#and my backpack has a ton of pockets

[charlottehuff]

Today my boss screwed me over and has changed my schedule and reduced my hours compared to what she initially offered, which means I won't be able to afford rent for the foreseeable future.

I have also discovered that uni is way harder than I was expecting and that all the younger people attending are much better at taking notes than I am.

I have officially had a falling out with my roommates to the point of barely exchanging pleasantries anymore.

And my dermatitis is back now that the weather is colder.

But I have also got to use my brand new backpack, water bottle and pencil case, and that thrill alone has kept me from breaking down all day long.

Here are the heroes of today:

[salty-software-engineer]

It really sucks that military, tactical, and similar stuff is so cool and frequently very useful because not only do their fandoms suck but they're also inherently tied to systems of oppression.

[spiderfunkz]

heyy could you do a peter parker blurb based on him asking you out on the last day of school? i love ur writing btw

✧ LOVE ON A LAST DAY.

summary : someone has a pretty crush on you!

word count : 0,7k

contains : fluff, fem!reader, super cutesy stuff.

a/n : next month i'll be graduating so this prompt is actually perfect omg omg, thank u for requesting anon i hope u like this !!! 🤭 i used the word 'smile' so much in this i apologize

"hey, peter!"

you waved cheerfully,

it was the last day of school. the final bell just rang and everyone is running out of the building yelling, cheering, crying, and smiling. papers were scattered, pens fell out of backpacks, shirts were signed, and flowers were exchanged.

you were going to hangout with your friends but that's when you spot peter at the end of the hall. hair messy, backpack full, his hands were in his pocket, he looked very nervous.

but you weren't going to leave him alone like that, it's been a while since you two have catched up.

you have been friends since middle-school, but as friends do, they drift apart, though you've never lost that spark with peter. you loved his company & he loved yours.

"hi!" peter waved.

you catch up to him, "hey, i didn't see you anywhere today! you haven't gotten a chance to sign my jacket yet. here," you pass a marker.

"i saved you a spot to sign." he nods, signing it.

you smile, "aw, this looks perfect."

he smiles too, he seems to be very smiley every time he's around you.

sometimes he forgets that you can see how much he smiles when he's near you, or how you can see that he's clearly staring at you.

"what? do i have something on my face?" you rub your cheek,

"oh, no. no you don't, sorry."

"you sure?"

he nods.

"you're weirdly quiet. you okay? i'm still going to the same college as you if that's what you're worrying about," you giggle.

peter has always loved how easy you are to talk to. in a way that there's never awkward pauses between conversations, and how your smile makes everything feel so calm and nice.

"i know. i just, uh-" he fiddles with something in his pocket, "there's something i wanna say, if that's okay."

"yeah, why wouldn't it not be okay?"

he shakes his head, smiling.

he passes you a picture from his pocket along with a small flower he picked.

you take it, your hand softly brushing his hand for a second.

it was a picture he took 2 months ago. you remember the day very well.

it was hot, awfully hot for new york. there were no clouds, the skies were clear and everybody was talking about it. how eager they are to take a walk and how excited they are to enjoy time outside.

though you and peter wanted nothing more but to stay inside, but this doesn't happen everyday. so why not try your best to enjoy it?

you were at the park and just finished your 2nd cup of lemonade (it was peter's), peter brought his camera for memories. your hair kept sticking to your face and it didn't help that you were smiling a ton so it got in your lipgloss as well.

suddenly wind came and flew past you. the air felt cool for a second and your hair went all over your face, you still smiled though.

peter saw and took a picture immediately, the sun perfectly leaving a glow on your hair, also giving your lips a nice glow.

"did you just take a picture?" he quickly shook his head, "yes you did! let me see!" — "no! i know you're just gonna delete it."

you finally saw the picture. at the bottom you can see a handwritten note on it. a beautiful day with the most beautiful girl!

"peter, this is so cute. you- you took this?" you asked, he nods shyly.

you couldn't hide the fact that your face grew red. "i was wondering... if maybe the most beautiful girl in the world would like to maybe.. like to.. go out with me sometimes..?"

peter said, whispering the last few words, looking down at his shoes, the doodled converses you once drew on.

you smile, "i'd love to."

he looks up, shocked. "really?"

"yeah! i mean all of this coming from the most prettiest, talented, caring boy in the world? how could i say no?" you smile, teasingly.

peter smiles.

he thinks for a second before taking the small flower from your hands and tucking it behind your ear, "pretty." he says, stated actually.

"so are you going to walk me home now, most beautiful boy in the world?" you ask. he nods almost immediately, "absolutely, most perfect girl in the world."

you walk outside the building, your hand holding his.

"just so you know i'm gonna draw a big red heart around your signature on my jacket."

[mcu-4-you]

War Child

Part two, read part one first Bucky Barnes x (Fem) Reader

Warnings: Traumatic flashbacks, hydra, blood, mentions of human experimenting, violence.

Description: You're a hydra experiment or had been since you were young, for years you lived in the cold walls of Siberia and when you finally get free, faces and demons of your past come knocking.

Reader is an enchanted superhuman, she has the super soldier serum giving her, super speed, super strength, a healing factor, fast metabolism, endurance, strong lung capacity & etc, she also has both fire and ice magic. The time line in this will review the past and present.Reader can look anyway you want. Her soon love interest will be Bucky.

Italy (Present, four months later) Your Pov

Rain droplets hit the windows of my apartment, the sound soothing to my racing mind and fast pounding heart as i gather my personal things around my apartment, which isn't a lot, i grab my get away back and gun, i check the clip making sure it's fully loaded and shove it into my jacket pocket once satisfied, i sling the backpack over my shoulder and make my way towards the fire escape, the sounds of loud thudding boots and German orders could be heard outside, my former apartment's door. I'm already out and down the fire escape, when the hydra soldiers knock down the apartment door with force, i'm tempted to look back but i don't, i run, picking up the pace, soon i'm crowded around the busy streets with a ton of people, i didn't need to run, now that i could blend in with the moving civilians, i look around, my eyes moving on every man in view, i glance at the making sure i don't see that god forsaken symbol, i once thought had meaning, but seeing i'm in the clear, a sigh of relief leaves me. It's not long until, i get away and closer toward a public transportation area, i get onto the train with no destination in mind, but i knew Italy was no longer somewhere i could stay. Siberia 1958 (flashback)

"My child, time for another procedure." Zola's voice rings through the intercom, his german accent thick with a dark intent, your cell door opens and one of the hydra soldiers walk in and grabs you by the forearm. you're pushed into the lab and you immediately take a seat on the metal experimenting table, you look around the lab, when suddenly your eyes land on a giant tube in the corner, in it lies a man, you seen him a few times over the past few years, he teaches you how to use weapons, seeing him like that makes something uneasy grow in the pit of your stomach and you can figure out why. "Interesting isn't it?" Zola's voice suddenly was right next to you causing you to flinch, to which he chuckles, he pushes you down on the table and nods to the guards to strap you down, "The machine keeps him alive, and well, until his help is needed again." Zola explains, as he lays down a tray of sharp objects, his eyes meet yours again and a grin appears on his lips as he speaks "You are growing my child, soon we will need you more than you think." he murmurs, while injecting you with something that makes you go numb and physically unfeeling immediately "This will only take a few minutes, don't be afraid." he says, his tone is meant to sound soothing but it sends coldness down your spine. He cuts into the upper side of your right arm and picks up a small chip, he clicks a little button and places the chip under the bloody skin, he then wipes the blood from your skin and he nods towards the guards. The guard nods back pulling something out of a flaming furnace, making the blood in you pump, the tool the guard pulls out is a hot metal rod, with a star embedded on it, the guard wastes no time to place the hot rod on the skin of your arm where you were cut at- The sound of the loud train horn awakens me, i look around panting as sweat trickles down my forehead, Thump...Thump...Thump i hear the sounds of my own heartbeat in my ears, i swallow thickly and wipe at my face, looking around there is barley anyone in the train cart with me, it's a bit eerie, i knew it wouldn't be long until they found me again. "Rain again? great." i think to myself, walking out of the train station, i walk past a few people and drop the small tracking chip into the trash can hoping it'll throw off hydra for a while, digging into my pocket i pull out a map, i had no destination in mind, only survival so i let my feet take me wherever.

