#The expanding floors is cute...but not if your stage is already so small you can smell what someone ate for lunch across the stage

[splatoon-confession-box]

𝖨 𝗁𝖺𝗍𝖾 𝖬𝖺𝗁𝗂 𝖬𝖺𝗁𝗂 𝗋𝖾𝗌𝗈𝗋𝗍 𝗂𝗇 𝖲𝗉𝗅𝖺𝗍𝗈𝗈𝗇 3 𝗐𝗂𝗍𝗁 𝖺𝗅𝗅 𝗆𝗒 𝗌𝗈𝗎𝗅. 𝖨𝗍 𝗆𝖺𝗄𝖾𝗌 𝗌𝗈 𝖺𝗇𝗀𝗋𝗒 𝗍𝗁𝖺𝗍 𝖨 𝖺𝗏𝗈𝗂𝖽 𝗂𝗍 𝗅𝗂𝗄𝖾 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗉𝗅𝖺𝗀𝗎𝖾

[barnesbabee]

Man Spreading || K.H

Summary: Hongjoog’s pictures made you a little shifty, and maybe drooling over them when he was still in the building wasn’t the smartest move.

Pairing: Kim Hongjoong x Reader

Words: lots and lots but I promise they’re all good

Genre: Smut

⚠ cockwarming, hair pulling, spanking ⚠

A/N: I make my own gifs now that’s right. Also, I joined two requests bc they coincidentially fit really well. Enojy 💖

P.S: I’m so sorry if you’ve already read this, but Tumblr messed up the tags and I had to re-upload it, I hope you understand it!

ᴄʀ: ʙᴀʀɴᴇꜱʙᴀʙᴇᴇ

 “Hongjoong you’ll be the death of me…” You whispered to yourself as you scrolled through your phone.

  You couldn’t stop swiping left and right repeatedly between the photos on your screen. Hongjoong looked as beautiful as always in his newest Twitter update, but it certainly wasn’t his face that kept you glued to the images. Those legs, spread wide open as he sat in a high chair… The innocent pose left you hot and bothered for some reason. Maybe it was the way his thighs looked, maybe it was the way he exposed his crotch for everyone to see, or maybe it was the thought of you sitting on top of him as he spread himself like that for you.

  You pressed your thighs tighter together and trapped your lower lip between your teeth. In retrospect, perhaps zooming in and out of those pictures repeatedly, with a flushed face, while sitting on the lounge of the company you worked along with Hongjoong wasn’t the greatest idea…

   You felt someone place their chin on your shoulder and hum teasingly.

   “What are you doing Y/N?”

   You jumped in your seat and your phone fell on the floor, as your hands suddenly became too slippery to hold it. You didn’t want to turn your head and face Hongjoong, you were sure he had seen you eye-fucking his pictures and you were entirely too embarrassed about the situation.

   Hongjoong chuckled, and moved around the couch to pick up the phone that had fallen from your hands. He looked at the screen and hummed, pleased to know that the cause for your reddened cheeks had been his body.

   “Y/N, do I turn you on?” He asked.

   You didn’t reply, neither did you look at him. Your gaze remained focused on the floor, and suddenly the rug’s patterns became the most interesting in the world. Hongjoong was persistent, however, he enjoyed seeing the effect something small like his poses had on you. The male gripped your jaw and forced you to look at him. His eyes were hooded, and he hand a hint of excitement in them, as if toying with you amused him.

   You still didn’t reply, but when Hongjoong looked down and saw how tightly you pressed your thighs against each other, he smirked. His fingers grazed along the skin of your bare thighs, squeezing one of them slightly with a hiss.

    He then completely pulled away and extended his hand out for you to take.

   “Come on baby, let’s go someplace where you can sit on them instead of just staring.” Hongjoong told you, hinting at his thighs.

   You hesitantly took his hand, and he walked with you to his studio. You watched as he sat down on his chair, staring at you with a look that you had ever only seen when he was on stage.

   “Now baby,” He began, as he pulled you on top of him “I need to work. But what do you say about helping me out?”

   Hongjoong kissed the back of your neck and hummed against your neck.

  “What should I do?” You asked, fully knowing what he meant, yet you wanted to hear him say it.

   Hongjoong pushed you to sit on his knees, whilst he undid his pants and pulled them down just enough so he could pull out his cock.

   “I want you to sit on it, okay baby? Can you do that for me? Can you take my cock in you while I work?” He questioned, slowly stripping you from your shorts and panties.

  You nodded eagerly as you watched your lower pieces of clothing pool on the floor of his workplace. Hongjoong caressed your bare waist with his thumbs.

   “I wanna hear it, baby girl.” He whispered in your ear.

   “Yes, yes I can Hongjoong.”

  Your words came out almost as a moan.

   Upon receiving the green card, Hongjoong lifted you up, wrapping one arm around you, and with his free hand he placed his tip at your entrance. The male admired the sight for a second, before pushing you down on his cock.

  Hongjoong desperately wanted to throw his head back in pleasure, but he didn’t want to miss the way you sunk on his member, the way his shaft disappeaed inside of your quickly. He hummed and wiggled his hips, moving inside you slightly. You moaned at the contact and bit your lip. Hongjoong bit your neck as he ran his hand along the inside of your shirt, feeling your bare stomach. He pressed his hand on the lower part of your stomach and moaned as he felt the bump on it.

   Hongjoong took your hand in his and placed it on top of the curve on the bottom of your tummy, applying some pressure on it.

  “Can you feel it? Hm? Can you feel my cock in your tummy?” Hongjoong asked you teasingly, knowing fully well you could feel it.

   “Fuck…” You cursed under your breath “I-I can feel it.”

   “Hmm, now be a good girl and take me while I work, okay baby?” He questioned, as he moved a bang away from your face and kissed your cheek.

   You bit your lower lip and nodded as a response.

   Hongjoong let out a pleased hum, and you didn’t know if you’d last long. The man would often whisper in your ear sweet praises, telling you how good you felt, or how you were behaving well. He’d kiss your neck and move inside you from time to time, ripping a moan out of you whenever he did so, and you were so, so close to asking him to just fuck you.

  You were so focused on the way he filled you to the brim that you didn’t even notice when he closed his laptop in front of you. You only snapped out of your trance when Hongjoong tapped your waist harshly.

   “So cute, are you enjoying my cock?” He asked when he realized your state.

  You glanced over your shoulder to look at him. You nodded slightly and he chuckled as he brought his lips up to place a soft kiss on yours.

  You were a little disappointed when Hongjoong pulled out off of his cock, even going as far as letting out a displeased moan at the lack of warmth and contact.

  “I’ll take you home, okay baby?” He asked you with a wink.

  At first, you were displeased at the fact that he was letting you go, but his cheeky little wink told you that he had plans for you once you two reached your place. You smirked and returned the horny wink.

  You weakly and carefully pulled your shorts back on. You were still a little sensitive, and your legs were as wobbly as jelly, it felt like you could fall at any second.

  Hongjoong leaned against the wall and watched your pretty figure struggle to get dressed. The way you bent down to pick up your clothes from the floor, putting your ass and naked pussy in display for him almost made him force you against the wall and push his cock back inside you, but he told himself he could wait until you invited him inside your apartment.

  “Let’s go?” You asked sweetly after you were fully covered.

  Hongjoong nodded and opened the door of his studio, so you could exit first. As you passed by him, he slapped your ass, causing the unbelievable pool of cum between your legs to expand. Once you were out on their practice room, that had much better lighting than the small studio, Hongjoong could see the circular, dark stain between your legs, and all of the self-control he tried to build up evaporated into thin air.

   The male grabbed you by the hair and pushed you against the mirror of the currently empty practice room. Your cheek was pressed against the cold surface, as were your hands, and your eyes widened in shock at the sudden reaction. No one could’ve guessed this sweet, shy boy was capable of doing such things.

   “I can’t hold back anymore, I’ll fuck you against this mirror until everyone in the building knows how good I’m doing you.”

   Your eyes shut tightly as he whispered the sentence through gritted teeth.

   “Please… Please make me cum Hongjoong.”

   Your pained little beg made Hongjoong harshly tug down your shorts and panties just enough so your ass was showing, followed by his own pants and underwear.

   The man spread your legs wider for him and you perked up your ass. You hissed at the way he toyed with you, separating your folds and running the tip of his cock along them.

   “Fuck Hongjoong stop teasing!” You whisper-yelled at him, already getting desperate for him to enter you.

   He immediately gripped your waist and pushed inside of you.

  Even if the man tried, he couldn’t control himself, he wanted to hear the dirty sounds your bodies made as he slammed into you, and the way you’d moan his name when he finally filled you up with his cum.

  When Hongjoong bottomed inside of you, he waited for a second, taking in and loving the way you clenched around his hard member. He gripped your waist, so he’d have some stability as he rammed into you.

  He had no mercy for you, and the way he handled you, as if he owned you as if you were his toy for him to fuck into, sent shivers down your spine and an overwhelming wave of pleasure hit you every time he violently pushed into you.

  Your breath fogged the mirror, and you couldn’t keep yourself from moaning and begging Hongjoong to go faster, to which he obliged.

  His pace quickened and his fingertips dug deeper into your skin. You could feel his fingernails piercing your flesh slightly and you winced at the pleasurable pain.

  “You take me so, so well Y/N, you’re such a good girl.” Hongjoong told you, grabbing your ass as he whispered the sweet praises.

  Your eyes fluttered close.

  “Fuck you feel so good Hongjoong…” You whimpered.

  You desperately wanted to cling onto something, but you couldn’t, so you just balled up your wrists against the glass.

   Noticing this, Hongjoong grabbed both of your wrists and held them together, behind your back, restraining you from moving them.

   He removed his other hand from your waist, and you felt a stinging pain in your ass, then another, then another. Hongjoong couldn’t get enough of the way your ass jiggled every time he spanked you, or every time he pounded into you.

   “Fuck Y/N you look so f-fucking good taking my cock like this…”

   You felt the way his thrusts became sloppier and uneven, and you knew he was about to cum, but so were you.

   “C-cum in me Hongjoong.”

   His cock twitched at your filthy words, and they were like a command. After hearing you say that in a breathy, moany voice, he buried his cock deep in you and spurts of warm cum hit your walls, throwing you over the edge as well.

  It felt overwhelming, being filled up by his cum, and your orgasm hit you like a train. Your legs were shaky, and Hongjoong had to wrap an arm around your waist to prevent you from falling as you cried his name.

  He rested his forehead on your shoulder and pulled his softening dick out of you. The room was filled with heavy breaths and a small wince from when he pulled out of you.

  You could feel his cum start to drip from your aching hole, and when Hongjoong noticed it he immediately pulled up your clothes. He tapped your pussy from behind and kissed your shoulder.

   “You’ll have a lot to clean up when you get home.”

[nozomijoestar]

Starting another NozoEli series as a sequel to my old Kaleidoscopic collection that could use some expanding; I will never leave these two alone no matter how many years pass- here’s Eli fully coming to grips with being gay after her first time and me & @cavehagsanonymous would like to thank t.a.t.u. for Ya Soshla S Uma personally

Russian speakers feel free to correct me because I don’t know Russian beyond a surface skimming/ I also tried using phrases with the appropriate altering meanings 

TW: internalized homophobia

The room had gone quiet save for their breathing and passing cars below the open window. It was strange, this new silence, yet calming all the same. Eli had never been on a boat but had stood outside before storms. Really if she had to guess then they were the same thing, the same feeling, just at different points. They were the dotted lines printed on her Second Year homework; their paths yet to meet. She could understand that concept, that crossroad between logic and emotion telling anyone they should brace themselves or be swept along, or drenched. This time she had chosen to stand in the storm; now only this silence in its aftermath remained uncharted.

Honestly, where did she even begin? Should it be with their clothes scattered on the floor, the fact that she’d just returned from the longest pee of her life, or with how right their bodies fit under the duvet? Should it be with the way Nozomi’s breath tickled her hair, how their legs intertwined, or Eli’s impulse to rest against her chest? She had no damn idea.

All she relished in at that moment came with Nozomi stroking her forearm. A kiss was pressed against her head. Eli felt her breath hitch. An electric wave seemed to course through her in an instant. They could never pretend this hadn’t been real. No, it never should have been real in the first place. Then she let Nozomi kiss her nose, the curve above her lips, along her jaw.

Eli basked in it as her eyes fluttered closed. For a moment, she could get used to this part of worship. But a nausea speared her stomach the second Nozomi’s lips left in one lingering motion. In her fear she found Nozomi’s eyes. The certainty she read in them brought her shame.

How could this girl act as if they’d done the most natural thing between two girls? How could Eli hold such an ugly thought? She averted her gaze in silence. Her skin tingled and blushed not with the heat of earlier, but punishment for her cowardice.

“Elicchi yer not sayin’ nothin’ after all that hollering before; something botherin’ you?”

“…I didn’t holler. I…made noise.”

“Same difference ta’ me, I know wha’ I heard. Ain’t ever thought my name could get so high pitched before. ‘Ooooo No.zo. miiii.’, and the rest; it was real cute.”

“E-E-Enough! I don’t even know where you picked up half of those things you did. Wasn’t this your first time too?”

Eli’s face skipped every step of a creeping blush straight into rushing up the tips of her ears. That Kansai accent Nozomi turned on and off for her own amusement and dazzling anyone who listened ran wild when she had no one to impress. It made Eli’s insides go strange yet wonderful much like whatever else they did.

Nozomi made a sound Eli couldn’t definitively read as annoyance, worry, pride, or all three. If she had to bet then it was absolutely all three. You took that on once you knew Nozomi Tojo; no other person seemed like they’d been snatched from a combination of every reflection in funhouse mirrors. Fascinating…no other word fit her, and even that one felt limited. Thoughtful was…another good candidate.

“I tried those things because it’s my first time. It was our first time. Did I do something wrong?”

Ah, the accent had vanished. This was a serious Nozomi. If that’s how things were going then she wanted a serious Eli in response. Her body tensed. The way Nozomi looked at her so focused, so ready no matter what Eli might say; as if she held a grand answer impossible to know alone, the weight made her shiver.

“It wasn’t bad.” The words fell out before she might think.

“Then why’re you being so weird? Feels like I hurt you but I don’t know how.”

“We did it. That’s why.”

She rolled over showing her bare back as if to squash anything left unsaid. She needed to simmer, that’s what it was; let the euphoria from earlier flush out completely until her rationale returned. She needed to eat her heart or it might become something else. It might even be something she’d love- it dangled her over a cliff in the thrill freefalling brought, but also the knowledge it meant an end. If she wasn’t Eli Ayase, grounded, tepid, cautious, then who was she?

Would those pieces of her disappear?

There came a firm touch on her shoulder as if she were a cat held by the scruff.

“Elicchi…Eli, did we have sex just so you could make me happy?”

Her voice cracked and tapered off; Eli winced. Her chest tightened. By the time she remembered how to breathe her vision clouded. To turn around now was to face a wolf.

‘I’ve lost my mind already.’

She spoke, her voice heavier than it had any right to be. There wasn’t another way for it to be.

“I want you, every part of you, but it doesn’t matter. You got what you wanted. You’ll be on to the next girl before I can get dressed again. That’s what my family says about lesbians.”

Nozomi’s weight pressed against her; her arms wrapping them both in a hug that wouldn’t let Eli escape. She yelped in surprise. Their skin touching, their warmth bound together finally let her tears fall.

“Elicchi be quiet and listen. What do you hear right now?”

Eli shut her eyes.

“My heartbeat.”

“What’s pounding against it?”

“…Yours.” Her entire body went red.

“Listen to how they sound.”

“Ok.”

The room went still again, only now she didn’t pick up a single car or passerby or anything else. A thumping sensation raced against her, almost lost beneath her own. She swallowed hard.

“You’re nervous too.”

“So if you can tell, are you done acting stupid?”

“Wha- I’m not! I-I’m…”

She turned around chasing the pain in Nozomi’s voice, desperate to stop it. They came face to face after what had been too much time apart. Then Eli ached. In her sixteen years alive, she could count on her fingers those moments the world sank. Suddenly the room light shined too bright, the window curtains could have been those of the ballet stage. One blink and she wore the despair of a little girl crashing against failure. She was still so small.

The tears wouldn’t stop spilling down Nozomi’s cheeks; she didn’t bother wiping them when they dripped down her chest. When she saw her tremble Eli clung to her. She gripped her shoulders, could feel her knuckles turn white.

“Nozomi I-I’m sorry. I’m scared. You’re amazing and I’m scared of what it means.”

Nozomi’s touch stroking her hair was enough to make her pride break, for her heart to follow. By god she could melt, and they did against one another.

“I know. It’s ok to be scared. But don’t take it out on me Elicchi.”

Their heartbeats hammered in her ears, easing from a race into a lulling rhythm. She rested her head on the dip between Nozomi’s neck and shoulder. Her entire weight leaned against her as she slid her hands down her sides. Nozomi’s skin was so smooth, her voice so soft yet decisive, her breaths tickled Eli’s ear as she let her be. They stopped time like this; molded into the moment and the unspoken. The image of Nozomi’s tears returned. She set her thoughts aside and became free.

“Я хочу быть с тобой.”

“Huh?”

“I thought I could love you. Now I know I do.”

A tiny sound, something like vulnerability, made her shudder when Nozomi pulled back. She took in the resolve on that face always a step ahead, embracing fear yet grappling it. No one looked at her, saw her, in a way that made her quake. It was terrifying to find a wound filled you never knew you’d had. Worse still knowing you had bled from it.  

Then gently her face was held, and when their lips met she draped her arms around Nozomi’s neck.

“моя сладкая…”

She whispered it letting her eyes study Nozomi’s face; her round cheeks, handsome chin, the framing of her forehead under shiny bangs, all of it burned into her memory. They kissed again as she felt hands wander then rest at her waist. Her voice wavered into something that made her clench.

“Я люблю тебя.”

 With no resistance, she let Nozomi press her down; pulling her into the first kiss she’d given free of lingering shame. Looking up she saw nothing else but her, stared then into her eyes. Nozomi smiled. Eli smiled back as she cupped her lover’s cheek.

 “Я тебя люблю.”

 “I love you too.”

They kissed for a long time, and when Eli closed her eyes she saw the little girl she’d been, dancing and soaring on that stage. Warmth filled her.

[alonelytinywriter]

Forced

Anonymous ~ do you write smut? because if you write smut you should write another villain!au w/ All Might x fem oc where he breaks into her house and fucks her in every hole available and doesn’t let her cum the whole time and cums in her so much her tummy expands and he fucks her right into her womb and it’s just lots of noncon and him making her do whatever he wants her to do. please don’t use my user name I don’t know how to make it not show it. Thxs you!!!!!

*Flames red, fans self, and cracks knuckles* You got it baby, and no problem, name removed! I hope you like it Darling. It’s my first real attempt at writing smut and hopefully it’s what you had in mind. You’re, uh, you are age appropriate for such requests, correct? *Harshly raises eyebrow in judgement* Also, I’m pretty sure that there’s an option around your username that asks if you want to be anonymous? I could be wrong? *Edit - So, it turns out that I didn’t have the Asks set up properly and you couldn’t ask anonymously, and I am so sorry!* 

Warnings: Mature 18+. Smut. Non-con. Shameless, indulgent, request inspired, filth. Real rapey folks. Anal play. Nipple play. Throat fuck. Vaginal Sex. Orgasm control/denial. Daddy kink (implications). Super unrealistic descriptions of how everything works out with the size difference. (Please never look at John. K. Peta in Google. Just. Just don’t.) A mess of curse words. Lots of cum/cum inflation. Cervix penetration. Kidnapping. Graphic descriptions of everything mentioned. It’s fuckin’ filthy y’all. Ye have been warned.

 Yandere! Villain! All Might / Original Female Character

Playlist - The HU (Mongolia) Radio ~ Pandora

Name: Kauri Zenigata ~ Birthday: July 7th ~ Age: 24 ~ Hair Color: Blonde ~ Eye Color: Blue ~ Gender: Female ~ Height: 5′1′’ ~ Quirk: Usagi ~ Occupation: Pole Dancer

Appearance: Kauri is a short girl of a relatively slender build compared to the other girls who work at the gentleman’s club, who has notably large rabbit-like feet as well as two large white ears on her head. Her appearance is rather rabbit-like in general: she has a very fluffy tail at the base of her spine, the tips of her fingers have soft pink pads rather than fingerprints, her eyes are large and coltish; she also demonstrates some rabbit-like mannerisms, like hopping instead of running in life or death situations and thumping her feet against the floor to alert others in her area to danger. Her hair is light blonde, and is very long, although the curls cause it to fall no further than her waist. ~ Most, if not all of Kauri’s clothes outside work come from the thrift markets around town, and she’s managed to collect a rather large closet filled with Mori Kai fashion - loosely fighting layers of garments such as floaty dresses and cardigans. Her clothes all come from natural fabrics and tend to be  hand-made or vintage accessories with nature themes.

Quirk: Usagi (Rabbit) ~ Kauri’s Quirk gives her both physical attributes and abilities of a rabbit. This gives her heightened leg strength, allowing her to jump and kick with extreme force. She also has excellent hearing thanks to her rabbit-like ears, and possess animal instincts that alert her to nearby danger.

Power - 4/5 ~ Speed - 5/6 (S) ~ Technique - 2/5 ~ Intelligence - 3/5 ~ Cooperativeness - 5/5

~ Forced ~

~ Kauri Zenigata arrives home after working an exhausting night and barely manages to wipe away the heavy stage makeup from her face and change from the barely there underwear she wears for her work into a pair of plain black panties and a tank-top of the same color. The moment her head hits the pillows her body melts into the mattress and everything goes dark behind her eyelids. She doesn’t feel like she’s been asleep long at all when she feels a heavy weight holding her down and she wakes up to find a looming shadow above her, a single hand pressed into her wrists while a second stroked and touched her body. He’s already talking when she wakes and when she listens to the words her blood runs cold.

 ~ “ -little angel. So perfect. Such a dirty little slut. You like it, huh? Dressing like a slut and dancing in front of all those men? You’ve been asking for someone to fuck you for a long time. Gonna wreak that pretty little pussy of yours, baby girl.” Even if his voice hadn’t been instantly recognizable the piercing blue eyes cutting through the darkness certainly were, and Kauri’s situation came to her in a rush.

 ~ She was no longer wearing the clothes she had fallen asleep in, she realized, and there was something hard and stiff rubbing against her stomach; after a fleeting moment of confusion, Kauri realized that it was his dick rubbing against her pussy while the tip leaked pre-slick above her navel. Long and thick and so hard she could feel every vein as they passed over her freshly waxed slit, his shaft was nearly as large as her forearm. “No! No, no, no -” Kauri begins to scream, and she suddenly regrets living in such a remote part of town. It had seemed so nice, not having any neighbors for three blocks in any direction, but now, with Japan’s Number One Villain forcing her back into the mattress, pressing his obvious erection against her, it suddenly seemed as if she might as well be on Jupiter. “No!”

 ~ The laugh that leaves All Smite is booming. “Come now, darling. You work at a gentleman’s night club. You can’t tell me that you haven’t expected this - haven’t expected what would happen to you if anyone ever thought to follow you home.” All Smite begins to laugh again when Kauri starts to cry, huge tears pooling against her lashes before falling into her pale hair. Words of denial and refusal continued to fall from her lips, but they were incoherent between the hiccuping sobs that escaped with every breath, her body nearly vibrating as All Smite leaned forward so that his teeth could scrap across the sensitive skin on her neck and chest.

 ~ Kauri’s voice rose to a wailing cry when he pulled her to the edge of the bed and bent her at the waist so that her hips were pulled up into the air. His mouth latched onto the smooth lips of her pussy and sucked - hard. His teeth followed after and Kauri’s voice continued to rise and fall as All Smite abused the soft slit before him. Drawing back, All Smite felt the girls legs shaking where they rested against his shoulders, her back pressed against his chest, and he smiled wolfishly. With one hand, he held her in the air by a single ankle, and with the other he spread her swollen, bruised, beautiful pussy lips wide, her slit bare before him; a second later his lips and teeth latch onto her clit, making Kauri’s legs to go stiff and her entire being to go hot - hot - her hips began to thrust against his tongue, a wave a pleasure rising up in a white hot pulsating tide that was seconds away from washing over her -

 ~ And then All Smite removed his mouth, stopping all stimulation and the moan of frustration that leaves Kauri’s mouth is absolutely filthy as her pussy clenches around nothing in a dry imitation of an orgasm. “Oh, no, baby. Good girls don’t cum without their Daddy’s permission. You’re so small, you know. Like fucking with a little girl.” All Smite let Kauri fall limply onto the bed, her head hanging from the edge. His fingers slipped into her mouth and he forced them in and out after commanding her to suck. Kauri, who very much so wished she was brave enough to bite the villains fingers as a way to show him that he didn’t own her, began to openly weep as All Smite continued to speak. “Oh baby girl, so fucking small. Like a little doll. Gonna fuck you up and take you home so I can do it all over again. Gonna ruin that pretty little pussy of yours, and fuck this cute little mouth-pussy until your lips are swollen and you can’t breath without my dick in your throat.”

 ~ All Smite removed his fingers from her mouth, wet and glistening with her saliva, and found her nipples, pinching hard enough that Kauri’s mouth opened into an immediate yelp of pain. The sound was cut short, however, when All Smite pressed his hips forward, burying the head of his dick into her mouth. “If you bite me, I’ll break your neck, little girl.” And Kauri believed him. It didn’t matter how fast she knew she could be - how strong - All Smite could break her in a second if he wanted. But he hadn’t. Not yet, at the very least if you didn’t count the bruises Kauri could feel forming on her wrists and neck.

