#but how do you even do it considering she can't visit someone else during this pandemic

[inkdrinkerworld]

please, give us more touchy and hadsy aaron, like the team cannot believe how affectionate he really is!

he's called many things by his team: boss man, hotch, derek even recently started calling him 'hotshot hotchner' but openly affectionate never cross their minds.

of course the team have met you, you'd invited them to dinner at your house with aaron who hadn't been too pleased of having derek and rossi pry so much into his life that night, but it was a good night.

you didn't work with them, so it was easy for them to fall into conversation outside of work and the team had appreciated that more than you knew, still all that night they hadn't seen aaron really be affectionate.

today though, the man seemed to have been replaced by someone else entirely.

you come to visit him during your own lunch break and you're not sure if it's your outfit or just you that makes aaron break character in front of his coworkers, but he does.

"hi honey," emily's eyes widen as aaron reaches for your hip and presses a kiss to your temple. usually, he'd sneak a hand to the small of your back or your bicep, trying to be as inconspicuous as possible.

"i brought you lunch, and you have to eat it." spencer hides his giggle at how authoritative you sound, but derek pipes up,

"oh, boss man has a boss lady." the comment makes you smile and you turn to derek.

"he can't deny me." aaron laughs and that's what shocks the team first, but the second shock comes when as you're being led to his office, his hand brushes your ass in your trousers.

"okay hotch," derek says, clearly impressed at aaron's obvious show of affection.

"ten bucks they have sex in there at some point." emily wagers and spencer shakes his head,

"considering he hasn't stopped touching her since she walked in here, the odds ask for higher than ten bucks. one hundred that they do it tonight."

"you got yourself a deal pretty boy."

#aaron hotchner #aaronhotchner #aaron hotchner imagine #aaron hotchner blurb #aaron hotchner one shot #aaron hotchner fluff #aaron hotchner x you #aaron hotchner x yn #aaron hotchner x reader #aaron hotchner x black!reader #aaron hotchner fanfiction

[strwbmei]

summary: fucking march's fever out of her

contains: soft sex, friends to lovers at the end, fingering (character receiving), arguably dubcon since march is sick, sort of porn with plot?, virgin march, not proofread, maybe ooc

pairing(s): march 7th x gn!reader

a/n: i need to spoil her and take care of her and eat her out. thank you

"Cute girls can't get sick!"

Or so, were March's last words before diving straight onto the freezing snow of Belobog and proceeding to make snow angels. It had been a long time since the Express had the time to visit Jarilo VI, and while you understood her excitement, her decisions, as expected, did not end well for either of you.

A few days later, March is still sick and you're taking care of her while the other Nameless enjoy their visit to Belobog. "[Name]..." She called out to you with a whiny voice, her lips put into a pout. "Don't you think it's fine for me to go down to Belobog now? Look, I'm basically fully healed!" She sat up from her bed, doing air punches as if that would prove that her fever was gone.

"Pfft..." You snorted. "What are you even doing? And no, I'm not letting you go anywhere until your temperature is back to normal." You say sternly, sitting down next to her. "I'm sorry, March. I know you were really looking forward to visiting Belobog again, but your health comes first."

She slumps in defeat as she lays back down on her side, her back turned to you. "Fine... I enjoy spending time with you like this more, anyway." She mumbled, but due to how quiet her voice was, you only heard the first part. "Sorry, what was that?"

"Nothing." March sighs, turning to face you with her rabbit stuffy clutched in her hands. "Hey, uh... I'm sorry you have to stay behind with me. I really wanted to show you my favorite spots in Belobog."

You tilt your head, resting the back of your hand on her forehead to feel her temperature. "You sure you're alright? You're being way too nice today." You tease. She pouts, playfully swatting your hand away. "Hey! And here I was trying to be considerate..."

You chuckle at her reaction. "Y'know, you're surprisingly pretty cute when you're sick."

"Well, for your information, I'm perfectly cute even when I'm not sick!" She retorts.

"Yeah, yeah."

In all seriousness, taking care of her wasn't an inconvenience to you in the slightest. She was surprisingly cooperative, and you'd be lying if you said that you didn't enjoy how much more clingy and affectionate she is when she's sick. After all, you've had feelings for her for quite a while now... Her bubbly personality and her admittedly cute looks just seemed to draw you in more and more each day.

March speaks up after a few seconds of silence. "Can I ask you for a favor, [Name]?"

"What is it?" You tilt your head in curiosity.

"Can you... cuddle with me?"

"Hm." You raised an eyebrow. Honestly, you expected something more serious. Cuddling was almost routine to the two of you whenever you hung out, especially during sleepovers when March would cling to you in her sleep like you were a pillow. You never minded. In fact, you've grown to like it.

Not once did she ask first, though. "Why?" You ask with a grin, ready to play it off as a joke. You're not sure what you were expecting, since it was a stupid question in the first place. Cuddling wasn't out of the norm for you two, and you wouldn't be surprised if she was the type to find comfort in snuggling with somebody whenever she was sick.

"Because I miss your touch..." She says in a voice barely above a whisper, yet one that you could hear in her now silent room where it felt like nothing else mattered other than the two of you. "Oh." You gulp, feeling the blood rush to your cheeks as soon as she says those words.

Meanwhile, March wants to dig herself into a hole and die. She wasn't supposed to say that out loud, and you were much less supposed to blush! She's surprisingly oblivious for someone so observant when it comes to you, so she never even considered the possibility that you might return her feelings...

However, you best believe she'll be putting out all of the stops if there is a chance that you do, in fact, like her back.

"You don't want to? Fine..." She pouts, and your train of thought is broken once she looks up at you with those eyes that you've always loved, oh so needily... "No- no, I mean, yeah, I'd... love to cuddle with you." You splurt out, stumbling all over your words.

Which is how you ended up in this situation: her body pressed up against yours in a way that isn't appropriate for friends. She might be sick, sure, but she's almost fully healed and there's no way she'd be doing this unintentionally... right?

After a few seconds of contemplation, you decide to speak up. "We shouldn't be doing this, March." You say, your voice soft and barely loud enough for her to hear. "Mm..." She pays no heed to your words, instead opting to wrap her arms around you even tighter if that were even possible.

You gulp. She understands what you mean, right? Maybe you're just reading too much into her actions? Your mouth moves faster than your brain can, and you speak without realizing it. "You're driving me insane."

"...If I'm such a bad influence, maybe you should put me in my place."

She whispers with an almost seductive tone that you've never heard her use before, and you have to take a second to process if you really heard her say that. She knows what she's doing. Has she always been this bold, or is this how she usually gets with everyone every time she's sick? God, you hope that it's just with you.

You roll over to position yourself on top of her, your arms now on either side of her head as the mattress dips under the two of you. "Are you sure that you want this?" She giggles at your question, wrapping her arms around the back of your neck and pulling you into a soft, yet hungry kiss as if she'd been ready for this her whole life.

"Be gentle, okay?" She smiles once she finally pulls away, the room devoid of any other sound other than your heavy breathing and a silence that spoke volumes of the unresolved feelings you had for each other. "Just let me take care of you." You mutter as you leave a trail of soft kisses along her jaw and collarbones, your hand reaching out for the waistband of her pink pajamas. "May I?"

She nods in response, turning her head to the side in an attempt to hide her reddened cheeks. "Pfft... You really are adorable." You mumble to yourself as you pull her pants along with her panties down to her knees. Your fingers find themselves teasing her entrance, rubbing slow circles over her clit and occasionally collecting her slick.

"Mmpfh... I'm fine, [Name]. You can put it in now." As if sensing your worries that you were trying hard not to show, she spoke up. Although you've imagined this scenario multiple times before, you can't help but feel nervous. You want to make sure that her first time is as soft and as pleasurable as it can be.

"Tell me if it hurts, okay? Just relax." You say softly, carefully curling your index finger into her cunt and giving her a few seconds to adjust before pumping in and out at a slow pace. The small moans and whimpers she lets out are even better than you'd imagined. "A-ah... That feels good..."

As if on instinct, her hand reaches out for your free one; an act much too intimate for friends, but you indulge her nonetheless. Besides, the two of you have long since done things that most people would deem past the border of a platonic relationship. When did the line between friends and lovers start to blur?

"I've got you, pretty girl. I'm not going anywhere." You coo at her, the gentleness of your voice much in contrast to the quickening pace of your fingers.

Her eyes are fluttered shut. Her hair is sticking to her forehead. Her mouth is ever so slightly parted in an "o" shape. Truly, she is beautiful in every sense of the word. Beautiful like this; beautiful always. "Do you think you can take another finger, March?"

She nods almost too eagerly at your question. You slow down, whispering sweet nothings into her ear as you slowly insert a second finger and stretch her out even more. "That's it. You're doing so good, taking me so well..."

After a while, she starts grinding on your fingers, and you take that as a sign to go faster and give her more. The second you start rubbing and pressing down on her clit, she can feel herself nearing her orgasm. She looks up at you with doe eyes and squeezes your hand, and that's all it takes for the feelings you've been repressing all this time to break loose.

"I love you."

Before you can process what you said amid the sea of emotions you're feeling and apologize, she pulls you in for a kiss. Unlike before, this kiss is more tender and warm than lustful, as if she was trying to say that she loved you too. As if she had been waiting for you to say those words her whole life.

You swallow her moans and whimpers as she comes undone around your fingers, finally pulling away after what feels like an eternity. You wish that kiss would last an eternity. Hell, if it were up to you, that moment wouldn't end even after the seas had dried and there were no stars left in the vast skies that she loved so much.

Heavily breathing, you collapse beside her. "Uhm," You break the silence, albeit a little hesitantly. "I'm going to get you some water, and help wash you up if that's fine?" You're far too ashamed to look her in the eye after what you said.

She embraces you in her arms, and it's the safest you've felt your whole life. "Just a little bit more..." She nuzzles her head into your neck, inhaling your scent and holding you just a bit closer.

"I love you too, you big dummy."

╰┈➤ taglist ; @nbdaddykink , @roninraccoon , @sinsmockingbird , @fvrina , @commandercarbs , @sapphic-simp4015 , @truculentbantam , @vrachis , @dukemira , @arbiteriey , @krowbyss , @the-night-owl-blr

#⁠honkai star rail smut #⁠honkai star rail #⁠honkai star rail x reader #⁠hsr smut #⁠hsr #⁠hsr x reader #・❥・strwb smut #march 7th #march 7th hsr #march 7th smut #march 7th x reader #smut #x reader

[extracurious]

Why heart's desire for you is the strongest than anything else?

