#bouncy noodles

[lagycart]

bear with mee, pavilion bukit jalil.

came across this noodle place over the weekend when we were at pavilion bukit jalil after buying stuff at nitori. the noodle place has a really cute bear theme and the noodle looks appetizing so we decided to give it a try.

ordered the noodles with creamy soup and budae jjigae ramyeon with lemon ribena in a bear bottle and a snack platter to share. the creamy soup is quite flavorful and has a very comforting taste, i love the thick glass noodles, as it has a really bouncy texture so it is very enjoyable to eat. there's quite a lot of ingredients depending on what you choose, but definitely very filling. the bowl also has a cute bear in the middle, making the dining experience more fun.

it's definitely a nice find, simple yet enjoyable meal. the ribena drink was too sweet and quite pricey though, but the bear bottle definitely was the main reason why i picked it. XD

[theresa-of-liechtenstein]

dragging myself out of my physics lesson plan-induced haze to realize i have been listening to nothing but nathalie stutzmann singing fauré for at least the past hour

[simon-says-lots-of-things]

Oh to be a stoat on a trampoline

I want to be nothing more than a bouncy, furry noodle

Stoat on a trampoline

[whoslaurapalmer]

HOLY SHIT my friend just texted me that KRAFT BROUGHT BACK THE SPONGEBOB MAC AND CHEESE????????????

[meanbossart]

I LOVE DU drow and I love your art style! I also really like how you draw Astarion's hair, it looks flowy but still with his trademark curls.

Can you give any advice on drawing Astarion's hair? I find it a nightmare to draw. Whenever I free hand it, it just doesn't have the amount of curliness I want, and when I try to use a reference it ends up looking rather stiff.

Take care and thanks for the art 😊

THANK YOU though to be honest I'm shocked to find this ask in my inbox because every time I draw Astarion a war is waged between me and his hairdo. But sure, lets give this a shot!

First of all I feel like its a good idea not to be too attached to his in-game model hair when drawing unless your style is very realistic. The only reason why that dry-noodle helmet looks so regal and bouncy is because of the high-detailed graphics. Like you mentioned yourself and many of us have experienced, if you try and stick to it too closely in most art-styles it just ends up looking terribly stiff.

Instead, I suggest just keeping growth-direction and shape in mind and applying as much movement as you want to it when you draw it. Here's some things to remember that might help you with that:

-I employ the liquify tool a lot when sketching his hair because I never get it big enough on the first try, lol. This can also aid you with "distorting" more curliness into your lines if you aren't used to doing that right off the bat, just try not to become too reliant on it!

-I usually leave the areas around the ears and back alone but imply a lot of movement with the top and front of the hair, taking as many liberties as I want even if it's not entirely faithful to the model. I feel like the impression of curliness comes entirely from the silhouette of the hair and little fly-ways that I add, and everything else I just try to do without overthinking it too much for a more natural look.

In truth, I feel like a lot of times we get stuck on things like parting-placement, right amount of curl, which brush we're using yada-yada when in reality we are neglecting what actually makes a character's hair recognizable: Hairline, growth pattern, and shape. If you get these three things right I feel like everything else is entirely just stylistic choice. It's worth pulling away for a moment and checking on these things if you feel like you're continually unhappy with your outcome!

-Astarion has a hairline capable making most men over 30 cry. It's very low on the forehead and tight on the temples with the slightest hint of a widow's peak. As someone who drew a lot of big-foreheaded characters with receding hairlines prior, this was a STRUGGLE for me to get used to and a big reason why I felt like I couldn't get his hair to look "right" for the longest time.

-His hair swoops to the right side of his face in a fanning kind of shape and is the longest at the front and top. You can imply a strong part if you want, you can split it into sections, you can have it falling over his forehead or not at all - as long as it's going in the right direction you will probably be fine.

-A mistake I would catch myself making often was getting the shape totally wrong - making it too slick at the top and putting all the volume in the back when that's pretty much the exact opposite of what his hair does. IT'S ALL AT THE FRONT AND TOP, REPEAT IT TO YOURSELF LIKE IT'S A MANTRA: IT'S ALL AT THE FRONT AND TOP.

And lastly, if you absolutely hate how his hair looks or hate to draw it, you can forego all of this and just do whatever you want. These tips are only worth something if you like how I draw his hair specifically.

Hopefully this was helpful at all!

[lara4eclipze]

Hey. Can I request y/n surprising Megan for Christmas? Thanks. Love your blog btw 😁

» merrier than ever

sypnosis -» when you decide to surprise your girlfriend with a little something for all her hardwork

beware -» fluff , angst(?), suggestive, kissing , established relationship , cutie Megan , words of affirmation , just lovey dovey , very suggestive scenarios

talks -» thank you jrocks!! for the request and the compliment!! :)) , finally got time to write this

taglist (open); @nyssalvr @ohmyhaely @vrtualstar @jellaaa @c-yerim

megan has been working her ass off since the debut — I mean yes she's worked hard before but never this hard , shes been practicing her vocals more recently due to some backlash she got during one live performance , personally it was just a backtrack problem yet people online didn't know that so obviously they did what the internet does the best send hate towards your girlfriend

"babe — come on you've been in here since like the crack of dawn" you said entering the home studio megan had in your shared apartment , a pout evident on your face obviously you had missed your girlfriend she's been locked up in this room for like hours

"just 10 more minutes I promise love" megan replies not even looking at you just focusing on the raw vocals she recorded just earlier , "you've been saying that for the past 5 hours , how many more 10 minutes do you need?" you whine at the younger girl who was still unfazed

"please babe? — I just need to perfect my voice okay?" she replies now standing up from her chair and walking up to you her hands on your waist as she snuggles her head at the crook of your neck letting go a tired sigh

"fine — I'll see you at dinner okay? this whole room should be off limits by then" you replied enjoying the short amount of solace she got from you — you place a small kiss on the gingers head before she pads back to the chair smiling at you

now walking to the kitchen you started setting up the table with candles and roses to brighten the spirit — freshly made noodles were dropped into the pot of water as you had planned to make ramen

well after all it was only a few more days till christmas and it wouldn't hurt to surprise your girlfriend after all she has been working so hard , a small break isn't that big but it's something that you know will cheer her up

lights from the candles flicker around the room as the intoxicating smell of the ramen wafted through the air — now you had to get ready , you took a replenishing and quick bath and styled yourself extra well yet comfortable since you also planned a movie night

"baby it smells amazing in here" the younger looks around and her jaw drops at the decor "oh my— baby, this is so cute" she says in awe as she holds you near her , hugging you deeply as she finally takes a deep exhale letting go for a minute

"now I don't want the food getting cold let's sit" you said leading her to the table , she looks around with stars in her eyes , megan was stunned yet she couldn't expect anything better than this

she slurps up the soup enjoying the warmth that it brings to her throat — it eases hours and hours of singing , the noodles were chewy and bouncy which made her oh so happy it felt home-y and perfect

admittedly you were too busy admiring megan to even eat — you finally saw her happy and not so stressed , it made your heart beat a little faster , made you smile more and got you all giddy just for a few hours of comfort

