#quality wise i'm ready to move on

[spiritualitygeek]

PAC | Your 2024 In A Nutshell

Disclaimer:

This pac is for entertainment purpose only. I am not liable for any actions or decisions taken or made based on the information presented in the reading. The interpretations and insights are subjective and open to individual perception. Please use your own judgment and intuition when applying the messages to your life or situation. Thank you!

Pile 1

Cards: 6oP rx, QoW, 2oC

With the Six of Pentacles in reverse here, I'm seeing your financial situation hitting rocky roads in 2024. You need to reassess your generosity or be cautious with resources. Refrain from spending or investing thoughtlessly. And most importantly, do not lend money. To anyone be it family or close friends.

Moreover, with the Queen of Wands I see you embodying a strong, charismatic energy, hinting at your ability to take charge and make bold decisions. This is particularly great if you're looking to move out or start a new venture. Or maybe start a new course? Degree? College?

I'm seeing you getting out of your comfort zone and taking charge for doing things that you've been scared till now. Most of y'all might be introvert or would turn 18 this year?

The Two of Cups here indicate deep connection, possibly in relationships or partnerships. Again, I'm seeing you start something new where you'd meet new people and collaborate with them. If you're a student, you'd enrol in college or if you're looking to start new business or anything for that matter. But in my humble opinion, you're gonna find your soulmate this year. It can be a best friend or lover? But you'd surely click with this person like nobody else.

To sum up, in 2024, you may encounter financial fluctuations, urging you to find a balance between giving and receiving. And so, it's highly advisable to approach any challenges with confidence and passion, embracing your leadership qualities. You may as well end up making meaningful connections which are going to last a lifetime. Be it professional or personal.

Stay attuned to your financial choices, ensuring fairness and caution. Embrace the Queen of Wands' boldness to overcome obstacles. Nurture connections, fostering collaborations that bring joy and fulfillment. Remember, balance and confident decisions will be your allies in shaping a rewarding 2024.

Pile 2

Cards: KoW, 6oS, 7oS

In 2024, you're likely to embrace the leadership qualities of the King of Wands, making your way through any situation with confidence. The Six of Swords points to a journey, both physical and metaphorical, indicating positive movement and growth.

However, be cautious of potential challenges or deceptive elements as the Seven of Swords are telling me there are people who are going to backstab you or feel jealous of your growth. When you're growing, and acing it all with confidence and grace, it's natural to attract envy of anyone. Be extra wise and careful with people you keep close. Not everyone has your best interest at heart.

In a nutshell, your year is likely to be a balance of bold decision-making, adaptability during transitions, and a discerning eye to avoid pitfalls. I must say, 2024 is gonna be your year pile 2. Fasten your seatbelts and get ready for the ride. You're gonna enjoy this one.

Although, it's advisable to trust your instincts always, in the face of your problems and in your connections. Sometimes it's important to keep your guards up against certain people. Regardless, you indeed have what it takes to overcome obstacles and lead yourself towards positive change.

Pile 3

Cards: KoS, 5oP, QoS

In 2024, you're advised by the King of Swords to approach challenges with logic and clear thinking. The year ahead requires you to use reasoning over emotions. Because situations would require it with the five of pentacles here. There may be temporary setbacks, a lot of rocky roads throughout the year, but nothing that can't be managed. You may feel often than once that it's too much. You can't bear it. Or that things never go as you wish. Well, they won't. If I'd be honest. This is why you need to stick to reasoning over emotions, to address financial or emotional concerns better. Just because things aren't going the way you want them, doesn't mean they're going to hit a dead end. There's always a door that leads to a better outcome than what you imagined or wished for. Just stop resisting the best by insisting for good. Because that'd lead you to settle for worse.

The Queen of Swords is here for you to guide you with her decisive and perceptive qualities to cut through any confusion and make informed choices. Take this message to your heart and make your mind right now. You won't give up. You won't complain. You will keep pushing! Because things will get better. And you will get the best if you stop resisting what universe has in bags for you.

Overall, be patient and practical in 2024. The year may not be your best year, but it'll indeed be a stepping stone to the best years ahead. Have faith! Don't be a quitter. Be a fighter.

You can overcome any obstacles with a combination of intellectual clarity and emotional resilience. Utilize your analytical skills, address challenges systematically, and make decisions with a discerning mind. Maintaining a sharp focus and clear communication with yourself will be essential in navigating the year successfully.

Thank you all for taking the time to read my pac. I hope the insights resonated with you and provided some guidance. If you found this helpful, I'd be grateful if you consider following me for more spiritual content and future tarot readings. Wishing you all love, light, and positivity on your journey! ✨

- With love, Snow ❄️

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[deandoesthingstome]

Holiday Angel

Pairing: CEO!August Walker x Fem!Reader

Word Count: 18K; Um. You’re welcome? Get some snacks and water.

@fvckinghenrycavill asked nicely, so I'm releasing this earlier than planned. Also, I think @mayloma might be waiting patiently?

Warnings: age difference (m 40′s, f 20′s; it’s your best friend’s dad for god’s sake), mention of cheating, mention of phone sex, masturbation (f), light!dom (m)/sub (f), praise kink, lingerie, oral sex (m and f receiving), fingering, p in v sex in various positions, protected sex, light bondage, spanking and ass play; if this doesn’t sound like something you’d be into, I won’t be offended if you scroll on by

A/N: Let's be clear: I've only seen MI:Fallout once. I really only know August from Tumblr. This is an AU, where he is not a traitorous anarchist. I also am not comfortable writing a strict dom, so please take a softer August than you may be used too. Additionally, you are a US college Junior in this story (21-ish). Don't worry, I'm not 21 either. Trust me. It's okay. This is a fantasy.

I've also been extremely self-indulgent here. You're gonna see some names you might recognize. You might wonder what college you go to, where in the US you are, or what year it is. I have taken many liberties. Please absolutely enjoy them. (And if anyone was following along with this post, you may notice a scene change. Trying out my inclusivity options.)

And I have a Spotify playlist I used for various scene inspiration if you're interested.

Disclaimer: I don’t own August Walker (could anyone really tie him down?), but I do own these words and this story. Do not repost as your own. Likes, Reblogs, and Comments are more than welcome. It’s how I get my nourishment.

Header by me. Dividers by the ever wonderful and giving @firefly-graphics.

You dropped the Blue Book for your last final on Professor Marshall's desk and skipped out of the room with glee, suppressing the urge to turn back and grab one more mental image of the grumpy professor for the road.

Christmas break was officially on!

Gemma was waiting in the loading zone outside McKinney Hall, her brand new Audi packed with both your bags and ready for the five hour road trip home.

"Bitch, what took you so long?" she teased, knowing you were actually a little early. You had breezed through the test and ran back to the dorms to meet her. She handed you your favorite iced coffee indulgence, a special treat for making it through the week.

"Let's hit it!" you shouted, turning up the volume on the Spotify playlist Gemma had primed and ready to go.

You swapped driving duties halfway, stopping at a drive-thru to grab french fries to supplement the cut fruit and snacks you packed for the trip.

"God, I am craving salt right now!" Gemma exclaimed.

"Auntie on the way?" you sympathized.

"Yesss," Gemma groaned. "And Mikey wants to meet up first thing when he flies in on Sunday. God I hope she gets lost on the way!"

"How's that been going? Long distance and all."

You were glad you and Gemma had decided NOT to room together again after the fiascos of Freshman and Sophomore year. It was only through the saving grace of several grueling classes that kept you library or study group bound for a good portion of the time that you had been able to overcome the petty drama.

It was Gemma's father who had actually suggested she move off campus alone this year and you were pleased to find a lighter class load that allowed you to spend more quality time with your childhood best friend without wanting to rip her face off every five minutes. He was so wise, that Mr. Walker.

But living apart kept you from knowing every single detail of each other's lives, so the drive was a perfect time to catch up on the minutiae.

"It's been weird, honestly. I mean, hooking up last summer was totally unexpected. I can't believe he finally let Chelsea go, but what a fucking night that was!" Gemma squealed as you tamped down your jealousy.

Everyone in high school had the hots for Mike, and you were no exception. But Gemma caught his eye at the last hurrah before heading back to college this past September and, well, girl code. Even if your tastes in men hadn’t already started changing, he was off your list forever now. Especially because he had actually seemed hellbent on making a true go of it with her, promising nightly calls that unfortunately turned weekly as the semester dragged on.

"He's seemed a little distant lately. Distracted. That missed call on Halloween really had me questioning everything he said about giving us a shot. But he's been making it up to me. The phone sex..."

"Stop. Please. I don't want to hear about him slapping one out over the phone," you laughed.

"He sounds so sexy when he comes. Long distance or otherwise."

"Ugh, god. Stop!"

"What? Like you don't love it too! What's up with you and Charlie?"

"Fuck him,” you scoffed. “D'you know, I caught him with Brigette?"

"Your roommate Brigette?"

"Yup. Right before finals started. I need to find a new living situation for next semester, stat!"

"God, why didn't you say something??? Are you okay?"

"I'm surprisingly fine. Things hadn't been so hot lately and honestly, I just don't think he's for me."

"What, missionary all the way?"

You both laughed until the tears were running.

"You should've seen his face when I asked to be on top once. It was like I killed his dog or something."

"Jesus, yeah. You're better off. You need a real man," Gemma declared.

You laughed again, but it came out with a hitch in your throat. A real man was right.

"What was that?" Gemma asked.

"What was what?" you feigned innocence, and held your breath.

"You laughed like you're hiding something. You got a thing going with one of your professors?"

You exhaled as normally as possible. Easy enough to fib your way out of this one with an opening like that.

"God, nothing's going on. But have you seen Professor Marshall? I alternately congratulate and kick myself for choosing a criminal justice major. That man is so fine to look at," you let out a whistle. "It's distracting!"

"So I've heard. Think it's too late to switch majors?"

"Why would I?"

"Not you, silly! Me," Gemma laughed.

"Your father would be so disappointed if you didn't finish your business degree. Who's he gonna leave the company to?" You winked at her, knowing she wanted nothing to do with it. She was only playing along, hoping to find a college boyfriend that would be able to keep her in the lifestyle to which she was accustomed.

You didn't think Mikey was it, but hey. Neither your circus nor your monkeys. You chatted for a bit longer before Gemma dropped into a light sleep. Girl could never last in the car as a passenger on long drives. The hum of the road put her out if she wasn’t in charge of driving.

While she slept, you thought about Mr. Walker. 

When did this infatuation start? You’d met Gemma, and by extension Mr. Walker, in 5th grade after your parents had moved across town and into a new school district. Mrs. Walker had already passed and you don’t know why Gemma’s father never remarried, but you also never saw or heard about him bringing a woman home to meet her.

In high school, when you really started paying attention to boys, you began to notice how good looking Mr. Walker was. But the most you ever hoped for was to meet a boy who would grow up to be as handsome. It wasn’t until lately, when some of your college professors had piqued your interest, that you began to fantasize about him, too. This might be a long week.

You pulled up the scenic drive and parked in front of the Walker residence around 8pm. Gemma blinked her eyes opened and stretched before getting out of the car.

"You sure it's okay I stay here until my parents get back?" you leaned over the gear shift to call out the door. "I can't believe they scheduled a whole house reflooring right before Christmas and then skipped town on me to boot."

"It's totally fine. Dad's probably gonna be busy 24-7 at the office so we'll have the run of the house. And thank God for heated pools!"

You kept your mouth shut, knowing if you showed any interest at all in why Mr. Walker would be so busy this close to the end of the year your face would probably melt off from the heat you felt every time you thought about him lately. Let alone the image of him in swim trunks in the pool. Or not in swim trunks.

Gemma leaned back into the open passenger door and you snapped out of it.

"Coming?"

You turned your whole body to open the driver door, desperate to hide from her the wanton desire you were sure adorned your face. Coming, indeed.

You both grabbed your bags from the back seat and headed up the pristine sidewalk towards the stately mid-century modern mansion Gemma called a "house". The thing could host a Hollywood premiere party and was decorated with such understated glamor you wouldn't be surprised if it would play backdrop to such a party one day. Or maybe a movie set.

The tall, rich wooden door had a thin vertical metal handle stretching from a quarter of the way down the right side, stopping a quarter of the way up from the bottom. A warm glow streamed through the large panels of windows stretching across the front of the house and exposing the elegantly decorated Christmas tree in the front living room surrounded by sleek, minimal furniture.

When Gemma finally tapped in the key code and opened the door, you stepped into the flagstone entryway and smiled at the white lights nestled in the pine garland covering the banisters of the floating stairs leading up to the master bedroom and sitting area loft, then down to the basement holding several guest rooms, the fitness and media rooms, as well as Gemma's room.

Another couple guest room suites could be found on the main entry level along with the custom gourmet kitchen and pantry, dining area, mud and laundry rooms. You knew Mr. Walker's home office was somewhere on this level as well, though you'd never dared venture down the hall to find it. He’d always made it very clear it was off limits. 

You were dying to sink into the oversized conversation couch that surrounded the sunken floor of the family room in the back of the house and stare off into the fire or out the back windows onto the deck overlooking the pool but Gemma called for you to follow her downstairs first.

"I have to get out of these clothes and then we'll DoorDash."

"No need, sweetheart." Your heart stopped as you heard the deep voice call from upstairs. "I made dinner, it's just warming in the oven. I'll get plates ready for you both, so hurry settling in."

"Dad! I thought you'd still be at the office!" Gemma exclaimed, dropping her bags and heading to the landing to give her father a hug and turning her head away to accept his kiss on the cheek.

"Well, I couldn't let you two eat cold takeout. They can never keep it warm on the drive out here." He turned, letting go of Gemma and opening his arms to you in what should have been a normal welcoming gesture if you hadn’t just been fantasizing about him half the ride home. "Good to see you again."

You suppressed a flustered squeak and pressed your lips together to stifle the drool, thankful Gemma was now behind her father and couldn't see your face as you reached for the hug. But he could. Did. For sure. Fuck.

"Thank you so much, Mr. Walker. That's very kind of you," you managed to reply while trying not to inhale his scent too deep.

"It was nothing," he let go of you and stepped back, slipping his hands slowly into the pockets of his dress slacks.

Were you staring at his muscular forearms, visible below the line of his crisp, white rolled up sleeves? God, you were. Get a fucking grip.

"We'll be right back, Dad. Thanks."

Gemma led you downstairs and sent you off to your regular overnight room down the hall from hers. You were grateful both rooms had their own bathrooms so you didn't have to pass her on your way to splash cold water on your face.

How were you going to survive these next few days before your parents came back with your aunt, uncle, and cousin for Christmas? Gemma wasn't wrong about needing a real man. You'd put up with immature boys all through high school.

Once you started college, a series of gorgeous, educated older men led your lectures over the last few years and your desires had slowly shifted. It really was no problem that Charlie had cheated on you. Perfect opportunity to drop him and move on to something more meaningful. And hopefully someone more experienced.

Has Mr. Walker been in your sights all along? No. No way. But here he was now. It wasn't right to think about him this way, but fuck he looked good tonight, that fluffy curl hanging down and that porn 'stache. What else could you call it? He even had a little of the scruff you'd really enjoyed seeing on Professor Marshall. You wondered how it would feel between your... You heaved a sigh. This can not happen.

You splashed another round of cold water and then dried your face, swapped your jeans for light cotton joggers, and then climbed the stairs to join Gemma and her dad in the dining room.

"There you are," Mr. Walker announced, standing at the head of the table with a bottle in his hand. "We thought you'd gotten lost." He flashed what felt like a knowing smirk as you froze in your tracks.

"Dad, don't be daft. She knows her way around the house." She turned to you from her seat to the right of her father and motioned to your usual guest spot across the table from her, to the left of Mr. Walker.

"Oh, let me have my fun, Gemma. Would you girls like some wine?"

"'Girls', dad? Really?"

"What would you prefer?"

"Ladies?"

Mr. Walker chuckled as he picked up the bottle and poured two glasses of wine.

"Right then. There you go, ladies."

He tilted his head to the side and glanced at you as he split his arms and passed the glasses over by the stems. You did your best to grab the bowl, but his fingers shifted up slightly as he released your glass. You heated again as they brushed the back of your hand and you took a sip immediately, trying to cover the pleasure that had to be apparent on your face.

You set the glass down and picked up your knife and fork, preparing to dig into the plate of luscious looking food in front of you. You took a bite and tried to suppress it, but a groan slipped out of your mouth as your eyes rolled closed. You closed your lips and chewed the fork-tender meat, marveling at it melting away in your mouth. When you finished swallowing, you opened your eyes to find Gemma staring at you, mouth agape.

You turned your head to find Mr. Walker's piercing blue eyes trained on yours as he leaned casually against the arm of the oversized dining chair.

"Enjoying it?"

You blinked and remembered where you were, who you were with.

"Mr. Walker, these short ribs are divine!" you declared. 

"Jesus. You act like you never ate a home-cooked meal before," Gemma snapped.

"Sorry, I just," you shook your head to clear the fog. "I mean you’ve always been a great cook, I've just never tasted anything like this."

"It's good, right?" Mr. Walker asked. “I’ve been expanding my repertoire lately.”

"It really is. Oh my god I'm so embarrassed! Gemma, I'm sorry. That was..."

You stared at her across the table with a silent plea, your eyes begging her to say something, anything. You were about to give up completely when Gemma burst into laughter, tears streaming down her face.

"You absolute freak!" she laughed and you let out a breath and laughed with her.

You kept your shit together during the rest of the dinner for the most part. But Mr. Walker poured another few glasses of wine and you could feel yourself getting tipsy.

"I think I need to head to bed, but do you need any help in the kitchen, Mr. Walker?" you asked.

"No, but thank you for the offer. Be careful down those stairs." Did he wink at you?

"See you in the morning!" Gemma called, with a lightness that told you she had well and truly forgiven the awkwardness of just an hour or so ago.

You peeled off your thin sweater and discarded your bra, leaving just a lacy camisole and your joggers. You pulled back the thick pile of covers on the bed and were about to climb in, when a wave of thirst overtook you.

You opened the bedroom door and stepped softly into the hall. The Walkers always kept a mini-fridge stocked in the media room down here. You froze as you entered the doorway.

"Oh, Mr. Walker! I was just..."

"I thought you might want a bottle of water for your nightstand."

You exhaled a small laugh as you both spoke at the same time, but then froze again as you watched the way he held the bottle. Low, at his hips. One hand on the base, the other fiddling with the cap.

" Wh..where's Gemma?" you practically whispered, unable to get your voice to cooperate suddenly.

"She's finishing up the dishes. I’m sure she'll be right down," he replied with a firm, confident tone. "Did you want this?"

He gave a slight nod in the direction of his hands, where you saw he was now tipping the bottle back and forth, before finally offering it to you with an outstretched arm and hand gripped firm around the plastic form.

"Here. Take it."

You nodded and reached for the bottle, once again trying to avoid his touch. Once again finding your fingers brushing against his.

“There you go.” 

Your stomach dropped along with his voice as you realized what a terrible idea staying here was. There was no way you were going to be able to hide your desire from Gemma if her father was going to keep acting like this. Time stood still while you tried to move something, anything. Your eyes away from his. Your mouth to say thank you. Your feet to head back to your room.

"Let's get you back to bed," he stepped forward, turning you with a hand on your shoulder, then sliding that hand down your side to your waist and guiding you down the hall.

He stopped at the door frame, pressing you gently into the room. You almost moaned at the loss of his touch as you stepped out of his reach and sat on the edge of the bed, finally finding your voice.

"Thank you, Mr. Walker."

"Sweet dreams." He absolutely winked at you. Fuck.

He pulled the door shut, leaving you all alone with the crazy feelings stirring inside you. This is your best friend's father. You reclined back in the bed. Snap out of it. Girl code isn't just about boyfriends. Pulled the covers over you. Besides, he's like, twice your age, at least. Stared at the dark ceiling, while your fingers shifted under the covers and down your belly. But the way he looked at you tonight. Slipped a hand past the waistband of your pants. He wasn't just being polite. Tentatively touched the heat between your legs.

He was flirting, there was no denying it. Maybe you could have written off the hand brush at dinner, but he was showing off with the bottle of water. He wanted you to look.

