#also yes i have been doing my best to keep track of what time zones you all are in

[janeway-lover]

Me, awake at a ridiculous hour:

Mutual, also awake at a ridiculous hour:

Me: .....

Mutual: .....

Me: go to sleep!

Mutual: no! you!

[gallivantingheart]

pillar of warmth

who?: assistant!seungcheol x CEO/management!(f)reader

word count: 1424

genre/s: non-idol!au, hurt/comfort, angst

warnings: stalker, invasion of privacy (mentions under the cut), swearing, inaccurate corporate and construction industry mentions (pls I'm sick of food corps.)

synopsis: you finally find evidence of your stalker and call your assistant seungcheol in for back-up.

a/n: trying to stretch those angsty muscles. Also cheol's muscles in a plain black tee.

The way the controller flies out of your hand has you screaming, scrambling in thin air. You cringe when the decoration your downstairs neighbour got you as a housewarming gift teeters dangerously on the shelf and tips to shatter on the wood floor. Well there goes your Just Dance session. Carefully you stoop down to collect the pieces, going still when you find more than ceramic and a lightbulb. A device with a lens, now shattered as well. Some kind of other accessory as well, still softly beeping. Electrical tape keeping it all neatly twined together. Your mouth dries up and your stomach goes through your feet.

Your stalker. Has been beneath you this whole time. Tracking your comings and goings so easily - that was how he knew about the company drinks. You feel as if you’ve been doused in slime. The notes and packages of outfits just when you complained you had none.

I can’t wait for you to try it on. Please wear it when you leave.

You scoot back on your butt away from the shards, a choked sob breaking free. It’s been here for months. You let them right in!

You let yourself cry, the pause music in the background, feeling as if the rug has been yanked out from under you.

Then the sun went down and the switch turned itself off after being idle for so long and the silence returned you to yourself. You had evidence now to prosecute. Quietly you put the device on the coffee table and gathered the shards into a plastic bag, then a paper one from your last shopping trip. You grabbed your phone and changed as quietly as you could in your bathroom, nothing out of the question. Then you sat outside your flat in the safety of a bug-free zone and called Seungcheol.

He picked up in two rings. “Miss, it’s your day off. Are you okay?”

His voice is so soft and attentive your chin wobbles. “I- no I’m not. Can you please come to my building? We need to go to the police.”

You can hear rustling and banging. “Why! What happened!”

“I have evidence of my stalker and I want to take it to the police but I…I can’t go alone.”

Then still again. “What? You stay right there - I’ll be less than 10 minutes.”

“I-I’ll meet you out front.” You murmur.

He grunts agreement and his voice gets closer as he tucks his phone to his shoulder.

“Okay. Do you need me to stay on the phone?”

“Oh no, no. I’ll be okay. Please don’t tell anyone though.”

A huff. “Of course not. See you soon, Miss.”

He hangs up and you wade back inside, picking up the bag. You'd put a sweater and scarf over top to hide your shame.

The elevator trip down felt tense and you wished you weren’t lazy and took the stairs. So was waiting in the lobby. Just as the white lights of Seungcheol’s car flashed over the top of the hill -

“Hey, I’ve been calling you. Are you hiding from me?”

A shiver rockets up your spine. A wafer thin smile on your lips as you turn.

“Huh? Have you? I’m sorry I’ve been super busy.” You mumble.

“Too busy for me, your best neighbour?” His easy smile sits funny on his mouth and makes your skin crawl, as does the way his eyes dance.

He’s seen far too much of you and your stomach twists.

“Yes.” You’re a little firmer, sight moving to Cheol’s car starting up the lane.

He peers into your bag and your heart lodges in your throat. “What’s that? Where are you going at this time of night?”

Then his hand is on your shoulder, too heavy. Oh God, oh no!

“I-I a friend’s place. She has a thing and…she likes my scarf. I said - well, I said that…”

The car breaks yanks to a stop and Seungcheol comes out flying, brow creased. You surge for him.

“Hey, hey, are you alright?”

You make a negative noise, mouth pressed shut. His arm curls around your shoulder but you lead him to the boot of the car. Yunho, chases after.

“Hey, did you just lie to me?” His voice is stern but shrill.

“Back off. We’re busy.” Is all Seungcheol says over your shoulder.

“No, no I’m not finished. You avoid me and now you’re lying. Where is our friendship, huh? Was it all shit to you?”

You drop the bag in the boot, eyes screwed shut. But you can hear his breath and see the beep of the recording light in your mind and you see red. You break free of Seungcheol and spin around.

“YES! Yes it is! Because you’re my stalker and you lied to me! You-you’ve been listening and recording me and creeping me the hell out ever since I moved in. Leave me alone!” You scream.

“He’s your stalker.” Seungcheol’s voice is a deep growl.

Yunho goes white then red and you’ve never seen a face so grotesque.

“You’re a lying, stuck up bitch! Some CEO bullshit when really you could have had it easy with me. I gave you so much and you gave me nothing! Didn’t you want me so bad you’d crawl? I heard you!”

A bucket of cold water. That wasn’t about him at all. That was about…

“Fuck off. Get out of here before you lose an eye.”

Seungcheol’s hand is splayed out behind him to protect you and you can barely see over his shoulders, a black cotton wall. Your eyes prickle and you tip up your head to stem the tears.

Seungcheol surrounds you with his body and that soft spiced pine scent you would sink into. He murmurs and hums, gently swaying the two of you. Your face is buried so deeply in his chest you can’t see any light.

“Shhh, it’s okay. He’s gone. You’re safe.” He says, lips in your hair.

You twist your fists into the fabric of his shirt. “God, it’s been horrible.”

“I’m sorry. Come on, let’s get this to the station.” He murmurs.

Seungcheol shuts the trunk and guides you to the passenger side, even going as far as buckling you in, smoothing your pants over your knee. He gets in next and it’s a quiet trip to the police station, seeing as he doesn’t want to push you and you’re not up for giving any info.

He’s such a gentleman and a pillar in your figurative storm, sticking with you the whole time you give the broken ornament and your statement. He only moves twice - once for the toilet and another to get you a crappy hot chocolate from their self-serve machine, and that was only because you tucked your fingers into your sleeves and badly buried a shiver from the barren cold of the station. The detective takes both the camera and listening device away for any assets retrieval, leaving you at the desk.

“Hey.” He’s soft and you turn.

“Yeah?”

“You’re doing great, you know. It’ll be over before you know it.” He continues.

There is a respectable distance between the two of you but you miss him. You need warmth that was human and safe. So you reach for him and grab his free hand, holding it between both of yours, squeezing it briefly before moving it to your lap.

“I just…I don’t know what to do next. I really loved my place but I can’t stand the idea of being anywhere near him any longer.” You sigh.

His hand squeezes back in return. “Don’t you worry - that’s my job now, as your assistant. We’ll call Cully after this and put you up there with her for the night. I’ll find a new place with as much security as you could want and by next week it will be a fresh start.”

As your assistant. You wanted more. But propriety said no. Your position and pay check said no. Your drunken confession as you burst into your apartment said yes. You bite your lip and nod. You didn’t like feeling so powerless. You were the CEO of Helios Construction for goodness sake, leading corporate construction in South Korea. You were supposed to be strong and dauntless. Instead you were meek sitting in a cold unforgiving police station clutching Seungcheol’s hand like it was the only thing tethering you to the earth.

“I- yeah. Sounds like a plan. Thank you, Se-Cheol.”

He blinks, surprised at your informality and gives you a warm expression.

[3cremepie3]

SAVANACLAW ROOK + LEONA TAG TEAMING READER TO SEE WHO CAN MAKE EM CUM FIRST

Do over

Synopsis - Savannaclaw!Rook and Leona’s heated debate finally comes to an end when they see you alone after practice! Leona and Rook x gn (afab) reader

Warnings - mentions of primal/prey kink, semi public sex, threesome

A/n - when I saw Savannaclaw Rooks card (not sure if it’s real) I literally moaned thank you for requesting this!! Sorry it was so short I was having trouble coming up with ideas 💗.

“Ahh.” You sighed slipping in the naturally warm water. Your butt hit the mysterious stone underneath you and you sat listening to the bubbling of the waves. This was a stark contrast from earlier in the day. You were permitted to attend the bustling spell drive practice.

Vargas had sealed the fate of your “gym classes” as this last month ago and you hated it. Sweaty loud loud-mouthed losers that all wanted to be the best were the only members that consisted of the team. And there was Leona their leader who was actually the best and seemed to have something personally against you.

Not to mention the huntsman who was obsessed with keeping an eye on the team. Even though he nor you were a member. You allowed your naked body to untense as you dunked underneath the water. You probably weren’t supposed to but who cares? You stayed there opening your eyes to the huntsman himself.

You immediately jumped out of the water at the sight of him. “What the absolute fuck you perverted freak,” you shirked. “No need for name-calling I just didn’t want to embarrass you. Remember Y/n nakedness is nothing to be ashamed of. As a huntsman I’ve seen all types of bodies no worries,” he smiled. You backed away in a corner bumping into something or someone.

“Don’t scream you’ve already done enough of that,” Leona groaned. “Why are y’all in here,” you questioned. Your hands went to cover any bit of your exposed body. “How long have you guys even been here I can’t believe I didn’t see you!”

“Enough with the questions this is our swimming hole,” Leona declared. “Yeah we come here regularly to hunt,” said the huntsman himself. “I don’t even want to know what that means,” you grumbled. “Well my bet was right Leona you owe me now don’t you,” he smirked. “What bet,” you asked.

“That you would come to the hot spring again. We’ve been tracking your movements for a couple of days now,” Leona confessed. “For what purpose,” you gasped. “Well me and Rook have been in a competition. We want to prove whether a lion or a huntsman would defeat their prey first.”

“Oui oui now obviously it’s a huntsman! But our results have proven to be inconclusive so far,” Rook frowned. “We haven’t been able to catch much valuable prey but things change with time. Which is something lions don’t seem to understand.” While Rook was talking Leona drew closer to you until his hand touched your shoulder.

You shivered due to the cold air hitting your back. “Don’t worry herbivore we would never hurt you.” Yes, mon amour we just want to see who can bring you the most pleasure. Who could make you explode until the only thing you can do is cry out our names? After all, you are one of the most beautiful creatures on this planet and you deserve to be cherished for the rest of eternity.”

“Stop all that rambling so we can hear them answer,” Leona yelled. They both shut up awaiting your answer. You thought a lot about it although they annoyed your core they were attractive. They were also incredibly skilled athletes with nice bodies. And although their personality lacked substance a hookup wouldn’t hurt you.

They wouldn’t go too far, right? Well, they weren’t exactly the most trusting either. “Hey!” You’ve been zoned out for a couple of minutes now. Aren’t cha’ gonna answer us?” Fine I agree but don’t hurt me,” you huffed. “Of course beauté.” Leona’s hand snaked around your waist and pushed your body into his.

You could feel his already hard erection on your back and you shook at the size. “Don’t worry I’ll make it fit.” His size is quite a lot huh? Well, what do you think of mine?” Rook pulled his cock out of the swim shorts he was wearing revealing a size about the same as Leona. “Not too bad for a human,” Leona muttered.

Your legs closed tightly together to cover your quivering hole. “Come on don’t get too shy now. Yes, we love every part of you let us see you.” Even though they spoke kindly of you shyness still forced you in the same position. “Fine then.”

“Rook lift with me okay.” Yes, Roi des Lions.” Before you knew it you were on Leona’s shoulders. His face faced your heat and Rook went directly underneath you leaving no room for exposure. You held onto the top of their heads maintaining your balance as they worked at your folds.

"Oh my god," you moaned. It felt so good already and they had just started. You bit your lip trying to contain your voice. They must've noticed your change in volume because they quickly broke apart from you. "Come on herbivore how are we supposed to know who's winning if you won't make a sound?"

"Let us hear that sweet voice, Trickster." Fine but I'm only doing it so I can feel good again," you huffed. You opened your hips wider allowing back in. You could feel yourself dripping at the sinful acts going on between your legs. And you could hear it all the slurps and groans had your eyes crossing.

Their tounges clashed regularly fighting for a spot towards your clit. You could tell the difference between the two as Leonas was textured due to him being a beastman. He never stopped his antics on your bundle of nerves. While Rook although still rough around the edges like Leona went to explore your body.

He kissed along your thighs and towards your fluttering hole which welcomed his tongue inside of you. He caught the many juices you began to leak without missing a drop. Leona purred as you grabbed his hair pulling him closer to you. While Rook snickered as his nose poked at your insides.

If you weren't so fucked out on pleasure you would've realized just how humiliating you were being. You were getting eaten out by two of your teammates in a hot spring. Granted that hotspring was far out from the dorm anyone could see you at any moment.

And instead of being frightened, you were turned on. After all, you weren't the only one risking your reputation. Leona a housewarden was now feasting on your puffy overstimulated clit. And Rook his dormmate who's always accused of being a pervert would be proving others right.

That's why you weren't afraid of pushing them past their limits as you came. Their hands came to support your now limp body as you spasmed. Before you knew it you were dropped back into the welcoming hotspring water. They sandwiched you and you used their bodies as support as your legs were weak.

"So mon amour was it the patient huntsman who won? Or was it the bold Lion that made you cum first," Rook scoffed. Your eyes pointed towards the sky not wanting to meet there's. Hmm, I don't know since both of you went for me at the same time. I think we'll have to do that over."

[fabbyf1]

Hiiiii so I might be completely wrong with this one, but I think you’ve once mentioned that you went to the Austrian GP?

If the answer is no, pls ignore this ask, I’ll be embarrassed

If the answer is yes, would you mind giving some insights to a first time GP-visitor who is only mildly anxious about it?🥺🥺

Did you have GA? Did you camp there? If yes to either pls share some helpful insights 👉🏼👈🏼

Also what can I expect from stuff like the fan zone? What’s the food and drink situation like? Were you able to hear on track commentary? Do I have to run and hide because things are scary and everyone is going to hate me?🙃

BESTIEEEEE I would love to answer these questions for you.

