#went to a grad party for a girl in a family my family knows pretty well

[skyward-floored]

That was a stressful hour hhhhhhh ok

[formulamar]

she’s a ferrari - part 3

charles leclerc x yn!ferrari

fc: addison rae

summary: as a child, the great-grand daughter of Enzo Ferrari used to spend her weekends hanging around the paddock. but once she went off to university her appearances became rare. what happens when she starts working for Ferrari? and... one of the drivers steals her heart.

READ PART TWO HERE

NOVEMBER 2023

twitter

ynferrari's story

twitter

charles_leclerc

liked by joris__trouche and 905,679 others

charles_leclerc: I gave absolutely everything today. Thank you so much for everything. Thank you for the support throughout the whole season. It's been a tough one and I already can't wait to be in 2024 to be hopefully fighting for wins again ❤️

5,382 comments

ynferrari: you make us proud everyday ❤️

liked by charles_leclerc

DECEMBER 2023

ynferrari

liked by charles_leclerc, lewishamilton, and 109,354 others

ynferrari: finally gradu-ATE-ed!!!!! big thank you to my family, my friends and to beautiful London!!! you've treated me so well. can't wait for this next chapter, but its painfully bittersweet to close out this one. 🎓💐🤍

6,039 comments

carmenmmundt: intelligent AND gorgeous 🥰

-> ynferrari: you're my inspiration 🥲

fernandoalonso: Lo hiciste!! (you did it)

liked by ynferrari

carlossainz55: 👏👏👏

ynscousin: CONGRATULAZIONI YN 🍾 also how did you get rid of your jet lag so fast?

-> ynferrari: trust it was a pain 😭

ynbff: WE DID IT BABES!!!! ILY

landonorris: are you sure they didn't hand you someone else's diploma on accident?

-> ynferrari: just shut up and come to the party 🙄

user: who bought you that degree?

tifosi2019: from one grad to another congratulations yn!

-> ynferrari: congratulations to you as well!

charles_leclerc: Smartest person I know ❤️ Congratulations

-> ynferrari: grazie bello :))

-> lordcharles: EVERYONE SEEING THIS INTERACTION

ferrarifan03: CONGRATS YN!!!!

ynfan53: CONGRADULATIONS PRETTY GIRL

tifosi75: yn...is it possible this next chapter involves you being in the paddock more often??

-> ynferrari: 😉😉

user: spoiled brat

-> ynferrari: not too shabby yourself xx

-> ferrarifan03: HELPPPPP

rumorhasitf1

liked by f1fan, ynbff and 4,673 others

rumorhasitf1: RUMOR HAS IT

Rumor has it that various f1 drivers attended YN Ferrari's graduation party in London on December 9th. Guests included Fernando Alonso, Carlos Sainz, Mick Schummacher, Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri, Lance Stroll, George Russel and YN's rumored boyfriend Charles Leclerc. Susi and Toto Wolff were also in attendance. Witnesses state that YN and Charles held hands, danced and conversed throughout the whole evening.

753 comments

norrisluv: now the important question is what did he gift her...

-> lechairs: EXACTLYYYYY IM SO CURIOUS

lec4: getting emotional just imagining this...cutest couple to ever couple

charlnor: susi and toto being there is a little random to me not gonna lie...

-> scunteriafer: i'm hoping it's just cause they've known yn since she was little and they have a close bond and not because of anything else

cl16fan: Charles and Yn dancing together... i'm actually dying

lonso14: imagine nando just glaring at charles the whole night FHSKAJFLD

f1fan05: WAS FRED THERE @/rumorhasitf1

-> rumorhasitf1: Our source says yes!

ferrarienthusiast38: YN'S BESTIE IN THE LIKES HELLOFDJKSLJ

ln4s: it's got to be true then omgggg

lordpercevalfan: can we talk about this pic holy hell Charles how'd you bag that

twitter

PADDOCK GOSSIP

⋆｡°✩ ⋆｡°✩ ⋆｡°✩ ⋆｡°✩ ⋆｡°✩ ⋆｡°✩ ⋆｡°✩ ⋆｡°✩ ⋆｡°✩

formulaamar 🎬: i wanted to get this out way earlier than i was able to but i couldn’t because school started again for me 🙄 and ive been busy with that but here’s part 3!!! this was supposed to be the last part but i decided why not add a little more hehe 😇 remember to comment if you wanna be on the taglist!!! ALSO ITS FINALLY RACE WEEK AGAIN LETS GO LETS HOPE FOR FERRARI FIXED THEIR FREAKING CAR 🥰

taglist 🌷🏷️: @agmoon03 @sarx164 @janeh22 @kindestofkings @ttokkisbee @swiftie-4-lifes-stuff @lottalove4evelyn @1800-love-me @forza-charles @blushmimi @emryb @heavy-vettel @tvdtw4ever @harrysdimples05 @chelle1306 @majasophieanna

[tynearshot]

Sai and Sebastian’s Past Relationships Part 1

Hi all! I just wanted to Give Sebastian and Sai more flavor and take you into their past relationships. Here’s Seb’s.

TW: Abusive relationships, bullying, censored slurs, sex, drugs and alcohol, family tension.

Sebastian:

Age 15.

It’s hard being a queer kid already, but being a queer kid in the boonies feels like living ten years in the past. Seb and the Pelican town kids didn’t have a highschool in their town, so they commuted via bus pretty far out. By this time, Seb was sure he was bisexual but didn’t dare explore that. He was already bullied: Skinny, vaguely non-white, Antisocial, mixed family and had his hair long, leaving room for all kinds of “you look like a girl” and f slurs. So, he was often found hiding out under the bleachers, where he met his first “boyfriend”. In quotes because this boyfriend was very much not out and would often throw out “I’m not into guys, I’m just into you”. The rising Gridball varsity player (not Alex He’s a couple years younger than Seb in my HC) and the pariah. A cute pair, set up to fail.

This “boyfriend” also would often stroke Sebastian’s hair and comment that he’d ‘make a very pretty girl’ or ‘I wish you were a girl so we could be open’. Sebastian never cared that he was called feminine, but he hated hearing that from his boyfriend. He hated feeling “wrong” to someone he cared about, but at least it was something, he often reasoned.

They had… a pretty traumatic break up. Rumors went around that the two hung out (they did much more than that, including being each other’s first in a lot of ways). And the grid ball team confronted Sebastian accusing him of trying to corrupt their grid ball star with his “f***** germs”. And who was there to back the bullies up and keep silent but Seb’s boyfriend. Pushed down, roughed up verbally and physically, Seb confronted his boyfriend privately: “why didn’t you stick up for me, why would you let them do that, don’t you know you’re bi too?! I thought you loved me”… Seb wanted to say all this. But instead went “If you ever try to talk to me, call me or even look at me ever again, I’ll let everyone who the real fucking f***** is…”

One of Seb’s lowest points. One day while crying he felt his hair in his hand and remembered how his boyfriend stroked the left side of his head. Disgusted, he promptly gave himself an asymmetrical haircut. Luckily he had Sam around to cheer him up with some goofs and Abby around to clown him, but trim/clean up his new haircut. A rough first love, but a first love all the same.

Age 18

Sebastian was tired of the “what will you do now?” “Don’t you know you’re wasting your potential?” questions he was getting from his Mom and stepdad. In a fit of emotions, he packed a bag and rode to the edges of ZuZu city. The night he arrived, he was so full of feelings and just wanted to be numb. Drinking, clubs, drugs, parties, sex with strangers, all things he wasn’t ready for. He couldn’t be the good kid his parents wanted and he couldn’t be a “delinquent” either. So who was he? It all came down as he crumpled into a ball on some random stoop. The stoop happened to be that of his next partner, Grad student, Hae-Jin.

Hae-Jin invited Seb in, and let him stay to figure himself out. And with Seb at his most vulnerable, it was a quick and passionate week long courtship. Hae-Jin was good to him. They even convinced him to go back home and try and reconcile with his family (that’s a story for another time). They then were long distance for a year and he’d go and visit them as much as he could afford the gas to. But as time went on, the relationship soured. Seb began to feel like a secret again. And he kinda was. Hae-Jin was 24 and offhandedly would mention “My friends’ll call me a cradle robber.” Seb began to resent that. “They had a problem with my age but not with sleeping with me?”

At the same time, Hae-Jin would often pressure Seb to move in. It got worse when Har-Jin would accuse Seb of being “immature” and “indecisive” about them moving in together. Sebastian began to feel like he had less and less agency in this relationship. How was that any different than what was going on at home? He thought Hae-Jin cared for him, that they belonged with each other. But he felt more and more that Hae-Jin just wanted to “have him.” No better than a pet.

Hae-Jin gave him an ultimatum “Stay with me or go back to the middle of nowhere”. He chose to go back, in his mind, better the devil you know.

Age 23 and Up

Seb wasn’t really interested in dating after Hae-Jin. He focused on programming, his bike, and trying to stay sane as he rots away in his basement. Maybe every blue moon on one of his long bike rides, he’d make out with some stranger outside a gas station, bike shop just to… I don’t know, feel something. But that got tiring. He was tired. Tired of feeling like he had no say in anything he wanted. He had none at home, in past romances. At that point, he didn’t even know if he wanted anything.

Enter : Sai Peachtree

Thanks if you read this far!✨ I’ll be writing Sai’s soon!

[arianajbb]

FIC RECS - 1

💕 Clueless by @justsomebucky 

Movie AU. Inspired by Clueless - A high society boy and a do-gooder-type girl find love.

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💕 as you wish, ma’am by @aescapisms

SOCIAL MEDIA AU || Bucky Barnes fucks up and sends you the wrong presentation file.

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💕 A Lesson In Love by @buckyywiththegoodhair 

(College!AU) In which you’re assigned to write a story about romance, a subject you know nothing about, and Bucky, a hopeless romantic, offers you his assistance.

. 💕 The End Of The War by @redgillan 

Everyone knows you and Steve can’t stand each other, but after he runs into you after one of his fights, he starts to see you in a different light.

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💕 Babies! Assemble by @honeyloverogers 

On a mission involving time travel, as if they haven’t learned at all that it’s dangerous, the Avengers get turned into babies. Including your boyfriend.

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💕 Have You Any Wool by @threeminutesoflife 

Dinner with Ransom doesn’t go as planned.

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💕 Peaches and Plums by @cptnbvcks 

After escaping hydra, Bucky finds a pretty peach vendor to work out his troubled mind with.

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💕 Stitches by @revengingbarnes 

You’re just a clueless new medical student. You’re not equipped to deal with charming, witty, handsome doctors. Especially not ones with pretty blue eyes that make you weak in the knees.

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💕 Saturdays by @sunmoonandbucky 

Bucky Barnes has a new routine.

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💕 Love Made Me Crazy by @sinner-as-saint 

It was all strategic; a plan meticulously constructed by you and your business partner; against James Buchanan Barnes. Not to take him down, no. But just to surpass him in the business world by uncovering his secrets; to learn his ways and hope to be better than him in every way possible. The façade you put up – of being close to him and earning his trust was supposed to be short-lived, most importantly; harmless. But then as always, things got a tad bit more complex when feelings intervened…

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💕  To Be So Lonely by @wlntrsldler 

When Bucky and Y/N signed up for this online pen pal system, they never expected to grow attached to the other person behind the screen. In the pen pal system, they can only unlock the other person’s messages on the 25th of each month. They can write and send off their response as soon as they want but the other person is not able to see it until the 25th.

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💕 eye candy by @angelwidow 

Being Tony Stark’s receptionist was hard. Working alongside the most gorgeous salesman you’d ever seen was even harder. Actually talking to said salesman? Well, that was just insane.

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💕  Strange Times by @beccaanne814 

You have a certain type - smart, charming, and handsome as sin. For years you’ve been in love with the only man you thought possessed all of those traits, but a chance encounter with a Strange individual sends you and a certain ex-assassin on a journey of self-discovery. As you try to find a way back home, will you also be able to uncover the perfect man hidden beneath layers of guilt and self-loathing.

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💕 Stuck Wit U by @slyyywriting 

You and Bucky don’t get along. Your fights have become too destructive so Tony and Steve decide that enough is enough.

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💕 Take Me Higher by @buckychrist 

Who knew that the way into the big broody super soldier’s heart was through his unmet need for a good cuddle?

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💕 x by @mcfreakin-bitch

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💕 x by @thejamesoldier 

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💕 Betrayal by @midnightsunfae 

Bucky catches you flirting with someone at a party and he doesn’t take to it very well.

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💕 two paper airplanes flying by @feliciahardyn 

ransom drysdale will always find you, no matter where you are. always.

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💕 Dear Lover by @feliciahardyn 

you dance with bucky barnes in the obscurity of your room as you recalled the first time you met and how three years later you ended up tangled in each other’s arms. (based on the song “lover” by taylor swift)

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💕 Make You Love Me by @slyyywriting 

You flirt with Bucky every single chance you get.

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💕 The unseen one by @extremelyblackandwhite 

The God of the Underworld falls in love with a mortal.

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💕  Hellfire by @chamomilebottom 

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💕 Promised by @cherienymphe 

when you start waking up with bruises you can’t explain, your nightmares turn into a reality.

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💕  Everything by @trillian-anders 

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💕 tell me you own me by @darthstyles 

mean daddy harry comes out to play

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💕 The Chef’s Strike by @bucky-smiles 

A contract went unfulfilled…

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💕  Bittersweet Temptations by @revengingbarnes 

Y/N Y/L/N loves coffee, always has, which is why she spent all her adult years creating the perfect coffee shop. Cutesy, homey and cozy, it’s the job of her dreams. So what if business has been a little slow lately? It’s her happy place, it would always be. But that was all until the flirty, witty and obnoxious Bucky Barnes opened up a rival coffee shop two blocks down the street. Business and profit are all Bucky cares about. He’s the exact opposite of everything Y/N stands for, and naturally, she can’t stand him. But what happens when Y/N is running the risk of losing her beloved shop and Bucky’s the only one lending her a helping hand?

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💕 The Neighbor by @staymay5 

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💕 came in close by @buckyskorpion 

what could possibly go wrong with a couple of good-natured pranks between sworn enemies?

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💕 (1) New Message by @yikeswtfmate 

One night Wanda and Nat dare Y/N to text her hottest ex. She complies, only to realise it’s not her ex she’s texting and this might be the most attractive man she’s actually laid eyes on.

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💕 Eye For An Eye by @sinner-as-saint 

Battered and bruising, Y/N is out to seek sweet revenge from a man, James Buchanan Barnes, who tore her family apart 10 years ago. Y/N’s plan was simple; infiltrate his life, mess with his head, toy with his heart and leave him broken. Headstrong, she will stop at nothing, not even when it comes down to her being the villain in her own story…

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💕 Under Oath by @ugh-supersoldiers 

The people called for justice, the state answered. The trial of State v. Barnes is set to begin, and the odds are most certainly not in favor of the not so beloved ex Winter Soldier. That’s where you come in, the quick, smart, and all too brave lawyer set on defending and saving one Bucky Barnes from legal prosecution. The only problem? He’s not so sure he’s worth saving at all.

. 💕 Hate To Love You by @revengingbarnes 

While on her death bed, Y/N’s mother has just one wish; her daughter to be married and settled in her life. It’s something her mother has never stopped pestering her about. But up until now, Y/N had managed to not give into her family’s traditions of arranged marriage. And she might have continued to do so if weren’t her mother’s last desire. Unable to refuse her mother’s desperate plea, Y/N agrees to meet the man her parents have chosen for her. There’s just one tiny problem. Her soon-to-be husband is her ex. More tragically, he’s the one ex she never managed to get over.

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💕 Everything by @hootyhoobuckaroo

. 💕 late night devils by @whistlingwillows 

Bucky gets revenge on his ex with you, the girl he never got over no matter how much he thought he did.

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💕 Safe with Me by @bitsandbobsandstuff 

When an unknown threat enters your life, protection is offered at the highest level. As Bucky Barnes comes into your life, the game changes, and you realise falling for the man tasked with keeping you safe is the last thing you expected.    

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💕 Wildest Dreams by @hopesbarnes 

Everyone said he was a bad guy, that he broke hearts. But maybe they were wrong about him.

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💕 Things Bucky says during sex. by @steveodinsonbarnes 

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💕 charming by @venusbarnes 

in which you’re a girl in need of protection, and Bucky’s the perfect man for the job.

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💕 one stroke and you’ve consumed my waking days by @buckthegrump 

Bucky has a pen pal.

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💕 Just One Kiss by @sarahwroteathing 

Bucky Barnes has been chasing after you since he was ten years old, but you’re determined not to give in. How long can you hold out when all he’s asking for is just one kiss? (40′s happy ending AU)

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💕 Come Over by @moonstruckbucky 

You’re new to New York City. Fresh out of post-grad and wanting a change of pace, and this change comes in more ways than one.

