#I should start answering the questions I have

[lizardho]

Being at BYU after my mission was weird. Like. Bad weird. Everybody was still acting like missionaries but they had nobody to teach so it all turned into the holier-than-thou bs that missions always degenerate into over time. Just the forced establishment of some weird social hierarchy where value is based on how devout you are, with people digging and scratching and clawing their way around humanity in order to become even more devout.

And this bullshit was actively killing me. The attempts to stay Good Enough were scraping the remnants of my humanity out of my husk like a spoon scraping the last bits of watermelon from a rind - I was doing what I had always done, be Mormon, do what Mormons do, be as good a Mormon as I could be, only it was breaking me. Instead of healing me, making me whole, taking away my burdens, it was pulling the life out of me in exchange for nothing. I was just being squeezed dry of everything I had to offer and being given back shame and isolation and rejection because I didn’t do it first, or fast enough, or with a willing enough heart, or whatever the hell they could come up with.

But despite myself, because most people smarter than me AND dumber than me would have left already, I found myself trying over and over and over again to make it work with no success.

One day, I snap. I’ve had enough. I need answers. I’ve looked everywhere and done everything I could by myself, and nothing had come of it, so I went to talk to a faculty member. A teacher at the school. He taught religion classes and his lessons were powerfully and inspiringly honest, earnest, and filled with raw humanity. I figured if I could get a straight (ha) answer from anyone, it would be that guy. He wasn’t involved in the Mormon rat race. He wasn’t playing the stupid “I’m Worthier Than You” games that were so pernicious on campus. He was being real and open and vulnerable and I needed that from someone.

So I go into his office and I lay my cards on the table. I figure if I’m gonna get helped, I need to be honest. I share with him my weird feelings about dad leaving the church on my mission. About my siblings leaving the church. About my own doubts and hurts. I tell him about how hard it is to be in limbo like this without knowing what to do or where to turn. I tell him I need answers.

And he listens. And then he starts with the usual Mormon apologetics bullshit. And I say “no” because I’m done with that. That doesn’t fly with me anymore. And he sees and hears me say no and he puts a hand on mine, makes direct eye contact, and says,

“You know, you don’t have to go to church, right?”

I, being a person who was hurting, interpreted that as “if you have questions that I can’t answer you should fuck off.” I got defensive immediately and he again listened, put his hand on mine, and said,

“Not what I meant. You can stay if you want, but I want you to know you can leave too. Take a break. Give yourself time to heal. This isn’t supposed to hurt this much, and if it hurts you can take a break and come back when it feels good.”

I’m actually getting choked up just writing that out. Nobody had ever said that to me before. When I talked about my dysphoria to my parents, they said teenagers are supposed to feel like that a little bit. When I talked to people about my difficulties at church they had always told me that it was a sign that church was working. That I was doing it right. That growth was supposed to hurt, that excising the Natural Man from me was supposed to be difficult, that I was supposed to be feeling this anxious and sad and scared. I had never ever ever been told that pain and suffering were signs things were going wrong. I had actually explicitly been told by many many many many many many many many people that it was good, that the hurt and the heartache and the constant feeling of never being good enough and never being able to fit into my own skin or love myself in any meaningful way was desirable. That it was something they envied.

It’s not supposed to hurt. Some things can, and should. My parents were right that some body concerns were normal (although we later found out my specific concerns were more abnormal lmao, I got that tgirl swag). My family and friends were right that challenging myself with difficult assignments and ambitious goals was supposed to feel uncomfortable.

And at the same time, THIS was not supposed to hurt. I was not meant to have this gaping throbbing aching hole in my Me that never let up. It wasn’t supposed to hurt. IT WASN’T SUPPOSED TO HURT.

I don’t know when exactly I started crying, but I was crying the whole rest of the day. It was the first time in a while I had to actually take a Valium to clam down. It wasn’t supposed to hurt.

He also told me that if it ever stopped hurting I could always come back.

I think that was the day I really left. Others might say otherwise, I still tried to make it work for a few more months after that, but the idea that it wasn’t supposed to hurt really changed me.

If any of you are reading this - there are things that are supposed to be difficult. Things that are supposed to hurt. But if your faith or your beliefs about the world or yourself leave you feeling like you’ve been hollowed out at a minor mistake or setback, if your failures and setbacks leave you feeling raw and numb frequently, if the company you keep or the places you stay leave you feeling constantly inadequate with out hope or help, then I’ll tell you the same thing that professor told me:

You can go somewhere else. You can do something else. And you can always come back when you want.

But it’s not supposed to hurt.

[captain-bubble-wrap]

Would you consider writing a story about quinnxreader. She faints in his apartment and he find her when he comes home after training or a game or something. Hes on the phone with his parents and freaks out?

I had to do some research on fainting! I hope this is okay! 🩷

"Yeah, I'm just now getting back home," Quinn answered his mother, trying to unlock his apartment's door without dropping his phone while he fumbled with his keys. "Yeah, me too. It's been a long few weeks. Feels good to be back."

Ellen continued to talk to her eldest son as he pushed his suitcase across the threshold. After such long trips, he was accustomed to seeing you first thing -- a guilty comfort you had spoiled him with -- so when he didn't, Quinn looked around hoping you just hadn't heard him come in. However, when he found you, it wasn't at all how he had expected. 

"Y|N!?" He said breathlessly, upon seeing you laying on your side, on the floor between the kitchen and living room. The suitcase rolled forward on its own, with Quinn having kicked it when he rushed over to you; his mother questioning him about what was going on. 

"I don't know! I just found her laying on the floor!" He brushed the hair from across your face and touched your cheek. You're warm to his touch but his heart was still racing. "Let me, um...I'll call you back. Ye--...yeah, I love you, too. I'll let you know. O-- Okay, love you. Bye."

Quinn's phone tumbled to the floor after ending the call with his mother. You weren't responsive to his touch or to his words, no matter what he tried.

"Honey, wake up! Please, please, wake up!" Gently, he'd give your shoulder a shake, but it didn't do anything either. "Shit! Baby, come on! Come on, come on, come on!"

His hands were trembling as he touched your face again. You were breathing which comforted him only slightly, seeing as he had no idea what was wrong with you. The seconds that ticked by felt like hours, but he never left your side -- almost like he was unable to do anything but wait. Quinn knew he should have called for an ambulance but he was frozen, looking down at you like you were just having a nap. 

Eventually, your eyes would flutter open and Quinn would breathe the heaviest sigh of relief. 

"Oh my god, sweetheart!" He exclaimed, leaning down to touch his forehead to yours. "What happened? Are you alright? Oh, you scared the shit out of me!"

You were happy to see him, but you found yourself confused by his shock and worry, then you were reminded of what had happened prior to the grey-out. 

"Hi, baby," you squeaked out, trying to sit up but he wouldn't let you. Your eyelids felt heavy; everything felt so heavy.

"Shh, shh, take your time. What happened? I came home and I couldn't wake you!"

It was hard, but you had to break eye contact with him for a moment. "It was just a fainting spell, Quinny. I'm alright."

"A fainting spell?" He questioned, deep worry painting his expression once again. "I don't remember you having those before."

Realizing that you were still laid out on the floor, Quinn pulled your body into his arms and cradled you against his chest. His concern was so intense as he held you, a slight rocking motion in his movements. This was a first for him and something he didn't know how to deal with which was why he found himself struggling so much. 

"They just started happening again," you confessed, leaning your head against him as you looked up into his eyes. "I'm okay, I promise."

"Are you sick?" He pressed, his hand holding your face, thumb rubbing your cheek gently. 

"No, baby, I'm okay."

"But you fainted."

"I know," You reassured, knowing you needed to tell him what was going on, but you feared his reaction -- he was already dealing with so much. "My blood sugar is probably just low."

Quinn's brows furrowed, "Low? Why is it low?"

You said nothing as you looked away again, knowing how guilty it made you appear. 

"Baby?" He pleaded, "Talk to me, please? I'm not upset with you. I just want to know what's going on. How long have you been dealing with this?"

"Since just after you left." 

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because I didn't want to make you worry while you were away." When you looked back up at him afterwards, it pained you so much. His concern for you was as strong as his love and it was made evident with how he gazed at you, even during uncomfortable times such as these. 

"I'll always worry about you, sweetheart. It's because I love you!"

"I love you, too, baby. I promise I'm okay. I'm just...tired" You said, breathlessly. 

Upon saying that, Quinn put his arm under your bent legs and carried you to the sofa where he laid you down against the numerous awaiting pillows. He would kneel beside you, holding your hand in both of his. 

"Will you please tell me what's going on?"

You swallowed hard, knowing he wasn't going to let it go until you told him. "I just haven't been eating much."

"Why, baby?"

"It's a stupid reason."

He didn't say anything because he didn't have to. His expression had said enough. 

"I get sad when you're gone and I forget to eat," you finally confessed.

Quinn frowned, lifting your hand to his lips. "Oh, sweetheart. You've got to eat."

"I know..."

"How many times as this happened?" He asked, now putting your palm to his cheek and holding it there. 

"Probably a dozen or so. I can always tell when it's going to happen, so I have a second or two to brace for it." 

He was still looking at you with tense worry in his face, still holding your hand gently. Quinn wouldn't tell you, but his own stomach was twisting out of concern for you. He was so deeply troubled that his absence affected you so much, that he couldn't help feeling guilty about the whole thing. 

"I'm sorry, baby," you sighed, eyes stinging from welling tears. "The whole thing is so stupid."

Quinn shook his head, trying to give you a reassuring smile. "It's not stupid, sweetheart. I'll try and be more proactive in checking in with you when I'm gone, okay? Would you like me to give you little reminders, maybe?"

"You have enough to worry about, though," you said, shaking your head.

"And I worry about you the most. You're everything to me, Y|N."

"Quinny--," you whined, tears breaking through with the guilt. "I didn't mean for this to happen!"

"I know you didn't." With his free hand, Quinn wiped away the teardrops from your skin. "I'm okay so as long as you are. But, you have to promise me that you'll stop skipping meals, okay? I don't want something more serious to happen to you. You're all alone up here, you know?"

You gave him a nod, biting your bottom lip. 

"You promise me you're alright?"

You nod again, this time with a sniffle. "I am."

He pushed forward to ask a kiss from you which you obliged in giving. "Good. Now, you lay here and rest for a minute, okay? I need to call mom back then we'll see what we can do about dinner."

"Okay," you whimpered, realizing that he must have been on the phone when he found you. 

"Everything's okay, babe. I promise. I'm here now."

[ylangelegy]

the way of the work husband 📋 chan x reader.

going back to work after the holidays sucks, but at least you've got your 'work husband' lee chan to get you through it.

★ office worker!chan x f!reader. ★ word count: 1.8k ★ genre/warnings: alternate universe: office, alternate universe: co-workers, fluff/romance. vernon is a menace (affectionately). not proofread. ★ footnotes: been itching to write chan lately and this was the result. dedicating this to my favorite corporate girlie!dinonara @chanranghaeys, who i have been threatening a chan fic with for a little over a week now ෆ sana all may lee chan sa office. 😔 + a special shoutout to @diamonddaze01 for educating me on the how work spouses operate. 🙏

“Is Lee Chan, like, your work husband or something?” 

The look on Vernon’s face is perfectly innocent, but his arched eyebrow gives some indication of just how amused he is. You shoot him a scathing glare before turning back to your work-sanctioned laptop. 

You don’t answer Vernon’s question. Not at first, anyway. Instead, you opt to wryly ask, “Why do you always have to use his full government name whenever you’re talking about him?” 

“Eh. Just ‘Chan’ is too short,” Vernon responds noncommittally. He should be focusing on the grant that he has to write, but he seems intent on quizzing you on your relationship with the company’s newest program assistant. 

Vernon leans a little further into his computer chair. He’s always been a pretty amicable seatmate; he just liked to poke the bear every so often. 

“So?” he prompts. “Are you and Lee Chan… you know.” 

When Vernon makes a vague, crude gesture with his hands, you groan out loud. “Don’t make it weird,” you snap. “And no. Chan and I are just friends, asswipe.”

“But you guys display peak work spouse behavior.” 

“Aren’t you supposed to be grant writing?” 

“Aren’t you supposed to be getting your afternoon coffee with Mr. Program Assistant?” 

Vernon’s rebuttal has you glancing at the digital clock on your desk. Shit. 

“This doesn’t mean anything,” you say as you grab your wallet and get to your feet. You hate to admit it, but Vernon is right. You’ve started dedicating your fifteen-minute afternoon breaks to cafeteria trips with Chan. 

All in the name of friendship, you insist.

“‘Course it doesn’t,” Vernon sing-songs. Just when you think he’s done, he throws in a final jab. 

“I’ll have an itemized list of my observations,” he calls after your retreating back. “Just you wait!” 

You don’t turn around to dignify Vernon’s taunt with a response. Instead, you flip him off over your shoulder as you contemplate what coffee to get with Chan today.

Rarely are you late to work. Some mornings are just harrowing, littered with minor inconveniences like your alarm not going off or the bus making one too many stops. 

When you finally make it to the office, you can already imagine the CEO’s backhand comment about punctuality. Something like ‘early is on time, on time is late, and late is unacceptable,’ probably. 

That’s why you feel an immense pang of relief when you notice a vacant seat near the back of the room, one that you undoubtedly know is yours. 

You make your way to the chair as discreetly as you can. The bag atop it is taken off the moment that you arrive, and you flash an appreciative grin at the one who made it possible. 

Chan— who is already shifting his bag onto his lap— gives you an exaggerated wink in return. 

You mouth a wordless ‘thank you’ at him. He doesn’t respond verbally, just smiles at you in that way that lights up a whole room. It’s the type of grin that has you forgetting just how bad of a morning you had; you’d lose yourself in it if weren’t for the ominous presence of Vernon a couple of seats down.

The meeting grabs your attention soon enough, but not before you notice Vernon inconspicuously typing something into his phone. 

☑ You always sit next to each other at meetings

“Who’re you texting?” 

“Hm?” 

“Hellooo! Pay attention to me!” 

There’s a guilty expression on your face as you finally glance up at Seungkwan. “Sorry,” you say meekly. “What were you asking?” 

Vernon lets out a huff of laughter at Seungkwan’s side. “I’ll bet a dollar that it’s Lee Chan,” says Vernon. 

Seungkwan responds with a roll of his eyes. “That’s a given.” 

“Yah,” you begin to protest, ready to justify the way you’ve only been half-present throughout your entire lunch break. 

Your attempt falls flat when your phone pings, and the screen lights up. 

One (1) new text from Channie. 🦖LOLOL I have the perfect reel for this!! Wait a minute~~ 💖💙

Seungkwan scoffs. Vernon snickers. 

Your eye twitches, and you shoot back a text underneath the table in a bid to avoid your friends’ teasing. 

☑ You message each other all day long

It’s hard not to laugh when Chan is looking at you like that. 