Her transition from "I'll keep you posted" to calling Miles as her "friend " with so much strength in her voice when Miguel accused her for letting him escape away was amazing.

Why she chose Miles or why was she drawn to him from beginning and always telling everyone that he had potential and later calling him as spiderman when she knew he was an anomaly?Why was she so much bothered about him even though knowing he might act as a threat to her if she got too much attached to him?

Since the beginning only Gwen wanted to be with her favorite person ,Miles. This boy not even trying to do anything very grand still manages to make her feel emotionally safe and comfortable within his love for her. He patiently waits for her to realise the connection building between them and return back to him where she left him behind. He wishes to hold on to her by keep on drawing her in that sketchbook. He fears that even if he finds a way to see her ,that moment whether she will have enough time to reciprocate his feelings for her or not. While she is just scared of falling in love thereby losing the precious friendship with Miles also .

Even though trying hard to forget about this Brooklyn native, she still gets lost in his thoughts throughout their time apart. He is so close to her heart .She acts cool around him but truly is much more obsessed with him than he his with her. She wants to let Miles come into her life but is afraid of can't having him thus eventually hurting both of them.

If she clearly didn't want any deep connection to develop between her and Miles she didn't have to think about her cannon events of dying or a relationship ending badly just like other universes.

Miles make her know that both need to feel equally involved and loved to help their relationship to nurture and become strong in future. They became emotionally attuned to each other which brought them close and helped her to open up to that one person whom she found to be completely trustworthy and who wants to provide space and respect her opinions .

Her leaning on him, that romantic glance and smiling at him are genuine ways of her expressing "thanks" for understanding her feelings even though not asking many questions about her monotonous life.

Gwen got hurt by losing the connection with the last person ,Miles,who brought value and hope to her life during her darken times.

And Miles got hurt by trusting one of the persons whom he loved the most. He was just disappointed with Gwen's decisions because he was unable to realise whether there was actually any relationship developing between him and her or it was mainly one sided.

And during their time apart that sense of longing amplified to such an extent that they have failed to put each other thoughts out of their mind as if they are missing their other half.

This got connected with the Gwen's monologue "He is not the only one",which meant both are hopelessly into each other and did not know how to find their way back to where their beautiful bonding started.Thus Gwen risking her career to visit him and Miles following her through the portal even though knowing he might die due to glitching. He couldn't leave her in those awful conditions where her life would become miserable.

The choice she made was to fall for Miles and not for any boy of her age even in her dimension also. Her love for him was not for his spiderman identity,but she considered him as smart(physics class reference),loyal,courageous , ofcourse naturally charming and above all he fights for the people he loves the most. She couldn't help herself from slightly blushing when she saw Miles really wanted her to be happy atleast with someone who genuinely cared and loved her and that she shouldn't mind with the age gap. But Miles didn't know that "someone " was him only. Quite beautiful that whenever Miles talked with her she got lost in his eyes or glanced at him romantically or simply acted awkwardly reflecting her feelings for him. She finally accepted this whole thing and let her hesitation and fear go at the end of ATSV. Now she truly wants to be with him no matter what obstacles come in her way. She will not let her love slip away instead with every power hold it to herself.

-extracurious

"Not to be reposted" 😊

#gwiles #ghostflower #miles morales #gwen stacy #into the spider verse #across the spiderverse #spiderman

[ultrone]

I haven't written anything in awhile and I'm busy 😔

but if you wanna write anything about or with these go ahead!! I'd love to read your take! Or whatever you decide to write for it

(YOU ASKED FOR THIS, I cut some of the darker(?) things drugs, drinking etc. But they are teens who we do know go to parties and act dumb 💀 (me fr))

Also she's a bit out of character...

1. * Perv/stalker Lottie who installed (VERY expensive) cameras in your house to watch you sleep, change, or just go about your day, who has a picture/screenshot of one of the recordings as her wallpaper, and listens to you sleep, or when you get yourself off she... follows. Like a dance, just your moans as music... And you don't know you have a partner, but that's fine for now...

(starting off with a bang)

2. * Stalker Lottie who refuses to sleep after a party unless your home and safe. if you come home with anyone, to sleep with or not, she would make that person's life hell, like one of those, "Do you know who my father is?" Kids. But she actually refuses to talk with or about her father. Just that thing rich kids do in the movies (she either follows you home, drives you home, or immediately goes home to watch her camaras)

3. * Stalker Lottie who has photos of you that she keeps with her at all times just to be like "😄Look at my girlfriend!" and if someone corrects her she's like "My girlfriend nonetheless. 😒" basically her exact reaction: 😄 - 😧 - 😐

4. * Stalker Lottie who wears outfits just to get your attention, even if it makes you feel bad checking her out, she will and does do the same to you, she just does NOT feel bad.

(once she actually starts talking with you↓)

5. * Stalker Lottie who will wake up earlier (IF she sleeps, girls an insomniac she sometimes just watches you) just to drive to your house and drive you to school, mostly on days you guys have practice, better excuse, but sometimes she just can't help it like on really cold days, or hot days! or a night after you've drank to much (she told you to drink more, for that exact reason). Honestly she will find any reason to pick you up.

6. • she will cuddle you, at a party, on the bench at practice, movie night with everyone, you cannot get her off of you. it's like a surgically attached teddy bear. Honestly you can't complain she's really warm, and soft, her lotion smells like rich girl Jasmine type stuff with a hint of lavender. Very earthy but also like a dream? Killer hidden by pretty smells and expensive outfits ❤️❤️

7. • if the movie night is ever at your house, your stuff WILL be gone. Sometimes random things other times whole outfits (considering how tall this woman is, it's always baggy stuff.). Which she will wear to school. Even if it's not something you'd be able to visibly see... and if you ever question how she got clothes that looks (is exactly) like what's missing (Even accessories) she just brushes it off saying something about a thrift store(TJ max 💀) and if you drink during the stay she will tell you drunk you gave it to her so you don't ask to many questions.

8. • has all your pictures from social media saved, even your pets, And she will make it her goal to pamper your pets and you. if you want a pet but can't get one she will have it at her house so you want to visit more.

Anyway I have like a lot of these cause I was bored🏃💨

— 🐞

omgggg 🫣 i loved them so much

1. this is so real, she’d put those thousands of dollars to good use 😌 she’d spend hundreds of them into the best surveillance just to look at you for her own amusement. she’d also install life360 on ur phone 😭

2. so true LMFAO if she drives u she’d wait until u’re inside your house and texted her to leave, and if u leave with someone else, she’d triple text you and them until she makes sure u’re home safe (she’d even ask for a selfie if u’re not that wasted 😭). she’d also check life360 and just stare at the little car moving until it gets to your house 😭

3. SHE’D KEEP THEM IN HER WALLET, PURSE, LOCKER, PHONE CASE, EVERYWHERE I JUST KNOW IT

4. she’d buy lots of very short skirts and crop tops just for you to look at her 🫣 she’d even gift you a bunch so she gets to stare at you as well

5. she fr just got her license to drive you cuz i’m 100% sure she has a chauffeur 😭 she wouldn’t even ask she’d just be like “see you at the parking lot.”

6. she’d definitely smell SO good 😭 and she’d have her hands on you at all times, even if it’s just subtly, but there’d always be a part of her body in contact with yours

7. the worst part about it is that u wouldn’t even question it cuz why would a rich girl steal ur stuff? LMFAOO (unless she’s obsessed with u, of course ☠️)

8. she’d be asking questions about your pets and u’d be like “how did you know?” and she’d be like “ohh, you told me about it like a week ago” (she actually found out cuz she stalks your mom’s facebook every other day)

#.yjs-inbox #yellowjackets thoughts #minors dni #lottie matthews thoughts #lottie matthews x reader #꒰ 🐞 anon ꒱

[piracytheorist]

Grrrhhhnnn okay venting time because doing that to my family will either make them sad or they'll tell me I'm exaggerating.

So in my family there's two group chats. A big one with relatives from the side of my late father, and a smaller one with relatives from my mother's side. The first one I'm a part of, and though I'm not very active, I do pop in to see photos of the family whenever they share.

The second one I'm not a part of anymore. I was in it, but my aunt was in there, who can be perfectly described as a Facebook aunt, complete with Minions memes posting. Anyway, I was mostly ignoring the stupid memes she shared in that group chat, until she started spouting anti-vaxxing shit and I was like okay yeah bye. And I left the group chat.

Considering that everyone else in the group chat HAD vaccinated against covid and was PRO vaccine... I expected they'd talk to her and I'd come back into the group and we'd just never have to deal with her shit again.

But nope. I was left out of the group. I told my mother about my complaints over that, and she was like "Yeah okay we'll talk about it" and then we just never did.

It's been years since, and all along they've been sharing photos and news and having video calls in that group chat and I'm just never in, and then they go like "Oh yeah, you're not in that group" LIKE YEAH. FOR A FUCKING REASON. I have mentioned that a few times but they're just like "Eh okay".

Anyway, I've been mostly ignoring the fact that I feel pretty much left alone by my own family, because we Shan't Upset the Anti-vaxxer Facebook aunt, but today I realized my sister, who is visiting the States, did a video call DURING THE FUCKING ECLIPSE. And I wasn't even given the chance to take part. I realized that because she shared a video her friend took with his phone while she was talking to the others, and I could hear her greet someone from the Facebook aunt's camera. In the video (which she shared in the group chat of the other side of the family - which I get why she didn't call there, this group chat has some 30 something participants, while the other has like, seven) the eclipse is very clearly shown, and fantastic tbh, while in the video call she made she says the eclipse wasn't visible. So, I shouldn't get to complain, I guess?

Fuck that, though. Because no-one wants to talk some sense to our aunt, even though we all agree she's wrong, I missed an opportunity for something my sister knows I love. I know I wouldn't be able to see the eclipse from her video call, but seeing her being excited about it live would do as much.

And the thing is... who do I complain to about this? I can't complain to my mom, because I was raised in a "don't make mom sad" mentality, and she has lost her parents, two of her three siblings (with Facebook aunt being her last remaining close relative), her closer aunts and uncles, and recently her husband. How do I come up to her and tell her "Your bitchy sister, the last person left alive from your original family, made me miss a great opportunity for a bonding moment, and it's all the fault of you and the rest of the family for deciding that It's Okay that Nette isn't in this group chat where we share all about our family, and it's better that we keep anti-vaxxer Facebook aunt instead." How do I do that?

I can't complain to my sister who witnessed the eclipse, because I don't want to sour it for her. It was a great moment for her to witness it, I'm happy for her, and I don't want her feeling sad because she clicked "video call" on the group chat of the extended family, which is the one with the most activity.