YES, i went to the 2022 Austrian GP!! (shoutout to the gayest lestappen celebration ever.)

i drove to the track every day, so i did not camp. there were plenty of parking lots (big grass fields) with free parking. there were TONS of signs on the highway and on the local backroads directing you to the track. i had no problems finding it, even on the first day. i stayed at an airbnb about 45 minutes away (because it was GORGEOUS) and i never had any issues or sat in too much traffic getting there each morning.

i sat in the T3 grandstand, which was a fucking HIKE. a HIKE bestie. my calves are still burning. it's hard to tell from watching the race, but that shit is way up at the top of a hill, and the parking lots are all down at the bottom near the pit straight. there was no way around hiking that bitch every day lmfao.

there was a big screen right near me, but they don't play the sky commentary on it. every race i've been to there's been a local commentary instead. so in this case, it was german commentary. so if you don't speak german, you won't know what's happening. (pov you're me trying to translate what i could to my Texan bestie because she was LOST lmfao. don't worry guys, i got this.) the cell service wasn't great, but you'll have to keep in mind that my lil American phone was data-roaming and literally trying it's best lmfao. so it might be different if you have a European plan. not sure how that works. but if you have data, you could pull up the sky commentary to listen to and that would be helpful in knowing what's going on.

i'd say the biggest drawback to going to ANY race is that... it's really hard to know what's happening. even if you can fully understand the commentary. it's not the same as watching it on tv. it's not a bad thing! you just... might be a little lost sometime and miss a lot of the on-track action. it's fun to watch the race afterward and see everything you missed.

the food and drink situation was pretty good! there were lots of different stands selling all sorts of food. everything i ate there was really yummy. it was all pretty reasonably priced, from what i can remember. our tickets said no outside food or drink, but i brought a reusable water bottle with me every day and they never stopped me at security.

please drink LOTS of water. more than you think you need. especially if you're drinking alcohol. and wear LOTS of sunscreen. the sun was insane.

there were lots of reports of fans (specifically female fans) being harassed during my race. which is honestly... so fucking disgusting. and i'm so sorry that happened to people. but thankfully, i never ran into any problems. everyone i met there was really nice and everyone in the grandstands seemed to look after each other. and it's not just because i'm a max fan either... i have a very obvious Lewis tattoo on my forearm that lots of people commented on lmfao.

but as your Cool Aunt, i would say... regardless of your gender or your appearance: be cautious, don't get too drunk, keep your eyes open, and always have an escape route in your mind. but that's my advice for anyone leaving their house though, lmfao, not just a gp.

i think you're going to have a great time, bestie. i loved that weekend so much. idk if you're a local or have been to Austria before, but if it's your first time there, i hope you enjoy it. it's one of the prettiest places i've ever visited. i can't wait to go back one day.

[lestappenforever]

Am I still shaking? Yes. Is this my dream podium? Also yes. But here’s my post race analysis since it’s Half time in the Premier League and I’m still nervous (this time for Arsenal)

Aston Martin is in a mixed state. At one hand, Alonso’s crash cost him, and the team the race, but on the other, Lance did do everything he could to finish in the points. And it was such a solid performance from both, but due to Nando’s pit start, he wasn’t able to get them points

Mercedes are starting to look better. Is it a major jump? No, but they were both able to overtake, and slowly getting there

Haas are a midfield team we have to consider no matter what. Nico with an EPIC drive, just shirt if points and Kevin making up places, to end right behind Nico. They needed that change and it’s impacting them positively.

VCARB, also a team that needs to be on the radars. They are good, pit stops are so good consistently, with the stops not exceeding 3 seconds like their competitors. Multiple solid performance and almost consistent points scored. They are on the climb, and it’s honestly something that makes me personally very happy. Also Yuki Goat

Williams, the team and the car is so shit, pits today were so bad. THEY NEED TO ASSESS THEMSELVES BEFORE CRITICISING THE DRIVERS. Alex having to retire and Logan doing his damn best in an overweight, not upgraded car. Yeah they need a wake up call.

Ferrari, the upgrades are quick, and that’s something that we can all agree on. Carlos was okay, but Charles drove his heart out today. Keeping Oscar behind him and putting pressure on Lando, it’s something that we all have to acknowledge and respect. And give Ferrari the credit with the car they built.

McLaren are showing teeth, Oscar with the full upgrades, Lando on that high. This team will be in contention for the top 3, and as we saw today, strategy, track layout and having the car that can put pressure on RedBull. (Those laps will haunt me)

Finally Red Bull. Checo, as a start, did rewlly well considering the set up that idk what was up, but it is what it is, and his starting position, especially since the track doesn’t have much overtaking zones. From P11 to P8. That’s good, but not enough for Red Bull standards. And he needs to wake up not to lose his seat. As for our Number One. Firstly, he’s number one for a reason and A DAMN GOOD ONE. The car wasn’t the fastest all weekend, with Friday the car being a full blown shit show. Saturday the set up being good, but nit testing the hards and getting pole when not even expected, and finally today, driving his actual heart out, and with his experience, keeping Lando behind him for 5 laps with less than 1.5 seconds gap, and then not having any type of tiny mistake when he knew it would cost him, he’s the best for that reason, and that’s why he and GP are considered the best engineer-driver duo on the grid rn, because they know how to communicate and how to win, even if the car wasn’t the fastest. Also, giving credit where credit is due to Sebastian Buemi and Jake Dennis, who have both stayed 11+ hours both in the sim back at base to work on and perfect the set up. This victory couldn’t have been possible if not for them.

So yeah, Imola done and dusted, probably one of the best races I’ve ever seen, but also one of the most nerve racking ones. I’m still shaking from Lando Max battle, though I enjoyed it. We got our Lestappen Podium. And tbh it was my personal dream podium. And hope you enjoy Jurgen’s last game, I know it’s an emotional one to say the least❤️

Wonderful analysis as always, my darling! And as always, I don't have much to add so I'll just leave most of this in all its glory.

The only thing I will say is that I wasn't really worried about Max and Lando. Had the race been longer, yes, I definitely would have been. But as it was? I didn't worry about Lando overtaking Max at all. But it was such a fun race even so, and I'm always happy with a Lestappen podium in addition to a Max win!

To be perfectly honest, I have been a mess since before kickoff and I'm still struggling to properly wrap my head around the Klopp era having come to an end. But what a beautiful, emotional send-off he got. (Virg and Trent crying at full-time shattered my fucking heart.) I can't wait to see what Arne Slot will bring, and I'm undeniably excited about the future. But right now I'm just sad and empty that Jürgen won't be there next season.

I'm really sorry Arsenal didn't manage to get the Premier League title in the end. I would have much preferred seeing them win it instead of City. ❤️

[crystalelemental]

I have begun FF8, and am about 2 hours in. All I have done is beaten Ifrit, and immediately began what I do best: optimizing.

I have a problem.

So okay. All I remember about this game is that it has level scaling, where enemies (maybe just bosses) scale to your level (or Squall's specifically? Unclear). You overcome this not through leveling, but by Junctioning your magic spells to stats in order to ascend to higher levels of power. As part of that, converting enemies to cards via the Card command is essential, as it negates EXP gain but keeps the AP for upgrading your summons.

So I looked at my summons, and went okay, I need to upgrade several things on Quetzalcoatl right now. Like the ability to turn things into Cards, and the ability to upgrade basic spells to mid-level spells, as well as all three summons' abilities to convert items into Fire, Ice, and Lightning/Wind spells. The end result is that now I'm grinding out basic skills and refining to T2 spells like Fira, which takes forever because you need like 500 basic spells but can only hold 100 at a time, so you draw from enemies until you hit cap then refine them, then do it again, until you have 100 of all of them.

I'm going to be honest, the remaster's 3x speed is a godsend on this. I am perhaps being overly focused on immediate optimization. There's no requirement for me to do this, after all, and those spells will undoubtedly become available later on. I also don't intend to avoid all levels by converting literally everything to cards. I'll probably do it for bosses, but mostly because those are the really good cards. We'll see if I keep it up, though. I'd like to avoid Triple Triad forever if possible.

The main issue this situation raises is one of creating a blockade to player progress. Yes, I do like having the option to overpower myself in a game. However, when the main blockade to that is one of time, it becomes frustrating, because I know I can do this and frankly, I'd want to anyway. But having only time block you if obnoxious, because now the exchange is one of real life hours.

To give an adjacent example: Atelier. I've been shilling this a lot lately, but the Atelier games, in many situations, allow you to overpower yourself in mid-game, with equipment that can carry you through the end just fine if you know how to rotate your materials and combine traits. In the Arland games, this track to becoming overpowered does take time, but mostly it takes tracking your materials and traits, and cycling them into creations that eventually land on forging materials for conversion. It's an active, cerebral process. The Dusk trilogy is a bit different, mostly requiring you to have arcane knowledge of where the good items and traits can be dug up, which is a bit frustrating but can be circumvented with persistent exploration over time. You're not meant to immediately know how to do this stuff, after all.

But then there's the Mysterious trilogy, which removed the time limit mechanics and allows free exploration, where the early overpowering set in Atelier Sophie requires...running around a zone collecting a shitzillion materials, until you reach search level 5, when you can start to find the good stuff. It's effectively the same outcome: around this point in the game you can overpower yourself if you know how. But one of these focuses on the main ingredient being innovation, one focuses on foreknowledge, and one focuses on your time. Guess which one I like the least.

There's a quote that I've heard a lot, but couldn't attribute it to whoever said it first, that goes something like "Given the option, players will optimize the fun out of the game." The general takeaway being, you have to avoid letting players optimize by constantly resetting or aiming for a perfect outcome right away. You have to incentivize playing through your failures. Because absent a real reason to...no one is going to. And I think this kind of optimizing falls in a similar category. Unless there's an internal incentive not to...I'm probably gonna do it. Especially because you don't know when it might be necessary.

That Sophie example? Yeah, shortly after that point, depending on how you progress, you run into really strong enemies that will beat your shit in without better equipment. Doing this process is tedious, but it does turn the tables from really hard, to completely manageable, in little time. FF8 is similar. The long, visceral memory I have is that this is the only Final Fantasy game I couldn't beat the first time. I didn't know enemies scaled to your level and hit 99, and I didn't consider the card game relevant, not knowing about card conversion to items conversion to spells. When you don't know it won't punish you later, the sensation is "I can put in the time now to overpower myself and have a smooth ride, or I can be forced to put in the time later while tearing my hair out." If you know that's a transition that's coming? You're probably not going to replay that game very much.

Fortunately for 8, I don't know it's going to happen, I could've just sucked at video games as a kid (I did, still do). But it feels like it will, and the speed setting at least makes this a tolerable amount of time. I can't say much about the game, but I'm having a lot of thoughts about this so now it's everyone's problem.

[blorbologist]

Hello! How do you get over writer's block? i'm writing for a poetry competition and the deadline is at the end of the month. The poem I'm working on now is halfway done but for some reason I'm hitting a wall when it comes to the part I really want to write if that makes sense? I feel like I have no inspiration to finish even though I know how I want it to go, and the worst part of it is that I want to start another project T^T how do I do this??

Hi anon!

It's a really, really tricky question to answer, especially due to the deadline. My usual advice would be related to not rushing it, which is... not great if you do have a timeline to adhere to.

Here's what I've got to offer:

Skip ahead. There's no hard rule that you have to write this bit before the next. Even if some of what is to come relies on it, you can make little notes and go back to edit it later.

Write an outline of the scene. No, really - you might know exactly how it goes, but writing it down both puts something on the blank document and might clarify bits you hadn't realized you were struggling with. Even better, there's often a natural inclination to just... dig a bit deeper, which might get you writing some dialog or paragraphs that occur to you that you don't want to forget. Breaking it down really helps!

Take a break. Yes, there's a deadline. No, stressing yourself silly won't help. If the muse just won't flow, be kind to yourself. If you've been bashing your head into a wall and are getting frustrated, take a break. Get away from a screen, or read a book, or take a walk.

Once that's done, though, if you aren't making headway, start brute forcing it. It's not nearly as gritty as it sounds: you just want to get words on a page, whatever way works best for you. I like to do speedwrites (short, timed writing with a friend where we just get as many words as possible onto a page and edit later), because the friend participating holds me accountable and makes me Competitive! And I'm forced to write without Overthinking, which sometimes takes the scene in a new and interesting direction! You can also set writing goals per day, like NaNoWriMo, or write it like a script with just the bare bones of what you want to happen. A little pressure helps some people stay on track.

Change your perspective. Write in a coffee shop or a quiet corner of the library, or make a nest in your closet. Switch up the environment!

Likewise, get yourself into work mode. For me that means a drink (water or coffee) and I must be wearing pants and socks to convince my brain that this is Not goofing off time.

Find ways to stay motivated. Do you have any friends you can share snippets with? The enthusiasm is a great way to keep muse flowing. Or if one part is giving you trouble, hashing it out with a kind listener is great. Reward yourself for reaching your goals! Snackies!! Reread what you've written before bed - I like to do it to catch typos and marvel at what I half-remember writing.

Break out a dictionary, or an old-ass book. Look for some weird but cool words. I compile ones that inspire me. Recently I've added grotto (from a tumblr post), ream of paper (from a fic) and appetite (from a paper) as far as words that Hit Me with some muse. Maybe you'll use them, or maybe they just give vibes. Collect them like flowers.

Finally... you know yourself best. Be honest about your goals, your comfort zone, what you know will motivate you... and then shove yourself just a bit past that. One of these ideas might be just what you need to get yourself where you want to go, but you'll never get there sticking in the same space that caused writer's block forever. Those tools clearly don't work - try out that jackhammer, even if it seems a little scary. Apparently they're really fun to work with!

I know most of this is focused on longer form writing, but I have limited experience with poetry, woop.

Please let me know if any of this helps, I'm cheering you on anon! <33

[captainskyson]

AO3 Q&A

Saw this from @talldecafcappuccino a while back and saved it for later, mucho life happened and I forgot about it, then just found it again in my drafts and thought “hey, it’s been a long time since I’ve done a Tumblr q&a post. Why not.”

1. How many works do you have on Ao3?

132

2. What’s your current Ao3 word count?

1,803,382

3. How many fandoms have you written for and what are they?

On Ao3, 7 - but I can think of 3 more off the top of my head that never saw the light of the Internet. A handful are just one-offs, too. But the full list I can think of, most-prolific to least, is: Agents of SHIELD, Buffy, The Blacklist, Harry Potter, The Man in the High Castle, Longmire, CSI, MCU, Ted Lasso.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

GH-325 (Agents of SHIELD) - my first baby! I hadn’t finished, due to show circumstances and becoming a bit disillusioned to writing for it (the show, not the ship), but I refuse to give it up. It’s still a wip, just in long hiatus. Too many people have supported this one over the years for me to give it up… despite the apologetically loooong hiatus.

