#(needless to say i am getting like no work done today...)

[swankpalanquin]

want to write a story about what happened to the archive/library at rivendell after elrond left

[writtenbyan-aries]

Okay okay hear me out 👀

Could you please write pornstar! Sam, Colby, or Jake and it’s really smutty then he helps her clean up after and asks her on a date ?? ☺️

Warnings: SMUT18+, strong language, pornstar!Reader, pornstar!Sam, friends to lovers, recording, kissing, fingering, oral (m rec), squirting, use of slut, unprotected sex, creampie, filth

Word Count: 2.9k | unedited

─── ⋆⋅ ☾⋅⋆ ───

You and Sam were neighbors, who coincidentally do the same type of work - porn.

It took a few months to figure it out, but once you both knew, it’s like you clicked instantly. He’s seen your content, and of course, you watched his.

You mainly did solo stuff, every now and then you’d appear in other videos with both men and women, but you mainly kept to yourself.

Sam on the other hand, he was just as popular as you were, so you can imagine just how hectic his job can get.

You were currently sitting on your couch, listening to your manager ramble on about how you might want to kick it up a notch and start doing one on one videos, or whatever it is you’d like to do.

You let out a small sigh before unmuting your mic, “Can I at least pick the guy?”

“Oh absolutely, y/n. That’s all you. I’m just trying to give you ideas on how to stay our top girl.”

“Am I in the run to be bumped down or something?” You tilt your head and she shakes her head, “No, I just have the owner of the company on my ass about wanting the girls to look into doing other things. I think your solo stuff is great, they just want..”

“More.” You cut her off and she nods, “Yeah, more. But you can pick whoever, someone in the industry, someone not.. just be creative and trust me, I know you can.”

She smiles and you laugh, “Yeah, I usually don’t have any issues with that.”

“Oh. Hold on.” She lifts her phone and sighs, “Talk later, babe. I gotta go.”

The zoom meeting ends and you tilt your head back, staring up at the ceiling until a lightbulb goes off. You set your computer down, walking over to your door and next to Sam’s.

You know a few times and step back, waiting for him to open the door, “Hey, what’s up?”

“You have a minute?” You tilt your head and he nods, “Yeah, yeah. Come in.”

You walk into his apartment and turn around, “I know we’ve been friends for a while and I know this.. industry is normal to us, but I need a favor.. if you’re willing..”

He nods, “Yeah, anything.”

“How would you feel about doing a video with me?”

There was clear tension in the air, no matter where you and Sam were. Same room, on the phone, didn’t matter.

“Oh hell yeah.” Sam nods, “I’m down to help you out.”

“You are?” You sigh, “Oh good, this means I don’t have to awkwardly ask everyone to collab.”

“How would it be awkward?” Sam tilts his head and you laugh, “I don’t normally.. like asking.. I like being asked.. you know?”

“You seemed to have asked me just fine.” He teases and you sigh, “I take it back.”

“No, no I’m kidding!” He laughs walking over to you, “I will be more than glad to help. I have some free time later if you want to get it done and out of the way today?”

You nod, “Sounds good. I’ll.. just, uh.” You walk towards the door, “Go get everything set up. Do you want to film it ourselves.. or did you want me to have Nash send in a camera guy?”

“Up to you, sweetheart. Whatever you’re more comfortable with.”

You nod, “Okay. I’ll figure something out.”

You left before your cheeks could turn any redder, needless to say, you were excited.

You’ve had a small crush on Sam since the first day he moved in, you’ve just been too chicken to say or do anything about it.

─── ⋆⋅ ☾⋅⋆ ───

There was a knock on your door and you froze before walking over. You took a deep breath and opened it, giving Sam a smile, “Hey, come in.”

“Thanks.” He smiles and walks in, “You know, for as many times as I’ve been here.. it always amazes me how nice and pretty your apartment is.”

You laugh, “I think the same about yours, honestly.”

He laughs and tilts his head, “So what’s the game plan?”

“I figured we can kinda just film it ourselves? I can do the editing and stuff afterwards, if that’s cool with you?”

He nods, “Yeah, fine by me. This is your show, I’m just a part of it.”

You point towards the hall, “Follow me.” You lead him back to your spare room and open the door, “This is where I film all of my stuff.”

“Oh so this is where the magic happens, huh?” Sam smirks as he walks in, “You wouldn’t think this room is what it was used for.”

“Try to keep it nice and discreet incase any snoopy family members come over, you know?”

He nods, “Yeah, I get that.” He sits down on the bed, so what’s.. how did you want to do this?” He looks over at you as he leans back and you shrug, “I mean.. I figured we could give the people what they want..”

You click the camera that’s having the bed on and you walk over to him, leaning down to brush your lips against his, “And just have you treat me like a slut?”

His lips part and his hand slides up your arm to grip the back of your neck as he gives you a few small nods, “I can do that.”

He closes the space between the two of you and you both pause, seeing if each other felt that burst of electricity, and you must have because he pulls you right back in, and you were now straddling his lap.

You grind down onto him, moaning into his mouth as his hand slides around to grip the front of your neck.

He rolls you over and pushes your shirt up with his free hand. His lips trail between the valley or your boobs and you gasp as he takes your one nipple into his mouth.

Your back arches upward and his grip tightens, causing a squeaked moan to slip through.

He kisses back up to your lips and moves to stand up, “Do you have another camera?”

You nod and point to the camera sitting next to the one that’s already rolling. He walks over, grabbing it and comes back with it on, “Take your clothes off for me, I wanna see that slutty little body.”

You bite your lip as you sit up to take off your shirt, revealing your chest with a smirk.

Sam groans lowly, “Fuck, yeah, baby. That’s it.”

You lay back, lifting your hips to push your shorts and panties down your thighs and you kick them off of your ankles.

“Spread your legs, sweetheart.”

You run your hands over your chest as your knees move away from each other, revealing your pussy to him and the camera.

“I’m going to fuckin’ ruin you.” Sam looks at you and you nod, “Please. It’s all I’ve ever wanted.”

He nods down, “Gotta do something for me first.” His eyes follow as you move to the floor in front of him. He angles the camera down, glancing to make sure you’re in frame before his eyes stay on you.

You undo his jeans, biting your lip as you pull them down to reveal the outline of his strained cock within his boxers.

You slide your hand over it, stopping to slip your fingers into the band of his boxers and pull them down. Your eyes fixate on his cock before moving to look up at him, “You’re so big.”

He smirks, reaching down to pinch your chin, “You can take it, baby. Now open for me.”

You lick your lips, parting them as your mouth opens wide.

You take in a breath as you stick out your tongue, your eyes staying on him as his cock slaps against it a few times.

You lean forward, wrapping your lips around him as you work the tip, earning low groans from him, “Fuck, baby.” He bucks his hips, “Take it, I know you can.”

You bob your head up and down, your eyes starting to water as you feel him grow closer to the back of your throat.

His fingers tangle within your hair, gripping tightly as he holds your head still. His hips thrust forward, fucking your throat at a slightly fast pace.

“Fucking hell.” He groans, “Look at me, I wanna show everyone just how much this slut can take.”

Your watery eyes move up to look at him from under your lashes, his lock onto yours and he thrusts fully in, early a slight gag from you.

“Fuuuck.” Sam moans as he pulls out to repeat his action, “Good girl.”

He pulls out, his hand staying in your hair, “Get on the bed.” He lets go of and you smirk as you move to the end of the bed, crawling up on it.

Sam kicks off his shoes and steps out of his pants and boxers, “You’re already so wet, just look at this pussy.” His fingers drag up and down your folds as he points the camera directly at it, “it’s just begging to be fucked.”

You wiggle your hips, “Please.”

Sam bites his lip as he pushes a finger into you, “What’d ya say, baby?”

“P-please.” You repeat yourself, moaning as he curls his finger, “I need you.”

“Louder, baby.”

“Please!” You push your hips back, “Fuck, please! I need you to fuck me, need you so bad.”

Sam pushes his finger in and out a few times before adding another, “Fuck, just listen to that.”

Your soaked cunt squelches against his fingers as they move, “Fuck, I just know you’re going to feel so good on me.”

He bites his lip as he pulls his fingers out, “Roll over, baby.”

You move onto your back and look up at him. He leans forward, the camera on your face as he slips his wet fingers into your mouth.

His lips part as he watches you suck your wetness from his fingers, “Fuck, you like the taste of yourself, huh?”

You nod, giving him a smile and he groans, “M’gonna need to fuck you more often.” He leans down, resting the camera by your head as his lips connect to yours.

Your nails drag up his back as you pull his shirt over his head and tossing it once it’s off his body. His lips find yours again and you gasp as his cock slides into you.

“Oh fuck.” You throw your head back, moaning out loudly as his thrusts pick up fast. Your legs wrap around his waist and your nails dig into his back even harder, “Oh my god.”

“So fucking good.” Sam groans loudly, “What are you, baby? Hmm?”

“I- fuck.” Your back arches, “I’m your slut.”

“Fuckin’ taking me like you are, goddamn.” Sam pushes his body up, staring down at you as he pins your thighs outward, “So fucking hot.”

He leans down quickly, grabbing the camera before leaning back up. He pans it over your body, holding it over your face as it scrunches up with pleasure, “I-I’m so close, so close, baby.”

“Yeah?” Sam groans as he continues his thrusts, “Cum for me.” His free hand slides over, stopping to press this thumb against your clit, “Cum all over me, baby.”

Your back arches and your head rolls to the side as moans and whines leave your lips in a string of noise, “Fuck, fuck.” Your walls squeeze his cock, “I-I, fuck, there there!”

The circles on your clit grew harder and you could do nothing but whine as your body twitched with the thrusts of his cock.

“Oh fuck.” Sam quickly pulls his cock out, rubbing his fingers over your clit quickly which causes you to squirt, “Look at that. Fucking hell.”

Your hips roll back and forth and you’re practically screaming at this point.

Sam lays down and you sit up, moving to straddle his waist and slide back down on his cock.

His hands grip your hips and his eyes stay glued to your face, “That’s it, sweetheart.” He bites his lip as his hands slide up to grab your boobs and knead.

“You have such beautiful tits, baby. Fuck..” he grabs the camera and holds it steady in front of you boobs that are bouncing with each one of your downward thrusts, “Look at them.”

You tilt your head to the side, “F-fuck, fuck.” You lean forward, your hand pressing into his chest, “Feels so good, baby..”

“Yeah?” Sam moans as he bucks his hips upward, “You feel even better.” He sits up, lips crashing onto yours as you continue to roll your hips.

He swallows your moans with ease and tightly wraps his arm around your waist as he rolls you back over, “I’m gonna fill this pussy.. this slutty fuckin’ pussy.”

You whine at his words, clenching around him, “p-please, I want you, baby, I want you so fucking much.”

Sam kisses down your neck, taking your one nipple into his mouth and bites down.

You tangle your fingers in his hair and tug, moaning out as you cum once again around him.

Sam pulls out, his fingers finding their way to your clit to urge you to squirt again, and you do. The liquid splashes around, soaking the bed under you as it just keeps coming.

“Fucking hell, baby. That’s so fucking hot.” Sam groans as he leans down to suck your clit. Your hand snakes into his hair, moaning loudly as the slight overstimulation that’s settling in.

All you could do what whimper and moan, bucking your hips every so often.

You swore you were seeing stars.

He moves back up, lips on yours as his cock slides back into your achingly soaked cunt.

His thrusts quickly turn sloppy and you feel his cock twitch, pumping his cum deep into you. He grabs the camera as he sits up, angling it down as he pulls out.

You bring your legs up, squeezing your thighs together as your hands hold behind your knees.

