#ready rough and unromantic

[roosterforme]

Ready, Rough and Unromantic | Rooster x Reader

Summary: When Bradley has a rough day at work, he knows the only thing that will make him feel better is his wife. But will you let him dominate you? Will you let him use you just how he needs to? He shouldn't have been surprised by your answer or your response to him.

Warnings: Angst, fluff, rough smut, dominant smut

Length: 2500 words

Pairing: Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw x Female Reader

This was written to accompany my series Is It Working For You? along with a bunch of my one-shots and other series, but it can be read on its own! Check my masterlist for the reading order.

"I am so proud of you, Roo," you whispered, kissing his neck and zipping up his flight suit. It was early, the sun was just peeking through the bedroom curtains, but you were up helping him get ready for the first day of his duties.

Bradley would be spending the week as an assistant instructor at Top Gun. Few people would appreciate what an honor this was, but you understood it implicitly. You hadn't yet bothered to dress for the day, but you decided to wake up early to wish him luck. 

He ran his fingers along your soft skin, completely bare for him except for your glasses and wedding rings, as he said, "I always want to make you proud, Baby Girl."

When Bradley tipped his head down to kiss your cheek, you giggled. The sound went right to the part of his brain that controlled his unbridled desire for you. All he had to do was squeeze your bare hip with his big hand, and you looked up into his eyes.

"Do we have time?" you asked softly before you bit your lip.

He kind of shrugged and grunted, but you were already lowering the zipper of his flight suit all the way down. Bradley let you take the lead on this one, and when you dropped to your knees, he was not disappointed. 

The way you wrapped your pretty lips around his cock... yeah, there would always be time for that. "You're so fucking good," he groaned as you took him deep, and he hit the back of your throat. You sucked on him until you were gagging, then you pulled him out as a strand of your saliva dripped onto your tits.

"This is for good luck," you told him before you tilted your head and sucked on his balls until he was pulling on your hair a little rough.

"Oh," he groaned. "My wife doesn't mess around." His words were deep and gruff compared to the long, soft moans you made as your tongue swirled up the length of his cock. 

You kissed the tip of him, whispered, "I love you," and then you gave him absolutely filthy head until he was cumming all over you. Your hollowed cheeks and warm hands had him fucking your face until cum dripped out of the corners of your lips. And when he spurted onto your glasses a second later, your giggle returned.

Bradley loved the sight of it enough that he wanted to make a mess with you later on when he had more time. Coat your glasses up real good. Maybe help you lick them clean. 

"Fuck," he growled. "I need to leave, Sweetheart." Bradley pulled you to your feet and placed a soft slap to your ass. You kissed him hard one time, and he promised he'd take care of you later.

---------------------------

"Tally, tally!" called one of the younger recruits into the radio. But his teammate and wingman left him hanging long enough that Bradley got himself quickly into position. A few seconds later, Bradley got tone on him and eliminated him. 

He was feeling great, and when the team landed along with Bradley, he took some time to show them where they went wrong and how they could improve. "As soon as you hesitate, it's over," he informed them, knowing very well that he had learned that lesson himself not terribly long ago.

The recruits filed back inside for lunch while Bradley joined Maverick and the other teachers to go over the plans for the afternoon. Honestly, he was having a great day, and when he was told he'd be taking another team up in the afternoon, he was looking forward to it.

But he must have been distracted. Or maybe he was the one who hesitated this time. Because as soon as Bradley managed to fly the two seater Super Hornet into a corner, he heard tone lock onto his own aircraft. 

He had been outmaneuvered by a twenty five year old student. 

Bradley landed his aircraft in a state of shocked silence, barely managing to communicate with the tower. He was mortified. And of course, as soon as he walked into the tower, everyone knew about it. 

"It happens," Mav told him. "It was your first day instructing. You'll nail their asses to the wall tomorrow."

But Bradley could see the looks on the students' faces. He could practically hear Nat's voice through her text message.

Are you fucking kidding me, Rooster? They took you out?

He wasn't even sure how she heard about it from the simulation classroom. But seemingly everyone knew. It took everything inside him to keep his shoulders squared and his voice calm. Because inside he wanted to rage. He wanted back up in the air. He wanted to meticulously pick off every single other aircraft one at a time until he didn't feel like a joke anymore. 

And that made him feel like maybe he wasn't ready to be an instructor yet.

"Fuck," he growled, slamming his locker door closed later. Absolutely nobody messed with him in the locker room. Nobody would even look at him. He was surrounded by dead silence everywhere he went. 

As he stormed out to his Bronco, his skin was crawling with the burning need to prove himself. To dominate his surroundings. When he started up the engine, he took a few deep breaths that did nothing to calm the rising temperature of his humiliation. The blazing desire to conquer. Overpower. Defeat.

He needed to get home to you. Somehow he knew you were the only thing that would make him feel better.

By the time he pulled into the driveway, he was practically panting. You were already home from work. This was good. When he opened the front door, he called out, "Where are you?" His voice was raspy. His body was too hot. 

"In the kitchen, Roo!" you replied. "Come tell me all about your day!" 

You had taken your boots and socks off, but you were still in your uniform with your hair pulled back in a tight bun. And you were up on the kitchen counter changing the lightbulb that he had noticed kept flickering. This kind of shit was his job to take care of around the house. You shouldn't have to be up on the counter like this. 

But as soon as he really looked at you, his cock throbbed with need. You looked at him over your shoulder as you finished with the new bulb. "What's wrong?" you asked softly, slightly alarmed. You must have seen the look in his eyes. He had never looked at you like this before.

Bradley knew you could make him feel better. If you let him do it. If you'd let him take his day out on you. 

He snagged you off the counter and into his arms as you squealed, but you quickly gaped at him as he carried you to the bedroom. 

"Bradley?" you whispered, wrapping your hands around the back of his neck and searching his face.

He tossed you onto the bed and climbed on top of you, not bothering to remove his boots. You were silent, eyes wide and lips softly parted as he let you have his body weight. Your gaze was on his lips like you were expecting him to kiss you and be your sweet husband like he usually was.

"No," he growled, and your eyes darted up to his. You looked needy and uncertain. Bradley could tell you wanted to ask him what was going on. But then he read your last name on your nametag, annoyed that it didn't say Bradshaw yet. Very gently, he removed it, snapped it in half, and threw it across the room. Then he unbuttoned your shirt without a word and pushed it open wide. 

Your nipples were straining against your black lace bra. You were very subtly rubbing yourself up against his hard cock. Your pupils were dilated. You wanted to get fucked. 

"I hate your fucking name tag. Okay?" he asked, voice gruff as he wrapped his hand around the front of your neck. "I hate it."

You bit your lip and whispered, "You had a bad day."

"You told me you were going to get a new name tag," he grunted, pressing his hard cock against your thigh. "You said you submitted the paperwork for your name change."

"I did." Your voice was so needy. Bradley shoved his thumb into your mouth and watched as you opened wide and licked him.

"Get a new fucking name tag. And leave the light bulbs for me to change."

"I will," you said again with your mouth full of his thumb.

"Shut up," he growled, and your eyes went so wide as you moaned. "I'm not in the fucking mood. And I'm not going to be sweet. Not right now. I'm going to fuck you so hard, you cry. Use your pussy exactly how I want to."

You moaned around his thumb again. 

"Tell me that's what you want," he demanded. You nodded your head, and he withdrew his thumb. "Fucking say it."

"I want it." Your voice was breathy but sure, and Bradley was going to dominate you until your tears and whining made him feel better. Because there was always only you who could fix him.

He practically ripped open the front of your khaki uniform pants to get to you. Bradley yanked the fabric down your legs and sent your pants across the room to meet your broken name tag. Tiny, black lace panties cut low on your hips. He could see your tattoo. He could tell you were wet through the fabric. 

"You look like a little slut," he informed you. He watched you bite your lip as your back arched off the bed. "You shouldn't be this excited about being manhandled." Then the scrap of black lace met the same fate as your pants and the name tag.

Bradley had to commend you. You kept your mouth shut as he unzipped his flight suit, lowering the sleeves and pulling his cock free. You were silent as he rubbed himself through your wet slit. You didn't make a noise as he slowly slid himself inside your dripping wet pussy until he bottomed out. And only the softest sound escaped your lips as Bradley wrapped his big hands around your hips and lifted you slightly off the bed.

But you screamed when he held you in place, your ass in midair, and fucked you like you were his own personal toy. He slammed into your pussy with short, rough strokes. It was, in so many ways, the dirtiest thing he had ever done to you. And it felt to fucking good, Bradley could cum inside you right now. But your screams had him going harder, wanting to enjoy this feeling of control for as long as possible. 

"Louder," he told you. But he didn't really even need to say anything as he tightened his grip on your flesh and fucked you until tears leaked from your eyes. Your cries filled the room, so loud his ears were ringing from it. 

He withdrew from your body and let you fall to the bed. You were scrambling now, reaching for him. Looking up at him with tears in your eyes like you needed him to kiss you. 

He flipped you onto your belly before ramming his cock inside you again. Your hands were all balled up in the pillowcase as you cried out against the bedding. The rapid slap slap slapping noise of his body dominating yours was one of the prettiest things he had ever heard. The way you were letting him calm his nerves and soothe his ego, well if he hadn't already married you, he'd do it today. 

He palmed you softly before laying a solid smack right to the round of your ass. You moaned and sucked in a deep breath as he leaned down and put his lips next to your ear. "Tell me you want me to stop."

You shook your head and turned to look back at him, eyes red with tears. "Keep going," you hiccupped. "Please."

Bradley pushed your face back down into the pillow as you gasped and cried for him. He pumped his hips hard, grabbing at your thighs and your backside. Then he wrapped his forearm underneath you and pulled you up until you were on your knees for him. And how he had the perfect view of your body as you took him, full hilt, like a champ. You gorgeous pussy grabbed at him with each stroke, and Bradley spit on you where you were joined, making everything wetter.

"You like this, don't you?" he asked as you moaned and whimpered. "Huh? You actually fucking like this." He was so close as he spanked you just to feel you clench around him. "You fucking slut." 

He pressed his lips to your ear again and slipped his hand up to shove his fingers into your mouth. You were moaning and slobbering all over his hand, crying into the pillow. 

"You're perfect," Bradley growled as he filled you up with his cum. He fucked you with jerky strokes, pushing his load deeper and deeper until he guided you down flat on your belly with his hand on your ass. You were half crushed under his body weight, kitten licking his fingers when he realized he felt so good. So much calmer. You made everything better just like he knew you would.

But now he was slightly concerned that he had taken it too far, even with your permission. As he kissed along the back of your neck and ran his fingers softly up your arm, he whispered, "Are you okay, Baby Girl?"

Your voice was still a little watery with tears as you said, "I won't be able to walk tomorrow. And now I need to update my to-do list so I remember to order a new name tag. But that was hot. Do you feel better?"

Bradley wrapped you up in his arms and buried his nose against your skin. He felt perfect. "So much better. Thank you." 

He helped you to your feet with the promise of a bubble bath. Then he assured you he could figure out how to make something for dinner. After he picked up all of the discarded clothing, he threw your name tag in the bathroom trash can while you sank down into the tub.

"I have an extra name tag in my office, you know," you told him with an eye roll and a smirk. 

"I know," he replied, bending to kiss your nose. "And I have an extra one in my locker. You can have it. We can match. It'll be cute." And now all he could think about was you wearing his last name on your khaki uniform every day. 

-----------------------

Okay, yes...okay, yep. That happened. Stay tuned for the upcoming (4th!) series with Roo and BG called Always Ever Only You! Thanks @mak-32 and @beyondthesefourwalls

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[belokhvostikova]

𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 | Swearing and playful mentions of religion.

In truth, Eddie Munson does not care if you're not into the metal scene. Though it wasn't until instances like last Friday, in which he truly realized just how little you knew, and he had a fucking field day.

It all began when you were propped on sore elbows and laying on your tummy, as his rough carpet scratched your skin, and you attempted to do your homework. Heavy on the "attempt" because Eddie Munson situated himself right next to you, and made it his life's mission to steal your attention.

Lifelessly, he'd plopped from his bed, a heavy grunt following, and landed right next to you. "C'mon, sweetheart, you've been doing that shit for hours." Ten minutes. It'd only been ten minutes. "It can't possibly be more entertaining than me." He pouted.

You merely giggled. "Eds, I'm trying to finish so I can hang out with you."

"Can't you just hang out now?" He huffed. "I mean, isn't that the whole point of, you know, coming over?"

You could only scoff with a smile. "Uh, if I'm not mistaken, it was you who said I could finish my work here." You stated matter of factly.

"Puh-lease." His dramatic sass always kicking in. "You and I both know, sweetheart, that I just said that to get you to come over." He spoke such truth so highly, it made you laugh. "Besides, wouldn't you rather be doing something romantic, like making out with your smokin' hot boyfriend while listening to music?"

"Oh, right, because your little punk music is so romantic."

It was then you heard the most conspicuous gasp ever uttered by Eddie Munson, as he sat up, hand over his heart, like he was in a corny soap opera. The way his large eyes grew even bigger had you reeling back your words to see where you went wrong.

Now, to any normal person, the obvious would have been the clear insult of calling his taste unromantic, but to a metalhead? Yeah, it was something completely different.

"'Punk music?!'" He reiterated with such bewilderment. "I do not listen to punk music!" You've never seen such offense and disgust consume his dramatic antics. It had you dying of laughter. "You think this is funny?!"

"Yeah, I do." You unabashedly answered with a giggle. "It all sounds the same, what's the difference?"

Your rhetorical question left Eddie Munson's mouth agape. "You are walking on thin ice here, missy." He pointed a finger, as if discipling you. "I am a metalhead! Not punk. Metal! C'mon, say it with me, me-tal-head."

You laughed incredulously, with a playful slap to his arm. "Shut up!"

