#everyone take note this is under the umbrella of a fun ask

[nohkalikai]

with two flying sheep, one pink and one upside down, how old would you be if birds started to swim at 30 km/hr

hi i am so glad you posed this question. thanks to my years of studying, this is too easy. the answer is 10 cabbages swimming towards a field of peeled peas as fast as ajwain falls from the jar!

[wwooyology]

Sweet Summer Breeze | K.SN

「pairing」 : bf!sunoo x fem!reader 「word count」 : 2.9k

「synopsis」 : it was sunoo's birthday, and you wanted nothing more than for him to enjoy his day. so you take him to the beach with your friends to enjoy the warm summer sun and ocean waves. though after a long fun-filled day at the beach you make it back to your shared apartment and you give him one last birthday gift.

「genre」 : smut, fluff

「warnings」 : MINORS DO NOT INTERACT!!, cussing, kissing/making out, petnames (sweetheart, princess, love, sweets, pretty, good girl...), unprotected sex, dom!sunoo x sub!reader, biting/marking, creampie, breeding kink, praising, teasing, slight manhandling, semi rough sex, begging, lmk if I missed anything!!

「notes」 : starting off, everyone say 'happy sunoo day' because its our sunshine boy's birthday! here's to my favorite sunshine and my other happy pill!! I hope you guys enjoy the fic that I wrote for him!!

As the warm breeze washed over your body, you were filled with a sense of tranquility. You were thankful that it was sunny and warm for your boyfriend's special day. You laid out on a towel under the umbrella that Sunoo insisted he put up for you even if you told him that you would be fine. However, that fight ended like it does ninety-nine percent of the time: He did what he wanted regardless, and you had no choice but to let him.

“Hey, y/n, are you gonna join us in the water or just waste away under the sun?” Jake asked teasingly, causing you to prop yourself up on your elbows to glare at him.

“Fuck off, Jake; I know you’re just trying to find an excuse to dunk me in the water.” You rolled your eyes before fixing your sunglasses once more and laying back down, ignoring their laughter and chatter.

Then everything went silent, and any normal person would be happy to have it go quiet so they could relax. However, silence with your boyfriend and friends only meant one thing...

Chaos was about to ensue.

Before you could even open your eyes to check on what they were planning you were suddenly lifted off of the beach towel, a small scream of surprise falling from your lips as you were thrown over someone’s shoulder. It didn’t take a genius to figure out who it was; you’d recognize your boyfriend’s swim trunks anywhere with the bright colors and patterns.

“Sunoo, put me down!” You whined, planting your palms flat on the small of his back to push yourself up a bit. Sunoo’s grip on your body just got tighter as you started to wiggle, hoping to get him to drop you, which failed immensely.

A loud yelp then fell from your lips as you felt his teeth in the plush of your thigh, “What the hell, Nu?” You pouted as your hand moved to rub the spot that he had just bit, feeling the skin already rising due to irritation.

“Stop moving so much,” he grumbled, causing you to scoff. That’s when you noticed how close the two of you were to the ocean.

Your eyes then widened as you figured out what your boyfriend’s course of action was.

“Sunoo, I swear to god, if you throw me in that water.” Your voice shook already knowing that the water was going to be frigid and you weren’t prepared for it. However, Sunoo didn’t seem to care as he continued to walk towards the water, letting the waves wash over his feet. “Sunoo.” Your tone held a warning, but he didn’t seem to care.

Next thing you knew, your whole body was submerged in the salty water, the temperature sending goosebumps rising all over your skin. Emerging from the surface, you let out a gasp, hands held out to your sides like a penguin. Blinking a few times to clear the water droplets from your lashes, you looked at your boyfriend in astonishment. The boys around the two of you started laughing hysterically causing you to glare at the blonde male that stood in front of you.

“Oh, you’re dead.” You hissed before making a beeline for your boyfriend, who smirked before taking off; however, as it would seem, luck was on your side for once, and you managed to catch up to him. Your body collides with his, sending both of you into the water.

Coming back out of the water, you couldn’t help but laugh at how Sunoo’s hair was sticking to his forehead. He looked at you with a look that just asked ‘are you serious?’ and you couldn’t help but shrug.

“Do give what you can’t take.” You gave him a smile that was full of sas, and he rolled his eyes before trudging towards you.

You watched him warily, ready to take off if he showed any sign of trying to dunk you once more. However, once he got close enough, he grabbed your wrist and pulled your body close to his. The force of his pull caused you to fly into his chest with a yelp. 

His hands wrap around your waist, his finger digging into your skin slightly to keep you in place. Moving back just a bit, you moved to wrap your arms around his neck, looking up at him with a cocky smirk. Raising an eyebrow, he leaned down, pressing a soft kiss on your cheek before moving towards your ear.

“Watch the attitude, sweetheart,” His tone didn’t match the kiss he had just placed on your skin. It held a warning in it, and you had to resist the urge to press his buttons, knowing that he wouldn’t hesitate to drag you off to the nearest secluded area and fuck you stupid.

“Get a room!” Heeseung shouted at the two of you as he tossed the ball back to Jake, who caught it with ease before looking over at you and Sunoo.

Sunoo pulled away from you with a smirk, a daring gleam in his eyes, before turning his head to look over at his friends. He shouted something about them minding their own business before turning back towards you with a smile.

“Thank you for today, love,” He whispered before leaning down to connect his lips with yours in a sweet, gentle kiss. One of his hands moved from your waist to cup your face, tilting your jaw just enough for him to deepen the kiss.

You tightened your hold around his neck, closing the space between your bodies. His fingers that were holding your waist slipped under the hem of your bikini bottoms, squeezing your ass just enough to elicit a small gasp from your kiss-swollen lips.

Separating, you sent him a cheeky smile before standing on your tiptoes to kiss the corner of his lips. Then, whispering something, his hold on your body tightened even more.

“I still have one more gift for you, but you’ll have to wait until we get home.” You pressed another kiss to his cheek as you pulled away before slipping out of his hold.

He watched you with a heated gaze as you sauntered over to Heeseung and Jake, who were setting up the volleyball next. Jake threw the ball to you as Jay walked over to join in while Jungwon and Riki took shelter under the umbrella, watching.

Sunoo inhaled deeply before fixing his trunks to try and hide the hard-on he had gained before walking over to join the rest of you, counting down the seconds until it was time for the two of you to leave.

Then, when the two of you actually got home, Sunoo couldn’t keep his hands to himself. Grabbing and groping any skin that he could get his fingers on, turning you into a flustered mess.

Even now, as he pressed against the closed door of your shared apartment, lips latched onto the skin of your neck, nipping and sucking deep purple and red marks along your jugular. It took everything in you to not just give in to him and throw your plan out the window, but you weren’t about to let your gift go to waste.

“Sun-” You were cut off by a moan as his hand grabbed your boob, squeezing harshly. All of the air was stolen from your lungs when he pushed your legs apart with his foot before pressing his knee between your legs, right on your core.

“I want you so bad, princess,” He groaned against your skin as he pulled your hips flush against his thigh.

“Sunoo, wait.” You groaned as you felt yourself getting wetter and wetter the longer he rocked your hips against his thigh. Hand tugging at his shirt as your head fell back, a shiver running down your spine. “Please, Sun.” Whines continued to fall from your lips until you were finally able to pull him off.

Your breath hitched in your throat as you met his hooded gaze, his lips swollen and slick with a mixture of yours and his saliva. His breathing was ragged, and his grip on your hips tight, fighting the urge to dive right back into your sweet neck.

“I have…” You took a deep breath, trying to regulate your breathing. "I have something for you, so let’s go to the room.” Tugging on his shirt, you hoped that he would get the hint, and thankfully, he did.

Sunoo released his grip on your body with a huff, allowing you to grab his hand and drag him off to your shared bedroom. Walking into the room, Sunoo kicked the door close before making a grab for your hips once more, but you just knocked his hands away, resulting in a hard glare from the blonde male.

“Be patient, Sun. Now…” You pulled him towards the bed before pushing him to sit down. He complied, watching you as you stood in front of him. " Sit here and wait.”

Sunoo did not like those words one bit, but if his sweet girlfriend asked him to wait, then wait is what he would do. His eyes, however, never left your form as you walked into the closet before exiting a few moments later with a small bag in your hands. He had expected you to bring it to him to open, but instead, you walked into the bathroom and shut the door.

Furrowing his brows he started to wonder what the hell you were up to, wanting nothing more than to get up and go investigate. He fought the urge, though, his tongue poking the inside of his cheek.

Not too long after, the bathroom door opened, catching the blonde’s attention; however, his eyes damn near rolled back at the sight of you standing there in nothing but a white lace lingerie set. The color complimented your skin tone almost perfectly, and the lace left little to the imagination, only leaving Sunoo sitting there, growing harder and harder by the second.

“Fuck sweets,” He groaned as you made your way towards him, steps almost hesitant as you grew closer.

“You like it?” You asked timidly as you stood in front of his sitting form, fingers playing with the tied ribbon that was on the front of your bra.

“Like it?” He scoffed, hands reaching for you, and in the blink of an eye, he had your back pressed against the mattress, his body caging yours underneath him. “I fucking love it,” He growled as his eyes bore into you, his fingers skimming your side lightly, leaving goosebumps in his wake.

He didn’t waste another minute before capturing your lips in a heated, hungry kiss, stealing all of the air out of your lungs. His knee finds your thinly covered core once more, adding pressure and causing you to gasp. Sunoo took the chance to slip his tongue into your mouth, turning the kiss into a sloppy mess of spit and drool.

“Sun-” You choked out a moan as he bit down on your collarbone, one hand on your hip while the other was by your head, keeping himself up. Your fingers run through his hair as you shiver in his hold.

“If I wasn’t so desperate to get in this pretty pussy of yours, I would take my time devouring you whole.” He groaned against your skin as he moved his knee to press his erection against you, causing a whine to fall from your lips.

Your whole body felt like it was on fire as he continued to nip and lick at your skin, leaving behind marks of all shades. Fingers tugging and pulling at the fabric of your panties until they were completely off of your body.

“F-fuck,” A loud moan fell from your lips as he ran his fingers through your fold, your juices coating his digits.

“God, you’re already so wet,” He groaned, fighting the urge to shove his face behind your legs and eat you until you were screaming his name. There was no way he’d be able to last, not right now.

You let out a cry of protest when he moved away from your body, leaving the cool air to chill your skin. Sunoo, however, didn’t leave you for too long. He pulled his shirt off, followed by his trunks, tossing all of the garments to the side. His hands then found your body once more, grabbing the backs of your knees and pressing them down until they were almost touching your chest.

No words were spoken between the both of you as he positioned himself at your entrance before pushing in slowly, relishing in the feeling of your tight walls squeezing him. Your head fell back as he stretched you open; the burn made your brain fuzzy.

Once he was fully encased in your heat, he stopped all of his movements to give you some time to adjust, his eyes never leaving your face because no matter how much he wanted to completely ruin you, your comfort always came first.

“Eyes on me pretty.” He coaxed you to open your eyes that had closed, tears built up along your waterline as you looked up at him. Watching as he pressed light kisses along your calf and ankle until you gave him the go-ahead to move. 

“Shit!” You cursed, hands finding his forearm as he started to snap his hips into yours at a rough pace, nearly leaving you lying there completely breathless. Your eyes rolled when the head of his cock found your sweet spot.

“Such a good girl, taking me so well.” He cooed, grip tightening on your legs as his pace picked up. “You just wanted to make me feel good, isn’t that right, princess?” His voice was teasing as he continued to fuck into your wet heat, the wet sounds bouncing off of the walls.

