#I don't know if that happens to anyone else

[httpswritings]

hii! can you do an alexia blurb where she's super oblivious to reader's advances towards her? but everyone in the team can tell, and everyone's just face palming about the situation

Here it is! I hope you like it <3

Everybody knows

alexia putellas x reader

Dealing with a crush wasn't Alexia's cup of tea. She liked to be focused, always, no excuses for her. But when it came to you, she had trouble concentrating.

Gym sessions, training, matches... Luckily, you got paired up often, so she could practice what she loved most, football, with the woman who had stolen her heart.

But when you got paired up with anyone else, Alexia's focus was still on you.

Everyone thought she was just being Alexia, The Captain, and that you had just happened to be her favorite teammate.

But your teammates did suspect, actually knew, about your feelings for Alexia.

How couldn't they? If Alexia needed something, you were already offering to help, even if she hadn't finished talking.

If you scored a goal, you'd always cling to her.

If everyone was laughing at Patri's jokes, you were leaning your head on Alexia's shoulder as you laughed.

Everyone, and I mean everyone, knew except for Alexia.

Patri actually gave you the confidence to pursue the captain, and little by little, she had won new allies to support your adventure in loving Alexia, but the poor captain was so oblivious that everyone was starting to become a little uncomfortable.

On International Book Day, the whole autonomous community of Catalonia celebrated Sant Jordi, its patron, and it was a tradition to give a book with a rose as presents.

You had bought books and roses for everyone but had reserved two roses, one red and another blue, for Alexia, with the book she had been wanting to read.

Somehow, you had the guts to give Alexia her present in front of everyone, and she joked, acknowledging how good of a teammate you were, telling everyone to level up.

Everybody except for Alexia could see the hurt through your forced smile.

Vicky was actually going insane.

She was determined to lock up both Alexia and you in a room until you confessed, but thankfully Aitana had put some sense into the situation.

"If she confesses, she shouldn't do it with Alexia on her nerves trying to get out of a locked room."

The fact that everyone knew about your love for Alexia felt a little invasive, and you wondered if Alexia already knew and tried to play it off because she didn't feel the same way.

Little did you know that Alexia was not doing well with her crush on you.

She kept yearning about how good of a girlfriend she would be to you, and surprisingly, she was a little jealous of Aitana.

You had been spending a lot of time around Aitana, and when you were around Alexia, you had been speaking about her a lot, so Alexia couldn't help but feel uncomfortable.

"I swear to God that if she's actually jealous of me, I'll follow Vicky's plan and lock them up in a room."

And because Aitana is a woman of her word, she actually locked you up with Alexia in a random room.

At first, Alexia thought that the door was broken and had left you both locked up, then she thought it was a joke, and then, she just wanted to exit the room as soon as possible.

"Let's hope neither of them is claustrophobic," said Patri.

Vicky, tired of waiting on the other side of the door, shouted, "You both need to talk."

You stood up from the floor and got as near as you could to the door.

"Vicky, if this is a joke, it's no longer funny. Open the freaking door!"

Alexia had stopped listening around her because you were close to her body, very close.

You were so focused on shouting at poor Vicky that you couldn't notice how Alexia yearned for you in every aspect.

"We don't have all day. Alexia, explain to her why you're jealous of me."

You looked at Alexia very confused, and Alexia was a mix of anger and shame.

She never talked to Aitana about her love for you, she never did with anyone, but you both locked up and Aitana and Vicky (and Patri) on the other side of the door told her that they knew, and they wanted you to know.

"Aitana, we're grown enough for this game. Open the door."

"She's not going to open the door. If you don't want to talk, let's hear the other part talk, then," Patri said, referring to you.

"Of course the life and soul of the party is here!" You said angrily, referring to Patri.

"You two love each other, for God's sake! Alexia, she gave you the most beautiful roses on Sant Jordi." Vicky said. The younger player talked very securely, but deep down, she feared having crossed too many lines. At the end of the day, she was very young, and Alexia was the captain.

"And Alexia is jealous of me because we spend a lot of time together!" Said Aitana.

"You both have been so oblivious but Alexia, you've been the worst. Everybody on the team knows her love for you and you keep looking away!"

Alexia couldn't even look at you. Shame had paralyzed her whole body, and it was probably because of that why you took the initiative to get closer.

"Look at me, please."

And how could she not if you asked her to.

After a few tries, she said her first words, "You like me?"

You laughed, not believing how oblivious she still was about your love for her.

"Ale, I'm in love with you. Everybody knows. Everyone but you."

She laughed because it was true.

Not even the idea of you reciprocating her feelings for you had crossed her mind.

"I'm in love too."

And with that being said, and both of you finally knowing each other's feelings, her lips carefully kissed yours.

You were lost in each other's lips when you heard the door's lock unblocking and the three girls outside running for their lives, as if a tiger was about to come from inside the room.

"I'll deal with them later," Alexia said, to then close the space between both of you, to then say in between kisses, "I actually knew all this time."

"No, you didn't!"

And she did not, but neither did you.

[grison-in-space]

... I was rolling my eyes and throwing together a list of basic shit you prep for according to your local emergency measures, and then I realized that I've been basically insulated from climate disaster since I moved from Texas to Minnesota. Wild.

This is not a statement on whether people should move, by the way. This is a reminder to think about the human toll in places trapped under "red" state authorities, which will be far less able or inclined to provide shields against abusive federal orders. It is both good neighbors and good politics to look after things like local DSA chapters to coordinate direct action and community repair, and that will probably be a piece of the dynamic in coming years.

Anyway, here are things that occurred immediately to me as likely effects of the current actions of the incumbent federal administration, based on things I've lived through and expect to live through.

several "boil water" notices, which happen if your water treatment can't be certified as safe to drink without boiling: what will you do if your water gets contaminated?

I lived in Texas through Snowpocalypse 2021, when many people lost power and basic utilities like water were disrupted in the middle of a climate emergency storm, with active pandemic raging and no vaccine available. Imagine

What will you do if you experience a really bad storm/flood/tornado/wildfire and you can't rely on government resources for things like storm monitoring, accurate disease tracking, water safety, etc.? Your plan should involve your community; for example, we transported pre-boiled water for friends whose water didn't work.

The NOAA is currently being dismantled. What are the odds that your community is going to get hit with a storm or a weather front that you currently rely on NOAA data to dismiss? (Everyone relies on NOAA data.) How else can you predict those climate change induced storms?

Currently, we have a pretty aggressive measles epidemic ripping throughout much of the US. Do you know how to protect yourself and keep yourself as safe as possible from a measles outbreak? Hint: it looks different from COVID because measles is just so goddamn infective. Measles is a pain in the ass of a disease. Sure, it mostly won't kill kids if they get it early, but it wreaks havoc on the immune system in ways we are only now beginning to understand. Children have died. So: what's your vaccine status? What is the status of your community? Can you protect the vulnerable among you? What are you going to do if measles hits the community and employers start whining about quarantine rates or back to work mandates?

It is important to think about these threats in terms of specific things that people might announce or attempt to implement, because that helps you plan specifically for your area's situation. If you don't know what that is, awesome! There's your first step. Start there.

If there is an immediate threat to you, it will come as a product of the overall risk and your particular circumstances. Politically, do you know who your chief of police is? How have they handled similar events in the past? How much experience do they have (less is probably better)? How about your sheriff, if you have one?

If there is going to be some kind of purge, it is extremely likely that those sorts of people are going to be the determining factor regarding whether it gets carried out. You will want to know what kind of person you have in the helm and what their record is on people like you as you think about your plan, yes? Is there anyone else they might target first? How would you know, and what would you do?

That's what it means to be aware of the potential catastrophic collapse of the federal administration: some of the public services that our feds perform are incredibly important things like "preventing infectious disease epidemics like COVID, which only happened the first time because Donald Trump gutted the CDC". If they are not available, if for example we no longer have weather information from the NOAA to work with, what are we going to do about that critically load bearing pillar suddenly gone from the most basic everyday functions?

I mean, show up to the local Tesla dealership and maybe harass Tesla drivers about it too, obviously. But there's shorter term stuff to figure out too, and that's way more practical than fretting about your damn bug out bag.

Been seeing a lot of folks talk about bugout bags where the context seems to be fleeing a Knock from secret police or something, and I want to gently suggest folks consider more likely reasons to bug out (wildfires, crumbling infrastructure leading to gas leaks, etc).

Make sure your bag can get you through scenarios where you are part of a mass evacuation, rather than you clandestinely leaving in the middle of the night to escape brownshirts.

I feel like thinking in this context will help folks prepare better and think beyond fleeing to the nearest border as their prime objective.

I don't like giving this regime more power than it actually has, so it is helpful to me to think about what I would do in specific scenarios. Planning for those gives me much more concrete action items, reduces my panic, and ends up preparing me better for unknown situations.

A lot of us have real fear of this regime rn, and escaping a Knock is a realistic concern.

But I feel like a lot of white, cishet, middle class folks are in oppression cosplay mode rn, and their brains aren't in a practical space for what the more likely impact to their lives is going to be.

If preparing for a Knock isn't also going to prepare you for facing sitting in traffic for 12 hours with no hotel plans because you need to evacuate a natural disaster on short notice, you should think a bit more about your risk factors and resiliency.

Vague prepping for "When shit hits the fan" means you are going to forget key items. Come up with some specific scenarios to run through and see how your kit would perform.

[22ayla21]

Harassment Part II

No matter how well-mannered the guys are, within the walls of Night Raven College, there are those who will start harassing guests from another world.

Warning: unpleasant content, mentions of harassment, if you are uncomfortable, do not read. Fem! Reader.

Third year Second year First year

Riddle Rosehearts

Riddle will not tolerate even the slightest hint of inappropriate behavior. If someone dares to disrespect his beloved, he will intervene immediately, using his magic if necessary. Depending on the severity of the situation, he may impose severe punishment.

Realizing that there are well-behaved students in the school, but also those who do not adhere to proper standards, Riddle may propose a new set of rules regarding the respectful treatment of the girl. He may even organize a meeting in the dorms to make it clear to everyone that she will not be treated with disrespect.

After the incident, he will most likely become even more attentive to her surroundings. He may begin to accompany her when possible, or assign one of his trusted people (such as Trey or Ace and Deuce) to ensure that no one crosses the line.

Although Riddle is strict, he is not used to showing excessive emotion. If the harassment affects his lover, he may experience not only anger for the first time, but also a deep sense of personal responsibility for her well-being. This will cause him to question whether he is truly protecting her as he should.

