#or doesn't have the spoons for their own marketing

[makeitmingi]

The Cat and Dog Game [Chapter 20]

Genre: Romance, Fluff, Comedy

Pairing: Yunho x Reader (y/n)

Characters: Chef!Reader, RestaurantOwner!Yunho, MaitreD!Hongjoong, Waiter!Yeosang, Waiter!San, Waiter!Mingi, SousChef!Seonghwa, SousChef!Wooyoung, PrepChef!Jongho

Summary: Yunho's dream was to open and run his own restaurant. But he doesn't know anything when it comes to cooking. Until you came along and accepted the job, bringing with you a small crew. How will the black cat tame the energetic golden retriever?

Word count: 3.4K

"Say hi to your parents for me." You smiled, leaning against the door. You were still wrapped up in the blanket you dragged from your bed to walk Seonghwa out.

"You can come with me, you know? They did ask you to tag along." Seonghwa chuckled.

"I know, your parents have always loved me more. But you barely spend any time with your parents now, Hwa. I'm sure they miss you. Just go and... be their son. Don't worry about me." You giggled. Seonghwa rolled his eyes.

"I am still their son, I've never denied it." He scoffed.

"I know that. Tell them I'll be there next time." You said. Seonghwa nodded, reaching to to kiss your forehead and hug you before he left your apartment.

Mr and Mrs Park were there for you through it all. They were there for you after your mum passed away, they looked after you like their own daughter whenever you left home because of your stepmother.

"Oh, my soup!" You ditched the blanket by the doorway and went to the kitchen to check on your soup.

"Just what I need." You took home some seolleongtang from yesterday, wanting to add sliced beef and rice cakes for your lunch.

'Psst. Is your bodyguard gone yet? - Woo'

'You know I can't actually hear you through text, right Woo? And if you're referring to Seonghwa, yes. He just left to meet his parents not too long ago. - (y/n)'

'Perfect! I'll be there in 30 minutes, I'm going to buy some snacks first. - Woo'

You laughed, shaking your head as you put your phone aside. Reaching into your fridge, you took out more stock to prepare a portion of food for Wooyoung too. Wooyoung and Jongho both dropped by on their own from time to time to hang out with you, just like Seonghwa did.

"I'm here, jagiya!" Wooyoung announced loudly. You turned around to see him folding the blanket you left at the doorway earlier, draping it over his arm.

"Hi, Woo. And thanks." You smiled softly. He nodded and went to return the blanket to your room.

"What are you making?" He came, peering over your shoulder.

"Yesterday's seolleongtang. I just added some meat, rice cake and napa." You said, stirring the pot. He tugged you to him to hug you tightly, his arms circling your waist and chin on your shoulder.

"My jagi~" He giggled, giving you a loud kiss on the cheek before pulling away.

"You always do that to make Seonghwa angry." You snorted, turning the flame down for the soup to let it simmer.

"No. He's just jealous he can't do it." He rolled his eyes. When the soup was done, Wooyoung portioned the food out and you both sat at your counter to eat together. You topped your soup with red pepper flakes and spring onions.

"Bowl of comfort right here." He pointed at the bowl with his spoon as he chewed his food.

"That's what you say about post-Christmas split pea and ham soup." You laughed. After Christmas ham was eaten, you usually kept the bone to make pea and ham soup. It was practically a tradition.

"There are a lot of things that can bring you comfort, (y/n)." He pinched your cheek, making you wince.

"These fritters are good." You said, eating on a gimmari that Wooyoung bought.

"It's from the market near my place. A new stall run by an older couple but the food is always good. Crisp and fresh." He informed. You nodded, taking a vegetable fritter to eat.

"So, what did you think about yesterday?" Wooyoung casually asked.

"It went well. It was nice cooking at such a magnitude again, you know, cooking fancier dishes and stuff. With our small team, I don't think I can do it every night along with the morning bakes. But maybe we should do themed nights then. I'll suggest it to Yunho." You said as you leaned on one hand.

"That's nice and all. But I meant more... meeting the families." Wooyoung threaded lightly.

"I'm fine, Woo. I'm not gonna start spiralling just because I saw happy families. Was I envious? Yes, I'll admit that I was. But that's just how it is, nothing I can do about it." You shrugged.

"Okay, I just want to make sure you're okay. I am here for you." He slid his hand over yours.

"You know, I told Hwa that before we left, Yunho's mother hugged me. It... felt nice... In a familiar sort of way." You laughed bitterly.

"How so?"

"It's different from the hugs your mother, Mrs Park and Mrs Choi gives me. I may be going crazy but it just reminded me of my mother." You sighed.

"No, you're not going crazy, jagi. I understand. Like how my mother's hugs will always feel and be different. I get it." He giggled.

After the meal, you and Wooyoung did the dishes and cleaned up before sitting on the couch together. There was a random show playing on the television but it was mostly background sounds used to fill the space.

"Tell me something." Wooyoung started, taking a handful of popcorn and eating it from his hand. You hummed, fiddling with a stray string on your shared blanket.

"The dish you made yesterday. You chose galbi jjim because it's Yunho's favourite, right?" He asked. You remained silent.

"What's up with that? You and Yunho." He probed further.

"I... I don't know..." You shrugged with a soft sigh. Wooyoung was someone who was very in touch with his emotions while you were not. Maybe he could help you make sense of things.

"I need you to pick my brain." You confessed a little too honestly. Wooyoung's eyes widened.

"Jagi, I hope you don't mean that literally. Because you know I love you but brains..." He laughed.

"Be serious! I need you to help me understand things." You groaned and kicked his thigh, which was next to your food. He yelped and pouted at you.

"Try me. Tell me everything." Wooyoung encouraged. You took a while to try and form your thoughts into coherant sentences. He was patient though, Wooyoung always was, never rushing you or sarcastically commenting. You sifted through all your feelings in each situation you've been in with Yunho.

"How do you know if you like someone? Romantically. Rather than just, enjoying their company as a friend." You asked.

"Hmm. Well, what else do you feel when you're in that person's company? Yes, enjoying their company is one thing. Do you feel anything else?" He asked back.

"I like it, I don't want our time to end. But don't you feel that way with friends too?"

"Let's put it this way. When you are with Yunho, do you feel it's different than when you're with us?" He explained.

"Yeah. I feel like a different person entirely, more at peace. Like I want to get to know more about him and at the same time, I want to share more about myself. Which is rare." You said.

"There you go." Wooyoung nodded.

"I always thought it was just because you guys are noisy and chaotic, that's why Yunho brings me peace." You blinked.

"Yah." Wooyoung flicked a popcorn at you. You snickered, picking up the popcorn to pop into your mouth. Wooyoung's words sunk in, did you like Yunho? Romantically? It almost scared you at the thought of loving someone.

"Hey. Don't get lost in there." Wooyoung's hand slipped over yours, breaking your internal spiralling. You looked up and he sent you a gentle smile. He just knew you too well, all the boys did.

"What should I do? I'm scared of feeling this way, Woo." You asked in a whisper.

"What do you want to do? Do you want to tell him?" He asked.

"And then what?"

"Silly girl. If he likes you back, then you can try going on dates together. You don't have to get into a relationship right away. Try spending more time together." He chuckled.

"I know with everything you've been through, you are scared of your feelings. But I see how you are with him. He makes you happy." He smiled.

"I'm broken, you know? Yunho doesn't even know anything about my past. It feels wrong to hide it from him. But I'm afraid that he finds out and it scares him. He looks at life so beautifully while I can barely put myself together." You forced a bitter smile as tears started to form. Wooyoung leaned forward, cupping your cheeks.

"Hey, hey. Don't you say that about yourself. You're not broken, jagi. You're the toughest person I know. Life put you through the wringer and yet, here you are." His thumbs stroked your cheeks.

"It's all because of Hwa... And you... And Jongho." You shook your head, tears streaming down your face.

"No. It's because of you. You pulled yourself out of there. I'm sure Yunho can see what a beautiful person you are. Inside and out." Wooyoung said firmly.

"I love you, jagi." Wooyoung hugged you to his chest.

"You don't have to tell him everything at the moment. When your heart is ready." He stroked the back of your head.

"Thank you, Woo." You murmured, pressing your face into the material of his shirt.

"Whatever you decide to do, I'll always be here for you, jagiya. I just hate seeing you hurt." He promised, planting an affectionate kiss to the top of your head.

When Seonghwa came back from meeting his parents, he wasn't surprised to see Wooyoung's platform shoes there. Wooyoung and Jongho always dropped by to hang with you. He found the couch empty, only the blanket there.

"Sweetheart? Wooyoung?" Seonghwa called out but there was no reply. He sighed and folded the blanket, setting it aside.

"(y/n)?" He peeked into your room to see you and Wooyoung asleep. Your upper body was resting on Wooyoung's chest, the boy's arms wrapped around your shoulders.

With a soft smile, Seonghwa adjusted the blanket over you and Wooyoung before exiting the room.

"What should I cook?" He checked the time and went to the kitchen. He dug through your fridge to see what you had to cook for dinner.

*BZZZZ*

Seonghwa checked his phone and was surprised to see the message that popped up on his screen. After typing a quick reply, he put the ingredients back into the fridge and went to wear his shoes. Just like that, he walked out of the house again even though he had only been back for 15 minutes.

"Hey." Seonghwa greeted as he entered the cafe, seeing the person who sent him the text message sit at a corner booth.

"Hey, hyung. Thanks for meeting me so suddenly. It was probably surprising for you to receive my message out of the blue." The person said, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Not at all." Seonghwa cleared his throat before sitting on the opposite bench.

"Berry smoothie, please." He raised his hand to order with the waiter. Seonghwa glanced at the man, who kept his head lowered.

"Yunho, what's wrong?" Seonghwa tilted his head. Yunho cast his eyes upwards to look at Seonghwa, like a puppy that got caught doing something bad.

"I'm sorry, hyung. I... I don't know how to say this... I thought about it the whole night until this morning and I don't know how to go about doing this but my mind told me I should be apologising to you first but I didn't know how-"

"Woah, woah. Slow down. What are you talking about? Why are you apologising to me?" Seonghwa frowned.

"I... I like (y/n)." Yunho confessed.

"Okay... I think I could tell that you like her... But why are you apologising to me? It's not like she's my property or my daughter." Seonghwa was still confused.

"Isn't it against the bro code to go after your friend's girl?" Yunho asked with a wince.

"Is that what you thought? (y/n)'s not my girl... I am extremely protective of her but girlfriend? No." Seonghwa shook his head.

"Wait, you're n-not together? But I thought..." Yunho's eyes widened. Had he misunderstood the whole thing? This whole time, he assumed things and they turned out to be wrong.

"We're not dating. But like I said, I am extremely protective of her. (y/n)'s bubble is fragile and I protect it vigilantly."

"Did something happen?" Yunho asked.

"It's not my story to tell. I don't oppose of you wanting to start a relationship with her. Frankly, even if I did oppose it, I have no right. (y/n)'s her own person and she makes her own decisions. Just don't hurt her, Yunho. She puts her heart and soul into everything. If you can't do the same, leave her alone." Seonghwa warned.

"No, no. I promise I won't hurt her. I can't even fathom the thought of her being hurt." Yunho said earnestly. Every time Yunho was with you, he just wanted to hug you and take care of you.

"Do you think she likes me back?" Yunho asked. Seonghwa knew you best and spent the most time with you. He would know.

"Not for me to say. I don't want to get your hopes up or give you any expectations. That's a conversation you should have with her." Seonghwa replied.

"All I can say is, be patient with her." Seonghwa advised with a kind smile. Just then, his phone rang.

"Hey, Wooyoung... You're cooking alone?... Oh, she's still sleeping..." Yunho sipped his drink, assuming 'she' was you.

"I actually ran into Yunho... Mmm, we're just having drinks... I'll ask him." Yunho straightened up when he saw Seonghwa pulled the phone away from his ear.

"Would you like to join us for dinner?" Seonghwa asked.

"Oh but I wouldn't want to intrude-"

"Yeah, he'll be there. I'll come with him." The older said and hung up. Yunho's eyes widened, unable to say anything. Seonghwa chuckled and tucked his phone back as they finished their drinks. Yunho insisted on paying after asking Seonghwa out.

"Hyung, what if I can't act like myself around her? I don't want to be accidentally blurting things out. It already almost happened once." Yunho panicked slightly.

"You'll be fine. It's just dinner. Besides, Wooyoung and I will be there." He laughed, patting the taller on the shoulder.

"You know her address, right?" Seonghwa stood at his car door. Yunho nodded and the two split up to drive back to your house.

When the two entered the house, Yunho could immediately smell something delicious being cooked in the kitchen. Wooyoung hummed as he moved around the kitchen.

"Hey, you two." Wooyoung greeted.

"Hey." Seonghwa dropped his coat on the couch while Yunho bowed politely and draping his coat over the bar chair.

"She's still asleep, hyung." Wooyoung informed turning around to face the stove. Seonghwa nodded and moved down the hall to where Yunho presumed your room was.

"Don't stand around. Sit, sit. Make yourself at home. Want something to drink?" Wooyoung waved at Yunho. It was amazing how Wooyoung and Seonghwa, probably Jongho too, treated this house like their own house. They were so comfortable here, they knew where everything was.

"Ah!" Yunho jumped when he heard Seonghwa yell. Wooyoung didn't even flinch, cooking the food like it was normal.

"Is... everything okay?" Yunho asked.

"Oh yeah. (y/n)'s probably just trying to kill him for waking her up. Don't worry about it." Wooyoung shrugged. Seonghwa emerged from the room first.

"She's up." Seonghwa announced. Wooyoung opened his mouth to say something.

"Oh my god!" You yelped and the sound of your rapid footsteps were heard, followed by the sound of your room door slamming close.

"PARK SEONGHWA!" You shouted from your room. Yunho smiled to himself, he found you so adorable.

"I was just going to ask if you preempted her about Yunho being here... Guess not..." Wooyoung snickered. Seonghwa sighed and went back to the room.

"What is Yunho doing here?! Why didn't you tell me?" You hissed the moment Seonghwa came in. You were getting presentable clothes to change to considering you were wearing one of Jongho's shirts and really old, torn home shorts.

"I ran into him and invited him for dinner. I couldn't tell you because you were strangling me for waking you up." Seonghwa rolled his eyes.

"Oh my gosh." You slapped your forehead.

"What?" Seonghwa blinked. You shook your head with a sigh and went to your bathroom, making sure you brushed your teeth and looked presentable enough.

"Sorry about that. Hi, Yunho." You greeted as you came out. Yunho got off the bar stool.

"Hi, (y/n). Not need to apologise. Sorry for intruding." He smiled kindly. You tied your hair up into a bun and entered the kitchen area.

"Smells good, Woo. What are you making?" You asked Wooyoung, opening the fridge and pouring yourself a glass of cold brew coffee.

"Whatever you had in the fridge. So minced mushroom and cabbage stir fry, sweet and sour pork collar strips, bavette steak and side dishes." He informed. You nodded with a hum.

"I'll do the bavette." You said, putting your coffee aside and grabbing your apron. Seonghwa took whatever kale you had left to make a lemony kale salad with feta cheese and chopped cashews. Yunho volunteered to help Seonghwa with the salad since it seemed like the item he would screw up the least on.

"Sorry, it'll be scraps. We usually just eat whatever is in my fridge with rice." You apologised to Yunho as you stood next to him, seasoning the steak while he crumbled the feta.

"Not at all, it's fun. I look forward to see what dishes you come up with." Yunho laughed.

"You massage the kale like this to break it down. Makes it easier to chew and digest." Seonghwa explained to Yunho.

