#caleb daily chat

[deepspace-mens-socialarchives]

Promise[Story]🍎 chat with Caleb : all possible outcomes

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Requirements You will immediately get notification from him after u finish [11 story] of 03 chapter

Funfact : Caleb's profile in "message" doesn't exist until you finish [11 story] of 03 chapter

Caleb & Zayne are the only people in chat whose first message to you didn't show up as "Unknown" profile

REMINDER- if you want reply from him PLEASE interact with the post BEFORE "03-story-within reach" and wait for him to reply you before proceeding Or better , don't start chapter 04 until you get his reply . or else like the 2nd photo , he will not reply to you.

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🍎He starts the chat

here are your options

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🍎Outcomes

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🍎Next options

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🍎Outcomes

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🍎Next Options

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🍎Outcomes

Here is the profile of caleb and current chat history for good measure

*Chat Ends*

what option did you choose ?

Or did you make mistakes like me and forgot , now you wait for a reply that never came in past 11 months

Please like & re-blog, Help me reach more Lads players who might want to know these

Curious about other posts and chats outcomes from zayne ,sylus and others ? Checks more in my pinned.

Like & follow for more.

The end ;)

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[blaire-apricity]

Hello, first of all I want to thank you for the amazing scenes with Sylus. Thank you a lot 🥰

I would like to make a request IF you have the time and energy for it...

Would it be possible to write a scene with Sylus and Caleb (the supposed dead childhood friend)?

I read somewhere that both of them are 190 cm and big in every sense of word...

Maybe Caleb finds out about Sylus being mcs love interest and is not that happy about it? Or something like that. Oh and don't forget the smut or fluff - anything that works for you.

Thank you again ☺️

Crow's Gaze

sʏʟᴜs x ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ

ᯓ❅ ┆ synopsis┆ : An unexpected encounter with the famous leader of the Onychinus- though of course, only you knew that, but Caleb isn't sure what to make of it.

ᯓ❅ ┆ tags┆ : fiction, fluff & possible OOC

──────────────── ˗ˏˋ ❅｡˚ ☁︎ ˚｡⋆｡˚☽ ˎˊ˗ ──────────────

You and Caleb were out fetching groceries for your grandmother’s house. The marketplace bustled with its usual energy, though it wasn’t overly crowded today, making it easier to navigate. As you wandered between the stalls, you and Caleb exchanged stories about your daily lives, the rare time together making the moment all the more enjoyable. After all, with your hectic schedules, holidays were the only chances to catch up like this.

Usually, you handled errands like these on your own. You didn’t mind—it was part of your routine. Caleb, being busier than you, rarely had the time. And yet, here he was now, proving you wrong.

"Ahha, what’s wrong with helping out?" he said when you’d expressed surprise at his presence. "Coming back early to spend time with you and Gran feels like a win to me."

That cheeky, sheepish grin of his left you sighing in mock defeat. Caleb always had a way of disarming you, leaving little room for argument.

At the counter, you reached for your card to pay for the groceries, but Caleb was faster. His card swiped through effortlessly, his grin triumphant.

"Seriously?" you muttered, shaking your head as you turned toward the bags the cashier was packing.

The bags weren’t heavy, and you reached to grab them, only for Caleb to intercept again.

“I can carry those, Caleb,” you protested, giving him a pointed look.

“I know, pipsqueak, but remember the time the bottom ripped and all the groceries went flying?” His teasing smirk was impossible to ignore.

“That wasn’t my fault! The bag was overloaded—”

“Uh-uh,” he interrupted, hoisting the bags with ease. “Safety measures, remember?”

Obviously, you weren’t winning this one.

As you and Caleb made your way out of the marketplace, chatting and laughing about past mishaps, the bustling environment seemed to shift. The lively chatter and hum of merchants became distant, replaced by a curious lull. Your steps slowed, and instinctively, you looked around.

That’s when you saw him—Sylus.

Dressed in his usual sharp, all-black ensemble, the man looked impossibly out of place in the rustic charm of the marketplace. His presence was magnetic yet foreboding. His striking features—sharp jawline, piercing red eyes that seemed to see too much, and the faint smirk that hinted at both arrogance and danger—commanded attention. Even standing still, he exuded confidence like a coiled serpent, aware of its lethal potential but patient enough to strike only when necessary.

You instinctively stiffened. Though you knew Sylus from past, shall we say, unconventional encounters, it was never easy being in his proximity. Caleb noticed your shift and followed your gaze, his cheerful expression quickly replaced by suspicion.

"Who’s that?" Caleb asked, voice low and taut.

You opened your mouth to respond, but Sylus noticed you both. His smirk widened ever so slightly, and before you could decide whether to walk away or wave, he was moving toward you, his gait casual but purposeful.

“Well, fancy seeing you here,” Sylus drawled, his voice smooth, almost mocking. His gaze flickered to Caleb, scanning him like he was a trivial detail in a much larger picture, before settling on you. "And with company, no less. How... quaint."

Caleb stepped a little closer to you, shoulders squared. “Can we help you with something?” he asked, his tone polite but firm, though his unease was palpable.

Sylus turned his attention fully to Caleb now, as if noticing him for the first time. His smirk turned sharper, a predator recognizing a challenge it didn’t take seriously. "Help? From you? I doubt it, but the offer’s adorable." He then shifted back to you, his tone softening to something almost conversational. "Running errands, are we? Never pictured you as the domestic type."

"Sylus," you interjected, trying to steer the interaction. "We’re just here for groceries. Nothing... noteworthy."

He tilted his head a bit, clearly entertained. "Oh, but you see, everything you do is noteworthy for me."

Caleb’s patience visibly frayed. "What’s your deal, man? You just wander around making people uncomfortable for fun?"

Sylus chuckled, low and dark. "Only when they’re worth my time." He stepped closer—not enough to invade your space, but enough to make his presence loom. "Relax, kid. I’m merely catching up with an old... acquaintance."

Caleb frowned, glancing between you and Sylus. “Acquaintance? You never mentioned this guy before.”

“It’s... complicated,” you muttered, not wanting to dig into the gritty details of how you knew Sylus, or why his interest in you felt more like a game than genuine connection.

Sylus raised a brow, clearly enjoying the tension he’d stirred. "Complicated. Now there’s an understatement." His gaze lingered on Caleb, as if deciding whether to entertain the conversation. "But don’t worry, I have no intention of spoiling your errand run. Today."

There was an unspoken weight to the last word, one Caleb didn’t miss. His jaw tightened, and you could feel the tension radiating off him.

"Come on, Caleb," you said quickly, grabbing his arm and tugging him toward the exit. "We should get back to Gran."

Sylus didn’t move to stop you, but his voice followed as you walked away. "See you around, sweetie.”

The casual arrogance in his tone made your skin prickle. You didn’t have to look back to know his smirk was still there, etched with the promise of future encounters.

As soon as you were out of earshot, Caleb exhaled sharply. “Who the hell is that guy? And why does he talk like he’s in some kind of mob movie?”

You forced a chuckle, though your grip on the grocery bags tightened. “Just... someone from the past. Don’t let him get to you. He thrives on that.”

Caleb frowned but said nothing, though you knew this wouldn’t be the last you’d hear about it. And deep down, you couldn’t shake the feeling Sylus’s appearance wasn’t just a coincidence—it rarely ever was.

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╰｡ Author's Note: I am not gonna lie, this took me a while to formulate and think about, I haven't written anything regarding the dead childhood friend-- So, I'm unsure if I did him justice. Hope I did.

Thank you for requesting the idea! Another request that took me a while to complete- spare me. I hope you'll like it as well~

╰｡ Tagging: . ݁˖ .@slitheringwaves

[kiarastromboli]

𝐁𝐞𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧:

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐡𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐎𝐛𝐬𝐞𝐬𝐬��𝐨𝐧.

𝐌𝐚𝐭�� 𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐨𝐥𝐨 𝐱 𝐲/𝐧

⋆♱✮♱⋆♱✮♱⋆♱✮♱⋆♱✮♱⋆♱✮♱⋆♱✮♱⋆♱✮♱⋆♱✮♱⋆♱✮♱⋆♱

⋆♱✮♱⋆♱✮♱⋆♱✮♱⋆♱✮♱⋆♱✮♱⋆♱✮♱⋆♱✮♱⋆♱✮♱⋆♱✮♱⋆♱

𝕄𝕒𝕤𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕝𝕚𝕤𝕥

𝕎𝕒𝕣𝕟𝕚𝕟𝕘: jealous!reader, stalker!Matt, just a bit suggestive 🤏🏼

𝕊𝕦𝕞𝕞𝕒𝕣𝕪: Y/N will meet Sarah, who doesn't seem to particularly please her, and after spending the morning waiting for him, our two main characters will finally be able to enjoy their dates together.

ℕ𝕠𝕥𝕖: I know the really spicy part takes time to arrive, but don't worry, it's coming soon.

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟏, 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟐.