After the threat is removed, Riddle may be concerned for his lover, but will express this in a more measured manner. He will ask if she is okay, and perhaps offer her tea to help calm her down. Internally, he will be very worried and will reproach himself for not preventing the situation sooner.

Ruggie Bucchi

Ruggie is a man who does not like to get involved in problems without benefit. If he notices that someone is being pushy towards his beloved, he will most likely first observe the situation, trying to understand how serious it is. If the girl can handle it herself, he will simply keep the situation under control, but if he sees that things are going too far, he will intervene.

Ruggie knows how to work with people, especially if they are dumber than him. He can first approach the harassers with a wide smile and a friendly tone, as if he does not notice the problem, and offer them to "talk" in private. However, the conversation will be far from peaceful - he will subtly threaten them, using their weaknesses: "You don't want anyone to know about your failed exams, huh?" or "You don't want to lose your lunch next week, do you?"

If the situation is serious, but he does not want to get his hands dirty, he can involve Leona. After all, he is his right hand, and he knows how to present information correctly. He can casually say something like: "Oi, Leona-san, it seems like there's a guy here who's trying to flirt with someone else's girl. Do you think I should give him some advice?" Leona doesn't like to interfere, but if he's irritated, he can simply intimidate the offender or accidentally put him in his place.

Ruggie won't openly yell or hit people, but he will protect his beloved in any way he can - cunning, intimidation, manipulation, and hidden threats. He won't tolerate anyone causing her discomfort, but he will do everything so that he himself doesn't have any problems.

Azul Ashengrotto

Azul is a person who knows how to keep a straight face. If he finds out about harassment, he will pretend that nothing happened at first, but in reality, he is already planning how to eliminate the problem. He will not make a scene, but will choose a more sophisticated method of punishment.

He may approach the offenders with a friendly smile and offer a "favorable" deal that will leave them at a loss. For example, he may create a contract that seems to give something tempting, but in reality will turn out to be a punishment - perhaps they will lose their vote for a week, or their special magic for a month or more.

If the offenders are important figures in the school (from rich families or influential clubs), he will not act directly, but will use cunning manipulation. He can spread rumors, frame them in the eyes of others, or convince the heads of other dorms of their unreliability.

If the situation gets out of hand, he can call Floyd or Jade. Floyd is a "fun" guy, and the idea of scaring or beating up bullies is likely to appeal to him. Jade, being more subtle, may "accidentally" arrange for these guys to have discipline problems.

After the incident, Azul may become more attentive and caring. He may subtly add little bonuses to her day, such as asking her to stay at the Monstro Lounge where she will be safe, or suddenly inviting her on outings to keep her away from unpleasant people. If he sees that his beloved is truly scared, it will hit his insecurities. He will feel like he is not good enough, since he could not protect her. This may lead to him becoming even more secretive, but also more brutal in his methods.

Floyd Leech

Floyd is a man of mood, so his reaction to the harassment of his beloved may depend on what state he is in at the moment.

If he is in a good mood, his first reaction may be playful and mocking. He may come up, put his arm around his beloved's shoulders, smile at the impudent one, and lazily say something like: "Oh, you probably don't know... but the shrimp is already taken~" His smile may seem friendly, but it will intuitively become clear that it is full of hidden threat.

However, if this person continues to pester, Floyd will quickly lose all humor. A dark light will appear in his eyes, he will literally freeze for a second, and then instantly be next to the offender, grabbing him by the shoulder or collar, squeezing with a force that can crunch the fabric. His voice becomes low, and the intonations are frighteningly slow. Depending on his mood, Floyd can either intimidate the bully or outright threaten him physically (but not in a way that would make him answer to the teachers later).

If he is already irritated, he will skip the mockery stage and immediately move on to intimidating behavior. He can grab the bully by the neck, wrist, or even press him against the wall with such force that he will stop breathing for a second.

"Huh? Who gave you permission to touch my shrimp? Come on, explain it to me while your ribs are still intact." At this point, his voice will be low and the pressure will be noticeable.

If his beloved tries to stop him, Floyd can immediately calm down, hug her and say: "You don't like it? Okay, I won't... But he won't bother me anymore, I promise~" However, he can send an icy look to the bully at the end, showing that he remembered his face. In any case, whoever dared to pester his beloved, that person would either learn a memorable lesson or be afraid to even look in her direction next time.

Jade Leech

Jade never shows his irritation or anger openly. He will continue to smile, speak politely and act as usual, but at the same time he will carefully watch anyone who approaches his beloved with inappropriate intentions.

If someone crosses the line, Jade will most likely not make an open scene. Instead, he will gently remind the offender not to do something he will later regret. His voice will remain soft, his smile - friendly, but the coldness in his eyes and slight hints will make it clear that he is quite capable of making a person's life a nightmare.

If someone really goes too far, that person will suddenly start to face minor (and sometimes major) troubles: their things will mysteriously disappear, someone will trip them up, and their reputation among the students will begin to fall for no apparent reason. And no one will guess that Jade is behind it - except, perhaps, Azul and Floyd, who will only smirk.

Jade can ask her with a slight smile: "Oh, my dear, what exactly will you do with these people? Perhaps you will allow me to help a little?" He will watch her reaction, checking how capable she is of standing up for herself - but if necessary, he will personally make sure that no one bothers her anymore.

Unlike her brother, who could immediately start a fight or start chasing offenders, Jade acts covertly. However, if his beloved is really in danger, he will not stand on ceremony - perhaps no one will ever know where that impudent man who allowed himself too much disappeared to.

Kalim Ali-Asim

Despite his cheerful and easy-going personality, Kalim cares deeply for those he loves. He would be greatly concerned if someone were to harm his beloved. This sense of protection would show in his actions, and he would try to intervene as quickly as possible to stop such harassment.

While Kalim may not be the most agile and is sometimes naive, he would try to actively intervene to protect his beloved, even if it meant failing or looking awkward. He would perhaps try to resolve the situation peacefully, but if that did not work, he would not be afraid to take advantage of his position or perhaps ask Jamil or other friends for help.

Kalim, being a man with good intentions, might not immediately understand the gravity of the situation. He might take action, such as speaking in a friendly manner to those who violated his boundaries, but his sincerity might not be taken seriously, especially when it comes to people with less well-mannered behavior.

Despite his naivety, Kalim has the ability to be decisive. He might engage in more decisive actions, such as reporting the incident to his teachers or older students. His desire to protect others, especially those he loves, would be motivated by a desire to not let anyone be humiliated or hurt.

He might display naive but sincere kindness, while not always clearly understanding how to effectively deal with such situations. It is important to note that his primary actions would come from a desire to protect and support, rather than a desire to demonstrate his power or status. He would console her, trying to strengthen her spirit, and encourage her so that she does not feel alone or helpless in this situation.

Jamil Viper

Jamil, who is used to avoiding attention and hiding his true intentions, might try to stay out of the way and remain on the sidelines at first. He would initially choose to keep a low profile to avoid making the situation worse or putting himself at risk, especially if he felt that interfering could lead to further complications.

Despite his calm exterior, Jamil is an intelligent and experienced man. He would likely use his knowledge and skills to eliminate the threat quietly and without unnecessary noise. This could involve using manipulation or influential people to quell the harassment without drawing unnecessary attention to himself.

As a man with a strong sense of responsibility, Jamil would likely feel obligated to protect his lover, especially if she is new to a world she is not accustomed to. Even if he would prefer to remain in the shadows, he might find a way to protect her, even if it means using his hidden abilities a little.

Jamil, despite his polite and calm exterior, may hide a deep rage inside. If harassment were to become overt, he would control his emotions, but he could probably act tough in the shadows, finding ways to punish those who violate boundaries. This could manifest itself in more subtle actions, such as provoking violators through manipulation or using social connections.

As a person who hides his true feelings, Jamil may experience an internal conflict. He may, on the one hand, feel the desire to protect his lover and show his strength, and on the other, he may be afraid of revealing his true potential and desire to be recognized. This can lead to internal tension, where his hidden ambition clashes with his desire for a quiet life without unnecessary attention.

Jamil may try to solve the problem with the help of influential people, such as older mentors or teachers, if the situation gets out of control. He could turn to someone who would be able to influence the offenders without revealing his own efforts.

Silver Vanrouge

Silver would probably react with his usual seriousness and restraint. First of all, he would be wary and extremely attentive to the safety of his beloved. Despite his tendency to fall asleep in unexpected situations, when it comes to Malleus or loved ones, he is capable of showing unusual determination.

If the harassment comes from students, he would try to politely but firmly intervene, warning them that such actions are unacceptable. However, if the situation gets out of hand, he will not hesitate and may become aggressive, revealing his hidden but strong side. At the same time, his reaction can be restrained and almost cold-blooded, with the intention of eliminating the threat without unnecessary emotions.

Silver will probably not make loud scenes or public conflicts, preferring to resolve everything within the framework of discipline and respect. If the situation continues to deteriorate, his tendency to silently threaten and give a cold stare will make his behavior intimidating to those who violate his boundaries.

After the harassment incident, Silver will take special care of his girlfriend with special attention and care. He will monitor her safety, offering support and reassurance that she is safe with him. His actions will be quiet but caring: he will accompany her wherever necessary and often show his attention through small gestures, such as supporting her in difficult moments or protecting her from possible threats. His care will be shown through protection, not words, and he will try to make her feel safe and protected.

[reverieblondie]

Bad Dream

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Female Reader

Warnings: Nightmares, Mysterious passes, Breaking and entering, Panic attack, Breaking washers, Bucky touches your underwear (whoops...)

Summary: You and Bucky are not only neighbors but friends for months now. You two are close... but are still finding out new things about each other...

Word Count: 2,613

A/N: This was inspired by an amazing request got from an anon. I loved the idea so much that I can see this being turned into a full series if enough people like it! Just let me know! I look forward to feedback like always! and request are always open!

"So... What am I eating?"  

Bucky says almost suspiciously as he looks at the macaroni noodle on his fork.

"I can not believe you are so picky," you say, rolling your eyes before taking a delightful bite of the casserole dish you made. Once swallowed, you point your fork accusingly toward Bucky. "It's called tuna mac. It's cheap to make but delicious. Now you can either eat it, or I will stop being such a friendly neighbor and stop sharing my dinners with you."