“Look at that.” He breathes out, sliding his finger upward to collect the leaked cum and pushes it back into you.

You spread your thighs, sitting up as you reach out to lick his finger clean.

He points the camera towards you face and you smile, “Best fuck I’ve ever had.” You giggle as he raises his brows, “You mean that?”

You nod, “One hundred percent, baby.”

He turns the camera off and gets up to shut the other one off, “Don’t move.” He points to you and you nod. He walks to the bathroom, coming back with a wet washcloth, “Let me clean you up.”

You nod, lying back to spread your legs again.

You watch as he wipes off your center, then your thighs, and he grabs the other one and leans up to wipe off your chin, “Gotta little dried saliva on there.”

“Do I?” You sit up and wipe off your chin with your hand and he shakes his head laughing, “No, I’m kidding.”

You laugh and stand up, bending down to grab your shirt and shorts, “Thank you for doing this.”

“Just helping out a friend.. right?”

You stare at him and nod slowly, “Right.”

After a few moments of silence while getting dressed, Sam walks over to you, “We both felt that right?”

You nod your head with a smile, “I meant it when I said you were the best fuck I’ve ever had, so.” He smirks and nods, “would you.. want to get dinner?”

“We can.. get it delivered and edit our video?” You smirk and lay a hand on his chest. He tilts his head, his eyes flicking from your hand to your eyes, “May have to go for an unscheduled round two, if you’re okay with that.”

“That’s why I said about editing the video together.” You bite your lip and pull him in for a kiss. His hands tighten on your waist and he leans back, “Just so you know.. I don’t like sharing. Once you’re mine.. you’re mine.”

You nod, “funny, because I feel the same exact way.”

─── ⋆⋅ ☾⋅⋆ ───

Two days later, you’re awoken by a phone call.

“Hello?” You mumble as you place it against your ear, and your manager, who is way too excited at this early in the morning yells, “You’re about to hit eight million likes!”

“Huh?” You sit up, “Wait, wait what?”

“Yeah! That video of you and Sam is going absolutely viral on all of our pages. The passion. The sexiness. The squirts. Baby, you are killing it!”

“Oh.. fuck.” You laugh, “I’ll be sure to deliver the message to Sam, “Thank you! I’ll get on right now and look.”

Sam rolls over and slides his hand up your arm as he sits up, “What’s going on, baby?” He plants a few kisses on your shoulder and you hold your finger up.

“I’m going to need more from the two of you. You guys are a powerhouse.” She sighs, “Proud of you! Keep it up!” She hangs up and you turn your head, “We’re about to hit eight million likes on that video.”

“Eight?” He sits up and looks at you, and you nod, “They want more from us.”

“I have no problem delivering.”

─── ⋆⋅ ☾⋅⋆ ───

Thanks for reading! I love you all so much! Catch you in the next one!

Likes and reblogs are majorly appreciated!

[ktaerssoi]

hii could you do a jealous kate fic PLEASEEE

jealously is my middle name

summary: blowing off a project for your girlfriend and her jealously.

(678)

kate martin x reader

Being a business major meant being paired up with others often, and by the middle of freshman year, most people had a go-to partner. Your go-to partner was Violet, she was pretty and super funny.

By senior year, you and she had worked on countless projects together. You guys had recently been assigned a project that would be part of your final grade, wanting to finish it early, you guys had planned to meet up the following day to get a basic layout.

there was one problem though, your girlfriend. Kate had been making up excuses for you to stay home all day, whether it was her pretending to be sick, saying that you had all semester, or just saying she would miss you so much that she would "die an agonizing death."

needless to say, she didn't want you to go. "Kate, I need to go, seriously now." you separated yourself from her, knowing that the physical contact would make you fold.

"I don't know where your problem with me hanging out with Violet is coming from, but we need to get this work done." You and Kate were standing by the front door of your guys' shared apartment, she was leaning against the wall, still trying to bargain with you.

"It's not that I had something against her, I just don't understand why you guys have to meet up so often. I mean seriously, it's like every other day." She had pushed herself off the wall, her hands finding your waist as she now stands in front of you.

you squirm at her touch, the simple action causing your cheeks to flush. "because it's our final kate, it's not like it's optional." you looked up at her, she was 6'0, so it got hard to focus sometimes when you guys were standing so close together.

she nodded, a disappointed look on her face, but you quickly saw her eyes change as a thought popped into her head. She stared down at your lips for a second, and then quickly pulled you into a kiss.

you kiss back quickly, melting into it, a pout on your face as she pulls away. "kate, you can't just do that." she gives you a confused look, but you don't miss the smirk on her face.

"do what? I can't give my girlfriend a goodbye kiss as she leaves to go hang out with another girl?" you shake your head, realizing what Kate's big problem is with Violet all of a sudden.

"you're jealous." you smile, wrapping your arms around the back of her neck as she tries to pull you closer (if it was even possible)

"I- what?" the look on her face makes you laugh, her being unable to defend herself, giving you all the proof you need. "I am not jealous."

She narrows her eyes, the tips of her ears reddening at your accusations. "you see y/n, if I was jealous, then I would be trying to get you to stay home. I'm not doing that. Leave for all I care, te ll Violet I say hi or whatever." she bites the inside of her cheek, her hands falling to her sides and off your waist, trying to act nonchalant.

"mhm, okay then, see you later k." you smile, kissing her goodbye as you go to reach for the door you don't get far and you feel her hands grab your waist once again pulling you toward her. "okay but seriously babe do you really have to start it today? wait until tomorrow at least," the end of her sentence is muffled as she barries her head into your neck, her front pressed up against your back as your hand is still on the doorknob.

"not jealous my ass."

-

you had texted Violet that something had come up, and you were unable to meet her that day, you and kate had spent the rest of the night watching movies. (along with other things)

it wouldn't be the last time you had to blow someone off for kate.

okay chat, i like dont absolutely hate this but it def isnt my fav, so ill prob rewrite it.. i was also thinking of rewriting the other kate fic bc i just don't like how i left it. also how do we feel about me writing for women's hockey?? lord kk harvey is so fine. anyway chat im actually dying sos - kate

[tarotlexa]

TAROT OBSERVATIONS from a tarot reader!

i'm going to preface this post by saying that those are MY PERSONAL takes on tarot reading from someone who has been an inconsistent tarot reader since 2016 and a very consistent reader since 2018. you may agree or disagree on my takes and that's okay as long as you're respectful! we all have our own experiences. those are just a few random takes that came to my mind, i am sure that i can come up with more later if anybody's interested lol

-if a tarot reader asks you to "claim" your message i'm sorry but they're just using you for engagement. you don't need to claim your reading, if you found it and it resonated with you it means that it was already yours to begin with.

-if your cards are chaotic as hell (aka multiple cards fall out or the reading doesn't make much sense) there could be a few reasons for that: you didn't formulate the question correctly, you're not listening to the guidance or there simply may not be a message for you today. center yourself and try shuffling again. if it doesn't work do not force a message to come, especially for a client. if there's no message there's simply no message (it can happen). refund them or graciously ask them to wait for a tiny bit longer until you can sort the issue out (needless to say, if you're still not able to get a message after a day or two then there's no message and a refund is due imo).

-i believe that there isn't always going to be a message for you (to expand on my previous take), especially when it comes to using tarot as a divination tool/future telling tool. the future could be obscured for many different reasons that may have to do with you or with external forces.

-you're not the tarot reader for everyone and that's okay. not all of your readings or messages are going to resonate and you cannot expect them to because you don't even know the amount of people that are going to receive or were meant your reading that day (could be 10 people, 100, 1000 and so on, it's impossible for all of them to resonate with the same reading).

-tarot is a state of being attuned to the divine to me (i already mentioned this in one of my past posts), not just a skill. knowing the cards meanings and being able to recite them doesn't mean anything if you can't connect them in a way that makes sense to your situation.

-learning the standard meaning of the cards is important (obviously) but there might not be the right answer or an exact perfect meaning for a card (think about spread combinations and circumstances and so on). you need to define your own interpretation, while associating yourself to the root meaning. tarot is all about alignment and perception rather than standardized answers

-it is extremely important to connect with your deck (this can be done in different ways, through a spread or by sleeping close to it or so many other ways). different decks definitely have very different energies.

-protecting your crown/head can be important when dealing with contradicting energies so that the message comes through clearly and unbiasedly, that's why some tarot readers like to veil (i sometimes veil depending on the occasion but it's not a 24/7 thing for me). also please for the love of god purify yourself after a few readings or whenever you feel it to be necessary (whichever way you prefer, as long as you do it).

-the tarot community (not the one on tumblr) needs to stop all the fear mongering about the tower card. it is one of the most beautiful cards to get in a reading (check the supporting cards though). yes, it can be destructive. it can be terrible. but destruction is nothing if not an opportunity to rebuild yourself. it is a gift to being able to shed the old you and glow up into an even better version of yourself.

-the devil in a love reading doesn't always mean that the relationship is toxic. it might be related to the energies of one of the partners or some other factor you need to consider (could be related to self sabotage, comfort zones that turn into traps and so on).

-a similar concept can be applied to the lovers card: it does not always mean soulmates, it can be about making choices that will define your path moving forward.

-you don't always need a tarot reading. sometimes you just need to do the thing you're scared of. it's okay to fear the unknown but it is not okay to stunt your own growth because of fear. just do the damn thing.

-last one: stalking cards are there for a reason. if you keep pulling the high priestess, stop looking for answer externally. you already know, you just don't trust yourself to know. a similar notion can be applied to other cards, such as the hanged man. you're forcing things, stop and let things unfold naturally. divine timing.

thank you for reading! i hope this helped some of you to understand more about the art of tarot or the perspective of a tarot reader.

[thevalkyriesshadow]

In the spirit of Alternate Universe April @gwynrielshappyendings I decided to write a classic coffeeshop au...

Here's a little snippet of this wip fic that I am trying to keep to a one shot...😅

The coffee machines whirred and whistled as Gwyn stood behind the register. The morning rush was just ramping up and her supervisor thought this would be the best way for her to learn the menu and types of drinks the customers would be looking for before she started getting into the crazy hubbub of actually making the coffee.

Gwyn was more than grateful. Seeing as this was her first ever barista job and she chose the busiest coffee shop in a five mile radius.

Starfall Cafe was situated between two major universities in the city. Velaris State (where Gwyn was in her last year of her forensic science degree) and Prythian University Hospital (where she was hoping and waiting to hear if she'd been accepted into their forensics program.)

Needless to say, it was a busy hub of students, hospital workers, and professors, but she loved every second of the non-stop go-go-go of it. She had worked in a restaurant before but the hours were just not working for her. So here she was. Working mornings and afternoons at the cafe, classes at night, studying until the wee hours of the morning – just to do it all over again the next day.

“Your order will be ready shortly, thank you! Next!” Gwyn called over the hum of conversation and coffee machines working full tilt.

The rush of the crowd was finally dwindling. Just this last customer - a woman not paying attention at all, eyes glued to her phone - and she could breathe for a second, get more receipt tape, and suck down that accidental latte one of the baristas made.

Nesta – her friend and application recommender – sidled up to her. “Heads up, the customer coming in is very blunt. So don't take offense if he seems cold.” 

Gwyn’s heart jumped to her throat. She wanted to ask more, but the woman who had been ignoring her finally stepped up to the counter and ordered the most complicated group of five drinks. 

When she was done punching in the orders and taking payment, she'd almost forgotten about the blunt customer until he was standing before her.

Gwyn took a breath and looked up – into the eyes of the most beautiful man she'd ever seen.

