#and helped me get past a level I was stuck on in a game

[forbidden-interlude]

Sometimes I think about this guy I went to school with and I literally wonder how he’s doing but he has absolutely no social media presence and I think that’s why we vibed

[mossy-rock-in-a-field]

Several weeks ago, my retirement-age mother requested that I play Baldur’s Gate 3 for her because she has trouble with controllers/keyboards and wanted “to see what all the fuss is about with that cute wizard boy.” For context, my mother and I have done this sort of thing in the past with certain RPGs (dragon age, mass effect, etc.), but it’s been a few years since she’s personally requested a game like this. Basically, I control her Tav but let her make all the choices so she can determine how the story plays out without worrying about mechanics. She treats it like a choose-your-own-adventure book.

Anyway, here is a list of some of the things my mother has said and/or chosen to do throughout the course of BG3 in no particular order:

She is (obviously) romancing Gale. She is quite smitten with him and his passion for books and learning; she also thinks he’s polite and qualifies as “relationship material.” She also REALLY likes the things he’s said about his cat so far (my mom is a cat lady), so I know she’s gonna flip shit when we meet Tara in Act III.

She’s playing a normal druid Tav with a generally good alignment. Her favorite spell is Spike Growth because she thinks it’s hilarious whenever enemies walk into the AOE and die. I usually end up having to cast it at least once per battle per her request. Sometimes twice.

Contrary to her alignment, my mother tasks me with robbing every single chest, crate, barrel, and burlap sack we come across; this also includes people and their pockets. The party is always at max carrying capacity. ALWAYS. She doesn’t like selling things because “what if I need them.” The camp stash is in literal shambles. There is no hope of organizing it. She’s got like fifty seven sets of rags and a billion pieces of random silverware.

She MUST talk to every animal and corpse in the game. I think five hours of her total playtime so far (47ish) has been spent speaking to animals as many times as humanly possible. Like, I was thorough in my own playthroughs, but this is on a whole other level.

She did NOT get Volo’s lobotomy, but she did let Auntie Ethel take her eye in hopes of a cure for the tadpole. I did not understand the logic then. I still do not understand it now.

She is far more interested in fashion than equipment stats. Do you have any idea how much gold I’ve had to spend on dyes just to make things match? SO much. Same vibe as that “please someone help me balance my finances my family is starving” tweet but instead of candles it’s thirty thousand fucking bottles of black and furnace red dye.

We broke the prisoners out of Moonrise, but they got on the boat too early and bugged the fight by leaving Astarion and Karlach behind. Wulbren Bongle somehow got stuck in combat mode even after engaging the cutscene on the docks below Last Light; he he kept trying to run ALL THE WAY BACK TO MOONRISE nine fucking meters at a time while I frantically tried to finish the fight with the Warden, otherwise Wulbren would have run straight into the shadow curse. (I would’ve let him go; fuck Wulbren Bongle, all my homies hate Wulbren Bongle. But my mom didn’t know that, and she wanted to keep him safe. So.)

She had me reload a save like eighteen times to save the giant eagles on top of Rosymorn Monastery. Wouldn’t even let me do non-lethal damage just to get past things. I think getting that warhammer for the dawnmaster puzzle took us like an hour and a half alone. (Yes, I know you can use any warhammer, but SHE didn’t.)

She’s started keeping an irl notebook to keep track of her quests between play sessions. She writes down ideas and strategies when she thinks of them during the week, then brings them to her next game session at my house. I think she wrote about three pages on possible approaches to the goblin fortress alone.

She insists that I pet Scratch and the owlbear cub before every single long rest, no exceptions. Sometimes I have to do it multiple times until she is absolutely sure that the animals know exactly how much she loves and cherishes them. She has also commissioned a crocheted owlbear plush from a friend of hers and is very excited.

I’m sure there’s a bunch of stuff I’m forgetting, but those are some fun things I thought of. She’s enjoying the game and is telling all of her retired friends to get it and play it for themselves. She asked me “what is Discord” yesterday and I think my life flashed before my eyes.

anyway shout out to my mom for being neat

Part 2 — Part 3 — Part 4 — Part 5

[illbegottenfaith]

stuck with u

you get stuck in the Room of Requirement with a not-so-distant acquaintance and realise there's no where else you'd rather be (theo nott x reader)

all this loving you, hating you, wanting you...

a/n - ahh my first entry for hogmarch! I can't believe I'm finally writing a trope I used to devourrr as a (younger) teen and although 'stuck' tropes aren't my absolute favourites I like that I went for a little unconventional take on it :D I decided to blend the week 1 & 2 themes since im wayyy past the week 1 timeframe oops (midterms...) anyways this was so so fun to write cuz even 5 years on I love love loveee stuck with u ARGHH its so good so enjoy :)))

tropes/warnings - mutual pining, friends-ish to lovers, fluff, happy ending <3

word count - 2.5k

taglist - @allie-sturns @hzdhrtss @friedfreyfries @bushnellswife @rose-of-the-grave @thaliashifts @pariahsparadise @babene-e @fratbrochrisgf

You’d never been one to stick around - not when it came to people.

You had friends. Plenty of them, in fact. You’re easy to get along with, know how to fill the silences with laughter. But close friendships - the kind where you let them actually know you, the kind where you let them in, let them see something real - those have been few and far between.

It wasn’t that you were afraid of people. You just didn’t trust easily.

Most friendships, to you, felt temporary. People drift in and out of each other’s lives all the time, and you’d never seen much use in pretending otherwise. You kept things surface-level, just enough to be friendly. But the moment someone gets too close, asking questions you don’t want to answer, you pull away. Create distance before they can even get the chance to disappoint you.

But then there’s Theo. And, for some reason, he’s the only person you’ve never managed to push away.

Not that you haven’t tried.

In your first year, when you tripped down the last few steps of the dungeon staircase and sent your books flying, it was Theo who had crouched beside you, silently gathering them up, not a single snide remark on his lips as 11-year-old boys were prone to hand out. No, all you got was a faint smirk as he handed them back to you without a word, all while you gaped gormlessly at him.

In your third year, when you missed a week of classes after a particularly vicious stomach bug, it was Theo who had slid his notes across the table in Potions, muttering “don’t ask me to explain any of it” out the corner of his mouth. All the same, with every mildly incoherent word in his slanted, cursive handwriting, he was surprisingly cooperative in deciphering it for you.

In your fourth year, when you got hexed in the middle of the corridor and spent the entire afternoon with bright green hair, it was Theo who had walked you to the Prefects’ Bathroom, rolling his eyes as he mumbled something about how he “might as well supervise” before you inevitably made it worse.

And this year - your last year - he’s always there.

You don’t understand it. You don’t have the kind of friendship where you confide in each other, where you talk about things that matter. But somehow, Theo always seems to be around when it matters - watching with those observant, calculating eyes of his, offering help without making a big deal out of it, like he knows you wouldn’t take it if he did.

It’s a running joke now - one you always throw at him with a grin. You just can’t get rid of me, huh?

And every time, he huffs a quiet laugh. Apparently not.

The next time you get stuck with him is over spring break. Naturally, all your friends wanted to do was laze around the Common Room, half-dozing. Eventually, someone proposed the brilliant idea of fetching a game for a little intellectual stimulation, like Uno. Unfortunately, no one wanted to actually get up to get it other than you and Theo.

“This isn’t going to work,” you said. You and Theo were standing in an empty corridor on one of the higher floors, one where the Room of Requirement was rumoured to appear. He shushed you impatiently, his eyes still screwed shut as he thought long and hard about a deck of uno cards.

You sighed, waiting for him to get this over with. This close, you could see every individual eyelash of his, all of which were unfairly long. Really, it was a waste of a beautiful feature on a perfectly mediocre boy.

He finally opened his eyes, which almost immediately found yours. You hadn’t realised you were standing so close to each other. For a brief moment, you were struck by how pretty his eyes were - marbled, watercolour eyes that lent a softness to his otherwise strong, harsh features. Momentarily speechless, you looked away, following his line of sight over your shoulder.

Well, I’ll be damned, you thought. A door. An actual door.

Sure enough, it opened to a narrow, cavernous room filled to the brim with every board game you could dream up. The two of you wandered in, weaving in and out of stacks upon stacks of games. Once you picked out a suitable deck of Uno cards, you both meandered back to the entrance. Or what was the entrance.

You turned the corner of a stack, back to where the entrance was, only to see Theo standing with his back to you, his face hidden, fingertips ghosting a blank stretch of stone.

“Theo,” you started, stating the complete obvious, “why is there wall where the door is supposed to be?”

"I don't believe it," you heard him mumble disbelievingly under his breath. "It was here just a moment ago."

"You lost the door?" you cried out. He was starting to look a little green around the gills, his eyes darting to the other walls. He gave a weak, unconvincing laugh.

"Don't be ridiculous."

“Do something, Theodore!”

“I’m trying.”

“Try harder!”

Theo winced. “Quit yelling, would you?”

You sat down, slumped against the opposite wall, dragging a hand across your face. “Great. This is just perfect. We’re going to grow old and die and shrivel up in here and it’s all your fault.”

“My fault? If you had just waited by the door like I asked - ”

"You didn't tell me the door was going to disappear!"

"Yeah - well - it's never happened before." Theo dragged his hand out of his hair, now wildly sticking up in all directions, fingers trailing up the wall as if trying to feel for a hidden door. You scoffed.

"I told you we should have gone down to Hogsmeade to buy a deck, but no, you didn’t want to walk all that way.”

“Unlike you, I actually know how to work the Room.”

Theo turned just in time to dodge the Monopoly figurine you had hurled at his head.

"Then work it. Get us out of here."

--------

"Stop chucking things at me."

Grudgingly, you paused your assault. Half an hour ago, you had been ready to climb the walls and tear them down to get out of this place. Now, the craze had passed, so you settled for pelting Theo with all the tiny games figurines you could get your hands on while he paced wearily, trying to think of a solution.

“I’ll stop when we have an exit.”

With an exaggerated sigh, Theo turned back to the blank stone wall, muttering something under his breath as he pressed his palm against it. When nothing happened, he shoved both hands through his already-ruffled hair and swore under his breath.

Your eyes tracked his movements critically. “You have no idea how to get us out of here, do you?”

“Of course I do,” Theo shot back, a little too quickly.

"Right."

Five minutes later, he finally admitted defeat. He joined you where you were slumped in a corner, unsuccessfully trying to juggle the chess pieces. To your credit, you didn't say it, but your whole body language hummed with an undercurrent of I told you so.

"The Room's going to let us out when it wants to let us out," he said finally. "All we can do is wait till it feels like it."

He sounded so defeated you were starting to feel a little bad for being so hard on him. You sighed.

"I just can't believe we're stuck in here when everybody else is...you know, out there."

“Yes,” he said drily, “because there’s so many better places to we need to be. Merlin forbid we fall behind on our couch-rotting hours.”

You grinned as he picked up the deck of cards on your lap, starting to shuffle them.

"Might as well make the most of it while we're stuck here."

You raised your eyebrows as he started expertly manipulating the deck.

"Shuffling's the newest panty-dropper, eh?"

The corner of his mouth ticked upwards as his eyes remained fixed on the deck. "You'd be surprised."

You can practically see him puffing out his chest on the showier tricks he does with laser-focused concentration. It makes you want to laugh, his almost childish need to be impressive. To impress others. To impress you.

But, for reasons that eluded you, you were impressed. Not once had Theo ever let you down. It was as though he was incapable of it. You didn't exactly rely on him, but when he was around, his deep, self-assured voice was guaranteed to soothe your frazzled nerves. Even now, when all you wanted to do was bitch and moan about how you were never going to see the light of day again, he somehow managed to distract you, amuse you. Theo always knew how to turn a bad situation around and, well, to someone as catastrophic as you, what could sound more appealing?

Game after game, time began to blur. The cards whispered as they slid over each other in his hands, a hypnotic rhythm filling the silence between you. You let your head tilt back against the wall, exhaling slowly, the tension in your shoulders easing just a little.

Your head lolled against your shoulder as you lazily watched Theo shuffle the cards for the umpteenth time.

“You’re awfully quiet,” you noted, tilting your head toward him.

He didn't look up from the cards. "A novel concept, I know."

You nudged him in the ribs and he gave an exaggerated wince.

"Watch it. There's no exit and I'm more than capable of beating your ass."

Theo laughed at that, openly and unabashed.

"You're going to beat my ass?"

"Just said I would, didn't I?"

Theo snorted, mumbling something somewhat affectionate under his breath. You turned away, hiding your grin. Your cheeks were pink and your eyes glittered with the thrill of being Theo's company - the only person who could keep up with you.

He continued shuffling the cards, a little slower now.

“I’m thinking.”

You looked back at him, once again interested. “Dangerous.”

He flicked a card at you without looking, and you batted it away with a grin. “Thinking about what?”

His shuffling slowed to a stop. “Nothing.”

“Oh, it’s something.” You leaned even closer to him now, your knees brushing against his thigh. “Something broody and dramatic, I bet. Come on, spill.”

Theo exhaled through his nose. “Drop it.”

“Not a chance,” you chirped. "Just tell me what it is. Unless you’re scared.”

That got him. His jaw ticked, fingers tapping on the deck.

“Didn’t peg you for a coward, Nott,” you goaded, bumping your knee against his. “You can tell me.”

Theo let out a slow breath, his shoulders tensing. He shuffled the deck once more, but this time, his movements weren’t just for show. They were measured, thoughtful, almost like he was buying himself time.

You covered his hands with yours, stopping him. He glanced down to where the two of you were practically holding hands.

“If I tell you something, you have to promise not to laugh.”

You nodded. "Did you kill a man."

He huffed and rolled his eyes. "No."

"Is it about the shuffling? Were you secretly roped into an underground gambling ring over the summer? Is that where you learnt all those tricks?"

You could tell he desperately wanted to smile but was stopping himself. "No," Theo said, his grip on your hand tightening.

"You started an underground gambling ring? Without me?"

"Do you ever shut up?"

You dropped your eyes to his crotch for a fraction of a second.

"Ach - not like t - that's not what I meant."

"I'm just messing with you." You ran a hand through his hair despite his desperate, one-handed attempts to bat you away. "Tell me already."

Theo hesitated. You became suddenly aware of how quiet the Room was. You felt an awful, sinking feeling in your stomach that maybe Theo was right. You weren't going to like what he had to say.

“I don’t mind being stuck here.”

You blinked, caught off guard.

He shifted beside you, tapping the deck of cards against his knee.

“I mean, yeah, it’s a bit ridiculous how we ended up here, but…” He trailed off, searching for the right words.

“It’s not the worst thing in the world. Being here. Being stuck here. With you.”

You stared at him. His eyes shone with that stupidly optimistic sincerity of his that you only saw glimpses of from time to time. He meant every single word.

His grip slackened. Wordlessly, you retracted your hand. How were you to bear this?

"You're right," you said in a voice thick with unshed tears. "That is absolutely ridiculous. It's downright - " your voice quivered. You brushed a hand across your eyes. "Downright laughable."

A sobering silence followed. You wondered if Theo was kicking himself for having opened his mouth in the first place. You wondered if you should say something.

"You really don't mind this?" you started hoarsely. You tilted your head to face him. "You don't mind me? I mean, I pelted you with Monopoly pieces while yelling abuse at you. I messed up your hair."

His mouth curved into that faint, breezy smile of his.

"'Course I don't mind it."

"Why not?" You should.

"'Cause it's you." It's you. It's always been you.

