#i don't think he takes the time to read my messages thoroughly but if i didn't take the time to read his messages thoroughly he'd be mad

[iamagodjkimcatholicicantsaythat]

I've decided to award myself at work when I finish a task by mercilessly bashing my boss on the Internet (It might seem that I don't like my boss, which I assure you, is not true. I do... Me complaining about him on the Internet in the long run will be beneficial to him lol)

[whatudowhennooneseesyou]

𝐋𝐞𝐞 𝐊𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝟏𝟖+ 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐀𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐲𝐬𝐢𝐬 (𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞 & 𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐅𝐨𝐜𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐝)

ᴡᴏʀᴅ ᴄᴏᴜɴᴛ: 1K

ᴅɪꜱᴄʟᴀɪᴍᴇʀ: Think about it. Write about it. Have hard thoughts. Do not take it seriously. None of this information is confirmed and all theoretical. If you want to read more, I have further analysis in my 'Lee Know As Your Late Bloomer Bf' post.

ᴍᴇᴛʜᴏᴅᴏʟᴏɢʏ: Traditional Astrology & Whole Sign

ᴏᴠᴇʀᴠɪᴇᴡ:

Rising is in Gemini (Suspected)

Scorpio Sun (6th House)

Sagittarius Moon (7th House)

Scorpio Mercury (6th House)

Scorpio Venus (6th House)

Virgo Mars (4th House)

ꜰᴜᴄᴋʙᴏɪ ʀᴀᴛɪɴɢ:

3/10

Lee Know's fuckboi radar is a strong medium energy because his Sagittarius Moon makes him naturally impulsive and prone to boredom but his Scorpio stellium indicates he values a deep soul to soul connection.

So while he can detach sex and feelings, casual/one night stands wouldn't satisfy him and he's more likely to enter into FWB/situationships.

He also forms attachment easily, although you wouldn't know it because he can mask very...VERY well.

His Virgo Mars in 4th House also makes him pedantic with hygiene, he COULD...could view anonymous/casual encounters as 'dirty' or 'unclean' and have concern about infection and/or disease.

(No..I'm not personally judging hook-up culture but I included this because Virgo/6th House rules over health and wellness so they prioritise sexual hygiene more so than other Mars Signs.)

And there's loads of evidence with the SKZ episodes of Lee Know valuing cleanliness and tidiness so I'm certain that would transfer to sex and foreplay.

ʀᴇᴅ & ɢʀᴇᴇɴ ꜰʟᴀɢꜱ:

Red:

His Scorpio Mercury gives him a wicked tongue and his Sagittarius Moon means he has no impulse control which =

PETTINESS!!!

His Mercury rulership indicates he's thoroughly observant, analytical and has a great memory, the type to remember little details about something that happened 11 months ago.

He's learnt your sore spots, your insecurities and your anxieties and he might just use them against you in moments of conflict.

Inherently stubborn so wouldn't be the type to apologise after an argument but would make you a meal, buy you something, run you a bath as a way of calling truce.

He probably has an avoidant-attachment style and is the type to 'freeze' or ice you out if he's annoyed or irritated...could even go as far as giving the 'silent treatment' as a way of asserting control.

When Lee Know has been recorded feeling hurt, upset or frustrated he becomes really quiet and his posture shifts into a more defensive stance...this is really evident in the infamous SKZ Room episode where Chris says 'you don't care about me' and you can literally SEE his entire body change at that remark.

Green:

Honesty is a strong value and trait of Lee Know so outside of conflict...you would never feel like he's hiding something from you or second-guessing his actions...what you see is what you get with Lee Know- even to a fault.

A good example of this was Lee Know's ending-ment and he says 'I have been having a lot of thoughts and I'm organising my feelings' (which is so Mercury coded to rationalise your feelings by 'organising' them).

Routine, stability and consistency are HUGE traits and values that Lee Know will contribute to the relationship and this is reaffirmed countless of times with his Bubble messages.

He always sends you a 'morning' message and asks if you've eaten lunch or dinner every day, he's consistent at going live on YouTube every Saturday and he's endlessly sending through photos of food and his cats on Bubble which means Lee Know is not a man prone to 'flakiness'- it's all or nothing for Lee Know and he will stick with you through to the end.

And this is not even natal chart based, this is just my opinion- there is something about Lee Know's personality that is incredibly wholesome for a man his age...in his spare time he likes night-time walks and plays with his cats which to me is someone who enjoys the little things in life and a lavish and excessive lifestyle is not a priority for him.

He's not shallow and therefore he's not going to give you a shallow relationship.

ɪᴅᴇᴀʟ ᴛʏᴘᴇ…ɪꜰ ʜᴇ'ꜱ ɪɴᴛᴏ ᴡᴏᴍᴇɴ

Lee Know's sexual orientation is unknown so I don't know if he's into women but if he is...these are the physical and personality traits he would find attractive.

Physical Traits

(Focus on his Libra 5th House, Scorpio Venus and Virgo Mars)

Has to smell nice because Virgo & Scorpio are sensory motivated and would SIMP over a person with a signature scent...probably would like a floral and clean, fresh smell.

Scorpio's go for other Scorpio's so his ideal type probably would have Scorpio placements (Sun,Rising or Venus) and have a dark feminine aesthetic but still kinda coquetteish with the Libra influence.

Someone who has the duality of looking sexy in a black, skimpy dress with stiletto heels but also looks cute wearing an oversized t-shirt with no make-up and a messy bun.

Definitely a waist,arse and thighs kind of man is totally the type to get hot and heavy if you wear a sundress.

Personality Traits

A tsundere to the absolute max, you cannot get more tsundere than Lee Know so his partner has to be okay with his 'quiet love' style of showing affection and care.

Intelligence is a strong turn-on for Lee Know so his partner has to be smart and worldly, would be attracted to someone who has a degree or a type of tertiary education.

Lee Know was accepted into university for computer programming prior to graduating high school so he could find people with careers in STEM, engineering, environment, sociology etc quite alluring and attractive.

Preferable love languages to be acts of service, gifts and quality time...words of affirmation and physical touch are not a strong suit of his.

ᴅᴏᴍ, ꜱᴜʙ ᴏʀ ꜱᴡɪᴛᴄʜ?

Lee Know is a switch with a heavy dominant preference and would prefer to be dominant 80% of the time.

I think even if he was in a more submissive mood...it would be more 'I'm yours and you can do whatever you want' energy rather than a complete release of control.

6th House Stellium= service/pleasure dom preference

Lee Know in-person has a very gentle and stoic presence (I've seen him live) and that would transfer to the bedroom so a SOFT DOM and much more soft and tender than the aggressively harsh sadistic dom persona Stays give him.

Whilst Lee Know can and likes being 'rough' in the bedroom, there is a difference in being rough and painful versus rough passionate.

Lee Know wouldn't be into the rough and painful 'you're just a hole for me to fuck' degrading type of sex.

Lee Know would be into the rough and passionate 'how many times can we go before we fall unconscious' type of sex.

There's a difference.

ᴋ!ɴᴋꜱ...ᴊᴜꜱᴛ ᴀ ꜰᴇᴡ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇᴍ

Olfactophilia

The scent kink is WILDIN with this man and would be addicted by your natural scent and smell. Scorpio placements are primal in general and is the type to lick the sweat when making love and for his cock to ache as he inhales the sweet scent of your panties.

I can't get enough of your sweet pussy kitten, could bury my face here all day.

Would smell your shirt after wearing it at the gym as he doing laundry because you're his favourite fragrance.

If Lee Know didn't see you for a few days, he would spray your perfume on his clothes and wear your scented body lotion because the smell carries the very essence of who you are, who he loves, who he yearns for.

Clothed Sex

Buttons ripped, stockings torn, skirt tattered at the seam, smeared lipstick, heels on, the desperation and the need to fuck you so badly that he doesn't have the patience to take your clothes off.

That would drive Lee Know insane with desire.

Bend over kitten...fuck your legs look so good in these heels...I can't wait, need to feel how tight you are now.

Bonus points if you allow him to take photos of your ruined state afterwards.

Also...

You being naked whilst Lee Know is entirely clothed and the power imbalance and the DOMINANCE he would feel in that moment of you just being so submissive and vulnerable and trusting under his hands and body...

Taglist: @hipster-shiz @creativechaoticloner @cherry-0420 @scuzmunkie @marievllr-abg @umbralhelwolf @starsareseen @lino-jagiyaa @mischiefsmind @junieshohoho @mrcarrots @partywithgyu @whatsk-poppinhomies @craxy-person @hologramhoneymoon @gyuhanniescarat @staytinyinmybpack @necessiteez @wooyoungmybelovedhusband @berryberrytan @laylasbunbunny @bangchanbabygirlx @i-love-ateez @anyamaris @shinestarhwaa @hexheathen @northerngalxy @michel-angelhoe @youre-alittle-taste-of-hell @justaaveragereader @shroomoth @marykpoppin @joonyoonjinnie @ja3hwa @leomggg

[kairiscorner]

Did you get a request? It's Gn spiderperson secretly taking care of Miguel O'Hara! I think I forgot to type his name too so sorry about that! Thanks!

love, your secret admirer. — miguel o'hara x gn!reader

(reblogs are greatly appreciated, it helps get my content out there! if you guys like what you see, please reblog it too <:D)

(✧) word count: 1,394

(✧) request: You know secret admirers? I have a similar idea to that! Gn spiderperson secretly gives him stuff he needs or something to make his day easier! Like I assumed he doesn't take care of his health much so they will give meals, water, coffee, snacks, etc! He was wary at first but realised it's always something that helps him! So he wants to find them but they're so sneaky that even he wonders how he managed to miss them! He decided to pretend to leave when he's actually hiding & that's when they were about to leave after giving him a meal! They were so fast that he almost lost them! Does this make sense 😂

(✧) author's note: OYYYY i literally crave these dynamics HEEEEE i wanna be miggy's sweet little human assistant, the softer, less chaotic kinda lyla that's not AI for him, which reader is basically LOL man has trust issues, but he can never say no to your cute, darling little face and kind heart that makes him swoon. ANYWAY, HOPE YOU LIKE THIS, ANON !!!

every morning, for the past few weeks, miguel had been gifted with little treats at his desk–treats he hadn't realized he's missed all this time until it was right in front of him. "who left these?" he asked lyla as he tasked her to identify any tracks left by whoever could've 'gifted' this to him. lyla chimed in and reported to miguel that she couldn't find any DNA tracing back to the sender; though, lyla had checked the package thoroughly and assured miguel the treats were extremely safe. "passed all the safety protocols, mig, i didn't pick up anything malicious or even remotely harmful from them. just plain old treats ya love, that's all they are, really." lyla explained as miguel rolled his eyes and looked at the treats all neatly wrapped with a dark red and blue ribbon, examining it and taking in all the... friendliness of this little gift before him.

"not used to being gifted anything, hmm?" lyla teased miguel as he snarled at her, turning his nose up at her and glaring at the holographic assistant. he hated that she was, indeed, right–he wasn't used to being gifted anything, let alone something so intricately wrapped. he looked around and heard the crunching of a small piece of paper on the ground. he seemed to have stepped on a sticky note, which he picked up. it read:

'don't forget to spoil yourself sometimes! (◡ ω ◡) — your secret admirer.'

miguel swore he recognized that penmanship somewhere, though due to the lack of any signature or name attached to the message, he couldn't figure out just who in the multiverse could've placed these on his desk. "secret admirer, huh?" lyla teased. "this is probably just some prank by those damn teens." miguel rationalized as his mask dissipated, his stern look still on his face, but slowly softening as he held the gift in his hands, feeling the warmth emanating from the treats. the scent coming from the treats this mystery person left for him was too hard to resist, so he ended up snacking on them before he even realized it. the surprises didn't end there, however–for the rest of the month, miguel had been receiving anonymous gifts that benefitted him and relieved him of stress that accumulated throughout the day.

he hadn't realized he needed coffee in his morning, or that he was hungry for his lunch, or was craving any snacks he hadn't had in a long time until he was treated to them right then and there. he had gotten very suspicious of these constant gifts that were waiting for him at his desk, he had always subjected them to thorough inspections from lyla, but they were never anything bad nor dangerous–they were harmless little gifts, and miguel... miguel was now curious. he wanted to figure who was leaving these gifts for him, these gifts that help keep him sane, healthy, and a little bit happier than he was before all this. he had narrowed down the hours when the gifts would usually come from this 'secret admirer' and had devised a time and plan that he would enact once the right time frame for the next gift would come.

"are you feeling like you're in mission: impossible right now?" lyla asked miguel all sarcastically as miguel stood by the wall in his suit's camouflage mode and held him breath in; waiting for someone to drop off another gift with another uplifting note that... that made him look forward to the next hour, the next day, and the rest of the week, really. he shushed lyla as he heard footsteps from down the hall sneak over to his office, he pressed himself against the wall and anticipated for his secret admirer to come in through those doors and make themselves known to him without them even knowing. as the doors opened, a couple of feet stepped in—bringing with them a familiar frame and face that miguel knew and... was guilty of looking at and admiring himself often when they weren't looking. he spoke your name in a whisper as he watched you shyly drop off a homemade gift for him and attached a sticky note onto the gift itself, muttering under your breath how much of a dork you look right now for not being able to muster the confidence to give these to him in person.

miguel couldn't quell the rapid beating of his heart—as you spoke to yourself, practicing how you'd confess to miguel that you've been the anonymous little darling that's been gifting him all those goodies and feeding him those meals he seems to like so much, he's so drawn to how adorable and humble you look right then and there. "i'm your... secret admirer, mig..." you mutter to yourself, practicing how you'd tell him. you got all flustered at the thought of what his response would be, shaking your head as you sighed; knowing full well to yourself that he wouldn't care... or you thought that he wouldn't care, because right behind you was the man himself—your back pressing against his chest as he gave a low hum in response to your accidental confession. you turned around gently and almost fainted when you realized just who was behind you.

"you are?"

he asked you in a low voice as he bent down slightly to get a proper look at you, but out of embarrassment, your adrenaline kicked in and you bolted out of his office. miguel hadn't had a lot of secret admirers before, he didn't think you turning your heel and dashing off was gonna be a response from you—so he ended up calling your name and running after you. "they're too shocking fast!" he exclaimed as he looked around rapidly for you. lyla pinpointed your location, with miguel quickly sprinting over to you to talk to you. "you... certainly gave quite the chase..." he mumbled as you were about to run off again, but miguel acted quickly and grabbed your wrist. "i'm not gonna do... anything to you, you... know that..." he whispered to you breathlessly as he brought you closer to him, making you lean against his broad chest.

you stared deep into his big, hazel eyes—getting all flustered as you got self-conscious and nervous again. miguel placed his hands on your waist, but quickly pulling away and sighing. "i appreciate the gifts, i... i don't know why i'm the one you want to gift with such pretty and tasty things, but... i really do mean that i appreciate them. i can't remember how i got through my days without your generosity..." he said in a quiet voice as he tucked away a lock of your hair behind your ear, making you gasp a little at his gentleness. "...i would appreciate it more, though, if you let yourself be known to me as more than just my 'secret admirer'. i can't believe how lucky i am... such a cute little spider is my secret admirer?" he asked you aloud as his face heated up, his nose nearly poking yours as he brought his face closer to yours.

