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#should i even be tagging this as tua?

non-plutonian-druid · 11 months

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[ID: a The Umbrella Academy-themed tarot card, illustrated in a way that is supposed to resemble the style of the comics (though how well that is achieved is up for debate). It is Ten of Swords, featuring an illustration of Leonard Peabody slash Harold Jenkins who has been Very Killed by ten sharp implements, mostly knives (and one pair of scissors), impaled into his chest by Viktor's mind powers. He is slumped in a chair in his dining room, with blood coming from both the knife wounds and his hairline. His missing eye has a white bandage over it, which is slightly stained with the blood coming from his face. End ID.]

we take a brief interlude from the major arcana part of the tarot series to add a sneaky little bonus. i'm absolutely not doing any more of the deck that's outside the major arcana, but this one i had a Vision for. Or rather, i had a vision of leonard in the sword suit and picked whichever card's meaning that would let me stick the most knives in him. luckily, i got to stick The Most knives in him!

#tua #the umbrella academy #should i even bother to tag him lmao #probably #leonard peabody #harold jenkins #see nobody gives a shit about him his name doesnt even come up for me to click #cw blood #cw death #cw dead body #?#is that anything #tua tarot series #my art #sorry that i didnt add to this series for months and then when i did it wasnt even to actually continue it #dw i have another one thats almost done that i might even end up posting tonight if im really impatient

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sharkneto · 2 years

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Also, my theory was Reg was making a deal with a Future Five (rather than Allison) because our Five was having indigestion and I thought it was paradox psychosis symptoms he was too drunk to notice

#still intrigued by this idea #things went horribly in the HOb and five jumps back to try anc fix it? very five #well even more horribly in the HOb than it already did #i also might just really like five time traveling and having multiple fives in any given moment #tua #tua s3 spoilers #tua s3 #i should be tagging these rambles #shark s3 thoughts

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twig-tea · 6 months

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10[ish] BL Boys People I Want Carnally

Tagged by @bengiyo who knows I am bad at short lists but also went over 10 on his own list, so everyone should just...not count as you scroll lol. Also warning that in the spirit of this tag game I am probably thirstier here than I've ever been on this site so if that isn't your jam, just scroll along!

BL characters who I absolutely Would, if given a chance (no homewrecking, we're playing by the rules of no-strings-no-relationship-just-getting-wrecked).

Mawin (Ingredients the Series)

Is it cheating to choose a character who basically is Jeff Satur? Maybe. But he's a musician with strong hands and emo hair and I am weak.

Dr. Jedi (Oxygen the Series)

I know we all blocked the doctor subplot from our minds. But this man was quiet, caring, and thirsting for years, he's got some pent-up aggression to get out and I volunteer as tribute. Also he's both extremely competent and a sad boi, two qualities I find very attractive. And that spiky hair is begging to be pulled.

Choi Yu Na (Semantic Error)

While the boys were running around being their messy selves, Yu Na was being a calm, competent, bisexual queen. The embodiment of "do I want to do her or be her", but in this case the answer is definitely both. Guh. I legitimately can't sentence when she's on the screen.

Gumpa (Not Me the series)

This show is of course filled with attractive men. But only one of them has built a found family and resistance group in his garage and was the only one who knew White wasn't Black, and look we've already established that competence is a kink of mine.

Namo (Not Me the series)

Ok but also Namo was smart enough to Not Get Involved, and she was artistic, and also gave off a kind of sad boi energy, and goddd her style in this. She wouldn't even need to do anything except let me worship her, I would do all the work.

Naruse Ryu (Ossan's Love: In the Sky)

Controversial but NGL one of the troubles I had with this AU S2 was that Naruse was so attractive I just wanted him to get laid and be happy. He's a competent, beautiful, confident, slightly bratty sad boi who isn't afraid to put you where he wants you; we could have fun.

YoonWon (The Eighth Sense)

This woman holds together the whole swim club, casually drinks everyone under the table, and gets her man, all while taking absolutely nothing seriously for most of the show. She can get me first.

Tua Phee (Dear Doctor, I'm Coming For Soul)

Tall, brooding, competent, caring, sad boi....clearly I have a type. Plus, he literally disappears, guaranteeing no complications.

In (180 Degrees Longitude)

OK YES I SEE A THEME [Note: Wang could also get it but I don't know if I could match his energy. In, on the other hand, this man looks like he jackhammers until you're done and then stares at a wall].

Yamato Kumai (Restart Tadaima no Ato De)

Please, no wonder Mitsuomi saw him and immediately latched on like a limpet. He's just the right amount of listless that he'd be down for whatever, but not enough that he wouldn't get into it.

Maya (Laws of Attraction)

The choice between Rose and Maya was EXCRUCIATING but while both could step on me, Maya would also let me step on them and I am nothing if not verse. Also the tattoos! And again do I need to repeat: Musicians have strong fingers.

Sunny (Our Dating Sim)

Extremely queer-coded, quiet, competent, tall, sad boi energy, would definitely tell me what she wants and expect that I meet her standards.

Kim (Diary of Tootsies)

NGL I love Natty in this show but she got elbowed out of the way by this man. We know from the show he has game, and we've already established I'm here for verse behaviour. Let's all ignore that he also has floppy hair.

Jay (Discipline Z: Vampire)

This was a close call with Ji Han (tall, floppy dark hair, sad boi, competent, we all know the drill by now) but in my heart of hearts honesty, when I think of Jay in her giant boots and her hacking skills I drool a little.

Daisy (Secret Crush on You)

I admit I don't usually prefer the 'innocence ready to be moulded' as a thing, but Daisy walks that confident/lack of confidence line so well that I think once they were comfortable we'd have fun and they could use me for practice all they want. [This is one in particular where I would 100% be down for a threesome. These two would not let you feel like a third wheel!]

Nawin (Laws of Attraction)

This is the man who defies all my rules and in breaking them is extremely hot. He's unhinged. He's massively entitled. He's baby. He's exactly the type to get obsessed after a one night stand. He's not particularly effective. AND YET. When he runs on screen covered in blood, wearing bloody knuckles, with a massive dorky grin on his face? Everything in me said IN ME (at least he has floppy hair, I am still predictable in one way).

ALRIGHT I'M STOPPING THERE.

tagging @wen-kexing-apologist @sorry-bonebag; @sparklyeyedhimbo; @respectthepetty; @isaksbestpillow; @slayerkitty; @wanderlust-in-my-soul

#tag game #multi bl #bl meta #not tagging shows to hide my thirst

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capinejghafa · 5 months

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NEW YEARS CLEAN-UP 🎊

rules: unburden yourself from the abandoned WIPS collecting dust in your folder and share 5 gifs, then tag five people. (tagged by @taiturner... thank you, i just realized i save a lot of my old sets and then forget but also i save random projects for no good reason lol tagging (no pressure!): @girlbutcherwife @crowley-anthony @samwwise @athousandyearstime @rachelsennot @padme-amidala

ok, so i had a bit too much nervous energy last year and posted most of the sets i wanted to make. which you would think would leave me with nothing else to post, but that's not technically true. most of these are from shadow and bone a few pre/post season, and one tua. there's no rhyme or reason. i just had a time giffing last year.... iykyk.

untitled wylan project. this was made sometime in jan/feb... i know it was before jack's casting... anyways i was watching 15 days (pls don't watch it, it's awful) and this shot was giving me wylan energy so i made it with the intention to post it after s2 premiere and then i didn't. it just felt too modern, so i dropped it.

kanej fic rec. so a few things: 1) this is my gift to @whatanybodygets <3, 2) this was supposed to be a part two of this set / kanej fic (written by alltheworldsinmyhead & Whitherward), and 3) you should read this fic.... i personally love it and it's something small i could make for a friend.

the crows header. this was supposed to be part of larger set after the cancellation, but then i got sad thinking about it and again. i did make a different set afterwards. and then i kept making more sets... so, it wasn't a loss. it's something small and quick and im still sad about sab's fate. will i ever make the set i was planning, no. i just... i want to but i'm also just not entirely sure where i was going with this.

zoyalai gif. i made a few ZN gifs for someone and then i was really sure i was gonna make a whole set based on this gif... but for some reason I didn't. and it ended up just being a fun concept for someone and i still think about making something... but i'll be the first to admit i'm not a huge fan of the ravkan gang lol i won't but it's fun to think about.

allison (greek goddess). way back in 2019, i did a hargreeves as demigods set. which was based on a post i saw... and the comments were, um... not kind, there was a bit of discourse on what character should be which. and as i mentioned this was an inspired set. so i ended up debating back and forth about how much time i wanted to put and whether or not posting it. i did really like experimenting with the pink in this. i even went ahead and got the fonts... just never went anywhere.

#tumblr2023 #tumblr memes #random #tbh i hesitate to make any [blank] as [blank] gifsets #but they are fun to make #the crows #soc #tua #mygifs15

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cas-backwards-tie · 1 year

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Here's The Deal...

So here's the deal... I have been pursuing my real life goals and accomplishments the past two years. This summer I have about a month and a half before I have to go into essentially a work-study opportunity which is going to help propel the rest of my career. What does this mean?

Though I know I've always been sparse when it comes to getting things out and finishing projects with my writing, I think that perhaps it might be worth it to post the drafts, snippets, imagines, WIPs, and ideas I've had over the years either in store in my drafts, or in my docs. I have stuff ranging from either Supernatural, DC Comics, ADCU of course, TUA, and of course some more recent developments on the Marvel, Grishaverse, and DBH content I'd been putting out. The question is... would anyone be interested in that?

I'm such a perfectionist at times when it comes to things like this, that... I'm even doubting if I should post this halfway through writing this. HOWEVER, I will say that some things will be incredibly brief. And for that purpose, it's exactly why I'm asking if anyone would be interested in reading/seeing these things. If so, I can post them, and even tag people. I'm just curious, since, I haven't written for some of these fandoms in a while, but am wanting to get back into writing over the summer, that perhaps it might be worthwhile. What do we think?

tagging: (forever taglist) @ohdamnadam , @safarigirlsp , @jynzandtonic , (mutuals+ ppl I think would be supportive) @kylo-ren-writes , @itsaconquestofimagination , @leatherboundbirate , @purplebtsmagic , @morby , @reylokisses , @thepilotanon , @maybe-your-left , @direnightshade , @glassbxttless , @mariesackler , @caillea , @wayward-rose (people whose fandoms it'd effect + above) @mrswhozeewhatsis , @sacklerscumrag , @formerly-anonhamster , @clumsycopy , @xenteaart , @driversmutbucket , @in-silks-and-flesh-and-leather , @barbers-glimmerin-darlin , @millenialcatlady , @floral-and-fine , @sithlordintraining , @moonlightsolo , @ussrootcanal , @callmehopeless

Maybe also just a reason to tag my mutuals and get back in connection with them cause I'm in a place now that I'm graduating and less busy that I can be a better friend and get connected again. <3

and if I didn't tag you, that doesn't mean you're not included. These are just some people I've thought of, or like, or were connected to present or in the past, and have also supported me. <3

#writing #thoughts?#opinions?#my writing #ideas #drabbles #imagines #solo triplets #dbh reader insert #adcu #peter parker x gwen stacy #general kirigan x reader #five hargreeves x reader #spn reader insert #dc comics reader insert #not queued

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nosolaceofastraightanswer · 5 months

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[disclaimer. this post was from a handful of months ago but it prob still applies. it’s also pretty angry!! sorry abt that lol. i do realize that most people doing this aren’t aware or trying to be malicious. it’s kind of a rant post. originally i wasn’t gonna post it but my mutual said i should lol. anyway here it is]

okay the cross tagging in the tua fandom has gotten way out of hand. i’m just really frustrated right now because this is ridiculous. if you want someone to see your post, tag it correctly. don’t add a bunch of random fandom related tags about characters that aren’t even mentioned just so you can get more notes.

there is actually a Reason for this alright? it’s not just rules for the sake of rules. when you tag in an unrelated tag, it clogs it up with posts that aren’t related (stay w me here). so if someone’s looking through their favorite character’s tag they don’t want to see a random incorrect quote in the general fandom NOT EVEN MENTIONING THE CHARACTER. when it gets really intense, it’s difficult to even find posts that mention the character (cough cough the ben hargreeves tag cough cough)

tagging is an organization system that helps people find stuff. you are making it ineffective and frustrating to use by crosstagging. please stop.

pls do not:

-tag “character a” in a post about “character b” and “character c” because they are all in the same show/book/video game etc

-tag an incorrect quotes post with every character in the fandom. (you know who you are. yes i’m targeting iq acc’s because they do this A LOT but lots of ppl do it!!)