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💕 Even In The Darkest Times by @justauthoring 

Bucky x reader where they were together in the forties and when Steve goes back, he sends her into the future so she can be with Bucky while he stays in the past with Peggy.

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💕 Hearts Don’t Lie by @daenyara 

when y/n and her family have to leave Europe to escape the war, finding love in New York is the last thing she expects (and the last thing that interests her). Much to her annoyance, her parents set her up with the one person in all Brooklyn she cannot stand: the charming James Barnes, who’s decided to show her he’s not as bad as she thinks.

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💕 A Bid on Bucky by @samingtonwilson 

You spend thousands of dollars at a bachelor auction for Bucky when you could’ve had him for free this entire time.

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💕 Helpless For You by @sgtjbuccky 

A blind date has lead you and Bucky to the fourth date. Each one proving that you’ve got it bad more than prior and it doesn’t quite matter what will happen - you will keep on falling for that handsome devil and you don’t even mind.

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💕 Lavender by @wkemeup 

Not every nightmare is the same and Bucky doesn’t always wake up as the man you know.

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💕 Fixed by @drawlfoy 

draco has a teasing relationship with the reader–they playfully argue and go back and forth but never acknowledge the fact that there may be something more. draco notices her pulling back and becoming more reserved. he follows her out of the dining hall one day to find her having a breakdown over a dark secret.

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💕 Anytime by @notimetoblog

Bucky is still cautious when it comes to touching people & vice versa. one day after a mission, the avengers are in the quinjet on their way home, Bucky sat down beside the reader & accidentally falling asleep on her & snuggling her. she doesn’t make it a big deal but all the other members are surprised. just fluff involving soft Bucky.

[summercurial]

diary entry: G's grad party

dramatis personae:

G, L, S, E, H - the usual suspects, you know them, you love them (well, maybe you dont love them. i love them! i think H might be a little uncomfy with me saying i love him. but he is wonderful)

El, W - W is an old friend of the group, very timid, he wanted to transition and then told his girlfriend, El, disappeared for a week and later no longer wanted to transition. El is kind of awful

G's extended family, friends of parents and parents of friends, etc

so, i get there like 130 in my new pretty dress. i'm the first of the group to arrive, all of G's relatives are there and very loud, we retreat to G's room and I get some rose, rest of the group arrives, S brought a tupperware of just rice that she is just sort of sitting and eating from, i mock her for this and then hug her and tell her that i love her strangeness, i try a rum and coke (don't like it), bunch of other people arrive, i have some sparkling wine, we split up for a bit, I spot a drawing of a woman with her tits tastefully out that i point out to S, S spends a while talking to G's lesbian aunts who are really friendly and nice and interesting, i talk with them for a while too, there are a ton of people but G's relatives are pretty great, theyre funny and friendly and chill (apparently at some point they smoked weed *with* the group? no idea where i was at this point), i have a very strong margarita-adjacent drink made by E, it's delicious but probably like. 3 drinks worth, so it's like 3 pm and im kind of schwasted, we have a quick group meeting up stairs which consists of G giving us all adderall, which powered me through the night

at some point we're hanging out in a semi-private area off the main zone (G's parents are kind of loaded (i mean. its nova. almost everyone is at least kind of loaded), its a big house, but it was expanded twice from a small old house (it has an original cellar in the basement! its so weird and cool) so its got a weird structure), I ask El if i can kiss her, because i want to kiss a girl and also i have some vague idea (at some point (before this?) i had a bunch of punch (delicious! H is big into punch. he makes really good punch. he is the least evil member of the group (non sequitur)), at this point ive been there like 4 hours and had like 7 drinks worth. so. i am pretty drunk) that like, getting familiar with a trans girl sexually might..idk, make her soften on letting W transition, anyway she asks W's permission and we do, it was pretty nice but shes wearing lipstick or chapstick or something which feels kind of weird, she's a pretty normal kisser, anyway hell yeah kissed a girl, then i ask to kiss W (he asks El, she says yes), he's so adorably timid and cautious while he kisses while im going all the way at it, also he's so little hes like 5 6, i think i kissed them both a coule times throughout the night, i got El to feel me up a little (not much unforch), also i think while just the two of us were in there (members of the group were going in and out, yknow. party mode) I asked to kiss L and we did, it was nice hes got great lips (i think this might have been the first time we kissed? idk. memory)

at some point we take a walk to a nearby river, we have to stop before we get down to the shore cuz it was getting pretty dark but it was fun, i got to hold hands with G for a while and also I ran around some, and idk, i like hiking it was hiking, i like to talk to people while i hike

ANYWAY a little after that pretty much everybody went home, i went up with G and L to their bedroom, and we had...threesome 2.0! i think it started with them hurting me which was fun, G said he liked the sounds i made when L hurt me, G was planning on fucking me but i think i was too tight or something or he was experiencing whiskey dick? or something? honestly i was pretty confused. but also very happy and pliant feeling. im pretty sure G fingered me for a while at some point which was really nice, and then...!! i ate L out! it was fun. it was in the dark and also im not well versed in vaginas so i was kind of improvising, not really sure what was going on but it tasted good (it was strangely sweet? G said it tastes like meat but i didnt get that. just tasted sweet and i guess fleshy to me) and L said he was enjoying it, i like using my tongue on things, then for a while G fucked L while i licked at both the penis and the vagina, yknow, sort of licking around the point where they met at the top (L was on all fours, i was laying on my back underneath him, G was on his knees behind him) and then sometimes G would let me suck him off and not fuck L (oh and i got to do the thing where i just sort of hold the head in my mouth and play with it with my tongue, i love that)

there was like... a thing going on b/c L is like. sort of a switch and sort of bratty. and i am of course a very good girl. but L has lots of pride so it takes him a lot to say what he wants. eventually he got super desperate for G to make him cum, i teased him a little bit (actually kind of a lot), mostly for being bad and complicated, i got soooo many good girls from G he was being very indulgent to me. L gets just as simple and desperate as me when he really wants to come tho. which i think G likes, when L is broken. anyway L came and then a while later G came in L (several times? my time sense was wonky and it was dark). i sort of cuddled with L while he got fucked, he was doing his catboy thing where he likes to attack, he bit me really hard on the space between my neck and shoulder, and on the arm, and scratched me a bunch, but hes weaker than me so i held his arm in place after that. oh at some point they wanted me to finger L but he has a bizarrely insensitive vagina. i was going at it! my finger was all the way in there! felt like i was being quite harsh

they talked about me a bunch which i loved, i got to be the very simple thing that i am and they treated me yknow. affectionately but also. as that thing. it was great. and then we cuddled all night. i spent a lot of the time confused but not really in a bad way. just like. oh. i will just do what im told :). and in the morning i had some coffee and some tortilla chips and met the neighbors dogs and went home. there was no vegetarian food so i just ate a bunch of tortilla chips (and some tortillas) and drank alcohol the previous afternoon. i think the majority of my calories yesterday were from alcoholic drinks. but somehow I wasnt hungover in the morning.

it was so fun! what a great night. alcohol. friends. threesome

[slippinmickeys]

Five Seconds (1/8)

This is the sequel to “Of the Eight Winds,” which began from a small simple prompt from Sunflowerdeedsandscience: “Mulder is unhappily married when Scully is partnered with him, and while he doesn't cheat (because sorry that's not romantic), he falls for her so hard that he finally gets the courage to end the marriage and start fresh.” That prompt took on a life of its own that became ‘Of the Eight Winds.’ This fic immediately follows the events of that piece — I would encourage reading it first if you haven’t.

This is not written in the same Rashomon structure as the original — it is absolutely linear. Hope that doesn’t throw anyone.

I’ll be posting the first two chapters today, and then one chapter a day until next Monday. You can also find it on AO3 here.

PROLOGUE

They say in the heat of the moment, you have five seconds to make a decision. Five seconds between right and wrong. Five seconds between life and death. As Mulder stood watching one gun pointed at his children and another pointed at an immensely pregnant Scully, five seconds seemed an eternity.

XxXxXxXxXxX

6 Months Earlier

She watched the house from the shadows. Occasionally from her car. It was harder to follow the woman as she worked at a secure government facility, but the man was easy. He had a small private psychology practice in a townhouse in Old Town. He usually ate lunch at a Panera near the office or brown bagged it from home.

The kids both attended a private prep school out in McLean. The girl drove herself and her brother most days. The boy would often stay late for sports practice (ice hockey, if the equipment was any indication) and the man would usually pick him up. Their lives were pretty routine.

After two weeks, she finally made an appointment with the man’s scheduling service and waited nervously in the outer office. Right on time, he opened the door.

“Olivia?” Dr. Mulder smiled at her, “come on back.”

She passed him through the doorway and settled into a plush leather couch.

He sat down in a chair across from her and crossed his leg, looking relaxed. Up close, she noticed that his hair was starting to grey at the temples, but he still looked fit, and conveyed an easy manner.

“Thank you for seeing me,” she said, trying to calm her nerves.

“Of course,” he said, looking down at his notebook, “I see you were referred to me by Dr. Heitz Werber?”

“Yes,” she said.

“Why don’t you tell me a little about yourself,” he said.

She took a breath.

“I grew up here in DC. After grad school… My father worked for the State Department and I, uh, went into the family business.”

Dr. Mulder nodded, his expression neutral.

“I can imagine that’s pretty stressful work,” he said.

“It was,” she said, “I don’t do it anymore.”

He nodded again, waiting for her to fill the silence. She went on.

“The work I did… it hurt people. And I’m… I’m trying to make amends.”

His expression gave nothing away. She steeled herself, took a deep breath.

“Dr. Mulder, my name is Olivia Kurtzweil. Our fathers knew each other a long time ago. I’m here to warn you. You and your family are in danger. Your wife and her baby…”

His nostrils flared, but he maintained his composure.

She reached into her pocket and pulled out several pictures.

“I can prove it,” she said, “This is me and my father, this is me and your sister Samantha. And this is our fathers together.”

“I think you need to leave,” he said, his voice tight for the first time. He was not looking at the pictures.  

She rose.

“There’s not a lot of time.” She reached into her pocket and pulled out a piece of paper with a phone number on it, set it next to the pictures, which she left on the office’s small coffee table. “Call me at this number. Soon. I’ll tell you all I can.”

With that she left, her heart hammering in her chest.

CHAPTER ONE

Arlington Cemetery May 2nd, 2018

Mulder descended the stairs quickly, the leather bottoms of his dress shoes scraping loudly on the dusty grit of the steps. The occupants of the underground lair were the perfect people to call when you needed information, but good housekeepers they were not.

He entered the code on the security box at the door at the bottom of the staircase, and the door swung open.

“Guys?” he called into the cavernous space once the door sealed shut behind him.

“In here!” he heard a muffled call from near the back.

He stepped around gunmetal shelves awash in circuitry and computer parts and turned right into the sanctum sanctorum of the place: the desktop on which sat the AMD Threadripper 3000. Two men were hunched over the screen, one sitting, one standing just behind him.

Grease-stained napkins were wadded up next to the keyboard and crinkled butcher paper sat nearby, sporting the red-splotched remains of marinara sauce and a few errant banana peppers.

“You want a meatball sub, Mulder?” came the nasally voice of the man standing, “We got extra.”

“I don’t relish the thought of being up all night with heartburn, Langly, but thanks,” Mulder said, and Frohike turned from the chair, his wispy hair now more white than grey.

“They’re from Gino’s,” he said around a mouthful, “you’re missing out.”

“Tell that to Gino,” Mulder said, “didn’t he die of a heart attack in ‘04?”

“His wife is still running the place, bursting with health,” Frohike said, and reached for a styrofoam cup.

“But she doesn’t eat the subs,” said Mulder, and swung into a nearby chair. “Where’s Byers?”

“Staying with Suzanne for the weekend,” Langly said, like he couldn’t imagine why.

“Is that safe?” Mulder asked. The Gunmen had been hiding out in a government-built safehouse under their own graves in Arlington Cemetery for more than a decade.

Langly shrugged.

The three men looked at each other for a moment. Finally, Mulder spoke again.

“What did you find?”

“Enough,” said Frohike, turning back to the screen. Mulder stood and walked up behind him.

Frohike tapped a picture on the screen.

“Olivia Kurtzweil,” he said, “born December 4th, 1963, daughter of Dr. Alvin Kurtzweil and Ruth O’Brien Kurtzweil. Graduated from Sidwell Friends School in Washington DC in 1981, got a PhD in both Biology and Virology from Boston University in 1987. Employment records get kind of muddled after that, but it would make sense if she worked for the State Department, though what a Biologist/Virologist would be doing for State is troubling.”

Mulder leaned back. It was the same woman who’d been in his office earlier that day.

“And the pictures?” he asked, “of our fathers together? Of her and Samantha?”

“The real McCoy,” Langly said, “they don’t appear to be altered in any way. Sent them to Chuck Burks, too. He concurs.”

Mulder sighed heavily.

“What’s going on, Mulder?” Frohike asked, his tone serious.

“She came to my office today, Olivia Kurtzweil,” he said, nodding at the screen, “she told me that Scully is in danger.”

“In danger?” Langly said, puzzled, “how?”

“Scully is…” Mulder paused, “she’s pregnant,” he said, and he saw both men’s eyebrows go up. “This woman told me that our family... that Scully and the baby are in danger.”

Frohike and Langly traded looks.

“We haven’t told anyone about the pregnancy,” Mulder went on, “and Scully’s OB is an old friend from med school that she trusts implicitly. This Kurtzweil woman knows about the baby and insists it’s in danger. I need to know what’s going on.”

“Firstly,” said Frohike, who stood and put a hand on Mulder’s shoulder, “Mazel tov.” Mulder smiled at him. “Secondly,” he went on, “it appears as though this woman is telling the truth -- at least about who she is -- I would talk to her. See what you can find out.”

“How’s Scully taking this?” Langly asked.

“I haven’t told her yet,” Mulder said, and the boys traded another look. “I didn’t want to scare her without knowing more.”

Frohike squeezed his shoulder again and then let his arm fall.

“Let us know, huh?” he said, “However we can help.”

Mulder nodded and drifted back toward the door, a ball of worry sitting heavy in his gut.

XxXxXxXxXxX

“Where are the kids?” he asked as soon as he walked in the kitchen. He hadn’t even taken off his coat.

“I had a good day, thanks for asking,” said Scully with a grin. She was loading the dishwasher and turned to look at him. Her face fell, turning serious. “The kids are upstairs. What’s wrong?”

“I had a patient come in today…” he started, and her features softened. She probably thought it was just empathy for one of his patients, a tough case. “Scully, she showed me a picture of herself as a kid. With Samantha.”

“What?” Scully said, standing up straight, “how?”

“I don’t know,” he said, and moved past her and into the living room, making for the bookshelf that held old family photo albums. He pulled one out and skimmed through it. Pulled out another. Halfway through, something caught his eye and he flipped back a couple of pages until he saw it. A picture from the same 70’s-era party at his childhood home on the Vineyard that Olivia had shown him. There was his father standing next to Alvin Kurtzweil, and down in the corner, both wearing swimsuits and gap-toothed smiles, pigtails frizzy and wet, sat Samantha and a 7 year-old Olivia Kurtzweil.

He felt his breath leave him.

Scully had come up quietly behind him, put her hand on his arm.

“Mulder?” she said.

“I need to make a call,” he said.

He pulled the note Olivia had left with him out of his pocket. She picked up on the first ring.

“Olivia, this is Dr. Mulder,” he said. “We need to talk.”

XxXxXxXxXxX

The next morning at 9:00am, they found themselves sitting across their kitchen table from Olivia Kurtzweil, Special Agent Monica Reyes, ASAC John Doggett and Assistant Director Walter Skinner.

Scully was sitting, arms crossed in front of her defensively, at the head of the table. Reyes sat next to her, looking at Kurtzweil with an equal amount of curiosity and distrust. Doggett was too amped up to sit and paced through their kitchen. Skinner sat, quiet and still, looking as menacing as ever at the far end of the table.

Mulder felt a certain odd protectiveness toward Olivia, and couldn’t help but treat her a bit like a patient.

“Olivia,” he said calmly, “why don’t you start at the beginning.”

The tale she spun was as fantastic as anything they’d ever heard in their years on the X-Files. Olivia had been groomed from childhood to work on what she called “The Project.” When Samantha Mulder had been abducted, The Project had used her DNA to create alien-human hybrids. Throughout the years, these hybrids had been used by different factions of The Project to further their agendas in relation to a colonization project that Olivia said once threatened the world. She had fought with others to bring it down and now, The Project’s last ditch effort to resurrect itself lay in the cells of the child Scully was carrying.

“How was my father involved?” Mulder said, his voice like ice.

