#hope this is helpful to anyone out there in the wild

[ahmedpalestine]

The world begins a new year, full of dreams and hopes, exchanging greetings and smiles. Meanwhile, our people in Gaza enter it burdened with tears and wounds.

How can a new year bring anything good to those who spent the past year under bombardment, hunger, and fear? How does a new year begin while the bodies of children shiver from the cold, the faces of mothers are exhausted from weeping, and fathers bow their heads before their families, unable to provide even a piece of bread or a blanket to shield them from the bitter night chill?

In Gaza, the new year does not signify change or a fresh beginning. It is an extension of pain, another page in the book of tragedy that has been open for decades. There are no celebrations here, no lights hung, no decorated trees, only darkness suffocating the breath. Mothers bury their children with tears, and souls leave this world in silence, unnoticed by anyone.

What kind of world begins its year with joy while ignoring an entire people being annihilated under the rubble? What conscience allows a new year to begin while Gaza drowns in blood, hunger, and cold?

How long will we carry this burden alone? How much longer will Gaza’s children hold blankets instead of toys, searching for a piece of bread instead of a gift? Stop this war. Stop this oppression. These are souls, they are human beings, they are a people crying out every day: We, too, deserve life.

Your support means the world to us.

Vetted by bilal-salah0

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@sayruq @anyonghalimaw @punkeropercyjackson .

[i2rizz]

New year's countdown Pt.3

_______________________________________

Spending New Year’s Eve with Ryusei Shidou was never going to be a low-key affair. You knew this the moment he texted you that afternoon: “Hope you’re ready to start the year off with a bang, babe. Dress warm. Pick you up at eleven.”

He didn’t give you a chance to ask questions, and knowing Shidou, pressing for answers would only lead to teasing and riddles. So, you threw on your coziest coat and waited for him by the door, your heart pounding with equal parts excitement and apprehension.

At 11 PM sharp, a loud, familiar honk blared outside. You opened the door to see Shidou leaning against his car. His grin widened when he saw you, his golden eyes sparkling like the fireworks yet to come.

“There’s my girl,” he said, pushing off the car to wrap an arm around your shoulders. “Ready to make some memories?”

“You’re being awfully cryptic,” you teased, tilting your head at him. “What exactly are we doing?”

He smirked, his hand tightening slightly around you. “Trust me. You’ll love it.”

The drive was anything but quiet. Shidou had his music blasting, singing along loudly and pointing at you during certain lyrics as if he were performing a private concert. You couldn’t help but laugh, the sound of his chaotic energy infectious.

Eventually, he pulled up to a park you didn’t recognize. The air was crisp, the faint smell of snow lingering as you followed him down a dimly lit path. He was practically buzzing with excitement, glancing back at you every few seconds to make sure you were keeping up.

“Shidou, what are we—?”

“Shh,” he interrupted, holding a finger to his lips. “You’ll ruin the surprise.”

After a few more minutes, you reached a clearing by a frozen lake. The city skyline glittered in the distance, and the sound of faint music and chatter carried through the air. You noticed a picnic blanket set up near the lake’s edge, along with a thermos and a box you couldn’t identify.

“Did you... plan all this?” you asked, stunned.

Shidou shrugged, but the faint blush on his cheeks betrayed him. “What can I say? I’ve got a romantic side. Don’t tell anyone, though. Gotta keep my reputation.”

You laughed, shaking your head as he guided you to sit. The blanket was surprisingly warm, and he immediately draped his coat over your shoulders before plopping down beside you.

As you poured hot chocolate from the thermos, you noticed him fidgeting with the mysterious box. “What’s in there?” you asked, curious.

Shidou’s grin turned mischievous. “Patience, babe. You’ll find out soon enough.”

The two of you talked and laughed as the minutes ticked closer to midnight. Shidou, as always, was a mix of chaos and charm, his stories ranging from ridiculous pranks to unexpectedly sweet confessions about his goals for the new year.

When the countdown started faintly in the distance, Shidou suddenly stood, pulling you up with him. He opened the box, revealing sparklers.

“Figured we could start our own fireworks show,” he said, handing you one.

You lit them together, the crackling light casting a golden glow over his face. His eyes, usually wild and unpredictable, softened as they locked onto yours.

“Five... Four... Three...”

“Babe,” he said, his voice quieter than you’d ever heard it. “I know I’m a lot to handle, but thanks for sticking around. I don’t say it enough, but... you mean everything to me.”

“Two... One...”

Before you could respond, his lips captured yours, the warmth of his kiss chasing away the winter chill. The sparklers fizzled out as he pulled you closer, his hands cupping your face like you were the only thing grounding him.

When he pulled back, his grin returned, but there was a rare softness in his expression. “Happy New Year, babe. Hope you’re ready for more of my nonsense this year.”

You laughed, wrapping your arms around him. “Wouldn’t have it any other way.”

As fireworks exploded in the sky, you realized that with Ryusei Shidou, every moment—chaotic, sweet, or somewhere in between—was a memory worth keeping.

_______________________________________

[bunnyboowrites]

Can you do more Luffy x black female reader

Sorry it took a while and I hope you enjoy! Xoxo Bunny boo

Warnings: P in V sex, female reader, ooc Luffy (because cannon Luffy having sex is very unlikely)

Being Straw Hat Luffy’s girlfriend has its perks. Life with him is an endless whirlwind of excitement—crazy adventures across the Grand Line, indulging in delicious food, and being surrounded by the most loyal and unique crew you could ever imagine. Every day feels like a new chapter in a story you never want to end. The camaraderie, the laughter, and the thrill of facing the unknown make it all feel like a dream.

But, as with any great journey, there’s always a downside. The constant danger lurking around every corner, the relentless pursuit by enemies and bounty hunters, and the sacrifices that come with chasing the One Piece can take their toll. Being with Luffy means embracing the chaos and uncertainty of a pirate’s life, where every moment is unpredictable and safety is never guaranteed.

Luffy’s bounty had just skyrocketed to an unbelievable 3,000,000,000 berries, and, true to form, he did what he always does—insisted on celebrating a job well done. With his boundless enthusiasm, it was impossible to say no. The Thousand Sunny docked at a lush island that felt more like a luxurious resort, and soon enough, the whole crew was running wild, each indulging in their own version of fun.

Usopp, Franky, Brook, and Chopper were tearing through every daredevil slide they could find, their laughter and excited shouts echoing across the resort. Zoro, as expected, had stationed himself at the bar, steadily draining it of its supply while challenging anyone daring enough to keep up. Luffy was practically glued to Sanji’s side, pestering him for food with the wide-eyed persistence only Luffy could manage.

Meanwhile, you, Jinbei, Robin, and Nami had opted for a quieter kind of indulgence, lounging in the cool shade near a massive pool. The tranquil setting was a welcome reprieve after your recent adventures. As you stretched out on the comfortable lounge chair, the sound of splashing water and distant laughter blended into the background while you exchanged stories with the others, recounting the chaos and triumphs of your latest journey. It was one of those rare moments of peace, where the weight of the Grand Line seemed to melt away, if only for a little while.

“You ladies look absolutely radiant!” Sanji gushed, his heart practically floating out of his chest as he addressed you, Robin, and Nami. His eyes sparkled, but Luffy’s attention suddenly snapped to you.

You were stretched out in a white bikini, your brown skin glistening under the sun, misted with sweat that only accentuated your natural beauty. Luffy stared openly, his grin widening as if he’d never seen anyone so dazzling.

Robin and Nami, unbothered by the usual antics, each requested drinks, and Sanji immediately sped off to fulfill their every wish, leaving the three of you with Jinbe still reclining in his spot.

“So,” Nami began with a sly smile, leaning in slightly, “have you and Luffy done any couple things yet?”

The question hit you like a tidal wave, and you felt the warmth of embarrassment rush to your cheeks. “I, um…” you stammered, glancing nervously between them. “We’ve only been dating a couple of weeks, and, well… Luffy can be a little clueless sometimes.” You gave a small, nervous laugh, scratching the back of your neck as their curious gazes lingered on you.

Robin chuckled softly, her calm demeanor adding a gentle ease to the conversation. Jinbei, however, spoke up with a knowing smile. “You’ll have to be direct with our captain,” he said wisely. “He may be strong, but when it comes to these things, he’s… not the brightest.”

The group laughed, and you couldn’t help but join in, the tension easing slightly. You glanced toward Luffy, who was now bouncing up and down in front of Sanji, pleading for a snack. Maybe Jinbei was right—subtlety would probably never work with someone like him.

As the afternoon stretched on and the festivities began to settle, Luffy, in his usual energetic fashion, bounded over to you with his signature grin. “Hey! Let’s go explore!” he said, grabbing your hand without waiting for an answer. His enthusiasm was infectious, and you didn’t even think to protest as he led you away from the group and into the thick jungle surrounding the resort.

The sounds of the crew’s laughter and chatter faded as the dense foliage engulfed the two of you. Luffy’s grip on your hand was firm but gentle, his excitement radiating with every step he took. He didn’t have a destination in mind, but with Luffy, you didn’t need one. Just being by his side was its own adventure.

After some time weaving through vines and ducking under low-hanging branches, you both stumbled upon something unexpected—a natural hot spring nestled in a clearing, steam rising delicately from the crystal-clear water. The sunlight filtered through the canopy above, casting a golden glow over the serene oasis.

“Whoa!” Luffy exclaimed, eyes wide with amazement. “This is awesome!”

You couldn’t help but smile at his childlike wonder. “It’s beautiful,” you said, stepping closer to the edge of the spring. The warm steam kissed your skin, and the bubbling water looked so inviting after the day’s heat.

Without a second thought, Luffy started stripping off his sandals and unbuttoning his shirt, tossing it aside. “Let’s get in!” he said eagerly, already wading into the water.

“Luffy!” you laughed, turning away as he plunged in, fully embracing the soothing heat. He surfaced a moment later, shaking his head like a dog and grinning at you.

“Come on!” he urged, holding out a hand. “It feels amazing!”

You hesitated for a moment before giving in. Sliding into the water beside him, the warmth wrapped around you like a comforting hug. You sighed in contentment as you sank deeper, the tension melting from your body.

Luffy floated nearby, his carefree smile never fading as he glanced over at you. “This was a good idea, huh?”

“Yeah,” you agreed, meeting his gaze. “It was.”

The two of you stayed there for what felt like hours, talking about everything and nothing. The jungle seemed to stand still around you, the moment entirely your own.

Luffy’s grin widened, his brown eyes sparkling with a mix of mischief and something deeper—something that made your heart race. There was an intensity in his gaze, a desire so pure and earnest that it left you breathless. Slowly, he swam closer, the gentle ripples in the water giving way to his presence until he was right in front of you.

