#I do got like two not-work-related to-do list items as well but those are more fun or will lead to more fun
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I am gently holding the bees by providing them flowers on my balcony
#noopa rambles#lowkey would like to also provide a little water cup but idk how to execute that#bc it'd be good to have it on the actual railing next to the flowers but it might simply fall off :/#and I do not have a tiny little dish#maybe like a little tea bag holder would be a good size or smt?#anyhow this is me being completely not distracted by the bees when I should be working lmao#in my defense I've already checked off like 5.5/6 items from my work to-do list for today#I do got like two not-work-related to-do list items as well but those are more fun or will lead to more fun
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So I think I will turn that 70s music AU into it's own thing, but never fear! I will not leave anyone Goth Dreamless.
So two ideas about Goth Dream. The first one is that he's the local weirdo dad to Orpheus, a bright and friendly student. He's always wearing black on black with nail polish and hair so weird it'd put Robert Smith to shame. But he's known for being one of the kinder, more caring parents. He hand makes special treats for Orpheus's youth league football team. He organizes expansive birthday parties for his son's whole class and don't even get started on their Halloween party. He has the biggest house on the block and turns it into a veritable Halloween amusement park with giant skeletons and an elaborate haunted house. Doesn't help that he has real taxidermied bats hanging from his ceiling. All in all, while he's weird, he's a good father.
Robyn goes to the same school on scholarship and Hob works multiple jobs to keep Robyn in this posh private school. Him and Orpheus became fast friends when Orpheus invited him over while they waited for Hob to get off his second job. Unfortunately they forgot to mention that to Robyn's dad. Which led to Hob frantically calling his son, then showing up to Dream's house furious that Robyn forgot to mention his little excursion to a stranger's house. Fortunately Dream, in his black silk pyjama pants and well-worn and holey Bauhaus shirt, sufficiently charmed Hob enough to invite the two over for dinner. Then when the boys tired themselves out running around the property and fell asleep in Orpheus's room, Hob got to tire himself out on Dream's prick.
The second idea I had when browsing some memes and saw a Goth Girl Simp starter pack which is totally Hob. Not that he simps over Goth guys and gals specifically, just that he has a crush.
Dream is everything he isn't. He's tall, thin, and so fair it's almost like he's a fairy. He's effortlessly cool and mysterious, never deigning to speak more than a few words with most people. He's a regular at Hob's pub but doesn't do more than drink merlot alone in a corner booth. Occasionally he brings a date, but he's seen those relationships come and go. The last girl, Thessaly, got so mad at his lack of attention that she splashed her drink in his face and stormed out. Hob comped her drinks and Dream left shortly after paying for his wine.
Joanna laughs at the whole situation. In her experience, lots of people want a goth partner, but the magic fades when they take off their make-up and walk around and their pillows are stained with black hair dye. Hob is not deterred! He wants that stranger carnally. But how is he going to relate to him? The hardest album he has in his whole flat is a copy of Diva classics covered by some punk band. He didn't spend much time with the punks or metalheads in school and couldn't tell a Christan Death song from Sisters of Mercy. Jo laughs at him the entire way through as she helps him spike his hair and paint his nails.
Then comes show time. Dream comes in every day around 7:30-8. He comes around dressed to the Gothic nines with two glasses of red wine. He had Jo put some Stone Roses on the jukebox. He casually sits in the booth and tells him drinks are free if he cares to give a little of his time. Dream bursts out laughing. That horrid, donkey bray of a laugh deflates Hob's ego terribly. He gets up to leave, but Dream grabs his hand. He's never had someone try so hard to cater to his fashion sense. It's not needed as Dream had a crush on Hob, and well, a full night full of fucking wine drinking wasn't on anyone's to do list before tonight, but Hob can't complain!
🎸
I dearly, dearly love the idea of Hob simping for goth Dream in literally any scenario. It just brings me so much joy. Like, the image of Hob laying on the bed watching as Dream goes through the process of making himself up: litres of white foundation, powder, yards of black eyeliner in complex patterns, shining black lipstick, dozens of items of carefully selected silver jewellery, half a can of hairspray. Hob is obsessed with the entire process. And of course Dream is a lucky bastard who doesn't need to dye his hair, but can you imagine the day he finds his first greys? He's locking himself in the bathroom patching up every single spot of hair that isn't absolutely pitch black. Hob diligently helps and doesn't even complain about the fact that they'll never get the stains off the sink. He assures Dream that no, he won't have to shave it all off like Andrew Eldritch. It's fine, no one will even see which bits are dyed.
And Hob is just as much as a simp on the days where Dream’s hair is sticking out at all angles completely unstyled, and he's still in his pyjamas at 2pm. Hob still takes his job as Goth Boyfriend Appreciator very seriously, thanks very much. Arguably Dream is at his MOST goth when he's wearing Hob’s tracksuit down to the local tesco and having a silent battle with someone's grandmother over the last Danish pastry.
Also!! Goth dad Dream has captured my heart because!!!! Goth baby/child Orpheus!!!! In his little black outfits and spikey hair listening to Siouxsie and the banshees on Dream’s ancient ipod!!!! I am weak for it. And of course he's besties with Robyn, who has inherited his dad's love of Clannad and Fairport Convention. A match made in musical heaven, bless them <3
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tips on having an organized life and staying organized. ex: your space like closet & room as well as mentally
Random out of order thoughts popping up:
(Context: I'm a ex-hoarder teen turned borderline minimalist adult)
Get it done as soon as possible. peace of mind is priceless and you will wish you did it earlier. So might as well get it done now without derping around.
Try thinking of the ideal lifestyle you want to acheive. What is Ideal You doing in her life? How is her schedule? Her lifestyle? Imagine. Then you got a good goal to acheive, a WHY to your process.
Physical clutter equals to mental clutter. Mental clutter equals to physical clutter. Attack both at the same time. Eliminate stressors from your life. Simplify your routines to the essential. Simplify to a level you feel HAPPY in.
Do NOT minimize to a level where you become UNCOMFORTABLE because of lack. You aren't in some survival show. It is daily life, not catastrophe re-creation.
Limit your organization tools to only a few simple ones. To the point. No need for 5 or 6 schedules, stick to one. Get ALL your organization in one spot. For me it's Google Agenda and mirror stickies for next day reminders.
If you have tasks, target to make them a daily, weekly or monthly routine. It makes easier, liberates mental space for better opportunities. My Saturdays are cleaning days. My Sundays are art days. My Fridays are spin-down evernings. My Mondays are "Do as muc of the week's work so the rest of the week goes smoothly". I never really change from that basic routine. Some days I may change things up (Parties, unplanned stuff, emergencies) but I try to at least MAINTAIN my routine. I pace my brain's pace that way. Human braisn freaking love routine, they THRIVE in it. I am not different, neither are you.
The stuff that can be repaired then routinely worn? Go repair it RIGHT NOW. If you aren't going to fix/repair within the week, give it away or trash it. If you can't do it now, it's gonna occupy mental space and make your mindspace cluttered. See the physical clutter equals mental clutter point earlier.
Start with trash first, then clothes, and papers. All three are major sources of clutter. It WILL be time-consumpting. But it is normal.
Why are hotels so fun? Because everything is to the point. And is designed for extremely easy cleanup. Only a FEW decorative items. Everything in small baskets. Minimal laundry (only sheets, towels, maybe curtains). And when you go sleep in hotels you only bring the most essential stuff. The stuff you need NOW. Then... how about trying to recreate that hotel feel at home?
Try to EMPTY first before buying more. If that face cream is not really efficient, downgrade it to a body cream. Empty the shampoo and conditioner bottle before buying more. Empty the toothpaste before buying more. Once it comes close to become empty, write the item on the shopping list. You DO NOT need 5 of a kind. if you don't know where such item is, it is an issue. Not some "silly mistake". Reorganize your stuff until you find the stuff you needed. You DO NOT buy more.
On the same vein, same thing for food. Only stock up on the ESSENTIALS (highly dependent from one household to another, for me it's flour, pasta, broth, onions, potato, squash, rice) when they are on sale. Only buy as you go and try to EMPTY the food unless it's spoiled. Do not buy another pot of yogurt if there's already two in your fridge sorta thing.
Obviously, if the product you did buy is ultimately shitty and can't be repurposed for something else, or it is expired, make yourself a favor and get rid of it.
The reason people accumulate clutter, shop excessively, accumulate food, are scared to get rid of stuff, in my honest personal opinion, is related to a fear of the future, an insecurity. Our behavior is a reflection of the mindset we are in. A fear of losing everything, a fear of stepping lower, a fear of lacking. Work on rationalizing those things and BECOME ACTUALLY PREPARED instead of constantly worrying. Once prepped, let it GO. It is gonna be fine. You are prepared.
A well maintained household with less stuff will go through things better than an overwhelmed household.
One lady I used to know hoarded food, she had 6 fridges chokeful of food (frozen, not frozen) and she stocked even more in dry goods. The consequence of this stuff on her that I did observe is that she became overwhelmed by the whole situation, thus increasing her fears, her insecurity. Then it became a vicious cycle. She bought more to allieviate her fears, more food went to waste due to rot and freezer burn, more of her money went to the gutter.
Even is hoarding is an extreme example, we can have some lessons from that (hard and emotionnally difficult) situation and reflect on our own situation. Another thing is that we UNDERESTIMATE the clutter we have. We think it ain't so bad, until we clean it up and realize how shitty it was.
Books in order of relevance: Digital Minimalism, Deep Work, The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up, The Power of Habit.
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Between Us Episode 8 Commentary and Review
Happy holidays guys!!! I hope each of you are having an amazing day. I was up super late, so forgive me if I'm spazzy during this commentary. For those not familiar with me. You can check out my master list here. Also, don't forget to head offer to Coconuts Mafia and check out the other BL content providers. There are several of us who like to keep you guys entertained.
Without further ado. Let's do this.
This is fucking relatable. I envy those who studied and never had this thought. It's no fucking wonder you can't sleep on your bed if you're eating chips on it! Crumbs on the bed. Just ew. No.
Opens door. Tone says you suck, then the bag of snacks come out. Why I do love you... Not gonna lie. My daughter and I are the same way. "You're not you when you're hungry." That smile on Win's face, so cute. Ahhh, listen to that Dom voice. Hand stopping Team from going any further. Voice commanding, not asking or even telling, but commanding. Whiny brat comes out, but we are merely amused. I'm so dead. "You're so dumb." 🤣🤣🤣
When has a pillow ever saved you, Team? Name one time. Go ahead. I'll wait. Then calling Win out. "How you want to get paid?" We got questions and we need answers. Forehead kisses! That pillow did nothing, Team. Nothing at all. Next time, wack him. I mean, you'll be punished for it, but I'm okay with that. Team, did you really ask that? I know you're insecure and last episode didn't help with that, but you're dumb. Well that was about as clear as mud Win, thank you for that.
These two dorks. Bee and Prince. PrinceB. So fucking special.
Win tells him that they are taking the bike. No argument from Team. Even though it's a product placement. It's a cute moment. Love the peace sign. Not Win demanding a check kiss! So cute! Look at that smile! I really enjoy that we only see this side of Win with Team. It shows just how special Team is to Win. I'm sentimentally attached to the colors red and blue. Which is saying something because I hate the color blue.
Team once again being relatable. Ladies and gents, the award goes to Drama king Team and Drama Queen Manow. OMG!!! He posted pictures! I'm so dead. I fucking love the sub trio. They are hilarious.
Blue and red! Ahhhhh. Now you give him encouragement instead of calling him dumb. After the exam! smh. Look at him, waiting to hear where Team is sleeping tonight. Then getting all happy about it. So cute! Yeah, so Team does not have a praise kink. He actually gets embarrassed with it, which is why you see him pushing Team on. There are brats like that. Especially those more comfortable being degraded. Which Team clearly is.
You only believe half of it Team!? No! He likes the idea of it. Win coming in with the logic. 🤣🤣🤣 He can't help it. It's how his brain works. Sweet baby Jezebel, it's a pain in the ass. OMG!!! I'm loving Team's reaction. He just giggles while Win side eyes him. Love It!!!
That's right, baby boy! Question why he has hemp rope, and let all pray it's for the reasons that we hope. Though, hemp rope that frayed would be awful! Like painful, uncomfortable, and break. Just say no to craft hemp rope. There is softer rope that will still give you the feel you're looking for and will hold up better. With a hell of a lot less aftercare, too. Actually, here, let me just give you the link. Ropes are a really fun, even if you don't want to tie someone up. I have friends who've really enjoyed learning knots.
Okay, so back to the show. We left off with Team thinking he had it to tie him up. Sadly, we find out that was not true. Fucking teases. The red thread is for little boys like Dean and Pharm. So dead! HAHAHA!!!
Hey dumbasses, I'm pretty sure it's supposed to be the pinky and not the whole body. Wait! Why am I complaining? This is what I wanted! NVM, please continue.
Awe, they're at Win's house. Here comes the parents. OH, NO Win! Calling him a junior. There goes the fucker with something stuck up his ass. And not in a fun way either! Though... One could argue that anything STUCK up the ass wouldn't be fun. In any way.