Your eyes fluttered shut. You felt the exhaustion of being trapped in here catching up to you. You rested your head on his clavicle. Hesitantly, he turned his head to press his lips to your temple.

"I have to be honest, Y/N," he muttered against your hair. "I don't know if we're getting out of here."

"S'alright." You pressed a tiny kiss to his shoulder. "There's nothing I'd rather than do, either."

It's what all this loving him, hating him, wanting him boiled down to. Interlacing his long, careful fingers with your own, you decided that yes, there was no one else you'd rather be stuck with.

[cinellieroll]

☆ more random obey me headcanons !

characters: the demon brothers! <3

small note: i am back. and i will disappear once more after this..also i apologize for the VERYYY LATE upload. i am not dead and i wont die until om fandom comes back to life i tell ya 😤😤

cw: none! :p

☆ lucifer:

- occasionaly has thoughts of getting a german shepherd but cerberus would get EXTREMELY PISSED if he did. also another reason why he refuses to let satan keep cats in the house. cerberus will gobble them up in less than a millisecond.

- has a pretty high libido (as if it isn't already obvious in the game..) he really enjoys taking out his stress on you everytime he gets the chance. buckle up buttercup ༎ຶ⁠‿⁠༎ຶ

- one if his biggest secrets is keeping like a few albums of him and his brothers back when they still lived in the celestial realm. he keeps em hidden realll good

- sometimes asks levi or mammon to help him with his D.D.D

- "mammon, help me with this." "levi, why is my screen stuck like this?" "lucifer you paused the video-"

- he likes silk pajamas :3 he also can't STAND sweatpants for some reason.

- once a week, he dedicates atleast an hour or two grooming his own wings and his horns. there's a lot of occasions where he transforms in his demon form for parties and such.

- reads newspaper while taking a shit. guys dont argue with me on this its real.

- he has cold lips but his kisses are always very passionate with you!

- very well mannered everytime he's on the dining table and eating. y'all will never catch him spill a single food on the table or his clothes.

☆ mammon:

- eats with his hands sometimes when he's alone. and if someone ever finds out his excuse is always "so what? sometimes eating food with your hands is a better way to savor the taste." and i completely agree with him

- cleans his jewelry a lot. he wants them dazzling that people will do a double take when they see his mega awesome drip. like "haha yeah yall cant beat me on this baby" type shit

- cooks the BEST beef curry. the level of spice is perfect-o and beel always pesters him to make it.

- during family photos, he's always the one doing silly poses. he does hand stands, he has his ass out on display, he's ON THE FLOOR

- always man spreading in class. like you can literally see him chewing on his pen from across the room with his legs sprawled out

- you know that empty feeling you get after watching a movie? double that and give it to mammon. man takes it HARD especially if it was a sad movie that he watched. he'll feel empty for a gooooddd while

- always breaks his earphones, so when d.d.d airpods came out he got really happy and bought like 6 pairs (he ended up breaking all of them too)

- blasts music like crazy when he works out and lucifer absolutely HATES his music style and thinks it's unsanitary and inappropriate. like ok whatever you old fucking hag

- doesn't close the bathroom door after he uses it LIKE BITCH CLOSE THAT SHIT RN

- follows all of his fan accounts on devilgram ugh my boy <33

☆ leviathan:

- there's just like random times where he'll suddenly remember all of his past cringe phases. and it like appears on the most random times it's actually pissing him off

- always fantasized about creating character designs for simeon ever since he found out he was the creator of TSL

- he has a bad habit of HOLDING IN HIS PISS. yes he holds them in. he developed this habit ever since he got addicted to gaming. luckily for him he's a demon but boy if he was human he would've gotten kidney problems by now.

- levi would never ever admit it but he enjoyed getting spun around by mammon when they were still kids. like mammon grabs his arms then just spins him around and stuff

- sleeps with his headphones on and now he can't sleep without it. he's just like me jujujuju

- he really likes alex g :3

- sometimes he wishes he was a magical pop star girl performing for people on stage because they always look so happy when he watches them

- loves being the little spoon so much. sometimes it's awkward with him when he's the big spoon because he's either trembling or really stiff like a log

- he enjoys kissing your cheeks the most because he's convinced he'll melt if he tries kissing you on the lips

- has a hidden album on his phone of stolen shots of you doing the most random shit ever. eating, sleeping, showering..💀

☆ satan:

- even when it's freezing cold, his feet are always peeking out of his blanket. can't sleep without his bare feet hanging out.

- doesn't need reading glasses but insists on buying them because he thinks it fits the detective aesthetic. unfortunately he loses them a lot and no one knows why

- besides lucifer, satan is very sleek and neat when putting on neck ties

- had a phase where he absolutely despised coffee and tea because he found out lucifer enjoyed it. deep down he knew he enjoyed them too and it'd be one of the reasons for his constant rampages..

- started enjoying lofi music ever since levi introduced him to it.

- out of all the brothers, satan feels the most comfortable crying in front of mammon the most. (can i get some big brother mammon appreciation out here? 😔)

- he's the type to practice his lines in front of the mirror before asking you out on the date! he just wants everything to be perfect for you and yes sometimes he messes up but it's your fault for being too pretty

- worked as a librarian once as a part time job and lemme tell you..sales went high as fuck after that and the manager even BEGGED him to stay for longer. (which he did, as long as he got to have free books :p)

- tried the "which of the seven brothers are you?" quiz and got lucifer.

- is very skilled with the piano and even made a few pieces that reminded him of you <3

☆ asmodeus:

- really enjoys ear piercings and even got one himself!

- owns a clothing brand in the human world and even tried making you the co-owner. it's a really big success and he uses the money to buy you gifts

- can't go a day without kissing you atleast once! he feels like his lips would dry if doesn't get to even leave a peck on you

- does that back arch thing in his room when he's bored 👀

- bought so many makeup products once to the point lucifer banned makeup in HOL for like a month 💀 asmo held a grudge for a while because he was lowkey kinda conscious of his appearance when he'd go outside. especially when he's in front of you! ;((

- second most followed user on devilgram! (top one is diavolo lol)

- if he had to choose a favorite makeup brand from the human world it's either the ones with the cute packaging (ex: flower knows, too faced) or the high end brands like dior

- changes bed sheets like twice a week because it's either he can't stand the feeling anymore or found a new inspo on devilgram

- says he's not easily influenced on buying new things like mammon or levi but the moment he sees something go viral he's already purchasing 10 of them. (and posts it on his feed to gain those likes)

- crop dusts every now and then

☆ beelzebub:

- finds those gross ass thirst trappers who sexualizes food nasty asf and is a big donutdaddy hater

- wins awards from eating competitions a lot and always ALWAYS spoils you and belphie first

- always the viewer in situations where one of the brothers fight w eachother. mans always there for some reason so lucifer always approaches him first when smth happens lol

- sometimes he goes overboard with body sprays

- he likes hand made accessories/jewelry. belphie was the one who made his choker on his everyday outfit and cherishes it everyday

- he thinks tongue piercings are cool but never went out of his way to get one

- buys burger merch or any food merch in general lol

- he was never really the type to care about his own appearance and only did the bare minimum to make himself look presentable. but sometimes he does feel insecure when people get too intimidated by him, especially when it's you.

- "mc, you're not afraid of me right? i won't hurt you. i promise"

- majority of the time he's the one who fixes belphie's bed and cleans his side of the room so lucifer won't get mad at him

☆ belphegor:

- has no shame in stealing pillows from furniture shops and always gets away with it

- unintentionally says the most sassy remarks ever and stares at you when you call him out for it

- being the youngest, he doesn't really need to go shopping for his own necessities because one of the brothers already buys it for him before he can even step out of the house

- when you'd go back to the human world, he'd always gaze up at the stars and wonder how you're doing and if you're getting enough sleep

- always constipated like idk he just seems like the type to only shit once a week lmfao

- one time (or two..or three) he accidentally used a different toothbrush that belonged to one of the brothers because he was half asleep

- hates the feeling of jewelry on him because he thinks it's just in the way. especially hates earrings because it's a nuisance when he sleeps.

- HORRIBLE driver and can't drive for shit. crashed mammon's car once because he fell asleep. and his in defense was because traffic was so long smh

- he can't live without his cardigans. always wears long sleeved shirts unless it's summer season in the devildom and settles for loose shirts. he also has a habit of pulling his sleeves that it nearly covers his whole hand

- very calming singing voice. back when he was still in the celestial realm, a bunch of angel kids would approach him at night, telling him to sing lullabies for them to help them sleep <3

note: had to repost :P ALSO TY FOR 73 FOLLOWERS! hiphiphorey

[jinwoosbabyboo]

𝙶𝚊𝚖𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚆𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚄𝚜

How I headcanon the LADS Men gaming with us. All four of them just enjoy being around you. [Requested by: Anon]

𝚉𝚊𝚢𝚗𝚎

he'd be a watcher at the start ; being more of a physical sport kind of person (which is why he's so good at snowboarding)

you'd ask him to play one of your favorite games with you and he'd opt to sit with you while you play instead

gets curious overtime as he watches you progress

"your main quest is to head to the dungeon what are you doing here?" "I have to complete this side quest in order to level up my character before going to the dungeon otherwise I'll die"

"you said this can be multi-player?" he asks after a while

somehow ends up speed running all the missions surpassing you even though you'd been playing longer.

would buy his own controller or PC set up using the excuse of "not wanting to over-use your equipment”

when youre gaming for too long or he has a long day he lays on you with his face buried in your neck or your titties

wants you to sit on his lap or between his legs while you play

helps you calm down when you're about to rage

massages your hands when they get tired

𝚁𝚊𝚏𝚊𝚢𝚎𝚕

immediately begging to have a turn or play together

incredibly skilled with his hands so handling a controller and multi-tasking on a keyboard is nothing to him

texts and calls you to come over for gaming nights or afternoons

sets up a game room for the two of you complete with multiple TVs so you each can have your own and if you're a PC player 2 full set-ups for you and him

A DIRTY DOG ... I know y'all seen him playing kitty cards that mf is about as slick as sandpaper ... that cheat combo? he's using it. that hacker mod? he's using it.

definitely whines and pouts when you beat him, but gloats and dances when he wins

would definitely try and talk you into becoming online gamers/streamers

when you play on a console he likes when you straddle him backwards and lay flat on your stomach so he can use your ass like a pillow to rest his hands on.

rages with you ... no questions asked

ends up knowing your games better than you

𝚇𝚊𝚟𝚒𝚎𝚛

S Tier player ... but very humble

plays YOUR favorite game one time and beats it an hour later

that level you're stuck on? hand him the controller or let him take over the keys he'll have you past the level in no time

only started playing because you asked him to

you either play together or he sits with you when you're playing or he wants you to sit with him while he plays (as long as you're in the same room he's happy)

makes bets that if he wins he can use your kitchen (this is actually canon in a tender moments)

the type to play online under a pseudonym, but gain a huge following in the process

plays both PC and Console with you, but prefers console so he can sit between your legs while you two play

massages you & helps calm you when you're about to rage

𝚂𝚢𝚕𝚞𝚜

will gladly play any game with you

S Tier player .... he's so good it seems like he's cheating when he's not

gets matching consoles and PC set ups with you

secretly plays ahead so he can help you beat levels

prefers PC over console, but will play both

"don't worry maybe you'll beat me next time" instigates every time he beats you in a game

once he finds out you enjoy gaming he's having an entire entertainment wing built for you

likes to have you sit in his lap while you play

gets you every game you want even gets you early access to buy it before the release date

eggs you on when you start gamer raging

the type to sit behind you and cage you in his arms when you ask him to beat a level for you

[stinkysam]

Choi Subong “Thanos” - K.I.S.S.I.N.G.

Warning : pissing (not kinky), slight handjob (?)

Genre : fluff

Synopsis : “Like thanos and reader hardcore making out in the bathroom of the games place and some player (probably nam-gyu?) caught them” - anon

Reader : male (you/yours)

A/N : bold is in English // it might be a little more than suggestive ? High-fiving myself because I slightly got rid of the blockage I have. // Reread it so many times so idk if it’s good anymore.

You were relaxing in your bed, waiting for the afternoon to pass after the latest vote. The adrenaline was gone, the mood had shifted from stressing to peaceful, people chatting quietly amongst themselves.

Then you felt your bed shake a bit, someone climbing your ladder. Your eyes remained closed, not particularly caring though you already had an idea of who it was.

The person stopped when they reached your level, probably staring, wondering if you were asleep before jumping on your bed, uncaring, laying really close to you, their breath fanning over your face as they placed a hand by your waist.

Though the bed was small and you were laying in the middle of it, you knew the extreme proximity wasn’t because of the size of it.

You opened your eyes, Thanos staring right back at you with a small smirk. You smiled briefly, moving your head slightly closer to his as you closed your eyes once more.

You expected him to say something, trying to flirt or get under your skin, but instead he said nothing, just resting with you silently.

His hand by your waist kept moving, fidgeting and tapping and the more you tried to relax, the more you struggled falling asleep. Thanos kept shifting, rubbing his feet together, tapping them rhythmically against yours. You could hear the shuffling of his body continuously moving.

He clearly had a song stuck in his head, and you swore that with the proximity you could hear it. Or maybe it was just you.

You began shifting as well, feet moving and fingers fidgeting. You didn’t even know why your eyes were still closed at this point, but as you were stubborn, you kept them that way, wanting to enjoy your peace a bit longer.

You sighed quietly, you needed to go to the bathroom but you didn’t want to go, feeling too comfortable to want to move. You waited for a moment, trying to ignore it before finally giving up. You sat up, Thanos watched you, confused. And then you climbed on top of him to go down the ladder by his side. His hands went to your wrists, stopping you from moving, keeping you above him.

You stared at each other silently. You could tell the gears were turning in his brain.

“Where are you going ?” He finally asked.

“Bathroom. Wanna help me piss ?” You replied, raising an eyebrow with a small smile.

“I could.” He shrugged, smirking.

You laughed with a grimace, shaking your head as you began moving again, climbing down the ladder, leaving him on your bed.

And with that you were gone, walking toward the door, knocking against it loudly.

“I have to go take a leak !” You said, hoping there was a guard behind the door.

No answer.

“Do I have to piss by the door ?” You asked, more to yourself than anything. They generally let people go to the bathroom during the day.

‘Weird’, you thought.

Meh.

You shrugged, beginning to pull your pants down as the door suddenly opened. Did you scare them or were they too busy to open sooner ?

You smiled, pulling your pants back up before patting the triangle’s shoulder, walking past him and into the corridors to go to the bathroom.

Though you weren’t in any rush, you still trotted toward the closest urinal. Your head fell back, sighing as you finally emptied your bladder.

A few seconds later you heard the door slam open, footsteps approaching.

“Pissing all by yourself, handsome ?”

You smiled as you looked behind, watching the owner of the voice get closer, leaning against the wall by the urinal you were using, eyeing you.

“What. You really wanna give me a hand ?” You snorted, amused.

“I actually might.” He replied, looking down at your dick.

“Aw. Cute. Too late for that, though.” You pulled your pants up, blowing him a kiss before walking toward the sink, Thanos following you.

“Why are you here ? Clearly you don’t need to relieve yourself.” You turned the faucet on, warm water hitting your skin as you began to wash your hands.

“How do you know I don’t need to relieve myself ?” He cockily smiled. Hinting something else than what you talked about.

“And how is that my problem ?” You looked at him and he shrugged.

“You’re the reason ?”

“Ah.” You dried your hands, nodding. “And how should I help you ?” You smiled, pushing your hands in his pockets, pulling him closer.

