#had to make my own rock charcuterie

[nuclearforest]

[angelcakesupreme]

so bored so i’m going to do this

1. odd question regarding the true part but, yes my name is zaria.

2. december 1st

3. 5’4”

4. taken by a pumpkin 🙂

5. i really like to apply three cute words together to get a good url.

6. i personally can adore both but if i had to chose, dogs. bigger dogs though because i don’t feel fond of smaller dog breeds lol. older cats are really cool.

7. as far as live action, i really like indie movies or films that generally focus on the slice of life genre. also films exploring a character navigating growth or love. i’m open to a lot of animation too but i adore surrealism and similar genres as my live action preferences for that too.

8. i really do wish i read more. its pretty difficult with adhd/autism but i do find myself fascinated with early 1900s children’s book illustrations.

9. both of my ears are pierced and i don’t want anymore.

10. i’ve always wanted to go to a safe meadow with flowers and sit under a large tree while letting a cute radio play 60s indie garage rock. my boyfriend and i will have a large quilted blanket out with a beautiful and classy packed picnic lunch with glassware and cute napkins. we have sandwiches, soup, iced tea, chocolates and a charcuterie board. different types of cheeses with honey and jams and meat for him. we laugh at weird jokes we make, play card games, maybe do arts and crafts together and watch the sunset. maybe watch the stars too. bonus to be near a river running quietly the whole time.

11. black iced coffee!

12. hard question to answer. i generally really dislike the idea that my passions have to intertwine with unhealthy capitalistic methods just to make ends meet. …i know there’s more optimistic ways to view that but i’m completely indifferent about pursuing a conventional idea of a career. i don’t have time or connections to do it but if possible something involving freelance art commissions or comics would be cool.

13. i don’t have this.

14. tofu pho easily! i can never get tired of it.

15. year of the tiger. tigers are cute but i wish it was rabbit!

16. i like knitting, baking and journaling.

17. i been to some pretty ordinary places really. i’ve been to quite a bit of the southern east coast of america and then to michigan and los angeles. thats about it.

18. i think i’d love to go to finland or japan.

19. japanese, french, finnish, russian and spanish.

20. just english, i can understand a considerable but small amount of spanish or japanese.

21. it’s hard to say… i really like all for different reasons but maybe spring at the moment.

22. i love stuffed animals. i own many like my melody, bunnies, an octopus cat, a teddy i had since 2005, and rilakkuma just to name a few.

23. i never had the former so tofu spaghetti for me.

24. being able to very easily recognize what year a piece of media came from.

25. i’ll go with a cute golden dagger with flowers and a bunny on it.

26. a rustic prep type of aesthetic i suppose. i definitely have it!

27. any kind of bunnies, giant african snail, puffins, panda bears, ducks, flamingos, frogs, and dogs.

28. right now i would probably say soap and sweat.

29. funny question, i don’t think i do. i very much value peace.

30. 4!

31. no!!!

32. i love both… so much… black coffee or cappuccino and green tea or chamomile… so lovely…

33. floral, strawberry, vanilla, warm apple, or coco butter.

34. don’t remind me… probably south park during 2010 to 2015.

35. 3rd, 7th, 10th, 16th, and my 23rd and 24th i suppose.

36. frankie foster!

37. ami from hi hi puffy amiyumi, frida suraez from el tigre, raggedy ann from raggedy ann and andy a musical adventure, and maybe lum from urusei yatsura and shantae.

38. i can’t answer this… ohhh ok i’ll try.

1. aguas de marco by elis regina

2. boranda by sergio mendes

3. l’elephant by tom tom club

4. sudden death by quelle chris

5. good days by sza

39. coffee, matcha and birthday batter!

40. my current wishlist is a customized cute stationery set, handheld vacuum, king sized bed set, more skirts, leggings, sweaters and crop tops, lotions, oils, dress shoes and sneakers, more cute socks and panties and some rugs and movie posters.

[hurricaneaurora]

Today was a rough shift at work. By 11:30 I had sold just one dance, meanwhile one of the other dancers had already sold 21 (her final count was 36, I think... she's 44 and I hope to someday be as good as her when I'm her age). Her customer wanted to go for a double, so she came over to me and one of our other coworkers and said she needed one of us. We did rock paper scissors to decide who was going to get to go, and the other dancer won. It sucked, but whatever, it happens. They're gone for a while, and six songs in, I started spiralling. I've been struggling with depression and suicidal ideation for weeks now, but all of a sudden I went from moderately bummed out and frustrated, to having some of the most intense urges to commit suicide or to self harm. I was visualizing self harming after work, planning where to get the tools, etc. I was making serious plans in my head about how to end my life once I got back to the house after work. It was bad, and it was dark. The night ended up turning around and I ended up selling 13 dances, which while not great also was not terrible. I'm still frightened about how dark my thoughts got that quickly. I can be competitive and I can get really down on myself, but it's never been this bad.

I got back to the house and the coworker who had won the rock paper scissors game got there first (the other three of us were in a dance at the end of the night and got home later). She'd gotten a bottle of wine out and made a charcuterie plate with salami, cheese, and crackers (the fancy crackers were brought out because I can't have the cheese and she wanted me to have something exciting besides salami so I wouldn't be sad about missing out on cheese). We spent a couple of hours talking about the differences in strip club culture across the country, about dating as exotic dancers, and about how to handle telling family you're an exotic dancer. By the time we were done talking and snacking and we all went to bed, I felt so much better. As I write this, I'm still stressed and depressed (and it's 6:30am and I need to be up in 5 hours, but I still can't sleep), but I no longer have strong urges to harm myself or die. I honestly believe that 30 years from now, I'm going to look back at these years as the best years of my life. The incredible sense of community that we have here is so healing. I am no longer connected to my family of origin, I moved to another country as an adult and feel disconnected from both cultures now, I left my faith and am no longer religious so I have no religious community. Being an exotic dancer on a circuit where we live together and have cheese parties after work allows us to form close bonds that have helped me feel less alone. Have helped me feel like a part of something bigger. I was talking with my therapist about my distress over my loss of faith and how I felt I lost that sense of community and sense of being part of something larger than myself. She pointed out that religion isn't the only source of community. She said I'm a Swiftie, and pointed out the similarities between the ritualized aspects of Catholicism that I enjoyed and all the rituals and little inside gestures that Swifties share at concerts. In the same way, I think I've found my own community through work, of people with similar pre-work and post-work rituals.

[discoerot1ca]

we come back from long-parted ways and our heads have changed color, lavender-blue and milky-white, scarlet as my sunrises and guiltless as pink velvet. yours comes in choppy waves now.

homer hasn’t told you about patroclus and achilles yet. it’s tied at the top of your reading list with some book title about an orange tree. you are settled gently in the mossy things at the base of a tree. I curl up against you as you crochet, snuggle in with my own hand-spun craft.

if I could, I would gather the thick yarn of you all into my hands and burrow into it every spring, surround myself with this laughter, this music, this ease. I am constantly finding odd gifts in the tangle, salt edges and rocks slicked with sea slime. you swallowed so much seawater in the dark on your way here. I remember the stories you dredge up from those years.

the tip of one of the scissor blades against my neck for a moment- but I don’t flinch. and you move to cut and all is well. we would not strike out against one another here, in the sun and the holy silence. there is a different god leaning against my desk, not the one either of us grew up with. they fall in the scraps of platinum, blind with the tilt of the metal in light. in your patient work is a love I could not have manipulated from you. I am glad I have given up. I am glad to find rest in this space. it’s okay that I’m good around you.

we are in my room under the green. I think red moon sounds better with a guitar slightly out of tune. I’ve only heard this song secondhand among the birds. you love it and I do my best to follow your melody. run your hand along my arm to watch the daisies pop up from it. press your palms against the wall to leave the mark of where you’ve been.

(- your flowers and handwriting curling out across my kitchen, the captions set in ink beneath our history. and all the pictures came out green, I guess the film was old. these stories are young still. press a kiss to your knuckles and feel their grace against my cheek, and the mud settles back into the banks of the river. I can see you through the water.)

i’m inside the house i waited months to visit. grandparents away for a week, and the house almost empty. L leads me in, and we sort through cassettes. it’s probably the first time in exactly a month we’ve had a truly calm moment. there are probably two hundred tapes on the dining room table, and we have all the time a sunday love can offer.

we go upstairs, to his room, a room full of art, a truly enriched enclosure. two pairs of black converse highs left on the middle floor. his and hers sneakers. well, maybe—his and theirs. i’m figuring out if hers still fits me, even now. but i pick up the soundtrack from my girl and give him a soft smile. he knows instinctively that’s me. he bites and bites and bites and now there are pretty little bruises on my arms, and larger ones on my thigh. they won’t fade fast.

L makes sangria for us. the first time we were supposed to meet, he asked if he should bring a bottle of sake. i declined. i wanted us to find substance without substances. our tipsy selves are a little more playful.

M comes out in the middle of the grocery store. he taps my shoulder and when i turn around, kisses me in front of the bagel shelves. he takes me by the hand and leads me to the produce, the deli, the frozen sections. i confirm when i first saw him that day and he asks did you not recognize me? and i say I’d recognize you anywhere. on the way home, he drives smoothly, an elderly lady lets him pass and we marvel at how nice she was. old women love me, he jokes, and then says seriously: i think you’re gonna be a cute old lady. i say, L doesn’t like grocery stores, and M says i hate them—but i just wanted to see you—if that’s okay. he cooks dinner for two. lamb, Caesar salad, charcuterie. i meet the family cat. she is an abomination. M leaves shortly after we go back upstairs. L returns and i tell him what he may have missed.

(below is about L, but tangentially about M)

when we fall asleep, we fall asleep together. the blanket covers us both, there is no tugging necessary. you whisper soft “i love you”s into my ear. you say it again when the bus arrives. of course, i say it back each time. i couldn’t think of doing otherwise at this point. my august self is not dead, but she’s a ghost. she haunts my heart for always. she would never say it but she loves you too.

[msmatx]

02.01.23-02.09.23— Week 18 [Switzerland to Paris for our first night]

Nothing like getting up and thinking about having to get on another train. Before we made our way back to the train station on Thursday morning, Atlas and I had a fantastic disagreement. He was convinced he could see a patch of snow in the distance from the hotel. He was also convinced that he could walk to that patch of snow from the hotel. Now, since our summer trip to Israel, I have become quite lenient in allowing both boys more freedom and independence. But my level of exhaustion, and instinct, said "nope, not today." I even went to the concierge downstairs to confirm that what he was seeing was not snow, in fact, it was white rocks. Atlas was still unconvinced. After threatening to leave him in Zurich and make him figure out his own way to Paris, we finally made it to the train station. Together.

Hero immediately checked out the snack car in anticipation of another 4.5-hour train ride. By the time we arrived in Paris, he had purchased four bags of chips, a croissant, and juice. This was another bullet train and he was very excited to have his photo taken with the train speed in the background.

We arrived in Paris around dinner time and made our way to our apartment. After a quick unpacking job, we went for dinner at the restaurant next to the apartment. Atlas was eager to have filet mignon. Hero had to settle on a charcuterie board.

The next morning we woke up and I had one the best parenting moments of our trip: Chipotle. When my adult children drag me to therapy for all the transgressions I committed in their childhood, I will say three words: Chiptole in Paris.

For months Atlas has been talking about eating at Chipotle, Starbucks, and Subway during our Paris trip. For the kid who loves to travel and try new cuisine, he also has some real love for basic American fast-food staples. We checked off Starbucks in Milano. And he knows I will not be caught dead in a Subway. But he sure knew how to campaign for Chipotle. So first thing in the morning of our first day in Paris I heard the incessant messaging of "we are going to Chipotle." Atlas even employed his brother in this endeavor. And to give you an idea of how determined they were for burritos and bowls, I told them that to go we would...WALK the ENTIRE WAY. It was about a 50-minute walk. It was cold and drizzly. And they were so excited to eat at Chipotle. It was not lost on them that the serving size was about half of what they get in the United States. We did have our first Paris Metro ride on our way back to the apartment.

That night Marc arrived and we went to a seven-course chef's choice meal. We could not pick any of the selections; it was all prechosen by the chef. We all had a lot of fun, even Hero who is not as adventurous with his food consumption. He found a lollipop stashed in his pocket.

And walking back to the apartment, spotting our first Paris monument—Place de la Bastille.

[bunnys-babies]

What They Bring to a Picnic

BNHA x reader

warning(s): none! <3 not edited

a/n: tyyyy @kirixfilms for the ideaaaa :)) <333 big hugs! my thoughts on what they’d bring to a picnic date :) and what a perfect way to send the summer season on its way!

characters: izuku, shoto, iida, kirishima, ochaco, bakugou, denki, sero, & mina

Izuku

Homemade Pinwheels

He spent an ungodly amount of hours on pinterest trying to find the perfect treat to bring just to land on pinwheels. He had a slap from reality when he really tried to imagine himself cooking some dish that had at least 6 hours prep time - he’s sweet and devoted but he’s also realistic. So what better than a light but filling meal than pinwheels!!

He was so proud of himself it was adorable. He opens the tray with a big smile and a little “ta-da!” He gets even giddier when you take a bite and send him a little thumbs up and hum, telling him it’s “so good!” with your mouth still full. Yeah yeah you just made his week

Shoto

Water & Homemade fruit & bread cakes

His first thought was definitely keeping the both of you hydrated and he almost settled on just bringing water - until he thought about it a little more and realized hm, maybe he should contribute with something else, too.

And then he remembered those cute little easy to make cakes you sent him on TikTok a while back and it was like a lightbulb went off in his head :) you really should’ve seen him all focused with his eyebrows furrowed as he tried to evenly spread the whipped cream and cut the bread just right. Not only that, but huffing and puffing while cutting the fruit as he debated with himself how big the slices should be. He even made the strawberries line up like little hearts under the bread even if you couldn’t see it, he was particularly proud of that.

Iida

Those mini sandwiches with no crust

He’s SO so proud of himself as he sets them out for you two to share; even periodically taking glances at you as you take your first few bites, smiling to himself proudly when you hum and smile. He even still asks you,

“Do you enjoy them? I made sure to be careful cutting the crust!”

As if your joy wasn’t obvious enough.

He even made a few different kinds! That way you had your options with flavors - he knows your favorite, but maybe you wanted to try something new!

Overall a very considerate gentleman :-)

Kirishima

Your favorite drinks & egg salad sandwiches

He tries to keep it light but yummy for his contribution to lunch, but just in case you don’t like them (cause he forgot to ask rip) he’s made sure to bring your favorite drinks so you’ll be happy somehow.

He cuts them into diagonals (after trying and failing to cut them into heart shapes of course - which he made sure to tell you about) and thinks it’s so chic and cute and is very proud of himself for the fact (what a sweetie).