"C'mere!" You squealed, as he manhandled you onto his lap, ready to teach you a lesson and because you were infuriatingly cute, gushing his insides with happiness, even if you misjudged his choice of music genres.

"Look." He redirected you to a peeling poster on his wall with a point to his finger. "You see him? You know who that is?"

You rolled your eyes. "Yes, Eddie, I know who Ozzy Osbourne is." You mocked with a bored voice.

"Good, because he's lesson number one." He put on his stern face, one that was used to mimic Ms. O'Donnell. "Me and Ozzy are a package deal; you date me, you date him."

"I can't date Ozzy Osbourne." You laughed at the obvious.

"That's right, so you worship him instead." He nodded his head in complete seriousness. "Right before you go to bed, I want you on your knees and praying to him. He's your god. An Ozzyist, if you will."

You laughed with pure joy, because, my god, you couldn't believe you got the bragging rights of dating Eddie Munson.

[yellow-berrys]

december boy, losing joy | sirius black x fem!reader

summary: rockstar!sirius black proposing to you, and the show that made him realise he would do it. established relationship.

warnings: none, allusions to a rough childhood and mention of cigarettes

(a/n: song in this drabble is original <3, really just a bit of prose italicised!)

“This next song is about a girl,” James fiddles with the knobs on his guitar, his voice cracking through the microphone. The crowd screams. 

“That’s right, Prongs,” Sirius grins from his place at the piano, “My girl. My biggest motivation and even though she might not be my biggest fan, I certainly am hers,” he takes a swig of water. 

He sweeps a glance around the arena, girls at the front drinking beer, some girls waving their undergarments at him, some guys drinking beer, some guys waving their undergarments at him. Some look envious and disappointed. Some are “awhhh”ing. 

He catches your eye in the VIP box, you grinning, barely visible as you stare at him. 

“And you’d be surprised that Sirius did pick up a pen and a book for this,” Remus drawls from his position at the bass.

“She’s certainly special enough,” Sirius looks up at you and winks, “Many of you might’ve heard it on the radio. Remus likes to call it “a lover’s musings” but I call it “December Boy, Losing Joy.” Yells and shouts echo as Sirius removes his earpiece. His eyes widen as he hears the noise and he puts it back in. You smile. You love seeing your boyfriend in his element. 

A bra is thrown onto the stage and someone yells, “Pick it up!”

“Sorry people, but I’m taken. Remember, I haven’t done it since ever.”

“No need to be jealous either,” Remus quips into his microphone, “Loving a two year old is harder than it sounds.”

“Hey!”

“Right, boys. We good to go?” James asks.

“Ready.”

James taps a hollow beat on his guitar slowly. The audience is quiet for once, as if instructed to do so. Remus starts strumming his bass, pick moving slowly as the sounds reverberate around the room. The tune is sweet and pleasant. You tap your foot slowly to it up in the box. Unknowingly, Lily is filming your reaction to it. You look down and follow the lyrics on the little card given to you by Sirius, waiting for him to begin. His eyes are closed, light illuminating his high cheekbones. You look at him like he’s your whole world and more.

He starts playing too. The melody is a toned down version of the Pop-esque one that you’ve listened to on Spotify so many times. You never knew the song was about you, thinking it was Remus’ penning or James’ tribute to Lily. But it’s beautiful. It’s also acoustic, you think, it gives the song a certain ethereal, timeless quality. Combined with your boyfriend with his hair up, eyelashes so long, eyes sparkling, you think this must be heaven. 

Sirius’ deep voice is angelic. “I was a December boy / Losing joy,” he sings. The crowd wave their phones to and fro, “Pretending I smoked cigarettes / Pretending I had no regrets.”

“Never one to be semantic / Always crude, brutal, unromantic,” The lyrics, now that you’ve thought about it, are undeniably Sirius’. 

“I was stone cold / And standing on my future’s threshold,” he smiles, “I was an incorrigible man / Shortening lifespan. My excuse was that I’m young / In years I haven’t spoken my mother tongue,” the crowd sings along.  

You hope the photographer they’ve hired is taking photos, because the warm spotlight illuminates where happy tears stain his porcelain skin. 

“December boy / Losing joy / Saying I’ll leave this town / Never wanting to settle down / December boy / Cast iron alloy / Wasn’t one who loved enough / Always trying to call your bluff.” 

“You were picture perfect / An idyllic circus,” you smile, idyllic, you had taught him that word, “Sweeping December clean / Smothering my burning gasoline / Never condescending of my ways / Lustrous, beaming gaze / What more, you cherish my past / Saying you don’t mind being my last / And you love the parts of me which I don’t / You tell me you will never leave me, you won’t.”

“I was a maximalist before I knew you / Rings on every finger, clouded world view / But you became my everything and now I need nothing more / And I told you this when you were unsure / Pretty thing / Please never leave me wondering / Where you are / I’m just a man without you, not a rockstar.”

“December boy / Losing joy.”

You sing along, reading the words, until there’s a diversion of them. You flip the card, but there are only lyrics to other songs there. The mood turns brighter.

“I was a December boy / Wearing black corduroy / Never one to be semantic / Now I’m a hopeless romantic / Not afraid of drowning in love anymore / Because my boat has arrived at your shore.”

“I tell everyone I’m going to marry you / Down Pleasant Crescent near Lover’s Avenue,” The crowd yells and shouts, “And this isn’t a proposal / You deserve one that is more than ambrosial,” he grins up at you, eyes smudged with adoration. 

“And I cannot believe / Heart stealing thief / That I was once a December boy / Losing joy.” 

The song goes viral. Everywhere on the internet you can see the tag #decemberboy, and the Marauders, however popular they already are, grow their fanbase tenfold. Sirius records the alternate version of the song again and he names it “December Boy, Losing Joy (Her Version)”.

The PR manager is very impressed, and gives all the boys a holiday. Remus goes home to see his old flame, James takes Lily on a trip to Honolulu and you and Sirius stay home. You’ve talked about getting married, and both of you are very keen on it. It’s just that Sirius is busy most of the time and the opportunity hasn’t ever arisen. But Sirius secretly has a ring picked out for you, one that he’s seen you look at when you think he wasn’t watching you at the mall. Lily has sent him the video of you beaming when marriage came up in his song, so he thinks you definitely like the idea. 

Lily and James should arrive the Sunday after, you learn, but they’re coming home earlier. Remus is already back but re-doing his house. 

Sirius comes into the room where you’re tapping on your computer, “Do you want to go on a date, pretty? The restaurant near the beach?”

Your cheeks heat up, “Now?” 

“When else?” He laughs, and he’s already wearing a suit. It clings to his body in all the right ways and makes you flustered and hot. His eyes gaze at you intensely. 

“Everything okay, lovely?” He stoops down to curl a stray lock of hair back. You’re still a blushing idiot in front of him, after all these years. 

“Yeah,” you choke out, leaving quickly, “I’ll get dressed.”

You had bought a new dress just a few weeks before, Remus’ old flame begging you to go date night shopping with her. 

You slip it on, getting ready with the aim to look date-able. Grabbing your things, you meet Sirius in the walk-in-closet, where he’s studying his ties intricately. He turns in greeting and he smiles cheesily, “Wow.” He’s blushing now too.

He picks out one that matches your dress. 

“You’re really, really beautiful,” he says as you tie his tie for him. 

You look up at him bashfully, “Just tryna catch up with you, handsome.”

“You don’t need to catch up with me, beautiful.”

All the way to the restaurant, he’s tense. He feels your small hand on his thigh, patting him. 

“You okay, Siri?”

“Yeah.”

His hands grip the steering wheel tightly, and his knuckles turn white. 

“Are you sure, honey?”

You’re so sweet he almost wants to ask you here. Even though the ring is still in Remus’ pocket. But he forces a smile, “Great.” 

Sirius is not normally this tense, but the meal is nice and he’s perfect. Instead of leading you back to the car, he pads onto the sand nearby, “You coming?”

“Shoes, Siri, shoes.” 

You sit down and he takes them off for you, holding them. 

“Why are we here?” 

“The view is nice, I thought you’d appreciate it.” 

“It is.”

You bask in the worldliness of it all. You miss Remus approaching quietly and handing Sirius the ring, having mastered the art of slinking away. It’s only when you see all of your friends approaching, a camera in every second person’s hand, when you frown. You turn to Sirius. He’s looking at you like he’s infatuated, and shakily gets down on one knee, dropping your shoes and taking your hands into his. Is this really about to happen? 

“My love, I love you with all my heart and I promised to give you a proposal more than ambrosial so here it is. These last few years have made me realise that I want to spend the rest of my life with you by my side and let everyone else know that too. I want to love you as much as I can, and I want you to be with me in everything that I do, everywhere I go. Will you continue making me the happiest man in the world and marry me? Please?” 

The delivery is short and sweet, Sirius’ way of doing things. You grin, throwing your arms around him. 

“Yes. Yes!” 

Sirius breaks out into a big smile, and slides the ring you had been marvelling at the other day on your finger. 

He lifts you and kisses you, deep and passionate and loving. Your friends cheer. 

You spend the rest of the night on the beach with your December boy, finding joy. 

[aterlupus]

“ if anybody were to kiss me, i would want that person to be you. “

sacred romantic moments

"I... I see." He says so quietly, and winces when he sees how Lovek responds to his comment, the man's long ears twitch, and his mouth does too, as his shoulders square and stiffen -- and Gaius is compelled to apologize immediately, but he keeps his mouth shut and puts his hand on his face for a moment. "... I'm guessing that was an invitation, yes?" He asks, perhaps ruining the moment even further. "You are such a romantic, you know." Gaius is sure Lovek knows that, he thinks they are probably tired of him stating the obvious.

Gaius tilts his head, looking Lovek over, still having their attention, and Gaius feels guilt rush in his veins, wishing that perhaps he didn't bring Lovek to this point so often. "... Would you believe me if I said I am not ready for that?" He feels shame even voicing such a thought. He is old. He is not pretty. His skin is marred with torture and violence and his face is carved and tanned by his time on the field. He doesn't blink at propositions for sex, at roughness, at pleasure -- yet intimacy brings him to his knees. It makes him vulnerable. His partner vulnerable. He feels crushed by the weight of it.

To be wanted this way is foreign to him. The gentle and timid hand on his arm, the brush of a shoulder against him, the way their fingers touch when they pass something to each other. He knows Lovek burns at the touch of another, what caused it, Gaius does not know, he will not know. Not unless Lovek wants him to know. Until that time, he will never know, he knows it could be something deeply personal.

He isn't used to this, and because of it some burn blossoms in his chest of not knowing what to do, not knowing how to lead, not knowing what comes next, and he finds himself struggling. "... I want to be ready." Gaius says so meekly, and he wonders for a moment if he's being too passive. If maybe this comes off as pathetic, as unromantic. If maybe Lovek expected him to jump at the opportunity, and they will turn wicked about Gaius's answer, and spurn and tease Gaius about it all.

Gaius shakes his head. Such a fantasy is too cruel even for him to think up. He has had too many people try to come at him just to expose his weakness. He wants to be open. He wants someone to lay his head on. To feel their skin and not flinch at his scars. Perhaps it hits him how much he needs to build up to that moment too, and he worries. "... I didn't mean to disappoint you." Gaius admits. "I have... not done this in a long time." Not since it hurt him. Not since closing off from affection was simply for the better.

Not since he wanted to finally try again.

[p1astictaste]

masterlist

fics not mine!

*favorites

last entry: supernova - bob

top gun

head over heels (maverick)

for what it’s worth (iceman)

hopelessly devoted (bob)

unorthodox (bob) part 2

*doctor (rooster)

*a glimpse of them (rooster)

silence (hangman)

the boyfriend experience (rooster) part 2

can i kiss you? (rooster)

*strawberries (hangman)

all your’n (hangman)

the joker (hangman)

*tomorrow never comes (hangman)

opposites attract (hangman)

*pay attention (iceman)

*the only thing (hangman) part 2

is it working for you? (rooster) other parts

the deployment diaries (rooster)

i like your voice (rooster)

dancing with you (bob)

cobalt eyes and sweet smiles (bob)

leave me breathless (rooster)

the female species (bob)

his f-18, his bronco, his favorite sports teams and you (rooster)

tomorrow’s tomorrow (bob)

never knew (that i could fall so hard) (hangman)

a friendly push (bob)

cowboy casanova (hangman)

reader is afraid of flying (rooster) part 2

to have and to hold masterlist (hangman)

“you’re in denial” (rooster)

rooster’s wife is very fond of having children

swimming into you (bob)

make it proper (bob) part 2

when all is said and done (rooster)

*it’s the concussion talking (rooster) part 2

you’re married but in secret (hangman)

dream a little dream of me (bob)

sundress season (phoenix)

take two (rooster)

as blue as your taste (i taste the same) (fanboy)

kisses in which, we’ve already said goodbye for the day but i can’t help stealing another one (rooster)

*it was always you (rooster)

the 1% (rooster)

baby on board drabble (bob)

just friends (hangman)

so we meet again (rooster)

*blow by blow masterlist (rooster) ch 1.4

office make out sessions (bob)

the chaos verse masterlist (hangman and rooster)

baby i’m yours (rooster)

mary’s song (rooster)

best friend (bob)

shower antics interrupted (hangman)

remember you even when i don’t (rooster)

interlocking pinkies (hangman)

take me by the heart, take me by the hand (fanboy)

swallow you like sunshine when i smile (fanboy)

the best me has his arms around you (hangman) part 2

roll of the dice (hangman)

bouquet prompt (fanboy)

pizza box puzzle pieces (hangman)

the kind of girl i could love (bob)

rooster fucking hangman’s sister

for you (hangman)

*rooster’s brood and other parts

airplane mode (rooster) part 2

*high school sweethearts (bob)