He looked around for a moment, acting as if he was thinking, you tilted your head, waiting, one hand moving to his hair, gently combing them.

“I think your lips could really help.” He replied. Not that your hand in his hair and your proximity wasn’t enough, but Thanos was selfish, wanting more.

“How so ?” You leaned closer. “Like this ?” You kissed his lips, before giving them a quick lick, smiling.

He didn’t let you pull away, grabbing your arms as he planted his lips on yours, deepening the kiss. It was almost desperate, but you'd say it was primarily hungry. Your hands went to his face, thumbs gently caressing his skin as you chuckled.

You only slightly moved back before attacking his face with your lips, letting your excitement explode, planting them everywhere, pecking every inch of his skin.

Thanos let out a dopey laugh as you kissed his eyelids, making you chuckle. He sounded so cute.

He grabbed your face, stopping you, making you look to the side before his lips went to your cheek strongly, making a comically loud kissing sound as he pulled away only to continue kissing your face the same way you did with his but with much more strength, forcing you to scrunch up your face as his hands squeezed your cheeks.

Still, you let yourself be kissed, humming, enjoying his warm lips against your skin, your hands were by the back of his neck, gently playing with the shorter hair.

Then his focus returned to your lips, tasting you again, growing more intense. As he bit your lower lip you tugged on his hair, making him hiss loudly and throw his head back to ease the stinging pain, laughing lightly.

You moved lower, snickering, attacking his neck, teeth digging in his skin. He let you do what you wanted for a moment as you enjoyed yourself, leaving a path of hickeys and bite marks on his neck.

And then, it was his turn to pull your hair to bring you back on his lips, despite your grimace you still smiled, gladly focusing on kissing him properly again.

You pushed him against the wall, trapping him against you as you kept devouring one another. His tongue was warm against yours. But his hands sliding under your t-shirt weren’t.

A chill ran down your spine as his cold hands caressed your hot skin, gliding on your sides and up your back, holding you close.

You pulled away.

“Don’t touch me with those cold ass hands, dude. Are you a corpse ?” You said, pecking his lips as you grabbed his arms, forcing his hands out from under your shirt as you held them, squeezing them. He squeezed your hands back, fingers caressing yours gently.

“What the fuck am I supposed to do about it ?” He asked, kissing your jaw before letting his forehead rest against your shoulder.

One of your hands went back to his hair, gently pulling on a few wild strands, tickling his scalp.

“Don’t touch me ?” You chuckled, wrapping your arms around his shoulders.

“Fuck off !” He replied, pushing you slightly.

“Alright.” You shrugged, raising your hands in the air before turning around and walking away.

“Ah, come on.” He went after you, grabbing your hands to make you face him again.

“As much as I love your hands, they’re not sliding under my clothes today.”

He whined, frowning before looking at you surprised.

“You like my hands ?”

You kissed his cheek, before looking at his hands, raising them higher to see them better.

“Have you seen them ? Fuck !”

He chuckled, squeezing your fingers.

“Oh, so you’re down bad, huh ?” He said, swaying side to side mockingly. You laughed loudly.

“Shut up. I should say the same about you.”

“Maybe.”

“Definitely.”

“Keep telling yourself that.”

You sighed and laughed, hitting his shoulder. Thanos pulled you closer, capturing your lips once more as he continued holding your fingers, thumbs gently rubbing against them.

One of your hands went to his chest, slowly moving it lower and lower, pushing past his waistband and into his pants, wrapping it around his cock. You quickly felt him tense and relax against you.

You began to stroke him, feeling his dick pulse awake with each of your caresses. Thanos was smiling against your lips, happy with where this was going. He definitely made the right choice to go after you.

Then suddenly you heard the door open followed by a sigh, footsteps approaching, and then, silence.

You and Thanos looked at who had entered, smiling once you saw Namgyu and Gyeongsu.

Quickly they noticed your hand in Thanos’ pants, still working his dick as he let out a sigh, resting his head against your shoulder. Namgyu groaned while Gyeongsu quickly looked away, finding the structure of the walls and floor far more interesting.

“Woah, really…” Namgyu scoffed, combing his hair with one hand. “Wanted to take a shit but now I don’t want to anymore.”

“Why ? Nothing’s stopping you.” You said, rubbing your cheek against Thanos' hair.

“Yeah. Go- ahead.” Thanos added, trying to stay composed, a tent now well visible in his pants as his hands gripped your arms.

“No. Just- Be quick about it.” Namgyu answered, turning his back and walking away, Gyeongsu rapidly following him.

You snickered as you heard the door close behind them, Thanos looking at you, smiling as he leaned closer, kissing you.

[alexrosa13]

Today's Catch

Xavier; Zayne; Rafayel; Sylus; Caleb x female!reader

Genre: fluff/angsty?

Warnings: 650-1000 words, mc!reader, Tomorrow's Catch-22 universe! characters behavior differs/may differ from their canon game one!, reader having hair mentioned (Sylus;Caleb)

Note: I had to write something for it finally since I managed to get all 5 cards on this banner 💜

for masterlist and request info head to the navigation →

Do you think we are together in every universe..?

"How could you hide it all from me?" you asked with hurt in your voice, staring straight into his innocent looking blue orbs "Everything I know about you is a lie? Everything that happened between us wasn't real for even a second?!" you took a step forward, standing face to face with him, his usual emotionless expression turned into something sad for a split second.

"No. Everything that happened between us was real to me." he said, still composed despite the situation he was in, but he couldn't lie: the sight of your hurt made him feel guilty.

"You helped me all this time, gained my trust, my..." love... you bit your tongue unable to say those words out loud "Just to vanish without a trace one day, leaving me behind. Am I nothing to you?!" you spit out words full of rage and disappointment.

You needed answers. Either you get them today or you will be the one leaving him behind.

"You're everything to me." he said, still with that innocent, clueless voice. Was he really that oblivious to the situation he found himself in?

You stared into his eyes, looking for answers, for the slightest hint of lies, unable to find any as always.

"You wanted to leave, then go. Go and don't come back if that's what you wish for. Don't play with me Xavier." you moved past him, ready to simply take your bag and leave the safehouse, if he didn't want to give you answers then he's not worth your time.

Suddenly he reached for your elbow, pulling you back towards him, forceful but mindful of his strength.

"I don't want to leave. Not now, not ever. I want to stay with you." he said while holding you to his chest, your bodies planted flat together, your face tilted upwards to look up at him.

"I don't know if I can trust you anymore. I don't even know you." your eyes watered from frustration.

"But you do, I'm just Xavier." he said calmly still not letting you leave his embrace despite you not reciprocating it.

"You're also Hermit - an SSS class preadator, and Philo's heir." you spit out quietly, refusing to lift your head again to look at him.

"But to you I'm just Xavier." you scoffed under your breath.

"Well then Xavier, please, enlighten me - why are you trying so hard to keep me here. Why do you care so much about whether I'll disappear from your life or not." it didn't sound like a question, maybe because you didn't want to hear the answers? Or maybe because you didn't want to hear another short and dismissive ones, or maybe you already knew them?

"Because I can't bear to be apart from you. Please don't leave me." finally you looked up at him, those cute, puppy eyes stared right back at you, his gaze felt like a manipulation try, too innocent, too pure for someone as dangerous as him.

"You're the one who wanted to leave me." you said, still hurt from the truth you discovered.

"But I don't want to leave you anymore, please don't do this to me."

"What do you want from me Xavier?!" you finally exploded, pushing at his chest to let you go.

Standing now at an arm length distance you continued to stare into his eyes, fuming inside.

"You." he simply said, unfazed by your outburst.

"What?" your expression turned from anger to confusion.

"I want you." how could he say that while looking like it didn't mean anything? Like it was obvious?

"Xavier you can't be serio-" your voice got stuck in your throat seeing him take a step towards you.

"I am." he looked straight into your eyes. His hand pulled you towards him once again, while his head tilted down, your faces at almost the same level, lips almost touching.

"Xavier-" your voice shook.

"Please. I'll let you know me, whatever you want, just please don't leave me." he begged, sounding like a kicked puppy.

"You-" you said through your teeth, arm coming up to hang around his neck, free hand catching his arm "Please don't make me regret it." your lips touched his harshly.

Not wasting another moment he reciprocated, hands pulling you even closer, clinging to your body, deepening the kiss that both of you craved for so long.

You were gone. Too deep in your feelings to let go of him, even if it'll get you hurt in the end, you want to enjoy his affection while it lasts.

You sat down on the cold cement before the clinic, Zayne following you soon after. Both of you thinking and simply enjoying the other's presence; the presence you'll come to miss soon enough.

Despite the confidence you had in your goals and ideas you had to admit that leaving him is probably the hardest part of taking the next step in life.

Who will you go to if your turtle becomes sick? Who will you go to when you'll become sick?

Who will you go to just to simply talk with another human being who listens.

"Do you think I'm naive?" you asked while continuing staring at the barely working street lamp.

"And stubborn." he deadpanned. You turned to look at him and scoffed.

"Thanks. That's totally giving me motivation to fight for what I believe in." you said sarcastically, allowing yourself to feel a tiny bit of accomplishment noticing a small grin appearing on his face.

"Add ambitious and reckless and you're going to get a perfect candidate for an enforcer." he turned to look at you, sending him a smile you returned to observing your surroundings.

"You know, I'll miss this place, despite what a shithole it is." you chuckled, feeling a sense of nostalgia over wrapping you while looking at the familiar sights before you.

Not hearing any words from the man sitting next to you, you turned to look at him once again, your eyes met the profile of his face basked in the soft light coming from the street lamps.

"And more than anything I'll miss you..." you mumbled under your nose, your voice not loud enough to cut through the sounds of the night life. His head slowly turned your way, his expression not giving you any hint of his thoughts and feelings as usual.

"What was that?"

"Hm? Nothing." you said quickly, not even bothering to try and appear as if you really didn't say anything.

You heard a quiet chuckle escaping him, instantly your face softened up at the sound you didn't hear often.

You didn't even notice the moment you began staring at him, soft smile appearing on your lips, face free from any worries.

Nor did you notice when his eyes focused on you, watching the way you observed him, stuck in your own world, peaceful.

'I'll miss you too.' he thought, but saying it out loud would make your parting harder than it already is.

"It's about time I go." you said, trying to keep up your unbothered attitude, but couldn't manage to hide your sadness from him.

"Take care of yourself." he stood up, reaching out a hand to help you up as well.

You didn't want to admit the way you trembled the moment your palm touched his, praying to whoever listened he didn't notice.

"I'll try my best." you giggled softly, knowing that the moment you'll lose the sight of him will be a painful goodbye.

Not taking your eyes off him you took a step back, but you miscalculated the distance between the sidewalk and road, your foot stumbling down the short inches of difference, sending your body down fast, your hands reached out in hopes of finding something to hold onto, but you only managed to catch thin air.

Letting out a gasp of panic you mentally prepared yourself to hit the hard asphalt, but the pain never came, instead you found yourself in a tight embrace of Zayne's. It was the first time you found yourself so close to him.

Your hands grasp onto his bicep, breath trying to calm down, your heart beating in your ears.

Your eyes close, head resting against his torso, while he stays in place with his arms embracing you, giving you the time you need to pull yourself together.

He felt your body shaking slightly, worried you began crying he moved his head to look down at your face, but instead of tears he saw a smile - you were laughing.

He only shook his head in disbelief, a small smile tugging at his lips.

"Damn, nice reflexed you got there Doc." your laughter grew louder while you continued holding onto him.

He waited a bit, enjoying having you in his arms even if just for a moment.

Slowly you moved away, leaving the safety of his warm hug.

Your eyes met, you send him a gentle smile, noticing the way his eyes soften while looking at you, unlike his cold gaze from a couple of months ago.

"Well, I really should get going already. C'ya Zayne" you brought two fingers to your forehead in a salute motion, taking careful steps back this time.

You managed to turn around before you froze. Your lips pressing into a thin line while you thought whether or not to risk it all and...

Fuck it.

You turned back to see him still in the same place you left him in, observing you.

"You know what" you tilted your head, watching the way his brows furrowed in confusion. You took a couple steps his way, stopping right in front of him "I cannot leave without one more thing."

Before he could've asked or before you could have back down from your plan you went though with it.

And crashed your lips into his.

His body tensed up for a moment, not knowing what to do.

But you didn't back away.

Slowly he reciprocated your kiss. Not trying to fight it even a little bit.

You stood under the dim light, accompanied by the loud sirens of alarms and screams from a couple streets over.

Not regretting a thing you moved your face away from his.

"I'll miss you Zayne." you chuckled for the last time, child-like happiness overwhelming you.

Giving his hand one last squeeze you turned around to run away in the direction of your now former home.

Leaving him standing there with a grin tugging at his lips.

'You minx.'

After yet another stressful day you came back to your apartment, heading to the kitchen for something to drink you saw Rafayel playing MasterChef preparing God knows what.

"What you cooking there handsome?" he didn't turn your way, but you saw the way his ears changed into a pretty shade of pink, almost hidden away behind the mess of his thick hair.

"Trying to make your favorite." you hummed to let him know you heard him, opening up the fridge.

"What's the occasion?" you took out your favorite drink and turned his way while opening it up.

"Just felt like it." you giggled at his answer taking a sip.

Taking a couple steps towards him you paused right behind his body, putting your chin on his shoulder and looking over at his work.

"How nice of you, spoiling your supervisor." you grinned at the way his face heat up. How could a tough SSS preadator be so cute?

"Stop teasing me."

"Oh? But I'm only letting you know how much I appreciate your efforts!" your grin didn't falter.

"Maybe I put a poison in there to get rid of you." you laughed at his bratty tone. Oh he wouldn't.

Even without him saying it out loud you knew how much he cared for you, the memory remaining lost but feelings not disappearing, simply waiting under a lock to be freed.

"Okay then, I hope you're ready to explain the cause of my death to the LCBI." you whispered playfully into his ear before tapping his waist twice and moving away from him "We're short on your yogurt, I'll take care of that tomorrow." you said while walking away, on your way to your bedroom to change clothes into more comfortable ones.

But you started taking off your shirt before leaving the kitchen, leaving him stunned watching your half naked back adored only by your bra, totally doing that not on purpose, making his face appear even redder.

You changed your clothes as fast as you could and came back to him.

"How's the food, pretty boy?" you asked while fixing up your shirt, unknowingly distracting him from stirring the dish, unfortunately ending in him touching the hot surface and hissing instantly "Rafayel!" in a second you were next to him, holding his burnt hand in yours.

Reaching out you turned the stove off before pulling him towards the sink, turning on the tap you moved his hand to stay under the cool water.

"How did it happen?" you send him a questioning look, he wasn't someone who often managed to get himself hurt (somehow).

"You distracted me." he simply said while observing how the water ran around his pinkish skin.

"I distracted you?" your brows arched, maybe you did that on purpose a couple minutes ago, but not now!

He only looked your way with that expressionless, perfect face of his.

"Well then I apologize for being such a hugeee distraction that you managed to get hurt because of it." you said with sarcasm "Can I do something to redeem myself for being at fault for your pain?" you tilted your head, watching him intensively.

"I can come up with a couple things." he stated, not backing away from the staring war.

You only snorted and reached out to pull his hand away from the stream, bringing it closer to your face for examination.

"It doesn't look that bad, only a little red-ish, you'll live." you said, not caring about the fact his eyes dug a hole in your head.

That was; until you turned back around to face him, suddenly standing way closer to him than a moment ago.