Please give him a kiss on the cheek and tell him thank you, he’ll be wearing he biggest brightest smile the rest of the week about it

Ochaco

Homemade Rice Krispies & Melon Kebobs

Picnic dates have always been a must for her, they’re fun and cute so she already knew what she was gonna make - something tasty and simple!!

She made sure she whipped out the scooper and made the sweetest melon kebobs with honeydew, cantaloupe, & watermelon! And of course she made to make those extra sweet Rice Krispies :3

She was so excited to show you what she made and see what you made in return, too. She was adamant on feeding each other the first bites of what the other made, and she made the cutest face and gave you the biggest smile with her mouth full when you fed her that first bite of what you brought :,,(((. She also loved the way your lips tasted so sweet when she gave you little pecks after having the Rice Krispies

She’s decided she’ll have to make those for you more often <333

Bakugou

Charcuterie Board

As soon as you mentioned you wanted to go on a picnic date he understood the assignment. You had been nonstop talking about charcuterie boards and how bad you wanted to try one and then you mention a picnic date? Yeah you aren’t slick he knows what you’re throwing down.

He shows up all straight faced and whips everything out while you’re just gaping at him like, wow? And he just rolls his eyes like it’s nothing and crosses his arms, saying you better enjoy it and he doesn’t want to see a single scrap when this date is over cause he put a lot of work into this damn thing.

You guys definitely walk home with tummy aches from how full you are, but happy tummy aches <3

Denki

Pop rocks & Shrimp Chips

Listen, he believes in convenience when it comes to a picnic. He doesn’t plan on going all out cause he knows he’s just gonna want to snack and then either cuddle or explore! So of course he packs his fav snacks he can take on the go!

He does feel a little sheepish when he realizes you packed lunches for the two of you, and all he brought was candy and chips. But after you give him a kiss on the cheek and tell him to get over himself

Sero

Charcuterie Board

ANOTHER one here, he’s seen the tiktoks and Pinterest pics, he knows what you really want. Besides, he would love to show up with something fancy like a charcuterie board layout and impress you. And so he does exactly that.

You stroll up with your water and other various treats in your bag and walk upon him sprawled out next to that?? You’re a little bashful at first comparing what you brought in your own bag, but he assures you it’s cause he wanted to make you feel special and you feel a little bit better.

He tries feeding you some cheese on a cracker, but some of the spread drips onto your shirt and he laughs, so he’s off feeding duty from now on.

Mina

Assorted Fruit

Girlie busts OUT with the seasonal fruit collection.

She skips up to you and pulls it all out of her bag, pre cut in nice Tupperware’s and it’s so fresh. She even made some chocolate strawberries as a cute little side!

She’s all about being cute and feeding you fruit and giving you a smooch after, humming when she tastes the sweet left over remnants of fruit on your lips. She’s also all about taking the cutest pictures of you guys together and posting them everywhere - she has one of you with fruit juice dripping down your chin as her lock screen cause she’s obsessed <3

—————

taglist: @kirixfilms - I hope ur feeling better with school and all that! (psps let me know if you’d like to be added!)

[jamespotterthefirst]

Queen Bree HC please for dad Ethan and literally everyone drooling for him. And of course, Lilac, too.

Anon, thank you so much for this! I hope I did okay!

First Grade Field Trip (Headcanons)

It's ridiculous how many PTA parents and teachers try to persuade him to chaperone the field trip to the kids' museum

The morning of, Lilac teases him and tells him it's because he's too good looking for his own good

Ethan has gotten better about teasing her back throughout the years so he pulls her to him from behind and kisses her neck. Then, he tells her, "I'd ask you to go instead but some of those parents are just as crazy about you."

Lilac rolls her eyes and teases, "So you're taking the bullet for me? What a gentleman."

But little Dolores, nicknamed Lolly, is at the table, eating the pancakes her mother made (because her father is good at a lot of things but NOT making pancakes.) She hears her father suggest that her mom go to the field trip instead

And no offense to her mom but she prefers it so much better when her dad goes

"You have to come with us, Dad!" she protests. "No one explains the science displays better than you."

Lilac feigns offense but she gets it. Ethan used to take her on museum dates all the time and whenever she wasn't trying to distract him with very passionate make-out sessions, she did find his insight interesting.

"I wouldn't miss it for the world," Ethan assures her, ruffling her hair slightly. "If I'm not there to explain the difference in Upper Jurassic rock formations, then who? Noah's dad?"

Father and daughter snort at that ridiculous notion.

They spend the next fifteen minutes fixing and packing their lunch (brie cheese, baguetta, crackers, prosciutto, cashews, cucumbers, grapes, dried apricots, and chocolate-covered cherries. Ethan calls it a charcuterie to-go. Lilac calls it grown-up Lunchables.)

While Lilac drops the twins off at day care and heads into work, Ethan, Jonah, and Dolores set off to school.

The effect is immediate when they arrive.

Ethan rarely drops the kids off but when he does, he attracts attention.

Jonah is used to it and only sighs

Dolores wonders why everyone looks at her Dad with such interest.

Ethan is lasered focused on dropping his son off at his classroom before he meets Lolly's class by the buses.

Jonah's teacher actually chokes on her coffee when she sees Ethan. She recovers hastily, though her face is bright red and she stumbles on her words.

Lolly's teacher is much older, and as such, much subtler. Though Ethan has caught her quietly assessing him with approval.

They board the bus and Ethan is way too tall for it. He would have preferred to drive to the museum but his daughter insisted they go on the bus. And who can say no to the face?

Lolly sits with her friend, Charlotte, and Ethan has to find a seat nearby.

Several of the single moms look up hopefully.

One even makes her kid find a different seat.

Ethan finds an empty row and much to his relief, another parent (Noah's dad) comes to his rescue by sitting next to him. It turns out the guy is actually pretty decent.

But Ethan's worries are far from over.

The single moms follow him like vultures, feigning interest as he explains the Muscular System in the rock climbing section.

“It was awful nice of you to help us chaperone,” one of them says when she manages to get his attention at lunch.

Ethan doesn't smile, merely nods once. “My wife was busy today, otherwise it would have been her.”

The woman bristles slightly at the mention of his wife. Which is ridiculous because the gossip among the parents is widespread. Everyone knows Lilac and Ethan are happily married.

“There's nothing that comes before my children. I have to ensure their safety during field trips.”

Ethan doesn't miss the implication.

“I understand,” he returns dryly. “But then again, you're not a world renowned doctor who has to meet a deadline for her upcoming book.”

“Yeah,” Dolores adds cheerfully from a seat nearby. “Mommy is famous!”

The PTA mom, whose name Ethan did not bother to catch, gives them a forced, almost pained smile before getting lost.

Despite the speed at which gossip travels, some of his admirers are not deterred by the less than pleasant encounter.

One of them catches Ethan by surprise when she compliments his hair.

Ethan doesn't breathe a sigh of relief until later that day, when they're finally back at home recounting their day to Lilac.

“Oh!” Dolores adds as the excited conversation draws to a lull. “Jenny's mom told Daddy she liked his hair.”

Lilac raises an eyebrow. “Did she now?”

Ethan blushes.

“Yeah! She said it like you say it sometimes.”

Seductively. But Lolly is too young to know that.

Lilac lifts her gaze to meet Ethan's.

“And what did Daddy say?”

“He said 'thank you!'” Lolly supplies.

Ethan opens his mouth to explain under Lilac's expectant gaze.

“I was... not expecting that. It caught me off guard.”

Lilac's eyebrows only climb higher up her forehead.

Later when Lolly goes off to play with her siblings, Lilac says, “Jenny's mom is desperate.”

“It was—”

“And a liar.”

“Pardon?”

“Your hair is ridiculous.”

Ethan blinks.

Then he smirks.

He can tell she's joking, but despite the jest, she is still a tiny bit jealous. With a laugh, he pulls her close, her back against his chest. “That’s not what you said last night.”

“I say a lot of things when my mind is elsewhere.”

“Namely on my mouth and what it had the pleasure of doing.”

She turns in his embrace, finally joining in his laughter.

 He kisses her because she's crazy if she thinks there'd ever be anyone else

Notes: LMAO this might as well have been a fic. Oh well. I don’t know how to do HC and that this point I’m afraid to ask.

Thank you for reading if you made it this far!

___________________

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[i-am-a-closet-fanfic-fiend]

The Art of Love (Part 7) ~ Steve Rogers x Reader College!AU

A/N: Happy Valentine’s Day Weekend my loves! I’m finally getting back into this story. Hopefully I’ll be able to finish it up soon, but no promises. lol but I hope you enjoy. I wanted to get this out because this year the dates actually line up lol so here we are. 

Summary: You and Steve host his mom and Bucky for dinner. 

Characters/Pairings: Steve Rogers x Reader (Eventual), Bucky Barnes, Sarah Rogers 

Rating: K+

Warnings: None. Fluff . Idiots 

Word Count: 1968

Divider by: @whimsicalrogers​

Main Masterlist | The Art of Love Masterlist | Broken Hearts and Robot Parts Masterlist (Companion Fic) ​

You were unable to tear your eyes away from Steve as he tugged his shirt off and tossed it in the hamper, though you rolled your eyes when he laughed at you. It wasn’t until you heard him singing Sexyback that you huffed and turned back to the dresses.

You stared at your remaining options. You couldn’t help but smile when you came to a decision. If you were right, you knew exactly why it was his favorite. After you packed away the rest of the dresses you flopped down on the bed scrolling through your notifications.

“Did you make a decision?” Steve asked as he exited the bathroom, dressed in his jeans and white tank top but barefoot.

You gestured to the closet where the blue wrap dress hung next to his shirt.

Steve looked at it and grinned.

“My favorite.” Steve laid on his side next to you, propping his head in his hand. “We really should go back to California soon.”

You rolled on your side to mimic his position.

“I’d love that. Ooh maybe in the winter though because it’ll be nice and warm,” you giggled.

“That’s a great idea.”

You dropped your gaze from his and started tracing the pattern of his bedspread.

“What’s going through your head, sweetheart?” Steve asked as he covered your hand with his own.

“Just going over what’s left to do for tonight.”

“Everything is all set. There’s nothing left for you to do except to get ready.”

“How long do I have?”

Steve glanced at his phone.

“About an hour.”

“Okay, that’s probably enough time to make myself presentable,” you fretted.  

He cupped your cheek, focusing your attention on him.

“Sweetheart, please stop worrying. You are always beautiful.”

“You’re just saying that.”

“Nope. It’s my professional opinion. Are you doubting someone who almost has a bachelor’s in fine arts?” he demanded haughtily.

You giggled and rolled your eyes, shoving at his chest.

“You’re ridiculous.”

“And you love me for it,” he beamed.

“That I do.”

“Why don’t you go take a shower. Take your time and relax. I even bought the candle you like.”

“Summer storm?”

“Yup.”

“You’re the best.”

You kissed him on the cheek as you climbed over him to go shower.

The shower helped calm your nerves and when the water ran cold you wrapped yourself in the fluffy towel Steve had bought just for you and padded back into the bedroom.

You kept the music on low as you got ready, fixing your hair and doing some light make up. When you were satisfied with your appearance you tugged on the dress and slid your feet into the low heels. The final touch was the silver necklace of a dancer that Steve had bought you for your first showcase.

“So how do I look?” you asked as you stood beside the TV.

“Beautiful.”

He patted the spot beside him on the couch and you happily joined him. He immediately twined his fingers through yours.

“I’m really glad that you’re here with me tonight. I love you, y/n.”

“I love you too, Steve.”

He brought your hands up so he could kiss your knuckles you couldn’t help the fond smile that tugged at your lips. Your shower and primping had taken less time than you expected so you and Steve passed the time watching the Good Place.

You were tucked neatly into Steve’s side as you waited for his mom and Bucky to arrive. As his nerves mounted yours seemed to recede and you rubbed soothing circles over his knuckles.

“Relax, Steve. It’s your mom and Bucky. There’s nothing to worry about.”

“There’s a lot to worry about. The three people I love the most are all going to be in the same place.”

“I thought you weren’t worried about me meeting your mom.”

“I’m not worried about you. I’m worried about me. The three people who have the most dirt on me in the same room. Yikes.”

You rolled your eyes.

“You know I live to lift you up. But I hope she brought baby pictures.”

“You’re awful.”

“You love me.”

“You sure about that?”

“Not a doubt in my mind.”

He pulled you closer and kissed the crown of your head.

“Good because I do. Mmm. You smell good.”

“I smell like you.” you giggled. “I forgot my shower gel.”

“Yeah but it’s your shampoo. It’s the perfect combination.”

You were interrupted by keys jangling and the door swinging open.

“Honey, I’m home.”

“Hey, Buck.”

“Hey, Smudge. Hey, Stevie.”

Neither of you moved from the couch as he hung his jacket up and walked into the kitchen.

“God it smells great in here.”

“Bucky Barnes, don’t you dare eat anything to spoil your appetite.”

“But I’m starving,” he whined.

“We’re having appetizers as soon as Steve’s mom gets here. Just wait.”

Bucky pouted into his beer as he sank into the opposite end of the couch.

“I promise it’s worth it.”

“I’m sure it is, doll”

“You’re too sweet, Buck. What did you do today?”

“I spent most of it at the hospital. A spot on their Saturday shift opened up so I took it.”

“Aw that’s great. You didn’t think you’d be able to this semester.”

“I know. I’m really glad. There’s this really sweet girl who just is amazing.”

You and Steve shared a smile at the excitement and fondness in his voice.

The three of you chatted, until your nerves got the best of you and you moved into the kitchen to triple check everything for dinner. The boys trailed behind you, but stayed out of your way.

Your eyes snapped to the door when it buzzed and you tracked Steve as he went to greet his mom. Bucky used your distraction to swipe a grape earning him a rap on the knuckles with a cheese knife.

“Hands off, Buck.”

“Aw come on, doll.”

“No more.”

Bucky pouted but kept his hands to himself as you retrieved the glasses from the cabinet.

Steve was laughing when he opened the door with the one and only Sarah Rogers trailing behind him. She smiled brightly when she spotted you and Bucky. You quickly wiped your hands on the dish towel and hurried to greet her.

“Hi, Mrs. Rogers, it’s nice to see you again.”

“It’s lovely to see you, darling. Please call me, Sarah.”

Once Steve took her coat she leaned forward to kiss you on each cheek.

“Hello, James.”

“Hey, Aunt Sarah,” he grinned around a mouthful of cheese.

“Buck!”

“Sorry, Smudge!”

Rolling your eyes you headed back into the kitchen.

“Can I get you something to drink, Ma?”

“I’ll just have some water.”

“Regular water or seltzer water.”

“Regular please, dear.”

“Sweetheart do you want anything.”

“Water please.”

You retrieved the charcuterie board fiddling slightly trying to disguise the gap Bucky’s munchies had left. He had the good grace to look apologetic when you glared in his direction.

Sarah had made herself comfortable in the arm chair and Bucky took the chair and a half across from her leaving you to sit beside Steve on the couch. He patted your knee before taking your hand as he had earlier.

