#I need to know the beef so badly

[illustratingari]

Yord:

Jecki:

[batsplat]

from the stuff i’ve heard marc’s former honda teammates (dani jorge and pol in their media careers but joan also i guess) say about him now that they’re racing is generally quite positive, both on a professional/riding level but also seemingly on a personal level? i’m wondering what you make of that given that, yeah, marc doesn’t seem like a very good teammate (unless you’re alex who i’ve left off this list). like MARC wants to separate on and off track stuff and it seems like all of these guys are willing too at least in retrospect, so he can’t have truly burned bridges with them. do you have any thoughts on that

(x, x) most riders are quite good at not burning bridges with each other! it's not like marc's competitors don't know that this stuff is kinda part of the game. I mean, all of marc's past teammates were also trying to assert themselves within the internal hierarchy... you can say that certain teammates engage in 'worse' behaviour than others, but, like, these people do understand they're supposed to be fighting each other! a baseline degree of nastiness is factored in and will be accepted to a greater or lesser extent by your rivals - especially when it comes to asserting yourself in intra-team power struggles. you might hate the other guy in the moment, but generally speaking once the active part of the rivalry is done with... you will probably get over it. marc's fellow riders are aware of how ultra-competitive marc is - and to a certain point they do respect it, not least because they're aware that this is part of the reason why marc has ended up with all those titles. it's like dani said, right, it's marc's strong suit. and in general, you do have to say that there's relatively few teammate pairings that devolve to the level of toxicity that it completely destroys the interpersonal relationship. you might need some level of preexisting animosity... most of the purely competitive sins can be healed with a little time

on the 'separating on-track and off-track' thing... well. this is kind of a question of how you define these things, you can say that marc generally speaking isn't going to massively hold grudges over isolated on-track incidents or whatever... but he doesn't just leave his fighting to the track, and personally I've also never felt he can entirely separate these things out in his mind. can you really say his professional and private relationships with other riders are completely detached from one another? mostly, he's opted to be pretty disengaged from his fellow riders as a collective, and obviously that's a good way to not take things too personally... it's all part of the game, isn't it? sometimes it's good to go with the straightforward approach: marc tells you he will make your life hell, he does indeed make your life hell, and then you both move on with your lives and can maybe actually have a pretty amiable relationship with him in years to come. he's not really defying your expectations at any point here, is he now? it's still a question for each of them as individuals as to whether they think that kind of behaviour is above board and acceptable or not... but everyone by now knows that marc plays these games, so it's not like they're going in blind

and it's not like other former teammates are constantly badmouthing each other. I mean... look, let's just cut to the chase here and bring in valentino as our reference point (as he is for the sport as a whole, which by the way does also help create a certain baseline of acceptability for marc's antics - maybe goated riders are just supposed to be dicks who knows). vale's premier class teammates were 1) nobody (2000-01), 2) tohru ukawa (2002), 3) nicky hayden (2003; 2011-12), 4) carlos checa (2004), 5) colin edwards (2005-2007), 6) jorge lorenzo (2008-10; 2013-16), 7) maverick vinales (2017-20), 8) franco morbidelli (2021), and 9) andrea dovizioso (2021). of these eight men (let's just exclude 'nobody' for now), do you know how many had serious complaints at any point about valentino as a teammate? that's right, it's one guy. one. some of valentino's other teammates, like hayden, checa and edwards, were even quite actively positive about their whole experience. this is the thing - you do need some specific circumstances for teammate rivalries to escalate from 'being kinda bitchy every other month' to 'actively fantasising about stabbing each other'. not accounting for natural interpersonal animosity, let's list some circumstantial factors that you need to get a bridge-burning-worthy level of feud:

you need a competitive bike. it is possible to beef about development direction when you're in the trenches (cf late 2010's yamaha, 2020's honda)... but generally speaking this is going to be quite low-level petty stuff, not actual war

you also need something that approaches competitiveness between teammates. if one teammate is unquestionably stronger than the other one, then it is very unlikely that you are going to get any open hostilities. the tension comes when the two sides are close enough to each other for the internal hierarchy to actually be a contentious issue (this is also basic self preservation... if you're the far weaker teammate then you do not want to make the situation troublesome, because then you will be the one to be fired)

following on from those first two things... well, it doesn't hurt to have a title fight in the mix. there are also other ways you can generate competitive stakes, like, for instance, if you and your teammate know that one of you will be out of a job soon. basically, it helps to have something to squabble over

it is maybe easy to forget how rare it is this century for teammates to be fighting directly for a title, let alone over the course of multiple seasons. only two 1-2's since the year 2000 and they're both for the factory yamaha's (though 2006, 2011-13 and 2017 did all prominently feature two factory hondas). which means that for valentino, the prerequisites were met just the once in his premier class career... and yes, the results were pretty memorable, but (topic! for! another! post!) it's worth pointing out that even that relationship was pretty much 'fine' whenever there was a sizeable disparity between the two of them performance-wise (2008 and 2013 are the most clear cut examples). I think the way I'd frame it with marc is that he has a bunch of mildly dubious strategies up his sleeve to assert himself within the team, which don't really deviate that far from what you'd expect from a rider of marc's calibre and only need to be escalated under specific circumstances. that doesn't mean he doesn't have the potential to be ruthless, but up until now it's mostly been a fairly 'acceptable' level of ruthlessness on the intra-team level... and not something that is likely to make other riders actually hate him

taking marc's teammates one by one... dani was the closest to meeting the bridge-burning prerequisites, though he was only a title rival in marc's rookie season. and marc did go further with him than he did with anyone else, and dani has made some pointed comments about marc's style as a teammate... but yes, he is fonder of marc these days. partly I'd just emphasise again that this is a fairly natural progression when you've stopped directly competing for long enough, and partly it's also just a question of individual personality - dani's not massively into holding grudges. then there's jorge, who... I mean, they might as well not have been teammates, given that jorge was either too slow or too injured to even be sharing any track space with marc. you have to put that one down primarily to circumstance, seeing as jorge's own track record on the teammate front isn't exactly spotless. marc and jorge beefing in 2019 would have been pretty dumb and also a massive waste of everyone's time in a year in which marc singlehandedly won the team's championship. even those two needed more to get things going

moving on to the dark years, pol and marc had an extremely stop-and-start partnership on a honda that was generally pretty uncompetitive... so the only stuff they could get ever so mildly irritable about were riveting incidents like 'marc saying pol wasn't the biggest championship threat' (neither of them were) or 'pol saying he'd copy marc's set up' (which proved entirely useless). not exactly title decider territory, is it now, and marc very much had pol covered as a challenger throughout their partnership. also, those two do have a longer history! they've known each other since they were kids and hold a pretty significant place in each other's careers. now that pol's more or less retired, it's natural there'll be quite a lot of sentimentality there - which will paper over any small cracks that appeared during those two years. and joan was a one year teammate at a time in which the bike was consistently close to offing them both. they only managed to start a sunday race together as teammates on thirteen occasions. it would take some serious effort to engineer a feud with that little opportunity, and, really, why on earth would you bother. maybe if honda had gone for rinsy rather than joan for the factory seat, it could've been a bit more prickly, but it's unlikely that it would have escalated beyond that

this is the thing, right, the only one of these partnerships that would have been worth burning bridges over was dani, and even there marc pretty much had him handled after the first season. in general, marc has been pretty clear on how he's not interested in making friends with the other side of the garage while the teammate relationship is ongoing... which is fine! there's some prominent-ish teammate pairings that are actually good friends, some teammate pairings where one of them is actively helping out and advising the other one, but some riders prefer to just keep their distance. it would have been a little silly of marc to start a feud with a teammate who is galaxies away from being a competitive threat, let alone a title rival, but generally it is possible to toe the line between 'attempting to suppress your internal rivals enough to stop them from becoming a problem for you' and 'taking radical enough action to make your internal rivals despise you'

especially in the post-dani era, marc never really had any need to push things too far... and, let's face it, how many of your teammate relationships end up with burnt bridges is also quite frankly a question of luck and circumstance. do you want to guess which top rider on paper has the worst track record this century with premier class teammate feuds, in terms of a) how many they've had, and b) how little public reconciliation there has been since the end of the rivalry?

yes, that's right, it's the first name that comes to mind when you're thinking of toxic and conflict-prone riders: andrea dovizioso. that old devil, constantly causing trouble. just couldn't stop undermining his poor, innocent teammates. can somebody please stop this ruthless bully before it's too late

I think you get the point. I would personally suggest that dovi is not in fact the worst teammate it is possible to have in a motogp top team. he just happened to find himself in a situation where he was teammates with two separate guys he did not click with at all, in situations that involved a pairing of riders who were (or had the potential to be) competitive with each other, as well as some proper stakes attached to the rivalry. in general, situational factors are going to determine this stuff more than anything else... and marc more often than not does have a reasonably good feel for picking his battles. he's flirted with the line, but he's mostly avoided crossing it. he hasn't had to

[dirt-str1der]

What ive learned about the yakuza community is that you guys are way too hung up over that scene in y4 where he pinned haruka to the ground then started panting really heavily , that didnt happen for me , that scene wasnt real to me i forgot about it.