"Rafayel..?" you whispered questionably. Slowly backing away from him, to no avail, since with every small step you took back, he took one forward.

Until your ass met the countertop behind you.

"Rafayel, what are you doing?" you laughed nervously, his eyes staring through you into the depths of your soul.

"Am I just a plaything to you?"

"No, of course not, what are you talking about-" you rushed your answer.

"Then why do you keep playing the game, torturing me everyday with your touch and backing away before I can do something about it? Acting like it doesn't matter." you swallowed hard, feeling your throat closing up with nerves.

"I don't know what you mean-" you shook your head.

You knew exactly what he meant.

"Stop playing." he put his hands on the counter next to your hips, caging your body in between them.

"I'm not." you lost your smile, expression turning into understanding.

"What do you want from me?" he asked, patiently waiting for you to answer, to give him a sign.

Instead of words you gave him something more.

You palms gently held his face while you straighten up your body, your lips catching his in a gesture worth a thousand words.

His body tensed up before slowly relaxing, hands moving from the counter to your hips, holding you close while your lips devoured each other.

Something about it feeling familiar and comforting, like he lived through this moment before, like he already knew the way you taste and how your body feels next to his, fitting perfectly together.

He tried to stop you from pulling back, his lips chasing after yours but failing to remained connected.

"Is that enough of an answer for you?"

"You leave - disappear from the Earth's eye for years! Leaving me by myself, without a single thought about contacting me, about how I'm doing, if I'm still alive! And then you come back like nothing happened after I was worried sick for you, thinking that you followed Wolfe to the afterlife!" you screamed at the white-haired man, pacing around in your small apartment.

You didn't know whether you wanted to jump at him and hug him or jump at him and choke him.

You could do both.

"Where the hell have you been Sylus?! Why didn't you come back for me?!" you finally stopped your movements facing him from the opposite side of the room, staring straight into his blood-colored eyes.

"It was safer for you not to follow into my footsteps." he answered simply, untouched by your angry questioning.

"It wasn't your choice to make!" you screamed, letting out all the emotions.

"I'm sorry sweetie, I had to make sure you were safe." he said softly, allowing you to take the time to calm down and let out your anger at him.

"I-" you started, but your voice cracked before you could continue your monologue.

Your hand went up to brush your hair to the back of your head, heart beating fast, trying to steady your breathing. All this time you wondered how he was doing, if he's still alive, still breathing - if he still thought about you?

And now he was standing right there - alive.

Your feet moved before you could register it, taking you closer to him.

Standing inches away from him you looked straight into his eyes, the softness of the red irises glancing back at you felt so familiar.

"I missed you so much." you sobbed out while laughing, overwhelmed with the things you wanted to say.

Without waiting for a response you clung to his body, arms embracing him in the tightest hug ever.

You felt him gently hugging you back, one hand on your head petting you like a kitten, the other caressing your back, your face stayed squashed to his chest, breathing in his scent.

His always fast beating heart didn't slow down, just as you remembered.

You hated showing your weaknesses, born in a world where only the strongest survives.

But with him it was different - despite you always putting out a brave face for everyone to see, he always saw through it, knowing you like no one else.

"Will you leave again?" Will you leave me again? your muffled by his shirt voice met his ears.

"Not planning on it, sweetie." empty promises? Maybe, but even if only for a moment, they brought you a sense of peace.

You looked up, arms loosening up but still staying wrapped around his middle.

"I hate you for leaving me." you said weakly, mad at him, mad at the world, tired of playing the game of survival.

"I deserve it." he said, stating a fact. You had a reason to be angry.

Your hands traveled up his body, finding their place on his face, holding it while your eyes stayed focused on each other.

You had so much left to say.

"Am I that irrelevant to you? Do you think of me as a good-for-nothing lapdog?" you knew the answers.

"Never. I wouldn't think that way about you." his hand clutched your wrist gently, not moving it away from his face.

"Then what do you think about me?" you asked, desperate for his response.

"I believe you know the answer to that question, sweetie." he stated, and in this moment you decided to risk it all.

Standing on your toes you leaned forward, catching his lips in a quick kiss, moving away before he could react.

You didn't have the time to think about what you have done before his arm pulled you closer by the waist, not letting you run away.

His eyes search for answers in yours, before his head tilted forward, his lips touching yours without hesitation.

There's ain't no way you'll let him go after this.

It was middle of the night, you sat there on a poor excuse of a blanket, arm to arm, looking up onto the northern district.

"Caleb?" your voice broke the silence between you two.

"Yes?" he said, sounding as gentle as always, only for you.

"Do you think it'll get better?" looking to the side at him you watched as his gaze stayed focused on the view ahead.

"Of course, I'll make sure to take care of you. Soon enough I'll build you a home on the northern side and keep you safe and comfy there." he said casually, as if everything was as easy to do as it was to say.

"What if the other side is not that much better?" you turned your head back to the view of the city bathed in the darkness of the night.

"Then I'll find a place that will become your safehaven, somewhere far away from here, without preadators and fights for survival. I'll take you somewhere where we'll be able to live our life to the fullest without fear." you smiled and looked at him, catching him already staring at you.

"For as long as we'll stay together I don't care where you'll take me to." you saw how his eyes lighten up at your sentence.

In this cruel world your bond was the only thing keeping you sane.

The only thing worth fighting everyday to stay alive for.

You met as two kids, fighting each other for little things and became teenagers fighting for each other. Now you're about to become adults, still sticking together through thick and thin.

And whatever life throws your way - you'll face it, together.

"You're right, for as long as we'll stay together, we'll be alright." he smiled at you, everything else didn't matter, just two, small people in the middle of the universe, shattering time to stay in the moment for a little longer.

In seconds you were on him, wrapping your arms around him in a tight hug, face hiding in the crock of his neck.

Stunned for a moment boy was quick to reciprocate, embracing you with equal fervor.

There you sat - on your knees, hugging Caleb, arms having trouble to embrace his torso fully, when did he grow so much?! While his hands caressed your back in a calm motion.

Chilly wind made goosebumps appear on your skin, noticing your light shiver your companion was quick to cover you with his body, pulling you to sit in-between his legs, your upper body resting on him.

You enjoyed the moment in comfortable silence, eyes closed while relaxing in each other's embrace, his head lying on top of yours while you listened to his heart, the necklace you gave him resting on his neck right next to your face.

"Caleb?" you asked quietly into his shirt, not moving an inch from his warm hug.

"Yes, princess?" he didn't move either, savouring the moment.

"Do you love me?" innocent question, right? You were inseparable for years, attached at hip, you knew he did, you loved him too. So why did that question seem to hold weight heavier than ever

You heard the way his breath hitched, heartbeat speeding up under your ear.

"Of course I do. What kind of a question is this?" he tried to laugh it off, but you knew what answer you were really looking for.

"No." you moved away forcing him to straighten up and look at you, his pink ears perfectly visible behind the mess of his hair "Do you love me?" you asked again, firmly, looking straight into his widened eyes.

"I-"

"Think about it." you stopped him before he could give you a short answer.

The wind suddenly became more noticeable and louder. You watched as his expression turned from shock to sadness, to hesitation.

Gently and slowly you took his hand in yours, giving it a light squeeze.

"I love you." he said quietly, refusing to lift his gaze from the super interesting dirt on the floor.

Your free hand reached up, lifting his chin.

You smiled at his vulnerable expression.

Glancing down to his lips you moved forward, you already knew he'll say that, simply needing to hear it from him before doing anything else.

Confidently but unrushed you pecked his lips, giving him the time to gather his thoughts and pull away if he wanted.

It took him a moment to understand what you did, his body froze, mind working overtime before finally, finally he closed his eyes and tried to relax, his lips timidly moving against yours.

And in this very moment he knew he'll protect you forever.

©alexrosa13 on tumbrl

taglist ← new! @pozuki

[lieslab]

The house is white and the lawn is dead

꘎♡━━━━━♡꘎ ꘎♡━━━━━♡꘎

Pairing: Hyunjin X gn reader

Summary: You're struggling with a past sibling relationship when Hyunjin takes notice.

Genre: Comfort/hurt

Word Count: 2.4K

Domestic abuse resources

Trigger warning: Insecurities, anxiety, domestic abuse, verbal abuse, descriptions of injuries from physical abuse, and grieving sibling-related trauma.

A/N: This is a request from quite a while ago and I hope you know that you deserved so much better than what you dealt with. I hope this hits the mark and I hope you have a good holiday that's full of love and appreciation. If nobody else is going to tell you, I will. I appreciate you and thank you for sticking around, even though you've fought internal silent battles <3

_ _ _

Australia was much warmer than you expected. The deep blue sky layered with cotton clouds and even though it was December, the temperatures were still pretty warm. You could get away with wearing a t-shirt and shorts without much of an issue. 

The Stray Kids members were on tour and since you and Hyunjin were a thing, you were offered an invite. You declined in the beginning, but Hyunjin begged and pleaded, even going as far as getting down on his knees and bowing to you. With his head level with the tip of your toes, he patted the top of your bare feet and said all the right words. 

When you finally agreed, he picked you up and swung you around. Laughter fell from your lips and he grinned. “We’re going to have so much fun! Just you wait! You’re going to love Australia, it’s my second home!” 

That was a few weeks ago and here you were now. Your fingers curled against Hyunjin’s hands as the two of you walked in the direction of the beach. Felix and Chan had been raving about the water. Salt has been in their bloodstream since birth. 

Growing up near the azure colored water, their families often took them to beaches to cool off. Beneath the scorching sun, the warm water provided much needed relief. The memories of their youth-filled days stuck to the sides of their brains. Coming back to the Pacific Ocean, it was finally like coming back home. 

The rest of the band members had scattered off in different directions. Minho and Han ventured towards a less noisy area of the beach. Seungmin and Jeongin padded after them. Changbin screeched, stuck his hands up, and took off towards the rolling waves. 

Beside you, Hyunjin chuckled and shook his head. “We have our own beaches and yet, it’s like he’s never seen one before.” 

“It’s the Pacific Ocean,” you joked, “that makes it special.” 

“Yeah, I guess.” 

You watched Changbin rush the waves and dive in head-first. The smile on your face began to disappear when you heard a scream from your right. Your head whipped over and it was there that you found Chan’s younger sister running away from him. 

“Get back here!” Chan yelled. He propelled after her with his arms outstretched. His bare feet kicked up sand as he chased her. Her laughter mixed with the sound of waves. “Hannah, get back here!” 

Felix’s own sisters shared a mischievous glance. The older one began to grin and when Felix realized it, his eyes widened. “Oh no, wait a minute, please don’t-” 

“You better start running for your life.” 

He rushed around and took off sprinting. “Bang Chan! Help me! Hyung, save me! Save me!” 

His sisters laughed and took off after him. Chan glanced over his shoulder and when he did, his own sister took advantage of this. She shifted directions and began to sprint back after him. 

What started as a simple joy, turned into a complex game of cat and mouse. The three girls ran after Felix and Chan while sharing giggles. Olivia, Rachel, and Hannah had been close for a while. It was easy to share the longing and loneliness of missing their brothers. 

Hannah and Chan had a younger brother, but he wasn’t the same as having an older brother. Hannah grew up with her older brother and then he disappeared. It was difficult to be so young and fathom that your older brother was hundreds of miles away. 

For Olivia and Rachel, it was the same way. Felix was the middle child and smothered with love and taunts. As the only brother, it was foreign to have him there all the time and then disappear to follow his dreams. 

Each sibling had their own lives and their own goals. Despite that, when they all visited with each other, they tried to make as many memories as possible. Who knew when the next visit would be. 

Your fingers were still entangled with Hyunjin’s hand while you watched them. Changbin realized his band members were being chased by their siblings and he gasped. He sprinted out of the waist-high water and rushed towards them. 

“Felix! Channie-hyung! Hold on! I’m coming!” 

Hyunjin’s fingers untangled from yours and he reached down to get his phone. He wanted to capture this moment and send it to the guys later. This was something they’d be able to look back on and laugh about. 

Too distracted by capturing the moment, he didn’t realize you walked away from him. You turned your back and began to head away from the laughter and fun. Your arms wrapped around your torso and you sucked in a deep breath. 

You had an older brother once upon a time too. Unfortunately, your time together wasn’t remembered with fond conversations and melodic laughter. Instead, when you thought back upon it, you remembered the worst parts. 

You remembered the harsh insults that were spat at you. As if you weren’t formed in the same womb and shared the same half of your parents. Words stung, but being backhanded and knocked to the floor hurt much worse. 

Once upon a time, you had a brother that you loved more than anything, but as the formative years began to progress, so did his hatred for you. What you did, you didn’t know, but you knew the harshness of a man. 

The betrayal of blood that tastes like iron. Bright crimson staining your cracked open bottom lip. It’s a plum purple and a darkening blue. A touch of brown that’s sprouting a rotten yellow amongst the edges. 

You asked that question over and over and over again. He moved out months ago, but the hurt still lingered. That harshness stapled to your soul and each time you tried to peel it back, to remind yourself that you deserved better, the rusty staples still clung. You hadn’t figured out how to feel worth it yet. 

When you looked into Hyunjin’s dark eyes, sometimes there was a tug on your heart. A cupped fear always lingered deep down. Would he eventually see you as your brother had? Something not worth fighting for? Someone so disposable that it wouldn’t hurt to let go?

Old wounds scabbed over and healed, but the scars never left. When you laid down in your bed and snuggled next to Hyunjin’s warmth, you could still feel the phantom pain every now and then. The way the tangled carpet strands brushed against your bare knees and wore away the top layer of your delicate skin. The pain that shot through your elbow and lingered in your shoulder when you hit the ground. 

Your brother’s untamed anger was uncontrollable. He was a vicious beast that would launch at you any moment. Whether it was verbally or physically, he’d beat you down without a second thought. 

Maybe your parents knew or maybe they just didn’t care. Maybe they too were ashamed and disappointed by the child that they raised. The two of you shared the same womb, but your brother viewed you as if you grew up in a womb of venom. It seeped into your bloodstream along the way and poisoned your entire sense of self. 

He darkened your childhood and the days that should have been full of wonder and entertainment were instead filled with fear and anxiety. Every time you interacted with him, you never knew what lay ahead. The unknown future brought you more anxiety than you ever could have possibly imagined. 

You grew up. You moved out. You lived your own life, but the hurt still lingered. When you tried to go back home, your throat closed up. Your adult body remembered that adolescent fear. Your knees wobbled and tears pricked your eyes. Your brain screamed at you to stop. 

You moved far away and tried to forget, but it was moments like these where you truly struggled. You wanted to be happy. You knew Chan and Felix were good brothers, but there was resentment tucked behind your heart. Why couldn’t your brother be a good brother too? 

Hanging around Hyunjin, you hung out with members of the band too. So many members had siblings and they were decent brothers. Changbin always tried to meet up with his sister to have a meal together every now and then. He always paid for it without complaint. 

When Seungmin went back home to his parents house, his older sister babied him. He swore that he hated it, but deep down, you knew that he appreciated it. He still liked to be cared for. 

Chan and Felix were constantly updated with their siblings. Han liked to taunt and tease his older brother for the fun of it. Jeongin actively liked to find items for his brothers and save them until it was a holiday season or their birthdays. 

Hyunjin and Minho were the only members without siblings. Even without siblings, they didn’t know what it was like to face abuse from them. They didn’t have to worry about coming home from school and facing the wrath of the devil. 

“Are you crying?” 

The sudden voice caused you to open your eyes. In front of you, Hyunjin frowned and studied your face. He reached up with his thumb and gently wiped away a fallen tear. 

