#depending on who the people are you're dealing with

[mixolya]

ᓚᘏᗢ — golden hours, golden hearts : chapter 019 !

you slipped on a loose button-up, tucking it halfway into your jeans as you sat at your vanity. your next modeling shoot wasn't anything major, just a simple shoot for an up-and-coming brand, but you still wanted to look somewhat put together before heading out.

reaching for your concealer, you dabbed it under your eyes, blending it in with your fingers when-

ping!

your phone vibrated against the desk. you glanced at the screen, expecting a message from your manager or mitsuki, but instead-

you exhaled sharply through your nose. whoever that guy shidou ryusei was, he was a dumbass. shaking your head, you locked your phone, deciding to deal with this later. right now, you had a job to do.

the shoot went by in a blur. you posed, changed outfits, adjusted your expression depending on what the photographer wanted- nothing you weren't used to. the team was easy to work with, and the atmosphere was lighthearted, which made the whole thing fly by faster than you expected.

before you knew it, the shoot was over, and you were stepping outside into the crisp afternoon air, slipping your hands into the pockets of your coat.

and there he was.

sae sat on a bench a few feet away, one ankle resting over his knee as he scrolled through his phone. his head lifted slightly at the sound of your footsteps, and when he caught your eye, he slipped his phone back into his pocket, pushing himself to stand.

"you're actually here," you said, more to yourself than to him.

he raised a brow. "you thought i wouldn't be?"

you shrugged. "figured you'd cancel last minute and send me a half-assed excuse maybe."

a quiet huff of amusement left his lips as he took a step closer. "if i wanted to cancel, i wouldn't have texted you in the first place."

fair enough.

"so," he continued, slipping his hands into his pockets. "where do you want to go?"

you gave him a look. "you were the one who wanted to meet up."

"yeah," he said, tilting his head slightly. "but i figured i'd let you choose."

you narrowed your eyes slightly before sighing. "well, what do you want to see?"

sae paused for a moment, his gaze flickering away as if he was contemplating something. the sun was starting to dip behind the buildings, casting a soft orange hue across the city, and for a second, you almost felt like you were in a movie scene.

"honestly?" he looked back at you, his tone much lighter now. "i just want to spend time with you. since you're my girlfriend now. so why don't you show me what you like?"

your eyebrow quirked, both surprised and a little skeptical at how casually he was putting it.

"are you serious?" you crossed your arms, trying to appear more annoyed than you actually were.

he smiled, a genuine one this time, and shrugged. "yeah. you can show me something boring if you want."

your eyes narrowed playfully. "boring, huh? alright then, follow me."

without waiting for him to reply, you turned and started walking, heading in the direction you hadn't quite planned yet. sae followed without hesitation, keeping pace beside you as the two of you walked through the streets.

you could feel him glancing at you every so often, probably trying to figure out here you were leading him, but you didn't look back.

it didn't take long for you to reach a quiet street lined with trees and small cafes, the kind of place that wasn't packed with people or overly flashy. you stopped in front of a little museum you loved, one that was tucked away from the usual crowds. it wasn't too popular, but it had a certain charm to it that made it feel more intimate, like you could actually enjoy the art without a thousand other people jostling for a view.

you glanced at sae, who had fallen silent for a while now. his expression was thoughtful, like he was sizing up the place. when he noticed you looking at him, his lips twitched into a slight grin.

"this is where you wanted to go?" he asked, his voice almost teasing.

you nodded, starting to walk toward the entrance. "yep. art galleries aren't your things, aren't they?"

"i don't mind them," he said casually, following you inside. "as long as you're not trying to make me understand all the abstract stuff."

you laughed softly, shaking your head. "it's not that kind of place. come on."

the museum was quiet, the kind of calm atmosphere that made it easy to forget the outside world. you walked through the galleries, occasionally stopping to admire a painting or sculpture, but not really saying much. sae was right beside you the whole time, walking at your pace, but his presence was less of a distraction now. the awkwardness from earlier seemed to melt away, leaving a space where you could just be together, without all the pressure.

there was one painting that caught your eye- an abstract piece, with deep blues and swirling greens. you couldn't explain why, but it made you pause, drawn into the colors. sae noticed you staring at it and stepped closer, leaning in slightly, making your breath stop.

"is it weird?" he asked, his voice quieter now. "that i'm starting to get the appeal of art, just from watching you look at it?"

you glanced at him, a little surprised by the comment. "you're weird," you muttered, but it wasn't exactly an insult. it was just, maybe, a different side of him. a side you hadn't seen much on social media before. not that you've known him for years but there has been a lot more content of sae itoshi on your feed since he stepped into your life.

he smirked, unbothered. "yeah, i get that a lot."

you stayed there for a few more minutes, lost in the silence of the room. it felt different, easier, like you didn't need to fill every second with words. and even though you wouldn't admit it aloud, there was something nice about it, being there with him.

once you'd walked through most of the museum, you made your way back out into the city streets when your stomach grumbled slightly, reminding you that you didn't eat anything yet for today. your eyes wandered over the street, and that's when you spotted it- the hot pot restaurant you had been dying to try for ages.

you didn't even think twice. "hey, let's eat here," you said, pointing toward the small building with a neon sign glowing above it.

sae glanced at the restaurant you were pointing to, raising an eyebrow at the sign. "hot pot, huh?" he said, his voice a little more neutral than usual, but there was a hint of curiosity behind it. "looks... cozy."

you didn't wait for a second invitation. without even thinking about it, you turned and headed straight for the door, your excitement taking over. sae followed, a lazy smirk on his face as he caught up to you, hands stuffed casually in his pockets.

the small restaurant wasn’t too crowded, the warm glow from the lights inside offering a welcoming atmosphere. the hostess greeted you both and led you to a booth near the back, where you settled in with a comfortable distance between you, despite your earlier, more relaxed interaction at the museum.

sitting down, you grabbed the menu, scanning the different broths and meats listed. "i’ve been dying to try this place for weeks," you said, your voice slightly quieter now that you were seated. You felt a small rush of excitement again- something about being here, in this little hidden gem of a restaurant, felt different than what you usually did. there was no pretense, no flashes of cameras or waiting for a perfect moment to pose.

"yeah?" sae’s voice broke you from your thoughts as he picked up the menu, flipping through it slowly. "what makes this place so special? the broth?"

you nodded eagerly, not missing the way sae's gaze flickered toward you in curiosity. "it’s all about the broth. i think they’ve got, like, ten different types. but the best one is the spicy miso- it’s got this kick to it, and the flavors... they’re unreal."

sae raised an eyebrow but didn’t comment, instead setting the menu down and folding his hands on the table. "alright, let’s go with that one then. i'll let you choose."

you nodded, your excitement returning full force as you placed the order. you weren’t sure why, but it felt like the right choice for the evening- something low-key, comfortable, and easy.

as the waiter walked away to put in your order, you leaned back in your seat, glancing at sae. he was looking out the window, lost in thought, his usual self-assured air now replaced with something... quieter. you tried not to stare too much, but his relaxed demeanor felt so out of place compared to his usual boldness.

"so," you said after a moment, trying to break the silence. "i didn’t expect you to enjoy the museum so much."

sae turned his gaze to you, catching your eye as if he’d been waiting for you to say something. "i told you, i’m not just about flashy things," he said with a shrug. "i can appreciate... this." he gestured around the cozy interior of the restaurant. "it’s more... real. different."

you blinked, surprised. his answer wasn’t exactly what you were expecting, but you couldn’t deny the sincerity in his voice. "huh. didn’t take you for someone who’d care about the real stuff."

sae’s lips twitched up into that familiar smirk, though this time it didn’t feel like he was putting on a mask. "you’d be surprised," he muttered, leaning back in his seat. "you don’t know everything about me yet, do you?"

that was true. you didn’t know everything about him. you’d seen the public version of sae itoshi. confident, untouchable, always in the spotlight- but here, in this quiet booth, he seemed more... like a person. maybe the kind of person who enjoyed the simple things more than he let on. you glanced at him, your curiosity irritating.

before you could say anything, your food arrived, and the conversation shifted as you dug into the steaming pot of broth and ingredients. you tried not to show how much you were enjoying it, but sae noticed. "seems like you made the right choice," he commented, teasing lightly.

you gave him a small, amused smile. "yeah, i did. i wasn’t kidding about the broth."

the two of you continued eating, the atmosphere still relaxed despite the underlying tension that always seemed to linger when sae was around. eventually, as the meal slowed down and you both leaned back, your stomachs full, sae’s voice cut through the comfortable silence once again.