[serenityofwitches]

no it's whatever i dont even think about her everyday im cool about it and her and everything. 🙂

[inbabylontheywept]

I was walking out of the Walmart today, and a car passed me, and I got this incredibly vivid impression. It wasn't really in words, but if I had to put it into words, the two key points would be

a). I needed to watch that car and

b). That I needed to be careful, because the driver of the car was a massive bitch.

It kind of took me by surprise, because I really had no reason to be beefing with that car, and I also hadn't really had an impression like that since I was religious, which was in my teen years. Right? It'd been a decade since I had a little voice whisper in my ear, and I'd basically written it off as nonsense.

Anyway, I watched the car, because The Spirits or whatever were very insistent that I did. Car drove fine, went into the parking spot, inched forward, and right when it should've just stopped, the driver gunned it for some reason and it ran into the curb and cracked its bumper.

So, the driver got out, and she went to the front of the car to check that yes, she had cracked her bumper, and then she turned to look at me. The parking lot wasn't empty, but we were the only two people standing in that row, and I'd probably been staring at her for tenish seconds now.

She demanded very angrily to know why I hadn't warned her of the curb. And I could have said I didn't know you were about to gun it or is it my job to help every stranger park, or even could you have even heard me, inside your car?

And all of those would have been fine, but I was really, really busy digesting that I had somehow communed with Mormon Jesus again for the first time in fifteen years, and that the communion had mostly been there to let me watch someone park badly (?), so what I responded with was:

"Because it was foretold."

And I can't tell which would be funnier, if she went silent because there's not much to be said to that, or if she went silent because in Utah, she might actually believe me, but we parted ways without more words.

I'm still kind of digesting this myself, actually.

[dewwinchester]

next. | d.w.

request: @rustic-guitar-notes: "can u write a little cutesy piece basically about reader and dean living a very normal life and leaving hunting?? like they have a whole house together and sam visits sometimes and it’s all just soft and NORMAL."

synopsis: this is written as a sequel to done, however, it can also be read as a standalone fic.

pairing: dean winchester x female!reader

word count: 2.6k+

warnings: fluff - she/her pronouns used - no use of 'y/n' - a smidge of angst if you squint - a surprise Sam appearance - Eileen mention! - pet names used (sweetheart)

a/n: this took me FOREVER i'm so sorry!! but I hope this makes up for it <3333 (also eileen is blurry wife confirmed by me)

Why did cooking have to be so difficult?

The instructions stared up at you from your phone screen, mocking your efforts. You had no trouble following directions and were confident you had done everything perfectly. Yet, your kitchen was beginning to fill with smoke, and the burger patties on the stove—the patties you had spent hours putting together—were starting to fall apart and burn.

There was stuff everywhere. Herbs were all over the counter, white flour-handprints covered your shirt, and you were certain some of it was in your hair. Flecks of ground beef were on your tiled walls and floor (which, thankfully, your dog Miracle cleaned up right away). Salad ingredients littered your bench space, leaving you little to no room to move.

You were beginning to feel claustrophobic. This kitchen was a lot smaller than the one you were used to.

You were accustomed to the bunker, with its vast countertop space, where anything you needed was within arm's reach and easily spotted. Currently, what little kitchenware you had was hidden behind cabinet doors, and you were still getting used to the setup.

Tears pricked the corners of your eyes as you felt your heart rate begin to accelerate. You felt stupid. All you wanted to do was make a nice meal, and cooking was simply reading and following instructions—why couldn't you just do that?

Just when you thought things couldn't get any worse, a shrill beeping rang through your house.

The smoke alarm.

Panicked, you fumbled to turn off the stove and wave away the smoke, desperately trying to silence the alarm before one of your nosy neighbours came knocking at the door. When the beeping finally stopped, you returned to the stove, sighing at the blackened mess that was left.

It didn't look too bad. You were sure that you could fix it simply by scraping off the burnt bits; no one would even know just how badly you messed everything up.

You decided to turn your attention to something that only an idiot could mess up—chopping. You were once quite skilled with a blade—a year ago you would have been using it for something entirely different, like chopping off the heads of vampires or other various creatures that went bump in the night. Today, however, you swapped a machete for a chef's knife. Most of your weapons were carefully packed away, with only a few small trinkets and books to remind you of your old life as a hunter.

You sliced lettuce, tomato, and cucumber, being sure to tuck your fingers away and allow the knife to rock against your knuckles, just like the professionals did on television.

You were so focused on perfecting your chopping technique that you barely noticed the sound of keys turning in the lock or the front door swinging open. The sound of footsteps behind you went unnoticed until you felt a hand on your shoulder.

Out of pure instinct, you spun around, knife gripped tightly in your hand as a surge of adrenaline washed over you. You raised the blade towards the potential assailant, holding it a breath's distance away from their neck, your knuckles turning white. You could hear your heart pounding in your ears and your breath hitched in your throat at the sudden movement. Your brain was telling you to strike, to move on the enemy before it was too late, but the gentle hand that curled around your wrist caused your defensive stance to falter.

“You gonna stab me, sweetheart?”

"Dean?" you breathed, immediately pulling the knife away from his throat. Your heart was still thundering away, but the buzz of energy in your system had subsided to a gentle hum. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Well, I thought I would come home early and surprise you," he said, taking the knife from your hand and placing it on the countertop. "I didn't think you were gonna Long-Kiss-Goodnight-me."

“I’m sorry,” you sighed, anxiety and embarrassment quickly replacing the adrenaline. “Old habits…”

Dean took you by the shoulder and pulled you toward him, wrapping his arms around you in a tight embrace. He placed a firm kiss on the top of your head before resting his chin there. You melted into him and snaked your arms around his middle, feeling every worry melt away. He smelled like work: fuel, oil, and metal, and despite washing his hands copious times, there were still motor oil stains on his skin. Normally, the smell would have had you scrunching your nose up and ordering Dean into the shower, but for the first time, you couldn’t find yourself caring.

“How was work?” you asked, pulling back to look up at him. His hair was scruffy, the ends standing up in a hundred different directions. It was longer than Dean usually allowed it to get, but he told you he wanted to “experiment with the length” (you weren’t going to admit that the thought made you ever so slightly giddy).

"Pretty good," he replied, furrowing his brows for a moment as he wiped a patch of flour off your forehead with his thumb. "Some guy brought in an old Mustang. Got to—"

His eyes tore off you, looking towards the mess you left on the stove.

"What the hell—"

"Don't ask," you grumbled.

"What did you—what even—"

"I thought I said don't ask."

Dean picked the frypan up off the stove, inspecting the charred contents, and you felt like shrinking inside yourself. He looked over to the chopped ingredients on the counter before turning back to you.

"Dinner…?"

"I tried," you gave up. "I really did. I thought I would do something nice and surprise you, but apparently, I'm the world's worst cook."

Dean wasn't going to admit it, but you were right. You could make a mean bowl of cereal and a damn good cup of coffee, but when it came to toasting, baking, or frying, it usually ended with someone needing to get the fire extinguisher.

Your face fell into your hands—the tears were back, and you tried your best to hide them, but your shaky breaths immediately alerted Dean.

"Hey," he said with a light chuckle. He pulled you back towards him, one hand on your back, the other holding the back of your head. "It's all good."

"No it's not," you said, voice muffled by Dean's embrace. "I used to be good at something. Now I'm not good at anything."

"What d'you mean?"

"I used to be good at—at hunting. I used to wake up every day knowing exactly what to do and when. Now I can't even make a meal without messing up. At least you're good at something."

Dean nodded, fully understanding. It had been roughly six months since your last hunt, since you'd both hung up your hats and said goodbye to the life forever.

Surprisingly enough, Dean settled into your new life faster than you both had thought. He had gotten the mechanic job right off the bat and quickly fell into a routine. It was good for him. He had something to look forward to every day. He had new skills that he was able to put to use.

You, on the other hand, were finding things a little more difficult. You had no experience doing anything, making finding a job damn near impossible. You found yourself itching to check for the latest missing persons case or some kind of sign of the next apocalypse. You busied yourself by walking the dog, by cleaning the little house you rented in Kansas, by reading dozens of books.

Dean never pushed you. Instead, he let you adjust at your own pace.

Sure, there were still nights where one of you would wake up from a nightmare a sobbing, shaky mess, where visions of blood, death, and monsters flashed behind your eyelids. But you were always there for each other with comforting touches and words—you were each other's beacons of light when things began to grow dark again.

“I’ll tell you what,” he said, hands moving to your shoulders. “You are gonna head out, grab a pizza from down the street. I am gonna stay here and tidy up.”

“But—”

“Then,” he continued, “We’re gonna settle in for the night. Couch. Beer. Movie.”

“Fine,” you sighed, a smile creeping back onto your lips.

Your car smelled like pizza as you pulled into the little cul-de-sac where your house was. Three boxes sat on your passenger seat, and you had to refrain from reaching over and snagging a piece before getting home. Dean would have your head if you started without him.

You passed several houses on your block that looked somewhat similar to your own before your little house came into view. It was smaller than the others, but it made up for it with a massive front and back yard. It had a brown roof, beige-yellow walls, and a wooden door. For most people, it wasn’t much to look at—many of the people who inspected it had turned their noses up and laughed at it.

It wasn’t much, but it was home.