“Your father did everything he could to protect you and your sister,” Olivia said after a pause. “He was the person I initially approached when I became disenchanted. He and I worked together for years dismantling everything we could.”

Mulder narrowed his eyes at her.

“You were at my father’s funeral a couple years ago,” he said, recognition dawning on him, “I saw you at his wake.”

Olivia nodded.

“He couldn’t save your sister,” she said, “but he saved you. And in the end, he saved me.”

“My sister,” Mulder said, his stomach feeling as though it were in his feet, “is she alive?”

“No,” Olivia said, “I’m so sorry. And that’s the problem. Your sister’s DNA was the only one that was able to create viable hybrids. Her DNA was the key. And the last living hybrid sacrificed herself before a rogue faction could get her. That rogue faction is after Scully and your baby for the DNA markers particular to your family.”

“Then why aren’t they after me?”

“The particular markers they’re looking for are rendered dormant after a baby is born. The genetic material they can use is only found in--”

Scully spoke for the first time, finishing Olivia’s explanation. “Embryonic stem cells from our baby.”

Olivia looked pained and nodded. “It’s their last, best hope for restarting the program,” she said.

“How do they even know about the pregnancy? We haven’t told a soul.”

“A hack on your medical records is my guess. HIPAA means nothing to these people.”

“I’m less concerned with the how and more concerned with the why,” Mulder said. “You say embryonic cells. That means they’re on a clock, right? Once the baby is born...”

“Destroy the umbilical cord. The placenta. Those cells are only found in a few places. Destroy anything they might be able to use. After that… you and your baby will be safe.”

“So no one else in our family is in danger?” Scully asked. Her eyes darted unconsciously to a family picture that was framed on the wall above Olivia. It was a candid photo, taken the year before when they had hired a photographer to take Lily’s senior portraits. In it, Mulder and Scully were holding hands, looking at their two kids who were laughing about something Will had said. They were all smiling and carefree. In the moment, it felt like a world away.

“I know the technology and the biology it draws from,” Olivia said, “I helped design it. Their only hope is getting their hands on the embryonic stem cells from your baby. If you were planning on getting an amniocentesis test -- don’t.”

“Why not?” Skinner asked, “why not just give them what they want?”

“Because they’ll never stop,” Reyes said.

Olivia shook her head sadly. “She’s right. They take and they take, and they don’t care who gets hurt or what is lost.” She looked to Mulder. “Your father and I worked for years to shut it down. Finish it. Hide your wife. Protect your baby. Once it’s born, you should all be out of danger.”

“Tell me about this rogue faction,” Doggett’s voice coming from the corner of the kitchen startled everyone.

“Mercs for hire,” Olivia said, “Only one of them that I know of is familiar with the working pieces of The Project. I don’t know him well. I only ever saw him in the periphery.”

“Do you have a name?” Doggett asked.

“I doubt it’s his real one,” Olivia said.

“We’ll take whatever you can give us,” said Reyes, who shot a look to Doggett.

“I only ever heard him called ‘Krycek,’” she said.

Mulder felt his gut drop.

XxX

“What do you think?” Mulder asked Scully, as they sat together around their empty dining room table. Doggett, Reyes and Skinner had left and it was nearly noon, the sun bright outside their windows. Nevertheless, the room felt cold. Mulder could feel anxiety press on him from all sides as though he were under water.

“I don’t know what to think,” Scully said, a hand resting unconsciously on her stomach, which had just started to push out. “Mulder, for almost fifteen years our lives have been ordinary, calm. After all this time…? It strains credulity.”

“Scully I would agree with you. But… some of the things we saw when we were on the X-Files… We know credible threats. This feels like a credible threat.”

“Do you really believe everything she said? About your sister?” He could see her skeptical reserve crumbling.

Mulder let that question sit in the air for several long moments. “Just tell me if the science checks out,” he finally said.

Scully huffed an almost amused sigh. “I couldn’t even begin to-” she started.

“Scully, you yourself were filling in the blanks of Olivia’s story. If what she says is true, does the science check out?”

Scully gave him a long look. “Yes,” she finally said.

He held her gaze, a feeling of overwhelming affection coming over him. “Scully,” he said quietly, “we have to get you somewhere safe.”

She looked down, added another hand to her abdomen so she was cradling it with both. On the countertop, there was a half drunk bottle of Deer Park and a single yellowing banana. Someone had left their iPhone headphones sitting in a semi-coiled loop, and there were crumbs in front of the toaster, dishes in the sink. They sat in the middle of a half-lived life.

“I won’t leave without you,” she finally said, “without you and the kids. We all do this together. If the threat is really what Kurtzweil says it is, I couldn’t bear the thought of them trying to use you or the kids to get to me.”

Mulder nodded curtly.

“I’ll go to the guys,” he said, “see what they can do for us. Skinner and Doggett and Reyes will do what they can to protect us, but I think given everything we’ve heard, it’s best to avoid… governmental oversight.”

“I’m inclined to agree with you,” Scully said.

“We need to leave soon. We can’t wait.”

Apgar jumped on the table then, looking for affection. Scully, who normally wouldn’t tolerate a cat on any eating surface, reached out and pet the cat absently, her eyes far away.

“Where are we even going to go?” she asked.

[wishingforatypewriter]

Do you have any more headcanons for Kuvira x Opal? I loved how you portrayed their relationship 🥰

Hi! Thank you so much! Most of my Kuvopal (or Opalvira? I’m not sure what the official ship name is) thoughts lately live in the context of this nonbending professional AU thing, so I’m gonna keep going with that. 

Some AU Context: They first meet when Opal, an Environmental Studies and Sociology major at Republic City University, comes home to Zaofu over a break.  Su is governor and Kuvira is her favorite policy intern, who she hires right out of school and later promotes to chief-of-staff when Aiwei quits suddenly to work for the opposition party. They start dating shortly after Opal moves home to start her grad program. 

Headcanons

Opal has stolen so many of Kuvira’s University of Ba Sing Se sweatshirts and fleeces over the years that people often get confused about which one of them actually went there. 

Kuvira wakes up at ungodly hours to go running every morning, and she invariably brings Opal a coffee and a pastry on her way back home. (This means breakfast in bed for Opal almost every day, except when she feels like being a brat and doesn’t let Kuvira get out of bed to go work out). 

Opal has been working on her master’s thesis on sustainable urban planning forever and can’t quite get it finished. Kuvira is constantly picking up journal articles and pages of notes and organizing them into binders and folders because the sight of loose papers stresses her out. 

Kuvira eventually puts Opal on a thesis-writing schedule and uses some soft power to motivate her into working on it (”No, you can have a kiss after you finish the next two pages”). Needless to say that with those tactics in play, that thesis gets written real fast. 

Opal sets work-life boundaries on Kuvira’s behalf because our girl will work 24/7 if no one stops her, and Suyin only encourages it. Opal has been known to answer Kuvira’s work phone when she’s not looking and go, “Mom, I love you, but go away. You know I get her on the weekends.” 

Kuvira has reading glasses that she sometimes wears when she’s working from home, and the first time Opal sees her wearing them, she’s just like...heart eyes personified. 

Opal has been more or less vegetarian for years, but will cook with meat for Kuvira’s sake. Kuvira insists that she doesn’t have to do this, to which Opal invariably responds with something to the effect of, “Shut up and let me love you.” She also packs her lunch every now and then. 

Kuvira typically handles all the money and the bills because Opal is still a trust fund baby (we forgive her) who would forget to pay the rent because she grew up with her family pretty much owning everything in sight.  

[amanda-glassen]

Jerena prompt 13 “You come here often?” “Well, I work here. So I think I’d have to say ‘yes’.”? Pretty Please?

Thanks for the request!!! If you have any other Jerena or baby Cabenson requests, let me know and I'll gladly write it for you.

Staying at the Benson house during spring break and the week before their wedding gave Jamie a glimpse into what it was like for her wife when she was growing up. Her wife’s brother Kyle as the youngest and the only son had little expectations on him other than to carry on the family name. Her younger sister Lexie had always been popular and outgoing. As a blonde hair and blue eyed California girl, their mom considered Lexie the pretty one, and expected that someday she’d get a rich husband and live the life of a Beverly Hills housewife like herself. But Serena－Serena was their gifted child and she was told so since she learned how to read at age two and a half. “Gifted children grow into adults who have constant feelings of inadequacy and self-destructive coping mechanisms,” Serena would tell her. She hated the fact that she was considered a gifted child, but when Jamie saw her wife talking to one of her students the week that they returned to New York, she felt as if that gifted child had grown into a sweet, compassionate, and gifted adult.

When Serena’s student－a boy who appeared to be about 18 or 19－left the room, Jamie took it upon herself to enter her office with a caffeinated treat in hand.

“Hey, beautiful, you come here often?” she asked in an attempt at getting her wife to look up from her laptop.

“Well, I work here, so I’d have to say ‘yes.’” Serena shut her laptop and took off her black-framed glasses. “Plus it says Professor Serena Benson on the door so that’s a dead giveaway.”

“I bring you coffee and you sass me,” Jamie clutched her hand to her heart. “I’m hurt. I really am. This drink is nasty, by the way.”

“Good. That means you won’t drink it.” Serena got up from her desk so she could get the drink from her wife. “I love you and not just because you caffeinate me,” she said before giving Jamie a chaste kiss.

The drink she brought was from a coffee shop on campus typically occupied by professors and stressed out grad students. Serena was a regular there and frequented the coffee shop to the point that the barista asked “Is this for Professor Benson?” as soon as Jamie finished ordering it. It was a medium iced coffee with four shots of espresso, nonfat milk, extra chocolate syrup, and extra hazelnut syrup.

“Damn, Serena, that stuff is like liquid cocaine. How do you drink it and live to tell the tale?”

“I think I’m immune to anything less. Do you want to sit outside?”

The November air was chilly compared to the weather they had just experienced while in California, but Jamie didn’t mind because cold weather meant seeing her wife in cardigans and scarves. Jamie had met some of Serena’s colleagues at the holiday party, but the age difference between Serena and most of her colleagues wasn’t evident until that November day when they were sitting outside on a bench. Unlike her other colleagues who were in business attire, Serena opted for a more casual alternative. She was in a jacquard fit and flare floral dress, an oversized olive green cardigan, and brown ankle boots with her hair in a bun.

“Anyone ever tell you you look like a cross between a hipster and a sexy librarian?”

“Not those who value their lives,” Serena took a sip of her drink. “Thank you for visiting me.”

“Yeah, of course,” Jamie responded. She wasn’t sure if putting her arm around her wife would be a welcomed gesture on campus where her students could potentially see her so she opted to hold her hand instead. “So, what’s the chisme? I heard you were on some people’s shit list.”

“Yeah, that,” Serena smirked. “I decided to add trigger warnings for assigned readings and if there’s something that’s triggering to them then my students have the option of doing an alternative assignment. The old guard thinks I’m some kind of special snowflake, but it’s worth it. My students are all over 18. They’re adults. They know the difference between something that makes them mildly uncomfortable and something that triggers them. When I came back for my senior year, rape scenes were traumatic for me to read. Some of my students are survivors of sexual assault, some are child abuse survivors, some have self-harmed. I don’t know what’s going to be triggering for them, but I don’t want them to be forced to relive trauma because of an assignment.”

Regardless of who was around, Jamie decided to kiss her wife’s temple. “You’re a good woman, Serena.”

“I’m not.”

“You are,” Jamie insisted. “You care so deeply and you’re always looking out for others, like the time we were in line at Target behind a woman whose debit card got declined and you paid for her entire purchase.”

Serena took a sip of her drink. “It was just the decent thing to do. She was all alone with a baby and I remember what it was like to be a new mom and raising a baby on my own. Because of my parents, I never needed money, but I can’t even begin to tell you the countless times other, more experienced moms helped me by giving me advice.”

“How about helping another new mom?” Jamie smiled. “Me, in particular.”

“Kyle just filled me in,” Serena chuckled. “He said Ollie’s fine. She’s playing video games.”

“So she doesn’t have food poisoning?”

“Did you see her throw up or did she just tell you?”

“She just told me.”

“Ahh, that’s where you went wrong,” Serena pointed out. “Unless I see that our daughter has thrown up, she’s not staying home. I’ll ask her to show me and she just says, ‘You’re gross, Mom, and this demeans us both’ and then she gets her little preteen self ready for school. You’re new to this, babe, and until we got married you were her buddy. Now you’re her mom and, as her mom, there’s a few words of advice I have. Don’t let our daughter punk you.”

“Our daughter was not trying to punk me. Olivia is a sweet kid.”

“I know she’s our baby but she’s almost a teenager,” Serena reminded her. “She’s going to spend the next few years trying to punk us, but we have a motto in the Benson family. Punk not lest ye get punked.”

“What is wrong with your family?” Jamie laughed. “What happened to trust?”

“You should know by now that we sacrifice everything for petty revenge,” Serena smirked. “On my way home, I’ll pick up a pizza with extra cheese and extra pepperoni. I’ll get some candy and soda and everything else she can’t resist. If she eats any of it, she’s admitting to lying about being sick to get out of her math test.”

“So you’re going to eat all of our daughter’s favorite foods in front of her while she eats chicken soup and crackers?”

“Pretty much.”

“I take it back, Serena. You are pure evil and it’s an honor to co-parent with you.”

[shewillreadyou]

Retrospect for Life

As always. I hope that you enjoy reading as much as I enjoyed writing.

A/N: Bree meets Emmett’s parents. Then her Dad meets them too. Will this end on a good note? A big Thank You to @secretaryunpaid​ for the preread.

Disclaimers: Most characters are property of Pixelberry

Warnings: Language and adult content.

Catch up: Ride or Die

Word Count: 3019 ish

Pairings: MC (Bree Hill) x OC (Emmett Perry)

Song inspiration: Retrospect for Life-Common

Be Kind: Hit the heart button, leave a comment or reblog. It makes a writer so so happy.​

She stood in the entryway of Emmett’s town-home with her mouth agape hoping that no one noticed the blush of her cheeks. His mother was the definition of youth and beauty. Not to mention his father, Emmett was a perfect mix of the two of them. It was clear where Emmett got his stunning good looks. 

“Mr. Perry, Mrs. Perry, the pleasure is all mine.”

“Mommy, since when do you just pop in on me?”

“Did he just call her Mommy?” she thought to herself.

“Since you’ve taken a serious lady friend that you haven’t introduced to us.”

“Em, where are your manners? Please, do come in,” Bree stepped aside, one arm wrapped around Emmett’s waist to welcome his parents.

“May I offer you something to drink?”

“She’s very well mannered as well, Nathaniel.”

“I can see that darling.”

“Thank you, we’ll have Perrier.”

Bree ducked into the kitchen trying to suppress the smile creeping across her face. 

“What a pretentious beverage. It’s even more telling that Emmett actually has that in stock,” she thought to herself. 

When she returned to the living room, Emmett had an unreadable look on his face. Bree turned on her most charming smile, noticing that Mr. Perry hadn’t taken his eye off of her. 

“So Bree, please sit.”

She sat. Suddenly feeling like she was on display. Emmett moved closer protectively placing his hand on her knee. 

“I was telling my parents that I’d like for them to meet your Dad the next time he is here.”

“That sounds like a great idea, Em. I’m sure he would be thrilled. Maybe we could all have dinner,” Bree said sheepishly.

“Dear, Emmett tells us that you are a BioChem major?” 

“Yes Ma’am, I have always been obsessed with science.”

“That’s quite the workload. I’m surprised you have time to entertain our son. Tell me, what do you plan to do with it?” Mr. Perry asked as he sipped his beverage.

“Yes Sir, It is quite the load, but Emmett is great at making sure I’m focused. I’ve toyed with doing something with forensics and possibly going to medical school.”

“A doctor? With manners and her own hair. Color me impressed. Emmett normally goes for girls who major in Art and share a brain with their roommates.”

Bree shared a giggle with his parents and the mood seemed to lighten considerably.

“This has been delightful. But, we must run. We have to check into our hotel before 3pm. Dinner reservations at Crave at 7. Don’t be late.”   

“Yes Ma’am,” Emmett didn’t hesitate. 

“It was good to meet you Bree, we’ll see you tonight,” Mr. Perry said, still never taking his eye off of her.

“Likewise.”

They headed out the front and Bree watched Mr. Perry as he opened the door to his silver S class Mercedes for his wife.

“I’m sorry. I had no idea that they would just show up like that.”

“It’s ok. I didn’t know that you had taken a serious lady friend. Maybe I should leave. I wouldn’t want her to get the wrong impression,” she said teasingly. Her eyes went wide and her hand demurely covered her mouth.

Emmett smiled, pulling her into his embrace. “I’m sorry. It’s been a minute. I got excited and told my Mom about you.” 

“And what exactly did you tell mommy?”

