#animal control australia

[pestcontrolipswich1]

Explore The Best Professionals For Pest Control Ipswich Services

Pests are some of the most destructive and unwanted creatures you'd ever find in your house. Once they get into your home, it's hard to kick them out. Anti-pest chemicals are the fastest way to get rid of pests fast - but they're also toxic to humans, so it's essential to use them wisely and dispose of them properly. Pests include mice, rats, ants, roaches and other insects. These critters love to eat human food and make their homes in our homes. The best way to get rid of pests is to use a pest control product.

Organic Pest Control Ipswich has been around for thousands of years and is a natural approach to managing pests. Organic pest control can carry out in the home on large organic farms. Organic pest control is one essential component of integrated pest management programs. The main difference between organic pest control and conventional chemical-based programs is that the former uses natural products to kill or repel pests. And whereas the latter uses poisonous chemicals, which are eventually disposed of into our water and soil, causing damaging side effects.

Termite Control is a highly-specialized, scientific service to keep problematic insects out of homes, businesses and other structures. The danger they pose, which includes damage to wood structures, makes this focus on pest control companies that provide either residential or commercial services. Termites are wood-eating pests that can wreak havoc on the homes and buildings of the people in your community. In fact, they cause billions of dollars in damage, and their presence is often not even detected until it is too late. Termite control Ipswich companies offer solutions to this problem by treating structures with chemicals designed to kill these destructive insects before they do any damage.

Brisbane Terminator provides cost-effective, long-lasting solutions for all your pest control needs. They understand the importance of having a bug-free home and provide reliable and effective services to all their clients. Their licensed professionals use the latest technology to treat all kinds of pests, including termites. Do not hesitate to contact them for more details about their pest control services.

#pest control ipswich #termite control ipswich #cockroach control ipswich #feral animal control #animal control australia #termite inspection ipswich #termite control forest lake #pest control ipswich queensland #pest control kenmore #termite control jindalee #feral animal control queensland

[brisbaneterminator]

Excellent Termite Control Ipswich Services

The Brisbane Terminator is Australia's top service provider for termite control. The grounds or wooden regions, where the humid climate and wet surroundings prevail, are the termite's most frequent habitats. With the aid of the top-notch termite control Ipswich professionals, it is possible to eradicate and remove the termites from the afflicted area in order to protect the house, the furniture, or other objects on the grounds of the business or building from being harmed. Almost anywhere in the globe where a moist or humid atmosphere is present, termite issues may be discovered.

#animal control australia #termite treatment ipswich #pest control ipswich

[theropoda]

i dont ahve any evidence for this ive never read anything about it but does anyone else get the feeling that the sentiment "early humans have wiped out x y and z prehistoric animals we've been a Problem since the beginning" is a lil eco-fascist??

if we've been capable of hunting other animals to extinction since we evolved then how are we still here? if we continously kept driving animals extinct since we discovered fire wouldn't we have gone extinct as well?? i cant help but the extinction of animals such as mammoths and wooly rhinos is more climate change. maybe we had a hand in it to but i can't wrap my head round the idea that we are soley responsible for it

humans have been around for, in the eyes of a human at least, a kind of long time. we've at least had enough time on this earth to end it already but we didn't. we, and other animals are still here. isn't the holocene extinction more a product of colonialism and capitalism? the idea that we've been Extinction Bringers since our beginning seems a lot like a new version of the "HUMANS are the virus WE are destroying the earth" nonesense....

#humans have been doing p well w other animals for many years before colonialism n capitalism #we've even helped take care of ecosystems haven't we? #controlled burning by the indigenous people of australia(? or was it new zealand) comes to mind #t

[1800birdies]

#bird control #best bird proofing #bird proofing #humane bird control #bird proofing australia #bird control service #bird control company #animals #1800 birdies #bird control services #bird #Bird Removal & Proofing #Solar Panel Bird Proofing #Bird Spikes #Bird Netting #Melbourne #australia

[homunculus-argument]

One thing that can save you from so much needless bickering online is always taking an "innocent until proven guilty" approach about whether or not somebody is an idiot. If something that a person you don't know is doing, thinking, or saying makes no sense to you, it's better to assume that your initial assumption of what's going on is wrong, and that there's some additional element in this that you're unaware of, and what they're up to makes sense in context.

Let's say that someone posts on tumblr: "oh great, there's a fucking crocodile on the backyard. Hope it goes away before I have to let the dog out." Talking about it in a very casual way like that's just shit that happens sometimes.

And this is read by someone whose first assumption is that everyone online comes from a similar background and cultural context as they do, and thinks: Well, if there was a crocodile on my backyard, that would mean there's something horribly wrong, and I would be unsettled indeed. As this person does not seem appropriately freaked out about this, then clearly they must be an idiot.

And so they swoop in to scold the OP for being so casual about something that must clearly be a dire situation, an apex predator like a crocodile roaming around is an emergency worse than any regular invasive species, they must immediately find out where that creature escaped from and not let it out of their sight!

And meanwhile, the original OP argues that every single step of that plan is insane and they are not going to do that. And they continue arguing like this, because one is correct in their stance that an escaped crocodile in an environment it doesn't belong in is a dire and serious situation, and the other one is correct in their stanse that it would be ridiculous to call animal control over simply seeing a wild animal naturally chilling in its native environment.

And this whole argument could have been avoided if the responder had taken the alternative route: Concluding that since behaving the way OP does in their own environment would be idiotic, then clearly they must be living somewhere else.

And a simple question of "are crocodiles normal where you're from?" could have settled this immediately, as the two would have immediately come to learn that one of them is from Australia and the other one is from France.

[demilypyro]

ok so there's an evil scientist named Doctor Neo Periwinkle Cortex, and together with his lab partner Doctor Nitrus Brio he hatches a plan to take over the world by mutating animals into super soldiers.

He purchases a set of islands off the coast of Australia and begins experimenting on the wildlife. He has some success, creating various sentient anthropomorphic animal mutants with superhuman abilities. Among the experiments is Crash Bandicoot, who is set to be Cortex's general. There's also Crash's girlfriend Tawna, and his sister Coco, who through the experiments becomes a super genius.

Cortex uses a mind control device called the Cortex Vortex to brainwash his minions, but something goes wrong when he tries to use it on Crash. Crash and Coco escape, and in a bid to save his girlfriend, Crash ends up demolishing Cortex's base and foiling his plan, nearly killing Cortex. All the other animals also escape in the chaos. From then on, Crash and Coco mostly just try to enjoy their lives, while going back into action whenever Cortex has a new scheme.

The whole franchise has a very 90s cartoon vibe, which I find very charming. The rogues gallery is quite extensive, and has a lot of fan favourite recurring characters, including other mutants like Dingodile and Tiny Tiger, other evil scientists like N. Gin and N. Tropy, the alien Nitrous Oxide, and Nina, Cortex's niece. The games are largely a metaphor for pollution, with Cortex's influence symbolizing the waste and corruption brought by industry as it erodes nature. As you progress through the games, the levels often transition from lush jungles to harsh industrial environments as you venture deeper into Cortex's territory.

The series has changed hands many times over its existence, originally developed by Naughty Dog and published by Universal Interactive, who held the rights. Universal Interactive merged with Vivendi, which was then purchased by Activision, which then merged with Blizzard, and was then purchased by Microsoft. Other developers who left a lasting impression on the Crash franchise include Traveler's Tales, Toys for Bob, Vicarious Visions, and Beenox.

#crash bandicoot

[verstappensrealwife]

A Second Chance - Lando Norris x Reader

angst, fluff

approx. 1300

warnings: fighting, swearing. lots of time cuts :(

lando norris masterlist - here. f1 masterlist - here.

He'd been distant for months, seemingly indifferent to your final year of university. The rollercoaster of emotions, from being ignored to fervent pleas for your company, only to be met with anger when you prioritise your studies, has left you drained. His words, oscillating between confusion and outright rejection, always ended abruptly.

His words pierced the air like daggers, each sentence laden with frustration and desperation. "I don’t understand why you won’t spend time with me?" he'd lament, his voice tinged with a sense of betrayal. And then, in a sudden shift of tone, he'd declare, "No, Y/N, I don’t want to see anyone right now!" The finality in his words left no room for negotiation as he abruptly severed the connection, leaving you alone with the weight of his words echoing in your ears.

You were exhausted. of university stress, incessant arguments, and endless nights. Exhausted of him.

Now in Australia, supporting your boyfriend, you followed quietly, the aftermath of yet another weekend argument hanging in the air. But amidst the turmoil, the racetrack thrived. Fans flooded the grandstands, eager for the excitement about to unfold.

As you stepped into the F1 paddock in Australia, a vibrant tapestry of sights and sounds enveloped you. The air was alive with the hum of engines revving in the distance, the scent of burnt rubber mingling with the faint aroma of fuel. Colourful team banners fluttered in the breeze, each one a testament to the fierce competition that awaited on the track.

Amidst the hustle and bustle, you caught glimpses of mechanics working feverishly on sleek race cars, their metallic surfaces gleaming under the bright Australian sun. Everywhere you looked, there was a sense of purpose and urgency, as teams strategized and drivers prepared for the challenge ahead.

Celebrities and VIP guests mingled with team personnel, their animated conversations punctuated by bursts of laughter and the occasional roar of an engine. The paddock buzzed with energy, a palpable anticipation that hung in the air like static electricity.

In the distance, the grandstands loomed large, a sea of eager faces eagerly awaiting the spectacle that was about to unfold. It was a scene of controlled chaos, where every detail was meticulously orchestrated in pursuit of victory on the track.

After a great race from your boyfriend, him placing P3, you both went back to the hotel to get ready for some after party.“And umm, i was wondering if you were gonna come to my graduation. I checked and it’s not during a race weekend and-”

You were cut short by him hurrying you out the door, “Yeah, baby, ill be there,” He said dismissively and pushing you quickly towards the exit of the hotel.

The anticipation hung heavy in the air, coiling around you like a relentless serpent as you stood on the precipice of your greatest moment yet. Each passing second felt like an eternity, nerves tightening their grip on your every fibre, threatening to unravel your composure.

With each beat of your heart, the tremor of excitement mingled with a hint of apprehension, sending shivers down your spine. This was the culmination of years of hard work, the apex of your academic journey, and the weight of its significance bore down upon you like an invisible burden.

"Y/N Y/L/N!"

With steady steps, you ascended the stage, eyes scanning the crowd, eager to spot familiar faces among the sea of spectators, parents, cousins, aunts, uncles. all there to witness your triumph. Yet, amid the sea of loved ones, an empty seat caught your eye, causing a fleeting pang of disappointment to flicker across your expression. Swiftly, you masked it behind a determined facade as you exchanged pleasantries, accepted accolades, and grasped the coveted parchment wrapped in ribbon before gracefully departing the stage.

Of course, he didn’t show, why would he?

-

And of course a screaming match erupted between you two. 

“It was one fucking ask for you to come and you were what?!”

“S-streaming…” God he knew he fucked up.