"guess you're not so much of a secret anymore, hmm?"

he asked you as you shook your head and got even more bashful. he chuckled lightly as you acted all cutely around him again, making it harder for him to resist your inherent charms. "...i was going to confess, but..." you stammered, your hands resting on his chest—feeling the hammering of his heartbeat, making you even more flustered and at a loss for words. "and i'll confess that... you've had my heart since the moment you left those treats at my desk. i know i sound like i'm moving too fast, but i can't help it. you've been an enigma to me, an enigma that i wanted to meet, to hear, listen to, hold and... i've wanted you, and knowing it's, well, you that i want... it's more like i need you now, not just the gifts, to stay happy and content." he admitted as he pressed his chin against your shoulder, humming out a hum of contentment as he held you tighter, making you gasp and cling on to him as you wrapped your arms around his waist to reciprocate his touch.

"will you please... consider that thought for me, mi vida?"

tags !! @miguelswifey04 @hearts4gabri @hisachuu @wreakingmarveloushavok @fictarian @yuridopted0 @simsrandomstuff @luvstarrstruck @popeheywardssecretgf @meeom @arachnoia @melovetitties @fable-library @ophanimgold @smokeywhalee @capnshtfce

[swordfright]

What do you think is your most controversial dsmp take?

I got this ask a while ago and I've been wracking my brains trying to come up with something, but honestly...I don't think I really have many hot takes? At least, not ones that I'd consider controversial. Most of my controversial takes are about fanon/how the fandom interacts with the source material, which I assume isn't what you're looking for (but BOY DO I HAVE A LOT OF THOSE.) I also have likes and dislikes when it comes to duos and shipping stuff, but that's subjective obviously and more opinion than lore interpretation.

I guess if you put a gun to my head, I might say these are my most controversial Actual Lore Takes, but they're not all that interesting imo:

The experiments in the revival lab happened AFTER c!Dream's incarceration, not before it. My understanding is that most people interpret that sequence as occurring prior to the incarceration because...why would c!Dream let himself be locked up, relying on his knowledge of the book to be his life insurance, if he hadn't tested the damn thing out yet?! This logic tracks, but I think you could also flip it to argue the opposite: that he also could have conceivably waited to fully test the book until after escaping. During the run-up to the Disc Finale, c!Dream was incredibly busy with the fallout from Dethronement + Exile + Manburg related stuff etc, as well as busy preparing for the confrontation with c!Clingys, plus arranging the staged finale with Punz. The guy was busy as hell and he was also like...still kinda in the midst of a manic episode. Also, keep in mind that while the book was his life insurance for the finale and its immediate aftermath, he had no idea that c!Sam was going to betray him. Considering all that, I don't think it's inconceivable that c!Dream may not have had time to thoroughly test the limits of the revive book beforehand, and he likely didn't realize quite how vital his knowledge of revival would become during his incarceration period. So yeah. I'm open to either interpretation, but I am partial to the possibility that the Vikk and Lazar necromancy montage happened after the prison era. And the exact date/location of the lab are never specified either, which makes me even more open to the post-prison necromancy option. Not a hill I'd be willing to die on, but a hill I like to sit on and admire the view from.

End of Las Nevadas is the weakest stream of the Las Nevadas series. I found it narratively unsatisfying, and not in a clever way. I don't hate that stream, I think it had some really interesting moments, but overall I'd say its messaging was convoluted and the tension was pretty poorly mismanaged. I'd be willing to go on about this if you want, but I think a lot of other folks have probably already articulated it better than I can. Oh, I'll add that I also have complicated thoughts about c!Slime as a character. Don't hate him, don't love him...but I am puzzled about the role he was presumably meant to play in the story vs. the role he actually ends up playing. I could go on about this in detail but it's late and I'm sleepy.

c!Quackity has very simple goals and motives, but his pursuit of those goals is oftentimes way more convoluted than necessary, which ends up making him read as a more complex and dynamic character than he really is (I like this btw!) Another way to put it would be that Q is not a terribly complex character in terms of motivations and ambitions (dr3 has rly good meta on this btw), but he does tend to needlessly complicate his own life and the lives of the people around him in pursuit of simple goals. I think one of his big failings is that he sees violence as an easy solution to his problems but in reality it just creates more problems for him. It's like he keeps failing some sort of foresight check, over and over again. Take the formation of Las Nevadas, for instance. Most of the country's members were intimidated/threatened into joining, not because they're people Q particularly wants to hang around with, but because they're people Q sees as either strong (i.e. they are capable of contributing to LN) or directionless (i.e. they're in need of an owner a leader.) Quackity doesn't really forge alliances, he just...buys people, basically? And then he's shocked when this backfires. His relationship with Purpled is the most obvious example of this, but also LN as a whole: in LN5 (?), Quackity's angry and offended and hurt that only a tiny handful of people show up to the opening ceremony, even though by all accounts the reason the turn-out isn't bigger is because the server has by this point become a chaotic and violent place where anything can happen to anyone for any reason and most inhabitants feel safer sticking to their own turf...and that atmosphere of chaos and violence is something Q has ostensibly contributed to, even before Pandora. c!Quackity creates a country that no one is truly loyal to, inhabited by people who are closer to employees than allies...and then his solution, when he realizes nobody really gives a shit, isn't to try recruiting people in a more equitable way, it's to bioengineer a slime army. That is insane. That is an insane way to solve your problems. In no way is bioengineering a slime army a normal or well-adjusted solution to any conceivable problem. This is what I mean when I say he's a relatively uncomplicated character who complicates everything - he's constantly jumping through hoops of fire to avoid changing his behavior and taking any kind of accountability whatsoever.

I have tons more takes but they're mostly about silly subjective stuff and/or fanon, so I'll leave that for another day if anyone's interested.

[just-my-type-x]

heyyy ummm,can you write something about brad keeps bailing the reader and missing their dates so they end up having steaming "make up sex" and then he does really sweet after care like run a bath and then brad apologizes when they're in cuddling ready to go to sleep x

Tit For Tat

I was feeling scandalous so i added some things to make the angst good. Hope u enjoy it ♥️

TW: unprotected sex, mentions of alcohol

Y/N is an actress in here

🍾

"I'm sorry, love, can't make it tonight. Late studio session, Tris was late.", i stare at the text message while looking around me. The whole restaurant is packed and i shrug in frustration, aware of how much time I've spent on the waitlist to get a dinner scheduled here. I don't even think I'm mad. I don't feel anything, but disappointment at this point.

I leave him on read and take my purse, looking for my wallet. Great thing i didn't think to leave it home, playing the Oh, Bradley, i forgot my wallet card, but it looks like i don't have a partner for this game. I call the waiter to my table and ask for the check. As he leaves, i see a familiar brownish curly hair, looking as disappointed as me. I wave at him and his smile lights up his whole face.

"Y/N! What a surprise!", Gavin says and hugs me on the side, taking a seat afterwards.

"I know! What are you doing here? And why the sad face?", i take one more sip of the white wine i ordered hours ago while waiting for Brad.

"I think i just got stood up", his smile fades for a second but his iconic smirk shows up again. "Why are you sad and alone in a fancy restaurant? With no more drinks around you at least", he laughs and tells the waiter to bring us 2 glasses of champagne instead of my check.

"I got stood up too, by my own boyfriend..", the last part is almost whispered and i look another way. Gavin gives me a questioning look, lifting one of his eyebrows. "Late studio session. So he says. I think they're just having more fun without me", i laugh, but it does feel like that sometimes.

"No way, there's no way he'd have more fun without you. You're amazing and he knows that. Maybe he's really busy right now. You know how schedules get messed up when you're also on set.", he assures me and taps me on the back of my hand.

"I don't know, Gav. It's something that keeps repeating. We see each other pretty rarely as it is, I've been free for three months and we only went to two dates. Two out of forty.", i throw a napkin in frustration.

"It's not my business to discuss this with you and you won't erase the past if you only tell me this stuff. Talk to him, tell him how you feel. All i can tell you is that as busy as he might be, you were way busier when you were working and still managed to go to dates with him and spend quality couple time."

I sigh at his words, knowing he's right. I never discussed this with Brad and i always assured him that we're fine and that we have all the time in the world to go on dates. I nod at Gavin and give him a smile.

"Thank you for that. I guess i just wanted to push the conversation away.", i shrug my shoulders

"Now, let's have fun", he takes another sip of champagne while looking thoroughly through the menu.

🍾

The next day i wake up to an empty bed. I frown and check my phone to see any texts or calls from Brad, but nothing. When i got back home last night from the restaurant, Brad was still not home, so i didn't bother waiting for him, as i was already upset with him and angry.

I get out of the bedroom and relief fills my body as i see him making breakfast. I let out a breath, unaware of the uneasy feeling i had. I smile at him when he looks towards me and he does the same. We hug and give each other a good morning kiss.

"I didn't hear you when you got home last night", i take a bite of the bacon

"I know", he turns his back at me and flips the eggs. I frown.

"How was the studio session?", i ask, my intention of asking nicely fading with each word in the question. You can say i hold grudges.

"Good. We have 2 songs", Brad keeps his distance. "Did you have fun last night?", he asks as he pours the eggs on a plate and places the plate with force on the counter top, making the plate slide under my nose. I push the plate away from me.

"On the date you didn't bother to show up to? I had a blast", i sarcastically answer him, but it's not completely true, because at least i had good company.

"You didn't seem to need me", he eyes me for the second time this morning, his stare burning mine. He hits a glass on the counter top with the same force he had on the plate and pours himself orange juice.

"I'd like more information. What?"

"Oh, you don't know about your own date with Gavin? Your friend? Or should i extract myself from the equation?", Brad slaps his palms on the table and his head drops between his shoulders. "What happened last night, Y/N?"

He pulls out his phone on an Instagram page that posted a picture of me and Gavin at the table, both of us in our fancy clothes, sipping champagne close to midnight. The title said "Y/N Y/L/N all fancied up with new love interest Gavin Casalegno? The young costars were spotted last night in London's fanciest restaurant", i grab Brad's phone to read the caption. "Does love beat the movie? In their case, maybe. Source says they seemed to have fun and quote not a care in the world as they were sipping champagne and staring in each other's eyes all night. Follow us for more. " i shake my head in disapproval.

"Nothing happened, Bradley. I wanted to leave but Gavin showed up. We were in the same situation, our dates bailed on us", i get up from my chair and walk away from the kitchen. Brad scoffs behind me and follows me.

"Stop blaming me for that", he says and sits down on the couch next to me

"Why not? How many time did you ditch me in the past few months? Almost every time, Brad. This isn't normal. I work my ass off and sometimes i work more than you do, but i don't forget that we're a couple and i don't forget about my boyfriend!", i take a deep breath when I'm finished. Brad's eyes sadden. "I'm sorry, i didn't mean it to sound like that", i look down at my lap, my hands intertwined.

"No, don't be", he takes my hands in his and sighs. "I didn't see things this way, love. I was so focused on coming out with new music that i didn't even realise how many times i ignored us.", he cups my face with his hand.

"It's alright. I just want more time with you, love, please. My upcoming project is going to take me away from home for four months, I'm just trying to spend as much time as i can with you.", he pulls me in a hug and i lay my head in the crook of his neck, kissing him.

"We're gonna be fine, love", he whispers and i raise my head to kiss him. Brad grabs the back of my head and pulls me even closer to him. I push him into the couch and i climb on his lap, never breaking the kiss and he groans when i sit myself on him. I moan when i feel his hard member underneath me. A smirk appears on his face and i kiss it away, his tongue pressing on mine hungrily, pulling on my pj top. I take it off and Brad takes his own t-shirt off, glueing our bodies together and switching positions. He kisses down my jaw and neck, leaving red marks on his way to my exposed chest. He cups both of my breasts and gives them a few squeezes, while his lips leave trails of kisses on my breasts, one at a time.

Brad moves lower, kissing and nibbling at the skin on my stomach, triggering a tickling sensation. I chuckle when he bites on the side of my hips, causing me to rise my hips towards him. The quick touch of my lower half with his upper body causes goosebumps on my skin and i let out a quiet moan, keeping my hips elevated.

"So eager", Brad's words are muffled, his face buried in my skin as he pulls my pj pants down. He smirks and looks at me with darken eyes, the sight of me not wearing any underwear pleasing him. I put on a proud smile.

"I know you love it when there aren't many inconveniences.", i drop my head back on the couch as one of his fingers massages my clit.

"I wish i had you naked around the house all the time so there weren't any inconveniences.", he adds more pressure while drawing small circles, quiet whimpers from me giving him all the assurance he needs that he's doing a great job. Brad stops his action and drags his finger down to my entrance. "So wet for me, love.", he pushes hus finger inside just a little bit, making my body squirm underneath him. "Fuck, the power you have over me is insane, baby", he pushes his finger all the way in, brushing it over my g-spot. I moan after every pump and the pleasure intensifies as Brad's lips start sucking on my clit. He sucks it, licks it and massages it, making my legs shake because of all the pleasure and pressure i feel between my legs.

"Oh, fuck, this feels incredible", i praise out of breath and i feel a smile creeping on Brad's face. As i feel like I'm getting close, he gets back up on his feet, taking off his pj pants and grey boxers, that were already soaking in his precum. I bite my bottom lip when he's fully naked, his size never failing to surprise me. Somehow, i never feel prepared to take him.

"I love you staring at me like that, but i don't have the patience today, babe", his voice a little raspy, i only open my legs as an invitation to hurry things up. "I'm so going to ruin you right now", as a promise, he gets back between my legs and holds himself up by one of my knees, while his other hand guides himself closer to me. He pumps himself a few times and i groan, the action making me go crazy in moments like this. Both of us on the edge, horny and ready to let go of our frustration in the best possible way.

Brad pushes the tip of his dick inside me, the little stretch causing me to gasp. He pushes more and more, little by little giving me time to adjust to him before he leans in all the way in. I moan loudly and i grab onto his shoulders as he starts pounding into me hard and fast. One of my hands stays on his shoulder while the other one is in his curls. His head drops in the crook of my neck, his hands pinning me down onto the couch. His grip on my hips intensifies with every thrust of his hips in mine and i embrace the pleasure and the slight pain. Brad's breath is fast and his movements are desperate and i wrap my legs around his waist to give him a better angle.

"Oh My God", i gasp and i hold on to the cushion underneath me. "Fuck, Bradley", i pull on his curls and raise his head so i could kiss him. Our kisses are messy and sloppy and we bite on each other's lips. Brad grabs the armrest of the couch and picks up his speed.

"I'm so close", he almost whispers and rests his forehead on mine. I nod slightly.

"Me too"

He groans and moves his hand from my hips higher up, grabbing me from the sides of my ribcage, his thrusts getting harder. Soon after, the familiar feeling of my orgasm getting closer takes over my body. My legs shake and my back arches off the bed, which gives Brad the opportunity to wrap hus arms around me. He rides my high, cuming with a loud groan and scratching the skin on my back. I feel his dick pulsing inside of me as he stays on top of me to regain his strength.

"That felt so good", he whispers out of breath

"I know, right?", i smile and try to catch my breath as well.