⋆♱✮♱⋆♱✮♱⋆♱✮♱⋆♱✮♱⋆♱✮♱⋆♱✮♱⋆♱✮♱⋆♱✮♱⋆♱✮♱⋆♱

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐢𝐭𝐫𝐞 𝟑:

Here we are, Saturday.

This morning when I woke up, I was in high spirits. I was going to spend my day with her, well, at least half of my day, given that I still had to work this morning.

Last night, I had a lot of trouble falling asleep; I couldn't stop thinking about today and how it would go. I was apprehensive, expecting both the best and the worst, but I really didn't know what to expect. Even though she had made advances, Caleb, her so-called friend, had clearly hinted that he also wanted the place I coveted.

So naturally, I spent my night on social media trying to find Caleb's accounts to learn more about him. And to be honest, it wasn't very difficult to find.

"Caleb_the.1, seriously?" I thought when I found his Instagram account. This guy was so self-centered it almost made me want to vomit.

His bio consisted of bro-ish phrases to show that he was an alpha athlete above the others, it was ridiculous to the point of being laughable. How can you hang out with this kind of guy, y/n? Seriously, aren't you ashamed?

Scrolling through his profile, I found about fifteen shirtless photos of him, of course, it goes without saying. And honestly, it's not very prudent of him to expose his life so much on social media. In less than five minutes, I knew which gyms he frequented, his favorite restaurants, and all the places he liked to go daily, giving me the opportunity to learn a little more about him.

But for now, he'll have to wait. My priority is y/n, and I'll deal with his case after our appointment.

"You're late!" Sarah said to me when I arrived at the bookstore.

"Sorry, traffic was jammed this morning," I lied. I didn't have an excuse; I was late only because I spent an extra 20 minutes scrolling through Caleb's profile this morning to learn more.

"Matt, since when does traffic matter to you when you're on your bike??" she said, confused.

"It's none of your business, Sarah, stop asking me questions," I said, shaking my head.

"Yeah, you're lucky I'm your friend; otherwise, I would've fired you!" she said before turning around and going back to her tasks.

It's true; I'm lucky to have a friend like Sarah. I probably don't think enough about thanking her.

I went back to my post and continued my morning, chatting a bit with her; there weren't many customers today.

"Matt, you're lying; you're not going to tell me you've never thought about that before!" Sarah said, shocked that I've never had any weird fantasies about a celebrity.

"No, never, and I find it weird that you were obsessed with Zac Efron until the end of high school!" I said, laughing.

"First of all, I wasn't obsessed! I just had a little crush on him, and secondly, everyone had a crush on that guy back then!" she said, justifying herself.

Meanwhile, I hadn't noticed, but someone had entered the shop at that moment.

"Yeah, in middle school, Sarah, not in high school!" I replied, laughing.

"Screw you, Matty!" she said, chuckling and giving me a light push.

We were interrupted by the voice of a newcomer behind us.

"Hey," she said, her voice a bit sharp.

I immediately turned around, recognizing y/n's voice.

But something was different; her voice wasn't as gentle as usual, and I couldn't see her usual smile.

"Oh, hi, y/n," I replied, smiling.

"Um, this is Sarah, my colleague. I didn't know you'd come so soon," I said, scratching my neck.

"Hi," Sarah said, smiling and extending her hand.

"I've got my hands full, sorry," y/n said to Sarah, giving her some sort of fake smile.

"Yeah, I thought I'd come a little earlier to bring you some coffee," y/n said, turning to me.

"Oh, um, thanks, you didn't have to," I said timidly.

"No, of course, I insist. It's the least I can do after you gave me a ride home last time!" she said, casting a fleeting glance at Sarah.

I'm not sure what game she's playing, but I don't get the feeling she likes Sarah too much.

"Yeah, well, I'll leave you guys. I still have a lot of work. Matt, don't linger too long; we still have to do inventory," Sarah said before leaving us.

A brief silence ensued before I decided to speak.

"It's really nice of you to get the coffee, y/n," I said, smiling.

"It's nothing, I got you a decaf," she said, handing me my coffee.

"Wow, wait, this is my favorite. How did you know—" I started to say before she cut me off.

"Just lucky, I guess," she said, smiling.

Maybe this girl knows me a little better than I thought. I thought I was harder to read than that.

"Well, thank you very much. I finish in 2 hours. If you want, you can browse the bookstore while you wait for me," I said.

"That works out perfectly; I was in the mood to read today," she said, smiling before heading off to explore the bookstore.

It was nice working with her around. We exchanged little glances, and most of the time, she would smile at me.

Honestly, I could get used to working under these conditions.

"Matt, focus. I don't mind you having your friends over here, but I can't handle the customers and inventory all by myself!" Sarah said, getting annoyed, interrupting yet another exchange of glances with y/n.

"Sorry, if you want, I'll take care of the inventory and close the shop today," I said, trying to make amends.

"Okay, but hurry up. We have 45 minutes left before closing, and there's still a stack of books in the back room," she said, rolling her eyes.

"Yes, ma'am," I said, smiling, and she couldn't help but smile back before I went to do what I needed to do in the back room.

POV of Sarah:

I watched Matt walk into the back room, smiling and shaking my head. How could I stay mad at him after all?

Anyway, I headed back to the counter to tidy up the things lying around when I noticed Matt's friend heading towards the back room.

"Hey, sorry, but you can't go in there," I said, stopping her in her tracks and pointing to the sign on the door that specified "Employees Only."

She stopped and turned to face me.

"Sasha, right?" she said, crossing her arms.

"It's Sarah," I replied.

"Yeah, whatever, Sarah. Have you had feelings for Matt for a long time?" she asked, catching me off guard.

"W-what?" I said, furrowing my brows.

"Let's not play this little game, please. It's not going to work with me. You and I both know you have a huge crush on him, and frankly, it's pathetic. You can see he's not interested in you, so I suggest you keep your distance and let those who actually have a chance take theirs," she said, staring me in the eyes.

I didn't even know how to respond. I couldn't deny it; everything she had just said was true. But there were much better ways to say it.

There was something off about this girl. She had this threatening air about her towards me when I hadn't done anything to her.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go join Matt," she said, before striding off and pushing through the door without giving me a chance to say anything.

Back to Matt's POV:

I heard the door open, thinking it was Sarah coming to say goodbye.

"What, already? It's closing time, and I haven't finished the inventory yet!" I said before seeing y/n appear.

"Oh, it's you," I said, a bit surprised because she had no reason to be here.

"Yeah, I asked Sarah if I could come give you a hand," she said, smiling.

"And she said yes?" I asked, surprised because Sarah is usually strict about the rules, so it would have been strange for her to let y/n in without any objections.

She paused for a moment as if she was taking time to think before answering me.

"No," she said, chuckling, "I waited for her to turn her back before sneaking in here," she confessed, and I laughed.

"I feel like you're going to get me into trouble," I said, smiling.

"Come on, it's not like I'm going to steal any books. Plus, I think it's stupid to restrict access; it's just a back room," she said, rolling her eyes.

"And honestly, I find your colleague rather annoying," she said before covering her mouth.

"Sorry, I spoke before thinking," she said, embarrassed, and I chuckled at her action.

I couldn't help but find it cute.

"Firstly, access is restricted because there are some pretty old books here, the kind that should absolutely not be touched unless you're a professional," I began to explain.

"And secondly, yes, Sarah can be annoying, I'll give you that, but she can also be really nice. I'm sure you'd get along great with her," I said, continuing to do the inventory.

"We'll see about that later. For now, let me help you with all this so we can finally go for a ride on the bike," she said, chuckling before coming to help me.

With y/n's help, I managed to finish the inventory just in time for closing.

As we were about to leave the back room, Sarah shot me a look and nodded towards a section of the bookstore, indicating she wanted to talk to me privately.

"I'm going to do one last round in the aisles just to make sure everything's in order before closing. Wait for me here," I said to y/n, realizing Sarah wanted to talk to me alone.

I walked over, and she pulled me a bit further into the bookstore to ensure y/n couldn't overhear us.

"Hey, what's going on?" I said, chuckling.

"Listen, Matt, I'm your friend, and as such, I can't keep this to myself, you understand?" she began, confusing me.

"Your friend y/n, or whatever she is to you, I don't trust her. You shouldn't hang out with her; that girl is really weird," she said.

Here we go.

Seriously, Sarah, instead of being happy for me, you're having a jealousy fit?

"Okay, I don't know where you're going with this, Sarah, but y/n is a great person, and I won't let you badmouth her just because you're jealous," I said, rolling my eyes.

"Jealous? Matt, she threatened me earlier, specifically telling me to stay away from you! I'm not jealous!" she said, getting annoyed.

My y/n do something like that?

It's not possible; she's way too kind and gentle to threaten someone. I knew Sarah had a crush on me, but I didn't think it was to the point where she'd throw a jealousy fit as soon as I was with another woman.

It disappoints me to see her acting this way; I thought we were past that.

"Whatever you say. I'm done with this," I said, rolling my eyes before turning to leave, but she grabbed my arm.

"If you don't want to believe me, that's your problem, but I'm telling you, Matthew, there's something strange about that girl. You should stay on your guard," she said before letting go of my arm and going to collect her things to leave the bookstore.

