#i hurt my own feelings with this first <3
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hii can you maybe write some rafe angst (i just wanna cry)? idk maybe something about reader finally leaving him after too many chances and he feels like the world is ending or something like that ? btw i love ur work sm <3
warnings: angst, cheating
a/n: tysm for this req i’m so happy you love my works <3
“it says that he’s at topper’s..” you glanced up from your phone, sighing to yourself when jade scoffed. “of course he’s at topper’s! but what do you think is happening over there?” your friend took a seat next to you. closing out rafe’s location, you couldn’t help but feel like you were crazy for checking it in the first place. “rafe said he was setting up shop for a party, okay? he’s just busy that’s all.” you sounded unsure, like you were trying to reassure yourself more than anything.
“oh, he’s busy all right.” shutting your eyes, you whimpered. “he hasn’t answered his phone, jade, i’m out of options okay? i’m just going to wait here for him.” she pulled you up before you could lay in self pity. “no you’re not. what we’re gonna do is go down there and catch his ass in the act, okay? you’ve been way too nice to him.” knowing there wasn’t anything you could do but go along with her, you found yourself in her car five minutes later.
“as your friend, y/n, it hurts me to see you go through this time and time again. this asshole doesn’t deserve you and it enrages me that you can’t understand that.” you listened to her rant the whole way to topper’s, your anxiety growing as you two got closer to your destination. “look, when we get in there just remember that no matter what happens you’re not going through this alone, alright?” you smiled at jade, pulling her in for a hug before you two stepped out of her car and made your way inside.
as usual, the place was filled to the brim with partygoers, everyone seemingly in their own world as you and jade walked through the crowded room. “where to?” jade shouted over the music, dragging you in the direction you pointed out to her. when you two made it to rafe’s usual spot, he was nowhere to be found. “y/n, what are you doing here?” topper looked on edge as he greeted you. “hi, ‘top. do you know where rafe is? i’ve been trying to get ahold of him..” you didn’t miss the way his eyes flickered upstairs.
“uhh.. you know what! he actually just left, yup. maybe you should go home and see-” jade cut him off, “you’re a really bad liar. upstairs, y/n.” you blinked, your feet moving before you could second guess this whole thing. your best friend followed behind you, your heart beating in your chest as you stood outside the only door that was closed. “ah, shit,” you heard rafe’s voice on the other side of the door, your stomach turning when another girl’s laugh echoed in your ears.
with a shaky hand, you twisted the door knob, your heart dropping to your stomach at the sight of rafe pushing a girl’s head down his cock. “rafe?” your voice was small but it made his eyes snap open. “baby? what are you doing here?” he scrambled up from the bed, pushing away the girl that was kneeling between his thighs. “what the hell!” she wiped her mouth, “you said you were single, asshole.” the girl flashed you an apologetic look as she walked past you and out the door.
tears filled your eyes. rafe cheated on you, again. “you told her you were single?” you whispered, the betrayal cutting deep through your chest like a knife. rafe moved closer, attempting to grab your arm. “no, no, it’s not what it looked like baby, i swear!” he fumbled with his belt, cursing to himself as you shook your head. “i can’t keep doing this with you,” you backed away, “i can’t..” rafe pulled you inside the room, locking the door shut.
“y/n, please let me explain,” he was pacing back and forth, holding his head in his hands. “she was giving you head, rafe. how do you ‘explain’ that?” you were eerily calm, staring at nothing but thinking about everything. “she was short on money for some blow, alright? she came onto me, it didn’t mean shit.” he reached out, tucking a piece of hair behind your ear. “is that supposed to make me feel better?” you sniffled, swatting his hand away.
“to know that every laugh, every smile, every memory that we’ve ever shared together wasn’t, isn’t, enough to keep you from choosing someone else over me, just means nothing to you? do you even know what this is doing to me right now?” something about this felt different to rafe, and that’s what terrified him. “of course it’s enough, it’s more than enough. i don’t know why i keep doing this to you, baby, i’m so fucking sorry.” he rubbed his bottom lip, the blue of his eyes now sparkling with tears under the soft light of the room.
“you have it all, rafe. tanneyhill, your father’s business, ‘kook king’ status.. me. what more could you possibly want? what more do you need? the last few times you did this, i was graceful enough to overlook it because i was scared of what it would mean if i did something about it.” if rafe was terrified earlier, now he was damn near ready to drop to his knees and beg you to forgive him. “but i think i’ve just realized something,” oh. fuck. those words made him sick to his stomach.
“wait! please, baby, let’s just go home, okay? let’s call it a night. i’ll make a hot bath for us and we could watch your favorite movies until we fall asleep, just the way you like it, right?” you were seconds away from full on sobbing at his words, the memories of you two cuddling in bed and exchanging ‘i love you’s’ shattering what was left of your heart. “no.. no, i don’t think i want to do that.” rafe was quick, shaking his head as his mouth fell open slightly.
“y/n. this will never happen again, i fucking promise.” he got on his knees. “please.” you looked down, “i need you. you’re the one i want to share everything with. it’s you that i see when i envision my life five, ten, twenty years from now, babe. you’re it for me, i swear. this was just a mistake.” he was clinging onto the hem of your shirt now. “a mistake? betrayal isn’t a mistake, rafe, you chose this.” you planted your hands on his shoulders, pushing him away.
“i’m staying the night with jade but i’ll be back sometime this week for my stuff.” you looked away from him, not being able to trust yourself if you saw the pained expression on his face right now. he groaned, fingers dragging down his face as he got back up on his feet. “you can’t, y/n. please, you can’t do this.” rafe kept a hand on the door so you couldn’t open it. “i’ll do anything, baby, just tell me what to do and i’ll do it.” he pleaded with you.
“move your hand.” you spoke quietly. there was a long pause. “if i stay, rafe, i’ll never leave.”
#⟡ 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐊𝐒#outer banks#outer banks fanfiction#outer banks smut#rafe cameron#rafe cameron smut#rafe cameron fanfiction#rafe cameron x reader#rafe cameron blurb#rafe cameron drabble#rafe cameron x y/n#rafe cameron fic#rafe cameron x you#rafe cameron imagine#rafe fluff#rafe outer banks#rafe edit#rafe x you#rafe fanfiction#rafe smut#rafe x reader#rafe imagine#obx#rafe obx#drew starkey
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Sanne can we get a part 2 for reporter!reader?? Picking up where it first left off their first night in the same home - and there's only 1 bed! - and reader shares the bed with him with the promise of not looking at his unmasked face in the middle of the night? And like them realizing over the next few days that they have very similar habits like tendencies to work throughout the night once they've got a lead and not having a set sleep schedule/unconventional sleeping hours.
OKAY HERE WE GO! be fed my lovelies <3 didn't exactly do one bed but hopefully you like it anyway ;) pt 2 of this
jason todd x gn!reporter!reader. nightmares, hurt/comfort, jason sexy mf todd being a domestic dreamboat. 2.4k. pls enjoy
****
The Red Hood's apartment is... not at all what you expected.
It looks lived in. It, as awful a thought as it is, looks like an actual person lives here.
And it's not that you didn't know that Hood has a life outside of shooting and scaring, but the giant ficus and the overstuffed bookshelf seem paradoxical to everything you know about Hood.
You're realizing that you don't know him at all.
"So, uh." Hood awkwardly gestures to the apartment. "This is it. Welcome."
"It's nice," you say, stepping over the threshold. "Really nice. I'm a little jealous, Red."
"What can I say? Being public enemy number one is surprisingly lucrative."
You wander to the kitchen. There's a picture of him and a red-headed masked man who looks vaguely familiar. The man is smiling, his arm around Hood. There's a city skyline behind them you don't recognize.
"Where's that?" you ask. You don't expect him to answer.
"Morocco."
"I didn't know you had friends," you say, studying the Welcome to Vegas! magnet that's holding up the picture.
"Ouch."
"No, I—" You turn, shaking your head. "Sorry, no. I meant, like, people you do fun things with."
"Mm, yeah, I know what a friend is."
"Red, you know what I mean. I didn't know you took selfies and kept plants and read."
"Thought I was friendless and illiterate, huh?" He leans against the kitchen table, fist tucked under his helmet. "Y'wouldn't be the first."
"Hood—"
He snorts, shoulders shaking. You stop.
"That's not funny," you say, rolling your eyes. "Jerk."
"It's a little funny. You're always so sharp with your words, smartypants. No, while I'm very literate, friends are admittedly far and few. Arsenal's my closest friend."
"Is he also a crime lord?"
"Nah. Way better guy than me."
You look back at the picture and wonder how often Hood gets to experience joy. And when was the last time he had a vacation?
You feel a gentle tug at the back of your jacket.
"C'mon. You can snoop more later, promise. Lemme show you your room."
Hood takes your suitcase before you can protest. You follow him down the hall. There's one door to the bathroom—the other is to a single bedroom.
The bedroom is nice, bigger than yours at home. It's sort of what you expected (i.e., the mounted katanas on the wall) but also not (a giant framed poster of the 2005 Pride and Prejudice film).
Holy hell. You're in the Red Hood's bedroom.
"Hood, I can't sleep here," you say, watching as he puts your suitcase in the corner.
The bed has been made, sheets tucked in without a single wrinkle. They're in various shades of red. You're sure Hood thinks he's hilarious.
"Why? If the swords are putting you off, I can move 'em."
"No, it's—I can't take your room, Hood. There's no way I'm doing that."
He shakes his head. "No, trust me, it's for the best. That couch is only comfortable to sleep on after a dose of painkillers."
"Dude, I am not making you sleep on the couch in your own house."
"Well, dude, I'm the host, and I'm the big and scary Red Hood, so what I say goes."
"Like either one of us actually believes that," you say, brushing past him to grab your suitcase. "I'm not kicking you out of your bed. It's–it's very sweet of you to offer. But you physically exert yourself every day. You need a comfortable bed more than I do. Besides, it's not like I'll be here for long."
Hood steps in front of you, casually blocking your exit.
"Well, try this on for size: my room is more secure than my living room," he says. "If someone were to break in, they'd have to get through me out there first."
That... is, unfortunately, a good point. You're still extremely paranoid after the assassination attempt two nights ago.
"You're so manipulative, y'know that?" you grumble, leaving your suitcase where it is.
"I know. I come from a real fucked up family." He doesn't sound too put out by it.
"But if you get injured on patrol, I'm sleeping on the couch."
He pats your shoulder. "'S cute you think you can bargain in my house, smarty."
****
Dinner goes well. Hood makes beef bolognese and it's delicious. You take an extra long time in the bathroom before bed so Hood has enough time to eat, considering his refusal to remove his helmet. You'd offered to blindfold yourself—he'd just laughed.
"Sure you don't want your room? It is, after all, yours," you say when you come out, fresh from your shower.
Hood glances at you briefly from where he's washing dishes. He's out of his jacket and suit, now only in jeans and a white t-shirt. Your face feels hot for some reason.
"I'm sure. Cute robe."
"Oh." You look down at the Wonder Woman robe your friend gave you. "Thanks. Got it for my birthday."
"I'll have to get myself one too," Hood says, drying a glass with a polka dot tea towel. "Big Wonder Woman fan."
"Yeah? We solve this case, and I'll get you all the robes you want, Red."
"Tempting."
You chew your lip as you watch him clean up. "Want any help?"
"Go to sleep, star reporter." He sounds amused.
"You try to be a polite guest only to get shot down..." you mumble, heading to your room.
On your way there, you get distracted by a pile of documents on the coffee table. You stop, picking up the corner to read one. They're about the case, about all the labs that might be involved in the experiments.
Well... you can read just one. It seems like Hood's compiled a lot of information on his own.
You stand for a bit until your legs grow tired. Then you sit on the couch, making notes of what you do and don't know on a nearby writing pad.
"Did you get lost on your way to the bedroom?"
Hood's watching you, leaning against the wall. It's weird to see his bare arms. His very sculpted, muscled arms. You think you peek a tattoo on his bicep.
"My attention was caught," you say, unrepentant. "Anyway, there's a lot of stuff I haven't seen. You've been holding out on me, Red."
"'S just theories, mostly. Didn't feel it was relevant to mention without hard proof."
"Ever hear of a work-life balance?" you ask.
Hood walks over and joins you on the couch, making the cushion dip. You bump shoulders briefly, before you move.
"Look who's talking, Pulitzer prize," he says.
"That's a very reasonable goal, and I'm not obsessed with it. You're just a workaholic. I have activities outside of wo—oh my God, work!"
You shoot up from the couch, panicked. "Fuck. Fuck! I haven't shown up in two days! I'm—"
"Hey, easy," Hood says, propping his socked feet up on the coffee table. "I called you out. Said you had the flu. No biggie."
"How did you call me out?"
He shrugs. "Pretended to be your boyfriend. Girl on the line was kinda rude about it. Didn't believe me at first."
"Red, I believe we've talked about these invasions of privacy."
"I'm just fulfilling my host duties. Is it true you haven't taken a day off in two years?"
You sigh. "Yes, okay? Fine. I'm a workaholic, too. That's why Jane, the secretary you spoke to, was so sassy about my having a boyfriend. It's pretty unbelievable."
"That's ridiculous. You could totally get a boyfriend. Some guys don't mind that."
"Like you?"
Hood tilts his head in acknowledgment. "Sure. Like me."
"Yeah, well, you're not exactly most men."
"And thank God for that."
You look at each other for another moment. Hood's tattoo is in clear view now: it's a bird surrounded by flowers. You can't tell the species of either one.
"Cool tattoo," you say, your tongue feeling too big for your mouth.
Hood turns his arm so the ink is hidden. "Thanks."
"Right." You start to walk backwards. "I think... I'm gonna go to bed."
"Sure," he says. "If y'need anything, holler."
"'Kay. Thank you for dinner. You're a great cook."
"You flatterer."
You smile. "Gotta stay in the Red Hood's good graces."
You start to walk away.
"Do you—waffles?"
You stop and turn. "Sorry?"
"I, uh... do you like waffles? For breakfast," he says. He rubs his thumb and forefinger together. Nervous habit.
"I love waffles for breakfast."
Hood nods. "Great. Good. Then I'll... we'll have those."
"Please don't wake up early just to make breakfast, Red."
"You're my guest. I'll do whatever I want."
You don't recall the prospect of waffles ever making your heart hammer in your chest. Weird.
"Well, goodnight," you say.
"G'night, smarty."
****
You turn the case details in your mind over and over. It's better than thinking about beef bolognese and peeks of skin you shouldn't see and how Hood's sheets smell like lavender.
But you fall asleep thinking about robins. You don't know why. You can't recall ever seeing a robin in Gotham.
You're on a rooftop. It's the roof you met Hood on, all those months ago. There's a robin nesting with its babies on the crumbling bricks.
The sky is a sick shade of green. You see horrible faces in the shadows on the roof.
That face from the night of the attack returns. He's hideous. You remember the stench of his breath, the way his eyes bulged. He grins at you across the roof.
"He should've killed me when he had the chance," he says, voice distorted.
You look around. The robin is gone. Blood drips from your stomach.
You turn and your attacker is there, inches away. He plunges the knife into you again and again. You can't move. This is it. You will die.
You wake up to wet cheeks. You're hot, and you're screaming. You've died.
A cool, rough hand grabs your arm and you fight because you can't die, you won't die. Not today.
"Hey. Hey, hey! It's me, 's J—Hood. It's Hood."
The room is almost entirely dark, save for a sliver of light from the cracked curtains. You can't make out his face. His voice is different. Clearer. He's without his helmet.