His wet body pressed lightly against yours under the warm water, and you could feel the heat of his skin blending with the soothing heat of the spring. The firmness of his muscles was undeniable, a testament to his strength and determination, but his touch held a softness that made you feel safe, cherished.

“Hey, Y/N,” Luffy said softly, his voice dipping into a rare tone of vulnerability. “You’re so beautiful… and really pretty.” His shy smile stretched across his face, and you noticed the faintest blush dusting his cheeks—a rare sight for someone usually so confident and carefree. “I like you. A lot,” he added, the words tumbling out in a way that felt so completely him—honest, simple, and straight from the heart.

Your breath hitched as he lifted his hand, the rubbery texture of his fingers unusually gentle as they caressed your cheek. His thumb brushed lightly over your bottom lip, the touch so soft and intimate that it sent a shiver cascading down your spine. The world seemed to fade, leaving only the sound of water bubbling around you and the rhythmic pounding of your heartbeat.

Luffy’s gaze was intense yet unassuming, filled with an innocent longing that made the moment even more profound. His eyes searched yours, as if trying to read your thoughts, before he leaned in just slightly, his lips parting with anticipation.

“Can I kiss you?” he asked, his voice barely above a whisper, the hopeful edge tugging at your heartstrings. His question hung in the air, tender and raw, as if he was offering you his entire heart in those simple words.

You could feel the warmth of his breath, the proximity making the steam swirling around you both seem even heavier, like a dream you didn’t want to wake from. His presence was magnetic, drawing you closer as his hand remained on your cheek, his thumb now tracing small circles on your skin.

Unable to find the words, you nodded, your lips trembling slightly as you tilted your face toward his. That was all the encouragement he needed. Luffy closed the small distance between you, his lips brushing against yours with a hesitancy that surprised you—gentle, almost testing, as though he wanted to make sure he got it just right.

The kiss deepened as you leaned into him, your hands finding their way to his shoulders. His lips were soft and warm, moving against yours with a sweetness that left you feeling lightheaded. The innocence of his touch mixed with the quiet passion he poured into the kiss made it clear just how much he cared for you.

When he finally pulled back, his face was flushed, and his grin was even wider than before. “That was awesome!” he exclaimed, his excitement breaking through the intimate stillness. His joy was contagious, and you couldn’t help but laugh, your own cheeks warm with both the heat of the spring and the lingering warmth of his kiss.

“Yeah, it was,” you replied, your voice soft but full of affection as you looked at him

“Luffy I wanna try something” you stated, hands moving to pull the tie of your bikini top and bottom. Letting them float away you grin. The water is covering your body as you press yourself into him. Luffy's eyes widened in surprise, and he stumbled backward, his hands instinctively reaching out to grasp your waist. His face turned bright red as he struggled to process what was happening.

"W-what are you doing?" he stuttered, his voice barely above a whisper. The water around you seemed to amplify the sensation of your skin touching his, and Luffy's eyes darted back and forth, as if searching for an escape or a distraction. Despite his initial shock, a sly grin began to spread across his face, and he leaned in closer, his voice taking on a more playful tone. "I-I mean, I'm not complaining or anything..."

“I want to take our relationship to the next level Luffy, I love you and people in love do these things” you toy with the strings of his bottoms. Your naughty hands exploring his hard abdomen.

Luffy's eyes sparkled with excitement, and he let out a nervous chuckle, his hands tightening around your waist. "O-oh, I see," he stuttered, his face still flushed with embarrassment. As your hands explored his abdomen, he couldn't help but let out a slight moan, his body responding to your touch. He leaned in closer, his lips brushing against your ear, sending shivers down your spine. "I love you too," he whispered, his voice barely audible over the sound of the water.

His hands began to roam, tracing the curves of your body, and he pulled you closer, his lips meeting yours in a passionate kiss. The water around you seemed to fade into the background as you both lost yourselves in the moment, the only sound being the beating of your hearts and the gentle lapping of the waves.

A gasp left your mouth, your body was so reactive to his touch. You hadn’t done this before and you also assumed he hadn’t as well. Your hands slipped under his trunks and moaned feeling him, your fingers could barely wrap around his length. Luffy's eyes widened in surprise, and he let out a low groan, his body tensing up as your hands wrapped around him. He had never experienced anything like this before, and the sensation was almost overwhelming.

His hands tightened around your waist, pulling you closer as he deepened the kiss, his tongue exploring your mouth. As you moaned, he felt a surge of excitement, his body responding to your touch. He couldn't help but move his hips, subtly thrusting into your hands, as if seeking more of the pleasure you were giving him. His voice was barely above a whisper, but he managed to stammer out, "Y-you're... really good at this..." His face was still flushed with embarrassment.

“Take your trunks off Lu, I wanna feel you for the first time.” You pulled yourself away from his body and turned to lean over the rocky edged wall of the spring. Your ass peaking out of the water as you arched and wiggled your ass to entice him “don’t you wanna feel me around you?”

Luffy's eyes went wide as he stared at your arched back and the enticing sight of your ass peeking out of the water. He felt a surge of desire and his face turned an even deeper shade of red. He stuttered, "Y-yes... I wanna feel you..." His hands trembled as he reached down to push his trunks down, his eyes never leaving yours.

As he stepped out of his trunks, he felt a mix of excitement and nervousness. He had never done this before, but he couldn't wait to experience it with you. He took a step closer, his eyes fixed on your ass, and his hands reached out to grasp your hips. He leaned in, his lips brushing against your ear, and whispered, "I wanna feel you so bad..." His body was tense with anticipation, and he slowly began to push himself closer, his tip brushing against your entrance.

“Come on Luffy let me show you how much I love my captain” you spread your pussy lips open as invitation. He took a deep breath, his face still flushed with embarrassment, and slowly began to push himself into you. As he entered, he let out a low groan, his body tensing up with pleasure. He felt a sense of wonder and excitement, as if he had never felt anything so good before. His hands tightened around your hips, pulling you closer as he began to move slowly, his body adjusting to the new sensation. "A-ah... I can feel it... I can feel how much you love me..." he whispered, his voice trembling with emotion. As he moved, he felt a sense of connection and intimacy with you, and he knew that their relationship had reached a new level. He leaned in, his lips brushing against your ear, and whispered, "I love you too... so much..."

The sensation of him filling you up was intense, the painful pressure was mixing with the pleasure of him inside of you, you could barely moan out a response “I-i love you too captain” you knew how much he loved to be called that, especially by you.

Luffy's eyes sparkled with excitement as he heard you call him "captain", and he felt a surge of pride and pleasure. He began to move more slowly, trying to savor the sensation of being inside you, and his hands tightened around your hips, pulling you closer. "A-ah, say it again... say it again, please..." he whispered, his voice trembling with emotion. As he moved, he felt a sense of ownership and possession, as if he had claimed you as his own. He leaned in, his lips brushing against your ear, and whispered, "You're mine...my love... you're all mine..." His movements became more gentle, as if he was trying to make the sensation last forever, and he whispered, "I'll always protect you, I'll always love you..."

“Please captain, faster please” you preened, the feeling in your belly was so intense and you didn’t want it to end too early but you needed him to fuck you like there was nothing and no one else in the world but you. Luffy heard your plea, and he felt a surge of desire to fulfill your request. He began to move faster, his hips thrusting into you with a newfound intensity, and his hands gripped your hips tightly, holding you in place.

"A-ah, like this? Like this, Y/N?" he whispered, his voice hoarse with passion. As he moved, he felt himself getting lost in the sensation, his mind consumed by the thought of being inside you, of being the only one who could make you feel this way. He leaned in, his lips brushing against your ear, and whispered, "I'll give you everything, I'll give you all of me... just for you..." His movements became more frenzied, his body pounding into yours, as if he was trying to merge their two bodies into one. The sound of the water, the sound of their heavy breathing, and the sound of their skin slapping together filled the air, creating a symphony of passion and desire.

The knot was so close to snapping, you reach down and play with your clit and push yourself over the edge. He felt a surge of pleasure at the sight of you bringing yourself to orgasm. He moved faster, his hips thrusting into you with a newfound intensity. As you moaned out his name, he felt a sense of pride and ownership, knowing that he was the one who had brought you to this point. He leaned in, his lips brushing against your ear, and whispered, "I'm coming too,Y/N... I'm coming with you..." His body tensed up, and he let out a loud groan as he reached his own climax, his seed spilling into you as he held you tightly in place. The two of you remained there for a moment, frozen in time, as the waves of pleasure washed over you, and the sound of your heavy breathing filled the air. Finally, Luffy collapsed against you, his body spent, and his lips brushed against your ear as he whispered, "I love you, Y/N... I love you so much..."

The hot spring remained still, its warmth wrapping around you both like a gentle embrace as the quiet moment lingered. Your heart was still fluttering from the confession, but you managed to steady your breath and offer a playful smile.

“We better get going back to the Sunny,” you said with a soft laugh, tilting your head toward the direction of the jungle. “They might actually leave their captain and his girlfriend behind.”

The word “girlfriend” slipped out naturally, and you couldn’t help the small blush that followed. Luffy’s reaction, however, was as simple and heartwarming as ever. His signature kilowatt smile lit up his face, his eyes gleaming with unbridled joy.

“Yeah!” he said enthusiastically, nodding like it was the most obvious thing in the world. “But first, I’m hungry! Let’s get some food from Sanji!”

You laughed, shaking your head fondly as Luffy climbed out of the water, his movements as carefree as ever. He held out a hand to you, helping you out of the spring with surprising gentleness. As you both gathered your belongings and started making your way back through the jungle, Luffy kept your hand firmly in his, swinging it slightly as he led the way.

The journey back was filled with Luffy’s chatter, mostly about what he was planning to ask Sanji to cook and how much he was going to eat. Every now and then, he glanced back at you, his grin never wavering, and you couldn’t help but feel a warmth bloom in your chest.

By the time you emerged from the jungle, the sounds of the crew’s laughter and chatter reached your ears once again, and the sight of the Sunny docked in the distance brought a sense of home.

Luffy turned to you as you walked up the beach, his expression as bright as the sun overhead. “I’m glad we went,” he said simply, his voice filled with sincerity.

You squeezed his hand, smiling up at him. “Me too, Luffy.”

[hetacon]

I know you've asked for Ravioli/Legend art prompts at the moment, but I'm craving seeing more Wild and Twilight hurt/comfort in your sweet art style lol so I had to ask, just in case you get inspired at a later date (no pressure I hope! 💙). Could I just ask for a sweet hug between them, or a piggy back ride, or Twilight watching Wild with resigned concern while he's stuck in a vision? :3 I just love their relationship soooo much and your beautiful art of Twilight sewing and his soft smile as Wild sits wrapped around his arm makes me tear up so much ahhhhhhh anyway much love to you dear, I'm honestly happy to see any art you create and give to us lol so thanks for reading my derpy rambling either way xD

How about all three? :)))

I will literally never turn down requests for the Wolf Siblings (or Wolf Trio), even if I’m not actively asking for requests! The two of them make me so soft, I love them so much and Twilight taking care of Wild is my favorite thing in the whole wide world! 🥺 And I’m glad I held on to this ask for a little bit before I started working on it, but the explanation for why is a little long so I’ll put it under the cut

These drawings actually ended up being extra special because the first two were my last pieces of 2024 and the third is my first piece of 2025!! What a wonderful way to close out one year and start the next!