-tag a general post about tua with the characters (this one has nuance, like many other things in the world. just use your best judgement like i trust you!!!)

also usually i wouldn’t tag a fandom post about fictional characters with the actors that play them??? like it would have to be a v specific situation so idk why people do this. you are not writing analysis of emmy raver lampman?? hello??

anyway lmk if you have any more tips. i’m not the tagging police (ACAB) so take everything i say with a grain of salt because i am not the ruler of the tua fandom or tumblr! i’m just seeing a problem in this community that i know other people are bothered by. alr live your life just be considerate of other ppl while ur doing ur thing 👍

it’s really not something that you have to obsess or worry about whether you’re doing it just keep it in mind!!!

tldr: use tagging as a filtering tool- not a way to get more engagement

#tua #the umbrella academy #fandom #discourse #i guess??#cross tagging #writingastraightanswer

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lgg5989 · 2 years

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Church Encounters Chapter 16 Part 2

Hey guys! Thanks to everyone for your continued support of this fic, @barbiewritesstuff and I are having a great time writing it. We waffled on in this one...its a whole 12k words...hope you enjoy it! We do also want to let people know that our lives are getting a little busier and our updates might not be out as steadily as they have been up to this point. Thank you for the support and for your patience while we find a new groove :D We have had a few requests for side drabbles and stuff about these characters and we will be happy to answer them! Just send us asks :)

You can find the previous chapters on my Masterlist, and you can read the whole series so far on my Ao3! :D

PS. If Glen is reading this, do you like it so far?

Tagging: @roosterscock @sydneyhlove

“Jake,” you said, looking around at the ransacked room. You had been pulling clothes, shoes and souvenirs out of your case for the past hour now, desperately looking for one of your most precious belongings, again.

Jake hummed, appearing through the bathroom doorway with his toothbrush hanging from his mouth. He looked around you, making an effort to hide his surprise and failing miserably.

“Everything okay?” he managed to ask through the toothpaste foam, his voice sounding thick and muffled.

You looked at him guiltily, “Do you know where I put my chapel veil?” you asked, suddenly terribly interested in a strange stain in the rug.

“Have you gone through my trousers?” he asked, looking behind him to see if he could spot them. Jake eventually did find them, on a pile of other clothes to your left, turned upside down and inside out.

“I think I might have lost it at the Basilica yesterday…” you said, your heart sinking to your stomach.

“I will glue the damn thing to your head, woman,” he said, spitting the contents of his mouth into the nearest sink, briefly rinsing before walking straight past you towards the phone. As he lifted the receiver of the old landline phone, he reached over to you and grabbed your arm, spinning you into him. He lodged the phone between his cheek and his shoulder, using his now free hand to keep you flush to him while the other disappeared for a second, only to return with a sharp smack on your bum, jostling you against his front.

“I should punish you for that,” Jake breathed into your ear, his voice deep and gravelly, “Maybe then you’d remember not to d-- Ciao, sì, sto chiamando per un oggetto smarrito?” he added, rudely interrupted by whomever had answered the phone. You wriggled yourself free of his iron grip. Turning around to try and get a read on his face, you could feel a blush covering your own, something certainly not helped by the wink Jake shot your way and the cheshire smile he wore.

“Abbiamo perso un velo da cappella” Jake continued, “È bianco con pizzo attorno al bordo”

“No, non c'è nessun nome scritto da nessuna parte,” he replied with a sigh. There was a pause, then, after a moment Jake turned to you, “He’s going to check but he’s not hopeful if there’s no name.”

There was another pause as Jake waited for the man to come back. The anxiety Jake had alleviated with his innuendo had come back in full force. Thoughts swirled through your brain as guilt made you tear up. Jake opened one of his arms wide to you, signalling you to come for a hug and you obeyed without hesitation. He squeezed you tightly, kissing the middle part of your hair repeatedly until a voice came through the receiver again.

“Signore? Sei ancora lì?” the voice asked. The man sounded young, barely older than you and his timber of voice shook slightly as he spoke. Jake hummed in response.

“Abbiamo un velo che corrisponde alla tua descrizione. Puoi ritirarlo oggi o possiamo spedirlo a casa tua,” the man added.

Even if you didn’t understand much Italian, the grin on Jake’s face told you everything you needed to know but he still translated it for you, “They have a veil matching the description. We can pick it up today, or they can mail it to us,” he said before turning his attention back to the phone, “Lo prenderemo oggi.”

Still taking the time to check you hadn’t left behind, you packed and left the hotel room in record speed. It was still early in the morning when you got there, and you still had some time before the train to Napoli was due to depart. So, having missed your usual, and necessarily for your survival, cup of coffee you stopped by a café and ordered a coffee to go.

The man on the phone had directed you towards a police station. The tiny building looked like it could only hold about three people and when you wandered inside, you saw how right you had been. A sign saying ‘ricezione’ had been hurriedly slapped onto one of the four desks crammed into the space, ignoring the pile of loose papers spanning the entire work surface.

Jake advanced towards the ‘reception’, almost jumping out of his skin when a uniformed man popped out from behind one of the piles.

“Ho parlato con il detective Ferrari, siamo qui per raccogliere un velo,” he said, looking at Jake.

“He’ll be right back,” he translated for you.

“Are you American?” the detective asked in a surprisingly good accent. You nodded slightly, and the man smiled, “I like America. I studied at The Catholic University Of America in Washington DC. How do you like Italy? And the Vatican?” He asked you, then turning towards Jake, “Your accent is good, where are you from?”

Jake grinned, “Texas, but we’re from Salerno,”

The man tutted, “What are they doing, eh?”

“Not our best year, I have to agree,” Jake laughed.

“Don’t tell the Vatican City Football team, but I’m a Napoli man myself. Team of champions!” He laughed, driving his fist up in the air to accentuate his point, “What do you support?” he asked you as you rooted through the lost and found box in search for the promised veil.

You shrugged, “Whatever he supports,” you replied a little apologetically.

“My wife says the same but recently the children have come home cheering for Milan, so I’m not sure she means it,” he said with a small laugh before asking,”Are you two here on holiday?”

“Honeymoon, actually,” you replied, a smile on your face.

“Oh, congratulations! Are you staying in Rome long?” he questioned, looking at you both excitedly.

Jake sighed, sounding a little disappointed when he replied, “We’re leaving today, actually. We’re going to Napoli,”

“Yes, the beach is beautiful. How did you like the Vatican? Did you follow mass yesterday?” the guard inquired again, interested to hear of your plans.

“We did see the papal mass yesterday, it was so wonderful! I didn’t know there was going to be one while we were here,” you replied. He raised an eyebrow, answering his silent question, you added, “He surprised me with it -- found it!” you exclaimed, genty extricating the delicate veil.

“I wish my wife was as easy to make happy,” he joked, “Well that’s what I get for marrying a protestant… The only thing she wanted to do in the Vatican was visit the Sistine Chapel,”

“We didn’t see that one,” Jake admitted right as the detective brought a mug of steaming coffee out from a pile of paper and took a sip. He immediately choked on the beverage and Jake crossed over to him to pat him between the shoulderblades

“Mamma mia! Vieni in Vaticano e non vedi la Cappella Sistina? Che senso ha venire allora?” he exclaimed, clearly upset by the revelation, “No, no, no, you need to go. Today. Here, you take my pass,” he said, fishing a plastic card out of his wallet and raising a hand towards you to stop any protest, “You need to see it,” he added.

With your veil firmly gripped in your hand you exited the police station in front of Jake. On your way out, you heard the officer mutter something under his breath, “Americani pazzi… Vengono in Vaticano e non visitano la Cappella Sistina.”

You crossed the piazza San Pietro towards the Chapel where throngs of people were waiting for a chance to get in. As you found a spot near the back of the queue, a security man walked up to you, asking to see your pass. Jake opened his mouth to explain but the man smiled, “No worries, Marco called.” he said, signalling for you to follow.

You skipped the queue and walked right in after minimal security checks consisting of a bag check and a pat down for Jake. The chapel was magnificent in and of itself but as you looked up above the crowd and towards the ceiling, your breath caught in your throat. On the sides, sandwiching a painting of Zacharia were the paintings depicting David slaying Goliath and Judith defeating Holofernes.

You admired the painstaking work of the artist, slowly moving further into the chapel. Passing under The Drunkenness of Noah, The Great Flood, Noah and his Family Making A Sacrifice After The Flood, and Adam and Eve Being Sent Away From The Garden of Eden, before stopping under the paintings of God creating Eve and the Creation of Adam.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Jake asked, appearing beside you, taking your hand in his and giving it a squeeze.

Too enthralled by what you were seeing, you could only hum in agreement. You stayed like that, both of you staring at the ceiling, for a few more minutes before your necks begged for relief. You straightened up, looking right in front of you as you massaged your sore spots when your eyes fell on the back wall.

Behind a wall of tourists you could see the Last Judgement, a beautiful fresco painted by Michelangelo, depicting the Second Coming of Christ and the final and eternal judgement by God of all mankind. Slowly the crowds parted to let you through and you could admire the painting in all its glory.

Too soon for your liking, Jake tapped you on the shoulder, “Honey, we have to go or we’ll miss the train,”

“When does the train depart?” you asked, shaking yourself out of your reverie

“In an hour and a half, we really have to hurry,” he replied.

You mentally cursed yourself, forcing your feet to walk towards the exit. Jake stopped by the security man and gave him Detective Ferrarri’s badge before hailing a cab and rushing the both of you towards the hotel to fetch your bags and then driving towards the train station.

Once on board you stayed awake long enough to down the coffee Jake had gotten you on the platform and eat a pastry before your eyes grew heavy and your head lulled onto Jake’s shoulder. You felt him shift to throw an arm around your shoulder, pulling you into a comfortable cuddle as you fell asleep, leaving him to figure out how to turn the pages of his book with one hand only.

----

You awoke with a start, your body pitching forwards in your seat unexpectedly. Sitting up and pulling away from Jake you rubbed the sleep from your eyes before stretching your arms over your head with a small groan.

“Good afternoon princess,” Jake said, rubbing his hand down his back before pulling his arm back into his own seat.

“How long did I sleep?” you asked him, looking over to him with your eyes squinted.

Jake smiled warmly at you, “The whole ride,” he answered, gesturing to the train station that you had just pulled into.

“All the walking of the last four days has worn me out,” you said defensively.

“I know darlin’, don’t worry, the rest of today we are going to relax,” Jake said, grabbing your bags from the overhead bin.

You stood up, making sure to collect all of your belongings from your seats before slowly deboarding the train. Following Jake, you made your way to the taxi stand.

After successfully hailing a cab, Jake loaded your luggage into the car and slid in next to you.

“Dove signore?” the driver asked.

“The Grand Hotel Santa Lucina,” Jake said, settling into the small car as best he could.

With the directions given, the driver took off through the small streets. Unlike Rome, where there were shorter buildings, every building in Naples felt like it was towering over the road, like they were going to touch or fall into each other at the top.

Between the buildings you occasionally got a glimpse of the coastline. The roadway near the water was lined with large boulders and rocks. The ocean, a beautiful blue hue, one you hadn’t seen much of other than when on an aircraft carrier.

Soon, the taxi was making his way closer to the coast, a few large buildings on a small peninsula starting to come into view. He pulled up under the awning of the building and a man immediately stepped forward to open the door of the taxi, “Benvenuti signore e signora, posso aiutarvi con le valigie?”

Jake paid the driver before climbing out of the car, holding a hand out to help you as well, “Thank you, help with the bags would be great,” he replied, smiling at the bellman.

“Of course sir, we can handle this while you check in,” the man said, his English was very good but heavily accented.

Jake left them with a nod of his head, he held the door to the hotel open for you, allowing you to walk through in front of him. You stopped in the middle of the lobby taking in the beautiful decor and extravagant colours. The deep blue hues of the furniture complemented the white walls. Gold chandeliers hung from several spots in the ceiling and your own reflection could be seen throughout the lobby with the several mirrors that were hung as decoration.

Jake bumped into your back, not expecting you to suddenly stop walking in front of him, “I’m sorry,” you apologised, “It’s just so pretty.”

He let out a small laugh before whispering into your ear, “If you think this is pretty you should see the man that comes with your room, I hear he is a pilot or something.”

“Really?” you responded, your voice teasing, “I don’t know, how could he possibly compare to my dear husband?”

Jake pressed a kiss to your cheek, a small snort of amusement leaving him before he took your hand and the two of you made your way to the counter. Once he had checked in using a mix of English and Italian the two of you were presented with the key cards to your suite.