You reach out and feel soft hair. The curve of a neck. A bicep. A warm, bare chest.
"Sure, honey. Cop a feel if that makes you feel better," he murmurs.
Your face screws up and you start to cry.
"Shit," Hood whispers. "Shit, shit. Can't get the comforting thing right, can I?"
The bed dips with his weight. Arms wrap around you. You launch yourself into those arms, that solid chest.
"He g-got me in the dream," you choke out. "He killed us, Red. I'm so scared."
"Nobody's getting me or you. I promise."
Hood's jaw is smooth. His hands are big on your back, rubbing circles. His bare knee bumps yours.
You clutch him tighter. He hums.
"'S okay," he says. "It's alright. I got ya. He can't hurt you. I'd tear apart anyone who tries."
He lets you cry for several minutes, petting you all the while. Hood's body is warm, almost unnaturally so, but his hands are cool. He engulfs you completely.
You wonder what color his hair is. His eyes. What shape his nose is. His... lips.
"God, I'm a terrible guest," you mumble after you've caught your breath. "Fuck. I'm so sorry to wake you."
He hums, the sound going through your chest. "Don't worry. I don't sleep much. And you're not the worst guest I've had. My brother stayed with me for a few days last month. That was hell."
"You have a brother?"
"Four, actually. And a sister."
"Wow. Do they know you're...?"
"Yeah. It was a whole thing. They're over it now."
"Cool family."
Hood grunts. "They're... something."
You smile and close your eyes. "You're not who I thought you were, Red."
"Yes, I know. Friendless and illiterate."
You pinch his side. He clucks his tongue in response.
"Cheeky," he says, the gravel in his voice shooting down your spine like lightning.
You pull back, suddenly aware of how long you've been touching him. Hood lets you have your space, scooting to the edge of the bed.
"You know what I mean," you say, glad it's dark and Hood can't see your wide eyes. "Not like that."
"I know. You thought I was a monster, ugly and alone, sleeping in a cave."
Blindly, you reach for his face, feel the shape of his jaw, his chin.
"Doesn't feel like an ugly face to me," you say quietly.
He exhales like you punched the air out of him.
"Trust me," he says. "The dark hides a lot."
You frown and pull away. "I didn't think any of those things, Red. I thought... I thought you were one-track minded. Now I realize that you're probably better adjusted than I am."
"Oh no, I got issues. Believe me. Definitely more than you. Not that it's a competition. 'Cept if it was, I'd win."
You smile. "Title is all yours, big guy. Gotta be a little crazy to do what we do."
"Sure. But you're the bravest soul I know. 'Cause you weren't forced into this. You hunted down the story yourself."
"Brave or stupid?" you ask.
"Brave. But it's a fine line."
Nope. It's definitely more stupid than not, clinging to the Red Hood in his own bed in the name of a case.
What are you doing?
"Ah, anyway." The bed shifts as Hood stands. You can just barely make out the shape of him. "You probably won't be going back to sleep any time soon, huh?"
You sigh. "No, probably not. Please feel free to take back your bed."
"Nice try. You, uh... like hot chocolate?"
"Oh. Yes, I do. But you don't have to do that."
"I've been awake," he says. "No trouble. C'mon."
Hood walks to the door and opens it. Light spills out and for a moment, you have a clear view of his back.
His hair is dark and wavy. His back is covered in silver scars and fresh bruises, broad and muscled. You can see the tendons shift as he walks out.
The Red Hood is a man. Made of flesh and blood. Carved, more like.
Your belly flutters. Fuck.
This is no longer just you working a case. And you're about as far from an informant as anyone can be.
#Jason todd x reader#Jason todd x you#Red Hood x reader#Red Hood fanfiction#red Hood x you#Jason todd fanfiction#Jason todd imagine#red Hood imagine#batman fanfiction#batman imagine#jason todd x yn#red Hood x yn#gender neutral reader#inbox#blurb
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... I'm adding one more daddy issue Coop before I'm done lol
Thinking about meeting pre bomb Coop at work, smiling and doing the gentlest amount of flirting. He's much older than you, and the first time he came into the candy shop he was hand in with a little girl; if you were to guess he would have to have someone to call his own. You have to admit, you're a little disappointed in the thought. The second time he comes in you prod gently, "Do you need any extra for everyone at home?" You sigh to yourself in relief when he says the girl- Janey- is staying the week with her mom. Though, the sad look the crosses his face for a moment catches you off guard, you want to hug him and make him feel better. You sneak a few extra candies in the bag before he leaves with a pleasant smile. Then he starts showing up a lot, almost daily for a little sweet treat; followed by slight and cautious flirting, extra candies, and smiles. You start making sure you're done up a little more for work, your hair sitting perfect in the ponytail, your makeup done up just right, and your shirt unbuttoned a touch more.
You notice the first time his eyes fix on the newly exposed skin, like he's comitting it to memory the best he can. And you take it as positive reinforcement to keep it up. The next time he comes in you grab a sucker, your eyebrows quirking slightly when he stutters during your conversation this time. You slurp once on the candy in your mouth mindlessly while he's looking around and he almost chokes.
What you don't know is Coop is trying to keep himself together, but he wants you so bad it hurts. He wants to hold you down and fuck on that countertop until your mascara runs down your face. He finds himself more often than not with his cock in his hand and the idea of your pretty face in his head. He's too old to be flirting with such a sweet young girl like you, but he can't get the smell of your perfume out of his head. He wants to ruin you and it's taking everything in his power to not do it. If he were to judge by the way you blush at his flirtations, by the way you became speechless when he drawls out jokes that alude to the way that sucker looks in your mouth- he would say you were a virgin. Poor girl, you deserve someone to fuck you right. You deserve to be taken care of. He could be that person.
After all, he saw the way the other guys at your work stare at you. And there's no way they could treat you the way you need. He's doing you a favor.
(I'm tempted to fully write this into like a 3 shot with the other messages I've sent and purge this from my system lmaoo)
the amount of thots i have because of this SHOULD be illegal asiufhgaskjfhsj one of the best gifts ive ever received i am so blessed
(you shouldddddddd!!!!!! do it!!!😘)
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【 vi. sun-soaked laundry 】
summary: yuu spends what was supposed to be a languid afternoon amidst the debutante preparations trying to find their missing maid, silver ^^
word count: 1.3k
author’s note: i love silver <3 maid silver was so fun to write, so i hope you enjoy ^^
[ the perfect debutante series | or read on ao3 (coming soon) ]
It wasn’t often that one of their maids went missing. There was an occasion of it at times; Kalim would get too engrossed in polishing ornaments, or even Jade being late to his duties after visiting the greenhouse.
But the one maid that went missing most often was Silver. But Silver was never late when it came to his duties watching them at their office. His family was a knight’s family, and they raised him with the convicition to serve his Master wholeheartedly, and that included watching over them and protecting them from harm.
“It’s rare that he’s this late,” Yuu mumbled, tapping the side of their glass. The clear sound rang around the empty room. Silver had been missing for almost thirty minutes now. They weren’t doing much for the Debutante, they had finished most of their work and coordinated with the head butler for the surprise they were planning to be delivered soon. They thought they would have to hide it from Silver, but they didn’t have to…considering he wasn’t even here.
Yuu finally stood up, popping their head out of the room. They found an unsuspecting Floyd walking down the hall, carrying what looked to be new sheets for their room.
“Oh! Mas~ter,” Floyd grinned, abandoning his path to talk to them. “What’re you doing? Playing hide and seek?”
“Floyd, have you seen Silver?” Yuu asked, shrugging on their coat.
“Eh~ Jellyfish is missing~?” Floyd tapped his chin, shuffling the sheets into one arm. “Last I saw he was carrying a buncha napkins outside. Suppose he’s on laundry duty.”
“Thanks Floyd,” Yuu patted the taller on the shoulder. “Good luck with the sheets.” They quickly found their way through the halls. Maybe Silver had fallen asleep doing his laundry duties? It wasn’t the first time that Silver had fallen asleep doing his chores, but they were just a little worried. If he had fallen asleep outside, wouldn’t he get sick? Silver would be more than disappointed if he was sick and not allowed to participate in the Debutante.
It didn’t take Yuu long to find the maids’ quarters, getting pointers from a bewildered Azul towards the clothing lines. The wind kicked up the ends of their coat as they stepped outside, and they could see the rows of laundry unfolding like a maze in front of them.
Yuu crouched down, scanning the surroundings for anything that looked…
“Silver,” Yuu murmured, spotting his shining hair from underneath the hanging tablecloths. They made their way over, quieting their steps as they got closer. There dozed Silver, curled up next to a pile of folded napkins. Some birds seemed to have gathered, settling on Silver’s shoulder and leaving as they approached.
They breathed out a sigh of relief, before sitting down on the grass next to him. Silver’s ribbon laid askew, the lace so very close to slipping off as he slept. Yuu reached out, touching the end of the ribbon before—
A hand grabbed their own. Yuu gasped, looking up to see auroral eyes staring owlishly at them.
“M-Master?”
“You…you’re awake?” Yuu asked before dropping their hand. “Sorry for startling you, I…”
“It should be me apologizing,” Silver immediately let go of their hand, before rubbing at the place where he held it. “My apologies, does it hurt? Did I…hurt you, Master?”
“No,” They blinked, feeling warm as Silver continued stroking their wrist. “I’m alright.”
“But why are you…? Ah,” Realization dawned on Silver’s expression. “I have done you a great disservice, Master!” Silver made a move to kneel, and Yuu grabbed at his shoulder.
“Silver,” They huffed, gently pushing at the maid to sit. “It’s alright. I know you are all working hard for the debutante. And besides, it was just my afternoon free time. It’s not a reason to get your dress dirty over. Plus,” They tilted their head to the view; of white sheets fluttering in the wind, the colors of sunset painting the skies in reds and oranges. “It’s prettier out here.”
“R-Right,” Silver looked down at his hands, his ribbon slipping once more. Yuu’s fingers twitched before they decided to reach out for it. They tugged at the end, causing it to loosen completely, falling into their palms.
“Hold still,” Yuu murmured, getting up slightly to position the ribbon in a better way. “What were you doing out here?”
They brushed Silver’s hair back as he answered, “I was taking down the napkins for the debutante. They would fly away in the afternoon winds.” Yuu sat back down, admiring their work. The ribbon was now perfectly placed, silvery hair peeking through the lace in a mesmerizing way.
“Do you need help taking down the tablecloths too?” Yuu asked, and Silver’s face contorted into a frown that made them laugh. “Come on, let me help you out, for once.”
“But Master…” The conflict played out on his face plainly. “This isn’t a job that you should concern yourself with.”
“This is something for the debutante though,” Yuu reminded, before getting up. “Alright, the quicker these are down, the quicker we can get inside.” They reached for one of the washing pegs before hearing a long sigh.
Silver had gotten up, his skirts brushing his sock garters, “At least let me take them down, Master. We can do the folding together.” They grinned at that. Others might call them a bit spoiled for pushing their maids around like this, but well…they didn’t quite have the relationship everyone else had with their own maids. To Yuu, the maids weren’t just servants, they were friends. Lifelong friends who they cared about deeply. And besides, there was no harm in working together, right?
It didn’t take too long to fold the table cloths, and with each cloth that passed, the frown on Silver’s face eased away. The maid was quite handsome when he wasn’t frowning, if Yuu were to say it themself. Actually, Silver was princely in general. Especially with his values and dedication to follow the knight’s code. But…he was also quite princess-ly. With how animals thrived in his presence, and how he matched any accessories he wore. He was just very regal, they decided.
Yuu ended up sitting on the grass again, the view of the house unobstructed by sheets this time. Silver seemed to be fiddling with the napkins, and they were content with just sitting there. It had been a while since they just sat around outside without thinking about their duties.
“Master,” Silver’s voice brought them back, and something soft was thrust into their hands. “Here.”
They looked down to see a napkin folder into a flower in their palm, “How’d you make that?”
“Well, my…father, he knew a lot of party tricks,” Silver said, as he picked up another napkin. “He was banned from the kitchens— for good reason— but in that time he amused himself with folding napkins into certain shapes.” Silver tugged at the napkin, and Yuu ooh-ed as a napkin bunny appeared in his hands.
“That certainly is a flashy way to present napkins,” Yuu laughed softly. “Would it be possible to make the napkins into bird shapes for the Debutante?”
Silver blinked, “Is that your wish, Master? Because if so, I, Silver, vow to carry it out in your honor.” And then Yuu realized where they made their mistake. Silver was probably looking for a way to repay the kindness they had shown him today, and they had simply given him the perfect tedious opportunity to do so.
“S-Silver, you don’t have to do it now,” Yuu tugged at his arm. “The sun’s set, we should go inside and have supper.”
Silver nodded, staring at the darkened skies, “Then, Master, you should go back first. I should finish at least 100 before supper starts.” An aura of determination seemed to ooze from Silver’s figure.
“That’s not what I meant!”
thank you for reading ^^ if you’d like to read more, check out my masterlist ! like the art ? look at more of dumple's works on insta !
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#/trau writes#silver my beloved#he’s just a little guy#twst silver#twisted wonderland#twst#disney twst#twst silver x reader#silver x reader#twisted wonderland x reader#twst x reader
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Yeah, I'm not taking this sitting down. Man, I really am not trying to have beef out here, but I refuse to have my good fucking name tarnished. To make a public post about me? Yeah, I'm going to share my side. The facts are as such:
I approached wolf on 12/20/23 about a NSFW commission inspired by one of their works. It would feature my sona and an aged up Donnie. As they mentioned, our initial conversation was good. We went back and forth during the sketch phase and I requested quite a lot of edits. I asked if I could pay them for these corrections.
it was right after this that wolf asked about Donnie's battle shell since it wasn't illustrated.
After this message, I did not hear back from wolf after 2/9/24 until I sent them a follow-up message 3/27/24
I did not hear back from wolf until today 5/6/24.
Now I cannot share the images of the art I received because it is NSFW, but I can tell you that the grey from my sona's body appeared to be missing. The ears of my sona were grey, but the body only looked yellow. Donnie was missing his purple arm marks, and his knee pads were still the same only now they were colored in black along with his mask. From here I will just send the conversation in its entirety.
For reference, this was the reference sheet they had.
I was then sent two pieces where the grey on my sona was very obvious and Donnie's markings were now present with the following text.
Now again, I wish I could show you the pieces, but I can't. I was offered a 50% refund for my troubles, but I was not interested in taking it because wolf had already done all the work.
I will say that I was extremely frustrated with the whole affair so the next part I will admit was a bit salty because while corrections had been made, I wasn't able to give any input so there were still mistakes in my sona's colors (specifically the underside of the tail was yellow instead of white and my grey arm had one side yellow) and Donnie's mask was still black. The following is our last correspondence on my blog.
This would have been the end of it for me. Except, I did not get the email. I waited in hopes it would come in, but none did. Since I was blocked I was forced to reach out from one of my side blogs @thisgoesouttoyoubaby which feel free to check. it's my reblog sideblog that I use to send my bestie memes. It dates back YEARS and is not used for spam.
As you can see I was blocked here.
Now I have been refreshing my email feed waiting. I know emails can take time, but I have no way to confirm if I'm getting my work because I was immediately blocked on thisgoesouttoyou with no response.
So I used another sideblog, this time @plowingon which you can again, freely search, its not a spam blog, but a blog I once made to record the live of my old german shepherd I had years ago when he was getting older.
And wouldn't you know it, I got my first email from wolf at
Coincidentally, only after I sent my last message to them.