"tell me," he started, his tone quieter now, more thoughtful. "what’s the biggest thing you’ve ever done for yourself?"

you looked up from your bowl, caught off guard by the question. your mind flickered back to the many sacrifices and decisions you’d made throughout your life- the career, the constant hustle, the push for more. but sae wasn’t asking about your career. he wasn’t asking about the apparent stuff.

you hesitated. "i don’t know," you admitted, your fingers tracing the edge of your bowl. "i guess i’ve always been more focused on... other things. other people."

sae raised an eyebrow at your response, seemingly surprised by your honesty. "that’s pretty typical for someone in your position."

you scoffed, trying to shrug it off. "i don’t see it that way. you always do what you think is best, right? but... you know, sometimes, it feels like i forget what i even want anymore."

he was silent for a moment, watching you closely, before his gaze softened. "i get that," he said quietly. "it’s easy to forget about yourself when you’re always looking out for everyone else. but you deserve more than that."

you swallowed, not quite sure how to respond. his words hung in the air between you two, a little too heavy for something so casual. for a moment, the weird dynamic between you and sae seemed to shift. it wasn’t like him to get so... serious.

sae leaned back in his seat, looking like he was debating something in his mind before shaking his head slightly. "but hey," he said, shrugging as if to brush it off, "i'm not here to preach to you. just do what makes you happy. that’s all i'm saying."

you gave a small nod, your eyes meeting his for just a moment longer than usual. there was something genuine in the way he spoke, and for the first time that evening, you felt like you were seeing more of the person beneath the surface.

but you weren’t ready to let it all out just yet. so, instead, you forced a smile, picking up your chopsticks and shifting the conversation to something lighter. "well, for tonight, i'm happy with this."

sae smiled back, clearly relieved to see you back to your usual self. "good. that’s all that matters."

and so, you spent the rest of the evening talking about lighter things, but that one moment of quiet honesty lingered in the back of your mind, like a shadow that refused to fade. sae itoshi wasn’t just the guy in front of the cameras- there was more to him. and for reasons you couldn’t quite explain, that scared you a little.

but for now, you were content. or at least, pretending to be.

"hey," he said suddenly, his voice casual, but his gaze fixed on you.

Sae glanced at the restaurant you were pointing to, raising an eyebrow at the neon sign. "Hot pot, huh?" he said, his voice a little more neutral than usual, but there was a hint of curiosity behind it. "Looks... cozy."

You didn't wait for a second invitation. Without even thinking about it, you turned and headed straight for the door, your excitement taking over. Sae followed, a lazy smirk on his face as he caught up to you, hands stuffed casually in his pockets.

The small restaurant wasn’t too crowded, the warm glow from the lights inside offering a welcoming atmosphere. The hostess greeted you both and led you to a booth near the back, where you settled in with a comfortable distance between you, despite your earlier, more relaxed interaction at the museum.

Sitting down, you grabbed the menu quickly, scanning the different broths and meats listed. "I’ve been dying to try this place for weeks," you said, your voice slightly quieter now that you were seated. You felt a small rush of excitement again—something about being here, in this little hidden gem of a restaurant, felt different than what you usually did with Sae. There was no pretense, no flashes of cameras or waiting for a perfect moment to pose.

"Yeah?" Sae’s voice broke you from your thoughts as he picked up the menu, flipping through it slowly. "What makes this place so special? The broth?"

You nodded eagerly, not missing the way Sae's gaze flickered toward you in curiosity. "It’s all about the broth. I think they’ve got, like, ten different types. But the best one is the spicy miso—it’s got this kick to it, and the flavors... they’re unreal."

Sae raised an eyebrow but didn’t comment, instead setting the menu down and folding his hands on the table. "Alright, let’s go with that one then. I’ll let you choose."

You nodded, your excitement returning full force as you placed the order. You weren’t sure why, but it felt like the right choice for the evening—something low-key, comfortable, and easy.

As the waiter walked away to put in your order, you leaned back in your seat, glancing at Sae. He was looking out the window, lost in thought, his usual self-assured air now replaced with something... quieter. You tried not to stare too much, but his relaxed demeanor felt so out of place compared to his usual bravado.

"So," you said after a moment, trying to break the silence. "I didn’t expect you to enjoy the museum so much."

Sae turned his gaze to you, catching your eye as if he’d been waiting for you to say something. "I told you, I’m not just about flashy things," he said with a shrug. "I can appreciate... this." He gestured around the cozy interior of the restaurant. "It’s more... real. Different."

You blinked, surprised. His answer wasn’t exactly what you were expecting, but you couldn’t deny the sincerity in his voice. "Huh. Didn’t take you for someone who’d care about the 'real' stuff."

Sae’s lips twitched up into that familiar smirk, though this time it didn’t feel like he was putting on a mask. "You’d be surprised," he muttered, leaning back in his seat. "You don’t know everything about me yet, do you?"

That was true. You didn’t know everything about him. You’d seen the public version of Sae Itoshi—confident, untouchable, always in the spotlight—but here, in this quiet booth, he seemed more... like a person. Maybe the kind of person who enjoyed the simple things more than he let on. You glanced at him, your curiosity piqued.

Before you could say anything, your food arrived, and the conversation shifted as you dug into the steaming pot of broth and ingredients. You tried not to show how much you were enjoying it, but Sae noticed. "Seems like I made the right choice," he commented, teasing lightly.

You gave him a small, amused smile. "Yeah, you did. I wasn’t kidding about the broth."

The two of you continued eating, the atmosphere still relaxed despite the underlying tension that always seemed to linger when Sae was around. Eventually, as the meal slowed down and you both leaned back, your stomachs full, Sae’s voice cut through the comfortable silence once again.

"Tell me," he started, his tone quieter now, more introspective. "What’s the biggest thing you’ve ever done for yourself?"

You looked up from your bowl, momentarily caught off guard by the question. Your mind flickered back to the many sacrifices and decisions you’d made throughout your life—the career, the constant hustle, the push for more. But Sae wasn’t asking about your career. He wasn’t asking about the superficial stuff.

You hesitated. "I don’t know," you admitted, your fingers tracing the edge of your bowl. "I guess I’ve always been more focused on... other things. Other people."

Sae raised an eyebrow at your response, seemingly surprised by your honesty. "That’s pretty typical for someone in your position."

You scoffed, trying to shrug it off. "I don’t see it that way. You always do what you think is best, right? But... you know, sometimes, it feels like I forget what I even want anymore."

He was silent for a moment, watching you closely, before his gaze softened. "I get that," he said quietly. "It’s easy to forget about yourself when you’re always looking out for everyone else. But you deserve more than that."

You swallowed, not quite sure how to respond. His words hung in the air between you two, a little too heavy for something so casual. For a moment, the playful, teasing dynamic between you and Sae seemed to shift. It wasn’t like him to get so... serious.

Sae leaned back in his seat, looking like he was debating something in his mind before shaking his head slightly. "But hey," he said, shrugging as if to brush it off, "I’m not here to preach to you. Just... do what makes you happy. That’s all I’m saying."

You gave a small nod, your eyes meeting his for just a moment longer than usual. There was something genuine in the way he spoke, and for the first time that evening, you felt like you were seeing more of the person beneath the surface.

But you weren’t ready to let it all out just yet. So, instead, you forced a smile, picking up your chopsticks and shifting the conversation to something lighter. "Well, for tonight, I’m happy with this."

Sae smiled back, clearly relieved to see you back to your usual self. "Good. That’s all that matters."

And so, you spent the rest of the evening talking about lighter things, but that one moment of quiet honesty lingered in the back of your mind, like a shadow that refused to fade. Sae Itoshi wasn’t just the guy in front of the cameras—there was more to him. And for reasons you couldn’t quite explain, that scared you a little.

But for now, you were content. Or at least, pretending to be.

"hey," he said suddenly, his voice casual, but his gaze fixed on you.

he handed you his phone, and your eyes instantly fell on the screen. it was a picture. one of you at the museum, standing in front of a painting, completely absorbed in the art. the catch? it was from behind, just capturing the curve of your shoulders and the fall of your hair as you stared at the piece, the soft light framing your figure.

you glanced up at sae. "that's actually a good shot," you said, your voice soft, the usual sarcasm absent.

he softened, his eyes glinting with satisfaction. "do you mind if i post it?"

you stared at the photo, feeling the unfamiliar urge to hesitate.

"sure," you said, your tone quieter than usual...

chapter 018 > here > chapter 020

taglist is open ! <3

back to golden hours, golden hearts

a/n: hi i'm back and i dont like this chapter bye

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© mixolya 2025. do not copy, remake or edit any of my works.

[fatphobiabusters]

idk if this is the right place to ask, and i apologize if it is not. but i have been wondering: what is the best thing a skinny person can say when a fat person talks about losing weight with them? i have had some people talk to me about their weight loss goals or their feeling like they want to or need to lose weight, and i usually just listen and don't say anything/just nod along because i don't know what the right thing to say is. i don't want to invalidate their feelings but i also don't want to validate fatphobic messaging from the surrounding environment. sorry if this is silly to ask, but i can never figure out what the least harmful thing to say is

I don't think your ask is silly at all. I can definitely see the dilemma there. I appreciate you wanting to not validate fatphobic messaging.