*terms of endearment (rooster)

romeo, romeo (rooster)

truly, madly, deeply (rooster)

kissing bobby boy

*what’s in a name (rooster)

the periphery (rooster)

partition by beyonce (rooster)

summer breeze (hangman)

“she’s clingy” (rooster)

the younger kind (rooster) ch41

*sub-rosa masterlist (rooster)

out of the closet (phoenix)

first time (phoenix)

*iris masterlist (hangman)

i don’t remember who i was before you (fanboy)

fluffly blurb (hangman)

afternoon entertainment (rooster)

*ceasefire masterlist (rooster) ch. 1.1

the parent trap masterlist (rooster)

my future in you masterlist (rooster) ch 2.3

*trouble in paradise masterlist (rooster)

fluffy hangman banter

telling hangman you’re gonna make him a daddy

dad’s best friend (hangman)

no more condoms (bob)

inch by inch (rooster)

“i’m pregnant, not terminally ill” (rooster)

*father, son, and the holy shit (hangman)

roommate bradley catching you and Jake having sex in the living room

a weakness for the young ones (phoenix)

rack ‘em (rooster)

younger mitchell!reader (rooster)

i know (phoenix)

the odyssey (rooster) ch4

something to talk about (rooster)

butterflies (hangman)

for old times’ sake (rooster)

home (rooster)

continental breakfast (fanboy)

jake’s controversially young gf

late night distractions (phoenix)

why not again (rooster, hangman)

sleep clothes (rooster)

v-card (rooster)

midnight confessions (rooster)

how could i forget? (rooster)

so fresh, so clean (rooster)

feelings involved (rooster)

hangman being caught leaving your room

warm blood (rooster)

love to lie (rooster)

old habits die hard masterlist (rooster) ch 8

batting practice masterlist (rooster) ch 22

ready, rough, and unromantic (rooster)

it’s not rotten work (not if it’s you) (coyote + hangman)

million dollar man masterlist (hangman)

*operation apollo masterlist (hangman) ch 2.8

rooster and younger!mitchell

rooster and y!mitchell almost getting caught making out

rooster and mav’s daughter trying to be quiet

vice (bob)

supernova (bob + phoenix)

outer range

*rumor (rhett abbott)

cute rhett blurb

comfort

all grown up

afternoon delight

thinking about rhett being a big cuddle bud

fluffy blurb

catching rhett jerking off

i love it when you kiss my neck

dilf!rhett

outer banks

i love you (rafe)

goodmorning sunshine (maybank) 

a crack in the glass (maybank)

leaving hickeys on rafe’s neck

best friend (rafe)

don’t go (rafe)

cruel summer (rafe)

other fics i really hold dear

repairs (din djarin)

braids (anakin)

daylight’s wasting (eren)

just soft eren

cupping peter’s cheeks (peter parker)

sleepy peter (peter parker)

polaroids (peter parker)

body electric (call of duty)

what’s wrong with a little touch (captain price)

reassurance (captain price)

kissing your partner’s scars (frank castle)

move in with me? (gojo satoru)

tried to live in a softer way (gojo)

kisses with megumi

[anonniemousefics]

My Dearest Inej | Chapter Eight

Chapter Masterlist

Originally posted on AO3

Rating: Teen And Up

Synopsis: A series of letters kept among the personal belongings of Captain Inej Ghafa.

Chapter Eight: Confessions

For the Dread Pirate Inej Ghafa of the True Sea,

You need to come for your boy, Inej. I’ve just come back from seeing a Tailor because the bastard knocked out two of my teeth. I have no idea what’s gotten into him. All I did was invite him to Wylan’s recital, and he punched square me in the mouth.

Is something wrong? Is there anything I can do? He’s brooding, and it’s making everyone miserable. Wylan wants to know if he can help, too. He says he would very much like to avoid having teeth knocked out. He gets a little skittish about Tailors since the whole thing with Kuwei Yul-Bo.  

Are you two having a lover’s quarrel? Do we need to rough him up a bit for you? Wylan’s furiously shaking his head after hearing I was writing that. Ignore him. Say the word. I’ve got teeth to spare.  

All my love,

Jesper

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Our dearest Inej,

You want us to be in your stand-in Nina?! I have no idea what we’ve done to deserve such an honor, but we will cherish it always. We’ve picked out stand-in Nina hats to wear while we channel her wisdom and knowledge for you. Mine’s a fedora.  

So, we started this letter and then immediately had to break for a snack. Nina-channeling is hazardous. Where were we?

Your letter. Wylan’s making a sympathetic face under his dapper Nina-channeling cap. He says he knows what it’s like to fall for bad men. I’m taking great offense.

But, really, that’s what this is about, isn’t it? You’ve fallen in love with a man who breaks bones and knocks out teeth and has no intention of stopping. And you love that about him, and you hate that you love that. I’ve been in your unfortunate shoes. (Wylan says he has, too, but I don’t care for what he’s insinuating.) I hate to point out the obvious, but maybe you haven’t noticed – you have no intention of putting a halt to your swashbuckling, either.

So, is it really that you’re not sure if you love Kaz Brekker? Or is it that you’re not really sure if you love this twisted side of yourself?  

Oh, damn, that was good stuff. I’m not sure even Nina could have come up with that. I’m taking all the credit for that one.

Wylan’s pointing out that it is possible that you do love your darker tendencies, but maybe feel like you shouldn’t. Much like loving Kaz Brekker. Perhaps this is the source of your confusion. (The merchling’s one-upping me. Or maybe he really is channeling Nina. I’m intimidated either way.)

Whatever it is you discover about yourself in this, know that we love Inej. Whoever you want her to be or be with. Your stand-in Ninas are ready to rend anyone who has a problem with your choice.

Wylan’s shaking his head again. Fine, one of your stand-in Ninas is ready to rend, then.

All of our love,

Jesper and Wylan  

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(unaddressed envelope)

My dearest Devastation,

Mati en sheva yelu. I have kept you waiting for too long, but trust me that I had a reason. It seemed to me the only way to make this a fair exchange is to read a letter aloud to you. I have chosen this one, because it begins with this:

I am in love with you, Kaz. Saints help me, it’s true.

I am in love with the man who puts his unguarded heart into letters. I am in love with the man takes matters into his own hands. I am in love with the man who wants to make sure his friends have good birthdays, however begrudgingly, even at the expense of his own comfort. I am in love with the man who fights battles for the ones Ketterdam tries to discard.

I am in love with the man who is trying to let down his armor as best he can.  

I am responsible for the deaths of twenty men this month. Each of them traded in humanity and innocence as if they were nothing more than jurda crop. I prayed for each soul, but only because this is what the Saints require. There was a time when each drop of blood plagued my conscience. I weighed the morality of each fight. But not anymore. You’ve devastated my notions of the world, Kaz Brekker. The black and white beliefs I held before you, while comfortable, were not real or useful to the way in which we really live. I am in love with the shade of grey you have painted my world. It gives me power that had once been stripped from me, and so much more.

I don’t lose a minute of sleep over spilled blood anymore. When I leave here, I will do it all over again. We’re cut from the same cloth, you and I.  

You asked if your last letter was what I wanted, and the answer is yes, and more. That’s right, I’m greedy now. Another sin of yours I’ve come to embrace. I want more Brekker in your letters. I want more Rietveld in my life. I want you to stop showing me only the parts of you that you think I will find acceptable and amusing. I am in love the entire, singular you.

I will close this letter here, so you have enough room in the margins to write something equally mortifying for me to read. Fair is fair. I’ll take my just desserts.

With all of my love,

Inej

(addition in Kaz’s handwriting in the margin)

That Rietveld guy is being a real sap about this letter of yours. He wants to hold you in his arms or something equally pathetic and weak. Want to help me break his thumbs?  

- Brekker  

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dearest and bravest Inej,

I’m not sure what you did to Brekker, but he reimbursed me for the work the Tailor did on my teeth. I don’t think he’s ever reimbursed me in, well, ever.

Does this mean you’ve kissed and made up? Or whatever the Brekker equivalent of that is. Exchanged business cards and made up? Counted kruge together and made up?  

Be safe out there. Come home soon.

All my love,

Jesper  

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(found in the overstuffed envelope marked “Nina”)

Nina. NINA NINA NINA.

I am going to tell you what kissing Kaz Brekker is like.  

Do you know that greedy feeling you get when you steal something sweet and frivolous? When you’re hiding in an alley and you sneak that first bite, and it is just so good that you decide you’re not going to share any of it at all? You’re going to eat it all right then, and you tell yourself it’s all yours and you think no one else in the world will ever know the bliss you’re feeling in that moment.

That is what it is like. Or maybe that’s what kissing is always supposed to be like. I wouldn’t know.  

I figured out what to say, Nina. I think I would have figured it out quicker if you were here. I wrote it all down so I wouldn’t forget. And then I sat in the window of The Slat while he sat at his desk, just as we always used to, and I read to him what I’d written. That I am in love with him.  

I can’t stop grinning while I’m writing this. I can hear your squealing all the way from Fjerda.

And now, since you will prod me until I tell you anyway, this is how it went. If I remember to when I finally know where to send these letters, I’ll enclose toffees so you can snack while you read all of this gossip. I think it goes without saying, but you are sworn to secrecy on all of this.  

He’d written a silly joke in the margin of the letter I’d just read him, and suddenly everything felt safer again. It made me laugh when I read it, and when I looked up, he was pulling off his gloves. Yes, you read that right. It made my heart do things, too.

He came to stand in front of me by the window, and he took both of my hands in his. Honestly, that alone would have been enough. Let’s not tell him that, obviously.

In the moment, I was waiting for him to say something. He had such a serious look on his face. But then I noticed there was sweat forming on his forehead, and he was starting to breathe really strange. I could tell he was starting to panic, and, Saints, it breaks my heart.

I thought I’d give him an out – I tried to pull away, to let him know it was okay, to try to calm him down. But he wouldn’t do it. His hands were shaking, but he wouldn’t do it. He gripped my fingers harder, telling me to just wait, to just give him a moment. Nina, have you ever heard of anything so tragic?

I don’t know how long we waited like that. Minutes, hours, days. Who knows. This is not the part that you would have found endearing, I realize. Just standing there, staring at our hands together and trying to breathe. But it worked for me. I started to notice he was shaking less, and it was around that time he asked me, so quietly, to hold still.

I think I was expecting something quick, something like the slightest brush of skin like when he kissed me in the Geldrenner. But this was different. This was why he’d been so terrified, I realized. He’d known what he’d wanted when he’d taken my hands in his.

It was soft and slow when he kissed me. It was perfect and still too brief. He must have not been breathing the whole time, because when he pulled away, he let out this long, shaking breath and then told me he needed to sit down.

Nina, I would commit some truly violent atrocities if it meant I could relive that moment again and again. The crew and I have serious tracking work ahead of us in the coming months, and here I am, unable to sleep for thinking of him. It’s blissful devastation, is what it is. I’m a wreck, and I don’t even care.

I must end here or risk oozing these emotions for the rest of the night. I hope Fjerda is brimming with thrills and waffles and many kissable Fjerdans. I miss you desperately.

All my love,

Inej  

P.S. – I know you, and you’re dying to know. Yes, I stayed in The Slat this time. We slept not even touching knees, so keep calm. Even more unromantic, I discovered Kaz grinds his teeth in his sleep. I’m pretty sure he has no idea, but I’m going to have to tell him. He has got to do something about it, or next time I sleep there, he’ll have to sleep in a different room. In a different house. On the opposite side of Ketterdam. What I’m saying is it’s loud.

[hockeysweetheart]

This is the Ending Of My Story I said Don’t kill me for... I was going for...

So Because I got many many people tell me do the everlark end game in my story I did… The one with that everlark ending will be here  I only added here what I was going for without an Everlark ending yes I said those words.  

So in my story It was the Day Before Katniss’s and Finnicks wedding. They Get Married but surprise Katniss’s ex Peeta shows up who made their Cake… Turns out he’s been seeing someone else as well.  Now they do have a rough patch make up but in the end they do what  for the best  for their situations. 