You swirled a finger gently through your folds, gathering the slick and spreading it around. You thought about his mischievous grin, his tailored pants, and his strong hands before plunging two fingers deep inside, pulling them back out slowly to circle your clit.

"More," you whispered to yourself, then obliged with fingers deep again, arching your back for better positioning.

"Right there," you moaned quietly, letting the fantasy circle around your head. You pumped in and out, curling deep to find your sweet, spongy spot while you toyed with the idea of letting him touch you.

"Please," you begged, pressing a thumb against your clit, twitching with anticipation. You couldn't wait any longer.

You pulled your slick fingers from your clenching walls and focused all your attention on your clit, rubbing tenderly while you imagined his mouth on you.

"God, Mr. Walker!" you gasped, finally reaching your peak. "August," you whispered, rolling to your side and clasping the blanket close around you while you worked to slow your heart rate before drifting off to sleep.

You woke late on Saturday. It was 10 am when you looked at the clock. The floor to ceiling blackout curtains had really done their job.

You skipped the shower, even though you craved one after the long drive and your private activity the night before. Instead, you just washed your face and wrapped a thin robe around yourself before heading up to find breakfast. Gemma was sitting at the kitchen counter typing away on her phone, empty cereal bowl in front of her.

“Oh, good. You’re up! And you didn’t shower already, perfect. Grab a bite and then let’s hang in the hot tub this morning. I have a kink in my neck from that car ride I need to work out!”

You poured yourself a bowl of cereal and mug of steaming coffee and took a seat in a low back leather barstool next to Gemma. She let you eat in silence while she finished her text conversation.

“Ugh,” she exclaimed, slamming the phone on the counter. “I can’t believe Mike got put on shift at the end of finals week.”

“That why he couldn’t get home already?”

“Yeah, says it’s like a right of passage for all new bartenders at the club. Business is light, but they schedule you with a threat that you’ll lose shifts the following semester if you don’t stay to serve the stragglers and the few locals who pop in the bar once the college crowd clears out for break.”

“But he’ll be home tomorrow, right?”

“Yep. You done?” She watched for your nod. “Well get changed and let’s hit the tub.”

You headed back downstairs to your room and fished your bikini out of your luggage. After changing, you threw the curtains aside and pulled open the sliding door leading to the heated pool deck. Gemma must have had her suit on under her robe because she was already soaking by the time you stepped outside.

You slipped into the bubbling water, immediately grateful for the suggestion. The warmth began to work on your own tension you hadn’t even realized you were holding and you let out a little moan.

“I hear you on that,” Gemma stated. “I hate long car rides! They fuck with my spinal alignment.”

“Yeah, this water feels so good.” You closed your eyes and tilted your head back against the side of the tub, sinking as deep as you could without dipping your face in the water. You snapped up when you heard the splash and blinked your eyes open to see a figure skimming under the water from the far deep end of the pool to the shallow end closer to where you sat in the hot tub.

When Mr. Walker popped his head above water and hung on the side of the pool to say good morning, you were ever so grateful for the steam hiding any lust in your eyes. 

“Hey dad.” Gemma turned from her spot to face him. 

“Are you ladies getting in the pool this morning?” he smirked.

“No, I think we’re just gonna soak and then go veg in front of the TV for a bit,” she replied, hanging off the side of the hot tub.

“Alright, well, I’m headed out to check on a few sites this afternoon. Should I plan on you for dinner or have you made other arrangements?” Mr. Walker asked.

“Dinner here sounds great, dad. Thanks.”

Gemma turned back to you as you watched Mr. Walker duck back into the water and begin a series of laps. You fluttered your eyes closed so she couldn’t see how blown your pupils were, watching him first speak with Gemma and then propel his body through the water. God, he was practically naked over there. You were practically naked over here. You leaned your head back again to pray for relief.

When you both felt loose and relaxed enough, you climbed out of the hot tub, grabbing an oversized towel from the lidded basket next to the pool to dry off. You were just bending over to reach your lower legs and feet when you heard the splash of footsteps on the pool stairs.

“Right then, that’s me done. And don’t you two load up on snacks while I’m gone. You’ll spoil your appetite.”

You held your breath as he leaned next to you to grab a towel, another mysterious smirk on his face as he rose to face you. You stood and pulled your towel up your body, pretending to wipe non-existent water from your face just to avoid any further eye contact. His body was amazing and his wet swim trunks were clinging to his thighs. If Gemma caught you staring, you were done for.

When it felt safe, you lowered the towel from your face and watched him pad up the staircase leading to the main level before entering the house. Your heart was beating a million miles per hour, but luckily Gemma was already heading inside herself.

You showered finally, then donned some comfy loungewear and joined Gemma in the media room where she’d already cued up Netflix.

“Ready to binge The Witcher?” she asked. “They just released the new season last night.”

“Ugh, that man could raw-dog me all day and night!” 

“Where is the lie???!!!???” she laughed with you.

You grabbed some water from the mini-fridge, doing your best to ignore the scene from last night that popped into your head as you settled into an oversized, reclining theater seat. Gemma paused the autoplay on the third episode and asked if you wanted some lunch. You were hungry, alright. But yeah, a sandwich sounded good.

There were still at least 3 more episodes of the season left, when Mr. Walker called down around 6.

“I’m starting dinner now. It’ll be ready shortly.”

“We’ll help,” Gemma called and flipped off the tv. You both headed upstairs to the kitchen. Gemma began to set the dining table, so you sat at the kitchen counter and asked what you could do.

“You could prep that basil for me,” Mr. Walker replied. “Here, like this.”

You watched rapt, as he proceeded to show you how he wanted you to tear the leaves gently into small pieces. When he was sure you had it right, he drizzled some olive oil in a large shallow saute pan and waited for it to warm before tossing in two packages of gnocchi. 

He stirred them around for a few minutes and when he was satisfied by their state, he ladeled them out into a serving bowl. He scooped out a few and offered them over the counter to you and Gemma. You each plucked a warm, crispy potato pillow from the spoon and you sighed when you popped it in your mouth, happy that Gemma was making the same noise and you wouldn’t be called out this time. Something about food with Mr. Walker was becoming increasingly sensual to you.

He added some more olive oil and then butter to the pan, waiting for it to melt before pouring in the heirloom cherry tomatoes he’d asked you to dry off from the colander in the deep sink. He sprinkled in some salt and gave them a quick stir, then turned to the open the fridge, pulling out a bottle of wine.

He poured three glasses set on the counter and pushed two towards you and Gemma with his fingers pressed on the base of the stems. Then he raised his own glass.

“I’m glad you’re home, sweetheart,” he tipped his glass to Gemma, and then toward you. “Both of you, of course.”

You took a small sip, watching over the rim as he did the same and you held your breath while your eyes trailed along his throat as he swallowed, hoping Gemma didn’t notice you staring. 

The three of you chatted amicably, while Mr. Walker stirred the tomatoes in the pan until they began to burst, at which point he dumped the crispy gnocchi back into the pan. You watched in awe as he lifted the heavy pan with one hand and gave it a good toss, shifting it back and forth with subtle little wrist flicks that nestled the gnocchi into the simple sauce. Then he stirred in some fresh mozzarella pearls and some of the hand-torn basil, giving you a wink of thanks, before popping the whole thing under the broiler. 

He asked Gemma to carry the salad and offered you the last pour of wine before sending you off to the dining room with a fresh bottle. Seated at your usual spot, you piled a moderate amount of the bubbly dish onto your plate, inhaling the heavenly scent of basil and tomato. Mr. Walker raised an eyebrow as he held a small bowl of shaved parmesan in your direction. When you nodded, he held the dish for you while you sprinkled the cheese over your plate, eyes watching you the whole time. The fact that he simply turned and handed the bowl to Gemma to let her hold it while she sprinkled her own cheese was not lost on you.

The white wine wasn’t affecting you the way the red had the night before, so once dinner was over, you and Gemma helped clean up and then headed downstairs to finish out the season before going to bed. 

You woke yourself up in the middle of the night with your hand down your pants again, teasing your slit while you recalled the dream. 

A rugged man with long silvery hair helped you down off his horse and led you to a blanket in a clearing near a steamy pool of water. From a small bowl, he plucked a tiny ripe tomato with his fingers and gently pressed it into your waiting mouth. You sighed as the tomato burst when you bit into it and shivered when he bent over to lick the juice running down your chin with the tip of his tongue before pressing you to your back and holding you down with a heavy kiss. You whispered his name into the night once again as you came. 

“August.”

In the morning, you peeled the covers back and stretched your way out of bed. The pleasure of the mid-slumber release you gave yourself last night still tingled in your mind. You showered and dressed, then climbed the stairs again searching for Gemma and hopefully breakfast, missing that her door was still closed. You stopped short seeing Mr. Walker alone in the kitchen.

“Good morning. Did you sleep alright?” He spoke with a suspicious tone. It was like he knew. How could he know?

You swallowed and tried to find your voice. “I did. Thank you.”

“Coffee?” He held the french press up and grabbed a mug when you nodded. “I have a frittata here, too, if you’d like some.” 

“Yes, please. Smells amazing,” you inhaled and closed your eyes slowly, remembering the meals from the last few nights as well. “You’re a really good cook, Mr. Walker.” 

“I certainly try,” he winked at you. “So what do you two have going on today?”

“I don’t know. Mike gets in this afternoon and I think Gemma wants to meet up with him.”

“Will you be joining them?”

You blinked and swallowed. How do you tell a father that his daughter is probably going to be getting railed six ways to Sunday tonight, so no, you wouldn’t be joining them?

“Uh…”

“Morning!” Gemma’s cheery greeting broke the tension and you were thankful you didn’t have to tell Mr. Walker that the reunion tonight was for Gemma alone. She gave her father a peck on the cheek and poured herself a cup of coffee.

“Gemma, sweetheart, are you meeting Mike tonight?” Mr. Walker asked.

“I am!” she grinned.

“Alone?”

“Yeaahhhh…” she answered, just short of shy. “Sorry dad, I probably should have said something earlier. But you can handle a night without me, right?”

Mr. Walker stared at her for a moment and suddenly all the tension was back in the room. He had to know what was going to go on tonight. How could he not?

“I’m sure I can figure something out. But please, be safe.”

You pursed your lips and widened your eyes as you turned away from them. Was he saying what it sounded like he was saying? Did he have no illusions about the extracurricular activities of his one and only daughter? Sure, she was of age and he had to know what she got up to away from home, but still. If you had to tell your parents you were going to be skipping a night home with them to get it on with your boyfriend, you’d probably melt into the furniture.

“Always am,” Gemma exclaimed cheerfully. 

“Alright, well, I’m off. I have some work to finish up here and then a few more site visits to make today.”

“On a Sunday, dad, really?”

“We’re very close to closing this deal and it has to be done before the end of the year. I want to be sure the due diligence is correct so I don’t get stuck with a billion dollar dud when everything is said and done.”

“You’re obsessed.”

“About the things I care about, why wouldn’t I be? You two have fun today. Gemma, I suppose I’ll see you tomorrow?” He raised an eyebrow at her.

“Not before you get home, unless you’re not going into the office tomorrow?”

“To be determined.” He gave you both a short goodbye wave and headed out.

“Awk - ward…” you sing-songed, once you were sure he was out of range.

“Ugh, I know. He’s not stupid. I mean, he knows I’m active, but it’s still a little weird being so forthcoming with him about it.”

“Has he ever had anyone…” you asked before you could filter the thought.

“I mean, you’re here all the time when I’m home. Have you ever seen him bring a woman around? I know he’s dated over the years, but no one’s ever good enough for him. They never last so he never wants to introduce us. It’s a little sad, really.”

You nodded in agreement.

“Do you want to have a swim and sit in the hot tub for a bit again this morning? Mikey’s flight gets in at 3, so I was hoping you and I could head into town for lunch and maybe some shopping and then you could drop me at his place and drive my car back here. Unless you want to meet up with anyone, of course.”

“Sounds perfect. I’m honestly just looking forward to another veg fest tonight.”

You changed into your bathing suit and slipped a robe over top, then met Gemma on the heated pool deck. 

“I can’t get over how warm it is right now! Clearly no hope for a white Christmas.”

“I know! Air’s still a bit chilly, but yeah, sucks. I’d love snow for the holidays,” you replied, dropping your towel on a lounge chair and untying your robe. You slid the fabric off your shoulders, and stepped down the stairs into the warm, salt water pool. You let your body acclimate a bit before dipping your head completely under and pushing off the bottom to glide to the far side in one breath. When you surfaced, you grabbed a hold of the side of the pool and realized Mr. Walker was standing at his office windows, staring down at you.

He held your gaze for what felt like a moment too long, then turned away, presumably toward his desk, but impossible for you to see his face. Which, to be honest, was fine because for a minute it felt like he was going to burst through the windows and eat you up.

The splash as Gemma broke the surface next to you snapped you out of your reverie and she tugged you back from the side, urging you into an easy lap race. You swam back and forth the length of the pool about twenty times before stopping back at the shallow end.

“That all you got?” Gemma called, crawling away toward the deep end again. 

You stared after her, but let your gaze raise to the windows. His window. You could see nothing inside from this far away, the light tint blocking everything. But you knew he was there. Was he still sitting at his desk, typing a memo? On the phone, arranging an international meeting? Or was he back at the window, watching you with his hands in his pockets, struggling not to touch himself? Or fuck, maybe he was touching himself. You sank under the water before Gemma could reach you again.

“Hot tub?” she asked, when you bobbed to the surface.

“Hot tub,” you agreed.

You lounged in the even warmer, bubbling water for another 15 minutes or so, sending the last of your finals week jitters packing. This semester was over. Your relationship was over. There was nothing more you could do about your performance for either scenario. So you closed your eyes and let it all go with a sigh.

“There you are.”

“What?” you opened your eyes as Gemma spoke.

“You’ve been on edge. I know you said you didn’t care about Charlie, but something’s been bothering you. You just look so much more relaxed now. You good? Still okay about the plans for tonight? I don’t mean to leave you all alone, but…”

“I’m gonna be so good, Gem. Don’t worry about me. Let’s go. I want to see if that pop-up shop is still around. They have the cutest jewelry.”

“Yes!”

You found the store you were looking for and bought a few new pairs of earrings. A long, thin drop chain pair and some geometric hoops, asking the clerk if you could wear the gold bar threaders out of the store. You also found a necklace for your mom and some jade bracelets for your aunt. Christmas shopping halfway done.

Gemma pulled you into a lingerie shop next. 

“I wanna get something sexy for tonight.” She tried on a few outfits and picked out a few for you to try on too.

“This is silly. I don’t have anyone to wear this stuff for anymore.”

“Oh, just wear it for yourself. Don’t you just feel luxurious in silk?”

You agreed and bought the dark blue, high cut silk romper with black lace trim and white flower print. It was maybe the sexiest thing you ever owned. And you were single. Awesome.

You and Gemma walked arm in arm to your favorite lunch spot, grabbing a table on the heated patio. You giggled conspiratorially together about how her evening with Mike would go, making sure you cut her off before she got too graphic. You did not want the details. Those were private, no matter how much Gemma liked to brag.

You hit a few more shops after lunch, nabbing a new sweater for your dad, a book from your uncle’s favorite author, and some art supplies for your cousin. You just had stocking stuffers left, so you hit up the candy shop after dropping Gemma at Mike’s.

You pulled Gemma’s car into the garage and let yourself into the basement to drop your bags down in your room, figuring you would just stay hidden and out of Mr. Walker’s way for the evening. But your stomach rumbled and you realized lunch had been hours ago. 

Before you could make it upstairs, you were distracted by the sounds of grunting and staccato smacks. You peered into the gym to find Mr. Walker throwing jabs and punches against a heavy bag. His back was to you and your mouth watered as you watched his shoulders and traps tense and ripple with each hit. From the amount of sweat dripping down his back and soaked into his tank and shorts, he’d clearly been at it for a while. He was shifting his feet back and forth in a little sparring dance and you were about to get caught out as he rotated around the bag. But you simply couldn’t move.

Mr. Walker had just pumped his arms preparing for the next hit as he rounded his target. He grabbed the bag to still it when he noticed you staring.

“Everything okay?” he asked, chest heaving.

You cleared your throat and suppressed the urge to turn and run.

“Everything’s, uh …just fine,” you smiled at him. “I was just on my way to grab a bite and heard the ruckus in here.”

“Sorry to sidetrack you.” He trained an intense stare on you, head tilting to the side. “But I was just about done anyway. If you don’t mind waiting, I can whip up something after I grab a shower?”

“That would be amazing, thank you Mr. Walker. Anything I can do to help get ready?”

He strode toward you now, grabbing a towel from the bench to wipe the sweat from his face. You watched rapt as a damp curl bounced back into place on his brow. 

“If you want to open a bottle of wine, feel free, but no need to do any heavy lifting in the kitchen. I’ve got it covered,” he winked at you with a devilish grin. Suddenly his hand was at your neck, fingers gently caressing the chain hanging from your ear. “Are these new?”

You swallowed and nodded, unable to respond.

“They’re pretty.”

“Thank you,” you practically whispered, trying not to sink to the floor before him.

You excused yourself and made your way back upstairs, wanting to simply escape his commanding presence and seek out a snack to tide you over. 

“Don’t spoil your dinner,” he called to you in the kitchen, his footsteps heavy on his way upstairs as well.

You sat with the banana you’d plucked from the fruit bowl and pondered the scene. 

Would he strip down in the bedroom or the bathroom? Would he stand under the rushing water for a bit and let the warm water loosen his muscles, hand against the wall, head hanging down? Did he touch himself? He had to touch himself, but did he use a bar or gel? Loofah? Washcloth? Or was he just running his hands all over his body now? How did he dry off? Towel over his head to shuffle those curls? Or bend over and get the legs, drying up the body first? Maybe he started with a swipe across his chest? Did he wrap that towel around his waist or just bare-ass it into the closet for a pair of sweats and a t-shirt? Barefoot? Slippers?

“Are you going to eat that?”

You jumped and dropped the banana that you hadn’t even taken one bite of to the counter.

“Oh, Mr. Walker, you startled me,” you gasped.

“You did seem rather in deep thought there. Anything I can help with?”

Why you expected him to be in a ratty pair of sweats and a t-shirt you’d never know. Mr. Walker had donned an elegant pair of loose linen pants and simple cashmere turtleneck sweater that did nothing to hide the muscles he’d been training just half an hour ago. He looked delicious.

“Here,” he reached for the as yet unpeeled banana, “let’s just put this away and get you something more substantial, okay?”

You made some light small talk about your recent semester and watched as he breezed around the kitchen, pulling out packages from the fridge and heating pans on the stove. In a mere matter of minutes he had turned a burner on to boil water and chopped asparagus, tomatoes, broccoli, and yellow peppers. When the water bubbled just right he tossed in a bag of fresh cavatelli. He asked about the rest of your Christmas plans while he sauted the vegetables in a fragrant lemon sauce. After draining the pasta, he tossed it in the pan along with a bit of pasta water, stirring to thicken up the sauce before adding some lemon zest and grated parm. Boyfriends? He asked as he ladled heaping portions into two wide flat bowls and set one down in front of you at the island.

“Thank you, Mr. Walker,” you said as you picked up your fork. “No, not anymore.”

“Please,” he rested his fists on the counter across from you.”I want you to call me August.’

“Okay. August,” you replied, as a jolt of pleasure raced through you straight to your cunt.

“Good girl.”

You closed your eyes and sighed, hoping it was masked as the enjoyment of the bite you took. August Walker wanted you as much as you wanted him. There was absolutely no doubt. When you opened your eyes, his icy blue stare greeted you while his mouth pulled into a sly smirk.

He lounged against the counter across from you, dish in hand, lifting bites of pasta to his mouth and chewing while he listened to you try to explain why it simply wasn’t working out with the men at college. It seemed to you that his breath got deeper with each failed relationship.

“I don’t know,” you sighed, licking an errant drop of sauce off the corner of your mouth. “It just feels like they aren’t really into it.”

“Into what?”

“Well, me. I guess. Into what I want.”

“And what do you want?”

“Something more…” you took a deep breath to stifle the jitters. You were about to proposition your best friend’s dad. “Passionate.”