I stood there for a moment, feeling confused, before joining y/n.

"Is everything okay?" she asked, smiling.

"Yeah, ready to go?" I asked her, returning her smile, and she nodded.

Once the bookstore was closed, y/n and I hit the road before stopping at Central Park.

"Central Park, you couldn't have found a more cliché place," she said, chuckling once she removed her helmet.

"I thought it was the company that mattered, not the place," I said, pretending to be offended.

"Okay, don't start, Matt!" she said, pointing her finger at me, and I smiled.

"You know what, there's a pretty nice museum nearby. Let's go there," she suggested.

"So, no stroll in the park," I said, putting on a falsely sad face.

"We'll do that after your park stroll, idiot. Come on, follow me," she said, rolling her eyes.

We walked for a few minutes before finding ourselves in front of the museum she mentioned.

We entered and strolled around, observing the artworks. It was at this moment that I learned something new about y/n—she's been passionate about photography since she was a child.

We spent a good two hours in the museum, chatting about everything and anything. We almost forgot that lunchtime had long passed.

"Oh my God, it's 1:30 in the afternoon, and we still haven't eaten," she said, chuckling when she checked the time on her phone after leaving the museum.

"Really?" I asked, surprised, and she nodded.

"That's your fault; you talk way too much," I said, chuckling.

"Yeah, like you don't love that," she said, rolling her eyes.

"Are you hungry?" I asked her, smiling.

"A little, and you?" she said, looking me in the eyes.

"A bit," I replied, shrugging.

"Hmm..." she hummed thoughtfully, scanning the surroundings.

"Look, a hot dog stand!" she said excitedly, pointing at the stand before grabbing me by the arm and running towards it.

"And you thought strolling in Central Park was cliché, huh?" I teased once we arrived at the stand.

"Shut up," she said, smiling, before turning to the vendor.

"Two hot dogs, please!" she said cheerfully to the vendor.

"So, I don't even get to choose my meal?" I frowned.

"No, just be quiet and take what I give you!" she said with a smirk, and I chuckled.

"No ketchup!" she added to the vendor as he reached for the sauce compartment.

I hate ketchup, but I don't think I've ever told her that.

She grabbed the hot dogs and paid before I could say anything.

"Ugh, sorry, I hate ketchup, I didn't think to ask if you wanted any," she said, handing me my hot dog.

So it was just a coincidence? You and I probably have much more in common than I could have imagined...

The more time I spend with you, the harder it is for me to believe that you're not the literal definition of perfection, y/n.

"It's okay; I don't like ketchup either anyway," I said, smiling.

"Really??" she said, surprised.

"Yeah, I can't stand it," I said, chuckling.

"Or maybe you're just trying to copy me, huh? I see what you're trying to do, Matty!" she said, narrowing her eyes before taking a bite of her hot dog.

Matty, so we're already at the nickname stage?

"Yeah, that must be it. Keep dreaming," I said, shaking my head and taking a bite of my hot dog.

We continued our little walk to the park.

"Can I be honest with you?" she said, turning to me.

"Go ahead, I'm listening," I replied.

"These hot dogs are really terrible," she said, grimacing, and I laughed.

"I agree," I replied, and she laughed too.

"But I really want to finish them; I hate wasting food!" she said, pouting like a little girl.

Y/n, if only you knew how much you softened my heart.

"It's alright, sweetheart; I'll finish it for you if you can't," I said, smiling.

"Matt, you're so cute, bro," she said, blushing before turning her head.

"Bro?" I chuckled. "That hurts."

"What were you hoping for?" she said, rolling her eyes. "That I'd call you baby?" she said, smiling.

"Okay, go ahead, mock me some more," I said.

"With pleasure, baby," she said with a smirk.

"You're not funny, y/n," I said, finishing my hot dog.

"Maybe, but you adore me anyway," she shrugged, offering me her hot dog for me to eat as agreed.

"I can't deny that," I replied, taking her hot dog.

We continued our walk, chatting about everything and nothing.

I wasn't usually talkative, but with her, everything was so effortless. I loved listening to her; she always had something interesting to say.

She was full of surprises, always having a different opinion or perspective on the world, which made me feel less alone.

"Oh, Matt, look, an ice cream stand!" she said, hopping.

"You're such a child, y/n, you know that?" I chuckled.

"Yeah, I love life, sue me for it," she said, raising her hands sarcastically.

I shook my head before following her to the ice cream stand.

"Oh my god, they have rose-flavored ice cream, it's my favorite scent; you absolutely have to try it!" she said excitedly.

"I don't really feel like ice cream," I started to say before she cut me off to talk to the vendor.

"Two rose-flavored ice creams, please," she said, turning to me with a big smile.

I looked at her bewildered before bursting into laughter; she's completely insane, but I love it.

"Here you go," she said, handing me my ice cream before happily continuing to walk in the park.

How can she have so much energy and smile so much?

It's true; this girl was like a sun; she lit up every place she went.

And me, on the contrary, I felt like I was the moon next to her.

"So, how is it?" she said, smiling, referring to my ice cream.

"Delicious," I replied.

"See, I knew you'd like it," she said proudly.

"Oh, wait, you have some ice cream right there," she said, chuckling before approaching me.

Standing on tiptoes, she placed her hand on my cheek and used the finger of her other hand to wipe the ice cream from the corner of my mouth.

"Here," she said, looking into my eyes and offering me her finger with the ice cream to lick.

Her gaze and expression changed at that moment.

What are you playing at, y/n? Is this your way of making suggestive gestures towards me? If so, you have absolutely no idea the effect you're having on me right now.

I took her finger into my mouth without breaking eye contact, and she bit her lip.

I can't be imagining things; she's not as innocent as she pretends to be.

She then returned to standing normally on both feet before taking a bite of her ice cream, still looking me straight in the eyes.

Fuck, does it really take so little to get me hard?

"Mmmh, my favorite," she said, closing her eyes before turning around and starting to walk again as if nothing had happened.

Is that all? Are you going to leave me hanging like this?

If you only knew how much I dreamed of being in your ice cream's place right now, y/n...

From that moment on, it was difficult for me to focus on what she was saying. My mind was filled with ideas... of all kinds.

But regardless, we resumed our conversation, stopping on a bench to finish our ice creams.

"Fuck," she said, taking her phone to check the notification she had just received in the middle of our conversation.

"What's wrong?" I asked her.

"It's my dad, he needs me for his charity gala next weekend," she said with a sigh.

"His charity gala?" I asked.

"Yeah, it's something my dad organizes every year. It's a big event where he invites his most influential friends to raise funds for cancer research," she replied.

"Oh, um, do you want me to drop you off?" I offered.

"I'm really sorry to cut our outing short like this," she said with a sad look.

"Hey, it's okay, don't worry about it. We can hang out again this week," I said, putting my hand on her back and smiling.

"You're the best," she said, hugging me, and we headed back towards my bike this time.

"Where do you want me to drop you?" I asked as I put on my helmet.

"Take me home, I need to pick up some stuff anyway," she said, putting on her helmet as well.

We got on my bike, and I started driving towards her place.

This time, she seemed to hold on to me a little tighter, as if she didn't want this moment to end.

Oh, so you'd do anything to not have to leave either?

Once we arrived at her apartment complex, I parked, and she got off, taking off her helmet.

"I really hate that I have to go. I wish I could stay with you," she said, looking down at the ground.

I took off my helmet before responding.

"Y/n, you have important things to do, and I'm not going anywhere. You'll come back to me when you have time," I said, placing my hands on her cheeks without thinking.

She looked up at me, and damn, how badly I wanted to kiss her.

Is that what I should do? She's not saying anything anymore, maybe that's what she's waiting for from me?

"Thank you, Matt," she said softly, smiling after several seconds of staring into each other's eyes without saying anything before stepping back and turning to go inside her place.

And I missed my chance again, what an idiot.

Next time, I promise you, y/n, I won't let my chance slip away.

⋆♱✮♱⋆♱✮♱⋆♱✮♱⋆♱✮♱⋆♱✮♱⋆♱✮♱⋆♱✮♱⋆♱✮♱⋆♱✮♱⋆♱

Taglist: @mayhem-72 @tillies33ssss @junnniiieee07 @bernardenjoyer @whicked-hazlatwhore @nicksmainbitch @vickyzloserz @stingerayyy2

[hananoami]

This is a repost, but here's my game plan once 3.0 - cosmic encounter is live for NA! 🫶 It can be a bit overwhelming with so much new content becoming available so hopefully this helps make it less stressful to stream line Caleb's progression right away~

Spend some stamina so I’m not capped — via daily tasks/bounty hunt double drops

Complete Main Story: [Homecoming Wings] — to unlock Caleb’s free companion / unlock [With Him]

Pull on Caleb’s limited-time banner [Painful Signal] — (optional) if you're going to pull on his banner, pull on this one first on the off chance lose the 50/50 and get that missing myth pair you needed. that way you can save a slot in the selector banner, [Sky's Embrace] for something else.