I Need A Bad Idea (BtVS) - my true baby; this fic is a beast. It’s ridiculous. When I first surpassed GH-325 word count numbers I wondered what the hell I was doing - now well beyond, I just roll with the chaos. I deeply appreciate the love on this one because I’d still be doing this nonsense even without it - so it’s very encouraging to have it. ❤️

Sweet Nothings (The Blacklist) - to be honest, I’m just now discovering this is my #3 kudos’d fic. A pleasant surprise! This one was pure fun to write, and I’m more than pleased to give Lizzington shippers something positive to indulge in, considering… everything.

A Cover Is Not The Book (BtVS) - one of my earlier BG fics. A fully light-hearted story which I know can be rare for these two haha.

Secrets and Surprises (Agents of SHIELD/MCU) - my indulgent attempt at writing a Tony Stark-Daisy Johnson friendship - FUN. Also, of course, Lola is a main feature. 😍🚘

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not.

I try to! Even if it’s just a thank you - I really do appreciate every single comment on a story and I like to try and show that. Sometimes I accidentally miss some, but yeah usually I do my best to respond.

6. What’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending?

I don’t do angst very well. I’ve been told otherwise (😅) but I’m just a sucker for my happy (or at least hopeful) endings. Two of my Buffy fics, Shrike and Beloved, are pretty angsty UNTIL the end… lol.

7. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written?

Not as a habit. Technically a few of my AoS fics could count as crossovers, even though I’m firmly of the belief that SHIELD *is* just as canon as the rest of the MCU (Or it was??? I lost track of the plot after season 6.) A number of years ago I wrote a Buffy/MCU crossover fic that just makes me laugh now… it’s a little nuts, as it spawned from a weird dream I had haha. It was actually also my first Ao3 posting for my beloved ship…

8. Have you ever received hate on a fic?

Oh yes. The most hateful comments tend to spawn elsewhere, but I’ve had two or three silly-gooses forget that they have a ‘back’ button on their Ao3 browser. 99.9% of the time Ao3 is a lovely community though. But I also tend to live in smaller corners of fandoms, we keep to ourselves. 🤙

9. Do you write smut?

Does one make lemonade out of lemons? 🤣 🍋🍋🍋

10. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I know of.

11. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Yessss - Lemon Giles! I am deeply proud of this collab. It was one of the most magical writing experiences of my life. Two people, a shared Google doc, opposite time zones and a chaotic level of shippy feels 😂 It was so much fun.

12. What’s your all time favourite ship?

Oof magoof. This is a tough one. My knee-jerk reaction is to go BG, as that’s definitely been the most affecting ship in my life (as far as real-life friendships and relationships made and heroes met and goals inspired etc). But Grissom-Sara from CSI: Las Vegas has been close to my heart for an even longer time. I also deeply adore Longmire-Vic… it’s not often a tv show follows the books (sort of), and/or canonizes your otp. At least, not when it’s any of *my* otps hahaha.

13. What was the first fandom you wrote for?

If my memory serves, I first wrote for CSI, but I first posted online for Harry Potter. On Ao3 specifically, my first posted fic was for Agents of SHIELD.

14. What’s your favourite fic you’ve written?

Oh dang it, I cannot pick one answer here. I have different reasons for favourites: “Shrike”, because a friend and I actually had that one printed and bound (for funsies and a gift to a fellow friend, not for dough) and my copy ended up read and signed by someone I adore. The Infinite, because Coulson-Mace was a ship fandom of like, five (bless you), and I’ve never felt Mama-Bear about a ship before, but those boys are just… so much to me. Plus, working on that story had helped me mourn a sudden real-life death of someone close to me. “I Need A Bad Idea” is my favourite in regards to the amount of work I put into that one. It’s so satisfying when all the research and brainstorms and notes come together into a ready-to-post chapter.

[loveforlandonorris]

🎤 Lando at the post-race press conference in São Paulo:

Interviewer: Lando, let's come to you now. Let’s cut to the chase. Was that your best start in Formula 1? 6th to 2nd in just a few metres.

Lando: In terms of position changes, yes. I don't think it's my... like, the quickest one, but it's all relative in the end of the day. So, it was a pleasant surprise to come out in P2 (laughs) already after Turn 1. I was expecting, and we planned a lot for, like, you know, 20 laps in traffic and some overtakes and a bit of fun. And I still had fun, but from P2 already.

So, it was a, yeah, a good step up from yesterday. Obviously, that's where I lost out to Max. Not 'cause I had a bad start, I still had one of the best starts on the grid. It's just Max's – especially with that second phase – was extremely strong. So more just comes and goes and today we did some more homework on it and tried to get everything in a better window, and it all paid off. So yep, a good surprise and a good step up from yesterday.

Interviewer: Second start didn't look quite as sharp and it got pretty close with Lewis Hamilton at Turn 1 as well.

Lando: Yeah. But I held onto 2nd, so it was fine (smiles).

Interviewer: Now, look. We’ve just heard Max's analysis of Red Bull vs McLaren today. Do you agree with it, in that your pace was similar at the start of each stint but then he then pulled the gap?

Lando:  Yeah, I think, you know, similar to what we saw yesterday in the Sprint. Like, I'm not far behind for the first, you know, 10-15, 17 laps, but that final phase, I just drop-off a bit too much. And I don't know if it's just we're a bit slower and I’m pushing a bit more to try and keep up, and then I pay the price, or it's just a little bit of our tyre degradation is not quite as good and we suffer in the slow speed quite a bit with the rears, and that's where we struggle then with the lap time in the end. So, yeah, clear things to improve on, like I said yesterday, but still a very positive day for us.

Interviewer: And do you think an overtake was genuinely on, on that lap when you were very close to Max after the restart?

Lando: I mean, "was it on"? I mean, I tried (laughs). But I just wasn't… you know, we struggled too much in Turn 10, Turn 12. It’s where the Red Bull’s extremely competitive and where we struggle, have struggled all weekend. Apart from when we’re on new tyres, and of course on that restart, I used my new tyres and Max didn't. So, I thought if I was gonna have one opportunity, it was gonna be there and then. So I used all of my battery, and of course, had DRS and then you... you start catching them very quickly.

I had a good, then, line in Turn 1, Turn 2, but Max also had a lot of grip. So, you know, if it was maybe later on in the stint, his line in Turn 1, Turn 2 would have been a lot more compromised and a bigger penalty, but because the tyres were still fresh and provided a lot of grip, he got a good enough exit that I then only got alongside him, just before the braking zone for Turn 4. So, I mean, I tried, I would have tried to get past him if I could, and I wanted to, but just, yeah, a couple more metres would have been lovely (smiles).

Interviewer: Great. And final one from me, Lando. Can we get your thoughts on Vegas and whether you think McLaren are gonna be competitive there?

Lando: No idea. I mean, I don’t think we were expecting to be as competitive here as we probably have been. So we're still surprising ourselves. I've... I gave up on guessing where we're gonna be nowadays. I mean, I'll... (smiles) probably after Bahrain, I didn't wanna think of where we're going to be. But yeah, it comes and goes, you know?

I think everyone expected Mercedes to be extremely strong this weekend and were nowhere. [Everyone] expected Ferrari to be a bit more competitive and weren’t, so I think no one really knows. Everyone just says guesses and presumes, but no-one knows until we just get on track. So just let's wait and see (smiles).

Journalist Questions:

Q1 (Maria Clara Castro – Car Magazine, Brazil) Congratulations to all three of you, but my question goes to Lando. You said on Thursday, during the press conference, that you didn't have great memories from Brazil. So looking back to the whole weekend in general, would you say that Brazil has at least a little bit won Landinho’s heart?

Lando: Yeah, I now love Brazil, it’s one of my favourite places (laughs). Yeah, I mean, yeah. I just haven't had any good weekends. It's not that I have not liked Brazil, I've loved it. And I, you know, I'm gonna spend the next 4 days here. I came out already on Monday before and spent some time with my friends, so I do enjoy it here. And, you know, away from the circuit I've always enjoyed. I just haven't had any good races and I think of course this weekend has turned things around a little bit.

So yes, it's definitely been a positive weekend. Definitely boosted my confidence here in Brazil as an outline, and I think that's a very good thing, so I've enjoyed it. Yes, it's been a good weekend, another Pole… I say "Pole position", I would never count a Sprint race pole like a proper Pole (smiles), or a Sprint race win as a proper win. But yeah, I think it's been a very good weekend from start to finish and I've enjoyed it.

I enjoy the challenges, I enjoy the people and I have a lot of friends here, like I said then. So for [tries to pronounce 'Landinho'] Landin, Landinho... Like, between Portuguese and, Portuguese and Brazili... (a journalist answers "Brazilian Portugese"). Brazilian? Okay, I didn't wanna say it wrong. I'm not gonna say 'Brazilian' (laughs). There's this... quite a… 'Landinho' and ‘Lanjinho’, so I'm still working on it (laughs).

Q2 (Pedro Krug – RF1 Journalismo) Lando, today you managed to keep the same pace as Max for part of the race. Do you think if the team gives you a car to fight for wins next year, maybe a title?

Lando: Maybe. I think, if... like, I've just been just saying to Max, like, since, what, since we brought this upgrade to Austria, I've been the 2nd highest scoring driver on the grid. I think we've been the 2nd highest scoring team, potentially. So, yeah, of course, we've taken some massive steps forward. And at the same time, like, considering we’re talking about fighting the Red Bull, I think it's still a very, very good thing, for what we've achieved this year.

We're talking about one of the best drivers in Formula 1 ever, in one of the most dominating cars and obviously that's a... it’s a pairing and things have to go well together. But we're talking about, you know, a guy who's scored 16… or (turns to Max) How many wins? Oh, 17, sorry (laughs). I apologise.

One of the most dominated years of Formula 1 history. And for us to go from where we were in Bahrain to getting close and talking about fighting a Red Bull I think are very good signs for us. And we know we still have plenty more things to come next year. So I'm excited. Having that as a thought, it’s quite a faraway thought, you know, and I don't wanna think of that just now, there’s no point thinking of it until next year. But I'll be optimistic, and I believe we can do it as a team.

Q3 (Jake Boxall-Legge – Autosport) Lando and potentially Max as well. Lando obviously made a fantastic attempt to try and, you know, get the lead from Max. We saw you fall away a little bit after that.  Was that a, sort of, strategic retreat and you were gonna come back at him later? Or was that just, sort of, a matter of tyres falling away?

Lando: Yeah, it was a strategic retreat (laughs) after... I mean, I didn't... The opportunity to race against Max was only gonna be for a few laps. You know, we weren't gonna find, all of a sudden, the pace we needed to compete against him for a whole race. And Fernando was behind me, and, you know, we know that their race pace - especially when, you know, the majority of the time, when it's high deg and certain things - that they can have very good race pace.

So yesterday he didn't have clean air, today he was gonna be in an opportunity and in a position to potentially just achieve a lot more. And I didn't wanna compromise my own race by having one more attempt. At the same time, I was low on battery, and those types of things. And if you overheat the tyres too much too early, you can pay the price quite heavily (smiles).

So, I tried. It wasn't worth a 2nd attempt, as much as I would've loved to, and I think potentially could've done. Just, yeah,  it wasn't sworth the risk and consequence – potential consequences of then being in the hands of Fernando and the people behind.  So, it was... yeah, it was good fun. Like, I thought... you know, if there was a little bit more space, or if I was literally a couple metres further down, things could have been a little bit different.

But at the same time, to then try to keep Max behind for the rest of the race would've been a whole new challenge. So, good that we're getting there and I had an attempt. I think that's one of my first attempts at really trying to race past him, ever (smiles), in my career in Formula 1, which is a good thing. But yeah, that last little thing needs to click and then we can do it more often.

Q4 (Rodrigo França - Car Magazine)  We're heading to Las Vegas, the third race in the US. And course Liberty Media turns some of American emotion to Formula 1. Do you drivers like it, the behind the scenes stories, the Netflix and everything? Or are you just focused on the driving part?

Lando: I mean, with... [I] pretty much echo their thoughts, to be honest [Max & Fernando], nothing much different. I watched, I think, the first episode I was ever in, which was, like, end of Season 1, and that was it (laughs). And that was all I saw. So... yeah, like, thing is, when you know everything that goes on, it's nice when they make you look good, but then sometimes they also make you look bad. And it's like, you know the real truth at the end of the day, so it's still a show, it's to entertain people. It's not there to provide, yeah, maybe the most honest things about everything.

So it's... I don't know, it's for the business, right? It's a business, Formula 1, so it's an entertainment. As much as I don't do it for entertainment, you know, if it didn't get televised and all of those things, it wouldn't really matter, you know? I just wanna do the driving, and that's why I'm here. I'm not here to do all the interviews and enjoy all of this stuff. I love Formula 1 because I love to drive and compete against these guys and race and do all of that stuff.

And even since I've started, the media has risen a lot more. But in the business world, it's... probably makes sense because there's more money and all of those things, and that's normally how it works. But, yeah, as drivers (laughs), it's not the thing that we enjoy too much of, but it's... some perks of it, I guess.

[nightswithkookmin]

MY MOST TOXIC TRAIT

Is thinking Jungkook would have killed Vibes 😔

Vocally at least. That pop groovy style is so Jungkook. So it surprised me when I read reviews from other blogs and they are all seemed to suggest that Taeyang stepped outside his comfort zone for this. One of these days I will sue auto correct.

The song in its entirety is reminiscent of BTS's recent pop songs and style. I swear I could hear and feel BTS in the song. Or perhaps it's because I'm used to listening to JMs voice intertwined with V's Jin's and Jungkook's. But I also wondered if whoever wrote the song had BTS in mind. Won't be surprised.

It reminds me of My Universe. The drums, the beat the pauses- especially towards the end of the song.

But this Taeyang person brought something to the table. He sounds very seasoned and confident and I love his swag. It's everything the song needed to be transformed.

Looking at him, I think of Suga and Namjoon and even Hobi. Not sure if it's because he's mature and a hyung but I think he shares a similar style of delivery when it comes to his swag.

I always say this, in my head of course, most of what excites me about the hyung line is their attitude, their delivery and then the whole package.

Jungkook has swag but he has a lot of humility too. Not sure if performance wise he would have been able to pull off that swag and attitude and bravado this song needs.