~ “Mmmphh!!” Kauri’s hands flew to All Smite’s thighs, pushing away, trying desperately to breath past All Smite’s length when it hit the back of her throat and then continued. Thrashing, Kauri’s hips rolled across the bed despite All Smite’s hands on her lower back, and he groaned, “Ahhh, c’mon, don’t struggle. That’s it. Swallow baby.” All Smite pulled back when only half his dick was buried in her throat, his glacier blue eyes flashing for a moment before he smiled, teeth wicked sharp in the darkness of the room, and then he thrust forward, encasing the length of his dick to the base. With Kauri’s nose buried against the fine golden hair just above the base of his cock, he began to snap his hips forward, while one hand slid to focus on her abused slit while the other pinched and pulled her puffy nipples. His words began to assault her ears as he continued to fuck her throat, muttering vile, degrading things when her pussy began to produce slick. He gathered the wetness and began to pool it upward, rubbing against the small star bud so close to the entrance of her pussy. For a moment - only a moment - All Smite pulled back, his dick resting along the side of her face, and she wondered why until All Smite slipped two thick fingers into her ass, slamming them to the last knuckle with no warming before scissoring them inside her, stretching her open. “Didn’t want you to bite my dick off when I did that.” All Smite muttered against her back as she shrieked, before nipping at her bottom with his teeth, causing her to convulse.

 ~ All Smite began to against her wet heat once again, even as he thrust his fingers into her again and again, ignoring her pleas to stop. The pleasure was back, spreading through her pussy and making her clit feel as if it were on fire, the throbbing unbearable as she felt the pleasure spike as All Smite rubbed at the swollen button of flesh. The fingers in her ass were pumping into her vigorously, making her backside burn like ice as the pain mixed with the pleasure from her clit. The mixture was overwhelming and she began to whine low in her throat. She was close - so close - almost - All Smites fingers found her clit again, pinching this time, causing Kauri’s faint moans to change to a hoarse scream as the pleasure turned to pain and the orgasm was forced away once again. All Smite wasted no time in pressing his dick back into her mouth, thrusting forward hard and fast all at once, the whole length of him in her throat before she can take a breath.

 ~ I . . . c - can’t . . . breathe . . . Kauri’s eyes rolled upwards, vision blurring into a wall of golden light. The throbbing in her clit was beginning to rise once again as All Smite rolled the bud between his fingertips. “Oh, fuck, I’m cumming, baby girl. That’s it!” All Smite’s roar drowned out the sound of Kauri’s feeble cry around his cock when he abandoned her clit just as she retched the edge of yet another ruined orgasm and instead threaded his fingers through her hair, forcing the whole of his penis into her mouth and throat as thick ropes of cum erupted into her esophagus. His fingers massaged her scalp and ears as his hips continued to give sudden, jerky thrusts, holding her down with his length still buried in her throat. Kauri could see black spots beginning to dance before her eyes, could feel of him pulsing inside her neck, blocking her airway. Her head began to spin and her hands, which had been pressing against the villain’s hips, fell to the bed, fingers dangling limply towards the floor. “That’s a good girl. But what’s wrong, your heartbeat feels faint. Doesn’t it feel good baby girl?”

 ~ Kauri couldn’t be sure, but she thinks that she passed out with his shaft still forcing her throat to stretch, because the next thing she knows, she’s laying with her back against the bed instead of her stomach and All Smite is smiling down at her in a way that makes her stomach curdle. His fingers pinch and pull her nipples, massaging her generous breasts as he spoke softly to her, his voice nearly inaudible as he seems to speak with himself over her small body. His fingers soon moved from gently tugging and pulling at her rosy nipples to twisting them and pulling against them so the weight of her breast hug from their tips making Kauri cry out.

 ~ Something jingles loudly in All Smite’s hands, but before Kauri can give the sound a second thought something cold and heavy and tight wrapped around the base of each nipple and the pain that seemed to engulf her breasts made her scream high and loud, her voice breaking at the end as she scrambles to move away, to protect herself from more pain. Her leg jerks from his grasp and a moment later her foot - large, furry, and strong - hits his chest with enough force to make All Smite’s breath rush from his lungs. Glaring, All Smite easily slips a hand around a singe hips the moment she manages to move to her hands and knees, the weighted clamps attached to her nipples pulling against the sensitive flesh painfully, and he yanks her back in one fluid motion. Kauri screams again when her weight is forced onto her chest, rubbing and pressing against her nipples so that her screams continue as he easily forces her over his lap.

 ~ “Where do you think you’re going, baby girl?” All Smite’s voice cracks as he begins to fondle her ass, spanking her ever time she seems to become too comfortable with his touches. It was after his hands fell upon her ass in a quick succession of blows that Kauri lost count of when he slipped his fingers between the folds of her pussy to find it absolutely soaking wet. “Holy fuck, are you - are you liking this?” All Smite asks, mocking her with the tone of his voice and the fingers that skimmed the surface of her swollen clit, making her entire body tremble. The immediate, feeble ‘no’ that leaves Kauri’s mouth causes All Smite to smile, his hands already pulling her up so that she was sitting across his lap, the head of his dick resting against the bottom of her sternum while her hips strained to spread far enough to allow his thighs between her own.

 ~ When All Smite moves to position Kauri over the head of his shaft by lifting her as if she weighs no more than a kitten, the swollen tip leaking pre-slick across her already soaked entrance, her voice raises in level once more. Her voice raw and rasping, Kauri begin to struggle against him once more, shaking her head. “It won’t fit - too big - you can’t - no.” She knew that her words were disjointed, that they didn’t make sense, but as she felt the large head of All Smite’s shaft begin to force its way into her body, Kauri swore she could feel her pelvic bones creaking. It hurt, hurt, hurt, and All Smite wasn’t stopping, not when her nails scrapped across the skin of his chest and forearms, not when her back arched in an attempt to throw herself from his hold, not when she screamed so loudly her voice broke and suddenly became nothing more than a rasping squeak. He had only managed to force the head of his dick inside her entrance and already it felt as if he were splitting her in two. Her neck felt weak and Kauri couldn’t seem to hold her head up as All Smite rolled his hits into hers, chuckling when she stiffened and whimpered, eyelashes fluttering against her cheeks. 

 ~ “Still awake down there, baby girl?” All Smite chuckled, pulling back so that  the swell of the  tip of his shaft rested against her folds. Her hands were slack against his chest and it seemed as if her eyes might be rolled into the back of her head. “Hey, c’mon now, you’ll want to wake up for this next part. It should be . . . Plus Ultra.” All Smite laughed, the old saying from his high school days rolling from his tongue easily as his hands gripped her hips tightly then, giving her no room to move as he pressed his hips forward - and then he surged upward and Kauri wailed as his length sunk into her heat. 

~ “You’re breaking me! I”m breaking - you’re going to break me - I can’t!” All Smite laughed and told her what nonsense that was - “After all a woman’s pussy’s meant to have a baby and as flattering as that is, my dicks no where near the size of a baby.” - and then he was moving, the length of his dick showing through the bulge in her stomach each time he thrust. Kauri continued to wail, unable to help the sounds escaping her mouth as All Smite bounced her on his lap. With her back pressed against his chest it was easy to reach the swollen bud between her legs and he rubbed it aggressively as he began to bounce her, and her nails dug almost painfully into his wrist as her walls began to flutter around his shaft. He waited until the fluttering stuttered and her breath caught before he pulled his fingers away. The orgasm was further halted by his other hand pulling one of the clamps on her nipples sharply and suddenly so that it pulled from her skin with a loud snap. “I told you, only good girl get to cum and you’ve not proven that you’re a good girl yet, have you?”

 ~ She lost the second clamp when All Smite denied her yet again and her thoughts were beginning to go fuzzy around the edges. She didn’t scream when the nipple clamp was painfully pulled from her body, but she did begin to sob when All Smite pulled his dick from her pussy with an audible pop and a rush of fluid down her thighs. Her pussy clenched painfully at nothing and All Smite turned her so that he could watch as she trembled in his arms. “Fuck baby girl, gonna cum soon and fill that pretty pussy of yours with my cum.” 

 ~ Pulling her up he dropped her down again with no warning, and he groaned as he felt her battered cervix give beneath the pressure and the last few inches of his shaft slipped inside as he moved impossible deeper into her slit. “Wha - !? Uahhhh! No! Nooo!” Kauri wailed. All Smite’s hands wrapped around her waist and he smiled. “Do you feel that baby? Feel your womb getting pushed up? Your so stuffed with my cock that I can feel your ovaries.” Kauri’s face flushed violently and she shook her head when All Smite’s fingers danced across the skin of her belly. “No! Stop it! Don’t - you can’t do this! You can’t! You can’t!” All Smite laughed through each word by pulling back till only the tip of his shaft lay inside her before pushing forward with as much force as he possible could. His fingers found her clit again and he rubbed with a single minded intent and for a moment, a fleeting moment, Kauri thought he might finally allow her to tip over the edge but then he leaned down close to her ear, “Fuck, baby girl. Fuck, I’m . . . I’m gonna cum! I’m - I’m cumming!”, and he pulled his finger away and left her teetering at the edge once more, her voice a breathless whine as her body shook on his dick.

 ~ Kauri could feel the rush of liquid as it filled her, but she couldn’t bring herself to care as All Smite continued to swipe his fingertips against the swollen bud that was throbbing painfully between her legs. She was cramping, the pressure from the villain’s cum trapped within her pussy causing the swelling of her stomach to grow. The shape of All Smite’s dick became less pronounced and then disappeared all together while he continued to pump into her slit, each thrust filling her with more and more of his essence.  “Such a good girl.” All Smite crooned into her ear, his hand rubbing across her belly, which was swollen to the point she seemed nearly four months pregnant. “Such a good girl. If you keep being good I just might let you cum when we get home. I can’t wait to fuck you again. Such a good girl.”

[poison--ivory]

Get back Up Chapter 4

The bits of his nightmare are still fresh in his thoughts and lingered on his mind. The black holes of what should be eyes strangled him without him even touching his body.

His mind started playing false scenarios of this nightmarish creature in different scenarios. He imagined going to sleep and being startled awake. Coming to the realization of not being able to move, paralyzed from head to toe. Trying to thrash himself around to get his body to react to any of his muscle spasms. The suspicion of an unknown entity within his room made him feel uneasy and if he could just flinch awake and scope the area out the feeling would simmer down and slowly go away.

His first mistake in this scenario was to blink. That's all it took was a quick closing of the eyes and a single second for that suspicion to grow into terror. A misty shadow from the corner of his eye darted across the room and disappeared into the darkness. Having anything in your room while you slept would cause anyone to feel restless. Next he closed his eyes again and the shadow rushed right beside his bedside. He made out features on its face and body, nonetheless the eyes and the mouth threw him off. Its mouth was too far stretched out causing skin to peel and the teeth didn’t make this any better. Sharp enough to cut wood without breaking or even cracking. But, it’s eyes are what tie it together. Beady, cloudy, white eyes peered through black sludged sockets. His mouth slowly shifts with each calm breath and the insufferable, rotten smell of his heated breath blowing down at his face. The stench of bad meat filled his airways and the contact of the creature's saliva slid down his forehead and slowly made contact with his ear. He knows it's just a dream, but it feels too real to be anything near it.Then soon after he’d arched his back up to and the creature seemed to be gone. Thereafter he had the troubles of trying to fall back asleep again. But, the feeling of someone still in the room with him staring daggers into the back of his head caused him to flip over to gaze at the wall. The little kid in him would come out at that point and would try to justify to itself that curling up underneath the thick, warm blankets would keep him safe.

This scenario was the most unsettling when he thinks about it. The others are subpar at best when compared.

Anthony couldn’t speak, it was like his mouth, his tongue to be more specific swelled in his throat and was expanding with each second passing. He took huge gulps of air in to make sure his esophagus was working. That hellish nightmare still had him drench in cold sweat, harsh chills rolled up and down his spine and he couldn’t fight that image from his night terror out of his thoughts. He can still feel the searing hot flesh of the beast’s gaping jaw swallowing half his body before snapping down on his waistline. He still hears the breaking of his spinal cord and the gushing noise of fresh blood hitting the cramp space walls and the warm feeling of liquid escaping his nostrils and mouth, overflowing and consuming his airway passages. He’d be lying right now if he didn’t feel a little bit of pain in his chest. The painkillers worked miracles on his body. But, they didn’t stop the constant panging of discomfort still in his chest cavity.

He officially loathes whatever creature (Y/n) married. Anthony really doesn’t want to admit to it, but this peculiar man petrified him. He could already feel the bile rising and burning his windpipe. The acidic fluid rose up and out of instinct he swallowed, his old man always hated it when he couldn’t make it to the toilet on time. That and it’s pretty disgusting cleaning up partially digested food out between the fibers of a carpet. The only thing that would come up at this point would probably be the tea he drank earlier.

The only thing stopping him from spilling his stomach acid on the tile floor was the fact (Y/n)’s children were staring at him, they had just shoveled food down their gullets and he didn’t want to start a puke fest. Even though it would be hilariously gross to freak out little kids. He still wanted to hang onto the last strain of dignity he had left and little kids came up with the worst nicknames that could shrivel his ego down into size.

“Are you. . . okay, Tony?” Her mellow aura consumed his disquiet appearance. She lightly held his hand and guided him over to the table situating him in her seat, taking her half finished plate with her as well. “Are you hungry, because we still have some eggs and bacon left. I can make you a small plate, if you want?” She was already reaching for a clean plate before he could even form a complete sentence. He ignored the stare of the beast’s harsh gaze.

While (Y/n) focused on piling his dish and the man sitting across from him stared him down. Anthony glanced over at the children. The two older kids sitting diagonal from him looked very similar and were talking in a language he really couldn’t describe. They both had pretty long hair and shockingly similar side profiles, eye shape and lip shape. The girl and boy took more after their mother in both features and energy.

The other kid was amazingly small to the other two. The tiny child peered up at him through bang covered eyes like he felt him staring at him. Now that he's thinking about it he recognized this kid as the child from the couch earlier. He was much smaller on closer inspection. He has a decent size beauty mark on the left side of his face underneath his chestnut brown eye. His hair style is nearly the same as his fathers, although he found it cute on this kid from the latter. This kid seemed to be very docile, hugging a small pastel green pillow, snuggling it up against his face and chest. On closer inspection of the petite child he noticed the really far away blank look in the boy’s eyes. Kind of like a dead goldfish.

His thoughts were interrupted by a high pitched voice.

“You're very weird looking, ya know.” The older boy spoke up a smirk pulling on the corners of his mouth.

If he could slap a kid and get away with it he would do that in this moment.

“That’s what Sage told me earlier when we snuck in to see you, he also said your legs look like chopsticks.” He shoved his face deeper in the soft material, still gazing directly at him. He hasn’t blinked yet the small bright red veins proved that.

“Well, I’ll have you know that many people find me attractive.” The two young boys raised inquisitive eyebrows at the older man then laughed. “What the hell are you two short stacks laughing at?”

“Your dialect it’s very funny.” The girl chimed in, gazing up from her pile of eggs she’s been picking at since he sat down. “You usually hear your type of voice on cartoon shows.”

“Excuse me for having such a great voice.”

“Yeah, a great voice to keel over to.” The older boy laughed harder. “Ya sound like a cartoon mob boss.”

“Mmh, really funny sounding.” The girl chimed in.

At this point he just really wanted to eat whatever (Y/n)’s puts in front of him and just go back to sleep, again. Her children were a prick on his dick and the total opposite of what he expected would come from between her legs. Well, they do have half of the demons genes in them and would explain why the youngest seems so weird and the other two to be. . . themselves.

(Y/n) strided back over her hips swayed from side to side and she sat a hot plate of eggs and sausage down next to him. She smiled at him before returning back to the sink, not before getting a harsh slap on the ass from the bastard, clashing dishes filled the kitchen’s already noisy room.

Anthony could feel the saliva build up in his mouth as he took in the savory smell of seasoned meat and eggs meeting his nostrils. He must have looked like a slob heaping large amounts of egg into his gaping jaw. It’s been awhile since he’s had a nice meal, he’s usually used to small snacks and the strict health regimen that Val put him on. Even when eating with Cherri it was usually something unhealthy or a quick to go item before he performed on stage.

He was so enamored with the food he didn’t even see the man sitting at the other side of the table rise until he heard giggling. He looked up for a split second before hurriedly turning his head back to the plate. Anthony really didn’t want to see two people kiss especially when he’s eating. Like those high school couples who makeout in the doorway of a classroom, well at least it’s in their home and not causing a problem. But, right now he didn’t want to up chuck what he just ate.

“See you after work my dear,” Another smooch could be heard then he sauntered over to the three kids. Lightly pecking his daughters cheek before ruffling his two sons heads. “Be good for your mom and be nice to our guest while he’s here. We don’t want anything unseemingly happening while he’s in our caring hands.”

They probably didn’t hear it or just ignored the way he phrased the word, but Anthony sure did. Like he planned to do other things to him while he stayed here. Before he could fully make eye contact with the beast itself the man already was walking out into the corridor leading to the front door.

A minute later he could hear the jingling of keys scraping against glass and a door opening and slamming shut. Silence took over the room and he noticed that the two older kids finally stopped laughing. Their breathing slowed down for a bit before they continued their onslaught of giggling.

The dead eyed child was staring at him again. It annoyed him more than it scared him. The young boy blinked a few times before he shoved his small face into his pillow not bringing his head back up.

Anthony mustered up a small chuckled and returned to his plate eating every last piece. He was sensible enough to actually walk his plate over to the sink that would be a lot more helpful, but he’s mostly doing it to squeeze more info from (Y/n).

How the hell did someone like her end up in a relationship with that monster. She has to know some weird secrets about this guy. Or at least tell him how she got stuck in this marriage.

Anthony set his plate off to the side of her, she smiled at him nodding her head before placing the next dish in the drying rack. “So. . . your face is telling me that your brain has a lot of questions for me.” A smirk graced her features, he hated that she could read him like a book. Her wet hands dried themselves on her sweatpants, “Can you guys go play upstairs, while mommy talks with Mr. Anthony.” The two older kids left without question like this were trained into their brains. But, the youngest seems to sit firmly in his chair not even budging an inch or showing any choice of leaving. His intense gaze focused in on (Y/n), she heaved a big sigh picking the small child up and sat down with him. The pillow was quickly forgotten by the small boy as he wrapped his thin arms around his mother.His short legs hung lifelessly on both sides while his arms latched on for dear life around her neck and shoulders. “I hope you don’t mind the extra passenger. We also have to make this quick. I have to edit some papers of mine before the due date.” She managed a meek smile.

“No, I don’t mind.” Anthony glanced back at the small child and the deadlock grip he had on her. “He’s a real mama’s boy, huh.” He smirked.

“He doesn’t like being left alone.” She pushed the boy up further to situate him in a better position, a loud roar of thunder broke the short silence. Making the small boy gasp in shock and burying his face deeper into her neck. “So, you have some questions you want me to answer, right?”

“Yeah, how the hell did you end up with him!” He exclaimed.

“Didn’t I already tell you this earlier or are the meds warping your brain.”

“No,I remember but, I want the full story this time. From beginning to end with no holes.”

(Y/n) paused, her facial expression going dead for a moment before coming back to life and she smiled sweetly at him.

“I’ll tell you the whole story, Toni. But, it’s pretty long and kind of weird now that I think about it.” The kid in her lap settled down on her lap nicely like a small cat or a non hyper dog. “So, buckle in because I’m going to tell you quite a story.”

Anthony situated his back further in the wooden chair, his gaze solely focused on her and only her. Strong yet such kind eyes stared back at him and he could see why someone would fall for her. A forced swallow of air down his windpipe left a weird aftertaste in his mouth.

Releasing a big sigh he nodded over at her to continue, “I’m ready.”

The little boy turned his head around address his presence,"Just tell the story, mama."

"I'm going to give me a minute I'm trying to think of good starting mark." Her eyes lit up with her smile as she stared me down. "Well if I had to start the story off at. I guess I have to start it at a small cafe over a order of venison."

[doing-all-write]

act two, scene two

Pairing: College!Joe Mazzello x Fem!Reader

Summary: Joe is in your Acting 101 class and you’re never quite sure if your flirty relationship is just pretend or the real thing. Then, you’re given the scene you’ll have to present during your final...

Word Count: 4K

Warnings: SMUT (don’t interact if you’re under 18 please!), swearing, drinking and me fantasizing about how adorable and dorky college!Joe would be. 

A/N: Between working from home and social distancing myself, your girl has SO MUCH free time so GET READY FOR LOTS OF WRITING!!! I hope everyone is doing okay during these Weird Fucking Times but here’s some soft and smutty Joe to get you through! 

Thanks to @fairestkillerqueenofall​, @mrhoemazzello​, and @diasimar​ for the inspiration and for being the best dang #LizardLadies around 💖

💖💖As always likes, comments and reblogs are always appreciated 💖💖

“Room 102...room 102...room 102...there you are.” Realizing she’d been mumbling to herself underneath her breath, her (Y/E/C) eyes flitted over the hall, making sure no one had heard her talking to herself. 

Heaving a sigh, she gave a little shimmy, shaking off the nervous energy that was buzzing under her skin like bees and opened the door to the classroom. 

Well, not a real classroom. It was a blackbox. When she had chosen her major for college, she couldn’t completely get rid of the dream where she majored in theatre and got to spend her life doing something that she loved. So, when her counselor had asked her, she’d given a double major. Something “practical” and theatre. She knew if she didn’t have that creative outlet, her world would become drab and gray. 

Walking into the room, the sounds of murmured conversations flooded her eardrums, the old wood floors sending shock waves up her calves with every “clunk” of her heeled boots. She knew the next few moments would be crucial. 

Choosing a seat. 

She knew that wherever she sat today would be her seat for the rest of the semester. With the pivotal task hanging over her, she scanned the bodies that were already crammed into seats. The first row was filled with girls with bouncy curls, long legs, cute sundresses, all of them loudly clamoring to get information from the girl in the middle holding court with her story of how she had met the cast of Mean Girls by the stage door over the summer. 

In the last row were a few kids dressed all in black, heads down, beanies firmly planted as they scribbled into moleskine notebooks. 

In the middle, random pockets of students, mostly keeping to themselves, one or two had struck up conversations asking the basic questions, “What’s your major” “What did you do over the summer” “How embarrassing do you think this class will be” etc. 

Her eyes lit upon a boy sitting toward the end of a row in the middle of the desks.  All she could make out was his ginger hair as he rooted around in his backpack. It was sticking up in several directions, like he constantly ran his fingers through it. She couldn’t help thinking she’d like to run her fingers through it one day. Taking a deep breath, she decided the middle, end of the row was the best spot for her. Hitching her backpack higher on her shoulder, she started climbing the stairs, keeping an eye on him as he was now elbow deep in his backpack, muttering to himself. 

Sliding into the seat one down from him, she swung her hair over her shoulder, aiming a small smile at him as he paused in his actions to stare at her with wide eyes. Feeling suddenly self-conscious, she ducked her head to pull out her own notebook, letting her hair fall in front of her face to hide the blush climbing from her neck up into her cheeks. 

Stupid. Joe scolded himself as he shook himself from his dazed state. Why he didn’t just smile back at her was beyond him. He chalked it up to being stunned by her beauty and being slightly confused why someone so beautiful was paying any attention to him. 

That, and he was pretty hungover. 

“Dammit,” he muttered to himself as he realized that he must have forgotten a pencil, the most basic school instrument, in his haste to get out the door and make it to class on time. 

“Do you, um, do you need to borrow a pencil?” His eyes darted up to meet her (Y/E/C) ones and let a smile grow over his face (finally, she thought) as he nodded. Smiling back, she quickly darted a hand into her backpack only to pull out a pencil pouch covered in cacti. He felt his smile grow bigger at how cute it was. 

“Here you go.” She handed him a mechanical pencil and he accepted it with a thanks, “I’ll give it back at the end of class, promise.” 

She waved him off, “No, no. Don’t worry about it, I accidentally bought a pack of 500 pencils so you’re doing me a favor by taking one off my hands.” 

Joe cocked his head, “How do you end up with 500 pencils?” She opened her mouth but before she could defend herself, the door swung open and a woman draped in what looked like the whole curtain section of a home goods store came striding into the room, clapping her hands to get everyone’s attention. 

“Thespians! Thespians! Thespians! Listen up! Your start to a long and lucrative career in the arts begins...immediately.” She proclaimed as she swanned onto the stage in front of them, hands waving, the many rings she wore reflecting the stage lights all over the room, creating a make-shift disco ball. 

“Either she has a lisp and called us all lesbians or I signed up for the wrong class.” Joe whispered as he leaned over to her. Her mouth quirked up in a smirk as she finished dating the page she was writing on in her notebook. Joe glanced down to see she had written the date and the name of the class in pink pen and felt a surge of adoration at her adorable actions. 

As class continued, (Y/N) thanked her lucky stars at her chosen seat. This boy next to her was cute and funny, which was a lethal combination for her, but part of her was worried that she may have something on her face, considering the way he had just stared at her with no reaction for a long time when she initially sat next to him. 

For the rest of class, they kept stealing glances at each other, eyes sometimes meeting, smiles exchanged when it happened, as Professor Lily waxed poetic on the arts and why theatre is the best thing one can do to “expand the mind, the body and most importantly, the heart.” 

She had let her mind wander to what it would be like to run her fingers through her seat mate's hair but was snapped back to the present when Lily started talking about their final. 

“Now. For the final, I will be assigning you and a partner a scene to perform for us at the end of the semester. This will be completely random but I’d like to get it done now so you and your scene partner can start thinking about it and preparing. Acting is all about the nuance, the tiny details you can make a whole meal out of.” She fluttered down from the stage, pairing people at random. 

(Y/N) suddenly found herself desperately wishing that she and the boy next to her would be made partners. 

