#How Much How To Get Washable Marker Off Skin Easily

[thrashkink-coven]

Super easy and cheap devotional acts for beginners.

A nice cup and some clean, fresh, water on the altar can often be all you need for daily offerings

Grow a plant on your altar, use your weekly watering as a devotional act. Hermes is currently helping my peace lily grow :)

Draw their sigil on your nails and then paint over them with nail polish that matches their color correspondences.

If you can’t acquire alcohol for your deities (wine, vodka etc) because you’re too young, white vinegar also works. The quality we’re looking for is the purification aspect. White vinegar is natural, antibacterial and never goes bad. You can leave it on your altar until it evaporates if you want.

If you work with a deity involved with self love like Aphrodite, investing a little more time into your skin care and scent can be very rewarding. Nothing super boujie, it can be as simple as getting some nice smelling lotion at the dollar store.

Food and water offerings don’t have to be external, especially if you’re in the broom closet and don’t have an altar. Reserve the first bite of your meal for your deity. Savour its taste while you think about them. Pour yourself a crisp glass of cold water and guzzle it as a devotional act.

Use a washable or dry erase marker to draw sigils on your shower wall for bath rituals. It’ll come right off when you’re done.

Tea bags are just bags of dried herbs. You can use these as offerings or draw sigils on them and burn them for witchcraft. No one is ever suspicious about a little tea. Adding a tea bag to your water offerings also gives them an extra kick.

A couple dollars at the thrift store will take you a long way. I love thrifting items because they’re usually well loved. I especially like thrifting spirituality books that past practitioners have written in. Sometimes my deities communicate with me through the books that are available on any given day. If I was just talking to Leviathan about the power of water and I see a book about Hydromancy, I know that he’s sending me a sign. Like, 90% of the books Lucifer has sent me popped up at the thrift store. Most expensive one was $7.99. (and I tag swapped it for 2.99 😊 thanks, Hermes-

and on this note, literally steal. Not from small local thrift stores, but I mean this with my whole chest, steal from Value Village. If you can sneakily swap a tag and get something for cheaper literally do it. Value Village gets all their inventory for free I literally do not care. Corporate thrift stores don’t deserve rights. I steal from Value Village as a devotional act to Hermes 😊 lmao )

If you don’t have money to spend on really nice paintings and posters of your deities for your altar, start buying books about them. It’s a double win. A book about Greek religion will certainly have multiple beautiful sculptures and paintings of Aphrodite that I can cut out and put on my wall. A book about angels might have a cool painting of Lucifer. Books about Goddesses, ancient religions, anthropology, astrology etc. You get the opportunity to learn, and if it’s a book you don’t particularly care too much for, you can take it apart for imagery. People ask me all the time where I got all of my paintings and pictures from. BOOKS.

Does your deity have a kind of complicated sigil that you love but you also kinda hate redrawing every other day? Sorry Cerberus (Naberius) I love you but that sigil is so complicated babe.

Learn how to block print! It’s very simple. You get a block of linoleum (usually pretty cheap, I think mine were like $5) , some ink (~$10), and a carving tool (varies depending), and make a sigil stamp! All you gotta do is draw your sigil and carve it out nicely one time. You can still bless it and imbue it with your energy, and you can easily put it on prayers, talismans etc.

Chalk is your best friend. Use it to draw sigils on the floor or wall that can easily be wiped away. You can imbue special chalk and use it for casting circles if you don’t like the mess of salt.

[luvmayumii]

Hihi, would I be able to request a fem!Reader X Pavia? Maybe the reader colouring in his tattoos and doodling even more on him, but he doesn't mind at all because his lover drew all that? Maybe even bragging about how talented the reader is at drawing? Just an idea ^^

— 📻

VULNERABILITY

🎀 PAIRING: pavia x reader

🎀 CONTENT: fem!reader, fluff, mentions of blood/violence (but nothing happens), pavia calls reader bella (pretty)

🎀 WORD COUNT: 0.5k+

🎀 NOTE: this would've come out earlier but i got sick... :') sorry it came out shorter than expected, motivation fell down after i got ill. i hope you enjoy it though !! pavia's my favorite character (besides horropedia) so i liked writing this

There were few domestic days like this between you and Pavia. Oftentimes, he'd come home late in the night with mysterious blood stains tainting his skin and clothing, only to find you already sleeping in bed. You'd both have to get ready for bed early in the morning anyway, so he'd usually just watch you sleep. He would murmur things about how he finds it strange that you can sleep so easily.

Today is a bit special. You had just gotten a promotion, and you decided to take the day off with Pavia to spend time together in celebration. Although Pavia would've thoroughly enjoyed something extravagant – maybe with a little bit of bloodshed – he wanted to spend time with you much more, no matter if it's a quiet moment like this or a more flamboyant one.

Pavia was sitting on your bed, back against the headboard. You sat right beside him, head leaning on his shoulder. A set of washable markers was set on your lap, and you held a yellow marker in hand. You colored in the blank spots of the tattoo on his right hand, a focused glint in your eyes. Pavia would laugh at how determined you seemed over such a minor activity, but he might end up distracting you, so he remained silent. It was odd to see him so quiet, just watching you. You knew he watched you sleep sometimes after catching him staring deeply into your eyes when you had woken up from your slumber, therefore you knew that he would be mute like this occasionally, but that didn't mean it wasn't a strange sight to see.

"You draw well," he murmured. You tilted your head up to him, cocking your head to the side. A soft chuckle left your lips.

"I'm just coloring your tattoos," you replied in the same hushed tone. He huffed in response.

"Still," he said, voice sarcastically upset. There was another short moment of silence before he spoke again. "Draw on me."

"What?"

"I said draw on me."

You blinked, processing his sudden command. A cheeky smile made its way to your face, earning a scoff from him. You took the black marker from the set, putting away the yellow marker. You uncapped the dark covering, tongue darting out to lick your bottom lip. Then, you went to work.

By the time that you were done, Pavia was littered with doodles all over his skin. Depictions of cute kittens, tiny nature sceneries…but the thing that caught his attention the most was the drawing on his forearm. It depicted his wolves, and despite being very poorly drawn with exaggerated features, he couldn't help but smirk at the sight.

"I coulda sworn you hated my wolves. Said that you were scared of them," he commented, looking at the doodle.

"Just because I was scared of them doesn't mean I hated them," you responded, placing the set of markers away. Pavia remained strangely quiet for another moment. Just then, he took your wrist and pulled you closer until your faces were inches away from each other. A wolfish grin took over his features before he placed a kiss on your lips.

"You're great at drawing, bella," he chuckled. "…love you."

You could only smile back at him, a giggle leaving your lips. "I love you too."

[love-skincareroutine]

How To Get Washable Marker Off Skin

New Post has been published on https://skin-care-routine.com/skin-care-routine/how-to-get-washable-marker-off-skin/

How To Get Washable Marker Off Skin

A. How to Get Pen and Permanent Marker Off of Skin

It is almost incredible how many problems children can get with a single marker. One minute they are happily doodling on a piece of paper, and the next they are getting themselves (or their brothers) fake tattoos and a face full of felt makeup. Fortunately (for you and her) not even permanent ink is permanent with the right tools and tricks. Here’s what to do to remove the pen or permanent marker from your skin – or yours.

1. Tips for removing pen or permanent marker from your skin

You can be comforted to know that ink from a permanent marker or pen fades naturally over time – two to three days, according to the Northern New England Poison Center. Even if you do nothing, your child’s skin will soon return to its original condition. In some cases, e.g. For example, if the marker is on an inconspicuous part of the body, doing nothing may be preferable to other methods, as certain products or rubbing repeatedly can be more irritating to the skin.

“Soap and water help with normal hand washing, and the rest eventually dissolves after a number of baths,” said Erin Kravitz, who has a young daughter, to Mom.com. “Most things are soaked in the bathtub, especially with the help of a cloth.”

2. Removal of skin blemishes with household products

However, if you can’t or don’t want to wait for the ink to disappear on its own, these suggestions can help. A general note: like most other spots, the ink on the skin is easier to remove when it is relatively fresh. So if you can put your child in the bathtub, or at least near a sink, you can quickly get better results.

a. Soap and water

If the ink stains in question are water-based – you’re in luck! – They should be quite easy to remove during the normal bath. Water-based paints are often used in washable markers for children, such as: B. Crayola, who recommends good old soap and water to erase accidental body art.

“Typically, Crayola washable products can be removed from the skin by washing with soap and water,” says the company’s website. “If soap and water don’t work, try wet wipes, baby oil or make-up remover. Since crayons are water-based washable products, keeping the area around the stain moist can help remove it. ”

b. Baby wipes

Crayola recommended wet wipes for more resistant and washable stains can also be used with ballpoint pen ink or permanent marker. And because they are formulated for babies, they are probably softer on your child’s skin than some other home remedies you can find on the Internet.

c. Baby oil

Baby oil is commonly used to remove makeup and temporary tattoos. So it makes sense that people would also recommend it for ink stains. According to Healthline, baby oil “adheres to excess skin oil and removes all substances” – possibly including a permanent marker. The website suggests applying a small amount of oil to the area and then washing it off.

d. Milk

It sounds strange, but a home remedy that Good Housekeeping mentions to remove permanent skin stains is to put a cotton ball in the milk and rub over the stain. There have been mixed analyzes of the effectiveness of this method – some say it is better to remove stains from fabrics and upholstery – but if you happen to have a little milk on hand, it probably doesn’t hurt to try.

3. Other methods

Many people say that alcohol is the key to ink stains, but you need to exercise caution. Alcohol can be easily inhaled or absorbed through the skin, creating a risk of isopropyl alcohol poisoning. Children are particularly at risk, which is why the American Academy of Pediatrics on its website HealthyChildren.org emphasizes that alcohol should never be used to lower a child’s fever. If you have a permanent mark on your skin, a small amount of alcohol in a cotton ball – used in a well-ventilated area! – it may be good, but for children or stains that cover large parts of the body, it is better to try something different or let the paint fade naturally.

  B. Removing Permanent Marker from Your Skin

We offer products that we believe are useful to our readers. If you buy through the links on this page, we can earn a small commission. Here is our process. The ink happens. From time to time, it is possible to get permanent ink on your skin. Unlike tattoo ink, which is actually embedded in your skin, permanent ink – think of sharp markers – just touches the surface. This means that it will disappear over a few days. However, there may be ways to remove permanent marker stains from your skin a little faster. Watch out for so-called remedies that can do more harm than good to your skin – you may accidentally get more than one permanent marker.

1. Remove the permanent marker from the skin

According to the Northern New England Poison Center, it can take two to three days for the permanent marker to disappear from the skin on its own. If you want to remove the marker a little faster, you can also incorporate one of the following methods into your washing routine. You will probably have to repeat these methods several times before you see the results. There are also aggressive ingredients that you don’t want to apply to your skin. This includes baking soda and bleach. Also, do not use ingredients that may have an allergic reaction.

a. Sea salt shell

Sea salt has natural exfoliating properties. When mixing with warm water, you can make a gentle exfoliation to exfoliate the top layer of the skin. Mix equal parts of salt water and warm water to make a paste. Gently massage the scrub into your skin – but don’t rub it – twice a day.

b. Olive oil or coconut oil

If you have olive oil or coconut oil at home, apply a small amount to your skin and rub gently before rinsing. These oils can help to bind to your epidermis. In theory, the oil can adhere to the permanent marker marks on your skin and help to remove them smoothly.

c. Baby oil

The idea behind mineral oil, or baby oil, is that it can adhere to excess skin oil and remove any substances. In theory, this would also work with permanent stains. Apply a small amount of oil to the affected area and then wash and rinse as normal. However, be careful if you have acne-prone skin, as applying extra oils can lead to subsequent rashes.

d. Whitening toothpaste

The same properties of toothpaste that help lighten surface stains on teeth can also lighten permanent marker points on your skin. Use this method twice a day. As a bonus, you can even use a new toothbrush to exfoliate. Massage gently in a circular motion around the colored skin and rinse well.

e. Chemical-based remover

Household chemical removers can remove permanent marker pigment when you are in an emergency. These include:

Isopropyl Alcohol

Nail polish remover

Hand sanitizer

You can use this up to twice a day. Apply a small amount with a cotton ball and rinse with warm water.

f. Make up remover

Makeup remover can be another solution to remove permanent marks from your skin. This is also a less harsh option compared to household chemical removers. Apply with a cotton ball and massage in a circular motion for a few seconds. Rinse thoroughly with warm water.

2. Is the ink not healthy for the skin?

Traditional permanent markers found in office supply stores are not intended for your skin. In fact, permanent markers contain ingredients considered to be toxic, such as resin, xylene and toluene. If these markers come into contact with your skin, they may be slightly irritated. Symptoms include redness, swelling and itching. Permanent marker vapors can also irritate the eyes, nose and throat.