I can't complain about it to my oldest sister, because she's the type of person who will blame me for overreacting on Facebook aunt's comments, for not talking about it, and for caring so much for a fucking eclipse or whatever. We don't have a lot in common and sadly she has a hard time understanding that I am passionate for different things than she is, and my passions are just as legit as hers. So I'm pretty sure she'll just scoff and blame me.

I could complain about it to my brother, but he lives far away and has little to no contact with Facebook aunt aside from that group chat. He won't disagree with me but he might say I'm exaggerating, and he won't be able to provide any help.

I don't want to complain to my therapist, because I have better use of my 40 euros per session than a stupid Facebook aunt.

I don't want to complain to my Facebook aunt, because she won't listen and, just like my oldest sister, she won't understand why what she originally did was stupid and insulting considering she knows I have a heart disease and I am a high risk group for any disease so anti-vaxxing can be just like lethal danger for me, and she also won't understand why it was important for me to witness the eclipse with my sister, or at least witness her witness it.

And like... UGH. I might go for a walk and listen to some music, fuck this shit. I'm tired of being second thought to anti-vaxxer, minion-posting, ignoring-her-daughter's-very-obvious-learning-disabilities-and-near-arrested-emotional-development aunt.

#personal

[marshmallowprotection]

Ooh I just thought of something!!

Remember at the end of Saeran's route (GE) and he tells us that we can either refer to him as Saeran or Ray?

Obviously we continue to call him Saeran, because that's what's shown and is actually his real name

But what if we decided that we wanted to call him Ray? I know that there's a little easter egg(?) in the game where he reacts to it and I think it was...slightly different to how he does when we call him Saeran? I didn't choose that option though so I don't exactly know what it says, only that he's okay with it

So...what would happen if we decided that we wanted to call him Ray from then on, instead?

He accepts it of course, but how would he really feel, knowing that he was once Ray, a man who was kind and gentle, but whole-heartedly convinced that he was nothing but weakness?

Wouldn't Saeran then be...reminded of all that?

Wouldn't he be in at least some way bothered or even upset if it was that we kept and wanted to refer to him as Ray?

Grr I can't phrase things as well as I want to get my question across because I'm not the greatest analyser of characters but I'm just so curious about this!

Here's the thing about that that I don't think a lot of people have had the time to consider. So, Saeran Choi is his birth name. People know him as Saeran Choi. The name that people expect to use is Saeran. It won't occur to anyone that he might use another name unless he tells them outright that it's okay to call him something else. He lets people call him Saeran for the sake of convenience because it's not wrong. It isn't wrong to assume that he is Saeran.

His name is Saeran. He identifies as Saeran. But, he also identifies as Ray.

However, there are only three people in this world who know about the existence of Ray. It’s you, Rika, and V. But, for the most part, it’s you and Rika. V didn’t understand who Ray was, and even when you tried to explain what was happening when he visited you to bring you some food, he didn’t get it, pushing the information to the wayside because his goal was to get you and Saeran out of Mint Eye. 

So, that leaves Rika knowing Ray to be the child she wanted to raise as her son to make up for her sins, and you as the person who knew Ray to be someone special to you. How do you even begin to explain to the RFA what happened? You don't. He even mentioned during the initial Good Ending that he didn't want to talk about everything until we had a chance to talk to V. He didn't want to discuss Rika or any of the details without his permission.

But, we know what happened to that. V didn't come back and let that happen. Instead, we were confronted with a sea of problems that did not stop for weeks. So, the RFA has no idea who Ray is if we mention him, or that GE Saeran even goes by Ray.

It's hard to explain to your friends this situation. It's not easy for him to put into words what he went through in his childhood, much less what he went through at Mint Eye. It's not that he's afraid of them misunderstanding or not getting what he feels. It's more so that he doesn't know how to put it into words.

There seem to be much more important matters at hand in his mind, such as saving his brother, so he doesn't think much of it. It's not like they're wrong by using one name. 

He isn't in a place where he will feel like there's a reason to be complicated over these feelings. You sort of already worked out all of these details in his route. So, there's really nothing here that would make him feel bad. He already knows who he is as a person and he knows you understand that. Use whatever name feels right in the moment, be it Ray or Saeran. He is Saeran and Ray.

There’s no wrong answer. When he's ready to tell the others about his past, he'll tell them with you by his side. But for now, it's a lot to tell people about when they're still getting to know him. he's still getting to know himself, frankly. 

This is the first time you've mentioned Ray by name to the RFA and Yoosung is the one that lets you know what's up. They don't know a single thing about Ray. All they know is that Saeran is Saeran. That's sad to think about, but it was more convenient for GE Saeran to let them use that name for the time being. You know who Ray is... who Ray was before he and Suit Saeran became GE Saeran.

As long as you love Ray and know him, that's all that matters to him.

As a reminder, GE Saeran is Ray and Suit Saeran. During those final hours at Mint Eye, they fused to become him. It was almost a sort of unconscious conclusion they reached... they were going to be strong together, but that's why a lot of GE Saeran's words feel so messy as he meets with you again.

He's still trying to understand if he's Ray or Suit Saeran. He's both and neither, something new and something old at the same time, and it's hard for him to explain until he has you in the garden and it all clicks.

Click "Ray" when he saves you.

Click "Saeran" when he saves you.

In the garden is where it starts to come together and he's able to put it into words.

As he continues to speak to you, the game pointedly lets you use either of his names to refer to him. Neither is wrong. Those are his names. It actually excites him and validates him to hear you use the two names! He loves hearing them. You made the name Ray have meaning when it was meant to be meaningless and you reminded him that Saeran meant something, too, and he was allowed to have it.

I genuinely don't think he would be upset if you decided to use one name more than the other. He is clearly comfortable being referred to by either name. He doesn't need to be insecure or afraid that you love one side of him more than the other. You already proved you cared about both Ray and Saeran.

Why in the world would he ever doubt that? Why should there be even an inkling of doubt in his heart when you were the one that taught him that both sides of him deserve to be loved?

#mystic messenger #mm #mysme #mysticmessenger #character analysis #ask #anon #mod kait #saeran #saeran choi #ge saeran #saeray #saeran mystic messenger #saeran mm #mysme saeran #mm saeran #saeran mysme #ray mm #ray mysme #ray mystic messenger #mystic messenger ray #mm ray #mysme ray

[robmacz]

My Friend Eric

Part 7

It was several weeks before I was allowed visitors, but as soon as I could I wrote to Eric to ask him to visit me. He came the week after. It wasn't the first time he had visited me in prison. He came to see me once a month during my first sentence. I think he always felt a bit guilty about that. After all he could have been doing time with me.

On the day he came I was excited, happy to be seeing my old friend again. I was collected from my cell by one of the guards and taken down to the visiting area. There I was told to go and sit by window 12 and to await my visitor. As I sat down Eric appeared on the other side of the glass. We each picked up one of the telephone receivers.

'Hello Robbie! How you doing?' Eric looked like he was doing well. He was tanned and wearing a navy blue t-shirt which accentuated his arms and upper body.

'I'm not doing too bad, all things considering.'

'Good. Have you got a good cellmate?'

'Yeah, he's okay actually. We get on. Can't ask for much more than that.'

'That's good man.'

'I guess I really fucked up this time Eric. I can be a really stupid sonofabitch. If only I had been with you rather than chasing after other guys. Bit late saying that now'.

'Well yes. You know Robbie you could have taken a different course, you could have had a relationship with me and I would have taken care of you. But instead you ignored me back in high school and in college and even after you got out of prison the last time. I was there for you, you could have had me any time you wanted. But you were too busy chasing after pricks who would never love you back. Like Andy in high school. You fucked him in jail, but do you remember the way he looked at you at my 25th party?'

I was shocked. He had never spoken to me like that before.

'How did you know I fucked him in jail? He swore me to secrecy'.

'I had a drink with him a few years later, he got pissed and the whole thing came out.'

'And you never said anything all this time?'

Eric just shook his head.

'There is a lot you don't know, Robbie'.

'Such as?'

'All in good time. And speaking of time, I think it's time for me to go now. I'll be seeing you real soon. I said I'd take care of you and I will.'

'How do you mean?'

'I'll see you soon Robbie'.

Eric started to get up.

'Hang on, one last thing. Whatever happened to Andy? Not seen him since that party'.

'He's in here, Robbie. Turned to drink after his wife left him. She found out he was fucking men behind her back. Ended up getting a string of DUIs, and then a hit and run. Some poor bastard is in a wheelchair for life because of him. He got ten years, he was lucky - could have been a lot more’.

I spent the next few weeks trying to identify Andy, but no luck. In a prison full of thousands of men all dressed the same and all with naked domes, most of whom don't care to be stared at, it's not easy trying to find someone. Besides, what was the point. It's not like we had anything in common anymore. What played on my mind more was what Eric meant when he said there was a lot I didn't know. In prison you don't have too many distractions, so you play these things over and over again. The more I thought about it the more worried I became.

I comforted myself with remembering that Eric said he would take care of me. I wasn’t sure what he meant by that or how he could do so while I was in prison, but Eric was ingenious at times. He had always taken care of me. It was me that fucked things up just like that last job I had.

After I had left prison the first time I went to stay with Eric. I had nowhere else to go. My apartment in New York had been sold as had my car and virtually everything else. Eric had taken care of it all and invested what was left over so that I had some money to come out to. That wouldn't last long of course and I needed to get another job. I thought I was destined for something menial, but at a party one night Eric introduced me to Doug. Doug was a good looking fifty something who had just set up his own investment business. He and his partner Adam were looking for someone to manage their sales team. Eric had known Doug socially and had hyped up my experience from when I worked in New York. It wasn't really the same at all but Doug asked me to visit the offices the following week to talk more.

I went along not expecting much to come from it especially once they knew about my record. But the meeting went really well and Doug had said that Eric had explained everything to him and that it really wasn't a problem. Adam was younger than Doug and immensely attractive, but it was immediately obvious that this partnership was not one just founded on business. Adam didn't say much but he clearly liked me and before I left that afternoon I had been offered the job of Sales Manager.

The job was everything I had hoped it would be and as the business grew so did my salary. I was soon bringing in six figures again and after a while Doug and Adam made me a junior partner. I couldn't believe how my life had turned around. Just a few years before, I’d been doing time.

A year or so later I got a call from Doug one Friday evening to say that he and Adam were going down to the Cayman Islands for a few days. They needed to do some business down there but would stay on for a short break. He asked if I wouldn't mind holding the fort. This wasn't that unusual, though it had never been at such short notice before.