Now I'm not interested in hurting wolf's reputation. I think you should still commission them if you'd like. I still am a fan of their art. I have no ill will, but fuck if I will stand by as someone tells me that I won't pay an artist. I never even said i wouldn't pay. I was just frustrated because they wouldn't follow their own three correction rule. They allowed me no recourse, and then they were petty before I could even confirm that I received the email.
Could I have been nicer?
Of course.
Could I have been more clear?
Absolutely.
But there is no world in which I tried to gaslight anyone. I pride myself on my honesty. I was not shy when paying them. I sent payment before we even began. I offered to pay them more and acknowledged I was a needy customer halfway through. So I apologize for this long post, but I wanted to make sure all of this was visible because how dare you call me a scammer, wolf.
You disappoint me.
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Hummingbird Has Landed, ch 12
Marcus Pike x female reader
Co-written with @absurdthirst
After the debacle of his failed engagement and relocating to Washington to take charge of his task force, newly minted Special Agent Marcus Pike is ready to get back out into the dating pool once more. A slew of bad dates has him feeling a little down, and he takes an old friend up on an invitation to get away and get his head on straight. Imagine his surprise when he finds not only fresh air, but his soulmate as well - hiding in plain sight but in the unlikeliest of places.
Rating: E for Explicit! 18+
Word Count: 12.4k
Warnings: *Blanket warnings for this series: occasional mention of American politics, pregnant character, food/alcohol consumption, mentions of clothing/regulated dressing for occasions, mentions of therapy because we believe in self care here, reader is in a previous relationship, love triangle, reader is mentioned as turning 30 during the course of the story, dom/sub dynamics* Pregnancy. labor, childbirth, health emergency, hospital stay, talk of living wills and things going wrong, traumatic birth, mentions of death/possibility of death, reassurance, emotional hurt/comfort.
Summary: Months after going public with your relationship with your soulmate, you and Marcus get the phone call you've been waiting for: Sydney has gone into labor!
Notes: The migraines and the pain aren't gone but the story continues! This week is a rollercoaster, my darlings. I hope you enjoy 🧡
Ch1 ~ Ch 2 ~ Ch 3 ~ Ch 4 ~ Ch 5 ~ Ch 6 ~ Ch 7 ~ Ch 8 ~ Ch 9 ~ Ch 10 ~ Ch 11
The call came late on a Saturday night during the first full week of September. Busy getting ready to go out for a later-than-usual date, you had jumped straight up in the air when your phone started ringing. The words 'labor' and 'hospital' got you and Marcus moving instantly, and you were off to meet Juan and Sydney at Sibley Memorial Hospital faster than a heartbeat.
“Now, it’s gonna be awhile.” Marcus warns you, even as he speeds towards the hospital. “I might have to come back to get you some clothes.”
"As long as it doesn't take as long as Junie did to be born," you joke, trying to dispel your own tensions even as you fidget in your seat. "Mom was in labor for twenty-six hours. I think Syd will just reach in and pull the baby out before she waits that long."
“She’ll be yelling that she has a dinner menu to put out.” Marcus snorts, understanding how frustrated Juan has been when his wife refused to slow down until the very end.
"If she doesn't have her recipe notebook out within an hour of giving birth, I'll be astonished." She never slows down, your best friend, and you adore her despite it being worrying sometimes. At least you got her to agree to the more-than-generous New Parent Leave package the inn has adopted. They're both technically on your payroll so you know they'll be well taken care of.
“The new sous chef she hired to help the old one step into her shoes has worked out really well so far.” Marcus knows that talking about the inn will help you focus. Keep you from worrying yourself up into a state until you can lay your eyes on Sydney.
"She needed another set of hands anyway." Just because you know what he's doing doesn't mean you're not grateful, and you fidget in your seat before glancing down at your phone for the thousandth time. No new texts. You just have to remind yourself that that is a good thing. "Hopefully this new guy will work out and she'll keep him on long term."
“Yeah, it’s nearly a fully house every night in the restaurant.” Business in the inn might have taken a slight hit from the negative press, but the food was still bringing in the locals.
"Thank god for that." Over the last few months your bookings haven't been too stellar, but you've been making up for it with restaurant patrons and special event bookings. At least you had room enough to accommodate Marcus's parents when they came up in July. "I don't want to think about what would have happened if we'd lost restaurant sales along with bookings."
“I’m just happy that the ‘anonymous sources’ have tapered off lately.” The accusations are still out there but you and Marcus have been laying low for now.
“What I wouldn’t give for two seconds with our sniveling exes.” It’s obvious that it has been Sam and Vanessa feeding things to the gossip columnists, although technically all you have is your say-so. They’re being clever enough to make sure that there is no paper trail and nothing being said that marks them as the obvious source of the negative rumors. “Why do we have to be the better people?” You gripe with a pout. “We could just as easily say made up shit about them. For all we know, they were the ones having an affair and this is a whole situation of they doth protest too much.”
“I don’t think so.” Marcus would love for that to be the case. “That week of the state dinner, he was sick.” He reminds you. “I think Vanessa went over to his house and somehow discovered she’s his soulmate. She told me that she had just found out, not that she just met him.” He theorizes. “And now, they are twisting their own narrative, but I don’t understand why.”
“If they’re trying to discredit Mom through me, it’s not working.” Though your business may have taken a hit, your mother’s first term has been fairly impressive so far. She’s getting her legislation moving at a brisk clip and her focus on the economy is already strong. You sigh, though, pushing out the bad thoughts, and squeeze his hand over the gear shift. “They don’t get to ruin our goddaughter’s birth. That’s not in the cards.”
“Nope.” Marcus made sure to pack the gifts for mother and baby in the car while you were rushing around to get dressed. Both of you are excited. “Doesn’t matter, today is about Sydney and the baby.” He chuckles. “And poor Juan too. I know he’s a wreck right now.”
“He’s so excited and so nervous.” The clock on the dashboard reads ten minutes until midnight and you squeeze his hand again to relieve some of your own nerves. It’s not like you’re the one having a baby. There’s no reason to be nervous, but you are. For your best friend and your goddaughter and for Juan who is like a big brother to you.
“Yes he is.” Marcus tosses you a grin. “I know he’s supposed to be handing out cigars, but I managed to get my hands on a box of very nice ones. When the baby is born, I’m going to give them to him. To celebrate the important milestones with.”
“They’re the ones your dad smokes, aren’t they?” Beaming that grin right back at him, the conjured memory of the vanilla and spice scent of Matthew Pike’s favorite cigars is easy to conjure. “He’ll love that.”
“I hope so.” Marcus grins. “I can just imagine how proud he’s going to be. He’s going to be crying as he holds his child for the first time.”
“He’s going to be a leaky faucet by the time we get to the hospital,” you predict with an affection laugh. “They deserve this. They already love that little girl so much and they’re going to be amazing parents.”
“Yes they are.” He can’t help but be a little envious, although it’s not a sharp feeling because he knows it will happen for the two of you soon enough. He will be content with cuddling his new goddaughter.
There’s little traffic at this time of night, and before you know it you and Marcus are parking and heading inside to track down the room number that Juan texted to you. Sydney and Juan’s families will be alerted when the baby is born, but it was their wish to have you and Marcus in hand for the birth. You’ll be right there in the delivery room with Syd and Juan while Marcus keeps the families updated in a group chat. You’re co-captains of Team Moral Support and you’re excited for every second of it.
His hand is on your back as you stop in front of the door. “Are you ready, sweetheart?” He asks with a beaming smile.
“Nervous. Excited. Very ready.” You lean back to steal a kiss, warmed through by the comfort of having him by your side for this enormous step in the lives of your close friends. Your chosen family. “And…I can’t wait until it’s us.”
“Soon enough.” He promises. “Soon enough.” He pushed the door open and knocks with the back of his knuckles. “Knock, knock.”
“Oh thank god!” Comes the response from inside, and you’re laughing at the relief in Sydney’s voice when you and Marcus push inside. “The Godparent Brigade has arrived! Here to pump you up, handle your relatives, and fetch your sushi after the little peanut has arrived on the scene.”
“Get the sushi before anything else.” Sydney demands, rubbing her stomach and nearly salivating at the thought.
"I've already got your order in my phone, and Marcus will jet out to get it. You won't have to wait at all, honey." It doesn't surprise you in the least that Syd is thinking about one of her favorite foods, but you move over to her side in the bed as the two men hug and give your best friend a squeeze on her shoulder. "How are you doing? Do you want me to go strong arm a nurse for some ice chips?"
“Juan already has two cups of them, letting them melt down.” She grins at you and then winces when another contraction hits.
It takes everything you've got not to wince or cringe along with her, knowing that it won't do a single lick of good and won't help her feel any better. "How far apart are they?" You ask instead, rubbing her back in small, soothing circles.
“Twelve minutes, forty-seven seconds.” Juan tells you as he looks down at his watch and then back at his wife. “We are down from fifteen minutes.”
"Getting closer and closer!" Practically squeaking with excitement, you can see the same light in Juan's eyes despite the worry lines in his furrowed brow. He just wants everything to go well, and you can't blame him there.
Sydney huffs out a small laugh, knowing you are doing exactly what she had wanted you to. Cheerlead for her. “Did you happen to bring those hard candies?” She asks, her eyes wide and pleading.
"Yes!" Ready to dig into your purse immediately, you swirl around and grab your bag from where you had dropped it to one side when you came in the room. "I've got sour lemon and orange, and I've got the sweet strawberry ones. What are you feeling at the moment?"
“Sweet.” She practically moans the word and reaches out to you with grabby hands. “Don’t hold out on me now.”
"Here we go, babe." One of the candies is deposited in Syd's outstretched hands and a few more get tucked into the pockets of your cardigan to make sure you have one on hand for her at no more than a moment's notice. "Plenty more where that came from, I promise."
“You are the best.” She moans, popping the candy into her mouth and rolling her eyes in pleasure.
"Now how are you doing, Dad?" With Syd moaning over her small treat, you turn your attention to Juan.
“I’m hanging in there, but I think I forgot my bag.” He rolls his eyes and huffs. “Too busy making sure the car seat was secure.”
"Babe, you have a key to their place, right?" If not, you'll pull out your keys and send Marcus back to Alexandria with your spare house key instead. You would go yourself, but you vowed not to leave Sydney's side once you got to the hospital. The kind of vow that is definitely life or death and she will hold you to.
“Juan gave me one.” Marcus nods, and agrees with your silent plan. “I’ll run and get the bag. Pick up some coffee that’s better than the shit they serve here, yeah?”
"I have a feeling we're going to need it." Juan nods and claps Marcus on the shoulder gratefully.
"I'll call you if anything changes," you promise him, turning back to your own soulmate. "You're amazing, sweetheart. Thank you."
“I’ll be back as soon as I can.” He reassures you, leaning in to kiss your lips before hugging Juan and bussing Sydney’s cheek. “Ask for the good drugs, mama.” He teases with a wink, wanting her to laugh.
"You bet your ass!" She groans, wincing more heavily with this contraction than she had with the one before. "Get back here fast, Marcus. Speed. Lots!"
“I’ll use my badge if I get pulled over!” He calls back as he rushes out of the room.
"He'll be back in no time." Realistically you know it will take quite a lot of time, in fact, but your job tonight is not to be realistic. It is to be positive and upbeat. To keep spirits high. "I think Malachi is going to win the betting pool." You grin and stand up by the head of the bed with Sydney, right there to hold her hand if she needs you. "He had Monday – tomorrow, technically – as the day, but I don't think anyone had Sunday."
“Juan…” Sydney smiles. “Take a nap, baby. I know you are exhausted. You were about to go to sleep when my labor started. Birdie is here, so get some sleep.”
He raises an eyebrow, knowing his wife is in pain, but also knowing that a short nap will ensure he is at his best to help her. "We'll take shifts," he compromises, eyeing you just as much as his wife. "So someone is always here holding your hand and timing your contractions. Short naps only. I don't want to miss anything."
“I promise I won’t push her out without you.” She teases, leaning in and pressing her lips to his. “Go, it might be your last nap for the next eighteen years.”
"I love you, Warrior Queen." There are more kisses and more sweet words, and finally Juan crosses the compact hospital room to curl up on the Dad Bench and try to get at least a little bit of sleep before his baby girl enters the world.
“I don’t want to be horrible through this.” She admits quietly. “I’m hoping the labor progresses so I get an epidural quickly.”
"There is not a single person who is going to even blink an eye if you are upset during this labor," you promise her. She pats the side of her bed and you perch on the edge of the mattress, holding her hand all the while. "If you wanted or needed to rage through the whole thing, we would stand by your right to do so. But we'll also stand by your choice to do things any other way. Whatever way is going to be the best possible experience of bringing your first baby into this world."
“Will you do me a favor?” She asks quietly, eyeing Juan as he turns into the couch and gives you his back. He’s already snoring lightly so she’s not worried about him overheating. “If something happens…..” This is the first time that she’s ever said anything out loud and her eyes are anxious. “I’ve signed the paperwork already, but if something happens, I don’t want to stay on machines.” She whispers. “Promise me that you’ll help him let go. And if it’s me or the baby…you know what I want you to choose.”
“Nothing is going to happen.” As firmly and sternly as you can, you squeeze your best friend’s fingers in yours and bite back the instant tears that spring but behind your eyes. The fact that this conversation is even necessary is heartbreaking, but women die in childbirth every single day. Nothing is going to happen. You almost shake with determination but that isn’t what she needs right now. The person who means the most to you in the world besides Marcus is looking you in the face and asking you to be loyal to her. And you will. “I promise.” Two small, devastating words. But if she’s thought this far ahead, she’s also had another thought. “You have a will somewhere?”
“In the safe at home.” She nods, relieved that you are not fighting her and it’s obvious on her face. She had expected an argument, she knows she would have gotten one from Juan, which is why she chose you as her medical POA. “The papers are in an envelope in my bag.” She nods towards the incredibly organized hospital bag.
“Okay.” You nod, still holding her hands tightly. “I love you. I will honor your wishes. Now tell me which onesies you packed to bring her home in so you can get excited again.”
“All of them.” Sydney snorts, only half kidding. “There are twelve that I couldn’t decide between, so I brought them all. Figured we would decide which one looks best when we are holding her.”
“We can absolutely decide later.” She’s already a little sweaty at the top of her forehead from the contractions and you nudge a cup of melted ice chips toward her just to cool her down. “Do you have a top three?”
“The ones in the right hand pocket.” She takes the cup and starts to gulp down the cool water.
In the right hand pocket of Sydney’s neatly packed hospital bag, three folded baby onesies await their new owner: one from her mother in law covered in little surfboards and ocean waves and sunglasses to represent how much Juan had loved surfing when he was out in California. One from Syd’s sister AnnaLeigh with Once Upon a Time…a Heroine was Born written out like the beginning of an illuminated fairytale, and one from you and Marcus emblazoned with the logo of Syd’s favourite hockey team to get her baby girl started out right. “They’re fantastic choices,” you hum, looking at the clothes with misty eyes.
“You see why I couldn’t choose?” She laughs, shaking her head and setting down the rest of the ice chips to melt. Seriously not understanding why they just wouldn’t give her water. Labor is fucking thirsty work.
“I think I like AnnaLeigh’s,” you admit, before tucking them back into the bag as carefully as they had been before. “But we’ll see how she feels about them when she’s here. Who knows? She might come out the chillest baby in the world and then we now she matches Juanito’s surfer phase.”