You nodded your head like a broken bobblehead, words falling away from your tongue as he hit your cervix with each thrust. Choked moans and cries of Sunoo’s name fell from your lips with each thrust.

“Hmm, am I fucking my pretty girl too good that she can’t even talk?” He chuckled, pressing your legs further down, nearly folding your body in half. The tears that had been sitting on your waterline broke free, falling from the corner of your eyes as your nails dug into the skin of Sunoo’s forearm, but he didn’t care. He was far too focused on every twist of pleasure that formed on your face.

White spots started to cloud your vision as you felt that little knot in your gut tighten, your jaw falling slack. Sunoo didn’t need to hear you say it to know that you were close; your body did all of the talking for you. The way you were squeezing him like you wanted him to stay inside your velvet walls pulled a groan from his throat as he continued to fuck into you at a relentless pace, watching your eyes roll back and your body tense.

“Sunoo! Fuck!” You cried out as your orgasm washed over your body, your vision blacking out for a moment and your legs shaking in Sunoo’s hands. 

“Oh fuck pretty…” He groaned as he watched the white ring form around the base of his cock, the sight causing his dick to twitch. “Shit… I’m close, princess,”

You let out a gasp as he roughly fucked into your sensitive cunt; every brush of his dick along your walls sent shock waves throughout your body. Letting out a choked moan, you built up enough will to let the words you wanted to say fall from your lips.

“I-Inside, please.” You whined, and Sunoo felt like he would have cum right then and there if he hadn’t caught himself. Any other time the both of you fucked, he always pulled out and came on your tummy or back, depending on which position he had you at the time, but to hear to beg him to cum inside. He could have sworn he died and went to heaven.

“Stay that again,” He groaned, his thrust growing sloppy as his orgasm was on the tip of his tongue.

You choked out a moan of his name as he bent forward, pressing more into you. His lips find yours in a sloppy kiss, teeth clashing and drool coating both of your mouths.

“Cum in me, Sun… please.” You breathed out before your eyes rolled back when he hit your cervix once more.

“You want me to breed this pussy? Is that it, princess?” He chuckled but was cut off by a groan as you squeezed around him, “f-fuck.” Sunoo’s bottom lip got caught in between his teeth as he felt his orgasm hit, “your wish is my command.” His head fell in the crook of your neck as his hips rocked against yours, riding out his high and pushing his cum back into your dripping pussy.

Both of you lay there for a few moments, Sunoo releasing your legs before helping you wrap them around his waist in a more comfortable position. His lips pressed soft kisses on your neck and chest before he leaned up to look you in the eye.

“Thank you, baby. This is the best birthday present by far.” He smiled sweetly before leaning forward to kiss you sweetly, your shaky hand cupping his face. Detaching from your lips, he started peppering kisses all over your face, causing you to burst out in a fit of giggles.

Sunoo couldn’t have asked for a better birthday than the one he had gotten today, and he hoped that all his future birthdays would end the same way. You trapped underneath him, and him buried deep in your pussy walls.

@wwooyology | Do not steal, plagiarise, translate, or repost any of my work

𝖉𝖎𝖘𝖈𝖑𝖆𝖎𝖒𝖊𝖗 : ᴛʜɪꜱ ɪꜱ ɴᴏ ᴡᴀʏ ᴀ ᴛʀᴜᴇ ʀᴇᴘʀᴇꜱᴇɴᴛᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ᴏꜰ ᴀɴʏ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴇᴍʙᴇʀꜱ. ᴛʜɪꜱ ɪꜱ ᴘᴜʀᴇʟʏ ꜰɪᴄᴛɪᴏɴ ᴀɴᴅ ꜰᴏʀ ᴛʜᴇ ᴇɴᴊᴏʏᴍᴇɴᴛ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ɴᴏᴛ ᴛ��� ʙᴇ ᴛᴀᴋᴇɴ ꜱᴇʀɪᴏᴜꜱʟʏ.

[heyjudeb]

Lake Secrets - Jude Bellingham

Chapter 2: You Can Trust Me

Summary: Grace Alexander Arnold, an architecture student, looks forward to a quiet summer at her brother Trent's lake villa. Her plans change when Trent's best friend, Jude Bellingham, arrives with his family. As Grace and Jude spend more time together, a secret romance begins to grow. Amidst the peaceful lake and family gatherings, will their hidden feelings last, or will they fade away with the summer? Word Count: 3.3k

Warnings: fluff, emotional moment, anxiety

Note: The story will develop more in this chapter, they will share intimate moments

“Come on, Jude, that was way too far!” Trent complained as he swam toward the ball, which had splashed down several yards away. The sun was high in the sky, casting a golden glow over the lake.

“Sorry, my bad!” I called back, laughing. Jobe splashed water at me playfully, shaking his head.

“You always go overboard, bro,” Jobe said with a grin. “Literally.”

Everyone else was sitting near the shore, either deep in conversation or doing their own thing. Diane and my mom were chatting under a large umbrella, while Trent’s dad was stretched out on a lounge chair, soaking up the sun.

Grace was sitting on a towel, a book in her hands. Every so often, she would look up, watching us play. Her gaze lingered, and it was clear she was admiring the sight of us having fun in the water. She looked like she wanted to join in but was holding back.

She was wearing a white short dress with straps that stood on her forearms, revealing her bare shoulders. She always made sure to pull the strap up on her left shoulder as if to cover something. We would sometimes make eye contact and smile. Anytime I said something funny, I felt the need to look for her approval, which I got every time.

"Hey, Grace. Why don't you join us?" Jobe, my brother, called out. Her smile slowly turned into a worried expression, and she sat up from laying on her stomach.

"I'm good, Jobe. I don't feel like swimming today!"

"She's not into this, mate," Trent quickly spoke for her. I couldn't help but wonder if there might be something more to this, but I decided to let it go.

I also wanted to take a break. We'd been in the water for almost an hour, and I was hungry. Diane and Grace had prepared some delicious snacks that morning in the kitchen: cookies, mini sandwiches, and a variety of other treats. I had watched Grace make them while I ate a late breakfast of cereal at the dining table next to the kitchen. She looked effortlessly pretty while cooking, even in casual clothes and with her hair in a simple braid. Her face was slightly puffy from sleep, her skin clear and fresh. I couldn't help but think how lovely it would be to wake up and see her first thing in the morning. She seemed like the kind of girl who would understand you, truly get your inner self, and make life easier by being the best partner. She didn’t come across as complicated to deal with, yet she still held an air of mystery.

"Alright, how about we take a break to eat?" Trent said, as if reading my thoughts.

We all nodded and got out of the water. Diane handed each of us a towel and put the food basket in front of us where we sat. I munched on the mini sandwiches Grace had prepared, trying to catch a glimpse of her without making it obvious.

"Sweetie, do you want something too?" my mom asked Grace, making her look up from her book. She nodded and placed the book aside, moving to sit between me and Trent.

She grabbed a sandwich and started eating. Jobe was making everyone laugh, and her attempts to laugh without spitting out her food were very cute. Eventually, everyone gathered around to eat until there was no food left.

As dusk approached, our parents decided to call it a day, leaving only me, Jobe, Trent, and Grace by the lake. They gathered everything and took the short walk back to the villa, leaving us with some towels and our clothes. "How about we take another swim before leaving?" Jobe asked, winking at me. I couldn’t quite understand what he was hinting at.

"Sure, bro. Let's do it!" Trent agreed, and we all stood up, except for Grace. She remained seated, avoiding our looks. "Wanna make a run for it?" Trent looked at me, and I laughed and nodded in response. Jobe held back as we made a run for it, but then I heard a scream from behind me, causing Trent and me to halt and spin around. Grace was screaming, and Jobe was carrying her towards the water, trying to make a joke of it.

"Please, Jobe! Put me down! I don't want to go into the water!" Grace continued to scream, kicking as Jobe neared the water's edge. There was a raw edge of panic in her voice, verging on tears.

"No, Jobe, stop!" Trent yelled, sprinting towards them, clearly alarmed.

Jobe sensed the seriousness of the situation and stopped, slowly setting Grace down on her feet. She clutched her chest, blinking rapidly, trying to compose herself and hold back tears.

"I'm sorry, Grace. I didn't mean to scare you," Jobe said, regret plain in his voice.

I approached cautiously, standing behind Trent, who was comforting her with soothing touches on her shoulders. Grace looked distant, trying to regain her composure.

"Hey, Grace. Are you okay?" I asked softly, my concern evident. I wanted nothing more than to hold her close and calm her racing heart.

"Yeah, I'm fine!" Grace quickly replied, her gaze darting between all of us, overwhelmed by the rush of questions. "It's okay! I just panicked because... It was sudden."

Trent wrapped an arm around her shoulders and kissed her temple. "Hey, how about we call it a day, too?" We all nodded and gathered our towels. I kept my concerned gaze on Grace, which she seemed to notice. She flashed a faint smile at me and placed a reassuring hand on my shoulder, letting me know she was alright. I gave her one more questioning look.

"I'm okay!"

"Alright, good," I whispered back to her, feeling a bit awkward, like I was crossing a line between caring and flirting, especially with Trent nearby. We continued walking towards the villa, and Jobe kept apologizing to Grace repeatedly until she finally convinced him she was okay. She seemed chilly in her short dress as she tried to wrap a dirty towel around her shoulders.

"Here," I pulled her aside from the group and draped my zipper hoodie over her shoulders. She hesitated at first but then placed her hands on top of mine, gently squeezing them.

"Thank you, Jude," she said softly, walking beside me while the boys walked ahead. She held the book close to her chest, and my oversized hoodie looked like a dress on her.

"Still hooked on Bukowski, I see?" I asked, smiling at her.

"Yeah, another day, reading the same thing," she replied with a smile, glancing down. I noticed she found it difficult to maintain eye contact with me, even though her green eyes had been the subject of my daydreams since we arrived. I fought the urge to let her know that.

"You have beautiful eyes, you know?" I lost the battle. She seemed taken aback by my comment, continuing to look down but smiling nonetheless. "Thank you!"

"Are you always this shy?"

"Depends on who I'm talking to," she replied, finally meeting my gaze after a moment's pause. "Some people are intimidating." "Am I one of them?" I asked, feeling like I might have put her on the spot, but our conversation was going so well I wanted to keep it going. "Maybe!" she replied with a playful smirk, giving me a thoughtful look that made me laugh.

....

As soon as we reached the house, we took showers and changed into fresh clothes, all gathering on the backyard patio one by one. Grace was the last one to come down. We were all having a glass of wine by the firepit, laughing and talking. I couldn't really make out her figure until she approached fully because of the dark.

Her braids were out, and her hair lay on her shoulders, still wearing my hoodie. She looked comfortable in it, and it suited her better than me. Miraculously, the only empty spot was a bean bag next to me. She approached slowly and smiled at me as the fire illuminated my face.

"Hey," she spoke softly.

"Hey, you feeling better?" I asked, wanting to make sure she was comfortable after the incident at the lake.

She gave me an assuring smile. Our voices drowned in the noise of the others talking, the fire crackling, and lots of laughter. It felt like it was just the two of us. The darkness provided a sort of shield for me to freely look at her.

"Are you enjoying your stay so far?" she asked, keeping our conversation going.

"So far, so good. I really like this place!" I responded. "The house is very nice, and the view is breathtaking."

"It is," she said, either looking at my face or down at her hands while talking. "It will be a nice vacation break for you guys!"