(Also thank you so much for the compliments on my art, I’m so glad you like that drawing of Twilight sewing and Wild holding on to him ☺️)

So a little bit of Stan Lore for y’all, I have two siblings: my younger sister who’s a couple years younger than me (who I’ve mentioned before) and my older sibling who’s 7 years older than me, who’s been living on their own for about 8 years after they graduated college. The reason I haven’t mentioned my older sibling before is because I’m no longer on speaking terms with them, and part of this is due to the guy they recently married, the short explanation being that both my sister and I don’t trust him and he gives me bad vibes. My current relationship with my older sibling is actually one of the reasons that Twilight and Wild’s bond means so much to me but that’s a story for another day

Anyways, last Christmas, my older sibling and their husband didn’t come over for our family’s usual get-together, much to my sister and I’s relief, but this most recent Christmas they unfortunately did and so I barely interacted with anyone this year because I didn’t want to risk potentially getting trapped in a conversation with either of them, and I even snuck out of the house for an hour to go on a walk with one of my friends. Their husband even being in my house freaks me out and I’ve had more than one panic attack about just the thought of it so I knew that I needed something to get me through us hosting Christmas dinner this year, and I decided Wild and Twilight art was the perfect thing! Luckily it worked, drawing art of my favorite boys helped me calm down and grounded me! So all that is to say, thank you for sending me this request, I really needed it 💜

[inkieflame]

I Need an Anchor (God, I Want to be Satisfied)

A Wild Life Etho fic, featuring the Gs :)

Content warnings: none

2000 words

Aka, Etho doesn't know his self worth, so he tries to prove himself to his new alliance. They assure him they care about him even if he is washed up

Author's note: this was supposed to contain Cletho and that never happened, oh well. Maybe another day

Etho isn’t running away.

He’s not abandoning anyone, he’s not betraying them or leaving them behind. He’s not doing any of that.

He’s just taking a quiet exit.

Because he might drown if he has to stay with Bdubs and Tango one more day. He thinks they can feel it too. Something is wrong with their alliance. Something is inherently broken.

They fight each other more than their enemies. They steal, they mock, and when one of them is injured they’re left to pick themselves up on their own.

It's just not how an alliance is meant to work.

And Etho needs out.

He picks through this chest, looking for whatever valuables he has left. Minimal iron and even fewer diamonds. He manages to scrape together some building supplies and food. Hopefully this will be enough. Hopefully, hopefully.

He doesn’t know what to expect. He wants to seem useful. He wants to be necessary to a team. Indispensable.

Because if he’s not, they might neglect him too, just like Tango and Bdubs. And gosh, it hurts to be neglected by people you love. Etho can’t take it anymore.

He ducks out of his tower, backpack full of supplies and his new beloved trident in hand. Distantly, he can hear Tango and Bdubs bickering about something. Etho avoids them, and makes his way through the woods to the other base.

The late summer sun falls through the leaves overhead, making him squint as he approaches the wheat fields and walled in building where his new friends live. He swallows, and then wanders to the gate. He can hear the soft chatter of people within the base. Etho’s heart swells with jealousy. They are so friendly with each other.

“Etho?” He sees Pearl lean over the top of the wall, “Hey, we can see you lurking how here.”

“Oh. Hi.” He says. “Can income inside?”

Pearl turns back to talk to someone behind her. Etho can hear Scott’s voice. She turns back to him, “Yeah, come up over the wall though. Scott says Impulse just trapped the gate.”

Etho nods once, relieved that he hadn’t let himself in only be blown to bits. He towers up and Pearl helps to pull him over the last bit of wall so he standing on top of the stone next to her.

She jumps from the wall and hurries back over to where Cleo, Scott and Impulse are chatting on the front porch of the building.

Etho lingers awkwardly behind her, dropping down and following.

“Hey guys, hi. I brought some supplies? I hope they’re enough.” He says. He turns to rifle through his backpack, pulling various things from his inventory. “I’ve got a bit of iron? Two diamonds if anyone needs a new sword. And some cooked cod if anyone needs food-“

He is cut off by Scott waving him over and gesturing for him to sit with them, “We’re all good on supplies right now.” Scott says, “But join us! I’ve been wondering when you’d be over.”

This makes Etho’s stomach churn uneasily. They don’t need anything he has to offer. He’s not giving anything, he’ll just be a drain on supplies here.

Okay, so fix it. You have a problem, analyze it and fix it.

He hovers near the group, not sitting down. His eyes dart around the group, trying to fit pieces together. What can he do?

Pearl is still wears some pieces of iron armor. So is Impulse.

“Etho?” Cleo echoes, “Aren’t you going to sit with us?”

Etho bites his lip. He can feel the Scar there underneath his teeth. “No, I, uh, I forgot some things at my base.” He lies. “I’ll be back.”

He ignores how Scott looks disappointed and how Cleo sighs when he turns away.

Etho doesn’t come back until he has enough diamonds to get both Pearl and Impulse a new piece of armor. He jumps the wall again, and then he drops down into the small walled in area.

Scott is the only one outside, tending patiently to the flowers around the building.

“Oh, Etho, there you are.” Scott turns to him, “We thought you’d left us!”

Scott laughs, but Etho can’t help but hear an accusation. Traitor.

He hurries to seem useful, to be a good teammate, “I went mining.” He blurts, “Got some diamonds so y’all can get some better armor.”

Scott stares at him blankly for a moment, confused. “That’s. That’s very kind of you. The others are inside if you want to say hi.”

Etho nods, “Of course.” He shuffles backwards, then turns and makes his way to the door.

Pearl and Cleo are inside, sitting around a small pool in the floor with a few axolotls swimming around it. Cleo is sitting on top of their storage chests, sprawled out over two of them. Pearl sits by the edge of the pool with her bare feet in the water and her boots laying next to her.

“Etho, hi!” Cleo smiles at him, “I was wondering if you’d drop by again.”

“Hi Cleo.” He turns to Pearl, “uh, I got you some diamonds. Make yourself some new armor?” He holds out half of the diamonds for her to take. “I also have some for Impulse.”

Pearl takes the diamonds, “Ooooh!” she turns them over in her hands admiringly, “Very nice!”

Cleo gives Etho a strange smile, “Don’t you need new armor too?”

He shakes his head, “I’m alright. I’d rather put my new team first, be a good teammate and all.”

Cleo’s smile turns to a frown, but she doesn’t say anything else.

When the sun goes down, Etho quietly dismisses himself to his old tower near Tango and Bdubs.

Bdubs is pacing the outside of his own tower, muttering to himself. When he sees Etho, he snaps to attention, “Hey! Where have you been all day?”

“Uh, just out.” Etho shrugs.

Bdubs fumes, clearly in a bad mood, “Likely story! We had that whole list of things to do today, remember? Nothing got done!”

Etho tilts his head, “Didn’t you work on it at all?”

“Well! I just! You!” Bdubs splutters, “Very freaking funny! You need to work on it too! I can’t be doing everything around here!”

Etho nods, “I’ll take a look at the list tomorrow.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Bdubs huffs, “Time to shreep.”

The next time Etho is with his new alliance, he is itching for something to do.

The five of them are all laying around outside, just enjoying the sunshine. Scott and Impulse sit in the grass together, while Pearl is perched in the pale oak tree that grows inside the walls. Cleo sits up on the edge of the wall, overlooking the group.

Etho sits a small distance from Scott and Impulse, watching Scott teach him how to weave a flower crown.

He can’t help but think how lazy this is. No one is doing anything productive. They just sit together, like they have forever. Like they’re not going to face their encroaching death soon.

They didn’t even have a to do list for Etho to check. If they did, he would be out, being productive. Instead he’s stuck nervously following around other members of the alliance hoping to help with whatever they’re doing.

But none of them are doing anything.

And Etho is failing to smoother this feeling of uselessness.

“Etho, are you alright?” Cleo asks suddenly.

Etho glances up at her, “Yeah, I’m alright.”

Scott shakes his head, “No, Cleo is right. You’re acting odd.”

“Uh, I guess I’m just a little antsy.” Etho shifts uncomfortably, “I was hoping to do something useful today.”

Cleo and Scott glance at each other. Etho wishes he knew what that look meant. And then they both look at Pearl, who nods, and he feels even more lost.

“You seem stressed, man.” Impulse says, “I think a day of rest would be good for you. Take a break.”

Etho sighs. Impulse get up from his spot near Scott and comes to sit by Etho.

“I don’t need a break.” Etho says, “I just want to be a good teammate.”

Because he needs this. He needs someone to tether him down when he can’t find a direction to go. He needs an anchor.

Scott scoots over until he’s seated on Etho’s other side, “Etho. You don’t need to be a good teammate.” He says, “We don’t care if you bring nothing to the table. You’re part of this group now, so you belong here no matter what.”

“But I still need to be productive.” Etho insists, “Otherwise, why am I on this team?” Scott hesitates to answer, and Etho panics, joking nervously, “It can’t be my irresistible charm?”

“Your pathetic wet-cat energy.” Cleo offers.

“Yeah yeah, that.” Etho’s says, “I’m washed up.”

Impulse sighs, “Man. We want to hang out with you even if you are washed up.”

Etho doesn’t believe him.

Etho makes it to the late afternoon before his restlessness gets the better of him, and he finds himself getting ready to go back to his tower. At least there he has something to do. He could work on Bdubs’ list, or try to finish his tower.

Scott watches him out of the corner of his eye as he makes his way back up the wall, and prepares to drop down.

“Etho.” He calls.

Etho hesitates, looking out at the forest beneath the wall. He turns back, “yup?”

Scott pulls himself up onto the wall next to him. He eyes the rest of the group, and drops his voice to a whisper.

“Stay?”

Etho frowns, “It’s getting late, I have work to do.”

Scott seems disappointed, “I know you wanted to keep this alliance on the down-low, but…” He doesn’t finish.

“Bdubs will be wondering where I am.” Etho says. It’s a lame excuse, but not untrue. “And I have to go home sometime. Get some rest like everyone has been saying.”

Scott sighs and steps back, “Alright.” He says. “But know you can stay here too, if you ever want. You’re always welcome here.”

When Etho gets home, to his own cold bed, alone in his copper tower, he can only stare at his ceiling. He knows that somewhere Scott and Pearl and Cleo and Impulse are all going to bed together. They will fall asleep to the sound of each other breathing.

