#and i asked A if he wanted to hang out... after years of not talking lol..

[dxmedstudent]

When k started online dating several years ago after a bad patch, I was looking to reconnect with my hobbies - a difficult thing at a time when I was struggling with postgraduate qualifications and 12 hour shifts.

I was keen to start reading some Pratchett - put off repeatedly due to it being a rather mammoth task.

I remember he asked why I had thought to start reading Pratchett as that was really "something for teenagers". Or something to that effect. Tge implication that there was something... unusual in a woman of my age wanting to read his work.

I remember not really knowing what to say. I was a bit baffled, because I'd seen people of all ages talking lovingly about Pratchett's work. I'd read enough excerpts to feel that it gelled with my sense of humor. Good Omens basically got me out of the aforementioned horrible time in my life. And I'd read enough Douglas Adams to not conflate humor or silliness with bad writing.

Now, I unashamedly read manga and I don't think YA is just for kids. I don't think we should feel shame for reading fanfiction. I think we should enjoy a wide range of media.

Maybe this guy was perfectly fine, I'm sure he didnt necessarily mean it pejorativey, but I just didn't feel like hanging out with someone who I'd have to defend seemingly "childish" indulgences to. I'm not saying that's the only reason that we didn't meet again, but the tone of that conversation left me feeling that this was not my person.

I later met another guy, as you do. Right from the start, we talked at length about our favourite media, and I shared some anime recommendations. He offered to lend me his copy of the first couple of Pratchett books and went to look for them. Alas, he couldn't find them, he had a lot of books on his shelves, to be fair. But he was excited to share a series he loved with someone who was new to it and talking about the things I enjoyed and wanted to share was so easy. There was no pretention about what media is "for kids" or "for adults" or what media men are meant to consume.

Reader, I married him.

Now, you might think that marrying him was an unnecessarily convoluted way to ensure I get to have all the Pratchett books, and I'd probably agree.

But I did get a best friend to discuss all the things I like with, so I think it was a good deal overall. Looking back, given how careful he is with his possessions, I feel pretty flattered and amused that he was infatuated enough to offer out his books.

I still haven't gotten very far through the books (residency took priority), but I love that they are sitting by like old friends, waiting for me to pick up where I left off.

One of the weird things about medical training that we don't really talk about is that, in the pursuit of being a competent clinician, you miss out on so much of everything else through simply having little time. There are so many films or series or books I just never got around to enjoying. I used to feel kind of self conscious about all the things I have wanted to do but never gotten around to.

But I love sharing my life with someone who is always delighted to show me a great new thing that I haven't yet enjoyed.

It's never too late to pick up something new. And I hope this will open up Pratchett to a new audience.

Okay so this is a big deal

To me, and to a significant subset of Sir Terry's fans (including most of you who've found this by the tags), his writing is serious commentary on the human condition - politics, prejudice, self-control, revenge vs. justice, religion, idealism, faith in people vs. cynicism, and more - dressed up with fantasy settings and a hefty leavening of humor to make it fun to read. And it is WILDLY fun to read, actual laugh-out-loud or at least a snicker averaging about every page.

But there's this common idea among the "important literature" people that fun and funny books are not also worthwhile or important in the same way.

This is a Discworld book being released WITH ACADEMIC COMMENTARY and AS A PENGUIN CLASSIC. That's a HUGE amount of recognition.

[remlionheart]

⊹ ࣪ ˖☁️ daydreaming about...

𓆩♡𓆪aged up characters, MDNI𓆩♡𓆪

sweet boyfriend yuuji who is just so proud to be yours. he's standing with a group of friends, aimlessly talking and laughing when he sees you walk out of your dorm, his attention immediately stolen by the way your sundress hugs your hips. "damn, do you see her?" like he hadn't just walked you to class thirty minutes earlier in the same outfit. "she's so pretty, isn't she?" even after a year of dating, you still manage to leave him awestruck every time he sees you.

sweet boyfriend yuuji who purposefully leaves lots of extra clothes at your house. at first, he said it was just so that he didn't have to bounce between your apartment and his as much, but after stopping by late one night and seeing you curled up on the couch in nothing but his hoodie and a pair of knee-high socks, he suddenly abandoned nearly all of his clothing at your place instead, absolutely enamored by how cute you looked walking around with his t-shirts hanging off of your shoulder.

sweet boyfriend yuuji who knows all of your favorites- from snacks to pizza toppings to your longwinded coffee order that he rattles off like a pro in the drive-through, not missing a beat when asking for two extra pumps of vanilla with oatmilk and a strawberry cakepop, though the cakepop usually ends up with a bite mysteriously missing out of the side of it by the time it gets to you.

sweet boyfriend yuuji who sincerely loves listening to you yap. your coworker said what to her boyfriend? and he didn't even deny it? "oh, he's so guilty- he's not even trying to hide it at this point!" yuuji scoffs, completely enthralled by the gossip though he's never met either one of these people in his life. he's always asking you questions though, always encouraging you to keep talking. always wanting to know all the little details of your world, no matter how big or how small.

sweet boyfriend yuuji who looks up at you as he pulls your underwear to the side, light flickering through his golden stare as his fingers begin to carefully dip into you. "aw, does it feel that good, baby?" he has to bite back a smile at how pouty your nod is, your walls desperately clenching around him. "so wet already," he muses, his mouth suddenly hovering over your center. "you must've really missed me today, huh?" a cute little yelp escapes you as he finally leans in to give you want you want, flattening his tongue against you in a way that makes both of you moan. "yeah, i can tell."

sweet boyfriend yuuji who grabs onto the headboard for support as his hips meet yours, letting out the prettiest, headiest noises. "where do you want me, baby? show me." he pants, eyes glazing over as he watches you place your hand on your tummy. "right there? you sure?" you can barely get out an "mhmm" though before he's thrusting back into you- so attentively and so deeply, the two of watching together as the thick outline of his bulge begins to swell against your skin, his mouth dropping open at how overwhelmingly good it feels. "that's my - girl."