Despite the fact that there’s a whole brainstorming session going on— preparation for the company’s next fundraising event— the two of you can’t help your silent communication. 

Especially when Soonyoung starts running his mouth about the fundraiser potentially being tiger-themed. 

One glance is all it takes. Chan’s lips are drawn into a thin line, and you know he’s also trying his darndest not to laugh. It’s a mammoth effort to hold back yourself, but you manage— not wanting to suffer from your eccentric boss’ line of questioning. 

It’s all free game once the session ends, though. 

You make a beeline for Chan. He takes one look at your quirked lip before jerking his head towards the door, urging the two of you to have this discussion somewhere you won’t be lynched.

Still, you and Chan can barely resist your peals of laughter as you leave the meeting room with your heads bowed together. Vernon watches with bemusement as the two of you trade incoherent mumblings about Tigger and Pompompurin. 

Not that Vernon has any idea what those have to do with anything. 

☑ You exchange knowing glances from across the room ☑ You share inside jokes about work and life

“Hey, Lee Chan, where’s your work wife?” 

Chan doesn’t miss a beat. “She’s in a meeting with finance,” he answers without even looking up from his keyboard. 

A corner of Vernon’s lip twitches upward. Aha. 

Chan seems to pick up on Vernon’s smug silence. The younger boy’s head snaps up, his expression quickly becoming guarded. “Not my work wife,” Chan sputters. “Just— I knew where she was, okay?” 

“Riiight.” 

There’s a redness in the tips of Chan’s ears as he goes back to the Google Doc he’d been slaving away on. Vernon doesn’t say anything more, but he does feign like he’s texting someone instead of adding to his ever-growing list.

☑ Your other colleagues wonder where the other’s at when you’re not together

It’s a bit of an epilogue in its own right, how Chan is the one to know why you’re out for the morning.

The CEO had asked it mostly as a rhetorical question— has anyone seen her?— but Chan’s easy answer has the meeting coming to a stuttering halt. 

“She got stuck at her dentist’s appointment,” he says. 

Several pairs of eyes turn to Chan. The look on his face is comically caught.

He fumbles for his phone and waves it around awkwardly. “We were texting,” he adds hastily. “That’s why I know.” 

How that was supposed to help Chan’s case, Vernon has no idea. 

“Well, tell her that we hope she gets better soon,” the CEO says coolly. A corner of her lip is upturned, like she’s finding this entire interaction a little too amusing. 

Chan manages a mumbled “Will do.” 

The meeting pushes through. Vernon watches Chan from the corner of his eye. Aside from looking absolutely mortified, there’s just a bit of dullness to the latter’s demeanor. A slower uptake, a dimmer grin. 

Gee, Vernon muses as he types away on his laptop. Wonder why. 

☑ You’re kind of bummed when they’re out of office ☑ You cover for each other when one is MIA

Vernon’s running list is a fun little gig, but it all comes to head on the evening of the company’s monthly night out.

The table at the speakeasy is full of boisterous laughter and greasy finger food. Everyone’s in high spirits for the upcoming weekend, and Vernon has to hold back on teasing those who he thinks are having just a little too much fun. 

You and Chan have spent much of the evening acting like you’re in your own world. Sure, you’re not touching each other— this is technically a work event, after all— but you’ve shared laughter and whispers throughout the night that nobody else is privy to. 

And, alright, fine. Maybe your knees knock into each other more often than not. Maybe Chan puts a hand over your ear whenever he wants to point something out, and maybe you lean in just a little more than necessary. 

It’s obvious to anybody with two eyes that you two are fond of each other. That much is certain.

That’s what gives Vernon the boost of confidence to play wingman by the end of the night. 

“You know,” he says coolly as your group spills out onto the sidewalk. “I think the two of you live in the same neighborhood.” 

What Vernon is scheming is plain as day to you. You narrow your eyes at him, but he’s undeterred. He only smiles at you and Chan like the menace that he is. 

Chan, for his part, raises his eyebrows ever so slightly. He glances at you with a quizzical expression. 

“You’ve never mentioned that.” He raises his hand to his chest, as if feigning hurt at being kept in the dark. 

A snort of laughter escapes you. “Didn’t feel like it was particularly important information,” you say dryly. 

“Of course it’s important!” Chan’s always been a little louder when he’s drunk, so his voice raises an octave or two. “‘Cause that means we can carpool together, or, like, y’know—” 

Vernon interrupts with a sage, “You can probably book the same cab for tonight, actually. Make it a double stop.” 

Chan’s face lights up. “Great idea, man!” 

Before you can protest, Chan is already whipping out his phone to pull up his ride-hailing app. This is not a battle that you’re going to win. 

All the while, Vernon grins triumphantly. 

☑ You go home together after happy hour 

“Can we—” 

“Shhh. No, not yet.” 

“But nobody’s looking!”

“Wait until we’ve rounded the corner, idiot—” 

And so he does. 

But the moment the corner has been rounded, Chan is sagging against your side like he’s wanted to the entire night. “Oh, thank God,” your boyfriend sighs. “I didn’t think I’d survive another minute without touching you.” 

You can’t help the giggle that escapes you. The feeling is mutual, though, so you reach out to rest your hand on his knee.

“Commendable self-control tonight,” you note. “All the whispering was a little too obvious, though.” 

Chan huffs in protest, but the sound loses its edge as he cuddles up to you in the back of the cab. “No one suspects us. It’s just Vernon,” he complains. 

“And Seungkwan,” you say. “And Jeonghan, and Minghao, and Wonwoo—” 

Your boyfriend gives a dismissive wave of his hand. “Doesn’t matter.” His hand rests on top of yours, just barely resisting the urge to intertwine your fingers. “They don’t know a thing about us, sweets.” 

The smile threatening to fill your face finally breaks. When you laugh, your shoulders shake against Chan’s body. You’re not sure if he’s entirely right— you know of Vernon’s whole iPhone note, after all— but you’re willing to indulge your boyfriend if it makes him happy. 

“Yeah,” you concede. “They don’t know a thing.” 

[drgnflyteabox]

a little continuation of this. john price x cashier fem!reader. verbal abuse, anxiety, yelling, hurt/comfort, price comes to your retail rescue<3<3 1.4k words

The only good part of a 5am wakeup is watching the sunrise slowly climb the sky.

There’s a quiet sort of tiredness that lets you appreciate it more — and though the lot associates have made a joke about the morning crew and their sunrise photos, there’s an element of truth there that’s both funny and a little beautiful.

It’s a drag to wait outside the doors for a manager to open them, trying not to make eye contact with the early-bird oldies and the impatient contractors who think they should just be allowed in before everyone else based on the amount of money they spend.

When the doors open and the 6am hardware warriors stroll in, ready and chipper, you’re half asleep leaning against your counter.

Another good thing about the early shift is the lack of uptight managers. None of them want to wake up before ten, so you’re safe to lean and lounge while waiting for customers.

A call comes through your earpiece after a few customers, nearing the cusp of 8am.

”Hey, we’ve got the guy coming your way,” your head cash – Lisa – says, voice crackling in the mic. The guy is a rude jerkoff, some contractor who thinks abusing staff is the way to get good service and better prices.

What’s worse is that your managers allow it. In fact, you get warnings like this all the time. The guy is here, the guy has a big order, make sure to cash him out fast or he’ll start shouting. Be pleasant. Smile.

The guy is walking down the store lumber aisle with a pinched expression on his face and two other employees dragging his stacked carts behind him.

You try to ignore his caustic vibes, thinking instead of the pink, purplish sunrise you’d seen earlier. Clouds like magic, cotton candy, floating above you 

You ignore the incessant tapping of his feet, the annoyed groan he makes when you lift a package of insulation up and find flat saw blades.

Sure, you can’t accuse him of stealing. But you can make a cheery, passive aggressive comment–

“Oops, I guess you forgot these!” you chirp, scanning them a little slower than necessary. It’s not mature, but it does make you feel a little better. Nice try, bozo.

Playing the idiot cashier helps with these types. Why are you mad, sir? I’m just a cashier? And though you could answer more questions than you do, you don’t. Playing the ditz makes life easy.

Lisa’s definitely judged you for it, but hey. She’s not stuck at the register like you are.

Sometimes, it works. You get a scowl, but they’ll go quiet. Sometimes.

Today, it backfires.

“Excuse me?” 

Oh here we go, you think. It’s way too early for this.

“What was that, sir?” you play dumb, voice squeaking.

“Are you accusing me of stealing?” his volume raises. You see redness crawling up his neck. Fuck.

“No, no, I only meant���” you try to backtrack. Fuck, fuck. This is the result of your hubris. Your reasoning flies out through the massive lumber area doors as his rage climbs.

“No? No? Because I think you just accused me of stealing. Do you understand how much I spend here, you moron?”

“I do, I didn’t mean to imply–”

“Get me a fucking manager, now,” he snaps. God, you have no clue if he acts like this to get his way, to get discounts, or if he’s really this angry half the time he comes in.

Regardless, the effect is real. You’ve never been good with anger, and you’re shaking a little as you press the call button on your pager.

“C-Can I please have a manager down to lumber cash?” you broadcast to the store.

All you can think of is looking away from his angry gaze while you wait. Oh, a bubble bath – you have an aloe and green tea bubble bath packet at home waiting for you.

Hot water. Bubble bath. Manager to fix this mess. Maybe a hot chocolate after work?

A couple minutes pass. Longest minutes of your life.

No answer. The guy taps his foot, sighing loudly, angrily. You try again.

“Can I please have a manager down to lumber cash?”

Oh fuck, is that someone else in line? You turn away bodily, speaking again into your mic. Trying to look like you’re doing something about the wait.

Another couple minutes. Despair washes over you like a cold blanket of snow.

“Need a manager at lumber cash,” you try.

Typical, really. Lisa is likely on break, and you have no idea who’s managing the store at the moment.

You imagine it’s likely Cody, who’s good with contractors like this because he's personable but he’s also lazy it almost cancels out. Also, he takes a smoke break every 5 minutes.

And never takes his pager.

“What the fuck is taking so long?” you hear behind you.

“I’m sorry,” you say, turning. “My manager is busy at the moment but–”

“Busy?” his voice is like a gunshot in the airy space, an absurd volume for the time.

“Yes–”

“Do you know–”

A third voice cuts in.

“Think you better learn a little patience, mate,” British?

Oh, shit. It’s that guy from before. He’s got one hip a little cocked, a frown on his face like he’s smelled something bad. His boonie hat is titled down, nearly covering his eyes. You can see them because you’re shorter than he is.

“Excuse me? And who are you? Mind your business,” the guy says.

“I think you’d better let the nice girl check me out while you wait,” he motions for you towards the parallel cash desk, and you’re grateful to just follow.

You scurry away from the guy faster than is appropriate, calling out again as you cross the open space towards the other cash desk for a manager.

You can only hope they arrive while you’re helping this one. John Price, you think his name was. He's a memorable man. Him and his moustache and his expensive company.

John Price has left the guy flabbergasted. He also has twice as many carts as him, and when your eyes widen to see them he just says take your time in a smooth, deep voice.

Oh man.

You do take your time, already calmer for John’s presence. Strange maybe to feel safe in the company of a stranger, a contractor no less, but it’s a nice change of pace.

Beep, beep. You scan methodically. John has no hidden items, and he doesn’t pressure you. He leans up against his lumber order and watches you check underneath things, under the cart, doing everything you’re trained to do.

“Start early?” he asks.

“Hm?” you lift your head. “Oh, yes. 6am.”

He whistles.

“Hard worker, I see,” he helps you lift a heavy bag of concrete.

“Thank you,” Marx look away, you think. Your face is only a little hot.

Cody strolls in the lumber doors missing his apron and – you guessed it – his pager. You fix him with a look as he smiles in greeting.

“Need a manager when you’re free,” you rush. Cody is nice, but you’re kinda miffed now.

“Oh, sure,” he says, walking by you toward the breakroom.

John Price raises a brow.

“Not everyone’s up to the task, eh?”

You feel hot again.

“It’s just early.”

John smiles. He looks remarkably silly doing it, you think. His facial hair makes him look approachable, cuddly. Like a teddy bear.

John’s order totals double the guy, which isn’t really a victory for you but it feels like one. Ha! See, you aren’t the richest guy here. You feel vindicated. Cody looks miserable cashing him out, which makes you just a little guilty.

“Will that be cash or card?” you ask, finger hovering on the POS.

He pays with card. You certainly do not notice how he cradles the machine. You aren’t that down bad.

Only you are, and his fingers are huge. His knuckles are hairy.

When you go to hand him the receipts, printed twice for record keeping, he manages to slip a 50 into your hand before you notice.

“Oh, no! I’m not allowed to–”

He folds those big bear paws over your hand, enclosing the cash in it with a sh sh sh as you protest.

“For the trouble,” he winks.

“You didn’t give me any trouble,” you try. The warmth of his palm, the roughness of his calluses. You’re a goner.

He chuckles, and you wonder how he can be both so intense and so disarming.

“You know what I mean, sweetheart,” he squeezes your hand, pushing it gently back towards you until you can put it in your apron pocket.

“Thank you,” you squeeze out.

“Don’t let him get to you,” he says.

“I’ll try,” you thank God or the universe or whoever that Cody and the guy finished a while ago.

“Attagirl.”

Yeah, you’re a goner.

[lazylittledragon]

Heya, feel free not to answer if this is uncomfortable, invasive or you just don't want to :)

I'm a trans guy and I'm, after top surgery, hoping to get laurel wreaths tattooed over the scars with florograpgy accents.

Do you have any advice for someone who's never had a tattoo before? Anyways to deal with pain, common courtesies for the tattoo artist, how the actual session goes, etc.?

Love ya,

Quimble

THAT'S A GREAT IDEA also absolutely!!!

don't stress about it or worry about being 'too much', for someone's first one i will talk through every single thing i'm doing and there are no stupid questions or too many concerns. also don't worry about twitching/flinching, it's not your fault and we know how to work around it

your artist should never make you feel bad about ANYTHING!! you can move the stencil as many times as you want and we don't care about your body or what you look like. if you need to take a break it's fine, if you need numbing spray it's fine. i would honestly rather slightly inconvenience myself than make you uncomfortable. as long as you aren't intentionally wiggling around the entire time or being a dick to the artist, you're all good.

yes it is going to hurt but it probably won't be as bad as you think it will be. when i got my first one i really hyped myself up and was very underwhelmed by the pain aksddfjfdj

bring something with you like a book or headphones if you need a distraction (as long as the tattoo placement allows it). i'm quite chatty most of the time but if you want a quiet session/no smalltalk you can ask for that

the actual session will go something like: show up, look at the design, make any changes if you want, test it out for sizing, put the stencil on and make sure you like it, then start the tattoo. afterwards they'll go through all the aftercare with you and either put on second skin (a film that sticks to your skin and protects the tattoo) or wrap it in clingfilm

if they haven't specified when you book the appointment then ask if it's cash/card/paypal etc and if it's cash, try and get it out BEFORE the tattoo appointment (just a time saving thing). also tipping is never expected but always Extremely appreciated :))

please please PLEASE tell us if you don't like the design/want to change the placement etc. personally i would be mortified if i knew someone didn't like what i'd done and didn't feel comfortable telling me. it's there forever so i want you to like it!!