Joe clenched his hands into fists as he jiggled his leg up and down, hoping beyond hope that he and the girl next to him would be paired up. 

As Professor Lily came to them, her eyes softened, gesturing a hand grandly to Joe she proclaimed, “Mister…” letting it trail off so he could fill in the blank. 

“Mazzello. Joe Mazzello.” she nodded sagely as she gestured to the girl next to him, “and Miss…”

“(Y/N) (Y/L/N)” she promptly filled in. 

“You two shall be working together.” As she floated down the stairs she couldn’t help but indulge a tiny smile as she considered the scene she would give them to perform. 

Turning to Joe, (Y/N) smiled, “Hey partner.” 

“Hey partner.” Joe returned in a bad southern accent as he pretended to hitch up suspenders. 

“I don’t know why you’re in this class, it seems like you don’t need a lot of acting help.” she laughed as she closed her notebook, twisting in her seat to face Joe head on. Smirking, he draped an arm over the back of his chair, “I’m just here to show everyone else how it’s done. I’m very generous like that.” 

“You’re too good to us peons. How can we ever repay you?” 

“By not making me look like an ass during the final.”

“No promises on that front.” she deadpanned as she closed her notebook, tucking it back into her bag that was covered in patches and pins.

“You think you have enough hardware on your bag?” 

Pushing her hair behind her ear, her eyes flicked up to meet his as a smile grew over her face, “Honestly? No. I have a problem.”  She shrugged as she straightened up. 

Joe smiled back as he scooted his chair closer to her, “The first step is admitting you have a problem so I’m proud of you for taking that first step.” 

Rolling her eyes, she contemplated the boy before her. His eyes were bright as he stared boldly back at her. He never sat still, even now, his leg was bouncing up and down like a maniac. It made her want to reach a hand out and settle it on his thigh, hoping to translate some calm from her body to his just through her touch but knew that would be a step too forward at this stage. 

“Well listen, I think this partnership is going to work but like you said, I don’t want to look like an ass, when are you free?”

~~~

Weeks had passed. The glow of those first few easy classes had passed into rigorous studying, hours filled with homework and group projects with everyone trying to figure out when they could fit in sleep and socializing. 

With finals looming closer, the semester had started taking its toll on (Y/N). Her classes all bled together, as did the piles of reading she had every night. But even when she started googling how much people would pay for feet pictures, she never dreaded her acting class. It was her favorite part of the week. For 50 minutes, three times a week, she got to do what she loved most. Even Professor Lily’s eccentricity had become a balm and reminded her to stop taking everything so seriously.

 As Lily had put it once “you all need to stop being so serious, no one likes an actor who takes their work too seriously. Look at Jared Leto!” 

That had snapped them out of their melancholy. 

As (Y/N) walked into the Black Box, fidgeting with the strap of her backpack, she cursed the fact that she had chosen to wear a dress, considering how chilly it was in the classroom but as she climbed the stairs to her seat next to Joe, it was worth it to see his eyes light up when they fell on her form. As the weeks had passed, they had struck up an easy reparatie. A lot of times, (Y/N) had no idea if they were really flirting or just play-flirting. It was easy to get swept up in believing that the sparks between them were real enough to explode into something more but then Joe would look away or she’d get too in her head and the moment would be lost and they’d go back to their usual friendly banter. 

The scene Lily had given them definitely didn’t help her confusion.

~~~

“Act two, scene two.” Joe wiggled his eyebrows at her as she walked down the row of chairs at the start of their third class together. 

Quirking an eyebrow at him, she slowly lowered into her chair, “Okay?” 

Leaning forward, Joe raked his fingers through his hair, making it stand on end, adding an even crazier level of insanity to his look as he strained forward, trying to make her understand, “Act two, scene two.” he hissed again. 

“Mazzello, did you have a stroke? Those words mean nothing to me…” her voice drifted off as Lily’s ethereal form materialized in front of her, “I believe Mr. Mazzello is referring to the scene I assigned you for your final.” Pulling a stack of papers from within the folds of her scarfs, she grandly laid them on (Y/N)’s desk and floated back to the front of the room, where she began lecturing. 

Cutting her eyes over to Joe’s she was surprised to see some hesitancy in them as he nodded at her to flip through their pages. Shrugging, she leaned forward and felt her breath catch in her throat as she recognized the lines. 

But, soft! what light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Juliet is the sun.

Her head whipped up and met Joe’s. 

Joe hadn’t realized how nervous he had been to see her reaction to the scene they had been given until he saw a spark in her eyes and her lips curled into a smile as he held her gaze, letting a wink drop at her. Giggling, she turned to rustle through her backpack and Joe almost dropped the highlighter she tossed at his chest.  

“Well? Get highlighting Romeo, we have some romantic tension to work on.” she whispered as she popped the cap off her own highlighter. 

~~~

As Lily dismissed them all for the day, Joe groaned and let his forehead bang on his desk as she calmly continued packing up her things. 

“What’s wrong, Joey?” her only reply as Joe continued to huff out sigh after sigh to get a reaction from her. 

“I can’t do it anymore, (Y/N). The pressure, it’s getting to me. It’s all too much.”

“What? The pressure of being Lily’s favorite student? Or just the weight of having to carry every scene we do in class?”

“Yes.” He moaned as he rolled his head to the side, only one eye visible as he stared at her trying to hold back a smirk at his dramatics. “Don’t laugh at me, I’m distraught.”

“Too distraught to rehearse tonight?” 

“Yes.” came the muffled reply as he buried his head in his arms.

“I have a new bottle of wine, a fresh bag of goldfish and I booked the auditorium.”

“Okay, not as distraught anymore. I think I can make it.” 

“Thought so.” she said as she patted him on the shoulder. 

~~~

“What's in a name? That which we call a rose. By any other name would smell as sweet,” her voice flowed over Joe like the first breeze of spring. He was sure that if anyone was to watch them rehearsing, the only note they’d give Joe was to “tone down” the mooning he felt himself doing as he watched (Y/N) act.  

His eyes couldn’t radiate anymore love than they already were. He almost felt embarrassed for himself but figured if they really wanted to pass this class then, maybe over the top was better. 

As (Y/N) finished up the last part of her lines, she felt her cheeks heat up as Joe locked her in place with his ardent gaze. She felt a smile tug at her lips as his own grew wider as she leaned forward, resting her chin on her crossed arms on the top of the ladder she was standing on. 

Clasping the ladder with both hands, Joe pushed his own body forward as he delivered his next few lines, knowing the smile growing across his face was getting out of hand but not being able to stop it. Her eyes were dancing with mirth as her smile blossomed. 

They had set up their stuff in the middle of the stage, (Y/N) pulling out a bottle of wine with two red solo cups (“You couldn’t find anything classier than Red Solo cups?” “Do you want some cheap wine or not?” “I never said I didn’t want it (Y/N).”) and Joe flinging his body onto the ground, complaining about everything he had due until she’d threatened to spill the whole bottle on his face. With that threat looming large, Joe had scoured backstage to find something they could use as a balcony. 

She’d almost jumped out of her skin when Joe had pulled the ladder to the middle of the stage with enough noise to wake the dead, as was his M.O. 

They’d been rehearsing their scene for the past hour. They had their lines word perfect, they knew their blocking but every time they got to the end, they both felt the urge to kiss each other; but as their characters or as themselves was still up in the air. Each time they spoke their last lines, the silence would hang, the air crackling between them until one, or both of them, would pull away and ask if they should “run it one more time?” 

Their argument being that maybe running it “one more time” would unlock something MORE in their words and their actions. 

They both agreed that Lily would really approve of that decision. 

“Parting is such sweet sorrow! That I shall say good night till it be morrow…” (Y/N) breathed out as their eyes locked together, both of them moving forward infinitesimally.

 It’s finally going to happen. Her heart leaped into her throat as Joe glanced down at her lips but then, he blushed and cleared his throat. Turning away, he asked if there was more wine. 

Blinking herself from the haze, she nodded numbly, stepping down from the ladder only to be stopped by Joe’s hand by her side, “May I help you down from your balcony, fair Juliet?” 

Giggling, she slipped her hand into Joe’s, marveling at how well they fit together as she stepped down from the ladder, turning only to be face to face with Joe again.

Looking down at her, Joe smirked, “Hello there.” 

“Hi” she whispered, looking up at Joe through her eyelashes. It made Joe want to fall to his knees and promise her anything she wanted if she just always looked at him like that. 

This time, she was the one to break away first, grabbing his cup from the ground as she sauntered over to the bottle, sweating underneath the stage lights.  

Handing it back to him they both took a long sip. Bringing his cup down, Joe scrunched his face, “Jesus, this wine is awful.” 

“Grow up Mazzello, it’s good for you. Plus it was only $5, what did you expect?” 

Shrugging his shoulders in defeat, he finished the last gulp of wine, cocking an eyebrow at (Y/N), “Want to run it again?”

Throwing her head back she dramatically finished her wine, Joe taking the opportunity to admire her throat and thinking how it would look covered in hickies he left. Shaking himself, he realized the wine must have loosened him up more than he thought. 

“Let’s do this one more time, I’m going to be the best damn Juliet this school has ever seen.” she proclaimed as she scrambled up the ladder again, looking back over her shoulder at Joe, her cheeks flushed from the alcohol. 

Joe chuckled as he got into place underneath her. By the time he nodded at her to start the scene he felt his heart expand as he looked up at her, her hair glowing underneath the lights, her eyes dreamily looking out over the horizon, talking about how in love she was with him.

Well, not me me, but my character. She’s a good actress, it’s easy to get swept up in the drama of it all, he reasoned with himself. 

As the scene got closer and closer to the end, he made herself promise he wouldn’t wimp out of kissing her. The wine they’d consumed left him feeling a little braver. So, as she breathed out her last line, bidding Joe farewell, and they locked eyes it was the wine that helped push the words past Joe’s lips. 

“We should probably practice kissing, huh?” 

Before the last word had passed his lips, (Y/N) reached out, grasping the collar of the worn gray t-shirt he was wearing and pulled him to her, crashing her lips against his. 

His arms reached up, wrapping around her, pulling her closer to him as their lips fit together perfectly. Winding a hand through her hair, he felt like if he were to be struck dead in the next moment, he would die happy. 

As her hands interlocked behind Joe’s neck, she got the feeling she had done this a million times before and would do it a million more times. 

When they finally pulled away, they both were breathing heavily, her forehead leaning against Joe’s as they looked at each and giggled, “I think if we bring that kind of heat to the performance they’ll fail us for being too graphic.” Joe breathed out as she laughed, planting another quick kiss to his lips. “Yeah but, it’s worth it.” she murmured as she blinked up at Joe through her eyelashes. Joe groaned as he pressed his lips against hers again, “You’re going to be the death of me, you know that right?” Her only response was to deepen the kiss as Joe growled against her mouth. 

“You know, we’re the only ones in this auditorium, and we’ll be the only ones in here for the next three hours…” Joe let his voice trail off as he searched (Y/N)’s face to see if she was into this idea. Her widening eyes and the way she scrambled down the ladder, pulling Joe down with her, was the only indication he needed. 

As she hit the ground, her head swiveled, trying to find the best place for them to have a private moment together. Tugging her towards the other side of the stage, she turned her head, only to be met with a large couch that had been pushed backstage after the last play. It was hidden by the curtains so if someone were to walk in, they wouldn’t immediately be seen but it was still fairly exposed which sent a shiver up her spine. 

As Joe took a seat on the couch, he pulled her down to his lap, shooting a smile at her, “C’mere,” he whispered as he pulled her down to his lips, pushing her hair over her shoulders as he nipped at her earlobe before he pressed a line of kisses down her neck. Moaning softly, she started grinding into Joe’s lap, feeling the outline of his cock through his jeans, causing both of them to moan. 

Joe halfheartedly tried to shush her, “Shhh, we need to be quiet...even though you moaning is probably the hottest thing I’ll ever hear in my whole life.” 

Those words only made her throw her head back and moan louder. Grabbing the back of her neck, Joe craned his neck up to mash his lips against hers in a desperate effort to quiet her. His hands moved from their grip on her waist to travel up to grasp her tits, letting his own moan slip out as he gently rubbed the pads of his thumbs over her nipples. 

“Yeah, baby? You like that?” she whispered as he moaned again, leaning forward to suck on the peak of her nipple through the fabric of her dress. Grinding her hips harder into Joe’s cock practically had her seeing stars, she hadn’t realized how wound up she was or how long she’d wanted this to happen. 

Joe’s mouth continued working on her chest as his hands travelled to her ass, grabbing it, giving it a light smack, then a harder one when she gasped and whispered, “harder” against his lips which almost had Joe cumming in his jeans like a twelve year old. 

Feeling Joe’s hand slip from her ass to her thigh, his fingers dancing up and under the hem of the skirt of her dress, caused her breath to hitch as his fingers ran along the edge of her panties. 

“These feel very hot.” he looked up at her with glazed over eyes. 

Leaning forward, pressing her chest into Joe’s she whispered, “They are, but I was considering not wearing panties at all which I think would have been much hotter.” 

Joe gulped audibly as he bobbed his head up and down, his fingers hooking into her panties, pulling them to the side as he ghosted a knuckle up and down her folds. He stared at her with wide eyes, “Damn, are you really that wet for me, sweetheart?” Nodding, she bit her lip, rocking her hips over Joe’s knuckle, relishing how it produced that familiar tugging sensation in her gut.  

Joe smirked when he saw how much she wanted him. Slowly, he inserted a finger inside her, marveling how easily it slipped in and how it made her fling her head back and groan in a way that would have caused them considerable trouble if anyone was near the auditorium. 

“I’m almost scared to insert another finger just in case you start screaming.” Joe laughed as he made a come hither motion with his finger, causing her body to go limp as she babbled about how badly she needed a second finger to cum. 

“Okay, sweetheart, I’ll give you what you want,” he smirked as he leaned up to whisper in her ear, “besides, I want to see what you look like when you cum for me anyway.” she groaned as Joe slowly slipped a second finger into her folds. 

The heat that was building in her core was licking up her sides, rising through her, causing her hips to jerk over Joe’s fingers as they managed to find every sensitive spot in her cunt, hurling her closer and closer to an orgasm. Joe was still moving his fingers inside her, mouth open as he watched her eyes flutter close, hair falling over her shoulders as she pushed herself to her orgasm. He was in complete awe of her. 

“That’s it baby, let go. Let go for me. Want you to cum all over my fingers, I want to taste you so badly…” he murmured into her ear as she bent forward, resting her hands on the back of the couch as she rode Joe’s fingers into oblivion.

Joe felt her walls clench around his fingers and wished it was his cock they were closing around but damn if this wasn’t still one of the best feelings in the world. Moaning, she choked out, “Joe…’m close.” Bringing his lips to her ear and his other hand to her ass, he gave it a sharp smack, pulling another moan out of her as he growled, “Then cum for me, baby girl.” 

With those last two words and one more stroke of Joe’s fingers, she squeezed her eyes closed as her orgasm pulsed through her body, first in intense waves then a gentle lapping at her consciousness, pulling her back into the present. Feeling Joe’s arms wrapped around her as he whispered how amazing she was in her ear. Pulling back, she felt the dumb smile grow over her face and Joe’s own face lit up with how blissed out she looked. 

“That good, huh?” She could only nod. Laughing, Joe brought up the two fingers that had been inside her. She saw how slick they were and gulped as Joe brought them up to his mouth. Wrapping his perfect lips around them and savoring the taste of her as he brought them out of his mouth with a pop. 

“I can’t wait to do that with your cock.” She found herself blurting out. Joe’s eyes widened as hers lowered into a provocative stare. 

“If you were that loud with just my fingers, I don’t think my cock is going to make you any quieter, want to get out of here?” 