“What the actual fuck is wrong with you?” You shouted, “Do you not care about my accomplishments anymore or is it just your own you care about now?”

He sighed, clearly getting agitated, “Fuck- Of course not! But its not like youre there for mine either!”

You scoffed incredulously, was he serious? “Because- Lando- I have a fucking job, I have school!”

“And thats more important than me?”

“When did i say that? ugh do you know what?” You stopped yourself and walked off from the kitchen to his bedroom, taking each piece of what you owned with you. Shoving it all in a bag that was clearly too small to fit it all but in your rage you managed to get it all in.

He panicked, “What - what are you doing..”

“Leaving.”

And he didn’t stop you.

-

-

You were single now, and happy.

He was single now, and not so happy.

God, how he missed you. He took you for granted, treated you wrong, and all he wanted was you back.

Even his own friends were telling him how much he fucked up.

And he knew it.

He especially knew it when he saw you, shyly walking around the silverstone pits with your best friends who were in love with the sport. He didn’t believe it at first, but you were here! Really here!

“Y/N!” He couldn’t control his own mouth, or legs as he ran over to you.

You turned around to see the messy brown hair and neon orange fireproofs. He was a sight for sore eyes. Still beautiful- probably more than before.

“Oh. hi Lan,” You smiled. Lan. He wasn’t completely in the dog house. “How’ve you been, heard you got with Joao’s girlfriend,” You said.

“No!” He exclaimed, “I - I meant no,”, It got quiet after that, he needed to say something- anything! “Because i love you still-”

As he stumbled over his words, the world around them seemed to fade into the background, consumed by the intensity of your encounter. The Silverstone pits buzzed with activity, mechanics tinkering with race cars, the distant roar of engines serving as a constant backdrop to their conversation.

Amidst the whirlwind of emotions, the vibrant colors of the racing gear and the gleaming metal of the pit equipment painted a vivid tableau around them. The scent of gasoline lingered in the air, mingling with the faint hint of anticipation that hung thickly over the pit lane.

But amidst the chaos of the racing environment, their exchange unfolded like a scene from a romantic drama, the tension palpable in the charged atmosphere. As he poured his heart out, his words echoed against the backdrop of pit crew chatter and the occasional screech of tires on the track.

You stared blankly at him. Your friends were long gone now. And you couldn’t think of anywords than… “Okay.” OKAY? It was not okay! “I- Well- same but we–”

“We can,” He interrupted, “Ok, we can, I’ll prove it. Make it up to you in any way you want, please baby”And as he pleaded for another chance, the world seemed to hold its breath, waiting for your response. It was a moment suspended in time, where the lines between love and longing blurred against the backdrop of the racing world, leaving them both teetering on the edge of uncertainty.

“Take me on a date and we’ll see,”

“Yes! Definitely!” He said, about to run off with you when he remembered the race- “Just after this race, I promise!”

“I’ll be waiting,” You bite back a smile at him as he giddily runs off towards his car

el fin 

BLEHHH posting quickly before i leave the house

#lando norris #lando #norris #ln4 #lando norris x you #oscar piastri x lando norris #f1 fic #f1 imagine #f1 x reader #f1 fanfic #f1 #formula 1 #charles leclerc #lando norris fluff #lando norris smut #lando x reader #lando norris x reader #smut #fluff #angst #f1 fluff #charles leclerc x reader #fernando alonso x reader #f1edit #f1 one shot #fa14 #f1 edit #fanfiction #fanfic #f

[uncharismatic-fauna]

Open Your Home to the Common House Centipede

A common sight in homes throughout Europe, Asia, the Americas, and Australia the common house centipede (Scutigera coleoptrata) is a medium-sized species of centipede originally from the Mediterranean. In the wild, they prefer grasslands and deciduous forests where they can hide under rocks, logs, or leaf litter. These insects have also adapted well to urban development, and are frequently found in basements, bathrooms, and garages,  as well as gardens and compost piles.

Like other centipedes, the common house centipede has less than 100 legs; in fact, they only have 15 pairs, with the front pair used only for holding prey or fending off threats. All those legs let the common house centipede move up to 0.4 meters per second (1.3 ft/s) over a variety of surfaces, including walls and ceilings. The actual body of S. coleoptrata is only 25 to 35 mm (1.0 to 1.4 in) long, but the antennae are often as long as the body which can give this insect a much larger appearance. However, they can be hard to spot, especially in their natural environments; their tan and dark brown coloration allows them to blend in seamlessly to surrounding vegetation.

Though they pose little threat to humans, house centipedes are predatory. Their primary food source is other arthropods, including cockroaches, silverfish, bed bugs, ticks, ants, and insect larvae. S. coleoptrata is a nocturnal hunter, and uses its long antennae to track scents and tactile information. Their compound eyes, unusual for centipede species, can distinguish daylight and ultraviolet light but is generally used as a secondary sensory organ. When they do find prey, house centipedes inject a venom which can be lethal in smaller organisms, but is largely harmless to larger animals. This makes them important pest controllers. In the wild, house centipedes are the common prey of rodents, amphibians, birds, and other insects.

The mating season for S. coleoptrata begins in the spring, when males and females release pheromones that they can use to find each other. Once located, the male spins a silk pad in which he places his sperm for the female to collect. She then lays fertilized eggs in warm, moist soil in clutches of 60-150. These eggs incubate for about a month, and the young emerge with only four pairs of legs. Over the next three years, juvenile house centipedes molt 7 times, each time gaining new pairs of legs. After they grow their last pair of legs, immature house centipedes molt an additional 3 times, at which time they become sexually mature. If they can avoid predation, individuals can live up to 7 years in the wild.

Conservation status: The common house centipede has not been evaluated by the IUCN, as it is relatively common both in the wild and in urban areas. Although they have been introduced to areas outside their native range, no detrimental environmental effects have been associated with their spread.

If you like what I do, consider leaving a tip or buying me a ko-fi!

Photos

Joseph Berger

David Paul

Conrad Altman via iNaturalist

#common house centipede #Scutigeromorpha #Scutigeridae #centipedes #myriapoda #myriapods #insects #arthropods #deciduous forests #deciduous forest arthropods #grasslands #grassland arthropods #urban fauna #urban arthropods #europe #north america #south america #asia #australia #oceania #animal facts #zoology #biology

[argumate]

This is not a joke, it’s a genuine trend, as ballooning attendances at Australia’s national convention attests. Fewer than two dozen furries attended in 2010, whereas this year’s event attracted close to 1000. Before last year, I’d never advised on these issues, but the questions are now pouring in from puzzled employers and educators: Should we let a student eat lunch out of a dog bowl? Can they wear a tail if it’s concealed under their uniform? Will we breach our duty of care if we prohibit the wearing of cat ears and they develop anxiety?

Has the world gone barking mad or is this just a sign of modern individualism?

Furscience suggests more than 75 per cent of furries are under the age of 25. It is therefore not surprising that a key place of tension with the phenomenon is in schools. At one Victorian school that I’ve had dealings with, a student wished to wear a tail under her uniform. Under threat of a discrimination claim, the school agreed to the demands of the child’s parents.

Being a furry is, of course, not a crime. Furries are a fandom, similar to Trekkies or Swifties; they are not a demographic group like members of the LGBTQ+ community. Nor is anthropomorphism a protected attribute under Australian anti-discrimination legislation.

Christians and Muslims are also a fandom, of course!

Two American states, Oklahoma and North Dakota, are considering legislation aimed at prohibiting schools from catering to a student’s identification as an animal. The draft Oklahoma House Bill 3084, introduced in January, would ban “students who purport to be an imaginary animal or animal species” and require parents to collect students behaving like furries. If the parents don’t, the bill says, “animal control services shall be contacted to remove the student”.

okay that's hilarious though, talk about respecting the identity

[alexawynters]

Scarlet Whispers pt 12

Gif not mine

Pairing: Wanda Maximoff x Female!Reader

Rating: M. Minors DNI

Chapter Summary: Oh no, a melt down! But make it fluffy at the end

Warning: Hurt/Comfort

Masterlist with parts 1-11 here

A/N: Sorry I am late, life has been... busyyyyyy. But I'm trying to keep up with writing and posting!

Returning to the cottage, as much fun (and terrifying) as the date had been, you longed to take a shower. You were fairly certain you were covered in a layer of grime that combined dirt, sweat, and various animal fur. Also, Australia had been hot as fuck, if you could help it, that shower was going to be nice and cold even if it would be a bit of a shock to the system.

“Dibs!” you shouted, as you booked it to your shared room, stripping as you ran. It would probably be polite to let the woman who had planned all of this to go first, but if you had to tolerate one more second of this ~texture~ against your skin, as much as you loved Wanda, you knew you were going to turn into an intolerable bitch.

Wanda simply laughed at your antics and followed. You could call dibs all you liked, but if you thought she was going to wait for you to get out of the shower before she joined, you were sorely mistaken. A salacious smirk crossed her features as she imagined your expression when she surprised you. She would wait a little though, taking her time letting you get situated while she undressed.

The moment the cool water touched your over-heated flesh you hissed. It wasn’t nearly as unpleasant as you had expected, in fact it was a relief. Knowing you were going to have to scrub to get the grime off, still you could feel some of it already sliding off with the mere pressure of the water and that was enough to ease some of the overstimulation to your senses. Somehow you had managed to avoid showing Wanda your more obvious symptoms when overstimulated, usually keeping them managed. A lifetime masking them, learning your triggers, and thresholds, you had learned how to de-escalate yourself.

Today certainly had been a lot. Overall, it was a great day. There were certainly bumps in the road but between Wanda being just perfect, and you working to get your mask under control, everything had been manageable. By the time you had gotten into the shower though, you felt as if you were about to claw your own flesh off. It wouldn’t be too long, you just needed a little bit to decompress and for the love of the gods, get that grime off your skin.

This was why you had called dibs. There was only one shower, and while Wanda could easily have conjured a second one if you had asked her, you didn’t want to put her out after she already had done so much for you. However, you were afraid if you didn’t get clean immediately you were going to have a meltdown from which there was no hiding, nor recovering. After Wanda had already told you she had more still planned for the evening, you didn’t want to risk ruining that, so dibs you called, and fled promptly to the shower.

What you hadn’t expected was for Wanda to join you shortly thereafter, and really, you probably should have after your conversation this morning. When the older woman stepped in behind you, a scream nearly ripped itself from your throat.

“Hello there, detka.” voice husky, just behind your ear.

“W-Wanda, hey! W-uh, what are you doing here? In the shower, with me?” Your voice cracked, and you refused to turn around lest she see your panicked face.

The witch chuckled, thinking you were simply flustered. “I thought after our conversation this morning it would be quite clear. I’m showering with you. Like I said, I won’t bite. Much.”

Soft hands came up to frame your body, pausing as you froze in her grasp.

“Y/N? Are you okay?” She removed her hands from your body.

It was too late. Your mind was a tumultuous whirlwind, what little touch she had provided, gentle as it was, was simply too much, and you wanted to scream, cry, lash out. None of those things were acceptable, and you didn’t want to hurt the love of your life in any way, so instead you completely shut down. Not intentionally, you were simply incapable in that moment of verbalizing what was happening without an outpouring of emotion accompanying it.