"You said you've been coming here with your family every summer," I recalled her words from the first day. "Do you still find the place exciting?"

She sighed and leaned further into the bean bag. "Uh, yeah! But, the older I get, the more I want to experience other places as well. My dad isn't really a big fan of me traveling alone or staying someplace else... to study alone."

It felt like she was confessing an issue of hers. I wanted her to trust me, to feel comfortable talking to me about anything. I'm sure she doesn't do that very often. "I want to do my major abroad. But my dad wants me 'close' to him." she used air quotes and seemed hurt and defeated remembering her father's words. "Why is that?" "Just a stupid conclusion my dad has." She didn't want to continue the conversation, so I didn't push her any further.

While having a good time with everyone, the fire slowly started to die down. I took a look and saw Grace already asleep on her bean bag. She brought her legs up to her chest, and put her hands all the way inside my hoodie, holding them near her face.

"Guys, I'm calling it a night. I'm really tired," my dad said, and my mother agreed, getting up to leave with him.

"Yeah, it’s been a long day," Trent said, stretching. "I think I’ll turn in too." He followed my parents inside.

Jobe yawned and nodded. "Me too. This vacation life is wearing me out." Trent's mom noticed Grace fast asleep on the bean bag. She approached her slowly, lightly tapping her on the shoulder. "Sweetheart, we're heading to bed. How about you continue your sleep in your room?"

Grace hummed in response, not really registering what her mother was saying. Diane looked at me, and we both smiled at Grace's sleepy state. Diane tried waking her up again, but Grace only opened and closed her eyes a few times, not fully awake.

"Do you want me to take her up to her room, Mrs. Arnold?" I offered, not wanting to disturb her. Diane looked at me gratefully and nodded.

I stood up from my bean bag and carefully scooped Grace into my arms. She naturally nestled her head into the crook of my neck, her hands tucked inside the hoodie's sleeves, close to her chest. She felt like the missing piece of my puzzle, fitting perfectly in my arms.

Once we got inside, I said goodbye to Diane. Her room was on the first floor. She wished me goodnight and entered quietly, trying not to wake her sleeping husband who had called it a night way before us.

I took slow and careful steps on the stairs, fully aware of their creaking. After each step, I glanced at Grace, ensuring she wasn't disturbed. When I reached her bedroom door, I struggled to open it slightly.

Thankfully, her bedside lamp was on for some reason, casting a soft glow and helping me navigate the unfamiliar room. I placed her delicately on the bed. She snuggled her face into the pillow as soon as it touched the soft surface, her eyes slowly fluttering open.

"Thank you..." she managed to say in a raspy, low voice.

"Of course. Have a good night's sleep, Grace," I responded. My inner self urged me to kiss her forehead goodnight. Instead, I gently pulled the bed cover up to her shoulders. That's when I noticed a scar on her left shoulder, where my fallen hoodie exposed her skin. It was on the side she had tried to hide earlier at the lake. I brushed my fingers on it slightly, causing her to shiver. I stood up from the bed and turned off the light next to her, slowly making my way out of the room and into my own. I took off my shirt and shorts and crashed into bed only wearing my boxers. I was a bit tired myself too, but I really wanted to know the history behind that scar. .....

It had been more than a week since we arrived. Our families' bond had grown significantly over these days. Aside from our morning exercises and evening talks, I rarely spent time with Trent alone.

Our mothers were really enjoying the villa, constantly cooking something new and sipping wine on the porch. Our dads engaged in debates over various topics, beers in hand, as they relaxed by the lakeside. And then, there were always the four of us doing things together.

And green is still my favorite color.

My obsession with Grace has grown. The more time we spend together, the more she begins to trust me. Now, she maintains eye contact while we talk. She opens up about her passion for architecture, detailing her studies, her close bond with Trent, and sharing her likes and dislikes. I find myself struggling with the question of whether Grace feels a deeper connection toward me or if she is simply being friendly. It seems more than mere coincidence that we always end up seated next to each other, and that chores are consistently assigned to us as a pair.

She still has my hoodie. The other night, as we both got up for some water, I caught sight of her in the kitchen, wearing my hoodie and shorts. There was a moment of surprise in her eyes when she noticed me. She quickly tried to explain, mentioning how comfortable it was and apologizing, saying she would return it.

Instead of insisting, I simply said, "No, keep it. It looks way better on you."

Her cheeks flushed slightly, a soft smile playing on her lips. It was a spontaneous comment, but one that felt right in the moment. Seeing her wear my hoodie, looking effortlessly comfortable and somehow even more attractive, stirred a warmth in me that I couldn't deny. Let's go for a swim today, lads," Trent interrupted my racing thoughts.

Jobe eagerly agreed, but Grace lowered her gaze and muttered something under her breath. It wasn't the first time she had declined to swim. Despite hanging out with us by the lake, she never ventured into the water.

Sitting together on the patio bean bags, Trent and Jobe moved to prepare for swimming while I stayed behind, drawing closer to Grace, hoping for a moment of privacy.

"Hey, is there a reason you never join us in the lake?" I asked softly.

Her discomfort was palpable, evident in the way she shifted in her seat." It's just not my thing-" she spoke quickly.

"Can you come with us this one time? Please!" I pleaded, hoping to convince her. But as soon as I noticed her beautiful green eyes getting foggy, I knew I shouldn't push her further.

"I'll just stay in my room this time," she said quickly, standing up and leaving before I could say anything else. Her sudden outburst left a lingering sense of concern in the air. .....

We we're back at the dining table in the evening, enjoying another meal after a tiring day at the lake with only us boys. Grace hasn't spoken to me since our last encounter earlier. She quickly munched on something and excused herself sitting at the far end of the backyard near the lake view in the complete dark, with the excuse of wanting to read in peace. Me and the others had a normal routine, had a glass of wine and then went to bed. In my room, I could still see her silhouette by the lake. I decided to go up to her. Everyone was asleep, the only source of light being the moon once again. I tried to make some sound while I approached her from afar, not wanting to scare her. She turned around to look at me, giving me a tired smile and then focused her eyes back at the lake. I sat next to her. Our shoulders brushing. "You know you can trust me, right?" I asked her directly.

"I know," she replied softly, her gaze still fixed on the lake.

"Why are you afraid to swim, Grace?"

She remained silent for a moment, as if weighing whether to open up to me. I reassured her with a gentle touch on her knee.

Her breathing became more audible, and a single tear rolled down her cheek.

"It's just..." Her voice cracked, and she fell silent again.

"It's okay. Take your time. I'm right here for you." I held her hand firmly, feeling it tremble slightly in mine. "You know that scar you saw on my shoulder the other night?" she asked. I nodded at her, but still surprised she could remember that in her sleeping state. "It happened when i was younger while swimming. Do you see that empty looking house right there?" I nodded. " That's where Lily used to live." "Used to?" I became curious of where she's going with this and why was it affecting her so much. "She died. She was my childhood bestfriend." She let out a small sob, i quickly wrapped my arm around her shoulder, providing her some comfort.

"There's an old pier on the other side of the lake, hidden away now. Lily and I used to go there to play. One day, we were climbing around it, and Lily slipped. She grabbed my leg instinctively, pulling me into the water with her. She hit her head on the metal as we fell."

She paused, her eyes distant as she relived the memory.

"Lily suffered a head injury and died instantly." Grace continued, her voice catching. "I had a hurt leg and some scratches, making it hard for me to stay above the water. But I managed to pull her now-red and bloody body from the water and call for help."

Grace looked at me with sad eyes, almost as if seeking closure. I kissed her forehead gently and rubbed her forearm in reassurance, but she still seemed scared and shaky after all these years.

"So you never swam anymore?" I asked softly. She shook her head, her expression pained. "I'm afraid something bad will happen," she murmured.

"I understand," I said, kissing her temple again. I held her like that for a long time, whispering sweet nothings to her. "But what if we try something different?"

I gently took her hand and helped her stand up. Slowly, I guided her towards the water, feeling her resistance as she shook her head vigorously.

"Hey, hey, hey," I murmured soothingly, holding both her hands. "I'm not going to push you or anything, sweetheart. Just relax."

She nodded hesitantly, her gaze locked with mine, her eyes reflecting fear and uncertainty.

"We will stop whenever you want to. Let's just try to put our foot inside the water," I suggested gently.

"No, no. Jude, no please!" Grace's voice was alarmed, filled with fear.

I cupped her face in my hands and gently placed her forehead against mine, holding her close. "You can trust me, Grace." .......... Coming up next:

Chapter 3: Favorite Poem

Warnings: fluff, physical contact, crying, angst

[to-thelakes]

rainy day

pairing; frank castle x fem!reader

summary; after getting caught in a torrential downpour, frank's apartment offers some comfort

warnings; fluff, mentions of frank's trauma, a subtle friends to lovers vibe

notes; another day, another fluffbruary one-shot! i honestly am having so much fun with these, it's ridiculous. i was also fully intending to write for more than frank castle but i am on such a frank castle kick, i'm such a lover for this morally corrupt man! also, i had to try really hard for this not to go sexual because there's an alternate ending where this went smutty instead (maybe i'll come back and write it...) but for now, we are going full fluff and this was a little less pre-established relationship and more of a moving into a relationship. but anyway! excuse the rambling i hope you enjoy day three <3

ao3

It was absolutely tipping it down and like the clever person you are, you didn’t have an umbrella. Or a raincoat for that matter. You had been at work all day and the sun had been bright that morning. You had assumed you’d be safe from the downpour but you were wrong. As you stared onto the street, you considered getting a cab but that would require more effort than it was worth.

Plus, you were heading to Frank’s place and he only lived a few blocks over. It wouldn’t take long to get there realistically but you knew that you were about to get soaked wet through. There was no avoiding it and so, you charged forward into the rain.

The streets were still bustling with people from the after-work rush and you had expected that maybe others umbrella’s would provide you some relief from the downpour; you were wrong. Everyone else’s protection seemed to just soak you more. The run-off from the umbrellas soaked you to the bone as you rushed through the streets, weaving through the slow walkers.

The sight of Frank’s apartment was a relief and you ducked under the entrance before slipping inside. The warmth of the lobby made your skin heat up, the warmth fighting against the biting cold. Droplets of rain were running down your face and your clothes were sufficiently soaked. You looked like a drowned rat.

When Frank opened the door to you after you left the elevator, he paused for a moment. Then his face cracked into a smile and your lips morphed down to a frown. You crossed your arms over your chest, staring up at him, unimpressed.

“Don’t,” You warned him and he let you slip inside the apartment. You discarded your sopping wet suit jacket onto the side table while Frank closed the door. He was watching you, your white t-shirt practically see-through thanks to the rain.

“Want that change of clothes?” He asked. You nodded your head, meeting his gaze. His smile had softened away from amusement and he disappeared to his bedroom while you walked over to the kitchen.

“Want a beer?” You called, hearing Frank shuffle around in his dresser drawers.

“That bad, huh?” He teased as he appeared in the doorway with a pair of your leggings but one of his shirts. You instantly noticed it as you turned back, narrowing your eyes suspiciously, “Dunno where your shirt is.” You rolled your eyes and returned back to the fridge, grabbing two beers. You opened them, taking a swig of yours before you traded Frank the beer for the clothes.

“Can I use a towel?” You asked. He nodded.

“Go for it, sweetheart.” You took another swig of beer before disappearing into the bathroom. Frank watched as you trailed water through the apartment and he couldn’t help but be mildly amused. Your friendship had always been a strange one to Frank. You knew him, you knew everything about him and you had to drag him back from the edge more than once and yet, you were still here. He was grateful for that but he’d never admitted that to you.