I think the best course of action would majorly depend on the situation/person you're dealing with. A lot of fat people are still gripped by the piercing claws of fatphobic rhetoric and diet culture. In those situations, it may be a good idea to focus on "planting the seed." That is, focus on starting future change. Plant the seed and let it grow, even if you don't see the future growth yourself.

I remember having to take a persuasion and media class during my bachelor's degree. It was such an eye-opening course, and the part I still strongly remember to this day is that...we probably aren't going to succeed in changing a person's deeply-held beliefs in the moment with a single conversation. Changing that belief will take years. So that's why I focus a lot on being the person who plants the seed. Even if I don't change this person's mind today, I have planted the seed for possible growth years later. This informs how I interact with fatphobic people, and remembering this also helps my mental health so I don't feel horrible when a person doesn't immediately change.

A way you could implement this "plant the seed" method is by being a role model and simply saying "I don't think I like talking about weight loss. Weight is a very nuanced and complex thing. I don't want to focus on conformity to thinness." This way, you're showing the person that there's another option out there beyond the lifelong chasing of thinness. This method of focusing on your own boundaries also can help prevent a debate or argument. "Is it okay if we don't talk about weight? I feel like this world views thinness as the ultimate achievement, but more bodies than just thin bodies have worth. I'd feel more comfortable talking about something else, if that's alright."

You're stating your own belief and boundaries rather than telling the other person to have those beliefs and boundaries themself. You're not attacking the person or asking the person to change. You're not asking for a debate. You're not even asking for their thoughts on the topic. But by gently putting your foot down, you have established your view and put another option on that person's radar that they probably didn't know of beforehand. This role model method can be the first crack in the shattering of the glass for that person's beliefs about weight and this fatphobic society.

Also, this may be the autism in me, but maybe being straightforward with communication can help? "I'm not sure how to respond since I'm a thin person, so I've had a very different life experience and don't know everything you have gone through as a plus size person*. I don't believe thinness and weight loss are the answer, but I'm not sure how to respectfully talk about this complex topic as a thin person. I hope this helps you better understand my thoughts." I put an asterisk after "plus size person" because "fat person" shouldn't be a taboo word. However, a fat person who hasn't done any unlearning of internalized fatphobia likely isn't ready to use that word to describe themself. So, it's probably safer to call them a "plus size person" instead.

I hope these strategies will help!

-Mod Worthy

[daisychainfiction]

1. IS BUG VIEWED AS MY DAUGHTER OR NIECE?

It's entirely up to you. In Chapter Two, you set what she calls you (mama, papa, zaza, auntie, uncie, auncie, your name, or 'insert something else'). You get to decide for yourself.

OKAY, BUT LIKE... IF I ASKED HER IF SHE WAS MY DAUGHTER OR NIECE, WHAT WOULD SHE SAY?

She's only 2 and is isolateded from typical family dynamics. She considers you 'her person' in canon, and doesn't think of it much past that. Any further nuance you want is up to your headcanon.

PLS JUST GIVE ME ANSWER :(

Canon doesn't have to be your Bible, especially not in this situation - it's literally up to you. Follow your bliss.

2. DEERBOURNE IS DEFINITELY A CULT, RIGHT?

Depends on how you want to view it. Is it a literal cult? No. Does it function similarly? Definitely. Is Headmistress Deerly dangerous? If she thinks that she has to be in order to protect Deerbourne. Is she the most dangerous thing? Not even close.

3. ARE THE INITIATES FREE TO LEAVE DEERBOURNE AND LIVE NORMAL LIVES?

They all have the freedom to walk out, yes. They'll even receive a good bit of food, clothing, and money when they leave. But the freedom to walk out doesn't always mean the freedom to live.

4. ARE ANY OF THE ROMANTIC OPTIONS BAD PEOPLE?

There is no line between good and bad in any of these characters. They all have their flaws - some more significant and more dangerous than others. They all have their burdens to bear; it's up to you whether you can live with them or not.

DO ANY OF THE ROMANTIC OPTIONS WANT TO HARM BUG?

No. All of them want to protect her and keep her safe. ...But some of them have different ideas of what that means.

5. THE THING IN THE WOODS...?

That's он сам. He protects the woods and He is the woods.

OKAY, BUT WHAT THE HELL IS HE DOING WITH ALL OF THESE GROTESQUE MONSTERS?

He has slivers of Himself all over the woods - they help keep Him informed.(Think of it like taking cuttings from a plant to make a new-but-identical plant.)

Those slivers have puppets. The puppets are reanimated bodies of those who died in the woods.These are the 'grotesque' ones you'll see loitering at the treeline outside your cabin from time to time.

The puppets do the menial tasks needed to keep the forest alive and healthy. Such as clearing paths so unsuspecting travelers may enter. Scaring away children too young to make deals or be useful vessels. That sort of thing. When they aren't in use, they are simply bodies on the ground. When they are in use but are currently taskless, they loiter.

SO он сам IS EVIL?

It depends on your view. Is it evil to try to protect one's home through any means necessary? To offer a chance at life, albeit limited, to those intent on dying? To take what you need in order to survive?

6. WHEN WILL YOU UPDATE TO THE PUBLIC?

One month after a chapter is completed, it will get added to the public demo. There is no set updating schedule for the public demo.

WHY DOES IT TAKE SO LONG?

1. Patreon gets to have a month with the demo first as a thank-you for paying us.

2. I am blind, so I take a long time to write due to eye disease-related migraines.

3. When I write, I'm working in short stints on a mobile phone 2 inches from my face. It isn't great for productivity, but it is what it is.

WAIT, WHO IS "US" AND "WE?"

We are Daisychain Fiction! It's me, Daisy, and my spouse, Chain. I do the writing, while Chain does the editing, coding, and posting.

7. DO YOU DO SCENE REQUESTS OR SITUATIONAL ANSWERS?

Sometimes! You can always send them in. If it's intriguing or hits me at the right time, I will.

Note: If you're referencing a current meme or trend in your ask, please let me know the source. I don't do social media, so I'm usually out of the loop when it comes to internet culture.

ARE NSFW QUESTIONS OKAY?

They don't bother me, so you can send them in - I may or may not answer them, though.

8. I FOUND A BUG! WHAT DO I DO?

Submit it here via Ask, or on the Patreon via a comment or the Community Chat. Chain will get to it as soon as they can.

This list will be updated as needed! Thanks for reading!

[askshivanulegacy]

The question I have is why is everyone trying to manufacture scenarios to prioritize one person over another?

Since when do you need to rank the important people you know in life? When exactly is this mythical priority ranking supposed to kick in? To what effect? The people who are important to you are important to you. There isn't a scenario where I ever need to prioritize one person over another unless it's just a bad pile of unlucky circumstances, and then I'm going to look at who needs support from me that can't get it elsewhere and that's just facts and reality.

I have a good friend who got married (oh no!) and I wasn't even the maid of honor, but she changed up her entire wedding scheme to fit the outfit that suited ME. Even before she was married, I ended up hanging out with her and her boyfriend, and now usually when we do stuff it's the three of us hanging out, as friends. It was never "my friend is leaving me," it was always "my friend is officially beginning a new adventure in her life and I get to be a part of it and I'm so happy for her and the friendship goes on!"

Go make friends with your best friend's SO for Pete's sake. You can't fault them for wanting a certain person in their lives, but it's not like they're expecting or wanting the friendship with YOU to change. There's room to do things just the two of you still, but also with the SO too. Why are people writing off another potential friend?? It's hard enough to find good friends already, and there's one waiting right there, practically gift-wrapped. XD

I know three married couples now, which all stemmed from single good friendships. And I like their partners a lot, and I like inviting their partners to things too! I look forward to seeing both of them! The partners don't actually detract from the original friendships! Crazy!!

Each of the above posts assumes that the priority will be the romantic, or that it can instead be the platonic relationship, and they both miss the elephant in the room.

It can be both, it should be both, there is all the room in the world for both.

Why is everyone assuming there's a choice to make? The "priority" is a LIE.

If your totally platonic best friend is getting a girlfriend or getting married or making significant relationship steps in their life, you need to find it in your heart to be happy for them. If that's hard for you because you're feeling lonely and worried about being sidelined then 1) work on it, and 2) do fun stuff with your friend. It's okay to have the feelings, but it's not okay to be selfish about it. Your friend isn't going to leave you behind unless they're an ass, and then they weren't really your friend. It sucks to be sharing some great development in your life with someone you care about, and wanting that person to share in your joy and be happy for you, and then to have that person whine and cry and make it about them because it's not about them.

Don't be that person.