Nevertheless Wanda found herself buffeted by your thoughts and emotions, though she couldn’t clearly discern any one in particular. Only distress.

“Dorogoya, can you tell me what’s wrong?”

More silence.

“Y/N I try not to do this, but I’m worried for you. Is it okay if I read your mind to understand what’s going on? To know how to help you?”

A nearly imperceptible nod was all the witch needed. Honestly, even if you hadn’t given it, she probably would have done so anyway. It wasn’t… the best moral decision, but seeing you so upset and not knowing why or how to help made her so worried. Green eyes radiated a soft scarlet, as Wanda filtered through your thoughts and emotions.

Fear, embarrassment, shame, discomfort, gross, overwhelmed, too much, make it stop, make it sto-

Wanda retreated from your thoughts. She had suspected that you were Autistic, but never knew if you’d had a formal diagnosis. There had been little signs, though today’s incident with the horse, and just now confirmed it for her. She hated that you felt as if you had to hide this from her, even if she understood why though

Your comfort came first and foremost. Utilizing her magic, she instantly cleansed the pair of you, removing the dirt, sweat, and grime before turning the water off and leaving you both in silence. Not wanting to overwhelm you, she spoke gently, directly into your mind.

“I’m sorry, lyubov moya, I didn’t know. You have nothing to be ashamed of. It’s okay, you’re okay. I still love you, and I’m still here. I’m going to be in the bedroom when you are ready, love. Take your time, but know that no matter what, I will never abandon you.” Though the older woman longed to place a kiss to the back of your neck reassuringly, from what little she knew, Wanda believed it wouldn’t be helpful to you now. Focusing instead on what was best for you she kept her word, heading to the bedroom to make some changes in preparation for your arrival.

To any normal person, Wanda’s reassurances would probably have been enough, but all you could think was this was it: She was finally going to realize just how broken you were and leave just like everyone else did. Just like your parents always said everyone would. Gods you needed therapy. You really needed to remember to ask Wanda if she could help set that up for you. If she didn’t go running for the hills that is.

In an effort to stop your spiral, you focused on your breathing. In for four, hold for four, exhale for four. Once that was under control, you began taking into account three things you could see, three things you could smell, three things you could touch, and so on. Grounding yourself was key, and you were careful not to look at anything too bright, to sniff too hard, or touch any textures that were not known pleasant ones. You could do this. You could recover, and when, not if, when you did, you would go out and promise Wanda you could change. That you would get better.

You couldn’t. Change, that is, but you would get better at masking. You had done it before, you would do it again. Anything as long as you could convince Wanda to keep you by her side. At this point, you didn’t think you could stand going back to the real world. Aside from the very real fear that you would have to live with your parents again (which again, you were positive they wouldn’t take you back anyway so.. homeless) and you would almost rather die than put yourself through that again. Now that you knew what it was like to be truly cared for by another person, you could admit that the way your parents had treated you was not how parents should treat their children, even as adults.

There was also the fact that you had fallen head over heels for the witch, genuinely enjoying being in her presence. Yes, you would like to make some additional friends, but you were sure you could get Wanda to eventually warm up to that. With these outings, she didn’t seem to mind you interacting with any of the staff and if she really wanted you to be happy, she would have to let you make friends. She could be won over on that topic, Wanda was just afraid to lose you, but once convinced you were hers, she would loosen the reins a little. You were certain of it.

Now though, you were terrified of losing it all over your meltdown. It had to be fixed. You had to be better. Wanda deserved at least that. Gathering all your courage (which admittedly wasn’t much, but for Wanda, you would find some), you left the shower, drying off. Mentally you were preparing everything you would say to the witch to convince her to keep you. It’s not like you were above begging.

As you stepped foot into your shared bedroom, a quiet gasp escaped you. The cottage-core style bedroom you had become familiar with had been completely transformed. More modern, the lighting was a soft, pale lavender. In the corner where previously had been a small television was now a zen waterfall, the water trickling soothingly. Your bed had been modified: It appeared to have a low hanging canopy completely encircling the bed with only one entrance, making it a perfect little nest.

To say you were speechless would be an understatement. A second ago you had been gearing yourself to come out and beg the witch to not throw you out, to plead your case that you could change and were worthy of keeping around. Not for a moment had you expected to come out and find that the witch had redone the room into an entirely sensory friendly experience just for you.

“I- what’s all this?” You could very well see, but you wanted verbal confirmation, not trusting yourself, as always.

Wanda spoke and you didn’t think you had ever heard her voice this soft.

“Darling, you were having a hard time. I just wanted to make things easier for you, so I made the room a bit more… friendly.. for you. What good are all these powers of mine, if I don’t use them to help the one I love most?”

Your throat tightened at that four lettered word.

“You didn’t have to go through all this trouble.” I’m not worth it, went unsaid, but as usual Wanda knew.

“Of course I did, detka. You mean everything to me. I’m sorry for not realizing you were hurting earlier and just barging into the shower with you. I should have asked. I didn’t, I just assumed, and I’m sorry. You were just trying to decompress, and I made it so much worse for you. That’s never what I want for you, lyubov.”

Wanda sat on the chaise lounge, wanting nothing more than to take you into her arms, and hold you until all your bad feelings went away, but this was about what you needed, not what she wanted. So she waited for you.

With tentative steps, you walked further into the room, taking it all in. How could you have thought moments ago that this wonderful woman would ever possibly throw you out? How many ways could she say and demonstrate that she loved you and was here for you?

A few steps more and you were within arm's length of the redhead. Wanda observed you curiously as your lower lip trembled and your eyes watered. Before she could ask you what was the matter, you threw yourself at her. Only a decade of Avenger honed reflexes enabled her to catch you in her arms, preventing the pair of you from tumbling to the floor. Lightly muscle arms held to her as you cried into her neck, your entire body wracked with sobs.

Comforting words in her native Sokovian were muttered softly in your ear as Wanda held you. One hand behind your head pressed you firmly but gently into her neck, the other ran soothing ministrations up and down your back. It wasn’t long before you had cried yourself out, laying exhaustively in her arms, only whimpering occasionally.

“Malyshka, do you want to get into the bed and make a nice nest?”

Stubbornly you shook your head. That would involve parting from Wanda, and you didn’t want to do that. Wanda was solace. Wanda was safe. Wanda… was home.

Said woman chuckled at your rather loud, if childlike thoughts. Too precious. She was grateful the little research she had been able to do while you were in the shower had paid off. There hadn’t been much time, but fortunately thanks to Wanda’s magic, it hadn’t taken her long to get everything ready.

“What if I get in bed with you, malysh?”

A pause as you contemplated. Finally, you gave a single nod in acceptance. You made no move to get up though. If Wanda wanted to get you into bed, she could finagle that herself, but you weren’t willingly leaving her arms unless it was over your cold, dead body.

Though you weren’t able to see it, the witch rolled her eyes fondly at your antics. Fortunately, the same training which afforded her superior reflexes also improved her overall fitness and strength. She was no Thor, but Wanda could certainly lift you with relative ease, and so she did, carrying you over to the bed. With some awkward shuffling, she eventually had you both situated comfortably. Initially Wanda had set you as the little spoon, your go to position for cuddling. However, it only took a moment for you to decide that was not what you wanted, and you swiftly rectified the situation by rolling over and burying yourself in her arms, wiggling happily.

A surprised giggle left the older woman, but she loved when you got like this. How tactile you could be. It wasn’t possible for your bodies to be physically closer unless they were literally fused together, but you were clearly bent on trying to be. The former avenger could feel your fingers periodically flexing against her sweater (specifically chosen due to its soft texture in the hopes it wouldn’t irritate should it come into contact with you), unable to actually pull her any closer, but squeezing anyway.

No words were spoken for some time. Without moving, and therefore no access to a phone or watch, Wanda couldn’t say for certain exactly how much time had passed, but it was probably at least an hour if not a bit more. She had planned more for your evening, but with how content you were in her arms, the world could be on fire and she wouldn’t dare move you. Your eyes had closed a long time ago, breathing evened out. One could almost mistake you for having fallen asleep if it weren’t for how every so often you would nuzzle under Wanda’s chin. Every time you did, her heart melted. She was glad you were feeling better, and if you never got to go on the rest of the date tonight, that was just fine with her.

You however, had not forgotten. This lovely nest Wanda had created for you had done the trick. Well, that and cuddling with your favorite person. You weren’t sure what time it was, but you hoped it wasn’t too late. Lethargically, you disentangled your limbs from the witch’s so you could stretch and yawn (if Wanda’s intrusive thoughts to poke your tongue with her finger almost won, well, that was her business).

“Hey Wands?” You asked quietly, not wanting to break the spell of comfort entirely just yet.

“Yes, detka?”

“I don’t know what else you had planned for today, but if it’s not too late, can we still go out?”

Unbeknownst to you, even if it had been too late, Wanda had the capability to turn back time, such was the magnitude of her powers, but she wouldn’t bother you with that just now. Instead, she smiled at your eagerness.

“Of course, lyubov. Are you sure you’re up for it though? You don’t have to do that for me, if you want to stay here for the rest of the night and cuddle, that’s perfectly alright by me.” Hooking her index finger beneath your chin, she tilted your face to make eye contact with you, gauging your reaction to her words.

Ever the considerate one, you thought fondly.

“I’m sure. I was really excited to go, and if it’s alright with you, I would like to still go, please?”

Sensing your sincerity, Wanda grinned and crawled out of bed with you, helping you out when your foot got tangled in the sheets and had stumbled.

“I would love to, Y/N. Look in the closet for something semi-formal, and we can head out.”

Semi-formal? Where were you going? One of these days this woman was going to spill the beans, or you were going to tickle it out of her, you thought boldly.

The witch whirled back to arch an eyebrow at you daringly. Gulping, you acquiesced that formal was fine, asking instead how long you had to get ready. Technically you had all the time in the world, but Wanda gave you a timeline of about an hour for expediency's sake.

As Wanda left you to get ready, though where she went, you weren’t sure, you both shared a bedroom. However, when you opened the closet, it became clear the woman must have used her magic to transform it for you - everything in it was to your taste. There must be another closet for her elsewhere in the house. Or maybe she didn’t even need a closet? Perhaps she could simply conjure her clothing around herself, you were pretty certain you had seen her do that once after a shower with pajamas. You appreciated that she was allowing you to pick your own outfit, realizing she could simply dress you herself.

Heat bloomed across your cheeks, finding the thought more appealing than you probably should. It was healthy to have some level of independence in a relationship, right? Somewhere in the recesses of your mind the initials of a lifestyle pricked at your curiosity, but you pushed them back. You weren’t… one of those people, and surely neither was Wanda. Even if… part of you wondered what could be.

Disregarding such thoughts, you focused on perusing the closet in search of something to wear for the evening. Semi-formal, semi-formal. how convenient that the entire closet was filled with such attire, all in different cuts, styles, and colors. Half tempted as you were to find the witch and see what she was going to be wearing so you could compliment her, you deigned instead to trust in her instincts. Wanda never let you down, and even if you clashed, there were plenty of other options for you to change into.