“Juan actually likes that one too.” She admits with a grin. “He’s so fucking excited for this baby to come. He swears if he could carry her for me, he would.”
“He totally would have if he could.” The grin on your face breaks wider, and you sit back on the edge of Syd’s bed with her. “So would Marcus. In a heartbeat.”
“How did we get so fucking lucky?” Her eyes mist up, overwhelmed with the beautiful thought of both of you so happy and cared for with your soulmates.
“I truly have no idea.” The mist in her eyes halts for just a moment as another contraction hits, but it doesn’t fade. It doesn’t dim. Syd’s happiness is true, and you’re so grateful to see it. “Thank god they get along though. We’d be screwed if our soulmates weren’t friends.”
Panting, she leans back and rubs her belly. “We would make them be friends.” She jokes. “The most awkward small talk over beers until they find a common interest.”
“Lucky for us?” You sit forward and help her readjust her pillows from where they had fallen out of place. “They’re basically as inseparable as we are again.”
"Lucky for us." She agrees, leaning back with a sigh and smiling at you. "Thanks. You know what I need before I do sometimes."
“For most of the time we’ve known each other, I’ve been shocked that we aren’t soulmates.” At some point in your teenage years you had discussed it, but your appendicitis scar already existed and she has never born that. “I gotta be honest, I used to be bummed that we’re not. But when you met Juan, I understood why.”
She kisses the air in your direction. "Because you had Marcus waiting on you, too." She reminds you. "We are better than soulmates. We are sisters by choice."
“I would have waited forever for him.” She gets the same air kiss from you, and you descend into giggles together. “We really are lucky.”
The giggles are interrupted by another contraction, making Sydney hiss and squeeze her eyes shut as she tries to breathe through it. Coming out as more of a whine until the pain passes again. "They- They are getting closer." She huffs when she can talk again.
“We’re down to eight minutes and sixteen seconds apart,” you tell her, checking your watch. “You’re doing awesome, Syd.”
“I can’t believe it.” She grunts when she gets a foot in her rib. “I don’t know whether to be impressed that it’s going so fast, or cry because I’m not further along.”
"You're allowed to be both, you know." Frankly, you're both. She is progressing quickly but you know she would rather have just arrived fully dilated and ready to go. "Just remember. At least she's not dragging her heels like Junie did."
“I don’t know how your mom did it.” She huffs, thinking about your mother and how excited you had been for a younger sister. “She was still working while in labor.”
"My mother is some kind of weird combination of feral cryptid being and absolute machine," you chuckle, shaking your head. "If I'm trying to do bookings and make staff schedules during labor, please slap me."
Huffing out a laugh, she grunts and rubs her belly again on the side. “Done.” She pants. “But get me my notebook.” She points to her bag. “I just thought about a salted Carmel mocha crème brûlée.”
“I am only agreeing to this because it will take your mind off the pain.” Still, you dig into the pocket opposite the onesies she has earmarked as favorites and come out with her battered and beaten recipe notebook. “It sounds like it will be nice to send to your sous chef.”
“It sounds like something I want to eat right now.” She groans, flipping open the tatty cover and laying it on her baby bump to quickly write down her idea.
“You’re going to be a little distracted and busy for a while,” you remind her. Still you can’t help but grin at her tongue poking out from between her teeth as she scribbles.
“Doesn’t mean I’m not hungry.” She moans pitifully after finishing the notes. “I was in the middle of getting a snack.” The pout that pushes her lips out would be comical under different circumstances but she’s horribly disappointed to have not gotten to eat before being bustled into the car by her frazzled husband.
“What was snack time tonight?” It is absolutely always the way to distract her when she’s feeling bad, and tonight is All Sydney All the Time, so you’re focused in one her.
She groans and whimpers slightly at the food she had to leave on the counter. “Cottage cheese with fresh peach compote and balsamic glaze.” She pouts even more. “It was going to be amazing. But I had to tell Juan that I was cramping.”
“I’ll make sure there’s plenty in your fridge waiting for you when you get home.” You can promise her that, along with their fridge and freezer being fully stocked with ready-made meals and easy to use ingredients that should last more than two weeks. Between you and Marcus and Malachi and her staff, you’ve all been secretly helping prep for baby’s arrival for a week already. Even Agent Bailey made a contribution to the frozen meals and added some veggies from her garden.
“Thank you.” She smiles you softly. “I can’t believe that when I leave, I’m going to be holding her.” She admits with a grin.
“She’s almost here.” As if to affirm it, another swift kick to Sydney’s abdomen is brutally obvious, and you grin. “And she’s excited about it.”
The two of you settle into a comfortable silence. Broken by contractions and the quickening of their pace. Sydney trying to be quiet as she pants through them to let Juan sleep.
Checking your watch again and finding nearly two hours have gone by, you tilt your head at your best friend and hand her another strawberry candy. "Marcus should be back soon, and your contractions are barely more than five minutes apart now. I think it's time to wake Dad up and call for the nurse."
Marcus has Juan’s bag in the backseat and he had cancelled the reservations he had made for tonight. They aren’t going to be used, and he had apologized profusely. Still, he stops at the inn to run up to the small gun safe, using the biometric lock to open it and reveal a small ring box. He had been planning to propose tonight, and he still can, it will just look different now.
"It's happening, isn't it?" On his one night shift per week, Malachi had seen you and Marcus hustle out the backdoor of the inn with bags in hand and seen not long after when Marcus reappeared in a hurry. Now he is waiting at the back door once again, but this time to snag Marcus before he can disappear in to the night.
“It is.” Marcus nods with a huge grin spreading across his face. “Juan forgot his bag. I’ll text you when she’s born.” All the staff are invested so he will be sure to let them know. “You’ve got the inn?” He checks, although he knows what the other man will say.
"That baby is your godchild." Malachi smiles surprisingly softly. "This inn is mine."
“I know.” He reaches out and squeezes Malachi’s arm. “Birdie trusts you with her most important treasure.” He praises.
"Not quite." He winks at the other man, considering him a friend now after many months of back and forth, and grins. "She'd never leave me alone with you."
Marcus snorts, well aware of the man’s proclivity to flirt. He matches that grin. “That’s because she knows how persuasive you are.” He jokes, winking at him playfully. “Besides. You are still yearning for your soulmate and will only be happy when he breezes into your life like he’s always been there.”
"Check all those doctors for my ankle tat, handsome." Malachi teases, shooing Marcus toward the door. "A man in scrubs is better than a man in uniform."
“I will.” He gives Malachi a salute and hustles out of the door to speed back to the hospital as quickly as he can.
It's on the heels of a nurse when Marcus comes back into the room, with Juan standing at Syd's side holding tight to your hand while you have been banished to the corner of the room so the nurse can do her work. "It's almost time!" You tell him excitedly, wrapping your arms around him the second he makes his way over to her.
“Holy shit, I made it just in time then.” He can’t believe how fast it’s gone, he had expects at least half a day or more of labor.
"Apparently Constance does not want to wait." The shine of tears in your eyes isn't going anywhere now that you're about to head to the delivery room with Sydney and Juan, but you hug Marcus fiercely. "And I can't wait to meet her. I'm so glad you made it in time."
“Me too.” Marcus presses his lips to yours, letting you cling to him for a second before you pull back. “Does she want me there for Juan or should I stay here?”
"Stay here and hold down the fort for us? She's going to be exhausted when it's all over but she's nervous about everything being okay in the room while we're gone." Wishing so dearly that this was your night only makes you smile because you know that it's only a matter of time.
“Absolutely.” Marcus nods and looks over at Juan and Sydney. “I’ve got everything here. You go meet your daughter.”
"We'll be back soon." Juan is beaming, practically hopping around, and looks like he might jump out of his own skin if given the chance. "She's almost here!"
Marcus laughs at the bubbly excitement, watching as the nurses wheel her bed out, with you and Juan right on their heels as she’s transferred over to the delivery room. “And now…” Marcus pulls out the ring box and flicks it open to look down at the gorgeous ring. “We wait.”
It's over an hour before anyone comes back into the room, and when it happens it's just you alone with a look of exhausted panic on your face. "Everyone's okay." The first words out of your mouth, but you murmur them while shaking slightly and bolting into his arms, so it isn't terribly reassuring.
That doesn’t sound reassuring, coupled with the desperate way you cling to him. Marcus folds you into his embrace tightly.
“She was breech…” Sniffling through the explanation and clinging to him even harder is about the best you can do right now. “And they couldn’t get her to turn. Then—then they did an ultrasound and figured out that—” The shudder that runs through you is all-encompassing. “She had her umbilical cord around her neck. So they had to do an emergency c-section.” The shaky breath you exhale as you lean back is enough to make him quake right along with you, but he holds you steady. “And then the placenta ruptured after they brought the baby out and—and Syd just kept bleeding—”
“Oh shit.” Marcus whispers in horror, his heart plummeting to his feet and he swallows harshly. “But they are both okay?” He had heard you say they were, but he needs the confirmation.
“They’re both okay.” You can barely manage to nod, tears spilling over for yet another time. “They took Constance to the NICU and Juan is with Syd in recovery until they okay her to come back here.”
“Thank God.” Marcus breathes out softly. “Hopefully Syd is asleep? I know she would be frantic if Constance isn’t with her after that.”
“Awake, but exhausted.” You’re still gripping his leather jacket, refusing to let go. It had been warding off the chill in the air conditioned room but now it’s your life line. “They let her hold the baby for a few minutes before they whisked her off to the NICU.”
“How is she?” Marcus asks quietly, worrying about the baby. “Could we sit with her in the NICU?”
“The doctor said not to worry.” Though you sniffle again, clearly very concerned. “That she’s seen babies in far worse condition come through it totally fine. But they wanted her in a place where they can help immediately if they need to.” Two tears leak from your eyes but you brush them away with the back of your wrist and try to breathe. “They’ll come down and tell us in a little while if she can come be with Sydney or if we’ll be allowed to visit the NICU. For now we just gotta—we gotta stay put. That’s why Juan wanted me to come tell you.”
“Then that is what we will do.” Marcus promises, rubbing your back gently. “I’ll wait to pick up her sushi, hmm?” He wants you to decide that is the best option because he’s not leaving you right now. Not for anything in the world. He’s already reached out to his team to let them know he’s out of pocket for right now.
“Until after she gets some sleep.” You nod against his chest and wrap your arms around his waist for a sturdy anchor. “This is…not a celebrating time. The only thing worth celebrating is the fact that they’re okay.”
The ring he had planned to give you tonight burns a hole in his pocket, but he hums in agreement, pressing his lips to your head. “I completely agree.” He murmurs softly. “We will just make sure that they are in perfect health.”
“I love you so much.” The sheer relief of having him in your arms now after nearly losing your best friend — both of them meaning more to you than life itself — is unspeakable. “And I’m so glad you’re here.”
“I’m not going anywhere.” He promises. “I think I’m going to text the group that mom and baby are resting comfortably and we will make the announcement later?” He asks. “I don’t want people to bug Juan or worry.”
“I think that’s probably a good idea.” The last that the baby arrival group chat had heard, Syd was being wheeled to the delivery room. They deserved an update.
“Why don’t you go into the bathroom and wash your face, sweetheart?” Marcus urges. “Change into your comfy clothes and I’ll send out a text.”
“I’m too anxious to sleep, but I’ll wash up and change.” It seems like it will make you feel less frazzled, and therefore more on your game to help your friends. “But if you need to lie down, you should. I’ll wake you up when the nurse comes in with news.”
“I won’t sleep.” Marcus is too focused on you, too in tune with your nervousness to ever nap. Not right now.
“Then change with me and settle in,” you suggest instead, knowing that if your positions were switched you would feel the same. “It might be a long night.”
Marcus nods. “I can do that.” He promises, rubbing your shoulders and moving towards the bags. “If you want to take a quick shower, no one would blame you.”
“I think I’ll save that trick for refreshing myself in a few hours from now.” Predicting that you’ll need it, you kiss him now and slip off to the adjacent bathroom with your overnight bag to change.
Marcus pulls out his phone and calls down to the florist department that is on the ground floor of the hospital, wanting Sydney to come back to a lovely bouquet.
Wash your face. Change your clothes. Try not to break out crying again that you almost had to put that conversation with Syd a few hours ago into action. By the time you come out of the bathroom in Marcus’s old FBI Academy sweatshirt and a pair of yoga pants, your shoulders are drooping and your feet are dragging but at least you’ve stopped crying.
“Oh sweetheart.” While you had washed your face, Marcus had changed out in the room. “Come lay down with me on the sofa/bench thing.” He urges, reaching for you again.
“The Dad Bench.” Curling up into his side immediately, you lay your head on his shoulder and breathe out another sigh. “After you left, she made me promise to make the decision if something went wrong,” you tell him quietly. “Juan would never be able to…and she knew…that if she made me promise. I’d do what she wanted.”
He had been stroking your arm, fingers freezing as he absorbs the implication of that statement. “I’m glad it didn’t come to that.” He closes his eyes and sends up a prayer of thanks and continued good health to whomever might hear him. He doesn’t wish that on anyone, least of all his soulmate and one of his best friends.
"It almost did." Tears come again, fresh and few, but they are definitely there. "The only other time I've heard Juan pray in Spanish was when his mother had a heart attack a few years ago."
“I would be praying in every fucking language I could if it were you.” Marcus whispers. “To every God ever imagined.”
"Everyone is okay." Having to remind yourself of it fairly often seems...fairly reasonable, all things considered. You had stood at your best friend's side and looked her and her soulmate in the eyes as the doctors worked to control her bleeding. As she lay on a table with the distinct reality that those would be the last moments of her life.
But no. Everyone is okay. And soon they'll send her downstairs so she can rest comfortably, and they'll bring little Constance to her to have joyous moments with her family instead of fearful ones.
“Everyone is okay.” He echoes softly. “But…I asked the nurse for a rollaway bed for you.” The nurse had slipped into the room to check on you while you had been in the bathroom, before he had changed. You had just walked into the other room and closed the door, in fact. He had thought it would be best to prepare for you to not leave this room anytime soon.
"Did she say anything else?" No news is good news most of the time when you're in a hospital, but if Marcus got to speak to a nurse you want to know everything.
“She said that momma and baby should be in here by the time visitor hours start.” He couldn’t get a timeframe beyond that, but he took what he could get.
"That's..." Turning your wrist to check your face, the dial reads just after four in the morning. "That's about four hours. And I know Juan won't be down without them. So...I guess we should settle in?"
“Of course.” He doesn’t move, just continuing to hold you. Feeling you relax against him slowly.
"I guess...rain check on date night sex?" You huff weakly, trying for a joke. By this time of night on a date night you would normally be fast asleep – and very naked – in each other's arms.
“A rain check with you is better than any legal tender.” He jokes back, smiling softly even though he had hoped it would be engaged sex.
"What a night." The longer that you sit with him, the calmer you get. It's such an enormous thing for you, to have someone to anchor you as well as he does, and you sigh again as you deflate just a little more into his side.
“Not exactly how I imagined the night going.” Marcus admits with a small sigh. He’s not unhappy, he just wishes the birth hadn’t been so traumatic for everyone.
"Tell me what we were going to do tonight." Thinking about absolutely anything else seems like a very good idea right now, and while you know it was already late when you were leaving the apartment, you also know that Marcus had made plans for tonight.
“I had booked us a late table at Kingbird.” He tells you, smiling at the fact that Sydney had pulled the strings to get the reservation. “It was supposed to be the last table of the night.”