"I love you and I'm sorry i didn't realise what i was doing by not showing up for dates.", Brad kisses my forehead and looks me in the eyes, one of his hands playing with a strand of hair.

"I love you too and I'm sorry i didn't talk to you about this sooner. I hope you know i didn't replace you yesterday"

"Of course i know. People just have a way with words", we both chuckle at his statement. "Let's go get you all cleaned up", he gets up from the couch and hurries to get me a towel. Brad helps me clean myself up and we walk into the bathroom together. He gets the bathtub ready, throwing in a bath bomb and my favourite bath foam. He helps me get inside the tub, making sure i don't slip. Brad disappears from the bathroom and then comes back in a glimpse, holding his speaker and his phone. He plays a chill playlist and i motion him to get in with me.

I press my back on his chest and he starts massaging my sides, adding pressure on my hips, a place where he knows i love some attention when it comes to having massages.

After the water cooled down, we step out of the tub and dry ourselves before going back to our bedroom. Breakfast long forgotten, Brad and i turn on the tv and play a comedy movie on Netflix. He pulls me on his side, my head resting on his chest, our hands intertwined in his stomach. Brad kisses the top of my head and i look up at him to kiss his lips.

"I love moments like this. I'm so lucky i have you", he whispers and runs his free hand up and down my arm, in a soothing manner.

"Me too, I'm also lucky to have you, you're everything i ever wished for", i smile up at him and he closes the gap between us again.

[resowrites]

The Fight Before Christmas (part 2) - oneshot.

Summary: All is finally revealed, but will Henry and his girlfriend’s relationship ever be the same? (follow on from this oneshot, but can be read as a standalone story).

Pairings: AU!Henry Cavill x Girlfriend!OC

Warnings: 18+ only (adult themes), angst, fluff, relationship difficulties/argument, brief mention toxic family dynamics, brief mention of illness/end of life care, brief allusion to smut, dialogue heavy, time hopping/vignette style, language, pet names, nondescript OC body type/appearance, hastily written/lightly proofread.

WC: 4549

A/N: Phew, here it is folks. Sorry it’s a little rushed. This week’s been crazy and I ran out of time. I hope you all enjoy and as ever, please let me know your thoughts. This piece is a big bowl of happy/sad soup, please take care when reading as I know it can be a difficult time of year. I wish all of you a safe, peaceful Holiday - R x

My work must not be copied, reposted, or translated elsewhere. Likes, follows, reblogs and comments are thoroughly welcome and appreciated! Gifs/pics not my own. I hope you all enjoy and thanks for visiting!

The Fight Before Christmas (part 2) - oneshot.

Saturday 12:38 am

Henry hurried back inside, dazed and confused about what just happened. A rhythmic thumping noise then stopped him in his tracks. It was Kal plodding down the stairs. He usually hid in Ollie's office during the colder months, the warmth of the radiator under her desk providing a cosy place for naps. He crouched down and cuddled his boy. He must have heard the arguing, gone into their bedroom like he normally did at that time, and found them both missing. He wracked his brain for what to do. If he did go after her, she might not come back at all. But he just couldn't fathom why she was so determined to get away. He knew it wasn't anything he'd done, it was now technically the weekend which also meant he was officially off work until January. He'd been so looking forward to spending Christmas with her. Kal nudged at the hem of her coat, which dangled from the hook above them and whimpered. She'd left without it.

He shot back up and tried to find his phone, eventually realising it was still in the kitchen. He knew she probably wouldn't pick up, but he had to try. "Hi, this is Ollie. I'm sorry I can't take your call. Leave a message and I'll get back to you, thanks!" Just hearing her voice made his stomach drop. He tried to stay calm and think logically about where she might be headed. The nearest hotel was only a b&b and took a good two hours to get to, even at that time. Her only friends within an hour's distance were Rachel, Laura, and Claire. Laura used to be a nurse, but she also had young children. Would she bother her at that time? What if Laura didn't pick up and he couldn't reach either of them? His mind carried on racing until he felt something warm slide across his hand. Kal had followed him into the kitchen and was licking his fingers. "What am I gunna do mate, eh?" Kal's head merely tilted from left to right. He sighed and noticed the glass still spread out over the counter. He'd tidy up, keep ringing round for a bit, and then make up the sofa just in case she came back. But his plan didn't reassure him for long. Not when he actually looked around and knew that, already, the house seemed to have changed completely. He stared back down at his phone and decided to try texting her as well.

***

Saturday 8:06 am

"Oh Laura, thank God. Is she alright?"

"She's fine, didn't you see my text? I'm sorry I missed your calls--"

"She needs to get her hand stitched!"

"Don't worry, I've already taken care of it--"

"Well where is she? Can I talk to her?"

"Henry, calm down. I promise you, she's alright--"

"Good, then I'm on my way now." She hesitated.

"I'm not sure that's the best idea…" Henry's hand hovered over his car keys.

"What do you mean? I need her home, Laura." The worry in his voice made her heart pinch.

"I know, but I think she should stay here for a bit. What the hell happened? She was in a complete state… are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine - and I still don't bloody know! She's been acting strangely and I pushed too hard trying to find out why. I think something's up with her job, but it's not like her to just run off… something else must have happened. I've never seen her like it before, she got so angry she smashed a bottle she was holding. Has she really not said anything to you?"

"No, but then you know how stubborn she is. Don't worry, she's welcome to stay but I'll try and get her home as soon as I can. Right, I better go ring round and see if I can get some antibiotics, her hand will be okay but I don't want it getting infected."

"Yeah, sure, sorry I'll let you go. Thanks for all of this though and I'm sorry you were disturbed so late. How are Jack and the kids?"

"Yeah, all good. He'll be back in time for Christmas so my mum's looking after them while I sort out the house."

"Oh God, I'm sorry we're bothering you."

"Nah, I'm enjoying the company actually. I haven't seen her in ages so it'll be good to catch up. Please don't worry yourself, though."

"Easier said than done. To be honest, I'm afraid she won't want to come back."

"Don't be silly, she adores you. All will come right eventually, okay?"

"I hope so. Please keep an eye on her though, I'm worried about her state of mind. She isn't eating, either." She hesitated again, wondering whether or not to tell him Ollie hadn't touched her breakfast.

"I will, and I'll keep you updated. Take care of yourself, alright? And stop worrying."

"Okay, you take care as well… and give her my love." She gave her assurances and they said their goodbyes. She then peered through the kitchen door. Ollie was still sitting in the armchair, staring into space.

***

Friday 8:11 pm

"Ollie? Wh-what are you doing here?" She was in no mood for stupid questions and quickly but carefully pushed past her mother. "Ollie, don't go up there… he won't want to talk!" She let her mother's voice bounce off the stairs. When she came to the right door, she found herself holding her breath.

"… Dad? Dad, it's me, Ollie." He lifted his sagging head from the pillow and blinked until his eyes came into focus.

"W-why… why are you here?! Get out… now! Go on, go…" His rage quickly dissolved into a coughing fit.

"Dad, please. I've been trying to see you for weeks. I even had mum leave the phone by your bed so I could ring. B-but that doesn't matter now, how are you?" For several minutes he didn't respond, choosing instead to keep his cold gaze fixed on her face. Eventually, she looked away.

"Thirty-three."

"… I-I'm sorry?"

"Thirty-three years of age… and what do you have to show for it?" Her mouth went dry. "You should be a director at that company, and what are you? A glorified calculator. Why don't you toddle on back to him, while you still can? He'll get bored of you eventually…"

"That's not true."

"Oh, but it is. He doesn't love you. You're a failure, my girl. My biggest disappointment." There was no use countering his words with the same arguments she'd made time and time again. Compared to her sisters, she'd always been treated unfairly. And that wasn't about to change.

"… I-I just came to say, I'm sorry. For everything. I forgive you as well. Please, be at peace Dad. I love you." She then hurried from the room, almost bumping into her mother who it appeared had been listening in the entire time. They stared at each other for a moment. "I… wish you could have done more to help us." Her mother went to speak, then stopped herself. Ollie looked to the floor, her tears blurring her vision. "Goodbye, mum."

***

Monday

"Are you warm enough, darling? Here, let me put the seat warmers on…"

"I'm fine, love. Honest." Henry stopped fidgeting with the dials and the pair locked eyes for a moment. She cleared her throat. "… Thanks for coming to get me. And I'm sorry, for all the… theatrics." He smiled softly.

"Don't be daft. I'm just glad you're alright."

"No, I mean it. I shouldn't have handled things the way I did or said--"

"Darling, it's alright. And I'm sorry too. You said you needed space and I should have listened." An idea then popped into Henry's head. He didn't know if he could pull it off, but he'd look into it the minute they got back. "Christ, have you ever seen so much traffic on these roads? I'm sorry, I'll try and get us home as quick as I can."

"Don't worry, I don't need to be back for nine."

"Oh? Okay, well we should still be back before ten." Henry shifted awkwardly in his seat. It was less than a week until Christmas and although he was desperate to know more, he wasn't about to risk asking questions.

"It's fine actually, I won't be working again until January. I've… decided to go freelance." There was a long pause.

"Ollie… did you lose your job?" She sighed.

"Not exactly. Do you remember that presentation I had to give?" He nodded eagerly, trying to balance his attention between her and the road. "Well, it was to suggest some better ways to balance the books… the company's bracing for recession. Anyway, afterward, my new boss thanked me for my 'little talk,' but said he'd decided just to merge my department instead. I could either take a pay cut or redundancy. I gave notice right there and then. The cheeky fucker even asked if he could take me out for a drink and see whether he could find something else for me." She sniffed hard and wiped her face.

"Oh, my darling…"

"No, it's fine. Really. I know someone else in the company who went freelance about a year ago. They've already let me know they're happy to help me get set up. It'll be tough at first and I'll need to be close to my client base… but in the long term I should have greater flexibility." She tried to smile convincingly but Henry could see the fear in her eyes. At that moment, her phone pinged.

"Well, I'll be here for you every step of the way. I'll always support— darling? What's wrong?" She quickly shut off the screen.

"I, uh… nothing. It's nothing."

"… Ollie, what's going on?" She swallowed back the lump forming in her throat.

"It's nothing, darling. I mean, nothing that's worth discussing at the moment." The rest of the journey home was silent.

***

Boxing Day

Things had more or less returned to normal and they spent a lovely, if hectic, couple of days with Henry's family. They travelled back late Christmas day night so they could spend Boxing Day together. They even waited to exchange gifts. It was a tradition they'd kept from the beginning of their relationship. No matter their plans over the holidays, Boxing Day was just for the two of them. And this year Ollie was more grateful for it than ever before. She wasn't normally awake before Henry, but she took the opportunity to curl into his chest and feel the warmth of his skin against her own. "Mmmm g'morning… do I take it I'm getting my Christmas present before breakfast?" He growled into her neck, the sensation making her squeal.

"Oh behave yourself, I was cold… that's all."

"Mm-hm, I believe ya…" Henry climbed on top of her, pulling down the waistband of her pants while he smothered her with kisses.

"Henry! S-stop it!" He harrumphed, collapsed on top of her, and buried his face in her neck. "Er… what are you doing?! Get off, I can't breathe!"

"You said you were cold so I'm keeping you warm! Mmmm you've got your baby smell…" Henry breathed deeply, refusing to budge. She sighed.

***

"Hey, wait a minute, where're my bloody presents?" Henry's nose had led him straight into the kitchen, where she was making a cooked breakfast. He then tried to lift a slice of bacon straight out of the frying pan, causing her to swat his hand.

"OW! I only wanted a nibble… am I to be starved of a Boxing Day morn as well?"

"Oh shut up. How many times do I have to tell you? No eating until I've plated up. And your presents are under the tree, santa obviously didn't check his list twice this year." Henry smirked and shuffled off into the living room. "Hey! No bloody peeking!"

***

"There you are my sweet boy, is that good?" She watched as Kal dived into the bowl of cooked giblets, smoothing down the knitted Christmas jumper she'd made for him, over his back.

"Hey, why does he get to have his presents before me?"

"Cos he's not a whiney little shit. That's why."

"Well, it's a good job I'm the forgiving sort. Heads up!" Henry lobbed a present straight at her, almost conking her on the head.

"Jesus Henry, you almost took me out!" But he just grinned and carried on munching away at some leftover toast.

"W-what… what’s this?" She opened the box to find a large, plastic magnifying glass.

"Well, you know how you're really vain and won't get glasses--"

"I'm vain?!?!"

"… I thought it might come in handy," Henry then reached over and clicked a button on the side, "see? It lights up and look, it even folds in half…"

"Oh? Well then you know where you can stick it…" He struggled to hold in his laughter.

"What? That's a lovely gift! I bet you didn’t put as much thought into mine…"

"Well why don't you open it and see? I'm tempted to throw it but I might strain my wrist…" Henry lifted the heavy box onto his lap.

"Christ, what did you get me?" He ripped away the paper.

"It's a Hollywood mirror, like the ones you get in your trailers. Now you can be the star of the show, even at home…" Henry rubbed his jaw, trying to hide his smile.

"Well, d'ya like it?" He nodded, still unable to look straight into her deadpan eyes. "Oh good. You got any more for me?" Henry pointed towards another box. She gasped the minute she opened it.

"You got me new headphones?! Oh, Henry… these must have cost a fortune!"

"Do you like them? They're proper noise-cancelling ones."

"So I don't have to listen to you anymore?! Oh my God, I love them! Thank you, thank you, thank you!" He chuckled.

"Well?!"

"Well, what?!"

"Where's my kiss?" She sighed and plonked herself next to him, pecking his fuzzy cheek. "Is that last one for me?" Henry eyed the final box beneath the tree. She gulped. Normally they promised only to buy each other a couple of joke presents. She reasoned that he spoiled her enough, even though they both knew that wasn't quite true. She'd never let Henry spend much money on her. She felt she had enough of her own and more to the point, it made her uncomfortable. But she hadn't anticipated the headphones. Uneasily, she watched as he ripped open the paper. Henry stared down at the gift for several moments. A boxset of Witcher books.

"I, er… thought you might want to double-check the source material." To this day, she didn't know how she managed to keep a straight face. He cleared his throat, put the books aside, and got to his feet. "What are you doing?"

"You've got a five-minute headstart."

***

Henry spent most of the next hour chasing her around the house, culminating in sex which lasted a further two. "Hey, do you remember our first Christmas?" He whispered eventually, his body still wrapped around her own.

"Mmm, you mean where you broke the oven door checking on the turkey?"

"I was just seeing if it was done!"

"… Or to make sure it was cooking evenly."

"Well what can I say, I'd yet to fully appreciate your culinary prowess. I think even my mum's turkey can't beat yours."

"It did that year." Henry chuckled. "But thanks for the bargaining chip. I've got something to hold over you now if ever you should cross me…"

"Ollie, look at me." She turned her head. "You've got to learn to be more forgiving…" She swatted him on the arm. "Right, come on, we can’t lay here all day."

"Oh, I thought you'd want another round?"

"Always. But come on, get dressed and then meet me in the car."

"Why? Are you throwing me out? On Boxing Day?! Oh, Henry. It was only some books." Henry ignored her deadpan face.