Etho will fall asleep to the sound of Tango pacing next door, restless.

“I brought food.” Etho says next time, because despite the constant reassurances he can’t help but feel like an addiction to the team instead of a part of it.

He has to prove himself, he needs to deserve this.

The fish are cooked on an open fireplace, while the group sits around it, enjoying the fire and the food. The base smells like warm fish, and bread that Pearl made, and the herbal tea in Scott’s mug.

Etho smiles, watching them chatter.

He’s glad to have given them some sort of substance, and a moment of peace away from the start of next session tomorrow. He feels useful and needed.

He ignores how Bdubs blows up his communicator with messages about preparing for tomorrow. Etho will deal with him tomorrow. Today is for his alliance.

“Stay?” Scott asks again, as the sun comes down and after Bdubs is long asleep.

Etho thinks about his cold bed, and his copper tower, and Tango’s insomniac pacing. He thinks about all the yelling he’ll wake up to in the morning if he goes home, verses to prospect of bread and tea if he stays.

“yeah.” He says softly, “I’ll stay.”

Then he falls asleep that night curled in the bed between Cleo and Impulse, like maybe he was still at home with her in Secret Life, or with him in Limited Life. Nearby Scott and Pearl are breathing steadily, drifting into sleep.

And he can’t help but think he is the luckiest person here. Because he knows he doesn’t deserve it, but they want him here anyway.

Etho thinks he’s beginning to trust them. He knows they will be here, a firm constant in a ranging sea. Something to keep him grounded.

His anchor.

[reidsbabyhoney]

the move in | hozier

roommates (i)

the one where you’re meeting you’re new roommate for the first time

pairing: hozier x fem!reader category: fluff cw: this is not my best work, please forgive me the original was so much better. promise, promise the next chapters will make up for this!! wc: 1.7k a/n: this is much shorter than planned. mainly just an introduction to the story and a bit of background. future chapters will be longer and add more to the plot. also this entire story is basically a self-insert oc, if that makes any sense. it is not very vague when it comes to backstory or personality, but really what fun would reading fanfiction be if you couldn't pretend to be someone else?

series masterlist hozier masterlist

There was a common theme with the thoughts currently rushing through your mind: dread. And it's been all you’ve felt for the past week.

Though you were already in your third year of university, the unease of this year's living situation began creeping up.

For the first two years of university your roommate, Sienna, was one of your closest friends. But at the end of last semester, she decided that university was no longer for her and she would drop out. Though you would remain friends, not having her as your anchor who was literally only a shout away created an unwanted storm in your mind.

Obviously, you were supportive of her decision. You had no reason not to be when she wanted to create her own business and was more than prepared for every possible thing the world could throw at her. Sienna was also very impatient, so she decided she didn’t need the final two years of, “Unnecessary professors telling me things I already know,” as she liked to remind you.

Since she had dropped out, you didn't have anyone to room with this year. Normally, this wouldn’t be a problem. Most students would just decide to get an apartment off campus and commute to class when necessary. But the scholarship you were on required you to have on-campus housing, how great.

Not wanting to go through the trouble of finding a new roommate, you signed up for the school's anonymous roommate program and hoped for the best.

Though it's not exactly the school that pairs you, more so a random website that seems more like a dating app than anything. After fifteen minutes of answering an intruding questionnaire to match you with the absolute best option for a roommate, you were paired with someone named Andy.

When you received the email about who the website paired you with, you nearly stopped breathing. Andy was short for Andrew apparently. For the entirety of your third year in university, you would be living with a man.

According to his profile, his hobbies were literature and music. He also happened to be very, very cute.

Out of pure anxiety, you haven’t opened the message he sent you once you two were paired together. You assumed it was him attempting to get to know you better before you were due to move in, and that message was sent a week ago.

You knew yourself well enough to know that you were a hopeless romantic at heart. You were practically raised on romance, both in movies and in literature. You knew if you answered his message your mind would run wild with scenarios between you and him, even though you had yet to interact. That’s just how you worked. So you refrained from talking to him until you could do it in person and find one of his flaws to turn you off from him if that was even possible.

The only good thing that’s come out of this entire thing so far is that instead of sharing a small room with your new roommate, the school assigned you to one of the student flats. This means you had an entire house to yourself. Well yourself and Andrew.

After a week of anxiety being the only emotion you knew, today was the day you were set to move in. Being an international student you didn’t have any family to help you, so you’ve dragged Sienna back to school for a day to help you get settled.

“I didn’t think someone could hide this many pots and pans under their bed for an entire year at uni,” Sienna says with a huff as she breaks down the final box that contained your kitchen supplies.

You chuckle at her words and playfully roll your eyes as you reach up to place a cup into the cupboard.

“Don’t be so dramatic, I barely went shopping for most of this stuff in February, most of them lived at your family’s house. I only had a few in our old flat anyway.”

“Why do you need so many kitchen supplies anyway, trying to get into this man’s pants by cooking or something?” she asks with a raise of her brows, already knowing you found your new roommate to be “blessed by the gods” as you’ve mentioned.

Your eyes widen as the words leave her mouth, moving to smack her arm with the kitchen towel you had in your hand.

“You can’t say stuff like that. What if he just walks in and hears you say I’m trying to sleep with him by cooking for him?”

Sienna's eyes only widened at your response, looking past you as if something had caught her eye.

But it couldn’t be what you thought, right? There’s no way you were that unlucky. There's no way the first introduction to your new roommate was you saying you had ulterior motives and wanted to get into his bed. Right?

As someone clears their throat in the hall next to the kitchen, you knew you were wrong. So utterly and embarrassingly incorrect.

“Well at least he’ll have someone cooking for him, better than what I did for him.”

It’s the voice of a man that breaks the tension in the room. As you turn around you’re met with someone that is not Andrew. And you accidently voice that.

“Disappointed?”

My cheeks heat at the playful jab, “I-sorry that was rude. I’m Y/N and this is Sienna, my best friend.”

“It’s nice to meet you, I’m Alex. Here to help Andy move in.” He says, offering you a hand to shake.

You take his hands and are about to open your mouth when the door swings open and you see the man who has been occupying your thoughts for the past week.

See, haven’t even met him yet and you’re already creating stories in your head.

“Alex, what’re you doing? You’re meant to be helping me, not flirting.”

His voice meets your ears like honey dripping on toast, smooth, sweet, and completely addictive.

Once you look to Alex’s left you’re met with possibly the most beautiful man you’ve seen in your life.

He was wearing a loose fitting pair of jeans and a white button up that strained against his arms with the box that he held in them.

If you weren’t already completely embarrassed, you’re sure you would be drooling at how good this man looked.

Once again it’s Alex that breaks you out of your thoughts, “Not sure I was the one doing the flirting,” he says, giving you a look with raised eyebrows.

Great, this isn’t going to be forgotten about any time soon like you might’ve hoped.

Before Andrew can ask any questions you quickly speak up.

“I’m Y/N and this is Sienna, it’s really great to meet you. We’ve just finished unpacking my stuff in here so we’ll be in my room if you need anything!”

With that you grab Sienna and practically drag her to your room and slam your door shut.

Once you're in the comfort of your room, she can’t help but let out a loud laugh. Basically folding in on herself as she cackles at your embarrassment.

“Oh, I had no idea you could embarrass yourself that bad when meeting a cute guy, babe.”

“Please don’t make it worse. I don’t know how I'm meant to live with him,” You say with a huff.

Walking to your bed, you throw yourself down face first. Allowing yourself to wallow in self pity for a few minutes before Sienna inevitably drags you back out to the living room to get to know your beautiful new roommate.

“You sure you don’t want to re-enroll so we can live together again,” your words come out a bit muffled but Sienna can understand you enough. Enough for her to throw a pillow at your head and force you to sit up.

“Okay stop. You will be fine, there’s no need to be dramatic. You didn’t embarrass yourself to the point of death, now go out there and get to know him before I start sharing stories about you myself.”

As she speaks, she drags you out of bed and into the hall that leads to the living room. Surprisingly, the guys seemed to have unpacked fairly quickly and were sitting on the couch finding something to watch.

Alex is the first to see the two of you walk out of the hall and he gets up. Patting his legs, he stands up and stretches.

“Okay well, time for me to go. Don’t have too much fun without me.”

Alex waves bye to the three of you and quickly leaves, signifying his absence with the harsh shut of the front door.

“So, Alex told me all about this villainous plan of yours,” Andrew breaks the silence between the three of you and you’re reminded of why you didn’t want to be out here in the first place.

“I-See I didn’t mean it in the way he probably heard. I have no intention of cooking for you to get into your bed,” you say quickly walking closer to the couch as the words frantically leave your mouth.

“Well, I can’t say I would be opposed to the idea.”

Before he even finished his sentence your eyes are widening and you’re turning to look back at Sienna who’s giving you the same expression.

Did he really just say that?

“Wait, I-No. I didn’t mean I want you to sleep with me. I meant, no that sounds wrong. You’re beautiful really, but I don’t expect-”

His words are cut off by sharp laughter that leaves the two of you at his rambling.

Looking up at his face, you see the deep red that coats his cheeks and runs down his neck.

Rubbing the nape of his neck, he clears his throat before speaking, “What I meant is, I wouldn’t mind you cooking, if you ever wanted to of course. I wouldn’t force you to do any of that. I mean we’ve barely met.”

Looking up he sees the small smile you have on your face and covers his with his hands, “I’m truly sorry.”

“No,” you let out another small laugh at that, “we can call it even now.”

You were truly fucked, and once you met Sienna’s eyes your thoughts were solidified. There was no way you were going to survive this year without falling in love with your new roommate.

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tags: @man-i-love-folklore @the-song-of-flowers @songbirds-sweet @cowboycatreign @celery-grace @alexis-34 @inejghafawifesblog @colddarkearth23 @hauntedworld @sleepy-time-dreamy @midsummervixen

[neddea]

Polaroid Go tips and tricks - I really love this camera!

This is basically the post I wish I had read before and after I bought the Polaroid Go. I haven’t been able to find much info on tips and tricks, so I’m gonna share what I’ve learned, also with the intention of getting some feedback and hopefully more knowledge from the community 🙏🏻 Also, beware of the long post, I guess!

(NOTE: This is about the 2nd Gen Go, idk anything about the 1st Gen version).

The reasons I bought the Go instead of any other Instax or Polaroid camera:

☑️Analog camera instead of digital (I wasn’t sure about many other instant cameras). I wanted to restrict myself and not even have a screen to be able to tweak things or choose which picture I wanted to print. The goal for me was to learn photography in itself by using the “simplest” tools. If the picture turns out well, it’s because I’ve understood how to use the tools and how to get the most out of them (and sometimes I’m just lucky, let’s be honest!)