"The restaurant at the Watergate?" Your eyebrows raise when you look up at him and you're practically pouting. "I've been dying to try that place."
“I know.” He had asked and there was a list of places, but he had chosen that one to immortalize as special for the two of you. “And booked us a room at the hotel.”
"Shit." The pout on your lips deepens when you realize how much work Marcus had put into the night, only for it to be interrupted. "I'm so sorry, love. We'll have to reschedule everything. It sounds like it would have been beautiful."
“This is more important.” Marcus insists. “Don’t apologize. This is where I want to be, with you.”
"I don't think I could make it through tonight without you." It would be too much to handle on your own. With such deep emotions entangled in every second of the night, without your anchor you might have just flown apart. "I don't like the idea of doing anything without you anymore."
“You would have, sweetheart.” Marcus knows that, you are so damn strong. So much stronger than you ever believe about yourself. “I know you would have, but you don’t have to.” He stresses. “I’ll be here for you. Support you, comfort you. Celebrate your success and mourn your losses with you. I’m right here.”
"There are no losses to mourn tonight." And you'll be thanking every deity out there for any part they may have had in it. And also making sure that you note down the name of Sydney's doctor for your own pregnancies, because that woman worked quickly and thoroughly and without hesitation to make sure that both mother and baby made it through a birth that would have killed them both in decades past.
“We celebrate life.” He agrees softly. “And love. That little girl is loved so much already.”
"She's beautiful." And of course, there's a sniffle again. At least this one is happy and relieved. "Syd's big eyes and Juan's dark hair."
“Juan is going to be miserable when she gets older.” He laughs quietly. “She’s going to be gorgeous.”
"If she's anything like her mom, she'll have her head too far in the clouds to notice any of the boys or girls chasing her," you laugh along with him, remembering Sydney in high school. "Syd never had any clue how sought after she was."
“She was waiting for Juan.” It’s a bit of a romantic stretch, but it could also be the truth. “Plus she was too in love with crème brûlée. No mere man could compare.”
"She was dreaming about a caramel mocha one while you were gone." The maddening fear is starting to subside, finally, and you sink ever more deeply against Marcus on the bench. "I swear I'll make them for her every day for the rest of her life after what happened tonight."
“See?” He smirks to himself. “She loves them and I’ll help you. I can take the next week off, help with the inn and let you focus on Sydney and co?”
"You don't have to do that." It's a lot to ask of him, and you know that even though he has plenty of vacation time, you were planning on taking a trip down to Texas to spend New Years with his parents. "It's a deeply appreciated gesture, though."
“I don’t mind.” He protests, although he had been certain you would not let him do that for you. “I hope you know that.”
"I know, my love." In his lap, your fingers find his and tangle your hands together. "Why don't we wait on that decision until we see how Sydney and the baby are doing? I don't want you to take extra days out when I know you had been wanting to do other things with them in the next few months."
“Alright.” He will do what you want, let you lead this but he won’t let you exhaust yourself trying to carry everything. “Hopefully they will deliver the flowers I ordered before Syd comes back into the room.”
“You ordered flowers?” Sometimes you really feel like the things he does are magic, from small to large the gestures of love and support are always so deep that it seems impossible for him to not be the Superman of emotional support. “Honey, you’re—you’re too good. Too all of us.”
Marcus snorts. “My mother insisted we order flowers from her and dad, before this all went sideways.” He adds. Wanting you to know the context. “But Sydney just went through a traumatic childbirth. Flowers are the least I could do in order to make her feel loved and special.” He had ordered the flowers his mother wanted and then ordered other arrangements, including a welcome bouquet for Constance herself.
“Everyone is okay.” More reassuring this time, the words still come out in a hush and your eyes drop from Marcus’s for a moment before fluttering back up. “Thank you for being you,” you murmur after a moment. Marcus is that supportive and bolstering friend and family member. This is just who he is. And you’re so entirely grateful to have him here with you, especially right now.
“I don’t know if I would thank me for that.” Marcus teases, leaning in and kissing your forehead again. “But you can always count on me, hummingbird.”
“I know I can. And I’m thankful for that.” More than you could ever say. More than any words you have.
“Close your eyes.” He orders softly. He knows you are exhausted and emotionally spent. You need the rest so you can care for Sydney, Juan and the baby when they are back in this room.
“I can’t guarantee I’ll sleep.” Though you’ll try, knowing that the nurse doesn’t expect Sydney or the baby to be able to come down for at least a few hours.
“I know. Just closing them will be good.” He murmurs softly, still rubbing your back when you shift to lay across him. “You’ve been crying.”
“You would have been proud of me,” you murmur, settling against him one more time and shutting your eyes. “I kept it together until after everything happened.” It was shock, probably, but you still managed it. “Therapy is going to be a doozy this week.”
“Yes it will.” He won’t deny that or try to minimize your feelings. “You don’t need to skip it.”
“I’m absolutely not going to skip it.” Not this week, of all weeks. Not at all. The heaviness of the night is tugging at you, not for sleep but for rest, and for the first time you think you actually might be able to calm down fully as long as you can stay in Marcus’s arms.
Humming in approval, he doesn’t speak, letting the silence draw between you and waiting for your breathing to start slowing down.
The nap lasts about two hours. Two hours held tight in Marcus’s arms on that padded bench, and when you shift against him the small sound of noncommittal discomfort and surprise is enough to tell you that he fell asleep too. Good, you think, rubbing the sleep from your eyes. Everyone deserves a reset tonight. Even little Constance.
Marcus wakes quietly, as soon as you move, and he slowly remembers that he’s not in your bed. Both of you are at the hospital. He hums and sighs softly, knowing it hadn’t been a long nap, but it will do wonders for the coming hours.
"Hey handsome." The room is quiet and so are you, sitting up to stretch beside him and bring your limbs back to life.
“How did you sleep?” Marcus asks softly, watching you through heavy eyes.
“Better than I thought I would,” you admit, though you have a feeling that’s only because you didn’t sleep deeply enough for nightmares to set in. “You?”
“Pretty good nap.” He yawns. “Although I know I’m going to have to get coffee for all of us.”
Checking your watch, you stretch again and knock against his side with a lopsided grin. “The cafeteria should be open soon. I have a map of the hospital in my bag so you won’t get lost.”
“Just for that, I’ll bring you two coffees.” He groans, standing up and stretching out. “I should get dressed.”
“I’m sure you wouldn’t be the only visitor to go get coffee in your jammies.” Far from it, if you had to hazard a guess.
He snorts slightly. “I don’t doubt it. But I would hate to steal any of Juan’s new dad thunder.” He jokes, winking at you.
“Juan will be doing everything in bespoke suits with giant buttons that exclaim New Dad! for everyone he meets.” It’s sweet to think about, now that the fear is mostly past. It won’t wither entirely until you get to see mother and baby, but that should be soon.
“Of course he will.” Marcus laughs. “He’s already got an app on his phone that is just for organizing pictures of the baby.”
“Make sure you get the name of it,” you tease, leaning over to kiss him and getting one last stretch in — right into his arms. “We’ll need that for our kids, I’m sure.”
“You know it.” Marcus grins. “I’ve already downloaded it. It also has a wedding portion of the app. Basically you can upload all your important moments in it.” He doesn’t mention that he had set it up for the proposal that didn’t happen last night.
“You think of everything.” He really does, so it’s barely even an embellishment. At this point you’re just relieved that you can think of small things again instead of the larger, overhanging fear of just a few hours ago.
“Not everything.” Marcus snorts, winking at you. “Otherwise, I would have had coffee delivered by now.”
“Mostly everything, then.” One more kiss and you pull back to get your things sorted out around the room. “I’m going to tidy up a little and get out a couple of comfort things for Syd. So when she comes down she’ll have her favorite cardigan and things like that.” Absolutely anything you can do to soothe your best friend’s hellish night, you’re going to.
“That sounds perfect.” Marcus agrees. “I’ll go grab the coffee. What do you want, sweetheart?”
“Just my usual.” Your hum of appreciation is more relaxed than it would have been earlier in the night. “I love you, baby.”
“I love you too.” He promises as he quickly starts changing into the clothes he had brought.
Marcus is gone for about a half an hour before the door to the room opens again, but when it does it's Juan there – holding the door open wide as one of the overnight workers from the transport department wheels Sydney's bed back into the room with her nurse hot on their heels.
“We are back.” His tone is exhausted but elated at the same time. It’s been a sleepless night for him. Afraid that he would close his eyes and Sydney would be gone.
"How are you feeling, honey?" You're at Sydney's side as soon as the nurse is done getting her settled. The woman has the patience of a saint and excuses herself to go retrieve Constance, who is being allowed to leave the NICU.
“Tired. Sore.” She admits with a quick, tired smile. “Impatient to hold my daughter.”
"She'll be down soon." Glancing at the door where the nurse has disappeared to bring around that same little girl, the warmth in the room starts to grow exponentially. "Marcus went to get coffees. And I'll bring sushi for lunch. Cross my heart."
“I don’t know if I’m hungry.” Sydney admits with a slight shrug. She’s still a little disoriented from the drugs. “But coffee sounds amazing. I could sleep for days.”
"Then we won't worry about food right now. But Marcus is bringing back coffee for you, and he should be back very soon." You grin at your friends and send them both a conspiratorial shrug. "I sent him with a map, otherwise you know he would have gotten lost."
Juan laughs as he fuses over Sydney, hovering as if she might disappear if he steps too far away. “He should have been a Lieutenant in the military, as bad as he is.”
“I’ve just learned to always have a map for new places or to set up the gps in his car without asking.” It’s a quirk, and you all have them, but Marcus’s ability to get lost almost anywhere is a standing joke between the four of you and it’s so, so good to hear Syd laugh. Even if it’s only a little, it’s completely worth it.
The knock on the door comes just a moment later and Marcus pokes his head in. “Oh you’re here!” He brightens up and pushes the door open, the delivery person from the flower shop hot on his heels. “I was hoping to get all this inside before you did.”
“We just got back.” Syd is groggy for sure, but not so badly that she doesn’t register the tray of coffees and bag of food with the hospital’s cafe logo on it that you jump forward to snag from him and the delivery of flowers that comes in behind him. With the tension and fear of the last few hours and all the emotions and hormones still raging in her, Sydney is immediately in tears. “You—you got flowers?” She half-squalls like it’s the kindest and most loving thing any person has ever done in the history of time. For her, especially right now, it definitely feels like it.
“Ohhhh don’t cry.” Marcus frets slightly, even though he’s pretty sure that they are happy tears. “I wanted you and Constance to have a beautiful reminder of how loved you both are.” He walks over to the recovering woman, that he now regards as his friend, leaning down to kiss her cheek. “More are coming too.” He promises.
“It’s so sweet!” Syd huffs between large tears, hugging Marcus as tightly as her recovering body will permit. “You’re so sweet.” Even after we interrupted your plans, she thinks loudly, but manages not to say it. She knows what last night was supposed to be and she hated having to call when she knew Marcus was about to sweep you out the door.
“You deserve nothing but happiness right now.” He promises, looking over at Juan and squeezing Sydney gently before he pulls back and moves over to the new father. “Congratulations.” He is somber, aware of what the agony of the night had done to his friend.
“It was a hell of a night.” Juan pulls Marcus in for a hug — something the two men need right now for grounding, but Juan also murmur, “And sorry for the timing” to Marcus before pulling away.
“Don’t ever worry about that.” Marcus insists. “Doesn’t matter if I was in the middle of it, we would have been on our way.” Yes, proposing to you and giving you a beautiful moment is important to him; but some things are always much more important and this is at the top of that priority list.
“We’ll make it work.” Juan promises quietly, glad to see you absorbing Sydney in conversation while she marvels at the flowers that Marcus ordered.
“How’s Constance doing?” Marcus asks quietly, not seeing the bassinet in the room. “Will she be released from the NICU soon?”
“Our doc said she’s stable, so she can come down and have some family time and be fed.” As a brand new father of only about two and a half hours, that has Juan both puffing out his chest and teary with pride. “The nurse should be bringing her down now.”
“That’s great!” Marcus grins, knowing that both mama and daddy will feel better with their newborn daughter in their room.
Having settled Sydney with her coffee and treat — Marcus brought muffins back from the cafe — you excuse yourself to the bathroom and feel like you can finally breathe. Syd is here. You can hear her muffled laughing through the door. And the baby will be down soon. Everyone is okay.
“Looks Marcus…” Sydney’s voice is hushed and he can tell by her guilty expression what is coming. “Please, don’t apologize again.” He begs her softly. “There is nothing to apologize for.”
“I can call Kingbird,” she offers immediately. Explain it was my fault you had to cancel and get you a new reservation.”
“No.” He shakes his head and glances back at the bathroom. “I don’t think she’s going to be leaving your side for quite awhile and I cannot in good conscience try to convince her otherwise.”
He insists that she shouldn’t apologize more but Sydney still feels like she ought to, pursing her lips until she eventually tilts her head to look up at the men standing side by side at her bed. “You could still do it tonight if you wanted to,” she offers. It’s technically morning now — past six, anyway — but she hasn’t gotten any sleep yet so everything blends together. “It…” she blows out a sigh. “I know it wasn’t the easiest night.” For her especially. “But it would be nice to have Constance’s birth surrounded by happiness. Instead of what might have happened.”
Marcus considers it for a moment, frowning slightly and he bites his lip. “That is— are you sure?” He would never want to take away from Constance and her birth.
Sydney sits back in her hospital bed and takes Juan’s hand, letting him anchor her the way you always do with Marcus. “I don’t want the only thing I remember about the day my daughter was born to be that both of us almost died,” she admits quietly, knowing it’s a little selfish to ask him for this but also knowing that the happy memories you make together mean everything to the four of you.
He can understand that and he bites his lip. “Then….what do you think about me proposing here?” He asks. “It’s not the most romantic setting, but I think under the circumstances, it’s the best place to do it.”
“There’s flowers and best friends and I know you brought her back her favourite muffin.” Juan chuckles, feeling a bit misty eyed over more good things happening. “What’s more romantic than that?”
“Maybe we can do something that involves the baby?” Marcus suggests.
“I will squall.” Sydney warns, already tearing up all over again. “But quickly before she comes back…wrap the ring box in the baby blanket?”
“Perfect.” Marcus dives for the bag that had been packed for Constance and finds the soft baby blanket they had decided to wrap her in while in the hospital. “When the baby comes in, ask her to get the blanket for you.” Marcus tells Sydney.
“If we can keep a straight face,” Syd laughs, but agrees immediately.
Marcus hides the ring box in the folds of the blanket. “Are you sure you’re okay with this?”
“More than.” Sydney promises, right before the bathroom door opens.
You had washed up a little again, refreshing yourself and feeling a little more human while you were in the bathroom. “Did you manage to rest a little while you were upstairs?” Your focus is right back on Sydney but you take a second to give Marcus a kiss of thanks when he hands you your coffee.
“Yes.” She’s still tired and exhausted, but she smiles. “I did, you don’t worry about me.” She huffs, knowing that it won’t do any good. You will fret over her just like Juan will. “Looking forward to sushi later.”
“We’ll have a sushi party and baby girl can get milk drunk like a party animal.” Making the best of what had been a nearly calamitous situation is good for everyone’s spirits right now. You help the guys set up a little area as a breakfast ‘table’ for the three of you and set Sydney’s things on her tray. It’s about time for the morning shows that Juan loves so the tv goes on, and seconds later the nurse enters with her bundled up charge yawning as loudly as her little lungs can manage.
