#I've been busy with school & work & was making this into something a lot more difficult in my mind

[dreamsteddie]

AITA Steddie Au Part Three

Part Two

Hello! Sorry for the delay! This week was very busy with student conferences and my own midterms so I haven't had a lot of time to work on this. This is more of an interlude building up to bigger things, but I hope you enjoy it!

Also! Get in the comments if you have any ideas of an actual name for this series so I can stop calling it AITA Steeddie Au. I can't think of anything good 😓

------

Eddie takes Steve on that second date.

And then a third and a fourth and eventually he stops counting because he's seeing Steve as often as he can between their jobs and other responsibilities. He feels high off it, giddy with possibility and hope for this new thing that he's never had before.

Eddie has done relationships before, a couple of times. A small handful of boys and girls he took out on dates and tried his best to woo all went up in flames one way or another, but none of those relationships left him feeling so gone so fast. He felt like he was always holding himself back from giving himself up completely, too afraid of falling without a safety net to reach for that deep devotion he's always craved.

Steve makes him feel like they're plunging into that unknown together.

Still, no matter how much he's been trying to avoid it, the looming specter of what the hell to do about his friends is looming over his head.

------

"Are you fucking serious right now dude?" Eddie asks, a complicated mix of righteous anger, humiliation for himself and Steve, and complete disbelief at Gareth's unwillingness to back down from this making it increasingly difficult to keep his cool.

"Look man, all I'm saying is that Steve is like, the complete antithesis of literally everything we stand for. He's a nepo baby business major who's never had an original thought in his life! I would know! I've read one of his papers." Gareth says, forced nonchalance coloring his tone and riling Eddie up even more.

He rears up, shoulders pushing back and hands grasping at the air like he could pull down his frustration from the either and condense it into a solid ball he could lob at Garteth's head to finally knock some goddamn sense into his brain.

"Hey, hey, hey. Okay, Eddie, I'm really sorry about this. It was a fucked up idea, I don't know what we were thinking." Jeff interveins before the frustrated banshy noises Eddie is letting out turn into another yelling match that won't get anyone anywhere.

"I think we just got too caught up wanting to help you get out of this rut and it all turned into something completely insane. You don't gotta forgive us Eddie, but if there's anything we can do to try and make up for it, we'll do it. Isn't that right Gareth?" Jeff pointedly asked with a look that says agree with me right now or else.

Gareth doesn't say anything.

The thing about all of this that Eddie just can't wrap his head around is the why. Why would his friends, his sheepies, do something so cruel? He knows none of them have ever looked kindly at people like Steve. Too many traumatizing high school humiliations behind them all to trust when someone who looks so much like all the guys who bullied them in high school tries to reach out, but Gareth and Jeff have never tried something like this. In fact, it's used to be Eddie doing most of the anti-jock revenge planning back in the day, even if nothing ever actually came from it.

He thought, incorrectly it seems, that they had grown out of the worst of it by now. It's been three years since Garteth graduated, and five since Eddie made his final attempt, and leaving their hometown behind did a lot to heal old hurts.

So why this? Why now?

"Is this seriously how it's going to be man? You won't tell me what the fuck any of this was really about and you're not even going to try and apologize? Seriously?" The righteous anger is starting to seep out of him, leaving behind a bone-deep exhaustion.

Gareth just continues to stare at him defiantly, not saying a word.

Eddie pinches his nose and takes a deep breath, "You know what? Fine. Whatever. If this is how it's going to be then I'm out. Jeff, I'll talk to you later, probably not for a little bit though. Gareth?" The other man lifts his head from where he'd been looking down at his shoes. There were tears in his eyes, just a little bit but enough for Eddie to clock it. Face red from some unnamed cocktail of emotions Eddie doesn't have the energy or desire to interrogate right now. "Call me when you're ready to grow the fuck up. I've got a second date to plan."

With that, Eddie turned on his heel and made for the open garage door.

"What about the band, man?!" Gareth called.

Eddie kept walking.

-------

That was over four weeks ago.

He hasn't spoken to Gareth for most of that time. The first couple of days he blew up his phone with angry to half-apologizing texts that Eddie promptly ignored. After the second day, he sent a single text back letting him know he didn't want to talk unless he had a real explanation and apology to give both him and Steve and that he was going to block his number for a little while. He could let Freak know if he was ever ready to talk like adults. Eddie trusted him to tell if Gareth was being genuine.

In other news.

Waking up to strong arms secured around his naked waist is fast becoming Eddie's favorite way to start the day. He and Steve slept together for the first time last week, and since then it's like neither of them can get enough of each other.

"Hey, baby." Steve rasps in his ear, tilting his head down to smear sleepy kisses onto his shoulder. The hand that was resting against his ribs meanders its way down to the trail of hair under his navel, scratching just a little and making Eddie feel like a contented mutt. He's not sure if he should feel horny or like he could sink into the mattress and sleep for another full 8 if Steve keeps holding him like his.

"Mornin' sweetheart." he says deciding that a couple more hours of sleep is definitely the way to go. Steve, it seems, has other idead.

"What you thinkin' about this early in the morning?" He asks, hand continuing to scratch lazily at Eddie's stomach like he's not completely destroying Eddie's will and ability to focus on anything but the warm body behind him.

But it's been a long time coming, and as much as he doesn't want to, Eddie needs to start thinking about what he wants to do about his friends? former friends? estranged family? band and Steve deserves to be a part of the conversation.

Eddie sits up, bringing Steve up with him to rest against the headboard. "I've been thinking about the band. Gareth and Jeff, that is." He pauses, waits for some kind of reaction that doesn't come. Steve looks concerned, but not in the way he thought he would.

"Ok." Steve responds, waiting for more.

"I guess I just don't know what to do." He looks out into the middle distance of Steve's bedroom. Takes in the display of swim, basketball, and baseball trophies displayed proudly on a shelf, catching the early morning light. "I'm still so fucking mad. It's honestly kind of irritating how mad it makes me to think of what they did. It was so fucking stupid."

Steve hums a little, letting Eddie get it out.

"But at the same time I can't help but fucking miss them. Miss the music and the campaigns and everything else." It's honestly been eating him alive, the mix of anger and longing he's been feeling for his friends. The constant longing to go back in time and stop them from concocting this shit show but also, like, stalk Gareth to his 8 AM Business class so he can run into Steve and they can fall in love at first sight or some shit.

Silence.

Steve shifts. Moves so he can look Eddie right in the face. He looks thoughtful in a way that Eddie had to get used to. Sometimes when Steve is thinking hard about something, he scrunches his face in such a way that it makes him look like he's judging you. He isn't, it's just an unfortunate fact of life that his baby has a resting Judgemental Face™.

Steve heaves out a big breath, bringing Eddie back down to earth. "I mean, I don't want to, like, cloud your judgement or whatever but maybe you should try and talk to them one more time. Jeff appologized right?"

And, ok that's definetly not what Eddie was expecting to hear. It must show on his face because Steve is suddenly looking away, embaraced.

"I just..." He trails off, taking his own turn staring out at the dull shine of his old acomplishments. Eddie watches as his face once again turns pensive as he stares harder at the remnents of his high school acheivements.

"I used to be a pretty shitty guy. Did the same kind of shit your buddies did a couple of times." This isn't necessarily news to Eddie. They've talked a little about who Steve was in high school and how much work he put into himself before he decided to go back to college. It's still a bit of a shock to hear, though.

"So I get how someone can make a mistake like that, y'know? So if you want to try and talk it out, I won't be offended. I know we're in this together, now." Peace said, Steve reaches for Eddie's hand and gives it a squeeze.

It hits Eddie again, just how good Steve Harrington is. It hasn't been long, not really, since they got together but they've fallen together so completley, so easily, that it's easy to forget that there's still so much they have to learn, so many layers for Eddie to peal back. Behind every judgemental remark and complaint about the frequent phone calls he gets from chuldren he used to babysit in his hometown is a man who cares deeply and is capable of great forgiveness, even if it hasn't been earned yet.

Eddie squeezes his hand back.

"Are you sure?" Eddie asks.

"Yeah, it's not we have to totally forgive them, right? But I think you need to get a real answer from both of them about why it happened. Maybe you can find a way past it, maybe they'll say something that puts the nail in the coffin." He responds.

Eddie takes a deep breath, and thinks.

Steve is right. Eddie isn't satisfied with any of the answers he got last time, and he knows that there has to be more to the story than "trying to get Eddie out of a rut" and he's not going to be able to put any of this to rest until he understands.

"Ok, yeah. I'll call them." Steve gives him an encouraging smile at that, rubbing the back of Eddie's hand where they haven't let go yet.

"Good, I'm glad. And I can come with you if you want. Hit em from both sides." he says. Eddie think's he'll take him up on that offer, but right now he had more imporant things to do. Namely, tackling his sweet boyfriend onto the mattress and having a mid morning tousle.

"We'll see. Right now I've got more imporant things to do." He says in his best aproximation of a sultry voice. He doesn't know how good it really is, but it seems to work based on the way Steve's eyes get hooded and he looks down at Eddie's mouth.

Gotcha.

Before Steve can lean down and kiss him, Eddie snaps his hands down to his boyfriend's sides in a well executed tickle atack. Steve immedietly jolts and starts howling with laughter, yelling between breaths that Eddie is "a fucking asshole" as he continues his relentless atacks.

Eventually, Steve manages to regain his bearings and go on the offence, turning them over and trapping his boyfriend's hands beneath his knees so he can atack Eddie's equally ticklish sides.

Once the late morning has passes into early noon and they've both settled back into Steve's signifigantly more rumpled be, Eddie takes one more moment to think about the furute to come before he shelves it. He knows that whatever conversation is to come, it won't be easy, and even if things go as smoothly as possible with Gareth and Jeff, things will never be the same between them all.

Looking down at Steve, who is sporting the most outrageous bedhead in human history, laughing at the stream of reals Robin sent him in the middle of the night, he thinks he'll be okay either way.