(Y/N) hopped off his lap, practically pulling him out of the auditorium to her apartment. 

~~~

They ended up getting a 95% on their final and would have gotten a 100% but their kiss was “a little too long and lingering. And Mr. Mozzallo, I distinctly saw you slip Ms. (Y/L/N) some tongue. Other than that, wonderful performance. Truly, the sparks were flying!” 

It had a place of honor on their fridge in their shared apartment.

[brandstifter-sys]

Emerald Eyes

Chapter 2: That Man

Word Count: 1079            (Ao3)

Characters: Janus, Patton, Roman

Ship: Roceit, eventual Royaliceit

Warnings: genderfluid!Janus, implied cheating

Janus returns to their favorite club, dressed in a new suit, and tries to woo Roman (and succeeds in wooing him and Patton) but there’s a small problem...

----

Janus let out a breath they didn't know they were holding and entered the jazz club. The air around them was different and any eyes that landed on them held a different sort of enamor. The flat black leather shoes changed their gait, the cologne Remus provided gave them a certain scent that was dastardly and alluring, and the pencil mustache—well Janus was glad they avoided it while Remus and Virgil flirted.

They felt just as confident as the night before as they made their way to the bar. They caught Patton staring at them as he slowly dried a mug. They had to stop and say hi.

"Well hello handsome, what're you having?" Patton greeted them with the same cheer and respect he always managed. Janus leaned against the bar and smirked.

"I'll take the usual, and a bite out of Roman if I can get his attention," Janus purred, "And you're lucky I don't mind a little flirting from a little groggy frog."

"JJ!" Pat gasped and beamed, "Is that really you!? You look amazing! I love the hat and the ponytail—it's so suave!"

"Always the flatterer," Janus chuckled. Patton flushed lightly and shrugged.

"I see someone who looks good, I'm gonna say something! And you just so happen to look like someone who I'd want to meet for coffee."

"I'd hope you're being hypothetical, that wedding ring of yours looks rather binding."

"You wouldn't be interested in little old me that way!" Patton giggled, "Besides, it looks like your target is at table seven. Want some liquid courage before you strike, you dashing viper, you?"

"No, thank you," Janus hummed and scanned the floor. Just like Patton said, Roman was moping around table seven and headed to the bar.

"And before I strike, do me a favor and don't sell yourself so short. You and I both know that I have more than one type and room for more than just one," Janus said and lounged against the bar. Patton's eyes went wide for a fraction of a second just before Roman approached them.

"Hey there Princey Pie, why so glum?" Patton greeted him. Roman sighed and shook his head.

“The charming woman I met yesterday isn’t here. I certainly can’t expect her to show nightly, but I am disappointed.”

“Then perhaps, a handsome man like you should consider expanding your options,” Janus hummed and flashed a coy smirk, “I’ve already considered mine.” Roman’s jaw dropped and his face heated up. Janus snickered and took his hand. They brought it to their lips and grinned at him.

“Is there something wrong?”

“My good sir, there is far too much right for anything to be wrong!” Roman answered hastily. Oh he was flustered! It got a good chuckle out of Patton.

“I disagree, you see, you haven’t even considered asking me to dance,” they purred. Roman and Patton went weak at the knees. Janus was going to charm Roman like a snake!

“I–I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to — erm, well, would you be so kind as to join me on the dancefloor?” Roman stammered. Janus cocked their head to the side and motioned for Roman to lead the way. Patton watched them go with a soft sigh. Roman was too cute and Janus, well they were far more than Patton anticipated, and he expected quite a lot.

Roman never expected to be swept off his feet by a stranger. This person was stunning and cool with a smirk that set his blood on fire. Their silky voice was music to his ears, singing songs of flattery and hidden promises.

"You are quite adept at following," Janus hummed and led Roman to table seven. They pulled out his chair for him and pushed him in. Roman flushed and smiled.

"Perhaps it's because you have a way of leading a dance. You must have some training."

"I'm only trained in serving princes," Janus said and sat across from him, "I'm so glad my training has prepared me for meeting a real prince tonight."

"Such flattery, how am I to be sure you aren't a prince looking to steal me away for the night?"

"Steal?" Janus laughed, "My dear Roman, if you come willingly with me, it's hardly theft."

"And if I refuse?"

"Then I leave here alone, as planned. And perhaps I'll return tomorrow, perhaps not."

"Perhaps we could meet up at this lovely little cafe on Second st. for lunch instead. You are an enigma that I would like to unravel."

"Roman, darling," Janus cooed, reaching across the table to gently grab his chin, "I'm afraid that's not something I can agree to. I work during the day, uptown. It pains me to say it, especially to a face as radiant as yours, but I have to decline this time."

"Then perhaps another time, for now let's chat and rest for a while," Roman sighed. Janus pulled their hand back and checked their watch. They had time.

"Do let's," Janus hummed and crossed their legs, "I'm rather curious about the woman you mentioned earlier, not in a suggestive way, mind you, but I would love to know what draws you in. I've cast my line."

"She is a serpentine beauty with long dark hair and a lethal smile. She's so witty and charming and brilliant!" Roman swooned, "You would get along with her, I think. She is quite a catch."

"And yet you agreed to spend the evening with me. I'm flattered, Roman," they cooed, “I can understand your earlier disappointment.”

"Yes, well, that was before such a suave gentleman swept me off my feet,” Roman said with a laugh and grabbed their hand. That’s when Janus noticed the stage light glinting off his hand. Their stomach twisted at the sight of a wedding ring on his finger, but naturally they played it cool.

“And I’m afraid that you’ll have to come back down to earth, Roman. It’s time I left. Clocking in early puts a damper on things,” they said and got up, letting go of his hand, “Send my regards to your spouse.” Roman’s jaw dropped and he scrambled to his feet to explain, but Janus was too quick, and most certainly not close to tears.

Roman stared after them as they left, his gut wrenching. He looked to the bar, only to see Patton shaking his head disappointedly at him. He would find Janus and explain himself, even if it was the last thing he did!

(Prev) (Next)

[bugaboowritings]

Don’t Call Me Bugaboo -

She’s not your Love-Bug

There this one post about how Marinette won’t let anyone call her ‘Bugaboo’ or any bug/cute nickname unless it was from Chat Noir or Adrien. So that inspired me to write this short mess a while back. As it seems cute since this fic does match my url. heheheh- enjoy. 

I think that I may write something more if the idea stay in my head. Like make Clairvoyance into a ‘real’ episode or fic.

   “Silly Bug! Don’t you know that you could get squashed playin’ like that!?”

   Ladybug ran to a harsh stop, her feet stinging with her rough landing. Feeling the extra momentum throw her off the balance if it wasn’t for the grip on her suit. Her breathes escaped hard and heavy out of her nose, trying to catch her breath. Pumping her lungs with fresh adrenaline and oxygen. Glaring at the Akuma through her midnight blue bangs. 

Gripping her yo-yo a little tighter.

“Speak for yourself, Clairvoyance.” 

“More like Clairvo-Annoyance, if you ask me.” Chat Noir mumbled, reaching the scene in time. His fangs sticking out of his lips, shooting a wink to the red heroine. As dumb the joke was, it was a signal of reassurance to calm his LB. Ignoring the disgusted expression from the villain. 

   With baton ready in hand, Chat Noir itching to play offense or if needed, support for his Lady against the Akuma’s tricks. Racking his brain for ways to make the new villain pay or a quick getaway in case the Akuma pulled another foul trick from their sleeves. With the power to the bent reality and see anything in view or out, Clairvoyance proved to be a ‘little’ tricky to sneak around. Being five steps ahead of them before the Miraculous Duo even took one. Driving Ladybug out of her comfort zone as she analyzed the new threat to Paris. 

Clairvoyance scowled at the leather-cat before swiping their glasses. 

  That’s when it clicked in LB’s head. 

  The corrupted butterfly must be in their glasses!

“I’ll make you eat your words, you dirty rat.” 

“Ouch.” Chat winced, rubbing his chest as if Clairvoyance’s words stung his big heart. Chat’s acid eyes fluttered before landing a bitter smile on his pink lips. 

“First off, I’m clearly a cat. I thought that was clear. Second,” He motioned his collar bell, flicking his claws out, “-You better be a purr-fect cook if you gonna make me eat my words.” 

“Might as well cook me and the Lady dinner if you’re offering.” 

Chat’s remakes fell flat once he saw Clairvoyance’s growl turn into a crafty grin. 

“I have plenty of tricks for you to pick from the menu!”

 With a swipe of their hand, black holes appeared on the ground. Quickly expanding to the whole floor, swallowing the solid ground into a void. 

The duo jumped before they could fall into the nothingness or a tunnel that lead to the unknown. Twirling and flipping out of harm’s way as Clairvoyance made more black holes appear with the swipe of their hand. The corners of their thin lips turned up into a sick grin on their periwinkle face the more Ladybug and Chat Noir jumped around, avoiding the danger than grew under their feet. The heroes pushing themselves off the leftover bits of the green grass, trying to reach the edges of the huge stadium or even better- the high bleachers. 

 Chat Noir hopped from piece to piece, feeling himself getting cocky. Opening his mouth to speak, only for a yelp to escape. His boot missed the step and fell back. Feeling the hum of the black hole on his back as he slipped closer and closer to the nothingness. A shot yelp brought Ladybug’s attention to the black cat. Pulling her arm back as her stomach squeezed in anxiousness, launching her yo-yo out to pull her partner out of the vacuum. 

Feeling his weight hang on the edge of her string, she tugged back. Fishing out a black cat into her arms. His hair ruffled and eyes widen once they both realized what had just happened.

“I guess your bad luck never fails.” Ladybug smirked. Not helping to pull her own joke to reassure her kitty. 

“You never fail to swoon me, Bugaboo.” Chat Noir sighs. Ladybug could have sworn that his thin pupils turned into little hearts as he grinned back at her. Her grip on her partner's waist tightened when she tossed her yo-yo up and over a steel beam. Hopefully strong enough to hold them as she pushed her feet from the ground running. 

 Our heroes swung up to the stadium bleaches, away from the black holes that ate away at the once-solid ground. 

Clairvoyance burst out in giggles as the Miraculous Duo struggled to regain their ground. Ladybug holding her yo-yo tightly as Chat Noir pulled out his baton from his back. 

“Woowwwww.” Clairvoyance rolled out their lips. Winking at the team before raising their hands to their glasses. Ready to spit out another obstacle. 

“You’re so slick, Bugaboo.” They chuckled, quickly swiping their hand out to motion another tear in reality, all in hopes to confuse the bug and cat team. Portals stretched out behind the villain, revealing another monster entering the stage floor. 

  “But that cleverness of yours can only last so long.”

Ladybug ground her teeth. Only to drop her frown when she noticed the red and black spots highlighting the ceiling and Chat Noir’s baton. 

Gaining her own smile that confused Clairvoyance but motivated Chat. 

“Don’t call me Bugaboo or I’ll make YOU eat your words.”

————

“Gross.” Marinette winced as she pulled her arm away. Pressing it against her chest to protect herself. Still feeling the tingle of their touch on her forearm. Causing her to recoil from the man before stepping back. Her heels already tapped the wooden floor, ready to leave and find another seat.

“Oh, don’t be like that, Love-Bug.” The fresh-cut college student cooed. Ready to move a little closer even as Marinette moved back. 

That name just felt wrong as it slipped from his lips and reached her ears. Touching her temples as if she could stop herself from hearing this ‘evil’ or erase it from her memory. 

This guy really wasn’t getting it. 

“Not your Love-Bug, creep,” Marinette said, again. Grabbing her purse before heading out. Deciding that it wasn’t worth getting harrassed to leave her doom room. Just when she thought she had enough of this guy’s behavior, he still dared to grab her by the arm and pull her near. 

Some people don’t know what ‘no’ means until they get a punch, square in the face. 

______

“Don’t call me Bugaboo.” Ladybug snarled. Snapping shut her yo-yo communicator before facing the monkey behind her. Telling him to knock it off and she slowly gets tired of his jokes. It annoyed her even more than usual since she was cold, ready to detransform, and go home. The weather didn’t help her mood, but Ladybug just pulled her hoodie over her head. 

Ignoring it for now. 

“-Not if you want to make it out of this patrol home safely,” she added, slipping her yo-yo back to her side. Lifting herself up after watching the ground for a moment. Sniffing the bits of cement from cheap construction nearby and smoke of something burning elsewhere. The yellow-lights flickered in the Parisian apartments below her and the wind blew around old trash that cluttered alleyways. There amid the calm and crowded city was Rena’s signal to go. 

Mayura was near. 

Meaning Hawk Moth was closer.

“That’s the call.” Ladybug murmured. Motioning her team of a snake, monkey, and turtle to follow the next step of her plan.

Positioning themselves for her go. Itching to get out there. On the edge from being a still statue to swift blur on the roofs of buildings. 

“Let’s go.” Ladybug being the first to run out before the rest followed suit. 

———

“Honestly, I think you are over-reacting-”

“Excuse you because it’s the exact opposite going on! You aren’t taking this project seriously.” Marinette huffed. Pulling her bag over her shoulder, which was filled to the papers and folder about the new upcoming line being launched with GUESS. 

“I-”

“No, Calvin. I don’t want to hear it. We have deadlines and they are not being met. Do something before you force me too.” 

Marching out of the office before getting called out by the marketing team again. Pulling her in their office before Marinette could shake them off. 

“Marinette, hey! Baby-”

Marinette gave her co-worker a dull look, telling them to not push her buttons like they did every other day. Hoping that because she’s still a newbie in the company, she would this pass.  Marinette was growing tired of this and even more with the fact that they seem to see her as a small sister rather than a co-worker. Tugging on the pockets of her bright red coat that had no trouble catching attention. However, today Marinette didn’t want their eyes on her. 

Especially when today was one of those days.

 Where everything’s falling apart and she’s the only one that could manage to put things together. Scolding herself for coming to work early, she should have called in sick or walked the other direction- anything to stop this problem from being hers. Now it was too late to shoulder off this dilemma to someone else. EVEN WHEN THIS ISN’T HER DEPARTMENT IN THE FIRST PLACE!

“Don’t call me Baby, Lorraine. Not until I see those labels up and ready.” Marinette snapped. Leaving the office a quieter place than when she found it. 

———-

“You are so annoying,” LB rolled her eyes as the group of heroes gathered around her. Being the shortest one out of many was a little intimidating, but as leader of the group of superheroes, she got the most respect. Never worry about being interrupted or talked over since whenever she spoke, the crowd hushed itself. Her plans weren’t brushed to the side nor was she. A nice change if you asked her. However, as the leader of this magical squad, she had to be on guard. With more members by her side meant that the danger was something bigger and scarier each time. So this was the first time she had her whole team with her without the stress of an Akuma or giant senti-monster looming over Pairs. It was the first time she could relax around them. 

So for Ladybug smiling like that made some people question what was going on. 

Did the Akuma get her already?

Is this a trap? 

Does she have a big announcement? 

Is she retiring? 

Could today be her birthday?

Chat Noir hopped off the brick wall and gracefully landed on all fours. Bouncing back up as he beams a nice cocky smile to his red ladybug. 

Chat tiles his head to the side, letting his blond locks fall to his face.

 “All in hopes for you to love me more, Bugaboo.” 

 The whole team cringed or pretended to, swooned, or rolled their eyes at that nickname. Others tried to call LB by that, only met with a confused look or a frown. All quickly learning that it was Chat Noir’s thing and Chat Noir was the only person LB would ever allow to call her by that. As tough and determined the Red Miraculous Leader, she had her weak spot -Chat Noir’s clever and sometimes cute nicknames.  

Waiting for an eye-roll from the bug, only to hear her giggle. 

 “Well, you got something right at least.” She smiled. Turning to her team and pretending not to notice the shock on his face before explaining why she called them here today.

-----

“I have a meeting today, check over some of the marketing team’s ideas and then I’ll pick lunch on the way back. Do you need anything, Bugaboo?” The blond asked before adjusting the watch on his wrist. Quickly throwing his scarf around his neck and throwing his brown coat over his broad shoulders. 

“Just drive safe.” Marinette yawned. Tired and cold as the blanket around her chest wasn’t warming her fast enough. Waiting for her coffee machine to beep with her hot cup of caffeine. Envying the man in the doorway for having so much energy in the morning. 

“Always.” Adrien smiled, before kissing her forehead and walking out the door. 

[colortheorydesignco]

Flowers for an Intimate Wedding POST COVID-19

We are silver-lining seekers…we strive to identify the positive aspects of any given situation or predicament…where there appears to be a barricade, we aim to find a hidden door! Amid the turmoil of these strange and ever-changing days, we’ve witnessed many of our lovely clients struggle to face the new reality that 2020 has forcibly delivered. Highly anticipated plans for major life events are being modified, postponed or cancelled. Yet, we have met with many new clients who are forging ahead with adapted plans for intimate weddings to celebrate their recent engagements.

In knowing that the future is more uncertain than ever and that major life events cannot be put on ice indefinitely, let’s discuss what an intimate gathering means for your flowers - what elements can you omit and what elements can you leverage for maximum impact.

The silver-lining of an intimate celebration is…HELLO!…fewer guests, lower expense! This opens up possibilities to really wow your small guest count with spectacular design elements that weren’t necessarily economical with a much larger guest count. The expanded potential could translate into fancy cocktails, live music and…an extravagant display of flowers!

We are here to tell you where we think you should go BIG! For the sake of trying to sound cute and ‘Cosmo-esque’, we’ll make a LOVE IT or LEAVE IT list below.

▲

♥︎ Love it : Bridal Bouquet

A beautiful bridal bouquet is imperative…we won’t budge an inch on this one! Although, we don’t always find enormous bridal bouquets to be the right design choice, unless that is the style that you love! We have adored watching the popularity of smaller bridal posies grow following the royal wedding. We wholeheartedly encourage a dainty-sized bouquet filled with the most exquisite blooms - rare, premium, fragile and the sort of flowers that can’t be found just anywhere.

✖︎ Leave it : Bridesmaids’ Bouquets

Sometimes tradition is hard for our minds to let go of…but the nature of the current moment requires us to revise traditions. Rather than having bridesmaids standing in the traditional “bridal party”, simply seat them in the front row of the gathering. During an intimate wedding or elopement, it almost wouldn’t make sense to have half of your guests standing beside you. Maybe you leave a little bloom on their seat to designate their extra-special status. Bridesmaid's bouquets can quickly eat into a floral budget and aren’t even a point of focus throughout the 20 minute ceremony. We say..leave it!

♥︎ Love it : Ceremony installation

You may begin to notice a common thread throughout this post: we think floral installations are where it’s at! Floral installations transform a space, lend immeasurably to the creation of an unforgettable atmosphere, and awe your guests who most likely haven’t experienced something of the sort before. We’ve all seen a flower arrangement in a vase, but have you seen hundreds of blooms suspended in a cloud-like arrangement or an overflowing arch comprised of rare shades of blooms? Having just advised you to forgo the bridesmaids’ bouquets, this could free up anywhere between $500 - $1,600!! We highly recommend a gorgeous floral backdrop for your wedding ceremony and floral pieces on the aisle. A floral wash for your aisle can easily be re-purposed to the reception to line portions of the dance floor, frame the front of the head table and more! Particularly during an intimate wedding or elopement, an artful floral installation can elevate the mood of a gathering space, to be enjoyed throughout the night as an backdrop for cocktails, conversation and family photos.

✖︎ LEave it: boutonnieres and corsages

We aren’t suggesting that bouts and corsages aren’t key elements to wedding floral design, but if you are looking to shave off a few hundred dollars, these accents can be excluded in a pinch. Of course, you know your family’s expectations best. So, your call; or should we say, it’s grandma’s call.

♥︎ love it: welcome table floral

We love a well-done, one-of-a-kind grandiose floral centerpiece to make a major statement in properly welcoming your guests to the grand occasion. Often the very first thing your wedding or elopement guests will see, the welcome table floral visually sets the aesthetic tone for a special evening. After the stage has been accordingly set, guests will become emotional at the ceremony, enjoy a few libations at cocktail hour, fall into a brief food coma and then hit the dance floor without ever looking back. This will be one of the most impactful pieces before the party gets started.

✖︎ leave it: cocktail table floral

Just…why? The social hour is already pleasurable enough as it is, with cocktails, music, and the company of friends…plus, it lasts barely an hour. Put this money into the…(see next item in list)

♥︎ love it: Reception installation

We feel that a reception installation is a key component for any intimate wedding! If you’re going to go big with any design element, make it the floral installation design for your reception. Your guests will spend the majority of your wedding night within the reception space, so the portion of your budget dedicated to a reception installation will have the most bang for the buck. When paired with effect lighting, a reception can be transformed to anything from a swanky dinner with illuminated & stunning overhead flowers to a dimly lit dance party with the installation showcased by colored up-lighting. So…boutonnieres, cocktail arrangements & bridesmaids bouquets OR an incredible reception installation - to us, it’s a no-brainer…go for the latter!

✖︎ leave it: reception table floral

This is just how much we prefer an installation at a reception. Without a doubt, we love adorning dining tables with flower arrangements for a wedding reception, but if you are choosing one or the other, we would suggest an overhead installation for maximum impact. Table arrangements are lovely touches but simply cannot transform a space to the degree that a floral installation can. Tastefully embellish the table with elegant candles instead and let the reception floral installation do the talkin’.

♥︎ love it : Floral backdrop

To serve a similar purpose as the aforementioned reception installation, but in the instance where an overhead floral installation isn’t logistically possible. There are many other ways to make a big impact within a reception space. Floral walls are one method, to serve as breathtaking backdrops for a head table, cocktail bar or for a photo-booth. The determination of what style of floral installation is “right” for your reception is largely dependent on the venue…ceiling height, available structural supports, light placement, etc... We would suggest approaching it with an open mind and speaking to your floral designer about what ideas they might have for transforming the chosen space! When it comes to dreaming and planning for large floral installations, keep in mind that installation design is a floral designer’s speciality and they are able to draw from past experiences to conjure grand, yet achievable, designs catered to the given potential (and limitations) of any one particular venue space. By keeping an open mind and collaborating flexibly with your florist, you won’t obstruct your florist from envisioning something truly fitting and unique.

✖︎ leave it : bar top floral

Leave it….however, there are definitely cases where exceptions should be made. If the bar design or set-up is particularly grand, gorgeous and spacious you should absolutely elevate that by adding a floral masterpiece. However, for the most part, if you are looking for places to pare down, don’t worry about the bar. The bar serves one purpose and that purpose doesn’t generally require flower accents to satisfy guests.

▲

Postponing your wedding, adapting and moving forward

We are here for all of you..the newly engaged, the recently postponed and for those of you that are still trying to figure it all out! This is a period of unprecedented change and hardship and quickly adapting to the new landscape is no easy feat…we are being forced to change highly anticipated plans, weather emotions ranging from disappointment to grief, and re-invent so many aspects of our daily lives. Please remember that this celebration will happen, one way or another. We are here to make it magical, no matter when or how it happens. If you have recently been engaged and would like to discuss the options for an elopement or intimate wedding, please contact us here. To all of our dear current clients, we are here to help you move forward and will make it as smooth of a transition as possible! Your wedding days are going to be that much more special, once we can finally see them through!

[creative-horror-network]

The Fog Report - Los Angeles Haunted Hayride 2019

Welcome back, intrepid listeners! The season is drawing to a close but that hasn’t deterred me from hitting a third haunted locale, although in this one the haze you’re walking through is less fog and more kicked-up dust. Probably has something to do with that weird-looking fairground tucked away in the trees there…

Started in 2009, the Los Angeles Haunted Hayride has taken up residence in Griffith Park, in and around the grounds of the Old LA Zoo. Already a fairly eerie place with its trails past abandoned enclosures and cages, the Hayride has consistently utilized the environment to create terrifying tableaus and vignettes, seen and experienced from a tractor-pulled trailer - something done for Halloween in many other parts of the country but a relative oddity in the big city. Though its themes have shifted and changed over the years, this year new owners Thirteenth Floor Entertainment have given the Hayride a unifying story and a setting from which to place their event: a cursed town called Midnight Falls.

Anyone who has read my last two articles about Dark Harbor and Knott’s Scary Farm (or who just knows me in general) should guess why this alone finally pulled me to the event. This was my first ever visit to the Haunted Hayride, so my expectations were not so effected by previous years; it’s all fresh eyes and raw opinion here.

The Event

Before I even get to the venue itself, can I just say how enjoyable just the walk there was? Unless you’re parked in one of the upper lots, you’ve got a little bit of a trek through a nighttime park ahead of you, and I wasn’t kidding earlier when I said this was “tucked away.” in the wilderness. The natural darkness and night noises certainly helped me get into the mood as I trudged up the path and saw the flickering orange glow in the distance.

Once you do get there, you find yourself in the town square of Midnight Falls in the midst of its 13th annual Halloween Festival, 1985. The Hayride itself, as well as three mazes, several concessions and a handful of slight-up charge escape rooms can all be accessed from here, but as a zone in itself the town square is well worth wandering around in. The roaming monsters - townsfolk who have been cursed but seem to be in good spirits - are more interactive and funny than outright scary, engaging visitors with humor and giving Midnight Falls the character of a cheesy 80s horror-comedy. Each character is an archetype of the era and each is a very distinct, from a jock werewolf to a hook-nosed Miss Midnight Falls to a snappy goblin server from the local diner (hi Reggie!), just to name a few of the myriad citizens.

This feels like a genuinely happy medium between the heavy thematic elements of Knott’s and the party atmosphere of Dark Harbor. You’re at an in-universe fair, and they play that up without it detracting from the scarier elements. It certainly evokes the spirit of a local Halloween: I spent a good chunk of my teenage years in the small mountain town of Idyllwild, and they also have (had?) a Halloween carnival, so I can say big props for reminding me of that feeling. Couple that with the amount of atmosphere and the commitment of the actors in their improv with guests and each other, and you have a nicely immersive, if tongue-in-cheek, experience.

It’s also good to know that the event is small, considering what it actually offers. The night I visited I managed to get there right around opening and was able to get through most everything in two hours. That doesn’t mean its not worth visiting, but don’t expect a marathon session like a theme park haunt.

The Hayride

As stated before, the hayride is the namesake and main draw of the event, a chance for Angelenos to board a hay wagon (and sit in real honest-to-goodness hay) and take a ride through the Old Zoo, now the outskirts and foothills of Midnight Falls. This attraction is presented as a sort of weird origin-story, demonstrating how the land fell under the Halloween hex and riders in the midst of it happening.

This is a wholly different kind of trip than one would make on foot through a maze, and is a proper ride in every sense, with each scene being staged in such a way that it only transpires as the hayride passes. The main ingredient is the live actors lurking in the dark that rush at the trailer and menace the riders, usually after a theatrical beat in a scene plays out, I’d never done anything like this before and it was honestly impressive, each scene having its fair share of startling surprises: highlights for me were a ghostly girl leaping from a cliff (possibly reenacting a suicide), a werewolf gang unleashed from some of the old animal cages, a amorous couple in a convertible being mauled by a Sasquatch, a close encounter with a ghost train, and a giant spider emerging from a stone structure.

I wasn’t able to take any picture while on the hayride, mainly out of respect for not ruining the moment and trying to present for it. Trust me when I say that even if the scenes seem a little cheesy, the fact that they’re part of this spooky hayride experience makes it fun. I actually feel like this is a decent entry point for people leery about going to a haunt, as it struck me as being less intense than being in the midst of a maze. Pro tip for first-timers: sit in the middle. The folks on the left and right get all the attention, so the heat’s off if you stick to the center.

The Mazes

As an added bonus, Midnight Falls has three mazes as part of its spooky neighborhood. Each is fairly short but exceptionally well put together for something built in the middle of Griffith Park, and I walked away from each fairly impressed.

The first maze I visited, Midnight Mortuary, takes you through the town’s funeral home, its backyard, morgue and chapel. The monsters here are a mix of the ghoulish staff and some goat-masked figures in white robes; perhaps a cult of some kind? More Victorian Gothic than grisly and gory, creative use of space and good set design are strong in this maze, and the startling finale helps put the random goat-people’s presence into perspective.

My favorite maze was definitely Trick or Treat, simulating a trip through a Midnight Falls neighborhood where every house has a resident surprise. This outdoor maze is unique because anyone visiting can actually ring the doorbells of the houses to see what wacky scare emerges. Since almost all the scares are guest-driven, the reward for courage comes when most of the monsters give you real candy! It’s a cute detail, and it really plays on the horror-camp and the tropes of Halloween: my favorite bit is the Devil-themed “home haunt” at the end that looks like some earnest kid built a strobe-light maze through their yard and garage. Big props for creativity.

Rounding out the three is Roadkill Ranch, ensuring no meat goes to waste in Midnight Falls… because if it’s good enough for your tires, it’s good enough for their fryers. While the effort was there, I’m personally very tired of the bloody Hellbilly theme for mazes as a whole, so this one did not really impress me. It did have some choice scare moments and a good strawbale layout in the back of it, making you weave through while masked ranchers hid in the dark, but I just think the trope has been done to death.

Final Thoughts

