#custom signs MO

[9w1ft]

i need help. i’m so slow at unpacking the songs & their lyrics but you guys seem so confident that Kaylor lives. mind sharing lyrics or interpretations that you make you feel confident?

i think i speak for a lot of kaylors when i say we weren’t going into this album thinking we were all in some make or break situation, where the songs would be what decides whether or not kaylor lives. and we haven’t come out of it feeling different! so for starters, the very process of processing the songs is a bit different, i think, than the process suggested in your question.

this post got kinda long so i’m going to put it under the cut! and just a tl;dr that i am just talking about this aforementioned process. i’ve started writing out interpretations for the songs that have caught my kaylor attention but it’s taking time, so i thought id go ahead and post the other aspect of my answer in the meantime

a big part of kaylor interpretation is taking a look at what taylor and karlie were doing over the period of time that an album was written and the lead up to album rollout, and seeing if it looks like karlie knew in advance about what would be on the album, or how it would be promoted. the fundamental idea is that if taylor and karlie truly hated each other like everyone insists, that they wouldn’t go out of their way to drop hints or allow one another to drop hints.

so for example, karlie started wearing this pair of sunglasses with the product name “poet” before the name of the album (the tortured poets department) was ever known. she walked in two schiaparelli runway shows (the significance being that these days its rare for her to walk a show, and she’s never walked for schiaparelli before although she’s been to their shows in years of late), one of these schiaparelli shows was specifically alien themed, which lines up with the theming of Down Bad, and then next taylor announced the tortured poets department at the grammys wearing custom schiaparelli (i don’t think taylor’s ever worn the house before). so like, these sorts of things don’t make sense until later but they are signs we look to as a backdrop when going into an album. they are a sort of most recent indicator of the state of the union.

historically (especially post 2019 when what i call the scorched earth narrative was disseminated) people looking to disprove kaylor tend to brush off this stuff (twinning, similar theming or messaging in social media, etc) as oh it’s coincidental, but even if it’s not, any kaylor things that happen now are just because taylor is grieving and desperate for karlie and/or karlie wants notoriety because she wants… more money. but as i’ve said and as many have said for the past 5 years, it makes no sense and is such a misread of drivers for karlie and taylor. i beg people to try and put themselves in karlie’s shoes and ask themselves, would you endure all the hate for… more… money?? would you fly across the country and go to taylor’s concert two weeks post-partum, in a state of physical disrepair just to… spite her?? and have millions of people send hate at you for it..?

anyway, i know this is different than lyric analysis but it’s an integral part of kaylor analysis so i wanted to highlight it. i’d also point out that a whole bunch of people are currently analyzing her entire back catalog re: matty context clues in the same ways so 🤷🏻‍♀️ i think it’s a natural tendency for a lot of people— with kaylor though it’s outlawed.

and i want to reiterate that i think observing the time surrounding the album is a particularly worthwhile thing to do because it takes into account a more recent period of time than that of which the songs represent. i think people can get tunnel vision analyzing an album or individual songs and lose sight of the fact that we are here now after the album has been written. the lyrics are not the most recent thing!

another point i feel that needs mentioning is that with kaylor, among kaylors, we are looking at recent albums more for signs of taylor weaving a story of them that leads to them getting back together publicly. the idea that we are probably not going to get some big reveal that oh everything prior was fake! we have always been together! but rather some separate telling of events that preserves the integrity of people involved to some extent. so there are likely several layers going on when looking at songs. a mix of truth and augmented truths. songs can be useful towards meeting an end goal without telling the entire truth, while the fact that they are useful is still an indicator of the meta truth. i know this sounds a little convoluted... but thats alright im not invested in proving it to people 🙈 (nor do i think it should be provable!!)

lastly, while i am still compiling all my kaylor observations from each song, i did want to point out the obvious: that my understanding of the album (and i assume this is true for more kaylors as well) is colored by the inclusion of the song Robin. …i guess i will mince my words a little bit because i consider it a sensitive subject but basically, it’s a song about something that we would expect taylor would be singing about if they’re together in the way we understand it to be, given what we have been shown. and some of the lyrics are so specific to this… far flung idea… and such a contemporary development… that it sort of works to recontextualize any of the songs on ttpd that would otherwise feel breakuppy? because it pushes the story so far forward in matching our understanding. the hardest songs are easier to see as emblematic of the past, and the path that led us here to the present. in this way, at least for me, it makes it easier to appreciate the kaylor easter eggs going on in the songs as emblematic of kaylor, as opposed to litigating them and filing them one by one, because i truly believe taylor would not release Robin if kaylor was actually over. same goes for recurring motifs throughout the album (and midnights, and you might also include folkevermore as well) related to what robin is about. might sound weird to say but you could almost make a drinking game out of the motif, honestly, given how often she does it throughout the album.

i know the whole thing is wild. i have accepted this and im not out here to push it on people 😌 though i do leave the porch light on for people passing by. because for years now, with each new album people continue to say oh this is the kaylor breakup album, oh she’s finally over it, and then i guess they get amnesia by the time the next album comes along and kaylor themes yet again persist. and idk, to me, kaylor just being together this whole time is actually one of the least complicated outcomes.

anyways, in conclusion, apologies for not providing a song by song analysis right away 🙏 but i wanted to put out this part in the meantime. i don’t expect everyone to agree with this premise but i think it’s key to understanding how a lot of us approach this album. i hope it provides a little insight into my perspective! 🫶

[softer-ua]

I love any AU that gets that Kacchan’s MO is having a natural talent for whatever his society values and his drive to grind himself into the dust to stay the best, while he fails to be socially acceptable

I especially love it when it walks a fine line of social acceptance drives the social value, like the closer he gets to his goals the more glaring his “self “ inflicted roadblocks become

much like how his quirk talent was great enough that he didn’t feel the pressure to be pro social growing up and because of this society stopped valuing him regardless of his quirk power

All his greatness kept blowing up in his face until he couldn’t value his greatness without that recognition, and then he learned that there was value in being a person and the Grinch’s heart grew 3 sizes that day

So maybe he’s an amazing artist who can’t sell his work, a rockstar that can’t get booked, a star athlete who keeps getting benched, a model who can’t get signed, an actor who’s manager won’t take his calls

I especially love it’s smaller versions, where his society and greatness are on a more micro scale like a small shop owner(baker, florist, tattoo artist) who can barely stay open because he upsets customers and his employees keep quitting

But the most introspective I’ve seen is in omegaverse where omegas are prized and he is one, where he excels at most of the stereotypes but he lacks that gentle soft aura, I like seeing how authors handle that

[kokoenjiandco]

BAKER’S DOZEN

sigma x gn!baker!reader

Synopsis: Sigma stumbles upon a quaint, financially struggling cafe during a brief visit to the streets of Yokohama. Intrigued by the establishment, he becomes captivated by its owner – you!

Tags: Reader is realistic, confessions, mild argument, angst if you squint, apologies, romance, strangers to lovers, sigma loves cookies, reader is a baker who runs a cafe, no spoilers!

A/N: Writing 5.3k words for my first fic is just setting myself insane expectations.

5.3k words

Rarely did Sigma ever depart from The Sky Casino to set foot on solid ground. After all, it was where he felt alive. But for once, he did. His staff suggested that he should "get out more often" as he was either ensuring the satisfaction of his customers or glued to his seat at his desk in his office. Despite his initial reluctance, Sigma ultimately chose to take a helicopter ride down to the ground anyway. 

Now, he found himself standing amidst the lively streets of Yokohama, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. He gently gnawed on his lower lip, uncertain what to do now that he had arrived on land. With a frown tugging at his lips, muttering a quiet “sorry” every time someone would bump into his shoulder while passing through the packed streets. As if driven by instinct, Sigma's legs began moving without a specific location in mind, his primary desire being to remove himself from the constant stream of strangers. 

He had no clue how long he had been walking, maybe 10 minutes? He maintained a lowered head, with his gaze fixed firmly on the ground. “This was such a stupid idea. I should’ve just stayed in the Casino.” He cursed under his breath, yearning for the familiar embrace of the Sky Casino and its sweet patrons. Sigma continued his brisk pace until a sudden, jarring crash resounded in his ears. Startled, he turned his attention towards the source, only to discover that it was a small, chalkboard-like sign he had knocked over while speeding past. Quickly, he lifted the fallen sign from the ground, his cheeks flushed. He cast a nervous gaze around, checking to see if anyone passing by had watched his error. His gaze lifted towards the building where the sign belonged—a cosy little cafe. Just as he took notice, a subtle rumble emanated from his stomach. He hadn’t even realised how hungry he was after being so focused on escaping the crowds of Yokohama. Cupping a hand over his stomach, he glanced around again before summoning the courage to open the cafe's door and enter.

The door's bell chimed from above as he stepped into the small cafe, his gaze sweeping over the endearing decor scattered around the space. The delightful aroma of freshly baked pastries and coffee filled his senses, eliciting a gentle sigh of bliss from out of him. It was a lovely contrast from the strong fragrance throughout his casino. He glanced around, noting the near emptiness of the place. No soul occupied the tables, and no one was behind the counter. Maybe the cafe wasn’t open at the mo–

“I’m coming!” 

Your head suddenly peaked out from behind a door frame behind the counter, sporting a smile on your lips and a sparkle in your eyes. “Hello! Sorry– just give me a minute while I get these cookies out of the oven.” You exclaimed, voice gradually fading as you vanished into the back room without giving Sigma a chance to respond.

"Okay..." Sigma softly scratched his cheek with his index finger, casting a puzzled glance to the side as you faded from his view. While awaiting your return, he gazed at the menu on a chalkboard on the wall before him, looking through the various beverages listed. It was so quiet, so peaceful compared to the lively streets outside.

You reentered the room, balancing a sizable tray of freshly baked, steaming cookies in your hands that were carefully shielded by mittens to protect them against the heat. Your hair was slightly dishevelled, and the apron wrapped tightly around your waist was coated in little speckles of flour. A warm smile graced your lips as you gently set the tray of cookies on the counter. You swiftly removed the mittens and adjusted your slightly tousled hair. You turned to Sigma, placing your hands on the edges of the counter. “I’m so sorry for the wait. What can I get you?”

“Oh– could I get a small flat white? and I think I’ll get a chocolate chip cookie with that, too, please.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet.

“Good choice! The cookies are all super fresh, and I’m sure it’ll taste even better with a coffee.” You gave him the total, and he handed over the bills to cover the expenses. With a polite smile, you inquired, "Will it be for here or to go?"

“Uhm, I’ll have it here, please.” He replied courteously and somewhat tentatively, his words carrying a touch of uncertainty. You nodded and gestured for him to find a seat, which he promptly did, settling into one of the cushioned chairs in front of the counter. Sigma occupied the chair, his gaze directed downward as he idly toyed with his fingers.

Minutes passed, and he was so distracted that he hadn’t even noticed you had placed a tray containing his coffee and cookie in front of him. Startled, he raised his gaze swiftly, offering a grateful mutter of “thanks.” 

“No problem! I like your hair, by the way. I think it’s really neat.” 

Sigma’s cheeks turned pink at the compliment. He murmured another thank you but made a concerted effort to avoid eye contact, knowing that his face would’ve exploded into an even deeper red if he had looked you in the eye for too long. He caught the sound of your gentle chuckle as you pivoted away from him, returning to your spot behind the counter. 

He lifted the cookie delicately between his fingertips, ready to take a bite out of it, but just as he was about to do so, your gaze met his directly. You both froze, staring at each other in pure silence. Just as Sigma opened his mouth to say something, you quickly cut him off.

“Sorry! I don’t usually get that many customers. So when I do, I wanna see if they enjoy the stuff I make!” You rambled, shaking your arms side to side in front of you. You felt your face warm up in embarrassment. He had been your first customer of the day and you had already messed it up. You ducked down and curled into a ball behind the counter, your head peeking up. “I’ll stop staring, sorry.”

His lips curled into a soft smile, followed by a slight chuckle. He had never met someone so invested in a customer, maybe that was because he was so used to his casino being bustling with patrons.

Sigma finally bit into the cookie, experiencing the subtle crunch and the sweetness that enveloped his taste buds. The cookie's soft texture and soothing warmth felt like a cosy blanket on his tongue. He froze, stare fixated on the cookie, as his pupils shrunk into tiny, black dots. From behind the counter, his silence worried you. Does he not like it? Did I use salt instead of sugar? Did I—

“It’s… It’s so good!”

You sprang up from behind the counter; the happiness on your face was unmissable. “Really!? Oh, I am so glad.” A sigh of relief left your lips.

Sigma felt like he was on cloud nine as he indulged in another bite of the cookie, savouring the way the gooey chocolate in the centre melted on his tongue. As he chewed on it, it felt as if sparkles were dancing in the air around him. A hinge of pink tinted his cheeks, and he found himself unable to part his gaze away from the cookie until finally looking up at you. 

“It’s delicious! I don’t think I’ve ever tried a cookie so good in my life.” With a bashful smile, he assured you. Sigma wasn’t lying. He couldn’t think of any other cookie that would compare to yours. 

…

Some time passed, during which Sigma had enjoyed every last drop of his coffee and had devoured the cookie, a particular favourite of his. Meanwhile, you had disappeared again into the back room, which he had assumed to be the kitchen where you expertly baked all of the goods in the display case. Sigma stood up from his seat, ready to take his leave and return to the Sky Casino above.

“Wait–!” You ran back into the room, this time with a medium-sized box in your grip. You held out the box to him in both hands, the soft smile still adorning your lips from the moment he entered the cafe. 

Sigma reluctantly took the box from your hands, an evident look of confusion on his face. He opened the lid only to reveal a stack of chocolate chip cookies inside it, the ones that he professed his love for earlier. His eyes widened, quickly looking up at you, and he opened his mouth to speak, but you cut him off once more. 

“Like I said, I rarely ever get customers,” You explained with a warm smile, your hands clasped together at your chest. “These cookies would’ve gone to waste anyways, so I’d rather give them to someone who loves them!” Your eyes sparkled with genuine kindness, a heartfelt sparkle that touched Sigma’s heart. 