"baby it was so good" the younger pouts at you , remnants of the previously eaten chocolate on her lips "I can tell" you giggle wiping away the chocolate that strayed to her lips , suddenly you felt like kissing her she was absolutely gorgeous she made you feel everything you needed and ever wanted , she noticed your sudden shift of focus

"just do it" she sighs leaning forward to connect both your lips and a loving kiss , her soft and plushy ones meeting yours

the kiss deepens as she gets a bit more aggressive her hands on your waist pulling you ever so close — it lasts longer you both needed air yet neither could pull away

"shit , okay chill — I planned one more thing" you pant the younger had to actually fight her own demons to not just carry you to her room and kiss you for hours more

you lead her to the sofa area which you had now fully transformed — blankets dropped over the sofa and fluffy pillows nested it , the tv on and snacks laying on the coffee table

"okay so when are we actually getting married" the younger jokes as she looks around the area , sitting down near you she nearly makes it to at least 15 minutes into the movie but her work has caught up on her

as "Christmas Chronicles" play you pat megans head that is now on your lap , she peacefully slept her eyes closed her chest softly rising and falling — you did it , you made her feel loved and got her the rest she well deserved

"merry christmas my love" you mutter as you yawn as fatigue also got to you

[mostlysignssomeportents]

A year in illustration, 2023 edition (part two)

(This is part two; part one is here.)

The West Midlands Police were kind enough to upload a high-rez of their surveillance camera control room to Flickr under a CC license (they've since deleted it), and it was the perfect frame for dozens of repeating clown images with HAL9000 red noses. This worked out great. The clown face is from a 1940s ad for novelty masks.

https://pluralistic.net/2023/08/23/automation-blindness/#humans-in-the-loop

I spent an absurd amount of time transforming a photo I took of three pinball machines into union-busting themed tables, pulling in a bunch of images from old Soviet propaganda art. An editorial cartoon of Teddy Roosevelt with his big stick takes center stage, while a NLRB General Counsel Jennifer Abruzzo's official portrait presides over the scene. I hand-made the eight-segment TILT displays.

https://pluralistic.net/2023/09/06/goons-ginks-and-company-finks/#if-blood-be-the-price-of-your-cursed-wealth

Working with the highest-possible rez sources makes all the difference in the world. Syvwlch's extremely high-rez paint-scraper is a gift to people writing about web-scraping, and the Matrix code waterfall mapped onto it like butter.

https://pluralistic.net/2023/09/17/how-to-think-about-scraping/

This old TWA ad depicting a young man eagerly pitching an older man has incredible body-language – so much so that when I replaced their heads with raw meat, the intent and character remained intact. I often struggle for background to put behind images like this, but high-rez currency imagery, with the blown up intaglio, crushes it.

https://pluralistic.net/2023/10/04/dont-let-your-meat-loaf/#meaty-beaty-big-and-bouncy

I transposed Photoshop instructions for turning a face into a zombie into Gimp instructions to make Zombie Uncle Sam. The guy looking at his watch kills me. He's from an old magazine illustration about radio broadcasting. What a face!

https://pluralistic.net/2023/10/18/the-people-no/#tell-ya-what-i-want-what-i-really-really-want

The mansplaining guy from the TWA ad is back, but this time he's telling a whopper. It took so much work to give him that Pinnocchio nose. Clearly, he's lying about capitalism, hence the Atlas Shrugged cover. Bosch's "Garden of Earthly Delights" makes for an excellent, public domain hellscape fit for a nonconensual pitch about the miracle of capitalism.

https://pluralistic.net/2023/10/27/six-sells/#youre-holding-it-wrong

There's no better image for stories about techbros scamming rubes than Bosch's 'The Conjurer.' Throw in Jeff Bezos's head and an Amazon logo and you're off to the races. I boobytrapped this image by adding as many fingers as I could fit onto each of these figures in the hopes that someone could falsely accuse me of AI-generating this. No one did.

https://pluralistic.net/2023/11/06/attention-rents/#consumer-welfare-queens

Once again, it's Bosch to the rescue. Slap a different smiley-face emoji on each of the tormented figures in 'Garden of Earthly Delights' and you've got a perfect metaphor for the 'brand safety' problem of hard news dying online because brands don't want to be associated with unpleasant things, and the news is very unpleasant indeed.

https://pluralistic.net/2023/11/11/ad-jacency/#brand-safety

I really struggle to come up with images for my linkdump posts. I'm running out of ways to illustrate assortments and varieties. I got to noodling with a Kellogg's mini-cereal variety pack and I realized it was the perfect place for a vicious gorilla image I'd just found online in a WWI propaganda poster headed 'Destroy This Mad Brute.' I put so many fake AI tells in this one – extra pupils, extra fingers, a super-AI-esque Kellogg's logo.

https://pluralistic.net/2023/11/05/variegated/#nein

Bloodletting is the perfect metaphor for using rate-hikes to fight inflation. A vintage image of the Treasury, spattered with blood, makes a great backdrop. For the foreground, a medieval woodcut of bloodletting quacks – give one the head of Larry Summers, the other, Jerome Powell. For the patient, use Uncle Sam's head.

https://pluralistic.net/2023/11/20/bloodletting/#inflated-ego

I killed a long videoconference call slicing up an old pulp cover showing a killer robot zapping a couple of shrunken people in bell-jars. It was the ideal image to illustrate Big Tech's enshittification, especially when it was decorated with some classic tech slogans.

https://pluralistic.net/2023/11/22/who-wins-the-argument/#corporations-are-people-my-friend

There's something meditative about manually cutting out Tenniel engravings from Alice – the Jabberwock was insane. But it was worth it for this Tron-inflected illustration using a distorted Cartesian grid to display the enormous difference between e/acc and AI doomers, and everyone else in the world.

https://pluralistic.net/2023/11/27/10-types-of-people/#taking-up-a-lot-of-space

Multilayer source images for your remixing pleasure:

Scientist in chemlabhttps://craphound.com/images/scientist-in-chem-lab.psd

Humpty Dumpty and the millionaires https://craphound.com/images/humpty-dumpty-and-the-millionaires.psd

Demon summoning https://craphound.com/images/demon-summoning.psd

Killer Robot and People in Bell Jars https://craphound.com/images/killer-robot-and-bell-jars.psd

TWA mansplainer https://craphound.com/images/twa-mansplainer.psd

Impatient boss https://craphound.com/images/impatient-boss.psd

Destroy This Mad Brute https://craphound.com/images/destroy-this-mad-brute.psd

(Images: Heinz Bunse, West Midlands Police, Christopher Sessums, CC BY-SA 2.0; Mike Mozart, Jesse Wagstaff, Stephen Drake, Steve Jurvetson, syvwlch, Doc Searls, https://www.flickr.com/photos/mosaic36/14231376315, Chatham House, CC BY 2.0; Cryteria, CC BY 3.0; Mr. Kjetil Ree, Trevor Parscal, Rama, “Soldiers of Russia” Cultural Center, Russian Airborne Troops Press Service, CC BY-SA 3.0; Raimond Spekking, CC BY 4.0; Drahtlos, CC BY-SA 4.0; Eugen Rochko, Affero; modified)

[lemonlyman-dotcom]

Thanks for the tags @heartstringsduet @paperstorm @whatsintheboxmh @honeybee-taskforce 💕

More from the That's The Way We Get By sequel

✨An extra tag for May ( @whatsintheboxmh ) for TK carrying Carlos…✨

Charlie is full of questions like: what if the ball hits a bird, is the ball made out of cheese, what if the bat was a noodle, how long does this show last?