[ikkyfics]

So Close, So Right

James Potter x f!reader

Summary: "I was thinking..." James paused, wetting his lips and continuing, his voice filled with a nervousness you didn’t usually see in him. "Can I kiss you? And if you don’t like it, you can give it back."

Warnings: none - i think

Masterlist

The sun poured over the Hogwarts gardens on a lazy afternoon, warming the soft grass and filling the air with a fresh scent that seemed impossible to recreate anywhere else. The place was peaceful, save for some distant laughter from other student groups scattered across the grounds. But for you and James, it felt like the world had shrunk to fit only the space of the blanket he had laid down under the shade of a tree.

James was lying on his side, propped up on one elbow, while his eyes—those vibrant blue eyes behind the lenses of his glasses, which you could never ignore—followed every one of your movements. His hair was messier than usual, a dark chaos that seemed to refuse any attempt at order, but somehow made him look even more charming. He absentmindedly fiddled with a piece of grass, a mischievous smile playing at his lips, as if he was thinking of something you didn’t know yet.

You let out a contented sigh before lying back on the blanket, closing your eyes and allowing the warmth of the sun to caress your face. Moments like this were rare, and you found yourself silently thankful for it. But more than that, you were aware of James' presence. It was always like that with him, as if he occupied all the space around you without even trying.

James was watching you with an intensity he could barely hide. His eyes moved over your face, absorbing every detail: the curve of your lips, the way the sun seemed to play on your cheeks, the relaxed expression that made his heart stumble in his chest. As much as he tried to act like the casual friend he had always been, there was something different about that afternoon. Something he knew he couldn’t ignore anymore.

"Are you enjoying it?" he asked, trying to sound casual, but the roughness in his voice betrayed him.

"So much," you answered without opening your eyes, your voice calm.

James hesitated for a moment, his fingers toying with a blade of grass before letting it go. He leaned a little closer, his hand hovering in the air for a moment before deciding what to do. When his fingers finally touched your hair, it was so light that it almost felt like a whisper. He ran them through your strands, watching how they looked even softer under the sun's glow.

Your heart raced, but you didn’t move or open your eyes. You didn’t know what James was doing, but the gesture was so tender, so different from his usual self, that you didn’t want to interrupt.

"James?" Your voice came out low, hesitant, but filled with curiosity.

"Yes?" he replied, his voice dipping into an almost husky tone.

You opened your eyes, finding him leaning over you, his face closer than it should have been. His fingers were still playing with your hair, now moving in a slower, almost hesitant rhythm.

"What are you doing?"

The question made him smile, and he tilted his head a little, as if pondering the answer. The mischievous gleam in his blue eyes shifted to something deeper, something that made the air around you feel different, heavier.

"I was thinking..." He paused, wetting his lips and continuing, his voice filled with a nervousness you didn’t usually see in him. "Can I kiss you? And if you don’t like it, you can give it back."

The world seemed to stop for a moment. You blinked, processing the words he had just said, the meaning behind them curling in your chest in a way that almost hurt. He kept looking at you, his expression torn between expectation and a certain fear.

"James..." You started, your voice softer than you had intended.

"You don’t have to answer now," he said quickly, his fingers still in your hair, now moving in a rhythm almost soothing. "Just... think about it. Because I have, and I can’t stop thinking about it."

There was something so vulnerable in his confession that your heart ached. He wasn’t the James everyone knew in that moment. He wasn’t the confident, charming boy who always seemed to have the right words. He was just... James. Your James.

And in that moment, all you wanted was to say yes.

You took a deep breath, as if preparing yourself to leap off a cliff, but instead of fear, all you felt was the certainty that, this time, there was nothing to be afraid of.

"I don’t need to think," you said, your voice soft but firm.

His fingers, still playing with your hair, froze for a moment. James’ eyes widened slightly behind his glasses, a perfect reflection of the surprise he was feeling. He blinked a few times, as if wondering if he had heard you correctly.

"You don’t need to...?"

"No," you repeated, propping yourself up slightly, supporting yourself on your elbows to get closer to him. The movement brought your faces even closer, and you felt the warmth of the sun give way to the heat of his presence, so intense that it seemed to envelop everything.

James blinked again, but this time, the corner of his lips began to curve into a smile so radiant that it seemed to light up more than the sun itself. He laughed, a short, nervous laugh, as if trying to absorb the moment.

"Are you serious?" he asked, his voice thick with a nervousness you had never seen in him before.

"Yes, James," you answered, your voice quieter now but full of sincerity that left no room for doubt. "I’m serious."

His gaze softened, his blue eyes locking onto yours as if they were the only thing that mattered in the world. You noticed how different he seemed in that moment—not just vulnerable, but also absolutely sure of himself, as if he knew this was one of those choices he would never regret.

"So, does this mean you're going to let me kiss you?" he asked, the shadow of a playful smile returning. But there was something deeper behind his words, something that made his heart beat so fast that you could almost feel it.

You smiled back, a small smile, but full of meaning. "It means I want you to kiss me."

The words had barely left your mouth before he closed the space between you. It wasn’t a rushed or desperate movement, but one full of care, as if he wanted to memorize every second it took to reach you. When his lips finally touched yours, it was as if the world stopped spinning.

The kiss was soft, a perfect mix of hesitation and desire. His lips were warm, with such a delicate touch that you felt a wave of heat rise through your body. The hand that had been in your hair moved to your cheek, his thumb tracing a gentle circle on your skin, while the other hand pressed into the blanket, as if he needed to anchor himself to avoid losing his balance.

You kissed him back with the same intensity, your fingers clutching his shirt, feeling the fabric in your hands as your heart beat too fast in your chest. There was a sweetness to the moment, a sense that everything was finally falling into place, as if this was inevitable.

When you pulled apart, both of you were out of breath, but neither of you seemed willing to fully distance yourselves. James kept his hand on your cheek, his thumb still softly caressing your skin. He smiled, a smile so full of happiness that it seemed to infect everything around you.

"I didn’t like the kiss," you said, the tone too casual to be convincing, but enough to make James freeze.

He blinked, clearly caught off guard, and opened his mouth to protest, but seemed lost, his expression flickering between confusion and disbelief. "What? How can you not have liked it?"

You almost laughed at his expression, his blue eyes wide behind his glasses, his mouth opening and closing as if he were trying to find enough words to argue.

"Well," you continued, biting your lip to hold back the smile, "I guess I’ll have to give it back."

It was only then that the memory of what he had said earlier hit him, and you saw his surprise dissolve into something softer. The corner of his lips curled slowly, a glimmer of understanding appearing in his eyes as he looked at you.

"Ah," he murmured, his voice low, the tone a little huskier. "So, that's it. You're going to give it back, huh?"

"Yes," you answered, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, but the smile playing on your lips revealed that there was more to it than just a simple exchange.

Before he could respond, you were leaning in again, closing the small gap between you. This time, you took the initiative, and his initial shock was quickly replaced by the same intensity as before.

The second kiss was different—firmer, more confident, as if both of you knew exactly where you were and what you wanted. His fingers slid down the side of your face, to the back of your neck, while you felt your heart race again, though this time, you didn’t want to control it.

When you pulled away again, still so close that your foreheads almost touched, he let out a low laugh, a sound that seemed to come straight from his chest.

"Okay," he murmured, a mischievous gleam in his eyes. "You definitely can’t give this one back now. I think you liked it more than you're willing to admit."

You laughed, shaking your head. "Conceited," you replied, but couldn’t stop the smile that widened on your face.

He smiled back, looking happier than ever. "With you? Always."

[drvscarlett]

About You Pt 21

Sebastian Vettel x Webber!Reader

Summary: Everyone knows about the history of Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber. But there's a well kept story within the paddock about Sebastian Vettel and another Webber. This is that story.

A/N: our final chapter! thank you so much for reading this series. will be now working on jenson's fic and maybe an about you special chapter if you folks like that??? hehe enjoy

About You Series

2019, Suzuka Circuit

Mark watched the couple have a table for themselves. The body language alone could talk about how delighted Sebastian was and how comfortable Y/N is back in his presence. He smiled as he sips his cup of coffee.

"Uncle Mark, who is the pretty girl?" Margarette asked.

The little girl didn't stop asking question after recognizing Y/N as the girl who saved her from getting lost in Singapore. It took a lot of begging for her to part ways with Y/N so she could talk to Sebastian privately. Mark smiles thinking how Sebastian doesn't seem to be the only Vettel that Y/N charmed now.

"My sister and your Papa's..." Mark answers and he debates how to answer Sebastian's relationship with Y/N "bestfriend, your Papa's bestfriend"

Margarette's eyes widened in surprise, "if that is Papa's bestfriend then why don't I see her a lot?"

"Its complicated"Mark sips his coffee again to hide his nervousness.

"Compwicayed?"

The confused look in her face seems to signal to Mark that its the first time that she encountered the word. Mark tried to wrack his mind a way to explain the situation to the kid.

"You'll get it when you get older"Mark assures.

"But Y/N should come visit me more often if he is Papa's bestfriend" Margarette insists.

"I sure hope so"

Back at the other table, the conversation seems to be more quiet as if they were both not sure which part should they talk about first. After so many years of waiting for each other, they just felt speechless because this moment seems unreal. Sebastian feels like any second now, the alarm would ring and everything will fade away.

"All those years? You were just here in Japan?"Sebastian could not believe it.

She nods with a shy smile on her face.

"The community is well nice here. A good rehab to help me walk again. People here respects privacy" she enumerates.

"And since when did you start walking again?"

"I think spring of 2017"Y/N recalls "It was not easy to walk again and it really was more of a mental strength issue.."

Her right hand fiddles with the necklace, a habit that she never outgrew. Sebastian finds comfort that there may be some changes in her life but she is still the same old girl that he met years ago.

His eyes trailed at the pendant on the necklace and that's when Sebastian noticed the familiar piece.

"You kept it?"

"Why would I throw it away?" she asked

"I thought you hated me" Sebastian knew that he deserves to be hated for everything he said that night.

"And I thought you hated me"she rebuts.

The driver immediately shakes his head sideways. There is a higher chance that he would hate himself before hating Y/N. It was frankly impossible for Y/N to do anything to make him hate her.

"I searched for you ever since I went back to my senses that I said some hurtful things that I didn't mean that night" Sebastian held her free hand.

The feeling of holding her hand again just felt right.

"I wanted to hold your hand again and we will go to your rehab sessions. I wanted to pick you up when you fall. I wanted to cheer you on when you take your steps again. But I wasn't there because my stupid words created a wedge between us" he continues.

There were tears on her eyes. Sebastian doesn't know it but she remembers all those times where she suffered alone. She didn't have anyone, just strangers or staffs in the hospitals. Maybe she have tried to imagine Sebastian being there for her as well during that time.

"But I'm not going to let you walk alone again, I'm here to stay. I promised myself to be a better man when you come back so you don't have to leave again. I promised that while you rebuild yourself, I will also do that so that when the time comes and we meet again, we can get a shot at this." Sebastian's words were determined and sincere.

Y/N looks at him hopefully. However, her eyes found the figure of little Margarette and remember the dilemma that she may put her through.

"What about Hana and..." she whispers "Margarette?"

"We're coparenting and Hana has long moved on with a guy in Switzerland name is Connor and they are pretty serious" Sebastian updates.

She nods in understanding.

"But Margarette, I can't let go of her" Sebastian admits "She is my world ever since we got seperated"

This time, Y/N's hand other hand found its way on top of Sebastian's. It was like a gentle way of her assuring that she wouldn't ask for that.

"I would never ask to seperate the two of you" she states "if you would have me then I would like to not just get to know you again but get to know Margarette as well"

It brings tears of happiness in Sebastian's eyes. It was like everything was finally falling back to places. Even if it took so long to happen, he was so glad that it was happening.

"We'll be okay?"

And Y/N nods.

2019, Interlagos

F1Gossips In a surprise turn of events, Sebastian Vettel reunites with Y/N Webber as they arrive together for media day

User11 MY PARENTS!!!!

User7 everybody stay calm, whats the procedure!!! User8 no one is calm, we have prayed for this for years

User9 they look so happy

User18 ikr, even if seb has a bad car, he smiles like he is a world champion here User17 and lets talk about how i was so happy to see Y/N again

User81 was there! and i saw her and i couldnt believe my eyes!

User5 she is so brave and she is so strong. we hope she feels the warm support

Webber Returns for an Australian driver

The paddock was buzzing with excitement as news spread around the return of the infamous Y/N Webber to the public eye. After disappearing for several years, she walks to the free practice of Interlagos with a rising australian driver, Oscar Piastri.

She confirms in an interview that she will be back to work with her brother Mark, who is currently Piastri's manager. After the successful win of Piastri in Eurocup last October, Y/N announced Piastri is now moving up to Formula 3 in 2020. The reason for their presence in Interlagos is purely out of the invitation of the Renault garage but she states its a way to motivate Piastri to find his direction.

"It won't be difficult to move Oscar up. I definitely think that in a few years or so then he would be competing here in Interlagos with the rest of the Formula 1 drivers" states Y/N.

When asked about her personal life, Y/N redirects focus towards Piastri's growing career. However, the clear joy from some of the old drivers have been evident with her return. Lewis Hamilton described that "it was nice to have an old friend back in the paddock" and Y/N has been photographed with the Mercedes driver together with Scuderia Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel in several free practice pictures.

2019, Yas Marina Circuit

When Sebastian called asking that he needs help and he sent a location for a very expensive jewelry shop, Mark almost had a heart attack. He probably broke all the speed limits just to get to the store at a records time and prepared his fist to strangle the German driver.

"Where is that piece of shit?" he shouts as he opens the door.

A startled Sebastian rises from one of the waiting area chairs.

"Do you have to be so angry?" Sebastian complained.

Mark tried his best to calm himself down. Thinking happy thoughts and world peace before he says his next few words.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" Mark asked slowly "Why are you buying a ring?"

It was now Sebastian's turn to look at Mark as if he was crazy. Mark just kept his harsh glare towards Sebastian and it was like they were transported to those years when they were crashing with each other in Red Bull.

"Did you get her pregnant? I swear to God sebastian, I'm going to kill you right here and right now" Mark threatens.

"What? No!"

"Then why the hell are you buying a ring?"

"Because I love her"

Suddenly the buzzing of the shop suddenly goes quiet with the declaration of love of Sebastian. Mark's glare softened with the realization that maybe he overreacted and overthinked the whole thing.