Select memories & pull on [Sky’s Embrace] limited wish banner — (highly recommend) if you aren't going to pull for his limited-time banner i highly recommend taking advantage of this one. Here's my GUIDE for more info.

Complete dailies/weekly tasks + [Special Inquiry] — complete the daily tasks in [Special Inquiry] to obtain a FREE 5-Star Memory [Caleb: Endless Summer] — playdates to obtain his Kitty Card and Claw Machine achievements!

[Deepspace Trials] + [Abyssal Chaos] — FINALLY, MORE STAGES TO PROG!! — get your diamonds and unlock new codes/achievements

Do [Festive Blessing] event tasks

(optional) Purchase Caleb's Outfits in Chocolate / Selected Shop — [Selected Shop] Towel/Misty - 960 crystals + 2 more outfits — [Chocolate Shop] 2 outfits (5000 chocolates/outfit) — obtaining these will give you 250 affinity points per outfit

Spend [Quality Time] with Caleb — get started with your daily Exercise + Working/Studying for all the # days achievements to unlock his workout outfit/badges/chat bubbles~ uwu

Play around with Illusio / Glint Photobooth / With Him Decour / all the new Destiny Cafe features (Remind Me/Tete-a-Tete)

not sure if i missed anything... but if i did please let me know!

[writing-whump]

Sick from fear

Seline takes a student home. Matthew isn't happy about it. Intimidation, agression and some emeto ensue.

“Don’t be shy now. It’s okay,” Seline said with a smile.

Caleb hesitated at the doorstep of the apartment, nodding meekly, before he stepped inside and immediately started to take off his shoes.

She was doing writing consultation for the seminar she was assisting with for students as always, but today was special, because she got to talk with the only wolf student one on one. A young wolf, just 18 years old. He seemed like a child to her no matter what the passport said. 

Wolves that studied were rare, since most of them couldn’t handle the training to tolerate humans. Even rarer were wolves who studied the softer sciences, for when they already did, they wanted something that would increase their status or their skills for pack matters and business. 

Caleb studied cultural anthropology though and she was beside herself with joy. Finally it happened! Their faculty of european ethnology, one of the many names their faculty could be called, was small and cozy and little known. Most people couldn’t imagine anything under the name. Sociology was more famous, the annoying step-sister of the department, but people didn’t understand it any better.

But theirs was like a little secret club just across the big gallery building and the butterfly museum and the big state library. Surrounded by art and thoughts, just like she liked it. 

Caleb was insecure in the lessons, a little shy and flinched at loud noises, but he was there, growing into himself.  

Normally, she held her consultations at the student space, which was a fancy name for a hall filled with tables for student needs. As the end of the day neared, it filled with project groups and chatting students. At the point when she couldn’t hear Caleb's soft answers anymore, she decided just to invite him over. She finally had a place in Vienna, compared to the 10 years she spent traveling back and forth. Finding a quiet place, where you could just chat with people was a challenge, cause everyone had the same idea, so everything was very full, very busy and too loud.  

Caleb held his bag self-consciously in his hands, looking at her for directions. 

Seline smiled and waved him in to sit down at the kitchen table. The apartment always looked representative these days, because of Isaiah’s constant and insistent cleaning, which usually prompted her and Matthew to help out as well. 

“So. Tell me again about the research question.”

Caleb sat down gingerly, gaze downcast, like he was scared looking around would be some kind of attack on her privacy. 

“I’m not entirely sure about the topic yet. The assignment says we should choose something mundane and familiar, something we have close connection to and that won’t be hard to do participative observations on…but there aren’t that many public places…I feel comfortable in?” Caleb only recently moved to the city so she understood the whole experience as a wolf and as a student was very new to him. 

“Is there a place you would be interested in? It’s always best to start with what makes you curious. It doesn’t have to be familiar as long as it’s exciting and you feel like you would like to find out more.” 

“Uhmm…I actually thought I might ask you…is it allowed to write about your own home?”

Seline threw her hair back, straightening on the chair. “Yes, of course. Ethnography is all about exploring the small, mundane, the seemingly daily and personal. But diving in deep. Autoethnography or something or someone close to you is definitely allowed. Many first years do their first interviews with their parents or friends. There is nothing wrong about it, you have to learn the format and work up your nerve. You just have to be transparent and take consideration of that in your analysis.”

Caleb looked at the table, his eyes flickering to her and back for several long seconds. Seline held still. People didn’t like silence, so they usually tried to fill it and expanded upon what they wanted to say. She liked that technique very much. 

“Would I be allowed to write about wolves as well?” Caleb asked finally, shoulders tense, his hands curled up in his lap. 

Seline smiled widely. “Of course.”

Caleb lifted his gaze to her, eyes wide. “A-are you sure? Isn’t that…I don’t know…”

Seline took a deep breath. This was an excellent question and she had waited years for someone to ask.

“Shadow wolves are beings just like humans. We share space. We share cities, so we all have a right to the city. We share our lives and our desires and needs that way and need to negotiate our collective space. It’s an entirely legitimate topic for an ethnographer to explore.

Admittedly, there had been very little research done on this field from the perspective of social sciences. Political sciences have really ridden the hype on this since the legislative finally settled on a solution everyone was moderately happy about. But also communication sciences researching social media representation and debates. Film and media studies and literature studies have whole lectures about wolf shadow authors and how they have always been here, their identities more or less hidden in their content. But if you disregard the biology and medicine papers and the ethical questions and controversy regarding them that had been going on for over 20 years - the scientific community has actually done very little direct research with wolves as active consensual participants.

As a wolf yourself, you have to reflect your identity, role and positioning in this field - obviously - but it gives you unique access to spaces that are closed or uncomfortable for most scientists. Especially since most scientists are still very human and wolf packs are very private, structured and distrustful social units with their own rules for correct behavior that are very hard to understand, if you didn’t grow up with them. No one has yet written the rules down.”

“There are guidelines from government institutions and schools,” Caleb countered.

“Yes, but they are for wolves, not from them. There are only unspoken rules. Humans have made space for wolves, but they made them adjust themselves to human norms and rules - partly this is necessary as human safety, integrity and dignity have to be respected. But no one ever thinks about what wolves do, feel and where they are coming from. Why is it hard for them to fit into human communities and groups, why their instincts go against what humans would normally consider right or pleasant.” 

“But would anyone be interested in that? Would it be relevant…for someone who doesn’t come into contact with wolves?”

“Even if people didn’t want to interact with wolves - which is unlikely as they are very frequent in cities now and why wouldn’t they want to interact, when they have to come across each other - consider all the humans involved directly with wolves. Like humans born into wolf families.”

“Or witches,” Caleb said quetly, watching her. 

“Or witches,” she agreed with a nod. “It isn’t natural for me as a witch why wolves do and feel what they do. I have human instincts and understanding and I’m socialized into my own culture. Behavior for and around wolves had to be taught to me.” 

Caleb nodded eagerly. Seline noted how his shoulders relaxed visibly as fascination replaced the discomfort from before. 

“There are so many wonderful topics you can explore around wolves. Safety and conflict mediation are so common they are cliche at this point.”

“So I can research whatever I want?”

“Yes. As long as you can find logical arguments and explain the relevance and connection to ethnography.”

“But you just said-”

“There is one,” she said with a grin. “There always is. You just have to learn to situate your personal interests in the wider context of your scientific field. You are an ethnographer-”

“I am?”

“-as long as you act and think of yourself as one. You are my colleague at the faculty now.” She had always loved it when their professors treated them like colleagues and partners in the seminars and discussions, although it was plain they had so much more experience and knowledge than students could gain in the 5 years it took to finish the master's degree. It was incredibly confidence-boosting and remade her own understanding of herself as a researcher. 

Caleb redded, but couldn’t quite suppress the hopeful smile as well. He seemed to have become taller during their conversation, just by uncurling. Satisfaction swelled in her chest. She wanted to stay as a professor at the university for moments like these. 

“Now, I would like to show you some exercises to help you formulate-”

The entrance door opened and slammed shut, interrupting her. 

“Seline? You home? Class ended early and I…” Matthew’s voice faded as he got closer, walking inside the kitchen. “What the hell is this?”

“Oh hey, Matt, I just invited my student over for a consultation. We should be finished in 15-”

Matthew’s bag fell down on the floor with a bang. It had been some time since she had seen that expression on his face. It was somewhere between an angry grimace, pain and a snarl that contorted his features.

Then a loud growl echoed inside the room.

Caleb was on his feet in an instant, backing away to the wall. “I’m s-sorry, I’ll leave, sir,” he said, trembling.

“Matthew, what are you doing?” Seline said in disbelief and irritation. She didn’t understand what caused such a reaction.

Matthew’s shadow rose up, black and swelling, like a giant nightmarish monster behind him.

Caleb whined, crouching against the wall. His own shadow stirred, but it was small and hesitant and completely scared. 

“This is my territory. How dare you-” Matthew could barely put a sentence together, his hands shaking as he towered over the younger wolf.