Bucky chuckles before giving you his signature smirk, "If that's the case, don't come knocking on my door when something of yours breaks again." 

You huff, he doesn't play fair. 

He watches as you pout and sigh before he takes the macaroni and tuna mix into his mouth. When he eats it, his eyes bulge slightly. "That's actually really good?"

"See, you just need to trust me, neighbor. It's something my mom used to make. Boil noodles, mix up the sauce, and top with cheese. It tastes better than it sounds." 

Bucky smiles as you ramble on. When you look over at him, he looks back to his plate, mixing it around as he makes a face before eating more. "That's true. This is way better than that chicken we had last Thursday."  

"Hey! We agreed to forget that monstrosity!"

Of course, Bucky laughs at your dramatics, and you can't help but echo it back. Thursday night dinners have become your favorite tradition since moving in; no matter how shitty your week could have been, this always lifts up your spirits, even just a little bit. Most people in your building seem to avoid Bucky; they won't join him in the elevator or even greet him in the mailboxes. They judge his past... but who are you to judge? Though getting to know him didn't happen instantly, it happened because of an accident you might have caused…

You have been fighting with these washers and dryers since you moved in. And now here you are fighting again with the washer. The stupid thing won't spin, and it's starting to flood with water. You paused the cycle and knew that you should just ask the maintenance guy for help, but that has the risk of being blamed for it being broken.

Distracted, you don't notice someone walking in to use the other machines. Honestly, it's surprising someone else is up this late just to do their laundry. So much for not running into anyone while you're dressed in your lazy day pajamas—no bra just to add to the pending embarrassment… Trying your best to keep your head down and fix the machine as silently as possible, you didn't realize that your rattling around has definitely drawn attention. 

Until a shadow is cast over you. Turning slightly, you look up at the imposing figure and see your next-door neighbor. James Barnes... Ex Winter soldier and a current Avenger... 

His head tilts as he stares down at you, "Problem?" 

This is the first time you have really seen him up close… he's much taller than you thought, and his eyes are the clearest shade of blue… While you're silently coking, Bucky shifts on his feet, his scowl deepening as he continues to stare. Mentally, you chastise yourself for being rude and pull your hand from the filled drum to offer him a handshake, stumbling out your name in the process. This was a mistake, however, because you ended up splashing the super soldier with washer water… -Shit… 

"I'm sorry, and yeah, I'm just trying to get this washer to work… they never want to act right… old machines acting wonky, what's new?" You huff a laugh, but Bucky keeps looking at you unamused… ah yes… he's an old machine, you idiot… 

You quickly take another step closer in panic mode, "Oh! But not all old machines! My grandma had a vacuum for like 20 years, and it never crapped out on her!" -what are you even saying? 

Buck just further scoles you, keeping his eyes locked on yours. Honestly, it's a bit intimidating—his intense stare locked onto you. Then there's the fact that his glare doesn't roam—it's just set on your eyes. Plus, you're just rambling on, and he's just watching you like you have lost your mind! You can't afford to move again… 

"Why don't you just call for maintenance?" he says in a confused tone, his brows knitting together.  

You give him a gentle smile, "I don't want to be blamed for breaking it…" 

He doesn't seem too impressed with your excuse as he rolls his eyes, but to your surprise, instead of walking away, leaving you to struggle, he places his laundry down and begins to investigate the machine. 

You step closer to him, "So you're going to help me?" you chirp.

"I'm going to try, but if it breaks further, that's on you…" -Okay can't really blame him for that..

"Fair enough, neighbor." he only seems to hum at that before continuing his investigation. 

He does his diligence checking everything out; while he does that, you're doing your own checking out. It's not like you're trying to be a perv.... but curiosity always gets the cat in the end, so you allow yourself to check him out a little. His back faces you, and it's incredible how sturdy it appears; you can even see how the muscles ripple with every move despite it being hidden underneath his t-shirt. Then his narrow waist that draws your attention down the length of him, and his arms bulging with every move as it roots around on the inside of the drum. The dark metal arm is so eye-catching you can't help but stare even though you know you shouldn't... If you were caught, you would be modified by how rude it would be. But you can't help yourself from admiring how pretty it truly is… and the craftsmanship is impeccable… 

"I think something is just caught if I can unwrap it…" With another pull and a slight groan, he rips out what was caught. Surprisingly, it's Small... red and- 

Bucky holds up the dripping wet material, and now that he has it unscrambled, you are mortified... Of course, out of everything to get tangled up and caught, it had to be your thong. Turning it about, Bucky looks at the material confused, unsure, until he meets your mortified eyes and flushed face. It must suddenly click for the man that he's holding a stranger's underwear because, with the inhuman speed, he's met with realization and he's practically throwing your underwear at you like it would bite him. 

The flush of his neck and the way he suddenly does not meet your eyes tells you he's thoroughly embarrassed.

"I'm sorry, ma'am…" Ma'am? Wow, now he's talking to you properly; he really is embarrassed...

It's quiet for a moment as Bucky awkwardly shifts on his feet. Then you can't help yourself any longer, and you laugh. You laugh so hard you all but fall over yourself, and to your shock, Bucky breaks from his mortification and joins in on your laughter.

The moment lasted for a while until you were both on the verge of tears. As you wipe away your tears, you catch him smiling, and it's like looking at a completely different guy. If people saw this, they wouldn't be avoiding him, that's for sure. 

With the washer fixed, you could finish your laundry cycle as Bucky moved to start his. As you're turning to thank your helpful neighbor, he is gone? Scanning the room, you see him leaving, shit! 

"James!" You shout without thinking. He pauses before turning back with a small smirk. 

"Don't tell me you broke something else." 

He's… teasing you? A grin spreads to your face, "I wanted to thank you for helping me out." 

He shrugged, "It's no problem. But call me Bucky; when you say James, it makes me feel old." With that, he walked off. 

Days later, you were still troubled by the feeling you didn't get to properly thank your neighbor for saving your panties from doom. So you did the only thing you could think of. Making him food. Make sure debts and gratitude are always paid... it's something you picked up from both your parents, but where your dad made sure to do it with favors and money, your mom would always pay by making desserts and meals. So, in your situation, you decided on a platter of brownies.

The look on his face when you knocked on his door was priceless. Of course, he accepted, and thus, the cycle between you two started. You would have a favor, Bucky would help, and then you would make him a meal or dessert. Over time, Bucky's grumpiness was replaced with friendliness, and your friendship got stronger. Even though you had fewer favors, you two continued the tradition of eating a home-cooked meal together once a week until suddenly, it was odd if you were not seeing him.

Like now...

It's been three weeks since you last saw him. It's honestly so lonely in the building without him around. Sure, he's not talkative all the time, and there are still things you know you two have not shared, but it's undeniable this closeness you feel to him.

You just hope you get to see him soon, or you will be forced to break something and force him to come back…

It's another quiet night. It should be a night that you rest easy, drifting far off into dreamland. But you just can't seem to fall asleep. Perhaps it's the fault of a certain super soldier's absence. As you lay pondering whether you should just force yourself to rest or get up and do something until you're tired…

Then, loud bangs from the neighboring wall interrupted the stillness. On instinct, you freeze and try to listen to where the crashing is coming from. 

Bucky's place... but that's odd; he's not home. Or did you just miss him? Another crash makes you second guess that it could be a break in… 

But who would be dumb enough to break into a super soldier's apartment?

Apparently, you are...

It is technically breaking and entering, but is it bad if you do it for a good reason? What if someone is wreaking his place? What if he's in danger? What will you do if you actually run into someone? You will deal with that once you encounter it…

You ignore that for now as you concentrate on picking the lock... You hated it then, but you're now thankful for the skill at times like this. It clicks with a few more twists, and you're now sneaking through the threshold.

It's the same place you have been in multiple times, but tonight, you see the crumble of blankets on the living room floor, the flipped furniture, the mess of wreckage. Then you see the more heart-aching sight in the room's darkness. 

Bucky usually stands tall and has that sly smirk for you with some greeting. Now, he is crouched so small, disheveled, and trembling. Those ocean-blue eyes clenched tightly...

A step towards him immediately has him on the defense, ready to pounce.

But he pauses at the sight of you, confused, rightly so. But you're more distracted by how the outside lights reflect on the streams down his cheeks.

You're about to say something, but his hoarse voice cuts you off before you can, "Get out!".

You should really listen, but as he sinks back to the floor, your feet feel like lead. With a swallow and a steadying breath, you step closer. He should understand by now that you're not one for listening. 

Closer now, you can take in his sweat-drenched body and matted hair and how he tries to stop shaking... Thousands of questions flock to you; you just swallow them down. Slowly, you sit close enough to be noticed but not enough to touch him…

Settled beside him, you hold your hand towards him on the floor, making a silent offer. "I'll stay for as long as it takes..." 

It could take minutes or hours. There is also the chance of him lashing out, but you will just be silent and patient and let him feel your presence and hear your calm breaths.

You're there for a couple of minutes until a clammy warmth touches your hand. Looking down, you can tell the shaking has stopped a little. You spread your fingers and let him lace them with his own. 

"I... don't know what to say..." he mumbles, but you shake your head before meeting his eyes.

"You don't have to explain... We all have scars... Bad dreams. "

"Every night I have bad dreams... Sometimes, I just randomly shake awake."

"Other times, you just lay there waiting for the sun to rise."

The look he gives you tells you he's shared the experience. You shrug and look out the window, "Like I said... bad dreams."

As you two sit there, his shaking slowly stills, but your hand's grip only tightens. 

"I'm sorry..." It was such a silent whisper that you almost didn't hear it. Bucky, tired, and a wreck, brought back memories you thought were packed away. 

"Don't be sorry. Let's just work on getting you cleaned up. Are you good enough to rinse off?"

Bucky nods before standing up... He walks towards his bathroom but pauses just short... He has his own set of questions he wants to ask... One of them is clear to you... are you going to stay... 

"I'll clean for a bit and will brew some tea for, when you get out. Okay?" 

He gives a short nod before disappearing. You start placing what you can remember being placed before. It takes you a minute to get everything back in its place. Sure, this place was a mess, but you have had to fix the fallout of worse. Once done, you move on to the kitchen to brew the tea. As the water heats, you just listen to the muffled sound of the shower. Does this happen often? And if so, how have you never noticed before?