He took a swig of beer before he picked the jacket up from the side and wrung it out over the sink. He then discarded it over the heater. Once he was finished, he grabbed his beer again and took a seat on the couch. Usually, he’d turn on the TV but he could hear you in the shower. The water was pattering against the wall and he could hear your music blaring. Even when you were in his apartment, you had no shame in blaring your own music. 

He could hear you singing along too. You weren’t the greatest singer but he enjoyed listening. Something about your presence seemed to soothe his agitated soul. When he was with you, the world seemed to slow and he had never expected it. He had never wanted to find someone else after Maria and Beth, he knew that he always got people hurt. Yet, you had quite literally wandered into his life and proved him wrong just like Beth had.

Now you were in his shower, in his apartment about to put on his shirt and he felt at peace. The constant need to be on guard had slipped away and even though the vigilance would never truly disappear, it didn’t feel as pressing as it usually did. Part of him was terrified that you’d get hurt but his life had been quiet for months. There was nobody on his back, nobody out to kill him and so he felt content knowing that for once, you both might be safe.

“Frank,” You called his name, standing on his bath mat completely naked, “I need a towel, you didn’t have one in here,” You called. You heard him chuckle on the other side of the door before you heard footsteps. The apartment was creaky and old and you had memorised which creaks indicated he was near his bedroom, near the front door and near the bathroom. He was outside the door. He knocked gently.

“Open up,” He said. You shuffled to be stood behind the door before gently pulling it open. Your wet hair dripped onto the tiles as you stuck your face out. He held the towel towards you and you grabbed it, giving him a thankful smile. Then you closed the door.

A soft breath escaped your lips and you dried yourself off before slipping back into the new set of clothes. The shirt smelt just like Frank and you couldn’t help but relish in it for a moment. You had also used his body wash so you were surrounded by the smell of him. You glanced at yourself in the mirror and realised that you were grinning; properly grinning.

You felt like a teenager who had just been caught but instead, you were crushing on your best friend. Your best friend who was a widower, your best friend who was terrified of letting people in in case they got hurt. Your best friend that could love you back but would never want to admit it because he didn’t want to lose you.

With a heavy sigh, you rubbed your face with your hands before you turned to the door and headed back into the living room. Frank was lounging on the couch while you picked your beer back up from the kitchen counter.

“Feelin’ better?” He asked, turning his head towards you. You took a sip of beer, nodding your head.

“Still a little cold,” You mumbled as you stepped back and checked Frank’s fridge again. Usually when you came over, one of you cooked for the other but his fridge was run down which meant that it might be a takeout night, “Do you want pizza tonight?” You asked curiously, turning around to find Frank standing behind you, “Jesus, Frank.” He couldn’t help but grin and he took another sip of beer before he placed it down.

“Come ‘ere,” He said, opening his arms up for you. You stared at him for a second before letting yourself be wrapped up in his arms. You were freezing and he was radiating heat. You buried your face in his chest, wrapping your arms around him as he held you close, “Gotta keep my best girl warm,” He mumbled. You couldn’t help the grin that spread across your face as you chuckled softly.

“Your best girl, huh?” You teased. You felt the rumble of agreement in his chest and you looked up at him. You met gazes and you were grinning, like a love-sick teenager, “I could get used to that.” His head tilted ever so slightly to the side and your gaze was boring into his.

“Yeah?” He asked. You nodded.

“Yeah.” Your head rested back against his chest. There was something different about it this time, though. He was holding you just that little bit tighter and then he leant forward and pressed a kiss to your hair. Your stomach erupted in butterflies and you couldn’t help feeling so adored.

<3

[notreallysorryxx]

#"Fluffy"

You and Angel Dust dance in the rain and deal with the aftermath.

Characters: Angel Dust

Warnings: none, this is pure fluff! hehe

Note: I actually struggled writing the way he talks, so I barely gave him any dialogue. I apologise, but Hazbin Hotel characters are hard to write for. And also, I didn't really want to write Angel Dust smut because the poor man needs a break. So here's some innocent romance.

Words: 1k

There was something so morbidly beautiful about the red rain. When you had first arrived in Hell, you hated the rain. It had a disgusting metallic stench and it felt horrid on your skin. However, that was months or possibly years ago and your opinion had changed since then. Especially since you got to experience that with your lover, Angel Dust.

Walking down the sidewalk under an umbrella with him felt like Heaven, ironically enough. His presence was comforting, his silver tongue music to your ears. Angel always offered to hold the umbrella too, despite your protests. But you couldn't deny that it was easier for him to hold it because of his 4 arms. No matter where the two of you went, he kept one arm wrapped around you. Angel was clingy and you found it adorable. He wasn't just clingy, but he was rather protective of you too. The lecherous gaze of other sinners were always met with a glare from your boyfriend.

For once, the rain was bothering you. You just wanted a nice date at a local scenic spot. Well, as scenic as you could get in Hell. It was supposed to be romantic, something different than usual. There was no special occasion, you just wanted to spoil Angel. It was the most you could give him after he had been working all day.

Unfortunately, rain hadn't been on the forecast which meant you and Angel weren't prepared. Neither of you brought an umbrella. With a frown, you look up at the sky miserably. Your boyfriend doesn't seem to mind, smiling absentmindedly.

"I've got an idea, toots," he winks. You're surprised when Angel offers one of his hands. "May I have this dance?" he asks teasingly. It's enough to tear a giggle from your lips, forgetting about the wretched weather. This isn't so bad, you think as you twirl in the rain with Angel. You could get used to this. Angel hums an unrecognisable tune as he dances with you, wrapping his arm around your waist tighter.

Multiple sinners around you were running for cover, but you ignored them. Forget everyone else, you were too enraptured in this dance with your lover.

You couldn't help the grin on your face as Angel dipped you. The both of you locked eyes, laughing. To bypassers, you probably look like idiots.

"Y'know, you're a pretty good dancer, babe," Angel coos, pressing a quick tiny kiss to your cheek. You scrunch up your nose from the ticklish feeling of his fluff. He chuckles at that, flicking your forehead.

Although it is fun dancing in the rain with the love of your life, it's probably not the best to stay in it. Despite being dead, sinners and hellborn still manage to get sick. You found out the hard way. A sneeze from you signals that yeah, you should both get back to the hotel.

Getting a taxi in Hell while it's raining is well... it's Hell. But Angel's popularity really helps in these scenarios. Even though you don't like using his popularity for benefits, you're thankful for it now. While the both of you sit in the back of the taxi cab, Angel holds you close to his fluffy chest. You let your face rest in his chest, nuzzling it.

Usually you'd both be bantering right now, but neither you nor Angel wants to ruin the peaceful atmosphere that's been provided by the rain.

The drive back to the hotel stays peaceful, Angel continuing to hold you close as you both shiver. It's cold now that you've gotten out of the rain. The jacket you had brought was soaked and couldn't be used for warmth anymore.

Finally arriving at the hotel, Angel carries you up the stairs and to his bedroom. You take a quick shower with Angel, drying him off. Drying him off is a longer process than drying off yourself. It's almost like wiping down a wet animal because of his fluff. But you don't mind how long it takes. It feels almost domestic.

You watch in the mirror as Angel stands still for you to dry off. He's adorable and you always tell him that. Though he never believes you. You're often rebuted by him.

"I ain't cute," he would grumble.

"Of course you are," you'd always respond.

With a smile on your face, you kiss his cheek, "Angel~"

Angel practically melts, leaning back into your arms as you dry him off. He lets out a content sigh.

"Hm?"

"You know I adore you, right? I love you so much," you croon, pinching his cheek slightly. "And I think you're adorable-"

"Ah, not this shit again."

The both of you burst into a fit of giggles.

"Just accept it. You're cute. Adorable. Precious."

"I told you, that I'm not fucking-"

You cut him off as you pepper kisses on his face, narrowly missing his lips. Angel tries to grab your cheeks to place a solid kiss on your lips but you manage to wriggle away somehow. You evade him playfully, blocking his kisses.

In the end, he gives up with an endearing pout. You take pity on him, finally giving him the kiss he so desperately wanted.

"Now will you accept it?" you ask cheekily.

"Absolutely not-!"

By some miracle, you finish drying each other off, switching into dry clothes. You just quickly grab something from the stash of clothes you keep in Angel's room.

Before you know it, the two of you are wrapped in fuzzy blankets as you cuddle. Angel has all four of his arms around you.

He keeps you close, letting your head rest on his chest. "If anyone's cute, it's you, babe," he murmurs softly, eyes closing contentedly.

You huff, "I'm not, you are-"

"Let's not turn this into a challenge, toots. Because you know I'd win, obviously."

"No, I'd win!"

"In your dreams, loser-"

Safe to say that this argument lasted until the two of you passed out from exhaustion, still snuggled up together comfortably.

[tarrenterror25]

thoughts no one asked for but my mind has no mouth and must scream

At the beach with Miguel and Spider Gang (Miles, Hobie, Gwen, Pavitr, Peter and MJ and Mayday)

Rating: G

Word Count: 1.2K

Tags: Spider dad vibes, beach, food, established relationship with Miguel, GN!Reader, mention of reader in swimwear but nothing specific

Notes: Wrote these up kinda quick!

Nevermind how you and Peter convinced Miguel to go to the beach with you guys, you're just glad he's open to doing something fun!

Miguel is prepared. He's got a checklist of everything you guys need and definitely keeps a first aid kit handy.

He is supervising that everyone has on their sunscreen, bugspray, and what have you because he'll be damned if you guys head back to HQ and one of you can't function because of a little sunburn. (Lowkey he just cares though.) He even brought infant/toddler specific sunscreen for Mayday.

Miguel's eyes are sensitive to light so he's got his sunglasses on! And Peter forgot Mayday's hat, but Miguel already brought one for her just in case. It's not that Miguel doubts Peter, he just likes to help.

"Oh, darn," Peter says. "Guys, has anyone seen Mayday's hat? It's pink with little flowers and-" "Honey, I think you left it on the couch?" Mary Jane says. "I think you're right," Peter sighs. "Well, looks like you're stuck with me under the umbrella, kiddo!" "Peter." Peter looks to Miguel who's just got that impassive expression of his as he holds out an infant size hat. It's stylized like the classic Spider suit (red/blue with white web motif). Peter smiles and takes the hat and as much as he wants to give Miguel a hard time about being a softie he spares him. This time!

When Miguel sees you come out in your swim outfit (if this is his first time seeing you in it), he's thankful for the sunglasses because he's not taking his eyes off you. Immediately wants to hold your hand, put his arm around your waist or *something*. He needs some kind of physical contact with your body and his.

Miles, Hobie, Pavitr, and Gwen will waste no time getting in the water.

Miguel will take it upon himself to set up the chairs, umbrellas, and everything else. He's not going to ask for help and will just grumble about it the whole time. Of course, you guys step in to help. You and Mary Jane take over bringing the rest of the stuff from the vehicle while Peter and Miguel set up a little pool area for Mayday.

Once everything is set up, the adults can hit the water!

Miguel does not show it often, but he can be mischievous at times. He'll swim underwater and sneak up on you and if you're on a floatie there's a 50/50 chance he will flip you over.

At some point, it's just you and Mary Jane in the water while the others are off doing their thing. Miguel makes it a point to join Peter and Mayday to help keep them company. He actually smiles a bit when Mayday splashes him and he does play with her. You and Mary Jane just watch in amusement.