His eyes widened ever so slightly, brow raised in surprise as if he did not expect that to be your answer. He set his plate down, abandoning the last bite, and slipped his hands in the pockets of his pants. And watched you watch. Yeah. He knew. Saw it the minute you walked in the house two days ago.

You dropped your fork to your plate and slid your chair back, standing to move around the island. 

“Can I help with the dishes?”

“Are dishes what you really want to be doing right now?” he quirked an eyebrow at you.

“Not really, no,” you stepped closer, heart pounding in your chest. “August.”

He pulled his hands from his pockets and placed them against your cheeks, fingers wrapping around the nape of your neck, but with no pressure at all.

“So, listen. I want you to be really sure about this,” his eyes darted back and forth as he searched yours for any hint of doubt, even as you nodded. When he found none, he bent to kiss you. It was gentle at first, a simple touch, then a swipe of the tongue to ease you open and slip in. The mustache tickled your nose and the scruff felt exactly how you imagined, how you wanted it. You let your mouth fall open and welcomed the gentle probing of his tongue.You whimpered when he pulled away.

He considered you then, for what felt like an eternity before he placed a thumb on your lips and tugged down to your chin then slid his digit into your mouth and pressed down on your tongue to gather whatever moisture was available. You closed your lips around his thumb and rolled your eyes back up to him, sucking slowly on his thumb and daring him to pull it out.

He huffed and sneered and pulled his thumb from your lips and tilted your mouth back up to meet his lips crashing down on yours again. When he released your mouth, he licked his lips and then turned you so he could guide you out of the kitchen, down the hall, and up the stairs to his bedroom. He sat you on the edge of the bed and you stared up into his ocean-deep eyes.

“My god you are an angel, aren’t you?”

You shivered and gasped, then released your breath slowly. He smirked again.

“You like that? When I call you an angel?”

“I really do,” you whispered.

“Good. Then whenever you’re with me, alone, you are my Angel. Is that okay with you?”

“It is.”

He smiled at you then and pulled his sweater over his head leaving him bare chested in front of you. You raised a hand as if to drift your fingers through the bed of fur covering his chest and tapering down to his stomach. But he stopped you. Grabbed your wrist with one hand and tilted your chin to him with the other, holding your gaze steady and peering deep into your soul to confirm his observation. It was written all over your face. You wanted him to tell you. You wanted him to give you permission. You wanted to hear him say yes. So you asked.

“Can I touch you August?”

“Yes, Angel. You can.” He released your hand and face and you proceeded to touch him. You slid your palm up his stomach to his chest, your fingers snaking through his hair. He heaved a sigh, then placed his hand on your wrist again and pulled you up to standing. You peered into his eyes, bit your lower lip and slid your palm back down, turning your hand so your fingertips hit his waistband first, sneaking under the fabric.

“You sure you’re ready for that right now?” he asked, placing his hand on your wrist for the third time this evening. “I think you might want to rethink that.” He put your hand over the bulge in his pants so you could feel not only how hard he was already but how large. He was silently asking you if you’d ever had a lover whose cock was as big as his and you paused for only a beat.

You knew exactly how you wanted to start. “I’m a thousand percent sure,” you grinned salaciously up at him.

His nod was practically imperceptible, so determined not to let you see how your eagerness was affecting him. How would it look if he were losing all control?

You licked your lips and brought both hands to the drawstring tie, loosening it slowly, then dragging the fabric carefully over his engorged cock. You sat back on the bed as you pushed his pants down his legs, never once letting your eyes leave his.

Not until you were ready to take him in hand did you drop your eyes to drink him in. It was the most glorious sight you could imagine. Long, thick, hard. Jumping slightly as you touched the underside with your fingertips, then settling the weight into the palm of your hands. He had not been wrong at all. No other man you’d been with could compare to his size. And you had absolutely no doubt he knew exactly how to wield it.

You were hypnotized. Even if you’d wanted to look back into his eyes to ask permission before you took him into your mouth, you simply could not tear your gaze away. Your hunger evolved into something more now, and you leaned forward, tucking your tongue under the head while your lips wrapped around him.

You knew there was no way you’d be able to take his full length inside your mouth, but you wanted to try. Wanted to show him you were willing. You gathered your spit and let it glide your mouth over his cock, past the bulbous head and as far down the veiny shaft as you could manage. With a hand firmly gripped around the base, you held him in place while you moved your mouth up and down, letting your tongue drag and circle. You could do this for hours. He might have let you. But the minute you let his tip hit the back of your throat, causing a small gag reflex and a few tears to well in your eyes, he pulled you off.

“Not yet. I’ll have you undone, but not yet.”

You blinked the tears of pleasure quickly away, confused. Charlie had always loved to come in your mouth, knowing an early release would allow him to last longer with you.

“Was it not alright?” you questioned, unsure now if all those boys had been lying when they said you were the best.

“Oh, Angel. It was divine. Do you see how fucking hard I am for you? And you’ll do that again for me. I’ll insist on it. But I want to drink you in myself, first.”

He asked you to undress. You were suddenly reminded of your spur of the moment purchase and would give anything to put yourself on display in it for him. He sensed your cautious excitement, but mistook it for hesitation.

“What is it, Angel? Are you having doubts?” he asked in a gentler tone than he’d been using since you arrived in the bedroom.

“No, August. Nothing like that. I just, well…”

He furrowed his brows at you and urged you to finish your confession.

“I mean, I want this, but I really wasn’t prepared for it to happen. And it’s embarrassing to say, but I have something I’d love to put on for you. Can I do that?”

His relief shifted to a wolfish grin, as he nodded and shifted out of your way. “Please don’t take too long.” He took himself in hand and began to slowly stroke. “I don’t want to take care of this myself.”

You nodded eagerly and rose to stand before him. It took every ounce of restraint not to sprint from the room in an effort to return to him as quickly as possible, but that didn’t feel dignified. You weren’t going to start acting like a schoolgirl in front of August Walker.

Your legs carried you purposefully through the house to your room where you undressed, put your hair up, and quickly showered. After drying off, you fished the romper out of the shopping bags on your bed, tore off the tag carefully, and stepped into the silky piece. Gemma was right, it felt so very luxurious. 

A shock of cold rushed through you. How would you ever face Gemma after tonight? It wasn’t as if you’d been scheming for this to happen. But you weren’t saying no, either. You wanted this so badly. Another deep breath. You’d just have to deal with the consequences later. There was no way you were stopping now.

You searched through your luggage for your long, white crochet cardigan with the front tie. You decided to brush your teeth quickly and took a few extra minutes to dab some of your favorite perfume along your neck and wrists. A makeup touch up seemed useless at this point, but you did fix your hair.

You took a final look at yourself in the mirror and blew out the breath you found yourself holding. This was happening.

You climbed the stairs with purpose, noting the low seductive music drifting from the top floor. You smiled at the thought that August liked to use sound to get into the mood as well. You stopped at the door to his bedroom, just as he was coming out of his own en suite, clothed now in a pair of dark blue silk pajama pants that did little to hide his ongoing erection.

“Oh Angel. I thought you’d gotten lost again,” he teased. “Come. Let me look at you.” 

He reached out his hands as he moved across the room toward you. He grasped one of your hands and raised it over your head, twirling you around once slowly then dropping your arm as you came back around to face him and tracing his hand down your throat and chest, toying with the bow at the front of your sweater.

“Is this what you wanted to show me?”

You nodded, wide-eyed, hoping he really loved it as much as he seemed to.

“Well, don’t you look good for me?. It’s a pity this won’t stay on long.” He pulled on the strings and slipped a hand inside the sweater, grazing your side as he wrapped his arm around your back and pulled you close for a withering kiss. He palmed a breast with the other hand, rubbing against the hard nub straining through the soft fabric. He pressed the small of your back and moved you inches closer to him, his stiff cock jutting against you.

As he released the kiss, he pushed the sweater off your shoulders and let it drop to the floor behind you, once again taking up your hand and pulling you with him as he moved back to the bed. This time, he sat, legs spread wide so you could step between them.

“This really is very pretty,” he toyed with the thin straps of the romper, sliding a finger under the lace and brushing his knuckle against the top of your breast. “Would you like to keep it on a little longer?”

“I would.”

“Very well then.”

He pulled the straps down your shoulders a few inches tempting you with a state of full undress, then replaced them and moved his hands to your hips, smoothing them around to cup your ass and squeeze. He kept one hand on your lower back, pulling the other back around to the front before pushing a hip just off-kilter. You were now on a slight diagonal to him and that allowed him to more easily slide his hand off your hip and down into the crease of your thigh before he slipped a finger under the silk to trace along your folds.

You watched his eyes darken as he discovered the moisture already accumulated, waiting for him. You bit your lip as he turned his gaze to your eyes. 

“You are already so wet, Angel. You’re hungry for this aren’t you?”

“Yes, August. I want you.”

He kept his eyes glued to yours as he dipped two fingers inside your core and you gasped.

“And I want you to fuck yourself on my hand. Will you do that for me Angel?”

Your whole body was buzzing now. No one had ever prioritized your pleasure like this. If you’d had your mouth on a boyfriend’s cock, that’s where it was staying until he came in your mouth or pulled out and slipped inside your pussy. But giving you control of your own orgasm? Exhilarating.

His fingers were curled inside you, stroking and stretching you, smoothing along your walls and seeking out the most delicate spaces as you began to shift your hips against his hand. The heat spread through your body, you relaxed and sank your weight into his hand, your cunt swallowing his fingers deeper. You swept a hand under the curve of your tit, squeezing gently at the hardened nipple while you grabbed a hold of his wrist with your other hand. Using the leverage of his grip, you rocked back and forth into his palm, tossing your head back when he graced you with another curl of his fingers. He had found your spot and was going to exploit that fact, teasing you with a gentle press before spreading his fingers wide inside you.

“Please, August,” you begged.

“Please what Angel?” he smirked. “This is all you.”

You hauled your head back to stare down at him while you undulated your hips, searching for a way to position his fingers where you needed them again.

“Would you put another finger in? Please August?”

He smiled and obliged and you shivered with pleasure, finally beginning to feel the fullness and pressure you needed to reach your peak. If you could just…You snaked your hand around his wrist, moving so you could drag your thumb down beside his and urge it up to the top of your clit. You pressed his thumb into you, guiding his motion and pulling away only when you were sure he would continue on his own.

With his thumb brushing over your pearl, you rocked harder on his fingers, shifting his hand so he had no choice but to curl up into your spot and you held his hand firm in position when he did, praying to all the gods you knew that he would remain right there for just this moment longer.

He stood as soon as you came apart, catching you with an arm around your back as he slowly withdrew his fingers from your pulsing pussy.

“Absolutely gorgeous.” He kissed at the heat radiating from your cheeks, then sought your mouth and traced your lips with his tongue, opening you up to him and licking in deep. You moaned as you imagined him doing that again, lower.

“Yes, I know. You’ll get that too,” he declared, pulling away from the kiss. “What do you say, Angel? How do you feel about taking this off now that I’ve seen you so pretty in it?”

You smoothed your hands down your body, enjoying the sensual feel of the silk, still reeling from your orgasm. You nodded as he slipped the straps from your shoulders once more, this time pushing the elastic waistband over your hips and dropping the material to the floor.

August grabbed your ass then slid his hands to your thighs, urging you to wrap your legs around his waist as he turned to face the bed. His kiss was deep and hard as he climbed one knee and then the other onto the mattress, before easing you on your back. With your legs pinned around his waist, he ran his hands along your calves and up to the crease at the top of your thighs where he hooked his thumbs and pressed his fingertips into the flesh of your hips.

You were fully on display for him now. Nothing to stop his eyes from devouring every inch of your body, kindling the flames still licking at your skin. He eased his thumbs toward your apex, caressing your folds and massaging your slick along the edges. He let one thumb circle around your clit, pressing hard when you arched into it. He dipped the same thumb into your core, then withdrew and placed it in his mouth, licking you off his thumb like ice cream and you melted at the site of it.

You felt adored and basked in his worship, tossing your arms over your head and arching your back to press your chest out towards him. He slid his hands up your waist and over your belly to cup and knead your breasts. When he pinched, the pressure was just the other side of comfortable and you hissed with the pain. He eased up, rubbing gently for a moment before squeezing again, with the same intensity. The salacious leer on his side-cocked head sent a wave of pleasure along with the pain and you furrowed your brow and whimpered with content. Satisfied, he let you go and leaned down to kiss you again.

He unhooked your legs and directed you to the top of the bed. You eased back against the tall, plush gray velvet headboard, positioning yourself right in the middle of the California king bed.

“I’m going to eat that delicious pussy of yours now, Angel. And I don’t want you to touch me while I do. I want to try something I think you will enjoy. Will you let me?”

You furrowed your brow and nodded reluctantly, unsure what it would mean.

August climbed up to the head of the bed, knees straddling your waist as he reached behind the headboard. Your heart beat noticeably faster when you saw the thick strands of silk cord he pulled over the top. Holding them both in one hand by the plush lined leather cuffs at the ends of each, he peered down at you with a raised eyebrow.

“Have you ever been restrained, Angel?”

You swallowed the lump in your throat and shook your head slowly once, chin lowered with a shyness you hadn’t yet felt this evening. August grasped your jaw to tilt you towards him.

“Never be embarrassed, sweet thing. This isn’t for everyone. Believe me, I know.” He dropped one line and your chin at the same time, holding the second cuff in front of you and caressing the line. “You have options here. Let me explain. If you want, you could simply hold onto the rope. It’s soft and won’t burn or cut your hands when you squeeze tight. But the risk here is how easy it would be for you to drop it when you are unable to control yourself.”

You blinked with anticipation for the next option, then closed your eyes when he gave you a few more.

“You could always wrap the rope around your wrists or use the cuffs with a loose buckle as well, but still…” He unbuckled the cuff. “I think your best option, the one that will ensure you are able to enjoy every minute of my mouth on you, would be for you to let me tighten these around your wrists.”

He held the cuff wide for you and waited as you opened your eyes to give him an answer. With a wave of confidence surging through your body, you lifted your arm for him.

“Good girl.” He pulled the strap through the buckle and found the right fit with ease. Firm, not too tight, but certainly not loose at all. He tugged your arm down to demonstrate how little reach you had now and raised an eyebrow again with a last chance to beg off. You met his question with an unwavering gaze and he closed and opened his eyelids slowly with a smile before attaching a cuff to your other wrist.

You tested this one yourself with a tug and another thick swallow to calm your nerves and remind yourself you wanted this. So badly.

You could leave your arms winged back toward the headboard or bring your hands in front of your face, with elbows bent close by your side, but you’d never be able to touch him while he was tucked between your legs. As he began to retreat, you reached reflexively for him, even though you were unable to catch him as the rope went taut.

As if reading your mind, he bent then and allowed you to place your hands on either side of his face while he kissed first your brow, then your cheeks below each eye, the corners of your lips.  He finally slotted his mouth against yours and you leaned into it and kissed back hard.

You let out a soft whine when he finally pulled away, but he pressed a finger to your lips to quiet you, then held it there as he eased down your inflamed body, rotating soft kisses and sharp nips.

No high school boyfriend had ever gone down on you. And Charlie wasn’t the first in college, but he’d been the best so far. August blew him out of the water.

When he arrived at his destination, he pulled his hand down your throat and over your chest, fingertips skimming your belly and lifting away right before he reached your mound. 

He stared at first, eyes devouring the site before him. He tilted his head first one way then the other, as if trying to determine the perfect approach. He pushed your knees wide again when you began to tip them in, nervous about the scrutiny. When he finally eased closer, you closed your eyes in anticipation, but the warm wet sensation never came. You felt only his hands slipping under and around your bent legs, fingers digging into the tops of your thighs and holding you in place. You opened your eyes when you heard him inhale deeply and saw his own eyes flutter shut and open again. As he exhaled, the air drifted and teased, first warming and then cooling across your delicate skin.

He turned to nuzzle into the crook of your thigh, nipping and licking lightly on first one side and then the other. When his beard brushed your skin, you shuddered. It was an exquisite tickle, prickly and soft at once and everything you’d imagined. He pulled his arms from under you then, smoothing his hands along the insides of your thighs and pressing your knees wide and still he wouldn’t touch you where you ached for him.

“Please, August,” you pleaded, head straining toward him.

“Patience, little Angel.”

Only when you placed your head back against the headboard, did he dip low again, still nuzzling gently around the edges of your desire. You felt a brush of fingertips down your inner thigh and the back of a finger running up one side of your aching cunt and down the other. Then a finger along both sides, smoothing up then drifting down. At the bottom he captured your pussy lips between the knuckles of two fingers and squeezed, gently opening and closing and finally providing some of the friction you craved. But as soon as you tried to arch into it, he stopped and pulled his hand away.

“I know what you think you need, Angel. I’m here to tell you there’s more. We’ll get there. And I should have said something sooner. It would be better for you to hear this in a less vulnerable state, but if you want me to stop, at any time, I will. Do you understand?”

You nodded, not trusting yourself to articulate even the word yes properly, but he wanted to hear it.

“Say it.”

“I understand August,” you spoke softly, then cleared your throat and responded with more conviction. “If I want you to stop, I’ll tell you.”

He placed a hand on your belly now, heel of his palm pressing just above your clit and rocking back yet still avoiding the tender spot. Then he lifted his palm and swept his finger toward your thigh again, massaging the flesh gently between his fingers and thumb. He did the same on the other side and finally, finally, because you were being so good and laying still for him, he eased a knuckle into your slit and held it there.

And then he craned his neck closer, pulled his finger up through your folds, and let his tongue drag in the spot where his finger was. He pressed his thumb onto your clit and rubbed small circles while his tongue lapped at the slick already forming. When he pulled his mouth away, he slid his thumb down inside you, deep and then shallow as he returned to pressing at your clit.

All you wanted was to lift your hips up to meet his pressure, but you sighed out a low moan instead, trying to be good for him. As if to reward your self-control, he let the tip of his tongue meet his thumb at your sensitive nub and then pulled his hand away so he could close his mouth and suck. When he pulled his lips away, he tugged the kernel with him for a moment before letting it go, then rubbing it with his thumb again.

When his mouth met your pussy once more, it was to press his tongue wide and flat into your folds before curling the tip up and in. He repeated this a few more times, tipping deeper and deeper each time while his thumb still strummed along your button before he finally plunged the length of his tongue right into your core and just like that wrapped his lips around your clit to pull out and away.

You closed your eyes, so he couldn’t see them begging him to put his mouth back where you wanted it, but the anticipation was stoking a fire and you didn’t want to put it out just yet. You felt his fingers push up along the soaking path, tipping into the bud and then dragging back down, middle finger dipping in on the return now. He ran this finger up and down, in and out, circling, sliding, coaxing, and just when you thought you couldn’t take it anymore and you were about to break, he pressed his other hand low on your belly and held your hips in place, like he just knew you were about to shift and search for more friction.

When he could sense you would be good for him, he moved the hand from your belly to cup under your thigh before adding a second finger and rubbing them both furiously from side to side briefly, before splitting his fingers and spreading your labia wide. He dove in to kiss your lower lips, tracing the wide opening before licking in deep and you gasped your eyes open at the memory of his earlier kiss and promise.

As if on cue, any tension you’d been holding in your body at the thought of being tied up, forced to remain still, and eaten out while you couldn’t fully participate just vanished. You sank infinitesimally further into the bed, your arms dropped by fractions of millimeters, and your legs fell open even wider. 

August knew it. And he rewarded you for it. His mouth was on you in earnest now, kissing, sucking, nibbling, licking, lapping, prodding. His fingers were inside you and on you and around you. Two fingers twisted inside, pressing down and spreading you open. One tongue laved at your core, coaxing the heat and juice from you. When it came, you thought he would stop because this is when they stop and climb up your belly and slide their cocks inside you and grind into the wet wet heat, but he didn’t stop.

No he kept going. He kissed your quivering pussy and tongued along the folds, gathering up as much of your essence as he could. He spun those two fingers up now, caressing your walls and seeking out that most favorable spot. The one he already had you coming on earlier. The one he made you make yourself come on. God, what did it matter who was doing what? 

The fact of the matter was, August Walker was giving you your third orgasm of the night with nothing more than his mouth and hands and he still hadn’t let you touch him for very long with either your fingers or your mouth. And he certainly hadn’t placed in cock deep inside your aching cunt.