Super stressful situation, but let's all take a minute to enjoy how Win commanded Team to take Wiew out. And how, Team just did it. Yay, daddy, don't piss off the kid that can actually run circles around you running your business. I love, love, that Wiew feels comfortable talking to Team about his issues. I really respect that Team isn't trying to give advice right away here. He isn't interrupting, he's just listening. Letting Wiew talk about his issues and concerns. Sometimes, that's more needed than an actual solution to the problem.
Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh Damn. First calling him a junior and then asking if Win is dating someone. This family knows how to score a direct hit. I'm actually enjoying the frank father son talk.
Omg, why is it so salt. "My hand." dead. I'm so dead. Because they are not dead like me. How could they miss it. Look at the ABC gang coming in with the good advice.
See. Team is not into the praise kink. Win tells him good job, and he's like eh. That's actually very typical in someone with low self-esteem. This can be due to abuse, trauma, or even ADHD. Praise kinks aren't as common as one might think. More like, Doms give praise until a sub gets used to it and then begins to enjoy it. I praise like nobodies business both here, in real life, and with my kids. Don't believe me, ask my daughter. No, I also have a degrading kink, but that's with my husband. And even that is done with a balance of praise. Which is actually what we see with Win. A very good balance of degrading and praising. Which would be why you might miss his degrading kink if not paying attention.
Are you seeing it now that I've pointed it out? How many of you are now going to rewatch it to catch it? Raise of hands in the comment section. Notice that Team isn't fighting the degrading like he does being praised. Win just realized that Team can memorize anything he deems important. Win, I mean this with the utmost affection. You're a slut and I love you for it. But seriously, did they throw in a lion sound effect? WTF.
Hia, I can't talk so here, let me show you. So fucking cute. He got a B!!! Shut up, Manow!! 🤣🤣🤣 By the way, I think I'm fucking up the spelling of these names. You should see me, when I write my stories I have a notebook of everyone's names next to me. But do I do it when writing these? Hell to the nah.
The eye blinking sound effects. SMH. Haha, she went to see the lights. He got a B! Do you guys see it? Hmmm? He wants a prize! I fucking love it! A ROOM KEY!!! See sneak in of the praise kink. He did it while he was so happy that he didn't fight him. He's starting to get used to it now.
Their smiles talking about the Christmas lights and Team cheering!! So fucking cute!!!
Well that's all folks! Hope you've had an amazing day and got all your wishes granted. 💜💜💜
#between us#between us the series#winteam#win x team#team x win#luta opinions#luta talks winteam#luta talks kink#coconuts mafia
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Man, that personal garage project post got me real curious. I wanna know more. I have a lot of questions but thankfully I just cut them down to a few major ones:
When you started the project, did you make a proper schematic fully detailed and professional like or did you just start rough and improved it later on?
Did you have all the tools or at least know which tools and equipment you needed in the beginning? How many items you had to order or just get new during the middle of the project (just give a % approximation)?
What was the hardest part of the project? The mechanical part, electronic part or a mix? What was the hardest mechanical part and electrical part btw?
Are you willing to share all the possible schematics, list of items and any other project info that you are comfortable sharing? I'm not asking for anything personal or sensitive.
Finally I have two questions that are just slightly related:
Are you a machinist or an electrician? you have mentioned about you job before so I'm just confirming out of curiosity.
Also can you share any schematics of projects, machines, parts you have worked on? I love that type of stuff so I'd be eager getting anything you don't mind sharing. This is for everything other than the garage project.
I know I'm asking questions like a damn supervisor lmao 🤣 but really just wanna engage in shit. Gotta have some fun with tumblr
"When you started the project, did you make a proper schematic fully detailed and professional like or did you just start rough and improved it later on?"
I did draft up an entire series of schematics and blueprints they arent very comprehensive or details but I had to so I could submit them as a permit for the city I live in, though I did have to make on the fly adjustments to my plans as I went.
"Did you have all the tools or at least know which tools and equipment you needed in the beginning? How many items you had to order or just get new during the middle of the project (just give a % approximation)?"
I did have to buy a lot of the specialty tools for the project but Luckily I am pretty well stocked inheriting a bunch of tools from my father and grandfather best tool I already owned was a nice Multi meter I think the only Tools I really needed to spend money on was a conduit bender and cutter everything else could be done with screw driver bits I had. so maybe 5%
"What was the hardest part of the project? The mechanical part, electronic part or a mix? What was the hardest mechanical part and electrical part btw?"
Oh for sure It was the electrical part, the mechanical aspects of putting together the conduit bending and putting in the walls was something I have experience with, but I had only wired a few 120v outlets before this, I had to learn how to wire an entire subpanel properly witch took some damn doing Ill tell you
"Are you willing to share all the possible schematics, list of items and any other project info that you are comfortable sharing? I'm not asking for anything personal or sensitive."
Schematics are a no go since they had to be submitted as apart of my permit I consider those protected papers on a legal side of things. I dont even thing I have a list of the materials anywhere!
"Are you a machinist or an electrician? you have mentioned about you job before so I'm just confirming out of curiosity."
I am an Areospace Machinist NOT an electrician I took a big risk doing this project I have no training as an electrician. Repairing the mechanical structure of a plane engine requires no knowledge of wiring at all.
Also can you share any schematics of projects, machines, parts you have worked on? I love that type of stuff so I'd be eager getting anything you don't mind sharing. This is for everything other than the garage project.
Sadly this also falls under legally unable to disclose more due to NDA's and things that I am under than personally uncomfortable with sharing, I really wouldn't even feel comfortable saying what company I work for.
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TIP FROM A SCIENTIST #4
How to tell if someone has actually researched a topic (deeper dive).
This time I'm going to talk about research and it's going to be a little bit long because a lot of this deserves explaining. If you want to use this in a more succinct form in future you can just use the number-listed items and skip the paragraphs between them.
So, research. How do you do it? How do you know if you've done it? I'm going to walk you through the first part of doing actual research because that's the part that's fairly standard. After the initial section it can branch off and involve a lot of different things, but the first part is always the same. It's called the "literature review" (and I'm sure you can hear the groans of all the actual researchers reading this because it is, arguably, the least fun part of actual research).
LITERATURE REVIEW
1) Find every research paper that exists.
I'm being a bit facetious here, but not much. Basically you need to go to your local source for academic journals (hopefully you're enrolled in or work at a university because these can get really pricey on your own, though you can get a facsimile of this by searching public journals) and do a bunch of keyword searches. You're going to search every keyword that you can think of related to your research topic and you're going to download every single paper that even seems like it might possibly be relevant. Then you're going to look at the citations in those papers and download every single paper there that you can find that may be relevant. Repeat until you're not getting any new papers.
This will probably take several days, likely a week or more (generally you'll be doing this between other things). By the end of this you could have between 100 and 10,000 papers depending on how broad or popular your research subject is. Can you imagine doing this back in the days of paper-only copies? Yikes!
When I did this for my Master's thesis I ended up with a bit over 1,000 papers on cryogenic fluids and fluid flow. It took me about a week or two to do all the searches and downloads.
2) Read all of the abstracts to sort out the ones you don't need.
At the start of every academic paper is a short section called an Abstract. This is about a paragraph long and contains a summary of the paper. You're going to read this part of every single paper and decide if it's worth reading the rest of it. Hopefully this will allow you to cut out about 70%-90% of the papers that you just downloaded.
This will probably take you between a day or a week depending on how many papers you got in the last step. Depending on your luck you could have anywhere from 30 to 1,000 papers left after sorting them out.
When I did this for my Master's thesis I ended up with just over 100 papers that I had to read. It took me about a week to get through the abstracts.
3) Now read the remaining papers to weed out a few more.
Seriously, read every single one of them. In full. Figure out what they did, how they did it, and whether or not it relates to what you're going for. If you're lucky, you can then toss out 1/2 to 2/3 of the remaining papers.
This part will take a while. Depending on how many papers you have and how fast you can read and comprehend them, this can take anywhere from a few days to an infinite amount of time. At the end of it, you might have between 10 and 250 papers left.
When I did this for my Master's thesis I ended up with about 25-30 papers after this. It took me a couple of weeks to get there.
4) Sort through and determine all of the relevant information.
You thought you were done reading those papers after the last one, huh? Well fat chance! Nope, now you need to go through and catalogue, in detail, the relevant information from those papers and put it all together in a way that provides a fairly clear picture of the current state of research and understanding on your chosen topic. Sometimes papers might overlap in their information, so you might be able to toss one or two more here, but probably not.
This part will take a while, depending on how good of notes you took in the last section. If you took good notes it can take a week or so, but if your notes are terrible and you still have a ton of papers left this can take months or even years.
When I did my Master's thesis I ended up citing 27 papers in my literature review. It took me a couple of weeks to get everything together and properly written.
YIKES, RIGHT?
Note, at this point you've only done a literature review, you haven't actually done any research. What you have done is get yourself up to speed with the current state of research and understanding on the topic you've chosen. This, however, is what most internet people mean when they say they've done "research" (so I'll be referring to it as research after this) and, as you can see, they're probably dead wrong about actually having done it.
Now, most people are never going to do all of the work I described above, so how can anyone ever say that they know enough to know anything about anything? Well, it's simple, you can listen to the people who have. This does not mean that you pick a single scientist or subject matter expert and listen to every word they say as if it's Gospel truth, experts can be wrong and have crazy ideas too. Most importantly, many researchers like to opine at length about fields in which they've done absolutely no research at all.
No, what you do is you work to find what's called the "scientific consensus". This is basically the points on which 80%-90% of researchers agree, and it's fairly easy to find; you just need to listen to 4 or 5 different people who have done research on the topic. (Most reputable news organizations will vet their experts/interviewees, but occasionally a few of the crazier ones get through. That's why you need several.) If they're all mostly saying the same thing, you're probably good to go.
Now, not every question has an answer on which that many researchers agree, some things are still very much up in the air and not very well understood. Most questions that are debated in the public sphere, however, are pretty solid in this regard. Nearly 100% of researchers agree with the concept of evolution, over 95% of researchers agree that climate change is real and caused by human activity, more than 95% of researchers believe that Covid-19 is primarily spread by airborne transmission and that masks are the primary way to reduce spread.
You, a person who has not done research or even a literature review, can be confident of these things because the people who have done the research are largely all coming to the same conclusion when they do. If they don't, well hey, then feel free to speculate wildly.
CONCLUSION
A lot of people like to claim they've "done their research" and almost none of them really have. If someone does claim that, you can call them on it by going through the list I provided above.
Now, there's no shame in not having done your research, most of us haven't. It takes a metric-crap ton of time and patience (and sometimes money) that most people don't have. However, if someone hasn't ACTUALLY done their own research then their rejection of scientific consensus generally says more about them than it does about the evidence.
And that's today's TIP FROM A SCIENTIST, hope you enjoyed!
(For those interested in my qualifications, they are as follows: B.S. Aerospace Engineering, Concentration Astronautics, and B.A. Physics from California State Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo. M.S. Mechanical Engineering from California State University, Sacramento. Adjunct Professor of Astronomy at Sierra College)
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1 week into 4-week stint of wearing podiatry boot, Cons and Pros:
Cons:
1. Hot
2. Heavy. Strains hips and lower back.
3. The (curved in a rocking chair arc) footpiece is as long as the tread on the front stairs is deep, longer than the tread depth on the back stairs; therefore, must set foot sideways on tread of front stairs and cannot safely negotiate back stairs at all, so that every trip to and from the kitchen involves circumnavigating the house twice.
4. Items 2 and 3 distort my balance so that even though gravity is currently behaving itself I lack confidence when walking, and gravity may go out for me at any time. If I get into one of those states in which my body insists that “down” is at a 45 degree angle to my visual perception of it - well, I’d just better not get into one, do you hear me, internal gyroscope?
4b. When going off-balance, it is generally better to step sideways in the direction you perceive yourself falling, providing a broader and more stable stance without disturbing the steady foot, than it is to rely on grabbing things, but Items 2 and 3 make this procedure problematic, both in terms of effectiveness and my ability to perform it in time; the weight plays holy hell with the reflexes I’ve trained myself into. Therefore, I need one hand for the railing when going up and down stairs, which means I can only carry one item up or down stairs at a time. Also, I’m not wielding a broom like this! The cat hair will just have to accumulate on the stairs. Maybe next week I’ll get spry enough on flat surfaces I can sweep the level floors.
5. The cats hate the thing. It’s loud and stompy and scary and seems to be eating Mommy.
6. Though theoretically I can take it on and off as needed, it’s a sufficient hassle to get in and out of that realistically I’m wearing it all day until I take it off to soak the foot and shower, unless I have reason to think I’ll be able to lie down or recline undisturbed with the foot in an acceptable position for at least an hour. (See, cats, above. Three of them.) Also, that if I strap myself into it sleepily in response to the Boss Cat’s insistence that it’s breakfast time before getting dressed, I’m not getting into anything that has to be pulled up that day. Good thing I have dresses.
7. Bulky. This is related to but distinct from 1, 2, and 4, as I take up about a third again as much space as I normally do, sitting still, and more than that, walking. Many normally comfortable spaces are now cramped.
Pros:
1. I am no longer in excruciating pain every time I take a step and often when I don’t. I haven’t needed to take the superultramega pain pill for about three days now and haven’t cried with pain once since I saw the doctor.
2. Forces good computer posture on me. Normally I start out with good computer posture and the next time I notice my body one foot is curled under me and I’m slouched to the side. That’s even on the ergonomic keyboard.