Saw a reddit post today about a girl who was upset that her childhood best friend replaced a photo of the two of them in his wallet with one of him and his girlfriend. And while yeah, she was being unreasonable with a lot of what she was saying, I totally understand the sadness of a friend "replacing" you with someone they have romantic feelings for. Makes it worse when the top comment is this

Every single comment on this post is about how family and romantic relationships always take precedence over friendships. I don't have anything more to say to this aside from the fact that... this is why it's hard for aroaces to imagine futures for themselves. Society drills it into your head that you're going to live in a world where you are no one's priority if you don't have romantic relationships and it fucking sucks

[mantisgodsdomain]

We ought to write more Pokemon fic some time. We want to recreate the Pokemon Manners/Human Manners cheat sheet that we made a few years ago we think that this site would like the Sliding Scale Of Politeness When Greeting A New Pokemon You've Never Met Before.

[ruvviks]

made the realization my vampire story would work best as a video game and now i can't stop thinking about it

[enignoema-a]

Would you rather share a cell with Zsasz or Croc? :)

unprompted asks || always accepting

"... Well contrary to popular belief Waylon doesn't have a compulsion to kill-- at least... not to the degree Zsasz does. He's just trying to live, most of the time." Edward always tried to watch the other inmates, figure out how each and every one ticked. Why were they there? What was wrong with them? How do you get on their good side or at least stay off of their bad side?

"Plus I personally think he's pretty good looking so, there's a plus."

[000marie198]

I've grown up in a desert. Temperatures go up to 44 during daytime on a normal day, no matter the season besides winter.

I can handle 35 no problem.

I remember in high school my geography teacher said humans will choose to live in unbeatable heat over unbearable cold, but nearly every single person I've met in my life has said they'd rather die in the cold than live in the heat, so now I thought to myself why not outsource this question!

no fahrenheit because if i have to google the answers on polls with no celcius, so do you

[unproduciblesmackdown]

saw ppl talking on twitter About It rather than directly what they were talking about when in recent months they were testifying to a Casual R Word Usage increase & i never saw it on twitter b/c yknow for as relatively few ppl as i Ever followed that activity has decreased a lot lately & i don't think i ever followed accounts where it would apply anyway & very rarely look at even Trends or anything else sitewide. but i feel like i'm seeing a bit of it on here more recently at least in recommended posts that are clearly just drawing from very general Humorous Posts genre like yeah that's just uh y2k style rword usage

[ame-to-ame]

:|

[homo-house]

hey uh so I haven't seen anyone talking about this here yet, but

the amazon river, like the biggest river in the fucking world, in the middle of the amazon fucking rainforest, is currently going through its worst drought since the records began 121 years ago

picture from Folha PE

there's a lot going on but I haven't seen much international buzz around this like there was when the forest was on fire (maybe because it's harder to shift the narrative to blame brazil exclusively as if the rest of the world didn't have fault in this) so I wanted to bring this to tumblr's attention

I don't know too many details as I live in the other side of the country and we are suffering from the exact opposite (at least three cyclones this year, honestly have stopped counting - it's unusual for us to get hit by even one - floods, landslides, we have a death toll, people are losing everything to the water), but like, I as a brazilian have literally never seen pictures of the river like this before. every single city in the amazonas state is in a state of emergency as of november 1st.

pictures by Adriano Liziero (ig: geopanoramas)

we are used to seeing images of rio negro and solimões, the two main amazon river affluents, in all their grandiose and beauty and seeing these pictures is really fucking chilling. some of our news outlets are saying the solimões has turned to a sand desert... can you imagine this watery sight turning into a desert in the span of a year?

while down south we are seeing amounts of rain and hailstorms the likes of which our infrastructure is simply not built to deal with, up north people who have built everything around the river are at a loss of what to do.

the houses there that are built to float are just on the ground, people who depend on fishing for a living have to walk kilometers to find any fish that are still alive at all, the biodiversity there is at risk, and on an economic level it's hard to grasp how people from the northern states are getting by at all - the main means of transport for ANYTHING in that region is via the river water. this will impact the region for months to come. it doesnt make a lot of sense to build a lot of roads bc it's just better to use the waterway system, everything is built around or floats on the river after all. and like, the water level is so incomprehensibly low the boats are just STUCK. people are having a hard time getting from one place to another - keep in mind the widest parts of the river are over 10 km apart!!

this shit is really serious and i am trying not to think about it because we have a different kind of problem to worry about down south but it's really terrifying when I stop to think about it. you already know the climate crisis is real and the effects are beyond preventable now (we're past global warming, get used to calling it "global boiling"). we'll be switching strategies to damage control from now on and like, this is what it's come to.

I don't like to be alarmist but it's hard not to be alarmed. I'm sorry that I can't end this post with very clear intructions on how people overseas can help, there really isn't much to do except hope the water level rises soon, maybe pray if you believe in something. in that regard we just have to keep pressing for change at a global level; local conditions only would not, COULD NOT be causing this - the amazon river is a CONTINENTAL body of water, it spans across multiple countries. so my advice is spread the word, let your representatives know that you're worried and you want change towards sustainability, degrowth and reduced carbon emissions, support your local NGOs, maybe join a cause, I don't know? I recommend reading on ecological and feminist economics though

however, I know you can help the affected riverine families by donating to organizations dedicated to helping the region. keep in mind a single US dollar, pound or euro is worth over 5x more in our currency so anything you donate at all will certainly help those affected.

FAS - Sustainable Amazon Fundation

Idesam - Sustainable Developent and Preservation Institute of Amazonas

Greenpeace Brasil - I know Greenpeace isn't the best but they're one of the few options I can think of that have a bridge to the international world and they are helping directly

There are a lot of other smaller/local NGOs but I'm not sure how you could donate to them from overseas, I'll leave some of them here anyway:

Projeto Gari

Caritás Brasileira

If you know any other organizations please link them, I'll be sure to reblog though my reach isn't a lot

thank you so much for reading this to the end, don't feel obligated to share but please do if you can! even if you just read up to here it means a lot to me that someone out there knows

also as an afterthought, I wanted to expand on why I think this hasn't made big news yet: because unlike the case of the 2020 forest fires, other countries have to hold themselves accountable when looking at this situation. while in 2020 it was easier to pretend the fires were all our fault and people were talking about taking the amazon away from us like they wouldn't do much worse. global superpowers have no more forests to speak of so I guess they've been eyeing what latin america still has. so like this bit of the post is just to say if you're thinking of saying anything of the sort, maybe think of what your own country has done to contribute to this instead of blaming brazil exclusively and saying the amazon should be protected by force or whatever

[laddersfromthedas]

It is very much real and truly confounding to me. I was assuming my elven Veil Jumper Rook would be Dalish, since that made the most sense, so I gave her a vallaslin and was looking forward to all the mess that would bring with; had her talk with Bellara about "our gods" in the beginning, and then she looks into Varric's mirror in the Lighthouse and punches me right in the teeth with that goddamn "I'm not Dalish but I got a vallaslin anyway" line.

I'm sorry sweetheart but you did WHAT why is that a thing AT ALL

chat is this real

[5ummit]

New Mature Content Warning Overlay (And How to Get Rid of It)

More fun community label "features"! Unlike the new mandatory label for #NSFW, this one is a bigger deal to me because it affects my entire blog and it can't be avoided by just using a different tag.

Apparently on custom blog layouts, if you happen to post or reblog even a SINGLE post that's been flagged with the mature content community label, a full-page warning overlay will appear blurring out your entire blog that must be manually clicked through every single time the page is refreshed. At first I thought this was just a bug due to my older layout but I've come to realize it's not. It's a feature (as confirmed by this recent changes post) that affects all custom themes. The formatting will vary based on your own theme but here's what it looks like on my blog:

I don't know about you but I find this is stupid and annoying. If it could be dismissed once and never seen again that might be one thing, but that's not the case. The vast majority of my blog is not "mature" enough to warrant such an aggressive and invasive warning. I also think pop-ups are obnoxious in general and I'll be damned if tumblr's going to force me to have one on MY blog.

After some desperate googling for a known workaround and being unable to find even a single mention of it, I decided to take on the challenge myself. I'm not a theme coder, so apologies if there's a better way to do this, but luckily it only took me like 10 minutes to figure out a simple fix, which I'm now sharing with anyone else who may want it:

.community-label-cover__wrapper {display: none}

Just copypaste that somewhere in your CSS and goodbye pop-up!

If you're not sure how to access your theme code, check out this help article. You can also add the code via the Advanced Options menu, which is actually even better (if you can get it to work, it depends on how your theme was coded), because it will then automatically be reapplied to a lot of themes without having to remember to manually add it every time if you change your theme in the future.

Obviously this will only remove it from your own blog for anyone who may visit it. If you never want to see this warning again on other people's blogs you can also add this custom filter to your ad block:

tumblr.com##.community-label-cover__wrapper

Unfortunately I do not have an easy tutorial on hand for this one as the method will depend on your specific ad block app or extension.