I get a letter in the mail shorty after her birth… Its from Peeta It says

“ Dear Katniss I know about the baby, Finnick told me. I am so happy for you.. I am sure she is Beautiful like her mother and have quality’s like her father. I know you are already a great mother… I come to write you to let you know I have yet to pop the question to Johanna .  I hope to do it soon…. Also I’ll be in District 4 in mid November Hope we can meet up and I can meet that beautiful baby of yours. She is lucky to have parents like you two…Hope I am not a burden for us to meet up but I would really like to talk to you in person…”

I write back

“ Dear Peeta Her Name is Olivia Paige she is the most beautiful baby  I’ve ever seen But I’d prob say the same thing  of all my children. We are  doing well here.  And  Oh I know you will find the right place and time to do that you always do.. I would love to meet up with you when your in I work at the coffee shop in the district. And of course you can meet her… we’d be happy to put you in a room  while you stay…”

Mid November when Peeta arrives in District 4.. Al lot has happened since I wrote that Letter. We meet at the coffee shop… Even tho their might be nothing romantic between us I don’t hesitate when we hug… He says “  Well I know I am going to propose to her when I Get home” I say “ That’s great, Finnick got prompted at his job. Which means he can be home a bit more.”… Peeta continues  “ But I want to get your opinion on the ring…” Peeta pulls out the ring and acts  like he is proposing to me. And says “ Katniss Odair do you think this ring is the one for Johanna Mason?” And shows me a beautiful ring  I say “ Yes yes I do”…and I can’t help but laugh of how silly he’s acting and I give him a quick hug and say “ She’s going to love it Peeta I cannot  believe your getting engaged”. Peeta just smiles… I continue “ Oh Wanna  meet Olivia?”… Peeta Answers “ I sure do” He makes says some baby talk and says with a smirk “ This baby has beauty and brains.. Gets the Beauty from the father” I  playful smack him and say “ Well I give you that one no one can deny Finnicks good looks” He smiles a bit… Then Suddenly my phone Buzzes… I look at it and say “Oh Finnick needs to talk to me I better go down to his job.. You know where the hotel is right?”  Peeta gets up and puts Olivia back in her stroller and says “ Yeah I do see you later ?”  “Yeah that sounds good I answer”

I get to Finnicks work after Dropping off Olivia at her grandma’s house and just am smiling because of how nice it was to see my friend Peeta. But then that Changes when I see Finnicks face. Which looks angry… I almost say out loud what did I do now… But then I remember he knew about Peeta’s  for weeks now…. He says “ We need to talk alone”… in an angry tone…I give him a confused look he ignores  once the door shuts he says “ How was your meeting with Peeta”… I carefully say “ It was good we were just catching up… Whats wrong Finncik?”… Finnick says almost yelling. “ Katniss I think you know what’s wrong”… I shake my head to tell him no I really don’t . Finnick shows me a Vidio on his phone its of Peeta down on one knee right in front of me and you cannot hear what he is saying but all you hear is me saying  Yes ….all I can say is “ Oh my god”… Finnick is Basically yelling at this point “ Katniss we have been married for over a year have a kid together and  now when your ex comes back here you want to marry him while you still have my wedding ring on”… I look at him and say Calmly “ Finnick it’s not like that”…. Finnick says loud “ Then what is it like Katniss” Now I am Yelling “ Peeta was just showing me the ring that he got to propose the Johanna Mason, His girlfriend and if your stupid enough to think I’ll leave you like that your wrong” I leave the room slamming the door behind me… Finnick follows right behind and says  in a voice I know he means regret “ Katniss I am sorry I jumped to that conclusion”… I smile at him and say “ I am sorry too I shouldn’t of left the room like that”… He hugs me Picks me up swings me around… I am giggling… and he says quietly “ So Johanna and Peeta didn’t see that one coming”… I smile and say “ Don’t think too many saw us as a married couple either”… Suddenly he pins me against the wall and kisses me … I look into those sea green eyes and say “I love you”… and Kiss him back…

What breaks us apart is one of Finnicks coworkers saying “ awe” and then saying “ I ruined the moment didn’t I” and quickly hurries off.. Finnick just Laughs and says “ So I’ll make it up to you tonight” and gives me a wink… I say “ Finnick Odair” and hit his chest “ But I know you have the best surprises”… He smiles and says “ I better get back to work” I say “ Oh don’t be to late Peeta will be at our house for dinner”.. I give him a quick kiss  tell him bye and hurry off…

The door bell rings and Finnick Answers it.  And said “ Peeta how nice for you to join us” … It’s everything for me not to roll my eyes… Peeta brought flowers, Cheese buns and a stuffed animal for Olivia… I say  “ Oh who are the flowers for” with That smirk of his he says “ I got them for Finnick” He heard what happened earlier… “And the cheese buns are for the both of you”… and out of no where he pulls out a ring pop gets down on one knee  “ And my dearest Katniss this is for you…” I laugh and Finnick does too… I say “ Oh how unromantic”…  I hear the  oven beep and say “ Excuse me”.. Leaving Finnick and Peeta in the living room… I hear Peeta say “ Sorry about today I was just joking around”… Finnick say’s “ Stop, I jumped into it to fast. I know she’s not that type of girl to jump ship like that, But we made up now… I also know your not that kind of  guy either”.. “ Yeah” Peetas says…  “ We just started to be friends again I wanted a friends option on the ring I might of went to far going down on one knee” Peeta says… Finnick Says “ Yeah maybe, But hey your gonna be engaged soon congrats on that”… Peeta smiles and says “ Yeah she’s great…” He was going to say more but I enter the room and say “ Well dinners ready lets eat”… We go to the dinning room and eat a wonderful meal of cheese buns and sea food… we make small talk…

I walk Peeta out  later that evening… He says not looking at me in the eye “ Katniss you know how we are being honest with each other now”… I give him a question look and say “Yes”… He is looking down at his feet avoid something… so I add “ We did.. Everything alright?”… He looks up and says “ I am going to be a father”…

[saintshinsou]

“MY PEACE”

anonymous: Main 3 villain you write for, coming home/to their room to find their s/o asleep in their bed wearing nothing but a bra and pair of shorts

OVERHAUL

he’s a bit of a jerk and a bit unromantic but his love and attraction towards you is always there

knowing him, he’d be put off at first with a thousand (mostly accusatory) questions going through his mind as to why you’re half naked instead of dressed in actual pajamas

were you cheating on him and got too tired to change back? would you really betray him in such a manner, right on his own bed? did he need to cleanse you?

but then again, you do look deeply asleep and there’s no way you would have managed to sneak a whole other person into his room without him knowing so those thoughts are quickly tossed to the side — of course, until after he examines your body for any evidence that maybe his insecure thoughts ARE right

once he’s absolutely positive that cheating is out of the question, he’ll shamelessly take in the sight of you

you just looked so...angelic, so peaceful and you were all his; only he would ever be allowed such a moment like this, seeing you at your most vulnerable and so open to him and just him

he’d be standing at your side and his fingers would mess with your hair, wetting the plastic surface of his gloves in proof that you’d cleanse yourself just as he ordered — you were always so obedient

without a second thought, he’d slowly trail down to your jaw, holding the side of your face with a gentleness that you barely witnessed when awake as he observed you with pure adoration in his usual murderous eyes

all his, that’s what you were

sighing in content behind the cloth of his mask, he pulled the blanket over you to shield you from the room’s air conditioning and would let himself get ready for bed

the sight of you brought him more at ease for the night, showcasing to him what he deemed as his after a long day of work but he’d be sure to remind you in the morning how dangerous it would be if someone ever actually dared to enter the room for whatever reason

it could wait till the morning, he thought

you just looked so beautiful and it was already so late, he didn’t want to disturb you

DABI

it’d been a rough day at work but the sight of you like that was enough to lift his spirits, amongst other things

a playful smirk would play across his lips as he wasted no time in getting into bed with your half dressed figure, the scent of his late night mission still lingering onto him

he’d softly call your name multiple times in multiple tones, testing how deep into your sleep you really were

laying on his side right next to you, he’d lightly shake you awake once his plan of calling out to you would fail

he’d feel a tiny bit bad about waking you up since you looked so comfortable but you just looked so good and he was already eager, you could just sleep after and he’d make up for it by doing that cuddling and spooning sh*t you loved

his hand would start pushing at your bare shoulder first but would soon find itself going down the curve of your body, a slight warmth emitting from his skin and jolting you awake

confused and half asleep, you’d come face to face with your adorable and excited boyfriend staring back at you

that confusion would all wash away though when you felt him grab onto your hips and pull you on top of him

“you can’t just look that hot and expect me to go right to sleep once I got here”

SHIGARAKI

he had walked in so tired that he almost didn’t see you in the low lighting but once he caught sight of you, his eyes would widen and the scratching at his neck would seize immediately

who else had seen you like this? was this some trick? were you playing some sick joke on him?

of course, he’s seen you in less but you’d never just fell asleep like that, you’d at least be wearing one of his shirts but you were just so exposed right now

it was kinda hot

you were so full of surprises and he secretly loved it even though he’d never actually flat out say it

after a couple of moments filled with him basically gawking at you from his spot at the door, he’d hesitantly into bed with you, unsure of how he got so lucky to have someone like you laying next to him in such a vulnerable state and unsure of what to expect next

god, he really was lucky

your eyes would flutter open at the new movement next to you, a sleepy grin immediately joining you at the sight of your boyfriend finally joining you as you scooted closer to him

pulling the cover over both of you, you’d feel his hands softly grazing over your exposed skin seconds after, earning goosebumps from you from the touch

“were you waiting for me?”

[roosterforme]

Hey babe, do you have a new schedule? ✨

Yep! Coming in hot!

TODAY: The Curveball part 1!

Wednesday: Batting Practice part 23!

Thursday: Ready, Rough and Unromantic (a Roo and BG one-shot!)

[thewritingstar]

the ships ask for butch and buttercup, 1,2,4,5, and 23

OOO love me some Greens!!!! Thank you for the ask love!

-I imagine that thye are either married or been dating for years for this. 

Ship ask if you wanna ask me. 

1) How do they fall asleep? Wake up? Any daily rituals?

- If Buttercup has gotten home from kicking another monsters ass, shes usually dead tired. Butch will come into the living room and see her on the ground practically passed out and carry her to bed, usually throwing her unromantically and just jumping beside her before she curls up next to him. No matter if they are coming from work or it was a day off, and no matter the mood, they always fall asleep next to each other. 

When the wake up its usually throwing the other person off of them. Butch tends to roll and lay on top of her but she doesn't mind cause hes kinda like a weighted blanket. The wake up is probably early in the morning for a 5 am jog and warm up with a punching bag. Daily Rituals would be them working out or having coffee together in silence.

2. How’s their team work? Do they share well? 

-They work really well together when its serious and they need to kick ass. Of course Butch will always try to tease her when ever he gets the chance. No they do not share well. They like to joke about taking orders from the Reds but over all, they are team players and they most loyal people you will meet. 

Food is a danger zone they unless they ask, you don’t just reach over and take the others food. When it comes to other people, Butch is a man who takes pride in his girl and doesn’t like anyone looking at her in any way. he doesn’t say anything or do anything because BC usually beats him too it but BC is the same way. They are protective and selfish when it come to one another and thats why they work well together.  

4) First impression of each other? Was it love at first sight?

-hahah NO. In fact the first impression was Butch literally trying to kill Buttercup. It was more like hatred at first sight and after she blasted him to pieces and humiliated him in front of his brothers, they spent the next few years hating each other. Over time the boys grew out of listening to their dads and did their own thing. Sooner or later they became friends and she doesn’t know when her feelings of hate towards him turned into love. 

5) Nicknames? Pet names? Any in-jokes?

-There are so many but his favorite are BC, Babe, Butters, Sweet Thang, Babesicle, literally anything dumb and cheesy that can go with her name. For her its Babe. They also are the couple to call each other Bitch, Asshole, Motherfucker, and literally every other cuss word in the dictionary. Her favorite jokes are when she says “cat got your tongue” referencing her making him bite his tongue when they were little or bringing up any thing will snails. For him any time she wore a dress or did anything more girly. They just tease each other but its cute. 

How do they hug? Kiss? Tease? Flirt? Comfort?

-When they first started dating, they really didn’t hug. It was more of a side hug or his arm slinged over her shoulders. Even as they got older, their hugs are more reserved for comforting times. If he ever sees her crying or vis versa, its a big bear hug that is filled with warmth and love. But usually in the morning he hugs her from behind while she makes coffee. Kissing is their favorite thing. From dating to married life, you could easily catch them sucking face at any given moment, they tried to be secretive but when you have super hearing its hard to miss. They ar also the rough couple and dont mind a little bite or blood, very rarely is it a soft and slow kiss but when it is, its probably their fav. 

Flirting. Butch is the biggest flirt and even when they get married, he still does it. Its alot of wolf whistles and “damn who is that hottie?”. His entire goal is to make her blush at any given moment she loves that about him. For her its more of side comments that he gets like 5 mins later or she will just give him the look. She has no problem getting him hot and bothered in the worst times and she prides herself on that. After all they are a perfect pair. 

To comfort one another it could be many ways. sometimes its letting them yell and scream before they pull them into a tight hug and let them cry. Sometimes its silent as they hold each other while whispering how much they love the other. Butch’s fav way to cheer her up is to tell her how much he loves her and how badass. BC just boosts his ego until hes back up and ready and kisses his softly. 

--

hope you liked these answers!!! Thanks for asking!

[tobiomlk]

those tsukki fluff hcs? i am LIVING. could i get general dating hcs for tobio? 👉👈 good luck with your blog - 🐸

— kageyama as your boyfriend

LISTEN kageyama has a condition where brain is filled by (2) things: volleyball and food. relationships? that doesn’t exists. you’re gonna need either a miracle or a saint’s patience to get anywhere with this nerd, whichever works best for you.

i hope you’re well aware that your luck is on a negative count from the get-go, since 1) his knowlodge about romance is next to none and 2) he’s dense as fuck. even if he’s the one to develop feelings first, he wouldn’t act on those any sooner because he doesn’t even gets what’s going on. he just goes ( ??? ) whenever you smile at him and there’s this funny feeling around his ribcage and he’s 100% sure it’s hunger. so, unless you have the guts to fess up first… get ready to simp over this boy for the longest time.

that or until his teammates ( namely, suga ) do a divine intervention ‘cause damn, he’s so grossly in love, and if kageyama was already in the dark we fucking lost him, because what does it means to be in love??? that’s not a position or a game tactic as far as he’s concerned.

he even goes as far as to seek the textbook definition on dictionaries and spiel to himself like a damned mantra in the hopes he’ll get it but guess what? he doesn’t. if anything, he just further confused with the poor intent of describing such abstract concept with big words.

the whole process of realization is so agonizing and infuriatingly slow, it has gotten to the point where all da fucking team is up to date with the tragedy and they’re even making bets as to how it’s going to end ( tanaka and noya are putting all their money to kageyama not ever knowing about his feelings, ennoshita and the third-graders still have a bit of hope for their son. the first-graders are just enjoying the shitshow. )

but when it finally hits him… that there’s no better place than the one by your side and he couldn’t possibly have it otherwise… then it’s over for both of you.

once tobio is set his way, there’s no stopping him. hell, he might as well blurt it out as soon as he sees you, for all he cares. “it seems like i’ve fallen in love with you”.

but now you returning his feelings??? the most unrealistic and unlikiest scenario. his monkey brain definitively didn’t think out this far and now he’s in shambles. you’ve to spent half of an hour explaining to him that, all of it apparently means that you can be “a couple or something” and you can literally see his braincells combusting through his eyes.

are you going to clown him for his confession for the rest of his life? yes. do you hold the moment close to your heart regardless? Yes You Do.