“Oh my god.” Marcus coos as soon as he sees the little angel in the flesh. She is perfect and nothing will convince him otherwise, falling in love with his goddaughter in a split second. “She’s so precious.”
“She’s perfect.” As expected, Sydney and Juan are both in tears all over again, and the nurse who helped Sydney get comfortable upstairs makes sure Mom and Dad have everything they need before bowing out to let the family bond.
“She’s beyond perfect.” It’s all you can do not to cry with them, looking at your best friend and goddaughter together.
“Isn’t she?” Sydney completely agrees as she finally gets to hold her newborn daughter. Completely in awe of how perfect she is.
The room is practically full of the sound of smiling, whatever that really is, but you end up half-laughing under your breath and looking to Marcus with fresh water behind your eyes. "I want one too," you laugh, overwhelmed with absolute joy and love.
He laughs at your eagerness, the yearning and knows that you are only partially joking. “I don’t know if we could top how perfect she is.” He admits with his own chuckle.
"Maybe not." The only possible place for you to be right now is snuggled into his side and you tuck yourself in there to just stare at your goddaughter together. "We can't know until we try, though."
Sydney spares a glance at Marcus, who nods as he holds you close. “We have to get through a few other things first.” He reminds you.
"I know." You hum when he presses a kiss to the top of your head and sigh again. "I just love her so much and I wanna give her everything. Including playmates."
Sydney coos at Constance and cuddles her closer. “Birdie, would you get me her baby blanket?” She asks softly. “From her bag? I want her in the things we picked out.”
"Yeah, of course!" You hop to immediately, slipping out of Marcus's arms to go to the bag Sydney packed. The baby blanket from Sydney's parents is folded near the top. It's a light thing, a beautiful hand knitted piece done in their chosen color of green and then embroidered with the initials CMB for Constance Marie Badillo.
The blanket slips a little in your hand when you pick it up, and when you go to right it a small but weighty something falls out from the center. The realization that it's probably something that Juan tucked away as a surprise for Sydney has you tucking it back inside quickly and handing over the blanket like you're suddenly holding a hot potato.
Sydney hadn’t been expecting you to hand over the blanket so fast so she pushes towards you again for a moment. “Hold it please.” She requests, knowing you will do anything. She has to give Marcus time to get into position.
"Of course," you agree again, bobbing your head on a nod. Glancing over at Juan makes you wonder if you should do something to help, like opening up the blanket so she can see the little jewelry box or something. Maybe hold it sort of presentationally? You can't quite make up your mind and end up clutching the blanket to your chest in surprise when you hear Marcus clear his throat and whirl around to see him down on one knee in the middle of the little hospital room.
That jewelry box was definitely not for Sydney...
“Before you panic, I have the happy new parent’s permission.” Marcus promises as he reaches for the hand that is not clutching the blanket protectively. “And today is a celebration. Of life, and love.” He tells you softly.
"Oh my god." It's just about all you can think to say as you choke on a fresh round of tears and tighten your fingers in his hand.
“I know.” Marcus flashes you a grin. “Sweetheart, there is no one else I want by my side, confiding in, planning for the future and sharing part of my soul with.” He promises you. “I love everything about you and there is not one thing that I could possibly imagine changing. I love your loyalty to friends and family, your work ethic and your tenacity. Your tender heart and your penchant for dreaming.” He takes a big breath, clearly saying your full name. “Will you marry me?”
He can barely finish the question before your thick, cracking voice is chirping endless yeses. Before you're crumpling to your knees to kiss him, cradling the blanket between you as delicately as if the baby was already wrapped in it. "I love you" gets mixed in with all the "Yes!" and more "Oh my god" as if you can't quite believe that it's finally happening. From the moment that the two of you individually became a unit, you've both known that this was the direction you were heading in. But now that you're here? It feels even better than you could ever have guessed.
He knew your answer, he’s known it, but he still giggles in relief and cupping your cheek to kiss you. “I love you.” He promises softly, pecking your lips again and again. He hears both Juan and Sydney sniffling happily and knows this was the right call.
For a moment the room is just happy tears and sniffles and giggling, and you’re both so jittery that you get a little mixed up in retrieving the ring box from deep inside the handmade baby blanket in your arms. Marcus had said he bought your promise and engagement rings together so they would match and of course his decision is perfect — the haloed diamond stands out over heart shaped stones of the promise ring he gave you months ago, and the fact that they’re from him makes them so perfect you could just fall apart right here in his arm.
“It was.” He admits with a modest tilt of his head. “But I think that this might be even better. “Your best friend and goddaughter got to witness it.”
“And your best friend too.” No one who ever ran into Marcus and Juan now would think they had spent so many years apart. They’re more likely to be mistaken for twins than anything else, and actually had been on a dinner out a few weeks ago.
“It makes it better than anything else.” He nods in agreement, looking over at your friends. “We are friends and family.”
“Matron of honor and best man?” It’s hardly a question, but Marcus has slipped the beautifully shimmering engagement ring onto your finger and you glance back over at your tearful friends with absolute joy. “And the tiniest, sweetest, most perfect little flower girl in the whole world?”
“The perfect flower girl.” Marcus agrees with his own emotional chuckle. “And of course they are our matron of honor and best man. What else could they possibly be?”
“Your caterer.” Syd half-complains with a pout, but it’s so half-hearted that she just ends up laughing through the tears. “Get over here and let us hug you two, and meet your goddaughter up close. Obviously we’re going to be whatever you want us to be. All three of us.”
“Not going to happen.” Marcus snorts, shooting Sydney a smile. “You’re going to participate in the reception. But…” he shrugs. “We will let you create our menu.”
“Here we go.” Juan teases, gently taking the baby blanket out of your arms to wrap up his daughter with the already precious heirloom. “Breakfast and wedding planning.” He grins down at Sydney. “I’ll get your notebook and take notes. You focus on our angel.”
Marcus laughs because he knows that’s exactly what will happen. Although there might be a little more cooing over the baby than anything else going on. As it is, he can’t wait to get his hands on her.
“I already know what wedding cake you want.” Syd grins, readjusting in her seat so this conversation can include food for everyone, including little Constance. She’s already gotten her little girl to latch once without a hellish amount of trouble so she’s hoping to do it on her own this time.
There has already been plenty of conversation about Sydney breastfeeding, but Marcus busies himself with his bag while she gets her daughter situated. It’s not because he’s weirded out, just a respect thing, giving the new mother time to get used to being exposed without feeling like she’s in a fishbowl.
“I’m covered,” Sydney assures him, after a few minutes of fussing where Marcus does anything but look directly at her. His respect level is top notch and she appreciates that about him. “Let’s talk food, please? And—” Before she can even ask, Juan is handing her a cup of water and she melts and murmurs a quiet “Thank you.”
“I just wanted to give you some time.” Marcus joins the small group, sitting down when you stand up and pulling you into his lap while Juan sits on the bed with his wife and child. “So right off the bat, what’s your first ideas?” He’s smart enough to know the final menu will be completely different from the first one.
“Americana.” You and Sydney grin at each other and you lean back in Marcus’s lap to sip your coffee while you talk. “Updated versions of classic American dishes.”
“What would that look like?” He asks, frowning in confusion. “Meat loaf?”
“Could be.” Sydney nods. “It could be things like gourmet versions of tv dinners.”
“Or it could be modern versions of older popular dishes,” you nod in agreement. “Like upscale Steak Diane or deconstructed chicken pot pie.”
“Finger foods?” Marcus asks. “I’m sure there will have to be a buffet of canapés.”
“Depends on the events.” Smiling around a sip of iced coffee, you press a kiss to Marcus’s temple a second later. “I’m thinking four.”
“Four events?” Marcus chuckles. “That’s bachelorette party, bridal shower, rehearsal dinner and wedding?”
“Maybe five,” you admit with a sheepish grin. “You said you wanted to have an engagement party.”
“I think that it’s a good place for the publicity your mom wants.” He reminds you.
“Five events is a lot, but if we space them out I think we can manage it.” Looking down at him with an absolute glow on your face, your brand new engagement ring catches the light and makes your chest swell. “What season do you want to get married in?”
“Any one you want.” It’s fair in his mind, he’s been married before and all that matters to him is that you repeat your vows in front of friends and family. What the weather is like doesn’t matter a lick to him. “I guess it depends on how fast we can get it planned?”
“Don’t do less than six months,” Juan warns. His cousin had rushed things to disastrous consequences.
“I wouldn’t.” You can totally agree to that. “My impulse would be to say a year but…I’ve kind of always liked the idea of a summer wedding.” Chewing on the idea, you turn your eyes back down to Marcus again. “Roses stop blooming at the end of the summer.”
“Early fall?” He suggests. “October? It gives us seven months. And you will more than likely have White House help.” He shrugs. “Along with mine, of course.”
“If we did October, maybe I can do a summer bridal shower in the White House rose garden?” Your eyes widen, practically begging. “I would really love to use the rose garden.”
“Then you better make sure your mom doesn’t book it for a tea party.” He teases with a wink, reaching for your hand that now holds his engagement ring. “I think October is perfect. Hell, we could do a Halloween rehearsal dinner.” He jokes.
“Don’t even tease me about that,” you huff. A Halloween event would be exactly your style. “Halloween next year is on a Wednesday, otherwise I would be begging you to get married on Halloween.”
“Baby, if that’s what you want….” He shoots Juan a grin and shrugs. “I’m okay with that.”
“I don’t want to get married on a Wednesday night.” No one parties deep into a Wednesday night in their thirties. It doesn’t feel as special to you. “How about we get married earlier in October and I talk you into visiting the Paris catacombs with me on Halloween night during our honeymoon?”
“That works for me just as easily as anything else.” Marcus promises. “Only thing I care about is you and I celebrating our love and making a public commitment to each other.”
“I love you, too.” If it were just the two of you, you would be getting dressed to run off to a soulmate chapel immediately. But promises have been made and they need to be honored, and every chance to declare your love for Marcus loud and clear is worth taking. “Any Pike family traditions we should keep in mind that I don’t know about already?”
Marcus smiles. “There’s a jewelry set that is passed down to be used in the wedding, if wanted.” He adds. “It was my great, great grandmother’s.”
“Really?” Your expression softens immediately, eyes widening a little, and you nod right away. There is no question in your mind that you’re going to wear it. “Your Mom swore to pass down some family recipes after the wedding but she never mentioned heirlooms.”
“It’s only ever offered after the engagement.” He explains. “We had a certain cousin’s wife - I’m sure you can guess who - think that it was for her to keep.”
When Sydney and Juan look equal parts amused and confused, you snicker slightly. “Hannah has very interesting thoughts about the family,” you tell them, glossing over the few less than kind things Hannah Pike had said either to you or that had been relayed to you. “Which reminds me. I’m absolutely going to ask Selena to be a bridesmaid.”
“Sydney, you will love her.” Marcus promises. “She’ll be flying out every other weekend to help you plan.” He warns you. “Or just staying out here, she can work from anywhere.”
“She’s been thinking about moving,” you admit, barely biting back a grin at how much fun it would be to have her nearby permanently. Marcus’s cousin has become one of your closest friends in the months since your first visit to Texas. “She said she wants to come see what winter is like here to make sure it’s not too bad, but her office is opening a DC branch and asked her if she would be interested in heading up the new team out here.”
“How do you know that and I don’t?” He asks, putting on a faux pout.
“Because she hasn’t told your aunt and uncle yet and she didn’t want it to get back to the family.” That grin of yours becomes full force and you kiss his temple again. “She was trying to save you from having to lie if you got asked.”
“Well, then, you didn’t say anything to me.” He mimes zipping his lips and locking them to throw away the key.
"Probably a good policy," you agree, snickering quietly even as you squeeze his shoulders tightly.
There’s a sense of lazy content in the room. Everyone slowly savors the baked goods that Marcus had brought and sips their coffee. The baby, Constance, is the noisiest of them all, her hungry sucking and grasping one that makes all the adults smile as they look at her every thirty seconds.
She is Sydney’s entire focus, and when the baby is done with her own breakfast there is a little fuss over making sure she’s burped properly before she cuddles up against her mother’s chest to have a post-meal nap. Something that makes Sydney sigh in relief and hold her close. “You’d never know how bad last night almost was by looking at her.”
“Children are resilient.” Marcus muses. “She will never remember her birth and be completely unaffected by it, while it will stay with us forever.”
“All the better.” Sydney soothes one hand over her sleeping daughter’s back.
Marcus watches the loving gesture, almost aching for the time where he can watch you soothe the children you will have together. Will you look as much like Madonna and Child like Sydney does now? He thinks it will be even more profound like undoubtedly Juan feels like it is.
______
Master Tags: @pixiedurango @chattychell @winter-fox-queen @lady-himbo @artsymaddie @princess76179 @paintballkid711 @missminkylove @pedrosbrat @ew-erin @sarahjkl82-blog @sharkbait77 @justanotherblonde23 @lv7867 @recklesswit @mylittlesenaar @f0rever15elf @gallowsjoker @steeevienicks @athalien @sherala007 @skvatnavle @thatpinkshirt @jaime1110 @girlimjusttryingtoreadfanfics @goodgriefitsawildworld @greeneyedblondie44 @littlemousedroid @harriedandharassed @churchill356 @ajathegreats-blog @haylzcyon @beardsanddetectives @kirsteng42 @ladykatakuri @adancedivasmom @madiebear @tanzthompson @emilianamason @bigsdinger @xocalliexo @pedr0swh0r3 @avaleineandafryingpan @charlyrmv @avidreader73 @iceclaw101 @loveslide @elegantduckturtle @becsworld @julesonrecord @its-nebuleuse @itsrubberbisquit @mikeyswifie @guelyury @lizzie-cakes @for-a-longlongtime @vabeachazn @purplerain04 @weho2kcmo @madnessofadaydreamer
HHL: @haileymorelikestupid @anoverwhelmingdin @storiesofthefandomlovers @missladym1981 @babeincolor @angelofsmalldeath-codeine
My Masterlist!
#Pedro Pascal#Pedro Pascal character fanfiction#Pedro Pascal fanfic#Marcus Pike#Marcus Pike x you#Marcus Pike x reader#Marcus Pike x female reader#Marcus Pike x f!reader#The Mentalist#soulmate au#First Daughter reader#Juan Badillo#Graceland#Juan Badillo x f!OC#Juan Badillo x OC#pregnancy tw#childbirth tw#traumatic birth
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🌟How would the dorms react to Ace finally getting his unique magic? I have 3 options you can pick!
Card Soldier- the name, summoning a spirit “Card Soldier” who can copy the unique magic of another user to protect Ace, too much usage in one day accumulates blot
My Dearest Wonderland- the ability to shift those who are asleep into a dreamscape in which Ace can control, the environment, it can even be used as a training facility where no one can get hurt, the thing is that Ace can also trap them inside it aswell. (Basically Malleus’s unique magic with extra steps)
Rigged Karma- the ability to change the outcomes by using “Karma” every time it’s used first there’s a 1/6 chance of winning, the second time it increases to 2/6, all until 6/6 and then down to 1/6 again!
First of all these are all so good. Like, I didn't even think of the last 2 being options, your mind is HUGE!!!!
1) I can imagine Ace using the first one against Riddle actually. Riddle collating him one day and Ace just turns around and collars him and when the collar is gone, Ace collars him back and Riddle is just standing there in shock, actually feeling the effects of his own spell and realising why his dorm hates it so much. Cater is just so happy that he gets surrounded by a bunch of Ace's and he is in heaven. Trey is just happy that he finally has someone helping him in the kitchen. Deuce is mildly miffed be a use it means Ace can use his own spell back at him again so it's just a continuing loop.