Some additional notes:

After adding the theme code and saving the changes, give it a minute to update as it sometimes takes a little while for the page to refresh.

The warning overlay only seems to appear if a "mature" post is on the FIRST page of your blog, which is still annoying and makes the whole thing even more pointless and stupid because what if someone visits any other page of your blog, and oh no, happens to see "mature" content they weren't warned about?!

The warning also appears on direct links to "mature" posts.

This hack has NOTHING to do with entire blogs that have been flagged as NSFW. It only works for non-flagged blogs with custom themes that happen to have individual "mature" posts.

[callmecoke]

sugar baby headcanons!

CW: Mention of sex work, This is sfw generally but still deals with adult topics so proceed with caution.

Tf141 x reader

What you’ve realised about your favourite mystery account is that A) it's run by multiple people, and B) At least one of them is called Price.

You can’t exactly pinpoint who the rest are or how many, but you’ve managed to identify a few common themes when interacting with the account.

First, you know who Price is, and you can almost always tell it's him when he’s interacting with you. He’s the one you go to first regarding bills and fees you physically can’t pay. Within seconds, he transfers you the money and never lets you thank him for any of it. He also does his weekly check-ins to make sure everything is good. “Have you eaten?” “How’d you sleep?” “Did you take your meds last night?” That kind of thing. He’s also the one who calls you ‘Dolly’, a nickname he reserved for you. 

But you're also pretty sure this other guy (Simon) lurks in the chat when you’re streaming. He won’t ask questions; he just sends you random tips throughout the stream while he watches silently. He’s not as talkative as Price or the others, and that’s kind of how you know it's him. But you’ve realised that just because he’s quiet doesn't mean he doesn't want to talk. It’s quite the opposite. He enjoys hearing you talk about your life and day and silently rewards you. When you DM him, you even get a little conversation. Nothing more than money and a “Nice”, but still conversation nonetheless.

You know one other fellow spends most of his time in the livestreams and not in your DMs (Gaz). He’s the one who engages with you in conversation the most, asking endless questions about your life. And he always comes back on the next live stream, remembering everything you said in the last. He’ll want the update on that project you were working on for school or if that job interview went as well as you both had hoped. If you weren’t Live to complete strangers, you’d probably open up to him about stuff you’ve never told anyone.

Now…One more person shows up now and again, mainly in your DMs. Part of the service for the website is that people can pay you to take a selfie and give it to them. They can be dirty or completely innocent; it all depends on what you’re advertising. There’s this one person who rather frequently asks for pictures of you, especially those with you smiling. You know it’s a different guy from the others you’ve spotted because he’s the only one who's outright flirtatious with you. Initially, you were wary. A man spending a lot of money on pictures of your face and upper body just screams trouble. But you grew to trust the account, so when you sent them the image, you were surprised by how quickly he showered you with praise.

“Fuckin’ hell, you’ll give a strong man a heart attack walking around that gorgous.”

“Makes me wonder how cute you look in person.” “I’m surprised no ones come along and snatched you up all ready. Can’t complain though. Means I get more of you to myself.”

You’d be lying if you said there wasn’t a slight blush on your cheeks after reading his responses.

[cheapshrimpysheep]

Sharing a Bed

SUMMARY: When they built the bungalow, they couldn't make an individual bedroom for each person. Or a bed for each person. So, they'll have to choose the person with whom they will share the room... and the bed. And the boy you're secretly dating ends up paired up with you in one of those beds.

CHARACTERS: Riddle Rosehearts; Ace Trappola; Jack Howl; Azul Ashengrotto; Floyd Leech; Lilia Vanrouge

TAGS: Fluff; GN Reader; Flirting; Kiss; Beginning of Relationship

WARNING: Spoilers from Stitch's Tropical Turbulence (JP: Lost in the Book with Stitch ~Midsummer Sea and Spaceship~)

WORD COUNT: An average of 920 words per character.

COMMENTS: Okay, after reading it a second time, what I think Jack meant was: Since they couldn't make individual rooms for everyone, they made one living room big enough for everyone instead. But that's not what I understood the first time, and the way I understood it was more interesting for me to write something about :3

CONTEXT: You two are at the beginning of your relationship and no one knows. Let's also say that Floyd didn't use the back door for the bonfire.

They couldn't make individual rooms in the Bungalow or single beds. They only got materials to make 3 beds big enough for 2 people to sleep in each. And 3 bedrooms where they placed each of the beds. Which meant that 6 people could sleep in pairs on the beds, Grim and Stitch were small enough to sleep well on the couch/armchairs and 1 person had to sleep in the living room with them, maybe on the couch too. And someone comments about you and Grim being a package deal.

Riddle was the first to say that you shouldn't sleep on the couch just because you usually sleep in the same room as Grim.

You should sleep in a bed and, like the gentleman he is, he offered to sleep on the couch instead, more concerned with your well-being than with the possible jealousy he could feel depending on who you slept next to.

“Objection!” Lilia said playfully. Riddle looked at him in surprise. “I should be the one sleeping on the couch. After all, I can easily sleep in a cave and I'm small enough to fit comfortably on the couch. You guys should have the beds. A good night's sleep is important for growth.” He smiled. Riddle may or may not realize it, but Lilia did this mostly for the two of you.

“So how do we divide ourselves between the beds?” Jack asked.

“Firstly, you shouldn't sleep with people you don't feel comfortable with.” Riddle said. He, Jack, and Ace looked mostly at Floyd, but also at Azul.

“Those looks directed at us after such advice are quite hurtful.” Azul says with his performative sadness. “But, Riddle, can I ask why you said you instead of us?” he asks with a smirk.

Riddle couldn't hide his caught reaction. And he's not the type to make excuses, so he was sincere: “In fact, that slipped from me.” he said, slightly blushing “The truth is, I hoped I could be paired with [Y/N].” he looks at you “If you're comfortable with that too, of course.”

You say that you are, and with two shy smiles directed at each other, your pair is decided. The other pairs were Ace with Jack and Azul with Floyd. Both Jack and Ace didn't want to be with either of the other two and Ace used the excuse that Azul and Floyd had known each other for a long time to justify the pairings.

❤️ Bungalow - Yours and Riddle's Bedroom ❤️

He let you in first and closed the door behind him. When you look at him, you realize that he is thinking about something, something that troubles or bothers him. You ask if everything is okay.

“I... I know I was the one who invited you to share the room with me... but...” You ask sadly if he wanted to exchange with someone else. “No, no, no! It’s not that. I will always choose you. I even did it without thinking... and maybe that was the problem... I...” he blushed a little. “I didn't want you... to sleep with anyone else. Although at first I offered to sleep on the sofa, which would consequently mean that you would have to share the bed with someone other than me. *Sigh* Why can't I think straight?” he whispers to himself. “Sorry, I'm straying from the initial question. What bothers me is... I'm sure I'm breaking a rule.”

You ask what rule. You wonder if it could be any Heartslabyul rule? Or maybe from the Queendom of Roses? Or could it be...?

“I think it would fit into a rule of etiquette. My mother is completely against this. We are no longer mere acquaintances, or just friends. These types of things cannot happen before...”

“Marriage?” You ask. He blushes again.

“I know it's too early and we're too young to talk about this but... yes...” You say that if he feels more comfortable swapping with someone else... “NO! That's out of the question! I'm not going to force you to sleep on a sofa and WHOEVER SLEEPS WITH YOU I WILL HAVE THEIR-!” He stutter, and clear his throat. “I mean... this is the best option.” He's embarrassed for shouting in front of you. “My apologies for that.”

You reassure him that it is okay. He wasn't yelling AT you and you know he's still learning to control his anger. You say that all rules have exceptions, and in cases like these, on a desert island where it is already lucky that there are beds, perhaps they are exceptions to certain rules. Sometimes the rules of survival override the rules of etiquette. Maybe if he thinks he's not breaking a rule, but following its exception.

He thinks for a moment “You are right. If we think about it this way, it is also against the rules of etiquette to eat with your hands, but it is foolish to try to impose it when there are no conditions for it. Yes, you are right, we must prioritize our well-being and health.” There's a cute and awkward pause “Um, do you have a preference for the side?”

If you have a preference, he will sleep on the other side, if not and one side is closer to the door, he will sleep on that side. If you ask why this choice, he will say that the most protective person in the relationship is often on the side closest to the door in order to be able to protect their significant other against intruders.

As soon as you lie down and get ready for bed, you might be surprised by how naturally Riddle kisses you on the cheek. “Good night, my rose.” If you look at him, you will see a sweet smile and caring eyes looking back at you.

If you want to return the kiss you can do it on his cheek as well. Lips are still reserved for special occasions only. And he'll press his forehead to yours, your noses almost touching for a moment before you finally turn over to sleep. And if you open your eyes while he's doing it, you'll see the loving glow in his eyes.