“Thank you.” Sigma closed the box and cradled it close to his chest, his slender fingers tracing the edges of it, feeling the warmth radiating from the cookies inside the box. He left the cafe with his heart hammering against his chest as if it was trying to escape.

—

Days had passed since Sigma had encountered you, the baker who won his heart, and you hadn’t let his mind since. Every time he’d shuffle the cards as a dealer, every time he’d give his men a task, and every time he’d have a cookie and a coffee, he couldn't help but acknowledge that they could never quite compare to the ones you had made. His gaze lingered on the now-empty box resting on his desk, the same box you had gifted him when your paths first crossed. Upon his return to the casino, he found himself unable to resist the temptation, consuming all the cookies within just two days. He leaned back in his chair, his gaze shifting towards the calendar on his desk. He raised a pen and circled the upcoming Sunday’s box. With a satisfied smile, he got back to work. Sigma couldn’t wait to return to the cafe. 

—

An hour remained until closing time, the amber hues of the setting sun casting a warm glow upon the cafe and reflecting off of the display case. The end of the week had come around fast. The cafe lacked customers today, like any other day. You leaned your upper body onto the counter, your head finding solace upon folded arms as you shut your eyes. It wasn’t like anyone would show up now anyway. Your mind wandered to a faint image of the dual-haired man you had met a couple of days ago and how he showed genuine love for what you made. What an interesting man.

The familiar sound of the bell chiming made you bolt up from your position, rubbing your eyes to shake off any lingering drowsiness. With a polite and welcoming tone, you began, “Hello, welcome to–” Once you had finally removed your bunched fists from your eyes, your voice trailed off in recognition of the man standing before you. “Oh, It’s you!”  

Sigma hooked two fingers beneath his collar, tugging at it, hoping to get some air. He was sweating and panting, clearly stating that he must’ve been running. “I hope I’m not too late.” He admitted, his uncertainty evident. “I wasn’t sure what time you closed.” He took a moment to catch his breath, offering a flustered smile as he held the back of his rather sweaty neck.

“You’re in luck! I close in an hour,” You chimed, leaning comfortably against the display case with an inviting grin. “What can I get you today, Mister…” Your voice trailed off, allowing Sigma to provide his name and order. 

“Sigma!” Instantly, he blurted out. He quickly slapped a hand over his mouth, embarrassed at his excitement. “My name is Sigma. And uh, I’ll get two chocolate chip cookies and a medium flat white, please.” 

“Sigma, huh? I think that’s a lovely name.” The name struck you as peculiar, yet it possessed an odd charm which suited his character perfectly. You shared your name as well, a gesture you rarely extended to customers but this time felt somewhat different. 

Like last time, you quickly prepared his order and handed it to him on a tray. With a warm smile, your heart swelled with satisfaction as you observed his enthusiastic enjoyment of freshly baked cookies from your vantage point behind the counter. A tranquil silence would then descend upon the cafe as he savoured his coffee, while you embarked on the the task of wiping down every countertop. Once he was finally finished, he rose up from his seat, but instead of walking out of the door, he walked up to the counter where you were standing.

His expression seemed to suggest a desire to say something, yet could not put it into words. He couldn’t seem to hold any eye contact let alone look you in the eyes. You blinked at him before a metaphorical lightbulb appeared above your head. “Oh! I’m sorry, Sigma. I didn’t bake any more cookies today. I would’ve given you another box if I had some.” 

"That wasn't the case at all!" He blurted out, his cheeks flushing a faint shade of pink as he fumbled with his words. He was horrified that you had assumed he was asking for another box of free cookies. "I-I really appreciated the cookies last time," he stammered, his gaze averted momentarily before he managed a shy smile. "But, um, you don't have to give me anything more," he mumbled, his embarrassment noticeable as he fidgeted with the edge of his sleeve. His Adam’s apple bobbed with a gulp before he spoke,

“Um, I was actually wondering if I could maybe get your number?” 

Your heart fluttered with a mix of surprise and warmth at his boldness. After thoughtful silence, you offered a shy yet delighted smile and replied, “Of course," The pads of two of your fingers pressed against your cheek gently as your other hand retrieved your phone from your back pocket to exchange contact information. You had never thought he’d be so bold considering his streak of shyness when he was around you. 

Once the numbers were exchanged, Sigma left with a wave and you shut the cafe for the day. 

You had finally arrived home and had taken a refreshing shower, you settled into your cozy bed. Your phone suddenly emitted a gentle vibration, rousing you from your drowsy state. With a languid stretch, you hoisted your phone above you, peering at the incoming message through heavy-lidded, weary eyes.

“Sigma: Hello. I hope you got home safe :)” 

You smiled at the message, lowering the phone to your heart that was beating a little harder than its usual rhythm. Rolling onto your stomach, you cradled the phone in your hand, your fingers dancing across the screen as you composed a response.

“I got home alright, thank you! How about you?” 

Messages flowed back and forth between you and Sigma, the fatigue that had weighed on you earlier dissipating completely as you shared hearty laughter over the spontaneous pictures he sent of cats he’d encounter on the streets, some playfully attacking him. The concept of time seemed to fade into the background, for your undivided attention was now devoted to the engrossing conversation unfolding with Sigma. You buried your face into your pillow, legs kicking the air behind you. 

Little did you know, Sigma occupied his office within the confines of the Sky Casino. He was seated in his office chair, the backrest cradling him as he curled up into a relaxed ball. A playful grin adorned his features as his fingers tapped rhythmically onto the keyboard of his phone in quiet delight as he continued the conversation with you. 

Once one of you retired to bed, the conversation would end, only to be picked up the next morning. The two of you started messaging everyday. And when you weren’t engrossed in messages, you would both be talking in person whenever Sigma would come to visit your cafe and order his usual. The friendship between you blossomed to such an extent that whenever he paid a visit, you would join him at his table. It allowed for conversations to flow naturally, breaking free from the confines of the counter where you were typically stationed. During this time, you discovered that Sigma was the owner of the Sky Casino. This revelation left you utterly bewildered as the realisation sunk in that the enigmatic owner of such an establishment had been coming to your small cafe. The contrast between the two worlds, the casino's luxury and your cafe's quaint charm, seemed almost surreal. You told him how you’d love to visit it someday, but you didn’t have the money to afford it, let alone know how to gamble. That gave Sigma an idea. 

– 

Sigma sat in his office, making a valiant effort to focus on the casino’s paperwork spread out before him on his desk. However, his thoughts persistently strayed to you. Suddenly, his mind harked back to a particular conversation you both had on a day at the cafe.

“My cafe is failing.” You interjected abruptly, breaking the sudden silence that hung between you two. 

Sigma cast an inquisitive glance in your direction, his expression puzzled. Yet, his curiosity was met with the sight of you with your head rested on the palm of your hand with a sad smile on your lips, staring out of the windows of the cafe onto the bustling streets, the setting sun bathing you in a warm amber glow. You spared him a quick glance before your attention returned to the window, “It’s all I have had for the past two years, and I don’t think it’ll make it to the third.” 

He watched as you sighed to yourself, a frown tugging at his own lips. He wasn’t the best at comforting people. “Rent is due next month. I’ve made it so far without needing anyone’s help,” You shut your eyes. “I want to keep it that way. I just need to try harder.” 

Sigma's eyes widened with inspiration as a sudden idea took root in his mind. He rose from his office chair, determined to set his plan into motion. He made a couple phone calls before sending you a quick message.

“Sigma: Hey! I know it’s your day off today. If you’re free, I’d love to have you come visit the casino. :)”

As you read the message, you were seated comfortably on the couch in your pajamas, savoring a bag of crisps. The unexpected message caused you to jolt in surprise, inadvertently dropping a crisp from your mouth. In haste, you sent Sigma a thumbs-up emoji before dashing into your bathroom, determined to prepare yourself swiftly. It wasn't just for Sigma's sake but also to ensure you'd appear at least somewhat presentable, aligning with the dress code of the casino.

After an hour had passed, you emerged from your home, donned in the most presentable attire you could find. To your pleasant surprise, Sigma awaited you in front of your house, standing beside a car with the door graciously open, anticipating your arrival. His face bore a genuine smile that radiated with excitement, and the air seemed to buzz with anticipation. You both entered the car, where a chauffeur took the wheel, skillfully navigating the journey to a helipad. There, a waiting helicopter whisked you away to the entrance of the Sky Casino. Throughout this entire journey, you were utterly awestruck, your face pressed against the helicopter's window, marveling at the world below and the breathtaking sight of the casino. Your sense of amazement didn't wane once you stepped inside the casino, and your jaw remained agape in sheer astonishment. Sigma, meanwhile, couldn't help but admire how your eyes sparkled even more in his whole world, the casino.

 He guided you on a comprehensive tour of the entire establishment and even introduced you to a few games. Being unfamiliar with the rules of these games, Sigma graciously assumed the role of the dealer, patiently explaining the rules and how it works. You played a game of Black Jack which Sigma had slightly rigged just so he could watch your face light up and cheer with the other patrons who took interest in your game. You both shared a smile and a chuckle as he congratulated you on your very first win.  

As you strolled through the casino's grand corridors, with Sigma at your side leading you through them, he leaned closer, his voice a hushed whisper near your ear, mentioning something about an upcoming surprise.You could feel yourself jump in excitement. He led you into his spacious office, and your eyes widened in wonder as you took in the grandeur of the space. The room seemed to stretch out before you, with high ceilings and tasteful decor that exuded an air of sophistication. A massive desk dominated the far end, cluttered with paperwork and casino-related documents. However, your awe was cut short when Sigma stood infront of you, a wide smile on his face.

Sigma took both of your hands in his, holding them close to both of your chests causing your face to warm. “You can move your cafe up into the Sky Casino! Surprise!” He enthusiastically exclaimed, “It’s perfect. I’ll be able to have your cookies every day, and you’ll be able to bake as much as you want.” He looked deep into your eyes, determination mixed with excitement apparent on his face. “I’ll cover all the costs, so don’t worry. Your cafe would practically never go out of business!” His rambling continued, barely allowing you to register what he had just told you. 

“Sigma…” You started, a sad smile on your lips. “That sounds lovely, but..” Your voice trailed off, leaving the casino manager confused.

“I don’t think I can.” 

Sigma’s eyebrows furrowed, pinching together. “What do you mean?” He questioned, releasing your hands from his own. “Your cafe will be shut down!”

You took a step back from him, a mix of hurt and confusion evident on your face from his words. “It’s not just about the cafe,” You stated firmly, “I have a life down on land. I’m not just going to give everything up?” 

"But you could go down there anytime!" He exclaimed, his tone laced with hurt. As he spoke, his fists clenched at his sides, and his eyes bore into yours. “I just want to save your cafe. I don’t understand why you’d say no to this? I’m trying to help you!”

“And I appreciate it! I appreciate that you want to help me.” You retorted, a hint of anger creeping in your tone. "But, I told you I didn't want help," you stated firmly, your voice tinged with frustration. You crossed your arms over your chest, looking off to the side. 

Sigma couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Anyone would take up this offer if it meant saving the thing they love. He would’ve done it for his casino in a heartbeat. He was so confused, it made his head hurt. “I thought you loved your cafe! Why can’t you just let me help you?” He ran a hand through his white locs of hair in frustration. 

You groaned in frustration, bringing your hands up to your face to cover it for a split second before dropping them to your side. “I don’t want everything handed to me on a silver platter, Sigma!” The volume of your voice rose with every sentence, furious at this outcome. “Everything I’ve done up until now would just be a waste. I just want to prove to people that I can do things on my own!” 

"You're just being stubborn!" He exclaimed, his voice rising with exasperation. As he spoke, his index finger pointed directly at you, emphasizing his frustration with your unwillingness to accept his help. 

You gritted your teeth, suppressing the urge to utter any further words, realizing that the escalating exchange of raised voices would lead to nowhere productive. "I’m going home," you declared with a weary tone, ending the discussion abruptly. Without uttering another word, you left his office, heading straight to the helipad. There, a helicopter awaited you, ready to transport you back home.

—

The next few days were quiet. Not once did Sigma text you or come to visit the cafe. While you contemplated sending an apology for the way you had reacted, you ultimately chose not to. Your emotions were valid and deserved acknowledgement. Despite his heartfelt and sweet offer, you held firm to your choice, knowing that life on solid ground was where you belonged. 

As dawn's soft light filtered through the cafe's windows, you began preparing the cosy establishment for yet another day, even if you had no customers. The familiar routine unfolded with a quiet determination. You wiped down the counters, meticulously arranged the pastries in the display case, and ensured the coffee machine stood ready to brew. With your back turned to the door, you jumped when the bell chimed. Thinking it was Sigma, you spun around eagerly, only to be greeted by the unexpected sight of a couple you had never encountered before. Despite the initial disappointment of it not being him, a sense of contentment washed over you as you realised you had new customers to attend to. You greeted the couple warmly and swiftly took their order. However, as you began preparing their drinks and snacks, the bell chimed again, drawing your attention to the entrance where an elderly man stood. You efficiently noted his order and returned to your work. Yet, the chime of the bell became frequent, punctuating the moments as more and more customers entered, until the once quiet cafe was bustling with a lively crowd.

You couldn’t believe your eyes. It had been two years since your cafe's grand opening, and you hadn't witnessed it bustling with customers like this before. The question of how this miraculous turn of events had occurred left you utterly perplexed. 

That was when the bell sounded. 

You glanced over, prepared to welcome another customer, but stopped when you noticed the lilac and white-haired man walking over to you. Your breath hitched, unable to form any words.

Sigma halted in front of the counter, a sad smile gracing his face. His red eyes scanned the bustling cafe and its newfound vibrancy with a sense of satisfaction. He looked back at you, “I hope I’m not too late.” 

“No, no. You’re… just in luck.” You responded, your voice tinged with disbelief and astonishment. Your eyes widened in sheer surprise, struggling to comprehend his sudden return.

“Just a small flat white and a chocolate chip cookie to go, please.” He requested, placing the bills in your hand without waiting for you to state the cost, as the price had already engraved itself into his memory. 

You assembled his order and gave it to him, your hands briefly brushing against each other as you handed over his coffee, nestled in a to-go cup, and a chocolate chip cookie placed inside a small paper bag. He acknowledged your service with a nod before heading towards the door.