"You thought" Sebastian catches on "That I'm proposing because I got her pregnant? Do you really think I will just marry her out of obligation?"

"Hey, its my job as a brother to overthink that all men are never good enough for my sister" Mark defended himself.

Sebastian shakes his head in disbelief

"Just help me pick out, I need your opinion because maybe the stuffs she liked changed over time" Sebastian went back to the original dilemma that he called Mark for.

Laid out in front of them were different cuts of diamonds in different designs. Sebastian was torn whether to pick something simple stone or should it be an extravagant as a marquise.

"They told me that I should give her something heirloom since its just an engagement ring but then I told them I already gave them that ring years before as a promise so this has to be different..."

While Sebastian is ranting, Mark was trying his best not to show emotions. He was reeling back to moments of a younger Y/N who wished to have her very own prince charming and now here she was about to be swept away by his former teammate.

"The oval one with the pretty blue diamonds all over it"Mark pointed out.

"Yeah, that was like the necklace I gave her for her birthday" Sebastian picks it up delicately "You think she will like it?"

"She would love it"

"Okay please ring this up and charge me" Sebastian instructs one of the sales assistant present.

Mark couldn't believe what was happening. A part of him was overjoyed to be included in the ring picking but there was this other part that knows that he will have to give her away.

"I thought you two are taking things slow?" Mark wondered.

"That we are but I just want to be ready" Sebastian agrees.

"Ready?"

Sebastian runs a hand over his hair, a sheepish smile on his face. It was the same kind of smile that he has whenever he talks about Y/N. Mark doesn't know how he missed it all these years.

"We waited for each other to be better version of ourselves. We gave each other time and now we meet again. We have some catch up to do and so but after that I feel like its just a few months before we level up this relationship" Sebastian explains.

Mark nods in understanding

"I'm really serious about her, Mark. I know I have been very stupid before but I have grown and I have learned. I'm not hurting her or even losing her ever again"

There was something that made Mark resign and give him the complete sign of approval. He knows how much Y/N have also loved Sebastian and maybe it was about time for Y/N to make her own family with him.

"Just take good care of her, she deserves good things"

"That's what I intend to promise her when I marry her" Sebastian assures.

2020, Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya

A group of drivers were huddled up in a room and they were all engaged in a very serious conversation. One may think that this was a grid meeting but it seems like it was all centered to the whiteboard with the messy writing "how will Seb propose?".

Sebastian was actually quite desperate to ask help and initially he sent the message to the groupchat he had with Charles and Mick. However, he wasn't particularly tech savvy so it was sent to the grid group chat.

With everyone finding out the information, everyone is pitching in their ideas.

"I know, you should set up a picnic and then propose to her while eating" Daniel suggested.

"And then a bee or a wasp will invade their space and it will ruin the whole thing" Kimi countered.

"What about a stargazing" Charles pitched in "And then you get this telescope and then she looks at it then you get on one knee and when she looks back at you she is surprised"

"That's actually a good idea" the room murmurs in agreement.

"But what if there are no stars?" Sebastian worriedly asked.

So there goes the stargazing idea scratched out in the perfect proposal plan.

"Just propose to her at a Grand Prix" Lewis suggested "We're always in a Grand Prix"

"But its too much attention and I'm sure they want this to be intimate" the young Max Verstappen voiced out.

"But isn't it romantic to have a grand gesture at the place where their love story revolved?" Carlos backed up Lewis' suggestion.

The Red Bull driver shrugged in response.

"I think the best way of proposing would be in your flat or when you are feeling domestic, its a moment for you two and its going to give you a more real speech without all the fanfares and pressure" Max explained.

Charles shakes his head violently.

"No, you see this is why romance is dead." Charles argues.

The whole room was chaotic and ideas were pitched left and right. Sebastian felt like banging his head to the table but the heaviness of the box in his pocket is much more heavier.

"I still can't believe you didn't try to propose during the holidays" George exclaimed "That would have been perfect and no fuss at all"

"He tried to but then he got food poisoning during Christmas and flights got cancelled for New Year" Mick retells the unfortunate story.

"Maybe its the universe way of telling you that its not the right time"Sergio joked.

It immediately earned him a kick for his chair from Charles and Mick.

"We have waited for this for years so don't jinx it" Charles whined.

Their whole meeting was interrupted by a knock, a steward announced that the testing will commence in 10 minutes so they should be back to their garages.

"Don't worry Seb, we will help you out on this" Kimi patted his former teammate's back.

"Consider my suggestion" Max insists.

2020, somewhere in Japan

Usually its already halfway through the season already but June rolls in without any races. The whole world seems to stop because of the pandemic and its something very frustrating for most. However, here in Japan, Sebastian and Y/N were locked down since March and somehow they are enjoying the domesticity of life.

"Isn't it my shift today to cook?" Sebastian asked as he saunters to the kitchen.

The smell of a freshly cooked breakfast made him smile. He is still getting used how lucky he was that he gets to wake up with this kind of view.

"It was but you had a long round of meetings last night so I figured I'll do the cooking today" Y/N smiled.

Sebastian hugs her from behind and clings to her as she cooks.

"How was your meeting last night?"she wonders.

"Ehh could have been an email" Sebastian shrugs "And maybe I need to get back in shape to race for July"

Worry flashes across her face and it was not missed by Sebastian. She knows how much he misses racing but she wanted him healthy and safe.

"July, isn't that too soon? Is it safe?" she questioned.

"Relax" Sebastian assures "They are making sure that they are going to lessen the risk and the crowds. Its still up for negotiation"

"I supposed if Formula 1 is coming back then maybe Formula 3 is also going to follow soon" she sighs.

"Our vacation is ending" Sebastian jokes.

Y/N turns off the stove and faces Sebastian. She returns his embrace and stayed in that hug as if a bubble protecting her from whatever is happening in the outside world.

"I just want to stay like this forever" she mutters.

She knows its quite an awful statement. Some people have a hard time and they have to go back to their old lives soon. However, for the two of them, it was the break and the catching up that they needed.

Little did she know, these past few months seem to be Sebastian's vision of the future. It was something that perhaps what he looks forward to retirement.

"We can stay like this forever" Sebastian agrees "Just domestic life, farming, cooking, reading"

"I still have to work for Oscar" she reminds.

"Then you can work for Oscar and then we will be following you around" Sebastian smiles.

"What?" she laughs "You mean to tell me you won't be racing?"

It feels weird for Sebastian to reach that realization that he may have to retire some time soon. He loved what he did but he thinks its time for him to take on a new role and just enjoy life in a slower pace.

"I wanna quit racing and I wanna marry you" Sebastian finally makes the statement.

Y/N looks at him as if he misspoke something but Sebastian pulls out the box. He carries it everywhere with him just incase he decides its the perfect time to propose. He has been carrying it with him ever since this pandemic started because it was only during that time that he realized that moments are fleeting. If the opportunity exist then go and seize it.

Maybe this isn't in a fancy place to ask for marriage or maybe its not too publicized but this is the moment he has been waiting for. He would be a total idiot to lose it again.

"You are the love of my life that I have waited for a very long time now" Sebastian goes down on his knees and opening box "I have already achieved a lot of stuffs and won my fair share of championship or podiums. I achieved most of my dreams already and now I want to focus on my dreams of spending life with you. If you would have me then I would like more peaceful mornings like this one. I want to be that person that you come home after a long day at work. I want you and Margarette in those spontaneous grocery trips or the midnight snacks. I see you being a part of my life for as long as I live so if you will have me then I promise to be the best husband you could ask for"

The whole speech was not prepared. Even if Sebastian has visualized this speech for a while now, he seems to be underprepared and spewing out nonsense. He could only hope to hear a positive response for her.

"You are an idiot proposing to me in our kitchen" she finally says

A breath of relief rushes over Sebastian. He stands up to wipe her tears away and places the ring on her finger.

"Hey, I haven't said yes yet!" she jokes.

"I don't see you saying no"

2021, Spain

F1Gossips This year's silly season seems to be pointing in Spain. Drivers both current and former were spotted in their suits in a church in Spain.

User6 who is getting married???

User7 MARRIED???? User9 is jenson making poor choices again lol User10 thats just mean.

User5 i dont see pictures of sebastian here. thats weird, that's suspicious

User19 maybe he wasnt invited User55 lmao, why would they not invite seb?? User3 what if its seb's wedding User15 time to take your delulu pills User3

User13 let me innn, i wanna know who's marriage is this that got everyone in the new grid and old grid in.

User17 can drive to survive cover this event??

Y/NPrivate we waited for so long for this moment to happen. i still can't believe that i get to marry my first love. this relationship was a rollercoaster and we have spent years before coming to terms about our feelings. all i can say is everything is worth it because now i am building a family with you. thank you for bringing joy into my life. thank you for waiting for us to be the healed version of ourselves. and like i said, i'll be yours for eternity. kisses

CharlesLeclerc i swear i just finished crying and now i am crying again??!!

Y/NPrivate you always cry with ferrari -seb CharlesLeclerc you better watch out!! Y/NPrivate what are they gonna do fire me? i mean they already picked a replacement for me so they don't scare me -seb CharlesLeclerc Y/N YOUR HUSBAND IS RUDE, GET HIM OFF YOUR ACCOUNT Y/NPrivate its a conjugal account now hahaha

MickSchumacher papa would have been so happy to see his two favorite people finally get together

Y/NPrivate we wish he was there to see us

JensonButton im really happy for you Y/N, seb you know the rest mate

Y/NPrivate thanks Jenson, seb also sends his gratitude. PS we got to chat soon about the girl you are seeing JensonButton whatttt thats crazyyyyyy how did you know that Y/NPrivate duh i have eyes -seb JensonButton make your own instagram account seb!

Hanna_Prater its a very lovely wedding, thank you for inviting us!!

Y/NPrivate thank you for designing the venue, i really love it hanna! Hanna_Prater were coparents so only the best for you! Y/NPrivate love u hanna! sending my regards to connor as well

[dailyadventureprompts]

Deity: Boccob, the God of Magic for Magic's Sake

Artsource

It is strange (especially for those who view their relationship with the gods as transactional) that one might offer up prayers to a figure known widely by the epithet " The Uncaring". Why perform oath and ritual for a being that will not intercede on your behalf? Or grant you good favour in exchange for your sacrifices? Those that study the words of Boccob understand they have no need to beg for miracles when they have magic at their command.

Known to commoners as a god of magic, foresight, and balance, Boccob is not so much a deity as he was a great teacher, a philosopher-sage who's now ancient treatise on magic and council on it's use are as much an object of faith for many as a more ordinary god's scripture. In instructing his students how to be wizards, Boccob taught his students how to be good wizards, and these lessons form the ironshod foundations of innumerable magical traditions practised to this day.

Central to Boccob's teachings was the idea that magic was a path that must be walked to gain greater understanding, and that an adherent of this path should study, experience, and witness as much of its wonders as possible in order to become better arcanists, leading to the adoption of the open and unjudging eye as his symbol. Boccob himself followed this path to the outer planes and beyond, never to be seen again, leading many to credit Boccob with being the first mortal to climb the fabled infinite staircase, or perhaps even its architect.

Adventure Hooks:

Millennia after his (literal or figurative) ascension, a scroll containing hitherto unseen passages of Boccob's writings have been discovered in a crumbling library, setting off a disastrous chain of events as jealous archmages scrabble for the text like seagulls after a frenchfry. Their clashes are frequent, leaving the surrounding area scattered with hastily summoned servitors and all manner of misfired magic. Perhaps if the party is quick and clever they could sneak in and take the text for themselves, learning its wisdom or using it as a bargaining chip with one of these powerful spellslingers.

If it’s one thing Boccob’s Acolytes like almost as much as uncovering the arcane secrets of the universe, it’s proving their intellectual superiority by hiding their findings behind inscrutable riddles and logic games, the way The Uncaring did for his first pupils. Ledoran’s Labynthical Libram is an infamous example of this practice, a spellbook containing all manner of useful rituals and genuinely brilliant insights hidden behind a gauntlet of ciphers, mazes, and "gotcha" enchantments. Any self styled master of the arcane is likely to have a copy on their shelves, meaning that' it's only a quick looting spree away from ending up in the party's possession.

If "a wizard did it" is the answer to the age old question of "how?", "because they were listening to Boccob?" is the answer to the inevitable follow up of "why". Arcane crossbreeds, inexplicable puzzle dungeons, magical items amounting to bad jokes with bodycounts, all of these are created by The Uncaring's followers as a means of testing and expanding their abilities.

More of my adventures involving Boccob and his followers can be found HERE

Lets get into some philosophy...

While Ioun promotes the study of arcana for the sake of furthering knowledge, Mystra maintains and obscures the secrets of the weave, and Corellon glories in the wonders spellcraft might create , Boccob focuses on the pursuit of magical ability as a means and end of its own.

To Boccob, " I want to learn magic so I can be great/help people/make life easier" is a false start, because it ties the acquisition and understanding of magic to an external metric, encouraging the practitioner to take shortcuts with the magic to achieve their worldly desires.

Greatness, beneficence, and ease of living are but some of the infinite virtues that follow from being a great mage. Indeed, a reoccuring theme in Boccobian writing (especially in the ensuing literature made by his followers) is the idea of the Panexplicatic endstate of magic, where the perfect mage (and the body of wisdom they represent) has an answer for all things, specifically a magical awnser.

While some followers have taken this to mean that a mage's pursuit should always be towards omnipotence (Vecna's grasping eye motif can be seen as a direct response to Boccob's unjudging one) the largely more accepted thought is that arcanists should specifically dream small, creating a self sufficient life for themselves withdrawn from the world while focusing on the inward path towards enlightenment. That's why you'll so often find wizards at the top of spires in remote areas, interacting only with their apprentices or whatever travellers have gone far afield to seek them out for magical guidance.

This leads into one of the main critiques of Boccobian thought, which is that it alienates the practitioner from the world at large, not only focusing on magic to the exclusion of all else but also contextualizing magic as something that exists only to help the practitioner along their individual path, other people and consequences be damned. A hedgemage living a simple life in the forest may seem like they're hurting no one when they create a tree that grows a full crop of apples every day so they don't need to worry about stocking their larder... but what happens to the local ecosystem when these everladen trees start cross pollinating with others, to say nothing of the drain/disruption to nearby laylines and how such magic might have downstream consequences. To take a completely different tack with the same problem, the poor in the village nearby might LOVE to have a bottomless supply of apples, but the Boccobian adherent would say that because they haven't devoted the years of study required to create the tree, they're not entitled to its fruits.

Titles: The Uncaring, the Master of all Magics, Archmage of the Infinite

Symbols: An eye in a pentagram, often crowned with a crescent arc.

Signs: Light through a cracked open door, stars that seem longer than they should be, the appearance of inexplicable magical text.

Worshippers: Sorcerers, wizards, and any with an access to magic innate or otherwise. Adherents usually worship in private practice but occasionally band together into temples or schools.