Avenger's tower (Present) Avengers pov "Well Italy was a dead end." Tony huffs, and pinches the bridge of his nose, he leans back in his chair, the stress of this was wearing him down. "It was, but it also wasn't, she left in a hurry like she was panicked, her door was kicked in and the place was ransacked, my guess it was hydra." Natasha comments. "She slipped up though, she left behind a notepad." every ones attention turns to Bucky who had been silent this whole time, he sets down the little book for everyone to see, Steve is the first to pick it up and look at the first few pages, it has a few hydra base locations and leader names, Steve looks at Bucky and raises his brow, "You think these are still up and running?" Bucky shrugs in thought "Impossible, it can't be unless they're rebuilding." the conference room is silent, everyone is tense and unsure of what's to come.

Queens, New York. (Present) Your Pov

It had been a few days since i fled from Italy and came all the way to america, it was a big step and risky but, i think it'll throw hydra and whoever else that's looking for me off my trail, i had been trying to find a place to stay in that's warm enough to keep me from freezing to death, but there's only so many places i can go, New York is a big place. Turing into a darkened alleyway, i spot movement from the corner of my eye and i freeze and stand still, and slowly i move my body towards the direction, ready to fight if i have to, but instead there's no fight and just a cat...? my brows furrow and i walk into the direction where the animal is, it's almost as white as the snow on the ground, after approaching the cat i bend down to pat it but then i hear a voice coming into the alley, it's a voice of a young boy who sounds panicked "Oh no, Mr. Bucky is gonna kill me for this, Alpine! Alpine!" Peter calls out, his tone panicked." Peter continues to walk down the alleyway and stops when he sees me with the cat, he stares at me and i stare back, his expression is confused and slowly but surely it turns into recognition and a gasp leave him and he points "Hey y-you i-it's you, the women, you're Y/N the avengers have been looking for you."

i stare at the boy as if he had grown two heads and slowly i back away from the cat, and dart down the alleyway, the boy yells but i don't stand around to listen to him, i'm nearly out the alley but something gets stuck on my foot causing me to trip and hit my chin on the ground.

i ignore the pain and look at my foot and i frown wondering what the heck this sticky stringy stuff is on my foot, i pull some of it of and see the boy approaching me, he speaks while holding his hands in surrender "I-i'm Peter, miss just listen, you're in a lot of trouble, i can get some help." my eyes widen and i burn off the rest of the webs and stand "No, you will get no one, go away child." i tell him as i brush the snow off me.

Peter stands there, a look of determination in his eyes and again he speaks "Let me help you then, my aunt, she can help with the gash on your chin, and it's cold, i promise i won't tell the avengers." I look peter in the eyes, looking for any dishonesty but i find none and i nod slowly "Just to clean my wound nothing more." i tell him firmly. Peter smiles and picks up the cat and leads the way out of the alley and together you and Peter walk down the streets of new york toward his aunt's apartment as he rants to you about Star Wars.

This one is a bit short but, there will be more, i'm gonna have you the reader, befriend peter first before anyone.

@weirdperson-1 here's part two, sorry for the delay

[festiveferret]

I am offering crafts for MTH this year! I have two auctions with different items and I'll put them in separate posts.

My first auction is an Iron Man backpack!

Handmade by me! Iron Man outside, red lining, and gold zippers. The zippers and buckles are metal. I made another bag from the same pattern for my son's daycare bag and I love it! It's quite big and it holds a ton of stuff. It has elastic pockets on both sides, perfect for a water bottle and phone. Front zipper pocket and front zipper pouch, and a large main section with three elastic divided pockets. This bad boy is starting at only $40 and every single cent will go to charity! Go sign up to bid now!

The auction starts Saturday night at midnight!

CHECK OUT THE AUCTION HERE!

[frootloopscos]

1) Where in Arceus’ Name Am I?

Sorry ya'll, I play on the English server so if there's any inconsistencies that's probably why 😅

Chapter 1) Welcome to Twisted Wonderland

Yuu hummed to themself as they walked through the Wild Area with Agent at their side. "It's getting late bud, should we set up camp?" They asked their partner, "Teleon." He responded with a nod, they smile and look around to find a good camping spot. Finding a nice flat, grassy spot they take off their backpack and begin to set up their camp for the night. "Right, I'll text Bede that we're gonna stay here for the night and then we can have curry!" They said with a smile before whipping out their phone and texting their brother.

Yuu: Heyyyyyyyyyy 😋 Agent and I are gonna camp in the Wild Area 2night! We'll be back at the gym sometime tomorrow afternoon!

Teen Angst: Okay, I'll let Grandma know. Stay safe.

Yuu: B, I'm the champion, there's like no way I won't be safe. See you tomorrowww!

Yuu put their phone into their pocket with a smile, "Agent you got the pot out for Curry right?" They asked their partner as they finished setting up the inside of their tent. "Intel," he replied in confirmation. "Great!" They said with a smile and exited the text, "sorry that we can't let Cinder and the others out tonight." They said patting his arm. Agent just shook his head and set a hand on his trainer's own head before ruffling their hair making them laugh.

.

.

.

.

It wasn't long after the two had their curry that they decided to call it a night and entered the tent. "Goodnight Agent," Yuu said to the water type with a sleepy smile. They slowly closed their eyes and fell into a deep slumber.

Opening their eyes they looked around in confusion, it was still dark out, but Yuu could tell they weren't in their tent anymore. "What the?" They mumbled reaching their hands out in front of them to meet with a hard surface, their brows furrowed and they felt around themself more. They were in some sort of box, and were not in their pajamas anymore, "did someone change my clothes?" They asked themself before quieting as they heard shuffling from outside the box, then a voice.

"I better hurry up and find that uniform before someone spots me...urggg this kid weighs a ton!" The mysterious voice spoke, Yuu's eyes widened as they felt something beginning to tug at the box they were inside of. "Try this on for size! Mya-ha!" And suddenly there were blue flames at their feet. "Fire!" They yelled quickly trying to step out of the way of the burning flames but having nowhere to move. The door to the box fell off and Yuu quickly jumped from inside and looked around panicked. "Arcus, where am I?" They asked aloud as they spotted several coffins floating around the room with a mirror in the center. "Coffins? Is that what I was inside of?"