Your mouth moving on its own, you called out to him, “Sigma!” You watched as he turned around with a confused expression on his face. You inhaled before continuing, “I… close soon. Could you wait for me?”

He took a moment to process your request, and then a smile graced his lips as he nodded once more in agreement. He turned his back to you once again, leaving the cafe with the ring of the bell. 

…

After the bustling crowd had dissipated for the night, you undertook the task of cleaning and sanitizing every surface in the cafe. Upon completing your duties, you carefully hung up your apron and exited, securely locking the door behind you. To your pleasant surprise, Sigma stood there, casually leaning against the adjacent wall. Your eyes met, and in that moment, you exchanged a glance, both offering each other a weary yet warm smile. 

"Do you want me to walk you home?" Sigma inquired, his words accompanied by a gentle tilt of his head as he awaited your response.

You weakly smiled, “Sure.”

The two of you strolled along through a park which was a shortcut to get to your house, with the only sources of light being the lampposts and soft glow of the moon above. A silence enveloped you both as you gazed in opposite directions, lost in your own thoughts.

“I–”

“I’m–”

You both shared a look of shock, followed by hearty laughter after you unintentionally spoke in unison. Sigma couldn't help but conceal his laughter behind a curled fist, the side of his fist pressing gently against his lips as he chuckled. Once your laughter died down, you both looked at each other again with fondness. You had missed this. 

You started, “You go first.” Nodding your head at him.

“Oh no, you go ahead!” 

You smiled faintly, “Alright.” Inhaling, you started, “I’m sorry for how I spoke to you that day. I know you wanted to help me, I just really wanted you to understand my perspective of everything. I never wanted to ruin anything between us.” You lowered your head momentarily before lifting it again, and you sighed. 

"You have absolutely no reason to apologize to me," Sigma responded, his voice carrying a hint of regret. He placed a hand on your shoulder, hoping to comfort you even if he wasn’t the best at it. "I should be the one saying sorry to you." 

"I'm sorry," He began, remorse filled in his tone of voice as his eyes met yours’ with sincerity. “During the first few days, I'll admit that I was angry and a bit hurt," He confessed, his brows furrowing slightly as he recounted his initial reaction. "But then I thought about what you said," he continued, his gaze softening as he looked at you again. "The way you spoke about your cafe was exactly how I feel about my casino," He added, "If you had asked me to move the casino to the ground just so you could gamble daily, I would probably say no.” 

Under the gentle glow of a lamp post in the dimly lit park, you and Sigma found yourselves standing face to face. The twilight sky above shimmered with distant stars. Before you could say anything, Sigma spoke once more:

“I respect you so much.” Sigma uttered, his voice filled with admiration as he looked into your eyes. His expression softened, and he reached out to gently brush a stray strand of hair away from your face, the pads of his fingers grazing over your cheek, his touch tender and affectionate. “I admire your determination, your kindness, the way your eyes shimmer whenever you’re happy, that beautiful smile of yours – all of these qualities is what make me admire you. And as for your cookies, well, thats a whole separate story altogether.” His words were accompanied by a playful chuckle which you joined in on. 

“I could say the same things about you, Sigma.” You fumbled with the edge of your shirt, “You’re such a lovely person. I love how much you care for those around you.”

 A profound silence enveloped you, your eyes locked in a captivating gaze, until you finally posed the question that had lingered in Sigma's mind all evening, "Can I kiss you?" 

A bashful smile adorned Sigma’s lips, his cheeks slightly burned as he gave you an affirmative nod. 

You tenderly kissed his lips, your lips’ softness meeting the texture of his chapped ones. You lifted your hand to hold the side of his face, thumb caressing his smooth skin. Sigma flushed a bright red but still managed to kiss you back. The flavour on his lips carried a sense of familiarity, initially leaving you perplexed until the realisation washed over you:

It was the sweet taste of your cookies.

Extra: 

“By the way, did you have anything to do with that massive crowd of people who came into my cafe today?” You questioned.

“Did I?” Sigma looked everywhere but at you, avoiding any eye contact with a chuckle. “Maybe. Maybe not. I just have very nice patrons.”

[think-dry-thoughts]

Omovember Prompt One- In A Container

Thank you to the lovely @pissbuddys for the prompts this year! I'm a day behind but I promise to make up for it.

Caleb's legs shook and squeezed together as he loosened his belt. His doctor needed him to have a full bladder for his exam, and now sitting in the waiting room, he was sure he had what he needed. He was set to have a bladder capacity test today along with his physical exam, so the doctor needed him to be as full as he could possibly be. Caleb fanned his legs back and forth, trying to read some of the posters around the room to take his mind off it.

When the door handle jiggled, Caleb was overcome with joy. He was finally going to be able to pee. When the doctor came in, Caleb noted that this doctor wasn't who he was used to at all.

"Where's Dr. X?" he asked, trying to sound calm.

"Doctor X was unfortunately needs at our sister clinic today, so I'll just be doing your exam," she stated flatly.

Caleb nodded, slight worry going through his mind. Surely this doctor knew what she was doing though, so it couldn't be that much different. The exam went on as normal, Caleb went over his concerns, they took his vitals, and did all the normal bodily exams they needed. Caleb was then instructed to take the physical part of the exam, which he knew wouldn't go so well.

He walked in a straight line as he was told, his legs trembling as he held back the ocean in his bladder. He then had to balance on either leg, which sent spasms into his bladder, causing him to lose his balance fairly quickly. Finally, he was instructed to lean over and touch his toes, and with absolute agony, he complied, his bladder screaming at him to stop. When his finger reached his toes, he felt his pants readjust themselves to sit right over his bladder, and all of the sudden, a short spurt of pee gushed out of him without warning.

Caleb swiftly uprighted himself and adjusted his pants off of his bladder. When he calmed down, he realized the doctor was packing up her things.

"Are- are we done?" Caleb asked. "I thought I had another test in the charts"

"You're all set!" the doctor said with a smile. "We have your physical now, so we can get you scheduled for that test when you check out."

It all made sense now. Caleb had been told that they'd schedule him for the capacity test next time he was in, as in, next time he was in, they'd be able to schedule him. Today wasn't even the bladder test. Caleb gathered himself and head out toward the checkout desk, nodding along to whatever questions he was asked, just trying to get out of the damn office.

"Excuse me," Caleb asked when the receptionist wrapped up, "is there a restroom I can use?"

The receptionist looked at him with a frown. "No sir, unfortunately, our bathrooms are currently being worked on."

Caleb nodded silently and made his way to the car. He had to go so unbelievably bad, he couldn't believe he was still even holding on. He fired up the car and opened the maps on his phone, trying to route toward the nearest bathroom. One mile. He could make one mile.

Caleb's shaky foot pressed down on the petal as he drove himself to the gas station up ahead, his brain hardly focusing on the road. His bladder was throbbing now, and with each throb, he could feel his dick twitch trying to hold it back. It hurt. He had to go so bad that while his one hand gripped the wheel, his other gripped himself through his damp underwear even harder. Finally, Caleb pulled up at the gas station, throwing himself out of the car and rushing toward the bathroom. Of course, it was locked, with a big paper sign reading PAYING CUSTOMERS ONLY.

Caleb signed and scrambled back to the car, digging for change in everywhere that he could think of, but he didn't have a penny in the car. Nearly crying at this point, he shifted back into gear and sped off toward the next place, squeezing his legs together and shoving his hands down his pants to hold his dick and press his thumb over the tip for more security. He had to piss. His shaky whines were the only sound in the car, especially when he hit the hundreds of potholes that seemingly came out of nowhere.

Caleb checked the map. There wasn't anywhere else for at least five miles. He was seriously, utterly fucked. His bladder screamed at him to stop, but he wouldn't listen, so it played its next move. A hot jet of piss forced its way past Caleb's grip and thoroughly soaking his fist and the front of his pants. Caleb began to panic, his legs shaking as he tried to decide what to do. He pulled over quickly onto the side of the road, frantically undoing his pants. If he was going to piss himself, it wasn't going to be in these pants. He then shakily started turning over his car, searching for absolutely anything that he could use to relieve himself. He couldn't possibly get out and pee on the side of the road, there was too much traffic through here.

Caleb finally found it in the backseat, one of those horrible tiny water bottles. He wanted to keep digging, but another spurt from his bladder made him think otherwise. He lined himself up with the tiny bottle, and once he knew it was okay, he let the piss fly out of him. The moan that escaped Caleb's lips was almost orgasmic, and the tingling relief took over Caleb's body. He realized that all too quickly, the bottle was nearly full, so he clenched his grip down on his bladder from the inside and outside, and swiftly cracked the door to pour out the bottle. The pouring of the piss on the asphalt was agony, and he had to pull the bottle back in quickly to start to fill it again. Yet again, he was filling the bottle, and it felt fucking amazing. The relief was incredible, and he almost let himself just continue to go, but he stopped himself yet again to empty it.

For the third time, Caleb started to fill the bottle, and it came to the top quickly once again, yet this time, his body just wasn't letting him stop. He grabbed his dick and tried to stop it, but he only succeeded in pulling himself off the bottle and making a mess of his pants. He stuffed the tip back onto it, trying his best not to make too much of a mess, but it soon overflowed, and his bladder wasn't anywhere near emptying. Caleb just couldn't take it anymore. He just let the bottle overflow, feeling the warmth flood his pants and spill down onto the seat. He removed his dick from the bottle, dumping it onto the street while he continued to completely piss himself in the chair. His shaky hands accidentally dropped the bottle out the car door, but Caleb was in too much bliss to care. He leaned his head against the headrest, closed his eyes, and just felt the relief. His bladder quickly drained itself, and the hissing of piss on jeans was only ever covered by the guttural moans of pleasure coming from Caleb. His muscles tired themselves out, and Caleb found himself forcing the remaining streams of piss out. Even his body couldn't handle what he'd gone through.

After Caleb could think straight, he assessed the damage to his pants and car, and decided to head straight home. He made a mental note to find a way bigger container to put in the car after he was done cleaning, and reminded himself to call the doctor back to confirm the bladder test.

[freesia-writes]

Hey there,

congrats on your 500 milestone. If I may put in a request, could you perhaps do: "Don't ever do that again! You have no idea what it does to me…" with Wrecker. Love seeing how writers tackle the big guy's main weakness.

Cheers,

Hi! Hello! Hey! Remember this request from like six frickin weeks ago?! ;) I got wildly derailed by Sharp Edges blossoming off of Lightwise's Crosshair request, but bada bing bada boom... I'm BACK baby! So thank you so much for your patience, and I hope this is everything you ever wanted it to be. It really made my heart swell while writing it. All the puppy dog eyes for our sweet big boy!

Wrecker x Reader Word Count: 3.1k

You’d been serving at the cafe for years, having perfected your duties down to mindlessly rote repetition. The customers and cooks loved you equally, with your sugary-sweet disposition and affinity for lavishing anyone and everyone with affection that left them feeling as though they were floating on the clouds. You’d long since abandoned your hopes at romance, after a trail of failed relationships left you jaded and insecure, and had instead resorted to content yourself with a quiet life of work, reading, and occasional travel. The cafe was centrally located on a variety of trade routes that kept it bustling with interesting characters, bringing news and stories, often quite embellished, of the galaxy beyond the diner’s crumbling brick walls.

The bell on the door chimed cheerfully one morning, and as you looked up with a bright smile to greet the arrivals as usual, your eyes widened as you took in the hulking mass of a man that squeezed inside. You’d seen almost every shape and size of creature over the years, but his apparently human appearance was a stark contrast to his sheer brawn, made even more unique by his seeming lack of an eye and the spidery scar tissue that branched out from his ear across his face. 

“Well hello, sugar,” you purred out of habit, sidling up to him with a coffee pot in your hand, “Haven’t seen you in here before.”

“Uh, yeah,” he said slowly, seeming to still be groggy from sleep as he ran a large hand over his bald head, “Just had a minute to grab something to eat…” His eyes roved across the setting before him: two long rows of cushy booths, ragged from the endless cycle of hungry patrons sliding in and out of them, and an endless supply of decor and memorabilia scattered across the walls and shelves -- photos, trinkets, signs, plants… He snapped out of his distracted gazing when you laid a gentle hand on his forearm, gesturing toward the counter. 

“Why don’t you grab a seat up there and I’ll be right over?”

He grunted his thanks in a deep, throaty voice, shuffling to his assigned seat and completely dwarfing the stool as he settled down upon it. The menu looked like a business card in his hands as he perused it, and when you finished making the rounds of refilling thick ceramic coffee mugs, you slid the carafe back under the warmer and turned to face him. 

“Anything strike your fancy, big boy?” you asked, pet names falling from your lips as naturally as breathing. He seemed surprised by it though, and looked up at you with a slightly baffled expression. His lifted eyebrows widened his eyes, shifting a battle-hardened stare into a disarmingly innocent curiosity, and you were shocked to feel a little flip in your chest. 

“I… ah… I think I’d like this…” he said slowly, pointing to precisely what you would have chosen for him. You nodded, jotting it down in slight relief at the return to normal interaction, “And… could I add this too, please?” You followed his finger and raised your eyes to his, smiling warmly, and you could swear you saw the tiniest hint of red creep across his scar-speckled cheeks.

“Of course,” you answered, giving his hand a pat. “Might take a few extra minutes because Mo is a little swamped back there, but you just sit tight and that will be right out. Can I get you some caf in the meantime?” 

He glanced down at the mug on the counter, untouched beside the silverware and napkin, and raised his eyes back to yours with an almost childish sheepishness, “Actually, do you have a fizz?” 

Your grin broke your lips apart into genuine delight, and you chuckled fondly as you turned toward the refrigerator behind. “I do indeed,” you affirmed, popping the cap off and sliding the curved bottle across the counter to him. “Be back soon, honey.”