This demonstrates the weakness of lists of pros and cons, because Pro 1 outweighs all 7 points of Cons. The primary cause of the absence of pain is the injection the doctor gave me to break up the heel spur, but I know the boot is helping because I can feel the strain on the area any time I blow off strapping it back on after the shower and make the trek to the bedroom barefoot. So despite everything I’ll be in it for at least three more weeks.
Fortunately, my husband is currently mobile and working from home so he can do a lot of the stair work for me. He really can’t cook anything more complicated than eggs, though, in the same way that I can’t manipulate systems, and I’m not letting his immunocompromised ass clean litterboxes, so two downstairs treks for me is really the minimum I have to deal with. Like my interior gyroscope, his legs need to behave themselves while I’ve got this, or we’ll be in a state. He fills a multi-gallon picnic thermos with ice for me a couple of times a day so I can maintain my need to guzzle cold water, and we’re using the top of the laundry hamper by the stairs as a staging area for things that need to be taken downstairs. This, again, inconveniences the cats, who are accustomed to having that for a lounging area. They are being very pointedly patient at us when not running away from the boot.
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99 Problems but F-Zero ain't one of them
I see Tumblr's joined the group of websites that felt the need to make their layout even more irritating with no actual gain. Well anyway, yeah another 'off-topic' post rather than something substantial. Admittedly, this has probably been my least productive year yet when it comes to my Smash Bros Playthroughs (Ironic that rereading my post at the end of last year I said I might actually be able to finish everything up to the Spirits etc on my list yet I've not even finished Tales of Symphonia yet...) I've beaten 3 games on my list and two of them I was barely able to justify being on the list as they were new releases (Pokemon Scarlet for the Pokeball item because it's the first main series game where you actually can manually throw a Pokeball to make a Pokemon appear and Fire Emblem Engage because of stage related reasons (there's no spoiler tag it seems on here so I'll hold off specifying). Beyond these though, I've been playing just new releases really including Tears of the Kingdom (the third on my list but I'll hold off why), Xenoblade Chronicles 3 Future Redeemed (which was fantastic) and I finally was able after all these years to play Spider-man on my new Steamdeck which took up a large chunk of my game playing this year (didn't finish Miles game yet though.) There are two other games I've mainly played, (besides every so often doing a few Mario Maker 2 courses which is part of a big project I've been working on for that) the first of which is finally relating to the dumb title I've used above. F-Zero 99 isn't what F-Zero fans wanted but it's still been great to play imo and I've been playing it far more than I thought I would. Hopefully this will be a sign of some possible attention for the series as a whole as it seems to have attracted quite a few casual players as well as F-Zero fans.
I thought I'd managed after what I mentioned last time to get every game I wanted to on the eShop before it closed on 3DS and Wii U, and I did manage that for my Smash list, but I was missing a game I'd always meant to pick up but never got around to... and I realised far too late that meant the only option now was trying to track down an overpriced copy on Ebay or something. I did however manage to win a copy in an auction (I wouldn't like to admit how much, just that it was below at least the prices for every other copy I saw on there) of Project X Zone 2. Because of this I've been playing that a lot recently, I've made it a fair way in, there's more characters than I expected that I at least knew the name or look of but it's definitely got a lot of ones I had to ask my friends who play a lot more obscure games about. With that said, since Phoenix Wright didn't get into Smash it is fun at least having him in something like it and I have been enjoying it. I've mentioned before I believe sometimes just liking crossovers even if they're things I've never heard of, I guess because in a sense it allows me as a newcomer to see it from the eyes of the other characters who've never met before and so I learn what they learn. Either way, that's been mostly taking up my playtime atm, which try as I might I haven't currently found a way of justifying to be on my list (granted, honestly adding it might be reaching too much even for me.) All of this however, has led to a problem that means I might have to change plans fast...
Nintendo's announced that the Wii U and 3DS will be losing their online almost entirely next year, with only redownloads of software you own, updates to software and Pokemon Bank I believe to still remain after next April (and Bank is stated to end sometime after...) This announcement made me realise I had to heavily look at my list and see if there's something that will make impossible. I worried about Federation Force and Triforce Heroes but those do seem to be at least playable in single player (definitely not ideal but not completely unusable) however, it's the other thing that has me concerned, Pokemon Bank closing. Due to this, I've realised I have to do what I originally planned to do after finishing the items on my list, which is to capture every single Pokemon that's appeared in Smash Bros in any form (Pokeball, stage background, Trophies, Spirits) but in it's home region. I was then planning on transferring them all to Pokemon Ultra Moon and using that game to get screenshots of them (with their region exclusive photo backgrounds in the game). Due to this therefore, I plan to start very soon playing through the final two Pokemon games I had on my list, Emerald and Crystal. Admittedly, Emerald isn't one I plan on actually using to capture Pokemon specifically, it's far far easier for me to use ORAS to do so, but for my actual playthrough of the game's plot etc, I plan on playing the original Emerald on GBA. Crystal is one I've been looking forward to for a while as it's my favourite Pokemon game ever and on my list of top 10 games of all time (the majority of which are on my Smash list) I do also have Sword and Shield on my Smash Bros list as well as Legends Arceus and Let's Go, however since they're on Switch I'm going to hold off on those till I was originally going to play them. Also because it's almost impossible beyond hacking or using complicated means from what I've seen to get certain Pokemon, I will settle for simply having ones like Celebi or Mew rather than specifically getting them from their regions, basically as you can probably guess I just mean I'll get what I can.
So yeah, that's where I'm at basically, I'll probably update my list after posting this as I've added a fair few things (Daisy for example is going to have Super Mario Bros Wonder become her actual game now seeing as it fits her in Smash a lot more than Super Mario Party did on my initial list) so yeah. I guess if I have an aim for this by the end of the year, I highly doubt I'll beat all the games I have on my list for Mii Costumes (from Tales of Symphonia to DOOM 2016) but I do plan on going back to a few I've skipped over either because I couldn't play them at the time or didn't want to burn out too much on one series (numerous Final Fantasy and Kingdom Hearts games I've skipped over for now regarding costumes or stage elements for example) so at the very least I'd like to end this year with that looking a little bit more respectable. Typing this out has made me decide to finally stop holding back on this and get a move on with it, so I'm hoping perhaps by the end of the year I might finally write those last two Melee character posts and have good news on my progress after that. Either way, I guess in honour of Charles Martinet, I'll try and stick to the mantra of 'Here we go!' (Yes, feel free to unfollow me after that)
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Nothing on my mind...
Wanting to write something, and actually having something to write about, are two very different things. My writing usually has to come from a place of strong emotion, repulsion, passion, anger, rage or indecision. I have had some strong feelings about some films I watched recently, a niece who I realized was quite spoiled and maybe my empathy about a friend struggling with familial relations, but none of these items got me to launch a Page in iOs and get down some thoughts, and I missed that. I can't just write to write.
The main reason I wanted to do a post was to use a particular photo that showed up in my For You in the Photos app, just a year old photo of me from behind wearing my hakama pants. As I try to loose twenty pounds I gained I can clearly see that I am thinner in the photo. And even though I am more than a quarter of the way back to where I was I still enjoyed the picture because I felt I look good in it. Striving to look good is a constant worry and struggle, even though its for an audience of one.
Even my issues with this eBay seller who listed an item, then forgot to mail it because allegedly they were moving, but then after I had to reach out to them again two weeks after the purchase the story changed to, they didn't know where the item was. My thing is, you're misrepresenting, just refund my money, why are there further games or discussion? I have already submitted to eBay for a refund, but these kind of people are just messy and get so caught up in themselves they don't notice they are inconveniencing others.
I told a friend today that she needs to work on taking up more space. She went through some traumatic ish this weekend and thinks her feelings aren't worth the tears they are imprinted on. I want to dissuade that and encourage her to not be so apologetic about allowing herself to matter more to those around her. I think sometimes trauma leads folks to want to move through life as frictionless as possible and thats relatable, but life is about friction. And if you are creating friction so you have the room to express your full humanity I am all here for it.
Dionne Warick is now on my spirit I was looking forward to getting that four album collection and right now I am trying to quench that thirst with some Billie Holiday which is an entirely different vibe. But I finished my Sci-Fi Sunday early. I did something I don't usually do I ran of cartoons much earlier than usual. For a few moments I was like what do I do now?
The bulk of me filling my time usually has to do with something I am watching, so when I run of out of things to watch per my regularly scheduled programming I get a bit lost. I did put my walking clothes in the buckets to be washed. I wear them for two weeks than switch to other clothes to wear for a couple of weeks. Its getting cooler and wetter I hope I am able to walk for at least another month albeit I did successfully do at least a couple of sessions of yoga on the rainy days we had.
Well for having nothing on my mind I did find a couple of things to write about and now I can use the photo I want to use the way I want to use it. The thing was I was putting restrictions on myself saying I have a blog that shows naked flesh do I really want to bring any of that over here, and I decided I need to stop partitioning myself and allow me to be me and now try to stick to such a rigid agenda of who I should or shouldn't be in the digital spaces of the interenets.
[Photo by Brown Estate]
#journal entry#adulting#frictionless#trauma#taking up space#what to do#partitioning identities#to write or not to write
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Writing Accountability Post #25
Well, I'm on the way back to getting some organization set up in the writing life. I've managed to put up some promotional items, design some promotional slides, and...drum roll...not only am I closing in on the finish of The Cost of Power but I have new issues that need to be considered for the next book. Let's just say that there are fantastical elements mixed in with the science fiction western bits. This one could be--interesting. We shall see. As it is, I'll probably end up the week with something like 16-17k words written, which isn't too bad, really. Perhaps more than that once I wrap things up tonight.
There were also a bunch of fiddly-foo items that were completed this week, some writing-related, but many not. The carpet in my office is suddenly showing wear, so I ordered a chair pad that isn't one of those dang plastic ones with the sharp pointy bits. This one is actually a bit on the pretty side. Plus I settled in and took care of a medical procedure appointment (outside referral for something that has always been in-house before, pushed back to October of all things, and I need to call my insurer to make certain all the financial details are in place--in other words, a time suck). I also completed the interior layout for Fabulist and Fantastical Worlds and will be putting it up for preorder next week. And I signed up for an August promotion.
But...no writing got done other than Power. Well, duh, since I've been drafting around 2k words a day on this story, no wonder nothing else is getting done.
The weather is one big roadblock. I don't do well in heat, and while it's been pleasantly in the 80s here, it still tires me out and makes my gut unhappy. On the other hand, I may have found a solution for sleep issues, for the most part. Some sleep issues are still present, but at the moment, I'm doing better. However, I've also had a couple of rough nights, have slept in, etc. It's really telling to see the difference that two hours can make in getting things done, even if I end up working until 10 or 11 pm.
The other piece is all of those multiple fiddly bits to do that just aren't on anything other than my daily to-do list. Maybe I need to start tracking them, as well.
Eh, progress is happening. It feels slow, but I think when I look back at the year, I'll feel much more productive.
Onward.
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Here’s my interview with Dreamwalker with the new format!
“I’ve decided to try changing up my interview format, how are your baking skills?”
DW: "Um...pretty okay I guess, not anything special though."
“I guess we’ll have some fun.” *He chuckled* “So the idea here is that we’re going to try to make the recipe up on the fly. What kind of dish should we try baking?”
DW: "Did you not have something in mind?"
“I thought I’d ask first. I was thinking maybe a loaf of bread would be fun and easy.”
DW: "Sure then."
“So, as per my usual start, is there anything that you’d like the fans to know about yourself?”
DW: "Well, my name is Celestial Mural, I'm the leader of Dream Exile, I'm an S-ranked disruptor and I work for Delta Zeta. I also teach astronomy and aerospace engineering at the University of Klugetown. I've been with Delta for a few years now."
*Type got out some ingredients* “I see. And how did you get your start with Delta?”
DW: "I was exclusively a professor before then."
“How many eggs should we use?”
DW: "Oh- You don't need eggs for bread."
“Okay, what should we start with?”
DW: "Well we're going to need a dough, so...flour, oil, water, salt, sugar and yeast."
*Type got the ingredients* “How much do you figure we should use of each?”
DW: "Well first we need to do about two cups of warm water to dissolve the sugar and yeast, let's call that...half a cup of sugar, tablespoon or two of yeast. Let's say two."
*Type tried to follow the instructions* “So, you said that you are pretty okay at baking, what kinds of things have you baked before?”
DW: "Not much, really. My mother was a pretty impressive baker, so I just picked up a few things."
*He added two tablespoons* “What would you say your favorite thing your mother baked is?”
DW: "Her banana bread was perfect."
“I’m a fan of banana bread myself. How do you feel about your core and role on the squad?”
DW: "I feel very connected to my core. It relates to me and my combat style very well. I feel the same way about my role on the team - I enjoy leading. I love my team."
“How did the selection process go for your core, was this one similar to what you had in mind when signing up?”
DW: “I didn't particularly have anything in mind when I signed up. Sequence helped me figure out what it was I wanted, then I got a shortlist and he helped me pick from there. He has a lot of say in these things."
I see. Do you recall what the other items on the list were?”
DW: "Lunar weaponry was on there, I believe."
“Do you think you’d feel less connected to the core if you picked that one?”
DW: "Who can say? All I know is that I'm strongly connected to the one I did pick."