Eventually you settled on a soft charcoal blazer, cream button up, the top two buttons left undone, dark grey chinos cuffed at the bottom, and black Oxfords. Briefly you debated on a tie, but Wanda had said semi-formal, so you thought the tie might be too much. To touch it up a little though, you added a classic silver and black Rolex Daytona, and a few of your black rings. A look at yourself in the mirror, and honestly, you felt pretty good.

Lately that has been the case. You wouldn’t say you couldn’t recall the last time you looked in the mirror and felt the need to vomit at your appearance, you absolutely could, and it was recently. These days though weren’t nearly as bad as it had been in the past, and they were definitely occurring less often than you were used to. The last time it had happened, Wanda had held your hair back while you emptied out the contents of your stomach into the toilet, rubbing soothing circles onto your back. By then she was long familiar with these episodes, and they broke her heart for you.

So ingrained was your mothers scathing, hateful voice in your brain that it had practically become your own. Often whispering vile, untrue and derogatory words, belittling yourself to the point of making yourself physically ill. The witch could only imagine what that must have been like growing up hearing all of it in person from someone who was supposed to have provided you with words of love and support instead.

Now though, you felt pretty dapper. Lightly mussed hair, a crooked grin upon your lips, eyes sparkling with happiness, one might even say you looked dashing. A thrill ran through you at your appearance, and that you were even capable of admitting it to yourself that you weren’t totally trash. Pleased overall with your appearance, you took a gander at your watch for the time - definitely early. You set off in search of your favorite person, hoping to catch her with enough time to see what she was wearing in case you needed to change because what you were wearing clashed with her outfit (poor you, grey goes with just about everything, apparently).

You didn’t have to search far, in the living room watching her shows was Wanda. Mouth suddenly dry, you struggled to swallow. You thought her outfit for your last date had been unfairly attractive on her - what she was wearing now should be a crime against your libido. Mommy? Sorry.

Crushed velvet blood red blazer, white button up done all the way to the collar, the length of the cuffs exaggerated extending beyond the blazer. Her legs were crossed, drawing your attention to her pants which were made of the same material and color as the blazer and tapered nicely to her ankles, leading your eye line to her beige heels. You gulped loudly, drawing the woman’s attention to your presence.

She took a moment to look upon your form appreciatively, eyes dark. “You look very handsome, detka.”

“Sdjka error..” you whispered to yourself quietly, not realizing this was an outside thought.

The redhead full on belly laughed and you blushed furiously, wishing the floor would swallow you whole.

Not wanting you to remain too embarrassed for long, Wanda stood to embrace you, kissing your cheek. “Thank you, for the compliment” she couldn’t resist one last tease before wrapping her arm low around your waist, settling her hand on your hip.

You just mumbled, letting her move you as she saw fit, before finally being able to speak again properly. “You look amazing, Wands, truly.”

Her smile could power a small sun.

“Are you ready, lyubov?”

Excitement returned as you remembered what you were dressed up for. Subtly you tried to contain your bounces to a minimum, settling for a small wiggle. “Please?”

The telltale portal appeared before you and Wanda escorted you through. First thing you were able to tell, it was noticeably cooler than the one you set foot through this morning. Not Australia then. You tried not to show your relief. The country was beautiful, and you loved petting the cows, and the horses, but.. you did not want to go back too soon. The faintest scent of the ocean invaded your nostrils - it wasn’t likely in walking distance, but this was definitely an oceanic city.

A quiet tree-lined street, the sounds of traffic were distant. A brick lined building stood out, with a brass plaque along it, in elegant text: Quince. It must be a restaurant, likely Italian if you had to guess. Arm still wrapped around your waist, Wanda led you in its direction, and you followed your shepherd. Ever the gentlewoman, she opened the door, gesturing for you to proceed. As you entered into the vestibule, you saw the maître d’, decked out to the nines waiting for you expectantly. Panicked, you froze, having no idea what name the reservation was under. A people person, you were not, you didn’t even make your own doctor appointments if you didn’t have to.

Fortunately for you, Wanda was immediately back by your side, and to your surprise, the man seemed to be expecting her. “Ah, Ms. Maximoff, right on time! This way, please.”

You looked at her quizzically. How could you be on time after everything? Oh. Right. Magic. A wizard is never late, he arrives precisely when he means to, you quoted silently to yourself and tried not to chuckle at your Lord of the Rings reference.

“Thank you, Jacobsson. Come on, detka.” Her arm was back around your waist, gently pulling you along behind the maître d’ as he led you through the restaurant. From the plaque and the man’s attire alone you had guessed the place was fancy, but you’d had no idea what you were about to walk into. Entering into the main dining area, the walls lined with brick, accented with beautifully stained mahogany, but what really stood out were the chandeliers that peppered the ceiling. Those couldn’t have been cheap glass. You squinted. Those had to be real crystal. Shit, how fucking expensive was this place? You looked at Wanda, attempting to sus out just where she had brought you.

As usual, the older woman gave nothing away, hers a perfect poker face. Knowing you would get nothing from her, you continued to take in the restaurant. Seemed a bit odd that no one else was there.

Suddenly Jacobsson began speaking, drawing your attention back. “Quince first opened it’s doors in 2003 by Chef Michael Tusk and his wife, Lindsay, in Pacific Heights. The restaurant moved in January 2023, highlighting the 20-year anniversary, to our current location here in Jackson Square, which incidentally is next door to our sister restaurant, Cotogna. Quince is one of only five other restaurants in California to boast three Michelin stars. (ehhh, google had conflicting info on all of this, suspend your disbelief) Here at Quince, we abide by a farm-to-table ethos in creating our contemporary Northern Italian cuisine. Chef Tusk works with ingredients from local farmers, ranchers, fishmongers and creameries—building on relationships that, in some cases, reach back 20 years. What’s more, the chef does much of the food shopping himself, often traveling to nearby Marin County for meat, produce and eggs.”

Oh. That… explained so much. Jesus Christ, you didn’t want to know how much this place was going to cost. Not that you were going to be able to tell - places like this didn’t post the prices on their menus. It wouldn’t matter, Wanda was never going to dream of letting you contribute, much less pay, which to be fair, what little funds you had left were dwindling from the last few times she had agreed to compromise and let you contribute. There wasn’t much left for you to make a dent in anything.

Sensing your anxiety, as always, the hand on your waist gripped a little tighter, thumb running soothingly up your side. Soon enough Jacobsson had brought you to your table. There wasn’t any place inside that could be considered secluded, the restaurant seated a mere ten tables. Since there weren’t any other guests though, combined with the ambiance of the lighting against the dark mahogany, the vibe felt very intimate.

The redhead pulled out your chair for you, pushing you in once you had gotten comfortable in it before taking her own seat. Jacobsson handed you both your menus, informing you that your waiter would arrive shortly, and the chef would be out in a little while to greet you. Once the man left, you turned to Wanda, eyes wide almost accusing.

“Madam!” Your voice was playful but exasperated.

Wanda’s in turn dripped with faux innocence. “What is it, detka?”

“You know very well what it is. Three Michelin starred restaurant? No one else here, and the host just gives us the whole restaurant’s history and then the freaking chef is going to introduce himself to us?! I know you have a black card, Wands, and I know we never exactly discussed your financial situation, but do I even want to know how much all this cost for you just to arrange, let alone the dinner?”

The witch considered you, weighing the likelihood of your actually being upset versus just not used to being spoiled. “Dorogoya, I want to spoil you, why are you concerned with money? I have more than enough to cover it?”

A strangled noise escaped your throat. “It’s not that I doubt if you have the funds, Wands, I just.. it’s a lot of money to be spending on me. I don’t have any way to repay you, and I could never afford to treat you to something this nice. It feels… uneven.”

The root cause of your concerns were two-fold, and Wanda understood. Hoping to alleviate your concerns, she explained. “Y/N, first of all, there is never an amount of money that is too much to spend on you. You deserve the world, and as I will continue to tell and show you over and over again, one day you will believe me. It brings me joy to spoil you. I don’t want nor expect you to “repay” me, as you put it. I can understand how you might view my treating you to such extravagances as “uneven”, but detka, you provide me with so much more with just your presence than money could ever provide. I don’t need you to take me out to a fancy dinner to make me feel loved.”

You bristled slightly. “And you think that I do?”

Wanda sighed, gathering her thoughts to explain. “Of course not, lyubov. You know of.. Americans say “love languages”? One of my preferred methods to show how much I care is to give gifts. It is not the only method, simply one of many. I know however that it is more about how you prefer to receive love, but I also know that I cover those you prefer with words of affirmation, physical touch, and quality time. So please, Y/N, indulge me in this? It makes me happy to make you happy. Unless you’re telling me it doesn’t make you happy? In which case I will respect you of course, and we can leave immediately.”

When the witch looked at you so earnestly, how could you help but give in? It was a nice gesture, and when would you ever get an opportunity to go to any of the places she had taken you to otherwise? Really, you felt a little shitty, like maybe you were spitting in the face of her generosity.

“Okay, Wands. But since we are on that topic, I wanted to speak with you a bit about having some more equality in our relationship?”

If it were physically possible, Wanda’s heart would have sunk into her stomach. Desperately she tried to think of what you could be referring to. In what ways were you unequal? Honestly, there were several, but that was a pill she wasn’t ready to swallow. But you were looking at her so timidly, afraid of her reply, and wasn’t that exactly what she didn’t want? Swallowing harshly, the woman nodded, prepared to ask you to elaborate when the waiter arrived.

He introduced himself as Matteo and asked for your drink orders. Afraid of what was coming, you surprisingly ordered a double shot margarita, feeling the need for some liquid courage. Wanda on the other hand, felt the need to keep a cool head, so she stuck with water, and a simple Chardonnay that was mostly for appearance’s sake. Matteo then read off the specials and left the pair of you to your devices.

An uncomfortable silence overtook the table. This was not what Wanda had envisioned for the night, and you felt terrible for ruining things. Still, if you didn’t bring it up while you were thinking about it, you never would. You were like that, bring it up in the moment, or never. Or rather, bring it up 4 months later after stewing on it to the point of explosive anger, and neither of you deserved that.

Eventually Wanda broke the silence. “So, you mentioned… equality in the relationship?”

“Oh, yes.” Slowly you took a steadying breath. This conversation could go one of two ways. Wanda had made such good progress with you and being less controlling, but had she made enough to make this request work?

“So in every healthy relationship,” you stressed the word healthy. “People do things like go to work, or school, or see friends.”

Wanda tensed. She thought you were passed this. She really didn’t want to have to forcefully block such impulses from your mind, that felt… like blocking off a crucial part of what made you, well, you. Begrudgingly she listened, if only to buy herself time to formulate an argument against it.

“I’m not asking to go back home, or anything like that. I’m just asking if like.. I would like to feel productive, I guess? I want to learn some new skills. I get that you said I don’t need a job, and I’m trusting you on that. But there are things I would like to learn simply because I would like to know more about them. To add to that, I would also like to have my own money to buy small things I like when we are out.”

