#also if anyone else wants to chime in feel free

[8-evil-annoying-catboys]

also let’s be fucking real. blaming it on his autism is infantilising. autistic people can have tact. in fact, many of us learn to have tact by force. if he truly lacks it that badly, that’s a separate issue from autism. but we all know that that is not the case. as an autistic person, i am PISSED that people are excusing this behavior bc elon musk is autistic. he may be autistic, but autism doesn’t make you a fucking neonazi.

look at his politics that he’s been open about in the past and tell me sincerely that you’re surprised (not appalled, not disgusted, but SURPRISED) to see him doing nazi salutes back to back on live TV. i sure as fuck am not surprised, he’s been on this road for a long, long time. it’s not excusable because he’s autistic. being autistic doesn’t mean you can’t recognise well-known symbols like this, unless maybe if you are much more severely disabled than elon fucking musk is.

he may be a total dumbass who doesn’t know shit about anything he pretends to know about, but it’s not like he has an intellectual disability or something where this might have some more nuance (and i’m not the authority on that btw since i also don’t have an ID, so if anyone has an ID or a loved one with one and wants to chime in that that wouldn’t bring more nuance, please feel free to correct me).

he functions well enough to arrange for his own attendance at all these political events, and influence politicians directly, and oh yeah, he’s the wealthiest man in the world and manages his finances well enough to retain that status. he was born with a silver spoon but he can handle ADLs and iirc he’s college educated so he MUST have learned about this salute in a history class at SOME POINT. shit, i learned about it in like middle school, you don’t have to go to college to fucking recognise it!!

you can’t pretend his autism makes him blameless, and insisting that it does is an insult not only to jewish people but to autistic people as well. we are not fucking affiliated with his disgusting behavior. i hate when other autistic people—usually autistic white men, specifically—get a pass to be bigots because of their autism. being autistic doesn’t make bigotry ok or inherent. that’s not how ASD fucking works, ok?!

autistic people don’t get to just say and do whatever we want, and we shouldn’t! but for SOME REASON, when a WHITE CIS MAN is autistic, he’s allowed to do whatever and nobody can get mad at him bc “he’s autistic, he doesn’t know better!” even other autistic people aren’t allowed to get upset at an autistic white man! i’m tired of that! autistic people also need consequences, just like everyone else! this fucking worm of a man has gotten away with so much in his life, because of being white and rich and cishet, don’t let him get away with this, too

“Elon didn’t mean to sieg heil, he’s just autistic”

Do you guys remember when Kanye said he was gonna go “death con” on all the Jews? Do you remember how his apologists said he was just off his bipolar meds? Do you remember that he doubled down, said he didn’t actually have bipolar, and he had been misdiagnosed by a Jew doctor? Do you remember he proceeded to meet with prominent white supremacists and told infowars he was a Nazi who loved Hitler?

Nobody ever believes the Jews the first time, even though our culture has spent literally thousands of years learning the warning signs. We know what we’re looking at. It’s two consecutive Nazi salutes on a white supremacist’s inauguration day. You can downplay it all you want, but this coal mine’s canary isn’t coming back to life.

[trentcrimminallybeautiful]

Hi! I'm trying to get more involved in the Ted Lasso community, and I've seen you around a lot, so I wanted to ask if you had advice? I write sometimes, but I'm not sure if there are any discords or other communities? I'm really enjoying seeing everyone's works!

oh wow! i didn't realize i seemed to get around lgkjhfgh well uhhhh honestly i have never been the best at intentional social...ness. for me, it's mostly a combination of like,

a) i post my writing on ao3 and make silly tumblr posts about what im thinking/ideas i've had/etc, and then like, sometimes i strike up conversation with people who respond, take note of repeat customers/urls i see a lot, that kind of thing

b) there are discords, several--i'm in two, although one is fairly inactive and both are relatively tedependent centered (the smaller one is entirely ted/trent focused, the other is more broadly slash ships in the ted lasso fandom with a large ted/trent shipper presence). i'm not super active in these servers and i'm not really aware of the policy on invites or if they're open?? especially for the bigger one (afc richmond server). but i doubt you couldn't join if you asked around?? maybe off anon, though, not sure.

c) people i know who are already into it lol. few and far in between, though.

but hey, even sending asks isn't a bad way to start engaging with the community--whether just thoughts you've had, questions about what thoughts they have or fics they're writing or anything else. or responding to posts and commenting on fics (if you want to start a conversation in the comments section of a fic, i recommend detail and maybe a question or two--chances are the author would love to talk with you about their fic!), or, of course, sharing your own posts/fic/art/etc!

have fun and good luck!

[slightlycomicobsessed]

@alicepooryorick i know this isn’t perfect but it is canon that dani becomes disabled after the demon bear saga and it’s actually written pretty well and she’s not treated as “lesser” for being in a wheelchair. if you’re talking about disability rep

[robo-dino-puppy]

Where did you get the character swap mod for pc for Horizon forbidden West? I can find it for hzd, but not for hfw. Im kinda new to modding, and I never modded the horizon games. I just started hfw after finishing hzd, and I love the premise.

And is the photo mod mod you use from otis inf's patreon? Because id be interested in making some of my own photos and exploring more games (rather than just rdr2)

I'm no expert at modding either haha! But as of right now you're right, you can't find a separate character swap mod for HFW, so my (character swap mod) tag being the same for both games is kind of misleading - I just did it that way for my own organization.

I'll put links for everything if anyone else is interested :D The one for HZD is way easier and more versatile, and I hope eventually we'll get something like that for HFW... (I'm not really in the loop of what people are doing to mod HFW, but last I heard it was being worked on...?)

What works right now is to install the HFW Tweaks and Cheats Menu, and then either using one of the files from Play as Talanah (and more) or making your own! The author of those mods provided a list of all the characters and values the game uses for them.

And yeah, the photomode mod is the one from Otis_Inf! It took some getting used to but you can do amazing stuff with it.

I'll continue below the cut for more info about the character swapping:

So when I used the mod to play as, say, Ikkotah, I searched for his name in that list, then opened one of the .ini files I'd already downloaded in a text editor, replaced the UUID and Root UUID with his values, saved it as mod_PlayAsIkkotah.ini, and then copied that into my HFW installation folder. With this method you can only replace one character at a time - you have to switch that .ini out if you want to change to another character, or delete it if you want to go back to being Aloy. If people are interested I could toss the characters I've tried out into a google doc? For each one you'd just copy the few lines needed into a text editor and save as an .ini yourself. Let me know if you (or anyone else!) needs a more in-depth explanation of this.

Also useful: if you want to get rid of Aloy's spear for photos of another character (or her!), go into the player inventory in the Tweaks and Cheats Menu, and delete her spear from your inventory. It would probably not be a good idea to play with a file saved like this, and tbh I always make sure to delete any autosaves that happen when I'm playing around with mods/boundary breaking. If you want to get rid of her bow/other weapons you can just unequip everything and then nothing will show up on her/your character's back. And finally if you set your player faction to... neutral I think? you can wander peacefully without any enemies attacking you :D

[cyeayt]

reading the tma wiki it does not seem that there are many canon appearance traits for Jonah Magnus so other than that i think he prolly has gray eyes like elias i'm just gonna wing it with his design unless someone (@thermodynamic-comedian) has strong opinions about it

[bobzora]

hi! ive been meaning to get into orv, & i saw you liked it -- is there any particular translation you'd recommend? i downloaded the epub linked on reddit but i don't trust the sickos that use that website (/lh)

*sicko face* yes… read orv… YES…

to my knowledge that’s the best version there is ^_^ yep

[indie-rock]

Why didn't Louis just cancel the concert even a few hours before same as many others did? Now Louis is 100% liable in lawsuits and a very wealthy target for all ambulance chasers. 

hi anon. so, i’m not the best person to ask this because i don’t know much about how this works, but i asked people who work in the industry about how these things work.

according to reports from fans who were there, the weather was forecasted for some rain and possibly hail, however not to the extent of how it ended up being. at 9:02pm, the weather forecast sent out an alert for the hail storm. the venue then proceeded to announce that the concert was delayed and for people to take cover in their cars. however, it was the same wording they had given previously when the first delay happened, they said nothing about hail, so fans decided to stay in their seats thinking it was just another delay and nothing more. 20 minutes later the venue gives the hail storm alert, which only gave fans 2-3 minutes to leave their seats, ergo not enough time, and then we know what happened.

we don’t know what louis was told during all of this. assuming he was also told the same thing fans were told, that it was just a normal weather delay and he could perform as soon as it passed, then it’s the venue and local authorities responsibility for not alerting the fans of what was coming. not to mention the fact that after it began hailing the venue workers did nothing to help fans, and instead screamed at them, closed doors on them, laughed and recorded them. if i recall correctly, while people were taking cover, someone asked one of the employees about canceling, and they said they wanted to but local authorities didn’t want to.

so in case of a lawsuit, it would potentially be against the organizers, employees and local authorities. if someone wanted to sue louis he could potentially say the organizers and local authorities gave him the all clear to perform, and the venue was responsible for giving the fans the alert.