You’d grown busy quickly after that, with a rush of patrons that all seemed to have decided to arrive at the same time, and as you bustled about the diner, gliding effortlessly between tables and your coworkers, you were unaware of the stolen glances that were sent your way from the counter. When his plates finally appeared with a ding on the warming shelf, you ran them over with an apologetic tilt of the head. He was nothing but grace and patience, however, again giving you pause at the kind energy he exuded. You were curious to learn more about this new visitor, but there wasn’t a minute to spare, and after a flurry of orders taken, guests seated, and tables cleaned, you looked back to discover the stool was empty. Next to the immaculately-cleaned plates sat his bill, along with a handful of credits on it to cover the total as well as a tip. You were surprised to note the sinking feeling of disappointment, but had no time to dwell on it as the breakfast rush was still in full swing. 

It was nearly a month later when he appeared again, and you had almost forgotten about his initial visit, writing it off as one of the many single customers that would drop in and never be seen again. But as the perky ding announced his arrival, you watched him amble to the same seat at the counter, catching your eye with a grin and a wave. It was later this time -- the quiet lull between morning and afternoon -- and a disproportionate eagerness bubbled up within as you trotted over to greet him. 

“Hi handsome!” you said brightly, again feeling light-headed at the puppy-dog eyes and bashful crooked grin that painted his face in response, “You’re back!”

“Yeah, we pass through here every so often…” he answered, fiddling with the corner of the menu underneath his fingernail. You had some time to spare, and leaned on your elbows, falling into easy conversation about the menu, the diner, and his travels. 

“I never caught your name, sweetheart,” you said suddenly, tilting your head as you studied his features.

“Wrecker,” he said, in a mixture of pride and bemusement. You laughed, all joy and no mockery, clapping your hand over his own as it sat in a fist on the counter.

“Of course,” you exclaimed, reveling in the perfectly-fitting name for such a hulking beast of a man. “I imagine you’re quite the formidable force, aren’t you?” Your tone was light and playful, and he was taken aback for a mere second before he lowered his chin and gave you a more determined look. 

“You could say that,” he said in a low voice, and you felt your stomach twist in a quick clench that made you inhale sharply. 

He began to make a regular appearance at your counter, never in any regular rhythm but sporadic visits peppered throughout the weeks. You found yourself making excuses to touch him more, leaning against him when you took his order from his side, brushing your fingers across his shoulders as you passed by to ask if he wanted a refill, and resting your arm on the counter right next to his when you both bent over the menu in a silly excuse to be close -- he ordered the same thing every time. He watched you, too, when you weren’t looking, taking in the way you coddled each customer, laughing at their jokes and patting them on the back, bestowing nicknames and meaningless affections indiscriminately. 

You began to give him little extras as well -- kitchen mistakes or “accidental” slips of your own hand that would result in a plate of fresh fruit or an extra bottle of fizz that had been mistakenly opened and was unable to be put back -- and wiped the tables as quickly as you could to glean every spare minute to listen to his stories. When he showed up one day with an entire arm bandaged to his side, as well as a scattering of small patches covering parts of his face, you felt a disproportionate surge of fear and protectiveness. 

“What happened?” you gasped, reaching for his cheek without thinking. He shrugged dismissively, casting a glance to the ground as though he were getting in trouble.

“It’s nothing,” he said, “Workplace hazard, you know…” 

“You’ve got to be careful, sweet boy,” you murmured, stroking the side of his face before dropping your hand, not missing the heat that radiated off of him. “Can’t have you blowing yourself up out there.” 

“You can’t do that…” Wrecker began, but his words were lost as you were whisked away. You’d turned to answer a call from the back, and he had shuffled to his counter seat, touching the spot on his cheek with his own hand and a soft expression.

A few more visits came and went, punctuated with jokes and stories, playful banter and comfortable chatter. The morning rush had died down, with a handful of tables remaining hunched over their plates. A sharp voice broke through the hubbub, catching your attention. 

“Oy! Get over here!” A hand waved from the corner booth, where a motley crew of Weequay pirates and humans sat with one of the most lumpy-headed Twi’leks you’d ever seen. You lowered your brows, approaching the table warily with a steaming carafe of caff in your hand. You weren’t one to take any ill treatment, and were just as happy throwing someone out on their ass as you were making them blush with your saccharine praises. 

“Problem, fellas?” you crooned, pursing your lips as your eyes roved from one to the next. 

“Yeah, you’re takin’ way too long!” said one of the pirates, baubles tinkling on his head and chest. “Our food’s getting cold while you’re drooling over the counter at that big lump!” He jerked his head toward Wrecker, who was still and unmoving, eyes fixed on the situation. 

“Your food isn’t ready yet, honey” you returned evenly, pulling some cream cups and sugar packets from your apron pocket and scattering them across the table before topping off their mugs. “Why don’t you enjoy a few more sips of caf, and it’ll be out before you know it.”

The Twi’lek picked up one of the creamer pods, inspecting it for a moment with a malicious glint in his eye, then turned and flung it right at your face, where it bounced off your forehead and fell on the ground. Your gasp of surprise sent him into peals of laughter, and the others joined in. 

“Why don’t you go get our food before we make you regret coming to work today?” one of the humans jabbed, and the next thing you knew, you were being shoved aside by one strong arm. Wrecker had appeared behind you, jostling forward to place himself between you and the table at the last vitriolic utterance, and he rose to his full height, cracking his knuckles as he looked at each of them in turn. 

“Oh look, big old loverboy is here to--” the Weequay never finished his nasally taunt, instead finding himself lifted by the scruff of the neck and tossed straight behind the counter, where he crashed into a trash can and a pile of empty bottles that clattered around his crumpled form. His cronies flew to their feet immediately, with as much intimidation as they could muster in the awkward movements of getting out of a booth, and banded together to face Wrecker with faces set in grim resolution. The diner grew quiet, a thick tension settling into the air, as the other customers watched with apprehension.

“Anyone else?” he invited, eyebrows set low in a menacing stare. 

“Wrecker,” you whispered, pulling on his arm from behind, “You’re going to destroy the entire restaurant.” He hesitated, tilting his head to indicate he’d heard you, then looked back to the snarling band of insulted hotheads before him. 

“Yeahhhhh, don’t mess up her pretty little restaurant!” the Twi’lek mocked, making Wrecker’s decision for him. He moved like a flash, swiping his arms out to the sides and taking advantage of their neatly-lined up stance to smack all their heads together in one sickening, echoed thud that dropped all four to the ground immediately, passed out cold. You gasped, taking a step back at the unexpected movement, mouth open in shock and awe. A few patrons burst into laughter and applause, cheering from their booths, and the cooks yelled a chorus of approval from behind the thin window that opened to the kitchen. Wrecker slowly turned to face you, eyebrows that had been razor-sharp a moment ago curving up to regard you with earnest curiosity. 

“Sorry…” he began, but you flung yourself against him, stretching to get your arms around him as much as you could to pull him into a tight, appreciative hug. He paused for a moment, then slowly enveloped you in his embrace, mind buzzing as the rest of the cafe returned to their conversations and meals. You pulled back, looking up at him with admiration and cupping his face in one hand, caressing his cheekbone with your thumb.

“Don’t be sorry! You’re my hero, sweetheart. My beautiful big--” 

You didn’t get to finish what you were saying, as he bit his lip, brows furrowing suddenly, and tore himself from your grasp, disappearing out the back door. Frozen for a second in a dumbfounded stupor, you grabbed a coworker’s elbow as she passed by, “Can you cover my tables real quick?” She nodded, giving you a knowing wink, and you turned to follow Wrecker into the alley behind the diner. He was pacing restlessly, rubbing the back of his neck with a hand and muttering at the ground. When he heard the door close behind you, he glanced at you with those puppy dog eyes again, then bit his lip and continued his movements. 

“Hey baby…” you crooned, not seeing him wince slightly at your voice, “What’s the matter?” 

He slowed, dropping his hand from his neck and pausing to regard you evenly. His face was a kaleidoscope of expressions, impossible to read, and you were clueless to the turmoil within. You didn’t know how much you’d grown on him over the last number of months, how frequently his thoughts turned to you, how your gentle touches made his heart swell in his chest. But he’d also seen how you lavished such affection on everyone, and he felt an increasing sense of internal conflict that was driving him crazy, trying to discern if he were just another customer or… more than that. 

"Don't ever do that again! You have no idea what it does to me…" he said suddenly, the vehemence in his gravelly voice stunning you a few steps back as he stared at you. Your mind was racing, trying to catch up, and his body was still coursing from the adrenaline of the last few minutes.

“...do what?” you asked, holding your hands up in helpless surrender. Your large eyes met his, round and unguarded, brimming with emotion. He melted inside at your genuine confusion, and he dropped his chin toward the ground, rubbing his forehead in consternation. “Wrecker, I’m sorry,” you began, still unsure of what you were apologizing for, but you ached to see him this way. You drew nearer, tentatively, and laid a hand on his forearm. He dropped his arms to his sides, taking a deep breath and raising his gaze to your face. 

“It’s okay,” he said, quietly now, with a crack in his voice that tugged at your heart. “I just…” he fumbled, casting his eyes about as if the words would appear to him somewhere in the alleyway, and settled for a disappointed grunt. A realization hit you, a possibility, a chance… it blossomed warm throughout your limbs. You were wildly unsure, but propelled onward by an unseen force as you slowly stepped closer, bringing yourself within inches of his hulking form, which was uncharacteristically deflated. 

“Hey,” you said, soft as velvet, coaxing him to look at you. His mouth twisted, eyes reluctantly lifting to yours. “I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable…” you ventured, reaching up to ghost your fingers across his cheek precariously, heart thrilling when he closed his eyes and leaned into your palm ever so slightly. “Oh…” you breathed, feeling one of his strong arms slip around your waist, pulling you flush against his broad chest. His eyes opened, rendering you frozen to the spot, and his face curved into a blissful grin. 

“I was afraid I liked it too much,” he murmured, capturing you with his gaze, unfathomably soft and yet enticingly intense. “I mean, you’re so sweet to everyone…” You beamed at him, looping your other arm around his neck, positively vibrating with the tingles that resulted from your body being pressed against his. 

“It’s my job,” you conceded, “But… I’ve got a particular sweet spot for you, Wrecker.” His tiny gasp was overwhelmingly endearing, and a giggle slipped past your lips, drawing his eyes down to them. He bit his lip, eyebrows drawing together as he darted his gaze back to yours for a moment, then swallowed hard. The slow lean that brought his face to yours seemed to take an eternity, and you relaxed your eyes closed, feeling his arms draw you in more tightly, still holding you as gently as a fragile treasure. When he pressed his mouth against yours, sweet and salty and so soft, you sighed in utter bliss, tilting your head to nuzzle more closely against him. He lingered for a moment, then pulled away with a quiet smack and a sharp inhale, looking down at you in adorable surprise. 

He opened his mouth to speak, but finding no words whatsoever, slowly closed it. You slid your hands down his chest, wrapping him in a hug and turning your head sideways to lean against him. His heartbeat pounded against your ear, charming you again with the disproportionate tenderness that resided beneath his intimidating brawn, and one of his hands roved soothingly up and down your back. He sent another burst of tingles through you when he pressed another kiss to the top of your head, causing you to pull away to look up at his affectionate face once again. 

“I have to get back to work,” you admitted, hating every word. He let out a breath, nodding slowly, then pinched your chin with gentle fingers, white and brown eyes soaking up your presence as though it were life itself.

“Maybe I can come by when you get off.”

“I’d love that.”

[astrojulia]

Why big post about Aries in Aquarius season 😫 do one for Aquarius please

Hello dear,

It's because I need order.. if I don't have it I end up doing nothing, LOL. But I stopped to think and did something else... (okay, the Pisces Season just started, but whatever 😆). There's an old post of mine that I gave a good rework, I hope you like the new version.

They have free and unitary thinking - Even though they are the sign of the community, we cannot forget that Aquarius is the FIXED air sign, in addition to having been ruled by Saturn for many (MANY) years, so it understands that the community exists , but that there must be space between the self and the world. In this, in this space that Aquarians create between themselves and each other, what is most affected is their mind and consequently their worldview, this means that everything that passes through this person's mind first passes through their Aquarian lens, which changes all the information they receive by sharing their experiences and learning. Got confused? So let's go. The Aquarius man (or woman... or others) is that person who will listen to something and say something completely different, not because he is crazy, but because that said “something” triggers a series of experiences that these people have already had making A equals B for them… even if only in the mind, that's why weird dots get connect and it's not possible to control the Aquarian's reasoning.

They like the different - Wow, that's obvious Julia (← that's my name, okay), but it's true when we say that they are attracted to the different for simply being different, whether in fashion or in ideas, they will look for different plastic artists , clothing brands… Aquarians, however, will settle for something some time in their life. Once they are older,they have a more specific taste and that will accompany them for the rest of their lives, this could be a color, a band, a haircut… And this taste of theirs can even become a trend for a while, but when it doesn't, they'll still like it.

They are stylish - It is in my humble experience, women mostly. First, let's remember what the word style really means :“set of trends, tastes, characteristic ways of behavior of an individual or group”, that is, it is not what is in fashion. Having an Aquarius friend is seeing a piece of clothing and knowing it's going to like it because it's just like them. As I said before, they have a specific taste, even more so when they get older (young aquarius are still testing everything). At the beginning of their lives they do things to really shock, combining adolescence with Aquarian rebelliousness reminds me, and a lot, of the cyberpunk style, but after a while, they can continue wearing their Mohawks until they are 70 years old or simply, being in love with a cardigan, but you know THAT cardigan from your aquarius friend.

They have a creative mind - A creative mind in my view is one that will find a way to express their feelings, their soul in some way, so it's not surprising to see an Aquarius working in the arts or in more everyday jobs such as hairdresser and makeup artist. Aquarius have a taste for creativity, they have an artist's soul and the need for creation, you won't see every Aquarius with a watermelon around their neck, but maybe, when you go to see the character customization of one of their games, the character has hair green, purple mustache and orange vest (yes dad I'm talking about you)

They have a hidden side - They have something very similar to their former ruler partner Capricorn, which is separating the personal from the professional. They are one thing inside the house, another thing outside... but now this goes on to all other areas of their life, the emotional and personal of an Aquarius is hidden by their rational and social, the Aquarius will say what it believe to be the best for that moment, what it believe people need to hear and often leave their opinion aside, they do what they think will be more harmonious or what will bring more progress to their social bond. I've heard and read from several people (non-Aquarians)who see Aquarians as someone who likes to cause chaos and seek to "cause problem", but being honest, one of the greatest desires of Aquarians is to be accepted in society... do you think that they do this “by chance”? Or just to piss you off? You have a great ego, congratulations.