You mumbled an apology and stepped back. With a sniffle, you wiped your arm across your eyes. The scent of coconut sunblock hit your nose. Chan wouldn’t let any of you outside without some sort of sun protection. The Australian sun was scorching and you burnt easily. 

“Did something happen?” He reached out and grabbed your arm. Slightly lifting it, he inspected your body for some sort of damage. “Did you fall and get hurt?” 

“No.” You shook your head and pulled away. “I was just thinking about some stuff. It’s kind of stupid, really.” Your eyes went down to the sand and you curled your toes. They dug into the white sand and disappeared. 

“It’s not stupid if it’s causing you to cry.” 

“I was just watching everything down there and needed a moment. Felix and Chan are good brothers. They’re having so much fun down there and I’m happy for them.” 

“But?” He raised an eyebrow. 

“I had a brother too, but he wasn’t like that. He was mean and cruel.” You wiped away another forming tear before it fell. “I just wish my brother could have been more like them and less like he really was.” 

“I’m sorry that he wasn’t who you needed him to be.” 

You shrugged and tried to swallow the lump in your throat. “It doesn’t really matter. What’s done is done and nothing can change it. Life goes on, the earth keeps spinning, and the sun still shines.” 

You glanced over his shoulder. All three of the guys and the girls were now in the water. They were splashing each other with water. Hannah splashed foamy waves at Chan. He spit the water back out at her and she shrieked. “You jerk!” 

When Felix sent water her way, his own sisters teamed up against him. One disappeared beneath the shallow water while the other distracted him with splashes. He yelped as his ankle was grabbed. Caught off guard, he tipped into the water. Olivia broke the water giggling as Felix flailed with a yell. 

“You know, I didn’t grow up with any siblings, but I met the guys. They might not be related to me through blood, but we’re definitely related through our experiences and our careers.” 

He cautiously reached out an arm and wrapped it around your shoulders. Your head shifted to the side and laid upon his shoulders. He brushed a piece of hair behind your ear and didn’t take his eyes off you. 

“If you want them to be, they can be the brothers you never had too. You’re already taken by me, so they already view you as a family member.” 

“Why does it feel like you’re lying to make me feel better?” 

“If you didn’t mean anything to me, I wouldn’t have brought you on this trip. Although we’re not from Australia, it’s special to all of us. Felix and Chan left this place to take chances and follow their dreams. That’s not something that any of us forget about. They left their families to take a huge chance and along the way, they found us.” 

“I wouldn’t have shared this experience with you if I didn’t love you. You can let them in and lean on them if you need to. You’re part of our lives and you help us out if needed. The least that we can do is care about you.” 

You blinked rapidly as your vision blurred. Tears began to fill up as you thought about the moments you shared with the guys. Just this morning, you helped Minho make everyone breakfast. 

The two of you laughed and joked around in the kitchen. When you accidentally cut yourself with a pairing knife while chopping vegetables, he lightly lectured you, cleaned the cut, and bandaged it. 

Once he finished, he showed you the proper way to hold the knife, so you didn’t catch your fingers with the blade. Once he was satisfied and sure you weren’t bleeding through the bandage, he left you, so he could go back to preparing the meat. 

“I don’t think I deserve you all sometimes,” you finally uttered weakly. 

“And at times, I feel the same way about you. So what are you waiting for? Come on!” he held his hand out towards you. “Your brothers are waiting.” 

When you didn’t move quick enough. He grabbed you and tossed you over his shoulder. You shrieked and gripped the back of his shirt. “Hyunjin! What are you-” 

He laughed and hauled you back to the water. “Felix, look what I caught!” He dropped you into the water and you gasped as warmth caught you. “Sick ‘em!” 

“Leave them alone!” Rachel howled. 

The three girls approached you to form a protective shield. Chan, Felix, Changbin, and Hyunjin began splashing the water. You shrieked and ducked behind the girls to take cover. Water splashed in every direction. 

Since Hyunjin was taller, he could see over the girls. When he did, he caught the smile on your face. Despite the rocky waves and their splashing, you were holding up just fine. The aching sadness replaced itself with comfort. 

You fit right in, like the final piece of the missing puzzle. 

| ♡.﹀﹀﹀﹀.♡ | ♡.﹀﹀﹀﹀.♡ | ♡.﹀﹀﹀﹀.♡ |

Taglist: @lina-linny @straykidsstanforeverandever @seungnishi @stellasays45

Masterlist

Taglist and inbox rules

Ko-fi

[snazzynacho]

In Common

Quinn Mossbacher x female oc

Read on ao3 Masterlist.

Chapter 1/?

Summary: Aleena notices a boy around her age stuck on a level in a game she's played. She offers her help, and a lovely friendship turned romance blossoms between them.

Fandom: The White Lotus (Season 1)

Tags: rated Y/A fanfic basically, romance, friendship, slowburn (I’ll try), clean romance, awkward flirting, Quinn is autistic.

Aleena and her grandad are staying at the White Lotus hotel.

For the past half an hour she’s been swimming in the pool while he’s probably off talking his head off with someone.

She’s thankful to get some piece and quiet. She loves her grandad but he’s always talking even when she has headphones on.

Twisting her body around to pick up her cup of apple juice she left on the poolside, she finishes her drink. As she does, her ears twitch at the sound of a familiar melody. She turns and her gaze falls on the boy her age, swwading in the water, holding up his phone in his right hand and a Nintwndo Switch in the other. The Switch plays an iconic Stardew Valley song which Aleena instantly recognises as the sound played in the mines.

He seems to be stuck on a level in the mines and she decides to offer help.

He veers around in the water at the sound of her voice giving him advice. His blue eyes look startled and Aleena feels a guilty churn in her stomach for scaring him.

He quickly turns back to his game and she drifts to the side of the pool to leave, deciding she’s embarrassed herself enough for today. Before she leaves, she hears a voice call out.

“Thanks, I’ve been struggling with this for a while…I kept dying and then losing all my shit in the mines! How did you beat it?” He looks at you as he puts his Switch down on the poolside which Alewna cringes at. Isn't he scared of getting it wet?!

“Uhh, by spending months screaming and trying not to throw the Switch across the room,” she chuckles, holding onto the onto the pool edge “but I eventually got there,”

He chuckles a little at her answer and glimpses at his Switch, remembering himself trying desperately all those times to finish the level for weeks. He smiles at her determination and then back at her.

“Well, you must be really good, because this level has been a nightmare. Those Crave Flies are horrible!”

“Right?! The noise they make makes my stomach churn…” she grimaces, swaying in the water closer to him.

He glances back at his Switch before turning to look at her with an intrigued look on his face.

“Can I ask you something?”

“Sure,”

He looks at her for a moment but is slightly hesitant to ask for the question. Eventually he decides to ask anyway, not being sure how she is going to take it.

“How old are you?”

“That is what you’re asking?” Aleena can't help but snort a laugh. “You know you shouldn't ask a lady that-” she feigns offence but the look on his face tells her he doesn't know she is joking. “I'm kidding. I’m Seventeen. Why?”

He then looks down at the shimmering pool water, watching the ripples of sunlight dance on it, thinking for a few moments before he continues. “No reason…just wondering why someone like you would approach someone like me.“

“What do you mean?”

He thinks about it for a moment, before speaking. “It was just a little surprising. I wasn’t really expecting a complete stranger to help me at first. No one my age really wants anything to do with me,” he looks over at his Switch, cursing to himself for being so open and honest with a stranger.

She shrugs. “To be fair, it was bugging me how many times you were messing up,”

He laughs and it warms her heart for some reason. His eyes drift to her brown ones and back to the Nintendo Switch again. He then notices that he completely forgot to ask her name. “Wait-“ he says, looking back at her. “What’s your name?”

“What’s yours?”

He lets out a small laugh, at her counteract. “It’s Quinn. Yours?”

“Aleena,” she beams.

Quinn smiles, determining that her name is pretty and fitting. He looks back at his Switch again, still a little hesitant about asking a question that has been lingering on his mind for a while. “Can I ask you something else?”

“You know, you don’t have to ask that every time?”

Quinn laughs a little sheepishly at her statement, learning that he does have a habit of asking permission to ask a question. “I guess I do say that a lot, huh?”

“It’s fine,” Aleena giggles. “What were you gonna ask?”

Quinn lets out another small laugh, more of a nervous one this time, as he rubs the back of his neck, wondering how exactly to ask this question.

“Uh- well, I was wondering if…if you maybe wanted to go hang out together while we’re staying here…like, as friends?”

“Sure! It’s nice to finally find a gamer out in the wild,” she smiles. “What’s your Switch username by the way?” She asks as she leaves the pool to retrieve her switch from her bag, drying off first.

He seems to follow her lead, as he gets out the pool too, sitting on the empty lounge chair next to hers.

Quinn looks at Aleena with excitement at her willingness to hang out. He grabs his Switch to share his username with you. “It’s uh- Moss19. What’s yours?”

“Turtleena. T-U-R-T-L-E-E-N-A,”

He laughs at your username for a moment, amused by it, before looking back up at you with a smile. “Nice username. I’m gonna add you as a friend. I’m guessing you like Turtles?”Quinn clicks on the button to add her as a friend. His Switch makes an affirming sound when it obliges. He grins and looks back at Aleena. “There. We’re friends now.”

“Yay, thanks, I’m adding you too. And yeah, you could say that,” she chuckles, fiddling with the stitched corner of her purple towel. “Do you like Moss, then?” Aleena jokes but before either of them can say another word, her grandad calls for her from across the pool.

Quinn looks around when hearing her grandad hollering for her at the other end of the pool. He looks back at her and gives a sympathetic look as well as a shrug. “Guess you have to go?”

“Yeah, sorry.” she shoves her switch back into her bag, grabbing her pink towel to wrap herself with. “Well, I’ll see you around. Can you even message people on a switch? Or can you only text on a phone? Oh, here’s my number anyway,” she rambles on and uses a piece of her towel to wipe the chlorine water off his arm, and scribbles her number on his arm using a glittery pen she found in the bottom of her bag.

Quinn watches as she scribbles her number onto his arm, like etching a tattoo, completely endeared by her rambling. He admires her work of tattoo artistry on his arm, the sparkly red ink contrasts against his pale skin with every stroke.

“No worries, I’ll message you. And…yeah, you can message through the Switch. Can’t call or anything though,” he’s surprised he can keep his cool, at her touch.

“Oh right. Of course.” she stands in front of him kind of awkwardly, not wanting to leave. “Well, bye Quinn” she smiles once more, waves, and walks away.

Quinn smiles at Aleena, giving a small wave back, a bit surprised at her slight hesitation to leave, before watching her walk off to her grandad.

Sitting back in the chair where he was previously sitting, Quinn stares up at the blue sky with a small smile plastered on his face.

The smile quickly fades as he realises he never told her his age, and he might seem weird in not doing so after asking her how old she is. He sits back up and yells, “I’m sixteen by the way!”

Aleena whips her head around at the sound of Quinn’s voice from a few metres away, not quite registering why he has said that, at first.

“Oh, okay!” she shouts back, and laugh to yourself. These two are one awkward pair, and Aleena loves it.

YOU DO NOT HAVE PERMISSION TO TRANSLATE, TO STEAL OR TO REPOST ANY OF MY WORKS TO THIS OR OTHER PLATFORMS.

A/N: I headcanon that Quinn plays Minecraft, Stardew Valley, Animal Crossing, and Mario Kart on his switch. (these are the only games I play either lol.) And I headcanon that he obviously has an Xbox at home.

[mysticinsightstarot]

☆PAC : CAREER AND FINANCES NEXT 6 MONTHS☆

Pile 1 > Pile 2

Pile 3 > Pile 4

**✨ DISCLAIMER & HOW TO PICK A PILE ✨**🔮

*Disclaimer:* This reading is for entertainment purposes only and is meant to offer guidance and insight into your journey! Remember, tarot is a reflection of potential energies, but your choices and free will ultimately shape your path. 🌿💫 Take what resonates with your heart and leave the rest! You are the creator of your destiny! ✨---**✨

HOW TO PICK A PILE ✨**

1️⃣ Take a few deep breaths, relax, and clear your mind. Focus on your career and finances and what you want to know about the next 6 months. 💼💸🌿

2️⃣ Look at the 4 images (shining open door, compass on a map, glowing light bulb, and tree full of fruit). 🌟 Which one pulls you in? Trust your first instinct! 🔮

3️⃣ The image that calls to you the most holds your message for the next 6 months in your career and finances. 🌟✨

Once you've chosen, scroll down to the reading that aligns with your pile for your personalized insight! 💖✨

💫✨ Pile 1: The Shining Open Door ✨💫 You picked the pile with the glowing door—oh, I see you’re READY to step into something BIG! 🌟 Let’s dive into what’s ahead in your career and finances because, honey, things are about to shift! 🚀

1. Current Energy: Queen of Swords & King of Swords 👑⚔️ Whew, talk about power couple vibes—but it’s ALL YOU! 💪 You’re rocking both your logical side and your fierce independence. The Queen is telling me you’re super clear on your goals, cutting through the fluff, and making decisions like a BOSS LADY (or boss dude 😉). The King shows that you're also in complete control of your mental game—your mind is sharp, and your vision is crystal clear. Double swords = serious focus and balance between intellect and emotions. Yasss, no one’s messing with your boundaries or your vision right now! 🔥🔪

2. Opportunity: Two of Wands 🌍🤔 It’s decision time, boo! You’ve got a HUGE opportunity ahead that involves looking beyond where you are now. Are we talking overseas ventures 🌏 or simply a big career move? This is your “make a plan and conquer” card. The world is literally in your hands, and now you’ve just gotta decide which path is calling your name. 👑 The shining door is OPEN, and it’s saying, “Step through, but choose wisely!” 💡

3. Challenge: Death 🖤⚡ Before you gasp—this isn’t about literal death, it’s TRANSFORMATION, babe! 🦋 Something in your career or finances has to die (not literally! 😬) so you can fully transform. Maybe it’s an old job, a limiting belief, or even a partnership that isn’t vibing with your higher self anymore. Change can be spooky 👻, but this card says, "Embrace it!" Let go of the old so you can evolve into the next-level version of YOU! 🔥🚀 You got this! 💯

4. Outcome: 7 of Cups & 6 of Cups 💫🍬👶 Oooh, choices, choices! 😍 The 7 of Cups says you’re gonna have A LOT of options coming your way (think candy store level options 🍭)! But be careful, not all of them are as sweet as they seem. Some might be glittering distractions, and you don’t want to get stuck in that confusion. 🤔 The 6 of Cups is bringing in a more nostalgic, sweet energy—maybe an opportunity from the past reappears? 🌸 Or someone from your past (a mentor, a colleague, or even a childhood dream) is going to help guide you toward the right cup. Trust your intuition and choose the one that fills your heart the most. 💖✨

Bottom of the Deck: Ace of Cups 🌊💙 Awww, look at that! The Ace of Cups says this whole journey is leading to a brand-new emotional beginning. Whether it’s finding a career path you LOVE or something that sparks passion in your work, this is a whole new level of fulfillment! 🌟 It’s all about filling your own cup first and letting those good vibes overflow into everything you do. Self-love, baby, and trust that this opportunity is gonna make your heart sing! 🎶💧💖

Get ready to slay the game! ⚔️👑 Your career and finances are transforming into something new and powerful, and it’s all in your hands now. ✨ The door is open—are you ready to step through? 🔑🌟

🌸💼 Pick another pile or send a love offering to the tarot spirits (me 👀) if this resonated with you! 🎉💖 #CareerVibes #ManifestingSuccess #BossMode

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

Pile 2 (Compass on Map):

✨🧭 Pile 2: The Compass on the Map 🧭✨ Oooooh, you picked the pile with the compass! 🔮💫 This is ALL about finding your true direction, bb! The universe is guiding you toward something amazing, and trust me, you’re about to LEVEL UP in ways you didn’t expect! Let’s take a peek into your future career glow-up, and honey, the wands energy here is SPICY 🔥🍃!