Mayday hands her dad a little crab toy and hands a shark to Miguel. Miguel makes little "rah-rah" noises and pretends the shark "bites" Mayday and she giggles. Peter lets the intrusive thoughts win and he proceeds to squish the crab revealing that it squirts water and it does so right in Miguel's face.

"Really, Peter?"

A little while later and you guys are all back on shore; you and Mary Jane catch some sun and relax in the lounge chairs and the rest are making sand castles. Gwen and Miles work together to build one and theirs looks a little clumsy, but they're having fun. Hobie and Pavitr have the most visually pleasing looking sand castle complete with seashell decor. Miguel and Peter are taking this VERY seriously and are making a very large and structurally sound sand castle complete with multiple battlements and a moat.

For food, Miguel made sure to pack a variety of snacks and drinks for everyone to have throughout the day; there's plenty of fruit (he brought some tajin to spice it up!) There's chips, paletas, agua frescas, chicharrones, pan dulce, and what have you. You stayed up the night before packing everything into the coolers and ice chests. For food there's all kinds of fixings for tortas that way everyone can have them the way they like. Miguel packed plenty forgetting that not everyone has the hefty appetite he does, but he also rather he bring too much than not enough for everyone.

Miles is the one who suggests that you guys play volleyball and if you didn't know before, you learn that Miguel can get competitive. Hobie and Pavitr take a turn hanging with Mayday and Hobie jams on his guitar. The teams are Peter, Mary Jane, and Miles versus you, Miguel, and Gwen. If you're not a Spider-person then you and Mary Jane are the outliers among the group. The gang don't even realize they're using their spider abilities to play and it's best if the two of you back away slowly.

The team opposite of you got a point on your team and were gloating a little too much for Miguel's liking and Spider-Man 2099 felt it was an appropriate time to humble them. To say Miguel's serves are aggressive is an understatement.

During the game, Miguel's claws came out, much to his embarrassment, and they popped the ball.

You packed a spare.

When everyone returns to have fun in the water, you stay behind to comfort Miguel a bit. He's still a little sore about the volleyball incident.

Taking a break from the water, you sit under the umbrella on a towel next to where Mayday is and Miguel will come over and lay next to you and rest his head in your lap. You run your fingers through his hair and he starts to doze off for a minute.

He's been very busy trying to facilitate the outing at the beach despite you trying to tell him to hang back and let everyone else help out. He just can't help but take up the responsibilities.

Peter and Mary Jane brought supplies for s'mores!

You guys get a fire going as the sun goes down and enjoy some!

Miguel's never actually made a real s'more. He's had s'more flavored things and always found them too sweet for his liking, but he's willing to give this a go.

"Miguel, you have to leave the marshmallow in the fire longer than that!" You instruct trying to help guide the skewer back into the flames. "Is it supposed to be burnt??" "Just a little," you chuckle. "That's what makes it soft on the inside. It tastes fine, don't worry." You help him construct the s'more and he takes a bite. "Ay dios!" He says with a mouthful of s'more as the marshmallow squishes out the sides and gets on his hands.

As the day comes to a close, everyone helps clean up and bids each other goodbye.

It's just you and Miguel left on the beach and the two of you take a moment to enjoy the quiet of the night, the view of all the stars, and the sound of the waves on the shore before deciding to head back home.

[casualaruanienjoyer]

What would AoT characters do on a cruise? It can be like on the actual ship or whenever it stops at an island!

Hello! Thank you for this very fun ask!!!

What would these AOT characters do on a cruise?

Armin: this man has maps, notes, routes planed and worst of all....socks and sandals. Yes, you heard that, Armin is a complete nerd for traveling and he takes sightseeing to the extreme. He has a list of everything he wants to see for every stop of the cruise!

Annie: you'll always find her relaxing under an umbrella, by the pool. Sunglasses on, headphones on, reading a book or maybe practicing some writing herself. Absolute peace and quiet. She does indulge in Armin's travels but not for every stop. She's not as insane as him.

Jean: well of course this guy would be by the pool in the evenings, flexing his muscles left and right, trying to grab anyone's attention. He's hot and he knows it! But he's never been a good drinker so more often than not he ends up being a mess after a few cocktails. Pieck or Reiner usually have to take him back to his room.

Reiner: why did he agree to come here? His sea sickness is driving him mad. He's ok one moment and nauseous the next. They are here for a week but it certainly feels like an eternity to him.

Levi: This man spends most of the time in the casino. His absolute poker face is very hard to read, and luck seems to be on his side. He certainly leaves with lots more money than he got on the ship with.

Hange: she's been pestering crew members ever since she got here. How does this boat work?? Why does it float?? Can she drive it?? And she's so incredibly persistent that she eventually gets offered a tour of the captain's cabin. She's over the moon!

Onyankopon, Gabi and Falco: these guys somehow got stuck in the world's longest game of bingo. It's them and a heard of old ladies all competing against eachother. The prize: a waffle maker.

Eren: he's been trying all the fun activities on the cruise: water slides, ziplines, mini golf. EVERYTHING. And now he's so incredibly bored.

Yelena: well, her plan was to use this cruise as a disguise for her nefarious plan: get off the boat and steal valuable local artefacts. However, the plan took a weird turn when she got discovered by a secret agent. He's incredibly alluring, she admits.

Zeke: with Yelena now detected, he has to keep her busy. Make sure she doesn't escape. He wishes he could spend all day indulging in the various buffets on board but instead they somehow end up making out in his cabin. Uh oh!

Sasha: she's trying her best to keep her cool. But boats are not her favorite. For one, she can't swim, but thankfully they offer free lessons in the kiddy pool. Nothing can go wrong... right??

Connie: the only way he could afford to be on this ship was through work, and thankfully he's an amazing swimmer. As a lifeguard his main job is to make sure that no one drawns in the pool. How hard can it b- SASHA!

Mikasa: she's working as one of the bar staff by the pool. Spends most of the cruise trying to get Eren's attention but she fails miserably every time. Not even her swimsuit gets Eren's attention, but it gets EVERYONE else's. Jean almost has a stroke and even Annie can't help but steal a peek.

Pieck: she's also part of the staff, but unlike Connie and Mikasa, she's an entertainer. A singer, a dancer, a bit of everything really. She's the star of the adult only shows. The audience loves her!

[zukadiary]

Oshidori Utagassen / GRAND MIRAGE! ~ Flower 2023

Ft. one of my ticket cases :D

If seeing Tsukigumi was like stepping through a portal, seeing Hanagumi was like seeing Takarazuka for the first time. My last live Hanagumi was (checks notes) uhhh... Casanova. And with the exception of a Nice Work stream that I half paid attention to, Casanova is kinda also the last Hanagumi I saw, period. Oshidori had exactly one person in common with the visible cast of Casanova, and it was Rei. So here's my unbelievably fresh eyes take!

OSHIDORI SPOILERS:

No one is evil and no one dies!! 😭 This is a rakugo-inspired comedy based on an old movie that is readily available with English subs on YouTube, and I'd recommend watching it!

Oharu (Hoshikaze Madoka) is the daughter of Shimura Kyousai (Kazumi Shou), a rōnin turned umbrella maker. She is in love with another rōnin, Asai Reisaburou (Yuzuka Rei), who lives next door and teaches sword work to the local children, but he is being pursued by two of the town beauties, Otomi (Hoshizora Misaki) and Fujio (Mihane Ai). To make things even more difficult for Oharu, her father is obsessed with antiques, buying them even though he has little money and even when most of them eventually turn out to be fakes. A mistake puts him deeply in debt to the local lord, Minezawa Tanba-no-kami (Towaki Sea), and he is confronted with having to sell Oharu in order to pay it off. It turns out that Reisaburou, who prefers Oharu to the other two, is in possession of an extremely valuable antique; he was found with it in his basket when he was abandoned as an infant, and this means he's also the long lost oldest son of the Minezawa noble family. Everyone lives happily ever after!

Koyanagi-sensei is really the holy grail of Takarazuka in-house directors right now, in my humble opinion. This was such a good choice of adaptation, and her nihonmono comedy are always so fun and accessible. I was, frankly, jealous watching this; since I'm currently the least familiar with Hanagumi, I coveted it for my faves. But poor Rei has had quite a marred top star run (mostly due to COVID), and I'm glad she got a nearly complete run of such a fun show.

That said, Asai was unfortunately the least exciting character. This is definitely personal preference, but I don't really get fired up by the cool, quiet, aloof, handsome type in a lighthearted show, unless he's also the butt of jokes a la Daimon in Bakumatsu Taiyouden. I find Rei the most appealing in dynamic, dance-heavy performances, and Asai as a character was just too one-note for me.

OHARU, on the other hand...

Madoka will retire from Takarazuka, probably into a prolific stage career (if she wants it), and be remembered for/cast based on her high profile roles like Tess Ocean, Anastasia, and Elisabeth (shinko but still). If I were queen of the world I'd insist she be remembered for Oharu. Sometimes you watch so much Takarazuka you get the performance equivalent of nose blindness, and then out of nowhere, something like a Western guest director will jolt you awake and make you ask yourself, "What's different about this??" Madoka made an atypical acting choice! She did a weird voice! She was funny! She was adorable and charming! She stole the whole show, honestly.

Hitoko, my love. Last time I was in Japan, PRxPrince was in bow hall while On the 20th Century was in Shibuya, and I opted for OTTC, thus missing out on Hitoko entirely during that trip. That makes the last time I saw her live on stage friggin' Gaisenmon. That seems SO IMPROBABLE, but it's true. In that time, we went from MUCH too long-awaited first solo bow lead to ripe and ready for top stardom. Hitoko has a chameleon power that I think is pretty unique in Takarazuka; not only does she disappear into roles (positive), but also I truly think she could thrive in any troupe with little difficulty, and seem like she was there forever. As salty as I still am that she was stolen out from under me, she's the weft to Hanagumi's warp. Tanba-no-Kami was so fun and silly. I love finding out which new and different Hitoko I'm going to get each time, and I hope there are many many more variations to come (can't wait for Gekijou).

Other highlights:

VERY juicy (albeit old man) taidan role for Kazumi Shou. Dad is a big supporting character and she has a lot of stage time.

Shimon's presence is healing

Last time I saw Hanagumi, Mihane Ai was an unnamed ken-2 and Hoshizora Misaki was an unsorted rockette in Ocean's 11. It was funny to see the two apparent contenders for next top musumeyaku competing with the current top musumeyaku for the top star's heart. Since Hoshizora snagged the tour lead it sure seems like she's the front runner, but I have to say I personally preferred Mihane!

GRAND MIRAGE SPOILERS

The curtain went up on those pastel dresses and oversized bonnets and I just giggled to myself. It was Okada-sensei alright! Especially after the fresh delight that was Kaleidoscope, it was disappointing to go back to yet another pandemic-era revue that left me struggling to remember what any of the scenes were. It was classic, and if you're both into that style and a Hanagumi fan I'm sure there were memorable moments. To me it felt like Citrus Breeze if you sucked all the nostalgia out of it.