Jimin himself seemed a little reserved in the performance. Except for the opening. And a few sprinkled moments here and there.

I've seen Jimin go crazy on a track during performances on stage. I've seen wild hip thrusts, and sexiness and Diva vibes and energy and seduction and oomph.

It's frustrating when he tries to be gentle won't lie

And it's crazy how he complains of muscle aches but will keep going and pushing himself. He's so disciplined and such a professional.

Vibe is a Vibe.

I wish Jungkook leaned a lot more into himself.

I want to see sexy, and swag and attitude.

I remember he said he struggled with filming his part in Dynamite. Seems he struggles getting it up sometimes.

See this why you gotta sniff some shit sometimes. Wash it down with Heineken and go your merry way. I'm a blogger and sometimes even I have performance anxiety 🥴

Don't do drugs kiddos. Drug bad😌

During dreamers he said he wasn't even nervous which is awesome. Can't wait for his turn when it's time to do promos and release his album.

My obsession with Dior.

People don't seem to understand why Jimin's dior is such a big deal for me. Sometimes I forget we all have different experiences and joined the Fandom in different time lines.

Jimin's dior is a big deal because Jhope's dior was a big deal for me and for the Fandom.

Remember this?

Yall remember this epic dior moment??

This moment shook the entire Fandom and had us talking for years unend. I still remember this sensation like it was yesterday.

This is the brand JIMIN IS THE FACE OF

The biggest moment in fashion history

And for them to crown JM 👑 as ambassador implies so many things. The spoils go to whomever they felt represented the brand well, whomever slayed, whomever wears it best- yall see where I'm going with this???

Toxic I know but someone has to say it😫

Won't lie, Jhope's Dior outfit was a killer moment

It gave Micheal Jackson level insane

Thriller king of pop energy

But then there's Jimin in all his andro glory

What a cultural moment whew take me back

What I'm saying is Dior is the IT BRAND

We talking top of the top tier

They scream daddy

They are daddy what's up

And yes, Jhope could have easily been the first Asian male artist face of Dior. He killed that look. But it's not about that one moment of daddiness kiddos. It's the aggregate. The sum of all the daddy moments

Jimin is so Daddy he makes daddy look like baby.

Whoever this Kim jones person is they are not Just PJM they are PJM vvip. Classy.

Just as I didn't shut up about JHope and that dior moment, expect to hear about JM and dior as long as I'm out here😓

THE FIRST ASIAN MALE ARTIST TO REPRESENT DIOR. WOW. JUST WOW.

It's like they were waiting for him to go solo to snatch him off the streets. I'm not mad at that🤭

JIMIN'S ALBUM

Yes, grab a seat I'm letting it all out.

I've said nothing about this because truth is I'm nervous 😅

I don't know what the reception will be like. Sometimes his own fans will turn around and say they didn't like it 🤷🏾

People like to set themselves up for disappointment by having expectations and when those expectations aren't met they get disappointed.

I'm doing the opposite of that. I don't have any expectations whatsoever. I want to go in with a clean slate and consume whatever he has made objectively. He might try something new, something old, introduce us to new things, remind us of old things, reminisce, give us butterflies in the stomach and make us feel nostalgic.

Some of his songs will make us dance, some will make us cry, some will be on replay on the drive or it won't. Regardless I will be so happy and excited for him because this is his first project.

It's not a make it or break it situation. He will have so many years ahead of him to make new songs different songs and so many opportunities redeem himself or make hit songs.

I don't want him to feel a sense of pressure thinking he has to get it right. He is simply making a foray into new territory. No body will judge him based on his first album. It's his second that matters. And even that the third will matter more and the forth and the fith.

You can't live in your past glory and whatever you do today is already gone.

If you mess up today tomorrow is an opportunity to redeem yourself. You just have to try and keep going.

So no, I don't have any expectations. Whatever he has done is already great and I know in my hearts of hearts I will enjoy it regardless.

Well done Jimin.

Keep going.

Keep making songs.

We have your back.

Just do a live often chilee😩

What's a kpop idol if you're not vliving like crazy.

[discoblocks]

Yknow what I’m also getting kind of sick of people being like “actually the lore never died out and dsmp is actually active but just because it isn’t your faves on the server you haven’t been paying attention smile” like actually yes I have!! I watch foolish like every single day he streams, when Hannah and boomer log on I do my very best to check up on them and see how it’s going. Nearly every one of eryns streams on the server I have been there for at least part of it, and when Michaelmcchill logs on I am in that guys chat, and the only person who still streams dsmp often that I don’t regularly check up on is Ponk bc he’s usually live wildly outside my time zone. If someone is on the server, I know about it! And I’m very lucky to have a schedule that lets me keep track of that, not a lot of people do! But fundamentally their time on the server is very different from Tommy and Wilbur’s and Ranboo’s and Quackity’s and etc!!! And it certainly is nothing like how the server used to be, with just crowds of people live for most of the day, on the server, and lore practically every day. I have been paying attention, and the fact of the matter is, the content that people are talking about when they say they miss lore and talk about the lore drought isn’t the content that is currently being put out.

The people that are active on the server right now are lovely people and good streamers, and they deserve success, but they are all every single one of them lacking the same amount of time and emotional commitment that has been invested by fans and ccs over a full year towards the storylines being done by “bigger” streamers. I fully respect the new lore and content being produced and I’m very excited to see what will happen with it, but it’s very much in its beginning stages, and straight up is not in the same scale yet. It could! Later down the line if it becomes it’s own big storyline with the same level of character analysis and theories and canon-life-losing levels of drama, then I will one hundred percent be onboard with people saying it should be considered equal with the storylines from “their faves”. Like, egg lore, that certainly reached the same scale and it’s unfair to try and claim it’s not real important plot lore. But in regards to the lore currently being done by “smaller” streamers that are active, truthfully, right now it is not at that scale, and it honestly strikes me as so disrespectful to try and claim these two things are the same.

The whole reason why people are saying that there is a lore drought is because their faves aren’t doing lore and aren’t active on the server. They have invested months into this storyline, agonizing over fanworks and filling up the tags with character theories, so excuse them if perhaps they would like a little catharsis for all of that emotional investment.

Imagine for a moment a hypothetical murder mystery series that has been strung out over the span of a year but the killer still hasn’t been revealed. The identity of the killer is the light at the end of the tunnel, by finding the killer you come to the resolution of the story and finally have all the puzzle pieces to solve all the mysteries, but it hasn’t happened yet, so you are paying a lot of attention to see when it finally gets revealed. You are emotionally invested in seeing this story through, in seeing this murder solved. Now imagine another new murder mystery series starts coming out that is completely unrelated to the first except for it shares a few characters that were not key players in the first series. It might seem interesting! But it is still very much in the introductory and exposition part of the story, and is not tied to the first series plot wise. And at the same time, the original mystery series you were invested in seems to drop off the face of the earth. You hear rumours of more coming out soon but never definitive and never the killer reveal you have been waiting for. Are you really surprised when the second series doesn’t get the same attention as the first?

TL;DR: the reason people are sad about the lore drought even though there is still lore happening isn’t because they’re ignoring these smaller streamers, it’s because they’re still seeking emotional catharsis from the storylines that they originally joined the fandom for, and those storylines have disappeared, even if other streamers are introducing new ones

[lost4pandora]

This is something I wrote a while ago and was previously posted in a private server. The gist of it is if Player was basically a Lucario. That's it. That's the story. It's also written in the second person because my brain said to.

_______

In Which You Have Four Different Panic Attacks For The Same Reason

A search and maybe rescue mission, that's all this was. If only you knew how much more difficult it would be.

Four had headed into a dungeon alone some time ago, since it was his Hyrule and it would be best if he went in to check it out. You weren't sure why Time agreed to let him go on his own, but you supposed you shouldn't be too worried. As small as he was, he packed quite the punch.

But he had been gone for over six hours, dungeons took maybe two at most depending at what pace you set yourself at. But even then, it shouldn't take this long. So you were tasked to go look for him along with Wild.

You see, though your time with the Chain was short, you've proven yourself to be invaluable with your innate ability to track down any person or object. The Chain wasn't quite sure how you accomplished such a thing, but if they were to ask you where something or someone was, you'd almost be guaranteed to find it faster than any of them. You were a living compass, a pathfinder, the guiding North star. It definitely influenced the nickname they gave you, which was Compass.

They weren't wrong, but if only they knew how you truly achieved such a skill. Aura wasn't a power known to this world. It existed, yes, but the populace wasn't aware of the power it held and the concept that it could be used. It's a secret that you would rather keep to yourself, for the greed of men has killed many for power like this. Though perhaps you would one day tell it to your new friends. You knew they were good people at heart, despite what some might tell you.

Their auras were so unique, so distinct that it was no wonder that you were able to keep track of them so easily. Hell, you even managed to track down Wind who found himself on the other side of the Hebra Mountains. It was a good thing you did too, or else the poor boy would have likely froze to death. Time gave him a good scolding for it that day.

So that's why you were here. They figured if anyone could find Four, it would be you. You wouldn't lie, you were touched at how much faith they put in you for this. Though they were good natured, the world hadn't been as kind. It taught them not many could be trusted as that trust they gave had only hurt them in the end. So you swore you would do everything in your power to make their jobs and lives a little bit easier in whatever way you can.

You stepped into the dungeon, torch in hand and raised it high to give you some semblance of what you were looking at. Well, you could see fine, the torchlight was more for Wild, not that he knew that. Or anyone, for that matter.

The room was large, and the remnants of monsters hung in the air. Four had definitely been here, you could feel the lingering trails he left behind. You were wandering in, signaling Wild to follow. He nodded and trailed close, keeping watch for any leftover monsters or traps Four might have avoided or missed.

But then you stopped, staring blankly into space with your mouth slightly ajar.

You… you were feeling that, right?

You weren't crazy?

Because you swear that you could sense Four… in four different places.

Have you finally lost it? After all the adventure and becoming the fabled Guardian of Aura, is this really where you were going to dive off the deep end?

"-mpass. Compass! Hey!"

You snapped back into reality, blinking rapidly before locking eyes with Wild. He seemed worried, looking over you for any other problems.

"You zoned out worse than I do. Are you okay? Do we need to go back?" Wild had asked, glancing over you worriedly.

You shook your head. "No, it's just… I don't know how to put it into words."

Wild seemed to look in understanding. "Don't try too hard, it won't do you any good."

You nudge his arm with your elbow as a friendly gesture, smiling awkwardly. "Thanks, I appreciate the concern, but um… there is something wrong."

"What is it?"

"I don't know where he is."

Wild blinked. You didn't know where Four was? And you were quick to add.

"I mean, I know he's in here, I can feel it in my gut. But I can't tell where, my mind just gets fuzzy and it feels like I have a-" you groan and raise up your hands to rub your temples, "-headache."

Oh, great, you have a headache. That's definitely helping you and Wild right now. You groaned and buried your face in your hands, shaking your head.

"I'm sorry, I'm not being helpful," you said, looking over apologetically. "I don't know what's wrong…"

Wild shakes his head, placing a comforting hand on your shoulder. "Don't be sorry, it might be the dungeon messing with you. I've seen it happen with the others sometimes."

You nodded and kept trekking on, determined to find Four despite the initial problems, so to speak. Wild didn't argue or protest, and simply stuck close to you as you walked the path deeper in. There weren't many traps, or monsters, it was a quiet journey to the end.

You perked up when you felt someone approach, turning to see the multi-colored tunic of a certain blacksmith. Sighing in relief, you and Wild jogged over to him, calling his name as he turned his attention toward the two of you.

"Wild? Compass? What are you two doing here?" Four had asked.

"You were gone for longer than expected, we got worried and came to look for you," you explained, nodding at him.

Wild hummed in agreement. "We got concerned when we entered and Compass couldn't seem to pick up on where you were."

Four's eyes widened a bit at that, looking over at you, who was rubbing your neck sheepishly. "Really? You couldn't find me?"

"It was really weird, I couldn't tell where you were," you admitted, "It's almost like… you were in multiple places at once? Oh, that sounds dumb, doesn't it?"

Unbeknownst to you, Four had paled just the slightest amount at the phrase, his eyes shifting through a specific set of colors before fading back to a soft honey brown. Though he was quick to shake it off at a moment's notice to avoid suspicion.

"That's odd, are you sure you're okay?" He asked, gingerly moving his hand up to adjust the green band on his forehead.

"I think I would be better if we left this dungeon. I'd like for this headache to not become a migraine," you answered, rolling the joints in your shoulders and neck. "I'm also guessing you made it to the end of the dungeon? Did you find anything worth your while?"

Four shrugged. "Just some rupees and an item or two. Nothing great but still useful."

Wild seemed content sitting back and letting you and Four speak, since he had other things on his mind. But decided to speak out, "We should head back, before the old man sends someone after us next."

You and Four nodded, motioning to head out of the dungeon from whence you came. Leaving you to think about what exactly happened, and you weren't going to let it go for a while.

Perhaps you could ask Wolfie for cuddles to get your mind off of it.

[the---hermit]

How to read more

I want to start by saying that I am a firm believer that it is not important how much you read. The number of books you have read at the end of the year has no meaning. The thing we should prioritize is the quality of what we read. It's better to have read 3 books you loved in a year, than a hundred of mediocre books you did not enjoy.

This post is mostly for those who want to read more consistently, make more time for reading, people who want to get back into reading after a long time, or to start in the first place.

The idea comes from personal experience, believe it or not I used to hate reading. I despised it. I have quickly mentioned it in previous posts, but I started actually reading out of my own free will when I was 14 or 15 years old. And still after that I have always been (and I still am) an incredibly slow reader, I used to be very inconsistent, and with school and everything, I only really read in the summer months. In these past few years, not only I have truly fallen back in love with reading. I have also, for the first time in my life, created a reading routine that works for me, I started to be more consistent, and overall this has made my reading experience much more enjoyable. I don't think I have the supreme reading routine, and believe me I have a lot of things to learn (like how to avoid my fear of big books, or how to commit to series, or how to get out of my comfort zone, and so on), but here's a few things that have helped me so far.