Though small in stature, the LA Haunted Hayride is big on personality and dark charm, offering a main attraction that isn’t offered anywhere nearby and a collection of scary sides to go along with it. The overarching setting of Midnight Falls is a huge boon to the event, and I hope it sticks around for the foreseeable future, along with its cast of characters. I’d love to see what they can add to it if it continues to expand.

What gives this an edge for me and makes it stick out, even from its larger competitors, is the festive quality of the Hayride. Halloween is not just the backdrop of the season here for spooky stuff, it’s positively dripping with Halloween flavor. Not many haunts actually make the holiday their front-and-center, and I’m super grateful that this does. It’s hard not to feel spirit (pun intended) of All Hallows Eve here, and I didn’t realize how much I missed that kind of vibe until I was there.

If you’re local and you can make it, the LA Haunted Hayride is worth a visit. Come kill a couple hours here and feel a bit of that Halloween magic, both terror and humor - trick and treats, if you’ll pardon the expression. And hey, if you’re not anywhere near LA, go see if anyone near you is doing a haunted hayride. It might help kindle that jack-o’-lantern flame in your soul too.

Anyway, I’ve got a lot of Midnight Falls dust to brush off my clothes. Until next time, I’ll see you in the fog.

The Los Angeles Haunted Hayride runs most nights in October and every night during the last week until November 2nd, from 7 to 10:30 or 11pm depending on the night. More details and tickets can be found here.

[corinnejmorris]

↷ CORINNE MORRIS |MAKE SURE YOU HIT HIM WITH THE PRENUP

       The apartment is quiet as she overlooks the cobblestone streets of Tribeca. Alessia relishing in the fleeting moments of extra asleep, Logan at the ‘brush your teeth and grumble about manhattan’ stage of his morning routine. Yet Corinne is a silent intrusion into their way of life; mostly because Logan is her brother and he knew first hand the fit she’d throw being shut out from his life, secondly because she was a free and adoring babysitter. She stands in front of the floor to ceiling windows, softly swaying with Cain propped against her hip. As espresso heats up on the stove top, Logan can’t help but smile at his older sister. Delicate fingers wrapped around his son’s tiny fist, her face lit up like he’s never seen it before— some call it motherly glow, but in this case it was pure unadulterated love. And although he’d love to give her this moment forever, they’ll be a day late and a dollar short if they don’t get moving soon. He pulls the toothbrush out of his mouth and pipes up, “We’re leaving in 15 minutes tops, subway, walk, or car?” he asks before opening a cabinet to grab a travel mug, coincidentally with the name of his firm printed across it as if it wasn’t already obvious that he was the epitome of Manhattan finance bro. 

       The little moments like these were the ones that she cherished most. She couldn’t wait for the chance to do the same with a child of her own. In her very own kitchen, maybe not the one she lived in at the moment— too many tight corners and sharp edges but, one day. Maybe a house in Alexandria, along the river, with a backyard  reminiscent of the one she grew up with, but just close enough to D.C. that if she was needed at the office she could make the drive. Yet it was all just a fantasy for Corinne, she was playing a game to see whether she could live vicariously through her brother or go mad. So far so good, though. Every baby being inherently cute, was a universal fact in the same vein as the concept of an infinitely expanding cosmos. But Cain was different, his teeny fingers, his cheeks chubbier, and the joyous expression in his sweet blue eyes made her heart melt at the mere sight of him. She presses her forehead against his and closes her eyes softly. She takes a moment's pause to revel in that newborn smell and whispers “good morning” in response to her nephew’s giggle. She returns the smile only to be interrupted by her brother who stood at the opposite edge of the galley kitchen. A kitchen she wasn’t particularly fond of, for reasons beyond the decorating— rather, a long, tall, strip of marble masquerading as an island that Cain was sure to split his head on when he finally gets the hang of zipping around their apartment. It’s a day she sits and waits for with anticipation, not for her nephew to get stitches but, for the day he can safely stand on two feet and run to her, shouting “Cor! Cor!” The day he’s able to express his feelings for his aunt is the day she might just keel over and die from the explosion of happiness in her chest. 

       She turns slowly, still bouncing Cain on her hip. She flashes her brother the smile reserved for clients and television cameras. Sweet, caring, yet unnaturally still, as if there’s no one really behind it. “Whatever you prefer,” she says softly, careful as to not allow any inflection in her tone as to not disturb the small human in her arms. She pads her way across the floor to her brother whose arms are outstretched ready to pull his son into his chest with the same bright smile Corinne had shone earlier. People often said despite the thirteen year age gap, they looked incredibly similar. If that was even remotely true, she hoped the nurturing smile her brother displayed was the same one Cain saw when he looked up at her. He pulls his son close to his chest before sticking his toothbrush in his mouth and pointing at Corinne with his free hand. “Corn, I’m ready in five minutes, We’re walkin’, and then taking the subway to his office, and we’ll stop for a coffee on the way— don’t take any of that shit that’s on the stove it’s Alessia’s and it tastes like garbage,” he says which earns him a pointed glare for Corinne. “What? You’re worried about him? He knows I swear,” he says with the shit eating grin he’s perfected over the years before disappearing around a corner. Corinne is left alone with the hum of the streets of Manhattan and shrill squeak of  a stove top espresso machine. 

      In that very moment she remembers why she’s even in the city in the first place. It was all she could think about as Nicky drove her to the airport, all she could think about as she knocked back a martini in the airport private lounge, eyes expertly trained on the flights touching down and lifting off to destinations that weren’t her’s— places she’d much rather be than where she was headed. It was all she could think about as she met Logan at the airport and he placed the small suitcase she brought with her into the trunk of his S.U.V. But when she saw the little carseat in the back— that’s exactly when all the bad thoughts washed away. She would see her nephew, and all would be okay. But now as she stood at her brother’s front door, purse slung over her shoulder fingers tentatively play with the dainty rings she chose to accessorize with, purposely skipping the ring finger on her left hand. “You put a ring on that finger, before you’re engaged and you’ll be cursed for life,” her mother used to say when she was a little girl, sitting at the vanity table as her mom brushed through her long blonde waves with precision. Corinne even at such young age, idealized this beauty, vanity, gratuitous accessorization. The bows in her hair, and look in her mother’s eyes when her eight year old daughter applied lipstick with razor sharp accuracy. She was a doll. Her mother’s doll. When she got older, when she dressed herself, tried lip gloss instead of lipstick; her mother didn’t want to play anymore. 

        She’s brought back from the recesses of her memories when her brother approaches. “Go go go, I can stand bein’ fuckin’ late,” he says opening the apartment’s front door. They take the elevator in silence as he taps away violently at the screen of his cellphone. “Fucking clients whatta’ they know,” he scoffs before sliding the sleek, caseless device into his pocket— she’d prod about that later. She offers a polite wave and “good morning Stan,” to the doorman which contrast sharply from the dap up her brother gives. Clearly she was the eldest, momma would have liked the way she conducted herself and would have reprimanded Logan and that’s all that really mattered. They begin their walk down Watts St. She wobbles slightly on the cobblestone in her four inch heels. The added height does nothing as she still just a hair under Logan who claims to be six foot, but just cleared 5’11” and 3⁄4. “You look like a baby Giraffe,” he snorts and gives her the once over. “Fuck off, it’s the cobblestone,” she retorts with a playful swat at his shoulder. They turn onto Canal St. and Corinne thanks the city planning gods for pavement. “You know all that fucked up walking coulda’ been avoided if youd’ve just met the man in fucking Raleigh right, Corn?” she winces at his words as they shuffle down the steps alongside the rest of the morning crowd. “Yeah, and stay with momma? In that big ol’ fuckin’ house? Not see you? Or Alessia? Or my nephew? Ya’ I don’t really mind cobblestone streets all that much,” her tone is short as she’s squeezed between him and some other financial analyst, clearly a new guy if he’s still walking around with the banker bag.

      His sigh is loud and exasperated as he and the rest of the passengers are jostled by the movement of the subway cart. They stare at one another in the loud ambience has come to know is native to the streets, and subsequent subway tunnels of New York City. “Stand clear of the closing doors please,” sounds the crummy speakers that probably haven’t been changed since the 70s. It’s only after a few people shuffle off the train that Logan opens his mouth again. Idiot, you never did know when to shut up. She thinks back to the times when he was four or five and would cry and whine to their mother if she so much at looked at her brother the wrong way. “He’s just a baby Corinne,” her mother would snap as she coddled her angel son. The origins of the rage that brindled within her at moments like that is still unknown, maybe it was because she knew he’d forever get off scot free or because she knew his fakery earned her a night in the hallway closet. “I’ll never understand why you don’t like her—” There’s thirteen years of pain you’ll never understand. “she’s not even that nasty of a person—” Not to you, she loved you. “Maybe if you called once in awhile, and fuckin’ visited you wouldn’t have any issues,” he berates her as the knuckles wrapped around the handle of her purse turn white. She wants to snap, but she’s in public and she’ll control herself. There’s also the possibility that she might get all choked up and make a fool of herself as the tears stain her face. “It’s not that I don’t like her Logan, we have opposing views and she’s unbearably judgemental.” Her tone is controlled as the doors open and they step out onto the subway platform. 

      Up the stairs and they step out onto wall street, where a million different men dress and act like her brother. Their conversation has been postponed until further notice as Logan ushers her along with his index finger. “The place I go to makes North American style Turkish coffee,” that just sounds like an oxymoron in itself, she thinks to herself quietly. They dodge angry callers, bird scooters and blind texters as they weave down the street. They turn into a quaint coffee shop with standing tables only, inundated by patrons too focused on their own business to even look up at the door chime. The stereotype of New Yorkers not giving a fuck, was most definitely a real one. They approach the cash and Logan greets a man— boy? who’s name is Mattias. The exact kind of person she’d picture who’d work at a North American style Turkish coffee place. Logan orders and Mattias proceeds on with Corinne who orders a simple turmeric tea. They move off to the side and sit— or rather stand at the edge of a long communal table. “So let me get this straight,” Logan starts “You and momma don’t talk, so she calls Mr.Clark who calls you, who then proceeds to call me, to ask if you can crash?” She sways her head along to the rhythm of the story, “Well I mean yeah...kind of?”

— ⟡ ▒ ONE WEEK EARLIER ▒ ⟡ —

      It’s a little after 1pm on a Wednesday and Corinne strolls back into her office after having changed into her Lululemon yoga attire for afternoon yoga at the office. She sits at her desk and pulls her ringlets back into a bun, as her eyes inspect the report she’s been forwarded. The moment her hands drop from her head the LED on her desk phone flashes. “Cor? I’ve got a Mr.Clark on the phone for you, from Raleigh,” Nicholas sounds worried, as he always does when a 919 number called Corinne. He knew very little about Corinne’s family but knew that she rarely called them and they seldom called her unless it’s to return one of her phone calls. “Oh?” Her immediate reaction is one of confusion and fear. She remembers her mother’s lawyer and his office in their little town center. A stone building with a gold plate by the front door that read ‘Clark & Brennan Legal Offices’. Corinne both loved and hated that office, with all its dark wood and leather, the smell of stale paper and what a 10 year old could only define as alcohol on Mr.Clark’s breath when her mother would force her to greet him with a hug. What she did love was his secretary; Kelli, a twenty something brunette, with long legs accentuated by pencil skirts and a kind smile. Corinne always sat on her desk, ate Chupa Chups, and read Judy Blume novels. But, the only reason Mr.Clark would call her is, if something dire had happened— but surely, Logan would have called her first if her mother had died, right? “Yeah send him through Nicky,” she says leaning back into her desk chair. 

“Hello, this is Corinne Jessica Morris speaking,” she answers in her most professional tone, she had a feeling he still thought of her as that 10 year old girl whose legs used to dangle off the edge of his secretary’s desk.

“Connie—“ A nickname she hates, Connie is short for Constance, not Corinne. “It has been an awful long while since I’ve heard from you, how are you doing miss?”

“Mr.Clark! It has been far too long, to what do I owe the pleasure of hearing from you?”

“Connie, Connie I know it’s been awhile but you needn’t call me Mr.Clark, please call me frank—“ she wouldn’t. “I’m actually calling on your mother’s behalf,”

“Oh, well in that case...Frank, I’m interested to hear what you have to say,” It’s gotta’ be inheritance, Logan is for sure getting more.

“It’s about your prenuptial agreement, I think some congratulations are in order sweetheart,”

“What? A prenup?” She retorts sitting up straighter.

“Yes, a prenup if you’d prefer, there’s one from ‘95 but, surely it needs to be updated to include your new home and the like?” He continues, not even acknowledging Corinne’s surprise.

“Mr.Clark, I don’t think you understand. I’m not engaged— I’m not even seeing anyone at the moment,” She reiterates.

“Is that so?” he pauses and there’s a silence on the line. “Well it wouldn’t hurt to look it over, I’m sure a gorgeous girl like you has many options.” She visibly winces at his words, you haven’t seen me in person since I was 16, creep.

“I guess so,” she says quietly— it’s not that she hasn’t thought about the suspicious lack of ring on her finger, there were other things she wanted to accomplish first.

“Well I’m in Raleigh til’ Friday but, I’ve got an early mornin’ flight to California so I’ll be out til’ Tuesday and in the New York offices until Saturday—”

Corinne quickly interrupts, “I’ll be in New York. Can I meet you on Thursday?” She slides the phone between her shoulder and ear as she grabs her cellphone to send Nicky a text. Flight to NYC. Next tuesday. Red eye. Call Logan.

“Oh well in that case, I’ll be delighted to meet you in New York Connie. My secretary will be in contact,”

— ⟡ ▒ — ⟡ ▒ —⟡ ▒ —

“And that was it?” Logan asks as he finishes the last of his Turkish cortado, which inherently isn’t Turkish coffee the second milk was added. 

      Corinne responds with a nod before taking a sip of her tea. Before Corinne can even open her mouth Logan starts again, hands upheld as if to say hold the fuck on— “Corn are you even ready to get married? Do you even want to?” His expression is a mix of shock and concern. Unable to meet her brother’s eyes she looks down at her left hand and plays with the ring on her index. Of course she wants to get married; she’s been planning her dream wedding since the day she kissed R-D. Was she ready? now that was an entirely different question, she’s perfected the art of living alone, eating alone, drinking alone but, rotating a colourful cast of friends in lieu of feeling lonely. 

“God Logan, I think I know myself enough to know what I want. I’m just waiting—”

“When was the last time you were in a relationship,” he blurts out, cutting her off.

She counters hastily “God, what does it matter to you?” 

“How do you know what you want if you haven’t been in a relationship since you were in fuckin’ college!”

“How’d you know Alessia was the girl you wanted to fuckin’ marry after banging her at fuckin’ mixer?” 

      Logan simply smiles back at her, and she hates it. She hates snapping at him, she hates his smug grin but most importantly she hates this conversation. 

      “Look, I really don’t need the lecture Logan I’m just gonna go, listen to what he has to say and that’s it,” as she finishes her sentence, his cell phone pings. “Shit its work,” he says reading the preview off his lockscreen. “Look, I gotta go, just keep walking south on Broadway you’ll be at his office in two minutes,” he hugs her quickly before heading off to his own office.

      Corinne walks slowly, following the directions her phone gave her. She stops in front of a massive building, a far cry from the old stone of North Carolina. She greets the information desk attendant with her nicest smile. They give her the floor number and direct her to the elevators where she clambers in alongside a dozen or so corporates. It’s only as the numbers rise does she wonder how much business a small firm from North Carolina does to warrant a New York Office. Once the elevator chimes for the thirty-sixth floor she squeezes past those who remain in the elevator and out into a sleek reception area. As quietly as she can manage she makes her way over to the gatekeeper. “Hi I have an appointment with Mr.Clark at 8:30? I’m Corinne. Corinne Jessica Morris.” her voice is soft as she makes eye contact with the receptionist who was clearly not expecting to be bothered this early. She types at lightning speed before handing Corinne a security pass and informing her he’d meet her in conference room 5C. 

      She scans her pass and electric glass doors whirr open. Nice touch, we should get those. The office is quiet besides a few early risers who eye her as she walks past, heels clicking on faux marble tiles. Another automatic glass door lets her into the conference room. She’s greeted by a bouquet of flowering dogwoods, white roses and a box from Ladurée with a little note taped to the top— lovely to see you again Connie. “Thank you,” she says to no one in particular as she pops the top off and fingers hover over the rows of delicacies. With a bite she sits and sets her purse down on the table besides her. 

      At exactly 8:40am Mr.Clark strolls around the corner, with a younger man holding a legal pad and a stack of papers in toe. She can’t help but think of Alex who’s timeliness was uncanny and it brings a smile to her face. “Connie,” his tone is sing songy but sounds as though he smokes Cubans at least once every few days. “Mr.Clark,” she says replicating his sing songy tone. He greets her with a kiss atop her knuckles and she struggles to keep her smile from faltering. With his free hand he claps a football player sized palm on the shoulder of his companion. “This here is Garrett, he’s easily one of the, if not the smartest legal minds in the New York office, He’s gonna’ be my running back on this matter,” Garrett greets her with a simple nod and a “nice to meet you,” as he sets his materials down on the table.

      They each receive a copy of her original prenup and Corinne quickly leafs through it. She wonders if her mother envisioned her marrying Ryan-Dean and that’s why she had this made. Corinne wonders if he was even still a possibility. For a brief fleeting moment she wishes she had this meeting in North Carolina, just to ask her mother about the context of this document but alas, she was going to do this alone. “You’re a very attractive woman both on paper and in person, are goal is to protect you and all your assets in the event of a separation,” Clark starts. “Let’s start with the disclosure first,” Garrett pipes up taking a highlighter to the document. “It’s my understanding that you are not yet engaged, right?” He pauses, glancing at Corinne expectantly. She returns his glance with a nod. “So we’ll just be updating the framework of this agreement and retcon any specifications in the event of an engagement,” he says nonchalantly as he scrawls on his legal pad.

      It’s hard to hear of love spoken in such a calculative fashion but, she understands the reasoning behind such a thing. “Let’s begin with the disclosure of assets,” Garrett says. Mr.Clark begins listing off numbers, “Approximate net worth of eight million U.S. dollars which is comprised of property in Adams Morgan, Washington D.C. at an estimated value of 1.7 million U.S. dollars, A 2018 Audi S7 at an approximate value of 92 thousands U.S. dollars, a Roth IRA with a current value of Approximately 1 million U.S. dollars, a 15% share in Morris Consulting Ltd which roughly translates to about 3.2 million U.S. dollars and finally an investment portfolio with an estimated value of 1 million U.S. dollars,” he finishes with a quiet sigh, and Corinne looks between the two of them to see if that’s a good or bad thing. Garrett offers a simple raise of his brow as he goes back to writing on his pad of paper. “Does that sound about right to you miss.Morris,” he asks nonchalantly.  “Yes, it concurs with the information I was given by my financial advisor,” her hands are crossed politely on the table. She wonders what his expression meant. One of surprise at her financial value? Commendation for her self made company? An evaluation of her?

     “Well whoever the guy— or lady, may be, they’ll be one lucky son of a bitch,” he looks up from his writing and smiles. Corinne returns a bashful grin before Mr.Clark interrupts. “But we’ll make sure he’s not too lucky,” He flips to the next page. “One of the main concerns your mother brought to me was your inheritance—” I fucking knew it.”She assumed it’d be a point of contention in the divorce filings so she’d like it included in the prenuptial agreement,” Well that’s probably the most seemingly logical thought she’s had in decades. “Oh, I don’t see why that’d be an issue,” she shrugs and smiles at Mr.Clark who offers her a smile in return. Veneers. For sure. “So the clause we drafted states that your partner receives 10% of the differential between the day the prenuptial is validated and the day the divorce is finalized,” she nods. “You can always fight for less but this felt like an agreeable number,” She nods again. “No, 10 is fine,” in reality she’s lost in her own thoughts— who could theoretically receive all this money? She makes a potential husband shortlist in her mind.

CORINNE JESSICA MORRIS-??? HUSBAND SHORTLIST

???

Ryan-Dean Marks

Luka ???

Gavin Moir

     The list is short with reason, yes she would if asked but, they’re all hypotheticals. They’re also all people she wouldn’t mind sharing a life with nor an amicable divorce. Which is a terrible thought to think but its a genuine fear she has. Isn’t the statistic something like 50% of marriages end in divorce? Her parents had their trials and tribulations but, lasted through it all. She knew too many couples that didn’t make it through though, and that’s what really scared her. She always quietly mentions to herself— you’ll be different. you’ll make it work. “Now there’s also alimony, which is sometimes waived but, It’s beneficial to at least set up a framework; less headaches down the road.” Garrett’s voice interrupts her thoughts, and she snaps out of her gaze and turns to him. “Do you plan on having children?” He asks. “Of course,” she replies, sitting a little straighter in her seat. “An increasing number of women are opting not to,” he says almost defensively. “When you have children, child support trumps alimony. It’d be fruitless to define the terms of child support so early on, do remember this is simply a framework.” Mr.Clark adds and both she and Garrett nod in unison.

     “For alimony we’re suggesting the differential of 45% of your net income and 30% of your partners net income.” Garrett says. Is that enough? Is that too much? She doesn’t imagine herself marrying someone so wildly out of her tax bracket but it’s all about protection right? “This seems like a lot of money going out,” her voice is quiet as she inspects the papers before her. “It’ll make the process easier,” “It’s just a framework,” Mr.Clark and Garrett’s voices overlap as they both look at her and she’s frozen in place. Mr.Clark gives Garrett a sideways glance before clearing his throat. “An attractive prenuptial agreement is beneficial for all parties sweetheart, and like Mr.Howard said it’s only a framework, we’ll most definitely do alterations down the line at you or your spouse’s request, alright Connie?” He smiles again, teeth too white and too straight. Corinne returns an uneasy smile and quietly utters “okay,” and that’s how they proceed. For the next hour and a half, outlining the details of the money she’ll split with an invisible suitor. When they finish and walk her to the door, bouquet in one hand and a box of macarons under the other, she thanks them for their time and they thank her for her’s. After a hug from Mr.Clark and handing off her security card to Garrett who says he’ll take care of it she’s left alone with her thoughts.

     She steps into a surprisingly empty elevator and as the doors close with a soft click, she feels a tear roll down her cheek. She uses the back of her hand to wipe it away before the elevator is inundated with more passengers. She’s exhausted, she wants to be back home in D.C. Alone in her bed, with the lights off. She opts for a taxi rather than the train and sits in silence as the financial district passes by her window. She greets the doorman with a strained smile before taking another elevator up to her brother’s apartment. In the silence of the tiled hallway she leans her head against their front door and stifles more tears before taking a deep breath and wiping her tears away as best she could. She unlocks the front door and is greeted by Alessia and her nephew. She can’t help the smile that replaces the tears. “Hey, didn’t know you were back so soon,” Alessia says as she passes Cain off to an awaiting Corinne. “We were just about to go on a walk, you down?” She asks absentmindedly as she packs a diaper bag. “Okay, I’d love to. Lemme’ go change my shoes,” she says softly as she plays with her nephew’s tiny hands. you’ll be different. you’ll make it work.

[yuniesan]

Girl Meets Season 6 - Episode Ten

Synopsis: The Journey from High School and into College will test everything Riley knew about her life, her friendships and her love. What life lessons will she learn in her first year of college?  

[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9]

A/N: Sometimes I wonder if I should write an alternate universe College Fic where they all meet in college instead of them meeting in middle school/grade school.

Episode Ten – Girl Meets Radio Days

There was a call for radio DJ’s at school, Riley had heard that they wanted fresh voices for the school’s radio station. She didn’t want to do it but she thought of the three most perfect people of it, and she wanted to see if they could have fun together while entertaining the rest of the school. Taking the flyer, she skipped towards her room thinking of how to bring it up with the three troublemakers. She loved them, honestly, she did, but sometimes when Charlie, Zay, and Sam got together it felt like they were joking about one thing or plotting something else.

She sat in her room thinking of a way to broach the subject when she saw them next, while working on her homework. The semester was almost over and she had papers to hand in and test to study for, so she wasn’t sure it was a good idea to bring this up with the trio, because they were in the same place, but since the flyer specified that they would start in the spring if they were accepted then it should have been alright.

With her mind wandering she hadn’t heard the door open, she hadn’t known anything had happened until Lucas put his arms around her making her jump, and sending her heart into a frenzy.

“Lucas,” she squealed out as he kissed her cheek. “Give me a heart attack why don’t you.”

Her heart was hammering in her chest, “Sorry I thought you heard me come in, usually you’re trying to finish a paragraph before you turn around,” he said as she tried to control her own heart. “Sorry for scaring you.”

“No, I’m sorry,” she said as she turned the chair towards where he stood. “My mind was somewhere else.”

“Riley,” he kneeled down in front of her before taking her hands. “What were you thinking about that made you forget that there’s a whole world around you?”

“I was thinking about the whole radio DJ thing,” she said to him before putting one of her hands on his face, looking into those green eyes she’s known so well for so long. “Not for me but for Charlie, Zay, and Sam.”

Lucas watched her eyes for a moment, as she ran her hands through the roughness of his five o’clock shadow. “They would be an interesting combination on the air, especially when they’re plotting something,” he said before he took her hand and kissed it.

“Yeah well I figured after the whole writing contest thing, that it would be a good idea to give them a hobby, plus it also means that they wouldn’t get into too much trouble, and they’re good at talking.”

“I’m also sure that putting them there would mean that they wouldn’t have the time to plot out another way to sign you up for something that you weren’t sure of.”

“Don’t remind me,” she said thinking back to Halloween weekend, they had all decided to go to a party, they needed to relax, only for Zay and Sam to shove her on stage before blindfolding her and dropping her into a kiddie pool full of jello. “They’re a menace I tell you.”

“You sound like your dad,” he said with a laugh. Riley looked at him horrified, she hadn’t realized that her father’s mannerisms had rubbed off to the point where she would quote him at a moment’s notice. “Don’t worry, it’s cute. Plus, there’s days where you sound like your mom too. They raised you so it was bound to happen.”

“It’s still weird though,” she said to him making him laugh.

“Okay,” he said after he could breathe again. “Tell me more about the radio thing.”

It took her ten minutes to explain to Lucas about the fact that she knew that the trio would be good for the radio station. They all experienced life differently, they were from three very different backgrounds, but they all had gone through their own problems over the years. She knew that they could talk about a number of things, while at the same time relating to other people. There was also the fact that they liked to make jokes and laugh which would be fun for their classmates to listen to, especially during stressful times like finals.

“Well Zay has always loved cracking jokes, plus he’s good with music,” Lucas said when she finished. “I’m still getting to know Sam but from having lunch with her during the week, I realized that she’s a good person, and while I’m still trying to get over the fact that Charlie is around, it would be good for him too.”

“For all three of them,” she said feeling weird for plotting this.

-----

Bringing up the idea to the trio was a lot harder for Riley than she would have thought, mainly because they were all on a weird finals schedule and they were nowhere near each other or in the same place. They didn’t even have time to have their usual lunches between classes, they were almost always running in one direction or another. Lucas always made sure to stop by her room to check on her, and she always brought him a snack when she was sure that he hadn’t left the library in hours. His classes were a little more demanding than hers, because she was still undeclared while he was in the veterinary sciences, so she worried about him.

At the end of the week she still hadn’t had the chance to talk to Charlie, Zay, or Sam about the radio thing and was about to give up until she got a message from Zay about a movie night. The message as it turned out was from Sam, who had taken Zay’s phone by accident during a mad dash to the dining hall.

“It’s insane, I really should put a different case on mine,” Sam said as she leaned back on her bed while Riley looked through Netflix for a movie. “But I was like, what are the odds that someone would have the same phone case as mine, it’s only a bunch of cookies.”

“Yeah but Zay loves cookies,” Riley said with a smile. “One time his grandmother sent him a cookie, this was during freshman year of high school and it was cookie day, I had an assignment from school for a debate, so I decided to be evil to understand the assignment, and I stole Zay’s cookie and told him it wasn’t that good of a cookie.”

“That doesn’t sound very nice,” Sam said to her, but Riley could only smile.

“I know and I felt bad about it after a while, but if it weren’t for that cookie we wouldn’t have started taking baking classes, and we wouldn’t be as close as we are now,” Riley sighed thinking about the early years of her friendship with Zay. “Don’t get me wrong we were close but it always felt as if there was this invisible wall between the two of us.”

“I doubt that, you’re a very friendly person.”

“That’s the thing though, for Zay I was the girl Lucas couldn’t stop talking about, I was the one stealing away his best friend, and well in some ways, I was the reason Lucas had changed so much since leaving Texas. There was always this weird thing because of it, but after the cookie incident I guess we sort of found a happy middle.”

“I wish I had had friends like that growing up,” Sam said smiling. “My sister wasn’t the best sister I could have had, when my mom remarried it was weird and having Missy for a sister was probably not always the best when it came to making friends.”

