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lepusrufus · 2 years

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Hi yes I'm very easily persuaded to ramble:

Ok so I have this hc that goes a little into Vi's past and her caring nature. She's such a nurturing person and you only need to squint a little for it to be obvious underneath all the tough act. Probably the most obvious example of that is how she took care of Powder when they were kids.

Now, I also like to think that Vi is really good at just... household stuff? Like she can cook really well, is pretty good at sewing, has a soft singing voice perfect for lullabies (not a "chore" ik but roll with it), knows how to get almost any stains out of clothes and is just overall good at idk maintaining her living space. And she actually enjoys it too. She loves cooking and playing around with the much more vast array of ingredients once she gets the chance up in Piltover, she finds cleaning around the house/organizing rather calming and all that.

And I know you may think that's bs at first glance with how rough around the edges Vi can be but if you think for a second it does make sense. She was basically a second mom to Powder when she herself was what? Fifteen? Younger if you count from when their parents died. Of course Vander took care of them but he obviously had a lot on his plate while keeping a peace that was already hanging on by a thread, so I'm almost certain a lot of the responsibility for keeping the family functional fell on Vi’s shoulders. And at the end of the day that doesn't consist in only throwing a good punch when someone's picking on your younger brother. Sometimes it comes down to knowing how to patch up a shirt because you can't afford something new for the time being you know?

But! As I said, all those things aren't things she dislikes, quite the opposite in most cases. But the thing is, they're still skills she had to learn due to difficult situations. Things she had to get good at for the sake of the people she loved because she had to be able to take care of them, because Vi is just like that.

And Caitlyn notices that.

Vi befriends the cook at the Kiramman house and starts helping him out just to have something to do, and Caitlyn expresses her surprise. Vi just shrugs and says "I had to cook for us whenever Vander was too wrapped up at the bar, and I was probably the least likely to set something on fire" while stirring a pot of some delicious soup.

Vi starts to hum along to a song Caitlyn is playing on the piano out of boredom on a slow day. It's an old song she learned as a kid and Caitlyn mentions how lovely her voice is. Vi just sheepishly smiles and says "Powder had a hard time sleeping sometimes and this song our mother taught us always helped a little."

Caitlyn’s dress rips at a tedious formal event and Vi saves her dignity by sewing it up with some tiny sewing kit they miraculously find in a room. "Clothes rip a lot when you're constantly jumping around the Undercity. Ekko always got his shirts torn while looking for scraps you know."

You get where I'm going with this right?

So Caitlyn, ever the endlessly kind but also endlessly lacking in a mouth filter bless her heart, just asks Vi about it one day. Nothing harsh of course, just a softly spoken "is there anything you didn’t have to learn for the sake of others?" while they're preparing something for dinner. It still hits Vi like a brick wall though (big fuck go back moment, but it's ok the tables turn a little when Vi lightheartedly teases about how the only card game Caitlyn knows how to play is solitaire and she gets hit by fifty shades of childhood loneliness)

Ok I'm getting a bit off track at this point so let me actually talk about the plants now.

The way Vi sees it, she's only capable of hurting those she loves, despite abundant evidence proving otherwise. But then she falls a little in love with the Kirammans' gardens. They're big and so full of life that you see so rarely down in the Undercity. And she meets the gardener too, who's happy to talk about their work and let Vi help around when she's feeling antsy, which is how she starts to learn about how to take care of plants.

And suddenly she has something to do with her hands that helps things grow and thrive and live, instead of constantly fighting. Of course she already does those things, hell you could even consider the fighting as a caring gesture since a lot of times she's fighting for someone. But gardening? That's something that's finally hers. Finally something that she learned to love doing not because she had to but because she had a moment of peace and quiet to breathe, find something she's passionate about for the sole sake of passion, and let that skill grow.

And she didn't realize how much she needed something that's just... hers in that specific way until she realizes what a warm feeling it gives her. Watching little seedlings grow, cleaning out dried leaves, repotting to give plants more space to grow. It all just makes her so genuinely happy in a way she simply didn't have before. That sense of fulfillment that comes from cultivating a passion for the sole purpose of it giving you joy.

And there's the added bonus of her and Caitlyn having that hobby in common (there's plants in the concept art for her room and I WILL take that and run with it thank you).

Anyway this got long but hhhh Vi finally having some time to breathe and do/discover things that make her happy is so dear to me

#i love vi so much you guys it's unreal #she deserves all the soft happy things #also plant moms plant moms plant moms #vi arcane #caitlyn kiramman #piltover’s finest #arcane headcanon

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angelltheninth · 2 years

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Kiramman Jealousy

Pairing: Caitlyn x Vi

Tags: nsfw, smut, fingering, grinding, jealous Caitlyn

Word count: 1.8k

Ao3

A/N: Finally got the motivation to write more of these two, hope you all like it. I've been wanting to write jealous Caitlyn for a while tbh.

Caitlyn Kiramman wasn’t jealous. She wasn’t angry. She was fucking pissed off, fuming, shooting daggers instead of bullets. This was supposed to be a fun party, a time to relax and unwind. That was the plan.

“If you stare any harder you’re actually gonna burn a hole though them.” Jayce sidestepped next to Caitlyn, “Champagne?” He offered, amused.

“No thank you.” Caitlyn barely spared him a glance before her eyes were fixed back on Vi.

Vi with her hair slightly slicked back but still so damn messy and falling over her eyes. Vi, in her suit with her sleeves ripped off, showing her damn biceps and tattoos. Vi who smiled at the girls practically drooling over her like dogs in heat.

And why was Vi enjoying the attention? Smiling at all of them like that, entertaining them. Caitlyn was in her fair share of relationships before, some of them were flings others more serious, but none of those girls made her feel as strong about them as Vi. Vi was special, she was precious to Caitlyn. So Caitlyn decided to do the only sensible thing. Assert her dominance.

“Don’t break any necks and keep your cool. That’s how Mel and I ended up together.” He nodded to himself, looking very pleased with himself.

“Oh please. Mel told me all about it. If she didn’t make the first move you’d still be dancing around each other. Even Viktor was sick if it all. And she also told me that her mom made you shake in your boots.” Caitlyn smirked at him, remembering how embarrassed he got when Mel mentioned that incident.

”Ah, excuse me, have you seen Mel’s mother? The woman could probably crush my head with her fist. And I could have made the first move, I was only being a gentleman.” Jayce crossed his arms over his chest, a small puppy-like pout on his face as he looked down at his friend. Caitlyn chuckled, she didn’t buy that for a second, but she didn’t have time to listen to Jayce trying to save his ego, she had a lot more important things to do.

With brisk pace she marched herself to Vi, who was still surrounded by a group of increasingly flirty women.

“Vi.” Her stern voice got Vi’s attention and the attention of everyone around her. By now the people of Piltover knew her as the new Sheriff and for the most part treated her as such.

But there were still a few who only regarded her as the ‘rich Kiramman girl’ while they looked at Vi as some novelty, something unusual, a Zaunite who somehow made became an Enforcer. The girls around Vi though, it was very obvious what they were after with Vi. Caitlyn has seen that look many times before. Sometimes she was looked at in that way, Vi looked at her that way, and Caitlyn looked at Vi that same way.

Caitlyn wasn’t stupid. Vi was hot, of course women would be interested in her. Which is why she needed to make things clear for them.

Her arm looped around Vi’s while her other hand came to rest on the brawler’s bicep. She didn’t miss the way Vi blushed when she squeezed, or the way the women glared at her for doing so. It was honestly adorable how she could make Vi flustered with the faintest of gestures.

“Yeah? What’s up?” Vi tilted her head towards her in that adorable way that made Caitlyn want to kiss her right there and then. That would surely be one way to show everyone that Vi wasn’t available, but that seemed a little flashy.

“As much as I hate to break up the fun you’re having, we have paperwork tomorrow and I would appreciate it if you’d accompany be back to our apartment so we could get some sleep.” She made sure to look at the group of women as she said the word ‘our’.

“Huh? Don’t we have a late day tomorrow? I though you said you wanted the morning free to-”

“Paperwork Vi. On my desk.” Caitlyn lightly squeezed Vi’s arm, further emphasizing her intentions.

“Oh.” Caitlyn could see the wheels turning and things finally clicking in Vi’s brain when her eyes widened, “Oh! The paperwork. Fuck, I mean uh… yeah, now I remember. We should definitely go and sleep. So we can do the paperwork.” Vi took Caitlyn by the hand, waived and winked at the group of ladies and almost bolted towards the door.

The moment the two were in their apartment Vi went right in for a kiss, she tried to push Caitlyn to the nearby wall only to have Caitlyn grab her by the tie and pull her toward the bedroom.

“Feisty tonight are we?” Not that Vi was gonna complain, she loved bossy Caitlyn. Usually she hated taking orders from anyone, Caitlyn was her one exception. But it didn’t seem like Caitlyn was in a joking mood. “Cupcake?”

Caitlyn merely glanced back at her and tugged harder, making Vi stumble forward, just managing not to collide with Caitlyn when she stopped to open the door.

Caitlyn’s hands were everywhere she could grab, untucking Vi’s shirt from her pants, hands furiously working to unbutton it and slide her hands across Vi’s abs. Just as Vi was about to go in for a kiss she found herself pushed back and landing onto her back, her shirt hanging off her shoulder, just enough to expose her breast.

Hot, needy, eager mouth was on her neck before she could offer any sort of remark. A gasp left her throat, her hands grasping Caitlyn’s perfect hips that straddled her as she tugged on her tie once more.

“Caitlyn?” Vi was torn between grinding up against her and remaining strong. With great effort she decided to be strong, “Babe stop for a second.” Caitlyn was pushed back with a whine, her hand cupping Vi’s breast as their eyes met. There was lust there to be sure, but also something more. Something that Vi hasn’t seen before.

“I want you, please Vi.” Caitlyn’s voice was trembling slightly, her hands shaking as she dragged them over Vi’s muscles.