[stevethehairington]

sending this as a reply to my ask abt your tommy/stommy hc’s cause either there’s a character limit on replies or my app is glitching.

i love steddie sm and am a very monogamous person so i feel like it’s cheating whenever i read stommy stuff if they’re past a time when steve could be with eddie (no judgement to any poly folks!it’s just not my cup of tea) but i genuinely LOVE stommy hc’s where they’re into each other before steve meets eddie/eddie even shows up on steve’s radar. i’m literally eating up your take on stommy ~we’re just fooling around cause teen boys are horny and have needs~ but with secret feelings.

and don’t get me wrong, i’m a fan of lot of different takes on steve and his queer development. but in a lot of fics his first gay experiences are with eddie (whether he knew he liked men before eddie or not), so it’s fun to think about him messing around with tommy (maybe steve realizes he has feelings for tommy, maybe he thinks they’re just bros bein bros and everyone does this…until eddie’s like hold on i thought you were straight, why are u trying to offering to blow me??) <- sorry i got lost in that hc lmao

your characterization of tommy is so great! i’ve never thought too much on his background other than him and steve being confused baby bi/gays not understanding that their feelings for each other do not fall under the ‘normal heterosexual umbrella’. like your hc of him being a middle child out of five siblings in a divorced household and craving attention wherever he can get it feels so right

also i will 100% check your fics out as soon as i can get a grip on my school assignments. the end of the semester is creeping up and i’m not far off from flying a little too close to the sun when it comes to putting finals prep off. (hope u liked my icarus ref, i still need to read eddie’s book as well lol)

ah, yeah, there is a character limit in tumblr notes. i don't know what the actual number is, but it's definitely not long enough lol and it's SO annoying that if you've got a lot to say you gotta keep breaking it up.

anyways. i can totally understand that! seeing your faves with other people, whether it's individually or together with others isn't always what you wanna see! they are your favorite pairing for a reason, presumably, so it makes sense you wanna see the two of them happy together alone.

whiiiiiiiich is what makes stommy so fantastic, because tommy is really only in the picture before eddie. sure, they were all in school together at the same time, and surely have crossed each other's paths then, BUT in terms of like onscreen canon, by the time we are introduced to eddie, tommy is long gone.

tommy being The First for steve, whether he knows it or not, is literally my f a v o r i t e. like you see all these posts saying eddie was steve's bi awakening or that jonathan was - and those are great posts!! i love those posts!! those are both great concepts!! BUT i am firmly in the camp that there was someone BEFORE eddie, BEFORE jonathan, and that person was tommy.

and like the thing about tommy is there is SO much to work with!!! tommy (and carol too) is SUCH a bare bones character in the show that it is SO easy to take him and run with him. but at the same time, there is just enough little detail and nuance in his character's portrayal that there's SO much to build off of! and because of that you can literally take stommy in any direction you want to!! like, tommy has feelings for steve, but is so unwilling to acknowledge them that he keeps it to himself and suffers silently for the rest of his life only to finally face those feelings years and years later, when its too late, and have to live with the regret of never doing or saying anything about it back then? FANTASTIC! tommy has feelings for steve and makes a move and steve is receptive because he ALSO has a crush on tommy? EXCELLENT! tommy has feelings for steve and makes a move and steve ISNT receptive because he DOESNT share those feelings? DELICIOUS, WE LOVE UNREQUITED FEELINGS! and even MORE delicious - if years down the line steve thinks back on that moment and realizes, no, it wasn't that he didn't feel the same, it's just that he didn't know what those strange feelings were and interpreted them as nonreciprocation when in fact they were the exact opposite!! YES! tommy and steve fool around and never put a name to it because that makes it Real and Real is scary, so it's just a Thing they do that never gets acknowledged, despite the fact that it actually meant A Lot for both of them? GIVE ME A SPOON, I AM EATING IT UP!!! there are just so many flavors of stommy and all of them are SO good.

i'm glad you love the "we're just fooling around cause teen boys are horny and have needs - but with secret feelings" headcanon!! it's genuinely one of my favorites for them (and honestly i love reading that for steddie too! it's just a fun trope in general no matter who it is!!) i just love it when theyre totally OBLIVIOUS to the reality of the situation and to what it actually means to both of them - because it DOES mean something to both of them. they're both under the impression that it's totally casual for the other, but it is, in fact, not, and that kind of miscommunication is just deeeelicious. it's one of my favorite things to see in fics and hcs and stuff when steve has all these really gay experiences and grows up thinking that ALL guys have these experiences only to look back on it and realize oh. OH. that WAS really gay of me.

to your next point, yes!! exactly!! there are a lot of fics that have eddie be steve's first foray into any sort of homosexual activity or queer awakening, and i DO love those, i will ALSO eat those up with a spoon!! but you're so right, it's SO fun to see it where eddie ISN'T his first. like i fully believe that the seeds of steve's queer awakening were sown from VERY early on in his life (aka his relationship with tommy - whether the feelings get acknowledged or not). if steve doesn't realize it back then while it's happening, then he certainly does in the future when he finally looks back on it all and confronts that behavior/those feelings.

i also LOVE the hc that steve has had more queer experiences than eddie. like, i definitely think that eddie figured out that he liked boys way before steve ever did, BUT steve has still had more queer experiences because he never really saw them as that. he thought sometimes kissing your boy best friend was normal - you've got to get your practice somewhere right? or jerking off your boy best friend isn't weird, it's just a hand. it's just convenience. and eddie, of course, is a queer gay virign - the hill i will die on skjfls.

sooooo YEAH steve propositioning eddie and eddie being just absolutely shook by that because holy shit did steve harrington just say he wants to suck my dick? while steve is just sitting there all casual because it's just another friday night between bros for him. LOVEEEE THAT flkjgfd. that is an excellent hc 👏 love it when that kind of thing happens and eddie is like uhhhh dude. that's hella gay. to which steve is like no?? me and tommy used to do that all the time?? and eddies just like steve. my dude. my guy. you and tommy were hella gay with each other. and it's only in this moment that steve like takes a step back and reevaluates all the shit he and tommy got up to and realizes that, holy shit, yeah, eddie is RIGHT. that all WAS very fucking gay. and shit, maybe he DID actually have feelings for tommy back then, huh. that inexplicable feeling back then suddenly makes a whole lotta sense now. (and then ofc steve rolls with that so quickly and goes, so like can i suck your dick or not? to which eddie loses his fucking mind skfjsf.)

thank you so much!!! that means a lot to hear!! characterization is super important to me so that really makes me so happy you think that!! it is my Civic Duty on this good earth to spread the tommy hagan/stommy agenda and open as many people's eyes to it as i can sldjdsfs.

but yeah! like i said, i just love thinking about tommy. i have a degree in psychology so i LOVE thinking about like what goes on in people's brains and what makes them tick and behave the way they do and what their driving factors are and where those might have stemmed from. so applying all of that to my favorite blorbos is a definite favorite passtime of mine lol. i'm glad it could intrigue you too!!

and ahh thank you!! i hope you enjoy the fics when you do get around to reading them! good luck with your school assignments!! you've got this!! (and yess haha excellent icarus ref 👏)

[heaven-s-black-box]

Canon Ball?- ensemble

Return to File

Recovery date: June 15th, 2022

Description: A brief look at a beach day between The Bad Batch, Omega, Rex, Cody, Ahsoka, and Obi-Wan.

Notes: N/A

Word count: 661

Back to Directory

“Commander Tano-”

“Ahsoka.”

“Right, sorry… Ahsoka, where’s General Skywalker?”

“Far away from the sand,” Obi-Wan laughed, stepping out onto the beach and taking a deep inhale of the salty sea breeze. “Him and Padme are off… exploring,” he snickered.

“Eck,” Ahsoka cringed, shrinking in on herself. “Disgusting, I did not need that image.”

“Aww what’s wrong Ahsoka, can’t stand the idea of- Oh god.”

Rex’s jaw dropped as he slowly caught up to what exactly Ahsoka was gagging at, and both her and Obi-Wan laughed at the morphing look of disgust. He was no stranger to whatever his general and the senator had going on, but it had never really… occurred to him.

“Never seen you make that face before,” Cody laughed, slinging his arm around Rex. “Finally figure out what your General does when he sneaks off with the senator?”

“I wish I hadn’t…” he mumbled, hanging his head. “Wait, how do you know what they’re up to?”

“I mean, they just had children, I think it’s pretty obvious. Plus General Kenobi doesn’t always realize that the void has ears.”

“The void doesn’t have ears, the commander with a non existent sleep schedule has ears, and I’ve told you to stop eavesdropping on me,” Obi-Wan scowled, glaring at Cody.

“Sorry general, won’t happen again.”

“Hang on,” Ahsoka cut in, “what else have you-”

“Hot! Hot! Hot! Hunter! The ground is burning my feet!”

The group turned to their right to find the bad batch walking down the path to the beach, Omega already dancing around on the sand. She was jumping between feet before Wrecker came up behind her and lifted her up off the sand with a boisterous laugh.

“We did try to warn you,” Tech sighed. “Ah, captain Rex, commander Cody, I see you’ve already settled in.”

“Hello!” Omega cheered and waved awkwardly from her position in the air.

The group headed out further towards the water, Wrecker carrying Omega on his shoulder. She stared out at the water in awe.

“I thought you lived on Kamino,” Ahsoka asked, slowly her pace to be beside Omega, “isn’t water nothing new to you?”

“Ya, but Kamino’s always so gloomy, this place is completely different! It’s like looking at the stars!”

Hunter jabbed his arm back and Crosshair sputtered.

“What was that for?” he hissed.

“No.”

“I didn’t even say anything.”

“Crosshair,” Hunter stopped, and turned back to him, “don’t even think about it.”

They were standing alone, a little away from where the others were setting out umbrellas and blankets. Tech had brought down a cooler, and Echo was securing the umbrellas to bases under the sand.

Crosshair smirked.

“Come on, it’ll be funny. You can even go in with her.”

“You’re gonna scare her.”

“That’s part of the fun. You can’t protect her from everything,” Crosshair brushed past him, “She’s going to get dunked.”

“Then I’ll just dunk you.”

“Hmph, it’ll be worth it.”

Before Crosshair could take another step, Hunter came up behind him and hauled him over his shoulder, grabbing everyone else’s attention. Crosshair thrashed about, pushing on Hunter in a half hearted attempt to break free.

“What is going on over there?” Cody yelled.

“Nothing to worry about sir,” Hunter replied, running towards the sea and tossing Crosshair in.

Ahsoka’s eyes lit up as she watched the sniper hit the water and she turned to Rex with a sinister smile tugging at her lips.

“What is-”

“Ahhhhhh!”

Obi-Wan was cut off by Rex screaming as he flew out from under the umbrella and into the sea. The Captain landed much further in than Crosshair, who was sat in the shallows, and began spluttering once he resurfaced.

“That looks like fun! Omega hang on!”

“What why- Ahhhhh!”

Wrecker lifted Omega off the ground and ran into the shallow water, before throwing her in like the other two.

Hunter stared in shock as Crosshair started laughing.

“I never said I’d be the one to dunk her, captain.”

[takemyhandexr]

It's Posting Time!

(Well, mostly.) Congratulations, everyone! Tomorrow marks the beginning of the posting period, running from June 3–June 4 EDT. Below are instructions for authors and artists to post!

Authors:

The bang’s collection is on ao3 here. The searchable code to add to the collection is takemyhandexr23. You must post your work there in order for it to be included in the round-up at the end of the week. Works must be:

At least 5,000 words

Posted all at once (even if it’s multiple chapters)

Tagged appropriately—minimum of five non-character, non-relationshop tags, and all potentially triggering themes must be tagged. No works necessitating the Underage or Rape/Non-Con tags may be posted, and will be removed.

Prefaced by a summary that accurately states the nature and content of the work. Summaries will be included in the bang round-up.

Posted and publicly available attached to your Archive of our Own handle for at least one year, with links or embeds of accompanying art also kept attached for at least one year.