Tag List

@wheneverfeasible @the-dark-hearts @sofadofax @wrenisfangirling @whatfinestandsfor @lilpomelito @raisedbylibrarians @ollyxar @mugloversonly @xxbottlecapx @hezaaxdexangelous @kimsnooks @that-one-gay-crow @travelingtwentysomething @shoujo-wizard @stripey82 @live-laugh-love-dietrich @cr0w-culture @notaqueenakhaleesi @bookworm0690 @r0seprincess @estrellami-1 @little-annie @dreamercec @tinyplanet95 @rawrx3ky-txt @bexinator3000 @justalittledrainbamage @scarletyeager @themoonagainstmers @yesdangerpls @mydysfunctionallife @maverickricky @silentiumdelirium @i-amthepizzaman @samsoble @foolishness-and-confusion @dragonmama76 @gregre369 @thewickedkat @lexr86 @martinskis-lydias

[aethelwyneleigh27]

Ex-husband!Simon "Ghost" Riley Drabble

Hi lovelies! Lia here again, I've been quite busy with school so I hope you guys can be a little patient with content since I've been stuck on a slump and there's a lot of things I'm currently busy with at the moment because of school despite posting so much last week. Here's the weekly content and I hope you all enjoy :)

Also how do you all feel if I write works inspired by old gacha songs? And yes I used to be a gacha girly, it was some wild phase AHAHAHA

My CoD Masterlist

Taglist: @wishesforyou @puff0o0 @simping4konig @simp4konig @blingblong55 @azereus @rustic-guitar-notes @shadofireshinobi @thesnowurzikdjinn @09maruchan @anonymuslydumb @skeletalgoats @icarustypicalfall @ghosts-cyphera @cutenote @connorsui @capuccino192 @miss-gms-and-the-rotten-womb @celestialhole @the-second-sage @starryylies @everlastingmoonlightsworld @keiva1000

Brainrot, Ex-husband!Simon "Ghost" Riley who decided he wanted to get a divorce with you because things weren't working out between the both of you, so you had to share custody of your daughter.

You managed to get yourself together, having no time to grieve that part of you that he took with him because you had a little one depending on you. You loved that girl for all she was, however she brings you and Simon together.

Not that you resent her for it, god no, it wasn't her fault you and your husband couldn't see eye to eye.. that he refused to retire after everything, maybe it was just your paranoia getting to you. You couldn't stand the fear anymore, the fear of one day he's not the one you'll see when you open the front door but Price.

You forgot how difficult it was doing this on your own until now, you could barely get up, your head was actually killing you. You pushed through, making your daughter breakfast.

You felt like you were about to throw up, ears started to ring and everything else felt numb. The next thing you know was your eyes rolling back and everything going black, the last thing you heard was your toddler panicking, calling you over and over on the verge of crying.

All while you were unconscious, your little one runs to your room to look for your phone to call her dad.

"Listen I know we—" Simon said expecting you on the phone before getting cut off by his daughter..

"Dada! Momma's dead, dada. Momma's not breathing!" In a panic, she cried it out like a mantra. Simon was in a panic, he got up from where he was and was speeding towards what used to be your shared home.

The next thing you know, you were hearing the beeps of a heart monitor. All your senses were working, all except sight.. you didn't have enough energy to open them, in the coldness of your whole body from the well ventilated room, you felt warmth on your hand.

It was all too familiar, calloused but so gentle and warm. Simon.. it was Simon. All while processing this situation, all that's going through Simon's head are the what ifs.

"Fucking hell, help her.. My wife, she's been unconscious for thirty minutes. She's breathing but it's faint and she's burning" Simon almost yelled in a full panic, he was doing his best not to snap at the hospital staff but how couldn't he? Hadn't even realized that he called you something you weren't anymore, the title he took with him.

Your little one holding her dad's hand in the waiting room, she was observant, an emotionally intelligent little girl who holds her dad's hand. Simon keeps reminding himself to calm down, how much his bumblebee must be terrified, far more than he was so he takes her in his arms.

Sooner or later they were allowed to enter, doctor said you were stabilized and only collapsed from a horrid fever and so much fatigue. Thinking of losing you, just like that with no warning would be the second time Simon would lose you.

Now watching you unconscious, IV tube connected to you because of course you haven't been eating well either. It made him rethink everything, was it a mistake to give you those papers? Was it worth it losing the one person in his life who he would give his life for with no hesitation?

All he could do for now was sit next to you, no matter how long it takes for you to wake up because he doesn't have the strength to leave, maybe in a day or two but not now..

Part 2 anyone?

[blackbleedingrose]

Long Lost Morningstar - Part Three

Fandom: Hazbin Hotel

Pairing(s): Charlie x reader (platonic), Vaggie x reader (platonic), Emily x reader (platonic), Sera x reader (platonic), Charlie x Vaggie

Genre: Fluff/Angst/Betrayal

Warning(s): Cursing, lies, betrayal

Notes: This is the third installment of LLM. This part will be shorter than part 2 and will finally go over the trial and (Y/N)'s reaction the extermination. I'm going to be honest, I'm dropping my other hazbin mini series. This is only until I can find the time and motivation to write it. I'm really busy with school and work, and lately my obsession with Hazbin has started to die down. I still love the series and fandom, but that's just something that happens to me from time to time when I watch a new series or get into a fandom. It comes and it goes, and I've been reading a lot of hazbin stuff but now it's starting to feel like an obligation I've set for myself and it makes reading less fun and more like a chore. I have no doubt my obsession will come back when the 2nd season comes out. This happens will all the fandoms I am apart of - like right now, I'm obsessing over Avatar the last airbender again after rewatching the series (not the live action). Don't worry, I'll continue this series as I don't want this to end up unfinished. I have the outline pretty much written, but it will take time to finish - so, please, bare with me.

Singing Colors: Adam, Lute, Charlie, Emily, Sera, (Y/N).

Words: 1631

"If Hell is forever, than Heaven must be a lie!".

As the time of the trial drew closer, there seemed to be a few hiccups on Heaven's side of things.

The angel who was supposed to be the trial's stenographer got a nasty cold and all the replacements had their own responsibilities to attend to. The only angel available just so happened to be (Y/N) herself.

When one of the court angels asked (Y/N) if she could do it, she didn't hesitate to accept.

Now she had the perfect excuse to watch Charlie's trial without having to sneak in!

Imagine Sera's surprise and horror when she saw (Y/N) sitting at the stenographer's desk.

"(Y/n)? What are you doing here? Where's Angela?" Sera asked. She was a bit panicked, but did her best to hide it. (Y/N) smiled politely at the higher seraphim, clearly oblivious to Sera's rigid demeanor. "She got a pretty bad cold last minute and all of the other replacements were busy today; and since I was the only one who was available - here I am!".

Sera gave her an uneasy smile, "I see. Thank you for your help today, it's much appreciated". This was the last thing she wanted. The resemblance between (Y/N) and the Princess of Hell was very difficult to ignore and could raise questions if it wasn't for the stardust story Heaven fed everyone.

Sera had wanted to keep (Y/N) away from the trial in hopes of avoiding any contact between her and Charlie. She didn't want (Y/N) to accidently discover the truth about her lineage.

Sera loved (Y/N) like a daughter.

When (Y/N) was younger Michael would sometimes have Sera babysit while he attended to his more serious duties.

She practically helped raise her and she refused to let some misguided demon princess and her partner ruin that.

Unfortunately, the court needed a stenographer.

With no one else available, she was left with no other option.

Sera thanked (Y/N) for her hard work and for stepping in.

She gave the girl a gentle forehead kiss before leaving her to prepare for the trial.

It was only for today and once this pointless trial was over everything would go back to the way it was.

And (Y/N) would be none the wiser and away from that misguided influence.

However, things weren't as perfect as Sera had hoped for.

The moment Charlie and Vaggie entered the courtroom and saw (Y/N) sitting at the stenographer's desk, the two cousins eagerly waved at each other.

Sera's eyes widened in horror. No. This wasn't supposed to happen - it was the worse case scenario.

When did those two meet?!

She sighed in frustration already knowing that (Y/N) must have sought the girl out herself.

Dammit Emily.

(Y/N)'s curiosity was her biggest flaw and was going to end up getting her into serious trouble if not handled properly.

Sera quickly composed herself. No point in losing herself and catching any unnecessary attention.

She still had a trial to run and then she'll have a talk with (Y/N) later.

Now, (Y/N) was nice to just about everyone. She could get along with just about anyone she's ever met. But there was one person, or rather two, she just couldn't stand.

Adam and his little crony Lute.

These two irritated her to no ends with how high and mighty they acted. How either of them managed to stay in Heaven was beyond her.

Her father just told her to bare it, despite him also disliking the two of them - especially that narcissistic douchebag Adam.

(Y/N) did her best to hide her grimace whenever Adam spoke during the trial.

As the trial went on (Y/N) felt a little nervous when Charlie was shut down from making anymore definition references. She could see how nervous her poor cousin was getting.

When Charlie looked over at her, (Y/N) made sure to give her a small smile and mouthed, "You've got this".

This managed to help calm Charlie's nerves enough for her to regain her composure. Charlie got a little more confident when presenting Angel Dust, the hotel's first patron.

(Y/N) rolled her eyes when Adam spoke up again trying to discredit her cousin.

"Well if you know so much, what do you think it takes to get into Heaven?".

Charlie's question stumped more than just Adam. (Y/N) had to take a moment to think - how does someone get into Heaven?

Being Heaven-born (Y/N)'s never had to be on the other end with humans who had to earn their place in paradise. And if someone as crude and vile as Adam can get into Heaven then what did it take for others, especially the damned who didn't deserve Hell - like children, for example.

Adam quickly wrote on a piece of paper before giving it to Vaggie to read aloud.

"'Act selfless, don't steal, stick it to the man?' - are you fucking serious?".

"Uh, yeah. Sure got me here, didn't it? Right, Sera?".

(Y/N) raised a brow. That's all it took to get someone into Heaven?