The bellboy from before guided you to your room, depositing your bags inside the door for you before taking his leave. Once he was gone, you allowed yourself to wander further into the suite. A hallway brought you into the room, a purple light was glowing a few feet down the hall and you were surprised to find the biggest shower you had ever seen. Looking up you noticed the bathroom at the end of the hall. Looking back at the shower, you thought that it would easily hold two people as you passed by it and glanced into the bedroom. There was an opening in the wall that allowed you to peek into the room from the hall and you gasped when you saw the ocean view from the windows.

Making your way into the bedroom you walked to the large windows in the wall. When you got up to one, you realised that it wasn’t a window but a door, they both were, and there were two balconies in your room.

Pulling the door open, you were immediately greeted with fresh ocean air. You let out a delighted sigh before turning to look at Jake who had followed you through the room. He had a bright smile on his face and was carrying your bags with him. Setting them on the floor, he collapsed on the couch that was at the end of your bed.

“What’s left to do today?” you asked him curiously.

Jake laughed, “Not all of us slept on the train princess,” he said through a yawn, “Nothing, I thought we could lay out by the pool and relax.”

“That sounds nice,” you said, rubbing a hand through his hair. Turning away from him, you opened your bag, digging through it until you found the blue bathing suit you had packed. When Jake told you that swimwear would be required for your honeymoon you panicked a little. All of the bathing suits you had ever bought were for practicality more than anything else.

You knew that he wouldn’t care what you wore, but you found yourself wanting to impress him in some way. Jake was a bit of a show off and with all the afternoons you had watched him play dogfight football on the beach in San Diego, you could see why.

“I’m just going to change,” you said as you made your way to the bathroom, “Then do you want to come with me to the pool? We can read and maybe you can even take a nap?” you suggested, knowing full well that when he saw you in your little surprise napping would be the last thing on his mind.

“Sounds good sweets,” Jake said, his eyes closed and his head squishing a throw pillow between it and his arm.

You smiled at the sight of him, every day you spent with him you were happier and happier to call him yours. Making your way into the bathroom, you shut the door behind yourself, clicking the lock into place quietly. Stripping out of your travelling clothes you shimmied into the bikini, making sure that all of the straps were secured.

Looking yourself over in the mirror, you were happy with the way the bikini looked. The top was a few shades of blue darker than the bottoms and while the straps were much thinner than you were used to, they were doing a good job at keeping the goods secured. Slipping the white cover up dress over it, you put your hair up in a white clip wanting to keep it out of your face for the afternoon.

Walking back into the bedroom, you nudged a sleeping Jake with your hand gently, “I’m going out to the pool love, are you going to join me?”

“Yeah,” he said quietly, his eyes still closed, “I’ll be out ‘n a minute, okay?”

You laughed at him, “Alright, but don’t take too long. Who knows the kind of Italian men I might have to fight off-”

“I’m up!” he said, his eyes open and his body lifting off the couch, “I’ll be right behind you, I promise. Save me a chair?” he asked, his fingers trailing over the material of your cover up.

“I’ll save you a chair,” you said, slipping your sunglasses on to your face, pressing a kiss to his cheek, you picked up your book and room key. As you left the room, the sounds of Jake shuffling his clothes around meeting your ears, you grabbed a bottle of water before heading towards the pool.

—

Twenty minutes later, you saw your husband saunter out onto the pool deck. He had his Ray Bans on and his swim trunks were slung low on his hips for not being wet. He passed by one of the towel stands and grabbed one, throwing it over his shoulder as he walked along the row of chairs.

You watched as he stopped walking, squinting his eyes and searching through the other people that were lounging to look for you. Waiting until he looked past you a few times, you raised your hand and waved at him, a smile on your face. When he saw you, laid out in the little bikini, he immediately picked up his pace, the smile falling from his lips.

When he got to the chair beside you, he took the towel from his shoulder and spread it over you like a sheet, “You came up here, like that, without me?” he asked, his voice sounding deeper than usual.

LIfting your sunglasses to sit on the top of your head, you winked at him as you pulled the towel off yourself and tossed it in his face, “I told you I was going to have to fight the other men off,” you said playfully.

“I…I’ve never seen you in this before,” Jake said quietly, his hand coming up to skim over the warm skin of your thigh, “Is it new?”

“Mmmmhummm,” you hummed, “Bought it special for this trip.”

Leaning towards Jake you pressed a kiss to his cheek, pulling back just a little you whispered in his ear, “I love you Jake Seresin.”

“I love you too,” he said, a smile splitting over his face.

You gave him another sultry smile, “I think you need that towel more than I do or we might have a mass of women to beat off,” you said, laughing a little as he looked down quickly before laying the towel across his lap.

You could feel Jake’s eyes on your body as you sat there tanning, a grin split your face, “We can go back up in a little while,” you promised, “But for now we are enjoying this amazing sun.”

He sighed, “Alright,” he agreed, rather reluctantly.

—

After the pool, you and Jake enjoyed a shower together before you ordered in for dinner. The hotel’s room service menu was extensive and everything that you ordered was delicious. Settling in for the night, you left the doors to the balcony open, enjoying the fresh air. Jake had turned on a movie on the TV and then promptly fell asleep. You laid there watching him, he looked peaceful when he slept.

His hair was looking a little longer than usual, he hadn’t had it cut since well before your wedding. When Jake wasn’t serving his country, he almost always grew out some form of beard, you had never minded, the man was handsome with any kind of facial hair, and as of now, he had a healthy amount of scruff covering his face. He regularly slept without a shirt, often in just his boxer briefs or a pair of shorts, and tonight his chest was on full display.

You reached across him, grabbing the remote for the TV and turning it off. Leaning over Jake again to turn off his lamp, you noticed that his phone was resting next to his head on the bed. Picking it up, you placed it on his night stand. The screen lit up when you grabbed it and you saw a text from Bob, Glad you two are having fun!. What really caught your eye though was the picture Jake had chosen for his lock screen. The image was a still from the video he had taken of you dancing after the Opera. You were in the midst of a pirouette your hands raised above your head, a carefree smile on your face. You smiled at the picture and pressed a kiss to Jake’s forehead before clicking the knob on his lamp.

Clicking the knob on your lamp, the room was plunged into darkness, the only light coming from the moon outside your open windows. You rolled over in bed and fit your form to Jake’s. In his sleep he wrapped his arms tightly around you, nuzzling his face into the top of your head, his scruff catching in your hair. Closing your eyes and breathing in his scent, you were lulled into a peaceful sleep.

—

Jake woke you up by snuggling into your neck, spooning closer to you, one of his arms tightening the grip it had over your waist. He mumbled something in your skin, rubbing his hips onto your backside.

"What was that?" You asked groggily, wrestling one arm out of Jake's grip to rub the sleep out of your eyes.

"I said, time to wake up, Princess. It's nine am," Jake repeated, resurfacing from your neck and removing himself from the bed while you pouted at the loss of contact, "If you need me, I'll be in the shower," he added with a wink.

You followed suit, swinging your legs over the edge of the bed a little clumsily and wobbling your way to the bathroom while rubbing your sore back. Jake looked at you from the shower, an amused little smile etched on his face.

"You feeling sore?" He asked. You stuck out your tongue at him as you climbed in behind him, snaking your arms around his waist and hugging him close.

After a long shower, you finally moved onto getting ready for the day. Italy was set to be a little cool for May so you fished out a leopard patterned dress and black jumper which you paired with a pair of black trainers and a clutch in which you had packed a pair of Jake's aviator sunglasses and your phone. Jake, deciding to somewhat match, had chosen a black shirt and a pair of blue skinny jeans.

"Where to, Mr. Seresin?" you asked as soon as you walked out of the hotel doors. Jake pointed towards a cabbie, leaning against his car and playing a game on his phone.

You followed Jake into the navy sedan, buckling up while he helped the cabbie punch your destination into the satnav. You arrived at the Capella Sansevero twenty minutes later, beating the satnav's initial time prediction by three minutes due to the driver's complete disregard of Italian traffic laws.

You got out of the car happy to still be alive despite the two near misses and followed Jake as he led the way towards the chapel. Inside the chapel, where a small crowd was gathered, sat the world renowned Veiled Christ.

The sculpture was breathtaking. You couldn’t find the words to describe how life like the marble looked, it was carved so intricately and delicately that the cloth looked real. If you didn’t know it was made of marble you would have easily been convinced that the sculpture was actually a person laying under a sheet. You wanted to reach out and touch it, but you didn’t for fear of getting in trouble and ruining the delicate sculpture.

You felt Jake’s hand run down your arm and you turned to look at him, “It’s gorgeous, I can’t, my brain thinks its real,” you said quietly.

“It does look very real,” he agreed. The two of you continued to gaze at its exquisite detail. You could see the holes in his hands and feel and the sunken side of his abdomen from where the spear pierced his side. The crown of thorns sat at his feet.

Once you and Jake had taken in the sculpture from several angles and felt like you had your fill, the two of you made your way around the chapel. It was filled with other marble statues, none as intricate or hauntingly beautiful as the Veiled Christ, but still worth the time taken to gaze at them.

When you had your fill of the marble statues, the two of you made your way outside the chapel once more, shading your eyes from the sun with Jake’s pair of sunglasses that you had remembered to pack for the day. The two of you walked through the streets of Napoli, looking at small corner stores and other museums that were around the city. You came across a bustling pizzeria when Jake’s stomach rumbled rather loudly. You raised an eyebrow at him, “Are you ready for lunch?”

“I guess so,” he said, a bit embarrassed at the volume of his stomach.

Getting in line, you looked up at the sign and realised that you had stumbled upon the L'antica Pizzeria da Michele, one of the oldest and best pizzerias in the world. The smell was heavenly and the line was out the door and down the block. When you finally made it inside Jake ordered for you in Italian, ordering two margarita pizzas. You found a table to eat quickly. It was easily the best pizza you had ever eaten and you could see why the restaurant had a Michelin star.

As you left the restaurant, Jake hailed a cabbie. The ride back to the hotel was made in comfortable silence between the two of you, the cabbie filling the air with soft singing to whatever was on the radio. When he dropped you off, Jake paid him before leading you inside.

“Alright princess, I have a surprise, do you want to walk with me or wait here?” he asked once the two of you had freshened up and packed a few souvenirs that you had bought into your spare luggage.

“I’ll come with you, do I need anything specific?” you asked.

“No, just your beautiful self,” he said, giving you a quick peck on the nose. The two of you walked for a few minutes before coming to a stop outside a vespa rental. Jake gave you a smile before pulling you inside. The woman behind the counter set you both up with helmets and a vespa the colours of the Italian flag. Jake guided it on to the road, your hands squeezing him tight even though you had a seat back behind you.

The ride was long but when Jake guided the vespa to a stop you were almost sad that it was over. The roads and scenery that you got to take in from the back of the scooter were unlike any other. Jake helped you off the scooter before he put the kickstand out, “Where are we?” you asked, turning to look at the ruins around you.

“Pompeii,” he replied simply with a small smile on his face as one of his hands rubbed the spot on his chest where yours had been sitting for the ride to the ruins. He pocketed the keys to the vespa before taking your hand. The two of you got tickets to the ruins and picked up a map of all the areas of the city you were able to see.

Since it was already the afternoon, you decided that the four hour self guided tour of the ruins would be best before setting out with Jake leading the way. The area was somewhat crowded, but with your naval aviator leading the way, you weren’t worried about making your way through the crowds.

After your tour of the theatres, bath houses, a garden, and the city’s amphitheatre you were both tired and ready to return to Saint Lucia. The ride back was no less wondrous as the ride there and Jake even let you drive the vespa through the busy city streets. You stopped along the way for dinner, a little seafood restaurant just off the main road.

Once you returned the vespa and walked back to the hotel, your stomachs full with dinner and your feet tired from another long day of walking, you both collapsed into bed after changing into your pyjamas.

You let out a quiet groan as you rubbed your hands along the soles of your feet in bed.

“What is it darlin’?” Jake asked, his Texan drawl a little deeper than you were used to since he was tired.

“I’m going to need new shoes when we get home with all the walking we’ve been doing,” you said, turning to rest your head on his chest, the beat of his heart lulling you to an almost sleep state.

“We can get you some tomorrow,” he said, already half asleep. You hummed back at him before falling into a deep sleep, neither of you moving for the entire night.

—

For the first time in your life, you woke up before Jake. You had left the balcony windows open, allowing the gentle sea breeze to flow through the room. The sound of seagulls had roused you from your sleep and now you were able to see what the ruckus had been about. You were disappointed to see they seemed to simply be chatting. Behind them however, stretched the sea and a footpath overlooking a pebble beach that seemed to call your name.