Attributed to both yourself and your artist in either the Beginning Notes or the End Notes; if you and your artist choose to post your works separately, instead of embedding the artwork in the Archive post, you must include a link to their art as well as their handles.

If you post a link to your work to the Tumblr tag we will reblog it to this blog.

Artists:

You are not required to post your work directly to the bang’s ao3 collection, but you're welcome to. You are free to post on any site you wish—Twitter, Tumblr, DeviantArt, or other—as long as at least one link is sent to the bang moderators. If you post to the Tumblr tag we will reblog it to this blog. You may also work with your author to embed your artwork directly in their work, in addition to posting it individually if you so choose (you must post individually, while embedding is optional). Works must be:

At least two separate pieces (or more!)

Posted publicly for at least one year on the site of your choosing, with an active/live link that the bang blog will use in the end-of-event roundup.

Linked to the companion written work in your public post with an attribution to yourself and to your author.

Solo Creators:

Feel free to post to the Archive collection and to the Tumblr tag! You’ll be included in the round-up as long as you’ve followed the rest of the bang rules.

If you post to the Tumblr tag we will reblog it to this blog.

The goal is to have fun and appreciate what we’ve all created! You and your partner may post any time between now and the end of the day June 4th, but you should try to post “together” so no art is left wordless or words are left artless. The bang collection is open now, to accommodate time zones, but moderators will only start reblogging works tomorrow and works posted before midnight will be "unrevealed" on ao3 until then.

Any work you post to Tumblr should be tagged with #take my hand exR 2023, the bang’s official tag for this year, within the first 5 tags of the post. This includes links to fics, artwork, or anything else you created that falls under the bang’s umbrella! The moderators will be checking this tag diligently, but if we miss your work, please DM the post to @catstrophysics.

The bang moderators will collect all fics posted to the collection and their companion art and create a bang round-up after the posting period, so don’t be late!

Have more questions? Send us an ask!

[aena-blue]

Manifestation - Why Not Them? A Specific Person (SP) Pep Talk/Rant

Hello everyone! This is another short post to cover a simple topic under the umbrella term manifestation to hopefully shed some light on the topic.

Today I just wanted to share a quick little pep talk/rant regarding you specific person (SP).

How many times have you thought about them without sending them a text? Many, right? Okay, so if you can, why wouldn’t they? Why can’t your SP be thinking about you all the time, without letting you know (for now)?

How many times have you felt something about someone, and not told that person about it? Or at least waited, delayed, until you felt more sure, more right, or the right moment presented itself? So, if you have, then why not them? Why could they not be figuring out how much in love with you they are right this very moment? And they will let you know. It’s inevitable.

Your SP is fully capable of thinking and feeling exactly the way you are, without blowing up your phone this very second. So relax, take a breath. It is going to happen if you persist with your technique(s) and accept that manifestation is real and that it will happen for you.

I will write a post about mental diet eventually, and it’s not something you have to do, but something you can do, that might help you. So here’s a suggestion for you. Next time you think about your SP and you wonder “what are they doing?”, how about YOU DECIDE what it is that they are doing? 

I do this all the time usually in affirmation form saying things like “It feels so good to know that my SP is thinking about me right now, of course they are, they are so in love with me”. “I love knowing that my SP thinks about me all the time, of course they do, they are so in love with me”  “I bet my SP is thinking about me right now, I bet he’s thinking about reaching out because they are missing me so much” And I let myself feel it to be real. I soak in it.

Play with it, have fun with it, give yourself exactly what it is that you want. And keep giving it to yourself, over and over again. Tell your new story, exactly the way you want it to be. Persist in it. It will show up.

I hope that this post was helpful to you. Remember that you can always leave a comment or an anonymous ask me if you have any questions or suggestions on a post that you would like to see!

I now offer email coaching on my Etsy Shop for anyone who needs help, assistance, guidance or just a cheerleader for their manifestation journey.

You can email me or use the “ask me” function for anything that might be on your mind, or on your heart. I am here for you all, always. Please note that the Ask Me’s are only open for dream interpretation, general questions or advice at this time.

Please consider supporting my intention & affirmation art business in return for my time and energy by making a purchase or sharing my shop on any of your social media, every page click helps my business grow and I appreciate all of your support.

You can get a sticker for about $2 and if you make a purchase and send me an email to let me know what you bought I will happily give you a free 3 card reading for a question of your choice or 1 free email for manifestation coaching, regardless of the cost of your purchase! 🧡

If you'd like to donate to my channel/blog I gratefully receive energy donations via Paypal, every little helps! 🧡

For anyone that feels so inclined I do have an Etsy Shop for readings.

Much love and light to you all and to the universe 💛💜

~ Lady Blue 💙

[pbandjesse]

It's our anniversary!!! We have been married for an entire year! That's crazy!!! I am so happy. And I love my James so much.

And today was great. It was so much fun celebrating together. And we had a busy day.

I didn't sleep amazing. My sinuses are still really bothersome. But it was fine. I mostly was able to sleep and that was good. But for like an hour at like 3am I was up suffering. But with the fan and some water I was able to sleep until 9.

When I woke up I pretty quickly got washed and dressed. I wore my wedding earrings and I felt so pretty. Me and James told each other happy anniversary!! And then I squirreled away in my studio to write James a note. But then just as I was starting to write James came in and said that we had to leave right now immediately. Because they had misread the train schedule. And if we did not leave right then we would have to wait until 11. So we ran out of the house. Jackets and umbrellas. And we drove to West Baltimore

We left at 922. The train was at 937. We arrived at 931. It was raining and we had to park so far away and then when we got over there we realized we had to go under the overpass and up the stairs. I don't run!! I can't breathe right!! But we ran! And James stopped at the ticket machines while I ran ahead. And James, with their log legs, caught up to me. And we were on the platform at 936.

Of course the train did not come until 941. But that is okay! I was mostly recovered and had stopped hyperventilating. I did feel really shaky but I knew we would be sitting down soon and I would be okay.

The ride to DC was nice. I had brought my earbuds but they had sadly not charged in their chase. So instead I just enjoyed overhearing the just buckwild conversations the people around us were having. Everyone knows each other and people on scoffers getting hit by cars? Just wild behavior. But it was a nice ride. Just enjoying James's company.

We arrive at union station at 1030. I was low on energy and looking forward to brunch. We decided we would go to founding farmers. Which is where we ate on our minimoon last year. It was not the same location but that's alright. And it ended up being the best choice.

We did not know but they have a weekend brunch buffet!! It is a little expensive but it was awesome. I love buffets. And I love breakfast foods. So this was great.

After we sat down James ran to the bathroom and I waited for them to come back before we went to the buffet together. I got eggs and potatoes and beignets and fruits. I was having the best time.

We had a very nice waitress and a nice waiter who came through a few times. After we finished our breakfast plates I decided I need to try some of the lunch foods. So I got artichoke dip and bread and chips and guac and Mac and cheese. It was great. I was having a great time.

We finished up eating a tiny cheese cake. And I went to find some brownies and cookies to wrap in napkins and save for later.

I got a little frustrated when we were done eating and our waitress went missing for 15 minutes. I asked James to go find her so we could head out. And then we were off.

We walked to the national portrait gallery. And it was great. I loved seeing all the art. Specifically the art of indigenous people. But I am going to be honest I was struggle a bit. For one there were entirely to many people. It was because it was raining and a Saturday but man it was loud and I was going through it. I also was weirdly dizzy and winded. Like I felt super dizzy and wasn't doing great. I had to keep sitting and taking a break.

But I did have fun. I enjoyed hearing James talk about art. And I enjoyed their company greatly. Even if they made me go up stairs. But I really enjoyed the art. The Indigenous art was wonderful and I learned a lot about a lot of different people.

We would go to the exhibit about about sports champions which James seemed to love. I liked that the pieces were all so different. And then we headed to the contemporary wing which I thought was great. I was incredibly dizzy though and I was mad at myself for feeling so tired. I would sit and observe. Watched a video. Really tried to be present. We would wander away from each other a few times but mostly we were together. I got to earn that James loves the artist Alma Thomas, who I had taught a class about with my students at BAS a few weeks ago. It was fun learning something new about my husband.

We finished up at the portrait gallery and headed towards the national gallery. They aren't far from each other. We had done that gallery last time but they had another indigenous exhibit James wanted to see. We had seen the Many West show at the portrait gallery, so now onto the next one.

We did get lost at the museum though. It's huge. Firstly we went And then we had to get checked my security because my bag went off. And it turned out it was my spin pins. And security guard woman had never seen them before and was like what are these and I had to explain what they were but I was a little frazzled and she was like oh that's very cool. And then waved us through. But then it turned out we were on the exact opposite side and in the wrong building so we had to walk very far away.

But in the mean time we looked at the art as we walked. And eventually found an information desk that was able to point us in the correct direction. And w we got to go through the beautiful light up tunnel and see the water feature I like so much. And then we found the gallery.

I really enjoyed this one. But again I was dizzy tired so I ended up sitting and looking through the gallery book. And James apparently lost track of me and texted me in a panic but would find me before I even saw the text. I felt bad that they thought I left them! I was literally sitting on a bench in the center of the room. But they found me and we decided we had musuemed out. And it was time to go. And if we left right then we could make the 435 train home.

We had to backtrack to the original other side of the building to get our coats and umbrellas. And once we did that we walked the 3/4 of a mile to union station. Which was tough on me but I held it together. My legs and feet were a that fine, it was mostly my breathing and head.

I requested that we get a piece of pizza and a soda at the train station before we left. And I swear I was so frustrated that as soon as I ate that pizza and drank that soda I felt 1000% better. I think I had just not had any caffeine and was cloudy because of it and I was very frustrated that I did not think of that all day. I just assumed my brain and body were broken. But the soda fixed me and I was doing a lot better.

We waited for the train. And at 415 they called for boarding. They would not leave until the scheduled 435. So I was very angry when a guy pushed me to get ahead of me in the group is us walking to the train. I was like. No I won't let you push me into a trash can to get last me we are literally all going to the same train. I hope he felt really stupid when we got to the train and just sat there for 20 minutes.

It was a nice ride back. I broke out those brownies and cookies for a train snack. And my headphones has charged so I listened to tiktoks while James sent the photos of the sports art to their group chat. It was a good ride with nice views. Everything was foggy and grey. We didn't get to see the eclipse but that's alright. I still enjoyed this fall day.

We would get back to West Baltimore. And we were happy to see our car was safe. And then it was time to go home.

When we got back to our neighborhood I asked to take picture outside since we didn't get to in DC. Mostly because it was raining and entirely to busy and crowded. But I love the pictures we got and I felt so happy.

We got inside and I finished writing my note to James. And then it was present time!

James got me an adorable beer we have named Louie. And some beautiful jewelry. A piece of landscape jasper (something I have loved for a long while and so excited to own) that is both a pin and a pendant. They also got me a new gold heart carabineer, this one with little stars on it. And they got me the Barbie necklace earrings. Meaning the style of necklace she wore in the movie except they are earrings. And I love them and I love my husband.

They had made a linoleum print that was so sweet. But the best thing they made me is a recut of our wedding video. With our first dance song on top and our friends and family members talking over it and I was so close to crying it's so perfect. It's so much better then what it originally was. The original cut upset me so bad and this is perfect. I love my husband so much for organizing this for me and it means the world to me.