You begin to sleep separately and perhaps even in different directions, but sleep and dreams are revealing. Eventually you will begin to unconsciously move closer to each other, until he has his arms around you and your head is resting close to his chest.

If you wake up in the middle of the night to the sound of one of Gantu's robots outside, Riddle won't even process the fact that you're suddenly so close. He goes straight from sleepy mode to protective mode on instinct. His gaze will be completely focused on the closed window and you will feel his arms moving you closer to him. If you make a sound, he'll put a finger to your mouth and whisper a calm shh.

Only after the robot leaves will he realize how he is hugging you. His face will immediately turn red from the blushing and he will move slightly away from you apologizing.

If you show yourself comfortable being so close to him and even more protected, he will end up giving in and letting you continue sleeping together as you were. You will definitely hear his heart beating fast until he finally manages to relax and fall asleep again.

After that, you will start to get used to sleeping like this. He will always wake up before you and wake you up with a kiss on the forehead. “Good morning~ Did you sleep well?”

“Hey, [Y/N] shouldn't stay on the couch just because Grim is going to be in the living room.” Ace says. “At least it doesn't seem fair to me.” he looks at Riddle hoping he would share the same opinion.

“Surprisingly I have to agree with Ace.” Riddle says.

“See? Wait... what do you mean surprisingly?”

“The person who will sleep on the sofa” Riddle continues, ignoring Ace's observation. “should be chosen taking into account who is least likely to have problems sleeping well on it compared to others. This also includes not having a stature too large to fit.”

Everyone looked at Lilia. Who looked behind him as a joke.

“Kehehe. Of course, I have no problem sleeping on the couch. It even looks quite cozy from my point of view. Furthermore I'm going to have two really fun roommates.” Lilia smiled, Stitch smiled back and Grim said something about him being a great roommate. The others looked at you for a moment when he said that to see your reaction.

“So who will be the pairs for the beds?” Floyd asked. “Hey kingyo-chan~ do you want to stay with me?”

“I'd rather sleep on the floor.” Riddle answers. Floyd laughs because he already predicted that.

“Dibs on pairing with [Y/N]!” Ace hurried to say.

“Aw, koebi-chan was my next choice.” Floyd comments.

Seeing his options, Riddle asks if Jack would mind pairing with him. As Jack respects him a lot, he says he doesn't mind and his tail starts to wag, slightly honored that Riddle shows some trust in him. Azul and Floyd end up paired up with each other.

❤️ Bungalow - Yours and Ace's Bedroom ❤️

As soon as you two enter the room and Ace closes the door, he picks you up playfully. And he even tells you not to make any noise as he laughs softly. He takes a few steps and lays you down on the bed.

“So, do you have a favourite side or do I choose?” You or he chooses sides and you lie down. “Ahh~ Finally something that isn't the floor of a cave to sleep in~” he says next to you.

And then you remember something: It wasn't the first time Ace suggested you two sleep in the same bed. The first time was when the riddle locked a collar around he's neck for the first time and he had to sleep in Ramshackle Dorm. And the second was when Azul got Ramshackle Dorm and you had to find another dorm to sleep in. Before going to Savanaclaw, Ace suggested you sleep with him when they commented that Heartslabyul didn't have extra beds. So you comment that he finally got the sleepover he wanted so much.

“Hmm? What do you mean?” He asks. You remind him about the first time he came to sleep in your dorm. “Well, in that case I just didn't want to sleep on the couch. But you made me sleep in it anyway.” he looks at you with a sulking face, and then a smirk. “You know, now that I think about it, maybe I should have let you sleep on the couch. So we were even.”

Then you ask why he didn't try to do that when you were left without your dorm. That was the second time he suggested sharing a bed. And you caught him by surprise for a second.

“Hmm... well... Do you think the Housewarden would let that happen? I can even imagine myself losing my mind over the audacity of being so rude to a visitor. Or Queen of Hearts knows what dorm rule that would break.”

If you remembered correctly, he suggested sharing a bed AFTER Jack offered to shelter you in Savanaclaw.

“And yet you chose Savanaclaw.” he sulks cutely again. “And slept in Leona's room.” he murmured.

You say something like: “Aw, is this jealousy~?” And he rolls over, facing away from you. You get closer to him, saying that he doesn't need to be jealous, and nothing happened, Leona also only did that because he was forced in a way and you needed a place to stay.

“That's why I slept with Deuce.” He tells you. You exclaim a surprised "WHAT?!" and he turns to grab you and make you lie down clinging to him.

“Got ya!” he laughs. “And keep your voice down, remember?” He whispers. “You really fall for it? Ha ha. You should know me better than this.”

He yawns, which makes you yawn too.

“I'm really tired. We should just sleep. You don't mind if we sleep like this, do you~?”

They complained about the heat outside , but inside the bungalow, at night, it's actually a little cool. So it's kinda comfortable to sleep almost hugging each other. So no, you don't mind. Quite the opposite. He kiss you good night, and you two fall asleep.

In the following nights, there are chances that you two make out a little there before going to sleep, if your not too tired. He will never wake up grumpy, because every time he hears the sound of the waves and sees you lying next to him, he realizes that this is the best vacation ever.

Jack wasted no time in speaking his mind: “I don't think [Y/N] should sleep on the couch just because Grim is staying in the living room.”

“Fufufu... Why? Do you think [Y/N] should sleep with you instead?” Lilia asked with a smirk to tease him.

Jack blushed a lot! “Wha-! NO! That wasn't why-” He put his hand on the back of his head. “I mean, I wouldn't mind, but I was just thinking that it's not fair for them to sleep on the couch just because of Grim. We should take into consideration whether [Y/N] have trouble falling asleep here or not.”

“I agree with Jack” Riddle said. “In fact, we must take into account each person's needs in something as important as rest. I believe you would agree as well, Lilia.”

“Yes, you boys are right.” Lilia said with a smile. “In that case, I volunteer to stay on the couch. From what I saw in the cave, I'm the one who has the least problems sleeping.”

“Mendako-chan could sleep on a battlefield, hehehe.” Floyd comments. Lilia also laughs at this observation.

“So...” Jack turns to you, still slightly blushing. “Now that you don't have to sleep on the couch, would you like to pairing with me?” As soon as you say yes, or whisper something like "of course, silly" his tail starts wagging.

“Well, we already know who the first pair for the beds is.” Lilia comments when he sees Jack's tail moving wildly from side to side. He tries to make it stop and you see his ears lower in embarrassment.

Seeing his options, Riddle asks if Ace would mind pairing with him. And also analyzing his options, Ace says he doesn't mind. They are even from the same dorm, maybe it would even be better to pair up like that, you know? Being in the same dorm, people are more comfortable with each other, right? (They got it, Ace)

💛 Bungalow - Yours and Jack's Bedroom 💛

As soon as the two of you enter the room and Jack closes the door, he will ask if you have a preference for which side of the bed you sleep on. When you look at him, you see that he is still trying to contain the wagging of his tail. You remind him that he doesn't need to do that when it's just the two of you.

“Oh!, Ya, force of habit I guess.” And so he lets his tail wag freely. Fortunately there is no furniture or objects that it can hit.

If you have a preference for the side of the bed you want to sleep on, he will sleep on the other side, if not and one side is closer to the door, he will sleep on that side. If you ask why this choice, he will say that he heard that the most protective person in the relationship is often on the side closest to the door in order to be able to protect their significant other against intruders.

“I feel like the weather gets cooler now at night. That’s good.” Jack comments.

In fact, it's nice to rest with cool nights after spending active days in the heat of the beach, and you tell him something like this.

“Y-ya. That to...” He rubs the back of his neck, and you ask what he was thinking then. “Well, I was thinking... about this wolf thing...” he blushes a little “I think you've already noticed that, like wolves, wolf beastmen couples are also quite affectionate.” He can’t look at you right now because he can feel the way you’re looking at him. And so, looking at you will only make him blush even more. “And there's this thing...” he inhales to gain more courage to speak and sighs. “We like to cuddle and sleep together ok...” This is very difficult to admit for a Tsundere at the beginning of a relationship, especially for someone who is not a beast(wo)man.

You probably laugh at how cute he looks when he's so flustered. You ask if that's why he's happy that it getting colder at night. Because if it was too hot you wouldn't be able to sleep cuddled together. He confirms.

“From your laugh and smile, can I guess that you would like that too?” He smiles confidently, his tail wagging.

You open your arms showing that you do, and he wastes no time in hugging you and laying you down in bed with him. He also doesn't wait to start caressing your face with his nose and giving you soft kisses on your cheeks. He tries to control his tail so it doesn't hit anything and make noise.

The first time he kisses your lips will be to say goodnight, but if he's not tired enough yet, this won't be the only goodnight kiss before you fall asleep in each other's arms.