Charlie tried to argue Angel was doing all of those things, to which the court decided to observe Angel through the courtroom's orb. At first, things weren't looking good for Charlie when Angel gave into peer pressure.

(Y/N) bit her lip, silently hoping this would somehow take a turn for the better. She really wanted Charlie to show her hotel worked and for Adam to eat his words.

Luckily, things did start looking up when Angel took care of his friend, Nifty, and defended her from that awful moth demon.

"Then why isn't he here, huh?".

(Y/N) paused her typing - why isn't he here?

This started a whole argument at the unfairness of it all. How even those in Hell could be redeemed if only given the chance. (Y/N) and Emily saw the change in Angel and how he did everything on Adam's list.

"A man only lives once, we'll see you in one month".

. . . Wait what?

(Y/N) furrowed her brows in confusion. One month? What was he talking about?

"Gotta say I can't wait to-"

"Adam".

(Y/N) looked up at Sera, did she know what he was talking about? What the hell was going on?!

"Come down and exterminate you".

. . . WHAT?!

(Y/N) and Emily looked horrified at the shocking news.

"Wait!".

"Shit!".

(Y/N) and Emily fly over to Charlie, Vaggie, Adam, and Lute looking sadly at the orb showing the residents in Hell being mercilessly killed by the exorcists.

"What are you saying?"

"Let me get this straight".

"You go down there and kill those poor souls?".

"You didn't know?".

Charlie was shocked to hear that not all of Heaven knew about the exterminations. She was relieved to hear that her cousin didn't know and that she seemed to be against it.

"Whoops!".

"Guess the cat's outta the bag!".

"What's the big deal?".

(Y/N) and Emily turned and looked up at Sera.

"Sera tell us that you didn't know".

"I thought since I'm older, it's my load to shoulder".

"No".

"You have to listen, it was such a hard decision".

Sera flew down from her seat.

"I wanted to save you".

She took (Y/N) and Emily's hand in her own.

"The anguish it takes to, do what was required".

The hellfire reflecting in Sera's eyes unnerved (Y/N) and Emily - almost like she enjoyed the suffering and senseless murder of the sinners in Hell.

The two glared at Sera.

"To think that we admired you".

They tore their hands from hers and flew back away from her.

"Well, we don't need your condescension! We're not children to protect! Was talk of virtue just pretention? Were we too naive to expect you, to head the morals you're purveying?".

The two flew back down in front of the orb.

"That's what the fuck I've been saying!".

Charlie walked over to the two angel's grabbing their hands.

(Y/N), Charlie, and Emily moved up and stood on top of the orb showing the exorcists killing sinners.

"If Hell is forever, than Heaven must be a lie!".

"Emily! (Y/N)!".

"If angels can do whatever and remain in the sky!".

The three jumped down and stood before Sera.

"The rules are shades of gray when you don't do as you say! When you make the wretched suffer just to kill them again!".

Things only continued getting worse with Charlie finding out Vaggie was an angel and an ex-exorcist, Sera's final ruling of no evidence of sinners being able to be redeemed, and Adam's threat of coming to their hotel first.

"Charlie, it will be okay! I'll find a way to help you - I promise!" (Y/N) called out before Charlie and Vaggie were forced to back to Hell.

After Sera had finished talking to Emily, she went after (Y/N) who had already left the courtroom.

"(Y/N)! Wait, please!" Sera begged grabbing (Y/N) by her wrist. "Please, let me explain!".

(Y/N) turned her head and glared at Sera with such intensity it sent shivers down the High Seraphim's spine. She's never seen (Y/N) look at her like that before.

It broke her heart to see the girl she's helped raise and thought of as a surrogate daughter look at her with such anger and disgust.

"Explain what, Sera?! That you've been here playing God and allowing the murder of sinners! They're already in Hell, what more could you possibly want?! They don't deserve this!" (Y/N) yanked her wrist from Sera's hold and flew away.

She couldn't believe this had been going on and she never even knew! Tears filled her eyes as she thought about her poor cousin. She knew needed to do something to help Charlie.

But first, she needed to see whether or not her father and the other archangels knew about this all along.

Taglist:

@soobryu @kyo-kyo1 @miyako-night20 @charliecharlie65 @unknow-sama @myluckymoon @lbcreations-blog @moonchaos18 @sirenetheblogger @jagharamira @el-hajj @azharyy @glowymxxn @itsmonicabc

[cheriladycl01]

Paparazzi - Lando Norris x UniStudent! Reader

Plot: you are a university student in the UK, and the Paparazzi manage to find out where you go and stalk you due to rumors surfacing about.

It was a pretty shit day at university for you, you were a third year law student who had just come back from an amazing placement with Mercedes as part of their legal counsel.

You'd had so much fun and had worked really closely with Lewis and George. It also was the first year that you were able to travel from the last half of one season, to the 3/4 of the next season.

He was a driver for McLaren, his job and you being a student meant that you guys didn't see each other as much as you'd like.

You had been dating for the good part of 4 years now having met in secondary school and stayed as friends even when he left the school. When you started on your A-levels and he was progressing in his driving career he asked you to be his girlfriend.

Now he was in Formula One and you were about to be graduating university. It had however been difficult, the transition of being with Lando pretty much everyday, and now not seeing him was killing you.

It had taken a tole on you, you had dark circles under your eyes, your nose was red from the cold. Your class hadn't been great either and tears were starting to brim your eyes. You just wanted to get home and cry it out in private.

Lando: Hey Babe, its Thursday so media day today and McLaren are busy! Call me later, love you lots!

The text made more tears brim in your eyes until you heard the snap of a camera. Next you saw the flash.

Your eyes dart up seeing the 5 or 6 people with cameras behind you, following you. You pick up your pace, going towards your specific building on campus where you could hide out with your personal tutor until they left you alone.

You walk into the building into a flurry of students walking around the building pulling the hood of Lando's hoodie up. You make your way to a back stairwell that was quieter than the main one and made your way up the 5 flights of stairs to where your personal tutors room was.

"Michael?" you ask entering the room, nobody was there so you sat on the small little sofa he had at the side of his office. You pull the work bench closer to you, placing your laptop and book down before getting on with some work for your Intellectual Property Module.

Minutes later Michael comes in, a shocked look on his face as he observes you.

"Y/N what are you doing here?" he asks walking past you and taking a seat at his desk, sipping from the takeaway coffee he had just brought.

"I had Paps come onto campus again. And i've had a bit of a shit day" you mumble looking at the email from Lewis asking you to do some research for him if you had any free time.

"Well, you know my door is always open for you"

"That's why i let myself in" you grin at him, already feeling better. He spoke to you for about an hour, while he was doing his own research and marking behind his computer.

"I think its safe to say they've left now" he admits engrossed in something on his computer.

"How'd you know?"

"There's articles already up, some of these headlines. Oh lord they are ridiculous" Michael admits scrolling down on his mouse wheel looking further.

"Huh?" you ask before looking online under your name.

Lando Norris Girlfriend Y/N Y/L/N, Seen Crying On University Campus After Breakup Report Y/N Y/L/N Seen On Campus Crying Is There Tension Between Lando Norris and Y/N Y/L/N On Her First Absent Race Of The Season Lando Norris Cheats On Girlfriend - Her Reaction Is Heartbreaking!

"I'm just going to go home. I don't have the energy to read any of these. Thank you for letting me stay" you admit, packing up your bag and nodding in a goodbye to your personal tutor.

As you exit the building and make your way to the carpark where your Mercedes-AMG SL 63 sat, courtesy of your time at Mercedes for the last year. You now still work for them, but from the Brackley and part-time around your degree.

You get in and let out a long sigh, you pull away getting onto the road driving back to yours and Lando's apartment which was about a 30 minute drive away.

Lando started to call you, the ringtone blaring through the car speakers that your phone was connected to. You hit accept on the screen, your eyes only momentarily wavering from the road.

"Y/N baby, what's up. The articles and the photos of you! You look so sad, what's going on?" he immediately starts grilling you like you'd expected him to when he would eventually see the articles.

"Sorry, I'm in the car right now! I just had a shitty say at uni and i really fucking miss you" you breathe out happy to finally admit it. It was the end of October now and you'd been back at university for a month.

"I know baby, you still planning to come out for the last race, in Abu Dhabi?" he offers, it sounds like he's busy and like he's walking around the McLaren garage. He did say it was media day...

"Erm, ill let you go. Its like midnight there and you have a big day with practice tomorrow" you say, he starts to stay something but you interrupt before he can.

"I love you, goodnight" you say to prompt him.

"Goodnight, ill see you soon" he sighs, he also sounded tired just like you.

You drove the rest of the way home, pulling up in the underground carpark and just sitting there for a few minutes taking in some breaths.

You eventually get out the car and head into yours and Lando's apartment. The apartment was always clean because either you were here or your parents were kind enough to house sit while you and Lando were away.

You did your normal routine for when Lando wasn't here, which was go to the gym, go back and shower, cook food eat food and go to sleep.

You never really had any motivation for anything when he wasn't around.

The next day was a free day from uni, you went to the Mercedes team, everyone could tell that something was up with you. They chose not to say anything and just let you get through your shift. You'd had a cute Good morning text from Lando, asking if you'd slept well and if you'd eaten.

You'd replied, saying yes to both and that you were just catching up on his free practices and that he had really good times, as you'd expected.

But part of you just longed for him to come home.