2) I can imagine Sebek harassing him to be able to use his unique magic so that Sebek can train and become a better Knight for Malleus. Leona wants to use it so he can sleep whilst he's sleeping. The rest of the third years also want to use it to train as well. Floyd wants to use it for the randomness of it all in all honesty. Diasmonia on a whole I feel like are very impressed. Like 1/2 their dorm has a unique magic that ties back to sleeping and they're just happy they can add another person to the club. Heartst are worried that this would just cause Ace to sleep forever. Also Idia lowkey wants to use it simply to meet his face character's with it
3) The third one I KNOW must annoy everyone because Ace cab face consequences maybe 5/6 times and then the 6 times he doesn't and I know that must grate on Riddles nerve. The basketball senpai lowkey wanna use it in basketball tournaments to win.
#twisted wonderland#ace trappola#riddle rosehearts#sebek zigvolt#leona kingscholar#floyd leech#jamil viper#deuce spade#diasomnia#cater diamond#trey clover#idia shroud
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Chapter 8 of Sofie Plays "Slay the Princess": The Hero and the Princess (Round 3) + The Damsel
This is a love story, but it's a love story that I wrote at thirteen during my Warrior Cats phase.
[ Beginning ] - [ Previous Part ] - [ Next Part ]
... Hopefully she doesn't mind the flesh rotting off of my avian visage?
This run is going exactly like the one where I was forced to kill her by the Narrator--- I'm hoping I can change it by not alluding to her gnawing off her own limbs and just checking upstairs for a key.
FRICK.
Interestingly, the option to slay the Princess is no longer available here. The run is a bit different, despite being very similar.
I can't select any of the options. Am I stuck like this?
IF YOU SCROLL DOWN YOU CAN WARN HER. OH MY WORD. THE ANGST IN THIS SCREENSHOT.
Can I please chuck the blade away so that she can defend herself with it. Please. Pretty please. Narrator pleeeeeeeease---
Huzzah! Okay new game title: Slay the Borb.
... I didn't think that was actually going to be the route we took, but alright. Fair. Knowing the way the writing in this game has gone, she's going to miss anything vital and just make it hurt.
This is probably the single game I hate having so many predictions about prove to be correct.
Oh, shoot, it's a new chapter? I couldn't see through my tears.
New party member: Now introducing the Voice of the Simp! ... Smitten. Voice of the Smitten. Yes. That's what I said.
Mirror check! The Smitten is a dork. Moving on.
Once again, I didn't take the knife. I really gotta see what happens when I enter the basement with it in hand.
The Smitten ranting about how much he loves the Princess to the Narrator and Hero's utter dismay like:
I don't have any comments to make on this exchange other than how hilarious it is and how relatable it feels for someone who's had hallucinations try to talk to real people in the past.
The Hero was pulling out a squirt bottle for the Smitten two minutes ago, but the second the Princess calls him a hero he's competing for the Smitten's title. Peak character right there.
The idea of the Princess having a sort of Narrator instructing her on how to behave and what actions to take / things to say is INSANE and a question I had the second the Narrator told me to go down into that first basement. The immediate deconfirmation is a little saddening, but the Smitten's comment makes me wonder if the one who has reality warping powers here isn't the Princess, but us.
Hear me out. The way we interact with the Princess in the first chapter of every loop seems to dictate what the next Princess will be. It's like our opinion of her shapes what she becomes. She savaged our player character in that very first interaction, and then in the next, she was a wild animal that swallowed us whole. In the chapter preceding the Stranger, we never entered the cabin in the first place. We never met. And when we finally did, she was a fractal of possibilities--- almost as if because we hadn't formed an opinion of her yet.
GIRL HUH. Yeah no she's not real. This is a cardboard cut out with a speaker behind it.
NOPE DON'T LIKE THE FACT THAT THE MUSIC IS VERY MUCH CHANGING.
Hey wait her eyes look different. Am I crazy?
Yeah no a lot more than her eyes are different! The gal is having a crisis of identity that is represented by the art style and that is VERY COOL and also VERY DISTRESSING
Chickened out and didn't press the issue of her having her own wants beyond leaving the cabin beyond a second question. I said that if she wants to leave, then we'll leave, and she was abruptly back to normal. Sweetie you need therapy.
The Smitten just said "We have each other. We don't need the world for our happy ending." and that COULD just be his mushy romanticism showing... but what if it's not?
Turns out the Narrator is the one who's been locking us in the basement 90% of the time, not the cabin itself, or the Princess. When we were locked in, I asked the Princess if she thought she could open the door, and said I believed in her when she asked if I thought she could.
THE POWER OF DATING A MARY SUE Y'ALL
Ultra Princess I'm genuinely so thrilled to hear your terrifying ambience again this princess scares me infinitely more than the ones who gnaw off their arms or eat me please take her away ;w;
FINALLY GOT A SCREENSHOT OF THE ARMS. THIS TIME I WAS READY, HECKERS!!!
Continuing this in the next post. Can't wait to take my next mirror selfie! I'm not scared whatsoever :,D
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First season wrap up:
Okay, to start, i should mention my general opinion on first seasons for shows, especially cable shows, is not to read too much of it as canon. The writers, producers, actors- everyone- are all trying to figure out what works and what doesn’t, so i give them latitude, particularly when it conflicts with later seasons. That being said, i do enjoy jumping through the hoops to make it all fit haha
So heres a few leftover notes i had as i revisited the eps to rank them:
I bet part of Lassie was craving the father figure in Henry, since we find out later his own father passed away when he was quite young. I wonder if thats part of the reason why he became a cop, as they are portrayed as the protectors and in the 80’s they were mainly men (i don’t really remember if he states his reason later, i suspect he did and im just not remembering). So when Henry didn’t meet up to the expectation he had in his mind, i bet it hurt a little more as it reminded him of what he lost :/
I think the other reason Shawn plays dumb so much, besides hiding his genius so ppl believe hes psychic, or for laughs, is because its how he gets people talking. Like in Shawn vs. the red phantom, he purposely guessed the wrong room number so the boys would correct him. My apologies if someones pointed this out before, i haven’t combed through the internet for everyone’s theories 😬 i only now noticed. I’m not the quickest at picking these things up lol
If i had to guess, Shawn didn’t want to be a cop for halloween, he probably wanted to be something star wars related to go with Gus’s Lando. So i wonder at what age Shawn stopped trying to please his dad. But also, why didn’t his mother ever stand up for him?? I’ll come back to her later -_-
I somehow missed it the first time, but shawn clearly asked Gus to come to the dinner and Gus even points out that it was a big deal for henry to reach out. Soo, yeah, shawn obviously didn’t wanna be alone with his dad, and even henry seemed nervous about it as hes pretty drunk.
Shawn has a right to be afraid of pointy things, his dad hid his easter eggs under glass when he was 6! Not to mention he later gets stabbed 3 times! (Also its just a legitimate fear???)
So far the list of Shawns knowledge (things i wouldn’t expect an average person to know) includes (beyond the obvious observational skills, deductive reasoning, reading people (poker), and all things police (marksmanship, police codes, etc.)):
Incredible spatial and physical reasoning skills (knowing how much money could fit in the duffle bag, knowing to rotate the water pitcher to catch the reflection from the tv)
Kurt Vonnegut (well, I didn’t know who he was at least)
How to spell aggiornamento (and probably all words because of his photographic memory)
Handwriting expert
Casually spoke and understood german
Has every road he’s driven mapped in his brain, and likely all of Santa Barbara
Familiar with paint (enough to know to mix latex enamel for no messy drips)
Animal tracks (i went back and forth on this but ultimately decided he must have known what to look for)
And heres a list of Gus’s niche interests:
Forensics
Spelling bee
Safe cracking
Historic rifles
Comic books
Astronomy (even though he was going to the planetarium for the girl)
Law
Local tennis
Online poker
Lastly, Ive decided instead of ranking them, im putting them in tiers. I feel like too many of them are hitting at the same level and I can’t differentiate:
Sweetest, Juiciest Golden Pineapple Tier
Scary Sherry, Biancas toast (ohmygod i just got the biancas toast 🤦🏽♀️)
Blue Psych Logo Tier
Weekend warriors
Forget me not
From the earth to starbucks
Poker? I hardly know her! (Sorry @pineapple-psychic!)
Pepto Bismo Pink Tier
Spelling bee
Pilot
She loves me, she loves me not, she loves me oops hes dead
Who ya gonna call?
Shawn vs the red phantom
Oops Canadian Flag Tier
Cloudy with a chance of murder
9 lives
Game set muuurder
Speak now or forever hold your piece
Woman seeking dead husband, smokers okay, no pets
#a little nod to their podcast with the pepto bismo pink ;)#if theres anything else ya’ll want me keep track of let me know i clearly enjoy homework haha#its so hard not to include ALL my thoughts#like how smart it was to add juliet going to call back up because she’s not an idiot and isn’t driven by ego to dumb dangerous things#or even shawns line of needing to put his phone on vibrate as thats such a horror film cliche#but i really don’t want to write an essay on each ep haha#psych tv#psych#psych rewatch#psych usa#shawn spencer#burton guster#shawn and gus#james roday rodriguez#james roday#dulé hill#dule hill#juliet o'hara#carlton lassiter#chief karen vick#timothy omundson#maggie lawson#kirsten nelson#corbin bernsen#henry spencer#shassie#shules
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The birds of a feather
Pairing: Astarion x F!Tav
Genre: hurt, comfort.
CW: past trauma, abuse, reference to SA, dissociative episodes, description of intimacy after SA.
Setting: Act 1.
Word count: 1,232.
Summary: Astarion makes a move on Tav, but their first night together doesn't go quite as he planned.
It's a piece i literally committed like a crime a few nights ago. Honest trigger warning for anyone after SA. Please stay safe and know I love you <3 my DMs are always open.
Thank you @herdarkestnightelegance for beta-reading, all the suggestions & words for encouragement. This little thing literally wouldn't exist if it weren't for you 🖤
---
A man can’t lie when no words are involved. And Astarion, with all his practiced lines and an array of sweet nothings, was not an honest man. Not in what escaped his lips, not in what his lips touched.
“That’s what you wanted, isn’t it? To lose yourself in me?”
His words bring her attention back.
There he stood - bare chested yet shy, gently extending his hand to her. His eyes told her all she needed to know about how unsure he felt about the ordeal.
Thoughts raced in her mind. Thoughts of wants and fears, desires and risks. She looked down and smiled, unable to give him a clear answer. Instead, she gave him her hand.
“I thought so,” he said quietly.
Was that relief she heard? Or disappointment?
He gently pulled her closer. It felt like a dance, and he was leading her right to his favorite ballroom. Favorite not because of its beauty, but it’s familiarity. She half expected an ice-cold sensation, but his skin felt warmer than that. Their eyes locked, searching for answers in one another’s without daring to pose a question.
He gave her a small, almost apologetic smile and leaned in to press his lips against hers. Gently. Slowly.
Was it even a kiss?
His hands slowly slid up and under her shirt, over her head and just like that, the first piece of clothing was off. He leaned in for another kiss. The pact was being signed.
She moaned as she felt his lips move to her neck, encouraging him to continue. She used to like that. Surely she just needs to warm up to the intimacy and everything will fall into place just right. His hands trailed across her skin, gently moving up her back, pressing her chest tighter against his with each touch of his lips.
He pulled back and smiled at her. The expression felt different from his usual smug look, though she couldn’t quite put her finger on it. He cautiously searched her gaze again as he gave her another kiss, polite and shallow this time. She gave in, letting herself be carried by his lips, his touch, his desire.
But oh, there was a whole well-rehearsed script he planned to act out, and the night was just beginning. The next thing she knew, she was pressed against a tree, held up in his arms. He looked at her expectantly.
She wondered - has anyone ever held her up like this before? Isn't that the kind of thing people dream about?
As the moment stretched, she tilted her head to the side, exposing her neck. She knew the veins must’ve been pulsing on her neck, tempting him to bite. Her heart was beating so loudly she could feel the pulse in her ears.
This is what he wanted, isn’t it? To lose himself in her?
They tumbled to the ground, and then he rolled over on top and fed on her.
Out of all the sensations today, she wanted this one to feel special. She wanted there to be a connection, an understanding, to feel truly intimate, and…
She felt cheated.
Lied to.
His body lied to her in a manner she didn’t think was possible. She could feel his erection firmly pressed against her body, much like she could feel her own body getting aroused, but none of this felt true. She let out a few more moans, trying to convince herself she was enjoying it.
His fangs stung in her neck, her muscles tensed. She tried to relax, knowing damn well the struggle makes it only more painful, but her body didn’t listen to her anymore. All she could do was keep the tears at bay.
He finished feeding and carefully licked off any blood left on her skin.
He got what he wanted.
His licks felt intense. Too much. She almost wished he never stopped feeding, because this licking made it feel even worse. Because that meant even he didn’t get what he truly needed, only a taste. And she wanted him to have it, to take this... something from her, anything, whatever it was he wanted, just take it, without posing the same question over and over and over and… just take it once and for all.
She wanted him to be happy. She wanted to continue dancing, but she just... couldn’t.
But on the other hand, this felt familiar. This felt calm. She closed her eyes.
Just let it go. Just let it…
“Tav? Tav, are you alright?”
Her eyes opened. He was looking at her, visibly worried.
“You can’t be toying with me like that, darling” he said, exhaling, A wave of relief washed over him.
Her body tensed back up again. Of course, all he was worried about was if he had drained her dry.
She looked away, feeling a very unwelcome sensation in her chest. And then she felt his lips again, only this time it was on her cheek, kissing off a tear. His hand cupped her face and gently turned her towards him.
“My darling…” he whispered and sighed.
She closed her eyes. The weight on her chest felt even heavier, even darker than before. Now she had made him an accomplice. She didn’t want him to feel bad, he didn’t do anything. It was all in her head. If only she got a better grip of herself…
“Tav…”
She opened her eyes again, but there’s a look about her revealing she’s a million realms away. She knew he’d be angry at her for making him feel this way. For letting him treat her that way without stopping him in time. Without giving him so much as a warning that she might be checking herself out, without giving him a heads-up about how complicated intimacy is to her.
She hoped things would just “be normal” with him, and now he’s about to pay the price. She felt like a curse.
“Tav… please?”
She closed her eyes, her body completely stiff, her throat clenched.
It’s alright. At least now he knows. Now he knows what she’s made of and will keep away from her. A rare blessing coming from letting others hurt you: the good ones stay away after that, far away from you and the pain you caused. The only thing left was to accept his hurt which he was about to express, and then she was free to go.
But minutes passed and she didn’t hear anything. It was only when she let herself relax her body a little, that she realized her arms felt restrained.
He was lying on top of her, holding her tight. His cheek touched hers. She felt his hand gently stroke her head.
A look of concern appeared on his face as he pulled back and looked her in the eyes.
“Can you hear me now?”
Her gaze flickered between his eyes. Was she… unresponsive?
He leaned down and kissed her forehead. His lips lingered on her skin.
This time it felt warm. And real.
His weight on her chest lifted a bit as he cupped her cheek once more and rested his forehead against hers.
She breathed deeply. The air smelled like night, faint tones of bergamot mixing with the scent of the forest. Her hands touched his sides, feeling the coolness of his skin underneath her fingertips. Calming. Present.
This?
This was nice.