They give their best version - Out in the world, they always give their best, their brightest and most humanitarian side, but when they don't feel willing to be positive that day, they isolate themselves until they “return to normality”, soIt's super normal if your Aquarius friend doesn't see their cell phone for a while, they'll only answer you when they feel ready, not everything is ghosting ok.

They are selective - When you just meet an Aquarius it will talk deeply and a lot with you, but it's a test to know your commonalities and your character, if after that they don't have an affinity with you, you'll just be a colleague to greet, but you will not be their friend. Knowing this, yes, they are very annoying sometimes, even more so in societies where being extroverted is seen as a quality and being introverted is almost like a disease (I'm talking about you Brazil…), but they are there selecting what and who they will spend their energy on and many people will be left off the list.

“The Aquarius energy” - I see this energy as the energy of humanitarianism. When you went through the selection of the previous topic, you see that the Aquarius person likes to raise the mood of any situation, I see this through two methods, being them being logical with the solutions to problems or being able to see the positive side of everything that happens, no matter the way the have choose, they want to see their small group well and mostly together. I see a lot of aquarius people going to events and places they are not a fan of, but doing it because their group likes it a lot and they are happy about it.

They always want that person who doesn't care about them... - For some reason, they always fall in love with that person who isn't giving them the slightest bit of attention, that they need to put up a sign saying "I like you" to their crush knowing they exist.. Aquarians are romantic people, especially women, and they like a challenge, so for some reason the idea of earning their own lover and going against all negative possibilities is something that excites them.

They are connected to sounds - Remember when I said that they have different taste, are stylish and selective… This happens a lot with music. That person who lives with headphones listening to music, who doesn't drive without it radio... Probably Aquarius. I see many having a favorite band, others who like only one style of music, but Aquarians are people who have a soundtrack to their life and their senses are very involved in the sounds they hear.

They are terrible liars - You probably don't know this part, but one of the symbols of Aquarius is the titan Prometheus who, even if he got screwed afterwards, brought fire to humanity. One of the representations of fire is truth, it is stepping out of the darkness and knowing what is real and that spark runs through all Aquarians. And well... the lie is the opposite of the truth, so people who are always looking for the truth don't end up becoming a good liar. I'm not going to say they don't lie, I do (and I'm an Aquarius) but they tend to blurt out what they really think rather than blurt out a lie that they end up screwing themselves over it. The biggest part of not being able to lie is not being able to lie to themselves, they can't deceive themselves to do something they don't like for example, because their nature does not allow them to do what they don't think is right. Also, they are good at detecting lies too..

They joke about everything - You know that person who makes an uncomfortable joke in the middle of a tense situation?…Nice to meet you, Aquarius. Many will be surprised and even irritated with them, and yes, over the years many Aquarians learn not to make jokes with people they don't know... but they are the kings of sarcasm, that's why they always put a joke in the middle of a tense situation.

They love to question - They are very curious and can't see an opportunity to learn more passing in front of them, so if they have the openness to ask and delve into the subject... they will ask and delve further into the subject... it is also a great strategy for them to strike up conversations and get closer.. so pay attention to this if you're into an Aquarius person.

They love change - Aquarius is a free spirit and air sign, so they don't like to put down roots and always change a little behavior to have a new routine, a new job or even go to a new country…. But we also cannot forget its fixed nature and its regencies. Being from Uranus, they always want to see new things quickly, for the world to change as quickly as possible, after all, chaos is the spark of creation, and with Saturn… they love change, but mostly in others, when others change to do something, because many times the Aquarius wants to continue doing the same and the make the other moves the gears of transformation.

They are liberal - Are they judgmental of others' behavior and beliefs? Yes. But for them. “Is this person's belief good for me?”, it turned out, what the other does (which is not illegal) is the other's problem. You'll see them in many different social groups, not wanting to change anyone's opinion if no one asked and will let you have your way... just don't forget that the Aquarius won't change them for you either.

They seek positivism - Aquarius always seeks to make the best of the situation and people, so they will always see the reason for what happened from the other's point of view and will place less blame on the shoulders of others, things happen because they have to happen, they don't always have a culprit.

They know how to take criticism - If you got a "no" from an Aquarius when criticizing them it was for two reasons, either you haven't known them for a long time or they don't see you as an authority on the subject, Aquarius knows that others will be able to see details they don't understand and seek help from those they trust for advice, especially in the field of love. Yes, we know that sometimes it is necessary to be more humble and accept the opinion of people that we see as laymen... but it is difficult LOL

They are magical beings - They have a different energy, they try to connect with the spiritual and with nature in some way because they feel the need to clean themselves from human connections from time to time, they are very affected by other people's energy, that's why they resort to various spiritual practices and alone time.

Magic hands - This is certainly the most curious one, Aquarians are tactile and touch sensitive people, so they have a lot of energy in their hands and can develop techniques like reiki and massage very easily and they are nice about it. Now can you understand a little why they hate agglomerations and hugging and kissing people?

Sources: Astro Elias - The 19 secrets inspiration Template by sorberts on tumblr PSD by wildfireresources on deviantart

[imdoingmybest0]

Sweetie; part 1 Bob Floyd x F! Reader “Sweetie” 18+ minors please do not interact :)

(Bob gives me soft-dom vibes and this is a reflection of that feeling)

Series with @blimpintime​, go check out the Jake "Hangman" Seresin x F!Reader story they’re writing, our stories are intertwined :) !!!!

..............................................................................................................................

I pull my “uniform” out of my employee locker and slam the door to get it to shut. I sigh, this is what I get for picking up extra shifts, 8am private tours of Elite Naval Aviators. I really hope they aren’t a group of cocky old men ready to call me condescending names. I slide my thin vest over my clothes. Of course, I’d choose a pale blue tank top to go under a white crochet swimsuit cover. I was just glad I chose jeans today instead of a skirt, I didn't need more harassment than I already got. I button the vest at my stomach and pick my coffee up off the break room table. My early morning pick me up definitely helped make this shift more livable. I set it back down and make my way through the door leading to the hangar. 

I can see the aviators milling about through the glass lobby doors, luckily I spot a woman or two among them and none of them looked old enough to cat call. I walk quickly to the doors, checking my watch, 7:53am, right on time. I walk towards the doors and turn the lock. 

“Hello!” I say, trying to sound cheery and awake, “Welcome to the Naval Air Museum, Hanger four; the Cold War.”

The group gathers around and a few of them smile at me and one man with glasses gives a shy wave. I feel an abnormal heat spread at the back of my neck. I knew I was touring Aviators today but I didn't expect so many of them to be attractive. Actually all of them were attractive.

I force a smile, “Here at the museum all of the employees go by callsigns, mine is Sweetie and I'll be your guide today.” A few of the group chuckle and my neck heats up from the attention. “I’ll be taking you around and showing you planes from each decade of the cold war. Feel free to ask me questions at any time and I will try my best to answer them. If you have further questions, you can always scan the QR codes on the displays for more information.” 

Reciting the memorized script eased my nerves. I asked the group to follow me and I made my way through the tour, stopping at key planes to describe their uses or pilots or any of the many, many boring details of their reason for being in a museum. I saw a few of the group yawn on occasion and some had stopped to read other planes' descriptions. There was one person who kept their eyes trained on me, the same man who had waved at me in the lobby. He was tall and lean with wavy dirty blond hair. He wore thin gold glasses that suited his face. He wore a vintage t-shirt tucked into well fitted jeans. He had a worn blue carhartt jacket and he looked absolutely stunning. 

I stumbled over my monologue about the F-15 and he smiled at me and gave an encouraging nod. I feel my face turn red at his attention. I'm about to finish my tour when I spot a woman  walking between the exhibits, drink in hand and two kids running ahead of her, one with a tablet and the other with a bag of chips as big as their head. 

“Excuse me ma’am, this section of the museum is closed for a private tour until nine.” I say politely. She turns quickly on her heel and looks me up and down. My stomach drops, one of those huh. 

“I paid to be here,” she looks at my name tag and scoffs, “Sweetie.” 

I smile with my teeth gritted and try to remain courteous, “Im sure you did ma’am but there was a sign posted out front saying this section is closed. We have plenty of other wonderful hangars open to the public.” 

She rolls her eyes and places a hand on her hip defiantly, “Don’t ma’am me young lady. I will go wherever I please as long as I’m a paying customer.” 

Her grating voice attracts the attention of the pilots, a few start to move in closer to see what the commotion is. “Ma’a- Miss, I’m sorry this tour is a special request from-” I start. 

“I don’t care who's ‘special request it was’, I've been sitting in the car with those two,” she gestures to her two kids running  between the planes, “for five hours. So I’d like to enjoy the museum that I paid to see.” 

I open my mouth to say something else, getting frustrated, when I hear the door to my left slam open. I hear a voice echo through the hangar, “I know someone is not yelling at my employee at eight in the fucking morning.” It's my manager, Dynamite. 

“Oh, Dynamite you’re-” I start before she holds her hand up to me. I stand there shocked as Dynamite lays into the woman escorting him towards the door. I see one of the pilots, the muscular blond one, lean over to his friend and murmur, “That's hot.” 

Dynamite, returns to the group and smiles professionally, “Sorry about that y’all. I hope you enjoy the rest of your tour with our Sweetie here.” She gives me a gentle pat on the shoulder, “If anyone has any questions at all let me know, I’ll be over here figuring out paperwork at the side desk.” She points to a desk with the sign “Need help?” hanging off it., before making her way over, quickly tailed by the murmuring blond. 

“Sorry about the interruption folks. We have mostly concluded our tour. If you'd like to walk around we still have about fifteen minutes left.I’ll be over by the info desk if you have any more questions.” I smile at the group and make my way over to the info desk. I began to organize the leaflets that the Karens kids had strung everywhere. I’m so focused on my work that I don’t notice the bespectacled man approach. He cleared his throat soft and I jumped, almost dropping the papers I was holding. 

“Hey there,” he says quietly. 

My face warms and I smile at him, “Hi, did you have any questions?” 

He scratches the back of his head and looks at the floor, “Um yea could you tell me about,” he pauses and looks around the planes, “could you tell me more about the F-15?” His cheeks are flush red and so do mine. 

“Of course,” I say and lead him back to the plane. “The F-15 here has a wingspan of about 42 feet and ten inches, she runs on two electric turbofan engines, as well as being the first plane to have radar.” 

I try to sound excited but I’m slowly running out of facts, I only memorized a few per plane. The tall man trains his eyes on the plane and then looks back at me and asks, “Do you know how fast it can go?” 

“Uhh,” I say, “I’m sorry I don’t. I could ask Dyna if you'd like.” I’m a little disappointed that I don't have a reason to keep talking to him. 

“Oh,” he smiles down at the floor, “Its top speed is Mach 2.5. I just thought I might as well figure out a reason to talk to you.” I’m a little surprised. His face is red as a beet and adjusts his glasses. 

I feel my face heat up and my eyes widen, “To me?” 

He chuckles, “Well yea Sweetie, I really enjoyed the tour.” 

“I see,” I fiddle with my sleeve and shuffle my feet, “I’m glad you enjoyed it. Most people get pretty bored but there are a few interesting parts.” 

“Well I think we just had a really good guide. I’m Bob Floyd by the way,” he extends his hand to me. 

I take it and ask,” No call sign?” 

He smiles at me, “No, just Bob.”

“Are you a pilot?” I ask, trying to find some reason to keep him talking to me. 

He chuckles and rubs his neck, “No, weapons systems. I back seat for Pheonix over there,” he gestures toward a woman with dark hair pulled into a low ponytail. “She flies, I just drop the bombs.”

My mind goes blank trying to think of something else to say, but Bob speaks up before I come up with something embarrassing, “Would you like to show me around again?” I look at him a little surprised and nod making my way around the plane. 

“I’m sorry I can't tell you much more about them. Usually people aren’t too interested in asking me questions after the tour.” I smile at him as we walk. 

He blushes a bit, “I’ve actually studied most of these. Kinda a hobby of mine.” 

“Oh,” I frown at the ground a little, “then why did you want to walk around again?” 

He blushes and looks down at the floor, “I thought it was obvious.” he glances at me, “I wanted to walk with you.” 

My face turns red and I touch my cheeks, “I see,” I look down at my feet and then back up a Bob. He has his hands shoved into his pockets and his face and ears are dusted pink. 

“Well,” I came to a stop and turned toward him, he did the same, “If you wanted to walk with me, I get off at four.” I look up at his surprised expression before he breaks into a grin. 

“Really?” he asks, I nod my head. “That sounds like you're asking me on a date,” he gives me a crooked smile.  

“Would you like to meet me back here at four then?” I question, “I don’t think I'll need to change,” I say and look down at myself.

“No,” he says suddenly, “uh, no, I mean you look perfect  just like that.” 

I smile, “Bobby? Are you hitting on me?” My hand goes up to play with one of my necklaces, his eyes follows the movement. A smile tilts his lips again, and his eyes quickly flit down to my body to my shoes and back up, before meeting my eyes again. 

“Would you like me not to?” he says softly, “It’s going to be difficult.” 

I choke at the boldness of his words. The shy, blushing man had disappeared and this flirty sailor had appeared in his place. Before I can respond he takes a half step closer and I don't want to back away from him. He smiles down at me, his eyes slightly lidded. “After we take a walk, I could take you to dinner.” his smirk gets bigger, “But I have to tell you.” He cranes his neck down to look me in the face, I inhale sharply at his expression. 

“I let very few people call me Bobby,” he looks like a starved animal that just found his next meal. He winks, one side of his lip following and a sharp, short click comes from his tongue. 

Then he stands straight and steps back, “I’ll see you at four then right Sweetie?” His smile could sweeten tea. At a loss for words I slowly not my head yes. 

“I’ll pick you up then,” he says scratching the back of his neck and takes two goofy steps backward knocking into a sign reading ‘No Outside Food or Drink’. I giggle at him and he looks up at me and joins in. He gives an awkward half-salute-half-wave before turning to meet the woman he had named as Phoenix earlier.  