“Hi! Welcome to Starfall Cafe. What can I getchya?” Be cool...be cool...

His jet black hair was cut on the shorter side, but still long enough to frame his face with small wisps that curled around his ears and nape of his neck. His piercing hazel eyes stared back at her as she waited for his reply. 

His expression changed ever so slightly with a twitch of his brow. From aloof to curious. He stuffed his hands into his long, tanned trench coat. The opening pulled back, revealing a badge hanging around his neck. The gold shield shone brilliantly in the warm cafe lighting.

“I haven't seen you here before,” he stated. His voice was low, dripping like smooth, dark silk.

“Uh, well no you may not have, at least behind the counter. Just started today,” she beamed, keeping her customer service face up, hiding the nerves that tingled along her spine. He was watching her like she was a new specimen of creature, curious, but apprehensive.

His brows moved closer together. “Are you a student?” 

“A senior, yes.” 

He eyed her a moment longer before his gaze flicked to the chalkboard menu behind her. “Large black coffee, please. Filled to the brim. Don't leave space.” He slid a five dollar bill across the counter. She sucked in a breath as she spied the scars that mottled his fingers as they peaked out from the sleeves of his coat. She took the money and made to give him his change, but he held up his hand. Revealing more scars. They covered his entire hand, from fingertips to wrists. “Keep the change.”

Gwyn stumbled over the register for the first time as she made the transaction and turned to fill his cup. The person working the register was tasked with pouring regular coffees, something quick they could handle, but Gwyn was finding the task…daunting.

Especially since she could feel the detective's gaze boring into the back of her skull.

After dropping the first cup and nearly spilling the second, Gwyn finally had the man's order. He didn't look perturbed that it took a minute longer than necessary to pour a simple cup of coffee. In fact he made no emotional indication at all as he took the cup from her. Their fingers brushed for a heartbeat. 

As he put the lid she handed him on the cup he simply said, “Thank you.” And left.

She'd served a simple cup of black coffee, but her pulse was beating rapidly. Her whole body thrumming.

Well his bluntness surely wasn't rudeness. He said please and thank you. It was just his small talk that was maybe lacking…and no judgement here. Small talk is hard. She turned to Nesta to ask about the customer, but her friend was already staring at her, eyes wide.

“What? Did I fuck that up? I know I'd dropped the first cup, but he didn't seem that bad at all actually –” 

“Did he have actual conversation with you?!” Her eyes were bugging out of her head.

“Yes?” 

“He never breaks his own little script. ‘Large black coffee, please. Thank you’.”

“Never?”

“Never. Unless he holds a conversation under his breath - which, rude.”

Gwyn snorted, “Well, guess we'll see tomorrow. Maybe he was just being polite because I'm new?”

Nesta shot her a doubtful look. But Gwyn was feeling rather smug. 

Maybe she could get him to say ‘Good morning’ next?

[idontmindifuforgetme]

u don’t have to answer this if u don’t want to or u feel u don’t have anything to say on it (obvi) but how do u deal with jealousy and comparison?

i genuinely just like my shit. i love how i look like, i love my stuff, i love where i come from, i love my family and friends, and i appreciate all the circumstances (good and bad) that have led me to be the person i am today. i've done a lot of esteemable things that have bolstered my confidence growing up, like getting an extremely hard degree and pushing myself outside of my comfort zone more than ever before. i treat other people w kindness and respect. i make sure to be a source of support rather than needless negativity. what people think of me (or have) doesn't get under my skin anymore, bc i've already proven my worth to myself. the fact of the matter is, i'll always hold my own opinion of myself higher than i do other people's opinions of me. i'm at a place where i just don't care that much. i've lost the need to correct people on their takes of me a long time ago.

my own happiness is king--everything else is secondary. if i like it, that's enough for me.

i find it pointless to compare myself to somebody else, simply because no two people have been dealt the exact same cards. i wouldn't compare a rose to a lily, so why should i be comparing myself to people who're--no matter who they are, no matter where they're from--never gonna be me? i'm me. the only person i should be comparing myself to is my past self. i am only in competition w myself. that is all.

as for jealousy, viewing people who have things i want as proof of concept has really helped. if another person gets a higher score on a test, i don't get jealous that they outdid me. i just view them as proof that i can get that score if i studied more efficiently. someone else's success isn't a lack of your own--it's just proof you can reach that success, even if the route doesn't look exactly the same, even if it might take longer.

contentment is entirely subjective. i've known wealthy people who're incredibly miserable. i've known people who struggle financially but could not be happier. other people's advantages don't rattle me, bc i don't care about them, bc i'm so eternally grateful for what i already have. i've also never really been that materialistic to begin with, so i've always understood that a person's worth lies in who they are rather than what they own (whether it be things, money, opportunities...). i can say w my whole chest that i wouldn't swap places w the most famous, most rich celebrity there is. i legitimately don't want to. i know that even if i have to work harder for things, i'll have more to say by the end of it all, and that in and of itself is so profound. not to mention the satisfaction from having challenged myself to get there--and i love a good challenge.

i've unleared the idea that i should view other women as competition. life is hard, we all struggle, we'll be living in a man's world for a long time, and it's just not worth the energy. yeah i'm ambitious, but not at the expense of other people. there's enough room for everyone. another woman's achievement doesn't mean less space for mine. we'll all be fine.

w all that said!! there are bad days. no human is just confident all the time, doesn't feel jealous all the time, doesn't compare themself all the time, doesn't let people's opinions get under their skin all the time. don't feel bad for doing it every now and then. it's natural and normal and just part of the human experience. nobody is perfect. just focus on you, view other people as inspiration rather than competition, and compare your progress to nobody else's but your own. it's been a game changer for me :)

[sophie-frm-mars]

hi! are there perhaps any thoughts youd like to share with someone navigating the early days of a BPD diagnosis? its not necessarily a call for advice, given that it's hard to do without knowing the specific situation and also youre just some lady, but rather that youve been very open about your experiences and research on the topic of mental disorders, so id be interested in any insights youve acquired through it that might be valuable for someone who's starting to properly step into the pool of psychiatry for the first time in their life and has a very interesting mixed bag of feelings about it.

ps: needless to say, im super excited about your upcoming essay.

thanks!

Sure absolutely

I was diagnosed with BPD for the first time over a decade ago and the most immediate thing that helped me was DBT, because the skills that you have to learn in DBT really are just a handbook for how to be a person, which is pretty great. I didn't have the level of independence and control over my own life at that point to be able to really build the life worth living that would help me the way I have today, but doing DBT after my initial diagnosis was still the single biggest change in my happiness, my general attachment to reality, how I treated others and everything else that mental well-being comprises. I also didn't have a very good therapist, we just didn't vibe.

This year I've been doing DBT again after realizing that grief, trauma from being in an abusive relationship and work stress sent me into a mental health spiral that involved me doing bad irresponsible kink with people and treating people pretty inconsiderately. I was derealising, paranoid and otherwise detached from reality for a lot of 2023. Looking back it became obvious that one of the core features of BPD, the "unrelenting crisis", had never stopped for me and that I hadn't made a life that really helps me be stable and secure in who I am. This year I've had more control over my world than I did when I was a university student, so I've thrown myself into DBT wholeheartedly. I know that a week where I'm not doing everything on the ABC PLEASE checklist is a week where my mental health is compromised and I need to either slow down and rest or get back on the checklist immediately. I treat it with life or death seriousness, because early this year I would have died if I had carried on how I was or if I hadn't been doing DBT. I also have a really good therapist now.

Get friends who will tell you honestly when you've done something wrong but who still love you the same and listen to them. Be aware of what your support network looks like. I have a Sophie's support bubble discord that people are in because of how immediate my crisis was, but as time has gone on things have relaxed and I usually talk to people one on one more

[dozing-marshmallow]

Hi, a couple of mouths ago I asked for Noah x reader with his siblings. I just want to apologize, I just didn't realize that this in fact faw more character x character thing, also asking you to make 8 brand new character was insane idk what I was thinking😭

Could I make a simpler ask for Noah? Maybe some comfort. Basically his s/o is stressing over an exam to the point of crying becouse they can't understand the material. Also they didn't want to ask him for help cuz they ware affraid he would make fun of them (once again, he's a dick).

Again im really sorry, and thanks for understanding that means a lot. Hope you'll have a great day♥️♥️♥️

Ohh hello my lovely!!! It is so nice to see you again, and don’t worry about the nature of the other request, you are a sweetheart for understanding! Of course you can ask, thank you so much for this request and I hope you have a great day yourself!💛🌸

All the best to everyone who currently have exams or have exams coming up. Remember that regardless of the results you get, they will never truly be able to emulate your abilities and your best is enough! Take care of yourselves and enjoy!❤️

NOAH X READER ONE SHOT

The clock above your head read 21:34, though you’ve been too hunched over your table to see. Your hands were sore and your back hurts, yet studying was more important as you frantically flipped the pages and poorly wrote new notes. You didn’t care how fast your heart was beating. If it means you’ll do good in the exam, so be it.

The second you were too panicked to do one method of studying, you would move onto the next. Whether that was resuming the summary video you had in the background or rereading the textbook, you didn’t care if it wasn’t efficient, you were getting desperate and you needed to have some information memorised. If it means you’ll do good in the exam, so be it.

Eventually, you really couldn’t take it anymore.

This was hopeless.

You banged your elbows on top of your table and pulled onto your face with irritated hands. This was no use. Nothing was working. You weren’t getting any work done.

“What am I doing?” you sobbed,“This is hopeless... I’m not smart enough for this. I can’t do this, I was so stupid for thinking I could.”

Why did you choose this godforsaken subject? Why? All your other subjects were fine, but this one, horrible. The worst part was, this one was the most relevant to what you wanted to do when you left school.

“It’s not my fault that this woman can’t teach!” you were still sobbing, but your tone was pissed, directed at your teacher,“Stupid woman, if she actually did her job, I wouldn’t be so tempted to bang my damn head against the wall.”

Thank goodness before you could do that, Noah came.

You gasped and tried wiping your tears away and grabbing your pen to simulate a normal night of studying. You couldn’t let him see how stressed you were. Your hand was so numb, but the physical pain wasn’t important at the moment.

Needless to say, he saw right through it,”You are not okay. Don’t lie.”

“Okay, fine. No, I’m not doing okay. In fact, I feel like ending it all.” you barked, your eyes stinging from stress,“I’ve been here, trying to understand this utter garbage that isn’t even supposed to be that important but apparently it is, since if I don’t, my life would be screwed, since morning!” you gestured to your disorganised desk,“And I feel like I’m still on square one, and have made no progress today!”

“Woah, let’s calm it.” he insisted, his usual cynicism melting into sympathy as he rubbed your shoulder. Such words would be a mockery in another context,“You’re gonna get nowhere by shouting.”

You hissed,“I want to die, Noah. If I’m dead, I won’t need to worry about school ever again.”

Noah’s mouth sunk to his neck in shock at your dangerous words, though he managed to compose himself,“Okay, that’s your first mistake. Don’t say stuff you don’t actually mean. Breathe in and out.”

He won’t leave you alone until you did, would he?

So you do, first reluctantly then embracing it,“I’m sorry. I’m just frustrated.” you apologised, your voice a lot more gentle,“I just... Why do exams exist? Why do they have to be so hard?”

“I know, they’re dreadful.” Noah agreed,“That’s the second thing. You can’t expect to understand anything if you force yourself to this desk all day. It’s like, the self inflicted Cinderella.”

“No, what’s the point? I’ve tried everything. Nothing is going through, and the exam is in two days. I may as well not show up.” you hopelessly claimed, throwing your pen to the side.