"Well, as deserved as that might be, it's actually so I can give you your last gift. Just put together a bag of any extra stuff you want to bring, your clothes are already packed."

"What d'ya mean? Where are we going?"

"You'll see. Come on, shift it." He spanked her backside and pulled her out of bed.

"Well hang on, I better get some knickers as well. I know you won't have packed them." Henry smirked.

***

She jogged downstairs, her rucksack already on her back, only to find Henry still in the living room. "Oh no, don't tell me the car won’t start? Didn't you only just fill it up?" The look on his face was unreadable and his arms remained crossed. "Henry, what is it?"

"Your mum just phoned." A pit opened in her stomach. "She's been trying to get hold of you since Monday. Your father’s been moved into end of life care."

"Yes, I know." She dropped her rucksack to the floor and began rooting around it, more for something to do at that moment than anything else.

"Apparently he's been sick for a while."

“I only found out last month."

"… And you didn't think to tell me?" She moved her chargers to another pocket, concerned they'd scratch her tablet. "Ollie?"

"What, Henry?" She snapped back up, exasperation now lacing her voice. He had to tread carefully.

"Why didn't you say anything?!" She sighed.

"Because you'd just given me the promise ring and found out you were playing Superman again! Things were so happy that I wanted to wait, but then they told you they were recasting, and after that came Christmas. When exactly was I meant to tell you?!"

"Don't make excuses Ollie, there's never a right moment for that sort of news and you know it. I mean I knew something was wrong, but I never suspected it was this. You've spent all this time with it weighing on you, and for what? If it was my father you wouldn't have been able to do enough for me!"

"Your Dad's not like mine!" She tried desperately to hold back her tears. Henry rushed towards her. "No, stop! I’m okay, really."

"For God's sake, stop it! No, you're not. None of this is okay! Is that where you were Friday? What the hell did he say to you?!" Relief washed over her. At least her mother hadn't told him that much.

"Nothing, we said our goodbyes and parted peacefully. I was just exhausted by the time I got back, it was a bloody long day."

"Stop lying to me, Ollie. And why aren't you talking to your mum? You can't just cut off your family— "

"Henry, enough. I'm not discussing it. Today's supposed to be our day." Henry sighed and bowed his head.

"… I just wish that, for once, you could trust me enough to be honest. That's all." He kissed her forehead, picked up her rucksack, and headed out the door.

***

For the first half an hour, the journey was mostly silent. Eventually, she couldn't stand it anymore. "I'm sorry, okay? I hate that part of my life, and I didn't want any more of it bleeding into everything we've built together--"

"Ollie, you never have to hide anything from me!"

"Just let me finish. I thought I was protecting us from all of it but… clearly not. So, in the new year, I'm gunna get some help."

"What, you mean like… therapy? Darling, I'm not going anywhere, surely you know that?"

"It's not just for us, I need some help trying to process everything better as well." Henry's heart sank.

"Okay… but please know that I'm here for you. I mean it Ollie, there's nothing you can't talk to me about. Will you let me pay for the sessions? What else can I do?"

"My savings will cover it, darling. And you do enough for me, you always have." Another silence descended over the car.

***

After an hour and a half, they finally arrived at a little cottage, perched along with its neighbour in the corner of a meadow that rolled down to a private beach. "Oh my God, is that the sea?!" Ollie clasped her hands together in delight. Henry just smiled, grabbed their bags, and led her into one of the most beautiful living rooms she'd ever seen. Low oak beams and a large, roaring fireplace framed the neatly whitewashed walls, all currently adorned with holly and ivy. "So… first impressions?"

"It's beautiful," She ducked in and out of the other rooms, her excitement only growing, "I could stay here forever!" His smile grew wider.

"Well that's lucky… cos it's yours." Henry winged a set of keys right at her, the shock of what he'd just said almost causing her to drop them.

"You what?!"

"I've still got some paperwork to sign, but it's yours darling."

"I, I…" She fell to the sofa, struggling to comprehend what was happening. He gently took a seat beside her. "Henry… you can't buy me a house!"

"Why not?" She jumped to her feet and quickly started pacing about.

"Because it's too much! We already have a lovely house! Oh my God, it must have cost the earth, at least me pay half--" Henry climbed to his feet and rubbed her shoulders in a vain attempt to calm her down.

"You're not paying a bloody penny. Consider it our holiday home if you must, but I wanted you to have a place to go when you need space. I know you find being at home tough when I'm away, so this can be a change of scenery. You love the sea and I'll feel a lot better if I know you're safe and comfortable here. And don't worry, there's a lovely older couple next door, they've already told me they're happy to help look after the place when we're gone." She was so overwhelmed she couldn’t speak. He wiped the tears from her eyes and cradled her face, "will you please accept it?" She dashed back into the hallway and Henry could hear the unzipping of her rucksack.

"… Only if you accept this. It doesn't quite compare to a house, but I hope you'll like it all the same."

"You got me a Christmas card?" She ignored his deadpan face and snatched back the envelope. She then took a deep breath.

“Henry William - and one I still can't pronounce - Cavill. You live to irritate me," Henry's look of confusion was replaced by a set of pursed lips, "you somehow manage to make more mess than Kal, as well as shed twice as much hair--"

"Is this actually leading somewhere?"

"And I'll be amazed if I don't lose all of my hair by the time you lose the rest of yours. All that being said, I don't want to miss another second of any of it, ever again. Will you marry me?"

"… What?" His voice was small and confused.

"I said, will you marry me?!" Henry blinked a few times and took a couple of steps back, rubbing his forehead as he chuckled.

"Are you serious?" She nodded eagerly. "No… you want to marry me? For real?!"

"Yes!" He then rushed towards her. Before she knew it, she was in a fireman's lift being wildly spun about while Henry whooped and cheered at the top of his lungs. Poor Kal could only bark in confusion.

"HENRY! P-PUT ME DOWNNN!" By the time he stood her upright, she was close to falling down. Henry grabbed then her cheeks, which gradually helped the room stop spinning.

"Are you sure though, darling? You were adamant about not getting married. You're not just doing it because, well… I mean a lot's going on at the moment."

"Henry, whether it be love or demonic possession, I truly wish to marry you--"

"But you're not just asking because I bought the house, are you? Are these actually Playstation vouchers?" He picked up the envelope that had dropped to the floor in all the chaos.

"Oh… I thought you wanted Xbox ones?" Henry's mouth fell open, causing her to snicker. "Why don't you just open it?" He eyed her suspiciously before tearing open the envelope. "As I was the one to propose, I thought you'd probably want to pick out the rings. So… is that a yes then?" Henry's vision blurred as he looked down at the invitation for a fitting at a bespoke jeweller.

"Henry?!" She wiped the tears that spilled down his face as he nodded.

"… But what about our promise rings?"

"Well, they can be our engagement rings." Henry chewed his lip, still struggling to believe what was happening.

"So are you going to be a 'Mrs?' And take my last name?"

"Mm-hm."

"Are you gunna wear a dress?"

"Mm-hm."

"Can I call you 'wife,' now? All the time?"

"Mmm… let's say twice a day. Once in the morning and once at night. And only after we're married."

"Okay well let's circle back to that… can we have guests? Not too many but a few? Where are we going to have it? And when?!" His face was so eager and bright that she couldn't help but smile.

"Well… this place looks like it's got a nice little garden. Why don't we have it out there as soon as the weather's warmer? We could then go back to ours and have a garden party, that way more people could attend afterward--" Henry quickly pulled her into a tight hug.

"… You don't have to do this just to make me happy." She smiled against the middle of his chest, the weight of his arms around her only adding to her comfort.

"I'm doing it because of how happy you make me, you silly sod."

"I love you, my darling."

"Right up until you leave more for an eighteen-year-old?" Henry tutted.

"Look at me, I'm not going anywhere. How could I ever leave my wally Ollie?"

"But what if my arse gets bigger?"

"… How big are we talking?" She bopped him on the arm. "Well I suppose I can always have the doors widened," she rolled her eyes, "don't worry! As you said, I won't have much hair left by then, no one else will want me." She sighed. "I love you, my darling."

"And I, you. Fuck knows why."

"Well, maybe this'll also help. I'm not leaving in January."

"What? Why?! You said I could have this place to myself!" Henry roared with laughter.

"I thought you'd be pleased!"

"Well… I suppose. But what happened?"

"Filming got pushed back." She eyed him warily.

"Henry--"

"Darling, I want to be with you--"

"But you can't just turn down work! What will--" Henry gently clamped his hand over her mouth.

"Ah, much better. Now, are you gunna say it back or what?" She shoved his hand away.

"Say what, you arch idiot?"

"You know what!" She sighed again.

"I love you too. There, happy?" Henry tilted her chin and kissed her deeply.

"More than any man on God's green earth."

To be updated on when I post please follow @resowrites and turn on post notifications.

@marytudorbrandon @luclittlepond @fanfictionaddiction99 @caffeinatedfestivalsheep

[whatdoessunshinetastelike]

the first five nights at freddy's game was one of the first things i remember seeing when i was younger that gave me a feeling similar to those that "liminal space" photos give off

this shot of pirate cove in particular was one of them

the star pattern felt like something i would have seen somewhere as a baby or something

also cold take ik but the animatronic designs from the first game were some of the absolute best in the series

they manage to look like they could be animatronics from an actual children's establishment during the 80s or 90s like they look friendly on stage (this is one of my favorite fnaf images of all time)

but with different lighting and just the right angle they are creepy as shit (i know this image has been memed to death but it is still freaky on its own i mean the later games can barely ever come close to this)

and these two sides of them manage to coexist. their creepiness FEELS like it could have been unintentional. they're not too cutesy to not ever be scary at all but also not overdone to the point where they just look goofy and unconvincing (looking at you, FNaF Plus)

they remind me of the Cyberamic style of animatronics from chuck e cheese where they look cartoony and cute to some but unsettling to others (as a cec/rock afire fan myself i can understand both sides)

also another cold take that i really agree with: another part of why the first game was so cool is because of how subtle the lore was

i'm not trying to be all "WAAAAAAHH BOOO THE OLD DAYS WERE BETTER THE FNAF STORY SUX" because i don't hate the story (at least in the older games) and i don't at all disagree with the choice to flesh out the story more. it was a necessary part of continuing the title at that point and turning it into a series (also, people probably wouldn't still be talking about it today)

but part of what made fnaf 1 so intriguing is that you knew nothing. you didn't KNOW who these characters were. you didn't KNOW the history of the company, or anything about those involved in creating it. you didn't KNOW if the place was really haunted or if you were just hallucinating. hell, you didn't even know much about phone guy, YOUR ONLY COMPANION, other than that he Worked In That Office Before You at some point (who knows how old those messages really were?)

the only real hints of a backstory you get are things phone guy mentions OR the chance to catch a rare glimpse of the newspaper clippings in the east hall corner

even going into freddy's knowing nothing, you can tell it's pretty run down. there is garbage all around the office and hallways, cobwebs under your desk and in the doorways, weird grime covering the walls, and clumps of wires hanging from the ceiling. multiple of these aspects can be seen in that one above image.

all of that combined with the ambient noises (the ghostly wind-like sounds, weird random knocking, distant carousel music to name a few) work to give you a sense of dread. the whole building felt haunted, not just the robots. even if you haven't read about the tragedies or heard from phone guy, you might still get the sense that something terrible happened here.

but there is one thing you do know: Fazbear Entertainment is a shady, deplorable organization. five children lost their lives to a sick individual, and they stay open. company's gotta survive, after all. assuming foxy (or any of the others) did the Bite of '87 (we are looking at a fnaf 1-only universe here) they just keep it in the building and don't bother to even remove the contraption that took out someone's brain.

and of course if you, the employee who has to look after this dumpster fire of a pizzeria, get hurt or killed on the job, to quote phone guy: "A missing person report will be filed within 90 days, or as soon as property and premises have been thoroughly cleaned and bleached, and the carpets have been replaced"

i think that quote speaks for itself

(i despise how they made the sketchiness and apathy of the company over-the-top in an effort to be funny in the later games i much prefer it being a little more subdued like this but i am getting back into boomer complaint territory so blagh)

this post is getting MUCH longer than i expected it to so here is a small list of Little Things i love about fnaf 1 that add to its overall feel that doesn't really carry over to the other games

the groaning noises sometimes made by bonnie and chica when they reach your office. what is that exactly? is it their voice boxes or whatever else inside them breaking apart? or is it the ghosts? what if those kids are still fucking alive?

the "IT'S ME" phrase that appears relatively often during gameplay. what does that mean? who is trying to talk to us? is it the ghost of someone we know, like phone guy? or one of the kids? did we know one of the kids?

the whole power outage sequence. still chilling

the foxy attack sequence. you're just playing normally when suddenly this animatronic you've never even seen before runs down the hall and pops into your office to kill you. even though the scare really only works once it's still well-done

the fact that we know nothing about our protagonist. it works in this game because it raises several questions that could be asked. who is mike schmidt? why does he keep coming back to freddy's, even though he knows it's deadly? does he want answers? or is he just that desperate for money? is he familiar with freddy's? did he know someone involved? was he the killer?

ditto but for the killer himself. back then, we didn't read about him in the paper and think of the mad scientist furry who co-founded the restaurant and built robots that killed his kids. we read about him and wondered who he was. are we him? or was it phone guy, our only friend? was the person they arrested really him, or is he still out there? and most of all, why did he do what he did?

what the hell was golden freddy? hallucination? ghost? nobody knew

the fact that foxy's eyes are always glowing while the others don't. this has no significance i just think its neat (this is true for all his future appearances too i think)

idk how to conclude this so here are some more pics that i find creepy. happy 10th anniversary fnaf heres to another 10 years of fantasy and fun

(can you tell i find chica the scariest)

[uniquegamers21]

Scholar of Sumeru

~Alhaitham~

Staying in the Library, is one way to spend his quality time, avoiding unnecessary drama between scholars. As a scribe and scholar, he often gives his feedback on the documents that are submitted to him. Alhaitham is rather cold to those who are not used to his presence. However, there is one particular person that he acted differently with. She is his haravatat junior and only different a few years from him. Even if she was still a junior, she still worked hard and did well in helping to free Nahida. She is the youngest promising Haravatat from akademiya and his childhood friend, other than Kaveh. Alhaitham closes his book for a moment, knowing his time is up. He saw so many people in line right in front of his Scribe's room. Did Alhaitham go back? Absolutely no. A small groan escaped his lips knowing it would be so much work. He did give them an announcement about the time to submit the documents. Walking away, Alhaitham chose to escape his duty for a moment and read his book in peace, in his beloved home. Unlocking the door, he stared at his place for a while "Kaveh seems like to drop his paper wherever he goes" he picked up the crumpled paper and threw it into the trashcan. The moment someone pushed the door open, Alhaitham grabbed her wrist and pinned her to the wall. "Ah, so it was you. I thought it was someone else" Alhaitham looked down on her smaller figure, her hand was pinned above her head and to make it worse, Alhaitham seemed to enjoy this so much. Of course, he knew from the start that it was her. Only the three of them had the house key and no one else. As for Kaveh, he stayed in Port Omos today.