[dadbodbuck]

WE'RE BREAKING UP

WHY WOULD YOU SAY THIS TO ME.

WHY WOULD YOU TYPE THIS WORDS WITH YOUR FINGERS AND THEN PRESS POST.

GET AWAY FROM ME

hi jack unfortunately we got married when you weren't looking so you have to pay for an attorney :/

anyway

Buck texts him I need to talk to you and Christopher knows it’s going to be a bad day. He was actually thinking about coming home over Thanksgiving break—it’s not as clean as going back over Christmas, but he misses Denny (who’s been telling him a lot about his cool new sister during their nightly meme exchange), and he misses his school friends (even if they��re exhausting to be around sometimes), and worst of all he misses his family. He misses his dad, he misses Buck. He even misses Tommy—despite only having met him a few times, he knows he’s been good for Buck and for his dad. 

He liked seeing his dad smiling so much when he first started hanging out with Tommy, before her. He liked the way Tommy talked to him like an adult with his own thoughts and opinions. He liked the way Tommy talked about Buck, even though it was kind of gross seeing a grown man swoon that much.

But then. I need to talk to you. And it all comes crumbling down around him. Buck even has the nerve to follow it up with Can I call you? like some sort of therapist or school administrator. Chris opts for a video call, because he’s not eighty years old, and when Buck picks up, his eyes are bloodshot, his face is pale, and he’s nestled in his bed like a stereotypical teenager girl after she gets dumped.

Oh. Oh no. “What,” Chris says, and he kind of regrets the video call now, because Buck flinches back like he’s been physically hit.

“Uh, hey!” Buck says, trying to recover and failing miserably. The smile he plasters on his face looks so forced it’s painful, “How’s Texas in November treating you?”

Chris looks at Buck and decides to play nice. Just a little. “Not that I’m not happy to see you, but you sounded like you had something important to talk about.”

“You’re right,” Buck sighs, “I’m procrastinating. I just wanted to let you know that Tommy and I have decided not to see each other anymore.”

And, yeah, Chris is pretty sure he knew this was coming, but it still makes him want to cry, or bite something, or throw his phone into the lake. “What happened?”

“Well—uh—Chris, I don’t—the details really aren’t important,” Buck says, with a wince, “What is important is that I love you, and your dad loves you, and just because Tommy won’t be around doesn’t mean you won’t have our support. I’m really sorry, bud. I know you liked him.”

It blindsides Chris, and he doesn’t know why. He should’ve seen this coming a mile away. He shouldn’t have gotten attached. He never should have sat down to watch The Batman with his dad and Tommy and stolen Tommy’s popcorn and talked shit on Buck’s taste in Star Wars Prequels. 

“What did you do?” Chris asks, feeling a startling rage building in his throat. It’s familiar, now. He doesn’t know how he knows, but he knows this is Buck’s fault. Buck looks like a dog that pissed on the carpet and is waiting for you to step on the wet spot.

Buck clears his throat, and visibly weighs truth and comfort in his mind. “I asked him to move in with me. It was—it was too fast—”

“You asked him to move in with you?” Chris balks, “He has a house!”

“I wasn’t thinking!” Buck hisses, “Listen, I know I fu—messed up. I’m sorry. You have no idea how sorry I am, Chris. But it—it was the best decision for both of us.”

“You’re lying,” Chris seethes, because he knows so, so intimately the look of an adult lying to protect his innocence. “He made you happy. He made dad happy.”

Buck looks away, chin trembling, and Chris feels bad for all of three seconds before the rage consumes every other feeling in his chest. “Call me back when you find someone who wants to stay. Otherwise, keep your love life away from me. And maybe you stay away from me too.”

Chris ends the call, and two seconds later Buck is ringing him again. Chris doesn’t pick up, just sets his phone on his desk and buries his face in his arms. He doesn’t want to cry. He did too much of that after he got to El Paso the first time. But he’s going to miss Tommy. He’s going to miss seeing his dad smile like that. He’s going to miss the dopey lovesick way Buck moved through the world.

When Chris finally composes himself, he sees two more missed video calls from Buck, and a string of texts:

Love you, buddy. Sorry you’re upset. Call later to talk? Or call your therapist?

I really am sorry. I thought Tommy was going to stay too.

Text me pls? So I know you’re ok

Chris texts back: im fine. we’ll be fine. i need some time and gets a response almost immediately.

OK. Take the time you need. Your dad says if you decide to come back and you’re still mad you won’t have to see me if you don’t want to

Chris, always being left behind, feels a sick surge of satisfaction at the prospect. He could be the one who leaves. He can cut his losses before they’re fatal, he can amputate the limb before it goes septic. He texts Buck a single k back and does not examine the way something in the back of his head tells him, quite viciously, that this isn’t the first time that Buck’s been left this week.