"Mya-haha! Now to grab the goods! Wha?! You ain't supposed to be awake!" The voice yelled and Yuu looked down their eyes widening in shock, "a talking Meowth? With fire? Am I in a new region?" They asked, "how..how DARE YOU! I am no "Meowth"! I'm Grim, sorcerer extraordinaire! Tch. Whatever...you, human! Give me your uniform, and be quick about it! Cause if you don't....you're gonna regret it!" The grey Meowth yelled at them, Yuu reached for Agent's pokeball and their eyes widened they had more than Agent's on their belt. "How?" They mumbled before deciding that it wasn't worth it and quickly ran away from the Fire-Type Meowth.

Yuu ran through the building they were in, down a hallway, out the door into an outdoor area, and into a magical looking library. They quickly looked around "where am I?" They asked again, "if this is a dream, I'd really like to fucking wake up." They were interrupted by the Meowth somehow catching up, "foolish human! Did you really think you could slip away from ME?" It yelled at them, "now, unless you wanna get burned to a crisp, take off that-" before Yuu could  even grab Agent's pokeball the cat yelped as it was whipped and wrapped up in bindings. "Consider it tough love." A new voice said as Yuu saw a tall man sporting a Corvinight-esque mask.

"Ah, I've found you at last." The male said with a frown, "splendid, I trust you're one of this year's new students? My, were you ever eager to make your debut. And bringing a poorly trained familiar with you? That is a clear violation of the school's rules." He stated crossing his arms much to Yuu's confusion. "Student? Familiar? That's not one of my Pokémon." They tried to explain before the Meowth spoke up, "as if I'd serve some lowly human! Now lemme go!" The Corvinight male simply nodded as if he was playing along, "yes, yes. Rebellious familiars always say that. Do be quiet for a bit, won't you?" He asked as his whip(?) tightened around the feline causing it to struggle and writhe in pain.

Before Yuu could ask the male to let the Meowth go he spoke again, "dear me. Of all the students I've dealt with, you're the first with temerity enough to open their own gate and step out of it. Does the very notion of patience elude you?" He wouldn't let Yuu speak as he continued, "no matter. Your orientation had already begun. Let us return to the Mirror Chamber." He said with a smile, with Yuu finally being able to speak they had about a million questions but left it to only two, "student? Gate? Sir, what are you talking about?" They asked, well, three questions. The male paused looking at them, "you awakened in a room full of gates, did you not? All of the students here at the campus arrived by passing through such gates. Although typically the students have restraint enough to wait until I open them before waking up."

"The coffins all around that room? Well, you can blame the Meowth for me being awake." Yuu said crossing their arms with a small glare sent at the feline. The Corvinight male frowned, "so the culprit is this familiar of yours. You're the one who insisted on bringing it, so curtailing its behavior is your responsibility!" "It's not mi-" he again interrupted them, "but now is not the time for such prattle. You've a student orientation to attend! Go on, now. Make haste." He ushered them forward, pushing on their back to try getting them to move.

Yuu refused to budge and looked him dead in the eyes, "no! First you have to tell me where I am and who you are!" They said putting their foot down on this. The male seemed concerned, "have you not fully regained consciousness?" He asked, Yuu felt their eye twitch in anger "you think I'm not after this Meowth tried to scorch me?!" The male ignored them as he continued to speak to himself, "the time space teleportation must have addled your memories... Well, these things happen, I suppose. I shall explain it all to you while we walk. Truly, my magnanimity is boundless." He said with a smug smile.

The male, now known to Yuu as Dire Crowley, explained to them that they are the headmage of the school that they are apparently at now. Yuu had to calm themself and real themself in. 'I'm not in Galar anymore, and not in any other region that I know of. This, this is another world.' They took a deep breath after coming to this realization, it was rare in Galar, but they must have fallen though an Ultra Wormhole and ended up here. Yuu ended up tuning out Crowley until they realized that the two of them were now back in the room with coffins....

TO BE CONTINUED

——————

Welcome to my new story! As said in the description this book is inspired by "From Trainer to Beast Tamer!" By SnowflakeDragon18 on Wattpad PLEASE MAKE SURE TO GO READ THEIR STORY (they have the audio feature and I love to have it play in the background while doing school work and other things! I've relistened to it at least three times lol!)

Word count: 1331

Published to Wattpad: April 24th, 2024

Published to Tumblr: April 24th, 2024

Edited: n/a

[ewanmitchelll]

Imagine Taylor Swift’s songs (VIII): You Belong With Me.

Imagine you fall in love with your neighbor, who happens to be your childhood best friend, unaware that he bears now a bad reputation and is Alys Rivers’s boyfriend.

Warnings: none; fluff and drama; silly, light reading to start our 2024 well and relaxed. :p

***

You are just going back from college. These are trying days, when you are about to enter your last semester before finally closing the course y/c. Not to mention the internship and tons of final paperworks expected to be done in what should be your vacations.

Such are your thoughts as you go back home. You share your household with your cousin named Lya Baratheon at King’s Landing in a nice neighborhood. But when you arrive at last after two hours traveling by bus, you are welcomed by Aemond Targaryen, your childhood friend who happens to have moved next to you.

“Hello, there!”, Aemond smiles at you.

You promptly leave your backpack down at the garden of your house before running to him before being fully embraced by his strong arms.

“Aemond!”, you hold on tight. “Long time no see! I missed you!”

As he places you down eventually, Aemond sees the woman you’ve become: your y/c hair is tied in a ponytail, there’s also a sweet bangs over your eyebrows. Your face has softened in delicate features and this time there’s a red lipstick painting your lips.

Although you dress casually, Aemond’s eyes can tell you’ve got bigger boobs last time he saw you—and that was 15 years ago, when you were both 12 years old.—, which earns him a smirk.

“Looking beautiful as I remember, Y/N”, he is pleased when seeing you blush.

Some things never change.

“Oh please”, you giggle softly. “So you are my neighbor now, eh? What a coincidence.”

“Yeah, indeed it is. I didn’t know you were living here. My mother recommended this neighborhood after I refused sharing a household with Aegon.”

“Oh. Are you two still not getting along?”

Aemond puts his hands on his pocket jeans and laughs.

“We always got along, but we have been following different roads now. I’ll tell you about it later. Are you coming home from a travel or something?”

“I entered college later than my fellow classmates”, you tell him. “I wanted to work a bit before getting into this academic world. So I’m still about to close it.”

“And what are you studying?”, Aemond inquires, interested in your independent spirit.

As you tell him about your college course, you notice how handsome he’s become. Taller, indeed, but stronger and with eyes so full of life. Your heart flutters foolishly, especially when you remember the old days where you two were so attached that Mrs Alicent used to joke about the day you’d get married.

“Do you want to come inside?”, you invite him after a few more minutes catching up.

“I wish I could, but I’m waiting for my girlfriend”, Aemond hates to break the joy of this reunion, even more so when your smile falters lightly, but he had to be honest with you.

“Of course”, you try not to look so disconcerted. And why, oh why, would I? “Even so you can bring her too if you like.”

Aemond ponders it, aware of your good intentions, but probably more conscious that you know nothing about his past and who his girlfriend is.

“Thanks, Y/N. I’ll see you around, though.”