“Basically, that I have it bad. Now, do you have a nice dress to wear to dinner?”

“I should be able to come up with a little something.”

“Take my car. Pick me up by 6:30p?”

She smirked. “Are these baby mama benefits? I get to drive your Benz? What would Kira think?” she teased.

“You got jokes! You are having my baby. You can have my Benz and if you see Kira, wink at her for me.”

“Bye boy. You are trying to get me killed. See you at 6:30.”

She headed back to her dorm to shower, and wash her hair. She pulled her long wavy tresses back into a sleek ponytail. She only had a couple of options, so she chose her graduation dress. It was a black boat neck dress with a modest split in front. She paired it with black strappy heels, a small black clutch and gold accessories. 

She arrived at his place to pick him up she had packed another bag, warming to the idea of spending more time at his place. When he heard the garage door he opened the door and noticed her pulling the large duffel bag out of the trunk. 

“B, I’ll get it. I don’t want you lifting anything that’s heavy.”

“How do you think it got in here? I’m fine.”

He rushed over to the trunk and as he lifted the bag on to his shoulder he noticed her dress. She looked like a snack. He swallowed hard before licking his lips and biting the bottom lip. She looked over her shoulder at him. 

“You good?”

“Yeah, B.. uh, you.. you look--”

“Is it too much? I was trying to find something nice, that didn’t show too much skin.”

“No, I'm speechless. You look. WOW. I mean you look beautiful. I feel lucky to have you on my arm.”

“Oh Emmett, stop it. You’re gonna give me a big head. But thank you I guess it’s a far cry from the sweats and tees I’m normally in.”

He wrapped his arms around her and nuzzled into her neck. 

“I mean I like the sweats too but, damn girl,” he ran his strong hand up her arm and she shivered.

She placed her glossy lips at his ear and whispered, “dinner, Emmett.”

 Dinner was fairly pleasant, more casual conversation, and getting to know one another. His mom was clearly impressed, but the jury was still out on the patriarch of the Perry family. Before they wrapped up the evening, the date was set for them to meet Mr. Hill. 

The two weeks passed quickly and before she knew it, she was picking her Daddy up from the airport.

“A Mercedes Benz? Where is the GTO?” 

“It’s in Emmett’s garage. He had to work an event this evening, so I just dropped him off on campus before I picked you up.”

“Do you normally drive his car?”

“Yes, he told me i’m his girlfriend.”

“You didn’t know that before? He’s kind of marked his territory.”

“Daddy?!?!” she laughed.

“How have you been? Do I need to start looking for jobs on the east coast?

“I’ve been good. I go to class everyday, I eat mostly at Emmett’s, he cooks healthy food and reminds me everyday to take my prenatal vitamins. I go to bed early, and I need naps frequently, but i’m ok.” 

An awkward silence fell over the car. She waited for him to speak instead he kept his eyes on his phone, texting furiously. 

“Daddy, may I ask you a question?”

 “Yeah, Babygirl. What’s up?”

“Why have you been so calm through all of this? I was expecting you to yell or disown me.”

“Well, I didn’t know if I would tell you this but, how old do you think your Mom would be now if she were still with us?”

“Let’s see, she was born in 82 so, what? 38?”

“Yes, now subtract your age from 38.”

She had always been great with numbers. Shock and realization washed over her face almost immediately. Her big brown eyes fell on her Daddy and before she could speak. 

“How could I be angry with you for doing the exact same thing that your mother and I did at your age?”

“But Mom had been a nurse for as long as I could remember.”

“Yes, you were four years old when she graduated from nursing school. We didn’t have the help that I am offering you. So, if you don’t finish what you came here to do then, I will be angry. You can do anything you put your mind to, no excuses.”

“I will Daddy, promise. But, about that. Emmett wants to keep the baby here in Langston with us. He’s probably right Daddy. Four months at a time is a really long time to be away from my baby.”

“Don’t get upset but, I told your Aunt Rhyan, she suggested a night nanny for me. I’m sure if you two decided to keep the baby here, we can find some help. I think that I can cover a nanny with my FSA account.”

“I’m not upset. Is she still in Boston? You know, Emmett’s family is from Boston. I will be calling her if--”

Her Daddy glared at her.

“I meant, when I go to medical school.”   

“Sounds good, now tell me about Emmett’s parents.”

“Oh, well they seem nice. I met them a few weeks ago. His Dad is a Kappa. He’s the owner of an engineering firm near Boston. I think he expects Emmett to take over one day. His Mom is really pretty. She is a partner at her accounting office. Emmett is really close with her. They talk everyday.”

“Interesting, what else do you know about his family?”

“Detective mode much? He has a brother at NYU and twin sisters.”

“I can’t help it. Where did his parents go for undergrad?”

“They both are Langston grads.”

“Hmm, do you have an address for them?”

“Daddy!” she warned as she pulled in front of his hotel. 

“You’re right I���ll find the address myself,” he said as he leaned over and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

“Behave, and we will pick you up right here at 6pm. I have to get to class.”

After class she picked Emmett up from his event and they went back to his place to get dressed for dinner at Oishii, a very upscale Asian restaurant. 

She chose an ivory one sleeved fitted dress that hit her right at the knee and he wore grey slacks, a crisp white button up and a black blazer. When she was dressed, she stood looking in the floor length mirror in the corner of his room. He watched from across the room before moving behind her and snaking one arm around her waist. His large hand rested on her abdomen as he sniffed her hair.

“What are you doing, creep?”

“You smell like dessert.”

“Really Em?”

“Yeah, and I feel sorry for this kid. Look at how good we look together.”

“You do look pretty tasty tonight,” she said as she walked out of the room.

“Girl, don’t write a check you aren’t prepared to cash,” he said as he followed her out of the room.

After picking up her Dad they headed to the restaurant for the 6:30 reservation.

“Mr. Perry, Mr. and Ms. Hill, your party has arrived and are waiting for you. Right this way.”

They follow a thin asian man to the center of the empty restaurant where the Perry’s were waiting with drinks and appetizers. They stood as Bree approached. Mrs. Perry pulled her in for a hug and kissed her on both cheeks.

“Oh Bree, you look simply ravishing in that dress. Emmett won’t be able to focus dear,” she giggled. 

“Thank you Ma’am, you are too kind.”

 “Mr. and Mrs. Perry, meet my Daddy, Detective Alvin Hill.”

“Detective Hill, it’s good to meet you brother,” Mr. Perry said as he offered his hand.

“Mr. Perry, Mrs. Perry, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

“Please, sit. Your daughter is one impressive young lady, you must be proud.”

“I am. Thank you. Likewise, I have been oddly impressed by your son as well. I’m usually not a fan of the boys my daughter chooses to consort with, but Emmett has been a breath of fresh air. Not to mention if my Babygirl is happy, then so am I.”

“So Dad, Detective Perry here is an UCLA grad. He and his late wife Alicia, were college sweethearts, like you and Mom.”

“And like you and Bree?” his Mom chimed in.

“Yeah Mommy, that would be a good look. Hopefully, she won’t dump me for the next charming guy who moves her into her dorm,” he said as he beamed at Bree and winks.

Just then a server comes with a plate of raw sushi and places it in front of Bree, and a plate of tempura in between Alvin and Emmett. Mr. Perry eyed Emmett suspiciously as he slid the plate of raw sushi in front of him. 

“Son, is there a problem?”

“No, no problem. Bree just doesn’t like raw sushi.”

A wave of nausea threatened to overtake her at the smell of the fish.

“If you will excuse me.” 

Bree stood and headed to the restroom. Emmett excused himself to check on her.

“So Mr. Perry, our children seem to be getting serious.”

“Please, call me Nate. And it would appear so. I believe that my son is quite taken with your lovely daughter. I assume that she is on birth control.”

“Why would you assume that? I would have assumed that you taught your son to use a rubber.”

“You know they are adults, and I would be naive to think that they aren’t being intimate. I’m just trying to protect my son.”

“Nathaniel, you are being quite presumptuous,” Mrs. Perry warned.

“My daughter doesn’t sleep around if that is what you are trying to insinuate.”

“Whoa, Dad tell me you are not sitting here discussing our sex life,” Emmett asked returning from the restroom.

 “Actually, he has quite a bit to say about my daughter.”

“Nathaniel, Emmett’s right. This is hardly an appropriate time to have this conversation,” Ella chimes in.

“Actually Mommy, while we are on the topic. Bree and I have some news.”

“News? What is it baby?”

“Mommy, Pops, we don’t know how else to tell you this, so I’ll just say it, Bree’s pregnant.”

Ella squealed. “I’m gonna be a Glam-ma?”

“Not so fast, Ella. How can you be sure you are the father, son?”

“Here we go. I am the father. I’m sure of it.”

“Like hell you are. I’d like a DNA test.”

“I thought you might say that.”

“Why? Because Bree here doesn’t know how to keep her knees together?”

Emmett reached into his suit coat producing a copy of the DNA results.

“Are you happy now?”

“No, I’m not happy to watch you throw your life away on a piece of tail.”

“Nathaniel Perry, you are OUT OF LINE! Apologize at once.”

“I will not, the girl is beneath us and so is her father.”

“You don’t mean that. He didn’t mean that!”

“You are entitled to your opinions but keep my daughter out of it.”

“Dad, you will not talk about her like that in my presence. This is not her fault. We both made a mistake. But ultimately, I didn’t protect her. In the heat of the moment, I chose not to wear a condom. Dad if you can’t see this for what it is, then I guess this conversation is over.”

“She is smart Emmett, think! She saw you as a meal ticket, and you fell into her trap.”

“Nathaniel, I can’t believe you. You would speak of the mother of your grandchild this way?”

Bree sat speechless as hot tears ran down her face. 

“Man, my daughter doesn’t need your money. We aren’t rich and we don’t all drive a Benz, but we are comfortable.” 

“Come on B. We should go.”

“Yeah Babygirl, let’s go before I catch a case out here in the sticks. Buying out this restaurant was a power move. But he’s playing checkers and I’m playing chess.”

“I’m coming with you. If I have to spend another moment in his presence I don’t know what I will do.”

Bree nodded as Emmett wrapped his arm around her waist and led her out to his car. 

Once inside, there was more awkward silence, as Emmett rubbed Bree’s knee, she struggled to steady her breathing. Her Daddy furiously texted on his phone, while Mrs. Perry searched for the words to comfort her.

“I know you were probably expecting me to be upset. But the truth is, me being upset wouldn’t help or change anything. You two are consenting adults and I’m gonna be a Glam-ma. This won’t be a walk in the park for you two, but your father and I will help as much as we can. You have to prioritize your education now.”

“Yeah Mommy. We appreciate it, but it didn’t seem like Dad got the memo. I can’t believe the things he said.” 

“He will come around. Also, he may have had a little too much to drink.”

“Yeah well, a drunken man’s words speak a sober man’s thoughts. It will be a minute before I can forgive him. He needs to apologize to Bree and her father. He was way out of line.”

“I do apologize for my husband's behavior, Alvin. I promise I don’t know what has gotten into him.”

 “Don’t worry about it Ella.”

“Babygirl, say something. Are you ok?”

“No, Daddy, I’m so sorry,all of this is my fault.” she sobbed.

“That fuckin’ bastard!”

“Emmett language!”

“I’m sorry Mommy, but I don’t care who he is, he doesn’t get to make Bree cry.”

Just then Ella’s phone rings. 

[This is Ella.]

[Ella, it’s me Nate. I’m down here at Langston Police Department. I got pulled over after pulling out of the parking lot of the restaurant. I was arrested and charged with a DUI. You have to come post my bail.]

[Ok, dear. I’ll be there when you are ready to apologize to Alvin, Bree and Emmett.]

[You have got to be kidding me, Ella.]

[Oh, what’s that dear? You’re still being unreasonable? What a shame. I guess I have to go now. I’ll check on you in the morning.]

Alvin’s phone chirped with a text message as they ended the call. 

** 1 Unread Message from Sgt. Massey**

 Done. Have a good night Detective. 

Alvin smiled placing his phone back into the inside pocket of his blazer.

“Checkmate motherfucker.”

Tagging: @pixie88​ @txemrn​ @khoicesbyk​ @lucy-268​ @lovelyladyk88​ @choicesfannatalie​ @kimmiedoo5​ @secretaryunpaid​ @hopelessromanticmonie​ @lem-20​ @maurine07​ @romewritingshop​ @texaskitten30​ @secretwolfdreamertree​ @mom2000aggie​ @bebepac​ @ao719​ @bbrandy2002​ @shanzay44​ @wingedhairstylemusicweasel​ @sfb123​ @queenjilian​ @dcbbw​ @shannonsaid​@romereadingshop​ @hopefulmoonobject​ @missdreamsalot​ @blackkingliamstan​ @burnsoslow​ @zaffrenotes​ @choiceslady​ @tayroleplays​  @cooljustanotherrookiesportskid​ @omgjasminesimone​ @janezillow​ @utterlyinevitable​ @justanotherrookie​  @openheartthot​ @rookie-ramsey​ @aussieez​ @fanjessfic​ @starrystarrytrouble​ @jamespotterthefirst​ @cocomaxley​ @the-pale-goddess @the-soot-sprite @kat-tia801​ @kingliam2019​ @mskaneko​ @blackcatkita​ @bay-lee​ @choicesficwriterscreations​ @bobasheebaby​ @darley1101​​

[quasieli]

top six: fictional characters that give you gender envy, flowers, little things that make you happy and d&d moments :D

Ooh lotsa questions!

Gender Envy:

1) Bow from She-Ra (2018). Something about buff athletic dude who wears crop tops and is soft as hell is very Gender to me.

2) Vax from Critical Role. Pretty boy, kinda goth rogue? That’s sexy as hell and I wish that was me. 

3) In a wildly different idea of gender envy, I’ve been thinking about it lately and @quantum-lesbian’s character in the Frostmaiden game I’m in with them, Ambrose, is Big Gender. Beautiful non-binary drow with a starry and kinda witchy aesthetic that dresses super grandly and ostentatiously no matter the occasion? Yes please.

4) Pete from The Unsleeping City, specifically season two. I adore season one Pete but season two Pete that works in a queer bookshop and has a teapot arcane focus, is artsy and is unapologetically a trans man who doesn’t give a shit about gender roles? Sign me the fuck up.  

5) Beau from Critical Role. Buff GNC lesbian mixed with academia, but like academia from the prospective of a grad student with ADHD trying to learn everything about their special interests? A+, I love her and I’m jealous. 

6) I’m gonna cheat a lil bit for this last one. I know the prompt is fictional characters, but Julia Lepetit and Jacob Andrews in their Hitman streams? Simultaneously both of them were Gender for me. Jacob esp felt like that for me, which is weird cause dresses can make me dysphoric, but I am also slightly envious of the Dude in a Dress type of gender presentation. 

Can you tell that I’m a confused trans masc enby

Gonna put it under the cut from here cause oof, there’s still a lot more.

Flowers:

1) Big slut for Sunflowers, always have been, always will be.

2) Fun fact, my dad’s family used to own a flower shop (in like the 70s, so I never got to see it :(), and one of their big things was hydrangeas. My dad has always loved them and now I love the snowballs too!  

3) A recent favorite, the Baker’s Globe Mallow. It’s a type of flower that only grows from the soils of forests that have been affected by wildfires. It’s a simple little flower but I love the idea of something beautiful rising from the ashes after tragedy. A little dramatic, but I’m queer, ofc I’m dramatic.

4) Roses are another important flower to my family (Rose was a family name for a couple generations), and ya know, they’re a classic. 

5) There’s this beautiful magnolia tree in front of my house that blooms with the most beautiful white and pink flowers every spring, and it’s one of my favorite things to see every year. 

6) There’s so many different types of Lillies and they’re all very pretty, but the Purple Stargazer is prob my favorite.

Little Things That Make Me Happy:

1) My cat, Maddie. She may be a cranky girl at times, but she is also very sweet and will always be my baby (even though she is 12). 

2) Not a little thing really, but my best friend. Just getting a sweet/silly text from her or the two of us chilling in a room, sitting in a comfortable silence because we just like being together, nothing better. 

3) Baking, esp if I’m doing it for others. I’m not much of a sweets person myself, a little treat every once in a while type person, but I love baking. It’s a very relaxing process for me, even when it can sometimes get stressful, but seeing people enjoying something I made, especially something that brought me great joy to make, is simply the best. 

4) In the same sorta vein, crafting and other art, but that’s a bit more personal. I love making things for others, but art, particularly drawing, is something I do more for me. It’s such a great feeling when you can get into a really good art mood and just sink yourself into a project. I love it.