But what he was doing was continuing to worship at your altar. Well past the point that you could think straight. Was this now four or five? It was all a blur and all you knew was that if August didn’t stop, you might explode. Suddenly it was a problem that you couldn’t move your arms much past your shoulders. 

August was past caring about you thrashing your hips with one aftershock after another. Didn’t mind about having to hook his arms under your thighs and tug you back down the bed each time you tried to grasp the wrist cords and pull yourself off his face. He only wanted you to stop straining so he could show you how much better it could be. He wanted you to relax just like you had right before he’d really started in on you in earnest.

You felt his hand snake up your belly between your legs, creep over the swell of your breast, and rest against your collarbone. At first you resisted the weight, but then you welcomed it. Wondered if it might not be better if he just climbed his whole body right up on top of yours and crushed you into the mattress.

But he wasn’t going to do that, because instead he was going to ensure you came one more time while he scissored his fingers inside you and licked you into oblivion. When you screamed his name, he grinned a kiss against your thigh, crawled out from between your knees, and gently, ever so carefully, eased your legs together and unbent them. 

He traced his hand back up your heaving belly and chest, wrapped his fingers around your throat and tilted your neck towards him.

“So, so beautiful when you come, Angel. I wanted it to last forever for you.”

You tasted yourself on his lips and tongue and whimpered into his mouth because you suddenly realized you wanted that too and it was too late.

“Is it too late?” you whispered and he chuckled at you. 

“You should pace yourself.” He knelt beside you and unbuckled your wrists, kissing each one as he freed you from the cuffs, then dropping to his back beside you. “Thank you, for opening yourself to me.” 

“How in the world are you thanking me after that?” you laughed, still shaking from the explosions, but moving toward your next goal. “And also... Can I get back to this now?”

You began to scoot down between his legs, dragging his silky pants with you and tossing them to the floor. 

“If you’re sure you're ready.”

You trailed your fingers up his thighs as you moved back into position on your belly. He was still hard as rock when you reached for him. You licked your lips at the sight, then sent your eyes straight to his while your mouth wrapped around the tip of his cock with a smile. You worked him slow and methodically, tonguing along his length, tasting his warmth. You were salivating for this man, dribbling spit to help ease your tour of his member, and yet you knew you’d never reach the base. You let your hand twist around him, squeezing and grabbing while you worked your mouth down to meet it.  

“Your mouth feels so good on me, Angel. You like doing that, don’t you?”

You peered at him through your lashes and nodded, attempting another wide smile to agree. His hands smoothed up your arms, over your shoulders, and into your hair. You didn’t need him to hold your head against his cock, but he grunted and shifted his hips to press deeper into your mouth. You would have done this for him all night. Let him lay back and enjoy being worshiped the way he had worshiped you.

But with one hand on your nape and one right on top of your head, August helped himself to the pleasure you were offering without hesitation and began fucking your mouth in earnest. With each thrust, you felt him edge deeper until he finally found the back of your throat. 

“There you go,” he grunted. “That’s a good girl. Taking me so deep.”

You could do nothing more than open wide and let him drive, feeling the saliva drip from your mouth with no opportunity to swallow. He set a steady, punishing pace and while you were enjoying it, you also couldn’t help but imagine this must be what your aching pussy would feel like shortly. Your tears were flowing freely now, too, spurred on by the constant stimulation.

Suddenly, he pulled you off and you were confused for one brief, maddening moment until you heard him command you.

“Hands and knees.”

You pressed yourself up as he shifted to his knees as well before returning his hands to your head and dragging your mouth down his cock once again. You felt his grip on your hair at your neck tighten, his pace even faster than before. In just moments, with your watering eyes rolled up as far as they could go to watch him sneer down at you, you felt his release coat the back of your throat, hot and salty, as he came with a growl.

He hauled you up, shifting his knees forward to meet you, pressing his chest against you, arms wrapped around your back as he kissed the tears from your cheeks and praised you. He settled back against the headboard, taking you with him and scooping your legs over his, nestling your head against his chest and holding you close. You could feel his heart pounding, the intensity matched only by the speed at which yours beat. His fingers traced along your spine, caressing your shoulder and at the same time he held your hip on his lap and tortured you with tender touches along the flesh of your thighs and legs.

You trailed your fingers over his chest and angled your head to nip at his neck. 

“Was that okay?” he asked, uncharacteristically soft. You bit the urge to respond with sarcasm.

“I loved every second of it.” You punctuated your response with a kiss, cupping his cheek and tonguing his mouth open to lick into the softness.

He groaned and kissed you back for what felt like forever until you began to feel a nudge at your thigh. You reached down between your heated bodies to find him, wrapping your hands around his girth and stroking him to full erection. Without breaking the kiss you began to shift, sliding a leg to either side of his hips. Just as you had raised up, ready to slide him deep inside you, he gripped your shoulders tight and pulled away.

“Wait.”

“Why?”

Without answering, he easily lifted and deposited you on your back beside him, before rolling to the nightstand beside the bed. He pulled out a foil packet and bottle of lube.

“Because I care about you.” He tore the packet and pulled out the condom then squeezed a few drops of lube in before rolling it over his engorged length. He added a few more drops and pumped a few times, before dropping to his back again beside you.

“Now, where were we?” he grinned.

He slipped his arm underneath you and pulled you to him, guiding your leg over his hip again. On your knees, you took him in hand but before you could position his tip at your entrance, he pressed two fingers deep in your slit, massaging and stroking, scissoring you wide. You felt the heat building again and dropped your head back with a moan, still dragging your hand up and down his length. Your pussy was squelching with the juice he was coaxing and you felt his hand slip out then wrap around yours as you both directed him inside you.

With just the tip, you already felt fuller than you ever had and you sat with that feeling for a moment, hands still wrapped around the rest of his cock and keeping you from sliding all the way down.

Once you felt yourself relax around him, you nudged his hand away with your own and began to sink, slowly, deliberately, savoring the sensation. His hands gripped your hips all the while as he gazed in wonder and concern.

“Are you alright?”

“I’m fucking fantastic,” you replied, rocking back slightly to view the point of his disappearance inside you.

“Do you remember what I told you before?’ he asked, a little more heat and darkness creeping into his voice.

“I can stop you at any time.”

“Yes. And if you can’t get the words out, pinch me.”

You were going to nod your understanding, but remembered he liked to hear it as much as you did. “Yes, August.”

“Good girl.”

August began a slow roll of his ups, nudging up into you and shifting you off balance for a moment. You caught yourself with your hands on his chest, then sat back up to start a slow grind of your own. For several long minutes it was just you riding him slowly, like an easy afternoon stroll, completely in sync with his movements.

When he began to pump faster, you braced your hands on his legs behind you trying to hold on for dear life. He gripped you by the hips and held you in place while bucked and then he ran his hands up your sides and hauled you down to his chest. He wrapped his arms around your back and held you so close, kissed you so hard, rocked even deeper into you than you ever thought possible and just when you thought it was about to hit you like a ton of bricks, he flipped you to your back.

He started a slower pace now, still holding you close, still ravishing your mouth. But when you wrapped a leg around his back, he lifted himself onto his arms and looked down between you then over to the leg at his side.  With a devilish grin, he reached back and under that leg, shifting it up over his shoulder. He picked up the pace, returning to the steady jackhammering you’d experienced while on top. And while you didn’t think deeper was possible, here he was, moving your limbs around to find more space. He pulled your other leg up now, no longer leaning forward, but up on his knees, holding you open before him while he pounded away.

This was more than you’d ever felt before. This was precision fucking at it finest and you were barely holding on. 

“You can let go, Angel. You can come around my cock, squeeze me hard. I won’t break,” he commended you, letting go of one leg and reaching down to massage your clit again with his thumb. That was all it took.

“Oh shit. Fuck. Fuck, August, Fuck!” 

“That’s it, Angel. I can feel you right now,” he growled. “Feel all the heat bursting inside you, feel your walls squeezing around me. Can you feel it?”

“Yes, yes, fuck yes. My god. Fuuuuuuuuuck! Fuck! Please,” you pleaded, panting and feeling like you were about to pass out. “Please.”

“Please what, Angel?”

“Please…” you didn’t exactly want him to stop but you weren’t sure how much more you could take either.

“Do you need me to stop?”

“I want you to come. Please August.”

He clenched his jaw and gave a few more hard thrusts before pulling out and flipping you one more time to your hands and knees. You could barely hold yourself up, sinking to your forearms, head into the mattress. But your ass was still in the air and your pussy was still on display for him and he took you one more time. He lined himself up again behind you, sheathed himself in one long simple stroke, holding still for one moment.

“You're still coming, I can feel it. God, you are amazing. You’re taking me so good.”

Incoherent babble is all he got in return. Even if you’d wanted him to stop, you could no longer form full words, let alone sentences. And how would you ever find the strength to reach back to even graze his skin, let alone pinch it? Whatever. You were riding a wave of the longest high you’d ever been on while August resumed his magnificent assault on you.

After a few more strokes, you felt him swell even larger than he already was, filling you up more fully than he already had. With one final animal roar, he released himself with a hand pressing against your lower back, slowing stilling as he filled the condom inside you. You shuddered with an aftershock and wanted to drop to your belly with him on top and never pull that blanket off.

After just a short moment, you felt his hand at your entrance, fingers drifting lightly through your folds before he gathered himself and the condom in hand and pulled all the way out for good. He pushed against you lightly to urge you flat. You vaguely registered words of praise coming from his mouth, but you were so spun off into oblivion you couldn’t be sure what they were.

From some far off place, you heard water running, then felt a dip beside you, and the wet warmth of a tender caress between your shaking legs. Somehow, you were maneuvered to your back to receive another gentle swipe, before you felt his lips press against your mouth, his tongue seeking your own.

It took everything you had to peel your eyes open and meet his gaze.

“Is that what you meant by passion?” he asked.

“It’s a start.”

August chuckled and gently eased himself to the side of the bed, swinging his legs off and standing. He tilted his head from side to side, loosening a few kinks before he strode with purpose into the bathroom. When he returned, he held out a blue silk robe and helped you into it once you stood from the bed. He tied the belt around your waist, then reached to the floor for his  matching pants. As he stood, he gathered you in his arms for another kiss before he took your hand and led you back downstairs.

Trailing behind him, you were pleasantly surprised to find yourself deposited on the deep plush conversation sofa. August flipped on the switch to the gas fireplace and leaned over to drop one more kiss on your lips, then told you to sit tight.

The warm glow of the fire mesmerized and hypnotized you, not that it was hard. You had been overstimulated and now the exhaustion was settling in. You felt high, completely spaced out. You had never felt so thoroughly and completely fucked in your entire short life. 

August returned a few moments later. Or was it hours? You had no idea. All you knew was that he placed a live edge wooden serving tray holding a few bottles of water, some fruit and cheese, a few small bowls of olives, almonds, and fig jam, some cut baguette, two champagne flutes, and a bottle of bubbly on the low ottoman in front of you, then eased himself onto the couch next to you.

“Let’s get you hydrated,” he leaned forward and grabbed a bottle from the tray.

“How did you know I’d want that?” you teased, harkening back to your first night home.

“You are a cheeky one, aren’t you?” August opened the bottle and pulled you close, tipping the cool, sweet water into your open mouth, eyes watching you closely to see when you’d had enough.

“Only for you,” you purred, reaching for the bottle so you could take another drink for yourself. When you pulled the bottle away from your lips, August bent to steal another kiss from you.

“A little dangerous, too.” He shifted a knuckle along your jaw, catching the soft indent in your chin to bring your face back to his. He kissed you for what felt like a millenia and you could have stayed that way all night. And then it hit you.

“Dangerous how?” you asked, when you pulled away reluctantly.

August closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, still leaning forward from the broken kiss. He sat up straighter when he exhaled and opened his eyes.

“My sweet Angel. I really didn’t mean to spoil our moment, but in a million years could you ever imagine this night could happen again?”

He held your gaze, and wouldn't let you turn away. You could see the anguish in his eyes. This wasn’t a lie. 

“But why would…?”

“You deserve to know the passion you crave. I wanted to help you learn about your desire. You are a strong, intelligent, thoughtful, and gorgeous woman. I wanted you to see you are capable of getting everything you want. You only need to be sure of it. And perhaps understand you can ask for more.”

“But I want you.”

August didn’t reply immediately and in the silence you knew he was thinking of exactly the same person you now were. If you were ever going to keep this night a secret from her, you’d have to make it a solitary event with no hope of a repeat. How were you ever going to deny your craving?

“Come here.” August set your bottle of water aside and drew you into his arms, leaning back against the sofa as you relaxed onto his chest. He kissed the top of your head and ran a hand slowly up and down your back.

“This isn’t fair,” you murmured.

“Life rarely is, Angel. Come on, let’s just enjoy the time we do have. What d’you say, hmm?”

You nodded and sniffed away the beginnings of your tears. August gently sat you up, then prepared small bites of food from the tray and brought them to your lips. You soaked in all the attention, certain you’d never feel so safe and loved again in your life.

With some energy back, you felt your mood lighten. August was right. You should make the most of what time you have left. You reached for the champagne bottle, peeled off the foil wrap, and untwisted the thin metal cage surrounding the cork. August chuckled as he watched you struggle with the cork, so you stuck out your tongue and handed the bottle to him.

“Please?” He popped the cork with ease and poured the golden liquid for you both.

“A toast?” He raised his glass to yours and watched closely as you mulled it over.

“To one night only.”

“One night only.” He smiled with a nod and watched as you took a sip, then stole a kiss before taking a drink from his own glass. He grabbed a strawberry from the tray and held it to your lips as you took a bite. “Now another drink.”

You almost squealed as the flavors exploded in your mouth. 

“When you try this on your own, be sure to get an extra-dry champagne,” August cautioned. “Moet brut won’t work with this flavor combination.”

“I’ll have to keep that in mind when I replenish my champagne cooler at school,” you teased. “What about this one?” You took another bite of strawberry and a sip of champagne, then leaned in for a kiss letting the flavors swirl in your mouth alongside his tongue. August continued the kiss, even as he set his glass aside and grabbed for yours to set it down as well.

He eased you to your back on the couch and slipped the tie loose from your robe before he finally broke the kiss.

“That’s also a good one. You’re quite the quick study.” He pushed the fabric aside, baring your chest and stomach, then appraised you for a moment before running his fingers over your breasts and down your belly, letting his mouth follow the trail.

You let out a soft moan and spread your legs involuntarily as he shifted to the floor and tugged your hips around so your ass was hanging off the sofa to give him better access. He let your legs rest over his shoulders and you sighed as he once again slipped his tongue and fingers through your folds, ravishing your core to bring another orgasm crashing over you. 

You barely had a moment to recover before you felt the belt of your robe sliding out from underneath you and in a swift heartbeat, August had you flipped over, urging you onto your knees on the cushions with your arms leaning on the back of the couch. You peered back at him, while he shifted the fabric of the robe over your back, letting it drape off to the side and leaving your bare ass and legs completely exposed to him. He watched you carefully as he rubbed a large hand over one cheek, then drew back and spanked you hard. He was already caressing the red mark before the shocked gasp left your lips. He quirked an eyebrow at you in a silent question. Again?

You pondered the feeling and decided that yes, August Walker could spank your ass. You turned your head to peer over the back of the couch and jutted your hips back towards him wordlessly asking for more, which he gladly gave. The sharp smacks were sometimes single, sometimes doubled up, but always tempered with a gentle caress before he dealt another blow.

You were dripping for him. When he dragged two fingers through your soft petals to gather the nectar, you glanced back to see him wrap his lips around his fingers and lick your taste off them. Then he reached his hand in the pockets of his pants and withdrew another foil square before dropping his pants altogether.

“You planned this,” you cried in feigned scandal.

“I hoped for it. Not the same thing,” he gently replied, rolling the condom over his swollen length. “But it’s always good to be prepared. Speaking of which…” 

August reached forward to grasp the silk belt he’d tossed aside, then drew one of your arms back behind you.

“May I have your other arm, Angel?”

You offered it without hesitation, shifting off the back of the couch so that all your weight was now on your knees. You felt him loop the belt around both wrists separately before he wrapped the tie a few more times around both. Holding the binds of your wrists in one hand, he used the other to guide his sheathed cock to your soaked pussy, gliding easily into your core. Once his hips met yours, he started a commanding pace, pumping in and out of you all the while holding you in place with your hands.

As if he could feel you losing control, unable to stay up straight any longer, August let the belt slips a few inches through his fingers before gripping tight again, giving you enough room to bend forward and rest your chest on the back of the couch while he continued to pump in and out of you with a devastating pace, the juice from you squelching around his cock.

“You fucking take me so good, Angel. Such a pretty pussy. Can you hear her talking to me? She says the sweetest things.”

He set a hand on your low back and pressed his against your stretched entrance, letting it drag along his cock as he moved back and forth and gathering some of your slick on the pad. You felt him ease his hand up, fingers pressing into the flesh of your asscheeks before he teased around your puckered rim with his thumb. When the moan escaped your mouth he knew he was on the right path and wasted no more time. He slipped his thumb right into your hole and held on while you bucked back against him.

“Fuck yeah, you like that, don’t you? Fucking my cock so good. Feels good, doesn’t it?”

“Yes. August, fuck yes.” You could barely form more words so moans of pleasure and squeals of delight were all he heard but they were enough to spur him on and lead him down the path of his own release just as soon as he felt yours.

With one practiced tug, he released you from the bind and eased himself out of your still pulsing pussy, then guided you to stand before him, pressing kisses along your shoulders and neck while he pulled the spent condom off his softening dick. He grabbed a napkin from the tray and wrapped it in a wad before spinning you to face him and kissing you hard.

“Let’s get cleaned up.”

He led you upstairs one last time, abandoning the snack platter and half-full champagne bottle. He took you through to his bathroom, turned on the warm spray jets of the tiled shower, then disrobed you completely. You stepped into the glass cabinet and turned to grab his arm to bring him with you.

Without prompting, he grabbed a bar of the same bright citrus scented soap you always found in your guest room and lathered you up. If you weren’t about to fall asleep on your feet, you’d succumb so easily to the way his fingers danced across your skin, caressing every nook and cranny like they knew the way by heart. He spun you into the water to rinse and set to cleaning himself.

And now you had your answer. It was body wash, with a woodsy, pine scent. He rubbed it all over his body with his bare hands. He watched you watching, mesmerized at the way his muscles moved and the carefree way he gathered his own package and lathered it with suds before shifting you gently out of the way and rinsing off under the cascading water. 

Yes, he leaned an arm against the wall, but that could be just because you were with him and he wanted to encase you while he kissed you, tongue probing gently and mouths moving in unison. He groaned as he pulled away.

“We’d better get some sleep.”

The fluffy towel he dried you with was heavenly against your skin. He toweled himself as well before leading you back to his bed. 

“Are you comfortable sleeping here with me tonight?” he asked. “If you’d rather wake up in your own bed, I’d understand.”

It was uncharacteristically sweet, the way August was now wondering how you would feel in the morning, knowing you could never have him again. 

“I’d like to stay with you for tonight, if that’s okay.”

“More than okay.” He pulled the covers back and slipped in, holding them up for you to join him. Wrapped in his arms, head against his chest, you found yourself drifting off faster than you would have liked. You loved pillow talk, but supposed you’d managed that with him before, during, and a little after downstairs by the fire. Besides, pillow talk was for lovers. Which you were now assured you were not.

You woke later than you’d planned, your body still clearly recovering from the unexpected vigorous activity. August was not with you and though you knew the morning would not be a time to whisper sweet nothings, still you’d hoped to wake in his arms, just as you’d fallen asleep. The robe he’d lent you last night was draped across the foot of the bed and your lingerie was folded neatly on a chair nearby. 

You shrugged into the robe and grabbed your things, then headed downstairs where you could smell coffee already brewed but found no sign of August in the kitchen. You continued down to your room where you realized you’d left your phone all night. Shit.

When you picked it up, there were about ten messages from Gemma and you braced yourself as you opened the app to read them. Yes, in the end she wondered where the fuck you were and why you weren’t answering her but there was no urgent call to get her immediately. The night with Mike seemed like it had gone exactly as planned.