"Ooh, that's interesting. I never knew you could do that." Yunho said, amazed. Standing at the stove, you couldn't help but snicker at Yunho's pure amazement.

"Are you laughing at me?" Yunho turned around with a pout.

"Not at all." You shook your head innocently. You heated up the cast iron and cooked the steak. Yunho helped to cook the rice to have with the other dishes while Seonghwa and you took out all the side dishes from your fridge.

"Set a timer for 5 minutes." You said to your phone to set a timer, letting the bavette steak rest on the cutting board before you could cut into it.

"Help me stir the cabbage." Wooyoung requested. Seonghwa grabbed the cooking spoon to stir the cabbage as it wilted further.

"I'll slice the steak." You grabbed your knife to slice it. With Seonghwa and Wooyoung by the stove, Yunho stood by you, silently watching you slice the meat in a 'fancy, angled' way.

"Even this feels elaborate..." Yunho chuckled rubbing the back of his neck.

"Is it? We're just clearing the fridge. How do you clear your fridge then?" You laughed.

"Ramen?" He tilted his head. The two of you shared a laugh at your differences. When all the food was ready, the 4 of you grabbed a plate to scoop the food like cafeteria style before sitting in the living room together to eat. It was informal but not awkward with small conversations here and there.

"I'll bring the recycling down." You told Seonghwa and Wooyoung, who were drying the dishes Yunho just washed. Yunho grabbed his coat, ready to head down.

"Thank you for cooking." Yunho bid the two goodbye.

"See you tomorrow." They waved back. You and Yunho headed downstairs. Yunho followed you to put the recycling in the corner before you were to split ways.

"Thanks for having me." Yunho smiled softly.

"No need to thank. You can come over any time." You chuckled, a small smile on your face.

"Goodnight." He wished. You hummed to express the same sentiment. As you were about to turn back to head into the lift lobby, Yunho grabbed your wrist to stop you. You faced him in confusion.

"Yunho, what-"

"(y/n), I like you. And if you would give me a chance, I would like to take you out for dinner."

~

Series masterlist

[blank-house]

ohh so you have more cast's lifestyle habits 👀 could you share some without spoilers? some of them are... unexpected lol? i really like the cast, they're all so cool! 🧡

oh, absolutely. i ran these quickly by marina too, so:

percy's in the habit of saying to jamie and elio when they come back to the house: "do you want to have dinner? a bath? or me? ♡" before anyone asks, he'd say that to an mc he's in a serious relationship with but he does like joking he's functionally married to the other two. sometimes, he'll throw in an anata.

if he knows he doesn't have plans for the day, percy will just not leave his bed. man's just fully marinating. he could be convinced out if the impromptu plans develop with a good friend, but otherwise godspeed trying to get him to move.

cameron listens to as many male groups as they do female groups, but there's something about a lady idol doing a run (in a singing context) that makes them have to stop with a hand over their heart and one in the air like they're hearing gospel in a church. it kind of is a religious experience.

to that end, cameron's what the kids call a k-boomer. they listen to the earlier first into second generation bands and are convinced no one will do better. that's groups like shinee, girls generation, 2ne1, so on. no, i'm not projecting.

elio will never take more than one trip to carry groceries. ever.

elio has a tendency to treat the kitchen like his personal one-man orchestra. he'll slap a pan before he uses it or purposefully clink his dishes together (which is why some of them are noticeably chipped) or rattle spoons as he's putting them away or using them.

as part of the "napping with percy" saga, jamie finds himself being used as furniture more often than not in their own house. the others might put something in his hands to hold, or they might just drape themselves across his lap if he's sitting on the couch. he once famously was a coat hanger and glorified ladder.

jamie would be considered a world-class bargain hunter and likes going to farmer's markets and swap meets. he won't negotiate with the hard work of farmers, but he will negotiate down to the dime at a swap meet. he does have a fanny pack and a wide-brimmed hat to protect his delicate skin every sunday.

chores with deja is a war of attrition. as long as you do your part, she won't say anything. but, say you leave your dishes in the sink. she'll do the same and she'll keep doing it until you're both eating cereal out of a mug. keep the sink clean or she'll kill you.

deja doesn't keep a running tally on how much she's spent on food. she kind of just works on the pay schedule of "i owe roughly 12 dinners, and am owed 15 dinners" between her, mc, cameron and reynah. this also applies to drinks.

reynah's favorite fruits are coconuts, pineapples and watermelons. not because she has any preference for their taste. but, she just kind of gets a kick out of the process of breaking them down so she can eat them. cracking open a coconut's hard. pineapples have all those eyes. watermelons are huge.

while she isn't messy, reynah does have the habit of leaving half-finished seltzer bottles everywhere. it's just a lot of drink and she just kind of forgets to keep drinking them when she gets pulled away to do something or another. if asked, though, she'll say it's not because she's forgetful but that the first few sips are peak carbonation. everything after isn't as appealing.

[sergeant-angels-trashcan]

@alliioop Ummmm???? UMMMM??

(text: Also imagine this as the beginning of Kate x 141 where gaz gets in on it cause he takes Kate on a date where they bust a human trafficking ring and she comes back to ghost and price like we have to marry him and then Johnny finds out and pouts and whines about being left out until Kate just makes out with him to shut him)

Loving thissss. Price is secretly like "yesss fist pump" about Gaz. And Ghost is also a little pouty. What about his sergeant, eh? Just going to leave Johnny out? All alone? He's going to be insufferable. (So he's going to be normal?). Kate WILL NOT be peer pressured into another boyfriend/husband she WILL NOT, three is QUITE enough thank you (I think quite is one of those words that has different connotations on either side of the pond. she means NOPE THAT'S PLENTY and the guys hear "three is actually not enough")

And then she and Johnny blow something up (he was whining immediately before this about feeling left out btw) and she's like shit. They were right. Grabs him by his tac vest and lays one on him that he eagerly reciprocates. Winds up with Price, Ghost, and Gaz standing over them until they realize they're not alone and all three of them being smug as hell because they TOLD her. Which, well. They don't have to be rude about it, you know she doesn't have to have sex with ANY of you

(More pouting from Soap because he "didnae do anything, bonnie!! Why'm I getting punished???")

Soap would be such a dork about it. Will tell complete strangers "that's my girl" vendors at farmers markets BEWARE he will not shut up about her. He's a hype man at heart. Soap is also the only one who will cyberbully Captain America with her

Kate and Gaz would do fashion/ootd tiktoks. The other guys are like it's dinner not a vogue photo shoot (to YOU. not to me and Gaz we're different) Gaz wouldn't be as into it on his own but Kate is an enabler so they judge big fashion events together. The Met Gala is like the superbowl for them. They watch the Oscars and Grammys but ONLY the red carpet. I'm so serious about this. Gaz treats it the same as the World Cup. Snack and drink prep? Exactly the same. Yelling at the TV? you know it. He and Kate snuggled up on the couch heckling the E! reporters. Soap will ask them sarcastic fashion questions that they don't clock as sarcastic. He loves setting them off. (Shortest question with the longest answer? "What's wrong with Chanel?" Yes, he keeps track)

I love the "person gets aggressively hit on while out and their significant other terrifies the creep away" trope which is primo with every member of the 141 and Kate but Kate is also terrifying and very defensive of her boys and again Soap LOVES this shit. Eats it up. Someone hits on Soap at a bar or club and he's trying to give a polite brush off and it's not working. Kate comes up and glowers at the other person, slipping her arm around his waist. Soap, who is at minimum a head taller than her, just curls into her, tucking his face into her neck all hiiii bonnie, my hero :))) clings to her like a limpet. A barnacle.

Kate Big Spoon agenda. Soap loves being little spoon. Can and has picked up his jetpack and simply carried around a sleeping Kate clinging to his back. has also done this, flopped down on the couch, facedown, with Kate still on his back. Kate wakes up SO disoriented. Ghost and Gaz have picked her up and moved her to her/their bed at various times. They're all terrified about what a heavy sleeper she is until they're actually out on a mission of some kind and Soap does some ridiculous little tiny kitten sneeze and she bolts up ready to run

gaz and kate skincare dates

[maculategiraffe]

okay spoilers for the little girl who lives down the lane (1976) but here's what had happened: this little girl's dad was terminally ill and her estranged mom was abusive and her dad was worried that when he died she would either go back into the care of her abusive mom or into the foster system. so he was like okay honey listen. you're a smart girl, you got a good head on your shoulders. here's what we're gonna do. we lease a house, the rent's paid up for the next three years. I'll leave you a big pile of traveler's checks in a safe deposit box in the bank, joint account with both our names on it where you're authorized to make withdrawals. I'm going to check tide charts and then go drown myself in the sea so they'll never find my body. and you just pretend I'm still alive to everybody in town so they won't bother you for the next three years until you're old enough to (unclear. not need a legal guardian? I don't know what the emancipated minor laws were in 1976 but they keep saying three years like that's the magic timeframe so whatever. she is thirteen so I guess when she's sixteen she's officially a grownup). and if your mom comes sniffing around just put a spoonful of powder from this little jar in her tea and then read this textbook on home embalming. good? good. okay I love you I'm going into the sea now

which is all fine and good. now here are the dumbshit mistakes her stupid father made:

-chose, for the location of the house, a nosy small town where everybody knows everybody and everybody is all up in everybody's business all the time. it takes two seconds for the landlady to be like I never see you or your father at the market. I get he probably doesn't want her living in a big city (although, why? good public transport, good cultural opportunities, libraries, museums) but at least pick a place that has more than one grocery store

-chose, for the landlady, a nosy obnoxious anti-semitic old bitch who is on the school board and also has an adult son who is a known child molester. have like ONE conversation with the townspeople before you sign this three year lease. literally anyone in this town would tell you about this old bitch and her molester son if you gave them half a chance

-speaking of the school board why is part of the plan that your daughter doesn't go to school. sure she's super duper smart and special but aside from depriving her of a major source of automatic social support not going to school immediately makes her look suspicious and (depending on truancy laws in 1976) possibly puts her in the wrong side of the law. just let her go to school like a normal kid and then come home and teach herself quantum physics in the evenings

-doesn't teach her the slightest bit of common sense self defense. like if it was me I'd teach her to shoot and give her a nice little lightweight handgun of her own but if you don't like that idea then at least teach her to keep the door on the chain and not open the door after dark no matter who knocks. and for christ's sake warn her about halloween

-ya dingus

-come back out of the sea and explain yourself at once

-anyway little jodie foster is fantastic and so is her little manic pixie dream boyfriend and so is his check suited cop uncle. great movie but the father is a dingus

[familyvideostevie]

𝕟𝕠 𝕘𝕠𝕠𝕕 𝕒𝕥 𝕨𝕒𝕚𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘: 𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕞𝕓𝕖𝕣

a farmer's market steve harrington x reader au

part 1 [7.2k] | part 2 [8.3k] | part 3 [13.3k] | part 4 [4.7k] | au masterlist

Every day you wake up and wonder if today is the day you'll cry. It hurts to look at the blank walls of your bedroom and the small pile of things on your dresser you were going to put up: the drive-in ticket, a polaroid Jonathan took of you at the New-Bee's stall, a candle label from your first batch. Does it even matter now?

But the tears don't come. So you decide to push on the bruise in your chest, the ache that has returned full force but worse. It's in the shape of Steve.

You think about the first time you saw him, how you wanted him to touch you so badly even though he made you so mad. You think about him in the rainstorm, wet and willing to help you, you think about him under you at the drive-in, hands eager and rough. You think about him on top of you in his bed, gentle and tender as he panted your name. 

And you've ruined it all. You've ruined whatever was between you, that glowing, beautiful thing, and you've hurt him in the process. Which is the thing you can't forgive yourself for. 

You're eating breakfast in the farmhouse kitchen the morning of the first November market. Bob knows you're not coming -- you told him you weren't feeling great and he totally understands. You've worked hard the last few months and he knows it. He also knows that something is wrong, that Halloween changed something. That the phone call with Steve was about much more than just you getting home safely.

"Hey, kiddo," he says, packing his lunch before he leaves for the market. "Have you thought about what you want to do after the last market next week?" It's hard to believe that there really is only one more week in the season. The leaves are almost all gone and you can smell winter in the air. 

You swirl your spoon in your oatmeal and don't look at him. "I'm not sure yet," you sigh. A call home last week hadn't helped, though it did convince you that the last thing you want is to move back in with your parents. "Mom says it's up to me."

"Well," he says, dragging out the word. "You're welcome to stay here and keep working on the farm. We've got lots of things to make for the holidays. Or you can get a job in town!" You don't realize that you never thought Bob would want you to stay until the words leave his mouth. But how silly of you to think that he'd be anything but kind to you, even if you're not contributing to his business. "Point is," he continues, "you can stay here as long as you want."

For a long second your heart considers it. Staying in Hawkins, making it your home. Regardless of your current circumstances. 

Which you need to figure out. Regardless of how you feel and how Steve feels, you owe him an apology at the very least. 

But you're not feeling very brave yet, so you call Sara's Farm while the market is going on, hoping no one will be there and you can just leave a message. 

The dial tone only rings once before a sweet voice answers. "Sara's Farm, this is Jane, how can I help you?"

"Hi, El," you say. She gasps your name in delight, then says it once more in a tone you like much less. Did Steve tell anyone what you did? That you left him?

"Why aren't you at the market?" she asks. "Are you okay?" Her automatic concern washes away your own. 

"Don't worry about me," you say. 

"I do! Steve said you got sick on Halloween and had to go home. Are you still sick?" She doesn't totally believe you, you can tell. A lump rises in your throat. He's kept your business between you both. It makes your heart do something funny in your chest.

"I feel better," you lie. "Can you tell Steve that I called? That I want to talk to him?"

El pauses before she answers. "Do you think you're gonna figure it out? Whatever happened?" Smart girl, you think.

"I hope so," you tell her. She says your name again, this time sounding like a scold.

"Good, because you both are much more fun when you're happy together." That, more than anything in the last few days makes tears prick in your eyes. 

And maybe that's why you burst into tears when someone knocks on the farmhouse door and you see that it's Robin. You can barely speak when she spills into the kitchen, cheeks rosy despite her hat, gloves, and at least four layers. 

"So you are alive!" she says, and then realizes you're basically sobbing. "Oh, god. Wait, let me just --" She toes off her shoes and drops her gloves and outermost jacket on the ground before she opens her arms. "Okay. Do you want a hug?" You step into her embrace before she's finished asking. Her hands rub up and down your back in a slightly awkward way that's all Robin. 

"Sorry," you hiccup. "This is embarrassing. I don't know why I'm crying." That much is true. There are so many things you're feeling that you don't know which ones you're upset about at this moment. 

"I'm not good with crying girls," she says as you both sway side to side in your hug. "Crying anyone, really. I just never know what to say! But I do know that you have nothing to be sorry about. You can cry all you want. It's great for your skin! Well, I don't actually know that but Nancy told me once. And, well, you know Nancy. If she says it it's probably true, right?" You huff, throat thick but eyes starting to dry. You wiggle out of her arms and turn to wipe your face. 

"Do you want something to drink?" you ask her. "How was the market?" Ever adaptable to a change of subject, Robin sits at the kitchen table as you fill a glass of water without waiting for her answer. 

"It was...boring without you," she says slowly. "Strange, too. Bob told people you didn't feel great so I thought I'd come check on you."

You hum and sniff a little. You must look like a wreck from crying. "I, uh..." You can't look at her. 

"I know something happened." She sighs. "Steve didn't tell me what but I figure you guys had a fight or something? And look, he's my best friend but you're both my friends and I don't want to get in the middle of it but I do care that you're both miserable."

You turn around and she's looking at you with such kindness, such warmth, that you have to swallow another round of tears. "We didn't fight," you tell her. "The opposite, really. But I messed it up and hurt him because I'm scared."

