#do not necessarily expect as much organization from me as usual

[txmxkis]

you're the best one

pairing. kuroo tetsurou x gn!reader

genre. fluff

wc. 1k+

summary. all you're trying to do is make kuroo's birthday cake, but things can never just be straightforward.

warnings. nothing, really, just tooth-rotting fluff. kuroo is a menace as usual. very selfship coded as always >.<

a/n. i actually managed to do it i hope you're proud of me hopefully it's good idk. happy birthday to the #1 husband <3

there is flour everywhere.

you shouldn’t have expected anything different to come of this, really.

every time kuroo helps you bake something, he feels some sort of uncontrollable urge to make a mess, and since today is his birthday, it seems as if he’s leaning even more into that “i can do whatever i want, and you can’t get upset with me for it” attitude.

you always start out with good intentions and a plan… actually, you’re usually fairly clean and organized in the kitchen.

that is, until he comes blowing through like a tall tornado, leaving you with debris scattered everywhere. he just makes it so easy to lose all sense of control and let go of any reservations you may have had.

this cake has taken twice as long to make with him around, but you can’t necessarily complain. about the mess, yes you could, but you do like spending time with him regardless. since it’s his day, you can even let the mess go.

after a number of detours incited by the birthday boy, you finally got the cake squared away in the oven and got started on the frosting.

he was practically panting watching you mix it up, waiting ever so impatiently for the moment he could finally steal a taste.

of course it had to be when your back was turned to check the oven. obviously with his finger instead of a spoon.

“uhh… why is this frosting… salty?”

“are you messing with me right now.”

“not this time, taste it.”

he holds out a finger full of frosting and you give him a skeptical look, licking it off after a moment of hesitation.

“ugh! what the hell? hold on, i can fix it.”

you spend the next ten minutes adding other ingredients, trying to balance them out and mellow the bitterness, cursing every time you stop to test it while he watches you intently.

“i don’t get it; i followed the recipe exactly… i’m so confused.”

he just stands there and stares at you for another moment, face morphing into a sly grin. you’re oblivious, so focused on figuring out where you could have possibly gone wrong, giving him ample opportunity to swipe his finger through the bowl again and smear a dollop of frosting directly on your nose.

“tetsurou! wh—”

“looked like you could use a break.”

shocked, you just stand there dumbly while he laughs at you, face smudged. finally, you snap out of it and shoot him a menacing glare—half playing around, half ready to enact revenge.

the urge for vengeance wins, and the thought of contributing to the kitchen’s disarray does not even matter to you anymore.

“ohhhh, you are so gonna get it.”

gathering two fingerfuls of frosting, you stalk towards him slowly, waiting for the right moment to pounce and make a mess of his face.

“really? seems like you’d have to catch me first.”

he feigns being lost in thought for a split second and then whoosh! he springs into action, using those stupidly long legs to his advantage.

you’re yelling at him to come back, or trying to yell through your barely contained laughter.

you start to chase after him, but, well, this is exactly the wrong moment to be wearing socks on hardwood floors.

suddenly you slip, and the floor is much closer to you than it was just a second ago. you’re fine, about to scramble back up and continue the hunt, but an idea strikes you.

surely he heard the crash of you hitting the floor from wherever he ran off to; surely he cares too much to not return to the scene and investigate, make sure you’re okay.

in fact, you don’t even have time to continue with your plotting before you hear him calling out to ask what that noise was, his voice getting louder as he reappears from around the corner.

you grin deviously. his weakness.

you decide to stay sitting on the floor where you fell, keeping your head down and your hair hanging over your eyes, waiting for him to get closer before enacting your plan.

“did you fall? are you alright?”

it takes everything in you not to giggle and give yourself away.

he finally gets to you and kneels down on the floor, putting a hand on your back and trying to get a glimpse of your face.

this is it.

you quickly reach over and push him down until he’s lying on the ground, moving to sit yourself directly on his middle.

“h-hey!”

“shouldn’t have let your guard down.”

“well, that was a terribly dirty trick.”

“just using the methods available to me.”

“doesn’t the fact that it’s my birthday mean that you should let me off the hook?”

you don’t speak immediately in response; just take the frosting that you’ve been so careful to preserve on your fingers and slowly smear it across his face in victory.

“nope.”

he puts a hand dramatically over his chest and sighs loudly.

“you’ve shown me your true colors.”

“horrifying aren’t they.”

you feel a hand on the back of your neck, and suddenly he’s pulling you down to kiss you, the taste of salt from the frosting that’s smeared across your faces intertwining with the taste of him.

“nope.”

heat rises to your face, the way he’s staring at you only aggravating it.

the timer for the oven promptly cuts through your moment, and you start to get up off him, only to be pulled back in for another kiss, this one slower and more languid than the last. pulling back, kuroo smirks at your slightly dazed expression.

“yum.”

you smack him on the chest, smiling shyly while rolling your eyes at his antics.

“shut up. let me up so that i can take care of the cake.”

“fineeee.”

the both of you get up off the floor, and you remove the cake from the oven to cool.

you give up on the frosting after trying it one last time, groaning in aggravation.

“we better at least make it look pretty, cause no one’s gonna want to eat it.”

he walks up and hugs you from behind, resting his chin on your shoulder.

“eh, it’s fine. makin’ it was the best part anyway.”

reblogs & interactions are appreciated! thank you for reading! <3 — txmxkis

[clarisse0o]

Camp Wiegman-Part 16

Lucy Bronze x Ona Batlle

Alternative Universe : Military School

Words : 5k

Masterlist

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Friday, November 13; 11:45 AM - Room Ona and Alexia.

I'm just finishing packing my suitcase. Bronze told me this morning that she managed, after a long battle with Wiegman, to get my permission for this weekend. I was so happy that I jumped on her. Since Monday's incident, I've managed to stay calm. I'm not necessarily listening in class yet, but at least I've stopped responding to provocations. My flight is in just over two hours. I took the same one as last time. So, I will land in Barcelona in the evening. Bronze organized all my travels since everything had to be arranged at the last minute. For the rest, I took care of it. I called Sam to let Hector know to pick me up. Joan is still unaware of my return. It will be a surprise, his weekend. I'm about to leave. I'm happy but anxious at the same time. I dread my mother's reception. Bronze reassured me about my fears, but I already anticipate my mother's hurtful words. I turn to Alexia, who is on her bed. She’s waiting for her sister, as usual. I place my headphones around my neck just as there's a knock on the door. Bronze enters the room.

- Hey Bronze.

- Are you ready?

- Yep, I was just about to head down.

- How many times do I have to remind you about those headphones? You know they're not allowed outside the room.

- Yeah, yeah...

I take them off unconvincingly. Now is not the time to provoke her before my departure. I move toward Ale to hug her.

- We'll write to each other.

- Of course, I replied. See you Sunday evening! Have a good weekend.

- Thanks, you too.

I smile at her and grab my suitcase. Bronze greets Alexia before we leave the room. I drag my suitcase and tighten the strap of my backpack. I'm a bit nervous. I watch Bronze, who seems to want to accompany me to the exit.

- Anything planned for your first free weekend, Bronze?

- Well... Returning stuff to my ex and a night out with my friends, and you?

- No idea, I shrugged. I’m going to enjoy it as much as possible with Joan and try to see Mapi, I guess... I'll also have to confront my mother face-to-face.

She smiles softly, nodding. She knows I dread this moment. We've talked about it enough. Maybe she has calmed down in two weeks. We quickly reach the gate. I frown, not seeing any taxi.

- I thought you had everything planned?

The last thing I need is to be late and miss my flight! I start to panic. I definitely don't want to miss my flight.

- Relax. Come, follow me.

- And my taxi?

She gestures for me to pass through the gate. I walk out apprehensively, not understanding where she's taking me. She makes me walk to the adjacent street. I slow down when I recognize her car parked on the street. I look at her, waiting for an explanation.

- I’ll be your driver this time. I was planning to go downtown, so it would have been silly to call you a taxi.

My smile widens to the point of showing my teeth. If I expected that! The news delights me. It's certainly more pleasant to share the ride with a familiar face.

- And you had to park your car two streets away from the establishment for that?

- I didn't want to risk being seen together. People might think I'm showing favoritism.

- Isn't that the case?

- No, she giggles. I'm just more demanding with you.

I lose my smile, creating hers.

- Sure, I mumbled.

I get in the car after placing my suitcase next to hers in the trunk. It was the fastest trip I’ve ever had. I cleared my mind by humming along to the songs playing on the radio. I often got the lyrics wrong, making Bronze laugh. I was almost disappointed we arrived so quickly. The atmosphere was pleasant. She took a completely different route than my usual taxis. She avoided all the traffic jams. You might almost think they deliberately take the traffic to waste our time in their old cars. I'm surprised when Bronze parks her car in the airport parking lot and accompanies me inside. She could have just dropped me off, but I’m glad she’s coming with me. At least the wait will be shorter.

- What time do you land over there? Around eleven o'clock, right?

- That's right. I hope to sleep a bit more this weekend. I need to catch up.

- You'll see.

We've just checked in my luggage. Now we can wait in front of the boarding gate. We don't wait long before the intercom announces the gate is open. I tense up at the news. Deep down, I'm reluctant to go back. I'm afraid to face my mother, but I can't avoid her forever.

- It's time, says Bronze.

She stands up first. Thinking we won’t see each other for two days feels strange. We've been together every day since I came back. She’s been watching over me since my detox. Plus, she convinced me to continue my morning runs with her and to catch up on my classes in her office. Sometimes, I even start my homework there now that I’ve made good progress. I like her supervision. At least I know I’m working. I never had that before. I was always dependent on my classes and homework before she came into my life. It’s good she forces me to work in front of her. It makes me impose a regular rhythm on myself, unlike before. Concentration is hard to find with Alexia, who rarely leaves me alone. Sometimes Engen also bothers me, but Bronze quickly puts her in her place. They're so funny to watch together.

- Hand me your phone.

- Why? Are you going to confiscate it?

- No, she giggles. Trust me and give it to me.

I hand it to her, making sure to unlock it as she asked. I frown, watching her type on my screen before giving it back. I immediately check what she did, but she closed everything.

- I hope you won't give it to everyone. Write to me when you arrive or if you have any trouble this weekend.

- You added your number? I understand.

- Have a good weekend, Ona, she replies with a silly smile. Try to enjoy it and don’t forget our deal. I don't want to lecture you again; we've talked about it enough.

- Thanks for everything.

I hug her and kiss her cheek without really realizing what I'm doing. I just needed to show my gratitude. I wanted to pull away out of embarrassment, but she reacted first, wrapping her arms around my back. I let myself enjoy the moment.

- Have a good weekend, Lucy, I murmur before stepping back.

- Thanks. I'll come to pick you up myself Sunday evening. Make sure to come back in one piece this time.

- I'll try, I tease her. See you Sunday then.

I walk away to go through the boarding checks. I turn around one last time to make sure she’s still there. I feel a strange sensation seeing that she is. I give her a little wave, which she returns before I disappear into the corridor leading to the plane. I'm still happy to go home, even if it's not the same excitement as the first time. Seattle will miss me this weekend. It’s strange to think that after fighting tooth and nail to leave for almost a month. I still feel a little knot of anxiety in my stomach. I remember my last flight didn't go well, considering the stewardess who took care of me. I force myself to smile at her. She seems to recognize me too because she doesn’t give me the professional smile she just gave to the other passengers before me.

- Hello! How are you?

- Much better, thank you. Thanks also for what you did last time... I didn't get the chance to say it.

- No problem, she smiles warmly. Have a good flight.

I give her one last smile before moving forward. I find my seat and make myself comfortable by putting on my headphones and phone. I don't know where I get the courage to do a two-hour flight each weekend. It's probably the idea of seeing Joan again that motivates me. I decide to buckle up and lean against the window to find some restorative sleep.

Friday, November 13 - On the plane.

I groan as someone gently shakes me. I blink at the young stewardess. I remove one earphone to hear her say that landing is imminent. I stretch slowly while nodding. She gives me a smile as I fasten my seatbelt before continuing down the aisle. I amuse myself by looking out the window where it is now pitch black. The illuminated city is beautiful from above. I spent my flight sleeping again. Well, at least the two hours passed quickly. I smile softly, realizing I’m finally home. The landing goes smoothly. We're allowed to stand only once the plane is stabilized. I follow the crowd to the exit with just my Eastpak bag. I lower my headphones around my neck when I reach the end of the corridor. I look around. I have no trouble finding who’s waiting for me with a big smile and waving hands. He’s alone this time. No sign of Mapi. I told her about my return, but she must be busy with her girlfriend. I take a deep breath before approaching him. Let's not forget I sneaked out of Barcelona...