She only wanted to let you know Mike’s friends were throwing a New Year’s party and of course you were invited. Mike even had a university friend coming in from out of town for the party and Gemma wanted to set you up with him. The guy in the picture she sent looked cute enough. Apparently he sailed and had dark, wavy hair, a little shorter than Mike’s. His smile was amazing, but to your eyes, he was a boy. He would never compare, you were sure.

Just as you were contemplating how to let him down gently, your phone rang and Gemma’s number appeared. You took a deep breath and hoped nothing in your voice would betray you.

“Hey!” you answered brightly.

“Whoa, too much. Too loud. Calm down.” Gemma was hungover, for sure.

“Sorry,” you quieted. “Everything okay?”

“I think I drank a liquor store last night. Mike’s still passed out, but I need my bed. Can you come get me?”

“Now? Yeah. Of course. Let me just get my shoes on. See you in thirty?”

Gemma agreed, though she wished you’d ignore some of the speed signs along the way and you laughed, promising to grab a Vitamin Water from the fridge before you left.

You noticed another message come through just as you hung up with Gemma. August was in his office. He didn’t want you to think you’d been abandoned, but he had to get an early start for meetings and wanted to let you sleep in. You texted him you were off to get Gemma. Chat bubbles appeared and disappeared a few times before a solitary frowny face finally appeared.

With no idea how to respond and not a lot of time to spare hashing it out, you dressed quickly, grateful you’d already washed off last night’s extravagance. You grabbed the keys to Gemma’s car, grabbed a water from the gym, and headed back out to the garage.

Gemma was still too dazed to inquire much about why you were absent from your phone last night and you didn’t offer any conversation about it. The whole drive was pretty quiet except for the radio. August was gone when you got back and while Gemma couldn’t care less, you were a little let down. You’d hoped you’d be able to at least sit with him a bit while Gemma slept off the rest of her hangover, but that wasn’t to be.

He kept himself pretty scarce the rest of the week, too, texting Gemma he wouldn’t be home for dinner any of the nights until you were scheduled to head back home for Christmas Eve. Four long-suffering nights and days filled with late breakfasts by the pool and dinner and drinks in town with Mike and other friends. You barely got to say goodbye to August as he breezed off to one final meeting the morning of the 24th before Gemma came upstairs to grab coffee.

Christmas was low key with just the six of you at your parents. No other relatives were traveling in and no one else nearby had invited you over for anything special. Gemma always celebrated alone with her dad, too. Your aunt wanted to take you and your mom to the sales the day after Christmas and that was an all day, exhausting affair. You were in bed by 9.

Over the next five days, you visited with Gemma and Mike, old high school friends, and your parents a few times. But never August. Gemma said as wonderful as Christmas was with him, he was stressing about the deal and spending all his time at the office since the day after. He needed to get the deal signed by the 31st at the absolute latest. And his company’s New Year’s Eve gala was set for the Grand Hotel downtown. He’d offered you both tickets, but Gemma really wanted to hang out with Mike.

Will was nice enough, if a little on the arrogant side. He was a good kisser and you could kinda imagine what he might be able to do with that mouth placed somewhere else, but then you really thought about it and decided the missing facial hair would change the feel. Nevermind. He was at least gracious about the letdown.

The drive back to school was a little somber. You were still trying to figure out if there was any possibility of a roommate swap. Gemma offered to just put you up at her place for the semester, but you didn’t want to sleep on a couch fantasizing about her father while she was in the other room. Maybe Brigette would just spend all her time at Charlie’s, like you should have.

A few days after the start of classes, a small package arrived for you in your mailbox. You’d grabbed it on the way to your Criminal Procedures lecture and stuck it in your backpack to open later. When you got back to your room after taking advantage of office hours to clear the theme for your research paper, you sat cross legged on your bed and opened the small, cardboard box. Inside, nestled in tiny, delicate packing peanuts, was an even smaller, embossed white paper sleeve surrounding a small, red velvety square box.

Inside was a thin, delicate gold chain, with a charm of black onyx arranged in the gold outline of an art deco wing. An angel's wing.

You searched the box for a card and finally found one buried under the packing material once you realized you’d opened the box upside down. There was a simple message to you.

'Angel. This belongs on the part of you I never got the chance to chain. Remember all you are worth and take it as you can. Yours for one night. - A’

Taglist (if you are crossed out I can’t tag you)

Anything: @kittenofdoomage @sillyrabbit81 @kebabgirl67 @feelmyroarrrr @beck07990 @mysweetlittledesire @mollymal @summersong69  (Old times sake? @littlegreenplasticsoldier @sebbytrash @anotherwinchesterfangirl )

Holiday Angel: @angelcavill66 @lizzystuffsthings​ @plaidcat4815 @augustsprincess  @alexakeyloveloki @gofirityouguys

[ravenbloodshot]

How Enhypen view each other (PT.3)

Jungwon (pov)

Jay

Positive traits: (these two are just co-workers) fast paced, good taste in food/fashion, calm and quiet, can blend in easily, not overly talkative, fun to talk to, knows how to live in the moment, independent, okay with being by himself

Negative traits: greedy(food wise), stubborn, aggressive, out of shape, rude, bad temper, too intense, always ready to fight, not adaptable (doesn't like change/spontaneity), boring, not agreeable

Jake

Heads up:Jungwon views Jake and Jay similarly. He just likes Jake, not so much Jay.

Positive traits: passionate, fights for what he believes in, go getter, (these two are close), takes care of his responsibilities, possessive (I'm not sure why Jungwon likes this), protective of loved ones, adaptable, adventurous

Negative traits: Too fast paced, bad clothing style (bad hygiene), can be too aggressive and head strong, impulsive, hard to talk to, impatient, bad with time, doesn't properly heal himself (like he could injury himself badly , but insist the next day he's fine and can work), over confident

Heesung

Positive traits: Good fashion(styles himself well), smells good, predictable, beautiful eyes, 'heart like a horse', jungwon likes when he's drunk, intuitive, eccentric and creative, open minded, curious, artistic, adventurous, imaginative, other- wordly, leadership qualities, honorable, more powerful/influential than he's aware

Negative traits: too imaginative, up in lala land a lot, childish, petty, bad at arguing his points, gives up too easily, too soft(sees him as feminine but not in a good way), holds himself back, unstable, bad with money, runs from his problems

Sunghoon

Okay. so......the energy here is very interesting. These two don't communicate with each other (its not exactly hostile energy but its not comfortable either between the two of them). Sorta of like Sunghoon never truly tries to get to know Jungwon so Jungwon opts out of trying to get to know Sunghoon (but he secretly wishes to find out more about the guy)

Positive traits: (these two are just co-workers) perceptive, soft skin, smells good, small face, independent, nice voice, intuitive, mysterious, finds him to be very handsome (very), lucky and fortunate, secretive, risk taker, smart, wealthy

Negative traits: mysterious, closed off, secretive, Protective of his real personality/identity(only a selective few gets to experience the true Sunghoon and jungwon isn't one of them), beautiful and model-like(Jungwon's energy seems to be a bit jealous so I'll stop here)

Honestly this is my first time feeling this strange vibe for two idols in a long time, how Jungwon views Sunghoon is quite weird(I may do a separate reading on this, it really peaked my curiosity)

Niki

Positive traits: Looks soft but is really tough, surprising and unpredictable, garners attention easily, nice and slim body, Flexible, charismatic, easy to get along with (they're close), easy to vibe with

Negative traits: sensitive (anger wise), too perceptive, reads others almost too well, lazy, doesn't help out around the dorms as much as others, Shares others secrets that he doesn't deem as serious secrets, holds on to his past, doesn't like to share his culture with the others

Sunoo

Positive traits: ditches toxic people/habits, not afraid to walk away from situations not working out for him, small/cute, active, talkative, fun to chat and gossip with, exciting, has an exciting personal life and dating life, dates interesting people

Negative traits: self esteem issues, unrealistic expectations, blinded by his own emotions/thoughts often, gets into toxic relationships, fast paced, too active and reactive, moves on too quickly, impatient, self centered

Sunoo (pov)

Jay

Positive traits: His gut feeling is right a lot of the times, not afraid to call out hypocrisy/ stupidity, beautiful voice, (something on Jay's body is small that he likes), learns his lesson, stops toxic patterns, admirable, gentleman, knows when to let go

Negative traits: too intense, not fun to talk to, doesn't like to gossip, keeps unruly hair(may not shave enough), preachy, thinks he's too good to do certain things, standoffish, cynical, pessimistic about finding true love, doesn't party (even though he gets invited to A LOT of them)

Jake

Positive traits: Head strong, go getter, stubborn, decisive, manly, aggressive, intense, fiery, feisty, spontaneous, adventurous, all action no talk, constantly improving and changing himself (stays in the studio longer than others)

Negative traits: not sensitive and caring enough, not sweet or gentle, bad with small talk, doesn't know how to network with people he doesn't like, player, too sexual, sleeps with too many women, non committal

Heesung

Positive traits: (Sunoo likes him a lot), leadership qualities, responsible, caring of others (silently), manly, does what he has to even when he doesn't want to, wakes up easily(even when its super early), calm, fatherly, good style and good hygiene, overcomes his obstacles

Negative traits: passive-aggressive (or just plain aggressive at times), too emotion driven or in the moment motivated, sneaky, sly, non committal even though he wants commitment, scary when upset (especially his eyes), doesn't believe in marriage

Sunghoon

Positive traits: (Sunoo and Jungwon talk about him not in a good or bad way) Star power, eccentric, beautiful, doesn't disclose his secrets, mysterious, protective of his energy/space, unpredictable, independent, doesn't need to be in a relationship, lets love come to him, has a loving family dynamic

Negative traits: Impassive, detached, cold but cute, Doesn't appreciate his family as much as he should (or just doesn't realize how loving they are compared to other member's families), over works himself, too giving with money, doesn't have good stamina nor thought out plans

Niki

Positive traits: hard worker, loyal, serious about getting his job done, reliable, independent, knows what he wants

Negative traits: pushes people away, lashes out on others, aggressive, rude, blunt and sarcastic, has a nasty attitude (moody teenager vibe), hard to relate to and get along with

Jungwon

Positive traits: loyal, hard worker, cute, enjoys nature, environmentalist, good memory, takes good selfies, good performer

Negative traits: TOO perceptive and analytical, stalker, aggressive, when upset spits fire in his speech, curses like a sailor, verbally aggressive, so serious about planning for marriage but doesn't date enough, cold and can hits a persons deepest insecurity when upset

[carsonian]

Cap-IM Rec Week: Absolute Faves Monday

@cap-ironman, in no particular order:

"One-Man Army" by Captain_Panda

Takes place immediately after the Chitauri attack in Avengers 1. Steve is running himself into the ground. Tony notices. Then Steve gets knocked down hard. And Tony intervenes.

Mt. Everest. The fic that I've made 20+ fanarts for, the one that's been ricocheting around my noggin since I first read it. Ahh, OMA. You big, bombastic beauty.

"Role of a Lifetime" by Annie D (scaramouche) (@no-gorms)

It’s been almost a year since Tony was rescued from the Ten Rings by SHIELD. In this time, Tony has forged a new path for Stark Industries and taken on a new under-the-radar role as a consultant for SHIELD. Tony’s SHIELD job eventually brings him into contact with the newest Captain America, who’s a pretty cool guy, though for security reasons Tony can’t know his real name or see his face without the Captain America mask. This is also about the time that Tony notices a certain Mr. Stevens, a new hire in SI’s corporate office...

This AU….this AU… I tell ya, THIS AU….this is some high-quality, top-grade, cutting-edge, organically grown, grass-fed, imdb ten of ten, five-star michelin, test-tube perfection, new york bestseller, billboard luster, knockout buster shiz.

"Meso Park" by Captain_Panda

As the head theropod keeper for A.I.M.'s extraordinary new project, Steve Rogers wants a smooth summer opening. Then the unthinkable happens, on the same day the investor of a lifetime arrives, ready to throw his support behind the world's most ambitious theme park. Can Meso Park survive the upheaval? Can Steve? Tune in to this dinosaur-themed adventure inspired by Michael Crichton's classic, Jurassic Park.

I've said it many times before, I'll say it again: if Meso Park has 100 fans, I'm one of em. If Meso Park has 10 fans, I'm one of em. If Meso Park has 1 fan, that fan is me. If Meso Park has 0 fans, I am no longer alive. It's not yet finished and I'm already sure it's the fic of the decade. That's just Meso Park for you.

"Gather Ye Rosebuds" by lazywriter7

It isn’t like that, for many people. For them, love is the point: the axis around which everything else revolves, the destination at the end of a long, tumultuous journey. Realisation, confession, resolution. Happy ending. That’s how it goes. And love was a point in Tony Stark’s journey, except it came towards the beginning, rather than the end. The issue, instead of the solution. He hasn’t been alone on the trip, of course. Steve’s been there: sometimes three steps behind, sometimes waiting up ahead by the turn of the road. They’ve sprinted and stumbled, sometimes stood still and refused to move on ahead, sometimes thought of turning away altogether. Steve and Tony’s story began after they fell in love, and this is about how they fell in everything else.

I read this Way Back When, and I remember thinking I'd never seen such a convincing portrayal of MCU SteveTony and how a genuine relationship between the two of them could emerge while still accounting for (hold your puke) canon. Still rock-solid all the way through; knock against the fic at any point, and it will answer back with a fun two-part joke. Lush stuff.

"The First Time I Went Dancing Sober" by schemingreader

Steve Rogers is a great physical therapist who works with sick kids. Tony Stark is a damaged biotech engineering genius who really wants to be one of the good guys.

I've recc'd this before so I won't blabber on but rest assured it is heartwrenchingly good.

"But Your Spirit is Untainted; I Can Dedicate You Still" by BlossomsintheMist (@blossomsinthemist)

The incursions crisis is over, and Steve and Tony have gotten back together, but nothing is the same as it was. Fearing that things are broken between them forever, Steve asks Tony something unexpected to try to make things right. Or, Steve asks if Tony really meant what he said when he asked Steve to hurt him. Sequel to Might Have Cherished You More Wisely.

I couldn't give less of a FUCK that this isn't technically finished. It is finished, to ME. The character-building in this story is just rich and fleshy and the stuff of true finesse. I read this every once in a while just to have the taste of masterful storytelling on my tongue. You should, too ;)

"Sins of Omission" by Kiyaar (@kiyaar)

A Post-Civil War, Pre-Secret Invasion AU where Steve is dead, Tony's a mess, and everything sucks. In which Tony deals poorly with Steve's death, falls off the wagon, sees ghosts, and misses a lot. Oh, and the Skrulls are about to invade.

When I first came across this fic, I devoured it in about 2 days and proceeded to be devoured by it for the next 2 months. :) Lovely stuff!

"Catechism" by manic_intent (@manic-intent)

Inspired by fanart seen on tumblr, this is an End of Days story, with all the Avengers as Archangels. Tony had always known that he was a special snowflake. He just hadn't realized exactly how special.

Listen. I'm a simple gal. This ticks off all the boxes, uh-hello!

"not gruesome, just human" by isozyme (@isozyme)

“I need to crash on someone’s couch for a while. Your couch. I need to crash on your couch,” Tony says. Steve’s mouth opens. If he asks why Tony’s going to bolt, he can feel the certainty of it under his sternum. He doesn’t have a sternum anymore, just a tangle of metal under his skin. Too many things have punched through it to get to his heart. There hasn’t been enough bone left to reconstruct anything made of flesh in a long time. “There’s borscht on the stove,” Steve says.

Raw. Punchy. Kind of makes me want to weep. Kind of makes me smile. Lotsa stuff that you can only write about when you've been down and which after reading will lift you right back up.

And I'll stop myself there because I could definitely just go on and on and on.

Go forth: SteveTony lovers, fuckers, ambassadors, champions, perverts, freaks, losers, dreamers, legends! Read, re-read, kudo, comment, spread legs and spread love.

[basedkikuenjoyer]

(Egg)Shell Game

We've had breakfast, everyone's all rise and shiney, who's ready for a lil Chapter 1090? Hope you are because this was a great followup to 1089 finally getting us back to Egghead in pitch-perfect fashion which here means the perfect fashion for my lil pitch. This followup? Even better. We gloss over the night in the lab for the intrigue then Uno Reverse that shit by popping the bubble and showing it's a mixed bag. But this bit here is what has me downright giddy. Simply put...we could have chosen any detail to cut off in this fashion. Robin's right 100%, but put a pin in that. She specifically cuts off Luffy talking about who is all assembled up there. And if you want to write this off as coincidence...

We do it twice, this time more meta. I just think, given my whole oeuvre, this is the type of weird lil trickery I want to see. That said there's a lot to this chapter so lemme finish the thought on Robin. This is a fantastic demonstration of what I mean when I say personality wise Robin & Kiku are very different. Robin is the cool head here, but because she isn't exactly a specialist at this kind of thing she's missing the chance to execute Luffy's legitimately good mindset here better. Get what I'm saying? All New World we've had beats like this, I don't feel it's a stretch at all to say Luffy is thinking of the ability to solve this through theatrics at least partially because Bakura Town impressed him. We'll have to touch on this being another great "bookend" chapter for Luffy too. But let's get to the meaty middle first.

I like this beat. First, gotta note this is a banger Nami chapter. Love seeing mah girl prime just wail on York. Beat the shit out of her. I love her being a savage little shit. It's just like the best parts of having Caesar around, I adore how everytime he comes up Nami cannot let it go without wishing he'd die. Also, Future Kick! from a little while ago is a modern classic. Getting distracted by my sweet tangerine of Cocoyashi.

The log, this moment carries a lot of symbolic weight and it's something we've had a lot to say about. Think about it in contrast with Jaya, where we had a time limit before it would reset and we'd miss our real adventure. A lateral move. Not to say we haven't broken from the Log Pose plenty, just that while Elbaf is an attractive idea tempering it with something so foundational to the series really feels like it could be a way of saying we're not done here. Consider that plus how this chapter ends, but I'd also note there is that subtle but very Kiku-like story structure in casually making a plan now. Oh...y'all just got things relatively under control in 1089. You haven't even fully dealt with York.

Before that though, something else feels like it has begun in earnest.

Think about a shell game, this is the part where the dealer starts shuffling faster. Teasing you with Lilith's excitement, Bonney admiring Sanji, Stussy's intrigue with Lucci, Vivi on Morgans's ship. These are all things that we can see in fandom reactions, it's the type of thing that raises questions. None of it's really substantial, it feels like a scattershot more than anything. Quantity over quality. None of this is selling me on the idea we've had our fun and we're scooting off to Elbaf in a handful of chapters. But I don't feel we're taking a lot longer here either. It's very interesting the other shoe drops as we approach the ship with a small group:

Did Luffy pull a Kin'emon? As in, did his blunder incidentally bait Kizaru into the dome alone because he's misjudging the bluster? This can be very interesting from here. It's really just putting us right at where I mentioned as we pulled away. Kizaru leapt in alone, especially with the Sea Beasts in front...the Grand Fleet would tear through this Marine Fleet like paper. Gold star friend of the blog and lifetime Admiral's club member Fallensnowfan actually laid this out bizarrely well before reading this chapter. What's really cool is how Egghead has shaped up to be a sci-fi encore of Wano.

You're 100% right about that. We had a meandering time early meeting this famous faction and some other stuff on the side that relied on similar themes. Broke away for a big segment away from the main cast and had the nighttime battle up in a cordoned off space where no one really knows what went down. Playing with that idea explicitly. And now a smaller group is broken off to clash with an admiral. Bookends, just like the last Admiral bookended a big theme of Wano centered squarely on our girl.

[zdbztumble]

Yet Another Kingdom Hearts Revisit, Part VI

Atlantica is my favorite world in KH I. It may be my favorite world in the entire series. That isn't because I love the movement mechanics of the underwater world, though I do enjoy them. And it's not because I love the storytelling in this world, though I do think it's a brilliant section for plot, character, and lore (more on all those momentarily). It's my favorite because Ariel is an option for your battle party.