"Kinda looks like you hurt yourself, too," she says, not unkindly. "Is it something...you want to fix?"

"I don't know if I can." You scrub at your swollen eyes with cold hands. "But even if he can't forgive me I need to explain myself and apologize. And then..." you trail off. 

"And then?" she asks. "I know you have a lot going on so I wasn't going to ask but there's only one market left and...do you know if you're gonna stay here? In Hawkins?"

You don't answer right away and Robin squirms in her seat but lets to think about it. Because a not small part of you wants to tell her that yes, you'll stay. You want to. You love it here. But things are a mess right now and it doesn't feel fair to make the choice before you've talked to Steve. 

"I don't know," you finally say. 'I don't know how staying would work. It might be better just to leave. Easier." The words taste wrong in your mouth but you can't take them back.

Robin's chair scrapes on the hardwood as she gets up and walks around the table to stand in front of you. "One thing at a time, then, right? And you'll tell me when you decide?" You grab her hand. 

"Of course, I will. I just have to talk to Steve first."

___

It takes you three days to work up the courage to call Sara's again. Hopper picks up. 

"Sara's," he says gruffly.

"Uh, hi, it's --" He sighs before you can finish your sentence. 

"Harrington!" he yells, though it's muffled as if he covered the receiver with his hand. Your stomach flips. "What do you mean who is it? Who else calls around here looking for you?" You can't hear Steve, and then Hopper's back on the line.

"I don't think I want to know why he won't talk to you," he says. This time, your stomach feels like a lead weight.

"That's fine," you rush out. "Can you give him a message for me? Uh, Hopper, sir?"

"Jesus Christ," he says. "I guess I don't have a choice. He looks like a kicked puppy."

"Tell him to meet me at the lake tonight, if he can? Where we had the bonfire? 8 pm?" You try to keep the pleading out of your voice but you must fail because Hopper's next words are almost kind.

"Sure, kid. I'll tell him." The phone clicks and you hear the dial tone. 

You don't really expect him to show up. It's freezing, cold enough that you're sitting in the cab of the truck with the heat on while you wait in the dark. The remains of your bonfire from weeks ago sit in the fire pit, the ash and charred logs illuminated by your headlights. Why did you think this was a good idea? Steve has no reason to hear you out. He has every right to never speak you to again, no matter how awful that would be. 

But then you hear it -- the rumble of a truck, headlights bright on the shore next to yours. Before the lights in the cab go out you can see Steve take a deep breath. He opens the door and walks quickly through the cold, his breath puffing in front of him, to your passenger door. You have to force yourself to keep your own inhales even at the sight of him. Your entire body feels like it's aching as he climbs in next to you. He feels miles away.

"Hey," he says. He clears his throat and doesn't look at you for longer than a quick glance up and down. "Are you okay? You weren't at the market on Saturday."

"I'm fine," you say, the lie now familiar in your mouth. "Are you okay?" You don't know what possesses you to ask. He looks fine, if a little cold. Same warm eyes, if a bit wary, messy hair pushed into his hat haphazardly. He looks pretty as always.

"Honestly?" You nod, though he's not looking at you. "Not really."

"Steve--" you start, but he interrupts you.

"I wasn't going to come," he says, then shakes his head. "No, sorry, that's not true. I've been jumping every time the phone rings for almost a week, hoping it's you. But I can't bring myself to answer it. I've been desperate to see you again but I also can't look at you because it makes me sad."

"Sad?" you whisper.

"Because I don't understand what happened. And I want to fix it, but I also want to be mad at you. And I can't figure out how to do either."

He doesn't say anything else and you take a deep breath. "I'm sorry, Steve," you say. You've said the words out loud to yourself hundreds of times by now and they taste funny in your mouth. Like missed opportunity. Like your own mistakes.

"Can I ask why?" he says, finally turning to look at you head-on. "Why you left?"

"I--yeah. Yeah, of course. I want to explain myself. I owe you that." How do you do this without telling him you love him? Without sounding like you're trying to manipulate him into forgiving you? Because that's the last thing you want to do. "I hope I don't need to tell you that it's nothing you did," you say. "It's all me. And I know that sounds like it's not you, it's me but that's the truth. It's me. I-- I freaked out. I freaked out because you have changed my entire life, Steve. You've turned it upside down and made me love a place I didn't feel right in at first and you-- you are good and kind and everything wonderful about this town." You've kept your eyes on your hands clenched tight in your lap but you look up at him then. His gaze is steady, brows furrowed. "And I...god, Steve. I don't want this to sound like I'm guilting you or anything because it's only been a few months but that night I realized that I'm falling in love with you and it's scaring the shit out of me."

You're looking at him as you say it, so you see that he doesn't react even a little bit. It makes your chest tighten, but you push that down. It's not about if he loves you or not. It's about apologizing. 

"I understand how that's scary," he says carefully. His own hands are shoved in his pockets. You wonder if he's clenched them into fists. "I just don't know why you'd leave instead of telling me how you were feeling."

"I wish I could take that back." 

He looks away again. "Do you regret everything else, too? Having sex? Everything before?"

"God, no," you breathe out. "No, Steve. I don't regret any of that." You want to touch him but you know you shouldn't. It wouldn't help anything.

"Do you get why you leaving like that hurt?" he asks. "Why the last thing I expected to come back to was an empty bed?" You chew on your lip as he keeps talking. "Because I thought we had figured that out. The whole...not talking to each other bullshit. Dealing with our emotions unfairly, being too hasty and hurtful. You helped me learn how to do that and I tried for you."

There's nothing to say. Other than the truth. "I know, and I'm sorry," you tell him. "I freaked out and I hurt you and that was the last thing I wanted to do. And I understand if you can't forgive me--"

"I didn't say that," he interrupts, tone a hair from desperate. The first real emotion you've heard from him other than frustration. "I just need some space, I think. Okay?" He lifts his hand in the air and it seems to hover in the space between you before he brushes his knuckles against your cheek. You inhale raggedly. 

"Okay," you say. He smiles but it's sad and climbs out of your truck and back into his, driving into the night with a little wave.

You sit in silence for a few seconds before hot tears trickle down your cheeks. But this time, they're of relief. Because he doesn't hate you. Because he might forgive you, someday. Your chest aches but just for a moment, you let yourself feel all of it: the overwhelming sensation of being in love with Steve. It washes over you and all you want is for him to be happy.

Maybe when you tell him you're going to stay in Hawkins he'll even be glad about it. He cares about you, no one can deny that. And maybe, maybe he can love you.

___

After you talk with Steve you allow yourself to lean into preparing for the last market. You barely leave the farm because you make as many candles and soaps as you can. You wander into the farmhouse after finishing your latest batch of candles -- Steve's candles, as you call them in your head -- to find a fairly large size wicker basket on the counter. 

"What's this?" you ask Bob. He's tying string onto honey jars. 

"I was hoping you could tell me," he smiles. The basket contains an odd collection of stuff, all from local businesses. A small bouquet from Byers Flowers, a bag of mushrooms from Rick's, some jam from Sara's. A tiny pumpkin with a face drawn on it and even one of your own candles. 

"Lucas Sinclair and Will Byers biked that over and dropped it off. Said it was for you." He points to the card you'd missed before that's nestled behind. the flowers. 

We hope this humble offering helps convince you to stay in Hawkins! 

It's written in a steady hand you know to be Will's and signed by every kid individually: Will, Dustin, Max, Lucas, Mike, and El.

"Wow," you whisper. "I guess the rumor mill has started."

"I've heard that you might be leaving," Bob says. "Not sure where that came from." Robin, you think. Your darling friend might have gotten ahead of herself. "We don't have to talk about it, but have you thought any more about what you want to do?"

You don't hesitate, eyes on the card in your hand. "I want to stay."

__

The final market is the busiest Saturday you've seen, even though it's practically freezing. The November chill worms its way under your three layers, hat, and gloves. You should have worn two pairs of pants. There is laughter and your candles fly off the stand. There's a stand of hot cider somewhere that smells delightful.

And the weirdest thing keeps happening. People keep stopping you to say that they don't want you to leave town, and then when you tell them you aren't going to, they're so relieved. You've had the same conversation with so many customers that you've lost count. It really is a small town, you think. Your small town.

"Hey!" Eddie bounds over to your stall as the market is about to end, curls shoved into a black beanie with a pom-pom on top. He looks to be wearing at least three flannels under his leather jacket. "I heard you're leaving?" He looks pretty down about it, too. "I'd have brought you some mushrooms but I know you don't like them."

"Where did everyone get this idea that I'm leaving?" you huff. "I only told Robin that was still trying to decide--" Eddie scrunches up his nose and grimaces. "Did she tell you I was leaving?"

"Welllll..." he drags out. "She might have hinted that she thought you were going to and I think the story got out somehow." Then he brightens. "So you're not leaving?"

You smile, allowing the happiness of your choice to fill you for just a second. "I'm sticking around," you tell him. He whoops far too loudly.

"Thank Christ," he says. "Otherwise we'd have to deal with a sad Harrington forever." You look at your feet. "Oh, come on," he says. "You haven't made up yet?"

"How do you know about that?" you mumble, eyes still on the ground.

"Sweetheart," Eddie says. "Anyone can tell just by looking at Steve that he's down as hell. And he won't tell anyone why." 

"I--" You want to ask him more, ask him what he's talked to Steve about, ask him if he's seen Steve today since you haven't, but before you can Robin runs over. 

"You're staying?" she pants. "I heard it from Vickie who heard it from Brenda who heard it from her mom who heard it from you. I thought you were going! I told people you were going!" The memory of you crying in her arms flashes in your mind. Maybe it's not so outrageous that she got the impression you wanted to leave Hawkins.

"Well, here I am," you say. "If you'll have me."

"Fuck yeah we'll have you," Robin cries, grabbing your hands over the stall counter. A few people shoot her dirty looks for her language but she doesn't notice.  "Oh my god, we're going to have so much fun. You have to come visit me at school, and we'll do Friendsgiving, and New Year's Eve, and --"

She prattles on about all the things you're going to do, and you can't fight your smile. But there's a lingering barb in your chest because you still have to tell Steve. Have to see if he's forgiven you if he ever will. If he's okay with you sticking around, regardless. 

You want to ask Robin about him but you don't. He'll come to you if he wants to since he's the one who wants space and you want to respect that. But it would be nice to see him here, at the place where you met. The place where it all started. 

So after your friends wander away with a bounce in their steps, you soak in the last moments of your last market for this year. Vendors wave at you on their way out and you pack up as slowly as you can, stretching out the task as long as possible. And to see if Steve will come say hi after all. He must have hid in the Sara's tent all morning.

You're careful with the candles, eyes on the fading line on your palm. The giddiness of that day in the rain with Steve is a fond memory, even if it makes the ache more profound. His smile, his laugh, his gentle hands. Hands you hope to hold again. The crates are all done and you take a deep breath and tell yourself you have to bring them to the truck when you feel a prickle on the back of your neck. You look up and --

There he is. He looks frazzled, no hat or gloves despite the cold, cheeks and nose pink, and hair a riot. He walks towards you with determined steps, stopping a few feet away. 

"Hi," you breathe. "Hey, Steve," you say again, louder. It's like you willed him to come over here. 

"Uh, hi," he says, dragging one hand through his hair and shoving the other into the pocket of his jacket. "Sorry I didn't come over earlier. It's been really busy today and -- well." He sucks on his teeth and looks at the sky. "Listen, I heard some stuff today and I don't know what's true and I know I asked for space but I had to come ask you because --" He takes a breath. It's unlike him to ramble like this, you think. It's endearing. "Are you staying in Hawkins or are you leaving?" he asks. 

You blink. "Oh," you say. The rumors must have gotten to him and Robin hasn't set him right yet. "Yeah, that. Uh, well, first I just want to say I'm sorry again and I hope that the space is good for you." You clear your throat, swallowing the lump. "I want to fix things between us, whatever that looks like, but only if you want to. And I don't want to rush you, but --"

Steve takes a step towards you and your voice stops working for a second, long enough for him to start talking again. "Sorry, but before you go on and tell me you're leaving I just...please don't let it be because of me." He takes a hand from his pocket like he wants to reach for you but balls it into a fist instead. "If you want to leave I don't want to stop you because you have to do what's right for you and I know I asked for space but I don't think I want that and I should have just told you before." He takes a deep breath.

"Told me what, Steve?" you ask so softly you don't know if he hears you. He runs his hands through his hair again. He takes another step forward, so close that the tips of your shoes almost touch. His eyes are warm and bright when they meet yours.

"I'm in love with you. I love you. I don't know if you meant it by the lake and that's okay but I mean it now. It's soon and it's scary and I don't know what to do about it or where it'll take us but I just have to tell you so you know because...you can't leave without at least knowing that I do. You can't leave thinking I won't forgive you." He laughs a little to himself and takes half a step back. "And we need to work on our communication, especially if you leave, but I just want you whatever way I can have you--"

"Steve," you croak. It feels like your heart is going to beat out of your chest. He loves you.

He blinks a few times, shoving his hands back into his pockets. "Oh, sorry," he says. "Keep going with what you were saying."

Your thoughts are gibberish inside your head. All you can think is how badly you want to hold this boy in front of you. "Steve," you say again. He looks more worried this time, but before he can say anything you throw yourself at him, arms around his neck and chin hooked over his shoulder. He's quick to pull his hands out of his coat to wrap his arms around you and you feel his cold nose on the skin of your neck. 

"I'm staying," you say into his shoulder. "I'm not leaving."

He pulls away just enough to see you, noses almost touching. "Did I hear that right? You're staying?"

"Yeah," you nod. "I want to stay. I love this town and the people in it and it's home now. And I, uh, want to figure us out. If you want to." You are embarrassed to feel your lashes grow wet. Steve brings his hands between you and blows on them before he gently frames your face. 

"Did you think I'd not want to?" His thumbs stroke your cheeks. "I can say that whole speech again."

"No," you say, leaning into his palms. "I did think maybe you'd tell me not to stay. When we were at the lake. So I didn't bring it up." His face does something funny before he touches his forehead to yours. 

"I will never tell you to go because I want you here, wherever here is. I just want you with me." You want to pull him into your chest, to show him how your heart has his name on it.

"I still don't know what I want, Steve," you whisper. "I want to stay here but I don't know how long that'll last. I'm not sure of anything but I'm sure about you. I'm sure that I love you."

"We can figure it out," he says, mouth curling into a smile. His eyes shine bright at your words. You both know that you have a lot of work to do -- learning how to communicate better, how to love each other right, how to deal with your own wounds and insecurities and feelings. There is growing to do. But you can do it together. 

"Okay," you nod. Your noses brush. Maybe it is that easy. Just deciding what you want and seeing it in front of you and taking it. Calling it yours, holding it close. All of the hard stuff has led to this and maybe it was all worth it to get to this point -- the fighting and the misunderstandings and all of the kisses and the ache in your chest that you now know is just love. It's love with all its aches and pains and it's worth it.

"Can we kiss now, please?" he asks you. His breath is hot on your skin, visible in the space between you. 

"Yes, please."

The press of his lips to yours is delicate, soft. It's loving. His thumbs stroke your face lazily and you grab his forearms gently, feeling the strength and the warmth of him through his layers. All Steve, you think. All yours. It's like he's thinking the same thing because his mouth curls into a smile against yours and you're not so much kissing as grinning against each other but it's exactly what you want. It's Steve. It's home.