After the third inning they take her out to the kids play area that’s set up behind left field. There’s batting cages and bouncy houses and a meet and greet with the team’s mascot.

They take turns chasing Charlie around the grass field and supervising her on the bouncy houses.

“Uncle TK?” she asks when she’s climbing out of a bouncy house that’s shaped like a giant catcher’s mitt. She points to the honeybee tattoo on his forearm. “If a bee stings a bounce house will all the air come out?”

“Yes,” he says, not missing a beat. “All the air comes out really fast and it goes-” He picks her up and swings her around making whooshing noises while she laughs.

On the way back to their seats TK gives Charlie a piggy back ride. She squeals in delight before patting his cheek and insisting that he give one to Carlos too.

“I don’t know… Uncle Carlos is kind of heavy.”

“Rude,” Carlos huffs under his breath.

“Uncle Carlos has really big muscles,” Charlie responds definitively.

“Oh,” TK says, shooting a delighted look in Carlos’s direction. “He knows.”

Tagging @emsprovisions @carlos-in-glasses @ironheartwriter @tellmegoodbye @cold-blooded-jelly-doughnut @welcometololaland @alrightbuckaroo @im-overstimulated-and-im-sad @bonheur-cafe @basilsunrise @literateowl @lightningboltreader @liminalmemories21 @freneticfloetry @chicgeekgirl89 @sapphic--kiwi @thisbuildinghasfeelings @herefortarlos @ladytessa74 @americansrequiems @tommy-kinard-buckley @orchidscript @captain-gillian @carlos-tk @fifthrideroftheapocalypse @strandnreyes @fitzherbertssmolder @fallout-mars @filet-o-feelings @your-catfish-friend @kiwichaeng @iboatedhere @guardian-angle22 @tinyluminaryzombie @rmd-writes @theghostofashton @reyesstrand @never-blooms @decafdino @certifiedflower and OPEN TAG 🏷️

[brrrkdslek]

UM O E O

𖡎 youtube clips of ateez member, m/n that has atinys barking and rolling on the floor.

𖡎 ateez x 9th member! male! reader

𖡎 fluff, angst, idk slay???

𖡎 bullying, harassment, blood n gore(oop)

𖡎 2.8k

clip 1 — m/n standing up for ateez on variety show

ateez along with the mcs laughed at the jokes as they continued, "if i were a member of ateez, what position would suit me best?" the members looked around and whispered amongst each other before hongjoong spoke up, "i don't know, but i think you'd do great..."

everyone laughs at the captain's statement as he shrinks in embarrassment. the mc puffs out his chest, "i think i'd be able to handle m/n's position." jongho blinks in surprise, "you can handle being main vocalist and main dancer...?" the other mc retaliated, "yeah, he thinks he can! what about it!?"

you only smile, knowing how much these people underestimate your hardwork. wooyoung speaks, "but his position is very hard, m/n actually plays a huge part in our choreography too!" wooyoung nudges you, "tell them!" you giggle at wooyoung's excitement.

"okay. so, when our tracks release, let's say for our comeback song, bouncy. i would improv it once and record it, then i would mark down some move which i think would collaborate well with the song, and then i'd work out the full choreo with the choreographer-"

the mc cut you off, "i still think i'd be able to do it though! maybe even better than you!" it came out in a joke tone but you could hear the underlying saltiness the man had with you, why's he so reluctant on bullying you???

you brush through your long hair before breaking the awkward silence, "well, who's position on the team do you agree with the least and why?" the mc perked up as he spoke loudly, "i think i would be the visual." mingi had to physically hold back a snort from beside you, "i honestly don't think seonghwa should be the visual at all."

wooyoung held back a gasp as san glared at the mc from afar. yunho turned to seonghwa and he only blinked in surprise, jongho gulped as he sees your vessel popping out in your neck, the tips of your ears turning slightly red.

"hm, i see. then who do you think would be best for visuals?" mingi placed his hand in your lap, comforting you quietly as you sighed. "i think, maybe me?" the mc does some weird 'sexy' pose and the other mc applauses him while your members keep quiet.

you let out a loud laugh for a second before covering your mouth with your hand, "ah, i'm sorry!" the mc's face was blank, "what, do you think i can't be the visual!?" you look the man up and down, "are you sure you'll even make it past the audition?" 'oo's' and laughs were exchanged between your members as you and the mc only stared.

clip 2 — m/n toktoq live: response to the show

you were eating peacefully in your hotel room with your live on and singing to the atinys every now and then. "m/n, did you say that to the mc because you were mad?" you read out a question. pondering for a few seconds, you decide to answer honestly.

"yes, i was super mad, more that he insulted my members." you slurped the noodled as you spoke again, "listen, i don't mind if people insult or make fun of me. but i won't accept if anyone speaks ill of my members." you untie your bun, which had been messed up from how much you'd been moving around.

biting the hairtie between your teeth, you used your hands to fix a ponytail and spoke, "i can take any insults if it is directed to me," picking up the hairtie, you tie your hair into a bun and fixed your bangs, "but please, leave my members alone."

clip 3 — m/n going off at a saseang in the airport

you had your hood and mask on as you followed along your members in the airport. you always hated the airport since the amount of people surrounding you made you feel incredibly claustrophobic and annoyed.

you had just came back to korea from your long concert and is headed back to the company. during the trip, you felt someone poke you and turned around, "hyung..." jongho's face looks slightly paler, "are you alright, jjong?" you held onto his hand as he leaned onto your strong arm, "just a bit tired..."

you ruffled his hair, "let's get outta here as soon as possible, m'kay?" jongho nods as you kiss his head, following your other members.

as you neared the exits, the group began slowing down as more people surrounded ateez and pushed the mangers and even the members from time to time. you tsked and checked on jongho every few seconds to make sure he is still there.

you noticed a woman pulling on the hems of jongho's hoodie as you swatted her away, pulling his closer to you as you squeezed between the members. however, she came back and kept on trying to get his attention, making him incredibly uncomfortable.

you could feel jongho's hands tremble and twitch with every touch of the woman and you got increasingly angered. you even did as much as wrapping your entire arm around his waist and leaned your head on his shoulder, you know jongho likes when you do that, it made him feel relaxed and calm.

but of course the woman didn't fucking stop as san and mingi were trying their best to kindly push her off and not cause scene. you heard jongho continuously mumbled for her to get off but you weren't having any of it. you were on your last straw when she began pulling on his wrist, that's when you acted out.

you let go of jongho's hand quickly and went to the other side and shoved the woman, hard. she ended up tripping on her own feet and collapsing onto the ground. you could care less for the cameras that were capturing this moment, in fact, you wanted everyone to see.