[maenoakasuna]

{ All For Us } Part IV Part I - Part II - Part III

This chapter is shorter than the others, i’m sorry, but I really wanted to focus on reader and Thanos feelings, relations, sensations and writhe a beautiful Smut, not just straight up porn.

It gonna my first F U L L Smut in English, so i’m really sorry for 100% bilingual person who gonna read this, but iI swear I did my best. I red a lot of smut before or have dark romance Book at home, so Im not new to this i’m just new to writhe it 😂

If you are not comfortable With Smut, You can Skip the entire Chapter cause it will mostly be it. Sorry not sorry

I hope you will Enjoy it cause not gonna Lie, even if I L O V E smut, I always feel weird to writhe ones.

TW : Smut - P in V - Bitting - Praise kink - Cunni - Thanos behing fucking hot and adorable. Idk for real. it's a fucking smut, figure it out

TagList : @private-vampire @rafesbunniebby @ultracoolnobody @chxrrybomb22

You stayed silent at his question, squeezing tighter your arms as your eyes looked away from his insistent look. You didn’t want to talk about any of this, not here, not now. You wasn’t ready. You weren't ready to talk about your fear, your anxiety, your stress, not ready to talk about the baby and every feeling you have. You weren't ready to face reality. 

You could feel your eyes getting wet, your vision blurring as your body started to shake. Your mouth opened up, you tried to answer, but nothing came out.

You could hear Thanos get closer to you by the sound of the wet floor under your feets. The more step he made to you, the more your heart raced in your chest.

«-I’m sorry.»

That’s all you managed to say. Your voice was a shaking mess. Anxiety started to rush more and more through your veins, insanely going to your brain and making it more fuzzy. You didn’t know why you were sorry. That’s not the thing you wanted to say, but you feared Thanos' anger and you didn’t want to make him mad. 

His silence stressed you more and His step got closer to you.

«-I didn’t know what to do, I never planned any of this. It just happened and I couldn’t just get rid of the kid. What happened is not his fault. I- »

You were cut By Thanos Lips on yours as his large hands cupped your face. You were caught by  surprise by this attention, but it made you feel your stress vanish as soon as you felt him. His lips, his touch, his warmth, all of this made you feel safe. 

Thanos kiss was passionate, eager for you. You don’t remember the last time he kissed you like this. You were still mad about him for what he'd done to you, but right now you couldn’t care less. You needed him probably as much as he Needed you.

Your arms slid around his neck, you fingers lost themself in his purple hair as you answered to his kiss with the same passion, you had missed this feeling that only he can make you feel.

Your lips spread a little bit to let your boyfriend’s tongue pass between them to come meet up with his twin. Your tongues started to dance a beautiful tango of passion. 

Thano’s hands, who were now on your Hips, pressed you more against the cold wall behind you, making you moan through the kiss under the icy effect.

You didn’t realize how much you needed to breathe until Thanos pulled away from your lips, leaving you with flushed cheeks, swollen Lips and a strong need between your legs.

«-Fuck.. »

He whipped out some saliva on his lips, looking at you with the same desir in his eyes as you have for him.

«-Did I already told You how beautiful you are when you look like this. »

You looked away, embarrassed and covered your body with your arms. You completely forgot for a moment that you were Naked. Thanos rooming over your body and stops at your small belly before gently putting his hand on it, making you shiver.

«-I should have been there when you got the news. »

He take a little break before his eyes going back to you as his hand on your belly came to take your chin, forcing you to look at him.

«-I know I fucked up, but I want to be there for you and for our baby. »

‘’ Our ‘’ Baby. It was the word who made you flinch. Your weakness all exposed you couldn’t hold your tears anymore and just hugged him. Your face in his chest you start to cry like you never did before. All those feelings could finally break free ; Sadness, fear, happiness. It was a messy mix of everything. Thanos hugged you back and placed his hand on your head.

«-I love You Y/N I always did, even If I never told you. High or Not, you always were on my mind since the day we met. You are the drug I can’t quit.-Fuck You Su-Bong, you should have told me that before…»

You still cried in his arms as he gently caressed your hair.

«-I know. I’m sorry. I’ill Understand if you want me to fuck off and leave You alone, but please don’t push me away from this kid. He’s not even born yet but I already feel like I could kill for that Child...»

You sniff and look up at your Boyfriend who smiled at you.

«-You’re not mad about that ?-About what ? You being pregnant ? How could I ? This is the living proof that I  marked You inside and out, He answered with a Smirk.»

You couldn’t stop yourself from smiling as a little amusing ‘’ gross ‘’ came out of your mouth.

Thanos gets on his knee in front of you and gently kiss and talk to your little bump. It was adorable, but also pretty hot. 

Your arousal from the kiss was still there, you squeezed your tights to try to calm down, but the image of his lips and tongue between your legs was too hot to be ignored. Your breath started to be a little bit heavier as you put your shaking hand in Thanos' hair.

«-Su-Bong, can You… »

Thanos looked up at you and smiled when he noticed your state.

«-Princess want to be taken care of, hm ? »

His deep voice, his pet name for you, it turned you on more as you nodded at his question.

It didn’t take that long for him to start his magic, first with his fingers, sliding them between your already dripping folds. You spread your legs a little to let him have some space, but he wanted to have the perfect view. Gripping your Tight, he put it on his shoulder, making you blush. 

«-I like to see How wet I can make you »

His fingers slide easily in you, making you gasp. He moved it in and out at a slow pace before his lips came to meet your Clit, sucking it at first before his tongue started to work around. 

Eyes closed you pull on his hair under the sensation of his hot mouth around your sensitive part. It felt more sensitive than it was before, making you moan his name again and again. You had to put your other hand on your mouth to shut you up. Grinting, Thanos stop his work on your clit and bites the skin of your tight, making you scream.

«-Remove that hand or I will bite Harder.-But, the guards will hear everything..»

He bites you again, sucking on your skin as his fingers continue to move in and out. He curled them a little bit when he felt he hitted the good spot. When his teeths let go of your skin, it hurt and you noticed the bruise Thanos had let you. He kisses the painful part before looking at you again.

«-Your hand, Beautiful, he said as a warning.»

You slowly removed your hand which covered your mouth, making him smile.

«-That’s my good girl. »      

Oh gods, you like it so much when he gives you that kind of pet name, when he praises you and he could tell by how hard your inside squeezed his fingers. 

Removing it from inside of you, Thanos gets up and starts to Undress under your hungry eyes. You have seen him more than once but you still feel amazed by how hot he looks. Once he’s naked, he grips your ass and pulls you from the ground and you wrap your hands around his hips as he easily inserts himself in you. 

You felt your inside stretch out and that was simply divine. You took  him like you were made for him. As he feel you clench around him, Thanos let a hungry grunt escape his lips. His forehead placed on your shoulder, he try to focus to not just destroy you.

«-Please… Su-bong, don’t hold back.»

His hands on your ass grip you harder as he pressed your back against the wall before starting to move. The feeling of each other was insanely amazing. Behind moans, growls, slurpy kiss and love bite all over each other’s body, you was both somewhere else where only you two belong, feeling like your soul could escape your body, making only one. Behind pleasure, you felt safe, you felt loved, it was all you needed.

«-I love you »

You managed to moan to thano’s ear as you grip his shoulder a little bite more. You could feel your orgasm coming quickly.

«-I love you too princess, so fucking much.»

He kissed you again as you came undone around him. Moaning trought the kiss. You became more sensitive and since Thanos didn’t stop moving, trusting  faster and harder inside you, You came another time and it Didn’t took long to your partner to do the same. 

You both were breathless, every muscles of your bodies was tired and so do you. You needed sleep and your eyes started to close as you rest your forehead on thanos shoulder.

«-Don’t fall asleep Now, we need to wash ourself before.-Yeah… you’re right.»

Thanos pulled out of you and put you back on your feets. Your legs was shaky, you needed your boyfriend’s help to stand. 

As your partner opened the water, he helped you wash yourself, making you blush.

«-I can do it myself, you know… -You seem tired. Let me help you for this time.»

He gently kiss you and continue his task as you let him do it, but only for this time.

[postcardsfromheapside]

[heavy sigghhhhhhhhh]

Okay, it's 9:30 in the morning, but I don't want to go out in the cold yet so we're addressing THIS instead.

First and foremost, turning Emmrich into the victim (and then whining about the lack of Solas) is what's cringe here. Not only is some of this wrong (Harding only brings up the age issue because Emmrich expresses his own concerns and she then acts as a sounding board for him), but it's getting tiresome to act as if the other companions don't have reasons to voice their opinions (I'm getting particularly tired of people not listening to the exchange with Taash and considering how they might feel). You can apparently consider things from Emmrich's perspective, but you refuse to consider things from everyone else's.

I'll put this under the cut - I hope no one has plans because we're going to be here a while.

A lot of the complaints in the post neatly latch onto individual ones I've run across in the past, so I'm just going to make one big response.

Emmrich is my favorite character in Veilguard, and second only to Varric for the whole series.

But he can be stuffy, snobbish, overly pedantic, he gets into other people's business and loses emotional perspective when the academic focus takes over, is possibly attempting to make a major life change based on barely-addressed trauma, and is prone to bouts of melancholy where he has to be drawn out by his friends and/or lover about whatever is actually bothering him, rather than him communicating his issues. He is not perfect,

That's why it's very interesting in that post to see someone claiming that "no one's bullshit is called out." When the companions "dunk" on Emmrich, it's a two-way street. Sometimes the companion is wrong, sometimes Emmrich is wrong.

Neve and Emmrich resolve their issues peaceably - it's not toothless, it's just that they're both mature adults and neither of them get actively hostile with others if they don't have to. They talk it through over several conversations, and decide the other is fine - good company even! - and move on to sharing Manfred, sharing poetry (you have to read the codex), sharing spell books, joking with each other, they're my favorite to bring out together despite not having interlocking talents.

Davrin and Emmrich start somewhat peacably - Emmrich tries to encourage him that he will find Assan's siblings, and I've gotten dialogue about the books the lighthouse has to offer early on - and then they begin their magic and child-rearing arguments. And Davrin ISN'T IN THE WRONG.

1) while it seems silly to us for Davrin to be a Fade denier, what's more interesting to me is that he points out that in a group of mages arguing about the Fade, there's never a cohesive answer. It's like listening to philosophers or religious experts never coming up with one clear answer about their favorite topics to mentally masturbate over. Davrin likes "science". He's writing a monster manual, ffs. He wants solid answers. One thing I love about Davrin is he's never afraid to call something that's bullshit, bullshit. Weird magical things happening in Arlathan? Bullshit. (and they are) Living in the lighthouse and feeling like it's ooky spooky? Bullshit. (and it kinda is) Questioning the boss about the god stuck in their head feeding them bullshit? 100% should be doing that. You should be listening to Davrin more - he's the voice telling you not to go into the haunted house, y'all, it might save your life.

2) He's also not wrong about Emmrich helicopter parenting Manfred, and almost none of how Davrin handles Assan is any of Emmrich's business, or area of expertise.

We need to stop getting upset at Harding for talking Emmrich through his worries about an age difference (this is something I think Bioware handled badly in that not everyone headcanons their Rook at a younger age, but also, Emmrich clearly has an issue with aging due to his thanatophobia). He shows signs of distress, and she talks him through it and offers advice. For some reason, a large part of the fandom has decided to take his issues out on HER, which is *wild* but not unexpected given the deeply internalized misogyny I've seen displayed. Not only that, but Sylvia herself has come out on Harding's side, because she wrote Emmrich that way.

Getting irritated at Taash is honestly wrong on so many levels at this point. I don't diagnose other people or characters, so I won't get into the ND aspect (it's fine if you relate to it, I'm not stopping you), but I will say this: Taash comes from a completely different culture than Emmrich, which finds using dead bodies so "callously" to be abhorrent, and their particularly sensitive sense of smell makes anything having to do with death even more disgusting to them (have you ever smelled a corpse, or dead animals? My migraines enhance my sense of smell, and make normal things smell awful sometimes) and finally, they are IN THEIR EARLY 20'S AND FULLY ACT LIKE IT. That means not everything they do is going to be as mature as the rest of the party, who are in their early to mid 30's, (and Emmrich was listed as 50-52). You can outright tell Emmrich to cut the shit, and he reels himself back with zero disapproval because he realizes ALL of this in a single second. *He's* the grown-ass man and professor here and shouldn't be escalating their argument. He values Taash, and changes his entire behavior toward them IMMEDIATELY, because *he was in the wrong*. And Taash responds to it, in a positive manner. You do not need to protect Emmrich from Taash.

Even Lucanis refuses to talk to Emmrich about Spite in some dialogue, because he feels more like a academic project than a person.

No companion is explicitly "called out" because sometimes these characters are calling *Emmrich* out. You're just refusing to see that he might be acting badly in his very quiet, stuffy way.

**put a pin in the Davrin/Lucanis bit**

Now.

After seeing a series of screenshots ending with this:

I got a little fixated with finding out which route unlocked this dialogue. It turns out you, as Rook, can romance Emmrich while expressing distaste for death, necromancy, and the undead the entire time - effectively dissing his profession and life's work, to paraphrase the post I linked - and Emmrich doesn't actually disapprove. Any time you can express disaste without missing a flirt option, if you do that, he takes it in stride. And then you can flirt as normal. He is *used* to people feeling this way. I think all Nevarrans are. I rather suspect he doesn't give a shit what the companions think about his job, at his age - he's written books, he's given lectures, he's a senior Watcher. Their opinions don't matter. He's at the top of his game, he has nothing to prove to them. Rook hired him, not them. And Rook? If you romance him, and take this route, his answer to you is: "There's no shame in a little attraction to the forbidden, my darling."

This man is a fucking menace. He doesn't need defending - you need defense against his rizz.

Now, Solas.

Yes, Solas taunts him for being a lich. Solas also taunts Davrin for being Dalish and what he must have heard about Solas from his people. Solas also tries to flatter Emmrich if he remains human. Solas tries to butter up Lace by apologizing to her. It's almost as if Solas is the "god" of deceit and trickery and presents as many different faces as their are people or even aspects of those people. He will present whatever face he thinks he needs to in order to get under their skin, or throw them off their game. Solas doesn't care about Emmrich becoming a lich. He doesn't actually care about any of the companions. He cares about tearing down the Veil. What choices you've made do not matter to him on a personal level except inasfar as he can use you. That's who he is. I hate it for you if you haven't realized and accepted this by now.

There are a lot of people who think Solas and Emmrich "nerd out" in their dialogue, and I just don't see it. I've held back from this descriptor in this lengthy response, but Emmrich constantly displays a very "British" politeness - and he does it when Solas attempts to flatter him in the end game. Emmrich doesn't express a *personal* wish to have a conversation with Solas. He says there are things the Watchers wish to have answered. It's professional for him. Solas kidnapped Rook, someone who, romanced or not, Emmrich spent weeks making a damn good facsimile of the lyrium dagger in order to save. Emmrich isn't going to outright tell Solas to go fuck himself, because he's too well-mannered, and he's got an affinity about spirits. But he's not inviting him over for tea and crumpets.