[xuune]

how do you find motivation to draw ? ( besides hyperfix ofc ) :3

tl;dr it boils down to:

i'm not an assignment/deadline based person, i innately want to draw for myself and finish my drawings bc it creatively fulfills me

i like being inspired by/learning from/studying other artists and their artworks

i like telling stories through my art. if someone didn't draw a story idea i've been thinking about, i might as well draw it myself

i still experience burn out, art block, imposter syndrome, but i know how to take care of myself to navigate around that

i ramble for a bit, but what i say might be insightful for you or anyone else reading this:

rn i'm busy being shackled to drawing art/animation/storyboards for university, which only increases my desire to draw personal art. its different for everyone and their relationship to art, but mine is a situation of "i want to keep drawing bc it fulfills me." ik a lot of artists around me who are extremely project/deadline based, meaning they can only draw and find the motivation to draw if it's assigned to them. they rarely draw for themselves outside of that. that kind of motivation works great under a school/job based reasons for drawing, but for someone like me who's insanely personally driven to want to draw for myself, it becomes difficult when my energy is poured for an assignment that may or may not be as creatively fulfilling for me.

i feel like when i get time to actually draw for myself, that's when i grow as an artist the most and learn from other artists the most. getting inspired by other artists is also another major motivator for me to keep drawing. i'm usually interested in how other artists make their work and study from them, and it's far more beneficial to be in that mindset than constantly comparing how mine doesn't look good enough.

drawings become interesting for me to do if it's also an opportunity to make a story out of it. i have lots of drawing ideas that explore a "what if" situation or imagine characters in certain scenarios. if no one's done an idea i had yet, then i might as well draw it since i want to see it realized.

this doesn't make me immune to burn out, art block, or imposter syndrome tho. its happened before, idk when it'll happen again, but i feel like i'm at a point where i know my personal relationship to art well enough to know how to take care of myself whenever that does happen. those things can easily break my own motivation for drawing, but sometimes i just need a short break, play a video game, watch a film/anime/show. time spent on looking at other art is also beneficial in building up the motivation to draw later

past few years i've been telling myself to keep staying curious, in awe, and admire the art around me. skill wise, i might not be in a place where i want to be, but knowing that i can always learn and get better over time is important. i've already proven that to myself before when i look back on my older art compared to now

hope that was interesting to read and if it helped you in anyway! perhaps you asked other artists this question too and they might've said something similar, but this is what came to mind for me

[bones4thecats]

Hello ^-^ may I please request the housewarden's reactions to their s/o working REALLY hard on a paper for a school contest, but it gets stolen and turned in by someone else. On top of that, the paper wins the contest and the thief gets the credit. Thank you in advance ❤️

A/N: Apologies that this took so long to write, I've been getting ready for my classes starting up again. But I do hope you enjoy this Anon!!

●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●

●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●

❤️ Riddle knew you were working hard on this next assignment, and it made him very happy to see you finally taking a lot of time to make the paper perfect. And seeing your nose scrunch up in concentration made him chuckle inside.

❤️ Without your knowledge, your tart-loving boyfriend had read you paper, and he swore on the inside that this was going to be the winning paper! It was so good, the way you explained the topic was amazing!!

❤️ He had expected you to run back to the dorm with a very happy look, which seeing you frowning was something he did not expect in the slightest.

❤️ Hearing about the student who dared to do this to you made his blood boiled, if his cherry-red face didn't scream 'behead trial', welp!

❤️ Riddle obviously yelled at the student and beheaded him, along with informing the headmaster and contest's leaders about the 'incident', which, because of his reputation, they got punished severely for this.

●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●

●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●

���� This lion could care less, at least that's what he says. Seeing you work tirelessly away on this paper was quite hilarious to him, he didn't even put that much effort in his familial relationships!

🦁 He didn't doubt you abilities to write, which is what he did enjoy you for, as if he was having a hard time sleeping somehow, he would just read a short story you wrote, it was like a bedtime story for adults!

🦁 When he heard from Ruggie about what happened, he was angry, just not visibly. He walked up to you and asked who it was before sending out another Savanaclaw student to retrieve the 'victorious' bastard who dared to hurt his S/O.

🦁 Leona didn't even have to use his fists against the student who had used your hard work, all he did was glare and scold them in a far more violent manner than the previous did.

🦁 Afterwards, he just lets you stay the night and sleeps the night and parts of the next day with you.

●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●

●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●

🐙 Azul is a hard-working man, octo-mer? Whatever! He had built his life of his effort and amazing social skills, he can read people like open books, and he definitely understood how hard it is to win something of this caliber.

🐙 Your boyfriend was someone that you had read the article over and over, making sure it sounded good and flowed like, in your words, the sea that he swam in.

🐙 He had expected you to get the first place because of how excellent it was made, but when you came back alongside Jade and Floyd attempting to hold your emotions back, he immediately understood.

🐙 He had seen the student parading himself around the hallways alongside his buddies, laughing about how easy the mission was and how he was finally going to get the spotlight he deserved. Though, Azul could careless at the time, he recognized the paper once he saw you and sent the twins off to 'assist the student in manners'.

●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●

●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●

☀️ Kalim is a very devoted lover, so, even when you were busy writing this paper for the contest, he was right there next to you, reading whilst you wrote the words down.

☀️ He wanted to appoint Jamil to help you out, because normally Jamil would help him out on a difficult subject, but every time you turned his offer down, he learned to just accept it and watch the words flow down on the papers.

☀️ Seeing you cry was something Kalim never liked, he loved seeing others smile and have fun, not sobbing their eyes out. So when you came running into his room crying, he grabbed onto you like a piece of tape to your fingers and didn't let go.

☀️ Eventually, he sent Jamil to grab the student, which he gladly did, knowing how much you were valued by the Al-Asim heir, and let's just say they weren't spared from a rare Kalim-yelling.

●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●

●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●

👑 It was hard to make anything for Vil, but with this subject, he'd be not in an average, 'Vil is angry' mode, he'd be in a whole different level of pissed off.

👑 Because of how much he values his beauty, he would make sure whilst you spent hours upon hours on the paper that he'd check you face for any markings from concentrating and staring at the dreaded screen. (if you wrote it on a computer)

👑 He knew you would win the contest, you were his S/O after all, why wouldn't your effort prove victorious?

👑 Vil didn't see you immediately, in fact, he had heard from Rook that someone had stolen your paper and submitted it, and in the end, winning the contest without being caught, which caused him to freeze and glare at the hunter, obviously not mad at him, but at the person who did this heinous action.

👑 If they were in his dorm, he'd punish them accordingly, but if they were in another member's dorm, he'd speak with them and eventually trap them into punishing the guilty student with as much power as they would use.

●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●

●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●

🎮 Idia was one of the first to see this happening, but he couldn't react accordingly, at least, the way 'normies' would.

🎮 He had seen you at his door the next day after submitting the paper that you had work graciously on and he believed you were attempting to trick him with the 'fake sadness to shock' trick.

🎮 Well you weren't, and that scared him tremendously.

🎮 Who would do this to you?! You were literally the nicest person he had ever met! And, thankfully from his availability to the school's cameras, he found out who did it and ended up sending the video to the contest's heads anonymously

🎮 This Shroud brother may be a very shy and reclusive person (don't tell him I said that, he'll flush and get upset again), but when it comes to the people he cares about, Idia would go through a massive crowd for them all.

●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●

●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●

🐉 Malleus has no words.

🐉 He valued your hard work nearly more than anything really, it was fitting, as you were with him, and in turn, were destined to rule Briar Valley alongside this powerful dragon fae.

🐉 It surprising that somebody had the balls to face any potential harm by hurting you. Everybody has seen you and Malleus talking in either the halls or in Diasomnia's main lobby, so hearing about this was shocking.

🐉 Malleus definitely has Lilia stay with you, unless you requested his presence. If you did the latter, he'd send out Silver and/or Sebek to find the certain student who did this and would give them the scariest warning ever.

🐉 If you allowed him to confront the student himself, he'd have Lilia (most likely) stay with you as he hunted them down like a hawk.

🐉 Either way, the student gets the shit scared outta them. There's no stopping him here.

[chansbabygirlsstuff]

hi hi !! ur writing is so cute!

Request here,

can you write something like best friend's popular brother hyunjin who secretly likes reader (she does as well but thinks she has no chance) and then one day he confesses being all shy and shes like WHAT

anything like this u can decide i love whatever you write !<3

Hey beautiful, thank you for requesting, your lovely comment made my day! ( I was having a difficult day) so with lots of love, I will do this for you!

Song recommendation: Popular by the weekend

Popular

Paring:hyunjin!x!reader!

Warning: fluff

Your POV

Mr. popular passes through the corridors, his scent leaving traces behind him, leaning against my locker my eyes follow him and walk all the way outside, his smile flashing to his friend talking about something only them will know.

"Hello? Are you listening to me?" my best friend catches my attention from him "Mhm? Yeah I am" My eyes draw to her now

"so are you gonna go?" she asked seriously "Where?" I asked confused

"I JUST TOLD YOU" Her frustration lands on me "Sorry I didn't pay attention" I truthfully say "To my house" She sighs "My stupid brother is going to bring Ashley over to the house and you know she annoys my ass like I can't stand watching her being so stupid with my brother like she is all over him and-" I cut her off before she explodes

"Hey, calm down girl it's ok, I will be there for you" I calm her down "Thanks, but you know... it's not because I'm jealous of my brother is just that she is such a pick me and every fucking girl is gushing over him and it's just so annoying" I understand her, I wouldn't like seeing my brother with some other girl in my house about every day

"do you know if they are dating?" my curious heart asks feeling a ting of jealousy "I don't know, I hope not"

We get to class and sit down, I look over at Hyunjin who is sitting in front of me, oh my poor little heart, when will you stop loving him?

4:40 pm

Yeji and I get ready to head to her house, we walk outside the school's door and feel the nice weather hitting our faces "Ain't it lovely Yeji" I smile loving this weather and wishing it would be like this everyday

"the weather is nice" she smiles and closes her sweater, "how about we watch the new movie that just came out 2 weeks ago?" she asks me "What movie?" I ask curiously "Well the tale of the nine-tailed fox" She answered my question "Oh, the one where Lee Dong-wook appears?" she nods as we get excited about thirsting over a 40-year-old man.