“I’m sorry,” Caleb repeated, shaking all over.

Seline jumped up from the chair, positioning herself between Matthew and Caleb. “What has gotten into you?” She said angrily. “You are scaring my guest.” 

“You brought a foreign wolf here?” Matthew said, turning to her. It was very different to have thar angry scowl accompanied by a risen shadow that reached the ceiling directed at her. She felt a shiver run up her spine and her hair standing up on the back of her neck. 

“Stop it,” she said quietly. You are scaring me. 

Matthew stared at her, eyes shadowed over, reaching for her arm…

Seline had no wards, no shields. All protections in the apartment were made against wolves she didn't know, she didn't like, didn't trust…and she had no way to sing a song or call on water inside the apartment, without preparation and time. 

If he hurt her now, she wouldn't be able to do anything. She stood frozen from fear, helplessness flooding her from head to toe. 

Caleb made a soft whiny noise behind her and that snapped her out of it.

Seline grabbed Caleb’s hand and without turning and retreated back, going for the door. Caleb barely managed to take his shoes before they were out of the apartment, both breathing hard. 

Seline’s heart was hammering in her chest. Once the door stood between them, the cold creeping presence of the shadow wasn’t notable anymore, but the cold dread remained. 

They were silent on the elevator, Seline still processing the shock of that feeling. She recognized it from when her younger brother made that move like he wanted to hit her for the first time during an argument. 16 years old boy who she cradled and played with from the day he was born, growing to be taller than her only that year, almost hitting her in the face. His fist stopped centimeters from her nose. She cried herself to sleep that night and started to look for her own place the next.

This felt so close to that horrible moment she felt tears in the corners of her eyes, hugging herself. 

The elevator jingled as it stopped. They both stepped out, Seline feeling weirdly detached from the situation as the fear still coursed through her.

Then Caleb suddenly made three quick steps to the side of the building, reaching the beginning of the decorative grass and promptly threw up all over it.

That snapped her back into action again. 

Caleb was shaking, hands braced on his knees, breathing fast. Seline walked to him, first hesitant, but when he groaned, she dared to put her hand on his back. He tensed for a moment before relaxing. He gave her a look from the side, opening his mouth to say something, when his body rocked and heaved again, spluttering vomit onto the grass.

Seline rubbed his back, hating the tremors running through him. Such a nice boy. Even as a wolf, she felt like he would never even think of hitting her. And now he was scared out of his mind by her…what was Matthew to her? A roommate? A friend? A pack member? They weren't a pack, were they? 

Can wolves attack their own pack members? She had never heard about it being witches at least - pack witches were always cherished, protected and untouchable. 

Was it because they weren't a pack or because they were, but not enough?  

“I'm so sorry, Caleb. You are going to be fine. Deep breaths. You are safe.”

Caleb spit on the ground with another groan, then tried to straighten up, swallowing visibly. He looked at her again, perspiration sticking his short blond hair to his forehead. 

“No, it's my fault. I was in foreign territory and I-”

“You were invited though. I invited you. I don't know what got into him.” Seline wasn't sure if it made it better or worse, that she lived with someone who couldn't be trusted like that.

“It's a classic response when you have a threatening foreign element on your turf. It's fine. He was worried about you, not me,” Caleb said, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. 

“I'm really sorry.”

“No. Humans don't get how wolves work, remember?” He gave her a shaky smile that didn't last more than half a second. “Trust me, Miss Silverstein.” 

She rubbed his arm up and down. The texture of his white cardigan was so thin she could feel the shirt underneath. “Don't be so formal with me and let me apologize.”

Caleb shook his head. “I'll accept your apology if it makes you feel better, but really - no harm done. My shadow is so ridiculously small and my reaction is exaggerated. I'm sorry you had to see that.” A bit of color returned to his too-white cheeks as he flushed.

“It's okay. Are you feeling better now? We can go sit somewhere and wait until you are ready.”

He waved her away. “I'm all good. Thank you again for your help.”

Seline watched him go, not knowing how to explain how much worse everything seemed to her now. 

@bellysoupset

[wherebettertoescape]

A Little Life - Harold Pinter Theatre

For anyone who does wish to attend this production, please don’t take the content warnings lightly - the self-harm is graphic and two characters have full-frontal nudity. 

I (Freddie) attended the matinee production at the Harold Pinter Theatre in London on Sunday 7th May

THIS REVIEW/ANALYSIS DOES CONTAIN SPOILERS FOR BOTH THE NOVEL AND STAGE PRODUCTION, SO PLEASE BE AWARE!

Trigger Warnings: talks of self harm, child abuse, sexual assault, domestic abuse and more

There’s no discernible reaction from the audience when Luke Thompson as Willem makes his entrance onto the stage. He’s wearing a dark blue hoodie, the hood pulled up over his hair - perfectly innocuous, nothing spectacular or grand as he walks about the stage. The lights are still bright, the audience is still chatting, laughter is filling the room. And Luke Thompson as Willem is onstage frying himself some bacon and eggs.

What has struck me again and again whenever I reread A Little Life - because, yes, I get a masochistic kind of joy from putting myself through that pain repeatedly - is the intimacy of it. Naturally with any book, the reader is granted the chance to feel close to the characters, to garner a look at their lives behind the veil. But if you were to ask me, I would say that there are very few - if any - novels that create this illusion as Hanya Yanagihara’s does. For 813 pages you are allowed to experience this life as they are, to experience snapshots of their lives - the good, the bad and the unimaginably horrifying - even as the rest of New York, the rest of the world, goes on as normal, with no thought spared to what is occurring within the walls of Lispenard Street and their subsequent homes. 

The awareness that despite what Jude is revealing to the readers about his past, the beyond nightmarish history he has, the world is continuing to go on as normal was perhaps the aspect of the novel I adore so much that I was most scared about losing in adapting it for other mediums.

But from the moment Luke Thompson stepped onto stage, transformed into Willem and beginning to go about his daily life, with the moving images of New York streets surrounding him in his apartment, I knew that my worries had been unfounded. Ivo Van Hove with his unbelievable direction paired with Jan Versweyveld’s set design had found a way to maintain that understanding. 

Throughout almost all of the performance, there is no moment of stasis. Be it JB and Malcom painting and working at desks on the right side of the stage, or Andy reading his book in his clinic, or the ever-present Willem and Harold. 

The former is always in the same spot on a sofa at the back of the stage, flipping through scripts, determined to make it big as an actor, pouring all of his attention and focus onto learning the lines, dedicated to making his dream a reality, and yet always there ready to support Jude. In the second act, Luke Thompson takes the exact same pose when listening to Jude revealing the details of his childhood, desperate to understand his best friend, and at this stage his lover, in the same way he had been desperate to make it as an actor.

Harold, however, spends much of his time on stage left, stationed at the kitchen set up. Constantly in movement, cooking several dishes throughout the course of the play. A reference, perhaps, to the number of Thanksgivings Jude is reported to have spent with him and his wife, Julia (absent from this adaptation). 

Despite the eternal loneliness that James Norton as Jude exudes with just his presence, he is only truly alone for a few moments - the harrowing whisper of “x equals x” that he gasps out after Elliot Cowan as Caleb leaves him naked in the street. It is then that he is alone onstage, laying in his blood, until he is retrieved by his loved ones and taken to rest on Andy’s hospital bed.

It is this detail of James Norton’s performance as Jude that I found the most powerful - which is saying something, considering that I am considering suing him for emotional damages, hasn’t anyone ever told him to think about using his acting powers for good, rather than evil? He captures a side of Jude that I had not previously considered - Jude views himself as a side character in his own life. He doesn’t feel worthy of attention, of his friendships, he is lonely in spite of being surrounded by those he loves the most and as a result feels unable to call out and ask for the help he desperately craves but does not believe that he deserves. 

The contrast between this and the fact that Jude is always centre stage is immense and almost disconcerting to watch and caused me to spend the entire performance practically begging him in my head to just turn around, they’re right there!

But this desire to be helped and to be heard is brought to life by the presence of Nathalie Armin as Ana. The first person in Jude’s life to truly care about him, and the only female in this adaptation of the novel. Armin has a commanding presence on the stage, even as she is a mere figment of Jude’s imagination. Dressed in all black, a stark difference to the bright set, allowing her to melt into the darkness when the spotlight focuses on Norton. 

In many ways, Ana vocalises the audience’s own thoughts - pleading with Jude to confide in his friends, desperate to stop him from harming himself further, and the relief in Armin’s expression as Jude finally tells Willem his story. 

The choice to keep the cast small causes a heavy weight to be put on Elliot Cowan’s shoulders, as he is tasked with portraying three different, truly heinous characters. Even without the costume changes, however, I truly believe it would be possible to tell which of the three he was in each scene.

Cowan gives truly fantastic portrayals of each of the villains of Jude’s life, as Brother Luke he shows the softer touch which allowed for him to manipulate Jude in his innocence, he never handles Norton roughly when playing the part of Brother Luke. Carefully pulling him along, coaxing Jude to trust him to the point that the child does not realise just how wrong it is what Brother Luke asks of him. 