Bucky takes longer to wash off than you expected, but ultimately, it's a good thing he took the time for himself. When he finally comes out of the bathroom, he's only in pajama bottoms, a towel resting on his shoulder, and fixing his metal arm back into place. His hair is still dripping wet when he finally plops down on the couch. For a long moment, he's still thinking of what to say, but you just slide the peppermint tea over to him.

Bucky gives a small thank you before he lifts the cup, letting the smell waft to his nose and the cup warm his hand. When he finally takes a sip, you feel like you can breathe again. While he works on his tea, you notice the drops falling from his hair and landing on his skin, causing him to shiver. He didn't even bother to dry his hair, huh? Carefully, you take the towel from his shoulder and softly start to dry his wet hair away. Bucky looks at you curiously as you focus on the task before you. 

"Why are you so good at this?" 

"Like I said, everyone gets bad dreams. Some worse than others." 

He hums before slightly chuckling, "Is that also why you know how to break into apartments?"

The playful tone in his voice makes your heart squeeze, and you can't help but grin, "You're not the only one with secrets, soldier boy." 

[mixispicklix]

I left home the day I graduated high school. It was just my three sisters, me and my mother. Dad took off when I was five. I was the only boy and had three younger sisters. My sisters and I were really close, and my mother doted over the girls. Me, however, she treated like crap. I couldn't seem to do anything right. She was constantly criticizing me. Her favorite saying was, "You're a worthless guy just like your father." I don't know why my father left, but if this was how she treated him, I don't fault him one bit. I didn't tell anyone, but I joined the army. I signed up the week before I turned 18. Two weeks after I graduated high school and the day I turned 18, I left for boot camp. I didn't tell anyone what I was doing or where I was going. I woke up before anyone else and left the house without saying a word to anyone. After five years of deployment, I was a Sargent. One day, I was summoned to the captain's office. When I got there, the company chaplain was sitting in the office with the captain. After getting all the formalities out of the way, I asked what's going on, Cap? The chaplain said it's your mom, Sergent. The captain says look Mix I know you weren't close with your mom, but I put you in for 4 weeks of emergency family leave. When was the last time you talked to your sisters? Usually just cards on holidays and birthdays, but they never mentioned that mom was sick. The chaplain will fill you in on everything we know. Your flight back to the States leaves in four hours. It seems my mother had a heart attack and just died with no warnings. Since I was deployed and out of contact with the base, I missed the funeral. I didn't have a phone number for my sisters. I sent them an email letting them know I was on my way home. I didn't get a reply, so I didn't know what would happen when I got there. I sent another email after I landed and said I've landed and I should be at the house in about three hours. After a few minutes, I got a reply. It said the front door would be unlocked, and we'll be waiting. When I finally arrived I knocked and waited but no one answered. I tried the door, and sure enough, it was unlocked. I called for my sisters, but no one answered. When I got to the back room by the back deck, I saw all three of them sitting on a couch wearing bikinis and making out with each other. I apologized and started to leave when one of my sisters looked up at me and said. Don't leave yet. Mix, we've been waiting for you. With that, they all got up and surrounded me and said, "Welcome home, brother. We really missed you."

[frannyzooey]

kinda interested in #9 with Frankie or Joel hehe feel like it’s one you’d usually see with Javi so I’m going Frankie or joel!

frankie morales x f!reader

prompt: revenge sex

--

"Just a fuck," he called you last week, when you pressed to define what you were to each other. "Just having fun," he said.

Your stomach sank, but you didn't let him see it. Instead, you took that hurt and disappointment and turned it into calculating fury.

A fixture in their group since Benny had brought you along one night to hang, you got on fast that night with Will and Santi, but it was Frankie who held back; those dark eyes under the brim of his cap flitting over to you every now and then.

He was the quiet one that night at the bar, but he was far from quiet when you got him alone later.

It was all "tell me how you like it" and "fuck, you're so tight" and "you take it so fucking good". Filth poured out of his mouth until you were rung out and sprawled across his bed, his warm spend sliding down the inside of your thigh.

When being desperately manhandled and pounded into the mattress one night a week wasn't cutting it for you anymore, he pushed away your attempt at defining what you were to each other out of some sort of fucked up self-loathing. Forcing distance, "for the good of you".

Well if he wanted to play a game, you'd play it. If he wasn't going to stake claim on you, then you'd give someone else a shot.

Never mind that you didn't really want anyone but him.

You felt his eyes on your back when you sat at the bar instead of their usual table. You felt the heat of his constant, burning gaze when you were approached by a stranger. You felt the tension he radiated from the other side of the room every time you did your best fake laugh.

When you placed your hand on the thigh of the man who had been talking at you for the last fifteen minutes and when he responded with a sly smile of his own and an offer to pay the tab so you could get out of there, his vacated stool was immediately occupied by someone else.

"What are you doing?" he seethed, low, under his breath.

Your heart hammering at his proximity and your panties a damp cling at his warm, familiar scent, you kept your face cool and collected when you turned to meet Frankie's eyes.

"Just having fun," you replied, the picture of nonchalance.

His eyes flashed under the brim of his cap, and he leaned in closer.

"Does he know you aren't going home with him?" he pressed.

"Who says I'm not?" You pretended to pick a piece of lint off your jeans, and he snatched your wrist. His hold was firm, yet delicate enough not to hurt -- a picture of his entire personality.

He used his grip to tug you close.

"Me."

--

You don't know what happened to the man you left at the bar, and you don't care.

All you care about is getting Frankie's belt buckle open in your frantic fumbling, the rough fabric in the bench seat of his truck scratching your back, the hot, solid press of his body on top of yours and the slide of his tongue in your mouth.

He kisses you like he owns you, like he can't stop until he's consumed you, and with the anger simmering between your bodies, it ratchets the heat even higher. You claw into his shoulders, and he grinds his hips harder between your thighs. You dig your heels into his back, and he circles your wrists in a one-handed hold to trap above your head.

"Why do you even fucking care?" you pant between his kisses.

He groans deep when he tugs his zipper down, pulling the heft of his cock out. "Because you're mine. You go home with me."

"I thought I was just a fuck," you mock, your words losing their edge as he slides the thick tip of his cock along your soaked seam. "I thought --"

Pushing the air from your lungs with a filling surge forward, tandem sounds of pleasure sound through the small truck cabin, the air humid with lust.

"You thought fucking wrong, okay?" His confession should sound sterner, but the desperation in it pairs with the groan he lets out with every rock forward. "You're mine. This is mine."

"Don't say it if you don't mean it," you whine, your jaw clenching as he forces himself deeper. He's always a lot to take, but he's fucking you like he needs to merge your bodies together, like he'll die if he doesn't burrow under your skin.

He sucks on the length of your neck, scraping the delicate skin with his teeth. His hips never ceasing in their roll, you match his rhythm with your own, relishing the stretch of his cock inside.

"I'm sorry, baby," he confesses. His voice is softer, low, for your ears alone. "I didn't mean it before. I never should have -- fuck, you feel so good," his eyes clenched tight, "I never should have said that."

The words and the sentiment are more romantic than your location: the parking lot of a shitty bar, sprawled out inside the cab of his truck -- and yet it's his eyes that make you forget it all.

Those eyes. Those beautiful, doleful eyes, so full of depth from the very first time you met.

The previous anger in them has melted away, leaving behind hooded lust, rich with promise.

"You gonna come, baby?" His mouth presses along the center of your chest, and your fingers thread through his thick curls. His back rounds with every stroke of his hips, and you cling to him, opening your thighs wider. "My pussy gonna come for me?"

His.

It is his. It's been his since that first night, and it's his tonight.

"Yours?" you ask, the one-word question holding your heart and everything else along with it.

He makes sure your eyes are on his before he answers; a plead within his own one word response.

"Mine."

[simp-for-love]

Yours

Mattheo Riddle x Reader

What starts as another night getting high with your best friend Mattheo takes a turn when his usual teasing reveals something deeper.

Warnings: substance use (weed), brief swearing, friends-to-lovers trope, mutual pining, fluff, the reader has hair (don't know, maybe it'd a trigger for sb)

The moon hung low, casting silver streaks across the castle grounds. Somewhere beyond the Forbidden Forest, a distant howl echoed, but up here, tucked away in the Astronomy Tower, everything felt quiet. Peaceful. Just the two of you.

Mattheo leaned against the stone wall, rolling a joint between his fingers with the kind of ease that suggested he’d done it a thousand times before. You watched him, amused at the concentration furrowing his brows, the corners of his lips twitching in satisfaction when he finished.

"You know," he said with a proud smile, holding it up like a prize, "we’re really too smart to be doing this."

You laughed quietly, drawing your knees to your chest as the cool night air brushed your skin. "Since when are you the voice of reason?" you teased him softly.

Mattheo gave a mock scoff, flicking his lighter open with a click. "I’m just saying we could be doing something productive right now — like studying, or saving the wizarding world, or whatever it is Potter’s lot are up to."

"Yeah, well," you exhaled, leaning back against the wall. "I’d rather be here." With you, you didn’t say, but the words hung somewhere on your tongue, warm and unspoken.

You weren't surprised by this thought. Mattheo was your one and only best friend. Despite having other friends and acquaintances, he was the one constant in your life. It didn't matter what happened — whether you had a bad day, got an 'Outstanding' on your essay, lost your quill before the exam, or felt like partying — he was always there. Through every high and low, he never wavered. And you couldn’t even begin to describe how grateful you were for it.

But somewhere along the years of friendship, you realized you weren't only thankful, you were in love.

It was silly, really. You felt attracted to him even before you knew what being attracted to someone meant. You craved his attention, too greedy to share it with anyone else. You needed his cheeky smiles and the teasing remarks that made you chuckle. You wanted to be the one he looked at with that playful yet affectionate gaze, the one that made something warm and fuzzy bloom inside you. But you were too scared to do anything about it. The thought of losing him, of making things awkward — or worse, having him pity you — was unbearable. So, if staying quiet meant keeping him by your side, you were willing to live with it.

He passed the joint your way after his first slow inhale, his face tipping back toward the starry sky as smoke curled from his lips. The first hit burned your lungs the way it always did — sharp and sweet. You let your head fall against the cold stone behind you and sighed. "Better already."

Mattheo laughed quietly, the sound low and rough. "Always does the trick, huh?"

It wasn’t the first time you’d done this together. Far from it. The two of you had a ritual — a quiet rebellion against the chaos around you. Whenever the weight of expectations or the noise of the world became too much, you’d find each other here. Safe. Free. No need to be anyone but yourselves.

