#have to basically be a wrangler too?!

[casasupernovas]

i'm sorry i am so MAD. sophia myles is a complete idiot. to say that noel never hurt me and he is my friend which apparently makes the over 20+ women accusing him of sexual harassment and bullying null and void is complete horseshit. to call them 'nobodies'. she was literally dating david, THE STAR OF THE SHOW! of course he didn't touch you! an unnamed actress literally said he harassed her and when she turned him down he bad mouthed her in the industry. he had naked auditions. FILMED them without consent. shared it with his friends. production workers had to be moved into different departments to get away. for her to discredit them in the most misogynistic way because she apparently wasn't even at her "fittest" back then so of course he wouldn't have touched her...she is a complete lunatic. and to host a twitter space you dare call a 'safe space' with NOEL IN IT. and block people who rightfully called you out? get in the bin.

[actual-corpse]

I'm so excited to move out....

I can't sleep😫

[directdogman]

hey what should I do if a dude is infodumping me about dialtown, and whos this Randy guy that's apparently my soulmate

This is Randy.

Randy is a bit of a sweaty menace. He has two jobs, one of which is as a phone operator at a phone sex hotline (which he's awful at, scaring away more customers than anything else), the other is as a part-time swan-wrangler for animal control, which basically just means he gets chewed up by swans constantly (he is also on the cusp of losing this job too.)

His life is a MESS.

His hands are covered in bandages because in Dialtown's universe, swans have paper-shredders for heads. And they BITE, just like swans in our universe.

If you'd like to spend some time with Randy, his WHOLE ROUTE is available to play for free on the Dialtown Steam page! Costs you nothing other than your time (and dignity.) His full route (with 6 endings!) is in the demo on the page (you can find him by going Downtown and then viewing the phone pole object from the main downtown hub screen.)

(Randy also appears in every other route so there's more Randy content if you buy the whole game!)

Have fun!!!

[50calmadeuce]

Ch. 2: Two weeks and Counting Down

Warning: Mention of miscarriage. Some chapters have sex.

Disclaimer: This is a work of fan fiction using characters from the Top Gun: Maverick world, trademarked by Paramount Pictures Corporation. I do not claim ownership of the characters and the world that I am borrowing.

The story and situation I am creating are a work of my imagination and I do not ascribe them to official story canon. This work is for entertainment only and is not a part of the storyline.

I am not profiting financially from the creation and publication of this story, but I do hope it gives you happy thoughts.

These stories are my own, so please do not take them and use them for yourself without my permission. If you see them somewhere else, please let me know. :)

You steered the Expedition off the main road, guiding it onto the lengthy driveway leading to your home.

Jake looked around, his curiosity piqued. "Where is this?"

"We're on the driveway to our house," you explained.

As you continued, trees bordered both sides of the driveway, creating a secluded path. Gradually, the tree line began to thin, revealing fencing on the left side as the landscape opened up to your property.

Jake's eyes widened in amazement as the log cabin emerged into view. You directed the vehicle toward the garage, which automatically opened, allowing you to smoothly park inside. As you switched off the engine, the garage door began to lower behind you. Opening the truck's door, you were greeted by the sight of Chuck standing in the doorway to the mudroom.

Turning to Jake, you offered a gentle, "Welcome home." Then, you stepped out of the truck, and Jake, taking in his surroundings, opened his door to follow suit.

In his early to late fifties, standing about 5'8" tall and dressed in Wrangler jeans paired with a flannel shirt, Chuck approached the Expedition. His white hair was just visible beneath a well-worn baseball hat. As he neared, he announced, "Dinner's ready, Y/N."

"Thanks, Chuck," you responded with warmth in your voice. Turning to facilitate the introduction, you said, "Chuck, meet my husband, Lieutenant Jake Seresin. Jake, this is Chuck." You made the introductions as Jake walked over to join you.

Chuck extended his hand, offering a respectful greeting, "It's nice to finally meet you, Sir."

Jake accepted the handshake. "Likewise," he said, his gaze briefly wandering around the garage.

"Chuck, there are 4 bags in the truck. Could you grab them and bring them to," you started, glancing at Jake for a moment. He met your gaze.

"The master bedroom," Jake concluded.

"The master bedroom," you repeated, directing your attention back to Chuck. "I'd like to give my husband a quick tour of our house."

"Of course, Doc," Chuck replied, ready to assist.

As Chuck busied himself with retrieving the bags from the back of the truck, you focused on Jake, seizing the opportunity to share more about the home he was returning to.

"The place is heated," you mentioned casually, then gestured towards a section enclosed by a barn-style door. "Over there's the workshop. Chuck's pretty handy with repairs, too."

Jake followed your gaze to the workshop area, his interest piqued. "That's good to know. I might have a thing or two that needs fixing," he said, a hint of curiosity in his tone.

You smiled, walking closer to the barn-style door to give him a better view. "We've got a decent setup. Anything from vehicle repairs to some basic carpentry. Chuck has been invaluable around here."

As you slid the door open, revealing the organized chaos typical of a well-used workshop, Jake stepped in closer, inspecting the array of tools and machinery. "Looks like you've got everything you need."

"Yeah, Chuck likes to keep things organized. Says it makes the work go smoother," you explained, watching Jake as he ran his hand over a workbench, inspecting the tools laid out.

He turned to you, a thoughtful look on his face. "I used to help my uncle in his workshop back when I was a kid. Taught me a lot about fixing things, making do with what you have."

"It's a valuable skill to have," you agreed, closing the distance between you two. "Especially out here. It's not like we can just run to the store for every little thing."

Jake nodded, his gaze lingering on a half-assembled engine on one of the benches. "Maybe I can help out around here, too. It's been a while, but I'm sure it'll come back to me."

"I'm sure he'd be into that," you said, catching the direction of his gaze which had settled on a partially assembled engine. "I believe that's from the tractor."

"Come on. There's so much more to see, and tonight you'll only get a glimpse of it." You began to lead the way towards the door that opened into the mudroom.

Jake followed you, his steps mirroring your own anticipation. As you reached the door to the mudroom, you paused, hand on the knob, and glanced back at him. "Ready?"

He nodded, a slight smile playing on his lips. "Lead the way."

Opening the door, you stepped into the mudroom, a well-organized space that immediately spoke of a home lived in and loved. The aroma of the outdoors mixed with the scent of clean laundry filled the air. You pointed out the various features, "Here's where the magic happens after a long day's work. Laundry, pet wash station, and plenty of storage. That bathroom is attached to the guest bedroom."

Jake's gaze wandered over the room, taking in the practical yet cozy setup. "I like it. It's... homey."

"That door over there takes you down the back porch steps and out towards the stables," you explained, moving towards the sliding barn door that would lead into the kitchen and living area.

The kitchen, living room, and dining room flowed together in an open concept layout, imbuing the space with a rustic charm.

Jake surveyed the surroundings, visibly mesmerized. "You built and planned all of this?"

"Yup," you confirmed with a sense of pride. "It was a lot of work, but worth every moment," you continued, watching as Jake absorbed the details of the space. "I wanted a home that felt welcoming, where every corner had a story or a purpose."

Jake walked over to the dining area, running his hand along the back of one of the chairs before turning to face you. "It's incredible. It has warmth, character… It's a reflection of us."

You couldn't help but blush at the compliment. "Thank you. I hoped to create a place that felt like a sanctuary, somewhere we could find peace and comfort."

He nodded, understandingly. "You've succeeded. It's more than just a house; it's a home."

Chuck descended the stairs, interrupting the moment with a practical inquiry, "Are you ready for dinner?"

You glanced at Jake, giving him the opportunity to respond.

"Yeah, I'm actually pretty hungry," he admitted, his attention shifting from the house's interior to the matter of dinner.

"Great," Chuck responded, his tone amiable. "I thought, considering the nights have been getting chillier, we'd have chili tonight." His suggestion seemed to perfectly suit the cozy, rustic atmosphere of the house.

"That sounds perfect," you agreed, pleased with the idea. "Chili is always a great choice for a chilly evening." You smiled at the unintended pun.

Jake chuckled. "Sounds good to me. I can't remember the last time I had homemade chili."

Chuck nodded towards you, "The dining room is all set for you."

"Thank you, Chuck," you replied, appreciating his attention to detail.

He then shifted his attention to Jake, "Is there anything in particular you'd like to drink?"

Jake gave a casual shrug. "A beer is fine," he responded, settling into the homely atmosphere.

"Coming up," Chuck acknowledged, before disappearing down a staircase to fetch the drink.

"Come on. This way to the dining room," you beckoned Jake, leading him to another area nearby.

As the two of you entered the dining room, the ambiance immediately struck you. Candles flickered softly, casting a warm glow in the dimly lit space, creating an intimate and welcoming atmosphere.

The centerpiece of the dining room was a large pine table, accompanied by matching chairs, all contributing to the room's rustic appeal. The wood's natural texture and the room's subtle, earthy tones created a sense of warmth and coziness, enhancing the intimate atmosphere set by the candlelight.

"You can sit wherever you like," you offered, gesturing to the table.

Jake looked around, then asked, "Where do you normally sit?"

You pointed to a specific chair. "When family is here, I sit at the head of the table."

"Then I'll sit next to you," he decided.

As you moved to navigate around Jake, he unexpectedly stepped in front of you, prompting you to stop and look up at him.

"Y/N…" Jake began, but his words were interrupted as Chuck re-entered the room, prompting you both to step apart.

"Here's your beer, Sir," Chuck said, extending the beverage to Jake.

Jake took the beer with a nod of gratitude. "Thank you."

"Dinner will be served shortly," Chuck announced, ready to bring in the meal.

"Great, thanks, Chuck," you replied, appreciating Chuck's help and timing as you sat down in the chair.

The interruption had momentarily paused your conversation with Jake, but as Chuck went back to the kitchen, there was a brief moment of silence between you two.

You looked at Jake, sensing there was something he wanted to say. "You were about to say something?" you prompted gently, encouraging him to continue.

Jake took a sip of his beer, gathering his thoughts. "I was just going to say… it's really nice here. You've done an amazing job with this place. It feels like a real home," he responded as he sat down in the chair to the left of you.

You smiled, touched by his words. "Thanks, Jake. That means a lot. I wanted to create a place that felt welcoming and comfortable."