This acting from Cowan makes Jude’s words all the more heartbreaking in Act 2 when talking to Willem, as the audience is able to see why Jude insists that Brother Luke was different, that he did love him.

When taking up the role of Caleb, however, he becomes the manifestation of everything Jude believes about himself. He has none of Brother Luke’s gentleness, but all of his intensity and possessiveness. The last that we see of Caleb, is when he lifts Jude up by the arm, Norton’s body used to reflect the words he says - “x equals x”. Being with Caleb has brought to life Jude’s darkest thoughts of himself, and Jude views this as proof that no matter what he will always be the same. Damaged and unlovable, to be blamed for everything he had been subjected to in his youth.

As Dr Traylor, Cowan’s words are clipped and straightforward. He is the most detached of Jude’s abusers, not caring for his name and only referring to him as “a prostitute” and reinforcing what Jude already believes about himself. It is not until Jude’s “release” that we see any true kind of emotion from Dr Traylor. Cowan shows Dr Traylor with a manic kind of joy upon forcing Jude to run from him, all the while on the tail in his car. The chase scene is long, and dramatic with the incredible musicians rising in volume and intensity with their instruments. The length of the scene forces thoughts back to Jude’s earlier response when JB asked about his legs - “I used to run cross country”.

In all of his roles, Cowan has the same commanding presence onstage as Armin. The moment he leaves the wings, regardless of who he is in that moment, the audience’s attention is drawn to him. As though by sheer glares and willpower we will be able to change Jude’s story, that we as mere observers will be able to push against Cowan’s slow, purposeful steps and keep him away from Norton. 

Zubin Varla and Emilio Doorgasingh gave masterful portrayals as Harold and Andy, respectively. They are markedly different to the presence of Willem, Malcom and JB - in what proves to be a very physical play, Harold rarely touches his son, while Andy only does so as necessary in his medical examinations of Jude.

This respect for Jude’s boundaries when it comes to physical contact is what truly sets Harold and Andy apart from the other older figures in Jude’s life (those villains played by Cowan). Varla’s portrayal of Harold is always evaluating his own movements, always second guessing himself before moving towards Jude - he does not seek out the easy, casual contact shown by the other three young adults. But when Jude comes to him for comfort, Harold is always eager to provide it.

The final scene of Harold and Jude embracing - Jude in his wheelchair, Harold knelt on the ground in front of him, with the rejected trays of food scattered on the floor around him - when Norton practically falls into Varla’s arms, sobbing into his shoulder, as a screen slowly comes down to hide them, JB on the outside, is one that I believe will stay with me for years to come. 

There is an emotion in Varla’s voice when he confides in the audience the story of Jacob, his first son. And in that closing scene we are forced back to that monologue, when he confesses to anyone listening that when Jacob died, there was a little part of him relieved, as that meant it was over. And although it is heartbreaking, it is this statement that makes it no real surprise that when the screen lifts again, Harold is alone in front of that wheelchair to report Jude’s suicide.

Where Armin’s Ana shows the sympathetic side of the audience, the aching desire to hug Jude and promise him it will be okay, to protect him both from the world and himself, Doorgasingh’s Andy exhibits the rougher side of it. His frustration at Jude’s abject refusal to accept help, his anger at watching someone he loves destroy themselves. The hopelessness he feels when his advice goes unnoticed, and his frequent calls to Harold and Willem - often screaming at the two people Jude is closest to, desperate for them to be there for him more.

Andy does not have the same stage presence as many of the other characters do, instead he - and the same can be said for Malcom - almost fades into the background at times. But they are there, ready to pick up the pieces. Both Doorgasingh and Wyatt are spectacular in their characterisations. In the novel, Andy and Malcom show an awareness that they are not the most important people to Jude, that they cannot help him in the ways others can, and in this adaptation, the actors bring that feeling to life.

They are there, working in their own lives, on their own projects. Malcom quietly sees what Jude refuses to acknowledge about his worsening condition and accommodating for it even despite the push back of his best friend. And Andy who can be seen pacing at the side of the stage, calling Jude when he can sense everything is getting too much for him - they are both there for him in their own quiet ways, and their loyalty and love for Jude is never questioned by the audience. It is also important to note that in this adaptation of the novel, neither of these characters address the audience directly - the only two whose focuses are solely within the story with no fourth-wall breaks.

Omari Douglas as JB, on the other hand, stands out more than anyone. First as a result of his costumes - often more brighter than those of his castmates - and then just as how he presents himself. Anyone who watched his performance in It’s a Sin will recall how Douglas’ presence demands to be noticed, and this is carried forth onto the Harold Pinter Stage. He captures the heart of JB’s character - desperate to be heard, to be needed by his friends. Charming in his own way, despite how his messy character causes him to betray his friends at several points in the story. 

Douglas transitions well from how JB is around his friends - brash, loud, confident - to how he truly feels when talking to the audience. His voice is softer, he somehow seems a little smaller as he talks about watching Jude, how he feels Willem doesn’t value his friendship as highly as the others, how he feels they don’t need him anymore.

While JB’s drug addiction is rather rushed in this adaptation - it’s discussed at length in the novel - Douglas eloquently displays his anguish to the audience, his desperation to quit. A previously difficult to like character, after having seen him mock Jude’s disability, and betray his trust, the audience is able to empathise and understand him better. And when it is just him and Jude left at the end of the show, Douglas doesn’t say anything, but takes up the same space as had previously been filled by Willem and Malcom. He quietly watches Jude - just as he had before with his painting, only this time, it’s out of concern for his friend, rather than concern for his career and viewing him as a muse.

I have already mentioned how this production brought me to tears on several occasions, however none made me sob more so than Luke Thompson’s monologue at the end before his car crash. Having already read the book several times, I had known that this was coming and yet it didn’t stop me from hoping that somehow I’d misunderstood the plot point and that Willem did actually survive. So when Thompson took centre-stage and I knew what was next, my sister took my hand as the two of us prepared ourselves.

Beyond the tear-jerker of a monologue, when I later considered the adaptation as a whole I wondered over the choice to mention Hemming at that point. Perhaps this mention worked some some of the audience, however for me I felt it should have been mentioned earlier, as it is in the novel. With Willem only mentioning Hemming before he dies and only in reference to Jude, it caused me to reflect somewhat poorly on their relationship. It’s a minor point about the adaptation, however I do wonder if mentioning his older brother earlier, before Jude himself begins to use a wheelchair, it would have been more impactful.

I could sing praises about the chemistry between Norton and Thompson onstage - however considering I have the voice of a dying seal, it’s probably best that I don’t. Instead, I’ll simply say that their interactions in the second act, as Willem confesses his attraction to Jude, and he struggles to understand it caused my heart to skip a beat. 

Norton captures Jude’s innocence throughout the play perfectly - from the moments that he slips into his childhood self in flashbacks, to when he’s so unsure in his relationship with Willem, unused to being with someone who does genuinely love and care for him. 

All in all, I enjoyed this stage adaptation of A Little Life - if “enjoy” can be the correct word for a production that brought me to tears and caused me to question the meaning of life. It was hauntingly beautiful, heartbreakingly sad and utterly harrowing. I don’t believe I’ve ever been quite so moved by a whole troupe of actors and the way that they characterise their roles. While I certainly have some criticisms and hang-ups about this show and the story in general, I shall save those for another post, hopefully less long and wordy.

Would I return to the Harold Pinter Theatre to watch it again given the choice? Truthfully, I’m not sure. While I fell in love with these actors, the direction, set design and music, I’m unsure if I could watch it again and feel the same level of intensity as I did on this watch. Also, I cried enough to give myself a headache by the end - so if I were to watch again, I’d have to remember to bring a water bottle to ensure I stayed hydrated.

[real-total-drama-takes]

2023 TDI oops all influencers reboot (from 🦆 anon)(not including chase + julia for obvious reasons) (I haven't watched season two yet so take this all with a pinch of salt)

Caleb is like Mr beast. Monetized acts of kindness. Probably a daily vlogger too.

I think Axel has two unrelated but both semi popular social media accounts. A basic work out Instagram, and a secret Tumblr account where she posts shitty poetry.

Nichelle has a nepotism YouTube channel that gets pushed hard in the algorithm due to her being a celebrity. She doesn't really post the videos her manager probably pays someone to do that for her.

Scary girl I thinks started out as a controversial Tumblr mico celebrity and moved to tiktok as soon as that ship sank. Posts a mix of dances and untagged jumpscare/shock videos.

Damien is a let's player/live streamer. I was gonna say he's a react channel but I decided he has too much integrity for that. He gets genuinely scared playing middle of the road indie horror games.

MK has a YouTube channel where she "gives advice" on how to shoplift. But it's all shit advice that will get them caught. She doesn't want competition.

Wayne and Raj have a shared react channel. They aren't like cynical about it they just don't realize how shit the content they're making is. They watch scenes where characters play hockey and go "yup that what I would've done".