needless to say, kageyama as a partner is awfully awkward. the boy’s barely familiar with platonic relationships, dating it’s like walking blindfolded onto unknown territory. he’s going to need you to teach him the ropes !!! ( not that you’re complaining, of course you’re not complaining )

being as unapproachable and volleyball-crazy as he’s known to be, i think many people depict kageyama as someone who doesn’t fully invests himself onto his social relations, especially the non-platonic field; because yes, to kageyama, volleyball comes first and foremost, but he’s just as devoted and earnest when it comes to his teammates and friends, and more importantly, you. once there’s something that means a lot to kageyama, he’ll give everything he has to offer, and you aren’t the exception to the rule.

while volleyball still takes most of his time and that won’t change under no circumstances, you can tell he does his best to spend the scarce time he has to spare with you. juggling between his passion and his loved one is not an easy task, but kageyama knew what he was applying himself for and there’s no way he’ll be half-assing, no sir!

at the very least, he always makes sure to walk you home. even if that means he’ll have to return afterwards to the gym, because he always trains ‘til very late and there’s no way he’s gonna keep you waiting that long for him ( you keep telling him it’s fine, that you don’t mind waiting, but he doesn’t relents “no. im taking you home first, then practice. and that’s final. now come here, dumbass.” )

he also calls you every single night before heading to sleep! he can’t stay long on the phone because he needs to go to bed early for morning practice, but just being able to hear your voice… to know about you and your day… is more than enough for him.

honestly it never fails to melt your heart when he begins talking in this raspy, low voice and you can tell he’s sleepy by the way he mumbles his words so you tell him that it’s ok for him to go to sleep now but he just shakes his head in spite of the fact you can’t see him and goes like “i still have a couple of minutes left. i want to hear your voice.” like honestly GET FUCKED !!!!!! HE’S SO LOVELY I’M-

kageyama understands if you have different interests and things you’re passionated about ( in fact, he’ll even try it out just so he can something to share with you! ), but, truly, nothing would make this blueberry as happier than you showing the tiniest bit of interest into volleyball. sometimes, the topic creeps onto your talk and unavoidably, tobio switchs to full nerd mode and starts geeking out about the matches and stuff and he’s just so giddy about it but then he freezes, and realizes he might be info-dumping you about something you probably don’t even care about, so he kinda cuts himself before going on… but the look of sheer happiness he offers you when you encourage him to go on? how his big, doe-eyes lit up once you ask him to explain you more carefully? can you possibly fathom how joyous it makes him to know he can get the best of his favorite things together?

to be honest, you’d expect him to be less considerate and act more fit of the self-centered, entitled king role he has been granted— not saying that he doesn’t slips and has his bossy moments of no filter, because he does, but the thing is: he’s surprisingly open to your opinions, too. over time, he’s been taught that communication is of utmost importance and the only way to understand others and have them understand you, and he’s firmly sure that applies to every aspect of his life. he wants you to know that, just as he speaks his mind, you’re free to do the same.

it’s ok if you argue, it’s ok if your points of view don’t match, because that means you’re talking to each other, and that’s way better than letting things sink without actual closure. kageyama learnt that the rough way. his speech might not be the most articulated or refinated, but he tries his best to get his points accross without unecessarily hurting your feelings. communication is so crucial to him, please, keep it in mind.

with that being said, kageyama’s prone to be unromantic and even insensitive at times with how he voices his opinions, because he’s no concept of sugar-coating and won’t hesitate to tell you if you suck at something, or flawlessly ignore your efforts to put on a lovey-dovey mood. but if you talk him about it and express that you’d like him to have some more tact, he’ll take the note! “tact? ok, ok. i’ll.  try to be as tactful as possible from now on and… read the mood? but i make no promises” ( spoiler alert: he keeps telling you that you suck but now he lets you have a sip of his milk and pets your head to soften the blow. )

and speaking of physical affection… god, kageyama is an utter stranger to pda. i mean, the boy is just a prude, unripe blueberry. he doesn’t know how it works, he’s not used to it, and the last thing he wants is to go and do something that’ll put you on a tough spot. your comfort is one of his main priorities, so you have to let him know what’s ok and whatnot, then he’ll start getting the hang of it. once he does, you’ll find out that kageyama is, as a matter of fact, one of the most touch-starved persons you’ll come accross with.

he just can’t seem to get his hands off of you, in the most literal and non-sensual way possible. be it small gestures like your hands brushing together, shoulders bumping, or your heads resting against each others’, kageyama just craves the feeling of your skin against his. despite how bad he denies it, he’s pretty clingy.

you’ve picked on how much he apparently enjoys holding hands, and petting your head, for that matter. you don’t know why, but his hand would always makes its way atop your head. it has even gotten to the point in where he does it out of habit, and when you ask him what’s wrong he just replies “nothing? why do you ask?”

i think kageyama has two stages while he’s on a relationship. the earlier ones, where he cannot lock eyes with you for more than give seconds before going all blushy and stiff, and the advanced ones, in where physical contact has practically become a must and one of his primary functions as a human being to operate naturally.

kageyama’s hugs are so freaking awkward at first… there’s no guides about this. does he just envelops you with his arms ??? and then stay still like that ??? what if he hurts you by holding you too tight ??? oh my god he’s even holding his breath while he’s at it SOMEONE FREE HIM-

and don’t even get me started on the kisses. LISTEN YOU DEFINITIVELY CLASH YOUR TEETH DURING YOU FIRST KISS AND YOU ABSOLUTELY CANNOT CHANGE MY MIND ON THIS ONE !!!!! knowing him, he needs weeks of mental preparation and advice from his god-send suga-senpai before going for it, and when the moment comes… he goes too hard for literally no reason and right after you’re both on the floor whimpering ‘cause that shit HURTED.

“ow, ow… tobio WHAT the HELL” “oh, PISS OFF”

well, at least he has an excuse for rehearsing!!! don’t worry, he’s a fast-learner ;))))

cuddling is just about the same you guys spend all day squirming in order to find a comfortable position and it’s just a mess™ of limbs and giggles.

“wait… maybe if i put my arm around here…” “wait, tobio, you’re tickling me-” “??? don’t laugh !!! STOP LAUGHING THIS IS NOT FUNNY”

but once you finally manage to settle down, god, it’s so pure… kageyama loves to have you in his beefy, setter arms as much as he loves being hold by you. the crook of your neck? a heavingly place for him to rest his head and which belongs to him and him only !!!

look kageyama is so weak for physical affection i’m not even kidding. all you need to calm him down is to rub his back soothingly and he’ll even forget why he was so mad about to begin with. the amount of power you hold over this boy… it genuinely surprises people to see how tame he’s when it comes to you. everyone can agree that if kageyama has a weakness, that’s you.

tobio is not the one to get particularly cheesy or romantic, everyone knows at least that much. however, he has this thing in where he genuinely voices out how great he considers you to be without batting an eyelash which of course makes you super flustered because “why are you getting so cheeky for?” “??? it’s the truth though” SHUT UP IM SOBBING.

you know how slow and oblivious your boy is, so the last thing you expect is him being able to read you as easily? it takes its sweet time, but within the years, kageyama steadily learns to understand you and how do you operate. your habits, your body language, what makes you happy or upset, he knows all of it. he can tell when something’s off just from a glance, yet he’s so nonchalant about it— like it’s obvious to know what’s on your mind. now, does he know how to act knowing this? not really, but give him props, he tries his best!

with all that has happened to him, it should come as no surprise the fact kageyama can get pretty insecure in the relationship. it’s not like he doesn’t trusts or you ( god, the boy could trust you with his life ), but you can’t blame him for letting his insecurities get the best of him. he’s just so, so afraid… that one day you’ll notice how unlikeable he truly is and you end up leaving him, like most of the people have done to him in his life…

tobio desesperately needs the reasurrance, the words of affirmation, to bask on the feeling of knowing he’s so deeply loved, and that he’s no such thing as an unlovable person. i hope you let him know that, just as he lets you know how grateful he’s for having you in his life.

all in all, kageyama can be a blunt, awkward and more than a bit dense partner, but he’s striving to become a better version of himself day by day, so, he secretely wishes you’ll put up with him a little longer.

[always-against-the-grain]

the morning after

Summary: continuation of the hangover

Pairing: Negan x reader (female, named Eddie)

Tags: Negan smut, Negan x reader

“I can handle my liquor, Negan” you told him

Negan laughed, turning off the faucet, flicking the excess water off his hands. He reached for the overhead counters and pulled out a bottle of alcohol and set on the counter.

“Let’s see” he turned to you, daring you.  

_______

You stared back at him, gauging how serious he was, waiting for a “just kidding”

Oh god he’s serious

He continued to glare at you, his smirk letting you know damn well he had the upper hand, he would own all bragging rights

Even though you were recovered from your hangover you didn’t want to drink. Just the thought of drinking made you want to gag.

“I thought you could hold your liquor, Eddie” he challenged you.

Negan propped himself on the counter with an extended arm, his shoulder relaxing, waiting for your answer. His shirtless body begging you to impress him.

Fuck.

“Load em up” you made up your mind

You stood off the bed, your buttocks and ass throbbing mildly. You gathered your two pieces of clothing and dressed yourself before approaching him.

“That’s my girl,” He said in his gravelly voice, his large hands coming around to grope your cheeks, bringing your front to rub on his, before laying a lustful kiss on your lips.

“Let’s get to it” He broke the kiss to look for the shot glasses in the cupboard above him.

“Your favorite” he referenced to the golden liquid as he poured. He handed you your glass before picking his up.

“To?” He began a toast waiting for you to finish it

“To, uh” your mind bubbling up something witty and dirty, “Stiff dick.”

That put a smile on Negan’s face.

“And that tight ass” he added

You brought your glasses together

Clink

As the liquid invaded your taste buds you immediately wanted to reflux, but your commitment outweighed your regret.

Don’t be a runt you thought to yourself and forced the liquor down your throat.

You grunted as you finished the shot, blowing off the taste of alcohol.

“You good there, Ed?” Negan asked knowing this was a gonna be tough for you

“Always,” you said confidently and slide your glass over for the second shot.

You both eventually made your way the couch, where you sat opposite of each other, legs stretched out, only sitting correctly to drink

After 8 shots, dirty jokes, shit-talking, and stories, you had to call it. You were drunk, Negan was almost there but not as drunk as you.

Shot for shot and he won.

Reached for the bottle and poured himself another, and went to pour yours.

“No-no-no-no!” You laughed, your hand cupping the top your glass.

“You win”

“I what doll?” He asked, dragging out his victory, setting the bottle down gently,

“You. Won.” your words almost slurring, shoulder shrugging in defeat.

You had a soft smile on your face as your eyes began to flutter. The sex and the liquor were on the verge of putting you to sleep.

Negan took his shot and slammed he glass down, making your eyes widen.

“Let get you to bed” he stood up and held his hand out to you.

You grabbed onto it, your fingers grazing his rough calluses. You walked toward the bed Negan following behind you, hands on your hips. You didn’t allow Negan to pull the comforter off, you flopped yourself on the bed, on the same spot where Negan had just fucked you earlier.

Negan hurdled over you landing on the other side of the bed. He brushed your hair away from your face and leaned in for some action. You both lazily kissed each other with some aimless gropes until you both faded to sleep.

________

Daylight hadn’t broken through the windows but you slowly started to wake up, the pressure in your lower abdomen bringing you to consciousness.

You and Negans body were unromantically tangled together. Your orientation on one another was sloppy; you laid on your side with one of your legs draped over Negan’s hip. Negan laid flat on his back one of his long arms annoyingly on pressing on your head.

You carefully slipped out of bed, careful to go move began too much. You stepped into his bathroom to use the toilet and rinse your mouth. While seated and reliving yourself you noticed that there was a shower there as well.

“Wow, did this motherfucker know I was in the shower that one time?” You whispered to yourself.

You finished your business and laid back down next to Negan. And went back to sleep for a small amount of time before you felt Neganshufflee and step to the restroom to mimic your routine.

He stepped out and paused at the edge of the bed, he admired your form being kissed by the fragmented sunlight breaking through parts the curtain. He felt blood rush to his manhood, thinking of the night before, and how you let him have you. How you were willing to experience new things, with him.

You laid flat on your stomach, arms in front with one hip flexed, reminding him of those green toy soldiers. He crawled over you, hovering above you body, nibbling on your neck to wake you.

“Mmm” you moaned knowing it was him.

“You awake Eddie?” He asked, his morning voice crackling near your ear. He wanted to make sure you were mentally there before continuing.

You rolled your hips upwards to press against him

“Does that answer your question?”

He groaned in your ear, before sucking at your neck. You turned your head to meet his lips.

This felt different. He was more tender, his kisses were softer, slower, but maintained the same level of intensity has your previous sessions. He caged you between his knees and pressed his hips against your ass. You felt his hard member on your back side, through his jeans

How did he sleep in those was one of your thoughts.

He slowly stopped kissing your lips and allowed you to flip under him, so you’d be on your back facing him. He reached for the hem of your sweatshirt and peeled off over your head. His hand went straight for your breast, caressing them, pinching your nipples softly at first and gradually increasing the pressure.

While he played with your mounds you stretched your hands to his center, rubbing his cock through the thick fabric.

“Fuck Eddie” he moaned

You stuck your fingers through the belt loops on both sides of his jeans and pulled him upwards

“fuck my face” You offered that position to him

His hands came to to halt, and he grinned at you.

“you’re such a dirty girl” his morning voice still in full effect.

He shimmed up closer towards you head, he used one hand to balance himself on the wall while the other assisted you in unzipping his pants and pulling them down slightly.

He spring out instantly and your tongue wasted to time in gliding over his tip before taking his whole head in your mouth.

Negan grabbed a hold of his dick and rubbed the tip horizontally across your lips before laying his entire member on your face, giving you the opportunity to suck on his balls.