When I stop giggling the reality of what just happened sunk in and a heat spread from the back of my neck and around my face. I hurry towards the break room glancing over at Dyna who is still talking to the Blond man who had followed her over. 

I bust through the door and open my locker, then shut it. I open it again, glance at the shelves and my bag hanging on a hook and then shut the door again. I lean my back against the door. What the hell was that?

..............................................................................................................................

AN; Hey look at me writing away, part. 2 coming up... sometime. :)

-okay, bye, thanks for reading, love you <3

[pan-cakes-makes]

CRYPTID CAMPSITE + ALIEN BUNKER

Sick of seeing run-of-the-mill camping builds? Then this cryptid hiking trail & conspiracy theorist bunker is just the injection of weirdness you need!

There’s a loch ness monster lake, bigfoot trails, & UFO landing site. Our resident alien Roswell has even set up a prepper style bunker deep in the woods to hide out from all the earthlings while he hunts for evidence of cryptids. One day he’s going to blow the lid off all this & finally prove to his mothership that he isn’t totally delusional, just you wait.

So if you’re looking to add a heavy dose of quirky, convoluted storytelling into your Animal Crossing gameplay, this is the tinfoil lined weird speed build you’ve been searching for. 

- CUSTOM CODES USED - Dirt Path: MA-4147-2454-4020 Loch Ness Sign: MA-3745-7775-6285 Lake Monster Polaroids: MA-3745-7775-6285 Bigfoot Trail: MA-3745-7775-6285 Crop Circles: MA-0357-3870-5655 Glyph Blocks: MA-9738-0604-0491 Owl: MA-9421-2929-3714 UFO Newspaper: MA-7746-3776-0655 Alien Jacket: MO-XXTS-45MF-GD9T Alien Hat: MA-1466-2448-3007 Eyebrows: MA-1409-5733-1266

Get the full scoop on YouTube here

[dpisigncompanyspringfield]

The Impact of LED Signs on Modern Business Marketing

In tоdау'ѕ соmреtitivе buѕinеѕѕ lаndѕсаре, еffесtivе mаrkеting ѕtrаtеgiеѕ are сruсiаl fоr сарturing consumer аttеntiоn аnd driving grоwth. Onе роwеrful tool thаt has rеvоlutiоnizеd thе mаrkеting world is the LED ѕign. These bright, dуnаmiс diѕрlауѕ hаvе become a ѕtарlе for buѕinеѕѕеѕ seeking tо enhance thеir visibility аnd engage сuѕtоmеrѕ in innоvаtivе wауѕ. Thiѕ blog explores thе ѕignifiсаnt impact оf LED signs on mоdеrn business marketing, highlighting thеir bеnеfitѕ and hоw thеу саn bе lеvеrаgеd fоr mаximum effect.

One оf thе рrimаrу advantages оf LED ѕignѕ iѕ thеir аbilitу tо еnhаnсе viѕibilitу. Unlikе traditional static signs, LED signs uѕе bright, vibrаnt lights thаt are viѕiblе frоm a distance аnd ѕtаnd out еvеn in adverse weather соnditiоnѕ. Thiѕ hеightеnеd visibility еnѕurеѕ thаt уоur buѕinеѕѕ catches thе eye оf potential customers, mаking it аn invаluаblе asset fоr storefronts, rеѕtаurаntѕ, аnd rеtаil outlets located in buѕу or сrоwdеd аrеаѕ.

Mоrеоvеr, LED ѕignѕ are nоt limitеd bу dауlight hоurѕ. Thеir brightnеѕѕ аnd clarity mаkе thеm еffесtivе at аnу time оf day оr night, providing соntinuоuѕ advertising аnd brаnd exposure. Thiѕ rоund-thе-сlосk viѕibilitу iѕ раrtiсulаrlу beneficial fоr buѕinеѕѕеѕ ореrаting in competitive environments, where ѕtаnding оut is еѕѕеntiаl.

Anоthеr ѕignifiсаnt imрасt оf LED signs оn modern buѕinеѕѕ marketing iѕ thеir dynamic аnd сuѕtоmizаblе nature. Unlikе traditional signs thаt rеԛuirе mаnuаl uрdаtеѕ аnd сhаngеѕ, LED signs can bе рrоgrаmmеd to diѕрlау a wide range of соntеnt, frоm tеxt аnd imаgеѕ tо vidеоѕ and аnimаtiоnѕ. Thiѕ flexibility аllоwѕ buѕinеѕѕеѕ to tаilоr their messages tо ѕресifiс аudiеnсеѕ, times оf day, оr promotional еvеntѕ.

For еxаmрlе, a restaurant саn uѕе аn LED ѕign tо diѕрlау different mеnuѕ for brеаkfаѕt, lunch, аnd dinner, or to рrоmоtе dаilу ѕресiаlѕ аnd events. Retail ѕtоrеѕ can highlight sales, nеw аrrivаlѕ, оr ѕеаѕоnаl рrоmоtiоnѕ. Thiѕ ability tо ԛuiсklу and еаѕilу сhаngе content keeps thе marketing mеѕѕаgе frеѕh аnd еngаging, hеlрing tо capture and retain сuѕtоmеr interest.

LED ѕignѕ аlѕо оffеr a соѕt-еffесtivе ѕоlutiоn fоr businesses lооking tо mаximizе thеir mаrkеting budgеt. Whilе the initial invеѕtmеnt may bе highеr соmраrеd to trаditiоnаl ѕignаgе, thе long-term bеnеfitѕ outweigh the соѕtѕ. LED ѕignѕ are highlу durable and have a lоngеr lifеѕраn, rеduсing thе nееd fоr frequent rерlасеmеntѕ. Additiоnаllу, they consume lеѕѕ еnеrgу, leading tо lоwеr electricity bills аnd a rеduсеd еnvirоnmеntаl fооtрrint.

Thе cost savings аѕѕосiаtеd with LED ѕignѕ еxtеnd beyond еnеrgу еffiсiеnсу. Their ability tо attract more customers аnd inсrеаѕе fооt trаffiс can lеаd tо highеr sales аnd revenue, рrоviding a ѕubѕtаntiаl rеturn on invеѕtmеnt. For ѕmаll buѕinеѕѕеѕ and ѕtаrtuрѕ with limitеd marketing budgets, LED ѕignѕ оffеr an affordable аnd imрасtful аdvеrtiѕing ѕоlutiоn.

LED ѕignѕ play a crucial rоlе in building brand awareness and еngаgеmеnt. Their еуе-саtсhing displays can rеinfоrсе brаnd idеntitу аnd сrеаtе a memorable impression оn potential customers. Bу inсоrроrаting brand соlоrѕ, lоgоѕ, аnd соnѕiѕtеnt mеѕѕаging, businesses саn strengthen their brand imаgе аnd inсrеаѕе rесоgnitiоn.

Interactive LED signs further еnhаnсе сuѕtоmеr еngаgеmеnt. Tоuсhѕсrееn сараbilitiеѕ and interactive соntеnt аllоw buѕinеѕѕеѕ to сrеаtе immеrѕivе experiences, ѕuсh as рrоduсt demonstrations, customer ѕurvеуѕ, or ѕосiаl mеdiа integrations. Thеѕе intеrасtivе еlеmеntѕ nоt only аttrасt аttеntiоn but аlѕо еnсоurаgе сuѕtоmеrѕ tо intеrасt with thе brand, lеаding to highеr еngаgеmеnt аnd customer lоуаltу.

In conclusion, LED ѕignѕ hаvе a рrоfоund imрасt on mоdеrn buѕinеѕѕ marketing bу еnhаnсing viѕibilitу, рrоviding dуnаmiс аnd customizable соntеnt, оffеring cost-effective аnd energy-efficient ѕоlutiоnѕ, аnd building brand аwаrеnеѕѕ and еngаgеmеnt. Aѕ buѕinеѕѕеѕ continue tо seek innоvаtivе wауѕ to ѕtаnd out in a сrоwdеd market, LED signs оffеr a versatile аnd роwеrful tool tо capture сuѕtоmеr аttеntiоn and drive grоwth. By lеvеrаging thе uniԛuе advantages of LED ѕignѕ, businesses саn сrеаtе compelling marketing саmраignѕ thаt leave a lаѕting imрrеѕѕiоn оn their target audience.

[kuroo-suno]

Hey, random question but ik you read some shoujo manga. Do you have any recommendations?

omg i sure do!! sorry if this is long i just really love shoujo ( ‘́⌣’̀) completed series are at the top and currently releasing are after, and i wrote a little about each one (though it's based on memory so it's not exactly detailed).

hopefully at least one of these is enjoyable! i've read loads more but these are some that stick out ♥

Completed:

Chorokute Kawaii Kimi ga Suki

☆ Intimidating, misunderstood sweetheart ML and an endearingly goofy and super-weak-to-romantic-gestures FL

Horimiya

☆ one of my all-time favourites UGH. FL and ML are both completely different outside of school but in vastly different ways and thanks to a chance encounter, they meet and discover that perhaps they both have a little more to offer than what's on the surface ♥♥♥♥

Kanojo ga Kawaisugite Ubaenai

☆ demon ML comes to the human world disguised as a high school student to complete a test to become the next demon lord and the FL has never had friends before and couldn't read any romantic (or warning) signs if they were printed on the inside of her eyelids. ML is also sooo weird and awkward and provides a lot of comic relief

Kawaisugiru Danshi ga Ouchi de Matteimasu

☆ FL is a star employee, but an absolute scrub once she gets home so she offers her friend/ML to live with her rent-free in exchange for his cooking and cleaning services (and to keep her from getting involved with losers)

Living no Matsunaga-san

☆ FL moves into her uncle's boarding house while her parents care for her grandmother and her roommates are quite the array of individuals, including the older ML who shows he cares by being a crabby little nag-machine

Natsuaki-kun wa Kyou mo Kokuhaku Shitai

☆ Aloof and seemingly disinterested ML (main character) pines HARD for the world's cutest girl and is desperately trying to confess

Tsubaki-chou Lonely Planet

☆ i wish i could read this for the first time again tbh. FL gets a job as a live-in housekeeper for a famous author (ML) to help pay back her dad's debts. ML is icy and distant, but FL has a heart of gold fr. This series made me laugh and cry numerous times and reading the last chapter was so bittersweet because i loved getting a conclusion but didn't want it to end yk? (from the same author as hirunaka no ryuusei and uruwashi no yoi no tsuki so no surprise it's 10/10)

Ongoing:

Daifuku-chan to Ouji-sama

☆ Small-town girl moves to the city for university (and to find new love). One of her boarding house roommates is a 10/10 but their first meeting doesn't exactly leave the best impression~

Hikaeme ni Itte mo, Kore wa Ai

☆ one of my all-time favourites?? Super school-focused, perpetually stressed FL comes across the battered and bruised delinquent ML in the rain and patches him up. He makes sure to repay the favour (insert saluting emoji here)

Kaoru Hana wa Rin to Saku

☆ modern day romeo/juliet situation except no one dies! ML and FL are from rival schools (lower-class, bad grades vs wealthy scholars) and are perceived very differently. ML is soft and sweet despite his appearance and encounters FL as a customer at his family's cake shop. She treats him differently than others have (read: like a human person) and oooooo it's so sugary!!

Super no Ura de Yani Suu Futari *technically seinen but........

☆ 45 y/o ML's only joys in life are going to the convenience store to talk to his favourite bubbly cashier and smoking out back with an edgy young woman who he's definitely more familiar with than he realizes..........

Uruwashi no Yoi no Tsuki

☆ FL presents much less feminine than her peers earning her the nickname of "prince" and she's always treated as such. But then she meets ML who is a fellow """prince""" and he sees her for who she is and appreciates her beauty both inside and out~

Yamaguchi-kun wa Warukunai

☆ FL has an unfortunate run-in with a creep on the train en route to her first day of high school and is saved by her delinquent classmate (ML). he's in everyone's bad books but the more she learns about him, the more determined she gets to change his reputation

Yubisaki to Renren

☆ FL is a deaf and lovely, but sheltered, college student and has a chance encounter with the ML, who is much more worldly and adventurous than she is annnnd cue tears fr

i almost added about 600 000 000 000 more but i'll hold back for now LOL if you have any recs or want to talk shoujo, please don't hesitate to reach out!!

[mango0o0o0os]

Finally paid off the bridge to Able Sister's :D

I'm gonna decorate it a little more soon, but I think it looks really nice right now too <3

Custom design codes I used under cut :3

Ocean Waves - MO-PNFQ-WK8K-F27P

Shells - MO-FPPB-414T-14T3

Brick Walkways (Creator Code) - MA-5169-0504-6671

Able Sister Sign - MO-P6F5-SS64-CPGK

Mermaid Dresses (Creator Code) - MA-0692-7603-1669

And my face paint is my own design, which I will share soon (along with some other things)

[honeydewresortaskblog]

Dear diary…

[TW for very self deprecating talk about wasted life from Mallow!]

I’ve been getting a lot of questions from the customers about my future lately. Things such as ‘What will you do when you move out?’, ‘What job will you take?’, or ‘What’s your favorite pass time?’ These are supposed to be easy questions, but, I couldn���t answer them even after lots of thought.

It’s, kinda funny. If people were a little more observant they would’ve assumed that I was the heir, it would’ve been reasonable to assume so. But people don’t, people think of me as a regular employee now. I think everyone forgot that I’m the CEO’s daughter, which, I know that was what I wanted, but it’s still a little jarring? It all changed so fast, only two years ago people were calling me Ms Honeydew and dad was consulting me about business ventures, new add-ons to the resort, and other, boring things. Now I just, sit behind a counter.

I can’t decide if I like this change or not.

Despite such a huge position, I left basically no impact, it's like I never was anyone in the first place.

Was I really anybody in the first place?

When my heir position was taken away, all that was left was a husk, like, an imitation of a monster if that makes any sense? Nothing was left for me, no hopes, no dreams, no future career ideas, all I really wanted when I made that decision was to be free of the stress and find myself, but is there even a 'myself' to find? I dont know what defines me, what do I want to do? What do I like to do? What do I do with my life?