After we exchanged gifts I would take a bath. And Sweetp would keep biting James because they wanted food and attention. James would make me vegan shrimps which were great. And then we would get in bed to watch a show. Something we almost never do so I'm enjoying it greatly. I love my husband and I am so lucky.

As we finish this first year I just feel so lucky. I have found someone so perfect in so many ways but also someone I can watch grow and change with. I feel lucky for everyday and I hope we get many many more years.

Until next time everyone. Goodnight!

[quillquiver]

I have angered a minor god

So, I started last week with an immediate rejection from one of the two doctorate programs I applied to. It was definitely upsetting, but I love where and who I live with right now, so not having to move from my gorgeous Vancouver apartment with my super fun best friend/qpp/roommate to Gronigen, Netherlands was a little bit of a relief. Unfortunately, when I called my mother to talk about it, she delivered Tough Love instead of Coddling, which was not what I was after at the time and took me from Bummed But We’ll Manage to Homocidally Upset I Have No Idea What I’m Doing With My Life.

Not a great week, but still normal. By Wednesday, I had a tickle in my throat. I live in an old and very dry (but somehow also damp in areas) building, and figured it was that. Not so. By Wednesday night my cold has progressed to the feeling of a someone cheese grating my throat and a super stuffed nose. I don’t normally get sick so I go to bed early and figure it’ll go away. When I wake up the next morning, I’m sick. Like, sick sick. I am so uncomfortable I want to remove all my internal organs and place them next to me. I’m taking a bouldering course for fun and call in to the gym, but of course I can’t make up a class without a doctor’s note, and at this point it’s still just a regular cold so I figure I’ll wear a mask, distance and be okay. 

Over the course of the day I get worse, and bouldering is from 7-9pm. It takes me 20mins to get there. I don’t like eating at 5pm, but I tried eating at 9:30pm and was too hungry during climbing and then too pumped after eating to sleep, so I suck it up and make rice with a poached egg because at this point I am physically exhausted on top of feeling like zombie. I figure I’ll see how it goes, but I’m betting I’ll only stay for the instructional portion and not the practice portion of the course. I bet correctly! By the time we’re done learning footwork, I feel Very Bad - the instance I get on and immediately fall off the wall because I clenched my abs and immediately feel nauseas, I gracefully take my leave (i.e. run out of there). 

It is winter in Vancouver which means rain, but also mist. That night we were in a series of fun clouds broken up by actual rain, so I juggle trying to hold my umbrella with checking my email because I am waiting on The Second School and I am insane. BUT IT TURNS OUT MY INSANITY PAYS OFF. Oh yes, in my inbox there is an email from UC Berkeley telling me - not my long-awaited answer, but that I have an answer. In my portal. FUN. 

By the time I get home, my anxiety has outwardly manifested and I am deliriously talking to myself, out loud. I have convinced myself I have not gotten in and that is for the best, and everyone is avoiding me on the side walk. That is probably for the best. 

I get home.

I get on my laptop.

There is no answer because Berkeley likes to torture people and has you click through two more screens before I see a PDF regretfully informing me that my chosen prof will not be taking me and Berkeley gets a lot of applicants blah blah blah. I am Upset because the prof I wanted to work with was Very Enthusiastic - she loved my proposed project and was very excited by it - but I’m old hat at this gig by now and know that these things happen. QPP and her other partner talk me down. I now have a major sinus headache but I’m calm in that kind of fun, dissociative way, so I proceed to take a shower.

Unfortunately, I enter the bathroom and the floor is all wet. 

Why, you might ask? I have no idea. We wipe up the water and try and figure out where it’s coming from but no dice. At some point - and I truly can’t remember - I had disrobed and wrapped myself in my clean towel. I have no idea why. I must have really just wanted to shower. 

QPP is the eagle-eyed hero who finds the leak: it is coming from UNDER  A BASEBOARD. YES. Our baseboard are not flush with the floor, so it truly looks as if our wall is attempted to create a pond out of our 100 year old bathroom. Wonderful. She texts the landlord and I finally take that shower. It’s glorious.

The next day, two very nice plumbers arrive. One looks like a caricature of a handyman and the other is English. They cut a hole in my closer because it’s up against the bathroom, so all my clothes need to come out of there, and they cut holes in the actual bathroom because my closet hole was useless for everything but ventilating the inner wall which is, by now, Very Wet. We are informed that this pipe has been leaking for a very long time, and that they will have to replace the entire thing, which runs up and down our stack of 7 apartments. However, we were the only ones with a leak. 

By the time they leave I am ready to kill myself and everyone around me. My room smells like damp, musty wood, I’m so congested I can’t breathe, and I’m not hungry because I’ve been chain-eating throat lozenges. I am told that my closet door (and the thus the hole inside), need to remain open for air flow. I am very concerned about this because of the possibility of wall monsters, but keep that to myself. By the end of the day I feel marginally better, but that isn’t saying much. 

On Saturday, I spend the day outside like an idiot. I am sicker for it.

On Sunday, I spend the day doing absolutely nothing on my couch. I relax. I watch TV and movies. I drink my weight in tea and use one and a half rolls of toilet paper to forcibly expel two of the four humors from my vile and disgusting body. By the end of the day I am half-convinced I’ve blown out half my brain through my nose, and have had no less than three nosebleeds. The highlight of the day is undoubtedly when, while totally engrossed in an episode of Love Island, I casually pick up my full tea mug and feel my shoulder seize. 

It’s Monday night now, and I am 97.6% certain that I had a muscle twinge that became inflamed and is now putting pressure on a nerve in my arm. I have an appointment with a physio tomorrow. There is still a hole in my closet. I am still sick. And honestly, I might be forgetting something, because I’ve had brainfog for the past four days. 

Definitely must’ve angered a minor god, though. 

[kaylinalexanderbooks]

I'm here to help as an ace person.

I figured out I was asexual through, well, relating extremely hard to asexual memes. For years, it didn't click, but then it just...did? Just one night, the thought crossed my mind...what if the reason I related to the asexual memes was because I was also asexual? In fact, some of the memes were about how memes helped you figure out you were asexual by relating to them!

So I spent a while reflecting on my life up until that point (I was 18). I realized that in middle school my confusion of why everyone was obsessed with "omg so-and-so is so hot!!" when I just Didn't Get It. I assumed that I was the only person who wasn't shallow, when in reality I just wasn't going through a sexual awakening when all of my peers were.

I assumed it was because this was a high school thing. I'd miraculously start feeling this thing called attraction in high school. That didn't happen. (Side note: I am on the aromantic spectrum as well, so while I did have a desire to date, lack of romantic attraction also played a factor in this.) Around my junior year I started to wonder if something was wrong with me (despite knowing asexual people existed, and having met multiple).

The epiphany just...happened one day toward the end of my senior year. The puzzle just snapped together. Suddenly a lot of conversations I had ("I mean, he's attractive but I'm not attracted to him" - in fact, I thought that noticing someone as aesthetically pleasing was sexual attraction) made so much more sense. My fear of "having" to one day have sex made sense. Not understanding how people could be so swayed by looks made sense.

It took a month for me to accept it, and I felt more comfortable with it when I talked to other asexuals. While everyone's experiences are ultimately different, reading and talking about the wide experiences asexuals had made me feel more confident in my identity.

To respond to your tags:

Since I am asexual, I actually don't know if wanting sex at a certain amount of time is the norm - however, I can tell you that it's possible you are on the spectrum, though that's for you to confirm. Sexual attraction is defined as being attracted to someone sexually, wanting sex from them. Sex drive is a desire to be sexually satisfied. Asexual people can have sex drives, and allosexuals won't necessarily have one.

There's no definitive answer I can give you - I'm not you. What I can recommend is doing what you're doing here - asking other asexuals to share their stories. The other thing is to look into the various identities under the asexual spectrum umbrella and see if there's anything specific that applies to you. Obviously, you can be asexual without falling into one of those subtypes, but it will give you a good idea on how broad the spectrum is, just as asking asexuals to share their stories.

Asexual memes will be fun places to look for as well to get a fun perspective, seeing how a community has formed around it, though this is an indirect and informal way to go about it.

Finally, self reflect. Do a lot of that. This isn't something you just...figure out over night. Even with the epiphany, I needed to think about my entire adolescence to fully realize my suspicion might be right. Think about if these really apply to you.

If it turns out you're not asexual, then you did some epic self reflection and know yourself a lot better regardless, as well as learning more about a community. If you are, then you'll still know yourself better for it.

Wish the best for you on this journey - take all the time you need, and feel free to reach out <3

Hope this helps :)

Hey, I know this isn't writing stuff, but I need help from all the little ace people in my phone. How did you know you were asexual?

[darling-i-read-it]

HCs for Leon having a crush on a STARS reader

Leon Kennedy x fem!reader

Warnings: nothing I don’t think! 

Requested: by anon, hii! coukd you please write headcanons of leon s kennedy having a crush on a STARS reader? (in a world were the incident in racoon never happened and he's our pretty rookie). thank u and congratulations on your graduation <3

I don’t own these characters. They belong to author/director/creator 

Author’s Note: re2 leon is SO CUTE and I always forget it until I think of him for more than 2 seconds 

- Leon passes the STARS room when he takes things up to the storage room (which he does very often as a rookie)

- he hears the laughter coming from inside and often sees people leaving

- everyone knows who the STARS are 

- there are only like 10 of you

- Leon is far too low in the totem pole to actually interact with any of you when it comes to meetings and such 

- but you met him when it was his first day and showed him around because you had such an insiders look

- he was in love instantly 

- you were so nice to him! And you could out shoot him! And you were funny! 

- you were a dream <3 

- he would take the coffee up to the STARS room whenever he got the chance

- everyone joked that him and Chris had a thing (especially Jill who got a kick out of making fun of Chris) 

- he made sure your drink was always perfect

- whenever he had questions he would go to you

- not only where you nicer than most of your counterparts but you were also just the overall best person to talk to

- he would specifically practice to show off for you

- after a while you started to have a friendship that was kinda like ‘you took him under your wing and now you had a lost puppy dog who followed you around places’ 

- and he was very easy to love <3

- he was responsive and basically the cookie cutter hero

- he wanted to help everyone, even when it was something stupid like finding a pen or something 

- you loved that he wasn’t intimidated by your status or your friends

- he even asked Wesker a couple questions too! That went about as well as you’d expect. Wesker looking above his glasses at Leon with his emo haircut

- he absolutely blurted out he loved you after one time where you were injured after a job

- he was so nervous and almost literally drove out at the risk of his job and his life to find you

- you were fine, honestly. You were with Jill and Barry

- but he loved you and he needed you to hear it goddammit!

- you weren’t really surprised but that isn’t to say it wasn’t a welcome announcement after a shitty day

- you and he really got on after that

- you would visit him and by default it kind of boosted his coolness with everyone

- people had been trying to date you and Jill for literally ages

- now only Jill was on the table (and people were pretty sure Redfield had that one covered sooner or later)

- you came downstairs and saw him as much as you could, often messing up his hair and giving him a couple kisses

- you made out in the picture development room by the stairs more than once

- the lights weren’t supposed to be on for a reason! 

- you also explored the locked doors when you were both there late to find new places to sneak around 

- (why were there so many doors? Why did so many of them have puzzles to get through?) 

- oh if only wesker wasn’t a dick and umbrella didn’t exist amiright <3 

-

Resident Evil Tag List:  @ceruleanrainblues , @chloe-online , @alexxavicry, @chaotic-fangirl-blog, @secret-obsessions-21-blog, @trinswhimsys, @lov3vivian, @micheleamidalajedi, @linkxneptune