“How was your Saturday? Did you work today?” Steve asked.

“No, I’m off this weekend. I went grocery shopping. Needed to stock up on a few items. It was a mad house though.”

“Really? It was quiet when we were there,” Steve hummed.

“We were there at like 6:30,” you pointed out.

“True. And it was getting crowded when we were finishing up.”

“I wonder why.”

Bucky and Sarah gaped at the two of you.

“You two really do live under a rock in that arts building don’t you?”

Sarah laughed at Bucky’s observation.

“Why? What are we missing?”

“There’s a blizzard coming tomorrow. Everyone was stocking up before the storm.”

“Wait, seriously?”

“Uh huh. It’s been on every news station for a week. What have you been doing?”

“Avoiding my phone at all costs,” you admitted.

Steve shrugged his agreement. “I’ve been distracted.”

“Well, I hope you got more than just food for tonight.”

“Yeah, we’re all set,” Steve assured his mom. “We’ll just hunker down here for the next few days.”

“Absolutely. It’s not like we were planning to leave for the next couple of days anyways,” you agreed.

“Oh did you two have plans for the holiday?”

You squirmed under Sarah’s amused but expectant gaze, not wanting to give her the wrong impression.

“Tomorrow is our annual Lord of the Rings Marathon. We do it every year,” Steve explained with a grin.

“How did that come about?”

“During Freshman year, I got really sick right around Valentine’s Day. And my roommate, and pretty much everyone else I knew had gone on this ski trip that whole week. Steve was worried about me so he brought me pancakes from the dining hall and chicken noodle soup and stayed with me the whole weekend. We watched a ton of movies, but somehow Lord of the Rings became a tradition.”  

“That’s so sweet.”

“Yeah it is.”

You squeezed as his hand as he looked over at you with that soft smile you loved so much.

Steve patted his stomach and hummed as he sat back in his chair, nudging your knee with his. Bucky was wiping his bowl with the last of the rolls, and Sarah demurely wiped at her mouth.

“Dinner was absolutely delicious. I’ve got to say, Y/n, I’m impressed you’ve taught my son to cook.”

“I wouldn’t say I taught him. We more figured it out together. Poor Bucky had to taste test a lot of nearly inedible things.”

“Except her baking. That’s always been amazing,” Bucky piped up as he shoved the last roll into his mouth.  

“Speaking of, I should get the pie in the oven to warm up or we won’t have dessert until midnight,” you fretted.  

“I’ve got it, sweetheart. Just relax.”

“I’m sure the boys won’t mind cleaning up.”

You glance at Steve who nods encouragingly before hopping to his feet, squeezing your shoulders as he kissed the top of your head as he passed by. Bucky finished chewing and began to clear the dishes.

“Why don’t we move over to the couch?” she suggested.

You nodded and grabbed your glass and followed her, sitting next to the older woman.

“I’m so glad that we’re finally getting to spend some time together. Steve never stops talking about you. You’re clearly very special to him.”

You couldn’t help but look over at him, smiling as he elbowed Bucky out of the way at the sink.

“He’s very special to me too.”

“Thank you for taking care of him. I know he can get lost in his work.”

“He does the same for me.”

“I also have to say, you’re a beautiful dancer. I’m looking forward to your performance at the Showcase. It’s always been a highlight in the past.”

“Oh, thank you. I’m flattered.”

“I also saw that you and Steve were celebrating a new job last night?”

“Yes, I just joined the Howling Commando Stage Troupe as a dancer and assistant choreographer.”

“Oh that’s so exciting. Congratulations. Are you looking forward to it?”

“Yes, absolutely. They’ll send me the info for the summer series in a few weeks.”

“And how does one manage being a dancer and a choreographer at the same time.”

“The Howlies always mount two shows simultaneously, so I’ll be dancing in one show while I help choreograph the other.”

“Ah, I see. Well that is quite the undertaking, but I’m sure it will all be beautiful. You’ll have to let me know when opening night is. I would love to come and see you.”

Her earnest support caught you off guard.

“Of course,” you finally managed. “Thank you.”  

A/N: Thank you so much for reading. I hope you enjoyed ! 

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[passionate-reply]

Great Albums is back! This week, we’ll take a look at one of the greatest electronic albums of all time, Kraftwerk’s The Man-Machine, and try to avoid getting sued by Ralf Huetter! Full transcript for the video can be found below the break. Enjoy!

Growing up, my main genre of choice was 80s synth-pop, and while the deep influence of Kraftwerk is as significant there as it is everywhere else in electronic music, I was one of those people who initially saw them as somewhat "intimidating." Today, moreso than ever, Kraftwerk are held up as one of those more high-brow or cerebral groups with a philosophy that transcends mere pop or dance music, which makes them seem respectable, a kind of “model minority” in the world of music outside rock. While I don’t buy into the judgmental quality of that sort of praise, which damns so many of Kraftwerk’s greatest fans and imitators, I did get the sense, as a child, that these hoity-toity Germans, working with primitive equipment way back in the 1970s, might not be what I was looking for in a new favourite band. That was before I heard The Man-Machine.

While it’s certainly true that Kraftwerk were a highly experimental band in their own time, they’re one of those acts whose ideas have deeply permeated contemporary music, to the point where their actual work is extremely approachable and listenable to today’s ears. Of all the fairly early electronic acts, who started making this kind of music before it began to become mainstream in the late 70s, Kraftwerk are almost certainly the ones people nowadays listen to for pleasure the most, and that’s no accident. While their earlier albums like Trans-Europe Express took more overt inspiration from classical music, The Man-Machine was their first great foray into the arena of pop, which I think is key to why it resonates with people. For evidence of that, look no further than the biggest mainstream hit of Kraftwerk’s career, “The Model.”

I think it’s easy to see why “The Model'' became a hit single. Sure, it may not have the most traditional pop song structure, let alone instrumentation, but unlike a lot of what Kraftwerk had done before, it’s got a lot of lyrics and a real sense of narrative. Plus, that narrative we get is about a person and not a machine--a good-looking person, in whom the narrator is sexually interested. It’s the perfect pop material. Of course, I would be remiss to mention that “The Model” didn’t achieve all of its success until the single was re-released in many markets in 1981, and in those few years, the idea of “synth-pop” advanced significantly in the charts and popular consciousness. By the time “The Model” was a hit, Kraftwerk admirers were already taking over: look no further than Gary Numan’s "Cars” or OMD’s "Enola Gay,” two synth-pop classics that, it must be said, are still about vehicles!

That aside, though, not everything on The Man-Machine sounds like “The Model”--in fact, it’s surrounded by tracks that have much more in common with Kraftwerk’s earlier LPs. Literally surrounded, in the track listing. I think that adds to this album’s appeal as an ideal entry point into their catalogue: it has some things that sound familiar, while also preparing you for what else you’ll encounter if you choose to probe deeper into the band. The Man-Machine has the least homogeneous profile of any Kraftwerk album. While most of their other classic albums are highly cohesive “song cycles” that almost blend into one long song when you listen to them in full, The Man-Machine doesn’t really have those repeated melodies and motifs that tie its tracks together. While many people, especially fans of psychedelic and progressive rock, really like those cohesive albums, I think this change is a welcome one. It gives the individual tracks a bit more room to breathe and express distinctive identities, and makes the album feel a bit more pop, even if the material itself isn’t always all that poppy. *The Man-Machine* actually only has six individual tracks; they range in length from the three-minute pop stylings of “The Model” to the urban sprawl of “Neon Lights,” which luxuriates in an almost nine-minute runtime.

Given that the average track length is around six minutes, I’m almost tempted to think of The Man-Machine as six tiny Kraftwerk albums, or at least, musical ideas that could have been expanded into full LPs in another universe. “Neon Lights” and “Spacelab” feel dreamy and easy-going, with floating melodies that draw from the “cosmic music” scene, one of the many emergent styles that began as something uniquely German and spread throughout the world--in this case, becoming an important forerunner to ambient electronic music through acts like Tangerine Dream. Meanwhile, the hard, tick-tocking rhythms of “Metropolis” and the title track point to the newfound focus on rhythm and the so-called motorik beat that made the music of Neu! so compelling.

The Man-Machine can serve not only as an introduction to Kraftwerk, but also as a sort of crash course in this entire period of electronic music, showcasing some of the most distinctive and influential features of the German scene, as well as the shape of synth-pop to come. It’s a complex and busy historical moment with huge ramifications for almost all of subsequent electronic music, and The Man-Machine really creates a microcosm of that whole environment. There’s also the fact that each side of the record has one track from each of my three broad groups, like an expertly-designed sushi platter or charcuterie board for us to sample from, and they both follow the same formula: a pop appetizer, a cosmic *entree,* and motorik for dessert.

*The Man-Machine* also has what is almost certainly the most iconic cover of any of Kraftwerk’s LPs. This is how lots of us still picture them in our minds, and it’s inspired tons of parodies and riffs over the years. I think all of that acclaim is deserved! Emil Schult’s graphic design for the album was heavily inspired by avant-garde Soviet artists of the 10s and 20s, chiefly El Lissitzky. These visual artists used their art to express their hope for a new world, defined by the promise of technology, and their literally revolutionary philosophy--so what could be a better match for Kraftwerk’s electronic revolution in music? Lissitzky used bright, primary colours, straight lines, and geometric shapes to convey the “built environment” of modern cities and man-made architecture, and you’ve got all the same sentiment on display here. The use of strong diagonals really draws the eye and lends this image a lot of continued visual interest. It’s also worth noting the extent to which Kraftwerk’s aesthetics inspired later electronic acts almost as powerfully as their sound. When you picture an electronic band, and get a mental image of stiff and stone-faced musicians behind synthesisers wearing shirts and ties, you can certainly thank Kraftwerk for that, as well.

I also love the title of The Man-Machine! The relationship between people and technology is one of, if not the, most central themes in Kraftwerk’s entire discography, which is full of references to anthropomorphic machines as well as mechanically-mediated humans. The particular choice of the phrase “man-machine,” as opposed to words like “android,” has a fun vintage flair to it, which matches the use of early 20th Century visual art quite nicely.

As might be expected from the album’s stylistic diversity, *The Man-Machine* would prove to be something of a transition point in Kraftwerk’s career. Their 1981 follow-up, Computer World, would return to the song cycle format, but with increasing emphasis on ideas from the pop sphere, championed by percussionist Karl Bartos. By the time of the last classic-lineup Kraftwerk LP, 1986’s Electric Cafe, they had not only amped up the pop, but also incorporated influence from the electronic dance music of the time. Ultimately, Bartos would leave the group, chiefly due to discontent with his treatment by founding members Ralf Huetter and Florian Schneider-Esleben, and their persistent lack of musical productivity.

On a somewhat lighter note, my personal favourite track on this album is its opener, “The Robots.” Per my typology from earlier, I classified this as a pop-oriented song, and it certainly is an approachable one that’s proven to be quite popular. But it’s got just enough more experimental touches to keep things quite interesting. From an ominous, dissonant intro, a slightly more pop form, hinting at a verse/chorus structure, soon emerges and contrasts. I love the groove of the rhythm and percussion here, as well as the very heavy vocoder, rich in texture and certainly a Kraftwerk staple.

While the lyrics can be read as sort of light and silly, I like to think that the robots in question might also be dangerous. The track “Metropolis” seems to reference the seminal 1927 silent film of the same name, which is famous for its portrayal of an evil, mechanical doppelganger. Likewise, the choice to translate the lyrics of the song’s interlude into Russian is likely inspired by another great work of art from this era: the stage play R.U.R.--Rossum’s Universal Robots. Written by Karel Čapek in 1922, it’s the progenitor of the “robot revolution” trope in science fiction, the source of the word “robot” for autonomous machines in almost every human language, and one of the first entries in the illustrious career of an author who helped make Czech a true literary language. While the titular robots take time to assure us that they’re programmed to do what we humans want, should we really trust them...?

[heauxplesslydevoted]

Cat & Mouse

Summary: A re-imaging of the restaurant scene in chapter 2.

A/N: OH2 is supplying us with such good content. The fic ideas that have popped into my head are just *chef’s kiss*

Warning: Just a teensy bit naughty

Tags: @ao719 @x-kyne-x @paulfwesley @ramseyandrys @choicesobsessedd @a-i-n-a-a-s-h @sparklinglilac  @cream-ray @perriewinklenerdie @barricades-of-freedom @dr-brianna-casey-valentine @doroshi-desu @aworldoffandoms @thatcatlady0716 @drakewalker04 @canknot @lapisreviewsstuff @akacalliope @senseofduties @badchoicesposts @ethandaddyramsey @the-soot-sprite @chasingrobbie @zodiacsign1 @choices-lurker @miyakokurono @trappedinfandoms

~v~

The restaurant Governor Rivera picked is amazing, Naomi can’t deny it. Everything at Chez Pierre feels luxurious, pleasing her senses. The view is spectacular, the Boston skyline lit up beautifully this time of night, the drinks are great—Naomi has never had such an amazing raspberry margarita before—and the food is unlike anything she’s ever had.

The conversation is flowing freely, as well as the drinks. The governor smiles warmly at her, but the older woman’s gaze is intense. “So Naomi, what does Edenbrook’s bright future look like to you?”

Naomi gulps. She wasn’t expecting to be put on the spot like that. 

But she squares her shoulders and looks the governor head on. “I think it lies in our community.” She glances around the table, making eye contact with her fellow doctors. “That’s why we got into this line of work. To help people. Those same patients go back into the community and help others. That’s how a town like Boston grows and prospers. By taking care of its own.”

The governor smiles at her words. “How touching! I should have you write my re-election ads.”

Naomi chuckles good-naturedly at the compliment. She silently thanks her parents. If it weren’t for them dragging her to various parties, galas, and fundraisers growing up, she’d be completely lost in the presence of such a powerful politician. “You’re too kind, Governor.”

She locks eyes with Naveen across the table with, who winks at her, approving the answer. She winks back, as if they’re two co-conspirators in a scheme.

But she feels Ethan’s knee brush against hers and she freezes, her spine going erect and a chill coursing through her a the simple touch. He pulls his knee away before she can fully revel in his touch again. She turns to look at him, but he doesn’t look back, keeping his eyes fixed straight ahead.

Did she just imagine that? He did touch her, right?

What happened to him wanting to have boundaries? What happened to keeping things strictly professional?

She smirks to herself. Fine. If Ethan wants to play games, she can play them just as well. And win.

She slides away from him slightly so she’s able to move a bit more freely. Out of the corner of her eye she sees Ethan lift his wine glass to his lips. As soon as he takes a sip, Naomi curls her leg around his, sliding her heeled foot along his calf. Ethan chokes at the contact, spitting his Cabernet back into the glass.

Naveen frowns, looking at Ethan with concerned eyes. “Ethan, are you alright?”