The conversation was interrupted again as Chuck returned, this time with bowls of chili. The savory aroma filled the room.

"I'll leave you two to catch up," Chuck said and left.

Jake's gaze lingered on his wife, a mix of emotions swirling within him. Guilt crept in as he remembered how upset he had been when she chose not to quit school after their loss. It was a difficult time, and the distance that had grown between them in the past four years felt more profound in this moment of reflection.

He sighed, his eyes wandering over the dining room. Despite everything, he couldn't help but feel impressed by what you had accomplished in their time apart. The home you had built was a testament to you resilience and dedication. It was clear you had considered both their tastes and needs in its design, creating a space that was both a reflection of your strength and a potential haven for your shared future.

Jake's internal struggle was evident as he continued to observe his surroundings. The home spoke volumes about the person you had become in his absence. It was warm, welcoming, and meticulously crafted—a stark contrast to the empty spaces he had grown accustomed to in his military life.

Realizing the gravity of his past decisions and the impact they had on your relationship, Jake turned to you with a newfound sense of understanding and humility. "Y/N," he began, his voice carrying a hint of vulnerability. "I've been thinking about everything...about us. I know I haven't been there for you like I should have, especially after...after our loss."

You looked at him, your eyes reflecting a mix of surprise and cautious hope. You could sense the sincerity in his voice, something you hadn't felt from him in a long time.

Jake continued, "I was wrong to expect you to put your life on hold. What you've done here, it's incredible. You've built a life, a home, and I... I want to be a part of it, if you'll have me."

There was a long pause as you processed his words. The pain and misunderstandings of the past few years hung heavily between them, but so did the love and shared history they couldn't deny.

Finally, you spoke, your voice soft but steady. "Jake, I've missed you. I've missed us. But we can't just go back to how things were. We need to rebuild, to learn about each other again."

Jake nodded, a glimmer of hope in his eyes. "I agree. I want to do that. I want to understand you, to support you. I want us to be a team again."

You took a moment, collecting you thoughts before asking, "When do you have to go back?"

Jake answered, "I have two weeks until I have to go back."

Hearing this, you met his gaze with a determined look. "Then we'll make it the best two weeks we've got." Your voice carried a mix of resolve and hope, signaling a willingness to make the most of the limited time you had together.

Tags:

@buckysteveloki-me

@bellyliveslife

@tgmreader

@callsign-barbell

@86laura11

@dizzybee03

@kmc1989

@guacam011y

[hornedqueenofhell]

Steddie Writing Prompt Enemies to Lovers

Based on this TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZT8LkqMoF/

Superhero Steve Harrington who moonlights as a pole dancer to make ends meet. Might as well put his strength and flexibility to use in a way that actually makes him money. His favorite client is this long-haired nerd who purchases lap dances and traces constellations out of the moles and freckles on his back. The fact that he tips generously is also a big bonus, he's not a sugar baby shut up Robin. The new laptop he was able to get has been really nice though. And being able to afford repairs and even upgrades to his suit is a dream, he can only buy out the necessary fabrics from so many craft stores before people get suspicious. Food, food's great too considering superhero metabolism is no fucking joke. If he could just get Dustin to stop running head first into danger his life would be much better off. And finally capturing Heavy Metal.

Eddie realizes who Celestial is after about two months of their little arrangement. He'd started to suspect something when he noticed how similar some of Celestial's dance moves were to the way the pesky neighborhood crime fighter slipped around beams and other things Eddie threw at him during their little tryst's. He never really heard Celestial's voice clearly over the pounding bass of Eddie's favorite night club, but he was used to an excessive amount of quips and one liners from the hero. It wasn't until one of their fights that ended with the back of the other man's suit ripped open that Eddie realized it was his favorite dancer under the mask. He knew those freckles, wanted to trace his lips over those beautiful marks while their owner rolled his hips in Eddie's lap and perched on the arm of his chair. After he figures it out he pays for Celestial to stay in his lap for his entire shift at the Upside Down. He brushes his fingers down Celestial's stocking and watches as he flinches when Eddie rubs over where he'd left a bruise on the hero not a few hours ago. He starts coming every night that they have a fight and paying for Celestial to just relax in his lap all evening.

He may or may not also enjoy teasing the fuck out of the hero now that he knows. 'That's a new suit gorgeous?' 'Got an upgrade? Someone finally taking care of you princess?' 'You like spinning around on poles for me big boy?' He's playing with fire but it's worth it imagining the blush his pretty Celestial sports every time Eddie compliments him. He likes seeing them looking so much healthier now, and the money comes from his patents so it's all clean if Celestial ever finds out. It's weird finding out that he and Celestial both have the same handler though.

Dustin Henderson works at the local rec center helping out with kids who were injured in the super fights, his mom says it'll look good for college and he helps teach d&d there. Best. Job. Ever. And yeah he knows Steve's secret identity, kinda hard to hide when you accidentally surprise your babysitter and he almost goes through a wall he jumps so hard. Dustin also coordinates visits to kids at the hospital his mom works at with Steve. Letting them meet and get pictures with the local town hero. And then Max Mayfield requests a visit from Heavy Metal. Now Dustin is also planning visits for villain's, and what even is his life anymore? (Basically the fantastic Villain Wrangler tumblr post if you know it) He's starting to get annoyed with Steve's demands to give up Heavy Metal's whereabouts too, like sure Steve I'll tell you where he's hiding out and then I'll give him your address because that would be fair right? At least Steve seems happy with his mysterious sugar daddy.

[bradleybeachbabe]

Secret Relationship

pairing: Kayce Dutton x Fem!Reader

request: Hi, I was the Anon with the Kayce ask! My request for kayce is reader being a wrangler for years and had a secret relationship w/ him then left suddenly. Years later she comes back w/ a baby on her hip. Would u be willing to do that? If not I totally understand and respect ur decision!

summary: basically what the request says :)

warnings: cuss words, angst, fluff, and pregnancy (if i missed anything, please let me know!)

word count: 2.6k+

a/n: THERE ISN’T ANY SPOILERS OF THE FIRST TWO S5 EPISODES IN THIS. also should i make this a series?? or make more fics with this dynamic couple. please let me know! also this is my first kayce request! so please, be nice to me. my yellowstone are open too! and this wasn’t proofread, so i’m sorry for any grammar mistakes

You couldn’t believe it. You were about to enter the place where you used to work for five years. You used to work at the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch. You worked as one of the wranglers, but that all ended. It all ended because you got pregnant. And the one that got you pregnant was Kayce, your boss's son. You two had a secret relationship while you were working on the ranch. The moment that you found out that you were pregnant. You immediately packed up your bags and left the ranch without telling anyone. You didn’t want the others to find out that you were pregnant, and most definitely. Who got you pregnant, because if they did. You could be in deep trouble. So that’s why you left, but little did you know. When Kayce found out the next day. He was upset. He didn’t know what to do without you. He hoped you would come back again someday and explain why you left without telling anyone. And that someday is today.

“Here goes nothin’, you sighed to yourself. You took your car out of park and drove through the entrance of the ranch. The moment you started driving through the entrance of the ranch. You felt your heart start to beat very fast, and you even felt your palms start becoming sweaty against the steering wheel. You had so many things running through your head right now. You weren’t sure how Kayce and even John were going to react to you being back at the ranch and even having a baby on your hip.

When you finally reached the house. You parked your car and got out. You grabbed your daughter from the backseat and took her out of her car seat, and placed her on your hip. While you were walking up to the house. You noticed Kayce's truck and even John’s truck were parked outside. You were now even more nervous than you were when you first arrived because you know that the moment you knock on the front door. You’re going to face Kayce or either John, or either of the both of them.

You walked up the steps and to the front door of the house. You raised your free hand to knock on the door. You were waiting there anxiously for the door to be opened. The moment the door opened. You were face to face with Kayce.

“Oh my goodness,” Kayce said. He was surprised that he could barely get any words out of his mouth. He couldn’t even gather the fact that you were standing right in front of him. For the majority of the past year and a half. He thought that you left Montana and never looked back, but here you are. Back at the ranch where you used to work, and the same place that you called home. Another thing he couldn’t even gather was the fact that you had a baby on your hip.

“Uh- can we talk? please,” you asked him nervously.

“Yeah,” Kayce nodded. He moved out of the way, so then you could enter the house. Once you entered the house, he closed the door behind you. Then he walked towards the living room and you followed right behind him.

“Please sit,” He motioned towards one of the couches when you walked into the living room. You took a seat on the couch, and you set your daughter down on the ground right in front of your feet. Kayce sat down on the opposite side of the couch that you were sitting on.

“Uh- I don’t even know how to explain everything,” you said, as you started to play with the promise ring that was on your finger. The promise ring was a gift from Kayce. You received the ring as a fourth-anniversary present. You still can’t believe that you still wear the ring on your finger. After everything that happened, you should have taken it off, but you just couldn’t.

“Well, you could explain why you decided to pack up your things and left without telling anyone. Or you could explain why you’re back here with a baby,” Kayce stated. His voice sounded cold and angry.

“Well, the whole reason why I left was because I got pregnant…a-and I-I’m back here with a baby because I thought it was a good idea to finally come back, so then you could finally meet our daughter,” you said, as you turned your head towards Kayce’s direction. All of a sudden you noticed that he had a soft look in his eyes. You were now hoping his voice wasn’t cold and angry anymore after what you just said to him.

“Wait. Our daughter?”

“Yeah,” you nodded. You had tears starting to form in your eyes. After you said that, you were regretting leaving in the first place. Kayce shouldn't be meeting his daughter in this type of way. He should have met her the moment she was born. The moment when she was placed on your chest.

“I’m gonna need a minute,” Kayce said, as he got up from the couch and walked away toward the kitchen.

“Okay,” you nodded. “I’ll be here when you get back.” You picked up your daughter from the floor and placed her back on your hip.

When Kayce walked into the kitchen. He walked in and immediately made eye contact with his father since he was in there. He was pouring coffee into his coffee cup. Kayce was now wondering if his father heard the whole conversation that went down in the living room not too long ago.

“Son, do you want to explain to me who you were just talking to, in the living room?” Also explain to me while you were talking to that someone, I heard them say, ‘our daughter?’