- Good evening Ona, I hope you had a good trip.

- Hey... I say timidly. It was fine. I slept

the whole way, so I guess it was good. How are you?

- Good, and you?

- Glad to see everyone again... Is Mom still very angry with me? I ask, biting my lower lip.

I prefer to know what awaits me before setting foot at home. I must have left quite a mess. Bronze said they were informed of the situation and that Wiegman regularly updated them on my condition.

- Let's say it could have been worse. She had time to calm down, but she’s waiting to have a serious discussion with you.

- Yes, I figured, I sighed.

- Everything will be fine, he tries to reassure me.

- We’ll see.

He smiles at me sadly. We both know that won't be the case. We retrieve my suitcase and head to the parking lot. There's a slight temperature change. Here, the sky is clear, and I feel the extra degrees. This change in temperature is strange. In Manchester, snow is threatening to fall soon.(in my universe its snowing in Manchester). Maybe there will be some when I return. I sit in the front since Mapi isn't here. The ride is calm. It's soothing. We talk about trivial matters. I appreciate Hector because he never brings up touchy subjects, like whether I’ve fully recovered from my detox. I finally take out my phone, remembering I have messages to send. I smile stupidly, thinking about my departure. I never imagined she would give me her personal number. It's touching and reassuring at the same time. I know I can contact her at any problem. I first text Mapi to let her know I've arrived, then reply to Alexia that I arrived safely. I then open a new message and look for Bronze's number. I frown when I can't find her in my contacts. I was starting to despair until I saw "Commander" in my contacts. I fiddle with my thumbs, not knowing how to start my message.

Me - 11:39 PM: Hey Luce! Nice to see your name in my contacts 😂 I just landed 30 minutes ago and I'm on my way home :) I hope you have a good evening and/or a good night...

I read my message several times before hitting send. I hope I wasn't too friendly for her... I leave my phone on my lap, waiting for a response from anyone. It doesn't take long to vibrate.

Commander - 11:41 PM: It's past midnight in Manchester, so it will be good night for me 😉 Sleep well :)

Me - 11:42 PM: At least let me get home before sending me to bed!! Anyway, I slept the whole trip... 🙄 What are you doing still awake ?

Commander - 11:43 PM: Too curious, Ona. Unprofessional 😉 And it's not a reason not to go to bed when you get home!

Me - 11:44 PM: You're no fun! It's nothing personal 😓 Well, I'm not sleepy anymore 🙁

- Did you make any friends? Hector asks.

- Huh? Oh, uh yes. A few.

- It's been a long time since I've seen you so happy just answering a message.

I raise an eyebrow at his implication. His smile makes me believe he doesn't think I'm writing to friends.

- I have no one in my life if that's what you're wondering, I chuckle.

- I didn't say anything... Why do you think of that right away?

I laugh, shaking my head. I can't help it if my instructor makes me smile. She keeps giving me orders from afar. It's quite strange to communicate with her by message, even though there's not much difference in her words. It's like I can hear her voice.

- I'm glad you're doing better since you've been at this school.

Am I better? Now that he says it, he's probably right. School isn't the worst thing that's happened to me in my life. I'm surrounded by wonderful people. Bronze, Alexia, and the others help me feel better. I'll never forget what I've been through, but I'm starting to accept myself and learn to live with my past. I feel less eaten up inside, and it makes me smile again. I wasn't happy here. The only time I pretended everything was fine was in front of Joan. I didn't want him to find out what a lousy big sister he had. I wanted to be the role model he deserves. The vibrations of my phone pull me out of my thoughts.

Commander - 11:49 PM: It's personal. Anyway, you already know what I'm doing. Go to bed, order from your instructor !

I already know? I furrow my brow, thinking. Oh, I think I remember. She mentioned she was going to have a drink with friends. The second part of the message makes me laugh even more. She'll never stop.

Me - 11:50 PM: Stop giving me orders from km away!!!

Commander - 11:51 PM: Sleep well, Ona :)

Me - 11:51 PM: Tsss! You're boring! Hope you don't come home too late!!!

Commander - 11:55 PM: That's not for you to decide 😉 Now stop writing to me. I'm already regretting giving you my number!

Me - 11:52 PM: Mpf... 😒 Stay reasonable at least! Well, you're lucky, I'm almost home! I'll listen to you and go to bed.

Commander - 12:00 AM: Very good initiative :) See you tomorrow.

I smile at her last message, received just as we stop in front of the gate. I'm happy to be able to text her from here. I feel she'll be a great support if needed. I watch the gate open at a snail's pace. Reality hits me hard when I see my residence standing proudly before us. No lights are on, at least. The confrontation will be tomorrow then. Hector pulls the car into the garage before cutting everything off. We get out, and he insists on handling my suitcase now. I let him go ahead and carry it upstairs. I take off my shoes in the hall before following him up. I thank him for everything once we reach my bedroom door. We wish each other good night before he disappears down the stairs. When I enter my room, I see a small lump in my bed. It seems Joan has taken to sleeping in my bed every night. I smile at the thought. I'll gather information tomorrow morning. For now, I make as little noise as possible with my suitcase. I leave it in a corner of the room, then retrieve pajamas from my closet. I give him a gentle kiss on the forehead before locking myself in the bathroom to brush my teeth and undress. I keep only my underwear and complement it with an old T-shirt of my father's that reaches mid-thigh. I love this kind of pajamas. I had to get used to wearing shorts at school because I'm not alone, but I'm much more comfortable like this. I leave the bathroom and finally slip under the covers of my bed. It's a real pleasure to finally sleep in my big bed.

Saturday, November 14; 10:35 AM - Ona's Room.

-ONA !

I jump as I feel a bundle on top of me. Oh my God. I groan at this wake-up call I'm no longer used to. I barely have time to sit up before two arms squeeze me in a hug. I return the hug with one arm while rubbing my eyes with the other.

- Hey hermano, I whisper softly.

- You didn't tell me you were coming back!

- It's better to have a surprise, isn't it?

- No! I'd rather know in advance.

I smile as he moves away, crossing his arms and making an adorable pout. I stretch properly before letting myself fall back on the bed. I'm way too lazy to get up right away.

- Is that your school jacket?

I follow his finger pointing to my desk chair. Indeed, my military jacket is hanging there. It's so loose and easy to wear that I've gotten used to wearing it all the time. Nothing forbids wearing it outside. Bronze didn't say anything when she saw me leaving with it yesterday. She just let me finish my outfit.

- Yes, that's the one.

- Will you lend it to me sometime?

- You'll have to grow a bit first, I chuckle. I missed you, you know.

- I missed you too!

- Oh yeah? A lot a lot?

- A lot a lot! Will you have breakfast with me?

- Yes, just give me a moment to put on some jogging pants.

I barely have time to respond before I see him already leaving. I guess it wasn't a real question... I finally get out of bed to look for joggers in my suitcase. I quickly put them on and step into the hallway to see that he's waited for me. I smile as he reaches out his arms. I don't hesitate for a second to pick him up and go downstairs with him in my arms.

- Mom and your dad aren't here?

- I think they're working.

- Hmm.

I'm relieved to learn that I still have some time to come up with arguments against my mom. I enter the kitchen where I find Sofia and Samuel. I set my brother on a high chair.

- Hey guys, I greet them with a hug each.

- Hey you.

- How are you?

I smile as Sofia closely examines me. I haven't seen them since my rehab, after all. I know she was already worried during my first stint here. She was the one who mostly took care of me. I'm really glad I didn't put her through a second one.

- Much better, don't worry. They took good care of me. How did my mom take it?

- Angry... Very angry. She wanted to send you to rehab again, Sam admits. She changed her mind after a long heated discussion with your director.

- Yeah, I know. Actually, my boss did the blockade. Wiegman handled the negotiations.

- Oh, we weren't aware of that, Sofia admits.

- My mom probably wasn't either. Bronze insisted on taking care of me personally. I stayed in her room for a week.

- She was brave...

- Yeah, I chuckle. I don't know how she managed to put up with me.

If only she knew that the crises she saw were nothing compared to the ones at the camp... She's always taken such good care of me since I got back home. I wouldn't want to upset her for no reason.

- What are they talking about, Ona?

- Nothing, don't worry.

- Did you relapse ?

I close my eyes at his words. Fortunately, he's behind me. How can a six-year-old understand this kind of thing? I showed him too much for his young age, it seems. I gather my courage to turn around

- It’s settled, I assure you.

- You told me you wouldn’t leave again because of this!

- I’m not leaving again because of this.

- You’re lying!

- I’m not lying to you, Joan. If I leave, it’s to go to school, I promise.

- That’s not what they just said!

- I had a slip-up, but it wasn’t my fault, okay? I promise the issue has been resolved at my school. I even promised my supervisor not to do it again.

- You promised me the same thing, and you did it again.

I sigh as I see him on the verge of tears. I feel extremely guilty. It’s hard for someone as young as him to understand.

- I made a compromise with this person, Joan. If I touch it again, I’ll lose a lot. She’s going to help me get out of this, I promise.

- Really? She’s going to help you...?

I’ve just realized the weight of my words. It seems we say things we truly believe under pressure. I release the pressure from my body.

- I... Yeah... She’s going to help me.

I need to face the truth. Bronze is the one who can help me the most. She’s already done a lot. Joan finally lets me get closer. I take the opportunity to hug him. I don’t like seeing him so upset because of me. I lift him to sit him on my lap, then I thank Sam who has just placed our breakfasts on the counter. I smile at him to reassure him of the visible concern in his expression.

- What compromise did she impose on you? he asks.

- I’m not allowed to return in withdrawal, otherwise, she’ll ban me from leaving the camp until the end of the year.

- What do you mean, no leaving?

- No permissions, no field trips... Basically, no outings.

- Oh...

- Yeah, oh, I repeat. I don’t have the right to make mistakes.

- Your supervisor is very strict... comments Sofia.

- Hmm, but very effective.

- Anyway, I like her, Joan chimes in.

- Oh yeah? I laugh.

- Yes! Just talking about her makes you smile when you usually don’t. Plus, you just said she’s going to help you, so I like her even more.

I’m stunned by his arguments. This kid continues to amaze me every time. He’s far from being dumb. He knows I don’t smile much except with him, Sam, Sofia, and sometimes Mapi.

- Oh... I reply in surprise. She would be pleased to hear that.

- Can I see her one day?

- That might be complicated.

The idea quickly fades as he starts telling me what he’s learning at school. He’s just entered the first grade, so he’s starting to learn to read and write.

- So, what do you want to do today?

- Do I get to choose what I want?

- Yep. It’s your day. We’ll do whatever you want.

- I want to go to the ice rink then!

- Alright, I laugh at his enthusiasm. We’ll go to the ice rink.

I’m not even surprised. I got him used to the ice rink at a very young age before I fell into drugs. I used to love that place. It’s been ages since I last went there. I promised him we’d go back once, and I think now is the right time. I finish my breakfast and leave Joan with Sofia while I take a shower. I give myself a bit of time to get ready before going back downstairs. I deserve a little moment for myself. They’ve become rare. Once I’m all ready, I have some time left before lunch. So I join Joan in front of the TV. It’s nice to be able to sit on a couch. Even if it’s cartoons, it’s so much better to enjoy a screen alone. The only place we have a TV at the camp is in the common room, so watching it there isn’t pleasant. I take this time to check my phone, which I haven’t touched since yesterday. Mapi replied saying that I need to reserve my evening for her and that I can’t refuse. I guess I’ll go. At least I’ll have seen everyone this weekend. She could have left me out because of her girlfriend, but she didn’t. People are always different when they’re in a relationship, but not Mapi. The only thing that distances us is my move to Manchester because we don’t see each other as much. She’s my best friend for a reason. Once the message is sent, I go to Bronze’s chat. My thumbs hover hesitantly over the keys. I draft a message that I’m afraid to send. I don’t want to bother her and make her truly regret giving me her number. Also, it’s noon there. It’s not even certain that she’s awake since she was out last night. I take a deep breath and press send without thinking.

Me - 11:27 AM: Hey sleepyhead. Still in bed?