As you turn your back to go inside your home, you miss Aemond’s sad gaze following you. Your absence soon leaves a hole where he thought an old wound was closed for good…

***

You're on the phone with your girlfriend, she's upset. She's going off about something that you said. 'Cause she doesn't get your humor like I do…

The next day you leave your bed earlier, trying to distract your head you opt to have some running outside. The morning is inviting and you need to get yourself some exercises before starting your college’s stuff.

After having breakfast and dressing, you pick your headphones and phone, all ready to go when you open the door and spot a very angry Aemond outside, sitting in the sidewalk as he speaks on the phone.

You sigh, probably wondering the cause. It’s either his family or his girlfriend. You carefully approach him, not letting be noticed until he turns off the phone.

“Fuck!”, he curses, before spotting you at last. “By the Maker! Sorry, Y/N, didn’t see you here.”

“No worries. I didn’t mean to intrude, but you looked upset and I came here to check on you.”

As Aemond stares at you almost in disbelief, he remembers how often as children he protected you of the bullies at school, and how you did the same whenever he misbehaved—often excusing his behavior before his own parents.

“We…just had a fight, is all”, he shrugs his shoulders.

“Do you want to talk about it?”, you ask him gently, sitting next to him.

“Not really, no.”

But he eventually does. You don’t know the woman’s name, but come to find out she is temperamental and willful, at times difficult to deal with.

For the first time in a while, Aemond feels heard. You are there for him, not a mere physical presence—and here he cannot help a comparison with Alys. At times he wonders how the hell he got so lost.

Towards the end of it, he is surprised by your embrace.

“I thought you might need it”, you explain before the disconcert look stamped in his face, which reminds you how often you used to climb his back as children and he’d awkwardly take you around his household.

The same idea runs in the back of his mind, making Aemond smile in nostalgia.

“Always the optimistic. You haven’t changed a bit, Y/N.”

A laughter echoes the air as you two share a look.

***

I'm in the room, it's a typical Tuesday night. I'm listening to the kind of music she doesn't like. And she'll never know your story like I do…

You have finished your final assignments after all. Considering preparing something to eat, you do miss having a company. Your cousin is away, so this leaves you with your neighbor, who happens to be your childhood best friend.

It’s when you open the window that gives you sight to his house and scream out his name.

Aemond, who’s been busy reading a book, chuckles quietly when hearing you calling him a note above the heavy metal sound he’s been listening.

“Hey, girl”, he leans over the window. “What’s up? Listening to rock’n’roll today? I always figured you’d prefer classical music.”

You pull a grimace.

“What do you know of my musical tastes, Aemond Targaryen?”

He laughs quietly. It’s been a while since someone made him laugh like this.

“Well, hit me, baby. What do you want for me?”

“Have you dinned yet?”

“Nope. You?”

“I was about to cook some hamburgers. Do you want any?”

Aemond side smirks at you.

“I’ll be there in five.”

*

And here he is, eating with you late Tuesday night. Aemond soon knows about your college short break, how you are preparing for your last semester and your expectations for your graduation.

“Enough about me”, you say as you open two beers. “What have you been up to?”

“I have nothing interesting to say”, he shrugs his shoulders.

In truth, he is not willing to share the dark path he’s taken. Involved with the gang of his Hightower cousins, coercing those who owe Gerold some money, and doing other business on behalf of Aegon, he now believes to be a loser when compared to you.

“I doubt that”, you poke him. “Come now… What has your father forced you to do now?”

Mr Viserys is the main man behind the Targaryen Org., an advocacy office that has been working in politics behind the scenes and that has produced a few presidents of Westeros, the most recent of them being his daughter, Rhaenyra.

He expects his children to follow the same path, and that is why he and his sons—Aemond and Aegon, particularly—never really enjoyed a good and stable relationship. To worse it all, Mrs Alicent, his second wife, is facing a crisis in their marriage.

Aware of this background, you know how all of these quarreling have produced deep scars on Aemond.

“You should be whoever you want to be, you know”, so you say, holding his hand. “The world is yours if you so wish, Aemond.”

Reclining against the chair, he says nothing for a while, appreciating the song, the beer and… when looking at you, your company.

“You are too good for me, Y/N”, he murmurs, before taking a sip.

***

But she wears short skirts. I wear T-shirts. She's Cheer Captain, and I'm on the bleachers. Dreaming about the day when you wake up and find that what you're looking for has been here the whole time…

You are coming back from jogging when you see her for the very first time. Taller than you, more gracious, prettier and sensual in the way she walks, Alys Rivers is dressing short skirts and a white top that reinforces her curves.

You feel embarrassed, not to say envious, when looking at what you are wearing by comparison. Blue t-shirts and black pants, your college hat and the same cute ponytail.

Insecurity hits hard and you hate yourself for it. But truth is, one is never too old to be hit by intern instability.

You also notice Aemond is having a wild barbecue at his household. At first you are hurt for not being invited, but when carefully noticing who is there, you realize it’s better for you not to get yourself involved in this kind of matter.

Exhibited like a trophy is his girlfriend, surrounded by Aemond’s Hightower cousins. You are not entirely ignorant of their illicit activities and considering Aemond’s rebellious nature, it does not shock you those are his new friends. It is more disappointing to feel overshadowed by that woman.

In the midst of this noise, Aemond feels the weight of your gaze. There is so much to be said. This is not the barbecue he wanted to do, he’s never been a lousy man, rather being introspective.

But one miscommunication, and you go back inside, heading to the shower as you carry disappointment with you.

If you could see that I'm the one who understands you, been here all along. So, why can't you see? You belong with me…

It’s been two weeks. What was meant to be a surprisingly good reunion with your childhood best friend is proving to be another heartbreak you thought you’d not have to face since Jacaerys Velaryon cheated on you with his own cousin.

You opt to open a beer and throw yourself in the couch, watch some Netflix cliche, refusing to voice out your inner frustrations. What the fuck were you thinking again? Projecting romance to your life like you are the protagonist of some Christmas movie is old news.

It’s when a knock on the door scares you. Who might be in this hour?

Oh, I remember you driving to my house in the middle of the night. I'm the one who makes you laugh when you know you're 'bout to cry. And I know your favorite songs. And you tell me 'bout your dreams. Think I know where you belong. Think I know it's with me.

“Hey”, you are surprised to meet him.

Aemond is dressed in his old jeans and a white blouse. He stands before you not with the happiest faces.

“Come here, darling”, you welcome him with opened arms. “What the hell happened now?”

He is silent like always, but promptly accepts your embrace. Only then, carried to your couch, he slides to your side and takes your beer.

“I fucked shit up, Y/N.” He avoids your merciful and comprehensive gaze.

“I doubt it. But what you have done now? And where’s your girlfriend?”

“We had a fight”, Aemond rolls his eyes, sinking in the couch. You realize he’s still drinking of your beer, but you don’t mind it. “She’s very possessive. I was talking to Helaena… My own sister, and she keeps being demanding.”

Then he looks at you, expecting some answer. It takes you by surprise, though, when he changes topics abruptly by saying:

“Why did you have to go?”

“Uh?”, you barely flutter your eyelashes at it. “What are you talking about?”

“You moved out 12 years ago to High Garden”, and here comes the subtle resentment.

You take his hand and play with fingers, head resting on the back of the couch as you and him lock gazes.

“I had no choice upon the matter. I was transferred to another school because of my father. You remember that.”

“You never sent me an email.”

“Neither did you.”

For a moment there is silence hanging between you. And then Aemond says:

“I’ve heard you dated that Jacaerys lad.”