Ethan nods furiously, a bit too enthusiastic to seem realistic. “Y-yes. The wine just went down the wrong way.”

“I know it’s delicious, but please don’t hurt yourself,” the governor teases. “Slow down.”

Naomi’s foot doesn’t leave his leg. She continues to lazily run it up and down the back of his leg and Ethan sucks in a large breath to stay calm. “Yes ma’am.”

When everyone resumes their conversation, Ethan shoots Naomi a glare. She gives him a coy smile in return, feigning innocence.

A few courses pass and they’re finally into the thick of their meal, with the server coming out to serve everyone filet mignon and garlic potatoes.

“So Naomi,” Governor Rivera starts, “tell me a bit about yourself.”

“What do you want to know?”

“Let’s start with the basics. Are you a Boston native?”

“No, I’m a transplant. I’m from DC, actually.”

“Interesting. So what made you choose Edenbrook for your residency?”

“It’s one of, if not the best hospital in the country. I wanted to learn from the best and become the best.”

“How’s that gone for you so far?”

“Excellent. I performed an emergency surgery with one of the greatest surgeons of this generation,” Naomi says smiling at Harper. “And I get the privilege of working under Dr. Ramsey, who is absolutely amazing at what he does, and he learned from Dr. Banerji. It’s a literal dream come true. I can’t imagine working at a different hospital with different people.”

“And what about you, Ethan?” Governor Rivera asks. “Where are you from?”

“New York. I went to Columbia for undergrad and medical school, but I’ve been in Boston ever since.”

“How long has that been?”

“11 years now.” He feels Naomi’s hand settle on his knee. A few seconds pass, and she doesn’t move a muscle. Instead of bringing attention to it, Ethan continues talking. “But it feels like forever. Boston is my home, even though I wasn’t born here.”

“It’s amazing to hear just how much Boston means to those who weren’t even born here. I’d love to be able to quote one of you guys on that.”

Naomi’s hand leaves Ethan’s knee and travels north. She starts tracing a nonsensical pattern on his thigh, but again, she doesn’t give anything away. Ethan watches as she just smiles politely at the Governor. “Oh now, you can quote me only if we get something in return.”

The governor laughs. “Naomi, you are an absolute delight! I wish more young people had your wit and charm.”

“It’s a gift not everyone has,” Naomi says. Her hand venters up even higher, her delicate hand gently palming Ethan through his trousers. “But I’m willing to shoulder the burden.”

Ethan coughs loudly, and looks down at his lap. He can feel himself turning beet red due to Naomi’s ministrations.

“Son, are you alright?” Naveen asks. “Do you need some water?”

Ethan shakes his head, and coughs again, trying to disguise a moan.  Jesus Christ, is this woman really going to give him a handjob at the fucking dinner table? “I’m fine.” The words come out gruff and shaky, and Ethan barely believes them himself.

Deciding enough is enough, Ethan grabs Naomi’s hand, rougher than he intended, and she instantly stills. Seconds later, she recovers and switches gears, lacing their fingers together. Now Ethan is 100 percent sure his face is bright red, holding her hand feeling much more intimate than whatever it was they were just doing.

Ever so subtly, Naomi knocks her fork off of her table. “God, I’m so clumsy.” She reaches down to retrieve it, but Ethan beats her to it.

While they’re both crouched down on the floor, pretending to grab the utensil, Ethan takes the opportunity to talk to her. “Whatever game you’re playing, Rookie, you need to stop it.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about, Dr. Ramsey,” Naomi replies, innocently. She sits back up in her seat, leaving him dumbfounded.

Naomi - 1, Ethan - 0.

So is this the game they’re about to play? Ethan nods silently to himself. Fine. If Naomi wants to play with fire, he is willing to light the match with her.

He sits up, and adjusts the napkin in his lap. Another course is placed in front of them, a charcuterie board covered in cheeses, salamis, and crackers and various spreads. Naomi and Harper marvel at all of the options in front of them.

Ethan decides that it’s the perfect opportunity to exact his revenge. He glances down and zeroes in on the high slit of Naomi’s forest green dress. Jackpot. While she’s talking to Harper about some sort of jam that’s on the board, Ethan slowly slides one of his fingers up and down her leg. The contact catches her by surprise, her breath hitching slightly, but she doesn’t do anything else, nothing to alert the other guests at the table to what they’re doing.

His hand goes further, curling over until it’s fully squeezing her thigh. Naomi doesn’t move a muscle, happily chatting with Harper as if nothing is going on. Ethan is impressed. He didn’t expect her to have such a strong poker face. So he ups the ante. His nails dig into the soft flesh of her inner thigh, scraping along the skin. He can feel the goosebumps popping up on the disturbed skin, and Naomi squirms a bit in her seat, but again, he’s the only one who notices.

He frowns slightly to himself. She’s good. Too good. And his competitive streak has been triggered now, Ethan won’t be able to rest until she breaks. 

Ethan’s hand travels higher until he reaches the thin lace of her underwear. He absentmindedly toys with the fabric for a while before pushing it aside. He watches as Naomi rocks herself side to side, her elbows pressed on top of the table. But Ethan doesn’t take it any further, rather he de-escalates the situation, placing his hand back on her knee. His thumb runs across the skin in a soothing manner.

This was only supposed to be about her, but Ethan realizes just how much he’s missed touching the younger woman. As quickly as the thought crossed his mind does he push it away. This was supposed to be about torturing Naomi. She’s supposed to be the loser, not him.

Naomi rests her cheek on her open palm and leans forward, pretending to be interested in whatever story the governor is telling them. A few well placed nods and polite chuckles buy her time, but all Naomi can think about is Ethan’s hand. His big, strong hand that is currently touching her. When she kicked this thing up, she wasn’t expecting him to actually play along.

She needs to get away from him, and the table. There’s only so much more “subtle” writhing she can do in her seat before she starts looking like a crazy person.

So Naomi clears her throat, getting everyone’s attention. Grabbing her small clutch, she stands up. “If you’ll all excuse me for a second.”

They lock eyes and Ethan watches her form retreat from their table and head towards the back of the restaurant where the restrooms are.

He silently gloats. Ethan – 1, Naomi – 1.

A minute later, his phone dings in his pocket. He discretely pulls it out and checks his notifications. He has a new text message from Naomi, with just a single word.

Dr. Naomi Valentine: Bathroom. 

All of the blood rushes from his head upon reading the message. She seriously wants to do this, now? While they’re at a dinner being hosted by the governor? Ethan waits a few more seconds before getting out of his seat as well. “I apologize, but I have to make a phone call.”

“Is everything okay?” The governor asks.

“My neighbor is watching my dog,” Ethan lies casually. “He keeps sending me texts, so I should definitely call and check in.”

“Of course, of course. Go right ahead.”

Ethan smiles, grateful that the lie worked. “Thank you.” He excuses himself from the table, and when no one is looking, he weaves through the tables of the restaurant, making his way towards the back.

He looks around to make sure no one is paying attention to him. They’re not, everyone so caught up in their own dinners and conversations. He slips into the bathroom, unnoticed and locks the door behind him.

The bathroom is cozy, dimly lit and smells like ocean salt and fresh flowers. At the sound of the lock clicking into place, Naomi looks up and locks eyes with Ethan in the bathroom mirror. She doesn’t move in inch, challenging him to make the first move.

“Naomi Valentine, you are an absolute temptress.” Ethan says, slowly moving closer to the younger woman.

“You don’t expect me to believe that little knee touch earlier was innocent, do you?” Naomi shoots back. “You started it, Ramsey. I merely kicked things up a notch.”

Ethan keeps moving closer to her until he’s crowding her space, trapping her between the counter and his body. He buries his face in the crook of her neck, inhaling the jasmine scent of her perfume before placing a delicate kiss on the spot.

“You’ve spent most of the night teasing me,” Ethan murmurs. “Now that I have you all to myself, I don’t know if I want to tease you senseless or absolutely devour you.”

Naomi can’t help but visibly react to that, her entire body shuddering. Fuck, was he always so good at dirty talk?

“You can do whatever you want,” Naomi replies breathlessly. She’ll probably regret the desperation once the fog clears, but right now, she doesn’t care.

That’s all he needed to hear. Ethan spins Naomi around and effortlessly lifts her onto the countertop, the bottom of her dress bunching at her waist. Before she can react, he crashes his lips onto hers, kissing her.

It’s unlike the one they shared at Donahue’s the night before. That was tentative and chaste, with Naomi having to do all of the work. But this is different. This is all consuming and it stokes the flames growing in the pit of Naomi’s stomach. Naomi can feel the kiss from the crown of her head to the tips of her toes, electricity coursing through her veins.

Naomi grabs Ethan by the lapels of his green jacket and pulls him closer to deepen the kiss. One of his hands flies to her hair, pulling, getting tangled up in the mass of soft curls. She moans into the kiss. She always was a sucker for a bit of hair pulling.

Ethan takes advantage of the moan, his tongue sliding into her mouth. It curls against hers, fighting for dominance that he knows she won’t give him so easily.

His lips move across her jaw and down her neck, his beard tickling the path he created. Her head falls back, giving him more access and Ethan kisses along the side of her neck, before sinking his teeth in.

“Fuck, Ethan–” the words die on her throat as he drops to his knees in front of her. His fingers hook into the waistband of her black lace thong, and he yanks it down hurriedly, ridding her body of the material. He throws one of her legs over his shoulder and bites the soft skin of her inner thigh.

She isn’t sure where her will power is coming from, but despite everything single cell in her body dying to cry out at the sensation, Naomi manages to keep it together as best as she can.  She grabs a fistful of his hair and holds him there. Ethan pulls back and runs a long swipe of his tongue against the mark, attempting to soothe the bruise. She curses quietly to herself as heat pools in her belly.

Ethan spreads her thighs apart further. A please growl escapes the back of his throat at the sight of her. “Look at how wet you are,” he murmurs. “How wet you get for me.”

She whimpers at his words. God, she just wants him to touch her already.

“What do you want me to do to you, Rookie?” Ethan asks.

“Please…”

He’s amused by her eagerness, her desperation. He huffs, not quite laughing and his warm breath on her thigh makes her squirm. “Please, what? Use your big girl words, Naomi.”

“Just fucking touch me already!” Naomi snaps, her patience nonexistent at this point.

Ethan chuckles. “Good girl.” He drops her leg and pulls himself up. “You want me to fuck you?”

“Yes.”

Ethan takes a step back and coolly appraises Naomi. Her hair is tousled, her eyes hooded, lips swollen. He’s never seen something more beautiful.

“No.”

Naomi’s eyes snap up and she looks at Ethan, confused. What did he just say to her? “What?”

“You heard me. N. O. No.”

“But–”

“You think you can tease me all night and I’d let you get away with it?” His blue eyes sparkle with mischief and Naomi doesn’t know if she wants to yell at him or cry in frustration. “Absolutely not.”

Naomi shakes her head, trying to sober herself up. Is he really saying no to her? He came all the way to the bathroom just to tease her?

She hops off the counter and fixes her dress, ignoring her weak knees and wobbly feet. “Are you fucking kidding me, Ethan?”

“Come on, you know I don’t kid around.” Ethan leans forward and presses one more chaste kiss onto the corner of Naomi’s mouth. He chuckles at the dazed look on her face. “We should head back. I don’t want it to look suspicious that we’ve been gone for so long.”

Ethan doesn’t spare Naomi another glance or give her a chance to respond, turning on his heel and walking out of the restroom.

It takes her a minute to recover from the shock of the situation. After fixing her hair and reapplying her lipstick, Naomi exits the bathroom. But before she returns to the table, she stops a passing waiter and lets them know that it’s Harper’s birthday. Naomi might as well fully commit to the lie and use it as her excuse for being gone for so long.

Naomi walks back to the table, a waiter carrying an ice cream sundae covered cookie trailing her. She sings happy birthday with the rest of the table to a very flustered Harper, and casually slips back into her seat, avoiding eye contact with Ethan.

It isn’t until they’re on the 7th course of their meal does Naomi remember that Ethan never gave her panties back.

Ethan - 2, Naomi - 1

[mooberg]

Chapter 7: Broken rock

No one’s more surprised by this than me. Wanna make it hurt worse? This is what I was listening to the whole time writing this.

The lvc belongs to @voiceoflarka

Word count: 3433

Warnings: Seriously, if you’ve had a bad day practice some self care instead of reading this.

Enjoy!

Horns’ scream of protest echoed off the tall buildings around the convention grounds as the mind blast echoed in his head. Everything was muffled, like the first time he fired a gun and left his ears ringing, almost like he was underwater. The sounds of his own breathing amplified in his daze blocked out the frozen world around him even as footsteps approached. It wasn’t until someone clapped a hand on his shoulder that twisted his torso a little that the fog cleared.

“Fuck!” The pain burned through it all.

“Shit, Horns are you okay?” Callow tore his hand away immediately.

“Clearly not.” Horns grunted, wrapping a hand around his torso.

Psi surfed over on a thick vine, jumping off when he got close and running the rest of the way to the two. “Horns.”

“I’m okay, I’m-.” Horns tried to take in a deep breath only to be stopped halfway from the pain. “Fuck.”

“No, you are not. Come, lay down and we will see.” Psi knelt down next to him and he and Callow helped the Satyr lie down.

“That was dumb, you know that?” Callow said softly. “Egging her on like that.”

“Yeah… wasn’t thinking clearly.” Horns gave out a slight laugh and the two shared a smile. His head shot back up with a terrible realization. “Gamma! Where’s Gamma? They were in the air when- are they okay? Psi, are they-”

Gamma landed next to him with a dull thud on the soft grass. “I’m okay, Horns, I’m okay. Lie still.”

“Psi, what can I do to help?” Equo ran up next to her mentor.

“Wait no.” The realization dawned on Horns. “There were three…”

He tried to push back up, intent on seeing for himself. He had to know it was Glitch, Jolly and Peony. He had to. But Psi held him down with gentle hands on his shoulders.

“Focus on yourself right now, Horns.” Psi’s voice was oddly soft, and it almost shook Horns out of his shock.

He closed his eyes and tried to just breathe through the pain and panic as he lay back down. “Okay… okay.”

“Now shirt off.”

His eyes flew open and met Callow’s, and the gator virus immediately understood. “Psi, just cut it.”

“Excuse me-?”

“Just cut it.” Callow practically ordered.

Without a word Psi pulled scissors from his bag and cut Horns shirt with practiced ease. Horns gave Callow an appreciative look.

“On a scale from zero to ten, ten being the worst pain you’ve ever experienced, what are you at right now?” Psi asked.

“Ngh- like a 7?”

“Tell me the moment that increases.” Psi said. “Gamma, that sun’s going to set in about ten minutes, and I need to see.”

“Got it.” Gamma flared out their wings and turned their lights on high.

“Callow, Equo…” Psi sighed. “See if you can get a tent from the stalls to cover the others.”

“But we’re gonna wake them up tonight.” Horns protested.

