#hopefully people enjoy the drawing itself besides the joke also

[spearxwind]

I got this ask and I liked it so much that I blacked out and drew this. Truly an enlightened opinion

[hardskz]

a penny for your thoughts.

pairing — han jisung x female! reader

genre — trope inversion of the soulmate au, college au, enemies to lovers, angst and fluff-ish, smut; oral, possessiveness kink, praise kink, safe word, size kink, first time

synopsis — life isn’t easy when you belong to the 1% of the world population that has a soulmate, know who your soulmate is and happen to be utterly in love with said soulmate’s best friend. alternatively, jisung can hear all of your unfiltered thoughts and has heard enough of your horny fantasies to the point where he wants to throw up, so he takes matters in his own hands. 

note — i think i’m gonna cry this work is my 11k word BABY i’ve never been THIS invested over a fic. this is purely self-indulgent and an emotional rollercoaster ride if you ask me. this fic is all over the place it’s chaotic and i apologize in advance for many italics you are welcome i hope you CRY and SUFFER with me because completing this bitch was a midlife crisis in itself. that being said, i appreciate any form of constructive criticism so pls go ahead and rip my baby apart sdkjl

“You’re staring again,” Hyunjin notes. Seungmin and Jeongin stifle a burst of laughter while Felix, whose head is resting on Hyunjin’s lap, sends you a look that resembles Candace from Phineas and Ferb whenever she finds her brothers creating some whacky futuristic shit, laughs like a madman and then resumes to call her mother with an ear-splitting MOOOM! because she’s so certain that her brothers are busted this time.

“Am not,” you huff as you tear your eyes away from the guy just sitting a little bit farther away from you, basking in the warm glow of the sun. Today he’s sitting in the perfect angle, giving you the best view on his side profile. His signature cap is perched right on top of his head but even then, you can see how his eyes brighten up and how the corners of his lips tug upwards as he laughs at his friend’s joke.

“You’re a worse case than the Mary Sue protagonist of every romance anime ever.” Seungmin snorts before he playfully nudges your side with his shoe. “Just say you want Seo Changbin to bang you and go.”

“Hey! We have a child present!” Hyunjin chastises, to which Jeongin rolls his eyes.

“I’m not a child. We’re all in fucking college.”

“Fine, not a child then. The baby has been corrupted! Don’t swear, it sounds so wrong coming from you!”

“Shut up. It’s called freedom of speech!”

“It’s ‘shut up Hyung’ to you!”

Felix groans in distress and is probably rethinking his life choices. Seriously, what does Felix, resident hopeless romantic, see in Hyunjin? Sure, he’s good-looking and a great friend when he’s not bitching around or hovering over the nearest trash can after taking too many shots. But a romantic? Please, Hyunjin can’t even eat without making a mess out of his shirt.

“I don’t want him to bang me,” you mutter and receive a collective ‘yeah sure’ look. “Fine, I don’t want him to bang me only. He’s nice,” you retort before your eyes flit back to him for a millisecond. By now, Changbin has put his hands on the grass and is leaning back, enjoying the sunlight while listening halfheartedly to the other guy blabbering.

“And hot. We get it. Now get dicked,” Seungmin deadpans, earning flabbergasted looks from everyone and a smack from Hyunjin.

“Show a little more empathy, you dickwad. She’s whipped.”

“Anyway—“ Felix sits up, earning a pout from Hyunjin but he blatantly ignores it, and directs the conversation back to the previous topic before the other two bump heads, “(y/n), you have his number. You’re not strangers, so why don’t you just make a move?”

You glance at him with horror in your eyes. “What do you expect me to do? Ring him up and ask him to hang out with me because I find him cute?”

“Uh, duh? Last time I checked, that’s how you ask someone out.”

“Absolutely not.”

“New idea.” Seungmin butts in. “Why don’t you ask Han Jisung—“

“No.”

“Agreed.” Hyunjin shoots you a nod of approval before Seungmin can start yet another interrogation about your bitter hatred towards Jisung. Jisung, who happens to be said friend of Changbin that is laughing beside him right now. “He must think he’s so much better than us because he’s hanging out with the senior geniuses of the music production major. Then again, Seo Changbin and Bang Chan are on a different level than us commoners.”

“Speaking of Chan,” you quickly say to steer the conversation away from the personification of everything you hate. “Where is he? It’s so weird seeing the trio incomplete.”

This time, Jeongin chimes in. “Haven’t you heard?”

“Heard what?”