“Agh” he groaned and you alternated between his left and eight globe.

He brought the tip to you lips again, you opened up for him as he slowly stuffed his member inside your mouth. Your lips enclosed around him and he tenderly pumped in and out of you. The tip would occasionally hit the back of your throat but Negan controlled himself not to face fuck you like a jack ass.

You moaned around him, the vibrations causing Negan’s eyes to roll backward.

“Ah, fuck” he uttered before pulling out. You wiped your lips and chin with the backside of your forearm.

He hurdled off you and onto the floor to remove his jeans entirely. You undressed yourself and tossed your shorts to the side. Negan climbed back, spreading you legs for him. He brought his thumb to your clit, applying slight pressure and going in circles. You began engorging for him. He used the tip of his dick to paint your juices around your vulva. You rolled your pelvis attempting to get more friction.

He leaned over your body and met his lips with yours, his member feathering against your pussy. He continued kissing you until you couldn’t take it anymore.

“Negan, fuck me please”

“Of course doll” he whispered to you and snuck his hand between your bodies to guide his member to enter you.

His entrance was seamless but his girth didn’t go unnoticed, causing you mouth to drop open - as if it was the first tim he’d fuck your. Half of his body weight rested you, his head cradled in the crook of your neck, biting your trap.

His ministrations were slow and deep, his balls pressed against you as he filled you to the hilt, the tip of his manhood hitting your cercix with the prefect amount of force. Every time he reached the end you jolted upwards, slightly sensitive but wanting a little more.

He fucked you like this for what could have been twenty minutes. It was slow and tender and the best make-out session of your life thus far but you needed release.

Negan read your body too well, feeling your desperation creep up he asked, “are you ready to come?”

you nodded, your cheek rubbing on his.

He gradually picked up his pace, the mattress beginning to rock, his grunts getting louder. He pulled out, worked himself and flicked your clit simultaneously.

“Negan- ugh, ne” you were so close

His hand on you stopped briefly as he finished himself off. An animalistic grunt escaping him as his seed spurt out and landed on your belly. His other hand picked up the pace again, working your nerve bundle.

“Come one doll almost there” he encouraged you.

“Oh shi-“ you tensed up slightly before you walls convulsed. Negan then brought his tongue to your womanhood, letting you ride out your orgasm on his mouth. It was perfect, then you were becoming over-sensitive.

“Agh, Negan” you gripped his hair and drew him off you.

He went to lay a wet, sloppy kiss on your lips, not caring that his seed was sandwiched between you too, sticking onto him as well.

He laid on top of you, just listening to you breathe in you post-orgasmic haze. He eventually rolled off you, Your naked bodies resting next to each other.

After several minutes you broke the quiet, “I’m gonna head out”

you hopped off the bed in search of your garments.

“Where are you off too” Negan asked as you pulled your sweatshirt down your torso.

“My other dick appointment” you shot back at him with a laugh.

Even though he knew you were joking, jealousy simmered in him as you stepped out.

[kendrixtermina]

for the ship thing thoughts on claumitri and ingrid/dorothea?

ingrid/dorothea?

General:

Rate the Ship -  Awful | Ew | No pics pls | I’m not comfortable | Alright | I like it! | Got Pics? | Let’s do it! | Why is this not getting more attention?! | The OTP to rule all other OTPs - IDK why everyone wants Ingrid to be sapphic when she’s the one (1) character who explicitly says that she’s not sapphic. Or at least, shoots down Dorothea’s flirting in the B support. I think there’s value in having a non traditionally girly character who’s still hetero, many girls who want bfs get told that they will never get one if they don’t act stereotypical and that sucks. Or you could even read her as aspec given that she’s not too interested in pairing up or being attractive, and that the Glenn thing was arranged. She can still admire him and be sad he died without necessarily having the hots for him after all they probably grew up together. Also I don’t really see the particular appeal of those 2 characters together, they don’t have that much in common and Dorothea has a bajillion better options including sapphic ones. 

How long will they last? - As long as it takes Ingrid to say she’s not interested

How quickly did/will they fall in love? - I kind of see why Dorothea might think she’s hot or mistakenly assume she’s into girls as the whole tomboyish look is something ppl sometimes do to communicate that, and she probably finds something relatable about their experiences re: slimy jerks. She does indisputably kick butt and have pretty hair

How was their first kiss? - I’ve had the experience before where the other person gives it a nice, proper try but you can tell they’re not really into it

For the rest of this meme I will not be a spoilsport and entertain the thought/ try to think about what it would be like if they DID get together. It’s certainly inconceivable to read it that way, perhaps Ingrid simply wasn’t ready yet at that time/ or it was an internalized thing.

Wedding:

Who proposed? - I’m certain Dorothea explicitly tried that on screen in the paralogue XD

Who is the best man/men? - Ingrid might try bringing Sylvain, Felix or Dimitri if we’re in a timeline where he lived. 

Who is the braid’s maid(s)? - Petra or Bernie

Who did the most planning? - Dorothea

Who stressed the most? - Ingrid

How fancy was the ceremony? -Back of a pickup truck | 2 | 3 | 4 | Normal Church Wedding | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Kate and William wish they were this big.  Neither would be much for ostentatiousness but I think Dorothea would want a bit of romantic florish

Who was specifically not invited to the wedding? - Their jerkish ex suitors, even if they are important nobles of [winning faction]

Sex:

Who is on top? -  Definitely Ingrid

Who is the one to instigate things? - Dorothea

How healthy is their sex life? -Barely touch themselves let alone each other | 2 | 3 | 4 | Once a couple weeks, nothing overboard | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | They are humping each other on the couch right now  

How kinky are they? -Straight missionary with the lights off | 2 | 3 | 4 | Might try some butt stuff and toys | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Don’t go into the sex dungeon without a horse’s head  - I can’t see Ingrid being very kinky, but Dorothea might ease her into it. 

How long do they normally last? - a while

Do they make sure each person gets an equal amount of orgasms? - Very much so

How rough are they in bed? -Softer than a butterfly on the back of a bunny | 2 | 3 | 4 | The bed’s shaking and squeaking every time | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Their dirty talk is so vulgar it’d make Dwayne Johnson blush. Also, the wall’s so weak it could collapse the next time they do it.

How much cuddling/snuggling do they do? -No touching after sex | 2 | 3 | 4 | A little spooning at night, or on the couch, but not in public | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | They snuggle and kiss more often than a teen couple on their fifth date to a pillow factory. Dorothea really wants to have a relationship so once she gets one she’s gonna want PDA, Ingrid will probably be more stiff and proper - but I can see how a situation where she explores this/eases into it might be interesting to read. It’s not like Ingrid is completely unromantic given all her lofty ideas about honor and how she likes these high fantasy-eque books. It’s somewhere in there

Children:

How many children will they have naturally? - Would probably not have babies. 

How many children will they adopt? - Dorothea canonically looks after oprphans at least in Silver Snow so now entirely unlikely like two or three

Who gets stuck with the most diapers? - Ingrid being the responsible one

Who is the stricter parent? - Ingrid

Who stops the kid(s) from doing dangerous stunts after school? - Ingrid

Who remembers to pack the lunch(es)? - Dorothea

Who is the more loved parent? - Dorothea

Who is more likely to attend the PTA meetings? Ingrid

Who cried the most at graduation? - Dorothea

Who is more likely to bail the child(ren) out of trouble with the law? - Dorothea

Cooking:

Who does the most cooking? - Ingrid

Who is the most picky in their food choice? - Neither

Who does the grocery shopping? - Ingrid. 

How often do they bake desserts? - Often enough. Gotta appreciate how so many people in this game heartily enjoy their nom stuff, even the girls. I think Lorenz is the only one noted as not having much of an appetite. 

Are they more of a meat lover or a salad eater? - This is Ingrid we’re talking about. We’re not partying until there’s a roasted stuffed pugket involved

Who is more likely to surprise the other(s) with an anniversary dinner? - Hm. On the one hand Dorothea’s the romantic on the other hand Ingrid takes her obligations & loyalty seriously. But I think Dorothea would be the sort to really enjoy being the surprise-ee so let’s say Ingrid

Who is more likely to suggest going out? - Dorothea

Who is more likely to burn the house down accidently while cooking? - Neither. 

Chores:

Who cleans the room? - Both

Who is really against chores? -  Neither. 

Who cleans up after the pets? - Ingrid, mostly cause it’s her pets (Horses & pegasi chiefly)

Who is more likely to sweep everything under the rug? - Dorothea

Who stresses the most when guests are coming over? - Dorothea

Who found a dollar between the couch cushions while cleaning? - Ingrid. She has a jar where she collects all the spare change

Misc:

Who takes the longer showers/baths? - Dorothea

Who takes the dog out for a walk? - Both, though probably Ingrid more often cause she likes the outdoors

How often do they decorate the room/house for the holidays? - Dorothea strikes me as the decorating kind so regular

What are their goals for the relationship? - Probably to find their freedom together  and also help the poor. I suppose that is something they might have in common

Who is most likely to sleep till noon? - Ingrid

Who plays the most pranks? - Dorothea

claumitri

General:

Rate the Ship -  Awful | Ew | No pics pls | I’m not comfortable | Alright | I like it! | Got Pics? | Let’s do it! | Why is this not getting more attention?! | The OTP to rule all other OTPs - Sure why not?  There’s nothing in particular that makes me think “Wow those would go super well together” but also nothing to the contrary. I’ve seen good fic for it.  I guess they’re just the two dudes who get the most characterization and also sorta get along/interact, so there’s a lot to work with.

How long will they last? - Hm. Dimitri would strike me as someone would like to be serious and longterm about things. They would need to work out the politics first but there’s no reason why they couldn’t last

How quickly did/will they fall in love? - I’d say it wouldn’t take them that long to get started, but somewhat longer to really get to a deep level. Largely because Claude is quick to build surface friendships but slower to really show his real feelings, but also Dimitri wouldn’t necessarily realize that he’s holding something back or press the issue. It helps that they are both just likeable people tho. Dimitri is not going to pass up a chance for a heart-to heart talk. If he got through to that hidden more idealistic side of Claude I think they’d click and get something lasting going. They would definitely always have disagreements about their methods and are fairly different in how they deal with their feelings, but they both have the will to work with ppl with different opinions and build bridges. 

How was their first kiss? - Claude probably quipped something about how it was surprisingly passionate. Dimitri turned into a tomato that same instant. 

Wedding:

Who proposed? - Dimitri

Who is the best man/men? - Dedue and either Nader or Byleth.

Who is the braid’s maid(s)? - Not applicable. But if it were, probably Hilda and Mercedes or Flayn. 

Who did the most planning? - Claude. He likes them feasts. 

Who stressed the most? - Dimitri. Thankfully Claude is chill enough for both of them and knows to distract him

How fancy was the ceremony? -Back of a pickup truck | 2 | 3 | 4 | Normal Church Wedding | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Kate and William wish they were this big.  

Who was specifically not invited to the wedding? - Lorenz’ and Sylvain’s jerk fathers. They might be important nobles but they’re jerks. Edelgard, Arundel and Rufus would already be dead in the AM timeline but if they weren’t they wouldn’t be invited anyways. Claude seems like might actually counteract Dimitri’s tendency to take bad treatment out of politeness. Felix might say that he won’t come but then show up anyways.Or there would be some conspiracy to kidnap him and make sure he comes. Lysithea came up with the plan and recruited Ingrid, Hilda and Sylvain to help her.

Sex:

Who is on top? -  Hm. I could see either doing it. Perhaps Claude would suggest that they switch it up for novelty. But Dimitri is definitely the little spoon, despite his actual size XD

Who is the one to instigate things? - Claude

How healthy is their sex life? -Barely touch themselves let alone each other | 2 | 3 | 4 | Once a couple weeks, nothing overboard | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | They are humping each other on the couch right now  

How kinky are they? -Straight missionary with the lights off | 2 | 3 | 4 | Might try some butt stuff and toys | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Don’t go into the sex dungeon without a horse’s head  -  The discussion would be absolutely hilarious cause Dimitri’s easily embarassed and Claude is a bit of a troll. But he wouldn’t go overboard or make Mitya uncomfortable Claude generally knows when to stop the gremlin act see that one scene with Flayn 

How long do they normally last? - average but it would be pretty intense

Do they make sure each person gets an equal amount of orgasms? - Not necessarily I can get either getting a kick out of just being the one administering the pleasure. 

How rough are they in bed? -Softer than a butterfly on the back of a bunny | 2 | 3 | 4 | The bed’s shaking and squeaking every time | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Their dirty talk is so vulgar it’d make Dwayne Johnson blush. - You’ve got one person with super strength and one with super toughness/regeneration. There is potential here. 

How much cuddling/snuggling do they do? -No touching after sex | 2 | 3 | 4 | A little spooning at night, or on the couch, but not in public | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | They snuggle and kiss more often than a teen couple on their fifth date to a pillow factory. Methinks Dimitri would be pretty affectionate while Claude’s certainly flirty but the genuinely vulnerable/emotional stuff would have to be in private behind closed doors

Children:

How many children will they have naturally? - Perhaps Claude found some magic mpreg magic right next to where he got the magic cure for Lysithea…

How many children will they adopt? - No jokes aside Dimitri strikes me as the sort to want kids and also to make a point to choose to adopt. The people of Fodlan better get ready to get some adopted Almyran or Duscurian war orphan as their next king. Dimitri would just proudly stand by his adopted kid and Claude would handle the political fallout. 

Who gets stuck with the most diapers? - Dimitri

Who is the stricter parent? - Dimitri

Who stops the kid(s) from doing dangerous stunts after school? - Certainly not Claude

Who remembers to pack the lunch(es)? - Dimitri

Who is the more loved parent? -  Both but in different ways. Dimitri is the affectionate parent who comforts the kids when they’re upset, and Claude is the designated fun parent that you can openly talk about everything with. 

