnetic…addictive. Having her next to him was like holding onto a charged battery. It electrified him, completely and totally. All of the exhaustion from morning practice was gone. The pain, the ache, the feeling of slowly being crushed under the weight of the world. Gone. A single glance from those sapphire irises made him feel like a new zombie.

Glancing down at his wrist, the black veins had faded. They were faint now against his pallor, unlike just after practice where they were bulging, painful, and rashy. It was the second time such a thing had happened, he realized internally. Addy touched him, and his pain went away. He also dropped down to the IQ of a trash can, and had the eloquence of a beached seal during these moments. But the pain was gone, like she had simply pulled it off him like a sheet and took it with her.

Sighing heavily, Zed flopped to the floor. He banged the back of his head against the lockers a few times, cursing himself.

He didn’t think being ‘just friends’ was working out very well.

-

Tag List:

@theredrenard

@disneyfan50

@rose-sparks13

@magical-ashley

@kokinu09

@octolingo-writes

@fantasticvoidnerdshoe

@sayorseee

@zeddisonss

@uglyduckling339

@descendantofthesparrow

@mbradshaw1997

[jup1t3r-m00n]

I have a question for other systems, specially osdd-1 or pdid. Is it possible for 2 alters to be co-fronting or co-conscious and they blend so much they basically "fuse" together into one part and that part goes by a different name?

Like alter A and B blend together in front and they become C, and when A or B stops fronting, they are no longer blended and C doesn't exist neither in the front or the headspace?

It is kinda similar to a shell alter but like if A and B blend together then it will go by C but if B and F blend together it will go by M, like the name isn't always the same if the alters are not the same

[angelic-writer]

Whumpcember Day 22 - Seizures

"Ugh..."

Julia heard Adam utter an exasperated sigh coming from the front desk. He seemed to be annoyed by something. She approached him in case he needed a hand.

"You need help with something?"

Adam ran his hand through his hair. "Ugh... Yeah, I'm just... trying to figure out what to do for this stupid festival. Cesar is supposed to help me, but he's off doing god knows what."

"Oof. I know that feeling. Maybe I can help you out with that?"

"Yes, please! I would really appreciate that."

Julia went over to him and looked at the stack of papers. It appeared to be a map of the classroom.

"Okay, so I'm trying to figure out which event we should do for the festival. The problem is, we're a book club and people tend to view book clubs as boring and kinda pretentious. So we need something that draws them in. Something that'll convince them to join."

"Hmm... Do you think a poetry performance will do the trick? Some of the members reciting their own writing will probably draw them in. Maybe we should make some food as well..."

"Oh? What kind?"

"Well, I was thinking cupcakes or cookies. Maybe we could write each word on them. Give it some variety. Then, people can choose which word they like the most. And maybe we can put an inspirational quote on a banner too! Something about trying your best while writing."

Adam's eyes lit up. "Oh wow, you really know your stuff! I like that."

"Hehe, thanks. I uh, don't know if it's gonna work, though. I haven't really shared my baking with anyone before." She scratched the back of her head.

"Well, I'm sure your work will be fantastic." He chuckled. "Y'know, I kinda underestimated you for a second."

"Eh? What do you mean?"

"Well, I thought you joined because this club is full of cute boys."

"Please don't say it like that. I just want to help out my friend."

"Relax. I'm just teasing you. Honestly, you're even worse than Jonah sometimes. I'm impressed!"

"Ugh..." Julia buried her face in her hands.

"Right. The plans." Adam shuffled the papers in his hands. She looked at him as he worked. He looked like he was really into his craft. Despite him being vice president, he was acting more like the club president than anything. She had no idea where Cesar could be. He was probably just busy or something.

She let out a yawn. Man, when did I get so tired?

"Sleepy?"

She nodded. She rested her head on his shoulder as he continued to scan the map, muttering something under his breath. She felt her eyes begin to close and soon, she was fast asleep.

"Hello...?"

She opened her eyes. She expected to be in the club, but all she saw was darkness. Who spoke to her just now?

"Ces? Adam?" She called out.