5) My plush toys. Yes, I am a 23 year old, no I will not stop loving my plushies. I just got a few new friends, which I made a post about recently, and they such good cuddle buddies. However, there is one king amongst them all. I have this old, beat up christmas puppy beanie baby, on his tag named Jingle Pup, but I just call him Jingle. I had one version of him since I was like 6, but he currently lives on a shelf cause he is very beaten up and fragile, but his “brother”, who I got when I was 8, is still in kinda good shape and is currently chilling on my chest as I type this lol.

6) Again, not a little thing, but it’s important to mention; D&D. The game itself is such a joy, but truly the best part of it is the people. I love creating stories and memories with people through this weird little game. Truly one of my favorite things to do.

D&D Moments:

These are all gonna be personal moments, rather than anything from actual play shows/podcasts. RC is Reforged Campaign, where I play Saube, and FM is Frostmaiden, where I play Sparks.

1) RC - Meeting Mahety, Saube’s girlfriend. We met her way back in session 12 and we are now up to like session 73. Saube saw her and was immediately big heart eyes at her but also felt a bit awkward and shy. So, being a game a dice, I decided to roll. 10 or higher, Saube would talk to her, 9 or lower, she’d stay put. I rolled a 17, 17 is now a lucky number for me. I love Mahety and I’d die for her. 

2) FM - This was an insane fight that should not have been so crazy, but in a fairly early session, my group went up against an angry druid and her awakened animals. So much batshit stuff happened in that fight, and we unfortunately lost our bread loving bard (RIP Agneyis), but one of my favorite combat turns happened in this fight. Our artificer, Omaren, has a robe of useful items and one of the patches on it creates a large pit. Thinking quickly, Omaren tore off the patch, slid it under one of the dire wolves we were fighting and created a looney tunes style pit under it, allowing us to take it out easily via pot shots. Such a clutch move and such a funny visual, especially because the dire wolf kept failing the checks to get out of the pit.  

3) RC - Saube’s Zebrith (I will never remember how this actually spelled RIP). So, for context, Saube ended up with a death curse (long story) that mechanically meant they had disadvantage on any death saving throws. Scary as hell, need to get that fixed! So, Saube and their party had to be smuggled into another country to talk with some religious leaders of a goddess known as The First, the goddess of death. They were told that Saube would have to go through the aforementioned ritual, which included her soul leaving her body for a short period of time. During this ritual, her friends had to call back to her, to say things that would bring her back to her body and I still cry thinking about that game. That ritual was not only important for Saube bodily, but spiritually as well. After that ritual, Saube officially became a cleric of The First! 

4) A real sappy one, RC - Saube meeting all of her friends. Anyone who follows along with the rantings on my blog probably knows how important this game is to me. I met this random group of strangers on tumblr and formed a D&D party with them and now, a year and a half later, I honestly think it’s one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. I know that sounds silly and dramatic but not only has this game brought me so much joy and comfort, but I also gained a group of really amazing friends who have been nothing but amazing since day one. As much as Saube knows she can depend on SICL, I know I can depend on my group of weirdos lol. We both love our friends very much and even though we’ve all been through some crazy shit, we wouldn’t change it for the world.    

5) RC - Just playing Saube in general. I really didn’t intend for it to be this way, but Saube is very much a reflection of myself. She is the first long term character I have ever played and so much of me is in her. I try not to treat D&D like therapy, because that’s unfair to my DM and fellow party members, but playing Saube has allowed me to work through some of my own problems, especially social anxiety, in a lot safer of an environment. It isn’t so much that I’m asking this game to help me fix my life, but playing out these scenarios that, in the real world, would make me anxious or make me freak out, I can stop, take a moment to breathe and work out these issues in a way that makes sense to me. Playing her has led me to understanding myself a bit better, as well, and that’s truly such a wonderfully unexpected gift from this whole experience. 

6) Lastly, a silly one: RC - Getting a crit 6. The last session of this game got real interesting. Saube’s party ended up in the ethereal plane and magic got real fucky there. So, any time any of us tried to cast a spell, we’d roll a d20, not look at the result, and then try to guess what number rolled. The closer to the number, the better the result. A few times, a few people managed to get within like 3 or 4 of their roll, but oh the power I felt when I rolled a 6 (on Saube’s die!) and guessed it correctly! So, not only did the spell (Bless) work, but it worked super well. So instead of getting +1d4 to attack rolls and saving throws, Saube and two other party members got +2d4 to attacks, saving throws and skill checks. So powerful I broke the rules of D&D lmao. 

[luvdsc]

hello, i have arrived in the land of luvdsc issuing a request to please enlighten the rest of your readers, as i was perusing the musical motion pictures of nct dreamies, and thought to myself, i would like jisung as a baby brother, chenle as my cousin, and donghyuck a family friend. then i paused. and pondered, what does CAT think ??? miss cat ???? any comments ????

apologies as i forgot to elaborate, i meant to inquire, within nct, how would you assign them as if they were to exist in your actual life? many thanks. warm regards.

✿ ✿ ✿

MXJDKDKMD omg ti, your texting style here is throwing me off LOL also not at how I read hyuck as your family member and was like ??? sweet home alabama for you I guess 💀💀 hmmm tbh I feel like some of nct would be strangers to me or like, I wouldn’t bother with wanting to meet them rip but alrighty, pls let me know if you want me to elaborate on any of them :’) these are all actual people I met in my life !!

taeil — random grad student I met in a lecture I went to for extra credit

johnny — my friend who was a frat president candidate but forfeited his position because he kept advocating for mark to join his frat, even tho all his frat bros didn’t want mark to join and they put mark through hell with hazing but mark still made it

taeyong — the super pretty boy in my drawing class whom I sat next to and he was really shy at first but then started to talk more and initiated conversations and laughed at all my jokes

yuta — hot frat dude who pops up at every party I go to and we take shots together every time. 10/10 would trust him to watch my drink

kun — TA for one of my coding classes and I went to his office hours once for help but he had no idea what to do so I never went back again

doyoung — that one obnoxious infuriating know it all who’s somehow always in my classes and one time, his question was so long that the prof was like “sorry I just couldn’t muster up enough concentration to listen to all of that” and moved on (this is a true story and I love that prof)

ten — the guy who knows where to get all the good stuff but doesn’t actually use it himself. he’s also super fun to party with

jaehyun — the dude all the girls think is hot but when you actually hooked up with him, the sex was mediocre but at least his face was nice to look at

winwin — my good friend who models and walks the runways for NYFW and was one of the people I body painted and took pics of for my final project

jungwoo — one of my good friends/suitemates whom I found eating cereal and vegetarian enchiladas sitting on the couch armrest in our living room in the dark one time

lucas — the nice fratboy who’s always down to go out and get in n out at midnight or go to 7/11 with me at 3 am for some nachos and taquitos

mark — that one freshman who tries really hard to rush a frat (see johnny’s description for more detail)

hendery — my roommate who’s one of my closest friends and knows all the good parties and the most fun person to go clubbing with. he and ten are best friends

xiaojun — the guy from the robotics club who said hi to me and I was like ??? and he was like “you don’t remember me, do you?” yikes rip sorry dude

renjun — one of my bestest friends whom I enjoy clowning all the time because his reactions are funny plus our humor matches well all the time. we have weekly ramen and boba tea sessions where we just shit talk the people in our lives. we also binge watch every single season of bones and criminal minds together on netflix and go through tinder to make fun of profiles together with haechan

jeno — that one attractive sophomore on the school’s baseball team in my 3D design class during my junior year and he was fun to flirt with but ultimately, I refuse to go out with an underclassman or someone younger than me ndjdjdjd

haechan — my other bestest friend whom I shit talk with and we clown our other best friend all the time aka renjun. we lay out our blankets on the campus lawns and sunbathe and eat our poke bowls. he’s my go to buddy to try new restaurants with. we end up interning at the same place and accepting our job offers and we go shopping and get dinner together after work every friday

jaemin — that one engineering major who’s super charismatic and involved in everything at school, like he does campus tours for incoming freshman and all that jazz and the freshman girls are always starry eyed around him, and he’s really sweet, and we’re not close but we always say hi and talk whenever we see each other

yangyang — the freshman who thinks he’s such a hotshot but drinks way too much at his first party and ends up throwing up in a bush as the girl he was attempting to flirt with awkwardly pats his back and has to call an uber for him

shotaro — the one person in group projects who genuinely tries his hardest to contribute but all his contributions are lowkey useless but I don’t have the heart to tell him that

sungchan — my friend on the lacrosse team and one time, I saw him skateboard straight into the glass door with a loud bang and fall over and then quickly get up and pretend that didn’t happen but jokes on him, I saw and laughed my ass off and we made eye contact and he almost died from embarrassment

chenle — the one guy who’s super loud at every single sports games and is super enthusiastic and into team spirit and the referee has to ask him to calm down at one point

jisung — the baby freshman I adopt and I will fight anyone who hurts him. I always buy him food, and he likes to tell me about his day and what he did everyday and discusses his classes with me. He made me a friendship bracelet which wasn’t the best but he tried :’)

[blowingwinds]

Not to be dramatic or anything, but I would die for your Bridgerton AU fanfic, I love it sooooooo much!!! I have one question though, do you plan to include more of the other Bridgerton siblings? I mean, we already got a glimpse of Anthony and a hint at Eloise, do you have ideas/headcanons about the rest of them?

keepitcoolkeepitcoolkeepitcool

I’m pretty sure this is the first anon ask I’ve ever got about my writing, so hey nonnie! It’s so flattering to hear you like my fic that much!

In terms of the fic, Anthony will probably be the one who gets mentioned the most but *spoilers* I have a ~dinner scene in mind for the next chapter where other Bridgertons pop up. As for the headcanons...

RIGHT. They’re all a bit of chaotic messes in my head. For different reasons. Also - fair warning, this is all quite tongue-in-cheek.

Anthony’s graduated a year ago and moved to Clapham cause he wanted his space (I mean boy lives in a houseshare with 3 other people plus Benedict) and that’s where all the Oxbridge grads move. He’s got a cushy consultancy job but he still goes back to Cambridge ALL. THE. TIME for ~reasons.

Benedict studied sculpture at St Martins College architecture before intermitting (he still hasn’t told Violet but it’s not really a secret). He’s either crashing in Anthony’s flatshare or somewhere in Hackney warehouses. He’s gonna go back to uni, he just needs figure some things out.

Colin is def one of the gap yah types. He went backpacking through South East Asia after his A-levels to find himself and now brings it up a lot. Like a lot a lot. During their house parties, Anthony and Benedict have a drinking game going where they have to down their drink whenever Colin’s when I was on my gap yah comes up. They’re off their tits within an hour.

Eloise had an offer for Oxford but turned it down to make a statement and just started at Bristol to do Philosophy and French instead. She sends Guardian opinion pieces with comments IN ALL CAPS to the family group chat, goes on Extinction Rebellion marches and has 🌹in her twitter bio. Daphne's got a video of her chanting oh Jeremy Corbyn somewhere on her phone.

Francesca’s in 6th form and she doesn’t really know what she wants to do next. She’s got a grade 8 in piano, so she could technically apply to Royal Academy of Music (that was the plan). But lately, she’s just confused and questioning everything. All the studies Eloise shares about how disadvantaged women are in the workforce really don’t help.

Gregory and Hyacinth are babies. Not literal babies but everyone treats them as such. They were too little to get involved when older Bridgertons were getting into scruffles so now everyone just babies them. Especially since most of their older siblings don’t live at home most of the time. Gregory loves it cause he gets tons of sweets when they visit. Hyacinth - not so much cause she’s 12 and not a little girl anymore, thank you very much, and her sisters keep having these weird chats and she just wants to be involved.

This got a bit out of hand, sorry nonnie!

[imaginingsoftly]

Baseball Trivia Pt. 2 - Josh Anderson

Type: Y/N insert shorts, strangers to enemies-ish to lovers, series

Requested: No

Warnings: standard swearing

There was no fucking way. Y/N stared at Thatcher as he talked, but the words he was saying weren’t computing. No fucking way was Josh Anderson on his way to Vancouver. It was like fate had heard her think that they would never meet again and laughed as she sent Josh in Y/N’s direction. “Earth to Y/N, where the fuck did you just go?” She snapped back to the present, shaking her head and smiling at the mountain of a man in front of her instead of responding. Thatcher gave her another weird look before continuing. “We’re gonna have the end-of-summer barbeque at my place after the last day of training camp, and I expect you to be there. Someone’s gotta help me man the grill.” 

It was tradition. End-of-summer barbeques had become a thing beginning their sophomore year at BC, after the pair had become close during their freshman year. Almost eight years later it was still a yearly tradition, though now the barbeque was extended to the entirety of the training-camp team rather than just a few friends. “Took you long enough to pick a date,” Y/N retorted, slapping the bill of Thatcher’s baseball hat. “ I thought I was gonna have to have a barbeque all by myself.” Thatcher slapped the bill of her hat in response, and it turned into an all-out war. As an only child, Thatcher had become the closest thing she had to a brother, shenanigans included. It was refreshing to have someone to mess with who wouldn’t get upset when she roughhoused a little. 

Even while trying not to let Thatcher and his professional athlete muscles overpower her much smaller frame Y/N found her mind wandering back to Josh. There was really no reason for her to be freaking out as much as she was. It was one hook up. There were no strings implied, no numbers exchanged, it’s not like she ghosted the guy, not really. Thatcher had never really expressed any distaste towards her dating other NHLers, but it was different when it came to his teammates. They were like his brothers, and were therefore her brothers by extension. In other words, off limits. 

She really just needed to relax. He wasn’t even on the team when they got together. Everything would be fine. Josh was part of the family now, and she would follow his lead. If he wanted people to know they hooked up then fine, but if he wanted to act like a stranger that was even better. Thatcher was a little bit too protective of Y/N at times, and she religiously avoided getting into it with his teammates just to make sure she didn’t mess with team chemistry. Honestly, there was a chance Josh wouldn’t even remember her. It’s not like the guy had a glowing reputation anyway, and they had been drinking. It would be fine. Maybe if Y/N repeated it to herself often enough, she would start to believe it. 

Y/N sighed heavily, giving in as Thatcher managed to wrestle her into a headlock. “Seriously, Y/N, are you okay?” Thatcher released his arm and turned her so they were facing each other. Crap. Here comes the interrogation. “You’ve been on another planet since we started talking. What gives?” She shrugged. There was no way she was going there right now. 

“I guess I’m just tired, bro,” she said with a shrug, “conference play just started. I’ve got a lot on my plate.” Thatcher reached up to squeeze her shoulders, and Y/N struggled not to cringe at how easily he ate up her lie. It sucked to lie to him, but there was no way she was going to tell him about Josh, not without talking to Josh first. Her response seemed to placate Thatcher, and he gave up on that line of questioning after making Y/N promise to take care of herself. 

Keeping things from Thatcher was tough; he was there for her after her boyfriend of three years broke up with her halfway through their junior year of college, he drove her down to UConn the summer after graduation so she could begin her first internship as a college grad, and he’d been the one to welcome her to Vancouver with open arms after the completion of said internship. He was there for every important part of her adult life, and now the one thing she hadn’t told him was going to bite her in the ass. The universe was out to get her. 

Training camp would begin tomorrow, and in a couple of weeks Y/N would have to face Josh in the same backyard she was sitting in at the moment. There went any sleep she had planned to get before basketball was added to her workload. 

---Josh POV--------------------------------------------------

“So there’s no one in your life? No girl at all? Not even a hookup?” The questions were getting annoying, to say the least. It wasn’t the guys’ fault; they just wanted to get to know him. The problem was that he shouldn’t be doing this. He was supposed to stay in Columbus, live his life there until he retired and then move back to Canada. 

Josh shook his head. “No hookup. Although there was this one girl,” he said with a small smile, “she was something else. We talked for hours at the bar, and she knew so much about baseball and hockey history. We hooked up, and then she was gone when I woke up the next morning. No note, no number, nothing. And she was from out of town, so I couldn’t even try running into her at the same bar again.” All of the guys groaned sympathetically, and they finally let that line of questioning go. Truthfully, he hadn’t thought about that girl in months. She had been fun to talk to, and tough enough to dish back everything Boone and Seth had thrown at her, but it wasn’t like he wanted to fucking marry the girl or anything. Mostly, it was the fact that she had left that stuck with him. He was always the one leaving. The girls usually tried to hang around, maybe try to get more than one night. It was an asshole thing to think, he knew that, but damn it sucked to be on the other end of it. He didn’t even know where she lived. In all of their time talking he only learned she worked at a university. He didn’t even know if it was in the States or Canada. 

A tape ball connected with the side of his head, and Josh shot a glare at Bo from across the locker room. A middle finger almost followed, until he noticed video cameras catching the exchange. Josh waved at the intern behind the camera sheepishly. They would have had to cut that for their welcome back video if he hadn’t caught himself. Another tape ball came flying at his head, courtesy of Stecher, and Josh whipped that one back at his teammate with a grin. The guys were alright, even if some of them could be pretty childish. Even Hughes acted older than some of the guys, and he was the team baby. A body slumped down into the stall next to Josh’s, and he looked over to find Thatcher watching him. “‘Sup, Dems?” 