☑️Easy to carry around. I have ADHD, so I know that I will never do something if it feels like a bit too much work to get started on (for example, taking pictures outside if carrying it is a hassle). The Go was by far the best one in that sense.

☑️The film is cheaper than the other Polaroid films (at least that I’m aware of). This is huuuge for me, since I wanted to take as many pics as I could and not feel as bad if I “wasted” film with experiments and trials. Still not as affordable as Instax film though, but closer than other types.

☑️It has filters. I know, this might seem like a dumb reason, but I really wanted to get into this hobby because I wanted to relearn photography and go back to that feeling of physicality that used to inspire me back in college. I wanted to experiment with cellophane paper and with the chemistry of the film itself and whatever idea came to mind, and the filters added to that goal. Some instax cameras have unofficial filters, but they didn’t seem as… sturdy? Properly made? Idk, looks deceive and they could be great for all I know (if anyone has experience with them let me know, I’m curious!)

☑️Double exposure and flash On/Off options. Two other huge reasons why I chose this camera! For the same reasons as the one before: I wanted to experiment and be able to control the tool to take the pros and cons to the extreme.

☑️Accessories to carry it around and keep it safe (although I have things to say about some incompatibility issues).

That being said, things I don’t like as much:

🔻Can’t control exposure times and diaphragm aperture (sorry if the terms are incorrect, English is not my mother tongue and I learned the basics in Spanish). There are only two options and they’re automatic, so it’s a bit difficult to get it right. You can half press the shutter button to lock focus distance and light sensitivity though, but I haven’t mastered it quite yet.

🔻Polaroid film is not the most stable (I find it difficult to put this as a downside, I’m actually quite happy and even grateful that it works like this to the point that I count it as an extra tool and a huge part of the artistic process. Then again, sometimes you want things to work as you planned, so I’m guessing this can be a bad thing for many people).

🔻The film is still expensive, especially if you add shipping expenses. There aren’t nearly as many options as with other Polaroid cameras, the only available editions are the white frame and the black frame. I’d love to be able to use the peach frame, or a monochrome film, or the Bowie edition… but it seems like Polaroid doesn’t pamper the Go as much as its siblings

🔻Pictures tend to not be as sharp as the bigger films or it’s harder to get them right.

🔻Too much contrast between shadows and lights.

All in all, I’m really, really happy with it! I think it was the perfect choice for me, and I’m sad to see it isn’t as loved in the community (I’ve read though that the 1st gen wasn’t great, so that might be one of the reasons).

I also wanted to share my tips and tricks for different things!

🔳Double exposure: I'm still figuring things out, but so far my best takes have been in total darkness with very intense and direct light sources (a phone's flash directed to the camera, for example). For anyone who has never tried or doesn't know how this works: think of photography as painting with light on a black canvas. Total darkness means total lack of light, so you're not painting anything, right? This is especially useful for double exposure, which basically means taking two pictures in one. If you have absolute darkness with one small source of light and you take the first exposure, you still have plenty of "blank" canvas left, so the second exposure's lightened parts are gonna superimpose over the darkness of the first one. For example, in the first pic below the first take was for the two lines and circle (with the blue filter) and the second was for my friends' portraits (with a yellow filter). Play around with the shadows and lights, you can for example give some texture to the shadows of an otherwise well lit figure. For this reason I don't recommend using the flash, but hey, there's probably a good way to use both!

⚠️BUT WAIT! THERE'S MORE TO IT. You wish you could take more than two exposures?? YOU ACTUALLY CAN. I just discovered this and I'm over the moon: double tap the flash button to turn on the double exposure mode, take the first one, turn the camera off; turn it on again, double tap for double exposure, AND THERE YOU GO, you are gonna take three exposures now. Do this ad infinitum if you want to (probably not the best idea for the film though). I'm so happy about this, you have no idea.

🔳Filters: I’m still getting used to them so I might be wrong, but generally speaking they reduce contrast. Pure blacks and whites will still be there if it's a well lit place, but you get more details on parts that would be otherwise slightly overexposed, and the middle tones don't get as dark. I also have a feeling that the flash works wonders on closer shots, tinting that plane more strongly with the filter, but as the flash reach fades into the background, the filter is not as visible (again, I'm basing this in just one picture that looks like that, I'll have to do more research). Another rule of thumb: yellow is the lightest color and blue is the darkest, so use them wisely. The blue filter is probably going to make the shot look a bit darker, and the yellow one might make it look too bright. I want to hear how anyone else feels about them, I might be completely on the wrong track with these!

🔳Incompatibilities between accessories: This one is annoying. I bought all together the hard case, the silicone skin, the travelling bag, the mini album, the wrist band, the bigger band and the filters. The main issue is the silicone skin, since if used the camera doesn't fit inside the hard case, AND you cannot add the filters to the camera because there's no window for it. I had to cut the frontal part of the skin so I could fit the filters, which is not ideal. I don't know how Polaroid has overlooked this particular thing, but yeah, be aware of that. The bands and the mini album have a ring with a clamp that allows you to attach them to each other or to other bags pretty easily.

🔳Using the countdown to get sharper pics. If your pulse is as unstable as mine and you're shooting a picture under dim lighting circumstances, I'd advise you to use the countdown tool to avoid any blurriness and shakiness. At least for me, when I click the shutter button I end up moving the camera slightly, which has slightly ruined some pics (this is not just Polaroid, it's just a general photography thing, but heavier cameras are not as sensitive to movement, I think. Physics, idk). So to avoid that, I just press the flash button for several seconds until a LED light lights up on the front of the camera. When you press the shutter, it counts down to 9, I think, and then takes the pic.

🔳Film temperature and development: Listen. Some people might complain about this, but I actually see it as another tool to take the shots that I want. I feel it's more impressionist-like than any other kind of photography, since it captures not just what the eye can see: it also kinda captures the impression and feeling of the moment. I've taken several pictures of my hometown, and it was around freezing temps outside, so when I took the first pic of course the shadows came off looking blueish and greenish, and they didn't get too dark at all. At first I was confused and a bit disappointed, but after two or three more shots I was ecstatic about it. It reminded me of the blueish greys Monet used in his paintings. I made some experimentation with the amount of time the pics developed in the cold and it's just so much fun. So yeah, id say use it in your favour! Remember to keep it close to the body in the cold to avoid it, and maybe some insulated pockets for the heat (Polaroid sells a bag for the camera with one such pocket, but I feel it doesn't work too well against the cold, would have to try in hotter temps). ALSO, sometimes it will take several days for the shadows to get as strong as they'll get! Especially if the pic developed in cold temps.

🔳Let entropy be part of it. Just experiment with the camera. Take lots of double exposure pics to try specific things without wasting as much film. Remember: sometimes the pics won't come out as perfect as you'd like, but often enough the reason might be something you might have done wrong; other times, it's just bad luck with the film or something else. Sometimes those imperfections add to the feeling of the picture. And sometimes you half-assedly take a shot and it turns out to be especially interesting. It can feel like every pic is a conversation between you and the camera (as cheesy as this might sound), and some things that you find compelling the camera might not be too thrilled about; sometimes you can convince it, and sometimes it shows you the beauty of something you didn't pay too much attention to. Take all of the pictures as learning opportunities, adapt to the tools you have. This camera can be really good for what it is, but it has its own personality (and so does the film), and sometimes it takes a while to warm up to new people, right? (Instead I feel like I just found my new best friend right off the bat LMAO)

🔳Finally, Polaroid's app isn't necessarily created for the Go, since it doesn't have any Bluetooth tools, but it does help with scanning. I'd recommend giving it a Go (pun intended), since it already crops and fixes the perspective of the image to show just the frame and photo. I normally have to edit it so that it looks a bit closer to the physical picture, but that's just me going the extra mile.

I think that's it! I'm still thinking about how to store or showcase the pictures in a nice way, do you guys have any ideas? How do you do it? I'm also saving all the used film cartridges (is that the right word?), I don't know what for but I want to do something with them! I've seen people displaying pictures in them though... Any ideas?

Thank you for coming to my TedTalk (I’m so sorry for this stupidly long post)

[skyward-floored]

It’s botw’s birthday and I think we should all be very loud about Wild and what a cool guy he is

Happy birthday champion! 🎉

Look at him go!!! what a guy <3

[cats-in-the-clouds]

idk if this has any merit to it so correct me if i’ve got the wrong idea but a thing i’ve been thinking lately is that the biblical dichotomy between jew and gentile (which new testament scripture teaches is no more) is sort of reborn in the modern dichotomy between like.,,, cradle catholic and random atheist/agnostic

point being, God will reach out to everyone. even those who aren’t doing all the little traditional rituals right, even those who don’t know what they’re doing, even those who just walked in out of nowhere. so the former need to remember to have humility and compassion for others who are trying their best to seek truth.

this is not to say the former are doing anything wrong by going through all those motions- of course not! and of course those motions aren’t insignificant; they’ve got so much history and tradition behind them. but ultimately they aren’t what save us. the foreign gentile who just showed up one day is baptized and saved. the deathbed convert is baptized and saved. funny how that is

the devout jewish people of the scriptures and the modern day hardcore tradcaths are neither better nor worse than other people- they are the people fortunate enough to be born in the ‘right’ environment, so encountering Christ and being saved will be much easier for them. but this also means they have a responsibility to do more.

and if they go haywire in the way they behave the consequences will be so much worse because of what they’re supposed to be representing (and i’m sure we all know that biblically the jewish people have caused lots of their own problems and presently. well. a lot of catholics Suck™️. we are all that person sometimes. often. usually)

[dragons-and-yellow-roses]

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[dog-girl-zezora]

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[reem-reem-0]

Please take a few minutes to watch the video and read this post.

I am writing these words after losing hope in everyone… except for you, my friends. Tumblr has a very large number of users, estimated in the millions . That’s an enormous number! But imagine, with all those of people, how would you feel if people saw you and ignored you? You’d feel deeply disappointed, right? Or maybe you’d even wish for death.

Have you ever wished for death? For me, I feel like I’d rather die than be ignored by everyone. If I wasn’t in desperate need of help, I wouldn’t ask anyone for it. I really need help.

Imagine for a moment that you have a small child you love dearly, and you’re forced to watch her suffer in front of your eyes. This isn’t just an imagination for me; it’s my reality. My family and I live this pain every day.

The Rafah crossing will open its doors for travel a month from now. If we do not collect enough money for all of us to go out, we will be forced to separate and the family will be dispersed. Please stand with us and do not allow us to separate and our family to separate. We all want to get out of here.

Please, be our hope. Be our voice. Be the ones who save us from despair. Don’t ignore us. Donate, even if it’s just $5 .

There are so many people reading this post right now. I beg anyone who sees these words to donate if they can, and if not, to share this post. Please, don’t leave us behind.