[lunar-fey]

house of leaves.. been thinking about picking up a copy. would you recommend?

omg hmmm....well i like it. i'd say it REALLY depends on what kind of stuff you're into? its definitely a book that takes effort not just to get but literally to read, bc you have to like. flip back and forth between sections frequently, some of the text is written sideways or in spirals etc.... it does a good job of like. getting you in the head of someone who is Absolutely Loosing It™, which doesn't appeal to everyone! but if you enjoy really weird/unique horror and the idea of a book that is practically a puzzle sounds FUN to you i'd say go for it!

[roger-that-cap]

YOU GUYS ARE TOGETHER ALREADY? LYS I WANT ALL THE DETAILS!!!!

-🌙

HAHAHA I KNEW YOU WERE COMING

okay listen. like this sounds insane as hell but you know how you can make friends online and connect with them better than you can in person sometimes?? that’s exactly what happened here. like we can talk on the phone for fucking hours. one weekend we had a 6 hour long phone call and we were just talking. it’s so easy to talk to him and we are very good communicators so he’s told me that he feels the same!

like we can’t wait to meet each other (he’s only an hour and some change away but we’re both so damn busy) and he thinks i’m so pretty and i think he’s gorgeous too and it just works moonie. idk. he asked me like two days ago while we were on facetime and i immediately said yes. it was so weird at first how fast we connected but like now it feels like we’ve known each other for so long man it’s crazy. like just so you know how crazy this has been, we both deleted the dating app we met on like 2 weeks into talking without the other even knowing. i brought it up that i didn’t talk to anyone else and it turned out that he had deleted his even before i did, i just hadn’t been up there. we connected so fast that talking to other people was boring and useless on both sides 💀

i knew that i was fucked when i started to wait for him to come back from his field ops (he goes on them pretty often, they’re overnight operations that are like anywhere from 3 days to like 2 weeks). like it would be business as usual but i wouldn’t romantically talk to anyone else and i would be really excited every time he came back. i was honest with him then and told him that i genuinely liked him and that i didn’t talk to anyone while he was gone and that was when he told me the same lol and that he wasn’t interested in anyone else

but we have such a good time and we haven’t even met yet. i feel like the second i meet him in person i’m gonna be a fucking goner. i know it’s not smart to put all your eggs in one basket but i have this gut feeling that i’ve never felt before lmao. even if he doesn’t end up being forever this will definitely be fun and fulfilling at the very least!

[sluttywonwoo]

the roster | part one of three

pairing: christopher bahng + lee sangyeon + choi seuncheol x f!reader

summary: what happens when all the guys on your roster find out about each other?

warnings: see here (mdni!!!)

word count: 4.4k

series masterlist

You’d been set up. You should have known something was off when Sangyeon texted you to come over. He never texted you first. He was the most reserved of the three, always letting you be the one to reach out to him if you wanted to hook up. 

You shot him an accusatory glare but he pointedly avoided your gaze, choosing instead to stare at something on the ceiling that was apparently much more interesting.  

Seungcheol was the first to speak, of course. “Did you really think we wouldn’t find out?” 

You figured there was no point in lying. They already had you cornered. “Yeah, kind of.” The three of them scoffed in unison, making you hold up your hands in defense. “I didn’t know you guys knew each other like that!”

In fact, you had chosen each of them precisely because you thought there wouldn’t be any conflicts of interest. They were all in different groups, all the leaders of said groups which you thought would mean that they were almost always busy with their members. You didn’t think they had time for friends. Let alone friends who were of different ages and also leaders. 

Chris was the biggest gamble. You knew that he knows almost everyone in the industry and has a lot of friends but you didn’t think he knew the other two guys you were fucking well enough to put together that you were actually sleeping with all of them. 

Everything had been going so well. You had perfected your system over the months, using the boys’ schedules to your advantage so there was never any overlap. Seungcheol got weekends, Sangyeon got Wednesdays and Fridays, and Chris got 3ams on Tuesdays, Thursdays, (and sometimes Fridays if you weren’t sleeping over at Sangyeon’s) because that’s just when he was free. You keep your Mondays and the last full week of every month free so that you have time for yourself. Otherwise you’d drive yourself crazy spending all your time with men. 

You had never agreed to be exclusive with any of them. You made it more than clear that wasn’t what you were looking for. Still, they must have thought you weren’t seeing anyone else because all three of them had shown up to this confrontation and all three of them looked pissed. 

“Is it just the three of us?” Chris chimes in. 

“How much time do you think I have?” you mutter. 

“Just answer the question.”

You look away from them. “Yeah, there’s no one else.”

“Lucky us,” Seungcheol sneers. 

“Hey, you’re the one who said you wanted something casual,” you remind him, your tone icy. “You wanted to sleep around with no strings attached and I agreed.”

You’ve known Seungcheol the longest. You were friends first, through your job, but it quickly turned into something more. You couldn’t keep your hands off each other, spending nights and mornings together. Going to sleep and waking up and stealing kisses in elevators. Talking on the phone for hours and planning dates in the different cities he was touring in. 

He shut you down before you could get too delusional about it, though, stating plainly that all he wanted was a strict friends-with-benefits sort of situation. You still remember the feeling of your throat burning as you fought back tears, telling him that was perfectly fine, that you felt the same way. 

You couldn’t let yourself get too attached to a man who didn’t want you in the same way you wanted him so you looked for a distraction and found one in Lee Sangyeon. You met him through Jacob, a younger member of his group. Sangyeon was the perfect distraction. He was charming and funny, never one to take himself too seriously. He was a real gentleman and it didn’t hurt that he had a huge dick. 

You were the one to broach the topic of nonexclusivity with him this time, wanting to beat him to it. You knew exactly what all of these idols wanted. Choi Seungcheol had taught you that lesson early on. Sangyeon took it well, at least, as well as you expected him to. He told you he was on the same page as you, that he was just looking for something casual and you believed him. Now, looking at the expression on his face as he listens to the two other men talk, you’re not sure. 

And then Chris just sort of fell into your lap. You weren’t looking for anything else. Juggling two men was enough work. You just so happened to run into him at some after party, stopping him to compliment his music. One thing led to another and you were shoving your tongue down his throat in a dark closet. Apparently he had a thing for praise. 

Neither of you had to be the one to friend(swithbenefits)zone the other. You brought it up one night as you laid in his bed together and he was quick to agree. 

“Yeah, I don’t have time for anything more than... this, right now,” he sighed. He sounded a little regretful about it, like he thought he was being an asshole despite you voicing the same sentiment. 

So you hadn’t been doing anything wrong- even if your brain liked to tell you otherwise sometimes. You defined the (non)relationships with each of them, used protection with all of them, you weren’t leading anyone on... it had just so happened to get a little bit... messy, for lack of a better word. 

-

“No strings attached doesn’t mean I want you to fuck my friends!” Seungcheol huffs, running a hand through his hair. 

“I didn’t know you were friends with them!” you cry, throwing your head back onto the back of the couch in frustration and accidentally banging your head against the wall in the process. 

“Are you okay?” Sangyeon asks, wincing. 

The other two side-eye him. 

“I’m fine. But why am I here? Did you bring me here just to yell at me?”

“Not exactly,” Chris says, smirking. 

You look to the other men for an explanation but neither of them offer any further explanation. 

“Then why?”

Chris slides his hands in his front pockets and shrugs. “Well, if you’re up for it, the three of us thought we might have a little fun with you.”

“What does that mean?”

Seungcheol steps forward and mirrors Chan’s stance, cocking his head to the side for good measure. You have to fight the urge to roll your eyes, knowing it would only make things worse for you. 