Thatcher smiled up at Josh, a shock considering the choice words he’d thrown in Josh’s direction after a particularly nasty dangle he’d put past the goalie at the end of practice. “Barbeque at my place this afternoon.” Shit. He’d planned on exploring the city, maybe finding a hookup tonight. “Non-negotiable, everyone comes,” Thatcher interrupted, almost like he knew Josh was about to refuse. “It’s a tradition. One of my college friends and I get together and man the grill. We’ve been doing it for almost eight years now. Bring yourself and your booze of choice if it isn’t beer or wine.” Josh nodded. Your goalie says you come to some end-of-summer party, you go to the party. Don’t mess with a goalie’s traditions or superstitions. Thatcher stood, punching Josh’s shoulder. “Everybody starts showing up around 4. See you then.” 

Thatcher made his way around the locker room repeating the same announcement, and it was met with shouts of excitement and reminiscing on barbecues of year’s past. Clearly it was a hit. Brock and Petey somehow roped Josh into riding to the party with them, promising that Josh would be happy he’d taken an Uber with them instead of driving himself. “The drinking is legendary,” Brock had promised, a solemn nod of agreement coming from both Petey and Stecher, who flanked Brock. Legendary parties were his thing. This would be even ground, and he could keep up. Bring on the drinking.

--Y/N POV----------------------------------------------------

Y/N woke up the day of the barbeque feeling sick as the Dropkick Murphys blasted on her alarm. It didn’t matter how many times she told herself it would be fine, running into the guy she had ghosted was going to suck. Hopefully he was as interested in revealing their hookup as she was, and it would never get mentioned again. 

She groaned as her alarm continued to scream the lyrics to Rose Tattoo, reaching up to swipe the alarm off her phone. Thatcher was expecting her at his place before he left for camp in an hour with a list of groceries for him to pick up on the way home. The desserts Y/N had prepared the night before were sitting on the counter when she stumbled into the kitchen for coffee, mocking her with their chocolatey stare. It was going to be one of those days. She caved, shoving one of the cupcakes into her mouth with a groan. If she didn’t get a handle on herself before she made it to Thatcher’s he was going to get suspicious. The last time she acted this strangely some poor kid from the Comets almost got punched for flirting with her. The guys had good intentions, but sometimes they took the caveman shit too far. 

With her coffee brewed and cupcake eaten, Y/N shuffled into the bathroom to get ready for the day. She washed her face and brushed her teeth on autopilot, debating if mascara were really necessary. The guys had seen her at her worst, and she didn’t really care what they thought about the sprinkling of acne on her jawline that just wouldn’t go away. It’s not like she was interested in any of those idiots. Well, any of the idiots that had been with the team before a couple of weeks ago, anyway.

A hat would be necessary, even if she was just going to be in Thatcher’s house until it was time to grill. Her nose would burn something awful if she didn’t wear something with a bit of protection, and the soccer games she was working that week would just add to the burn. Hat protection for sure. She slapped on an old BC Hockey hat, one she’d stolen from Thatcher, and looked into her closet with a sigh. The decision on what to wear took far too long. The guys loved to throw her in the pool, especially Brock when he got drunk, so her bathing suit needed to be reliable. The problem was that they also loved to take photos for their social media pages, and her most reliable swimsuits were also the least flattering. The black and white striped bikini was the most durable, but Y/N really wanted to wear the strappy midnight blue one-piece she’d gotten on a whim during a day trip to Seattle. Durability won out in the end, and the bikini was stuffed into her bag beside the pajamas that would inevitably find use when she didn’t want to go all the way home at the end of the night. 

Y/N’s drive to Thatcher’s was relaxing. She lived in the middle of the city, fond of the ability to walk down the street to the grocery store or the bars, but Thatcher’s place was right outside the city, on a quiet sidestreet that better resembled a neighborhood in her hometown. She stopped at their favorite coffee shop on her way out of the city, picking up another coffee for her and a breakfast sandwich for Thatcher. It didn’t matter how many times the nutritionist told him to knock it off, Y/N knew he relied on those sandwiches to get him through morning skates. In no way was Thatcher a happy camper in the morning. His attitude rivaled even hers. Thatcher was waiting outside when she arrived, sitting on his front stoop like she had missed curfew or something. 

“You’re late,” Thatcher called as she opened her door, “and you’re gonna make me late for camp if you don’t hurry it the fuck up.” Y/N raised her middle finger in response, leaning back into the car for the desserts. Thatcher appeared behind her to help carry things, and Y/N had to slap his hand away from the trays when he tried to reach for a cookie. If he ate one now, he’d eat them all by the time the actual party started. She’d learned that lesson the hard way. Y/N placed the breakfast sandwich on top of the tray of cookies Thatcher was carrying, and he leaned down quickly to kiss her cheek. “You’re the bomb, bro, my saviour.” Y/N rolled her eyes. He was so dramatic about his breakfast sandwiches. 

Y/N finally managed to get Thatcher out the door and off to camp with a promise to get the backyard ready for that night, so long as he grabbed the necessary groceries on the way home. It was their agreement since they’d both settled in Vancouver; she brought dessert and got the house ready for guests, Thatcher bought all the food and alcohol. Everything was ready for the night, really, with the exception of the grill. It looked like it hadn’t been cleaned since she cleaned it last summer, so Y/N grabbed all of her cleaning supplies with a sigh. She needed a clean grill if they were going to make burgers tonight. That was non-negotiable. 

---Josh POV--------------------------------------------------

Brock and Stecher were far too loud when they were tipsy. Petey was fine, if anything even more quiet than normal, but the other two were borderline obnoxious. The pregame had begun the moment everyone rolled up to Brock’s place, and Josh had to admit he hadn’t expected it. Pregaming a team party was a little weird, but hey, he was with a bunch of fellow hockey players. They didn’t always do things that made sense. Herding them into the Uber waiting on the street outside Petey’s apartment was no easy feat, and Josh felt himself sweating a little bit as the responsible one of the party. This never happened. He was always the one being herded.

The ride was long, as apparently Thatcher lived outside the city, and Brock kept Josh entertained with stories of barbecues past. “I think the worst, though, was that time Jake almost drowned.” Stecher started laughing, and Josh stared at him uncomfortably. A teammate almost drowning was funny? Brock must have caught his expression, because he hurriedly continued. “He wasn’t actually drowning, he was just so drunk that he sat in the shallow end and yelled for help. It came up to like his chest.” Stecher roared with laughter again, and Josh joined in a little bit. That must’ve been a sight.

Thatcher’s house was far too nice for a bachelor, a moderately large home that was built for a small family and not a single hockey player who basically lived on the road. It was homey-looking, covered in gray wooden shingles and boasting a wrap-around porch Josh envied. It was perfect for sitting with a small group of friends. He could only imagine the inside, if the outside was any indication. The landscaping and yard decorations gave away that Thatcher hadn’t decorated the place himself. The inside probably looked like a design catalogue vomited on it.

Cars lined the long driveway and the street in front of it, all Range Rovers and fancy sports cars guys who didn’t know how to spend their money splurged for. Josh caught himself as the wave of negative thoughts continually rolled over him. These were his teammates, not the enemy. Those thoughts weren’t helpful. 

Josh was pulled out of his line of thinking by the stopping of the Uber, and he was the only one to thank the older guy driving as they all piled out of the car. Petey led the way into the house, though Stecher made his presence known with a shouted hello as he brought them through a hallway that indeed looked like a design catalogue and into a bright and airy kitchen. The cabinets were white, as were the countertops, though most of the walls were covered in some kind of dark teal tile. 

Thatcher was slumped on a countertop, flicking the bill of the baseball cap on the girl in front of him. He laughed when she raised a middle finger at him, flicking the hat again. The girl mumbled something under her breath that sounded suspiciously like a threat, in a voice that sounded vaguely familiar. She reached up and smacked Thatcher’s hand when he went to flick her hat again, and Thatcher laughed harder as he swept three beers off the counter and walked back outside through the accordion doors to his left. The girl shook her head after him, though the moment was broken when Brock stumbled into the room behind Josh. 

“Y/N!” Brock yelled enthusiastically. He threw his arms around the girl from behind, and the laugh she let out made Josh freeze. It couldn’t be. “Babe,” Brock continued, “you’ve gotta meet our new teammate. He’s your kind of player. Likes to hit things.” Brock began to turn the girl around by the arm still slung over her shoulders, and Josh almost shouted at him to stop. He knew that laugh, and the girl attached couldn’t be here. Their eyes met, and Josh saw the panic he felt reflected in her eyes.

He was so fucked. 

[heauxplesslydevoted]

Heart to Heart

Missing scene from the latest chapter of The Nanny Affair. My MC comforts Sofia after being publicly embarrassed by her father. I hated that scene, and I hate that Sofia is such a one dimensional character. 

Background MC (Luna Stafford) x Sam Dalton, but only if you tilt your head and squint.

Tags: @choices-lurker @paulfwesley @zodiacsign1 @thatysn @ermidc @badchoicesposts @senseofduties @canknot @drakewalker04

~v~

Luna can’t enjoy the fact that she’s drinking her salary in fancy champagne, enjoying a rooftop dinner with some of the richest people in the tri-state area. Any other day, this would be a dream come true, but in reality, she’s stuck in a nightmare.

For the past two hours, they’ve been forced to listen to Paolo make snide remarks on everything under the sun from her nannying skills to Sofia’s business acumen. Luna is not a fan of Paolo Russo. He seems like a miserable, stuffy old man whose only joy in life comes from whining and looking down on other people.

She casts a quick glance at Sam. The always poised and out together man looks as bored as she feels. His elbows are on the table, a finger lazily tracing the rim of his champagne flute. Gone are the manners and the fine dining etiquette that’s been drilled into him since infancy.

He looks up, sneaking a glance at her. An easy grin adorns his features as they lock eyes, and she quickly looks away, heat blooming on the apples of her cheeks. It’s rare that Sam is so unapologetic in his flirting with her, especially in the presence of his kids. 

The sound of a knife hitting the stem of a champagne flute is all it takes to pull Luna out of her thoughts. Paolo is standing at the head of the table, waiting on everyone to watch him with rapt attention.

He clears his throat obnoxiously, “Ahem. Thank you all for coming to congratulate my beautiful daughter and her future husband on their upcoming nuptials.”

Out of the corner of her eye, Luna sees Sofia sit up a bit straighter, eagerly awaiting the praise she’s sure her father is going to heap onto her.

“Sofia has been run ragged at Russo Industries for far too long,” Paolo continues. “Now she can finally fulfill her purpose to become a wife and mother. After all, a woman in a position of power in the business world is like an unstable explosive, especially around that time of the month.” The older man turns toward Sam, hoping to get a co-sign on his speech. “Right, Sam?”

Luna clenches her fist tightly underneath the table. She can’t believe the unmitigated fall that his man has. “Did he really just say that?”

Sam turns to her with a mournful expression. “Unfortunately.”

Luna isn’t the only one at the table embarrassed by Paolo’s speech. Sam’s mother Vivian leans over to her husband, whispering harshly. “Mason honey, I thought you talked to him about this.”

“I tried, but you know how it goes with Paolo.”

Luna balks at the scene unfolding in front of her. So they all just let Paolo get away with talking like this? It’s just talk, that they all chalk up to Paolo just being Paolo?

Paolo, the arrogant man, is far too caught up in his own spiel to notice that they’re all openly horrified. He just keeps going. “...A family disarms the bomb! That’s why it’s called a biological clock.”

Luna wants to scream. She wants to hit something. She wants to do anything else but listen to this man continue on with his horribly misinformed and misogynistic speech.

“Finally we’re getting to the good stuff.”

“I predict a Sofia meltdown in three...two…”

The countdown doesn’t have to finish as Sofia all but slams her champagne flute down on the table. The noise startles Luna and she flinches slightly.

“I’ve heard this speech before. I don’t need to hear it again.”

Sofia scrambles, attempting to gather her belongings. Luna notices that her hands are slightly trembling and her eyes are glossy, tears threatening to spill.

Before she can stop herself, she’s opening her mouth, “Actually Paolo, men and women have the same brains. Neurologists have been searching for differences for years, but nothing ever turns up. And this society makes girls lesser than men, which is a gross assumption that’s pushed by men like you.”

The admonishment causes a faint blush to appear at Paolo’s neck. “And what does that have to do with my daughter’s role at Russo Industries?”

Luna shrugs. “Even I can tell she would make a great CEO. In fact, I bet you’ve already seen gains under her management.”

“My daughter’s abilities aren’t in question. It’s a matter of right and wrong. Women belong at home. It’s why you became a nanny, right?”

“Paolo, you are way out of line,” Sam says, his voice taking on an uncharacteristically gruff tone. “I won’t have you speaking to Luna like that.”

Out of the corner of her eye, Luna sees Sofia rush off, heading back into the country club, not sticking around for any more of the conversation.

“It’s fine, Sam,” Luna says. The last thing she wants to do is cause a confrontation. It’d raise too many questions. Why is Sam so quick to defend the nanny and not his own fiancée? “This conversation is done anyway.”

Pushing her seat back, Luna throws her napkin on the table and gets up, leaving behind an awkwardly silent dinner party.

Sofia is a very fast walker, but Luna manages to keep a decent pace behind her, her platinum blonde hair making her an easy target to follow. The older woman heads to the restroom, angrily pushing open the door. Luna weaves through patrons of the club and various waiters carrying trays until she reaches the bathroom as well.

Luna is instantly swept up in just how fancy this restroom is. The lighting is dim, it smells like eucalyptus and mint, there’s soft music playing, and she’s pretty sure the faucets are made of real gold.

It isn’t until she hears a sniffle coming from one of the stalls that she is reminded of the reason she entered the restroom in the first place. Taking a peek under the stall, she sees Sofia’s signature Louboutin heels.

“Sofia, I know you’re in there.”

“Go away,” Sofia orders. Her tone doesn’t have its usual bite or chill. Luna frowns at how small she sounds. “I don’t need you here to coddle me.”

“I can’t do that. My conscience won’t let me leave a sad woman crying in the restroom alone.”

“I’m not crying!”

“Sure you’re not. But my point remains, I’m not leaving until you talk to me.”

A minute ticks by and Luna is met with silence. Sofia is just as stubborn as she anticipated, maybe even more so.

She leans against the marble countertop, careful to not lean against any wet spots. “If anyone knows how you feel, it would be me.”

More silence.

“I’m a black woman in STEM,” Luna continues, not waiting for a response. “I don’t know what it’s like in the business world, but if I got a dime for every time a man, and sometimes other women, told me to not pursue chemistry, I’d probably be able to afford your shoes.”

“Really?”

Luna smiles to herself. Sofia actually responded to her! She’s making progress! “Really. I was told to focus on nursing or a social science, like sociology or anthropology by multiple teachers, classmates and counselors. Not saying there’s anything wrong with those fields, I think they’re great, but that wasn’t the path for me. I’ve always loved chemistry. I’ve had the periodic table memorized since I was in 3rd grade. Thankfully I have parents that support my passion, because everyone isn’t so lucky.”

Sofia scoffs. “Got that right. I got my BA from Yale, I graduated summa cum laude and I went to Wharton for grad school, but let my dad tell it, I simply wasted 6 years and half a million dollars in tuition costs. Those degrees mean nothing to him because he’s the stereotypical, conservative and traditional Italian man. I’m not the correct sex or gender for him. In a perfect world, I’d be the perfect song but instead, I’m his fussy daughter. I’m not supposed to do anything other than get pregnant and cook, and how dare I want anything else out of life.”

“I say this with the utmost respect, but your father is a sexist jerk,” Luna deadpans. “You can yell at me for saying it, but I don’t regret it. And I’m shocked Russo Industries is still standing because I can only imagine the HR complaints and harassment lawsuits against your father over the years.”

“There’s no need to apologize because it’s the truth. My father doesn’t respect me. He doesn’t respect women at all. My mother was never allowed to have an opinion, and mine isn’t all that valued either.”

“I thought taking the initiative and getting engaged to Sam would make him respect me,” Sofia adds. “I wanted to do this in order to prove to him that I’m worthy. I thought he’d see that I’m a go-getter, and I’m ambitious, and I want the Russo family to thrive, but he doesn’t care about the business aspect of the merger like I do. He’s just glad I found a rich husband.”

Another bout of silence falls between the two women, but this time it’s not as awkward as before. it’s almost peaceful. Luna still hears the occasional sniffle, but she doesn’t call any attention to it. Crying is too vulnerable for Sofia to be open about.