Be our family, or think of us as members of your own family, and save us from this suffering.

No matter how small the amount, your help means the world to us. And if you can’t donate, share this post and add a few kind words to inspire others to help.

Thank you so much, everyone. I wish you all the best.

Tagging for reach 🙏🏽

@timetravellingkitty @deathlonging @briarhips @mazzikah @mahoushojoe

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@meaganfoster @kyra45 @criptochecca @bilal-salah0 @iguanodonwildman

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@petracourtjester @golvio@leftismsideblog @star-and-space @agentfascinateur @queerstudiesnatura

@nabulsi@sayruq @oopollo-blog @fireyfobbitmedicine @interfacefox @cosmic-collectivesystem

@finnslay @walking-polyp @autisticexpression2 @bisexualchemistry @violetclowns

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@olovelymoon @jannahswaiting @beesofink @curiOuscreature @orchidvioletindigo

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@seafoamwoman @iznabl @selamat-linting @velvetys @terroristiraqi

@soracities @trans-axolotl @bedufairy @starstrucksnowing @handsworthsongs

@libraryposting @geeseareassholes @edwordsmyth @psychotic-gerard @bringmemyrocks

@arslanjae @reduxskullduggerry @sharingresourcesforpalestine @littlestpersimmon @lukewarm-lesbian

[valiant-portabella-pirkko]

so! after all this time, guess who's actually been working on getting some stuff put together for that Guild Wars 2 Mists-based roleplay group I posted about ages ago. it's still a long ways off (life kind of punched me in the face from every direction simultaneously back when I first pitched it) but I do have a moderator application in the works. I'll post that in the main rp tag once it's done.

[aces-and-angels]

video taken from shahed's instagram follow: @shahednhall verification source (no. 224 on el-shab-hussein/nabulsi's list)

"I like to photograph everything. I like to collect special shots because the memory is not repeated. I like to make it in my memory and the memory of everyone. I did not like to share the destruction. I did not like to share the life that has become black and white despite this reality, but my message is to show the beauty of my family and how much they deserve life. I do not want them to appear in a picture they do not like and do not want anyone wish for it. The lens of my camera will continue to transmit the most beautiful shots. Get up, fight for me, a new danger that presses

I hope you save my life before it's too late.🙏💔"

- shahed (please read & share full post here)

no one should have to showcase their suffering for others to care. sadly, people only seem to mobilize after something truly horrific happens. i am begging you all not to wait for the next tragedy. there is no pause button, no reprieve, no escape from the suffering these families face on a daily basis. they all need your help now.

if you don't know her already, shahed is a 21 year old who used to be a student at al-azhar university before the genocide began. with both her parents having taken ill, she is the sole provider for her family right now, including her five siblings, youngest of whom is just a baby.

shahed is currently trying to put together an evacuation fund for her younger sisters (who have hepatitis and are severely ill.) they were recently removed from the clinic where they were getting treated due to overcrowding/because there were more pressing cases to be attended to, likely because of the massacres that took place days ago and are still happening today.

there is no room left for people's complacency-- it's okay if you're unable to donate right now-- what's not okay is assuming others will pick up your slack. just because your dash is full of 🍉content doesn't mean that's the case for others. you taking a second out of your day to spread shahed's campaign brings her that much closer to her goal. please do whatever you can to help her out.

SHAHED NEEDS TO REACH $40K USD BY THE END OF THE JULY IN ORDER TO GET HER FAMILY TO SAFETY

current stats: $34,137 raised

---

tagging for reach (sorry yall- if you wish to be removed from this list, please let me know, no hard feelings🖤)

@timetravellingkitty @meaganfoster @briarhips @mazzikah @mahoushojoe

@rhubarbspring @schoolhater @pcktknife @transmutationisms @sawasawako

@feluka @terroristiraqi @irhabiya @wellwaterhysteria @deepspaceboytoy

@post-brahminism @junglejim4322 @kibumkim @neechees @mangocheesecakes

@kyra45 @marnota @7bitter @tortiefrancis @toiletpotato

@fromjannah @omegaversereloaded @vague-humanoid @criptochecca @aristotels

@komsomolka @neptunerings @riding-with-the-wild-hunt @heritageposts @ot3

@amygdalae @ankle-beez @communistchilchuck @dykesbat @watermotif

@stuckinapril @violentrevolution @mavigator @lacecap @socalgal

@chilewithcarnage @ghelgheli @sayruq @northgazaupdates

[bunny-jpeg]

house sitter au

while they serve their country, you serve them! *salute*

task force 141 are good at what they do. their ranks and medals are impressive, but it's hard coming home. home for them for a long time was a mediocre flat in central london that was vacant most of the year. it didn't help with the loneliness and disconnect the men felt after time abroad.

that's where you came in. an impressive resume and a bit of confidence that if you could handle toddlers, then you could handle four grown men!

when they were home, you helped clean and made meals. when they were away, you got free reign of the entire house. it didn't help that the paycheck every month was impressive.

the one thing they didn't tell you about the job was the lingering gazes of the men who you lived with. they never did anything, they wouldn't do anything without your consent. but when you were in the garden pulling out weeds (when was the last time the lawn was taken care of) you saw price by the doorway with a cup of tea in hand, watching you grumble to yourself. then when you were cooking lunch for yourself, you felt the hot gaze of johnny against your backside as you reached to the top shelf to grab some salt (who put this so high?). then it was simon's eyes on your lips as you enjoyed some ice cream after a long day dusting (how were these guys not sneezing from all the dust!). finally it was gaz who made a comment about how you looked nice when you were scrubbing the floors. he laughed it off as a joke, but the way he looked at you was a little more heated.

four pairs of eyes lingered on every part of your body, even the parts that you were insecure about. to end up in bed with them wasn't hard. it first started with the captain, then you made your way through the ranks.

price was burly and strong, he had you pinned under him on his large bed. his hands on your hips as he buried his cock into you. your ass in the air but your upper half was flat against the mattress, price soon interwove his fingers with yours as he thrusted into your sweet cunt. you realized soon after that he really liked when you called him captain. or better yet, daddy. you didn't know that you reeked of daddy issues, but price could smell it from a mile away. but don't worry, daddy's got ya. when he was finished fucking you, he'd play with your overstimulated clit while he smoked. he made sure to exhale away from you. he was the first however to punish you when you were being a 'bad' girl. sometimes it was shining his boots, other times you were the one getting his boots dirty. (hope you like rough laces against your soaked clit!)

johnny was a wild card. he liked to bite. and it wasn't like his teeth were too blunt to cause any damage. after the first time you were with him, you made him go to the drug store to buy you concealer to cover the jackson pollock-esque hickeys on your neck! he offered to buy you a collar to wear inside and you narrowed your eyes at him. "if anyone here needs a collar it's you, mactavish." but he could also be so sweet. while he liked it fast and rough, he always made sure his number one girl got to finish as well. usually before him. his kisses were sloppy, he was like a dog sometimes. his favourite place to fuck you however was in the yard outside. he usually have to shove his thick fingers in your mouth to keep you quiet. no one needed to know just how NEEDY you were for his cock. the number of times the other men caught him just pounding your sweet cock, using that strength of his to his advantage was something else. and of course, when they caught you, they hung around. three other men watching you face down in the grass with johnny having you by the hips. his praise his filthy, almost degrading. you were his special girl, but you were also a massive whore. but don't worry, bonnie, johnny will happily fuck any hole you have open.

simon was difficult. he only found out that your legs were open for business after he heard you and johnny going at it. the sound of the bed creaking and the scottsman's filthy tongue. but unlike johnny, simon was a little too big for you. while your sexual encounters started with oral and fingering. he managed to get just the tip in. but it wasn't enough, he eventually sank every last inch. the feeling took the wind out of you and you couldn't sit right for days after. his pace was slow, methodical. he watched you with a keen eye. the rise and fall of your chest, the noises you made. he knew he was selfish for taking so much of you, but you were unlike anyone else. after that, he started to take his mask off more. if you saw (and felt) his cock, you might as well see what was under the mask. cue a lot of worship from you, kissing at his heavily scarred body. he'd just hold you in his arms while you were in his lap.

kyle was the sweetest which compared to the other hulking men you were living with. it wasn't a hard bar to clear. all of them complimented you, but kyle was the one who'd bring you flowers when he returned from a mission. he mostly liked to keep his intimate time with you in his bedroom. his favourite position was to take you on your side. him spooning you as he thrusted his cock into your tight pussy. his nose in your hair as he moved against you. he knew the other men were taking your pussy for a joy ride, so he wanted to make love to you. flowers, candles, sweet nothings. the only problem was, instead him wanting to jump your bones. you wanted to jump HIS bones. you got loads of body worship from him, lots of praise to. he also liked when you called him by his rank, while not AS impressive as captain or lieutenant, it was still something he was proud of. he'd take you missionary style but a lot of the time, loved having you on top. with the afternoon light bathing your body in golden rays. he rarely left marks or bruises. no one needed to see what you two did in your off time. it was a secret for him and him alone. regardless of how you two fucked, he was the king of after care, letting you rest as he would read to you. either the book he had picked up while away or an article on his phone. he chuckled when he heard you snoring.

but sometimes, it was hard to choose between two of them at a time. so you ended up with both johnny and simon's cock pushed inside of you. your mouth hung open and your mind drawing a blank. but don't worry, they're worshiping your cunt. cooing about how sweet it is that you can take BOTH of them. of course you could! you were made for them. your stomach feels dense after they cum inside you about three times. the feeling of their cum in your gut makes your lethargic and just curl up after they get their fill.

other times its kyle and price. while they aren't pushing your pussy to its absolute limit. it still takes a lot out of you. you were on the floor of price's bedroom, riding the captain while facing kyle who had his cock in your face. as you moved your hips against the older man, your mouth and hand were on the sergeant's cock. you found out that both men liked it when you were covered in their cum, not push it inside of you as deep as they could.

when those who hired you asked how the job was going after a few months. you meekly asked what the health insurance policy was and did it cover birth control *hides face*

(you'd find out within a year that no amount of pills, iuds, rings or implants could stop one of those boys from giving you a baby)

<3

[frenchkisstheabyss]

♡ Wondering ♡

♡ Pairings: frat boy!mingi x chubby!fem!librarian!reader

♡ Genre: angst/fluff/smut

♡ Summary: While working your job at the campus library you find that the most popular guy on campus has developed quite the crush on you. Thinking that it's some sort of prank, you dismiss him completely but Mingi has his heart set on making you his and isn't content to give up that easily.