You scoff.

“How’d you know that?”

“He is my fucking nephew”, and for some strange reason this makes you two laugh. “I’m sorry about how things ended for you two. Harwin was pretty excited for having you as his probable daughter-in-law.”

“You don’t like this idea very much”, you smile at his subtle jealousy. “Something which we know wouldn’t work out well.”

Aemond’s eyes move to his hand intertwined with yours. A view that warms his heart.

“What happened?”

You opt to drink beer instead of responding him. As he studies you, Aemond spots some hurt behind your y/c eyes.

“He didn’t…”, Aemond cannot consider this option. Even so, the mere idea angers him. “Did he?! What a fucking asshole!”

To your surprise, he’s the one to hug you.

“I’m sorry, Y/Nickname. You deserve better.”

You sigh heavily, resting your head against his shoulder. For a moment, it feels like you are teenagers again and it’s you and him against the world.

“It’s all right. It’s in the past now.”

The rest of the evening is spent in between sweet talks, beers here and there. Until all breaks with a call.

“Ugh”, Aemond grumbles. “It’s her.”

As if you are reminded that this bad boy prince is nothing but a long time rebellious friend, you set your heart at easy with the crude dose of reality.

“You should better get going”, you help him stand. “After all, you have a girl waiting for you.”

Aemond rolls his eyes.

“I don’t like how this sounds.”

An intense stare.

“Am I lying, Targaryen?”

He laughs quietly.

“No, Y/LN. I hate you for it.”

For now you two follow separate ways. For now.

***

The more time Aemond spends with you, the more drawn he is to light. Whenever he’s with you, he can talk about his dreams—he wants to have an independent career, nothing related to law or politics, perhaps something related to humanities—, he is allowed to have hopes and become a better person. All of this is possible when he’s with you.

But now… far from his family and emerged in this bitter darkness that his temperamental cousins and his girlfriend aligned with his dark desires, he’s realized how wronged he’d been.

He is broken, he knows it.

“Where have you been?!”, she calls him out. “I’ve been calling you for hours.”

And he decides he’s the author of his life. He let others broke him, but that’s enough for him.

When looking at Alys, Aemond knows now how he belongs with you. He just hopes it’s not too late to make it right.

“I owe you no explanations of what I do, or wherever I go. And you know what, Alys? I’m tired of this life. Just… go away.”

She wants to argue, but he doesn’t have any patience for it. The door is open and Aemond makes it clear with his deadly silent moves. He’s a winner now.

“Fine. But you’ll regret it.”

Empty words that the wind takes away after he closes the door. As he looks at the phone, he knows he needs to call the other woman whom he should have never hurt in first place.

His mother.

***

Standing by and waiting at your backdoor. All this time how could you not know, baby?

You are preparing to leave to your college when he crosses your path.

“Hey. Where the fuck are you going to?!”, Aemond asks you, paled when realizing that he, in fact, might be a little late.

“I told you I’ve only had a few weeks here, A. I’m going back to college”, you side smirk. “What’s that face? Why are you looking so serious?”

He swallows his pride and then takes your hands in his, clasping them together.

“I love you, Y/N.”

You swear you are about to faint. And maybe your sudden paling makes sure Aemond is holding you tight.

“Don’t pass out, woman”, he chuckles lightly, though you spot concern in his eyes. “I mean it.”

“B-But Aemond”, you say, struggling to understand. “I am going back to college for my final semester and I thought you were in a relationship?”

Cupping your face with his hands, he turns at you with the sweetest smile you’d ever seen, saying:

“That should not be a problem. I’m on my way to be with you. I shall rent an apartment there and work at my father’s company all the whilst I start to study history. I’m getting my shit together, Y/N, and have all this to thank you for. As for my relationship, I broke up with her. Can’t you see I’m doing all of this for you?”

“Oh Aemond!”, you sigh in content before leaning to kiss his lips.

He smiles in secrecy as his hands slide firmly on your waist firmly, kissing you in return. It is as it should be. He belongs with you, after all.

***

• Epilogue.

Twelve months later…

“What are you reading today, my dear?”, you recline back in your chair and turn your head to look at him, heart melting before the sight of him all concentrated.

Lowering down his book, Aemond smiles quietly at you.

“The history of Westeros through the chroniclers. Quite an interesting reading”. He puts the book aside and pats a seat next to him at the large bed he’s in.

You leave your computer there and happily complies, soon adjusting to his arm, smiling as he plays with your ponytail.

“How’s work today?”, he asks you, in turn.

It’s winter and it’s snowing, but you’ve managed to work from home. A good excuse to be around your betrothed—oh yes, he proposed you recently, about six months after you two moved in together.

“Not very demanding today, thankfully”, you turn at him and smile fondly, caressing his cheek. “Your mother wants to spend Christmas with us.”

Your rogue prince, despite cutting his hair and dressing better, straightening his path, remains temperamental when it comes to his family. He rolls his eyes, before sighing.

“Really now? What did you say?”

You bury your head against his chest all the whilst Aemond wraps you around his arms, throwing blanket over you two.

“I told her to come. I think we might expect everyone, really. I hear she’s in good terms with Rhaenyra too.” Apparently, the two had had a bad fight last autumn.

“Oh no”, he groans.

“Look at the bright side, Leana, Aegon and Daeron are coming as well.”

“This apartment isn’t big enough for all of them, my darling”.

You raise your eyes to meet his. He’s so adorable wearing glasses, you thought.

“It is, it is. I’ll make sure everything is going to be perfect”, you smile warmly.

Aemond smiles back at you.

“Damn, I cannot say no to you. Fine, do your best. And since we are welcoming this big dysfunctional family of mine, how about inviting yours too?”

You tilt your head, smiling.

“Really?”

He scoffs.

“Of course, silly head.”

You lean to kiss his lips.

“I love how Christmas man you’ve become, sweet Aemond.”

He chuckles quietly.

“That’s only because you’ve made me one, darling.”

Leaving aside his book and glasses, he leans to kiss you deeply and you return it passionately. This afternoon is surely going to be warmer than expected…

[turkeydinner-jpeg]

ISNT SHE THE MOST DARLIN THING??? i just finished this and i NEED to share. this is a birthday present for a dear friend and she loves pink and girly things and i wanted to take a shot at making a proper Purse for her, since she already has several jackets from me and doesnt need another. i also have tons of yarn to use up and knew i had something in my collection of odds and ends. i reused EVERYTHING in this project, i took the hardware from an old backpack and the yarn was a perfect fit??? what??

i need to share the details about this because everyone else is asleep LOL

firstly the inside pocket is exactly big enough to hold a cd, as thats part of the gift. i had to add some pink trim to it obviously, and i sewed it a bit tighter than most crochet sewing jobs in order to keep the tension of the pocket last longer. it goes from the bottom to the top of the purse, and looking back i kind of want to add another pocket or two, but that would make the sides super heavy and fall over :(

i lowkey forgot about the buttons until it came time to sew them in... and i didnt want to use snaps or velcro for various reasons (including not knowing where the fuck either of those are hiding) so i decided to add an inner flap to "hide" the buttons. theyre a bit off the pink of the trim, and also clunky plastic, so it helped with the overall visual quality to hide them. it also made the flap heavier to keep the front bow falling downward, and giving more structure. it holds up great now!!

and now shes all finished! i see her this weekend for a celebration and i'm super excited to give it to her. im also just super proud of myself for making something nice and good quality in the middle of the school semester, big boost for me wee soul :)

[transsexual-dandelions]

Weekly tag Wednesday !!