"Welcome back, Demetra. I've been longing to see my Junior today" Alhaitham leaned in close to her as his breath hit her delicate skin, inhaling her scents. "Since no one here today, should I teach my haravat junior, Thoroughly?~"

Alhaitham's relationship with her changed after the plot to save Nahida. He realized how important she is, for him. The fact that she was exposed to the danger, pained his heart. He craves her more every day. Although they were a childhood friend, he never saw her as a mere friend. He saw her as someone special to him. He wanted her kindness and affection for himself. Good thing Kaveh wasn't here today. Letting her go, Alhaitham carried her in his strong arms in bridal style. "Kaveh won't be here today, as for your sister, I have replied the message, so she might stay with someone else or probably be stuck temporarily. there tempre's no need to worry, there is just you and me, why don't we continue our heated kiss from last time" Alhaitham's tone made it sound too normal to do that. He went to his room and placed her on his bed. The light is rather dim, yet there are so many books, and crumpled paper on the floor. Alhaitham the genius, that's what everyone thinks. However, one can't achieve such a high intelligence level without hard work. His hand slowly make its way to her thigh. He holds back long enough to the point that he might devour her tonight, he will make sure to give her a pleasurable night that no one can give her. "Get ready, because I won't hold back anymore." Taking off his headphones and shirt, Alhaitham exposed his muscular body as he leaned down on her once more and captured her lips into a passionate kiss.

~Rayne~

Arriving from Fontaine, Rayne wanted to see her sister. She missed her a lot. She is originally from Sumeru just like her but she moved to Fontaine to join R&D in Fontaine. Many people stared at her due to her outfit. Well, she admitted that probably they hadn't seen anyone like this before. Chiori said this was good enough for her. She used a shield and spear just like Candace since she is the one who taught her to use it. Her hydro vision glowed as she placed it on her belt. Looking around the place, she saw the house nearby and that seemed decent enough. Alhaitham said that he arranged his room with someone else today. What was his name again? Hat guy? What a weird name. He probably asked Nahida to let whoever this person was agreed, to let her stay. Actually, she wants to stay with Candace instead, however the desert is too far from the city. Besides, it would be too crowded if she stayed with her sister, Alhaitham and Kaveh. As for those two relationships, she knows that He had feelings for her sister. The genius person in Sumeru falls in love with her sister, who wouldn't be happy? She needs to give them a couple of gifts soon. She wondered how will Demetra react if he went aggressive with her. "Hello?" Knocking a few times, she almost jumps when someone standing behind her. "Woa-you surprised me-wait, are you hat guy? I'm Rayne. I was supposed to stay with you here. Nice to meet you" Rayne patted his head with a big smile on her face.

However, the reason why Rayne comes here is not only to see her sister's graduation. But also to tell the truth about the abyss power within them. It might shock her since the density of that power is growing too much within her, more than Rayne was. There are more truth than that, however, it will be for another time, once she meets her. "So, are you really Hat guy? What's with the name? You know, you should smile more, that way you look even cuter than before"

[anotherkindofmindpod]

Hi AKOM, I read Ian Leslie's article about "Now and Then," which you re-blogged, with great interest. Like you I believe it to be a fairly "sane take." Like many readers, I was struck by one passage specifically: "As far as we know, it wasn’t a sexual relationship, but it was a passionate one: intense, tender and tempestuous." The negation isn't necessary for Mr. Leslie to make his central point, which is that the Lennon/McCartney relationship can best be understood as a love affair. So why mention it at all? Because the idea of a sexual relationship (or attraction, even) between the two men is so offensive it has to be excluded, even though no one brought it up? Or as a circumspect way to introduce the idea to the discussion, buffered by the careful addition of "not, as far as we know?" I think it's the latter; I'd wager many readers do. And my feelings on this are mixed. Because the tone of "by no means do we want to suggest the presence of base carnal desires" is one of disapproval. Had this sentence not been in there, the love affair analogy would have spoken for itself, to be filled in by the reader at will. On the other hand, it's hard to ignore the possibility that these five words, "as far as we know," are the entire point of the article, which otherwise doesn't make a big effort to specify the exact shape of the love affair analogy. Passionate, yes. Breakup, yes. Hurt feelings and coded messages, yes. The Beatles' music as carrier of suppressed emotions—yes, but which ones? "In a sense, the music of the Beatles, which brings so much joy and consolation, is the glorious fruit of male repression. We like to think we live in a more emotionally enlightened age. We have learned to talk it out. Yet sometimes I think that is itself a kind of avoidance, or a failure of nerve. We’ve awakened from the dream, and yet seem to be more confused than ever." Is he talking about the current state of talking about John and Paul? What do you think? (I hope he expands on his analogy in his book.) P.S. I love your podcast and the hard work you put into it so listeners like me can feed their heads. Thank you for that! [P.P.S. I took out a digital subscription of the NYT because of this article, and no, I did very much not read the comments, nor do I intend to do so.]

Hello @crepesuzette2023! Thanks for writing! :) To be honest, the line "as far as we know, it wasn't sexual" didn't strike me as anything other than responsibly agnostic. I think if you ask the reader to reframe an already extremely famous creative partnership as a love affair, the natural follow-up question would be: sexual or platonic? In that event, stating he has no knowledge of it being sexual while also allowing for the possibility it might have been is exactly the right tone to take, IMO. Because that's the truth; we don't know either way. Honestly, I've been a bit bewildered by some of the tumblr response to this article. As I said, I think Ian Leslie's is a thoroughly sane take. Then again, I've been publicly talking about John and Paul as a love affair (on not just my own podcast but other peoples' as well) for years now, so maybe I'm in the belly of the beast. Don't get me wrong, it's very gratifying to read this in the NY Times! I'm excited by this shift towards open discussion in the public realm, but it's hardly scandalous. Leslie has been working on his book since 2021, I think. I don't agree with him on everything, but I think his takes on Lennon-McCartney are very good and sound. I recommend his piece on Get Back if you haven't read it. TBH, I'm not sure what the highlighted passage means. If I had to guess, I'd say he's talking about the way Beatles scholarship so far has refused to publicly accept Paul and John being in love, or contemplate what that means to their art or their lives because we have historically been too scared or cowardly. And maybe the act of creating timeless art as a display of love is much more powerful than being able to say the words to someone. But I don't really know. :) Also, this is just my (Phoebe's) response. Daphne and/or Thalia may have different takes. Thank you for the kind words about AKOM!

[boltwrites]

You are officially my new favorite writer of the Bad Batch💕 Could I request headcanons of being in a fwb relationship with Tech?? Have a great day!!!

A/N: aw, thank you so much!! i ended up doing these right away since they're pretty easy. thank you for the request!

By clicking read more you verify that you are at least 18 years old

Being friends with benefits with Tech is interesting, to say the least

He was a bit confused when you first suggested it to him. Being that he was often off-world and he wasn't really in any place to be committed, you suggested friends with benefits, thinking that keeping it casual would be best for the both of you

Tech, however, had really no clue what you meant. You had to explain what exactly that sort of relationship entailed, all while Tech stared at you intently

He replies with a very matter of fact "I will have to do some research on the subject. However, I am interested." Which almost embarrasses you more than having to be so up front in the first place. You've never had someone say they needed to do research before fucking you. It's not like you two were different species!

Later, when Tech confirms that he is interested in that type of relationship, he reveals that he's going to need time for more research, which frustrates you

"What do you even mean, research? What could you possibly be researching?" you ask, irritated. If he didn't find you attractive, he could just say so!

"Well, I have never participated in any sort of sexual activities before. I like to know what I'm going to be getting into," Tech says, so matter of fact. You end up just blinking at him, confused

"You're a virgin?" How the hell had he managed that, when he was... well, the way he was (hot)

"That term is nebulous at best and implies arbitrary and antiquated societal expectations at worst, but, yes, I suppose," he mumbles as he scrolls on his datapad. You realize he's literally on a porn site. Stars-

"And you - you're OK with this?" you ask him again, because now you're worried that you're pressuring him into something.

"Yes," he looks up at you, with a bit more... intensity than before. "I find you sexually attractive. I would like to spend time together, intimately. But I want to be able to please you thoroughly. So, it will take time. If you don't want to wait for me, I understand."

You shake your head adamantly. "No, no, that's not it - I - yeah. Alright. Let me know when you're, uh, ready, I guess"

It takes Tech time to get ready. Almost a standard month. To be fair, he's been away on quite a few missions with his squad, but each time he returned, you expected him to show up at your doorstep. He didn't - would usually send you a message saying that he was still interested, but was researching. You appreciated his prompt communication, at least

Finally, after what felt like forever, he was ready to go. You were expecting to have to lead him through everything - explain and teach. That wasn't a bad thing - you were more than willing to do that with Tech. He was cute, and you knew how much he liked to learn, so you thought it would be fitting

Instead, your first time together? Tech didn't even fuck you, at least not at first. He insisted instead to finger you until you were sobbing from three orgasms as he watched you with great interest, and arousal. Every now and then he would make a little thoughtful noise, or mumble out some praise? By the third time he absolutely knew just how to touch you to make you fall apart as fast as humanly possible, and it made you see stars

He made to fuck you afterwards, but you were too sensitive still. Instead, you offered him your mouth, which he gladly accepted. He was actually careful with you - you were shocked that he didn't try to just shove himself down your throat (wouldn't have worked out very well - he's too big) - but he let you lead on this account, and he thoroughly enjoyed himself

You thought that would be the end of your first session together, but he wasn't done yet. He offered to spend the night, and the two of you finally fucked in the morning - he tried around three or four different positions, and you two finished off in cowgirl, which you both seemed to enjoy

It was absolutely intense - and this was by far the tamest of your encounters

Every time Tech would come back from a mission, it would be with a new idea - pegging or toys or bondage or power play. It was non-stop, and you definitely enjoyed it

He was a very fun partner, which you didn't expect. You honestly thought that maybe the two of you would fuck a few times and then you would move on, or he would realize it wasn't really his cup of tea. But you were shocked at how much you looked forward to seeing him every time he left on a new mission

He wasn't just a pretty face, which was what first drew you to him - his looks, and his confidence. But what kept you coming back was just how much he liked to experiment - how he enjoyed trying new things with you, how he wasn't afraid to admit that he didn't like something or that he would like to do things differently next time

It meant that you felt more open and honest with him about your own preferences, which you were usually more hesitant to share with more casual partners. But Tech took them to heart, respected and incorporated your requests into your sessions with no trouble at all

It was refreshing, and very attractive. Every time the two of you were together, you felt just as turned on as the first time. He's probably the best sexual partner you've ever had - honest and interested in your preferences and experimental.

[venuzwenuz]

Just Blow

A Hobie x Reader Fantasy

⚠️ Mentions of smoking. All characters involved are 18 or older. I did age Hobie up just a few years, if you are offended by this, grab a bandaid.⚠️

Enjoy

Author Note: I haven't written a fanfiction since I was 12, bear with me 💀 Before any continuation of reading this, please read the tags thoroughly. I am not responsible for your therapy cuz you didn't listen.

Hobie has been my best friend for a while, and even though most of the time he gets me into some form of trouble, I still enjoy his company. This particular time, he wanted me to try something new, something he calls his "little surprise." I had recently turned 21 just a few days ago and I guess as an apology for not getting me a gift, this was it.

'Knock knock...'

I check the time, it's already near midnight, meaning no other human being could be at my door other than Hobie. My curiosity grew with each step I took towards the door, just pondering on what it was he was going to give me. I swung the door open and to no surprise, revealing my best friend on the other side.

"Hobie." I greeted.

"Y/n." The accent was thick as always, yet so smooth, even when he sounded deadpan and nonchalant saying my name. Without anything else being said, he walked right past me and into my house, carrying what looked like a small pouch of who knows what. "Geez, Hob.. Make yourself at home."

I rolled my eyes playfully and took a seat on my black leather couch, carefully watching him place the pouch on my coffee table and pulling out its contents one by one. As each object came out the bag, my eyes widened in shock at what he was hiding away in there.

"What the hell?" My eyes averted from the pens and joints he had up to him. As shocked as I was, he paid no mind to my tiny panic and sat right next to me, staring at me with those eyes. It's hard to read his face, but from what I gather, this is going exactly as he planned.

"What's the matter, Y/n? A little puff never hurt nobody~" If I could slap that teasing smirk off of his face, I would. "Why do you think this is what I would want as soon as I turn 'of age'?"

I looked at him as if he was stupid, and right now, he was definitely being stupid. All he did in response to my little glaring was chuckle and put the pen to his lips, lightly sucking it in. I watched this closely, knowing that by the end of this, he'd convince me to join one way or another. I was taken off guard when he blew the smoke directly in my face, causing me to scrunch up my nose and cough. The smell was atrocious and it made me question how people could find this stuff addicting.

"Aye, I didn't bring this all for myself y'know. This is your present after all." I looked down at his hand which was now holding out the pen for me to take. I was hesitant when I reached for it, unsure of how it really worked. "Don't be scared, love. It won't hurt you."

"I'm not a child, I know that." I rolled my eyes and examined the stick looking object in my hand. I've never seen weed that looked like this before. I put it to my lips and (poorly) copied the previous actions I saw Hobie do. Unfortunately, he didn't really explain it to me so after I was done sucking it in, I immediately began to cough and weeze. My chest felt as if it was on fire. Water... I need water.

Unable to really say anything, I mumbled incoherent words between each cough until Hobie got the message of what it was that I needed. "Shit shit shit.... Just.. breathe." Despite the slight nervousness in his voice, Hobie kept calm and left the living room, returning with a bottle of water. Without any question, I quickly took the drink from his hand and began to gulp down on it as if I was stranded in a desert (which it definitely felt that way.)

After removing the lid from my lips, I breathed out heavily, trying to catch my breath. "Damn, you okay Y/n? Maybe next time you'll learn to wait for instructions." After making sure I was okay, he didn't waste any time to make fun of my entry level smoking.

"I almost died and this is how you treat me?" I looked up at him pretending to be offended with my hand over my chest.. which was still burning up. Hobie just laughed and sat right down in his spot, taking the pen from my hands. "I'll let your body rest for a minute before we try this again." He shakes his head, that small smile still on his face.

I just nodded in response, taking another sip of the water, allowing my dry throat to feel quenched. That's when the slight feeling of whatever it was started pounding in my head. I was now very aware of my arms and close surroundings. My eyelids felt heavier yet I wasn't sleepy. I felt everything and nothing all at once, it felt numbing yet effective. Was this the feeling of being.. high?

Hobie quickly snapped me out of my thoughts, which I had no idea I could be sucked into my own conscience this much. "You ready to try that again, princess?" I lazily moved my head in his direction, trying my best to look at him. Instead, my eyes couldn't help but wander at all his features which now seemed more apparent than before.

All of a sudden, I couldn't help but laugh at the way he was talking. I always poked fun at his accent, but now it felt even more funny than all the other times. I guess he could tell that the feeling hit me since he was now slightly laughing, too. We both were now laughing at each other's laughter, which made us laugh louder. I was nearly out of breath from all of the giggling we were doing, and my movements were jerky and slowed, causing me to nearly fall off the couch if Hobie hadn't grabbed my hips and placed me on top of him to keep me from busting my a$$.

