#Its amazing how fast this made me feel a little bit better

[everybody-hit-the-pyro-cue]

literally thank the world for dan and phil

[csuitebitches]

How to Wake Up Early

I always wanted to be one of those girls who would wake up early, go for a run and be super productive with their mornings. The issue is - i really love sleep. Every time i would start a routine, i would eventually fail. I would wake up to turn the alarm off, think to myself “5 mins more” and boom- it’s suddenly 8:30 am and i need to leave for work in less than 1 hour.

Two videos on YouTube really changed my mind. One was Andrew Huberman’s, and the other was Jihyo, a k-pop star.

I came across Andrew Huberman’s video about dopamine, and somehow, it helped me to understand why the difficulty waking up early is so important. Now I’m no expert of neuroscience, but let me explain to the best of my abilities.

Dopamine is essentially the build up to the reward; it is not the reward. It is the satisfaction and happiness you feel (when your body releases), after you have achieved something that was painful/ required you to struggle a bit. In order to receive this reward, you have to feel pain, because pain and satisfaction are directly related to each other. Satisfaction without pain is useless and does nothing for you essentially.

That got me wondering: for me, waking up early is difficult. It’s painful. I dont want to do it. But if I do it, its my first win of the day. It’s the first challenge I have overcome of that day, and I always do feel amazing after. The dopamine release after the struggle of waking up and winning the battle of not going back to sleep is definitely there. I feel more confident because a) I have done the “right” thing b) selfishly, i can do something so simple that a lot of people struggle with c) it weirdly makes me feel more confident and like I’m doing the first step of being an adult right.

Jihyo’s video was quite random - she did some show where it shows her daily life when she’s not working. Parts of it made me feel like she’s unable to just relax with herself (probably because her body and mind are so used to chaos, performing, her girl group living together for so many years) so she busies herself a lot. I took the positives from the video; she’s extremely disciplined which I admired, she gets her chores done, she’s good at ensuring that her space is truly her space.

So I decided to build a relatively foolproof routine; but mind you, it does require quite a bit of willpower.

I’ve developed a habit of waking of waking up at 5 am. I head straight for a 30-45 minute meditation and then at least an hour long workout. I stack my habits that way; right after meditation, I put on my running shoes. I used to really struggle with waking up, even if I had to wake up late. This is the strategy that worked me, see if it works for you.

1. Reset your space the night before

This makes you feel less stressed in the morning and also genuinely makes you feel like you have your shit together. Put your clothes away, keep your bag in its place, clean up your desk, reorganise your make up and skin care products. You’re going to go to sleep and wake up to a clean space.

Make sure you define both your bedtime and wake up time. My bedtime is 9:30 pm - so i manage my chores, reading, dinner, everything around that.

2. Early dinner

I’ve noticed that early dinners help me sleep better. I’ve built the habit of casually walking for 25-30 minutes post dinner (not right after eating, after about 15 mins). I’m not walking fast to a point where I’m sweating and puffing, I’m casually strolling outside. During this time, I don’t listen to music, interact with anyone or my phone. I use this time to connect with myself and think about whatever I feel like.

3. No devices before sleeping

I don’t want to stimulate myself before sleeping, so I prefer reading before bed. If you don’t like reading, you can instead do your skincare, maybe revise some physical study notes, etc.

4. Using Alarmy app

This app is torture and I swear by it. This little thing makes you a solve a challenge of your choice in order to make the alarm stop, like math problems, puzzles, etc. I chose 5 math problems.

5. Keep your phone across the room

Don’t charge it near your reach. Keep it as away from you as possible.

6. Stand for two minutes after shutting off the alarm

Don’t allow yourself to snooze, or go back to bed. This is the part that really requires you to tell yourself: “i am not going back to sleep. I’m going to wake up and do the things I have to do for my own benefit.” Remember - the states of heaven and hell are not outside of you, they’re inside you. They are mental states. You have to fight with your lazy demon and tell him/her/whoever that NO; we are NOT going back to bed.

I charge my phone across the room so that forces me to walk first thing in the morning. To stop myself from going back to sleep, after i have shut the alarm off, i just stand for 2 minutes. I dont sit, or go back to bed. I stand and tell myself, we’re doing this. We’re going to wake up and have an amazing day.

Your mind is like a child with tantrums and mood swings. Your rational self has to discipline your mind the way a parent would to a child.

7. Turn a small light on

Not something that is jarring or overwhelming, but enough to help you start waking up. I turn my phone’s flashlight on and keep it on my desk.

8. Be consistent, even on weekends

The biggest mistake you can make is not being consistent. Your body doesnt recognise weekends, your mind does. Your body doesn’t know that tomorrow is Monday, so its time to wake up early. By staying consistent (yes, I wake up at 5 am on weekends too), it allows my body to develop its own body clock and not wrecking the system I’ve kept in place.

What do I do if I have a late night?

It really depends. Let’s say I come home relatively early (+2 hours around my bedtime) around 11 pm, and im in bed by 11:30. I’ll wake up somewhere close to 5 am, like 6 am instead. The next day I ensure I’m in bed by the bedtime I’ve kept for myself and wake up at 5 am again.

If I come home really late, like 3 am - i keep my alarm exactly 8 hours from that time. I need to get sleep, but oversleeping is an issue and that wont allow me to wake up early the next day. I want to get enough sleep where im rested for the day, but not excessively. Unfortunately, sleeping so late would definitely mean that i wont be able to fall asleep at my dot 9:30 pm bedtime, but i turn the lights off and get ready to sleep by then anyway, and mentally prepare for my 5 am wake up call.

[allywthsr]

CHRISTENING | (l.norris)

summary: Lando wants to christen the Christmas tree

wordcount: 1.5k words

pairing: landonorris x fem!reader

warnings: smut!

notes: the only smut this advent calendar.. what are we thinking?

advent calendar

”It looks beautiful, doesn’t it?“

”It does.“

”We should christen it.“

”The Christmas tree?“

”Yes!“

”Lando, what are you thinking?“

”I want you to lay down under the tree and open your legs, then I‘ll rail you until you’re screaming and begging for me to let you cum.“

You whispered a low ’fuck‘ and got on your knees, tugging on his waistband of his sweatpants. You pulled his pants and underwear down and licked your lips when you saw his cock springing towards you, he wasn’t fully hard yet, but that was something that could be changed in a few minutes. With your fingertips, you touched his dick lightly and teased him with it, tickling his tip and grazing all the way down to his balls.

”If you’re not touching it properly right now, I won’t let you cum today.“

With that threat in mind, you grabbed his cock, and licked from top to bottom, wetting it, so you had it easier when you were giving him a handjob. He started to make little noises, indicating he was enjoying what you were doing. The movements got faster and he grew harder in your hand, with every stroke you did, you were still teasing him by grazing his balls every now and then, you knew he was sensitive to touches down there. When you felt him twitch in your touch, you let him go and lay down on the floor, due to the underfloor heating, you wouldn’t get cold.

Lando was fast to sit on his knees between your legs, after removing his T-shirt, and pulling your pants down, just like you did to him. Your panty was thrown somewhere in the living room, and Lando took a second to admire your pussy. He often did this, taking his time and just looking at you, he couldn’t believe you were his. He laid down on his chest and his face was directly in front of your pussy, he grabbed your inner thighs and pushed them outwards, so he had better access to your core, brushing soft kisses on your legs and around your pussy.

”Fuck baby, you’re glistening“, with that he used his thumb and placed it on your clit, opening your pussy lips a bit more and letting his thumb swipe through it, collecting the juices.

You shivered at the contact, it already felt amazing.

”Look at how wet you are“, he held his finger to your face and you could see your fluids almost dripping off his thumb. You moaned quietly and he sucked his thumb in his mouth, licking off the juices. He wanted to tease you, so he blew on your pussy, the cold air made you shiver even more, and the sensation felt phenomenal.

Just after a whiny ’Lando‘, he finally got to work and licked across your slit, you let out tiny noises, he was a master at this. He opened up your pussy again and took a deep lick out of it.

”Are you enjoying this, babygirl?“

You could only moan and grip his hair, so he would start working on your pussy again.

He started off with kitten licks, teasing you to the fullest. With every lick he got deeper and at some point he even entered you with his tongue, breathy moans escaped your mouth, and started pulling on his strands, you needed to hold onto something. He drew little eights on your slit and when he finally arrived at your clit, that boy wasn’t stopping, he was licking all sorts of shapes on your bud, and you couldn’t hold it any longer. But before you could cum, he pulled his tongue off of you and let his pointer finger circle your clit, slipping it with the middle finger inside of you, slowly pumping them in and out while his tongue found its way back to your clit, toying with it.

”Are you close?“

”Y..Yes.“

”Do you want to come?“

”Lando… please…“

”Beg more for it.“

”Lando, please let me cum, I can’t contain it any longer, you make me feel so good.“

”Cum, babygirl.“

His words tipped you over the edge and you were left panting on the floor, while he sat up and looked down at you, seeing what he did to you, but you could also see what you did to him, his chin was glistening with your fluids. You were a mess and he barely touched you yet, again, he licked his fingers, so none of your juices would go to waste.

”Are you ready for my cock?“

”Yes Lando, I need it.“

With that he grabbed his dick in his hands and gave it a few pumps, getting ready for the sweet sensation he was going to feel in a second. He put his tip on your clit, and started moving it in circles, you were still sensitive because of your orgasm, and this brought you closer to your second orgasm of the night. He let go of your clit and focused on moving his tip through your lips, wetting his dick, so he had no trouble pushing into you.

You both were moaning when he slowly entered you, he stretched you out perfectly. With every centimeter he entered you deeper, you whined for more, he was so big, it surprised you every time how he fitted into you with no problem. When he was fully inside of you, he started kissing you with force, wet kisses were placed everywhere, on your face, along your jaw, on your neck, and after he pulled your T-shirt off, he clung his mouth to your nipple and sucked on it. While he focused on your right boob, he grabbed your left one with his hand and massaged it, pinching your nipple between his fingers.

”Move, Lando, I can’t hold it anymore.“

”Are you my needy baby?“

”Yes, I am. I need your big cock.“

”I‘m all yours.“

With that, he started snapping his core against yours, and you moaned at the force, he was not playing any games today, Lando was horny and you could feel it by the speed his hips met yours. The room was filled with the sound of your and Lando’s panting, as well as the sound of skin slapping against skin.

The little sounds Lando’s mouth escaped sounded beautiful and turned you on even more, Lando wasn’t that big of a moaner, only when he orgasmed, but short breaths always came out of him.

You lifted your legs and crossed them behind Lando’s back, forcing him to go even faster and harder. ”You need it fast and hard today?“

You could only nod, your mind was clouded in the post and pre-orgasm haze. You needed to hold onto something, you aimlessly reached around you, trying to find something. Without thinking about it, you grabbed a branch of the Christmas tree and with the other hand you found Lando’s back, pressing your nails into his skin, creating little crescents.

Lando was kissing your neck again, sucking slightly on it, but he was careful to not leave any marks.

You could feel yourself getting closer, just as Lando was, his movements became sloppier and his thumb found its way back to your clit, rubbing slight circles on it, stimulating you even more.

”Lando, you make me feel so good.“

”Ugh baby, you take me so well, your walls are clenching around me, I can feel it.“

You slightly pulled on the branch out of reflex and you could hear the baubles clashing against each other. That made Lando look up, ”Look at you, having to grip the Christmas tree because I‘m fucking you so good. But don’t pull on it too hard, or it‘ll fall over“, in your orgasm brain you didn’t really register what he said, just hearing him say to stop gripping the tree and you did, pulling on his hair instead.

With his last energy, Lando sped up his movements and thrusted even harder in you. Your walls clenched around him, your breath started to hitch with his every thrust, and he made you see stars.

”I‘m so close.“

”Cum for me, Y/N.“

Your eyes rolled in the back of your head, your back was arched and the orgasm wave washed over you, your panting became harder, and moans escaped your mouth.