You fished a pair of sandals out of a bag, as well as a pair of high-waisted green shorts and a white button-up shirt which you only buttoned up some of the way. Conscious it was still early in the morning you also grabbed a grey cardigan. Just as you were fastening the buckle on your sandals, Jake woke with a start.

“Where ‘re you going sweetie?” he asked, looking at you somewhat panicked while raising himself on one elbow to see you more clearly, “You leavin’ me?”

“No,” you laughed, “I wanted a walk near the beach.”

“Oh,” he fell back onto the bed, “I had a nightmare. Can I tag along?”

“Sure,” you replied.

Jake climbed out of bed and pulled on a shirt, leaving his basketball shorts hanging low on his hips. Slipping his feet into socks and tennis shoes, he joined you by the door and the two of you made your way down through the lobby and to the pebble path along the beach.

“Want to talk about your nightmare?” you asked, taking his hand in your own as you walked down the beach.

Jake rubbed his eyes, “I dreamt I was coming home from deployment and you had left me. Like, the house was empty, no pictures, no furniture, nothing left in the cupboards. And when I called you and asked why you had left and why you had taken the kids -- we had kids -- the only thing you said was, ‘You know what you’ve done Jacob.’ It was not a fun dream,” he explained with a pained laugh, “And then I woke you were dressed and putting on your shoes and I was scared it might not just be a dream.”

“I’m sorry baby, but rest assured, you’re stuck with me forever. For poorer or for richer, in sickness and in health, Amen. I intend to keep that promise, baby,” you replied.

Jake seemed reassured. He let go of your hand to wrap his arm over your shoulders, wriggling his fingers for you to intertwine your fingers with his as you walked.

“How about ice cream for breakfast?” he suggested.

“Lead the way, Sailor,” you replied with a smile.

Jake walked you along the footpath for another five minutes, stopping by a gelateria with a stunning view of the sunrise over the bay. You ordered a cantaloupe sorbet and Jake an almond, pistachio and hazelnut gelato, which you ate sitting on one of the many rocks overlooking the water, your feet dangling over the edge, inches away from the lapping waves.

“So, where to next?” you asked.

“We have a train to catch at four to go to Salerno. We’ll do a little sight-seeing… I hope you don’t mind but we’re staying at my cousin’s. He’s nice, he has an inn in the village. It’s nice, clean, but the only room he has available has two single beds…” Jake’s voice trailed off, looking expectantly at you for your reaction.

You jokingly pouted at him, “How will I sleep with my big teddy bear?”

Jake laughed, dragging you into a hug you barely had time to save your ice cream from.

----

As you set foot in Salerno, after an easy hour-long train ride, the gentle heat of the platform felt like a welcome change from the stifling heat of a packed train. Jake led you away from the tracks and through the exit where your eyes immediately found a tall man holding a sign saying ‘Signor e signora Seresin’. As soon as he saw you, he threw his hands in the air and smiled, a gesture Jake returned.

"Jacob, è passato così tanto tempo,” The man said, hugging Jake tightly and then letting go to kiss his cousin on the cheek, “E questa dev'essere tua moglie,” Cousin Julio said with a large smile, “Jacob warned me you did not speak Italian,”

“I’m learning but it’s a slow process,” you replied, neglecting to tell him that the reason for how little you understood was largely because you often forgot to practice, despite how many vaguely threatening emails the duolingo owl thought fit to send you.

“Well, we are going to help you. This is the last sentence I say in English,” Julio said, shooting you a mischievous wink

“You’ll have to speak slowly, then,” you warned

“Mi assicurerò di parlare chiaramente” Julio replied, enunciating each word clearly and slowly, just as he promised he would.

“Come sta Gianna? E Andrea e Roberto?” Jake asked, picking up your bags and carrying them to Julio’s car.

As you exited the station, Julio fished the car keys out of the pocket of his slacks, and pressed one of the buttons. The headlights on a red Alfa Romeo blinked on and off a few times, beeping as it did so.

“Hai cambiato macchina?” Jake asked, looking slightly dumbfounded, “Alla locanda va tutto bene?”

His cousin tutted, “Ho dovuto usare questo cestino perché la Ferrari è al garage,” Julio replied, “Non mi piace neanche,” he added, looking at the car with an air of disgust.

“What’s happening?” you asked, concerned you hadn’t understood the conversation properly because while Julio had stayed true to his word and spoken slowly, Jake had rattled off his questions and responses with the rapidity and practice of a native.

“What’s wrong with the car?” you asked, confusion laced in your voice.

“It’s --” Jake hesitated, looking at you nervously before Julio interrupted.

“Ah say it!” Julio exclaimed, “It’s cheap! At least we will not have any trouble fitting the bags in the back…” he added rather sadly, opening the boot and signalling for Jake to load the suitcases with a flick of his hand.

Jake entered the car, forever in the passenger seat, while you sat at the back. Clearly conscious that you might be feeling a little lonely, he passed a hand through the small gap between his seat and the car door and held yours for the duration of the journey, gently caressing your hand with his thumb.

“Benvenuti alla Locanda,” Julio announced as he pulled into a reserved parking spot metres away from the front entrance of what you assumed was the ‘inn’ they had been referring to. The sign above the door read The Garden Inn in English beneath the Italian script.

You hadn’t quite realised that when Jake and Julio had been talking about an inn, it would only be an inn by name. The building you stood in front of was more akin to a small castle, with ivy running up the stone walls and beautiful arched window overlooking a garden the size of which you had never seen before with luscious green grass, beautiful olive trees and near the back, rows and rows of vines.

‘La locanda del giardino’ had been in the Seresin family for generations, passed from Eldest son to eldest son until it got to Julio who quickly made it the pride and joy of Salerno and then it’s greatest disappointment when it lost its fifth michelin star after a rather rowdy fight over the homemade rosé with a prickly food critic. Since that fateful evening in early 2013, Julio changed the name of the Hotel Restaurant from ‘L'Hotel Giardino’ to the current name. A rather passive aggressive, and constant reminder of his failure and proof that the Seresin family were eternally competitive.

Julio led the way inside. He stopped by the reception desk and rang the bell, waiting patiently for someone to come through to sign you in while humming along to whatever the radio played. A minute later, a teenager walked out into the main hall, adjusting his tie.

“Come posso aiutarla?” the young man asked, not looking up from his tie yet.

“Puoi aiutarmi salutandomi,” Jake replied, “Oh God, I sound like my dad,” he added, looking at you with horror in his eyes. The teen looked up at Jake, delight immediately written on his face.

“Jake!” he exclaimed in flawless English, walking around the reception desk and hugging him hard enough to knock the air out of his lungs.

“Roberto! Che bello vederti! Non ti vedevo da quando eri così grande,” Jake said, holding his hand out to show a very small height.

Roberto brushed his hand away with an embarrassed smile. Suddenly he turned towards you, “Sono Roberto, e tu?” he asked, his teenaged voice dropping down an octave as he reached for your hand and placed a kiss on your knuckles. You tried to stifle a laugh.

“Mia moglie. Fare marcia indietro,” Jake said, his previously amused tone now slightly threatening, now that the two of you were married he was more possessive than he had been before, not that you minded.

“Paura che la perderai, Jacob?” Roberto said as he winked. Jake’s mouth opened in shock, “We are married, I’m not going to lose her,” he said, stunned. Julio barked a laugh, clapping his son on the back.

“Questo è il mio ragazzo!” Julio wheezed between laughs, holding his belly with one hand as it bounced up and down with every laugh. When he calmed down, Jake’s cousin walked behind the desk and checked you in, giving you a set of keys.

The room you had been given was the only room not serviced by a lift. In the time of Jake’s grandfather, the wing it had been built in had been used to house employees. While most of the rooms were now open to guests, Julio had kept one for friends and family. The room, while small and more spartan than the ones open to guests, was still beautiful.

The walls were painted plain white, the beams of the inn exposed and stained a dark brown, the colour resembling that of fine mahogany. The floor was exposed hardwood dark enough to match the colouring of the beams. The two twin beds in the room were wrought iron and separated by a rug and night stand. Opposite the beds sat a small and two comfortable looking chairs. Giving Jake a forlorn look, you picked the bed furthest from the door. Through a dark door just inside the room you could see a white tiled bathroom with a single vanity and a small shower stall.

After getting out of your travel clothes and into a dusty pink midi dress and some comfortable sandals, Jake led you back out of the room and into the ‘staff only’ part of the castle, which after opening the door at the end of the corridor, turned into Julio’s family home. The door opened up into a large kitchen and living room. Busying herself in the kitchen was Julio’s wife, a thin and tall woman with a head of shiny black hair. When she saw Jake, she immediately dropped the onion she had been peeling and went to embrace him.

“È passato così tanto tempo!” She exclaimed, clearly excited to see her cousin after such a long time. She turned towards you, adding “Welcome to the family,” and squeezing you in a tight hug.

“Julio told me not to speak English with you,” she whispered in your ear with a posh English accent, “But I miss it too much,”

“This is Giana,” Jake explained, “Julio’s wife.”

“Yes! I’m from Brighton,” she added, explaining the accent, “We’re having dinner in a few hours, we’ll have drinks beforehand though don’t worry. Jake, why don’t you show your wonderful wife around the property?” she suggested.

Jake took your hand in his, leading you out of the back door and into the private garden. He opened a gate and led you further into the property.

“How are you doing?” he asked, his voice soft and gentle as he looked at you, “I know they can be a bit much.”

“They’re lovely,” you reassured him with a smile, “Jake --” you hesitated and he frowned, “I figured -- err -- what was that business with the car?”

“Oh. Julio is a big luxury car guy, he collects them, I’m sure he’ll show you the garage…” Jake explained, not really giving the answer you wanted to the vague question you had asked.

“Is that why he seemed so… upset? It seemed like a nice car though…” you probed.

Jake smiled, “It’s his ‘cheap’ car. He usually takes the Ferrari around town but it was being looked at for something, I think.”

“Does he like showing it off?” you asked, your voice laced with a bit of wariness.

“No, it’s his regula -- oh I see what you’re getting at,” he laughed, “Very tactful, but you can ask outright. I mean we’re married now, you have every right to know about that,” he added.

Ever the tease, Jake wouldn’t answer your question without having you ask for it.

“Jake, are we rich?” you asked, laughing a little at the notion.

He nodded his head. You raised an eyebrow at him, “How rich?” you probed again, curious as to what you had married into, neither of you discussed finances much.

After a slight pause Jake answered, “I can’t give you a number right now, but enough to be comfortable, forever, even if we both stop working and have a truckload of kids…”

“So if I decide not to renew my contract with the Navy…?” you started, trailing off and hoping he would get your meaning.

Jake squeezed your hand in his before answering, “If that’s what you want to do, then we’d be fine.”

“Okay,” you replied, your voice barely above a whisper.

“Come, I need to show you something,” He said, walking behind a tree and through a hidden door in the hedge. The setting sun shone bright as you passed through and blinded you for a second before your eyes adjusted and you saw a wooden gazebo, hidden between trees, its wooden beams turned green by climbing vines. Underneath the gazebo’s cover were two striped cabana chairs. Jake lowered himself onto the red and white one, leaving you with the lavender and white one.

You stayed there, looking at the skyline of Serano itself as the sky turned orange and pink as you held hands with Jake. An hour later, right as you were almost dozing off, Roberto walked up behind you, scaring you out of your skin, and announced drinks were being served.

The teenager walked you back to the private terrace where a table had been set. Roberto showed you to your chair, pulling it out for you to sit down under Jake’s watchful eye. Giana came out minutes later with an assortment of olives, small slices of mortadella, figs, and marinated vegetables, as well as the local specialty some Caciocavallo dell'emigrante. Julio, in the meantime, brought out the drinks. He served Jake an Aperol Spritz and gave himself and his wife a glass of the house’s rosé each.

“Does the Mrs. want a glass of wine or is she not allowed?” Julio asked, shooting you a wink right as Jake had decided to take a sip of his drink. He coughed and choked while you tried to pat his back and keep your composure. Giana slapped her husband’s arm with a towel shooting him a glare.

“La spaventerai!” she exclaimed before turning to you and saying, in English, “Don’t let him scare you off.”

You winked at her, “Don’t worry, if anyone was going to scare me off it would have been this one,” you said, gesturing to Jake.

“What did I do?” he asked, raising his hands like you had a gun pointed at him.

“You, Lieutenant Commander Seresin, are a grade A asshole when you want to be,” you said, raising one eyebrow, challenging him to contradict you.