*He nodded* “So, what’s step two?”
DW: "Salt and oil, then mix in the flour one cup at a time."
*Type mixed the ingredients in as instructed* “Do you eat a lot of baked goods?”
DW: "Definitely not. My training regimen keeps me on a pretty strict diet. Athletic form is important in my line of work."
“Ah. What’s it like leading a squadron?”
DW: "It's a fairly massive responsibility. A lot of things rely on my ability to perform. It's important to have confidence in that ability, or I might as well not even show up at all."
“Is there a reason why your team has no damagers?”
DW: "No particular reason, no. It's just how the team played out. We knew what members we wanted and none of them happened to be damagers. It gives us a unique structure, but it was never intentional."
“How has it impacted your team and the way you fight?”
DW: "We have to be more creative than other teams, but I don't think it hinders us. Classes aren't exactly rigid. Plenty of damagers tank. Plenty of supports damage."
“Step three?”
DW: "We'll need to knead it for a few minutes, then it needs to sit for about an hour."
*Kneeding time* “Do you have any stories of interesting fan interactions?”
DW: "Surprisingly, no. All of my fans have been plenty polite and well-behaved. That might be because I'm a bit less popular than those in, say, Alpha or Beta."
I found Dreamwalker to be quite intelligent and it was a fun interview, though I don’t think this is the format I’ll be using going forward. Stay tuned for the next interview featuring Kingfisher!
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HTTYS Chapter 7
“His name is Adrian Marsh,” Izzy says, hunched over a plethora of papers on the table.
She called everyone not too long ago once her and Naomi broke the code for the books they found in that warehouse. It took them almost a full two weeks to do it. Naomi worked over time since Izzy was also the Institute’s weapon master. There was only so much she could do, but Naomi made sure to keep it going.
He gave her the weekend off to sleep. That woman is the best of the best at what she does and anytime he checked in on her, she was awake. The least he can do is let her rest without being called in for a patrol.
“I don’t know how he’s escaped our intelligence for almost two decades, but this man is the brains behind all of Valentine’s experiments,” Izzy explains. “From the torture, to kidnapping, to almost everything dealing with the downworld, he was there.”
She continues on about the atrocities this man committed during the Uprising. The man was meticulous in his note taking— going as far as to describe the look in his victim’s eyes as he cut into them. It makes Alec sick to his stomach and happy that Magnus is not here to listen to this. He’s already planning to bring this up with Jia once they have their findings documented and sorted. He wants this bastard arrested, or dead.
“How is that even possible?” Jace asks, after Izzy is done listing off everything. “To have such a high position in the Circle and be able to go under the radar for this long makes him even more dangerous than Valentine.”
“Well now it’s our job to find him,” Alec says, looking at both of them. “If he’s still out there, kidnapping downworlders and hurting them, he needs to be stopped. I can reach out to the other institutes and see if they have had any cases of missing downworlders. I’ll let Magnus know to reach out to his people as well.”
“I’ll see if any of my contacts also have any info,” Izzy says. She grabs her phone and steps out of the room to start making those calls leaving Alec and Jace.
Alec runs a hand through his hair, making it a mess. This has been gnawing at him since they first stepped into that room two weeks ago. How Adrian has evaded the Clave this long makes him worry about what other things they have missed. Twenty years is a long time to go unnoticed.
It’s obvious the man had not been there in years. The layers of dust are proof of that. It’s just strange that a man this dangerous would forget about all of the powerful objects in that room. Thankfully Izzy was able to give the items back to most of the fallen downworlder’s friends and families. Finally give them the closure they deserve after decades of only guessing and not knowing what happened to their loved ones.
The Seelie Queen was particularly happy to know what happened to the knight on her personal guard. She had a curious look to her when Alec handed Meliorn the weapon. Almost like she could sense the change in him. He purposefully did not mention the crystal or the incident to anyone outside of those who were there. Not until he had full control over his new body.
“You okay?” Jace asks.
“Yeah,” he sighs. “I just don’t want this to turn into another Valentine situation.”
“It’s not going to be,” Jace reassures. “I mean, all those artifacts were left to collect dust for decades. There’s no way a dude with that important of a collection is still out there hurting others. He has to either be in hiding or dead.”
“I hope so,” he murmurs.
“Don’t work yourself up,” Jace says then whispering, “Wouldn’t want any dragon related accidents to happen.”
“Jace, I already told you I have it under control,” Alec growls.
“Right and I just supposedly didn’t hear that rumble in your chest,” Jace snorts.
Alec rolls his eyes but doesn’t comment. He’s well aware that he’s still working on not letting his dragon side show in his emotions. He only found out recently that his eyes change when he’s happy and relaxed around Magnus. It scared the living daylights out of the warlock when he got up to use the bathroom at night and saw bright yellow eyes staring at him from the bed.
“Let’s just get this report ready for the Clave,” he deflects, starting to sort through the paperwork. Jace gives him a look and sits down to help.
It takes them almost a full hour to gather all the information. Alec had to step away a few times to get his emotions in control. The dragon in him wanted to escape and burn their work with every file about downworlder torture that he came across. So maybe Jace was right, not that he would ever tell his parabatai. His brother is already feeling how this is all affecting him.
He’s not looking forward to showing this all to Magnus when the man arrives later today. Alec told Magnus to stop by later to share his findings as well. The artifacts not able to be returned to their rightful owners were given to the High Warlock to make sure that none of them also held a dangerous soul inside them. Judging by not receiving a frantic call yet, he assumes that everything is okay.
“That should do it,” Jace announces, handing the last piece of paper to Alec. “The Clave is going to have a field day with this one.”
“You’re telling me,” Alec scoffs. “I already know I am going to be chewed out for returning those artifacts to the downworld and not to the Clave for inspection.”
“Yeah well, they have no right to hold onto them anyway,” Jace informs. “Just because it was a warehouse owned by a Nephilim doesn’t mean we get rights to it. Especially since it was owned by a mad man.”
“Do you think mom and dad knew about him?” Alec asks.
“I don’t know,” Jace sighs, running a hand through his hair. “If they did, then this is a huge breach of their agreement. Even if mom is deruned, I don’t doubt they would bring her in for questioning.”
That’s what he was afraid of. Now that his mother is running that bookshop for downworlders, this is going to look incredibly bad. Even if most have forgiven her, she has had a problem with vandalism from those who don’t think she deserves it. Alec has tried to help her out, but she refuses and allows it to happen. She said it’s part of her life now and that she has to live with it.
“Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that and they just talk to dad,” Alec says. He looks at his watch while grabbing the file. Magnus should be at his office any minute now. He asks Jace to clean up the mess they made as he exits the office. He hears a long groan from behind him and can’t help but smile.
That smile quickly disappears as he turns the corner. If Adrian Marsh is still alive, that could mean a lot of trouble. They still couldn’t find any information on if this was his only warehouse in the world. Valentine has hidden bases everywhere for his people to use. It wouldn’t come as a shock if there were more.
An uneasy feeling starts to settle in his stomach at the idea that somehow the man knows what happened to him. Valentine always had eyes on the inside. It’s why only the people who were there know about his new predicament. If Valentine could have people all the way up to the Consul, then he doesn’t doubt that Adrian also has people here.
No one has come forth with curiosity about what they found in the warehouse yet. Alec takes that with a grain of salt because if there’s anything he learned about the Circle it’s that they are patient and always waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
He closes the door to his office as the sound of a portal comes to life behind him. Not even the file in his hand could stop the smile on his face. He turns to greet his lovely boyfriend only to be met with a very serious Magnus who did not look happy to see him at all.
“Magnus?” Alec quietly asks, worried he’s done something wrong.
His boyfriend seems to snap out of his mood when he hears Alec’s voice. The anger in his eyes fades a bit as he takes in Alec’s worried look.
“I had a lovely talk with the Spiral Labyrinth about our lovely murderer. They are not happy,” Magnus explains. He walks over to greet Alec with a kiss on the cheek. “I promise this anger is not directed at you.”
Tension eases from his shoulders at the words.
“Here’s the folder I am going to send to the Clave.” He holds the file out for Magnus. “Figured you’d want to look over it before I hand it over. I have to warn you that it is horrendous.”
Magnus takes the file and moves over to the couch. Alec silently follows and sits down next to his boyfriend for comfort. He focuses on the firepit as Magnus flips the pages, reading one atrocity after the other. He can feel himself rub at the patch of skin between his thumb and finger.
“This is…” Magnus trails off, words falling short to describe what he read. Alec can’t blame him, he had a hard time reading them too. Imagining if this man was still around. If he had taken Magnus, Luke, Maia, Madzie, any of his downworld friends. He would rip the man to shreds before he even got the chance.
“Lilith,” Magnus curses. “I knew the man was evil, but this is straight up sinister. Along the lines of what Asmodeus would do.”
Alec nods in agreement, finally looking over at his boyfriend. He sees tears at the corner of Magnus’ eyes and his heart breaks for ever having to show Magnus the file. He reaches over and gently shuts the file and tosses it on the coffee table. He gathers his boyfriend in his arms and holds him close.
He glances at the file on the table, ready to find out what happened to this bastard and burn him into ashes. Hopefully Jia and Imogen will have insight on the man.
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Pairing: Bakugou x reader
Genre: Smut, 18+, Mafia AU
Trope: Woke up married
Dialogue Prompt: “Aren’t we supposed to be working?”
Warnings: overdosing on cold medicine, mixing cold medicine with alcohol, dub-con, mentions of sex while unconscious, vomiting
Word Count: 4,480
This is my contribution to this month’s bnharem collab. I was so happy when I spun the roulette wheel and it landed on my favorite au, the mafia au. I hope you all enjoy and make sure to check out everyone else’s contributions here. Also a big thanks to @doinmybesthere for being my beta reader and putting so much work into creating the master list for this collab.
“A fever? Are you fucking kidding me?”
You winced at the voice coming out of your phone. You were curled up in bed, a heavy futon draped over your achey, chilled body. “I’m really sorry,” you croaked into the receiver. “I can’t get out of bed; there’s no way I’ll be able to come into work today.”
“You know how important tonight’s meeting is.”
You could feel the fire in the eyes of your underboss as he spat at you about how important tonight’s festivities were. You couldn’t care less. You hated the guy, but more importantly you hated your father for getting you in this mess.
A debt needed to be paid and your family couldn’t afford to take out a second mortgage on the house. So your father, as smart as he thought he was, went to the nicest restaurant on the far side of town where the boss of one of the most dangerous mobs in the city stationed his office.
A debt for a debt. That’s what he told you as he came home smiling with a big check in his wallet. No one in your family knew where he got the money, but he seemed confident enough that he’d be able to pay it back.
A month went by and one day, three scary men knocked on your apartment door. They said they were there to “collect”.
You were terrified. You thought they were there to rob you, to take the money you had been saving in a rainy-day fund. But no, they came to collect you. Now, it’s been four months and you’re still stuck doing odd jobs for them--grocery and coffee runs as well as spending reports and other money related things you are less than qualified to do.
You hate your job. You hate having to put up with the unorthodox hours and the unsavory jobs and the complaints about your work ethic and the having to do it over again because you didn’t do it right the first time. You want out. If you weren’t positive that if you left they would be able to hunt you down, you would have fled the country by now.
But your father’s debt still hasn’t been paid.
“Look,” you pleaded. “I can come in tomorrow and work double my usual time. Please, Kirishima-san, I just need the day to rest.”
“Not a chance. You’re coming in today and that’s final. If you don’t, well, then maybe we need to take an extra payment from your parents.”
Before you could even process what he just said, he hung up the phone.
Another payment from your parents. You couldn’t possibly let them take any more from your family. With a new threat looming over your head, you mustered up enough strength to push off of your futon and get dressed for the clients’ dinner.
By the time it was 7:00 in the evening, you had taken a large swig of cold medicine and were ready to spend the night serving these criminals.
Outside of the restaurant, two bodyguards were stationed at the front door and one at the back entrance. All three of them were dressed in black from head to toe. You, on the other hand, were tasked with serving your boss’s clients, so your outfit differed from theirs.
You were dressed in attire suited for waiting tables. Black slacks stretch across your legs and your pristine shirt was smoothed against your body. A tight black vest clung to your chest and pressed against your boobs, squishing them together. If it weren’t for the fever, chills, and headache, you would look like you belonged with this crowd of criminals.
You flashed your ID to the guard at the back door and he nodded you in. Your eyes had to adjust to the fluorescent kitchen lighting, but once they did you saw how busy everyone was. It truly was one of the most important nights for your boss, so you understood why you were needed. Still, this night would truly take the most out of you.
“Oi, (L/n),” one of your boss’s associates called for you. “Take these to table four. I’ve been covering your ass for the last twenty minutes.”
“Of course, Kaminari-san.” You bowed your head and skirted over to the table where two well-dressed men spoke with one another in a hushed tone. You placed their meals in front of them and bowed your head.
“Wait,” one of them called as you began to walk away. “I asked for a Jasmine tea. This is Sencha.”
“Yeah,” the other one piped up. “And I asked for a Sencha tea and this is Jasmine.”
You wanted to scream. You wanted to yell into the abyss and slap those men across the face. But of course all you did was bow in apology and take the cups back. Kirishima’s words to you over the phone rang loud and clear in your mind.