Commander - 11:35 AM: Sleepyhead? I thought you knew me better than that! I bet it’s you who just woke up.

She replied. She replied!!! I really thought I was going to bother her, but it doesn’t seem like it.

Me - 11:36 AM: No, but I slept until 10:30! And you? Do you ever sleep?

Commander - 11:38 AM: Haha! I’m still human, Ona. I just have my habits.

Me - 11:38 AM: Like what?

Commander - 11:40 AM: Running?

Me - 11:44 AM: At noon ? On a Saturday morning?!

Commander - 11:45 AM: At 7:30, my dear 😉

Me - 11:45 AM: I maintain what I think: You’re not normal.

Commander - 11:46 AM: Might as well stay fit if you can’t spend your morning in bed with someone, haha.

Me - 11:46 AM: OK... I was not at all prepared for that kind of response... Now I’m imagining you with a girl...

Commander - 11:49 AM: Get that image out of your head right now! I wasn’t talking about that 😐

Me - 11:50 AM: Too late! I didn’t think of you like that 😂😂😂

Commander - 11:52 AM: You’re really silly! I was just thinking about enjoying the company of someone. Anyway, let’s move on. Is Joan happy to have you back?

Me - 11:54 AM: What a topic change! Oh dear, and I’m the coward! He woke me up this morning by jumping on me. He’s just as sweet as you if you know what I mean 😂

Commander - 11:55 AM: I hope so, you shouldn’t lose the habit of animated wake-ups 😉 At least someone’s happy :) I hope you’re taking care of him this weekend.

Me - 11:56 AM: Of course! We’re going to the ice rink this afternoon :) And I’m seeing Mapi tonight.

Commander - 11:58 AM: Cool. And your parents? Did everything go well?

I sigh as I read the last message. I was about to reply when Sam calls us for lunch. Exactly noon, it’s noon sharp here!

Me - 12:00 PM: My mom is working. I haven’t seen her yet. I’m not going to avoid my scolding according to others. I’m going to eat now, we can talk later if you don’t mind.

Commander - 12:01 PM: That’s normal, but it’ll be fine, don’t worry. Enjoy your meal :)

I smile at her last message. Always words to reassure me. In the end, I don’t think I disturbed her given the way she conversed with me. I put my phone away and head to the kitchen with Joan. He won’t let go. He’s practically glued to me, as if he’s afraid I’ll leave. Maybe he is, since that’s what I did last time. I’m lucky I didn’t hear any reproaches from him. They would have hurt me more than my mother’s. In the meantime, I sense that Sunday night’s departure will be very painful for him. As for me, I almost feel like I belong more in the boarding school than in this house. If my friends and Joan weren’t here, I wouldn’t set foot in it again. For now, I’m enjoying the time I have. I’m lucky to be surrounded by people like them. I’m only realizing their importance now and I plan to make the most of them this weekend..

[heich0e]

the heart is but a winding road p.3 - shouto todoroki/f!reader (2k) pro-hero shouto, approx late 20s early 30s-ish, this is a begrudging father figure fic bc i can, fluff, someone pls give takahashi a raise

p.1 - p.2 - YOU ARE HERE - p.4 (upcoming)

It’s still raining.

The gloomy weather doesn’t necessarily bother Shouto, it just… is. There’s not really much point in sulking over something unchangeable, so he doesn’t—even if he does grumble a bit as he towels off wet his hair after his patrol for the nth day in a row, trudging from the locker room at his agency up towards his office.

Takahashi meets him as the lift doors open onto his floor, bowing in greeting.

“Welcome back, Shouto-sama.”

“Hello,” Shouto greets his secretary, letting his towel rest looped around his neck. “It’s late, why are you still here?”

“I have some paperwork to hand off, and felt compelled to stay until you reported back for the day.” The two men begin making their way down the corridor towards Shouto’s private office, falling easily into step with one another after so many years. “Besides, there is another matter…”

Shouto pauses in the archway leading towards his personal office space. Takahashi’s desk sits just outside his office door, neatly organized as it usually is. There are a few plants in the tiny vestibule—though Shouto’s uncertain as to who actually put them there or tends to them—and a small seating area along one wall for anyone waiting for meetings with the pro-hero, even if he rarely schedules them.

Unusually, there’s someone sitting in those generally unoccupied chairs today.

A woman.

“She’s been here for most of the afternoon,” Takahashi says, keeping his words low and inconspicuous, spoken just on the edge of his breath. “She insisted that she’d wait to see you.”

Shouto blinks.

The visitor has spotted the two men now, and peers at them almost in surprise from across the room—like she scarcely expected to see the two of them at all, though she’s the interloper in this particular place. Shouto’s eyes flicker down to the small box held carefully on her lap, and the umbrella leaning up against her chair.

Oh.

You.

“Shall I ask her to return another day?” Takahashi quietly asks the man at his side, looking between his employer and the unexpected visitor in turn.

“No,” Shouto says, having emerged from his momentary stupor of surprise. He takes a step in your direction. “This is fine.”

You stand as the Pro Hero approaches, and he can’t help but notice you seem a little nervous.

“Hello, Shouto-san,” you say, bowing politely as he nears. “I’m sorry to turn up unexpectedly.”

“It’s no problem,” Shoto says, “Takah—my secretary informed me you’ve been waiting quite a while.”

You make a sheepish little expression. “I wasn’t sure when I’d be able to return, and it was important to me to see you in person.”

“I see,” Shouto nods, glancing once more at the box you’re clutching tightly in your hands. 

It’s quiet—ungracefully so—for a moment. Across the room, Takahashi clears his throat lightly.

Shouto lifts his hand, pointing a bit too briskly towards his office door for the gesture be considered elegant or well-practiced. “Would you like to speak inside?”

“Oh, yes, of course!” you nod. “I really do apologize, I know you just got back from patrol. I don’t mean to take up much of your time.”

Shouto steps towards the door to his office, holding it open for you to enter before him. You hesitate once you’ve crossed the threshold, uncertain what to do next. In the doorway, Shouto similarly hesitates—carefully contemplating whether to leave the door open or closed.

He doesn’t often welcome people into his office, and among the few he does, they’re certainly not civilians and even less frequently are they strangers. His office is fairly sparsely decorated, because he’s never really felt the need to decorate, but Takahashi keeps it tidy while he goes out on patrol. Shouto used to insist to the secretary that he didn’t need to do it, but he’s grown to appreciate the straightening up—and file alphabetizing—and has learned to accept it without complaint.

He's never had reason to be insecure about the austere nature of his workspace, but he's exceedingly conscious of it now that he doesn't even have a seat to offer you.

You suck in a breath before him, as though gathering your nerve, and Shouto’s eyes flicker over to you.

“I came to say thank you,” you tell him, and Shouto is taken aback by your air of sincerity. “For the gifts.”

He clears his throat, looking away from your overly earnest gaze.

“You’re welcome,” he says. ”Did your son like them?” 

“Are you kidding?” you blink, your expression startled like you can’t believe he’d even ask. “Nao loved them. He was so excited the first night he hardly slept, and he insisted on bringing all of them into bed with him—there was barely enough room for him to squeeze in.”

Shouto feels a certain peculiar sense of satisfaction hearing that.

Takahashi really had outdone himself in securing a variety of Recycling Hero merchandise for Shouto to have sent to you and Naoyuki. Frankly, Shouto wasn’t even aware that there was a Pro Hero with such an extensive array of branded goods—besides possibly All Might, and more recently Dynamight (though the majority of those products were unlicensed and manufactured by fans.) There were all the usual items—like keychains, figurines, clothing and other wearable accessories—but Reductro has recently branched out in a variety of ventures, like lunch boxes, reusable water bottles, and even adhesive bandages that are all made of organic compounds and can biodegrade. All of his merchandise is made of sustainable, organic materials, in the spirit of his environmentally conscious ethos.

Your eyes land on a rather large pile of packages next to Shouto’s desk, and your gaze traces them in relative alarm.

Ah. 

He’d forgotten about those.

“Um, are those for…” you trail off, your attention flittering over to him nervously.

“Oh, no,” Shouto replies. “Those belong to me.”

The pile of Reductro merchandise beside his desk is comprised of duplicates of what he’d had Takahashi secure to send to Naoyuki. When his secretary had sent him a list of items for him to choose from, he simply told him to purchase two of each: one for the boy, and one for himself.

You look at him a bit strangely then, though Shouto’s not entirely sure why.

“You’re a fan of Reductro?” you ask him.

Shouto nods. “I wasn’t overly familiar with him, but recently have become quite interested in his work.” 

He surveys the pile of packages beside his desk, and then his eyes flicker back to the box in your hands.

“It was largely thanks to your son.”

You laugh then—a bright, happy sound. Shouto wasn’t expecting it, so he startles slightly, his eyes snapping up to your smiling face. 

“Nao would be really happy to hear that, you know,” you say to him.

Shouto stares at you for a moment, until eventually you look away.

“We made these for you,” you say next, holding out the little box in your hands. “Nao and I.”

Shouto reaches out and takes the offering from you, though he’s hesitant. 

You would have had to pass security before entering the building, and he’s fairly confident you don’t seem the type to do him harm, but he’s still a bit wary as he lifts the lid of the container and peers inside.

“They’re cookies,” you tell him, a bit shy. “We weren’t sure how to say thank you, and they were Nao’s idea…”

Shouto isn’t sure what to say.

His experience tells him he shouldn’t accept the gift. Poisoning is a real threat for public figures, especially Pro Heroes. Even if the gift had passed security, they wouldn’t have been able to test for illicit ingredients or toxins, and sending them downstairs for testing would likely be troublesome—assuming that the research and development department of his agency even has the tools required to screen them.

But he can’t remember anyone making cookies for him before.

“It’s a recipe from Reductro’s cookbook, in case you’re wondering why they’re green—“ you step forward to explain, pointing down towards the little box of baked goods that Shouto is still blankly staring into.

His head pops up.

“There’s a cookbook?” 

You laugh, your hand coming up to cover your mouth, and then you cough lightly as you look away. After a moment you peek back at him, nodding. 

“A few months ago, when we first got it, Nao refused to eat anything that didn’t come from it,” you say, smiling a little as though you’re reflecting fondly on the memory. “I’ve never seen a kid so excited to eat leafy greens.”

In his mind, Shouto makes a note to have Takahashi look into this as soon as possible.

“Well,” you say, clasping your hands together in front of your coat. “I appreciate you taking the time to speak with me, and all the kind gifts you sent to Nao.”

Shouto shakes his head lightly. “Don’t mention it.”

“I’ll leave first,” you say, dipping in a bow. “Thank you very much for the work you do, Shouto-san.”

You step towards the office door—left ajar since Shouto never did decide whether he should leave it opened or closed.

“Um—“

You pause when you hear Shouto speak again, turning back towards him from the doorway.

“Please tell Naoyuki-kun that I’m grateful to him,” Shouto says, his brow furrowed like he’s deep in thought. “For introducing me to Reductro’s work.”

You smile softly. “I'll let him know.”

“And also for the cookies,” Shouto adds after another moment of thought.

“I'll tell him that too.”

Shouto nods, satisfied he’s said all he needs to say. 

“Goodnight, Shouto-san.” You dip your head in a final bow of parting, and then you slip out through the door.

Shouto stands in the centre of his office for a while after you depart, the box of cookies still open in his hands.

He plucks one out, surveying it closely on all sides—and then sniffing it for good measure. He glances towards the door with the cookie held to his lips, half expecting Takahashi to appear and chastise him. When he’s confident the secretary is not lurking just out of view, he takes a bite.

It’s… strange.

It certainly has the consistency of what Shouto would consider a cookie, but it’s not quite as sweet as he was expecting. He contemplates this thoughtfully as he chews. There’s also a distinctly vegetal flavour that lingers once he swallows the mouthful down, but he can’t say with any certainty what ingredient might be imparting that particular taste.

He appraises the cookie in his grip, missing one semi-circular bite mark. 

He likes it.

He pops the rest of the baked good into his mouth, shuffling towards his office door.

“Akahahi-han—“ he calls as he pokes his head out into the vestibule, and his secretary turns in his seat towards the sound of his name—or what was supposed to be his name, but was garbled thanks to the food in Shouto's mouth. He quickly swallows down his mouthful. “Where’s the nearest bookstore to here?” 

Takahashi turns to his computer, tapping away at his keyboard for a moment. 