He will always be the first to wake up and wake you up. You will always wake up with his arms around you and a passionate kiss on your cheek. And with him always trying to convince you to get up and not be tempted to stay in bed late. He wants to spend another day with you, for as long as possible.

“Oh, poor [Y/N]” Azul comments. “Being forced to sleep on the couch just because of their companion. That doesn't seem like a very fair deal to me.” He says with a smirk.

“Despite the tone of moral superiority, Azul is right.” Riddle says. “It's not like Grim needs someone to watch over him at night. Or so I hope.”

“Of course not! I'm not a baby!” Grim complains. “I can sleep in a separate room from [Y/N]. The question is: can my hench-human sleep away from me?”

“Ah, I believe [Y/N] will certainly be in good company.” Azul comments, and before anyone could question what he had just said, he continued. “The person who will sleep on the couch should be chosen taking into account who is least likely to have problems sleeping well on it compared to others. This also includes having a physical size that makes them feel comfortable on a couch.”

Everyone looked at Lilia. Who looked behind him as a joke.

“Kehehe. Of course, I have no problem sleeping on the couch. It even looks quite cozy from my point of view. Furthermore I'm going to have two really fun roommates.” Lilia smiled, Stitch smiled back and Grim said something about him being a great roommate. The others looked at you for a moment when he said that to see your reaction.

“So who will be the pairs for the beds?” Floyd asked. “Hey kingyo-chan~ do you want to stay with me?”

“I'd rather sleep on the floor.” Riddle answers. Floyd laughs because he already predicted that.

“Well, in that case. Koebi-chan~?”

“Sorry Floyd, but I don't think so.” Azul answers, with a smile but a cunning look.

“Oh ya?” Floyd was also smiling with cunning eyes. “And why don't you let Koebi-chan answer for themself?”

“For sure. I was just trying to soften your rejection.” He gives Floyd one last smug smile before turning to you. “Tell me [Y/N], would you like to sleep next to Floyd or next to me?” You reply that you would like to sleep next to Azul.

“He he. I already knew it.” Floyd says with a genuinely amused expression. “I just wanted to see how Azul would react.” And before anyone could question those phrases, he turns to the other three and asks: “So what will the other pairs be?” With a smile knowing that he is creating a fun chaos.

Riddle, Ace and Jack look at each other. One of them will have to share a bed with Floyd.

“Ace!” Riddle says. “You should be the one paired with Floyd.”

“Wha-?! Why me?!”

“Because firstly, the bed wouldn't have much free space if either of you were paired with Jack. And secondly, you and Floyd are basketball teammates, you must get along well enough right?”

“You just don't want to be the one to pair with him and because you're my Housewarden you're ordering-” He stopped when he saw Riddle starting to get angry. “I mean, yes, of course, those are excellent arguments. You're absolutely right, Housewarden!”

Meanwhile, Floyd laughs with amusement.

💜 Bungalow - Yours and Azul's Bedroom 💜

Azul enters after you and closes the door. He sighs when he sees how simple the room is. “If we weren't in these circumstances, I would have found a luxury resort for us.”

You tell him that he has nothing to worry about, that despite everything, the others managed to make the room cozy and pleasant. And what matters most to you is being in it with him. He smiles, puts one hand on your waist and caresses your cheek with the other.

“Always seeing the bright side, my pearl.” He gives you a tender kiss on the lips. “Now, tell me, do you have a preference for the side of the bed where you would like to sleep?”

You lie down side by side.

“I am so glad we get to sleep under a proper roof tonight.”

“Azul...” You ask. “Would you really leave us on the island if none of us made a deal with you?”

“Of course not, darling.” He turns on himself to face you. “But I'm a businessman. And what kind would I be if I didn't take advantage of any business opportunity?”

You make a muffled sound, not liking his response that much. He comes closer to you. “I wouldn't do anything like I used to, I promise. Maybe I'd only have them working at Mostro Lounge for a week or so. And no anemones on their heads to force them to obey me, I swear.” He was smiling slyly saying this.

You look away from him, rolling your eyes. “I repented.” With a gentle finger on your chin he makes you look at him again, he looks into your eyes lovingly. “Seen the light, made a switch. I would never leave you on a desert island. Even if I had to turn you into a merfolk to do so.” He smiled. “I wonder how you would look like.”

“And the others?” You ask.

“Hum? I wasn't thinking about them, but I'm also curious to know what they would be like in mer-form, yes.” He answewrs. You laugh and say no,that that wasn't what you were asking. He sighs. “Fine, fine... I wouldn't leave any of them on a desert island.” He says, partly in admission, partly to make you happy.

But then his smile fades for a moment. He caresses your face again.

“I hope you're not like that with everyone. Not everyone deserves such benevolence. You and your tender disposition will only be taken advantage if you let them.” You could see the concern in his eyes.

You assure him that you know it, and that you're not like that with everyone. They were your friends, it was different and he knew it. He smiles fondly.

“I wonder what kind of deal we made to have someone like you in our lives. And mainly...” He brings his lips closer to yours. “...what I did to have you for myself.” and you kiss.

You will always wake up with his arms around you. You're between him and the window because he's going to use you to hide his face from the light while he's in the process of waking up. But as soon as he's more awake, he'll kiss you good morning and start the day with you.

“Koebi-chan and I pair up to sleep in one of the beds. Now you guys fight to see who gets to stay on the couch.” Floyd decides with an amused smile, completely ignoring any comments about you usually sleeping in the same room as Grim.

“HOLD ON!” Riddle says. “You can't just decide something like that without the other person's consent!”

The truth is that since you were dating, Floyd assumes that you would like to take advantage of that opportunity to share a room with him. But since no one else knows about it yet, he plays along. He also likes that your relationship is still a secret to see the confusion on other people's faces in situations like these.

“Okay~ Hey Koebi-chan, do you want to share the room with me~?”

You say yes, clearly of your own free will, which reassures Riddle and the others. And in that case, they will have to decide the pairs for the beds and who sleeps on the couch.

Ace suggests choosing at random, like whoever draws the shortest straw stays on the couch, and Azul is the first to go against this suggestion. Riddle is the second.

“I volunteer to stay on the couch.” Lilia said with a smile. “From what I saw in the cave, I'm the one who has the least problems sleeping.”

“Mendako-chan could sleep on a battlefield, hehehe.” Floyd comments. Lilia also laughs at this observation.

“Furthermore I'm going to have two really fun roommates.” Lilia smiled at Stitch, who smiled back, and at Grim, who said something about him being a great roommate. The others looked at you for a moment when he said that to see your reaction.

Of all three, Riddle was the least uncomfortable pairing with Azul. So they formed a pair and the other two freshmen formed another.

💜 Bungalow - Yours and Floyd's Bedroom 💜

You two enter the room, Floyd closes the door and goes directly to lie down on the bed. Taking up the whole bed.

“So, what do you think of our room? Pretty cool, han?” In fact, the room was decorated with very beautiful, sparkling seashells. They were all sorts of colors: orange, red, purple, green, pink, white. And they look like painted porcelain.

“So you also like dead shellfish?” He says. “Kingyo-chan and Uni-chan too. They were fawning over these shells when we found this spot. It was fun to see their faces when most of the shells they had collected started moving on their own. They had picked up hermit crabs without realizing it. I told them to leave the pretty spiral ones alone and pick out the flat, practical ones to use them as plates. And when we were working on the bungalow I went to where they had left the shells and used them to decorate the room. Just a warning, don't scream too loud if one of these corpses is still alive and pokes your leg at night~”

He laughs looking at your reaction. “Exciting, isn't it?” You complain, saying you want to sleep peacefully. “Fine, fine, I was just kidding. Do you think I don't know how to tell the difference between seashells?” You say that, precisely for this reason, he could put a hermit crab in your room on purpose. “Hahahaha. You know me too well, Koebi-chan. But nah, that crab could poke me at night and I don't want that either.”

You were still standing, looking at him with his arms and legs spread out like a starfish taking up the entire bed.

“Won't you go to lie down with me?” He asks with a smirk.

“Where?” you ask “You're taking up the whole bed.”

“Here!” He attacks you with a hug and forces you to lie down in his arms. He squeezes you affectionately, and without hurting you, of course. He yawns. “And? Where is my reward for making such a pretty room for us~?” He asks with inviting lips very close to yours.

You kiss him and feel him reciprocating lazily, but sweetly.

“And for being one of the people who built the bungalow?” You kiss him again. “And for making such a good dinner?” and again. “And the bonfire was also a good idea, wasn't it?” and again “And didn't ya like my music?” and he will continue to remind you of things for you to pay him back with kisses until he simply gets tired and you two just make out until you fall asleep.