“Well, I can’t argue with that can I?” he said, a smug smile on his handsome face, “Yes Julio, she can have some wine, we aren’t trying for kids yet,” he said to his cousin.

Julio frowned at that, “The Lord calls you to be fruitful, Jacob. You aren’t getting any younger, so I say hop to it,” he said, earning himself a smack round the head this time.

“Let them take their time!” Gianna said, now standing over her husband.

“Well, they’re married! Money isn’t a problem! So what are they waiting for?!” he exclaimed.

Giana glared at her husband before turning to you, “Y/n, dear, come and help me in the kitchen.”

You followed after her, keeping your head down to the floor as you passed by Julio, half in embarrassment and half because you were afraid to start laughing if you crossed his eyes. Gianna handed you a platter of Fettuccine Alfredo. She walked back out, holding a small bowl of parmesan shavings and a large bottle of Pinot Grigio. You tagged behind a little, overlooking the scene as you thought about Jake’s reaction.

The truckload of children had been his idea and yet, outside of his nieces and nephews, Jake had never seemed particularly excited about children. Even Dmitri, arguably the cutest baby you had seen in years, with his chubby cheeks, lovely smile and adorably round body hadn’t even raised a smile in Jake while you had been left wishing for a little baby of your own since he had been taken from your arms. And now, with the way he had seemed so dismissive of Julio’s concerns, you wondered if he even wanted children and wasn’t simply doing it all to ‘make right by you’, as he had said so many months ago during your first argument.

You were so lost in thought that you almost ran into someone, a teenage boy identical to Roberto save for a pair of rather unfashionable glasses that he wore high on his nose. He gave you a small smile and a shy wave.

“I’m Andrea,” he said, “Be careful where you’re going, you’ll trip,” he added, pointing towards the floor inches away from where you stood towards the raised edge of the bay window. You shot him a grateful smile as you rejoined the group, sitting down next to Jake as you tried to shake off the thought.

----

Dinner had been wonderful but it had lasted well into the night as the men chatted and drank. It eventually came to an end after Gianna’s famous coffee and amaretto panna cotta when mosquitoes invaded the private terrace and left you all bitten and crabby.

“Hey, you okay? You were quiet tonight,” Jake asked as you climbed the flights of stairs up to your room.

You hadn’t said much since Julio's question, quietly stewing in your own thoughts, too lost in your own head to make much conversation.

“Just tired,” you lied.

Jake hummed, “Me too, I have just about enough energy to shower and then I’m going to sleep,” he said. He looked around him, checking that no one could see you, “You could always join me in said shower…”

“Not tonight, sorry. I think I’m too tired,” you said.

“You sure you okay baby?” he frowned. You nodded, quickly unlocking the bedroom door.

True to his word, Jake immediately stepped into the bathroom. Five minutes later, he walked back into the bedroom and fell onto the bed with a groan. After your own shower, you slipped underneath your own covers and tried to fall asleep. You turned and turned, unable to find a comfortable position as the thoughts in your head kept racing when you heard Jake, clearly experiencing the same issue, sitting up in bed and then walking around the room. The bed behind you dipped as he slid under the covers with you, pulling your back to his front.

“It’s lonely without you,” he whispered into your hair, squeezing himself tighter against you on the tiny single bed, “I miss you.”

“I miss you too,” you replied quietly, laying stiffly in his embrace.

“Okay, I know something’s wrong. Please talk to me,” Jake pleaded, the arm that rested against your waist moved a little to find your hand, giving it a gentle squeeze.

“Are you sure you want kids?” you asked, your previously controlled voice wobbling slightly as you desperately tried to hold in the tears that had been threatening to spill since the beginning of dinner.

Jake pushed himself up on an elbow, “‘Course I do, where’s this coming from?” he asked, letting go of your hand to brush some hair away from your face.

“You didn’t seem too keen at dinner,” you replied with a sniffle, losing your battle against the tears with every gentle graze of Jake’s fingers against your cheeks.

He laughed a little nervously, “Honey, I wasn’t too keen to discuss having kids with Julio. I want kids, I just don’t think my cousin should have a say in when we have them,” he added, wiping away the tears that had begun to fall from your eyes.

“He is a bit of a…” you trailed off, not wanting to say anything mean about Jake’s cousin in front of him but Jake finished for you.

“He’s a fucking busybody?” Jake laughed, “Yeah he is. And you know the worst part? Whatever I say he’ll tell Nonna on his weekly whatsapp call,” he added.

“What? You mean to tell me that Nonna, the woman who calls you every other day to tell you what Anna from church, Patricia from town and Mark from High School have done to disgrace Texas, is a gossip?!” you gasped in fake outrage, clasping imaginary pearls in the darkness of the bedroom.

“I don’t like the accusation there, Mrs. Seresin,” he said, his tone nothing but teasing.

“I don’t know what you mean,” you answered in your most innocent tone of voice.

Jake let out a deep sigh before exclaiming, “I am not a gossip!”

“Uh huh,” you agreed sarcastically, “Next you’ll tell me it wasn’t you who tivoed Days Of Our Lives.”

“Shut up and sleep, Mrs. My-husband-caught-me-watching-My-Strange-Addiction-at-three-AM-once,” he replied, poking you in the side to make you laugh.

“Once! You caught me once!” you said, turning around to face him.

“Yes! Caught! But considering the TV said you were on season 6, I’d wager this wasn’t the first episode you watched!” he laughed before leaning forwards and kissing your lips.

You fell back onto the bed, the kiss quickly turning more passionate as Jake shifted himself on top of you.

“Now, how about we practice this baby making thing,” he suggested, his lips leaving yours to kiss down your neck.

You hummed, “Yeah, we need lots of that, want to make sure it sticks when we try for real,” your giggle turning into a moan when he nibbled on your collarbone.

“Exactly,” Jake agreed.

After an extended practice, deciding that squeezing the both of you onto a single bed wasn’t a good idea, especially after having almost fallen off twice in the previous hour, Jake climbed back into his own bed.

—

The next morning came earlier than you expected. With the late dinner the night before and the tossing and turning both you and Jake had done making the springs on the worn beds squeak each time, you were exhausted. Julio and Giana were kind enough to set both you and Jake up with breakfast and espressos before driving you the forty minutes back into Naples to the airport.

Leaving them at the car with a hug and a kiss on both cheeks, you and Jake made your way to the check-in counter. Checking your luggage and then going through security you and Jake grabbed a second cup, of significantly poorer quality, coffee before sitting down at the gate for your flight. Jake had booked the early flight from Naples to Nice, France so that the two of you could watch the Monaco Grand Prix.

The first flight from Naples to Paris was fairly short. You still squeezed the life out of Jake’s hand on take off, but the ride was smooth. Your layover in Paris was an hour and a half, the two of you stood by a large window in the airport trying to spot any well known landmarks you could see, including the eiffel tower.

The second flight was a little rougher, more turbulence during the flight. You practically crawled into Jake’s lap, holding his hand was not nearly good enough, you were grateful that he didn’t complain, just wrapped you up in his arms and hummed a melody you didn’t recognize into your ear. When the flight from hell finally ended, you were thankful to be on solid ground once again.

Nice, France, was just that, nice. You and Jake took a short train ride to Monaco, arriving in the city just after noon, with enough time to get to the hotel before the race. Jake had gone overboard with this hotel reservation, but it was a once in a lifetime trip and he didn’t care. The Hotel de Paris Monte-Carlo was beautiful. Your room was complete with a huge freestanding bathtub and a glorious king sized bed.

The best part was that you could watch the race from the comfort of your balcony. The two of you settled into the room, Jake grabbed a quick shower to wash off the smell of airport before dressing in a pair of dark trousers and a polo shirt. You pulled on an airy blue wrap dress. You didn’t have time to fix your hair before the race so you tied it up with a silk scarf you had thrown in your luggage.

As the two of you settled out on the balcony, the race began. Your afternoon was relaxing, watching the cars as they passed by your viewing spot and eating the room service that you ordered. The menu had been impressive and you were tempted to order one of everything but you resisted the temptation, instead settling for one of every dessert.

Once the race was over, the two of you continued to sit out on the balcony, watching the sunset on the horizon. When it was dark, Jake broke the comfortable silence you had been sharing, “We should go to bed princess, we have another early morning tomorrow and a long day of travel.”

You nodded, standing from your chair while covering a yawn. As you entered the room, you felt Jake’s hand settle on your waist, his thumb rubbing small circles on your hip. Turning into his arms, you leaned up on your tiptoes to press a kiss to his jaw. Jake leaned his head down, capturing your lips with his own. You felt his hands wander their way down from your hips, brushing over your butt. He pulled you closer to him, squeezing one cheek in his large hand.

You pulled away from his lips, “I thought it was time for bed,” you said, looking up at him with a grin.

He let out a laugh, “I didn’t say what we would be doing in bed, darlin’,” he answered, his eyes boring into your own.

“I don’t know, I didn’t sleep well without you next to me last night,” you said in a more serious tone, “Tossed and turned the whole night.”

“What did you miss the most, baby?” he asked, nuzzling his head into your neck, pressing a kiss where your shoulder and neck met.

“Missed how warm you are, your hands on my hips, being wrapped in your arms…” you said, trailing off when he kissed a particularly sensitive spot on your neck.

Jake let out a grunt when you pulled away from him. You walked away from him, picking up your pyjamas from your luggage as you made your way to the bathroom, making sure to catch his eye as you stood in the doorway. Your fingers slipped over the knot in your dress and you pulled it open, revealing what you had been wearing underneath, “I’m just going to shower quick,” you said before shutting the door behind you.

You let out a quiet laugh behind your hand when you heard Jake groan in the bedroom and you weren’t surprised in the least when two seconds after you stepped into the shower he joined you.

By the time the two of you got into bed you were so exhausted from the day and the lack of sleep the night prior, that you didn’t even say goodnight. Jake pulled you into his arms and you fell asleep against his warm chest.

—

Jake woke you up early the next morning. He helped you pack your bag before the two of you set off to catch the early train back to Nice. Today was going to be busy, but of all the things you had seen on the trip so far, the actual site of the apparition of the virgin Mary was the highlight. You flew from Nice to Toulouse where Jake rented a car and drove the two of you the two hours to Lourdes.

The site of the grotto was protected by a grand basilica that had been built on top of where the original sightings took place. You and Jake walked down the slope towards the holy site, joining the long queue of people getting in line to approach the running water near the statue of Mary.

When it was your turn to approach the statue of Mary you stood there silently, reflecting on yourself and your relationship with God. After a moment of reflection, you reached forward and rinsed your hands in the water running under the statue, blessing yourself with the sign of the cross. Jake followed in your steps and the two of you crossed over to light a candle each, both beacons to God that the offering of prayer remains burning long after you returned to daily tasks.

The rest of the day you spend exploring the basilica and its surrounding gardens and other sites. You and Jake took the time to stop and pray while you were inside the church, kneeling next to each other in a pew before leaving Lourdes.

On the ride back to Toulouse, you fell asleep. Your honeymoon, while enjoyable, had been long and busy. You only woke when Jake plucked you out of your seat like you weighed nothing and carried you into the hotel room he had booked for the night. Tonight’s accommodations were not as nice as the previous few, but what could you expect, staying on the airport property was convenient for the morning. Your early flight home ensured that you would arrive with a few days to unpack before returning to the Navy’s beck and call.

---

The flight home was long, but you landed safely Saturday evening to find a grinning Cyclone waiting for you at the airport.

“So how was it?” he asked, looking at you and Jake from his position behind the steering wheel.

“It was amazing!” you said excitedly, “We made a lot of memories,” you added, your hand squeezing Jake’s.

He nodded along with you, “Yes, hopefully we can go back again one day,” he added, winking at you from the corner of his eye.

The ride home was long, California traffic clogging up the interstate, but Beau must have been feeling chatty because by the time he dropped you off at home, you hadn’t realised that almost an hour had passed for the drive.

Glad to be home, you started on a few chores, unpacking and starting the laundry. Jake was kind enough to run out to the store in preparation for dinner and breakfast the next day. By the time the sun had set your bags were unpacked and you felt ready for your first mass as man and wife. Jake joined you in the master bedroom for the first of many nights together and as you fell asleep that night, you couldn’t feel anything but content with your life.

—

The radio played a song through the house as you made your way to the bathroom where Jake had already climbed in the shower, letting the room fill with steam. Through the noise of the water you could hear him singing along to March: Hills To Climb by Tim Myers. You opened the shower door and slipped in behind him and he turned around to face you, his hands foaming up the shampoo he had poured onto his head, filling the air with the smell of his bourbon scented head and shoulders shampoo.