A few moments later, Lando also came with moans and he painted your insides white, now he collapsed on top of you, barely holding himself up. With heavy breaths he pressed kisses all over your face, stopping on your mouth, where he lingered.

His lips were puffy and red after a while, you probably looked the same, but you both had a satisfied grin on your face, while you went to the shower to ’clean up‘, but it really just was an excuse for round two.

[comicaurora]

Hi! I finally got the chance to read Aurora a bit ago. It's a wonderful story--all I was expecting and better! I was particularly amazed and delighted by the artwork and visual mechanics used to tell the story, so I wrote a post to yell about how cool it is and break some of it down. (No criticism, just praise.) I'm mostly a hobbyist, so I'm hoping I've done it justice.

That said: zero pressure to read it or respond to this ask. Normally I wouldn't send it since I tagged, but I know Tumblr's notifs are a mess and things get lost very easily. I've been in both the "one (1) word of praise will feed me for a year" and the "oh gods don't talk about my writing/art because anything that seems Off will break my brain" modes before, and I absolutely don't want to push or make you uncomfortable!

If you are comfortable, however, I wanted to ask about your use of what I'm assuming are Screen and blending modes in sound effect words. (I'm only guessing that's the technique, though, so I could be totally wrong about how it's done! I'm mostly experienced in image manipulation in Photoshop.) Making them semi-transparent over the actions is genius :) What inspired you to do that, and are there specific techniques you use to make it work?

Same questions go for using specific colors to distinguish different characters' words and actions. I really noticed it in the cave sequence with Falst and Dainix, since their colors are so vivid in the dark (ex. Falst's little swats and Dainix's swooping kick at 1.20.9). It lends excellent clarity to busy scenes.

Thanks! Have a lovely day, enjoy your break, and happy holidays <3

You're correct about the technique! "Screen" is the blend mode I use most often for sound effects. I stumbled on it mostly through trial and error - I love how sound effects add depth to a comic panel, but it's very easy for them to obscure the art in a way I find counterproductive, so "Screen" lets me put the sound effect directly over the origin of the sound while still letting it be visible through the word. Early chapters didn't have it as much-

Most of the sound effects in early chapters are just solid colors with reduced opacity if I'm feeling fancy. But I started figuring it out around chapter 8 and 9, because Falst is kind of a sound-effect-heavy guy, especially in his fight scenes.

In order to make sure they don't impede the visibility of the action, I'll often soft-erase the top or bottom half of the SFX to reduce its opacity while still leaving it readable.

I'll usually double that up with an outline on the SFX so it's still readable. This is an especially important consideration if the SFX goes over an area of the background that's very bright or glowing.

Color-coding the speed lines and SFX to the character or force causing them isn't a hard and fast rule, but I like using it (in part because it's a habit from the OSP illustrations, where every character has a single pop of color in their lineart) mostly because it sort of codes every sound to make it clear where it's emanating from, or the general feeling of the sound. Since I normally do character-colors for SFX, something like this stands out more jarringly-

Which it's supposed to, but a big lightning strike doesn't register as anything too worrying because it's just Tess up to her usual shenanigans.

It's also very useful for magic effects, because each form of magic has its own associated palette.

And when I had a very complicated fight scene in a dark environment, I used the texture pattern I'd already made for the monster to color its SFX, so when I Screened them onto the panels they didn't obscure too much while still communicating "this is something else."

Changing the weight, lined-vs-not-lined, and opacity of the SFX words also helps to communicate that not every sound has the same feeling. A strong motion is solid and aggressive, but a crackling, unstable sound is more ephemeral and staticky.

It's definitely been a process of learning as I go - looking back at the earlier chapters I can actually see when I first tried various tricks I now use regularly, like doubling and distorting an SFX to produce the effect of a camera-shaking impact. I haven't really seen any other comics that do it like I do, probably because most other comics follow a more traditional production pipeline where text bubbles and sound effects get locked into the composition early, before the inking stage, because traditional physical comics don't have digital-art layers to play with. Adding sound effects to a page is almost the last thing I do before exporting them, and that only works because digital art and layers allow for a ton of flexibility.

[kentsjohnson91]

𝐂𝐀𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐊𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐄𝐑 𝐈𝐍 𝐌𝐄 𝐓𝐀𝐌𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐅𝐈𝐑𝐄 𝐈𝐍 𝐘𝐎𝐔? ˡʰ⁴³

in which y/n wonders if there is anything left for her and luke after showing up to his apartment late one night.

warnings; mentions of hospitals, car accidents, death of a parent, luke's a pretty big dick, and overall angst

based on killer by phoebe bridgers

part two here

part three here

You needed someone. You needed someone badly. It had been six months to the day since your father had died, and it was taking its toll on you. When you received the call that your dad had been admitted to the hospital after being involved in a car accident, the first person you had called was Luke. Luke held you in the waiting room as you worried more than both of you thought was humanly possible, caught you when you collapsed after learning of your dad's passing, and rubbed your back and held you close throughout your dad's funeral. You thought nothing would break the two of you apart.

But that was six months ago. Two months ago, you had broken up with Luke. And for the past two months, you thought you had been handling the breakup pretty well. But it's amazing how fast those feelings come crashing down when you're in a state of vulnerability.

And that's the reason you're standing in front of the door to Luke's apartment at 2:12 in the morning. You needed to feel his arms around you one last time, especially now. And in all honestly, you wanted to feel his arms around you for the rest of your life, but you knew that was unrealistic. You didn't have much hope that Luke would show up and open the door. Not only was he probably asleep, you had been buzzing his ringer to try and get him to come to the door, but he hadn't answered. In one last desperate attempt, you left your ex-boyfriend a voicemail, "Hi. Hey, it's me. I've been buzzing you - and, uh... I don't know what I'm saying. I'm at your door. If you get this, I'll be here for a little bit longer."

To your shock, not even a minute later, the intercom buzzed, and Luke's sweet voice echoed through it, "Hello? Y/N?"

Boy, had you missed his voice. You were so enamored by hearing it for the first time in two months that you didn't respond, so Luke tried again, "Y/N/N? You still there?"

You almost cried of relief, "Yeah, hi. Here I am, I'm still here."

"It's..." there was a pause as the door opened, revealing Luke standing there standing in one of his gray New Jersey Devils t-shirts and a pair of boxers. His eyes were tired and his curly hair was disheveled, but you could see flames of confusion and slight worry dancing in his hazel eyes as he saw your tear-stained cheeks. The hint of green in them was really shining through, "two in the morning."

You sighed slightly as you wiped your eyes, sniffling before responding, "I know. I'm sorry. Did I wake you?"

"Kind of?"

"I'm sorry."

Luke stepped forward to meet you in the hallway, closing the door behind him. He left it open just enough that there was a stream of his kitchen light that had made its way into the hallway, further illuminating your red eyes. Luke looked you up and down before his eyes met yours, "It's okay."

"Luke?"

"Yeah?"

"Is this a bad time?"

He laughed slightly, "It's... it's two in the morning."

You sighed, feeling bad for showing up so late. You knew you had a good reason (or what you thought was a good reason) for showing up to his apartment, but as he was standing right in front of you, you wondered if you had made the right decision. Maybe the reason wasn't as good as you had thought, "I know, I just... needed to see you."

To your surprise, Luke seemed to remember what day it was. Despite not acknowledging the six month anniversary directly, he looked at you with sympathy, "How're you doing? You okay?"

You looked down at your feet, "Been better." Taking a deep breath, you gathered yourself before working up the courage to look back up at Luke. As much as you needed him, he looked tired and you didn't want to take up too much of his time, "Thanks for helping me through everything. I don't think I could've made it through those four months, especially the first couple of weeks, without you."

He nodded, not entirely convinced that this was the only reason you were here. This was something that could have easily been said over the phone, but Luke decided not to question you about it just yet, "Oh. Yeah, sure."

You gave him a weak smile and let your eyes wander back down to your feet. Awkward silence filled the air as Luke looked you up and down once more before his voice pierced through the silence, "Why are you here?"

Your head snapped up so quickly you genuinely thought you had given yourself whiplash, "Huh?"

"Why are you here?"

You laughed uncomfortably as your eyebrows furrowed in confusion, "I wanted to see you."

"Why?"

"I don't... I'm sorry. I don't get what you're asking."

Luke sighed heavily, overlapping his arms against his chest, "Why did you want to see me?"

Your lips shook as Luke stared at you, his eyebrows raised as he was waiting for your answer. The last thing you expected from tonight was an interrogation, especially not from the curly-headed boy standing in front of you, "Why? I don't know. I... I just didn't want to be alone I guess."

"I thought you were staying with Y/B/F/N."

You shook your head in confusion, "I am... I just wanted-"

"So you're not alone."

Tears filled your eyes as your ex-boyfriend pounded you with questions. The sound of his voice was becoming agitating, something you never thought would happen due to the last two months without him, "Wow... I'm sorry... I just wanted to see you, okay? Today's been kind of the absolute worst and I wanted - I needed - to not be broken up today."

Luke drew in a sharp breath, his eyes softening, "Y/N/N... I need to be broken up today."

Your heart dropped, "Oh."

"I need to be broken up for good," he sighed, looking at you in bewilderment, "Didn't we already have this conversation? Months ago?"

"Yeah," you spoke timidly.

Luke angrily laughed as he began to raise his voice, "So why are we having it again? Outside my apartment at two in the fucking morning?!"

"I don't-"

"I wanted to work it out! You were the one who wanted "space"!"

"Yes - I know. I know."

Luke laughed in disbelief once again, "So you got what you wanted. You have space. And I have an apartment that feels empty - which was not what I wanted!"

You tried to speak again, but words continued to fail you, "I know. I just-"

"So what do you want now?"

A tear fell from your eye, "Now?"

"From me," Luke stated firmly. You didn't answer, freezing like a deer in the headlights. Luke scoffed before continuing with venom in his tone, "Huh. Well how about this? You figure it out. And when you do - you let me know."

"Luke-"

"But till then, no more. Okay? I gotta go back inside." He moved to turn back into his apartment but you grabbed his wrist. It was Luke's turn to whip his head around to look at you.

Your eyes met his for the first time in awhile, "Why?"

"Because I'm done with this conversation and... I don't have to tell you why! I just do."

You laughed quietly, giving him a weak attempt at teasing, "Do you have someone in there?"

Luke froze, avoiding eye contact, "Y/N/N..."

Your heart dropped, and suddenly everything made sense. He never slept in just boxers when the two of you were together, and the wrinkles on his t-shirt gave away evidence that he just threw on the first one he saw, "Do you? Oh my god! Do you?!"

He didn't answer your question, "That's not the point."

Your eyes widened and you ran a hand through your messy hair, "I am such an asshole! Oh my god, I'm such an asshole!"

Luke opened his mouth to try and speak, but you cut him off. It was your time to be angry, "No, fuck that. You're the asshole!"

"How am I the asshole?!"

"You just are!" you screamed, "It's a really hard day for me in relation to my father's passing and you went out on a date?! Knowing that I'd need a friend, that I'd need you?!"

Luke scoffed, his mouth open as he gaped at you, "We are no longer dating! Do you get that?! I am no longer responsible for you!"

"I know! I know that!"

"Do you?" Luke asked angrily.

"I do!" you cried, "But you're still the only person I want to see when I'm..."

"When you're what?"

"I don't know!"

Luke unraveled his arms from across his chest and threw them over his head, his hazel eyes piercing your own eyes as he stared at you incredulously, "Wow - I take care of you and I'm an asshole - I don't take care of you, I'm still an asshole. Somehow I'm always the bad guy..." Luke paused and his voice softened just a little bit, "I don't wanna be your friend. I can't be friends with someone I was in love with - am still in love with! I don't know... I just can't. I'm not that guy. And if that makes me suck, then I suck."

A long, depressing silence filled the air until Luke spoke up again, his voice just barely above a whisper, "I would've married you, you know."

You looked up at him in surprise, your voice low, "Thanks."

"I'm serious."

"Okay."

Luke sighed tiredly, "I would have. I used to look at you and see my future."