When he wakes up in a good mood and excited about the day, he can pick you up and force you to get up too. If he wakes up feeling sleepy and wants to stay in bed longer, he won't take his arms away from you, forcing you to continue being his bodypillow until he's in the mood to get up.

And that someone who commented about you and Grim being a package deal was none other than Lilia himself. And yes, you were shocked. Was he going to miss an opportunity like this?

And unfortunately for you, everyone agreed. You even fit well on the couch. And during that whole time Lilia had his usual smile as if nothing had happened.

“So who will be the pairs for the beds then?” Floyd asked.

“Why don't the two of us pair up, Floyd?” Lilia suggested “I'm sure it will be fun.”

“Okay~”

Everyone else looks relieved, even Azul. And while the remaining four decided on their pairings, you looked at Lilia for a moment. And, knowing that no one else was looking at you two, his smile became sly, he winked at you and put on his innocent smile back again.

The pairs ended up being Azul and Riddle, and Ace and Jack, since neither of these two wanted to be paired with Azul and, despite everything, Riddle didn't mind.

That night, you lie down on the couch. Both Grim and Stitch curl up to sleep. You curl up to get comfortable and close your eyes to fall asleep.

You had already fallen asleep when you felt something touch your nose and a familiar voice whispering "Boop". You open your eyes and see Lilia lying next to you, smiling. Wait... lying on your side? But the couch doesn't have that much space. Your vision adapts and you see that you are no longer on the couch, but on the bed in one of the rooms.

💚 Bungalow - Yours and Lilia's Bedroom 💚

“Fufufu. Surprised?” He could see that in your face.

You ask him how, what, when...? He laughs.

“I knew that none of them would want to sleep on the sofa, and that the chances of me being chosen to sleep on it, if we got to that point, were too high for I had an easier time sleeping wherever it was.” His look becomes sly, like the one he gave you while the others were deciding the pairings. “But if you were the one sleeping on the couch, I could find a way to get the person I was paired with to switch with you. Octavinelle students love deals and I would have an easier time getting a deal like this with Floyd than with Azul. After making sure he was in a good mood for it of course. Which is also very easy for me. I mean, who would be in a bad mood in the company of someone as adorable and fun as me?” He rests his chin on his hands and gives you his cutest smile to prove his point.

You ask him what deal they made and he smiles slyly again.

“Don't worry, my dear. It takes more than a intelligent teenager with mood swings to outsmart me. And let's say that Azul can be more difficult to convince.” There is a short pause. “I hope you can forgive me for waking you up. You looked so cute sleeping, but I really wanted to surprise you. Did you like it?”

You did! But you still tell him how you felt when you were deciding who slept where.

“You know the saying: All's fair in love and war. Of course I wasn't going to miss an opportunity like this, but I had to make sure we stayed together. And knowing my opponents and who my best allies would be, I knew this would be my best strategy.”

You still seem not completely convinced, or at least you pretend you're not.

“Aww... don't do this to poor old me~” He says dramatically “You can't imagine how hard it was for me to see your disappointed face when you were chosen to sleep on the sofa. My heart sank as much as seeing a companion injured in combat next to me. But we needed to be strong if we want to end up together!”

You laugh to see him act so melodramatically. He holds both of your hands, and looks deeply into your eyes, with a mix of a sweet smile and a smirk.

“And now that we're safe in each other's arms, maybe we can heal our wounded hearts.” And if you allow him, he will kiss your lips.

He will always wake you up with a kiss or by bopping your nose. And if you feel lazy he will force you to get up by being cutely annoying. Even if he has to hold you in his arms to do so. C'mon, the days are beautiful and he can enjoy the beach with you, he wants to enjoy every second before it ends.

If you would like to read more from me, you can find it in my pinned post: INDEX

[adickaboutspoons]

Mostly I was responding to the points raised in @scarrletmoon's response, but you raise some excellent points to which I'd like to respond. Feel free to ignore if you're tired of my bullshit. I completely understand the impulse. 1st, you're absolutely right; I was coming across as gate-keepery by saying that I find Stede's eccentricities charming as though that ought be the default experience. For that I apologize. I ought to have taken more care. When I said "And that's valid, but I would say that those are the parts that the crew and Ed grow to love once they embrace those parts of him instead of cringing at them" what I meant to convey is that the experience of 2nd-hand embarrassment when Stede does something that recalls to the viewer times when they have felt ashamed/were made to feel shame because of something they did is absolutely understandable, but we can take heart in Stede being accepted & loved for those parts of him, & find hope that so too may we be embraced for our own quirks & foibles. My intention was to encourage others to be more gentle with & accepting of their own perceived failings, but I can see now that I failed to adequately express that, & for that I am sorry. I do take issue with the suggestion that I am strawmanning, though; I would argue that how one views Stede's motivation & framing absolutely informs the extent to which/moments in which one finds his behavior cringe-worthy. In your original post, you contend Stede is "pretending to be this macho pirate captain who totally knows what he's doing" & your response above adds he's a bad manager & a jerk because he's praising himself & chiding his employees, whom you interpret as him treating as stand-ins for his own children. If that's how you're framing the scenario, then, sure - I can see how his behavior comes across as cringe to you. But that's not at all how I perceived it. I will grant he is pretending more expertise than he actually possesses, but he IS a pirate captain, & as to the attribution of "macho" I absolutely disagree, specifically because he is textually interested in a form of piracy that is not that. Because that is my understanding of the scene, in the debrief scene I see a person excited at the success of what, if Black Pete is to be believed, is their very 1st raid, & doesn't understand why everyone else wasn't also chuffed. He then listens to Wee John' criticism & encourages him to clarify WHY he feels the way he does. When Wee John identifies the lack of a flag as a contributing factor to his disgruntlement, Stede provides materials so they can rectify the deficit. This isn't Stede forcing arts & crafts on these grown-ass men (& Jim) - it's Stede hearing a problem & supplying the means to a solution. Similarly, he hears out Buttons about the crew's dissatisfaction, & tries to rectify it by finding a more appealing target for a raid, even though he obviously feels unequal to the task himself. To me, that's the complete opposite of a bad manager (to me he's a bad manager when he's being dismissive of the crew's input, like the fuckery brainstorming, & even then he climbs down from his high horse & apologizes. Which? GREAT manager!). Where you see Stede infantilizing his crew, I see them taking part in activities that, while generally relegated to childhood, aren't implicitly childish, & of their own volition, & Stede sowing the seeds that will eventually blossom into a found family (not imposing an established family structure). For clarity, I'm not saying my interpretation is objectively right, nor that yours is wrong. I'm just saying framing is going to influence perception of whether Stede's behavior is Cringe, & that's kind of what I was getting at with my myriad examples of Stede behaving "authentically" or "inauthentically" & when that is a viable predictor of a general fandom perception of when Stede is being Cringe. Because I really don't think it is. This is going to continue in the notes because tumlr thinks they can cut my mic.

listen I love stede a lot - I think he's the bravest character in the show. he changes everyone he meets for the better. he embodies what I think of as the thesis of the show. if he wasn't the way that he is, the show would not be very good, imo.

but in ep one he gives his pirate crew notes on the raid they just did as though they were a community theater troupe and his notes were 1) complimenting his own opening speech as "very inspiring" and 2) complaining that that the crew wasn't sufficiently enthusiastic about robbing two poor fisherman of a single plant.

during the raid his narration went "some men are born to be pirate captains, others learn on the job. me? well I'm a pretty solid mix of both" as though he has any idea what he's doing.

and AFTER the raid Olu has to gently point out to him that piracy isn't a game to the rest of the crew.

There's a reason that Rhys Darby was the only person capable of playing Stede without making him seem like a total dick. And I think that's bc Rhys was able to convey the idea that Stede's behavior in the first few eps is coming out of this deep sense of insecurity - he's doing some Stede-y things (flag making! paying the crew! bedtime stories!) that are great but he's also pretending to be this macho pirate captain who totally knows what he's doing. And it's the pretending that makes people cringe with second hand embarrassment. While also, often, seeing themselves in it and feeling a great deal of sympathy for Stede about it.

The reason Stede is like this is because HE thinks there's something deeply wrong with him, a belief that has been solidified by everyone around him his entire life, and therefore he needs to do everything he can to hide that deeply wrong thing about him. When he unpacks that and embraces the things about himself he originally thought were embarrassing (being weak, pathetic, soft, etc), he can stop pretending. And that's when other characters grow to love him! And so people will sometimes call him cringe because they aspire to be cringe like him, to embrace the parts of themselves that they were punished for and live more authentically.

because he changes! that's the point! he moves from cringe (pretending to be someone he's not) to cringe (being true to himself, always a deeply vulnerable thing to be) and it takes a lot of hard work. that's what makes me LIKE him as a character. that's what I think makes him the bravest character on the show. because he doesn't start out perfect. he's a puppet who grows into a real boy and that means that for a period of time he was a puppet, and that's okay.