“Anything they need, you get it for them. These are important people the boss works with and we can’t have idiots like you messing this up for us.”
The men smirked at you and as you turned around to grab their “correct orders,” the man who ordered the Jasmine tea leaned over to leave a hard, painful smack across your ass.
You froze but didn’t say anything and walked away.
It was still early in the night but you had run yourself thin. You needed to sit down or to at least take a sip of water, but there was no room for breaks as you bounced from table to table getting the people what they wanted. You had even left the venue a couple times to retrieve items like the proper creamer one client required in their coffee.
Your throat was so sore and dry and it was aching for a break. Your entire body was aching for a break. But as you saw someone sitting at one of the tables raise her hand to wave you over, you had to put all of your aches aside to tend to her needs.
“Good evening, ma’am.” You bowed your head. “How may I assist you?”
A small smile was on her dark red painted lips. She seemed to be searching for something as she eyed you up and down. “Do you happen to know when Bakugou-san will be joining us?”
Bakugou-san… Were you supposed to know who that is? You had never heard the name before, although you knew your boss had many ties throughout the district. It could be one of them.
“I’m not sure,” you answered honestly. “I could ask my supervisors if they happen to know.”
She waited a moment. She seemed to be searching for something in your expression. “That’s all right. You may go back to work now.”
You bowed and thanked her.
Bakugou-san.
The name did sound familiar, but you’re not sure where you could have heard it. It wasn’t until you were deep in thought, trying to recall where you had heard the name, that you could feel something pushing up against your throat. Oh god. Your stomach was churning.
You ran to the bathroom, pushing someone out of the way to get there. You’d probably hear an earful from Kirishima for pushing a guest, but you needed to find a toilet before--
Oh no.
You barely made it into the stall before emptying the contents of your stomach onto the white tiles of the bathroom floor. Your legs collapsed from under you and you kneeled in your vomit as you coughed up your stomach lining into the porcelain bowl.
Tears fell from your eyes as you struggled to breathe while hacking everything you had into the toilet. The black eyeliner you threw on before leaving the house had smudged into raccoon eyes around your lashes.
You rested your cheek against the toilet, ignoring all of the germs that were most likely crawling up your skin and into your pores. The toilet seat felt cool against your burning cheek and watering eyes. You thought you could die happily here, kneeling on the bathroom tiles in a pile of your slowly cooling vomit.
“Aren’t we supposed to be working here?”
Your eyes shot open, and in trying to stand up you slipped. Your ass landed in the smeared vomit. You winced and let out a drawn out, “fuuuck.”
It took you a moment before opening your eyes again and looking up at the man in front of you. And boy did your eyes widen. He was clearly a guest at the clients’ dinner. His blonde hair was slicked back and the bulge of his muscles under his crisp black button down didn’t go unnoticed by you. His sleeves were rolled up, revealing his forearms and as he crossed his arms over his chest, his sleeves began to tighten.
“Who the hell are you and why are you puking on the floor?”
It took you a second to find your voice. “I’m, um...” you trailed off. “(L/n), sir.” You cleared your throat. “I am a worker for the person hosting this dinner.” You tried to stand up and bow, but he put a hand up to stop you.
“You work for them.” It was a statement not a question, but you nodded anyway. “Why? What do you owe?”
You’re not sure why he was asking, but his intimidating glare compelled you to answer his every question. “My dad owes them money,” you admitted. “And he wasn’t able to pay them back.”
“Who do you mean by them?”
You weren’t sure how to answer. You didn’t even know what these people did. For all you knew they were drug mules or assassins. You never wanted to know what they did when you were roped in. After all, the less you knew meant you could have more of a normal life. “The boss,” you finally answered. Who the boss was, you weren’t sure. You answered to Kirishima but he didn’t have much power aside from ordering around you and every other person unfortunate enough to be roped into working for them.
The man in front of you scoffed. “Get up.”
You scrambled to your feet, ignoring the wave of nausea that hit you. The man led you out of the bathroom, and as you walked behind him, people who passed the two of you stopped and stared. Oh no, it had to be from the vomit stains on your leg and down your shirt. You probably stank to high hell and your eyes wouldn’t stop watering from your fever.
The man stopped and you had to keep from bumping into him. “There’s an extra work shirt in the closet,” he said. “There should also be some slacks in there. Leave your dirty clothes in a pile and I’ll have someone collect them.”
His voice was demanding and it took you a moment to register what he said. It wasn’t until he snapped in your face that you moved.
“We don’t have all day, princess.”
You flinched and nodded before scurrying into the closet and flicking the light on. Inside the closet was the restaurant’s sad excuse for a boiler room. The low humming from the machinery brought you back into the present as you searched for the change of clothes you were promised.
There was a crisp white shirt folded on one of the shelves as well as a few different slacks in varying sizes. The shirt was a size too small, so you had to leave the first couple buttons popped open. Before leaving the closet, you tried to think about who the man was and why he was helping you. Was it possible that he wanted something in return?
When you emerged from the closet, he looked you up and down. You were too tired, however, to notice his lingering glare on your chest and the way the button down squeezed your breasts closer together.
“Thank you,” you mumbled, looking down at your shoes. You’re not sure why you were too scared to look into his vermillion eyes, but the way he called you princess earlier as he snapped at you had definitely made you tremble in your core, and you swore that if you looked up to meet his eyes, your fever would only go higher and higher.
“Why the hell’d you come here if you were sick anyway? Are you trying to poison everyone in the damn building?” His words were like little bullets that shot at every one of your doubts of coming in tonight.
You thought back to why you had come in the first place. You were huddled up in your futon that morning when Kirishima called. You begged to stay home, right? But you couldn’t. You squinted hard as you tried to remember why you weren’t allowed to rest. “I was threatened,” you thought out loud. It wasn’t directed towards the man but he nodded in any case.
“(L/n) was it, right?”
You finally managed to look up at him with bleary eyes. “Yeah, um...” You couldn’t seem to remember what his name was. Wait, he hadn’t told you. He had just led you around and given you new clothes, but he never properly introduced himself.
“Bakugou Katsuki,” he said as if he could read your mind. His lips turned up into a smirk. “But call me Katsuki.”
“Katsuki,” you mumbled. “Bakugou Katsuki.” You had heard that name before, but where. “Bakugou,” you mumbled again as if you were trying to put the pieces of a puzzle together. “Bakugou-san.”
He quirked an eyebrow up at you.
“Oh!” It hit you like a ton of bricks and as soon as you shot up, you had to recoil because of the ache in the back of your neck. “There’s a woman looking for you, Bakugou-san, er, Katuki,” you bowed.
He just chuckled. “There’s a lot of people looking for me tonight. Who was it?”
That’s a good question. You squinted as if you were looking deep into your memories to remember who it was who asked for him. “She was a woman,” you remembered. “With long dark hair and dark red lips.”
Katsuki nodded. “I see the Yaoyorozus are here.”
The Yaoyorozus. You weren’t sure what that could mean but you didn’t feel like questioning it, so you nodded instead.
Katsuki was looking down at you. His arms were crossed over his chest but a smirk that had been playing across his face all night wouldn’t seem to go away. “Feeling better?”
You didn’t feel better. Although you felt cleaner in the new clothes, there was still a throbbing in your head that wasn’t going away and the overhead lights made your eyes water. But the way that Katsuki looked at you like he was expecting you to say yes just drew you in.
He could tell that the way you nodded a yes in response to his question was a lie, and his face fell before pushing a hand up to your forehead, checking your temperature. “Have you taken anything today?”
You had to think back to earlier that day when you brought the bottle of cold medicine up to your lips, not even reading the recommended dose before downing what you could and leaving your home. “Yeah, um, I took some medicine.”
The grin that had been spread across Katsuki’s face returned. “Well I guess we’ll have to get you some more.”
He grabbed your wrist and led you through the halls and over to the bar. You didn’t pay attention to where you were going. The world seemed to be going too fast for you to keep up. What you were able to notice was that everyone’s eyes were on you as you gently swayed back and forth, trying to settle yourself down. As you were in your own head, you couldn’t start to picture what everyone else saw when they looked at you. You with your raccoon eyes due to streaky makeup that you couldn’t stop rubbing.
“Here.” Katsuki shoved a glass in your face. “Not necessarily traditional medicine but it’ll get the job done.”
You looked up at the whiskey glass in his hand. The ‘medicine’ was a deep brown color which swirled around as he handed it to you. Your fingers brushed against his thick ones as you took the glass. You lifted it up to your nose and took a deep breath in, gagging at the smell. “Um, I don’t think I should.” You had been warned about mixing alcohol with drugs and the dangers that came with it, but no one had ever told you not to mix drinks with cold medicine. Still, that couldn’t be right, right?
“Come on, it’s good for you,” he egged you on. “Besides, it’ll get that nasty taste out of your mouth.”
You had never tried whiskey before. You were used to lighter drinks, something bubbly with a shot of vodka or two in it. But this was almost too much. You lifted the glass up to your lips and tilted it back. Your lips stung as they made contact with the drink, but you didn’t want to seem weak to Katsuki. He’d taken care of you so far and seemed pleasant enough, albeit intimidating.
As you tipped it back further and took more of the drink into your mouth, Katsuki pushed his hand against the bottom of the glass so you couldn’t tear it away, making sure you would drink every last drop. It stung going down and the cubes pressing against your lip were colder than you expected. You gagged as a couple loose tears rolled down your face from the drink’s burning sensation. You bet you looked even more of a mess now.
“Good girl,” Katsuki said with a low demeanor. With his thumb, he wiped away a drop of whiskey that rolled down your chin.
“And this’ll make me feel better?” You didn’t think you were supposed to drink when you were sick, but you were far too tired to even think about what was wrong and what was right. If he said that it’d make you feel better, then that had to be a good thing. You’re sure of it.
“Sure will.” He placed a firm, calloused hand on your head and stroked down your hair. You nuzzled into his warmth.
It was such a nice sensation that it almost made you forget that you were supposed to be working. That there were people waiting on you to bring them their food and fetch their creamer, people who were ready to slap your ass and laugh as soon as you turned away.
“I have a,” you started, not really sure where that sentence was going. “I have to go back to work.”
As you began walking away, Katsuki stopped you, pulling you back over so your face was practically pressed up against his chest. “No you don’t. You’re sick, remember?”
Right, as if you hadn’t forgotten. But he was right. You were sick and your medicine hadn’t kicked in yet. You couldn’t risk spreading your germs and getting anyone else sick.
You watched the dinner guests from afar. You leaned in to hear conversations about hitmen and other rivaling mobs around town. Some were about money laundering and clients that needed to be taken out, whatever that meant.
At one point, someone asked to pull Katsuki aside and talk alone, but instead he just pulled you closer.
“The hell do you want, Yoarashi?”
Yoarashi was a big guy, bigger than Katsuki, but it was clear even to you that he was intimidated by the blonde in front of him.
“You owe me for what I let you borrow last month.”
“I don’t owe you shit.”
To you, they sounded like they were underwater and you weren’t sure what they were discussing, but you were curious to learn more.
“Come on, Bakugou. Work with me here.”
“I’m a busy man, Yoarashi. Now get out of my face before I have my men take care of you.”
Something about the raw power and the threatening tone behind Katsuki’s voice made you excited. You wanted to melt into his words, but you weren’t sure why.
“Busy man?” Yoarashi scoffed. “Come on, Bakugou. You’ve barely been seen all night. Where have you been, fucking this little lackey of yours?”
He didn’t mean you, did he? Before you could even comprehend what he just insinuated, Katsuki turned you around and pressed your face up against his chest. You could feel yourself growing even hotter as you were pushed into one of his pectorals. One of his hands cupped the back of your head. Was he protecting you?
“Listen here,” you heard him say. “Don’t contact us ever again unless you want to end up like your first boss did. I can make your life a living hell and I will, got that?”
“Don’t think I don’t have other contacts, all right? You aren’t the only one in this town with resources, Bakugou.”
You felt something jab into the other side of Katsuki’s chest. Did Yoarashi hit him? A few seconds went by before you heard the snapping of fingers and two men came over to drag Yoarashi away.
Katsuki released the hold he had on you, and you watched as the tall man struggled out of his hold. “You aren’t gonna tell anyone what you saw here tonight, right princess?”
You shook your head. You weren’t sure what exactly you felt when you saw that man being dragged away. You were scared, of course; scared for your own life and of the raw power that Katsuki seemed to hold. But on top of fear there was something else. There was a tingle between your thighs that wouldn’t seem to go away, and there was also a sense of excitement. Out of all the people here, this man was paying attention to you. You were far from Mafia material, but he clearly saw something in you and you wanted more of his gaze lingering on you.
Your mind felt hazy with Katsuki and you wanted even more. You didn’t know what to do when you felt him smooth his hand down your back. You didn’t know what to do when his usual smirk turned into something much more dangerous. And you didn’t know what to do when he leaned over and pressed his lips against your own.
His lips felt heavenly as they explored you. They were soft and welcoming despite his cold and dangerous exterior. His tongue probed its way into your mouth. He tasted like whiskey and something else which you assumed was just him. He bit your lip and it felt like he smiled when you let out a moan.
When he released, you felt as if the whole world was spinning with Katsuki. You wobbled around a bit and he chuckled. You tried asking if you could sit down, but the words refused to come out. The last thing you remember is seeing the world go black, the sound of the clients’ dinner fading out of earshot, and two strong arms carrying you away from reality.