“Fuck,” Kayce whispered under his breath. He was mad that his father heard the whole conversation that he had with you. He was now going to have to explain to his father the truth and how he technically just found out today that he has been a father for at least a year now. “Uh- I was talking to Y/N.”

“Y/N? As in, Y/N Y/L/N? The one that used to work on the ranch?” John questioned his son.

“Yes,” Kayce nodded. “And the whole reason why you heard her say to me, ‘our daughter’ is because of the looks of it. I got her pregnant.”

When those words came out of Kayce’s mouth. John didn’t even know what to say, or how to react. The only thing he knew was that he was technically a grandfather now, and his son was a father. There was just quietness in the air. Kayce didn’t like that. He wanted his father to say something to him about what he just said.

“Dad? Aren’t you going to say anything about what I just told you?” Kayce asked him.

John put his coffee cup on the kitchen counter and faced toward where Kayce was standing. “Son, what do you want me to say?”

“Uh- I don’t know. Anything, to be honest,” He shrugged his shoulders.

“Well, I guess I could say that I’m pretty okay with the situation. But…it just upsets me that you were going behind my back and started to date her, and even gotten her pregnant. And you know how I feel when you or either your siblings go behind my back and do something,” John explained.

“How do you think I feel?” Kayce said. “I’m upset because obviously when she found out she was pregnant she just decided to leave and not say anything to anyone or anything, or even explain how she and I were about to become parents for the first time.”

All John could do was put his head down, and look down at his feet. He couldn’t bear the fact that his son was angry and even upset with the whole situation.

“What should I do, dad? Should I tell her to leave and never look back? Or should I start over with her?”

John looked up from the ground and looked at Kayce. “What you should do is start over with her. Get to know the whole story about why she left without an explanation, and get to know your daughter. Especially find out what her name is, and exactly how old she is at the moment.”

“Okay,” Kayce nodded. He walked out of the kitchen and back to the living room where you were at. When he walked in, he saw you were still sitting in the same spot as you were when he first left to go to the kitchen, and he even saw that you had your daughter on your hip again.

“So? Is everything okay?”

“Yeah. Everything is okay. My dad was in the kitchen when I walked in, so I explained to him about who I was talking to, and how by the looks of it. I got you pregnant,” Kayce explained.

“Omg. What did he say? Is he mad about this? Because if he is, I can leave and never come back, and we can all forget that this ever happened,” you said, as you stood up and were about to walk to the front door and head out with your daughter.

“No he isn’t mad about this,” Kayce reassured you.

“Oh,” you said as you sat back down on the couch. You put your daughter on the floor right in front of you, just like you did earlier when you arrived at the house. “Well, what did he say about this then?”

“Well, he told me that he’s okay with this situation. But on the other hand, he’s upset that I was going behind his back, and started to date you, and then, of course, ended up getting you pregnant,” Kayce explained. “Also speaking of me getting you pregnant, why did you leave after you found out?

You couldn’t even look Kayce in the eyes. You could tell by the tone of Kayce’s voice. He wasn’t happy at all. You took a deep breath and said, “I left after I found out because I didn't want anyone to find out about it, because if anyone did. Then I would start getting questions about who got me pregnant. Plus, I didn’t want anyone to find out the truth about you and me.”

“Why didn’t you tell me? We could have figured something out.”

“I don’t know,” you shook your head. “I panicked and I thought the right option was to leave and not say anything. But now, I regret doing that. I regret not telling you about how we were going to become parents for the first time, and I regret not having your dad know the truth about us. I’m sorry. I’m sorry for not telling you. I messed up badly.”

Kayce scooted closer to where you were sitting on the couch, and put his two hands on your cheeks to stop you from rambling. “Hey. Look at me.” You looked at him, and when you did. Kayce noticed that you started to form tears in your eyes. It broke his heart. He always hated seeing you upset in any type of way. “It’s okay. I promise.”

“So, you’re not mad or anything like that?” you asked.

“No,” He shook his head. He took his hands off your cheeks. “Just a little upset, but I’ll get over it real soon. I promise. Also, I have two questions to ask you.”

“Okay,” you nodded. “What are the two questions?”

“The first question is can we start over? And Is it possible that I can get to know who my daughter is?” Kayce asked.

“Of course,” you smiled. You picked up your daughter from the floor. She was just chewing on her fingers when you picked her up. “Kayce, this is our daughter Sarah Elizabeth Dutton.”

“She’s so cute,” Kayce said.

“She is, she isn’t,” you smiled down at her.

“Also how old is she?”

You looked up and looked at Kayce, “She’s one year old.”

“Wow,” Kayce said. “Next thing you know she’ll be two years old.”

“Yeah,” you nodded. “That just shows that time flies.”

“Yes. It does,” Kayce agreed.

“I have a question for you now,” you said.

“What is it?”

“Do you want to hold our daughter?” you asked him.

“Yes,” Kayce nodded.

You handed Sarah to Kayce. Kayce took her from your arms, and set her on his lap. Sarah didn’t get fussy about how she wasn’t sitting in her mom’s lap anymore. But of course, that was a good thing though. While he was holding her, Sarah kept on babbling. You and Kayce didn’t even know what she was babbling about, but you two thought it was the cutest thing ever. Since she was babbling, and talking. You had the perfect question to ask her. “Sarah. Can you say ‘Dada’?”

Surprisingly not too long after you asked her that question. You and Kayce both heard her say, ‘Dada.’ The moment Kayce heard that word. He started crying. He wasn’t crying because he was upset or anything like that. He was crying because he was happy. He was happy that his daughter said the word ‘Dada.’

“Omg! She actually said it, Kayce. She said ‘Dada’, you said happily.

“Yes. She did.”

--- --- ---

It’s been about two hours since you came over to the Dutton Ranch and explained everything to Kayce. After you were able to get Sarah to say ‘Dada.’ You and Kayce were able to catch up on everything, Plus, on top of that, John was able to get to meet his granddaughter. He was happy about that.

“One last question. I promise,” Kayce said to you. He was pretty nervous to ask you the question that he's about to ask you, but since you and he have both officially agreed to get back together and raise Sarah with each other and be a family. In the end, the question is going to make perfect sense.

“What is it?”

“Well, I know that we technically haven’t been back together for not even an hour yet, but I was wondering, do you move in and live with me?” Kayce asked you.

“Yes. Of course,” you nodded. “But what about all of my stuff? Everything I have is back at my apartment.”

“Let’s worry about that later. Okay?”

“Okay,” you nodded.

“For now, let’s just focus on us, and on our daughter who is sleeping peacefully in my arms right now,” Kayce leaned down and kissed the top of Sarah’s forehead. Kayce couldn’t get over how adorable Sarah was. He loved how much she looks like him. He was hoping that his mom was smiling down at him and being proud that he’s a father.

“I think she’s going to become your little sidekick when she gets older,” you commented.

“I think so,” Kayce agreed.

The sight in front of you was making your heart melt. You couldn’t get over how happy Kayce looked holding Sarah. The look in his eyes was just filled with happiness and love. You were glad that you decided to come back to the ranch. You still weren’t happy with yourself about the decision you made when you did find out you were pregnant with Sarah, but that’s all in the past now. The only thing that matters now, was that you and Kayce were back together and that you and he were going to be able to raise your daughter as a couple.

[paperdoll201]

Jordan Teaches Marie How to Drive (stick shift)

2000 ish words

Jordan leaned proudly beside their sleek black Jeep Wrangler parked outside the dorm smoking a cigarette, patiently awaiting Marie's arrival. It was a sunny day today. Perfect weather conditions to drive. Today was the day when Jordan, an expert at handling their manual transmission car, would teach the art of driving a stick shift to Marie.

They were wearing a simple grey tee, black basketball shorts, their iconic chain and pearls resting on their neck, and shades that adorned their eyes. I hope she doesn’t get us killed, they thought taking a drag from their cigarette.

Jordan wanted Marie to start off with an automatic car, it’d be easier for her to learn and easier for their mind to handle. But Marie insisted that Jordan teach her how to drive a stick shift, saying she wanted to drive "cool like Jordan does” or whatever she meant. 

Jesus, maybe this wasn’t a good fucking idea. I mean, I can protect myself if she crashes but what about her? Fuck, Imma tell her that she can’t learn manual-

“Jordan! Hey!” Marie jogged towards them. She wore her hair in a bun, a simple strappy tank top, shorts (that were oh so short Jordan smirked to themselves), and a large smile on her face. “Are you ready?” She asked reaching to bring them in a hug. 

Jordan tossed their cigarette to the ground, before stepping on it, swishing their feet over it to make sure it was out.

“Speaking of, are you sure you wanna drive a manual?” They asked. “I mean, come on, Mar, automatic is easy. No gear shifts, no stalling—smooth driving the entire time,” they suggested with a hopeful glint in their eye.

Marie placed a hand on her hip, shooting back, "I'll take my chances with the 'fun' version of driving, thank you very much." Her warm-hearted determination was unyielding, and she was adamant about diving into the challenge head-on.

Fun she says Jordan thought to themselves. “Oh my god, she’s gonna get us killed. Fuck my life,” they mumbled to themselves turning towards the car. 

“What was that?” Marie asked innocently at them.

“Nothing babe. Get in,” they gestured opening the passenger door for Marie.

Marie raised a brow at this. “I thought I was the one learning how to drive today?” She stood standing by the passenger door.

“Yeah, but there are too many people around campus for me to feel comfortable with you driving us from here. We’re going somewhere you can’t accidentally use someone as a speed bump,” they quipped giving her a pointed glance. “Now get in,” they smacked her butt pushing her into the driver's seat. Marie could only grumble a simple fine knowing that Jordan was right.

Jordan skillfully drove them to the empty trucking lot, an area without of any traffic, bystanders, or witnesses. Perfect for someone who’s just learning how to drive. Once they reached the empty area, Jordan parked the car and turned to Marie.

"Alright sweetheart, your time to shine," Jordan announced, grinning mischievously as they hopped out of the driver's seat, leaving the position vacant for Marie.

They opened the back seat pulling out cones and a “Please Be Patient: Student Driver Sticker.” They took the stick slapping it on the back of the Jeep and putting the stacked cones off to the side, planning to use them later. 