"yah! what's wrong with you!?" the woman spoke as she fixed her hair and tried standing up, you used your feet to push her shoulder back down. "what's wrong with me? are you kidding me, lady? you had been touching jongho this entire time and you're asking me what's wrong with me?"

you let out a sarcastic laugh, "who do you think you are? did you think i wouldn't do anything cause there are cameras?" your members and managers made no move to stop you as they only watched, all silently agreeing that it is what she deserved.

you crouched down and leaned into her ear, "if there were no cameras, i would've beat your fucking face off. now get lost before i actually do that." the woman shifted away from you and scrambled to get up, running away in a hurry as she cried.

you got up and grabbed your bag before going back to jongho and holding his hand, "let's go?" he nodded as the managers lead you all to the van, the crowd becoming smaller after your sudden outburst.

as you got into the van, you never let go of jongho's hand as he leaned onto your shoulder, eyes getting heavier. "i'm sorry jjong. you must've been so scared..." he smiled, "but i wasn't." you blink in surprise, "really, why not?" he looks up at you and flashed that adorable gummy smile of his, "cause i knew you'd protect me."

clip 4 — angry m/n at kcon

you were performing as normal and was super excited for your upcoming high note part. you had a few lines before it and while you were singing, you found that your mic had disconnected or some shit, making you grumpy.

however, atinys thought you were doing a sexy concept and cheered excitedly watching you sing your part. the mic had become more and more annoying as you sang your part, proving to be useless.

during the few seconds of pause before your high note, your ripped the headset off and threw it onto the ground before hitting the high note perfectly, wowing the atinys at your impactful volume even without a mic.

clip 5 — m/n shoving paparazzis for getting too close

ateez was in america, dressed all nice for their interview with buzzfeed, and as they got off the van one by one, the members were bombarded with cameras flashing in their direction. it wouldn't have been a problem had they not been at hand's distance with the members faces.

you were the last to get off the van as one paparazzi had the audacity to shove his camera inside the van while you were getting off. so, being the good samaritan you are, you shoved the camera.

you shoved it forward so that it hit the paparazzi on his bald head, making the man scream curses at you as you walked into the building, smile never leaving your face.

clip 6 — yunho vs m/n

"yeah, and i got this last week-" "why does your hair look like that?" you turn to yunho looking pretty offended, "why does my hair look like... what?" yunho giggles, "like, like poo..." you deadpan to the camera before rolling your eyes, "why does my hair matter to you in the slightest bit?" he shrugs and bites into the dumpling.

"i dunno, i jus' think it looks better when it's down." you leaned down to slurp your noodles, "better than your crap coloured hair..." yunho's jaw drops as he tosses the wooden chopsticks on the table and stands up, "yah!"

you turn to him and look up, "why're you standing up??" he pouts, "my hair is NOT crap colour!" your forehead creases, "can you just sit down-" "at least i don't spend two hours every morning getting ready." you frown and stand up, growing more annoyed by the second.

"why're you picking a fight with me?" he rolls his eyes and cross his arms, mumbling something. "what'd you say?" looking down, yunho mumbles, "i'm not the one that throws headsets on stage..."

you had to blink a few times to process what he had said. "jeong yunho," the man stiffens and turns to you, "...what?" you stared at the man with the angry glare, making him shiver. "sit down right now and eat your food." as if on impulse, yunho's knees buckle and he plops back onto the armchair.

you side-eyed yunho for a few seconds before turning to the camera, with a large grin like you weren't just about to detached yunho's head from his body, "okay atinys, i think we have to cut the live short! have a good day!"

clip 7 — m/n noona revealed!

mingi bounced excitedly as he sat on the chair and waited for his questions, "has there been a time where your members has stood up for you?" mingi's eyes widen as he smiles, "yes!" he answers loudly.

"there was this time during a fansign when i was feeling really sick, m/n hyung noticed and tried to tell the staff but they wouldn't let me leave. i get it, cause they thought it would've been disrespectful and i told him that!

but he got so angry and only told me to take care of myself before he went back to the atinys. afterwards, he yelled and screamed at the managers!" mingi giggled, "it was really funny seeing them all just looking down like toddlers being scolded by their parents. i'm so grateful for m/n hyung!"

the other members including yourself smiles and giggled at the back as wooyoung spoke up, "you mean m/n noona?" you swatted the back of wooyoung's head as he only giggled, "that sounds so good!" mingi turned to look at wooyoung.

"right!?" "m/n noona!" jongho laughed, "m/n noona!" he leaned onto your shoulder as you only huffed, the rest of the members including hongjoong and seonghwa hyung also started calling you that.

clip 8 — fansign massacre!

it was a sunny day when ateez were in la, california for their fansign. hongjoong had asked the managers a few times for them not to do a fansign in such an area since america was a dangerous place as they could get stabbed and shot at any moment. however, the managers persisted.

the members were lined up in their seats in the order of their ages, with m/n squeezed between hongjoong and yunho. the venue was crowded with many atinys waving and screaming the member's names.

as the atinys sat in their designated seats, the fansign started. you were enthusiastic with a happy grin painting your face the entire time at all the pretty girls and boys that dressed up prettily to see you, it made your heart swell with pride.

suddenly, hongjoong leaned into your ear and whispered, "this one's sketchy, watch them closely." you blink in confusion before the next fan shifts in front of you.

you immediately get the memo as the person- you can't even tell the gender as their face was covered up with a mask and hoodie. you force a smile as you tried to bring up some conversation, "so, uh... how long have you been a fan?"

"i'm not," your eyes widen, "how long is each member?" you were shocked as it took you a second to respond, "f-five minutes." afterwards, you and the person only stared at each other before the time ran out.

you suddenly got a feeling in your gut something bad was about to happen. you were constantly turning to yunho who was on your left conversing with said person. why were they being so friendly with yunho only?