“Don’t say that. You just need to change your strategy, since this, is not working at all, hon.” Noah explained, picking it up and offering it back.

You take it, but it didn’t stop your confusion,“I don’t understand...” you sniffled, still recovering from the mental breakdown. All those movies had people work all day and that’s how they got As!,“I thought if I just worked and kept my head down, I would understand all I needed to by now.”

“For at least fifteen hours straight?” Noah asked like you were mad, though there was a sense of affection glimmering in his eyes,“Did you even get something to eat?”

“Uh...” you hadn’t realised that you’ve neglected eating,“I guess I kept putting it off, but I was going to!”

“Figures.” he scoffed, grabbing your arm,“Come on, I’m taking you out to put some food and common sense back in your system. That’s the third thing.”

When you stood up, a lot of areas of your body began cracking in unison, your tale of literally spending the entire day at the desk proving more true to Noah as disturbance scribbled his face.

The time was 22:04 by the time you and Noah arrived at a fast food restaurant. Your darling admitted that fast food wasn’t the best to rely on during exam season, but for your atrocious approach and the tears it brought you, he made it an exception.

“Thank you, Noah...” you didn’t feel bad since there were other people dining in too.

“You needed this.” he replied, keeping his attention strictly on you,“So, here’s the deal. I’m going to pay for whatever you want, and you have to promise to not do any more work today or do it first thing after you wake up tomorrow.”

You looked at him like he was mad,“But Noah, by that time, I’ll have less than twenty four hours before I’m in the exam hall! You can’t expect me to not be pulling on my hair!”

“Tough luck, honey, if you’re stressed, you won’t be getting anything you want done.” he bluntly remarked, fiddling with the standardised napkin provided,“I always knew you were clumsy when it came to studying, but I never would have guessed that you would have left everything until last minute to cram.”

“It’s not my fault, Noah!” you exclaimed, your earlier frustration clogging your next words,“I had a whole other bunch of things going on! I have clubs, hobbies, other assignments and homework to do! I hate when teachers assume you’ll dedicate your entire life to their subject. It’s like they choose to ignore the fact that I have other stuff going on and then get mad when I don’t read like fifty books related to their thing in the span of two months.”

“Education isn’t designed to take anyone’s well-being into account. How else would it weed out the ones perfect for exploitation in the future?” he was no foreigner to sarcasm or keeping a straight face, this boyfriend of yours.

You murmured, anxiety swimming in your thoughts,“I can’t wait for it all to be over... I really, really can’t wait. The second I’m done, I’m going to throw every last thing I have of school into a bonfire.”

The idea crafted an approving smirk on his face though it morphed into puzzlement when he spoke again,“You know this stuff is my expertise. Why didn’t you just ask me if you were stuck?”

A scoff escapes your dry throat,“No offence Noah, but, you’re not exactly the easiest person to ask help from.” you folded your arms,“Even as my boyfriend, you just, you never sugarcoat what you say, do you?”

Noah rolls his eyes as he responded sans amusement,“Oh come on, you can’t be serious. Every smart person thinks the same. I’m just the only one who’ll admit it. But look, if I really didn’t care, you think I would be doing all this?”

“I know...” you sigh,“I just...I don’t want to disappoint anyone. I want to do well.”

“I want you to do well too, and I don’t want you to just be okay with your results- I want you to be so happy that you could convince me to wear a leotard and tights.” you chuckled at that bizarre hyperbole,“So here’s what I’m thinking. Until I come over tomorrow afternoon to help you study, do anything else. If you really are adamant on doing something, just make a list on all your weak areas so we’ll know what to prioritise. It’s not important when you get it done, so no pressure.”

Pinpointing the weak areas... Yeah, that sounds good. Your strengths and weaknesses were all jumbled together. It’s a good starting point. He always knew what to say.

You ended up enjoying a great late night meal with fries and lemonade. This was greater than you expected it to be. You thought that going out this late would be a horrible choice, but no. Giving yourself space to breathe beyond your black and white papers seemed just what you needed to lower your blood pressure and brighten your perception on the world again.

Noah was always right. He walked you home, permitting you to hug him goodnight; during it, the word “Remember” conspicuously fell into your ear.

“Yes I know... No studying until I see you tomorrow.” you yawned, smiling,”Goodnight Noah, get home safely.”

You entered your bedroom and switched your lamp on. The sight of your messy desk in the dark, with your textbooks opened, stationary everywhere and notes displaced, was a crime scene to your studious eyes. You were so tempted to fall into the trap laid by your anxiety that the only way you could redeem this was by continuing. And continue you would, had the experience of relaxing not refreshed you.

You would take a quick warm shower and change into your sleepwear. You have time. You laid down in your bed, turning over to turn the lamp off, simultaneously catching note of the time on your alarm: 00:01. It was now the next day.

Were you worried? A part of you still was. A part of you still so badly just wanted to leave the bed to study.

However, a new part was assuring you otherwise. Sleep wasn’t an enemy and if you listened to your body, you’ll feel much better and much more ready to study.

You’ll catch up, you still have time. For now, you were going to enjoy rest.

[therightrighthand]

And Pt.2 of the Fallout-Delv-erse lore! Because honestly, I couldn't pick between soft lovable herbo, and murder hobo, so we're getting both.

D.31-A, rouge Courser jerk of the Commonwealth.

Follow on from Dee & Rolls

~

Lore:

[???] "Audio recording, date [REDACTED] between Doctor Langstrum, Senior Institute Bio Division, and myself [REDACTED] regarding project D.31-A"

[D] "Again, I am going on record to state that there was plenty of oversights on project D.31-A and-"

[???] "Please Doctor, let keep to the questions. How about we start with what D.31-A is, and it's history."

[D] "Hmmph ... Fine. -sigh-, well we may as well start at the beguining with the Synth Program. After the sucessful test run of our 3rd generation Synth in the Capital Wasteland passing undercover as human in 'Rivet City', full production of next gerneration syths were approved for masss production."

"And whilst the topic of Synths seemed focused on under-cover intigration, security was also a keen concern. Our second genration synths, though tough, were far from subtle, and a militerised third generation synth seemed nessasery. The goal was to create something with a bit more bite, a single agent, rather than dozens of gen-1's and 2's littering the commonwealth."

"D3.1-A was the answer to this, our first official prototype of the Courser's we know today."

[???] "Why was D.31's biodata used for the Courser program? And can you explain in detail why they were so well equipped for a prototype?"

[D] "Well, obviously, D.31's DNA proved to create a natural resistance to radiation, so it only made sense to base D.31-A on their genetic makeup and memories, as we had done with Gen-3 synths so far."

"As for their ... 'equipment', you must understand that in the early days of testing, D.31-A wasn't built like our truly synthetic Coursers. They were designed to combine the most physically powerful elements of our Gen-2s with the outer fleshy coating of a Gen-3. Machine, wrapped in flesh."

"At the time, we believed Courser's would be going toe-to-toe against Death Claws and super mutants, so we ... built them to durable, strong and-"

[???] "Exessivly costly?"

[D] "Effective. We built them to be effective. However, as time went by, we realised that less was more, and discreet agents worked more effectively than super-powered assassins."

[???] "Can you tell me what led to losing D.31-A in the field?"

[D] "... again, I want to stress the oversight wasn't just on myself or my team at the tim- ok ok, fine."

"After successfully activating D.31-A and testing them rigorously for months, we felt it was time for a field test in the Commonwealth. So we fitted her with an old raider outfit, had her infiltrate an encampment, and simply let her get to work."

"Needless to say, she was effective—almost ferocious, in fact, if you could call it that."

"But, unfortunately, during the fight, a nuclear device was launched, which knocked out our communication with the Synth handlers observing the experiment. After several hours, we deployed security teams and mercenaries to scout the location and report back. There was no sign of D.31-A ... or her handlers, whom we believed to have been killed by D.31-A"

[???] "What led you to believe it was D.31-A?"

[D] "The entire team had been torn apart and stapled to a concrete bunker with steal poles through their chests and their power systems removed. The working theory is that the blast may have ... damaged ... D.31-A's hardware and left them to go-"

[???] "On a five-year-long murderous rampage of Institute assets, including research centres, 23 mercenaries, 12 staff members on the field, and 18 Courses?"

[D] "... Look, it's been months since we've heard from her, and this speculation that she is helping the railroad is preposterous. It's more than likely that her power core has started to falter, and any information on the institute has been damaged in the process."

[???] "Which brings us to the point of this interview: to uncover the lack of oversight that led to a hostile agent that we cannot stop with information on our most sensitive security protocols. What makes you so sure that information has been destroyed?"

[D] "Because I built her [REDACTED] and if she still had access to our location, our relay, and our defences, we would have been dead a long time ago..."

[INTERVIEW END]

-- Find my Discord and other sites: linktr.ee/The_red_right_hand Do not use, repost or claim (rp) my art/character  Art © The-Red-Right-Hand

[reddanceragain]

Bernie's anti-oligarchy tour

Sisters and Brothers:

Under the oligarchic and authoritarian regime of Donald Trump, we find ourselves living in an unprecedented moment in modern American history. As a result, we’ve got to respond in an unprecedented way.

And we’re beginning to do it.

Yesterday afternoon, Alexandria, Ocasio-Cortez and I completed the latest swing in our Fighting Oligarchy Tour. There were seven events in five days, and the turnouts were unbelievable. In total, nearly 150,000 people turned out from "blue" Los Angeles to "red" Idaho … a state Trump won with almost 70 percent of the vote.

Sisters and Brothers: it may just be possible that this country is on the brink of a political revolution that is long overdue and that, finally, we move toward a government and an economy that works for all of us – and not just the billionaire class. This struggle won’t be easy, but we’re making progress.

All across America, I am seeing people who are hungry for an understanding of what is going on in this country, how we are going to take on Trumpism, and what we must do to transform our society.

Here is what I’ve seen over the last five days:

Los Angeles, California — 36,000 people

Coachella Valley, California — 35,000 people

Salt Lake City, Utah — 20,000 people

Nampa, Idaho — 12,500 people

Bakersfield, California — 4,450 people

Folsom, California — 30,000 people

Missoula, Montana — 9,000 people

And let’s be clear. These turnouts are getting Republicans nervous. Elon Musk says our attendees are “paid organizers," and Trump boasts, falsely, that only a couple thousand people are attending and that his turnouts are always larger than ours.

Just this week, four Republican members of Congress representing districts where we have held rallies signed a letter to Speaker Johnson opposing significant cuts to Medicaid. The letter didn’t go as far as we would like – which is ABSOLUTELY NO CUTS TO MEDICAID – but it’s a start. And keep in mind, it does not take many Republicans to stop the House from passing Medicaid cuts. Four is enough.

But needless to say, a few large rallies are not going to be nearly enough to stop what Trump, Musk and right-wing extremist Republicans are doing to this country.

What is most important is what happens AFTER these rallies are finished, and that is what I want to talk to you about today.

First: our goal is not to simply parachute in and do a rally. Every time we leave a state, we follow up with people who attended our events and give them opportunities to take additional actions. Sometimes, it can be demanding that their member of Congress hold a town hall and tell them if they’re going to vote for tax breaks for billionaires while they slash Medicaid. We’re also asking people to go door-to-door educating their neighbors as to what’s going on in Washington. In some states, like Colorado and Utah, we have asked people to get involved in fights important to organized labor or in protecting the environment. In other words, the rallies are the beginning of our efforts, not the end.