#astarion#astarion ancunin#bg3 astarion#astarion fanfic#astarion fanfiction#astarion hurt comfort#astarion x tav#tav x astarion#astarion romance#astarion brainrot#female tav#astarion angst
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obligatory hazbin hotel redesigns (part 3)
Ceramith (Sera), Emilith (Emily), and (wowza) Lucifer Morningstar!
details:
Look man the names Emily and Sera just rub off the wrong way considering they're literally seraphims
Sera could've been good if it wasn't akin to naming a human Huma
So not me forgetting to put the doll lines on Emilith???
let's be delulu again it's the solulu
so in my rewrite of sorts (idk) whenever angels become humanoid (other term: compress themselves) they have seams on their faces so that it can split, stretch out and become their normal face once they revert
and as we can see they have robes whenever they compress
And considering Lucifer was once an angel he has seams (Charlie has them as well) and robes too
But since in lore he's like formerly favored by God or loveliest angel or some shit in here he was a high ranking seraphim (seraphims are the highest rank in heaven idk if that's true in hazbin)
And that's why his robes are more detailed compared to the others
since he's bald (lmao) his wings are turned into cape and robes
The star on his head that kinda looks like a crown is a reference to him being Morning Star
Fire because he kinda plays Prometheus role (giving knowledge to humanity)
I wanted his head to have these details because "heavy is the head that holds the crown" and the big horns were given to him by God, cursing him to be King of Hell
He can "open" his eyes (opened eyes on the far right side)
so sorry to y'all for short king erasure
Lucifer's personality is ABSOLUTELY changed in here except we're keeping the depression
he all serious and kinda stoic
got kicked out because "opening humanity's eyes" = suffering for them
some of humanity can never get to go to heaven because of what Lucifer did because the knowledge given to them will lead them to do both good and BAD THINGS
Here he's against the notion of the Hotel because he fears Charlie is gonna get punished by Heaven or something for doing it
So instead of Charlie calling him, he comes to the Hotel on his own whim, pretending to want to help
and then slowly he actually gets into the sinner redemption thing
Charlie had a suspicion of his actual intentions but still feels kind of hurt when it's revealed to be true
he gets jumpscared by vaggie's existence until he realizes that she is fallen like him
father and daughter in law bonding time BAHAHHAHAHA
Lucifer and Charlie making up and then we have the final episode of Hazbin hotel
But it's bonkers cuz in my redesigns Lucifer and Charlie's true forms are just
err...B I G
Do not be afraid as I tear down your army
PS: Alastor doesn't try egging him on and Lucifer doesn't try revealing him at first cuz yk of his intentions (formerly)
part 1 and 2 if ur interested
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Could you do a ribbun scenario of that popular NPC Jax theory?
If you’re fine with it of course!! I don’t want to sound demanding!
Or what are your thoughts on it if you’ve heard of it?
I dont believe it's real but IT IS fun. So here's a scenario!
*everyone whispering about Jax and theorizing he's an npc*
Ragatha: yeah... that would explain A LOT.
Gangle: I don't know guys...do you really think that?
Pomni: well- it's possible
*laugh track starts playing*
Pomni: what the fu-
Zooble: I don't know, and I dont even care honestly. *walks away* he's a jerk regardless.
Ragatha; *looks at Gangle* you should sneak into his room and study him in his sleep
Gangle: wha- what ? Why me??
Ragatha: Because your footsteps can't be heard- and because I don't wanna go in his room!
Pomni: and neither do I honestly. It's probably filled with bear traps or God knows what.
Gangle: *sighs* Alright... guess I'll do that...
*all 3 sneak to his door*
Ragatha: alright Gangle- we're gonna wait right here-
Gangle: how am I supposed to get in? The door is locked-
Ragatha: *grabs her head and shoves her under the door like a frisbee* sorry- just trying to be helpful-
Gangle: *whispers* it's okay- *stands up and arpoaches the sleeping Jax, as he snores loudly* with all this noise I could've busted in with a tank and he'd still be sleeping like a baby-
*begans to look at him, grabbing his ears and looking into his mouth*
Um...
*walks to the door and whispers* what am I looking for exactly?
Ragatha: I don't quite know just- something odd I guess? I don't know...*looks at Pomni*
Pomni: *shurgs* the npcs look and act like us really...
Gangle: *sighs frustrated* guys...you're not being very helpfu- GAUH!!
Jax: *grabs her by the neck and pulls her close to him* what the hell do you think you're doing?
Gangle: Um... checking if you're a human- because... we believe you're an npc-
Jax: *smiles* oh well all you had to do is ask!
Gangle: *smiles nervously* A-are you an npc?
Jax: yeah. I'm a very bad one, too. *raises his voice so the other 2 can hear him from the other side of the door* And now! I am gonna destroy you!
Ragatha: *desperately tries to open the door as loud screaming noises come from the inside of his room*
Gangle: AAAAAA GET OFF ME DONT TOUCH ME! *swings a random object she grabbed from the floor at his direction*
Jax: *just sits there with his arms crossed, staring at Gangle freaking out*
Pomni: OH GOD HES HURTING HER! RAGATHA DO SOMETHING!
Ragatha: IM TRYING IM TRYING!
Gangle: *tries to open the door at the same time as Ragatha* GET ME OUT GET ME OUT
Jax: *rolls his eyes* as fun as it is to see you ladies freak out over your own paranoia. I am getting really bored of this slumber party. *walks to the door and grabs Gangle, pulling her into his embrace by wrapping one arm around her shoulder and keeping her still, while opening the door*
*Ragatha and Pomni look at him scared*
Gangle: *tries to get away from him while panicking*
Jax: You idiots have no survival instinct. It almost makes me feel bad for you. *Let's go of Gangle* First off, the door wasn't locked. You two idiots pulled on it at the same time and in the wrong direction at that. Second of all, if I was an Npcs, none of you would be alive anymore. Just saying.
Gangle: so...you're human?
Jax: yeah. Just because I am not humane doesn't mean I'm not human, you square heads. Now perish! *slams door and locks it*
Ragatha: Well... that sums it up, I guess...
Pomni: Thank you anyway, Gangle- we appreciate your sacrifice..
Gangle: *smiles as she watches them leave to their rooms, feeling appreciated and trying to leave, but being pulled back* um...*knocks at the door* Jax?... I think you caught my hand in the door...can you open it??
Jax: sounds like a you problem ribbons.
Gangle: *sighs* please?
Jax: *loud snoring*
Gangle: When I abstract, I'm killing you first.
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"You still got me. Cause I'm not going anywhere."
[Image description: 4 gifs and one photo from 9-1-1. Gif 1: A panning shot of Eddie intubated in the hospital after he got shot. Gif 2: Buck sits at the Diaz dining room table, talking to Carla. He asks her, "You think [Christopher] understands what's going on?" Gif 3: An overhead shot of Shannon as she gets wheeled into the hospital after the car accident. In response to Buck's question, the text reads, "[CARLA: Boy's already lost his mother.]" Gif 4: Carla sits across from Buck and continues, "I think he understands more than we'd like him to." Image 5: A still from In Another Life of Christopher sitting by Buck's side while he's in a medically induced coma. /end ID.]
#al gifs#911 on fox#911 spoilers#would have killed for a gif of the scene with chris at the hospital but it's fine. it's fine!#i hurt my own feelings with this first <3#tw death#eddie diaz#evan buckley#shannon diaz#carla price#christopher diaz
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The urge to say one of the select few words or phrases that will have absolutely anyone ready and willing to beat the crap out of me
#compulsive#impulsive#stuff like slurs offensive phrases super edgy jokes about mass death and sex crimes#i dont believe any of that is right or a good idea mind you#i just wanna see what happens#because i want Something to happen#i want the anger i want the bloodshed i want to feel thrilled and scared and excited#i want to run my mouth till i cant even walk#saying anything and everything just to do damage#sighhhh#i'm so bored#i just want to get beat up for a situation i chose to create instead of completely inane shit#its no fun when people are just needlessly cruel to me#might as well#give them a real reason to hate me. to hurt me.#i hope the thought of killing me with their own hands makes them disgusted with how excited it makes them#i hope they are shaking with rage and hatred. seething. twitching.#call me a monster and i'll make one out of you yet#tell me you hate me and i will give you a reason to#no point in tryna change the minds of those kinds of people. take it in stride and throw the first real punch :3
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3 for Aldrich, Aldia, Willem & Laurence
9 for Maria
11 for Micolash & Aldrich
24 for Laurence
(Asks from this ( x ) meme)
3) What first drew you to this character?
As for Aldrich, I vaguely recall finding out that he checks the traits I like the most? He was one of the characters I've learned about through fandom and not on my own, and I think this ancient meme about summarises it:
Also:
@val-of-the-north SHUDDUP you're basically so horny for Laurence/Logarius/Snatchers that you can't even picture them in your mind in any way but being naked!!!!!!! *casts the stone back at u*
With Laurence, like with Mico, it was the very first glance at the character in Youtube compilation with boss themes and concept art image. I did not know the lore yet, but the design and the music made me imagine Laurence as sort of aged, sagely librarian. I could not imagine back then that his boss fight would be him being a "helpless abhorrent little mewmew" as kids call it! Heck, I thought he'd have dialogue despite the monster form x) In a way, my first impression was not wrong, with the cut content of him actually talking even in a beast form, and implication of him being a son of Cainhurst cut content librarian NPC! I have intuition for cut content before having information, hahaha!
I have nothing to say about Willem. It might be a memory gap thing, but I swear at some point I feel I was turned off and then booted back up with liking this character already installed in my system x) As for Aldia.... ugh for fuck's sake... yeah, it was this legend:
youtube
I was absolutely floored by this stupid vid even without knowing any context, but I also instantly liked this character. I didn't even know his name yet, but the voice acting and long yapping about philosophy already pulled me in XD (Also unironically, this video is precisely how I give relationship advice fhfhdds)
9) Does this character remind you of anyone you know? Does that affect how you see them?
Yeah, I know this person. I know them very well. I know them more than anyone else. Someone who was misguided (by their destructive influence mentor figure, by their own foolishness and past history, or combination of both, who can tell anymore?) into committing awful things, then despaired over their sins and attempted redemption but also failed in some way? This person is me. At some point I've found myself in front of horrible truth about my past life and personality, and knew I was guilty and sullied forever. That it was over for me as a human being, but that didn't matter, and I could only keep people safe by locking myself away and trying to serve something better.
......annnnd it took a few years of more informed people to (metaphorically) shake me and slap my face into lucidity, explaining to me that I've fallen for the "BPD demonization" that was going far beyond than my individual failure as a friend, and we are always accused of abuse and causing irreversible harm when the worst we do is being emotionally overbearing. I kept losing trust to those friends, telling them that they were enablers who tried to gaslight me into thinking I was not 'that much of a monster', until it was other people with BPD who 'shook me and slapped my face into lucidity'. xd Nonetheless, even though now I know the truth about how society treats BPDs, I remember the feeling of being so monstrous and harmful that I was not even allowed to "touch" people with my dirty hands, how my reality used to be. So, I could write Maria going through this effortlessly, especially considering what she did was more plain and tangible!
In fact... thank you for asking me about this, because I kept wondering why I had such frequent dreams about being Maria, and why the Maria in my dreams acts like abused child that took back control against Gehrman despite my portrayal of the guy being so different. And now the puzzle is solved! That part of me still lives inside, it seems.
11) How did you “fall in love” with this character?
Already answered this for Micolash here: ( x )! As for Aldrich, it was through properly analysing the bigger picture and context of his actions. I've figured that his madness was, in fact, being informed on what was far too ahead of everyone else around him! He, like the rest of the cast, is trapped in the rotting, doomed world in which the only choices are 1) "die with dignity" or 2) commit something unthinkable from moral standpoint for a chance to escape. And will morality of the rotting world will matter in the new world anyways? Won't it all be left behind and be forgiven?
The guy also tried to take everyone else he could with him, like sort of a fucked up Noah's Arc! I can tell that they reused the concept with Rykard, at least, I am glad they know what works xD I'd say that the sadism he experienced upon eating people was either result of insanity (he understood a thing no one should understand), or still didn't exclude the bigger purpose (egotistically revelling in how holy he is helping everyone and doing what no one else dared, which would be like my Laurence). In any case, I have the strongest respect to the courage it takes to transcend the bonds of morality and compassion in order to to greater good. Being burdened with the knowledge of how the world really works, and choosing to push through instead of still being bound... This is why I also like Fauxsefka; learning how this world works, she chose to turn people into Kin so they can't ever become beasts. I am weak for this trope, you don't understand.
24) Do you ever dream about this character? If so, describe a dream you once had about them.
Laurence appears in my dreams only in two contexts: 1) Micolaurence or 2) dreams about finding secret files in Bloodborne that reveal his canonical appearance before beasthood! I can tell the latter comes from my everlasting unsatisfaction with my design for him, because I love it but it doesn't feel "fitting" and I can't identify why!
The former, I think, fandom rubbing onto me x) In two of these dreams, I was Laurence. In other two, I was Micolash. In one of Laurence dreams it was mutual, in the second one I was in love unrequited. In one of Micolash dreams, it was mutual, and in another it was not.. Basically, my dreams allows me to experience this ship from every possible angle. o_o Waiting for more I guess fhhdfsfd
______________
Thank you for asking! And.. without exaggeration, you've just done quite a psychological work on me by just asking the right thing. I need to think about that, hahaha
#bloodborne#dark souls 3#aldrich devourer of gods#laurence the first vicar#soulsborne#ask replies#personal#memories#dreams#honestly I remember Maria in my dreams hiding in the closet like an abused bullied child.. that big strong woman reduced to this#and I finally know why it was this way#I'd rather not sully Gehrman with something as dirty as my stepdad of course he deserves so much more and he is his own man#I just don't like the approach of turning characters with their own stories and personality into vessels for my trauma#it feels like frenzied flame: you got infected by it and you have unending need to spread it. to scorch the world in your pain.#I don't think this approach would help my healing but instead make me feel worse by nourishing the trauma#I am keeping it sealed away from the world forever now </3#see this is why it hurts me so much when gehrman haters accuse me of being insensitive to people that want to project their negative-#-experiences with men and misogyny onto him even if that means twisting the actual story and character. I do have a reason to do it myself#I just choose not to because I personally dislike the idea of making fandomry about myself more and about source material less#I don't want to bring the pain and horrors inside me into something that doesn't have them. some things can stay clean!#the passive aggression between canon worshippers and fanon enforcers is something that cannot be avoided in the fandoms#and I disapprove of the lie about 100% peace and mutual respect between the 'camps'. we will never FULLY like each other#each thinks their approach is more productive for the community. and that's fine!
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People hate on bianca but if i was given the chance of being immortal AND not having to be with my sister 24/7 i would absolutely take it some of you don't have any siblings and it shows
#i rlly related to bianca in that moment and then ppl were hating on her for it and it broke my heart#i love bianca even tho we barely got to see her#also like she is her own person not only nicos brother and she may have hurt nico but that shouldnt have to be her way of making decisions#people usually complain that ''she didnt think of what was best for nico'' or that ''she abandoned him the first chance she got''#1) nico shouldnt have to be the center of her world even if it sometimes hurts him#2) shes a literal 12 year old#3) good for her i would totally want to join the hunters#also like. she was being offered a life free of all the responsabilities she'd had till then with girls who wanted to be her friends#look at me in the eyes and tell me you wouldnt take it#even if your little brother may feel a bit lonely before making friends in this camp that also sounds pretty cool#even if its not quite as cool as what youre getting#bianca di angelo#pjo#mine
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