Psi reached into his bag without a word.

“We have to wake them! We can’t leave them here!”

“You are in no state to wake them right now.”

“But-” Horns’ breath hitched and the throbbing pain spiked. With a whimper he laid his head back on the grass.

“We’ll keep them safe.” Callow placed a hand briefly on Horns’ shoulder before standing. He and Equo took off.

“They will be alright, Horns.” Psi said softly. “We need to focus on you.”

Horns shut his eyes in resignation while Psi got to work examining the cracks scrawling across his chest. He didn’t want to look anyway. Psi explained everything as he went in a voice so oddly soft Horns had to question for a moment whether Dragon had hit his head too. But then he thought about Mu, and the soft look he’d seen Psi give his brother on the rare occasion. And he thought about Sammy, and how just his presence could soften the mentor. And of course, Gamma. He was always easier on the team when they were around.

“I’m sorry.”

“You have nothing to be sorry for.” Psi replied as he focused on his work.

“I shouldn’t have freaked out. It was selfish.” He looked to Gamma. “I’m not the only one with frozen family.”

Psi’s hands stilled for mere moments before picking back up. Something cold connected with his chest and Horns hissed at the surprising sensation.

“It’s Bio Gel. An adherent to help you heal. I know, it’s cold.” He gave Horns a reassuring smile.

“Horns, everyone’s got something at stake.” Gamma said.

“I know… I know.”

 ~~*~~

 “Take a deep breath.” Psi requested.

“Nh- there’s some restriction, but it doesn’t hurt any worse now.” Horns reported.

“The bio gel will have hardened by now. I will keep an eye on it. Do you think you can stand? We will take it slow.” Psi said.

“Yeah… I think so.”

“Nice and slow, you can do it.” Psi stood into a crouch and helped Horns get up. The Satyr’s eyes traveled to where Callow and Equo stood in the darkness under a long white tent with open sides. Three viruses stood over melting ice, never to move again. He tore his eyes away.

“What now?” He asked.

Gamma whistled for the others and they came running. “We should head back to the safe house. There’s nothing more we can do tonight.”

“We’ll be back tomorrow though… right?” Equo asked, glancing back to her long time friend still unmoving.

“We need to take this one slow.” Gamma replied.

Horns purposefully avoided his teammates’ eyes as he zipped his hoodie up over the hardened pink substance keeping him from further harm.

“Okay.” Callow said with more determination than any of them felt. “Equo and I can drive back. Horns, you’re not setting foot on a motorcycle right now.”

“I will fly back with Horns.” Psi added.

“We’ll meet you there.” Gamma confirmed with Callow.

With a nod the two groups split off. Gamma hoisted Horns into their arms and Psi held on tight for the ride.

 Since coming to Dashland, Horns had always been fascinated by the city at night. He’d never seen that many lights all at once in all his years. Glitch always wanted to drag him to a quiet spot and gaze up at the stars, but his eyes were on the buildings. They created great constellations of their own of wondrous buildings and bridges, only these could be any colour of the rainbow. He could look upon the steady lights for hours while Glitch gazed up at the stars next to him.

But tonight he shut his eyes against it all.

 ~~*~~

 “We should do something fun.”

“But we’re already doing something fun!”

“I mean more fun.”

“We could get some fun food to go with it.”

“Like a picnic!”

Horns smiled at his girlfriends at they glanced around the grocery store. “Well, we really enjoyed the charcuterie at that last party Callow dragged us to.”

“Oh yeah!” Jolly nodded. “Do you think we can replicate that?”

“No, but we can definitely make the academy student version of that.” Glitch laughed.

“To the gouda!”

~

“Man, there’s already so many people here.”

The three looked around the tiny outdoor theatre. None of them realized Shakespeare in the park was quite this popular in Fictory square. They had walked twenty minutes from the nearest bus stop to get here. A little nondescript path led to an opening in the forest that sloped down to a multi-level stage where they had set up several tiered steps for seating.

“This is so cool!” Jolly would have squealed if she weren’t trying to be respectfully quiet.

“I think there’s room over there.” Glitch pointed off to the left.

Jolly beelined for the spot while the other two stepped carefully down the uneven decline. The three pulled out pillows to sit on, having prepared for hard earth under foot. Once settled, Jolly excitedly unpacked Horns’ backpack, complete with cans of pop and what was essentially slightly cooler cheese and crackers.

“Dig in.” Horns announced once everything was set.

“Horns.” Glitch elbowed his side. “Look over there. Do those women seriously have wine glasses?”

“Wow…” Horns gave a slight laugh. “They seem like Callow’s type.”

“We’re in a forest. Seriously?” Jolly added from Horns’ other side.

They all laughed for a while longer before Jolly happened to glance behind them.

“Oh my god.” She whispered.

“What? What is it?”

“The guys behind us are cutting bread on an actual cutting board.” She said.

“What the fuck?” Glitch looked down at their pre-sliced cheese and apples. “Is this a picnic in the park or a day at a spa?”

“Bougie.” Horns added. “Definitely bougie.”

“Say ‘bougie’ again.” Jolly snickered.

“Bougie.”

~

“And what about you two? How long have you been together?” The actor asked, walking up the path a little to interact with a couple just below the trio.

“Twenty years.” The man almost seemed embarrassed.

“Well that certainly is impressive!” The actor said earnestly. “Long lasting love is truly a beautiful thing. Hold on to what you have.”

Horns watched the couple share a smile before the actor climbed further up the hill. He was doing a bit during the intermission about love and its beauty, whether it was three months new or thirty years old. Jolly and Glitch had snuggled up closer to Horns as it had gone on, relishing in their connection together.

“And you two.” He stopped in front of the three of them, looking to Glitch. “Have you been together long?”

“Actually, it’s the three of us.” Glitch corrected. “And… about a year now.”

“Three!” The actor truly seemed surprised. His voice softened. “My, you three must have plenty of love to share. Plenty of love indeed. That is a rare and deeply special gift.” He met eyes with each one of them. “Hold on tight to that, for all it’s worth.”

~

As Horns slowly woke up, he became more and more aware of the tears sliding down his temples and the quiet sobs he’d been going through even as he slept. He rolled his head to the side and wiped the tears away, blurry eyes coming to focus on Psi sleeping at the edge of the bed. He’d passed out there last night after making sure Horns was comfortable. And checking on him for the hundredth time.

Horns sighed. “He looks like mom every time I came home from a bad day at school…” He’d been so worried… Horns had never seen him like that before.

He looked about the safehouse, and while he didn’t see Gamma, their jacket was draped across Psi’s shoulders. Callow and Equo were fast asleep sitting up on the couch, Equo’s head on his shoulder. Horns smiled slightly at the sight, incomplete as it was.

The sleepy inhaled breath of someone waking brought his attention back to his left, where Psi had also begun to stir. “Horns-.”

“I’m okay.” He gently assured his tired mentor. “No change from last night.”

Psi sat back with a nod. “How do you feel?”

“… I’m tired.”

 ~~*~~

 Callow slowed the motorcycle prematurely as they once again approached Dashland’s convention grounds. Each trainee scanned their surroundings with as critical an eye as they could manage. They were still learning, after all. But the scene seemed unchanged, and this time Horns forced himself to look at his teammates sheltered from the previous night.

“They’re okay.” He sighed in relief.

“Nothing was going to happen to them in a single night.” Callow said, though his elevated pulse belied his own relief.

“With our luck lately, it’s impossible to be certain.” Horns shot back as Callow helped him off the motorcycle.

“Are you really up for this?”

“I think so.” Horns sighed. “We don’t really have a choice. They no doubt have a big red target on their back for Dragon now, especially with those last few hits Glitch landed yesterday. If we don’t wake them up…”

“There won’t be anything left.”

 “Stand guard.” Gamma ordered as they approached. “If we’ve gotten a full night’s rest, so has she. I have a feeling this last fight just made her mad.”

Equo and Callow moved to form a perimeter with Gamma while Horns settled onto the grass. Psi placed a hand on his shoulder as familiar plants blossomed and grew around him. In the quiet of a frozen city, Horns could almost pretend he was back safe in his dorm, practicing with Psi while Glitch and Jolly napped, Callow studied, Equo painted, and Peony read. But he shifted slightly, feeling the hard coating of bio gel and the dull pain in his chest, feeling the unfamiliar grass below them, and the dread in his soul. He could not be farther from that comfort now.

He started with Jolly. Her gentle spark had lit up his life from the moment he’d been placed on a team with her. She had ignited it to a flame when she said yes and made them a trio. She always had a way of soothing his worries with a gentle smile and infectious laugh. Every day with her had been something new, something better. His Jolly Bear. One of his best friends.

Her dreams were soft this time. No more fear and pain, no more sadness. She dreamed of ice skating in the sky, painting beautiful clouds with her skates for everyone down below to enjoy. He almost didn’t want to wake her from such beauty. He almost wanted to join her in such simple serenity. Almost.

He moved on to Glitch immediately. He couldn’t stop now; he needed his girls back.

Glitch. His kitten. His confidant. His rock. The one who had seen him for what and who he truly was and not only welcomed him with open arms but loved him deeper and more profoundly. She had only ever seen the best in him, even in his darkest days. Her faith in him had always inspired him to do better, to be better.

She had no dreams. A pure, quiet rest. Horns laded on an old memory from early on in their team’s founding, before relationships had begun to form. Before them. It was a quiet night then, the six of them scattered to the winds of the dorm for their various interests. She lay sprawled out across the couch while Horns sat in the comfy chair he now meditated in. A book sat in his lap, long forgotten in favour of the fascinating questions only she could ask. They talked until the early morning that night, and though he’d long suspected, he went to bed feeling there was truly something more to that black cat.

He pulled out of the dive as quickly as he felt possible. His senses slowly returned to him, the scent of Psi’s flowers and the crushed grass beneath him beckoning him to consciousness. It was stupid, and pointless, he knew that, but for a brief moment he kept his eyes closed out of fear that maybe this time… maybe it didn’t work. He was so tired.

“Welcome back.” Glitch grinned right in his face as his eyes fluttered back open.

Jolly butted her head against him, and he reached up to scratch behind her ears. “You got me, don’t you, Bear?”

“I got you.” Jolly replied softly.

“Alright, Psi I think I can get Peony too.” Horns reported to his mentor. He’d just needed to see them awake before he continued.

“Take your time.” Psi gave his shoulder a squeeze.

“Scratch that.” Gamma unfurled their wings. “We’ve got company.”

“Now, now, little bird. There is no need for such… brutish actions.” Dragon’s voice sent a chill into Horns’ soul. “I simply wanted to see my little psychic in action.”

“He’s not yours.” Glitch snapped.

“Well he’s certainly not yours.” Dragon scoffed. “Look at you. Pathetic little kitten, what makes you think you could ever-”

The gunshot echoed off the surrounding buildings just as his scream had the night before. Horns holstered his gun and slowly rose to his feet. The bullet missed her entirely, but that was not the point.

“Don’t. Call. Her. That.” He growled.

Dragon gave him a quick once-over. “Well. They’ve certainly trained you well, my dear.”

It was Jolly who leapt up and pushed him out of the way when Dragon tried to strike. She twisted on their descent to catch him on top of her, ensuring he didn’t hit the ground and hurt his chest worse.

“I got you.” Was all she said before jumping up and into the fight.

They were all tired, it was easy to see. Glitch and Jolly hadn’t even really gotten a break, and it showed in their attacks. Jolly’s aim was off, her discs flew wide more than normal, and Glitch was taking more hits than she was dishing back. But Callow was faltering too, forgetting entirely about his stardust powder in favour of the canon. Horns knew well he shouldn’t get into the fray, no matter how much he wanted to send his dagger into Dragon’s stupid face, and he didn’t trust his aim with the gun in all the chaos. Gamma and Psi were clearly carrying the team but without a sound fighting strategy there was bound to be some friendly fire.

And there almost was.

Glitch landed a solid hit to Dragon’s torso just as Psi’s venus fly trap came down for a bite. Dragon let loose a string of ice shards in an attempt to fend them off, and one sailed right through the team and Past Horns’ head. He whipped around in time to see it just narrowly miss the frozen figure of Peony. In her state, there would have been nothing left to piece back together. He didn’t even get a chance to wake her back up, he wasn’t about to watch that option be taken away from him.

Horns ran into the fight, ducking under Psi’s vines and shielding his eyes at the right moments from the explosions of Jolly’s discs. He knew each one of these attacks inside and out, he knew exactly how to get around each one and into the centre of the fray. Glitch went in for another strike, and as she was thrown away with a pillar of ice from Dragon, Horns ducked in right in front of her. He spun and faced his team.

“Stop!” His voice was louder than even he had anticipated, and while it took a few moment’s hesitation from his team, eventually they paused. He was in their way, after all. He took a moment to take in each member of his team. Glitch, Jolly, Callow, Equo, Peony, Gamma, and Psi. He knew what he had to do.

He turned to Dragon. "You aren't going to give up, are you?"

"And what gives you that impression, my dear?" She smirked.

Horns just narrowed his eyes, carefully gauging her expression. He knew what he had to do.

"Take me instead. Let them go."

He felt the atmosphere shift tremendously behind him as his team bristled at his offer.

She gave an intrigued laugh. "And why would you do that?"

"To free them." He said plainly. "Not all of them have treated you so poorly, they don't deserve this."

"And if I take you?" Hunger had bled into her eyes.

"You will release those you have frozen. You won't cause any more harm to these people." He demanded. "And if you can give me your word, I will give you mine. I won't run away. I won't find a way to bring them to you. It will be just you and me."

“Wait, hold on-”

She walked up to him and this time he didn't back away. An icy hand connected with his chest, freezing him even through the bio gel. Her hand traced up along his jaw like an owner petting a prized show dog.

"You make one move to stop us and I will freeze his soul." She addressed the team behind him. "Such wasted talent. We will see it put to good use."

"Horns!"

The desperation in Jolly's voice made his chest ache more than any shard of ice ever could. He didn't turn around, even as the shouts of his team began to dim in the commotion of sand kicking up around them. He shut his eyes against it all, feeling a piece of him fall away as the sand settled around them.

They weren't in Dashland anymore.