Vi frowned, “Something’s bothering you isn’t it?” Vi took Caitlyn’s hands in her own, her thumbs rubbing Caitlyn’s knuckles as she brought her fingers to her lips, kissing each one, “You know you can talk to me right? No matter what it is. I’m here.”

A heavy sigh left Caitlyn’s mouth, she turned her head to the side for a moment, vulnerability shining though in her eyes as she turned them back to Vi.

“I don’t like how they were behaving around you.” Vi’s frown deepened, her head tilting to the side like a little confused puppy. Damn. Hot, handsome and cute, how did Caitlyn even get so lucky. “Those women you were talking to. They kept crowding you and drooling over and flirting with you, I didn’t like it Vi.”

Vi blinked quickly, her brain processing Caitlyn’s words, “Hold on, hold the fuck on.” She couldn’t help the grin from appearing on her lips, “Were you jealous?”

Caitlyn bit her bottom lip, her hands cupping Vi’s cheeks, thumbing over her tattoo, “Yes.”

“Oh. Wow. I uh… I didn’t expect you to just… ok. I never thought you would be.” Vi chuckled, “If anything I thought I’d have to beat back everyone else away from you. I didn’t even realize they were coming on to me.” Looking back on it now Vi couldn’t help but blush from it all, “I’m not used to that sort of attention. Well other than from you. I really like it when it’s from you.” Vi leaned up to press her lips against Caitlyn’s, her eyes closing on contact, Caitlyn’s following suit.

Vi’s hand tangled into Caitlyn’s hair, tilting her head to the side, deepening the kiss, trying to pour all her desire and love into the kiss.

“I didn’t even notice they were flirting. Do you know why?” Vi sucked on Caitlyn’s tongue as she pulled away, getting a sweet moan in return, “It’s because I only have eyes for you Cait.”

Caitlyn kissed her again in response, softly nibbling on Vi’s upper lips, her tongue gently licking over the lip scar, “That’s very flattering darling. But you don’t seem to realize how fucking attractive you are.” Caitlyn took Vi’s hand and guided it beneath her dress, the both of them moaning as Vi’s fingers came into contact with the wetness there.

Caitlyn’s hips rocked into Vi’s hand, as well as against her hard abs.

“Fuck. I do that for you huh?” Vi’s lips found Caitlyn’s neck, hot lips and tongue anywhere she could reach.

Caitlyn rolled her hips again while her fingers worked on unbuttoning Vi’s pants, “And I’m the only one who you can do that for.” Her fingers went past the waistband of her underwear, past the red curls and dipping into the wet folds. Vi’s eyes closed on contact, her hips thrusting, searching for more contact, but finding none as Caitlyn withdrew her fingers almost immediately.

She was about to complain about it before her mouth fell open in shock as Caitlyn popped the fingers into her mouth and sucked them clean, all the while keeping eye contact with Vi.

“Oh my god Caitlyn.” Vi’s hand gripped Caitlyn’s hips, “Do you have any idea how turned on I am right now?” Her finger slipped inside her girlfriends pussy, feeling the walls tightening up around her as she drew it back out only for Caitlyn to take it back in, “Fuck Cupcake.” Vi’s head fell onto the pillow.

“I love how you feel inside of me, have I ever told you that?” She made a V shape with her fingers as she licked them up and around before sucking on them again, the roll of her hips accompanying the wet, popping sounds.

Vi nodded quickly, not sure where to look, between her fingers going in and out of Caitlyn’s cunt and Caitlyn sucking on her own fingers she was a little overwhelmed.

She shut her eyes tight as her body locked up, her moan barely held back. Caitlyn’s eyes widened, her hips speeding up to catch her own orgasm. As soon as Caitlyn added another finger and hooked them forward Caitlyn was done, stars dancing in front of her eyes. She waited for Vi to pull her fingers out before she rolled her hips again, smearing her juices across Vi’s abs.

“Damn.” Vi took deep breaths to steady herself, thankful for the comforting weight of Caitlyn that kept her grounded, “I fucking love you Caitlyn.”

Caitlyn hummed and leaned forward, hiding her face in Vi’s neck, softly kissing over her gear tattoo.

“I love you too. So much.” Caitlyn finally felt like she was content, looking back though her jealous may have been a bit silly, but damn if it didn’t lead to some hot sex. Maybe she should get more jealous in the future if this will be the end result.

#piltover's finest #arcane #league of legends #arcane fanfiction #league of legends fanfiction #vi #caitlyn kiramman

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gaylorvader · 2 years

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Caitlyn x Punk/Heavy Metal Reader

Summary:Headcanons of how Cait dating a punk/metal reader would go

Warnings:swearing,a little violence,more punk than metal,first headcanon

Word Count: about 2,287

You're from Zaun and met her during her trip there with Vi.

She wasn't sure what to think about you at first with the leather jacket and all the chains, rings, and patches.

Once she got to know you though she grew to care about you.

She thought your whole aesthetic was just you liking the style and/or trying to look tough and that you were actually just a teddy bear, which you were, with her and your friends.

But one day some dude catcalled her and she saw a whole new side of you.

It was like a switch went off, from teddy bear to angry grizzly.

"WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU JUST SAY BITCH!!!"

You beat his ass into the pavement. :)

She just stood there shocked, with Vi calmly watching.

"Is-is this normal for them?" "Yeah. You should see what they did to a guy who made fun of Powder. Kick his ass y/n!"

She was surprised to say the least.

And then you just go back to being a teddy bear asking if she's ok ???

She liked how you cared about her enough to defend her but would have preferred you not send that guy to the hospital.

When she releases she likes you it's one of those "Oh! God! Fuck! Why!" things.

She knew her parents probably wouldn't approve of you.

She rants to Vi about it. Who had actually been getting the same from you too.

So one day she had enough and set up a place and time to "hang out."

She got you two there and basically said "I'm tired of having to hear you two yearn after each other. Figure it out."

Both your faces were as red as Vi's hair.

You both laughed about it later though and had a good time together.

You both got together shortly after.

She's a girl who likes classical music like Beethoven, so when you came in with bands like Slipknot, Hollywood Undead, Bikini Kill, The Offspring, and many more, it was like a culture shock.

She does like some of the songs you like, "check yes juliet by we the kings is one of them. She thinks it's sweet.

The loud stuff isn't her thing though.

She likes her music calm.

She once found you peacefully asleep listening to your music. When she looked at what you were listening to it was Slipknot on repeat.

Like "unsainted" "the devil in i" "before I forget" so on and so on.

She was so confused.

She asked you about it when you woke up and when you said it was calming to you she thought you hit your head.

"How is that calming?" "I don't know, it just is."

She does know if she ever needs music for something that isn't classical to come to you though.

You have a playlist for everything.

She was also interested in the culture as well, like lace code.

She also found it sweet how nice and chill the communities are(for the most part)

You loved it so she wanted to know everything about it.

She loved playing with all your rings too. She thinks it's calming.

She was very nervous for you to meet her parents. She knew you wouldn't pretend to be someone different and she didn't want you to.

You did dress slightly more "presentable" but to you that was just a patchless leather jacket(that still had small spikes on it)and non ripped jeans, besides that you wore everything you normally do.

Her parents were put off by your appearance.

Her mom's first thought was probably that you were a hoodlum and that you'd hurt her daughter.

You were nice of course, even though you saw through their fake politeness.

Her dad started warming up to you, especially after you insisted on helping him wash the dishes after dinner.

What made you so mad you couldn't keep your mouth shut was when you heard her mom talking about how it would look for a counselor's daughter to be dating a punk like you.

You weren't mad at her talking shit about you, you were used to it, you were pissed she was talking about how it'd look politically.

Cait had told her you treat her well so what'd it matter but she didn't seem to be listening.

When you walked back in it went quiet.

You walked up to Cait and put a hand on her shoulder whispering if she was alright.

She put her hand on yours talking it to fidget with your rings saying she was alright.

You smiled at her and kissed her head.

You then looked at her mom after checking on Cait, or more accurately glared a hole in her head.

And started going off on her but trying to keep your voice at normal speaking volume but still clearly pissed.

It was a fairly quiet anger with your face looking as pissed as you felt.

"Why the fuck are you thinking about your goddamn political career right now? You should only be worried about if I'll treat her like she deserves to be." "And how exactly is that?"

You didn't hesitate in the slightest with your answer.

"Like a fucking goddess."

You both just stared at each other

Her dad talked before you both could glare holes through each other's heads.

"They are kind of right, honey. We should give them a chance. As long as Caitlyn is happy and they treat her right we should let them."

He earned your respect then.

Caitlyn said the same "Exactly! As long as I'm happy and they are good to me, what should your damn career matter?"

You were surprised Cait swore as she never really did so before.

You were kinda proud honestly.

"Caitlyn! Language!"

After a lot and a lot of talking she said she'd just see how you were before saying whether she approved.

You were tired of arguing and figured it was the best you were gonna get so you took it.

Cassandra did eventually grow to like you though, after time and time again seeing how well you treated Cait.

Her dad liked you for longer though.

He could quickly tell you how kind you were when you first came over and met their dogs.

You crouched down and let them sniff you before petting them smiling.

They liked you. Cait joked you passed the dog test of approval, you just laughed looking at her.

Her dad also saw the love in your eyes whenever you looked at Caitlyn.

Her mom saw it too but was still suspicious of you and didn't like you yet.

One thing that helped lead to Cassandra liking and trusting you was when you were over at theirs to hang out with Cait and her mother got in a small argument about you.

Something along the lines of you looking like you would try to push Cait around.

Before you or her dad could say anything to try to defuse the situation Caitlyn walked over to you and picked you up bridal style.

Your whole scary punk demeanor switched into you being a flustered mess.

"Caitlyn!" You yelled

"See?! They're a sweetheart!"

You proceed to tell Caitlyn to shut up. The impact of which was lessened as you hid your face in Caitlyn's neck, still red as the wine her mother liked so much.

Her dad found it funny.

Her mom was amused.