Upon pulling into the driveway, you noticed another car parked on the side of the road up ahead. The sight of it brought a wide smile to your face.

Sam.

It had been days since you last saw him. After spending all day every day in the Winchesters’ pockets, you had felt strange not seeing Sam constantly. After everything, Sam had become one of your closest and dearest friends—he was like an older brother to you. He knew everything about you, and you knew everything about him. You could talk to each other freely without judgment—he just got you.

You quickly parked your car, grabbed the pizza boxes, and headed inside.

You could hear Sam and Dean before seeing them. After years of hunting, stakeouts, and sneaking around, you were surprised the brothers weren't a little more subtle. Six months ago, you would have assumed they were arguing about something, but as you approached the front door, you actually heard them laugh.

You pushed the door open and headed inside, immediately greeted by Miracle. He sniffed around your feet and tried his best to investigate the pizza boxes in your hand, his tail wagging profusely. Dean took the pizza boxes from your hands, shot you a wink, and took them into the kitchen. Miracle quickly turned his attention away from you and followed the smell of the pizza. Traitor.

"Hey, stranger," Sam said, standing at the end of the entryway, hands stuffed in his hoodie pockets.

You threw your keys on the small bench near the front door and practically ran over to Sam, throwing your arms around him in a tight hug. You had to stand on your tiptoes to reach him.

"This is a nice surprise! Long time no see," you said, pulling back to take a look at him. He looked well-rested—happy—and there was a glint in his eye that you couldn't quite put your finger on. "How's Eileen?"

"Good," he lowered his head, the look in his eye now spreading to the rest of his face. A smile crept across his lips, the kind that had your brows furrowing in interest. "Yeah, she's real good."

You made a mental note to ask about it later.

"Pizza's gettin' cold!" Dean called, which caused you and Sam to roll your eyes in unison.

After indulging in five slices of pizza and three beers, you were completely stuffed. The boys had spent at least forty-five minutes arguing over which movie to watch, so the film—which should have ended by now—had only just started playing on your TV. You teetered on the edge of post-meal drowsiness, your eyes drooping. You fought hard against it; you wanted to stay awake and catch up with Sam, to hear more about how domestic life was finally treating him.

You felt content in your surroundings, and the knowledge that both your boys were here safe made you feel warm. The couch beneath you was soft, and with your head resting in Dean's lap, you felt even more comfortable. His thumb rubbed against your shoulder in small circles, and the rhythm of his touch eventually sent you off to sleep entirely. You had lost the fight.

“She asleep?” Sam asked in a whisper, gesturing with a nod towards you.

Dean shifted ever so slightly and cast his eyes down to you before nodding. "She wouldn't stop askin' me to invite you over. Thought the surprise would keep her buzzed for hours."

Sam chuckled, "Y'know, she can invite me over whenever she wants?"

"Man, if she had it her way, you'd never leave."

Sam smiled, and the two sat in comfortable silence for a moment, until his eyes grew concerned. He sat forward and grabbed the TV remote, turning down the volume until the film playing was barely audible.

"How's she doing?" he asked.

Dean shrugged, "Can't tell. Sometimes she seems okay. Then… I don't know…"

"What do you mean?"

"Came home today and found her in the kitchen. She was freaking out about dinner—"

"She's never been the best cook."

"I know," Dean said, "but she started tellin' me she wasn't good at anythin' anymore."

Sam's brows furrowed, "It'll take her some time to adjust. I mean, we aren’t exactly the best examples of settling into the real world."

“I keep tellin’ her that, but I don’t think she believes me.”

At that moment, Sam wished for nothing more than for you to wake up. He wanted to tell you about the several times he’d attempted a normal life and failed, how the hunting life had an iron-grip hold on him for years until he finally felt the time was right to cut free. But he decided to leave it for another time. You looked too peaceful.

But he knew that you would be fine. You always were. Aside from his brother, you were one of the strongest people Sam knew.

"How're things going with you and Eileen?" Dean asked. "Honeymoon phase over yet?"

A smile tugged on Sam's lips, "Yeah… I uh—I guess it kinda is."

"Dude, already? What did you do?"

"Nothing," Sam defended. "We've just found a routine. Settled in…"

"And…?"

Sam's hands swiped down his face as he sat back on the couch with a huff. His foot bounced against the floor, his eyes drifting from his brother to you and then back again.

"I wanted to tell you guys together."

Confusion flashed across Dean’s face as he sat up, careful not to jostle you around too much. “Wanted to tell us what?”

Sam let out a breath, “Eileen’s pregnant.”

Silence fell over the lounge room—the only sound being that of the soft dialogue coming from the television. The confusion on Dean’s face slowly morphed into shock, then confusion again, before a grin broke out.

“Are you serious?”

Sam nodded.

“You’re—you’re serious?”

Sam chuckled, nodding again.

There was something about it that Dean couldn’t believe. His brother—his baby brother—was having his own baby. It felt like just yesterday that he was picking him up from Stanford. The man next to him was no longer that college kid; he was starting his own family.

The thought made Dean look down at you. He wondered what it would be like to do all of that with you. Sure, the two of you had spoken about it here and there—marriage, family, the whole nine—but it never really went any further than that.

Dean’s brows furrowed as he looked up from you and back to his brother.

“She’s gonna kill you if she finds out she missed this.”

Sam laughed quietly, which caused the corners of his eyes to crinkle. “Well then, how ‘bout I stay the night? I’ll tell you guys in the morning… Just—try to act surprised. For our sake.”

“Deal.”

[jayparked]

heyy live ur writing style smmm😭

can we get 106 with Jay?🫶🏻

warnings: s2l, diner owner!jay x customer! f.reader, semi public sex in a closed restaurant, oral (f rec.), unprotected sex, slight dirty talk

wc: 1.4k

"i'm not on the menu."

"w-what?" you stare at the diner owner with wide eyes. he's smiling while continuing to wipe down the counter you're sitting at.

"i gave you that menu ten minutes ago but you haven't looked away from me for a second. i'm starting to think i missed a spot shaving or something."

he's so nonchalant about what he's saying to you. as if his words didn't send chills down your spine or bring a bright flush to your cheeks.

"i-...i'm sorry, jay. i must have been zoning out..."

he flashes you a playful smirk, one that screams 'yeah, sure, whatever you say'. you're grateful he drops the subject, continuing to clean as the last few customers start to leave the diner before closing time.

"you know..." jay starts slowly, "you've been coming here every week for months..."

"...yeah?" you question cautiously, eyes peering over the menu to take in his casual stance: one elbow on the counter so his head can be pillowed by his palm, the other hand still holding the washcloth.

"why do you still ask for a menu? you and i both know you don't need it. i've got your weekly cravings down to a science now. "

you chuckle and set the menu down, opting to take a sip of water just after saying, "a science, huh?"

jay shrugs one shoulder, his gaze intensifying, "rainy days it's the soup of the day. when it's sunny you want the roast beef provolone sandwich with crinkle cut fries, a diet coke, and a pickle on the side. when you have a stressful day at school you want the pancakes with extra syrup. and when it's-"

"enough!" you hold up a hand and laugh. "i get it! i like my routine, i'm predictable, blah blah blah."

"not as predictable as i'd like you to be," jay deadpans in a husked tone. your thoughts mentally trip inside your brain and you gulp a little too loudly. seconds go by without either of you saying anything or looking away from one another. you know you should say something, anything at this point, but the words just won't come out.

"why do you still ask for a menu, y/n?"

your heart is pounding in your chest so hard it physically hurts. but now that the new year has started, you remember your goal: to be more bold, more brave, and to try not to shy away from what you want.

instead of taking the leap, you opt to answer his question...with a question.

"why do you let me order way past closing?"

jay nods his head, lips jutting out playfully, clearly not expecting the tables to turn on him so quickly.

"it's the only time you can come in. you're in lectures all day. and someone's gotta make sure you're eating after all that studying." jay gets himself upright, tossing the washcloth over his shoulder and giving you another smile before turning his back to you. he walks towards the soda machine, scooping a generous amount of ice into a glass and pressing his finger against the diet coke option.

"so you're saying...that i'm not like the other customers?" you try to come off as funny, playful, maybe even a little bit flirty, wiggling your eyebrow at his back for an extra quirky effect. but he doesn't laugh.

jay turns to you once the glass is full. slowly, he leans back down again, his face inching closer and closer to yours as he moves the glass towards you. his eye contact is hypnotizing; the way you can't break away no matter how badly you want to. you look up at him with curious, searching eyes, hoping to find any hint that what you're feeling for him isn't as crazy as you think it is.

"do you want to be like the other customers?" he murmurs so softly you almost don't hear it. he's close enough that you could reach out and touch him, close enough to pull him closer, just...close enough.

"no," you sigh dreamily, "i really don't."

finally, jay's eyes flick down towards your lips, his own lips parting slightly, a soft exhale escaping them.

his gaze meets yours again, something softer, pleading, now displayed in those deep brown eyes. "may i?"

"please," you whisper, your own eyes flicking to his lips now.

both of jay's hands come forward and softly cusp your cheeks, pulling you closer until your lips collide. after a few seconds, jay smiles widely, his teeth showing while his lips still hover over yours.