End of Part 1

[tophatsftw]

I read this auto straddle post, and it spoke to me. let’s go lesbians.

what people are fighting about on Twitter

falconer

sensitive, white girl Ikea decor

being in the Midwest (cheese)

which craft stores are ethically sourcing their wool

why pie charts suck

Having multiple conflicting feelings at the same time

Mitski’s right hand in the Geyser music video

Nora Ephron

trying not to be a U-Haul Lesbian and also being a U-Haul Lesbian

Bottle-feeding kittens

my dog & her various doggy woes

being Very Online™

homophobic 80s-90s action/horror movies

Cate Blanchett

large appliances

screaming and crying in socially inappropriate spheres

Sandra Bullock’s entire filmography

Vermicomposting

unlikely instances of near death experiences

the neopets stock market

animals that look like people

Kristen Stewart’s facial expressions

Apocalypse prepping

Satanic philosophy and history

why queers love My Chemical Romance so dang much

casseroles

cultivating hobbies in your 20’s to feel alive again

a fascination with straight people’s behavior

I also am extremely into bees. Like, my dudes, you have — I swear to you, on my mom, that this is an absolute fact — never, ever met someone who knows or cares about bees as much as I do. Everybody says, “Oh, I love bees; hell yeah, save the bees!”… but they’re only ever talking about the European honeybee, apis mellifera, a species transplanted from its original endemic territory to support large-scale agriculture, a practice that has had a purely negative impact on the earth and upon ourselves ever since humanity’s shift to agrarian society from hunter-gatherer culture circa 3000 BCE. Have any of these people who “love bees” even HEARD of solitary species? Do they know about thyreus nitidulus, the neon cuckoo bee? It’s blue! It’s beautiful!

intersectional Satanic feminism

boobs??!

eating a 1lb bag of Sour Patch Kids in under an hour

MILFs

Cringey mid-2000s teen dramas that had too few lesbians

Paul Giamatti’s film and music career

baseball caps worn backwards

Amish romance novels

everything about donuts

wholesome thirst trapping

the Venn diagram of Janelle Monae and Carly Rae Jepsen fandom

insulting men who say gross stuff to me in my DMs

…cooking pasta?

saying embarrassing things that make me want to die in a hole

going on 100 first dates without ever getting a second

Committing to a bit that was never that funny to start with, but now that I’ve started you can pry it from my cold dead hands

knitting penis-shaped pillows

identifying what episode of The Nanny it is based on C.C. Babcock’s hair

running long distances very slowly

puppets, just all types of puppets

communications cables and antennas

girl groups of the ’60s

moss

The Devil Wears Prada Cerulean Monologue

telling people to quit things they should quit

power tools one can rent from Home Depot

Hayley Kiyoko (I’m a three-time award winner of the “Most Likely to Mention Hayley Kiyoko in a Piece Not About Hayley Kiyoko” award at [redacted publication])

Irish country singer Daniel O’Donnell

golden retrievers

geology, specifically volcanoes

Fyre Festival

The Boys Are Back In Town

Film bros and how to shut them down

ruining vegan cakes by accident

having two straight women as best friends

loud eyeshadow

horses, Jodie Foster

Which Lana Del Rey Song to Make Out To

Mid 2000’s MySpace/Emo Culture

lesbian weddings (not my own)

Charcuterie Boards

the perils of being Very Tall Indeed

media to watch while stoned

escape rooms

18th century satire

basket-weaving, I am not kidding do you want to see a picture of my basket

Hannibal Lecter

History of the ball-point pen

swords

old dyke stuff

I’m not a sex toy expert, but I’m sure I could learn

drawing ugly stick figures

70’s soft rock

A-Camp

Big Little Lies, the audiobook of Big Little Lies

middle aged actresses

Bath and Body Works candles

consuming popular media years after everyone else and letting people enjoy it again vicariously through you

how to take care of a backyard above-ground pool impulsively purchased at Target in Denver, a place with no water and weird weather (an ongoing investigation)

spending money I don’t have to support women on Kickstarter

a deep knowledge of 1800s British literature that I did not ask for

treating your plants as your children

HORSES

Should a Duggar ever come out, I am READY to write that article yesterday

aggressive inline skating

Barbra Streisand; circus history

identifying British birds

being an Appalachian in New York during the Year of Our Dumpster Lord 2019 when the New York Times seems determined to profile everyone I’ve ever been to Walmart with

being friends with theater people

how to make couples fall in love with you even when they totally thought they were just going to “try” a threesome “once” lol

Linoleum

[forever-rogue]

Burning Love

Request: Imagine Bucky and Y/N (Bucky having to teach her) dancing to Burning Love by Elvis? - Anon     

A/N: I hope you all enjoy! I totally imagine Bucky being such a sassy little shit™ when he’s trying to teach you how to dance! Taglists and Requests are open as usual! xx

Word Count: 2k

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Reader

Warning: Fluff! So much fluff!

MASTERLIST

"This is absurd," Y/N sighed as she threw up her hands in frustration. She pulled away from Bucky and flopped down on the couch, "how can you even do this well? It's past your era!"

"Doll," he said with a bemused smile as he sat down next to her and put his arm around her shoulders, "that's because it's not that hard. And what do you mean past my era? Are you implying I’m old?!"

“First of all, love, I don’t have to imply that you’re old -  what year were you born in again?” She smirked at him as he narrowed his eyes at her with a mock glance of annoyance.

“Very funny,” he retorted, “but, tell me, how other people my age look this good?”

“How many people your age are alive?”

“Why are you always so witty?”

“I don’t know,” she said with a satisfied smile, “but you love it. Admit it - that’s why you married me.”

“I can’t argue you with you there,” he admitted with a nod, “I certainly didn’t marry you for your dance skills.”

"James Buchanan Barnes! I cannot help it that some of us have two left feet apparently," she insisted as she stuck her tongue at him, “I haven’t have had decades upon decades to learn to dance.”

For the past few hours, Bucky had been attempting to teach Y/N Elvis' signature dance moves from his hit Burning Love. Everything he did was so effortless and easy and whenever she tried, she felt like a baby giraffe trying to walk for the first time. She was pretty sure she wouldn’t ever learn by this point.

“You’ll get it eventually,” he promised and she only huffed in response, “you’ve got a good teacher after all. With decades of experience apparently.”

“You’re so full of it, love,” she sighed as she quickly pressed a kiss to his cheek, standing up to head into the kitchen, “I need a break for now. I’m going to go and grab a snack.”

“Ooh, is it snack time already?” he asked as he followed her into the kitchen and she sighed and threw her hands up in exasperation. He was so incorrigible sometimes, but she could never seem to be mad at him for long, “what are you thinking about having?”

Y/N got a devilish smile on her face as she hopped onto the counter sat facing Bucky. He chuckled at her as he spread her legs and stepped between them, placing his hands on hips. She winked at him as she wrapped her legs around his waist and kissed him quickly.

“Tell me something, love,” she said as she placed her hands on his cheeks.

“What do you want to know?”

“Are you feeling fancy, Mr. Barnes?” she asked, wrapping her arms his neck. She saw his eyes lit up as he quickly bit his lip.

“What did you have in mind?” He asked huskily; he had plenty in mind in lieu of things that they could do.

“Well, we have that champagne we’ve been saving, and we’ve got fancy cheeses and such,” she said as she pointed out the bottles they had chilling in the fancy little wine refrigerator they had received as a wedding present, “we could be fancy little adults and have champagne and charcuterie. What do you say?“

“I think that sounds like a wonderful idea, Mrs. Barnes,” he agreed before kissing her lips softly, “I’ll start getting the food ready if you want to go on and pop the champagne open?”

“You’ve got yourself a deal,” she agreed as slid off the counter and fetched two flutes from the cabinet, making quick work of scrutinizing and selecting a bottle to start with. Their refrigerator was fully stocked and Y/N had a feeling they were going to be reveling in drinking quite a few bottles of their assortment. She made quick work of popping the cork off, scaring herself only slightly with the loud sound; she pouring hearty glasses for the two of them.

“Someone’s eager to start drinking,” Bucky raised his eyebrow at her as he started slicing the meats and cheeses, setting them onto the board with crackers. Y/N in the meantime had taken a hearty swig from her glass and snuck a few bites from the food.

“First of all, I’m hungry, mister,” she protested as she swallowed her mouthful, “you’ve put me through a lot this afternoon.”

“And I didn’t even have to get you undressed,” he said with a wink as Y/N’s face turned a bright pink.

“You are a cheeky bastard,” she said as she hit his arm gently.

“I know, but I’m pretty good at it,“ he laughed as he finished loading up the food onto the board, “grab the champagne, I’ve got the food, and let’s get comfy.”

“Can we have watch some Hulu? We can finally binge Castle Rock like we’ve been meaning to!” She asked as she followed him with the glasses and bottle.

“That sounds like a perfect plan,” he agreed and set the platter down on the coffee table. Y/N followed suit, handing Bucky his flute of champagne. He took it with a smile before holding it up and clinking the glass against hers, “cheers, doll. I love you.”

“I love you too,” she smiled at him as they took a drink from their glasses, “now, get hurry up and put the damn show on.

“So demanding,” he said with a quick kiss as they settled onto the couch, Y/N grabbing their big blanket and tossing it over their bodies.

“Hurry up, Bucky!” Y/N called out to him as he was in the kitchen grabbing their third fourth bottle of the bubbly. It hadn’t affected Bucky nearly as much as Y/N, but even he was started to feel the tingle in his veins. Y/N, on the other hand, was a giggling up a storm and providing some colorful commentary on the show they were still watching. He loved watched her be so careless and free and just spurting out whatever came to mind.

“I can only move so fast,” he called back to her as he grabbed a new bottle and opened it quickly.

“You’re a super soldier, so cut the crap and hurry back to me,” she insisted and he couldn’t hold back a chortle.

“Yes, doll,” he said as he headed back into the living room, finding Y/N standing there, blanket draped around her shoulders, one hand on her hip, “well, hello there.”

“I’ve been waiting for you,” she giggled as she grabbed her glass and held it out for him to fill it again. He obliged and refilled it, watching her quickly down half of it in the blink of an eye.

“Slow down there, or you’ll regret that later, darling,” he said with a raise of his eyebrow. He topped his own glass off and set the bottle down.

“But right now, I don’t regret anything,” she exclaimed throwing the blanket off and and turning off the television. Bucky titled his head to the side in a questioning manner, but she only shook her head as she set her glass down and walked across the room to their vintage record player. She searched through their collection for a few minutes, before deciding on a record she knew was one of his favorites. It took her only a moment to place it properly and have soft music flowing through the room. She turned around and smiled at him, loving the soft and tender look that crossed his features at the familiar tune.

“What’s all this about?” He asked as she walked back over to him and sat down in his lap. She sighed contently at him, as she leaned forward and rested her head against his chest. She loved listening to his strong, steady heartbeat - it always calmed her down.

“I dedicate this vintage song to my vintage man,” she said quietly as she felt the rumbling in his chest as he laughed lightly.

“You’re too much sometimes,” he replied as he ghosted his fingers up and down her spine, causing goosebumps to raise up on her skin, “but I wouldn’t change it for anything in the world.”

“Will you dance with me?” She asked as she pulled away from him and moved to stand up and waited for him to join her.

“Anytime,” he promised as he stood up and head out his hand to her. She took his much larger hand and and leaned into his body as they started to gently sway to the music. After a few quiet moments Bucky broke the silence, “see you’re a wonderful dancer.”

“You’re the one that’s leading, so it’s not particularly hard to follow,” she remarked as they moved slowly to the beat.

“Just take my compliment, woman!”

“Finee,” she agreed and kissed him briefly. She paused for a moment before quietly singing, “I love you even if you’re a stubborn old fool. You’re my favorite stubborn old fool and I’m glad you’re mine. Because I love youuuuu.”

“That was beautiful,” he laughed gently at her, “have you ever been considered becoming a singer?”

“Nahh,” she said, “I’d much rather just stay here dancing with you and being your wife.”

“That sounds should wonderful to me,” he couldn’t the grin on his face as he kissed the top of her head, “wanna do something fun?”

“I thought this was fun?”

“Something even funner,” he said as he let go of her and went over to the record player. He pulled up the needle and took the record out, before popping in the one he had desired. He took one look at it, smirking to himself, before putting needle back down and letting Y/N discover what he had picked out.

“Oh no! You can’t be serious,” she gave him a big pout, “we’ve already established that I cannot dance to this!”

“Darling, this is the original album. I got this the year it came out,” he said as he picked up his glass and drained the rest of it, “now drink and then let the fun begin.”

“You are such a brat,” she said as she did what he told her to do.

“'Cause your kisses lift me higher, like a sweet song of a choir, and you light my morning sky with burning love,” he sang to her and took her in his arms and started dancing along with her. She love the sound of his deep voice, comforting as ever and she closed her eyes to enjoy the moment, “see you’re getting it. You’re a quick study after all.”

“Shh,” she said as he onto him as tightly as she could, “don’t kill the moment.”

“I’m not killing the moment-”

“Shh,” she repeated, “don’t say anything. Just hold me and kiss me.”

He didn’t verbally respond to her, but pressed his lips to hers as he held onto her tightly as possible, loving how perfectly she fit against him. It was like they were always meant to be together. She hummed contently against him, happy to be there in that moment with him. There was nothing better in the world than this - being with the one you love the most.

“Psst,” he whispered, “I love you.”

“Psst,” she replied, “I love you, Buck.”

Permanent Taglist: @ruinerofcheese @courtneychicken  @santa-crew @supernatural508 @ssweet-empowerment @nerissa98 @jamesbarnesappreciationsociety @buckybarnesappreciationsociety @wearegoldeninthenight @mannatgalhotra @prxttybirdz @piensa-bonito @mightyhemsworthy @shewalksinanotherworld @jems8241 @bookaddic @fairyxxfighter @asguardiansoftheavengers @esoltis280 @the-bright-lights @artisticlales @loislp @dixonsbugaboo @sleepylunarwolf @patzammit @thisismysecrethappyplace

[yourcoolfriendwithallthecandy]

Magic and Miracles and BEYOND Chapter 7

YA’LL I’M SO SORRY. I didn’t forget about this I swear, I just got hella distracted by life and a million other things BUT I’M BACK. And I know this is a short chapter but trust me, MORE is coming. So I would just like to say this cruise ship is based off of Royal Carribean’s Syphony of the Seas and almost all these pictures are from the Royal Carribean site, which usually sails the Carribean but for the purposes of this story, it’s going to Hawii and something similar is going to Alaska because this is a fantasy story where I go ‘fuck you’ to reality and everyone’s happy and nothing hurts, YET. (dun dun dun). And the ship has a dog park which I don’t think the actual ship does. And Dani and the twins RETURN and they just keep spreading the baby bug. 

So @the-immortal-marshal sorry for the wait but here you go. 

AO3

Magic and Miracles and BEYOND - Chapter 7

“So? How was Disney?” Sylva asked Ada as all the girls walked into a designer dress shop as they looked for formal attire for the cruises.  

“It was amazing,” Ada sighed wistfully as she went through the rows of dresses and found a few that she liked.

“Oh good, did Luche behave himself?” Sylva asked.

“Of course, he’s been the perfect gentleman.” Ada reassured Sylva.

“Good.” Sylva nodded before they all got dozens of dresses and tried them all on.

“Oh this is gorgeous on you!” Sylva praised as she watched Ada twirl in an ivory gown that perhaps looked a touch bridal on Ada and Sylva knew that once Luche would see Ada in this gown, he’d be thinking wedding bells too and knew she just had to get it for her. “It looks divine, I absolutely insist on getting it for you and I have the perfect pearl necklace to go with it too.” Sylva urged her.