We get to her house open the door and leave my stuff in a chair "Let me get the popcorn ready" I say heading to the kitchen "ok girl ima put your stuff in my room and get everything ready" she shouts from the door already hearing her steps as she walks through the stairs

"hey y/n" Hyunjin smiles at me while making something to eat for himself "Hey Hyunjin" my heart drops as I didn't see him at first

It's normal for me to be at their house so he is accustomed to seeing me around here, we have known each other since I was 5 and he was 6, Yeji and I knew each other from kindergarten and we always used to play with her brother in my house or her house, so we become friends a long time ago, but I feel like it all changed since we entered high school since I was 15 we don't talk as much as before, just small talks, no more movie nights or baking time with him like we sorta got uncomfortable with each other, he also became Mr, popular at school so I believe he feels better than us now. Now I'm 17 and he is 18 and yeah we are in the same grade because his dumbass failed chemistry in 10th grade, obviously, he was so busy fucking his ex-girlfriend and doing her work for her than concentrating on himself that he was swept away 1 whole year because of it.

"How are you doing?" he asked me smiling at me and looking back down at his sandwich "I'm doing good and you?" I ask looking the popcorn to put it in the microwave. "I've been good, what are you guys doing today?" he asked me to make another of our famous small talks "We are going to watch a movie and maybe I'm staying over" I smiled and continued doing my work. "nice, lucky you, I have to do a project for history fro next week" "ah yeah the ones about the empires?" I ask "Yeah, I got put in with Ashley" he whispers and rolls his eyes at me showing his annoyance, and I laugh silently "It would've been better if I got chosen to be with you, you are pretty smart and organized, and we known each other for most of our life" he continues to finish his sandwich. "yeah right? I got chosen with Lia, so it was not bad at all, just her brother is a bit creepy" I say making a weird face remembering her brother and how immature he acts.

"oh yeah Daniel is awful" I nodded and put the popcorn in the microwave not forgetting what he said about me my tummy filled with butterflies, but again I reminded myself I couldn't let these feelings get the best of me, he barely talks to me and yeji would be so mad at me if I ever get to date him.

"But if you ever need me to him in his place please tell me and I will do it with pleasure" he smiles grabs his plate and rubs my head while passing by to the living room.

my cheeks got all red by his touch, I placed my hands over them to soothe them down the popcorn finishes and I get out of the kitchen

"oh Hyuinjin you so funny" I hear a girl exaggerating her laugh, ofc she is here, I feel a bit down and go to Yeji's room.

"everything is ready" I get to her bed and put the bowl in the middle of both of us she starts the movie and we are already melting by seeing Dong Wooks face.

something in me doesn't let me concentrate on the movie and a tinge of jealousy gets to me, it should've been me who was with Hyun-jin right now, not Ashley.

7:24pm

"May I join" Someone opens the door and looks at Yeji with pleading eyes "No go fuck yourself" She stretches and lays down in another position, so I move aside and pat the side of my bed to let Hyunjin join us "See she's nice, unlike you?" he says getting on the bed sticking his tongue out at her "no y/n why did you let him in!" she groans while saying it getting annoyed and moving to the side of the bed to give me more space, he lays on his stomach and hugs a small pillow and gets near me, his head touching my arm of how close he is to me.

Butterflies run through my stomach as I try to control my breathing so I do not blush.

15min later

"He's not that even good looking," He remarks making both of our heads look at him "Shut up you dickhead, he is the most handsome guy to ever exist" She throws a pillow at him, but he throws it back, sitting up and getting comfortable back in the sheets, now sitting like I've been doing this whole time, but our arms connect he looks down on me and smiles, I smile back and quickly look back at the movie, now I do feel my cheeks blush

"did you see how hot Lee Yeon's brother is?" yeji asked me "Yes Rang has that type of bad boy vibe right? but he is so gentle on the inside like he is so cute" I say as we comment on the series. But I feel Hyuinjins head on my shoulder hugging my arm trying to get comfortable on the bed, Yeji gives her back to me and I see her sleepy eyes trying to fight the urge to fall asleep, I pat her head gently making sure she gets some rest but I feel Hyun-jin caressing my arm with his thumb up and down. I feel his breath get more relaxed but I tense up feeling nervous about him.

I try to ignore it and continue watching the movie "Yeji look at the puppy" I pout looking at how cute he is "yeji?" I called her again but I heard no response from her "Did she fall asleep already?" he asked me

"mhm, I think she did" I try to shake her but she does not react, hating that she left me alone with her brother again.

"mmh ok, I'm going for something to eat wanna come?" I nod and get out of bed with him turning the TV and lights off for yeji to sleep as we walk out to the kitchen.

"what are you craving?" he asks me "What about some ramyeon?"

"Sure that sounds good" he started to boil the water while I took the packets out

"so... how did the project go? I asked curiously about the 2 of them

"it was... ok I guess, I kinda ended up doing it all by myself and she was very annoying btw," he said a bit disappointed.

"well I'm sorry to hear that," I said relieved to hear that it didn't go well between them, he got next to me to grab the cups of noodles, and our hands brushed each other, our eyes met and our bodies froze

He pecked my lips and stared into my eyes waiting for my reaction, my eyes widened and my mouth gaped looking at him in shock, but I didn't say anything staying in the same position.

"I'm sorry I shouldn't done that without asking you, I-I thought t-that maybe you wanted i-it"he stutters nervously looking everywhere but my eyes.

"W-why did you kiss me?" I asked in shock, his face in fear "I'm sorry y/n I couldn't stop myself I don't know what came over me, I-Ii just really like y-you and-"

"You WHAT?!"

"I like you y/n, I have since we were young" I stare at him in pure shock

"wait so wait what? so you like me? And you tell me until now?"

"what do you mean until now? I was scared you were going to reject me"

"I would never reject you Hyunjin, I've liked you since I was like 8," I said a bit angry that this didn't happen before

"YOU LIKE ME?!?!" he raises his voice in shock and joy

"yeah I do" I get a bit shy saying it out loud

he cups my cheeks and kisses me delicately his lips feeling soft, tasting him on my lips is kind of my new obsession.

when we separate ourselves in our eyes we see our future we just started.

and that is how I started to date Mr popular.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Hi loves enjoy

please comment, like, and give support!

The tag list is open

Please check out my other works too

[libbytwq]

hey can i be sappy for a moment, i feel like getting a thing off my chest (positive vent)

I love you all in the SMG4 Tumblr community so much. Y'all are absolutely epic and amazing and so creative and just. chill.

I've always been so nervous about joining set fandoms/fandom communities, cuz usually the community is huge and overwhelming, toxic, scary, crazy, and the idea of being in those communities and interacting with people in those communities and being in there not just to post a dingle fanart from it and dip, but to help be a big part of the community and whatnot sounded... overwhelming.

Then I slowly began getting super hyperfixated on SMG4, much more than I usually am, leading me to post more about it. Fanart, things I notice, goofy theories... more than just me saying a couple things i like about it, posting a fanart, then moving onto something else.

I started kinda just exploring the SMG4 tags and gradually, I began recognizing most of the people in this community more and more -- recognizing art styles, etc. I noticed how small a community it was.

And it was a mostly chill community. I wasn't really seeing much drama or questionable things, maybe some criticisms about the show or theories or whatever, but nobody was at each others throats. Plus, the fan OCs were super neat.

I had begun posting more and more SMG4 content, drawing fanart, their OCs, and the fact people were so just... chill and welcoming about it was so nice. It wasn't nearly as scary -- we are all just vibing here. Most of the artists you look up to will probably see your work, and give it attention too.

It feels super strange to be considered an SMG4 Tumblr artist, having people literally enjoying the things I make and making things for me when they make things for SMG4 fanartists... its honestly super surreal. But so so exciting and euphoric.

Cuz yall are so awesome!! Yall make my day so bright. Yall are the best.

I'll be honest, when I first was slowly being a part of the SMG4 community -- sometime right after summer vacation began -- I had been dealing with some petty but difficult irl person issues.

I don't want to get into it too much, but I had basically messed up in a pretty bad way (enough to make me feel bad the moment I did it, but not enough that we couldn't move on and mature from it), and the people involved were hurt worse than I thought they were, and instead of trying to talk it out they resorted lying about being my friends for months before school ended, and over summer break, tried to cancel one of my Scratch account and drag my followers there into drama that they had no business being in, for the simple reason being "you don't deserve all that fame".

Despite their attempt at trying to cancel me not really working out very well, it very much affected me negatively and made me very very scared about using Scratch again. I still post projects there sometimes, but i felt weird when i do it. I felt like those people were watching my every move, waiting to try and drag me down again. It felt so strange and scary to feel like the people I once cared so deeply about are breathing down my neck, waiting for me to make another wrong move and add it to their proof of why I'm an awful person.

It sucks ass.

The SMG4 community here on Tumblr, despite none of you knowing I was going through anything at all, you all helped a lot. Just existing.

Being a welcoming community that I feel safe to be silly and normal in.

I've never been the best at expressing appreciation, but let me just say:

I think of you all so highly and I never want you to change.

Keep making silly art. Or fanfics. Or AUs. Or OCs. Or whatever you like doing in this tiny close-knit fandom.

Keep doing everything you're doing to make this community mean so much to me.

❤️❤️❤️

...this sounds like im leaving the community,, IM NOT I just wanted to get it off my chest cuz ive been experiencing the emotions™ yknow, sorry that its not like my regular posts lol, im not gonna post like this much LMAOOO

TL;DR: yall are fuckin awesome please keep being awesome forever and ever ily bye

[dxmedstudent]

I haven't been on Tumblr in a while but wanted to check how you're doing! How is married life treating you and how is work- I remember last time you were applying for GP training! I'm just coming to the end of F1 :)

Me neither, Anon! Honestly? I have been meaning to come back to Tumblr a while ago, but life has been busy! I had tried to spend less time on socual media so i could focus on my membership exams, and that went too well.

Time flies, I can't believe it's been more than 10 years since I joined tumblr or graduated from med school.

I can't remember which updates I've already shared, so I'll make a list.

Married life is great - pretty similar to pre-married life. Because we started off in different cities due to my training and covid, it's honestly just a joy to live together and be able to hang out. I've been meaning to post a couple of anonymised wedding photos. It still feels amazing that we managed to get all the people we love together. We also managed to fly out to my birth country so that DxDude could meet my relatives...most of whom don't speak English. It was hilarious and lovely and he took being mobbed by an army of Eastern European Babushkas very well.