To be fair, all the posturing would be a lot more annoying if they weren’t the hottest men you’d ever seen in your life. 

“I think you know what that means,” Cheol adds, supplying absolutely nothing helpful. 

“Obviously I don’t or I wouldn’t have asked,” you argue. 

Seungcheol whistles and then looks to his friends. “Is she this bratty with you guys?” Chris gives an ‘eh’ hand motion whilst Sangyeon nods outright. “Yeah, I figured.”

“Did you think you were getting special treatment?” you taunt, surprising even yourself. 

He scowls but doesn’t respond, probably in an effort to maintain some semblance of self-control in front of the other two. If it were just you and him, you’d have a hand around your throat already. And maybe that’s what you wanted. Maybe your mouth was working faster than your brain in order to get a specific... reaction out of them like you normally would. Or maybe your mouth just liked to get you in trouble. 

From the way they were acting, they obviously hadn’t lured you here just to hang out. It had to be some sort of sex thing, right? You certainly weren’t opposed, you just needed to figure out what game they were playing so that you could be dealt in. 

“We were curious about which one of us you like the most,” Chris says finally. At least someone was interested in getting to the fucking point. 

You blink at him then turn to look at Seungcheol who just nods in confirmation. “You want me to... rank you? Why?”

“You’re the one who has us on a little roster,” Sangyeon points out, sounding a little mean for the first time tonight. “Surely you’ve thought about it before.”

You shake your head. “I haven’t. I mean, I like all of you guys! I wouldn’t hang out with you if I didn’t.”

“We don’t care about hanging out, we want to know who you think is the best in bed,” Seungcheol clarifies. 

“What?”

“You know, who’s the best fuck?”

“Why do you even care?” you ask. “Like what are you getting out of this?”

“Just a little competition between friends,” Chris assures you with a wink. 

“I... wouldn’t even know where to start,” you insist. 

“We thought you might say that,” Seungcheol hums as he steps closer to you. “Which is why we thought we could test it in real time.”

“In real time?”

“Yeah, let us fuck you, then you tell us who’s best.”

“Right now?” 

Seungcheol shrugs. “You asked why we brought you here.”

“And you just assumed I’d be down?”

“Yeah,” all three of them say at the same time. 

It’s your turn to scoff. So that’s what they think of you. You shouldn’t have expected anything different, to be fair. It wasn’t like you were a saint. You literally had your dick appointments with all of them penciled into your Google Calendar every week. 

“C’mon, baby, we know you by now,” Chris adds, plopping down on the sofa next to you. He stretches his arm across the back of it like guys like to do, opening himself up for you to lean into him if you wanted to. “Are you saying you don’t want us to take turns fucking your brains out?”

You stay silent. 

“Should we take that as a yes?” Sangyeon asks. 

“I’d say so,” Chris agrees.

Seungcheol claps his hands together decisively and then points to the man sitting next to you. “Chan, you’re up first then, yeah? That’s how you do it in your group, right? Youngest first?”

He’s mocking him but Chris doesn’t acknowledge it. If there’s one thing you know about Bang Chan, it’s that he’s not one to back down from a challenge, and while going first in this sort of competition must be daunting he doesn’t look the least bit shaken. 

“Are we doing this here?” he asks the older two. 

Sangyeon considers it and shrugs. “We should probably move to the bed, right?” 

“Dude, it’s your house.”

“There’s more room on the bed,” Sangyeon decides, offering you his hand. 

You take it and he helps you up from the couch. You step in front of the boys and lead them to Sangyeon’s bedroom, calling “it’s this way,” over your shoulder just to be a menace. You can’t see the faces they make behind you but you hear Sangyeon chuckle under his breath. 

You flick on one of his table lamps and make yourself comfortable on the bed, patting the spot next to you for Chris to join you. He does and puts a hand on your thigh, squeezing your thigh comfortingly. Seungcheol and Sangyeon lean against the dresser across from the bed in the most non-awkward way they can manage. 

Somehow, they both still look intimidating despite the fact that they’re essentially about to be cucked by one of their closest friends. 

“What now?” you ask. 

Chris brings one of his hands up to cup your cheek and leans in. “Now, we do this.”

He kisses you gently at first. Whether it’s to ease your nerves or his own, you aren’t sure, but he starts slow, building up to what you’re used to. His thumb strokes your cheek as if to reassure you as he deepens the kiss and slips his tongue into your mouth. His other hand that had been resting on your hip fumbles with your pants. 

“Just pretend they aren’t there,” he whispers. 

It’s impossible to do when you can feel the weight of their stares on you but you try to relax anyway, reminding yourself that something like this has been a fantasy of yours for a while now. You never thought it would actually happen and you definitely didn’t think it would be with them but with your luck you honestly shouldn’t be as surprised as you are. 

“This isn’t going to work if you don’t relax,” Chris continues, low enough for only you to hear. “I kind of have something to prove here.”

“You don’t have anything to prove,” you assure him. “You’re great in bed.”

“They don’t know that,” he hisses. 

“Sorry, sorry, I forgot this is just a competition to you guys,” you grumble. 

He chuckles. “What, you want me to make love to you in front of them? Because I will.”

“I think that’d be even more embarrassing, somehow.” 

“Exactly, now lay down and let me fuck you brainless so you can’t overthink anymore.”

He had such a way with words, that Bang Chan did. 

He shifts so you can lay down and take your pants off. Your shirt goes next, leaving you in just your underwear. It’s the most exposed you’ve ever felt even though you’ve been completely naked in front of all three men before. 

Chris snaps the elastic waistband of your cotton panties against your hip and smirks. “Cute.”

You pout, ready to defend your granny panties but Sangyeon pipes up from the other side of the room before you can.

“She doesn’t care what she wears over to mine because she knows it won’t stay on long anyway.”

That was actually true. You dressed the most comfortably to hang out with Sangyeon because you knew he wouldn’t care. It wasn’t like Chris or Seungcheol cared more, and you didn’t really dress up for them either, but there was a notable difference between the amount of effort you put in for each man, something you hadn’t noticed until just now. 

“She wet yet?” Seungcheol asks, sounding bored. 

You know it’s just a front so his jealousy and impatience won’t shine through because it’s not a very good one. Seungcheol is not and never has been good at hiding his feelings. 

Chris shoots him a look. “I was getting to that.” 

Seungcheol holds his hands up in defense but thankfully keeps his mouth shut. 

Chris sucks in a breath of patience and brings his hand in between your legs, fingers tracing your slit. Your cheeks grow warm with embarrassment because you are, in fact, wet. You have been since they sat you down and stood in front of you like you were going to be scolded for doing something wrong. 

“Yeah, she’s fucking wet,” Chris rasps. “Jesus Christ, baby. I bet your joggers are ruined too.”

His teasing makes you try to close your thighs around his hand but his reflexes beat yours and he catches your knee to force your legs back open. 

“Nice try.”

“You’re the worst.”

His fingers start to wander beneath the fabric of your panties, feather light touches that already have you gasping for breath. “You don’t mean that.”

“I do, I really do.”

“Want me to stop?” he threatens.

“What happened to having something to prove?” you mutter back. 

“Always such a fucking brat,” he muses, jaw tight. 

“Don’t act like you don’t love that about me.”

“You’re consistent, I’ll give you that.”

Chris leans down and kisses you again, presumably to get you to stop talking. It works, of course. He lets his tongue explore your mouth while his hands explore your body, still not giving you what you really want. 

Eventually, he slips a finger inside, taking you by surprise and making you gasp as you grab at him for something to squeeze. He offers you his arm and you take it, fingernails digging into his bicep. 

“It’s just one finger, baby,” Chris coos. 

“Feels.... good, though,” you squeak. 

He adds another right as you start to get used to the feeling of the first and you have to take a deep breath to keep yourself from making another embarrassing noise. 

“Don’t hold back. Let the boys know how good I’m making you feel.”

Seungcheol scoffs, tonguing his cheek. “You don’t have to fake it for him, babe.” 

“Are you sure you guys are friends?” you pant. 

They don’t answer, leaving you to draw the conclusions yourself. You’re sure they were friends... whether they would be after this was another story. 

Chris crooks his fingers up, knowing you won’t be able to stay quiet once he does. He’s right. You moan, albeit quietly, and arch into his touch. 