That might seem a slight reason, but The Little Mermaid is not only one of my favorite Disney films, but one of my favorite films full stop. Depending on my mood on a given day, it may take the top slot on a Disney list. But the one substantive issue I have with it is a big one: despite Ariel being the heroine, every other element of the film existing to service her story, she has almost nothing to do with defeating the villain who manipulated and betrayed her. Worse, she ends up a damsel in distress at the bottom of whirlpool. For Kingdom Hearts to make Ariel a party member who can fight against Ursula - in both forms - was so gratifying the first time I played this game, and it's remained so ever since. If KH III deserves credit for nothing else, bringing back Ariel as a Link Summon (the most useful one after Simba IMO) was a great move, but combat-ready Ariel in your party as part of a story that pays off all her talents and personality still takes the cake, and it's one of the best things this series has ever done with a Disney character. (It also removed the only possible rationale for giving The Little Mermaid the live action remake treatment, but I'll spare you my thoughts on that ongoing enterprise today.)

Ariel's dynamic with Sora is also one of the strongest between him and a Disney character from outside Mickey's realm. They've got a nice big sister-little brother vibe. Had the Kingdom Hearts TV series ever panned out, it would've been great to see that expanded on. But there's also some nice thematic work achieved through their relationship, Ariel's wanderlust mirroring Sora's from earlier in the game and Sora having become world-weary by that point. Given how pronounced that quality became in KH II, it's a shame that aspect couldn't have been tapped again.

And then there's King Triton, better-versed in Keyblade lore than Sora, Riku, the Traverse Town crew, and even Genie. Whoever's idea that was in the writing process, it was a great choice, and well-placed within the narrative. Had the possibility of a destructive Keyblade master come up too soon, it might have made it too easy to predict some of the twists in Hollow Bastion; too late, and there wouldn't have been time for a sense of foreboding to build. Though I do wish the graphics of the time would have let Triton's destruction of the crystal trident been a little more like his attack on the grotto from the film (the scariest scene in a Disney film for little-kid-me).

Gameplay wise, I prefer Ursula's first stage to the second. Once you get the hang of avoiding their attacks, the big-head enemies in KH I are a little too easy IMO. The first stage is more involved. On the other hand, defeating the big-head Ursula with Ariel in the party is a more cathartic experience, for all the reasons mentioned above.

Finally, I'd be curious to learn more about the music decisions for KH I. How did Atlantica and Halloweentown come to be the only worlds (besides the Disney Castle cutscenes) to use music from their respective films? I'm glad they did; playing along to "Under the Sea" is great. But Yoko Shimomura could certainly have come up with something fitting.

[dannystheone]

Hello! Can you write a fic with lee Itto and ler team geo (Gorou, Albedo, Zhongli) hehe? Have a nice day!

Hi hi hi this is super cute I love Lee Itto and we don't get enough of it!! At first I was a little intimidated at writing for four characters in one fic, but the idea I had for this made it doable!

I hope you like this!

Warning! Foot Tickles!! No 18+ 

Geo Team Taking Down Numero Uno Oni! 

