#Best Compression Socks Running

[yandere-kokeshi]

hi! I'm pretty new to your account and saw ur yandere dad ghost works! I've got severe daddy issues lmao. Anyways, i was wondering if it was ok to request yandere dad ghost with a kid who has type 1 diabetes? feel free to add what you want and do research! it's just that i have type 1 diabetes as well huhu.

anyways, you dont have to amswer this ask if you dont want to do the req. hope you have a good day/afternoon/night!

— Yandere Dad! Ghost with his kiddo who has Type-1-Diabetes

Warnings: Yandere! Platonic behavior, teenager! Reader, details of chronic disease, needles/blood/and being in pain.

A/N: I hope this was well done! Even though I did hours of research, I can still be incorrect as I don’t personally have it. Please message me if anything is remotely incorrect. Hope you enjoy it!!!

Dad! Ghost is on board with your health—but equally worried. When learning about what diabetes can lead up to, especially in the long term alongside the heavy side effects, like developing permanent nerve damage, kidney issues, and heart disease, it really pushes his overbearing tendencies.

But with enough training, as in anything, he quickly gets a hang of it and begins to trust the process between the two of you on how to handle it better.

Your needs are immediately met. Once he realizes how your everyday schedule has to change to fit your now lifestyle, everything around you is refurbished to fit it better. The garage is cleared out for better use of any exercise equipment you may like, getting bicycles if you two didn’t have some and participating with you when exercising.

Whether that’s doing just-dance on the TV for an hour or two, taking turns on picking songs for competition or just taking a good slow-paced run beside you at the park, he enjoys it more than he’d like to admit.

As for your food intake, the kitchen is swiftly filled to the brim with healthier ingredients and constant fresh meals that are brought in by the garden. Even though he’s aware you can eat sugary food once in a while with the right amount, he still acts like the food police as if he has a “rule book” for you. However, it is better to be safe than sorry.

Always there for you from the get-go. From however it was diagnosed—since you were a toddler, or had it recently diagnosed, he’s there holding you if you require a moment to cry from the nausea or insufferable leg cramps. It shatters his heart to see you in pain, but a part of him is a bit guilty for being proud that despite your age, you still rely on him. Even if you’re still in the “adjusting phase,” he’s patient with you and the mood swings. He understands you best, no?

His affection to help you shines through his actions. Words aren’t always his best suit, especially when it comes to you being sensitive, so he always ensures that you later notice his gifts down the road. As in, like if you forget to do laundry, somehow he knows, already washing a basket full and including gifting you a new set of compression socks.

Dad! Ghost even goes out of his way to build you a hypo juice-box dispenser near your bed, letting you pick whatever flavor of juice to drink that week. Or planning your weekend full of fun dates, maybe even with the team, to a good restaurant.

When needing to check your blood sugar, taking medicine, or injecting insulin, he, admittedly, likes helping you to do it. It makes him feel needed. That you’re still his kid, even if you weren’t born from him.

Plus, it eases his anxiety—rolling the bottle or participating in watching the needle closely, encouraging you to talk to him when he begins pinching your insulin in.

If you’re dizzy about direct contact or around blood, he doesn’t mind engaging with the glucose stripes. Dad! Ghost doesn’t mind how hard you squeeze his shoulders, actually encouraging doing so, chuckling and making comments just how strong you are. As he finishes, praising you in between, he pulls out band-aids, smiling when you pick at the cartoon-themed ones.

In a dark part of your father’s mind, he is insecure and fairly guilty about you. He feels a form of fault, that somehow your chronic disease is his fault, even though it’s quite obvious it’s not. Simon feels helpless, looking at you with a frown when he sees you are in pain, and sadly, in truth, he has to get used to it—which is something that’s deeply hard for him. He holds your health above his head, often bashing himself mentally if he finds a deep bruise or even a small cut on you, afraid of what could happen to you, and the anxiety dreading, “what ifs?” swirling about his mind.

He knows you can push yourself too far sometimes—stressing about school, the due assignments, and much required doctor appointments to go to. He frequently eases things out for you, emailing the teachers, excusing the long assignments, and letting them know days before. He even lets you sleep in before driving you to school, allowing you to miss a day or two.

—

Masterlist || Reblogs, comments, and likes are very much appreciated!! Stay well!!

© yandere-kokeshi 2024 — Do not copy, modify, edit, repost, or use my works for ASMR readings, tiktoks, or other content.

[thedeathwitchescats]

My collection of tips for people who are just now developing a chronic illness or just now realizing they have one. ((As someone who has only been struggling with mine for a little over a year))

-dont blame yourself for not being able to do what you used to. Your body used to do its job to a better degree than it does now. You are not lazy bc your taking more breaks or bc you cant get out of bed. Your taking care of yourself. I struggle with this all the time. Especially considering my living situation. Shit doesnt get done when I dont do it but I simply cant sometimes.

-that leads me into my next point. Take advantage of your good days, but dont overwork yourself just bc your "not feeling chronically ill." When you have the energy, start the laundry, do the dishes, take out the trash, but still take breaks as needed

-keep a set of your meds literally everywhere. I have a pill box I specifically keep in my car with a weeks worth of my morning meds. I have a three sets of my most important meds in my bag at all times. I have pain meds stashed in every crevasse they could be stashed. Trust me, when your running late and you get half way to work before you realize you havent taken your meds your gonna want to be able to reach into your glove box and take them rq

-buy the mobility aid. You think you need a brace bc a specific joint hurts like hell and wont stay in place?? Get it. You cant walk for long periods of time and think a cane would help?? Get it. You think a shower chair would do you good so you dont pass out with shampoo in your eyes and naked?? Get it. Just get it. Walmart sells canes for under ten bucks and they work really well. They also have extra tips in a two back for 2.50. Dollar tree has braces and like 12 different pain creams. Five below also has some braces and quite a few pain relief options. You can also get them cheap on sites like shein or Amazon and sometimes depop. ((I know I know, dont support those sites but a bitch is broke and two bucks for compression socks is a fucking steal)) You can also sometimes find wheelchairs and canes and crutches at goodwill. It isnt a guarantee but its a good option if you need smt cheap. ((Be careful and check that their not broken before you buy))

-take the pain meds. Put on the pain cream. Ice that joint. You dont get brownie points for toughing it out and it will help your health in the long run. If someone looks at you like your weak for taking smt to help with your pain, their the problem, not you.

-create a good support system. Find the people who will drop their brand new iced coffee to stop you from slamming your head into the ground during a fainting spell. They are out there. Find them and hold onto them for dear fucking life

-try to make the best of what you can do every day. Put on cute earrings. Buy cute compression socks. Get braces that fit your vibe. Put stickers on your mobility aids. Put pins on your bag. Carry a cute weighted stuffie for when you need some extra comfort. Make the most of what you are capable of doing.

[pjmmania]

If Snow Decides to Fall

5. "No more simple."

Chapter Warnings: Heavy angst, pregnancy, explicit language, profanity, misogynistic language

Taglist (open): @marihoneywk

Back to Chapter Index

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

He looked at himself in the mirror, listening to the water running in the bathroom. He had put his robe back on and tied it more securely around his waist than normal. With a numbed expression, he studied his features, analyzing his own character.

You had dropped a bomb, and he reacted poorly. The two of you were in the middle of a break in what had evolved into an argument. Things got overheated, unexpectedly so. You decided it would be best to pause for a little bit, take a shower, and come back in a calmer state - but this had to be discussed tonight.

Jimin's own face confused him. He hadn't done so much as utter Seoyeon's name in a long time. He was befuddled by how much hurt was apparently still inside him, as he was upset that somehow she'd come back to haunt him, driving a wrench between himself and the woman he adored more. In flashes, he saw all the signs she left while they were together, everything that should have told him what she was all about. The insatiable desire of hers to be known as his, more than happy to suck his wallet dry.

He saw their dates at those expensive restaurants, remembering how he snuck payment to the owners to keep them quiet. He remembered having to pay a nosy photographer off handsomely so that he wouldn't sell photos of them together, and her furious face when she learned he'd done so.

He had already agreed to take your relationship public someday when it became necessary, but so much of that had to do with the baby. Now, to hear you sound so jealous of the things he'd done with Seoyeon, a red alarm was blaring.

When your shower was complete, he was in the living room, sitting on the couch with some mindless television on. Your hair was wet and brushed out of your face, and you were in a hoodie and shorts.

You sat down next to him, playing with the hem of your ankle socks. Neither of you knew what to say at this point.

"So..." you said, "I'm sorry about how that went."

He let out a sigh, scratching his cheek gently, "Yeah, me too. I'm sorry I didn't tell you about Seoyeon sooner. She's not really a topic I engage."

"So I can gather." your voice was hushed as you hugged your knees to your chest.

Jimin dug for more words, "I'm also sorry that I haven't shown the side to you that I did to her. You know, the dating side. I understand now that it's probably strange for us to move in together when we haven't even been on a real date. You aren't crazy for wanting that."

You nodded, "And you aren't crazy for wanting to avoid past hurt. I can see why you're hesitant. I'm not mad that you have an ex, but she was serious and you broke up right before we met. That's a lot to digest, Jimin. Either way, I shouldn't have made you feel like you're a bad boyfriend for it. And regarding the dating stuff, I know I shouldn't expect typical boyfriend treatment from you, especially if you've been burned before for trying. It's just, my parents said something to me when they were at my apartment. They pointed out that there has been no real action for us going public. We've said we will, but haven't really moved forward with any plan. Pile you asking me to move in, and then all of this new information on top of it, and I felt the doubt creep in."

"I understand," he said, "I just want you to know it's not because I don't love you. It's because I love you. It's because I love this."

You felt the hurt and anger rise again. A spiteful, petty woman inside you reared her head.

"You love keeping me confined in your apartment?"

You regretted it the second you said it, but it was too late. Now the man next to you had to try to compress his irritation. He looked down, features tight with displeasure, "I told you, I don't relish hiding you."

"You just said you loved this."

Jimin sprung off the couch, making you jolt a little. He put his hands behind his head. Here you both went again.

"I mean our relationship, Y/N. Jesus Christ..."

"Well sorry, but you're sending mixed messages," your tone was sharper now, "You say you don't want to keep us a secret, but you love our relationship as it is. Both can't be true."

He groaned, turning his back to you, "They can, actually."

Your eyes rolled, "How, Jimin?"

"Because I love the relationship that doesn't subject you to scorn and hate. Because I love the relationship where we have privacy and freedom."

You were nearly speechless until you let out a mocking laugh, "Freedom?! This is freedom to you?! Every waking moment of our lives when we are outside this apartment is an act of theater! Did you know that I don't let myself laugh at your jokes at work? I don't even let myself look at you most of the time out of fear that someone will notice and-"

"And what?!" Jimin turned back to face you, eyes daring you to continue down that road, "Catch us? Because you'll get fired if they do? What an excellent point! God, do you have amnesia or something? How have you forgotten about that?!"

"I haven't."

"Well it sure seems like you have," he seethed, "It seems like you've disregarded every good reason to have conducted ourselves the way we have, Y/N. I won't be the bad guy for taking actions we both agreed on when this whole thing started! Actions that protect you!"

Both of you had shreds of self-awareness remaining, and knew deep down that this argument was becoming asinine. Neither of your points was without contradiction. Unfortunately, grown adults could still behave like children, and you dug yourself deeper into the hole.

You were steaming, "What happened to being sorry that you haven't shown me your 'dating side'?!"

"What happened to not expecting me to be able to treat you like a normal girlfriend?!"

You were both quiet for a moment. Your heads were swirling. Everything was muddled and you didn't know if you'd be able to resolve this tonight. Once more, the conversation had taken an ugly turn.

You fought back tears, whispering, "I don't, because I'm more than your girlfriend. I-I'm the mother of your child. That's my point. And if that's not enough for you to let go of this...this reflexive fear you have because of someone else's wrongdoing, then I don't know what else to do."

"But I am going to let go of it someday," his tone also softened, "You're acting like I've gone back on my word."

"No, I know we are still going to go public. We don't have a choice in all of that, as we have said many times before. I guess...I just wish you'd want it a little," you allowed a couple of tears to roll, "I know you didn't want it with Seoyeon either, but at least you were willing to take a risk for her. I'm already going to lose my job and who knows what else. I would feel better if I knew you weren't just doing it for the baby's sake. Do you ever want people to know about me?"

You ached for him to tell you that he loved you and wanted the world to know. That he wasn't embarrassed by you, that he would be glad for everyone to know he was with you. If only words like that would fall from his lips.

Jimin sighed, muscles loosening, "It's not that simple, Y/N."

It felt like a punch to your gut. You licked your lips to cope and prevent the shedding of more tears, drawing a deep breath into your chest, "No more simple. That's been the story of my life lately."

You then turned around, grabbed your purse, and left.