“So what are the parameters of this competition?” Chris asks the other two and turns his head towards them while he continues to work his fingers in and out of you. 

“What do you mean?” Sangyeon asks back. 

“Like, does foreplay count? Or is she judging solely based on our stroke game?”

Seungcheol considers it for a moment before looking to Sangyeon. “What do you think?”

“I think the judgment should include foreplay,” he says. “Foreplay is part of sex after all.”

“Good point,” Chris agrees. “Any other rules?” They shake their heads. “What about you, baby? Do you have any rules for us?”

You purse your lips as you think, trying not to lose focus with his fingers inside of you. “Just don’t go too hard. I do have to work on Monday.”

It’s only Friday night now, but knowing them, you’ll probably be sore for at least a couple of days afterward. 

Chris laughs. “We’ll do our best. Right, guys?”

They mumble what sounds like an agreement and Sangyeon even gives you a thumbs-up. 

“Can I keep going?” Chris asks you. 

“You didn’t really stop,” you point out.

He had still been fingering you lazily throughout the whole aside. It wasn’t enough to get you off but it was certainly distracting. You had to try very hard to concentrate on what they were saying. 

“C’mon, this is nothing,” he teases, bringing his thumb to your clit as he starts to kiss your neck. “How’s that?” he murmurs into your ear, 

“G-good...”

“Just good? Must be doing something wrong, then.”

Before you can deny it, he adds a third finger, earning a loud cry from you this time. You feel him grin against your throat, hiding his smug satisfaction from the other two. 

“Spread your legs wider for me, baby. Let them see.”

You do as you’re told even though it’s hard. It’s so much. You want to squeeze them around his hand again but you know you’ll only get told off if you do. 

“Good girl,” he praises, making you whimper. 

“That’s all it takes, doesn’t it?” Seungcheol mutters. “We just have to call you a good girl and you’re making a mess all over us, right?”

You squirm, arousal and embarrassment pooling in your belly. You can tell Chris wants to give Cheol shit for butting in when it’s supposed to be his turn, but he doesn’t because his words are technically helping him. You get even wetter around his fingers, a detail Chris elects not to share with the room. 

You’re sure they can see it, though, or at least hear it. The sounds are obscene. 

It’s mortifying. You want to die. But first you want to cum. 

Two of your favorite things about Chris are his hands. They’re huge, especially for a guy his height, and absolutely gorgeous. Thick veins run across the backs of them from his knuckles up through his forearms- he’s a nurse’s wet dream, and yours. You’ve spent an absurd amount of time tracing them with your own fingers when you’re laying in bed together after hooking up and more often than not, it’s enough to make you want to go again. 

He’s good with them too because of course he is. Bang Chan is annoyingly good at everything he does, including but not limited to: making you cum. 

“Already?” Chris muses under his breath. “Does having an audience turn you on that much?”

“Sh-shut up.”

“That’s not a very nice thing to say to someone who can take their fingers away any time they want to.”

“No, please!” you protest.

“That’s what I thought. Do you want to cum on my fingers? Or should I make you wait for it?” He’s talking to himself at this point but you answer anyway. 

“I-I don’t know...”

“Probably should let you, huh? You’re still so tight.”

You don’t get another word out before it hits you, your body curling in on Chan’s hand as he finger fucks you through your first orgasm of the night. As soon as you come down, he’s taking his fingers out of you and sucking them into his mouth, kissing you right after so you can taste yourself on his lips. 

“Good job, baby,” he murmurs into your mouth as he adds his tongue back into the mix. “Ready for me now?”

“Mhm...”

“Condoms are in the nightstand,” Sangyeon says, nodding in the direction of the bedside table. 

Chris reaches over and pulls the drawer out, whistling at the other things he finds rolling around in the compartment. 

“This hers?” he asks, holding up a vibrator.

“Who else’s would it be?” Sangyeon mutters. 

“I don’t know what you do in your free time, man.”

He drops the toy back in its place and grabs a condom from the box tucked in the corner of the same drawer. The odds of one size fitting three different men were slim, but having slept with each of them you’re sure they’ll be able to make it work. 

Chris hands you the foil packet, allowing you to do the honors of tearing it open with your teeth while he works on getting naked. 

Seungcheol whistles jeeringly at Chan as he takes his cock out and pumps it a couple of times. You can see the back of Chan’s neck flush red but he remains steady as he rolls the latex on. You realize it must be difficult for him to have an audience too, though he has nothing to be self conscious about. Even if they aren’t showing it, you know the other two have to be impressed.

He’s the perfect balance of long and thick and just like his hands, defined veins run up the length of his shaft. You’ve spent what feels like hours tracing those veins with your tongue, watching him shiver under your touch. Most dicks aren’t pretty but Christopher Bahng’s certainly is.

“Ready?” Chris asks, rubbing your thigh with his palm.  

“Yeah,” you breathe.

Since he already made you cum, he’s able to slip in without much resistance- but he’s big enough that the stretch is still intense, making your eyes roll back in pleasure as you stifle a whimper. 

He gives you a moment to adjust once he’s fully inside you, teasing only a little bit with slight movements of his hips. 

“God, that feels good,” you moan.

“I know, baby,” he murmurs sweetly, “you’re taking it so well for me.”

He brushes a couple of strands of hair out of your eyes so that you can see him properly. Obstructed view or not, he’s beautiful on top of you. His own bangs have already started to stick to his forehead and the pink flush of embarrassment has somewhat faded and turned into that of exertion, spreading from the back of his neck to his chest and face and matching the kiss-bitten swell of his lips. The muscles in his arms and shoulders are engaged with the effort it takes to hold himself above you, making him look even bigger. 

His eyes are soft, even as the rest of his features take on a more sinister expression. That was one of the things that made sex with Chris so good. He genuinely cares for you, not just as a lover, but as a person. Lots of guys put effort into making the other party feel good during sex but that doesn’t mean they care about them. It’s not like that with Chris. 

“Want it faster?” he asks you. You nod. “Ask nicely.”

You should’ve known it wouldn’t be that easy. 

“Please...”

He frees one of his hands and uses it to stroke your cheek. “‘Please,’ what?”

“Faster,” you squeak. 

“Is that the best you can do?” Seungcheol scoffs from the sidelines. 

“I’ll let her off easy this time,” Chris responds. “She can hardly think straight as it is, isn’t that right?”

Another nod. 

You get what you want and Chan picks up the pace, snapping his hips into yours in quick, shallow thrusts. 

“You’re getting tighter again,” he grunts, faltering imperceptibly. “You’re making this too easy for me.”

One of the other two makes what you assume is a snide remark but you don’t catch it because everything starts to fade into the background as you start to cum around Chan’s cock. It catches both of you off guard, you can tell. It isn’t unusual for you to finish from penetration alone but it usually takes a lot longer. 

“Holy shit, you’re so- fuck, you’re going to make me cum.”

He keeps going after you come down, chasing his own release. It’s almost enough to send you into a third orgasm but he cums before you can get there which is both a relief and a disappointment. 

You whine as the feeling ebbs and let yourself go boneless underneath him. He follows suit and collapses face first next to you on the mattress. 

“Sorry,” he whispers to you. “I would’ve kept going but I didn’t want you to be too sensitive for them.”

You nod in understanding and pat him appreciatively on the back. 

The room is quiet as the three men wait for you to catch your breath. Chris ensures you’re okay before rolling off the bed and joining the other two by the dresser. He mentions something about cleaning you up when you’re all done and offers to fetch you a glass of water. 

“There’s a Brita in the fridge,” Sangyeon tells him after also pointing him in the direction of the cabinet that holds the cups. 

He disappears into the hall and you gather what little strength you have to pop your head up and address the two remaining leaders at the foot of the bed. 

“Who’s next?”

this has been in the works for way too long lol but lmk what you think! i always appreciate feedback!!

tags: @minghaosimp @butterfliesinthenightsky @lelestarmy @stolasisyourparent @brownbunnyb @tinkerbell460 @cixrosie

add yourself to the taglist here

[miraculouslbcnreactions]

This is probably small in the grand scheme of things, but how did Emilie being noble play any impact in the story at all?

I mean, I'd get it if it was just a small detail to help deepen Emilie's character, but why nobility of all things? I don't know, from what I'm seeing so far, the whole "Emilie renounced her noble title" shtick just feels worthless if it's not going to impact the story or add depth to Emilie's character (like maybe upbringing or personal values?).