“Ok,” Ada nodded in agreement before she put on another dress, this one a brilliant aquamarine that just made her hair pop in contrast. It was perfectly gorgeous and elegant.

“And that one too.” Sylva insisted which got Ada to squeal and giggle and twirl in her dress as the other girls emerged from their dressing rooms, showing off their dresses to Sylva too, wanting to get her stamps of approval too which Sylva was more than happy to give out. And once all the girls got all the dresses they wanted and needed, Sylva was more than happy to buy them all before making sure that the guys got the proper suits and things to match on the other end of the store.

“Lu,” Sylva called out as she looked at a few shirts and ties.

“Yes?” Luche asked as he came to stand next to her.

“I’m really proud of you.” Sylva offered.

“Thank you?” Luche returned, not quite sure why she’d be proud of him.

“You’ve done really good with Ada and I wanted to make sure you knew that you were doing well.” Sylva encouraged.

“Oh, thanks.” Luche nodded.

“Now I need you to promise me something.” Sylva began and turned to make sure he was looking her in the eye before she continued. “You need to make sure you don’t have sex with her while on the cruises.” Sylva urged, dropping her voice to a soft whisper so that only Luche could hear her.

“Uh, ok.” Luche frowned in confusion, he had thought that would have been a given.

“I know it seems silly right now, but trust me, on the boat, wearing what she will be wearing, it’ll be a temptation and it’s of paramount importance that you make an honest woman out of her. She cheated once and from here on out, if she cheats on Cor with you, it’ll form a habit that will spell disaster for you both. Just trust me on this. Don’t kiss her, don’t give her any carnal pleasures whatsoever. This will be a new start for you both, give yourselves the best start you can, and that starts with respecting her and her current relationships, however doomed they may be. You need to do the right thing. Not what ‘feels right’ in the moment. But the right and proper thing over all.” Sylva urged before she got Ravus’ attention and brought him over.

“Ravus, I’m trying to make a point to Luche, when Selena was with Pelna and you two were getting close, did you two ever cross the line physically before her relationship with Pelna ended?” Sylva asked lowly.

“No, not at all, and I’m glad we didn’t. I mean it sucked, like a lot in those moments because there were so many times I wanted to, I would have given everything for it but looking back means that neither of us have any regrets with the way we got together and respecting her relationship with Pelna then- means that my relationship with her is respected now. It’s something you have to do if you don’t want the past repeating itself and I know Selena is much happier with herself and rests easy because of it too.” Ravus urged Luche.

“I don’t see why you’re making such a big deal about this, I knew going in that it would have to be like that.” Luche assured them.

“Did Ada get a white dress for the cruise or something?” Ravus asked his mother, trying to figure out what would prompt his mother to have this conversation before it dawned on him.

“Ivory. Wedding bells were going off in my own head when I saw her in it. She’s lovely, just, stay strong Lu, your future depends on it.” Sylva repeated as she grabbed Luche by the upper arms and shook him a little to emphasize her point with a laugh.

“Really?” Luche asked, a dopey grin spreading across his face.

“Yeah, you’re gonna have fun. Just, not too much fun.” Sylva narrowed her eyes playfully before she made sure all the guys were squared away too.

The next morning they were all in the terminal including Johnny, Anna and the twins and Dani, who had sorely missed Ravus and Selena who in turn had sorely missed them and outright refused to put down the twins, Selena commandeering Gabby as Ravus kept Izzy and Dani as they were waiting to board the cruise ship, all the dogs on leashes since the cruise ship had a dog park and a cat lounge on board and accommodations for dogs including a dog daycare so Ada wouldn’t have to be separated from Baxter, Crowe and Libertus could take Otis, Pashmina and Gladio could take Dianna and the Nox Fleuret- Caelums could take Pryna and Umbra and even Duchess was in a deluxe cat carrier, and Iris and Craig could take Noche since all the dogs had been traveling with the young adults all summer.

Sylva had gotten everyone suites, however with Ada being an add on and Hazel and Titus joining them too. It was a push to have everyone more or less together and on the same floor at least. Sylva was only slightly evil and mostly scheming, making sure Luche and Ada had side by side rooms where they could both sit on their balconies and see each other and talk to each other. This new cruise ship had everything. It had rock climbing walls, water sports simulators, it’s own water park, a traditional as well as an open dining option with over a dozen restaurants and buffets and golf, both a mini golf course and a golfing drive simulator, bumper cars, laser tag, an arcade that rivaled Dave and Busters, sports courts, an obstacle course, a sky diving simulator, zip lines, two trampoline parks, one was a traditional one and the other was with the harness and bungee chords so you would really jump high and even a trapeze school that had gymnastic equipment and a dozen different niche clubs and concert halls, ice skating, an escape room, a casino, dozens of shops on the boardwalk and throughout the ship, an out of this world spa and a bunch of other amenities that every active teenager and young adult could possibly want including loads of things for Dani and even a daycare for the twins. It was perfect.

Sylva got everyone’s boarding passes and room keys handed them out before they all waited to board, most of them thankfully having games on their phones and tablets as Sylva, Lunafreya, Ravus, Luche and Ignis did some last minute business for Miracles from their laptops while Regis caught up with Noctis. Ravus only having a little trouble since Izzy was in a carrier strapped to his chest and Dani draped herself across his lap and shoulder and cuddled into his chest while he reached around both of them to type on his laptop. 

“So how are you doing Hun?” Titus asked as he and Ada sat down side by side as Hazel was doing some last minute business of her own on her own laptop from her spot next to Sylva at the computer table, one of dozens that was specifically built that had dozens of outlets so that the laptops and cell phones and other electronics could charge while the guests waited to board the ship.

“Doing much better.” Ada smiled happily as she had Baxter laying on her lap as Titus pet Baxter too. “How was the wine tour?” Ada asked Titus curiously.

“I couldn’t tell the fucking difference between the cheap stuff and the good stuff, wine is wine in my book, the whole time I couldn’t help thinking…‘I could go for a whiskey right about now’, beer on the other hand, that’s more my speed, a good porter or stout and I’m good to go and thankfully there was plenty of that too.” Titus chuckled which got Ada to snicker a laugh. “But it made Hazel happy and we had a lot of fun and I’m glad we went,” Titus shrugged but smiled happily nonetheless since he hadn’t gotten a real vacation in..he couldn’t remember when. “Got to have a lot of really good cheese and charcuterie though and all the food was outstanding. Granted, not as good as Hazel can make it but pretty close.” Titus appraised because to him, Hazel was the best chef ever and made everything great and it was hard for any food to equal hers since she was his gold standard.

“Aw, I’m glad you had fun. The gang took me to Disneyland. That was epic and awesome and amazing and I got my real first spa day the day before and I felt like jelly afterwards.” Ada informed him proudly.

“Oh so you got your ears? Your Mickey or I guess in your case Mini ears?” Titus gently teased.

“Several pairs, yes.” Ada nodded. “And then we got to go to the beach and splash in the Pacific Ocean and go surfing. I think I swallowed half the ocean and seaweed touched my leg and I screamed bloody murder because I thought it was a jellyfish or a shark and I climbed Luche like a tree and nearly accidentally drowned him trying to get away from it.” Ada began as Titus barked a deep belly laugh just imagining that. “It was really hilarious, everyone laughed and it was recorded on the waterproof go-pros.” Ada giggled. “And then Tredd found a dead slash rotting fish on the beach and tormented everyone with it before Yasmine and the tothers beat his ass that he was gonna make Crowe miscarry because of how many diseases were probably crawling on it.” Ada recounted.

“Good for her.” Titus grinned proudly.

“And then we had a bonfire and a BBQ right on the beach too and charted a big fishing boat and went fishing and then Noctis and his band did a few shows over the weekend which were amazing, because when they weren’t on stage, which even when they were, I got to do back up vocals which was epic and we got to enjoy the rest of the concerts and go back stage and meet all the other bands and hang out and get pictures and get autographs and merch from the other bands and I got to help with the band merch so that all of us could take shifts and have breaks and stuff and that was really fun and we made money hand over fist. And everyone has gotten along really well and there wasn’t any fighting or arguing about anything. And we’ve all been taking care of each other and Craig’s been doing most of the cooking and he is an outstanding cook, like, Nyx and Libertus can cook really great too and there have been so many times where we just raid a Sam's Club and we cook for ourselves instead of going out to eat for every meal and between Pashmina, Yasmine and Pelna cooking a lot of Indian food, I mean their chicken curry and tiki marsala is phenomenal, and their chicken Biryani rice is outstanding and Luna, Rae and Stella all do wonderful French cooking and Iris and Gladio bring the Spanish flavors and Cindy, I know she doesn’t look it but she has a Paula Dean in her and she makes pies, from scratch, like old fashioned, flaky crust pies made with lard, that are better than any bakery and she’s gotten all of us into it and Selena and Nyx bring a lot of the Mediterranean flavors and they make the best baklava and pitas and hummus and all kinds of stuff. And even Tredd cooks, he makes the best mashed potatoes, actually potatoes period he makes all the potatoes the best, not to be racist but because he’s Irish, I think it runs in his blood and mac and cheese with so much cheddar. And Libertus is of course Italian so he’s made fresh pasta and these sauces from scratch that take like two to three days to make but they’re the best ever. And Iggy orchestrates all of us between the two kitchens on the bus and even on the girls bus there’s an electric smoker so we smoke a lot of foods, like salmon and cheese and of course every meat imaginable and make our own jerky and Iggy makes the best coffee, I don’t know how he does it but he does and it’s amazing and Luche and I just do whatever everyone else tells us to do. I swear I think I’ve gained like ten pounds since I’ve been with them, I’ve eaten so much, but it’s all been so good.” Ada beamed happily.

“So has Lu been behaving himself?” Titus asked curiously.

“Oh yeah, he’s been the perfect gentleman. Like perfect.” Ada answered with fawning, adoring smile and a wistful sigh and Titus cocked a half grin at that. Ada still loved him too. He supposed it was inevitable. Like moth to a flame but he wasn’t sure who was the moth and who was the flame at this point.

“Good.” Titus nodded.

“Oh and then the guys had a video interview! That was the best! Did you see it?” Ada asked as she pulled her phone out and showed Titus the video on YouTube.

“Hi I’m Laney for Rock360 and I’m with the Chocobros! Say hi guys!” Laney invited before they all waived to the camera, Noctis, a little awkwardly still.

“So anyone who knows you, knows you got your start performing for kids at Miracle Hospital and your videos went viral and you’ve gained quite a bit of notoriety on the circuit and in the rocker community for being as diverse and as inclusive as yours is and the band it seems, fluctuates because sometimes, it’s the four of you and other times there’s like a dozen people on stage, what can you tell me about that?” Laney asked.

“Well, how that started is some venues want to see the girls that they saw in videos so that’s where we ask the girls for guest appearances.” Ignis explained.

“Aww, that’s really great that they can do that. And speaking with the other bands I understand that your crew is unique and that the only people who are actually hired are your drivers, otherwise it’s just you and your friends and it’s noted that it’s very much like a family and you’re all pretty close knit.” Laney noted.

“Yeah we are, it’s awesome, it’s us and our significant others which is great and we all get along and take care of each other.” Gladio grinned proudly.

“Now I also know that there is a lucky charm.” Laney giggled.

“Yes! That’s Crowe, she got pregnant right in the beginning of the tour so right before we go on stage we pat the bebeh belly for good luck.” Prompto answered before the camera cut to Crowe behind the scenes eating a doughnut and waived as Libertus pet her belly to illustrate.

“And that’s Libertus, her fiance, he’s the proud father, obviously.” Prompto beamed as Libertus nodded ‘yes’ emphatically and gave a double thumbs up with a bright cheesy grin around his own stuffed cheeks since he was eating doughnuts too. 

“Aww, that’s adorable.” Laney fawned before she continued to talk to them about their music and their songs and what their songs meant to them and how fun their tour had been and what other bands they had been performing with before they ended the interview.

“Aw, that’s awesome.” Titus grinned proudly before they boarded the cruise ship and got to their rooms. Ada squealing in delight at how magnificent her suite was, especially since she got it all to herself, well kind of, she had Baxter with her and that’s all she could ever ask for, there were already food and water dishes set up for him too. This next week was going to be heaven. She unpacked her carry on bag and by the time she was done, her luggage got delivered and once that was all put away she rejoined the rest of the group, dropping Baxter off at the on board doggy daycare, sticking close to Luche and Titus as they explored the ship before hitting up one of the buffets.

“So has Cor ever told you why he never wanted kids?” Ada asked Titus who nearly choked on his spit and tripped over his own feet as he felt his soul leave his body to go to the astral plane for just a moment to have a mini freak out as he then tried to grab Cor from the astral plane to come here and have this conversation with her because while he felt like a father figure. This was just...not his area of comfortable conversation topics but Regis was too far away to pull into this to deal with this, Regis was better at this kind of thing but if Ada felt comfortable enough to bring this up, he needed to handle this with care.

“Sweetie, I think he’s seen too much of the worst of humanity to try to bring life into the world, at least, that’s what he’s told me, why?” Titus asked.

“Just, with Crowe being pregnant the baby bug is going around.” Ada shrugged as she then looked over at Selena who had Gabby on her hip while she piled her own plate with food for the both of them while Ravus held Izzy and did the same while also helping Dani with her plate and the five of them already looked like the perfect family and Ada felt a pang of jealousy while also noticing how Luche was also helping Dani and was doting on her too and Ada felt like she was seeing a glimpse of what he would be like as a wonderful father too and it both warmed while rendered her heart a bit because she wanted that too but she couldn’t have it.

“Well don’t let it bite you too hard. Babies are a lot of work, they’re loud and messy and stressful and will change your life forever.” Titus gently warned her with a slight air of a teasing tone even though he could see from his vantage point, Hazel talking with Crowe and when Hazel touched Crowe’s belly and just the look in her eyes and the expression on her face that she was getting bit by the baby bug and for the first time in his life, the baby bug bit him too and his slight panic at Ada mentioning babies suddenly vanished and was replaced by the urge and need to make a baby with Hazel, but he would have to make sure they were both in a position to feel safe enough to do so. Because while he was getting older, he wasn’t that old, not yet. 

“Besides, you’re still pretty young, how about you try getting to the legal drinking age in this country and enjoy your youth without kids first.” Titus gently encouraged Ada before he sat down with Hazel and he was just struck by how adorable their kids would be. So he just picked up her hand and kissed her knuckles sweetly as Hazel practically melted in her seat.

Truth be told, she was getting bit by the baby bug pretty hard too and it wasn’t the first time it bit, but it was the first time it bit with Titus and suddenly her mind started whirling with all of the possibilities. There was just two problems, 1. Gil. 2. Charlie. There’s no way with them still so close that she’d ever get the chance to have a family of her own. A relationship was already pushing it. Maybe Cor had what it took to end it. She was hoping that with all of them being gone, he would throw himself into his work unimpeded and not distracted by anything or anyone and finally be able to end this once and for all and with herself being out of the picture, she could distance herself. He had the next two weeks to do just that and she hoped he could do it, for all their sakes.