[ivysprophecy]

slim pickins

warnings; bad date? mentions of sex, cursing underage drinking and yes i meant for it to be written poorly i was trying to keep the humor of the album in the writing

no pressure tags; @murdockcastleslut @kimoralov3 @arkofblake

word count; 1911

summary; youre tired of not finding a decent guy who will treat you right and lay you right. at least not one you've known since you were kids. however you just cant help yourself. besides its slim pickins out here you take what you can get.

divider by @bernardsbendystraws

i wanna make one thing clear, when i say there are no good guys left i do not wanna hear about you and your boyfriend of three years that can cook and loves your mom.

thats exactly what im talking about maddie!!! i dont give two fucks that he took you to barnes and noble and bought you every book you wanted.

they are all taken. its plain and simple.

which is why even with a full roster, im stuck taking fucking zander, yes with a z, to my friends' kegger.

i mean yea hes cute. hes tall, built but not that gross kind of muscly. but if were being real i shouldve known better when he was joking about being a male stripper when hes a ginger.

and i can tell kie is judging me, rightfully so. her side eye is lethal. when i introduced him to everyone she asked him about his greta van fleet tee and he said he didn't even know it was a band.

needless to say pope had to drag her away.

after that incident i decided it was best if we tried to talk away from the rest of the group. boy was i wrong.

"so what do you like to drink? ill go grab us something," i offer trying to start the conversation, also avoiding the usual problem with taking a drink from men.

"im good with whatever"

i like to think im not a violent person, but im about to be.

"does a beer sound okay?" i ask him grabbing a twisted tea for me from the cooler.

"sure thing." god why is he acting like such a bitch? i should ask him if he's on his period.

i hand him the can, our fingers brush and its my final clue for the night that i am definitely not going home with him. no spark at all. hes done just about everything else to piss me off.

he did the thing where he licks his lips exaggeratingly looking me up and down, making a point to make sure i saw.

he walks so slow for being 6'3.

and finally he tried to mansplain my career to me. i'd had just enough when he opens his mouth again

"ew, you like twisted tea? who likes sweet tea?" his face contorted in disgust, it was about to contort from my fist breaking his goddamn nose if he keeps talking to me like this.

"we literally live in the south dude." my face could not make it any clearer i am so done with this guy.

"still, sweet tea is disgusting. im not kissing anyone that drinks that nasty shit."

"who said i wanted to kiss your nasty fucking mou-" i was interrupted by the sound of a very familiar giggle behind me as his arm wrapped around my shoulder, the smell of his deodorant and sea salt that cover his skin start to put you at ease.

jj was always there when you needed him, sometimes even when you didnt but right now you couldn't be more grateful. "im glad you found those mama i got em just for you. remembered theyre your favorite. right?"

and you wanna know the best part? zander is shaking already pissed off that jj is at my side. territorial i guess.

"you mind?" he asks him nodding his head at me like im not even there.

jj cant help but laugh at him "yea bud i do mind. she's hanging out with me tonight. have fun with your ipa dick." and with that he steers us off to where the rest of the pogues are.

but not before i can look over my shoulder and give the ginger an innocent smile and a shrug as if i had no control over the situation, when really id pick jj over anyone else.

"you owe me a big fat kiss mama," jj whispers in my ear walking us over to where our friends are standing, drinks in their hands laughing and chatting up a storm.

"in your dreams honey."

"every night all night," he quips back before i shove him off me.

now before you give me shit, jj and i have had our fair share of fun, but unfortunately im starting to look for something more serious.

watching john b and sarah be disgusting together is getting to my head. popes got something going on with cleo and im starting to recognize the pattern. and before i know it everyone will be in love if i don't start making an effort in that department.

random casual hook ups aren't doing it anymore, especially considering they aren't even that good.

unless theyre with jj.

but hes not an option, theres too much drama. too much history. too much too much too much. im not what he needs and i know for a fact he doesn't want me in that sense.

is that a bit dramatic? probably.

i mean hes a great lay, he's hilarious, he's got that blue collar kind of muscle, and he genuinely cares about me.

so of course im not going to date him, why would i?

what do you mean make good decisions? id rather do things in the most difficult way possible!

"y/n youve gotta stop giving those guys a chance, im starting to feel bad for you."

"you try finding a decent guy in a ten mile radius." i glare at him, obviously not wanting to joke about this right now.

he sticks his hand out in front of me, "fine i will. let me see your phone."

curious to see what he will do i hand it too him unlocked, he swipes and taps for a few moments, smiling down at the phone before handing it back to you.

when you look back down at the screen all you see is your instagram open with his stupid fucking smiley face on the screen.

he took a picture of himself and posted to my story. written on the screen in bubble letters in my favorite colored heart 'my favorite guy <3'

"i think he's your best bet." that same smile facing back at me now, cockier than ever. so smug i wanna kiss it off his face

i cant help but roll my eyes. "jj im serious! at this rate im going to die alone. every decent guy is taken or unavailable. all i want is someone funny, kind, and attractive is that too much to ask for?"

"im right in front of you mama you dont gotta look far."

"jj we both know we're not the serious kind of relationship im talking about."

"you can think what you want too but ill be here waiting for that kiss you owe me."

"i think all that tequila youve been sipping has gone to your head maybank."

he stands in front of me, taking his signature red cap off his head and putting it on mine smiling down at me, "what do they say in those books you read? you wear the hat you ride the cowboy?"

"this no ten gallon hat and you are no cowboy."

we laugh at each other, its always been easier to do that then actually talk about our feelings. so i put his hat back on his head, backwards the way he i likes it.