On the following Monday I went into work as usual. Driving into the office in the new top of the range Mercedes convertible that I had bought just a few weeks before, I parked in the underground lot before riding the elevator up to the eighth floor where our office was located. It was already busy as I walked through the open plan wearing my black Armani suit and Gucci loafers, heading for my office. I liked to wear expensive clothes at work, people noticed these things and it made me feel important. As I neared my office I saw Aaron, the cute assistant sales manager, who was all too eager to please, rushing to ask if I wanted coffee.

Literally as I sat down at my desk I heard a commotion in the outer office. As I got up my door burst open and there was a detective with two uniformed officers.

'We have a warrant to search these offices in connection with an investigation into fraud. We also have a warrant for your arrest together with those for Douglas Gibson and Adam French. Turn around and place your hands behind your back'.

I assumed the position, which was coming to me quite naturally now. The handcuffs snapped around my wrists and I was led out into the office that I had walked through just a few minutes before as king of the world. Now I was humiliated in front of my junior staff.

I had no idea what this was about and hoped that Doug and Adam would be able to clear it up before long. But of course Doug and Adam never returned. They were long gone. It seemed they took another flight from the Cayman Islands as soon as they landed and headed off to somewhere in the Middle East, In the meantime I stood trial. My attorney tried to cut a deal with the DA, but he wasn't interested. It seemed a lot of people lost a lot of money and he wanted a show trial. Even that little twerp Aaron testified against me to save his own skin. He also said I sexually harassed him too. The little shit!

Just another time I screwed up in spite of Eric's help.

Still . . . After six months in the pen without another word, I had all but given up on Eric. Perhaps he had given up on me too. I couldn't blame him if he had. But it left me feeling all alone. I got into a routine, as you do in prison, and soon you start to think of little outside your small world inside the walls.

Then one day as we were assembling for work detail I was pulled out of the line. I had been working on washing the prison vehicles, which was actually quite a cushy number compared to some of the work that prisoners had to do. So I was worried when I was pulled aside. I hoped I wasn't going to be sent on a hard labour detail. I was told to stand to face the wall while the other prisoners were sent on their way. One of the guards approached me and told me to put my hands behind my back. He cuffed me and produced a pair of shackles and snapped them around my ankles. It was the first time I had been restrained like this in prison and it made me quite nervous.

The guard took me by the arm and escorted me out of the cell block. He didn't say anything and I dared not ask. He walked quite briskly, which made it difficult to keep in step. The shackles bit into my ankles even though they were secured over my pants. Eventually we arrived at the administration block. It was a brand new building, completed only a couple of months ago. We had watched the comings and goings of the builders when we were washing the prison vehicles. Some of those guys were very hot indeed. If only I had been a free man.

But now I entered the building. It was clean and bright. Reminded me of the office I had worked in only the previous year. The guard went up to the reception desk and was told that he was expected. He took me to the elevator, where he made me stand with my face to the wall, and we went up to the second floor. When the elevator door opened I turned and entered into a large open plan office with a dozen or so people working on their computers or on the phone. Most were civilians but some were in correctional officer uniforms. The guard marched me through the office, some of the staff turned to stare as they heard the chain of the shackles rattling on the floor.

At the end of the open plan we turned left into another corridor where we passed a series of office doors, each with a plaque indicating the job of the person inside: Head of IT, Head of Personnel, Senior Correctional Officer, Deputy Warden, and finally Warden. We entered this last door, where there was an outer office and a prissy young man, wearing a white shirt and bow tie, sitting behind a desk with a name plate which said 'Executive Assistant to the Warden'. He looked up as we entered.

'He's expecting you, go in’ he said in a rather camp voice that just didn’t seem right in a prison.

The guard turned to me and told me to stand to face the wall. I did as I was told and then I heard him knock on the door and he went in and closed the door behind him.

What the hell was happening? I wondered whether they had caught up with Doug and Adam and decided to release me. Or had I done something I needed to be disciplined for? My mind was racing, you know how it does, when you know something is going on, but just not what. All logic told me it couldn't be anything bad; they wouldn't have brought me to these nice surroundings if I was going to go to the hole. The only logical thing I could think of was that I was going to somehow be released. Perhaps Eric had come up trumps - how could I have doubted him!

I heard the door open. The guard barked for me to turn around and follow him in. I shuffled forward and entered a swanky corporate office that wouldn't have been out of place in Wall Street. I turned to face the desk, and sitting in the Warden's chair was Eric.

To be continued…

#arrest #jail #prison

[itssweetiedarling]

Secret Santa

Day 3 of @12daysofchristmas - "If you don't have gloves, you can just hold my hand."

Fandom: Harry Potter Magic Awakened 

Characters: Daniel Page/MC

Warnings: None

Word Count: 1036

Hogsmeade during Christmas time was a sight to behold, with its cobblestone streets adorned with twinkling fairy lights and the sweet scent of cinnamon wafting through the air. So, MC dragged Daniel out of the sixth-year dorm, eager to immerse him in the holiday spirit.

As they strolled through the snow-covered lanes, the storefronts of Honeydukes, Zonko's Joke Shop, and the other shops were decked out with festive decorations.

MC spotted an enchanted snowman dancing in the snow, they giggled pointing, “Look!”

Daniel followed MC's gaze and chuckled at the sight of the enchanted snowman, its carrot nose wiggling as it performed a lively dance in the snow. "I didn't know snowmen had moves like that! Must be the holiday magic," he remarked, joining in MC's laughter.

As they approached the Three Broomsticks, the inviting warmth and the scent of spiced butterbeer beckoned them inside. The tavern was decorated with festive wreaths and garlands, and the tables were adorned with red and green candles. They found a cozy corner booth, sinking into the plush seats and soaking in the holiday atmosphere.

MC, unable to contain their excitement, said, "I love how Hogsmeade transforms during Christmas. It's like stepping into a magical holiday card."

Daniel nodded in agreement, taking a sip of his butterbeer. "Absolutely.” He looks around, people watching.

Their conversation was interrupted by the arrival of the tavern’s landlady, Madam Rosmerta, who greeted them with a warm smile. "Enjoying your visit, dears? Anything else I can get for you?" she asked.

"Just the warmth and cheer, thank you," Daniel replied, causing MC to giggle once again. He was always trying to make them happy. He didn’t necessarily understand why, but their smile made him smile.

Madam Rosmerta chuckled at Daniel's response, "Warmth and cheer are the specialties of the season, my dears. But if you fancy some more butterbeer or a plate of mince pies, don't hesitate to ask." With a friendly nod, she left them to enjoy their drinks.

MC leaned over the table, “So…who did you get for our Secret Santa?” Their friend group decided to do a Secret Santa this year, and MC is just being snoopy.

“I can’t tell you!” Daniel sips some more butterbeer.

MC raised an eyebrow, playfully persistent. "Come on, Daniel, you can trust me with your Secret Santa reveal."

Daniel grinned, his eyes twinkling with amusement. "Nice try, but a good man never reveals his secrets.”

The banter continued as they finished their butterbeer, the cozy atmosphere of the Three Broomsticks making their conversation even more enjoyable.

“So, where do you need to go to get your Secret Santa a gift?” MC asked.

Daniel pointed, “Honeydukes.”

MC's eyes lit up with excitement. "Ah, the sweetest place in Hogsmeade! Perfect choice. Let's head there and see if we can find the perfect treat for your special someone."

Daniel became flustered, “They are not a special someone!”

“Oh?” MC raised their eyebrow but chuckled and continued walking.

As they entered the sweet shop, the aroma of chocolates and candies enveloped them. Shelves upon shelves were filled with a tempting array of confections, and the festive displays showcased special holiday treats.

Daniel perused the shelves thoughtfully, considering the preferences of his secret Santa. "I know they have a sweet tooth, but I'm not sure if they lean more towards chocolate or something fruity."

MC, always ready to offer advice, suggested, "How about a box of assorted chocolates? That way, you cover all bases. And, of course, you can't go wrong with a few Honeydukes classics."

Daniel smiled, appreciating the suggestion. "You're right. A mix of chocolates and maybe some of those magical candies they have here. It's the perfect combination."

They gathered an assortment of treats, carefully selecting a variety of chocolates, fizzing whizzbees, and Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans. They put them in a holiday box. As they approached the counter to pay, MC couldn't resist adding a few extra surprises to the mix for themselves.

Outside, the snow had intensified, creating a serene and picturesque scene. The glow from the shop windows reflected off the white-covered ground, enhancing the enchanting ambiance of Hogsmeade.

With their bags filled with magical sweets, Daniel and MC made their way out the door.

Daniel sighed, “Why is it so cold!”

“I told you to layer up!” MC looked at him.

“I did!”

“Did you?”

“Yes!”

“Do you have more layers like a scarf or gloves?”

Daniel checked his pockets, “No.”

“Well, your hands are pretty purple. If you don’t have gloves you can just hold my hand.” MC playfully winked. Just like how Daniel liked to see them happy, MC liked to tease him.

“I- um-” Daniel’s cheeks turned redder than they already were from the cold.

“I’m joking!”

Daniel gave another sigh.

- MC’s friends all gathered in the secret room behind the painting. “Is everyone ready to give out their Secret Santa gifts?” Everyone cheered, and MC smiled, “Let’s start then!”

When everyone started chatting and giving out gifts, Daniel walked over to MC. “So…you’re my secret Santa…I know you were there when we bought the candy, I just wanted your opinion without directly asking…” He handed them a box of all the different types of candy he bought.

“You know I’m a sucker for sugar!” They smiled, looking down at the box. “You know, you’re actually my secret Santa as well.”

“Really?” He looked at his feet.

“Mhm! I got you a journal for taking notes, writing down thoughts, or whatever! But this one is not just any journal, it’s special.” They handed their gift over, “Take a peek inside.”

Daniel opened it and inside was a note.

“Dear Daniel, I wanted to say thank you for being with me for six years at Hogwarts. You’ve opened up to me when I know you find it hard. You’re a sweetheart deep inside and I see that every day. You’re so smart and talented I can’t wait to see you do incredible things in the future. I love you. From, MC.” MC opened the box of candy, “Hope you like it!” They walked away before Daniel could talk about what was in the note.

“Wait MC-”

#12daysofchristmas2023 #harry potter magic awakened #magic awakened #daniel page #christmas fanfiction #christmas fanfic

[moneneki]

"I can't have my first kiss be with some stranger, so would you please practice with me?" Azula/Yue

*gasp* Anon sends request?? Anon sends request fast after publication?? Love for anon, love for anon for a thousand years!!!