The laughter only lasted for a couple of more minutes until it finally died down. The air felt thick, and I could feel the heat in the room rising.. unless it was just me. His face gradually switched from playful to something more unreadable, his smile being replaced with more of a straight line as his eyes glided down from my own to my body. He let his gaze linger for only a few seconds before going back to looking into my eyes.

"Hobie?" I called out in almost a whisper. My smile was now turned into more of a curious expression, wondering what could possibly be going on inside of his head. Hobie continued to stay quiet, allowing his eyes to flicker back and forth from me to my mouth.

Out of nowhere, his hand was now cupping my chin and his other hand held the pen which he was now bringing up to my lips. Throughout all this, his eyes never left mine. The look he had on his face was soft yet so... Serious, almost as if he was trying to focus on keeping me focused. This is a side of Hobie I have never seen.

"Open" His words seemed so demanding yet gentle, and I couldn't tell if I was intrigued or just highly confused... Maybe both? It took my brain a few seconds longer to process what he had just said, and I parted my lips slightly, allowing him to place the tip of the pen inside. I didn't inhale, I just kept it in place, waiting for his green light.

"Inhale." I slowly began sucking on it, the light at the bottom now appearing, indicating that it was being used. My eyes continued to stay locked on his. Were his eyes always this brown? Why is he looking at me like that? Why am I looking at him like that? So many questions ran through my head but it was interrupted abruptly by him taking the pen out of my mouth.

The hand he had on my chin now moved down, resting on my neck. He wasn't squeezing it, but he had a firm grip on it, watching my every move. He raised a brow, waiting for something, so I just copied what he indirectly showed me and sucked in a slow breath. Just then, he said the last step.

"Now.."

"Just Blow"

[woodchipp]

In my critique of OMORI, I cite this particular interview as the source for several of my claims.

Today, I'd like to try and dissect that interview as well.

Given that this interview is (apparently) supposed to be a lecture on game design and writing, I believe there is a lot to unpack here.

NOTE: Reader discretion is advised. By clicking on “Keep reading”, you willingly choose to continue reading the post.

IMO, "a sense of spontaneity and randomness" does not equal a lack of a coherent plot, but hey, what do I know?

"My goal was to think very little and let my stream of consciousness flow..." Allowing your thoughts to flow freely is still thinking, though. Besides, what kind of writer advises people to think about the story they're writing as little as possible?

"my goal was to think very little" oh, I can tell

Yume Nikki had eerie piers and quiet trains too. This is not as innovative as they seem to think it is.

"Certain dungeons were only workshopped for only a week or even days." It seems that the game was really rushed.

Keep this in mind. It will become relevant later.

A direct manifestation of one's subconscious that progressively becomes more nightmarish and unpredictable is exactly what Silent Hill is.

I'm not trying to say that writers using previously-explored ideas in some other form in their writing is always bad, of course. However, I believe there is a signficant difference between drawing inspiration from a particular work of fiction for your own and blatantly lifting imagery/plot beats from other works to fit your own story. Besides, OMORI doesn't even really put an original or interesting spin on any of the writing conventions and previously-explored ideas it features.

...Sunny's childhood was ideal, though. His life up until Mari's death is presented as such. He had a kind older sister, a group of loyal friends, parents rich enough to afford a grand piano and "all the newest toys". In fact, Omocat described Sunny's childhood as "very idealized".

[the passage I linked is its own can of worms lmao. "MARI, the overbearing big sister" literally at what point in the game was she overbearing]

Padding out your game with extraneous fluff just so that people don't get mad about the money they poured into your project seems... rather dishonest to me.

I personally think that length does not equal quality. A game can be 20-30 minutes long and still leave an impact.

"The experience becomes what you make of it" reads as a convenient way to deflect any sort of criticism towards their writing.

"If you found numerous holes in the story and were left dissatisfied as a result, that's your problem sweetie uwu"

The wise sage's name? Albert Einstein.

I see this as laughable writing advice. Most of the time, the "feels" are predicated on the "reals"; writing a story with its emotional impact as the one and only priority without ensuring the plot beats make sense for the story you're trying to tell first will just make it hollow glurge.

Judging by how thoroughly it permeates the plot, "Feels before reals" could be taken as Omocat's writing philosophy, and it can be seen in the character writing as well. The game sends the message Aubrey's hurt feelings are of more importance than the real harm she inflicted on Basil by bullying him, and then undermines its intended message of "acting like grief affects only you is selfish" by implying Sunny and Basil's feelings about their involvement in Mari's death outweigh the harm they've inflicted on their friends by staying silent re. the actual reason she died for 4 years.

I can see their point - that "realism-induced" horror is way scarier and hard-hitting than something blatantly supernatural/unrealistic - and I can agree with that. I can't call a scared 12 yo kid improvising a multi-step plan to cover up a murder "a believable circumstance", though.

I suppose the horror of a beloved relative and friend taking their own life due to severe mental issues they carefully hid was too unrealistic of a scenario to explore.

They come off as... mildly self-aggrandizing here. "yeah Link and Red are assumed to be self-inserts but MY silent protagonist isn't like the other girls 😤"

"actually he thinks a lot" where? what little bits of narration the player happens to get from both Sunny and Omori are incredibly basic

Not only did Aubrey snoop through her friend's personal belongings behind his back, she disowned and harassed him after that because she assumed the worst of him and instantly believed her unfounded assumption without giving him a chance to explain himself.

Man, isn't she just awesome?

I'd like to note the casual admission that Kel exists purely for the sake of being a plot device.

This also seems to (inadvertently) imply the story wouldn't need Kel in the first place if Sunny wasn't boring lmao.

There's one easily-missed bit of flavor text in Crossroads about Mari coming home tired because she's been attending cram school.

That's it.

Even if Mari's perfectionism is supposedly "present in other places", it's not given enough focus to feel like a substantial character flaw.

...well that becomes rather uncomfortable in hindsight. man, imagine if Mari treated Sunny like Omocat has allegedly treated some of their employees

As mentioned in my critique, this reads like a very convenient way to shield Basil from any criticism regarding his decision to stage Mari's death as a suicide.

Loneliness, insecurity and "very deep emotions" are not an excuse to tamper with a corpse.

You'd think such complexity would've been reserved for Sunny, the main protagonist himself. Apparently not.

"...These characters are so loveable! How can I get other people to see how wonderful they are too?"

I'd like to note the phrasing here. It's not even something like "I dearly love these characters and hope you'll grow to love them too!" They're stating that the characters are loveable, as if it is an objective truth.

I suppose that's why the characters feel so empty upon scrutiny - the writer assumed that you'll fall in love with them at first sight and thus didn't bother putting in any actual effort to make them compelling or even remotely believable.

It wouldn't lol. The game makes you look through Basil's photo album four times and outright spells out it is supposed to be "proof of [their] friendship" in case the player somehow didn't get the memo after the four times. And that's not mentioning Memory Lane and Duet, which are the game forcing the player to look through the photo album two more times.

Remember when I said that the game seems to have been rushed?

It actually was. OMORI was released in December 2020, so there's no way the development team didn't go through crunchtime that year to overhaul the game and finally release it. In fact, it is all but confirmed by Omocat's following comments

The game they're asking you $18 for is essentially a rough draft.

Oh, and by the way, the total amount of funding OMORI received via Kickstarter was $203,301.

Make of that what you will.

[sunshinechildskywalker]

CHALLENGE ANSWER EVERY QUESTION

Hey, friend! Oh boy, buckle up! I'm a writer so prepare for a long ass answer lol. Here we go...

For most controversial character, if we're referencing all of Star Wars, I would say Kylo Ren (this blog focuses on pretty much everything other than the sequel trilogy- in my mind, they don't exist lol). My personal opinion is he's kind of a little bitch lol, but I appreciate the idea that he's sort of a reverse Luke and Vader situation. In L&V's case, it's the son turning the father back from the dark side, and in Ben Solo's case, it's the father (I wished) turning the son from the dark. *Ask me about my Kylo Ren potential rant lol.

My most unpopular opinion I would say is I actually really love Jar Jar Binks lol😅 I see why people dislike him, but I think he's sweet (and quite possibly a Sith Lord🤪)

Tumblr is my fav fandom pocket for sure!

Endor! It's funny, I actually live in a very wooded area irl, so when I would watch ROTJ on summer nights with the windows open and listen to the crickets chirping, it felt like I was really there🥰

I love me some good Luke and Vader father & son hurt/comfort, and anything Skysolo! If anyone reading this writes these kinds of fics, feel free to message me links to your work!

Favorite story element is hands down Luke's character arc and him saving Vader through compassion and forgiveness. I could go on, but then this would be a REALLY long post lol😆

Sure do! I won't link just for sake of it being kind of confusing- some of the songs take some explaining and some are just from my own fics lol, but some tops songs include "Spectrum" by Muzzy, "Isle of Flightless Birds" by Twenty One Pilots, and "illicit affairs" by Taylor Swift (bonus: see my fanvids for some of these here!)

Favorite Star Wars meme is the "and your pal friendpatine"- that one still makes me giggle snort after all these years🤣

Favorite piece of content is and probably always will be Return of the Jedi!

I get a lot of merch from a local comic book store and some from Comic-Con! I have a few Pops, some figurines, and an Ewok backpack, among many other things😁

I relate to Luke the most- I consider myself a compassionate person who leads with my heart, and I tend to be quick to forgive (sometimes to a fault). But hey, maybe I'll save someone from the Dark Side someday😆

My comfort character is 100% Luke. His compassion and willingness to see the good in others inspires me to do the same irl. He's seen me through the good, bad, and ugly in my life, and I don't know where I'd be had I not clung to him. In other words, he's my son😆

Sequel trilogy? Garbage. Absolutely not canon and never will be to me. Basically it boils down to mischaracterization and trying to undo essential parts of the Originals. I've shed actual tears of disappointment and anger over those movies. I'm happy for the people who can enjoy them, but I will never be able to.

I love the Luke & Vader community! I love being a part of something so inclusive, wacky, and fun! I know I can always reach out if I need something fandom-related or just want to pal around with like-minded people. Shoutout to all my L&V fans! A part of the fandom I don't enjoy is the incest between Luke and Vader that somehow seems to creep up in my AO3 from time to time.

A Star Wars blog I hope will follow me is @kaelinaloveslomaris if she ever followed me back or read my work, I would actually shit my pants.

The short version of why I fell in love with Star Wars is Luke's character arc and him saving Vader, and in turn, Vader saving Luke. The long version? Well, I'll post that another time when I'm feeling sappy🤪

Yes! I went to opening night for TLJ (unfortunately lol) and TROS (also unfortunate lol). I was thoroughly disappointed by both, but I also got to see Solo on opening night and that was a blast! I will say, the energy at all three was unmatched, and it was fun to be around other Star Wars super fans irl😁

I sure do write fanfic! My AO3 is here 😁 You will find a lot of L&V hurt/comfort, angst, etc, and a little Skysolo!

I absolutely loved the Obi-Wan series- seeing Obi-Wan duel Vader ("Anakin is gone. I am what remains."😭), everything about little Leia, Reva, Hayden Christensen's return, just EVERYTHING! I especially loved when Obi-Wan told Leia in what ways she was like her parents. I've seen this series at least four times and that part gets me every time😭

Yes!

Thank you SO much if you read through all this chaos- I hope you learned more about me and got a better look into my perspective of everything!

Want to answer these questions yourself? Find the original post here!

[formsofcontinuity]

chapters 1, 2, and 3 (or, all earlier chaps on AO3)

chapter 4: calling birds

Lena wakes up the morning of Wednesday, December 28th with two hundred and twenty-seven new Twitter followers and over three thousand mentions. There’s also a 2am text from Kara, just Good night, Lena <3, which does nothing to explain Lena’s sudden surge in social media popularity but does serve to warm her cheeks for a minute or two. She's a fool. A simple good night, and it has her blushing like a schoolgirl.

It takes a little digging, Lena still propped in bed in soft pajamas under an even softer duvet, but eventually she finds the source, a tweet from Kara's official publicity account, timestamped 2:17am:

@therealsupergirl: Always happy to serve the people of NC ofc, but have you checked out what @lenaluthor is doing lately @LLFoundation #lenaluthorfoundation? Low-cost water purifiers? High efficiency solar power generators? Safe plastics recycling? She's the real MVP--show her some love! 💙♻️❤️

What follows is a collection of some of the kindest tweets she's ever had directed towards her, most from complete strangers. Sure, there's a wayward screed or two, but of the few dozen she reads before she looks at the time and realizes she has to get up so she can be ready for an 8am Zoom call with a coalition of East Coast investors, eager to donate prior to the New Year for the tax write-off, the vast majority are complementary.

@piratelifeforme: Wow! I spent all morning reading about what @LLFoundation is up to and I had NO IDEA. Do yourself a favor and check it out, then get on board this train. Superheroes are one thing, but humans have the power to help fix this mess we made, too.

@greenplanetnow: yes @therealsupergirl, you're right! The #lenaluthorfoundation cleaned up a massive water contamination issue in my town after months of unanswered calls to the gov. They did it without asking for a cent, but almost no one reported on it. Not all heroes wear capes. 🙏🏾

@drclimatewatch: As one of the scientists following @lenaluthor 's work, I can verify: her Foundation's charter and her team's innovations truly can revolutionize environmental science. We've wasted too much time on petty rumors when we should be supporting her as a brilliant engineer.

Even Sam has retweeted Kara's message, absent her usual snark.

@samarias: Damn straight, @therealsupergirl! @lenaluthor is not only the smartest woman on the planet, but also a great boss and a true friend who will go to hell and back to do the right thing no matter what people think of her.

The investors on the 8am call are more generous than Lena expected, having thoroughly read her Foundation's report and expressing genuine excitement over the work she's doing. They don't mention Supergirl's tweet, but Lena knows it influenced their level of enthusiasm.

Daniel, her Foundation's head of publicity, calls at 9:30, barreling past Lena’s apologies to assure her that he's thrilled to trade in a couple of his vacation days to help navigate this sudden windfall.  After that, she migrates from her home office to the Foundation office and spends the next few hours on the phone with department heads and her research team strategizing ways to capitalize on the good press wrought by Kara's tweet. By noon, Daniel has fielded calls from twenty-six news outlets, local, national and international, and issued a press release thanking Supergirl for her generous endorsement and directing interested parties to the Foundation's robust website, white papers, and quarterly reports. 

"Want me to help craft your personal response?" Lena's social media manager, Rochelle, is on the phone now. Lena's name is trending, for a good reason for the first time in forever, and she's long since stopped trying to keep track of her mentions. 

"Pardon?"

Rochelle had been typing in the background of their call, but now the clacking pauses. "I had your Foundation account respond several hours ago, but I imagine you want to respond personally, too. Right?"

Oh. Of course, Lena wants to respond personally, but none of the things she's thinking are fit for public consumption. She's pretty sure a declaration of love would shift the conversation in counterproductive ways, for example. Same with asking Kara via tweet about last night's kiss. And then there are the things she wants to say but can't put into words. A wellspring of gratitude. Overwhelming affection. Anxiety about living up to Kara's public declaration of support. Confusion over Kara's decision to tweet that support to the world and to call on her followers to do the same.