"I don't think I want to get married." you whispered back.

"To me?" Luke asked quietly, his eyes full of desperation, as if he was. hoping you'd say no.

Your eyes traveled to his feet. For the first time that night, you realized he was wearing the UMICH socks you had gotten him after you guys graduated high school, and your heart broke even more, "To anyone." You looked back up at him, and your eyes met his one last time. His were welling with tears, but you continued, "You don't wanna marry me. You really don't. I'm not the kinda girl you marry. I thought maybe I could be. And I tried really hard. But it's just not in me. You dodged a big bullet. You dodged a hand grenade. You dodged an atomic bomb."

Your eyes left his, "You wanna know why I came over? I came over to see you because I love the way you look at me. Or the way you used to look at me. You used to look at me and it was like you could see the potential for good things. And I really wanted to be. A good thing. More than I wanted to be with you. I wanted to be whatever it was you saw when you looked at me. Because all I ever see are the things that make me sick," you laughed sadly, "But I guess you and I are finally on the same page, huh? When you look at me... you just see the same shit I see. You and I are finally looking at the same ugly thing."

Luke moved to brush a strand of your hair behind your ear, but you stopped him, "Don't. Please, don't."

He stopped immediately, pulling his hand away, but not without using the pad of his thumb to brush some tears off of your cheeks, "Okay," he paused, sighing sadly before continuing, "I'm sorry about your dad."

You didn't respond. Luke took that as a chance to speak up again, "We should get you a cab."

You shook your head, "I can do it myself."

"Don't be ridiculous. I'll get you a cab."

"I said I'm good," you snapped, scaring Luke a little bit. You continued shortly after, "You should, uh, get back to your date."

You gave Luke a tight-lipped smile before leaving him in front of his apartment door. And for the second time in two months, Luke watched the love of his life slip through his fingers, like your relationship was thinner than water.

[beiibeiii]

Kafka Angst, delicious, thankyou for the food. Okay this was from 11:49-12:21 jeez im tired.

Anyways, here’s thing for you!

“…I remember one morning it was just like any other, you brought coffee and I brought sweets. I remember, you spilled a little of my coffee on the table and made a surprised sound, but despite that, you looked up at me and you laughed. Your eyes were shining in the morning light— In hindsight really.. They’d always done that. A little bit brighter, with the golden sun. That’s the moment I realized I was really truly hopelessly in love with you. I told myself it was a longer mission than usual. That’s all, and yet I couldn’t stop liking you past our little meetings in the morning. I couldn’t help but want to ask more and more about yourself, the silly, little details unrelated to Elio’s script.”

At least, that’s what Kafka would like to say to you. Instead she watched through your window as you cried. Illuminated only by moonlight. It looked as though a meteor shower might be streaking across your face— quick and bright slashes. A sky full of grief, guilt, longing. Kafka couldn’t help but vaguely wondering if you must mirror her own feelings so well. Kafka was a formidable woman, that wasn’t a secret to anyone. What she wanted, she would eventually obtain. However everything else she had taken now seemed so.. Little in comparison to you. So worthless. The one thing Kafka wanted, craved— No. The one thing she needed, she couldn’t have. You. A little bit of water splashes her face. Unsurprising, there’s thunderclouds rolling overhead. Rain was bound to come sooner or later. The water rolls down her cheek, to the corner of her mouth. It takes a moment to register in her brain it’s salty, and the rain has not yet begun to fall.

She looks down at her hands, those hands that have felled many. Her tongue, which has been used to manipulate peoples minds into showing them horrors to last a lifetime, that tongue that has spit thousands of lies. Her eyes, which have watched on as an opponent met a slow, agonizing end. The eyes that showed a frenzied glee at the suffering. How could she ever be worthy of you? The shining bright light in the universe who could never be dimmed. One so pure and precious. She felt her chest tighten in shame. She could never wash the blood from her hands, it stained her entire being. Deep in her mind, a maze to all (even herself) she knew that if given the chance to cleanse her sins, she probably would not take it.

So the Stellaron Hunter turns, quickly scaling her way down to the bustling streets before you might see that familiar shape crouching across the way. Your eyes make their way to the window as you see quick movement, but as fast as it appeared it disappears just as well. And a drop of water hits the glass. And another. Until your window is pelted with the sky’s tears, and the sidewalks are a black mass of umbrellas.

I hope this was this much 🤏 entertaining to you

WHAJHSGD ANONIE?? THIS IS SO AMAZING WAAA IDEK IF I CAN ADD TO IT BC ITS ALREADY PERFECTT!! IM GETTING FED SO WELLL SHJSSJ SOBBING KAFKA ANGST HITTING TOO HARD RN AJSJSJS SHES SO BABYYY I WANNA HUG HERR 😕💗

kafka wears gloves to try to hide the blood that has stained her hands to try to make herself feel better :(

kafka probably has you as a live wallpaper on her phone. she would press down on her phone and the short video of you on that flower field would play. your smiling brightly as the rays of the sunset glowed so beautifully on you. lighting up your smile even more. she looks at it with a bittersweet memories as she reminds herself as to why she joined the stellaron hunters - to understand herself to be a better person and see that beautiful smile on your face everyday. :(

she listens to voice messages or watches videos she has saved of you whenever shes stressed. hearing your voice and the way you smile at her clears her head. calming her down. she can't help but grow a little tired of hearing the same videos and voice recordings. shes determined to get some new ones soon. <3

whenever you post on your snapchat stories, instagram, tiktok, any social media platform, kafka is always on an anonymous account. she constantly comments sweet things under your posts.

"hope you had fun <3"

"so beautiful, like always dear 💗"

"such a pretty smile you have :)"

kafka doesnt even try to change the way she writes to make you not catch on. she likes your posts and is usually the first one to see them too. You can't help but sense the familiarity of the way the commenter writes their comments. its ever so awfully familiar as to how kafka types. you want to believe it but you know its not her :(

kafka secretly hopes you recognise that its her. she knows it won't happen, but she will still keep believing that you will <3

[dreamseersystem]

Just a little drabble I made of a version of Leviathantale. I hope people like it.

Was this what it was like to die?

That was his thought as he sank into the dark waters below. The family he thought he had, they were all just lies. Used until he was no use anymore because of who he once was. Who he had left behind on the mainland when he joined Gaster and his crew of pirates. But that was what he was used for. A bargaining chip in some ploy to gain money and favors out of the family he abandoned. He never told anyone of his royal heritage, but somehow the captain knew. He acted like a caring father to him, and when the money and favors dried out...

It was amazing how fast a life can pass before one's eyes as they die. The betrayal of the captain as he revealed his birth name and the reason he was kept on the ship. The jeering of the crew he once thought of as brothers and sisters calling for his death. It was a crime to them to be born royal. Even if he rejected that life. Gaster himself pushed him off the plank, giving him a last chance to fight him, but he was too weak to defeat the captain. His magic was spilling out of him still, quickening his death in the sea. He could feel its cold tentacles wrap around him. Wait... No... He was really feeling tentacles around him. His instinct to fight made him flail in their grasp, but he was too weak to fight back.

"I would rather you not fight little minnow. It would quicken your death and make you just another dust cloud to feast upon by the small fish of the deep," a voice said. He froze.

"That's better," the voice said as a black face came into his sight. It's teal eye glowing in the darkness. "I am Nightmare. Tho, I guess greetings would be wasted if you just die on me." He pulls him close. "But you can live if your desire and hope is still there."

He wanted to live. He didn't want to die. His life had barely started and all because of his birth he was killed for. He wanted to live to be free of that past. He wanted to get revenge on the ship he thought was family.

Nightmare could seem to sense his will and emotions and chuckled. "Revenge and a desire to be free. I believe I can offer that," he said as he caressed his cheek. "But in exchange for a new life, I need something in return. Loyalty, obedience, and most of all, your knowledge of the world above. Do you agree or would you rather I end your life now?"

He wanted to say yes, but no words would come out. He didn't care he would have to be this abyssal's being slave. Just as long as he could live again. He just wanted to live. He nodded his head at Nightmare.

And Nightmare grinned. "It is a deal then. This might hurt a bit."

He reached into his chest and pulled his dusting SOUL out, sending magic into it as he kissed him at the same time. Pleasure and pain were what he felt and he couldn't even scream. Bones were shifting, everything was getting brighter, teal and purple magic surrounded his body as he heard bones crack below his waist.

Soon the feeling faded away, and with that the feeling of his legs. Now he felt something else, something new. A tail. He gasped as he took his first breath under water, not sure how exactly he was able to do it. He looked at himself in wonder. And ended up upside down since he didn't know how to use his tail yet.

Nightmare laughed. "Well, a shark on its belly, what a funny sight. You'll fit in with the rest of the shiver at least. But for now, we should complete our greetings shouldn't we. What is your name?"

He was able to right himself and felt his tail. It was powerful and strong. He could feel the power in it. He looked at Nightmare and bowed his head.

"My name, is Cross."

[sleepyboy-stuff]

hiii-!!! :3 saw your post about Logan requests and was thinkin' about (CG) Logan who gets up in the night (like in X2) and he sees reader regressed whilst watching TV or something and he looks after them for a bit, maybe convinces reader to go to sleep and helps settle them???

hope you're having an amazing day/evening/night!!! feel free to ignore this idea!!!

-🧸🌷(hope it's oki that I went anon, was a bit nervous 😅)

ollo!! thank you so much for your request, and its totally okay that you sent it on anon, i dont mind at all!! youre super sweet :]

anyways, uh, heres what i wrote! im super nervous to post this but, i hope you like it :D

It was late into the night-- probably around 2am, you guessed, but you didn't bother checking the clock. Most residents of Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters were fast asleep, and normally you were too. But tonight, you lay wide awake in your nest of blankets and pillows, hugging your favorite plushie and sucking on a pacifier as all sorts of thoughts ran through your mind.

Most prominent in your head was an overwhelming feeling of loneliness. This always happened when you were little; if you were alone for longer than 15 minutes, The Sadness started creeping in, and there was nothing you could do to stop it. Usually you could distract yourself, by coloring or playing games on your phone or something, but tonight you were practically drowning in it.

Your heart ached for someone, anyone, to come and comfort you, but you knew nobody would. Especially not the person you really wanted: Logan.

You considered going to his room and waking him up, but you knew you couldn't do that. He wasn't the most strict caregiver, but he did have one very harsh rule: you can't bother him when he's sleeping, and you can't sleep with him. You knew it was because of his nightmares, but still, you missed him.

Tears were welling up in your eyes. You didn't know how long you'd just been sitting there, but suddenly, you decided you'd had enough of it. You sat up and wiped the tears away with your sleeve, shuffling out of bed with your plushie in tow.

And that was how you ended up here in the common room, watching Spongebob Squarepants on the big TV (with your plushie sitting next to you), giggling to yourself.

You were drawn into the cartoon, happy to finally get away from your feelings. So distracted, you didn't even notice the figure that appeared behind you.

"You're up late."

You squeaked in surprise, your head whipping around to find none other than Logan leaning up against the doorway, one eyebrows raised.

You stared at him with wide eyes, not knowing what to say.

He walked over to the couch, sitting down next to you with a huff. "What're you doing up, kid?"

You hesitantly took your pacifier out of your mouth to speak. "Couldn' sleep."

He grunted. "Yeah, me neither."

"Nightmares?"

"Yeah."

You wrapped your arms around his torso, resting your head on his shoulder. It was a bit of an awkward angle, coming at him from the side, but you made it work. "'m sorry."

"It's alright, kid. It's not like it's your fault," he said, resting his hand on your back.

You snuck your pacifier back into your mouth, but you didn't let Logan go, snuggling into him instead. He was always warm, and warm felt so cozy. He's even better than a blankie, you thought, as his hand started moving up and down along your back. It was a comforting touch.

You tried to pay attention to the show, but pretty soon your eyelids started drooping; finally, you were falling asleep. And Logan noticed.

"Hey, maybe it's time we head back to bed, huh?" He patted your back and pulled himself away from you, standing up.