3. Safer ink for the skin

Accidental marking with permanent ink is unlikely to cause adverse symptoms. With that said, you don’t want to purposely put a permanent marker on your skin. If you are interested in markers for your skin for sports or tattoos, find markers that are designed specifically for the skin. They are also waterproof, but, unlike their traditional marker, they do not contain toxic ingredients.

The permanent marker will eventually disappear from the pores with regular washing and natural oils. However, if you want to remove marker stains a little faster, consider the home remedies above. However, be careful not to use substances that you are allergic to or sensitive to. Consult a doctor if you develop rashes or swelling due to permanent marker marks on the skin.

  C. How to Get Crayola Markers Off Your Kids Skin

Then you bought your child a set of Crayola markers. They just wanted to get Picasso out of him. The next thing you know, he’s just messing up his skin with them. Freaky? You shouldn’t be. Pencil markers are made in such a way that, although your child uses his whole body with drawing paper, he can easily remove it from the skin. And that is what we are focusing on today. We’ll show you how to easily remove Crayola markers from your child’s skin.

1. Ways to remove markers from children’s skin

There are several methods that can be used to easily remove the marker from your child’s skin. While some may work, others may not. That’s why we talk about all the effective ones.

a. Method 1: using soap and water

Most Crayola markers are washable. You can try using soap and water to improve the situation. If you can only use the method when the spot on your child’s skin is recent, it will work best.

Use warm water to moisturize your skin first. Next, you need to use a clean towel and add some detergent.

Now rub the stain in a circular motion while proceeding smoothly. This trick will help you to remove almost all the stain. To make sure it is completely erased, you will need to clean the area several times.

b. Method 2: using disinfectants

Hand sanitizer is very useful for removing stains from markers. When we say disinfectant, we mean that it is “alcohol” that does the trick.

This works perfectly as a catalyst for removing paint. Because they are “HAND SANITIZERS”, they are also kind to the skin.

Enough talk, let’s see how it works. First, you need to apply a small amount of disinfectant to your child’s skin. You will see the ink reactivate. Clean it with a cotton ball.

When you’re done, just rub the skin to remove the marks.

c. Method 3: makeup remover

Who said makeup removers can only be used to get rid of makeup? You can also use them to remove Crayola markers from your child’s skin. In addition, it is one of the safest methods to use when aiming at the eye area.

To do this, you need to use a cotton ball and put some remover on it. Now, carefully clean the stains. You can also use the remover to remove ink stains.

Once you’re done, it’s time to rinse your skin with warm water.

d. Method 4: baby wipes

To remove difficult but washable stains, the Crayola team recommends the wipes themselves. Remember, they don’t work with permanent markers.

However, baby wipes are the most delicate alternative to everything else, as they are only made for babies and toddlers.

e. Method 5: baby oil

Of course, if you have a baby in your home with your child, you also have baby oil in your home. Use it as a quick alternative to remove the marks.

Your child already has excess oil on his skin. What baby oil does is basically sticking to excess oils while removing stains. The best part? You can also use baby oil to remove permanent markers.

f. Method 6: using milk

You read that right, “milk”. This will help you to clean these marks. Knowing how to properly apply milk to your child’s skin can also help remove permanent stains.

However, you will hear mixed reviews on the subject. There are mothers who say that applying milk only works if the stain is on the upholstery or on the fabrics. On the other hand, we have no problem with trying your child’s hand.

2. Here are some that are not for you

Now we talk about rubbing hand sanitizer and they have alcohol, even though it’s just a tiny portion. You will find that some people try to remove alcohol on their own to clean the stains, and yes, it also works. However, when applying it to your child’s skin, you must also take the necessary care. You should know that the skin absorbs alcohol very quickly, which can lead to isopropyl alcohol poisoning.

Your child’s skin is delicate and if you rub the alcohol carelessly, there is a chance that the skin will be vulnerable to withstand the reaction. Therefore, even when applying it, you should use only a very small portion and rub with a cotton ball.

3. Summary

Well, that was all there was to remove Crayola markers from your son’s skin. We talked about all the effective methods here so you can choose the method that best suits you. Don’t worry, one of these will definitely work for you, no matter what. But remember that we do not recommend drinking alcohol unless it is really necessary.

[bellakitse]

Greener on the Other Side

“I’m sorry,” he gasps, not believing what she’s just said. “Say that again, please.”

“I said he’s married,” she repeats herself softly, giving him a pitying look. “And he has a kid."

+

Alex hasn't heard anything about TK Strand in over four years. That's about to change.

Alex Fletcher walks into Gramercy Tavern twenty minutes later than he agreed to meet his friends. He already dreads what is sure to be a lecture on his constant tardiness from the group, but more so, what he knows will be pointed looks when they see he’s come alone instead of with his boyfriend.

Spotting them to the left of the restaurant, he starts to make his way over to them. “Sorry, sorry,” he starts to say with a charming smile as all five of them look up at his voice, hoping to curb the scolding before it starts. “The 6 train was an absolute mess. It got the 33rd street and then refused to go forward.”

Liz and Becca share a look at his excuse, and Alex has to keep from rolling his eyes at them. He gets it. Being late is one of his less desirable character traits, and they find it annoying, but after over a decade of friendship, he thinks they should get over it by now.

“Yeah, the trains have been acting up all week,” Malcolm offers while his wife Patricia gives him a small smile, the two of them ever the peacemakers of the group. “Sit down, man.”

Alex offers his friends a more sincere smile, shaking hands with him and his other buddy Chris before giving all three women kisses on the cheek.

“Where is Dean?” Patricia asks politely, and Alex winces at her mistake. It’s been a while since he and Dean ended things, but it’s also been a while since Patricia has joined her husband at one of their dinners.

“We broke up a few months ago,” he tells her, his face feeling tight from his fake smile. “I’m dating someone new now. His name is Wallace.”

“Oh,” Patricia says softly, going a little red in the face at her blunder. “My apologies, Alex.”

He waves her off, wanting to move on from the embarrassing moment quickly. “No worries, Patty,” he says to her. “And Wallace wanted to come, but he had to work,” he explains, trailing off lamely, not believing the lie himself, but it’s not like he can tell his friends that Wallace simply didn’t want to come because he thought it would be boring.

His friends all give him understanding, if not quite believing looks, and Alex wonders just how pathetic his expression is that they don’t push for more.

The mood around the table is awkward and quiet, making his skin feel tight. Thankfully their waiter comes over to take their drink order, easing the moment, giving him something else to focus on.

He starts to loosen up once there is a vodka soda in his hand. He listens to Liz as she talks about her latest architecture project, laughs at the funny story Chris tells them about his 1st-grade class painting the class bunny with washable markers. He’s enjoying their company, forgetting for a moment that his boyfriend should be there with him getting to know his friends when Becca’s eyes light up as Chris wraps up another story about his students.

“You guys will never believe who I saw yesterday walking out of FAO Schwarz,” she starts, her brown eyes lighting up with the chance to share some juicy gossip.

Alex leans in, already intrigued by the look on her face.

“Who?” Liz asks with a grin, curious herself.

“TK Strand,” Becca answers, saying the name with emphasis, and Alex gets why even as he feels shock go through him. It’s been over four years since he has seen or heard from TK. Not since the night he stopped him from proposing, confessing he was in love with someone else.

Mitchell, he thinks bitterly as he takes a large gulp of his drink. In the end, he’d turned out to be Alex’s own personal karma for hurting TK.

Walking in on him and another guy from their gym eight months into their official relationship had been a kick in the teeth and a hard lesson to learn.

He shakes his head to clear it from the lousy memory just in time to hear Becca’s following comment, shocking him more than her first. “I’m sorry,” he gasps, not believing what she’s just said. “Say that again, please.”

Becca looks at him, hesitating as she bites down on her lip, looking remorseful for a moment, probably remembering that out of all of them, he’d be the one with the most invested interest.

“I said he’s married,” she repeats herself softly, giving him a pitying look. “And he has a kid. They were coming out of the toy store when I bumped into them, and he introduced them to me. His husband’s name is Carlos, and their little boy is Luca. Really cute kid – was talking a mile a minute about all the toys in the place, and given all the bags they had, they must have bought him half the store.”

“Wow,” Chris breathes out, his surprise evident. “I can’t believe he’s married and with a kid. How old do you think?”

“Four,” Becca answers instantly. “I asked Luca, and he held up his fingers.”

Alex shakes his head again. It’s been four years since he and TK were together, and he has a four-year-old son. “That doesn’t make any sense,” he says mostly to himself.

“I get the feeling he’s adopted,” Becca answers. “Or maybe Carlos’ son,” she continues with a shrug. “But he called TK dad.”

“What was the husband like?” Liz questions, and Alex is grateful because he can’t bring himself to ask.

“He was polite and friendly,” Becca pauses, shooting him another look before continuing. “Ridiculously hot, and hopelessly in love with TK. I spent maybe ten minutes with them, and you guys should have seen the way he looked at him. It was like TK hung the moon.”

The table is quiet for a moment. For his benefit, he’s sure, as he tries to process everything he’s learned, when Liz speaks up again.

“Good for TK. He deserves that and more,” she says with a smile on her face that takes a hard edge when he shoots her a glare. “What?” she questions, her whole expression challenging him. “You didn’t take care of him when you guys were together, and he’s a great guy. I always liked him even though we lost touch after you broke up. I’m glad he’s found happiness.”

Alex bites down on the urge to lash out at his friend, not only is it a losing battle with Liz, but deep down in the parts of him where he has buried his guilt and shame at his past actions, he knows he can’t argue with the truth she just laid on him.

 ֎֎֎

 The rest of the dinner is awkward to say the least. Even though they move on from TK, Alex can’t stop thinking about his ex and what he’s learned. He pulls Becca to the side as they’re leaving, grilling her for any more information she might have.

She finally tells him TK had mentioned they were staying with his mother and little brother – one of the few things he did know about TK and his family since Gwyneth and his father ran in the same legal circles. He’d learned about the woman’s surprise pregnancy almost three years ago.

Becca looks at him as he absorbs the information before letting out a heavy sigh, reminding him not to do anything stupid.

He’d given her an absent nod that even he didn’t believe. Which is probably why he’s outside of Gwyneth’s Park Avenue apartment in a hat and sunglasses like a stalker, hoping to catch a glimpse of his ex and his husband.

Whether luck is on his side or karma wants to teach him another lesson, he doesn’t have to wait long. He’s been outside of the swanky apartment building for maybe 15 minutes, trying to decide what exactly he thinks he’s doing, when the front door opens and out walks the person he wants to see.

He ducks behind a tree just in time to not be spotted, peeking behind it to look at the small family.

TK, at 26-years-old, had been a beautiful man; Alex remembers that well. But now, at 30, he’s even more stunning if that’s even possible. He walks out of the building with a tall, muscular man Alex instantly recognizes as the ‘ridiculously hot’ mystery husband. Each of them with a little boy in their arms.

“So what are we doing today?” he hears TK ask with a grin on his face as the little boys instantly start to chant, ‘Park, park, park!’

“I wanna see the penguins, Dada,” exclaims the little boy in the arms of TK’s husband. Carlos and Luca, he remembers.

TK smiles softly at his son before looking at the child in his own arms. “What about you, little brother? Do you want to go to the Central Park Zoo and see the penguins?” he asks, tickling his chin, getting a happy giggle along with a nod from the little boy.

TK’s grin grows before he looks over at his husband, getting a nod from the man too.

“It’s unanimous then,” TK proclaims in an animated voice that has the boys lighting up. “To the park! To the penguins!”

The pair of boys let out a ‘yeah!’ leaning over at each other to share a clumsy high-five that has the adults laughing.

“You just had to rile them up, troublemaker,” Carlos scolds TK, and he might be a stranger to Alex, but he can tell it’s said with amused fondness.  

“You love me,” TK teases his husband, going easily when the man reaches out to tug him in closer by his shirt, turning his face up as his husband leans in to kiss him, tilting to the side to keep the boys out of the way.

Alex swallows hard at the display. Even from where he’s hiding, he can see TK’s bright smile and dancing green eyes once he and his husband break the kiss.

“Always, my love,” Carlos tells TK as he kisses the side of his face adoringly.

“Dada, Papa,” Luca groans out. “Kissing later, park now,” he continues, much to the amusement of the two men.

“So demanding,” TK teases, leaning in to kiss the little boy’s cheek too, laughing at the face he makes. “Okay, let’s go.”

They start towards the park, and Alex hesitates for a moment. He’s seen and heard TK and his family with his own eyes and ears. It’s obvious his ex is happy and not at all thinking about him. He should turn around in the opposite direction and leave before his luck runs out and they spot him. It’s the reasonable thing to do, and yet he finds himself following them about half a block back, keeping his head down.