"You know," he mused, nudging your knee with his. "We really should talk about how I’m a terrible influence on you."

You snorted. "You’re not that powerful, Mr. Riddle," you said, a smirk tugging at your lips.

His grin curled slow and dangerous as he took another drag. "I’m not?"

"Nope." You popped the 'p' and took the joint back from him, the tips of your fingers brushing his in the exchange. "I do what I want."

"Mmm." His eyes darkened just a little, but you told yourself it was probably the haze creeping in. "And yet, you keep ending up here with me."

"Maybe you’re just lucky," you teased.

"I’m very lucky," he agreed, his voice softer than you expected. It lingered between you, thick like the smoke hanging in the air.

Minutes passed in easy silence. The weight in your chest loosened, and the stars above blurred at their edges. It was always like this — simple and warm, the rest of the world falling away when it was just the two of you.

Mattheo’s voice broke the quiet. "If you could be anywhere else right now," he asked, his tone lazy and curious, "where would you go?" You both liked talking about hypothetical things and random stuff while smoking together. Once, you even debated what you’d do if one of you turned out to be Merlin reincarnated.

You thought for a moment, passing the joint back. Tell him the truth, or tease him? The weed was already kicking in, nudging you toward honesty. "Nowhere else."

He hummed, a satisfied sound that made warmth curl in your stomach. "Good answer."

A breeze swept through the tower, brushing strands of hair against your face. Mattheo reached over without thinking, tucking them behind your ear. The touch was brief, but your skin buzzed in its wake.

"You’re always so soft," he murmured, half to himself. Then, as if realizing what he’d said, a crooked smile stretched across his lips. "Or is that the high talking?"

"Maybe." Your heart stuttered slightly as you met his gaze, your breath catching at how intensely he was looking at you. "Maybe not."

His hand lingered on your cheek a second too long, thumb brushing against your jaw before he pulled back. "Dangerous game you’re playing," he warned, but his voice lacked any real bite.

You laughed softly, tilting your head back against the stone wall. "I thought you liked danger."

"Only when I’m the one causing it," he shot back, but there was something in his expression — something raw, unguarded — that made your stomach flip.

You could feel the high settling deeper into your bones now, softening the edges of everything. Your limbs felt light, but your chest felt heavy, too full of something you didn’t want to admit out loud.

Mattheo stretched his legs out, leaning back on his palms as he tilted his face toward the stars, looking as they shine and sparkle quietly. "Y’know," he started, almost too casually, "I used to think you’d run off with someone else one day."

You blinked, the haze in your mind briefly clearing. "What?" you asked a bit baffled.

He laughed, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. "Yeah. Someone safer, probably." He glanced at you, his lips twitching into a smirk. "Can’t blame you, really. I’m a lot."

You gaze softened when you realized what he meant. "I like 'a lot'," you said quietly, surprising yourself as much as him.

His smirk faded, replaced by something warmer, something almost hesitant. "Yeah?"

"Yeah." The word hung in the air between you, and this time, you didn’t try to tease him or dodge the topic.

For a moment, neither of you spoke. The only sound was the faint crackle of the joint as Mattheo took another slow drag. Then he added in a low voice, "That's why you're mine."

You raised a brow at his words, ignoring the warm flutter in your chest. You weren't ready to say something real in response. "Since when am I yours? The last time I checked, I was my own."

He chuckled, shaking his head, a slight smirk still playing on his lips. "Oh, please. You’ve been mine since the day we met, darlin'. Don’t even try to deny it."

You looked at him from the corner of your eye, brow raised at his words. "Since we met? Like, from the first year when we were eleven years old? A bit much, in my opinion," you murmured with a small chuckle, taking the joint from his fingers and inhaling slowly.

Mattheo laughed softly, leaning his head back against the stone wall. "Hey, a man knows when he finds something precious. And I found you. From day one. Maybe I was a bit younger, but my instincts were sharp even at eleven." He smirked again, watching you take another drag.

You giggled quietly at his cheeky words. "Sharp instincts at eleven? You're an arrogant fucker," you said with a grin, passing the joint back to him.

"Still. You’re mine, even if you don’t know it," he said casually, shrugging his shoulders slightly as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. He finished the joint, stubbing out its butt on the stone floor.

The words struck something deep inside you, something you’d been trying to ignore. Your heart pounded, but you managed to keep your voice steady. "So I’m yours, huh?"

"Always have been." He exhaled, not bothering to hide the weight behind his words. "And always will be."

You should’ve laughed. Teased him. But you didn’t. Instead, you let the warmth spread through you and leaned closer, your shoulder brushing his. "Good."

He froze, just for a second, as if he couldn't believe you accepted it so easily, before his hand slid along your jaw, tilting your face toward his. "Good," he echoed, a wicked gleam in his eye. "Guess you’re stuck with me then."

For a few moments, he just looked at you, something unreadable swirling behind his gaze. He was waiting, giving you time to turn it into a joke, to pull away, to say it was the high talking.

But you didn’t, too entranced by his eyes, his words, and the warmth of his body so close to yours. You parted your lips to say something. "Mattheo—"

He kissed you before the words fully left your mouth — soft at first, like he was savoring the taste of a truth he'd wanted for too long. But when you didn’t pull away, when your fingers tangled in his curls, urging him closer, he deepened it, pulling you against him until there was no space left between you. It tasted like weed and hopes you weren’t quite ready to give up on.

He only pulled back when you were both breathless, resting his forehead against yours, his breath warm and a little ragged against your skin. "You’re mine, aren’t you?" he murmured. "Tell me I’m not misreading this."

You smiled softly, your fingers tracing gentle patterns along his cheekbone. "You’re not."

His thumb traced slow circles along your jaw as he whispered, "Good. Because I’m not going anywhere. Not unless you want me to. And maybe even if you do."

And in that quiet, hazy moment, with the world far away, you knew one thing for certain: wherever you were, as long as he was there, you’d never want to be anywhere else.

A quiet, breathless chuckle escaped your lips before you leaned in, stealing another kiss with a soft smile.

[majorlb]

There are so many instances over the years, where Charles reads Edwins lingering gaze as something more.

It starts all the way back in the attic, and every time he tries to see if he's reading it right.

"I'd miss kissing. Do you miss kissing?"

"Nah, mate, don't sell yourself short, you're funny and fit, anyone would be lucky to know you"

"You're my favorite person, dead or alive"

It at always brings a shy smile to Edwins lips, and at the best of times make him flush prettily, but he never does more than verbally respond as if teasing a friend.

So, Charles tries harder. Gives it his all.

"I love you, Edwin."

"Oh, I love you too, Charles." and before he can rejoice and the butterflies in his chest and belly can even take off. "You're a dear friend, and I don't know what I'd do without you"

It makes something warm and soft unfurl within him, and it's almost enough to dull the sharp pang of disappointment. Edwin loves him, and that is enough.

He still tries here and there after that, but never again with the little tinge of hope.

The Crystal happens, and Edwin is jealous. Crystal even points it out, and Charles is secretly delighted. Not a single reaction over the years, but something about seeing Charles half-heartedly flirt with an alive girl, whom it could never be more than a fling with, is clearly sending Edwin into a tizzy.

But then The Cat King, and Edwin starts keeping secrets. And then Monty shows up, and then Charles is the jealous one, once more. Hope never got him anywhere, and if Edwins type is anyone else but Charles, then Charles will be happy for him either way.

And then

On the steps of Hell.

Edwin tells him "I love you." "I love you as something more than what we are"

And Charles's heart is breaking because Hell really is cruel, to wave something he wants so badly right in front of him, dragging Edwin into it. But Edwin clearly believes it, so Charles responds the best he can.

Tells him, "I love you, but I can't say that I am in love with you" Not here. Not now. Not when he doesn't know if it's real or not.

But they'll figure it out.

They can talk about it later.

Except then, Edwin doesn't mention it again.

It's everything that Edwin thinks about. He doesn't know how to bring it up again. Doesn't want to push Charles away.

[undeadorion]

No, it's worse than a company being liquidated. It's being gutted and replaced from the inside out. It reminds me of what happened to Adobe.

Adobe bought Macromedia in 2005. At first, nothing overtly changed. By the time I started working for their tech support department in early 2007, there were some rumblings happening, but not publicly noticeable. This is because through the transition, Adobe retained it's same CEO.

That is, until November of 2007. When the former CEO of Macromedia, Shantanu Narayen, took over. What followed was as rapid and poorly executed as what Musk is doing. US support was rapidly dismantled. First they took out the email team, which I was part of, to move that support overseas. US email support was put back onto the phones. Phone support was split between the US team, and the very hastily trained overseas team. So the dwindling US team was constantly being yelled at by frustrated customers who had been with the overseas people, with issues from people not knowing what they were doing to outright lying to just hanging up on people.

More than a month after closing the US email team, they begged us to come back and clean everything up. The overseas team had managed to cock it up so bad, there were still emails in the system from the same week we'd stopped answering them. After we got through the backlog and had everything back on track, it was a "Fuck you very much" and we were kicked back to the phones.

To really kick dirt in everyone's faces, the most senior staff members from the US team were "promoted" to being trainers for the overseas team. And as far as I can tell went through like some hardcore brainwashing to maintain a position with Adobe, while the rest of us were kicked to the curb.

I was still friends with one of these newly minted trainers when the serial number debacle happened. Adobe had shut down server support for authenticating licenses for either CS2 or CS3 products. Their solution was to post a completely open serial number on their own website alongside the product download with a little note that said it was only for people who paid for the product. This friend and I got into an argument because he genuinely believed anyone using this serial without having paid for it was STEALING. How do you steal something when it's openly available, you using it doesn't remove anything from anyone else, and you could not purchase it even if you wanted to?

Now Adobe is price-gouging subscription-only piece of shit, so bloated and poorly optimized it takes an age to even launch on a brand new computer and stuffed full of AI. They even took a shit directly on the chests of comic artists, a major chunk of their userbase.

I don't think the US is being liquidated. I think it's Adobe. A mockery of the powerhouse it once was. Gutted by greedy pieces of shit who think optimization is throwing your skilled employees under the bus to slash labor costs no matter who it hurts in the process. Those who remain loyal will blindly listen to their dear leader without critical thought. And everyone stuck in the system will be forced to endure a bloated, sluggish pile of shit that's just handing off your data left and right while squeezing every penny out of your bank account.

Anyone who has ever worked for a company that was bought out by PE firms knows just how disastrous it is.  