"cmon y/n/n, have a few more drinks, relax and hang out and ill make you feel all better later yea? its what im best at, you know."

"its gonna take more than a few more teas to convince me jj"

"what about that thing you like that i do with my tongue, huh mama? doesnt that sound pretty good right now? i think it does."

"i give you one fucking compliment and it goes straight to your head."

"technically its about my head so that makes perfect sense," he hands me another can with that stupid signature smirk of his and his stupid sexy hat backwards. i hate to admit it's working on me.

just like it does every other time.

i squint my eyes at him taking the can, rolling the idea around in my head. "fuck it. its not like anyone else is offering," i take a big sip of my drink.

jj pumps his fist in the air like a victorious idiot giving a few woots and hollars before picking me up and throwing me over his shoulder despite my wishes.

"jb!!" he shouts turning around to face him, "we're headed out!"

john b looks at the two of us shaking his head at how im kicking my feet to wiggle out of jjs oddly strong grip. "make sure you change the sheets when youre done!"

oh my god he did not just say that. "fuck both of you!"

jj just laughs carrying you back to the chateau like a kid who's excited to use a brand new birthday present.

"what happened to letting me have a few more drinks before we left??"

"youre just too irresistable mama, gotta have you now,' he gives my ass a light slap for good measure causing me to roll my eyes for the 600th time tonight.

"are you gonna put me down now?"

he pretends to look like hes thinking about it, "i guess. only so i can watch you walk away," he does as he says helping me get my feet on the ground.

"youre a pervert."

"no im flirtatious, and you love it, you know it makes you blush i see it. now go on and give me a lil walk yea?"

oh im gonna kill him...

oh wait! im gonna kill him!

"okay... fine. but no touching until we get home," i smile walking away exactly like he asked, but i know behind me he is a puddle of mud. standing still, about to start begging me to let him.

he finally catches up after a few seconds "mama please- cmon thats not fair. you look too good in those shorts you know i cant wait that long. just wanna feel you."

i cant help but giggle at his words, its honestly adorable how mopey he gets. like i just kicked his puppy or something.

"hands of jj i mean it... not until that door shuts behind us."

it didn't really matter that i can see the chateau or that ill be there in literally a minute.

its actually painful for jj to not be able to touch me as he pleases.

i turn around to face him with a cheeky smile. "you want me maybank?"

and of course he nods so hard it looks like his head is going to fall right off.

"come and get me," running towards the house, i can see the moment when his reflexes kick in, his boots thudding against the ground as he gains on me.

just before i can make it to the poarch jj wraps his arms around me, lifting me a few inches off the ground and spinning me around in a fit of laughter.

"okay! okay okay okay you win- you got me."

"oh ive got you mama, and im havin you for the rest of the fucking night," he presses a kiss to my neck hauling me inside, the screen door slamming shut after us.

am i gonna regret this tomorrow? most likely.

but what can i say? its slim pickins in this part of town.

[hhghgt]

How ep 6 should have ended:

Buck barely remembers how he ended up here. All he knows is that, after Tommy left him, he’d stumbled out of his apartment with a six-pack, and somehow, his legs had brought him to Eddie’s place. Maybe he wasn’t thinking straight—hell, he knew he wasn’t. Eddie’s house had become his refuge so many times over the years, and tonight, it was the only place he could imagine feeling any semblance of comfort.

When Eddie opened the door, Buck shoved a cold beer into his hand and stormed into the living room, collapsing onto the couch in a daze. Eddie quietly followed, sitting down beside him, and for a while, the only sounds between them were the clicks of bottles opening, the quiet sighs of breath as they drank, and the creak of the couch under their weight.

By the time Buck’s fourth—or maybe fifth—beer was empty, eddie asks: “Are you okay?” Eddie’s voice, soft but steady, broke the silence that had lingered since Buck had walked in.

“Tommy’s gone,” Buck mumbled after a long pause, his voice rougher than he’d expected. “Left me. Just… left.”

Eddie nodded, taking it in quietly, just understanding. “You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to.”

Buck let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding, leaning back and letting his head fall against the couch. He hadn’t realized how badly he needed that—someone just sitting with him, letting him be a mess without asking for answers.

“I don’t know why I keep ending up here, Eddie. You’d think… I don’t know… you’d think I’d learn by now that I’m not good at this. Not good at… keeping people around.”

Eddie shifted a bit closer, his voice lowering, warm and steady.“Maybe you don’t have to try so hard. Maybe… someone’s been here all along, just waiting for you to notice.” The words hung in the air, heavy with meaning.

The words settled between them, weighted and deliberate. Buck turned his head, meeting Eddie’s gaze for the first time that night, his friend’s steady look holding something more. There was a softness there he hadn’t noticed, the absence of Eddie’s usual guarded expression making him look almost vulnerable, raw in a way that struck something deep in Buck, made his heart stammer in his chest, leaving him feeling vulnerable, caught off guard.

And then he noticed the details he’d missed. Eddie’s face was clean-shaven, bare without the mustache. His gaze tracing over the lines of his face and the sight was… distracting, almost intimate in a way he hadn’t expected. And then he noticed the rest: Eddie was missing more than just the mustache. His legs were bare, stretched out, his white shirt hanging low, skimming just above his thighs. He was sweaty and flushed maybe he was warking out or something.

“Uh…” Buck blinked, the haze of alcohol and exhaustion blurring into something else as he kept staring, taking in the sight of Eddie, his best friend, looking so casually undone, his face bare and softened in the low light, relaxed yet alert, like he was waiting for something from Buck that Buck hadn’t even realized he wanted to give.