He can’t hear them from this distance, but he can watch them. He takes in the way the two men hold hands while each holding on to a child, listening and chatting with the two little ones. Everything about them screams family, and Alex can’t deny the dull ache it causes inside his chest.

Is this what he and TK could have had?

He follows them through the park until they come to a series of benches. He watches as TK hands over his little brother to his husband, the man easily carrying both kids. TK sits down, but no one else does. Instead, he waves at them as his husband walks away with the children, leaving TK alone.

Alex hesitates again. This is his chance to approach TK, and yet he’s frozen in place by indecision.

A moment later, his ex takes the choice out of his hand.

He startles as TK turns his head to look straight at him with a raised eyebrow. “Are you just going to stand there?” he calls out to him casually, the picture of calm as he places his arms on the backrest of the bench. It’s different from the TK he remembers, who was always constantly bouncing his legs with nervous energy.

“How did you – “ he starts, feeling awkward and off-balance.

“I didn’t,” TK answers with a shrug as Alex gets closer to him. “It was Carlos who realized. He’s a cop. Noticing weirdos is kind of his job.”

Alex cringes at the descriptor as he comes to a stop in front of him. “Hi, TK,” he says lamely, wincing again at the high pitch sound of his voice.

TK raises an eyebrow at him again. “Hello, Alex. Any particular reason you’re following us in that get-up?” he questions, pointing at his hat and sunglasses.

Alex feels his face grow hot at the question. He reaches up, taking them off. “Becca said she saw you,” he says uncomfortably, getting a casual nod back from his ex. “And I got curious,” he continues weakly. “I couldn’t help myself.”

“That sounds like poor impulse control,” TK mutters to himself. He moves to the side, leaving half the bench open for Alex to decide if he wants to take a seat or not.

Alex would be embarrassed by the speed with which he takes the offer, but the joy at being allowed to get closer overrides that. Neither says anything after he sits down, him because he’s nervous, TK it seems because he’s simply waiting him out.

“So,” he starts slowly. “You’re visiting?”

TK looks at him, seeming to study him before giving him a nod. “We try to see my mother and my little brother Robbie every few months. Sometimes they come to see us, but New York is always pretty in the spring, and Luca has never been.”

“That’s your son,” he blurts out, his face going hot again at the look TK shoots him.

“Becca shared everything, did she,” he questions with a dry smile, shaking his head to himself.

“The group had dinner,” he explains, not needing to add who exactly was there. There was a time when TK would have sat right next to him at one of those dinners, charming everyone with stories about fighting fires and daring rescues.

“Ah,” TK exhales softly. “It’s nice you all still do that. They’re good people. I liked them.”

“They liked you too,” Alex answers, giving TK a half-smile. “Liz was thrilled to hear that you’re married and have a kid. She’s happy you’re happy.”

TK smiles, this time more genuine. “That sounds like her,” he comments, looking nostalgic for the first time. “She was always kind to me,” he finishes, not adding anything else.

It goes quiet between them again, causing Alex’s nerves to fray at the edges. He’s not used to this TK. The one he remembers always filled the silence, even if it was just with nervous chatter.

“So, are you?” he can’t help but blurt out, swallowing nervously when TK gives him a curious look. “Are you happy?”

TK lets out a huff, and while he doesn’t smile or laugh, Alex can see a hint of amusement in his bottle-green eyes. “Is that why you’re here? You want to know if I’m happy?”

He feels the hairs at the back of his neck stand at the mocking he hears in TK’s voice. “Is that so crazy?” he questions defensively. “The last time we spoke wasn’t precisely the best encounter – “

“That’s because I was getting ready to propose to you and instead found out you were fucking around my back with a spin instructor,” TK interrupts him, surprising Alex with how calm he is. There is no anger or reproach in TK’s voice like Alex anticipated, just a simple fact. It hurts Alex more than he expected to witness how unaffected TK seems. “How is Mitchell by the way?”

Alex clenches his fists, his nails digging into his palms as embarrassment courses through him. He wants to stand up and walk away from this. He’s not sure what he’d hoped to accomplish by seeking TK out, but it’s clear now whatever it was, he isn’t going to get it.

He looks at TK to find a mild curiosity on his face, like Alex’s answer doesn’t really matter to him one way or another.

“We broke up,” he answers anyway, taking a breath to try to soothe the ache before his next words. “I found him in our bed with someone else less than a year after you and I broke up.”

“Well shit,” TK says quietly, letting out a breath of his own. He doesn’t look gloating the way he has a right to look. Instead, he looks at Alex with what can only be called compassion. “Karma didn’t just pay you back. It sucker-punched you in the face, huh?”

Alex lets out a startled laugh at the description. TK joins him with a chuckle of his own, and Alex welcomes it even if it’s at his own expense. They laugh for a few seconds before they let it trail off.

“To answer your question,” TK starts to say. He looks at him, bobbing his head softly. “Yes, I’m happy. I’m the kind of happy where I wake up in the morning, look at my husband sleeping, usually with our kid between us, and I can’t believe just how lucky I am.”

“You love him,” Alex whispers, not really needing an answer when he can see it clearly on his face.

TK answers anyway. “He’s my soulmate,” he says with a smile that isn’t directed at him at all. It’s directed at the man who walked away with two kids in his arms minutes before. “I used to think that was you,” he continues, his voice sounding far away, lost in the past while Alex aches in the present. “I was so sure of it once, and then I met Carlos. I was still a mess about you, and I wasn’t looking to fall in love at all, but there he was, and I fell. I fell so fast, Alex. Years later, I’m still falling in love with him every single day.”

“That sounds – “ Alex starts, exhaling through the dull throbbing in his chest. “Scary, honestly.”

TK smiles, bright and beautiful, just like Alex remembers. “It is,” he says with a short laugh. “It’s terrifying, but it’s also amazing, and I wouldn’t give it up for anything in the world.”

Alex nods quietly to himself.

“I’m sorry you haven’t found that yet,” TK continues softly because it seems that surprising Alex is the name of the game today. He gives TK a shocked look that has him giving Alex a compassionate look back. “I never wished you ill will. I was hurt and angry after everything went to hell between us, but in the end, I wanted you to find someone to love the way you couldn’t love me and for that person to love you back just the same.”

Alex swallows hard at TK’s words, feeling overwhelmed by them. “I’m sorry I hurt you.”

TK looks away from him, and Alex follows his gaze to find that his husband and the kids are coming back with ice cream in their hands. “Thank you for saying that,” he says softly as he stands. He looks down at Alex, giving him a slight quirk of his mouth. “Goodbye, Alex. I hope you find what you’re looking for.”

Alex watches TK walk away from him, knowing it will be the last time he’ll see him. “Goodbye, TK,” he whispers at his back, feeling the loss more now than he did four years ago.

 ֎֎֎

 “Dada, we got ice cream!” Luca exclaims happily as he slurps on his spiderman popsicle.

“I can see that. Can I have a taste of spidey?” he questions, leaning in when Luca sweetly offers him his treat. “Mmm, that’s yummy. Thank you, sweetheart.”

Luca smiles up at him, his face already a sticky red and blue mess. He looks at Robbie to see his face is yellow from his Spongebob popsicle. He smiles at them fondly as he turns his backpack to his front, searching for the wet wipes to clean their faces.

“We got you a cone with sprinkles,” Carlos says with a smile, though TK can see the worry in his eyes. “Is everything okay?”

TK looks at his husband, taking in his concern for him along with his ever-present love, and smiles as he remembers what he just told Alex moments ago. The love he and Carlos share is so strong – it can be frightening at times to feel so much and so intensely for another person, but like he told Alex, he wouldn’t change it for the world when it means Carlos loves him back just as strongly.

“Yeah, baby,” he answers, reaching out to touch Carlos’ cheek. “Everything is okay,” he smiles at his husband before looking down at his son and little brother. “Better than okay because we’re going to go see some penguins!”

Luca and Robbie cheer happily.

“Let’s go, Robbie,” Luca says to his uncle, throwing an arm over the other little boy’s shoulder.

TK and Carlos watch them walk a few steps ahead of them, chatting away the way only little kids can.

“You sure you’re alright?” Carlos asks as he hands him a melting ice cream. TK takes it, giving it a few licks to keep it from dripping.

“I swear, babe,” he assures him as he wraps an arm around Carlos’ waist. “We talked, and then we said goodbye.”

“What did he want?” Carlos asks curiously.

TK shrugs. He’ll be honest even after talking to Alex; he’s still not entirely sure what the other man wanted out of the conversation. “I’m not even sure he knows,” he answers after a moment. “He apologized for the past and asked me if I was happy. Maybe he was feeling guilty.”

“What did you tell him?” Carlos questions, a smile playing on his mouth when TK shoots him a look. “What?” he asks innocently, and TK can’t help but chuckle at his fishing.

“I told him,” he starts to say, making sure that he’s holding Carlos’ gaze, as usual falling in love all over again as he gets lost in Carlos’ soulful brown eyes. “That every morning, I wake up amazed I got so lucky to love and be loved by you.”

Carlos pulls him to his side, pressing his face into his neck. “I’m the lucky one, Ty,” he whispers against his skin.

TK smiles at Carlos’ words, his smile growing as Luca shouts for them to keep up; the penguins are waiting. “We both are, my love.”

[beyondthisdarkhouse]

(woman by Gil Evgreen, second artist unknown)

A hypothesis on why pink became the feminine colour

So like, we’ve all heard about Jo Paoletti’s historical research showing how in America, pink was the recommended colour for baby boys up into the late 1920s, yeah? And that dramatically switched in a short space of time, so by the 1940s and 50s, blue was for boys and pink was thoroughly feminine.

But I’ve never seen an explanation of why this might have happened, and I have an inkling of a theory. It involves jeans and lingerie.

1. Gender is fake

There have always been working-class women who do manual labour. There have always been men in performing arts and fashion. The images in this post represent a small slice of reality, not the reality of gender itself.

This theory is not really that the fashion industry searched the souls of Americans and intuited that men and women just vibed more with certain colours. I think this was about the public narrative of these colours, the way those colours were used in American media and public consciousness from 1920 to 1950.

2. Denim: A Way of Life

Especially before easily-washable synthetic fabrics, it makes absolute sense that the preferred fabrics of manual labourers and skilled trades were very rugged, sturdy fabrics, dyed in colours that were colourfast and wouldn’t show dirt too much. So by the early 19th century, the preferred outfit of America’s working man was denim jeans or overalls and a chambray shirt, dyed blue with indigo. Thus we get the term “blue-collar”. It was also what women wore when they took on heavy industrial labour: When Rosie the Riveter rolled up her sleeve, that sleeve was dark blue chambray.

When World War II ended in 1945, there was a lot of public anxiety about women continuing to do those “masculine” kinds of jobs and competing with men for employment. Media narratives heavily pushed for women to get out of the industrial sector and into the kitchen.

So my theory is: Americans in the 1940s associated blue with industrial work, which was what the people in charge didn’t want women to do. Therefore, for women, it became ix-nay on the ue-blay.

And how convenient! There’s another colour to push on them!

3. Women Are For Looking At, Amirite?

For a couple decades before World War II, there was a subterranean undercurrent in gender and how people think about it, and that is: Underwear. Bare limbs, undergarments, and pictures of scantily clad women became a lot more common in the 1920s and 30s, and Americans became a lot more used to seeing them.

"Feminine”, in Western society, is hugely based around white women. And if a white woman wants to wear underwear under a skimpy outfit, she’s better off picking underwear that doesn’t clash very much with her skintone, which means white, beige, or pink.

Relatedly, if you’re a pinup artist (and this was the pinup era) who isn’t allowed to depict a white woman naked, the next best thing is to make her look naked, which means, dress her in clothing that matches her skin. Ergo: Pink.

So I honestly think pink transmuted over time from the colour of a naked white woman, to the colour of scanty and scandalous lingerie, to the colour of a woman who is very sexually desirable, to the colour of a woman who’s just very feminine, as defined by men of the 1940s.

Conclusion: 2 Fake 2 Gender

So after all those decades of baby boys dressed in pink and baby girls dressed in blue, I think the 1940s and 50s saw a lot of media and public narratives about gender becoming very firm: It was important that there be Man Roles and Women Roles, that we keep the Man Jobs separate from the Woman Jobs, and we be absolutely able to tell the girls from the boys. And, well, pink and blue were the easiest markers to hand.

So the next person who tells me women like pink because of BERRIES ON THE ANCESTRAL SAVANNA can take a long walk off a short pier.