"are you alright?" the atiny asked as you brushed some sweat from your forehead and focused back on the fan, but making sure to keep an eye on yunho.

as the timer ran out, the atinys shifted seats again but the person never moved from in front of yunho. you felt your heart rate increased as the person stayed unmoving, the staff were already on high alert of this person after seonghwa's turn.

yunho's eyes widen in fear as the person abruptly pulled out a dagger and stood up, leaning forward to graze yunho. yunho leaned backwards, closing his eyes as yeosang reaching out to stop the person, everything was moving too quickly as m/n instinctively reached out.

yunho cracked his eyes open as he fell backwards onto his butt at the sight in front of him; you holding the dagger with your bare hand, gripping it so hard your veins were visible on your forearm. wooyoung almost threw up at the sight of your blood running down your arm.

everyone around you was panicked including the person as the crowd screamed and pushed around each other, but your face was stern. you stared straight into the person with half-lidded eyes, showing no sign of emotions even though your hand was burning from pain.

no one dared to move, not even the members or managers as you slowly spoke in english, "what," your eyebrows creased, "do you think you're doing?" your grip tightened as the person's grip on the handle loosened, stumbling backwards as he fell.

the staff immediately emerged from the shadows and pinned down the person, making sure to call the police. you violently threw the dagger onto the ground, making everyone jump as you wiped your bloody hand on your white tank top, eyes never leaving the attackers.

you squatted down and pulled their hoodie down, "if i see your face again," grabbing a fistful of their hair, you yanked the person so close your noses almost touched. they yelped in pain and gripped your wrist, "i'll kill you with this damn knife, got it?"

the person began to cry as you shoved their face away, grimacing as the staff dragged the person backstage. the manager came to you with first-aid and asked if you were okay. you brushed them off as you jogged to yunho, who was still sat on the ground.

you cup his cheeks in your hand as you turn his head left and right, "yun! are you okay? are you hurt?" yunho's eyes watered as his bottom lip quivered, "ah- i got blood on your cheek," you pulled your right hand away and wiped the blood with the back of your hand.

yunho stopped your movement and held onto your wrist, pulling his head into your chest as he silently sobbed, mumbling 'sorry's' and 'it's my fault's'. you kissed his head and patted his back, "no, i'm sorry i was a second too late."

©BRRRKDSLEK 2023

[undertheorangetree]

Under the God’s Eye

The Epilogue

Summary- Everyone has adjusted back to life nine months after the God’s Eye.

Warnings- MDNI 18+ NSFW. Female reader. Me once again having no idea how lawyers work. Domestic and work place fluff. Vaginal fingering. Handjob. P in V sex. Overstimulation.

Author’s Note- I lied before I wrote an epilogue. The idea came to me on my commute and I was feeling fluffy. Full chapter on AO3!

Series masterlist

divider created by firefly-graphics

“I managed to find the Hill files for you,” she tells Rhaenyra as she pulls the beige folder out from under her arm. “They were buried in one of Otto’s filing cabinets. How they got there, I have no idea, but…”

Rhaenyra smiles as she takes the folder from her, flipping it over and scanning through the loose leaf pages inside before giving a curt nod. “Thank you, you’re a life saver. Have you taken lunch yet?”

“Not yet.”

Another nod. “Go take your hour. I’m not sure how long we’ll be here tonight but I imagine you’re going to need it.”

There is no need to tell her twice. With a bouncy nod, she leaves Rhaenyra’s office and makes her way down the hall, sensible heels clicking against the linoleum. There’s a line of windows that lead away from Rhaenyra’s office and she steps from shadow to shadow, the spring sunshine outside leaving warm sun spots in its wake.

Her own small office is not far from Rhaenyra's and she makes a quick pit stop to fetch her water bottle and thermos from her purse before shutting the door behind her and continuing down the hall.

She has enjoyed working at Targaryen and Hightower just as much as she assumed she would these past few months. It is difficult work, to be sure. Long hours on top of her final semester at school, countless mugs of coffee, and cups of noodles late at night when she finally trudges through the door, but it is just as rewarding as she thought it would be. Truthfully, despite the difficulties that have come from working at such a high end firm, she isn't sure she could be happier. Rhaenyra is the best boss she could ask for and a perfect role model for her to work toward. They have become reliant on each other and Rhaenyra has made it a habit to come to her for what seemed to be anything and everything. It should feel more like an assistant position she thinks, but the older woman has never treated her as anything less than an equal, often asking for her opinion and taking her advice on more than one occasion.

She does not see much of Viserys Targaryen or Otto Hightower, both too occupied with their own cases to ever give her much mind, but she doesn’t mind as there is someone else she sees far more often.

Her fist raps against Aemond’s office door, listening carefully before pushing it open slowly. He’s sitting at his desk staring at his laptop screen, one hand braced next to his good eye as he squints it, likely trying to chase away blurry vision. It darts up when it catches sight of movement and the side of his mouth quirks up in a smile when he sees her. “Hi.”

“Hi,” she greets, shutting the door behind her before pressing her back against it. “What are you doing?”

He sighs, squeezing his eyes shut as he leans back in his chair. “Looking over the sales accounts for the Westerling case. It’s melting my brain.”

“You were looking at those this morning. Isn’t it time to take a break?”

He’s shaking his head almost the moment she suggests it, leaning forward again to stare into the blue light. “No. I have to sort them out before tonight or granddad will kill me.”

She purses her lips but elects to say nothing, twisting her thermos lid open and pulling the collapsible fork from the top, straightening it before digging into her leftovers from the night before. It’s lukewarm at best but she does not mind it, watching Aemond as he blinks erratically. Though she winces in sympathy at the thought of the pain in his eye, the irritation exacerbated by the strain, she knows better than to comment on it. He will not take a break regardless of what she says and so she simply watches him while she eats.

He looks good like this, dressed in his white button up and silk tie, the sleeves rolled up his forearms. It has become a routine sight, one that she more than welcomes, and she shifts her weight from one foot to the other. Even from here, she can see the shadow of his eyelashes as they wash over his cheekbones, his lips pursed in half a pout that tells her that his frustration will soon get the better of him. There’s an empty coffee cup next to him and she takes it upon herself to make her way over to his Keurig, placing a pod in and positioning a mug beneath the spout before pressing the button.

She continues to stare at him as it brews, feeling only a little creepy for watching him so long. Whatever tan his skin had managed to soak in from the summer has long since left him, leaving him a little paler than she had gotten used to, and she wonders if he would be willing to go on a trip with her after graduation. To Qarth maybe, for the culture she knows the history buff in him will enjoy. Or maybe Dorne, to the Water Gardens. It would be nice, to go on a holiday with him again.