“Well now you have friends, and we’ll be there for you,” Riley said smiling, she loved meeting new people, but she also loved it when her inner circle of friends expanded.

The door swung open revealing Zay with a bag full of snack in his hand. “We have food,” he said as he walked in, Charlie not far behind with a bag of drinks.

The four of them settled around the small TV they had in her and Sam’s room, Lucas was still in class finishing up his lab so Riley was left to cuddle with her pillow until he got there.

“What are we watching,” Charlie said as he settled himself on the floor in front of Riley’s bed.

“Sense and Sensibility,” she said as a joke remembering how Charlie had told her about his sisters. When he looked at her with wide eyes she couldn’t stop herself from laughing. “I’m joking, we’re watching Thor Ragnarok.”

“I hate being the only boy in my family,” Charlie muttered and while Zay and Sam started laughing.

“Oh, before we start,” Riley said before dropping her pillow to grab the flier on her nightstand. “I saw this a while ago and thought about you three.”

She handed the flyer to Zay who had been sitting on Sam’s bed, the three of them converged around it and started reading it. “I thought it would be fun for you guys to have a radio show,” she said not knowing if it was a good idea anymore. “I think it would be a good outlet for you,” she continued, while thinking that they would stop ganging up on her for certain things.

“As interesting as it sounds,” Zay looked up after a moment. “Why not you?”

“I already have a million things on my plate,” it wasn’t a lie, she was always doing something. “Plus, you three like to joke around, and you’re so different from each other, not just in family background but in all aspects, but you all click and you can give advice on things like what you’ve lived through.”

“Again, why not you?” Zay asked one more time.

“I don’t know, I guess I just want to concentrate on my writing, and school, plus I was thinking of going out for the school’s journal instead.”

Zay nodded along with her words before smiling. “You’re going to be a great writer one day,” he said with a smile. “And well, maybe this would be fun. I don’t have anything in my background other than sports though.”

“I doubt that matters,” Sam said looking at them. “I have academics in my background.”

“I have nothing other than a part-time job and some sports,” Charlie added.

“See what I mean,” Riley said smiling at the trio, “From what I know, Zay loves music… a lot, it’s also really diverse because he could be talking about Celine Dion one moment and Childish Gambino another. Charlie, you love to talk about movies, it’s weird that you watch the b movies more than anything even if some of them are horrible. Sam, while we’ve only known each other for a short time, you have a sense of humor and a passion for books, that scares me sometimes but heck if I know anything.”

“You my friend pay too much attention to the people around you,” Sam said before getting up and sitting next to Riley. “I’m with Zay though, you should do this with us, you’re a people person, you’re good with helping others, and you have this unhealthy infatuation with Cuddle Bunnies and Red Planet Diaries.”

“Not cool Sam,” Riley said feeling her face heat up. The only reason Sam even knows about Cuddle Bunnies is because she caught Riley and Lucas watching it one day, while cuddled up against each other.

“Oh god,” Zay said before he started laughing. “It’s Lucas… oh man… this is too funny.”

“What,” Charlie asked before Zay started cracking up next to him.

“Zay if you know what’s good for you,” Riley said in warning, pointing her finger at him. “You won’t say another word.”

“Yes, Miss Matthews,” he said before turning to Charlie. “Lucas loves Cuddle Bunnies.”

“Isaiah Babineaux, you meanie,” she screamed out before throwing her purple pillow at him, Zay stuck his tongue out and she launched herself off her own bed, landing on him before attempting to smoother him with Sam’s pillow.

The door opened behind them, Lucas standing there gaping at what she was doing, “Do I even want to know what Zay did to piss off Riley?” Lucas asked before walking inside and taking off his coat.

“Something about you and Cuddle Bunnies,” Charlie answered.

Lucas’s eyes went wide, “Riley you have my permission to kill him.”

“Lucas, NO,” Zay screamed out.

“Riley,” Lucas said looking into her eyes communicating his intent to take out his best friend, for revealing his secret, so she hit Zay with the pillow. Laughing for a moment before she stopped her assault on Zay she jumped off of the bed and walked over to her boyfriend, kissing him on the lips while smiling. “Nice to know you have my back,” he said softly before putting his arm around her.

“I have been forsaken,” Zay screamed out. “And attacked.”

“Yeah well, it’s your own fault,” Charlie said before getting up and sitting on the bed next to Zay. “Now can we finish this conversation so that we can start the movie already.”

“Fine,” Zay said grumbling and acting wounded, before winking at Riley. She knew he wasn’t really hurt, honestly it reminded her of Auggie, the way they used to fight.

“What’s there more to say,” Sam said looking at the room. “The four of us could fill up an hour or two just talking and playing music once in a while, it’s not like we would have to do it every day.”

“Wait,” Lucas said to the room. “Four of you?”

“Yeah, we’re dragging Riley into this,” Zay said with a smile. “It wouldn’t be the same without her around.”

“Plus, if there’s anyone here who could keep us in check it’s her,” Charlie added.

Lucas smiled at her, “Well I approve, it also means that if I had to study I could listen to you all joke around.”

“See big plus all around, now let’s watch the movie,” Charlie said before settling himself next to Zay, Sam on his other side, while Riley snuggled up next to Lucas.

“Sure whatever,” she said admitting defeat, there was no way to get around the three of them, and she knew she would have fun even if they just talked about random things on the air.

[turkiyeecom]

E3 2019 in photos: Gooigi, crazy arcade machines, and a DOOM museum

"Great work!" — Plus, the National Videogame Museum returns with some of its craziest rarities yet. Sam Machkovech and Kyle Orland - Jun 16, 2019 1:00 pm UTC LOS ANGELES—If you couldn't or didn't make it to E3 2019, you're not the only one. Anecdotal evidence suggests this was the most poorly attended E3 in some time (though its organizers at the ESA insist that this E3 had only 3,000 fewer attendees than 2018's jam-packed affair), owing perhaps to Sony's no-show or the abundance of live-streamed options for enjoying the event at your own home. Luigi and Gooigi attracted hordes of attendees excited to pose for photos. Sam Machkovech Inside the Luigi's Mansion 3 booth, fans could pose with a guy in a Luigi costume. Nintendo went all-out building a haunted house for these kiosks, but my photos of it turned out terribly. It was easier to get photos of the toy dioramas built around the Link's Awakening gameplay kiosks. Nintendo built four of them in all. A closer zoom on the plastic minis Nintendo built just for this occasion. Link delves into a dungeon. "YOU SHALL NOT PASS!" "Wrong series, dude." I'll admit, I kinda lost my mind seeing this adorable Link and Marin meet-cute diorama. Marin in Smash Bros. Ultimate? A guy can dream, right? The EA Play event at the Hollywood Palladium included this impressive cast of paid Apex Legends cosplayers. Yes, the person cosplaying as Octane is a bilateral amputee. You couldn't buy these impressive 10" Apex Legends statues at EA Play. But you could buy a ton of shirts and hoodies. As an Apex Legends fan, Ars's Sam Machkovech nearly bought the "bamboozled" one. For some reason, EA Play hosted an Anthem gameplay session... and for some reason, attendees actually waited for it. FIFA '20 hosted an arena-soccer match. The McLaren Senna features in the new LEGO Speed expansion pack for Forza Horizon 4, so naturally, Microsoft had someone make a life-sized McLaren Serra model out of LEGO bricks. They went to pretty insane trouble to include significant elements from the real deal. Real wheels, real LEGO blocks. This refreshed version of the Xbox Elite Controller (dubbed "version 2") will launch in November for $180 and features such perks as a rechargeable battery, a controller-charging case, increased hair-trigger responsiveness, and more. We couldn't test the new XEC with any games, but its newly texturized grip and significant heft felt good to hold on its own. C'mon, Xbox, you think we're gonna steal this thing? How dare you. Say hello to one of Gears 5's newest, most disgusting monsters. It's not a Gears of War character if it doesn't have chest-high cover nearby. The best thing about Gears 5's new "Escape" mode is that it supports three-player split-screen co-op. More of this kinda thing, please, Xbox Game Studios. The newest LEGO Star Wars release this coming holiday season revolves around the "Skywalker Saga," so naturally, it's time to trot out the old LEGO Han in LEGO carbonite statue again. Coach's Pac-Man line of bags and accessories. For the discerning, fancypants gamer. More Pac-Man and classic-Namco swag. Pretty solid 10" Tekken statues. The entire Bandai Namco fancy-collectible wall was pretty great, honestly. I couldn't take photos of the Final Fantasy VII Remake gameplay kiosks, but I could take photos of the series' Shinra Corporation stuff all around it. For example, this recreation of an iconic FFVII backdrop. Square Enix put up a few Shinra advertisements around the kiosks. See? They have Midgar's best interests at heart! I really hope there's a full cartoon series hidden inside of FFVII Remake starring this cartoon dog. Someone please translate this for us. A small detail of the amazing theater room for Psychonauts 2. TEETH! Arcade1UP had a significant E3 presence with its home-friendly versions of classic arcade machines. The manufacturer used E3 to reveal its newest product: a Star Wars Atari arcade trilogy collection, coming "late 2019." Another look at its handsome side cabinet art. I had to stand on a stool to get a better look at the screen and controller. Because this cabinet was set up on a precarious platform, it was not playable at E3. An Arcade1UP representative said it collaborated with Disney and Lucasfilm in the making of this cabinet, then studied original classic arcade hardware to recreate the controller. Rather than answer my technical questions about how the controller was constructed in this modern version, the Arcade1UP rep insisted that it sought input from arcade cabinet collectors to confirm that its version nailed the original cabinets' feel and mechanical action. Another new Arcade1UP cabinet: the TMNT collection, which includes both of Konami's four-player brawlers in one cabinet. (Most of their cabs include at least two games, if not a few more.) It seems to comfortably support four players, but I liked this group's tweak: letting the middle player simultaneously control two turtles. Then there was this absolutely ridiculous thing that Arcade1UP built for the heckuvit. That's intrepid Ars Technica editor Sam Machkovech up there pretending to play the game. I hope the hand on the joystick makes clear how stupidly massive this whole rig was. But it worked... and Sam won his match. Really, Sam? Be professional. Sega's booth had its own oversized-controller gimmick to celebrate the impending launch of the Sega Genesis Mini this September. It's not really E3 until Ubisoft has a stage full of professional dancers and average fans getting down to Just Dance as one awkward collective. A peek at the poster-covered walls inside of Cyberpunk 2077's behind-closed-doors booth. Capcom had a relatively meager showing at E3, with this new Monster Hunter World expansion taking up most of the company's booth. But, hey, at least they had some nice 10" dragons under glass. Hold me closer, tiny draaaagonnnnns. Sorry, Street Fighter fans. Capcom didn't come to E3 2019 with any news about either SFV or any new fighting games. Just 10" figurines. Chun-Li and Cammy, kicking ass beneath glass. Larger than life. Just like Borderlands should be. Kyle Orland This was by far the best part of the Destroy All Humans revival attempt. Kyle Orland Pixl Cube was one of the more inventive games at the Indiecade booth, a tilt-sensitive box with LED dots that moved through a maze as if pulled by gravity. Kyle Orland In the entryway for Youtube Gaming's creator space, blocks from the show floor, a Google Stadia controller sits behind glass with a mock-up of a retro game store. Kyle Orland The YouTube Gaming space also featured some streamers on old-school CRT TVs, which was a weird look. Kyle Orland Cute. Kyle Orland The YouTube Gaming logo sits on a fake cartridge alongside... Hyper Chroma Ultra? Kyle Orland Nothing says "E3" like a guy in a Yoshi/Mario costume livestreaming himself as he balks loudly at the show floor's $6 pretzels. Kyle Orland New Wave Toys is expanding its Replicade line of authentic miniature cabinets with the likes of these two Capcom classics. Kyle Orland MyArcade is expanding from miniature cabinets to massive portable systems capable of playing actual NES and SNES cartridges. Kyle Orland MyArcade's upcoming Contra cabinet even includes link cable support for two player action. Don't you DARE touch this actual Contra cabinet in the MyArcade booth, though. Kyle Orland That being said, we attended, and Ars Technica came back from Los Angeles with plenty to show for it. In addition to a few more hands-on previews coming (which will build upon the best-of E3 2019 list we already filed), we took our cameras out at both the official E3 halls and nearby events (Xbox Fan Fest, EA Play). I gotta say, in this modern political climate, I have been calling every year "the year of doom." A very nice pencil sketch taken from the original PC game's box art. I'd never seen these minis before, but now I want to play DOOM-opoly. A better zoom on these metal beasts. Collect me plenty. Now for some impressive 3D molds of famed DOOM demons. See? It's like a museum. Funnily enough, this is my "I don't know what to do with my hands" pose when I stand for photos. The secret for awkward photo poses: turn your arms into massive rocket launchers. Way less awkward! As one of DOOM 64's longtime fans, I stood at this specific panel for a while. This might be the least-blurry these N64 sprites have ever looked. (The N64 famously smothered its sprites in a disgusting, smeary blur.) More figurines on display. More figurines on display. More swag on display. More swag on display. The result is a whopping three image galleries here. The first is a catch-all for most of the basic, expected fare, while the second and third focus on retro elements: a DOOM-specific mini-museum, and a curated collection of very rare gaming hardware and collectibles courtesy of the National Videogame Museum in Frisco, Tex. (If you've never been to that physical location before, we strongly encourage you to book a trip.) You know the retro portion of E3 is serious when they put this thing behind a rope. Truly one of a kind. Click the image to get a better look at the information placard. Yep, those are traditional Saturn controller ports. We'd never seen these Vectrex prototypes and variants before. The innards of a prototype color Vectrex system that never saw production. Kyle Orland Anybody think they can repair this thing? Yes, the only scoring cart that remains from this Super Nintendo championship event. Also, a killer Vectrex jacket. How the heck does the NVM keep finding and showing off such incredible game-history rarities? Some cool mementos from the original Mortal Kombat. The placard explains how rare this system is... ... based on this specific message signed by none other than Bill Gates. I don't care how puffy this jacket is. I'd wear it. Every year, the National Video Game Museum trots out at least one previously confidential binder taken from a major gaming company. This year's was Nintendo. I'm always fascinated by internal '80s and '90s documentation about piracy and cartridge backup systems. This section went on for a few more pages and even included grainy photos of various cartridge-copying devices. Video games: the board game! Video games: the, uh, VHS game! Well before the Game Boy revolutionized portable gaming, kids of the '70s and '80s were stuck with these clunkers. One wall was dedicated to particularly rare game consoles that launched solely in Japan. Eat your heart out, Donkey Konga. This is one of Gunpei Yokoi's classic electronic games that he designed for Nintendo in the '70s. This makes me wish Ulala was in an actual '80s cartoon. Kyle Orland In addition to popular and common fare in the coin-op section, the NVM trotted out a few machines we rarely see at classic gaming expos, like this fetching Jungle King cab. True story: we asked Double Fine studio founder and creative director Tim Schafer if he could step back for a second so we could take a photo of this handsome Omega Race cabinet. "I used to play this game all the time as a kid," he remarked before stepping away slowly. (If you're wondering, he signs his name "TIM" in high-score tables.) And we couldn't leave E3 without a walk through the almost carnival-like selection of vendors and inventions in the expo's very back hall. Look below at the show's weird "et cetera" section. Here's a gallery of E3 2019's oddest booths and products. "Wow, how nice and COOL!" we're sure you are saying to yourself. Kyle Orland Thermoreal uses superconductors (?!) to simulate a cold or hot feeling in metal. The company integrated this tech into VR-compatible gloves and a VR headset. As the VR environment changes, so does the sensation of real-life temperature. Trippy! Kyle Orland This 1,000 MaH battery pack for the Switch was heavy, but the harness made it pretty easy to slide on and off to use only when it's needed. Kyle Orland Some extremely generic-looking custom chip boards for use in mini-arcade devices and portable emulation devices. If anybody reading this has the rights to the Atari Jaguar Mini, look them up. Kyle Orland Why stream games to a smartphone with Google Stadia when the Smach Z packs an entire 1080p gaming PC with a 6" screen into a rather bulky portable package? Doom (2016) ran with noticeable judders, and the unit got noticeably hot in our test. But the fact that it works at all was impressive. Kyle Orland The Tactsuit haptic system jolts your body when playing compatible VR games and software. Kyle Orland The Vuvana system has something to do with using a new blockchain cryptocurrency to buy and "own" items in virtual reality, which you can view on a cell phone with this included viewer, apparently. Kyle Orland Oversized controllers were all the rage at E3 2019, but this one went to the trouble of building in a monitor for its game, Street Fighter 2. Kyle Orland Remember the iCade Mini? Someone sure does... Kyle Orland GameBoks is just like it sounds—a wooden box that houses a monitor, power supply, and a space to hold and connect your game console. Between this and the new Atari VCS, wood paneling is apparently the hot new retro-hardware trend. Kyle Orland Proximat is being sold as a "mousepad for your virtual reality feet." It gives VR players a physical indication of their play space's center point, complete with high-grade gel for foot comfort. Kyle Orland If this is a thing you're looking for (for some reason), E3 has you covered. Kyle Orland Amazingly, a product with "360 ONE X" in its name has nothing to do with Xbox (it's a 360 degree camera designed for VR) Kyle Orland Neither vinyl nor fidget spinners are dead at E3 2019. Kyle Orland I need some quick energy after seeing all of these amazing products. It's my lucky day! Kyle Orland How do you make money selling $100 worth of stuff for $40? It's an economic miracle! Kyle Orland This balance board is mainly meant for some easy exercise while at a standing desk, but its producers were marketing it to gamers with a Mortal Kombat 11 display. Kyle Orland And the award for "most dystopian sounding slogan at E3" goes to... Kyle Orland "In the 1989 Future" is a legitimately great tagline, we have to admit. Kyle Orland Listing image by Sam Machkovech Read More Read the full article

[masked-fox-creations]

When The Strangers Blew In, Ch. 11

Fidds really gets to shine in this part. Don't worry, Rick has his own moments in the next. I just had to break up the carnival into two chapters because it was getting long and it flows better this way. Lots of things are gonna happen after this.

Summary: Stanford and Stanley Pines dream of a different life. One where they’re not just tidying their pa’s shop or helping ma take care of the baby. Where they can live freely as the men they know they are, instead of pa hounding them to marry before they become spinsters. They get a taste of that possibility when two strangers blow into town, but with them comes a heap of trouble.

Pairings: Rick/Stan (stanchez); Fiddleford/Stanford (fiddauthor)

Warnings for this chapter: Mild suggestive comments from Rick, the usual mild time period racism and snobbery from Bud and Preston.

ao3 link

Chapter 11— I Know I’ll Hear You Singing

Stanley was hurriedly fixing Stanford’s hair as Stanford adjusted the belt around Stanley’s waist. They refused to admit how long they had been running around their room trying to find the perfect look. Discarded dresses littered the floor and bed, and their sanity was a mess of jewelry and accessories.

Just as they stepped back from each other for a final appraisal there was a knock at the front door. Stanley grabbed his brother’s arm and shot out of their room and down the stairs, passing Ma who was heading towards the door herself. She stepped back with a knowing grin, letting the twins answer it.

“Howdy!” they panted in unison.

Rick and Fiddleford looked even classier than they had the previous night. Stanley made a not to compliment Carla later.

“Ready to go?” Rick asked.

“Anywhere with you,” Stanley said without thinking. He quickly grabbed Rick’s wrist and pulled him inside. “Ma! Guess who’s here?”

“Two fine gentlemen?”

“Nope.”

“Not even close, ma. Your psychic powers must be off today.”

“Must be all the rain we’ve gotten.”

“Hello, ma’am,” Fiddleford greeted as Rick nodded. At her pointed look he quickly corrected, “I mean, Martha.”

Shermie wiggled in her arms. He reached out towards the men saying, “Fih, Fih!”

“Aw, hello, little guy.”

Fiddleford tickled the babe who giggled happily. Ma rolled her eyes and handed Shermie over.

“Here, I need ta finish getting ready, anyway. And apparently ta light a fire under your father.”

“Why don’t we go on ahead, Ma?” Stanley suggested hopefully. “Hm. Well, if you two promise not to take advantage of these precious flowers.”

“Of course, ma’am, we would never,” Fiddleford assured.

“I was talking to the twins. Behave yourselves, girls.”

“I promise we’ll behave like ourselves. Thanks, Ma!”

The twins hurriedly kissed her goodbye and dragged the men back outside.

“Yer ma’s quite the woman,” Fiddleford commented, shifting Shermie in his arms.

“Yeah, it’s easy to see who you two take after.”

“I’ll assume those are both compliments. Now let’s go.”

Rick offered his arm. “May I, little lady?”

“You may fuck off,” Stanley returned, walking past him. Rick just grinned and followed.

“So wh-what, what is this fair like? Don’t tell me it’s all puritan dancing and coleslaw.”

Stanford furrowed his brow.

“You make no sense on most occasions Rick, have i ever told you that?”

“Don’t worry, there are plenty of games. Ring toss, tests of strength, all the good ones.”

“I’m great at games,” Rick said. “Want me to win you a doll, Lee?”

Stanley snorted.

“I’d make you eat it, Rick.”

“I’d rather eat—” “And this conversation’s over!” Stanford declared as Fiddleford covered Shermie’s ears. Rick gave an innocent smile.

“I was just going to say ice cream.”

“Ish crem!”

“See? The kid gets me.”

Festivities were already underway when they reached the fair. Stalls with various games and confections were set up all over, and a band was playing a cheerful tune beside a dancing stage that had been erected. It was bustling with happy families and couples, and little children ran merrily about from one attraction to the other.

“Ain’t this lovely,” Fiddleford commented.

“Quaint,” Rick returned, not quite sounding impressed.

Stanley ignored him, scanning the crowd. There on the stage was Susan. She was dancing with a couple of younger kids. Shandra he recognized right away, and Boyish Dan Corduroy; he couldn’t remember the name of the last girl, something with a ’t’. He caught Susan’s eye and waved. In a flash she hopped down and over, dragging her dance partners along.

“You’re here!” she exclaimed happily, throwing her arms around Stanley. When she pulled away she gave Rick and Fiddleford a once over. “Don’t you two look nice. Carla really pulled out all her magic this time.”

“Th-the hell is that supposed to mean?”

“Wink,” Susan giggled, turning back to the twins. “I told her that shirt would look good on Fidds, and was I right or what?”

Shandra scoffed, looking Rick and Fiddleford over for herself. She didn’t seem impressed.

“Problem, kid?” Rick snapped. She shrugged.

“Well, I suppose I can understand the low standards, considering the few available—and even fewer decent men around here.”

“Yeesh, Shandra, pleasant as always,” Stanley said, rolling his eyes.

“Well, she’s right in part, and we’ve said as much before,” Stanford pointed out, and his twin nodded in agreement. Then Stanford side-eyed Rick. “Besides, she’s not completely wrong.”

Rick narrowed his eyes petulantly but went ignored.

“Uh, does that include me?” Dan asked worriedly.

The third kid put her arm on Dan’s with a giggle. “I’m sure Shandra didn’t mean you.”

The other girl scoffed, causing Dan to frown.

“Shandra, entertain the boys a minute, we’ll be right back,” Susan said, taking either twin by the arm and leading them away. The other girl followed them.

She stopped when they were a good distance away from the others, while also not near any other listening ears. Susan let go of them to pull the girl up beside her, her wide smile an odd juxtaposition with the younger kid’s suddenly nervous expression.

“What’s going on here?” Stanley finally asked.

“Stanley, Stanford—”

“Whoa!” Stanley interjected, his twin stiffening beside him. “I, uh, got no idea who you’re talking about there. Never heard those names in our life, right Sixer?”

Susan held up a calming hand and assured, “It’s okay, Tressa knows.”

“Um, I was actually thinking I’d prefer the name Tyler, if you don’t mind.”

“Aww, that’s a cute name for you! Boys, Tyler here was walking around late one night around the saloon and saw you two apparently jumping out of a window and found out your secret. He came to me and we got to talking and, well, Tyler, these are Stanford and Stanley Pines. I know they don’t look like much, but they’re boys like you.”

“Wait, so you…?”

Tyler nodded adamantly confident smile on his face now.

“I started talking to Susan one day and she said I wasn’t the only one. I could hardly believe it! All this time I thought I was alone, like, like—”

“Like a freak,” Stanley supplied.

“An anomaly,” Stanford added, not quite looking at anyone.

Tyler nodded.

“But I’m not—we’re not. Oh, this is so exciting!”

Suddenly Tyler’s arms were around both twins, squeezing as tight as he could. Then Susan was joining in and they were trapped.

“Oh boy, another hugger. Great.”

“This is going on far too long,” Stanford said, catching Stanley’s eyes and silently pleading for him to end it.

“Alright, enough of this touchy feely stuff. We’re here to have fun, right? And be extremely petty.”

Finally the pair let go. Both were beaming.

“Right! Oh, I’m going to dance with Dan the whole night through! I’m so glad I found you two.”

“Ah, well, we know how, uh, how weird and hard this is,” Stanley said, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. “So if ya ever got questions or anything—”

“We’re here,” Stanford finished with a small smile of his own.

“Thank you so much!”

Tyler threw his arms around them again for one last hug before racing back to the others.

“Isn’t it just wild finding someone else like you?” Susan wondered. “Makes you wonder how many other folk like you are out there.”

They shared a secret look as Susan followed after Tyler. Then they glanced over at the waiting group. It was hard to tell if Rick and Shandra were getting along or butting heads; Stanley secretly feared what they could accomplish together.

“The world just keeps expanding,” Stanford mused, adjusting his glasses.

Stanley clamped him on the shoulder.

“Yup. Let’s go see how far it goes.”

They rejoined the others, Stanley snaking an arm around Rick’s waist while Stanford went to Fiddleford’s side. He didn’t miss the other man entwine their fingers together.

“Alright, I for one am ready to have some fun,” Stanley said, interrupting whatever conversation they had been having.

“Then let’s get out of here.”

Stanley smacked Rick’s hat over his eyes.
 “Well, I’m certainly eager to check out the games,” Fiddleford said. “I’ll have you know carnival games are my specialty.”

“I expect you to win Sixer something good then.”

“I reckon I’ll have to win the biggest prize they have.”

A blush creeping up his neck Stanford said, “That’s unnecessary, you don’t have to. Really.”

“Oh no, no, I’ve been challenged and I don’t intend ta back down. Prepare to get the biggest prize we can find.”

With that confident declaration Fiddleford excused himself and pulled Stanford along towards the game stalls. He weakly protested but didn’t try to wrest free. Stanley and Rick readily followed.

“Is he actually any good?” Stanley wondered, speaking low so Fiddleford wouldn’t overhear.

“Oh yeah. I-it’s pretty impressive.”

“Swell.” Stanley paused a moment before adding, “You better win me something, too.”

“What? The hell do I look like?”

“Like a guy who’s supposed to be courting me.”

“You know, I offered earlier but you just insulted me.”

“You weren’t being serious then and we both know it.” Stanley shrugged. “But I get it. Too tall an order.” Rick quirked his eyebrow as Stanley patted his shoulder. “Don’t worry if you’re not man enough, I’m sure Fiddlesticks can win me something, too.”

Over his shoulder Fiddleford called out, “Can do, darlin’!”

Shermie squirmed around to peer at Rick, gurgling out something that sounded vaguely like, “Darlin’!”

Rick scowled but followed Fiddleford around the booths as the latter scanned their options. He was attempting to get Stanford to pick out what prize he wanted. Cheeks red, Stanford kept insisting Fiddleford didn’t need to win him anything. Which of course Fiddleford ignored.

Stanley, who had been scanning the place for Carla, interrupted them as his eyes landed on the woman. She was just across the fairgrounds sitting on a tree stump, stetson hat on her head and banjo in her hands. The woman was strumming away and her mouth was moving, though they were too far way to hear what she was singing.

“I-is she wearing my scarf?” Rick asked in disbelief. FIddleford looked up and his eyes widened.

“My banjo!”

Carla’s eyes landed on the four and she waved exuberantly at them. Fiddleford and Rick instantly marched over, the twins hot on their heels.

“Careful with my baby!” Fiddleford cried, reaching for the instrument. Carla snatched it away before he could grab it, wagging a finger.

“Careful now. You wouldn’t want to jostle that baby.”

“I’ll jostle you if you don’t take my scarf off,” Rick threatened. All it did was make her giggle.

“Hello, Carla,” the twins chimed.

“It didn’t take you long at all to steal their things,” Stanford commented.

“Don't worry, it means she likes ya.”

“Borrowed, thank you very much. And all it means is I have an eye for pretty things. Hence why I borrowed this hat.”

“Used to be my favorite, too,” Stanley sighed.

Carla stuck out her tongue and he pushed the brim down over her eyes.

“No manners at all.”

With a sigh Fiddleford said, “Please just don’t damage my Delilah.”

“What kinda girl do you take me for?”

“I shouldn’t say those words in front of a child.”

Carla let out a dramatic gasp.

“You’re all uncouth. Perfect for each other.”

“Ain’t that sweet,” Fiddleford replied, smiling now. Carla grinned back.

“Alright, weren’t we promised prizes?” Stanley spoke up.

“Ah-already told you that’s not happening now, Lee.”

“In a rare turn of events, I agree with Rick. You really don’t have to win us anything.”

“Nonsense! I thought I saw a stall with squashes that looked like they had faces. Wouldja like one of ‘em?”

Stanford’s face scrunched up, unsure if he was joking or not. Fiddleford seemed sincere, however, and Stanford didn’t know what to think—let alone how to respond. He didn’t get the chance to figure it out.

“Ah, Leah, Leanne!”

“Don’t you girls look downright charming.”

“And suddenly there was a sour taste on the wind,” Carla muttered, just loud enough for the four to hear.

Stanley turned to the unwelcome pair, pulling Rick around with him. Flashing them a smirk he nestled against Rick’s side.

“Oh, didn’t you guys bring a date?”

They instantly bristled. It was going to be a good day.

“Hmph. I see you’re here with these—” Preston waved his hand, searching for the appropriate word.

“Cowboys,” Bud supplied, the word coming out like something vile.

Rick burped, loud and long. Preston and Bud stared at him in a mixture of shock and disgust.

“Sorry to cut this short, fellas,” Fiddleford spoke up, “but we promised our dates here a prize, and it would be awfully ungentlemen-like to keep ‘em waiting.”

“Yup, see you pendejos later.”

The four started to turn towards the game stalls, but Preston made a dismissive sound that drew Stanley and Rick’s attention back to them.

“Of course,” Stanford muttered, not that anyone would have listened had he been any louder.

“Got something to say, Northwest?”

“Girls, if you desire some cheep booth prize, allow us to win it for you. These vagabonds look like they couldn’t catch more than some disease.”

“Please let’s just—” Stanford tried.

“Ah-are you really challenging us?” Rick interrupted, eyes narrowing at the pair.

“Oh no. Merely making an observation.”

“And these girls do deserve men who can prove their worth,” Bud added.

Stanford tugged on Fiddleford’s sleeve, pleading, “Drag Rick away and let’s go back to enjoying—”

“Now hold on a cotton-picking moment!” Fiddleford exclaimed, eliciting a sigh from Stanford. “Now I agree the twins deserve the best, and we intend ta provide that. And I don’t much care for yer tone, implying we can’t.”