Thank you Kat @mybrainismelted for the tag :D

Name: Dean :D

Age: 18 :)

Location: Maryland

top sheet, yes or no?: nah, don’t care, I got better blankets to use even in the summer

how many stuffed animals do you own?: a shit ton, there’s a gap between my bed and the wall so I just line them up there to fill in the space, plus they make great pillows. Some I can live without, some are dying with me. Id estimate 20 or more?

the names of your pets (and the explanations behind them): if we’re doing just my pets, starting with alive, I have a black cat named Salem we adopted in October so we tried to give her a spooky name. Her name before that was like princess starshine or something? And now to dead ones, I had a cat named sox, bc her fur pattern made it look like she was wearing socks and I thought it was cute. When I was a kid I had a white rabbit whom I named snowball for obvious reasons, before her was a rabbit named furball, don’t remember how I got to that. Other honorable mentions I would not be able to explain: Bailey (dog), mr. jingles (cat), 8 ball (dog), Roxy (dog), Shelby (dog)

favorite color: yellow, which was also my assigned color as a kid, and what people always associate with me

Any tattoos? No, but i plan on some!!

how you transport your belongings (purse, tote, hands, pockets, etc.): depends on where I’m going and what I’m doing but usually pockets, the jacket I always wear has SO many pockets and can hold so many things perfectly and easily. If I’m going out on a day trip I have a small backpack I’ll use, especially for stuff that won’t fit in my jacket pockets (water bottle, extra meds, etc)

the last movie you watched: me and my friend started the perks of being a wallflower the other week except I fell asleep 20 minutes in. Otherwise I’ve been watching psych which has movies

how long does it take you to get ready in the morning?: getting ready itself is a 10 minute affair, waking up takes an hours worth of alarms

favorite weather: anything hot, if it’s below 75F I’m cold, and I prefer it to be 85-95. It’s 91F and I had to fix the pool and I’m living my best life. I love a good summer rainstorm too

relationship status: single but there is a guy I like :)))

ice cream flavor of choice: cotton candy, cake batter, coffee, mint chocolate chip, vanilla

first fandom: Harry Potter

how many books have you read this year?: I don’t think I’ve finished a book but I’ve started some? Most were for ap lit which sucked, “the road” I hate you !! Started “the night stages” by Jane urquhart before school got in the way as it always does. Maybe once my brainrot dies down I’ll read more books.

first 4 words of your last notes app entry: it’s a drawing of me showing different cursive Cyrillic letters to explain why I’m struggling (specifically, cursive о and д )

and finally, if you had to change your URL tomorrow, what would you change it to?: I have absolutely no idea. I used to change my url to have it match whatever fandom I was into but I was moving between them a lot it got hectic so I wanted something not associated with anything. I have a supernatural backup saved, so either that or dandelions-from-Dean, or something else flower related

Tagging !!

@especially-fuk-u @spookygingerr @mickittotheman @jademickian @atthedugouts

@sleepyheadgallavich @mickeym4ndy @em-harlsnow @thirstyvampyr @roryonic @jrooc

@iangallagherisadeadman @iansw0rld @lee-ow @deathclassic @mmmichyyy

@burninface @heymacy @thepupperino @softmick

[artzychic27]

For the Actor AU, how did they feel abt the canon heroes' outfits? If they could, how would they have modified them?

Marinette: Basic as fuck! It looks like I’m wearing footie pajamas! If I were in charge of my costume, I’d give myself a full-on punk look because Ladybug’s are some badass motherfuckers. Oh, and boots that have soles equipped with a shock-absorbing cushion, and a heel that contains a reinforced spring to soften the shock whenever I land. And… Maybe a backpack shaped like ladybug wings to hold my Lucky Charms and anything I need to collect for my plan.

Adrien: Less leather! That stuff shrinks, and a full leather bodysuit is not comfortable. Also, because of the cat holders’ powers, it would be cool if heroes had some sort of medical supplies on them just in case, like stored in a utility belt. And I’m with Mari, those boots sound badass. What else?… Oh, definitely add some more color instead of just basic black.

Alya: Well, the Fox doesn’t seem like a combative hero due to the powers. I see Rena Rouge as a distraction, really, so her outfit wouldn’t be one of those “ready for battle” types. Here’s what I’m thinking, one of those noir-film type outfits. The hat covers my face a bit to give me an air of mystery, and the outfit would look almost casual that no villain would suspect me.

Nino: I mean… Carapace’s look is cool. It’s alright. I’m liking the goggles, but… I’d prefer if he had armor. He’s the fucking turtle hero! He should be ready to take any blow that a villain sends his way!

Rose: Where to begin? Look, you all know me; I love pink more than the next guy, but… Sometimes too much is too much. The Pig Miraculous strikes me as… More farmhand than ballerina. Yee, I know, the heroes come with a tambourine, but come on! While I do love the skirt, I’d trade it in for overalls, either shorts or a skirt. Oh, and add some black in there, too. Daizzi has a black circle around his eye, let him be represented!

Juleka: Studded jacket. That is all.

Luka: Oh, honey, either give me a hood so I can look like a cobra or get the fuck away from me with that outfit.

Myléne: The mouse strikes me as more of the elegant type, I’m not sure why. Maybe it’s the pastel pink mixed with the grey, but I see Polymouse wearing skirts over Pigella. But, that’s just my opinion.

Ivan: Honestly, I’m fine with the canon design for Minotaurox. Yeah, he’s got pockets and padding, I-I like it. And if you show me a better design, I’ll happily take a look at it.

Marc: … I think all of the effort went into making Rooster Bold’s costume. He’s got rooster hair, the little tallons on the back of his boots, and a fucking tailcoat! He and Mayura are the only ones to have tailcoats! I’m not complaining, though. I… I actually like it, but it is a nightmare putting on and taking off that wig.

Nathaniel: Well, I can say I sort of know how some of the girls feel, because that suit was tight as hell! You could see my hip dip! Also, I would’ve liked to have a different hairstyle and maybe some color, because I am the only male redhead around for miles. Oh, and climbing boots becuase, I’m a goat, duh.

Alix: … Do I need to say it? Okay, give me some active wear! I’m traveling through a shit ton of different timelines! I need someone sporty and active when I’m on the go. Also, I’ll need a backpack like Marinette.

Kim: Not hearing any complaints from me! I liked Roi Singe, but being Scarlet Beetle is way cooler!

Max: The glasses can easily come off. What I need is a high collar or a bandana that can cover the lower half of my face in case my glasses become askew or someone is able to place my identity because all I have on my face are some stupid glasses! God, I’m so glad I’m doing this new show now.

Chloé: Oh, I just want wings.

Zoé: Same.

Sabrina: Can mine just not look like my clothes, please?! I’ll take whatever, just not that!

Kagami: I would prefer if I had some form of armor and not a spandex bodysuit. It would need to be lightweight but also durable to allow me to travel faster, of course.

[uriekukistan]

Am I allowed to ask beach AU fashion hcs or that counts as spoiler >_>?