You were in pain by the time you woke up. Your body, especially your head, ached tremendously and you wished the sun would stop shining so bright through your window. But wait, the window in your bedroom at your apartment faced another building. The sun never shined too bright in the morning when you were at home.
Slowly, you peaked your head out from under the covers and looked around. You weren’t in your bedroom, but you were in a bedroom. The bed you had been asleep in was enormous, but aside from that there was not much else furniture in the room or even any pictures to signify who the room could belong to.
It wasn’t until you sat up that you realized just how exposed you were under the covers. You couldn’t find your clothing anywhere. What were you even wearing last night? Where were you last night?
You remembered being sick and being called into work by Kirishima. You were stressed. You were nauseous. There was a beautiful woman who asked for someone in particular but you were too sick to remember what their name was, right?
And then you raced to the bathroom and met--
A groan from beside you shook you out of your thoughts, and as soon as you saw the person lying in bed next to you, all of your memories came flooding back.
“Morning, baby girl,” Katsuki said.
You didn’t know what to say. Your mouth hung open and you felt lightheaded.
Katsuki was shirtless under the covers and you were too scared to ask if he had anything on covering his lower half. “You put on quite the show last night.”
Last night. Where you met him. What did you do last night? “I...” You didn’t know what to say, and that made Katsuki let out a booming laugh.
“Come on, you remember at least a little of it don’t you?”
You shook your head. Then you shook your head again. You couldn’t stop shaking your head.
Katsuki put a hand on your shoulder and you stopped. He had a shit eating grin spread across his face that you wanted to both punch and kiss at the same time. “First throwing up at my party and then getting blackout drunk in front of all my guests.”
“What?” You could barely remember anything. What did he mean ‘his party’? The clients’ dinner was run by…
Your eyes widened as you realized just who you had found yourself naked in bed with. Who had found you puking on the bathroom floor. Who that stunningly gorgeous woman was asking for earlier.
You clamped a hand over your mouth and Katsuki let out another chuckle. “You really were the life of the party.” He grabbed your wrist and dragged you over to his side of the bed, and you let him. He dragged his hand up and down your exposed body and roughly cupped your sex. “I had a blast toying around with you last night, but now I want you to be able to remember what it feels like when I bury my cock inside of you, sweetheart.”
You hated the way he was grabbing you and the way he forced your legs to open up for him, but what you hated more than any of that was the way his words made your inner thighs ache and how they instinctively parted just for him.
You turned away as he leaned down to smother your chest with rough kisses, and as you looked over to your left hand, you couldn’t help but notice a diamond ring that wasn’t there the night before.
#katsuki bakugou#bakugo#bakugou x reader#mha bakugou#mob boss bakugou!!!#mafia au#mha mafia au#bnha bakugo#bnharem#bnharem collab#tw: dubcon#tw: alcohol#tw: overdose
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Mix'n'Match Legacy Challenge
Yup! I'm back with another legacy challenge!
I noticed that I often utilized certain pack-related game features only by themselves. For example, I would never run a vet clinic and sell knitted items on Plopsy for extra cash. And I thought, why not? And so, the Mix'n'Match Legacy Challenge was born.
My goal was to combine pack-related skills and gameplay into generations that I could make a story out of, and I think I did it!
General Rules
You may play on any lifespan
Begin with a starter budget
Use money cheats sparingly (ex. freerealestate for your first home, an extra 5k to afford a house, etc.)
No cheats that will give you an advantage over other players
You must complete all the listed aspirations, skills, and careers (unless otherwise noted)
Have fun!
If any of these rules make gameplay less fun, ignore them! I want this challenge to be enjoyable for everyone :)
Generation 1 - Eco Lifestyle/Island Living/Spa Day
The environment has always meant a lot to you. You work hard to preserve your beautiful home; Sulani. You can get a little too passionate sometimes, but you can always rely on a relaxing stroll on the beach, a nice meditation session, or some soothing yoga to calm you down. The islands are your home, and you will always love them.
Traits: Child of the Islands, Green Fiend, Hot-Headed
Aspiration: Beach Life & Eco Innovator
Career: Civil Designer
Goals:
Marry a conservationist (they must also reach Level 10 in their career)
Master the Wellness and Logic skills
Successfully clean up your neighborhood and have a green eco footprint (and keep it that way until the end of your life)
Befriend 3 dolphins
Generation 2 - Cats & Dogs/Seasons
While your parents cared more about the well-being of the islands of Sulani, you always loved the animals you found there. However, the heat of Sulani always got to you, so as a young adult you move to Brindleton Bay to open your own vet clinic. You adopt a few strays along the way (probably more than you should), and after having your first child, you decide to adopt a few of those too. Your biggest desire in life is to do good for all the people and animals you can. But you always make time to play in the rain and splash in puddles with your kids.
Traits: Cat Lover or Dog Lover, Family-Oriented, Good
Aspiration: Friend of the Animals
Goals:
Live your entire adult life in Brindleton Bay
Buy a vet clinic and work there as a vet
Master the Veterinary and Parenting skills
Unlock and master the secret Skating skill
Adopt at least three strays
Have at least one biological kid from a one-night stand
Adopt at least two kids
Purchase the 'Heatproof', 'Iceproof', and 'Stormchaser' traits from the Rewards Store
Use the 'Cook Together' interaction whenever possible
Decorate for every holiday and do something to celebrate every season
Have at least two hot weather outfits and two cold weather outfits (pro tip: use raincoats!)
Generation 3 - City Living/Dine Out
You grew up in a close-knit family in Brindleton Bay, spending time with your siblings and cooking with your parent. Food is your passion, but in your tiny coastal town, you can’t share it as much as you'd like. So as soon as you’re old enough, you move to a tiny apartment in San Myshuno to become a chef. Social media is how you share your delicacies with the world, and your food blog blows up right away. To your delight, your rising popularity gives you the chance to open your very own restaurant! You don’t have an interest in romance, but when your fans start shipping you with another foodie celebrity, you feel like you have no choice but to start a relationship.
Traits: Vegetarian, Foodie, Unflirty
Aspiration: City Native & Master Chef
*since the Master Chef aspiration requires you to be in the Culinary career, you may either use cheats to skip those specific goals or choose not to complete the Master Chef aspiration
Career: Social Media (Internet Personality Branch)
Goals:
Max the Cooking, Gourmet Cooking, and Singing skills
Own a 5-star restaurant
Become at least a 2-star celebrity
Marry a celebrity with the Foodie trait (you may create this sim, since they'll be hard to find in the wild)
Have only one child
Learn every vegetarian city recipe
Generation 4 - Get Famous/Get Together
Your parent was definitely the quiet type, but you? You want loud music at the club, hoards of fans, and lots of friends, parties, and drinks. You dream of becoming an actor and making waves in the music industry at the same time. So when your friend finds a place in Del Sol Valley, you don’t hesitate to move in, even though you’re still a teen. Your posse grows fast, and you’re beloved by all of your friends. They’ll follow wherever you lead. But you want more. You want FAME. And you’ll do anything to get there. Because you’re the most important; you deserve it more than anyone else.
Traits: Insider, Dance Machine, Self-Absorbed
Aspiration: Leader of the Pack & World-Famous Celebrity
Career: Actor
Goals:
Move away from home as a teen
Master the Acting, Charisma, Dancing, and Media Production skills
Become a 5-star celebrity
Be the leader of a prestigious club
Marry a fellow celebrity
Generation 5 - Get To Work/StrangerVille
While your parent loved to soak up the attention and socialize with all manner of people, you’re much more focused on your studies. You’re an intelligent sim, and when you grow up, you decide to use this intelligence to further sim-kind’s discoveries in the field of science. But the tiny town of StrangerVille is boggling your big mind. The residents are suffering from some sort of affliction, but you can’t figure it out! You’ve never been wrong in your life, and you certainly aren’t about to start now. Everyone else is waiting for you to fail; you just know it. They’re watching, whispering, commenting on your inability to solve this mystery. But you’re going to do it. You’ll solve the StrangerVille mystery even if it costs you your life.
Traits: Genius, Ambitious, Paranoid
Aspiration: Nerd Brain & StrangerVille Mystery
Career: Scientist
Goals:
Master the Logic and Handiness skills
Marry a sim who used to be infected
Travel to Sixam and harvest all the alien plants (after all, you want to know where the Mother came from!)
Generation 6 - Cottage Living/Parenthood/Nifty Knitting
Your parent was the revered Hero of StrangerVille, and so your family was always in the limelight. But you want a quieter life, one filled with peaceful days in the garden and animal companions by your side. So you move to a small cottage in Henford-on-Bagley and cut all ties with your family. You want to raise your kids without their influence. Foolishly, you fall for young love, but it doesn’t work out. Romance was never your forte. Still, you end up with your bundles of joy, and so you regret nothing. You and your kids spend the days tending to the farm, cross-stitching, and knitting sweaters for the kids and the animals.
Traits: Animal Enthusiast, Noncommittal, Cheerful
Aspiration: Lord/Lady of the Knits & Super Parent
Goals:
Master the Gardening, Knitting, Parenting and Cross-Stitching skills
Make all your money from gardening, knitting, and cross-stitching
Grow a Perfect Quality oversized crop
Own both a cow and a llama (it doesn’t have to be at the same time)
Win at the Finchwick Fair at least twice
Have three failed relationships before giving up on romance
Have a child with at least two of the three partners
Adopt at least two children
Generation 7 - Snowy Escape/Jungle Adventure
You grew up in a peaceful house in the countryside... and it was BORING. You crave adventure and excitement, thrills and risks. Mt. Komorebi seems like the perfect place to live life to the fullest, but you’ve always wanted to explore more than just the traditional little town. Selvadorada presents many risks and many rewards; it’s your kind of place! You love to explore the ancient ruins and uncover sacred artifacts, but you’re just as happy to spend the weekend skiing, snowboarding, or going on a rock-climbing expedition!
Traits: Active, Adventurous, Self-Assured
Aspiration: Extreme Sports Enthusiast & Jungle Explorer
Career: Athlete
Goals:
Master the Selvadoradian Culture, Archaeology, Rock Climbing, and Skiing/Snowboarding skills
Reach the peak of Mt. Komorebi
Marry a Selvadoradian native
Gain and maintain the Energetic lifestyle
Generation 8 - Tiny Living/Outdoor Retreat/Bowling Stuff
You had an awesome childhood. You lived in snowy Mt. Komorebi and had chill parents that did all sorts of outdoor activities with you. You loved nature, but you also loved to make others laugh. Seeing someone’s eyes light up with joy made your day. You’re a social busybody, bouncing from work to performing comedy routines to a bowling game with your buddies. But you still like to come home to your cozy little house to brew some herbal remedies and rest. You always find time in your busy schedule to go on a camping trip to Granite Falls, and when they’re old enough, you bring your kids too. You love roasting marshmallows and telling them ghost stories just as much as you love laughter.
Traits: Goofball, Outgoing, Loves Outdoors
Aspiration: Outdoor Enthusiast
Career: Entertainer (Comedian Branch)
Goals:
Master the Bowling, Comedy, and Herbalism skills
Complete the insect collection
Always live in a tiny home (the tier is up to you, but you must live in at least two different tier types)
Have at least three good friends whom you go bowling with once a week
Go camping in Granite Falls at least once per season
Purchase the ‘Great Storyteller’ reward trait
Generation 9 - Discover University/City Living
As a kid, your parents always took you and your siblings on lots of family camping trips… and you HATED them. Bugs, dirt, smelly public bathrooms… YUCK! You like things nice, neat, and perfect. Everything has its place, and yours is on top. You dream of becoming a powerful politician, and a distinguished one at that. You study History at Britechester and graduate top of the class before moving on to bigger and brighter things. Your sensibility and level-headedness are highly valued in your work life, but in your home life? Your kid can’t get over their obsession with the supernatural, and you definitely do not approve.
Traits: Squeamish, Perfectionist, Neat
Aspiration: Academic & Neighborhood Confidante
Career: Politician
Goals:
Reach Level 10 in the Politician career
Max the Research & Debate, Charisma, and Writing skills
Graduate from Britechester with a Distinguished History degree and a perfect GPA
Gain and maintain the Workaholic lifestyle
Have a strained relationship with both your parents and your kids (acquaintances or worse)
Generation 10 - Realm of Magic/Paranormal Stuff
You always loved the stories your grandparent would tell you; ghosts, witches, vampires, even aliens! And though your parent never believed in or supported you, you’re determined to prove them wrong and explore the supernatural world.
You move to the small, secretive town of Glimmerbrook, getting a house with some “issues'' for a very cheap price. And you discover an amazing secret; an entire magical realm! But the house’s issues soon make themselves known… and you love it! You pick up the Medium skill quickly and eventually decide to make ghost hunting your career. Up until now, you’ve been selling your paintings on Plopsy. Needless to say, through ghost hunting, you earn enough to move out of your own haunted house.