"say that again," jay murmurs, his eyes fluttering as they remain closed, thumbs brushing along your cheekbones.

you can't help but smile with him, your hands shaking as you reach out to grasp his wrists and squeezing them reassuringly. "please."

"mmm, fuck. that's gonna be a problem for me later," he groans, his words rushing out of his mouth because damn, he just needs to kiss you again.

and kiss you again he does. his lips now moving feverishly with yours. his hands wander away from your face until they're on your shoulders, moving down even more until he's grabbing you under your arms and pulling you onto the countertop. now, standing between your legs, he can finally kiss you properly. one hand is back on your cheek, warm and soft while the other grips your hip tightly, bracing himself with the contact. your own hands reach out to the back of his head, fingers tangling in his dark black hair. a particular overly excited tug has him moaning against your lips, making you inhale as the sound sends ripples of pleasure down your body. he continues to kiss you feverishly, the pace of the kisses quickening and suddenly your body is not satisfied with the amount of distance between you. you need him closer. the only thing you can think of is to wrap your legs around his waist, tightening your grip and pulling him into you even more.

after a few more moments of kissing pass, you're both forced to separate from one another to catch your breaths. he's looking at you with blown out pupils, panting with his now swollen lips parted slightly. he's beyond hungry for you, and you love the feeling of knowing you look exactly the same in his eyes.

"let's take it back to my place." he finally manages to get the words out.

"is this not technically your place?"

"you're right. god, you're so smart." with a mischievous grin jay grabs your body and lays you on the countertop, hastily throwing your legs over his shoulders and grabbing your ass and burying his face in your clothed cunt while you squeal with laughter. any innocent passerby could see what the two of you are up to. jay hadn't gotten to the part of his closing checklist that includes pulling the shades down on all the windows. hell, all the lights are even still on, making a lovely spotlight for the two of you amongst the dark city streets.

but you've dreamt of this moment for so long that you don't even care.

jay has your pants off seconds later, too impatient to continue to play around. he just needs to taste you after all those nights waking up in a cold sweat, cock twitching spurts of cum into his boxers after dreaming of what you would look like sitting on his face, riding his cock, or how you'd look under him as he pounded you senseless. and now, he doesn't have to imagine it anymore. groaning as he continues to ravage you, hands groping anywhere he can reach, his tongue flicking skillfully against your swollen clit.

"j-jay. oh my god!" you cry out, gripping the counter until your knuckles turn white, unprepared to come this quickly.

"my god, that's what you sound like screaming my name?" jay's standing now, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand before moving to undo his belt. "so much better than i imagined. you're not going anywhere tonight. you're going to scream my name until you can't speak anymore. i want that throat raw in every way possible. but for now..." he groans as he pushes the tip of his cock into your hole, stretching you in new ways you haven't felt before. your body adapts to him quickly, though, as he begins to slowly thrust into you.

for part of my 1k follower celebration send me a member and a number from this list and i'll write a short drabble about it ♡ masterlist

[jedijoanna]

I feel like the dynamic between Jedi Council members was criminally underutilized. While this isn’t canon, here are my headcanons on how things really went down.

Mace Windu:

I’ve done the math (badly), and I’m pretty sure Mace was around the same age as Xanatos. Which means Mace is like Obi-Wan’s unofficial older padawan brother. Obi-Wan didn’t ask for this, but let’s be real—he probably needed it. Not that Obi-Wan would recognize this dynamic. He’s part of the disaster lineage, so he wouldn’t know what a typical older brother acts like.

Mace seamlessly switches between “Head of the Council” mode and “exasperated big brother” mode. Except, of course, when he’s making Obi-Wan do all the paperwork.

Mace: "You're good at taxes, Kenobi. I’m just letting you shine."
Obi-Wan: "I'm too honored to be insulted."

Yarael Poof:

This guy? Bigger gremlin energy than Yoda. And petty. Poof has perpetual beef with Ki-Adi-Mundi and finds great joy in trolling him. He’s the kind of guy who would take micro-naps during meetings just because “It’s only Mundi talking, everyone relax.”

Poof: "What was that, Mundi? Couldn't hear you over my sheer disinterest."
Mundi: "I will demote you to Youngling wrangler, Poof."

Ki-Adi-Mundi:

The most logical thinker on the Council. He’s here to do his job, clock in, clock out, and keep the galaxy running. Unfortunately, the galaxy includes Qui-Gon and Poof, so it’s not happening. He despises surprises and strongly prefers order.

Poof: snoring in the corner

Mundi: "I swear to the Force, Poof..."

Even Piell:

Blunt. Gruff. Won’t lead a discussion but will absolutely cut into one. He’s the Jedi equivalent of “the friend who knows where to hide the body.”

Piell: "You’re the diplomat, Kenobi. I’m here to look mean so bad guys think twice."
Obi-Wan: "What if we both look peaceful?"
Piell: "We’ll die."

Gretz Doom:

The guy who grew up with Qui-Gon and spent his childhood teasing his clanmates, Gretz is now the Council’s strictest rule-follower. Why? Because he knows that if you mess with the Senate, the Senate will mess with the Jedi’s budget and oversight.

Doom: "Qui-Gon, did you directly disobey the Council again?"

Qui-Gon: "In fairness, the Council is often wrong."

Doom: "You’re lucky they don’t garnish your missions like they do our budget."

Tera Sinube (Retired):

The ultimate grandpa Jedi. Gives unsolicited advice, tells the same stories repeatedly, and refuses to admit that lightsaber duels aren’t "like they used to be."

Sinube: "Back in my day, we didn’t have fancy starships."
Youngling: "How did you travel?"
Sinube: "We walked. Uphill. Both ways. Through asteroid fields."

Youngling: "In space?"

Obi-Wan Kenobi:

Obi-Wan wanted to join the Council, found out it was a trap, and tried to quit—repeatedly. Every time he tries to mess up to get kicked out, he accidentally makes the galaxy better. Mace keeps him around because Obi-Wan’s life is the Jedi’s best unintentional reality show.

Mace: "Kenobi, you caused an intergalactic scandal again?"
Obi-Wan: "Yes, but the scandal resulted in peace treaties for three systems, so..."
Mace: "We are still not accepting you resignation letter"

Obi-Wan: “drats!”

Yaddle:

The only one brave enough to call Yoda out. Wise, patient, and kind, but she will not suffer riddles.

Yoda: "Difficult, the path is."
Yaddle: "The budget’s tight. Just say that, Yoda."

Oppo Rancisis:

A reserved and analytical mind, Oppo specializes in strategy and seeing the bigger picture. His predictions about a rising Sith threat made him a quiet voice of reason long before others believed it.

Rancisis: "The Sith never vanished. They’re biding their time."

Mundi: "How do you know?"

Rancisis: "I just do.”

Eeth Koth:

An Anakin mirror. Eeth grew up as an angry orphan rescued by the Jedi, but he’s worked hard to control himself. Still, he’s known to clash with Mace and Grezzt Doom—occasionally on purpose. A former hothead turned disciplined Council member, Koth has a soft spot for Jedi who struggle with emotions, having once been in their shoes.

Koth: "Control your emotions, or they’ll control you."

Padawan: "Easier said than done."

Koth: "Trust me, I know. Now pick up your saber, we’re starting over."

Stass Allie:

A brilliant healer and fierce opponent of Senate corruption, Stass doesn’t tolerate nonsense. Most of her "menace energy" is reserved for politicians.

Senator: "The Republic is doing everything it can—"

Stass: "Then do better."

Senator: "I beg your pardon?"

Stass: "You heard me. Now get out of my medbay."

Adi Gallia:

The chillest Jedi off the clock, but the most cynical one during missions. She prefers intelligence to lightsabers (looking at you, Eeth Koth). Has a soft spot for Obi-Wan due to her long friendship with Qui-Gon. A calm and collected intelligence expert, Adi is the Council’s quiet strategist. She despises the war and blames the Senate for exploiting young Jedi.

Gallia: "The Senate sent Padawans to war."

Mace: "We needed soldiers."

Gallia: "We needed peace. What we got was child soldiers."

Yoda:

Wild card. Once a week, he’s doing something so bizarre that the other Council members have to pretend it’s normal.

Mace: "Why is Yoda levitating in the fountain?"

Poof: "Meditation, probably."

Feel free to add your takes!