[fantastic-bby]

Drawings

Pairing: (F)Reader x Youngjae

Word count: 6.8k

Genre: Romance, soulmate AU!, kinda fluffy, Non-Idol!Youngjae, Art Major!Reader

Summary: Youngjae has lived his whole life communication with his soulmate through writing on his own skin. His soulmate, on the other hand, enjoys leaving sketches or drawings on her own skin whenever she’s bored. It’s only when their both working adults that they realise how helpful her drawings were...

Soulmate series: Jaebeom - Strings || Mark - Inked || Jackson - Bubbles || Jinyoung - Masked || BamBam - Footprints || Yugyeom - Pieces

Masterlist

He looked at the drawing of the cat on his arm, a giggle leaving his lips when he saw the tail starting to form. Youngjae thought it would be nice if he drew something back to the mysterious artist behind the drawing and snuck into his mum’s room, quietly stealing a sharpie from her desk before scurrying out. 

Youngjae sat himself at the coffee table and quickly drew a dog beside the cat with the word ‘friend?’ underneath it. He waited excitedly for a response and was ecstatic when he saw ‘friend!’ appear underneath the cat. He drew a shark above the dog, watching as the mysterious artist drew a dolphin beside his shark. 

Youngjae spent the next hour or so drawing with his newfound friend, animals quickly covering his arm and hand. He bit his lip as he admired the drawings that covered his arm. ‘Your drawings are cute!’ He scribbled onto his wrist. ‘Thank you!’ The response appeared at the spot right below his compliment. 

“Youngjae-ah, come help mummy with dinner.” His mum called as she walked into the living room, her eyes quickly widening when she saw the drawings that scattered his arm. 

“Mummy! I have a new friend!” Youngjae excitedly held his arm up to show her the drawings. She stared at him with her mouth agape as she tried to process it before letting out a soft chuckle and disappeared into her bedroom.

“Youngjae-ah, why did you use a sharpie? It’ll be difficult to wash off.” She smiled as she returned with a washcloth in hand, crouching down to inspect his drawings. “Do you know their name?” She asked as she gingerly inspected all of the animals. Youngjae shook his head in response. “One day, you’ll find out their name, and you’ll be able to meet them.” She explained as she gently wiped his arm. 

“I’ll be able to meet them?” Youngjae’s face lit up with excitement. His mum nodded, 

“They’ll be the only person in the world who will make you feel certain things. You’ll love to be around them and they’ll make you laugh harder than you ever have before.” She hummed out as she watched the drawings starting to fade slightly. Key word: slightly. Due to the fact that Youngjae had used a sharpie, these drawings wouldn’t disappear as easily. 

“Who are they?” He questioned as he watched her clean his arm as best as she could. 

“Your soulmate.”

»»————-　　————-««

Youngjae woke up to the sound of his alarm blaring, his face immediately contorting in annoyance. He slapped his hand onto his alarm clock and turned his alarm off before groggily sitting up. He rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand as he looked around his dark room. 

He forced himself out of bed and dragged himself into the bathroom to start getting ready for school. He stood in front of the mirror, his hair wet from his shower as he brushed his teeth. He felt a tickle on his arm and he looked down to see a message from his soulmate. 

Are you up?  

He felt his spirits immediately lift and he quickly rinsed his mouth, scrambling out of his room to find a washable marker.

Yeah, I am

He wrote the response underneath the message and smiled as he sat at the edge of his bed, not bothered by the fact that his hair was still wet, water sliding down his hair and dripping onto his bed. He was too focused on his conversation with his soulmate. 

Have you showered?

Youngjae watched as the question formed on his skin, the smile never leaving his face. 

Just got out. I have to get dressed for school :( 

He sat disappointed when a response didn’t come even after five minutes and he let out a sigh, finally deciding to just dry off his hair and finish getting ready for school. 

“Youngjae-ah, don’t forget your lunch.” His mum reminded him when she saw him walking down the stairs, a paper bag in her hands. Youngjae smiled as he took the bag from her graciously, 

“Thanks, mum.” He hummed out as he opened the bag to look inside. 

“We had leftover chicken from last night, so I made kimchi fried rice to go with it.” She spoke as she wiped down the dinner table. “Have fun at school and don’t spend too much time drawing on your arm.” She playfully warned as he quickly pressed a kiss to her cheek before leaving the house, waving as he bid her goodbye. 

Youngjae stepped through the gate of his house and made his way to his school. The tingle in his hand made him stop in his tracks and lift the sleeve to his blazer to see a long awaited response from his soulmate. 

Sorry, my mum forced me to get ready :( 

He quickly pulled the pen from the pocket of his blazer and wrote down a reply as he started walking slowly.

It’s okay! I’m actually on the way to school now. 

He quickly scribbled the response, trying not to trip on his feet while he was walking. He caught himself smiling like an idiot whenever he was writing to his soulmate; which he was doing right now. 

Youngjae sat at the bus stop and continued his messy conversation, watching as responses and questions started to scribble themselves onto his arm. 

Have you eaten breakfast? 

Are you paying attention to your arm or the street? >:c

Please don't trip

Youngjae bit his lip to stop himself from smiling any further. He felt like he had a genuine connection with this person even though he has yet to meet them. He really wanted to meet them. 

He climbed onto the bus, lucky enough that there was one empty seat left. He sat down and quickly got back to his arm. 

How do you get to school? 

Youngjae questioned his soulmate, the bumpiness of the bus making it difficult to write clean sentences. 

It's not far from my house, so I walk. 

The answer scribbled itself into his arm. Youngjae was about to think of another response when he felt a pair of eyes on him. He looked up to his side to see the elderly woman sitting beside him kindly smiling at him.

"I remember when I used to do that with my husband." She chuckled when she realised she had accidentally caught his attention. 

"Oh," Youngjae looked back down on his arm to see that he had almost covered his entire arm in writing. "I still haven't met them yet, so this is the only way we can communicate." He politely told the woman. 

"When I was a child, my mother used to scold me whenever I wrote on my arm. But I didn't mind because I got to talk to my soulmate." She let out a content sigh as she spoke to him. "Hold onto your soulmate, boy. No one else will be able to understand you as well as your soulmate." 

Her advice made Youngjae's eyes widen momentarily as he was a bit taken aback by her words. He struggled to find a response and decided to just politely thank the woman before turning his attention back to his arm. 

Have you reached school? 

Youngjae wrote on one of the last few empty spots on his left arm. 

I just got to class. I'll have to wash these off soon :(

Their response made him frown, but his spirits lifted when he realised he would have space for more conversation with them. 

It’s okay, we can fill our arms up again soon! :D

He stopped receiving responses just as the bus stopped at his stop, the responses from his soulmate slowly melting away as if they were being washed. Youngjae took this as his cue to quickly climb off the bus and walk his way into the school building, a few of his schoolmates climbing off as well. 

Youngjae lifted the sleeve of his blazer to see if there were any new messages, but to his dismay, there were none. He stepped into his class, sitting at his desk beside his very quiet desk mate and stared at the board as he waited for class to start. 

Halfway through the day, he felt a tingle on the back of his hand. He looked down and was surprised that the tingle was not from a sentence; it was a drawing of bones. His eyes widened as he watched the drawing of a skeleton hand slowly form on the back of his hand, the drawing becoming more and more detailed the further his soulmate went. 

By the time the class ended, there was a detailed skeleton drawing on the back of his hand that left him in awe. He quickly pulled his pen out of his pencil box and wrote a message on his inner wrist, 

Woah! What got you so bored? 

He meant it to be a joke. No one would spend the whole class drawing a skeleton hand on themselves when they weren’t bored. 

Algebra :/

His soulmate responded under his question. 

I’ve always wanted to tell you my name, but every time I write my name down, the ink disappears :c

Youngjae bit his lip as he stared at the message. He never actually tried writing his name down to his mystery friend; now would be the time to try. He wrote his full name down, he gasped and moved back as he watched the ink fade away into nothingness. 

Wow, I never realised that. That’s crazy

He quickly replied to his soulmate. 

“Youngjae, are you not going for lunch?” His teacher asked when he saw Youngjae sitting at his desk. Youngjae looked up to look at his teacher before turning around to realise he was the only student still sitting in the class. 

“Uh, I am. Thank you, sir.” He stood up from his seat and gave his teacher a bow before leaving the classroom. He looked down at his hand, seeing his soulmate starting to tell him about how boring their maths class was. 

I’m so bad at this, I just want to drop maths ㅠㅠ 

Youngjae chuckled when he read the message, his attention solely to his arm. He wanted to be there with his soulmate, holding them and helping them throughout class to make sure they were okay. He wanted to hug them. He wanted to be with them. He wanted his soulmate. 

»»————-　　————-««

Youngjae stepped into the lecture hall that was already mostly full. Most of the students didn’t bother looking up when they heard the door open but the one that did immediately waved him over. Youngjae smiled when he saw his classmate and quickly made his way over to the seat he was sitting at.

“Where were you? I went back to our dorm and you weren’t there.” Jaebeom pointed out when Youngjae took the seat beside him. 

“I was hungry so I went to the vending machine.” Youngjae shrugged as he offered the bag of half eaten chips to his friend. 

“No thanks.” He shook his head, “I had a heavy lunch.” He leaned back in his chair and raised his arms above his head to stretch. Youngjae had met Jaebeom when he started college. 

The two were taking different courses in the same field and ended up being roommates. While Jaebeom was majoring in film studies, he still had a few classes that would be combined with the performing arts majors; meaning Youngjae would have a few classes with his roommate. 

Their shared classes were one of the main factors that brought them together. Before, they were just roommates that would wave whenever they would see each other. Over time, they became closer whenever they needed help with their classes and turned to each other. 

“Youngjae, your arm.” Jaebeom pointed out. Youngjae looked down at where his older friend was pointing at and a smile crept onto his face when he saw a set of flowers starting to appear near his elbow. He leaned back into his chair as he watched the drawing grow. “Your soulmate’s quite the artist, huh?” Jaebeom pointed out as he leaned closer to see the flowers more clearly. 

“They are. Ever since we were in high school, they would draw on their hands whenever they were bored. They told me they’re an art major now.” Youngjae gushed. He absolutely admired his soulmate’s art. He would always see it appear on his skin whenever he knew they were most likely bored or just wanted to show him something. 

"They're really talented. I can't even draw a stickman properly." He joked as he saw how detailed the flowers were becoming. 

"They only use pens when they're drawing on themselves and sometimes they use coloured pens. Look!" He practically shoved his arm into Jaebeom's face when orange started to fill into the petals. "It's so pretty!" He squealed excitedly. 

"Woah," Jaebeom's eyes widened when he saw the tiniest of details being filled in with what they could only assume was an actual detail pen. "They really pay attention to detail." 

"How could they not? They're an art major." Youngjae proudly said, grinning from ear to ear. The professor walked into the classroom but Jaebeom knew that whenever Youngjae had started a conversation with his soulmate, it wouldn't stop anytime soon. 

As expected, Youngjae paid barely any attention to the lesson as he started to talk with his soulmate. Of course, they scolded him for not paying attention, but they soon got caught up with their daily talks as well. It was only when their class was dismissed that Youngjae realised he hadn’t paid attention at all and turned to Jaebeom with pleading eyes. 

“Okay, only because your soulmate’s really good at art.” Jaebeom rolled his eyes playfully as they left the class, Jaebeom promising to share his notes with Youngjae. “What did you guys talk about this time?” He asked as they walked side-by-side in the hallways of their university. 

“They’re gonna become an art teacher when they’re done with college.” Youngjae hummed out as he looked at the conversation that scribbled his arm. 

“Well, they have the skills for it.” Jaebeom pointed out when he saw a new drawing on the back of his hand. A tingle made Jaebeom lift his hand up to look at it, “I gotta go. Mark wants to meet up.” He turned to Youngjae who nodded, 

“How are you guys?” He asked as they stopped at the entrance to the performing building. 

“Like how you’d expect best friend soulmates would be. I can never stay angry at that guy and it’s weird because he does the dumbest things sometimes.” He snorted as he patted Youngjae’s back and the two parted their ways. Youngjae, on the other hand, didn’t have any other classes for the day and decided to get back to his dorm to finish a few assignments. 

Need any help with anything?

His soulmate’s question appeared on his right hand, the writing messy. 

Why are you writing with your left hand?

Youngjae questioned them as he sat at his desk and slumped his backpack onto the ground beside him. 

Running out of space on the left. Thought I’d try this instead. 

He let out a laugh when he read that. 

Maybe try writing on your foot so I can understand your handwriting properly :| 

>:( Do you not like my handwriting?? >:(((

When you write with your left hand, it’s hard to understand ㅠㅠ

How about I don’t write to you at all? >:(

NO WAIT I’M SORRY

That’s what I thought ;)

Youngjae let out another laugh, louder than the one before. 