“Six block northeast—located in the shopping centre where you apprehended the pickpocket with the adhesive-type quirk two weeks ago,” Takahashi relays his search results faithfully from his screen. 

Shouto nods, dipping back into his office.

He reappears a moment later with his jacket on, a baseball cap in his hand, and his little box of green cookies tucked safely under his arm. 

“I’m leaving first,” Shouto calls as he passes his secretary’s desk.

“Shouto-sama, is there something you require at the bookstore?” Takahashi rises swiftly from his seat and pursues the young Pro Hero towards the elevators. The two men stop and wait for the elevator to arrive once Shouto pushes the down arrow. “I’d be happy to retrieve it on your behalf.”

The doors slide open and Shouto steps in, pulling his baseball cap on over his head.

“There’s no need, you can head home for the day,”—the elevator dings as the doors begin to slide closed, Takahashi’s usually placid expression markedly perplexed at his employer’s peculiar behaviour—“I just need to pick up something for dinner."

[linkemon]

Qurrel headcanons 1

Friendly reminder that English is not my first language. You can check my Masterlists both in English and Polish here. Consider supporting me on Ko-fi. You can also check out my commissions if you're interested.

Other headcanons from this series can be found here.

Warning: Slight spoilers for Fontaine storyline.

Lyney

✧ This was definitely one of the most emotional arguments you've ever had in your life. When Lyney was brought before the court of Fontaine, you were sure of his innocence. You believed in him deeply and you knew he was grateful for that. That's why it hurt all the more when suddenly, sitting in the audience, you heard that he belongs to Fatui. It was like a knife in the back.

✧ He knew perfectly well that this organization led to the deaths of your loved ones. You mentioned it more than once and he never dared to utter a word. During the break from the trial, he tried to explain himself to you but it ended up with the two of you shouting and saying bitter words. You weren't as understanding as Aether. After all, you've known each other for so long...

✧ You needed a lot of time to cool down and think it over. Lyney tried to give you space but he's also a stubborn man. He took care to write down all the good things he had done so far to save your country and gave it back to you in the form of a letter. Maybe this will change your mind that not all Fatuis are the same. He wishes he'd told you everything right away but he doubt you'd want to hang out with him if he'd confessed so early in your relationship. He wanted too much to keep your relationship. Now he patiently waits for your forgiveness.

Lynette

✧ Your first quarrel actually happened the day you met. It was one of Lynette and her brother's first successful shows. She wasn't very professional back then. When you showed up with all your rational thinking, she had a heartfelt desire to strangle you. Who goes to magic shows and expects reality instead of magic? After all, that's not what it's all about...

✧ When right after the final applause you started asking aloud pertinent questions about the tricks they did then and enumerating what you noticed in the tricks, she couldn't stand it. She led you quietly to the back room when no one was watching.

✧ She's the type of person who doesn't raise her voice during an argument. Instead, she gives you a cold stare. That's why she only said a few sentences and you had the feeling that you would be dead just from staring. You accused her of cheating people and she accused you that it was not the same as magic shows and that you should not spoil the fun for others.

✧ She was sure she wouldn't see you again after that performance. To her surprise, you reappeared. Lyney seemed interested in your insights about their show. He wanted to hear them away from the audience to enhance the performances. So Lynette, albeit reluctantly, accepted that she wasn't going to get rid of you that easily. She must have seen you. Of course, it was always necessary to grunt something at you. It has become a kind of tradition.

✧ It took some time for you to realize that magic shows are not the same as lies. Lynette definitely didn't expect an apology from you one night after the show when she received a huge bouquet of flowers. You have never argued again since then.

Freminet

✧ This boy can't argue. Literally. Maybe it's because of his taciturnity or maybe just his personality. He bends very easily to your suggestions. So much so that sometimes you have to remind yourself how easy it is to influence him and convince him to do things he doesn't necessarily want to do.

✧ The only times you argue (although it's not the perfect word) are when Freminet really needs to get out of his comfort zone. He never screams, never makes a scene and is never emotional. Usually his cheeks turn red and he shyly suggests that he'd better stay at home. This is his equivalent of arguing. If it really is something excessive, you usually let it go but when it comes to ordinary life situations, you try to force him. His siblings strongly support it. You don't want shyness to take over his life completly.

✧ Freminet is very apologetic. Even for things that didn't offend you in any way. If he doesn't do it with words, he does it with gifts. Flowers from the bottom of the sea, a pretty pebble from the coast, screws from a shipwreck... He feels the need to give you little things as a form of apology for moments when he can be very stubborn in his closure to new and unknown parts of life.

Navia

✧ Navia doesn't like arguments very much. Maybe at most about what she should bake now. She tries to avoid conflicts with you as much as possible. Therefore, your first and most important quarrel took place some time after her father's death. This topic was very touchy for her.

✧ The woman wanted to discover the truth about her parent's death at all costs. Despite threats and information that she could become next target. You were very worried about her safety. Of course, she can take care of herself but the camouflaged attempt on her life tipped the scales. You couldn't look her in the eye because all you could think about was that she might never open them again and it was close to death.

✧ Navia is the type of person who is not afraid to cry and express emotions. That's why she shed a lot of tears during the argument with you. You rarely hear her broken voice and it hurt a lot. She understood your point but she wasn't going to change her mind because of the danger. She made it clear to you that she would do things her way and that was it.

✧ You didn't wait too long to reconcile. Neither of you likes to be in this unpleasant state. Especially since Navia's life was on the line and no one would want to disappear from this world in anger. None of you are afraid to openly admit your mistakes and apologize, which is why the case went wild and fast like a storm.

[muridae3]

Francis Forever | Harvey x Reader

Harvey reflects on his mistakes when it comes to the farmer.

Based on the song Francis Forever by Mitski

I don’t know what to do without you

Harvey laid awake in bed, unable to sleep but unsure what to do with himself.

I don’t know where to put my hands

He felt so small and alone.

I’ve been trying to lay my head down

Sleep had evaded him since that night.

But I’m writing this at three AM

He looked over at his alarm clock, cringing at the blinking numbers— 3:00 AM. 

He already knew that he would be miserable at work.

But, his patients were important to him, and he resolved to be the best doctor he could, even if that meant starting his day at three in the morning.

I don’t need the world to see that I’ve been the best I can be

After taking a long shower and putting on a fresh set of clothes, Harvey felt much more like himself. He knew he would probably look more disheveled than usual, but he found himself not caring what his clients thought of him. Even though it was only five in the morning, he decided to tackle some paperwork that had been sitting in a forgotten pile at the front desk. 

But I don't think I could stand to be

Harvey worked until the sun came up, satisfied at the slow but steady depletion of papers from the stack. After grabbing a cup of coffee, undoubtedly the first of many to come, he sat back at the front desk, ready and able to help anyone that needed it. 

Where you don't see me

The front door to the clinic opened, and Harvey jumped, half expecting and half fearing the farmer’s presence. But that was a silly thought, wasn’t it? After all, the farmer probably never wanted to see him again after the stunt he pulled.

It was just Maru, arriving for her shift. Harvey relinquished the front desk chair to her before heading back to his office, busying himself with more paperwork and distracting himself from the crushing weight of his thoughts. All too soon, the clock struck noon, and Harvey decided to step out. The fresh air would be good for him. 

On sunny days I go out walking

After picking up some food from the saloon, Harvey sat in the small grassy area next to the town square as he always did. The food was delicious, as always, but after he was finished eating, he didn’t necessarily feel like going back to the clinic. He decided to stretch his legs with a short walk.

I end up on a tree-lined street

Harvey wasn’t quite sure how he ended up at the bus stop. It was peaceful—the trees and flowers looked especially pretty in the fall. 

I look up at the gaps of sunlight

Harvey turned his face towards the sun, trying to avoid looking at the road leading to the farm. Maybe it would improve his mood– after all, sunlight does help the body produce serotonin. 

I miss you more than anything

As he felt the warmth on his face, he heard the sounds of nature and subconsciously thought about what the farmer might be doing. He tried to push them from his mind, but they kept coming back– their smile, their laugh, and their little gifts to him filling his mind’s eye.

I don’t need the world to see that I’ve been the best I can be

Thinking of them reminded him of his own regret. He had been so afraid of what others might think—of the gossip that might spread through town—that he had pushed them away. It was a mistake, an incredibly stupid mistake, fueled by his own self-loathing. 

But I don't think I could stand to be

He opened his eyes, looking down the path leading to the farm.

Where you don’t see me

He took a shaky breath and started towards the farm, trying to organize what he would say in his mind. He owed them an explanation, at the very least. 

And autumn comes and you’re not yet done with the summer passing by

He had spent almost the entire summer with the farmer, and he didn’t care then what the townspeople would have to say. So why was it, then, that he cared so much about what others thought now? He had held feelings for the farmer for weeks now, and he had thrown them away when they were returned, like an absolute idiot. He had tainted those beautiful summer memories with his own self loathing.

But I don't think I could stand to be

He stopped in front of the farmhouse. Even if they never wanted to see him again, he knew he’d sleep better after telling them how he truly felt.

Where you don’t see me

He knocked on the door, swallowing his rising anxiety.

“Harvey? What are you doing here?” The farmer’s voice was laced with confusion. “You don’t look well. Are you okay?”

“I had to see you,” Harvey said quickly, suddenly wishing he had tidied up before coming. “I needed to— I— just—”

“Come inside,” the farmer urged, guiding him to the kitchen table. “What’s wrong? You’re pale as a ghost.”

Harvey’s gaze drifted to the bouquet on the kitchen counter—the one meant for him. He took a deep breath, trying to steady himself.

“I came to say… I’m sorry,” he finally managed, unable to meet their eyes. “I’m so sorry.” He blinked back tears that threatened to spill over.

“Harvey…” The farmer sighed softly. “It’s not your fault. You don’t have to return my feelings just because I have them. I should have understood your signals better. This is on me.”

“It’s not that,” Harvey said, his voice trembling. “It’s not that at all. It’s my fault. I was afraid... afraid of what people might think. This amazing new farmer moves to town, and they choose Doctor Harvey, of all people? How lame is that? It could ruin your reputation. That’s what scared me.”

“Harvey… I don’t care about that, and you know it. If people judge me for being with you, so be it.”

He looked at them, startled by their certainty. “You�� you really mean that?”

“Of course I do,” they replied, a small smile spreading across their face. “I think you’re pretty cool, even if no one else does.”

“...even though my only hobbies are airplanes and aerobics?”

“Even though your only hobbies are airplanes and aerobics,” they said, their smile widening. “And, for the record, I don’t think those hobbies are lame at all.” They reached for the bouquet on the counter and held it out to him. “I like you just the way you are, Doctor Harvey, and I would be honored if you’d be my boyfriend.”

Harvey blinked, taken aback. “You… you really mean that?”

“If you’ll have me.” they said, a blush coloring their cheeks.

Harvey took the bouquet, then pulled the farmer into his arms, hoping he could be everything they deserved.

[sloppysequinz]

hiii glitz [cool new nickname for you]

i was wondering if you could speak on your writing process? all your stories are so good and as someone who veeery occasionally writes i'm curious how you go about doing it? thanks !

[definitly not drunk-girl shh]

Ok definitely not @drunk-girl! I've been dwelling on this ask for quite a while. I really appreciated the question a lot :) This answer ended up being kind of long so I put it under a read more for courtesy. Also I loooove the nickname glitz <3

So generally my writing process starts with a little seed of an idea. It could be a text post or a photo I see on here, something that happens across my mind while I'm out and about, it could be a suggestion from a friend. Baby's First House Party came from being in a town where I used to go to school and feeling nostalgic about house parties, Step-Mom came from a story with drunken wetting on here that I just found unexpectedly hot, Meet Cute came from memories of when I lived in a place with a screen door that had a view of my whole living room. The idea just has to spark some kind of interest in me. Sometimes I recognize it right away, sometimes it takes a little bit.

Then I usually spend some time fleshing it out, just in my mind. For me, this usually happens right when I'm falling asleep. I tend to daydream about horny stuff in bed anyway, so it kinda comes naturally. I just spend some time figuring out character dynamics, what the "core" scene or scenario I'm getting at, and to be crude, what turns me on. I follow the turn on down the rabbit hole and let it take the wheel. Sometimes I don't realize I have a good idea until I'm lying in bed fantasizing about something I hadn't thought about before. Sometimes I think I have a good idea, but if I cant generate organic fantasies about it, it won't make a good story.