Read the rest here :)

Taglist: @backyardfolklore @docmartinis @watercolorskyy @barbieaemond @bellaisasleep @yentroucnagol @aemondsbabygirl @randomdragonfires @at-a-rax-ia @violetletovi @launotfound @helaenaluvr @solisarium @bellstwd @moonlightfoxx

[ssentimentals]

f1 pairings as famous love tropes: lando norris x oscar piastri

guy next door (neighbours!AU)

'and if only you knew that everything you wanted was right next to you'

oscar was fine. his vision was blurry and the same sentence he read four times stubbornly refused to make any sense, his head felt like it weighted at least fifty pounds and his fingers trembled a bit but he was fine. (he stopped being embarrassed long time ago for how horribly wrong his 'getting ready for midterms' routine went. said routine consisted of him pulling all-nighters while trying to finish dozens of assignments, getting anxious about his scholarship and slupring unhealthy amount of ramen noodles while dozing off on the kitchen counter). so yeah, oscar's got everything under control and he was fine. or it would've been if it weren't for loud screaming from his new neighbour in ungodly hours.

oscar squints at the clock on the wall and rubs his eyes for a good measure just to make sure he's not making any mistakes, but no, it really is two in the morning and aggressive screaming from the other side of the wall still continues. (for an hour now, oscar counted. he's mildly impressed, if anything). and see, oscar is not one to go and pick up fights. he's calm, minds his own business most of the time and has occassional rage moments here and there, nothing inadequate. and usually he'd ignore any kind of noise disturbance because he can sleep through anything, but right now? his fingers are itching with desire to punch something, strangled scream of frutration is stuck somewhere in his throat and this stupid essay on aerodynamics just really doesn't want to go anywhere after first two hundred words and oscar is scaringly close to throw his laptop out of the window. and as he's got no money for new laptop, which only frustrates him even more, he decides for a second best option - go and talk (read: fight, release his frustration) with his new neighbour. with determination he usually reserves for learning padel, he gets out of his flat and takes exactly five steps before coming face to face with the door. oscar knocks twice to be polite but when these knocks get ignored, he bangs on the door with renewed force, gritting his teeth in annoyance.

'hey, listen-' oscar starts in a clipped tone as soon as the door opens and promptly shuts his mouth, staring down at his new neighbour.

he's not what i imagined, is the first thought that crosses his mind but in reality oscar never really thought about his neighbour much. they never crossed paths and well, oscar never thought he'd meet someone like...that. green eyes stare back at him and tiredness that swims in them is all too familiar for oscar. bouncy curls in a haphazard mess and slouched pose with a definite tense line of shoulders make oscar pause. first of all, this guy is also a student, this despair in the gaze is reserved only for those who go through hell called midterms. second, they apparently go to same uni if his rumpled t-shirt with uni's name is anything to go by. which means they're on the same schedule midterms wise, which means-

'are you...' oscar clears his throat, changing his tone to a more neutral one because he has sympathy for any fellow student and because the guy is well, cute. if your type of cute is 'lost puppy who needs saving', that is. 'are you stress gaming at two in the morning?'

the guy in question blinks and rubs tiredly at his eyes. he tries to stiffle a yawn and while doing so barely manages to stay upright, ending up leaning on the wall for support. he pouts a little and oh. unfortunately, oscar's type is exactly 'lost puppy who needs saving' kind of cute. 'i, um,' he starts and it seems hard for him to form a coherent sentence at first, which in turn makes him frown. 'fuck. sorry, what again? i'm kind of-'

'out of it?' oscar suggests. 'mate, it's two in the morning and you're screaming something about some turns and laps. i live here,' he points to his own apartment and looks back, 'and i hear everything very clearly.'

it takes few seconds but oscar can practically see how his words reach the guy's brain and how realization sinks in. that's the cue for 'o' shaped mouth and regret on the face with pouty lips again. 'fucking hell, i'm so sorry. i just got so stressed and needed to get my mind out of that stupid exam before i set my apartment on fire and gaming's the best option,' he huffs, running his hands through his hair in frustration. 'i kind of lost track of time. clearly.'

his tone is dry and lacks any warmth, but his apologies bleed with sincerity and his eyes are big and almond shaped and despite redness that took over, they are so, so green that oscar's anger deflates like balloon. he gets is, just like probably any other student. if anything, guy in front of him looks even worse than he does and that really says something because oscar knows exactly in what horrible state he is at the moment.

'i'm really sorry mate,' his neighbour continues, sighing in defeat. 'i'll finish it up right now and you won't hear a thing again, i promise.' he then focuses on somewhere at the area of oscar's chest and even moves closer for inspection. 'is that a noodle on your t-shirt?'

oscar follows his gaze and ah. 'yes, it is.' he states and grabs stuck noodle n his t-shirt and promptly chunks it to the bin on his left. and because it's the best moment for it, as soon as he turns, he extends his hand in a greeting. 'i'm oscar, by the way.'

'lando,' guy - lando - says and dwarfs his hand in a firm handshake. 'sorry again. i kinda thought i'm all alone on this floor, it's always so quiet from your side.'

and - is he trying to strike up a conversation? oscar squints at him, trying to get a good read out of the guy in front. he came with a selfish intention to let out all his frustration on the poor guy but now he hovers awkwardly next to his door, unsure of how to proceed. there's friendly glint in those green eyes behind all the tiredness and oscar's mind is too slow right now to be adept for social cues. he should probably go now, but his mouth decides to blurt out: 'we go to the same uni' instead and his legs act like they are stuck on the place.

'oh really?' the whole 'lost puppy' thing gets turned to 'excited puppy' and oscar marvels at the sheer energy, because lando is barely standing upright but still manages to be sincerely excited. 'which year? which course? are you also getting ready for those stupid midterms? are you-' he stops and bites his lower lip, looking up at oscar with apologetic glance again. 'i totally disturbed your studying sessions, didn't i? i'm so sorry-'

'so you've said,' oscar interrupts, not unkindly but a bit more forcefully, so hopefully lando will get that he doesn't want to hear any more apologies. 'i'm in my second year, studying-'

'you wanna come in?' lando jumps and when oscar's face does this weird thing when both eyebrows stick together and sides of his mouth turn downwards, he quickly adds: 'unless standing here is more of your thing? i can bring chairs.' when oscar doesn't immediately answer, lando strikes with a king card: 'i've got food.'

oscar blinks. 'food?'

lando nods seriously. 'real one, too. not cup noodles.' at oscar's eyebrow raise, he chuckles. 'no offence mate, but i've got chicken teriyaki.'

oscar whistles lowly at that, his stomach grumbling just from the thought of it. 'living lavishly, i see.'

lando huffs a short laugh at that and his smile makes oscar feel a bit better for some reasons he is not ready to address. rubbing selfconsciously at the back of his neck, lando stares at oscar with a mixture of embarrassment and hope. 'is this too random? you can tell me to fuck off, sorry, i think i'm really out of it.'

lando continues to ramble about how his mind is not working well, but oscar quickly realizes that he doesn't look like seeing this look on lando. this 'i am so stupid' kind of look, which is such a drastic change to his excitement just minutes before - oscar very much prefers his neighbour with shiny eyes and lips quirked up in a cat-like shape than this. maybe this is the reason or maybe his mind joined lando's somewhere in the pit of this ground, but he takes one step forward, effectively cutting off lando's rambling. 'i hope you know what you agreed to, because i'm a starving engineer student and i will eat that chicken teriyaki without ounce of shame.'

at first he blinks in shock, but then lando recovers instantly, smiling widely and stepping back to let oscar in. as they level and their shoulders brush (or more, lando's shoulder brushes somewhere a little beneath oscar's shoulder, which he notes pleasantly), oscar feels two things: how the tight feeling in his chest disappeared and how actually tired he is. with brain-to-mouth filter gone, he mutters: 'just to be clear, i usually do not take invitations from cute random strangers at two am to eat their chicken teriyaki. i have much more dignity when i'm not sleep deprived.'