[brooke-hart]

Humans Are Weird: Spicy Foods

One of the things I love about being human is that we take one look at something that we SHOULD leave alone and don't. Pineapples have acid to destroy your tongue? Yes, please. Rhubarb leaves are poisonous? Let's make a pie. And then there's....

Humans *gathered around*: 3...2...1!

Alien *entering and seeing some humans bent over and others chugging water*: what...do I want to know what's happening?

Human *grabs alien*: we're doing a competition. You can join!

Alien *hesitant*: I'm not sure... *another human puts a plate in front of the alien* ...I want to..

Human: come on, all you've gotta do is put this pepper in your mouth when we say, chew it, and then not tap out before time is up.

Alien: ...tap out?

Human: You'll get it. Alright, we're ready!

Alien *looks around at the group counting and the other four humans competing*: I'm going to regret this...

Alien *puts pepper in mouth and is filled with immediate regret. But he doesn't spit it out like one human or reach for water like the other. Instead, he waits until the countdown, gasping for air*: Make it stop!

Human *gives Alien a drink*: Here, this will help.

Alien *chugs drink and mouth still on fire*: why *gasp* would *gasp* you *gasp* do that?!

Human *chuckles*: to prove how we are superior to anyone else

Alien *stares in disbelief*: You are superior at poor decisions

All humans laugh.

If you like this story and want to see more like it, you can find the full book of scenes just like this on my page! Available on KU!

[demonslayerunhinged]

cw: I'm going to be very blunt in this overly long post. Some things might rub you the wrong way if not offend you, so if that happens, you know the procedure: unfollow → block → move on.

A few weeks ago…

Three of my posts about Genya, Shizu and Sanemi caught the attention of and were the subject of discussion among a couple of weirdos. After I discovered all the crap they were spewing on their circle jerk of a server, I then went on a rage-fueled posting spree with screenshots and lots of insults towards them especially towards princeblue and pomchihuahua. I made the posts private but if you're curious here's the link.

You're probably thinking: Omg bitch, you're still on this? 🙄

Yes, yes I am. It's so fucking easy to move on from an incident when you're not the one being attacked or are the one doing the attacking. It's just like that saying the tree remembers what the axe forgets or something and it's my blog, fuck you.

Anyway, it really pissed me off that they were taking my post so seriously, despite me putting multiple disclaimers that these were theories. Proof:

And even if I didn't add disclaimers, can no one make theories anymore? Can no one make jokes or shit posts? I mean, I know we're living in a dystopian world, but the last place I want to be reminded about it is on my tiny, obscure fucking Tumblr blog. You don't have to (and honestly shouldn't) agree with everything I post! In fact, I would love to have a different pov and a respectful, engaging discussion. And even if you think Ugh this shit is so ass, just scroll past and forget about me! Unfollow me! Block me! I have made two posts literally begging people to do this because I didn't want to get involved in this kind of shit.

Talking shit about me in a place where I don't have the opportunity to defend myself, deliberately misunderstanding my posts and making assumptions of my beliefs based on said post is one thing. But minimizing the shittiness of your actions when called out, painting me as the crazy person for my justified anger at your shitty actions, and using your minor members as a shield to deflect scrutiny. That's just horrible, if not downright insidious. especially from someone who describes herself as a 'nice' person.

The so-called apology I got from pomchihuahua was so insincere, and it was just a way to brush past their actions so they could make the link to their shitty server public again. I never got an apology from princeblue; all I got were a series of pretentious and condescending messages and a manipulative post where she made me look like I was the crazy one, infiltrating her server and harassing her members who are minors. She also minimized and sanitized her actions by explaining that it was just a private discussion among friends that got a bit heated with a few dickish words thrown here and there, despite the fact that:

1.) It's a public server, so anyone who joins and lurks in that channel would think I'm some asshole that advocates for child abuse and slanders single mothers.

2.) It wasn't just a 'heated' discussion with just a few dicky things being said, not only did they completely misunderstand my post — so much so that it was like they were talking about another post by someone else — but they talked about my blog like it was (and I hate this word) slop. She said stated that she couldn't stand me and that she was seething with hate (the screenshots are in the linked private post) like I killed her dog or something.

3.) She kept stressing that I didn't censor the usernames of the shit talkers who happen to be minors despite her asking me to, all in an attempt to make me look like some kind of minor-harasser. The minors in question didn't censor my username or those of the people who commented on my posts that they bashed. So why should I?

Side tangent but, I've noticed that lately the internet has some kind of obsession with the protection of minors and put them on some pedestal like they're unassuming babies who aren't capable of real harm or aware of their actions. Thus, they should be shielded from the consequences of said actions and shouldn't be called out for them.

I don't subscribe to such beliefs. Not only is it stupid, it's dangerous. This belief is the basis of laws that allow minors to get away with heinous crimes in some communities and even countries. Why should they get to live on, blissfully unaffected, while their victims suffer? Why shouldn't we be allowed to call them out on their shitty behavior? If they're old enough to throw shit at a stranger on the internet, they're old enough to have that shit thrown right back at them. If that makes me a heartless asshole, so be it.

Anyway, I was angry (as you can tell by my online crashout) because as someone who takes a lot of time agonizing over every single post and making sure my words are clear and that I provide the right resources — all these accusations and comments hurt. The situation sucked the joy out of me, ruined my whole week, and made me feel so shitty that I wanted to stop posting all together.

Because, what's the point? Why post anything if all I'm going to do is spend my time and energy not just worrying about the content, but also about being shredded by assholes who won't even attempt to understand my words?

I have this weird belief that my blog will only be seen by those who like it or if not want to understand what I'm saying and would give me the opportunity to explain myself. I know it's stupid, but that's just how I wish my blog was. This whole situation just burst the bubble of that belief and now makes me so paranoid about everything. Even now that I want to continue posting again, I'm still hesitatant. Every time I see some untitled/unnamed blog follow me, I think that it's either one of princeblue's followers hate stalking me for more posts they can rip apart on their stupid server.

One thing pomchihuahua said in her defense that really irritated me was that Shizu reminded her of a family member and that's why she attacked my posts and why she made the counter post defending Shizu.

Yes offense, but that is insane. Like the you-seriously-need-professional-help kind of insane.

Don't believe me? Let's recontextualize her explanation:

Say Shizu is a mass-produced doll that being marketed as a single mother with the blurb on the back of the box. A girl, let's call her Suzy, has one of these dolls. It's her favorite doll, and she believes the story on the box is the one true story for this doll because Shizu looks like her mom and the story mirrors her mom's life.

When she goes out with her friends who all have the same Shizu doll and agree with her about the story for it, she sees another girl let's call her Kacy, playing with the Shizu doll, but it's different; the girl put on different clothes on the doll and Suzy could overhear the girl telling her friends that this Shizu doll is a businesswoman who's travelled to space or something.

Suzy gets enraged, she starts shouting to her friends — loud enough for Kacy to hear. She calls Kacy names, talks about how Kacy doesn't understand Shizu, that Shizu can only be in the clothes she came in, and that the only story that matters is what's written on the back of the box. Kacy is a bad person for dressing Shizu in different clothes and giving her a different story.

When asked why she acted this way, Suzy explains that Shizu reminds her of her mom, so anyone dressing the doll up differently or giving it a different story makes her defensive, angry and causes her to lash out.

Now tell me, does Suzy seem like a well-adjusted individual to you? Doesn't it seem like she needs to talk to a therapist? Like my guy, are you good?! Are you running a fever?! Do you need a Kit Kat?!

I don't give a fuck if a character reminds you of someone or if you're emotionally attached to them. That DOES NOT give you the right to attack or talk shit about people because of some 2d drawings. And if you think this is perfectly acceptable behavior, then you need to take a long, hard look in a mirror for some self-reflection and to remove the brick that's lodged in the back of your head because you obviously have some sort of brain damage.

Who are you to tell others what they should and shouldn't like? Who are you to tell others how they should and shouldn't interprete these characters? Who are you to think that your analysis/interpretion is the only correct one? Who are you to attack people just because they happen to have opinions that differ from yours? Who are you to control people's behavior to fit your own narrow, close minded and boring point of view? Just who THE FUCK do you think you are?

This is the kind of shit that makes fandoms so inhospitable and draining. When a couple of dry, basic, joyless, overly serious, overly sensitive, fun-sucking, Sarah j mass/Colleen Hoover/steel-wrapped-in-velvet-reading, no-life-or-rose-toy-having, Club Chalamet-looking, terminally online losers who get high on the smell of their own farts decide that they're the only ones who understand a character or a piece of fiction and treat any other interpretation or analysis like it's a personal attack. Then to make themselves feel better, make counter virtue signalling posts that do nothing but allow them to express their smug, self-affirming, self-righteous moral superiority.

I'm tired y'all, the world seems so shitty right now. Every day it' seems like the world it's like we're sliding back into the dark ages. I wanted this blog to be a safe space where I can just yap about stuff I like and stuff, and connect with people who share similar interests. Not a place to get policed, dragged and scrutinized over every fucking sentence or action when there's already enough of that in real life. I'm done with over-explaining and disclaimers, I refuse to tie myself into knots to accomodate the stupidity of imbeciles who're too lazy to read.

If you bite me, I bite back. As you can tell from my other posts i'm not above insulting and name-calling. Don't expect civility from me when you didn't offer one in the first place.

Like can a bitch breathe? Christ.

*Side note: I know I made this post which is similar to what I'm complaining about, but I just used the screenshot as to rant about the misunderstood complaints in the fandom. I mentioned the bullshit excuses she made when she was called out. But that was it. I didn't attack the OP personally, shit talk about her other posts or make assumptions of her beliefs. I didn't even mention her name at all in her post. So it doesn't count ha!

[a2006love]

if you think of giving up: told in a short story.

"park that car, drop that phone, sleep on the floor, dream about me" but it's not about your loved ones in your dr. it's not about shifting. it's not even about an alternate version of life. it's about you. yes, you. the one here and now. the one with the awareness.

it's about the dreams you've left behind, the quiet betrayals, the tiny funerals you didn't even realize you were attending. you tell yourself you don’t need them. you tell yourself you've grown up. that was then, and now it's different. you think about the way you once held them so close, entertaining them all day till you succumb to sleep, and you pretend the memory doesn’t make something inside you coil with longing—but then, just as you're lost in those thoughts, you're pulled back into reality. where you're standing at a fair, and a child comes up to you and tugs at your sleeve.