I don't understand where the idea that Emmrich holds off from flirting back because of the age gap comes from. "I must be sure to live up to expectation" - do you...do you not see that as him flirting back? TBH I think this guy flirts first and then kicks himself because "that's the boss" (and probably gets told about what's happened with Varric) and only REALLY gets serious when he thinks "No, there actually is something here" when Rook has flirted a few more times after that, plus helped him in his personal quest. Age gap be damned. A lot of us did not play Rooks with an age gap, or that much of one - mine was my age, well within Earth "norms" these days.

Okay, back to the Davrin and Lucanis bit.

Saying that Lucanis is "okay because he's an assassin that only kills bad people" is missing the point. Lucanis fully admits that he has only killed people who are guilty by his own yardstick. I'm sure all the companions could agree there are some standards (children) but even in D'Meta's crossing you're faced with a moral choice where not everyone agrees what to do (free the mayor or don't) and it's very clear that not everyone has the same standards about what makes a "killer". So why should you assume that Lucanis is a guilt-free assassin? We know that he frees slaves, we know that he earned a reputation killing Venatori mages. But he demures from Emmrich's excited statements that he "empathizes" with all his victims. There's absolutely no way he was able to vet all his kills, and who decides who "deserves" to be killed? You're meant to contrast this with Davrin's warm empathy for the criminals who join the wardens and become "something better" - the kinds of people who start bad and change into something good, who get a second chance to help and contribute to Thedas society in a meaningful way. But the Wardens have their own dark history, they're often corrupt. Lucanis and Davrin are two *good people* propping up their own suspect organizations, both of which are doing the best they can in imperfect situations. It's like watching a gang member and a cop slowly understand each other.

Please for the love of Andraste. Go read widely and expose yourself to other things and other people. It will help you gain perspective. This is a GOOD game, and not thinking critically about the conversations and choices, or trying to see things from each character's perspective, is what's holding people back from enjoying the richness and replayability it has to offer.

[yoonjae20]

Batfam + Danny go on vacation [Bruce/Danny; Spirit Halloween]

Finally we are here at the Beach episode! /joking (well mostly lol). Also we get a much needed conversation between Damian and Danny.

Read on ao3. Masterpost

Previous.

“So I have been thinking,” Danny starts as they are laying in bed, both of them winding down after a long day. Bruce raises an eyebrow when his husband doesn’t continue. 

“Yes?” he prompts and closes the book he had been reading, settling it on the nightstand.

“I feel like we deserve a nice vacation,” Danny finally says.

Bruce knits his eyebrows together, but doesn’t disagree. 

“We’ll have to coordinate the patrols, but I guess we should be able to make a trip for a few days.”

Danny exhales, shaking his head as he smiles at Bruce. 

“I meant with the whole family.”

Bruce’s eyes widen and he just stares at Danny. 

“Yes, that means even Duke and Alfred,” Danny adds. “Barbara and Steph too if they feel like it. They should get a chance to relax.” 

Bruce presses his lips into a fine line. 

“We can’t let Gotham stay unprotected.”

Danny sighs like he expected this. 

“We could always ask Clark-“

Bruce bristles, narrowing his eyes as if he can’t believe what Danny just said. 

“No way I’m letting him protect my city!” 

Danny rolls his eyes before he pinches the bridge of his nose.

“Do you trust Clark?” he questions, staring his husband down. 

Bruce squirms in his spot.

“Yes, but-“

“And if Clark asked you to protect Metropolis for him, would you deny him?” Danny interrupts. 

“No of course not-“

“Then why don’t you extend him the same trust?” Danny huffs out a breath. “He’s literally your best friend Bruce, and we both know you don’t have a lot of those.”

Bruce doesn’t pout — for the record he doesn’t pout. He grunts, not meeting Danny’s eyes. 

“I thought the sessions with Jazz were helping?” Danny asks as the man doesn’t answer. “You know you don’t have to keep pushing away people just because you are afraid of them getting hurt. You and I both know that if something really bad happens I can transport us back to Gotham in a blink.”

“It would be nice to have a vacation once in a while,” Bruce finally admits. “It’s just with everything going on lately… I feel uneasy.”

Danny lets out a fond huff as he kisses the man's cheek. 

“See, that wasn’t so hard, right?”

“I hate that I don’t find that patronizing.”

Danny chuckles.

“The perks of being your husband, I guess,” he says cheekily before he reaches over to the lamp on his nightstand, turning it off. “I’ll bring up the idea to the rest of the family tomorrow.”

“I guess I don’t have a say in the matter,” Bruce sighs but it’s fond. 

“You know the saying — Happy husband, happy life.”

“That doesn’t even rhyme.”

Danny hushes him and Bruce rolls his eyes before he also turns off his lamp. 

“Danny?” he extends into the dark.

His husband hums as Bruce finds his hand under the blanket. 

“I love you.”

Bruce can hear Danny’s smile in his voice.

“I love you too.”  

They draw a lot of attention as they arrive at the airport despite them taking a private plane. They stop for a moment outside the Gate as Danny does a headcount — making sure nobody got lost (or more like they saw something suspicious and decided to investigate. Yes, Danny is talking about Tim or Bruce.) 

Danny claps to get everyone’s attention, the squabbling and banter finally stopping.

“Does everyone have their luggage?” Danny asks. “I know we can easily replace any clothes and essentials, but I know for fact that some of you went behind my back and packed your costumes and weapons nevertheless.”

Danny’s gaze heads to Damian and Tim, the latter who doesn’t meet his eyes. Damian just stares at him with a neutral expression. Danny sighs and shakes his head.

“But I guess it’s asking too much to expect a family full of vigilantes to go anywhere without a safety blanket.”

“Not everyone can simply transform Magical Girl style,” Jason snarks.

Danny narrows his eyes. 

“We both know you are the one who is the most strapped to hell,” Danny says. “Do you want me to confiscate everything?” 

Jason takes it as the warning it is and shuts his mouth. Danny huffs out a breath. 

“I thought so,” Danny states. “Then let’s get out here before the paparazzi flocks here. Everyone on social media must know where we are by now.”

The kids fall in line and Danny and Bruce form the final light. Bruce chuckles. 

“I never thought I would miss your bossy side,” he says. “You used to nag me constantly.”

Danny raises an eyebrow.

“Are you sure you want to stir that hornets’ nest?”

Bruce laughs as he puts a hand around Danny’s waist as they walk. 

“Of course not — it’s more amusing to not be at the end of it.” 

“Well Alfred told me quite some interesting stories-“

Bruce leaves his side and quickly hurries with long strides to catch up with his kids. Danny shakes his head with a smile while Alfred looks at him and Bruce with a knowing smirk. I guess some things never change, Danny thinks to himself fondly.

They arrive at their rented penthouse, all of them going to their assigned rooms to sleep off the jet lag until dinner. Danny pulls out something more comfortable to wear from his suitcase when he sees Bruce settled on the balcony, anxiously staring at his phone.

He lets out a sigh, abandoning the clothes as he steps out. He snatches his husband’s phone, ignoring his protests.

“I told you no social media or reading business emails while we are on vacation,” Danny chides. “Clark will be fine. Steph and Barbara stayed behind as well. Stop catastrophizing.” 

Danny glances at the news headlines for Gotham, snickering when he sees the prank Jason and him did on Joker. The graffiti almost looks even better than during the night. It had been quite a rush job to make sure they would have enough time until the flight, but somehow they managed. (It might have helped that Danny used some doppelgängers too.) 

They are hoping to draw the rogue out of hiding. He’s been suspiciously quiet the last few months. 

“I should have known it was you,” Bruce sighs, “Did it have to be on the Wayne Enterprises building?”

Danny shrugs with a fake innocent smile.

“How can I deny our son?”

Bruce shakes his head, but his lips perk up into a fond smile as he hums. 

“Our son,” he murmurs. “I quite like that.”

Danny snorts.

“Of course you would,” he teases before shooing the man inside their room again. “Now let’s go take a nap — I know you are tired too, you can’t fool me.”

“I changed my mind,” Bruce banters. “I don’t like your bossy side.”

“Too late,” Danny says as he pushes him onto the bed, caging the man inside his arms as he smiles.

His core purrs under his chest as Bruce looks at him with obvious adoration. He leans down and kisses the man, sleep quickly forgotten.

Danny sits down on the pier next to Damian who has his knees tucked under his chin.

“Not enjoying the vacation?” Danny asks softly.

Damian doesn’t really react to hearing his voice other than his eyebrows crinkling and Danny has to hold back a coo at the sight of it — he could never be angry at Damian despite what Ra’s did, the boy was just too much like his father. He hums, contemplating if he should give the boy space or push through his obvious discomfort. 

He decides to do the former — Danny doesn’t know the boy long enough to truly understand him. While he might act similar to Bruce, there is no 28 year old relationship between them. No unbroken trust. He also has a feeling that Damian would find it patronizing if he treated him a child — no matter that he is one. (And how much anger Danny feels at the fact that he grew up having no real childhood.) 

He moves to stand but before he can Damian catches his wrist. Danny freezes, but the boy still doesn’t look him in the eyes as he obviously tries to collect himself. 

“Aren’t you angry?” Damian questions. “At what Mother and Grandfather did? At me?”

“I’m angry about a lot of things,” Danny says, keeping his voice calm. “You’ll have to specify on what.”

Damian frowns, dropping his wrist as he pulls his legs even closer.

“I should have never existed,” he says, voice monotone. “How can I call myself the heir of Father’s mantle, when, if it weren’t for Grandfather’s meddling, I would have never been created?”

Danny takes a deep breath, suppressing the rage welling up in him.

“I know for a fact that your father never regretted taking you in,” Danny says. “He always wanted biological children — yes what your grandfather did was despicable, but you know that Bruce doesn’t blame you, right?”

Damian gulps audibly. 

“Why wouldn’t he regret it?” he questions. “I’m feral, angry and violent. I can’t read social cues and I don’t trust people. I treated Drake and the rest horribly…” His voice breaks. “I’d rather call people by their surnames than admit that they are important to me.”

“You didn’t call me by my surname,” Danny interjects gently.

Damian finally looks up, struggling to keep his composure and the expression in his eyes is something Danny is way too familiar with. He lets out a sigh as he projects his movements, giving Damian enough time to draw back if he doesn’t want to be touched. When he doesn’t even twitch, Danny crouches down and tucks his head into his chest.

“You don’t have to feel guilty,” Danny soothes as the boy breaks down. “No matter what you think you did, I forgive you.”

Damian clutches Danny’s shirt — for the first actually crying and letting it all out. 

“He cried himself out,” Danny whispers as he leans at the door frame, looking at Bruce who strokes through the boy’s hair, where he is settled on their bed. Bruce trembles with barely suppressed fury.

“I should have confronted Ra’s and Talia when I took him in.”

Danny sighs as he crosses his arms. 

“You know that wouldn’t have changed a thing,” he says, walking over to the man and Damian, rubbing Bruce’s shoulder. “Damian would have taken it as an attack on his honor.”

“Then after this vacation-” Bruce's voice rises.

“Bruce,” Bruce closes his mouth at Danny’s tone. “He has made so much progress. Do you really want to set him back?”

Bruce presses his lips together.

“You can accompany him if he wants to do it himself,” Danny adds. “But what he really needs right now is you.”

Bruce lets out a heavy sigh.

“I know,” he accepts. “It's just not fair” He squeezes his eyes close. “Not only did they take away the chance of having my first biological child, but they didn’t even tell me about him until it was almost too late. I never saw his first steps. I never heard his first words. I never held him in my arms when he was a baby.”

Bruce balls his left hand into a fist, gritting his teeth. Danny takes his hand, slowly prying it open and holding it before he can hurt himself, carefully brushing over crescent shaped indents. 

“You saw him making friends for the first time. You heard his first real, happy laugh. You held him, showing him that touch can be something other than violence,” Danny counters. “We can always make new memories.”

Bruce turns, hugging his stomach as he buries his head in it.

“What did I do without you for 22 years?” the man asks and Danny chuckles, blinking back tears.

“I wonder the same.”

They are relaxing on the beach loungers watching over the rest of their family goofing off in the water, splashing each other as they laugh when Danny gets the alert. He frowns as he looks at the contents. Instantly Bruce notices, looking away from Damian who for once also participates — him and Tim teaming up against the rest — knitting his eyebrows together.

“What’s wrong?”

Danny sighs before he forces a smile on his lips. 

“Kingly duty calls,” he lies. “I’ll try to be quick.”

He gives Bruce a quick peck on his lips before he opens a portal, disappearing in it.

It’s only later that the rest of the family realizes that Jason disappeared after he excused himself to get himself a cold glass of water too. 

Both of them only return a day later, covered in blood. 

Bruce’s hands had shook when he saw them, trembling over their forms when he checked them for any injuries. It was only when Danny gave him a smile that he relaxed. 

“It’s not either of our blood,” Danny explains, “Or did you forget that both our blood is contaminated by ectoplasm?”

He grasps Bruce’s both hands, settling one of them over his heart and the other over Jason’s — who surprisingly doesn’t even protest.

“We are fine, Bruce.”

Bruce still clutches both of them close. (He knows what they did, but the only important thing to him is that they are safe.)

“Group hug!” Dick exclaims and runs up to them, quickly forming a cuddle pile as the rest join. 

Danny ruffles Damian’s hair when the boy leans against him. Yes, they are safe. (And nobody will be able to change that — Danny will make sure of it.)

[letteredlettered]

In an answer to an ask, I was describing a WIP of mine that's about a friend of the protagonist who is completely in the dark about the protagonist's relationship with another friend of theirs. The fic is about the fact that though the friend is very close to the protagonist and thinks deeply about their feelings, they are still not able to see what is going on.

I think the reason I was interested in this fic was I really dislike the tropes like "A/B think they're being sneaky about dating but all their friends know," or "their friends knew A/B were meant for each other before they did" or "their friends try to get A/B together because they know A and B like each other." The fic I wanted to write was sort of the opposite of all of those, where the friend, despite being very close to the protagonist and deeply concerned about his welfare, is wrong about everything.

I think I have a lot of feelings about the tropes I listed, some of which are related to what I think friendship is and should be, others related to what friendship has been for me, all related to how I operate in this world, I think. First of all, most stories that employ those sort of tropes have friends going behind their friend's back and manipulating them. I would hate to find out that a friend manipulated me into some kind of meet-cute or confession instead of just having and open and honest conversation about it.