[getsuuna]

KNY Fandom so fucking insufferable I'm gonna start behaving like those GiyuShino and SaneKana shippers and go around spreading misinformation and say "no you don't get it SaneGiyuu was implied!!!" /j

because I'd actually have more content to mention without even mischaracterizing them

wanna talk about how they're a two-faced mirror? almost as if they were written to parallel each other and there's so much to talk about on this matter

or, since not everyone in this Fandom can dive into analysis, wanna mention how Shinobu figured Sanemi could've made Giyuu smile by inviting him to eat his fav dish with him? why not ask him directly instead? why Sanemi out of all people?

wanna mention Sanemi's pseudo-obsession on that man? he disliked his ass, but if we go back to analysis, his intolerance to someone feeling superior can be tied to a multitude of factors and one of which is being low-key reminded of himself, and he loathes himself while at the same time he puts on that strong façade. he can't face it though. and he wanted to understand why Giyuu felt that way SO BADLY he went to him for training and tried to speak with him, he wanted a contact, he wanted to understand, he needed Giyuu to speak up but he didn't.

on the other hand don't we wanna talk about Giyuu's perspective? Giyuu never hated him nor did he really feel sad knowing he disliked him, contrary to how he felt towards Obanai. not to mention he even got to be sarcastic towards Sanemi's dumb ass at least twice.

and the iconic ohagi scene? idk about y'all but between the hashira I think that's THE iconic scene, alongside Giyuu and Shinobu beefing and Shinobu almost stabbing him (don't get me wrong platonic GiyuShino has my whole heart)

the first time we saw Giyuu smile in the series is while imagining to befriend Sanemi??? and out of everyone he chose Sanemi? the hashira who is canonically the most difficult to talk with?😭 he only ever smiled either for food, for Sanemi or Tanjiro

oh and let's not talk about how Tanjiro, after getting knocked up, wakes up and the first thing Giyuu says is "yeah Shinazugawa left" ..? or the whole novel chapter in which they end up talking about him (supposedly right after that scene in the manga) and Giyuu cheered up. what

anyways, likewise, the first time Sanemi was seen smiling genuinely outside of his family was with Giyuu. Obanai and especially Masachika were both closer to him, not to mention the most important person in his life, Genya...yet here we are ig?? (after Giyuu he also smiled more in general, the scene of him smiling at Nezuko was one of my fav panels ever so keep in mind I'm taking in consideration the chronological events and not the impact of the scenes per se)

or let's talk about the most important part in their development which is when they fought together.

Sanemi saving him, telling him not to zone out while throwing the sword at him, it made Giyuu realize he's the water hashira, it was the first time Giyuu acknowledged it. Sanemi influenced Giyuu's character positively, and so far Tanjiro was the only other one who managed to. Sanemi saw him as his ally (rightfully so), and hopefully seeing him fight also made him realize he wasn't that much of a conceited guy, he was just like him, as he initially wanted Giyuu to understand (despite the fact it was a miscommunication)

Sanemi teaming up with Giyuu out of everyone, in such an impactful panel.... idk, if it was a straight ship that would've felt like a confession for the Fandom 💀

they impacted each other's character, they were the only two hashira surviving after facing the same war, they faced similar struggles during their lives (but let's not get into analysis, once again...), they could've understood each other better than anyone else would ever have, and they ended up bonding and eating together

that panel was there, in the middle of other panels all portraying important bonds, whether canon romantic bonds or platonic and sibling-like ones (Tanjiro and Nezuko, the Kamaboko squad, the swordsmiths etc.)

if it wasn't important it wouldn't have been there, but the funniest thing is that if either of them was a woman it would've been considered canon since it also included TanKana, ZenNezu and InoAoi🙏🏻

but oh, if we try to name either of these things and more, people will rightfully say "can't they be friends anymore?", which is valid, but I wonder why this doesn't apply to equally fanon straight ships.

a show so peak has so many fans that are so dense😭😭😭

[lukolabrainrot]

Calm theory anon here. I was reading blogs and came across a couple narratives that I wanna give my opinion on for what it's worth. The idea that Luke and Nic are fighting because he didn't like her recent post. The thing that I find most hilarious is I have seen so many people shaming others for assuming more is going on BTS then what we the public are seeing. yet people have made it up in their heads that L and N are fighting. So it's okay for you to think there some big beef but it's not okay to think L and N are in some type of relationship. In order to assess this you kinda have to look at habits. Guys if you look back at a lot of Luke SM habits on insta he doesn't always like everything she post. Maybe it didn't come across his FYP. Or maybe he was told not to like it. I will tell you what I did notice. Luke as I said doesn't like every post of Nic. The other photos that he didn't like were Galway and Brazil. Both places clearly held a lot of meaning for them. So in my delusional state I'm going to go an assume it's the same reasoning. Now Nic is human as we all know. She is flawed and imperfect. But I will be forward in saying if Luke not liking a post of hers actual bothered her she would let him know. She doesn't seem to be that insecure that a like on a SM post would affect her. Now I can honestly say we have all met those woman that demand that but not all woman need a like. I would rather you be there for me in person and tell me in person then make it an obligation. That you must like every post is an obligation that is given. So how does it hold any type of meaning then if a man is only liking a post out of obligation? It takes away any type of meaning and makes it the same as brushing your teeth daily. Also I find this narrative to be very dangerous the idea that Luke chose someone else over Nic. I have one question for those that think this. Have any of you ever dated someone you were extremely close to? And don't tell me they aren't close. You don't know that. They have alluded to hanging out without camera around in interviews. But moving from friends to lovers is an actual scary step. If things end badly you lose your BFF so yes that step should be thought over and discussed. So how do we know they have discussed it? How do we know if they have even stated how they felt? Feelings like this aren't always easy to convey. It's fine to make assumptions. It's understandable to want to explore the reasoning on why they do things. But just remember no one actual knows. But some of these narratives have brought a lot of hate on Luke and Nic and that's all they are narratives. Now my opinion has always been like that on LukolaBrainrot. I think a lot more is happening BTS. We just have to be patient. This isn't our relationship. We aren't celebrities. They have a team of people behind them. They have got this figured out, and I truly believe they will tell us when they are ready.

Thank you Calm Theory Anon!!

I'm just going add a couple more of my thoughts about the last couple of weeks. Note: This is all SPECULATION from the evidence of the last couple of weeks. I feel pretty confident though in my theories. Heads up, this is going to be long:

I firmly believe L was with N in NYC. Did we see him... no. Did we see JD... yes. That's not new though, and signals to me there is nothing to hide there and keep private. We can argue all we want about the handholding video, it doesn't change my opinion. Was I caught off guard... yes, very much so. But it doesn't confirm anything (JUST LIKE PAPGATE DIDN'T ACTUALLY CONFIRM L/A WERE IN A RELATIONSHIP), and I feel more confident than ever that that is one of her closest FRIENDS. If you don't believe that though, I know I won't be able to convince you otherwise. People have also argued that there would have been a sighting (photo/video) of L in NY if he was there. Y'ALL, there were NUMEROUS unconfirmed "sightings" of L while they were in NY... from NY itself, to Cyprus, to Brighton, to Scotland, etc. We have had ZERO in real time photos or videos of him since Sorrento. There's a reason for that... the man is GOOD at being incognito (when he doesn't have people around him blowing up his location in real time). And he's DEFINITELY more famous in London. Period. So if he has been able to go incognito in London for two months, he can go incognito in NY for a week. I'm also going to say this. N stands out a lot more than L, and is a lot more recognizable. I think L can kind of blend into the crowd easier. AND DM just seems to HATE N. Lastly, L/N 100% coordinated those travel posts. They are BOTH smart people and know their fans. They wanted us to know they were in NY together. They wanted us to see that her claddagh is on her left hand now. They wanted us to see the pic of L in N's house while she was getting ready with a ring on his ring finger. They wanted us to see a red bag in the background of her hair product story (regardless if that was the same red bag from L's Brb story). These clues are not subtle. Like the fact is they are in a relationship, and personally, I think they have been for a whileeee. But there appears to be a certain subsection of this fandom that just refuses to listen to the public narrative that L/N have been putting out about each other. And this is how we ended up with the handholding video debacle. A lot of celebs never even give crumbs/clues about their relationship until they are officially public. L/N know their fandom though and knew we would have fun with it. We should consider ourselves very lucky that they catered to us this way. They didn't have to. I don't think they hate MOST of their fandom, but I do think there is a certain subsection of this fandom that has been VERY toxic and they are VERY frustrated with. Which is totally valid.

This leads me to L's story today with the Mayfair comment. The fact is is that there is a VERY good chance that pic was not taken in real time [please do your own research to know why]... I think the point was that he wanted to add to what N said at the Time Award this week and confirm that they are back in Bton mode. Doesn't confirm that they are back in London though. Could they be? Yes. Could they still be in the U.S.? Yes. I think he also wanted to follow up regarding A's SM blast yesterday and reiterate they are no longer connected despite the games she plays that I am almost certain is included in her NDA. He also turned off comments pretty quickly on this story. He hasn't done that at all this summer [I believe] with his stories or posts, despite the onslaught of hate he has received this summer on SM. I think him and N have been testing the water since August to gauge where the fandom was at with their feelings about them as a couple, and wanted to try and minimize the backlash they will receive when they go public. The fact is is that it is pretty common for celebrity couples to receive a certain amount of backlash when they go public (the amount is what varies depending on the situation). With THIS fandom though, and everything that has gone down publicly since the London premiere, there will 100% be backlash from some when L/N go public. I think the comments being off is because L is setting the stage to announce their relationship, and let the cards fall as they may. And comments will be turned OFF. L/N will probably have a certain amount of hate sent to them for a few weeks, as well as adjacent people in their life, but people will get over it. I could be wrong of course, but I have a very strong feeling that they are setting the stage to just announce their relationship. I originally had the expectation that they were planning to go public at some point in NY, but I think what was my own lack of patience more than anything lol I think it was just setting the stage for a public announcement that wouldn't overshadow her accomplishment after they get back from NY. But he wanted people to know (who were paying attention) that he was with her and supporting her during this big moment (even if we weren't going to see them together). I am going to say this one more time. We can argue all we want about the coordinated travel posts, and project out whatever narrative makes us feel better and ease our anxieties. The fact is L/N aren't stupid. They know their fans. They coordinated those posts. They wanted us to know they were in NY together. They wanted us to see the rings. Because they are in a relationship. Period. No one can convince me otherwise atp.