He rinsed his hands off of bubbles and brought them up to cup your face, pulling you close and kissing you. Almost by reflex, your fingers tangled themselves in his hair. Jake sighed happily into your mouth as you massaged his scalp, working the shampoo through to the roots, eventually making your way down to the beard he had yet to shave off. You ran your manicured fingers through his beard, soaping it up too, careful not to get any in his mouth.

Your hands moved again. Passing them through the water jet, you washed off any remnants of shampoo before squirting some of your own vanilla and ginger shower gel into your hands and rubbing into his skin, moving from his shoulders to his chest, and down his arms. Jake let his head fall backwards into the steam of hot water as you ran your hands over him, groaning when you stopped to wash yourself.

“Go get ready, I won’t be long,” you said, Jake pouted for a few seconds, silently pleading with you. When you didn’t relent, he stepped out of the shower with a frown and left to dry himself while you washed yourself.

When you walked out of the bathroom a few minutes later, Jake had gotten himself ready and made you a cup of coffee which you gratefully accepted. You looked through your wardrobe to find an outfit to wear to your first mass as a married woman and settled on a simple black dress and the same scarf you had worn in Monaco to tie your hair back in a bun.

You looked around the bedroom for your hairbrush, acutely aware of the ticking time when Jake waved it at you, pointing at the floor between his open legs. You sat down in front of him as he brushed the knots out of your curls, one hand against your scalp to avoid ripping hair out by the roots. You closed your eyes to enjoy the pleasant feeling of the brush moving through your hair.

“All done,” he announced too soon for your liking, dropping the brush on the bed. Jake squeezed your shoulders gently before standing up, making his way out of the bedroom to find his shoes. You followed suit a few minutes later, hurriedly fastening the scarf into your hair and pulling on a pair of heels.

Jake drove down to church, dropping you off in front of the doors to find a parking spot for the truck, silently annoyed he hadn’t listened to your suggestion and taken the Mini. You entered the building, walking up to the front to find Bob.

“Hi! How was Italy?” he asked, hugging you tightly, “Where’s Jake?”

“Finding a spot,” you said with a smile.

Bob winced, “Good luck to him, I’ve never seen it this full,” he said, looking towards the church’s doors to see if he could catch a glimpse of Jake hurrying in.

He raised a hand waving someone down, hopeful that Jake might have gotten lucky and was coming down to meet you. You turned around to find Cyclone, Elisabeth and their children waving back at Bob.

“Mrs Seresin, nice to see you again,” Elisabeth whispered, giving you a side hug, one arm holding up a sniffling Martha. The little girl leaned into your arms and you grabbed her, lifting her out of her mother’s arms.

The church bells rang, echoing through the church as a woman finished the last Hail Mary of the Rosary. She stepped off of the stand, moving away from the microphone as Father John walked up the aisle with a pronounced limp.

“He tripped and fell on Friday, he hit his head. Freddie and I had to drive him to hospital, it wasn’t pretty. He couldn’t even remember the ‘Our Father’,” Bob whispered into your ear when he saw you frown.

“Is he going to be okay?” A deeper voice spoke from your other side, startling you, “Sorry,” Jake apologised, running his hand down your arm in reassurance.

“Honestly, I don’t know,” Bob replied, “We tried talking him out of it, but he wouldn’t hear it… I guess we’ll see how it goes,” He shrugged, “Freddie and I have a copy of the homily and readings in case we need to take over…”

“If you need me to do anything, just say,” Jake replied.

Father John started mass, stumbling through words and repeating sentences, bringing his hands up to his head every few minutes to touch his forehead where you could see a cut. Next to you, Jake shuffled, no doubt exchanging looks with his fellow youth ministers. Suddenly, Father John stumbled forwards, narrowly avoiding hitting the floor when Matt lunged forwards and caught him. Bob handed Jake a piece of paper and he walked up to the microphone, starting the first reading as Matt gently walked Father John to the nearest chair and Freddie fetched a doctor.

“Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go down, because your people, whom you brought up out of Egypt, have become corrupt. They have been quick to turn away from what I commanded them and have made themselves an idol cast in the shape of a calf. They have bowed down to it and sacrificed to it and have said, ‘These are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.’

“I have seen these people,” the Lord said to Moses, “and they are a stiff-necked people. Now leave me alone so that my anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them. Then I will make you into a great nation.”

But Moses sought the favor of the Lord his God. “Lord,” he said, “why should your anger burn against your people, whom you brought out of Egypt with great power and a mighty hand?”

Jake spoke clearly into the microphone, leaving when Peter Simpson hit the arrow key to move the slide to the lyrics of the next song.

Mass continued like that with Bob taking the second reading, trying as hard as he could not to look at anyone but you or Jake to combat the debilitating fear of public speaking he suffered from, and Cyclone helping out with communion. Then, with one last song, it was time to project the announcements.

“Wait,” Father John’s unsteady voice rang through the church, bouncing off of the walls and stopping everyone in their tracks, “I just wanted to say congratulations to Lieutenant Commander Seresin and his wife, Mrs Y/n for their marriage. May it be filled with many happy moments and joyful surprises,” he said, walking up to the both of you and resting trembling hands against your arms. He turned away towards Bob, Matt scrambling to follow in case Father John fell again, “I also wanted to say congratulations to Lieutenant Floyd, on his engagement. Thank you and Lt Commander Seresin for the many hours you have spent with our youth, helping them as they grow to become the Godly people we all hope they become,” Father John continued before faltering, Matthew yet again ready to catch him.

“Baby, I’m going to stay behind,” Jake told you when you moved away, ready to take Martha back to Elisabeth. He fished the truck’s keys out of his pocket, “I’m parked by the baker’s. I’ll catch a ride with Bob,” he added, giving you a quick peck on the lips before ushering you out of the church.

#hangman #jake hangman seresin #hangman top gun #hangman x reader #hangman seresin #hangman fanfiction #hangman fic #hangman imagine #jake seresin imagine #jake seresin x reader #jake seresin #jake hangman x reader #jake hangman seresin x reader #jake seresin fanfiction #top gun maverick #top gun #top gun fanfiction

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enslaughts · 1 year

Text

get to know the author. . .

name : jean :)

pronouns : they/them feels the most accurate but i loveee the fluidity of any pronouns forever and always amen

preference of communication : in the tags of replies.... unfortunately. social anxiety my most beloathed. BUT discord seems to be working better than ims for now, at least !

most active muse : right now ? tommy and cat tlou, kae newborn oc babygirl... mostly. but the muses i have the most consistently active muse for are sean and karen lis, five tua, andddd [ REDACTED, who i've actually been thinking of making a removed original portrayal fandomless sideblog for. much to think about ]

experience/how many years : oh damn, honestly ? i think just since 2020 ? 2019 ? somehow it's felt both longer and shorter than that rip <3

best experience : ho man, where to begin. my first blog was surprisingly my best experience in the rpc when it comes to a blog being a BLAST to run, but it was kinda lightning in a bottle ; cool as hell, but no way in hell gonna last. i was in a sweet spot mentally but it was the exception to the rule, e.g. : my incredibly poor focus and consistency on every other blog since lol. but above all, it's trulyyy the people i've met on here. even if i fall out of touch, i treasure the talent and kindness i've encountered on rp tunglr of all places no matter how long ago i encountered it <3

rp pet peeves : lame as hell answer but my own self sabotage when it comes to overwhelming myself aha. yet i do it every time <3 it must be exhausting always rooting for the anti - hero etc

plots or memes : okay. okay. the answer IS plots, i swear. that first blog o' mine was bursting at the seams with threads i had such incredible muse for because i somehow had the mental where - with - all to honest to god plot, but literally i haven't been able to get there since then and it drives me NUTS. brain broke, so. memes. much to my dismay.

long or short replies : the answer should be short for my own sake but. aha. hehe. hahaha. it's me. hi. i'm the problem it's me etc

are you like your muse : well. for obvious reasons, the answer is unfortunately yes. but usually in some small, but significant way. an isolated trait magnified to whims of my projection coping methods <3 i pass out singular traits of mine to my muses like halloween candy :)

tagged by : joeyyyy <3 tagging : if you've not done it yet, @soulspent, @soulwaned, @maimedaffair, @capitolhost, @palearizonuh, @fableheld, @lingeringscars, @exclibur, @wildkissed, and you reading this ; steal it and say i tagged you :)

#dash games.#if the formatting on this is broken beyond comprehension no it isn't <3

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sexysapphicshopowner · 6 months

Text

🤎 Context/AU (Alternate Universe): Long distance love birds, Stasi and King move in together after graduating college. Cue the ‘let’s christen this place’ jokes, but Kingsley has something a bit more heartfelt in mind.

🤎 Anastasia James: 21, travel blogger

🤎 Kingsley Mancini: 22, photographer

🤎 CW/TW: fluff, lesbians being lesbians, proposal, kissing, pet names, consensual groping, suggestive comments, hickeys, domestic activities, alcohol, swearing, romantic stuff, Italian and Spanish (translations provided), nsfwish, slight angst (only in the beginning for the most part), no google translate, proofread (but not really i need to be sleep rn)

🤎 A/N: Another piece for my love @certainlynotasimp enjoy sugarplum 🫶🏽 (reminder, requests for my tag list are open as well as in general) I was lazy and didn't feel like writing a description for the garden, nor the rings so...deal with it I guess. Enjoy !!

🤎 Notes:

Kingsley was raised by Afro Italian (Mumi) and Afro Spanish (Ma’) mothers so she grew up speaking both Spanish and Italian (born in Italy) 🇮🇹🇪🇸

Anastasia was raised by Afro Dominican parents and grew up speaking Spanish (born in London) 🇩🇴

Kingsley’s contact name for Anastasia is Italian and it means ‘my brown sugar honey’ 🥺

Anastasia is contact name for Kingsley is Spanish and it means ‘my cinnamon apple baby’ 🤎

🤎 Translations: (all translations were checked with the help of deepl translate)

Ma’, pensi davvero che dovrei farlo?- Mom, do you really think I should do this?

Guardami- Look at me

Bimbi- nickname meaning little one

Mumi- nickname meaning Mom

Mi nenita, toda crecida- My little girl, all grown up

Ti amo sempre di più piccola amore- I love you more and more, baby love

No más que yo- Not more than me

Cicchi- nickname meaning chocolate

Bichita- nickname meaning little bug

Merda- shit

Scusi? Non è così che parli davanti a tua madre- I beg your pardon? (Lit. Excuse me) That’s not how you speak in front of your mother

Mi dispiace, mamma- I’m sorry, mom

Cara mia- my dear

Mamme- moms

Buona fortuna- good luck

Buona serata- have a good evening

Ora- now

Madrine- godmothers

Sei proprio un romcompiglioni, Valé- You really are a pain in the ass, Valé

Picci- nickname meaning little or small one

Puttana- bitch

¡Ay Dios mío!- oh Lord or oh God

Paella- Spanish rice dish

Ricotta gnudi- Italian dumplings

È perfetto- it's perfect

Mis favoritos- my favorites

Muevete, por favor. Déjame ir para que podamos ir a casa, mi amor- move, please. Let me go so we can go home, my love

Darmi un bacio- give me a kiss

Su con la vita, amore mio. Ti darò tutti i baci che vuoi dopo cena- Cheer up, my love. I'll give you all the kisses you want after dinner

🤎 Word count: 3.6k

18 June 2017

“When you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible.”

Kingsley

To say I was scared shitless that day was an understatement. I had no idea how she’d respond. Even though we were moving into a house together and had been together for 3 and a half years, I don’t think my anxiety has ever been worse. But I was in love. I still am in love. And I’m going to marry the love of my life.

I played with the ring, looking to my mother in question, “Ma’, pensi davvero che dovrei farlo? I mean…what if she thinks it’s too soon?”

She regarded me for a moment before she spoke, placing her hand over mine to stop me from fidgeting with the ring, “Guardami. I can’t tell you how she’ll respond, bimbi. Have you two ever discussed the idea of marriage?”

“I mean, yeah, we have. And we agreed we wanted to get married before we made it to 5 years together, but like…at first I figured with the house it’d be cute to propose to her now that we’re finally moving into it, but what if……what if it’s too much all at once?”

“Then I’m sure you guys will figure it out. Not being ready for marriage is nothing to break up over, I tell you that.”

“Were you and Mumi ready back then?”

My mumi poked her head in from the kitchen with a smile that ma’ shared, “I wasn’t. It was a different time back then, though. It was hard enough that we hadn’t come out our families yet. The thought of coming out and announcing an engagement? I was terrified.”