Usually by the time I sit down to write, I have a good idea of what the characters are, the key thing I want to get to, and how I'm going to get there. For characters, I don't necessarily have names, but a general personality and archetype. When I say key "thing", that's usually whatever I find hottest in the imagined scenario that I want to frame in the center. For Step-mom, this was the scene of her drooling on the table and grabbing her own tits while pissing. For Meet Cute, this was Mel staring in awe as Yvette chugged a whole can of beer. For the first Mona and Lacy story, it was Lacy drunkenly begging Mona to drink while calling her mommy. I have a rough idea of how I'm getting those characters to that big scene.

Usually I just sit down and start writing from the beginning, describing the scene as I see it in my head and writing any dialogue I've thought of that seems hot or in character. Sometimes the characters will surprise me and say something I'm not expecting. Sometimes I have enough momentum to just write the whole thing from start to finish and be done, but not usually. Usually I'll write the opening, then I'll just jot down bullet points for the rest of the story. As an example, I pulled this from a draft of a sequel to Meet Cute that I'm still working on:

Yvette's a little forgetful but lets her in

Mel has brought more beer and a bucket of fried chicken

Yvette has two of the 12 beers left and half a pizza

Wants Mel's help to finish the pizza

"Come sit."

Once I have a rough outline of all the events I want to happen, I go back and slowly flesh them out. Depending on how much time I've spent dwelling on the idea, I may take some time here to workshop what works and what doesn't, what's hot and what isn't. Also, sometimes I start with the juice scene I want to get to, then do bullets for both before and after.

Once I've gotten it all written down, I save it as a draft and leave it alone. I come back a day or two later and proofread it. Once I'm done tinkering, I tag it and hit post (sometimes I realize there are typos or mistakes and I'll just edit the post if I have to).

In general though, the strength of my writing comes from the fact that I am a 30 year old woman who writes for my job. My work writing is a very different kind of writing (which makes this a fun break), but all the same, I have a LOT of practice. On top of that, I have multiple academic degrees that required a lot of writing to get. I also love to read and have read a lot of books. My advice if you're looking to get better at writing is just to do a LOT of it, and to read a lot of books. When I first got into intox kink at 21, I couldn't even figure out how to write down my fantasies, and now I just can't stop.

[3gremlins]

ahhhh i finished it last saturday night (11/9) (this will post from the q so after other q'd things)! it was really enjoyable tbh, i really liked it. it was good (if we don't get another da game, i am fairly satisfied) not perfect but few things are. def stick with it if you're not sure, there's a LOT at the end

spoilers for the end of veilguard- initial notes after the cut, not particularly organized

not me figuring out the varric reveal like 5 minutes before it was actually revealed tho XD tbh i was expecting him to die from the trailers and then he didn't and i was like "oh perhaps they're doing something else with him?" so they got me with the bait and switch and i was properly horrified. good job, you got me bioware. (as an aside, i still don't think varric was a strong enough choice as solas' friend for the intro section, like you never get the impression they are friends in dai at all. varric was stronger friends with anders than he was with solas, despite weird dai retcon about it. I wish they'd centered the narrative around someone else there- cole would have been a good choice? or cole and varric even since that's the most interesting interaction varric has with solas in dai) i'll def have to watch the cutscenes with him in subsequent pts. I kinda wish they'd done a follow up with him somewhere, maybe like the endings in that one fade book you find in trespasser (like at that fade bar with alistair/the warden/hawke/etc, would have been nice). got some solavellan conclusions, more than i expected and it was pretty good all things considered (i would have loved more, but also this was much more than we've gotten from other cameos of previous protagonists).

(is this the most awkward screenshot ever? possibly XD look she loves him so much, she'll even kiss his blight-y mouth and go live with him in the fade) i do wish they'd figured out a way to keep cole in (esp since spirit cole has that sad line about needing to help solas at the end of trespasser) somewhere. it was still pretty good honestly, i cried (this whole game made me cry at various points tho). I do think it could have resolved with them both living outside the fade and just his life being tied to it but i also get them wanting to literally tie up loose ends with this particular narrative.

it feels very mass effect 2ish (esp the end game section), i think most people will like it but i did find the end game section kinda stressful (where you have to pick the right person for things). Also for a dragon age game, usually by the end you have your team so having to break up the team so they live is not necessarily what i want in a DA game (i can appreciate it narratively while disliking it in practice lol) The format is also very mass effect-y in how it doles out companion stuff (esp romance stuff)- it's paced around the plot which is for the most part a good thing (but it also made it hard to tell where you were with things). I definitely like how they utilized the factions better than DAI or DAO tho- even tho only their rank mattered, having the characters in cut scenes and as npcs you can chat with at the end was really nice. I don't know if it's just lucanis' romance or all of them, but i kept thinking i'd missed something b/c of how long they make you wait for private time alone with your partner (the parts we get are really good, don't get me wrong, it just made me wait FOREVER to smooch him or get more than burning looks lol). 100% worth it tho. will romance many more times probably

(aside: getting to have a rook who's got a body like mine and a flat chest and have another character look at them desirously was just gender euphoria really. like okay actually their chest is nicer than mine -i have to do more pushups- but STILL. THANK YOU BIOWARE FOR INCLUDING NON BINARY PEOPLE SO MUCH IN THIS NARRATIVE and integrating us so deeply in all the bits, not just pronouns and basic shit) Like it wasn't even before the first "final" mission but before teh for realskies final mission ish (and i got more dialogue towards the end too). Real Return of the King BUT WAIT there's more vibes with the end (past the point of no return warning). I wish there was a little bit more romance partner time in act 2 even if it was just vibing? I did get a lot of good companion banter about it which i love (i live for banter and the banter in this was so good) i think my biggest note is i didn't feel the music helped it that much? idk i wish they'd just gone with one of their previous composers so it felt more dragon age-y (the zimmer score felt a little generic except when it did reprises of previous dragon age themes). Sometimes it felt too bombastic and sometimes there was not enough, idk, it just didn't have quite the same feel. i did like that they reused the bard music from DAI in the cities, made me smile hearing the sera song esp. i also wish the approval/tone system was a little more like dragon age 2 where you got unique dialogue choices based on which you chose more. Also sometimes the "sassy" answer wasn't that sassy or felt mean, there felt like a little bit of a disconnect between what i would have expected from the choice and what was said. The approval system was a bit weird too - like there were no approvals early on and then suddenly people reacted to things (but it didn't seem to impact their bonds). It felt like that could have used more tweaking or been more obvious anyway. It also felt like it required your character to code switch when talking to different companions since some of them responded to the different tones differently- which felt really weird and a little clunky. I def wished for more of the DA2 style where your companions just accept that you are a fun or kind or straightforward and you can rp that for the whole game.

i really liked the art direction (tho i did sort of miss the persistent splatter gore) and loved all the companions! the story was overall pretty good tho it suffered from a few pacing issues early on (you could sort of tell it had been reworked a little bit and bits were still a bit weird- but tbh all the games suffer from this a bit).

the combat was fun! i wish the targeting was a little better (as i've mentioned) and toward the end of the game, i got some stuttering when a lot of things were hitting rook at once (so it wouldn't register my dodges correctly). I played as rogue rook and it was super fun, glad i went with my actual fave class on my first pt (i always think i should be a mage and then want to be a rogue so im glad i can finally be like no no, i love knives and arrows!) The optional bosses were the most fun/challenging. Finished the game with the poison squad ofc but most of the companions felt reasonably balanced when I had to use certain parties (i'd say the warriors felt the weakest in their skills, have to see how player warrior feels, rogue rook was awesome). i loved that you could refund your skill tree at any point for no cost and also that it explained the bits of the tree (bursty, control, etc) so you could work out your own build for it. I wish the super special rune you get for beating the optional questline wasn't presented as your last ditch effort thing- i got confused by this dialogue and was a little afraid to use it at first (i thought i'd have to use it at a particular time in a fight, but nah it was just a really good rune with a normal cd) Obviously there's still more questions (the "secret" post credits scene) and i kinda wanted a post credit party scene? Maybe if we're lucky we'll get one like we did for bg3 i'm pretty satisfied, already started some more rooks and ready to make some fan art! [im also pretty sure my first pt had the most bugs since i started it on release date and didn't get the starter quest achievements until my 2nd rook, so we'll see how it plays with war rook and mage rook)

[distant-velleity]

"hypocrite"

Summary: Sometimes, people who are too similar will also clash. Word count: 2.2k+ Warnings: violence A/N: Wheeew. Chrysos and Yu hours again. I'm not going to comment on the quality of this one for reasons, but I'll just post it anyway. Here you guys go. (I'll also reblog this on my sideblog so you guys can see some additional thoughts and such.)

~

Dammit. Where did it all go wrong?

Yu doesn’t necessarily storm out of the infirmary, but it’s something close to it.

With the longest, swiftest strides he can muster, he intends to head back to Ramshackle—to rest, to collect his thoughts, and to figure out where the hell Vil’s blot stone went.

It hadn’t been anywhere in the infirmary or on his person, even though it was right in his palm when he passed out the night before. He didn’t have any memory of waking up another time between blacking out and ending up in the infirmary, either. 

But if either the nurse or Crewel or Crowley had confiscated it, then they hadn’t addressed the issue at all when they had every reason to as highly-qualified staff members collectively responsible for the school’s safety.

So somehow, it disappeared right out of his hands. Somehow, a very potent crystallization of dangerous magical waste has disappeared and Yu needs to find it. 

Maybe, just maybe, it ended up somewhere where no one will find it before me—

“There you are, Wei.”

It’s a gentle but accusatory voice.

Yu blinks and stops, emerging from his thoughts. Thanks to the fair, the hallway is empty except for him—him and a certain Octavinelle student.

“Chrysos,” Yu says pleasantly, waving to him. Speaking as if nothing out of the usual had happened at all, as if he isn’t high-strung with nerves. “Headed somewhere?”

“I meant to visit the infirmary to find you,” admits Chrysos, “but… it looks like you’ve already been discharged.”

Yu’s mouth curves into a small smile, a mask of politeness, since he doesn’t really feel like smiling. “Yeah. It was probably a cause for concern for some, but I’m fine. An overnight stay in the nurse’s office was treatment enough.”

“Oh?” Chrysos tilts his head. “That’s fast. If I might ask… what were you in there for, then?”

The inevitable question, of course. Thankfully, he’d prepared for this.

“Stress-induced sickness, I guess? It got to the point where I fainted.” Yu laughs softly. Habitually, he adds in a dash of something pitiable: “I’m about as weak as people expect me to be.”

Chrysos narrows his eyes ever so slightly, lashes dipping—as if the half-lie about the fainting spell is a dried-out organism he’s about to viciously dissect. 

“I see,” he replies after a moment, instead of the expected accusations. “You’re sure you feel fine now, then?”

“Yep. Thanks for being worried, though.” Yu doesn’t mention that he pretty much blackmailed the nurse into letting him out, the second time in less than 24 hours. After all, it was better if no one noticed and questioned his abrupt admittance to the infirmary from last night…

…Yu frowns.

“Wait a minute—” he starts quietly, at the same time Chrysos says, “That’s good to hear.”

They look at each other, only one of them stunned into silence; and it isn’t Chrysos, who—ever composed—wordlessly and expectantly gestures for Yu to speak.

“How…” Yu hesitates, and then cautiously continues, “How did you even know I was in the infirmary?” After all, no one—absolutely no one besides the staff—should have been aware. It was far too early in the day for them to have told anyone…

Chrysos crosses his arms, an unreadable look in his eyes. “Do you want to take a guess?”

“No. Just tell me outright, please.”

“In that case…”  

Almost innocently, Chrysos gives a slight sideways incline of his head again.

“I was the one who brought you to the infirmary to begin with.”

As if he hadn’t just dropped a bombshell of a realization on Yu, the ever-polite and ever-observant freshman waits for a reaction with a perfectly neutral expression. Or, Yu reflects, maybe it’s because he understands the significance that he watches so calmly. 

It wouldn’t be surprising in the least.

Of course, still, Yu is filled to bursting with questions; opening his mouth to ask after a moment’s delay—then, what about the blot stone? Why were you out there in the dead of night like I was? Why did no one mention you to me? Why, and how—only to realize he can’t ask any of them. He can’t without giving up the little lie he’d made up for this conversation. 