“Do you really have to put the sticker on the back of the car?” Marie groaned embarrassed noticing the sticker. 

Jordan shrugged. “Well, that’s what you are. We wouldn’t want to lie to the world now would we?” They smiled at her. “Now we’re gonna start with the basics. We’re not moving until you know where every button is, and how to use your windshield wipers versus your turn signals. The difference between your clutch, brake, and gas pedals. How to use your shifter-“

“That’s a fucking lot,” Marie groaned in disappointment. She wanted to get on the road immediately.

“You’re the one who wanted to learn manual so here we are, learning manual,” Jordan responded simply. Now get in the driver's seat and stop moping.” They finished with a swift smack to Marie's ass.

“You gotta stop doing that,” Marie laughed hopping into the driver's seat.

“Sorry, not sorry. It’s a reflex. Whenever I see your ass I just gotta smack it, you know?” They gleamed at her following her to the driver's side. “Alright,” Jordan leaned into the driver's seat where Marie sat patiently. 

Jordan gestured toward the center console of the Jeep, pointing to the shifter. “See this stick right here?" They explained, "This is the shifter. You'll use this to select the gear you want. Reverse, Neutral, 1st gear, 2nd gear, and so on. It's like a manual control for the transmission."

Marie leaned in, nodding attentively. "Got it, the shifter."

"And here," Jordan continued, shifting their focus to the pedals. "This pedal on the far left is the clutch pedal." They pointed to the left side near the floorboard. "You'll use your left foot for the clutch. It connects the engine to the transmission. Up position, connected. Down position, not connected."

Marie looked down at the pedals, nodding to indicate her understanding. "Clutch got it."

“I know that last part made no sense to you Marie. It’s alright, It will make more sense once we get you driving,” Marie laughed a little, embarrassed that Jordan was able to read her so well.

"And lastly," Jordan added, pointing out the parking brake lever situated between the seats. "This is the parking brake, sometimes called the handbrake. It's not the same as the regular brake pedal. This keeps the vehicle from rolling when parked, especially if it's in neutral. It's essential when the engine is off."

Marie looked at the parking brake and gave a nod. "Parking brake. Check."

"Alright, let's do a quick rundown again," Jordan said, checking in on Marie's understanding. "Shifter for the gears, clutch for engine-to-transmission connection, and parking brake for keeping the car still when parked. Clutch, brake, accelerator. Left to right, C-B-A. Ready to give it a try?" They looked at Marie.

Marie nodded confidently. "I think I'm ready!”

***********************

"Now, about the clutch," Jordan continued, pointing to the pedal on the left this time sitting in the passenger seat. "It's different from the gas and brake. It disengages the engine from the wheels, allowing you to switch gears smoothly. Before you change gears, press the clutch down." They explained, "And it's a good time to get the feel of slowly releasing it."

Marie glanced at the pedal and nodded attentively. "Clutch to switch gears. Got it."

"And when the gearstick is in the middle position, and/or the clutch pedal is fully depressed, the vehicle is considered out of gear," Jordan elaborated. "Remember, don't try shifting gears without pressing the clutch. It won't work."

"Alright, Marie," Jordan said, hands resting on the gearstick, ready to assist. "Press the clutch all the way down with your left foot and move the gearstick into first gear."

Marie followed Jordan's instructions, feeling the unfamiliar resistance of the gearstick as she maneuvered it into position. She cautiously released the clutch while gently pressing the accelerator. 

The engine grumbled and the car jerked slightly before lurching forward.

"Good girl,” Jordan encouraged. "Now, slowly lift your foot from the clutch pedal."

Marie's focus was intense as she carefully released the clutch, feeling the tension in the pedal and the gradual engagement of the gears. The car began to move more smoothly, and Marie let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding.

"You're doing great," Jordan said, observing her, ready to jump in if they have to. "Now, try to pick up a bit of speed. As you accelerate, you’re probably gonna need to shift to a higher gear."

Feeling a bit more confident, Marie gradually increased the pressure on the accelerator, feeling the car pick up speed. Jordan guided her through shifting gears, explaining the process as she gained momentum.

As Marie gained a better understanding of the coordination between the clutch and accelerator, she became more comfortable. She practiced moving forward and backward in the empty lot, getting a feel for the gears and the car's responses.

With each attempt, Marie's movements grew smoother, and she managed to drive the car in a straight line without stalling. 

“Alright babe, that was really good. Park the car and let me set up the cones,” Jordan looked over at Marie, giving her an affectionate squeeze to her thighs. 

They got out and quickly set up some cones, creating a makeshift course for Marie to practice steering around. 

"All right, Mar. This is your Formula 1 racetrack Jordan announced, strolling back to Marie. "The idea is to drive smoothly through these cones, maintaining a steady pace and keeping an eye on the steering. It's all about precision and control."

Marie nodded, feeling a mixture of excitement and nervousness. 

"Now remember," Jordan reminded her, "start at a slow speed. Keep your eyes forward and steer gradually, letting the wheel naturally move through the course. Feel the car's response and adjust your movements whenever you need to.”

Marie took a deep breath, letting the instructions sink in as she shifted the car into gear. Slowly pressing the accelerator, she inched forward, feeling the car respond to her touch. She focused intently, guiding the vehicle through the path set by the cones.

Jordan stood on the sidelines, offering gentle guidance and encouragement. "You're doing great, Marie! Just a little to the left. Now, keep that speed steady. Nice, gentle turns." Jordan beamed in pride. That’s my girl. They started clapping in encouragement, more excited than Marie right now.

After going around the course a couple more times, Marie pulled to a stop next to Jordan and parked. 

“I did it!” Marie exclaimed hopping out of the car into Jordan's awaiting arms. She couldn’t help but pepper kisses all over Jordan’s face. “Thank you, thank you, thank you!” Marie grinned widely, pulling them in for a long kiss. 

“That was all you baby! Don’t thank me,” they smiled. “And now, you’re driving back home,” They winked getting into the passenger side of the car once again.

“Wait what?” Marie looked at them nervously. “I’m not sure if that’s a good idea,” She said scratching the back of her neck. 

“But you were so eager before,” Jordan raised an eyebrow. “Don’t worry, we’ll take the backroad, you’ll be fine,” They leaned across to kiss her. “It’s finally my time to be the sexy passenger princess,” they teased, throwing an arm behind the driver's seat.

“Be serious,” Marie laughed at that regardless.

With the help of Jordan's guidance and encouraging words, Marie navigated the car along the quiet backroads, taking her time even if she was driving ten under the speed limit. As she cautiously steered through each turn and straightaway, her confidence grew steadily. Jordan sat beside her, offering occasional tips on adjusting the speed and handling the curves. Only once did Jordan have to take over the wheel to avoid them falling in a ditch! Marie sees that as amazing progress. 

The surroundings gradually became familiar as they neared the campus. Marie's concentration remained strong, her focus entirely on the road ahead. After a 30-minute drive (she seriously did drive ten under the speed limit, the entire time), they finally made it back to campus, parking Jordan’s car in the garage.

“Woohoo!” Marie jumped out of the car squealing. She did a little dance and Jordan stepped out of the car, watching her appreciately.

“So,” Jordan started moving towards Marie, wrapping their hands around her waist. “What do I get for being such an amazing teacher hm?” They teased her giving her kisses alongside her jaw. They slowly backed her up until she was pressed against the side of the car.

“I can think of a few things,” Marie pretended to ponder, before pulling them in for a long kiss. Their lips moved in sync with one another, both of them moaning in content with the kiss. They grabbed at each other, marking each other with their lips. A tingling sensation spread through her body as they kissed her back passionately.

Their fingers were buried in her hair, holding her head still while they moaned softly into her mouth. They broke off the kiss and they both looked into each other. "How about I just show you my appreciation, hm?" Marie bit her lip mischievously. She grabbed their hand, dragging them from the car.

"Ow! Jordan!" Marie felt a stinging on her ass. That one actually hurt a little this time.

"Sorry," they replied sounding less than sorry. "It's like I told you; a reflex," Jordan smiled shrugging.

[felassan]

Article: 'If Anthem is the "anti-BioWare game", then James Ohlen is correcting the balance'

Text [quote]:

"The hugely influential design director talks Baldur’s Gate, his next RPG, and the abandonment of the BioWare model.

“Baldur’s Gate II set the model, and I obviously loved that model,” says James Ohlen. “But there were a ton of people at BioWare who didn’t like it.” During leadership meetings over the course of the Canadian designer’s 22 years at the RPG studio, he’d sometimes feel totally outnumbered when talking about the importance of story. “Game developers don’t get into the industry to create stories, they get into the industry to create games,” he says. “And so there’s this conflict between game developers and story - my entire career it's been a constant fight.”

Ohlen picked his side early. He was telling BioWare stories even before he joined the company. The meeting of Minsc and Boo, one of the most enduring partnerships in PC gaming, came about in a tabletop Dungeons & Dragons game he ran as a teenager. Then a comic book store manager, he took advantage of his premises to guide no fewer than three concurrent D&D groups through their campaigns. “I didn’t really have much of a life outside of Dungeons & Dragons,” he says.

BioWare programmer Cam Tofer played Minsc in one of those campaigns, “as a guy who’s basically been knocked on the head too many times in fights”. A merchant NPC of Ohlen’s invention sold him Boo, the miniature giant space hamster, in an apparent scam. Tofer ran with it, declaring that Boo would be Minsc’s animal companion, and holding one-sided conversations with the confidant that lived in his pocket. “In my campaign he was just a hamster,” Ohlen says. “I always thought of him as just a hamster.”

Back then, in the early 90s, there were no game design degrees, but Ohlen had dedicated himself to the next best thing. DMing proved to be an intensive training course in giving players agency and immersing them in another world - and his local reputation as a story wrangler landed him a job working on Baldur’s Gate. It’s a similar origin story to that of David Gaider, another D&D head who was plucked from the hotel industry to tell tales about vampires and druid groves.

“Have you ever read Malcolm Gladwell on the 10,000 hour rule? I think by the time I got hired by BioWare, I had done 20,000 hours of dungeon mastering,” Ohlen says. “It was ridiculous. I owe a lot to D&D. My friendships, my career, my mental stability.”