As a result of your support, we have already hired organizers in several competitive Congressional districts and are in the process of hiring more. Our organizers have helped turn out people to other events and rallies, including last weekend’s "Hands Off" events. We have held virtual organizing meetings where people can learn how they can best engage in grassroots organizing. In our first virtual meeting, more than 600 people in Iowa's First Congressional District joined. We have even more RSVP's for an organizing meeting in Wisconsin later today.

But there is much more to be done if we’re going to be successful in taking on the Oligarchs who today control the economic and political life of our nation.

In the next week, we are going to help a group called "Run for Something" identify what I hope will be thousands of Americans who want to run for office at all levels on a progressive agenda that represents the needs of the working class of our country. I am talking about school boards, city councils, state legislatures and the U.S. House and U.S. Senate. We are talking about running candidates and mobilizing grassroots activism in EVERY state in the country. Please be on the lookout for that email and consider if now is the moment YOU may want to run for office.

We are also exploring new and creative ways to educate each other in a world where nearly the entire media and communications infrastructure is owned and controlled by the wealthiest people on earth. Our rallies in the last week were viewed more than 2 million times. But we must do more.

We are holding non-political events to build community that bring people together. In my home state of Vermont, we hold free-throw shooting basketball contests for kids, a chess tournament and community walks. When Republicans are trying to divide us up based on race, gender, religion and more, our job is to come together, support each other and give each other strength.

And we must engage in a coordinated effort to support progressive candidates who are not only prepared to stand up to Donald Trump and his Republicans allies, but who are offering real solutions to the problems facing working people, the elderly, the children, the sick and the poor. I am talking about contested House and Senate races this cycle where we have a chance to elect progressives over establishment Democrats.

Now, you know your history as well as I do. You know that real change never takes place from the top down. It takes place when ordinary people, by the millions, are prepared to stand up and fight for justice.

And the truth is, we are trying to do something that the establishment in the Democratic Party is incapable of doing. The sad truth is that many Democratic politicians have very few roots in their communities and are unable to generate grassroots enthusiasm. If we waited on them to defeat Trumpism and move our country forward, we'd be waiting forever.

So it is up to us.

Not me.

Us.

It is up to us to first stop a Republican reconciliation bill that will provide tax cuts for billionaires while cutting lifesaving programs for the poor and working class of this country.

And long term, it is up to us to transform this country.

This is big stuff, and it is not the time for small thinking. It is not the time for the same old same old establishment politics and stale "Inside the Beltway" ideas.

Now IS the time for millions of working families to come together, to revitalize American democracy, to end the collapse of the American middle class and to make certain that our children and grandchildren are able to enjoy a quality of life that brings them health, prosperity, security and joy — and that once again makes the United States the leader in the world in the fight for economic and social justice, for environmental sanity and for a world of peace.

Let's get it done.

In solidarity,

Bernie Sanders

[gabessquishytum]

Planes Trains and Automobiles was on TV today and I kept thinking how well it would work as a Dreamling AU. It has angst, grumpy/sunshine, enemies to lovers (yes I know they're not lovers in the movie but im talking about fanfic), only one bed (hello???), and probably some other tropes I'm forgetting right now. Dream is in the Steve Martin role--uptight, grumpy workaholic dad trying to get home for the holidays to see his siblings and Orpheus. Hob is John Candy--talkative, annoyingly upbeat, determined to be Dream's friend whether he likes it or not, (and uh, spoiler alert for a 36 year old movie) always talking about Eleanor but Dream doesn't find out until almost the end that she's been dead for years and Hob has no home and no family. But instead of just inviting him to spend the holidays with him and his family as a friend, Dream confesses that he's fallen in love with this annoying man he's been stuck with, and Hob admits it was pretty much love at first sight for him. So Dream makes it home and gets to introduce his family to his new boyfriend!

I love this idea??? Am a big John Candy fan personally n miss him a lot so yes this appeals to me directly.

The possibilities are so good!!! Dream being grumpy and mean to Hob and Hob just letting it all bounce off him and smiling at every snippy remark Dream makes!!! Hob offering to take the floor when they get the room with just one bed, but Dream has already noticed Hob’s slight limp and leg pain so he rolls his eyes and offers to share!!!

Hob keeps going on about staying positive and how Eleanor always tells him to keep his chin up and keep smiling, and maybe Dream snaps because he’s exhausted and stressed and he just wants to hug his son. He says that Eleanor sounds annoying as hell! And Hob gives this broken little smile and says “yeah, I thought so too sometimes”. Dream doesn’t get it of course, but he does notice that Hob rolls over in the cramped bed and won’t look at him.

Even so, they wake up all cuddled up together.

Ultimately Dream ends up sharing his fears and worries about Orpheus, his siblings, his work, his own personality. Hob has many warm words and hugs to offer, and Dream is starting to wonder what he found irritating about this man in the first place? Hob is just… kind. Maybe Dream isn’t used to that any more.

They have their first kiss after Hob finally admits that Eleanor died a long time ago and although he’s done his grieving, he likes to talk about her and keep her alive. Dream feels like the worst person in the world, but Hob kisses him before he can start self-flagellating. And then it’s like everything starts to make sense.

Needless to say, Orpheus loves his daddy’s new boyfriend. Partly because his pockets are full of chocolate bars but hey, it’s Christmas. If Dream gets kisses, it’s only fair that Orpheus gets chocolate!

[mousy-nona]

Two's Company (Three's a Crowd)

In which Lilith makes Lucifer an offer he finds hard to refuse, and Alastor has to figure out just how far he'll go to keep him.

Or, Alastor deals with Feelings, breaks into the Sistine Chapel, and causes an international (inter-Ring?) crisis.

NOTE: A few mentions of Helluva Boss characters in here. I don't watch the show, so apologies if I got anything wrong!

Alastor knew something was wrong the second Lucifer clumped downstairs. It didn’t take a genius to figure it out; his body language was practically screaming I’m in a bad mood! Comfort me! His face was pale – even paler than usual – and he stumbled into three different doors before finally giving up on the whole ordeal and flopping onto the couch. 

With a sigh, he summoned the darkness and willed himself to appear standing over Lucifer, casting a long shadow over his face. 

“Why so glum, old chum?” 

Lucifer turned even whiter and waved him away, rolling to his side to avoid his gaze. “S’nothing,” he muttered.

Odd. Usually he would bite back. Determined to get some sort of reaction, Alastor hummed and drummed relentlessly on the top of his white top hat. “Let’s see. Why is his Majesty upset today? Another duck explosion?” He paused. Silence. “So no adorable toys were harmed in the making of today’s tragedy. Perhaps something to do with Charlie?”

A flinch this time. He was getting warmer. 

“Charlie and the hotel? Charlie and the angels? Charlie and her big break up?”

“What? ” Lucifer bolted straight up, his eyes saucer-big. 

“...a break up that never happened, of course. I had to make sure you were still listening!”

He narrowed his eyes. “You are one sadistic asshole, has anyone told you that?” 

“Constantly,” Alastor said, his voice deep with pride. “So are you going to tell me what’s on your mind, or am I going to have to make a few more educated guesses of my own?”

Lucifer sighed, rummaged through his pocket, and handed a piece of paper to Alastor. He’d clearly read it a thousand times over – the thing was crumpled, dog-eared, and folded over and over again. The smell of plum blossoms and gunpowder wafted over him as he carefully read the note.

Come up top. Tonight at sunset, the Sistine Chapel. Heaven has an offer for you. You may be able to fly with the angels again. -Kisses, L

“L…” Alastor’s eyes widened. “Lilith?” 

Lucifer nodded, draping one arm over his eyes. “Lilith,” he said. His voice was distant, faraway. As if he was already out of Alastor’s reach. 

A sharp pain like a gunshot ripped through his chest, so sudden he thought the hunter had come back a hundred years later to finish the job. 

“Alastor?” Lucifer was staring at him.

“Yes?” 

“What are you doing?” 

Alastor glanced down at the couch – where his hand was clamped tightly over Lucifer’s wrist. He hissed and forced himself to let go, staring at his traitor hand in bewilderment. 

“Are you going to go?” 

“She is my wife, Al,” Lucifer sighed. “And her offer sounds like an interesting one, to say the least.” 

His wife. Of course, Alastor had known Lucifer was married. But it was the first time it had seemed like anything more than a running joke. To think there was someone else Lucifer might belong to… He grit his teeth, his claws cutting deep into his palms. 

Alastor did not share. Never had. 

Especially not with selfish she-demons who abandoned their families at the drop of a hat.

Should have taken better care of your husband, Lilith. 

“Are you sure that’s the best idea?” he asked, keeping his voice neutral. “What if it’s a trick?” 

“She wouldn’t do such a thing,” Lucifer said, quick to jump to the traitor’s defense. He frowned, as if Alastor was the one in the wrong. “She’s not like that.” 

That pain again. Alastor’s hand twitched, half-tempted to rip his heart out and be done with these annoying, needless emotions for good. He’d managed to live a hundred and thirty delightful years without this pain, amusing himself with deals, with blood and bone and screams. Laughing at the trials and tribulations of lesser demons from a distance, where nothing and no one could affect him. 

Then Lucifer and this damned hotel had come along. They’d changed…things. 

And after all that, Lucifer thought he was going to walk away from all of it? From him? 

The shadows roared to life by his side. Reality glitched, light bent, green lightning flashed, trapping the two of them in a dimension of their own. One of his tendrils shot out, intending to cage Lucifer in further, but he missed and smashed through the top of the couch instead. 

He missed. He didn’t miss. Ever. What the Hell was going on with him?

Your control is slipping, his shadow whispered delightedly in his ear. What next? Are you going to beg? Go all sappy and tell him you –

“Never,” he whispered. 

“Alastor! What the Hell is going on with you?” Lucifer barked, backing away from the gaping hole his tendrils had left behind. Alastor whipped towards him, and Lucifer blanched. “You...are you okay?”

He could see his own crazed eyes, his wild, out-of-control grin reflected back at him in Lucifer’s concern. He took a few deep breaths, getting his voice under control before he said, “I don’t think you should go.”

Lucifer paused, then shook his head. “I have to. I have to know what she wants.” 

“Fine.” Alastor snarled, one of his shadow tendrils snapping uncontrollably at the air. One of them crashed into the couch, snapping it in two, and nearly tore the floor in half. “Do as you please.”

Then he called his shadows, and melted away before Lucifer could say another word.

Unwilling to spend another second under the same roof as that sad excuse for a king, Alastor headed to the one place he knew he could find a kindred spirit – Rosie’s.

The second she saw the look on his face, she wheeled out an assortment of her best treats – ladyfingers, blood pudding, buck’s eyes, and ladies’ navels – and poured him a pot of her finest tea.

“What’s the occasion?” Alastor asked.

“Does there need to be an occasion for me to pamper my friend?”

“Rosie,” Alastor said, and she stopped bustling about. His voice sounded tired even to his own ears, scraped clean of his usual boisterous gentlemanly artifice. “What’s the occasion?” 

“You look like you need it,” Rosie said, her brow raised as she gave him a significant once-over. “To be honest, sweets, you look like shit.” 

“You have such a way with words,” he sighed, plopping down on an empty chair and helping himself to a few buck’s eyes. They squished delightfully between his teeth, but he couldn’t taste anything past the sour disgust in his mouth. Disgust with Lucifer, for running back to Lilith the second she called. Disgust with himself, for caring .

“So what did Lucifer do?” 

He nearly spat out the eye, half-chewed cornea and all. “What makes you think–?”

“Sweetheart.” Rosie leaned forward as she popped a ladyfinger into her mouth. ��I don’t pretend to know or understand what’s going on between you and Lucifer, but I wasn’t born yesterday. Of course it’s him. You only get that funny little twitch in your eye when he’s involved.”