“You’re staring,” Eddie whispered, his tone somewhere between teasing and serious, his voice pulling Buck back from his daze.

Buck swallowed, his own voice barely a whisper. “Where are your pants? And… the mustache?” A nervous chuckle escaped him, half a laugh, half something else he couldn’t name.

Eddie grinned, low and easy, like he knew something Buck didn’t. “You don’t like it?”

The question lingered, and Buck couldn’t look away. “No, I mean… yeah, I like it,” he murmured, feeling his cheeks flush as he realized just how much he was still staring, caught between the unexpected closeness of Eddie beside him and the hum of energy that buzzed between them. He didn’t know what he was supposed to say, but the silence wasn’t uncomfortable or awkward. It felt like it was building toward something, something he didn’t want to break, It felt like Eddie was letting him figure it out, letting him find the words. Buck finally looked up again, meeting Eddie’s steady gaze. "Maybe… maybe you’re right," he admitted softly, the thought both terrifying and grounding. "Maybe I don’t have to keep looking."

They were close enough that Buck could feel Eddie’s breath against his skin, could see the way Eddie’s eyes darkened, gaze locked on him, waiting.

“Buck…” Eddie’s voice was barely a whisper, filled with something raw, something that sent a shiver down Buck’s spine.

Without thinking, Buck closed the remaining distance, his lips brushing against Eddie’s in a tentative kiss, soft and questioning, yet charged with all the weight of the words they hadn’t said. Eddie responded instantly, his hand coming up to the back of Buck’s neck, fingers threading through his hair as he deepened the kiss, the warmth of his touch grounding Buck in a way he’d never felt before.

Buck had always thought being with Abby and then Tommy had changed him—made him see parts of himself he hadn’t understood before.

But being here with Eddie was something else entirely. It didn’t feel like he was changing for Eddie or even because of him. Instead, being with Eddie felt like coming back to himself, like shedding the layers he’d worn to fit into other people’s lives. With Eddie, he didn’t have to try so hard to be what he thought someone else needed. Eddie didn’t ask him to change; he just saw him, accepted him in a way that made Buck feel seen in a way he never had before.

With Eddie, it wasn’t about transformation—it was about finally feeling whole, like he was exactly where he was meant to be, as he was. Eddie gave him space to just be Buck, flaws and all, and Buck realized that maybe this was the kind of love he’d been searching for all along, one that didn’t require him to be anything other than himself.

Eddie wasn’t just someone who had walked into his life and left a mark—he was the one who stayed, the one who showed up time and time again, even when Buck was at his worst.

[cal-writes]

*aggressively vibrates in lawzo zoro birthday celebration, i am on my hands and KNEES (still reeling from blackbeard beating ASS btw)

you know, same have some more train au birthday goodness

-

“Happy Birthday.” Law tells him against his lip, tasting his smile. And morning breath. But mostly the smile.

Zoro hums contentedly. The sheets rustle as he lifts his arm from underneath them and strokes along Law’s biceps. “Thanks.” He mutters when the pull apart. His eye still bleary as he wakes up, smiling lazily.

“I made breakfast.” Law tells him, earning himself a raised eyebrow. “Well I made coffee and went to the backery for breakfast.” He admits and Zoro’s small smirk blooms into a full toothed smile that crinkles the corners of his eyes and reveals the dimple in his cheek.

Law shuffes away to grab the bags of pastries from the side before he starts ravishing the man and Zoro sits up.

“Oh, breakfast in bed?” He asks. His hair is gorgeously tousled as the sheets pool in his lap, torso naked. “What about the crumbs?”

“I’m making an exception today.” Law says. “And changing the sheets after.”

Zoro snorts, chuckling before he grabs a handful of Law’s shirt to pull him close for another kiss.

“You know you don’t have to come to the party tonight right? I know it’s not your thing.” Zoro tells him.

“Oh, good to know that’s how I can get out of these in the future but no. That wasn’t the intention.” Law replies. “Bepo’ll be there and I’ll hang out with Robin or something all night so it’ll be… fine.” He says.

Zoro snorts, pulling pastry bags towards him. “Alright but you can leave whenever you want. Luffy tends to get carried away with partys so it’s probably going to be bigger than you think.” He assures him before biting into a jelly filled danish.

Law nods dutifully. “Yes, I will.” He lies. Zoro’s intentions are admirable but he clearly has no idea that Law absolutely cannot cave under the combined judgement of all his friends. Law has been preparing for tonight for weeks. Thankfully Kureha made good on her promise and he got to skip the gala this year so his quota of public events hasn’t been purged yet.

And he genuinely doesn’t mind some of Zoro’s friends. He already knows Franky and how to deal with him, so that helps and he met the mysterious fiancé Robin finally, who is more of their own temperament. Quiet and cheeky.

Chopper can be persuaded to talk about work since he isn’t currently mad at Law for something and Jimbei and Brook are, by virtue of being much older than everyone else, their own brand of weird that Law finds more tolerable.

So it probably won’t even be that bad.

He feels Zoro’s gaze on him, sees him chew with a big chipmunk cheek and a raised brow.

“Ah, right.” Law says, leaning over to his bedside table to get the little cloth pouch out. “Present.” He adds lamely.

Zoro freezes comically, holding the pastry bag over his lap, frosting sugar clinging to his top lip. He rubs his fingers into the bag to free them from crumbs as he finishes chewing.