*3 weeks later*

You walked into your office to find a small bunch of pink and blue balloons tied on the back of your chair. On your desk was a card. After putting your things down, you went to read it. A sweet congratulatory message was on the inside and a gift card to a baby store, with signatures from everyone in the office. You told all of your other co-workers recently, and it appeared they got you something to celebrate. It made you smile, putting your hand on your belly, which had just begun to expand past your hips. Your smiles had been few and far between ever since that strange and troubling night, as had communication between the two of you.

His words were barreling through your mind. You and Jimin had never fought before, and clearly, neither of you knew where to begin the patch-up. The notion of moving in together was on hold, and it seemed like everything else was too. He was checking in with you once or twice a week, but you hadn't seen him since. The relationship was shaken, and it felt dreary. You'd grown to realize how big of a gap was left in your week without seeing him, laughing with him, loving with him.

Chaeyoung ducked her head into your office, "Hey! Do you like your surprise?"

You nodded, forcing a wider grin, "It's so sweet, thank you."

"Well, come on," she said, opening your door wider, "I know you're pregnant and all, so you've been getting here a little later than normal, but the guys have an in-house shoot today. And by today, I mean right now."

Your stomach dropped, "Oh, that's today?! Shit, give me a second."

You grabbed your water bottle and took your prenatal vitamin. Your colleague found it amusing, recalling what it was like to be at the stage you were. Pregnancy brain was real.

The two of you wheeled up the garment racks, pushing them into the elevator, as usual. You felt horrible for not only forgetting about the photo shoot but also what looks had been planned for it. You were essentially going in blind.

When you entered the right studio, the guys were already in there. Even Jimin was on-time. The program of events was the same as always. They needed to come to grab their garment bags once out of hair and makeup, and then you and Chaeyoung would take care of the rest.

The camera crew greeted you both, but seemed especially upbeat when they saw you. One of them, a man named Jongsu, came up to you with a bouquet of flowers and a small gift bag.

"Congratulations, Y/N!" he beamed at you. The other members of the crew either applauded or gave some cheers. You looked around at their beaming faces.

Wanting you to enjoy this moment, Chaeyoung took hold of the rack you were pushing and pulled it along behind her, freeing up your hands to receive these gifts.

You smiled and shook your head as both object were placed in your hands, "Thank you all so much. You didn't have to do this, really."

"Open it!" one of them said.

You set the flowers down gently on a folding table behind you. Navigating your hand through the white tissue paper in the bag, you located the object and pulled it, or them, out.

It was a pair of white knitted baby boots, so tiny that it made you gush, "Oh my gosh, these are so cute!"

They were so little. It gave your heart respite, a moment to let go of all stress and simply imagine the feet that would someday fill these shoes. Your winter baby.

The crew laughed at your response, glad that you liked them. Jongsu gestured to the little shoes, "We heard you're due in January. The little guy or girl needs some warm boots."

"Thank you," you giggled, "These are just precious. I love them."

Meanwhile, Chaeyoung approached the members. It appeared like all of them were finished with hair and makeup already, and were good to go and change. She nodded at the group, "Hey guys."

"Morning." they all greeted her back.

Jimin was focused on you, chatting with Jongsu near the door from which you came. He had watched you open the gift. Chaeyoung caught notice of his seemingly puzzled stare, looking back at you as well.

She then turned her head back to the members and smiled. She figured that he was confused by the sight, unaware of your circumstance, "Haven't you all heard? Y/N's pregnant."

For a split second, they looked at each other. Jimin couldn't pull his eyes off you. Once his friends all began to act happily surprised at the news, he followed suit. It felt mind-blowingly stupid to him. That was his child, and now he was having to blatantly pretend it wasn't.

"T-That's wonderful!" Hoseok chuckled, "We should get her a little something too, right guys?"

For once in the past couple of weeks, Namjoon and Jimin were united in something - they both shot him stern looks.

"Uh, yeah!" Jungkook replied enthusiastically, "We should. Maybe a baby-sized Army bomb or something."

Chaeyoung laughed, "Do we even make those?"

"Do we make what?" your voice quickly approached behind her. You couldn't help but lock eyes with Jimin instantly, but you made every effort not to look too long. If you were both being honest, you were the one who had been more standoffish over the past couple of weeks. You were too hurt by the disregard he showed you that night.

If it was up to him, the two of you would have talked it through and hopefully made up by now.

Even though he assumed you didn't feel this way, your appearance was glowy. Your skin was radiant, your hair looked soft and lush, and your eyes were bright.

He'd been reeling since the argument, just as you were, but he had missed you. The words you spoke that night echoed, pricking him like needles. While the comments still upset him, the stint of time without you had taken its toll. He contemplated your points and started to come around to understanding them. Slowly, the fire he felt was disappearing, replacing itself with guilt and a longing to fix this.

Chaeyoung answered your question, snapping him out of his own thoughts, “Oh nothing. I hope you don’t mind, but I was just telling them about your happy news.”

“Yes,” Taehyung gave you a knowing look, persuading you to play along, “Congratulations, Y/N.”

Jin added, “Yeah, congrats. We’re very excited for you.”

The others joined in, including the father of your child.

He looked at you with sullen, troubled eyes. The makeup around them made his expression even more exaggerated, making something inside you begin to hurt, "Congratulations, Y/N..."

You could tell that the guys felt it too. Some of them glanced at their fellow member with concern, while others looked down at the floor. It had always felt bizarre to pretend in front of people at work, but this was on another level.

You feigned a flattered expression, “Thank you all.”

“Oh!” you colleague squealed towards you, eyes fixed on your abdomen, “You’re starting to show!”

Now was not the time for this.

You looked down at your slightly distended belly and put your hand over it. Part of you wished you were wearing something looser or a cardigan so that you could conceal it from their view. You felt Jimin’s eyes burning through you, and this time you couldn’t bear the awkwardness of looking at him. Suddenly you felt a spasm of remorse for not coming around sooner. If only you had, this special moment of seeing your bump for the first time wouldn't have been tainted.

“Y-Yeah," you said, "Just recently."

He felt like he could have thrown up. There it was - the thing he’d been looking forward to seeing for weeks. Your belly had finally popped, and he couldn’t even celebrate it with you.

Chaeyoung clapped her hands once, “Right, well, you boys go get dressed.”

They all went along with it, Jungkook having to nudge Jimin to get him to move. He couldn’t pull his eyes off your belly, as if he was in a trance. The youngest member touched his lower back to urge him forward. Reluctantly, he grabbed his bag off one of the racks and went with the rest of them.

All of the guys wound up in the same private dressing room to strip down. Jimin removed his shirt, while the others cautiously watched him. He looked totally zoned out.

They knew that the two of you had an argument and what it was about. To say the least, it only cemented Namjoon's low opinion of you and the situation. In the minds of the others, they could empathize with both sides. They knew damn well why Jimin was hesitant to make the same mistakes he made with Seoyeon, but they could also understand how it must have felt for you to discover that. Still, they had no idea that he had asked you to move in with him - Jimin wasn't ready to accept even more backlash from the group leader.

"That was weird." Yoongi said, hoping it would get him to talk.

"Yeah," Jimin muttered, "It was."

Most of them had no idea what they could do. They didn't know if this was the time to support their friend or encourage a resolution to this conflict. Namjoon was biting his tongue. He wanted to let his thoughts loose again. What he had thought about you before was only emboldened now that this argument had occurred.

Always one to try to concentrate on the bright side of things, Hoseok offered Jimin a soft grin, "Hey, at least she looks healthy, right? She's popped exactly on schedule."

The others gave him perplexed expressions. Jimin's was the most pronounced, "How in the world would you know that?"

"My sister's been through this," he shrugged, "Plus I have a girlfriend who is childbearing age. Women love to talk about this stuff and I'm a good listener. Sue me."

"And those little boots they gave her," Taehyung put his hands over his chest, "They're so cute."

Jimin scoffed, "How is making comments like that helpful right now?"

The room was quiet now, minus the sound of zippers and fabrics brushing against skin. They knew he had more to say.

Eventually, he went on, "I feel so fucking useless. What kind of a man am I? She's out there having everyone think that she got knocked up by some other guy that no one's ever heard of."

"I mean...No one is treating her poorly because of it." Jungkook said.

"That's not the point," he sighed, "The point is that's my kid. And she's my girlfriend."

"I'm sorry, I can't take this anymore," Jin rolled his eyes as he pulled on his chosen shirt, "The fact that you've gone this long without making up is ridiculous and it's unlike you. If your masculine pride is hurt, then take charge and go fucking talk to her."

The group was surprised by the slight outburst of their oldest brother, but most agreed with the sentiment behind his words. Their patience with this was getting thready, if they were all honest. This cohort of men never enjoyed drama, and lately, nearly all of it was centered around this one relationship.

"She doesn't seem to want to talk to me," Jimin argued back, "She barely gives any response to the texts I've sent her. I won't force her to talk if she doesn't want to."

"Fine." Jin briskly walked up to the younger man and snatched his garment bag right out of his grasp, “Then I will.”

He pulled out Jimin's black button-up, which was supposed to be worn under a burgundy jacket. Holding it up in front of him by the hanger, Jin pinched one of the top buttons between his fingers and snapped it off. The button fell to the floor with a soft tap, the threads hanging.

Jimin was aggravated but lacked the energy to show it in full force. He inhaled and exhaled deeply through his nose, pursing his lips together, “And please tell me what the fuck that was for?”

The oldest member chuckled, bending over to retrieve the button and placing it in his hand, "You'll thank me later. Now hurry up. You have to get that fixed now if we want to start on time."

In a gust of irritation, he took the shirt from his hand. He got the rest of his outfit on and retrieved his burgundy jacket before making his way back into the studio.

Once he was out of the changing room, the rest of the boys shared a laugh.

"Jeez, that was unusually direct of you, hyung." Yoongi smirked, zipping up his black boots.

Jin shrugged, "Needed to be done. They have to get their shit together."

"I feel horrible for the tough circumstances they are facing, but I agree," Jungkook added, zipping up his pants, "She's already in the second trimester. They need to figure out the next steps."

"Maybe it's time for us to step in too," Hoseok mentioned, "I said a while ago that it would be nice for Y/N to get better acquainted with us and the other girlfriends. I think it would help her a lot. Both of them, actually. They need to feel like they have a circle of friends to lean on. As a couple."

The photographer was adjusting the lighting and taking test shots, and the makeup crew was cleaning up their space.

Namjoon was getting his jacket lint rolled by Chaeyoung to ensure everything looked perfect. The man had a knot inside him. He was glancing at you every once in a while. If he didn't think it would ruin his friendship with Jimin and throw their lives into turmoil, he could have outed you there and then.

The stylist took note of his warring expression, "What is it?"

The leader realized he had to compose himself, "Nothing, just surprised about Y/N's news. It's wonderful, though."

"Isn't it?" Chaeyoung giggled, "If I'm being honest, I was slightly concerned at first. As her friend, I want to make sure she's taken care of. I trust that you'll keep this to yourself, but the father isn't necessarily a serious partner as of now. That worried me at first, but then she told me that the father is very affluent. She'll be able to manage, with a nice supply of child support."

The world went red for Namjoon, "Oh she told you that, did she?"

The woman was perplexed, ceasing the lint rolling for a moment, "Yes...is it such a wrong thing?"

"Not at all," he seethed internally, "That's comforting, actually. Y/N shouldn't have to deal with the strain of raising a child on a single income."

Not that he had any doubt before this revelation, but now he wouldn't be able to live with himself if he didn't inform Jimin about this. Now, you were speaking of your relationship to others, behind his back. it didn't matter if you were telling people the truth about this baby's parentage - you were disclosing about wealth. As far as he knew, you would soon let the secret out yourself. Namjoon had to put an end to this.

You were a safe distance away from the two of them. As soon as you heard the door of the changing room open and close, your gaze naturally trained in that direction. Much to your dismay, Jimin was shirtless. Both his shirt and jacket were draped over his forearm as she approached you with a certain diffidence on his face. You were the only one who could fix what Jin had done fast enough.

He stood before you, averting eye contact, "It appears I have a wardrobe malfunction for you to deal with."

Trying to be cordial, you nodded, "What is it?"

"A shirt button."

You hummed in understanding and took his black shirt from him. Jimin could have stayed behind while you walked away to perform your work. He could have simply struck up a conversation with another staff member, but he followed you anyway. Perhaps a small piece of him was grateful for the excuse provided by Jin to speak with you.

You walked to the other end of the spacious room and sat down at one of the folding tables, getting your supplies out from your waist pouch. As you examined the problem area, Jimin stood next to you.

"This was ripped off," you observed, "The thread is broken right here in the middle. Did you...?"

You glanced at him, but then you were given a stark reminder that he was shirtless and looked away. You'd seem all of them shirtless during times like this, but it was different.