Wanda started to interrupt, but Y/N held up her hand, and Wanda bit her cheek.

“I know, you want to pay for everything, and for the most part I have tried to let you. Please understand though that it makes me sort of uncomfortable to allow you to pay for absolutely every single thing. Plus then when I want to buy something for you, it’s with your own money and that just seems wrong to me. I want to buy you something with the money that I’ve earned.”

It killed her inside, but the witch nodded for you to continue. Pleased that she hadn’t exploded, you hurried to get out what was probably going to kill the whole deal.

“Lastly, I… I want to make friends, Wanda.”

Eye twitch. It didn’t go unnoticed, and you rushed your next sentence before she could change her mind and stop you.

“It’s just not healthy to only have each other. I really like you, like.. so, so much. I love spending time with you more than anything else in the world and I don’t want you to think that I would ever rather spend time with anyone else. But I also know that we have to have other people in our lives, or we’ll sour our own relationship, so if we could please try making friends? I’m not even asking to make friends separately!”

At this point you were about to beg. “We could look for a couple friends and go on double dates and stuff! Wouldn’t that be cute?” You appealed to her weakness: your nearly undeniable puppy eyes.

Silence stretched for what felt like infinity while Wanda considered all you had said. Finally, she opened her mouth to respond, when the Chef came out to introduce himself.

He was a very nice man, and spoke for a few minutes about the menu, where the ingredients were sourced that day, and how happy he was that she had chosen his restaurant. He hoped she would enjoy their dinner and told her if there was anything they didn’t like to please not hesitate to let him know and he would make it right. Wanda politely conversed and agreed, and at any other time she would have probably thoroughly enjoyed his conversation but right now she just wanted him to be gone. She should just stop time right now and hash this out but she didn’t want to risk ruining anything by being hasty.

When the chef left, Wanda could have cheered. Instead, she took a breath to settle her thoughts. As much as she hated to admit it, you made valid, rational points. These were all things you really wanted, enough to withstand several memory wipes, enough to bring it up with her, and so timidly knowing she would probably be upset. The last time that you had brought it up and she hadn’t wiped you, she had shot you down non too graciously. It wasn’t that she had blown up, per se, rather she had completely shut the conversation down.

Wanda weighed her options. She could wipe you, yet again, but at this point she was only putting off the inevitable. She could force the independence out of you, erasing that part of your identity. She could shut the conversation down once again, and as passive as you were, that would buy her time. There was no doubt in her mind though you would come to resent her for it, as you would the other options should they ever to light. Alternatively, Wanda could agree to your terms. With some caveats, of course.

“Okay.”

“Please, Wans, just think ab- wait, okay?”

“Okay. These are clearly things that would make you happy. Things you really want. I want you to be happy detka, so... Okay.”

You cheered, but the witch cut in.

“But! I do have some conditions. I still have enemies out there who would hurt you to get to me, and I can’t risk anything happening to you. Will you hear my conditions?”

Of course you would. You didn’t think Wanda would even let you get this far. “Yes!”

She chuckled at your enthusiasm. “As far as school goes, I’d prefer for you to do online classes at home.”

Your head tilted. “Online? But we don’t have any internet?”

Wanda sighed. She owed you the truth, and it was time she shared at least some of it with you.

“I may have told you a half truth when I brought you to our home, dorogoya. I’m not proud of it, but I didn’t want you to know how much time was passing, so I blocked off all network connectivity to our home while you were adjusting. I was afraid you would be too focused on needing to go home instead of getting to know me, but… if wanting to learn is something you are passionate about, I can arrange for you to have access to online courses.”

Green eyes peered at you through long lashes, waiting for you to lash out at her for her deception. It never came. You understood, even if you didn’t agree with it. After the incident with her cellphone’s notification several months ago, you had suspected as much and now she had just confirmed it. In the end it had been to your benefit though, so could you really be mad if the ends justifies the means? You chose to ignore the way she glossed over the fact that she effectively kidnapped you and held you hostage, finding her preference of the word “adjusting” almost amusing. Stockholm syndrome was a real thing, but you didn’t believe what you had with Wanda could be attributed to that. Well. Not now at any rate.

“Okay, I agree to that. Can I pick the classes I want to take?”

Blinking, confused, Wanda asked “Why would you ask me that? They’re your classes.”

Your silence spoke volumes, and Wanda once again internally raged against your deceased parents, wishing she could kill them yet again. “You can pick whatever classes you want, detka. They’re yours to take.”

A small, happy smile graced your lips.

“Regarding your job.”

The smile dropped. You waited for the caveat.

“No more than 10 hours a week, and they can’t interfere with your classes. If your grades start dropping, you have to drop the job, understood?”

Eagerly, you nodded. Those seemed like perfectly reasonable boundaries, ones you would probably even set for yourself. What you didn’t know was that whatever job you got, Wanda was going to make sure your manager adhered to that allotted ten hours, no more, they would only ever be a set schedule for when you weren’t having classes, and Wanda wasn’t putting up with any of that minimum wage bullshit. If she had to pay you out of her own pocket, you need never know. No one was taking advantage of you if she could help it, and fortunately for you, she had all the power to ensure it.

“As for the friends, I… suppose… we could look into that. I’m not a very sociable creature, Y/N, you know this. But for you, I will try. Just don’t expect a lot too soon, okay? Let’s get everything else going, see where we stand then and go from there, okay?”

Elation filled you. If asked, you would have said you could have walked on air. Wanda was trying so hard for you. She really was perfect. Obviously she had flaws, like everyone, but where it counted, she was perfect.

“I love you.”

Silence.

You both stared at each other. Those words were not meant to be uttered aloud by you just now. Inside thoughts, and all that. But seeing Wanda try so hard for you, more than the restaurant, more than the outings she arranged for you, it was these compromises she had just agreed to which sealed her into your heart. Such concessions must have been weighing heavily on her, and once upon a time the woman could have either blown up or shut you down, but instead here she was trying to make compromises. With fairly reasonable ones at that, all because she knew it would make you happy.

You loved Wanda. You knew that to your core, and to be honest, you had known for a while. It was clear Wanda had loved you as well, she had certainly made no secret about it. From the way she spoke to you, cared for you, helped you. You felt it in the way she crafted experiences with your enjoyment in mind, in the way she touched you.

This wasn’t how you had planned on telling her. You’d wanted to save up some money first and take her out on a nice date in return, make some grand gesture, as opposed to ungracefully blurting it out after a super serious discussion. Nevertheless, the words were out there, and you didn’t want to take them back.

“I love you, Wanda. With all my heart.” Gently, you took her hand in yours on the table, holding it as you gazed into her eyes letting her see the truth of your words for herself.

Words Wanda had longed to hear from the moment she’d laid eyes on you in this universe didn’t hit her like a train she often daydreamed. They rolled over her like the relieving mist of summer’s rain against her skin on a hot day. The air, once heavy and oppressive, was replaced by a crisp invigorating coolness, leaving a trail of relief in its wake, washing away the tension. Scars long burnt into her heart were soothed and eased by your words.

Lashes fluttered closed as a lone tear rolled down her cheek. Alarmed, you leapt from your chair to kneel in front of the older woman, using your thumb to wipe away the tear. Of all the reactions you expected to your words, this was not one of them. Before your anxiety could run away with you though, Wanda’s hand shot up to clutch yours, pressing both yours and hers more firmly onto her face before she opened her eyes to gaze at you lovingly.

“Happy tears, lyubov,” she whispered.

“Oh.”

Slowly, as if afraid you might startle like a baby deer, the witch leaned into your personal space until her lips were but a breath from your own. She glanced from your eyes to your lips, and back. “I love you too, Y/N”

It was the softest kiss you had ever received. There was no heat, just a simple pressing of lips against each other, knowing the truth had finally been admitted to both of you.

A quiet clearing of the throat came from the side. You both parted to see Matteo had returned to take your order. To your surprise, you weren’t the only one who blushed this time. With a grin, you took your seat, letting Wanda order for you as usual.

The rest of your dining experience was a blur, which would be disappointing for such a treat, but given how Wanda enjoyed spoiling you, it stood to reason you would be returning to this restaurant soon. Dinner was filled with heated glances and teasing touches. The air was thick with anticipation. Normally you would probably be miffed about your meal containing such tiny portions but at this point you weren’t sure how much you could eat. In truth, you wished Wanda would just get the check so you could leave. That would be incredibly rude to the chef though, and he seemed really nice.

After what seemed like an age, dinner was finished. The chef came out once again to chat, which fortunately was brief, and thanked Wanda for her patronage. When she stood up to leave, you realized she had pre-paid in advance. Likely very handsomely, which made the entire evening make more sense. You were relieved as that meant you could go now, no need to wait.

Wanda casually tossed a roll of bills on the table for gratuity and once again led you out of the restaurant though you noticed her hand had drifted far lower, resting possessively on your ass. A shiver rolled down your spine as you considered what awaited you when you got home.

A/N: Fashion: I hate it. Google. Had to do much googling of formal fucking attire (straight cheated and looked up Elizabeth Olsen outfits for Wanda). And thEN!! I had to try to figure out how to describe it! Honestly, I really just wanted to go by brands because that made more sense to me than “it’s a chino”. Okay?? That looks like a colored jean?? Tf is a chino? I have no idea wtf I’m doing. If it doesn’t come on a mannequin, idk how to put it together. I literally have to take pictures in the store so once I get it home, going forward I can wear it again. Don’t ask me the amount of money I have wasted on outfits I thought I would remember to put together later that I absolutely did not, and then never wore again (looking at you red and gold plaid slacks - what am I supposed to do with you??? Why???). For the love of god, someone please style me for the rest of my life. I’ll give you my credit card. Jk, I have no money :’( I’ll write you shitty fanfiction??? I realized too late that Wanda’s hair is red for this. Can red hair and red clothes go together? I’m sure, yes? I spent too much time googling that and then… Questioned my life choices.

A/N 2: Some of this is based on my own life experience (some exaggerated for story purposes or changed to protect them and or myself) with family but before anybody flames my mother, please note that she has gone to therapy, and has (as I have gotten into my mid 30s) made changes, apologies, and supported me in my own growth and journey. I want to be clear; I do not wish my mother was dead, but creative writing can be it’s own form of therapy, and I’m writing this from my perspective from when I was in my early 20’s.

Taglist: @dorabledewdroop @sadslasher13 Also @xxxtwilightaxelxxx your reblogs with the additional tags are giving me life lol bless.

#Wanda maximoff x reader #dark!wanda x reader #wanda maximoff x fem!reader #wanda maximoff x f!reader #wanda maximoff x female reader #dark!wanda maximoff #dark!wanda maximoff x reader #wanda x reader #dark wanda x reader #yandere!Wanda #yandere wanda maximoff #wanda x y/n #wanda x you #wanda maximoff x you #wanda maximoff x reader

[castorochiaro]

please support bluey legitimately as well by streaming on official sources/watching on tv or buying merch if you're able to. not a lotta folks realize this, but bluey is created by an independent, australia-based animation company called ludo studio, which accounts for how creative and unique it's been able to be. disney has distribution rights, not creative control or ownership.