I don't know. Like everything else, the noble part just feels shallow and means nothing to the story, especially for a character like Emilie, who is the plot device for the whole show. Any detail about her, like her personality and life story, is supposed to influence the story and characters one way or another, namely Hawkmoth since she's his driving force.

So what was the point?

For context, this ask is about Félix's play which says that Emilie gave up her title to be with Gabriel. I'm gonna give a slightly larger section of the transcript of the play for full context, but the relevant but is at the end of the last paragraph:

Félix: The king and queen's twins grew up, each day as different in heart as they were similar in body. The firstborn, curious and brazen, despised life at court and escaped at every opportunity. The younger daughter, well-behaved and respectful, did everything she could to please her parents, and stayed quietly in the castle. Félix: (as Mr. Graham de Vanily) Oh, my queen. Did we entrust our legacy to the right princess? Kagami: (as Mrs. Graham de Vanily) She will fall in line, eventually. Félix: Confident that she would settle down as she matured, the king and queen allowed the curious princess to leave to study beyond the sea in another kingdom. There, she immediately found true love in a humble tailor. Félix: The tailor was making clothes so magnificent that they revealed the beauty of the soul of anyone who wore them. Although it made her parents furious, the curious princess gave up her rank, her wealth and her kingdom to live a bohemian life with the tailor.

Story wise, I have no idea why any of this was added since it adds nothing to canon. It's not like this finally explains why Gabriel and Emilie are poor while Amelie is wealthy. Along similar lines, it's not like Amelie's title has ever mattered. Prior to this play, I don't think that we even knew that she had a title or that she was the younger sister. The play is all about explaining things that we never had reasons to question in the first place.

My best guess as to why the writers wrote this pointless backstory is that they wanted to make Emilie seem even more pure and perfect so they went with the tired old trope of a rich girl giving up material things for the sake of love and art because good pure women don't care about material things! Only nasty, shallow women care about money. (Way to play into sexist tropes, guys.)

There may also be cultural elements at play here given that France doesn't have the greatest history with nobility, so giving up a noble title may be seen as good and pure to a French writer, but I don't know enough about French culture to say that with any certainty. If anyone who reads this blog is French and would like to chime in, then feel free!

While we're on the topic of the play, I wanted to point out that the above quoted passage is why I say that the Graham de Vanily parents can be as kind or as abusive as you'd like to make them. It's incredibly vague and you can read into it whatever you want to read into it. Were they good loving parents who were just upset about their daughter living in poverty or were they miserable controlling classist who Emilie fled England to get away from? It's up to you because you can get both reads from this. The play commits to almost nothing of value. Politicians could take lessons from this impressive level of noncommittal writing.

A better version of the play would have focused on things that actually matter to canon like the details of finding the miraculous and/or Emilie learning she's sick, but you could only have those details if they were coming from Nathalie or Gabriel. Félix is a terrible choice for a character to tell us the show's backstory because he knows so little of it, thus the play focusing on his largely pointless backstory.

[thisapplepielife]

Written for @steddieholidaydrabbles.

Seemed Fitting

Prompt Day 3: Jacket | Word Count: 1000 | Rating: T | CW: Language | Tags: Post S4, Eddie Munson Lives, Established Relationship, Gift Giving

Standing in the men's store, Eddie realizes he's been overconfident. He has no idea what to get Steve that he'll actually like. If Steve wants something, he just buys it for himself, and that makes gift-giving tough.

There's a green sweater on the wall that he kind of likes. It's somewhat plain in a sea of hideously busy Cosby sweaters, but it might be too plain. A green sweater? Does that really scream that he tried his best?

Probably not.

Eddie feels out of place in this store. It's not his kind of establishment, that's for damn sure. The salesman is wearing a suit for god's sake. He should just get the green sweater and call it good. Steve will like it. 

Then, he overhears another shopper asking the salesclerk about the Harrington Jacket.

Like, Steve Harrington? Does Steve have a jacket named after him? Eddie, somehow, wouldn't even be surprised in this town.

Eddie turns his head, to see what the guy is pointing towards. 

It's just a jacket, on one of those headless mannequins. But the jacket itself isn't too different from the gray one Steve wore a lot in high school. 

Eddie steps closer, and looking at it, this one is actually more similar to the jackets Eddie's seen in imported music magazines.

"Oh, it's punk. Like, The Clash," Eddie says aloud, and the guy turns and gives him a dirty look. 

Well, fuck you too, dude.

He looks Eddie up and down, "It's not punk like you."

Eddie is not punk, but he'd definitely rather be called punk than whatever the fuck this dude is, so he lets it go.

He's learned to pick his battles. To bite his sharp tongue. He doesn't want to end up running for his fucking life again. Once was plenty.

But the guy is still talking.

"It's a classic. Steve McQueen. Elvis. Sinatra," the guy says snottily in his loafers, and looks a little disgusted by Eddie's mere presence. What else is fucking new? Especially in this town.

"JFK," the clerk chimes in.

"Yeah, JFK," the guy repeats.

Eddie says nothing. He's seen it worn in magazines with Doc Martens, and mohawks. 

But he listens to the salesman try to sell it to this idiot. The funnel neck. The rain-resistant cotton. How it's a classic wardrobe staple. How it never goes out of style. 

Eddie sees the jacket with the tartan plaid lining in a different way than these two are seeing it, that much is certain. He's seen this in Brit music mags, and he sees the possibility here. Steve could wear it both ways. 

Steve Harrington is punk, even if it's mainly on the inside. Steve Harrington is also preppy, and classically fucking gorgeous.

Then he hears the kind of steep price tag. He can swing it, will swing it, no matter what. It'll just cut a little more into his cash reserves than he'd expected. 

Steve's worth it.

The two idiots are still verbally jerking each other off in front of the mannequin, and Eddie steps away.

He looks at the rack of jackets in dark, muted colors, and really likes the red one. Steve has that red sweater he looks fucking fantastic in, so maybe a red jacket christened with his last name would look even half as good.

Eddie slides the hangers, and chooses Steve's size, trying it on himself to make sure, and then takes it to the register.

The girl behind the register smiles. She reminds Eddie of Chrissy, and he feels a pang of sorrow. Of guilt.

"Nice choice," she says, folding it nicely, "Was anyone helping you today?"

"Nope," Eddie says, "just you."

And he hopes she takes the commission for selling it.

"Would you like it gift wrapped? It's free," she offers and he nods, says thanks, and watches as she wraps it way better than he'd have ever been able to do at home.

The jacket is wrapped and under the tree, and Eddie is nervous. It looks great. The girl at the register did a really good job wrapping it, and treated him like he was welcome to be there, buying their clothing. She was nice to him, and he hates that that is something that stands out these days. 

But right now, he's not worried about that. No, he's suddenly scared Steve won't like the jacket. Scared he got it wrong, again. 

When it comes time to actually give it to Steve, Eddie stalls.

"If you hate it, we can take it back," Eddie stresses, still holding the gold box, reluctant to give it over. 

"I'll love it," Steve says, grinning, holding out his hands.

"You might hate it."

"Eddie, I've never wanted any specific gift from you. I've just wanted you. And you're here, so, I win. I've already won." 

Eddie wants to crumble at that. Fold. And instead just wipes at his eyes with the back of his hand. 

The number of people that have just wanted him for him, is pretty damn slim. 

His mother. Uncle Wayne. 

And now, somehow, Steve Harrington. 

It's absurd. 

It's also the best thing Eddie's ever felt, especially since that fucked up Spring Break.

Steve Harrington is actually a good dude has become his mantra. A belief Eddie holds near and fucking dear. The most solid truth he knows. 

"Here," he says, "Merry Christmas." 

Steve opens it and grins, "Oh, look at that. I love it. Thank you," he says and he puts it on. It fits, and Steve twirls around like he really likes it. Maybe he does. Maybe Eddie did good this time.

"It's a Harrington jacket," Eddie explains, "Seemed fitting." 

And Steve smiles with his whole fucking face, reaching out, pulling Eddie close enough to kiss. Steve's arm wrapped behind Eddie's neck, the soft sleeve of the Harrington worn by his very own Harrington, grazing Eddie's skin.