1. Current Energy: Ace of Wands 🌟🔥 OMG, YES!! You’re in full-on go mode right now! 🚀 This Ace is all about passion, inspiration, and new beginnings. You’ve got a burning idea inside you, and it’s like the universe just handed you a cosmic match to light it up! 💡✨ You’re feeling creative, ready to make bold moves, and so full of ENERGY it’s electric. ⚡️ Whether it's a new project, career path, or just you vibing with your creative genius—GET IT! 🔥🌿

2. Opportunity: Ace of Cups 💧💖 Double Aces?! Okay, the universe is literally pouring opportunities into your lap! 💦 This is something that’s going to fill your heart with pure joy! 🌸 Whether it’s a new job you’ll fall in love with or a chance to work on something that ignites your soul, this card says, “Embrace it, babe!” 💖 It’s about connecting with what truly makes you happy, and maybe, just maybe, aligning career and personal fulfillment. 💼💖 Passion meets heart—talk about a dream opportunity!!! 💫💧

3. Challenge: Justice, Wheel of Fortune & Six of Wands ⚖️🎡🏆 Whoa, hold up, THREE cards here for your challenge?! Okay, let’s break it down! 🔍

Justice says you’ve gotta keep things balanced. Maybe there’s something legal or contractual in your career that needs fairness (look out for contracts or deals, bb!). ⚖️ Don't worry—just make sure everything's fair and aligned with your values.

Wheel of Fortune means things are spinning fast! 🎡 Luck is on your side, but it’s a wild ride, so hold on tight and ride those career waves! 🌊 You’re on the brink of big change, and it might feel like a rollercoaster. 🎢 Stay grounded!

Six of Wands is like, "Oh hey, don’t forget you're a winner!" 🏆 But be careful not to let success go to your head. 🌟 Humble queen vibes will take you far, just stay true to yourself, and victory is guaranteed. 👑💪

4. Outcome: 9 of Wands, 4 of Pentacles, Knight of Wands, Queen of Wands & 4 of Wands 🔥👑🎉 OMG, this outcome is a total powerhouse of energy! 🔥 Get ready for a rollercoaster of action and success:

Nine of Wands says you’re feeling a bit tired from the hustle—but don’t give up! 🏋️‍♀️ You’re almost there!

Four of Pentacles is a reminder to hold onto your resources and not overspend or over-invest just yet. 💰 Patience, love!

Knight of Wands is YOU charging forward, full steam ahead, pursuing your goals with fiery passion. 🐎💨 Think bold moves, fast results!

Queen of Wands is ultimate BOSS energy! 🧡✨ You’re about to own your space, radiating confidence and magnetism. People can’t help but notice you!

Four of Wands HELLOOO celebration vibes! 🎉🎊 This is you reaching a major milestone, like a promotion, career achievement, or even a new home or office space. It’s all about success, stability, and joy!

Bottom of the Deck: Page of Wands 📩🔥 Oooh, the Page of Wands at the bottom says you’re entering a phase of super exciting communication and fresh ideas! 💬🔥 Expect some news soon—whether it’s a job offer, a new project, or an opportunity to collaborate with someone exciting. The universe is like, “Go for it, bb!” 🚀 You’ve got the vision, the drive, and now… it’s time to take action and run with it!

Summary: 🔮✨ Get ready for a passionate new beginning that aligns your creativity and heart! You’re stepping into big opportunities (seriously, double aces?!!!), and while the road might be a little bumpy, you’re destined for success! Just balance those scales ⚖️, keep pushing through the challenges 💪, and soon you’ll be celebrating 🎉 like the Queen/King of your career kingdom!

🌟💼 Drop a comment or hit me up if you feel this energy! Let's ride the Wheel of Fortune together! 🔥🍃 #CareerGlowUp #LevelingUp #CreativePassion #ManifestingSuccess

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Pile 3 (Light Bulb Glowing):

💡✨ Pile 3: The Light Bulb Glowing 💡✨ Yasss, you picked the glowing light bulb! 🌟 The universe is about to shine some serious truth into your life, but ooooh, honey, it might get a little wild before things brighten up. 🌪️ Let’s break down what’s coming in your career and finances because this pile is all about BIG revelations and shaking off the old to welcome the new. Hold on tight, bb, it’s gonna be a ride! 🌀💡

1. Current Energy: 9 of Swords 😱💤 Oooh, sweetie, you’ve been STRESSING. 🥲 The 9 of Swords is serving up anxiety central—are you losing sleep over career decisions or financial worries? 😩 It’s like you’re overthinking EVERYTHING, replaying scenarios in your mind at 3 AM like a bad soap opera. 🎬 But here’s the tea: your worries are bigger in your head than they are in real life. 🧠✨ The light bulb is about to switch on, and things will start making sense soon. Hang in there, bb! 🖤💫

2. Opportunity: 2 of Swords & Ace of Swords ⚔️💡 Okay, so the 2 of Swords says you’re at a crossroads, but guess what? You’ve been avoiding making a choice! 🙈 Whether it's a new job, a financial decision, or a major life move, it’s time to rip off the blindfold, babe! 🚨 The Ace of Swords swoops in with a FLASH of clarity! ⚡✨ This is your a-ha moment, the truth you’ve been waiting for—it's like a light bulb 💡 finally going on over your head! You’re gonna cut through all the confusion, sharpen your focus, and see the path CLEARLY. 🔥 You’ll be making decisions like a total boss. ⚔️

3. Challenge: The Tower 🌪️💥 OMG, here comes the Tower—total SHAKE-UP energy! 🏰⚡ Don’t panic, bb! This card says that whatever is falling apart was meant to go. 💨 Maybe your current job or financial situation needs a complete teardown so you can rebuild from scratch. 🧱 The universe is like, “Honey, we’re tearing down the old to make space for the NEW.” 🔄 Embrace the chaos, because it’s leading you to something SO much better. This is the card of divine intervention, where things might get a little wild… but trust me, it’s for your highest good! 💣💫

4. Outcome: Wheel of Fortune 🎡🔮 YASS, here we GO! The Wheel of Fortune is spinning in your favor, baby! 💫 This is BIG karmic energy—what goes up must come down, and vice versa. 🎡 Your luck is turning, and the universe is pushing you toward your destiny. Expect some unexpected changes (but this time, the good kind! 🙌), whether it’s a surprise job offer, a financial breakthrough, or a lucky opportunity. 🍀 You’re stepping into a whole new cycle, bb! Keep your vibes high because fortune is on YOUR side! 🎉✨

Bottom of the Deck: 4 of Pentacles 💰🛑 Okay, so the 4 of Pentacles lurking at the bottom says you might be holding on a little too tight. 🏦💰 Whether it’s fear of losing money or clinging to an old job or security, you need to let go a bit, love. 🙅‍♀️ Don’t be afraid to invest in yourself or take a risk—you can’t grow by staying in your comfort zone! 🔄 Trust that the universe has your back and that letting go of control will open you up to receiving MORE abundance. 💸✨

Summary: 💡⚡ This spread is all about breakthroughs! You’ve been feeling stressed and stuck, but the universe is about to give you that “A-HA” moment you need. ⚔️ Even though the Tower might shake things up, it’s clearing the path for your destiny to unfold, and the Wheel of Fortune says you’re about to enter a super lucky phase! 🍀 Just don’t hold on too tight to the past, bb—let that light bulb glow and illuminate your way forward! 💡✨

💫🌟 Hit me up if this reading resonated, and let’s ride this Wheel of Fortune together! 💫 #BreakthroughVibes #DestinyCalling #KarmicShift #GlowUpJourney #LetGoAndGrow

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Pile 4 (Tree Full of Fruit):

🍎🍃 Pile 4: The Tree Full of Fruit 🍃🍎 OMG, y’all, you chose the fruit tree?! 🍑🌳 Get ready because the universe is about to shower you with blessings like it’s RAINING FRUIT! 🍒🍓 This pile is all about hard work paying off and those juicy rewards coming in HOT! 💥 Let’s take a bite of this reading and see what’s coming for you in career and life abundance! 🍏✨

1. Current Energy: 10 of Wands 💼🔥 OK, bb, the 10 of Wands shows you’ve been carrying A LOT of weight lately—like, a whole tree’s worth of responsibility! 🌳💼 Maybe you’ve been juggling a million things at work or grinding to the max in your career, and now you’re feeling BURNT OUT. 🥵 Don’t worry, though! You’re about to offload some of that baggage and get the rest you deserve. Take a deep breath—your hard work is about to pay off BIG TIME, but you need to delegate or drop some of those extra “wands” first. 🌿✨

2. Opportunity: 3 of Pentacles 🛠️🌟 Collaborative energy coming in HOT! 🔥 The 3 of Pentacles says there’s a major opportunity coming your way to work with others and build something amazing together! 🤝💼 Maybe it’s a new project or a team effort at work, but whatever it is, it’s going to elevate you to new heights. 🏗️✨ Teamwork makes the dream work, bb! Don’t be afraid to share your vision and ideas with the people around you—they’re going to help you manifest your goals and bring those fruits to the surface! 🍇🍃

3. Challenge: Ace of Pentacles 💰🌱 YAAAAS, the Ace of Pentacles is here! But in the challenge spot? 🤔 That’s because the universe is handing you this golden seed, and now it’s up to YOU to plant it! 🌱💫 Whether it’s a new job, financial opportunity, or big career move, you need to make sure you’re READY to nurture this gift. 🌟💸 Sometimes the hardest part is believing you deserve this abundance, but TRUST—your hard work has earned you this opportunity. 💼🌿 Now water that seed and watch it grow into a full-blown money tree! 💰🍃

4. Outcome: Wheel of Fortune & 10 of Cups 🔄🌈💖 OMG, bb, this outcome is literally everything! 🎡✨ The Wheel of Fortune says you’re stepping into a whole new cycle of luck and abundance—so buckle up because it’s about to get GOOD! 🎢 Your career and finances are about to take a major upturn thanks to all the effort you’ve put in. And guess what? The 10 of Cups is like a happy, glowing rainbow 🌈 saying that your career success will bring you so much joy and fulfillment in your personal life, too! 💖 Whether it’s a new job, promotion, or financial win, it’s gonna make your heart BURST with happiness. 🥳✨

Bottom of the Deck: Justice ⚖️💼 Ohhh, the Justice card lurking at the bottom is serving BIG karma vibes! ✨ Everything is falling into balance now. ⚖️ You’ve put in the hard work, stayed true to your values, and now you’re reaping the rewards! 🍎✨ Whatever’s been out of balance in your career is getting righted by the universe. Contracts? Legal matters? Business deals? Expect them to go in your favor! You’re being rewarded for the good vibes and energy you’ve been putting out there! 🌿✨

Summary: 🍇💰 You’ve been working your butt off (and maybe feeling a little overwhelmed, bb!), but the universe is saying, "Hold on, your harvest is almost here!" 🌱✨ With opportunities to collaborate and a golden career opportunity on the horizon, you’re about to level up in a big way! Just believe you deserve it, plant those seeds, and watch them grow into your dream life filled with success, abundance, and HAPPINESS! 🌈💸

🍒🍃 Drop a comment if you’re ready to reap those fruits of your labor and step into your success! 🍇✨ #CareerHarvest #AbundanceComing #FruitfulVibes #JusticeServed #WheelOfFortuneFlow

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✨ SENDING YOU GOOD VIBES ✨

No matter which pile you chose, I’m sending you ALL the success and abundance vibes! 🌈💖 The next 6 months are filled with opportunities and growth in your career and finances, so trust the journey and keep believing in yourself! You’ve got this! 💼✨💸

If you enjoyed this reading, be sure to like, follow, and repost to spread the love and help others find their message! 💫🔮

🎥 Exciting news! My YouTube channel is launching soon, where I’ll be diving into personal development, spirituality, and philosophy—all combined to help you grow and create a supportive community! 🌟✨ Let’s embark on this journey together and elevate our lives! 🌐💖

And guess what? My website is also launching soon, where you’ll be able to book personal readings and get even more spiritual insights! 💻✨ Stay tuned for updates and be part of this incredible adventure! 💖

Thank you for all your love and support—can’t wait to see you all on this exciting journey! 💖💫 #CareerVibes #FinancialAbundance #TarotGuidance #GoodEnergyOnly #PersonalDevelopment

[fishyaudio]

RAIN WORLD THE WATCHER SPOILERS + OPINION/FIRST IMPRESSIONS/RANT AHEAD

I am so disappointed its unreal

I LOVED the beginning and the build-up with the world slowly rotting away??? Seeing locations blocked off, fruit and creatures getting rotten with time , the echo being playful was so, so great and I had the time of my life...

Until the dimension hopping happened.

My god, I am so utterly confused, lost, left with no hints what-so-ever. The new locations are a visual feast (BIG respect to everyone who stood behind the enviromental design and the art itself, its all so gorgeous) but they feel so empty, lifeless and maze-like in a really bad way. Rain World was all about getting lost and feeling small, but those areas don't make me curious to explore them, there's nothing to explore except finding another rift and they just feel overwhelming.

They just don't feel rainworldy at all to me gameplaywise. And don't get me wrong, I'm super fine with making changes to formulas, heck, Downpour DLC is my favourite part of this game because it has so many unique mechanics to offer which were so different from the base game. I personaly don't feel like the world is alive, the new creatures look amazing but I do not see them interact with me or each other in the same way as they did in the past. They feel more like standalone obstacles which was rarely the case before. Most of the rooms are so empty, loop endlessly, I get no hints of where to go or what to look for and stumble upon things either because of blind luck or because my friend (who I was playing with at the same time) went a different path and by pure chance it was the correct one. If I haven't had that outside info, I would be stuck going in circles in a dimension four worlds away from the random one with the correct tower where the echo was waiting for me. I don't know if I'm missing something

I love the new camouflage skill but it was useful only in the beginning, I rarely used it in the dimension hopping part, only in really dire situations which happened rarely. My biggest enemy was parkouring to places only to find out they were dead ends

I'm on level two of the new karma, around 6 hours in and slugchat, help my doomed soul I am not having fun. I'd love to see something that would go further with the idea of the world rotting away but I feel so, so disconnected from whats going on

Super curious about how it could end and what the echo's deal even is, I'm just lowkey scared that it will be as disappointing as the section of the game I'm dealing with right now.

oh princessa what did they do to you /j

[lemonstars8583]

hello 😈😈 uhh ppl are gonna see this and be like “huh” but i don’t ❤️ care very much at all ❤️

so remember that CTW AU is posted abt well here’s where bonbon is 😭 !! hooraaay!!

there’s that weird minigame in into the pit (the game) that has bonbon so i was like okay in this AU millie isn’t even dead so like. that minigame wouldn’t exist but what if… bonbon… in real life instead..

so Oswald finds bonbon deactivated in the weird ballpit world (and yes i have an explanation for this i’ll leave it under the cut as well as some extra info), accidentally wakes him up, and bonbon does not fucking like him but he’s like “okay you’ve been here before and left?? let’s make a deal i’ll help you survive and you get me the fuck out of here”. so it’s like a reluctant alliance turned eventual friendship.