Springing up Carla declared, “There’s only one way to settle this. I do believe you boys need to face off in some carnival games. Biggest prize is naturally the winner.”

Stanford rubbed his temples as the others readily agreed, even Shermie throwing up his chubby arms excitedly. There was no way to stop this now, though, and he could only go along.

They headed to the nearest game booth, where ten milk bottles were stacked in a pyramid. Stanford and Stanley stood to the side as the other four men stepped up to the counter, Fiddleford passing the babe to them. Carla, all eager grins, draped herself over the twins.

“Oh, this should be good.”

“No way can they lose to those two jokers,” Stanley snickered. Stanford sighed.

“I just wanted a calm, simple evening.”

His laments fell on uninterested ears. Stanford sighed again.

“A round of your finest balls for me and my companions, carny.”

“Of course, Mr. Northwest.”

As a ball was paced before each of them Bud turned to Fiddleford then Rick saying, “It would be rude of us to go first. Please, after you. That way this man won’t have to restack as much.”

Fiddleford hmphed and took aim. With a steady hand he tossed the ball, striking the pyramid on the bottom row and making them all come crashing down. There was a brief second of stunned silence all around. Then Rick burst into laughter as the booth manager announced, “Ladies and gentlemen, we have a grand prize winner! Which would you like, lucky sir?”

“Which would you prefer, dear?” Fiddleford asked.

“Oh, um, the owl?”

The operator took down a large cloth owl. He handed it to Stanford who admired the toy—and Fiddleford’s skill.

“That was quite impressive.”

“Twasn’t nothin’, darling.”

Bud snorted.

“I suppose everyone has a bout of good luck at least once. Just you wait, Leanne, I’ll win you a better one.”

With that Bud tossed his ball at the newly erected pyramid. The top three bottles clanged to the ground.

Rick, Stan, and Carla all burst into laughter. Bud’s ears went red.

“Let me show you how it’s done,” Preston said, nudging Rick aside. “Leah, decide now which prize you want.”

He knocked down the topmost bottle.

“Pretty sure that ain’t gonna win anything,” Stanley commented.

“Besides some wounded pride,” Carla added with a giggle.

Rick shoved Preston out of the way and snatched up the last ball. With a cocky grin and burp he leveled it at the pyramid. He missed it completely by several inches.

“Wasn’t he bragging just a moment ago?” Stanford asked, leaning towards his twin. Stanley slapped a hand to his face.

“Looks like the only one with a prize is Sixer,” Carla announced. “And I’m not just talking ‘bout the owl.”

“Now hold up, this was just a warm up round. This Fiddlehorn—”

“Fiddleford.”

“Just managed to get in a lucky shot.”

Fiddleford stepped aside and let the three try again. This time they knocked down four pins between them.

“Alright now this is getting embarrassing,” Stanley said.

As they made their third attempts Susan came over, just in time to see Bud knock down the top bottle. She whistled.

“They sure ain’t too good at this game. That’s a pretty owl, though.”

“Oh, thank you. Fiddleford won it.”

“Aww. Yay, Fiddlesticks! Mind winning me a cat?”

As he nodded in affirmation Preston snorted.

“An empty promise! I doubt this cowboy could recreate his lucky strike.”

“Well that sure does sound like a challenge. One more for me, sir.”

Fiddleford took just a moment’s aim with the new ball before chucking it forward. Once again bottles flew everywhere.

“Another winner! Which cat would you like, little lady?”

At this point Preston, Bud, and even Rick were fuming. Carla couldn’t stop laughing. Stanley looked miffed.

“Is it too late to trade ya, Sixer?”

“By far.”

“N-not another word, Lee!” Rick called out. “I’ll win you a-ah stupid stuffed animal.”

Stanley gave him a disbelieving look which only seemed to fuel Rick’s determination. He snatched the ball from Preston’s had and chucked it with all his might at the pyramid. In an amazing feat, he took out three bottles from the middle, leaving the rest perfectly undisturbed.

“Holy moses,” Stanley muttered.

“This is the most hilarious moment of my life,” Carla whispered, staring wide eyed at the mostly-intact pyramid. “Thank you.”

“Well that was just appalling. Another ball,” Preston ordered, holding out his hand. Rick snatched this one up too and tossed again, ignoring the other man’s protests.

He hit it towards the bottom, and while the bottles teetered a bit none actually fell.

Preston hummed beside him and Rick cast him a dark look.

“Don’t act like you’re doing any better, pendejo.”

Stanley saw two approaching figures and groaned. As they came over ma waved.

“Already playing games? Oh, Leanne, did your beau win you that?” Stanford nodded. “So sweet. Rick, are you about to win my Leah a matching prize?”

Rick grumbled something and demanded another ball. This one flew right over the pyramid like a bird above the treetops.

“Allow me,” Preston said, once again pushing Rick out of the way.

He managed two bottles, at least. Carla was laughing so hard she was out of breath, hanging onto the twins to stay upright. Ma held a hand up to hide her smile.

“I see Fiddleford’s the only one any good at this game.”

“Yup.” To the others Stanley suggested, “Why don’t we try another booth? I’m getting tired of seeing you all lose.”

Pride thoroughly offended, the three ignored him and ordered another round of balls. Together they managed five pins.

“This is thoroughly embarrassing,” Stanford said.

Pa humphed gruffly, drawing the twins’ attention. He did not look impressed.

“Yeesh, we need to end this while Rick’s got any shred of dignity left.”

“No worries, he never had any to begin with.”

As Stanley narrowed his eyes, which his twin went unaffected by, Carla leaned forward and offered, “Anyone who wins me a stuffed frog gets a free beer at the saloon.”

“No need for bribery, dear. One frog coming right up.”

Fiddleford plucked the ball right out of Bud’s hand just as he was about to throw it. He took aim, and once again the whole pyramid came down.

Carla squealed when the booth operator handed her the stuffed frog, squeezing it tight and rubbing her face against it.

“This is so soft. Now only you need one, Lee.”

The words had hardly left her mouth when there was another crash and they all turned back to the stall. Fiddleford had knocked the bottles down again.

“Well it just wouldn’t be right for you not to have one, too, Lee.”

He beamed as Stanley took his prize: a stuffed dog.

“Not bad. Guess Fidds wins all around.”

“Congratulations Fiddleford!” Stanford beamed.

“Wh-what the hell doe that mean? We’re not done yet.”

“Far from it!” Preston agreed. “A man does not simply give up. Especially when victory is right in his gra—“

Another clang and a roar of cheers. Fiddleford had knocked the pyramid down once again, and this time he pointed to a raccoon, which he brought over to Martha. Shy smile on his face he handed it out to her. “Just because it’s your children being courted doesn’t mean you can’t get a prize too, ma’am—Martha.”

“Aren’t you a sweetheart.” She patted his cheek and glanced over at Stanford. “If we rush things together you can be married by the end of the month.”

“Ma!”

“Ah, ma’am—Martha, I mean, that’s a bit soon. Not that I would say no! Or, well, maybe I’d be the one asking, so…but still! The month is nearly over!”

Stanley grabbed Fiddleford by the shoulder and pulled him away to stand next to his gobsmacked, and very red, twin.

“Yer gonna break ‘em both, ma.”

“My motherly duty. You’ll understand one day, sweetie.”

“Yeah, I really don’t think so.”

“I-I’m done with this rigged game,” Rick grumbled.

“There are plenty of others here,” Bud agreed as Preston paid the ball manager. His face scrunched up.

“Wait, did I pay for your balls?”

“Y-you couldn’t afford them, buddy.”

Preston cast him an offended look as Rick walked off from the stall.

“I think pa and me are gonna walk around a bit. You kids have fun,” ma informed, taking Shermie. “You boys try not to embarrass yourselves too much.”

“Fiddleford is fine in that regard,” Stanford quipped. Rick shot him a glare; Stanley rolled his eyes.

After ma and pa were gone Carla asked, “So are you three conceding to Fiddsy-fie?”

“Please don’t call me that,” Fiddleford said while the others began to protest.

It seemed the competition wasn’t done, even though Stanley really wished it were. But Rick, Preston, and Bud refused to give up so they all made their way to the darts booth. Rick fared much better, actually managing to win Stanley one of the bigger prizes—Fidds still beat everyone.

It was the same way at ring toss. With ease Fiddleford won more prizes for the twins, Carla, and Susan. Rick and Bud managed to get matching finger puppets. Preston only managed to hit the booth manager in the face.

When they passed the strength test Stanley grabbed the mallet while the four argued over who’d go first. In one try Stanley sent the iron flying into the bell.

No one else had the nerve to try.

Preston and Bud were getting extremely irritated. Which Stanley did enjoy; it was even enough to keep him from teasing Rick. For now.

“Alright I”m done with these games,” he said. “FIdds and Rick are the winners.”

“Mostly Fidds,” Carla added, earning her a dry look from Rick. She winked at him.

“I did say how I was good at carnival games. Though I agree, there’s a-plenty else ta do.”

“Sounds like it’s dancing time!” Carla happily declared, linking an arm with either twin.

There was a chorus of agreements from Susan and Stanley, while Stanford gave a small nod. Rick’s face was blank but he didn’t protest so Stanley took that as acceptance.

“I’m up for a good jig, if ya don’t mind my two left feet, darling. I admit I’m better at making the music than dancing to it,” Fiddleford said.

As Stanford started to reassure him it made no difference, Preston scoffed.

“I can hardly imagine what a vagabond considers music.”

This seemed to offend both Fiddleford and Rick. The latter glared the rich boy down saying, “Th-that sounds like a challenge, pendejo. Thought you’d have enough of those by now.”

“What, plan on giving us a show?” Bud taunted, eliciting a smirk from the other man.

Rick glanced over at his partner. FIddleford grinned in return, wordlessly nodding. He turned to Carla.

“Be a dear and let me have my Delilah.”

Carla gleefully complied. Unslinging the banjo from around her back she asked Rick, “What about you, tall, blue, and lanky?”

Rick strode right past them all up to the men playing their instruments by the side of the dancing platform. Everyone else quickly followed.

“Take five, chumps. Time for some real music.”

All three paused, the middle one standing. “That is very insulting, but I also do not care.”

“I kinda do,” said another musician. He went ignored as the first one handed Rick his guitar.

“Thanks, Chiu,” Stanley said. “You guys can play again after these two have their little performance.”

“I would rather not continue playing boring hay music.”

With that Chiu walked off, his companions following.

“See, him I like. Why can’t Gravity Falls have more guys like him?”

“Because then we wouldn’t mind being here as much,” Stanley replied. “Well, get to impressing us.”

Rick winked and positioned the guitar, Fiddleford coming up beside him and readying his banjo. The others moved back a bit and watched the pair expectantly.

“What should we play, Rick?”

“‘In the Pines’.”

He tossed Stanley another wink, and somehow this one was full of coquetry that made a blush creep up his neck. He pressed the stuffed dog against his face in an attempt to hide it as best he could.

Rick started strumming away on the guitar, Fiddleford soon joining in. As the melody formed the twin could clearly sense the ease between them; they must have played together a lot. Curiously both wondered how long the partners had been riding, and working on the portal gun, together.

Rick’s voice rung out first, then Fiddleford’s joined, the song a conversation.

“My girl, my girl, don’t lie to me. Tell me where did you sleep last night?”

“In the pines, in the pines, where the sun don’t ever shine. I shivered the whole night through.”

“My girl, my girl, where will you go?”

“I’m going where the cold wind blows. In the pines, in the pines, where the sun don’t ever shine, I’ll shiver the whole night through.”

They were admittedly good. They had their own distinct voice, Fiddleford a little higher and a bit more rustic to counter Rick’s lower, smooth Spanish voice. A trace of accent could be heard, and Stanley wondered if Rick was purposefully making it come out to taunt Preston and Bud. Regardless, it was beautiful.

“They ain’t half bad,” Stanley whispered to his twin. Stanford made a small sound of agreement.

“Color me surprised,” Carla commented.

Susan motioned off to the side where Preston and Bud watched the singing pair with contempt.

“They don’t look too pleased.”

“Even better.”

“My husband once was a railroad man, killed a mile and a half from here.”

“His head was found in a driver’s wheel, but his body ain’t never been found.”

“My girl, my girl, where will you go?”

“I’m going where the cold wind blows.”

Together they sung the last verse.

“You called me to weep and you called me to moan. You called me to leave my home.”

As their song faded out the twins started clapping, Carla and Susan joining in. Stanley even put two fingers in his mouth and whistled. Sharing a grin, Rick and Fiddleford took a sweeping bow.

Preston huffed, pretending to examine his fingernails. Undaunted, Rick came over and slung an arm around Stanley. Not breaking eye contact with Preston he pressed a kiss to the side of Stanley’s head.

“Did you really enjoy it, sugar?” Fiddleford asked, coming over to Stanford.

“I’m no expert on music, but it was certainly, um…” Stanford stared at his hand that Fiddleford had taken in his, leaving him quite flustered. “C-certainly,” he swallowed hard, “lovely.”

Ma’s voice called out, and they all turned to see her and pa approaching. In addition to the raccoon Fidds had won her was a stuffed baby duck she proudly showed off.

“Look what Filbrick won me.”

“Shot some ducks, pa?”

“Every last one of them,” he answered ominously.

With pride instead of threat ma added, “He didn’t miss a single shot!”

Rick tensed up and Fiddleford noticeably gulped. Even Preston and Bud seemed intimidated, which the twins took some satisfaction in.

“Girls, why don’t you come with me for a minute and take a stroll.”

It wasn’t a request so much as a nicely worded order so the twins passed their stuffed animals off to Rick and Fiddleford. Ma went a ways off towards the end of the fairgrounds where there weren’t many others milling about.

“What’s on your mind, ma?”

“Is something the matter?”

A grave look fell over her face. She took either one of there hands and squeezed.

“I need to know how today’s been so far.”

“I think it’s going great, ma, no worries.”

“Oh, sweetie, I have to worry. I had a vision.”

Ma shut her eyes and the twins shared a frown.

“What do you mean? What kind of vision?”

“It was a terrible vision.” Her eyes shot open. They were glistening. “Listen to me closely, both of you. Tonight is very important. A lot of things are gonna happen—I’m not sure what exactly, but I can tell you there will be a huge decision to make. More than one, and you won’t be the only deciders. You both need to think on what you want and go for it. Tonight’s gonna set in motion one path or another that you’ll have to see through to the end.”

It took a second for her words to sink in. After a pause of mulling the warning over Stanley gave a reassuring smile, thought it didn’t quite reach his eyes.

“Hey, ma, don’t look so glum. Have faith in your kids. We know what we want and we’re gonna fight for it, no matter what. Right Sixer?”

“Of course!”

“Just be safe, sweethearts. It’s not going to be easy.”

Stanley’s smile fell as his twin commented, “It never has been.”

Ma hugged them close. With a deep breath she pulled back and linked her arms through theirs, starting back for the others.

“Well, no reason to keep our men waiting.”

There was joy on her face again, a stark contrast to the fear just moments before. The twins tried to match her sudden joviality; their grins were just a bit shaky, however, but it would do for now.

[indigolesbian]

Fic: Queen of Hearts

Maggie and Alex have been together for a few years and Valentine's Day has become a special day for them. However, Maggie has to spend the whole day working, far away from Alex. To keep the day special for Alex, Maggie leaves some surprises behind for her with the help of their friends.

Read on ao3

So, I wrote a thing for Valentine’s Day...

(It’s also under the cut but its a bit long so I would use the link)

Alex wakes up on the morning of Valentine’s Day to an empty space next to her and a sadness in her gut. Realistically, Alex knew that this holiday was ridiculous and simply an easy money-making scheme for Hallmark. But then Alex met Maggie and she felt for her something that she had never felt before and discovered those companies can get pretty convincing when they need to be. 

Even though Maggie wasn’t the biggest fan of the supposed ‘holiday’, she knows Alex had a soft spot for so ever since she wore a suit and romanced her to the extreme on their first Valentine’s Day, Maggie had to admit the day had grown on her. Even if it was only for Alex and how damn cute she got on the day.

The day had become special from the few they had which is why the fact that Maggie had to work all day was devastating. Maggie had come back to their apartment a few days earlier and told Alex that she had been assigned to take a trip up to Gotham to interrogate a group of criminals in their prison who they thought had connections to a series of gang murders in National City. Not only had this been planned for Valentine’s day but they had no idea when they would finish and with the four-hour commute, the day was just bound to be ruined.

So when Alex woke up that morning without the warmth of her girlfriend next to her she felt her stomach sink as she remembered why. Most morning’s Alex would wake to her alarm at 6:30 and leave Maggie sleeping next to her to go for a run. This morning, she didn’t even sleep long enough to reach the blaring of her alarm. The coldness of their bed waking her from her slumber before it could even go off. 

Alex lies on her back on her side of the bed, staring up at the ceiling, watching the oranges and yellows of the sunrise expand across the white space. She thinks of nothing in particular, only that she misses the feel of her girlfriend’s warmth next to her and how at peace she would look in her sleep and how much she would have loved to shower her with clichéd affection today.

A faint beeping and the sound of her phone vibrating on the table to her right knocks her out of her trance. She was too down to bother going on her usual run now but there was no way she was getting back to sleep now. With an exaggerated exhale, Alex props herself up on her elbow to turn off her alarm. She’s about to lay back down when the sight of a white bit of paper next to her phone catches her attention. 

Alex is not one for clutter, only ever keeping her phone, a lamp and possibly a book on her bedside table so the white against the dark stain of the wood sparked her curiosity. Sitting up a bit more now, Alex reaches for the small bit of cardboard which, upon closer inspection, is the ace of hearts from a deck of playing cards. Since when did we own playing cards?

She eyes the card curiously, eventually flipping it over to find a sharpie-written message.

I love how peaceful and beautiful you look when you sleep

Maggie’s sprawled message makes Alex smile but, still, she tilts her head and squints her eyes in confusion. Was this Maggie’s take on a Valentine’s Day card pun? 

Before Alex has much time to ponder on the context of the card the text tone of her phone comes from her bedside table.

Maggie ‘Detective Dimples’ Sawyer [6:33am]: HAPPY VALENTINES DAY BEAUTIFUL

Alex smirks at the timing of the text – she was a damn good detective after all.

Alex Danvers [6:34am]: Happy Valentine’s Day babe <3 but what’s with the playing card? 

Maggie ‘Detective Dimples’ Sawyer [6:34am]: Just enjoy the day Ally, I’ll see you tonight ;)

Alex just sighs and beams. Her girlfriend is so amazing and sweet and romantic as hell, there was no way she was ever letting her go.

Struck with a new wave of energy, Alex decides to go on her run after all. She gets up, changing into her sports bra, sweatshirt and running shorts. She absentmindedly grabs her shoes and sits on the edge of the bed to put them on. She pulls her socks onto her feet, then grabs her left shoe to slip on when she finds another card, this time the eight of spades.

I love how strong and badass you are (and your misguided belief that you could beat me in a fight)

Alex beams, holding her bottom lip between her teeth, figuring out the pattern of these cards, what this is all about, what she has to look forward to today. The realisation brings the beginning of tears to her eyes, clutching the note like it's Maggie herself. God, she is going to miss her today.

Alex puts the card with the other still on her bedside table, putting on her shoes and tying them up. She leaves her room, heading straight to their apartment door. She grabs the key she takes with her when she runs, unlocks the door and loops the keys around her bra strap. She goes to turn the knob but finds the jack of diamonds taped to the door at eye level. Her smile returns (although it never really faded) as she turns the card to the red patterned back where Maggie’s messy handwriting has a message for her.

I love how brave and beautiful you were as you were figuring out your sexuality (you kissed me in a bar, that took some serious guts)

Alex remembers how perfect and supportive Maggie was during that time a few years ago. Even though that rejection was so painful it was worth it in the end because look at where they are now. Sharing an apartment, completely in tune with each other, knowing what the other is thinking or feeling from just a look and more in love than ever before.

She tucks the card in her bra and heads out the door. She jogs her usual route, enjoying the crispness of the cold air and the bright light of the sun beginning to shine life into the trees.

When she returns to the apartment she grabs her uniform from her room and heads to the bathroom to shower. Unsurprisingly, but definitely not unwelcome, Alex finds the two of clubs stuck to the mirror above the vanity. 

I love your beautiful hair and how it can look red or brunette in different lights

Alex looks at herself in the mirror, her hair looking more red in the morning light than the usual brunette and a huge smile plastered on her face. She’s probably going to get some weird looks today if this is was how she was going to be walking around the DEO today.

Alex continues her morning routine; has a shower, brushes her teeth and applies some light makeup before grabbing her gun, bike helmet and an apple and heading out the door. To Alex’s delight, she finds a new card at every stage which she makes sure to store in her back pocket along with the ones she grabbed off her bedside table.

Every time she found one she felt lighter. She knew Maggie loved her, of course she did. Her love in itself made Alex better, feel special, reminded of why she is important, has value to herself and others. But when all the ways and intricacies of Maggie’s love for her are pointed out, are told to her, explicitly, there is no room for any doubt, any second-guessing or any ounce of disbelief over how Maggie settled for her, managed to love her, after all these years. Maggie didn’t settle for her. She settled with her. Maggie fell and was brave enough to land in Alex’s arms, who, herself, was falling. Maggie loved Alex and she wanted to remind her and insist it to her, today of all days. If not with her speech or touch, then her written words would have to do. And it was beautiful.

Alex makes it to the parking garage of her apartment building, heading to her Ducati parked in the small space in the corner. She is in no way surprised to find the King of clubs tucked in the handlebar.

I love how goddamn sexy you look riding your motorbike and how you try to impress me even though I’m already impressed by everything you do

Alex blushes at that one. She does always try to show off to Maggie any time she would pick her up on her bike; speeding just the tiniest bit, revving her engine like a teenage boy trying to win the girl in a midnight drag race, swerving through traffic but not enough to be dangerous. Apparently, Alex wasn’t as smooth as had she hoped she was. 

On her ride to the DEO, Alex lets the wind break against her as she battles it with her speed. Letting herself appreciate the life around her and the thrill of flying through the city. That thrill, however, could not match the high she felt of the back of the morning she had just had. How was Alex going to concentrate at all for the next twelve hours without Maggie and her loving words?

Alex parks her bike in the underground DEO lot before walking over the elevator, scanning her badge and entering her clearance code to take her to the floor of the office she finally got six months ago after being officially recognised as deputy director.

While Maggie had gained clearance for the DEO after the extensive work she had done with them through her place in the science division of the NCPD, Maggie rarely visited if Alex wasn’t there. Alex was usually, if not always, the intermediary between the two departments and apart from that Maggie’s only other reason to show up was to visit Alex for lunch, to spar, to make fun of Winn – you know, the usual. So there was no inkling in Alex’s mind that the cards would continue to be found at her place of work, but she was very pleasantly surprised to find she was completely mistaken.

Alex walks into her office, disregarding the supposed monotony of the surroundings to sit down at her desk and answer the abundant amount of emails that were, no doubt, sitting in her inbox even though she had answered what felt like a hundred the day before. Giving her an office came with more typing and less fighting than she would have liked. She still went out on most if not all the missions and Maggie was less anxious, not having to worry about her as much but it meant less practice shooting just for the fun of it and less constant annoying Winn, which was always a letdown. (It also meant a place for Maggie and her to hook up when she visited without the risk of being walked in on – thank god for J’onn lining the walls with lead even though Kara often made sure to remind them she also had super hearing).

She sat down at her desk, still positively glowing although slightly disappointed, expecting a cease to these tiny love letters. However, when she went to log into her computer and saw the three of diamonds taped to the desktop, her heart soared to a height she never deemed possible.

I love how committed to your work you are but no matter what you still have time for me

The note made Alex notice her surroundings; the room was covered in playing cards placed in every crevice of the room from the photo of her and Maggie that she kept on her desk to the safe where she kept the alien gun she found on Slaver’s Moon all those years ago on top of the filing cabinet in the corner of the room. Disregarding the piling emails in her inbox, Alex made her way around the room, reading every single note left for her.

I love that your stubbornness still won't let you admit that I'm actually not that bad at pool

I love that one day you will finally let me adopt a puppy (it's gonna happen, Danvers, don't fight it)

I love your terrible cooking skills (even though you've given me food poisoning, twice)

I love how soft you look when you're at peace, when you're comfortable and when you're free

I love how perfect you turned out despite the insistence from your mother that you weren't

Before she knows it, half-an-hour has passed and there are silent tears streaming down Alex’s face. She goes back to her desk with the pile of cards she’s collected, placing them into the back pocket of her pants before she sits. She grabs a tissue from the box on top of her desk, wiping her eyes in an attempt to calm and centre herself, burying the urge to drive to Gotham or get Kara to fly her there just to hug her girlfriend and give her a never-ending list of reasons why she loves her.

Alex spends the next hour or so answering the suspected flood of emails that accumulated overnight in between dazing out and the urge to text Maggie battling with the want to save her the distraction so that she will come back sooner in the end.

Feeling restless and finally finishing her administrative work, Alex heads down to the DEO control centre (checking her eyes first, making sure they aren’t too red) to check if there have been any updates on their current open-ended cases.

She passes the labs and makes her way down the stairs heading towards Winn whose back is facing her.

“Winn!” Alex slaps Winn on the shoulder and he jumps in response. “Any updates?”

“First of all, rude. Calm down,” Winn says rubbing his shoulder. “And no. The aliens were tracking haven’t caused any drama and there are no leads on the big, purple, four-armed guy from yesterday. 

“The Omegon? You know it has a name, right?”

“Yeah, but you knew what I was talking about so it’s fine.”

“Yes, but now we had to have this totally unnecessary conversation when you could have just said the species of the alien in the first place.”

“But you knew what I was talking about anyway so really it was you that started this not me.”

“Maybe we should just stop before we keep going around in circles.”

“Great idea,” Winn responds turning back this his desktop, continuing on with writing the code he was working on when Alex approached him.

Winn slyly looks up at Alex out of the corner of his eye, watching her deciphering his work. Suddenly, there is a loud crash across the room that has Alex reaching for her sidearm, turning to find it was only a new trainee dropping a pile of books on alien lifeforms.

With a huff and an annoyed glance at the scared rookie, he kneels to pick up the books and Alex turns back to Winn’s screen to try and figure out what he’s working on and freezes.

There, standing up and tucked in between some of the keys on the number side of Winn’s keyboard is the nine of hearts. She stills, mouth agape and staring down at Winn, typing like nothing is different, like he hadn’t just delivered her a love letter from her girlfriend on Valentine’s Day while they're at work. Right now, she feels nothing for him except love and gratitude. Love that he cares for her and Maggie enough to agree to help Maggie woo her woman while she’s not there and grateful that he knows her enough to not bring it up, to let her enjoy the moment for what it is. He was the most surprising member of their little family to her but she sure was glad her was there. 

Alex notices the shy smirk on Winn’s face as she silently takes the card from its place in his keyboard.

I love how you have built a family for yourself here and that they care about you just as strongly as you care about them

Alex lets a strong exhale and smile for what must be the thousandth time today. She really does care about this group of misfit people she calls family, even though they were initially Kara’s friends and she was the sister that got to hang around. Now she can’t imagine her life without her little gang that now includes her boss as well. And this proves that they care about her just the same, well at least Winn does anyway.

This time she lays a hand on Winn’s shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze, both hoping and knowing that he will understand this as her thank you. Her thank you for helping Maggie and for being a part of her family, even though that affection is usually shown in the form of sly jabs, teasing and the gentle threat now and again. He just huffs out a smile in return, willing their easy teasing banter to continue.

Without warning, J’onn walks up behind the both of them, greeting them and startling them in a way that would be shameful to a pair of agents. Alex tucks the card in her back pocket to join the others while turning to face him along with Winn’s swivel of his chair.

“Morning you two. Now, Agent Danvers the blood report for the Thronnian we found dead yesterday have come back and I need you to look over the toxin levels we found to see if you recognise what it might be that caused her death.” He hands her a manila folder with a few stacked papers inside before turning on his heel to look over the shoulders of the other agents in the roundtable of computers around them.

Alex, relieved to be finally getting to work in the lab again, makes her way to the stairs opening the file to get a sense of what she was dealing with. When she opens it, however, the contents stop her in her tracks. The seven of spades is staring up at her and making her heart skip a beat yet again. 

I love your beautiful smile that causes me to smile every time I see it (making those damn dimples you can’t seem to get enough of) 

How was Alex going to make it through the day, honestly?

Winn and J’onn seem to slip her a card every time she sees them. When J’onn asks her for an update on the blood report she turns around to find the six of hearts on the bench in front of her. When Winn brings her a cup of coffee he made her when he got his, she finds the two of clubs tucked under the base of the mug. When J’onn asks her to look at some footage from some street cameras to see if she recognises the species, he picks up the tablet from where is was placed on the bench and there lies the four of hearts. When she finishes up in the lab and goes down to talk strategy about the Omegon with Winn and Vasquez she sees the Queen of spades poking out of the top if Winn’s front shirt pocket which she comes up behind him to steal as soon as he sits back down at his computer.

This continues until Alex gets a text from Kara reminding her of their lunch date at Kara’s apartment, which she had agreed to go to after finding out Maggie would be gone all Valentine’s Day and Kara not wanting Alex to be alone. Now, however, she sensed there was an ulterior motive to this lunch. If Winn and J’onn were in on it then surely Kara would be.