You began to whine at the loss of warmth, looking up at him with sad eyes. He only stared down at you with lidded eyes, not falling for your puppy-dog look. 

You pulled your pacifier out. "Can I sleep with you..?" You knew his answer would be no, but you asked anyways.

Logan took a moment to think. "... Sure, you can."

Your eyes widened. "Really?!"

"Yeah. Just as long as you don't move around too much."

You felt a smile dawn on your face, and you popped your pacifier back in your mouth before you jumped up into his arms. He held you up easily, and you wrapped your arms around his neck.

"There we go," he murmured, walking out of the room. The TV was still on, but neither of you really cared.

Eventually, the two of you ended up in Logan's room. He gingerly set you down on his bed, and you pulled back the covers, crawling underneath them. He slid in beside you, pulling the blanket over your bodies before sliding his arms around you. You cuddled close together, and the room lapsed into silence, no noise except for the sounds of soft breathing.

In the end, you did fall asleep, secure in Logan's arms. But what you didn't know is that Logan never fully fell asleep himself. He laid awake the rest of the night, watching over you, keeping his little safe.

[milgram-tournament]

MILGRAM Best Song Tournament, Round 1, Match 3 THROW DOWN vs. THIS IS HOW TO BE IN LOVE WITH YOU

Propaganda for both options under the cut!

Propaganda for THROW DOWN:

silly point is that throw down was my top song for this past year and i havent even been into milgram that long so. good song. also i sang it on stage once so. anyway

Flower imagery!!!! god i love flower imagery

the vocals are good

it has a banger es cover too

"ethics are a delusion" is singlehandedly the funniest line to come out of the t1 songs

the mv is SO pretty like. holy shit

the first note constantly jumpscares me

also i like the clock sounds in the background of the verses

the instrumental,,,,

throwdown is just a really nice. calmish song that still has the whole desperation thing conveyed through his voice props to va for that cuz its relatively subtle but really adds to it imo

im reiterating that ethics is a delusion is the funniest thing to me

also i really like the bridge (the whisper part)

irrelevant to the song itself but i like his fit in throw down i'd wear that irl

gardening/pruning as imagery is so fun for a surgeon character

also vocally i just really like throw down its calm sounding yet theres a hint of like. desperation? despair? in his voice and thats really cool to me

---

Jackalope's note: Only one propaganda piece... hmmhehe. Well, I'm glad our resident pretty girl got tons of asks! But I feel a little bad about Shidou, so let's let him argue his case at least! Oi! Shidou! Get over here! Oi! Sheesh, it's like he can't even hear me! This is why I need to send the reminders early...

(mod's propaganda: While I love both songs very much, Throw Down has a special place for me in that I can actually sing it. You sing way too fast, Mappi!! I also just think using flower imagery both made the MV one of the prettiest ones we have yet and helped distance both the viewer and shidou himself to the reality of his sin... I also really like the ethics is a delusion bit lol)

Propaganda for TIHTBILWY:

okay so like the thing im most in love with: the VOCALS!!!! this song has an absolutely AMAZING singer and AMAZING vocals!!!! the way the conversational talk-singing lines still feel so musical!!!! the cute cute cuteeeee mahiru voice!!!! it brings you so much energy!!!! its a song sung with so much love!!!! mahirus va brings such an amazing feel to the song with such amazing talk-singing!!!! its very skillfully done and it happens in i love you too!! mahiru songs r the QUEENS of musical talk singing

the silly phone call bit. kurururu~!

the little vocal flourish and the way her voice raises up like an excited exclamation in the final prechorus!! daijoubu nante kirai DA!

its such a fast song but everything flows so well!!!! it makes it feel so bright and cheery and peppy!!

the instrumental is so underrated just LISTEN to that catchy bass line thats so pretty in the verses!!!! no for real even if u dont vote this is how to be in love with you go listen to the bass line in the verses it works to move both the song and the listener forward at mahirus sweeping breakneck pace. and the cute keyboard sounding and synth instruments!!!! its SUCH a danceable song!!!! i cant listen to it without bopping along in my seat

the way the ominous bits are subtly hidden? it all sounds so cute but there are just these Things that she sings that are really kind of concerning and unhealthy when she sings them!! and the veiled desperation to be in her relationship- listening to that and the cheery tone and breakneck, quick song pace, it really does represent mahiru SO well. she throws in all these little bits that just go noooo teehee the relationships just fine!! when it REALLY isnt

i would listen to mahiru talk for hours

the MV!!!!!! HER FASHION SENSE THE MAGAZINE STYLE!!!! the magazine style especially works so well with her character!!!! its so cute and stunning and just looking at it you have a blast. also her birdcage!!!! her birdcage and the bright orange and the pink bars!!!! the way everything desaturates and becomes more sickly looking when she wakes up at the end!!!! its such a happy carefully curated and designed dream and then it drains away!!!! also god all her outfits are stunning. mahiru call me

the way she sings "overheat de~!" cutest thing in the WORLD.

the little faces she makes!!!! godddd shes so expressive

actually the whole songs so expressive!!!! shes putting her all into it!!!! her words have so much expression in them!!!! once more praising mahirus va the way her voice can soften and become bright or subtly desperate so quickly is MASTERFUL control of expression when singing and its so underrated. join me in being insane over miho okasaki delivers her lines. shes such a perfect mahiru.

funniest es cover. hands down. funniest es cover.

this is how to be in love with you is FREE serotonin!!!! free energy right there!!!! this is how to be in love with you sweep!!!!!

---

-The song is so cheerful!! I always feel like dancing and singing when this one comes up in my playlists!! Absolute banger, mood definer, kicking sadness in the shin with those high-heels and then hitting its face with a cute purse -THE HIGH-HEELS STEPPING TO THE BEAT OF THE MUSIC IN THAT ONE SCENE (0:50). SIMPLY ICONIC. NO ONE DID IT LIKE HER. -👠💅👝👗 -She is slaying. Look at her outfits. She put so much effort there. She gave it her all. Absolutely serving. -SUKITTE KIMOCHI WAKATTA TSUMORI? NARA KONO MAMA FUTARI O-VA-HI-TO- DE -The storyline of the mv MAKES SENSE and you can form a COHESIVE TIMELINE OF EVENTS (unlike other unspecified contestants' mvs you know 🙄) -look at herr 🥺 she beby 🥺 all she did was love too much 🥺 we all love mappi don't we 🥺 she deserved more let her win this pleease 🥺 -No medical malpractice happened in the making of this mv 👍

---

I care so much about This is How To Be In Love With You- it's visuals are brilliant in the ways it conveys its themes and narrative. I'm never normal Ever about the "Love as marketing" symbolism that is brought in by the use of magazines. It's a lovely upbeat song but the Horrors are Always Lurking under it, the breakup Ritual line is my Favorite Line cause its so horrifying but its said so casually and its so good oh its so good-

[silverstagspirit]

Survivor of Ramshackle - Part 3

Part three is here!

Warnings: corpses, burial, mild panic attack for Grim, angst.

PART 2 PART 4

---

Grim was attending another unbirthday party with Ace and Deuce. He did not like any of these snobby rules. Yet here he was. The very morning after Yuu left, no less. The one upside was that he was chowing down on some tarts that Trey baked. They tasted amazing. The strawberries felt like they were dancing on his tongue.

*Drop*

A sudden wave of dread washed over Grim. Causing him to freeze. His whole body was paralyzed. And his mind kept telling him that something was wrong. It was a terrible, horrible feeling of wrongwrongwrongWRONGWRONG-

"Oi! Grim!"

"Hnngh!?"

He was back at the unbirthday party. Only this time, Ace and Deuce were looking at him.

"What's the matter with you? It's not like you to drop food."

Grim looked down and saw the rest of his slice of tart abandoned on the grass.

"Oh no! My tart!"

"NO GRIM! What have we told you about eating stuff of the- and he's already munching on it."

"We should know better by now, Ace."

He looked at Grim eating his tart.

"Why did you even drop it in the first place? I thought you were like, super protective of food."

Grim stopped eating and looked up at him.

"I dunno. I just had this bad feeling wash over me, and I just couldn't move."

"What do you mean by "bad feeling"."

"I told you I don't know. But I just got a thought that something bad had happened. Something REALLY bad."

"I'm sure you're just remembering an assignment you forgot about, and now you know that Trien's going to have your hide."

"Am not!"

The day would go on normal from there. But Grim would still have questions as to what that feeling was.

-

Yuu was bumping into things as they floated. Learning how to use this new form was tricky. Having magic now (or at least something akin to it) would be a big thing to adjust to. For now, they stayed on the ground. Thier body feeling lighter than ever.

'I wonder if I can run', they thought.

They picked up the pace a little bit. When they thought they could handle more, they went a bit faster. This continued until they had broken into a full-blown sprint.

'That's weird. I've never been able to run this fast before.'

Yuu began to sprint faster and faster until even the wind couldn't catch up to them.

'Oh my gosh! I feel alive!'

Taking it to the next level, they jumped up. They flew half a dozen feet into the air. This made them panic.

"Wooaoah!!"

'I've never jumped this high before!'

They thought they would collide with the ground but were surprised when they didn't feel anything. When they opened their eyes, they were still floating in the air. They were confused, but when they imagined themselves floating safely to the ground, it actually happened.

'Neat,' Yuu thought as they stepped forward experimentally.

Yuu looked back at the phantom behind them.

It was burying bodies. The middle head using it's snout as a shovel while the left head picked up the corpses and put them in the holes. The third head was also helping with bodies, but it was not as good at it as the left head.

Yuu looked at the phantom doing its job. Before they could take revenge, they needed to have this creature on their side. They couldn't go anywhere without it.

So they walked up to it and started helping them bury bodies.

As they were doing this, they started to wonder, why was the phantom doing this? These things are dangerous, evil beings. So why wasn't this thing destroying everything?

They said that phantoms came from when a Mage was using too much magic on top of feeling intense negative emotion. Said negative emotions manifested as that phantom. This phantom formed when Yuu was experiencing extreme grief at the loss of their race.

That and there was nothing left here for them to destroy.

So Yuu just never said a word to it and helped them bury the dead.

-

Yuu helped their phantom with the burials all day. When the sun went down, that was when they stopped to rest. After all, you can't stay up past sundown when there is no electricity for light.

When they began falling asleep, they noticed that the extra long sleeves they wore would wind around their waist and tighten like a straight jacket. This felt like a hug, so they didn't mind. And it helped them sleep better.

Waking the next morning, when the sun rose, they set out with their phantom to continue the burials.

Body after body

Person after Person

Yuu felt numb whilst doing all this. But they still did it. Burying people they have known for years. People they didn't know. People who had barely begun life.

This went on for some time. They stopped counting the days. It must have been almost a week by now.

Yuu had thought about naming the phantom. They couldn't just keep calling them by 'their phantom'.

"Hey you!"

The phantom turned its heads towards them with the middle one snarling.

"Can I give you a name?"

That made the creature go quiet and look at them with interest. Yuu searched through the mental list of names they had made.

"How about Ragnarok?"

That made the creature growl at them displeased. They thought of another one.

"Ghidorah?"

Once again, the creature growled displeased. Yuu was actually kind of relieved at this. Because they weren't exactly fond of that name either.

"Doom?"

The phantom made a crackling-chittering noise at this. Yuu thought they made it mad, so they closed their eyes, waiting for pain to come. Instead, they felt something wet and squishy brush over them. Yuu opened their eyes and saw that they were being licked by the middle head. They seemed pleased with that name. But Yuu was not quite finished yet. They still needed to give the three of them separate names.

"Okay, so that will be the name for all of you, but what about each of you?"

Doom's heads looked at each other.

They went through the list again. If Doom did not like Ghidorah, then they probably won't like Ichi, Ni, and Kevin either. They still offered it just in case. The two Phantom heads did not like those names for them. However, the third head on the right started licking them.

"You like the name Kevin?"

It chittered in response.

"So that settles your name. But what about you two?" Yuu thought over possible names. "Ying and Yang sound good." Doom's heads let out a satisfied huff.