lando is very expressive, oscar realizes. his face comes with subtitles that are very easy to read and when his mouth curls up and eyes shine with mirth, oscar somehow knows he fucked up. 'lando norris, forth year, business major. not a stranger anymore, am i? just a cute neighbour.'

there's not even energy left in him to get shy, so oscar simply stays silently and comes in. he has no time to take a good look around, because lando's big hand is suddenly at his back, guiding him towards the kitchen, which smells heavenly. with salivated mouth he watches how lando heats up his plate and yawns loudly, forgetting to close his mouth. it's all a bit surrealistic, if oscar is honest, but the food definitely is very real and smells very good right in front of him. he's not the most social guy and even though he knows it'd be good for him to keep conversation going, all he manages is an honest: 'there's a high chance of me falling asleep somewhere between the second and third bite.'

he expects a lot of things, but lando's soft smile is not it. 'i can work with that,' is all he says, handing him fork with a knife.

and maybe it's supposed to be very weird and it probably is very weird, but oscar relaxes completely in the unfamiliar kitchen of a ten minute earlier met neighbour, eating delicious chicken and doing so in a comfortable silence. it definitely shouldn't feel this good or like he's doing this for hundredth time, but it does and oscar is too tired to logic his way out of this. lando next to him looks like way more relaxed too and it's a win, oscar thinks. when lando turns at him and smiles, muttering: 'tea?', looking at oscar like he likes having him here, like maybe he doesn't want oscar to go and is happy that they are neighbours, oscar thinks it's a win for both of them.

a/n: whoa, first ever f1 post *claps myself on the back*. after over a year writing for kpop only, this definitely feels a bit different, but good different. let me know how it went, please 🥺 if it's good, i'll be moving on to other pairings (thinking pierre x yuki or dan x max next!) and please come say hi and suggest your own pairings/love tropes! - nini

if someone here likes kpop group seventeen, then my writing list for them is here

writing list for f1 is here

p.s. this is heavily inspired by my favorite fic ever 'the condominium community committee' by @jusst-you-race so check it out!!

[narrans]

My Borrowed Son | 3 | Earning Trust

Amanda knew immediately the second she crossed the threshold of her home that she was in over her head. The minuscule boy in the palm of her hand needed intense care, and his size, being no bigger than her thumb, was going to be an immense challenge. 

Still, Amanda knew she made a promise to this boy, and she refused to let him down now - especially after they first met. She had earned a fragment of trust, and she intended to keep it. 

Finally making it past the mountains of boxes, she stepped into her kitchen and set her hand onto the counter. The slight jostle made the poor boy whimper pitifully. 

“You’re okay. I’m here,” she reassured just as she had done the whole way home. Seeing him in full light, Amanda wanted more than anything to give him a bath, but more importantly was the fact that he needed food. One handed, Amanda fished out a bowl and a standard can of chicken noodle soup and began heating it in the microwave. 

She wished she could give him something a little more nutritious and home-made, but that would have to wait. At the moment, her life was upside down. Everything happening was the last thing she wanted, but it was what she needed. 

While the little boy stayed huddled in her hand, Amanda continued to work. She realized after fumbling around for a minute for a spoon that she had nothing in her house that would be small enough for the child. Amanda, as her thoughts bounced around her skull like a bouncy ball, didn’t want to scare the child with a spoon that he could sit on; but he also needed something to eat the soup with. 

The boy watched with his insightful eyes, keeping eerily quiet, while Amanda searched. 

Feeling the pressure of his eyes, Amanda suddenly came up with an idea, but she’d need the boy to listen to instructions for this to work. She snagged a dish cloth from her sink and ran it under the water, moving delicately to not startle the little boy. When it was just barely damp, she turned off the water and held out just a little corner for him. 

“Could you rub your hands on the cloth? Okay? Rub your hands on the cloth,” coaxed Amanda as she mimicked the motion with her thumb and index finger. The infinitesimal child blinked uncertainly before inching himself across Amanda’s palm, making a tingling shiver shoot up her arm, and imitating the motion, rubbing his hands on the cloth. 

Her mind was absolutely numb. This boy was absolutely amazing. At every turn, she was discovering something new about him and what he understood. Did that mean he could speak as well?

The thought was fascinating, but it would have to wait because, just then, the microwave dinged. Amanda moved instinctually at her own pace simply to look over at the kitchen appliance, but it was enough to jostle her hand and make the boy whimper and take cover against Amanda’s curled fingers. 

“Oh… oh no… It’s okay, sweetie. I’m sorry,” muttered Amanda as she curled her fingers a little tighter. The boy whimpered again, hiding his soft brown eyes as he kept them shut tight. His breathing was rapid, and he was trembling ever so slightly. Amanda could feel him against her fingertips. It made her heart hurt, so she tried coaxing him a little more. “I’ll move slower. I promise. You’re okay.” 

Seemingly convinced, the sandy haired boy to open his eyes once again after a few minutes and looked back up at Amanda. To her, it looked like he was seeking reassurance in her eyes, and she freely gave it. 

“There you go. See? All better,” Amanda encouraged. Moving slower now, Amanda retrieved the soup, a soft drink cap, and the loaf of bread from the kitchen counter. With the items neatly organized, Amanda dipped the cap into the warmed soup and tested the temperature to make sure he wouldn’t get burned before daring to lower both the cap and the little boy to the kitchen counter. 

Goodness… he’s so small. He looks like one of those little salt and pepper shakers, Amanda thought as she kept her hand on the counter, the boy still sitting on the edges of her fingers. He was looking around at all of the cabinets and drew his legs in toward him, obviously intimidated. 

To make this a positive experience, Amanda acted quickly and pinched off a corner of bread and offered it to the boy. His little features furrowed in confusion as he carefully took the bread from in between her pinched fingers. He rotated around so he could face her but didn’t leave the safety of her hand. 

It wasn’t ideal, but it was the only option she had. She didn’t want to force the boy off. If her hand was where he felt safe, then that was where he should stay. 

Amanda moved the cap of soup onto her palm in front of the boy before pulling her own bowl toward her. 

“Here now, watch me, okay? Just dip the bread into the soup, like this,” instructed Amanda. Keeping her hand steady, she took her own piece of bread and dipped it into the liquid, swirled it around, and then brought it to her lips for a bite. The soft brown eyed boy watched Amanda do this several more times before looking down at his own piece of bread and, to her amazement, dipping it into the broth in the lid, imitating Amanda’s behavior. 

Thankfully, Amanda didn’t need to continue repeating the action because the moment the bread and salty soup touched his lips, the boy began to eat ravenously, broth dribbling down his front and into his already filthy clothes. 

Now really able to see him, Amanda saw that the little boy’s outfit consisted of a shirt with a faded yellow button on his front that took up most of his chest and a big green button on his back that was like the one on his chest. He was barefoot, mud caked in between his toes, and his pants were obviously soiled. 