 ~~~ 

Alex is climbing the stairs up to Kara’s apartment with a distinct spring in her step. She knows she probably shouldn’t be getting her hopes up in expecting more love cards from Maggie through Kara, but she can’t really help it.

She has just reached Kara’s floor when she feels her phone vibrate in her front pocket. She stops, taking her phone out to find a text message. For a brief second, she hopes it will be Maggie but it's Kara’s name that appears alongside the dozen emoji’s she inserted for herself after stealing Alex’s phone one sister night. 

Kara [1:23pm]: Hey Alex, I’ll be a bit late for lunch but feel free to wait inside and just like hang around, explore if you want

Kara [1:23pm]: That was not an invitation to go through my stuff to be clear but just enjoy the surroundings

Kara [1:23pm]: You know what I mean – I love you, I’ll be there soon 

If Maggie had ever hoped Kara could be any level of subtle that confidence was misplaced, evidenced by the ramblings of Alex’s little sister.

Her excitement takes over her and she almost jogs to Kara’s apartment door, taking her copy of the key out of her bag to let herself in. She walks into another space that seems ordinary, the usual. Nothing seems out of place or different from any other time Alex has been to Kara’s apartment, so like every day.

But now Alex knew what to look for. And she was right.

She slowly makes her way around the room, scouring the space for any sign of the familiar sight of a playing card littered among Kara’s belongings.

I love that you own just as many leather jackets as I do (although, as you like to point out, I'm too tiny to wear any of yours)

I love how you stutter when you're nervous - it's really cute

I love the scrunchy face you make when you're concentrating on something important or trying to find the right words to say

I love how considerate of me you are - always checking in, making sure I'm okay, that I'm happy (which I definitely am)

I love your brain - how incredibly smart and talented you are

Alex takes the pile she has collected around the apartment and combines it with the pile she produces from her pocket of those she has found throughout the day. She falls back onto Kara’s couch, admiring the sheer amount of love she was holding and the admiration and love she would be sure to return to Maggie when she saw her next. Hopefully, that would be soon. 

Alex is flicking through the stack of cards, around 35 she estimates, waiting for Kara to show up with the food when her text tone goes off again.

Kara [1:38pm]:  I’m almost there, maybe while I’m gone you should check out my bookcase

Kara [1:38pm]: BECAUSE I GOT A NEW BOOK… THAT I THINK YOU’D LIKE

Alex smiles and huffs out a laugh at her sister's attempt to keep up the secrecy. She looks up to the roof where she suspects her sister is waiting for her to find all the cards so they can finally have lunch. And knowing Kara she is probably impatiently waiting or has already started eating without her. 

Alex walks over to Kara’s bookshelf where she, did indeed, miss one. It’s the five of diamonds.

I love how committed you are to looking after Kara even though she's the most powerful woman on Earth (and that she sees you as her hero because you're mine too)

Alex definitely tears up at that one but works to hold it back. There would be enough of that when she saw Maggie later, she was sure of it. As soon as the card is added to the others and she places them back in her pocket, Kara flies through to window with a huff.

As soon as the card is added to the others and she places them back in her pocket, Kara flies through to window with a huff.

“Wow, sorry that took me so long. On my way back there was at least five cats stuck in trees and I just couldn’t leave them there! Also, I went all the way to that food truck in Chicago and got your favourite!”

“Thank you, Kara. Really.”

“Of course,” they share a sincere look before Kara begins her ramblings about Snapper and her complaints about how Cat Grant hasn’t come back yet (‘it’s been three years Alex surely she’s climbed enough mountains by now?’).

 ~~~

Alex spends the rest of the afternoon like she spent the morning, working in the lab and receiving the sly playing card from her closest co-workers. However, just as she’s about to leave for the day to her probably empty apartment, Winn gets an alert from one of their informants with a tip on a rogue alien that keeps escaping their grasp.

She gathers a team with J’onn accompanying them and head out to the location. Speeding through the streets with sirens blazing they reach a run-down house on the edge of National City.

They assemble at the entrances to the tiny, dishevelled house before Alex gives the command to enter. They disperse through the various rooms but find nothing except the evidence of someone previously living it rough there; a sleeping bag, empty cans of food and red blood patches spread throughout the carpet flooring.

“Winn, there’s no one here. Do you have a trace on them?” Alex asks into her earpiece urgently.

“Let me see… No, there’s nothing on the scanners, no alerts or sightings from police – he’s gone. He’s been nomadic in the past, we probably just missed him.”

Alex gives the command for some of her troops to search the nearby streets and alley’s but it’s pointless really. They were just too late.

 ~~~ 

It’s eight o’clock by the time she walks into her and Maggie’s apartment that night after meeting with J’onn over their next moves to catch the nomadic alien they were dealing with and filling out yet more paperwork on the matter.

Alex finds Maggie is asleep on the couch when she enters, making sure to close the door behind her as quietly as she can. She sets her bag and helmet down next to the door and sets her gun on the shelf above. 

Maggie must have been waiting for her. On the coffee table is their favourite take-out, a few candles that are just about burnt out completely and the queen of hearts right in the middle of the table.

Alex had been keeping a count since leaving Kara’s apartment and she had exactly 51 cards with her. She was actually hugely relieved to find that she hadn’t accidently missed one throughout the day and that obviously Winn, J’onn and Kara had done their job perfectly. She’d have to remember to return the favour to them somehow if Maggie hadn’t already. Of course she would have though. She was perfect.

Alex kneels down next to the coffee table, picking up the card and savouring the moment as much as she can, knowing it’s the last. To the soft, steady breathing of Maggie next to her she reads the message.

I love you and I will forever

This is it. Alex knows it is. She hadn’t pictured it happening like this. Hell, any scenario she thought of was never completely perfect. Neither was now really. They hadn’t seen each other all day. Maggie was asleep and exhausted. Not to mention it was a huge cliché. But the time was now because she didn’t want to go one more minute not being engaged to this woman.

Alex, still being sure to keep quiet, stands up and walks over to her bedside table. She opens the top drawer and looks for the small box buried inside that she bought weeks ago. She had dragged a very willing Kara with her, too nervous to go by herself. Kara was constantly pointing out the most extravagant and expensive rings because you should treat your girl, Alex, she deserves it. Which Maggie did. But she deserved a ring that was right for her, would suit her, and extravagant was not that. Eventually, Alex and Kara settled on a silver band with a decent-sized circle diamond in the middle surrounded by smaller emeralds. 

Alex finds the small, felt-covered, dark green box and opens it to check it once more. Hopefully, Maggie will like it. Hopefully, she’ll say yes.

Alex goes back over to the sleeping Maggie on the couch, settling on her knees in front of her and tucking the box into her pocket. She leans over Maggie, pressing kisses to her forehead, her cheeks, her nose, her chin until she feels Maggie start to stir and Alex moves her kisses to Maggie's lips.

Maggie groans waking from her probably much-needed slumber but then her eyes shoot open and she is sitting straight up, almost hitting Alex in the process.

“I’m awake, I’m awake,” Maggie says with a voice coated in sleep.

Alex just laughs and pushes Maggie back until she’s laying down and looking up at Alex once again.

“I’m sorry babe, I tried to stay up, I really did. But it’s been such a long day,” Maggie explains.

“You have absolutely nothing to be sorry for. Especially after giving me one of the best days of my life.”

Maggie beams in response. “So, you liked it?”

Alex responds by kissing Maggie, passionately and soft. “Of course I did,” Alex whispers against Maggie’s lips.

Maggie's hands come up to caress Alex’s cheeks, kissing her back. “You got the last one?”

“I did,” Alex says pulling back to look at Maggie. “And I wouldn’t have woken you up because you looked so peaceful, but I wanted to ask you something.”

Maggie sits up a bit, fighting her fatigue to pay Alex the utmost attention. “Anything. Are you okay?”

Alex takes one of Maggie’s hands in hers, “I’m great. I promise.” Maggie just nods her head and gives her a smile of encouragement in response.

Alex takes a deep breath, meeting Maggie’s eyes before she continues. “I could do the same for you. Write a list of why I love you. How amazing you are. Because you are the most wonderful person I’ve ever met. You’re so loving and kind and patient and tough and beautiful and perfect. And the way that you love me makes me feel so… complete and peaceful and happy. I could tell you every reason why you make me happy and why I can’t help but love you but I would rather show you. For the rest of our lives. So…” Alex reaches into her pocket with her free hand, trying to keep as steady as possible (not that she succeeds in this effort). She takes her hand that had been holding Maggie and opens the lid of the box and watches Maggie’s jaw drop. “Will you marry me?”

Alex holds her bottom lip between her teeth while her heart stops beating, watching Maggie’s eyes tear up and her silence deafen. 

“Alex…” Maggie breathes out. She takes Alex’s face in her hands and pulls her into a kiss, removing all the tension from Alex’s body in the process. Maggie rests her forehead against Alex’s, looking into her eyes. “Of course, baby.”

Alex let’s out a relieved laugh, connecting their lips again and smiling through kisses.

“Can I put it on you?” Alex asks, tears streaming down her face to match Maggie's.

“Yes, please,” Maggie responds, beaming at her girlfriend, no, fiancé. 

Alex takes the ring out of the box, bringing her shaking hands up to meet those of Maggie and slipping the ring onto her left hand. It fits perfectly.

“It’s beautiful. I love you, Alex.”

“I love you, too. So much. Happy Valentine’s Day.”

“Happy Valentine’s Day.”

[wildlyhardphilosopher-blog]

puppy training austin | house training a yorkie

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puppy training austin | house training a yorkie

Food & Nutrition GNC Pets (3) Restrict your dog’s access to the kitchen area. This lets you monitor his behavior, and correct accidents immediately. Block his access to the rest of the apartment with a baby gate, and slowly expand his access as he becomes house-trained. Confining him to surfaces with tile or linoleum floors also makes cleaning up accidents easier. See my profile and contact information at This first step can begin as soon as your puppy arrives at his new home. All it involves is getting your young pup familiar with and comfortable wearing a collar. A simple light weight leather collar is ideal for this task. As your pup becomes comfortable eating inside the crate, you can close the door to the crate during feeding. Be sure to open the door as soon as your pup is finished. Should I punish my dog for going into the street? potty training and biting Lisa Smith says Home / 5 essential commands you can teach your dog Choosing the right dog food Eve Photography/Shutterstock dbsb3233 Help Center Leash Walking Tips puppy training (10 weeks to 5 months old): Dog Training is easy when you do it right. Training Your Cat To Stay Inside All current classes are listed under class pages.  New dates for classes are added approximately one month in advance.  All available classes have an outdoor and an indoor space available when the temperature is not an ideal training environment. To do this is both an art and a science, needing a well thought out and highly planned approach to give your puppy the greatest chance possible of doing the right thing, while limiting opportunities to do the wrong thing. Main page Dog aggression is a complex topic that requires experience and skill to address it successfully. We will help you as a new owner, to bring expectations into perspective quickly and effectively. We will give you the tools needed to introduce your puppy to your home and family. Our four week course is designed to give you the knowledge needed to train your puppy in many different aspects. This will lay down the foundation of a well balanced relationship between you and your puppy. If you seem to be making little progress and your puppy is weeing and pooping randomly all the time, or just doesn’t seem to be developing bladder control,  it could be due to medical reasons. *Courses can be streamed from anywhere you have an internet connection. Standard carrier data rates may apply in areas that do not have wifi connections pursuant to your carrier contract. Related Questions Quiz: Which Cute Kitten Matches Your Personality Discover how to choose a dog breed that best suits you and your personal circumstances. Selecting a suitable dog breed is a crucial first step which deserves some time and research. Service Dogs: more advanced trail training, the puppies are adapting to more demanding landscapes, and have begun biting training. They are by now, also beginning to work with trial helpers. They are learning to bark at and follow the helper while on a leash, etc. (depending on the specific dog service that they are training for). Log in Why License Your Dog? The Adopt Spot PetSmart Charities Come! DOWNLOAD: ANDROID | IOS Competitive rates, joint-friendly floor, trained staff, pools, balls, toys! What more could you ask for? Puppy Teething Rings Australian Shepherd © Telegraph Media Group Limited 2018 When you are home but can’t attend to your puppy, follow the same procedures described above. However, the more time you spend with your puppy, the quicker he will be house trained. Your objective is to take your puppy to his toilet area every time he needs to eliminate. This should be about once every 30-45 minutes; just upon waking; just after eating or drinking; and just after a play session. Provide house training taxi service to avoid unnecessary “mistakes”. 39 Healthy Treats You Can Stuff in a Kong I would recommend keeping a diary every single day until you’ve determined a definite pattern and have spotted their individual ways. Up until they’re 14 weeks old is a good target. Class Length: 6 Weeks Uncle Ulrick’s Pros: Lightweight and durable construction, available in seven sizes with one or two doors, divider to adjust size for growing puppies, leak-proof plastic pan, strong carrying handle, rubber roller feet to protect floor, heavy-duty slide-bolt latch DEALING WITH INDOOR ACCIDENTS It’s very likely she will begin to toilet inside the pen, but away from her sleeping area. This is the normal answer to a need (to toilet) for any animal. So if I were you, I would crate her so she holds it, and get up during the night to take her to the toilet spot. This phase only lasts a short time and is a small sacrifice to make good progress in house training! Learn fun and playful tricks with an Accredited Trainer. (For dogs 10 weeks & up with previous training.) This class teaches tricks through the use of a handheld clicker that helps with positive reinforcement. Our 18 week old Sprocker bites my wife and son, but not me or our older son. We’ve tried stuff from the internet and training classes, with not luck. What can we do? (151) Carriers & Containment Lost and Found Animals page3 Pest Preventer The Grounds Whatever you decide to call it, your priority will be to make sure that your Labrador puppy never poops or pees in your home, and that is what this article is all about. Dogs require leadership, structure and security. Pups already know and understand these things because their mother’s corrected them with firm, swift, and instant corrections. She would shake them by the neck, clout them with her paw, or pin them to the ground until they would submit. She made sure they knew she was the “boss”. Suratn Sridama/Shutterstock Topw Paw® Diapers Getting an Adult Dog Socializing your puppy early teaches them that new people, new animals, and new environments are nothing to fear. Socialized puppies generally develop into less fearful, less aggressive, and happier dogs because they are confident and comfortable in the world. Socializing should be started between 3 and 12 weeks of age (make sure your pup has their vaccinations!) and can include everything from visits with new people and animals in your home, trips to the groomer, veterinarian, pet store, or friends’ homes, and puppy training classes. You can do this and you won’t be sorry. Rachel McVey Teresa M | Margate, Florida Is My Dog Normal? A seven-lesson course and Most puppy parents do really well in Stage 1. It is in Stage 2 that some people find themselves struggling. But don’t worry, I’ll explain why, and how you can get back on track. There is a normal, natural fear period that begins around 14 to 16 weeks. During this period, a puppy may become wary and suspicious of new people, species or experiences. This is a normal adaptive process. Watch your puppy closely for signs of fear (cowering, urinating, and refusal of food treats). Avoid pushing or overwhelming your puppy during this developmental stage. Donate supplies from our store! Bark Control & Remote Training (139) We Support Grains for Dogs – New Study Backs This Up skip navigation View Adopt Subscribe Shop Travel With Us SmartNews History Science Innovation Arts & Culture Travel At the Smithsonian Photos Video Games Magazine Newsletters

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fbq('track', 'ViewContent', content_ids: 'dogtraining.dknol', ); Iams (84) Wet Dog Food INDIVIDUAL CLASS Project Guardian KIRO Nights Linguistics More from Inc. How we help But every puppy is different and their progress in having longer time between needed toilet breaks will vary too. When the puppy is sitting, hold the treat in front of her and move it down to the ground so she lies down natrually. Outward Hound Hands-Free Treat Tote Treat… Ability to download 24 video lectures from your digital library 10 Best Couch-Surfing Champions Switzerland (Schweiz) This program was reviewed and approved by AAVSB RACE program for 12 hours of continuing education in jurisdictions that recognize AAVSB RACE approval. Please contact the AAVSB RACE program if you have any comments/concerns regarding this program’s validity or relevancy to the veterinary profession. Puppies that “get it” simply need the practice to extend the “stay” duration, as well as distractions. If he’s reliable in a sit-stay in the living room, practice the “sit-stay” in the yard, or at Grandma’s house. You could even make the “sit-stay” part of mealtime repertoire with the yummy supper ration a big bonus reward for a great sit-stay. Introducing A Puppy To An Older Dog – Getting Off On The Right Paw The first step is to establish a routine for your puppy of when he eats and when he goes outside. The canine digestive system is pretty regular, so you can expect that your puppy will need to relieve himself within 5-30 minutes of eating. Setting and sticking to other “potty” routines (for example, first thing every morning) will help your puppy learn to take it outside. By now you have gotten in at least a few meals’ worth of “crate = food,” so the pup has already started to form the beginnings of a positive association with the crate. When it’s your pup’s bedtime and she’s asleep, carry her to the crate, lie down beside her, and leave the door open. Let the puppy see that you are still there and hear you breathing. If she’s super-tired (which she is likely to be since it’s been a very big day), she will probably fall asleep quickly, within a minute or two. If not, and she fusses, take her out and try again when she is truly out cold. Once your puppy has fallen asleep in her crate, gently and quietly close the door, trying not to wake her up. Stay right there outside the crate for several minutes (grab a book if you need to!) so that she can still see and hear you if she stirs. For puppies 22-40 weeks of age, this course is available to those that have graduated from Puppy 1 or pups that have benefited from our private lessons. This class focuses on more advanced skills including stay, “real life” exercises for come when called, mastering self-control, leash manners, reliability around increased distractions, and cue discrimination. While it’s true that, yes, it might be more difficult to start house-training a puppy in the winter, it’s certainly not impossible. For a little advice on how to potty train a dog when the weather gets cold, we turned to Anthony Bracciante, owner of Sit Means Sit Denver Dog Training. “We’ll mostly see [an aversion to colder weather] in condo, apartment or high-rise dogs, or smaller breeds,” Bracciante says. “Often they’re more used to the comforts and warmth of home, and they don’t have a yard to explore and acclimate in.” Teaching your puppy to come when called, sit, down, stand, stay, come when called, and leash manners (preventing sidewalk vacuuming, pulling, and putting on the brakes!) These Dog Training Videos Turned Buddy Into a Good Dog We also offer Private & In-Home Consultations to work on specific issues that your dog may be having. We have two locations to offer you more classes at your convenience. Click for directions to both our Hartland and Pewaukee locations. Raising a puppy: Housetraining A post shared by Hearing Dogs for Deaf People (@hearingdogs) on Jun 26, 2017 at 11:55am PDT Hillman SuperZoo 2018 – Searching For The Latest And Greatest Pet Products Urine has a strong smell of ammonia that attracts dogs to smell and mark with their own. For the latter, some training pads are sprayed with ammonia to encourage a puppy to go there. Clubs Offering: Higgins About Jason Daley COURSE OVERVIEW If you feel like your puppy problems have you at the end of your leash, you’re not alone! Luckily, these behaviors can easily be curbed if you correctly reward and punish your puppy. Later on, we’ll address some of the top issues in detail, but first, let’s start with an overview of basic puppy discipline do’s and don’ts. Employment Start the proofing process, which means your dog will be proving he knows behaviors even in different conditions or environments. Professor Donaldson demonstrates how taking the same training regimen on the road can have different results and what to do to get over obstacles such as competing motivation, distractions, or problems with generalization. x Echo Hi, Hay Surviving Your First 30 Days With a New Puppy Skip links Class Length: 6 Weeks YoPup (1) Small Pets Follow Us on Facebook How to Potty Train a Puppy Fast: The Ultimate Guide Senior Pet Health Package How to Adopt Retired Police Dogs How Much Exercise Does a Puppy Need? As your pup becomes comfortable eating inside the crate, you can close the door to the crate during feeding. Be sure to open the door as soon as your pup is finished. Never. You want to be calm but firm. Getting angry and yelling sends the wrong tone and may just excite your puppy, teaching it the wrong thing. How to Potty Train a Dog With an Enclosed Yard AKC Therapy Dog July 30 @ 5:00 pm – 6:00 pm Structure. How physically well-formed and proportioned is the puppy? A puppy with a solid build will generally be healthier than one that has concerns with bone alignment. how to train my puppy | pitbull puppy training how to train my puppy | puppy training biting how to train my puppy | how to train puppies Legal | Sitemap