Somehow this looked good with @azulaweek prompt 6: Friend, so... yeah :D

Fic on AO3 here, full text under the cut:

Tapping on the ice railing of the balcony, Azula sighed and watched as her breath turned into a warm cloud. After all those months in the North Pole, she still couldn’t tell whether it would snow, or in which season they were, or the phase of the moon. Azula couldn’t read the northern sky at all, not like Yue, who knew all that at any given moment with barely a glance.

Well, maybe Yue had an advantage with the moon part.

But what Azula did learn during those cold-weather months (they hadn’t been cold in any other aspect), was how to read Yue. So, from the moment Yue entered the balcony, Azula knew there was something bothering her.

By the way she fidgeted with her gloves, it had to be something big.

“Hey,” Yue greeted, somewhat belatedly. “Are you excited about the festival?”

Oh, so that was it.

“Everyone will be here, and you will see your brother and uncle again…”

Azula tried not to flinch at the mention of her family. She wasn’t really excited about seeing them again. What if they thought she hadn’t moved on enough from her father’s teachings? It had been the purpose of this entire extended visit to the North Pole. And what if they did think she was ready to return? Now she wasn’t so sure she wanted to go back.

There had been no other place that thawed all her defenses like this.

“Are you excited?” Azula ended up reflecting the question with a half smile. She didn’t want to talk about it, but she’d be happy to hear Yue.

Instead of the usual smile, she averted her eyes.

“It’s the first time I go to the dances,” carefully, she pulled from each finger of the glove to take it off, something that made Azula frown. The palace’s roofed balcony wasn’t as cold as the exterior, but it wasn’t warm, either. “The  first time since the engagement with Hahn was broken.”

“That’s good, isn’t it?” Azula tried to smile. “You’ll be free to dance with whomever you want now… I’m sure there will be plenty of people wanting to ask you for a dance.”

She hoped she didn’t sound as bitter as she felt. Nobody would ask her; she was too strong, too forceful, too intimidating.

And Yue wouldn’t even consider dancing with someone like her, right?

“Maybe I’ll even get my first kiss,” Yue cleared her throat, and the following giggle hit Azula like a fist to the gut. “Honestly, I’m just glad the first one wasn’t with Hahn.”

“Ye—yeah…” she swallowed, tongue suddenly heavy and awkward. As difficult to handle as she had found the furs and parkas at first.

“There was a favor that I wanted to ask from you… Since you must have more experience, you know.”

“Do tell me,” Azula managed to answer, eyes fixed on the insurmountable distance, wide as her palm, of ice railing between her hand and Yue’s.

Those fingers moved a maddening inch closer.

"I can't have my first kiss be with some stranger, so would you please practice with me?"

Azula couldn’t think of a single clear word as she found herself staring into the princess’ blue, blue eyes, bright as ice but infinitely warmer.

Said princess, however, was quick to misinterpret Azula’s silence.

“It’s just that… I hoped it would be easier with a… a friend,” Yue stammered, cheeks darkening with a blush.

A friend?

She tried not to despair too much. Being considered a friend was good, right? Anything else would be greedy on her part.

But her father was greedy, and Azula couldn’t deny all resemblance with him.

She was greedy, too.

“I have never kissed anyone before,” Azula coughed, sure that her own blush would be creeping on her face. “But, hypothetically, of course, what if…?”

Yue looked at her again, making it difficult for Azula to continue speaking.

“What if… our first kiss was with someone who’s more than a friend…?”

Azula wasn’t a coward. She was many, many things, but not a coward. She mentally repeated that to force herself to look at Yue.

The blue eyes sparkled.

Yue’s ungloved hand came to rest on Azula’s cheek.

“I would love that.”

And her last coherent thought before their lips touched was that this probably meant she’d have someone to dance with during the festival.

This was fun to write! I'm taking requests from this list or this one , so send a prompt and a ship!

#moneneki #azula week 2022 #azula #princess yue #yuezula #my asks #anon ask

[spacerangersam]

Ghosts vampire/werewolf au lore??? 👀

I did write a bit about it here, in case you haven’t see it ( https://www.tumblr.com/blog/view/spacerangersam/689661464978604032?source=share ) but like, always happy to talk more about my aus asdfgh.

Also, I don’t know if you mean lore about how specifically vampires/werewolves work in this au or just, general info about this au, so I'll give you a bit of both. Sorry in advance for how long this is.

So, for the world itself, I imagine it's one where all humans know that supernatural beings exist, but it's like, generally hard to find them

It's like spotting a wild fox- very cool, but mindblowing. Certainly, no one's bringing out their pitchforks to hunt them down

Well, some people are, but that's a very small minority, and it's universally considered a bit of a dick move

And there are plenty of supernatural beings who live in human cities and whatnot, but it's not common

Especially with vampires

Speaking of: vampires don't turn into bats, they turn into a pile of writhing leeches. I remember someone telling me that was an idea Bram Stoker originally had before the bats, and while I can't find a source for that, I love it so it's vampire canon to me now

Alison is horrified when this first happens

Vampires can be seen in mirrors/photographs, as long as there's no silver lining/or silver in the film.

They can go in the sun with a lot of sunscreen on, but it's still a big risk. it's best to be careful and get a skincare potion from a witch

And with the Buttons specifically - the reason there's only that small handful left is simply that most Buttons, when turned into vampires, immediately leave the manor

Who can blame them? being stuck with your entire family for all of eternity sounds horrible

George did try to kill Stephanie like in canon back when she was still human, but either Humphrey or Kitty found and turned her just in time

Later down the line, she returned the favour to Captain, who was using the house as a base during WW2 but became incredibly ill

But was it a normal illness, or something else? Who knows.

There's no a/b/o stuff with the werewolves, I cannot stress this enough. Packs are either family groups, or like, a group of friends. If there are any leaders, then they're the parents or the most parent-like

Sort of on that note, Pat still does scouting, but his group is pretty much exclusively made up of cubs from the plague pack, named as such because they were all turned during the black plague

Werewolves turn you through scratches, vampires through biting, but it has to be intentional. A werewolf can scratch you, but unless they’re doing it with the aim to turn you, the only thing it will do is hurt

Why? No one knows. It’s magic

Unlike vampires, werewolves can be born. So Pat, Daley, and Robin were all born vampires, whereas Mary, Thomas and Alison were turned

I'd like to think it was Robin who turned Mary. Maybe she tried to help him when he got injured in his wolf form once, so when he saw the witchfinders coming, he ran ahead and offered to turn her to save her

She agreed, and they made their own little two-person pact

Skip ahead a few decades and after Thomas is turned, the Buttons essentially demand that they take him in

Skip ahead a bit further and the trio meet Pat wandering the woods sadly, fresh from his divorce, missing his pack

He joins the group they become a proper pack.

Daley visits, when his mum lets him

Pat and Cap definitely have like, a frenemies to lovers thing going on. Everyone is aware of this except for Pat and Cap

And despite the tension between the Buttons and the Pack, plenty of them are still friends. Julian and Robin still play chest together, Kitty and Marry hang out a lot- it’s mostly Stephanie and Cap causing the tension

Every full moon werewolves are forced to turn into their wolf form, but they don’t lose control. That’s only for red moons and eclipse, and even then, it’s more like…you know in H20 how the girls would get kind of loopy around full moons? It’s like that

But on normal full moons they have a movie night and just like, pile up on each other and cuddle

Kitty and Julian are sometimes invited

The Pack all live together in a house nearby to the Button’s manor, but it’s a lot smaller and in the woods.

Pat bought it because before then they were just sort of, roughing it in the woods. Not because they couldn’t find/afford somewhere, but because they just didn’t think to

You’ve heard of Alison seeing Cap as a father figure, now get ready for her seeing Pat as a father figure

And oh yeah of course he sees her as a daughter. She's a young fatherless person in his pack? No, he's her dad now, end of. And Daley definitely sees her and Mike as his older siblings.

Mike and Daley would definitely get into a lot of hijinks…definitely

Uh, this is getting long so I better stop, but before that, one last point: since Humphrey is connected with his body here, and to make up for the no turning into bats thing, Humphrey has a pet bat called Body. It’s a Salem situation, you know? A bastard that’s been stuck in the form of an animal to pay for his crimes

But the only one who pays is Humphrey

…okay, think I’m done for now

#i love talking about my dumb aus it's so fun #i want a name for this au so i can tag stuff for it... teeth and claws? eh. it'll do #no wait #fangs and claws au #bbc ghosts

[weebsinstash]

I think it is time to cute her out sweetling. She sounds like a narcissist, and from what you just trauma dumped it sounds like she likes being the victim. You shouldn't put up with that.

There is nothing you can do to help her right now or possibly ever and that burden should never have fallen to you. It's sweet you want to see her get better, but you are burning yourself to keep her happy. This isn't a situation that has a case where everyone wins.

Protect yourself first, heal yourself, and maybe someday things with her will change. But her choices aren't your problem, it's not your job to fix them, and it's not your job to give up your own health to make others happy; family or not.

Yes your sister is going through a lot and I understand wanting to help, but as someone with most of the mental health problems you mentioned (bpd, ptsd, depression, bipolar) I can with confidence say it doesn't excuse her behavior to you and your mother.

I have pitty for her, she's so blinded by her self made excuses that she can't see the wonderful sister she has.

I just can't help but think, like, mom and I wonder if there's something undiagnosed? She says ever since my sister was a child she would always need things repeated and would ask "what do you mean" and there was an age where everyone thought she behaved really strangely? And I wonder if she has undiagnosed ADHD because that can affect your focus, your mood regulation, things like that, and I hear ADHD can also explain excessive sleep which has a a lifelong issue for my sister. Its uh, it's also worth mentioning that apparently vyvanse/Adderall is one of the things she's occasionally using recreationally/buying off the street

But. I also. I also keep clinging to that possibility because its less painful to consider "maybe she just has some sort of disability and she literally can't help being this way" over "theres nothing we can do, she has to choose for herself what to do and she doesn't want to"

I just. I think I'll take the route of maybe sending her a message every now and again like once a week but im going to have to lower my expectations for hearing back from her. I just... I can't completely cut her off because she already feels so alone and thinks we don't care. What if me doing something to cut her off drove her to... I dont even want to think about whatever she might do. If she even cares about me that much.