Hey, your pride may have taken a hit but at least they stopped fighting and you could properly hang out with Caitlyn now.

One other thing that helped was when her mom walked in Caitlyn's room and saw Cait working on one of her cases with you asleep on her shoulder, Cait playing with your hair.

It helped her focus and figure things out.

Caitlyn told her you were trying to help her with her cases but that you fell asleep on her(literally).

Cassandra wasn't gonna lie, it was cute.

This scary punk fast asleep on her daughter's shoulder looking so peaceful, it was sweet.

Caitlyn seemed happy as well, and she told her mom about how it helped her focus.

Ok, maybe you aren't so bad.

Once you two do get on though you're protective of Caitlyn together.

Though, like her daughter, she doesn't like how you can be more violent aggressive in your protectiveness of Cait, but she was happy knowing she had someone else looking out for her while she was busy.

(I'm just imagining Caitlyn proposing some crazy, stupid, or dangerous idea and you and Cassandra at the same time just going "No")

She also enjoys that because people think you're "scary" they won't mess with Caitlyn.

She has scary dog privilege when she's out with you.

You always enjoy hanging out with their dogs and the dogs enjoy it as well.

When you visit they will almost always be around you.

And you may or may not have snuck Jinx in to meet them.

When it got out that you two were dating and you weren't just a protective friend people had varying thoughts

In Zaun the main thought was "why are they dating a topsider who's also a counselor's daughter, and an enforcer?"

With you being friends with Jinx Zaun found out first, near the start of your relationship.

She isn't the best at secrets.

Silco was concerned that you might sell them out or something along those lines.

He didn't think it was likely but he still called you to his office for a chat.

People were happy for you though, even if they didn't understand why her.

Or people just tried to stay away from you because they didn't trust you.

On the other hand Piltover found out after the talk with Caitlyn's parents.

You two just started doing normal couple things in Piltover, so they caught on quick after that.

When it reached the counsel Cassandra had a lot of questions to answer.

She was still unsure of you so she didn't really have answers.

Cassandra ended up bringing you in because she was tired of the questions(it was a day later)

You were nervous as hell. Being from Zaun you didn't exactly hold a high opinion of them but you didn't want to make Caitlyn look bad, so you had to bite your tongue.

Heimerdinger was the one to greet you when you entered the council chamber.

"Hello, you must be this y/n we've heard so much about. It is nice to meet you."

"Uh, yeah hi. It's nice to meet you as well sir."

You may be a tough person but in this moment you felt small and weak, which only increased your anxiety.

Mel Medarda was the next to speak.

"You are from the undercity, correct?"

"Uh, yes ma'am. But we prefer to call it Zaun."

"Hm. I see."

Before she could continue Hoskel opened his mouth, and BOY did you have to use all of your self restraint not to verbally murder him.

"Zaun? Hm you act like it's it's own city!"

"With all due respect it is."

Before either of you could speak, Shoola did.

"If they wish to call it Zaun that is what we should call it. They are still our people so we should show them respect."

To say you were shocked at that is an understatement. A member of the council being respectful of Zaun and its people? Did you slip into another dimension?

"I," You were at a loss for words. "Thank you ma'am."

She looked at you, "Of course. As I said, you are still our people so we should show you respect."

Heimerdinger agreed with her before getting back on topic.

"So you are dating Miss Caitlyn correct?"

"Yes sir."

"Do you have any reason other than loving her for dating her?"

"Of course not! I may be from Zaun but that doesn't mean I'm plotting against you or anything sir. I just love her, that's all."

Jayce spoke up after you, "I know Caitlyn we've been friends forever, and if she likes them I trust her judgment."

Victor also spoke up after Jayce, "I may not know Caitlyn but we shouldn't judge a book by the cover as they say. If you did, I wouldn't be working here."

You were starting to like this Heimerdinger guy as he said smiling, "I agree. You seem like a kind person despite all the patches and spikes." He joked "As long as you don't use Caitlyn and treat her well you are free to be with her."

You liked that little guy.

"Thanks sir. I really didn't expect all this when Cait and I started dating. But for as much as my words are worth, I just wanna date her, no bad intentions, just me being head over heels for her."

Some of them smiled at that.

You did hold back saying how stupid this was.

And yes you didn't call Hoskel sir on purpose.

Afterwards you did get to talking with Jayce, Victor, Mel and Heimerdinger. They were nice. And just like Cait, they were very interested in the culture and you were happy to share.

After some time Piltover learned you really were good to her.

A bit too protective and still scary to some but for the most part people got used to it.

Though many were still judgmental it didn't bother you two, you were just happy being the calm person and kind but sometimes chaotic person couple.

#arcane #arcane fanfic #caitlyn x reader #arcane headcanon #caitlyn kiramman #punk reader #heavy metal reader #Caitlyn kiramman x reader

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good--bye--binary · 6 years

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They/Them or She/Her

Happy Priiiiiiiiiiiiiide!!! 🌈🏳️‍🌈

I got a couple of pics in before heading out to the Chicago Pride Parade today and even talked my mom into taking a couple selfies with me while we were there!

I’m also in the process of coming out to every person I know that I haven’t yet. Most of these are people that are very important to me, but either I don’t get to see them very often and/or they’re more conservative and not at all educated on LGBTQ issues. To that end, I finally wrote a coming out letter and I thought I’d post it here just in case anyone else wanted to use portions of it! 😁

Dear ________,

In case you didn’t already know, this month is LGBTQ+ Pride Month. Both because of this and, more importantly, because I respect and cherish our relationship, I feel compelled to tell you that I am transgender. Specifically, I am non-binary, genderfluid, and transfeminine (more on all of those terms later). Although I have always questioned my gender, I came out to myself in November of 2016. Now I feel it is the right time for absolutely everyone to know.

I have written, deleted, rewritten, and revised this letter many times over many months because I want it to be as clear as possible. To that end, I thought it best to organize it as a list of questions directed towards myself, questions that I would expect you to have. Of course if you ever want me to explain something more, an answer doesn’t make sense, or you have a question that isn’t on here, PLEASE TALK TO ME. You might find that reading these questions and answers are enough, but if you don’t, I would much rather you talk to me directly rather than speculate, be confused, or turn to the internet which may have misleading or inaccurate information. On this last point, I don’t just mean anti-LGBTQ+ websites and organizations; gender is a very complicated and personal experience, so even pro-LGBTQ+ literature may define or explain terms in ways that are different from how I apply them to my gender experience.

Q1. How do you know/what makes you think you’re transgender? A1. Like almost all LGBTQ+ people will tell you, I always knew I was somehow different from most of the other kids. For me, it was about never feeling completely comfortable or understood by boys and men. For as long as I can remember, I have not only preferred the company of girls and women, but I have never felt “like one of the boys.” My closest friends have always been (and continue to be) women. Even in films, TV shows, video games, novels, and short stories, I almost immediately identify with female characters, but rarely do I do the same with male characters.

Have I been able to “fit in” with boys/men in the past? Yes, of course I have, because society has always suggested that I should and that there would be consequences if I didn’t. Did I enjoy the act of having to hide, censor, and think very deliberately about my behavior so that I wasn’t bullied or seen as weird? Absolutely not. I went to sleepovers at my male friends’ houses in grade school, but I hated them. I would get terrible anxiety as the scheduled day came closer and once I got there, I couldn’t wait for them to be over. I hated “acting like a boy.” It brought me literal pain and discomfort.

These feelings of pain, discomfort, and anxiety are symptoms of what is known as dysphoria. Dysphoria is an experience that nearly all transfolk experience. Euphoria is the feeling that everything is perfect—being in a state of mind that is complete bliss and one that you hope will never end. Dysphoria is the opposite of that. It’s the feeling that everything is wrong—a mental and emotional state of torture that feels like it will swallow you up and crush your spirit forever. When applied to transfolk specifically, dysphoria is what we used to mean when we said things like “I feel like a man trapped in a woman’s body” or vice versa. That phrase typically isn’t used any more because it implies that a person is only a man if they have a “male body”/a woman if they have a “female body,” but the intended meaning is the same.

I know that I’m transgender because I experience dysphoria. There are days that I look at myself and I just want to throw up because I don’t feel like I look right from a gender perspective. It feels like I’ve hijacked some other person’s body, like there’s a disconnect between my mind and the person I see in the mirror. Some days I look at my men’s clothes and putting them on feels like putting on clothes made of fire or acid. I see the hair on my legs and I want to rip each and every one of them out. This is dysphoria and it feels terrible.

Q2. What do you do when you feel this way? A2. Before I came out in November of 2016, I just buried it. As a child, I of course had no idea why I felt this way. Not only that, but even in the 1990s society wasn’t ready to talk about gender the way we talk about it now, so the idea of saying I was transgender could never cross my mind because there was next to no representation of transfolk. But now, when my dysphoria hits, I don’t avoid it. I listen to my body, think to myself, “Ok, so you’re not a man today,” and adjust my gender presentation accordingly. This brings me to my specific labels of being non-binary and genderfluid.

Traditionally in Western/American culture, we think of gender as a binary experience—everyone is either a man or a woman. Even most transfolk that you may be familiar with, like Caitlyn Jenner, Jazz Jennings, Laverne Cox, and Chaz Bono, are all binary transfolk. They identify as the “opposite” gender they were assigned at birth. Being non-binary means that I don’t completely identify as a man OR as a woman. Some non-binary people identify as more male than female, more female than male, or feel that they have no gender at all (this is known as being agender). However, I also identify as genderfluid, which means that similar to how water (or any fluid) in a glass can move fluidly in a glass depending on how you tilt it, my gender also moves fluidly.

Try thinking about gender as a spectrum (which nearly all psychologists agree it is), a line from 0 to 10. On one end, you have the feeling of being completely male all of the time and on the other side being completely female.

Though it is impossible to qualify with any kind of numbers, I would say my gender identity varies from day-to-day anywhere between a 4 and and a 10. Because I am more likely to be on the feminine side of the spectrum (6-10), I can also say that I’m transfeminine, meaning that while I don’t identify as a woman every single day (and thus am not a trans woman), I do, on average, tend to feel more like a woman than a man.