Traits: Creative, Art Lover, Good
Aspiration: Spellcraft & Sorcery
Career: Paranormal Investigator
Goals:
Master the Medium, Charisma, and Painting skills
Complete the Spellcraft & Sorcery aspiration
Learn every Potion and Practical Magic spell
Purchase the 'Brave' trait from the Rewards Store
Live in a haunted house on heroic mode for at least half of your young adult life
Have a garden full of magical plants (all the plants needed for potions)
Make and drink the Potion of Immortality
Make money only from your garden, your paintings, and the Paranormal Investigator career
OR
Generation 10 - Vampires/Dream Home Decorator
You always loved the stories your grandparent would tell you; ghosts, witches, vampires, even aliens! And though your parent never believed in or supported you, you’re determined to prove them wrong and explore the supernatural world.
You move to the small, secretive town of Forgotten Hollow, chasing the rumors of vampires in the area. And to your delight, they're true! You convince them to turn you, and you revel in your power, desperate to grow stronger. But you don’t want your eye for design and style to go to waste, and a job as an Interior Decorator gives you a great source of plasma. But after a long day of design work and fighting Vladdy Daddy, you like to settle down and lose yourself in your music.
Traits: Creative, Music Lover, Evil
Aspiration: Master Vampire
Career: Interior Decorator
Goals:
Max the Vampire Lore, Pipe Organ, and Violin/Piano skills
Become a Grand Master vampire
Drink the plasma from all of your clients
#mix n match legacy challenge#mix n match#sims 4 legacy challenge#sims 4 legacy#new sims 4 legacy challenge#new sims 4 legacy
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Twine Sugarcube 102: Stats n’ Stuff
Finally, the long awaited sequel to my original Twine tutorial! Long awaited by me, because I’ve been meaning to make another one but I just haven’t gotten around to it. If you need a refresher on what that tutorial covered, feel free to go check it out here. But now, it’s time to talk a little bit about stats!
As usual, the tutorial (below the cut) should be perfectly beginner friendly and explain everything you’ll need to know to implement this into your game, although it might be a bit long! It’ll also include a bit at the end telling you how to install and use custom macros. Enjoy!
In Twine, there’s no distinct thing called a ‘stat.’ You store stats the same way you’d store information about what the player chose to eat that morning or whether they picked up an item. Using variables. Variables, if you don’t recall, are little pieces of information that can vary over time. In Twine, they’re represented by a $ before the variable’s name- so $health might be how you track a player’s health, and $hasKey might be how you track whether a player has a key.
Setting Stats
So, let’s say we want to track a stat called.... $stat. Well, first, we’re going to have to set that stat. Sugarcube has a bunch of “special passages” that do special things in the game, such as adding text or links to the sidebar. In our case, we’re looking to name a passage “StoryInit.” Whatever code is contained in this passage will run silently in the background as soon as the player opens the game, which means it’s great for setting defaults.
This is where you’ll decide what numbers you want to use to track stats. You might go for something like numbers from 0 to 100, but personally I’m going to use numbers from 0 to 1 (for easier compatibility with the meter macro I’ll introduce later on!). We’re going to start halfway through, as a sort of “neutral” that the player starts with. So, in the StoryInit passage, we’ll add this:
<<set $stat to 0.5>>
Simple enough. But how do we edit that number? Let’s say we give the player two options to proceed, with the first increasing $stat and the second decreasing $stat. All we have to do is add a setter to our link. This is what normal links in Sugarcube look like:
[[Option 1|Passage1]]
[[Option 2|Passage2]]
To add setters to those links, we just have to insert two square brackets between the last set and add what we might add to a <<set>> macro. So like this:
[[Option 1|Passage1][$stat += 0.1]]
[[Option 2|Passage2][$stat -= 0.1]]
In case you don’t remember, the “+=“ means that the engine will add 0.1 to the current value of $stat, and then replace $stat with the result. So if a player chooses option 1, their value of $stat will now equal 0.6, and if they choose option 2, it’ll equal 0.4.
Using Stats
Now that we know how to change a player’s stats, though, how are we going to implement it? Well, of course, we can use the <<if>> macro to show different text to players with different stats. Let’s say we want a character to say two different lines of dialogue based on whether the player has 0.6 or more in a stat or if they have less than that. We might do something a bit like this:
<<if $stat gte 0.6>>\
“This is a line of dialogue!”
<<else>>\
“This is another line of dialogue!”
<</if>>\
“gte” means “greater than or equal to,” the same as >. If the stat is greater than or equal to 0.6, the game will display that line of dialogue. If not, the macro will continue down and display what’s under the “else” instead.
That’s all well and good, but if you’re including stats in your game, you probably want to implement more than just cosmetic changes. A common idea is to make certain options only available to players with high enough stats, or make an action’s success or failure depend on their stats. To achieve that, we’ll use a combination of links and the <<if>> macro.
First, here’s an example where the link will bring you to a different page depending on your speed stat. It will display the link “Run!” and the <<if>> macro will test whether the player has a speed of 0.6 or higher. If they do, they will be redirected to the passage “Escape.” If not, they will be redirected to the passage “Caught.”
<<link ‘Run!’>>
<<if $speed gte 0.6>>\
<<goto ‘Escape’>>\
<<else>>\
<<goto ‘Caught’>>\
<</if>>\
<</link>>\
Here’s another example that uses similar methods to tell whether you’re good enough, but instead of redirecting to different pages, the option will only be available if you’ve got the right stats.
<<if $speed gte 0.6>>\
[[Run!|Escape]]
<</if>>\
The problem with that sort of method is that if players don’t know they missed out on something, they can be less likely to replay the game. So instead, we can try putting grayed out text where the link would be, indicating to the player that they need better stats to proceed. Remember to add a class like “gray” or “grayed-out” to your stylesheet to change the colour of that text. We’ll also add a little indicator to the link to show them what stat they need to improve to proceed in this way.
<<if $speed gte 0.6>>\
[[Run! (Speed 60)|Escape]]
<<else>>\
<span-class=‘grayed-out’>Run! (Speed 60)</span>
<</if>>\
But how does a player know if they have a high enough stat to proceed? Well, you can always display it on the screen by just typing $stat. That will show the pure number, meaning “$stat%” would show “60%” if $stat were set to 60. But if you want something fancier, you can instead use a meter! And I’m going to use this as an opportunity to explain...
Installing and Using Custom Macros
If you want to do something cool that isn’t part of the basic Sugarcube format, chances are, somebody might have made a custom macro for it! In this case, we’ll be using the Meter Macro Set by ChapelR.
These custom macros are surprisingly easy to install. All you need to do is open your game’s Javascript (in the same menu as the stylesheet). In the case of this macro, we’ll click the “minified” option, copy it, and paste it all into our Javascript file. With some macros you’ll also need to add code to the stylesheet, but not this one. Installation done! Now Twine knows how to create meters!
Most custom macros are pretty easy to use and will list instructions below- typically you just have to add some variables in and it’ll work right out of the box. This one is a bit harder and requires some prep, so let’s go through it step-by-step.
Remember StoryInit? Open that back up again, cause we’ll need to use it. By running the <<newmeter>> macro in StoryInit, it’ll set up the meters we’ll be displaying on screen.
<<newmeter 'Stat' $stat>>
<<colors 'gray' 'gray' 'white'>>
<<sizing '50%' '2em'>>
<<label Stat black center>>
<</newmeter>>
So what we’ve created there is a meter that tracks the $stat variable. It is titled “Stat” so that we know how to reference it later. The colours section determines what parts of the meter are different colours, the sizing determines how wide and tall it is (50% wide, 2em tall), and the label section creates a red label in the center of the macro that says ‘Stat.’ All of those sub-sections are optional, so if you don’t need a label or you’re happy with the default size, feel free to leave them out.
Now whenever we want the player to see that meter, such as in a dedicated stats page, we’ll just have to type this:
<<showmeter ‘Stat’ $stat>>
And voila, we have a meter!
...admittedly, it’s not the nicest looking meter. But with these tools you can surely make something magnificent!
I hope this tutorial was helpful! This topic is the one I see asked about the most, so I figured I would step in and see if I could give people a hand with it. Of course, as always, if you have any questions about what I talked about here or about any other Twine-coding-related stuff, feel free to send me an ask and I’ll be happy to give you some pointers! Twine is a really fun program to code with, and I hope this inspires some folks out there to give it a shot as well :’)
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Prompt: Ok so we all know Coco is touch starved, and would be clingy af in a relationship. What about Coco x wife!reader, while she’s trying to do basic errands/chores and Coco is her shadow?
A/N: I’ve been waiting for this one. I really have. Hee hee. I just adore Coco. <3 . This piece sort of follows the story of the last two Coco x Reader pieces I have written, but it will stand-alone, just fine. And, I swear, these things just have a mind of their own. I can continue to apologize for length, and content, but, in the end... I let the story tell itself. ;) . <3 .
As a warning, I come from Vermont, where we have a plastic bag ban. Last I knew, California was the first state to have one. I don’t know how that would translate to Santo Padre, but… When I mention fabric bags, I mean reusables, and the ban is why. ^^;;;;.
Title: Worthwhile
Teaser: He’s a little rough, your Coco, foul-mouthed, and quick to anger. Untrusting, and bitchier than a woman, on his best day. But, once you have his love, you have it. All of it.
“Okay…” you murmur, slowly, eyes scanning over the paper in front of you. Fifteen items, nothing crazy. Shouldn’t take you more than an hour, tops, and that includes travel to and from the store. “I think I’ve got everything we need… And, specials included your beer, and those little frozen cream puffs.”
Beside you, Coco groans, deep and guttural. “Fuck, I love those things.”
You giggle, but keep reading. Your man is too damn cute. “Feminine products.”
“Do those count as special?” Coco genuinely sounds thoughtful, as he steps up behind you, where you are leaning over the counter top. He wraps his arms around your waist, chin coming to rest on your shoulder. “Kinda’ a necessity, ain’t they?”
Tipping your head, you glance to your husband. Seriously. This man is a treasure. “Why don’t you run for political office?” you tease, pleased when Coco chuckles.
“Yeah, my record’ll look great, on the campaign trail.”
You shrug. “You can tackle pink tax, and tax evasion, at the same time.”
Coco grins, and steals a peck off your lips. “What else you got on there, muñeca?”
“Hmmm, let’s see…” You turn back to your list, tapping the pen against your lips, thoughtfully. Spying the next item on it, you try not to let out another giggle. He’s not going to like this one. “Letty asked if we could have that cauliflower pizza thing for dinner, tonight.”
As expected, this groan is decidedly not from food lust. “Fuckin’ vegetarians. When the hell is she gonna’ get over this shit?”
“It’s just a phase, Coco,” you remind him, for the… Well, honestly, you’ve lost track. It started shortly after the wedding, Letty’s change in diet, and you’re still not convinced the two aren’t related. You’re just not entirely sure how. But, two months in, and she’s still looking healthy, so you won’t send up any alarms. “It’s very popular at her high school, right now.”
Coco scoffs, disgusted. “When the hell’d she start copyin’ other people, anyway? My girl ain’t no follower.”
The words send a shot straight to your heart. He’s a little rough, your Coco, foul-mouthed, and quick to anger. Untrusting, and bitchier than a woman, on his best day. But, once you have his love, you have it. All of it. The love he has for Leticia is the greatest proof. They may carry on like cats and dogs, but when push comes to shove, there is nothing they won’t do for one another. My girl. It brings a warmth to your soul, and a smile to your lips.
You shake it off, enough to formulate a response. “She’s figuring out how to be her own woman. Trying new things.” You shrug, not wanting to make a big deal of it. You were Letty’s age, once, of course. And, a girl, to boot. Some things, Coco just won’t be able to understand. “It’s a process.” He hums, still disgruntled, but doesn’t push out another word. “You want anything else?” you ask, holding up your list. “I’ve gotta’ get going, before I run into the football widows.”
Before you can even take a step away, Coco tightens his arms around you. “You sure you gotta’ go, though?” he asks, leaning in to brush his lips against your neck. “With the house all to ourselves, like this?”
“If I don’t go,” you start, as Coco’s touches gain intent, becoming teasing kisses. Damn him. It feels nice, you won’t lie, but there are other things on your mind, right now. Priorities.
You’re just… having trouble remembering what they are.
Oh. Yeah. Shopping.
“If I don’t go, we won’t have anything for dinner.”
Another kiss, accompanied by a barely-there swipe of tongue. You shiver, and Coco moves his lips to your ear. “We can order in,” he whispers, breath so invitingly warm against your skin.
Oh, this asshole.
“And, what are we supposed to have for breakfast, tomorrow?” you try, again. “Half an Eggo, and a pack of Skittles?”
Coco cuddles you closer, again. “Ain’t you never heard about livin’ on love, baby?” Some of his smoothest work, that is. And, it’s almost convincing. Almost. You can imagine the afternoon ahead, if you give in. Your clothes will come off, and won’t be back on until the last second, before Letty walks back through the front door. By that time, you’ll be too tired to roll your ass off the bed, let alone go grocery shopping. And, you promised Letty you’d talk Coco into that cauliflower pizza.
“Great as that sounds,” you agree, preparing to capitalize on the truth. You ease yourself away from Coco’s stubborn hold, and give him one more smooch, just to soften the blow to come. “I don’t think Letty will appreciate the sentiment.”
A third groan. You must be going for a record. “C’mon, (y/n).” Oh, he’s whining. It’s so cute, it’s unreal. “We’ll find some place that delivers that rabbit food shit.”