BioWare co-founder Ray Muzyka encouraged Ohlen to dig into the huge binders that contained the details of all the player characters and NPCs in his campaigns, and to let them spill out into the world of Baldur’s Gate. “I hadn’t intended to do that,” Ohlen says. “It seemed narcissistic. But he was right. Once I started using them, I started getting things done real fast. All the characters had personalities that I already knew.”

Those tabletop campaigns turned out to be accidental writers’ rooms - producing distinct personalities that reflected the voices of their individual players. From the binders came some of Baldur’s Gate’s most beloved companions, like Minsc and the egotistical conjurer Edwin, as well as its villains - leading all the way up to the sequel’s Hannibal Lector-esque antagonist, Jon Irenicus.

That said, inspiration for Baldur’s Gate II’s much deeper companion stories came from an unlikely source. During a freezing winter smoke break in Edmonton, an Interplay producer named Dermot Clarke mentioned that Baldur’s Gate’s characters weren’t nearly as developed as those in Final Fantasy VII.

“I’m very competitive,” Ohlen says. “I went and played Final Fantasy VII and was like, ‘Oh my good god, these characters make ours look like a bunch of cardboard cutouts. This is terrible.’” The disparity convinced BioWare to up their game, leading to the complex journeys of companions like Jaheira - the grieving wife and activist, whose sense of duty has been shaken by so much loss. Despite Ohlen’s distaste for the way SquareSoft’s RPGs played, he continued to be influenced by their character work - all the way up to Knights Of The Old Republic, which was partly inspired by the twist-laden Chrono Cross. That and Star Wars, of course.

“I actually totally, entirely ripped off The Empire Strikes Back in such blatant fashion,” Ohlen says. “You basically go to face the dark lord by yourself, and then you get into a lightsaber fight with him, and he kicks your ass. And then, after kicking your ass, he does the big twist. Then you don’t die because you’re rescued by your friends on the Millennium Falcon - I mean, the Ebon Hawk. It’s beat by beat the same thing.”

Of course, KOTOR’s plot twist didn’t feel familiar to players because it impacted not Luke Skywalker but them personally. For those who don’t know - and spoiler warning, if so - it revealed that your character was in fact a former Sith Lord, their memory wiped by the Jedi Council. In an RPG genre rooted by knowing your avatar down to their last stat, having your identity ripped out from under you felt genuinely radical. BioWare had succeeded in making its biggest setpiece not a battle, but a revelation. And in the process, it proved that BioWare storytelling was packed with the kind of explosive potential a publisher could bank on.

After the sale of the company to EA in 2007, Ohlen was put in charge of creative development on a Star Wars MMO, The Old Republic. It was BioWare’s next great hope, and an enormous undertaking - involving the founding of a brand new studio in Austin, Texas. At launch, it featured eight story campaigns which unfolded across 19 planets. In 2011, executive producer Rich Vogel told Fast Company that The Old Republic hosted “the most content in a video game ever”. Looking back, Ohlen views that as a fundamental problem.

“If open-world is the enemy of storytelling, multiplayer is the arch-villain,” Ohlen says. “If I was to go back in time to give my 2006 self some advice it would be, ‘Don’t try to make the game so long that you can fill up 200 hours. Instead, keep it shorter.’” With less ground to cover, the Austin team could have committed more resources to its Flashpoints - story-heavy missions which forefronted the difficult decision-making and tight encounter design that had elevated previous BioWare games. “Everyone wanted Knights of the Old Republic Online, and it felt more like World Of Warcraft with Star Wars spray-painted on it and some BioWare juice thrown in,” Ohlen says. “Even though the Metacritic was pretty good, it wasn’t new enough to really take off.”

At this point, a Knights Of The Old Republic 3 directed by Ohlen would be “not great”, he says. “Because I’m all Star Wars’d out. I have nothing else to say about Star Wars. But if a whole new studio does KOTOR 3 that loved KOTOR, that could be an amazing game. So hopefully Disney makes that happen. But probably not, because executives around there are all probably going, ‘It’s too hardcore.’” Ohlen still remembers the efforts he made to convince EA boss John Riccitiello that fantasy was a genre that could sell. “I had this whole PowerPoint presentation,” he says. “We have Lord Of The Rings! We have World Of Warcraft! We have Diablo!”

The year after The Old Republic’s launch, with the arch-villain of multiplayer still undefeated, development of Anthem began - and BioWare fought that increasingly costly battle for the better part of a decade. Those at the studio tired of the Baldur’s Gate model had the backing of EA, since a live service looter-shooter in the mode of Destiny could unlock years of long-term revenue beyond the reach of a single-player RPG. Or so the theory went. “It was always chasing the gigantic successes instead of leaning into what BioWare was good at,” Ohlen says. “It wasn’t just EA leaning on BioWare - there were lots of people in BioWare who wanted to do something different.”

Ohlen understood why others at the company would want to get away from a formula that empowered old hands like him and Gaider, and embrace one that empowered them instead. And he knew first-hand that freedom to experiment was what had set BioWare on the path to success decades before. Yet this new direction felt like an abandonment of the studio’s strengths. “Anthem was the ultimate expression of that,” Ohlen says. “It got away from everything. It’s kind of like the anti-BioWare game.”

Ohlen left in 2018, intending to retire from videogames altogether. “The big games have a formula and they don’t adjust it too much,” he says. “It’s very production driven, and I was like, ‘I’m not gonna get to make a game that I want to make at EA.’” He returned to the tabletop, putting together a new Baldur’s Gate adventure book featuring Minsc and the gang. But then Wizards Of The Coast called and flew him up to Seattle to discuss starting a new studio. Ohlen didn’t need or necessarily want a videogame development team under his wing - and that proved to be a perfect negotiating position.

“My demands were, ‘I only do this if I get to start my own studio in Austin, I get to choose who I hire, I get to choose exactly the kind of IP I want to make, no one’s gonna tell me anything about how to make the game.” At this point, Ohlen adopts a megalomaniacal tone, as if he were Baldur’s Gate baddy Sarevok, ascending to the throne of the dead god Bhaal. “I want control over absolutely everything! I want all the power!”

To his surprise, Wizards said yes, and Ohlen has been happily presiding over Archetype Entertainment ever since, building a new sci-fi RPG world without interference. “If you’ve seen the games I like to build, it’s that style of game,” he says. “But then it leans into the people and technology that I have available.” Ohlen won’t elaborate on what’s in his toybox, for fear of spilling secrets - but it’s worth noting that Mass Effect legend Drew Karpyshyn joined Archetype in 2020 as lead writer. “The feel in the studio reminds me of my early days at BioWare,” wrote Karpyshyn on his blog at the time. “I can feel the magic in the air.”

Magic and Wizards and science fiction - it’s the kind of atmosphere in which you could believe a hamster isn’t just a hamster, but something altogether sillier and more exciting. An act of collective imagination is happening, the binders are filled to bursting, and all we have to do is wait."

[source]

[littlebluespoon]

Having Octo boi thoughts mid class

Specifically, thoughts about his daughter's (Mary I think, correct me if I'm wrong) first transformation.

Just thinking about how reader would come home that day and see two little octopuses wrapped together on the couch. She finds it absolutely adorable. She walks over just to find that their tentacles are tied together due to them trying to play fight. She gets them untangled and just won't stop cooing over Mary's octopus form.

Weeks after that (if Mary is in middle/high school), she would transform and hide herself in reader's purse in order to skip class.

Reader finds her and just sighs before taking her to school. She silently curses König each time because it's quite the hassle to have to drive back home, to Mary's school, and back to work.

-🍔

I think I wrote something about Mary's first transformation before. Basically she's tiny. Like tiny tiny. And you come home one day to find octo König with a tiny little octo Mary perched on top of his head. All your boys are in their octo forms too, rough housing a little and teaching their baby sister how to work her new forms while König watches on whistling and clicking away. You managed to sneak plenty of photos.

Like König, his kids absolutely use their hybrids forms for mischief and sneaking around. But they're baby octo bodies aren't much good, too small to move fast enough to not be caught. But once they grow a little, you're a full time octopus wrangler. Of course by the time Mary learns to shift, you're a pro and nothing gets past you at that point.

[pfhwrittes]

Actually I know you said I wouldn’t wanna hear you bemoan your writing process, but I’m actually very interested in that tbh

What is your process for a longer fic? How do you format your outline? What does your research look like if you need to do that?

I’d love to see it! Maybe this is more of Talk Shop Tuesday question lol

tats you can have a little Talk Shop Tuesday as a treat!

so i briefly touched on my process (god i need a new way to phrase that it sounds so wanky) in this ask here where i admitted to kind of flying by the seat of my trousers/pants with writing ("live by the PWP sword, die by the PWP sword i guess" is probably one of my favourite sentences i've ever written).

but i'll expand further under the cut because i know i'm going to get long winded as hell.

firstly, i'm going to admit something slightly embarrassing. i'm not a planner, or a plotter, or a think further than the scene i'm writing writer. i'm just not. i write entirely on vibes or wherever the worms take me. i think that's pretty evident from the fact that most of my fics/drabbles for the fandom are shorter than my left leg. i consider it to be a minor miracle if i break 500 words, never mind 1000 words for my fics.

secondly, maybe mummies is my most rigidly outlined fic ever. i have a super rough outline for my festival fic (remember that? god those were the days) and for my bbc ghosts inspired thing (again, another blast from the past right there) but maybe mummies is the biggest document i have in my WIP folder right now and i'll use that as my example for my outlining process (and hopefully i won't spoil the fic too much).