"do you know where my mom is?"

you turn, and there’s a little kid, red-eyed, breath hitching in their chest. their face is messy with tears, and their tiny hands are trembling. you kneel, instinctively, lowering to their level, and you soften your voice, in an attempt to make them feel safe.

"you're okay, i'll help you, we'll find her, i promise."

but they only cry harder. their words come out in a way that's impossible to untangle. they're just a kid after all, panic swallows them whole and they can't explain what's going on, where they lost her, what exactly happened that made them lose her, and to top it all off they don't even have the words for it, they only know what it feels like, the way fear spreads itself in their chest, the way the world suddenly seems too big and too loud and too much.

and you—you have no idea what to do. you don't know how to fix this. you don't know the kid, at least, not really. the situation seems bigger than either of you, but you do know that you won't leave them here, that you will take their hand and hold it tight, that you will put them on your shoulders and search through every inch of this place until you find their mom.

except—they stop crying. and they lift their head to look at you, really look at you, with something in their expression, something you can't quite understand, like they know something, and that makes your stomach drop before they even open their mouth.

"you left me here."

the words don't make sense. they confuse you and ring in your head like a thousand church bells, and then the sound disappears. everything else is still moving, the ferris wheel is still spinning, the rainbow lights are still flashing, the music is still playing—but you don't hear any of it anymore.

"what?" you whisper, but you already know the answer.

they squeeze your hand tighter, like they're afraid once they repeat themselves you'll let go and leave again. their lips are shaking, and their voice is much more quieter now, but it cuts through you like a sharp and sudden scream.

"you left me here."

and suddenly, you remember. you remember the way you used to dream. the way you swore you'd never let go of the things that made your heart feel so big, the way you promised yourself you wouldn't become this—this version of you that makes these sensible choices, that trades joy for survival and tells themselves it's just what 'growing up' means, and it's just 'the way life is.'

the kid is still looking at you, waiting for you to say something, do something, anything. and in that moment, you realize—it's not just any kid standing in front of you. it's you. the part of you that you've buried, the part that's still waiting for answers, for someone to care enough. that kid is the version of you you left behind, the one you've been avoiding all this time.

go help them. don't look at me or anyone else. go help them. they asked you. not me, not anybody around. they saw you in this suffocating crowd and felt the safest with you, so they approached you, they wouldn't choose anyone else in this world.

either you take them by the hand, or they're going to keep following you around, pulling at your sleeve, each time harder than the last, sobbing so loudly it bangs in your eardrums, waking you up in the middle of the night with questions you're too tired to answer.

and i want you to think of your choice to ignore them as saying "i promise we'll find her" and then leading them into the fair, distracting them by pointing out other kids playing and shouting "hey! this looks fun!", buying them cotton candy, hoping it'll make them forget about the ache in their chest.

and maybe, for a while, it works. maybe they smile, maybe they even laugh, maybe you convince yourself that they've forgotten what they were crying about.

but the knot is still in their throat. the tears haven't dried. the softness of their mother's hands still lingers on their cheeks. and it won't ever leave.

they'll pretend to forget, but you won't. they'll let go of your hand, but you'll still feel the tightness of their grip, years later, in your happiest moments, in every mirror, in dreams where you catch a glimpse of them just before you wake up to face reality.

and you'll always come back to them. so choose, now, to do something about it, and that choice better be to help them find their mom. (home.)

[dsabian]

"What is all that?"

Gaius looks up from his counting. Arthur, as is his want these days, has stormed into the apothecary without knocking. Another dubious pleasure to blame Merlin for. The prince never used to take such an interest in the physician's chambers before the boy's arrival.

Arthur has an incredulous look on his face as he takes in the piles of coins and large ceramic jar arrayed on the table in front of Gaius.

"Hello Arthur, I hope your bursting in here unannounced does not mean you're in need of healing? I am fine, in case you were wondering."

The young man looks slightly mollified. "I. No, I'm fine. Thank you. And good. That you're fine."

Gaius blinks. Arthur looks particularly uncomfortable at having been cordial, in his own roundabout way.

Something else to blame Merlin for. Gaius is aware Merlin has been trying to teach Arthur manners and of course that's all for the better, but why it's resulted in all the fumbling for words Gaius will never know. If anyone could find a way to make babbling contagious it would be Gaius' ward.

There's a pause Arthur appears to find awkward before Gaius resumes his counting.

Arthur crosses his arms and frowns at the money. "Are these payments from the sick? I was under the impression you were well compensated by the crown for your work in both the citadel and lower town."

Gaius scoffs slightly at the word 'well'.

"I am compensated, though it is a shame the amount has not increased in keeping with the number of mouths it needs to feed." Gaius pauses for a moment to allow Arthur a little extra squirming, then goes on. "But this is not from my patients. This is my curse jar."

Arthur undergoes a little gamete of emotions as Gaius speaks, Gaius notes. Scowling at the thought of Gaius taking money from the ill, guilt at the knowledge Gaius' stipend didn't take housing a growing boy into account, continued confusion at what the money is for, and finally annoyance at still being confused.

"Every time I curse, I place a coin into the jar," Gaius relents before Arthur can ask again.

Arthur looks mollified for a moment, then confused again. "I've never heard you curse. And that jar is huge, how long have you been adding to it?"

"I empty it monthly."

"Monthly?"

"It used to be yearly. And the jar was smaller. But circumstances being what they are... Actually, I find it a convenient way to save for the more expensive supplies."

It's Arthur’s turn to blink. "But Gaius, all of that in one month? What-"

The prince is cut off by his manservant skidding into the room. Merlin is bootless, caked in mud, flushed with excitement and with an all too familiar glint in his eye. "Gaius!" he calls before even coming to a complete stop, "I need-" He cuts himself off as he finally notices Arthur staring at him in bewilderment. "Oh, hello Arthur. Um, funny thing happened on the way from the market, but don't worry the horse is fine and I can definitely get the cloak back. I just have to check something with Gaius."

Arthur's eyes meet Gaius' as the older man silently takes a few coins from the nearest pile and drops them back into the jar. Then Gaius watches Arthur’s brain catch up with what Merlin has said.

"Cloak? My cloak? Wait, what horse?!"

this interaction got me cackling sjisdjkidj

S4 E09

[tarotbyjam24]

A compliment jar curated for you

Likes , reblogs and feedbacks are very much appreciated 💗

Disclaimer: this is general reading . It may or may not resonate . If reading doesn't resonate let it fly and choose another pile or simply there were no messages for you through this reading 😊 Take the reading lightly as nothing's set in stone until you believe so 🕊️

Thankyou for stopping by let's dive in ☄️ Choose the pile you feel most drawn to 🧸

Exchanges : open , collabs for paps : open

Masterlist\pick a piles feedbacks piggy bank

bunnies this is my 2nd time creating this whole reading cuz 1st time it got error and didn't get saved . Alright these compliments can be from anyone but the thing about them is that they're compliments that you need to hear . So come to this post as often as you feel you need a confidence boost your ✨ I'd love to hear your thoughts on this reading 🌸

If you like my work you can now tip me on kofi too ,leave 🖤 emoji while tipping me because @winisayswhat and I both share same accounts and it'll help us distinguish our tips and leave 💗 if you tip for @winisayswhat ♡

I also offer paid readings you can book one as it'll help me a lot and don't forget to check the free readings offer ✨

Pile 1 pile 2

pile 3 pile 4

Pile 1

you are very precious So please take care of yourself!!

Beautiful : definition:A person who is reading this

I am having trouble coming up with a compliment worthy enough for you

You're more important than you realise

I want you only you

You're the prettiest

My boy ! My euphoria! My babe!

Lady in blue

Sounds of the sea

I hope something good happens to you today

You're stars

Smile,it's free therapy

actually, you're not hard to love at all. get that out of your head.

The right people stay

meeting you was Like listening to a song for the first time and knowing it would be my favorite.

Pile 2

If I had to pick between being friends with you or being friends with Sir Patrick Stewart, I would pick Patrick Stewart.But I'd talk about you all the time.

your music taste is better than others .

REMEMBER THE DAYS YOU PRAYED FOR THE THINGS YOU HAVE NOW."

your friends love you they call you a cry baby

on the other side of the clouds it's bright blue sky

I love everything about you hate about yourself.

There are only, like, a handful of five-year-old girls prettier than you.

Physically into you mentally over you.

Turn it into art

true friendship is hating on everything together

you have a place in my heart no one else could have.

"And in her smile I see something more beautiful than the stars."

Good things take time

Pile 3

YOU MUST BE THE SQUARE ROOT OF TWO BECAUSE I FEEL IRRATIONAL AROUND YOU

I NEED TO GO TO THE POST OFFICE AND CHANGE MY ADDRESS TO YOUR HEART.

ID OFFER YOU A CIGARETTE BUT YOU'RE ALREADY SMOKIN' HOT

ARE YOU A WIZARD?BECAUSE YOU'VE GOT ME UNDER YOUR SPELL

YOU SPEND SO MUCH TIME IN MY MIND I SHOULD START CHARGING YOU RENT.

true friendship is hating on everything together

You're cool because you don't judge me when I get excited about something lame.

You're my heart in human form

Of all flowers: you

I care about your dumb ass a lot

.....the scents of roses ...

You did well today

I less than three you <3

Are Sambhal kar abhi gir jate na mere pyar m [Take care my love, don't you fall in my love]

Anyways I'm proud of my best friend

Kon tumnae bakwas karega jaise m tumse karti hu [who'll bicker to you the way I do it to you ]

Soulmates aren't just lovers

She looks shy but she's shy[tan] means devil

🩷To🩷 everyone🩷 who's 🩷felt🩷 like🩷 they 🩷weren't🩷 enough 🩷

Pile 4

I don't know who you think you are, but if you think it's someone sexy, then okay.

YOU MUST BE ONE SPICY DISH BECAUSE YOUR MAKING MY HEART BURN

CAN I BORROW YOUR SUNGLASSES? YOUR BEAUTY IS BLINDING ME.

your effort is very much appreciated- and so are you

I'M NO ORGAN DONOR BUT ID BE HAPPY TO GIVE YOU MY HEART

YOU'RE SO SWEET YOU'RE GIVING ME CAVITIES

YOU MUST BE A MAGICIAN, BECAUSE EVERYTIME I LOOK AT YOU, EVERYONE ELSE DISAPPEARS

YOU LOOK FAMILAR. DID WE HAVE CLASS TOGETHER? I COULD HAVE SWORN WE HAD CHEMISTRY.