It was getting worse and worse. Now he was predictable too. The thread of his sanity bent and stretched perilously thin. Like a sailor being pitched this way and that in a storm, he scrabbled for something, anything to hold onto, and eventually managed to calm himself down by thinking of increasingly creative deaths for the angel. No Lucifer, no more pesky feelings. He’d be able to return to his old self. Impenetrable. Cold. Unfeeling.

You know it’s too late for that, his shadow, his honest half, whispered in his ear. 

I’ll kill you too, he promised the shadow. 

“Oh, it’s nothing,” he trilled. His voice was strained, he sounded half mad. “Lucifer is meeting his wife on Earth, that’s all. It sounds like she’s trying to take him back to Heaven.” 

Rosie’s cup clattered onto the table and shattered. Shards of glass and Gluttony’s finest tea flew everywhere, but she didn’t even flinch. “Is that possible?”

He shrugged. “You’ll have to ask Lilith.”

“Leaving you here…in Hell.” Understanding dawned over her face.

“Please, Rosie! I’ve done quite well for myself for a hundred years without him, I daresay I’ll go another hundred without sparing him another thought.”

One of his shadow minions tottered over with another cup. She accepted it gratefully, poured herself some more tea, and sipped at it, staring at him over the rim. He steeled himself. Rosie always had something unpleasant to say when she was giving him The Look.

“Alastor, I’ve known you since the day you dropped into Hell. And no matter what this odd place has thrown at you, you’ve cut through it all with a smile. This is no different. It’s another kind of trial, to be sure, but you’ve never run away from something before.” “I am not running away ,” Alastor hissed, annoyed at the mere implication.

“Oh? What would you call this then? Having tea with an old friend while someone else comes in and steals what’s yours?”

He narrowed his eyes. “Why should I care about what Lucifer does?” 

She scoffed. “There’s no one else here but you and me, Alastor. You can admit it here.”

“Admit what?” The world glitched and the light flickered, turning red, then green, then yellow. His voice was monstrous, split into four different harmonies and overlaid with heavy static. 

Rosie continued on, completely unaffected by his display of power. “You may not love in the same way that the Princess does, but the king has won a special piece of your heart, hasn’t he?”

“I do not lo–”

She cut him off, skewering him with a hard stare. “How long has it taken for you to find him? And do you really think if you lose him, you’ll be able to find someone so important to you ever again?” She laughed and took another calm sip of tea, completely unimpressed by the massive shadow of antlers and teeth bristling in front of her. “I always knew you were destined for great things, but to find a partner in the Morning Star? You’ve outdone yourself this time.” 

Alastor shrunk into himself until he was back to his normal, strawberry-suited shape. “I don’t need him,” he snarled.

“No, you don’t need him. But do you really think you’ll be happy with him gone?” 

Unbidden, a tidal wave of memories came crashing down on him. Lucifer yelping as he accidentally sat on one of Alastor’s unfortunate meal choices, Lucifer destroying every one of his radios in the hotel as revenge, Lucifer gagging when he joined him for dinner one day, Lucifer’s annoyed taunts, Lucifer’s shock when he accidentally-on-purpose snuck in a compliment, Lucifer’s broad smile, Lucifer, Lucifer .

You’ve never run away before. Don’t run away from this. 

“No,” he whispered. Rosie’s smile widened until it nearly cracked her face in two.

“Good. Now, you mentioned they were going to Earth?”

He nodded, struck momentarily mute by the strange emotions twisting and roaring in his chest. 

“I happen to know of a certain someone who might be able to get you there.”

Alastor gripped the grimoire in one hand, ignoring the screaming pain that made itself known every time he stepped forward. The portal had been surprisingly easy to create once he’d gotten his hands on the grimoire. It transported him to the front doors of the Sistine Chapel without a hitch – which was good, since Stolas had turned one of his arms and who knew what else to stone. 

That crazy owl, he thought, there was no need for all that fuss. I was only borrowing it. 

The sun dipped low in the horizon, casting a heavenly orange glow over the grandiose halls of the chapel. He’d never had a chance to visit when he was a human, and a part of him marveled at the beauty of it. Truly a pinnacle of human achievement. 

He would appreciate it more, if his feet didn’t feel like they were slowly being roasted over a pit. The holy power in the building was strong, and he felt it sapping away at his demonic energy like hungry parasites. His arm was growing heavier and heavier with each passing second. The distinct taste of iron tickled the back of his throat.

But Alastor plowed on. Left, right, right, left, until he finally came to a hall much greater than the others. 

Voices, one cold and high, and the other so familiar it made his chest ache, filtered through the door. He put one hand on the flat wood, ignoring the fire that blazed through his body as it did its best to exorcise him back to Hell, and pushed.

Lilith turned around first, her cold eyes widening when she took in his antlers, his sentient microphone, his razor sharp teeth. “A demon? Here?” 

Lucifer turned then, and a whirlwind of emotions flashed across his face. First disbelief, then anger, and finally pure, bright happiness . It made Alastor’s skin prickle. He wanted to bully him relentlessly so he could never smile like that again.

He had always liked dirty things. Liked to smudge and ruin and tear until the good was shattered in two. Lucifer was proving quite a challenge – despite spending the entirety of the universe trapped amongst sinners, despite being separated from everything good and holy, despite his depression and his growing disbelief, there was something about him that was still pure .

Alastor wanted to ruin him. 

“Apologies for barging in without an invite–”

But his big speech was ruined by Lucifer, who took a step towards him, his eyes shining. Lilith was watching them both through narrowed eyes. 

“You came,” he said, his eyes shining. “You actually came.” 

“Don’t read too much into it,” Alastor grumbled, knowing he would anyways. 

“How did you manage–?”

“Let’s get into it later.” Alastor raised his chin, staring Lilith in the eye. It was foolish, he knew. Even without the consecrated ground sapping at his demonic power and burning him alive, he was exhausted from his battle with the Goetic Prince. Roughly a third of his body had been turned to stone. He was in no shape to take on the Queen of Hell.

But he was here now. It was too late for regrets. 

“What are you doing here?” Lilith asked, sounding more curious than anything. 

“Merely an interested party. Please, continue with your meeting. I apologize for my rude interruption.” 

Lucifer drifted closer, his eyes widening when he saw Alastor’s ripped clothes. Alastor straightened, doing his best to look as normal as possible. 

“Apology accepted.” Lilith turned to Lucifer. “So, what do you think of the proposal?” 

“It’s an offer of a lifetime,” Lucifer chuckled, one eye on Alastor, always Alastor. Despite the massive amounts of pain he was in, he felt a sizzle of pleasure crawl up his spine. “I thought I was banished until the end of this world.” 

“Things are changing. Charlie’s little experiment is making the higher ups nervous. They’ve decided they might need your help to set things right. And if you play your part, well…who knows what might be possible?” She held out her hand. To anyone other than Alastor, she might look like the posterchild of sweetness, of love. But he was a master manipulator, and he could recognize a well-crafted mask when he saw one. 

Lucifer closed his eyes, indecision warring across his face. 

“We can both go to Heaven, Lu. We can be together again.” 

“Stay.” 

Lucifer’s eyes shot open and he whirled around to stare disbelievingly at Alastor. Lilith’s gaze shot to him too, the first flickers of anger cracking her mask. Alastor ignored her, keeping his gaze steady on Lucifer.

“Stay in Hell.” He’d rather get fully petrified by Stolas than say the next part, but he knew he must. Alastor the Radio Demon did not run away. Taking a deep breath, he choked out, “Stay with me.” 

If he had been human, the radiance that shone from Lucifer would have been bright enough to melt his corneas. Lucifer stepped fully towards him – turning his back on his wife. 

“I’m sorry, Lilith,” he murmured as he raised his hand, wonderingly, towards Alastor’s cheek. Alastor flinched, but forced himself to stay still as Lucifer ran one gentle finger down a scratch he hadn’t noticed was there. The flesh knitted together, the skin stitching clean. He smiled at Alastor, and Alastor was seized with the strange urge to bite it off. “I appreciate the offer, but I’m happy where I am.”

“What?” She stuttered, looking uncertain for the first time. “But you hate the sinners! You’re miserable down there!”

Lucifer laughed. “I was miserable up there too. And you know, they’re not all bad.” He looped one hand around Alastor’s waist as they headed for the door. “They don’t leave me for a year without a single word, for instance.” 

The door snapped shut with a satisfying thump on Lilith’s shell shocked expression. 

“Man, I’ve been dying to say that one for months. Did you see the stupid look on her face?” Lucifer crowed. Alastor let out a weak chuckle, struggling desperately to keep his feet underneath him. Now that the danger was over and the adrenaline was leaving his system, it was getting harder and harder to keep his legs moving. The weaker he grew, the more the holy energy gnawed at him. 

With a whoosh, he felt his stone foot go limp. He staggered into Lucifer, who caught him easily. His eyes widened, his hands tightening around Alastor’s shivering body.

“That’s right, this is consecrated ground,” Lucifer swore. “How did you get in, anyways? There should be wards for that kind of thing. And how the fuck are you still standing?” 

“Surely you’re not asking me to reveal my secrets?” Alastor managed, swallowing hard past the stone his stomach had become. 

“Come on, I can’t open a portal while we’re still inside. There’s an exit nearby. You should feel better once we’re off the grounds.” 

Lucifer picked up the pace, heading determinedly towards a small door Alastor had completely missed the first time around. 

“But seriously, how did you get on Earth? You can’t make portals, and you don’t have –” 

His voice trailed off when Alastor held up a blue-bound book with a giant gold moon stamped on the cover. Stolas’s grimoire.

“ Are you insane ?” 

Alastor coughed, and a line of red streamed down the corner of his mouth. “It would have been rather easy, except the imp’s owl-friend happened to be in the room when I arrived. Unfortunate timing, that.”

Lucifer paused, his face going slack with an odd mixture of worry and fascination. “You took on a Goetic Prince? For me?”

“It wasn’t as difficult as I imagined it would be. I’ve faced Overlords with more grit.” Again, he coughed, and more blood started flowing. “But there may or may not be an international crisis waiting for you back home.”

“Fuck the crisis. Are you alright?”

“I’ll be fine.” Lucifer’s concern rankled. He was Alastor, for Hell’s sake. The Radio Demon, the strongest Overlord Pentagram City had ever seen. Even with his power half-shackled, he wasn’t some weak little imp that had to be coddled. “Stolas was too busy worrying about his favorite little pipsqueak to get off more than a few shots.”

Lucifer eyed the blood splattered down his front, but wisely decided against commenting further. As soon as they were off of sacred ground, Alastor started breathing easier. Lucifer summoned a portal and grabbed his hand to fly them into it – his left hand. 

Lucifer yelped. “You – did your hand get turned into stone ?”

He shrugged. “Hand…and a few other things.” Lucifer looked horrified. “‘Tis but a flesh wound.” 

“You–” Lucifer stopped, as if words failed to describe exactly how much of a lunatic Alastor was. “I gave up Heaven for you.” He said it slowly, as if he was testing the words, feeling out their price.

“I hope you’re not getting buyer’s remorse. It’s a bit too late for that.” 

Quick as a flash, Lucifer grabbed Alastor’s neck and wrenched their mouths together. It wasn’t sweet. It was rough and desperate and bloody, and Alastor finally, finally let his instinct go free and slashed at Lucifer’s lips with his razor teeth. The golden blood that dripped from the shallow cuts was, for lack of a better word, heavenly. 

Like burning ambrosia. A cloying warmth that bit and blazed while it healed. It made him shiver with delight. For this taste alone, he would blast through Stolas’s palace a hundred times. 