Jimin cautiously confirmed your assumption, answering you with a quiet voice, "Yeah, it was done on purpose. But it was Jin, not me."

You casually checked your surroundings. No one was within earshot. You weren't oblivious - you knew why Jin would do that.

"This feels familiar, doesn't it?" you sighed, threading your needle.

He seemed clueless, saying nothing.

You smirked a little with a shake of your head, keeping your eyes on the sewing task, "This is how you and I met. Me re-attaching a button to your shirt. It was in this same studio, at this same table."

Jimin remembered. He was taken back to that day when you'd managed to turn his life anew, after such devastation. Then the past year played in his mind, so many moments with you. All the sneaking around at work, the relentless fucking, the blooming feelings of love, the coffee in the mornings after.

And now, that same woman was here, with a growing belly full of his child. Two people that he couldn't acknowledge in front of the world. It felt criminal now.

He pulled up a chair so he could sit next to you. Careful to use a low volume once more, he offered you his sincerest eyes, "Y/N, I-"

"Hey, Y/N, hurry up with that! We're about ready over here!" Chaeyoung called to you.

You looked back at her, "Okay, one minute!"

Your eyes landed on him before returning to sewing. You weren’t entirely keen on having this conversation here.

“Jimin, not right now.” you mumbled.

His spirits were let down, but he could understand. He cleared his throat and offered you a soft grin, “That’s okay. I just wanted to tell you that…”

You looped your thread through for the last time, fastening the button back in its place, waiting for him to finish his sentence. But he didn’t. He just trailed off. When you looked at him hesitantly, you saw his gaze fixed on your belly again. It was a pained, longing gleam in his eyes.

Before you could ask him to finish, he appeared to snap out of it, “That those little boots you got from the crew are really cute.”

You gave a tiny smile, and his got bigger. At last, an ounce of unity. Then both of you broke into a mutual, subdued laugh. Despite everything, you couldn’t help it. His expression was adorable and, well, he was absolutely right.

“I agree,” you said, lowering your voice even more, “Our baby’s first present.”

Then you handed him his shirt back, good as new. He put it on while you held the jacket. When he was ready for the outer layer, you positioned it behind him, holding it up so all he had to do was slip his arms through.

“Thank you,” he said, giving the lapels a good tug, “Good?”

You gently giggled at how he was extending his arms outward, showcasing the outfit, “I’m satisfied.”

Jimin could have made a dirty joke there, but decided against it. As the two of you began to walk back to the group in the middle of the room, he realized he needed to say something, and fast. Otherwise, he didn’t know the next time he’d see you in person.

He muttered in your ear, “I want to talk.”

You sighed, giving in. You were still offended, but it couldn’t go on like this. Things were progressing inside your belly. It was time to suck it up and come back to the discussion.

“I do too…your place I assume?”

He could have easily agreed to that. It was the only practical option either of you had known thus far, but this conflict proved that things had to change. Not in the months ahead, but now.

“No,” he said, “Give me the rest of the day to make arrangements. I’ll text you the time and come pick you up.”

“What?”

He smirked, walking ahead of you. This conversation had to end now that you were almost back in the circle. Briefly, Jimin turned around and whispered, “Just trust me.”

The shoot was over, and the members were changing back into their everyday clothes. Namjoon was watching Jimin, pacing himself so that he was getting dressed at the same time. He knew that the younger man would be one of the last to leave the room, and he wanted to time it precisely.

Sure enough, things unraveled how he predicted. When Taehyung exited the dressing room, it was just the two of them. Jimin became exponentially less easy. They'd hardly spoken since the leader's harsh reaction to the unexpected.

Namjoon let out a breath and spoke calmly, "I think you and I need to talk."

"I don't want to right now," Jimin spat, "I need to settle things with my girlfriend first. My relationship with her matters a whole lot more than this."

The older of the two closed his eyes. Remaining rational had to be the priority, "I understand and I agree. Your relationship with the mother of your child has to come first...I just want you to have a full view of what that relationship is."

Jimin chuckled out of astoundment. He could only shake his head as he laced up his sneakers, "You're unbelievable."

"I care about you," he pleaded, "That's what this is. I never want to see you hurt."

Jimin's Adam's apple was exposed as he tilted his head up, face directed at the ceiling as he groaned. As ticked off as he was, he k knew Namjoon was well-intended. It didn't amend the words that were exchanged, though. His head then fell frontward to the floor for a moment as he struggled to find the right words.

"I know you care, Joonie," he sighed, "But this isn't the right way to care. You insulted me, and you were way over the line about her. Your words were so hurtful that I haven't dared to even share them with Y/N. It would devastate her."

Namjoon wiped his palms down his face in aggravation, "After this fight you've had with her, you still don't see it? Surely you must."

He was losing the little patience he had, "I might have been more upset with her weeks ago, but I don't feel the same anymore. Her reasons are completely different from Seoyeon's. This whole thing confuses me, Namjoon. You're an empathetic, smart guy. How can you possibly judge this situation to be the same?"

He would regret saying these next words, but Jimin had a right to know everything. As an older brother and a leader, he needed to bite the bullet.

"Y/N has disclosed that the baby's father is rich."

Again, the younger could only chuckle, "What are you talking about?"

Namjoon lowered his voice, approaching the door so he could lock it, "Chaeyoung told me. She said Y/N described the father as a very affluent man, which will help her financially."

"That's...unfortunate."

The lock clicked into place.

"Unfortunate? That's all? It doesn't worry you that she's out there exposing some of the truth? A truth which, lest we all forget, benefits her massively?"

"You know her well enough to know that she wouldn't mean it like that!" Jimin snapped. He couldn't tolerate this narrative of you having nefarious intentions any longer.

"I know you well enough to know that you didn't catch things like this last time!" Namjoon growled, "You might love her, but the record shows that you don't always love what's good for you, Jimin."

He paused. This conversation was over. He had more important matters to attend to, and he wasn't going to commit any more energy to this.

"That may be true," Jimin's tone became much more docile, "And I believe I have learned from my past misjudgments, but you're right. I should be wary of people who bring negativity into my life, under the false guise of love. So now I have no choice but to be wary of you."

Namjoon felt his chest tighten, "No, you need to listen to-"

"Until you come to your senses, our friendship is on hiatus...I guess it's been that way for weeks, but I'm officially drawing a line. I'm done trying to make you see it my way and I can't spend any more energy on it." he started towards the door.

"Jimin, you're going to get hurt again."

Hand on the doorknob, he didn't even look back, "I hope you change your mind."

You stepped out of your apartment complex wearing the attire Jimin suggested you wear. Your stomach in a mixed recipe of thrill and anxiety, you smoothed your hands over the silky printed fabric of your dress. It had a cream and pink floral pattern on it, with thin straps and a cowl neckline. It came down to your knees, cut upward at one side by a slit. This was one of the only dresses in your wardrobe that still fit you comfortably, the material nice and stretchy.

Your feet were a bit swollen, but you had still managed to get yourself into your trusty nude heels. They clicked on the pavement below as a warm August breeze swept the streets.

The sun was setting, creating orange and pink hues on the shiny cars that were driving by. You had been told to look for a large black SUV with blacked-out windows. Indeed, one was parked on the curb. You were almost positive that this was the right one. Then, you received a text from Jimin confirming it.

He was waiting for you in the back seat, as you assumed. Jimin didn't own a car this large, so you predicted that he'd asked one of their drivers to take you. Typically, the driver would exit the car to open the door for you, but tonight obviously called for more discretion.

Your boyfriend was in a white linen button-up, appropriate for the summer heat. In his usual fashion, he left a couple of buttons undone at the top. His pants were navy blue with an athletic cut. You had no idea if it was what he was going for, but he looked like any other boyfriend, taking his woman to dinner. It brought a smile to your face.

"Hi." you said.

"Hey, beautiful." Jimin greeted you.

Once you were situated in the seat, you closed the door.

"This is Wonshik. He drives us frequently," he said, reaching forward to pat the driver on the back playfully, "Wonshik, this is my girlfriend, Y/N."

You were pleasantly shocked and somewhat petrified at his nonchalant recognition of you. He said the words as if he’d said them a million times before.

Wonshik looked back at you and flashed you a warm grin, "I'm delighted to meet you, Y/N."

"You too." you nodded.

Jimin detected your nerves and took your hand as the car pulled away from the curb. He gave it a reassuring squeeze. His toothless smile resting beneath a pair of twinkling brown eyes was so gorgeous that it made some of your apprehension dissipate. Expressions like this were part of Jimin’s language repertoire. He could say such beautiful things nonverbally.

There was still a conversation to be had, but he had already won back a piece of your forgiveness.

You smiled back at him, “Are you going to tell me where we are going all dressed up?”

“Just a quaint little place I know.”

It wasn’t a quaint little place. It turned out to be a one of the most reputable and exclusive restaurants in Seoul, called Cherry Tree. This establishment only took reservations, and was booked months in advance.

When you pulled up to it, you were dumbfounded, “Here?”

He grinned and handed you a face mask, “Put this on. I know it’s not ideal, and I promise you won’t always have to wear one when we do things like this. Just until we get to our room to take it off.”

“Our room?”

Jimin chuckled, “You’ll see. Just put it on, baby.”

You looped the elastic strings around your ears and spread the mask over your face, as wide as it could go.

Jimin put on a beige fedora with a wide brim that shaded over his eyes. With his own mask on, his entire face was nearly concealed.

You laughed, “I’ve never seen you wear a hat like that.”

You couldn’t see his mouth, but his eyes squinted as a sign of his good humor, “It’s Taehyung’s. Being unrecognizable is the whole point, so I couldn’t wear one of my bucket hats.”

You giggled again. It totally looked like something Taehyung would wear.

Then Jimin spoke to Wonshik, “Do they know we’re here?”

“Just texted their private line,” he responded, “The manager should be waiting to escort you.”

“Thanks, I will text you when we are finished,” he then turned to you once more, “Ready?”

You nodded.

He unbuckled himself, “It might sound silly, but walk behind me to the doors. When we get inside, the manager will take us up and we will be free from any prying eyes. Just don’t look around and people will mind their own business.”

You were timid for a moment, “O-Okay…”

You felt so ridiculous. This is what you’d wanted, yet now you were scared.

Jimin pulled down his mask, letting it rest scrunched up on his chin. He brought your hand to his lips and kissed it, “It’s fine. I know Hobi has taken his girlfriend here before and no one batted an eye. I’ll explain more in a bit, but this place is used to idols dining here.”

You put your full trust in him, following shortly behind him out of the car after thanking the driver. It was fully hitting you as you approached the doors - you were on a date with Park Jimin.

Once inside, the bustle of the street was totally drowned out. You were in an illustrious foyer. What appeared to be the main dining room was off to the right, but you were careful not to look too long, as Jimin recommended. The staff walking in and out of the area were all finely dressed, cordial and proper. In the background, lovely live piano music was being performed.

A man in a classic black suit stood slightly to the left of the front desk, approaching as he saw both of you enter.

The men shook hands and graciously bowed to one another. He introduced himself to you before turning and leading you to the left, where a set of marble stairs existed. The railing was trimmed with gold and cool to the touch as you ascended to the next floor.

Jimin heard your heels clicking against the shiny, potentially slippery stairs. To ensure your safety, he positioned himself slightly behind you, hand on the small of your back. It was the first time he had ever touched you like this in a public setting, filling you with a buzz you'd never felt before. You felt like a real girlfriend, simply feeling his hand on you.

"Careful, sweetheart." he muttered ever so gently in your ear.

You felt like a fool, blushing at the most basic gestures and words, when you should have been holding a grudge against him for the things he had yet to apologize for. At least no one could see how flushed you were.

Once at the top of the stairs, the manager led you through a hallway unlike anything you'd ever seen at a restaurant. There was no common dining floor filled with people - only doors with numbers on them. They were all private dining rooms.

The manager came upon the number eight, "Your reserved space. Please enjoy."

You both smiled and thanked him as he opened the door for you both. He let you know that your dinner would be served in a little while, before closing the door behind you.

The room was intimate, perfectly sized for a party of two yet not cramped. The lighting was dim over a square table, the surface of which was overlayed with a white cloth. A couple of tealights were aglow on the table.

Jimin removed his hat and mask, so you did the same. You were smiling back and forth between him and the setting. The emblem of a romantic dinner.

He kissed your cheek and chuckled, "Did I do well?"

"It's beautiful," you said, "I have no idea how you pulled it off. This place gets booked out months ahead, doesn't it?"

"It does, but there are strings that can be pulled. Like I said, they are used to hosting idols here."

You continued to walk about the room, running your fingers on the back of one of the chairs, "Then how come there aren't photographers? If I was a member of the press, I'd probably stake out front, waiting to catch someone."