“I thought I’d already gotten one.” He tells him.

Law frowns, dropping the pouch into Zoro’s hand. “What breakfast?” He asks.

“Yeah.” Zoro says examining the little pouch. It’s a crushed purple velvet with a ribbon holding the top closed.

Law doesn’t know how to respond to that. So he just doesn’t.

Zoro puts the pastry on the side table, leaning down to wipe his fingers more thouroughly on his discarded jeans on the floor before he undoes the ribbon and opens the pouch. He tips the contents into his palm and Law watches his reaction like a hawk.

His eye widens, mouth opening softly as he straightens out the earrings in his palm. They are quite similar to his usual set, long narrow drops but instead of the shiny red gold these are a white gold matte finish.

“Shit.” He says in wonder, thumb brushing over the metal. “These must have been expensive.”

Law cringes. He’d been afraid of that. “Err.” He makes a vague motion with his hand. “They were on sale.” Zoro gives him a look. “They were! And I’m terrible at gifts if I see something good I’m obliged to get it.” He argues, scooting closer on the bed. “And I can afford it. Please? Unless you hate them then just sell them or something.”

Zoro searches for his eyes, holding him hostage for several long moments as if waiting for the caveat. Eventually he hooks a finger in Law’s collar and pulls him into another kiss.

“Thank you. I never had another set.” He mutters against Law’s lips, taking like sugar and jam.

“You’re welcome.” Law tells him. “There is another thing.”

Zoro closes his eyes and drops his forehead against Law’s. “Stop. This is ridiculous.”

“That ones more for me too.” Law says, digging into his pocket while his heart hammers against his chest.

The key lands next to the earrings in Zoro’s palm.

This close he feels Zoro’s breath hitch briefly before his fingers close around the objects in his hand. The other one comes around Law’s neck. “You sure?” Zoro asks.

“Yeah. You’re here more than I am anyway so it only makes sense for you to have one.” Law tells him.

He barely finishes the sentence before his lips are devoured and his lap filled by a beautiful naked man climbing onto it.

[marionluth]

Writing a new thing. Big thing. I'm so excited for this story and so worried I might fuck it up, but having a blast working on it. Still at the very beginning but thought I'd share an excerpt 😃👇

The room stood still in its darkness as Tim stood tall beneath the towering shadows of the statues. He held his bruised chin high, his busted lips pursed in a taut line, eyes following the hazy outlines of sloppily scribbled words on the wall above him. Above him. How very appropriate. He gripped the camera that hung from his neck with his right hand—his left throbbed too much to bear the weight of his beloved Canon—and raised it to his face, wincing as he closed his swollen left eye and squinted through the bruised slits of his right.

The hard plastic of the camera pressed against his broken nose, but he pushed the discomfort aside and steadied himself, drawing in a deep breath. He centered the frame with a slight tilt of the camera, always focused on the wall, on the words. Leaning just enough to the right, he captured a delicious shadow for dramatic effect. The click and flash of light shattered the quiet, shattered the darkness, shattered the stillness—like those hauntingly red words had seemingly shattered everything around and inside Tim.

Jason Todd was here.

He lowered his camera and glanced at the screen, nodding in approval. A solid shot of a night to remember. It would make a hell of an Instagram post, too. Hashtag ‘about last night’. Hashtag ‘vigilante problems’. Hashtag ‘my Robin is better than yours’. But with secret identities and all, he’d have to settle for nobody else appreciating its beauty. Maybe he’d at least frame it and hang it on his wall. After all, why the hell wouldn’t he want to preserve the memory—immortalize the moment— he’d taken a hardcore beating from the predecessor of his vigilante mantle, who just so happened to be the resurrected son of his mentor and boss, the very same vigilante Tim had been babysitting for three years now? Seriously, this was top-notch material. Stories for the grandkids.

Light illuminated the room, and Tim didn’t have to turn around to know who stood behind him. He kept looking at Jason’s poor excuse for graffiti and prayed to all gods and deities that Dick’s big-brotherly overbeariness would somehow malfunction and leave him alone without attempting to drag him into one of his beloved angsty talk fests.

“Couldn’t sleep?” Dick asked, and Tim resisted the urge to roll his eyes at how pointless and ridiculous the question was, while vowing to figure out contingencies for all the deities known to man just to ensure they took his prayers seriously. Jerks.

“You know how it goes… Sleep’s for the weak, Red Bull’s for the freak,” Tim replied casually.

“We’ve ramped up the security, Tim. You’re safe, and you need to r—”

“That’s why you think I’m up? That I’m afraid he’ll come over again for another round?” Tim scoffed, shaking his head.

“Then what’s going on? Why are you just standing here, staring at that?” Dick asked, nodding toward the wall art. “Just so you know, we’re going to have it painted over soon, alright?”

“No, you won’t,” Tim snapped, leveling a glare at Dick. “You’ll never touch that. It’s staying right where it is—where it belongs.” Dick stared at him, the classic ‘oh-god-he-has-a-concussion’ look plastered on his face, and Tim felt his annoyance grow. At Dick, at Jason freaking Todd, at himself.

[hopelessdelusional]

matt sturniolo x influencer! reader

reader is grunge! a singer! and on social media (this is very niche i apologize) i will be building this AU more so stay tuned!