He definitely did good if he deserves this. If he deserves Steve at all.

And Eddie kisses him back.

If you want to write your own, or see more entries for this challenge, pop on over to @steddieholidaydrabbles and follow along with the fun! 🧥

Notes: The Harrington Jacket was kind of fascinating to do a deep dive on. It was originally called the G9 by Baracuta, and didn't get its current Harrington name until Rodney Harrington (Ryan O'Neal) wore one on Peyton Place. James Dean, Elvis and Steve McQueen all wore versions the Harrington. In the UK, it was often worn by different subsets, including punks. The Clash famously wore Harringtons.

Nowadays, a true Baracuta Harrington is quite expensive, running $400+ - but I could not find a list price in the 80s. (There are many alternatives, like the red Drizzler worn by James Dean in Rebel Without a Cause, so perhaps if the true G9s were as equally expensive back then, which I'm assuming they were not, but if they were, then Eddie was looking at one of those alternative versions.)

They are still in style today. And I like to imagine Steve Harrington is out there somewhere right now, in his fifties, still wearing this one Eddie gave him.

(I do think Steve's blue S1 jacket is probably a version of a Harrington, but definitely wasn't tartan lined.)

[sigma-alpha-writer-chad]

Grow Up, Would You? [Josh Washington]

“I don’t know if you’ve changed any since middle school but I really hope you’ve learned the difference between pranking somebody and just being a fucking bully.”

You can also find this story on Ao3!

Chapter Two / Chapter Three / Chapter Four

[CHAPTER THREE]

Italics = Events taking place prior to the "present day" of the story!

It had been a quiet day, so far. That morning was easily one of the best I'd had in who knew how long. Everybody had been leaving me alone. I was grateful for the peace and quiet, though I couldn't relax fully. Somebody had to be planning something. Despite the thoughts, I wanted to have a good day.

I really wanted to have one good day.

The cafeteria was big. Rows of long, rectangular tables were filled with middle schoolers chatting about their day and eating their lunches. Some had home packed lunches filled with goodies they could trade off for something better or in exchange for cheating off homework, and some children had the school lunch. It was pizza today. Square pies with cubes of pepperoni on them. Many people didn't like them but they were always one of my favorites.

I looked around me. I couldn't see anybody who would've wanted to pull something on me.

I couldn't see Josh.

It had been years since anyone else had done anything to me without him participating or sort of approving it. If he wasn't at school that day, I would be free for the day. It was the only explanation I had that day for the lack of terror I'd faced.

I stood in the line for the pizza and spotted my cousin, Chris, and his friend Ashley. I called for them, and they allowed a bunch of kids in front of them to move towards my spot in line.

"Hey, cousin," Chris greeted me. "Last year of lunch together, huh?" He was one year my senior, meaning next year he would be in high school, a building separate from mine. "Is that why you seem to be in such a good mood?"

"Yep, you keep saying," I responded as a grin grew across my face. "Poor Jordan, without her big cousin around. Whatever will the humble 8th grader-to-be do?"

"Celebrate?" Ashley chimed in. "No more Josh, right?" I smiled wider and nodded. Chris made a face at Ashley for bringing it up. He obviously wanted to say something, but didn't. We moved forward in the line.

"I can't wait to have some peace," I admitted. For a moment I wondered what it would be like. Would the teasing and pranks really stop, or would they just be exacted upon me by someone else? I shook the thoughts from my head, but not my smile.

"Josh isn't that bad," Chris defended. "He's my best friend. Why are you so mean about him?" My expression faltered slightly.

"Why is he so mean about me? Why are you always on Josh's side?" I retorted. "You're no better, really. You're just my less mean cousin." I crossed my arms. Day ruined. "I'm tired of always being the one who is upset and ruins everything when you guys are the ones who upset me in the first place." Chris's face turned red in embarrassment and frustration, and I could tell he felt guilty, as well. He pushed up his glasses.

"They're just jokes! It's not my fault you're just a cry baby 7th grader and nobody likes you." I frowned, hard, and my appetite was no longer.

"Where is this coming from?" I asked, tears brimming my eyes. Chris was always sensitive yet defensive in 8th grade, quick to bite if he felt cornered. I tried to remember what my mother had told me about when people are mean to you for no reason - that they feel bad about themselves. I could see Chris's expression drop when I started to cry. At that point, though, it'd meant nothing. Time and time again he or Josh or someone else would make me upset, he would feel bad as soon as I started to cry, and then do it again the next week.

I left the lunch line and made a beeline straight for my homeroom class. Mr. Brown would allow me to just sit at my desk during lunch if I'd wanted, so oftentimes that's what I did.

He greeted me as I entered, but said nothing else as I went to sit down. He was the only teacher who seemed to understand I didn't like to talk about the pranks pulled by my peers, especially because the school would do nothing about it anyways.

"Somebody left something for you in your desk," Mr. Brown said. His expression was soft and mildly worried, likely due to the obvious tears I had running down my face. "Should we look together?" My lips pressed into a thin line as I nodded and my heart rate picked up. He stood up and made his way towards me.

"Who left it?" I asked warily, standing up as to not be trapped if water sprayed out of the desk.

Again.

"I'm not sure," he answered. "They were in and out pretty fast. Had a hood up." He placed his left hand at the edge of my desk, where he could lift it up. "Ready?" I nodded, and he slowly lifted the desk.

It was a flower.

Mr. Brown and I stood completely still for a couple of seconds. I sniffled and slowly moved my hand away from my chest to reach for the white flower. It was a daisy. My favorite? Mr. Brown's eyebrows raised and gave way to an expression of delight as I picked up the daisy to show him.

"Is there a note?" He asked, peeking over the wooden top of my desk.

"Uhm..." I leaned forward to look back into the desk. There was a pink piece of paper folded about a million times to be as small as possible. This failed miserably, the paper being too thick to even stay closed. "Yeah, I think so." I took it out and observed the parchment.

"A secret admirer!" Mr. Brown gasped dramatically. It suddenly occured to me how nosey and curious my teacher was. My face grew hot as I opened up the pink letter. "What does it say?" I shot him a look. He put his hands up and backed away. "Ok, I get it." He teased and went back to his desk with a small smile on his face. I looked down at the pink note in my hands as my heart pounded in my chest. Was it really a secret admirer? Or another dumb prank?

The handwriting was atrocious.

'Jordan, I saw this flower outside and I thought it was pretty and maybe I heard one time it was your favorite so I picked it for you. Don't get the wrong idea because this isn't a secret admirer and nobody likes you that much, especially not me.'

I was taken aback by the note. What kind of a note was this? I thought back to one of the animes Chris likes that he'd made me watch. There was a really mean girl who was very mean to the boy she liked to hide her feelings. Was this the same? I furrowed my eyebrows in frustration, confusion, and flattery. I would have to show Chris later. I put the daisy inside the letter and waited for the day to be over.

---

Chris and I sit on the floor of my bedroom, chatting about his previous trips to the lodge and what it would be like.

"A lot of drinking. Like, so much. Josh and I usually pass out at least once," Chris babbles excitedly. Even though he seemed very hesitant at first, he'd quickly come around to my invite. "I'm actually really happy you're coming. The twins are stoked, y'know?" I smile at him, and he continues on. "They're the ones who started the idea. Everybody comes up and spends a few days at the lodge and we all just party. This will be the second or third year without parents though, I think."

"I feel like that's a safety hazard," I sigh, laying on my side and propping myself up with the palm of my hand. "What if someone gets hurt or goes missing?" Chris shrugs.

"Then we do what we can and we call the police," he states. I shrug as well. I wasn't satisfied with that answer, but I understood that no parents meant more freedom and fun for us young adults. I scoot a little closer to him, a mischievous smile creeping across my expression.

"So... No adults, at all?" Chris side eyes me suspiciously, not bothering to turn his head.

"No... Why?" I know he knows what I'm about to say.

"No reason, just... Y'know, Ashley." He smacks both of his hands over his face in embarrassment, his face growing redder by the second.

"Oh, my God, Jordan, not you too," he sighs in annoyance. "I really like Ashley, I really really do but can't we talk about anything else for once?" I smile wider and shrug.

"What do you want to talk about?"

"Josh," My smile immediately fades. Chris shifts to match my position, laying his chin on his hand and laying on his side. "Let's talk about Josh."