Have I been wasting it?

People all around me, they're so happy. Dalv practically found the love of his life and has been so much happier playing his organ concerts and writing books. Ive been hearing talks of Mo disappearing from Snowdin and stopping his business deals, some people say hes even got a boyfriend. Theres even talk of that Pal person becoming a better person! Not even to mention all these blogs, with all these monsters having light hearted fun and enjoying themselves, they're all just, living for the sake of living.

Can you imagine that? Living for the sake of living? It sounds so simple at first but the concept when broken down, at least to me! Living, just for yourself, for your own enjoyment and your own sake. Taking life day to day and doing everything for your own sake, being happy! Just, living, they're living, truly truly living and being and striving. But, I'm just, existing. Existing, just, stuck.

My entire life has been wasted, and now I dont know what to do.

[*Tears stain the page, and theres no sign off in sight.]

[*You feel shame broil in your gut, as you have seen something you werent meant to see.]

[llostwriter]

The Misery of the Songstress’ Child

Chapter 6: This venerable one’s mother

Include the backstory of Duan Yihan and Xun Fengruo.

Heavy TW.

Word Count: 3614

Any gender

Xun Fengruo, the former infamous songstress of House of Drunken Jade. As her first name began, she was infamous for her flute playing. Her instrument is a white flute, crafted from a smooth, polished material that gleams softly in the light. Followed by a delicate tassel dangling from the end of the flute. Xun Fengruo could also play other instruments; however, her talents and skills lay in the flute. The same goes for Duan Yihan with her pipa. Both have many customers daily, with most of the profits going to the madam. Even despite their popularity among the men, it was still a struggle for them to pay for their freedom. As soon as the prostitutes and the songstresses' popularity rises, the cost of freedom would also skyrocket.

The only other way for them to gain freedom is by growing old and unwanted. Nobody is willing to wait that long. So they attempted to try their best to get enough, through pleasing the customer. Any success in running away will get the person blacklisted from nearby businesses. Due to the recognition of the pleasure house among several rich folks, Madam Mo does have connections with a few owners around the location. It would be quite easy for Madam Mo to send the information about blacklisted people to the other organizations. The other organization will undeniably follow it since nobody would want troublesome workers in their fields. The risk was too much for them to take.

The madam took Xun Fengruo and Duan Yihan in, upon seeing the state that they were in. Xun Fengruo was formerly the daughter of a nobleman until her father was persecuted after he was caught doing illegal activities and all her family possessions were seized. Leaving her with her mom and an empty house. Duan Yihan was the daughter of a commoner family before she was sold into the slave auction by her family. During the time that the brothel was recently purchased, it was common for Madam Mo to look for prostitutes and songstresses in the black market. Most of the women were selected as prostitutes, and the songstresses are minor additions to prove that the brothel isn’t just a complete sexfest, which wasn’t much help.

Since the songstresses were so few, some males decided to make it a challenge to get the songstresses to sleep with them. That challenge did increase the popularity of the singers, which contributed to the hiring of more singers, making the brothel completely stuffed. Upon first entering such a place, the strong smell of sweat and sex would immediately hit the customer. Madam attempted to hide the smell by using incense; however, that didn’t help. The place didn’t have much privacy since the outsiders would see the shadows of prostitutes and customers. And sometimes even the size of the customer's “rooster” was exposed. If the size was small, the customer’s dignity was also gone among females. Sooner or later, it becomes a laughing stock. Those laughing stocks later on complain to the minister; if it wasn’t for the fact that the minister also takes some visits to the pleasure house behind the back of his wives, the pleasure house would have already been shut down.

As in any other place, businesses never write out their warnings and caution signs before sticking them onto the front of their door. It was common knowledge that it will drive profits away, and profits are what make a living. It doesn’t matter how smart people are; in this world, it is only how rich their status is. Wealth equals power; that’s how this world works. Nevertheless, it was true that the pleasure house needed improvement. In the end, Madam Mo decided to upgrade the small brothel into a large music building. Still being a pleasure house, but the music businesses were more popular in the place. There was more space and more windows to drive away the odor. The privacy was better, providing both the females and customers with an area to do their activity. Duan Yihan and Xun Fengruo were fortunate enough to be accepted after the renovation. Duan Yihan was the one that was purchased with a couple of other females.

Due to Xun Fengruo being the only one who brought money to the house. All the maids and servants left due to a lack of wages. Her mother soon got sick out of stress after her father’s persecution, making her bedridden. Xun Fengruo had to find a job to support her mother. The issue with that is that she has no work experience; oftentimes all the house chores are done by the maids. Therefore, all her job applications were denied, leaving her no choice but to work as a songstress since it was the only job that accepted her. She assumed that it wouldn’t be that bad after all; she wasn’t serving the customer in bed. She has had a talent for playing music and singing ever since she was a kid, and she was highly praised for it. She put her skills into her job as a songstress and soon enough became a courtesan. A courtesan is one of the highest positions that a worker in a pleasure house could ever be in. Courtesans are treated with more respect since they are the ones who are bringing in most of the income. But her mother wasn’t able to witness it since her mother soon passed away.

_

Duan Yihan, the older sister among her other siblings, was born in a commoner’s household. Their mother died early from a disease that was curable; however, the medicine cost was expensive. Leaving Duan Yihan to be the only one to care for her siblings since her father didn’t want to take on that role. The father ended up remarrying another female in under a couple of months. Duan Yihan, who didn’t want conflict in her family, taught her siblings to accept their new mother even despite the complaints regarding it. It was easy to convince the younger ones; however, the older ones not so much. Take Duan Cong, for example, the second oldest of the siblings. He was filled with grief upon the father’s betrayal of the mother and was easily irritated at even the slightest sight of their new mother. He was the hardest one to convince; in fact, he yelled the three words “I hate you” at Duan Yihan due to believing that Duan Yihan didn’t loathe their father at his betrayal.

Duan Yihan understood Duan Cong’s feeling toward it; after all, she was experiencing the same thing, but she knew that resisting would only make things worse. The three words yelled at her did make her realize that she couldn’t force things. In the end, she gave up trying to convince him. Their new mother convinced their father to marry off Duan Yihan for some dowry. It was a guy from a noble family who was interested in her beauty; he wanted to make Duan Yihan his concubine. Before the marriage, the couple should meet each other. Duan Yihan was accompanied by the other side’s servants to meet the man. Duan Yihan didn’t love the man; she didn’t want to marry a man that she doesn’t even know. But she doesn’t have a choice since her family needs that money.

During the way to the property, they encountered muggers. The nobleman didn’t assign any guards with them, due to Duan Yihan’s commoner status. The muggers, realizing that their targets didn’t have money, choose to not leave and decide to sell them to the black market for some extra bucks. The female servants were shivering from fear, crying as they secretly prayed to the deities from above, hoping that someone would save them. Nobody wanted to die or get sold. A hoard of guards came through and attacked the burglars. Seeing that the situation was escalating, one of the burglars held Duan Yihan hostage. The guards were deciding to continue even despite the hostage since their order was to kill the burglars and nothing else.

That was when she first met Xun Fengruo. She was mesmerized by her fearlessness and the aura of authority that she held. Xun Fengruo wears the robes of a noblewoman, making Duan Yihan easily identify their status. Someone headshot the burglar with an arrow, saving her. The surviving servants told the noble lady that they were on their way to bringing Duan Yihan to her future spouse. The lady assigned some of her guards to accompany Duan Yihan before leaving with the remaining guards.

Maybe it was then that she realized that she didn’t want to marry him. She wanted to be as independent as the one who rescued her. So she ran—ran as far away as possible. With no idea where she is even going. The servants and guards chased after her, but soon enough, they lost her. The guards reported back to Xun Fengruo. In the end, fate seemed to have its way; it was Xun Fengruo who found her before sundown. Duan Yihan didn’t want to go back to her home; she feels like if she did, she'd be forced to be betrothed to someone who she doesn't love. In the end, she still ended up going home.

Her stepmother was furious at her since they got the news that the nobleman no longer wanted her as a concubine upon seeing that she attempted to escape. Duan Yihan, on the other hand, was thankful that the nobleman respected her choice and stopped chasing it. She thought that she could live her peaceful life with her sibling, only for her dreams to be crushed upon getting dragged away by some men in black, watching her stepmother count the money that was given to her. In the blink of an eye, she was locked inside a room that was crowded with many other females. She witnessed some of the females who resisted get beaten with a stick. The ones that were crying were told to shut up. Everything was in chaos. The door was opened, and a woman came through it; she selected her among a few others. With that, she was told that she’d become a new songstress.

She was fine with that arrangement; after all, at least she got to keep her body’s purity. Once she gained a name inside the pleasure house, she was able to visit the outside without any suspicion of her escaping. She heard that her siblings were sold to other families that were unable to have children of their own. As long as her siblings weren’t sold to human traffickers, it was good enough for her. So she lost contact with them, believing that their new families would be able to provide for them better than she could.

“It was for the best,” she said to herself.

—-

She would have never expected Xun Fengruo to end up in the same state as her. She did hear some rumors about Xun Fengruo’s father, but it was still a shocker for her to see the one that she admired being dropped so low. Duan Yihan attempted to get closer to Xun Fengruo. Unsuccessful. She’ll try again later on.

_

The words of Xun Fengruo and Duan Yihan’s beauty caught the attention of a nobleman, and soon enough, they became captives of the nobleman of the Lian Clan, a wealthy family-based clan. Lian for the first name. The guy who held them captive was Lian Xiu—fathering an estimated 10 children, including one born out of wedlock. Lian Xiu has seven concubines and a legal wife. He was deemed quite attractive by his peers if it wasn’t for the fact that he has quite an insatiable appetite for women. Lian Xiu has two older sisters who have already been married off. Lian Xiu was the only son of the former leader of the Lian Clan.

Even before the existence of the cultivation world, some clans only included family members. As long as half of the family members are cultivators, it is qualified as a clan instead of a merchant guild. In ancient China, it was unacceptable for a woman to become a leader. Unless there was a special force supporting her by any means possible, including enforcing threats and intimidation upon the ones who disagreed with the new sovereignty. The women who were born didn’t have a choice in who they were to marry. It was decided by the parents to select the one who would benefit the clan the most. The oldest sister of Lian Xiu also inherited the family’s water element, the same as Lian Xiu. As a result of her gender, she still ended up becoming only a housewife for a nobleman.

By the time the oldest sister was married off, the second-to-eldest sister had already run away with her lover after stealing some of the family’s gold. In the end, she ended up getting abandoned by her lover after finding out that he was only using her for wealth. With that, she has no choice but to come back to her clan empty-handed, facing the fate of having to marry someone she doesn’t love.

The legal wife of Lian Xiu had fertility issues, and that was said to be the major reason why he ended up having concubines. But who is to say that he wouldn’t have concubines even if the legal wife did give birth to a son? Lian Xiu used to be a good cultivator and promised to be a devoted husband upon marrying his first wife. Behind the back of his first wife, he visited multiple brothels, and sooner or later, he accidentally got one pregnant without realizing it.

The pregnant prostitute told Lian Xiu about it but was told to abort the child. Lian Xiu handed the pregnant prostitute enough money to purchase a miscarriage medicine. In the end, the pregnant prostitute doesn't drink the medicine and instead finds the first wife. At first, Lian Xiu doesn’t admit it and tells the servants to throw the prostitute out, but he is stopped by his first wife, who decides to wait until the child is born. The child was born, and it shared similar features as Lian Xiu confirming the prostitute’s words. With that comes the first concubine.

The first wife was quite a considerate woman; after all, even despite the bitterness upon knowing her husband’s infidelity, it didn’t change the fact that a child’s life is still a life. The unborn child was innocent. Lian Xiu misunderstood that gesture and ended up bringing in more concubines and having children with those concubines as well. By the arrival of the seventh concubine, the first wife finally got pregnant and gave birth to a healthy son. The legitimate heir was showered with love. Things were going well for the first wife and her son until one day two songstresses caught the attention of Lian Xiu. One escaped, leaving the other behind. That remaining songstress was none other than Xun Fengruo. And with that, he vented his anger onto her.

As usual, a sperm came into contact with Xun Fengruo’s egg, and she was pregnant. She lost count of the times when she attempted to kill the unborn child in her stomach, but no matter what, the child was still there. Alive and inside her. It was repulsive, and she wanted it gone. It was a strong fetus that even the miscarriage medicine she secretly consumed didn’t work. So many attempts failed, and she later accepted her fate.

All the maids of the other ladies hated her, and maybe it was out of pity that later on she got assigned to an old maid. At first, she was cautious around the elderly, assuming that the maid was a spy of Lian Xiu. As time passed, she slowly began lowering her guard, but she knew better than to tell her private thoughts to the maid. When she broke her water, there was no midwife; in the end, it ended up being the old maid who assisted her.

She gave birth to a healthy baby. The newborn was left in the care of the elder maid, while the mother regained her energy through sleep. The only time Xun Fengruo ever saw the baby was when she had to breastfeed it; the rest of the time, the newborn was with the maid. The tension between her and the other ladies increased upon the birth of the newborn.

She knew one day she’d get kicked out, and she was looking forward to it. Anything to get out of this hell. And as expected in hardly a month, Xun Fengruo was kicked out with her newborn. Lian Xiu was out for a political errand, making it the perfect time. When she was kicked out with her newborn, she was planning to leave the newborn out on the street. Her heart hesitated upon seeing the heartwarming smile on her baby; maybe it was because of the remaining morals that prevented her from doing the unthinkable. She ended up taking the baby with her to the only place that she knew. House of Drunken Jade.

She was heavily indebted to Madam Mo after that incident. The fastest way to pay off that debt faster was to sleep around. Her body was already tainted and used as it is; there’s no way for it to be even more tainted than it already is. Upon receiving that news, most of the high-ranking noblemen all rushed into the front desk, pushing and shoving each other to get a night with her. Duan Yihan suggested giving some silver to her to help her pay it off, but she denied it, saying that she didn't need her pity. Xun Fengruo was the one who told Duan Yihan to run, but help never arrived. Any trust between them was gone.