“Chan and that one language major — you know, the one who collapsed a while back?” When all he’s met with are clueless faces, Jeongin sighs. “Seriously, you guys should keep up with campus news. I swear, everyone and their mothers already know by now. But anyway, they’re soulmates. It’s also the reason why Chan has been pulled out of the boxing team until the end of the semester and had to cancel their training camp as soon as she broke down.”

Felix does a double-take. “But Chan’s the ace of the boxing club!”

“It is what it is.” Jeongin stretches his legs out, shrugging. “What else is to expect when you have the proximity link and need to be around your soulmate within a certain distance unless you want death?”

“Poor guy. Must be a smack in the face for him, now that he’s got a soulmate and happens to have the worst link one could have.” Seungmin says.

“The tattoos are worse though.” Hyunjin fires back. “I mean, you’re literally born with a tattoo of your soulmate’s name and then grow up knowing that you have one? And even if you never meet them, you won’t have better chances with others if you want some romance. Who in their right mind wants to have a lover who’s got someone else’s name tattooed on them since birth?”

“No one.” You chuckle. “Absolutely no one.”

In another lifetime, another universe, you and Jisung would probably be on better terms. He’s sunshine on legs and looks decent from an objective point of view.

In another lifetime, another universe, you’d like to believe you’re childhood friends and have been neighbors ever since your first shit in your diapers. Perhaps you would be clowned from being inseparable once in a while, but you’d go with it and then shrug it off as if it was nothing.

In another lifetime, another universe, you’d like to believe that being soulmates doesn’t equal the downfall of two people. Sure, the fact that people are bound to each other and the danger of growing too dependent on that person remains, but it probably won’t be so frowned upon. Probably. Hopefully.

However, as much as you want to twist it, another lifetime is not this lifetime, the reality.

In reality, you and Jisung are only neighbors because the universe has some kind of inexplicable hatred towards you. Seriously, you must’ve done something wrong in your previous life to be punished in this one. And because the universe has sadistic tendencies and loves to make you suffer, the laws of the universe are just as equally fucked up.

The concept of soulmates is a lot of things, but most of all, it’s a mystery. There are endless possibilities for soulmate links, not all of them discovered. And unlike popular belief, soulmates do not have to necessarily share the same link. So voilà, even more fuckery from the universe.

There’s only one reason that justifies your wholehearted, unfiltered hatred towards Han Jisung. Well, only one reason that seems justified in this lifetime.

The tattoo is simple; just fine black characters under your collarbone that are nicely hidden under high-cut shirts.

But the fact that it’s his name tattooed on you since birth remains.

“Let me crash here for the night.”

“No.”

“Let me crash here for the night, please.”

“My answer is still no.”

The exasperation is plastered on Jisung’s face as he tries to keep his temper in check. Truth be told, it’s damn satisfying seeing him wanting to rip your head off but refraining to do so. Perhaps you’re enjoying this more than you expected at one o’clock in the morning. For the past five minutes, Jisung has been asking you to let him stay over for the night. You’d save him out of his misery and help a neighbor out who locked himself out of his apartment at this hour — well, if he wasn’t Han Jisung.

By now, he’s growing more impatient with every further rejection. “Oh come on, all my friends live on the other side of town and you can’t expect me to ask the old grandma next door! At this rate, I’m gonna freeze to death overnight!”

“Then go break a window or something,” you deadpan, ignoring the dramatic hand gestures he’s making to accentuate his words.

“The fuck? I’m not going to break into my own place.”

Not wanting to draw out the pointless conversation any longer, you’re about to slam the door shut when he blocks your action with his foot. “C’mon, just this one night. Please.”

He’s not budging anytime soon. His bullheadedness reminds you of Seungmin, who always tries to get Hyunjin wasted whenever you attend those Greek frat parties. Seungmin, who always succeeds in getting Hyunjin wasted, followed by Hyunjin hugging a bucket for the next few hours as he tries to get over the hangover. With a defeated sigh, you gesture Jisung to come inside and don’t wait for him until he’s taken his shoes off at the entryway.

“Look, I know you don’t like me—“

“Well, ‘don’t like’ is putting it very lightly—” you scoff once he’s caught up to you in the living room. It’s not exactly spacious; the couch takes up most of the room and college assignments are spread all over the minuscule coffee table.

“You could at least treat me like a decent human being.”

That statement is enough to get your ears flaming. You whip your head in his direction, voice getting louder. “How can I when your existence is making my life worse than it already is! And I mean it literally! Just seeing your name whenever I look at myself through the mirror sickens me!”

“Stop acting like you’re the only victim here.” Jisung snaps back in the same manner. If there was a little bit of etiquette in the first place, it has all vanished now. “I’m not having it easier when all I hear from you is the dozen ways you want Changbin to fuck you dumb!”