(Doodle the answer if ur up for it?)

noo not a spoiler 🤞 im happy to yap abt this au forever i literally cant wait to release it o_o

okay originally i hadn’t pictured them outside of their lifeguard uniforms/surfing wetsuits, but now that i’m thinking about it, they spend a lot of time not in those outfits so thank you for this ask!!!

megumi runs cold, even in the summer, so he tends to wear sweatshirts, but layers them with a t shirt just in case he does get warm. lots of blue and black and white in his wardrobe. nike air force 1s for shoes. he picks clothes w really deep pockets bc he bikes everywhere and a) he thinks bags are a pain and b) he doesnt have anywhere else to put his stuff (i swear this is relevant to the rest of the hcs)

yuuji will definitely pull out some tank tops in the summer. he tends to run warm as well so that’s why….not trying to show off his muscles to catch megumi’s attention or anything….also my consistent yuuji graphic tee hc 🤞 and jorts. converse wearer (low tops, probably some fun color, maybe green or pink?). ignore the backpacks in the pics. yuuji has a beat up jeep and throws everything in the back randomly.

yuuta is a button up enthusiast. very yacht boy aesthetic (he does not have w yacht w his lifeguard salary but yk. it’s the vibes that matter). always layering the button up open over a t shirt, khaki shorts or mayyybe jeans. shoes are sperry top siders or The birkenstock sandals. i can see him being the type to carry a tote bag around too. he’s the type to carry around a ton of things - phone, wallet, keys, hand sanitizer, chapstick, lotion, breath mints or gum, and sunscreen

toge is another funky shirt wearer. honestly he just likes to be comfy. probably very little difference between what he wears to sleep and what he wears out in the world. he does wear a mask frequently, since he’s a bit self conscious about his birthmarks around his mouth (he’s working on not wearing it. toge self acceptance journey anyone?). he also carries a bag, mostly with things he needs for surfing, like sunscreen, surfboard wax, bandaids in case he gets hurt or something.

nobamaki also make a brief appearance but i havent actually given them an “on-screen” moment so i havent pictured their fits yet. soon 🤞

this is the closest i imagined for the wetsuits/lifeguard uniforms.

i have some bathing suit ideas but i have discovered that mens bathing suits are…not very cute most of the time so perhaps i’ll sketch a few ideas and send them via dm if ur interested 👀 and potential surfboard ideas for yuuji and toge

thank you for the ask! hope youre having a good weekend <33

[puppersfluid8xd]

normalize having comfort items all the time!!

even when ur not little, even when ur at a specific party or thing, even when ur at the grocery store

Personally my comfort item is my purse, which sounds silly, but my bag is a mini Spider-Man backpack covered in all kinds of pins and has a ton of stuff related to my fav interests or to keep me feeling secure 24/7. Stuffies, bandaids, stim toys, my sketchbook and whatever fnaf book I’m reading, all kinds of stuff. And I bring it w me everywhere all the time and hold it in my lap like it’s a stuffie. It’s perfectly fine to have a comfort item as a big kid or adult. Blankies, stuffies, bags, special rocks u wanna keep in ur pocket, a specific keychain, wtv is ur special thing. Don’t be embarrassed abt it. If it helps u or u need it, then it’s a good thing! luv uu have a good day!

[catamano]

11:47am - Georgia

Lunchtime. The best and worst time of day. Forty-five minutes of freedom but the halls and cafeteria are jam packed with people. I’m the last one out of bio as I make my way into the hall. I don’t feel like eating with anyone today. My mood hasn’t improved very much since this morning, especially since I was pulled aside after math class. Is everything okay, Georgia? You’ve been late a lot. I said yes and told her I’d do my best not to let it happen again. I asked her about extra credit or test corrections and she said we’d talk Tuesday.

Laughter echoes through the hall as I pass by three girls that I don’t know. They’re probably seniors. I’m the only freshman that has a locker with the seniors. I have no idea why. It’s the best spot in the school so I guess I just got lucky.

“Georgia, hey!” I look up and see Parker standing right in front of my locker. She’s dressed in a black turtleneck and denim skirt. Both mine. How many things of mine does she have? Whatever. I’m just surprised to see her not having lunch with her boyfriend. 

“Hey,” I say quietly. I’ve been pretty annoyed with her lately. She’s blown me off for three straight weekends and has yet to come to one of my games. I promise I’ll come to the next one! 

“Where were you this morning?” she asks, glancing at her phone. She’s been so absorbed in her own thing, I’m surprised she even realized I wasn’t here.

“Late,” I dryly reply. I manage to get my locker open on the first try. Nice. The lock is not great so usually it takes a few tries.

“Why?” She’s staring at me now.

“I lost track of time,” I answer. Partly a lie, but I don’t care. I unzip my front backpack pocket and grab my ID before quickly shutting my locker.

“Do you want to get lunch?” Weird question. A month ago lunch together was always implied.

“Sure.” I shrug. I guess lunch with Parker is fine. Maybe we can catch up.

We silently start walking down the hall in the direction of the cafeteria. This is so awkward. We’ve known each other for almost ten years and we’re acting like strangers. We used to tell each other everything, now I feel like we barely know each other. We haven’t been talking too much outside of school. Every time I text her and ask how she is, she sends a ton of messages, usually relating to her boyfriend. As soon as I try to talk anything related to me, she stops replying. I’m kind of sick of it.

“So,” she pauses, smiling, “do you want to see a picture my homecoming dress?” 

“You got a dress?” I ask. We were supposed to go shopping together.

“Yeah, last weekend, Michael’s sister invited me to go with her and her friends,” she tells me.

“Seriously?” I feel my eyes start to narrow. She told me she had to do something with her mom last weekend. Whatever.

“What?” Is she seriously clueless? I stop walking. I don’t feel like having lunch with her anymore.

“We were supposed to go together,” I remind her. It’s funny that she can blow me off for three weekends but still wear my clothes to school.

“Yeah, but I’m sure your mom already ordered you one, didn’t she?” When I graduated middle school, Mom ordered me a dress for the ceremony. Parker has not stopped giving me a hard time about it.

“No.”

“Oh, well, I can come with you and help pick out yours!” she offers. That’s not the same thing and she knows it.

“It’s fine,” I say, “I’ll just go with someone else.” Mom has asked me to go twice and I’ve told her no because I was waiting for Parker. After this morning, I don’t feel like shopping with Mom. Maybe I’ll ask Weiss or Sasha.

[goodluckclove]

How does Scott feel about lack of pockets in dresses and skirts? Does he make his own?

He thinks it's dumb stupid fucking bullshit and it's the worst and he hates it.

So little known fact about Scott Skylark Kaufner is that he hates pants and shoes and usually just wears long, loose skirts and dresses. His reasoning is that he thinks it makes him faster (objectively false), but I think it's more of a sensory thing since his entire wardrobe in Bluerose is entire cotton and lining and the occasional wool knit sweater.

There are lots of artisans in town, so I'm sure he's had some of his favorite dresses modded with pockets. I know he's had dresses made for him. I think he has a few nicer Work Dresses that don't have pockets and he probably tolerates them just barely. He definitely has been seen patting where a pocket should be and scowling deeply at the results.

He definitely has a huge backpack optimized with a ton of pockets and pouches and he uses all of them. He's got extra T. He's got pads and tampons. He's got snackies and everything he needs to go foraging at the drop of the hat.