Itto believes he's the strongest out of the Geo Team. He decides to put it to the test!

`````````````````````````````````````````````````

"Just admit it. I'm the strongest one! Arataki Itto, numero uno oni, the undefeated champion of Geo!" The brash young man had a smaller figure in his grasp while he proclaimed this. Itto tossed his hair out of his eyes while he held a struggling Gorou in a submissive omoplata. Gorou grit his teeth as he wormed and growled in this position.

"Itto! Get off! This is hardly fair!” Gorou struggled while Itto laughed and called him tiny. Albedo and Zhongli sat at a nearby table and watched the two scrap. Zhongli sipped his tea with a content look on his face, while Albedo sketched a rough draft of flowers of the bush next to him. 

Zhongli looked over at Albedo’s sketch with a smile on his face. “That’s coming quite well, Albedo. You have certainly do have exceptional talent.” Albedo flashed Zhongli a smile as he continued his work. 

 All four male members of Geo were in the backyard of Gorou’s Serenitea Pot for the day. Gorou had invited them to have some quality bonding time together and to unwind after the war ended. Of course, he hadn’t realized it would end up like this. 

 “Ah! Okay, okay, fine! You win, you’re the best!” Gorou tapped the grassy floor twice to let Itto know he’s had enough. Itto set Gorou free; Gorou immediately massaging the assaulted arm that trapped him in Itto’s setup. Itto climbed to his feet and flexed his biceps with a wild look on his face. 

 “Ahahaha! Arataki Itto wins again! No surprise there, I’m always the best.” Itto pointed to Zhongli and Albedo, sitting innocently at their table. “Alright fellas, time for y’all to face me! I’ve already defeated Gorou, both of you at the same time shouldn’t be a challenge.” Zhongli looked up to Itto’s declaration, while Albedo continued sketching.

 “Oh?” Zhongli placed his teacup down and smoothed out his suit jacket as he stood up. “You’d like to take us on, is that right? Hmm, I have a better idea, if you don’t mind.” Zhongli looked back to Albedo and beckoned him. “Albedo, if you please.” 

 “That’s right! Face me! They called me the Immovable Boulder back in my schooling days.” Itto folded his arms over his chest while the smaller men all moved to stand before him, Gorou included. 

 “Alright Itto, we’ll face you. On one condition.” Zhongli looked to Gorou to sell the idea. Gorou could already tell where this was going. 

 “Since we’re all too fragile to go up against the ‘Immovable Boulder’ on our own-” Itto smirked at Gorou’s words, which made him roll his eyes. “-we’d like to use our Geo structures against you to give us an advantage. But someone surely as strong as yourself can still handle the challenge with no problem, right?” 

 Itto laughed righteously, already feeling his victory within his grasp. The one he was most scared of out of the three was Zhongli, but the older man was more wise than he was strong. Or so Itto thought. 

 “Of course, use as many advantages as you’d like! They’ll be no match against me! Let’s begin!” Itto began walking backwards while the three men backed up as well. Gorou’s backyard was quite spacious, perfect for his dog-like nature. 

 Albedo, who has been analyzing and not speaking as often today, realized that Gorou and Zhongli had finalized a plan without even speaking to one another. Albedo’s intuition had let him in on the plan as well. 

 “Alright, you ready?! Three two one go!!” Itto was much more excited for this than the rest of them were. Itto ran towards them in a full on sprint, while the other three men jogged towards him while readying their Geo structures. Zhongli had prepared his Geo Towers, Gorou had prepared his flags, and Albedo had readied his Geo Flower. 

 “Pfft, do you guys even have a plan? This’ll be easy-” Itto began, when things went haywire for Geo team. All three men opposing Itto hadn’t coordinated their attacks in any way (clearly) which resulted in a clash of Geo structures all hitting Itto at once. 

 “Augh! What the!-” Itto cried out. The Geo team ran up to Itto in the abomination he found himself in. 

 “Itto! Are you alright?” One of them asked. Itto was caught in an amalgamation of all the Geo structures meshed into one difficult trap of bent rock, folded metal, and binding materials. 

 Itto shook the dizzy feeling in his head and reached to card his hair out of his face, but he couldn’t move his arm. The meshed Geo structure he sat in roughly resembled a pair of medieval stocks; with his arms raised at his sides and his ankles stuck in hard binding rock. Itto twisted and wriggled in this structure. 

 “I’m-...I’m fine but- huh-” Itto strained himself to twist and wriggle out of the rock he found himself in. It wouldn’t budge. “I can’t move! I’m stuck in here!” The Geo team came closer to inspect his predicament. 

 Albedo knelt down beside Itto and gently touched the fused rock, studying its properties. “Hmm..curious.” Albedo remarked. Albedo slid his fingers down the length of rock, running down along with Itto’s side next to it. Itto jumped in his makeshift seat from the fingers. 

 “Ah! Albedo be careful! That’s not funny!” Itto reprimanded. Gorou swung around from his own investigation of the rock, his bushy tail sweeping past Itto’s bare ribs. 

 “What’s not funny? What happened?” Itto started giggling and turning his side inward to escape the tingling sensations. Zhongli’s head popped up from behind the fused rock with a knowing smile on his face. 

 “I believe our dear Immovable Boulder here is in a terrible situation. Due to the properties of Geo, our structures disappear after an extended period of time once they’ve served their purpose. However, it seems since this new structure has fused into a brand new amalgamation, it may prove to be at least an hour or two before Itto is set free.” Zhongli relayed. Itto slumped in his seat, already bored out of his mind. 

 “An hour?! That’s way too long! I’ll die of boredom over here!” Itto groaned while Gorou’s tail swished past Itto’s ribs again. Itto giggled and twisted out of the way. “Go-horou stop with that! It’s ticklish!” All three men suddenly formed an idea, to help with Itto’s boredom in this Geo structure and to also knock him down a peg. 

 “Oh, what a pity. It would be a shame if we were to take advantage of that~” Albedo grinned suspiciously by Itto’s side. Itto was beginning to protest when Albedo grabbed Itto’s thigh and started squeezing into the muscle. 

 Itto sputtered and started laughing immediately, not even thinking about trying to hold his laughter back. “Ahahaha! Ahahalbedo! Dohohon’t do thahat!” Itto tried pulling his leg back from the tickles, but his ankle was stuck in the binding rock. Gorou had a sly grin while his tail started brushing up and down Itto’s side, the tufts of fur waving past his ribs. 

 “Guhuhuys reheheally! Yohohou- Dahahaha!-” Itto yelped out in a fresh peal of laughter as Zhongli skittered his fingers across Itto’s bare shoulder blades. Maybe it was a bad idea to have so much skin exposed as part of his outfit. The texture from Zhongli’s gloves aided in skittering across Itto’s bare skin.  

 “Sorry, you were saying Itto? We couldn’t quite catch that.” Zhongli teased. Gorou hid his gentle blush at Itto’s situation while he continued his gentle tail brushing on Itto’s side. Gorou couldn’t even imagine being in a predicament like this. Albedo noticed Gorou’s sudden shy nature and grinned to himself. How peculiar. Maybe Albedo can study people being ticklish in the future and call it ‘science’. It would be incredibly entertaining. 

 “I wahahas sahahaying quit it!! Thihihihis reheheally tihihickles!” Albedo had switched from Itto’s thigh to his hip; taking his thumb and squishing into the divet. Itto yelped and jumped in his chair with a new reaction. 

 “Don’t crush my hands back here now, Itto. The consequences would be awful for someone as sensitive as yourself.” Zhongli warned. His skittering fingers haven’t stopped their assault on Itto’s ticklish shoulder blades. Zhongli would have gone further down his spine, but the rock serving as a back rest got in the way. 

 “I’m nahahahat sehehensitive! Ahahahalbedo nohohoho hips!!” Itto spent the most time trying to escape Albedo’s thumb in his hip. The big red dot tattooed on Itto’s hip made it difficult to ignore the spot. Gorou noticed the tattoo on the other side as well, wanting to join in. 

 “If Albedo can’t get to your hips, I hope you won’t mind if I do~” Gorou’s brushing tail now started brushing closer to Itto’s abs while his sharp claws scritched over the surface of Itto’s hip. The reaction was nothing short of explosive. 

 “Gahahahahad! Guys plehehehease!! You- Nahahaha!! Zhonglehehe!!” Itto’s blush was now blending in with the red tattoos across his cheekbones as Zhongli snuck his fingers down to Itto’s exposed armpits and skittered in the hollows. The fact that there were thirty individual fingers wriggling and tickling all over him (plus a big bushy tail in his tummy) was abhorrent to think about. Itto was starting to sweat. 

 “Hmm, maybe we could find a way to get you out of this situation sooner if the Immovable Boulder were to admit defeat. Of course, it’s up to you, really. The structure could hold for just an hour, upwards to all night, perhaps~” Zhongli relented. Itto’s hands clenched as he could barely think about his options. Of course he answered the way he always would. 

 “Whahahat?! Nohohoho! I nehehehever gihihive up! Thihihhis is nohothing!!” The Geo men considered his answer and shrugged their shoulders simultaneously. Gorou was in the middle of kneading into Itto’s hip when something caught his eye. Itto’s waving foot. Gorou smiled slyly and moved downwards to attack it. 

 “Wahahait wait Gorou! Cohohome bahahack! Dohohon’t gohoho dohown thehere!” Gorou could tell this was a good spot from all the warnings Itto warranted. The military general slipped off the Oni’s sandal and spidered up Itto’s trapped arch. Itto squeaked and immediately tried pulling back his foot. “Nohohoho no no pleahease! Hahahave MERCY!!” 

 Itto’s voice went up an octave as Albedo started kneading both his thumbs into Itto’s sides and Gorou scritched up Itto’s sole. Zhongli started circling his fingers into either side of Itto’s ribs. 

 “I think we got him now! What do you have to say, Immovable Boulder? Too ticklish for your own good huh?” They really weren’t going to let that nickname go, were they. Gorou considered this payback for the omoplata he was caught in earlier, and what an excellent payback it was! Itto’s face was a mess, his cheeks bright pink and his hair astray. 

 “Cohohome ohohohon ehehehenough nohow!! Thihihis ihihis- YEEK! NOHOHO NO NO GOROU!!” Gorou looked back innocently as his bushy tail started weaving inbetween Itto’s toes; the fur tickling the stems and pads of his toes.

 “Yeesh Itto, I never knew a boulder could be so ticklish. What do you say, Albedo?” Albedo smiled at Itto’s childish reactions as he traced the red tattooed lines of Itto’s chest with tickly scribbles. 

 “Indeed. Such peculiar properties for a boulder. Perhaps I’ll have to study this-” 

 “ALRIHIHIGHT ALRIHIGHT I GIVE!! UNCLE!! PLEHEASE I TAHAHAP!!” Itto’s sudden declaration made Gorou and Albedo pause. Not Zhongli, it would seem. Zhongli still scritched and pinched Itto’s triceps, resulting in Itto giggling ceaselessly. 

 “Hmm, it would seem we reached a breaking point. However, that’s not the requirements I stated for this to stop, was it? I didn’t know Oni’s were hard of hearing. I clearly stated that you needed to admit defeat for us to stop this and attempt to break you out.” Zhongli started kneading into Itto’s ribs, making the demon yelp. Gorou made a mental note to never be tickled by Zhongli under any circumstances. 

 Gorou and Albedo silently went back to work after Zhongli’s statement. The general slipped off Itto’s other sandal, and started brushing Itto’s right sole with his tail and scribbled all over his left sole with both his hands. Albedo held his left hand to Itto’s lower abdomen and started tazing into his softer underbelly. That really drove Itto up the wall, the Oni struggling once more in his seat. 

 “WHAHAT?! NOHOHO!! Thahahat’s- rehehehee!! Rihidiculous!! I cahahahan’t!” Itto shook his head as his eyes narrowed in ticklish laughter. Gorou shrugged as he pulled back Itto’s toes and started dotting his claws under the pads of Itto’s sole. Itto let out a spirited scream and sunk in his makeshift chair.

 “Then I guess we’ll be here for a while. That’s fine, in my Serenitea pot it’s always sunset on the horizon. So I’ll wonder how long you can sit here until your mind starts to drift off and wonder just how long you’ve been subjected to this? I’m sure Albedo would like to investigate that.” Stars appeared in Albedo’s eyes at Gorou’s words. Albedo turned to Itto’s laughing face just as he sunk his fingers into Itto’s defined abs to scribble and tickle in them. 

 “Itto, never admit defeat. This could be groundbreaking for my research.” Itto didn’t want to be tickled anymore, and he certainly didn’t want to be studied by a spider eater. Itto swallowed his pride, just as Albedo sunk both his thumbs into Itto’s hips to knead in the divets. 

 “STOHOHOP!! OKAY OKAY!! I AHAHADMIT DEFEAT!! I’M DEFEHEHEATED! NOHOW PLEHEHEASE GET OFF!” Still so respectful after being tickled to death. Zhongli, happy that his contractual obligations to stopping the torture were met, smiled down at the panting Oni once the tickles stopped. Itto’s chest heaved quickly as the endorphins slowly calmed down in his head. 

 “Now that wasn’t so bad, was it? It seems the Immovable Boulder has a few kinks in that armor.” Itto rolled his eyes at Zhongli’s words as he regained his ability to speak. 

 “Ho-Hokay..now set me free. I think I’ve earned it.” Itto was set free by Zhongli, a little too easily, actually. As if he could have been removed from this structure the entire time. 

 “Hey! Why was that so easy to remove me from? I thought you said you never seen something like this before!” Itto accused. Zhongli simply had a smile on his face as Gorou sputtered behind his hand from Itto’s reaction. 

 Itto spun around and pointed at Gorou. “And you! I told you not to take my sandals off and what did you do?! Where did you hide them?” Gorou started laughing nervously, the energy high and playful in the air. 

 “You never told us to strictly STOP did you Itto? I figured you- Yeek!” Itto lumbered towards Gorou and started wrestling him again, like he did this afternoon. Except this time, Itto had Gorou’s hands out of the way and his tummy out in the open. 

 “Oh, you wanna play like that? Okay! If you tell me to stop, I’ll only tickle faster! Tickle tickle tickle!” Itto started scribbling his fingers in Gorou’s tummy, making the military general fold and laugh immediately. 

 “Gahahaha! Itto stahahahap thahahat!” 

 “Wow you must really like this huh? Why didn’t you tell me sooner? If you wanted me to tickle you so bad you coulda said so!” 

 Albedo and Zhongli watched from a distance at the boys playing, the ominous Geo structure disappearing shortly after as it’s served its purpose. 

 As the afternoon came to a close, the rest of the night was filled with much more bonding time between the male Geo members; their female members silently wondering where all this sudden comradery came from the following Monday morning. 

[itsrumastyles]

Glued to my couch.

I'm told dealing with grief "comes and goes in waves." I understand that everyone has their way of coping and that not everyone's experience is the same yet the emotions can be understood by the collective conscious. I've been glued to my couch for the past few weeks, I also got hit with a flu, I'm told that's grief's friend who loves to visit during these times, thoughtful. I'm sitting here today, trying to figure out what to do; I don't feel up to it to socialize, as if I'm heavily social as is and I'm not sure if I feel well enough to go restaurant/cafe hopping. Sometimes its the fear of prolonged isolation that leads me to go out rather than the isolation itself. I genuinely love solitude. I can never wrap my head around how one can't enjoy their own company. I love emotional connection, but one of quality. Not for fillers. Anyways, with that said, I decided to stay in this half the day. I thought maybe I'd take my feelings and emote it somewhere rather than bottling it all inside.

Grief is excruciatingly painful. I can't remember the last time I've felt heartbreak. Some days you're hopeful and resilient. Wise beyond years, telling yourself you know they're in a better place and resting well. Other days, you're reminded that someone who was such an integral part of your life is missing. And then the painful events that led up to that point. Recovering from caregiving someone with a fatal illness is another process in itself. I'm not sure how much I'm ready to share but all I know I felt the need to emote these feelings somewhere. I've been trying to move forward and look more towards what the future has to offer now that a lot of time has freed up, but this put me in a bigger rut than I already was.

I notice that I put myself in cycles that are unnecessary, sometimes as an armor to remain stuck in my comfort zones. Crazy, how our subconscious will play into these roles we've created in our minds. Then comes grief, to change perspective in letting you know that the old ways, they're no longer working. That new things, need to happen. That most of the stuff we used to care about are frivolous. And that hopefully we can skip the entire grief process and get to the good part in finding meaning again. But that's not how life works, and whatever we don't deal with now, will show up later and not in the kindest way either.

So far, its been endless binging on heartfelt comfort movies and many days of not wanting to get out of bed. Losing focus on work and trying to understand if this is going to be ongoing for a lifetime. Its been painful more than I could ever predicted it to be. But words won't do it justice, not until I'm ready anyway.

That's it for today.

[pathetic-sapphic]

HI, I'm here for your match ups ^^

I'm 5'6 and curvy (thick thighs, butt, and breasts)- my proportions are so weird, hazel eyes, thick coily hair, black, femme goth lesbian

Personality wise: I am really unbothered (I just don't care what most people think, it really helped my confidence the past couple years), I love clothes (I'm a romantic/corporate goth)/hair etc., I am really headstrong and can come off as a lot sometimes because I can get really passionate about things, somehow though I am very slow to anger, but quick to annoyance. I'm used to taking care of people (I have been childrearing multiple years now, my younger brother and now I do not want kids at all), so I don't really know what it's like to be taken care of in-turn. When I feel really comfortable around someone I can get really bubbly. I don't really know what love feels like, but I don know that if anything were to happen to my brother I think I would do almost anything to make sure that I get him back or that it doesn't happen to anyone else. I also have autism and adhd so I cannot stick to a routine whatsoever.

Hobbies: I love books, so much it's ridiculous, I love metal and rock music, I love cats but I really like dogs too, I love breakfast foods, I do tarot, I have a lot of plants (I have named all of them), I crochet, I bake and cook often (specifically pastries, I am a beast at home-made pies). I like interior decorating so they're just going to have to be okay with that and let me do what I want. I can get really distressed if my personal environment is not up to my standards and I will confront whatever it is that is getting in my way (I am very outspoken and opinionated)

Misc? I care a lot about my brother, women's/lgbt/BIPOC rights etc. Because it seems like unless people are directly affected people don't care all that much. I am a writer, a novice painter (I am really bad), and I love trashy movies and tv shows (I love Jersey Shore- s2 supremacy).

Thank you so much, lovely. If it was way too much info feel free to bypass it and move onto someone else, I don't want you to overextend yourself. Have a great rest of your day <3

I would match you up with:

RAN

Okay so first of all, fun fact; I never wrote about them before! And since we don't know a lot about Ran's personality from the show itself, I'm writing about them in the way that the fandom views Ran and writes about them.

Ran loves your sense of style and will often offer to take you shopping. You are each other's most valued critics, always giving advice and compliments on how good you look. You also often share some accessories (they love this, seeing something that belongs to them makes their possessiveness flare up).

Ran is a quiet and laid-back person so to have a partner who is similar to them in that regard is quite comforting. They really love your selflessness and caring nature unless they see you putting others over your well-being. They will remind you that you should take care of yourself first and foremost and are ready to teach you how to do that if you don't know how. Despite seeming so unbothered and impassive, they truly care a lot about you and do their best to get their feelings across.

Ran is infatuated with your array of knowledge and hobbies. They love watching you indulge yourself with your interests, finding your passion and dedication very attractive. Ran isn't a very outspoken person so they actually quite like the contrast to your personality. A blunt and confident partner who isn't afraid to communicate their feelings will do them good.

They're the kind of partner who makes silence comfortable. The two of you will sometimes each do their own thing while in the same room and it will never feel awkward. They are a very comfortable and easy-going person to be around and they love spending quality time with you, even if you don't do much. Just being by your side is enough.

Is fascinated with you taking up Muay Thai. They admire your determination and bravery in trying something new. Loves accompanying you to your training sessions and always asks in detail how it went whenever you're back home. They're so supportive of everything that you do <3

Adores how loyal and caring you are of the people around you. People who have such a kind heart are hard to come by and Ran feels so proud to know they have such a lovely and brave partner by their side!

a/n: i loved doing this match up, thank you for all the details, they actually help a lot :D i hope i did it justice, if not then feel free to request a new match up! thank you for your kindness and support, it means a lot to me <3

[lesbiancarat]

Lolol the number one complaint and we weren't allowed a question on the survey lolol oddly understandable but let's see if they make good work on that! Maybe they will? Dalcom I know did similar things but it wasn't that in depth questions like this so very curious

Tbh the entire comeback is interesting to me! Like I know to some fans they say svt is "predictable" with concept pics or how it plays out like some still say it with this one but imo it feels different? Like the concept photos are interesting how they seem to follow a story but then boom, fast and furious with the last one lol. But oh Gosh the topic about the more producers *sigh* but like can some fans take a chill pill on this topic? I feel like everytime we see more producers, some fans get a tad bit too worried on this and I do get it but also let's just wait? We haven't heard ANY of the songs yet and everyone is already acting like it is going to sound like a certain hybe artist English song that came out that asks about permissions to dance lol. Again, I do get the slight worry but imo as long as we still see a heavy involvement of the usual people of svt music (bumzu and woozi) we shouldn't worry too much. Now if they were seen less and less, yeah we should get worried but their names are ontop. They are still hands on and I doubt either of them would allow a song to not have their svt touch that makes svt music well, their music and I know some fans are going to be itching to correct me about how post bighit it isn't BUT as you answered another ask about this exact topic, everyone has their own opinion on this and I can confirm this was happening BEFORE bighit move. I have seen it happen during fear era myself how everyone was saying "omg fear is not seventeen!!" Or how everyone was saying seventeen needs to go back to "making good music like in boys be era" and I simply just think its a matter of preference on what you like to listen to? Sure you can sometimes see the decline for some artists but if anything for svt imo it is consistent just there are changes. Its normal and common. To me they haven't changed in quality musical wise, it still is something you can connect to svt even post bighit. I agree with many of your points on this topic that is constantly brought up like how this is out of our control, at the end of the day we have no idea what happens behind the scenes so who knows how those music sessions actually happened. Producers will work with artists regardless of they are fans or not, as long as I don't see a questionable producer on a svt song? I'm good imo. Sometimes it works i mean rwy is a good example because why it felt very punk rock for some like myself and that might be because one of the people behind the song is the person behind the band, the ready set! So fellow emo carats you can rejoice lol it is cool to see that sometimes. It was a nice blend of western but it has that svt touch. But of course some would argue back and say no it isn't and we are going in circles lol. Always will be sadly for every comeback you cannot please fans at all because as you mentioned, they worked with outside producers before being in bighit so now I bring the question to some fans is, would we see some of the producers that did work with popular kpop groups still work with svt if they were not in bighit? My answer is yeah because svt is a pretty popular group that is growing still. They are well loved and respected so I'm sure we would have seen those names pop up. Maybe it would be less but I don't think we should all be saying itd bighit to blame when again as you said, svt worked with other producers before.

Which is why finally what you said with how really arguing about this isn't going to get us anywhere, like I even said I have seen this topic before so it isn't going away but it is pointless to argue (note not saying you cannot discus but I hope you know what I mean here) Wait until you hear the songs? Because then you can decide is it really a decline or is it you just not liking the song? Idk again like I said I don't want to sound mean or anything and I do apologize, maybe its because of the recent events in my life that got me more annoyed at how some fans are taking this seriously when my lovely carats ndjajdjsjs don't sweat too much over this really. We won't get a satisfying answer to this and nothing constructive comes from this as you also mentioned, instead we just get fans pointing fingers and thats not what should happen, we should be all in this together hsm style and getting excited to hear the songs ya know? I mean those post bighit songs have to still be svt because its getting them new fans so is it really going bad in where svt loose their brand? I have seen some new fans admit they listened to their older songs but it wasn't until rtl, l&r or rwy they were like ok time to be a fan so something still has to be working right? Lol idk you have every right to not post this ask, especially with how I may come off than usual so you can smack me off to Pluto. I mean it is also ok to not like all songs svt make and considering how long they are a group, it makes sense. For Pete sakes boomboom is still somehow seen as the song many carats don't like xD like i love boomboom but hey, you are allowed to not like that song!

yeah, ultimately i think everything you said comes down to compassion and respecting other's opinions and tastes. like, everyone's going to have a different threshold for when they get worried about the production credits. personally i get somewhat worried seeing 15 names i don't recognize on a tracklist, there are some people who don't pay attention or give to shits about the producers, there are others like you who would get worried if woozi and the other members weren't the first names on the list. and there are others who would worry seeing one new name they don't recognize

and like, i don't think there's anything wrong with any of those points of view. but i think we should understand where other people are coming from. ultimately i think every fan wants good music from svt, we just have different opinions on what that looks like. and at the end of the day, as fans, none of us have control over any of that so it's pointless to argue. i think it's fine to be able to say "this isn't important to me, but i get why you would be worried about it" or "this is something i worry a lot about, but just because you don't also worry about it doesn't mean you don't care at all"

and the same goes for the songs themselves, regardless of who produced it. i said this in the last ask i answered but i really wish people would recognize that just because they don't like a song doesn't mean it's bad or that it's not svt, bc if svt are involved in producing a song, isn't it inherently svt?

but on the other hand i think there needs to be a balance between recognizing that it's fine if some fans don't like a given comeback, and also recognizing that it is possible for certain releases to alienate a lot of fans. i think fear is a good example of this, because it was very divisive and the reason for that is it WAS a lot different from the music svt had released before. and i don't think there's anything wrong with liking or disliking the song. but it's important for for both fans of fear (as well svt and pledis themselves) to recognize that it's expected for a lot of carats to not like it given that svt up til that point had largely built their career and fanbase on brighter songs, which fear was very much not

and i think the balance of that is that, again, it's okay for any individual to like or dislike any song. and if you're someone who likes a divisive song, you need to think about why others may not like it and recognize that that's okay. and if you're someone who's on the other side of things, recognize that it's okay to like an artist and not like every song. and if you're not liking a lot of the new music, you may be happier moving on rather than getting your expectations let down over and over again waiting for an old sound. it can be disappointing when it happens, but artists are allowed to change their sound and try new things

the last thing i would like to challenge though, is that i don't think that just because a change in concept or new songs are bringing in more fans necessarily means that "something's still working". i get that this is a defense against fans who are the type to be stuck in the past and hate on every new release. which i agree can be frustrating, but it's a line of thinking i would caution against. the reason for this is because it's essentially saying that, as long as we get numbers (whether it's views or sales), it doesn't matter whether we drive away old fans. and that it not a good formula for a healthy or stable fanbase, because it prioritizes numbers over keeping the loyalty of fans. it's possible to stay popular with that approach, but if you continue to follow whatever the current trend is just to get views, then you're going to have a lot of turnover in your fandom which can be an issue for a lot of reasons

and like, i'm not mad at you or anything for saying that. i think it's sort of a non-issue for carats at the moment anyway because despite svt having a few controversial releases (namely fear and rtl, and possibly rwy) and concerns over producers, i really don't think there's like a mass exodus of old fans who hate the new sound lol. and while i do think svt's sound has changed since debut (they haven't stayed freshteen for 7 years straight), i do think they're aware of their fanbase and they try to make music they think carats (and they themselves) will like. and they've said that they don't just make music to follow the trend either. and even if this was a problem, it's not like it's something we as fans have direct control over anyway, because we don't decide what music svt releases

but it is something i wanted to flesh out a bit because i think it's a statement that carries a lot of implications and can be dismissive to any old fans who are having trouble liking newer releases. because whether you relate to it or not, it's very valid to feel upset if a group you really like has moved toward a sound you don't like. and some people can definitely be annoying about it, but at the end of the day i think the best way for it to be handled is for those people to recognize on their own if they need to move on from the fandom if they're really enjoying it that little

again, it all comes down to compassion. it's okay to like a song or not, but be compassionate to those who are struggling with not liking new songs, and be compassionate to those who are enjoying music, even if it's music you personally don't like

[j-a-smiths-blog]

1512 15Feb23: This time next year, I should be in the Philippines filming. Now... it could be my first or second project but I should be filming.

I say first or second because I don't want to rush and make a bunch of silly mistakes. I want to make quality products. So I won't be upset to take my time and do it right. I also plan to go ahead and get a bank of b roll shots and have a hard drive potentially dedicated to just that... so for now, I need to focus on the last 40ish hours until this house inspection happens and once April comes I definitely can take a breather and focus on getting film stuff ready. I say April cause if we have to move by March 31 then it will be madness for the next month, but if we can extend in this house I can start focusing sooner.

Ok two major things I need to focus on film wise before the move to the Philippines is:

1. The Lens. Though I can make the film with what I got, ideally, I want to be able to put the one lens on and be able to accomplish as much or the movie as possible. Really leaning on the Sigma 18-35mm f1.8 because that would be a 20-37ish f1.2 on the BMPCC4K with the viltrox speed booster. If I really needed to drop to the f1.0 then that would be with the 24mm or 50mm I have.. chances are... I won't need to.

2. I need to invest in a good audio set up. A good reliable Zoom H4N, a boom pole and a decent microphone.

Building lights from scratch will be easy and rather cheap in the Philippines, so nothing to worry there.

So. I'm in a rather decent spot to start making magic happen in the Philippines.

[tombeane-blog]

Stock Tip - Invest In Rope Futures

(November, 2022)