Even Chrysos, composed and paradoxically reckless Chrysos, can’t be told the truth lest he try to stop Yu.

So Yu closes his mouth and then puts on another smile, a soft laugh. “Seriously? Well… Thank you a lot, then. I owe you one.” 

And, then— 

“But I’m kind of in a hurry, so maybe we can talk about that later.”

Yu turns his back, then, and starts walking off in his original direction at what he hopes seems like a normal pace. It’s rude, and he knows it, but he doesn’t have any alternatives that will end well for him. Or, rather, he simply just doesn’t want to consider or choose those alternatives. 

He doesn’t get to go very far before he’s stopped. 

“Yuhua.” His given name sounds strange coming from Chrysos’ mouth. “Do you know what I’d appreciate in exchange? An explanation.”

“For what?” he asks, turning around again but refusing to meet Chrysos’ eyes.

“You know what I’m talking about.”

Yu’s mouth feels so, so dry. Still, he musters all the false sincerity he can, letting it bleed deep into his voice as he replies, “No, I don’t. I’m sorry.”

The heels of Chrysos’ shoes click, clack against the floor with startling emphasis. “I don’t appreciate you continuing to lie to my face,” he says, voice dangerously soft. “I found you unconscious at the Purple Stage last night, holding onto something you shouldn’t have looked for. Do you want to deny it any further?”

Holding onto something I shouldn’t have looked for? That’s rich.

“Maybe I should ask what you were doing there,” Yu deflects. “Isn’t your convenient presence equally as suspicious?”

“The Film Research Club was debriefing late into the night. You can ask anyone about it.” Chrysos narrows his eyes further. “That’s when I saw you. To be frank, it’s more of an alibi than yours.”

“Well—”

“And,” Chrysos interrupts, now that he’s found a weak point, “that’s not all. Don’t think I don’t know about the other blot stones you’ve been hiding.”

Yu freezes, struck with the overwhelming feeling of he definitely shouldn’t know that. That this has gone very, very wrong—or that this conversation wasn’t really within his control from the very beginning. 

Of course, it isn’t that he hid those dangerous crystals for malicious purposes—just that someone has to do something about them, but now he has no idea what would happen if everyone found out. 

And at this point, he’s already too far in over his head to stop.

“...How do you know that?” he asks, trying to school his expression back into place.

Chrysos basically scoffs. “It doesn’t take a genius to connect the dots. You’re lucky I’m the only one who’s noticed.”

Yu is and he knows it. That doesn’t mean he likes it at all.

“You—” Yu shuts his mouth, and feels his nails digging into the palm of his fists. “Thanks for your concern, but seriously, this isn’t any of your business. I don’t need any help.”

“Actually, I feel a little inclined to intervene. Do you even know what effects continuous blot exposure has on a normal human?” asks Chrysos incredulously.

“Does it matter if I’m just keeping them safely locked up?”

“Contrary to what you might think, you’re not invincible.”

What a disgustingly know-it-all response, one that he would have given himself if their roles were reversed. 

It’s unbearable.

“I can’t believe you’re telling me this. Remember when you almost Overblotted because you overused your signature spell?”

“And so I’ve stopped using it.” Chrysos looks at Yu with what seems to be disdain. “Can you say the same for yourself?”

“What am I supposed to do? Leave the stones somewhere and hope they’ll just despawn without affecting anyone?!” Yu throws up his hands in exasperation. “Seven, I wish it was that easy.”

“Did you consider your other options?” wonders Chrysos. He lays the facts in a sickeningly rational manner: “You could have told someone. Anyone. Maybe not us students, but I’m genuinely surprised you didn’t at the very least call on one of the teachers or the headmage to safely dispose of it.”

The possibility had crossed Yu’s mind at some point. But Crowley had always been too irresponsible, and as awful as it feels to admit it, Yu doesn’t truly trust any of the adults at Night Raven College. He doesn’t trust a lot of people, come to think of it.

“It’s because I thought about it that I came to the conclusion I should just handle it myself. Are you going to stop being a hypocrite now? I mean, having other options never kept you from going off on your own—like with the anemones.” 

That seems to be the spark that makes Chrysos bristle, shaking his scathingly polite Octavinelle exterior. “If you must know—”

“I’m dying to hear your excuses,” Yu drawls, “because the last I remember, you would go off and pursue debt-evading or rebellious students on your own—you would go off and ‘handle’ them yourself.” 

His mouth is running faster than his mind now, but he can’t be bothered to stop it. 

“Don’t you remember that, too? I’m sure it must have been so satisfying in the moment when you were beating Ace up—him, magicless and defenseless, and you with all the power, feeling like you were in the right because no one else was there to govern your actions—”

“Yu.” Something has snapped. Chrysos’ voice is low and deadly, now brimming with palpable anger. “Are you willing to shut your mouth, or should I shut it for you?”

Yu lets himself laugh cynically. “Funny, because I’ve been wanting to ask you the same thing. Can’t take what you dish out either, huh—”

——?!

He almost falls backwards from the force of being struck. Pain erupts on his left cheek and under the hand he instinctively brings up to feel at it. 

It hurts, but one look at the almost feral anger in Chrysos’ eyes and a sick part of Yu feels satisfied, like he’s in control again. 

Still, Yu knows he’s going to regret this later. They probably both will. 

Not that it makes a difference. 

When Chrysos aggressively grabs him by the front of his shirt, Yu can’t help but smirk, even when disoriented from being punched in the face. He reaches a hand up to dig his nails into the flesh of Chrysos’ arm. “Resorting to violence because you have no other arguments?”

“Resorting to deflection because you’re obviously in the wrong?” Chrysos retorts, bearing the expression of one who knows he’s being provoked but still wants to give in to it. As a matter of fact, he probably has the strength to kill Yu right here and now. His unwavering death grip is proof enough of that.

But Yu pays it little mind, refusing to give in to his fear, swallowing it down—he’s been at other people’s mercy in this world since the start, it’s nothing new. “Like that’s your place to decide?”

A derisive scoff escapes him.

“Why don’t you keep doing what you do for everyone else, and mind your own damn business?”

He shifts his weight and kicks Chrysos’ shin as hard as he can, not above targeting a merman’s weakness. 

Chrysos grimaces, stumbling, and his grip lessens. Yu takes advantage of it to try and thrash out of his hold, but Chrysos’ reaction time is far faster: he reaches to grab fistfuls of Yu’s shirt again, making sure the TA can’t run away like he planned.

“You’re a fucking idiot,” Chrysos hisses, everything about him in disarray: strands of hair falling out of their perfect arrangement, polite diction discarded. “You can get what I’m saying through your head, but you keep choosing not to.”

“And?—”

There’s another cruel, quick response right on the tip of Yu’s tongue, but it never leaves his mouth. He stays defiantly silent, watching Chrysos’ shoulders shakily rise and fall with simmering anger. Watching Chrysos inhale sharply and draw back his fist—

The next thing Yu knows, he’s on his side, an inelegant heap on the floor. The same part of his face aches, a burst of pain that makes it hard to see. 

As he sits up, Chrysos approaches him.

“You—... I—...” 

For a few seconds, Chrysos starts and stops, trying to find something to say amid the obviously enraged haze of his mind. 

“...Sometimes, I can’t believe you,” he finally says, letting a resigned venom seep into his words. “Preaching all these things and never putting them into practice with yourself.”

Yu waits—for him to say something else, to do something else—but nothing comes.

Chrysos just walks away, and then there’s no one else left in the hallway. It’s an anticlimactic ending, if he could even call it that. A fight that fizzled into nothing but dead silence.

…Only then, once left to his own devices again, does the bitter adrenaline wear off; and Yu shamefully concedes to no one but himself—

Maybe, just maybe, there was more validity to Chrysos’ words than he was willing to admit.

[sealochs]

Dear Ellie, how to find love in your thirties when you are tired of "putting yourself out there", frenetic dating apps, and just want a relationship that feels peaceful and soft? I'm fulfilled and blessed by wonderful friendships but I do also want a life partner and family in the near-ish future, and I'm beginning in to lose hope.

i am sending you so much love, anon. i know much of how this feels, although i wasn't in my 30s before meeting w. (i was 26), so i want to hold space for that difference. i also don't want to patronise you with reminders that you are whole & complete & entirely lovable without a partner; i trust that feels self-evident, & i always found it annoying when i was single & others would confuse my want for a partner with a need. wanting that kind of love is so very valid & not, i believe, a want which says anything about your sense of self-worth or independence.

but please don't lose hope. you already know how to love, & have others who love you, because you have these wonderful friendships. i feel wary of giving any specific, firm advice as such, because everyone is so different & i don't know you or your dating history, but i can share my experience in the hope that it's somewhat helpful?

i can entirely understand your dislike of dating apps, but after many false starts & similar periods of frustration, i did meet w. on one, & have friends who have similarly built wonderful, real & fulfilling relationships from an app match. if i am honest, i swiped right on w. when i was in a very devil may care, fuck it, swipe right on anyone & everyone who looks even halfway decent mood. usually, i was very very picky with who i swiped right on, & even pickier about who i went on a date with. i don't say this to insult him! his profile simply didn't tell me much about who he is: his pictures were old so he looked more boyish & awkward than he really is (imagine my delighted surprise when i turned up to our first date to find a very charming & properly grown Man); his replies to prompts had an odd tone that i now know to be his wonderfully earnest sense of humour; his entirely different from mine career has actually turned out to be a blessing of a contrast - instead of giving us nothing in common to talk about, we've found endless common ground in other areas that are less easily referenced on a dating profile, & we can still interest one another with stories about our work because there are so many dissimilarities.

all this is to say that i'm now a big believer in having a very open mind on the apps. all those people with perfectly posed photographs & witty responses to prompts? they're very good at the game, but that doesn't necessarily mean they're the person for you. if you're someone who wishes they could meet a partner "organically", it seems likely that the people who seem to be ~ bad at the apps are actually the ones you might get along best with. shoot that just okay, not very informative, bit awkward person a message! worst case scenario the chat is dead or weird or uncomfortable, & you block & move on without ever meeting them.

which kind of brings me to my other thought on dating apps, & indeed dating in general, which is that i think it helps to approach it as a bit of fun! as i say, i was fully in a fuck it i may as well mood when i met w. i was literally planning a slut era! i was all ready to go on as many first dates with as many people as possible! i was not looking for a relationship! then sod's law, my first date of this new slut era turns out to be the one. i am obviously not saying this will definitely happen to you, too, but i truly think the attitude helps. you can take the pressure off. swipe right, chat to some people, meet up for some low expectations drinks in a neutral place. worst case scenario, it's boring or weird or uncomfortable, but you can leave when you want & then you can block & move on. best case scenario, they turn out to be the one. & every scenario between those is pretty nice & fun. same goes for approaching someone irl, i think. if they don't engage, or do chat but turn you down when you ask them out, you can leave. hit the bricks! you'll never see them again! or you might get a date out of it, & that's an instant confidence boost even if the date itself turns out to be bad.

i don't know if that helps, & it may be that you have very good & strong reasons for not wanting to use apps again, but if you are open to it i do think they can be worth it. there are cons, which we all know, but there are pros too. everyone there is looking for the same thing, so you don't have the awkwardness of irl encounters & figuring out if someone's single and/or interested. if they've swiped right on you, they're at the very least interested in a chat. & there's also the way they allow you to keep it to the app for as long as you want, giving you time to figure out if you do want to meet up. with irl encounters, you kinda have to move faster because you know you likely won't see them again unless you ask to.

i'll say one final thing in response to what you say here about wanting a relationship which feels peaceful & soft. it is entirely possible that you could meet someone & it feels that way immediately. but do also be prepared to work for that peace & softness. sometimes the process of getting to know & love someone is awkward or confusing or thrilling or surprising or heated or wild or any & all of these things. it can take time & understanding & effort to find that peace & softness, which makes it no less wonderful.

mostly, i'm sending you lots of love, & willing you not to lose hope. delight in your friendships, invest in all of your interests, keep yourself open to the world, & give yourself permission to want. i am wishing so much love for you <3

[pub-lius]