It's just. She's been through so much. I can understand how that damages someone. There are times I let my depression get extremely bad and I had to hit the bottom before I get better or try to start taking meds again and I hope the same can happen for her but. She has. A lifetime of these bad decisions. I feel like I'm watching her self destruct. I literally feel like I need to get into contact with our father and have him talk to her about this as a former addict/alcoholic, and I haven't spoken to that man in years. Like. Im desperate.

My mom is heartbroken too. She's 57 and she's worried about how my sister and I will take care of ourselves after she's gone. She even said during the visit "you'd think your sister would show some sort of concern that I'm getting older". Like she has had to completely shut herself down after this visit or else she'd be constantly sobbing. I've seen my mom cry more in this last week than when her own mother died. She's terrified that she has to try and fix this before mt sister gets any worse and my mom isn't here to help her

I'm just so sad. I'm sad and I'm angry and I'm disappointed and I feel so so SO guilty and. Yeah.

God fucking damn it i was just thinking about trying to force myself to get back into writing too, because that's something fun for me, that's an outlet for me, something thats productive and makes me feel better, and now that's becoming associated with this pain. Fuck. Fuck. It just keeps getting better.

[magicianpanache]

Reading Midnight Sun: Chapter 19

Edward monologues during Bella’s sleep. This is starting to become a pattern.

I considered Alice’s fairly well-developed friendship with Bella, of which Bella was completely ignorant.

It’s not a fairly well-developed friendship if one party is ignorant of it. It’s just stalking. Just sayin'.

Edward decides to bring Bella home during the night, but to do that he has to convince Rosalie to not be a bitch, so he goes home to convince her.

When they’re speaking, Rosalie bares her soul to Edward, explaining why she can’t be nice to Bella, and act like everything is okay. She says what I’ve been thinking the entire time.

I can’t look at her. When I look at her, I can’t see her as a person. I just see a waste. [...] I am sorry. I don’t mean that to sound so cruel. I just can’t… I can’t watch her do this. [...] A whole life of possibilities ahead of her, and she’s going to waste it all. Everything I lost. I can’t bear to watch it.

Edward is stunned to hear that, something I’ve known since the beginning, only knowing Rosalie from a book series I’ve read 10 years ago. This guy is a mind reader, ladies and gentlemen.

Of course, Edward does not take this occasion to reflect on what else he could've missed. This does not make him rethink everything he thought he knew about Rosalie, about maybe being more than a shallow pool. He tries to convince her that eventually Bella will break up with him when she’s too old for him, and he will let go at that point, which impresses Rosalie, but she’s dubious.

Look, you’re not up to my personal standards, but there’s not a human man alive who can compare with you, and you know it.

Love the shade, Rose.

Eventually, Rosalie agrees to be civil, though she makes sure to tell Edward how hard it will be. Of course, Edward has no sympathy and judges Rosalie for not being ready that very morning. Why can’t she just get over her rape already ?

Edward goes back to Bella, and hears Charlie reattaching her car’s battery cables, which he had unplugged because he thought she might've tried to sneak out. This makes Edward’s actions in Eclipse even more messed up.

Edward invites her to his home once she wakes up.

They confess their love in long monologues, then Bella faints while kissing him because she forgot to breathe. I’d forgotten that part, and I don't know what to think about it.

Once home, Esme, Alice and Carlisle are happy to meet Bella. Rosalie isn’t there, which Esme and Edward think is such a shame.

During the visit, Alice also has a vision of visitors, which doesn't tip the Cullens off to maaaaybe laying low.

Edward plays the piano, making Bella cry.

I swallowed Bella’s tear. Perhaps it would never leave my body. After she left me, after all the lonely years had passed, maybe I would always have this piece of her inside me.

Not gonna touch that one with a ten feet pole.

Edward ends the chapter with recounting the start of Carlisle’s backstory.

Conclusion

Everyone is just a prop to Edward, I’m sure of it. He has to have a supportive family that engages into his delusions. He can’t just leave Rosalie be. She finds it painful to be near Bella, because she triggers her trauma. Why can’t Edward just respect that ? He acts like Rosalie is such a bitch, and can't accept her efforts.

Well, because he wants his grandiose, tragic romance, and he can’t have that if someone objects to them together on rational grounds, nor if someone has her own tragedy going on.

Also, if Alice has a vision of visitors (James and cie), why the hell did Edward bring Bella where they could see her ? This sounds like a silly idea.

#twilight #twilight renaissance #anti edward cullen #edward cullen #midnight sun #anti twilight #twilight saga #bella swan #rosalie hale #twilight meta

[uhlatcha]

A PLACE CALLED YOU - CHAPTER THREE

WATTPAD | AO3 | PLAYLIST | A PLACE CALLED YOU MASTERLIST FANDOMS: ATEEZ, STRAY KIDS PAIRING: JYH x OC WORDS: 2508 GENRE: FANFIC, ROMCOM, NON IDOL AU, COLLEGE AU NOTES: ENGLISH IS NOT MY FIRST LANGUAGE, ANY FEEDBACKS ARE WELCOME.

CHAPTER THREE

"We're here" Hongjoong announced as the small group reached the top of the huge flight of stairs leading up to Hongjoong's friend's apartment "It's the apartment on the left, the roof is shared with the other apartment" he explained, pointing to the other door.

The apartment was on the top floor of the building right on the roof, which was very big and spacious. And it was completely dirty and dusty.

Seonghwa walked around, scowling at the slovenly state of the underused space.

"This place needs a good cleaning" the boy commented "How can anyone live in this dirt?"

"Let's go inside" Joong called, already unlocking the big glass door. "Yunho has class now and can't come, but you can feel free to look around."

"If it's like that out here, imagine it in there" Seonghwa commented.

The living room was well lit thanks to the glass door. Tati walked to the door and entered the apartment, following Joong, who was already inside, opening the living room curtains and the window.

The living room was quite large, but relatively empty, there was only a sofa, a dark wood coffee table and a small shelf with video game consoles and the biggest TV Tati had ever seen in her life, other than that there were no decor items. or nothing of the sort.

"What did you say he studies anyway?" Tati wanted to know.

"Arts" Joong replied.

"The guy studies art and doesn't have any decorations at home? That's weird to say the least" Seonghwa commented "At least it's cleaner in here"

"This is the bathroom" Joong said, pointing to a door to the right of the room. On the opposite side was the kitchen, which was separated from the living room only by a counter. "And there the bedrooms, yours is the one on the left" Joong explained, pointing to two doors near the kitchen.

Tati walked towards the door that Hongjoong indicated and opened it. The room was of a reasonable size and there was already a closet, bed, a desk and some shelves. All the furniture was white, as were the floors and walls.

"Yunho said you can use the furniture, I figured with the flooding thing you must have lost some stuff." Joong said, standing at the door as the girl surveyed the room.

Tati walked around the apartment one more time, checking the bathroom, which turned out to be the cleanest room, which surprised her.

"So what do you think?" Joong wanted to know.

"It's by far the best apartment I visited during my search" She admitted "It's in a good location, the roof is amazing and the bedroom furniture is a great addition. Of course, it needs a cleaning, but considering everything else and the rental price... It's perfect."

"But" Seonghwa said, as if he could read the girl's mind.

"But I don't even know Yunho" she added "How can I share an apartment with someone I haven't even seen in my life?"

"He can't be here today, but I guarantee he's a good person. I would never put you in a bad situation" Joong assured.

Tati turned to Seonghwa and he didn't need her to say anything to understand that yes, she had already made up her mind.

"You loved it, didn't you?" the boy asked. Tati approached him, holding his hands, nodding excitedly. Seonghwa sighed, not too excited about the idea.

***

After visiting the apartment, Tati decided it was time to finally call Chris and tell him what had happened. She decided to go straight to the hotel, leaving Seonghwa and Hongjoong alone.

"You didn't like the gift?" Hongjoong asked as the two walked through the city center. Hongjoong was going to take pictures at the Chinese restaurant near the gym, and Seonghwa was coming back to rehearse more in the afternoon.

"What?" Hwa asked "Of course I liked it. It's...perfect" he smiled as he put his hands in his coat pockets, holding the small box inside his left pocket.

"I was going to bring you something more discreet" Hongjoong said "But when I saw the ring... I knew it was this. Sorry if it's too much..."

"No, it's perfect, really" Seonghwa assured, stopping on the way and holding hands with Hongjoong, who smiled, satisfied "Thank you"

The two continued walking together in comfortable silence. Seonghwa was really happy with the gift. The ring was perfect, and it didn't go unnoticed that Hongjoong wore one just like it. The gift meant something, and Seonghwa would wear it with pride.

The two turned the corner that led to the bakery street, and came face to face with a huge line.

"What happened here?" Seonghwa asked, looking wide-eyed at Hongjoong.

"Let's find out," he said, walking toward New at the store's door.

"Hey New, what happened?" Joong asked.

"Apparently our cake went viral thanks to someone famous who came here and talked about it on the internet." New explained. "I've never seen this place so full."

"Lia must be freaking out in there." Seonghwa commented.

"It's crazy, May is in my place while I stay here." New said.

"I wish I could help, but I have a session now." Joong explained.

"I had to rehearse, but I can do that later." Seonghwa said.

"Come in," New said, opening the door.

"See you later" Joong said to Hwa "Bye New."

DeleteCreated with Sketch.

It was difficult for May to get into the bakery that afternoon. The place was packed and there was a line outside where the outside tables that had been removed used to be. She was only able to get in because the clerk at the door controlling access knew her and knew that she was Lia's friend.

She walked in, dodging the customers waiting for her orders near the counter. She spotted Lia filling a paper bag with cookies.

"Hey what happened, why is it so crowded today? Is it a special date?" May asked.

"Apparently from what Lucy said, some influencer came here and talked about our tres leches and now we're fully booked."

"That's crazy, but it's pretty cool actually," May commented.

"You say that because you're on this side of the counter, it's crazy in the kitchen. I've never made as much cake in my life as today" Lia said "I was making the cakes, but things got out of hand so New had to go there in front to take care of the entrance, and I came here. I tried to call Tati, but it just goes to voicemail."

"Need help?" May offered.

Lia stopped for a moment, looked around, then looked at the window and the line outside. Of all her friends, May was the only one who had never worked in the bakery.

"You know the menu well, do you think you can stay here and serve? In the meantime I'll go back and help in the kitchen" Lia said and May nodded, passing behind the counter. "Go back there and tie your hair, wash your hands and get an apron and then we'll change."

May did as her friend asked and soon she was back, Lia hugged her and thanked her for the help, and then hurried to the kitchen, she had a lot of work to do.

DeleteCreated with Sketch.

"I can't believe we've been waiting in line for almost an hour for a piece of cake," Jongho said, taking his cell phone out of his pocket.