Last night I was sleeplessly tossing and turning.  Wide awake, I decided to solve Climate Change.

Without getting too deep into the weeds, the problem can be described as follows: the climate keeps changing.  

Then again.  Always has.  Always will.  But for some reason if it keeps on changing, in 10 years we will all be dead.

Fortunately, we find ourselves living at the precise time in the Earth's billions of years of existence when the global temperature is exactly perfectly suited for humans, animals, plants and rocks.  So it's on us to stop it from ever changing again - right here, right now, from where the sun now stands and before one more Polar Bear moves to Florida and starts voting Republican.

So I'm fully on board now and ready to draw a line in the sand and yell, "Hey Nature! Stop all this unreliable weatherating - OR WE WILL!".

Three words - Wind Turbines. 

We need lots more of them.  We need every field, mountain top, city dump, street corner, vacant lot, corn field, football stadium and city park covered with 'em.  

No more NIYBY Luddites.  No more "Not In Your Back Yard".  Like it or not, you're all in this together.

But what to do on a beautiful, cloudless windless summer day when the turbines won't spin?

Simple problems require simple solutions.  As I mentioned in an earlier blog - all of the wind turbines will have battery backup."

"How does it work? To explain I'll need to get a little technical here:  When necessary the batteries will continue to spin the turbines, the spinning turbines will continue to inject stable power to the grid."

"Wait a second Tom.  How long will those batteries last?  What happens if the batteries go dead and the wind hasn't picked up?"

"Easy Vern.  While the batteries are powering the turbines, they will simultaneously be charging a second, emergency bank of batteries that will kick in and continue to power the spinning turbines while also recharging the first bank of batteries.  This efficient cycle continues until the wind resumes."

"The electrical grid stays powerated through windy, winderer and winderless days."

"And before you ask that question tickling your brain Vern - there will be a backup to the backup in the form of a multi-watt, Honda portable gas generator."

"Hey Tom, let's get serious. This all sounds well and good but....

...giant turbines are noisy, ugly as heck and those spinning blades of death keep killing all of our Eagles!".

"Well bless your heart Vern. You got a point there but slow down and take a breath."

"I've thought this through from the 10,000 foot level (pointing up) and down to the smallest detail (holding two fingers 1/16 inch apart)."

"What is that old saying? I think it's something like - Those Who Remember History Are Authorized To Repeat It!"

"Jumping into the way-back-machine we can see that we spent much of the 20th century building out the national electrical grid with above ground power lines."

"Where? Literally Every."

"All across America every highway and every street had power lines and poles.  Power to every home, every apartment, every backyard shed and outhouse in America was supplied via ugly brown poles and skinny wires."

"Those things were a necessary pain that hummed loudly, were ugly as sin and were a convenient place for birds to perch while they pooped on everything below them."

"Their only redeeming quality was that they were a convenient place to staple posters for local punk bands, missing cats and neighborhood garage sales."

"After though, we finally wised up and realized there was a better way.  We solved it then and we can solve it now.  The birds were disappointed but everyone else loved the idea."

"We hid all those power poles and electrical wires."

"And soooo, all of the 120 million new wind turbines will be buried 180 feet deep along with their twin battery backups and their gas generators."

"Leaving the only thing visible above ground - through a small hole - that little rope pull to start the gas generator."

"Problem solved.  Contact your stock broker."

[fight-the-corn]

Avengers x reader soulmate chapter 3

The next day you were in terrible condition.  You could barely function, but you still got ready for school and made your way through all the classes like normal, keeping your head down so nobody could see your face.  You had made it to the end of the day when you got a text saying, "Hey princess, it's Tony.  Here to pick u up so we can head 2 the tower"

Shit.  Your face looked like it was used as a punching bag (which it has been), so there was no way you could see Tony.  You texted, "Srry, family plans.  No time, gtg"

"Nope sweets at least let me drive u home.  Quality time 😏😘"

You couldn't turn him down.  He was really trying to reach out to you.  You went up to the fancy sports car parked in front of the school, knowing it was him.  You slipped in the car, keeping your head down.

"How's your day going beautiful?"

" Good, I just had school.  How's your day going? "

"Better now that I've seen you.  Why aren't you looking at me?"

" I uhh, had a really bad acne outbreak last night and the makeup has worn off. "

"Come on princess, you're stunning.  Can I please see your pretty face?"

He put a finger on your chin to tilt your face up but quickly removed it when you flinched.

You accidentally glanced up at him in panic -your parents got mad when you flinched.  "I'm so sorry, it was an accident!" You rushed to get out.

Unfortunately, your upward glance let him see your face.

"Baby..."

You realized what you had done and panicked even more, ducking your head.  Tony turned the car on and drove.  You hoped he would take you home, but that didn't happen.  He didn't take you to the Avengers tower either.  He drove until you guys reached a secluded park and he got out of the car, then came around and opened your door and offered his hand to you.  You took it and he walked with you to a bench overlooking a small creek.  You sat down with him next to you, and he put his arm around you gently.  This was your breaking point.  The tears came and you couldn't stop.  You were crying your eyes out into the billionaire's shoulder, a man you had only met yesterday.  He had been quiet the whole time and that worried you because you weren't sure if he was mad or not.  After you had calmed down a little bit, he spoke for the first time since he had seen your face.

"Y/n, I hope you know that you are safe with us.  We are your soul mates and we have all done bad things in the past, but we love you more than anything.  I understand that you just met us yesterday, but we already love you more than anything.  I'm going to be completely honest with you -I had JARVIS set up a room for you before I even met you.  I love you more than I love myself or anything in this life.  You will always have a safe place at the tower, and I am not going to sit around and let the love of my life get hurt.  I know that it's not my place to solve your problems, but if you need a wise old brain to weigh in, you can come to me."

You looked up at him and smiled.  You noticed he had tears in his eyes.  "Thank you Tony.  I really appreciate that.  My parents can have a bit of a temper and recently I've been getting home late, which makes them angry.  This," you said, motioning to your face, "Is my fault.  I made them angry. " You said, with a sad, painful smile.

"Princess, abuse is never your fault.  They are your parents and you should feel safe around them.  You shouldn't have to worry that you'll anger them and they will hurt you.  Please, I know that this is really fast, but do you want to move into the tower?  You'll be safe."

You paused for a moment , worrying about the possible outcomes of moving into the tower.  You decided that it would be better.  "Thank you so much Tony.  I would love to move in with you and the other Avengers."

Tony lit up like he was the sun.  "Wonderful sweets, anything you need, just ask.  Do you wanna stay here for a while, or head home?"

" Here would be nice. "

"Your wish is my command."

You say in silence for a couple of seconds until Tony's phone started to buzz.

"Shit, it's Nat.  I was supposed to be home with you after I had picked you up.  I need to take this or else she's going to go crazy spider lady on me.  Sorry princess."

You nodded and after a while he came and sat down next to you again.

"We have to go, sorry.  Capsicle is pissed."

"That's okay.  Do you think we could stop at a drug store on the way and pick up some makeup?  I'm not really ready for the others to know about this yet."

" Anything for you, soulmate. "

[sokkastyles]

In your last post you talked a lot about how Zuko respects Iroh. Could you give some examples of that? Because I'm feeling like Zuko doesn't really respect anyone, he (understandably) has an ego and thinks he's above everyone, even if he's working on

It is such a shame that Avatar: The Last Airbender (2005) was cancelled after two episodes.

Lol, now that I've got that out of my system, I'm gonna assume you aren't just a troll and treat this like you actually want a serious answer, because it gives me an opportunity to meta about Zuko and Iroh's relationship.

I would say that the Zuko we are introduced to has a pretty big ego, yeah, and thinks he's above everyone else. He's incredibly disrespectful to most everyone he meets, including his long-suffering uncle. When I started the show I knew through cultural osmosis that Zuko would get redeemed, and from the first episode I was like "alright, I'm ready to see how the show is gonna make me like this asshole." I especially did have a negative reaction to the way he treats Iroh in the beginning, because Iroh is one of the first characters I loved. I also was sympathetic to Iroh because I'm an adult, and an adult who works with kids. If any of my students said to me some of the stuff that Zuko says to Iroh I'd be like, yeah, okay, detention for you young man.

It's also pretty clear from early on though that Zuko's ego comes from a deep insecurity and low self-esteem. That doesn't make the things he does any better, and yes he is incredibly disrespectful to Iroh, especially when Iroh contradicts him about his mission. That's also related to his deep insecurity and trauma surrounding his father, of course, because Zuko needs to believe that he can win back his father's acceptance to cope with what his father did to him, but that doesn't excuse it.

He says some incredibly nasty things to Iroh. In the first episode we see him respond angrily when Iroh won't teach him more advanced firebending, and Zuko responds, as he does several times, by trying to imitate his father's brand of coercion and intimidation. Iroh is like, not impressed, and he puts up with a lot of crap from Zuko but he also doesn't let it get to him because he's a responsible adult and he wants to support Zuko in the way he can. Which also means telling him off sometimes because dude.

Zuko thinks Iroh is lazy and a failure, and resents the fact that Iroh is keeping him from what he says he is "more than ready" for, and tries to bully Iroh when he doesn't get his way, but then we see in the third episode, "The Southern Air Temple," Zuko's fight with Zhao. We see that for all Zuko's complaining about Iroh's teaching, he does what Iroh taught him to do, he sticks to his basics, and he wins. Iroh says that Zuko is honorable and we see that Zuko appreciates Iroh's support. It's also implied by the way Zhao mentions humiliating Zuko in front of his uncle that Zuko wants Iroh to be proud of him, that it's obvious to Zhao how close they are.

Another example of the show letting us know that Zuko cares more about his uncle than he lets on is when he threatens to leave Iroh behind in "Winter Solstice" but then comes back for him to find him gone, and goes out of his way to search for him, even setting aside his hunt for Aang. Zuko fights the earthbenders to save Iroh and Iroh compliments his form, to which Zuko says Iroh taught him well. This episode does a lot to develop Zuko as a character and his relationship with Iroh because not only do we see that Zuko cares for his uncle, but that, contrary to his rudeness and dismissiveness in episode one, Zuko does respect Iroh as a teacher and a bender.

There's a lot of examples like this where Zuko says one thing but does another, because Zuko is a character who, at the beginning of the story, carries a lot of cognitive dissonance and guards his real feelings about things. His relationship with Iroh is an example. This isn't very surprising because it's pretty common in child psychology. Especially with kids who have been abused, they will rebel against an authority figure and push back in any way they can to see if they can find a breaking point. Iroh's endlessly patient and supportive but solid and firm presence is something Zuko is not used to and doesn't know how to deal with. But it's very clear that Zuko relies on Iroh as a father and mentor, even when Zuko doesn't realize it yet.

"The Avatar State" in another episode that shows how much Zuko relies on Iroh. At the beginning of the episode Zuko is sitting apart and it's implied that he's not happy with Iroh relaxing and getting a massage, but Zuko also opens up to Iroh about his feelings about his father. Zuko also is dismissive and rude to Iroh again in this episode, criticizing Iroh for collecting shells and also insulting Iroh when Iroh contradicts him about going with Azula, but then Zuko is happy when Iroh goes with him to Azula's ship, and we get that flash of the image of Ozai with his hand on Zuko's shoulder. This tells us that Zuko sees Iroh as the kind of mentor figure that he wishes his father were, even if, again, Zuko doesn't quite realize this yet. There are many other examples like this where Zuko is frustrated by not getting Iroh's approval on something because he wants Iroh to be proud of him. Like when he steals the teapot and gives it to Iroh and Iroh is not interested in stolen items. Zuko's clearly hurt by not having Iroh's approval, which is a big part of why he left Iroh, and Iroh knows that Zuko is struggling to find himself but also still needs his support.

Then you have "Bitter Work," the lightning bending, and Zuko's look of total admiration when Iroh is bending lightning and teaching Zuko a move that he invented himself. Like I said before, it's clear that Zuko respects Iroh as a powerful bender. This is also echoed in that scene in the book two finale when Iroh is about to breathe fire and Zuko has this look of "wow my uncle is going to beat you so bad this is going to be great!"

There's also a lot of little stuff in the Ba Sing Se arc that show that Zuko respects Iroh and values him as a mentor figure. He lets Iroh do his hair for his date with Jin! It looks terrible! Zuko has no idea how to behave on a date so he's like um, uncle said to give you this coupon! Look how smart my uncle is! Of course the culmination of that arc is Zuko's fever and his awakening which gives him a renewed respect for Iroh, and he actually makes an effort to show Iroh how much he values him. He still betrays Iroh in Ba Sing Se but it's not the "I hate you and you smell!" thing that the play portrays it as. One of the reasons Zuko was so confused there was because he felt like his uncle was telling him contradictory things, and he couldn't reconcile his uncle's wisdom with what he'd been taught to believe by Ozai.

But it's finally losing Iroh as that pillar of support that makes Zuko truly realize how much he does value his uncle. It still takes him a while to get there, and he again pushes back against Iroh when Iroh won't talk to him in prison and blames him for his own internal turmoil. But when he does finally get there, it's such a slap in the face to Ozai that Zuko on the Day of Black Sun tells him to his face that Iroh is his real father, that Zuko is going to fall to his knees and beg for Iroh's forgiveness, because Zuko has realized that Iroh is the one who really deserves his respect. Not only does Zuko tell Ozai that he, in fact, did not teach him anything about respect, but the respect Ozai tried to get from his son through cruelty and control is something Zuko will freely give to Iroh.

Then Zuko spends the next several episodes constantly talking about how great Iroh is, how much he misses him, how good he is at making tea and telling jokes, how wise he is, and what an ass he, Zuko, had been to him. He follows Iroh's advice and humbles himself because Iroh always said he didn't think things through enough, he works hard to make himself into someone his uncle would be proud of. Then when he does meet Iroh again he asks for forgiveness, but he says that even if Iroh won't forgive him he would try to make it up to him. He's completely humbled himself and it's so satisfying because it's the fulfilment of their relationship arc, and you can feel the love and respect that these two characters have for each other. And it's directly meant to contrast with what Ozai said about respect, because Ozai is full of shit.

And then Zuko just like automatically assumes that Iroh will be the Fire Lord and Iroh's like "Zuko did you forget that you are the crown prince?" And Zuko, bless his heart, is like "but I made so many mistakes."

I'm sorry, but if you're gonna keep arguing that Zuko, at this point, still "thinks he's above everyone else" then you are just being willfully obtuse.

Not to mention the fact that Zuko's crowning moment as Fire Lord is him giving a speech about how he wants to serve others, to heal the world, and even the applause and praise that he, in the beginning, wanted from others is something he doesn't accept. He tells everyone that Aang is the real hero. And Aang is a hero but like, Zuko is a hero, too, by showing heroic qualities like being selfless and humble and caring towards others. And then his last scene is not him as Fire Lord, but serving tea to everyone dressed in Earth Kingdom clothes.

And who does he serve tea to first? Uncle.

[ageofevermore]

Golden

summary → in which Harry doesn’t understand how he can possibly love such a small baby so painfully much. 

word count → 1.7k

note → this might require a few deep breaths because oh lord, i really laid the fluff down thick. 

add yourself to my taglist

When you and Harry had fallen pregnant it was unexpected. You had been talking about starting a family in the near future, but hadn't felt the need to fall in deep. You were aware of the problems you might face with natural conception, especially due to the stress of being employed by the entertainment industry, but just three days after your conversation, the both of you had gotten carried away in a moment of beautiful love.

You had been on birth control ever since your seventeenth birthday when your mother figured you might begin to explore your sexual desires. It was something she was quite open about, making it easier to tell her that you were seeing a green eyed wonder called, Harry.

It was just after a morning run through LA that you took a test. It was some cheap brand, an impulse buy after laying in bed worrying about your lack of protection weeks prior. You had been paranoid for days, your cycle abnormally long and lacking the usual symptoms of tension and muscle aches. Instead, you had full fledges cramps and headaches.

When the first test came back positive you almost fainted on the floor of your en-suite. Harry was just downstairs and heard the unusual commotion. You were usually light on your feet, a classically trained ballet dancer as a child. It was worrisome to find you doubled over on your hands and knees beside the tipped over nightstand. Harry had immediately rushed to your aid, collecting your frame in his hands and pressing soft kissing to your forehead until he could get your attention. Your eyes were dazed, hands balling into the fabric of his thick black jumper. You were completely beside yourself with joy.  

"What's a'matter, moppet?" He mumbled against your forehead, pulling your legs over his lap so her could bring you closer. He softly pried your hands away from his jumper, kissing your clenched knuckles fervently. "Scaring me, love. What's got you so worked up?"

The thought of the positive pregnancy test in your palm brought on a new wave of tears. The tip of your nose trembled as you broke into a wide grin, breaking down completely into Harry's chest with gleefully shocked giggled. Harry didn't waste a minute, wrapping his arms around your middle and pulling you closer to his chest. Your legs wrapped around him like a koala, but it only made this moment sweater for you. For now, you were the only one that knew about the growing baby making a home for itself inside of you. For years you had overlooked how special this moment would be.

"Pet." Harry cooed, bringing his fingers down your spine. The metal of his rings was cold when he lifted your shirt and tickled your back with scratches. "Gotta tell me what's got you so giddy."

Uncoordinatedly you smashed your lips against Harry's. Your teeth knocked against his harshly, but all you could manage was a smile that left his lips wet, "We're parents." Your whispered.

-

The end of your pregnancy was brutal, complete with unbearable braxton hicks and obscene swelling. You had been riddled with insomnia for weeks as well, and the throbbing in your fingers was brought on by the wedding band stuck between your knuckles that even elevation and heating pads couldn't help. Harry had done his absolute best to make you comfortable, but even his hour long foot rubs and 3am snack runs did little for you. None of that was relevant now, nor was the stitching holding your torn vagina together. Your baby, sweet Indie Anne Styles, was here. She was perfect, and she was finally before your eyes.

Her warm pink body was flush against your chest. Harry stood off to the side, tears blurring his vision as he took in the picture before him. His first true love was embracing their own little mini. He had no doubts that his little Indie was a product of the truest breed of young love. Indie, Harry wasn't so sure the big name fit her little body and button nose.

"Look at her, lovie." You sniffled, running your finger down her cheek. She had finally stopped wailing, settling into your warmth and letting herself fall asleep in your embrace. You were certain birth was tiring for babies, glad to see that your little love was resting up now and getting ready to experience the life you and Harry had shaped just for her. "She's perfect."

"Knew she would be, love." Harry came closer to the both of you, bending down to press a kiss to your sticky forehead. He loosely grabbed the newborns hand, chocking on a sob when she gripped his thumb. Her grip was tight for such a tiny human, and already Harry was sure he wouldn't be able to live every day with a heart so heavy with love.

Your husband was barely keeping himself together over your shoulder as he admired your daughter. You had gently coaxed a pacifier between her lips after watching her squirm, and the soft pink plastic only brought Harry a new wave of overwhelming love and protection. He never wanted anything to hurt his littlest love, his precious baby Indie.

"Thank you, pet." He cried into your crown, pressing gentle kissed to your hair and face at an uncomfortable angle. He didn't want to hurt you, but he needed to thank you for this moment. It was everything he had always dreamed of and so much more, "Thank you for her. Thank you."

-

It had taken Harry three weeks to call Indie her name, having a habit of referring to the newborn as 'his little angel'. You didn't mind the title, but hearing her name on the tip of his tongue made you weak. He had taken great to becoming a father, like you knew he would. You had never had any doubts about just how unconditionally Harry would love your little human. He was up with you during every feed, changing all the diapers until you were healed enough to bare standing at the change table for long stretches.

He bought only the best for his Indie too. Her nighttime routine was prepped with high end vegan moisturizers and ointments. Her diapers were made of organic, non toxic, vegan materials. He didn't care for prices, only quality. Harry was as relatively humble man. He never talked about wealth or thought it as anything valuable, but he also, despite what it seems, didn't splurge on high end products often. He had his limits and boundaries, but his money was used wisely and not thrown away on material. He refused to let Indie soak in a cheap diaper though, even when you assured him that most diapers were exceptionally made and there was no need to spend a few hundred dollars every month.

It didn't take long for Indie to form more defined features, one being her insanely bright blue eyes and thin strands of soft blonde hair. You weren't quite sure where your baby girl came from to be honest, seeing as your eyes weren't near the same shade of color as hers nor were Harry's. Her hair was ungodly as well. Almost like your favorite disney film, her locks were strikingly golden. It had only taken a month before you caught Harry above her crib, whispering a fond, "Good morning, golden girl."

Golden had been her name since that dewy spring morning. You couldn't see her as anything but, adoring the nickname Harry had brought upon the three of you. It was odd when you had family visiting and they would refer to your precious Golden as Indie.

It was just after two am when the shrill screams of your infant severed the sleep you and Harry were catching up on. His arm was thrown around your waist, and for a minute neither one of you moved. She was going through a growth spurt meaning the usually laid back baby you shared a house with was needy and desperate for her fathers attention and your satin milk. It was hard to give her what she wanted at times. You knew she was hungry, but she didn't want to leave Harry's arms.

That had happened just the other day. With the luck you were working on, you had forgotten to pack away another pre-made bottle. She was eating so frequently you hadn't had the need to pump, but that decision came back to bite you when she woke up from her nap hungry and only wanting her daddy. You both had eventually figured out a way to please her, but it had been frustrating and stressful on the three of you alike. It was safe to say you were always on top of bottles now.

When Harry finally did pull away from your warmth, he kissed your temple before feeling the room, not before you heard the last of his mutter, "I'm coming, Goldie."

You were sure your heart exploded in that moment. When you saw him again, this time with a squirmy baby impatiently suckling on the nipple of a pacifier, tears were gathering in your eyes. You smiled widely down at your little love, affectionately stroking her cheek. You settle her against your chest, wincing when she latches, but relaxing when her sucks become rhythmic and predictable.

In the darkness Harry couldn't make out your teary smile, instead just moving around the master and preparing another diaper for Goldie, having felt the wet one when he picked her up from the crib moments ago. He could hear you praising the baby for doing such a good job, promising that it was okay if she woke up every thirty minutes, but what caught him off guard was when you brushed your thumb over her cheek and whispered, "Look just as pretty as your Daddy, Goldie."

"Y'heard that, huh?" He stuttered. He knew you weren't too fond of the first few nicknames he had given Goldie, and he was almost fearful that you would reject his shortened version of Golden.

You rolled your eyes softly at his question, patting a patterned on your baby girl's diapered bottom as she nursed with sleepy eyes. "I think it's cute, fits her."

Harry smiled widely at the pair of you, the dim moonlight capturing the perfect moment in his memory. His love for you and Goldie somehow got deeper every day. He never wanted to leave this stripped down midnight moment. This perfectly golden moment.

[anime-onlys]

Spring '21 anime list: What I tried, what I'm watching, and first impressions!

Shaman King (2021)

I hadn't heard about this show until the reboot was announced, and it seems neat so I'll give it a shot! Hesitation isn't quite the right word, but I am watching cautiously because there's a lot about early 2000's anime that should stay in the early 2000's. I'm prepared to take a certain amount of product-of-its-time-ness, but only so much.

I really like its unique visual style. It feels like it's got a similar vibe to Soul Eater and TWEWY with its chunky proportions and face design, and the squash-and-stretch animation really lends itself to comedic moments. I feel like there are some eminently cosplayable designs in my future.

Character-wise, it's only been one episode but I'm taking a liking to Yoh. Based on the OP I hope that Ryuu will be an early-antagonist-turned-loudmouth-friend like JJBA's Okuyasu or Sk8's Shadow. That's one of my favorite character tropes.

The World Ends With You the Animation

My friend is a huge TWEWY fan, so our group was really looking forward to this anime. I saw a little of the gameplay when the Switch version was released, up to the end of episode 1's plot. I know it's going to be excellent story wise, and I already may be planning on making cosplay of that Reaper with the skeleton hoodie.

I love a unique visual style and an awesome soundtrack, of course TWEWY already had that coming in. The CGI Noise are a little clunky, but allow for some really great fight sequences. The characters' CGI models are nearly seamless with the 2D. It feels like the plot is moving fast, but according to my friend they just skipped some fetch quests and puzzle solving that wouldn't have been interesting to animate.

I'm really looking forward to this one each week!

Dragon Goes House-Hunting

One of those "eh, we'll give it a shot" shows. A bunch of us have been eyeing real estate lately, so at the very least it's topical. If done right, the concept could be fun!

We spent most of the episode HATING the dragon's character design. Its proportions are just...awkward in every way. The neck is extremely short and thick and leads into a human-muscled torso, the arms are tiny twigs, and the legs are a little too human and a little too thick to be anything but unnerving. It's bad.

Oddly, except for the dragon, the rest of the creature designs are pretty great! In contrast to a lot of anime, they let them be really non-human and had a good design sense. The humor was solid, the Monster Hunter references were on point, and the character interactions were fun. The OP is GREAT, too!

We'll be continuing this one! If you can make your eyes stop hating you for forcing them to look at the Monster Factory reject of a dragon, I'd say give it a shot.

You Can Make A Mug Too

Now that Yuru Camp is over, we wanted another lighthearted anime that might teach us something while it's at it. You Can Make A Mug Too was one of our picks to sample because one member of anime night has recently acquired a kiln.

My impression is an approving but unenthusiastic "Fine, really." You can definitely tell it's an anime made to bring in tourism to the town it's based in. The characters don't really grab me, but they set up a solid emotional backbone for the story. The production quality isn't stunning, I was hoping for some nice pottery wheel animation but didn't get any.

It's probably a decent show, but we won't watch any more because of the next one on the list.

Supercub

Going straight from You Can Make A Mug to Supercub was like going from store-brand ice pops to fresh gelato. I can already tell this is my favorite anime of the season, hands down.

First, the production quality is excellent. The backgrounds are beautiful, the score is understated but well done to the point that Debussey's Clair de Lune felt like it had been made for the scene it was used for.

More than the production quality alone, this anime's direction is exceptional. It takes 'show don't tell' and uses it perfectly, using body language and soundtrack and shot composition to communicate as much or more than the sparse dialogue. Like, they made my heart skip a beat with nothing but color grading. THAT kind of exceptional.

I haven't spoken much about the plot because I really have no idea where it's going to go. Will we fill in why Koguma is so alone, or will we only move forward to seeing her connect? Will the past of that Supercub come back to haunt her? This feels like an anime that can and will absolutely wreck me, but at the starting line all I can say is I'm READY.

If you only watch one thing this season, watch Supercub.

Continuing anime:

My Hero Academia Season 5:

This season is interesting because for the first time, I think I'm going into it with almost zero spoilers (Dabi's real name is the only one I have). The only plot spoiler I thought I had, that Hawks was somehow working with the League of Villains, was revealed at the end of episode 1. I really enjoy going into things blind so I'm looking forward to this season!

However, the OP is the most disappointing thing out there. Nothing about the song, animation or composition is memorable or even noteworthy. Bones and MHA have access to all the money and talent in the industry and they best they can do is "Fine, I guess".

Yuukoku no Moriarty season 2 (Split cour):

I really enjoyed Moriarty's first season, but the second part of a split-cour always has the risk of running off the rails. What I enjoyed most about the first cour was the reverse-whodunit formula: Here's a terrible noble and the people they hurt, how does Moriarty get rid of them while making it look like an accident? The end of cour 1 started to focus heavily on Sherlock and I don't want the show's namesake to end up sidelined.

Knowing Irene was coming, I was really hoping for a Scandal in Belgravia that follows the books...at all, where the end of the story is that Irene escapes with the photo (except this time aided by the Moriarty brothers). Few or no Sherlock adaptations actually want to engage with the sexism of the era or today's, and just want to paint her as a blackmailer or temptress instead of a woman holding onto the power to protect herself. The beginning was extremely promising, but that went off the rails pretty quick. I still haven't yet seen an adaptation of Irene Adler that I like.

Zombieland Saga: Revenge

I watch this show because it's fun and ridiculous, and I get to hear Mamoru Miyano having the time of his life in the recording booth. I love this show because it always ends up surprising me with its solid emotional backbone. It looks like this season is shaping up to be more of the same!

What blew me away was this episode was the first time I saw a CGI dance sequence that I LIKED. Ever. The characters used different mocap so they weren't eerily in sync, the song and dance itself was well made and supported by excellent camera direction and shot composition, there were 2D cuts to closeups of the dancers as well as audience, and they actually pushed facial expression!

It's a good time. Give it a shot.