I have to go, I have class :c 

His shoulders immediately slumped forward. He didn’t want them to go. He wanted to talk with them more, but when he saw the sticky notes on his wall that were reminding him about his assignments, he knew it was good that they had class. 

Youngjae pulled his notes and laptop out of his bag, and finally began his assignments.

»»————-　　————-««

“Are you excited?” Jaebeom asked, barely able to contain his own nerves as his knee was bouncing so fast, Youngjae was sure his leg would be able to run off on its own. 

“Of course I am. We’re finally graduating.” He nodded nervously, turning down to his hand to see a message his soulmate had written for him. 

I’m so proud that you’re finally graduating! You worked so hard, I know you did! <3

Youngjae felt his heart flutter when he read it. He had spent years working so hard and he was finally graduating. He knew his soulmate was proud, he could feel it. They had been there for him throughout all those years of blood, sweat and tears, and he felt like he honestly couldn’t have done it without them. He lifted the sleeve of his graduation robe when he felt the tingle move higher up his arm.

Don't forget me when you're famous >:((

His soulmate jokes. He let out a nervous chuckle when he read that. He didn't have any pens around him to reply and he felt like even if he did, he wouldn’t be able to think of a response from how nervous his graduation was making him. The anxious students watched as their chancellor stood on stage to give his speech as well as hand out the graduation scrolls, names being called one-by-one.

Youngjae and Jaebeom grew even more anxious when the creative arts department head was called onto stage to hand out the scrolls. 

“Dude, what if I trip?” Jaebeom turned to Youngjae with his brown eyes filled with panic. 

“You won’t trip. If you do, improvise.” Youngjae shrugged, raising his hand to give his roommate a reassuring pat on the back. 

“Improvise?” He raised an eyebrow. 

“I don’t know, hyung. Just… B-Boy, or something.” His shoulders raise to give him another shrug, “Spin around on your arm, do the worm, crawl on the ground like you’re from The Exorcist.” Jaebeom stared at him with his mouth agape and eyes holding so much disbelief and betrayal. 

“You’re supposed to help me, dude.” He grumbled as he turned back to the stage. 

���Graduating with a degree in Film: Im Jaebeom.” The chancellor announced. Jaebeom stood up from his chair and Youngjae watched as he shakily made his way up the stage. 

“Please, don’t trip. Please, don’t trip. Please.” Youngjae chanted softly as he watched his friend. He let out a breath of relief when Jaebeom managed to receive his scroll, stop to take pictures and safely walked off of the stage without completely embarrassing himself in front of the entire hall. 

Jaebeom returned to his seat, letting out a long breath of relief. 

“Dude! I graduated!” He excitedly turned to Youngjae and showed him the scroll that held his graduation certificate. Youngjae shared his excitement, watching as a sentence wrote itself onto Jaebeom’s wrist. He turned his attention down and read it out loud, “‘Proud of you, bro. Look behind you.’” The two turned around to see Mark waving from his seat a few rows back.

Mark graduated a year before but came back to the university to watch his best friend graduate. His face was beaming with pride as he gave Jaebeom a thumbs up and punched his fist up into the air. Youngjae watched as he did before looking down at his own wrist. 

I wish I could be with you 

His heart ached. He wanted his own soulmate to be there with him. He knew very well that this wasn’t the type of soulmate Mark was to Jaebeom. This soulmate held his heart in their hands, and he hates that they couldn’t watch him graduate. He also hates that he couldn’t be with them when they would graduate. 

“Graduating with a degree in Performing Arts: Choi Youngjae!” The chancellor announced. Youngjae made his way over to the stage, heart pounding, knees shaking and his palms sweating so profusely, he could’ve filled a pool. He stood in front of the creative arts head who bowed when he did and handed him the scroll, 

“Congratulations, Youngjae.”  The professor smiled, letting the photographers and Youngjae’s family take pictures before he walked off the stage. His heart was still pounding in his chest when he made his way back over to his seat. He stared blankly ahead for a moment before it hit him. 

“Oh my god, I graduated!” He snapped his head over to Jaebeom with the widest smile on his face. 

“Yeah! Youngjae, we’re graduated!” Jaebeom shared the excitement, the two looking like a pair of dogs that heard the word ‘walk’. 

“Congratulations, you two!” Mark’s voice spoke up from beside Youngjae. They both turned to the older man and high fived him. 

“Mark hyung, we’re graduated!” Jaebeom excitedly repeated. 

“I know! It’s exhilarating going up there, isn’t it?” He chuckled. “When the ceremony is over, let me buy you two dinner.” He offered. Youngjae looked down at his hand, seeing another message scribbled by his soulmate. 

Congratulations! Now that you’re graduated, you don’t have to cry all the time anymore ;) I’m joking. In all seriousness, I’m devastated that I can’t be with you, but I am so proud that you pushed through all of those hard nights. I know how hard you worked, I know how much you want to become a vocal coach, and I’m so glad that you’re one step closer to your dream!! <3

His heart melted, but it had also never ached so much. Youngjae wondered how much longer it would be before the two could finally cross paths and be with each other. He wondered how many more days he had to wait before he could finally hold them in his arms. 

»»————-　　————-««

“Okay, class. Open up your textbooks.” Youngjae ordered, his voice echoing off of the walls of the lecture hall. He watched as the students opened up their books obediently. “Now, throw that shit out.” The students snapped their heads up in surprise, all of their attention on him. “What do you use when you sing?” He questioned. All of their hands raised into the sky and he pointed at a random student. 

“Your voice.” The girl muttered out. 

“Correct.” He nodded and turned to the whiteboard, “You don’t learn from books. If you want to sing, you have to learn through experience. Not a book,” He lifted the textbook that was on his desk, waving it around, “Especially not a book this thick.” He snorted as he put it back on his desk. 

Youngjae sat himself on the edge of his table and looked at his class, “So, who wants to hear a song I wrote about my dog, Coco?”

»»————-　　————-««

“Youngjae,” A knock on the door to the lecture hall followed by the voice made Youngjae turn around to see Jaebeom peeking his head into the empty hall, a cheeky smile on his face. 

“JB hyung? What are you doing here?” Youngjae asked as he picked up the rest of his stuff and made his way over to the door. 

“I thought I’d pay you a visit. I haven’t properly seen you since you started working here.” He shrugged and moved aside to let Youngjae step out of the hall. 

"You're just in time. This was my last class for today , so we can hang out for a bit before I have to start marking assignments." The two of them walked down the hallway, suddenly being hit with a wave of nostalgia. "This feels like every time we had class together." Youngjae chuckles, missing the times before when the two of them were studying. 

"Yeah, it does." Jaebeom chuckled as well. "Never thought we'd be walking through these halls again to be honest." He laughed, reminiscent of the years spent there. The times they would walk the halls together either heading to the same lecture hall or to part ways at the stairs echoing through his mind as a memory. 

"I honestly wasn't even aiming to work here. I thought that maybe I would end up working at a music academy." Youngjae stated as they left the building. "What are you up to nowadays, hyung?" He turned his head to look at Jaebeom. 

"Well, here and there. You know how film directing can be." Jaebeom's shoulders raise and drop in a shrug, "Sometimes there's work, sometimes the script just seems so absurd I'm worried the writer will get bullied for it." He let out a sigh. 

He didn't like turning down scripts and ideas, and even if the idea was appealing to him, he was worried he wasn't a good enough director to bring the script to life. 

"Hey, we just started working around a year ago. It'll get better soon." He reassured him. "For what it's worth, I think you're an amazing director, hyung. The films that you have directed turned out amazing. Especially those short films we used to work on together in college." He hummed out as they strolled together along the pavement of the university. 

"You think so?" Jaebeom glanced over at Youngjae, unsure of whether or not he was being serious or whether he was simply being reassuring . 

"I know so." Youngjae nods certainly. "Just let me know if you need a singer. This kid in my class - my God, he is so talented." He laughed as he gushed about his students. 

Jaebeom listened intently, enjoying that they had never fallen out of touch even after they began working. The smile on his face never faltered. He hadn’t been able to spend proper time with Youngjae ever since they both started working. Unfortunately for the two, whenever Jaebeom was free, Youngjae had assignments to evaluate. Whenever Youngjae was free, Jaebeom had a film to direct. 

They walked through the open area of the university. It mostly looked the same as it did many years ago, but it felt weird for the two of them to walk down the path together as working adults rather than students. 

“There’s this one girl in one of my classes, she’s one of the music majors, but she’s so bitchy to the other students. It makes me feel bad for them since most of them are either as talented or, dare I say, more talented.” Youngjae sighed. 

“Just fail her, dude. She’ll get the message.” Jaebeom suggested with a shrug. 

“No, hyung. That’s not fair.” He shook his head and frowned at the older man. Youngjae didn’t like purposefully failing his students. It didn’t feel fair. He actually tried his hardest to make sure they would pass. 

“What’s her work usually like? Is it good?” He questioned. Youngjae thought about it before shrugging, 

“It’s…average I guess. She isn’t part of the top 5 in her class.” 

“Then, lower her grades just a little more. Show her that if she focuses on her work rather than putting the other students down, her grades will go up.” Jaebeom explained. Youngjae glanced over at him as he took in his advice. 

“I guess it wouldn’t hurt just to lower her grades a bit.” He nodded. They continued to walk until they reached the fountain in the front. “Oh, that’s her.” Youngjae gestured towards one of the girls amidst two others, sitting together at the bench in front of the fountain. 

“Well, she looks bitchy.” Jaebeom pointed out when he saw the way she tripped one of the other students as he walked past her. 

“She’s a lot to handle. She always wears those really short skirts to classes with male lecturers and it freaks me out.” Youngjae scrunched his face up in disgust. 

“For grades or…. Is she just kinda like that?” He questioned as they tried to steer clear of her path. 

“According to one of the students in my class, it’s for grades.” He stated. 

“Mr Youngjae!” 

“Oh god.” Youngjae froze when he heard her voice calling him. He reluctantly turned around to face her as she came up to him, the smell of her nose burning perfume wafting over the two as she stood in front of Youngjae. “Hey, Maya.” He suppressed his sigh as he greeted her. 

“Can I ask you about that assignment on music genres?” She batted her eyelashes at him. 

“Uhh, sure. Do you have any problems with it?” He questioned. 

“Are we allowed to write about any artists?” She asked. Youngjae nodded. “Are there any specific genres we shouldn’t write about?”

“Not really. It’s up to you. I mentioned this in class.” He pointed out. 

“I know, I just wasn’t paying attention to what you were saying.” Her voice lowered as she took a step closer to him. “You should wear this jacket more often. It makes your arms look nice, sir.” She whispered, causing Youngjae to recoil in disgust and take a step back. 

“Yeah, uhm, thanks for that, I guess?” He awkwardly muttered out. He quickly turned around to Jaebeom and with the urgent look in Youngjae’s eyes, he knew exactly what to do. 

“Jagiya~ We’re going to be late.” He cooed as he snaked his arm around Youngjae’s and gently tugged him. 

“Y-Yeah, sorry Maya. I’m a bit busy right now. If you have any more issues, just email me.” He cleared his throat and turned around, the two of them quickly walking away from her. Jaebeom kept his arm linked with Youngjae, 

“Wait until she can’t see us anymore.” He whispered to Youngjae. “Okay.” He pulled his arm away from him once they were out of her line of sight. 

“Oh my god, hyung, that was so weird, but thank you.” Youngjae let out a sigh of relief. “Did you see the look on her face?” He laughed. 

“She looked so defeated.” Jaebeom chuckled. 

“As fun as that was, never do that again.” He snorted. 

“Why not? It worked, didn’t it?” He raised an eyebrow as he hugged Youngjae’s arm, “Jagiyaa~ why don’t you like me?” Jaebeom whined out with a pout on his lips while Youngjae laughed as he tried to pull his arm out of his grip, resorting to taking his jacket off and pulling away. “Woah, you got a tattoo?” Jaebeom questioned, his eyes going wide when he saw the geometric peony design on Youngjae’s forearm. 

Youngjae looked down, realising that he had almost completely forgotten that he had actually gotten the flower design tattooed the year before.

“Oh, yeah, I did.” He hummed out as he extended his arm to let Jaebeom get a closer look at it. “My soulmate drew it on their arm. I thought it would be nice to get it tattooed, then it wouldn’t go away whenever they had to wash it off.” He smiled slightly as he looked at it. 

“Still haven’t met them yet, huh?” Jaebeom asked. 

“Not yet.” Youngjae sighed as he took his jacket from Jaebeom. “I don’t even know their gender. They’ve never seemed to try.” 

“Have you guys talked recently?” He questioned but Youngjae shook his head. 