What is your process for a longer fic? i always start every single one of my fics by dumping a synopsis of what i want the fic to be at the top of my document. first of all, it scares away the Fear of the Dreaded Blank Page (where The Blinking Cursor of Doom lingers), secondly it pulls me back on track when i start getting lost in the weeds as i always get lost in the weeds to some degree. thirdly, it's kind of silly and mostly vibes. i basically just talk to myself in the blurb and at some point that may translate to an author's note but sometimes it doesn't.

then i move onto notable tags i know i need to include. so that would be the general vibe of the fic ("Inspired by The Mummy (1999)"), the genre ("Action/Adventure", "Romance", "Comedy"), or notable triggers ("Bugs/Beetles", "Implied PTSD", "Implied Alcoholism"). the notable tag section is subject to change as i write but as soon as i pop something in my fic that i know could potentially trigger someone or make someone balk at bit at reading it, i update the tag list. as i work through the sections/scenes of my fic i list the tags/triggers that apply to that section and mark them with a star and match that star up to the notable tag section.

for maybe mummies, i started writing it chronologically while on my third(?) rewatch of The Mummy. i spat out the blurb during my first watch because the brain worms took me gently by my throat and calmly threatened me at knife point (no, i don't know where they got the knife either and at this point i'm too afraid to ask). then i yelled at @391780 over having an idea as i usually do and early enabled me like the Chief Worm Wrangler they are.

then i got bored of writing it chronologically on my fifth rewatch after blocking most of act 1 and act 2, so i went to the last scene of the fic, blocked that out with bullet points (and made myself laugh) before deciding that actually, an epilogue would really tie everything up wonderfully. so then i spat out the epilogue (and very shyly asked @syoddeye if the emotional beats hit right and they were kind enough to go "i love [this metaphor] and [this interaction]" which basically cemented the epilogue for me. so if you hate it, don't you dare blame sy, i'll come for your kneecaps with my makita drill if you do).

aside from that, i block everything roughly using bullet points. sometimes that's a badly worded sentence, sometimes that's a particular dialogue exchange that fits, sometimes thats just [JP and F!RC bicker] (anything in parentheses gets filled with more detail in at a later date), sometimes the worms wriggle and i spit out an entire scene.

if i'm struggling to write a scene i tend to either leave myself bullet points or break the scene into smaller chunks. it helps my brain to focus on the parts i want it to write better that way and it takes the pressure off so i don't get stuck in the mire of "oh god this needs to be the most perfect first draft that has ever existed".

How do you format your outline? so my heavily redacted outline for maybe mummies looks something like this:

Blurb (stream of consciousness babble/vibes/silliness)

Title (currently blank)

Notable Tags (all the current tags/triggers, and there are 23 currently!)

Characters notes - John "Johnny" MacTavish - Female! Reader Character (RC) - Captain John Price - Simon "The Ghost/Ghost" Riley - Kyle Garrick - Philip Graves (then some redacted characters)

Act One (the set up) - Scene 1 - Scene 2 - Scene 3 - Scene 4

Act Two (the rising action) - Scene 1, part a - Scene 1, part b - Scene 1, part c. (etc, etc. you get the idea)

Act Three (the crisis) (see act two and three for how that would look)

Act Four (the resolution) (heavily redacted bits go here) - Final Scene

Epilogue (this i have written out in full, but i can't share it with you because of spoilers).

Odds and Ends (this is where chunks of dialogue i want to add into the fic, or interactions i want to go live until they find a place in the fic. it's also where the parts i've "scrapped" go too. i never delete anything from my outline, it just gets moved to the odds and ends section).

What does your research look like if you need to do that? oooooh boy. okay, another embarrassing admission coming up. my research for maybe mummies has been my nigh on continuous rewatching of The Mummy. i'm on 13.5 watches right now (10 before my surgery date, 3 post surgery, and one time i started watching it and fell asleep about half way through while my brain was slowly stewing in the remnants of morphine and codeine). other than that, i've got about 5 or 6 tabs that i've shoved into a folder in firefox dutifully labeled "shit i don't know about 1920s eygpt".

in short, my research is more of a mess than my outline.

hopefully this answers your question and i'm so sorry i made you slog through what is essentially 1.1k of words that may be nonsense.

[fnvminorcharacterpoll]

FNV Minor Character Poll - Round 4-B, Day 2

Left: Beatrix Russell, hired guard at the Old Mormon Fort and potential sex worker at the Atomic Wrangler. —"I'm available, sweetie - but you'll have to do as I say. Meet me upstairs. I'll try to leave you in one piece."

Beatrix Russell's designated cheerleader is @simply-jason! hi! i'm taking up the mantle of cheerleader for beatrix because i was genuinely surprised that of all the characters on this webbed site, she didn't have one?? anyway, how could you not love beatrix! she's a pre-war ghoul (automatic +10 points), a follower of the apocalypse (though technically a gun-for-hire, but still; she believes in the cause), she has the voice ever (and for all you nerds, her voice actress is rouge the bat as of 2010), and she's a dominatrix! need i say more? (^_<)〜☆ if this list doesn't convince you, check out some of her top class, tried-and-true advice to the courier: take a chance on a woman who'll show ya a good time and make sure you're sound after the fact (even though she doesn't technically give you advice once she switches careers, but shhh)! a vote for beatrix is a vote for freaky women (affectionate)!

Right: Siri, a slave of the Legion at Fortification Hill. —"I never finished my [medical] training - the Legion saw to that when they overran my town. I do know basic first aid, but I've had to rely on tribal remedies to treat illnesses and injuries - healing powders and all that."

Siri's designated cheerleader is @irlarcadegannon! I LOVE Siri so much. I know the developers were under an insane time crunch, but I would've loved to see more substance for her! Still, I think what they did give her is very telling. It's not much, but it evokes a lot of emotion in me. Her lines show that she too had and has her own life, an entire history that we as a player may never know. But there are hints, small details in her choice of words and the tone of voice that show there is so much to her. So much potential, and I would love to see her have more presence in fan works. I love the idea that someday she might actually be able to escape from the Legion. She grants the player such kindness even in a situation where she herself is shown none. She had an entire life that was suddenly ripped away from her, and few Legion slaves get their story told. I want so desperately for other people to care about this side character who I LOVE, dearly, and I think it would be fantastic to get other people in the fandom to start thinking about her too, and making fan works with her in it if they feel so inclined. Together we can make a side character the specialest woman in the Mojave. SIRI SWEEP PLEASE!!!

[Bracket | Info & FAQs | Become a Designated Cheerleader]

[samantha-and-her-chaotic-desires]

I have returned with more Lackagold au ideas and I'm here to share!!

Serafine and Nico basically platonically adopt the Lackadaisy trio, but especially Rocky. They absolutely adore how chaotic his is and how he isn't afraid to be himself.

Nico attempts to teach the trio some basic hand to hand combat in case they ever need it. Rocky ends up with a black eye without anyone even taking a swing at him. Freckle flinches any time someone even moves in his direction and eventually ends up just curled up in a ball on the ground... Ivy does surprisingly well! She gets the hang of dodging and even manages to land a few hits.

All six of them occasionally hang out when they're not working or on jobs... and by that, I mean the five of them somehow find a way drag Mordecai along to hang out with them every time.

Serafine and Nico have both playfully hit on Wick, just to tease Zib and Mitzi.

Mordecai, Ivy, and Freckle are all kind of the sanity wranglers of the group. They keep Rocky and the Savoys from going too crazy and potentially blowing shit up. But if Freckle happens to get a gun... yeah, then it's strictly Mordecai and Ivy in charge.

Mordecai would never admit it, but he's grown kinda attached to their little hexad. Even if Rockys poetry wears on his nerves, the Savoys insane schinanigans make him question his own sanity, Freckles on-again-off-again gun crazy makes him both fear for his life and his ear drums, and Ivys sass drives him up the walls, he still can't help but grow a slight bit of a soft spot for them in a way.... plus, there's an even number of them, so there's at least some symmetry.

YES YES YES!!!

omfg the Savoys adopting Ivy, Freckle and Rocky, THAT is beautiful.

Wick getting flustered by the sexy Cajun cats lmfao that's really good too. And Mordecai is that tired big brother/uncle of the group, or even the goddamn father (he's literally older than them all, what the fuck how did I not realize this earlier)

and the fear Mordecai has of Freckle with a gun? Relatable. Mood.

GOD ilysm anon <333 if I may ask (and you don't have to reply!!!) what would happen with them angst wise?? like a really bad day that drove someone up the walls and then they just snapped? or just a down-in-the-dumps type thing??

EITHER WAY I'm so happy to see you again!!

[bomberqueen17]

car etc update

I have driven so many cars. I'll witter on about them behind the cut but first I have to share a brief story of Reno the cat.

This morning Reno the cat was out by the greenhouse as I came in to stop at the house for breakfast. He was staring nobly off into the distance, no brain cell in his head whatsoever, just wind whistling between his ears.

A bit later, I'd had breakfast and was getting myself together to do some work today (which I promise I'm doing I'm just taking a Tumblr break, the first this week basically, so there), and I saw him sitting on the shelf at the porch window, staring in. Ah, I thought, he wants to come inside, because that is often how he signals that. So I went over to the door, and opened it.

He saw me and meowed excitedly, and clumsily made his way down off the shelf, which he doesn't know how to do gracefully. I stood waiting with the door open because this is the only thing one can really do, or Reno will get too confused to come in.

As he made it to the door, his sister Whiskey had clearly had enough; she also likes to go in and out the door and needs it held open a long time so she can stare through it and make her decision. The two of them share a brain cell and she usually has it. it's not a very bright brain cell. She shot out the door precisely as he was about to come in it.

This distracted him so much he turned around and followed her, which made her hiss at him and run away, and he could not help but chase her. I yelled his name and he stopped and then saw me and remembered he had wanted to come in the door. I called his name and he finally came in the door. I let go of the door, which has one of those pneumatic soft-closer thingies on it, so it mostly shut behind him but then bounced back open to hiss shut softer.

As it bounced back open, he turned and ran back out the door.

Cats.

[image description: the garden, through the large metal mesh of the deer fence, in a sea of dewy green grass and plants with some distant trees in the background, and in the foreground is a cinder block counterweighting the planting bench canopy to keep the wind from catching it, and a white cat litter bucket in the mid-ground (presumably with transplanting supplies in it); just beyond the legs of the planting bench, Reno the cat, who is gray and white, is sitting upright looking the other way, ears cocked forward as he gazes out over the garden.]

Anyway, cars--

I have now test-driven a Honda HR-V, a Subaru Forester, a Jeep Compass, a Jeep Renegade, a Nissan Kicks, a Volkswagen Taos, a Mazda CX-30 and a Mazda CX-5. And then I also drove a Subaru Outback, a 2020 Limited trim package that's now crossed the US several times and has had a young man intermittently living in it for some time, and said young man (who works here) was excited to tell me all about it and show me the Steering Assist which I can't deny would be pretty sweet if I was driving across the entire country.