He smirked, making his way over to you with a sauntering gait. That look in his eye was all too familiar, all too melting. You set both hands on the back of the chair now, haphazardly gliding them over the smooth wood side to side, gaze fixed downward. You didn't want to become putty in his hands right now. You were here to have an adult discussion.

Jimin was behind you now, resting his chin on your shoulder, "There aren't photographers because the owners of the restaurant take care of people like me. Like us. They go above and beyond to make sure it's all private, for a certain price of course. And they never sell us out to the media."

"Because they know they can keep making a ton of money if they continue hosting idols discreetly." you said.

He hummed and kissed your cheek again, "Exactly."

You turned your head to one side, dodging any further pecks. Though you were grateful for this huge gesture, you still needed to talk.

"Aren't you going to be a gentleman and pull my chair out for me?"

Jimin chuckled, "Only if you do me one quick favor."

"What's that?"

"Let me feel my baby."

You halted. As much as you wanted to keep some pragmatism, you recalled being in the studio earlier, and how badly he looked like he wanted to feel your tiny bump. He had told you multiple times how much he was anticipating it, eager to see the physical signs of his child growing. You weren't about to deny this innocent and wholesome request.

With a soft smile, you turned around. Your faces were inches apart, both of you looking down at your abdomen. Jimin adored this dress on you. The cut of it was straight, accentuating your assets without suffocating your frame. The sheeny fabric showed off the swell beautifully.

His grin was endearing, "Look at that."

You giggled, "I thought you wanted to feel it."

"I do," he chuckled softly, "But now for some reason I'm nervous."

"Why? You’ve felt it before.”

"Yeah, but now it’s…there.”

Your lips pursed for a moment as you sighed through your nose. Then, they formed a gentle smile again. Your hand wrapped around his wrist below, slowly guiding it towards its destination. He had no idea why, but his heart was thumping. It was a bigger deal to him than he could have foreseen.

First his knuckle brushed against your tummy, then his veiny hand fanned out. His palm cupped the area. You were warm, your belly soft and pliable.

Jimin’s smile broke out all at once. He laughed a little bit, coming up with no words to say. You soaked in the moment.

"It's so strange but so amazing," he said, voice hushed in an awestruck state, "A person is being made in there."

Then there was a series of two knocks on the door, startling you both into immediate separation. Although the point of being here was so that you wouldn’t have to pretend, neither of you were willing to risk anyone suspecting anything about this pregnancy.

In came a waiter, carting two dishes. It was then that Jimin pulled out your chair for you, saying, “A deal’s a deal.”

A lovely dinner was placed in front of you. You had no idea that the food was ordered ahead of time, but you didn’t mind in the least. Your boyfriend knew your appetite very well, and you had no complaints. He ordered galbijjim for both of you, and it was the best you’d ever tasted.

Shortly, it was just the two of you again, eating contently.

“This is all so nice, Jimin,” you said in between bites, “Thank you…But when we fought, you seemed against the notion of something like this. What changed your mind?”

He refreshed himself with a swig of water, “Honestly, I was slowly coming around to it over the past few weeks. And then this morning when we had to put on the show for everyone, it killed me. For the first time, it was actually unbearable."

"I agree," your tone was downtrodden, "I know we will likely need to keep doing that for a while, but it was so strange. And I'm so sorry you had to find out about my bump the way you did. I could tell it pained you."

Jimin's face fell, "That wasn't your fault, but it did. Not as much as having to congratulate you, though. It felt like a betrayal of you and the baby, like I was disowning you or something. I'm sorry."

You offered him a weak, sad smile, "That wasn't your fault. It was both of ours. All of it. That's why we need to figure this out, for real this time."

He took his napkin and dabbed his lips a few times, "Right. If it's okay, I want to start by explaining something I said during our fight."

You nodded.

"When you asked if I ever want people to know about you, I said it isn't that simple," he began, "Let me tell you why."

Again, you gave him a feeble grin, "In my reflection, I know what you meant by that. You love me and don't want me to get hurt. I get it."

"No," Jimin's expression was frank, "No, I don't think you do, Y/N. I don't want to scare you, but it will be beyond your imagination. There will be many who accept you, but we as people can't help but focus on the ones who don't. It will feel like the entire world is against you. Millions of people you don't know will suddenly have an opinion of you. Rumors of all kinds will fly around and you won't be able to control them. It's unfathomable to anyone who hasn't been through it. I have, and I don't want to put you through that, let alone our child."

He paused for a moment after mentioning the baby. You let the sentiment absorb. It was heavy.

"That's not to say we shouldn't because ultimately it's best for all of us," he continued, "But that's the reasoning. I can't handle the idea of you suffering what I've suffered over the years."

“Thank you for saying that. I know you want to protect me…us. I know that’s what underlies all of the points you were making during our argument, but please don’t deny that there’s another reason, Jimin.” you sighed, rehashing the topic that started it all.

Much to your pleasant surprise, he addressed it right away, “I don’t deny it. Seoyeon hurt me badly and when you brought her up so suddenly I was alarmed. You were echoing some of the same things she’d say.”

“I know I was,” you admitted, “I’m sorry.”

“No, don’t apologize. You don’t have the same bad intentions she did and I was wrong to draw that parallel. I think I was just shocked we were even talking about her.”

“Well…you could have told me yourself.”

He nodded, “I know. I should have, because I can see how my lack of transparency left a bad taste in your mouth. I don’t have an excuse for that. And in the spirit of transparency, there’s something I think you ought to know.”

Your heart dipped low. You assumed it had something to do with his ex, and goodness knows another revelation in that regard wouldn’t be pleasant.

“Oh no, what is it?”

“It’s nothing I want you to be concerned with, but at the same time, this conversation has made me feel like you deserve to know,” he said, clearing this throat, “Well, it’s about Namjoon. He’s, um, not particularly keen on all of this.”

You put your utensils down. The look on your face took a piece of his resolve away.

“I see…” you muttered, looking anywhere but his eyes, “And would his opposition have anything to do with the things we just talked about?”

You weren’t clueless. You could put the pieces together. He thought you were just another version of her.

Reluctantly, Jimin nodded, “I think it’s a part of the reason why I reacted so strongly to you bringing up Seoyeon. His words were in my head in a moment of weakness. But he doesn’t know anything, and I’ve distanced myself from him for the time being.”

“Wow…okay...” you drifted, “Does he think I’m after money and fame?”

He recalled his skirmish with him earlier, and scowled, “He doesn’t know anything.”

His non-answer was all the confirmation you needed. You were bothered, to say the least. To know that one of his closest friends had such a low view of you was a tough pill to swallow.

“Well then,” you took a sip of water, attempting to spackle on a brave face, “I hope you guys are able to patch things up. Maybe I can talk to him.”

Jimin shook his head, crossing his arms, “Like I said, it’s nothing you need to concern yourself with. Just focus on your own wellbeing. That matters more to me than anything he has to say or think.”

You laid the issue to rest for the time being, accepting it quietly. It was clearly going to put your boyfriend in a tizzy and it wasn’t the topic meant to be discussed thus evening.

“Then I won’t worry about it.”

He seemed satisfied, “Good. Now onto the main issue, the announcement. I know it’s taken a while to get to this point, but I’ve had some ideas.”

[abarbaricyalp]

Hi! Intimacy prompt #36 for SamBucky?

#36 being pushed against a wall Sorry this took so long! // CW: Injury/blood

It had been a while since Bucky had been manhandled and he didn't really care for the sensation. The only saving grace was that it was Sam who was doing the shoving.

"What the hell was that?" he demanded as he shook Bucky by the lapels.

Bucky blinked at him, trying to clear dust and grit and flashbang from his eyes. He'd know Sam blind, but he still liked to be able to see him anyway. "I saved your life. You're welcome."

Just below Sam's knuckles, Bucky's heart was beating a ferocious time. There had been many times when Bucky reacted without thinking, pulled off some feat he was sure he wouldn't be able to if he'd intentionally tried. All of them paled in comparison to the blackout he'd just had when he'd realized Sam was directly in the line of fire from a row of combat robots who all had multi-shot weapons trained on him. One moment he was following the trajectory of a barrel, the next he and Sam were on the ground, rolling out of the way.

He'd been too far away to grab Sam. There must have been a running start to it, but Bucky couldn't remember. He didn't remember how he'd tackled Sam or how he kept from crushing him into the unforgiving concrete of the ground. And he wasn't sure how the robots had all ended up exploded, but there was a grenade missing from his tac belt, so he assumed those two things were related.

Sam was standing really close. So close, Bucky could smell the sweat dripping down his face, feel his breath as Sam panted at him, watch a bead of blood as it welled and then fell from his brow.

Then Sam was undressing him, which was a shock to the system.

"What are you doing?" he asked, trying to keep his voice level. It came out bored, which was great since his heart rate had just increased by 33%.

"You were shot," Sam snapped. He was holding Bucky up against the wall with a knee against Bucky's leg and his opposite hip pressed into Bucky's. Christ alive, he was really close. Bucky wasn't sure if he should blame himself or Sam when his forehead came down on Sam's shoulder.

Sam shoved him upright again with a jarring of his shoulder. "Don't pass out," he ordered.

"I got shot?" Bucky finally pieced together. "When?"

The glare Sam leveled on him was enough to stall out the wild beating of his heart and then trip it back into overdrive. He finished getting Bucky's jacket off and--oh, yeah, he'd definitely been shot. He just felt his jacket peel away from three different wounds. Nausea flowed through him briefly, but he got it under control. If he threw up on Sam's boots, he'd never hear the end of it.

"I had it handled. I knew what they were doing," Sam was bitching, voice tight and strained and scared. "Where the hell did you even come from?"

Bucky made his vision stop swaying long enough to focus on Sam's face again. "I was next to you," he said. His voice sounded far away, which was probably not great. He spit out blood and was pleased when no tissue seemed to be present in it. "I was just a few steps away."

"No you weren't," Sam insisted. "You weren't anywhere near me."

Bucky's stomach hurt too much to argue. "It's not like I'm gonna die," he pointed out. "Relax."

That glare came back out. Bucky had the feeling that if he had less holes in him currently, Sam would have already socked him on the shoulder. As it was, the glare was enough to hush Bucky. He couldn't stand it when Sam was mad at him for some avoidable thing, like running his mouth. Sam had the best eyes. Bucky loved to have them on him. But his eyes also expressed hurt far too effectively for Bucky to get away with ignoring what Sam wasn't saying. Especially when they were three hair's breadths away from each other.

Sam pulled out a huge compression bandage and then hiked up Bucky's shirt, ordered him to hold it, and began to apply the bandage to the scattered buckshot that littered Bucky's side. Bucky kept his shirt held up, but his head came back down on Sam's shoulder. He could feel Sam working, hands moving faster now. He wasn't sure which part to blame on the sudden crash--the adrenaline rush fading out, knowing that he'd been hurt, or the fact that it was Sam who was taking care of him now. Bucky was pretty certain there wasn't a safer place in the world for him than right in front of Sam Wilson.

"I was fine," Sam repeated roughly. Bucky had seen him like this once before, but it was a much more serious injury. This was nothing in the grand scheme of things. "Why would you do that? Why did you jump in front of me?"

If he'd had the strength to, Bucky would've lifted his head or blinked in confusion. "Why wouldn't I jump in front of you when someone was pointing space guns at you?"

"Because I was fine and now you're bleeding." Sam lifted Bucky's head for him, both hands on either side of Bucky's face so he could hold Bucky against the wall fully again. The brick or concrete or whatever had gotten warm under his body and Bucky didn't like it. "Look at me," he ordered.

Bucky managed, but only barely. Only because it was Sam giving the order and Sam's face promised at the end. "I'm always gonna save your life," he said, which is exactly what he'd been telling himself not to say. "Because I'm in love with you."

Sam's frantic energy condensed inwards, like a star about to go supernova. It kind of felt like all of the air had been sucked out of Bucky's lungs in the same moment. Not because he was mortified at what he had said. Of course not. It had to do with Sam's energy star supernova thing. Bucky tipped forward again, caught up in the gravity pool of it all.

Then all that cosmic energy was exploding into him. Sam's body was pressed flat against his and the wall behind him was giving away none at all, so Bucky was being held up by nothing at all except Sam, it felt like. Sam, whose hands were still on Bucky's face and who Bucky couldn't get away from, even if he wanted to. He didn't want to. He never wanted this moment to end.

Sam was actually kissing him. Sam Wilson. That felt impossible. Unheard of. Maybe he'd been rattled around too hard by the explosion. Or he'd lost too much blood and had passed out. He was imagining all of this.

"Ow," he said into Sam's mouth when Sam crushed his nose with another desperate push into Bucky's space. "No, wait, don't stop," he added quickly when Sam sank back and took all his star warmth with him.