Who is more likely to attend the PTA meetings? - Dimitri

Who cried the most at graduation? - Dimitri cried so much

Who is more likely to bail the child(ren) out of trouble with the law? - Claude

Cooking:

Who does the most cooking? - Claude

Who is the most picky in their food choice? - Claude

Who does the grocery shopping? - Claude

How often do they bake desserts? - Probably not that often

Are they more of a meat lover or a salad eater? - Claude certainly likes a good serving of nom stuff. And Dimitri’s huge, probably needs some fuel to keep functioning

Who is more likely to surprise the other(s) with an anniversary dinner? - Claude strikes me as the surprise plans sort

Who is more likely to suggest going out? - Claude

Who is more likely to burn the house down accidently while cooking? - Dimitri

Chores:

Who cleans the room? - Not Claude. Dimitri tries but he’s clumsy

Who is really against chores? -  It’d not that Claude’s against it perse he just gets distracted thinking about stiff

Who cleans up after the pets? - Claude

Who is more likely to sweep everything under the rug? - Claude

Who stresses the most when guests are coming over? - Dimitri

Who found a dollar between the couch cushions while cleaning? - Dimitri

Misc:

Who takes the longer showers/baths? - Claude

Who takes the dog out for a walk? - They do it together. Both like walking out in nature. 

How often do they decorate the room/house for the holidays? - Dimitri isn’t much for decoration and Claude forgets about the holidays half the time

What are their goals for the relationship? - Just to be happy. Dimitri would want to have some separation between that and the politics - but it’s certainly helpful for the peace between the countries if the Kings are an item and they both care alot about promoting peace perhaps in slightly different but potentially complementary ways. 

Who is most likely to sleep till noon? - Claude

Who plays the most pranks? - Claude

[redemptionbaby]

Hi i was wondering if you could please do hc's of Low honor Arthur (and dutch if you're cool with it) who one day get really rough with a bad guy like they beat the shit out of him or something and their s/o sees this and is like 'holy shit that was hot,' and Arthur/Dutch notice and smut ensues ~ askhdhahgsh sorry if this is weird, you don't have to do this if you don't want to ❤❤❤

I’m not doing Dutch because I’m in one of my moods where I’m like mad at him for being a bitch lol also I ended up doing a Drabble sorry lmao.

Low Honor Arthur

Arthur can barely hear his own thoughts as he beats his fists continually into the pulp that remains of his former opponents face. He had been worthy and respectable, at first, when he was able to dodge and actually land a few hits. But, before long, he got tired and sluggish, forcing Arthur to reduce him to the pile that lay before him. He relented, not wanting to keep you waiting.

Upon looking up, he was surprised. Surprised to find you gazing down where Arthur’s fists lay with blood-coated knuckles. He was delighted to see the heart-eyed look on your face, and the darling way your thighs twitched ever so slightly closed. You break out of your trance to notice his stare and you meet his eyes as a smirk starts forming on his face. He rises from his position on the ground, dusting the dirt from his pants while you hear the click of his spurs.

“Did you like that, rabbit?”

You turn to avoid his gaze and find him on you in an instant, grasping your hands and holding them in front of your chest, and he practically beams at the cute little gasp that escapes you. You nod tentatively, and he startles you further with a practically comedic release of tension as his shoulders relax and one of his arms drops to his side. His eyes seem to darken as he lets go of your hands and puts a light grip on his belt. Arthur flashes a toothy smile before practically lunging forward, gathering you up by the shoulders and under the knees.

He makes a dash for the nearest abandoned cabin, swooning at how he can feel the edges of your nails on his chest while you grip at his shirt tightly. As if he would ever drop such precious cargo.

Arthur doesn’t try to make a show of kicking open the old wooden door, unsettling some moss covered stones, but it ends up being rather theatric anyways. It always does with him. The door drifts shut after he carries you through the threshold, like a newly wedded couple in their new home. He feels just as excited, and you feel just as treasured.

Unromantically however, he sits you on the first empty flat space he can find, and that happens to be a kitchen table. Arthur admired the picture that you are for a moment, blushing and breathing a little intensely even though he was the one who did all the running. The rise and fall of your chest makes him feel like he can see your heart beating.

“Raise up your skirt, baby. I’ll take care of you.”

You do so, gladly but gently, and he immediately steps forward, his chest nearly pressing against yours as his hand starts palming and stroking at the fabric that separates his hand from your cunt. His gaze downwards towards you softens as he feels the pads of his fingers moisten instantly. Arthur palms at your clit harder, his discovery of your arousal fueling that special fire in his heart that burns only for you. You moan shakily, and he presses a soft kiss to your lips for a moment.

“How sweet. My sweet little rabbit, so needy, so perfect, just for me. Her big bad wolf. I’m just about ready to devour you, honey. You know how you get my blood pumpin’.”

You can feel the heat of his breath so closely, and his very words are spoken so warmly you can practically feel the flames from the fire in his belly licking at you. He wastes no time in ripping your undergarments irreparably, and you can hear the clink of his belt buckle as he pulls himself free and starts rubbing the weeping tip of his cock against your slit, applying a teasing pressure. He smiles warmly at the feeling of your hips squirming beneath his hand as you try to get closer to him. He laughs low, and moves his hand to cup your cheek in that tender way he knows makes you feel lovesick. He knows because it makes him feel the same way.

“ Now, now. Don’t get hasty. I always take care of you when you need me, don’t I?” You hitch your breath as the velvet head of his cock starts entering you, and he sighs dreamily, because when he’s inside you it feels like home. “And that’s because I need you too. Because I love you, rabbit. And I’m gonna make sure you never forget it.”

He gives you another kiss while he bottoms out, swallowing your moans and whines before he parts with a playful bite to your lower lip. Arthur starts thrusting, and he picks up the pace quick. Before you know it he’s pistoning his cock in and out of you, reveling in your cries as he feels the pulse of your walls stroke him. You can hear the wet slap echo in the quiet while the outlaw’s breath starts growing ragged. He pulls away slightly, grasping at your wrist and guiding your hand to the bottom of your stomach, where he rests his hand on top of yours.

“You feel this? This is place is just for me. Made for me. You’re where I belong. Always.”

Arthur places the calloused pad of his thumb against your clit, stroking and pressing, growling deeply as he feels your cunt clench around him as you gasp and breathe heavily through your orgasm. He follows, purring and cooing his love for you as he presses his hips as far into yours as they’ll go, pinning your squirming hips against the table as he fills you with his thick spend.

He collapses onto you, enough for you to feel the pressure of his body encompassing yours, but not enough for you to feel crushed by it. He rises after a few moments, pressing a kiss to the top of your head before leaning back to pull out, chuckling at the soft “ah” you let out when he finally leaves you. Parting is such sweet sorrow. Arthur presses two fingers to the cum beginning to drip from you, pushing it back in and bringing his fingers up to your lips. You part them slightly as he tells you to open while sleep begins to call you, and he massages your tongue gently while you suck.

He pulls them out after a short while, wet and shining with your saliva, tucking himself back into his pants. He takes your hand and helps you to rise, slowly and gently. He keeps his hold on your hand while he leads you out of the little house, helping you down the crumbling cobblestone stairs and mounting his horse.

Arthur lifts you under the arms for you to join him, and he smiles as you hug your arms around his waist and rest your cheek on the rawhide of the jacket on his back. He can already tell you’re going to start drooling as you close your eyes and he hears your breathing relax and deepen as he sets off towards camp. But he doesn’t mind. He never does.

[yuqi-y-blog]

Assessing Tea Quality with Electronic Nose and Electronic Tongue

Are you a tea drinker? If so, do you have your favorite leaf, or prefer some types of tea to others? There are many teas, from the high-end ones packed in delicate gift boxes to those sold in bulk at their origins, which may be unfamiliar for tea drinkers in the more developed regions. But is that the more expensive, the better? Who decides the grades of teas, and how do they judge the quality?

The Traditional Method

Traditionally, “tea masters” assign the grade by tea-tasting, but this method is realized to be increasingly unreliable. Masters are still human, just with more expertise and experience, and human is inevitably subjective. Different masters may give different results; even the same person may give a different result on a different day depending on their physical or mental state. Leaving alone the subjectivity, human testing is also not efficient enough. With millions of, if not more, different types of teas sold through various channels in the market today, it is impractical for each of them to be examined by experts.

A New Approach

Is there a more accurate and more efficient way to grade the teas? The answer is “yes,” by artificial intelligence. Zhi et al. have presented a framework for Electronic Nose (E-Nose) and Electronic Tongue (E-Tongue) to assess tea quality (2017).

E-Nose and E-Tongue are not hard to understand literally, but exactly how do they function, and how is the information integrated to grade a tea?

Despite the huge difference in their appearances, E-Nose and E-Tongue collect information under a similar logic as human’s organs. They comprise of an array of sensors that detect the chemicals in the test samples and generate diverse signatures. The difference comes about in the perception of those signatures. Human’s interpretation turns out to be rather rough: bitter, sweet, fragrant, etc., since the signals are forced to go through multiple built-in filters in our brains, while E-Nose and E-Tongue provide raw signals, which are quantified and ready for more scientific analysis.

Feature Extraction and Dimension Reduction

Raw signals are hard to work with directly. In Zhi’s experiment, the E-Nose has 18 sensors and the E-Tongue has 7, so there are 25 distinct signal curves, with each curve consisting of 241 data points collected in 120 seconds for each test sample. It is impossible to tell anything by just looking at 25*241 plain numbers, so feature extraction is essential.

Zhi et al. extract the features in two different domains: time and frequency. The time-domain features are easy to acquire and easy to understand. The maximum value and the average value are calculated among the 241 points for each sensor. The frequency-domain features, on the other hand, is less straight forward. In brief, you can imagine the discrete points are connected to form a curve that bounces up and down, and the frequency-domain features describe how vividly the curve bounces. The importance to include the frequency domain is illustrated in the graph below. As we can see, data sets A and B have the same maximum and average value, yet their dynamic “energy” is different. It is probably not a good idea to conclude that these two signals are the same as if we are only looking at the time-domain features.

Now, we have successfully reduced the data size to 25*4 for each sample, but what’s next? Although decreased in size, the data is still numbers. How can we assign different grades to the teas according to those sets of numbers?

Let the machine learn!

Of course, we can manually observe the data and try to summarize some kind of regularities, but that would be tedious and thus running counter to our objective of improving efficiency. Luckily, we have assistants who are good at dealing with data of large sizes and doing repetitive jobs: computers.

Just like tea masters taste a lot of teas to form their experience, computers need to first form their knowledge bases and then apply the knowledge to solve the problem. In machine learning, the process of forming knowledge bases is called training. There’s one thing that is easy to get wrong: computers never learn on their own. It is human who programs the algorithms, and all computers do is executing the algorithms that take in the data and turn it into a knowledge base.

In the case of tea testing, the computer is trained with a number of samples given their grades so that it can get a sense of which characteristics correspond to which grades. Well, to “get a sense” is the human way; the computer way is to match the data points with the grades and construct reference maps for applications. For the matching, Zhi et al. adopt Kernel Linear Discriminant Analysis (KLDA). The purpose of this high-level mathematical trick is to maximize between-class separation and minimize in-class variance. In other words, we want the teas to be as similar to each other as possible if they belong to the same grade, and elsewise as different from each other as possible. We can’t manipulate the data, but what we can do is weighting it to highlight particular data. KLDA is a nonlinear transformation that maps the original data points to a more classified distribution. With this optimized matching, which is impossible without machine learning due to the huge amount of computation, the accuracy of grading is significantly improved.

Assign a grade to an unknown tea

After training, the computer is ready to assess the quality of unknown teas. Given a new tea sample, we let the E-Nose smell it and let the E-Tongue taste it, obtain the raw signals, extract the features, and transform the data through the same KLDA filter used in training. Then we get a new data point to be compared to the ones in the computer’s knowledge base, namely the reference map constructed with the training set. How can we make the comparison, or, to be precise, which algorithm do we tell the computer to execute to make the comparison?

Zhi et al. use the K-nearest neighbor (KNN) classifier, which is, unlike the previous algorithms, one of the simplest among the classification algorithms. It assigns a class to the unclassified point by looking at a number (k) of its nearest neighbors and taking the majority vote from them.

There is only one problem left. I have been counting the data for the E-Nose and E-Tongue together so far in order to demonstrate the size of data, yet in fact, they are quite different data since one describes the smell and one describes the taste, and so cannot be calculated as one. Hence at this point, we actually have two separate results from the E-Nose and the E-Tongue. The problem is how to combine the two results to give a final assignment.

Here comes the last mathematical tool in the assessment: D-S evidence, which is perfect for solving this problem. It generates one probability function by combining two bodies of evidence, which, in our case, are the E-Nose and the E-Tongue. The method is rather simple: taking the product of the probabilities suggested by the two bodies of evidence and calculating the proportion of each shared outcome. For instance, consider the following case:

Since D-S evidence only accounts for shared outcomes, the probabilities of the sample being grade 1 and grade 4 are omitted. The probability of grade 2 is 80%*90%=72%, and that of grade 3 is 10%*5%=0.5%. So the final probability of grade 2 is 72%/(72%+0.5%)=99.31%, a quite determinate probability for the computer to conclude that the sample belongs to grade 2. Noticeably, there’s one big assumption made by D-S evidence: the conflict between the two bodies of evidence is small. Consider this case:

Because there are no shared outcomes, the result would be completely inconclusive. Fortunately, big conflicts are not expected to happen since a tea sample naturally should not show such huge different characteristics in smell and taste, and that is why D-S evidence is suitable for this scenario.