Ma kissed her cheek as she sat down next to her, “She helped me reevaluate my reason for wanting to marry right then in the first place. I thought that if we were married when we came out it would legitimize our relationship a little more in their eyes. Sure, I loved her, and yes I truly wanted to marry her it just wasn’t for the right reasons right then. In the end we just agreed that we’d wait to plan the wedding until we were both ready, and in the meantime, we’d grown even closer for it.”

“Very cute, you two but that doesn’t make me feel any better.”

Mumi reached across the table to rub my arm, “Well, why do you want to marry her, Mimi?”

The thought of my girlfriend was usually enough to turn me into a blushing and flustered mess, but sitting in front of my mothers, all I could do was gush about her and this time was no different.

I beamed as I took Mumi’s hand, “Because in all my years, though few they might be, I have never found anyone who sees me the way she does. Anastasia is the muse I had been in search for when I switched my studies abroad. She’s- she’s my everything, simply put. I love her with my entire being. And I want to marry her because she’s someone I don’t think I can live the rest of my life without.”

They shared a look as they both teared up, Ma rubbing Mumi’s shoulder, “Mi nenita, toda crecida.”

My phone lit up with her contact name on it and I held up a hand as I turned my chair around to check the message:

“Looks like someone just got a text from their girlfriend. Feeling better, Mimi?”

I nodded as I looked over my lock screen, “Sure did. Her flight is taking off soon. Which means I have 2 and a half hours to get my life together. Whew, okay……I’m doing this. I’m about to propose to my girlfriend. Merda-“

“Scusi? Non è così che parli davanti a tua madre,” Ma scolded me.

I rubbed the back of my neck, sheepish and apologetic, “Mi dispiace, mamma.”

“Cara mia, go easy on her. She’s stressing out right now,” Mumi defended, tossing me a wink.

I held back my smile as I spoke, “I am sorry, though. Should I…I don’t know, decorate the house a little bit? You know, candles, flowers? Maybe some balloons?”

“Did you show her the garden when you guys bought the place?”

“No, I wanted it to be…a surprise for when we moved in,” I finished, getting excited. I hopped from my seat, sticking the ring in my pocket as I rushed to my mothers, wrapping my arms around their shoulders and kissing both their cheeks, “Mwah, I love you both so much. Thank you, thank you, thank you, mamme. I’ll tell you how it goes tomorrow, I promise.”

“Be safe, bimbi.”

“Buona fortuna, Mimi.”

“Buona serata,” I called as I headed out the front door.

I all but sped off to the house, instantly palming my forehead at the sight of the mover’s truck parked at the end of the driveway, my best friend guiding the workers.

“Kingsley Allegra Vittoria Mancini. Get your ass over here and help! Ora!”

I bit my lip as I grabbed a box of Stasi’s things from the truck, “Wow, Valé. Happy to see you too.”

“Oh don’t act like you didn’t see me before you left to go stress out my madrine. Has the flight left yet?”

“Yeah, Bubbles text me like 30 minutes ago to let me know that they were preparing for take off. Say, I need you to pick some things up for me actually.”

“No.”

I smacked as I set the box on the couch, “You don’t even know what I want nor what for yet.”

“I’ll do it for 500 bucks,” she offered.

“Sei proprio un romcompiglioni, Valé. I don’t have 500 bucks. You know that.”

“Cap.”

“Okay, maybe I do, but dammit, will you just hear me out?”

She folded her arms, quirking a brow at me as she tapped her foot, “Alright. And it better be good or I’m only dropping to 250.”

I pulled the keys from my pocket, holding them out for her to take, “Here.”

She frowned as she took them, “And just what the h-“ she cut off with a gasp as she noticed the ring, inspecting it, “Oh, babes….she’s gonna love it. You’re proposing?”

“Yeah, and I don’t have long. I need you to get some things for me to set up the garden for it. I’m gonna put it all together, but I need you to go get it while I put all these boxes up and out of the way with the movers.”

She rolled her eyes as she handed the keys back, grabbing her car keys from the ledge over the fireplace, “Send me a list. I’ll try to hurry. I know that flight isn’t long and you’ve gotta shower and pick her up as well.”

“That I do. Thanks, Valéncia.”

“Uh-oh. Mimi’s nervous. Talk to me.”

“Do you think I’m moving too fast?”

“It’s been almost 4 years, picci. You guys have bought a house together, and didn’t you both agree that one of you should propose before you guys make 5 years?”

“Well, yeah, but-“

She placed a hand on my shoulder, shutting me up, “No buts. You’ve got this, babes. Hurry with that list, stop stressing yourself or you’ll chicken out.”

I pushed her off of me, rolling my eyes playfully, "Oh, shut it you old bat. I’ll tell you and the mamme how it goes in the morning, okay?”

“Alright, hop to it, asshole.”

I helped the movers take all the boxes into one of the many empty rooms of the house, thanking them for the help before retreating to the guest bathroom to shower and freshen myself up.

My brain couldn’t help but wander as I pulled on my clothes, anxiety twisting in my stomach like a storm brewing on the horizon.

I had a horrifying cacophony of ‘what ifs’ and questions. What if she says no? What if it makes her change her mind about us moving in together? What if I stutter? What if I fall into the lake? What if something catches fire with the candles? What if she doesn’t even answer? What if I lose the ring?

What if she doesn’t like the ring? What if everything that could possibly go wrong does?

What if?

“Puttana! You better not be up there bitchin’ in your head.”

I rolled my eyes as I made my way downstairs, “You got my shit?”

“Of course! I also have some food. You need to eat.”

I shook my head as I took the bags from her hands like a madwoman, rushing toward the back door, “Can’t eat. I think I’ll be sick.”

“¡Ay Dios mío! Please eat for me, Kingsley. Madrina Morgana said you didn’t eat with them and you didn’t eat with me this morning. Just a bite at least.”

“What did you bring?”

She beamed, holding the Tupperware from Ma, “Paella from your Ma and Mumi made ricotta gnudi.”

“Give me a dumpling so I can go set this up and get to the airport for my baby. You can put the rest in the car.”

“Kingsley.”

“Yes?”

“One more thing before I go?”

“What is it,” I asked impatiently as I turned back to her.

She rolled her eyes as she handed me a velvet box, grumbling, “Here, witcha angry ass.”

“Girl what the f-“

My voice died on my tongue as she turned to head out the front door with a smirk, “Mumi owes me 20 bucks.”

I whispered as I looked on at the ring, smiling, “È perfetto.”

Anastasia

Actual heart stop that day. Speechless isn’t even the word. I forgot what words even were. Yet here I am. Engaged to the love of my life.

I laughed softly to myself as my notifications started coming in:

I poked my lip out as she picked up the call, “You know how I feel about surprises, Mimi. Tell me~”

“No, Bubbles. You just have to wait and see. Besides, you said yourself that you like surprises that include blindfolds,” she mumbled, smirk evident in her tone.

I fought back a smile of my own, squeezing my legs together as I watched the carousel of luggage for my suitcase, “Maybe I do, maybe I don’t…but I still wanna know what you’re planning. What if I had something planned and your surprise interferes with it?”

“Well, do you have something planned,” she chimed as I made my way down the escalator. She pulled me into her arms the second I was close enough in reach as I hung up, placing my phone into my pocket.

“I mean, nothing too big, but….yeah I had a lil something-something planned,” I admitted, nibbling on my thumbnail as I thought about the package I’d asked Valé to slip into the house.

“I mean we still have time before it gets dark enough outside to do what I want,” she whispered against my skin as she pressed soft kisses along my jaw and cheek.

I couldn’t help but giggle as I squirmed in her arms, “Alright, alright! You got your one kiss, now muevete, por favor. Déjame ir para que podamos ir a casa, mi amor. I think we’ve given enough of a show in this lobby.”

She relented, letting go of me after one more kiss to my lips, “Alright, alright. I guess the longer we stand here the less time we have to lay up together.”

I prodded her with my elbow as she grabbed the handles for my suitcase and carry-on while I picked up the poster board, “Hey, at least you know.”

I studied the poster she had made as she dragged my luggage alongside her, poking my bottom lip out, “You know what, I might just let you have some tonight. I mean, you made me a proper poster this time around and everything.”

She scoffed at the accusation, “What do you mean “this time around”? My posters are always proper.”

“Yeah, proper jokes. Last time you picked me up after a flight the poster was welcoming me home from rehab. And the time before that it was prison,” I exclaimed.

“I stand by those. They were hilarious,” she shrugged, opening the trunk.

“Yeah, yeah. Let’s ride.”

45 minutes later…

After a car ride full of Kingsley rubbing on my thigh like she’d never have a chance to hold it again, I was playing in her hair as she lay on my chest between my legs, kissing my chin.

I smiled, tilting my head down for our lips to meet, “Mm, should I get dressed up for this little dinner you’ve got planned?”

“Just a little bit. You know I know you look good in anything, but you’re gonna wanna be at least a little dressed up for this,” she mumbled before leaning into my kiss.

Kissing her always felt like everything, everywhere, all at once. Every place where our bodies met my skin blazed with heat, all sprouting from the pit of my belly. I could feel her smile against my lips as she moved higher over me, tongue lavishing mine before she sucked on it, coaxing a moan from my throat.

Breathless, I took two handfuls of her shirt as she pulled away slightly, forehead rested against mine, “Well damn, Kingsley. Tell me something good then.”

She chuckled, pressing soft kisses against my lips in between her words, “You have no idea how much I missed you.”

“Mm, I think I’ve got a pretty good one. I mean you haven’t stopped touching nor kissing me since I got here. I don’t mind though.”

Soft brushes with her lips turned hungry as hot, open-mouthed kisses scathed their way down my jaw, her mouth latching onto a pulse point as she sucked softly. I sucked air in through my teeth, a whimper escaping me as her teeth nibbled on the area, “Fuck…”

She let go, kissing the new bruise, “You alright up there?”

I huffed, caressing her cheek with my thumb, “Yeah, I’m okay. Darmi un bacio?”

She moved as if to oblige, lips ghosting over mine before she sat back, rubbing my thighs, “Later. Go get dressed, Bubbles.”

I pouted, folding my arms across my chest, whining, “Hey! You’ve been kissing me all this time, but now that I asked for one it’s a no? Meanie.”

She kissed my cheek quite audibly before pecking my bottom lip, “Su con la vita, amore mio. Ti darò tutti i baci che vuoi dopo cena.”

“Hmph,” I frowned harder, turning my face away from her.

“Stasi-“ she called in a sing song, pulling me into her with her arms around my waist, “The quicker you get ready, the sooner we can kiss.”

I rolled my eyes, leaning into her kiss on my cheek, “Fine. You’ve gotta look cute too, then. And dibs on upstairs. You’ve gotta get ready down here.”

“Whatever~” she rolled her eyes, pushing me up, “Get to it.”

I waited for her to take her clothes downstairs before locking the door, hopping on the sink counter, “Hello?”

“Stasi! How are you, love?”

“Doing quite alright, Ma. I had a question.”

“Yes?”

I nibbled my lip as I looked under the sink for the package, “Could you put me on speaker, actually? So Mumi could hear me?”

“Of course, sweetheart. Cara mia, Anastasia’s on the phone!”

“Ah, darling! How are you?”

I chuckled, “Well, I was hoping to ask you guys for something.”

“Anything,” they answered in unison before laughing together.

“So, you guys know that Kingsley and I have been together for almost 4 years now, and obviously we’re moving in together finally, but I was wondering if maybe-“

“Yes.”

“What?”

Ma giggled as Mumi responded, “Go ahead and ask her. I’m sure you guys will be great.”

My face flushed as I put the velvet bag on the counter, “Thanks guys. It means more than you know.”

“Oh trust us, we know. Go on, you have business to attend to,” Ma chimed.

It didn’t take me long to get ready. At least, I didn’t think it did until a knock sounded on the door, “Baby? I forgot you take forever and a day to get ready. Are you almost done?”

“Not even close,” I joked, putting on my lipgloss.

She groaned, “Ugh, I got myself into this.”

I opened the door, her jaw dropping as I did, “I’m just joking, my love. You ready?” She just eyed me appreciatively, mouth still agape. I closed it, smirking, “Don’t act like you’ve never seen me dressed up before. Come on, you have a surprise for me, don’t you?”

She cleared her throat, scratching her neck sheepishly, “Yeah um…right, right. C’mon, follow me, Bubs.”

I laced my fingers with hers, following her downstairs to the living room. As we reached the couch, she grabbed a strip of silk from the back of the couch, “Alright, time for my favorite part.”

I rolled my eyes, “Yeah, yeah, get it over with, will you?”