We adopted a cat! His owner died suddenly and my parents sort of got left with the cat. It was at a difficult time, as it was around the time my beloved cat passed away last year. I still miss her. But I couldn't let someone's baby, a lovely senior cat, live out his last days in a shelter. He's a little 14ish year old man called Sherlock. He loves being held and sitting on my shoulders and he drools when he gets excited. We've been trying to discourage his habit of nipping you when he wants something.

My houseplants and balcony plants may be slowly getting out of control, but I'm happy I have lots of them, and i would have more if we weren't running out of space. I'm currently waging a war against mealybugs. Send thoughts and prayers.

I did get into GP training! And it was local to where I wanted to be, which made it much easier to finally move in together. In fact, I JUST finished GP training a couple of weeks ago and am now living my GP dreams working in one of the practices that I trained in. It's very inner city London. Our patients have complex needs, and I'm honoured to ve in a team that have a lot of experience serving patients affected by substance abuse, homelessness and refugee populations and other complex issues.

We went on Honeymoon to Japan! It was amazing, and I'd still love to go again. I was bold enough to arrange my Honeymoon to be barely a month before a postgraduate exam, but I passed!

This past academic year has been filled with sitting exams and jumping through the hoops required for my eportfolio. On top of working full time as a GP. I didn't think I would do it all first time TBH, but my supervisor had more faith in me than I did. It's honestly been amazing to work for a few jobs in GP training where I felt seen and wanted and where my hard work was appreciated. I can't believe my supervisor offered me my current job, and wanted me to stay on, but they did!

I finished a diploma in sexual and reproductive health and trained in fitting contraceptive implants. I'd like to train up to fit IUDs also to try to improve local access to sexual health services.

I went on strike these past couple of years, when the junior doctors went on strike again. I'm still processing the pay offer and the new government. But I'm relieved we're no loner under the Tories.

We'd like to move house, but we've not gotten around to trying to do this seriously, because my life was already stressful enough. We do need more space, and I hope we'll find somewhere modestly nice that we can afford.

We're trying for kids, and it's sadly taking much longer than we hoped. Being a patient is...a slow and frustrating experience because it already feels like I've had to work harder than I should to advocate for appropriate care. I could say a LOT about the postcode lotteries that come with UK fertility care but I'll leave that for another post.

I've finally accepted that my hair is wavy, and I'm trying out different products to lean into the natural waves and bring them out without leaving it a frizzy Hermione-esque mess. It spent tge past years mostly in a plait or cadet bun, but I'm finally giving my hair a bit more freedom. I have NOT yet accepted that my hair is mostly white at this point. I alternate between wanting to go grey (because that would look cool) and wanting to stay brown because that's kind of how I've imagined myself for the past 35+ years.

I finally get to indulge in painting my nails. I've loved it since I was like 13 and seeing my nails sparkly and colorful brings out my inner 13 year old and she is thrilled. Every time I make my nails glow in the dark, I show them off to DxDude before bed.

My laptop died and then I inherited an old laptop from my parents which is also dying. Which is part of the reason I haven't created much art in recent years. I should probably just bite the bullet and buy a new one, but my exams and diplomas have been expensive so I've been putting it off. To be fair I also made the decision to use my limited free time to keep up with friends and family IRL and try not to feel bad about taking a break from creating. I felt like I was blaming myself for not managing to do everything I wanted to do. I've slowly accepted that none of us can do everything.

I think that's it for now. Looking forward to catching up with what medblr are up to 😃

[torahoes]

(IDOLiSH7) Minami Natsume - An Idol's Daily Life Rabbit Chat: Part 1 - Motorcycle License

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5

Please note that I am not a professional translator. If you come across any mistakes, feel free to let me know and I will make the necessary corrections

Tsumugi Takanashi: Good work today, Natsume-san! Thank you for taking the time to greet us earlier despite being so busy.

Tsumugi Takanashi: I didn't know ŹOOĻ also had a recording at the same studio. The IDOLiSH7 members were happy to talk to you all, even if it was just for a short time!

Minami Natsume: Good work today. Thank you as well.

Minami Natsume: We heard Yotsuba-san and the others having fun from the hallway, so Isumi-san became curious. I'm glad we got to greet everyone.

Minami Natsume: Actually, I wanted to apologize for being the only one to leave early.

Tsumugi Takanashi: Oh, there's no need! Were you able to make it to your next appointment on time?

Minami Natsume: It wasn't for work. I'm currently attending driving school to obtain a motorcycle license.

Tsumugi Takanashi: What!? A motorcycle!?

Minami Natsume: Is it really that surprising?

Tsumugi Takanashi: Well, it's just that you didn't strike me as the motorcycle type…!

Tsumugi Takanashi: But I think it would suit you very well!

Tsumugi Takanashi:

Minami Natsume: I see. Everyone has the same reaction when I tell them about it.

Minami Natsume: Isumi-san, Inumaru-san, and Mido-san too. After being surprised, they all thought for a moment and said, "It suits you."

Tsumugi Takanashi: I can understand how they feel…! It is unexpected, but when I imagine you riding one, it's just so cool…

Tsumugi Takanashi: Are you perhaps getting a license because you have plans to ride one for a drama or a movie?

Minami Natsume: No, I just thought it seemed fun when I saw Inumaru-san riding one. I would like to take on such a role someday, though.

Tsumugi Takanashi: Now that you mention it, Inumaru-san did ride a motorcycle during the 'NEXT Re:vale' Valentine's date project!

Tsumugi Takanashi: The IDOLiSH7 members all watched the broadcast and couldn't help but admire him. They said they wanted to try riding a motorcycle as well.

Minami Natsume: His riding was so impressive it felt almost unfair. I heard there were many requests from people wanting to ride with him.

Tsumugi Takanashi:

Tsumugi Takanashi: But you're very busy, so isn't it hard to attend driving school while you're working?

Tsumugi Takanashi: It took me a long time to get my car license too > <

Minami Natsume: That is true. My schedule is indeed packed, but it's refreshing because it's something I have not studied before.

Minami Natsume: Obtaining a car license is more difficult than obtaining a motorcycle license, after all. The course period is longer, so it's understandable that it takes time.

Tsumugi Takanashi: No… in my case, I had trouble passing the provisional license test…

Minami Natsume: I see.

Minami Natsume: I always thought you were very capable, but this is an unexpected side of you.

Tsumugi Takanashi: However, I've practiced a lot since then to be able to drive everyone around, so now I'm perfect at it!

Tsumugi Takanashi:

Minami Natsume: Impressive. You worked hard for your job. I will follow your example and do my best too.

Minami Natsume: Thankfully, I just so happen to have knowledgeable mentors around me that can teach me many things about riding a motorcycle.

Tsumugi Takanashi: You mean Inumaru-san?

Minami Natsume: Yes. And Mido-san as well. They are both quite passionate about teaching me traffic rules and even things like the correct riding posture.

Tsumugi Takanashi: Wow! Having both of them around must be reassuring!

Minami Natsume: They've been teaching me more thoroughly than the driving school, so it feels like I have already attended the classes.

Tsumugi Takanashi: I can tell they're excited for you to be able to ride a motorcycle…!

Tsumugi Takanashi:

Minami Natsume: They are truly such lovely people.

Minami Natsume: We had an argument earlier today about who would get to have Isumi-san as their passenger if the four of us were to go touring.

Tsumugi Takanashi: Who does Isumi-san prefer riding with?

Minami Natsume: Mido-san. He said that because Mido-san is good at driving cars, he's likely stable on motorcycles too.

Tsumugi Takanashi: What about Inumaru-san…?

Minami Natsume: His driving is a bit rough. It's not as bad on a motorcycle compared to a car, but Isumi-san still gets motion sickness when he drives.

Tsumugi Takanashi: I see…!

Minami Natsume: Therefore, it seems Inumaru-san is currently working hard to practice driving more smoothly.

Tsumugi Takanashi:

End of Part 1.

[enheene]

BLOSSOMED LOVE

}^Summary: Heeseung and you were childhood friends who grew apart over the years. You reunite unexpectedly at a high school reunion and realize that you still have strong feelings for each other. Just as you start to rebuild your relationship, you discover something that is destroying your relationship with him.

}^Genre: Fluff, some angst but not really

}^Warnings: friends to lovers, i tried to keep it as gn as possible, it’s written weirdly idk something seems off about it, reader crying

}^Words: 0.8k

}^A/N: It’s so so different from what I usually write!! It feels weird and idk hope you will like it^^ google helped me a lot to have a better vocabulary and grammar

As the high school reunion approached, Heeseung couldn't help but feel a mix of excitement and anxiety. It had been ages since he last saw you, his childhood friend. You two had been inseparable as kids, sharing secrets, dreams, and endless laughter. But life had taken you in different directions, and you had lost touch.

On the night of the reunion, Heeseung nervously entered the venue. The room was filled with familiar faces, but one person stood out from the crowd - you. You looked as stunning as ever, a hint of nostalgia in your eyes as you scanned the room. Heeseung couldn't believe how much time had passed and how much he had missed you.

Your eyes met, and a wave of emotions washed over you both. You embraced tightly, as if trying to make up for all the lost years in that single moment. "I can't believe it's really you," you whispered, with a trembling voice. Heeseung smiled, his heart racing. "I've missed you, y/n." ”I’ve missed you too, Heeseung.”

As you caught up on each other's lives, the connection you once had quickly rekindled. Late into the night, you found a quiet corner to sit and talk. It was as if you were picking up right where you left off, sharing stories, dreams, and laughter like you used to.

But the reunion took an unexpected turn when you received a phone call. Face turning pale, as you hurriedly excused yourself, leaving Heeseung confused.

Weeks passed, and Heeseung couldn't get your distressed expression out of his mind. He decided to pay you a visit, hoping to offer support and comfort. When he arrived at your place, he was greeted by a tense atmosphere.