“They’ve been really busy in the past few weeks.” He muttered out. “The last time we talked they said they have a lot of art projects that need to be done before the month’s over. I’ve been leaving little encouraging messages on my arms but I haven’t gotten much of a response.” He pursed his lips. 

“Give it time, they’ll respond soon.” Jaebeom reassured him. 

“I’ve been looking through art galleries if maybe I could find any kind of art that was similar to theirs, but I haven’t been able to find anything.” Youngjae let out another sigh. 

“There’s an art gallery happening this weekend in town. You wanna check it out? We can meet at the train station or something.” He suggested. 

“Sure. I don’t think I have much going on this weekend.” He nodded as he pulled his phone out to check his schedule, “Okay, I have nothing going on this weekend.” He clarified. 

“Great, okay, so I’ll meet you at the train station on Saturday.” 

“Sounds good.”

»»————-　　————-««

“Alright, so…” Jaebeom hummed out, his eyes stuck to the leaflet he had picked up right before they stepped into the exhibition building. “The art is by different artists. Their names are written beside the art.” He turned away to look at Youngjae, “Any one of these could be by your soulmate, you ready to go in?” He questioned. 

“Yeah, I’ve been waiting for them my entire life and this is the third art gallery I’ve been to.” Youngjae nodded. The two stepped into the exhibition, their eyes widening when they saw the art that was displayed. “Holy shit, this is the best gallery I’ve been to.” He muttered out in awe as they went further into the exhibition. The array of paintings and different techniques used made the hall they walked into seem almost magical. 

“Check this out.” Jaebeom spoke up as he stopped in front of a wire sculpture. . 

“Is that a bird cage?” Youngjae questioned as he tilted his head to try and understand what he was looking at. 

“Yeah, it is.” He hummed out after he read the description sitting beside it. 

“I’m gonna keep walking around.” Youngjae hummed out as he walked away from Jaebeom and started to walk deeper into the building, the different types of art seeming to engulf him as he did. The sound of his footsteps against the wooden floor echoed throughout the mostly empty hall, his eyes pleased with the sight of all of the paintings and sculptures that almost seemed to have life as he walked past them. 

His eyes scanned over the paintings before stopping at a particular one. His eyes moved over the way the flower was painted, the way the colours blended together and how the design seemed was obviously way more intricate than it seemed. 

“Hyung.” Youngjae called when he turned to see Jaebeom slowly catching up with him. His head turned when he heard Youngjae’s voice and he picked up his pace. “Don’t they look the same?” Youngjae questioned as he lifted his forearm to compare the two flower designs. Jaebeom took a look at the painting before averting his gaze to Youngjae’s arm. 

“A little bit.” He hummed in agreement before stepping closer to the painting to read the description. “It says here the artist behind the painting was inspired by a connection between her and her soulmate.”

“Her?” Youngjae questioned as he took a step to read the description as well. 

“Yeah.” Jaebeom nodded as he turned to Youngjae who had a finger on his lip as he thought about it. He looked down at the tattoo on his arm before turning back up the older male, 

“Does it say her name?”

“It doesn’t say her name. Just the description. Oh wait - this is a nickname.” He pointed out. Youngjae moved closer to read the name. 

“Peony Girl?” He read out the name but it came out as more of a question. “Do you still have that leaflet?” He turned to Jaebeom who nodded and pulled the folded paper out of his pocket. He unfolded it and opened it up, 

“Ah, here she is. There’s no pictures of her, just a picture of a flower.” He held up the leaflet to allow Youngjae to see it as well. “Says here she barely ever shows her face in stuff like this. She only puts drawings of flowers in the place she puts pictures down and she barely uses her real name.” 

“Does it have her real name?” Youngjae asked as he moved closer to read the description of this mysterious Peony Girl. 

“Nope, but it does have her Instagram and her Twitter.” Jaebeom pointed to the handles that were written underneath her description. Youngjae pulled his phone out of the pocket of his jeans and searched up her handles, her Instagram showing up almost immediately when he did. 

“This is her.” He scrolled through her posts, most of them flower related with a few of different more abstract drawings and paintings scattered throughout her feed. 

“Do they look similar to what your soulmate used to draw on their arm?” Jaebeom asked as he turned to look at Youngjae.

“Not really - wait.” He was about to shake his head when his finger stopped scrolling. He pressed on one of her posts and his breath hitched in his throat. It was exactly the same as his tattoo. “Hyung, look.” He muttered out and angled himself to let Jaebeom have a look at his phone. 

“That looks exactly like yours.” He gasped out and zoomed into the picture. “Youngjae, it’s the same exact design. Read the description.” He pushed the phone into his face. 

“‘Made a geometric peony design that my soulmate ended up getting it tattooed. I have yet to meet them and see how the tattoo turned out, but I hope it turned out well!’ Oh my god, I think this is them.” Youngjae could feel his heart starting to beat faster the more he scrolled through Peony Girl’s Instagram. 

The more posts he saw, the more he realised how familiar her art style was. From the very first few of her posts, to the more recent ones, he recognised many of them from the flowers his soulmate would draw on their arms whenever they had extra time or were bored. So many reminded him of his time in school, his time in college, his time during training. 

“Youngjae, I think we found your soulmate.” Jaebeom muttered out as he scrolled through Peony Girl’s Instagram on his own phone. 

“Can we contact her?” Youngjae asked as he turned to Jaebeom. 

“Send her a message, I guess.” He shrugged, not knowing how to approach the situation. Youngjae’s finger hovered over her DM, unsure if he should just message her out of nowhere or not. Just as he was about to send her a message, a voice called out from behind the two.

“Choi Youngjae.” The voice softly called out. Youngjae and Jaebeom whipped their heads around and Jaebeom’s face contorted in confusion when he saw you standing quite a distance away from them, your eyes fixated on Youngjae. The name that slipped past your lips was a name you didn’t know yet it felt so familiar when it rolled off of your tongue. 

Youngjae stared at you for a moment, suddenly forgetting how to breathe as he stared at you. The name echoed in his head as he stared at you. 

“(Y/n).” The name left his lips before he could even wonder who the name belonged to. It was when your name left his lips that Jaebeom realised exactly who you were and he took a few steps back as you and Youngjae took slow steps towards each other, both with pounding hearts, both with clammy palms. 

The bag that was resting on your shoulder dropped when Youngjae wrapped his arms around you and pulled you into a body crushing hug, holding you as though he was scared you would disappear. 

“I-I’ve been waiting for you for so long.” Youngjae breathed out shakily in your ear, his grip around you tightening. 

“I have too.” You whispered, your eyes closed as you relished in the feeling of finally being in his arms, breathing in his scent for the first time; the scent you didn’t even know you had been waiting for your entire life. Youngjae finally pulled away after what felt like minutes of just holding you, his face immediately moving to cup your face, 

“(Y/n): that’s the name that kept fading away from your arm whenever you’d write it down.” He breathed out with a smile on his face, his bottom lip caught between his teeth as he took in your features. 

“It is. I’ve been trying for so long. I’ve been trying to look for you for so many years.” You nodded happily, the smile on your face growing the more you took in the colour of his eyes. 

“What are you doing here? I didn’t think you’d come to an exhibition with your own art.” Youngjae questioned as his hands dropped to take your hands instead, his thumb gently running over your knuckles but his eyes never leaving your face. 

“I like to come here to see if anyone looks at my art. It’s nice to see people stop when they see my flowers.” You hummed out as you turned your attention to the flower painting on the wall. “I actually chose this because I was hoping that maybe you would come to exhibitions to look for me.” You explained, a blush creeping onto your cheeks as you realised how cheesy it sounded. 

“I’m glad you did.” He reassured you with a wide smile on his face, his hand squeezing yours. “Oh! My tattoo.” He lifted his arm to show you the design on his arm. “Your drawings did end up bringing us together.” He let out a soft giggle as he saw the way you traced the tattoo, your fingers ever so gingerly grazing his skin with a soft hum leaving your lips.

“Yeah, they did.”

[grandmascottlang]

Love Letters (Peter Parker X Reader Soulmate!AU) P2

Hey guys! This is my first ever request and I was super happy to do a second part for this story (because I had a lot of fun writing it). This was requested by @racheltheclumsy . Thank you for your request. I hope you like it! Onto the story!

Part 1

MASTERLIST

AU: Soulmate!AU where soulmates can see when the other is writing something on a body part. For example, if one of them writes a grocery list on their arm, the other will see on the same arm (and spot).

Request: Hey there! I was wondering if you would be interested in continuing the soulmate AU. Years later, College age maybe, the reader doesn’t yet know that Peter is Spider-Man and he gets kidnapped. The only way for the Avengers to find him is with the notes on the reader’s arms.

Summary: Peter’s been kidnapped and the only way for [Name] and the Avengers to find him is with the notes he scratches onto his arm.

Words: 3.1k

Peter and [Name] had a very steady relationship. They wrote to each other every night and hung out as much as possible. Unfortunately for [Name], the couple had quit going on dates as frequently as possible due to Peter’s Stark Internship.

[Name] ended up becoming jealous of the internship, but she never had the thought in her that he was cheating on her because Peter was her soulmate. He wasn’t anyone else’s.

She wanted to see Peter more often and she thought that the best way to do that was to apply for a Stark Internship (plus it would look great on her college application).

[Name] waited for a few days to hear back from the booming company. She had received an email from Tony Stark himself!

[Name],

Your application impresses me, look at all of those AP and Honors classes! On top of all of those, you’re getting amazing grades as well as doing many extracurricular activities. I would love to have you as an intern. Your first shift will be next Monday, and I’ll send you another email with more detailed information. Again, thank you for applying and I’m looking forward to seeing you perform as well as all of your previous achievements!

Anthony Edward Stark, CEO of Stark Industries

[Name] was so excited and couldn’t wait to tell her boyfriend in person the next day! She quickly wrote a note to Peter on her arm to inform him that she had something very important to tell him.

Pete,

I have some great news that I want to tell you tomorrow! I love you, baby!

Hugs and kisses,

The BEST Girlfriend in the WHOLE world (A.K.A. [Name])

Before she fell asleep a note from Peter appeared on her other arm.

That’s great, babe! Looking forward to you telling me at school tomorrow!

Xoxo,

The BEST Boyfriend in the world (A.K.A. Peter Parker)

She read his little note and smiled as she realized that he signed the same way as her before she fell asleep blissfully and happy.

[Name] went to school the next morning feeling refreshed and excited as she looked for her boyfriend in the hallway. The first place she looked for him was their shared locker and that was where she found him.

“Hey baby,” [Name] whispered in his ear as she lightly kissed his jawline.

“’Sup, babe,” Peter responded as he finished putting his books away in their locker, closed the door, and then turned to her and put his hands on her hips. “Do you want to tell me the good news now? You’ve kept me in suspense for too long.” He giggled.

“Yeah! So, I applied for an internship at Stark Industries…” she trailed off, wanting to leave Peter in even more suspense than he was already in. “And I got the internship! We’ll be working together!”

[Name] could have sworn that all of the color faded from her boyfriend’s face as she announced the good news.

“I’m so… proud of you,” he said unenthusiastically, confusing [Name] immensely. She thought that Peter would be happy for her because they get to spend even more time together.

“Cut the bullshit. What’s wrong?” [Name] asked in a way that reminded Peter of May.

“Nothing’s wrong. I’m just feeling a little sick. I’m really happy for you,” he muttered as he pulled his hands away from her. “I uh, have to… go to the nurse. I’ll see you later, [Name].” He pecked her on the cheek. “Love you.”

And just like that, he was gone.

After [Name] and Peter graduated from high school, they both continued their internships with Stark Industries. Tony had taken a real liken to [Name] and made her his personal assistant (after Pepper, of course).

“Hey Mr. Stark?”

“What’s up, kid?” he asked as he turned around in his spinning office chair to look at her.

“I was just wondering what Peter does here, since I know he works here too. I’m his girlfriend and I’ve always been curious, but I’ve never asked. Shouldn’t I see him more often?”

Tony’s face turned just as pale as Peter’s the first time she had mentioned her internship for Tony. [Name] then immediately thought that something was up between the two that neither of them were telling her.

“What’s happening between you two? Peter’s been really distant and I just thought that I would be able to see him more often than I do now since I started this internship.”

Tony takes a deep breath and then sighs. He needed to choose his next words carefully.

“[Name], Peter just works on a different floor. I have him… building stuff in the labs,” he worded carefully, trying to not tip off [Name] as to what Peter actually does.

“Okay, I guess. It’s just weird is all.”

With [Name] being a business major, it helped her with the internship. She needed to know all of the different types of business models.

It did suck sometimes though because Peter was an engineering major and it was hard to see him on such a large campus. She only saw him in her large, mandatory classes as well as when they hung out or went on dates. She learned that she should never take her time with Peter for granted again.