Set small goals

This is quite a broad point of the list, as it covers different things. Firstly if you want to have a yearly goal, be realistic with it, yes it can be a motivation challenge, but start with smaller goals than you think you can accomplish, it will be more motivational. Secondly, I am a strong believer that monthly, weekly and daily goals are way more effective than yearly ones. I do set yearly goals, and I really enjoy looking back at all the books I read during the year, but to me it's mostly a looking back thing. The goals that actually motivate me are set on the daily and monthly. I keep track of those in my bullet journal (and if anyone is interested in how I use my bullet journal in these regards do tell me, cause I could make a whole post on that). I don't always do monthly TBRs, but I do like to write a few titles to keep me inspired on what I could read at the beginning of the month. I also keep track on whether I read a bit each day. (I only consider reading for fun, as my studying process is usually made up of reading. I keep reading for fun and for university very separated).

Make it a daily habit

Linked to the previous point, one of the best ways to read more, and have a reading routine, is to make an habit out of it. I personally found that after I started to have specific moments of the day for reading I was much more consisten with this habit. I have two main moments during the day, and an optional third one. My personal daily reading routine is to read first thing in the morning and last thing before going to bed. The additional reading time is during my lunch break, sometimes before dinner aswell. Reading first thing in the morning has proved to be expecially good for me. Ever since I started regularly doing it, not only I have read more, but it has improved my morining routine so much. By reading I don't burn my eyes with digital screens as soon as I am awake, I am more motivated to get out of bed, and I found it to be a great way to get my brain to wake up gently. Same thing in the evening, reading can be helpful to wind down, and not starring at you phone or laptop before bed helps your sleeping a lot. Anyway whenever you decide to have reading sessions, the more consistent you are in the time of the day the more likely you are to keep up with the habit, because you are creating a specific moment of the day for that activity. Another important point to make is that your daily reading goal can vary on what you prefer, you could set a timer of half an hour, or simply decide to read a certain numeber of pages in each reading session. I either have an hour limit, or I have goals based on chapters.

Read more books at once

I honestly have no idea how people can read one book at the time, for me it has always been fundamental to have more than one book that I am currently reading. Firstly I am less likely to fall into a reading slump, because I have more than one souce of motivation. Secondly you can choose what is best for you depending on the mood, on how much focus you can put in that precise moment. I highly recommend everyone to try reading more books at once. I also feel that because of the reasons I said I get much more reading done, compared to when I have one single book that I am reading at the moment.

Pick what to read depending on what you feel

Another point to avoid reading slumps. You shouldn't feel forced to read if you are reading for fun (this will come up in the next point aswell). TBRs can be fun, and they can also be useful to motivate you, but they can also be damaging. If you realize that a certain book you planned on reading is not something that you feel excited about, don't force youself. You feel in the mood for a thriller? Pick that up instead, you feel like you need a light hearted book? Pick a children's book, or a graphic novel. If you just got a new book, and you are excited for that you should prioritize that book, and read what was on your TBR when you actually feel in the best mood to enjoy it.

Give up on books you don't like

This is direcly linked to the previous point. If you start a book, and you realize that's not what you expected, or you are not in the mood for it, or simply you don't like it, put it down. You have no obligation to finish the book, DNF it. It's something I still have to learn myself, and I have a goal to get better at it this year. I tend to keep books in my currently reading pile forever, until I finally pick them up again, or I force myself to finish them. I want to prioritize books I actually want to read, so if I start something I don't vibe with I leave it unfinished. Maybe future me will pick it up again, and will actually enjoy it. Or maybe future me won't pick it up, because that book and I aren't meant for each other. The point is stop forcing yourself with reading books you are clearly not enjoying, life it's too short to read books you don't like. "But everyone claims that that specific book is a masterpiece!" well, it might be, but maybe it wasn't meant for you. Also there's way to many so called masterpieces for you to actually read all of them, so give it up if you aren't vibing with it. "But it feels like giving up!" tecnically it is, but I don't see what's the problem with giving up, you are showing you are mature enough to know what you like and what you don't. And no, it's not a waiste of time, because you have now learned that that specific book is something you don't enjoy, so next time you'll know what kind of book to avoid.

Audiobooks

I have said it many times now, but audiobook have been one of the best things I discovered in 2021, and they have improved my reading so much. I adore them. Firstly they keep you company when you are doing other tasks, so you do read more in the end. I like to have one on while I clean, while I cook, and also when I draw or work on bullet journal spreads. They have motivated me a lot with going on more walks, so that's a bonus aswell. Secondly, you can listen to them when you would like to read, but feel too tired to focus on the page. This happens very often to me, since I have a lot of reading to do for uni. At the end of the day I would like to escape with a book, but I feel just too tired. Same thing when I have headaches, and I don't know how to fill my time, I put an audiobook on and just relax. Last but defently not least, have the audiobook on while you are reading the physical copy. As I have said I am a very slow reader, my focus sucks, and generally reading is a huge deal of energy for me. I do love it but it can be tiring, having someone else read the book for me as I follow the words on the page, makes me a quicker reader, and it generally helps a lot. (bonus tip, if you are trying to read a book in a language you are trying to learn this is the supreme method, you simultaniously see and hear the words, and it overall helps a lot).

Buddy read with someone

This, as the last few points on this list, is a great way to stay motivated. You can set goals togheter, and discussing with someone the books as you are reading can be highly motivational. This isn't something I have done often, but it's surely something I would like to try more.

Try small reading challenges

Again something that can help with motivation. You can find so many book challenges online, even here on tumblr. They are helpful because you do end up seeing other people's progress, which can be inspiring, and often it's a way to buddy read a book.

Surround yourself with other readers

If you hear other people talking about reading in a positive enthusiastic way you'll surely be more motivated to pick up a book and read. You can find people in your life, but also people online. Generally is just a great way to keep your interest up, you might find new books that call to you, or you end up discussing books you love with someone. Interacting with other book lovers is always an incredible experience.

These are the main things that came to mind regarding this subject. There's a million other tips and advices, and maybe in the future I will add a few. Untill that moment I hope this was helpful for someone out there, or even just a little bit inspiring to pick up a book and read.

[lesbianjunimo]

Water Fights with the OM Bros

it’s 90 degrees outside at my place and you know what that means!!! water fight headcanons because I refuse to go outside in the heat in real life asdhgskjdgks

once again i’m only doing the brothers bc i do not trust myself with the dateables just yet lmao

Lucifer:

Literally only agrees to join because you’re so excited about it.

“...If it makes you happy, MC,” are his exact words. Simp.

You did agree to make the game have no points though, to keep things from getting competitive. Both at the advice of Lucifer and because you knew he would not join if there was any chance he could lose. (Also because Satan is a menace but we’ll get to that later.)

When all the brothers are gathered he suggests everyone pairs up into teams. 

“You’re only saying that so you can cozy with M-” Asmo tries to say before being sprayed in the face with water.

“My hair!” “Oh, look at that. I suppose the game has started,” Lucifer hides his water gun behind his legs, but he can’t hide the shit eating grin on his face.

He takes your hand with a “Come along, MC,” and leads you away as everyone splits up.

You two make a surprisingly good team for this sort of thing! He knows the gardens well and also knows where each of his brothers is likely to go. You are quite skilled water water guns and balloons. He’s basically the brains and you’re the brawn. 

He snatches a few kisses now and then when you look back at him excitedly after smacking one of his brothers with a balloon. You’re just so cute!

When everyone is all tuckered out and goes off to shower and whatever, Lucifer hangs back with you to thank you for organizing everything. With a kiss to the back of your hand, he says, “I’ll admit, I was...skeptical, at first. But, as usual, you brought my brothers together in a way I haven’t seen in a long while. Thank you, MC.” 

Mammon:

“I’m MC’s first man, so I get to team with them!” “You’re also literally my boyfriend, but okay hun.” Cue Mammon blushing beet red at the nickname and muttering at you not to call him that in front of his brothers. (He doesn’t mean it; he loves that they know you’re his and vice versa.)

Strategically, the two of you are the absolute worst. But that’s because you’re both just there to have fun!

And have fun you do! You actually get in quite a few fun chases with Levi! He’s probably the most into the water fight out of everyone, the three of you are just running around the gardens pelting each other with balloons. It’s super cute.

Mammon is absolutely the type to yell “I’ll avenge you, MC!” every single time you get sprayed. 

Eventually, you and Mammon follow Levi’s advice and start hiding in places to catch some of the other brothers by surprise. Which would be fine if Mammon didn’t blush super hard and start grumbling because of how close together you were when kneeling behind the garden wall.

You roll your eyes and surge forward to kiss him. He’s so shocked he has no idea what to do with his hands at first. But, after a second of pause, his water gun falls to the ground with a clatter and he wraps his arms around you.

“Get a room,” Is all the two of you hear before Belphie dumps a whole ass bucket of water on your heads. Mammon growls and jumps up to get the youngest before Beel can scoop him up, but you grab his hand and stop him. 

You’re laughing super hard, and the sun is shining on your hair. You almost look like you have a halo...Mammon gives up the chase before it even starts because his MC is simply ethereal. 

“Mammon!” You smile brilliantly at him when you finally stop laughing. “I kissed you to keep you quiet! And then you managed to make even more noise!” 

He just hugs you then so you can’t see his blushing face. Stupid lovely human making fun of him. (He likes it, though.)

Leviathan:

This boy is literally the MOST excited when you tell him your idea. He was in on it from the very start.

He actually helped you get all the supplies! He opens his Akuzon account right away and starts showing you what water guns would be best and picking out huge packs of balloons made specifically for being water grenades. (Definitely had looked all this stuff up before in case he found a LARPing buddy.)

You ask him how much Grimm all this stuff will cost and he tells you not to worry. “I’ll cover it!” “But, Levi-” He interrupts you with big blush on his face. 

“L-Listen MC. You’re m-my Henry! And I know this will be fun, s-so...I’ll cover it.” You leap forward and give him a hug, triggering a surprised but equally happy screech.

Honestly he is so excited you proposed an idea like that of your own volition. Like...it just makes him feel like all the games and stuff he finds fun truly don’t bother you. You haven’t been lying; you genuinely are interested in the same things as him. It makes him feel so warm.

When everyone is still arriving, you grab one of your water guns and do that cool spinny thing. You know the thing. The cowboy gun spin. You’re like, “Hey Levi! Check this out!” 

BAM. Boy is OUT. So red his face is steaming. That’s the hottest thing he has ever seen in his entire damn life. What the fuck, MC. He is basically frozen on the spot out of sheer overwhelmed-ness as how hot that was. You have to drag him away when the water fight starts. Totally worth staying up all night figuring out how to do the spin trick with a water gun.

Once the action gets going, you two are unstoppable. No one escapes the fight unscathed thanks to y’all. All those late night Call of Duty sessions trained you for this!!

Your favorite tactic is definitely camping, though. You and Levi would pick a spot and hide there, waiting for one of his brothers to come by, and then...ATTACK!

If it actually were a competition, you two would’ve won by a landslide. But honestly, Levi didn’t really keep track. He was having too much fun watching you. You were so mesmerizing when you were in the zone and so gorgeous when laughing as you gave him victory high fives after a successful ambush. 

You let him take a picture of you posing all tough with your water gun and he makes it his DDD background immediately. And his lockscreen so you can protect his DDD from intruders.

Satan:

THIS ASSHOLE. THIS MAN IS THE REASON YOU MADE SURE THERE WAS NO COMPETITION.

If there was any sense of competition, Satan would’ve gone absolutely out of his mind to beat Lucifer. He would make sure to destroy that man’s dignity as thoroughly as possible.

So, for the sake of both him and the eldest brother, no points. No contest. He grumbles about it, but, much like said eldest brother, he still joins because he sees how happy the idea of a family water fight makes you.

 Satan treats is almost as seriously as Levi does. EVEN THOUGH YOU MADE SURE IT WASN’T A COMPETITION, HE DAMN SURE STILL ACTS LIKE IT IS. UGH.

Literally pulls a map of the House of Lamentation’s gardens out of his back pocket??? And puts it on the side of the fountain?? And starts planning maneuvers on it with you??? He pulls a pen out of his SWIM TRUNK POCKETS to use to point with and emphasize his points. You just blink at him. This is your mans. Good lord.

Considering his expert knowledge of the layout of the entire surrounding area of HoL from that map, he actually knows of some secret passages the other brothers don’t even consider. He takes you to them so you can use them to spy on what Lucifer’s the other brothers’ strategies are.

It’s only once you’re creeping around the tunnels that he realizes something: none of his brothers know where you are. They can’t bother you...time to make out.

Grabs your attention with a quiet, “MC” and gives you a smooch. Soon enough he is backing you up against the wall. A water balloon you have tied to your belt pops against the rough brick, interrupting the two of you.

Satan disregards it and move to kiss you again, but you let out a gasp. He’s worried for you for a moment: did you scrape yourself? But when you turn to look at him, there’s a mischievous glint in your eye that he loves to see. 

“My water broke!” You whisper-exclaim dramatically, covering your mouth in fake shock. Satan has to nuzzle his face in your neck to avoid laughing and filling the tunnel with the echo that would alert his brothers. The two of you basically just canoodle in the passages until the water fight is over LMAO

Asmodeus:

Pretty much just to show off how good he looks in a bathing suit to you and anyone else who happens to be lucky enough to witness his glory.

He’s not the best at water fights and ends up using you as a human shield sometimes adjgfkjshf

“Asmo! Stop hiding behind me!” “I am not letting Lucifer mess up my hair twice in one day, darling!”

He comments quite often on how hot you look. Both in your bathing suit and also when in the zone looking for victims to douse in watery fury. You look like an action hero, MC! Have you ever thought about becoming the next Bond? Asmo could definitely pull some hypnotic strings.~

Every time you successfully pull him out of the way of an oncoming water balloon or block a blast of water from hitting, he totally melts. He presses his back to your chest, swooning against you and batting his eyelashes.

“Oh, MC, my hero! My dashing knight in shining armor!” You scoff, but think it’s super cute. You even play into it sometimes and pick him up bridal style.

“The king is looking for you, my prince,” you say once as you lift him, and he actually blushes. Asmodeus, avatar of lust, blushes at a silly pet name. He was not expecting you to get so into the role!!! He loves it, though.

For the rest of the water fight the two of you are basically roleplaying a royal and his knight bodyguard. It is stupidly fun and the both of you have an absolute blast.

“Oh, MC, my darling knight! I have amazing news!” Asmo says after the fight ends. You’re drying his hair off with a towel. “Yes, my liege?” 