"You weren't-- You weren't kissing back," Sam objected. "And...and you're bleeding. Oh my God, your face is so pale, you're almost green."

"I don't care," Bucky argued. And he really didn't. He'd kiss Sam until he was blue and purple and red and yellow and green and orange and stripped and spotted and flashing. He brought his metal hand up to Sam's neck, because that was the one still responding to his brain, and pulled him into another kiss. He'd really meant to be kissing Sam the last time. He'd thought he had been. Hell, he was a little out of practice, but he wasn't that bad. (It was difficult to find people worth kissing when who he wanted to be kissing was Sam Wilson) It was just that he was kind of very light headed and he really should sit down but this was more important.

Sam kissed him back, crowding even further into Bucky's space until Bucky was certain he was feeling Sam's heartbeat in his chest instead of his own. This was really good. The best, even.

Then Sam pulled away again, wiping the back of his hand over his own mouth with a slightly horrified, strangled kind of look. "Oh my God, you're bleeding," he repeated.

And, oh. Shit. Was that Bucky's blood on Sam's lips? That was fucking embarrassing. "I'm sorry," he said, which was about just as embarrassing.

"I have to get you to a medic," he insisted.

"Wait, hang on," Bucky interrupted, reaching for Sam's flailing hand as Sam tried to grab him. "Are you gonna keep kissing me if we do that?"

The panic eased off enough for Sam to throw him a disbelieving kind of glare. "Later. Fix your priorities, Barnes."

"My priorities are exactly in the order they need to be in," Bucky assured.

He stepped away from the wall, made it two steps with his fingers wrapped around Sam's wrist, and then immediately collapsed. The world spun around him, vision darkening around the outside. He could hear Sam saying his name and holding his face again. This was not helping the racing of his heart.

"Kissed me right off my feet, Wilson," he said and passed out.

- - -

When he woke up in a hospital bed, the first thing he saw was Sam, sitting beside him, reading. For a moment, Bucky thought he was just seeing what he wanted.

"Did you kiss me?" he asked and then cringed at how wracked his voice sounded.

"You told me you loved me," Sam said without looking away from the book.

"Yeah," Bucky agreed. "Do you want to do it again? Is it a trigger phrase? I love you," he offered.

Sam snorted and looked down at him. "Last time, it was 'I'm in love with you.'"

"I'm still in love with you," Bucky promised. "More now, I think." As he stared up at Sam from the bed and lackluster pillows with wide, slightly medication-heavy eyes, he kind of felt like a loyal dog begging for pets. He was not above begging.

Sam rolled his eyes, but he was smiling and then he was leaning over to kiss Bucky again. This was a thing Bucky was going to get to have and get to do for the foreseeable future. This was great.

The heart monitor Bucky was attached to kicked up instantly.

"It was better up against the wall," he said when Sam sat back a little.

"Uh-huh," Sam said doubtfully. "I'll hold you up against something." And he kissed Bucky again.

[dystopicjumpsuit]

Hey, Sunshine 💙

A/N: Wishing the happiest birthday to my beloved @sunshinesdaydream!

Pairing: Hardcase x Reader (GN; Reader has a nickname)

Rating: T but minors DNI as always

Wordcount: 1.1k

Warnings and tags: fluff; kissing; Star Wars swearing

Summary: Hardcase has a birthday surprise for you.

Suggested listening:

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Three hours, twenty-two minutes, and thirty-seven seconds. 

That's how long you had left until you'd officially be on shore leave. A whole week off. No handing out uniforms; no listening to sheepish explanations about how exactly a trooper ended up with an undersuit three sizes too small (HOW?!); no defending your distribution numbers in pointless meetings with your supervisor. Just five days, all to yourself. You could do anything you wanted. 

Well. Almost anything.

You finished taking stock of the Resolute’s uniform inventory and sent a quick comm to the supply officer to let her know the ship was running low on socks—again—while you tried not to think about a certain heavy gunner with the sweetest eyes and the prettiest ink in the GAR. The truth, which you would never admit even under pain of torture, was that you'd happily skip shore leave if it meant you'd get to spend more time with him.

But you couldn't, so you didn't.

Instead, you'd be spending the week on Coruscant, NOT with Hardc—your friends, which was FINE. It was absolutely FINE, and you were excited to finally have some free time, and maybe it sucked just a tiny bit that you'd be spending your birthday alone in a hotel room in the mid-levels, but it was FINE. There was plenty to do on Coruscant, after all. You were sure you'd be able to find something—

“Hey, Sunshine.”

You shrieked and jumped in surprise as the voice sounded close behind you.

“Hardcase, you scared the kark out of me!” you gasped, smacking him in the chest with a compression suit and doing your best to ignore the way the world suddenly seemed a little bit brighter. “What are you doing here? Don't tell me you lit your dress uniform on fire again.”

“That was two times!” he exclaimed, affronted. “It's not like I did it on purpose.”

“Then why are you here instead of getting ready to paint the Entertainment District red?”

He eyed the compression suit warily. “If I tell you, are you going to hit me with that thing again?”

“Depends on what you say,” you replied with a cheeky smile.

Apparently unwilling to take any chances, he took the suit from you and folded it neatly, then set it aside. When he turned back to you, he looked almost… nervous? That was new; you'd never seen him display anything less than well-deserved confidence. He licked his lips, and with an effort so heroic that you mentally awarded yourself a medal, you kept your gaze steadily on his eyes instead of staring at his mouth.

“I, uh, have something for you,” he said. He fumbled in one of his many pouches—why do they have so many pouches?—and produced a small box wrapped in colorful flimsi. “It's nothing much, just, er—happy birthday, Sunshine.”

He shoved the box toward you and looked away quickly. Surprised, you accepted the gift and examined it curiously as Hardcase watched out of the corner of his eye. On closer inspection, you saw that the flimsi was covered in hand-drawn geometric patterns in your favorite colors, and your heart gave a strange little thump at the thoughtfulness and effort he'd put in.

“How’d you know my birthday was coming up?” you asked.

“I have my ways,” he said in a dignified tone that was utterly subverted by the eager expression on his face.

“So mysterious!” you laughed.

He grinned. “A mystery, wrapped in an enigma—”

“Shrouded in flimsi,” you finished.

“Exactly. Now open it!”

“But the mystery!” you teased.

“Mysteries are meant to be solved. Open it!”

He was practically vibrating, his earlier jitters obliterated by anticipation. Unable to resist tormenting him (just a little, as a treat), you took your time to unwrap the box, painstakingly avoiding tearing the flimsi. Once you had it completely unwrapped, you held up the flimsi and admired the artwork.

“Hardcase, this really is gorgeous. I didn't know you could draw like this.”

“Kriff the flimsi, open the box! I know you're doing this on purpose.”

With one final, mischievous smile, you complied. Your breath caught when you saw what was inside: a simple cord necklace, and on it, a crystal pendant that flashed purple and green in the light, intricately wrapped in silver wire.

“It's beautiful,” you whispered. “Did you make this?”

He nodded. “I found the crystal on Saleucami. Reminded me of you.”

“Saleucami was months ago,” you replied, confused.

“I know.” 

Your eyes flitted from his face to the necklace and back again. On impulse, and before you could lose your nerve, you asked, “Can you help me put it on?”

He didn't reply, but he stepped closer to you and picked up the necklace. He fumbled with the clasp a bit and paused to tug off his gloves with his teeth. Once he got the clasp open, he lifted the necklace and fastened it gently around your neck, his calloused fingers ghosting lightly over your skin.

Maker, he smells so good, it's not kriffing fair, you mused, trying to refrain from huffing him like glue.

“Thanks.” Your voice sounded suspiciously hoarse, even to your own ears.

His thumb stroked softly down the side of your neck.

“Hey, Sunshine?” he whispered.

You swallowed, suddenly feeling a little lightheaded. “Yeah?”

“Can I kiss you?”

Your breath stuttered to a halt. “... Yeah.”

His eyes dropped to your lips, and he slowly closed the distance between the two of you. As his hand slid around to cup the back of your head, your heart hammered so hard you were sure he must be able to feel it. He glanced back up at your eyes, as though looking for confirmation that you wanted this, and whatever he saw there seemed to satisfy him. His lips touched yours softly, his kiss achingly tender at first. Then you brushed the tip of your tongue against his lips, and he drew in a sharp breath, pulling you tightly against himself.

How many times had you imagined kissing Hardcase? Dozens? Hundreds? It didn't matter, because none of them even came close to the reality. He kissed you like you were the only being in the galaxy, like you were his entire world. When at last you drew away, breathless and dizzy, he whispered your name—your real name—like a plea, quiet and reverent.

His thumb traced around the shell of your ear. He nuzzled your cheek, then pressed his lips to the corner of your mouth one more time.

“Been wantin’ to do that forever,” he murmured against your skin.

“What took you so long?” you asked in a hushed tone.

“Didn't want to kark it up,” he replied. 

“Oh,” you whispered. “Well. You didn't.”

He held you close to him, his breath soft and warm across your face as his fingertips drew tiny circles in the downy hairs just where the back of your neck met your head. After a moment, he spoke quietly.

“Did you have plans for shore leave? Because if not, I have a few ideas.”

---

Looking for more Hardcase fluff? Check out my ficlet, “A Question of Seman-dicks.”

Taglist:

@secondaryrealm @sev-on-kamino spicy-clones @wings-and-beskar @523rdrebel @merkitty49 @anxiouspineapple99 @sinfulsalutations @arcsimper5 @starrylothcat @clio3kantarella @cloneloverrrrr @goblininawig @ladytano420 @arctrooper69 @wolffegirlsunite @sunshinesdaydream @mandos-mind-trick @littlemissmanga @stunkbiggu @starqueensthings @clonemedickix @marierg @idontgetanysleep @moonlightwarriorqueen @dudewhynotthis @sleepycreativewriter @tcwmatchmakingau @littlemissbshine @multi-fan-dom-madness @heavenseed76 @wizardofrozz @bobaprint @sweetcream-coldfoam @banksys-rat @skellymom @pickleprickle @trixie2023 @mythical-illustrator @dickarchivist @cw80831 @kimiheartblade @meredithroseg @flyiingsly @lightwise @swcowgal @reader6898 @cdblake1565 @epicy0n

[toasttt11]

rivalry?

January 26, 2024

Gemma walked in wearing a pair of black trousers, a blue dress shirt with a black sweater over it and her black BC trench coat and a pair of black boots, she was walking into the BC Arena for their first game against one of their biggest rivals, Boston University.

Gemma was pretty exited for the game especially since she was playing her best friend and boyfriend Macklin, even if everyone thought they were rivals which always make the two laugh.

Gemma headed into the dry locker room first dropping off her personal items and quickly changed into her warm up clothes and hung up her outfit before sitting down on the bench tying up her shoes before she felt a hand on her head ruffling heels hair and looked up seeing Ryan Leonard smirking mischievously at her.

“Leo.” Gemma groaned wacking his hand away from her hair, Ryan just laughed and headed to his dry locker and Gabe and Will walked in behind him.

Gabe sent a bright smile to Gemma and leaned down to her her a side hug and Will smiled and squeezed her shoulder as he walked by.

The whole team quickly loved Gemma and quickly all adopted her as their little sister and she’s definitely the favorite on the team.

Gemma headed into the locker room seeing a few of the older members of the team already in the locker room stretching on the floor just chilling before they started warming up

She headed to her stall which is next to Gabe Perrault and Jamie Armstrong, she plopped down onto her stall and grabbed her hair brush, brushing her hair into a low ponytail and spitting the ponytail into two braids, she added a red bow at the end of her two braids.

“Oooo bows! i want some!” Will Vote teased her shaking his hair in front of Gemma’s face, Gemma just laughed pushing him away from her, “What! You don’t think i would look good?” Will smirked at her running a hand through his fluffy hair.

“I think you would look good in anything willy boy.” Ryan threw his arm around Will’s shoulder smirking flirtatiously at him.

“Do you?” Will pretended to swoon and batted his eyelashes up at Ryan.

“Alright knock it off, save it for your dorms.” Eamon Powell ruffled both of their hairs, his comment had a few laughs scattered across the locker room, He gave a wink to Gemma, who gave him a relieved smile that the boys knocked it off.

The team all started their warms up before the game and did a huddle before they headed back to the locker room and started getting into the hockey gear.

Gemma slipped on her compression t-shirt before putting on all the padding and slipping on her number 13 jersey, she stood up on her skates and started heading out with some of the team in the tunnel as she grabbed her stick.

The team was announced as they all got onto the ice and started skating around the one half of the rink warming up, Gemma toon a few shots on the goal and did some stick handling before she headed towards the bench and and switched out her stick and started stretching.

She felt a puck hit her on the skate and she looked to the right where the puck was from and saw Macklin standing by his bench with a smile directed at her.