PLEASE support indie animation!

#Bluey

[autisticshadowthehedgehog]

It’s Sonic Gang Disney Movie Night! And it’s the Unstoppable Forces vs Immovable Objects! Let’s meet our competitors:

Knuckles “the last of his kind on a noble quest to protect a gem with trust issues, badass fighting skills, and a water-based spirit most of his lost culture was based around who wants to live out his fantasy of his people coming back and enemies turning into friends via continued applied trust” the Echidna who wants to watch Raya and the Last Dragon

Tikal “the curious and empathetic chief’s daughter who was really close with her now-dead grandma who yearns to return to a culture her people once had but have now abandoned and works to make peace with the dieties of her culture while being best friends with sentient water who wants to live out her fantasy of resolving her daddy issues and bringing her people and gods to peace” the Echidna who wants to watch Moana

Blaze “the heir to an entire kingdom with a lot of huge expectations placed on her by her deceased parents desperately trying to keep her deadly and dangerous powers under control which is an issue because they burst out when she’s emotional and she’s been repressing quite a bit of emotions only for an energetic, bubbly person to bring her out of her shell and prove that she can be herself without hurting anyone else” the Cat who wants to watch Frozen

Elise also wants to watch Frozen so two points for Blaze

Shadow “an alien scientifically created to be a living weapon meant to destroy who ends up befriending a little girl who teaches him to have humanity, after which he begins to appreciate life on Earth and fights to protect both it and the found family he’s pieced together for himself” the Hedgehog who wants to watch Lilo & Stitch

Sonic who wants to watch Wreck-It Ralph because he’s in it and things go fast

Amy Rose who wants to watch Sleeping Beauty because it’s “romantic” and “beautiful” but also so she can wait until the dragon scene and then start blasting “What I’m Made Of” and scare the shit out of everyone

Silver “was left alone in a barren wasteland for far longer than he wants to admit and honestly probably longer than he can remember who ends up finding one last bit of hope and who wants to live out his fantasy of bringing life back to his planet and seeing society grow around him as he finds a family of his own” the Hedgehog who wants to watch WALL-E. he’ll also settle for Lightyear he guesses

Cream who wants to watch Snow White because pretty princess sing to animals and spin around

Sally “the heir to an entire kingdom with some severe dead dad issues who ends up on the run as a child only to return and find her kingdom decimated by someone she once trusted who now has to raise a rebellion with her childhood sweetheart to dethrone the usurper and retake the land before he can destroy the entire environment” Acorn who wants to watch The Lion King

Vector who wants to watch The Great Mouse Detective and say “that’s what we do. we do that”

Shahra who wants to watch Aladdin. do i even have to

oh and Jet wants to watch Aladdin too but that’s just because he thinks stealing things is funny

Merlina actually does not want to watch Sword in the Stone it makes her uncomfortable however she will BITE someone if they don’t watch Coco next

Marine who wants to watch Finding Nemo because oooh water ooh australia oooh look at the fishies go. no she doesn’t have abandonment issues why do you ask

alternatively, Marine will make everyone watch The Pirate Fairy

Tekno who wants to watch Big Hero 6 because look at those robots go

Omega who wants to watch The Black Cauldron cause it has the most death in it

Rouge who would rather watch everyone argue than see any movie

Mighty and Ray just wanna watch Bambi guys

Big who wants to watch Fantasia because it calms him down. Omega does a quick ecosia search of Night on Bald Mountain and immediately likes this plan

Belle who wants to watch Pinocchio for obvious reasons

Charmy who wants to watch Peter Pan just to point at the tv when Tink is onscreen and look Belle dead in the eye and say “that’s you”

Espio who wants to die

Miles “Tails” Prower who can’t decide if he wants to watch Dumbo or Meet the Robinsons or if both will just bring up a lot of traumatic memories

and finally, Sticks the Badger, who wants to beat the TV to death with a wooden club and then burn Disney HQ to the ground

who will win!! vote now on your phones

#sonic the hedgehog #sth #disney #sonic squad #mine #knuckles the echidna #tikal the echidna #blaze the cat #princess elise #shadow the hedgehog #amy rose #silver the hedgehog #cream the rabbit #sally acorn #vector the crocodile #shahra the genie #merlina #jet the hawk #marine the raccoon #tekno the canary #rouge the bat #e 123 omega #mighty the armadillo #ray the flying squirrel #big the cat #belle the tinkerer #charmy bee #espio the chameleon #tails the fox #sticks the badger

[thecruellestmonth]

https://refugeerights.org/get-involved/

"Daily clicks" are useless and distracting. An entire year of clicks raises $0.22 USD. Donate $1 to a fundraiser or organization to do more than a year of clicks. Share links for free to do more than a year of clicks.

"Daily clicks" are useless and distracting. An entire year of clicks raises $0.22 USD. Donate $1 to a fundraiser or organization to do more than a year of clicks. Share links for free to do more than a year of clicks.

Some helpful newbie guides

https://jasonbasics.carrd.co/

Jason Todd comics and other media guide (Carrd) and guide on Tumblr by @dailyjasontodd

Robin Jason comic recs by @robiinjason

Guide to the Batfam by @comic-commentary

The Incomplete Bat Lore: A Biased Guide to Chaotic Canon on Archive of Our Own

Hoopla Digital (US & Canada)

This blog contains a lot of Jason Todd. He is not my son, he is not my boyfriend, he is a specimen that I study.

Masterposts and meta

Jason + cops

Jason + literature

Does Jason Todd support the death penalty? (No, he doesn't.)

Jason and Steph are smart by wonderwondered

Robin II: DC Animated Universe and source material - comics influences and parallels on the DCAU's second Robin

Jason vs security

Jason’s knife skills by wonderwondered

Jason's lesser-known skills by wonderwondered

Jason's fighting skills by wonderwondered

How does Jason feel about Sheila Haywood?

Known canon blood types of various Gotham-based characters

Jason's trust issues and bond with Dick (2023)

Jason + dogs - fondness for dogs (and cats)

Jason's numerous crimes and atrocities by wonderwondered

Is Jason known to be a Wonder Woman fan? (Kinda, but Diana isn't his favorite Wonder Woman.)

quick & dirty guide to Jason Todd in the modern masterpiece Batman: Battle for the Cowl by Tony Daniel

How many times has Jason Todd tried to murder Tim Drake and Damian Wayne? (once: Battle for the Cowl by Tony Daniel)

Some other blogs: @dailyjasontodd, comic-commentary (inactive), fuckyeahjasontodd.tumblr.com (inactive), @theunavenged, robiinjason.tumblr.com

Fan fiction recommendations

Jason Todd 2022 fan fiction recs

Jason Todd 2023 fan fiction recs

Talia & Jason fic recs (to be added)

Dick Grayson & Jason fic recs

Stephanie Brown & Jason fic recs

Bruce Wayne & Jason fic recs: sweet and bittersweet

Bruce Wayne & Jason fic recs: bitter and toxic (to be added)

Cassandra Cain & Jason fic recs (FIGHT!)

Damian Wayne & Jason fic recs (to be added)

Spooky Jason fics recs (for Halloween season)

Batman and Batfamily: canon vs fanonized myths

FANLORE Wiki

Re: "What are in your opinion the biggest difference between the comic and the fanon versions of the other Batfamily members?" by @theflyingwonder

Batfam canon vs fanon by @bat-lings

Re: "How do fandom tropes compare to actual canon characterization for the robins " by @thebatmanfiles-blog

Nicknames: What do the Bats call each other? answered by kiragecko, sohotthateveryonedied and solidpunchkindaeyes, cornflakepizza and batsgalore, and bluebeauregard

These are some facts that are easy to miss if you mostly read fanfiction instead of 20 year old comics. (Slightly Tim-centric, of course.) by kiragecko

Masterlist of Comic Knowledge Posts by sohotthateveryonedied

Other "Bat family" blogs

Talia al Ghul: katefatale (semi-inactive), onlytalia (inactive)

Stephanie Brown: Stephanie Brown Wiki, our-happygirl500-fan (multifandom)

Rose Wilson: Pre-Flashpoint reading guide by roseworth

Dick Grayson: theflyingwonder (inactive), @northoftheroad, @nightwingology, @nightwing-ing-it, nightwingmyboi (inactive)

Damian Wayne: yicruz48 (inactive), @arabian-batboy, @wesavegotham

#Let me know if any links are broken. #Jason Todd meta #Jason Todd fic #Jason Todd fanfic #Jason Todd fanfiction #PIN #fic rec #fic rec list #fanfic rec

[thorns-and-rosewings]

MEANWHILE IN HOME SWEET BAR AU🍻

Eclipse, Ruin and all of the Infernal Machine staff are standing outside... As the sound of something large shuffling around inside can be heard. Along with some strange bird calls...

Eclipse: Alright... Who did it? I'm not mad I just want to know. Who put an emu in my bar?

Bartender 1: Honestly Eclipse, I have no idea. I just came back from the stock room and it was right there... And then it chased me out.

Bartender 2: Yeah I just walked in to start my shift and it was there. It had hate in its eyes. It looked like it was going to frickin mangle me so I backed up and went out the same way I came in.

Eclipse: (Sharp inhale) Oh... I think I can beat it in the HATRED department.

Ruin: Eclipse don't, I'm calling animal control.

Eclipse: That'll just take too long, it's a stupid bird. I've got it. (Goes in to deal with the big angry flightless bird)

Bartender 1: ...You think he can get rid of it?

Ruin: (Sighs) Well, Eclipse has a sea of untapped rage... But if the entire army of Australia couldn't beat these things, I don't think he's going to be very successful here.

(It's like the sound effects of Solar vs Jack, although with a lot more swearing and bird calls)

Bartender 2: Still... Who let's an emu into a bar? Was it a prank?

Bloodmoon: (Nobody even noticed he was coming up behind, initially for a kill... But now intrigued by the conversation) What is an emu?

The two human bartenders jump, Frank waves and Ruin is unfazed as he's looking up the number of animal control.

Ruin: A big angry flightless bird that Eclipse is most likely fighting off with a broom... Trying to get it out of the bar. But I think it's winning the fight.

Bloodmoon: (Chuckles and races inside, sensing a challenge)

The sounds increase 10x now peppered with the sounds of Bloodmoon laughing and snarling... Before all goes suddenly still... And Eclipse, rather disturbed, pokes his head out of the main door. Although it's clear he's splattered with a lot of blood.

Eclipse: ...okay... So somebody go around and try to drag one of the dumpsters out here to the front. We gotta dispose of an 80 pound dead bird... Wait... Oh gross... A... A 76 pound dead bird, no wait... Damn he's still eating it... 70 pounds? ...65 pounds... Wait... Wait DON'T YOU DARE THROW UP!!!