“In exchange for your wonderful and dutiful protection, you have been given permission by the crown to court me! Isn’t that wonderful?” He smiles and you throw your head back in a laugh. You lean down and give him a nice, long kiss on the lips before pulling away. “That is absolutely splendid, your highness.”

Beelzebub:

He loves the idea because it’ll get his whole family together and he knows it. He has to carry Belphie out there but that’s normal.

He helped you and Levi plan!! Excited boy. You filled him in when he joined you and Levi for a game night. He totally volunteered to go get some extra supplies from some nearby stores for y’all. So cute.

Once everyone is actually fighting, this boy WILL NOT STOP BEING A HUMAN (demon?) SHIELD FOR YOU. LIKE NO MATTER HOW MUCH YOU TELL HIM IT’S FINE, YOU’RE FINE, HE WILL NOT STOP.

“Babycakes, it’s okay. It’s water. It can’t hurt me.” “But I love you. I want you safe.” O H. O K A Y.

Someone call a doctor Beel just shot MC through the heart!!! He’s so genuine you just bright red and kiss his cheek because he deserve it.

“Well, I guess that’s settled then, huh?” He gives you a big Beel smile and nods, ruffling your hair affectionately.

Y’all get sprayed with water A LOT because your hungry boy is very big and hard to hide. Er, I should say HE gets sprayed a lot because he is a fantastic meat shield and you’re practically dry by the time the fight is over. He, on the other hand, is soaked to the bone.

He still insists on drying you off with a towel, though. The two of you dry each other off back in the twins’ room while Belphie dozes nearby in his bed.

You’re in the middle of drying his shoulders when he just starts talking. “That was really fun, MC. I’m really grateful for you. Ever since you’ve been here, things are always more fun. And you bring all my brother together. Thank you.” 

You damn near burst into tears!!! Ahhhh!!! You sniffle and jump into his nap, wrapping your arms around him. “But MC, I’m still wet.” “I don’t care!! I’m giving you snuggles!!”

Belphegor:

Literally does not give a single fuck about a water fight until he realizes it lets him throw shit at Lucifer with absolutely zero consequences. Then he is all in.

Beel doesn’t even have to carry him around during the fight! Once he is outside and realizes all the shenanigans he can pull, he is perfectly content to grab you by the hand and be the one dragging you around, for once!

You two will probably team up with Satan and Beel at various points. Beel because he’s Beel, and Satan because he and Belphie absolutely set water balloon filled booby traps for Lucifer.

That’s his preferred strategy: set up a trap and wait in the bushes, watching for the target to approach.

He’s definitely the type to yell “Every man for himself!” if someone catches you guys hiding. Unlike his twin, he lets you get totally soaked while he runs away laughing. Dickweed.

You guys have a lot of fun, though!! Seeing Belphie excited is always a treat for you. And, though he doesn’t say anything about it, Belphie also thinks it’s a treat whenever you scheme with him. You don’t join in on his mischief often, so he always cherishes the times you do.

Eventually, after soaking Lucifer thoroughly, Belphie eventually gets a bit tired. You, however, want to keep the fun going. So, just as he begins to dose off in your hiding spot...you spray him. Right in the face. 

He opens his eyes and sees you raising an eyebrow at him challengingly, giggling to yourself. He growls playfully and grabs his own water gun, quickly giving chase as you bolt. 

Being a demon, he’s much quicker than you. But he lets you think you can escape for a few minutes before catching up to you and wrapping his arms around you from behind. 

As you squirm and laugh in his embrace, he feels thankful he joined in on the fight, even if he was hesitant at first. After all, it led to this moment, where he can turn you around in his arms and give you a nice kiss as you melt against his chest.

[jenoismydad]

2 + 3 = You In Me

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Pairing: Tutor!Jaemin x Fem!Reader

Genre: Smut (pwp), Slight Angst, College AU

Words: 4.6k+

Warnings: 18+ content. Unprotected sex.

Synopsis: He agrees to tutor you and you end up becoming good friends even though you both so clearly want to be more. What happens when you let you bodies talk for you?

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Jaemin was coming over to help you prepare for a test. You had no clue how he'd agreed to assist you, but you were thankful nonetheless. Jaemin rarely ever studied with girls. Mostly because they were always hitting on him. But it seemed you were an exception. You wondered why but you figured it was because he was trying to make some extra money.

Yes, Jaemin made you pay him. He made everyone pay him so you didn't think too much of it. From what you'd heard, his methods never failed to prove effective. You hoped he could help you study well enough to pass this test. After all, a majority of your grade depended on it.

You'd spent a good amount of your time trying to prepare a nice study space for you both to sit at in your apartment. So far you'd only managed to clean your coffee table and place two cushions for seats at its feet.

Jaemin would be here any minute. You rushed to get everything you'd need for the day, wanting to keep it all ready so that you wouldn't have to interrupt the study session. Your bell rang not soon after. He was here on time.

Opening the door, you welcomed him with a smile. He nodded and entered without a word. Black track pants and a plain white shirt. Jaemin hadn't made much of an effort to dress to impress. He ventured into your dorm, looking around the place silently.

That's when he came across your makeshift study zone. He pointed at it and looked at you.

"We're studying here," he asked, placing his hands in his pockets. He sounded a tad bit dejected. Your eyes widened slightly in panic. Was he not comfortable with sitting on the floor? "Yeah, I figured. Is there a problem," you asked, fearing the worst for no reason. Jaemin shook his head. "Nope, I just thought we were gonna sit in your room. That's where most of the girls take me anyways," he revealed, flashing you a small grin. You immediately felt at ease.

"My room's kind of a mess at the moment," you admitted, joining him near your couch. He took a seat on the floor, placing the cushion behind his back instead. He cleaned his black-rimmed glasses and patted the space next to himself. "Let's get started."

Jaemin was a pro at breaking down the complex concept so that your pea-sized brain could understand it to the fullest. The only drawback with that method was that it took much longer than you'd like it to. Two hours later you'd only finished one of the chapters that would be coming for the test. You still had four more to go.

"Fuck it's already three o'clock," you complained, falling dramatically on the coffee table. Jaemin flipped his pen in his fingers and stretched his body with a yawn. "I don't mind staying overtime," he joked. He'd made a lot of humoring comments during your time with him. The last you'd heard, he tended to be quite serious, never straying from his purpose. Not that you minded or anything, but Jaemin wasn't really meeting the expectations everyone had set for him in your mind. Maybe they were just trying to intimidate you.

"Don't you have to study too," you asked, turning your head to glance at him. He looked at you and shook his head. "I already studied beforehand. Plus, this test's gonna be super easy. You pass it with a breeze," he admitted. As relieving as that sounded, you didn't wanna take any chances. What if he flunked the test because he didn't revise or something. You really didn't want to be the person he blamed when that happened.

"You don't have to stay for my sake. You can go home if you want to. I think I can manage on my own now." you flipped through the pages of your coursebook, sighing in despair. It was a lot to go through. At least you still had half the day left.

Jaemin folded his arms. "Don't worry about me y/n. Not to undermine you, but I don't think you can get through all of this by yourself. I mean, you barely managed to understand the basics. All those chapters just branch off from this one and get increasingly tough to learn."

If this was him trying to convince you to let him stay then it sure as hell was working. You groaned and sat back up. "You promise you won't fail the test because of me then?" Jaemin chuckled. "Of course not. I'll pass with flying colors."

So you resumed studying. Jaemin was right. What he taught you next was more confusing than the first chapter you'd covered. You regretted not paying attention during your lectures. Jaemin never got impatient with you. In fact, he took ample time to make sure you understood everything he explained to you. He was very thorough and you appreciated that. However the more knowledge you absorbed, the more exhausted you felt. It got to the point where you felt like you couldn't study any further. Jaemin then suggested that you take a small break. You couldn't have agreed faster.

"Once we're done you should go through the practice questions that I emailed you," Jaemin reminded, taking a sip of the soda you'd offered him. You gave him a thumbs up and fell on the ground. "You're a lifesaver Na Jaemin."

Jaemin chuckled and turned to you. "I'm guessing it's not just math that you're having a problem with."

You raised your head and narrowed your eyes at him. "Nicely deduced."

"We can get together to study together for your other subjects if you don't mind. No need to pay me either," he offered.

You furrowed your brows. "Jaemin the longer you spend teaching me the dumber you're gonna get."

He brushed you off. "I'm pretty sure it doesn't work like that."

"You never know, and besides, after today you should know that it's gonna take five hundred years to clear all my concepts. Do you even have that kind of time?"

Jaemin tilted his soda can at you. "You'd be surprised at how much free time I have on my hands."

You smiled. "Wait so you're actually agreed to be my personal tutor."

Jaemin rolled his eyes amusedly. "It was my proposition but yes. I wouldn't be your personal tutor though. Just a study partner."

You sat up and leaned back. "So like, studying in the library after class and stuff like that?"

He nodded. "If the library's closed we can come here or I can take you to my place."

You pursed your lips, considering his deal. But something paused your train of thoughts. "Wait a minute. Why are you asking me this all of a sudden? You hardly seem like the type of guy who'd study with someone else."

Jaemin downed his drink, wincing at the fizziness that clawed at his throat. "I've had fun studying with you so far. Like, you're genuinely dumb, unlike some other people I tutor who just pretend to be dumb so they can spend a few hours with me."

You raised a brow. Had he just called you dumb? "I'll try not to take offense, thank you very much."

Jaemin apologized with a laugh.

"Does it make you feel smarter in some type of way," you asked? Jaemin hummed in response. "It kinda does now that you mention it. But I also feel like it would help me revise and clear my own concepts at the same time."

That made sense. "Damn, and here I was thinking you wanted to do this cause you were interested in me."

Jaemin's eyes widened. You raised your hands in defense. "It's just a joke. Don't take it seriously," you assured. Jaemin relaxed at that.

"Let's get started again. We're almost halfway there," he said, changing the topic. You agreed and sat beside him again, pen in hand, ready to go.

_

You walked out of your lecture with a bright smile on your face and headed straight to the library. Sure enough, Jaemin was already sitting there, waiting for you patiently. You sent him a small wave and skipped over to him. Handing him your graded test paper, you watched excitedly as his eyes lit up.

"Oh my god. You passed!"

You squealed and sat next to him, placing your bag near your feet. Jaemin smiled up at you. "This is such a good score," he added, glad that he'd been able to help.

"Henceforth we're studying together for every single test. I don't care if you're sick or at a friend's house."

Jaemin laughed and nodded. "Sure thing. If it means seeing you this happy then I'm down."

You froze at his words, glancing towards him. He clearly didn't seem to realize what he'd just said. Maybe you'd heard wrong. It was possible. After all, he was whispering. You didn't exactly have the best track record when it came to listening anyways. Concluding that you were mistaken, you pulled out your books and got to finishing up your assignments.

A few hours later Jaemin and you exited the library. You both usually parted ways since your dorms were in the opposite direction. However today, Jaemin followed behind you.

"What are you doing," you asked when he jogged up next to you. "We should celebrate your achievement today," he suggested. That sounded nice. "Okay then, what do you propose we should do?"

Jaemin pondered on your question. "Let's go to the cafe. I'll buy you coffee and anything else you want."

Coffee was perfect. You nodded and agreed. Jaemin grinned and led you to a small cafe that was just a little outside campus.

You both entered the small shop, the tantalizing scent of coffee hitting your senses immediately. Even though it was almost lunchtime, the cafe was brimming with multitudes of students. Luckily, the queue was short.

"Go find us somewhere nice to sit. I'll buy us some drinks," Jaemin said, pulling out his phone. Before you left, you let him know what you'd like.

Venturing to the back of the cafe, you found a secluded booth for two. It faced a large window, one that gave a fantastic view of the campus. You took a seat and placed your bag next to you. After a couple minutes of waiting, Jaemin emerged with your drinks in hand. He handed you yours before sitting down.

"Iced Americano? I see you're into the classics," you chimed, deciding to spark up a conversation. Jaemin took a sip of his drink. "Simple is the best after all."

Of course, it was. "Hey Jaemin," you started, setting your drink down on the table. He hummed. "Do you wanna come over later today," you asked. Jaemin furrowed his brows. "But we already finished studying."

You shook your head. "Not to study. Let's hang out, maybe watch a movie or something like that."

He seemed a bit taken aback, but nothing too alarming. It was just that you two never really did anything other than study together. Sure enough, you'd become close because of it. But you figured as friends, there were other things you could engage in to pass the time.

"Let's do it. What time should I come over," Jaemin asked? "Does seven work for you? I'll order pizza, so you don't need to worry about dinner."

Jaemin nodded. "Seven works for me."

_

As soon as the clock struck seven, there was a knock on your door. The ever punctual Jaemin would never be a second late. You let him in, eager to get your night started. He walked into your dorm and went straight to your room, plopping down on your bed as if it were his own.

You'd already been browsing on Netflix, wondering what genre he liked. It had never come up in conversation before so you didn't really know.

"What are we watching," he asked, scrolling through the options. You shrugged and joined him on your bed. "I'm not sure. I didn't know what you like," you admitted.

"I usually just watch whatever's in the top ten or 'new this week'," he shared. He stopped at a movie you would never have believed he'd be interested in.

"You wanna watch Yes Day," you asked in disbelief? Jaemin giggled and nodded innocently. "It looks super lame but I've already finished watching everything," he revealed. Here you were thinking you both would watch something more serious instead of a family movie. Instead of spending forty minutes trying to settle on one movie, you decided it best to just go with the first choice.

Jaemin started the movie and leaned back beside you. It was quiet between you both for the most part. You watched the movie in silence. It wasn't as entertaining as you'd thought it would be, but Jaemin seemed to be engrossed in it so you chose to say nothing and continued staring at the screen.

Halfway into the movie, Jaemin stifled a yawn and fell to the side, rubbing his eyes tiredly. He looked at you and pointed to the screen. "Are we gonna keep watching this?"

You let out a breath of relief and exited out of the movie once and for all. "If you didn't like it why'd you make me watch it," you complained, shutting your laptop. Jaemin sat up and crossed his legs. "I thought you were enjoying it. You even laughed at the funny parts."

You stuck your chin out. "You should know what my fake laugh sounds like by now Jaemin." He raised his hands in defense. "The only time I hear you laugh is when you realize you're doing something wrong."

You tsked. "That's called nervous laughter genius. You suck at interpreting emotions."

He hit you with a pillow softly. "Hey, stop making me out for a robot."