"Cool! So that settles things."

They would need some more bonding before they could get Doom fully on their side. But they were willing to wait.

---

Sorry for the wait. It took me a while to figure out the plot for this part. I apologize for any mistakes. Thanks for reading.

Taglist: @kami-kun1003 @lemonandlime22

[sweetcreatxr]

♡ Always been you (3) ♡

Part 3 - La vie en Rose

A Chris Evans x male reader mini fic 🎀

Here part 2 !

Warning : Chris being threatening and a savage but also vulnerable man, hurt/comfort beacuse its amazing ! , reader and Chris being idiots in love !

AN : soooo... I'm so sorry for the long delay omg...1 year...but in my defence, I've been caught up with school, and now that I've finished high school, I'll have more free time ! Anyway, I hope you guys will enjoy it !

Chris' pov

Chris was now running down the stadium's aisle, Dan, the security guy trying to keep up with him.

" Mr Evans !! Please slow down"

But Chris had no intention in the world to do so. He had to be fast and to make it to the backstage before the end of the song y/n's was now singing. But as he kept running around these walls, Chris ran into something. Or rather someone. And this someone was not other than y/n's bandmate. The very first cause he was in this situation in the first place. He had a small grin on his face plus eyes reflecting malice and distrust.

"Well, well, well...isn't it Chris Evans or should I say, y/n's ex boyfriend ?"

He chuckled a bit, probably amused by his words but it wasn't the case for Chris : he was pissed and mad, first at this dude but then at himself to think his boyfriend will want anything with this man looking like a cockroach. Chris wasn't a narcissist or full of himself, but at this very moment, he couldn't hide the bright smile on his face as he eyed David from head to toe.

David hasn't missed that as confusion could be read on his face, his sight landing everywhere, but at Chris, he was ashamed, but soon it turned into anger.

"What the fuck are you smiling at lame ass ?? Uh ?? Anyway why the fuck are you here ? Y/n's said he didn't want to see you anymore !"

Chris kept smiling and then out of nowhere burst out laughing as if what he just heard was the funniest thing someone had just said to him. David stood still, unsure of what just happened and how he should react.

The Bostonian man then proceeded to calm down a bit before speaking those words :

" Damn...I was so dumb to- to think my man will be somewhat interested in something like you...I mean look at you ! All desperate and shit... but you forgot something here, little boy"

Chris got closer to him, trying to look somewhat threatening, and he was as David stepped down a bit, looking down.

" Y/n's is mine, and we're in love, so go play somewhere else before I break you in half."

His tone was cold, voice low and body tensed but with a devilish smile on his face. He meant everything he said, and even if he he didn't know if he was capable of breaking off someone's body in half, he sure knew someone who could do it...

David ran away without waiting any further for more threats. He was definitely terrified and good, thought Chris, he didn't want to ever deal with this man ever again. And yes, even if David wasn't 100% to blame about this situation, it still made Chris feel better about himself. He was still a man, after all !

Dan on the other hand was still running toward Chris as they had a pretty gap of distance.

" Fuck...arggg Mr Evans...you're too fast for me...I- I need to-to do exercise more often"

Dan said feeling as if the whole world was about to collapse on him.

"Don't worry Dan, I'll teach you, but now let's head to the backstage shall we ?"

Y/n's POV

Y/n had finished the last song on the first section for today's concert, and after interacting with fans, doing some bad dad jokes and dancing to ABBA's song, it was now time to head backstage for a quick break and a outfit change.

" Okay okay guys, cigarette break !!! I'll be back but I gotta smoke !"

It wasn't actually true, y/n's didn't smoke and he didn't want to, afraid of damaging his vocal chords. But his fans knew the code : time to slut this body up !

He ran towards the backstage, his crew putting thumbs up, saying he did an incredible job and reminding him of his 20-minute pause.

After hydrating correctly, y/n went in the room he changed earlier, his outfit was already on the couch as well as...Chris ???

What was he doing here ?? Y/n thought he left since he didn't see him anymore on the VIP section. He figured he went home and was waiting on Y/n's to come so they could talk but he was NOT expecting this AT ALL.

"Chris..."

It sounded like a whisper, and it was one since the latter only saw his lover's lips moving without any sound coming out.

" Love..."

It was awkward, very awkward, and the singer didn't know how to react ! If he should kiss him or kick him, it was very confusing ! So he stayed in front of the door, still wide open. Anyone passing by would have seen what was happening, but y/n spoke first.

" Chris...i- what are you doing here ??"

Chris got up, slowly moving towards his lover and reach for his hands. And even though y/n's was tensed, he didn't kick him away, a good start !

" There are so many things I need to tell you baby i-"

But before he could finish his sentence, the singer cut him off.

" No ! Let me speak first. You left me. You left me and didn't even bother responding to my messages. More than 500 Chris. And same for the calls, you denied every single one of them. During 5 months, you left me at my worst. I was crying night and day on our bed while you were at your brother's or at clubs. I'm not mad about the words you say to me even though yes they were horrible, because I believe I had once said even more horrible things to you, and you forgave me the next day. No, I'm not mad at that, couple fights it's just a thing ! But for you to leave for 5 months and not even let me know if you're okay or if you think we should break up is some devil's work, Christopher. Imagine you instead of me and tell me how you'll fell uh ? Tell me how you will try to cope with the fact that your boyfriend doesn't want to even talk to you or look at you or -"

Chris's heart broke at every single word his lover was saying. He thought he could get with an apology and a quicky before the times up, but oh dear, he was wrong. Y/n's was angry, sad, but mostly disappointed, and he didn't know what to do. He couldn't just forgive Chris like that as if nothing happened and that it was a simple fight. No ! He couldn't ! But a part of him was telling him to give Chris a 2nd chance, and he wanted that so bad ! He was in love with Chris and even ready to marry him ! But things had changed now, and he wasn't so sure about the whole thing.

" Baby please...i- I know what I did was terrible and I don't even deserve your forgiveness, I was a terrible boyfriend and let my insecurities get the best of us...im so sorry...you don't deserve this, you don't deserve this, you don't deserve this, you don't deserve this-

Y/n's was now worried, Chris was spiraling and kept saying the same thing " you don't deserve this" it was of of the first time of more than a decade knowing Chris that Y/n's saw him like this : vulnerable, weak and ready to finish off.

The singer quickly put him into a tight embrace, leading them on the couch and laying down on it. Chris had his head on y/n's neck, and he was now singing a soft tune in his ear, trying to calm him. An acapela version of La vie en rose was filing the room as Y/n's thrust his hands on Chris' hair, slowly massaging his roots.

Quand il me prend dans ses bras

Il me parle tout bas

Je vois la vie en rose

Il me dit des mots d'amour

Des mots de tous les jours

Et ça m'fait quelque chose

Il est entré dans mon cœur

Une part de bonheur

Dont je connais la cause

This moment right here was the first time y/n has felt this way since 5 months : relaxed and actually happy ! Even though the situation between the two was still confusing and unsolved, by the very first time y/n had pressed his lips on Chris' forehead, he realised that he needed the actor too. He couldn't just pretend as if he didn't want to let him a 2nd chance. Everyone deserves one after all !

His thoughts were cut down but one of his member crew rushing in the room and yelling :

" Y/n 5 MINUTES LE- oh my God...im so sorry, I'll go but make quick you're not even dressed !"

And there she's gone provoking a small chuckle coming out the singer. The latter quickly but safely pushed Chris away from him, covering him with a blanket and kissing him as he was asleep. He then proceed to undress himself but as he was to put on his pants he heard Chris' voice.

" Fuck...I'm missed seeing your body so much..."

And as absurd as it was, y/n blushed and continued to dress up which was easy since the pants was the only piece of fabric of this outfit.

" Okay I gotta go now Chris, we'll talked together after okay ?"

He was ready to go but Chris maintained his hand and pulled him into his arms, cuddling him.

" Never forget that I love you and...thank you for the song"

Chris was shy, and it was adorable to see, but he really needed to go, so he just kissed his hands and ran to his crew, wanting for him to restart the show.

" you're okay y/n ?"

Asked Laura, his 2nd guitarist.