♡ Word Count: 4.5k-ish

♡ Warnings: mingi really develops a thing for chubby girls, reader has body insecurities, body worship, kissing, male masturbation, porn, penetrative sex, unprotected sex, a lil hair pulling, a lil rough sex for a sec, technically cum marking, pet names (baby), but otherwise fluffy

♡ A/N: This is a fic I wrote for a super adorable anon and as always I'm super honored that you even asked me to write this my love. I truly hope that I did your idea some justice and you enjoy it. To all the chubby babes out there who may read this, you're a bad bitch, I swear to you, and if anyone tells you otherwise I'll swing on em. Kay, love you, bye - xoxo

Nothing. Mingi strokes his cock—his palm gliding up and down his length, his thumb circling the rim—and he feels absolutely nothing. Lying in the darkness of his bedroom, the warm glow of light emanating from his phone illuminates the frustration on his face. His gaze lazily dances across the screen where a woman lies naked, a sex toy vibrating between her thighs. She’s in his favorite position, making his favorite noises, but he can’t get off on it.

Giving up, he lets out a groan, throwing his head back on his pillow. It’s been weeks of this. He’s been too horny to function but when the time of action comes he can only get halfway hard and nothing feels the same as it used to. Maybe a different video will help. Bringing his phone in close to his face, he scrolls through the recommended videos. His cock still in his hand, he feels it soften into a sad, floppy thing the further down he scrolls.

Just as he’s about to call it a night, prepared to at last put himself out of his misery, something catches his eye. An image of a naked woman spread across a bed, her plush body fully exposed. She’s bigger than other girls he’s seen naked in porn, even in real life. She’s chubby and soft with shimmering gloss on her lips and stretch marks on her thighs. His breath hitches at the sensation of the blood rushing down his length as he takes her in.

His interest officially piqued, he clicks into the video and watches her in action. He’s hypnotized by the way she bounces and jiggles, every motion of her body too perfect to comprehend. The skin pulls tight around his cock, beads of arousal rolling down the tip as he quickens his movements. His bottom lip catches between his teeth, an attempt at choking back the low groans fighting their way up his throat at the sight of juices moistening the woman’s soft thighs.

Seeing her hits him with a rush of something unfamiliar. Something that has his stomach muscles contracting and his mouth watering. His mind goes wild with thoughts of what it’d be like to touch her, to feel her body trembling against his. What he wouldn’t give right now to grip a belly like that or drag his tongue across the plush of her ass. It’s exhilarating, unlike anything he’s ever felt before. His cock grows so sensitive that he’s twitching with every stroke. 

Any care for if his roommates can hear him flies out of the window as a dizzying heat washes over him, the veins along his length throbbing as a waterfall of white shoots up onto his stomach. His phone drops onto the bed and he lets out a pitiful whimper, his eyes clung shut as he gives in to an orgasm so strong it makes his muscles weak. He’s so high from it that he fears he’ll never come down. Breathless, his skin covered in a thin sheen of sweat, he sits up in bed and flicks the light on to see what a mess he’s made of himself.

His eyes drift back to his phone where a suggestion for a similar video calls him. He takes a deep breath, feeling his cock stiffening again so soon. Mingi picks his phone up, his thumb hovering over the Next button. It’s 3am and in a few hours Yunho will be banging on his door to go to football practice. He should get his shit together, clean himself off, and go to sleep. But that rush was so unexpected, so utterly delicious. He slips back down into bed, hitting the Next button. He needs more.

“Whoa, there’s so many books here” Mingi gasps, staring up at the tall cherry wood shelves of the sprawling library. 

Mingi’s seen this place in pictures before—this marble palace with its sky high shelves and expertly crafted pillars—but in all his years on campus he’s never stepped foot in it. Nothing in this literary maze ever interested him enough to require a visit. His college career has always depended more on athletics and frat politics than it has books.

Most of his professors were more than content to give him a passing grade simply because of who he is. A stroke of luck that ran out the moment a new Women’s Studies professor stepped foot on campus. She’s set out to challenge him, to make him work for his grades if he actually wants them. A true tragedy if he’s ever been faced with one. 

“Duh, it’s full of books. It’s literally a library” Yunho laughs, plopping a small stack of books into Mingi’s arms. “I grabbed everything you need except one. The Vagina Monologues. You’re gonna have to go ask one of the librarians for help.” 

Mingi winces at the thought of the title leaving his lips and falling on a complete stranger’s ears, “Why’d it have to be called that?”

“Oh, stop being a child” Yunho huffs, catching a glimpse of a young woman pushing a cart of books past the aisle. “There! Go ask her!”

Mingi hesitates a moment but Yunho shoves him forward, “Off you go.” 

Stumbling his way down the aisle, Mingi traces the sound of squeaky cart wheels a few rows over, stopping dead in his tracks when his gaze finds the woman pushing it. She wears a flowy, pear colored dress with white lilies printed all over it. It’s long enough not to scandalize the other library staff but short enough to get a glimpse of where her thighs begin to kiss. From behind Mingi can clearly make out her shape in it, the plushness of her figure bringing to mind things he definitely shouldn’t be thinking about in the library. 

Humming along to a song in her head, she turns to place a book on one of the shelves and Mingi’s cheeks begin to burn. She’s the prettiest girl he’s ever seen. He’s said that about a lot of girls and never meant it but with this one it’s different. She has eyes that twinkle like sunshine dancing on the surface of some gorgeous lake. The curve of her nose is nothing short of perfection and her lips look like they taste of the sweetest sugar. 

“Can I help you with something?” you ask. The way he stares at you makes you feel more like an animal in some zoo than the object of his affection.

Mingi shakes himself out of his daze, lowering the stack of books down to cover the slight rise in his jeans. “Uh…I…yeah…um” he stutters. 

“Uh, I, yeah, um?” you tease, grabbing another book and sliding it onto a nearby shelf, “I don’t think we have that one.” 

“Who are you?” he spits out as if that’s a completely normal question to ask someone when you’re the one who approached them. 

“That’s a really weird question to ask someone, Mingi.”

“Wait, you know me?”

You giggle at the absurdity of such a question, “Of course I know you. Everyone knows you.” 

Mingi thinks about it for a second, the reality of his popularity setting back in. “I guess you’re right. I am pretty popular.”

The grin on his face makes you nauseous. Of course you know him. And of course he doesn’t know who you are. Mingi’s from a whole different world and you’re positive girls like you don’t exist where he comes from. Rolling your eyes, you grab back onto the handle of your cart, “If there’s nothing you need…” 

“Vagina!” he says, leaving you both stunned to the core, “I mean, monologues. Vagina Monologues. It’s, like, a book or whatever. Fuck it, are you busy tonight?” 

A whisper of laughter drifts down the aisle, giving away Yunho’s presence. He’s never seen his best friend crash and burn this hard. Keeping a straight face isn’t an option. Yunho’s laughter may not be meant for you but it feels like it is. The first time a guy like Mingi talks to you and of course it had to be a joke. 

“Second floor, in the Plays section, under E for Ensler” you snap, turning your back before you die of embarrassment right before Mingi’s eyes. 

“Wait, can I at least get your name?” Mingi calls out but you’re already pushing your cart down the aisle, disappearing around the next corner without another word. 

Yunho slaps a hand on Mingi’s shoulder, shaking his head in disappointment, “Who’s your new friend?”

Mingi sighs longingly, his gaze still lingering where you once stood, “I don’t know but I plan to find out.” 

Sometimes when you find yourself working nights at the library you feel like Cinderella. A slave to these old dusty books, forced to clean and organize them until your manicure begins to chip while other girls are out at bars or parties. Only there’s no fairy godmother to come wave her magic wand and turn your pumpkin into a carriage. There’s no glass slipper and certainly no Prince Charming to sweep you off your feet.

Still, you need the extra money so there’s nothing to be done about it. Taking a seat at the front desk you check the time, it’s almost time to close up shop and the last few stragglers are packing up their things to head out. Once they’re gone things should be peaceful. No questions, no interruptions, no one getting on your nerves. 

“Have you been avoiding me?” Mingi asks, popping up in front of your desk. 

“Oh my god!” you gasp, clutching your chest, “Are you trying to kill me?”

“Kill you? How could I ever hurt a girl as pretty as you?” he says in that cocky tone you’ve become accustomed to. 

It’s been weeks since your first run in with Mingi and he’s been relentless ever since. He stops by every shift to ask you some silly question that somehow always turns into yet another attempt at flirting with you. You shoot him down every single time but he never seems offended or discouraged. He just keeps coming back all bright eyed and full of energy like a golden retriever. You’ve gone home every night wondering what his motivations are. Why’s he being so persistent? 

Sometimes for the hell of it you let yourself play with the idea that he might actually be attracted to you. Mingi is drop dead gorgeous after all and, even though you refuse to laugh at any of his stupid jokes, you find him pretty charming. For all his cockiness, he’s sweet in a way that makes you wonder what it might be like to be truly adored by a guy like him. This little fantasy of yours is always disrupted by the vision of Yunho laughing at the two of you. It’s a joke, that’s all, a stupid joke that Mingi’s cruel for not knowing when to give up on. 

“Aren’t you sick of coming here?” you ask, pretending to be busy on the laptop, “There must be something else you can entertain yourself with.”

Mingi smiles down at you, fawning over how your skin glows in the shreds of sunset that peek through the windows. “There is actually. I’m having a party tonight and I want you to come.”

Your eyes shoot open, an involuntary burst of joy hitting you. “A party?” you ask, sounding more excited than you intended to. Catching yourself, you reel back the excitement but it’s too late, Mingi’s already caught it. 

“Yeah, a party” he says, reaching behind the desk to grab a pen and a sticky note. He scribbles down the address and sticks it to your laptop screen. “Tell me you’ll come.”

He sounds so genuine when he says that. It’s almost as if he’s truly desperate to have you around. You look up at his face and feel the butterflies in your stomach go into a frenzy. You’ve heard the way other girls talk about him, the way they swoon over him like he’s this magical thing. You don’t want to be one of them, just another girl pining after Song Mingi but here you are. 

You clear your throat, snatching the blue sticky note from your screen, and putting it aside. “I don’t really know if I wanna spend my Friday night with a bunch of wasted pretty boys.”

“Ooh, so you do think I’m pretty” Mingi blushes, batting his eyelashes. 

You pick up a stapler, threatening to throw it at him, “Leave now and maybe, just maybe I’ll consider coming to your little party.”

Mingi throws his hands up, carefully backing away from the desk, “Fair enough. I’m wearing all black by the way. In case you wanted to, ya know, match or something.”

You wind your arm back, placing it in perfect formation to hit him in the head with the stapler. Mingi gets the message and scurries out of the door, leaning his head back in for a split second to whisper, “See you later, beautiful.” He winks at you and you groan but he’s gone now and there’s no one left to take your anger out on.