This brings me to my last point... the handholding debacle. N lost control of her public narrative with that. It's just a fact. Her privacy was also violated. Also a fact. I don't believe she was as well prepared as she should have been for the amount of attention she was going to receive in NY, or the frenzy around her and JD. This had to have been a difficult experience for her and everyone involved. Unfortunately, I believe a lot of the interest in a particular group of the fandom has been almost solely on trying to prove that N is in a relationship. She is not defined by who she is dating. L is not defined by who he is dating. No one is defined by who they are dating. So I think N responded impulsively because she was fed up with all of this speculation about who she is dating (when I feel like she has made it pretty clear what is going on for her in that department) and the invasion of her privacy. This is also why I believe it was very strategically planned for neither L NOR JD to interact with her Time post for a while. BECAUSE THAT AWARD WAS ALL ABOUT HER AND HER ACCOMPLISHMENT. It wasn't about them. And eventually L did like it... he was literally with her though the whole trip y'all. Sure he congratulated her in person 😉 And he made sure to put the like so people wouldn't flip out and start spewing that they are beefing and hated each other and whatever other misinformation people would have come up with if he hadn't have liked her post. I think it is also strategic that JD hasn't liked her post yet, because I think he is trying to publicly distance himself from the narrative that was spewed about him and N last weekend. I bet he has also privately congratulated N though as well!

I definitely understand, last weekend was a MAJOR whiplash of emotions. However, I feel like a lot of this fandom reacts emotionally before having all the information (I know I am guilty of that as well sometimes). That is why I took a little break this week from the blog, because I was having a lot of emotions and didn't have enough information at the time to really understand what was going on. I also think there are a lot of narratives put out there in this fandom that are put forth as facts, without a lot of evidence backing it up. And it has turned really toxic in some spheres and led to troubling behavior (ex: the handholding video). I mentioned that I do think N wasn't as prepared as she should have been for the attention she was going to receive in NY (and the coordinated travel posts announcing L/N were going to NY probably didn't help the frenzy), but that behavior from the fan was troubling and not alright.

These are human beings, their lives are messy and complicated just like everyone else's. We also don't actually know these people, and I think we have a lot of questions still, and get anxious that we aren't interpreting information correctly. I have mentioned this before, but I am a VERY jaded person when it comes to the human species. I truly think L/N seem to be very kind and genuine people though, and I don't think they would do a bunch of things just to f*ck with their fans (although they have LOTS of reasons to be upset at some of this fandom). If the dating rumors were totally false, they wouldn't have started feeding into it again in August and would have officially corrected the narrative after the 90 days were over. That isn't what they did though. They both have good teams behind them, and they have a plan for how they want to go public with their relationship. They have been setting the stage for a while. We just have to be patient. It seems to be coming very soon though with the recent moves online and on SM from L/N. And tbh, if you have really been paying attention, L/N have been telling us they are in a relationship for a whileeee. It's pretty obvious to me (IMO).

Again, THIS IS PURELY SPECULATION AND THEORIES FROM WHAT I HAVE OBSERVED!

[yuri-is-online]

no cause the way you have filled my brain with sho brainrot,,,

baby acting like a mf guard dog for his favourite senpai, constantly wanting their attention 😭

LISTEN

I am so glad I waited to answer this for a teeny bit because I thought I was exaggerating at first because like. It was one voiceline right? WRONG. When you level him up he says "thank you senpai" and when I got his SR and slapped him onto my homescreen he does in fact try to get your attention and ask for help from his senpai. He's supposed to be this brash delinquent but he's shockingly respectful of one very specific senior even if he's just a bit sarcastic about it ugh.

Sho feels like he needs an excuse. He can't just ask to hang out with you because then it looks like you're friends, but if he's asking for a favor then you won't have a reason to say no. The Professors all want you to help out the ghouls so he can say just about anything and you'll jump at it, right? Yeah no that's not the real reason. He wants to have you to himself and if he words it like he needs help he can make excuses as to why you two need to be left alone.

Absolutely uses the fact that he can cook to his advantage. I think one of the main reasons Sho started liking the MC so much was because you supported his cooking. He seemed like he expected to be judged for it so when MC was just hungry and said his food was good? The only person he really seems to have cooked for up to this point is Leo (and Bonnie but she's special) so he wants that praise. And to hear you say he could charge money for it? Oh he was riding that high for ages. I feel like he already wanted to open some sort of cafe but really appreciated the support.

And it gives him the excuse to get you to stay around him longer when he asks for your help. Well he's going to cook anyway and you're hungry, so just stick around. He'll make something and pretend to complain about it but he likes feeding you. Well assuming you don't douse his food in hot sauce, though that won't stop him from making you stuff.

I really like the idea of him competing with the Frostheim ghouls idk why. I think MC should get to be good friends with Kaito and Luca and Sho should get to be a brat about it. Vagastrom and Frostheim already don't get along and he never got his fight with Lucas so yeah. He's super intense about how he's way better at protecting MC than they are, especially with Lucas. Part of it is because he feels guilty for going along with Leo's plan and almost getting you killed, he feels like he needs to prove that he's strong enough to not let that happen again.

Speaking of Leo... I sort of get the sense that Sho hides how much he hangs out with the MC from him. In book 3 Leo makes a bet that would see him getting Sho's food truck if he wins it so I sort of feel like if Leo knew Sho liked the MC he'd be insufferable about it. Honor Roll is stealing his best friend (¬､¬) how lame ugh. And he would try to sabotage it because he would find it funny, or even worse try to make Sho's friendship with you the cost of a bet. I could see Sho having nightmares about that.

Book 3. When Towa and MC go missing. I just know in my heart Sho was loosing his goddamn mind. Again I think he feels sort of guilty for almost getting you killed, and now that you aren't with his dorm you just go missing? Unacceptable where are you? How did Jabberwock fuck this up so badly holy shit. I wanna see him admit that he was worried about MC. I wanna know if he got into any arguments with the Frostheim ghouls while the professors forced them to stay behind.

... i kind of want him to argue with Jin. Like specifically Jin. For no reason other than it would be funny to me personally and like... Jin is the one who interrupted his fight with Luca so I just think it would be funny if they had beef.

I need to level his affinity more. I need to see more chats game please ;-; I love him shomuch.

[aurumacadicus]

I was like "You know what I haven't done in a while? A 'Who did this to you' idea." Anyway sorry love you bye.

--

It was a favor to Natasha, Steve reminded himself as he stepped into the elevator up to Tony's penthouse. Or, it was a favor to Colonel Rhodes. Maybe Pepper, even. He simply could not believe that Tony had actually reached out to him for help.

He wasn't an idiot. He kept up on the news. Tony had dropped a new song that insulted his ex (he hadn't listened, because he didn't want to admit it, but there was always a lingering fear it was about him, even a decade later), said ex had outed themself by tweeting angrily at him, and now Tony needed to beef up security until the ex's fans calmed down about it, because they simply couldn't accept that their idol was fallible. Which seemed weird, considering how many of Tony's fans loved him because he was a hot mess.

Steve swallowed down a pang of guilt and hurt at the thought. 'Hot mess' was what Tony had used to describe himself, and he'd made a career out of singing about it. It clearly worked for him. And his fans seemed to love it about him. Steve wished he'd known, all those years ago, that that would ultimately be what would tear them apart: That Tony was like a feral animal, wanting to love and be loved so badly but always ready to run at the first inkling of conflict for fear that his vulnerability would be used against him.

It wasn't like it mattered. Steve hadn't been able to love the hurt out of him, and he'd finally broken it off the last time Tony crawled into bed at two in the morning, burning hot and pupils blown so wide his eyes had looked black in the darkness. He couldn't watch Tony burn out again. Tony had responded in his usual calm but chaotic way by revoking his access to the penthouse while Steve was out on his morning run, having Happy wait with a sesame bagel and an apologetic grimace at the door, and the explanation that all of his things would be shipped to the address of his choice by the end of the day.

And they hadn't seen each other since.

Avengers Protection was the best security in the business, so it made sense that they were contacted. For all that Tony never seemed to care what happened to him (so long as feelings weren't involved), his friends made up for it tenfold. And with the way he fell in and out of relationships the last few years, it was inevitable that he'd make a poor choice in partners. It was probably a favor for Colonel Rhodes, Steve figured, taking a deep breath as the elevator slowed to a stop. Colonel Rhodes had somehow managed to weather Tony's trust issues for most of their lives. And he'd only reach out if he thought it was serious.

He could do this, Steve thought, blowing the deep breath back out slowly as the elevator doors opened.

To his surprise, when he stepped into the penthouse, no one was there to greet him. He'd never heard the room so silent. Tony always had to have something going, fingers tinkering with electronics or music blasting at deafening volumes. He even wondered, for a second, if he was being pranked. Then he finally caught sight of Tony sitting at the kitchen island, bent over the counter, arms tucked in close like he was trying to make himself seem as small as possible.

Steve was starting to get the sickening feeling that maybe Tony had called and asked for his help specifically. He started walking toward Tony, feeling almost like he was in a dream, feeling wrong-footed and anxious, like the floor was going to drop out from beneath him.