TLDR: Freddy gets in a fight with baby, badly injured, thrown out, taken in by Jeff’s Pizza when it was a bit more popular, kids climb on him daily and eventually break his arm off, bonbon falls into ballpit and freddy can’t find him. he gets thrown out again because kids have trashed him. a few years pass while he’s stuck in the junkyard and bonbon is unconscious in the ballpit world in the past. Oswald finds him and they

If that sounded interesting here’s the full ramble ⬇️⬇️

Considering one of bonbon’s functional purposes on funtime freddy being a lookout (bonbon is described as “parental tracking/360 pivot” on freddy’s blueprints.) I think he’d use that to help Oswald and act as a lookout, keeping track of where threats are and informing him when one’s coming closer and from what direction. he would try to trick him sometimes out of pure mischief though.

also i think bonbon himself probably wouldn’t have that “kill kids when they’re alone” programming just because he’s so small so he wouldn’t get the job done quickly, he would probably only tell freddy “hey nobody’s around, get that kid” so with freddy not even there he isn’t much of a threat to Oswald unless he chooses to be.

AAANYWAY how bonbon got in the ballpit ❤️ keep in mind a lot of this is entirely from my brain. at this point we’re getting into “entirely canon divergent” levels of AU so be warned

i thought it would be funny if freddy and cb got into a fight and cb just beat the shit out of him. based on 2 things: 1. the fight when they kicked baby out of the ennard hivemind and 2. a roblox rp i was in 😭😭 LOLL it wasn’t a serious rp (at least not on my end, i think the person playing CB was being for real) but it was so funny i loved it

SO anyway i figured the only reason they were able to beat baby was because it was all the funtimes working together and because they were kind of all equally distributed in ennard. i think if it was just funtime freddy trying to fight circus baby he would 100% lose she’s like a foot taller than him

so freddy gets his shit rocked, and management is like “we’re done with this guy he sucks” and throws him out. Jeff’s Pizza picks him up like “hell yeah weird mascot thing” and puts him in the ballpit room to stand there and let kids climb on him. eventually because he’s still pretty broken his arm breaks off from the weight of a bunch of kids hanging on it and it falls into the ballpit. later on he goes looking for his arm and bonbon and can’t find either of them.

the pizza place ends up throwing him out because the kids are just trashing him and he ends up in the junkyard where millie’s grandpa finds him years later. I’d imagine in that time he would become an urban legend of sorts, wandering around looking for things nobody can find, and taking the life of the occasional kid who’s out past their bedtime. He’d become more jaded and cynical instead of his former silly self during this time too.

HI GUYS FUTURE LEMON HERE i had this in drafts and now im looking at it again. there’s a detail i forgot! while time passes in the ballpit world, no time passes in the real world 😃 fuck! SOO that kinda fucks this story up but ALSO. this is an AU. i can do what i want. and i don’t think the story will be too horribly affected if i just disregard that? so that’s what im doing 👍

[guhbwuh]

hello! this might be an odd question but how do you stay motivated? is your art just really old and you upload it whenever? because to me, it feels almost like you’re drawing all the time with how often you post, and i’m just curious how you don’t get incredibly burnt out from all of that.

sorry if this is incorrectly worded or difficult to understand, i’m not sure how to properly ask this question.

HIII not odd at all, ive been posting super frequently recently so i get it😭 i think it comes down to a few situational things for the most part.

i'm neck deep drowning in one of the largest hyperfixes ive had in years (haha this is the biggest reason, probably!)

when i have free days (like today) i can just work away at art because for me, its strictly done as a hobby, and if i have small slots of free time drawing is on the same level for me as say... working out or gaming for a bit. i have fun with them all i just need to choose which haha 😭

if im posting chibis, they can be done pretty quick on my end and i do them in groups on one big canvas so its really just a bunch of little simple things

i work fast and im never really hung up on perfecting details in my work, i move between parts of my drawings frequently to prevent getting stuck on one bit

another big thing is kinda.. just listening to my brain. i know pretty well what i can handle. if i can't draw, i wont force it. if i can, i wont push past what i have the capacity for!

sorry, this isnt really helpful as pretty much everything can just be "because ADHD"d 😭😭😭😭

[queenlua]

your post about adding excitement to a story by increasing the pressure on a character was not something i’d heard before and i found it super useful. are there any other pieces of writing advice you find foundational and would be willing to share?

glad you found that tidbit helpful!

first, i’ll give my default caveat of “i’m just some guy on the internet, so take this with however many grains of salt you need”

plus my general caveat on… all writing tips/tidbits/advice? which is:

i find that, past the basics of “knowing about exposition/rising action/climax/denouement” and such, most writing advice ends up operating as a dusty old toolbox i open up now and again.  something in my story's not working; i’m not sure how to fix it; i pull out my little toolbox of tidbits i’ve accumulated over the years and see if any of the screwdrivers and wrenches in there actually fit.  the kinds of tidbits that are useful for me may be ACTIVELY DETRIMENTAL to someone else; someone who chronically overtightens their screws probably shouldn’t be told “have you tried tightening the screws more :D;;;;” or whatever.  and in particular what works for me is probably oriented towards genre-y stuff.

BUT, Y’KNOW, GIVEN ALL THAT

here’s the tidbits i find myself returning to over & over!

* three is a very powerful number.  i have a tendency to write myself into situations where you have Two Interesting Characters Doing Verbal Head-Games With Each Other, and that stuff can be tremendously fun, but it tends to run out of steam very quickly.  adding a third character to the scene combinatorially increases the dynamics available for you to play with.  so if you’re stuck, throw someone else in there.  (relatedly this is why awful dinner parties are Peak Literature™)

* if you’re writing a romance: put a sticky note on your monitor that says “WHY CAN’T THEY BE TOGETHER NOW?”  if at any point you don’t have a good answer to that, you’ve fucked up; rework the plot.

* this is a shlocky tidbit from the South Park creators that totally works: list all the scenes in your story, and then, between each scene, see if they are connected by THEREFORE or BUT versus AND THEN.

so., e.g., “the ocean levels in Tellius are rising, THEREFORE kilvas wants to migrate from their sinking islands and onto Serenes, BUT Reyson is opposed to that move, THEREFORE…”

that gives you a stronger structure than, like, idk, “the war ends AND THEN kilvas moves to Serenes AND THEN Reyson and Naesala get in a fight…”

you want it to be mostly “THEREFORE/BUT” and very few “AND THEN”s.  just a tighter overall plot structure

* each scene should accomplish at least two things.  the most common two things for a scene to do are “advance the plot” and “develop a character”; i have a hazy memory that when i first read this advice, there was a list of, like, 1-3 other things a scene’s allowed to accomplish?  but i cannot REMEMBER that list, lol.  but use your imagination; i’m sure you can think of another valid thing.

i think this is more useful as debugging/editing advice than upfront advice—often, when you’re writing something, every scene will *feel* necessary, but upon reread, you’ll notice your attention is drifting, this doesn’t quite feel tight enough… and you’ll realize, oh, ugh, i just had three scenes in a row that existed Solely To Hit A Plot Beat; why don’t i combine those three scenes into one, condense the action, and also make sure a character’s doing something actually interesting/new while i’m at it.

(i think i see this plaguing a lot of novels that come out of nanowrimo in particular.  i mean, not me, because i don’t have the fast-twitch muscle required to do nanowrimo, but when i read other people’s nanowrimo stuff, it often feels like it was galloping through a bunch of plot beats without bothering to do anything else interesting.)

* if you're stuck on a particular scene/chapter, stuff to try:

delete the current sentence and start over

delete the current paragraph and start over

change the font and reread what you've got so far

open the document on a different screen and reread what you've got so far

print the thing out and reread what you've got so far

open a brand new document and rewrite the whole scene/chapter/etc from the start (NO PEEKING AT THE ORIGINAL VERSION)

go outside and look at a bird for a bit

take a nap

shoot a whiny discord message to a friend about it (even if it's solely rubber ducking, this can be helpful) (though if you have any friends who are good at writing AND ALSO willing to put up with your shit and offer helpful feedback AND ALSO you're not too mortified by your writing dilemma to share it with them, that's even better) (btw, any friends reading this: if you want to opt-in to messages like this from me, LET ME KNOW lmao, i'm really shy on this front!)

if you're DESPERATE: open a new document and just write out, like, "Character X wants Y. Character Z wants Q. These are the sources of pressure on character X. These are the sources of pressure on character Y. I want R to happen but I feel stuck because of M" and so on, just... really trying to dissect what the scene's trying to accomplish? most often, the outcome of this is, i'll notice in that "thinking aloud" document that i'm circling around some central question that I Don't Know The Answer To, and i need to answer that question to usefully proceed. sometimes this will be painfully obvious in hindsight. (e.g., sometimes you'll go back to your outline and you'll realize you've literally just hit the bullet point that says UGH OKAY THEY GET TOGETHER SOMEHOW I'LL FIGURE THIS OUT LATER, and you're like, ugh, fuck, it's now later, why is past-me such a bitch!) but them's the breaks. (in particular, i remember getting catastrophically stuck on a "meet the parents" story until i realized i was... avoiding actually writing out the "meet the parents" scene... which feels "well duh" in hindsight! but, like, hey, in order to write that scene, i needed to commit to some specific decisions on What The Story Was About, the same way artists gotta eventually erase a bunch of sketchy lines to commit to the Lines They Will Actually Be Inking, and that decision point feels hard and scary and no wonder i waffled lol)

okay so that's all the super-specific-concrete advice. here's some stuff that's more big-picture but i've still found personally useful:

* i once went to a talk where a novelist said she doesn't start writing a novel until she knows exactly what she wants it to look like on the bookshelf. as in: is it a schlocky trade paperback or is it a beautiful hardcover thing with fancy paper? does it have IMPACT FONT for the title or something handwriting-y? how many pages is it? and so on.

in service of this aim, she never writes any of the novel (no notes, no outlines, no snippets of dialogue, nothing) until she has that image vividly in her mind + she can't physically STAND not writing it any longer. for her, this process allows her to be sure that she knows what her novel is about—not necessarily in every single detail or plot beat (though, often she has a lot of that in mind before starting), but in terms of "what am i trying to say," "how do i want the world to look at it," etc, and she's found through hard experience that, while it's easy for her to start novels, it's often hard for her to finish them unless she has that crystal-clear image in her mind.

i can’t quite do her purity-of-method (my brain is scrambled eggs; i HAVE to write down snatches of dialogue and such before i get started on something or it all leaks out of my ears), but i see a lot of wisdom in it.  i do a lot of prewriting & thinking & scribbling out little snatches of dialogue and such before i really begin writing. i think everyone develops their own little heuristic for when they can be reasonably confident they know what their story is about, so you should try and figure out what that heuristic is for you & learn to trust it if you can? (a common one you hear a lot is "i have to know how the story ends / what the ending feels like," which makes sense; endings usually have a lot to do with what a story is About. i know NK Jemisin mentioned once she can't really start until she's nailed down the voice, and that also makes sense to me—you read The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms and it's very clear that her choice of voice is a large part of what drives the story, it has a propulsive force of its own; it's The Thing that blasts the whole thing open for her. for me, i'm not sure i have a tidy heuristic, but there's a point where i've written enough snatches of dialogue plus bits of scenes that i've unlocked some core thing that i'm really excited about—i keep spinning out bits of dialogue and setting and such that are related to that thing, i'm so excited to see how that thing plays out across the story, i look at my outline and see only possibilities and wonder instead of connective tissue that needs to be filled in... and then, yeah, i'll know i'm cooking, but not one second before!)

note that the story is allowed to surprise me & change on me once i get properly started—my longfic changed substantially when i realized Reyson’s perspective needed a LOT more room to breathe than i had accounted for in the outline, and then changed substantially again when i realized the butterfly-effect-style implications that keeping Leanne around had for my entire storyline—the ending wound up being TOTALLY different than what i'd originally planned!—but like, in that case, i don't think my sense of what the story was about ever fundamentally changed; i just added two more huge elements that orbited that about-ness. if that makes sense.

* i think about this passage from Bayles & Orland's Art and Fear a lot. i'm actually not sure that advice is helpful for literally everyone—i do see people who somehow manage to write the same fucking thing over and over, for years and years, and never seem to develop their craft or make any movement toward saying something interesting.

but i do think most people are developing something even when it feels like "the same thing over and over," and as someone who probably tends toward too little output, i found it a useful reminder that returning to familiar forms, themes, and characters across pieces is intensely useful if it gets you in front of the keyboard again, so don't stress over novelty too much. (i find, if i'm still returning to a particular form/theme/character, it's because i feel like i still have some interesting new perspective on it that's genuinely worth exploring. if i have actually exhausted a topic, i'll know it because i myself will get bored, but anyone else's opinion is irrelevant!)

* ursula k le guin's steering the craft is more focused on craft & nuts n bolts than plot-debugging-type-things but i thought i'd give it a shout-out here because i've just found it so perpetually useful over the years. in particular we could all stand to read our stuff aloud more often; that fixes a lot of problems and she goes on about that in detail in chapter 1 haha

* oh, also, re: my "put more pressure on the characters" advice—you've probably already intuited this, but i think i found that framing more useful than the kinds of "raise the stakes / make sure every character has Stakes / Wants Something" advice you're likely to find in screenwriting workshops, because this framing feels like a more... abstract... way of talking about the same thing?

like, often those two types of advice are addressing the same problem, but when i start off thinking about "where is the pressure on these characters," i don't just have to think "time to heap more pressure on them," i can also, like. observe. where the pressure points in my work are. i'm not presupposing a solution. maybe there's a ton of pressure but it's the wrong kind of pressure. maybe there's a ton of pressure but there's nowhere satisfying for that pressure to go. it's very woo/fuzzy but yeah i use the general principle of "pressure" to frame a LOT of how i think about story construction; maybe that'll be useful to you!

* FINALLY, i don't have a nice packaged heuristic/tidbit/tool-shaped thing for this one yet, but i've been thinking a lot about how much perspective really Changes Everything about a work. your choice of PoV should be exceedingly deliberate; you should be taking maximum advantage of your choice of PoV at all times (what do they know? what don't they know? how do they think about the world? etc); also if you're editing something and you're noticing a lot of unconscious perspective breaks, that's a warning sign something's going badly wrong in how you're approaching the story overall—perspective should just be unconsciously correct if you're hitting stuff right imo

OK WOW SORRY THAT GOT SO LONG but hope at least one of these lil bullets are useful for ya! happy writing~

[lost-in-lamentation]

human world headcanons

a/n: i just know half of the brothers would break into the human world under the excuse of seeing their favourite human, only to be distracted 9 seconds later. and so; human world shenanigans.

═  ˎˊ˗

lucifer.

here's one that doesn't stray from his goal.

lucifer heads straight to your house (without warning).

but he forgets that you have work today; he also does not have the key to your front door.

your neighbours start to wonder if the strange man who has been sitting on your doorstep is lost.

one kind-hearted neighbour sends you a picture of the lonely demon on your porch, along with the message "he's been there for hours."

a fit of laughter and a 20 minute drive later, you embrace lucifer tightly.

"sorry, sorry," you manage to giggle out as he tries to scold you for not having your d.d.d. on you.

lucifer finally relents the harsh glare when you tell him you'll cook a special dinner for him.