Her meimei` and jiejie` inside the pleasure house assisted her in taking care of the newborn while she was busy working. After paying it off, she went back to her usual job as a songstress, much to the dissatisfaction of the customers. At this point, her meimei and jiejie spend more time with the newborn than she ever could, which was believed to be the best. She knew that she was a bad mother, and she was able to live with that. Her relationship with Duan Yihan was still rocky, and Duan Yihan seemed to have given up on trying to repair it directly, focusing their time on the newborn instead.

This carried on for one year, and Duan Yihan found someone that she was interested in. Xun Fengruo, even despite her still not forgiving Duan Yihan for the past, still wanted Duan Yihan to find her own happiness. So when she noticed that something was wrong with that man, the first thing she did was to talk with Duan Yihan. Duan Yihan was ecstatic since it was the first time in a long time since Xun Fengruo took the first step in talking to her after that incident, even if the topic wasn’t favorable.

Driven by lovesickness, Duan Yihan disregarded Xun Fengruo’s warning. She paid the price by getting impregnated by someone who already had a wife. From the day that Duan Yihan proposed to leave the pleasure house, Xun Fengruo never saw her ever again. Only about 4 years later, when the child turned 6 years old, did Xun Fengruo find the only thing that Duan Yihan left. A four-year-old son was the only thing that Duan Yihan left.

When Xun Fengruo first heard the child’s name, she said, “It was a good name.” The son of Duan Yihan found a companion during his time here, and they grew closer as time went on.

Every year, there is a Lantern Festival. This year, Madam Mo got a high offer from a nobleman for a night with Xun Fengruo. Knowing that she wouldn’t willingly accept it, Madam Mo used countermeasures. But who would have expected Xun Fengruo to run away, abandoning her child?

///

Realizing the lack of times that Xun Fengruo addressed the child as ‘hers’

In other eyes’ Xun Fengruo was the woman, who must have purposely seduced the clan leader and only to have the result backfire on her miserably. The existence of the by-product always reminded her of those nights. The product was the link between her and that despicable man. She couldn’t find herself wanting to be the mother of such a product. At the same time, she knows that the child is innocent. It was difficult for her to accept such reality. As a result, maybe running away was the best option she could have had.

No one would willingly work in a pleasure house unless they were out of choice.

The foul smell of the former pleasure house was so strong that it was still there. During one of Madam Mo’s punishments to Mo Ran, he was kept there, and the smell of the incense haunted him till now.

The first thing that Duan Yihan did upon escaping was run toward the brothel to ask for help, but she was told by Madam Mo that Xun Fengruo has already been rescued and no longer wants this job. As much as she had her doubts about it, she was in no position to do anything else. Without knowing that it was Madam Mo who planned it.

Misunderstandings and loss of trust.

Duan Yihan achieved her dream of being independent, but at what cost?

The situation between Xun Fengruo, Duan Yihan, and the nobleman is quite similar to another situation from several hundred years before this plotline. Would history repeat itself?

This is only part one of her story.

[blightbear]

3, 5, 15, 40 for mori'na and solas <3

hiiii, thank you for asking!! <3

relationship asks

3. What is their love language?

I think quality time definitely, they both enjoy others company and just having someone to bounce their ideas off of. But also small looks and touches. A look across the main hall, a brush of the pinky for reassurance. They have a lot of small tells (they’re failing spectacularly at keeping their relationship mostly under wraps).

5. What is something they like to do together?

Sit in silence together but where they’re both doing their own thing. They’ll often sit in Mo’s chambers while she rifles through and fills out reports and he’ll either be reading or sketching in a book mostly of her. Sometimes they’ll make little quips like Mo being baffled by Orlesian customs or talk about their upcoming travels. Or Solas would help with Elven vocabulary and in turn Mori’na will provide him with a sign for some of the words. They just like being in one another’s company.

15. How do they comfort one another when the other is upset?

Mori’na usually keeps a distance, giving Solas space to reach out to her. Will usually leave those frilly cakes he loves on his desk or a salve she made that helps with sleeping and then with a little note. That usually gets him to open up a bit more and Mo offers a hug in comfort.

Solas…I would say it’s awkward for him at first, his company for thousands of years were spirits and they don’t have shifting emotions like the living do. He’s been learning though. He’s come to offer his council, yet he’s learned that she gets more angry if he offers ‘solutions’ so he rather just sits there listening and allowing her to vent. She’ll usually figure it out mid vent, but if not then he’ll ask if he can offer his opinion.

He’ll also draw her a hot both during a rather stressful day. Josie had slipped in a little tidbit during a reports conversation about Mo mentioning it at some point or another. She even slipped him a recipe for a bath salt concoction that includes scent information that she’s secretly been asking her. He’ll imbue some magic in the water to make it stay warm. Mo tries very hard to get him to stay but he’s the face of self control and leaves her be he’s really not she can see how red the tips of his ears get when she asks and the fluster in his voice

40. What is a song that reminds you of the OCs' relationship?

I have a multitude of songs for them several playlists with one of them being over 10hrs long so here’s a few recent ones that make me think of them (with a short explanation because I’ll take any chance to explain my reasoning lol)

Lovesick by Laufey

“When the gold rays fell on your skin / And my hair got caught in the wind / The choir sang a melancholic hymn”

This makes me think near the beginning of their romantic relationship, right after the Fade kiss, and the nostalgia surrounding it when they look back. It can be read from both perspectives, both of them going mad over it. A melancholic hymn because Solas knows it can’t last.

Love You Anyway by The Marias

“Maybe, I may never find the words to say / Wait another lifetime so that I could stay / I know that you've always been in love with me / But I know that you've also had to watch me leave”

Maybe in another life. That’s all.

Skeleton Key by Flower Face

“Did it break your heart / Or did you see it coming? / Led to the edge of the world with the sun in my eyes / When I'm back in that dream / And I'm running forever / I wake up with your hands on my lungs for the rest of my life”

They’ll never be rid of each other, both of them haunted, both of them with hands on their lungs never letting them forget that the love was there.

[ghostjelliess]

Hi, I have to rant about naming customs (socially, not for baby):

I was just doing some research on naming rites for a paper (specifically, I was looking at common patterns of forming courtesy names in the Tang Dynasty) and I stumbled over an old reddit thread of people trying to wrap their heads around ancient naming customs in relation to a show. They were struggling with it, repeating the same wiki quotes and theories over and over amongst themselves. It was sad, kind of painful to read.

It suddenly struck me that many people have no concept of their time. Like, without any technology, your name was your word, it is evidence used against you if someone doesn't like you, or your only defense against false accusation. Your identity is tied to your name, your name is tied to your station and your heritage, keeping it close to you is a private right, but also a protection. At a certain point in Dutch history (and maybe Germanic? Maybe it's just Frisian....), knowing someone's full name could tell you their entire lineage, because family names were cycled through in a specific order by birth and relation (so you don't have to remember your whole family tree, you can just rotate the names backwards and get grandparents, aunts and uncles, etc.)—but if one of those relatives was ✨Prolemat-ique✨, maybe you don't want anyone knowing you're blood-related, so you go by your quirky nickname that has more to do with what you looked like as a baby or a particularly stand-out trait or skill than an actually shortening of your formal name.

And that's not even mentioning cultural beliefs in curses, supernatural beings, etc. that could steal your identity or life by the power your name, OR of any of the historical records or folktales of identities being stolen by the presentation of a secret formal (usually royal) name. A princess is stripped of her title because her maid stole her name no one else was supposed to know except for royals and married the faraway prince. A lord is executed because a con-artist used his name at a foreign port and tanked his credit. The name of a god is kept secret because it's too powerful, or else uttering it at all is punishable by death. Claiming to be who you are not, whether a god, a lord, or a princess, that basic manipulation, was so much easier and potentially devastating, that it was seen as a social sleight rather than a personal one, an unforgiveable deception. And when travel is difficult and people consist of a census count, their living name, an ID tablet or charm depending on their class, and their grave, it's not so difficult to go to a place where the face that matches the name is unknown....

But maybe we don't read these pieces in our stories anymore because they've become so distant to us. We think of identity theft in the realm of sci-fi hackers and Guy Fawkes masks, and academic accolades as a list of nobel prize winners and scientific theory names. Maybe we only think about Rumpelstiltskin's name as a complicated trick because it's so strange that it's unguessable, rather than a potential way to control him, to force him to abide by the social rules and not take the baby, an illegal deal, because names make you accountable to actions. Aren't they still our primary identity though?

I was getting a little irritated (and also a little arrogant), in my field of thought bubbles that were all colliding, then a new thought hit me: we do still value naming customs, don't we. The more I thought about it, the more I came up with modern examples of us being protective of our names. We have "that's my name, don't wear it out," as if a name can be over-used. We give our heroes and villains epithets and titles tied to heritage and position. We write our names on every evidence of our work, signing our art, our cheques, our homework, our presentation files, our emails, our letters. Rappers and producers tag their songs audibly, and every souvenir shop has cases of junk accessories with a few of the most popular names, and whether yours is commonly present or not is a marker of social identity. We get mad when unfamiliar people call us by nicknames reserved for close family, or when they shorten our names without our consent; we reinvent ourselves, we change our names, we even give ourselves names to match cultures as we migrate, and that's not even mentioning usernames (particularly in context of online gaming, where you physically answer to your username because you are a teammate to strangers). Even though modern American English (MUSE) isn't considered a diglossia, doesn't have consistent honorifics or sociolects (highly debatable) within itself, we generally still culturally recognize a parent calling our Full Name™️ as uh-oh-in-trouble, a formal warning, and depending on where you grew up, the normal reserved response of "yeah/huh/what?" might become a formal callback of "yes sir/ma'am."

So then I was triple struck with epiphanies like BAM🤛BAM🤜BAM 👊

1. People struggle with the concept of foreign/ancient naming habits.

2. This is not because they are stupid. It is because they do not relate ancient or foreign customs to their own experiences (i.e. they do not observe themselves with the same scrutiny as they do others, while simultaneously still exhibiting similar cultural habits).

3. We do still hold ourselves accountable to our names, we are still protective of them and use many throughout our lives, because humans really haven't change all that much in five thousand years.

[truly-morgan]

[Camboy!JC, blackmail (nsfw-ish)]

XiCheng | Mo Dao Zu Shi Modern AU 24-07-2021

[#xicheng modern + su she blackmailer]

What if jc and lxc met when jc quit the jiang corporate and ended up at the lan co. On a temporary contract? And they fell in love as they worked alongside one another. Now isn't working for either, lxc is more than happy to provide for him (which is something that took a while for jc to do, but he enjoys being a "housewife").

Ss never liked jc and was always scared he would steal his job. He couldn't get along and jc was also not easy to Manipulate into doing what he wants him to do. Plus he doesn't believe him to be a good match for lxc.

He still comes to the company to help sometime and it does annoy ss. Then one day a pop-up directed him to a cam website. He was about to click off, only to realise who was on his screen.

Jiang cheng!!!

He watch a bit more as jc was doing lewd thing. Did lxc know!?

Worst, he even saw an unknown man enter the frame, face outside of view, coming to let jc hungrily suck him (and the chat was goi g wild at this, letting him know it was not the first time it happened).

He then realised he had the best munition to finally get rid of jc. He was a /camboy/ and a /cheater/. How could the righteous lan xichen accept this? The next day ss got up to lxc to talk about it. "I found something that might interest you on a cam website," ss said.

"I didn't know you were to those" lxc said with a small smile, "But I am fine, I can enjoy a-cheng all I want".

ss wanted to roll his eyes at this, shaking his head instead. "No! Not like that! A-a friend of mine used my PC and I accidentally clicked the history link".

lxc hummed slightly, his smile clearly saying "sure..."

"Anyway that's not the important part," ss said frustrated, "I... I found jiang wanyin on said site!"

lxc looked a bit surprised, before frowning a bit. "Are you sure? this is a big claim to make" he said.

"I am sure" he nodded.

lxc looked pensive for a moment, before simply nodding. "I supposed I can ask a-cheng about it tonight".

ss kept his sigh in, he had hoped the man would be a bit angrier, but he supposed it was not that surprising either. The next day, when they were in lxc office, he was internally waiting for something. his boss didn't look that different from usual, wondering what had happened the previous night.

"You might have seen wrong" lxc finally said when he gave him back some paper he just signed. ss was a bit taken aback, unsure how to respond. "Are you sure, I was pretty certain it was him" he said.

lxc frowned at this, "He assured me it was not true and I even checked our computer for hints of it, nothing" he replied.

"But am sure it was him! and with a man!!" he retorted.

"Su she!" lxc said, voice a warning in a slightly louder than usual. "Unless you have proof of it I would rather you not keep adding on this matter".

ss knew better than to argue back again, keeping in his complaint. he instead sighed silently, his eyes landing on the new watch his boss was wearing.

a good distraction.

"Nice watch" he smiled, "I don't think I've ever seen you wearing it".

This did seem to make lxc look less annoyed, smiling a bit instead. "It is" he said while looking down at the watch, "My friends gave it to me for my birthday, they made it custom to match the lan family symbol".

"Very interesting gift" ss smiled before excusing himself to go back to work.

He would find a way to convince his boss that his boyfriend was lying to him! That night ss went home with the will to show him he was saying the truth!! He looked up when jc would be live, waiting two days for him to finally do so.

He was taking proof of it, even better when a second someone finally came in. Then something caught his attention.

something on the person's wrist... the more he looked as the man was putting a light blue collar on jc, the more he realised with disbelief that he knew why it looked similar: It was his boss's watch?!?!?

He couldn't believe it, yet another thing entered the frame as the man seemingly came back with something else. a white tie with purple clouds pattern on it.

("This is my favourite tie, a-cheng gave it to me" lxc explained once when a colleague asked about it).

"Oooh I see sir wants to play a bit more tonight~~" jc said as the chat was going wild over this "sir", making requests on things he could do to jc. A low chuckle that sounded familiar was all that it took to make ss finally back out, closing his computer.

He wished he had not found out about all this.

little did he know jc discovered he has an exhibitionist kink although lxc was not too kin on doing so himself (being CEO and all). Jc found another way that lxc is more than happy to support, anything to make his husband happy

Original