So, on days that I’m at a 4 or a 5, I probably just look like what you would expect a man to look like. However, if I’m at a 7, maybe I’ll wear “mens clothes” but also wear some make-up and/or nail polish. If I’m at a 9 or 10, I probably will wear “womens clothes,” make-up, a stuffed bra, and sometimes a wig. However, no matter what my gender expression/presentation is, I’m always non-binary.

Q3. Does this mean you’re a crossdresser? A3. No. Crossdressing is a hobby, which is totally fine if that’s what you’re into. It usually refers to men who always identify as men but find it “fun” to dress in women’s clothes. When I’m a man, I wear men’s clothes. When I’m a woman, I wear women’s clothes. It’s not a fetish or a hobby. I dress for whatever my gender is that day.

Q4. Does this mean you’re gay? A4. Because my gender is constantly shifting, labels like straight, gay, lesbian, and bisexual don’t apply to me. A person’s sexuality is defined not only by who they’re attracted to, but also their own gender. A man who is a attracted to men is gay. A woman who is attracted to men and women is bi. I am only attracted to women, but I myself am neither a man or a woman, so I can’t say that I’m straight, nor can I say that I’m a lesbian. Therefore, it’s most accurate for me to say that I’m attracted to women and just leave it at that.

Q5. What am I supposed to call you now? Are you changing your name? A5. I still go by Rich. If I’m in a very public place (like when placing an order at Starbucks for example) and I’m identifying/presenting as a woman and don’t want to get clocked as transgender, then I use the name Christina.

The only big change is that I don’t go by gendered pronouns (he/him or she/her). Like most non-binary people, I go by the gender neutral they/them. For example, a friend of mine wouldn’t say, “That’s my friend, Rich. He is an English teacher.” Instead, that friend would say, “This is my friend, Rich. They are an English teacher.” You might notice that I changed the gender preference on Facebook to reflect this (i.e. “Rich has changed their profile picture”).

Also, in general, I do not appreciate being addressed with terms/phrases like “Hey man” or “What’s up, dude?” I understand that most of the time when people use “man” or “dude,” they don’t mean it in a gendered way, but it still really aggravates my dysphoria to be called “dude,” even if I’m identifying/presenting as more masculine.

I also understand and can respect that having to think about my pronouns like this may seem strange and/or difficult to remember, but all I ask is that you try your best and definitely don’t misgender me on purpose.

Q6. Are you going to have “the surgery”/a sex change? A6. Just for the record, the term “sex change” isn’t used any more; the medical term is gender reassignment surgery (or GRS). But no, I am not. I do not plan on undergoing any kind of surgery to change my sex nor do I plan on taking hormones. My wardrobe and gender pronouns are enough to qualm any dysphoria.

I know that this is a lot to take in, both literally in the sense that it was almost 2,000 words long and uses terms you might never have heard of before, but also that it might be emotionally difficult, so thank you if you’ve made it this far into this letter. All I can say is that I wanted to come out to you because I love you and because I care about our relationship. I don’t want to be ashamed or hide who I am from you any more. Take as much time as you need to process this and again, please, if you have any more questions or concerns, talk to me. You can call me, text me, or write me a letter of your own, whatever makes you most comfortable.

Much thanks and even more love, Rich

#me #selfie #transgender #trans #nonbinary #nb #enby #transfeminine #genderfluid #genderqueer #girlslikeus #thisiswhattranslookslike #transgirlsruletheworld #lgbt #lgbtq #lgbtqia #pride #pride 2018

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sheps-shepherd · 7 years

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I don’t ever really do things like this so today I decided I wanted to. So here you go.

Tagged by no one and tagging no one, but if you want to do this yourself feel free to say I tagged you so you don’t have the same problem I have. You’re welcome.

1. What is your middle name?

Officially it’s Lynn. Unofficially it’s Kurosaki because when I was in middle school making your middle name on social media the last name of a character was the cool thing to do, and I’m not gonna lie, it’s grown on me.

2. How old are you?

17, soon to be 18.

3. What is your birthday?

July 8th

4. What is your zodiac sign?

Proud Cancer

5. What is your favorite color?

Blue

6. What's your lucky number?

7. Do you have any pets?

I have a dog named Bella who is my precious little bean and six nieces and nephews who are pretty cool I guess.

8. Where are you from?

A dinky town that is literally so small it isn’t even on any maps, so good luck tracking it down.

9. How tall are you?

5’ 8”

10. What shoe size are you?

I’m actually an 8 (9 depending on the style of the shoe) but I normally get 10 because I like my feet to have breathing room.

11. How many pairs of shoes do you own?

Four. I don’t get the appeal of owning thousands of shoes.

12. What was your last dream about?

I suck at remembering dreams. The only one that clearly comes to mind is one where my grandma came to visit me and told me she was okay and happy where she was (she passed away a few years ago).

13. What talents do you have?

I can take really good selfies and I’m great at choosing filters to hide how disgusting my face looks.

14. Are you psychic in any way?

I don’t think so, but sometimes when I’m listening to music on shuffle, I’ll randomly think of a specific song and then that song is the one that comes on next. That’s probably not psychic but it’s kinda cool.

15. Favorite song?

Currently it’s Don’t You Go by All Time Low

16. Favorite movie?

Love Actually

17. Who would be your ideal partner?

Someone who can make me laugh, makes me feel appreciated, and won’t feel weird about making a picture of the two of us their phone wallpaper.

18. Do you want children?

Absolutely

19. Do you want a church wedding?

Absolutely not

20. Are you religious?

I’m too apatheist for that

21. Have you ever been to the hospital?

I’ve only been in the hospital once when I was younger, but my best guy friend has a habit of doing stupid shit and ends up in there a lot so I’ve been in my fair share of hospitals.

22. Have you ever got in trouble with the law?

Nope. I’m a good child who never leaves her house.

23. Have you ever met any celebrities?

Not that I remember.

24. Baths or showers?

I love taking baths cause that shit is relaxing, but we have a built-in bathtub that I outgrew ages ago so I have to take showers. Someday I want a big clawfoot bathtub so I can take all the baths I want and also fuck up my future water bill.

25. What color socks are you wearing?

White and red

26. Have you ever been famous?

Previously mentioned best guy friend and I used to be famous-ish on this old kid website called Roblox. We weren’t like the PewDiePies of the site or anything but we were actually pretty well-known and the worlds we built were decently popular.

27. Would you like to be a big celebrity?

I don’t think so? I’d like to try my hand at YouTube someday, but I think I’d be happy with a small little following if I did so.

28. What type of music do you like?

Alternative Rock

29. Have you ever been skinny dipping?

Nope.

30. How many pillows do you sleep with?

One

31. What position do you usually sleep in?

On my side and curled up into the smallest ball I can manage.

32. How big is your house?

Too big. But it’s cozy.

33. What do you typically have for breakfast?

A cup of coffee and a toaster waffle if I’m not feeling too lazy.

34. Have you ever fired a gun?

A paintball gun.

35. Have you ever tried archery?

My one friend’s dad is a hunter and he let me shoot a bow one time, and I was pretty shit at it.

36. Favorite clean word?

Fadoodle sticks

37. Favorite swear word?

Shit is probably the one I use the most.

38. What's the longest you've ever gone without sleep?

Four days and three nights. I’m a horrible insomniac.

39. Do you have any scars?

I have one on my palm from when I got stabbed with a pencil in elementary school, and one on my knee from when I was crawling around in the basement and crawled over a nightlight that happened to be prongs-up.

40. Have you ever had a secret admirer?

I think so? But I also have a pretty good idea of who it was so that probably doesn’t count.

41. Are you a good liar?

I don’t make a habit of lying, but I am pretty good at it because I don’t post on social media and out myself to those I’m lying to.

42. Are you a good judge of character?

I like to think so.

43. Can you do any other accents other than your own?

I can talk like Stitch if that counts.

44. Do you have a strong accent?

I never thought so, but my friends from out-of-state always tell me I do.

45. What is your favorite accent?

It’s not really an accent, but my mother’s family is from the city ghettos and they all talk with ghetto slang. I grew up hearing it so when I’m comfortable talking to someone I tend to slip into that kind of talk.

46. What is your personality type?

INFJ if I remember correctly.

47. What is your most expensive piece of clothing?

I don’t really buy expensive clothes, I’m a bargain shopper. Even all my “fancy” clothes I get on sale for decent.

48. Can you curl your tongue?

Yessir.

49. Are you an innie or an outie?

An innie.

50. Left or right handed?

Right handed.

51. Are you scared of spiders?

Not especially, but if I see it I have to kill it. I’m sorry I just gotta.

52. Favorite food?

My dad’s homemade garlic shrimp spaghetti. Fuck.

53. Favorite foreign food?

I love ramen and sushi because I’m a shit.

54. Are you a clean or messy person?

What people see as disorganized mess I see as organized chaos.

55. Most used phrased?

Rip-A-Rooney

56. Most used word?

It’s not even an actual word, I just say the letter F a lot. Eff.

57. How long does it take for you to get ready?

Somehow when I was getting ready for school every morning I could get dressed, brush my teeth, do my hair, and do my makeup all in a half hour. Now that I don’t have much of a time limit suddenly each of those steps requires twenty extra minutes. I’m really not a good time manager.

58. Do you have much of an ego?

Probably.

59. Do you suck or bite lollipops?

Biting lollipops should be illegal worldwide you heathens.

60. Do you talk to yourself?

Constantly. Sometimes if I’m zoning out I’ll do it in front of people which is kind of mortifying.

61. Do you sing to yourself?

I sing in the shower if that’s what you really mean.

62. Are you a good singer?

I wouldn’t say I’m amazing or anything but I’m okay. I got a lead in the school musical so I can’t be that bad.

63. Biggest Fear?

Being forgotten. And moths. Fuck moths.

64. Are you a gossip?

HELL YEAH.