THE END.

tags: @cheerupbarry @srrybutno @97soroka @sunlitide @gloryofroses19 @carpediem1219 @themarvelousbee @sunshinehollandd @katsukis1wife @imherefortea @spideyboipete @lonelywidow @actual-mom-steve-harrington @steveharringtonscarkeys @pennyllanne @ducky-is-dead-inside @ih3artcry1ng @escape-in-time-x @sea040561 @manyfandomsfanvergent @blandyton @liberhoe @annaisweird @mrs-dr-reid @toomanyacorns @darlingoctober @selfdeprecatingnerd @dullsocietyy @keep-drivng @shireentapestry @mintfrostflower @freezaz123 @dahliamae @localbnbg @palmtreesx3 @eddiethesexy

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[elysiumarchieve]

How 'bout a... how is Scaramouche with a physically affectionate reader?

anyone else hyped about scaramouche drip marketing tmr or is it just me...

and tysm for requesting him, i love him sm😭 i could talk about scaramouche for days ngl

scaramouche x physically affectionate! gn! reader

warnings: none?? if you find anything feel free to tell me😭

✧ scaramouche is complicated and i think we can agree on that

✧ i think that he wouldn't enjoy physical affection all that much, especially in front of other people - he just doesn't like being touched right before other people

✧ yet, he is very aware of how much you enjoy just snuggling up to his side or randomly grabbing his hands and play with them, so that's that he thinks. but he knew already before your relationship, so it's no surprise to him and he deals with it in his own way

✧ guessing that you two only became a thing when you probably were also a part of the fatui, he believes that you two should keep apart business and personal life apart. in his eyes, both can't coexist and would just ruin everything

✧ the fact that he opened his, well, nonexistent heart to someone in all those years is already a great feat for him and he remarks you as someone odd because who would try willingly to approach him?

✧ as scaramouche, someone who holds much power as a harbinger, he wants to keep your display of affection in private - first of all, for your own good, and second of all, because he has a reputation to uphold

✧ what would it look like if you always hugged him and even worse, if one of the other harbingers saw? not that he cared much for their opinion, but he prefers to keep to himself and that's also what he asks from you

✧ while in public, people might not even guess you're a couple, but the moment the door to your room closes he can't help himself but find himself hugging you and even enjoying the closeness and warmth you radiate when your hands gently run through his hair

✧ don't be surprised at the balladeer for suddenly clinging onto you but still keeping up the same attitude as he had during the day - he just doesn't like being looked down upon in a metaphorical way, so he prefers you to not question his actions and just enjoy it

✧ you possess what he lacks and yearns for, a beating heart and the warmth of an actual living body, so oftentimes he might subconsciously even become the lower spoon and place his head right above where your heart is, silently counting the beats in his head as he thinks of nothing for a while (if you try and speak to him while he does that, it might take a few seconds longer for him to reply, that's how immersed he is)

✧ he isn't too prone on being the big spoon, but he enjoys holding you in his arms just as much - he actually believes that he is not that good in holding you close to him because he has no body warmth and he has no idea how to properly hug someone (unless he actually tried to keep you in a chokehold)

✧ however, if he ever happens to be in a good mood (which is already something to behold), he might ask you to walk him and he might even be in a good enough mood for you to hug him if he's sure nobody can see (though he'd still mutter curses under his breath, calling you an idiot for your constant need of physical affection)

✧ kisses are,,, something he does not understand. why do people press their lips together? he literally questioned right infront of you how sanitary that is and when you had the audacity to laugh he was just confused

✧ it might take him a while to open up to actual kisses, so it's rather a gentle kiss on his cheek or ontop of his head while you're hugging him

✧ that's also when he learnt that kisses did not have to be on the lips to carry meaning

✧ he'd probably even like to kiss your eyelids gently, mainly because he enjoys the way your eyelashes flutter shut in surprise or how flushed you become when he returns to his original position with a shit eating grin on his face

✧ also, he would probably like to link your pinkies together if you're alone. the first time he did it he denied it and called you delusional for it, but the second time it happened he just allowed you to tease him about it for the time being

✧ as long as all of this stays between the safety your four walls, it doesn't really matter to him. all he's really scared of is being betrayed again, let it be you passing away or suddenly leaving him behind

✧ the fact that you managed to break down his walls like that was enough for him to see you as worthy of his time and attention, so even if he initially dislikes any hugging, kissing or handholding, he is willing to do it for you as long as you're here with him

[duhragonball]

It's my birthday today, and the local grocery store was thoughtful enough to stock the Dragon Ball Z Reese's Puffs, so I'm gonna try it out. Join me, won't you?

I still can't believe this is real. I mean, Reese's Puffa is kind of surreal enough as it is. It sounds like some satirical brand meant to poke fun at sugary kids' cereals. The box says "Made with REAL REESE'S Peanut Butter", the same way a fruit-flavored beverage will claim to contain genuine fruit.

The bowl on the box art is a Reese's cup, so it basically depicts candy being served in more candy. I'm old enough to remember when they would photograph cereal as "part of a complete breakfast", and there'd be grapefruits and toast and maybe a hard boiled egg. Basically they were admitting that the cereal was so unhealthy that you needed to eat three or four other breakfasts to make up for it. I just liked the photos because they were so picturesque. Ah, to have unlimited free time to prepare a leisurely 4-course breakfast while reading the paper. I just assumed everyone else was having toast with their cereal except my family, but yeah, it never really made any sense.

I haven't even gotten to Goku yet, but first I want to talk about his spoon. I don't think we see him holding a spoon very often. He's usually a chopsticks kind of guy, or he'll just use his bare hands or even dunk his head into the bowl. It kind of looks like a ladle when he holds it like that, which implies he cooked this bowl of candy soup all by himself, and he's showing it off like a proud chef. This spoon kicks ass, is what I'm trying to say.

But the real reason I bought this is because of that orange hillbilly who needs no introduction. I wasn't even looking for Reese's Puffs. It was the furthest thing from my mind. No, I was stocking up on the old-man cereal I require to survive, when I just saw him staring at me, with his friendly-yet-confident smile. Goku's not pressuring you to buy the cereal. He's sure you'll enjoy it, but it's okay if you want to take a pass. He'll just enjoy all this peanut butter chocolate goodness all by himself. Goku is truly the ideal spokesman. How can you say no to this lovable hunk?

I'm kind of out of touch when it comes to cereal marketing, but I'm pretty sure this sort of cross-promotion is a rarity. Like, they once put WWE wrestlers on Wheaties or something, but usually if the cereal companies want a cartoon on the box they'll just make their own character. Or if the cartoon people want to put their guy in the cereal aisle, they'll just commission a whole new cereal just for that brand. C-3PO had his own cereal for a while. It was pretty good!

What I'm saying is that it's kind of unusual to see a popular character like this on a cereal box. The only exception I can come up with is Fred Flintstone on Fruity and Cocoa Pebbles, but I always assumed that those were specifically "Flintstones Cereal".

Other than that, yeah, I can't think of any other examples of cartoon characters appearing on unaffiliated cereal boxes like this. Well, I drew my DBZ OC on a box of All-Bran today, but I don't think that counts.

"MY FIBER IS MAXIMUM, KAKAROT!"

I wondered what was up with the picture of Piccolo on the back of the box, and it turns out that he's one of seven different characters you can find on the back of the box. Collect them all! Aw man, that Cell one looks fucking sick! I don't know how they distributed these. Maybe they roll them out in waves and Piccolo's came first. Or maybe it's random and I might have found a Cell if I'd checked more boxes at the store. Well, Piccolo's pretty good. I guess.

All right, I just poured myself a bowl and Goku's cereal is gonna have to set course for Planet Oat. The dairy industry may not applaud my shopping choices, but I like oat milk because it doesn't spoil as quickly as cow milk, and it's got a nice oat-y flavor that compliments the cardboard taste of All-Bran.

I did not put Dawn liquid soap in my cereal. This time.

So what's the verdict here? Well, the first few bites were pretty tasty, and then I realized I was getting kind of sick of this as I made my way to the bottom of the bowl. The peanut butter flavor overwhelms everything. It has a very strong odor, so if you like Reese's peanut butter cups you can just sit this out in your room and savor the aroma. I barely registered any chocolate flavor at all. I mean, I believe they put it there, but the peanut butter is the whole story to this.

It's basically Chocolate Frosted Sugar Bombs from Calvin and Hobbes, only this is a special Peanut Butter variant they made. I never really appreciated the jokes about sugary cereals before. I grew up on Frosted Flakes and the like, but there were a certain class of cereals that my mom would just refuse to buy. My grandparents would have them, but I never really understood the difference between Frosted Flakes and Honey Smacks. As I got older, I ate less cereal in general, but that was mostly because I fell out of the habit of eating breakfast altogether.

But now I'm 47, and the only cereal I eat these days is bran topped with diced peaches and a couple of packets of artificial sweetener, so Reese's Puffs is way, way too sugary for my palate. It's not bad, but a little goes a long way for me.

When I was a kid, old people were always griping about all the stuff they couldn't eat anymore. I remember Isaac Asimov writing mournfully about how he couldn't have an Oreo cookie, which bummed me out because that was my favorite cookie back then, and it seemed that the fate of all humanity was to be denied the simple pleasure of enjoying them.

Now, I realize that a lot of the stuff that you liked as a kid just doesn't age up with you. Your tastes change, and you gain appreciations for new things that you wouldn't have appreciated before. That's not a bad thing. It's life. Things change, and you change along with them.

Well, you and I do, anyway. Not Goku, whose Saiyan biology keeps him looking exactly the same for sixty years so he can eat all the sweetened corn puffs he wants. But I don't envy him, is what I'm trying to say. I'm watching a wrestling show on PPV tonight, my mom took me to Cracker Barrel for lunch today, and I drew on a cereal box. I can't complain.

[copperbadge]

I know you make your own pizza mostly, but I don't suppose you (or your readers?) would know of a nationwide pizza chain* or frozen brand that has pesto as a topping option? I adore pesto and would love to try it.

*doesn't have to be one that delivers, could be a sit down restaurant, as long as I can find it in regions outside the midwest

Well, I'm picky about my pesto -- I don't like pine nuts, so I make my own with cashews instead. That said, the only chain I know of that offers pesto on pizza is Blaze, which is a low end counter-service pizza chain whose entire marketing strategy is to situate itself near college campuses and offer super-fast pizza (it's basically 10 minutes from "what toppings" to "here's your pizza").

I really like Blaze, but I'm not gonna claim it's great pizza. They offer a pesto drizzle as a finish, but I've had it and wasn't impressed; on the other hand, supertaster, so I wasn't impressed because I could taste the relatively cheap olive oil they're using. You may enjoy it!

I will say that if you have a preferred pesto, or like to make it yourself, you can pretty much dress any frozen pizza with it -- just before you pop the frozen pizza in the oven, drop some spoonfuls of pesto right down onto it. The pesto darkens a bit as it bakes but should be fine, it's generally too wet to burn before the pizza's done cooking. (When I buy frozen pizza I often buy plain or "four cheese" pizza and dress it with my own toppings.)

Readership, if you know of a good source, sing out; remember to comment or reblog as I don't post asks sent in response to other asks.

[scarfacemarston]

Hiii ☺️

I’ve never sent you anything before because I’m not great at trying to meet new people but one of the reasons I followed you was because of your love for RDR! It’s one of my favourite games of all time, I’m a sucker for Abigail thou 🤭

Do you have any headcannons with Abigail x Fem! Reader? (Totally okay if not!) & if not, is there anything you would like to share about her?

Hey! So good to hear from you! I've followed your blog for awhile! :) I'm a sucker for Abigail, too. It's a problem. I have actually lots written for Abigail! If you look at my Abigail Roberts x reader tab, you'll find a lot of things. There are some prompts that you'll have to scroll through to get to the writing, but it's there! So, I decided to do something I've never done before and go with Modern AU! Abigail. I've never done that before and I thought it would be fun to try out. If you would prefer I write new hc's with canon, Abigail, that's fine, too! (Note: Lauren Cohan is my fc for Abigail in rp, so that's why she's here.)

Background: She grew up in the foster system after her parents passed away. She was an overachiever in high school and wanted to claw her way past the girl she was in the foster system. However, her dreams for college were put on hold when she became pregnant with Jack, and even more so once she became a single mother. She did underwear modeling and worked in a dive bar for extra money. (It seemed more likely FOR HER than her becoming an escort or a cam girl, but those are valid hc's.)

Four years later, she is amicably co-parenting with John and has an associate's degree in agriculture and business. Now, she has a small farm with fresh organic produce, animal goods like milk and eggs, flowers, and the occasional candle. She is happily in a relationship with the F!reader.

* You insist on helping her at the farmers' markets on the weekends, which is her busiest time selling products. She always attempts to talk you out of it, but you find it rewarding. You watch in awe as the businesswoman in her truly blossoms and the passion she has for her work. 

* You surprise her with wanting to visit other farmer's markets. Sometimes, it's "secret shopper" missions, but a lot of time, it's just holding hands, picking out products, and eating samples. 

* Lots of baths together! She loves to cuddle and the intimacy it can bring.

* You help her cook and bake a lot. She has a huge passion for it, but she just can't get the hang of it. I think she is better with cooking and baking in the modern AU than in canon, but she could still use some help. However, she can make a great chili! It's canonically her favorite food besides chocolate. 

* She can make a mean cocktail. She doesn't drink a lot anymore, but she loves wine, rum, and whisky. However, she worked at a bar while caring for Jack to help put her through school and learned a lot while waiting tables. 

* She is always so thankful for any time you spend with Jack. Liking Jack is a requirement. He comes first in any relationship. However, she does NOT expect you to babysit him, but she is incredibly thankful and falls in love with you a bit more each time you do something with him. 

* With you, she is used to being the big spoon, but she loves to be surprised with being the little spoon sometimes. 

* Blankets everywhere! Big chunky ones are her favorite. Example here: Her goal is to make her own! She is not really into the pillow craze. 

*She canonically loves chocolate. Bonus if the chocolate has a bit of liquor in it. It's her guilty pleasure, but she has to keep it far from Jack.  * Don't play a card game against her; you WILL lose. Especially poker. She's also great at board games. It was the only type of games the foster homes had. However, she doesn't play as many video games. You've been slowly introducing her to games. Right now, she likes to relax with Stardew Valley and Animal Crossing. She'll also play with Jack or watch you play games. 

[edwinspaynes]

what are your long term illness related headcanons for thomas?

I'm sorry this took me a million years to answer! I see it every couple of days, go "I'll answer after work," and promptly forget about it as soon as work ends.

Yes, let's GO! Thomas' "chronic illness" is in an odd category of canon when he was younger but also totally unexplored. I find this a fascinating space for it to occupy, because of course I wish it were more fleshed out but I also like getting to play with it in my own mind a lot.

When Thomas was little, he spent most of his time bedridden. Eugenia and Barbara canonically fussed over him, but I also think Sophie and Gideon made a lot of accommodations/concessions for him. Like, if he couldn't get to the dining table, they'd all bring portable tables into Thomas's room and eat around the bed. Thomas always felt a little guilty, but he appreciated it.

"Felt a little guilty but appreciated it" is generally what I think his overall reaction to people's treatment of him was. He's a really nice kid, and shy - he doesn't want to be a bother, and he feels like he's inconveniencing people. But subconsciously he's chuffed that others do consider him worth the inconvenience.

While it was nice that others cared for him, it also could get really stifling sometimes. He would constantly wish that he could get out of the house (because imo Sophie and Gideon probably made him stay inside sometimes because he was getting over something or worried about him catching something else.) And he'd dream of being able to just... be like James or Matthew. Hop in a carriage, head to a market, play in parks and gardens. But he understands why it's not possible, it just hurts.