"Thanks, Rochelle. Everything you're doing is great. I've been swamped, but I absolutely plan to respond. I think I can manage to come up with something on my own. Is there anything else? I have another call."

"All good, Ms. Luthor. Let me know if you change your mind."

It's a lie. There's no other call, but she needs a moment to think. She needs to talk to Kara. Not tweet at her, just talk. 

Almost immediately, she loses her nerve, the possibilities of all the directions their conversation could go swirling in her mind. Texting seems like a safe compromise, although she bungles it pretty much out of the gate.

Sorry I didn’t message before now. I’m being besieged with tweets for some reason.... 

The reply is immediate. Oh no. Are you mad? 🥺 I just wanted everyone to know how awesome you are. And I wanted you to hear it from them, too, since you never believe me when I say it. 

Lena is not very good at this–gratitude or friendship or whatever social minefield this is that Kara is clearly so much better at navigating. The idea that Kara could possibly think she’d be mad for something so sweet hurts her heart. 

Not mad at all! Sorry. That text was supposed to be – What? Coy? Flirtatious? Funny? It was clearly none of those things; she lands on – thankful. I was just so surprised.

A good surprise?

A lovely surprise, yes.

<3

Lena allows herself a few minutes, then, just to sit and text her best friend, without worrying too much about everything else. She tells her about waking up to the Twitter mentions, about the new investments, about how Daniel and Rochelle were so excited they both offered independently to defer part of their vacation time to help her wrangle media requests and publicity. She doesn't tell her how warm the messages from thousands of people made her feel, that those completely unknown to her might be affected by what she’s done, for good this time, that other people might actually have cause to like and respect her. 

In the end, she settles for a Streetcar Named Desire joke.

I have never depended on the kindness of strangers, Kara.

Kara doesn’t miss a beat. You don’t strike me as a Blanche anyway. Did it feel good, this one time?

Leave it to Kara to cut to the chase. 

It did. Thank you.

My pleasure. 

Lena’s phone beeps. Daniel needs her to talk to some new potential investors in a half hour and has sent along their portfolio. 

I have to go. I’m so sorry.

It's ok. I know you're busy.

Thanks to you, even more so than usual. 😂

Haha. I didn’t think that one through, did I? 

I don’t mind, Kara. I’m thrilled the Foundation is making a difference. 

I mind! When are you going to find time for me if you’re mobbed by all your other adoring fans? 

Lena looks hard at her phone. All your other adoring fans. She could go for teasing deflection or affectionate sincerity in her response, and vacillates for a moment between the two. 

You know you're my favorite. I should have time after tomorrow’s press conference? Coffee? 

I’d love that. 

Before Lena turns to the files Daniel sent, she pulls up Twitter on her computer, and quickly fires off a response before she can talk herself out of it, posting it, with only a hint of trepidation, for all the world to see. 

@lenaluthor:  Thank you all. I want nothing more than to work together to save our planet. It's ours, aliens and humans alike. And Supergirl? I couldn't ask for a better ally or partner, one who challenges and encourages me. Not a day goes by I'm not grateful for you, @therealsupergirl

[booksandchainmail]

Pale 10.4

oooh, I wasn't sure we'd get a Verona chapter this arc

“Can’t show you this one, Tash.” Tashlit, lounging on a beach towel, reached toward her waist and gestured. “No, this one isn’t rude."

I like the unstated "gesture"

Tashlit held up a finger.  One.  Then the ‘what?’ gesture. “The first most recent email is a reminder from Ding Phones that my prepaid phone account is almost out of funds, please visit the site to top up.”

I'm reminded of a great bit from Bloom Into You where the protagonist is eagerly awaiting a response from love interest, and when her phone pings it's an automated version update notification

“My mom tried to give me the dumbed down explanations but it felt a lot like I was in the way.  So I gave the excuse I had to get stuff sorted out.  And then we left a couple days after and we stopped in for a visit with her artist friend and I think that was meant for me.  Like, she thought I would be receptive and I’d get it and stuff, and it was cool to see the guy’s studio and stuff but like, I’m here and that guy’s alllll the way over there.”

I got to avoid this as a kid: if the people coming over for dinner were family friends who would want to talk with me I would stay, if not I could eat early and then just hang out elsewhere instead of having to stay at the table while conversations went over my head.

“Oh.  Disappointed, but not disappointed in me.  Maybe.”

disappointed in her own parenting skills?

Verona grabbed her book, flipped back a few pages, and found the image she’d drawn after Tashlit had insisted she would take every art critique seriously.  It was rude: a crude and rude drawing of a guy hugging a two-foot-wide boner that came up to the top of his head.

well if all else fails you have a career path on furry twitter

Jeremy replied.  I don’t know how to respond except pic just made my week.  Have some pics of Sir.

oh big mood, I also start messages with "I don't know how to respond" or something similar. If I wait to try and find words for a good response I just never send it.

“Is my dad going to jail?” The words left her lips before she realized she’d asked. “Is that another priority, Verona? That your dad be punished?” It was subtle. The tone a little cooler than before, less warm. Oh. She’d fucked it. She’d thoroughly fucked it, hadn’t she? Because now the idea was in David’s head. That she’d had an argument with her dad and things had gone wrong and now she was a manipulator or she was trying to get back at him and he was a tool for her to do that.

I can't tell if the child protective services guy is geniunely disapproving, or if Verona is panicking and reading too much into it. Because tone cooling here could mean a lot of things (ie David worrying that things were worse than he thought). If it is that says bad things about him! Honestly my first thought in this scenario (especially Verona was talking about not wanting to move) would be that she was scared of hr life getting completely disrupted by her dad getting arrested.

It's also sad that Verona's first thought on getting a (possibly) negative reaction to a genuine emotion is worrying that it makes her look manipulative or petty, because that is 100% what her dad has been telling her

The way he looked off to one side here and there made her wonder if he felt like his time was being wasted, now.  Or misused.  He kept taking notes when there wasn’t anything to take notes on.

I think "kid in a protective meeting visibly panics when told their parent won't be arrested" is something to take notes on!

“Sits in bed and sobs and tells me everything I’m doing wrong and everything he’s doing wrong and stuff about my mom.” “Okay. How often is that?” “Two to six nights a week, except when I’m away, or like, not nights but in the kitchen after he gets home from work, he’ll start telling me I didn’t mow the lawn or whatever and then it gets into how much his coworkers suck.”

... that is more often than I thought it was. Six nights a week at max, gods.

“Exacerbated by life circumstances?” he asked.  He started to take a note. “Not- no,” she said. She watched him continue to take the note, ignoring the ‘no’. She could imagine that penned down ‘life circumstances’ taking all the heat out of what she was saying.

I cannot tell if Verona is reading this accurately and this guy is going to be useless or not. Leaning towards not because I want to be optimistic.

“The third was- we went shopping and I got on his case, called him a bad dad and stuff. I pushed his buttons on purpose, because I could. And he freaked and stopped the car in the middle lane of a three lane road and made me get out. Cars were honking their horns and passing on the left and right. And I had icecream I’d bought for myself I was too full to eat and it melted while I walked home. I guess that doesn’t count when I think about it.”

I MEAN YOU'RE RIGHT THAT ISN'T TECHNICALLY BREAKING YOUR THINGS BUT IT IS IN FACT MORE WORRYING FOR DIFFERENT REASONS

“When was this?” “Christmas.”

winter in Canada? Admittedly I don't know that much about the weather but that seems hazardous

How could she even put it into words?  It was pressure and pressure over years.  It was telling her dad about her problems and it never mattering because he always one-upped her, and that added up little by little.

fascinated to see what people have done for Worm-style powers for Verona based on this as a trigger event

“Are you and your dad close?” “No. I think he wants us to be.” “How does he want you to be close?” “Hanging out, watching movies. He’d rather I didn’t see my friends and instead went with him. I think he’s lonely.”

I normally think of this as a red flag in romantic relationships, but it's even more one in a familial relationship

It felt like every time he was making notes, he was taking down the statements or arguments she felt were weakest and most unimportant.  Or stuff that made her dad seem more okay than he was. Dad’s lonely, wants to bond with shitty daughter.

I really don't think that's why he's taking a note of it!

And also wow does Verona place the blame on herself all the time. No wonder she has self-esteem issues as part of the Kennet Trio, if this is how her dad has taught her to think of herself

…She wasn’t even sure what she wanted.  She wanted to land this entire thing in the zone where she left her dad’s and went to Jas’s.  That was the perfect outcome.  It’s bad, gotta take this girl out of there, it’s crushing her and making her feel small and broken.  So we pick her up and take her… no, that’s too far.  Where’s a place we can put her that’s out of the house but not that super far away… Jas’s house!

yesyesyesyesyes. The guy mentioned temporary custody earlier, could that be this?

And even if it wasn’t impossible she couldn’t burden Jas like that, especially if Jas had a job she wanted and no time or money.

this has also been my concern with what is otherwise the perfect solution. Would the government provide a stipend for caring for Verona? It's not like she takes a lot of maintenance time-wise

“Almost died?  Tell me about that.” “At this thing I went to at the start of summer. I don’t want to get into it, it…

I think that's the kind of thing he has to follow up on, actually. Verona's dad not wanting more info on this was a red flag, and I don't think Verona recognizes how weird that was

I mean, she can probably pass it off as like an outdoors accident at summer camp (storm while hiking, bridge broke, etc etc) but she should have to at least come up with a story!

“Right now we’re in a middle stage, deciding what the immediate needs are.  It doesn’t sound like you need to be removed from the home, and it doesn’t sound like you want to be removed from the home.”

:(

“I want to leave that house.  I don’t want to go back,” Verona said.  “But can’t I go to Jasmine’s, instead?  Can’t- isn’t there a way to-” Breath hitched.  She was aware her mom was sitting next to her.  “Can’t we- you guys give money to foster parents, right?  So couldn’t I go there, and couldn’t, um, you could give her money and I wouldn’t be a burden, and she’s a really good mom to Lucy and she’s lovely.”

the degree to which Verona is breaking down in this conversation is distressing

Verona didn’t know what to say when what she’d already said and how she’d reacted had probably hurt her mom, and her mom didn’t say anything.

eh, deserved

“Is it possible?  To give Verona what she wants?  I don’t imagine the money from the system going to her would be possible, like she suggested, but if we could divert child support, maybe?”

surprising W from Verona's mom! I mean, it means she doesn't have to change her life at all to accommodate her own child, so low bar, but this is also what Verona wants

“We’d be looking at… the schedule’s tight.  This looks like, hm, three at-home visits over three months.  During those visits, I or someone else with access to the file would be checking in to make sure that all course participation is maintained, that the house is safe.  I would check in with Verona.” “Only three visits?  She’s so upset right now.” “Resources are stretched thin.” “You’re sending her back to that house?”

well fuck.

Lowering my estimation of CAS right back down.

Guess it's time to see if we can get Verona set up with a Demesne she can live in?

“I finished talking with David Williams.  Then I called Jasmine, and I called your dad, and I called Jasmine again.” Verona looked up. “She’ll take you until the end of summer. Your dad agreed to it.”

oh fuck yes

And one way or another, by the end of summer things will be different

She was going to Jasmine’s.  What came after could be saved for after. The headache was gradually easing.

:)

“So he gave my mom a preliminary plan of three visits from CAS over three months, right?” Verona told Tashlit. Nod. “And that’s now going to be twelve over six.” Double nod. “And originally, anger management classes and parenting classes.  Now it’s anger management classes and parenting and therapy.”

on the one hand, bleak that it took the drawing to get this boosted. On the other, good that this is happening, and specifically that when Verona felt she couldn't get meaning across in words, she was able to use her art to communicate

“I hate that we go off and do our own things and we don’t cross paths. And it is entirely my fault as the mom that I let it happen. A part of me hoped my situation would change or we’d grow into new interests that did have those overlaps… I did with my mom. It took until I was seventeen or eighteen before I could talk to her, adult to adult. But I screwed up.”

Yeah you did! I mean I also didn't have a lot of shared interests with my mother as a teenager, and I still tease her about saying "You know, I actually like you as a person" when I was ~22 (liking the person I was as an independent adult, as opposed to just loving me as her daughter) (english is my mother's fourth language so phrasing is sometimes off). But she still did her best to understand my interests, and was always engaged in my life. Adult to adult is not the only way to have a strong relationship with your child!

“Call.  Anytime, any reason.  I would move heaven or earth for you.” “But you wouldn’t move,” Verona said

ouch

“Want to turn in earl-” her mom said, at the same time Verona said, “Want to look at my art?” “I would love to,” her mom replied.

baby steps :)

“Boyfriend material?” “Blegh. No. Not what I’m after.” “A boyfriend? Are you-?” “Nope. No, I wish. It’d be nice. No, it’s not the boyfriend part of that.  It’s the material part of that.  I’m immaterial.  Maybe I’ll get there, maybe I won’t, but not right now.  Lucy and Avery keep saying stuff like ‘uh oh’, poor Jeremy.” “That doesn’t sound friendly.” “It’s sorta accurate.  Because we’re hanging out and he likes me and I don’t like anyone like that, so…”

aro Verona rights

A figure stepped out of darkness, and it wasn’t the local Others come to check in with her or welcome her to the area.

UHM?

“You tell me.  Look what I found, or well, look who found me while I was out there!” At that cue, Miss stepped out from behind the power pole. Wind picked up and dust from the roadside hid her face.

oh fuck yes

“A good one,” Miss said, walking past the girls.  She walked up to Rook, and the two of them hugged.  “Hello, it’s been some time.”

huh! Didn't see that coming, but potentially very useful if they have Miss bridging the gap between them and Crooked Rook

“I asked Rook to make sure you three were more or less alright until I could find my way back.  She has, I hope.” “She said she didn’t want to associate with us.” “Maintaining that position let Matthew, Edith, and the rest draw their own conclusions about my intents and goals,” Rook said. “And it helps keep this secret right here.”

clever clever clever! This completly changes the balance of power in Kennet. Miss back, Crooked Rook as an ally, by extension Nibble and Chloe...

“Rook,” Miss said, sounding more than a little upset.  She turned her head Rook’s way, and Rook adjusted the position of the mask perfectly, in accordance with that.

this is cute

“As long as Montague could seize control of the diagram at any time, on Matthew and Edith’s request… Miss can’t come into Kennet.”

good counter for Miss, but I think Montague might be recruitable? something to work on

“I’m thinking back to a few nights ago.  At the factory.  Edith pretty much sent Chloe right at us.  She was aggressive with the furs, she’s been testing the rules.  What if we dealt with her, like, right away?” “Let’s,” Rook answered.

OwO

[justaspecter]

Delivery (pt.3)

I've been keeping this in my docs collecting virtual dust and cobwebs. So for those who love Mihawk please don't roast me if I write him wrong. Still thinking if I should continue writing this.

The reflection of your face mirrors the bewilderment from the brown liquid in the white porcelain cup. The scent is meadow-like with a dash of sweetness dancing under your nose. 

Passion flower tea.

You're not a tea person. You are more like the world is burning and you still prefer a hot cup of coffee that is darker than the cape you saw Mr. Dracule wear last month and two spoons of sugar. 