When they broke away, Lucifer’s eyes were flames. “Never,” he breathed. Then he cracked his knuckles, his six wings flaring wide. 

“But I do think I have a Prince of Hell to visit.” 

[alotofrandomfangirling]

Can't take my eyes off you (Son Heung-Min x female!reader)

Summary: you're a sports journalist and you get assigned to interview the players after the matches. Sonny starts crushing on the pretty interviewer and looks forward to every post-match interview just to spend some time talking to you.

Author's note: a post by @sonnys-fan-not-spurs-fan gave me this cute idea and i had to write it 😩 thank you so much for letting me use the idea and for sending me the adorable gif 🥹 i hope you all like it!! Sorry for any mistakes, english is not my first language ❤️

The first time Sonny saw you he was breathless. He had just gotten off the pitch after a painful loss in the Premier League and was heading to the press area for the post match interviews when he laid his eyes on you.

It was seriously like Sonny.exe has stopped working. He was thinking 'what's going on? Who is this gorgeous woman? Is it- is she going to interview me? What am I g-' and suddenly, in those few seconds, it was like he had forgotten about that awful match his team had just had, just trying to process the thought of such stunning woman standing there.

You, on the other hand, were just as nervous. Being a young sports journalist and being assigned to interview the players after the matches was a big deal. And, of course, being a huge football fan, you were excited as well.

You had already interviewed Spurs' striker Harry Kane and brazilian star Richarlison, but now you couldn't wait to talk to *swoon* Korea's pride Son Heung-Min. He was one of your favorite football players ever and you were so excited to- oh my gosh, here he comes! *professional mode on* 🧐

The staff was quick to push Sonny to the press area, making you both come back to reality. You didn't lose time and introduced yourself, starting the interview.

"Good evening, mr. Son. I'm (Y/N) (L/N). We watched Spurs going with a great first half, but unfortunately finishing the match with negative results. Do you think the change in tactics had something to do with this performance?"

"I- I think- I... good evening-" - he tried forming a logical answer, but he was so affected by your presence he could only stutter a few words.

What was going on? You had seen some interviews before and he wasn't always like that. Were you such a terrible interviewer?lol

You started feeling a bit worried but remained professional as the interview went on and he started to feel more like himself.

When you finished, you thanked him:

"Thank you, mr. Son. Until next time!"

He replied with his signature "thank you very much" as he thought 'will there be a next time?!'

Even though the thought of seeing the beautiful interviewer again made him happy, he got a bit nervous, because he didn't want to look like a fool again lol so he promised himself he would get prepared to have a better interview next time he saw you.

And for you, needless to say it was the highlight of your day. Being that close and talking to your idol like that? And getting paid to do it?? Hell yeah. Even though he acted a bit weird... but you were definitely going to work hard to make next time better for both of you 🙏🏻

***************

And it worked! On the next interview, Sonny wasn't caught off guard like the first time (lol) so he was definitely more prepared to deal with talking to his new crush you. It also helped that Tottenham had won the match AND Sonny had scored, so you had several compliments for him and for the team 😏

"Good evening, mr. Son! It's (Y/N) (Y/N). What a great match! Congratulations on that beautiful goal" - you said smiling and you could see his smile was as big as yours - "what do you think changed from last week that led to this victory today?"

This time Sonny could form perfect sentences (he thanked God for that) and he was happy he could perform well and give you a great interview.

When it was done, you both thanked each other again and he left, both of you feeling your hearts warm.

***************

After that, the next interviews went smoothly and Sonny started to feel more comfortable being around you. He started being more open and playful, even cracking some jokes sometimes, only to hear the beautiful sound that was your laugh.

In one of those times he even asked you to call him Sonny instead of mr. Son.

Yes, he had this nerve.

"Hello, mr. Son. I'm (Y/N) (L/N). I would like to discuss-"

"Ah please you can call me Sonny" - he said smiling so sweetly you almost melted in front of him.

This time it was you.exe that stopped working. Goddamnit. We know you always tried to keep it professional, but this time you couldn't help the blush on your cheeks. It was just too much cuteness for you to handle.

"Um, okay, um, Sonny" - you said looking at him a bit insecure, but his look was so heartwarming you immediatly felt safe.

***************

And so days passed and this went on.

You know, Sonny didn't mind the post match interviews. Not at all, he thought the interviewers were doing their job just like he did his, so he always tried to be nice. But this time it was different. He would wait anxiously for the post match interviews so that he could have a little moment with you, your attention 100% fixed on him. Even if his team had lost, seeing your familiar face there, your kind eyes and listening to your gentle voice always made him feel better. It was like a reward after his hard work on the pitch.

He loved the way your eyes would never leave his, how polite you always were and how you chuckled when he said something funny. He always tried to make you have fun and give you a good interview, but he was careful to not let show the big crush he was developing on you.

And you, well, you couldn't say you didn't love it too. The way he always listened to your questions and never took his eyes off you, how he always greeted you with his best smile even if he'd had a bad match, being close to him and looking into his eyes... it was really the dream job.

***************

The day you weren't there (poor you caught a flu and your voice sounded super funny, so you had to rest at home) and another journalist came to interview him he was SO disappointed.

He came to the press area with that cute grin of his and, when he didn't see you, the slump on his shoulders was visible.

"(Y/N), you had to see how sad Son was 'cause you weren't there. That guy has a total liking on you" - your colleague told you when he met you on the next week.

"Oh please, that's absolutely not true" - you said, trying to wave that off and hoping he wouldn't notice how affected you were - "it was just the results, he was probably upset because of that."

"But they won, (Y/N). There was no reason for him to be sad during the interview. He was definitely missing your cute face there" - he said, with a smirk and you could feel your cheeks turn pink.

***************

Sometimes, even after he finished his interview, he would stay behind a bit just to watch you work. Of course he didn't make it obvious, he would always stay talking to a teammate or a staff member, but he would use that time to steal little glances at you.

He even felt a bit bad seeing you talking to the other players and giving them that beautiful smile of yours. Was that jealousy?! It didn't make sense, because you weren't his after all. God, you barely knew each other. But he couldn't help thinking he wanted the kindness, attention and those warm smiles only for him. He wanted you for him.

***************

In one of these times when he was admiring you from a distance, Richarlison noticed it and Sonny was in big trouble.

"Hey!" - Richie said, snapping Sonny out of his trance - "stop staring at the hot interview lady and go ask her out".

Sonny got as red as a tomato.

"What! I'm- I'm not staring, I'm just- I" - he stuttered and Richie soon cut him off.

"Hey, say no more, i can already see what's going on here" - he smirked - "i'll only tell you this: if you don't ask her out by the end of the week, i'll go tell her myself" - he said and then left, leaving Sonny with a blush on his cheeks and a big problem to solve.

Of course he liked you, but did he have the guts to ask you out? Well, he needed to gather his courage and it had to be soon, because if there's one thing he was sure of is that Richie wasn't lying.

And with that, he decided he was going to talk to you after the next match's interview. God help him.

***************

On that day, he talked to you during the interview and he seemed a bit off again, but you couldn't tell why (only himself knew how nervous he was inside ajskajakaj). He waited around a bit like he always did, always stealing those adorable glances at you from time to time (damn, what power you had on him to make him feel like a boy with a crush?).

When you finished your work and had already interviewed all of the players you were supposed to talk to, you stepped aside to gather your stuff and go back home. But this time you had a surprise!

Sonny took a deep breath and approached you. It was the first time he was going to talk to you off cameras and his heart was pouding so hard, he could barely hear his own thoughts.

"Umm hi (Y/N)!" - he got closer to you and greeted you, a bit shy.

You heard his familiar voice and turned around and, really, none less than Son Heung-Min was standing in front of you with that cute smile of his and his hands behind his back.

What could he possibly want with you? Not that it wasn't always a pleasure talking to your idol, but you couldn't understand why he was reaching out for you, an ordinary journalist, after you had already finished your duties.

But of course you weren't just an ordinary journalist in Sonny's eyes. To him, you were one of the prettiest, sweetest and most competent women he had ever met. He wanted to spend more time with you, to look at you, to be with you. And now he was going to tell you that.

Or at least he thought so, until you turned around and looked at him with your beautiful smile. At that moment he forgot the whole script he had in mind.

"Oh hello, Sonny! Congrats again on the performance today, it is really a pleasure watching you play" - you smiled softly at him.

Yep, that broke him. He couldn't think straight after those kind words from such a beautiful girl.

"Um, wow, thank you" - he chuckled, feeling a little heat on his cheeks.

'Focus, Heungmin. Focus' - he told himself.

"Well, (Y/N), i was wondering, are you busy this friday night? I mean, we don't have matches this day so i thought you might be free as well and we could, maybe, you know, go out for dinner or something" - he said, spitting the words out as a bit of courage took him over.

You couldn't believe your ears. Was the Son Heung-Min really asking you out? You were so surprised it took you a moment to process his words and try to understand if it wasn't actually a prank or something, because it was too good to be true.

"I, um..."

Poor Sonny thought that meant you weren't interested, but you were actually just thinking if you should pinch yourself to wake up from that dream lol that made him a bit worried, but he was determined to let it all out.

"Look, (Y/N)" - he sighed - "i'm obviously very nervous because i clearly don't do this often" - he chuckled - "but i think you're amazing and i really admire you, and i would like to get to know you more. I mean, we're always talking about me, but i would like to get to know more about you too, because you seem like a really great person" - he looked down shyly as he spoke.

He was sooooo adorable you couldn't take it 😩 so when he started talking again you immediatly cut him off.

"It's okay if you don't feel comfortable about it, i just needed to t-"

"I would love to!" - you interrupted him, smiling - "Sonny, it would be a total pleasure"

His face instantly lit up.

"Really?" - he said, smiling and lifting his face up, making his hair jiggle a little.

You chuckled at his adorableness.

"Of course! You know what, uno reverse card: now you ask the questions. Think you can handle it?" - you said, playfully.

He threw his head back and laughed. The sight was so adorable you couldn't believe this angel was really asking you out.

"It's a deal then, ms. (L/N)" - he said and put his hand out as you shook it. That first touch was electrifying for both of you.

"Deal" - you echoed his words, winking.

"Well, then i have to go practice to really not disappoint the best journalist i know" - he said with a grin - "let's keep in touch until then?"

"Sounds perfect" - you said, smiling.

Wow, you loved seeing him like that, feeling comfortable and playing around. You couldn't wait for Friday.

You said goodbyes and Sonny felt like a weight had been lifted up from his shoulders. Did he really just ask his crush out and she said yes?! He couldn't wait to tell Richie about it. He would so be proud 😉

[adelaidedrubman]

OC INTERVIEW!

i was tagged by dears @g0dspeeed @cassietrn @direwombat @simplegenius042 @wrathfulrook to do a little oc interview, thank you dears! i decided to do this one for america’s sweetheart verse for acclaimed novelist jestiny ft. her long suffering publicist andrea who was mostly there to make sure there was some accurate information, then i decided to give her own spotlight. on that note, sorry for the length and needless preamble no expectation to read All That

“Ugh.” Jestiny grabs the wall to steady herself from stumbling at Andrea’s quick darting into the doorway to block her exit. “Are you fuckin’ serious? You’re really gonna tell me  — a grown fucking woman — I’m not allowed to go play until I finish my homework?”

“It smells like you’ve gotten to play plenty today,” Andrea retorts with a nod towards the disposable coffee cup clenched in Jestiny’s fist and reeking with the unmistakable stench of high proof whiskey. “You’ve put off doing a simple introductory questionnaire for three months now. You’re never going to hire a ghostwriter if you can’t respond to an information request that takes five minutes.”