My boy is prepared.

[resha04]

The 5+1 games I play to get cozy

When the world feels too much and the days feel too fast and tiring, cozy games are (one of) the balm for the soul.

I personally love cozy games with medium-long length, and that have an underlying plot going on, even though it's just traveling the world to take photos. Here, I'll share 5 + 1 of such games, which are my favorite as of April 2024:

TOEM

You grew up listening to your Nana tell you about the legendary TOEM. Now, armed with a camera, a backpack, and your beloved old pocket radio, you go out into the world to find TOEM and take a picture of it (as well as snapping as many photos as possible along the way).

Cute, charming, and very, very cozy, I deliberately took my time playing it because I wanted the experience to last. (Also, when I couldn't progress past a certain point, the dev team was very kind to fix the issue – even though they've moved on to making another game.) It has quirky, adorable characters with quirky, adorable problems you got to help solve, and a variety of animals you can pet (my favorite is the monkey).

Night in the Woods

College dropout Mae Borrowski went home to find her dying hometown still as lovely in autumn as it's always been, but with something sinister lurking in the shadow.

Despite how I made it sound, this game is still very cozy. As Mae, you spend your days visiting your old friends, listening in to the townspeople's convo, stargazing with your old teacher, and visiting your mom at church, among a few, with the stunning background of Possum Spring in autumn. And don't forget the soundtrack!

Wytchwood

"Once upon a time, there lived an odd witch in an odd little house, at an odd little swamp."

You woke up, found a goat have munched through your grimoire, and discovered that you've made a deal with the aforementioned goat – a deal that you can't remember. Go out into the world, craft potions and items, and vanquish 12 great evils while being snarky about it.

As you can see in the picture, Wytchwood has amazing visual. The writing is witty and funny, it has an entertaining cast of characters and fun gameplay, and the music just immerses you more in its world.

Walking on A Star Unknown

(Screenshot by vgperson)

A pair of siblings, Fukurou and Eddie, were traveling the galaxy to fulfill their late mother's wish when they crash-landed on a foreign planet. The planet happened to be hosting a cooking festival, and the winner will get one wish granted by the Goddess. So what else is there to be done except participating and aiming for the win? If you happen to make friends and learn the planet's dark history along the way, it can't be helped, can it?

This is an old game but it has such a special place in my heart even after years. It's wholesome, relaxed, has a ton of fun side-quests and lovable npcs, funny writing, and a touch of dark – a perfect mix of my favorite things. Segawa (the creator) never failed to immerse me in their small but charming world. And I'm usually not fond of too much side-quests, but Segawa's is an exception: the side-quests involve the npcs, and I love the npcs.

You can find it here. Vgperson did an amazing job translating it and its pun-ny writing.

Farethere City

(Screenshot by vgperson)

Pigula, a little boy(?) with one eye, has always dreamed to open a general store. So when he moved to Farethere City, the first thing he did was looking for a vacant building to open his shop. And it just happened that there was one, in the downtown, which happened to be on sale at such bargain price! Nothing is suspicious whatsoever!

Again, despite my description, this is a relaxed, low-tension game. Another of Segawa's game, and also one that has a special spot in my heart. The dark tone is more prominent than Star Unknown, and it's arguably more horror than cozy game, but I still find it very comforting. It's wholesome – sometimes bittersweet, it has a cast of lovable characters, and it has enough mystery to hook you and keep you playing.

You can find it here. My enormous gratitude to vgperson for translating these games, and translating it with apparent love.

(+1) Melon Journey

(Screenshot from the game page)

You woke up after a stormy night, and couldn't find your friend. So you embarked on a journey to find him/her.

It's been a while since I played this game, and I haven't replayed it again, but I remember how much fun I had playing it and how I was a little disappointed that it ended so soon. Melon Journey is shorter than the other five, but it's very charming and very deserving of a place in the cozy games list. The visual is pleasant to look at, and I love the characters and their little – sometimes lovingly silly – problems, which we have to solve if we want them to give us info.

You can find the free ver here. There's a longer, paid version in Steam titled Melon Journey: Bittersweet Memories :)

[ugh-yoongi]

jewel, how would you rank bts as the most to least likely to be a cat owner? and also what cat do you think fit each of them the best

OHHHHH THIS QUESTION IS RIGHT UP MY ALLEY TYSM FOR ASKING ME <3

bts as cat owners

— most:

taehyung. i feel like i've seen more pictures of this man with cats than of me with my own. derailed an entire run episode just because he wanted to pet one, which is peak cat owner behavior. you guys also see how he is with yeontan. his cat would have holiday themed cat trees, coordinated outfits, a fifteen-step feeding routine that would guarantee no one would ever pet-sit for him. type he'd have: bengal. generally non-aggressive, loving, and loyal. needs 24/7 attention.

jimin. i think he said loves cats but he's allergic (???) so ignore that, we're throwing away canon for bangtan's resident disney princess. jimin has snow white vibes—leave him alone in an enchanted forest for five minutes and he comes back with a dozen new animal friends, and a cat would be no different. type he'd have: bonded shelter pair. any breed, any sex, he doesn't care; jimin's just here for the vibes (getting suckered in by a sob story).

yoongi. he is a cat, so of course he's in the top three. we all saw that picture of him with the cute black cat in his lap, and that's him to a T. you think he's not going to be that stereotypical pet parent but then you're out shopping with him one day and he's like do you think the cat would like this. oh this made me think of the cat so i'm gonna buy it. leave them alone they're sleeping. no i can't come over sorry the cat just fell asleep on me. type he'd have: domestic shorthair, either black or grey. becomes the official studio mascot. he brings it it to work in a little backpack.

jungkook. look, i don't think he'd go out of his way to adopt a cat, but we know he's spontaneous and prone to chaos so he's winding up with one eventually, and i have a very specific image in my head so stay with me. type he'd have: he's 1000% a sphynx owner. loves that everyone thinks they're weird-looking, and loves even more to send pictures and videos in the groupchat of their nasty toe gunk. buys it a long-sleeved cat t-shirt with tattoos printed on it to match him. names it something stupid like chicken caesar salad. gets a tattoo of it.

namjoon. another one i don't think is going looking for a cat, but i can absolutely see him retiring to a small cottage near the water, maybe an island or a peninsula, that has a cat colony. very hemingway vibes, yanno? immediately panics and is like what the fuck am i supposed to do with all these cats????? and then just accepts that this is his life now. he feeds and names them all, takes care of them, has a pocket-sized journal where he jots down notes about each of their personalities. someone finds it after he dies and it goes viral and a cat sanctuary gets named after him.

seokjin. as much as it breaks my heart to say it, seokjin just does not have cat dad energy. the upside of this, however, is that i get to assign him my favorite cat breed. type he'd have: norwegian forest cat!!!! seokjin has wegie dad written all over him. this cat's going fishing. it's chattering away and matching his energy. it's happily sleeping all day while he games. these two are like university roommates and that suits them perfectly.

hobi. i cannot envision this man having a cat either, i'm so sorry bc i know he donates a ton of money to animal shelters, but if he did: extremely high-tech cat owner. automatic litter box, automatic feeder, water fountain. only the best for his little furry friend, who probably has some really cool fashion-forward name, like schiaparelli or some shit. type he'd have: turkish angora. visually stunning, but doesn't handle change well.

— least.