" Perfect, thanks Lau, now let's kill it shall we ?"

~~~~~~~~

AN : OMG I feel the need to express the fact that I wrote this in one go ! Like 💃 OMG ! OK so firstly I wanted to make it pure 100% fluff but then I thought : and where will be the angst then ?! Soo here it is and I'm pretty proud of it ! Hope you guys enjoyed it too !

[jaarijani]

Käärijä Antwerp gig recap!!!

I HAVE THOUGHTS of course i do i dont shut the hell up ever you should know this about me by now

i arrived there at around 9 am bc of train delays but there were only 10 people there then and for the longest time it was just the 15 of us so 15 gang ily sm!!! i loved sitting and chatting with all of you you made those 10+ hours go by SO FAST ❤️❤️❤️

the tour bus arrived at around 12ish and we all stood around for a while until they finally came out

häärijä BEELINED to Ed, ignoring us completely, it was so funny

he was so sweet oh my god i love him 💛

while he distracted us Jere sneaked off the bus

as Jere walked back to the bus i saw him wave so i waved back and he came over to say hi!!! right in front of me!!! he was so sweet too 😭💚

you cannot comprehend how beautiful this man is irl oh my god

sidenote: he was SO surprised some of us woke up super early to travel all the way from the Netherlands

people started giving gifts and asking for pics and he said to form a line so we could all have a pic and he called himself santa claus lmao

i have the forbidden knowledge of Jeres height as he's exactly as tall as me 😈

OKAY THE ACTUAL GIG

it was so amazing???

his energy is so good and the audience matched him SO well today

he was CLEARLY feeling so much better today he was so happy and smiley and he seemed genuinely surprised by how crazy we were

we chanted käärijä after almost every song

VOITTAJA CHANT

i blacked out during hirttää kinni???? it was so good and its my fav at he moment and suddenly we were done??? no wait take me back

he talked about huhhahhei and said "when two guys go on a love boat together" paraphrasing but sIR!!!

AND THEN he did a whole bit about bojan again? he sang a little song wondering where he was and that he misses him and JERE PLEASE I CANT TAKE THIS ANYMORE

i have a video of this btw

Emilia fucking SLAPPED icip again holy shit she matched his energy perfectly

i feel like he didnt want to go again!!! he just stayed and talked about doing what you love and being true to youself WHILE the reggae mix was playing

it was so fun so good i had an amazing time 💚💚💚💚💚 and am low key considering going to finland next year

also shout out to Ed @submariini and his amazing Häärijadar bc we share the same birthday??!!!! october 29 babeyy

[hobipaint]

Peppermint Mocha

synopsis: Wanting to break away from the hubbub of the big city life, you decided to return your quaint, tiny town, seeking solitude. However, you meet Hoseok, who seems way more familiar than he should, and your solitary vacation takes a turn - for the better, or for the worse?

genre: fluff

word count: 4.6k

rating: pg13

a/n: A very happy new year, everyone! And especially to the amazing @the-boy-meets-evil - jess, I was so glad I could be your secret santa this year! carol worked hard on her puns hehe :) i hope you enjoyed my asks and this fic! i'm so sorry for the delay in sending out this gift, but i hope you enjoy the extended holiday spirit :) and for everyone reading, I hope you have an amazing 2024!

written for the @kpopsecretsanta secret santa event! | my masterlist

The holidays always went a little too fast for your liking. You didn’t know when it Christmas had come, shown its colours, and left; it felt like yesterday that you were preparing for Halloween. And yet, the wispy bits of fluffy snow falling from the sky said that it had been long since that time. You could feel the frosty bits of snow crunching under your feet as you trudged out of the airport into the lanes of the town. 

In the distance, you could see the festive hubbub that surrounded your town - with officials figuring out logistics for lights and trees, vendors setting up their markets and little kids toying about with the snow: everything was exactly the same as you remembered when you had last been here. 

“10 years,” you whispered to yourself, a small smile forming on your lips. “Hello again.” 

Your family had once called this town home, back when you and your siblings were young kids. Time had flown away like the little snow flakes did now, and forced you all to move away from your home to build a future of your own. Normally, you would have wanted to be with your friends and family to celebrate the holidays, but something oddly made you want to come back here. 

Making sure you had your belongings, you asked around to figure out where your lodge was located, not recognising a lot of the shops that now decorated the streets. Your parents had recommended a lodge they had first stayed in when they came here, one out of two cabins owned by a family friend who had since shifted to New York. They let you rent out one for the holidays, and encouraged you to get acquainted with the stranger who would be renting the other cabin around the same time - “wouldn’t hurt to make a new friend,”  they’d said. 

A tap on your shoulder broke your reverie. “Y/N?” A voice called behind you, making you turn to face the person in question. Dressed cosily in a green sweater that screamed the holiday spirit with vibrant red hearts and candy canes all over it, it was a man, snowflakes settling in his fluffed up brown hair. He was tall in a way that made you stretch your neck up to look at his big smile, and his eyes had a soft crinkle to them, as if you had just shared a funny anecdote. 

“I’m Hoseok,” he mentioned, stretching out a hand. “I figured you’re the other person staying at the Woodson’s cabin, aren’t you?”

You accepted his hand, surprised at the warmth instantly engulfing your frosty fingers. “Yeah, I am. How did you know it was me, though?” 

He grinned, tilting his head to look at your heavy bags - as if they were a clear indication. “No one really travels alone with three big bags to this town unless they’re planning a long vacation.” 

You smiled sheepishly. “Yeah, I guess that kinda gave it away.” You could feel him staring at you as if trying to figure out what kind of a person his neighbour for the next few days was like. 

Hoseok flashed a friendly smile. "Well, it's nice to meet you, Y/N. I’ve got my car here, so if you don’t mind, we can get to the cabin together? Let me help you with those bags." He effortlessly grabbed two of your heavy bags, leaving you with just one.

“Thank you,” you said, following after him and settling into the warmth of his car. Helping him load your luggage on the car, Hoseok immediately ran off inside the car, immediately cranking the heat on. You couldn’t help but laugh as he gestured for you to come in quickly. 

“Not a fan of the cold, I presume?” you asked. 

“Brrrr,” he shivered, rubbing his palms together and blowing at them. “I love the aesthetics of cold weather, but absolutely hate the feeling of cold.” Starting the car, he slowly drove out of the parking lot, suddenly grinning to himself. “By the way, Y/N? You haven’t asked me for any proof of who I am,” he hesitated, looking over to you cautiously as if to detect any signs of panic. 

You froze at his words, realising his perspective: you had just trusted an absolute stranger and gotten in the car. “Should I be worried, though?” You tried to play it off casually. 

“I would suggest being worried, and not being relieved until you were sure I was the right person to approach you,” he said, lips pursed and hands tense on the steering wheel. “I could be really dangerous.”

For some reason, that stunned you, and yet, it made you burst out into laughter. 

Hoseok looked at you confused. “What?” 

Gasping for breath, you could barely stop your laughter enough to calm Hoseok’s concerned face. “Mrs. Woodson is a family friend, Hoseok. She’d already told me about you, and how you’ve been here for a few weeks at the cabin. I did recognise you a few seconds after you spoke to me.”  You grinned. “It would have been concerning if I did blindly trust you and get in the car, though.”

Hseok dramatically breathed out, as if a huge tension had been lifted off of his chest. “Well, at least you knew who I was. Imagine if you didn’t know anyone or anything in this town and got all lost? I would feel terrible.”

You settled into your seat, humming in agreement with him. “I do know this town well enough, though. I have lived here for long enough to know these streets, even if they’re more colourful now than then.” 

Hoseok smiled. “Ahh, so you lived here too.”

You turned to him in surprise. “You, too?”

He nodded. “I lived here for some years when I was younger. I don’t have very strong memories of this place here - I moved away with my dad after my parents divorced, you see - and came here only sometimes to visit my mom while she still lived here. And when all my family moved from here, I didn’t really have a reason to come back here as much.” He smiled softly. “But then, I just felt like I wanted to be here this year, alone, yes, but in a place I first started enjoying the holidays.” 

You hummed in agreement, understanding the sentiment.

He pointed to the houses you were crossing outside, all cheerfully decorated in lights and decor. ‘I used to rank the houses by their decor every year, and then go to the house I ranked first to tell them that they won,” he said, making you both laugh. “I wonder if the owners are still the same people.” 

“I would hope so, too,” you said. “‘My family and I had loads of friends we lost touch with. It would be nice to meet some of them.” 

The road to the cabin was a long one, you knew, and yet, you weren’t as bothered about travelling a long distance as you thought you would be. Hoseok’s company and your childhood nostalgia got the best of you, keeping the conversation in good spirits as you made your way to the cabin.

As you climbed the steps up to the Woodson's cabin, Hoseok spoke up, "By the way, if you ever need anything or have any trouble, feel free to knock on my door. We're practically neighbours for the next few days." He knocked at his door jokingly, before showing you into your cabin.

You nodded in gratitude, feeling a sense of warmth in both the gesture and the offer.

The Woodson's cabin was a rustic haven nestled amidst a picturesque snowy landscape. Its exterior, adorned with a glistening layer of snow, exuded a quaint charm that perfectly complemented the festive spirit of the holidays. A trail of footprints led to the wooden porch, where a wreath of pine cones and twinkling lights welcomed visitors.

Upon entering, the warm aroma of burning pine logs greeted you, emanating from a grand fireplace that stood as the heart of the cozy abode. The crackling flames cast dancing shadows on the log walls, revealing a collection of Wooderson family mementoes – framed photographs capturing moments of laughter, family gatherings, and snowy adventures. The memories were frozen in time, a testament to the cabin's rich history and the cherished moments shared by generations past.

The living area featured plush, oversized chairs and a well-worn sofa, adorned with festive throw blankets that beckoned you to sink in and relish the comfort. The windows, framed by heavy curtains, offered panoramic views of the snow-covered landscape, while the soft glow of fairy lights added a touch of enchantment.

In the corner of the cabin, a towering Christmas tree stood adorned with an array of ornaments, casting a festive hue that bathed the room in a warm and inviting light. A quaint dining table, draped with a red-and-green checkered tablecloth, held the remnants of a shared meal, as the remnants of peppermint hot cocoa lingered in the air.

The Woodson's cabin was a rustic haven nestled amidst a picturesque snowy landscape. Its exterior, adorned with a glistening layer of snow, exuded a quaint charm that perfectly complemented the festive spirit of the holidays. A trail of footprints led to the wooden porch, where a wreath of pine cones and twinkling lights welcomed visitors.

Upon entering, the warm aroma of burning pine logs greeted you, emanating from a grand fireplace that stood as the heart of the cosy abode. The crackling flames cast dancing shadows on the log walls, revealing a collection of Wooderson family mementoes – framed photographs capturing moments of laughter, family gatherings, and snowy adventures. You could spot your family and more familiar faces in the frames: the memories were frozen in time, a testament to the cabin's rich history and the cherished moments shared by generations past.

The living area featured plush, oversized chairs and a well-worn sofa adorned with festive throw blankets that beckoned you to sink in and relish the comfort. The windows, framed by heavy curtains, offered panoramic views of the snow-covered landscape, while the soft glow of fairy lights added a touch of enchantment.

In the corner of the cabin, a towering Christmas tree stood adorned with an array of ornaments, casting a festive hue that bathed the room in a warm and inviting light. A quaint dining table, draped with a red-and-green checkered tablecloth adorned the center of the cabin as the fragrance of toasted peppermint lingered in the air.

Hoseok bashfully scratched his head. “I may or may not have used your stove to make myself some Christmassy drinks.”

You grinned. “Was it something with peppermint?” 

“How did you know?” Hoseok asked, nodding in agreement as he stacked the washed and dried mug back in the cabinet. “I’ve always loved a good old mint flavoured drink, and ‘tis the season for peppermint, isn’t it?”

Seeing your vigorous agreement, Hoseok offered to whip up a drink for you while you settled your belongings in the cabin. 

“I’ll start the fireplace,” Hoseok called after you, busying away in the hall while you made your way to the bedroom. 

It felt like ages since you had sat by yourself, giving yourself time to do nothing. 

After you had moved away from your hometown, your life had been consumed with racing against the clock. With all your hardwork, you had been successful in your education, your career, and you had a place that you called your own. And yet, there were barely moments where you got to enjoy the time you so rightfully deserved to give yourself. Running around to prove yourself had only made you deprive yourself of your own time, seldom finding it in your busy hubbub. 

And now, as you overlooked the snow-laden mountains, with the town distantly coloured in a warm hue, you felt your shoulders melt into a more carefree, comfortable posture. You deserved this, you thought to yourself. It was more than worth it to come here, all alone, and enjoy one vacation in solidarity. You deserved the time all to yourself. 

And plus, Hoseok’s here for company, you added, feeling more and more resolute in your decision to take a break from the festive season. 

“This tastes really good, and I say that as someone who barely drinks coffee,” you hummed, hands wrapping around the warm mug that Hoseok handed to you.