65. Best dramatic movie you've seen?

Does G.B.F count as a dramatic movie

66. Do you like long or short hair?

Long, but not crazy long.

67. Can you name all 50 states of America?

Probably not.

68. Favorite school subject?

English

69. Extrovert or Introvert?

Ambivert, actually.

70. Have you ever been scuba diving?

No but I would love to.

71. What makes you nervous?

Waiting in line for crazy rollercoasters that my friends force me to go on.

72. Are you scared of the dark?

I had really bad sleep paralysis when I was a kid and I would see some shit so yeah the dark freaks me out.

73. Do you correct people when they make mistakes?

Yes. I’m an asshole.

74. Are you ticklish?

Yeah. I’m also a good kicker and I will nail you in the fucking face if you tickle me.

75. Have you ever started a rumor?

Honestly I probably have at some point.

76. Have you ever been in a position of authority?

Does being the Mom Friend count?

77. Have you ever drank underage?

I’ve sipped stuff but nothing more than that.

78. Have you ever done drugs?

Nope, and never will.

79. Who was your first real crush?

Probably my ex-girlfriend.

80. How many piercings do you have?

Four, two on each ear. And I still want a few more.

81. Can you roll your Rs?"

No, I say to my fuming Spanish teacher. I cannot roll my fucking R’s okay I’m sorry.

82. How fast can you type?

Fast.

83. How fast can you run?

Not fast.

84. What color is your hair?

My natural color is a dark brown, but the last few years I’ve been dying it a dark red and I absolutely love it.

85. What color are your eyes?

Hazel

86. What are you allergic to?

Ranch products. Salad dressing, Doritos, all of it.

87. Do you keep a journal?

Several. I have a habit of buying every cute journal I see and I don’t even use half of them.

88. What do your parents do?

Both my parents are in the casino business, though my mother quit after I was born to be a stay-at-home mom. She was a Blackjack dealer. My dad is a Slot Director at a casino in the city.

89. Do you like your age?

I guess.

90. What makes you angry?

People who bring their babies in strollers on the escalator. Also people who put their baby’s carseat in between the two front seats.

91. Do you like your own name?

I think Brianna is a nice name, yeah.

92. Have you already thought of baby names, and if so what are they?

Caitlyn and/or Chalice for a girl, and Avan and/or Lucas for a boy.

93. Do you want a boy a girl for a child?

As long as I can have a child someday, I’ll be happy.

94. What are you strengths?

I’m really good at dealing with people who don’t/haven’t pissed me off.

95. What are your weaknesses?

Chocolate Brownie Batter ice cream and cute babies.

96. How did you get your name?

I was named after my dad and my aunt.

97. Were your ancestors royalty?

They better not have been otherwise I’ll be pissed I lost my crown.

98. Do you have any scars?

Didn’t we go over this already

99. Color of your bedspread?

I don’t actually have a bedspread, I just sleep with a blanket thrown over me. Said blanket is actually a handmade quilt that my band family made me as a graduation present. It’s got musical notes on it and it’s my favorite thing at the moment.

100. Color of your room?

Pale green and pink.

#what do i even tag this as #learn pointless shit about me #i think thats what that tag was?#i have no idea just take it #dear cupcake

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incorrectblockb · 7 years

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survey tag! i was tagged by @dropsofletters !!

ARE YOU NAMED AFTER SOMEONE? um kinda. i mean my mom’s middle name is lyn and she named me caitlyn. she says that’s on purpose so i guess so.

WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED? me: the biggest crybaby. but actually, yesterday. there’s still time to get some tears in today though.

DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? no, i hate it. i write too fast and it’s sloppy. i also write like half in cursive and half in print. it’s annoying

WHATS YOUR FAVOURITE LUNCH MEAT? turkey i guess. i don’t eat a lot of lunch meat haha

DO YOU HAVE KIDS? no. but i’m a nanny so i’m like a second mom to some kids

IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? maybe but only because i know how lonely i am and in need of friends lmao

DO YOU HAVE SARCASM? occasionally

DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? nope. got those out in kindergarten

WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? no way, i’m a scaredy cat.

DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? depends on the shoes i’m wearing. vans: i just slide right off. any other tennis shoes: i untie them first.

DO YOU THINK YOU’RE A STRONG PERSON? not at all.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE ICE CREAM FLAVOUR? i’m lactose intolerant :( but when i’m feeling risky it’s chocolate chip ice cream.

WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE? probably people’s eyes and smiles. that’s cheesy but i do.

RED OR PINK? pink, in honor of my queens, exid.

WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVOURITE PHYSICAL THING YOU LIKE ABOUT YOURSELF? that’s tough considering i dislike almost everything but my nose? it’s too big.

WHAT COLOUR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING NOW? black pants and no shoes.

WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE? pizza (rip my lactose intolerant stomach)

WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? nothing right now but the last thing i listened to was the hamilton soudtrack.

IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOUR WOULD YOU BE? um like a pastely blue?

WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU SPOKE TO ON THE PHONE? my great-aunt.

FAVOURITE SPORT TO WATCH? hockey!

HAIR COLOUR? it’s naturally dark brown and for once in my life it is also currently brown

EYE COLOUR? brown

DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? yes, it’s a pain but it’s the price i pay to see.

FAVOURITE FOOD TO EAT? i love pasta and rice. and fruit!!

SCARY MOVIES OR COMEDY? definitely comedy

LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED? um, i feel like i haven’t watched a movie in a long time but i think it was The Handmaiden!

WHAT COLOUR OF SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING? blue tie-dye

SUMMER OR WINTER? i don’t really like either. where i’m from it’s too hot in the summer and too cold in the winter. but if i had to choose: winter, as long as it doesn’t snow a lot.

HUGS OR KISSES? hugs

WHAT BOOK ARE YOU CURRENTLY READING? i finished Everything, Everything but Nicola Yoon

WHO DO YOU MISS RIGHT NOW? one of my best friends! she’s living in california for a few months so i miss quality time with her

WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD? do people still use those

WHAT IS THE LAST TV PROGRAM YOU WATCHED? shameless

WHAT IS THE BEST SOUND? laughter

ROLLING STONES OR THE BEATLES? the beatles

WHAT IS THE FURTHEST YOU HAVE EVER TRAVELED? los angeles, california!

DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT? i used to sing? like i was in choir for six years. if i was good, that’s another question.

WHERE WERE YOU BORN? ohio, in the u s of a

i’m too lazy to tag but if you see this you should do it! it’s interesting! say i tagged you!

#is this blog just me doing tags i'm sorry but i love them and get tagged occasionally #tag game #/not a quote

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a-smilethat-explodes · 4 years

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Chapter 41- Explainations

The following day, I sat at the counter at work, studying for a test coming up. The door to Paul's office opened and Laura came out, hustling her kids with her. "I'm engaged!" she exclaimed, holding out her hand with a ring on it.

Wow that was fast. "Wow." I blurted out and then quickly added, "Congratulations."

"Thanks," she beamed back at me and then herded her kids out the door.

Paul came out a few minutes later, clearing his throat, smile on his face. I forced myself not to make a face. "I popped the question," he "confided" in me.

"Yeah, Laura just told me." I answered, forcing myself to smile.

"I know it's soon…" he leaned against the counter. "But I really like her… I mean, we're going to be taking it slow, long engagement, but I'm crazy about her," he told me seriously.

"That's great." I nodded diligently.

"Well I guess you wouldn't really know how it feels, to be really crazy about someone," he announced grandly.

I read between the lines of that remark and couldn't help but ask, "Excuse me?"

He looked at me sharply and then smiled an almost sympathetic smile. "I mean, I know that you don't have a girlfriend right now…"

"Actually I do." I replied, somehow managing to keep the bite out of my voice. Pompous, assuming, rude, son of a bitch…

"Oh really?" he asked, looking surprised. "Oh I thought…" he began and then trailed off, looking… disappointed? I suddenly realized that it had probably been a huge ego booster for him to have a girlfriend when I, who was younger and way more attractive then him, didn't.

"Yeah. Have a girlfriend." I answered briskly. "Are you leaving for the day?"

"Yes. Make sure to lock up," he quickly exited the store and I breathed a sigh of relief.

"He's finally gone." Christine surprised me by coming out of one of the aisles.

"Hey!" I smiled at her. "When did you come in?"

"You were talking to Laura," she answered with a shrug. "I figured I'd say something once you were alone."

"Oh. Okay." I smiled back and then leaned across the counter. She smiled back and we kissed.

The door opened so I pulled back quickly. "Am I interrupting?" Jake wiggled his eyebrows at us.

"I thought you were hungover." I answered, surprised to see him. "The last time I saw you, you were dry-heaving over the sink."

He shrugged as he tossed his return down on the counter. "Slept a lot, ate a little, threw up three times-"

"Ew." Christine interjected, looking thoroughly grossed out.

"I'm better now," he shrugged nonchalantly, looking at the new releases. "Got anything new?"

"Maybe." I answered, shaking my head as he wandered off.

"His resilience amazes me." Christine shook her head with a smile.

"I rule at life." Jake answered from the shelves.

The door opened again. Cassie entered with a small smile. "Hey." I smiled at her.

"Hey," she smiled a little more back.

"Cassie?" Jake popped out of the shelves. "Haven't seen your lovely face around lately," he glided over smoothly.

Cassie looked pained. "Jake-" she began with a sigh.

"Leave her alone, Jake." I said patiently.

"Dude, how many times do I have to ask you to hook it up?" Jake complained as Cassie slowly inched away.

"Many more since my answer is still no." I replied sweetly.

"That's the jealousy talking." Jake smirked before retreating back into the shelves.

"I'm just returning a movie." Cassie held up a movie then set it down on the counter.

"Thanks." I answered.

"Hey Christine," she smiled at Christine in a clear effort to make nice.

"Hey." Christine smiled back.

"Well I have some studying to do. See ya." Cassie left.