“Ok guys, who’s up for the rock wall?” Titus challenged the guys after they finished eating and went over to the rock wall, Titus and all the guys getting tethered in to race each other.

“Ok? Ready? Set? Go!” The climbing instructor challenged as they all raced up the walls, Ravus, Nyx, Luche and Titus got an early lead with Gladio, Prompto, Noctis and Ignis barely getting up there as the girls cheered them on, Regis cheering his sons and Titus on as Sylva was cheering everyone on while Hazel cheered for Titus the loudest but only seconded by Ada cheering on Luche. 

“How the hell are you climbing so fast?” Luche, Ravus and Nyx asked Titus as they watched him race up the wall with surprising agility for a man his size as they did their best to navigate the wall. But Titus had a trick up his sleeve, he had studied his wall from the moment he saw it and had mentally already mapped out his route and suddenly Hazel wasn’t the loudest cheerer, Regis was. Regis was because he wanted Titus to beat the younger kids to prove that age and wisdom sometimes gave you the advantage over youth and brute strength and in record time, Titus won by being the first to ring his bell at the top but Ravus and Nyx tied for second only a second later as they both held onto the wall and looked out over the sea and then looked down at the crowd below and waived before they went back down just as Luche and Gladio tied for third to reach the top, followed by Ignis who was fourth. Prompto and Noctis, Pelna and Libertus all tied for last. Sylva and Regis having to coach them on which foot holds and hand holds to use and Regis had an ice cold beer waiting for Titus when he came down.

“And to the victor goes the spoils.” Regis beamed proudly as Titus barked a deep laugh as he took it and quickly and easily drank it down as Regis drank one himself.

“Seriously, how did you do that Coach?” Nyx asked in astonishment.

“Study the wall, see? Look at your wall, it’s not random, see- there’s a pattern, see the zig zag?” Titus pointed out on Nyx’s wall, making sure Nyx followed his line of sight.

“Oh!” Nyx, Ravus, Luche and Gladio all groaned as they mentally figured out how they could have climbed their walls better.

“Rematch!” Nyx insisted just as Libertus came down his wall.

“No! I’m done, one was enough for me.” Libertus complained.

“I’ll go again.” Ravus offered.

“Me too.” Gladio and Luche added with grins, Luche agreeing if only to hear Ada cheering for him again. He had missed that more than words could say.

The second time around, all four boys were within hundredths of seconds between each other as they had taken Drautos’ advice and taken a moment as another round of competitors had used the walls to study the walls and mentally map out their plan of attack with great success before they all got dressed in their bathing suits and enjoyed the on board water park. It was going to be one hell of a week.

[sofreddie]

Play Amongst The Stars

Request: @emoryhemsworth - Congratulations to you both on 500 followers! I was wondering if y'all could do how the Winchesters would handle taking their significant others' virginity? Thank you 💖

Summary: Sam and the Reader have been in a relationship for a year before Reader decides she’s ready to lose her virginity to her boyfriend, Sam.

Characters: Sam x Virgin!Reader

Warnings: Fluff, Smut, Protected Sex, Loss of Virginity

Word Count: 1,665

A/N: Request for the SOWINFREDSISIE 500 Followers Celebration. For this one, I chose Sam. @winsister91 is writing the Dean fic for this prompt. Feedback is appreciated. : ) If you like my work, consider buying me a coffee.

One year. It had been one year since Y/N and Sam had been together. They had known each other for years, becoming the best of friends. After a particularly brutal hunt that saw Y/N nearly die, Sam had realized how much she meant to him. The fear of losing her sparked something within him and instantly he knew she was the only woman he could ever want again. He had kissed her passionately then, letting his feelings be known.

Throughout the year, they grew closer and closer. Their friendship remained strong, but their love for one another grew stronger as well. They would kiss and make out, grope and grind, cuddle and hold each other. But they never had sex. Y/N was a virgin, and Sam knew it. He didn’t want to push her. Although he longed to feel her, it wasn’t important to him. What they had was more than enough. He was happy just to call her his.

Y/N wanted to go further with Sam. She wanted to be close to him. She had read about how magical the experience could be with someone you love. But she also read about how losing your virginity could hurt. So she remained apprehensive.

For the past two months, she had upped her game with heated make out sessions. She wanted to tell Sam that she was ready, but the words never came. And Sam never, not once, attempted to go further. She wondered if he was even interested in sex with her.

Now, on their one year anniversary, Sam had told her he had the whole day planned out for them. Y/N was excited and appreciative of Sam’s efforts, even if she didn’t know what was coming.  But she knew tonight would be the night. She had been practicing and thinking of ways to talk to Sam and convince him that this was what she wanted. She just hoped he didn’t reject her.

Sam had indeed planned a wonderful day. Y/N woke to him making breakfast in the morning and giggled as he handed her a plate of pancakes, all heart shaped, covered in strawberries and whipped cream. He would always complain about how unhealthy the meal was, but he also knew it was one of her favorites. For one day, at least, he could provide indulgences. They had couples massages, and then ice cream at Y/N’s favorite little parlor. Now, they sat on a blanket in a clearing in the woods, under a very large, old oak tree. Sam had packed a small picnic including cheeses and charcuterie, along with a large bottle of Rosa Regale, her favorite wine.

Sam sat with his back against the trunk of the tree, his arms around Y/N as she sat between his legs, her back against his chest, and watched as the sun began to dip below the horizon. A perfect day. Y/N was nervous, but she knew she was ready. Ready to make a move, ready to let her intentions be known, ready to give herself to Sam.

“Sam?” Y/N asked, her voice soft and unsteady. She shifted in his arms slightly so as to look him in the eye. Those gorgeous, kaleidoscope eyes. She could lose herself in them completely.

“Yes, Love?” Sam cooed, gently tucking a few stray strands behind her ear. His expression was soft, full of love. It gave her the confidence she needed.

Y/N took a deep breath. “We’ve been together for a year. This anniversary has been perfect. I love you so much.” She nearly choked on the end of her sentence as her emotions overwhelmed her.

“I love you too, Y/N/N.” Sam said, giving her a sweet and soft kiss.

“I’m ready, Sam.” She breathed out, eyes still closed in bliss from the gentle kiss. Her eyes fluttered open and she could see Sam’s eyes searching her face. “I-I...I want you, Sam. I’m ready.”

“Are you sure? I don’t want to pressure you, Y/N. I love you, and I love our relationship. I don’t want you to think I need that to be happy. I just need you, right here, with me. Always.”

Y/N’s heart swelled with his words, making her even more sure than before. She turned herself completely to face him and crawled into his lap. She leaned in to kiss him, her hands finding purchase in his soft hair. His hands held her waist, just above her hips. She pulled back from the kiss, both of them breathless.

“Make love to me, Sam.” She whispered. Sam saw the desire and pleading in her eyes. He pulled her into him again, kissing her passionately. His hands on her back, he held her tightly against him. Y/N began rocking her hips in his lap, grinding against him. Sam growled with the pleasure. Y/N felt a new wave of arousal and confidence, knowing she had this effect on him.

“Let me take you home.” He whispered against her lips, desperately trying to hold himself back, to maintain control over his instinctual urges.

“I want you now, here. It’s perfect.”

“But you’d be more comfortable if…”

Y/N slammed her lips back into his, cutting him off, her kiss filled with need. Sam wrapped her legs around him as he held her, rising to his knees and shifting to lay her on the blanket beneath him. Y/N gasped, feeling his hardness pressed against her most sensitive area.

Sam kissed along her cheek and jaw, leading down her neck. Y/N squirmed beneath him as his lips grazed a tender spot just beneath her ear, sending shivers through her body and straight to her core. He smirked to himself slightly, knowingly. He continued his ministrations, kissing down to her clavicle, his hands finding the hem of her shirt. She reached down, grabbing the hem and lifted it over her head. He took a moment to appreciate her body, revealed to him and her breasts, clad in a pink satin bra. Her innocence overwhelmed him in the best of ways, a sort of primal pride filling him at the thought of the gift she was giving him. He ran a hand in between her breasts and down her torso, sending chills over her skin from his tender touch.

Sam took his time making sure Y/N was comfortable. They slowly removed clothes and Sam brought their skin to one another after each new reveal, increasing the intimacy with each step. He ran his hands down between her legs, surprised to find her dripping for him already. He smirked at the revelation as he gathered some of her slick on his fingers and gently circled her clit. She gasped in surprise before moaning low, enjoying the feeling he was giving her.

He watched her face carefully as he slid one long finger into her heat. He bit his lip, feeling how tight she was. She squirmed with his ministrations as he moved his finger back and forth within her, adding a second and third to open her up. By the time she was a moaning mess, Sam retracted his fingers, slowly licking her juices from them. She watched with wide eyes as he rolled a condom onto his length before he lowered himself against her, rubbing his thickness over her mound.

“Are you sure you’re ready, Baby?” Sam crooned. “I don’t want to rush you. We can stop if you want.” Y/N lifted her hips to meet Sam’s, encouraging him to continue rubbing himself against her folds, his cock head bumping gently against her clit, sending shockwaves of excitement through her.

“I’m ready, Sam.” She pleaded, looking into his eyes as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders. “Please, make love to me? Be my first, my only.” She whispered on the end. Sam couldn’t help the primal groan that slipped passed his lips and spilled onto hers as he kissed her feverishly. He used his kisses to distract her as he began pushing himself into her heat slowly, stopping once he felt himself bottom out. Y/N gasped and hissed at the intrusion, letting the sting ease off and allowing herself to get used to being so full.

Sam moved with languid strokes, gently stoking the embers of their desire. He thought for sure when this moment came that he would find it hard to hold back. But he didn’t. He found his body wanted to go slow, to savor every touch and stroke, to focus on her sensations, her expressions, her sounds. He moved his hips slightly faster, pressing in deep with each thrust. He caressed over her body, laying non-stop kisses anywhere he could reach as she moaned and sighed with pleasure.

“S-Sam,” She panted as her heart raced. “I-I need, I need,” She couldn’t think. She wasn’t sure what she needed, but the pleasure was overwhelming within her.

“Ssh, I know, Baby. I got you.” He whispered before nibbling on her ear and picking up his pace a little more. He angled his hips to hit her sweet spot and growled as he felt her tighten around him with her release. She shouted against her own will as her pleasure burst forth, her cries disappearing into the stars above her as Sam quickly tumbled over the edge behind her.

They lay panting in each other’s arms for several moments, listening to each others breathing and heart beats as they came down from their high.

“That was wonderful.” Y/N spoke, her tone and face laced with bliss. Sam’s eyes lit up seeing her spent and satisfied. Her skin was flushed and glistening from their combined sweat. Sam had never seen a more beautiful sight in all his life.

“I love you, Y/N.” He whispered as he kissed her passionately.

“I love you too, Sam. Always.” She responded, wrapping her arms around him to savor his body against hers.

TAGS (please let me know if you would like to be added/removed):

Forevers:

@oneshoeshort

@winchesterprincessbride

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@godof-thunderthighs-ofbetrayal

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@mogaruke

@ellen-reincarnated1967

@speakinvain

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@sandlee44

[lccdctour]

Day Seven

With a later departure time than previous days, we were able to sleep a bit later and have a leisurely breakfast before starting out on the penultimate day of the tour. Our first stop of the day was at Jennings Retirement Community in Garfield Heights, OH for our final concert of the tour. While Covid restrictions prevented us from interacting with the residents directly, we were still able to present a beautiful performance for a very appreciative audience. (Although given the amount of tears from choir members - and parents - on “Here’s to Song”, we may have to record next year’s spring concert in advance.)

Following our final tour concert, we traveled to downtown Cleveland for our visit to the Great Lakes Science Center. After eating our box lunches, we toured the interactive exhibits in our chaperone groups. The activities ranged from measuring pitching speed to reaction times to balance. There was an entire exhibit devoted to how music is created using various tubes, pipes, and strings. Another exhibit examined the different ways pulleys can be used to lift objects of the same weight and others explored new advances in biomedical technology. An entire section of the museum was sponsored by NASA and devoted to past and future space exploration with exhibits including an Apollo Command Module, artifacts from Ohio astronaut, John Glenn (the first American to orbit the earth), and a giant Mars airbag landing system (and you could get your picture taken in a space suit).

A popular exhibit with LCC members was the giant Lite-Brite board with colorful pegs where several members worked together to illuminate their love for LCC. :)

Following the science center visit, we made our way next door to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Filled with memorabilia from pop music’s biggest stars, we had a chance to see Michael Jackson’s jacket worn in the “Thriller” music video, tour an exhibit about The Beatles filled with artifacts from the band’s infamous years at the top of the charts (including the original lyrics to “In My Life” written in Lennon & McCartney’s own handwriting), view a jacket and notebooks filled with lyrics from Billy Joel, and gawk at So. Many. Clothes. worn by pop music stars from Elvis Presley to Aretha Franklin to David Bowie to Taylor Swift & Lady Gaga.

In addition to all the memorabilia, we also had a chance to earn Rock & Roll Hall of Fame stickers by answering questions about our knowledge of African American pop music stars (although our resident radio DJ had an unfair advantage). Along with earning stickers, there was also an exhibit where you could make your own album cover sticker which was a lot of fun. The fourth floor houses the actual Hall of Fame where all the inductees names and signatures are etched in gold.

One of the most popular floors (besides the gift shop on level 1!) was The Garage on level 2. Filled with guitars, electric basses, ukuleles, keyboards, and drum sets, tutorial videos showed museum goers the rudiments of how to play the various instruments, so several members of our group gave it a try. Great music from several decades played throughout all levels of the pyramid-shaped museum to make the experience even more enjoyable. For a bunch of music lovers, this was a great last museum stop on the tour. (And made for a great group shot as we posed on the “Long Live Rock” sign.)

Back on the buses once again, we headed for our tour farewell dinner at Texas de Brazil in Westlake, OH where we had an AMAZING meal. Salads, breads, vegetables, soup, potatoes, rice, fried bananas, and charcuterie items were in (over) abundance at this beautifully decorated restaurant. Meats - chicken, BBQ ribs, sirloin, bacon-wrapped filet mignon, lamb, and more - were served table side on long skewers until we couldn’t possibly eat another bite. Despite that fact, we somehow managed to find room for desserts including carrot cake, crème brûlée, key lime pie, Brazilian cheesecake, and chocolate mousse cake. Luckily, calories don’t count on tour!

Returning to the hotel with (very) full bellies, the rest of the evening was spent playing in the pool, relaxing in our rooms, and making LCC bracelets with friends. What a great way to end tour day seven before heading to the roller coasters and rides at Cedar Point for our final tour day.