These stories often also have friends mistrusting their friends and not believing them; the protagonist will say, "I don't like him like that!" or "I don't see how we'd work as a couple!" and instead of taking the protagonist at their word, the friends decide they know the protagonist better than they know themself. And you know what, sometimes your friends do know you better than yourself; it can be very helpful that they do. It can be very helpful when they nudge you in a direction you thought you couldn't go, because you didn't know you could handle it or didn't know you needed it. But in the end, I find it offensive if someone doesn't believe with what I'm saying, if they're not engaging with what I'm thinking, if they're deciding they know better. Because even if they do know better, I still think and feel these things, and I want my feelings to be addressed, not ignored--even if they're wrong sometimes.

Which brings me to how I move through the world. I often feel I move in darkness. I don't know what other people think unless they tell me or make obvious demonstrations. And I feel that way partly because I so often feel misunderstood, because people read my expressions, or my tone, or don't listen carefully to the nuance of my words, and they assume things about me that I don't feel, that don't describe me, that have more to do with them than with me. And then there is so much of me going on under the surface that I don't know how to express in day to day life, things I feel and think about that other people don't guess. Lots of times, other people don't even seem interested.

I've never had people in my life speculate about whom I might be romantically interested in--at least, not to my face, unless they were my wife. I've never been asked if I like someone after middle school. I didn't date for 35 years, and was never asked to my face why, or whether I was interested, or why I wasn't with anyone, except a few times very gently by my mother. When I started dating a woman, no one said anything about me being gay. No one had questions. No one seemed interested in my sexuality or journey to get there.

Throughout my life, I never felt like I have been treated like a person who could have a romance, a person who could have sex, a person who could have a relationship. Was I too ugly? Was I too fat? Was it because I didn't present in a feminine way? Was I too loud? Was I too confident? Was I too intellectual? Was I too weird? Too awkward? Too unlike those around me? Was it because I'd never been with someone? Was it because I didn't talk about wanting it? Was it because I was too content, too happy? Was there something about me that screamed asexual, aromantic, this is someone who will never have a love story?

Around 10 years ago, I was talking to a friend with whom I'd never talked about any of this. We talked about work and our mutual acquaintances, her kids, my theater, and art. But one day she brought up a mutual friend of ours who was in her thirties, wanting to have babies and get married, but was having trouble finding a partner. My friend said something that gave me pause, something like, "Everyone wants to be with someone; no one wants to be alone. She just wants the life everyone has." And I said, "I don't have that life." And my friend instantly said, "Oh, but you're different."

I asked her why, and she couldn't say, only that I just didn't seem to want it. But what made her think that? What was it about me? I could understand if she was surrounded by people saying "I want this" over and over again, and she had never heard me saying that, maybe she drew some conclusions about me. But it felt strange. It felt hurtful--not because I need marriage and babies, but because I am automatically sorted in the category of "different" in this person's mind. They were just one person, but this seemed to also be the case with dozens of other people. Hundreds. Everyone wants this; it's normal--except for you, lettered. You're obviously different.

I know I'm actually very lucky. Many people would love to have my "problem." Many people who are asexual or aromantic, many people who haven't figured it out yet, many people who have been in a series of bad relationships and feel hopeless, many people who can't find someone to date at all, might love to have been in those shoes. They would love to not be asked "who are you dating, when will you marry, when can I expect grandkids?" they would love to escape "why don't you settle down? why don't you have a boyfriend? how can you still be single?" Maybe they would love to be told by my friend, "Oh, you're different, in the world of people we all expect to be paired up with other people, you just don't count."

But knowing that's what other people get asked, knowing that other people get constant questions about their love lives, so much so that it's annoying for them--and then knowing that no one ever asked me (except for my mother, gently and kindly, a few times, careful not to exert pressure) feels bad. Was I the sidekick in some story, the one no one expects to have a love story of their own? Could no one imagine me as a romantic interest? A sexual object? Am I the platonic ideal of a woman, untouchable and perfect in every way? Am I Mary Poppins?

Anyway, the simple answer is probably just that people are mainly self-centered, and if you don't bring it up, it doesn't occur to them. And to tell you the truth, I didn't often bring it up because while I would like to have been with someone, but I really don't need it; I just thought it would be nice. It wasn't a burning interest of mine, so maybe I shouldn't have even felt so bad that people seemed to make assumptions about me. (I'm just glad my wife didn't make assumptions like that; everything changed when my fire wife attacked.)

But since I am already a person who felt largely in the dark about how others feel, and feel that others are largely in the dark about me, this aspect of myself just felt like another facet of a blind operation. I often feel that I'm trapped in my own world, and you are trapped in yours, and we are all groping blindly for things we can never fully grasp, because you can never fully enter my world, and I can never enter yours.

And I recognize that the "friends know about their feelings" trope and the "friends get them together" trope is in some ways wish fulfillment--maybe everyone feels blind, feels unseen, and unknown, and they wish people would see them in this way, and know them. They wish people would step into their world and offer a hand, and lead them to another person's world, where they will never be alone.

But I, personally, find it very comforting to read about that blindness, to know that I'm not alone because we're all blind, and yet we still find ways to reach out to each other regardless.

[otomiyaa]

The Spider

Jayce x Viktor

A/N: Remember that lee Viktor poll, well this was actually the runner-up, hehe. Guess I finished it too.

Summary: Jayce is intrigued by random thoughts entering his own mind. Such as... Is Viktor ticklish? (Also on AO3)

Word Count: 1.5K

A chain of thoughts, everyone knows them right? Like one thought leading to another thought, and so on, and so on.

The way Jayce would think of having some dinner, which obviously made him think of food, which would remind him of sweets, leading him to thoughs about his childhood, about sneaking into the kitchen with Caitlyn to steal a little snack, resulting in thoughts about Caitlyn, and that one time he was invited to dinner with the Kirammans, but he despised the soup they made, so he had pretended to feel sick, and they forced him into bed and fed him some medicine that was even more awful, so awful that he actually threw up for real and they thought he was really sick.

Throwing up actually made him think of food again, and what he should have for dinner after finishing work, and so he would be right back where his thought chain started. Or spider. He liked to refer to it as the spider of the mind. And truth be told, his spider had kind of gotten out of control this time.

Because right now a certain question was randomly spinning in his mind, lost in a web of thoughts which he knew that his spider was to blame for somehow. He just had no idea where the thought actually came from. Didn't matter. He needed to ask Viktor this question, right now.

"Viktor. Are you ticklish?"

They had been the first spoken words in a while. The first sound to disrupt the endless sounds of scribbles on the chalkboard.

Despite Jayce's sudden question, Viktor still appeared to be concentrating and didn't look away from the board.

"Depends."

Oh. Having expected an immediate 'no', or perhaps no answer at all, Jayce put down his work and now turned his full focus to his intriguing partner.

"So that's not a no then? You're ticklish somewhere."

"Like I said, it depends."

"On what?"

"Things."

Viktor paused and continued to stare at his formulas on the board. "Like where and how the tickle would be, I suppose. Why do you ask?"

Viktor was so serious in his answer to such a goofy question. Jayce chuckled and strode towards him.

"I ask because I'm curious."

Viktor didn't really seem too cautious even when Jayce stood by his side. He probably didn't expect Jayce would jump on him to tickle him out of the blue, which was actually not what Jayce had intended to do at first. But now that they were seriously discussing the topic, he couldn't deny it was a very tempting thing to do.

"And why is that?" Viktor asked. Jayce probably would've told him if he knew, but he had forgotten why he actually felt curious. Spider-thing, eh.

"Just because. If I poke you, will it tickle?"

"I don't think so. Do not try me." It was the first time Viktor sounded careful after being so honest with him. Jayce couldn't help but laugh in response.

"If it won't tickle, there's no harm in trying right?" He poked Viktor in the side. To his surprise and disappointment there was indeed no response.

"I am almost finished. You are distracting me," Viktor said, still trying to figure out his scribblings on the board. Jayce didn't sense the seriousness in his warning and stepped closer.

"You can finish later. A little squeeze, would that feel ticklish?" Jayce reached out and hesitated, but when Viktor didn't even budge, he lightly squeezed his side.

There was no response again. What! "It tickled," Viktor replied bluntly. Jayce frowned.

"Yet, you didn't laugh."

"It still felt ticklish. Me being ticklish does not mean I will laugh when I get tickled. If that's what you wanted to know, you should have asked 'will you laugh if you feel ticklish', instead."

Jayce was the one who was closest to laughing. Viktor was too much like a scientist. Even with a topic like this, he was so serious and thoughtful.

"If that was my question, wouldn't your answer still be the same?" Jayce asked.

"The answer would have been no. I feel ticklish, but I do not laugh."

Oh. Oh oh. Lies. Jayce was sure of it.

"Really?" He stood behind Viktor and lightly ran his fingers up and down Viktor's sides. Finally a little sound, albeit a little odd.

"Hnguh!"

It wasn't a laugh, but it was definitely something.

Viktor tensed up but continued writing. "Jayce, I am warning you," he said, but Jayce still felt that if Viktor really meant it, he would have done more to stop him.

"What about this?" Jayce ran one finger down Viktor's spine and - woah! Viktor dropped his chalk and stumbled forward as a funny mewl could be heard from him.

"Jayce!" he warned, turning around quickly, but before he could do anything, Jayce tried to tickle him again by squeezing both sides.

"So? Ticklish?" Jayce asked, blessed to hear some remarkable noises as Viktor squirmed and danced between him and the board.

"O-obviously! B-but I'm n-not laughing!"

Jayce learned something new about Viktor right here, which was his persistence, defiance and also his unsuccessful ability to lie.

"Really? So you mean to say, you're still not laughing?" Jayce kept up the tickle attack until finally Viktor's noises started to sound more like giggles.

"Jahayce! Noho- now's not the tihime!"

Viktor laughed as if any other moment would have been the time. Smirking, Jayce carefully guided Viktor away from the board so they wouldn't mess up their hard work.

"You are ticklish, and you are laughing, Viktor. You could've just said yes."

"Yehes ihis not the ahanswer!" Viktor laughed. Jayce felt intrigued with Viktor's reactions. He was actually right. Not everything he tried seemed to tickle as much. Various different touches in the same spot would result in different sounds, and only less than half of his attempts would get out a 'haha' instead of a funny 'hrmh!'.

Still, one thing was for certain. Now that Viktor was finally letting him hear some laughter, he could hardly stop it even if he tried to.

"Jahayce!" Viktor tried to be firm with him, but he was just one adorable giggly mess. Jayce smiled fondly.

"Just a little more. Then we'll take a break," he insisted. Despite his verbal protests, Viktor's physical protests were still very minimal. He had managed to grab his cane, but instead of using it to beat Jayce the hell up, he simply gripped it and leaned on it while he continued to laugh.

He also tried to catch Jayce's hands, just weakly, but other than that he didn't try to get away too much.

"Jahahayce- reheally!" Viktor giggled, making the cutest little dances in response to Jayce's playful tickle attack.

Heh. Jayce could only guess that either he didn't mind that much, or it didn't tickle enough for him to make a big scene.

When he finally stopped, they were both breathing heavily and grinning like two immature youngsters.

"T-there. Happy now?" Viktor asked. Jayce shrugged.

"Very happy. Why wouldn't I be? That was the first time I heard you laugh, Viktor," he said. If he wasn't mistaken, he noticed a little blush as Viktor leaned on his cane and turned away from him.

"Why did you start this anyway?"

"Hmm?" Jayce hummed.

Viktor sighed. "We were working. Why suddenly ask if I am ticklish?"

Oh. Good question. Good question Viktor. Jayce actually wondered too.

"If I tell you about the spider in my mind, would you understand what I am talking about?"

"I think so. Do go on," Viktor said. And while Jayce explained about the spider first, he tried to think back of the source of his tickle-related thoughts. He had to try and think in reverse to find out.

Ticklish Viktor would have obviously come from just any thought about tickling. Tickling would make him think of laughter, which would make him think of a joke? Joke... No, dead end.

Laughter might have also come from the thought of.... smiling. A smile made a person pretty, was his first thought. People always looked better when they smiled. Pretty or handsome. When he thought of handsome, Jayce thought of... Oh.

Jayce blushed in realization. This web of thoughts was smaller than he thought at first. He remembered now.

It was because Jayce had briefly stared at Viktor while he was writing on the board earlier. Thought he was pretty, wondered what it would be like if he smiled more often - or in fact, laughed, because it'd definitely make him even prettier. Which obviously caused him to think of tickling, and the question of all questions, whether Viktor was ticklish at all. Heh. He had his answer now.

"Well?" Viktor asked when Jayce had stopped talking.

"Hmmm. Never mind," Jayce said without admitting any of that to Viktor, and he merely started to tickle him again, causing the most beautiful sounds of laughter to be heard, and the prettiest smile to be seen. Jayce couldn't blame his mind for suddenly coming up with thoughts like that. Viktor was very handsome indeed.

He could only thank the funny little spider in his head for this random gift of the day.

"Jaycehehe nohoho!"

"See? You're laughing again."

"You've mahade your pohoint!"

"But you didn't."

Right, the gift of ticklish Viktor and his precious laugh to treasure forever.

[emsdevs]

a/n: @one-sweet-gubler requested something about comforting Justin after the playoff loss and let me just say this was healing to write. hope you like it! :)

Taking care of your boyfriend after a loss is never something you want to do, especially tonight, but that’s the reality of dating a professional athlete. No matter what outcome either of you desires, they can’t win every game. Of course, if you had it your way, the Chargers would win every time they stepped on the field, and your boyfriend, Justin, would never know sadness or stress. Unfortunately, that’s not how it works, so you’re patiently waiting at Justin’s place for him to see you after a crushing playoff loss. Everyone had high hopes for today’s game against the Texans, but it didn’t work out how everyone wanted. On top of the hard loss, you knew this meant the hate and lack of grace that had followed Justin in his career would only get worse, and you knew that Justin knew that as well.

When he finally got to his home in the middle of the night, you could see the loss already taking its toll. One of the defensive linemen had already texted you, warning you that Justin spent their time in the locker room and on the plane staring off into space.

“Hey, honey,” you started gently, standing up to make your way toward Justin.

He didn’t say anything at first, simply letting you wrap your arms around him, hoping it would lessen the pain. Soon though, that wasn’t enough, and just as he felt the tears welling in his eyes, he began to speak, “I let everyone down.”

You felt your heart break into a million pieces. “Hey, you didn’t let anyone down. That was supposed to be a team effort. You can’t go taking all the blame when there are 52 other guys out who are supposed to be helping.”

“Yeah, but the defense was creating opportunities. I’m the one who should be making the passes, gaining yards.”

“Baby, there’s also supposed to be guys catching those passes. Please, don’t blame yourself. There were so many things that impacted the game, hardly anyone was having a good game,” you hated seeing him so down, knowing he’d never let this go.

He refused to answer, just shrugging your words off. He did pull you in tighter though, and that’s when you knew he didn’t need your words. He just needed you.

“You showered at the facility?” you questioned. When he nodded, you stood, offering him your hands, “C’mon, J, let’s go lay down. It’s late.”