You finally confessed the secret you had learned - your family's business was on the brink of bankruptcy, and the one responsible was none other than Heeseung's family. Heeseung was taken aback by the revelation, unable to fathom how your paths had taken such a cruel twist.

Your eyes filled with tears as you explained the dire situation your family was in. "I don't know what to do, Heeseung. My family's livelihood is on the verge, and it's your family that's causing it."

Heeseung struggled with his emotions, torn between loyalty to his family and his growing back feelings for you. He knew he had to make a choice, a choice that could change the course of both your lives. He embraced you fully into his chest trying to calm you down, stroking your hair, telling you that everything will be alright. Your puffy from crying eyes, filled with tiredness were slowly drifting off. „We should look for a solution together, y/n. Trust me, I will do anything to keep your family’s business alive. All I want is your happiness.”

As Heeseung and you began working together to find a solution to your families' problems, you faced numerous challenges. The tension between your families was noticeable, and navigating the delicate negotiations required patience and diplomacy.

Heeseung confronted his own family about their role in your family's financial struggles. It was a difficult conversation, filled with anger and disappointment, but Heeseung's determination to make things right prevailed. He persuaded his family to consider alternative solutions that would not lead to your family's downfall.

Meanwhile, you demonstrated incredible strength and resilience. Taking on a more active role in your family's business, determined to rescue what remained. Heeseung admired your unwavering commitment and stood by your side, offering both emotional and practical support.

Your shared mission brought Heeseung and you closer than ever before. Late-night strategy sessions turned into heartfelt conversations about your dreams and fears. You found solace in each other's company, knowing you could lean on one another in this challenging time.

Despite the obstacles, you made progress. A compromise was reached that would allow your family to keep the business alive also ensuring that Heeseung's family didn't suffer irreparable losses. It was a delicate balance, but it was a testament to your determination and love that had blossomed between you.

As the dust settled and the crisis passed, Heeseung’s and yours relationship continued to evolve. You realized that you were not just childhood friends but soulmates who had found your way back to each other when needed it most.

You decided to face the future together, hand in hand. Heeseung and you rebuilt your lives, blending your dreams and aspirations.

In the end, the high school reunion that had brought you back into each other's lives became a symbol of the unexpected twists that destiny could bring. Heeseung’s and yours love story was proof that sometimes, the most beautiful relationships are the ones that endure the test of time and misfortune.

[farfallasims]

Hi Madi! Do you think the simblr community has been a little quiet lately? I feel like it seems like everyone has gotten a little discouraged and there aren't as many posts. I love following you, you're the one who posts most frequently and I'm happy to know that you haven't given up on us 💕

I really want to start posting but I'm afraid of judgment as it's a bit difficult to do they have a different style as everyone uses the same ones cc and presets and among other things. And it always reminds me of something more or less used by someone. Anyway, I feel that simblr is more divided between groups and that there is a lack of unity for everyone to be great one day. I love the simblr community and I love its content. Maybe sending this message here will reach more people in the Simblr community who may be discouraged for some reason, please don't give up, no matter how difficult it is to get likes or recognition, one day we will all have acquaintances and our name. Thank you Madi for encouraging me so much to play The Sims, you're great!

Hi gorgeous!

The community is kinda quiet, I do agree, but it makes sense to me (as someone with a business degree). After Christmas in the business world, money making, all that, a lot of companies experience their worst quarter.

Everyone is drained (mentality & physically their wallet), and they're back to work, school, all that. A lot of YouTubers will also take this time off, usually only January from what I've seen, because it is their least engaging month/quarter. To sum it up, everyone is busy and working, so the community can suffer with some moments of silence.

For the community itself to be quiet it's expected. It will 100% pick back up in the spring/summer, so don't feel discouraged by it. I experience my best activity in the later months of the year, especially the summer when everyone is out of school or on vacation in general, so look at it that way.

It can definitely be discouraging to join the community right now, but don't let that stop you. Sure, we all love engagement, it's why I'm in the position I am today to be able to offer you advice, especially as someone who joined last February. However, I didn't go in worrying or thinking about it. I honestly didn't anticipate nor expect the engagement I got and I am so incredibly grateful for it.

And as for your content, you and so many others need to learn that regardless of aesthetic, we all appreciate the beauty. If you're a beige girly, a maximalist, fully alpha, whatever it might be, it doesn't matter. We as a community accept and appreciate all content, regardless of aesthetic or opinions.

As long as you enjoy what you're making and you're having fun, regardless of the engagement, and are an unproblematic king/queen that's truly what matters.

I hope you have a beautiful day/week and I hope some of this can shed light on the community and give you the boost of confidence to start posting! We all want to see more beautiful content as there is room for you and so many more simmers!

[thekenikaridevblog]

VVV ramble under the cut! VVV

So, one thing i've recently noticed that sets Kenikari apart from other visual novels in itch.io (aside from yttd lol) is its backgrounds

It's not the fact that the backgrounds are pixelated, or that you can click on them, but the fact that they are drawn at all. I've seen plenty of VNs where the backgrounds are stock images with filters on them or those royalty-free drawn backgrounds you've seen in gacha life videos

you know the ones

(btw, no shade to people who don't add backgrounds to their VNs! i should know, drawing these bad boys is hard, and i understand that for stuff like game jams or school projects you don't exactly have a lot of time to make a bunch of them with good quality)

(another similar thing is when people use the default rpgmaker tilesets to fill in the word. and like i said, no shade to those people either! there have been incredible games used with the default graphics, like the original mad father)

and i thought, "why do default backgrounds and default tilesets bother me so much? why was i so headstrong that i wanted to make my own tilesets, even though i could've easily found something of much higher quality that would've taken me much less effort?"

and then i realised. Visual identity.

it is far more easier for a game to stick to you if it has visuals/music that you can't find anywhere else. can you imagine if undertale used royalty-free songs and sound effects? can you imagine if yttd used photos as its backgrounds? they wouldn't stand out as much, because those projects have lost a facet of themselves that could've been used to make them even more unique

not only that, but there is something else that happens specifically when you use a default background, and that is a loss of immersion

it is harder for me to believe that i am in a real environment that is lived-in by these certain characters if there is nothing special about the place that makes it seem like the characters had an impact on it

a good example of this is Danganronpa: Despair Time

you see this dent on the wall? that's there because one of the characters tripped and fell face-first into it

not only is this hilariously stupid, but it also helps the locations the characters are in to feel alive, that you yourself could go there and interact with the world.

It doesn't have to be property damage, but there are so many small things you can add to your backgrounds to make them feel special: the room of the protagonist has a poster of a band they like, there is a photo in the living room of a family, the sofa has cardboard on the sides because the dog chews on it, there is a tree in the forest with an old carving of the initials of your friends' parents. all of these are tiny silly things that makes the place feel like it truly exists, like it couldn't be replaced by a stock photo

now, let's actually talk about Kenikari. What does my game bring to the table in terms of backgrounds?

I'm gonna be honest, they're nothing actually visually spectacular about them. they're pretty average, sometimes the perspective is a little wonky, or the palettes could be better, or the shading is lackluster, but they're my imperfect backgrounds, and there's no other game out there who has them, so i love them

but what about YTTD? This game was originally meant to be a fangame of that, what do these backgrounds have that YTTD doesn't?

I'm gonna be honest, i heavily copied the general vibe of the layout of chapter 2 for the main hub. and still, these are wildly different! not only in palette, angle, and composition, but there is also something that i have neglected to point out

(ignore the Gin) for one, the backgrounds don't take up the entire screen, so they can be as busy as they want without fear of blocking text or making it difficult to read. (trust me, this was an issue i've had to learn to work around). but also, there is a move button.

the reason why this is such a big deal is that, if you want to go from place to place, you have to click the button, then click on one of the options the game gives you.

Kenikari doesn't have that

the way you move around in the game? you click on the door you want to go through, then the game takes you there. if you want to go back to a place whose entrance isn't shown, you click on the lowest part of the screen, as if you were going to a door that's behind you

it might not seem like much. YTTD has that too, there are a bunch of places where you can click on a door or doorway and it takes you to the next room, but that is not how the game was primarily designed to traverse through

let's bring back the main hub

there are 6 doors/passageways to go through. There is a kitchen, a storage room, a gym, a bedroom, a garden, and the trial grounds, where someone will die

I want you to guess which door leads to which place

this is an extra layer of room design i've had to add to the environments. not only do you have to have every entrance visible, but it also has to be easy for the player to guess which door leads where

"now," i hear you ask, "why would you do that? you literally said that having black space under the background makes it easier for the textboxes to read. you also have to make less background, and you don't have to spend time making every entrance visually unique, wouldn't this be nothing but beneficial?"

and, when it comes to game making, the answer yes! it would take me far less time

but

there is one benefit to making the backgrounds like this

it makes the world feel more connected

let's use yttd again

there's a dining room, a bar, a darts-trowing room, and a bunch of tiny rooms with cushions for the players to drop in once they've passed their first trial. i want you to guess which exit leads where

surprise: there is no possible way for the player to know. i don't think even nankidai himself knows

when you click the 'move' button, three options pop up, and you just click on them and go to the next screen. this makes everything feel so off. in the second chapter you literally keep on getting more and more options for the same room as the story progresses even though there is no visual indicator that more options have been opened up

that's one of my main gripes with games that use this move button function. for open areas like a city it's fine. it'd be weird to have all points of interest in a single background image in a single street, and it'd be awkward to go through may street shots so finally get to where you want to go, but in enclosed spaces, it feels off. where does this door lead to? why can you go to five places even though there are only three doors? why does the architecture do a complete 180 in the next room even though this is the same building, with no aesthetic transition?

i didn't want my world to feel disconnected, and that i could just bullshit a new place to go to if i felt like it, so that's why i'm doing it like this

there is also another facet about my backgrounds that it could be interesting to talk about, but i'd say this post is getting far too long already, so if u want me to talk about it, please tell me!