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hey so i’ve hyper fixated onto an CIS. STRAIGHT. WHITE. BOY. someone put me down i cannot do this anymore please this is a cry for help needs to euthanize me-

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enjoy ദ്ദി(｡•̀ ᗜ^)

join the taglist

·˚ ༘₊· ͟͟͞͞꒰➳ homebase

to start, you have been close friends with jake for a long time, and thru him you met tara and johnny before meeting the triplets

jake pretty much always has you in his videos, so much so whenever you aren't in a video the fans have started to request for your presence on videos that don't have you in them

you're not all that active on social media, only posting random covers of your favorite songs on your youtube channel and random tiktoks

in jake's videos you are always making him laugh, and out of the two you're more calm with a dry sense of humor

'...do you like it?"

"yeah because me immediately spitting it out and chugging my drink after eating it obviously shows how much i love this fucking candy"

OR

"hey jake did you want to get dinner tonight-"

"..."

"why the fuck is johnny in a baby costume."

in tara's videos you and her literally talk for HOURS and the way tara could make four separate videos from one recorded hang out is ridiculous

with Carrington the two of you easily match each other's energy, always giggling in the back of videos

you've also done singing collabs with jake and johnny! there are a couple of songs that just have your background vocals and then others with actual verses

you haven't released any songs though due to stress and anxiety, feeling too pressured to write the

"perfect" song so you settle with being a feature

besides that you really just mind your business with college, your job, and hanging out with friends

tara was actually the one who introduced you to nick

and through nick….you met matt

.・。.・✭・.・✫・゜・。.

matt who was excited to meet nick’s new friend who he was talking abt nonstop

“hey guys! yn is here!”

nick swings the door wide open, smiling widely as he stomps in the house. you follow in quickly, nervous to meet nick’s brothers. your friendship with nick came naturally, having many things to connect with. that being said, you weren’t sure if you could create a relationship with his brothers as easily as you did with him.

fiddling with your clothes you wave politely at the boys, surprised to see both of them walk up to you and hug you. granted it was swift hugs, but it immediately created a softer environment, causing you to relax immensely.

matt who immediately noticed how you looked uncomfortable and took the first step to hug you

“i like your outfit,” matt said after chris broke away from you. he gave you a small smile, making you smile in return. before you could respond however, chris started talking to the group.

nick had already decided on having dinner at home, so you settled in leaning on the kitchen island watching nick and chris argue over what to make for dinner. matt walks over to you, putting his hands in his pockets.

“don’t worry i could never replace you guys,” you tease, when you see him across from you. he giggles in reaponse, his eyes never leaving your face.

“cool tattoos,” he points out which surprised you. looking down at your arm, you smiled admiring the work you’ve gotten done over the years.

“thank you! you also have some gnarly tats.”

matt smiled at you, flexing his arm a little bit to show off his whole sleeve.

“is that the only place you have tattoos?” you question, suddenly curious about his body art. matt nodded, then looked at you with a small smile.

“does that mean you have more?” the question made you laugh because he seemed almost shy asking you, so when you nodded enthusiastically and started to give him a quick tour all over your body. lifting your shirt up was funny for you, because you could tell matt wanted to be thoughtful and not look but when you reassured him he hesitated at first but eventually awed at them. his reactions were so lively, making you appreciate how focused and compassionate. he praised you for your own ideas and for the tattoos that meant something, and still thought your random and silly tattoos were interesting.

after you finished showing him you were practically gleaming, it had been a while since you had been able to speak so much of the tattoos that littered your body. every single one of them had meant so much to you and being able to share that with someone; especially someone as excited and appreciative as you are.

“you’re really cool, i can see why nick enjoys hanging out with you so much.”

you and matt were sitting down in the living room now, leaving chris and nick to prepare dinner for the evening. talking came easily after the tour of your tattoos, matt showing you his and the conversation flowed better than you dreamed it to be.

you chuckled at matt’s comment, finding his eye contact was making you squirmish in your seat.

“nick is so much cooler than me, but i don’t mind i really enjoy being friends with him. plus now i have two new friends so that’s a bonus.”

matt laughed at your response, running a hand through his hair now avoiding eye contact with you.

“yeah, i’m grateful nick brought you around.”

matt who couldn’t take his eyes off of you for the rest of the evening, which did not go unnoticed by his brothers

“don’t steal my new best friend from me matt!” nick yelled out dramatically after yn left, making matt shake his head.

“you should let matt have their number,” chris mumbled, still focused on the game he was playing. nick gasped dramatically before agreeing, making the boys laugh with how quickly he switched up his emotions.

“just don’t steal them!” nick threatened, but matt was already too excited to text you to listen.

matt who got your number and could not stop texting you, and he especially couldn’t stop smiling every time you texted him back

“matt i need backup,” chris said frantically, his eyes glued to the computer and fingers moving at the speed of light on the controllers. when matt doesn’t respond, chris huffs and repeats himself.

“matt seriously dude where the fuck are you?!”

matt finishes up typing and looks up, oblivious to the game that they were losing.

“oh shit,” he mumbled, putting his phone down and picking his controller back up.

“you weren’t even playing?” chris yelled out, frustrated with their status. nick pipes up from the bed, suddenly curious. he peaks his head over and sees matt’s phone light up, watching matt immediately lose his focus to look at his phone. matt straightens up, wanting to reach for his phone before chris cursed loudly, drawing his attention away from the text. nick squints, thankful that he was wearing his glasses and sees the name on his phone to his disbelief. yn sent a text, then another one, and then another one. his jaw dropped, and his gasp was so loud it startled his brothers.