"You're the human embodiment of the AI," you joked, dodging the pillow he swung at you. Raising your hands in defense, you shielded yourself from him. "At least I said you're intelligent."

Jaemin paused his attacks. "You're lucky I think you're cute. I'll let you off the hook for now."

You had another one of those moments where you froze, wondering if the words that had come out of his mouth were true or not. He didn't whisper this time. You'd heard everything word for word. But you couldn't believe it.

"Did you just call me cute?"

Jaemin nodded, not seeming too surprised about it. "You aren't not cute," he added. Maybe you were misinterpreting the meaning behind it. Friends called friends cute. It was normal. That didn't mean that they liked each other, did it?

Noticing the conflict in your expression, Jaemin leaned forward and cleared his throat. "I didn't mean it in an 'I have a crush on you' type of way."

Something about that made your stomach churn. You felt uneasy all of a sudden. You wanted to be relieved, that he didn't think of you as more than a friend. But a part of you wished he felt otherwise. You didn't know why, it just did.

You chuckled awkwardly and faced him. "Yeah, of course, you didn't. I don't know why I thought that."

Jaemin hummed and rested his chin on his palm. "Maybe because you wanted it to be true."

"Huh?"

"Maybe you wanted me to tell you that I like you."

You didn't know what to say to that. So you just smiled awkwardly. "But you don't, do you?"

Jaemin grinned. "Do you want me to?"

"No! Of course not, why would I-"

"I'm just messing with you y/n. Don't worry, we're just friends," he assured, finding you getting alarmed quite amusing. You hit his shoulder. "Don't joke around like that. Who knows what might happen."

Jaemin's laughter died down. He met your gaze sombrely. You knew he wanted to say something, but he remained silent. His eyes traveled down to your lips for a moment. You sucked in a breath, suddenly feeling giddy. Jaemin looked back into your eyes, this time with a small smile. You didn't know what he was doing. You also didn't know if you liked it or not. Your mind said one thing and your body said another. Jaemin subtly licked his lips. You had no clue why the action had such a devastating effect on you.

Before you knew it, your lips were on his. Jaemin didn't seem surprised at all. In fact, he relaxed and snaked his arm around your waist, pulling your body onto his. He fell back on your mattress, bringing you on top of him. Straddling his lap, you placed your hands on either side of his head, kissing him with vigor. Jaemin groaned against your mouth, the sound sending warm shivers down your back. His lips were softer than you thought they'd be and he tasted faintly of coffee.

His hands slipped under your shirt, resting on your skin. His touch felt fiery hot. You rolled your hips over his lap impulsively, biting his both lip as a throaty groan left his mouth. He squeezed your waist and trailed his hands down to your ass.

Before things could escalate, however, your bell rang. You both stilled, separating from each other. When your eyes met, you scrambled off of him and sat at the edge of your bed, completely stunned. Jaemin rubbed his face and sat up as well, not really knowing what to say. The bell rang again, snapping you out of your daze. "I'll go get that," you muttered disorientedly, leaving Jaemin in your room. He nodded and stood up. "Actually, I'm gonna go," he said, leaving your room before you could say anything. You heard the door open and shut soon after. Your bell rang again.

You went to open your door. A delivery guy stood before you, hands empty with a confused look on his face. "The guy that just left took the pizza with him. He said that you'd pay for it." You couldn't believe it. Nonetheless, you paid the man and shut your door. What had just happened?

_

A few days passed after the incident at your dorm. Jaemin hadn't called or texted you and in all honesty, you hadn't made an attempt to contact him. You felt too embarrassed to face him. After all, it was you who'd gone onto him. Even if he didn't push you away it wasn't like either of you had agreed to start making out. You were anxious because you knew you'd ruined your friendship with him.

A part of you missed him. You enjoyed spending time with him, even though all you did was study. Everything was so bleak now that he wasn't around to humor you.

You didn't want to regret whatever had happened that night. It was amazing. You just wished it hadn't ended the way it did. You should have understood that he indeed was joking. Instead, you mistook his prodding for sarcasm.

It made no sense for you to not speak to him. You wanted to make amends, figure out what had gone wrong. But you were scared he'd ignore you. That would just make you feel worse than you already did.

So you passed the days, wafting in your own misery. Pitying yourself as if the entire weight of the world had been thrown on your shoulders.

Little did you know that all it would take was another shitty test score for you to pick up your phone and call Jaemin.

"Help me study," you said as soon as he answered the call. Jaemin was silent on the other end. "Don't just listen to me. Say something," you begged. Your heart felt heavy. You heard him sigh. "I'd rather not y/n." You got goosebumps. "Jaemin, please. We can go to fucking library if that makes you feel better," you suggested, desperate for him to agree. After giving it some thought he finally answered you. "Okay fine. Tomorrow at three. But no longer than three hours."

He hung up, leaving you feeling a tad bit better. You looked forward to the next day. Hopefully, he wouldn't act indifferent to you.

_

Jaemin sat in your usual spot at the library. He was on his phone, leg crossed over his lap leisurely. You walked up to him and took a seat beside him without a word. Seeing you had arrived, he put his phone away and turned to you. "What are we studying?"

You took out your books and opened them. "This."

Jaemin glanced over the material. No wonder you'd flunked your test. He sighed, placing the textbook between you two. Without wasting a second, he began tutoring you.

No matter how hard you tried, you just couldn't pay attention. You were too busy staring at his face, more specifically his lips. They way he'd lick them ever so often made butterflies soar in your stomach. He'd run his hand through his fluffy hair and adjust his glasses, letting your mind run wild. Jaemin didn't seem to notice your lack of focus. You figured he didn't really care. He kept glancing at his watch. It was like he was waiting for your time with him to come to an end.

Much to your dismay, eventually it did.

"I'll send you a picture of some practice material. You can use that to prepare better," he concluded, getting up from his seat. You quickly stuffed your books in your bag and ran after him.

"Jaemin wait!"

He paused. "What," he asked as he turned around. He sounded disinterested. "Can we talk," you asked? Jaemin sighed and shrugged. "What do you wanna talk about," he questioned, placing his hands in his pockets. "About what happened at my place last week."

Jaemin tensed up. "It was a mistake. I think we both understood that."

You shook your head. "I don't know Jaemin, I'm not sure I did."

He furrowed his brows. "What do you mean?"

"The more I thought about it the more I realized that I wouldn't have kissed you unless I wanted to. Not just that but you wouldn't have let it go so far if you thought it was wrong."

He seemed at a loss for words.

"When you called me cute, you did mean it in an 'I have a crush on you' type of way." You didn't need an answer for him to know you were correct.

"What are you trying to say y/n," he asked, sounding defeated.

"That I like you," you admitted. Jaemin's eyes widened. "And that you like me too," you added.

Jaemin bit his lip. "Okay, so then why were we acting like we hated each other for so long?"

You shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe because you overthink everything and I'm a big pussy."

Jaemin chuckled and slung his arm around your shoulder. "I'm sorry about that babe."

You cringed at the nickname. "Don't 'babe' me. We're not dating. Not yet."

Jaemin rolled his eyes. "Does it really need to be that formal?"

You nodded adamantly. "Of course it does."

He sighed. "Fine. Will you go out with me y/n?"

You smiled and shook your head. "I'd rather not Jaemin."

"Yeah whatever," he said with a scoff, leading you outside.

_

As soon as you were past your door Jaemin's lips were on yours in an instant. He pushed you against the wall, wrapping your legs around his waist. You held onto his shoulders, sighing into his mouth. "I missed you so fucking much," he muttered, stumbling to your room.

He dropped you on your bed and hovered over you, staring down at you somberly before kissing you again. His lips didn't stay on yours for too long, trailing down to your jaw and then your neck. You tugged at his shirt, urging him to take it off. When he did, you stared at his chiseled body in awe. "I didn't know you worked out."

Jaemin chuckled at your comment and pulled your own shirt off. He flicked the tiny bow on your bra with an amused grin. "This is cute."

You nudged his arm timidly. "I wasn't exactly preparing myself for this moment."

He said nothing further and latched his lips to your neck once again. Running your fingers through his hair, you craned your neck to the side to give him more access. He gently sucked on your skin, not too harsh that it would leave marks. You sighed and fiddled with the waistband of his sweatpants. "Do you want it off," he asked quietly, lips ghosting over yours. You nodded, biting your lip when he pushed his pants down.

His member came into sight, making your mouth water.

Taking your hand in his, he brought it to his cock. Your fingers wrapped around his girth instinctively. Jaemin suck in a breath as he made you stroke his length. His hand slipped past your panties, fingers toying with your clit. You gasped and spread your legs wider, loving the way his calloused fingertips felt. Tightening your grip around his cock, you jerked him off earnestly. In turn, Jaemin began rubbing quick circles into your sensitive bundle of nerves.

Letting go of his member, you hastily pushed your pants down your legs. Jaemin peeled your panties off of you, marveling at the sight of your glistening pussy. "Don't just stare," you complained, shutting your legs, "do something."

Jaemin wordlessly, spread your legs apart and settled down between your thighs. He glanced up at your through his lashes, asking for permission before licking a stripe up your folds. You pushed your hips against his mouth, eyes falling shut when he repeated the action. Holding onto your thighs, he nipped and sucked at your clit, groaning every time your bucked your hips into his face. You gripped onto his hair, tugging at his roots. Jaemin's fingers prodded at your slit, slowly entering your walls. He curled them up, making your arch your back in delight. It felt so good. He knew exactly what he was doing.

With his tongue skillfully moving over your clit and his fingers continuously pumping in and out of you, it didn't take long for you to feel a familiar knot in your stomach. You sat up, pulling his mouth off of your cunt. "I need you to fuck me now." Your voice was hushed, breathless because of how much you'd moaned. Jaemin's eyes had darkened considerably. He pushed you down on your back again and pressed his tip to your entrance.

Jaemin felt bigger than he looked. Not that you were complaining or anything, it just took a while to get used to. He made sure you were comfortable before slowly starting to pound into you.

You grabbed his arms as he fastened his pace, head falling back in ecstasy. Shallow breaths left his parted lips. "You feel so good," he muttered, burying his face in the crook of your neck. His breath was hot on your skin. You wrapped your arms around his neck, humming in response. You were close. Jaemin could tell.

Gripping onto your waist, he went faster, slamming his cock into you as he chased your highs. You cried out his name, squeezing your eyes shut. Your walls clenched tightly around his length, your orgasm crashing down on you intensely. Soon enough, he twitched inside you. His thighs stilled, hips snapping into you one last time before thick ropes of his cum shot into your walls. He let out a pleased groan, voice deep and raspy.

"That was amazing," you breathed, pushing your hair out of your face as Jaemin moved off of you. He smiled and tugged his pants back on, joining you under the covers. "I'm glad you enjoyed it." Jaemin pulled you into his side, letting you rest your head on his shoulder. You laughed to yourself. "What is it," Jaemin asked. You shook your head, looking at him. "To think this all started after you agreed to tutor me."

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tagging: @neosmutcollective @hoehousenet @kdiarynet @kafenetwork @nct-writers @ficscafe @whipped-kpop-creators @kpopscape

[iwalc]

Surprise- Brian May x Reader

It was late. You sat on the sofa reading a book in front of the fireplace when you zoned out. You started to look around you and saw how beautiful your life had become. You were married to the one and only person you ever loved and together you had built this beautiful, incredible life. 2 years ago, 3 years into your marriage with Brian, you decided to have a child, a token of your love for each other. It was a rough start. There were numerous times where it didn't work at all, other times when you peed on the stick, soon after seeing a positive test, the excitement was immense and when you told Brian he got so excited, all of this to then be broken by the news of miscarriage. It broke the both of you but somehow you still managed to carry on. And for the reward of not giving in you could finally tell Brian once again that you were pregnant, and that time, all went well. In August 1980 you could finally give birth to a bouncing baby girl. It was a strange feeling, suddenly the gravity of your universe shifted and everything revolved around this tiny human, the beautiful Amanda that you and your husband, the love of your life had created and would cherish forever.

You had Brian, your beautiful girl Amanda, you had a beautiful and warm atmosphere you could call home, and there was nothing more that you wanted in life. Until a few months ago.

Your husband had started to secretly give you hints until he finally sat down with you and spat it out.

"Love?" he called silently since Amanda was sleeping, from the living room as you were in the bathroom catching up some laundry. "Yes, gorgeous" you answered just as you accomplished the task at hand. "Could you come here for a minute, there is something I'd like to talk to you about", "Ofc, I'll just wash my hands first". You thought about it as you washed your hands in the warm water. It must be something that's been on his mind for a while since whenever it's something ordinary he just spits it out, out of nowhere. You were curious.

When you walked towards the living room you saw him sitting on the sofa, his elbows resting on his knees, face in his hands. This worried you quite a bit. "Hey, what's up?" you asked as you sat down next to him, your hand automatically landing on his thigh. "I uh, I... There is something that's been on my mind" he started, looking down at his feet signalling his nervousness. "Well, I figured, I've noticed there's been something on your mind lately, but I didn't want to push you into talking with me if you didn't feel ready to." you gently said as you squeezed his tight gently. "I haven't found the right time to tell you and talk to you about it" he continued. "I want to know what's on your mind, love" you answered, really wanting to know. He turned his head to look at you for a moment, his curls falling off his shoulder, a smile tugging at his lips. "Do you want me to just spit it out or with some background information?" he asked chuckling a bit, "Do you think background information will be necessary?" you asked him smiling while adoring his beautiful features. His hazel, soft eyes, his prominent cheekbones, his jawline, his beautiful dark curls framing his gorgeous face. "No, not really. I uhm", "Brian, love, I know you are nervous but it's just me, spit it out", "I want another baby Y/N" he blurted out, waiting worriedly for your reaction, a small smile daring to tug at his lips. You were quite shocked, to be honest, it wasn't what you thought your husband had been thinking so much about. "You know Amanda is growing quickly, she's almost 2 years old now and I uhm, it would be nice to give her some company and" he didn't get to finish his explanation because of you interrupting him with a kiss. Taking him by surprise.

It was a brilliant idea. It made your stomach flutter with butterflies. You pulled back from the passionate kiss, seeing his chocked state made you laugh. He smiled at you, adoration poured into the gaze that reached your face. "I'd love to expand our family and have another child with you!" you squeaked, flying into his arms, which in turn led to chuckles escaping Brian's throat. The sound filled your heart and once again you thought about how perfect your life had become. You were so in love with everything, but most importantly Amanda and Brian.