“I don’t need a ghostwriter,” she mumbles in protest as she takes a sip from her coffee cup that has never once contained coffee, or fooled anyone into thinking it did. “Just a copy editor.”

“Three copy editors have quit because you started using them as ghostwriters. And whatever job title you want to give them, they need some basic biographical information about you to work on your memoir.”

“See, that’s the thing, is no they don’t. Not with the kinda thing I’m writing. It’s all just empty fluff, don’t you —”

“Even for empty fluff, they need a vague skeleton,” Andrea snaps. She pulls Jestiny by the arm towards her desk, pushing her down into one of her guest chairs before taking her seat behind it and clicking a pen. “I canceled the car you called and changed the passwords to all your rideshare accounts. And we both know you couldn’t make it out of the parking garage without getting a DUI. You’re not going anywhere until this is done.”

“Oh, that’s real fuckin’ nice Andrea,” Jestiny hisses. “Hold hostage the woman who just survived —”

name 

“jestiny ellen rook.”

nickname

“none. nope. never had one. never will have one. gotta say the whole thing every time. flaunt it in front of some motherfuckers who were too fucking dumb to ever figure it out.”

gender

“again, andrea — i am a grown fucking woman.”

star sign

“how the fuck am i supposed to know that shit?”  without bothering to check her birthday, andrea writes down aries.

personality type

“america’s fuckin’ sweetheart, baby. kind, lovable, and humble. what else is there?’’  andrea’s hand moves of its own volition to scrawl out the words ‘dark triad,’ immediately scribbling it out to write down ‘istp’ and ‘8w7.’

height

“five foot five, ballpark.”  andrea gives jestiny a skeptical look.  “maybe closer to five-six, camera adds a half-inch.”   andrea, actually 5’6, sighs and writes down 5’4, covering it with her hand to hide from jestiny.

orientation:

“c’mon, you don’t really have to ask that.” andrea dwells unwillingly on the menagerie of half-dressed strangers milling about jestiny’s home every time she steps into it. no, she doesn’t.  “or lie to the press about it, if that’s what you’re dancing around. it’s 2018! america’s sweetheart can be openly bisexual, right?” 

nationality/ethnicity:

“again. america’s fucking sweetheart, baby.”

fave fruit 

“persimmons. don’t put that down, though, that information is for the fuckin’ benefit of your files, so you can get me a halfway decent fruit tray in my dressing room next talk show appearance. write some bullshit about how much i miss the fresh picked huckleberries of hope county and nowhere grows ’em better, or something.”

fave season

“awards! ha, we do have fun. gotta be fall, though. salmon run season. but pretend it’s for the sake of pumpkin spice whatever.”

fave flower 

“psh. whatever happens to be in the bouquets i receive from my adoring fans. but if i have to pick, i guess, uh… forget-me-nots, maybe. or — heh, or cockscomb.”

fave scent 

“whiskey.”  andrea looks between jestiny and her cup, wondering if she has told the truth for the first time.  “coffee, i mean.”

coffee, tea, or hot chocolate: 

“i just said —”

average hours of sleep: 

“eh, who can really keep track of that?” people who have to plan their sleep schedule around preventing jestiny from having unsupervised access to social media can and must keep track of that. andrea writes down 3 hours.

dog or cat person

“ew. no. opossums. but write down dog, that probably polls better. andrea, should i get a dog?”   andrea vigorously shakes her head in the negative as she dutifully writes down dog. 

dream trip 

“heh. where do you have me booked for next? checked off a lotta the bucket list already. you’re looking at a dollywood gold pass holder. finally got to go there after a lifetime of dreaming, and it was —”  andrea notes the way jestiny’s eyes suddenly glaze over, her gaze growing hollow and flat as she pauses in searching.  “great. fulfilling. worth the wait. always ready to go back, or onto the next adventure. i mean, it’s such a fucking blessing, don’t you think?” andrea doesn’t answer, looking on with some concern as a hint of earnest joy creeps back into jestiny’s smile. “to have one’s full constitutional right to freedom of movement completely fuckin’ unrestricted?”

favorite fictional/real character

“uh, shrek.”

number of blankets you sleep with? 

“as many as i want, baby! that’s another benefit of freedom, don’t have to settle for a single scratchy, paper thin excuse for a blanket to curl up on my cot with. i get to enjoy my forty-winks on silk sheets and soft as a cloud comforter, on my casper mattress —”

random fact:

“i know how to do a bit of sleight of hand magic.” andrea feels a light brush at her ear, and looks to see jestiny pulling from behind it a matchbook with the number of a taxi company stamped in bright yellow.  “and for my next trick, i’m going to disappear.”

Andrea sighs as she watches Jestiny march out of her office yelling pick-up orders into her cellphone. It was successful for longer than she would have expected, she thinks, tapping the end of her pen against her bottom lip. 

She clicks her pen a few times as she shuffles the papers on her desk, staring down at a blank copy of the questionnaire she’d made in case Jestiny was in foul enough spirits to rip up the first in defiance. 

It would be nice, to have someone ask her things about who she was for once, she thinks, in an indulgent flight of fancy.  

name: 

“andrea simmons.”

nickname: 

“...anal-retentive goldilocks, was the most recent one.”

gender

“woman, she/her.”

star sign

“capricorn.” 

personality type

“estj. 3w2.’’ 

height

“five foot six. empirically verified.” 

orientation:

“lesbian, last i had enough free time to check.”

nationality/ethnicity:

“american. primarily german and scandinavian ancestry.”

fave fruit 

“nectarine, left to my own devices. learning to appreciate leftover cantaloupe picked around on fruit plates.”

fave season:

“summer. warm, sunny, long days.”

fave flower: 

“orchids.”

fave scent 

“lavender, jasmine, eucalyptus.” 

coffee, tea, or hot chocolate: 

“coffee. at least three shots of espresso. oat milk. two pumps of hazelnut syrup, no sugar.”

average hours of sleep: 

“three. when you have an infant, you learn to sleep when they sleep.”

dog or cat person

“cats. otto curled up in my lap at the end of a long day is the only thing that keeps me going, sometimes.” 

dream trip 

“any trip. any trip alone. any trip alone without having to worry about what i will find when i come back. greece would be nice, i think.” 

favorite fictional/real character

“peggy olson.”

number of blankets you sleep with? 

“i have a weighted blanket and a quilt at home. and a fleece throw on my office couch that gets more use.”

random fact: 

“i considered going into politics, and interned on a few campaign teams during college. There are many days i regret not following through on that.” 

i know i’m super late to this, so major apologies for repetitive tags and extra no pressure out to the usuals @belorage @hctknives @fourlittleseedlings @galaxycunt @lordundying @florbelles @josephslittledeputy @afarcryfrommymain @poetikat @voidika @captastra @confidentandgood @deputyash @blissfulalchemist @shellibisshe @thedeadthree @nightbloodbix @miyabilicious @henbased @clicheantagonist @firstaidspray @strafethesesinners @jackiesarch @v0idbuggy @orionlancasterr @stacispratt @professorpineapple @strangefable @shallow-gravy @inafieldofdaisies @corvosattano @socially-awkward-skeleton opt in for tags on writing stuff here!

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Progress Update #5: Lo-Fi Wireframes Pau!

Hey everyone! So glad you’re stopping by my Tumblr blog again! Read ↓below↓ for my project update details!

What has been happening over the past 2 weeks?

These past two weeks have been pretty busy as I worked on my other classes’ assignments. I went against the advice of our professor, who said, “Use the spring break to catch up,” but I instead opted to relax and decompress. I actually went outside this time, touched grass, and shopped at malls, unlike my previous breaks, when I would just stay cooped up in my house reading manga. I pretty much crammed some last-minute work before class today and the night before. At the very least, I finished my low-fidelity wireframes for the five microsites. In my last post, I only completed my low-fidelity wireframes for the main website, so I am happy to have done more. I think I forgot to mention that I reduced the scope of my website. Instead of ten designs, I narrowed it down to just five to make it more manageable for myself. If I also fail to deliver a fully functional website, I will fall back on a website prototype as a backup.

What is coming up for the next 2 weeks?

My next step is to complete my high-fidelity wireframes based on the low-fidelity ones. For this step, I will need to gather assets, such as images and text (copy) to use. After that, I will work on recreating the design on the actual website using Wix, hopefully by next week on the 30th. I want to launch the website as soon as possible to ensure there is ample time to gather data by collecting votes from my Instagram Stories polls, summarizing the results, and posting the summary on the site. So, that’s where I am heading over the next two weeks.

Hiccups/Hurdles/AHA moments

A hurdle I had to overcome was my perfectionist mindset. Because I want everything to be perfect, it was a struggle to begin tackling my five microsite wireframe designs. I did not know where to start, but once I began working, I had momentum. At this point, I realized I really just need to pass. Of course, I want to put out my best work, but I may need to take some shortcuts.

I had an AHA moment when I realized that I still had some time before I needed to launch my website. It is not a lot of time, but I remain hopeful. However, throughout this whole creative process, I have had serious self-doubt about completing this project. I had given up in high school for a STEM capstone project for STEM honors, where I dropped the class and forfeited the honors. It was definitely not my proudest moment, but I like to believe I have changed drastically from that time. Although I have self-doubt and imposter syndrome, I have accomplished a lot to get to where I am now. While I do not believe I was the person to actually achieve these things, I am trying to be more grateful and celebrate the small victories. By the end of this project, I hope to savor my triumph and success exuberantly with my friends and family. I am so close to the finish line. We all are. We got this, guys!

Any deliverable drafts to share?

At the top of this post, you will find screenshots of my low- and high-fidelity wireframes from Figma. I have finished my lo-fi wireframes and am beginning to work on my hi-fi ones. Click here to view my documentation for this project thus far. I have compiled my brand color palette, study guide, user personas, sitemap, and lo-fi wireframes into one Figma file to have everything in one place.

Where are you on your timeline?

I am kind of in the production phase, depending on how you look at it. I categorized wireframes under the production phase, but others may still consider them to be in the pre-production phase. Needless to say, I am quite behind, as I have assigned myself to launch my website this past Sunday. Now I know that the deadlines I set for myself are tentative and bound to change, so I won’t beat myself up over it too much. I am proud I have at least finished my lo-fi wireframes, which were substantially weighing on my mind due to feeling overwhelmed. Even so, I have reduced the scope of my project, which has lifted that immense burden off my shoulders.

That’s all for now! Thanks for tuning in ^_^

[ckmstudies]

July 5th:

Officially two weeks out from the exam. Resting yesterday was super nice but I once again have fallen behind. But I'm tired of talking about what didn't get done so here's what did get done: yesterday, I took the area five practice exam and made a 93% which is the highest I've made on a practice exam. Needless to say, I'm feeling much better about this material than the material in the previous two areas. Then today, in just under five hours, I did modules one through four of area six, the last area. Tomorrow I'm hoping to do modules five through eight and take the area six practice exam while aiming for another five hours of work done. I will then take the mini exam on areas five and six on Friday as well as the first simulated exam. This simulated exam will really tell me where I am in my studying and how much review I'll need before this exam. I would have liked to take the simulated exam today but it is what it is. Friday is going to have to be good enough!

Today's accounting topic: A review engagement is similar to an audit engagement but not test of controls are done and the auditor cares mostly about inquiries with management as well as analytical procedures, such as comparisons to predicted amounts.

Other activity: I played tennis at 7 am in the hopes of beating the heat and getting a head start on my day, but I ended up just going back to bed afterwards and sleeping later than usual. Still, the exercise was nice and so was getting some more rest.