"From what I've seen, it's not just any cake," Yeosang said, looking at the reviews on the bakery's website.

"Don't they do deliveries?" Jongo asked impatiently.

"From what I've seen, yes, but only with orders." Yeosang explained.

"So why are we here waiting in line when we could order and eat at home?" Jongho asked indignantly.

"Because their order book is closed for at least up to three months" Yeosang explained "And I need this cake today."

"Honestly, after a long day at work the only thing I need is my bed" Jongho commented.

Yeosang understood his friend's attitude, he was also tired and wanted to go home, but everyone seemed to be talking about that bakery, and if there was one thing that Yeosang always enjoyed, it was the chance to try good food, even if he had to wait in line. for that.

DeleteCreated with Sketch.

"Hi daddy." Tati said, thinning her voice, as soon as Chris answered the video call, immediately rolling her eyes at her sister's bad joke.

"You need to stop this," he said, pretending to be angrier than he really was.

"Is this how you treat me after not hearing from me for so long?

I almost regret calling."

"Oh great you brought it up" he said "May I know why you were ignoring my messages and calls? I was starting to think you had been kidnapped. But I think if that was the case the kidnappers would have returned you by now, you are pretty annoying."

"It's my greatest gift," she said.

"Seriously" Chan said, changing his tone "What happened?"

"I had to tell you something, but I didn't want to worry you, so I avoided you until everything was settled," she admitted.

Chris took a deep breath, ready to start a lecture, but Tati interrupted him.

"I know, no matter what, I can always talk to you. But I didn't know how to reach you and say, 'Hey, my apartment collapsed after a leak and I'm homeless,' so I'm sorry."

"Wait...WHAT?!" he exclaimed. "Like this?"

"The old plumbing broke and there was a leak that caused it to collapse because of the humidity. But I wasn't home so I didn't get hurt or anything, but the apartment is gone."

"I told you you could do better than that mob" Chris said "But my God, Tatiana. How your apartment collapses and you don't even deign to tell me? Do you need money? Do you have a place to stay?"

"I have the insurance money. For the first few weeks I stayed with Lia, now I'm in a hotel, but I've already got a place to stay for the long term, I'm moving on Saturday. I took care of everything, I can manage on my own."

"That's not the point, Tati. I'm your big brother, you should tell me these things. You don't have to fend for yourself all the time."

She lowered her head. She really wanted to believe her brother's words, but it was hard, when she'd spent her entire life being told by her parents that she was incapable of fending for herself. Something she spent her whole life trying to prove otherwise.

All her life she got used to doing everything by herself, because Chris was always independent, she left home very early to do what she dreamed of; the younger sister had the privileges of the youngest, as the middle child, Tati had a hard time fitting in. She always tried to be the perfect daughter, and thanks to her anxiety, she had to work harder than others to get what she wanted, and even if she did, she often ended up falling behind.

"You can always count on me, even if I'm not there physically. It's always been that way, and it always will be."

That was true. Even though he was far away, Christopher was always her anchor. The two had been on the phone every Sunday since he'd left, eventually making video calls and spending the entire week texting. Whenever Tati needed to talk to someone, he was there, even if not physically. And when she moved, he was the one who helped her settle in the city.

"I know" she said "I'm sorry I didn't tell you, I really didn't want to worry you. You were traveling and I knew if I told you I'd want to run back here."

"Fine," he said, "But I think it's good for me to know the next time your house collapses."

"I honestly hope it doesn't happen again in the near future," she admitted.

"I assume our parents weren't informed about what happened either" Chris commented and she nodded "Are you going to tell them about the move?"

"I don't see why" she said, shrugging her shoulders, Chris didn't say anything.

"I'll send the boys to help you with the move," he commented.

"No need, it's Saturday, they must have plans" she said.

"They adore you, they won't mind." Chris assured her "I have to go now," she said, looking at her watch. "But I'll call you Saturday to see how the move went, and you can call me first if you need anything."

"Alright" she said "We'll talk"

As soon as Chan hung up, Tati felt relieved that she had finally told him what had happened. It felt good to be able to take that weight off her back.

When she ended the call, she finally saw Lia's missed calls and messages and ran to the bakery.

***

San spent most of the afternoon wondering if he should call May. She'd been acting strange since the night the two of them had rehearsed alone and he'd ended up talking more than he should have.

He had talked to Wooyoung about what happened, the two didn't hide anything from each other. Woo looked annoyed at first but soon returned to normal. They both liked her a lot, thanks to all the time they'd been spending together. The two missed their friend and just wanted to resolve the whole situation.

So in the late afternoon, after having his texts and calls ignored, San decided to try his luck and go to the bakery where May used to go. What he and Wooyoung didn't expect was to find a huge line leading out of the store and around the corner.

"Hey Woo" he heard as he walked up the street, then turned around to find Yeosang and Jongho standing in line, waving at him. The boy went towards his friend, very excited, and hugged him.

"What are you doing here?" He asked.

"We're waiting in line for cake, I've tried to make Yeosang give up, but he refuses." Jongho explained "I think the wait is worth it, or I'll kill him."

"Oh believe me, everything Lia does is amazing" Wooyoung began

"Wait" Yeosang said "Do you know the owner of the bakery? Have you ever eaten here? Why haven't you mentioned the place before?"

"I actually know the owner's daughter, but she makes most of the cakes."

"Can you get us inside?" Jongho asked hopefully. They were already very close to the door.

Woo looked at the boy at the door, who was already familiar from the two of them frequenting the bakery in the last few months. San wondered if the boy would recognize them too when May walked out of the store. She wore a pink apron and hair cap and looked slightly nervous talking to the boy.

"Excuse me" she said, raising her voice and waving to people in line "I'm sorry, but the cake and the material we used to prepare it is over."

The information was followed by complaints and some boos.

"We still have other flavors of cake and other types of candy," she continued. "And for those who wish, we're going to give out some free cookies for the unexpected inconvenience, just wait where you are for a few more minutes."

Jongho took a deep breath in disappointment, Yeosang made a face so sad that he looked like he was about to cry. A few people walked out of line complaining, but most stayed where they were, waiting for the free cookies.

#Ateez Fanfic #original character #Yunho x OC #JYH #A Place Called You #Kpop #Kpop fanfic #non idol au #ballet au #college au #uhlatcha #writing #Atiny

[shummashum]

Zeus Brundle Happy Ending [6~10]

well let's think about it later I didn't expect that the centuries-old curse would be lifted with just one attempt in the first place... the answer will come out during his route

then shall we go back? but how can they go back is there a train or maybe Hiro will do the dimension rip once again

huh you know, the headmaster is very very sus! somehow I feel like he knows this whole series of events I don't think Solmare put a new character in the headmaster's position for no reason!! d o u b t

if he wanted to handle things in a big way, he had to be prepared… isn't it

boo the height of incompetence is plotting something again you think a group that was deceived by just one student has the right to interrogate someone? just close the shutter and quit your business

well since he is a member of the Ministry, he must have been especially angry at Zeus? besides it was his job to protect the devil's whispers. if it were me, I would never be able to say good things for him

Hiro always adds something like that and I like his comments

Zeus might really get expelled from school in his unhappy ending,, but since he is so talented, I think he'll live well even if he is expelled? Queensblade Academy could also be an option maybe the Academy will welcome him and roll out a red carpet…?

A few days later, Liz arrived at the headmaster's office after being summoned by Remb.

now that I think about it, he didn't break the 'academy rules'… at least

oh? they decided to overlook?

but you know seems like they're so humiliated about being deceived by a single student that they're just pretending it never happened and burying the incident… does this sound too much like a conspiracy theory? I can't help it, I have a very positive impression of the Ministry

it's been a while since I've watched your seisai behavior again please wait, I'll observe your route in a few days…

what's that

ah…… Remb probably didn't do it (right?), then who might be the culprit erm, you know, I heard that there are some guys doing the antagonist move, like Vain and Felix? I don't think they'll be involved in the main story already though

then he has a reason to stay here! watch this, you red-haired guy belonging to the Knight somewhere. this is how you make a reason, not that damn visiting student settings come to think of it, wasn't the Ministry, which ultimately gave such instructions, the fundamental problem in his route? aaaaargh again

At that time, Remb announced that Zeus had something to say.

oh, I know is it about the Prefect?

ooh… she passed? for real?

oh god it was true that he considered the Minotaur incident to be a third test this isn't your plan right?

but is it right to like it you're becoming a postgrad now you're becoming a voluntary slave now you think you'll be okay?

w you talk as if you won't suffer in future and you think you're not the chump? you are also the chump you are I swear

anyway! thanks for letting her pass!

erm what if you-know-who steals it too?

lmaooo

She asked him for something else she wanted.

Night Class Prefect clothes? why is it that only he can see her show me too!!

With that, they started touring the Night Class.

#shumma plays wh

[dewdropsonpluto]

This is not a poem, but I feel the need to share.

I just got home from my family reunion, specifically the 35th Clyde and Louise Williams Family Reunion held every year. It's one of my favorite times during the year. Three days camping in Grandma's two and a half acres of backyard (they've owned the land since the 1960s) Three days hanging out with family, extended, close, sassy trash talkers, loving each other, helpful, competitive, and most of all just being family. We all do different things, have made mistakes and have made different choices, have different personalities and interests, but we love each other.

Anyway, during our reunion we do plenty of crafts, bingo, a talent show, Grandma rents the town pool for two hours on Saturday, a fishing pond for kids under 18, and the two most exciting activities are the cribbage tournament (winner gets a custom made cribbage board by my uncle, who funnily enough won the board he made this year) and the raffle. Tickets are $0.25 apiece and proceeds go to paying for the reunion, mainly the food and the outhouses we rent. I spend about $40, I have some family who spend about $100. 95% of the items in the raffle are handmade. My uncle Leon does woodworking things, mainly board games or stuff with my Grandpa's brand on them, my aunt Carol makes coin purses and hand bags. Aunt Pam makes things with her cricket. Cousin Trisha prints on shirts. My Aunt Sandra and my mom usually make a quilt each (those are usually the bigger items), and many other things are put in the raffle. This is the first year I've put something in though.

I painted a horse portrait, which is out of my comfort zone. Portraits are not easy for me and I haven't painted seriously in about 3 years. I'm pretty proud of myself for actually putting my painting out there to my family, even though it's not perfect, I've made progress.

My Grandma won it. It was the only item she one that she didn't ask a redraw for (sometimes adults will put tickets in and ask for a redraw or pick a kid who hasn't won anything yet). Later, she told my mom she's going to hang it up in Grandpa's room at the memory care facility.