“Besides, I don’t know if things will even pan out the way I want them to,” Sofia says. “The boys aren’t that fond of me, and Sam is just so...cold. I’m trying to make this a decent transition, and I’m trying to find out where I fit in that family dynamic, but it’s not working. He didn’t want me around for his birthday, he doesn’t respect my opinion on how to raise Mickey and Mason. More times than not, it feels like he’s counting down the minutes until he has to be in my presence anymore.” The stall door opens up and Sofia steps out. Her eyes are bloodshot and her nose is red and raw. Luna averts her gaze quickly, not wanting to draw too much attention to it.

“I don’t even know if this is worth it anymore. I’m exhausted, and I’m trying to sustain a relationship all by myself. Sam can barely sustain a conversation with me, and my dad isn’t impressed, so what’s the point? What am I doing this all for?”

Luna frowns. Sofia has always seemed so...bold and intimidating, like nothing ever rattled her. But looking underneath the perfectly put together surface, Sofia is just a woman trying to fight and claw for every inch of success, despite the lack of a support system.

“I meant what I said earlier,” Luna says. “I think you’re smart, and I think you’d make an excellent CEO of Russo Industries. And I don’t think you need Sam at your side to do so.”

That shocks Sofia. Her eyebrows shoot up past her hairline at the compliment. “You really think so? You have that much faith in me?”

Luna doesn’t know if she’s giving Sofia this advice because she truly believes in it, or if a selfish part of her wants the other woman to leave Sam alone, so they can finally be together. Her stomach twists uncomfortably at the thought, full of guilt. Does this count as manipulation?

She swallows thickly, pushing down whatever guilt is trying to bubble to the surface and nods. “I do. You don’t need a man to be successful and fulfilled. You don’t need your dad’s approval. And you don’t need to feed into the bullshit cycle of misogyny that your dad perpetuates.”

Sofia walks over to the sink and turns the faucet. After she splashes cool water on her face, she turns back to Luna. “Thank you, I guess. No one has ever talked to my dad the way you did, especially not in defense of me. And thank you for coming in here.”

“You’re welcome. Even the rich and powerful Sofia Russos of the world need 5 minutes to vent and cry.”

“Never mention to anyone that you’ve seen me like this,” Sofia orders sharply. No one, especially people in New York high society, can know that the ice queen herself shows emotion. 

“What happens in the ladies’ room, stays in the ladies’ room. Scout’s honor.”

“Good.” Sofia sighs and straightens herself up. Luna watches the cool facade slip back into place as Sofia fixes her makeup and runs a brush through her hair. Sofia is back to being the poised, elegant woman everyone knows.

Once she’s done, she straightens out her clothes and heads to the door. Hesitating, Sofia lingers by the door. She turns back to Luna, her eyes softer than the younger woman has ever seen them. “You know what? Maybe I misjudged you. You aren’t as bad as I originally thought.”

A soft smile tugs on the corner of Luna’s mouth. “That’s high praise coming from you. I’ll take it.”

Without another word, Sofia sweeps out of the restroom, leaving Luna all alone, the sound of her heels clicking against the floors now an echo. With the presence of the other woman no longer stifling her, Luna lets out a breath she didn’t even realize she was holding in.

She didn’t know what to expect coming in here to comfort Sofia, but now everything feels much more complicated.

[artificialqueens]

Hold Me Tighter (Even Closer), Chapter 1 (Branjie, Jankie) - Joley

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“Okay, are you ready?” Brooke Lynn slung her messenger bag over her shoulder and looked over as her wife came out of the bedroom with her belongings.

Vanessa took a deep breath, pressing her lips into a fine line and offering a nod. “As I’ll ever be,” she replied as the two of them left their apartment. While the commute was longer than when they were shacked up in Brooke’s off-campus apartment, it was manageable enough for them to keep making that journey.

Besides, when they made their way into the performing arts building, it just felt right. That was where it all began, and in a way, it had become a home away from home, many of their coworkers had become a second family for them.

Then there was Katya, who had crossed the line between second and first families long ago. She was part of their wedding party, she pet-sat while they were on their honeymoon. Vanessa would often describe her as a ‘kooky aunt,’ and Brooke conceded that the title was rather on the nose. She beamed brightly as she ran up to the couple. “Good morning ladies, I’m here to pick up my TA,” and in a literal move, she picked up Vanessa, who let out a surprised yelp and a laugh.

“And yet there’s still no one I’d trust more with her.” Brooke chuckled as if she were truly questioning her faith in Katya’s mentorship. She leaned over and kissed her wife’s forehead. “I expect both of you to behave.”

“I’m gonna need you to lower your expectations, Professor Hytes-Mateo,” Katya replied as she set her new teacher’s assistant back down. “Your girl’s on the way?”

“She is. Offered to go on a coffee run, so she’ll be here soon enough,” she confirmed. In the interim, the three of them went to Brooke’s new classroom. This semester, she would be teaching the History of Dance course, one that was required for second-year students. Her options had been either that or Improvisation, which had made the decision easy on her.

Only a few minutes had passed before they heard footsteps coming down the hall until a woman came in, holding a drink tray that she then sat down on Brooke’s desk. “Morning, everyone,” Jackie greeted, taking her own drink from the holder and sipping from it.

“Hey, Jackie,” Brooke smiled warmly, trying to hold her focus just long enough to slide Vanessa a couple of bills to slip into Jackie’s pocket. It was a system the two of them had stuck with to avoid the back and forth courtesy refusals and ‘but I insists.’ Brooke would affectionately refer to it as ‘reverse pickpocketing’ while Vanessa simply called it ‘efficient.’

Katya looked at her phone, then cleared her throat to redirect attention. “We’ll have to reconvene later, ladies. Vanjie and I need to get set up in the studio,” she said, picking her binder back up and tucking it under her arm.

“Catch you later, boo. Good luck,” Vanessa smiled and shared a quick kiss with Brooke before following Katya out the door.

Jackie watched them leave before looking back towards the professor. “It must be nice being able to work in the same building as your wife, huh?” she mused as she set her backpack on the side of the desk and took out a small stack of manila envelopes, all filled with varying amounts of papers.

Brooke grinned, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear as her eyes drifted to the framed picture she kept on her desk – one from their wedding just about a year earlier. “It really is, we lucked out.”

She nodded as she took her seat, believing the sentiment wholeheartedly. Something about the idea of finding someone and having the instant bond over a shared passion spoke to her and left her with a quiet sense of yearning. But her wandering mind had to reel back into focus when students began filing into the classroom and taking their seats. Everything was pleasantly calm as she watched seat after seat fill up.

Then suddenly, it all changed.

The energy in the room brightened, but no one seemed to notice but Jackie. The source of it, however, was as clear as day. It was a student with a warm, friendly disposition and soft features that Jackie just found beautiful. And she didn’t think she was staring until she felt someone poking her shoulder.

Brooke Lynn was looking at her, a smirk curling up her lips that made Jackie’s face heat up. She knew that look, could spot that look a mile away. Hell, she was probably the poster child for that look, she had to take a sip of her drink just to keep herself from laughing. Instead, she sat and sipped her drink until the flow of students came to a halt.

As Brooke began taking attendance, Jackie walked around, giving a copy of the syllabus to each student. But she looked up every time a feminine name was called, eager to put a name to the face that’d caught her eye.

“Jan Sport?”

“Here!”

Ah, she thought. There we go. It was enough momentary satisfaction to get her through the rest of the task, and hopefully enough to keep her focused for the rest of the class. The last thing she wanted was to drop the ball in the first ten minutes because a pretty girl clouded her sense of rational thought. She, for the most part, decided to keep her nose in the paperwork. There wasn’t too much she needed to say yet anyway.

“…And Jackie’s contact info is there, your best bet is to reach out to her first.”

Jackie looked up when she heard her name, offering a smile and a nod as Brooke Lynn continued talking. She did finally allow her gaze to drift back over to Jan, who had been alternating between listening attentively and whispering with the girl sitting next to her. But just as she looked over, they made eye contact, and Jackie’s heart skipped a beat.

Jan smiled at her, oblivious to all the thoughts running through the grad student’s mind. But she did welcome the attention – Jackie was attractive and held herself professionally – two traits she definitely appreciated. When the eye contact was broken, she shifted her attention to Brooke, until her friend tapped her desk to get her attention.

“Am I crazy, or was she checking you out?” Gigi whispered.

“I’m leaning towards both,” she retorted with a soft chuckle. She wasn’t actually sure if Jackie was checking her out – it might have been wishful thinking. But if Gigi saw it too, she could let herself think that maybe something was happening.

By the time class ended, everything seemed calm once more. Jan got up and she waved to Jackie as she walked past, one of those subtly flirtatious waves where each finger curls down one at a time. She wanted to linger a bit longer but decided to follow Gigi out.

When the class was back down to just Brooke Lynn and Jackie, there was a moment of silence while they both allowed themselves to process the first day of class. Then Brooke turned to Jackie with what could only adequately be described as a shit-eating grin.

Jackie sighed, realizing it wouldn’t end until she addressed it. “Okay, what?”

“Nothing, I just love watching history repeat itself,” Brooke hummed.

“I beg your pardon?”

Brooke looked to her wedding picture, then back at Jackie. “Do you know how Vanjie and I met? I know you didn’t have a lot of classes together, but still.”

She furrowed her brows. “I know you guys both got your undergrads here, and that you used to be Katya’s TA, but that’s about it,” she explained, having never been much for keeping up with gossip.

Getting the chance to retell her and Vanessa’s story made Brooke light up in a way that almost startled Jackie. “Let me set the scene for you.” She got up, standing in the empty space at the front of the classroom. “Picture me, an awkward, introverted grad student. It’s my first day as Katya’s teaching assistant. I’m there before her, before anyone, sitting on the floor and wondering, ‘what the hell is this semester gonna be like?’ Then in walks this spunky little brunette that ends up turning my whole world upside-down, yet somehow makes me feel truly alive for the very first time.” She sighed fondly. “And then I married her, the end.”

Jackie nodded as she listened, it was a nice story, and she did like that everything worked out in the end. But then she furrowed her brows. “So… You think I’m gonna marry Jan?”

Brooke chuckled. “I’m just saying… Well, you never know what could happen.”

“I think you might be a little bit biased,” she retorted as she gathered her things. “Look, she’s very pretty and seems sweet. I’ll give you that. But I’m certainly not setting a wedding date anytime soon.”

“If you change your mind, I have a friend that’s an ordained minister,” Brooke teased.

——

“Not to sound like a conspiracy theorist, but I think this could mean something. She’s Brooke Lynn’s TA, and everyone knows how that story went,” Gigi was saying, sounding very certain in her theory. Many students had a story where they knew someone that knew someone that saw everything that happened with Brooke Lynn and Vanessa. It wasn’t uncommon to be in on the legend.

Jan quirked her brow. “So, you think this is kismet? That when our eyes met we were bound by the fate set by our predecessors?”

“No, Shakespeare. I just think that you should pursue this.”

She huffed. “You know, just because you have a girlfriend doesn’t mean that you need to curate a story for my love life.”

Gigi shrugged. “I don’t have to do anything, but that’s not going to stop me. Jan, I haven’t seen you go on a single date since we met. If there’s a chance for you to actually connect with someone, I–”

“We haven’t even spoken!” Jan finally exclaimed. “You’re creating a narrative based off of eye contact, Geege. I think we need to center back into reality a little bit.”

“You’re right, you’re right.” She put her hands up in surrender. “I just need to throw myself into something, it’s hard being in a long-distance relationship, you know.”

Jan looked at her friend as if she’d grown a second head. “Long dis– sweetie, Crystal’s going to school upstate, and not even like, actual upstate, it’s literally just Westchester. You know you can drive up there whenever.”

Gigi let out a dramatic huff. “It’s not the same,” she whined, stomping her foot. But she switched back into her normal demeanor almost instantly, in a way that would’ve been jarring to someone that wasn’t her close friend. “I digress. Just keep an open mind, okay?”

“Whatever you say, you little weirdo,” she teased lightly as they left the building, having a couple of hours before their next class, Katya’s, of course. And Jan only hoped they got there before anyone else picked up on whatever it was Gigi had noticed.

——

“Okay, you’ve been staring at that corner for like, five minutes. It’s giving me The Blair Witch Project vibes. You good?” Katya asked curiously.

Vanessa blinked, seemingly snapped out of a trance. “Hm? Yeah, I’m good. Just kinda having a moment.” She looked down, grinning broadly to herself. “That spot right there was where I first met her. She was all wound up and tense, ready to kick your ass… Prettiest fucking thing I ever seen.”

“If you think about it,” Katya started, “none of this would’ve happened if I wasn’t late to class,” she mused. “So, you’re welcome. I expect you to name your first born after me as retribution.”

She chuckled, leaning against the desk. “You know, we been talking about having a baby or adopting… Got pros and cons to both.”

“Wow, that’s a big step. And I get it, on one hand, it makes sense to take in a kid that doesn’t have a family, but on the other, you guys have really good genetics.”

“That’s what I’m saying.” Vanessa nodded. “But we ain’t rushing it or nothing,” she assured, looking up and watching as students filed into the studio. “It’s showtime,” she said to Katya before starting to pass out copies of the syllabus.

Everything was business as usual until about a half hour into class, when Jackie tried to inconspicuously let herself into the room. She tried to silently get Vanessa’s attention, but Vanessa and subtlety were just two things that would never mesh.

“What’s up, Jackie? C’mere!” Vanessa waved her over, leaving Jackie to awkwardly shuffle to the front.

“Didn’t mean to interrupt, Brooke just asked me to drop off your lunch,” Jackie explained, handing her a paper bag. “Anyway, I’ll leave you guys to it.” As she started to leave, her eyes met with Jan’s yet again, but she was determined to play it cool this time. “Oh, hey Jan,” she hummed, lightly fluttering her lashes with a confident smile.

And Jan reacted just the way she’d hoped. She giggled and twirled a lock of hair around her finger. “Hey, Jackie,” she cooed, eyes following her out the door before trying to refocus.

“Very subtle. I’m clearly the crazy one here,” Gigi remarked, voice dripping with sarcasm.

“Eat me,” she retorted through gritted teeth, without breaking her cheery demeanor.

Gigi rolled her eyes. “Seems like other people might be trying to get that job instead.”

The bickering continued a bit longer, but they quieted down long enough to actually hear the tail end of Katya’s speech, which she finished by dismissing the class a little bit early. “Remember, you should have a list of five potential final project songs by the end of next week. Make sure you get them to Vanjie one way or another,” Katya was saying as the class began packing up and leaving.

“So how’d you feel about your first day of classes?” Katya asked once she and Vanessa were alone in the studio again.

“Think that went well; didn’t see anyone too much like me, so you’re gonna catch a break this time around,” she chuckled.

Katya laughed softly. “Oh Vanjie, you were a delight to teach. Mostly because I could pawn you off on Brooke every time, but still.” She looked up at the sound of footsteps. “And speak of the devil.”

Brooke rolled her eyes and grinned. “You speak so highly of yourself,” she replied, going right to Vanessa’s side and wrapping her arm around her waist and kissing the side of her head. “Everything went as anticipated?”

“All good, boo.” Vanessa hummed, leaning against her wife. “Thank you for lunch, by the way,” she added.

“Of course,” she cooed. “Oh, did you have Jan Sport in this class?”

Katya looked down at the attendance sheet. “Yeah, why?”

“Jackie went all heart-eyed for her, and I’m finding myself physically incapable of resisting the urge to play matchmaker. You should’ve seen it; Jan walked in the room and Jackie just couldn’t take her eyes off of her. It was really cute, like something out of a romcom,” Brooke explained.

Vanessa perked up, grabbing Brooke’s arm with both of her hands and started shaking her. “Are you kidding? We gotta match-make them! We’re throwing the torch!”

“You make it sound kind of violent, but yes,” Brooke chuckled. “What do you think, Katya? Should we give the matchmaking thing a try?”

Katya laughed. “What are you gonna do? Wait for a field trip and stick them in a room with one bed? I mean, it worked the first time.”

“We can’t build a curriculum around getting two people to fuck,” Brooke pointed out.

“Not with that attitude,” Vanessa chimed in.

——

“Geege, look!” Jan stopped dead in her tracks and grabbed her friend’s arm, reeling her back in. “They have a sign-up for winter musical auditions, and they’re doing Heathers!”

Gigi watched in amusement as Jan eagerly signed up. “I feel like this is your version of a wet dream.”

“I can live with that. You gonna sign up?”

She shook her head. “Not for me, I’d rather try to find out how I can get involved with costume design,” she told her, though she wasn’t entirely sure that Jan was listening, so she moved on. “Who are you going for?”

“My heart says Heather Chandler, but I feel like I could really kill it as Veronica.”