It made Amanda’s heart twist in her chest. How long had this boy been out on his own? 

When the little pinch of bread was gone, the most pitiful look filled his eyes as he looked back up at Amanda eagerly, to which she happily gave him another piece. He inhaled three fair sized bread pinches before he showed signs of slowing down. It was on the fifth piece that he slowed and stopped, simply holding the bread close and nibbling on the edge absentmindedly. 

Amanda knew she would need to get some utensils for him, but now was not that time. Now, after the boy had some food in him, she managed to convince him to drink a little bit of water before she shuffled both of them to the bathroom. 

A bath was in order. 

She stepped up to her bathroom sink and began to run some warm water. She found some vapor bubble bath that would probably do the little boy some good and added that to the running water in the sink. 

At first sight, however, the boy whimpered and scuttled across her hand to grasp her thumb with all of his might. He was shivering violently and fell to his knees. Amanda kept her free hand cupped near her thumb in case the little boy accidentally lost his balance. Perhaps it was instinct, but the boy’s ability to balance on such a malleable substance like a hand was incredible. 

She couldn’t pause to marvel at him now, however. 

With a feeling like a punch in the gut, Amanda tried figuring out how to convince this child he was alright and that the water was alright. 

Did something happen related to water to make him so afraid? Amanda wondered. The horrid thought that he had been swept away in a rainstorm from his family made her heart clench. Just keep reassuring him. Show him it’s okay. He trusted you with the bread, right? 

It was a weak argument, but it was all she had. 

“It’s okay sweetie,” coaxed Amada, speaking once again in a low, sonoric tone. “It’s just water, see?” With that, Amanda carefully placed her other hand under the water and moved her fingers around, splashing the liquid around the sink. The little boy continued clutching Amanda’s thumb as he whimpered. 

She had to try something else. Then, she got an idea. 

Amanda cupped her one hand and caught some of the water in it before pulling it away from the faucet and holding it up to the little boy. 

“Here, see? It’s just water,” reassured Amanda as she tapped the puddle of water in her palm while holding it up to the boy. 

He turned his soft brown eyes to Amanda before looking back at the water. Tears still staining his face, he leaned forward and barely touched the water with the tip of his finger. 

The miniscule boy instantly retraced his finger and huddled against Amanda’s thumb, but a smile from her and another reassuring, “It’s okay,” had the boy tapping the liquid until the tears stopped. 

It would take Amanda another twenty minutes to coax the little boy under the stream of water where she gently massaged soap into his hair and over his clothes. While she worked, she watched the boy’s eyes drifting further and further down, drowsiness overtaking him. The sight was adorable beyond words. Though tentative, his trust mixed with exhaustion was making this little boy fall asleep in her hands. 

Amanda dried him off, careful not to jostle his head, and carefully constructed a toga-like outfit. Cutting away the little boy’s clothes was nerve wracking and made Amanda’s heart ache at seeing all of his injuries as well as his little ribs, which were clearly visible. There were also numerous bruises on his body as well as scratches, some of which ran from the base of his back to the top of his neck. 

Was he attacked by something? How long has he been out there? Where are his parents? Did he have parents? 

Amanda organized a shoebox with some snacks, water, and bedding and set the unconscious boy inside. Evidently, he had fallen asleep in her hand while she put together a space for him.

His little forehead furrowed as he twitched and turned into the bed Amanda made for him.

Now, more than ever, she needed to find out about this little boy, and, beyond that, she needed to find a way to protect him - no matter what.

~~~~~^*^*^*^*^~~~~~

Continue

Previous

Beginning

[apple25n]

I grew up in Singapore before moving to Canada for university. Coming back this Christmas, I had transitioned to a vegetarian diet. I was a bit apprehensive at first and sad I couldn't eat all the food I love. Landing at Changi, I instead found myself even more excited to find and try out new restaurants and takes on classics. Here are a couple of the meals I had throughout my trip:

'chicken' rice from 33 Vegetarian. The flavour of the rice was perfect, but the chicken fell short. The texture was ok but very fatty and tasted pretty bland

laksa from the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple's basement foodcourt. Amazing!! The noodles were so bouncy and the broth was rich (and not too spicy). The beancurd skin and seaweed made for great chewiness. All for the sweet sweet price of $3

sweet and sour 'meat' from D'Life Vegetarian. Simple but well executed. The mock chicken tasted just like the real thing and the sauce was tangy.

cheese and plain prata from Casuarina Curry. A classic dish from a classic restaurant, no complaints (though my stomach is still crying out from all the oil).

mapo tofu & plant-based katsu from Chen's. The tofu was so spicy I was DYING, but I also couldn't stop eating it. I got this for takeout and by the time I ate the katsu it wasn't crispy anymore. It all just felt really greasy and fatty.

bak kut teh from Zhenyi Veggie Palace. Rich broth and all the mushrooms/beancurd skins were the perfect chewy counterbalance.

It was pretty easy to just google 'veg restaurants near me' and there were always options to choose from. I could have gone without the plant-based meats, but sometimes those were my only choices. Overall, I enjoyed all my meals though some were better than others.

[maggotsinyourbirthdaycake]

@summercandle Okey SO-

These are my main characters: Kriss Mattison, 28, and his son Leo Roly, 9. After losing his mother, Rachel, Leo is taken in by his father, who didn’t even know he had a child until now, and they both have to learn how to make it work. Leo, at least post-trauma, is very shy and does not talk much, but he is very curious, very bright,t, and is *very* observant to the point of being borderline obsessive at times. He loves Minecraft, space(I joined my school's astronomy club because of this fictional child), Legos, and DRAGONS. His favorite song is Gosting by Mother Mother and Just Take My Wallet by Jack Stauber. Kriss is a stoner college dropout and works at Baskin Robins. He tries to come off as super chill and calm but has an anxiety disorder(like father like son) and is desperately trying to prove to himself that he's cut out for fatherhood and second-guessing himself. (He's an amazing father don't worry.) Kriss has a pet hedgehog named Peper. Both Kriss and Leo love animals but are allergic to pet hair, so they have a track record of "weird" pets. After the events of the story they've had a corn snake named Noodle, 2 green tree frogs named Bing and Bong, and a bearded dragon named Toothless. They babysat a pair of budgies for a friend for less than a week and lurnt they are not bird people.(Basced on personal experience. I love you but Stich you traumatized me.) Leo has continuously begs his dad for a sugar glider but Kriss is ferm on no, saying the frogs were bouncy enough.

THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME YAP ABOUT THESE GUYS ILY

[sudachirecipes]

🍜 🥢 Ever wondered what makes authentic ramen noodles so perfectly bouncy and chewy? 🔗 Full recipe on my website! Just google "ramen noodles from scratch sudachi"!

[lady-of-games]

All of the sketches from tonight's stream. Got a water Banjo, Saxon getting tripped by LOGs mice, a lil bouncy mumbo token, a noodle with a hammer and ... that : D.