Conclusion and outlook for artificial intelligence

Compared to tea masters, E-Nose and E-Tongue guarantee to be fully objective and statistically more accurate with the implementation of KDLA. Moreover, both time efficiency and cost efficiency can be largely improved. E-Nose and E-Tongue can work non-stop with each sample only taking 120 seconds, and the computer can then process the data 1,000 times faster than a human does. The main cost would be the fixed cost, including setting up the machines and training the model. Once the setup is done, the operation cost is expected to be fairly low. Therefore, tea quality assessment with E-Nose and E-Tongue can definitely be promoted to the market for practical use.

As we go through the full process, I also hope you get a better sense of how AI works. To many people’s disappointment, AIs are not like creatures and never generate ideas on their own. The fundamental of all AIs is humble mathematics and computer science, very unromantically. Yet isn’t that exciting, that human is able to do things unimaginable decades ago today with the power of computers, which is neither magic nor miracle, but still the product of our own intelligence?

More on KLDA: https://youtu.be/mICWQEUpgEQ

Reference:  Zhi, Ruicong, Lei Zhao, and Dezheng Zhang. "A Framework for the Multi-Level Fusion of Electronic Nose and Electronic Tongue for Tea Quality Assessment." Sensors, vol. 17, no. 5, 2017, pp. 1007. doi: http://dx.doi.org.libproxy2.usc.edu/10.3390/s17051007.

[greegorygrimlee]

A Little Journey

By RAY BRADBURY

There were two important things—one, that she was very old; two, that Mr. Thirkell was taking her to God. For hadn't he patted her hand and said: "Mrs. Bellowes, we'll take off into space in my rocket, and go to find Him together."

And that was how it was going to be. Oh, this wasn't like any other group Mrs. Bellowes had ever joined. In her fervor to light a path for her delicate, tottering feet, she had struck matches down dark alleys, and found her way to Hindu mystics who floated their flickering, starry eyelashes over crystal balls. She had walked on the meadow paths with ascetic Indian philosophers imported by daughters-in-spirit of Madame Blavatsky. She had made pilgrimages to California's stucco jungles to hunt the astrological seer in his natural habitat. She had even consented to signing away the rights to one of her homes in order to be taken into the shouting order of a temple of amazing evangelists who had promised her golden smoke, crystal fire, and the great soft hand of God coming to bear her home.

None of these people had ever shaken Mrs. Bellowes' faith, even when she saw them sirened away in a black wagon in the night, or discovered their pictures, bleak and unromantic, in the morning tabloids. The world had roughed them up and locked them away because they knew too much, that was all.

And then, two weeks ago, she had seen Mr. Thirkell's advertisement in New York City:

COME TO MARS!

Stay at the Thirkell Restorium for one week. And then, on into space on the greatest adventure life can offer!

Send for Free Pamphlet: "Nearer My God To Thee."

Excursion rates. Round trip slightly lower.

"Round trip," Mrs. Bellowes had thought. "But who would come back after seeing Him?"

And so she had bought a ticket and flown off to Mars and spent seven mild days at Mr. Thirkell's Restorium, the building with the sign on it which flashed: THIRKELL'S ROCKET TO HEAVEN! She had spent the week bathing in limpid waters and erasing the care from her tiny bones, and now she was fidgeting, ready to be loaded into Mr. Thirkell's own special private rocket, like a bullet, to be fired on out into space beyond Jupiter and Saturn and Pluto. And thus—who could deny it?—you would be getting nearer and nearer to the Lord. How wonderful! Couldn't you just feel Him drawing near? Couldn't you just sense His breath, His scrutiny, His Presence?

"Here I am," said Mrs. Bellowes, "an ancient rickety elevator, ready to go up the shaft. God need only press the button."

Now, on the seventh day, as she minced up the steps of the Restorium, a number of small doubts assailed her.

"For one thing," she said aloud to no one, "it isn't quite the land of milk and honey here on Mars that they said it would be. My room is like a cell, the swimming pool is really quite inadequate, and, besides, how many widows who look like mushrooms or skeletons want to swim? And, finally, the whole Restorium smells of boiled cabbage and tennis shoes!"

She opened the front door and let it slam, somewhat irritably.

She was amazed at the other women in the auditorium. It was like wandering in a carnival mirror-maze, coming again and again upon yourself—the same floury face, the same chicken hands, and jingling bracelets. One after another of the images of herself floated before her. She put out her hand, but it wasn't a mirror; it was another lady shaking her fingers and saying:

"We're waiting for Mr. Thirkell. Sh!"

"Ah," whispered everyone.

The velvet curtains parted.

Mr. Thirkell appeared, fantastically serene, his Egyptian eyes upon everyone. But there was something, nevertheless, in his appearance which made one expect him to call "Hi!" while fuzzy dogs jumped over his legs, through his hooped arms, and over his back. Then, dogs and all, he should dance with a dazzling piano-keyboard smile off into the wings.

Mrs. Bellowes, with a secret part of her mind which she constantly had to grip tightly, expected to hear a cheap Chinese gong sound when Mr. Thirkell entered. His large liquid dark eyes were so improbable that one of the old ladies had facetiously claimed she saw a mosquito cloud hovering over them as they did around summer rain-barrels. And Mrs. Bellowes sometimes caught the scent of the theatrical mothball and the smell of calliope steam on his sharply pressed suit.

But with the same savage rationalization that had greeted all other disappointments in her rickety life, she bit at the suspicion and whispered, "This time it's real. This time it'll work. Haven't we got a rocket?"

Mr. Thirkell bowed. He smiled a sudden Comedy Mask smile. The old ladies looked in at his epiglottis and sensed chaos there.

Before he even began to speak, Mrs. Bellowes saw him picking up each of his words, oiling it, making sure it ran smooth on its rails. Her heart squeezed in like a tiny fist, and she gritted her porcelain teeth.

"Friends," said Mr. Thirkell, and you could hear the frost snap in the hearts of the entire assemblage.

"No!" said Mrs. Bellowes ahead of time. She could hear the bad news rushing at her, and herself tied to the track while the immense black wheels threatened and the whistle screamed, helpless.

"There will be a slight delay," said Mr. Thirkell.

In the next instant, Mr. Thirkell might have cried, or been tempted to cry, "Ladies, be seated!" in minstrel-fashion, for the ladies had come up at him from their chairs, protesting and trembling.

"Not a very long delay." Mr. Thirkell put up his hands to pat the air.

"How long?"

"Only a week."

"A week!"

"Yes. You can stay here at the Restorium for seven more days, can't you? A little delay won't matter, will it, in the end? You've waited a lifetime. Only a few more days."

At twenty dollars a day, thought Mrs. Bellowes, coldly.

"What's the trouble?" a woman cried.

"A legal difficulty," said Mr. Thirkell.

"We've a rocket, haven't we?"

"Well, ye-ess."

"But I've been here a whole month, waiting," said one old lady. "Delays, delays!"

"That's right," said everyone.

"Ladies, ladies," murmured Mr. Thirkell, smiling serenely.

"We want to see the rocket!" It was Mrs. Bellowes forging ahead, alone, brandishing her fist like a toy hammer.

Mr. Thirkell looked into the old ladies' eyes, a missionary among albino cannibals.

"Well, now," he said.

"Yes, now!" cried Mrs. Bellowes.

"I'm afraid—" he began.

"So am I!" she said. "That's why we want to see the ship!"

"No, no, now, Mrs.—" He snapped his fingers for her name.

"Bellowes!" she cried. She was a small container, but now all the seething pressures that had been built up over long years came steaming through the delicate vents of her body. Her cheeks became incandescent. With a wail that was like a melancholy factory whistle, Mrs. Bellowes ran forward and hung to him, almost by her teeth, like a summer-maddened Spitz. She would not and never could let go, until he died, and the other women followed, jumping and yapping like a pound let loose on its trainer, the same one who had petted them and to whom they had squirmed and whined joyfully an hour before, now milling about him, creasing his sleeves and frightening the Egyptian serenity from his gaze.

"This way!" cried Mrs. Bellowes, feeling like Madame Lafarge. "Through the back! We've waited long enough to see the ship. Every day he's put us off, every day we've waited, now let's see."

"No, no, ladies!" cried Mr. Thirkell, leaping about.

They burst through the back of the stage and out a door, like a flood, bearing the poor man with them into a shed, and then out, quite suddenly, into an abandoned gymnasium.

"There it is!" said someone. "The rocket."

And then a silence fell that was terrible to entertain.

There was the rocket.

Mrs. Bellowes looked at it and her hands sagged away from Mr. Thirkell's collar.

The rocket was something like a battered copper pot. There were a thousand bulges and rents and rusty pipes and dirty vents on and in it. The ports were clouded over with dust, resembling the eyes of a blind hog.

Everyone wailed a little sighing wail.

"Is that the rocket ship Glory Be to the Highest?" cried Mrs. Bellowes, appalled.

Mr. Thirkell nodded and looked at his feet.

"For which we paid out our one thousand dollars apiece and came all the way to Mars to get on board with you and go off to find Him?" asked Mrs. Bellowes.

"Why, that isn't worth a sack of dried peas," said Mrs. Bellowes.

"It's nothing but junk!"

Junk, whispered everyone, getting hysterical.

"Don't let him get away!"

Mr. Thirkell tried to break and run, but a thousand possum traps closed on him from every side. He withered.

Everybody walked around in circles like blind mice. There was a confusion and a weeping that lasted for five minutes as they went over and touched the Rocket, the Dented Kettle, the Rusty Container for God's Children.

"Well," said Mrs. Bellowes. She stepped up into the askew doorway of the rocket and faced everyone. "It looks as if a terrible thing has been done to us," she said. "I haven't any money to go back home to Earth and I've too much pride to go to the Government and tell them a common man like this has fooled us out of our life's savings. I don't know how you feel about it, all of you, but the reason all of us came is because I'm eighty-five, and you're eighty-nine, and you're seventy-eight, and all of us are nudging on toward a hundred, and there's nothing on Earth for us, and it doesn't appear there's anything on Mars either. We all expected not to breathe much more air or crochet many more doilies or we'd never have come here. So what I have to propose is a simple thing—to take a chance."

She reached out and touched the rusted hulk of the rocket.

"This is our rocket. We paid for our trip. And we're going to take our trip!"

Everyone rustled and stood on tiptoes and opened an astonished mouth.

Mr. Thirkell began to cry. He did it quite easily and very effectively.

"We're going to get in this ship," said Mrs. Bellowes, ignoring him. "And we're going to take off to where we were going."

Mr. Thirkell stopped crying long enough to say, "But it was all a fake. I don't know anything about space. He's not out there, anyway. I lied. I don't know where He is, and I couldn't find Him if I wanted to. And you were fools to ever take my word on it."

"Yes," said Mrs. Bellowes, "we were fools. I'll go along on that. But you can't blame us, for we're old, and it was a lovely, good and fine idea, one of the loveliest ideas in the world. Oh, we didn't really fool ourselves that we could get nearer to Him physically. It was the gentle, mad dream of old people, the kind of thing you hold onto for a few minutes a day, even though you know it's not true. So, all of you who want to go, you follow me in the ship."

"But you can't go!" said Mr. Thirkell. "You haven't got a navigator. And that ship's a ruin!"

"You," said Mrs. Bellowes, "will be the navigator."

She stepped into the ship, and after a moment, the other old ladies pressed forward. Mr. Thirkell, windmilling his arms frantically, was nevertheless pressed through the port, and in a minute the door slammed shut. Mr. Thirkell was strapped into the navigator's seat, with everyone talking at once and holding him down. The special helmets were issued to be fitted over every gray or white head to supply extra oxygen in case of a leakage in the ship's hull, and at long last the hour had come and Mrs. Bellowes stood behind Mr. Thirkell and said, "We're ready, sir."

He said nothing. He pleaded with them silently, using his great, dark, wet eyes, but Mrs. Bellowes shook her head and pointed to the control.

"Takeoff," agreed Mr. Thirkell morosely, and pulled a switch.

Everybody fell. The rocket went up from the planet Mars in a great fiery glide, with the noise of an entire kitchen thrown down an elevator shaft, with a sound of pots and pans and kettles and fires boiling and stews bubbling, with a smell of burned incense and rubber and sulphur, with a color of yellow fire, and a ribbon of red stretching below them, and all the old women singing and holding to each other, and Mrs. Bellowes crawling upright in the sighing, straining, trembling ship.

"Head for space, Mr. Thirkell."

"It can't last," said Mr. Thirkell, sadly. "This ship can't last. It will—"

It did.

The rocket exploded.

Mrs. Bellowes felt herself lifted and thrown about dizzily, like a doll. She heard the great screamings and saw the flashes of bodies sailing by her in fragments of metal and powdery light.

"Help, help!" cried Mr. Thirkell, far away, on a small radio beam.

The ship disintegrated into a million parts, and the old ladies, all one hundred of them, were flung straight on ahead with the same velocity as the ship.

As for Mr. Thirkell, for some reason of trajectory, perhaps, he had been blown out the other side of the ship. Mrs. Bellowes saw him falling separate and away from them, screaming, screaming.

There goes Mr. Thirkell, thought Mrs. Bellowes.

And she knew where he was going. He was going to be burned and roasted and broiled good, but very good.

Mr. Thirkell was falling down into the Sun.

And here we are, thought Mrs. Bellowes. Here we are, going on out, and out, and out.

There was hardly a sense of motion at all, but she knew that she was traveling at fifty thousand miles an hour and would continue to travel at that speed for an eternity, until....

She saw the other women swinging all about her in their own trajectories, a few minutes of oxygen left to each of them in their helmets, and each was looking up to where they were going.

Of course, thought Mrs. Bellowes. Out into space. Out and out, and the darkness like a great church, and the stars like candles, and in spite of everything, Mr. Thirkell, the rocket, and the dishonesty, we are going toward the Lord.

And there, yes, there, as she fell on and on, coming toward her, she could almost discern the outline now, coming toward her was His mighty golden hand, reaching down to hold her and comfort her like a frightened sparrow....

"I'm Mrs. Amelia Bellowes," she said quietly, in her best company voice. "I'm from the planet Earth."