“You’d steal the show as a tree in the background, so I wouldn’t worry about it. You’ll definitely get a good role,” Gigi assured.

Just as Jan was about to reply, a newly familiar voice came up behind her. “You’re auditioning for the show?”

Jan turned around to see Jackie. “I am. Did you do any of them during your undergrad?”

Before Jackie could answer, Gigi suddenly exclaimed, “Oh, I gotta go, Crystal’s calling me,” while waving her phone around, and was gone in a flash, leaving the other two without a chance to reply.

Jackie watched her leave for only a moment before answering Jan’s question. “Yeah, a couple. If you need any help auditioning or rehearsing or whatever, I can totally help.” Unlike any of the earlier incidents, she now seemed genuinely relaxed. There was a different energy when she was in her element, talking about the things she loved with someone that shared those interests.

And Jan was just happy that Gigi didn’t try to lock them in a closet or something like that. “That would be great. If you’re sure you’re not too busy, of course.”

“I can definitely make time for you,” Jackie chuckled softly, tucking her hair behind her ear and adjusting her glasses. She looked to the sign-up sheet, then back at Jan. “Auditions are on Friday, you wanna come over tomorrow?”

Jan nodded brightly. “Tomorrow’s perfect. I’ll text you so you have my number, and we can work out the details from there.”

“Perfect,” Jackie echoed, not referring to the time at all.

[missjanjie]

Hold Me Tighter (Even Closer) | (1/?)

Title: Hold Me Tighter (Even Closer) Summary: A sequel to Hold Me Closer, Tiny Dancer. Brooke Lynn and Vanessa are back at NYU, but with new and improved positions. Brooke's ready to start her career as a professor when, as fate would have it, she realizes her TA, Jackie, might have the hots for a student named Jan. The couple just might see it as a sign to give two new girls the love story they found in the same place. Word Count: ~3k (this chapter) Relationship(s): Branjie (Brooke Lynn Hytes/Vanessa Vanjie Mateo), Jankie (Jan Sport/Jackie Cox) Rating: T (so far)

Read on AO3

“Okay, are you ready?” Brooke Lynn slung her messenger bag over her shoulder and looked over as her wife came out of the bedroom with her belongings.

Vanessa took a deep breath, pressing her lips into a fine line and offering a nod. “As I’ll ever be,” she replied as the two of them left their apartment. While the commute was longer than when they were shacked up in Brooke’s off-campus apartment, it was manageable enough for them to keep making that journey.

Besides, when they made their way into the performing arts building, it just felt right. That was where it all began, and in a way, it had become a home away from home, many of their coworkers had become a second family for them.

Then there was Katya, who had crossed the line between second and first families long ago. She was part of their wedding party, she pet-sat while they were on their honeymoon. Vanessa would often describe her as a ‘kooky aunt,’ and Brooke conceded that the title was rather on the nose. She beamed brightly as she ran up to the couple. “Good morning ladies, I’m here to pick up my TA,” and in a literal move, she picked up Vanessa, who let out a surprised yelp and a laugh.

“And yet there’s still no one I’d trust more with her.” Brooke chuckled as if she were truly questioning her faith in Katya’s mentorship. She leaned over and kissed her wife’s forehead. “I expect both of you to behave.”

“I’m gonna need you to lower your expectations, Professor Hytes-Mateo,” Katya replied as she set her new teacher’s assistant back down. “Your girl’s on the way?”

“She is. Offered to go on a coffee run, so she’ll be here soon enough,” she confirmed. In the interim, the three of them went to Brooke’s new classroom. This semester, she would be teaching the History of Dance course, one that was required for second-year students. Her options had been either that or Improvisation, which had made the decision easy on her.

Only a few minutes had passed before they heard footsteps coming down the hall until a woman came in, holding a drink tray that she then sat down on Brooke’s desk. “Morning, everyone,” Jackie greeted, taking her own drink from the holder and sipping from it.

“Hey, Jackie,” Brooke smiled warmly, trying to hold her focus just long enough to slide Vanessa a couple of bills to slip into Jackie’s pocket. It was a system the two of them had stuck with to avoid the back and forth courtesy refusals and ‘but I insists.’ Brooke would affectionately refer to it as ‘reverse pickpocketing’ while Vanessa simply called it ‘efficient.’

Katya looked at her phone, then cleared her throat to redirect attention. “We’ll have to reconvene later, ladies. Vanjie and I need to get set up in the studio,” she said, picking her binder back up and tucking it under her arm.

“Catch you later, boo. Good luck,” Vanessa smiled and shared a quick kiss with Brooke before following Katya out the door.

Jackie watched them leave before looking back towards the professor. “It must be nice being able to work in the same building as your wife, huh?” she mused as she set her backpack on the side of the desk and took out a small stack of manila envelopes, all filled with varying amounts of papers.

Brooke grinned, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear as her eyes drifted to the framed picture she kept on her desk – one from their wedding just about a year earlier. “It really is, we lucked out.”

She nodded as she took her seat, believing the sentiment wholeheartedly. Something about the idea of finding someone and having the instant bond over a shared passion spoke to her and left her with a quiet sense of yearning. But her wandering mind had to reel back into focus when students began filing into the classroom and taking their seats. Everything was pleasantly calm as she watched seat after seat fill up.

Then suddenly, it all changed.

The energy in the room brightened, but no one seemed to notice but Jackie. The source of it, however, was as clear as day. It was a student with a warm, friendly disposition and soft features that Jackie just found beautiful. And she didn’t think she was staring until she felt someone poking her shoulder.

Brooke Lynn was looking at her, a smirk curling up her lips that made Jackie’s face heat up. She knew that look, could spot that look a mile away. Hell, she was probably the poster child for that look, she had to take a sip of her drink just to keep herself from laughing. Instead, she sat and sipped her drink until the flow of students came to a halt.

As Brooke began taking attendance, Jackie walked around, giving a copy of the syllabus to each student. But she looked up every time a feminine name was called, eager to put a name to the face that’d caught her eye.

“Jan Sport?”

“Here!”

Ah, she thought. There we go. It was enough momentary satisfaction to get her through the rest of the task, and hopefully enough to keep her focused for the rest of the class. The last thing she wanted was to drop the ball in the first ten minutes because a pretty girl clouded her sense of rational thought. She, for the most part, decided to keep her nose in the paperwork. There wasn’t too much she needed to say yet anyway.

“...And Jackie’s contact info is there, your best bet is to reach out to her first.”

Jackie looked up when she heard her name, offering a smile and a nod as Brooke Lynn continued talking. She did finally allow her gaze to drift back over to Jan, who had been alternating between listening attentively and whispering with the girl sitting next to her. But just as she looked over, they made eye contact, and Jackie’s heart skipped a beat.

Jan smiled at her, oblivious to all the thoughts running through the grad student’s mind. But she did welcome the attention – Jackie was attractive and held herself professionally – two traits she definitely appreciated. When the eye contact was broken, she shifted her attention to Brooke, until her friend tapped her desk to get her attention.

“Am I crazy, or was she checking you out?” Gigi whispered.

“I’m leaning towards both,” she retorted with a soft chuckle. She wasn’t actually sure if Jackie was checking her out – it might have been wishful thinking. But if Gigi saw it too, she could let herself think that maybe something was happening.

By the time class ended, everything seemed calm once more. Jan got up and she waved to Jackie as she walked past, one of those subtly flirtatious waves where each finger curls down one at a time. She wanted to linger a bit longer but decided to follow Gigi out.

When the class was back down to just Brooke Lynn and Jackie, there was a moment of silence while they both allowed themselves to process the first day of class. Then Brooke turned to Jackie with what could only adequately be described as a shit-eating grin.

Jackie sighed, realizing it wouldn’t end until she addressed it. “Okay, what?”

“Nothing, I just love watching history repeat itself,” Brooke hummed.

“I beg your pardon?”

Brooke looked to her wedding picture, then back at Jackie. “Do you know how Vanjie and I met? I know you didn’t have a lot of classes together, but still.”

She furrowed her brows. “I know you guys both got your undergrads here, and that you used to be Katya’s TA, but that’s about it,” she explained, having never been much for keeping up with gossip.

Getting the chance to retell her and Vanessa’s story made Brooke light up in a way that almost startled Jackie. “Let me set the scene for you.” She got up, standing in the empty space at the front of the classroom. “Picture me, an awkward, introverted grad student. It’s my first day as Katya’s teaching assistant. I’m there before her, before anyone, sitting on the floor and wondering, ‘what the hell is this semester gonna be like?’ Then in walks this spunky little brunette that ends up turning my whole world upside-down, yet somehow makes me feel truly alive for the very first time.” She sighed fondly. “And then I married her, the end.”

Jackie nodded as she listened, it was a nice story, and she did like that everything worked out in the end. But then she furrowed her brows. “So… You think I’m gonna marry Jan?”

Brooke chuckled. “I’m just saying… Well, you never know what could happen.”

“I think you might be a little bit biased,” she retorted as she gathered her things. “Look, she’s very pretty and seems sweet. I’ll give you that. But I’m certainly not setting a wedding date anytime soon.”

“If you change your mind, I have a friend that’s an ordained minister,” Brooke teased.

------

“Not to sound like a conspiracy theorist, but I think this could mean something. She’s Brooke Lynn’s TA, and everyone knows how that story went,” Gigi was saying, sounding very certain in her theory. Many students had a story where they knew someone that knew someone that saw everything that happened with Brooke Lynn and Vanessa. It wasn’t uncommon to be in on the legend.

Jan quirked her brow. “So, you think this is kismet? That when our eyes met we were bound by the fate set by our predecessors?”

“No, Shakespeare. I just think that you should pursue this.”

She huffed. “You know, just because you have a girlfriend doesn’t mean that you need to curate a story for my love life.”

Gigi shrugged. “I don’t have to do anything, but that’s not going to stop me. Jan, I haven’t seen you go on a single date since we met. If there’s a chance for you to actually connect with someone, I–”

“We haven’t even spoken!” Jan finally exclaimed. “You’re creating a narrative based off of eye contact, Geege. I think we need to center back into reality a little bit.”

“You’re right, you’re right.” She put her hands up in surrender. “I just need to throw myself into something, it’s hard being in a long-distance relationship, you know.”

Jan looked at her friend as if she’d grown a second head. “Long dis– sweetie, Crystal’s going to school upstate, and not even like, actual upstate, it’s literally just Westchester. You know you can drive up there whenever.”

Gigi let out a dramatic huff. “It’s not the same,” she whined, stomping her foot. But she switched back into her normal demeanor almost instantly, in a way that would’ve been jarring to someone that wasn’t her close friend. “I digress. Just keep an open mind, okay?”

“Whatever you say, you little weirdo,” she teased lightly as they left the building, having a couple of hours before their next class, Katya’s, of course. And Jan only hoped they got there before anyone else picked up on whatever it was Gigi had noticed.

------

“Okay, you’ve been staring at that corner for like, five minutes. It’s giving me The Blair Witch Project vibes. You good?” Katya asked curiously.

Vanessa blinked, seemingly snapped out of a trance. “Hm? Yeah, I’m good. Just kinda having a moment.” She looked down, grinning broadly to herself. “That spot right there was where I first met her. She was all wound up and tense, ready to kick your ass… Prettiest fucking thing I ever seen.”

“If you think about it,” Katya started, “none of this would’ve happened if I wasn’t late to class,” she mused. “So, you’re welcome. I expect you to name your first born after me as retribution.”

She chuckled, leaning against the desk. “You know, we been talking about having a baby or adopting… Got pros and cons to both.”

“Wow, that’s a big step. And I get it, on one hand, it makes sense to take in a kid that doesn’t have a family, but on the other, you guys have really good genetics.”

“That’s what I’m saying.” Vanessa nodded. “But we ain’t rushing it or nothing,” she assured, looking up and watching as students filed into the studio. “It’s showtime,” she said to Katya before starting to pass out copies of the syllabus.

Everything was business as usual until about a half hour into class, when Jackie tried to inconspicuously let herself into the room. She tried to silently get Vanessa’s attention, but Vanessa and subtlety were just two things that would never mesh.

“What’s up, Jackie? C’mere!” Vanessa waved her over, leaving Jackie to awkwardly shuffle to the front.

“Didn’t mean to interrupt, Brooke just asked me to drop off your lunch,” Jackie explained, handing her a paper bag. “Anyway, I’ll leave you guys to it.” As she started to leave, her eyes met with Jan’s yet again, but she was determined to play it cool this time. “Oh, hey Jan,” she hummed, lightly fluttering her lashes with a confident smile.

And Jan reacted just the way she’d hoped. She giggled and twirled a lock of hair around her finger. “Hey, Jackie,” she cooed, eyes following her out the door before trying to refocus.

“Very subtle. I’m clearly the crazy one here,” Gigi remarked, voice dripping with sarcasm.

“Eat me,” she retorted through gritted teeth, without breaking her cheery demeanor.

Gigi rolled her eyes. “Seems like other people might be trying to get that job instead.”

The bickering continued a bit longer, but they quieted down long enough to actually hear the tail end of Katya’s speech, which she finished by dismissing the class a little bit early. “Remember, you should have a list of five potential final project songs by the end of next week. Make sure you get them to Vanjie one way or another,” Katya was saying as the class began packing up and leaving.

“So how’d you feel about your first day of classes?” Katya asked once she and Vanessa were alone in the studio again.

“Think that went well; didn’t see anyone too much like me, so you’re gonna catch a break this time around,” she chuckled.

Katya laughed softly. “Oh Vanjie, you were a delight to teach. Mostly because I could pawn you off on Brooke every time, but still.” She looked up at the sound of footsteps. “And speak of the devil.”

Brooke rolled her eyes and grinned. “You speak so highly of yourself,” she replied, going right to Vanessa’s side and wrapping her arm around her waist and kissing the side of her head. “Everything went as anticipated?”

“All good, boo.” Vanessa hummed, leaning against her wife. “Thank you for lunch, by the way,” she added.

“Of course,” she cooed. “Oh, did you have Jan Sport in this class?”

Katya looked down at the attendance sheet. “Yeah, why?”

“Jackie went all heart-eyed for her, and I’m finding myself physically incapable of resisting the urge to play matchmaker. You should’ve seen it; Jan walked in the room and Jackie just couldn’t take her eyes off of her. It was really cute, like something out of a romcom,” Brooke explained.

Vanessa perked up, grabbing Brooke’s arm with both of her hands and started shaking her. “Are you kidding? We gotta match-make them! We’re throwing the torch!”

“You make it sound kind of violent, but yes,” Brooke chuckled. “What do you think, Katya? Should we give the matchmaking thing a try?”

Katya laughed. “What are you gonna do? Wait for a field trip and stick them in a room with one bed? I mean, it worked the first time.”

“We can’t build a curriculum around getting two people to fuck,” Brooke pointed out.

“Not with that attitude,” Vanessa chimed in.

------

“Geege, look!” Jan stopped dead in her tracks and grabbed her friend’s arm, reeling her back in. “They have a sign-up for winter musical auditions, and they’re doing Heathers!”

Gigi watched in amusement as Jan eagerly signed up. “I feel like this is your version of a wet dream.”

“I can live with that. You gonna sign up?”

She shook her head. “Not for me, I’d rather try to find out how I can get involved with costume design,” she told her, though she wasn’t entirely sure that Jan was listening, so she moved on. “Who are you going for?”

“My heart says Heather Chandler, but I feel like I could really kill it as Veronica.”

“You’d steal the show as a tree in the background, so I wouldn’t worry about it. You’ll definitely get a good role,” Gigi assured.

Just as Jan was about to reply, a newly familiar voice came up behind her. “You’re auditioning for the show?”

Jan turned around to see Jackie. “I am. Did you do any of them during your undergrad?”

Before Jackie could answer, Gigi suddenly exclaimed, “Oh, I gotta go, Crystal’s calling me,” while waving her phone around, and was gone in a flash, leaving the other two without a chance to reply.

Jackie watched her leave for only a moment before answering Jan’s question. “Yeah, a couple. If you need any help auditioning or rehearsing or whatever, I can totally help.” Unlike any of the earlier incidents, she now seemed genuinely relaxed. There was a different energy when she was in her element, talking about the things she loved with someone that shared those interests.

And Jan was just happy that Gigi didn’t try to lock them in a closet or something like that. “That would be great. If you’re sure you’re not too busy, of course.”

“I can definitely make time for you,” Jackie chuckled softly, tucking her hair behind her ear and adjusting her glasses. She looked to the sign-up sheet, then back at Jan. “Auditions are on Friday, you wanna come over tomorrow?”

Jan nodded brightly. “Tomorrow’s perfect. I’ll text you so you have my number, and we can work out the details from there.”

“Perfect,” Jackie echoed, not referring to the time at all.