Of those, the only interesting ones were the Subaru Forester and the Jeep Renegade. The Renegade is a Fiat really, made in Italy, and the thing I liked about it was super dumb-- it's so boxy and upright that the driver's seat is intensely vertical, your legs are really under you and you're sitting up high but with plenty of headspace, so it's sort of vaugely like a Wrangler only not quite so punishingly uncomfortable to handle, and it looks like a fucking Lego toy car but I tell you what I bet that four wheel drive is pretty sweet. Also 9.7 inches of ground clearance, hard to argue with.

The others were all fine, really, and the Mazda CX-5 downright pleasant-- good balance of cargo and headspace with reasonable fuel economy, good adjustability, friendly technology though a lot of that is probably just that Dude has been driving a Mazda since 2016 or so and as the passenger I've had to learn to navigate the technology. (M-L was excited that the star button might take you to space-- no, it's radio favorites-- and the paper airplane might be messages? no, it's navigation.)

I have a terrible feeling that for all my diligence and research I'm still going to wind up back in a fucking Subaru. I did get the scoop on the local dealership, a friend of M-Ls has a 4-year old Forester that she loves from that dealership which she hates despite it having almost the same last name as her. (One letter different. You'd think you could leverage that into them being nice to you. Guess not.)

I'm taking the Amtrak this weekend out to Rochester and it's going to be incredibly complicated to get back home. I looked at my schedule-- I'd been vaguely thinking I had two weeks off in a row coming up but i do not so either I'm going to take the Amtrak a whole lot over the next month and a half or I'd better just buy a fucking car. Blargh.

I haven't tried Kia or Hyundai and I missed Toyota because the Nissan guy wasted so much of my time (he was very clearly waiting for a specific car to come back from being test driven but not saying so, and finally M-L was like "genuinely we do not care what color" so he was like ok and went and got the one of the two other ones and then was like "there's no gas in this we gotta go get gas" arghhh anyway) that the Toyota dealership closed. I also have a dodge hornet on the list but they were all in the shop, which is weird. ("Naw there's some check engine light issue they all need a software reset over," said the guy, and i was like what does that mean and will that happen after i buy them, but he was like "don't worry about it" and we drove jeeps instead so okay?) And there's a couple of chevys and a ford and i'm really tired.

I've actually liked most of the sales people so that's been fun. We did genuinely shock the Mazda salesman when I admitted to being 44. "I was thinking you were young enough to be my daughter," he said, "but that's how old I am."

None of them have been able to figure out that M-L and I are sisters. M-L reports that occasionally I'll mention my partner having made me a spreadsheet, or that my partner drives a Mazda, and I often will use he pronouns for him, and she's like "I can feel them not looking at me because they'd all assumed I was the wife" which is hilarious. I mean for context we are very, very similar in appearance, similar coloring, similar size and shape, we really do resemble one another, but we have slightly different cheekbones/jaws/face shapes, so we're not identical or anything; we just have an obvious family resemblance. I guess it's not super normal to go car shopping with a sibling but I don't understand why it's so unexpected. As the like, bonus level, often we'll tell stories about Our Mom or Our Dad and we're clearly both telling the story? So I feel like it shouldn't be such a shock.

Anyway.

I'll be mildly annoyed if I wind up just buying the second goddamned car i test drove but on the other hand at least i'll know I bought it on purpose.

[sebsxphia]

Virginity anon pls come home from war the kids miss you <3

Rhett STILL not taking your virginity (it’s just cruel edging at this point so he’ll have you so cockdrunk and corrupt for him only when he finally does but anyways)

You’re pawing stop him like a dog in heat, swinging your legs over him and straddling him in his wranglers while you’re in nothing but underwear and one of his flannels he gave you, and you start grinding your hips a littttttle too hard

Him flipping you over so you’re on your back, shirt completely open at this point and he’s just grinding, painfully hard in his wranglers, against you

He’d just tut at how pathetically quick you get off over from him even though he’s basically half clothed

virginity anon!!! this is your calling please!!! <33

oh absolutely, that’s his beautiful plan this whole time!!

DUDE WITH THE WRANGLERS TOO ?????????? i just know it would feel so good against my coochie. i know it would, i feel it in my bones.

you’re grinding him a little too hard and rhett just wants to put you back in your place. wants to remind you that you’re not getting anything for free and wants to remind you that you’re just his pathetic little virgin, who he gets to make come anytime he wants, especially when he’s just half clothed.

“jesus, if i thought you were that easy i would’ve fucked you a long time ago.” he teases much to your annoyance.

SQUEEE

[miscfandomwrites]

Mama Chapter Nine

A/N: SO I WANT SOME THIRST and y’all are gonna get it. Just a small hint: the next few chapters will be more action and angst. As usual, if you want to be on the taglist please let me know. Also, sorry for the half-month hiatus, I’m not doing too well in school and mentally. Working on it.

Pairing: Natasha Romanoff x Mom! Avenger! Reader

Warnings: Language

Words: 3.4k

Tagging: @tyler-t0t

~~

“I love you Mom!” was Lillith’s only reply as she ran towards the playground, her red backpack bouncing along with her each of her steps. 

I chuckled as she immediately dumped her backpack on the ground and went for the slides. I stood and watched her for a bit, before turning and getting in my jeep. Per Lillith’s request, she wanted to come to school in my old wrangler. That thing was older than me and that was definitely saying something. 

I started it, feeling the entire frame shake as if my jeep was not in fact, a machine but a living breathing beast that had just woken from a ten-thousand year nap. Damn, this thing needed to be fixed. I hummed along to the radio as I drove back to the tower, enjoying the cool fall morning. 

As much as I hated to admit it (I didn’t hate it) I would miss my kid. She was definitely the light of my life these past few years. It’s a wonder that she’s basically a little human and had thoughts and-Wait, I was starting to dissociate. I turned my focus back onto the road, and was delighted to find that I was less than a block away from the tower, instead of halfway to Poland.

I parked and got out, deciding to work in my workshop rather than face my empty floor. After making sure my phone and other miscellaneous belongings were with me, I headed to my main work area.

Dumping my coat and eventually my shirt on the island, I kept going through and loggin my ammunition. Someone had fucked my systems up, and I had been dutifully working on organizing things. The one thing that really fucking pissed me off was the fact that my experimental batches of my 45 ammo were mixed. It seemed like someone just took the trays and dumped them in a spare ammo can. Like seriously? Every batch had different power and some had different primers and oh-was this frustrating!

I decided that it was better to get rid of them than to deal with having ammunition that wouldn’t work out in the field. I’d rather not rest my or anyone else’s life on defective ammunition. 

I kept muttering to myself about how stupid someone had to be to just mix ammunition without looking at labels as I retrived my old 45 from my gun cabiniet and grabbed some empty magazines. 

I’d used the gun range in my workshop before, but I wanted to see what the tower had to offer, after all it was made of steel and glass. In fact, I was surprised I hadn’t seen the tower’s range yet. 

I took out my personal 45 from its place at the small of my back and replaced it with my old one, and started loading the magazines. Bullet after bullet, magazine after magazine. I was roughly halfway through the box when I decided that two guns would be more fun, and I grabbed one of my thigh holsters and slid my personal 45 in. 

As much as I’d like to not fuck with my concleled carry, I had nothing better to do the rest of the day. I was still figuring out some things as far as S.H.I.E.L.D. went to pay me, and was mostly trying to figure out if I’d need an actual job or not. Besides, I had the parts needed to make another 45 on hand.

I finished loading the magazines and counted them as I placed them back in the ammo can. 

“Seventeen? Damn, I thought there’d be more…” I quietly said as I placed the last one in. I grabbed the can and headed to the elevator, where I asked FRIDAY to take me to the range. 

Not even two minutes later I arrived on the sixtieth floor, which only furthered my anxiety. Glass windows surrounded us on all sides (Although they were mirrored so we could see out, but no one could see in) and there were the standard targets and stalls. Thankfully, most of the team was up here anyway. Steve was talking with Sam and Bucky around a table that held various revolvers, and Natasha was showing Wanda how to hold a handgun properly. I headed over to the boys and set my can down on the table before turning towards the rest of the room, trying to figure out how we could shoot in it.

“What’s in the ammo can?” Sam questioned me as he pulled it over to him. He opened the lid and nodded to me. “Looks like you’re gonna have some fun.” 

I only grinned wolfishly in response. “So, the glass windows won’t break if we shoot them?” I asked Bucky. He nodded as he held one of the revolvers on the table, examining it carefully. 

“Good to know.” I replied as I headed to the farthest range away from everyone. I grabbed a pair of headphones as I walked past Natasha and Wanda, and didn’t stop even as the both turned and stared. It’s been too long since I’ve been able to shoot. To feel the recoil. The cold metal of the handle… The smell of gunpowder. Man, I miss it all. 

I set the can down on the shelf next to me in my stall, and sent my first target down the line. I pulled the 45 out of my back holster first, and grabbed a magazine. Muscle memory had me snapping it in place and sending the slide forward. The metallic click brought me back, and I centered my feet and took up my stance. 

I focused down the sight of the gun to the center of the target and took several breaths, focusing my heartrate and my body. I curled my finger on the trigger and the muffled bam! had me already craving the recoil. 

Breath in, pull. Breath out, pull. Breath, pull, breath, pull, breath, pull….

The same pattern had me going through magazine after magazine after magazine. I paid no mind to the burning hot shells as they occasionally hit my arm, nor did I feel anything besides the recoil and the steady calmness that accompanied it. 

It was only until the seventh magazine  in which I stopped and took a breath. I lowered the now-smoking gun and ejected the magazine, and pulled back the slide and set it on the side table. I stood there for a minute or two before deciding to send the target towards me. 

The target was almost torn in half; I had shot at the midsection of the outline and there was just a huge hole, or rather several smaller ones that made the target almost completely obliterated. 

“Jesus Christ, (Y/N)...” Came Steve’s voice from behind me. 

I turned to see everyone just….staring. What, like this chaos wasn't what Natasha and Barnes inflicted upon the enemy every mission?

I shrugged and took the target down, balling it and tossing it into a nearby bin as I grabbed a second one. 