As the last few visitors trickle out you find yourself sitting in the silence of the library, that blue sticky note calling your name. You pick it up, swearing you’ll toss it in the trash but you only stare at it, reading the address over and over again. Some stupid frat party with a bunch of stupid boys at some frat house on the edge of campus. Why would you ever waste your time going to something like that? And who does he think he is insinuating that you’d even want to match with him? Anyway, you only have one good black dress and you’re sure it doesn’t even fit anymore. It isn’t even worth trying…is it?

“I’m telling you, this girl’s gorgeous and she’s super smart too. She knows everything about books and stuff, like, you can ask her anything and she just knows” Mingi rambles, grabbing another beer from the fridge. 

“Because it’s her job” Yunho teases, leaning against the kitchen counter. 

Mingi pops the beer open, flicking the metal top into a nearby trash can, “And how did she get that job? Because she’s smart.”

“You know, I don’t think I’ve seen him like this over a girl…ever” Jongho says, stealing Mingi’s beer for himself.

“Well I think it’s cute. Mingi’s got a girlfriend” Wooyoung sings, making cute little hearts with his fingers.

“She’d be his girlfriend if she didn’t hate his guts” Yunho mumbles half heartedly. 

Mingi gasps, taking offense to that, “She doesn’t hate me, she just hasn’t fully warmed up to me yet but she will.”

He looks around the kitchen and his friends all eye him skeptically. Mingi didn’t say that with nearly enough confidence for them to believe him and the truth is that he barely believes himself but how does he tell his friends that? He’s the one who girls drool over. He’s never the one doing the drooling. He has a reputation at stake and here he is ruining it for a girl who probably won’t even show up tonight. But he can’t bring himself to give up on you yet. 

That first night after he met you he couldn’t get you out of his head. He kept imagining that face, that body, under him, on top of him, next to him. Just the thought of you made him hard enough that touching himself was mandatory to ease his need for you. And the more he showed up to bug you the more fascinating he came to find you.

Yes, you were snippy but never enough to directly chase him away. You let him stick around long enough for glimmers of your true personality to show. You’d made the terrible mistake of showing him how sweet you could be, how funny of a girl you are, and it only made things worse for both of you. More than having sex with you he wants to kiss you and hold your hand. He wants to tell you how pretty you are and not have you threaten him with a blunt object for it. 

“Not to be that guy but when did you start liking…ya know?” Jongho says, hoping that the others will know what he means without it coming off rude.

“Chubby girls?” Wooyoung asks, making Yunho almost choke on his beer. 

“You can’t just say that” Yunho coughs, grabbing a paper towel to wipe the beer from his lips. 

Mingi’s eyes narrow, the question not quite setting right with him, “What does it matter?” 

“I mean, it…it doesn’t. I swear it doesn’t” Jongho stammers, looking anywhere but at Mingi. 

Wooyoung shrugs, coming to Jongho’s rescue, “In his defense, we’ve never seen you with one. She’s not your usual type.”

“So, what? Just cause she’s not my ‘type’ it has to be weird?” Mingi presses. 

No one says anything, not a solitary word. They only stare at the doorway, their faces drained of any color. In the next room a party rages, in the kitchen an argument is ready to erupt, and there you stand in between the two hearing something you shouldn’t have at a time you shouldn’t have heard it. 

“Hmm, well, thank you for that. I’m so happy everyone knows what I already did” you say, laughing to avoid tears, “Thank you for the invite, Mingi. Really.” 

Something’s said, you’re sure it’s by Mingi, but you can’t hear it. You’ve gone numb to everything. Even the music blaring from the speakers a few feet from you feels like it’s playing from miles away. Desperate to outrun the tears stinging the corners of your eyes, you rush through the crowd of partiers in the living room and make your way outside.

The autumn air blows against your cheeks, cooling your tears as they begin to escape. You wipe them away, doing your best to look normal as you pass people headed into the party, but you can’t seem to stop them from falling. You feel so stupid for ever believing that Mingi’s feelings for you were anything but a joke he could laugh about with his friends. His words ring in your ears as you approach your car, frantically digging through your purse for your keys. Not his type? Well he isn’t yours either. You’ve never been too fond of assholes anyway. 

“Shit” you hiss, the keys in your hand tumbling from your grasp the second you pull them out. You bend down to pick them up but someone snatches them away before you can. You spin around to find Mingi standing there, your keys jingling away as they twirl around his fingers. 

“Give them back” you demand, grabbing for your keys but he holds them up high just out of your reach. 

“You’re crying” he says and you can almost see his heart shatter, “Come back inside.”

“Why? So you and your friends can make fun of me to my face this time?” you ask, still fighting for your keys back but to no avail. 

Mingi frowns, “Make fun of you? We weren’t making fun of you. I’d never let anyone do that to you.” 

“So, what? Just cause she’s not my type it has to be weird?” you mock, feeling childish but justified considering the circumstances. 

“I didn’t mean it like that. I only meant that just because I’ve dated smaller girls that doesn’t mean I can’t like you and I do. I really, really like you” he swears, “I love your body. I think it’s beautiful. Everything about you…I’m just obsessed with and all I wanna do is show you how special you are but you won’t let me and I don’t understand why.”

Folding your arms across your chest, you stand on the sidewalk staring at Mingi like you hate him but it’s not him that you hate. It’s the fact that you believe him. The tears have slowed now but your cheeks are still wet, black streaks of mascara beginning to run down your face. You drop your head, embarrassed by your mini breakdown, and Mingi swoops in, giving you a chest to lay your head on. His long arms wrap around you, locking behind your back to keep you close. It’s your instinct to pull away but his embrace is too comforting and warm to abandon. 

“If you want me to leave you alone forever I promise I will. I’ll let you go and you’ll never have to see me again” he whispers, “But if you stay I promise I’ll be good to you.” 

Your stomach sinks at the thought of never seeing him again. Day after day all you’ve done is tell him to leave you alone but it never occurred to you how much it’d hurt if he actually did. “I don’t want you to leave me alone” you admit, your face emerging from the black abyss of his shirt, “That’s, like, the exact opposite of what I want you to do.”

Mingi cups your face, his thumb stroking the curve of your cheek, “Good because I wasn’t actually gonna leave you alone. How can I when you look like this? You’re even a pretty crier. How’s that possible?”

You’ve always managed not to blush when Mingi’s said things like this—at least not when he’s around—but you don’t stop yourself this time. You don’t even make the tiniest attempt at hiding how utterly giddy you are over his comments. 

“Ooh, is that a smile I see?” he gasps, immediately making you regret it. You motion to hit him in the arm but he grabs you by the wrist, slipping his hand into yours as he leads you back towards the house. “Let’s go upstairs and I’ll clean you up then we can talk more, okay?”

Mingi looks back at you and you could swear that time stands still. This isn’t where you thought you’d be on a Friday night, walking through a frat party hand in hand with one of the most popular guys on campus—with Mingi. He’s guiding you up the stairs, looking at you like you’re the prettiest girl in the world and for the first time, somewhere deep down inside, you’re beginning to feel like it. 

Before you left the house tonight you swore that you wouldn’t become some frat party cliche. Mingi’s hot, there’s no doubt about it, but there was no way you’d wind up bent over some bed with your panties around your ankles.

You were actually right about that. You’re not bent over some bed, you’re laying across it, and your panties aren’t around your ankles, they’re tossed off to the side of the bed, blending in with the pile of black clothing you collectively shed before you found every inch of Mingi’s cock stuffed inside of you. You came up here to talk, that was it, and in your defense you did talk. You were vulnerable with each other, you opened up about your feelings, and the next thing you knew your tongues were so far in each other’s mouths that you could feel it in your throats. 

Mingi’s kiss is sweeter than you imagined. It’s the kind of kiss you could get lost in it. Even now, after he’s been kissing your lips raw for the last half hour, you find yourself wanting more. You’re so wrapped up in him, so completely consumed by the ecstasy of having him inside of you, that you aren’t even focused on the fact that you’re naked. You can’t begin to care if you look good or not when your body’s flush with heat, feeling the best it has in your entire life.

But you do look good. Nothing in Mingi’s wildest dreams could compare to how beautiful your body actually is. His hands explore your curves, discovering those spots he knows will come to be his favorites. That squishy belly of yours that pokes out just a bit more when he massages your sides. Those pillowy thighs that seem even thicker when he presses them to your chest. Those breasts that bounce softly against his face while he’s sucking at your bud.

“You’re so fucking amazing, baby” Mingi whispers, licking his way over the hills of your breasts to bring his lips to yours. “I do have a type. You know it’s you, right?”

“Is that so?” you tease, trembling at every stroke of his cock between the slickness of your walls. You run your fingers through his hair, your back arching against the mattress so much that you’re sure you’d float away if the weight of Mingi’s body weren’t pinning you down.

Mingi kisses you like a starved man whose hunger can only be satisfied by the taste of you. “Mmm, can’t you tell?” he hums between sloppy kisses, “Can’t you feel it?” 

He snaps his hips into you and you let out a moan that makes you grateful for the loud music blaring downstairs. Keeping his lips locked to yours, one hand gripping your hip and the other cradling your face, he thrusts into you harder. Hard enough to make the bed creak. Hard enough to make your walls clench tighter. Hard enough to have you tugging his hair, moaning between his lips while your decadent juices drip down his length.

Mingi groans, holding you even tighter as the head of his cock rides the ridges of your sweet spot. Your insides are so spongy and wet, clenching around him just right. There’s no way he can go back to masturbating after this. The thought of you won’t be enough. Fantasies are absolutely nothing compared to what it’s like to truly feel you under him and around him. 

“Mingi, mmm, gonna cum” you whimper, your eyes wide and glossy as you look up at him. 

You sound so cute when you say it that he loses his sanity for a second, his hips stuttering before picking up the rhythm again. Mingi slips both hands behind your neck, deepening the kiss as he bottoms out completely. Heat pools behind your belly, spreading through your body until you’re sure flames are dancing at your fingertips. Your body tenses, a weak little moan falling from your lips before your vision goes blurry and your high washes over you. 

“That’s it, good girl” Mingi coos, basking in the warmth enveloping him, “So pretty when you cum all over my cock. Always so pretty.” 

Your walls are pulsing, fluttering wildly around his swollen cock. Your cum just pours down him, making every movement slippery wet. He can’t take it anymore. He couldn’t hold back even if he tried. 

“Aah, fuck” he hisses, pulling out of you just in time to paint your inner thighs in white, leaving ropes of cum dripping dangerously close to your core. 

Completely destroyed by your orgasm, you’re plastered to the bed and can only watch as Mingi catches his breath, immediately going to work planting kisses all over your body. He kisses the places you love and the places you hate. He worships them all with his lips because to him they’re perfect in every way.

You surrender yourself to the reality of that, letting the lingering adoration from each kiss sink into your skin. Mingi’s yours, he has been since he first laid eyes on you in that library, all you ever had to do was let yourself have him.