[mangodestroyer]

Not that I want to talk about it too much or anything, but now that I'm actually leaving retail for real (because I finally secured something else and can afford to leave), I'm kind of thinking a lot about how shitty this job actually is. And how I sort of just got used to it after a while.

I mean, first, there's the obvious of retail being a hella toxic environment. You're constantly facing the public, and have zero ways of standing up for yourself and avoiding it. Companies also push for you to reach extreme goals and push for workers to be super competitive over the metrics. All this micromanaging, as well as the bs from the customers, can easily cause co-workers to become burnt out and bitter. Leading to toxic work relationships as well.

Secondly, it's so much physical labor. And my job in particular also requires a high level of social intelligence. I mean, you have to actually SELL things to customers, on top of balancing a thousand different tasks (and completing them within a certain time frame while also putting out other people's fires). I mean, seriously. It's difficult to draw the energy to have a whole-ass sales pitch, individualized to the customer you're speaking to when you've been rushing to complete three projects.

It's also the scheduling. You can never have the same schedule every week. And the shifts are always all over the place. One week, you might have six four-hour shifts, the next week, you have an eight-hour shift where you work till nine at night, and then have another eight-hour shift the next day requiring you to come in at five or six in the morning. Maybe you worked nothing but evening shifts for the past three months. Now you're suddenly being scheduled morning shifts after you've gotten used to going to bed at four a.m. because you hate waiting to go to your job during the day. Maybe you're scheduled two 35-40 hour weeks because it's a very busy sales period and there is A LOT OF WORK TO DO. Then you're scheduled for nothing but 8 to 16-hour weeks and there's nothing to do/you have no money. You're scheduled for every weekend and holiday. You can no longer feel excited about those while everyone else is having a blast. In fact, you forgot that going to the store is something that people sometimes do for fun. If you ask to limit your hours and have certain times/days off, you'll get heckled for it. Sometimes, you're asked to cover shifts and people get annoyed if you decline. You're asked to find someone to cover your shift if you can't make it in. People get mad at you for being sick or for just wanting to use vacation days.

The pay. The pay is shit. All this for the lowest pay they think they can get away with giving people.

It is... exhausting! Even a simple four-hour shift leaves me feeling like I can't decompress. I have to take things to help me relax after work and to help me tolerate it the next day. Even then, I can't truly get myself to focus on my hobbies or anything. It's also made going to school difficult. It's so hard to think after being worked like that. Or to have the energy to stay on top of things. Also, I've gained weight since working this job. I was... 125 lbs when I started. I got all the way up to 165 lbs in three years and struggled to get down to 157 lbs these past few months. I feel like my stomach can't even digest a lot of food these days. Like, if I eat too much dairy or fruit or something, it feels like it just sits in my stomach for a long ass time until I get cramps and feel bloated. I never used to be like this. I also feel like I have more inflammation in general. And God forbid you have issues happening in your personal life. It makes all of this so much worse! Back when I was in a toxic relationship, I straight up wondered if I was developing b*polar/sch*zophrenia, d*mentia, or c*ncer. The stress was affecting me both physically and mentally THAT MUCH.

I spent three weeks away from my job a few months ago. I actually started feeling like I had some energy. I started feeling human again. It was pretty telling. Before then, I thought I'd finally gotten used to working that job and that maybe it wasn't so bad. Then I came back and was like, "Holy, fuck! This place is shit!" I started putting in job apps like my life depended on it for ANYTHING that wasn't retail or food service. ANYTHING. Even if I was underqualified.

And that's that. I will never do a low-paid customer service job again. If things ever get rough in the job market and I don't have a choice but to return to shitty work... I will literally do the actual SHITTY work of scrubbing toilets before I return to retail. I'm DONE.

[satari-raine]

Hi, I'm a turtle again. Hope everyone has been doing okay this summer, staying cool and hydrated as best you can. I thought I'd give another update since I've been gone for a bit, for anyone curious?

It's, um. Been a bit rough for the past two months? Retail job was a bit difficult, mostly due to the type of physical work involved - less customer-interactive but way more taxing on the body, to the point I had to go to urgent care (which makes it twice in one year so far; body, please.)

However, I ended up getting offered a teaching job at a nearby university. Part-time unlike retail, but the pay is hardly different and the time freed up and the reduction of stress on my body made it a bit of a no-brainer to accept (despite losing the retail job's insurance.) That, and getting to do part of what I went to graduate school is a big relief, as silly as that might be.

Although, that insurance came in handy today, since I ended up doing an emergency walk-in to a local dentist and walked out with a bill that would've been a lot worse without insurance. Currently swimming with painkillers and more than a healthy chunk of anxiety because this ate up my money allotted for car repairs, but I'm glad the dental issue was able to get done.

Not really sure what else to add. Been trying to write more, especially since I owe something for a server challenge that I haven't been able to touch due to either being busy with work or recovering from the next health issue, both physically and mentally. Bad brains, all that fun stuff, I suppose. Hoping to get to that soon with an added apology for taking so long.

But I'm excited about teaching, surprisingly. I really enjoyed reading previous work from my former students and it's nice to be able to inspire people to write more, to feel more confident. I hope I can do a decent job this go around as an actual professor, and not just a graduate student.

Just. Here's to August and the rest of the year hopefully going smoothly. Not just for me, of course, but for everyone else. Rooting for you all, as usual.

[haventcomeupwiththetitleyet]

Drarry wip chapter 8

Previous chapter

Monday morning though a tad gloomy was smooothed by a pretty view of the sea opening from the cottage observatory. Harry had hoped to vist it and was pleased to have a chance as he took a liking to it from the very first sight.

Lucius Malfoy’s serious stare didn’t add to pleasant atmosphere unfortunately. Nevertheless, it was what he had to go through, so Harry decided to make do.

”So,” the man started dragging his glare from the papers lying in front of him to Harry, “Your advisors did not demand to know, where your insights came from?”

It seemed he was still suspicious about Harry's Sunday meeting.

“No,” Harry simply answered, then saw an intent stare and sighed internally. “They were intrigued and aslo quite pleased that I have something going on which they consider interesting life.”

“Charming,” Malfoy stated, seemingly disgusted.

“And also works in my favour. Which is why I turn to them with any dubious business. If we aim for sabotage, they're my best bet,” he parried cheerfully.

It might seem strange that he didn't turn to his friends first, but Harry really didn't want to drag them through everything if he could help it. The situation was escalating and he had alredy caused a lot of trouble throughout four years. The guilt he was trying to lift by avoiding including his friends this time was slowly replaced by the guilt for excluding them. And it was too much of an emotional torment to afford at the moment. So he sighed and turned to the papers on the table.

“The accusation of using magic while underage can be avoided if I get someone of age do it,” he suggested in a questioning tone. He should have paid more attention to magic society rules throughout the years.

“Your variants?” Malfoy asked. Thankfully, not dismissing Harry suggestion right away.

“Well, it can be Fred or George,” he said, not exactly happy to drag more Hogwars students so far into his mess. It was bad enough he had to ask their help at all. “There's also Remus.”

“The wolf?” Malfoy said not even trying to hide his disdain.

“Exactly,” Harry answered in a steal tone. “And probably the only person, who would support my endeavour of hiding your family.”

Harry tried to control his temper, but it was a challange. He wasn't good at tolerating prejudice and firmly believed that in rapidly changing circumstances people needed to learn to overcome their differences. Even Lucius Malfoy. Especially him.

“Moreover,” he added in a calmer voice. “If it comes to choosing between me and Dumbledore, now that I conceal some important details from him, I'm positive, Remus will take my side.”

“So will your godfather.”Malfoy said, not questioning.

“How do you..? It doesn't matter,” Harry shook his head. “So will he, but I can't guarantee, he doesn't think I've gone nuts if he finds out about you. Also he's in hiding and I don't want to alert him and jeopardize his safety.”

Malfoy nodded thoughtful. “Is he the reason you decided to go behind Dumbledore's back?” He asked. The man was probably still calculating Harry’s trustworthiness. And won’t stop anytime soon, being who he was.

The question was good though. Harry didn't want Malfoy to think it was easy to sway him from Dumbledore or make him question the headmaster's authority. The damage had been done before their agreement though, and Harry would hate to pretend.

“I know, Sirius is in a difficult position. But I doubt the imposibility of taking him out of it. It looks more like reluctance..” Harry leaned back and rubbed his face tiredly, then continued.

“I saw Snape’s mark when they irterrogated Crouch. Still he works at school, and I'm sure that's because that was, how professor Dumbledore wanted it”

Harry was afraid to even try to look into the reasons why Dumbledore let Sirius's case rest. Both times.

Did he really believe Sirius was capable of it, Very unlikely. Dumbledore might have seemed like a kind old man throwing lemon candies around, but after four years at school it was obvious for Harry, that he saw the game of chess if not entirely then almost till the one but last move. And if Harry was honest with himself, he didn’t want to be any figure on the board.

Malfoy seemed to have read his desperate expression and graciously changed the topic.

“Underage magic is not the only thing they might want to charge you of. That simply will not be enough and will antagonize the public, who are not going to be happy anyway. Offence to the status of secrecy is their best chance,so they are going to lure you to use the patronus charms in front of muggles.

Harry deflated. Would they really go that far? Wasn’t it inhumane not only using such means but also trying to sweep Voldemort’s return under the rug.

He felt the rage again. It was rising up from his fingertips, stinging untill it found it’s home at his stomach turning heavily.

“Can we turn the tables?” He asked grimly.

“What do you mean?” Malfoy inquired interested.

“I know, that’s what they do, but it doesn’t mean it’s right,” Harry sighed trying to get his bearings and not sound too childish. “Their plan is not just insane, it’s illegal. Is there a way to not only disrupt it, but also discredit the ministry as much as possible?”

He looked up to gauge the man’s reaction and sighed in relief. Now Malfoy no longer seemed suspicious, rather certain and even pleased.

“You chose the right person to ask,” the man said with a dangerous smirk.