She let out a little laugh not suprised he got her attention with hitting her with a puck she gave him a small wave and he smiled and gave her a small wave back.

They both shared one more smile before focusing on the game.

Boston College won 4-1 and Gemma had one goal and two assists.

The locker room was filled with energy everyone coming off a high of beating one of their biggest rivals.

Gemma celebrated with her team but hurried off to the showers first and quickly headed to the dry locker seeing a few of the boys already changing back into their suits.

“Fants! Are you coming with?” Jacob Fowler called out, the team likes to get dinner together and spend the night hanging out after a game especially when they win or have a game the next day so the can talk about it.

“Sorry guys i got plans.” Gemma smiled apologetically as she slipped on her socks and boots, she stood up grabbing keys and phone.

“Plans?” Ryan piped up looking at Gemma suspiciously. Ryan, Will and Gabe were all finished and walked out with Gemma.

“Plans.” Gemma nodded looking at Ryan, before looking over seeing Macklin in his suit leaning against the wall scrolling on his phone, “I’ll see you guys tomorrow.” She sent them one more smile before walking away.

“Macky.” Gemma spoke with a smile as she walked right to her boyfriend.

Macklin looked up and smiled seeing his favorite girl and immediately put her phone away, “Hopey.” He smiled pulling her into a soft and quick hug before pulling away as they are in public, “Ready to go?”

“Yeah.” Gemma nodded and walked out with Macklin, they walked closed to each other but not touching.

“Huh.” Gabe looked confused as the three watched Gemma and Macklin interact.

“I thought they were rivals?” Ryan looked just at confused, everyone knowing of the rivalry between Gemma and Macklin especially as both were projected for the first overall pick of the 2024 draft, and the game tonight was sold out as everyone wanted to see the rivalry.

“She never said anything about the rivalry though.” Will pointed out to his best friends and line mates, he always had a few questions if they were really rivals especially because Gemma didn’t speak much about Macklin and if she did it was never something bad like you would expect if you were rivals with someone.

Gemma and Macklin walk out to her car, Macklin quickly opened the door for her, Gemma gave him a soft smile and hoped unto the drivers seat, Macklin walked around and hoped into the passenger seat. Macklin gently grabbed onto Gemma’s right hand pressing a kiss to the back of it before resting their hands against his thigh while she drove.

Gemma drove them to her apartment as Macklin ordered food on his phone as she drove.

They walked up to her apartment and she opened the door as Macklin held the door open as she walked in.

Macklin helped Gemma slip off her jacket and hung it up on her hook before he slipped of his jacket.

Gemma headed to the bedroom with Macklin following her and she opened the drawer in her dresser for Macklin and handed him a pair of his pajamas and he smiled pressing a soft kiss to her head in thanks before heading to the bathroom to get changed, Gemma got changed into a pair of Macklin’s grey sweatpants and Boston college t-shirt.

Gemma just pulled the shirt over her head she Macklin walked out of the bathroom.

Macklin wrapped his arms around her waist resting his chin on her shoulder, “That was fun.” Macklin always loved playing with Gemma but there was some more competitive enjoyment when they played against each other.

“It was.” Gemma agreed understanding how fun it is to compete against Macklin, it was enjoyable as they were both so similar in skill and play that it was always fun when they played against each other.

There was a knock on the door and the two knew it was the food, Macklin pressed a soft kiss to her cheek and reluctantly let her go and walked out of the bedroom towards the front door grabbing their dinner.

Macklin walked into the kitchen seeing Gemma sitting at the barstool with two gatorade’s on the counter and she put out his favorite flavor for him.

Macklin plated the food for both of them and they just enjoyed eating in silence and the sound of the rain starting outside.

Gemma grabbed the plates when they finished eating and put them in the sink as Macklin threw their trash away.

Macklin snuck up behind her as she was facing the sink and wrapped his arms around her waist picking her up, Gemma squealed with laughter as he carried her to her bedroom.

Macklin gently dropped her onto the bed and her laughter slowly calmed down, Macklin just smiled admiring her and listening to her laugh.

Macklin leaned down making Gemma watch him intensely as he leaned down gently connecting their lips together making him confident that he couldn’t live without being able to kiss his Gemma.

Macklin gently pulled away brushing her hair to behind her ear before he reluctantly stood up and walked around the bed to the side that he likes and pulled the covers up as Gemma slipped under the covers on her side.

Gemma laid on her side facing him watching as he laid down right next to her facing her, Gemma smiled leaning slighty foward nudging her nose to his loving how his nose scrunched up adorably.

Gemma hummed contently loving how the world seems to stop spinning when she is with Macklin, she enjoys how she can just be herself not anything more than that.

Gemma made a happy sound as Macklin gently ran his fingers through her hair and she scooted closer to him resting her head against his collar bone pressing a soft kiss to his skin.

Macklin smiled listening to her breathing slowly get quieter as she fell asleep he rested his chin on the top of her head and closed his eyes feeling himself falling asleep as he held his favorite girl to the sound of the rain outside.

[luinhealthcare]

Helloooo hope you’re doing well! I just got home from spending all day at the vet school. My feet hurt so bad, I don’t know how you people do that on a regular basis :P I’m a bit of wimp tbh

What are the hc boys’ favorite ways to unwind and decompress? Also who do you think would give the best massages? 🤔

I highly recommend compression socks if you don’t wear any, they make a world of difference in preventing pain in your feet, ankles, and knees! :)

Four likes jigsaw puzzles, the more complicated the better. He also likes video games.

Hyrule loves to be outdoors and exploring. He’ll go hiking, spelunking, kayaking, rock climbing, anything. Wild often joins him. They don’t get home until 1-2am, and no it totally wasn’t because they got lost in the woods.

Speaking of Wild, he also loves cooking and sharing that with others! He likes to meal prep before a work stretch so he can unwind with delicious food and little energy use.

Legend loves exploring cities that he’s traveled to for work. Libraries especially are a favorite of his. He and Four will also go to the bookstore together.

Time really just wants silence and time with his wife. Some nuzzles and a ride with his favorite horse is always nice too. But he rarely says a word when he really needs to wind down.

Sky will binge watch tv shows and sleep and exist and play his lyre. He often isolates himself out of low energy reserves but would really rather just quietly exist with others.

Wind plays video games and loves stargazing and sailing. He and Four often play games together, and he and Sky will go stargazing a lot too.

Warriors likes to unwind with people. He’ll go out for drinks and laughs, hang out at the ranch, watch a movie with Sky, go to an escape room with someone (they all go to escape rooms but Legend, Hyrule, Time, and Four in particular love them), anything that involves hanging out with others. When he’s socially drained, he’ll go for a run alone. He runs every morning.

Twilight just wants to be alone to decompress. And by alone, I mean no people - he absolutely wants animals around him. He, like Hyrule, will go out in nature. Unlike Hyrule, Twi will proceed to start a conversation with every animal he finds, however brief, and giggle when they scurry around. He often goes to the ranch and just disappears for hours with the animals. As he trains Wolfie, the two go exploring nature together. He will also spend time with the quietest members of the group, name Hyrule, Wild, Sky, and Four.

As for who gives the best massages, it’s Twilight, hands down 👍🏻

[superscourge]

Personally, I've always found it difficult to try and design shoes for a fandesign/possible future/grownup Sonic. His iconic regular shoes/classic shoes are that absolutely perfect blend of simplified, genuinely cool and fashionable, especially with the story of how it was inspired by the king of pop himself, Michael Jackson. Even his movie shoes had to take the liberty of the golden cuffs on the side of the shoes.

How did you go about designing it for your resurrected au? They look great and I love it when I see ones replace the cuffs with actual rings. Legitimately makes me pog and go chimp cause it's such smart thinking and a nice way to implement his most vital part of gameplay!!

dude no i totally feel this but with all canon characters.. ive ALWAYS struggled to do redesigns of canon stuff bc theyre Already Iconic. theyre already streamlined to look their best. how the hell am i supposed to change them in a way thats still iconic and appealing but is also different enough to be considered a redesign lol

for my resurrected au design(s) i not only had help from friends and pinterest lol but i tried to think of like..story aspects? character design is a whole lot easier when you take into account the character's lore, world, and story, because all of those things influence their design! that, and headcanons :) like the top surgery scars and ear chip hehe

for example, i added gold to his quills because i wanted to show that he's been affected by the amount of times he's had to use chaos energy to go super, and i added the cyber corruption to his eyes from his super cyber form to show residual effects from the events of frontiers; i gave him more sporty gloves and compression socks to illustrate his athletic nature in a different way than his usual design; for his shoes, i wanted more of a look of running shoes mixed with his sa2 soaps while still keeping the iconic red, white, and gold somehow

basically i tried to think "how does sonic's story and world affect how he looks when he's older" and also "how can i make it look like he's aged in general"!

so ya canon redesigns are Difficult for me too but im doing my best LOL

[the-drayster]

// Character introspection!

This is just a post where I talk about some things I realized last night. Quite literally shower thoughts.

The reason Drayton prefers wearing things like long skirts, or if that's not an option, full-length pants, is because of his POTS. Blood pooling makes his legs look weird, and he doesn't like it, so he hides them.

Going more in-depth under the cut, but warning!!! I am going to include a few pictures of what blood pooling with POTS looks like, so if veins and blue skin and feet and that sort of thing gross you out, you may not want to give it a look.

-

Basically, blood pooling is where all of (not literally) your blood settles in a specific part of your body. Most of the time withs POTS, this happens with your legs, as they're the lowest part of your body, and gravity, right? Usually my blood pools in my arms and hands.

Here's a silly looking graphic of what happens.

And some photos of what blood pooling looks like.

Your legs go blue, and your veins bulge, or are otherwise way easier to see. How bad this happens depends on the person, but it's something fairly common in most folks with POTS.

So, what exactly does this have to do with our boy here?

The simplest answer is that it looks really weird. He doesn't like it. Drayton, for the most part, doesn't care an awful lot about his appearance, but the veins and the blue and red splotchy skin looks really odd. He probably got a lot of comments about it when he was younger.

Now, usually POTS symptoms start when you're around 12-13. Also, POTS is usually something that only AFAB people get. These two factors are important.

At 12-13, you are at the age where other people's comments, especially those of other kids, start to actually affect you. So, when Dray was being an ordinary kid, running around in shorts, and people see the blue-veiny legs and go "Ew what's wrong with you", it hurt him a lot. Drayton is a very casual person, but comments like that wear on him more than he'd like anyone to know. It doesn't help that he was already facing some bullying for his Dyslexia and Dysgraphia.

The other thing, is that usually only AFAB people get pots. So, typically women. It is possible for AMAB people to have POTS, but it's far more uncommon. So, for the people who do know about POTS, it's about a fifty/fifty shot that they actually believe him when he says "This is what's wrong with me". They either think he's lying for attention, or that he's just wrong.

And so, he hides his symptoms. He starts wearing long pants, and when he figures out that he likes wearing skirts, long skirts. Besides, it's easier to put on a pair of compression socks/tights under a skirt. It isn't just a fashion choice.

I already knew that I wanted him to be uncomfortable with having people see his legs, but I hadn't had a particular reason until I noticed "Hey, when I take a shower, my legs are covered in red blotches". I had forgotten about it, because it's something normal to me. Nothing is wrong with me, it's just my blood is weird. But, if that's something that happens all the time, especially if it's the full pooling with the veins and the blue skin and whatnot, it's probably one of those things that is easier to hide than to face head-on.

Another thing that this effects is his general laziness. I've already spoken some about how chronic fatigue with POTS is part of his laziness problem, but this is another thing.

He doesn't like getting up and moving around because it's hard. His legs are quite literally heavier than they should be.

The best way I can describe the way blood pooling feels is like this.

You know the feeling of your arm or leg falling asleep? It's like that, but rather than a lack of blood flow, there's too much. Your limbs feel heavy, they hurt, they may be slightly swollen. It tingles, and you just feel odd.

So, he avoids that feeling. By avoiding getting up.

That's all I really have to say for this. It's something I realized could very easily apply to Drayton, and thought was interesting enough to share. Enjoy!