I sighed and dropped my face into my arms on the counter. I felt a small cool hand touch my arm gently and peeked out. Christine smiled at me and said quietly, "It will get better."

"I hope so." I mumbled back, words muffled by my arms.

The door opened again so I popped back up… only to see Alexandra coming in, holding a little girl in her arms. "Hey." I said, surprised.

"Hey," she answered, pushing her sunglasses on top of her head. She looked thoroughly uncomfortable.

"I'm going to go look for a movie." Christine breezed away.

I waited for Alexandra to speak, not eager to piss her off, knowing that we were on fragile ground already.

"So… how's business been?" Alexandra asked in an uncharacteristically quiet voice. I saw Jake come out of the shelves, clearly about to pose a question, and then stopped dead in his tracks at the sight of Alexandra. He blatantly stared at her. I tried to ignore him.

"Good." I nodded a few times. "Who's this?" I asked, smiling at the little girl, who was clearly related to Alexandra. She had the same pale blond hair and green eyes.

"This is my daughter Caitlyn," she answered and then looked down, smiling softly at her daughter. "Caitlyn, this is my friend Erik." Caitlyn smiled back shyly.

"She's cute." I told her softly.

"Yeah she is." Alexandra smoothed her daughter's hair down and then looked up at me. "I just came by to drop this off," she handed me an envelope. "Give it to Paul, please?"

"Sure." I nodded.

"I'll see you around," she smiled one more time and then left the store.

"That was Alexandra Grayson." Christine popped out of the shelves the minute the door shut.

"Yeah." I agreed.

"Dude who was that, she was hot." Jake said faintly.

"She used to work here." I answered.

"She was the hot blond girl?" he demanded. "Wow too bad I didn't catch her when she still worked here," he shook his head and headed back into the shelves.

"Wow… she looked good." Christine muttered, almost to herself, as she came over to the counter.

"What do you mean?" I asked, not used to my girlfriend saying when other girls looked good.

"Last time I saw her, she was a mess… pregnant and just kicked out of her house." Christine mused softly.

"What?" I demanded.

"Yeah, there was something with drugs too," she answered distractedly and then looked at me. "You didn't know?"

"No." I answered, still stunned.

"Yeah, her dad works with mine." I caught the small grimace at the mention of her dad but didn't comment on it. "It was a huge scandal two years ago when Robert Grayson's daughter was knocked up and on drugs. Well at least according to my mom and her stupid country club friends."

"Wow." I mused quietly.

The door flew open and Paul came in, looking annoyed. "Forgot my wallet," he grumbled, pissed off.

"Hey, this is for you." I handed him the envelope from Alexandra.

"What's this for?" he asked, looking at me suspiciously as he ripped open the envelope, even more annoyed at being derailed from his apparently busy schedule.

"Alexandra came by and dropped it off." I answered.

"What, she wants to apologize for walking off her damn shift?" he muttered, mostly to himself, as he pulled out a single folded piece of paper. He frowned and pulled a check in his other hand as he read the letter and then read the check. "Did you know about this?" he demanded, thrusting the letter at me.

I took the letter, read it, and then stared at it in shock. I was in so much shock that I didn't even register Paul snapping at Christine, asking her if she didn't have any place better to be.

The letter read that Alexandra had been the reason why the window had been smashed by that brick a few weeks ago. She had an addiction to drugs, she didn't specify what, but she had gotten in a bunch of trouble with it. She would be entering rehab the following day for her addiction but her father thought that Paul was entitled to getting money for the window that had been smashed because of her. Enclosed was check for 1,000 dollars.

I set the letter and check down on the counter, shocked.

"Did you know about this?" Paul demanded again.

"No, of course not." I answered honestly.

He eyed me for a moment and then snatched them both up. "Whatever. Got money out of the situation," he said, mostly to himself, dropped it off in his office, and then stormed out.

"What is it?" Christine asked once he finally left. I told her. "Wow," her eyes widened. "Well… I'm not really surprised…"

I thought back to the night of the window smashing… I remembered how unusually rattled Alexandra had been about it. "It makes sense now…" I mused quietly to myself out loud.

"What does?" Christine asked curiously.

"The night the window was smashed, she was really upset… like more upset then someone would be." I answered.

"Hmm…" she muttered thoughtfully.

The door opened again. Mrs. Carlson and the clan bustled in. I saw Jake come out of the shelves and then turn right back around. It probably would've been better for him to announce his presence or try to sneak out but… whatever. "Hey Erik." Mrs. C said cheerfully.

"Ewik! Ewik! Ewik!" Aidan yelled, reaching out for me.

"Hey buddy." I smiled back and took him when Mrs. C handed him to me. Christine smiled, clearly touched, as Aidan grinned at me. He jammed three of his fingers in my ear of course but I patiently pulled them out.

"How are you, dear?" Mrs. C asked.

"Good." I answered. "Have you met my girlfriend, Christine?"

"I've met you before but I don't remember her being your girlfriend." Mrs. C answered, turning, and smiling at Christine.

"Yeah we weren't dating then." I replied.

"Well I'm glad that Erik seems to have found him a nice girl." Mrs. C smiled kindly.

"Thank you." Christine smiled back.

The clan had run back into the shelves. "Jake, Jake, Jake!" they shouted ecstatically when they found their big brother.

"Hey guys." I heard Jake mumble.

"Jacob?" Mrs. C whirled around, eyes narrowing. The kids dragged Jake out of the stacks, chattering excitedly to their favorite older brother.

"Just returning a movie, Mom." Jake said with a sigh.

"And you didn't come out and say hi when I came in?" she demanded, indignant.

"Mom-" Jake began, beginning to get annoyed.

"Are you sleeping enough?" she asked him critically.

"Yeah Mom," he answered wearily.

"Because you have dark circles under your eyes, it doesn't look like you've really been sleeping," she answered, sounding concerned.

"I was up late last night," well that was somewhat of the truth.

"Were you drinking last night, Jacob?" Mrs. C asked, voice dangerous.

Wingman time! "We were up late celebrating my birthday, Mrs. C." I jumped in, pulling Aidan's fingers out of my nose.

She turned around and looked at me, eyes narrowed, which gave Jake an opportunity to send me a grateful look. I smiled back sweetly at Mrs. C. "All right…" she said slowly and then turned back around to Jake. "You should come around the house more often, we miss you."

"I can tell." Jake answered dryly.

"You know why I needle you, don't you?" Mrs. C demanded, exasperated. "It's because I miss you!"

"Well I'd miss you more if you weren't ragging on me so much!" he snapped back, picking up one of his little sisters who had been tugging on his t-shirt.

Mrs. C paused and seemed to consider his words. "I only rag on you because I want only the best for you," she finally said softly.

He softened at her quiet words. "Ma… I quit school," he blurted out softly. Way to tell her at a random moment, Jake.

I braced myself for the explosion… that never came. "What?" Mrs. C whispered, stunned. "But… why?"

The kids all went quiet at Mrs. C's quiet words… I suspected that they knew something was wrong when Mrs. C was quiet. Aidan even stopped trying to lodge his fingers into my ear.

"I hated it… I don't know what I want to be," he shrugged, not looking her in the eye.

"What have you been doing all this time?" she demanded, voice still quietly stunned.

"Working," he answered.

She stared at him for a long time before finally saying quietly, "We'll talk about this when you come over for dinner tomorrow night. You'd better be there," she grabbed all the kids and herded them out the door.

Jake sighed and looked defeated. "She had to find out sometime… right?" I asked him softly.

"I thought she was going to blow a gasket," he admitted.

"Me too… she took it… well not good but not bad either." I answered. He looked depressed so I said, "Come on buddy… it'll all work out."

"Sure," he said softly and then changed the subject by asking, "Do you have Terminator 2 in?" as he disappeared back into the Action movie shelf.

He left after renting Terminator 2. Christine hung around a little while longer before heading home herself.

I locked up the store later that night and stood on the little porch outside the store, staring at the bare trees lit up by the moon light.

I'd changed… a lot had changed in the last couple of weeks. Had it been a good change?

I walked over to my car, lost in thought. I was stunned to see Alexandra leaning against her parked car next to mine.

"Hey." I said, surprised.

"Paul called my father a few hours ago and thanked him for the check," she said softly. "He talked to me too and told me that he'd showed you the letter and the check too."

"Yeah." I nodded.

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ecotone99 · 5 years

Text

[HR] LaserChase

Sweat dribbled down Dheeraj’s forehead. He lifted a hand to brush the salty sting from eyes and discovered the weight of his weapon had crippled his shoulder muscles sometime during the battle. A scream filled the darkness, and Dheeraj realized that he might be in the midst of the best day of his life.

Pounding footsteps. With a cry of righteous fury, Dheeraj sprang his trap. He leapt from behind his cover—a rusted android—roaring. He squeezed the trigger, released and squeezed again as fast as his burning fingers would allow. Laser bursts ripped into the dilapidated jeep which marked the center of the arena. Shadows gave way to laser light, and a tall red haired boy, Connor Gallagher, was revealed.

Conner’s vest blinked red. He swore and found his foe.

“Deer’s on the jeep!” the felled boy shouted before disappearing into ruins of a futuristic city. He would wait out the thirty seconds before his weapon and vest reactivated, then Connor would gather his comrades and make a beeline for the jeep.

Dheeraj welcomed the challenge. He would make them wish they had never been born, or at least that they had picked green vests at the start of the game.

Dheeraj, who had been praying and thanking god since he knew the words, spent a moment giving a silent thank you to mothers. To his own mother, for insisting he attend Stewart Hamilton’s eleventh birthday party, and to Stewart Hamilton’s mom, for insisting that every boy in fourth grade receive an invitation.

Dheeraj retreated to Green Team Tower. He had to force himself not to skip with glee. Soldiers did not skip.

Another scream rent the air. This time, from the green side of the arena.

“On me!” Dheeraj called, inwardly cursing his teammates’ cowardice. That was probably Andrew Moses, who seemed to always have a dripping nose. He waited a moment, but Andrew did not respond to the summons.