Ripper has a podcast he hosts out of the shed in his parents back yard where he just talks about mind numbing bullshit that doesn't matter. Eventually he starts taking calls and half the callers are just asking if he's really like this or if he's doing a bit.

Zee has the spirit of early internet. He just records himself talking to the camera about a bunch of bullshit and it gets 50 million views +. He doesn't even monetise it so he doesn't make any money from it, he just has a love of the craft.

Emma has a true crime channel. She has enough self awareness to be somewhat cautious when talking about murder at least. She still has an a sponsor for every video though

Millie probably doesn't watch YouTube realistically, but if she did she would be a video essayist. She makes videos called "The total-dramatization of Gen Z", and they'd be the most pretentious shit imaginable.

Bowie I think streams some basic shooter like valorant specifically so he can ruin some fourteen year old shit heads day. He's okay at the game but he even better at the mental warfare of a unmoderated voice chat.

Priya is like baby gronk, does this make sense? She doesn't have her own social media but I imagine that since the first day she was born her parents have worked tirelessly to keep her relevant.

Bonus: Chris tried to make a YouTube channel, uploaded one video, spent the rest of the day arguing with commentators asking why he tortured those teens on live tv. Chef ended up deleting the channel while Chris was sleeping to keep him sane.

[wolfsbanemanor]

Hey, listen

I just want you all to know that in my game, Lilith is living in Windenburg now, but she calls Caleb almost daily just to chat.

[queeniecook]

Apollo's and Naya's Vacation

April 24th to April 27th ~ Granite Falls

Apollo and Naya Grant meet in Granite Falls late in the evening of April 24th. Apollo had driven straight from his sister’s house in Henford-on- Bagley in a rental car. Naya had flown from Sulani. While Apollo waited, he made sure their cabin was ready for them and they have the supplies they need.

After a good night of sleep, they spent the morning fishing.

“I’m not catching anything.” Apollo sulked.

“Maybe if you stop talking for a bit, the fish will come?” Naya suggests. She loves her husband but fishing requires you to be quiet most of the time and sometimes…sometimes she gets tired of hearing about his work. Science is not her thing. Though she guesses Apollo doesn’t enjoy hearing about fashion either. 

After Naya catches two fish – releasing them since they are on the small side – and Apollo catches a boot, they set up a camp fire.

They dine on hot dogs and smores, simply chatting with each other and enjoying each other’s company.

“Is that a bear behind us?” Apollo questions, mid throw in a game of horseshoes. 

“It’s just Granite Falls’ mascot, Claire the Bear.” Naya replies, eyeing the creature wondering down to the fishing spot.

“Just as long as Claire doesn’t try to eye my hot wife. We might come to blows.” Apollo says with a smile before staring at Naya’s bum.

Naya giggles much like she did back in high school for a moment. Back when she and Apollo first fell for each other. “Quit trying to distract me, Apollo.”

“Just being truthful.” Apollo states.

The couple does their best to relax and check out the local attractions. While the local mosquitoes are attracted to them. They miss their son but get daily updates on him from Vera. He’s doing well and this time is giving Vera and Caleb some much needed practice before their own child comes into the world.

Naturally the couple make time for the most important of things.

[telomeke]

ID text of images at the start of this thread–

Tweet by "Dr. Horace Hungryman (Official)" @‌BirdRespecter of a chat conversation between a certain Caleb and a company contact, posted 9:23PM UTC 18 January 2022:

Being an independent contractor sucks for a lot of reasons, but it also affords you the unique ability to tell people to fuck off in delightful ways. Company contact: Hi Caleb, I was just informed you weren't on the morning stand up call this morning. How come? Caleb: Yeah dude I was asleep. I basically never join those Company contact: Going forward, morning meetings are a requirement for employment at [REDACTED]. I expect you to be on the next call tomorrow at 9AM, EST. Caleb: Man that sucks for you guys, but I'm not an employee. My contract says nothing about required hours or daily meetings [sad face emoji] Company contact: You REALLY need an attitude adjustment! If you aren't on the next call, you're fired. Your choice. Caleb: You can fire me if you want, but you guys have to pay me through the 18th of next month regardless so I'm definitely sleeping in tomorrow. Enjoy your meeting [thumbs up emoji] You guys really ought to read the contracts you have us sign sometime. Pretty wild stuff in there Company contact: Please call me. Caleb: No

[deepspace-mens-socialarchives]

List of 🍎Caleb's chat & moment post archived here so far

Caleb is coming

There will be drastic change in the pinned section as it no longer can hold anymore links .

i appreciate your involvement throughout . its been a journey in this acc

Moment post

🍎peace note

Text message

🍎 Promise [Story]

[wonryllis]

OMG OMG I'm the MM anon hehe

Do we have to play it (love and deepspace) everyday, in exact time? Cause I'm not as carefree as I was back then (girl gotta work now😔).

I can't imagine the amount of updates I'm going to miss out if it works the same as MM (i got bad endings cause I didn't join most of the group chats and messages that occurred at midnight lol)

hey hey babes <3 , to answer your question as it is.. no. you do not have to play it exactly at a given time everyday but you do need to play a little everyday to make significant progress (but the time depends on you really, just need to do your daily stuff provided there's no ongoing event.)

however, when there's events─ for eg, new year event, valentine event, LIs birthday event, anniversary event, an update with a new LI (caleb 🤤) and so on, there is a specific time period given within which you will be able to obtain the event exclusive cards and rewards.

more detailed under the cut!

so as to explain the above point in more simple terms, let's take the current one: so there's been an update (ver 3.0), new year event and the introduction of caleb as an LI. there's a bunccchhh of new things added, some of them are permanent: new features in photobooth, further orbit levels for the LIs (part of combat gaming stuff), interaction features with the LIs, new main story branch, a new LI(Love Interest)ofc and so on.

and then we have some that are exclusive to the time of the event/update: chance to obtain any 5 selected 5-star memory cards (which normally you'd get random cards), log in for 10days (& do some simple tasks) to obtain a (basically free) 5-star & a 4-star memory card of caleb which after the event/update period is over will be added to the wish pool but then you'd need pull tickets and diamonds to obtain it and there's no guarantee when or if you'll obtain it cause caleb's and sylus' card pull rate is significantly lower than the original 3LIs (fck infold for that)

also sometimes, some event cards are super exclusive and you will not be able to obtain it after the event time period is over, and they will not be added to the reg wish pool. for example the recently gone: nightly rendezvous.

don't worry though the time period is always over a week even two or more a lot of the times. so you do get pretty good time to obtain the cards and rewards (like upgrade materials and different exchange materials you can use to buy stuff from the shop.)

i totally get the busy part, but trust me it's not a time hectic as MM. the only hard part in my opinion is obtaining the cards you desire (5-star ones) and leveling up sylus & caleb cuz infold is a snitch b.

hope i answered your question well enough! let me know if you have any more questions or any part you didn't understand well!

[crimechannels]

By • Olalekan Fagbade Impeachment not Military Coup, Wike blows hot over Rivers Political crisis Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has told governors of the People Democratic Party (PDP) that there is nothing wrong with impeachment moves as it has constitutional backing. The Minister said this when Chairman of PDP Governors Forum, Bala Mohammed, led his counterpart on a courtesy visit to him over the crisis rocking Rivers State. Aside from Mohammed, who is governor of Bauchi, others in the delegation are: Ahmadu Fintiri (Adamawa), Caleb Muftwang (Plateau), and Agbu Kefas (Traba). Daily Trust had reported how crisis erupted at the Rivers House of Assembly over the move to impeach Governor, Siminalayi Fubara. Wike, a former Rivers governor, had worked for the emergence of Fubara as his successor but the duo fell out in less than six months. In his chat with the governor, Wike said impeachment move was not equivalent to a military coup in view of its constitutional backing. He dismissed rumours of interest in monies belonging to Rivers state, adding that nobody could take away the political structure in the state. “Nobody can intimidate me. If I want to do something, I will do it. Impeachment is not a military coup; it is provided under the Constitution. I’m not interested in all the rumours, money, this, and that. Rubbish. Absolute rubbish. I just left office how many months ago? And I’m FCT Minister, so which money?” “But nobody can take away our political structure. No one. You cannot work and people will begin to bring enemies, those who fought you when you were struggling for the person to be in office. Nobody does that. I’m not a political ingrate, but don’t touch the political structure of the state. I will not shut my eyes,” Wike said. Wike also appreciated the Governor’s Forum for the visit and appreciated President Bola Tinubu for the privilege to serve as FCT Minister, while reiterating his support for the President’s Renewed Hope Agenda. Earlier, the Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum thanked Wike for his willingness to resolve issues, noting that the Forum had “waded into the matter”, which showed the importance of Rivers.

[hananoami]

adding onto @letsgauxplay's reminder, here's my game plan once 3.0 - cosmic encounter is live! 🫶 it can be a bit overwhelming with so much new content becoming available so hopefully this helps make it less stressful to stream line Caleb's progression right away~

Spend some stamina so I’m not capped — via daily tasks/bounty hunt double drops

Complete Main Story: [Homecoming Wings] — to unlock Caleb’s free companion / unlock [With Him]

Pull on Caleb’s limited-time banner [Painful Signal] — (optional) if you're going to pull on his banner, pull on this one first on the off chance lose the 50/50 and get that missing myth pair you needed. that way you can save a slot in the selector banner, [Sky's Embrace] for something else.