Tony got up, circling the island so he could go to the coffee pot. Steve almost wondered if Tony was ignoring him, but then he saw that a steaming mug was left where Tony was sitting. Tony was getting him a cup of coffee. Trying to be a good (if slightly awkward) host, Steve figured.

He opened his mouth to greet him, or thank him for the coffee, or something, but then Tony finally turned, and Steve felt as if all the air had been sucked out of the room, suddenly understanding why Tony had prolonged the moment before he had to face him.

Tony's bottom lip was cut, bruised and puffy. The bruising followed the left corner of his mouth, leading up onto his cheek, the round apple of it discolored almost to black. The purple splotches faded around his temple, but his left eye was blood shot, the vessels burst from some outside force. Tony tried to smile as he set the cup of coffee on the counter for Steve to take, and it caused the scab on his lip to crack, blood to drip down his chin, and he immediately lifted his hand to cover it.

Someone had beaten him, Steve realized with a sharp inhale, fighting the urge to curl his hands into fists. He took a step closer, fighting the urge to reach out. "Tony."

"It looks worse than it is," Tony rasped, finally setting the mug of coffee on the counter. He must have realized Steve wouldn't want it after he saw his face.

Steve's eyes darted down to his throat, and he felt white-hot rage flush through him so fast it left him feeling hollow and cold. There was bruising around his throat. He could see the outlines of fingers on either side of his neck. Someone had tried to strangle him. Had almost succeeded, too, if Tony's swollen face and bloodshot eye were any indication.

"Things are a little," Tony began when Steve said nothing, eyes fluttering over the room as if he had no idea whether he should meet his gaze or not. His throat worked, and Steve watched as the flexing muscles shifted the bruises on his neck into stark relief. It almost distracted him from how hoarse Tony sounded. "It's diff--different? This time? And I thought. Even if you weren't willing to work for me. You could. Suggest. S-someone. I--

"He tried to kill you," Steve said, but he had no idea what kind of tone he was going for. It mostly sounded like he'd been punched.

Tony turned his head away, but it didn't hide the shame on his face. "Well, we. We all knew it was coming?"

"I never once imagined someone would put their hands on you in an attempt to kill you," Steve answered, and this time there was some anger in his tone. He regretted it when Tony shrank back. "I mean--Tony, no one deserves that. Not you. Not anyone."

"Yeah," Tony rasped, crossing his arms over his chest. He didn't look up at him, though. "Well. Anyway. I thought. Even if you couldn't work with me. You'd have suggestions for who could?" He cleared his throat and winced as if it had hurt. "I wouldn't have asked you to meet just for a recommendation, but. I figured that. Once you saw the bruises, you'd see it was serious."

Steve would rather have been physically punched in the gut at the realization that Tony had expected to be pawned off on someone else. As if he might deserve not getting the best protection. As if he should expect it, even. Steve had never felt at such a loss. "Why?" he finally asked, but he wasn't entirely sure what he was asking to know.

"I don't want to die, Steve," Tony whispered, and his eyes finally began to water, but he ignored it completely. "But I know if he corners me again--and he will. He's got that stupid innocent act down pat. And everyone knows I'm a hot mess," he added, trying to smile again, like he always used to when he insulted himself. "So they think I probably..." His smile faded almost as quickly as it came, shoulders hunching as he turned his gaze on the floor. "...I probably deserve it."

Steve stepped closer, finally allowing his hands to curl into fists. "Tony, who did this to you?" he asked, voice soft and carefully weighted.

Tony tipped his head up to stare at him, exhaustion in every bit of his features. "Why does it matter?"

Steve lifted his hands, slowly forcing them open, and reached out to carefully cup Tony's bruised and swollen cheeks. "Because you matter, Tony," he told him sternly, and then leaned down just enough that he could brush his mouth over Tony's swollen lips, opening his mouth to swallow Tony's desperate sob.

[tokyo-daaaamn-ji-gang]

What Do the guys do if they learn their crush has some incredibly minor beef with them? Like they know him as "that guy who somehow always buys up all the good snacks at lunch" or "that guy who took the last limited edition X i waited an hour and a half in line for" or "that guy who's always hogging the Y"

I went with the snack one but here's how I think they would all react to you only knowing them as the guy who always buys the last of your favourite snack!

Mikey- Stares at you thoughtfully after finding this out, before holding out a half eaten taiyaki for you to take. (It's his way of trying to make it up to you). Frowns if you don't take it and figures he needs to do something else instead.

Takemichi- He's having a mini breakdown with this info, can't believe he never noticed he was doing this to you. His face flashes through the five stages of grief before giving you a very nervous smile and saying he'll make it up to you.

Draken- "huh?" He's mainly confused as to why you know him as that and not by his reputation. Decides to cut you a break though by not taking the thing you want in the future.

Baji- Is confused for a second but then frowns. He didn't mean to do that so why do you only see him that guy? Doesn't say anything about it to you but the next day you find the snack he took from you waiting for you.

Chifuyu- He immediately makes a plan to buy the snack again but this time break it in half and share it with you. Thinks this will be romantic and get the two of you talking. But on the day his hands are shaking so badly that he just quickly gives you the whole thing and hurries off.

Mitsuya- Frowns at you, feeling bad for always taking the snack you wanted. Goes very overboard in making it up to you though by inviting you round to his house for dinner.

Hakkai- Says absolutely nothing and doesn't even look at you but you find a whole pile of those snacks waiting for you later that day (rich kid privileges)

Pah- Feels guilty and goes out of his way to bring you snack each day as a way of making it up to you, always with a blush on his face.

Peh- "HAH!?" Freaks out a bit because he's so surprised.

Smiley- "I'm gonna kill that store for not stocking enough snacks" He ends up not buying them for awhile but he still goes to the store to kinda watch out for them??? Like if sees any other guys picking them up instead, he'll slap them out of their hands or threaten them.

Angry- Straight up apologises to you and offers to buy you some of the snack to make it up to you.

Mucho- He's pretty confused as to why you would be upset over just some snacks. Assumes you may not be aware of better places to go and thinks about inviting you to go with him to a cafe.

Sanzu- Smiles, his plan is working perfectly. Of course he already knows these are your favourites and by taking them he's made you notice him. Bad attention is still better then no attention.

Kisaki- Starts scheming away on how he can use this info. Probably pretends to not know you even like them and then offer you some as a way to get to know you more.

Hanma- Laughs, this is very funny to him. Will tease you about it, then offer to share with you but there's a catch. If he shares then you'll "owe him". You're not sure if it's a good idea to accept or not.

Kazutora- Frowns a lot and wonders what he should do. Ends up switching snacks so you can always have the one you want but never mentions it to you.

Inui- Shrugs at this information, it doesn't mean that much to him since it doesn't really change anything. He hasn't tried to make a move on you yet and this problem is small enough that it probably won't be an issue when he eventually does try with you.

Koko- Definitely panics, this is not how a good potential boyfriend is supposed to be treating you!!!! Buys you lots of little things in return, including snacks. He wants to spoil you not take from you!

Taiju- Oh he's definitely interested now, interested in what you're going to do about it. Continues buying the snack, hoping that you'll confront him over it. If you do eventually then he's willing to give you some, he's just interested in your response to this whole thing.

Izana- Thinks this is perfect, it gives the two of you a common like which he definitely plans on using to his advantage.

Kakucho- Looks horrified, this is not the impression he wanted to make with you. Comes up to you one day with a casual "hey" (he's freaking out inside) and asks if you want his snack.

Ran- Beckons you over with a sly grin, telling you to "come get your snack". You know straight away that he's referring to himself and teasing you.

Rindou- "what the hell?" After everything he's done this is the thing you know him for??? He's at least glad it's an easy enough fix, he just stops buying that snack so that you can enjoy it instead. Decides he'll have to do something else to capture your attention though.

Shion- He's nearly offended by this, can't believe this is how you remember him! Starts trying to name drop other things he's done in front of you.

Mochi- Just shrugs and passes the snack to you, it's not that deep to him.

South- Offers to arm wrestle you for the snack (he's actually both intrigued about your strength and wants an excuse to hold your hand, so uses the snack as the perfect facade).

Wakasa- Looks around for a minute trying to figure out if this is some kind of joke. When he realises it's not, he approaches you and says you could've just asked. Splits the snack in half with you.

Shinichiro- He's on the verge of banning his head against the wall, just can't believe he would overlook something so obvious. Of course buys the snack for you and hands it over as a new way of flirting with you.

Benkei- Is a bit embarrassed about not noticing sooner but decides to make up for it by buying the snacks for you.

[yinwaryuri]

I cannot begin to summarize how Monster Next Door finally portrayed a flawed parent getting a good ending in a way that satisfied me. I have such beef with Thai BLs constantly giving our mains difficult parents, terrible asshole parents even, and then just justifying the way they treated their child like shit as being parental love and their kid accepts an apology (not you Bed Friend, the holy grail of giving shitty parents their due).

The tension between Diew and his mother, Kade, is obvious, and I was really afraid that the issue would be brushed off as casually as all the rest, due to my past viewing experiences. For a good portion of the show, she seemed overly concerned and harsh toward Diew and it really bothered me.