Are you google ? Because you're everything I've been searching for

Friends who understand your talkative and quiet phases without taking anything personally >>

"Her aura is made of poetry, roses, and galaxies."

She's wisky in teacup

Quality over quantity typa friend

And till end you're my very best friend

Best friend nah ? She's my sister

I hope you liked the reading . Thank you so much for letting me read for you . Wishing you best ahead . 🎀Bless you and have a nice day🌸🐰 I'd love to hear which pile you chose

Loads of love , jam\gem🩷

[spanishskulduggery]

I have a small running list of phrases that can be used conversationally. I would call them idiomatic expressions, although some are just little phrases or expressions you can sprinkle into conversation

Some of them are so small that I didn't think I could make a whole post devoted to them so I'll do a list:

(ser) santo de mi devoción = "I don't really like this person", "I don't trust this person", "they're not my cup of tea" [note: usually it's no es santo de mi devoción in the negative] This expression is used with people, but it's when you don't really like them for whatever reason. The default expression is caer(le) bien "to get along with someone" or caer(le) mal "to not get along with someone". Literally this expression means "to be one's saint of devotion" or "to be one's patron saint". Catholics (in particular Catholics, I don't think it's common for any other Christian denomination) will pray to certain saints regarding certain matters, and some people are named after saints or celebrate their saint's feast day. The most common one is Mary who has a bunch of different variations whether it's Our Lady of Sorrows, the Virgin of Guadalupe, or other religious sites. When used with people no es santo de mi devoción is kind of like "I don't care for them"

¿Es cosa mía? = "Is it just me?" Literally this is - "is it my thing?"... but this is when you're asking other people if they think the same as you. The cosa mía can be phrased as a declarative statement, but primarily you see it as a question The cosa mía is a stand-in for someone's way of thinking, opinions, or checking to see what someone else thinks. Like... ¿es cosa mía o ella está enfadada? "is it just me or is she angry?", or ¿oyes esto? ¿es cosa mía? "do you hear that? is it just me?"

que yo sepa = "as far as I know", "that I know of" Typically this is phrased with yo but you can change it around. This is a subjunctive phrase of doubt or uncertainty, something like "that I should/would know" or more like "that I'm aware of"... the closest literal translation that makes sense is "that I have knowledge of" Again, this can be sort of changed around like instead of que yo sepa "as far as I know", you can say something like que tú sepas "as far as you know", or que nosotros sepamos "as far as we know"

no es para tanto = "it's no big deal" This is used when you're telling people not to exaggerate, so it could be in a self-deprecating way like if someone compliments you it can come out as "it's no big deal" Or if someone's really upset this is like a reality check like "hey it's not that bad" or "it's no big deal"

para mí = "in my opinion" Literally "for me", or something like "in my case" or "as far as I'm concerned". There are times when you can use para mí in its normal setting where "I" am the recipient of something so it's "for me" But there are times when you can start off a sentence saying para mí as "in my opinion"

a la vez = "at the same time" A shorter way of saying simultáneamente "simultaneously", but saying a lot of things are happening a la vez means "at the same time", but literally "at once" (or, more literally "at the (single) time")

la niña del ojo = "the apple of someone's eye" English-speakers are going to see this and think "the girl of the eye", but la niña can mean "the pupil (of the eye)" as a noun that is always feminine In this particular expression la niña de su ojo is "the apple of his/her/their eye" which can be said of anyone, male or female etc. It's really calling someone "the pupil of their eye" And obviously you can use any possessive - mi ojo, tu ojo, su ojo, nuestro ojo etc. But if you ever see la niña in a way that doesn't quite make sense as "girl", it's probably "pupil"

el calvario = "cross to bear", "ordeal" This is usually used in the sense of "trials and tribulations", like a really difficult situation - sometimes it's used as someone's own personal ordeal to overcome like a "cross to bear" I say "cross to bear" because that is the literal definition here - this word comes from Calvary, the place where Jesus was crucified. It is used euphemistically in Spanish when someone is undergoing a time of suffering, or they're struggling with their own personal issues. Additionally it can be used as "stations of the cross" particularly in the Catholic tradition during Lent, and when people reenact the Passion of Christ they sometimes use the term el calvario as the literal and euphemistic meaning

de segunda = second-rate, second-class This is pretty self-explanatory, as segundo/a means "second", but it makes more sense with some additional context. The term de primera means "first class" when used as an adjectival phrase, so it can be used for "high quality". Next is de segunda which then means "second-rate" or "second-class" meaning not as good as first It should also be noted that the fuller expression is de segunda categoría which is why it's feminine [lit. "of second category/classification"] - sometimes de segunda clase - but you will see this expression used in things like ciudadanos de segunda categoría/clase "second-class citizens" And if you needed to go lower there's de tercera "third-rate"; but in general translation people say de segunda as "third-rate" meaning "not good". The other expression used with "three" is de tres al cuarto which comes out like "dime a dozen" or "two-bit", like very cheap - it literally means "three for a quarter" of a specific medieval Spanish coin called a maravedí. So it is understood largely like "dime a dozen"

que sean felices y coman perdices = "and they lived happily ever after" This is an older way that stories ended, not super common nowadays but sometimes it shows up. This literally means "let them be happy and eat partridges" where a partridge was a symbol of wealth for the upper class. Today you might hear something like felices y para siempre which is very much more literal as "happily ever after", literally "happy and forever". Some places will also say colorín colorado este cuente se ha acabado which is a fun little rhyme thing for children's stories - it doesn't mean much literally; colorado/a was a term for "red" [specifically it was like "blush" or "rouge", like someone's natural "color" of healthiness and related to "ruddy"], so it's like "little red, red, this story is over" and done for the rhyme

¿a mí qué? = "so what?", "what's that got to do with me?" A little harder to translate literally but it's "to me what", but kind of like "why should I care?" - a has many uses so you can kind of think of this as the kind of a used for importar "to care about" But this is like if someone is giving you a bunch of information and acting like you should care, or giving you a sob story - it's an expression of being dismissive or not interested, saying it has nothing to do with you, or it doesn't affect you

¿cómo no? = "of course!", "definitely", "obviously" This is an expression of affirmation, kind of like a "how could we do otherwise?" - it's commonly translated as "yes" or "certainly" or "definitely", but also can be more literal "how could (we/it) not" - this sort of feels like a mix of affirmation and a "you didn't even need to ask, of course" like it was a foregone conclusion

en un pis-pas = "just like that", "in a flash", "in a blink", very fast There are a handful of ways to say this, but un pis-pas or un pispás is just understood as a euphemism for "very fast" or "an instant". The other common way to say this is en un abrir y cerrar de ojos which is literally "in an opening and closing of eyes", aka "a blink" - sometimes en un parpadeo "in a blink (of the eyes)" [as parpardear is "to blink", related to el párpado "eyelid"] And the other way that's somewhat common or at least understood is en un santiamén which is literally "in a holy amen", which I kind of interpret as "in the time it takes to say amen" or "in the time it takes to cross yourself", both of which would be really fast and commonplace in a more Catholic society I think for the sake of speed though some people would prefer en un pis-pas because it's way less syllables than en un abrir y cerrar de ojos so if you were snapping your fingers you might say en un pis-pas

cueste lo que cueste = "at any cost" Literally "may it cost (whatever) it costs"; it's a very typical subjunctive expression - the other way to say this is a todo costo "at all costs" sometimes a toda costa (it can be either) Spanish subjunctive like this is really common, so you'll see sea lo que sea "be that as it may", pase lo que pase "whatever happens" or "come what may" and so on In the case of cueste lo que cueste it's from costar "to cost", using subjunctive forms (and costar is an O->UE verb), so sometimes people casually sprinkle in these subjunctive expressions like han decidido que, cueste lo que cueste, lo van a hacer "they've decided that, no matter the cost, they're going to do it" or something like han decidido hacerlo, cueste lo que cueste "they've decided to do it, no matter the cost" etc. Very flexible just like English

ojalá = "I really hope so", "I hope to God" This one is a remnant of Islam/Arabic in Spanish, but it's very very close to the expression "inshallah" - ojalá is sometimes treated as "I hope to God" because that alá is "Allah" in Spanish In general subjunctive phrases it's a strong desire like ojalá que no llueva "I really hope it doesn't rain". In other cases, ojalá can be sort of used the way you say "hopefully" or "God willing", the exact way Arabic and Muslim cultures would use it You can say ojalá as "I hope so" or "hopefully", or ojalá que no "I hope not" and "hopefully not" Because it's more related to the subjunctive it carries the possibility that it might not happen, but it could. But it can come across as a more passive or non-committal just "oh I hope it does but it is also out of my hands" - though that kind of passivity can depend on the general mood [for the sake of precision - ojalá is derived from "lawshallah" إن شاء الله  in Arabic meaning "if God should will it", so it's like an imperfect subjunctive - people do compare it to inshallah but it's just the alá part that's the same, the vibe of ojalá is more doubtful or uncertain; in Medieval Spanish the expression had sort of come as oxalá then eventually ojalá]

[solomonomenon]

who gets the most bitches in the group? Like who's the most popular in the idol industry/with girls around them. I feel like lee know would have the most secret admirers while hyunjin and felix are the most approached

bang chan: they admire him, see him as an inspiration. he's popular but not in a romantic way.

lee know: similar to chan, people look up to him with admiration. they see him as someone who seems to have his life together.

changbin: I think he's broken a lot of hearts. when he sets his sights on someone, he doesn’t even acknowledge anyone else.

hyunjin: same vibe as changbin, he's really popular and that means a lot of hearts broken in the process. he's very selective so of course he has to reject a lot of people

han: he's not good at socializing so he's just with his works

felix: he is popular but I don't think he cares much about what people say about him. there's chaos happening around him for sure but it never reaches him

seungmin: excessive is the word that comes to mind. there's a lot of both romantic and sexual energy going on here. I think he's not just popular as in they're having conversations about him, he's actually been with a handful of them whether just texting, hooking up, or actually dating.

jeongin: it seems like other people have some kind of expectations of him that don't align with reality maybe there're some rumors going around something like one bad experience tarnished his reputation somehow. some may sees him as an opportunity but I don't know for what exactly. and he's really hard to get. he enjoys the attention, but if he doesn’t want to take things further, he’ll simply shut them out.