[possibilistfanfiction]

world cup goals! footy au? Literally anything though, thank youuuuuu

[shoutout to katie mccabe & also everyone's suits. love this wc]

//

it took four years too long, but finally — finally — you get to watch ava in a world cup. you're, of course, the face of the nation, the captain, all the hopes of a repeat resting on your shoulders. this time, it feels light; it feels like a gift, to have people believe in you — to have people think you deserve their faith. you know, without a doubt, that you will play the best football you possibly can. when you answer ava's facetime just before she gets on the bus — so she can show you how she's opted to wear the team suit, perfectly tailored, a deep navy, without a shirt underneath it, mismatched earrings and an opal drop chain you'd gotten her a few months ago, because you saw it and knew she would love it — and she smiles, you know that you already have the faith of the most important person in the world.

when you watch from the conference room your team has reserved, your opening match not for two days still, but it counts as film studies, really, all things considered — lilith rolls her eyes but is currently curled up on the couch next to you in an oversized hoodie that smells suspiciously like camila's perfume — it fills your chest so immensely you don't know how you keep breathing for a moment. ava jumps the line with a grin, her socks slipping low and one side of her shorts already pulled up and tucked into her compression shorts, and you think you might burst.

the commentators mention her missed world cup last cycle, but they don't have much time to dwell on it because, only a few minutes in, ava brushes hair out of her face and lifts her hand, taking the first corner of the game. lilith rolls her eyes before it even happen, and joy — amusing, overwhelming happiness — fills you when ava hits a perfect olympico, one of her favorite set pieces to goof around with on the training ground. she's laughing, when her team runs over, when she turns to the fans screaming her name, when she holds up her hands in the shape of a heart to the camera.

'god, she's so insufferable,' lilith grumbles.

'are you grumpy because you haven't scored an olympico?'

'we haven't even played yet, beatrice.'

you shrug, reveling in ava's bright play all up and down the left side after the restart, the way she tracks back and holds the ball patiently, the exuberance and fearlessness of some of her overlapping runs. 'worried you won't win the golden boot this time around?'

'just about as worried as you are that you won't win the golden ball.'

ava whiffs — badly — on a cross and just accepts her teammates' good natured teasing, a playful shove to the shoulder as they gather themselves defensively before the goal kick. you wait a beat and then lilith giggles, literally giggles, and you can't help the laughter either.

'i am begging the football gods to show me a replay of that,' she says, already on twitter to see if anyone posted about it.

ava plays the rest of her pre-planned sixty minutes with the same fervor — cheerful, creative, fun. she nets another goal and lends an assist before she's subbed out, gets in two nutmegs, which you know she secretly enjoyed the most. she is a formidable opponent, and you've learned, by now, it's because of how she plays: light, everywhere.

she facetimes you after her presser, just as you're settling into bed. she looks so soft in a team-issued crew neck and tired, content eyes, her hair still damp from her post-game shower.

'did you enjoy that first goal?'

'well, that's one way to kick off your world cup tenure.'

she grins. 'you thought it was sexy.'

'unfortunately, i think just about everything you do is sexy.'

ava pouts. 'come on, bea. an olympico? in my first world cup match ever? please admit you loved it.'

'lilith hated it.'

ava barks a laugh, grins with teeth.

'and, of course, darling. i loved it. i love watching you play.'

she softens, immediately. you've gotten spoiled, getting to play club with her for so many years — there are few nights spent apart, and those are mostly because of national team camps or, a few rare occasions, when one of you has an overnight stay in the hospital following a procedure. you wish you could fall asleep with her now, you wish you could help calm her buzzing energy and that she could keep you warm.

as it is, though, you just lie down and listen to her talk about the ins and outs of the defensive formation they had to break down, the pivot sixes they're going to play against the next team in their group — 'to practice, honestly, for when we play you, which i shouldn't be telling you but whatever, you're so smart anyway. good luck to us.' — and how her lats have been so tight after training but felt better during pt tonight.

'hey,' she says, about to get off the bus, 'i'm going to let you go. you keep closing your eyes for longer and longer. you should get some sleep.'

you hum, fight to keep your eyes open just a little longer. 'i love watching you play.'

her mouth quirks up. 'jogo bonito, right?'

you want to kiss her; you will, just as soon as you can. 'jogo bonito, yes.'

'goodnight, bea.'

'make sure you take your pain meds before bed, and —'

'i know, babe,' she says, soft and gentle. 'i got it. thank you for reminding me.'

'always.'

'i love you,' she says.

'i love you too.'

'i'm gonna dream of you in your suit tonight.' ava laughs, waves, and hangs up.

you toss and turn a few minutes before you admit defeat and google ava silva world cup suit and stare at pictures online for a few minutes, and then put your phone aside on the charging pad and, with quite the image in your mind, fall fast asleep.

[ladyiristheenchantress]

Car and Motorcycle Spells and Superstitions

Vroom Vroom, if you know or dont know hello! I am a motorcycle driver (2022 Venom x18R) and my loving husband is currently in school for automotive mechanics, loves tinkering on his car (2001 BMW-Z3), and overall we make a great team!

Today, both Mr. Iris and I wanted to share spells and superstitions we use to not only keep our things running but also protected

Motorcycles:

We believe in the use of a guardian bell, the superstition goes that there are ghosts and evil spirits that get into our bikes and ruin them, a guardian bell wards off from crashes, break downs, and other damage that is caused by these spirits. The bells trap them inside and the ringing drives them mad so they fall off and wander around aimlessly

Some chapters and churches (especially in the south) host a 'blessing of the bikes' ceremony before the first events of the year, its a non-denominational blessing where people of all sorts get together and bless their bikes for safety

Riding with your gear pegs down can be an invitation for spirits to hop on the back of your bike, if you are in a funeral motorcade its an invitation for the deceased to enjoy a last ride, but I dont reccomened keeping them up on your daily ride

In world war 2 messangers would ride green bikes which made them targets, and after the war there were so many of these green bikes that people would buy and then break down it became bad luck to ride a green bike

Never ride a dead mans bike, its said that their spirit will come down and knock you on your ass

Its bad luck to drop a helmet with the common saying “As goes your helmet, so goes your head.”, but its also a safety thing. Helmets shouldnt be dropped because of the compression and foam inside of them which lessens their ability to protect you in a crash

ALWAYS WEAR A HELMET.

Always stop to help fellow bikers, you dont know when you will need it

Iris's Motorcycle Ward:

First, bless your bike in as many ways as you want, then create a sigil of luck using the number wheel system, instead of drawing that sigil and place it on your bike take those numbers (i.e "protect this bike" becomes 12478) and either draw them in bike cleaner OR get decals to hide around

Cars:

You might notice how nascar drivers have their own good luck charm, whether its a photo of their partner, a lucky coin, or a blue sock, we can replicate supersitions of our favorite driver (congrats to Landon Cassill)

If a bird poops on your car its a sign that you may recieve good news or riches

Holding your breath under a tunnel or by a cemetery was started because people believe that restless spirits might come out and enter your body, or mess up your car.

Some people say to ward your car from future accidents, its best to scratch or dent it when you first get it because it keeps accidents away

do a ritual (kiss your mirror, slap your visor) when you pass a yellow light because it wards away cops

Pick up your feet when you pass over a bridge or railroad, its said that if you dont you wont find your future spouse because you "already crossed the threshold"

You may hear "a bmw is the most expensive car youll own" or "Id rather push a chevy then drive a ford" when you observe these phrases take note of your own car, and find good luck phrases to support your car

Avoid places with a lot of accidents, not only is it good luck, but there may be a lot of accidents for a reason like blind turns or strange speed limits

Mr. Iris's green light spell:

On all of our vehicles we put a spell on the cars computer (CAN and ECU's), we enchanted our car or bikes by holding the dash, then chanting or visualizing our energy connecting to the CAN, we ask that the computers energy predict green lights and take the energy of our car to prevent red lights. We have had a very good success rate! Other spells we love:

Another one we do is an 'anti-cop' spell, on a bike sometimes we get ahead of ourselves and feel like the speed limit is a suggestion, so to protect us we not only keep a sigil patch on the inside of our helmets and we also keep a blue fuse in our pockets as a ward from getting caught

When Mr. Iris has a race or car show he uses a significant date to help win (Go 917), plus he also creates a chant to "hype up the cars engine" there are ofc other superstitions like these so really pick what you like!

Thank you all! I hope you enjoy!

Tip Jar

[cpunkwitch]

Hey, chronic pain anon back again to ask some questions

My first question is to ask if you have any advice for how to handle or deal with the pain, I mean usually I just ignore it, but i dont know if that's really a good thing

I also wanted to ask if you knew of any mobility devices that might help with taking weight off my hips and spine? If that makes sense in a way?? I was thinking of getting some when possible as I noticed whenever I stand still I get a lot of pain / pressure in my hips and spine, like they're crumbling under my weight or something — idk if that makes sense, im like half asleep right now

Okay, uh, thanks :3 you're really cool and even if you can't answer these questions I don't mind ^_^

- chronic pain anon

Hey hun

DO NOT IGNORE PAIN /lh

Pain is your body sending your brain a signal something is wrong, listen to your body or it will get worse

Depending on the type and level of pain there are multiple ways to handle it

My methods are hot compress, soaks in baths or showers if I can manage one or the other, anti-inflammatory meds like ibuprofen or even Tylenol or advil (I can only take liquid or chewable meds but if you can swallow pills and know what meds you can take please do)

Compression socks, gloves, support shoes, braces, especially a back brace can help relieve and lessen pain by the end of the day

Sleeping with an extra pillow under your tailbone and/or between your legs depending on your sleeping position can help as well, preferably small pillows if you have one but whatever works

As for mobility aids

I'm looking into the same thing and the reason I was looking into using my moms walker before was because walkers and rollators have better weight support than a walking stick or cane, definitely better if you want to avoid the wrist and upper body pain leaning on a walking stick can give you at least from my experience

Best ones I know of should be within your height range, and can include a seat though the foldable ones are likely to have less weight support and there can be weight limits for aids so best to look at the weight limit on one before getting it

A walker or rollator feels like a middle between a cane and a wheelchair to me so I'd say it's good for spine and hip issues as I deal with the same

Actually last night because my mom wouldn't let me user her walker on my coffee run I ended up being hunched over with a lot of lacking mobility due to the extra pain I was in by the end of the day, the walker would have helped a lot and even helped me pase myself better walking uphill so I wouldn't have fallen into my habit of speed walking (or marching, Sea cadets will drill marching into your muscle memory)

So yeah tldr?

Anything that takes down swelling and inflammation in your muscles, joints and tissue in general wherever the pain tends to be can help a lot, even pain creams can help some

Small stretches can help too so your joints don't become stiff overtime just be careful not to strain or stretch too far or anything, light stretches can help get your body out of bed

And a walker or a rollator could be good for a mobility aid to look into

Hope this helps!!

[roscvcins]

modern/scifi bits and ends that I was thinking about

She has a pretty big jar that's just for candy collection, and she likes to keep it on her desk. There's one of basically everything one could think of in there, from limited edition to holiday specials to long distance foreign brands to (maybe sketchy) homemade stuff she got around the block. It's like her version of a jar of origami stars tbh. The jar of candy is good luck (tm).

Jaw clips are her best friend. After a lot of trial and error she finds that they hurt least for twelve hours at a time at work. She has one every color of the rainbow for every different day of the week. That said, she really likes to wear her hair down in every other aspect of her life, because she almost never gets to at work.

She generally (when not crashing at the hospital's temp dorms) rents in the an apartment a few doors down from her grandfather's clinic because the landlord (who owns the street) gave her a deal on it. Her grandfather's actual house is in a different part of the city. She likes the arrangement because the proximity means she sees her grandfather more often but isn't living at home all the time.

In verses where she runs a backyard clinic, this location proximity helps (tm).

She still maintains her acupoint powers! And carries what are now considered very antique silver needles. So yes, backed into an alley alone she can and probably has dropped grown men by paralyzing them.

Gets cold very easily, especially in the bowels of the hospital. Basically always wearing a sweater over the scrubs and thick fuzzy socks over the compression ones. Very cold hands (tm).

Takes the metro most of the time (and falls asleep on it quite a bit), but owns a second hand pastel (tm) moped that she takes out further than the city on days off.

She might not get to do it very often but she does enjoy cooking for herself! She has a recipe of old "medicinal" dishes from her grandfather's library that's supposed to be good for healthful living that she's trying to get through.

She grows her own herbs! There's a little plot of them sitting out on the tiny balcony space.

[decaflondonfog]

celly

rated t, <1k

[for, and honestly, from @fluxweeed because it was all their genius brain that made me think of this in the first place and subsequently wordvomit into a scrivener doc]

There are times in which Andrew thinks he could potentially enjoy Exy. This is one of those times. The tension in the stadium is palpable — from the actual court, to the bench, to the very last corner seat of the packed room that no one ever wants to sit in. The clock is ticking, and it all comes down to these last few minutes.

It’s intense. It’s almost, he’d dare say, fun.

Andrew could potentially enjoy Exy. Except that Wymack is shouting some bullshit at him he can’t actually hear, his legs are fucking killing him, he is literally dripping sweat, his chest hurts behind the padding where he got hit with a ball in the first half, and he needs to focus on not letting any goals in while Neil and Kevin are just prancing around, smiling behind their helmets, knocking their heads together in as close a forehead touch they can get. He wants to wring their necks.

Theoretically, he could enjoy Exy. He doesn’t though. And he needs Neil and Kevin to stop being all cute, and to carry the shitty ball across the court and slam it into the other team’s goal so Andrew can relax and they can all shower and go home as soon as the clock reaches zero.