He starts sneaking out into the woods from his yard-hole (canon) when he's around 10. He has a special favorite tree in Brocelind that he likes to climb up, and it's there that he spins tales and writes poetry. His favorite stories and poems to write involve a mix of adventure and romance.

Thomas probably was allergic to lots of things, pollen and stuff.

Sophie and Gideon were 100% convinced that Thomas was dying as a baby (canon in The Penultimate Hours). But he was small - under six - and they didn't want to scare him, so they attempted to hide it. It was confined to whispers in the hallway and periodic discussions when he was feverish and asleep. Unfortunately, Thomas was a smart kid. He knew he was dying, and it was a question of when and not if in his mind. He mourned the life he would never have, and was horribly sad that he would never have a beautiful love like his parents do.

By the time he was 14, Thomas was pretty much completely well, just short. It's how he convinced his parents to let him go to school. He tried when he was 13 but they were still scared that his illness would come back, but it didn't, so they let him go.

After that, for the rest of his very long and happy life, Thomas still has a pretty weak immune system compared to his peers. It's NBD - he just gets colds and such more easily than people, and has stronger seasonal allergies than others.

As an adult, Thomas still has lingering trauma from his bedridden, fussed-over days. No one ever treated him like a grown-up, and now he feels the need to be Completely Self Sufficient so the cycle doesn't repeat itself. If he gets a cold, no he didn't. If he's feeling feverish, no he's not. He tells no one when he's sick, just shuts himself away and cares for himself until he's better.

This all changes when he moves in with Alastair. Since they're the Soulmatest Soulmates to Ever Soulmateify, Alastair is really in tune with Thomas's moods and health. He tells Thomas that he should let him care for him when he's sick, and finally Thomas grudgingly agrees that Alastair can make him soup "BUT NOT SPOON FEED IT TO HIM." Alastair, who wasn't going to do that anyway, scratches his head like. Hmm, okay.

Alastair is the only person allowed to take care of him, and it's to combat the notion that he has to be 100% self-sufficient. It's kind of empowering to be cared for in a way that he consented to, on his own terms, rather than on everyone else's.

[chase-ingjackson]

A few reasons I like and dislike the the new Percy Jackson show (and why I think the musical is better) - initial reaction

To start, I think this new PJO show is a million times better than that dumpster fire of a movie (though I love logan lerman <3). I like that it is quite faithful to the overall arcs and major plot lines of the book. I love the diversity and high caliber of actors (though I def have some Viria-art inspired character images in my head that are god-tier). I love some of the characterizations/portrayals, especially when it comes to making the character more complex (I really appreciate TV Sally for being a real person with complex emotion, though of course book Sally is my fav). And I love that it's so high budget and hgihly-anticipated (great marketing) that it is bringing this beloved story to a greater audience, especially the younger generation and older generation (as parents/grandparents) than those of us who grew up with the series.

I can boil down all of my dislikes of this show into one overarching but very essential part of the show: I don't like that it is a drama. The characters are way too serious and too every-other-moment-we-need-an-instense-heart-to-heart. What I think this show should have been is a comedy adventure with drama/melodrama sprinkled in. In the books, it's all about the banter. And the TV show does some good one-liners, but it's always so serious. I think the best part of the book is that the characters can stay light-hearted and fun despite the horrors and terrors they face. In the show, the gods spoon feed the trio most of the answers, so when they do have a good realization (SPOILER: e.g. Kronos being the orchestrating force) it kind of comes out of nowhere. TV Annabeth is so serious (I know in the first book she is her most serious, but not to this degree) and a lot of the moments when she has time to use her smarts are gone or approached differently. Percy, too. He's not just self-sacrificing (which they really lean into in the show) but he's also incredibly smart and silly. In the books he's kind of a surface-level himbo with great critical thinking, but in the show he's kind of left in the dark and doesn't get opportunities to make his own plans (also, he doesn't seem to know how to control his power (by the 7th episode); whereas in the book he def did at this point. Then there are just dumb changes to make the show more "serious" like not mentioning that cell phones attract monsters or that monsters just smell demigods and not have a 6th sense for them. I'm finding that by trying to change these small details to make it something more exciting or interesting, it's distancing us existing fans by not letting us relate to the small details that really don't matter. For the cellphones, they still use Iris messages rather than getting a payphone or something, so that's kind of a plot hole in the show that is answered by the book.

Anyways, those are my main takeaways. Now, when I say "the musical" I refer to The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical by Joe Tracz and Rick Rokicki which first premiered in 2014 but got revamped and redebued in 2017 (which is when it came into my life). I got to see it live in Toronto in 2019 with my middle school best friend, but have been an avid listener of the soundtrack since 2017 (the day it came out on streaming platforms).

The musical in my eyes is a nearly-perfect adaptation of the book. It's soo funny - def the action comedy I'm after, but does have the meaningful emotional moments (ballads, which are essential in musicals). The show itself if the full package; however, even just listening to the soundtrack gives you the whole gist. Here's a link to hte soundtrack on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFwX6FWeUFQ&list=PL0hK1fYMaqXbtZ0Fhm48TYcLJl7ikNX7Q&ab_channel=TheLightningThief%3AOriginalCastAlbum

Anyways, I want to hear more thoughts and pls tell me what you think of the show (and the musical!!)

[rugtopper]

I Hate Butterscotch

By Rugtopper

I was beyond excited.  After making every excuse imaginable to see my dentist whenever I could over the years, Dr. Goldstein finally asked me out to dinner.  Yes, I guess I could have been bold and asked him myself, but he is at least 25 years older than me.  I have had a crush on him since I was a teenager.  He is so handsome and dapper.  He also has something else that most anyone, male or female, would find off-putting.  He wears a toupee.  It's not high quality in any way.  It doesn't even match the color of his real hair. You see, I have this bizarre problem:  I have a fetish for toupees.  Every time I'm in that dentist's chair, I get so turned on just staring at Dr. Goldstein's hard, fake hairline.  His toupee is a deep chestnut brown, very thick and full, with a traditional left-sided part.  The thing that makes it stand out is the upsweep off the forehead.  There are far better hairpieces on the market that he could have purchased, but for whatever reasons he went with a less-than-perfect facsimile of human hair.  I have never said anything to him about it, although I have wanted to.  

The night finally arrived.  I had changed my mind nine times over what to wear.  I knew he was taking me to a very upscale restaurant, so I knew I needed to wear a suit.  I had debated which of the three I owned to wear, and decided to wear the dark navy; then, there was the decision about the tie.  I had many in my collection that had belonged to older male relatives who had passed on.  Twenty minutes before he arrived, I finally decided on a bright floral.  My shirt was crisp and white.  My undershirt was taut across my pecs and clearly apparent underneath.  I had decided to wear these silly silk pink boxer shorts with red and white hearts on them - just in case.  I had gone all-in with garters for my socks.  I had worn them since college.  A fraternity brother had gotten me into them.

Dr. Goldstein arrived on time looking handsome as ever in a dark charcoal suit.  Like me, his shirt was crisp and white, but thicker than mine.  Still, I could see the faint outline of the scoop of his a-shirt.  I knew he had more traditional leanings in apparel.  When I opened my front door, my voice caught in my throat.  The way the porch light seemed to magnify the artificiality of his hairpiece took my breath away.  I didn't want to go to the restaurant.  I just wanted him in my bed with his hair on my dresser.  Still, I managed to find my voice and greet him.

"Good evening, Dr. Goldstein."

"None of that 'doctor' stuff tonight, Chris.  Please call me Jake.  Now, are you ready?  That restaurant won't hold our reservation."

"Sure, of course."

I'll skip over the dinner conversation.  It was pleasant, but pedestrian.  The food was excellent.  I thought that I had been fairly successful in avoiding staring at his hair, but I guess I failed because as we got to dessert and coffee Jake put his fork down and looked directly into my eyes.

"Uh, Chris, is there something wrong with my hair?  You keep staring at it."

I immediately crossed my legs and said, "I am so sorry, Jake.  I didn't mean to stare, or embarrass you.  I never would want to do that."

"Then why do you keep staring at it?  You seem to do it all the time, especially when you're in the chair for your checkups."

"I apologize, Jake.  It's just that . . . Never mind.  I can't say."

"Of course you can, Chris.  I've known you since you were 12.  You can tell me anything."

"Okay.  Uhm . . .  I don't want to embarrass you or hurt your feelings."

"You won't, Chris.  Now, just say it."

I took a sip of my coffee.  It tasted very bitter, so I added another spoonful of sugar and took another sip.  "Okay.  Jake, I really love your hair.  I think it is so beautiful.  There, I finally said it out loud".  After I said that, I tightened my crossed legs even more to keep what little I had from popping up.

At first, Jake got this slightly shocked look on his face, then he seemed to blush.

"You didn't hurt my feelings at all Chris.  In fact, I'm quite flattered.  But, I'm also somewhat embarrassed."

"I'm so sorry, Jake.  Now I'm embarrassed for upsetting you." I took another sip of coffee.

"Chris, I'm not upset, but I am a little embarrassed.  You see, this is very difficult for a man to admit, but I actually wear a toupee."

I crossed my legs even tighter, forcing my nuts to roll up inside myself!  I tried to keep a pleasant look on my face, but I was so excited.  I was also suddenly flushed and slightly dizzy.

"It looks great," I lied to him.  Actually, it looked great for someone with my issues, but it looked bad for someone who is trying to convince the world that his hair is real.

"I had to start wearing one when I was in college.  A lot of men are embarrassed about losing their hair, especially at a young age.  Are you okay, Chris?  You don't look well." What I tried to say was, 'I feel fine if a bit warm'.  What came out was some sort of incoherent gibberish.  After that, I think I passed out, but I really don't remember.

The next thing I do recall was the acrid smell of burning hair, and a coolness on my knees.  I slowly opened my eyes.  I was sitting in a huge barber's chair with a clear cape covering me, yet I could see my undergarments!  What was going on?  I looked up and saw my reflection in a huge mirror.  There was a husky man standing behind me.  He had the most exquisite black pompadour, clearly a full wig.  He was holding a tiny pen with a cord attached.  He kept touching the top of my head with it.  Each time he did, I felt a slight tinge and smelled burning hair - my hair.  There was only stubble on the top, but the rest of my hair on the back and sides had been trimmed very short.  I tried to talk, but was unable to utter a word.  In front of the mirror was a shallow ledge.  There were two styrofoam wig heads with a very dark ginger toupee on each.  At first I tried to think who I'd like to see wearing them.  As my mind cleared more and more, I realized that those toupees were for me.  As this reality became clear, I saw Jake via the mirror walking toward me.  

"Oh, good.  I'm glad you are finally waking up, Chris.  You know, I love the cute boxer shorts you wore just for me.  Still, it's a waste of all that silk to cover that little dicklet of yours.  I bet you sit down to pee.  Still, it's good to know you have some traditional leanings in your choice of apparel."

"What's going on, Jake?" It sounded somewhat slurred.  I must have still been hung over from whatever was in that bitter coffee.

The husky barber continued to denude my scalp while Jake spoke.

"Chris, you are very intelligent.  I think you have figured it out.  I am flattered by your schoolboy crush.  I even found the story you wrote about me.  Now, don't look so startled.  I recognized myself in the story immediately, even if you did change my name.  You see, Chris, you were very chatty a few months ago during that extraction surgery.  Afterwards, with Antonio's professional skills, I decided to help you become the mature man you have longed to be.  I think you need to know what it's like to have everyone stare at your hair all the time."

As Jake finished talking, he took a step back.  Antonio took one of the toupees off the styrofoam head and applied four pieces of tape to the underside.  Two of the pieces of tape were curved.  They were placed at the front and back of the hairpiece.  On the sides were placed two straight strips.  Antonio quickly placed the toupee on my head.  The perimeter was rather stiff.  The tape immediately stuck to my scalp.  When Antonio had my new hair on my head, I felt the curved tape in back adhere just above my occipital bone. I knew then that I was forever going to be a Norwood Six male patterned bald man in a rug. I could feel the light mesh foundation of the center of the toupee against my smooth, sensitive bald head.  The toupee was thick and full with a fixed left-sided part.  The texture was smoother than my own hair.  The contrast between my flat brown hair and what had been taped to my head was stark to say the least.  Antonio began trimming my new, fake hair with scissors. He used a small handheld steamer in the front. Suddenly I could tell he was giving me the same up-sweep that Jake's toupee had. I realized that apart from the color, I had the same model toupee as Jake did. The laser wand Antonio had earlier used had killed the hair on the top of my head. It has also destroyed the hair at my temples. Without that, it was even more glaringly obvious what I had on my head. My little dicklet decided to do a happy dance. I was enjoying my new look without a thought about the day-to-day life experiences I would certainly encounter.

I was mesmerized, humiliated, vulnerable, and thrilled all the same time.  I was also a little upset.

"It's butterscotch," I blurted out.  "I hate butterscotch."

"I know Chris.  You told me after that surgery as the nitrogen oxide was wearing off.  You told many, many things.  You told me about your crush you have had for me, and you told me one other thing."

As Antonio finished styling my new hair, Jake walked up behind me, leaned down beside my ear, and whispered, "you have a great toupee, Chris, but it's still just a cheap toupee."

The End

[craftymakerland]

Why the wait?

A Luisa x female oc

I had just turned 19 last week and didn't really celebrate it, but the only person that actually cared was my best friend Luisa. We have known each other for a while now and my parents don't even know I talk to her. I like to keep my social life More private.

"AVA!” My mother called.

I slowly took a deep breath, and made my way downstairs to see my mother in frustration. She waited for me in the kitchen with a cigarette in her hand and a spoon in the other. I just happened to see my dad on the couch while walking by.

"What did you need, mother?" I asked.

"I need you to go out and get some food for tonight, it doesn't matter what, just make it good." My mother replied.

She gave me a list of other things that she needed besides what she wanted me to get.

I hurried to slip on some shoes and left the house without a sound. I could feel my mothers eye staring at me as I made my way out. Without looking back I walked out with a smile. I made my way down to the village where the market was located, it was my go-to place for anything. I peacefully go about my day and I couldn't help but hum a sweet toon. It was one that Luisa always hummed towards herself while she worked. It was so peaceful that I had always listened to it and over time I learned it, not that it's stuck, but it's something that always calms me. While making my way, I heard a familiar voice.

"Hey I recognize that hum from anywhere." You turned around to see who was talking behind you. I was so happy to see it was my dear friend,

I was relieved that it was here, because she was the only person that I knew and she was the only one who knew that hum. After all she came up with it. I did jump a little when she approached me though.

"Luisa, you startled me, how have you been?" I said with a smile.

Something about Her smile made every problem disappear, it was nice.

"Haha, well so far my days have been alright, but working all the time gets really boring and tiring and boring. Now that you're here it's so much better!"

Luisa screamed with excitement.

"woah someone's in a good mood."

I saw her smile to herself when I made that comment, it was cute when she did as such. I continued my walk and loved that she started to follow me.

" Yeah I don't know, ever since we rebuilt castita, my life changed somehow and I like it a little more!"

I liked seeing her so happy, it's been some time since I've seen her in such joy. Seeing her beautiful smile and laugh was enjoyable to watch. I couldn't help but smile at her, it's like problems have drifted away when she is around. I snapped out of my train of thought from her voice.

"So what are you up to?" Luisa curiously asked.

“You've been following me and yet have no clue what I'm doing?” I laughed

I watched as she giggled to herself.

“Well if you must know, I'm going to the market.” I answered

"Oh fun, do you mind if I join you? No, not at all." Luisa asking and answering her own question.

“It's not like you were following me or anything.” We both laughed.