You see, my Grandpa has had serious dementia for about 5 years now, and has been in the memory care facility for about 2 years. He doesn't remember much. He does recognize my Grandma a bit. He's excited when she's there, will hold her hand, she's the only one he'll kiss on the lips, and always wants to put his shoes on when she starts to leave (which always heartbreaking), (my uncle Tim visits him about 3-4 times a week, make sure he's doing good. Aunt Sam every few weeks. Grandma visits every other week since she can't drive anymore and everyone else goes when we're there). The staff are incredibly friendly there and it's a good place, which is lucky. But my Grandpa loves animals, particularly horses and dogs. He lights up a bit when someone gives him a picture or a card with one of those animals on it. I had talked to my mom about printing off a copy of the picture and giving it to him.

So it means the world to me, that one of the people who always encouraged my artwork, always told me to keep trying and would give me old calendars or horses or of artwork for me to practice with, who know has no idea who I am when I kiss him on the cheek, is getting a painting of a horse from me even those he has no recollection of Rachel A. Haney.

I just wanted to say that... I consider myself lucky to have the family that I do. And, for those of you who don't have the family that you deserve, that's okay. Family isn't perfect or an important thing for everyone. Sometimes you have to choose your family, and that's okay. Surrounding yourself with people who love and support you is important. My family is anything but perfect. But I know they love me, and I hope they know how much I love them.

#not a poem #artwork #painting #family #families #family reunion #Grandma #Grandpa #Grandparents #dementia #love #life

[rachelkaser]

Stay Golden Sunday: Rose's Big Adventure

Rose attempts to convince her newly retired boyfriend to do something fun. The Girls try to convert their garage into a guest room.

Picture It...

Dorothy, Blanche and Sophia storm into their garage, which is a mess of construction materials -- they're trying to get it converted into a guest bedroom for their visiting family. Their contractor is slacking and the work is taking weeks longer than it should have. In the living room, they run into Rose, sitting on the couch with her boyfriend Al. They're toasting his retirement, as he just sold his deli business and is looking forward to the next steps. After he leaves, Rose says she might be falling for Al.

SOPHIA: I haven't seen a crime like this in a garage since the Saint Valentine's Day Massacre. DOROTHY: Ma, you did not see the Saint Valentine's Day Massacre. SOPHIA: Oh yeah, right. I was at the movies that day. All day.

Contractor Ernie, goes to leave and Dorothy fires him. Now they need to find someone else to finish the garage. Later, Dorothy and Blanche have gone through every contractor in the phone book, all of whom have given them high estimates for the garage job. Rose enters, dejected. Since his retirement, Al has done nothing during their dates except sit around and watch TV. Dorothy encourages her to talk to him about his funk.

Sophia enters and excitedly says she's found someone to fix the garage. They follow her into the garage and she introduces an elderly Italian man in a wheelchair, Vincenzo, formerly a famous architect. While he can't do the work himself, he'll tell Sophia, she'll translate and the other Girls will do the work. He also says he'll do it for free, so they agree to give a try.

SOPHIA: He says he'll do it for nothing. He likes getting away from the center. He also likes working, and most of all, he likes being in the company of pretty young girls. DOROTHY: *they're all flattered* Well, since he puts it that way, how can we refuse? It's a deal! SOPHIA: Good! *hands Dorothy a slip of paper* Here's a list of the pretty young girls he wants you to get for him.

At night, Rose is dressed up waiting for a date with Al. But when he arrives, all he wants to do is sit on the couch and watch an episode of Moonlighting. Rose finally tells him she's not satisfied with his new lethargy, given how energetic he used to be. She tells him that since he has the time now, he should do what he's always dreamed of. Al, believing she's bored with him, takes his leave.

Later, Blanche, Rose and Dorothy listen as Vincenzo begins giving out rapid instructions in Italian. Sophia tries to translate, but even in English the Girls don't understand anything he's telling them to do. Realizing it's not going to work, Vincenzo offers to bring in his own crew to finish the job at no additional cost. Al suddenly arrives and tells Rose he's considered her words and he agrees he needs to do something. He wants to fulfill a lifelong dream of sailing around the world -- a plan he's put in motion by buying a boat and hiring a crew.

SOPHIA: *translating Vincenzo's lengthy Italian spiel* Drill a toggle bolt, anchor with a 5/16th bit, and miter-cut the quarter-inch plywood after you attach the studs. BLANCHE: *beat* Only thing I recognized in there was studs.

The kicker? He wants Rose to come with him. Rose is so shocked she's awake at 2 a.m. making sverhoueven crispies. The Girls eat the tasty-but-foul-smelling treats together, though it doesn't make Rose feel better. Rose confesses that she's afraid she pushed Al too far, but the other Girls assure her it'll be good for him and Rose. She doesn't think she can accept as it's too impulsive.

The next day, several elderly men that comprise Vincenzo's crew are working on the garage as he gives orders. Rose arrives and says she's still stuck on what to do about Al. Sophia translates a remark from Vincenzo as a lengthy cautionary tale about regret over not taking risks. Rose, ecstatic, says she'll take the plunge and go sailing with Al. According to Sophia, Vincenzo actually told them all to get out because they're distracting his crew.

BLANCHE: Ooh, I love champagne! DOROTHY: Me too! The only problem is after a few glasses, I'll kiss any man in sight. *she sips, there's a loud splash* SOMEONE: Man overboard!! BLANCHE: . . . that was just a coincidence, Dorothy.

The Girls later arrive at Al's ship, where Rose is excited to get underway. She finds him lingering by the side of the boat and happily prattles to him about how she loves him and is ready to go on a big adventure with him. Al, on the other hand, tells her he's going to puke -- he's seasick already and the ship hasn't even left harbor yet. So there'll be no sailing around the world for either of them. Rose, while disappointed, comforts him and says they can try other adventures.

Sometime later, Rose says she and Al have another date planned. Sophia says Vincenzo is finished and wants to show them the garage. They run out and find the garage -- looks like a garage. Sophia asks Vincenzo what happened, and there was apparently a translation error. He offers to actually do the remodeling, but they refuse and tell Sophia to thank Vincenzo. In another apparent mistranslation, Sophia accidentally offers him Dorothy's hand in marriage.

SOPHIA: Well, at least he's Italian! *she leaves, and the other Girls run out of the garage with Vincenzo hobbling after, half-out of his wheelchair*

"Blanche, you'll do the screwing -- and he came up with that one on his own, I swear."

How ironic (and slightly melancholy) that an episode titled "Rose's Big Adventure" ends with Rose not going on a big adventure of any description. I'm not sure what it says about Rose's taste that she keeps getting with these men who can't fulfill her expectations, but in this case I can't help but wonder if she's putting a little too much on Al. Still, it's hard to fault an episode with as many memorable scenes as this one has.

VINCENZO: Io, e solo io, sono in controllo. SOPHIA: "I am in charge." VINCENZO: Il sono el padrone. SOPHIA: "I am the boss." VINCENZO: Il sono el maestro. SOPHIA: "I am the master." VINCENZO: Il sono la ballena. SOPHIA: "I am the walrus." DOROTHY: Ma, either your Italian is rusty or he's the world's oldest hippie.

I actually kind of feel for Al at the end of this episode. While his decision to blow his entire life savings on a boat and crew is a little . . . hasty -- seriously, Rose even suggested just hopping on a cruise ship, which would probably have been cheaper -- he seems to do so because his girlfriend suggested he was too lethargic for her following his retirement. I do agree that one should not slip fully into potatohood because one has retired, but damn it, at least give the man who's run a deli for decades and who admits he's always dreamed of retiring a chance to stop and catch his breath.

That being said, I also see where Rose is coming from. Al's malaise doesn't just affect him when he makes date plans and then cancels just to lounge on Rose's couch and watch an episode of Moonlighting. He then swings hard in the other direction when she suggests he maybe get off his duff by doing something so financially ruinous that I can't help but wonder whether he's going to have to unretire himself after that nonsense. Was there seriously nothing between the two extremes? Not even getting their picture taken with Goofy at Disneyland?

BLANCHE: Well it seems to me we have two choices. One, we can beg Ernie's forgiveness. Or two, we can find another contractor. SOPHIA: Or three, the Sicilian method: Torch the garage, collect the insurance, and build a summer house with a view of the ocean. Personally, I like number three.

The B-plot this time has a lot more going on. The Girls are trying to convert their garage into a guest room as they have lots of family visiting (seems like a booking at a Best Western would be more cost-effective, but what do I know). When the first contractor, who screws them over on purpose, walks out, they end up hiring a friend of Sophia's who screws them over by accident. The Girls just can't catch a break, can they? Their attempts to do it themselves only last for one scene, unlike Dorothy and Rose's successful attempt to install a toilet.

Given that his role in the plot is to attempt to build the Girls a guest room -- and to obfuscate said task by not speaking a word of English -- Vincenzo doesn't have much in the way of characterization unless you count being, in Sophia's words, a "wrinkled old pervert." Where Sophia found an elderly Italian architect in Miami, I have no idea, but at least it makes the trope of "miscommunication as conflict" a bit more understandable. I'm a little confused that Dorothy wasn't able to understand Vincenzo -- perhaps she isn't fluent anymore, but Italian should be at least her second language, no?

ROSE: I'm gonna have to sleep on it. SOPHIA: "Sleep on it." Men, sex, all I do is listen to your sexual problems. How about my sexual problems? DOROTHY: Ma, what is your sexual problem? SOPHIA: I don't get any! And I read in a magazine where a woman is at her sexual peak at 83. BLANCHE: Sophia, I read that same article, honey. It was 33. SOPHIA: Really . . . then all those feelings I've been having lately must be colitis. Sorry I interrupted! Good night!

While they don't necessarily hang together very well, the individual scenes of the episode are definitely memorable. Vincenzo instructing the Girls to no effect, Sophia telling the story of an architect who regrets choosing safety over history in WW2, and of course Rose's Sperhoeven Krispies, the ancient Scandinavian midnight snack. It's that last one that's always intrigued me -- I've never wanted to taste a nonexistent food so much as I do these horrible-smelling but fantastic-tasting sweets.

Episode rating: 🍰🍰🍰 (three cheesecake slices out of five)

Favorite part of the episode

The Girls nom some smelly treats, and Sophia comes in with the perfect punchline.

#golden girls #rose nylund #sophia petrillo #picture it #stay golden #stay golden sunday #dorothy zbornak #blanche devereaux #s03e22 #Youtube