The clock marks one minute and a half to go. Andrew widens his stance as the other team makes it up the court to his side, pushing through Aaron and Matt’s line with ease. Andrew sends the ball back across the court to Neil, whose face crinkles with joy.

The clock marks one minute to go. A bead of sweat runs down his thigh, tickling the back of his knee as it crosses the patch of bare leg between his compression shorts and socks. Andrew shakes his leg but it doesn’t make the tickling any better.

The clock marks thirty seconds to go. The sweat is making Andrew’s head itch and he cannot wait to take the helmet off and finally run his hands through his hair. The other team have managed to get the ball after a failed goal attempt on Neil’s part.

Twenty seconds. Wymack is still shouting. Andrew reckons it’s probably best if no one hears what he is saying at this point. Neil stickchecks the other team’s offensive dealer and Andrew can hear Kevin shouting at him — the timbre and cadence of his shouting all Wymack’s.

Ten seconds. Neil gains possession of the ball and no punches are thrown, though Andrew is pretty sure it’s a close call. Neil carries it for nine steps before passing it to Kevin.

Five seconds. Kevin throws the ball against the wall on his side of the court, left-handed and all. He’s yards too far from the target, but he lets it rebound and catches it only four steps ahead. He’s still way too far, but it throws it in anyway. There are not enough seconds on the clock. There is no way that should go in. And yet — the goal across from the Foxes’ lights up. That beautiful motherfucker.

When the clock hits zero, Matt is already gathering Aaron and Dan under one arm and taking his helmet off.

Andrew takes his own helmet off, and finally runs his hands through his disgusting hair, rubbing at the nape of his neck where it aches the most. The relief is instantaneous and Andrew sighs, and drops to a squat, letting his stick slide all the way to the floor next to him. He lifts his eyes, searching for the two familiar shapes at half-court.

In a move Andrew has witnessed hundreds of times, Neil drops his stick to the side and runs up to Kevin at full speed, unbuckling his helmet as he does. His helmet falls to the floor next to Kevin’s just as Neil launches himself up, wrapping his legs around Kevin’s waist.

The noise in the court is way too loud for Andrew to make anything out, not that he needs to. He’s seen this too many times before. On court, during a match, even during practice. He’s seen it back in the dorm, when a game is on tv and he is trying his best to eat his cereal in peace — which is impossible with Neil literally jumping over him on the sofa to reach Kevin.

Kevin and Neil are yelling in each other’s faces, somewhere between laughing and crying. Kevin holds Neil by his thighs and lifts him higher on his frame and Neil just laughs and laughs and laughs.

Andrew can’t hear it but he can lipread well enough to know what Neil keeps repeating.

You did it.

You did it.

There are times in which Andrew thinks he could potentially enjoy Exy. This is one of those times.

[icarusthelunarguard]

This Week’s Horrible-Scopes

It’s time for this week’s Horrible-Scopes! So for those of you that know your Astrological Signs, cool! If not, just pick one, roll a D12, or just make it up as you go along. It really doesn’t matter.

Aries 

No matter what you think, we’re not here to judge you. Others might, but we won’t. To that end… You didn’t want to take down your… “Year-End Holiday Lights”, and that’s OK! But may we suggest you trade them out for those new-fangled color-programmable ones? Slave them to your Home Automation system and they’ll change with each new holiday’s theme with no direct input from you. Sadly we’ve already passed May 9th, which was Lost Sock Memorial Day. So add that to your holiday list for next year. 

Taurus 

Let’s face facts - you are never going to beat that Super Mario Brothers Arcade Game High Score anytime soon. Oh, you were good in your youth, and you could afford to buy an original 1983 coin-op cabinet to play on… but do you really think you can score over Five and-a-half Million Points to take the world record away? We don’t think so either. Save that $1,500 and take a vacation next month. 

Gemini  

Remember the cartoon series ReBoot? It was produced between 1994 and 2002. One of the opening lines was, “They say the User lives outside the Net and inputs games for pleasure.” Well guess what was released to the public in 2001 by Nintendo. That’s right… a Blue… Game… Cube! If Mainframe Entertainment had TradeMarked that term, they could’ve gotten some kind of marketing deal with Nintendo and had Money To Spare! (*Sigh*) This week, try to think way ahead.

Cancer Moon-Child 

There’s a specific set of dice that are used in table-top gaming: D4, D6, D8, D10, D12, and D20. They’re all some typical geometric shapes, but. There have been some weird ones that’ve come down the pike ever since. So yes, you can buy a D1, which is a form that ALWAYS lands on a specific side, and the D7 which is a Klingon Battleship. This week, remember that The Fourth will be with you, Always. 

Leo 

You remember hearing how “Stayin’ Alive” by the Bee Gees is one of the best songs to use to time your CPR Compressions? It’s not the only one. You could use ABBA’s “Dancing Queen”, “I Will Survive” by Gloria Gaynor, “One Week” by the Barenaked Ladies, or, ironically enough, “Another One Bites the Dust” by Queen. But if you really want to screw with the person’s head as they come to, have everyone around you hum “The Imperial March” from Star Wars. That’ll scare them enough to wake them up without resorting to smelling salts. This week, listen to some old music again.

Virgo 

Speaking of Smelling Salts… Don’t use them! Sure, it’s kinda funny to use them as a prank to wake up your friends when they’ve fallen asleep first at a party, but don’t use them when playing sports. Yes, you can get a hit of oxygen into your blood due to more respiration, but you don’t need it. You’re an umpire… at a Pee-Wee T-Ball league. Just relax this week.

Libra 

It’s five o’clock somewhere, so you might as well have a drink!  Come to think of it, have a lot of drinks, but make it a challenge; Run something through your Soda Stream that isn’t supposed to be. Something alcoholic. Better yet, you’re smart and innovative. The patent for the original “SodaStream”.. OH, sorry… the “aerating liquid machine” expired a long time ago. Go ahead and redesign it to work with liquors and make a killing in the Novelty Bar Drink market!  

Scorpio 

Speaking of drinks, Scorpio; This week you’re going to visit an old house. Make sure you have an extra-bright flashlight with you because you’re going to find a bomb. Not a munition, but an old Hawaiian Punch tin can from the early 1980’s. It’ll look like a blue and red mis-shapen rugby ball. DO NOT TOUCH THIS UNHAPPY ABOMINATION! Just take a picture and walk away. Leave disarming that to the professionals.

Sagittarius 

You need to clean up your Whatnot Drawer in the kitchen, like it or not. First off, that bag of rubber bands? They’ve dried up and crumbled into chunks. The super glue hasn’t dried out yet, but it’s almost ready to spill all over the battery cases. And as for those, you have three locations where you’ve been storing batteries. Just condense it into one place. This week just… get your act together.

Capricorn 

Sexy asked for, sexy delivered. We’re challenging you to buy the thinnest, tightest bikini possible for the summer. And before you ask, no! You’re not going to buy it from Wicked Weasle, the Barely There Bikini Shop, or Bitsy’s Bikinis. Head out to your local hardware store and get yourself a gallon of Benjamin Moore Latex, a 3-Inch natural-hair brush, and an understanding get-away driver for the beach. Good luck!

Aquarius 

You get a sexy one too! You’ve been worried about your weight, and we’re going to tell you not to. A couple kilos isn’t gonna kill you, and it might even be fun. Some of your clothing’s gonna fit a little tighter, look a little smoother, and need you to reconsider sporting underwear to keep the lines unblemished. Now, remember, we said “a couple” kilos, meaning two; not three or four. You start making excuses and rationalizations and you might as well buy an emergency sewing repair kit. Actually, do that anyway.  

Pisces  

When everyone said, “May the Fourth be with you”, and you answered back, “- and also with you”... We get it. It’s OK. It’s like muscle memory now. You can stop being embarrassed about it now. Just take a breath and have a drink of wine to calm your nerves. But, you know… not that watered down stuff. Drink the GOOD stuff. Riunite… on ice. It’s So Nice! (Yes, it’s a hold over from last week’s commercial theme. It was tough coming up with one for you, alright?)

And THOSE are your Horrible-Scopes for this week! Remember if you liked what you got, we’re obviously not working hard enough at these. BUT! If you want a better or nastier one for your own sign or someone else’s, all you need to do to bribe me is just Let Me Know! These will be posted online at the end of each week via Tumblr, Twitter, Facebook and Discord.

[iamacyborglunarprincess]

heat tips (qualifications: I've lived and worked outdoors in pretty much every region of the Continental US except the South, w/ and w/out AC):

- drink lots of water! put whatever in you have to in order to encourage yourself to and if you know you're going to be in hot conditions try to pre-hydrate

- make sure you're eating enough! heat can decrease appetite and you need to make sure you get enough salts and water absorbs much better when it's paired with food

- if you have dark hair a light colored hat it great when working outside (and you can get it wet and cool your head a little)

- you're gonna want to have as much ventilation as possible and fans wherever you can. window fan + ceiling fan = almost as good as ac (sometimes just as good as). window fans aren't too expensive and use way less energy to run so you can kind of keep them constantly running. unfortunately they don't fit into all windows.

- an alternative strategy for places that have larger day/night temp differentials (dryer places) is to run as many fans as you can at night and then seal up the house as soon as you wake up to trap the heat inside until the evening cools off

- to reduce AC costs, do as best you can to seal/insulate. it's harder if you are renting but some orgs will give you a free insulation audit and then may even help you fix some insulation. "energy efficiency assistance" is probabaly what to look for. try to hold out on turning on the AC (using above strategies) until a last resort. sealing off a specific room might also work better than trying to heat a whole space (if you don't have central ac.) if you have a thermostat, try to keep the temp as high as you can be comfortable. this is harder if you work somewhere with ac, but keeping yourself acclimated to a high temperature makes it less jarring when you do go out in the heat

- taking a coolish shower and do wonders for bring the body temp down pretty quick after doing something in the heat

cold: (grew up in Iowa)

- you're gonna eat more bc you have to burn more energy keeping yourself warm. let yourself. (make sure to drink enough water though)

- people always talk about layers, but what does this look like? this is the kind of max layers I would do from head to toe (I haven't had to deal with super extreme cold though), adjust to time spent outside and temperature:

- fleece lined hat that securely covers the ears + hood(s) over that, cinched as tight as possible

- scarf, long enough to wrap around you twice, with a tight weave, covering cheeks and nose

- tight tank top + long sleeve T-shirt + hoodie/sweatshirt or sweater (wear the hood over the hat) + thick winter coat that ideally goes to about your knees, hood over hat (I've tried the lighter down ones but they eventually compress and become less effective over time)

- waterproof, fleece lined ski gloves (sometimes you can fit thin knit gloves often called magic gloves I think? under these too) OR thin knit gloves + mittens

- leggings/long underwear + thick sweatpants (snow pants are nice but probably excessive unless you're skiing or something, make sure you have a waterproof/water resistant top later if you're gonna be interacting with snow)

- thin socks + thick wool socks + waterproof (snow) boots

- all of this is pretty heavy. also, my order for getting this stuff on is clothes > hat > boots > gloves > coat > scarf. do this at the last possible moment to prevent what I call "heat panic" when you are stuck inside with all your winter gear and risking getting sweaty.

- if you are moving at all, you will probably want to be able to take off layers. walking heats you up a surprising amount. better to remove and prevent sweating. shoveling also takes a lot of energy so you'll need less clothes than you think.

- if you are moving somewhere with a lot of snow and you have a big driveway and can afford it, snowblowers are worth it. otherwise try to find the lightest snow shovel you can buy + a metal one for scraping up the compacted snow. use salt (lightly) only on places that have been shoveled. prioritize places you will actually be walking and try to do it as soon as you can after it stops snowing so it doesn't freeze and become harder to remove.

- I love a scarf, to the point that sometimes I turn to wearing one even before I get a hat. they're very easy to adjust to various temperatures. beware of fogging the glasses though.

- don't let your hands get cold - it'll be harder to warm them up than prevent them from getting cold, so wear gloves before you think you need them

- moisturize!

- humidifiers are great (help to prevent nosebleeds)

- if you have to drive, make sure to give yourself an extra 5-10 minutes to heat up the car AND account for it taking longer to drive on snowy/icy conditions. (the only way to get better at winter driving is practice but give yourself more time to stop and go slower than usual. if you have AWD use it.) my car heating process is this: turn on the car and crank the heat all the way up including the front and back defrosters, then go outside and brush off any snow, then scrape away any ice. if you don't have a scraper/brusher, don't try to improvise, just wait longer with the heater and use the windshield wipers once you can see it actively melting. (budget more time).

- walking on the street where it's been plowed is a good way to avoid slipping on ice.

- heating is also expensive so see above for insulation tips. close any storm windows.