"Julia..."

She blinked, trying to look for the voice yet again.

"Do you... remember me?"

That voice... She could've sworn she heard it somewhere, but her head was starting to hurt. It sounded so familiar, but she couldn't remember where she heard it from. It was like being in thick fog. A figure slowly approached her. It was wearing a grey hoodie and was wearing a cross necklace.

Cross... necklace...?

She looked at his face. It was completely blank and his neck... It had an ugly purple mark on it like he was...

He was...

She started to scream. The figure began to scream with her. He began to claw at his neck, blood covering his fingers. His eyes were more visible now. They were empty, glassy... dead.

Red, blue and green were all the colors she could see, blending together and morphing into something she could not describe.

The colors, they won't stop.

Bright, beautiful colors.

Flashing, expanding, piercing.

Red, Blue, Green

An endless

cacophony

of meaningless

noise

The noise, it won't stop

Violent, grating waveforms

Squeaking, screeching, piercing

Sine, consine, tangent

Like playing a chalkboard on a turntable

Like playing a vinyl on a pizza crust

An endless

life

of meaningless

R e m e m b e r m e.

"CESAR!! CESAR, GET THE FUCK OVER HERE!!"

She had fallen to the floor and was spasming, letting out an ear-piercing screech. Her limbs twitched violently, her head being thrown back in an awful manner. Adam just stared, not knowing what to do.

"Adam?! What's going- OH GOD, JULIA!!" Cesar dropped the papers that were in his arms and rushed over to her. "Get her on her side! And make sure no objects are in the way!" He turned to Jonah. "Jonah, you time the seizure!"

Jonah was stock still, but nodded. "O-Okay!"

Cesar and Adam turned her over, trying to ignore the look on her face. Her blue eyes were wide and terrified, still letting out a screech. Everyone just stared at the scene, horrified.

"Well, don't just stand there! Get the nurse!"

The triplets were frozen, although Julius had ran out of the club room, racing to the nurse's office. Cesar screwed his eyes shut.

I'm sorry, Julie... I'm so sorry...

[suuho]

whenever i listen to the live version of lotto i marvel at what a passionate and masterful vocalist jongdae is, and the sound of his voice. man. it’s like cracking a whip. it’s that piercing. it’s insane how much volume and precision he can put behind his high notes, while sacrificing neither pitch nor sound. his tone is so interesting, especially for a ballad singer, because it’s quite a high tenor with an edge. something you’d find more at home in rock songs, even, less so in exo’s custom r&b or pop. and yet, he thrives there. he makes every song that much richer and interesting because of the texture of his voice and the quality of his vocals. and this did not come naturally to him; he’s worked so hard to be as good as he is. that is decade-long dedication! because that is what good singers do, they never stop taking lessons, they never stop learning, they maintain their voice to their best abilities.

what is also interesting is that his voice is kind of the antithesis to kyungsoo’s vocal tone. on one hand we have kyungsoo’s rich and warm tenor that sits somewhat lower, firmly in his chest, and he’s got this insane tonality and musicality that makes him so adept at riffs and runs and harmonies. he’s always been the most musical out of the main vocalists, especially when they just had debuted. jongdae was pitchy back then and prone to over-singing (which he all corrected, obviously), but kyungsoo was very confident and aware of his vocal abilities. the thing in kpop though is that a voice like kyungsoo’s will never get the same, preferable treatment as high and lyrical tenors such as jongdae and baekhyun. but i am digressing. the point is, while kyungsoo’s voice has a velvety quality, jongdae’s is the opposite. it’s sharp. it’s loud as a foghorn and so high, piercing. and that makes every time they harmonize super exciting, and every exo song sound so rich and interesting. that is such an insanely smart choice, and this is why combining exo-m and exo-k was always the smart choice in the long run (not that they had any other choice but it worked to their advantage).

exo actually has a lot of very different vocals and it’s a real skill that they blend and mesh so well. you certainly have vocalists that work as bridges in the group, namely yixing, junmyeon and baekhyun. less so jongin and minseok, but they do as well. then you have chanyeol, who is probably the one member in the group with perfect pitch, i’d assume. he’s actually a pretty talented vocalist, he’s just a baritone and his main job is to be their main rapper, so we rarely get to hear him sing (which is a bummer. by the way, where is his solo actually?). and on that note, i think exo-sc should keep employing junmyeon as their go to guy to feature, because they all sound so good together. with his lyrical, bell-like tenor he adds the perfect amount of levity to sehun and chanyeol’s vocals. anyways. i don’t know where this is going. just some thoughts.