He occupied the other end of the sofa, matching mug in his hands, crossing his legs comfortably. “That’s mainly because of the peppermint, Y/N. It adds a sense of uniqueness to the otherwise common coffee and elevates it.” You giggled at his narration as he indicated to his mug as if pitching a billion-dollar idea. 

“I noticed you like peppermints a lot,” you said, sipping away at the drink. “I like them too, but it is rare to find a fellow lover.”

“Oh, I love them!” Hoseok beamed eagerly. “Peppermint mochas are probably my favourite thing to make over the holidays. It is the only time of the year where it tastes just right and fits in, you know?” 

“My family used to make peppermint-infused hot chocolate,” you grinned. “It used to taste amazing.” 

As the crackling fire painted a warm ambience across the cabin, a subtle wave of nostalgia washed over you. The flickering flames seemed to dance in sync with the memories of holidays long gone, reminding you of the lively chaos that filled your childhood home during this time of year. 

Hoseok, sensing a shift in your demeanour, looked at you with understanding eyes. "Something on your mind, Y/N?" he asked, the glow from the fireplace casting a gentle warmth on his features.

You hesitated for a moment before responding, "It's just that... well, I miss my family. The holidays were always about being together; this year, being here alone feels different. I mean, it's wonderful to be back in this town, but the absence of their laughter and the familiar holiday chaos is hard to ignore."

Hoseok nodded empathetically, a soft smile playing on his lips. "I get that. Family has a way of making this time of year special. Maybe we can bring a little bit of that magic here. What's something your family always did during the holidays?"

As you shared tales of your family's traditions, Hoseok listened attentively. You don’t know when you two had started shifted closer, but soon enough, you and Hoseok were slapping each other on the arms while laughing away at old, embarrassing childhood stories. 

“I can’t believe you would do that!” you laughed, wiping a tear away from your eyes. Hoseok chuckled at your state. 

“Well, its at least better than when my family paraded me as baby Jesus on Halloween - my neighbour’s kid actually thought I was him,” he added, making you laugh even more. 

Outside, you could see the snow settling up higher and higher, and soon you and Hoseok decided to bid goodbye for the night. While walking him out, you chatted about more anecdotes from your time in this town - and you found yourself thinking, this vacation isn’t off to a bad start at all. 

Just before saying your goodbyes, Hoseok's eyes caught something above the door – a delicate mistletoe, adorned with tiny white berries, hung there as if placed by some unseen holiday fairy. A mischievous glint sparkled in Hoseok's eyes as he gently pointed upward.

"Well, look what we have here," he remarked with a playful grin, drawing your attention to the festive foliage above.

Your gaze followed his, and a soft gasp escaped your lips as you realized the implication. The air seemed to crackle with an unspoken tension, and a warm flush crept up your cheeks. Hoseok, with a charming smile, took a step closer, the glow of the cabin's lights framing his silhouette against the snowy backdrop.

"Tradition dictates that if two people find themselves beneath mistletoe, they share a kiss," Hoseok said, his voice low and filled with a playful warmth. “Unless they both don’t consent, of course.” 

You hesitated, before responding. “I’m single, so - unless you don’t want to -”

Before you could fully complete your words, Hoseok leaned in, closing the gap between you. Time seemed to slow as his lips met yours in a gentle, lingering kiss, capturing the essence of the winter night and the enchantment that hung in the air. The snowflakes continued their silent descent around you, adding a touch of whimsy to the unexpected yet welcomed moment.

As his lips parted from yours, you could feel the frosty snow take away his warmth, and you oddly wanted nothing more to pull him back and kiss him. 

But he was already walking away, promising to see you the next day. “See you tomorrow, beautiful."

The mistletoe kiss had cast a spell, and the days that followed became a tapestry woven with the threads of shared laughter and newfound connection. The town, now dressed in the shimmering aftermath of Christmas, beckoned the two of you to explore its post-celebration charm.

In the heart of the town, where the streets turned into a canvas painted with the hues of festive lights, you couldn't help but marvel at the lively holiday market. "It's like walking into a snow globe," you mused, the twinkling lights reflecting in her eyes.

Hoseok grinned, the glow of the lights accentuating the warmth in his eyes. "A magical snow globe where every shop is a treasure trove waiting to be discovered."

The vendors, like holiday artisans, showcased their creations with pride. Hoseok found himself drawn to a quaint bakery where the scent of peppermint-infused pastries lingered in the air. "I can almost taste the nostalgia in these," he remarked, savoring a bite of a holiday treat.

You chuckled, a melody that harmonized with the festive ambience. "Nostalgia is the secret ingredient that makes everything here taste like a piece of childhood."

As you both strolled through the town square, the ice-skating rink unfolded like a winter dreamscape. People of all ages took advantage of the icy wonderland, gliding and playing around on the ice. "Care to join me?" Hoseok extended his hand, the invitation echoing your kiss from a few nights ago.

You hesitated for a moment before taking his hand. “As long as you don’t make me fall,” you remarked, making him laugh. 

Evenings were a journey through the luminous streets, where each step resonated with shared stories and whispered dreams. The glow of holiday lights reflected in his eyes as they approached midnight. Hoseok, holding Y/N close, whispered against the backdrop of fireworks, "Here's to new beginnings."

It was almost as if the post-Christmas festivities had turned the town into a living storybook, with Hoseok and you as its protagonists. The holiday magic lingered in the air, blending seamlessly with the enchanting connection that unfolded like the turning pages of a heartwarming tale. 

A chilly onslaught broke the rather pleasant dream you were having. Groggily, you woke up, wrapping the blanket around you strongly to block out the sudden rush of iciness. The fireplace weakly flickered, and you could hear the howling winds outside as a storm built up. 

Not knowing what to do, you decided your best option was probably to try to revive the fireplace and whip up something warm for yourself. You poked at the fire, but it seemed like it wouldn’t revive at all. As the firewood dwindled and the flames grew weaker, the bitter cold of the snowstorm seeped into the cabin, chilling the air and turning every breath into a visible mist. Despite your best efforts, the fire refused to revive, leaving you shivering and desperate for warmth.

“I did come here to be alone, but this is not what I envisioned,” you laughed to yourself, hugging your blanket tighter. 

Your phone was not getting any network, so you hoped that Hoseok would somehow be awake at 2 AM. Bundling yourself up to the best of your abilities, you set out to his side of the cabin, knocking at his door as loudly as you could. 

A few minutes later, a rather disgruntled Hoseok appeared at the door. “Is everything okay?” he rasped, hair awry and clothes haphazardly pulled on. 

“I think my heating is broken, and the fire isn’t reviving, either.”  You explained. 

“Ahh.” Hoseok welcomed you in his cabin - a near mirror image of your one - and let you settle up on the couch while he volunteered to check on your heating system. 

While Hoseok busied himself outside, you noticed how tidy Hoseok had kept the cabin. There were more photos here - though you could only recognise a few faces - and a few more albums, stacked on the table next to the fireplace. Curiosity getting the better of you, you decided to peruse through one of them, immediately finding pictures of people from your neighbourhood celebrating Christmas together. On some pages, you could find your own parents smiling back at you, with your siblings holding hands with the other kids from the neighbourhood and singing carols captured in a faded photo. 

 To your surprise, you stumbled upon a faded photograph of two young kids, clutching a bag of peppermints, wearing matching grins.

Hoseok stepped in at that time, and yet, in your shock, you could barely register any of the words he was saying.

"Hoseok, is this...?" you began, showing him the picture.

He glanced over and chuckled. "Yeah, that's me, and my neighbour’s kid. We used to be quite the troublemakers when our families spent holidays here together."

You smiled. “Do you know where this kid is now?”

“No,” he said, sadly. “I wish I did, though. We used to be best friends when we were younger, literally joined at the hip, but didn’t really stay in touch after I left. I sometimes do wonder about her.” 

You held the picture up to your face, making Hoseok face you. “Don’t you think something about us looks similar?” 

Hoseok frowned, judging the faded Kodak with your beaming face. “You do have the same eyes, now that you say it. She had very pretty eyes.”

“Do you not remember her name?” You asked. 

“We would call each other with nicknames,” Hoseok said, dusting the snow off his hair. “I used to call her Bunny, and she used to call me-”

“Hobi,” you completed, eyes gleaming. 

Hoseok looked stunned. “Yeah, that’s what she called me. How did you know that?”

You laughed at his oblivion. “Because I am Bunny, silly.”

“Wha-oh?” Hoseok exclaimed, bracing himself as you rushed to hug your childhood best friend. “Are you serious?” 

“I am,” you convinced him, finding it just as hard to believe as him. I mean, you don’t come to a cabin on the outskirts of the town looking for solitude only to bump into your childhood best friend again, do you? 

Hoseok pulled away from you, gripping your shoulders and letting his eyes take in every part of you - as if he were meeting you for the first time again. “I can’t believe it is you.” 

“Me neither,” you said, as you kissed his cheek. “It has been far too long, Hobi.” 

Hoseok's astonishment lingered in the air as you both navigated the surprising reunion. The faded photograph, a relic of childhood mischief, lay forgotten on the table, replaced by the incredulous exchange between Bunny and Hobi after years of separation.

The cabin, with its walls echoing with the laughter of yesteryears, seemed to encase the timeless connection that had just resurfaced. Hoseok's eyes remained fixed on you, his disbelief slowly giving way to the realization that the Bunny he once knew was standing right in front of him.

As the shock settled, you couldn't help but laugh at the sheer serendipity of the moment. "I never imagined I'd find Bunny and Hobi reunited in a cabin on the outskirts of town," you remarked, a playful gleam in your eyes.

Hoseok joined in your laughter, the familiarity of shared memories weaving a comforting thread between you. "It's like a plot from a nostalgic movie," he added, shaking his head in amazement.

The two of you, now seated on the sofa, exchanged stories of the years that had passed, bridging the gap between then and now. The cabin, a silent witness to the unravelling narrative, seemed to cradle the essence of your rekindled friendship.

As the night wore on, and the snowstorm outside intensified, the cosy cabin transformed into a haven against the wintry tempest. Hoseok, ever thoughtful, stoked the fireplace, the flames casting a warm glow on the shared stories and laughter.

The sofa, now an island in the sea of nostalgia, beckoned both of you to its comforting embrace. The flickering flames, the snowstorm outside, and the whispers of shared memories paved the way for an unspoken understanding.

"You know," Hoseok began, his tone gentle, "it feels like we never really left those days behind. Just picked up where we left off."

You nodded in agreement, feeling a sense of belonging that transcended time. "It's like we're continuing a story that got interrupted."

As the night deepened, the warmth of the cabin and the shared connection became a refuge from the cold. The sofa, once a witness to the nostalgia of the past, now cradled the reunion of Bunny and Hobi.

Hoseok, looking at you with a softness in his eyes, spoke words that resonated with the atmosphere of the cabin. "I'm glad you found your way back, Bunny."

You leaned in, your shoulders brushing against each other, and whispered, "Me too, Hobi. Me too."

The flickering flames painted a dance on the log walls, casting shadows that seemed to waltz in rhythm with your shared laughter. The coziness of the cabin, the gentle snowstorm outside, and the rekindled friendship all merged into a symphony of comfort.

In the hushed moments that followed, the realization dawned that sleep was claiming its territory. The sofa, now transformed into a shared haven, invited both of you to surrender to its embrace.

"You know, Hobi," you said, your voice a sleepy murmur, "I never thought I'd find such warmth in the midst of a snowstorm."

Hoseok chuckled, the sound a gentle melody. "Maybe the storm outside brought us the warmth we didn't know we needed."

And so, amidst the crackling fire and the distant howl of the snowstorm, you and Hoseok snuggled closer, finding solace in the shared warmth. The flickering flames painted a canvas of comfort, casting a soft glow on your intertwined fingers.

And then, as if the universe had orchestrated the moment, your gaze met Hoseok's, and in that shared glance, a silent understanding bloomed. With a tenderness that mirrored the nostalgia of rediscovery, your lips met in a gentle kiss, sealing the night with a promise of new beginnings. The flickering flames seemed to dance in celebration, casting a warm glow on the cabin, now a witness to your reunion. 

As sleep began to weave its tranquil spell, Hoseok whispered, "I’m so glad I met you again, Bunny."

You smiled, the words a gentle echo in the cozy cabin. "I’m so grateful, Hobi."

While your previous year left much to be forgotten, it seemed that this year had begun with the embrace of an unexpected reunion, the flickering flames and the snowstorm outside bearing witness to the rekindling of a friendship that time had only strengthened. In the arms of the cabin, beneath the quilt of shared memories, you and Hoseok surrendered to the tranquility of the night, finding peace in the warmth of each other's presence.

If you made it till here, thank you for reading! i hope you enjoyed the fic - i would love to hear from you about it! love, hazel <3

[pepsiiwho]

Okay. Finished a checks watch 10 hour play session, without breaks no stopping.

General thoughts down below. No explicit spoilers but tone/ personality reads ahead. Long post :D feel free to respond or whatever.

One of the first things that I just wanna get out the way is, personally, the cast in this game is leagues better than the first game. And that isn’t like a “ah they’re all hotter!” (They are, don’t misconstrue what I’m saying, they very much are hotter then the first game’s cast) but the general vibe in cross roads is significantly more intresting. Which is very funny considering the set up, on paper, is remarkably similar. Hard ass, stuck up head of the place, shade mentor, emo bitch who hates you and wants to fuck you, emo boy who wants to fuck you, nebulous little thing that doesn’t serve a purpose but allows for comedic relief, hypnos, skelly— the works.