She moved with the utmost delicacy and care, sweeping my hair behind my shoulders as she pulled the fabric over my eyes, securing it at the back of my head. She spoke softly in my ear, always with a flair for the dramatic, “Do you trust me?”

“With all of my being,” I whispered, a thrill running through my spine as she placed a kiss to the area behind my ear.

Her hand returned to mine and I followed quite blindly behind her as she led me through an unfamiliar feeling area and I tightened my hold on her hand, causing her to stroke her thumb over my knuckles, “Don’t worry, we’re almost there. It won’t take long at all, I promise.”

I felt her stop in front of me, taking my other hand into hers, “Okay so, before I untie your blindfold, I just want you to know that I promise I hid this place from you on purpose.”

“Will you just take this damned thing off of me?”

She reached around my head, untying the fabric, “Ready?”

Fighting the urge to reach up and snatch the blindfold off, I nodded, “Yes.” She pulled it away, my eyes taking a moment to focus on her before shifting to the scene behind her as I gasped, “What is that?”

She snickered, “It’s a garden, duh.”

And what a beautiful garden it was.

She led me closer to it, as I smiled, “Help- the fireflies?”

She grinned sheepishly, “I had nothing to do with that, but lucky us, I guess?”

I studied her shifty demeanor, noting how nervous she seemed, “Okay, what’s up with all this? What are you doing?”

She rolled her eyes, kissing the back of my knuckles, “You’re so impatient all the time, oh my God. Okay, okay…whew……I can do this.”

“Hey, eyes on me, loser. Breathe first,” I instructed.

She scrunched her nose in distaste, “Shut it. I’m getting to it, I swear. So, I know we’ve been together for 3 years, 9 months, and 13 days-“

“And why do you know that off the top of your head,” I questioned, half-shocked and half-enamored.

“Details, unimportant,” she responded, waving a hand as she continued, “Seeing that we’ve been together for almost 4 years now and are finally moving in together, I was nervous as hell, but I ultimately decided I’m as ready as I’ll ever be. With that being said,” she began, moving to get on her knee as she reached in her pocket.

I stopped her, shaking my head with a hand on her shoulder, “Wait, come here.”

She looked at me confused as she stood, hand still poised at her pocket, “Yeah?”

I reached for my own pocket with one hand, prompting her to continue with my other, “Nothing, go ahead.”

Things clicked as she pulled out a velvet box at the same time I pulled out a velvet bag and she palmed her forehead, chuckling softly, “God, and here I was worried that you’d have said no.”

I smiled, teasing, “Awww, you were stressing over little ole me? For the record not only am I saying yes, but it’s a hell yes times a bajillion.”

She took my free hand in hers, bringing it to her lips, “Well, I know that now, but can I ask properly? I did in fact have a proper speech in mind.”

“Who am I to deny you such a sweet request?”

She returned to her knee, stroking her thumb over my knuckles as she took a deep breath, looking up at me, “As I said earlier, I was nervous as hell, I spent the majority of the morning pulling out my hair back home about any and every worry under the sun, but talking to my moms reminded me why I want to ask you in the first place. I first switched to studying abroad in search of a greater muse than what I could find here in Italy. Luck would only have it that I ended up with you as my guide around London. You’ve been my inspiration, my best friend-don’t tell Valé I said that-my lover, and I want nothing more than to live the rest of my life with you by my side. With that all being said, yes I forgot half of what I wanted to say the second I saw you, I love you and it would do me a wonderful honor if you would marry me.”

I poked my lip out, “I would love to marry you, bichita. On one condition.”

“Yes,” she questioned, eyes still looking up at me full of love and hope.

I tugged her from her knee once more as I pulled out my mother’s engagement ring, “You have to agree to marry me as well.”

She smiled, eyes watering a bit as she opened the velvet box in her hand, revealing a ring I recognized all too well, “I do. Trust me, if nothing else, I will marry you, and start a family, and take care of you.”

I poked my lip out, chuckling through my tears, “Kingsley….is that…is that the ring from when your Ma proposed to Mumi?”

She nodded, “I had went and gotten a ring made for you but Mumi sent it over here by Valé earlier. So? You’re definitely saying 'yes' right now, right?”

I nodded as she took my hand, “Yes, baby. I’ll marry you.”

🤎©️ All work belongs to sexysapphicshopowner. Do not use or repost my content in any way without my consent or permission. Thank you! 🤎

🤎 Taglist 🤎:

@certainlmarseilleotasimp @trafalgardvivi

#💅🏾💋 paramour parlor 💋💅🏾#☀️🤎 summer collection 🤎☀️#©️ sexysapphicshopowner llc #wlw and nblw only #wlw ship #mdni #men dni #lesbian romance #soft lesbians #engagement #surprise #oc x oc ship #Spotify #wlw romance #sapphic #useless lesbians

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rainbowgod666 · 4 months

Text

PISSCLAIMER.

Now that i have your attention with the word "piss": below the cut is my fucking VENT POST. Yeah i made one of those, fucking fast upon the eternal proof that I Am Very Dumb.

I have fucking ASPERGERS. So take everything you read with this in mind. I may have brain problems but this is just a report so that people STFU about my mental health.

To future me: be aware that This Is Not A Place Of Honor. I know you will want to read this and i Hope to all the italian youtube pantheon that you fucking WONT unless you have rebuilt the strong mental walls we had before. Dont go near the Elephants Foot IRL. You are better than me. So you will understand. Fallo per te e per tutti noi. Fallo per la tua famiglia, per il tuo futuro, e per la tua salute.

AND FOR ALL THE FUCKS YOU OTHER PEOPLE CAN CARE ABOUT: USE THE ASK BOX TO ASK CHARACHTERS FROM BASICALLY EVERY POPULAR GAME EVER. THATS WHY I PUT IT!!!

Honestly i think i should stop using the 2 tags on this post (at least for my personal shit) because i need to close this once and for fucking all

All of this happened because i separated from my (then) girlfriend, one day then looked at the Qxir "codex gigas" video, looked at how he represented the devil telling the little monk how to make The Bigass Book and i thought "that hing has 2 tongues so hes probably a good kisser" realizing a second later that thats le foken devilé. Like holy shit. It was Genuinely Traumatic. The only abject terror i felt after that was almost a year ago and it was when i got stitches on my hand because i was careless playing on the beach.

When i kept having The Thoughts i was fucking TERRIFIED. And because it DID happen that they "went away" (only to come back later) i am still scared

Do you even know how fucking terrifying is looking at something and thinking something Really Bad? And dont you pull out the whole "brain cop" thing, cause in my case, it was a stitched together abomination in my brain made out of biblical creatures, mostly demons, who could not get out and started harming me. I dont give a tenth of a trillionth of a SHIT what You say i had to do.

I genuinely thought I had a brain tumor

So yeah. If youre wondering WHY am i so unhinged on the internet? Well thats because here is the ONLY PLACE LEFT where those pesky "consequences" and "responsibilities" wont subjugate me like the cringe equivalent of emperor nero (which btw, is apparently why the number "666" [before i came up as a kid and fucking STOLE IT] is associated with Very Big Bad Hell Shit).

I am still confused as to WHY did i suddendly become "religious to the point of legally being american". Will i ever find a thicc lively girl to kiss with tongue and to shower with love and affection? Fucking hopefully. Is all of this caused by stress? Possibly. How old am I right now?

NINE-FUCKING-TEEN

19.

#mental health #Lore Post #vent post #<- made one of those in a moment where i realized “i listened to a Z-Mixed fnf song how is THAT gonna make me think something and on that n-#-ote how and why the fuck would a THOUGHT send me to the deepest recess of hell. like wtf i dont deserve that. i have been told im a good p-#erson and i have reasons to believe that“ so yeah this is what autism DOES #and to any worried mother out there: vaccinate your child or they will damn you for all eternity. i know better than you and i SHOULDNT

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yes-17-15 · 11 months

Text

Nine people I’d like to know better?

Tagged by @cardigan-ns ty :)

(I do not have nine people lol not even close)

Last song I listened to?

• I Can’t Handle Change by Roar

Currently watching?

• Rewatching Umbrella Academy again.

Currently reading?

• Red, White and Royal Blue. It’s pretty good.

Current obsession?

• TUA ofc. I should probably chill a little though it’s getting out of hand lmao.

Tags:

(Also sorry if you already did this, or find me tagging you weird. I didn’t know who to put)

@fireworkss-exe

@will80sbyers

@nicxxx5

#Spotify #the umbrella academy #tag game

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pepperf · 1 year

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I posted 1,294 times in 2022

That's 325 more posts than 2021!

192 posts created (15%)

1,102 posts reblogged (85%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@lochrannn

@bending-sickle

@ponyregrets

@bethanyactually

@wheresmytowel

I tagged 1,172 of my posts in 2022

Only 9% of my posts had no tags

#the umbrella academy - 262 posts

#tua - 259 posts

#diego hargreeves - 225 posts

#lila pitts - 162 posts

#dielila - 140 posts

#diego/lila - 138 posts

#david castañeda - 71 posts

#tua s3 - 59 posts

#tua s3 spoilers - 48 posts

#tua fanfic - 48 posts

Longest Tag: 140 characters

#''and i listen to the sound / of the trucks as they move down / out on 95 / and pretend that it's the ocean / comin' down to wash me clean''

My Top Posts in 2022:

No.

283 notes - Posted May 25, 2022

Hey, parts of North London I know well! So the places they visited in today’s Dracula Daily entry are all still there, and relatively unchanged since Victorian times I think, aside from the first:

Jack Straw’s Castle:

This is a massive white-painted pub at the top of Hampstead hill, now closed. In Stoker’s time, the building looked like this:

It was badly damaged during the Blitz, and rebuilt in the 60s. The current building looks like this:

See the full post

385 notes - Posted September 26, 2022

My dearest darlingest TUA fic writers and fan artists: let me start off by saying that I love you all, I do, without bias or judgement, and I appreciate all the hard work that you put into whatever it is that makes your little hearts go pitty-pat.

That said, I have noticed an alarming trend recently: Diego is shrinking! He is getting smaller and smaller, in every lineup and fic description, inch by inch he is getting more and more petite, and I begin to fear that, at this rate, by this time next year he will have vanished entirely.

So, for your edification, I have put together this handy-dandy height reference chart for the Hargreeves siblings:

See how Diego (all 5′11¼ delicious inches of him) stands, taller than his sister Allison (5′8′‘), just slightly shorter than his sibling Klaus (an even 6′), and on a par with his brother Ben (5′11′‘)? See how he towers above his littlest siblings, Viktor (5′1′’) and Five (5′7′’ but still growing if he’ll only cut back on the caffeine)! See how he’s only a few inches shorter than his tallest brother, Luther (6′4′’)! Let us celebrate him, tall, proud, and erect (no, wait, wrong kind of fic...), and lofty!

I thank you for your consideration.

697 notes - Posted April 19, 2022

See the full post

1,272 notes - Posted June 26, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

A love letter to the co-conspiritors

They have many names—beta reader, friend, Oh Fuck You—but you know who they are: they're the person who is as rabid as you about a ship or a character, the one you DM with your most twisted headcanons, the one who agrees that YES, he SHOULD be tied to a chair and slapped in the face—that she SHOULD be allowed a little tragic backstory, as a treat—that they SHOULD be roommates who are secretly pining for one another...the one who hashes out with you, at past midnight, how soon is reasonable for people with superpowers to have sex after one of them has been shot in the leg.

They’re the person who reads your fic before you send it to anyone else, and raves with you about that plot point that you COULDN’T WAIT for them to reach, or points out where you’ve forgotten that they were at the bar, not the library, so you need to remove the reference to book stacks, or pokes you to finish the goddamn next chapter because they want to read it, okay?

Fandom would not exist without them. They enable and encourage. Some of them are also fic writers, and you get to enable them right back. Some of them create fan art, or meta, or text post edits, or run prompt fests, or edit wikis...some of them are simply just as in love with the same thing that you are and want to feed the squee.

If you’re lucky enough to have someone like this in your life, you’ll know how much impact they have. It’s different to getting comments and kudos (wonderful though those are!), because they come in before the fic is finished, sometimes even before it’s started, and say ‘yes, do it!’. The fact that I've written so much for Community and The Umbrella Academy is completely down to @bethanyactually and @wheresmytowel respectively, and I count myself incredibly lucky to have them both in my life (and not just for all this, but also because they’re both incredibly lovely and smart and fun).

It was Fanfic Writer Appreciation Day yesterday (Aug 21st), and it made me think that we should also give a shoutout to the co-conspiritors, because without them, an awful lot more fic writers would be stress-scrolling through tumblr instead of working on their WIP, and there’d be so much less fic in the world.