═  ˎˊ˗

mammon.

he's distracted in all the right ways.

first, he grabs you a drink from your favourite human world café.

mammon will then head to the grocery store and look for your favourite snacks.

he's so focused on the task at hand that he doesn't notice you side eyeing him from two feet away.

when he finally does notice, he turns on his heel and ducks his head, trying to escape your gaze.

it's too late now, though; you've already got a hand on the edge of his jacket, yanking him towards you.

"mammon. does anyone know you're up here?"

"... you do."

"not good enough!"

═  ˎˊ˗

leviathan.

see, he really wishes he could be distracted.

after all, the human world has so many anime and manga goods stores that he wants to visit.

but being the shut-in he is, he'd rather wait inside your house until you have time to go out.

unlike a certain brother, he remembers the key to your door (mainly because he doesn't want to be stuck waiting outside).

he does also shoot you a quick text before he enters, just in case you're inside and he freaks you out, or in case you're out of the house.

you enjoy having levi over; he doesn't drag you back outside as soon as you've got one foot through the doorway.

but perhaps the real problem is getting him back out.

because, why leave when he can game without his brothers interrupting his boss level speed run?

═  ˎˊ˗

satan.

oh lawd he's NOT coming.

he saw a cat on the road; as far as you know, he's gone forever.

satan only stops when he sees a street library box, curiosity getting the better of him.

it's maybe a few hours later that he remembers to text you of his arrival in your realm.

you call him almost immediately, asking where he is, only for the blonde to respond "i'm not quite sure myself. i followed a cat here."

your eyebrow twitches, and you almost want to give satan a taste of his own wrathful medicine.

"if it helps, the cat was a tortoiseshell."

"how is that supposed to help?!"

═  ˎˊ˗

asmodeus.

luck is on his side today, as his walk to your place takes him right past the shopping district.

it may have also taken him inside a few stores.

meanwhile, you lounge around at home, blissfully unaware.

that is, until lucifer calls you with much urgency in his voice, saying "MC, please tell me asmodeus is with you."

your neighbours can hear you screaming from the inside of your car as you pull out of your driveway.

a part of you is grateful that it's asmodeus at the mall; although he spends, he's not quite as bad as his older brother.

when you finally find the demon in the shopping center, you grab hold of his scarf, dragging him and his bags towards your car.

"MC, wait! i haven't bought a good lip tint for you yet!"

═  ˎˊ˗

beelzebub.

unlike most of his brothers, beel makes it his priority to call you first thing upon arrival.

his second priority is to find the shop where that delicious smell is coming from.

"beel, do NOT move from where you are, or i swear i will call lucifer and have him drag you back to hell himself."

you're glad the shopping and food square is walking (sprinting) distance from your place.

in your panicked rush, you leave your front door wide open, leaving your neighbours to wonder what you're up to this time.

it's a good thing the avatar of gluttony is so tall; you find his orange head standing close to the decorative water fountain in the middle of the square.

"oh, MC. you must be hungry after running like that."

you can only plant your hands on your knees while catching your breath, and beel waits patiently for your approval to go grab a snack.

═  ˎˊ˗

belphegor.

does not call or text you when he heads up to the human world.

you're most likely to come home to him already knocked out cold on your couch.

belphie is a quiet sleeper, so it takes you a few minutes to actually realize that he's there.

when you do realize that he's there, you unwillingly release a yelp, waking up the sloth demon.

belphie's expression shifts from a glare to a smile when he remembers he's in your house and not the house of lamentation.

"welcome home," he mumbles sleepily, stretching his limbs out one by one.

"belphie, how many times do i have to tell you to text me before you come over?"

he shrugs in response, instead dragging you onto the couch for a well deserved nap with him.

a/n: praying that my demon bro bias does not glare anyone in the face with these headcanons. i'm soft for all of them, i swear.

[pedripics]

Pedri: "Treble? We have to think big"

RAC1 (March 18, 2025)

About the game against Atlético Madrid

"When you're 2-0 down, it's hard to think about a comeback, but we knew we'd have chances. We are always a team that team that creates a lot of chances and well, why not? Lewandowski's goal was very quick and it was a great result for us." "It's nice to win with a remontada, but I prefer to do it in a more relaxed way (laughs). We're a team that believes in its abilities and creates a lot of chances. Regardless of what happens, whether we're playing with one less player or losing, we always try to give our all." "I think the confidence that we have right now in ourselves outweighs everything else. Whatever happens in the game, whatever opponent comes. We are confident that we can win."

About a potential treble and playing against Dortmund

"Yes, why not? Right now we are alive in all three competitions so why not? Well, dream big. I think it's the best we can do, we are young and we have the ambition to win many titles." "Well, yes, the UCL trophy is one of those that I am missing, so yes, I would be very excited, especially because Barça have not won one for a long time." "Dortmund is a team that we have already played against, a strong team. It's clear that it won't be easy, it's a Champions League quarterfinal, they won't give you anything for free, but I have a lot of confidence in the team, that we will put in a good performance and qualify for the next round."

About the National Team and the World Cup

"It's difficult because you're very focused on titles with Barça, but when you arrive here, you get in tune with the national team, there are two very important matches and we have to get through to the next round." "Now it's different because winning titles gives you confidence. I think when we came here, a lot of people didn't trust us. Now the rivals and the people see us much more differently. Well, I think that winning titles also gives you a lot of confidence to face the following championships. And, well, we want to keep winning." "People focus on the big titles, but within the group we're clear that the Nations League is coming up. We already won it, let's repeat it. Of course, your mind is focused on the World Cup, but now it's time to focus on the Nations League."

Quick question are you tired? - "Right now, no." (laughs)

About his personal level and injuries

"I've worked hard to be at a good level of fitness. Now I enjoy playing football, something that I love doing the most." "I haven't changed anything about my diet. The way I train, yes. I don't lift weights now; I stretch and work more with resistance bands. Personally, it suits me better and it's one of the ways I've found to feel good. Physically, the body also evolves over the years. You change a lot of things to find the right ones, to find the key for your injuries and to change things around. And well, once you change a couple of things, you start to feel good." "I am not really afraid of injuries. I'm very confident that I'm not. Injuries can always happen, injuries are a part of football, but well, I feel very good and I see them as a thing of the past." "I think it's one of the best moments because of the confidence I have, the trust they give me and what I'm enjoying." "I notice that playing regularly helps me. When I take a week off or have more days between games, I feel more tired. Well, these are things that I didn't understand at the beginning, because well, normally they tell you that when you have to recover, you have to stop training and moving but well, my body is different like that."

About his dad

"Yes, he always did when he was little. It's something that always stuck with me whenever I came out of a youth game or whatever it was, he would always say to me, well, when the day doesn't go well, because there are days when you don't have good control, when you don't have a good day with the ball, at least run for the team."

About the affection from the fans

"I feel a lot of love from the fans. When I'm on the pitch, it's very nice to hear the fans chanting my name, and I try to repay that love through my performances in matches."

About his first season

"No, I don't forget it. Because, well, it was a year that marked me a lot. I came from Las Palmas and, well, I didn't know if I was going to stay in the first team. Well, it was a year that I wanted to consolidate myself and, well, I think it was a spectacular year. It's true that I played a lot of games and I enjoyed it a lot and, well, I learned a lot."

About seeing Koeman and Frenkie

"I'm really looking forward to seeing him. He was the one who gave me the opportunity to be at Barça, to stay there and he trusted me to play a lot of matches. And well, as I've said many times, I'm very grateful." "The story about him not recognizing me is true. It was in a restaurant next to the hotel, and I went to talk to him and he was a bit like 'Who is this?' (laughs). He was left wondering who I was. He told me he hadn't seen me much and that I had to prove my worth in training and the matches we were going to play. I perfectly remember the day he told me I was staying with the first team. When I walked into the office, I was freaking out, thinking, 'I'll go home or I'll stay.' I thought it was going to be the first, but well, it turned out to be the latter. It's been five years now. Yeah, it seems like it was yesterday, but it's true that I've been here for a while and well, it's passed fast for me, but at the same time good, I think I've learned from all the moments I've had to live through and well, I've taken that experience for what comes next." "I'm looking forward to seeing Frenkie too. He was not able to play the last game, because he was sick. But well, he's a spectacular player. It's going to be complicated to stop him, but we'll try to stop him in the best way possible."

About Frenkie and Casadó

"Frenkie is an amazing player. When he has the ball, I feel very comfortable because I know he won't lose it. We always look for each other. And well, those conditions that characterize him to break lines are a spectacle and well, I think he's a world star player." "Frenkie or Casadó? Well, we've got them both so I will take them both. Honestly, I feel very comfortable with both. They each have a different style of play. Casadó is more positional and defensive, while Frenkie contributes a lot with the ball and breaks lines. I think they are two players you can rely on, one or the other, depending on the quality of the match." "Casadó's injury is a pity because it's a season that has been making a big difference for him. It's an important season for him, he has exploded in an incredible way. I don't think anyone expected him to explode like that, and well, we send him all our strength, affection, and well, we will look after him so that he can come back as good and soon as possible."

About Iñigo

"I also wish him well. I think he is a great player. The captain of the defense this year, the one in charge of the line. He gives us a lot. He is a great player and he's playing at a spectacular level." "When there is an injury and it's not as bad, they always say that he doesn't want to come but it's not like that. It's a good thing that he said stop, right? What is not normal is to take a risk and have an injury and miss the whole season. People really don't know many times and well, they give their opinion without knowing anything. Getting injured in the last game before the camp is a shame, but sadly that's sometimes football, after all, football is a contact game, there are injuries and well, it can happen."

About Dani Olmo

"I remember at the European Championship when they said we couldn't play together, that we didn't have a good relationship... we laughed a lot because we have an excellent relationship and are always together. I always tell him that I think that nobody, or almost nobody, turns between the lines as well as he does. I really enjoy playing with him. His first touch is amazing, and he brings us quality, he scores goals, and he provides assists."

About the rumours about his private life

"When you have a lot of injuries, psychologically it affects you, above all, because of what people say, the criticisms, they always come and say that you party, that you don't take care of yourself but above all it affects not being able to be with the team, not being able to play. At the end of the day, you're a footballer and all you want to do is play football and when you can't, it's very complicated. I always say, if they came to my house and would stay with me all day, they would be very bored and it would be very different to what they think of me. When they spread lies, the only thing you can do is work and try to shut up mouths in the future."

About Nilo

"Nilo is good. He is young and rambunctious all day long. But he is very well behaved."

About Ferran

"It's difficult to tell someone that they are a substitute. It's true that at this stage, now he's having to come on as a substitute because, well, the top three are like they are, they're like planes, but he's a player, who, both when he comes on as a substitute or when he plays as a starter, like against Valencia, who is spectacular. I think he is a player who is marvellous in that space. He scores goals, no matter how much they say he misses chances, and he puts pressure on others. He's a spectacular player. I have a great relationship with him."

About the trident

"Now they're flying. Lamine is a difference-maker. He can dribbles it like it's nothing, and well, they said he didn't score goals. Now this weekend, they can't say that anymore. Lewandowski is one of the best finishers in history and it's incredible to have him, and Rapha... he is doing everything right now. Goals, assist, pressing... he is marvellous. He's the one who's surprised me the most with his performance, and he deserves it for the work he puts in. When he was criticised I saw him in training, how he ran, how he battled, he was incredible. He is unbelievable. As a captain, he's all heart. Always eager to work, to win, to fight. When you see someone giving it their all like that, it rubs off on you, and that's very good."

About his relationship with Xavi

"Nobody spoke to me about wanting to sell me, I was clear that the injuries were just a temporary situation and that I wanted to stay. I have a good relationship with Xavi, they always say I throw sticks at him in the press and it's a lie, I have a good relationship with him, I have nothing against him. When you say that we train differently now, everyone says it's to sink or crush Xavi's work, and that's not the case."

About Flick

"Physically, we're flying, we press for the entire 90 minutes, and we keep a very high defensive line." "When he needs to be serious, he is. And when he needs to joke around, he's the first. He's very attentive to those who aren't playing. He's a very approachable person. He always tries to be with us and help us with everything."

About the Ballon d'Or

"It's great to be appreciated, it's nice when they value your work. But I prefer to win titles with the team, and if that happens, even better. It would already be a dream to be among the nominees." "I was very happy for Rodri, the truth, because well, he is a player, a defensive midfielder A lot of people don't see it, but I think he's a key player and well, it's showing at City."

They surprised him with a video from Pepe Mel (his coach at Las Palmas)

Pepe Mel: "Hi Pedri, it's Pepe. I wanted to tell you that it is very important to me that all the qualities and the abilities and the future that I perceived in you in 2019, well, they have come true. You have confirmed each one of them. And well, that's something very, very important for a coach who takes the risk of putting a 16-year-old in professional football. The truth is that this bet came out a winner and you have confirmed everything, everything I saw in you and as I told you at the Almeria Barça game the last time we met. Keep enjoying the ball, keep enjoying football, because you can see when you are at ease on the pitch and when you enjoy it you make everyone fall in love with football. I think you have a long way to go, you have not reached your ceiling and I am sure I will see you with a Golden Ball. It will be magnificent. For Spanish football, for your club and, of course, for all of us who love you. A big hug and take care of yourself."

"Pepe is a very good coach. I think he's one of the most important coaches I've had in my career. He's the one who, when I was a kid, when I was absolutely nobody, bet on me and I'm very fond of him. And well, he says he got everything right, I hope he gets it right with the Ballon d'Or as well (laughs). The truth is that I'm very thankful to him, for how he trusted me and for everything he gave me."

About a potential El Clásico UCL final

"Well, yes, because it would mean that we have reached the final, so yes, it is clear that I would sign that today." "No, why should I be afraid? I think you shouldn't be afraid of anyone. I would sign to be in a Champions League final every day."

About the rescheduled Osasuna match

"The truth is that it's a little weird. I didn't know that they were going to schedule that game on that day but hey... I don't understand it because, well, Madrid already complained that they don't play with less than 72 hours rest and well, I think the league, it's true that we don't have many dates to put it on, but well, not having those two players I think it hurts us a bit and well, let's see what happens."

They had another surprise video for Pedri

PEDRO: "Hey. What's up, buddy? From here I wish you all the best. Tell you what you already know, that you are a great example for many sportsmen. May you continue your career in this way, you are doing very well. It is a pleasure and a privilege for all of us, the Canary Islanders in particular and in general for the whole world, the athletes, as I said before, for the children and, well, for all the athletes of our country, that you represent us in this way as you do and I hope you achieve many successes as you have already done. May there be many more to come. You are having a great season, a great level in both Barça and the national team and that you can, as I said, culminate it at the end of the year by winning an important title, whether it's the league, or the Champions League. I hope so. And, well, also with the national team that is just around the corner for the World Cup, which is a spectacular event. And well, I hope you continue enjoying it a lot in the best team in the world, Barça, and that you continue to make all of us fans, who follow you from outside, who watch you, enjoy it. May you continue to work in the same way, with the same behaviour and the same attitude. I send you a big hug and I hope, like I said, that you achieve all the successes that you set out to achieve, that you continue to fulfil your dreams in the best possible way and that it is a pleasure to see you play and that you make us enjoy a lot, ok? A big hug friend. Bye."

Pedri: "Yes, well, he's a player that I always loved when I was little because of how he gave his all, for the team, for how he scored. I think he was a lightning bolt on the pitch and, well, I'm proud to be a Canary Islander and it's nice that he dedicates those words to me. I have a good relationship with him, the times I've met him I've laughed a lot, he's a very cheerful guy. And well, I would like to thank him. Thank you for your words and well, let's go for it all as he said."

Note from the journalists after Pedri left: "Pedri is a 10. As a player and as an interviewee and person" ❤️