From the crow’s nest of Green Team Tower, Dheeraj could see the entire arena. Little good it did him though, the room was pitch black and bathed in post-apocalyptic smoke, courtesy of the LaserChase smoke machine. Strings of glowing death flickered across the room, but the laser bursts were too fast to respond to. A gunman would appear, illuminated for an instant, then vanish before Dheeraj could get a shot.

A third scream.

From the unseen depths of the red city, “The green team are babies!”

That was Tyler Abercrombie. Tyler, who would trade with him at lunch and wouldn’t pick Dheeraj last for soccer baseball, had become the enemy.

Dheeraj fired in the direction of the criticism. He pulled the trigger three times and three green laser beams crashed into the mock city with impossible speed. In his imagination, he leveled concrete towers and cyborg factories, but he didn’t hit Tyler or anyone else.

A fourth scream, and this one sent a chill up Dheeraj’s neck, though he couldn’t say why.

Red laser flashed an inch to his left and Dheeraj dove behind cover. His heart rattled like a machine gun.

He counted to thirty, then sixty, then a hundred.

Another scream. This one lingered on the air too long. Someone had fallen down, probably scraped themselves on a sharp corner. Infantry from both sides would be drawn to the commotion.

But when Dheeraj rose from cover both teams had stopped firing. He waited. There were no lasers and no rolling thunder of footfalls.

Dheeraj fired his weapon into the dark jeep carcass, hunting for hidden foes. His laser punched the middle of the driver’s seat but it illuminated the whole vehicle. Empty.

“Come out cowards!” Dheeraj screamed. The shout echoed back to him.

There was no answer. Nothing moved in the arena. Was the game over?

“Guys?”

The fog machine hummed on and on. The walls of the arena, the room of black paint and cardboard cutouts, seemed to close in.

Dheeraj wanted to leave.

He descended the tower ladder as fast as he could manage. If the guys were pranking him, waiting behind cover to scare him, or if they had snuck out to the lobby so that they could laugh while he wandered alone in the dark, Dheeraj could take it. He had endured worse.

But he didn’t think it was a prank, not this time. Thinking back, the screams had not sounded like furious cries of one fourth grader being lasered by another. Those were the screams of someone being torn apart by a shark.

He hit the floor hard, breathing harder, and hurried for the exit. The weight of his loose vest sloshed uncomfortably against his gut.

He rounded a corner, and in his rising panic, he tripped on his shoelace and he was sent sprawling. The impact caused the nearest cutouts and play equipment to shudder.

A snarl rose in the shadows.

Dheeraj scrambled to his feet. The exit was just ahead, in the same direction as that snarl. Had he imagined it?

Dheeraj turned the last corner, and there they were. His classmates had gathered by the exit. They were waiting for him.

“T-Tyler?”

Thirteen pairs of red eyes landed on him, and before Dheeraj had time to take in what he was seeing—fang-filled mouths, cracked skin, yellow claws—they attacked.

Stewart Hamilton was closest. When the birthday boy opened his mouth to reveal rows of sharp fangs going all the way to the back of his throat, Dheeraj did the first and only thing he could think to do. He raised his laser gun and squeezed the trigger.

A spot of bright green appeared then disappeared from Stewart’s forehead. The boy screamed, an animalistic wail of pain and non-comprehension, and collapsed. The other boys stopped charging. They were watching Stewart Hamilton, waiting to see what happened to him.

Dheeraj’s lips trembled. What had happened?

“S-Stewart?”

Stewart moaned and rubbed his forehead. A thin line of cigarette smoke was rising from behind his palm.

Did I do that? Dheeraj thought.

Stewart shrieked again, and leapt to his feet. He charged, and the other snapping demons followed.

They could do high school track and field, Dheeraj thought.

Part of his brain was begging him to find a corner where he could cry and suck his thumb, but a louder, fierce voice was demanding he bring up the laser gun for another burst. The second voice informed him it was fight now and fight hard, or die. He fought.

Backpedaling and roaring a battle cry he was hardly aware of, Dheeraj hit the first two boys above the shoulder and the third in the chest. The first boys howled in pain, but they continued forward, staggering. The third boy, Leonard Applebottom, clutched his heart where the laser burst had found him. Leonard made a sound, ack, and exploded into a tumbling cloud of dust.

“You like that?” Dheeraj roared.

The fanged things came on. Dheeraj grit his teeth and let them all have it.

Now that he knew their weak point—the heart—he could tear down his classmates as quickly as they could attack. He turned Tyler Abercrombie into dust with a pang of regret which emanated from a very deep place in his heart, and Matthew Hanscombe—the class bully—with sadistic indifference.

There was a moment of terror when Stewart, with a hole straight through his brain, leapt from the top of the jeep and tackled Dheeraj to the ground. Stewart’s new and terrible jaws snapped and clashed an inch from his face. He could smell Stweart’s rank breath. He could feel it on his face.

Dheeraj managed to get the gun between himself and Stewart, and lasered the birthday boy’s neck again and again until his head rolled off. Steam bellowed from the wound.

On his back, he brought down another classmate, then he got to his feet and ran into the city.

There were only two classmates remaining: Conner Gallagher and Robbie Barbara, and thankfully these two were hanging back. They seemed to be too stupid now, too animalistic, to figure out that they could take him if one struck from the front and one at his back, but they were smart enough to not charge blindly forward.

Dheeraj walked backwards into a wall. The red-eyed boys, with those fangs they had to be vampires or some adjacent creature, darted in and out of cover from a safe distance, looking for an opening Dheeraj would not give them.

“Come and get it!” Dheeraj screamed. Robbie leapt between covers, just managing to avoid a laser through his eye. “Come and get it you…you fucks!”

Dheeraj’s mouth snapped shut. Fire blossomed on his cheeks. It was his first swear.

Swears felt good.

He was smiling, starting to seriously consider taking the fight to them, when he became aware of a new sound in the LaserChase arena. Soft footsteps, and they were coming this way.

“Get back!” Dheeraj shouted. “It’s not safe!” but before the words were out of his mouth he knew it was safe for the thing coming next.

It was a girl, a tall girl, one he recognized. Stewart’s older sister was supposed to chaperone the party but she hadn’t shown up, until now. He couldn’t quite remember her name, Kate maybe, or Caitlyn.

She was a vampire. Like the boys, but a thousand times worse.

Her eyes were not just glowing, but a deep R-rated red. Her skin glowed so pale she appeared to be made of moonlight. Her fangs extended almost to the bottom of her chin.

Dheeraj brought up his weapon and fired, and Katy or Caitlyn did not dive out of the way. The moment before the laser beam made contact, the moment he pulled the trigger, she burst into a black storm. Maybe she wasn’t a vampire after all. Vampires were supposed to turn into bats.

The part of Dheeraj’s brain telling him to find a lonely corner was louder than ever,

I must be dreaming.

Dheeraj rapid fired into the cloud. It seemed to be made of bugs, flying clicking terrors, and while his laser beam did kill the bugs it touched, the mass held thousands of insects and each of his shots brought down about six. The cloud rushed towards him.

Dheeraj glanced around the room. He needed a miracle, and he got one.

The emergency exit was just where he had prayed it would be. The glowing red sign pointing out his safety was perhaps twenty feet away. If these were vampires, then he had a chance if he could make into the daylight.

Dheeraj turned and ran for his life as the insects bore down. The hefty LaserChase vest protected his back and his guts, but his arms and legs burned as though they were being forced through a paper shredder. Not content to merely sting him, some of the black bugs latched onto his skin with engorged mandibles in order to swing back and forth, stinging him repeatedly.

Then one hand was on the exit door. It would be locked, he was sure, but to his surprise and gratitude the door swung opened easily, as if the sun and light were pulling it open from the other side.

Somewhere behind him, Conner and Robbie screamed as sunlight poured into the LaserChase arena.

The wasps let go when the sunlight found them. Instead of flying back into the cover of darkness, they erupted into small fires. These balls of orange swelled like flash fireworks before vaporizing into spirals of smoke.

Dheeraj ran all the way home, only stopping one time to remove his LaserChase vest and toss it aside into a snowbank. He didn’t want to let it go. He had a feeling he had not seen the last of the vampires, and wanted to be ready, but the gun had turned grey and died when he’d stepped outside of the arena.

Dheeraj was finished with birthday parties.

submitted by /u/More_Pop [link] [comments] via Blogger https://ift.tt/365dKRf

#Blogger #Story

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voidore · 6 years

Text

redoing an old reading survey from 2012

I’m gonna redo this thing I did when I was 15 now as a 22* year old. ’ll keep my old responses in italics (regardless of how embarrassing they may be)