The way he got so excited. The way his hazel eyes got deeper with adoration and excitement. The way his smile reached his eyes. The way he hugged you, telling you how happy you made him, how in love he was with you and to share his life with you. The way he existed. Your heart ached with love for this man.

And that day, it was set, you were going to try for a new baby. It wasn't always easy, already having a child to take care of, as well as Brians sometimes strange working schedule. However, to you, it was quite obvious it had worked. You were experiencing some symptoms, which reminded you of your first pregnancy: Absent period, hormonal imbalance, tender breasts, bloated, nausea in the mornings. Even Brian noticed some changes:

You had just gotten out of a late-night shower and were just going to change into your pyjama shirt when Brian suddenly commented something you found very strange. "Love, have you been missing your period?" he blurted out. This was something you never ever thought he'd ever think of, never the less keep track off. You turned around to stare at him, "Yes, in fact, I have, why?". "No, I was just thinking, I reckon you told me last month that we had to buy more pads and tampons til' this time, but neither of us has bought any and you have been feeling quite fine compared to how you use to feel when the time of the month comes around." he said like it was nothing, you just starred at him incredulously, at awe of the attention he had paid. "What? Did I say something wrong?" he asked as his face fell. "No, no you didn't. I'm just amazed by the attention you pay to those kinds of things. I wasn't prepared for the question nor the explanation for it." you said and chuckled as you dragged the shirt over your head. Walking to the bed you smiled to yourself, wow, what a man. As you buried yourself under the quilt, snuggling up to Brian who gladly put his arm around you he blurted out another incredulous comment. "I also can't help to notice that your breast has gotten bigger". You laughed at the comment. "I don't know if they're bigger, but tender they definitely are. How do you notice all of these things?" you couldn't help but ask as you looked up at him. "Well, I don't know, I guess I just do. And I've known you for about ten years now, and we've been together for almost eight of those. I would like to say I know you very well" he stated. "Well yes, you definitely do, and I love you for it!" you said as you reached up for a kiss, he chuckled a bit and smiled into the kiss.

Brian didn't ask anything after that, you know he had his suspicions but neither of you wanted to get the hopes up too early, regarding all of the tries before Amanda. However, after emptying your stomach one morning, you decided that it would be time to take a test. Brian couldn't be with you this time since he had work at the studio that had to be done, and since Amanda was spending time with her grandparents, Ruth and Harold, you figured it would be a perfect time. Since Brian wasn't home, nor did he know you were going to take a test, you decided to keep it a secret until you knew the result and decided to take it from there.

You had pregnancy tests laying around in a draw in the bathroom. You took one, peed on it, and while waiting for a result you went to eat some breakfast. Coming back to the bathroom to look at the test, you suddenly became very nervous, you really wanted it to be positive! You would hate to break the news to Brian, telling him that it was negative and that the symptoms had been a result of something else. You took a deep breath and grabbed the test. You slowly turned it around, feeling the nervousness clearly increase. All the fear suddenly washed away, it was positive.

Suddenly you felt all the emotions in the world all at once. Tears started to drip from your eyes as you smiled like crazy. The excitement was a fact which resulted in several exited screams and runs throughout the house. If anyone could see you they'd probably think you'd be crazy. But you didn't care because you were the happiest. You had more than you would ever wish for.

Before taking the test you were thinking about waiting to tell Brian until you've seen a doctor etc but now, there was no way you could make that happen. You tried not to call Brian at the studio to tell him. Instead, you rushed to the phone and decided to call Ruth and Harold.

It felt like it took forever before anyone picked up the phone. "The May household" you heard Harold answer. "Hi Harold, it's Y/N, how are you?", "Hello Dear, I'm fine thank you, how are you?" he asked, he sounded happy, it warmed your heart. You contemplated whether telling them or waiting. Apparently, you had been quiet for too long, "Is everything alright?" he seriously asked. You hesitated a bit, "Yeah, I uhm I think so", "You doesn't sound too sure about that dear, would you like to talk to Ruth?", "That would be nice, thank you, Harold". Harold was a great grandad and a wonderful father in law, however, you had always had a better connection towards Ruth.

You heard Harold calling for Ruth and some muffled noises. "Hello dear!" you heard Ruth's voice cheering through. "Hello Ruth, how are you? And Amanda?" you gently asked, not really levelling with her enthusiasm. "Oh I'm fine dear, thank you for asking. Amanda just ate some soup, so she's full and satisfied" she laughed. "That's great! I hope you're all having a good time and that she's behaving" you chuckled. "Oh dear, don't worry, she's the best!" you chuckled as an answer. "Now, Y/N, will you tell me what's wrong?", "I uhm, I was wondering if I could pick Amanda up a bit earlier than planned? Like today?", it was quiet for some time before she answered. "Oh, well yes of course you can! Is there something wrong?" she asked. "No, I don't think so at least" you chuckled, "I just want her home for tonight when Brians getting home.", "Y/N, I'm sorry but I can see right through you, there is something on your mind.", "Well yes, there are, I just don't know if I want to tell you before I tell Brian.", "Oh" and with this, you knew she understood. "Ok, I think you know by now anyway, I uhm, I'm..... pregnant, and I wanted to" you didn't get to finish your sentence because there was a scream on the other end and it made you laugh. "Oh my heavens, Congratulations!! I am so happy for you two!" she almost screamed. "Don't get too excited Ruth, it's still pretty early" you voiced your fears. "Oh dear, I understand your fear, I really do, but it will be alright in the end, I promise!", at this you got emotional, tears started to stream down your cheeks and you sniffled, "Oh love, It will be alright! We'll pack Amandas things and then we'll be right over, okay?", "Okay" you sniffled, "Thank you Ruth!", "No worries dear!", "Ruth before you begin packing things up, you don't have too, you can have her back tonight or tomorrow if you want.", "That sounds nice if it's alright with you two, but I guess you would appreciate some time alone to talk and everything, so we'll happily come and pick her up tomorrow again!", "That sounds great, I know she loves being with you two! I won't hold you up any longer, see you soon then", "Yes darling, see you soon!"

You took a deep breath. Wow. This was a rollercoaster.

You were so happy and so appreciative for Ruth and Harold. Brian and Harold haven't always been on great terms but the last year things have been amazing between them and both Harold and Ruth have always been amazing towards you. They are great, amazing! And there is no wonder why Brian is so great.

---

You were in the bedroom and looking for a specific body that Amanda had, knowing that Brian would know exactly when he saw it, when you heard knock on the front door. You quickly ran downstairs and opened to great your baby and parents in law.

"Hi," you both said at the same time as you opened the door. Ruth walked inside first and greeted you with a big smile, embracing you in a hug only a mother could. "You look great!" she happily said as her hands went to your cheeks, you chuckled a bit "Thanks, I don't feel great" you laughed, hoping not to get further questions. Harold stepped inside and handed you your baby girl, oh you had missed her. "Hi baby," you said in a squealing voice before showering her in kisses, making her laugh. Harold walked up to you, and to your surprise leaned in for a hug, he's not a hugging person normally, you gently hugged him and received a happy congratulations wish. "I'm happy for you both," he said, "Thank you so much, Harold," you said and gave him a joyous smile, just as you also felt tears streaming down. "Oh wow, I'm a mess" you laughed as you brushed the tears off. "No worries dear, I was the same when I was expecting Brian" she laughed and Harold agreed, not pleased with the recall of memories. You all broke down in laughs.

You welcomed them inside and as always they made themselves feel at home as you served some tea and biscuits. Ruth was playing with Amanda on the sofa. "Has she taken her nap today?" you asked as you saw how Amanda started to get cranky and sleepy. "No she hasn't, she was about to fall asleep in the car on our way here but we thought it was better to keep her awake so she could sleep here.", "Maybe we should go take a nap, baby girl," you said as you approached them on the sofa. Suddenly, Harold stood up, "I can take her to nap, if that's ok?" he asked, "Yes of course," you said as you walked and picked Amanda up and handed her to Harold. "I'll be upstairs with the bottle in a minute," you said as you walked to the kitchen to prepare the bottle.

---

Amanda was happily asleep upstairs and Ruth and Harold had just left. However, before they left they handed me a little box and you thought that now would be a good time opening it. Inside you could see a yellow shirt, in Amanda's size. When you unfolded the soft material you saw the cutest thing. The shirt had "Promoted Big Sister" embroidered on the front. You chuckled slightly as an idea about how to reveal the news to Brian popped up in your head.

This will be perfect.

---

Amanda was seated in her chair as you finished up the rest of the dinner. For the occasion, you had made Brians favourite dinner.

You had been so distracted by the food that you hadn't heard Brian coming home. You only noticed when Amanda squealed when she saw him entering the large kitchen. You turned around and was treated by a sight that could melt your heart a thousand times over. Brians had picked her up and were showing her with hugs and kisses, making the baby girl let out belly laughs. You felt how you were about to cry but quickly turned around again to brush them away.

Brian put Amanda back in her chair for a moment and approached you. Wrapping his arms around your waist, his lips brushed against your neck and kissed your temple. "Hi" you gently voiced. "Hello, love," he said and kept kissing your cheek. "It smells delicious," he said and placed one last kiss on your ear. "It's your favourite," you said and put down the spatula to turn around and greet him properly. "I noticed, what do I owe the pleasure?" he said as you wrapped your hands around his neck, his hands placed on your waist. "nothing special" you lied. "How was your day?" you asked as you leaned in for a hug, hugging his waist, his hands brushing your back. You could smell his cologne, feel his arms tightening around you. "It was okay, nothing special," he said, his voice low. He pulled away from the hug to look at you. One of his hands stroke some hair behind your ear to then cup your cheek. "How was your day? And why's Amanda home, shouldn't she be at my parents?", "They came to visit earlier and I wanted her home, but she's going back tomorrow," you said as you adored his face. He chuckled and leaned down to kiss you. The kiss was like nothing else, your whole body tingled. You felt the excitement again.

The dinner was nothing special. Brian kept complimenting the food, which warmed your heart. Throughout the whole dinner, you just kept adoring the little family you have and the excitement to reveal that one more was on the way kept getting stronger and you were growing impatient.

Amanda played with a rattle toy while you and Brian both cleaned up after the dinner, stealing hugs and kisses here and there.

When the kitchen was done cleaning you honestly felt exhausted, and Brian, being the wonderful husband he is, sensed that. He walked up to you and kissed your forehead as he hugged you. "You go sit down and relax and I'll take care of Manda" he said and kissed you again. "Thank you" you whispered.

Brian kissed you once more and walked excitedly towards Amanda, "Come here baby girl, it's time for jammies" he said as he picked her up and threw her up in the air, making her laugh once again. You felt at peace and happy as you saw them giggling, making their way down to the nursery.

It was getting quite late. You sat down on the sofa reading a book in front of the fireplace when you zoned out. You started to look around you and saw how beautiful your life had become. You were married to the one and only person you ever loved and together you had built this beautiful incredible life. And the excitement for the news Brian is left to find out is very much evident.

You couldn't focus on reading the book, you just sat there biting you lip slightly and listening to what was happening in the nursery. You heard Brian talk to Manda and her giggles. Until it all stopped.

Silent took over the house, the only thing you could hear was Mandas joller and the fire in the fireplace.

"Love?" Brian called for you. You didn't answer, you wanted to see his reaction without you interfering to early. "Y/N" he almost shouted. Silence took over again.

Apparently, he grabbed Amanda and the shirt he had discovered and worked to the living room. "What is this?" he said, trying to hide his excitement if it weren't true. "It's a new shirt I bought for Manda" you chuckled. He looked so confused. His eyes went from looking on Amanda, to the shirt, to you. "What?" he blurted out, confusion written all over him. You rose up from the sofa and approached him. He had put Amanda down on the floor as he inspected the shirt.

You walked towards him and when there was almost no space between you he looked up at you, studied your expression. You smiled and took the shirt out of his hands and folded it and put it on the table. You walked up to him again and smiled. He tilted his head a bit, once again showing his confusion. You took his hands and brought them up to kiss them and then placed them gently on your lower stomach to get the message through. He caught on immediately. His eyes widened and he let out a breath. "Ooh my lord" he breathed as he adjusted his hands slightly, his gaze fixated on your belly. You chuckled and once again felt tears forming in your eyes. "I'm pregnant, Brian" you said smiling as the tears ran down your cheeks. He looked up at you and a smile spread across his face, "Really?" he asked as he looked at you. "Yes, I took three tests and all of them was positive".

Brian moved his hands and embraced you in a loving, comforting hug. His head was placed in the curve of your neck, his hands wrapped around you, your hands on his back, feeling his warmth, feeling the soft curls against your cheek. What you discovered next melted your heart. You heard sniffles coming from Brian.

You broke the embrace and looked at him, your hands holding his cheeks, your thumbs brushing away the tears, as more tears streamed from your eyes. You both were crying out of happiness, and soon enough you were both laughing. Brian held your waist, "Oh boy I love you!" he said as he laughed and kissed you. "I love you more" you gently said, looking into his hazel eyes. "Thank you" he then said as a wave of more tears streamed down his rosy cheeks. He leaned his forehead against yours, looking into your eyes. "I.. I don't even know what to say. I love you so much and there is no other I'd want to share my life with. You make me happy, you're keeping me on track, you are my universe. I love you so much and I am so grateful for you! You have given me the best gift of live already once, and now again. I... I'm speechless. I love you so much! And I am so excited" he laughed. "I am so excited. Im so excited for all that the future has to bring us. To see Amanda grow up, to see this little bean grow" he placed his hands on your stomach, "I love you, so much!" he started to cry again. This hit you hard. How did you end up with this fantastic man? If only you could show him how much you meant to him so he could really understand.

"Baby, I love you! So much! And I am so happy. I have more than I could ever have asked for. I have a wonderful husband, who's also my best friend. You cheer me up when I'm down, you comfort me when I'm sad, you laugh with me when I'm happy. I am so glad and grateful that I get to share my life with you too. I love you so much it hurts!" you said and kissed his swollen, red lips to then hug him tight.

You were so excited for what the future would bring. You would never want to do this with anyone else. This was perfect.

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I hope you liked this one! I surely do! If you guys want maybe I could build this story further, maybe to follow them throughout the pregnancy or something? Let me know what you think!