We were about there at the market, it was just a few blocks down. The whole time we laughed, talked and had such a wonderful time together. After a bit, we finally made it, and I pulled out the list first so I wouldn't forget anything that she needed, then I was gonna get some things for dinner after. I went over to grab a basket and Luisa saw me grabbing the ingredients for pasta.

"Hmmm, looks like you're gonna make something good, what kind of pasta are you making?" Luisa said while leaning over your shoulder.

"It's pesto, I'm making something for my family, it's something that I would like to do. Usually happens on every Wednesday.” I Answered.

“They must be lucky, cuz I heard that you're an amazing cook.” she smiled

“Yeah, lucky.” I whispered to myself.

I paid for the things, but had to wait on Luisa. She wanted a mango to snack on. We then both left the market and started to walk some more.

“Hey I still have some time left, do you maybe wanna hang out some more?” I asked.

I know that I was pushing how long I was out but I couldn't help myself.

“Yes! I have some time. How about we go to the lake and chill there?” Luisa said with excitement.

“Yes, it will Be fun.” I replied

With my basket in hand, we make our way towards the lake, located where the two moutians split.

"Well here we are." Luisa said as she was walking towards the lake.

It was a beautiful sight, let alone really peaceful. I sat my basket down and and went next to the water. There I saw luisa lift her dress just enough to put her feet in the water, ofc she had taken ber shoes off before hand. I decided to do the same thing. Taking my shoes off, I stood right next to her along with relaxing my feet in the water. I looked at the sunset and close my eyes, the sun felt so warm agiant my face.

“This feels nice.” Luisa spoke.

With my eyes still being shut, I agreed.

“You wanna know something?” Luisa said with a smile.

She took my hand and we sat down near the water.

“I used to come here all the time, for peace and for the lovely view, very few people came up here, which is why I found myself very calm.” Luisa spoke

She started to face me and gave me a warm smile. I felt my face getting alittle warm by her embrace towards me. I got alittle closer to her and rested my head on her shoulder.

“You always found a way to keep me at peace, I don't know how you do it, but when with you I feel, loved.” I said with a smile.

She looked at me and I could see her eyes wide opened and her cheeks a rosy red. I raised my head up from her shoulders and I couldn't help but have the same reaction. Silence filled the air, I leaned in without a second thought. She leaned into me, lips inches apart from each other. There was one thing that I wanted to do, and I felt that she wanted the same. I hurried to stop myself though, I had completely lost track of time, and I had to stop the moment that we had. I could tell that she wanted to continue.

“It's getting really late, I have to go before my parents get worried.” I said in a panic.

“Hey, hey, it's okay, I'll walk you home so you don't have to worry About Any Creeps bothering you.” She laughed off.

The look that they had after, had my stomach drop. I didn't want to stop what we were doing, but there's a reason why I had to and I don't wanna Lose my friendship with her.

We both grabbed our shoes and took our feet out of the water. I saw that she had grabbed the basket for me.

“you Don't Have to do that.” I said with a smile.

“But I want to.” She gave me an even bigger smile.

I couldn't help but get so red from her. We both walked down to the village, and it had gotten quite dark, we really did lose track Of time. It took about 20 minutes to get back, usually it took a lot sooner, but we couldn't help but talk and take our sweet time coming back.

“Well here we are.” I was beside my house as she handed me the basket.

“Hey, I really had fun with you today.” She grabbed my hand and kissed it.

“And I can't thank you enough for it.” She smiled at me.

I looked at her and sat there in silence. She hurried to let go of my hand and panicked.

“I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable!” She spoke worryingly.

Tbh I didn't hear a word she had said, I was Mostly thinking about what she had done. She turned around with a slight frown and started to walk off. I snapped out of my train of thought, and hurried to grab her arm. She turned around towards me in confusion.

“Is everything okay-”

I pulled her down to me and gave her a kiss. She was in shock, but in a good way. It took her a little bit to comprehend what happened. She finally caught onto it and kissed back immediately, she wrapped her Hands around my waist and pulled me In. I didn't want this moment to end.

After a moment we broke the kiss and all we did was look at eachother, so I couldn't help but go in for another. This time just a quick peck.

“I'll see you tomorrow.” I said Happily.

I rushed towards my house and went inside. I could tell that she had the biggest smile on her face. When I went inside I heard A big yelp of joy from outside, it made me giggle a little.

“Hey mom, I'm sorry it took so long, but I got the things that you wanted and food for tonight.” I spoke.

“Thank you baby, and don't worry about fixing anything, I'll make it.” She responded.

“Is everything okay, you love it when I make dinner.” I asked

“Yeah, everything's fine but there's something that we need to talk about.” She said with a frown on her face.

My stomach dropped when hearing those words from her mouth, usually when she ever had anything to tell me and she had to sit me down for it, it was never good.

“I'll go ahead and tell you now while your father is out. We both know that you're an adult now, and well your father doesn't like that you're not married yet.” She spoke.

“Wait, what are you saying?” I said as I could feel my stomach starting to drop.

“Your father had arranged a marriage for you.” She said very disappointed in herself.

“WHAT?!” I was furious.

“He doesn't have the right to say who I get to marry.” i was modified about all of this.

“Calm down hun.” She spoke gently.

“ I am Calm!” I spoke out of rage.

“Who is it that I'm getting married to?” Even though I didn't want to be in an arranged marriage, I still wanted to know who it was. I was interrupted by my father barging Into the room.

“So I'm assuming that your mother had told you what's Happening yes?” he spoke to me.

“Sadly, but why don't I have a choice who I get to marry? It should be my decision, not you!” I yelled.

He grabbed my face and looked at me with a glare.

“Well that's too damn bad, you're going to meet him tomorrow and you are gonna like it.” he jerked my face back and left the room and went back out to wherever he was before he barged in here.

I couldn't look at my parents anymore, so I ran up to my room and refused to look or talk to them for the rest of the night.

The Next Day…

I couldn't sleep at all that night, all I kept thinking was what my mother had said as well as my father. sitting Up from the covers I see a dress hanging up from my door. I couldn't even look at it, I will say that the dress was quite pretty, but the Occasion for it is what made it ugly. I heard my mother knock then slowly opened the door.

“Good Morning Ava.” My mother greeted me.

She leaned against the door with her Arms crossed.

“Look I know that you don't wanna do this, and frankly I don't want you to either, but your father is old fashioned and the man of the house, so whatever he says goes.” She said sadly.

“I know.” I felt a tear run down my face. I felt my mothers fingers caress my cheek.

“ Is there someone else? Might I ask.” She questioned.

“Well I wouldn't say that but, getting there.” I said quietly.

She gave me a little smile and nudged My shoulder.

“So who is he or she?” My mother chuckled.

“How would you know it's a she?” I said in a panic.

I felt her hand on my cheek.

“One thing that you must always know is That a mother always knows, no matter how hard you try to hide it.” She smiled.

I was at a loss for words.

“I'll tell you what, how bout you do this “date” with this boy, just to make your father happy and we will see what happens after, and I can see what I can do to try to get you out of this marriage.” She spoke.

I had to give it some thought, but she was right, I'm gonna do this just to get it out of the way and go from there.

“Ugh fine.” I replied.

“That's my girl, now hurry up and get ready, he should be waiting outside in 30 minutes.” she hurried to tell Me.

She went out of the room and made her way down stairs.

I screamed into my pillow to get everything out before having to get ready for this stupid date.

The dress was a pink strawberry dress, with a long v-neck in the front and with puffy sleeves. I did love it. I won't lie about that. I put the dress on, and let my hair down, it looked really good on me. With the dress I decided to wear my black slip on with it. Now I was ready, I stead of thinking about wearing this for some date, I decided to think of it as wearing it for Luisa. Now I started to feel even prettier now.

“AVA!” My mother screamed.

“He's here, hurry!” She yelled.

“I'm coming!” I yelled back.

I ran downstairs and really wasn't ready to open the door.

“Hello.” The man spoke out to me.

I looked at him with an uneasy look.

“Uh, hi.” I responded.

I didn't like this not one bit.

“You ready? I asked.

“Oh, I'm sorry, lady's first.” He said politely.

I will say he was nice but I already had my heart set. We both walked out and I just walked alongside him, not really Making conversation. He was quiet the whole time. It was kinda boring. From a distance I saw Luisa doing her everyday chores. I wanted to say hi to her, but I didn't want to ditch him. Yes I didn't Want to go out with him, but I wasn't gonna leave him stranded. I was raised better than that, so I just went about my day with him. As the day went on, we actually had a good time together. His name was Alex. He was fun to hang out with, he acted more like a brother that I never had before. We went to the Cafe that was a couple of blocks away from my house and sat down for coffee.

“So, what do you think of all of this?” I questioned.

“In all honesty, I never agreed to this, let alone I already have someone in mind,” he replied.

Him saying that gave me hope. Maybe if our parents found out that he already loved another girl then this can be all over and done with. I was way ahead of myself.

“Can you keep a secret?” I asked

“If it deals with murder then no.” he laughed.

“Nothing like that.” I laughed alongside him.

“ What If I told you that I had someone in mind as well?” I replied.

“oh?” He sounded curious, but in a good way.

“Alright here's the deal, if I tell you who mine is, you have to tell me yours, deal?” he pointed out.

“deal, now tell me!” I snapped excitedly.

He grabbed my shoulder and pointed my head towards where his love was at.

“ do you see that person, in front of that big blue house over there?” he asked

“ The one that's holding a flower?” I questioned

“Actually it's the one holding the shovel,” he corrected.

“Omg, you like him?!” I said with a grin.

I watched as he started to sink down the seat.

“Oh, so it is.” I teased.

I watched as his face turned red.

“Well in that case.” I told him to rise up on his chair to where he was sitting. I got a little closer and grabbed his shoulder like he did mine.

“You see that girl over there?” I asked.

“Which one?” Alex questioned.

“No, the girl, that is, picking up the church.” I said with excitement.

“Oh you're talking about Luisa.” He teased me.

“You know she's one of my friends and she does not stop talking about you.” He spoke.

“Wait, she does? What does she say about me?” I questioned.

“She tells me how cute you are, how pretty you are, how smart you are, like there's a whole list of things she says About You, like yesterday, she wouldn't stop telling me how much she wanted to make a move on you.” He said.

I sunk in my chair as he did before and covered my face with my hands.

“She did Ahhhh.” I whispered.

“What did She do??? Tell me everything!” He questioned.

Well before She Took me home, I wouldn't say she made the move, I did, I grabbed her arm and we shared a kiss.” I replied.

“That is way too cute , omg!”

“And speaking off, Look who's coming over this way now.” He teased me.

“Oh shut up.” I shushed him.

“Hey Ava! And hey Alex, whatcha you both up to?” Luisa questioned.

He turned around towards her.

“So you know that arranged marriage I was telling you about, yeah, she's the person that my parents wanted me to marry, this was her first time knowing about it.” He explained.

I looked down In shame for not immediately telling Her about this.

“My father kinda forced me to do this, and I'm stuck and don't know what to do.” I tried to hold my tears back.

“How about I go over there and talk to him while you and Luisa spend Time together.” Alex kindly interrupted.

“That sounds really fun.” I started to cheer up.

“Then you two love birds should Get going.” He spoke.

And with that me and Luisa went off together.

“So how are you handling all of this?” Luisa questioned.

“To be honest, I don't Like it at all, but, can we focus On the moment between us both?” I didn't want to be rude, but the marriage thing was really bothering Me and I just wanted the moment to be between us two.

“I completely Understand, and in that Case you should Follow me.” Luisa said in understandment.

She took my hand as she ran into the woods with me. It was a place where me and her could be together without anybody bothering us.

“Alright, now close your eyes.” She whispered.

She helped me walk wherever she was taking me.

“Now open.”

It was so beautiful, the sunset was shining from the water and everything was the best lighting.

“It's so beautiful Luisa, omg it's a perfect spot.” I looked at the sun.

“So uh, wanna try that kiss again?” She said teasingly while grabbing my Waist.

I wrapped my arms around her neck as she tightened the grip around my waist.

“I would love to.” I giggled.

We embraced each other as we shared a long kiss. Out of surprise she Picked me up in bridal style and kissed me once again. She kept swinging at me as she giggled her heart away.

The kiss broke and we looked at each other with such compassion.

“I never want to let you go.” She said with a smile.

“ I want you to be mine.” She blushed.

She kissed me all over the face and stopped once again to look at me.

“I've been Wanting to ask you something for a long time now.” Luisa said.

I looked at her as she put me down. She placed her hands on my cheek.

“Ava, will you be my girlfriend?” Luisa spoke in a shy tone.

A smile crossed my face without hesitation and I jumped onto her causing her to tumble to the ground.

“yes, a thousand times yes!” I screamed out. I kissed with passion and we laughed in-between kisses. Nothing could be better than this.

Time had passed and it started to get dark. We laid under the moonlit light with our hands locked together. It was a beautiful night and very peaceful.

“It's getting late, shouldn't You be home by now?” I asked.

“Yeah, but I wouldn't have been able to hang out with you for the rest of the night.” She pouted.

“You'll see me tomorrow though.” I said in a loving voice.

She rolled her eyes while laughing.

“I guess you're right.” as she still pouted. It was too cute.

She got up and helped me up from the grass. I was a little itchy from it, but it was worth it. She twirled me around as she helped me up, and caressed my face. She looked at me one last time before we had to part ways. I kissed hers before we left.

On my way home I kept on repeating that night over and over again. I felt blood rush up to my face. It was the best feeling ever. I finally made it to the house and took a deep breath upon Entering.

“Hi mom you would never believe-”

“Mom?” I called out.

I looked around wondering where she was. It was unusual to not see her in the house, it was rare that she ever left. I started to get worried and searched the whole house, not a sign of her. There was one more room that I haven't checked yet, and it was their bedroom. I was never allowed in there but I was desperate and didn't know where she was. I knocked and to my surprise The door opened, as if someone opened it for me. There I saw my father sitting down on the bed, with a look that was sinister look, he look furious.

“He-y, dad.” I struggled to say.

“Is everything okay?” I asked again.

“How was your date?” he Asked In a calm, demanding way.

“It was fun, we had a lot in common.” I tried to lighten the vibe.

He got up from the bed and looked me dead in the eyes.

“So you really had fun, didn't you?” he said once more.

I couldn't tell where he was getting at but I didn't like it.

I couldn't keep my eyes off of him, from the fear of him doing something if I did.

“Where are you getting at?” I managed to say.

“I think you know.” He said with an unsettling Smile. I watched as he grabbed his belt off the bed. He grabbed my arm with force and pulled his other hand back where it looked like he was gonna Swing at me. I screamed for A short second, and hurd the front door slammed open. He hurried to let go to see what the noise was. Only to back up when seeing a 6ft figure on the wall. He started to back up even faster when it looked like the figure was charging at him. There were too many things going on at once so I backed up alongside him. I ran into a corner and put myself into a ball, covering my eyes and holding my head close to me, hoping that whatever it is that's coming would soon leave. I heard muffled screaming, which sounded like my dad. So I still continued to curl up, and not look up. I heard my name being called from a distance.

“Ava, Ava, AVIANNA!” someone called.

I looked up to see Luisa bent down towards my level. She had tears rolling down her face, and my first instinct was to hug her. I didn't know too much of what was going on. All I could think of is that my mother was gone and I kinda went bat shit crazy on me. Luisa broke the hug slowly and looked at me to make sure that I was okay.

“Dolores hurd everything and alerted me as fast as she could, so I sprinted down here in seconds. Dolores and the others are still making their way down here.” She said in a worried tone and she was trying to calm herself from all the tears she was producing.

“I'm okay, don't cry, I'm okay.” I hugged her once again as she hugged me right back but slightly tighter.

“I think they are in here !” a voice called.