*don’t @ me my birthday is in 2 days

1. Favorite childhood book? The Balloon Tree That hasn’t changed, though I may have forgotten about Garden of Whales

2. What are you reading right now? A Clash of Kings, Matilda in French Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn 3. What books do you have on request at the library? None lol Nothing’s changed lmao 4. Bad book habit? Reading lots of books at the same time god I wish. now I buy books I want to read without reading the ones I already have waiting for me at home 5. What do you currently have checked out at the library? A biology book from my school Nothin 6. Do you have an e-reader? Yup ;D Still yup and it’s the exact same one lmao 7. Do you prefer to read one book at a time, or several at once? Several One at a time 8. Have your reading habits changed since starting a blog? Don't think so.. :/ Yes but not because of having a blog (?) just because of being an adult 9. Least favourite book you read this year (so far)? Pain Through A Child's Eyes. Didn't finish it The Visitors by Catherine Burns.... finished it but oof 10. Favorite book you've read this year? This year only???? Erm maybe The Handmaid's Tale? Def Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo, also @ 15yo me, good choice 11. How often do you read out of your comfort zone? Maybe I'm tired (4h sleep ftw), but that doesn't make sense to me ;__; I'm going to say often Yikes I had insomnia for so fuckin long And never really, I stick to genres I like cause I get bored real easy these days 12. What is your reading comfort zone? Fantasy, some sci-fi YA or horror/thriller 13. Can you read on the bus? Yup. Every summer Ye but I don’t usually 14. Favorite place to read? No idea, my green chair? The couch? The floor? Our papasan chair, I love being a circle 15. What is your policy on book lending? KEEP IT CLEAN/BEAUTIFUL Same lol if I see bent corners or overcracked spines I’ll explode 16. Do you ever dog-ear books? NO. ^ 17. Do you ever write in the margins of your books? Hell no. Nah 18. Not even with text books? Oh lol. That's a different matter. been a while since I had a non-pdf textbook but I think I might pencil stuff in lightly before erasing 19. What is your favourite language to read in? English. Although, a while ago I read a beautiful French poem. Very sad. Still english 20. What makes you love a book? Strong plot, likable characters and lines that resonate in my head for a long time Characters is a big thing, they gotta be multidimensional and complex, bonus points for being queer. Plot is still a fairly big factor too 21. What will inspire you to recommend a book? If it's good and if I think the person will like said book Yeah depends who’s getting the recommendation 22. Favorite genre? Fantasy/sci-fi Fantasy YA on the darker side 23. Genre you rarely read (but wish you did)? Wish I did.... maybe suspense Nonfiction science novels....... I just can’t do it I’m sorry to all my profs 24. Favourite biography? I don't read biographies .___. Caitlyn Doughty’s Smoke Gets in Your Eyes 25. Have you ever read a self-help book? I guess The Secret. My mom tried to get me to read a grief book once but it didn't work ^ all I can remember 26. Favourite cookbook? Hershey's cookbook! Easy 3 step recipes lmao 27. Most inspirational book you've read this year (fiction or non-fiction)? Hmm. I really don't know...Probably The Handmaid's Tale From Here to Eternity by Caitlyn Doughty ooo girl 49. Do you like to keep your books organized? Fairly, although usually a few books are strewn around my house Ye, usually by size but I’ve done by colour before 50. Do you prefer to keep books or give them away once you've read them? Keep them. I reread. Keep em if I like them and think I’ll reread them 51. Are there any books you've been avoiding? In That Darkness and Coming of the Terraphiles. They stare at me in my room and yell at m to read them, but I don't want to T.T The first wtnv novel (not script books)... I’ve had it since it came out and I’ve only ever gotten like 50 pages in rip.... I’m sorry joseph... 52. Name a book that made you angry. Last bit of Mockingjay Last bit of 1984 tbh, not what I was expecting and I know it’s the final nail in the book’s ~message~ but eugh 53. A book you didn't expect to like but did? Maybe Death Troopers. I dunno Don’t know if it counts but Ancient Magus Bride. Someone recc’d it to me so I went in without knowing the premise cause I was like “big monster....sexie”. Turns out this fucktowel buys a 15 year old he intends to be his bride and it’s sold as romance and I’m like ???????????? HMMM 54. A book that you expected to like but didn't? Coming of the Terraphiles The Visitors (same as mentioned earlier) or Abigaile Hall 55. Favorite guilt-free, pleasure reading? STILL MISSING. I'm rereading it for the 8th (I think) time. Can't stop reading X_X Webcomics like Go Get a Roomie and Demon House ahhhh

#riddlespeak

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marjaystuff · 6 years

Text

Carey Baldwin Interview by Elise Cooper

Countdown by Carey Baldwin is a story ripped from the headlines. Juggling two professions, psychologist and pediatrician, has helped her with formulating different storylines. This novel is a departure from her last one, and is much more of a fun read. The plot begins with what appears to be someone drowning on the beach of Tahiti. Forensic psychiatrist Caitlyn Cassidy and FBI Agent Atticus Spenser are enjoying some R and R while preparing for their upcoming wedding. Unfortunately their best-laid plans go awry when they attempt to rescue the couple. They then become embroiled in a case that involves a con, dirty secrets and murder. After agreeing to help local law enforcement that seems to be overwhelmed Cassidy and Spenser find that each clue of the investigation is nothing, as it seems. The story takes off with many twists and turns.

Elise Cooper: How did you get the idea for the story?

Carey Baldwin: I started out writing about something completely different, terrorists. Then I decided I did not want to write about it right now and chose to go in another direction. I came up with this near drowning and then worked backwards from the incident in the water. For the characters I wanted a family situation and centered them on twin sisters.

EC: Why the Tahiti setting?

CB: I have never been in Tahiti but would like to go there one day. I did a lot of research on the setting and luckily my editor has been there. She was able to provide me with some of the nuance and was my fact checker.

EC: You have this great quote, “It didn’t matter if she couldn’t match Tommy’s physical strength; she had a gun.” It reminds me of that Indiana Jones’ scene where the gun is the equalizer. Please explain.

CB: It reflected Rose’s feeling. She drew upon what she learned from her father, a con man. It doesn’t matter the who, or what is the situation, you can always outwit somebody. The way she compensated for her shortcomings was with a gun. It was her trying to figure out ‘how can I have an equalizer and come out on top.’

EC: Please describe Rose.

CB: She has a large sense of responsibility towards family with a highly developed sense of right and wrong. Her driving force is an overdeveloped conscience. Rose is willing to make sacrifices to do right by her family.

EC: The French police reminded me of the Keystone Cops?

CB: Deputy Sgt. Pierre Brousseau is a slightly comic figure. He is flawed, but not stupid. Being addicted to alcohol causes him to do some dumb mistakes. His brother, Inspector Jacques Brousseau is stubborn, determined, and humble. But he is also inexperienced, although not inept.

EC: What do you think is the theme?

CB: The importance of family. All the motivations for the supporting characters is protecting someone in their family, including the police brothers. The twins were searching for the ideal family when in reality they had a dysfunctional one. Caity and Spenser had their moms and each other to contend with.

EC: The con plays a huge role?

CB: The twins looked at the world from that lens. They were always looking for a trick, the potential for a trick, or a trick they could use to get the outcome they wanted. They saw everything in the form of a game because they had trust issues. The con skewed their whole world.

EC: What do you want readers to get out of the novel?

CB: An entertaining story that had a lighter touch. The story is fun and adventurous. It is not quite as dark as the previous novel, Stolen. I hope readers realize that at the end of the book Caity and Spenser are in a good place. Also, my next book will probably not be a Cassidy and Spenser story.

THANK YOU!!

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lepusrufus · 2 years

Note

I adore your art! Do you have any Cassandra/Tobias headcanons (can be for your Werewolf AU or for canon)? Your fanart of their younger selves with Cassandra complaining about her mom has single handedly made me ship them.

Oho I haven't done hcs in a while and I just love me some wholesome emotional support brits, so here goes (these are mostly just hcs that I have in my own fics or stuff I kinda gathered by being a nerd and watching their scenes too much) (also buckle up cause you opened the floodgates for all the feelsies I have on them):

They met relatively young because similarly to Jayce, Tobias was backed by the Kirammans

Tobias drinks his respect women juice and Cassandra looked at that adorable face and went yeah that one

They used to go on hunting trips together quite a bit, which is when Cassandra got injured that one time

He never lets her live it down

Cassandra’s mom is an asshole in every universe and she absolutely did not approve of Tobias, which gained her the biggest fuck you of the century from Cassandra

I feel like Cassandra may not have cared that much about marrying with someone with a really high position or smt (watch s2 disprove me on this lmao). I mean she already has a guaranteed seat among Piltover’s leaders and is the head of one of the richest families there, what else can you want.

Going against the general consensus here and saying Tobias is not a doctor, BUT he has medical training

Tbh the only piece of canon we have about his job is the lol lore that says he's an artificer, so I'm going with that.

Specifically he likes to tinker with weapons and he's the one that made and designed Caitlyn's rifle

Also Caitlyn’s grandma did not approve of her love for shooting in the slightest which actually made Cassandra double down and go "here sweetie have a rifle", to Tobias' utter delight

(It came to bite her in the ass later on but oh well)

Ik a lot of ppl ship them (galaxy brain tbh) but I really like the idea that Grayson was always a good friend of theirs, so despite it all, part of them is happy that she ended up someone their daughter looked up to

Tobias calls Cassandra "Cassie" I take no criticism

Ik I mentioned this, but each Kiramman has their own hunting dog, named after firearms in true nerd fashion. Sniper and Revolver are Caitlyn and Cassandra’s and are the same breed, while Shottie is Tobias' baby and is more of a retriever for hunting waterfowl

They are not homophobic I will take this hc and rip it with my teet- mmmmm everyone is entitled to their hcs everyone is entitled to their hcs everyone is-

I feel like ppl exaggerate the "fun dad strict mom" dynamic a little. I mean if you remember Tobias was the first to want to drop Jayce after the lab blew up while Cassandra was actually more lenient. What I'm saying is, they're probably on the same page a lot more than we think.

They're pretty classist tho let's not gloss over that. *taps watch* fix that. Have you guys seen your future daughter in law??

Speaking of which, after some initial bumps the Kirammans would absolutely adore Vi and you can take this from my cold dead hands

Tobias and Vi would just vibe while their respective wives are bickering about whatever competitive shit they got into. "Should we uh... intervene?" "Oh no darling I quite enjoy living."

Apparently Tobias smokes

Tobias and Caitlyn have matching silly top hats

Vi's first mistake was letting their tailor get her measurements. The Kirammans really like their fancy clothes and their daughter's partner has to match.

Also the Kirammans like to take some family pictures every time they go to the winter estate for hunting season

The first time Vi was with them she was all "aight imma let you to it" to which Cassandra responded rather miffed that they didn't bring along like five of her suits just for her not to be in the photos, now go on and get changed

Caitlyn was both endeared and trying not to laugh her ass off

Ok this got a little long but thanks for opening pandora's box nonnie. I could do a part 2 of the Paranormal AU version if you guys are curious (while jumping through fifty loops to avoid spoilers lol)

#i feel like there's more bouncing in my brain but this is already long enough #arcane headcanon #caitlyn kiramman #tobias kiramman #cassandra kiramman #piltover’s finest #asks

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