"Why do you want to talk about Josh?" Chris has a small smile on his face as he shrugs, mocking my previous body language.

"I was surprised when he took you to the bathroom," he admits. He rolls over into his stomach, his jaw on both hands now as he kicked his feet behind him like a gossipping school girl. "Crazy, right?"

"Yeah, I think he was just high, though," I say, chewing my lip. I can feel the tips of my ears redden. "You saw how he acted immediately afterwards, didn't you? The daggers he was glaring when I got invited to the lodge were sharp, man." I raise my eyebrows and move to mirror Chris.

"Daggers... Of love." He wiggles his eyebrows and makes a kissy face. I roll my eyes so hard it hurts.

"Ok, you watch too many soap operas or something," I laugh. My cousin sighs and rolls his own eyes. "Would you stop copying me?"

"Would you stop copying me?" I go straight faced and stare at him, hitting my swinging feet on the ground with a thud. He does the same, and a staring contest ensues. I squint. There's no way I was losing this. Time slows down, but luckily for me, I could already see Chris's eyes begin to water. I'm tempted to reach for his glasses slowly and take them off his face when his phone rings and he instinctively looks away, squeezing his eyes shut.

"Technicality," he groans as he stands up.

"A technicality is still a win," I gloat. I roll over onto my back and stare up at the ceiling. "Who is it?"

"It's your boyfriend," Chris teases.

"My abusive boyfriend," I snort. "What does he want?" he puts his finger up in a gesture to wait as he answers the phone.

"Hey man, what's up?" I mouth to Chris telling him to put the phone on speaker. He glares at me and mouths 'nosey,' tapping himself on the nose. I sigh dramatically and wait. "Yeah, I'm just at Jordan's house... Uh huh. Yeah. No, I'm spending the day with -" Chris sighs in frustration. "I'll ask her." I perk up. "Do you want to get pizza with Josh?" my eyebrow raises in suspicion and look Chris up and down. He rolls his eyes. "He only wanted me to come but I told him I'm not leaving you and so he's extending the invitation."

"Does he promise to be nice?" Chris puts the phone on speaker.

"Josh, do you promise to be nice?" he asks. There's silence before Josh laughs. A smile tugs at my lips, though I'm not sure why.

"Yes, Chris, I promise to be nice to Jordan." Chris looks at me, waiting for my response.

"Fine," I sigh dramatically. Chris smiles and gives me a thumbs up.

"Niiice, see you soon." Josh hangs up. A silence hangs between Chris and I. He sets his phone down and looks at the ground, twiddling his thumbs as if he's nervous, like he's about to say something he shouldn't.

"He doesn't hate you, you know," he says. I look up at him, but he doesn't meet my gaze. "I'm... I'm sorry, for... betraying you so often when we were kids." This takes me by surprise. Chris had changed, being kinder to me as we grew older, but I never expected an apology.

"I forgive you, Chris," I smile and stand up, giving him a hug. He hugs me back tightly and he lets out a breath he had been holding. "Don't apologize for Josh, though. He's not sorry."

"Still, Jordan, I meant it," Chris takes a step back, putting his arms to my shoulders and bending down slightly to look me in the eyes. "He doesn't hate you." I didn't know what to say.

"Chris, I don't know what to say to that."

"You don't have to say anything. Let's just go get pizza. It's within walking distance."

"But it's cold outside."

"You have a coat." I groan dramatically as we start to leave, grabbing my coat.

---------

Chris opens the door for me as we walk into the pizza joint Josh had told us to meet him at. It was a homey, diner-like place with booths lined up against the walls for seating, bar stools at the bar, and a few circular tables for larger parties. In front of the bar was a sign that read 'seat yourself.'

"Looks like we beat him here," Chris mumbles. "Where do you want to sit?"

"A booth, by the window." I answer, walking ahead of him to take a seat at an empty booth near the back. Chris sits across from me and I furrow my eyebrows.

"What?" He asks. I don't want to tell him I'm worried Josh might sit next to me, so I shake my head and tell him nothing. A waitress comes to the table and lays a menu down. "Oh, we'll be a minute, we're waiting on somebody."

"Okay, hon, sure thing," she winks at Chris as she walks away. Chris shrugs off his thick coat to fall around his waist.

"Bro she wants you so bad," I say. Chris sighs, but he's smiling. "Hubba hubba." It had been an inside joke since our teenage years that every waitress or waiter wanted him. Of course, they didn't usually wink.

"Dude, guaranteed wife." He says, running his fingers through his hair dramatically, shaking his head. Suddenly the seat next to mine sinks, someone taking a seat next to me. Chris's eyebrow twitches in surprise and amusement.

"Hey, fellas," Josh grins, rubbing his hands together. "Pizza time? Did you guys order?"

"No, we waited for you, dude," Chris says. "I'm thinking just pepperoni, personally."

"Can we add some bacon on this bad boy?" Chris agrees, and both he and Josh look to me for an answer. I glance at Josh, who is staring at me rather intensely and gulp.

"Yeah, that sounds good." I smile. Josh tilts his head as if to see my face better and I feel my face grows warm with confusion and embarrassment. I ignore him, though I can tell he notices my flustered state by his wicked grin. I look at my cousin across the table, and his expression is that of surprise and curiosity. The waitress comes back, and we order.

Josh and Chris talk about the lodge. Past years, plans for this one. I feel a tinge of nerves and excitement. Everyone included talks so much about it, I don't know if I've ever done anything so hyped up. I'd never been to any huge events before, nor small, fun sleepovers with anyone other than Chris.

"So, Jordan," Josh snaps me out of my thoughts, bumping into me with his shoulder. I look at Josh, keeping my head tilted down shyly as I look up at him. He looks back at me, and I can see something in his expression I can't quite name. "Do you drink, or are you lame in that aspect, too?" He laughs and bumps me again. I frown.

"It's not my thing. I don't like being... Compromised?" I furrow my eyebrows, trying to find the words to explain myself. "I don't... I don't want there to be any opportunity for me to be taken advantage of in any way." There's many meanings to this for me. Someone could easily pull a cruel joke on me, film me vomiting and post it online, take me to the bedroom. Josh's smile fades.

"Is there anyone in particular you don't feel safe around?" He asks. I see Chris's eyebrows raised in surprise as he listens in, his eyes moving between Josh and I quickly as if anticipating what would come next. I'm surprised, too.

"What do you mean?" I ask, shifting in my seat uncomfortably.

"If someone is making you feel unsafe they're not invited." Josh states. His eyes are widened slightly and He's staring at me with an intensity I've never seen before. He's dead serious. I scan his face quickly. "Just say the word, Jordan, and it's done." I gulp.

"I-"

"Here you go, kids. Pepperoni and bacon, fresh out the oven! Be careful not to burn yourselves," the waitress says. She's very peppy and beautiful, a heavyset woman with curly brown hair draped over her shoulders and lipstick that was much too red for most, but perfect for her. We offer our thanks as she walks away. I glance back at Josh, who seems to have completely forgotten the intensity he was just showing me at the mention of my discomfort. Chris looks just as surprised as I am.

The pizza looks and smells amazing. The pepperoni was still sizzling, the grease popping. Chris, Josh and I are drooling and I realize just how hungry I was. It seemed torturous now to have to wait for it to cool down to avoid injury.

"Anyways, Jordan," Josh starts. I look at him again. "You don't have to drink, or whatever, even if it does accentuate your... your lameness." I frown again. "But no matter what, if anyone makes you feel unsafe please let me know... I've got no tolerance for that sort of thing."

"Do you promise not to prank me over the trip?" I ask, moving so that my body is facing him as much as it can in the booth. He does the same, straightening his posture as our knees touch. He doesn't move away from me.

"What?"

"Because that's my biggest concern, Josh, honestly," I admit. He seems taken back, glancing at Chris as if for help. "I don't want to wake up with my mattress in the woods or with a snake in my bed or rats in my coat pockets." I try to sound stern. Josh makes eye contact with me and doesn't look away. I almost shy away, but I hold. His eyes scan my face, for what I'm not sure. But it makes me nervous.

"Guys, you're freaking me out," Chris gulps. "Can we please just eat the pizza?" Josh's lips form a thin, straight line and he sighs, finally looking away from me.