[hwaitham]

it seems anon is jus jealous dat your haithie wubs u so unconditionally . . . i dunno wat to say to dem but it rllie does a person no good to take their frustrations out on anothr person n’ i cn only hope dat they figure out how to work thru their emotions in a way dat is efficacious for dem + harmless to othrs . . .

in da meantime , yam visitin’ u at your flat ! surprise ! ! ! i come bearing gifts ( flwrs + tangerines + a bag of 大白兔奶糖 ‘ white rabbit candy ‘ + a cinnamon n’ bergamot scented candle , all nestled in a basket of ‘m lov + stars , decorated wif a pink satin bow ! ) n’ i wld like to try mi hand at makin’ a thai red curry ( i recently found out ‘s an anglicised form of da tamil கறி + i thimk dat’s neat ) for u ૮ ◜ᵕ◝ ྀིა perhaps u cld teach mi how u make your own blend of chai ? i must admit ‘ve never actually had masala chai ( i kno ‘ chai ‘ simply means tea so i assume english speakers refer to masala chai ﾉ da south asian style of spiced tea wen they say chai ? ) so i will b writin’ your recipe down in m notebook ! ! n den we can bundle up in blankies n quilts wif our mugs + pleasantly full bellies + sweets on hand and chat da hours away ! ! ! ૮ › 𖥦 ‹ ྀིა — 🌷

my darling rosebud — i hope u cn find it in u to forgive mi 4 responding to ur letter eight days aftr u've sent it >< i am so sorrie . . 🌧️ but i rllie do appreciate ur kind words n' u coming to visit me at my flat !♡ ooo i hab heard of white rabbit candy in a jackson wang interview many moons ago n alwys wntd to try it ! ! next time i go out for groceries in chinatown i will keep m eyes wide + peeled for a bag — so we cn enjoy it together ! 🍬⭐️

coco's chai recipe may be found below da ' read more ' . . it took some time for mi to put everything into words since i usually j make it according to m mood && dn't measure but i hope dis recipe suffices ^__^

dese are da ingredients i use for one serving —

ceylon black tea

whole spices ( 3 cloves , 3 cardamom , 2 cinnamon sticks , 2 star anise petals , a pinch of nutmeg ) — i like my chai rllie spice heavy but if u r a beginner then i would reduce dese numbers ♡

a thin slice of fresh ginger

1/2 cup water + 1/2 cup 2 % milk

i like to start by simmering a bit of water w da spice blend on low-med heat . i normally dn't drink my chai w sugar ( :O ? ! ) but if u wnt ur chai 2 b sweet then u cn add ur sugar here . . before adding da spices i like to crush them up w a mortar & pestle to better infuse da flavours in the water ,, u cn also break them wif da back of a knife or even ur teeth ! dis simmering step takes mi abt 10 minutes — in other wrds , keep simmering it until u like how it smells :3

after dat step , i add the remainder of my water n' let it boil for 5ish minutes . then i add in black tea ! ! i usually add a bit over one teaspoon since i like my chai Strong ᕙ(`▽´)ᕗ . aftr adding da tea i let it boil again for 3 more minutes .

then it is time 2 add da mwilkies ! ! let it come to a boil again for liiiike 5-7 minutes — i like to ladle da chai continuously during dis step so it gets darker in colour . t's a good bicep workout too ! finally u cn strain da chai n' enjoy it :D if u end up following coco's chai recipe then pls let her kno how u like it ! ! it currently has a 5-star rating frm her 2 bestest fwiends ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ i hope it stays dis way hehe !