Tell me your favorite fact about John Laurens and another fun fact about anyone of your choosing. <3 /p

oh man my FAVORITE?? hm. im pretty sure any of my favorite facts aren’t necessarily FUN but i will tell you my favorite laurens story since i think everyone should know about it

so towards the end of the war (1780 or something i can’t remember dates) he was chosen to serve a diplomatic role in france (again i forgot what it was) but his mission was pretty much just to get uniforms and more troops sent from france to the US. during this time he kinda had beef with benjamin franklin bc franklin’s whole thing was very gentle diplomacy since yk he’s working with aristocrats.

laurens, however, was an asshole. he kept causing problems and not doing things the way franklin wanted him to and this kept developing as he got more and more pissed with the french. eventually, some dumbass got him an appointment to present his petition to the king and his ministers. usual protocol was that you walk in, bow to the king, and present your papers to one of the ministers, and leave.

laurens didn’t want to do that. he presented his case DIRECTLY to the king, and- allegedly- drew his sword and said something along the lines of “if you don’t help us now, we’ll go to war later”. king louis was like 😀 like mf wasnt even mad he was just shocked. so he just. handed the papers off to one of the ministers and went about his day, while laurens stormed off and threw a hissy fit. he technically got his requests approved, but he didn’t organize it properly and left it in the hands of an incompetent person so it was a fucking mess. he didn’t want the job so like that was to be expected.

okay, as for the other fun fact, im going to retell a story about hamilton that one of my instagram mutuals told me, so i dont have sources for this one but i think its funny

so hamilton had a friend staying over at his house bc he started feeling sick after dinner and so he yk just stayed the night bc he didn’t wanna make the ride home. so he was sleeping in one of hamilton’s bedrooms and then like hamilton walks in, TUCKS HIM IN, and is like “gn little judge [the friend was a judge] what would we do without you 🥰” and just left him baffled

idk how true this is at all but i think the idea that hamilton’s sense of humor was talking to young children like adults (thats from a letter) and talking to adults like children. if anyone knows about that story, pls reblog with the dudes name if you have it bc idk it 😭

anyway ty for the ask!!! i enjoyed it :)

[leviathans-watching]

Hi! I really like your content, and I've been following you for a while but never done one of these before.

I was wondering if you had any tips for creating a writing blog?

thank you so much for the support! hopefully what I include is at least somewhat helpful!

first, i think it's important to note that a lot of my success comes from the circumstances surrounding the startup of my blog. i began to write for obey me during 2020, with my first work getting posted around may. this is important for two reasons: not only we're we in lockdown, leading to an insane increase in engagement from 2020-late 2022, but also since the game released in dec 2019, I was one of the first people to write for it, thus meaning I was filling a niche that had in increased demand. my point in this is to say that I attribute a lot of my success to these factors, and not necessarily to any actions that I took or inherent talent lol

also note that these tops are based in my experience and experience only, not in any science or data!

general tips:

don't expect to blow up overnight! i've been writing fanfiction since 2018 and i only started gaining traction in late 2020 haha. and in that time, don't be afraid to just throw stuff at the wall until you find something that sticks. set boundaries! if you get to a point where people are being demanding, unkind, leaving hate, asking for too much, doing anything to rub you the wrong way, shut it down. thankfully I've only had to do that like twice (as usually my followers are lovely and understanding), but it's important to remember this is your blog and your rules

writing tips:

play around with style, tone, themes, elements, etc until you find your groove. my works do span stylistically, thematically, plot-wise, etc, but commonly they're lighthearted and sweet, as I find that's what I like to write the best. find what you like to write the best! edit edit edit! once you're done writing, read through it once or twice to find typos/stuff you don't like, then when you move it from wherever you're writing (as I do not suggest writing in tumblr) look through it again as the new format and sizing will allow you to catch more. then, if you're still unsure, wait overnight and look through it again the next day before posting. but it's also not the end of the world to have typos if you get constructive criticism (given in a kind way ofc)... it's in your best interest to at least evaluate your work before deciding to take it or not. don't just dismiss it. reflection leads to improvement! when I first started writing I didn't even put dialogue into different paragraphs and without some nice comments who knows how long that might have lasted lol if you're struggling with writing block or can't seem to finish up a piece, give it a break. don't keep kicking a dead horse. I've had pieces that I start and don't come back to until like 9 months later lmfaooo

technical tips:

blogs that are centered around 1 (to 2) fandoms tend to do better. this is because ppl don't like to follow creators if there's also a bunch of random stuff appearing on their dash in between works. this is why I utilize sideblogs (i tend to post obey me and haikyu (to a lesser degree) on this one, and i have one for batman, one for another book series, and one for more personal poetry and stuff) a good and aesthetically pleasing layout is going to really go far. if you're blog and works look professional and attractive, they're going to pull people in. what this means is to come up with a blog theme/layout that is unique and fits the vibes of you and your writing, have a unique pfp (so not one of the of tumblr ones), and make sure your works are organized with a clear layout that's standard across your blog (this also helps create a 'blog identity'). feel free to look at mine for inspo obv or as you scroll through popular blogs/tags try to pick out elements that you'd like to incorporate. tagging is your best friend. i always start with the most important/broad ones (i.e. #obey me, #obey me game), then go into relevant relationships (i.e. #mammon x you, #mammon x mc), then characters (i.e. #mammon obey me, #obey me mammon), then anything else. this order can be changed if you have trigger warnings, which i'd say to put first. also, do not spam tag or tag thing's that aren't related in an effort to gain viability as that will actually make people less likely to engage. as with layout, try to standardize your process/blog specific tags so they create a 'blog identity' (such as my #leviawriting or #from: levi tags) be kind and interactive! if people leave you nice comments, respond to them! answer asks, have conversations, make new friends! this will make your experience much more fun and bring a lot of joy, and also make people want to talk to you

that's really all i can come up with right now! obviously if anyone has more tips feel free to tack them on and if you have questions send them my way!

[deusauris]

There’s absolutely no order or sense to this, I just threw together sea slug reproduction facts and called it a day. Okay here we go:

First of all, sea-slugs are simultaneous hermaphrodites so they can play both roles at the same time, it often resulting in a strange daisy chain of sea slug reproduction. This is very commonly seen with the sea hares especially, in which many sea hares find each-other using their chemical trails in the spring/summer seasons and then coming together to form this chain, in which they can both give or receive, or even do both at the same time. The black sea hare is also the largest sea slug species to exist currently! One is pictured below.

Now, let’s look at this one particular species of sea slug: Siphopteron makisig. (Pictured below)

What makes this little guy interesting is that it Stabs its mate. The mating process is pretty normal with the usual expected penetration. Traumatic penetrating (penetrating a part of the partner’s body that isn’t necessarily a reproductive organ for better/more effective insemination) has been noted in certain sea slug species however, this is the only noted species to stab its partner between the eyes, with one of the prongs (stylet) of its penis that is almost needle-shaped.

Both of the partners stab each-other between the eyes. This is seen as an attempt to ensure that the other sea slug lays as many eggs as possible by injecting the hormones directly into the nervous system.

While we are on the topic though, traumatic mating is also usually used to “ensure success” as the injury is thought to prevent further mating and therefore ensuring the offspring or further descendants of the slug who already got the chance. This “ensuring” is a pretty common theme in sea slugs from what I’ve seen? Though there are different methods. Take the Chromodoris Reticulata, for example.

This sea slug is mostly known for its detachable and regrowable penis, which it has coiled up and spiralled inside of their body, and it disposes the exposed part of after use. This is why they can repeatedly mate about 3 times, as a day is usually how long it takes for regrow to. I am pretty sure that it’s the only known creature to be able to regrow the penile appendage too? Insane.

Also I wasn’t sure where to put this but I remembered this right as I was typing so, the reproductive organs of all sea slugs are on their right sides — both of the organs — so they kind of just, connect to each other. One fits into the orifice of other, while the other fits into the orifice of the first. Kind of like legos.

Their penises also have hooks, though that goes for most sea slugs that I have heard of. They have little “spines” on them which hook on to ensure, like I said before, most effective insemination. And while we are on this topic! Let’s note that the first insemination attempt has been speculated and considered to actually be an attempt to remove the previous given sperm of their partner’s previous mates so that, again, more effective insemination from that mate in particular can take place. It pretty much scoops the rival sperm out of its partner to replace with its own, so that it is the one whose genes are passed.

Also I didn’t get to talk about traumatic mating so much, so, hopping back to it for a second. Did you know there was a whole article and an accompanying video based on traumatic penetration in sea slug reproduction? Specifically that of the Phidiana Lynceus. The article carries a beautiful title, “Love will tear us apart.” Which is quite fitting for this species, as it’s one of the most violent ones around when it comes to sea slugs. They approach each other with much hostility and aggression but will choose to mate anyway; however they will keep this sense of hostility throughout their mating, as you will know in a second.

The 3 minute video (I tried to attach the link but it didn’t let me so, ask me for it separately if interested) included them eating and consuming one another’s cerata quite aggressively while they mated, after throwing each-other’s penis against their partner. Ceratas are basically used for defence + attack (or decoy in some species, who drop them to distract predators!), and nudibranches such as the pictured species eat stinging celled creatures and passed those cells to the tip of its own cerata. Anyway, they try to consume and ingest as much cerata of one another possible but sometimes it’s only torn, in which case the partner will just suck the contents through the wound. This goes on for a few minutes after which the insemination process gets over with.

[alchemiclee]

i've been told/keep seeing posts about people suddenly not liking when people add tags to their posts with their own thoughts/feelings/opnions/experiences, and even people that say not to tag with certain common organizational tags (like ships for example i see the most. some people use a ship name for organization purposes and not necessarily for shipping. for example i use "collei and her dads" for cyno, tighnari, collei art for my organization so I cam find them again and theres been a few artists screaming not to use ship tags and that could be seen as a ship tag. so what do i do? not organize your art into my tags and let it get lost and never seen again? not share your art at all? kinda silly but whatever, ill just ignore your art).

I personally think that's all a bit ridiculous....i don't know if that's a more recent thing (like with twitter people coming here suddenly and expecting to act like this is twitter) or if it happened in the years since I took a break from tumblr. but bAcK iN mY DaY we used tags as a little whisper to add our own thoughts without interrupting the main post. adding hard comments or replies was more seen as "too much/too loud" if it wasn't something directly meant for OP. tags were usually never meant for OP and were always for the reblogger and their followers. these days more and more people seem to think tags on their posts are all speaking to them directly or interrupting their post (not to say you can't speak to OP through tags, like i'll say nice things about their art in tags) but not everything in someone's tags on a post they reblog from you is for you! you can ignore it!!!

I know on twitter (where I went after leaving tumblr a while back) people use quote retweets to speak to the OP often. but not always. I sometimes would quote a tweet to add my own thoughts while using the quote as like a citation to credit OP for the idea. but I have a few times where the OP thought I was speaking to/about them and got very upset about it. one was a large account who quoted me back and got very nasty and sent their minions after me. quotes are louder than tumblr tags. so that's more understandable, and I was always very hesitant to do it, but I personally see indirect tweets about another post as extremely rude and posting screenshots of tweets on twitter is also rude.