"If it would make you feel safer and more comfortable and have more fun," Josh starts, placing his right hand over his heart and raising his left. "I will not pull a single prank on you." Chris's jaw drops. I open my own mouth to say something, and Josh puts some pizza into my mouth. It was hot, but just cooled down enough to eat. "Now eat." His face is darker, a light red dusting his cheeks. As I take the pizza from Josh, Chris and I lock wide eyes, the both of us shocked.

"Thank you," I say. Josh shrugs, his expression one of frustration and mild embarrassment.

"Yeah, whatever. Don't think too much into it," he sighs, his head turned away from me in an attempt to hide his expression. "Just don't want you to freak out and ruin the mood for everybody else." Instead of my normal frown, I smile to myself. This time, I had the feeling that he really was just trying to hide that he cared about me just a little bit - even if it was solely because I was his best friend's cousin. The number one sign that this was the case was still evident as I glanced under the table at my thighs.

Our knees were still touching.

-----------

Hey y'all, thanks for your patience waiting for the update. I work a LOT and on my one day off I'm busy, too. I try to have at least 3k words per chapter, so it takes a bit longer. Anyways, thank you!

Taglist: @sc4rrc @mattymxmo @cellyx33 @jenepleurepasbaby @kalynnjonas @spinback-kiva @frankcastlesvest

[13rurururi]

Haganezuka Hotaru Having a Crush on Being In Love with You (SFW)

Pairing: Haganezuka x Fem!Reader

Requests are open!

Whenever you're in close proximity, this man tries his absolute hardest to appear as nonchalant as possible — thank heavens for his mask, or else you'd instantly see his beet-red face.

Haganezuka is someone who lives on extreme emotions; from his rage towards Tanjiro breaking his craft to him feeling like his heart is about to burst from his chest whenever you smile at him — you have him (unknowingly) wrapped around your finger.

You may think he absolutely doesn't care for you, but he isn't the type to verbally express his affection; instead, he'd give you small gifts (like the last stick of Mitarashi Dango) or offer to polish your katana. This man's time is precious, but he'd always set aside time for you.

Once you got closer with one another, you opted to call him by his first name, Hotaru. The first time you uttered his name, you were undoubtedly worried he'd throw a fit because of how cute and unbefitting it is for a swordsmith like him. Surprisingly, he only grumbled and looked away (he was absolutely blushing, by the way).

You continue to call him Hotaru, and the villagers around you are so wary whenever you do so but end up pleasantly surprised to see how calmly Hotaru responds to your beckon. He's so smitten for you.

He's also quite the jealous type, seething in quiet rage towards anyone who dares flirt with you. You better be certain he has his four knives out and sharpened.

You really began seeing him as a close friend, as you've shared many afternoons together, talking about how each other's day went. You definitely laugh in endearment as he rants to you about his client (poor Tanjiro).

You were satisfied with your connection until, one day, Haganezuka built up the courage to tell you — in the most stiff, straightforward, yet genuine manner — that he is in love with you.

Let's not lie. You were surprised, to say the least. Haganezuka never showed any desire to be entangled in a romantic relationship. Kanamori even occasionally mentions how his rough, difficult personality is the main cause of his bachelor status at the age of 37.

Your entire image of him was simply upended once he muttered out his confession, his gaze faltering to your side, unable to maintain contact with your widened eyes.

You've always found him absolutely stunning under his peculiar mask — his amber irises framed by his upturned eyes; his pretty lashes that greatly contrasted his constantly furrowed brow; not to mention, his long, smooth raven-colored hair that cascaded down his muscular back — he was undoubtedly attractive.

You felt a twinge of jealousy at the thought of other women staring at his figure with evident interest.

You also funnily felt pride at the fact that they most likely could never truly handle the entirety of Haganezuka Hotaru — they weren't like you, who could calm him with the sound of your voice (as if you were the embodiment of a wind chime) or patiently sit with him as he yelled about his annoyances.

Maybe he wasn't just a friend, after all.

"Forget what I said,"

Haganezuka twisted his figure to steadily walk away from you, but you grasped onto his firm bicep to cease his escape.

He looked at you in mild bewilderment, simultaneously worried and hopeful with what your response might be.

You smiled your ever-so-gentle smile — the same smile he fell in love with and said,

"I like you, too, Hotaru."

Haganezuka's face held the most wonderful expression you have ever seen, and you were stuck between wanting to stare at his face for the next few minutes and the desire to kiss his lips that fell agape.

No worries. Hotaru decided for both of you and held you close as your lips met his for the very first time.

And it definitely will not be the last.

A/N: I am so in love with this man right now; my head is full of him. Please feel free to send requests! If you want an NSFW version, I am more than willing to serve, hehe.

[starlightbelle]

I’m a violinist! Hope you don’t mind me chiming in 😅🎻

Strictly speaking, you’re supposed to loosen your bow strings when storing your bow so the pressure doesn’t break them (they’re horsehair generally unless you go with synthetic fibers, and very sturdy but they can still break) or warp the shape of the bow itself

I maybe wasn’t the best model for that because I was not in the habit of loosening my bow strings, even when I played every day. 😅 I was very careful though. If Brook had similar luck with his bow as I did, then the practice of sheathing/unsheathing it really wouldn’t be much of a problem (as long as it was rosined enough beforehand to still produce sound)! Plus he’s had 50-plus years to refine the skill! 😆

My biggest concerns would be the storage for the violin itself. Wooden instruments and humidity/water/extreme temperature changes do NOT mix well so I’d be concerned about traversing the Grand Line with a violin without a proper case to protect against that sort of thing. 🤔

But it wouldn’t surprise me if Brook didn’t spring for a nice-quality instrument so maybe the wood selected for his violin was made to withstand the turbulent conditions of the Grand Line specifically, in addition to regular sea travel

Thanks for giving me a platform to ramble a little! I haven’t gotten to apply my irl knowledge of violin to Brook yet so this was fun to think about!

I don’t know anything much about violin storage but Brook taking his bow out of a sheath like a sword is fuckin awesome

[solarpunkani]

what are some things we can do to make the world better?

Gosh, this is a big question. It's also definitely something that's been on my mind for a long, long time. I mean, honestly, how could it not be?

I'm not gonna be able to provide any revolutionary, mind bending answers on this. I'm honestly something more akin to a coward, if anything--I'm not gonna be able to recommend going to protests or rebel action without being a huge hypocrite.

I guess what I did is pick a couple of topics to try my best to learn as much about as possible, so I can know what I can do to help, and then try to do as much of that stuff as possible. So in my case right now its gardening. I basically went 'oh? Butterflies and bees and pollinators are at risk due to habitat loss? Is there anything I can do about it?' Learned about what I could do about it (start a garden, grow certain plants, avoid certain practices like using pesticides and herbicides in said garden, etc.), and then did as much of that stuff as is reasonable for me. And then I also shared what I was doing with other people, and encouraged and helped them do it too if they're interested.

Is my rinky dink mismatched chaotic pollinator garden changing the world? Making the whole entire place better? Not necessarily. Maybe it's making the world a bit better for the pollinators that stop by though, and if I can convince more and more people to start pollinator gardens then it can help more pollinators. I bounced off from pollinator gardening to grow vegetables too, which I can then share with my community (donating to food banks/community fridges, or just offering some to the neighbors) which can definitely help as well.

You can use this process in other aspects too. Monarchs and milkweeds is what caught my eye and drew me to pollinator gardening, but maybe it just doesn't hit for you. Maybe you're more interested in fish, or ecosystems in rivers and streams. You can look into ways to help, and maybe then you'll get into cleaning riverbanks and such. Or maybe you're moreso interested in something like food scarcity and food deserts, and you can then launch into making community gardens or a system of community fridges and harrassing legislators calling your local representatives to back initiatives that will help. I think asking yourself 'what can I do about abcxyz', learning about it, and then doing what you can is definitely a good place to start. And maybe what you learn will lead you to going to things like protests and doing rebellious actions--in which case that's fantastic! The world needs a lot more people who are a lot braver than the woman behind this Tumblr curtain. Or maybe it won't--and that's okay too. We can do what we can together.

Will you change the entire world? Make the whole world better? Probably not, and I probably won't either. I don't think one person alone can change the world. But we can improve the worlds of a few creatures in a local area, or make the world better for people in our communities. And I think that's at least worth an effort.

If anyone else wants to chime in, by all means feel free! And if my advice sucks I'm sorry.