Ruin: (After a moment, changed from looking up animal control to something else...) Ah yes hello, Grimsly Crime Scene Cleaners? My name is Ruin and I am inquiring to see if cleaning up a mutilated emu in the middle of a Steampunk Bar might be something your services cover? Ah... Yes? Oh that's covered in your cleaning packages? Jolly good, I shall see you in a bit then!

They never speak of this incident again...

#tsams eclipse #tsams #tsams au #the sun and moon show #fnaf #fnaf au #dca au #dca #sun and moon show #tsams bloodmoon #sams solar #sams eclipse #sams au #Home Sweet Bar AU #sams ruin eclipse #tsams ruin #tsams ruin eclipse #Ruin x Eclipse #This is totally not me using humor to get over whatever the hell we just saw on today's episode #like seriously wtf #what a frickin mess #...about as much of a mess as what is happening here honestly...

[bratzforchris]

The House That Built Me Us

❃

Summary: In which you buying rockstar Luke Hemmings childhood home leads to a much deeper connection. Songfic inspired by "The House That Built Me" by Miranda Lambert <3

Pairing: Luke Hemmings x feminine reader

Warnings: Smut, protected p in v, vanilla sex, making out, hickeys, slightly angsty Luke, overall just really a sweet and fluffy smut/romance fic :)

Word Count: 4.1k

A/N: I'm not usually a big country music fan, but this is one of the first songs I learned to play on guitar as a kid, so I'm soft for it <3 Thank you for reading!

❃

Luke sighed as he drummed his fingers on the steering wheel, eyes glassing over as he gazed at the red stoplight above his head. He let his thoughts wander, thinking about why he was doing this. Maybe it was everything that had gone on in the last few months, or maybe everything that had gone down after the Sounds Live, Feels Live tour was just getting to his head. Either way, he found himself anxiously waiting for the stoplights of suburban Sydney to turn green. 

The blond thought back to his conversation with Ashton before he’d left for Australia, recalling his friend’s words. Ashton was always the most level-headed one of the band, so naturally, he had been the first to suggest that Luke return to his roots amidst his stress. In Luke’s mind, he had moved away; he couldn’t go back to that suburb. It held too many memories, some for good and some for worse. But like always, Ashton’s reasoning had won over Luke’s chaotic mind. 

“Luke, you’ve got to do something.” the honey-blond pleaded, staring down at his friend as Luke laid, wrapped in blankets, in the dark of Ashton’s guest room. 

“What the fuck am I supposed to do, Ash?” he’d snapped. “Pretend that I’m fine nad everything is great when I don’t fucking know how to go on living?”

Ashton sighed, sitting beside Luke on the bed. “I know. I know that it is so, so hard right now. But I also know how strong you are, Luke.”

Luke began to sob at Ashton’s kind words, shoving his face into the older male’s chest and just letting it all out. The stress of everything; the way he’d been forced to work like a damn animal despite his loss, the way he’d let her take advantage of him for so long, the way 5 Seconds of Summer was getting absolutely blasted from all sides by the media outlets. 

“...would some closure help?” Ashton whispered. 

“What do you mean?” Luke asked, wiping his blue eyes that had significantly dulled with the heel of his hand. 

“Well, what if you got some closure about everything that happened…y’know,” Ash mumbled, trying not to let the name engulf Luke’s temporary room in a cloud of grief. “What I’m saying is, what if you went back to Australia? Doesn’t matter how long; a week, a month, three. Go visit your childhood home. Remember why you’re doing this. LA will kill you if you don’t get out. 

“Maybe you’re right,” Luke trailed off, his friend’s words settling over him. “I just. I can’t.”

“You can, Luke,” Ashton reassured him. “You’re one of the strongest people I know. Go back, see how you feel, go from there. You’re only 20, dude. Corny as it sounds, the world is yours.”

Luke had smiled at that, enjoying Ashton’s warm embrace. Once the honey-blond had left the room, Luke pulled out his laptop, scouring various travel sites for flights to Sydney. 

The blond snapped back to the present as the light flicked green, pressing his foot to the pedal, zooming off before the rest of the cars. The inconspicuous Honda Civic he’d rented didn’t have great pickup, but Luke didn’t mind. Driving anything felt great after having his life dictated for so long. Maybe that’s why he was here, on this journey. He wanted to have the kind of control over his own life that he hadn’t had since he was sixteen and 5 Seconds of Summer signed with Modest!. 

It wasn’t long before Luke reached the more suburban part of the city, the wind whipping his slight curls as he flew through the back roads. “I need a haircut.” he thought for a moment, before shoving it away with the wind. This was his time, not management’s. He could do what he wanted. The blond bit his lip anxiously as he turned onto the street. The street that he had called home for sixteen years; the one he hadn’t been back to since 2013. It was almost bittersweet as he turned into the gravel driveway. The house held so many memories, but they were a combination of good and bad. He could almost see him wrestling with Ben and Jack in the yard, but he could also picture the thought of ringing that doorbell, and it wouldn’t be his mother opening the door. 

Luke’s curiosity overcame his melancholy, though, when he saw a white, Volkswagen Beetle sitting in front of the brick house. He quickly threw the car into park behind the vehicle, stepping out of his own car and surveying the house. There were still flowers in the window planters, but this time they were marigolds instead of daisies. The front yard was well-kept with the shrubs trimmed and various flowers planted. “Mum would be proud.” he chuckled in his mind, growing slightly sad at the image of Liz that crossed through his mind. The most prominent thing Luke noticed, though, was that the front door was painted hot, neon pink. 

“There’s no way…” he mumbled to himself, walking up the steps to the front of the house. 

As he walked, Luke smiled when he passed the imprints of his tiny hands on the front steps from when they’d had to redo the concrete when he was four. The pink door did get a good laugh out of him. His mum had wanted to have a pink door for years, but every time his dad, Andrew, refused, saying that a pink door was much too girly for a house with four boys in it. At the time, little Luke had agreed, but now, he had to admit that the pink suited the light brick of the house well. 

The blond gathered his courage, pausing before his fist hit the wood of the door to knock. What was he supposed to say? Judging on the appearance of the house, the owner seemed to be rather friendly, but how would they react to a random stranger showing up, claiming they used to live here. Luke shrugged it off, gathering his courage and shaking his shoulders out. He quickly knocked twice, listening for any sounds of life inside the house. Soon enough, he heard the sound of a bark, followed by a sniffling noise at the door, and then human feet. 

“Tunia, down.” a voice from inside said. 

Luke wondered how large the dog was, but he didn’t get much time to think, because the door opened immediately after. You stared at the stranger on the other side of the door, but he wasn’t a stranger at all to you. You just couldn’t believe he was at your house. 

“I…Luke Hemmings?” You sputtered out. 

“Hi?” he questioned, wondering how you already knew his damn name, then kicking himself for not realizing. “Hey, I’m sorry if this is weird, but I used to live here and…”

You cut him off, swinging the door open wider to look him up and down, which allowed a white bulldog, who Luke asked was ‘Tunia’ to sniff his ankles. “What the fuck?” You chuckled. “There’s no way.”

“You know me?” he asked, rather confused, despite his celebrity status. 

“Oh, don’t play dumb,” You rolled your eyes with a laugh. “Dude, you’re only in like, one of the biggest bands of the past few years.”

“Oh, uh, right, yeah…” Luke said awkwardly, scratching the back of his neck. “So, you’re like, a superfan?” he asked. 

“Mmmm, you could say that,” You shrugged nonchalantly, flipping your hair over your shoulder. “Is this What Would You Do or something?”

“No,” the blond stated. “It’s more like an insanely long story. This is my house. Like from when I was a kid. I was just wondering if I could walk around for a bit and then I swear I’ll leave.” 

You snorted, rolling your eyes and pulling your bulldog back from Luke’s ankles. “Yeah, right. And I’m the President of the US. This has been a weirdly charming encounter, but I need to go.”

Luke placed his foot in the doorway just as you were about to close it, a look of need etching itself into his features. “I promise I can tell you this is real. Go up the stairs to the bedroom at the back of the house. It should’ve been light blue with pink speakers when you moved in. That one was mine. It’s where me and the guys started writing our first EP. That oak tree over there,” he cocked his head towards a tree at the far end of the yard. “My childhood dog, Molly, is buried there. I know this is really weird and probably really unsettling for you, but please.” he practically begged. 

You’d been teasing him for fun when you told Luke that you were a “superfan”, but now, you could see why teenage girls all over the world had fallen for him in the last few years. His begging blue eyes, along with his blond hair that was plastered to his forehead with sweat gave Luke an almost boyish innocence, while his black lip ring and overall choice of attire spoke that he was definitely a bad boy. Thinking that, you paused, opening the door a little wider once more. 

“Fine. You got me,” You sighed playfully. “What’s your reason for being back here anyway? You know, when most people get back, they don’t go back to where they came from.”

Luke gnawed on his lip ring, averting his eyes from yours. “It’s a long story…”

“I have time,” You shrugged, stepping outside and closing the door behind you. “Shoot.” You told him, beckoning him to sit beside you on the concrete steps. 

Luke obliged, squatting next to you and sighing. “Well, I’m sure you’ve seen it in the news,” he started. “We’re not getting great publicity right now.”

You nodded, giving him a look to encourage him to keep talking. “Go on.”

“There’s that and then…the reason this house went on the market in the first place is because Mum died and Dad just couldn’t keep up with it anymore,” Luke blew a puff of air from his lips. “Ash said I needed to get out of LA before it killed me, whatever that means.”

“I can understand that.” You said, looking up at Luke honestly, noticing the way he smiled softly at the eye contact. 

“I dunno, I guess I thought if maybe I just came back one last time, I could find closure. I’m someone else out here. Have you ever experienced that feeling? When you go home, you can just be you. You don’t have to be who your boss or your friends or anyone else thinks you are. I thought that maybe just remembering what my life was like out here would kinda heal my brokenness, y’know?” he asked. “I was serious when I said I only wanted to take a look and then I would leave. I think I just need a memory to remind me of why I’m doing this. The whole “famous” thing, that is.”

You carefully placed a hand on Luke’s knee, watching his face to see what he would do. “That really sounds like a lot. But I think that’s something only you can figure out for yourself.”

You were surprised when Luke smiled back at you, the small grin dotting his slightly scruffy beard. Something was distracting you, though, and it was the small, black lip ring that graced his plump, pink lips. You almost wondered what it would be like to kiss Luke and feel the cool metal against your skin, but quickly shoved the thought away. Luke was here because he seemed almost depressed. The last thing he probably wanted was someone who was a fan wanting to kiss him. 

“Do you wanna come in?” You asked quickly, trying to rid yourself of the blush and the dirty thoughts that had taken residence in you. 

“You’ll let me?” Luke asked, like he wanted to believe you, but he didn't want to get too hopeful. 

“Mhm,” You nodded, standing up and brushing off your pants. “Come on, pretty boy.” You joked. 

“Oh, so you think I’m pretty?” the blond asked, cocking his brow with a smirk. 

“Every girl thinks that. Get over yourself.” You chuckled, but there was a hint of truth to your words. 