Select memories & pull on [Sky’s Embrace] limited wish banner — (highly recommend) if you aren't going to pull for his limited-time banner i highly recommend taking advantage of this one. Here's my GUIDE for more info.

Complete dailies/weekly tasks + [Special Inquiry] — complete the daily tasks in [Special Inquiry] to obtain a FREE 5-Star Memory [Caleb: Endless Summer] — playdates to obtain his Kitty Card and Claw Machine achievements!

[Deepspace Trials] + [Abyssal Chaos] — FINALLY, MORE STAGES TO PROG!! — get your diamonds and unlock new codes/achievements

Do [Festive Blessing] event tasks

(optional) Purchase Caleb's Outfits in Chocolate / Selected Shop — [Selected Shop] Towel/Misty - 960 crystals + 2 more outfits — [Chocolate Shop] 2 outfits (5000 chocolates/outfit) — obtaining these will give you 250 affinity points per outfit

Spend [Quality Time] with Caleb — get started with your daily Exercise + Working/Studying for all the # days achievements to unlock his workout outfit/badges/chat bubbles~ uwu

Play around with Illusio / Glint Photobooth / With Him Decour / all the new Destiny Cafe features (Remind Me/Tete-a-Tete)

not sure if i missed anything... but if i did please let me know!

i am grateful for @hananoami reminding me all the time that as soon as 3.0 goes live tomorrow, i have to do the MAIN STORY FIRST before anything else.

i do suffer from task paralysis from time to time due to adhd so focusing on one detail / task helps refocus and calm the anxiety.

ANYWAY. Very important. UNLOCK CALEB AS A COMBAT COMPANION FIRST through the main story so that when you get anything Caleb related afterwards (memories, outfits, interactions, etc), you farm AFFINITY POINTS.

We’re going to get a lot of new content tomorrow so it’s easy to be overwhelmed by all the red dots. So just a tip to follow Sakura’s advice to start your 💍 journey with Caleb more efficiently. 🤓

tysm Sakura, ily sis 🥹🫶🫂

[callunasims]

Courtlandt Legacy | Part 10 - Work Stress

Today the Courtlandt's have to face... STRESS!

It's 5:30 am and the Courtlandt’s are up and about! With a good morning kiss and a stretch, Daphne is feeling fine. She’s almost in her third trimester! She started the day with her work task of harvesting harvestables, which she had been too exhausted to get to the night before. Caleb’s work task was done, so he decided to help Daphne out in the garden with the weeding, watering, and spraying for bugs. Besides, Daphne likely couldn’t get down that low anyway!

Caleb improved his gardening to level 2, and Daphne researched away to get her level up to five for a work promotion! Hopefully that will be coming soon – they’re short on cash and still need to expand the house a bit more!

Daphne took a moment to sell their harvest and went off to work. Caleb had some time to himself, so he decided to go back to the library after a plasma pack breakfast to hopefully make some new friends. He found two lovely ladies already there – the librarian and a new sim working on a computer – and at down to make some small talk. Caleb, it’s against library etiquette to talk, especially to people who are working but… it’s seeming to work out fine for you somehow.

Uh oh! At work Caleb ran into an old flame! He chose to chat with them to be polite – no need to make things more awkward or be rude, right?

Ouch – the old flame didn’t even remember him!

Daphne got home from work stressed and still promotion-less and wanting a change. Perhaps after the child is born she’ll consider making a switch, but she does love gardening. It’d be a shame to leave something she likes because the job is too stressful.

She went outside to research some plants and get the last rays of sun for the day while Caleb was at work. Even though she was exhausted, she wanted to make the most of the day. Their good friend and family photographer Lex dropped by, so Daphne invited him in for a bit! She needed a change of pace.

Daphne may not have gotten promoted, but Caleb did!

He was feeling great after that, and some time outdoors had made Daphne pretty happy too! Caleb and Daphne shared the big news with Lex, and he was VERY excited to hear he’d be an uncle! Well, not by relation or marriage, but still!

Daphne was exhausted now, though. She got herself another bite to eat and went to bed. Caleb showed Lex out and then headed to the library to get working on his next daily task for work. Luckily for him, Caleb is a night owl (night bat?) so he wasn’t feeling tired quite yet! He had another thing to celebrate, too – he hadn’t drank deeply in 2 days! Only three to go!

He was starting to feel tired as he wrapped up his gaming and tried to begin his programming skill, so he got a plasma pack and headed home. As they slept, the house reno fairy came by and finally finished expanding the house! It still needs a basement and furnishing, but it has reached its full size!

That’s all for now – we’ll see what they get up to next time! Hopefully the baby will arrive!

[sporadically-writing]

Did you get a request? It's headcanons of dating Mollymauk, Essek, Caleb and Fjord. Thanks!

Love me some Crit Role prompts, hope you like 'em!

Mollymauk Tealeaf

Molly is chaos incarnate regardless of whether you are in a relationship with him or not. Your life with the Nein is never dull anyway, but especially not when Molly's around.

Molly, however, is also incredibly smart for essentially being two years old. He's perceptive and picks up things about people very quickly. He is also adept at using that knowledge for his own benefit. All this to say, he picks up on your crush on him very quickly.

And uses this knowledge for evil...

...constantly.

Molly flirts with you every chance he gets with every possible idea he can think of just to see what kind of reaction he can get. He's incorrigible, but you blush all the same.

Don't worry! He also finds a nice time to chat with you when the two of you are on watch and lets you know that he has become just as fond of you. He, "just likes teasin' you, love."

Will find every opportunity to make you laugh or smile and is your biggest supporter and defender on and off the battlefield.

He's your circus man. He loves you fiercely, loudly, and sweetly as the world allows him for as a long as he can.

Essek Thelyss

Essek is a very difficult man to get to know. But, it has been scientifically proven that he can be worn down. Just keep at it.

Once you find something to bond over, Essek can be very sweet. He, despite any attempts he makes to instruct others that he does not, has a very big heart and cares an awful lot about the people he allows to really see him.

If you have a problem he will do whatever he can, within his abilities and around his busy schedule, to help you.

He is very hard on himself and in some instances probably should be to a degree, but you have to be there to stop him and that brilliant but treacherous brain of his from hurting his poor heart and soul.

Watch out for him please. He's battling a lot.

A relationship with Essek would be a sweet and loving one but it would also be fraught with the dangers of the lines he walks on a daily basis. The good news is, the love the two of you share is more than enough to whether it.

Caleb Widogast

Caleb, like Essek, cares very deeply for those around him. But, unfortunately also like Essek, also suffers through a lot of mental and emotional torment of his own making.

He's gotten better being with you and the Nein but you can tell that he still struggles. The kind of things he's been through are not things you can simply forget. He may need your help in the mental fight against his demons every once and a while.

Caleb would need a lot of coaxing to get him to really open up to you about his feelings for you (I mean we all saw how he got around Jester sometimes). You might have to be the one to make the first move because he will likely have plans to keep that secret to himself until the end of time.

I feel like Caleb would oddly be really good at taking care of you? Like reminding you to get the proper amount fo sleep (after all, he knows exaclty how many hours you've been awake for), and eating the proper amount as well as taking breaks. But, at the same time, he is awful at doing that for himself. Watch this one, make sure he doesn't fall asleep with his head in a spell book.

I also imagine that Caleb, once you get to a certain point of comfort in the relationship, is as cuddly as his cat. Imagine that after a particularly long day, he just flops on top of you, absolutely exhausted, curling in to you. Probably mumbling things in Zemnian that makes absolutely no sense regardless of whether you speak the language or not. He's very tired, just hold him and let him sleep.

Caleb is a very attentive person and he remembers literally everything. He constantly mazes you by the things he remembers about you and your relationship. He loves you and that love comes through in the detail he puts into every magical creation that you are included in.

Fjord Stone

Fjord, Wildmother love him, constantly finds himself in ridiculous situations. You, as much as you love him, have to find the humor in it. You are always there to help him out, but you almost have to laugh at him sometimes. 

Regardless of his occasional fumbling, Fjord is very attentive and romantic. 

He finds his own ways to fluster you, finding moments to be almost comedically romantic like someone out of Jester’s novels.

He, being a Paladin, and a new one at that, most likely feels a need to protect or like he has to prove he can protect you. He knows you are fully capable of defending and protecting yourself and he never wants to step on your toes in that field (he, like everyone else mentioned, is a respectful boi) but he loves you and sometimes assumes that he needs to prove that he is worthy of loving you, prove that he can keep you safe, prove that he himself is safe for you to be around.

He knows how to make you smile in the simplest of ways. Whether it be a flower left for you, a kind word, a reassuring hand on your shoulder, Fjord somehow always manages to know when you need something sweet like that.

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