It was this visual that made things really click for me:

(also I'm sorry for the quality of photos of the show, Gaga now seems to turn the screen black when I try to take a screenshot on my laptop, so I took them with my phone)

Loss of a loved one is hard to talk about with strangers, but it's often more difficult to discuss it with other loved ones who knew them. Diew's father meant everything to him in his childhood because their personalities and dispositions made it easier to enjoy spending time together. I cannot speak as a parent, but I can only imagine the loneliness generated by the loss of a partner (losing a main emotional support you now desperately need) and then watching your child deal with grief by withdrawing from you (a child you have, up until now, not established a relationship as close as your late partner had).

God had the fortune of meeting Diew in the present, and that allowed him to get to know him without any preconceived notions of who he was to influence that development. Kade didn't have that luxury; being a parent means seeing your child through every stage of life and adapting to the changes that come with them. I can only imagine how much harder that had to be when she became a single mother and the clash of personalities made it significantly harder to connect. At some point, she clearly clung to a version of Diew that at least made her feel relevant by presenting her love as wanting to remove all possible worries.

Grieving separately being the main wedge between them runs with some of the themes of the show, I believe. We've watched God and Diew grow together and sort out their differences because ultimately they wanted the same thing - to show they are interested and care for each other - but their challenges presented mostly in how they went about it. Diew and his mother also care about each other. The strain is part of that love and how it has also been weighed down by years of misunderstanding and uncertainty.

Kade recognizing her failure to meet Diew in the middle and letting him know how she felt about it was HUGE to me. So many people will refuse to recognize the failure, and if they do recognize it they do not want to admit it for what it is, much less voice how they feel about it. Also disappointment in one's self as a mother, I believe, is incredibly relatable. It doesn't absolve all wrongs, but it's an incredibly important factor in being willing to do better.

She isn't blaming him here. She isn't using his feelings against him. She apologized without trying to erase what happened. She is simply letting him know that all she wanted was to be closer.

And then Diew seizes the moment. He's grown up and become someone less recognizable to the person she already didn't know very well. That doesn't mean they can't work things out.

Of course this is the solution. This is the green flag communication boyfriends show. But moreover, it's about realizing that life and people come with differences and changes and that doesn't mean that things have to go wrong or end badly. Often the fears that get built up in our heads - the monsters we first perceive them as - are not as scary as they seem, if they are at all. If growth is going to happen, we have to face them.

Excuse me while I sob in the corner, but this response makes Diew such an exceptional character to me. It demonstrates how he has changed from the beginning of the narrative but also remained true to himself. He has always needed someone patient and kind enough to listen to him as attentively as God does. Being heard for what he needs has done him wonders. His struggle to reveal the things that deeply hurt him and seeing how not sharing them can hurt the people he loves in return was an important lesson. Now that his mom has finally shared her pain, the pain that started years ago by no fault of either of them, he can extend that love toward her in a way he knows will reach her.

Diew and his mother are equal in how they can move forward. The relationship isn't treated like a hole in the wall to putty over, but truly something that can be built upon a newer and stronger foundation. I greatly enjoyed the finale as a whole, but this aspect of it tugged at my heart strings personally. I adore this show. Forever and ever.

[beddybites]

about the infantilizing Giyuu and motherly Shinobu post, 100% yes.

So many people baby Giyuu and make him a sad uwu baby who needs someone to take care of him. He isn't. If anything, he's the one doing the caring, esp when it comes to Tanjiro and Nezuko.

And Shinobu doesn't need to be made a maternal figure to him! She's younger than him, for one, and two, the whole reason she has a "maternal" aura (if you could even call it that) is because she's trying to emulate Kanae. It's not a healthy reason.

(sorry if this is worded badly!)

YESSSS this is a really good point anon! thank you for sharing!!

giyuu’s relationship with tanjiro and nezuko is really really sweet and i agree that i see him more in caregiving roles!! someone on the original post reblogged and mentioned wanting to see more tired dad energy from giyuu and i absolutely agree

and to your point, the maternal vibes people get from shinobu are her projection of kanae );

at the end of the day everyone has their own preferences and that’s totally fine!!! @kny-agere makes a great point on the post and notes people may put giyuu’s in these roles to cope with their own things or simply because giyuu’s the favorite, and thats fine! i do that with obanai and muichiro all the time… but to their point self actualization can be good esp if you are always putting the female character in these roles

i dunno… i was raised by a stay at home dad so maybe i have personal beef with the concept of the mother always taking care of the kids :,D part of it too is shinobu is still very young ): girl get behind me

maybe im also just annoyed by mischaracterization of characters. even in non baby situations giyuu is infantilized a lot. take sanegiyuu for instance— i feel that people take typical yaoi cliches and apply them here, with sanemi being this tough sexy man and giyuus just 🥺 and submissive.

guys i have bad news but if sanemi even was a tough sexy man and he said something to giyuu that giyuu doesnt like, sanemi’s getting sassed back or ghosted because giyuu walked off fully knowing it would aggravate sanemi

i dunno. the fandomification of these characters is really interesting. everyone applies these traits to sanemi not realizing tengen is right there with said traits already, for instance. infantilization. stereotypes. etc

[lulublack90]

Prompt 28 - Poorly Timed Confession

@wolfstarmicrofic May 28, word count 764

I wasn't planning on a part two of Prompt 24 - Interrupted Declaration of Love but here it is. I hope you all enjoy xx

When Sirius had caught sight of Remus out of the corner of his eye last week, he’d jumped out of his skin. He’d yelped at him. An actual yelp, like a dog! The cringe he’d felt after Remus had fled the room to get away from him was beyond anything he'd ever felt before. 

He was such a mess. He’d been watching a video on how to tell your best friend that you are in love with them, when Remus had come in. Gods he hoped Remus hadn’t seen the screen. He let his head drop into his hands and let out a moan. Stupid, stupid, stupid. 

Remus didn’t reappear until it was time for dinner. 

“What do you fancy?” Sirius asked, not daring to look at him.

“W-w-what?” Remus stuttered. Sirius’s eyes snapped up at his friend's odd behaviour. Remus was bright red. 

“For dinner. What do you want to eat?” He clarified. 

“Oh. Erm, whatever you want. You know me, I’ll eat anything.” He flashed Sirius a quick grin. Sirius opened his phone and the video he’d been watching earlier began to play, the sound coming from his phone speaker now that his earphones were safely in their box. 

“If you’re nervous, sometimes it can be easier to pick a time to do it and that way you can prepare yourself,” Sirius fumbled with his phone, nearly dropping it on the wooden floor. He managed to shut the video so it wouldn’t give him away. Although the video had a point. Maybe he should pick a time to tell Remus and then build himself up to do it. 

“Chinese? We can get a couple of mains to share and the mixed appetisers. Chicken satay and Beef Szechuan?”

“Sounds good,” Remus nodded. 

They sat on separate furniture while they ate. Remus in his armchair and Sirius on the sofa. Sirius could barely taste his food. He wanted so badly to tell Remus how he felt, but he was so afraid that he’d reject him and move out to live with Lily or one of his other friends. He didn’t even know what they were watching. 

“Are you done?” Remus asked.

“Huh?” Sirius had zoned out as he went over and over all the different ways Remus could reject him. “Oh, yeah, thanks.” He passed his half-eaten food over to Remus’s waiting hand. He heard Remus dump everything in the kitchen and call out goodnight before disappearing back into his room. Sirius repeatedly hit the back of his head into to soft sofa cushions behind him. “Why. Can’t. You. Just. Do. It?!” He said with each bash. Sighing resignedly, he went to bed, thoughts of Remus still dancing in his head. 

“Just do it, Sirius. Trust me, just do it.” James told him on FaceTime, while Sirius paced back and forth across his bedroom. He’d been forced to tidy the floor as he’d tripped over the same discarded t-shirt three times. Then he’d not been able to stop cleaning, so his bedroom was tidier than it had been in months. 

“But what if he says no and moves out?” He whined. 

“Then at least you’ll know,” James replied solemnly. 

Sirius walked hurriedly out of his room without even hanging up on James. It’s now or never, he told himself as he burst into Remus’s bedroom without knocking. He screwed his eyes shut and proclaimed. 

“Remus, I have feelings for you, I want to be with you. Will you please go out with me?!” Silence. 

“Er, sorry everyone, I’m gonna need a minute.” Sirius opened his eyes and saw Remus sitting at his computer desk while he conducted one of his online classes. Thirty students had just heard him confess his heart out to their Professor. Not good. 

Remus muted and turned his camera off before dragging Sirius from his room by his hand. 

“Remus, I’m so sorry, I—” Remus cut him off with a kiss. Sirius’s heart skipped a beat. “Remus, I-I-I,” He stuttered before Remus kissed him again, and again and again. 

He pulled away smiling. 

“Right I have to go and sort out those gossip mongers, thanks for that, by the way, but after we’re going to sit down and talk, okay?” Sirius slipped down the wall grinning like a goon. “Oh and the answer is yes, I will go out with you.” Remus’s grin was almost as bad as Sirius’s as he slipped back into his bedroom. 

“YES!!!” Sirius yelled and heard thirty people cheer over Remus’s computer and poor Professor Lupin trying in vain to quieten them all back down.