Luke blushed at your words, following you into the house once you opened the door. He stood in the foyer for a moment, slowly spinning in a circle while taking everything in. Somehow, everything had changed and nothing had changed at the same time. “You really are just like my mum.” he chuckled. 

“Is that a compliment?” You asked him, wondering about the original owner of the house. 

“Yeah…” Luke sighed, a wistful look in his eyes. “My mum was fuckin’ awesome.” 

You touched Luke’s arm gently, eyeing him up and down. To you, he didn’t seem like the celebrity rockstar that he was. You could see the little boy in his eyes, the one that was somehow still hoping that having his mother ripped away from him was a cruel dream. “Can I say something?”

The blond nodded without speaking, continuing to wander further into the house as you followed him. You could see the awe in his face as he touched random knick-knacks, both yours and ones you had kept from when you bought the house. You weren’t quite sure if Luke was listening, but you spoke nonetheless. 

“The way this house was built and decorated is kinda what swayed me to buy it…” You admitted shyly. “It was nice to see a family home with feminine elements. I’d like to have that someday.” You smiled. 

“Yeah?” Luke asked, turning to look at you. “My mum had that exact same dream for years. She cut photos out of the home and garden magazines for so long. My dad was determined to give her what she wanted, so they built this place right after my older brother was born. She really wanted a pink front door, so I’m glad you followed through.” he laughed. 

You smiled at him, watching as he wandered through the house with an almost boyish wonder. “You really love this place, huh?”

Luke nodded as he stopped at the base of the stairs. “I mean, yeah. I grew up here. From the day Mum brought me home from the hospital til the day I left for London,” a look of sadness ghosted the blond’s face for a moment. “I left too early.”

“Who would’ve thought that this is what a celebrity in your, or I guess their, house is like,” You laughed. “Sorry. That was weird.” You snorted, falling into a fit of giggles. 

He looked at you for a moment, watching as you hunched over laughing, your freckled nose scrunched cutely. Your wavy hair was falling in your face from laughing so hard, but it was probably the most adorable, and maybe even hot, thing he’d ever seen. Wait. Did he think you were hot? Luke shook his head to clear the thought, beginning to laugh, your joy infecting him. 

Once you two had gotten over your fit of giggles, you looked up at Luke just in time to see him gnawing on his lip ring. To chase any pesky thoughts of what having sex with him would be like, and to ignore the growing ball of heat in your tummy, you nodded up the stairs. “You said something about a blue bedroom with pink speakers earlier?”

Luke ran a hand through his hair, looking down at you from his 6’4” height. “Yeah. Why?”

“C’mon, I’ll show you.” You took the blond’s hand, dragging him up the stairs behind you. 

To you, Luke didn’t feel like some sort of superstar. He almost felt like your childhood best friend that you’d known all your life. The one that lived across the street as you grew up together. Maybe that’s why you didn’t hesitate to practically run through the house with him trailing behind you on gangly limbs, laughing just as hard. 

You threw open your bedroom door, arms out wide and spinning around. “Ta da. Do you like it? Or are you too posh for this now?”

“You turned this into your bedroom?” he asked, raising a brow. “You didn’t take the master suite?”

You shrugged. “I dunno. I just felt a stronger connection to this one, I guess. Now I know why.” You winked, sitting down on the bed and patting the spot next to you for Luke to do the same. 

Luke smiled softly, tentatively sitting down beside you. “You’re cute.” he giggled softly, freckled nose blushing red as he tucked a piece of hair behind your ear. 

You rolled your eyes, but couldn’t help noticing the way your body lit up at his touch. “I bet you say that to every girl.”

“I don’t, actually,” Luke whispered. “Only the ones I like.”

Before you knew it, the blond was leaning over to kiss you, his plump, warm lips meeting your own with a gentle “hello”. You gasped softly at the sudden, but extremely pleasurable sensation taking over your body. You kissed Luke back just as passionately, slowly reaching up to tangle your fingers in his strawberry-blond hair. You two continued to make out for a moment, you inching towards Luke’s lap until he suddenly pulled back. 

“I…I’m sorry,” he chuckled awkwardly. “I dunno why I did that,” Luke rubbed the back of his neck as he turned cherry red. “I didn’t even ask, I’m sorry.”

“Shhhh,” You placed a finger over the blond’s lips. “Don’t talk.” You began to kiss Luke again, scooting into his lap so that you were straddling him. 

The blond took that as his que, because he began to kiss you back, more heated than before. Before long, he rolled so that you were laying back against the bed with him on top of you. “Is this the bed that was in the house when you bought it?” Luke asked, laughing softly as the mattress creaked under your bodies. 

“Yeah,” You admitted with a giggle. “I was broke after buying the house, okay?”

Luke laughed, kissing you once more before beginning to softly suckle on the sweet spot behind your ear, making you let out a small gasp. You wriggled under his grasp, panting. 

“Oh god, Luke.” You whined. 

“You like that?” he asked, leaving another hickey on your neck. 

You nodded as Luke trailed his way down your body with his warm, ringed fingers, humming softly about how beautiful you were. When he reached the button of your jeans, he paused, looking down at you with wide, blue eyes. “Is this alright?” he asked, slowly moving off of you so he could unbutton your jeans. 

You nodded quickly, gasping at the feeling of his skin on your own. “Yes.” You panted out. 

Luke slowly unbuttoned your jeans, smirking when he looked at your lacy, white underwear. “Did you know I was coming?” 

You shook your head with an immense blush, whining as he slid your jeans and panties off. “Want you to fuck me.”

“That was fast,” the blond grinned, lifting your shirt to press a kiss to your stomach. “I love it.”

He rubbed his hands across your stomach, leaving small kisses as he ran along your ribcage and up to the clasp of your bra. Luke slowly helped you lift your arms so that he could pull your top and bra off, smiling at how beautiful you looked under him and completely naked. As he hovered over you, you tugged slightly at his belt and black skinny jeans, fluttering your lashes at him. 

“I was serious about having sex with you, y’know.” 

Luke didn’t need to be told twice. The blond practically ripped his shirt and pants off, making out with you again. He had had the taste of your body against his own, and now he couldn’t get enough of it, especially when you were both naked and slightly heated from the exertion. 

“Do ya have a condom?” he whispered huskily in your ear. 

You moved to pull one out of your bedside table, giggling at the whine Luke let out when your body was no longer pressed against his, especially with the loss of contact to his growing erection. You pulled a condom out of your nightstand, rolling back over and handing it to Luke. 

“Girls are always prepared.” You said, leaving a kiss on his cheek. 

At your words, Luke rolled the rubber onto his throbbing dick, positioning you just so. “Mmmm, you’re already so wet for me. Don’t even need lube.” the blond hummed, running his thumb across your damp slit. 

You gasped at the feeling of Luke’s fingers against your sensitive hole, wrapping your hands across his bare back. “Just do it already.” You whined. 

Luke lined himself up with your hole, inserting only his tip as he watched you gasp out at how big he was. “Are you ready?”

You nodded quickly, trying to pull yourself closer to him. “Please.”

The blond slowly slid into you, smirking at the way your face etched with a grunt at the feeling of trying to accommodate his length. He began to ride you gently, admiring your face as you started scratching along his back. You were already crying out with pleasure and he hadn’t even started riding you fully yet. 

Luke began to ride you faster, enjoying the sound of his balls slapping against your ass as you wrapped your legs around his waist. You two hadn’t even been at it long, but the blond was practically ruining you. His heavy moans and pants filled the room, along with the squeaks of the mattress as you cried out.

“Oh god, Lu. Need to cum.” You whined, moving your hands from his back to his hair. 

Your breath had become ragged at this point, coming in short gasps and pants. Luke was squeezing your thighs with his hands, burying his face in your neck and leaving hickeys along you as he pumped harder into you. Your eyes were fluttering open and shut at the overwhelming sensation of Luke.

It must’ve been fate, or maybe just how good the blond was making you feel, but somehow, you both came at the same time, yelling out as your orgasms hit you. Your moans filled the room as you both collapsed back against the bed, breathing heavily. You were silent for a few moments, enjoying the aftermath of that wonderful sex. Luke slid the condom off, tying it up and disposing of it in the can beside your bed. 

“I think that’s the most passionate sex I’ve ever had.” You whispered into the bedroom, still quite enjoying the slick feeling of your cum against your thighs. 

Luke rolled over onto his side so he could look at you. “Well, I’d like to think I’m a professional.” he smirked. 

“Mmmm,” You whined, snuggling into his side. “I think so.”

Luke kissed your forehead, admiring your beauty for a moment. “Y/N?” he asked quietly. “Do ya wanna…nevermind.” he hummed. 

“What?” You asked, turning to look at him. 

“It’s stupid.” 

“It’s not,” You poked his chest. “What’s up?”

“Do ya wanna be my girlfriend?” he asked shyly. 

You kissed Luke’s face, once again enjoying the sensation of his lip ring. “Yes.”

“Really?” he asked. 

You nodded and kissed him once more, cuddling back into his chest. “Yep. I think you’re funny and cute and quite talented. In multiple facets.” You giggled. 

Luke smiled, running a hand through your hair. “First thing we’re doing is getting you a new bed.” he laughed, listening as the mattress squeaked every time you two moved. 

“I could go for that.” You smiled sleepily, the feeling of Luke holding you making you relaxed. 

“Night night, Y/N.” Luke said with a whispered smile as you fell asleep in his arms. 

The blond didn’t know what was going to happen in his life from here, but he did know he wanted you to be a part of it. The girl brought to him by fate. 

… 5 years later

Luke held you bridal style, carrying you over the doorstep and into the home. 

“Don’t drop me!” You squealed, clinging to his suit. 

“Wow, you have no faith in me.” the blond chuckled sarcastically, carrying you up the stairs and into the bedroom. 

You laughed, kissing Luke heavily. “I never said.”

“What do you say we recreate that day from five years ago?” he hummed, setting you on the bed. 

“I think that sounds perfectly wonderful,” You grinned, undoing Luke’s tie. “Especially now that we have a new mattress.”

Luke kissed your head as he slowly slid your wedding dress off. “This house built me, and I am so beyond excited to see the way it builds us and our family,” he smiled, planting a kiss on your neck. “I love you, Mrs. Y/N Hemmings.”

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[sordidamok]

The Port Arthur Massacre took place in 1996, in Port Arthur, Tasmania. Thirty-five people were killed, twenty-four were wounded. The government, and people, quickly took steps to ensure that nothing like it would happen again. There have been mass shootings in Australia since 1996, but none have resulted in the deaths of more than eight people, including the shooter.

Australians are able to get guns if they want - for hunting, sport target shooting and collections. Farmers and ranchers use guns to put down sick or injured animals, or to shoot predators that threaten their livestock. No one with any sense would claim that the people of Australians are "slaves" or that Australia is a dictatorship where people have no rights.

The USA, on the other hand, accepts that mass shootings will happen, on average, everyday. Mass shootings on the scale of Port Arthur happen every year or so. We've already had a worse one in 2024.

Sensible gun control, like what Australia has, could work in the USA. Or we could just continue to accept mass shootings in schools and parks as the price of "freedom".

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