Yet the energy is wildly different. Idk I’m not like a zagreus dick rider or anything he’s cool but you really can feel how lonely the house of hades was in comparison to cross roads camp, a place not even half its size. The affection for Mel is like bursting out the seems of everyone around her (save Nem) and it goes past duty or obligation to the cause. It really feels like they all love each other dearly. I think that was so missing in the house of hades, intentionally or otherwise, but it felt so… cold? I always knew hypnos got that treatment because I’m crazy, but looking back that’s how everyone acting with zag too. They just talked to him. lol.

Ahhh to this point but a little bit to the left— hectate and Mel’s everything is incredibly compelling. Mel clearly and obviously seeing her as a mother figure, the only one she’s ever known and loving her deeply for it and frankly fighting in this war partly out of duty but more for her family she DOES have now, and then Hectate who knew Mel’s family and knew what they went through and refuses to take the place of “mother” when Mel has a mother, even if she isn’t here right now. But instead of detaching and making sure no real connection is made she’s so kind. She’s so supportive and loving and sweet and you can tell she cares about Mel so much. Zag’s mom came home and like, never gave off the vibe she cared even half as much. There’s a few moments when Mel tries to convey this love and this almost… mm… this idea that she doesn’t … need? A mom because she has one (hectate) and the witch shuts it down soooo quickly and Mel is always so dejected and it hurts but it’s sooo good. God. I want more of that. For the whole game. Please

Moros is a fucking delight. Like absolutely delightful. He’s sweet and polite and unassuming and kinda just sorry for taking up space but in the dignified way. I love everything about him. I am writing this checks watch May 6th, 2024 and at this point he is lovely. Assuming he doesn’t like, back hand hypnos he’s top 5 easy.

Nemesis is… unfortunately funny and charming. I hate emos I hate the bitchy dark thing I hated Meg for the same reason. This character shouldn’t work for me…. But it does. She’s the worst. I routinely cursed her out when she came on my screen. And yet. I think where Nem succeeds where Meg (and than) failed, is that nem genuinely is like, an asshole. And that’s endearing. She insults Mel and undermines her and talks down to her and clearly they have crazy beef. Meg and than just felt sooo put on with their back and forth with zag and it got old fast. Nem is a delight. If she doesn’t like, back hand hypnos she’s staying in my good graces.

Odess… has the least for me to say honestly. He’s sexy. Not much more than that. I adore how smitten he is with Mel, he clearly adores her.

Hypnos. Hand waves. No need to rehash that. Don’t touch me.

As for the oylmpus gods, they’re all as amazing as before. Apollo is my favorite, obviously, and he isn’t how I expected but he’s like just as wonderful in the opposite direction. This is the wrong way but it’s still took us to a great place. I’m content.

The goddess of fire is broken as hell as a boon also she’s a delight. Adore her. Same for the god of forges. Everyone is wonderful. I need more gods tho the current batch is amazing but I need ares and Athena yaknow everyone else. Idk if that’s an “add to the game later” thing or a “pepsi needs to play more of the game” thing. Either way I’m excited.

Story isn’t fully clear yet, as for what happened, it’s all just the stuff in the trailers tbh so nothing new there. All and all is having a fucking blast. I didn’t mention everyone I saw and enjoyed or didn’t because I’m tired sleepy but I have no one I don’t like RIGHT NOW. RIGHT NOW everyone is a delight.

Fic soon…

WAIT I DIDNT EVEN SAY: MEL IS THR BEST. 3

EVERYTHING AVOUT HER IS AMAZING!! Im gonna give her a separate post tmw i adore her down BAD

[thenon-fictiondays]

Hirano to Kagiura light novel translation 4-4

Chapter 4: Fall.

Part 4

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At long last, tomorrow is the day of the cultural festival.

He’d thought they’d definitely stay late after school to prepare on the eve of the festival, but by rule of the student council, everyone had gone home at the same time today.

It can be said that this policy, which makes no allowances for the classes that were unable to finish their preparations in the time allotted, is typical of a school that values autonomy.

Even the culture clubs’ practices are restricted, and extracurricular activities are also entirely forbidden.

Thanks to that, Kagiura has been on pins and needles. Even though he’d tried to study in his room to suppress his flighty nerves, he can’t make himself focus on English vocabulary at all. Numerical formulas are somehow even more impossible.

Such being the case, he has since been reading a basketball magazine he subscribes to.

“Hey, you like cookies?”

At the sound of Hirano’s voice, Kagiura’s head snaps up.

“Yeah, I like ‘em!”

“Cool. I’ve got some left over that we made in home ec today; you want one?”

As he passes over a cookie, he adds, “I forgot all about them.”

Kagiura would’ve thought it’d just be the round type, but it’s the type of cookie with two colors so you can break it into pieces cleanly. It’s amazing. It looks especially good. 

“Sure, I’ll take it!”

Male students’ homemade sweets are even more of a rarity than their homemade cooking.

Kagiura had made drop candy in his elementary school cooking class, which was his one and only experience in the subject.

“It’s all yours. There was one that Sasaki made, that he made look like a cat’s face, kind of like a tuxedo cat? It was super fancy. Should’ve taken a picture.”

“Did you make this one?”

“Yeah. We used the same dough, though.”

“I think yours is beautiful.”

“Huh? …Oh, haha, thanks. I kinda feel like you’re saying that to make me feel better, but I wasn’t trying to fish for compliments.”

“...Can I eat it now?”

It’ll be dinnertime soon.

“Ah…well, it’ll be our little secret. I’ll eat some, too.”

To Kagiura’s surprise, he puts a finger to his lips in the universal shh gesture.

Gguhh, Kagiura chokes on the cookie he’s already put in his mouth.

“What’s wrong?!”

From hanging out together for half a year, he should know that Hirano’s a soft person by nature, but he still can’t get over it.

“Th- the cookie got into my organs…”

“The fuck?!”

He likes him…maybe.

It shouldn’t leave the realm of maybe yet.

“Th- they were so tasty I kinda ate them too fast…”

Hirano bursts out laughing at his attempt to save face.

This guy laughs so much!

“Hahaha…Gotcha, I’m glad then, ahahaha.”

“Jeez, it’s not that funny!”

He covers his face with the open magazine, protesting that he’s already embarrassed enough, but Hirano’s still laughing as he apologizes.

“Damn. You know, if I ever get married, I hope I find someone who wears their heart on their sleeve like you do.”

At that moment, it’s as if time has stopped.

“.......?!”

Kagiura freezes, the basketball magazine falling from his hands.

“Oh, it’s dinnertime. Let’s go.”

Does he not realize what he just said?

No respect for the fact that he’s just taken Kagiura out in one hit.

Still in shock, Kagiura heads out for dinner slightly behind.

*****

On the long-awaited festival day, the skies are so clear it’s almost too hot.

Inside, the school is teeming with people.

As one would expect of the one day when even current students are allowed to wear casual clothes, there’s color everywhere you look.

Kagiura is wearing the original T-shirt his class had ordered.

The orange uniform, printed with the word “yakitori” and a drawing of meat skewers, stands out quite a bit for its simplicity.

Even as he’d listened to his classmates complain that they didn’t know what kind of casual clothes to wear at school, Kagiura had just figured “it’s hot, so a t-shirt is the only way to go”. But on the day of, he sort of understands how they feel.

The school where they spend all their time in uniforms is suddenly awash with all sorts of outfits. Just this fact is enough to make the vibe a little jittery, like they’re cutting loose.

Even Kagiura, who’s used to wearing casual clothes in the dorms, feels that way, so the students who commute from home probably feel even more out of place.

This time last year, Kagiura, whose choices of cram schools hadn’t been few, had not yet decided his future plans. As a result, he didn’t come to last year’s cultural festival, although it had been a perfect day to visit the school.

Everything he’s seeing is new to him, and although he’s been watching it all come together, each new wonder just deepens his excitement.

And of course, all of the food looks delicious.

Before noon, when he goes to visit Hirano’s class, cultural festival pamphlet in hand, Hirano soon appears, dressed in his favorite white T-shirt.

He lets Kagiura decide their itinerary, since “it’s my second year at this”.

They walk past someone holding up a sign that reads “Cheesy yakisoba in the courtyard!!”

He may be a rival in the Courtyard Stall battle, but Kagiura plans to go buy from them later.

The line for the yakitori stand is quite long; it’s grown from the time Kagiura was managing the stall in the morning.

After they get through the line and are handed a cup of yakitori, Kagiura takes them here and there, tugging at Hirano’s arm.

*****

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✨ANNOUNCEMENT✨

As I've been winding down work on the novel, seeing all yalls comments and support made me super emotional, and I wanted to do something to show my thanks. So I've decided to host a lil giveaway for everyone who's been following along with these updates and sharing your thoughts and reactions with me! I'll make a separate post with more details but I wanted to talk about it on one of the updates since I figured a separate post would just get buried lmao

And as always a very heartfelt thank you to my reading list members @jeizet, @jujupanic, @massyworld, @umbreonwolfy, @acidsuzanne-blog, @neoday, @lary-the-lizard, @tsmginc much love as always ✨

[ran-orimoto]

If you could give the frontier kids a different spirit what would it be and if you could change the designs how would they be

Among the asks I’ve received in a month ,this feels so connected to my mood and I’m happy it gave me a kick-start for a new asks row!

Takuya: THUNDER⚡️. Face it: Junpei and Takuya are two sides of the same coin and have been given the most explosive elements matching that bursting bomb of personality they have got. There’s no other element I can see for someone as impulsive as Takuya ahahah. He also ends up in the Thunder circle when they land in Sephirotmon. HHHHH MY THUNDER-FIRE WISH CONNECTION. Due to ATLA, it works so perfectly to me, idk HHHHHHHH. And also imagine an Agnimon with electric hair… He already has got a mane similar to mine when my freaking hair gets messy.

Kouji: Wind🍃. Besides the fact he also ends up in the sphere of the Wind in the Sephirotmon, I think he has always had some sort of connection with the wind? Like, in ep 2 he comments about Digiworld’s wind, he is often represented with his long hair in this wind and he’s a free spirit. Wolfmon couldn’t be absolutely called such any more ahahhahah. But tbh he could also be a sort of ninja moving as fast as the gusts of wind? Kouji can use things such as steel bars (again, ep 2) and climbs mountains, can hide pretty well (the tickle scene episode), can survive to falls. He should take on kendo imo.

Izumi: Fire🔥. The concept of the phoenix, I beg? Imagine the arc of the stolen spirit being handled much better with not only Junpei caring about her own well-being, but also with her coming to terms with a little depression about being the weakest and going through a symbolic rebirth? I’m so obsessed with Izumi’s stolen spirit arc and how dirty it has made her because it barely focused on how she felt FROM HER PERSPECTIVE It’s not right Junpei had to be the vehicle of her emotions? And do things for her while she sat there?????? Izumi???? Moreover, if she got Fire, she would be the mc and I would love it; we would, wouldn’t we?

Junpei: Water💦. To be honest, Junpei would fit Wind as well and it would be hilarious because he wouldn’t go along with his element at all, a bit what I can see Izumi x Water to be, since she always drowns in lakes and seas. Junpei has got a little funny scene featuring him wanting to understand how to orientate through the wind and failing miserably (ep 2). Then, you also have got the EXHILARATING, well-known moment from ep 4, where he tries getting Izumi’s spirit and Fairymon just surpasses him at high speed🤣 (even if Junpei being attacked and Izumi yelling his name is what wakes Fairymon up). EHM, yeah, I could joke about that and also about someone heavy getting an element making him feel as light as a feather yet still retaining his weight. Again, funny, I’d be into it, I have got my hcs about a bond between Fairymon and Junpei, but I prefer imagining Thunder and Wind bonding with each other.

So I’m giving Junpei Water because he sings like a merman tempestous boy can get an element making it rain, generating storms but in another kind of form, in a more active fashion. No, I don’t want Junpei to completely part from his element because that’s an amazing part of his writing, despite how little attention it has got: his fear of thunders, which in a similar rewrite could become fear of storms in general. I don’t think Junpei has got that great relationship with rain, either, if I have to be sincere. That day he forgot the umbrella mustn’t have been that nice on his body. Moreover , do not forget his Beast spirit was found in the sea like Ranamon’s and Fairymon’s and I have always found it so fascinating. Wind x Thunder x Water, my beloved *cough* *cough*. Idk his spirit could be based on a whale and its chants. Kill me.

And now the same suffering point to overcome: Kouichi and Tomoki, whom I don’t think about that much and I always show it. I’m sorry, guys. I’m sorry. Junpei gets two paragraphs and he balances this miserable last part.

Tomoki🪨: Earth. And don’t ask me why Train of Hope has given me this idea of Tomoki ending up being so strict and determined and kinda “I’m a person with my feet firmly pressed against Earth”. In truth, in the anime he kinda was peetty determined and down to Earth (lmao), despite being such a baby? He had his values and held onto it during the Asuramon episode, showing how much he cared about them. Idk? This is my half-assed idea and I hate it, thank you. He could still be a bear, if you ask me. Something similar to Ursaluna.

Kouichi❄️: Because Kouichi can’t be parted from his near-to-death experience in any rewrite, if you ask me, and the only thing I can connect with death is ice and cold. Do I need to explain it…? No idea how he would look like. Something closer to Duskmon than Loweemon.

Thank you for the ask~💕