I looked to see the whole room filled with her family making sure I was okay. Luisa let go of the Hug once more.

“Why didn't you tell us that your father was doing bad things to you.” Dolores asked.

Luisa looked at me even more worried.

“He did bad things to you?” She turned back to dolores.

“Why didn't you tell me?” Luisa said a little More upset.

“I didn't know what to do.” Dolores said in shame.

“Hey everything's okay, I'm okay, look at me.” I demanded gently.

I had gotten Luisa to calm down Bit. I then saw her mother come running towards me.

“Are you okay, are You hurt?” her mom questioned.

“I'm not hurt, it's fine.” I said in a calm voice.

“Come on, let's get you up.” Felix and pepa came to get me up and standing once again.

They all left the house and on the way out I saw my father tied up to a chair and mouth covered with tape. I left him there, he put me through Hell my entire life. I held Luisa's hand in front of him and kissed her in such a loving way, her family was In awe at the scene and my father Looked furious. The whole family walked back to Casita and I hesitated at first but walked Alongside them.

As we walked in, the whole family gathered around me to make sure that I was okay and if I was hurt in any way. After a little bit they went off to bed after it was so late, and Luisa held my hand and guided me up the stairs into her room. As the door opened, it was massive, there was a huge Bed, I was in complete shock.

“Do you like it?” she asked

“It's huge.” I giggled a little to myself.

I could tell that what I had said put a big smile on her face. I went to sit down on her bed and kept replaying what happened.

“here.” Luisa had given me a shirt and sweats to sleep in. I took them and went into her bathroom to get dressed.

I knew they looked big when she gave them to me, but I didn't know it was this big. I went out of the bathroom and back into her bedroom. All I could see was her blushing and laughing at the same time. She thought that it was overly cute but hilarious at the same time. I couldn't help but laugh with her. After she had calmed down she looked at me with a huge smile.

“Did you want to borrow some of my sister's clothes? She asked.

“I should be good, I'm gonna go to sleep soon anyways.” I laughed to myself.

“ Well if you change your mind, her room is down the hall from mine, she should still be awake.”

she spoke.

She went into her bathroom to get changed. After a bit she came out with a surprised look on her face.

“So you decided to change huh.” She smirked.

I do admit that Isabella’s clothes fit better and we're more comfortable than Luisa’s. She made her way to the mirror and I watched her take the red ribbon out of her hair. It was so long, it's been a while since she had taken her hair down, it was pretty. I came up from behind her and combed my fingers through her hair.

“That feels good, don't stop.”

I smiled at that remark, she liked the feeling of my fingers through her hair, it was relaxing. She loves head rubs even more. I have her a kiss on the cheek

And made my way towards the bed, I watched as she laid right next to me and hugged me from behind. I could feel her big arms around me, I felt so warm and safe in her arms. And with that we slowly drifted to sleep.

Hours Went By…

“SHIT, MY MOM!”

Ava♥️! Luisa 💖!

Made little portrait of themm,

I really hope that you like it 🥰!

[fullmoonandstar]

*throws a carrier pigeon with a message towards you and then runs away*

Hi! Just wanted to say that I always enjoy reading your stuff about Raphael! You especially write his dialogue and his perspective very well. I actually come back to reread "Little Spoon" every now and then because it is soft and cute and I love how the devil-man doesn't even think to try to convince himself that he doesn't like it.

Thank you for writing what you have! I hope to read more from you in the future but I will also always be happy with what you have written and shared with us. Bye!

As a writer it's always so awesome to hear that people re read your stuff. Thank you so much 🥺

It often feels like I'm posting into the void so this really made my day and I don't have words to express my gratitude 🙏

I'm sort of in weird place atm. I lost my job and the job market sucks. I'm taking an online course on my own time now and I will start a Project Management course next month (that the agency for labor (?) pays for). My partner makes enough money so we won't go hungry or anything like that but it won't be as comfortable as it was.

Tangent: how do "men" expect women to stay at home when one (above median) salary is not enough to even cover two people? (My partner would love it if I made enough money so he doesn't have to work xD)

So, yeah, I haven't really sat down to write in a while. The only thing I have worked on were original stories but none of them have reached a stage where I can just write either. (They are fantasy and fantasy-romance stories, some even polyam/reverse harem bc I too want to be adored by multiple attractive men xD) It's fun to work on, especially since there is the possibility to self publish at some point in the future. Maybe I'll put some on my website a la Andy Weir.

TL;DR not sure when I will post fanfics again

Ps. Raphael & Haarlep zine will be out soon-ish when the layout is done

[cinemaseeker]

Let's Review: Barbie

FAIR WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD, READ AT YOUR OWN RISK

Barbie.

No other singular female name invokes quite as many various feelings, to such varying degrees, as Barbie. And very few names are quite as ubiquitous as Barbie (no really, name anyone you know who's never owned a Barbie at least once in their lifetime). And as with any ubiquitous entity, people are going to try and take their best shot, hoping to bring them down to our level.

Make no mistake, this movie is meant to reintroduce Barbie to a new generation of consumers. You will, more likely than not, want to buy a Barbie doll or other Mattel product either before or after watching this movie, either for yourself or for any child you know. This movie effectively serves as a mass market rebranding of Barbie, pivoting her from the poster girl for unrealistic body image/impossible feminine beauty standards to a vehicle for individuality and female empowerment.

Barbie is now all things to all people (anyone can be Barbie!), but all those things are still Barbie. However, as most of us know, a friend to all is a friend to none. If you are all things to all people, then you are effectively nothing, an empty vessel for others to project themselves onto. And indeed, even this new re-vamped Barbie can be validly viewed as a vapid vehicle for the consumer's own dreams and desires, leaving very little to no room for Barbie to have any dreams of her own.

And yet this movie still dares to ask: can a corporate capitalist product, whether it's a mass marketed toy or a Hollywood movie starring that toy, ever be a good thing, a force for positive change? Can subversive feminist messages stick stronger with audiences, especially its youngest and most impressionable viewer, if we cover it in a pink candy coating? Just give it a spoonful of sugar to help the medicine go down?

After all, this new Barbie now comes with her own existential crisis and has to deal with scary realities such as cellulite, aging, and *gasp* FLAT FEET (a hilarious bit of family-friendly body horror).

Not to mention a growing awareness of mortality.

To answer Barbie's question: yes. Yes, I do think about dying. We all think about dying at some point. And perhaps more importantly, our kids are starting to think about dying. I would not be surprised if there is even a single kid out there who has asked this question during playtime through their own Barbie. And for many good reasons. The world is a mess right now. Don't even get me started.

It feels like kids and adults alike are more anxious than ever and this new Barbie can certainly relate to that anxiety, even if it's not necessarily her own (it belongs to the girl playing with her). But it turns out that it's the girl's mom Gloria (America Ferrera) who's really struggling and needs Barbie's help, if only by using Barbie as a means of working through her own dissatisfaction as a working wife and mother.

This movie reminds us that we don't stop worrying about things just because we grow up. If anything, we find more things to worry about as we get older. But adults often don't get the same kind of comfort that we give to children; we're just supposed to suck it up and tough it out, but sometimes all we wanna do is stay in our rooms and play with our toys, just like we did when we were kids. Especially if we're girls, since the world is significantly much harder for us to deal with in a society that constantly polices and critiques girls and women (Gloria's speech about the impossible, and often double, standards imposed upon women is a highlight of the movie and should be required viewing for all humans)

But Barbie helps us feel like kids again.

Throughout the entire movie, Greta Gerwig and her team manage to recapture the joy of playing with Barbies with an obviously loving attention to detail. Barbie Land is that now-rare fantasy world that doesn't require a factual explanation but runs on a strong engine of internal logic that makes sense if you've ever played with dolls.

But enough about Barbie.

What about the men?

They're the ones who really have it rough here. Having to deal with all this girly stuff.

Now guys, this might come as a shock, but this movie might not be made for you in mind and therefore you may not get it. You may find yourself confused about why women in this movie are hogging the spotlight and not letting the men do anything important.

But, it's okay, don't worry guys, Ken's got you.

Barbie may be the star, but Ken gets the real emotional journey here. You see, he keeps getting friend-zoned by Barbie, who would rather hang out with her girlfriends and maintain her autonomy than spend the night with him. But once he follows Barbie into the Real World and discovers a magical society where men are in charge and women have to respect them, Ken brings some of these ideas back to the Kens in Barbie Land, thus subjugating all the Barbies to the awesome new patriarchal rule of "Kendom".

Now every night is guys' night.

Folks, go give bonus points to whoever had "Ken gets a villain arc" on their 2023 Bingo card. And while you're at it, add an extra 5 if they also included "Ironic use of a Matchbox Twenty song on the Barbie soundtrack".

Ken's story arc is a powerful reminder of why it's important to critique feminism when it doesn't work.

After all, Barbie Land's matriarchy may seem utopian at first glance, and may even be super inclusive to Barbies of all shapes and races and abilities, but ultimately it is exactly the same as our real world patriarchy, only gender-swapped, with women holding all the power and men being treated as useless accessories. This doesn't balance the scales, it just tips them all the way in the other direction. The only way to achieve true equality is for both men and women to have equal power in society. A conclusion that, thankfully, the movie reaches on its own by the end.

And although Barbie shouldn't have to apologize for not wanting to spend time with Ken or for prioritizing time for herself and her friends, I do appreciate that she was able to make things right with Ken without having to fix things with a kiss or kowtow to his desire to make her his girlfriend. Instead she helps Ken realize that he needs to figure out who he is outside of Barbie, cutting right to the root of toxic/fragile masculinity, which is usually the result of men with low self-esteem just wanting to be heard and respected.

But while Ken is hilariously drawn as a pouty, mostly innocent man child who just wants to be loved (ideally by Barbie), it's a lot harder to laugh off his antics when they result in the Kens actively stripping away constitutional rights and taking over the Supreme Court of Barbie Land. This moment especially should hit just a little too close to home and inspire us to take action.

Thankfully, this movie is not only entertaining and hella meta, but also serves as a practical instruction manual for how girls and women can deal with toxic men and take their power back, whether it's from men in power or obnoxious film bros who constantly espouse the virtues of films like The Godfather and the Snyder cut of Justice League (there's nothing wrong with enjoying these movies, just don't be a dick about it).

It has been a long, time honored tradition in Hollywood for "chick flicks", which is usually code for female-centered films, to be looked down on and mercilessly mocked while elevating more masculine movies to prestige levels. Hopefully Barbie will be the movie that helps us see that "chick flicks" can be just as powerful and impactful as "dick flicks" and then help us reclaim hyperfemininity in our fight against the patriarchy.

After all, would it really be the worst thing in the world if the revolution was not only televised, but also pink?

Listen, if you laugh during this Barbie movie and it happens to make you question and effectively challenge the patriarchy, then all the better.

So will Barbie be that radical watershed movie that inspires a whole generation to believe that the future truly is female or will it just pay lip service to a feel-good you-go-girl message while still maintaining the status quo?

As with any seed we plant, the best we can do is nurture it, give it time, then wait and see what grows.

Come on, Barbie. Let's go party.

[britswriting]

Fallen For You | H.S AU - One

Fallen For You Masterlist

Read on Wattpad

Description/warnings

Rancher!HarryxPlus-sized!OC

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🦋Delaney🦋

Finding out your crush for the past 5 years is finally working on your family Ranch almost sent me into cardiac arrest. 

The first time I met Harry, I knew he was attractive; but he was the new guy and I knew everyone would fawn over him. I mean, just look at him!

Dreamy hair, dreamy eyes, dreamy muscles.... but then I didn't see him again.

It wasn't until he moved to the Rickman's ranch that the feelings developed. I started seeing him anytime I had to deliver milk, or bread. 

Sure my feet might've dragged a little bit, or my gaze lingered just a second too long, but he never acknowledged it; having been too busy discussing things with Chase Rickman, and my dad.

For years my dad has been trying to get Harry to move ranches. Swindle Harry a good deal, tell him that he didn't have to be treated like meat and muscle for the strict Ranch owner or the Ranch owners daughters. The Rickman's were basically slave owners. The only difference is they paid well; something the rest of the town couldn't compete with.

Was a good paycheck worth being treated like shit? 

I sometimes questioned what Harry got out of it. Was being overworked and sexually harassed worth a warm bed and a good meal if you could get it from somewhere else? I question his integrity. His self worth and just how badly he needed a well paying paycheck. Especially in a town that ran off of getting ingredients from your neighbors.

The questions only rose when my dad burst through the kitchen door three weeks ago announcing he had finally gotten Harry Styles to agree to leave the Rickman's ranch with a few conditions.

1: He would have his own living quarters; meaning we had a lot of work to do.

2: He would have a warm meal each night

3: He would have one day off a week, preferably Sunday's which rose the question "Is he religious?"

"Mm! That's good, Laney." My twin sister Wrenlynn hummed, sneaking another swipe of my batter.

"Stop!" I whined, swiping the mixing bowl away from her, holding it protectively at my side. "It's not for you!" I scowled, turning to work at the other side of the counter.

"Yeah, yeah. It's for Mr. Cowboy." She teased, her smug grin painting a blush across my cheeks, my nose wrinkling as I shook my head. "Shut up! It is too!" She laughed, inching closer to me as I ignored her, "You know he doesn't mingle with his employers, right?"

"Good thing I'm not his employer then." I quipped back, "Dad and Grandma are."

"Be serious, Delaney! Don't embarrass yourself like the Rickman girls!" Wrenlynn warned as I spooned the brownie batter into an oblong cake pan. "Can I have the spoon at least?" She pleaded, sitting down on the backless black metal swivel barstool.

I passed her the spoon, shoving the pan into the oven as I set a timer, Wrenlynn speaking up again, "Come on Laney. Don't be mad at me."

"I'm not mad." I mumbled, taking a deep breath, turning to look over at her, my voice fell soft, "You compared me to the Rickman's."

Allison and Natalie Rickman were girls around our age who lived two ranches over from us. Their dad had coaxed Harry to work for them and word quickly traveled around town at the disgusting things the girls did to get his attention. Things like making off handed sexual comments, to walking by windows naked where he was working. How can Wrenlynn compare me making him brownies to practically shoving my tits in his face?

"Delaney, I didn't say you were the Rickman's. I said don't be the Rickman's."

"I'm not!" I frowned, "I just made brownies. What's wrong with that?"

"Nothing's wrong with making brownies, Delaney. It's just... you've done a lot." She noted, "You worked your ass off in that guest house with mom. I mean, Mimi said you were barely at the market lately! He's just another stupid boy, Delaney. Don't bust your ass for a guy who won't care."

"You don't know that he won't care." I argued back, shrinking a little when Wren tossed me a look. "Okay, okay! This is the last thing I'll make!" I swore, insecurity creeping up as I scanned the plethora of baked goods I made. "To be fair, some of these are for the market!"

"How many are for the market?"

"Uh.." I chewed on my lower lip, scanning the baked goods.

"Delaney! He's gonna be diabetic if you give him all that! We're out of flour and sugar ya know?! Pick one that you give to him, the rest needs to go to the market."

"How can I pick just one?! What if he doesn't like it?!" I worried, Wrenlynn groaning.

"Oh my god, it's not that serious!"

"It is too! First impressions mean everything, Wrenlynn!"

"Delaney! He isn't going to remember you at all!" She shouted, my eyes widening as my lips parted, Wrenlynn quickly matching my expression. "Delaney..." She said softly, tears welling up in my eyes and I nodded, trying to pull myself together.

"No. You're right. It can all go to the market." I mumbled, slipping past her and quickly pushing open the wooden storm door, hearing it slam behind me as I b-lined it down the path to the guest house only to abruptly stop, the sight of Harry and my dad conversing near the barn causing my breath to hitch.