As she was thinking about Peter (speak of the Devil), he started walking next to her. He slid his hand into hers and intertwined their fingers. “How’s the most beautiful girl in the world?” He smiled, looking at his girlfriend.

Even though Peter and [Name] had been dating for years, his sweet words still made heat rush to her cheeks. “I’m doing great today. I actually had a question for you, Pete,” she blurted out the second part as she turned to look at Peter

“Ask away!”

“What do you do for your internship exactly?” She looked him curiously in the eyes. She needed to find out if what Tony told her was true because she began to think that maybe, just maybe, something might be up with Peter.

“I, uh… I… file files and folders for Mr. Stark. It’s not as interesting as being one of Tony Stark’s personal assistants, of course, but hey, I still work with the guy.”

[Name] was filled with rage. Both Tony and more importantly, Peter have been lying to her for weeks, maybe even months! “Filing, my ass,” she thought angrily.

“Peter Benjamin Parker, you better tell me what on Earth you really do. Now.”

[Name] had been avoiding Peter for a few weeks now. She couldn’t look him in the eye after learning that he wasn’t able to answer a simple question. [Name] felt horrible about not seeing Peter, but it was necessary to get her point across.

Every day, Peter had tried writing to her.

[Name],

I’m sorry that I wasn’t able to answer your question. Please come to my dorm room if you want to know the truth. I still love you with all of my heart. Please, I need you and I miss you.

With love,

Your Pete

She had ignored them, waiting for Peter to wash them off of his arms so she wouldn’t be stuck with feeling guilty for any longer.

One day, his notes just… stopped. [Name] didn’t know what happened. Maybe he just had a bunch of really big tests?

When they stopped happening for a few days, [Name] began to search for him around campus. Ned hadn’t seen him. MJ hadn’t seen him. His professors hadn’t seen him.

[Name] had the urge to look down at the arm her usually wrote with. There was one singular word etched onto it.

HELP

[Name] dropped everything that she was carrying once she saw the note scratched onto her arm. It looked as though Peter had ripped through his skin just to message her.

[Name] ran as fast as she possibly could to Stark Tower.

She ran into the building, stopping at the front desk to tell one of Tony’s secretaries that it was urgent.

“Hey, [Name],” Brendon said, flashing her a quick smile.

“Brendon, tell Mr. Stark I need to talk to him urgently. And by urgently, I mean now.”

[Name] got into the elevator after Brendon made a quick call to Tony. He was ready for in a matter of seconds.

When the doors opened, Tony was sitting on one of his expensive leather couches (one that was probably imported from Italy). She almost ran out of the elevator to get closer to Tony. “[Name], you look like you’ve seen a ghost what happened?”

“Peter’s gone.”

Tony immediately stood up. “How do you know?”

She showed him her arm.

Peter, if you’re reading this, please write back to let me know that you’re okay. Where are you?

[Name] put down the black washable marker (she wanted to use something to write him that she could easily remove to have more space for him to write on).

HELP ME, [NAME], PLEASE

Tony started to shake. He got nervous. He knew that Peter was trying to take down a gang that sells and produces drugs. They must have taken him. How was he supposed to tell Peter’s girlfriend that her boyfriend is Spider-Man and that he got kidnapped by a bunch of druggies?

“You need to help him. Please, Mr. Stark. Please save him as Iron Man.” [Name] was shaking in her boots.

Tony led her back to the couch and sat her down. He began to rub small circle on her back to try and calm her down. “Take a deep breath, [Name]. We’ll find Peter.”

[Name] looked up at him curiously. “Who’s ‘we’?”

“The Avengers.”

After Tony had rounded up all of the Avengers that he could, he started to track Peter using F.R.I.D.A.Y. Unfortunately, his tracker couldn’t be found.

“Shit,” he muttered under his breath. Thor, Bruce, Natasha, and Vision were all peeking over his shoulders to see what he was doing.

“Tony, what’s wrong?” Natasha asked him.

“His tracker’s gone. I can’t track him.” Everyone took a sharp breath inward, thinking that there wasn’t any possible way that they could find Peter. After giving it a second thought, Tony turned his head to look over at [Name], who was writing to Peter to ask him about what was happening (and ultimately, so that she would know that he was alive). After seeing Tony’s head shift to [Name], everyone understood what was happening.

Peter, I need you to tell me where you are right now. The Avengers and Mr. Stark are going to come and find you. Please. I need you and I love you.

Thankfully, Peter wasn’t ripping through his skin anymore to write to her, it seemed as though he found a pen. [Name] didn’t feel much better, but it helped her conscience that he wasn’t scratching and hurting himself to give information.

I hear trains… I can’t really see anything. I also hear a bunch of people shifting around. [Name], please, I need you…

“Could they be hiding him down in a subway? None of the emergency rooms in the stations have windows?” [Name] questioned quickly.

“That would make a lot of sense. He was also in the subway doing what I needed him to do.” Tony immediately started feeling guilty. It was all his fault that Peter was gone.

“It’s not your fault, Mr. Stark. It’s not anyone’s fault. This could have happened to any one of us.”

I know that you always wear the watch that I gave you. Did you look and see what time it was when the last train passed by?

I did, I think it was either 9:52 or

Peter’s note cut off there and [Name] immediately broke down into tears, fearing that the worst had happened to him. Natasha took her away to the room that Tony had reserved for her if she worked too late and couldn’t get back to her dorm room.

“F.R.I.D.A.Y.?”

“Yes, sir?”

“Pull up a map of the all of the subway stations in a twenty-mile radius.”

“Is that all, sir?”

“Can you also pull up a list of all of the trains that left their designated stations from 9:45 PM to 9:52 PM today? Also, can you mark them on the map for me?”

“Yes, sir.”

After Tony had pulled up all of the information he needed. The A-Train left the station at 9:47 PM and was the closest train to the location that Tony had sent Peter to.

“Here’s where we need to go,” Tony commanded, starting to brief the Avengers on where they needed to go and what they needed to do (except for Natasha who was left behind to try and comfort [Name] because she was the closest Avenger to her besides Tony).

Tony blew down the door to the emergency room that Peter was being held captive in. The Avengers swiftly took down all of the men guarding the door that concealed Peter.

He pushed a body out of his way so that he could open the door. Tony opened the door and almost threw up on the spot due to the shape that Peter was in.

Peter’s body was twisted as it laid on the ground. His eyes were shut and many cuts and bruises were littered on his body. Peter was almost swimming in the pool of body that ran underneath his body, ever increasing. The Spider-Man suit was ripped (which wasn’t as much of a concern to Tony as Peter’s safety was) and some of his bones were broken.

Peter needed a hospital and he needed it now.

“What if I never see him again? We last saw each other and talked to each other as we were fighting. I don’t want him to die when he might not think I love him anymore,” [Name] sniffled, heartbroken and quickly losing her hope for Peter to still be alive.

“Peter’s not going to die, plus I’m sure, no, I know that he loves you more than the world and he knows that you feel the same way. Peter’s a strong guy, [Name].”

“But what if he dies? How do I tell May? How will I ever cope with his death?” She began to cry again, each second, her sobs got louder.

“[Name], you can’t think like this when something this tragic happens. He going to be fine.”

“Then why did he stop writing to me?”

After saving Peter, the Avengers took him to the nearest hospital. Tony lied and said that the boy was just some random person he saved rather than someone that he knows very well so he could get Peter into the Operating Room as soon as possible. He did tell them Peter’s name after the OR staff ran out and put him on a gurney.

After the nurses and surgeons rushed him into the OR, the Avengers gave their get well wishes for Peter to Tony who was the only one who could stay with him for the time being. They left and Tony called Natasha so that she could bring [Name] to the hospital. He knew how connected those two were, especially being soulmates and Tony thought that his best course of action would be to allow [Name] to see Peter when he got out of the OR.

Natasha stepped out of the room while Tony called her. [Name] was expecting the worst of the news.

After accepting Peter’s death, Natasha walked back into the room.

“So?” [Name] question, feigning hope.

“They found him. And he’s alive.”

“Tony, she just ran out of the building. I looked out of the window and saw that she jumped into a taxi to take her to the hospital. You should be prepared for [Name] to be very emotional and possessive over Peter’s room.”

“If I were her age when I met Pepper, I would do the same thing, given the situation. Thanks for the heads up, Nat,” Tony finished as he hung up on Natasha.

“Peter Parker. What’s his room number?”

“Family or friend?”

“I’m his girlfriend and more importantly, I’m his soulmate. I’m not going to ask you again. Where is Peter Parker?” [Name] growled through her teeth as the nurse questioned her as to who she was.

“Room 407, he’s in the ICU.”

[Name] ran again at a speed that would make anyone question whether or not she was human.

Tony heard loud footsteps plaguing the quiet hallway, disrupting him from trying (and failing) to take a nap in one of the uncomfortable waiting room chairs. He turned to look down the hallway and saw [Name] running.

[Name] ran past her boss even a second look or even a thought.

She opened the door and for the first time that day, she slowed down. She walked over to Peter’s bed to look him over.

His skin was littered with bruises and cuts. He also had a few broken and fractured bones.

“Oh, Pete, what happened to you?” she whispered, taking his hand into hers. She intertwined his fingers with hers. “I’m so sorry for all of those hurtful words I said to you. I won’t ever say or do anything that stupid again. Please wake up.” She leaned in and gave him a soft peck on his jaw. His body shifted immediately after her kissing him. “Peter?”

“Hey, [Name].” His voice was raspy, but she didn’t care. Tears welled up in her eyes.

“You’re awake?”

“I guess this means that I’m the Sleeping Beauty?” he laughed lightly, cringing as he felt pain course up through his body.

She chuckled, “Yeah, I guess so. I’m so sorry, Peter.”

“You have nothing to be sorry for. It was my fault for not feeling brave enough to tell you the truth. After this, I don’t think that secrets between us are a good thing.” [Name] nodded in agreement.

“So, you know about the Spider-Man, right?”

“Yeah, but what does he have to do with you?” [Name] looked into his eyes, confused. Her Peter wasn’t doing anything dangerous, right?

“I’m him. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner. You should have been the first person I told.”

“It doesn’t matter right now. I love you. We’ll talk more about this when you get out of here, okay?” she asked him, smiling at his goofy grin.

“Yeah.”

Peter picked up a pen that was laying on the table next to his hospital bed. He began to write another note.

Thank you, [Name]. For everything. You saved my life. I love you and I will never let you go.

[Name] smiled as his writing appeared on her arm. She took the pen from Peter’s hand and wrote a message of her own.

That is if I never, ever let you go first. I love you with my heart, mind, body, and soul, Peter Parker.

The couple only ever needed a pen in their lives.

[twxntrash]

@alexvaz01 Happy birthday buddy

When people reached a certain age, seventeen to be precise, whatever they wrote on their bodies would appear on their soulmates exactly how it was made on the former. It was how soulmates communicated when separated, how they got to know each other when they could not meet yet, how a lot of them could find each other too.

Of course, there was a catch to it. There was always a catch.

It didn’t actually work until both parties were seventeen. And there was no rule that soulmates had to be the same exact age. There were countless who were four years apart, eight years apart and such. Too add to that, there are many people who don’t have soulmates, either because something happened to their before that seventeen mark, their orientation prevented them from having one (example: there are countless aro-aces who do not have a soulmate, for many it actually helped them feel more confident in their sexuality, or lack thereof.)

When your soulmate was younger than you, it could easily cause someone to think it’s because they have no soulmate. People are impatient, after all, having to wait years and years for confirmation that they have a soulmate can be troublesome for some.

Well, Peridot was certain that she wasn’t going to have that problem.

Not that she was confident that she had a soulmate or not. Just that she was confident that she wouldn’t get all that hung over the fact that her soulmate, whether she has one or not, doesn’t respond to her marks at all right away.

The blonde had just turned seventeen that day. Her parents congratulated her with a birthday breakfast and right off the bat her father gave her a washable marker and told her to go say hi to her soulmate while her mother laughed and teased them both for it. She didn’t really care that much over it (at least, she told herself she didn’t care) as she took the green tip of the marker to her forearm, right under the nook of her elbow she scrawled out a messy little ‘Hi’.

She was sure her parents were more focused on her skin, than Peridot was that morning. Watching her bare arms in anticipation for any kind of response from her potential soulmate. But, none appeared.

Her mother assured her that her soulmate was probably sleeping, or wearing sleeves or didn’t have a chance to reply, that Peridot shouldn’t be worried about it. Peridot wasn’t worried about it. But she didn’t have the heart to tell them that she didn’t care about the whole soulmate thing, so she just shrugged and got into her dads beat-up truck as she went off to school.