He followed, and since you both were dressed comfortably enough, you both laid down as soon as you made it to your bed. Justin, although he was a decent amount bigger than you, wasted no time in laying himself almost completely on top of you, his head on your chest. He grabbed your left hand, guiding it to his hair, before guiding your right hand to his back. You both lay there in silence, Justin letting the movement of your hands lull him to sleep, finally letting his stress and worries slip from his mind. Just when you thought he was finally asleep, you heard the softest “I love you” leave his lips, grateful you heard it at all. You returned the sentiment, kissing the top of his head before letting sleep take over you as well.

[rekino2114]

another request coming in hot 🤠

fem!megumi, fem!yuji, fem!gojo, and maybe nobara with a male!s/o who streams (sorta like kai cenat, in that category yk) and they just completely burst into his room and he introduces his chat to his girlfriend and being all clingy towards her like a puppy if you know what i mean

Fem!yuji, fem!megumi nobara and fem!gojo with a streamer reader

Fem!yuji

"Hey y/n! Do you wanna-"

Yuji's words were interrupted by you immediately hugging her when she opened the door to your room

"Hi babeeeee"

She hugged you back and smiled brightly

"Hi y/n, why are you so clingy now? not that I mind at all"

"Oh I just wanted to show you off to chat"

"W-wait you're streaming? Sorry I wouldn't have interrupted you if I knew"

"No it's fine, I wanted to introduce you anyway"

"O-ok, wait I have to get ready!"

"Don't worry you look beautiful like this"

She blushed a bit nodded as you turned towards the camera

"So this is my girlfriend, she's itadori yuji, she's amazing, pretty and super strong"

"H-hi! I'm so glad to meet you"

"OK chat, if you have some questions for yuji she can answer them, is it OK for you?"

"Yeah it's fine"

After answering a few questions about how you got together, a chatter asked why you called her strong earlier so you and her decided to demonstrate her strength

"OK you ready love?"

"Yep, I can do it"

She grabbed a soda can you were drinking earlier and completely crushed it in her hand in front of the camera, with the chat going wild over it

"Seeee? That's my super strong and amazing girlfriend"

You hugged her even tighter and started peppering her face in kisses while she did the same

"And this is my super awesome and famous boyfriend"

You two kissed again as the chat complained about how cheesy you were getting

Fem!megumi

"Eh? Gumi why are you here?"

"I forgot my phone in your room, what are you doing anyway?"

"Streaming, I thought you knew I was"

"Oh in that case"

Megumi was about to leave the room but got stopped by you hugging her tightly, which caused her to blush and try to get you off of her

"W-what are you doing?"

"Just showing my girlfriend some love, am I not allowed to?"

"I thought you said you were streaming"

"I am"

"And you're being so clingy in front of all of the viewers!?"

"Yep, is there something wrong with that?"

"Just get off idiot!"

When you eventually stopped the hug bu you held her hand and started going towards the chair

"I'm leaving, let my hand go"

"Why? I wanted to show you off to chat"

"I don't care, you can just tell them about me"

"But what if they don't believe you exist?"

"Wha- they literally just saw me!"

"Pleeeeeeaseee"

You gave her puppy eyes that she couldn't resist so she just sighed and placed her head in the camera's range

"Hey, I'm megumi, y/n's girlfriend, yes I'm real yes I'm dating him and any other questions you have ask him and don't bother me"

She then left and looked back at you one final time

"That was it?"

"I introduced myself, that's everything I needed to do"

"Alright, just don't get mad if me and chat gossip about you later"

"Tch"

Nobara kugisaki

"Hey babe, did I leave my-"

"Oh hey nobara wanna come here?"

"Hm? Aren't you streaming?"

"Yeah, I wanna introduce you"

"Oh....I don't really know"

"Come on, they'll get to see how beautiful you are"

"OK deal"

She immediately sprinted towards your place and started waving at the camera

"Hi everyone I'm nobara kugisaki, how are you?"

"This is my girlfriend isn't she beautiful?"

"Damn right I am!"

You started hugging and kissing her, and even if she was blushing, she still reciprocated and continued answering the chat's questions

"If you wanna know where I got these clothes from ask this guy right here"

"Yep, I brought her all that"

"And that's why I love him so much......by the way do you think that with the donations of this stream I'll be able to buy a new top?"

"....that's really not something you should talk about on the stream in question"

"It was just a quest- hey! Who's the guy in chat who called me ugly!? Ban him!"

".......calm down bara"

Fem!gojo

"Sooooooo how is everyone doing?"

The moment the stream started your chat flared up with questions about who the beautiful white-haired woman near you was

"Hey, so this is satori gojo, and she wanted to appear on stream today"

"Hehe I see all the messages, not that I'm surprised with how hot I am buuuuuut unfortunately for you I'm already taken.... by this hunk right here"

After she said that she started hugging you and kissing you on your face while you blushed and giggled but hugged back

"Yeah, this is my girlfriend everyone"

With those words the chat exploded even more with some asking how you managed to get such a beautiful girl

"Hey I'll have you know y/n's super hot too"

"T-thanks satori"

You continued answering the chat's questions, and whenever someone asked why gojo had shades on indoors, she just smiled and looked at you

"So can I?"

Yo sighed but smiled back

"Yeah sure, I wanna see your eyes too"

"Okaaay!"

She proceeded to take off her glasses and show off her eyes which caused the chat to absolutely go insane

"I think you just made things worse"

"It's fine, after all you're the only one who gets to see these eyes up close"

[obeymeluv]

Octavinelle w a Southern!Reader? A lot of the pet names and the common phrases are pretty affectionate and soft, so I think seeing the more composed bunch get exposed to such a sweet reader would be cute!

Before we begin, two notes: 1) I will also be playing with the creature traits of the Octo Trio as I see fit. 2) I personally call the three "Corelians" because they're from the Coral Sea. I am from the South so hopefully I answer this to your liking, haha. Sweet is a loaded term to me. Sweet is both the first taste of wispy cotton candy dissolving on your tongue and the sugar-coated demise of 'Oh my god, this is so good! I should really stop. Ah, fuck it. I'll deal with it later,' knowing you're going to complain about the miserable overload in an hour. If you have any kind of serving/retail/waitressing experience (especially in the south), you'll also know that 'sweet' is kill them with kindness and scream in the walk-in when you can't kill them for real. As for the Octo Trio? Have some random blurbs :)

Two of Azul's three hearts are sent cartwheeling and quivering when you so much as look at him! He doesn't know what to do with you! You're...you're so nice! In truth, he doesn't get you because he can't seen an ulterior motive or an end game. Part of the reason he can't understand you is because there IS NO END GAME. How does that work? He doesn't understand it. The only thing he understands is that your many ludicrous pet names make him writhe and wiggle and question the efficacy of that damnable lander potion! Surely they wouldn't cheap out on quality and compromise the future of a bright, young entrepreneur, right? He can mock them all he wants, his face smushed into his hand, but it doesn't stop his cheeks from reddening. You made him disgustingly warm inside and he has to use short words before the ink starts to pool in his mouth (the tweels noticed that and take great joy in it). "Yes, they're all so terrible. Terrible enough to make you rant," Jade muses as they settle into a brief respite with tea before opening the Mostro Lounge for the afternoon. "Frequently." "More like say 'em in the mirror as a pep-talk," Floyd boots the door open with a mocking laugh, gold eye shining as he flops down on the couch. He effortlessly catches the spill, much like he'll flip an omelet without looking, and keeps his eyes trained on Azul like the prey he is. Azul felt the heat rise in his cheeks and his chest. His feet untangled themselves subconsciously as his reduced limb-brains tried to figure out which one was close enough to bop Floyd. Jade leaned forward and pressed the cup handle against his palm to quash the punching instinct and remind the limb it was full. He snorted, adjusting his glasses with his free hand. "Isn't that right, sugar dumplin'?" Floyd flashed a toothy smile at him as Jade stuck an empty pen in his mouth to stop him from drooling ink into his tea. Floyd knew that one was his favorite.

---

The Corelian-Land Exchange Program prepared him for a lot of unique human experiences but didn't prepare Floyd for you. But that's to be expected because there is no chapter on 'dimensional strangers' in the curriculum. He's constantly having to remind himself of things like less resistance on land so the fights are in his favor. Or that he's not as fluid when he turns and those pinky thingies hurt like a BITCH and he doesn't see why he can't just cut it off because it HOOKS ON EVERY FUCKING THING. He also has to remind himself that hunting instincts are rude here. You don't stalk people, you meet them. But you're just so nice and bob along! It almost seems wrong not to keep an eye on you, what with how small you are. That's what he tells himself, anyways. He doesn't know quite how to describe it but your sweet words are funny with their little dips and drawls. They call him like something shiny and give him this burst of energy that makes him want to fling his long limbs out and twirl like a whirlpool. You can tell when he needs encouragement and aren't afraid to clamp up and be cold when he doesn't deserve any coddling. You call yourself a southerner and he's not quite sure what you mean because you have no home here and no one knows what direction your home is in. You and the apple-toting Guppy are a lot alike but Floyd doesn't get the same kind of feelings out of following him or plopping an arm down on his head. Matter of fact, the last time he plopped an arm down on Guppy's head, Guppy put him between some tree roots with a fancy shoulder toss Beta Fish taught 'im.

But when he does it to you? It's always different--just like him. Some days it's linking your elbows together and joking that he's stuck with you now. Other days you just wrap an arm around his middle and hug him for a few seconds where his cold-blood self squirms in the warm casing being incubated by you. On the rare and very amusing occasion that you aren't in the mood when his arm touches your head, you give him a warning smile before nipping at him. It doesn't hurt, honestly. Hardly enough to feel through fabric. Nothing at all to a Corelian predator. Cute for trying, though. He doesn't dare tell you that his blood can make humans sick.

Floyd just leans down and grins at you, ignoring the bit of fabric in your teeth, and whispers 'My turn,' just enough to show you all his glistening, pointy teeth. You always let go and he always bites air, but his legs are damn near knotting themselves together in glee at the thought of you letting him mark you for real. You scurry down the hall as Jade weaves himself between the students, following the scent of his many emotions. Landers had a theory about twins being connected; that's one of the first things he learned about them. Jade didn't see the whole scene but seems to know enough.

"Morays are opportunistic cowards at best, my dear brother. Don't feel bad." Jade gives him a closed-lip and a closed-eyed smile. And just like that, like when they were elvers, he and his brother are tangled and biting.

----

Jade knows it's a baser instinct to keep an eye on someone not like him. Not only from a safety standpoint but in the vein of him being the perceived threat to your...benign. He can't help but laugh and see you as soft when you're trying to hide your ragged gasps for breath as he turns to observe your footing on the incline. He was more comfortable in his lander form now and thought this would be an easier trail for you to navigate, coming from a foreign land and all.

Perhaps he was wrong.

But still, to see you struggle and flush, to see your hair come undone just a touch as you begin to glisten is quite a sight. It reminds him all over again that you're human like these landers on Sage's Island but you're not one of these landers, exactly.

You're the only one of your kind. The rarest of rare specimen.

You push up the incline, fixing your hair as you breeze past, and excitedly point to a patch of greens Ruggie told you about before. They are edible and coming home with you! You know how to prepare them!

Something ugly and gnashing wells up in Jade. Makes him want to suck the little Savanaclaw mongrel up in his pharyngeal jaws but he doesn't have them in this form.

Mmm, but he's thinking about the wrong jaws, isn't he? A bit rude to be thinking about his. It's best to put nutrition in yours. Yes, yes, that's very good. Jade's smile almost twitches as his back spasms where one of his more active fins would be. "Greens are a bit of an insult compared to the bounty of the Mostro," he lets you slide down the incline with barely a pull as he grinds his walking stick into said patch of greens. "Though no less important. Come, I'll even make you tea." "But what about the hike? It's only been, like, thirty minutes!" Most of that was waiting on you to traverse the terrain, but still! Jade didn't even have a single mushroom to show for it! Jade prides himself on his composure and quick wit. Here lately he's been applauding himself for holding onto all of it--any of it--around you. You have no magic but seem to do something akin to his signature spell. "There's more moisture in the air," he grips his walking stick and surprises even himself with the smooth stumble of his words, "there's rain coming. I can smell it." That did sound plausible to your lander self. He could see you contemplating it. Was it really going to rain? Who knew. The weather on Sage's Island was as unique as it's occupants. Your relent is reluctant but Jade pays that no mind as he stamps down an errant root and taps your foot politely away from it. "What a gentleman!" you tease, kind needling almost costing you a face full of green leaf from a bent tree. He chuckles as you bat the leaves from your face in a fit of self-preservation.

The flailing really is quite adorable.

You huff at his laugh and stomp almost petulantly after him to the flat and familiar of Sage's Island, the impressive point of the college a mere smear in the distance. After a near twenty minute walk, you change generously in Mostro Lounge's bathrooms (as in: Floyd annoys Azul enough to keep him unaware) and clean up enough to meet dress code, cramming your hiking things under the table. Floyd catches you, you both know. He knows the deal. What you don't know is that he waits for you to bat your eyes at him like you'll inevitably do and he revels in it. Mostly because his mushroom-huffing brother doesn't know what to do when you do that, but he thinks your eyes are pretty too. Jade coughs into his hand.

When that doesn't get the desired result, he gently turns you into your side of the booth and seats himself. There's a bristling only known between brothers and those who have a territorial bone in them. Floyd smirks and checks his brother's fingers for signs of webbing or claws. "What're ya havin'?" Jade lets you order first, of course. He orders next, not even bothering to grab a menu Floyd didn't offer. "And for drinks?" "That's supposed to be first, brother dear." Jade smiles. "Actually, appetizers first." he snorts. "I'll be making her some tea, actually." Jade excuses himself and walks in-step with his brother to the kitchen. "Makin' time for tea but no time for truth, heh?" Floyd's eyes are suddenly sharp and Jade growls. Jade realizes this is an unsafe situation as there are many knives around them. He's just as keen with a pot if it's all the same. The thought crosses his mind. "Gonna feed her before ya confess? Seems I'm not the only one who does things out of order, huh?" "I am providing." Jade hisses, opening his mouth wide.

"Best remember to provide some dish pit time because you owe me." Floyd taunts. "I covered your tail and got your little lander love a table!" In that moment, Floyd doesn't know why he turned his back. It felt good, maybe? Felt right for the moment? All he knew is that one hand full of menus didn't do anything against a hefty grab to the back of his neck as he was almost shoved into the hot water part of said dish pit. "How much time would you like?" Jade mused, bracing one arm against the other as he leaned his weight into his brother.

"Ah shut up and go make your leaf juice!" Floyd tries to nip him as he wriggles beneath his brother, only one set of shoes fit for the kitchen. Satisfied, Jade relents. It may cost him somewhere down the line but in this moment he's happy. Happy and put together and providing. Just for you.