“nick! oh my god,” chris started to laugh when his fear settled down. nick still had his mouth wide open, only causing chris to laugh harder.

“you’re gonna catch flies kid,” matt snickered. nick slowly turned his head to matt, mouth still open, in a very dramatic motion.

“yn? you stole my best friend?”

matt froze, a slow blush creeping up from his neck to his cheeks. chris eyed his brothers from his peripheral vision, jaw also dropping.

“that’s why you’ve been so preoccupied? damn my boy has a crush,” chris started to chuckle, causing nick to scream and matt to drop his controller covering his face in embarrassment.

matt who gets jealous whenever you and nick go out like he wants to hang out with u too :(

matt who finally gets the nerve to ask you to hang out with him, after nick decides he’s had enough of matt complaining about how “you never invite me-or chris!” (he has to add the chris part to not sound too obvious)

matt stood nervously at the door, fiddling with his keys in his hands. he finally knocked, immediately hearing rummaging around behind the door. matt couldn’t help but smile, wondering what you were doing right now. were you just as nervous to hang out with him one on one?

suddenly, the door swings wide open, and you’re in the doorway smilingly widely.

“hey! come in!”

matt who had so much fun hanging out with you.

the two of you went to antiques and thrift stores, grabbed some dinner and went back to your place to spend the rest of the evening together. the two of you got along so well he ended up staying until 12AM because you wanted to finish watching the show you started, not that matt was complaining. he was tempted to ask to stay over (and you were tempted to ask him to stay over) but he didn’t want things to be awkward. so he left late into the night, after you gave him a tackling hug, asking to hang out again soon

matt who started to call you every night, and although you two texted all day you never ran out of things to talk about.

matt who is really starting to fall for you

.・。.・✭・.・✫・゜・。.

k bye ily🩶

[doveywovy]

i didn't even get into how they get together.....i think tobirama eventually asks izuna out and izuna is completely unprepared for it. hes been so fixated on their friendship and trying to achieve complete control in that way he didn't even consider a romantic relationship an option.

his initial hesitation (entirely from shock) freaks tobirama out, because at this point izuna has already established he's the only support system tobirama can actually depend on. so obviously tobirama's extremely worried he's fucked it up and izuna's going to stop being his friend- which izuna in turn uses to ensure he gets everything his way.

You know, he wasn't really considering dating man, but he could probably do it....so long as tobirama doesn't mind that if they get serious, he'd have to quit his job. Izuna was expecting to have a housewife eventually after all, whoever he ends up marrying will have to fulfill that role.

Actually Tobirama, he's willing to date you, but he's a little nervous about all the talk from neighbors and coworkers if it seems like they're two men hanging out a lot, maybe it's best if they become roommates immediately as a cover story? It's a little fast to move in at the start of the relationship, but they're friends right? His place is bigger and he's signed the lease for five years, so Tobirama can just move in with him, he's kind of doing him a favor since he doesn't have to pay rent anymore....

of course he'd like to get along with Tobirama's family, but Tobirama's family is his boss. He doesn't want to risk getting fired if Hashirama ends up being overprotective of Tobirama, or homophobic, so maybe it's best if Tobirama doesn't tell his brother about Izuna until they're engaged and izuna has another job lined up? Of course this does limit how much Tobirama can talk to Hashirama about his life, and especially his dating experiences, but he wouldn't want to go to someone like Hashirama for advice anyways....remember how poorly he handled that last mess? but don't worry, izuna was so supportive and helpful then, he'll be just as supportive and helpful as a boyfriend, no need for a second opinion on all the stuff he's asking you to do <3

who wants my deeply unethical izuna office au

[acquiescest]

irt the lrb what would you say if i said liam & noel spent new years 2023 together in paris

what would you say if i said liam bought the house in france (the one with noel's name carved into the walls) in march 2023 and that month noel talked about wanting to spend several months in paris

which could mean nothing

[stanleyvampire14]

John Emerson fans come get y’all’s juice while he’s single in this picture (I haven’t drawn teen Mary yet)

Bro refuses to change I swear to god he’s set in his ways

Look at tags for Mary lore

[science-lings]

I love researching something and then finding something other than what I was looking for that’s also fascinating like, I’m going through the rfta transcription bc one of my fic ideas is about Phoenix reminding various people of Mia but that’s besides the point, it led me to the Lana’s line about Mia talking to her about Phoenix, saying that she’s heard ‘quite a bit’ about him.

Anyway she totally knows that he ate glass and is very likely to get the inside scoop on Edgeworths gay brooding and I’m guessing that the promise for a dramatic trial is the only thing keeping her from going insane in her situation.

[famewolf]

i will genuinely never understand my dad!!! and i feel guilty for being confused and angered by him!!!! i don't know what he wants and i doubt i ever will

i guess he's known that he's had cancer for over a month now but never told me. and i dont know if it's because he wanted me to reach out/pay attention to him, as he's done in the past or if he just didn't think to, or if it's some other third mysterious reason that i can't think up

we aren't close since he was rarely in my life but i feel like that's something you tell your kid.

and the only reason i found out is because i went to go check and see why he hadn't replied to my message about asking if he wanted to hang out for the thousandth time without getting a response

[bunnihearted]

.

[themoonunderstoodmydadjokes]

..

[juniestar]

Oh my god one last thing my ex took me to outside lands and when we tried to watch lana del rey he laid down on the grass and had a “panic attack” (this was after months of him talking about how he didn’t like her) so we went to see foo fighters after a bit and he was FINE