“I think I should reinforce those windows some…” Stark muttered as I loaded a handgun and stacked more magazines next to me. I sent the new target down the line and I repeated the cycle of emptying the magazines. I swear, next time I’m just going to move everything by myself. Although this is fun. 

Everyone eventually went back to what they were doing before, and before long it was only the boys and I on the floor. Eventually even they left for what I was assuming lunch. I finished emptying the magazines and headed back downstairs, gun oil and the scent of gunpowder sticking to me. Either way, I needed to keep myself moving. Pausing gives time for my anxiety to reappear, so it was better that I keep myself busy.

I set the handguns on the reloading bench as a reminder to clean them later, and restacked the ammo can where it belonged. I turned off the lights and headed up to my floor, skipping lunch. Once there, I changed into a pair of black workout pants with a baggy sleeveless shirt and my pair of running shoes.

Grabbing my water bottle and wireless earbuds, I took the elevator down to the gym floor. The gym floor, or, floors rather, were two floors merged together in the middle. All sorts of expensive exercise machines and weight bars, along with punching bags and mats scattered the space. The middle of the floor had ropes that hung from the ceiling of the second floor and had the largest mat. Thankfully we had a multi billionaire that paid for this place, and Stark went all out with it.

I started with stretching, then moved to the punching bags for a bit, then decided on pull ups. I haven’t really been able to take time out of my day to work out, rather the afternoons and mornings.

That was the great thing about being my own boss-My company was my own. I did a little bit of everything, or as I liked to refer to it: Freelance Hacker / Creator.

Yup. I checked servers for weak points and helped people create websites and platforms. Hell, I even took down a few...unsavory websites when I could. I had my own hours that I adapted as I needed. Especially with Lillith, it was easy for me to look after her when we were at home. 

Shit, I need to clean up the space. I remembered. I stayed up late last night making a draft of a site for a client….which I had to make a meeting with tomorrow. 

I drifted off into my thoughts as I ran through my cycle of sit ups, push ups, pull ups, and bench presses. Twenty per each set, five per each round. Damn, when was the last time I took a self care day? I let my brain sort out ideas and organize my thoughts for a few more minutes before focusing on what I was doing. I finished two rounds before heading over to the left wall and grabbing a pair of heavy chains.

Natasha and Wanda were sparring, with Natasha pushing Wanda back with offensive moves. Hand-to-hand combat wasn’t Maximoff’s strong point, but after insisting from both Strange and I that there might be a point where she would need to use physical combat despite her showing practically limitless magical abilities, she started. 

First it was with both Strange and I, with my abilities making me a bit more resilient to her magic and Strange being….strange. Then her and Natasha started sparring when my long days turned into longer nights, and I’m fairly certain Barnes is taking some part in the cycle. 

I finally watched Wanda get a solid hit on Nat’s torso in, and the assassin didn’t even flinch as she swept Wanda’s legs out from under her. The redhead was panting heavily, her hair tied back in a short ponytail with some hair framing her face. Wearing a black t-shirt and some black leggings, and black tennis shoes (Not going to lie, black looked really good on her). I tore my gaze away, albeit with some difficulty as I turned the mental list of tasks into a digital one on my phone.

After doing that and sipping some water, I used the hem of my shirt to wipe away the sweat on my forehead. Deciding to forego the shirt entirely I peeled it off and tossed it next to my water bottle. Draping the chains over my shoulders and grabbing the bar, I pulled myself up. 

First few rounds of ten were easy, but the added weight of the chains (about twenty pounds, if the labels were correct for each) soon slowed me down. Which was fine, it had my arms and shoulders using more effort than usual. I looked up and was surprised to see both Natasha and Wanda looking at me. Both girls were by the water fountain, Wanda holding her water bottle and phone, and Natasha sipping hers with a towel over one shoulder. If it wasn’t the fact that they both were working out, I would swear that Natasha’s face was red. I could feel the sweat dripping down my chest and stomach, and was eternally grateful for the serum that kept me at a decent four pack.

I winked, and Natasha choked on her water. Wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, she cleared her throat and headed towards me. Wanda stayed there, and started scrolling on her phone again.

She practically sauntered over, and my face slipped into a grin as she stopped right in front of me. Not bothering to pause, I kept going, making sure to keep my chin above the bar when I went up.

She stopped and crossed her arms, smirking at me. I returned her smirk, along with “Anything I can help you with, Ma’am?”

She grinned, before walking straight in front of me. She stopped, not even a half a foot away as I was about to pull myself up again. She gently ran her fingers along the chain of my dog tags, and tugged them out of my sports bra. I kept them in there so they wouldn’t make noise and so I had them close to my heart. 

There were three tags in all on there, two of them being mine. She held the third up to read it and I stayed still, almost stiff as she smiled softly. It was my wife’s tag. 

She let the tags fall back onto my chest and pulled them straight, and as she let go she gently, almost ghosted, her hand over my stomach. I stiffened more, and then dropped from the bar. She backed away a bit as I took the chains off and returned them to their spot on the wall, then as I wiped away the sweat on my face with my discarded shirt.

“I think….” She started as I opened my water bottle. Facing her, I gestured for her to continue. “That is something that is honorable. There’s no other word to say it, but it is. It’s out of love and respect, yes?” She questioned, pointing to the tags. I nodded, setting my water bottle down.

“Hey, do you want to come pick up Lillith from school with me?” I asked her, throwing my shirt over my shoulder and grabbing my water bottle. I checked the time on my phone and tucked it in my pocket. 

“Sure. Can we get coffee?” She said as she walked besides me to the elevators. I selected both of our designated floors as we got in, and we started chatting about my little human. 

Her floor was first, and with a wave and a “I’ll see you in the garage in fifteen minutes” she got off and headed towards wherever her room was. 

I ran a hand through my hair, tugging it out of its ponytail as the elevator stopped at my floor. Getting off, I headed towards my room. Grabbing a pair of black jeans, a black shirt and some new undergarments, I quickly took a shower. Brushed my hair, teeth, and decided on a bit of eyeliner and mascara for the rest of the day. Pulled on some boots and grabbed my black leather jacket, making sure I had everything I needed for heading out. Finally, I grabbed my silver aviators and headed downstairs, before almost tripping over the shoes that littered the front entryway. Damn, my entire floor needed to be cleaned. 

I met Natasha by my car, wearing a white, loose sleeveless tank top and leggings. Along with sneakers. Her hair was damp and down, and she had a black duffle bag over her shoulder.

“Where are we going?” I questioned as I popped the trunk to the challenger. 

“I was hoping you could take me to my studio, if that’s alright.” she said as she shut the trunk lid with her duffle in it. 

“Yeah, that’s no biggie. Coffee first?” I asked, starting the car. 

“Please.” She sighed as she leaned her head against the seats. I smiled and pulled up to the open street. 

We got our iced coffees and I made sure to get a frappuccino and cookie for Lillith, and I drove towards where Natasha said her studio was. 

“I’ll just be about forty minutes. I need to get some stuff done and it might be a bit.” She said as she leaned in the car door frame, her duffle over one shoulder and a hand on the car door.

“That’s fine. I’m going to go pick up Lillith and then I’ll drive back here. Is that alright?” I asked, looking at the redhead. She smiled and nodded, shutting the car door.

I picked up Lillith from school, who excitedly told me that she made not one, but four new friends in her class. Her happy shriek had me laughing as I gave her the frappuccino and cookie. “I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!” She yelled as she grabbed said drink from my hand. 

“Careful with it please.” I chucked as she quickly sipped on it. She hummed in response, staring out the window.

I shook my head and shifted the car into drive and headed downtown. Not even halfway there, and already….

“Mom I have to go pee” Lillith said, scrunching her nose and the bag the cookie came in.

“Okay. We’re almost there to pick up Natasha and then we can go inside and you can go pee.” I replied as I turned another corner.

I had no idea if her studio had a bathroom, but I had the idea that my toddler couldn’t hold it very long. That girl drank more water than I did, and that was saying something. 

We pulled up and immediately she was getting unbuckled and wiggling her way out of the car. I got out and tucked my keys in my pocket, and helped her out of the car.

I gently kicked the door shut and led Lillith through the doors with a hand on her back, and followed the signs to where the bathroom is. Other than the fact that this place looked completely deserted, it was nice. 

No outstanding decorations, and there was little furniture. An old cork board held flyers and photos of various ballet dancers and activities. I paused at that, remembering what Nat had said that one night.

I dance. 

After having Lillith wash her hands (Which she complained about, but did anyway) we walked around until I found a half wall, half window point.

Lillith was short enough to where she couldn’t see in, but thankfully I wasn’t. It must’ve been a two way mirror, judging by the same pattern around the walls. A set of hip bars in the middle on a hardwood floor, and one of the most beautiful women lightly dancing to music I couldn’t hear.

My grip tightened on Lillith as I took in the sight before me.  Natasha was wearing a black leotard with black tights, and the thing that caught my attention was the shoes. Pink, with the ribbon wrapping around her ankles. The way she moved reminded me of all of the ballet shows I went to in school when I was a kid. There was something majestic about how she moved, how delicate she seemed.

Of course, it was Natasha Romanoff. She may appear delicate, but she’s the complete opposite. 

She turned on her heel and bowed down to the floor, hands barely brushing the wood. She went up, arms gracefully moving out in a way that kept my focus on her. That was, until Lillith yelled at her. 

“HI NATASHA!” She yelled, jumping up and down and aggressively waving at said women. Natasha didn’t start, rather smiled at the small child and waved. 

I facepalmed, dragging my hand down my face as I tried to fight down the flushing of my face.

[renai-fr]

Smaugust 2023 Day 4- Treasure

...I'll be honest, I mostly went with this design because I didn't want to draw a full hoard. But, this is my boy Edward as he first hatched! I gave him his genes (Speckle/Freckle/Firefly) basically as early as I could, but he still didn't hatch with 'em. I'll have to draw him in his current position as familiar wrangler one of these days! Oh, and he is still a Nocturne- it fit well.

(I like doing this storybook coloring style when I'm in a hurry- it takes probably half the time that my cleaner style does, and it has a really nice watercolor storybook vibe ^-^ Or like old Ken Sugimori art for Pokémon, which is also something I enjoy. It's hard to do certain details, though, like Speck/Freck, since if you make the airbrush too small it loses the lovely soft edges...)