"Is the tea not to your liking?"

Looking towards the man blinking as if you have just woken up, your jaw clenched and unclenched like you are chewing your words, filtering the phrases thoroughly. 

"No." In the end, you couldn't give a better answer when everything sounded rude in your head. 

You recollect once more how the cup of tea made its way to your hands and the man also sat on the steps near you. The random interaction is throwing you off. It feels like you are missing something but reading too much will lead you deeper into the depths you don't want to dive into. 

So for the sake of etiquette, you take a sip. And the tea didn't fail to disappoint. Still tastes like drinking a bunch of sapped grass. You even stick out your tongue but it only makes the flavor set off your taste bud. 

"I prefer coffee, dark, and two spoons of sugar. But thank you for the tea." You place the cup beside you before standing up. "I better get going Mr. Dracule. See you next… month?"

As usual, he didn't give you a reply and you are off the perimeter of his castle still bothered by his abrupt tea time. How awkward and rude for leaving but there's something with the tea you were not vibing with. What a strange choice to share with someone. 

…

"Y/n spill it!" The petite brunette screamed right at your face. 

"Aya for the last time I don't have any idea who sent those flowers." 

Glaring at the bouquet of apple blossoms, savory, and daffodils right beside the spearmint flowers innocently placed in the vase from the corner of the bar counter. You're not well-versed in the language of flowers but you know damn well what apple blossom means. It's clear from the unusual combinations of flowers that the sender was conveying a message. 

And it wasn't the first bouquet you received. Last week it was only savory flowers. You didn't think too much about it, until today when Aya and Dave found the bouquet first. 

"Aren't you curious?" 

"The only thing I'm curious about is if I rob a bank will it be enough to pay my debt?"

"You are not robbing a bank, y/n!! Dave y/n at it again!" 

You scoff as if your uncle can even do something about it. 

Dave walks out through the backdoor looking conflicted. "Arson?"

"No! But stealing banks."

Your uncle didn't say anything, very typical of him. As he went back through the back door presumably to hole up in the office. You allowed it as long he did his job; counting numbers and deception. 

"So, are you gonna tell me anything?"

Rolling your eyes you continue reading the book in your hand. It's a slow day anyway, no new customers to deal with or the usual rowdy patrons. An annoying sigh drags out of your throat when Aye placed her hands on top of your book pushing it down. 

"What are you, my mom? Demanding shit like I'm doing things behind your back?"

"I'm younger than you! And shorter! And cute! How–"

You grab her cheeks pulling her closer making her entire upper lean on the bar counter. Squishing her cheeks, Aya starts to panic. 

"You surely feel comfortable working here that you forget who's the real boss, brat."

"Eeep!! Nooh, um soowee!"

Letting go of your coworker, you return from reading your book. 

"Jeez, you're no fun. Kill-joy!" 

"Wipe the table instead rather than annoying me with something I don't know," you ordered. 

Aya huffed mumbling strings of complaints she only stopped when you gave her a glance at the top of your book. 

You do a double-take on the paragraph that caught your attention. Regard, warmth of sentiment… your gaze moves towards the vase again. 

Daffodils are right next to the spearmint flowers, intertwined as if to complement each other. 

Shaking your head you return from reading. Whoever sent the bouquet is the least of your concern, after all, you hate flowers. 

…

You whistle upon seeing the gloomy island from afar looking significantly bright for the first time. The thick cloud looming over the island has a thinner portion where some of the sunlight manages to pass through. 

Ah, here we go again. 

Strangely no attack nor any signs of weapon-wielding baboons scurrying in the shadows. Not even the snipers shooting at you like a ragdoll in a practice range. 

"What's going on with this island today?" You whispered not letting your guard down, after encountering traps in your path. 

As if you're gonna fall for an obvious trap, you snort at the thought. 

Okay, something wrong is going on with this island. Is it the sunshine? Are the baboons afraid of it? What is it? You've been coming to this island back and forth, unfazed by the horror vibe it's going for. But this, this silence is so dense you can breathe it in. 

On a good note, you got to the castle without breaking a sweat for the first time. However, as you close the distance to your destination, your guts rumble from the sudden surge of trepidation. Now what? There's no way you'll be needing a bathroom break because there is no freaking way you'll enter Mr. Dracula's castle!

"Uhm, I'm wondering if it is normal for the humandrills to be absent when the island is experiencing sunny weather. I haven't encountered any of them on my hike here," you can't help but ask before taking a sip of your coffee. Yep, coffee, and you politely accept the break he offered. 

"The humandrills are busy tending the farm today," Dracule answered as if he was just talking about the weather. 

You spat the coffee in your mouth and coughed trying to alleviate the sting in your throat. Damn, that hurts. 

"How? Like I thought you don't have authority over them? And those baboons know how to farm now?" 

The string of questions earns you a raise of an eyebrow from the stoic man while he looks at you. 

"I don't. The humandrills just copy what I've been doing."

"That's a stalker-level kind of shit." 

"It's how they learn from watching. But humandrills believed to live peacefully if they lived with peaceful humans."

He didn't have to say anything because you'd already recognized what came next. You stare at the brightened sky, trying to avert your attention away from the brooding thoughts. "It's such a shame they had to witness that part of humanity." 

The silence is easing the brewing storm in your mind. Such a nice break from your haunting reality. 

"The old fool, why are you still keeping him around Delver?"

"Don't call me by my father's last name. Please, Mr. Dracule. Y/n or anything else as long as it's not offensive will be fine."

"I don't understand. You are calling me by my last name."

"It's for business reasons." You placed the cup beside you and stood up. Still trying to be polite you look away from him. 

"Still–"

"I can't stand hearing it! You shouldn't even know about it! Please, it's all I ask." 

"Very well, y/n."

Wiping your eyes you smile at him in appreciation. "Thanks, and sorry for being emotional. Just a mention of my old man rattles me quite easily."

"You are still grieving. That is understandable."

The sky is growing darker again, a reasonable escape for you from this unexpected exchange. "Thank you for the coffee. Anyway, it's getting dark again. I better get going. See you later Mr. Dracule." 

As you walked away his voice drifted from your range but it was faint making it indiscernible. And when you turned around he was halfway from entering his home. But you swear you heard him. You shrug and carry on walking toward the shore. 

...

Sleep is still in your eyes with a cup of newly brewed coffee, you walked out of the bar entrance to breathe some morning air. It becomes a habit you can't shake off even when your father couldn't be there to share this serene moment with you anymore. You take a seat on the steps, as usual, but now alone. 

Even your uncle grew used to this habit. After all, it's always been the three of you. The store bell chimed again. You didn't have to turn around and check who it is.

"I'm cooking pancakes, do you want some bacon too?" 

"Yeah, and please don't cremate it like last time," you teasingly said. Trying to fill up the quietness of the morning. 

"May I remind you I'm hangover because of those party maniacs."

"And I didn't hear you complain the entire night while you took on bets."

"Ugh! It's only a one-time y/n. I–y/n?"

You only hummed still in a daze. 

"You received another bouquet again."

The cup hovers in front of your mouth as your body goes rigid. Another one… again? 

"You didn't notice?"

"It's too fucking early Dave. No, I haven't noticed shit since I came out of here. For fuck sake that's getting annoying." You sneered, after seeing the flowers. 

"Can you stop cursing so much this early in the morning?"

"Make me bitch." You grumbled. 

Dave rolled his eyes. "Brat. Anyway, I feel pity for whoever was sending these flowers. It's such a waste." Dave picked the bouquet. 

"Eat it if you want." 

"You are hopeless, y/n"

You groan, tempers rising. "Tell me something I didn't know already."

Dave only sighed at your retort and went back inside. A scowl crumpled your features, all the while trying to remember what you read from the book you stole from Dave. Your uncle is well-versed in the language of flowers. You didn't like how ecstatic he was when he saw the first bouquet you received. But you didn't ask him what was the meaning of those damn flowers since you act indifferent about it. You don't want them to think you are interested. And it's getting more annoying that the flower shop owner delivering the damn flowers refused to give you an answer. 

Yes, you managed to trace who's delivering those flowers. But it only led you to a dead end. 

Pink camellia and white roses. Shudder raked over your body from the absence of heat leaving your paling body. Just the thought of somebody getting lovey-dovey over you is making you cringe. 

The explanation is at a young age, you became repulsed by romance because of your old hag. It's a story for another time and you don't want to recall those memories now. 

You can only hope that if you continue ignoring this secret admirer they eventually stop, whoever they are. 

...

"So, boss, you have an admirer now?"

"Don't call me that, it's gross. And no, it must be for Aya. Do I look admirable, kid?" You glance at your cousin beside you, and he immediately looks away. "Right. I don't think so. I have had enough of the two idiots bothering me about those damn flowers," you answered as you checked the basket of grapes. 

Getting tired of the relentless interrogation from your uncle and waitress you decide to give the family's vineyard a visit. Unfortunately, the issue you are running away from has also gotten over to the attention of your other relatives. 

Liam is one of Rachel's kids who likes to follow you whenever you are around. The teenager with dedicated brown eyes was enthusiastic about learning everything about agriculture and cultivating the vineyard into a prosperous farm, he already earned sun-kissed skin and a toned body from years' worth of work. 

"Are you gonna stay here for a while?"

"Yeah, just for tonight, kid."

Liam brightened up from your reply already looking forward to tonight's dinner. You laughed as you watched the teenager run toward the house, while you choose to stroll, just taking your time. 

Soon you will be in the ocean once again to deliver Dracula's expensive wine and have a cup of coffee with the said recluse on the stairs of his doorsteps. Because you refused to accept his invitation inside his domain the second time. 

It became a routine whenever you got there and waited for the payment, he would be back with a tray of drinks. You weren't sure at first how to strike up a conversation with him while drinking and sitting next to him. You didn't even know if the small talk would start a proper conversation with him, but you give it a shot. So you take off with what you left unanswered from the previous encounter. 

From there he told you the reason why he dislikes your uncle. In the end, you both agree Dave should grow a pair and be a man now that your father is gone. 

A decent conversation with Kuraigana's only local human was something you weren't expecting since he isn't the type to talk a lot but he wasn't selfish in giving you the necessary answers. As long as he knows the answers or wants to answer of course. 

But the man seems to lean more toward listening than talking. One time you were talking about the vineyards. Just like that, you were talking to him like a long-time friend exchanging notes and catching up with each other. You were so into the topic that you didn't notice you were smiling and talking nonstop about a fond memory you had of your family vineyard. And when you momentarily stopped you were taken aback when being coaxed by him that you continue the story. Which you did for an entirely different reason when you saw something else in his eyes. 

Maybe it's just you, caffeinated, or maybe just the dreariness of the place finally getting into you. Seeing some fleeting softness in his usual deadpan stares. The conversation flowed back into a smooth transition when you decided to just roll with whatever that was. He was lonely even if he didn't show it on the surface level, the man obviously craves company. So, you just continue. 

Although you are not known for your generosity, his company isn't equally bad for you. Especially in those quiet moments. His silence is comforting and it quite becoming a solace you've been longing for. It sure is an equal ground for two equally lonely adults. 

Now that's a head-scratcher, you aren't usually friendly with men like him. Having connections with dangerous people is surely the lifeblood of your family business. However, the relationship should remain within the bounds of professionalism. So, why did your father go this far in serving this man? And you only discover this deal when Zake left. 

…

You took a whiff of the scent constantly teasing your nose every now and then. It is stronger than usual. Calmly intoxicating and warm like a drink of wine near the fireplace on cold nights in winter. You find the combination oddly comforting. Which rarely happens because everything is simply too much for you. 

"I am quite aware you have a sensitive nose y/n. But aren't you being obvious right now?"

Startled by what you heard, you whacked both of your hands on the lower part of your face, instantly covering your nose, while you leaned further away from the man. You've been found out. He knew. But how much does he know about your sensitivity?

"I'm sorry Mr. Dracule, I didn't mean it. I swear it's not what you think." You tried to explain defending yourself from obvious humiliation. 

"Then, please, do tell me what it was you were doing."

At this point, your cheeks must be the warmest part of your body right now. With how much blood may be rushing in your head. Your flustered deposition only intensified when Dracule glanced at you and to your horror, there was a glint of amusement perks in his golden eyes. 

"You should relax or you may end up fainting with so much blood rushing through your head. Although it is a fascinating sight that you are almost a shade closer to the color of a wine. I don't want you losing consciousness on me." 

Unable to hold yourself you turn your back on him while holding both of your cheeks. You take your time composing yourself back, taking deep breaths and a bunch of happy thoughts. He really caught you off guard when you thought you were being discreet sniffing the air around you. Well, what do you really expect from a man of his caliber, of course, he will notice even the subtle change in your breathing and not to mention you are only a few feet beside him. 

Well, it is what it is. You've been caught, might as well just be fucking open about it. 

"You smell nice today Mr. Dracule." 

Not physically but emotionally. He is calm and content right now. The scent of his emotions draws you for more, lulling you into comfort. But he doesn't have to know entirely the effects of his scent on you. 

You kept your gaze away from him while you lean on the heel of your palm. "Did you perhaps change your soap?"

And when you thought the day couldn't get any weirder you heard a sound too foreign for your ears. Abrupt without any further ado or introduction necessary the stoic man laughed. It's not a full belly laugh, no that would be too much for this man and definitely be out of his character, or even a giggle for he is too refined for such a reaction. It's just short, simple like being lightly tickled. 

It's a jaw-dropping moment in the grand line to hear a man known for his menacing bitch resting face, a composure refined as white sugar, and goth fashion you could scope a distant mile away with his coffin boat that if you fail his vibe check there is a high chance he can slash you and the island you are on in half. 

Must be the end of the world. 

Unfortunately, your jaw didn't drop since you froze in your position and the only movement your rigid body can operate is your neck to swivel toward his direction and blink owlishly, because what the hell just happened?

Dracule Mihawk just laughed. 

"I admit there are some changes," he said, while nonchalantly taking a sip of his tea. His lips curled higher between the rim of his cup. "And you're turning red again, y/n."

Ah, no shit Mihawk you just laugh, is what you wanted to blurt out. But it shouldn't be a big deal. He is still a human being, entitled to human emotions. 

Although embarrassed by the obvious flush on your cheeks you didn't hide it this time. What's the point of hiding the reaction you don't have control over? 

"Yes, I'm aware. Thank you for pointing it out Mr. Dracule." Even if you are being passive about your situation there's a hint of sass in your tone. 

You are anxious about the future. Working in the bar since you were a teenager alongside your father and your uncle, the occasional brawl was a typical scene you'd grown desensitized from the endless display of manly savagery. The constant piss contest and who's greater than who game, you'd seen it all. The week wouldn't be complete without those arrogant bastards and wisenheimer, picking on each other's business until those smug faces had been pulverized and beaten into a disgraceful ugly pulp. That's why you don't find men appealing anymore or maybe you are simply an ace. 

But lo and behold, when the amused grin is still plastered on his face as you glanced at him. A sign of apparent trouble showed itself in an unexpected form, at an unsuspected time. You realize how attractive smug confidence is on the face of Dracule Mihawk. 

And you can't emphasize the expression, "oh, no" enough in your recent predicament.