I can't meet Harry like this!

I quickly spun around on my heel, coming to a halt again when my mom walked out the kitchen door, some sort of envelope in her hand.

"Delaney!" She grinned, "Come on, sweetheart! Let's go meet our new rancher." She urged, her hand grabbing my own as she pulled me with her.

"Mom! Please! I don't think that's a good idea!" I rushed, tripping over my own feet, struggling to keep up with her quick strides.

I could feel her eyes roll from a mile away, and before I knew it I was standing right in front of my crush, flushed cheeks and all as my father began to introduce us.

Oh god.

"Harry, this is my wife Theresa, and daughter Delaney." My dad pointed at us both as he said our name, Harry giving us a curt nod as my mom greeted him.

I stood there awkwardly until my moms big fat mouth opened again, "She's spent the past few days setting up the guest house, so if you have any questions about where things are, feel free to ask Delaney. I'm sure she'll be overjoyed to help you!"

Oh my god. Overjoyed? Really mom?! Can the ground just swallow me whole?

Might as well just tell the man I've been in love with him since I knew what a crush was!

Harry gave my mom another curt nod, focusing back on my dad.

Literally kill me.

"Feel free to get settled in tonight and we can start fresh tomorrow," Dad said. "Delaney will take you to your guest house." Why me? Dad turned to look at me, "Delaney, you have the key, correct?" Oh. That's why. I quickly nodded, swallowing the saliva that began to accumulate in the back of my throat as I looked away from the gorgeous man.

Harry was in some long — yet tight in all the right places — blue Jeans. They appeared worn at the knees, the material that covered his thighs had a tinge of brown brushed across them. Some slightly heeled ‐ what I can only assume to be cowboy boots, and an all white loose fitted shirt bunched up slightly at his belt buckle, raising an eyebrow from me. Why would you wear white? The fabric hugged his arms and pecks in a delicious way that caused my eyes to linger, before it became looser at his waist.

His dark brown hair in messy waves at the top of his head, appearing to be slightly damp. God imagine him showering... all wet with water dripping down his naked body; his hands running through his slick backed hair before grabbing his shampoo... When he turned to face my dad, I noticed his sides appeared to be recently shaven to give more of a faded look. My mouth watering all over again at the idea of running my hands through his curls, or leaving a lipstick mark against his fade—

Moms hand waving in front of my face cut my thoughts short as I heard, "Delaney? Earth to Lane!"

"Hm?" I hummed, feeling my face heat up as I felt his green eyes laser locked on me, a scowl etched into his godlike complexation.

God damnit Delaney.

"Please take Harry to his guest house," she said, and I swallowed yet again, nodding as I turned around to walk to what was now his residence on our ranch.

I peaked over my shoulder, seeing he was still standing with my parents; "Are you coming or not?" I yelled out, catching a quick glimpse of his eyebrows scrunching before I looked away, picking up my pace as my stomach began to whirl.

You did not just yell at him, Delaney! What are you thinking?

"First impressions mean everything" as you yell at him!

Stupid stupid stupid

"Already bustin' my balls huh?" His raspy voice made me jump.

God he walks fast.

"What?" I gasped, snapping my neck to look at him, the two of us walking in strides down the loose gravel path.

"You're bustin' my balls already" he repeated, his rich, buttery smooth drawl with the smallest undertone of rasp as he began talking, made my knees wobble.

"What do you mean?" I asked, worried I've already screwed the entire family over because I stupidly snapped at the devilishly handsome man.  

I so badly wanted to sit on a soft picnic blanket sprawled out in the luscious green grass field, his head in my lap as I played with his hair, feeding him strawberries and enjoying the beautiful sunshine and the sunkissed warmth that'd leave a beautiful golden tan imprinted on our skin. 

"First you daydream, and then yell at me as if we weren't all waiting on you." he snickered, my stomach clenching, a pit forming in my throat. 

Shit. Does he already think I'm annoying?

"Oh.. uh, sorry," I muttered. "I tend to um.. tune my dad out when he talks ranch stuff. You grow up around it, it's all you hear. Can get boring at times," I admitted. 

You did not just say that to a rancher, Delaney!

I couldn't help but mentally scold myself as I continued to fumble over everything I've told myself not to do. 

The silence began to get loud as my brain began to race.

Am I talking too much? Should I ask him about himself? Or is that a bad idea? and what does he mean by busting his balls? I wasn't giving him a hard time... right? Shit. was I? Delaney! You can't go bossing around the guy you've had a crush on since he moved into town! Dad will have my neck if I drive this boy away by my annoying habits after how much effort was put into getting this godsent rancher to occupy our now guest house.

"You're doing it again." he hummed, pulling me back into reality.

"Sorry um.. well.. this is uh, it." I stopped in front of a quite literal tiny house.

Silence was truly my worst enemy, and Harry Styles screamed it.

Was it too small? Did he want better? What were his previous ranchers' guest houses like?

Maybe he had those silk sheets royalty used, and those amazing thread count pajamas. Something so truly magical that this place looked like a pig's den to him. 

I eyed my crystal clear windows that I spent far too long washing, the fresh coat of white paint along the trim of the front door. Mimi and I even went out of our way to get a clean welcome mat outside the front door.

I thought it looked nice.

I mean, it looked better than it used to look. It was never really occupied, it was more so used as another storage shed all up until about two weeks ago when my dad dropped the news that Harry was officially and finally our new ranch hand, sending my family into full panic mode as we began to prepare for him.

The entire town knows how much of a pain in the ass he is. I mean, he's one of the best at what he does, which made up for how much manual labor we had to put into our ranch, making sure it was up to his standards by the time he got here. I've never seen my dad so stressed, or my grandma for that matter.

Finically, we couldn't risk it being anything but perfect. Harry leaving wasn't an option. 

"So is this just something you do? Space out so we can get nothing done? It's incredibly annoying," Harry stated. "Can I just have the key, and you can leave me alone and go daydream somewhere else?"

Oh.

It's incredibly annoying.

and you can leave me alone.

Go somewhere else.

Way to go Delaney. Took all of 10 minutes before you've gone and pissed him off. 

I wish I could say that was a new record.

"Sorry" I murmured, slipping the key out of my jean jacket, handing it to him. I watched him step up to the door, pushing the key in, "You have to shove it in and kinda push upwards. It uh, gets stuck sometimes. We'll fix it, promise." I instructed, my chest tightening when I heard him huff, attempting to follow instructions, a minute passed and he was still unable to open it. "Do you need help?" I offered.

I watched his shoulder blades tense under his shirt as his body stilled, an audible gulp being heard from me as my stomach fluttered, watching him struggle.

We're toast. This is it. This is his final straw with me—

"You fucking do it." He grumbled, leaving the key in the lock as he stepped away, standing behind me which his arms crossed over his chest.

I took the key out, pushing it back in, shoving it up and giving it a slight wiggle... oh, I guess I forgot that part, and twisting it to unlock it, the door opening.

"This shit is getting fixed tonight." Harry warned, shoving past me.

I apprehensively walked in with him, the floors practically glistening from their recent wash.

I placed the key on the white counter next to the door, Harry's muddy boots walking right across my freshly cleaned floors.

I cringed.

Hold your tongue, Delaney.

"This it?" He asked, turning to face me as he stood in the makeshift living room.

"Uh.. yeah. I uh, I know it isn't much–"

"You're fucking right it isn't." he scoffed, shaking his head. "Is there even a fucking bed in this dump?" He asked, or.. stated? I wasn't sure.

Dump?

I frowned, looking around our freshly cleaned, painted, and detailed guest house.

What was wrong with it?

Sure it was small, but I didn't think it was a dump.

I'd argue it was nicer, and much more up to date than our own farmhouse. 

At least this place had instant hot water unlike our farmhouse.

There's nothing quite like ending the day, covered in sweat, dirt, and god knows what else, having to wait 15 minutes on a good day for the hot water to MAYBE reach my shower. 

"The uh.. couch.. has a pull out bed." I started, watching his eyes quickly turn into a glare, "There are these uh.. stairs." I slipped off my shoes at the little mat in front of the door, careful not to slip on the clean floors in my socks as I walked to the door by the bathroom that was on the opposite side of the living room, a small set of low stairs leading from the bathroom door, "It's a loft like space? The ceiling is pretty low.. but I mean, you could put a mattress up there." I finished, my left hand resting on the rail as my right foot propped up on the step.

"So there's no actual bed." he stated, not bothering to even make it sound like a question.

This man was a ticking time bomb and I held my breath awaiting the explosion.

"There's a place to sleep." I shot back, getting frustrated by how much he was putting down all our effort to make this space nice for him.

Surely it was better than the horse barn we could've tossed him in. There was a loft up there that we stored extra hay bales in for winter. I'm sure he would've been a lot more comfortable in the hay than the suggested pull out couch at this rate.

Harry met me at the stairs, practically squishing me against the wall due to the lack of room as he began to climb the stairs, already crouching as he reached the third step.

"Jesus christ," he grumbled.

"Watch your head!" I called out right as there was a thud followed by a hissed out curse word. "You okay?" I called, climbing up the stairs only to have a full view of Harry's ass, my eyes landing on his back jeans pockets. "Going up?" I questioned, backing down a few stairs as Harry turned around, one stair away from being back where I started.

"I fucking can't. This place is so fucking small, I don't even fit!" He groused, my lips tugging up into a small smile when his forehead creased.

"You crawl," I snickered, Harry narrowing his eyes at me.

"I'm no bitch baby, I'm not fucking crawling."

"Fine. Then don't use it."

"It's not even fucking useable, Delaney!" He exclaimed, my eyes widening slightly at the sound of my name falling off his lips for the first time, a frown beginning to take over when I realized how much aggravation his tone had when he said it.

"It is usable. I used to play up there all the time as a kid," I argued back.

"Yeah, as a fucking kid. Try being a six foot man." He grumbled, climbing back down the stairs, once again pushing me against the wall on — what I'm hoping to be — accident, walking back to the front door. "This simply won't fucking do." he huffed, opening the door and walking out.

My feet quickly carried me after him, snatching the key and whipping the door open, awkwardly running after him, wincing every time a rock impaled my foot as he marched towards my father. 

"Harry! Please! Wait!" I yelled, beginning to pant due to how out of shape I was.

Running was not made for me.

"—It's too fucking small!" Harry told my dad, running over to him like a tattling toddler as I caught my breath, catching the tail end of whatever Harry was telling him.

"It is not!" I huffed, my dad eyeing the two of us like he used to eye my siblings and I when we'd argue over something stupid.

"Mr. Styles may I remind you you're a 28 year old man?" Dad said, Harry quickly jumped in, "That's right! A fucking 28 year old, six foot two, man who doesn't fucking fit in that rabbit shack!"

"You're being unreasonable!" I argued back, shocked where all this boldness came from.

One second it's beautiful brown curly hair I can't help but want to run my fingers through and next I'm ready to send his ungrateful ass packing back to the Rickman's.

Screw him! I worked hard on that place! 

"I HIT MY HEAD ON THE FUCKING CEILING!" He shouted, both my dad and I's eyes widening. My dad bringing his hand to Harry's shoulder, "Harry–"

"I warned you!" I defended, Harry's nostrils flaring, his lips parting as my dad quickly beat him to the next said word.

"Harry, we aren't made of money unlike the Rickman's. The girls worked hard to make that rabbit shack a home and meet as many of your demands as possible. We would've given you the guest room in the main house — I don't know if you recall but one of your demands was your own place. It was that or the barn, and if it isn't good enough then you need to get off your damn high horse and learn you're not worth emptying my pockets for like that. I'm already wearing myself thin with you; when I shouldn't have to. If it's that big of a problem, go back to the Rickman's where they sexually harass and overwork you — the whole town knows, Harry." My dad explained when Harry gave him a quick alarmed look, "If you as much disrespect my family or my animals, your ass will be strung on the damn hook in front of town. Do you understand me?" Dad warned, Harry's jaw tight as he nodded, turning around on his heel and quite literally stomping back to the rabbit shack.

Dad turned to me, asking, "Are you alright?" And when I nodded his eyes narrowed at me, "Now Delaney Nicole Fallen, you are 26 years old. You are old enough to know better than to start some bullshit with the rancher! He's here to help us. He has his problems, we knew that. I'm not saying be a pushover, but you also need to pull it together and figure out how we're going to fix it; rather than drive him away! I know I told Harry he needs to get off high horse but you know just as much as I do how much we need his help. Can you try and make this transfer easier, please? I've already paid him his first check. That's a lot of money to lose out on just for his ungrateful ass to go wandering back to those cock suckers—"

"Dad!" I shrieked, my cheeks flushing at his foul language. 

His eyes rolled, "You know what I'm saying." he said, myself nodding, "Wren will take your place at the market whilst you show Harry around on the farm, alright?"

"What? I thought you were doing that?" I questioned, completely blindsided by this new task I was given.

Surely he isn't just tossing me into the wolves with my crush, right?!

"I have to go to the Fosters and help with their hoof maintenance on their horses. I was supposed to be their yesterday, but you know Mimi and all her fucking shenanigans," He huffed, "Could barely find time in my day to eat let alone go a few ranches over and help out."

I nodded, my lips pursed, "So I have to do what?"

"Show Harry the reins. How we do things, how we use our animals. Has Louie already been a little shit?" He asked, myself chuckling as I shook my head.

Louie was my mothers' beloved long haired brown chihuahua. He was our only dog that didn't have a single job on the ranch but to be a pain in everyone's ass; and he did it well.

"Louie is with Grandma."

"Good, keep that ankle biter away from my rancher before he tries to run for the fucking hills again. I just need him to know where things are, and Morgan is busy at Gavin's family's for the weekend. I'm not asking for much–"

"He hated my house, dad," I reminded, offended that he thought this was a simple task.

Not only do I now have to be in close proximity with a guy who I've liked for far too long, but I've also gotten first hand experience with his notorious asshole attitude that hits just the right switch in me to make me forget all about his godlike appearance.

"Lane, if he truly hated it, he wouldn't have stomped back to it. He would've marched his overly expensive cowboy boots back to the Rickman's. Don't take his bullshit to heart, alright? Whatever he has going on isn't worth losing sleep over. Just make sure he's taking care of everything properly. You'll need to feed the dogs and cats. Harry said he won't do that," Dad informed me, my jaw dropping a little.

"What?! Why?"

"He said it wasn't a part of his job description." my dad's eyes rolled again, my brow furrowing.

"It is, though?"

"I don't fucking know, Delaney. I just know I love those rascals more than I should. Speaking of, their grooming appointment was made on Tuesday. You and Keegan need to help your mother wrangle them up. Also, tell Harry that means he'll have to take over the dogs jobs with the cattle and sheep whilst they're gone." he reminded me and I nodded, my hands stuffed in my jean pockets when I felt something metal.

Shit, his key

Before I could even process what I was holding, the sound of cowboy boots dragging against the gravel got louder.

"You locked me out of my own fucking house." he grumbled, glaring at me.

"No. I grabbed it so you didn't lock yourself out of your own house." I shot back, the key now in hand.

"Whatever. Let me in so I can get this shit over with." he huffed, not waiting for a response before turning around to walk away again.

I turned to my dad, my jaw tight, "I don't care how pretty his toned abs are, or how helpful he is on this ranch. I'm ready to murder him, I swear to god." I warned darkly, dad chuckling with a head shake.

"Breathe, Delaney. You'll make it out alive, promise. Now go let him in before he busts a window."

* * * *

Written on: July 18th, 26th, 28th, August 6th, 7th, September 8th, 2023, July 24th 2024

Published on: September 8th 2023 Republished: July 29th 2024

Word Count: 4.2k

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