Unfortunately for Coco, you’re already grabbing your bag. Lucky for you. You’re still two seconds from giving him what he wants. (He just doesn’t need to know so). “I’ll be back in a while.” God willing. “If you think of anything else, call my cell.” You rush out the front door, and don’t look back. If you see the look on your husband’s face, you know you’re as good as done.
*
Well, what the shit? Coco stares at the front door as it closes, you on the wrong fucking side of it. His arms are at his sides, palms turned toward the ceiling. That went so well. He kind of can’t believe you just walked away, like that. Left him alone, and wanting. In your big, empty house.
He probably should have volunteered to tag along, instead of just chasing you off.
Fuck.
Glancing around, Coco tries to find something to do. Something to clean, at the very least. But, that’s the trouble with having moved in with you, after the wedding, he supposes. Ain’t nothing to tidy up. Not that the three of you don’t have possessions. They’re all just in their proper places. Probably Leticia’s doing, in the end. He’d had a long talk with her, before the move, that she absolutely has to keep her shit where it belongs. Your house isn’t like their house. There aren’t burn marks in the carpet, or gouges in the coffee table. Dishes go in the damned dishwasher, not left to pile up on the counter, or in the sink. Beds get made. Laundry gets folded, and put away. No more wrinkled heaps in the clothes basket. So far, the kid’s been doing good. Real good.
Coco, though? He’s never felt so unnerved in his life.
It was different when he just visited. Spent a night or two, here or there. He’d almost felt at home, then, stupid as it sounds. At home, with the knowledge he wasn’t staying. But, now? Now, the reality has settled in, and he feels so-so… out of place. There’s so much he’s struggling to adjust to.
You have a purified water system installed under the sink, where Coco is used to buying bottled water.
You have a dining room, where Coco and Letty are used to eating on the couch.
You have an extended cable package, whatever the fuck that is.
You kind of have it all, here, certainly by comparison to what Coco is used to. The best of everything. Which really makes him wonder – not for the first time – what the hell you’re doing with a dirt-poor biker for a husband? You’ve had this conversation, on multiple occasions, and you’ve explained yourself, every time. But, this time… This time, you’re not around to give that speech. You’re not around to hold him, and kiss his face, and reassure him in a way that only you can. No, you’re at the grocery store, shopping for Coco, and his kid, which was apparently a better offer than staying home with him.
Oh, nope. Nope, he’s doing it, again. He can feel it. You love him, he reminds himself. You’ve got his ring on your finger, his last name, and – God-willing – his baby in your belly. By choice. All by choice.
Coco takes a deep breath, in. Lets it back out, slowly. Tries not to get sick, for all the nerves coming up to greet him. He wraps one arm around his own torso, free hand moving up to cover his mouth.
Fuck, he hopes you get back, soon.
*
You let out a deep sigh, as you park your car in the garage. Oh, it is so good to be home, at long-last. Talk about Old Home Week. You’d run into everyone, and his brother, at the grocery store. Shopping had taken nearly twice as long as you’d meant for it to, and you just know Coco must be losing his mind, by now. You hate to think about it, in such terms, but, sometimes… Well, sometimes, Coco reminds you of a new puppy. You can’t really leave him alone, without some kind of separation anxiety creeping up on him.
Ah, well. At least he isn’t ripping down the drapes, and shredding the couch cushions.
You blink. Well. That you know of.
Shaking your head, you climb out of the car, mentally preparing to unload armloads of bags. Maybe, if you really, really try, today will be the day you can finally get all twenty bags in, in one trip.
Right. And, shortly thereafter, you can have both forearms set, and casted. Be a real turn-on, in the bedroom.
You’ve managed to grab half a dozen bags, when the door to the mud room opens. “Hey, don’t grab too many!” Letty warns, as she comes hopping down the steps. “Let us help!”
Glancing up, you smile. For having had such a rough start, Letty can be a sweet girl. You know she gets that from her father. “Well, thank you,” you reply, resting a few, fabric handles onto her outstretched hands.
Letty grins, lowering her hands to her sides, before leaning in. “Did you talk him into it?” she whispers, conspiratorially.
You snicker, and whisper back, “He isn’t getting a choice. He’s outnumbered.”
“Yes!” Her hiss of victory is hardly subtle, catching Coco’s attention as he pokes his head out the door.
“You two plottin’ against me, again?”
“Yes,” you and Letty reply, in unison, leading you to erupt into a fit of giggles.
Coco is all grins. “’Course, you are.” He strides closer, he and Letty dancing around one another as she moves into the house. You lean into the car, and retrieve a few more bags. If Coco’s out here, he might as well assist. He’s peering into the car, once you stand back up, and lets out a low whistle. “Damn, (y/n)! You buy out the whole store, or what?”
“Hardly,” you reply, dryly. You hold up your hands, offering Coco the bags. “Here you go.”
“Oh, don’t mind if I do.” Thankfully, your hold on the bags is solid. Instead of grabbing the groceries, Coco’s hands are suddenly groping all over you. One hand is settled firmly at your ass, the other sliding into your hair, at the back of your head. He wastes no time diving in for a slow, deep kiss, and, damn, does his timing suck. He could have at least let you put the bags down, first. The contact makes you tingle, and has you regretting your decision not to stay home. Coco pulls back, after a few seconds, and hums. “Mm. Best delivery ever.”
You can’t help the small snort of amused laughter that leaves your throat. “Good try, Coco,” you praise, easing back far enough to offer him the bags, again. The look of disappointment on his face is just pitiful. “I’m not banging you in the garage.”
He has the grace to mock gasp. “I’d never!” It’s a crock, and you both know it. He looks too amused to be repentant, and you look too aware to be angry. You just raise your hands, slightly, in a third offer. Coco sighs. “All right. All right.” He takes the bags from your hands.
“Thank you.” You grab another load for yourself, rounding the open car door to follow Coco’s lead, into the house. One more trip for each of you, and you should have it covered. So much for only buying fifteen items.
Coco might be right about buying out the store.
*
Watching from the dining room, Coco has a good view of you and Letty unpacking the last of the groceries. Damn kid, she’d thrown him out, about ten minutes prior.
“Less groping, more helping, Coco,” Letty had warned him, after he’d tried to pin you against the sink.
It had been his last warning. Now, he’s been banished. Not the worst thing in the world, not really. Over the last few weeks, he’s really learned that there are some tasks he’s not so fond of. Pruning roses… Yeah, he’s pretty sure you’ll never let him do that, again. And, hey, nobody told him what to fill the bird feeder with. Unpacking groceries goes on that list, somewhere between line-drying laundry, and a streak-free mirror. He’s not sure why. Goodness knows, it makes him feel like a kid at Christmas, most times. Since being with you, though…
Since being with you, he feels like he’s taking advantage of something.
Yes, groceries are a strange place to let that feeling land, but he can’t help it. Coco’s been responsible for feeding himself since before he cares to remember. The only time anyone provided his meals was during deployment, and half that shit barely passed for edible. You, though… You keep the house stocked with more food than he’s seen anywhere, outside of a corner market. Letty always has options to take to school, and there’s a nutritious dinner on the table, almost every night. (Some nights, he actually does win the battle for delivery). If Coco goes on a run, you send him along with snacks for the road. And, yeah, he kinda’ likes that. He also likes the energy bars you picked out for him, last week. Something with cherries, and dark chocolate. He wonders, for a second, if you picked up any more. Come in handy during his mid-week trip outta’ town.
Coco blinks. Then, he does it again, just for good measure. That’s it. That’s what’s so fucking weird about this whole thing.
It’s you.
Okay, no, it’s not you, you. But, it’s you. It’s you, taking care of him. It’s you, seeing to his needs. Letty’s needs. It’s you, being his wife, his partner. It’s you, slotting into the place of role-model for his teenaged daughter. Welcoming them into your home. Not treating it like it’s your home. It’s you, being so fucking perfect for him, it’s taken his mind all this time to catch up with reality.
Coco doesn’t get perfect. Perfect doesn’t want him.
Except, now, it does.
Before he knows what he’s doing, Coco strides into the kitchen. He doesn’t wait for you to put the box of pasta in the cupboard. He just takes it from your hand, ignoring your confused look, as he tosses it onto the counter.
“Coco!” Letty admonishes, but it’s no use. He’s already lifting you off the floor, arms around your perfect backside. The kid gives a long-suffering sigh, he hears it, but pays it no mind.
Nothing – nothing – is going to keep him from holding you in his arms.
Your own arms go around Coco’s neck, and you smile down at him, surprise still lingering in your eyes. “Uhm… Hi, there.”
Coco grins. “Hey, muñeca.” Leaning up, he pecks you on the lips.
“Can I help you with something?” you ask, to which Coco shakes his head. Closes his eyes, as your fingers play in his hair.
“Nah. Got all I need.”
*
Pulling a package of mixed vegetables from the half-unpacked shopping bag, Letty rolls her eyes. You two… God, you’re gross. Coco always has his hands on you, no matter what you’re trying to do. It’s a wonder you don’t carry a damned fly swatter around. Actually, it’s a wonder you ever accomplish anything. He’s always smooching, and smiling, and snuggling at you. It’s disgusting. It’s pathetic.
It’s so damned cute, it’s sickening.
Really, Letty’s enjoying seeing Coco so happy. Like, genuinely happy. Not the false pride he carries around with his kutte. He’s more relaxed, nowadays. He drinks less, and he spends more time at home, both of which mean he’s not hanging around with those skanks at the clubhouse. He eats more, he’s healthier… Nothing to complain about, there.
And, hey, she has no complaints about you, either. You’re pretty cool, all-around. A woman who takes care of herself, and her family, and doesn’t bitch about either one. You’re not using Coco for money, or status, none of the shit she’s always been worried her father would fall into. There aren’t arguments, every night, not even between herself and Coco, as of late. No hostilities, nothing to avoid the house over. Just good dinners, and movies, and a new fish tank in her room. (Okay, so, you’d earned some major points with that birthday gift. She hadn’t actually expected to get one, when she’d mentioned it). For the first time, she understands what a peaceful, happy family feels like. It feels nice. It feels like home.
Glancing back to where Coco now has you perched on the counter top, stealing the most syrupy-sweet smooches… Letty can’t help but smile. Home is A-okay by her.
*
The sound of the air conditioner humming in the bedroom usually lulls you right to sleep. Tonight, it’s just providing you with white noise, a low background track to your thoughts. You don’t mind, not really. It gives you a few minutes to reflect on the day that’s just ended. To plan your day, tomorrow. To weave your fingers through Coco’s hair, and listen to him breathe. That, alone, makes it worthwhile.
Coco has been asleep against your shoulder for nearly an hour, now. Your arms are wrapped around him, comfortably, his own around your waist. You’d urged him up to bed, after he’d fallen asleep on the couch, his head in your lap. He’d snoozed from the middle of the movie, to the end of the nightly news report. Letty had tsked, and complained that no one had any business, whatsoever, in falling asleep during Zombieland. (How he’d stayed asleep was still a wonder to you, both, for how hard you’d been laughing at Tallahassee). With your fingers in his hair, Coco had been blissfully unaware for a couple of hours.
Glancing down, you take in the sight of your husband’s sleeping face. He looks so damn peaceful, the kind you’d outright murder to preserve for him. Coco’s still struggling with sleep, and relaxation, even though you’d hoped it would ease up, once your nuptials had passed. Most of it, you know will never go away. Anxiety doesn’t have a magic wand, or some perfect little on/off switch. And, all things considered, today wasn’t a terrible day. You’d been able to leave the house, with minimal panic on Coco’s part. Granted, it had taken extra time to get the groceries put away, and dinner made, but… You understand, as much as you are able to, that Coco needs the reassurances. It doesn’t cost you anything to carve a few moments from the day, every here and there, to give him what he needs.
Okay, so it did cost you that first batch of pancakes, this morning. They’d burned on the stove, and set off the smoke alarms, when he’d insisted on a dance through the living room. But, Coco loved the song you’d been playing on your Spotify, so there was really no denying him.
Oh, and… Yeah, you’d missed that phone call from the bank, the week before. Your husband had slipped up next to you, on the porch swing, and snuggled you to within an inch of your life. An easy fix, and you still got the business loan, but…
And, sure, you’ve been late to work, on numerous occasions. Coco has a habit of sneaking into your morning shower. And, after that… Well, hell, you own the company. It’s not like you have to explain to the boss that you’re late to your shift, on account of baby-dancing. (Fucking forums).
Point is, you’re more than happy to take care of Coco’s emotional needs. It may take you an extra hour to pay your bills. Daily tidying may have become every-other-day-if-you’re-lucky tidying. And, your ass may have gone numb, tonight, while he slept on your thigh. During which time, you could have loaded the dishwasher. Taken out the trash. Any number of tasks that have been neglected, in the name of Coco. They can wait.
Leaning in, you press a tender kiss to your husband’s forehead, before settling back in, and closing your eyes. Yes, chores can wait. Work can wait. The whole world can hold it, with both hands. So long as you’re around, Coco’s well-being will never have to take the back seat.
*
P.S. If Coco denies it, he’s full of it. He fucking loved that cauliflower pizza. Fucking vegetarians, indeed.
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#mayans m.c. fanfiction#mayans m.c.#coco x reader#coco x you#coco cruz x reader#coco cruz x you#johnny coco cruz#anonymous request#fanfiction requests#ask box fic
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