I loved coming back here mainly for the tag system! I missed being able to share a post and also quietly add my thoughts. go on long rambles related to the main post without stealing their post completely or needing to make a whole new post. I know most old tumblr users get that and don't care, probably. I NEVER saw anyone complain about it in the past. only say how much they love it. it was just part of how this site worked for us. a culture thing we naturally created. so i'm assuming it's mostly new users who don't get this culture? it also doesn't help tumblr made it so you now see tags in your notes tab and not just comments added and replies. before, you would have to go to "someone reblogged your post" to see if they added tags because tumblr only showed comments. I personally LOVE when people add tags to my post with their thoughts and stories and whatnot. ai i'd go to every reblog I got to see if there's tags added. it's like an uncommitted interaction. they dont expect a reply, i don't expect a reply. they are isolated thoughts, but still related. it's still a form of interaction, without the pressure of being direct, and I feel seen/heard when they add them. (it means they're not a bot, auto reblogging my posts /hj) seeing tags on my posts i'm not just shouting into the void alone and someone sees me. me adding tags to a post is a gentle "you're not alone/I hear you/im a real person not a bot" from me. but it also could be me saying "your post inspired me! I want to write something too! but im being quiet about it so i dont take away from your post and your post gets all the credit" when I add my own little tag ramble.

so the fact that people are now suddenly being upset by people adding their own experiences and thoughts to tags is super disappointing and and frankly annoying. tags don't take away from your post and you can just ignore them! no one is forcing you to expand the tags in your notes and read them! hardly anyone will see them. most will only read your post and not people's tags! I know no one usually reads my tags because i've added secret messages to the end of my tags and no one ever responds to it lmao things like send a pic in my ask and i'll draw it for you.

yes I know "RESPECT PEOPLE BOUNDARIES" but it kind of disrespects my needs as well. theres a thin line between someone's boundaries being crosses and someone's needs not being met. but that's a whole debate i'm not willing to have so don't start it. (not that kind of boundary is easy to not cross. not bringing up arguments. but asking people to not use a main function of a website is kind of pushing it imo...) yeah I want to respect boundaries the best i can, but unless you say in the post "don't reblog and add your own tags" no one will know and you get upset when no one knows. and no, no one will read your profile/pinned post before reblogging. no one will go to the original post and read your tags. they will only reblog it right off their dash if they aren't seeing it directly from you in the tags/for you page. some people will reblog 100 posts a day. they won't go to every profile/original post before reblogging just to see if you have any special conditions and rules for your random one post out of hundreds they see a day. that's too much to expect, honestly, sorry to say!

but this is tumblr. maybe it's better for people to accept the culture/etiquette here and let it happen without complaining, or realize this isn't the place for them! because it doesn't meet their needs and boundaries! and that's ok! it doesn't have to be your place. you don't need to stay here if you don't like how it works! asking an entire website to "respect your boundaries" by not participating in a basic or essential function of the website is a little ridiculous to be fair....

no i'm not saying your boundaries don't deserve to be respected. i'm saying this probably isn't the place to have those boundaries in the first place. because there's am established way this site functions that works in counter to your wanted boundaries, so it just doesn't fit your needs. and like I said that's ok! you don't need to stay here if it upsets you that much! it's better if you find a social media where people can't share your posts. like a simple blog site that doesn't have a share function! or like Instagram? people cant share those posts. (sorry, I dont know much about social media) if you really want people to stop adding tags that bad, either turn off reblogs completely, or ask staff to add a notification option to turn off seeing added tags on reblogs! (if you're veeerry lucky, and not a trans woman, they might listen to you)

[masochistrights]

hi! i want to start engaging with kink communities irl but i don’t even know where to begin or how to start looking, making sure it’s safe, etc. do you have any advice?

Hi!!! I’m so glad you want to engage with the kink scene irl!

The best and often only place to begin when finding kink communities is FetLife. It’s not great but it’s functional and still the best way we have to connect with people in our general geographic area. I essentially only use FetLife to learn about events and connect with the people I met at events after the fact. Other people use it more like a proper social media site, like a cross between Instagram and early 2000s web forums.

Once you make a Fetlife account you’ll be able to see what’s happening in your area. Nearly every city in the world has munches (slang for meetups) in some capacity, most often monthly or bi-monthly. These most often take place in restaurants (in the US) or pubs (in the UK) and they’re free to attend. although you are expected to support the venue by purchasing food or drink.

Munches are completely vanilla and very laid back. Usually the organizers will reserve a certain room or quieter corner of the venue, and they’ll have a specific name for the group reservation which you can tell waitstaff. I suggest arriving on time to your first munch so that you can meet the organizers and they can help introduce you to people/start conversations. These people are great resources, they’ve often been in the scene for decades, and they’re a wealth of knowledge!

The munch itself (in my experience) serves as a way of making friends and meeting people you might like to play with, but it’s not a dating app and the goal is not to hunt down play partners. I’m personally weary of people who ask me “so, are you a dom or sub?” or “so, what are your kinks?” in the middle of a munch because I don’t necessarily want to share those things in a semi-public group setting. Instead I use munches as an opportunity to expand my social circle and practice making conversation.

I think IRL kink is extraordinarily safe because sketchy people do NOT stay around for long, particularly once they realize munches are a bunch of friends making small talk instead of the precursor to an orgy. Organizers are not afraid to ban someone from a munch if they need to, and kinky people are not afraid to call out poor behavior if need be. Veterans like myself have a vested interest in keeping the scene safe and welcoming, otherwise these spaces will no longer exist, so safety is really the number one priority.

Anyways I hope this was helpful and I really do hope you explore the kink community outside of Tumblr because there is so much out there and so much knowledge + fun to be gained!

[silverchronicler]

Prime Report for TennoCon (July) 2024 - SPECIAL EDITION

hey what the fuck

Prime Access

SO some stuff happened at TennoCon. Let's talk about what it might mean for the future.

Currently in Prime Access is Protea Prime, along with Velox Prime and Okina Prime. As was revealed at TennoCon, she's slated to be replaced by Sevagoth Prime, alongside Epitaph Prime and Nautilus Prime in August, when they release with The Lotus Eaters, a planned August 2024 update coming to Warframe.

Protea Prime was released on May 1, 2024, making her guaranteed 90 day reign end just about August 1. They've almost all been slated to go a little longer than that though, so it's likely that the update will come out mid August. I'd bet it comes either August 14th or August 21st, but that's just throwing darts at a dart board. Maybe if they have all their ducks in a row we'll get it on the 7th. Most of these dates are less than a month away, so it's best to keep this in mind if you wanted to get her.

This is great. He looks great. But it does raise one question:

Where's Xaku Prime?

Speculation under the cut.

Sevagoth Prime being announced as the next one was a surprise. Mainly because, any way you slice it, he's way out of the order of expectation. Usually they follow a pattern that organizes the Prime warframes by gender, but then goes loosely in release order. Male-Male-Female-Female-Male-Male-etc, with frames being slotted into those slots according to the pattern they were released in loosely, with maybe two being switched around here or there.

Now, Xaku was always going to be an interesting case and exception (sort of) to this, because Xaku is pluriform as they are made up of the remnants of multiple warframes implied to be of multiple genders. But to me this means that they could fit into whatever slot they happen to match to, since they are, in a way, of both/all genders. Xaku was the first frame to come out after Protea, so it'd make sense that they'd be slotted right after her, which is what I've been expecting this whole time since I wrote about it in January.

Instead, Sevagoth is jumping two slots to take the slot after Protea, also jumping over Lavos, who is the next male warframe in line. I'd expect there'd need to be a pretty decent reason for this big of an upset in their pattern. They didn't give much of one, and in fact Xaku wasn't mentioned at all during TennoCon as far as I could tell. I had sort of hoped they'd at least say they were coming back to Xaku but DE made no mention of any other future primes or the frames around Sevagoth in any notable way.

Now, that's not a bad thing necessarily. These patterns have never been officially announced as far as I can tell, but they've been pretty closely followed for the general fairness of the prime process. Following close to a pattern means they aren't playing favorites choosing warframes to prime, and that no frame gets forgotten for getting a Prime. But there could be plenty of reasons for them deciding to or wanting to change it up. Maybe they wound up having a few in process at once and Sevagoth wound up being the one that was far enough in the process to do next, with Xaku and Lavos still needing their concepts refined, something like that.

I know there's been some anxiety in the past around Xaku getting a prime as their whole concept doesn't lend itself easily to the concept of a prime warframe in the same way that almost every other warframe does, but I definitely think if Xaku weren't going to get a prime at all, they would have already told us. They know people are looking forward to Xaku Prime, and with more and more weird and unique warframe concepts being introduced these days, there's no good reason why having a unique concept should keep Xaku from getting a prime. More likely something came up in the development process that caused some hiccups, and I could think of plenty of reasons for this, especially around TennoCon being the reveal of the next prime. We have no reason to think anything other than that Xaku is being pushed back a slot or two, and Lavos as well.

But either way, we have no current info from DE as far as I know, but if that changes then I'll update this somehow.

As for if they'll do something to rectify the gendered slot pattern, it's impossible to say.

Predictions for Future Prime Order: (Bold is already exists)

Grendel Gauss Protea (We are here) Sevagoth (Announced) Xaku Lavos Yareli Gyre Caliban Styanax

Or, if they have decided to eschew double gender order from now on:

Protea Sevagoth Xaku Lavos Yareli Caliban Gyre Styanax

I could also see them switching Xaku and Lavos on either of these lists if for some reason Xaku continues to be a problem. I personally wouldn't get worried about anything unless we get both Lavos and Yareli prime without hearing any news about Xaku prime. At that point I'd be asking some serious questions, but for now this is unexpected but fine. Sevagoth Prime is gonna be cool as hell, and we already know that.

Prime Resurgence

Currently available from Varzia are Nekros Prime with Tigris Prime and Galantine Prime and Harrow Prime with Scourge Prime and Knell Prime, along with relics for their component parts and such. They are slated to stay there until August 1st, at which point they'll be replaced by Mesa Prime and Limbo Prime.

Also available from Varzia until October 24th are Ember Prime with Sicarus Prime and Glaive Prime, and Rhino Prime with Boltor Prime and Ankyros Prime. They and their relics are available to celebrate the Ember Heirloom Collection that launched the morning of TennoCon with DE's new system for Heirloom Collections. If you don't know about the new system, I suggest you look at the Heirloom Collection page on the warframe website to familiarize yourself with it. At TennoCon, they announced that Rhino Prime would be the next Heirloom Collection after Ember, thus why they get to share the space in Varzia's for now. Get them while the getting's good!

Ok I think that's everything! Gonna try to do shorter versions of these more often but when there's more to talk about I feel more motivated to write them so we'll see! Happy Prime Hunting!

[gemmahale]

Ooh, craft room update!

I found a bunch of my hooks and needles and scissors! I'm so happy about that! (Still haven't found the ones I want though, womp womp.)

Current frog tally: Frogged: 9 To Be Determined: 4 (tbf it's a matter of how much do I want to fight with this yarn to frog it?) Finish: 3

Alt ID: Gif of a green frog balancing on a moving green leaf.

More thinking below the cut.

The mice did chew (a tiny bit) on a sweater I made that is mostly finished. So I'm making a decision whether I repair it or tear it all out and make something else. (It ended up being much heavier than I expected it to be and I'm not sure I'll wear it when it is done.)

All that's left in the back room now is the bedding (I'm avoiding it for historic 🐁 reasons), and the shelving unit that is full of mini skeins and little fiddly bits. And the vanity that I know is full of things in the drawers (shh don't tell Kallen yet). ...oh and cleaning up the 3 little relatively large sorting piles I have throughout the house, lol.

Hopefully, I can shift some of the stuff that's in those piles and in my craft-room-to-be into this cleaned out room in an organized fashion (after we mop and sweep and shit). It's giving me stress from being right next to my chair and I'm feeling claustrophobic about it.

I have accumulated at least 3 loads of laundry to do out of this, which is ...good bad? One is all the clothing that I should have just returned when it didn't fit but since that was a *year plus* ago, into the wash and then the donation pile it goes! Plus washing the project bags sounds like a good thing to do.

I'm still trying to figure out what the hell I'm going to do with all this yarn. Blankets are fine and dandy (note to self: contact the Veteran's Home in town about donating yarn and/or blankets), and wearables are nice, but I don't do the common triangle shawls. I really only do the big square over the shoulder poncho/ruana thingy style. I'm not keen on the kerchief style and I can't get them to stay put (I miiiiight try a wrappy bracelet thing or a shawl pin and find that works decently but haven't yet). But for the most part? I'm a square/rectangle gal. Or a cowl.

And realistically, how many blankets/scarves/hats/sweaters/other item does one person truly need? Sure, I could make a bunch of them for gifts (and likely will). But really, I'm drowning in yarn that'll never get used.

Alt ID: Meme text - "I am not a yarn hoarder, I am the curator of an extensive fiber collection". Image is of a hand holding a multicolored twisted skein of yarn.

Usually these memes make me groan, but this one's kind of on par with my situation. 😅

So...destashing plans will be made. Maybe I can convince Kallen to give me a page on his online store. Hm. I know there's a few Reddits, probably a few Facebook groups, eBay, etc. I could use. I think I saw something about someone starting a yarn reselling program - I need to find that info again.

Or maybe...I just make a side blog and have them all posted/tagged/searchable? That might be an idea too. (Ugh the idea of managing payments and shipping is making me want to chew my arm off though.)

Things to think and chew on.

I don't necessarily want to make back the money from purchasing - I know that's not realistically feasible. I do, however, want to become much more intentional about what I'm going to feasibly wear and use. And one part of that is going to be letting go of things I won't use in a reasonable timeframe.

Alt ID: "I have SABLE: Stash Acquisition Beyond Life Expectancy" superimposed over yarn hanks.