Classes went as usual. Her friends pestered her about if she heard anything from her soulmate during lunch, practically throwing themselves on her to look at her skin and try to find any mark her soulmate left her until Garnet spoke up and got them back on their leashes. Garnet was probably the only one apart from Peridot in their group who didn’t go crazy over the soulmate business. She was one of the aforementioned aces who was perfectly content and happy not having one. She explained it as ‘a sense of freedom from not having to break a soulmate’s heart’.

Lunch came and lunch ended. No response back to her greeting that morning. Peridot shrugged it off. It didn’t matter. Her message had probably faded away by now if it had reached anyone. The inks never lasted long, anyways.

It wasn’t until she was taking a test in one of her classes that something actually happened. She was in her seat in the back, absentmindedly tapping her pen against the back of her hand and leaving a series of dots on her skin. Put Peridot in front of anything involving math, science or programing and she’d rock it. But history? Not her strong point. She’d have some chance if it was a multiple choice question, but this was a short essay question. She was screwed.

The teacher wasn’t even watching the class. Just staring at his computer and drinking his coffee. The class could probably up and leave and he wouldn’t even notice.

She’d raised her arm to brush some hair from her face when she saw it. Blue ink in beautiful handwriting appearing on her arm.  She couldn’t help but forget about the questions on her paper as she watched the words being written down, the ink thick and deep like the writer was trying to put emphasis on the words.

‘NOW YOU SPEAK? DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW LONG IVE BEEN WAITING?!’

Peridot winced. She could practically hear them screaming at her as she read the message out on her arm. Glancing at the front of the room, she saw her teacher still focused on his own stuff so she brought her pen to her arm right under the shrieking letters.

‘I just turned seventeen today, what, was I magically supposed to be able to talk to you sooner?’ she asked, a bit of sass in her words.

The response was pretty quick and short; ‘Oh.’ And Peridot stifled a laugh.

A silence fell between her and her soulmate, neither quite sure what to say, so Peridot look back to her test. She couldn’t let herself get distracted by this person talking to her through her arm. But, as she looked back to her questions, she scrunched up her face in distaste. The teen lasted only two minutes before she turned back to her arm, it’s messages faded, and she raised her pen to it once more.

‘I need help on an assignment I’m doing. Do you know anything about the history of watercolor paint?’

She didn’t have high hopes, wasn’t holding her breath as she tapped her pen against the paper, trying to come up with an answer of her own. But, a minute later her response was given. Reading it over, she could just hear her soulmate laughing and imagine a smug face.

‘Oh, ho, ho. Lucky you that I’m an art major. Now sit down and ready yourself.’

Peridot wasn’t sure if all that her soulmate told her was accurate, but she had to give them credit for trying to get an entire lectures worth of information down on a single arm. Peridot did the best she could transferring it over to her test paper and continues quick chatting with her soulmate while working on her test.

When her free period came, Peridot lingered away from the other kid and just chatted with her soulmate, using the hour to get to know them.

She found out that her soulmates name was Lapis Lazuli, that she was currently attending university for an art major and was twenty-one years old. A little older than Peridot (If four years could count as ‘little’ still) and had a really, really bad sense of humor.

They chatted, Peridot learned that she was living in Beach City same as Peridot, the blonde had tried to give Lapis her number to make it easier to talk but Lapis refused saying that she liked talking this way more. She was strange. Lapis got them talking about coffee and what kind of coffee they each liked and they ended up agreeing on meeting at a local coffee shop when classes were over.

Which brought Peridot to where she was, a block away from the chosen coffee shop and filled with doubt. She’d heard cases where soulmates turned out to be creeps, to be horrible people who just tricked their soulmates and used them. But, Lapis seemed cool. She was still incredibly worried, however. Maybe her soulmate was disappointed with how Peridot looked; after waiting for four years she must have had some idolized version of what Peridot would be like after all. Maybe Peridot wouldn’t’ be up to her standards. She was wary and worried that this first impression would just ruin whatever chance there was between them.

She took her pen as she approached the door and quickly wrote out on her other hand. I’m walking in now.

The bell dingled as she opened the door and she swallowed at the crowd she saw all around her. There were more people inside than she had counted on and she had no idea how she was supposed to find Lapis in this crowd. She looked past the swarm of people of every shape and size, trying to find someone who might be her soulmate.

Glancing at her arm, she saw something new had been written on it.

‘Oh God you are adorable’

Her face heated up. Just a moment later and a slender arm wrapped around her, dragging her backwards and out of the shop. Peridot barely got to cry out in alarm before light laughter filled the air and the scent of the ocean reached her nose.

“Yeah, you’re adorable. Way cuter than I imagined,” she said, letting her go and holding out a coffee to Peridot. She was a beautiful woman, tall, tan skin and dyed blue hair. Her eyes sparkled and her smile was wide, showing off perfectly white teeth, “Happy to finally meet you face to face, soulmate,” Lapis greeted.

Peridot could feel her heart do a little skip as she watched Lapis smile at her and took the offered coffee. “S-same,” she said.

She took back anything and everything she’d ever said about soulmates now. She was glad she had a soulmate, and she was pretty damn glad that it was Lapis.

[captain-oblivious]

how to make people think you have your shit together: a guide

(based on my [a 22-yo] experience with having friends unexpectedly stop by at my apartment for the past half year; and also with living pretty much completely alone for the past 4 years or so)

feel free to pick and choose from these points as you see fit; even just adding one or two of them to your routine helps! also note that I’m in Canada, so some of you folks may have different customs about being a polite host and whatnot, but the cleaning stuff should be mostly universal.

putting this under a cut bc wow this got long!

general hosting shit:

have a wide variety of tea and offer it to everyone who enters your home; keep at least one moderately-nice tin of loose leaf in case you encounter a tea snob. bonus points if you know what kinds of tea you have by memory (I’m still working on that one). also, it’s a good idea to have milk/sugar (or at least sugar) in case people take their tea with that

if coffee is your thing, have some sort of coffee to offer, though tea is generally easier bc it generally involves less prep/cleaning

always have some sort of moderately-fancy snack to offer with the tea, like those assorted biscuits you see at catered events

if your guests decline snacks/beverages, keep offering them at one-hour or so intervals in case your guests suddenly realize they’re peckish/thirsty. if you have trouble keeping track of time, try to remind yourself to ask anytime you grab a snack/drink for yourself, or anytime you return from using the bathroom

if you have an entry closet, offer to hang everyone’s coats (if they’re wearing any) up if you’re able to do so; people love that shit and it makes you look mature

if you’re chilling with people you’re close with, offer them (clean!) blankets. people love blankets.

hardcore mode (advanced hosts only): if there’s a meal you can cook consistently without fucking it up, always have ingredients for it on hand, and offer to make it for people if it’s around some sort of mealtime

general cleaning:

for prioritizing cleaning, messes from grossest-appearing to least gross-appearing are roughly: dirty toilets and sanitary waste, rotten food, (depending on smelliness those two can switch places sometimes,) dirty bathrooms, non-rotten food waste, non-food waste (used tissues, used makeup wipes, etc) dirty laundry, recycling waste, (clean, empty cans/bottles, scrap paper, etc; non-clean cans/bottles are food waste and therefore more gross,) dusty surfaces.

so generally, the gross parts of the bathroom are probably your biggest priority, followed by any food waste you have lying around (bc that can stink up your whole apartment). next, prioritize wherever you expect your guests to be; you may be able to get away with not cleaning the kitchen if you don’t expect them to go in there. but if you do, keep that clean as well. kitchen countertops are one of the dirtiest surfaces in homes.

as a whole, note that cleaning is much more difficult to do if you marathon it all at once; it’s much more manageable if you focus on small areas (like, say, your toilet, or your desk) and spread it out over the week. but that doesn’t mean that there’s no hope if you have only short notice:

if cleaning is tough for you, keep a supply of antibacterial surface wipes on hand so that you can quickly wipe down any surface (countertops, tables, toilet seats) that might be looked at by someone when you only have 10 minutes notice of a guest entering your home

keep some closet space free to quickly toss in anything you’ve left lying around on the floor so that your guests don’t see too much shit lying around

people are willing to forgive messes a lot more if your place doesn’t smell. baking soda under sinks, in the fridge, and wherever you store garbage works wonders. trying to mask odours with febreeze or whatever… not so much, though that can be done in a pinch. (a lot of people are sensitive to the smell of stuff like febreeze, though, so using it may be inadvisable.) ofc the easiest way to stop odours is to prevent them from happening in the first place.

those swiffer mops are useful for a quick and relatively effortless sweep of non-carpet floor. or take an old pair of socks, spray them with a (skin-safe) cleaning product of your choice, and then slide around your living space in them. (you can then rinse these socks off, wring them out, and thrown them in the laundry)

carpets are a pain in the ass, but if you have carpet odour and some time on your hands, sprinkle some baking soda and leave it on the carpet before vacuuming it up. also, try to own a vacuum if you have non-removable carpet (or borrow one from a friend once in a while) bc carpets are magnets for gross shit

DO NOT MIX CLEANING PRODUCTS. YOU CAN DIE.

the less clutter you have lying around, the cleaner your place will look, so keep clutter to a minimum as much as possible. a friend of mine says you can do this my making sure “each thing has its place.” don’t worry, I haven’t gotten the hang of this one, either, but it’s a nice thing to keep in mind

do not underestimate the power of wall hangers. even those removable stick-on ones. you can keep surface clutter down much more easily by having those, and they’re a visual reminder for you to clean. things I’ve hung on wall hangers: towels/dish towels, oven mitts/pot holders, scissors, spatulas, small cutting boards, hats, a guitar, etc.

if you leave a lot of slips of paper lying around, a cork board is a great way to get rid of some of those

kitchen:

if you haven’t done your dishes, just make it look like you’ve just had a meal and are cleaning up. people don’t generally pay enough attention to realize that you probably didn’t use 4 mugs just to cook breakfast

if you really have difficulty doing the dishes sometimes, it’s okay to use disposable ones on your off days

rinse out your bottles and cartons and shit so that your recycling doesn’t smell and hence so that you can go longer periods without throwing it out 

take out your trash; there’s really no hack to this one, though if you have a small compost bin and don’t produce a lot of compost, you can keep it from smelling by keeping it in the freezer. (of course, put it in the freezer before you throw anything in it; don’t throw a full compost bin in the freezer)

if you have trouble remembering to take out your trash, keep the trash bin in a visible location (not under the sink); this also often makes taking out the trash seem like less of an ordeal

take a permanent marker and write food expiry dates on your food in large letters; this makes it easier to tell at a glance when food needs to be eaten/thrown out. it also helps for stuff that says things like “consume within 7 days of opening” and shit, and for produce, you can write when you bought it so that you have an idea of how long it’s been around. expired food is smelly and tends to gross people out more than, say, dirty laundry

you can get nifty containers that attach to your fridge and can store all sorts of shit. even ones that aren’t meant for kitchens can work; i use a little basket made for school lockers to hold pens and markers for the kitchen

try to keep the sink clean and unclogged; having bits of food left in the drain guard thing can get smelly

bathroom:

if your tub looks less-than-clean, just close the shower curtain. make sure you have a pretty shower curtain that isn’t transparent

every shower curtain I’ve seen was machine washable. so machine wash your shower curtains, at least once a month or so. you can wash them with your clothes, generally.

even if scrubbing the toilet is tiring, you can p much avoid that if you soak it in that toilet cleanser shit on a regular basis

keep a lidded, lined (with a trash bag) trash bin in your bathroom; folks who menstruate tell me they appreciate that sort of thing

if you don’t want people looking through your bathroom cabinets, keep an extra roll of toilet paper in a visible and obvious place

OWN A TOILET PLUNGER. you do not want to be caught without one.

people look at mirrors a lot, so keeping those clean helps make your bathroom look a lot cleaner

bedroom:

if you anticipate guests seeing your bed at any point, make your bed; a lot of people your age probably don’t, so it makes you look fancy even if the rest of your room is a disaster

and finally:

remember to take care of yourself! it’s much easier to handle having people over and to keep up with chores and such if you yourself are feeling well. also, you’re not obligated to host anyone to your home if you can’t/don’t want to! if you invite someone into your home, then you are doing them a favour, and if they can’t respect that, then they don’t deserve your courtesy!

so, yeah. again, some of these things are more difficult to do than others; pick and choose as many as you want/can, every little bit helps!

I hope this helps someone! in any case, I’m also posting this for my own reference tbh bc I forget these myself, sometimes. but my depressed ass generally manages to keep on top of most of these, and because of that, people who visit my place think that I’m actually a Mature Adult™

(well, except for my parents, but their standard of cleanliness is at the “unused hotel room” level, which is p much unachievable to me. meh, you can’t make everyone happy.)