You freeze.

“Cat got your tongue? It’s already bad enough that you have those kinds of thoughts about my best friend every single day.”

“But I thought— y-you had the proximity link?!” This has to be a joke. A very bad one at that. His proximity link is the very sole reason why you lived next to him. His soulmate link is the only reason why you’ve been stuck together like glue since you could walk.

Jisung taps his foot impatiently, running his hand through his hair. “That’s what I thought too until I started hearing things that nobody said around me. First, it was just a few thoughts every other day, but now you’re like an annoying radio that I can’t switch off.”

“Why didn’t you tell me then? I would’ve—“

“Stopped fantasizing about Changbin’s dick? And then you would’ve jumped to the next person. I don’t care if you like him or not, it’s none of my business. Changbin’s hot, anyone with eyes can tell. Besides, it’s not like you have a chance anyway…”

You feel your blood boiling at his underlying message and cross your arms. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Jisung doesn’t bat an eyelash and says in a mocking tone as if stating the obvious. “No doubt that Changbin will make you feel good. But could you return the favor?”

That’s a low blow. Even for Jisung, that’s a low blow.

“I get that you’ve got a dirty mind. But those are just fantasies. Could you really execute them just the way you had in your head? You don’t even have experience in the first place.”

“If I sucked you off right now, you wouldn’t even be able to speak properly!” God knows what went over you when you countered. At this point, rage has taken over your brain and you don’t even realize what you just said right away. Not that it matters anyway; all you see is red.

Jisung just raises a brow, clearly unimpressed by your outburst. “Prove it,” he challenges casually and then flops himself onto the couch, legs spread wide. It’s an open invitation. “Go ahead, make me see reason with your oh so mind-blowing skills.”

The only thing you’re able to do physically is gape at him. He is joking, right? As if he actually means it—

“I knew it. Shameless in your head but too flustered to say it out loud, let alone following up with your bold statements.”

That seals the deal. You’re fuelled by anger and the desire to prove him wrong as you drop on your knees and are on eye level with his crotch. However, your spirit dissolves the longer you silently stare and realize that you have no fucking clue on what to do. Jisung is painfully aware of that too.

“I’m more terrified than turned on seeing your angry face.” He lets out an exasperated sigh before he pulls you up and directs you to sit on his lap. “Obviously it’s not working when neither of us is in the mood. You gotta get in the mood first,” he mutters, hands settling on your hips.

The look in his eyes is more composed now, but you can tell he’s being observant. As if you have clues written all over your face, he keeps you under his stern gaze. Then his eyes droop lower to your lips and he slowly leans forward.

Not even a second later, you firmly plant your hands on his shoulder and push him back. “No lips.”

If Jisung is judgemental about your sudden stunt, he doesn’t comment on it. “Anything else, your royal majesty?”

You’re too tired to react to his mockery and roll your eyes. “No marks.”

“I can work with that,” he mumbles more to himself rather to you. Then he leans forward again and buries his face in the crook of your neck. Surprised by his actions and new to the unfamiliar sensation, you tense up. Jisung seems to take notice of that too.

“Relax,” he orders, rubbing circles on your hips to help you loosen up.

Well, that’s easier said than done. It’s already bad enough that you’re gradually exposing yourself as the complete amateur you are, and out of all people who could’ve been the first to do any form of sexual advances on you, it just had to be Jisung. Perhaps you shouldn’t have rejected that one kid in high school who was the only one who ever had a crush on you. Even if that kid wasn’t your type and not a serious commitment anyway, maybe you would’ve at least some sort of experience with dick.

“A-ah—“ your breath hitches when he nips on the patch below your earlobe. He smiles against your skin as if he just made some scientific discovery and swipes his tongue on the same spot, eager to make you squirm. Not wanting to slip up anymore, you clamp your mouth shut with a hand.

“Let me hear you, baby. Just relax, I got you.” When the fuck did his voice start to sound lower and raspier? Where did ‘baby’ come from? All rationality and resistance leave your body when he wraps an arm around your waist and pulls you closer to him.

The cologne of musk lingers strong on him, almost intoxicating even, and you can’t form a cohesive thought anymore. The only things you are painfully aware of are an arm forcing your chest flush against his and his hot breath all over your neck.

You’re so far gone that you fail to notice that you’ve started grinding on his lap. Jisung moans softly into your neck as he encourages you to move with his hands.

“On your knees, baby,” he whispers after a while. A rush of disappointment runs through your veins once he detaches his lips from you and slides you off his lap, but all of that is forgotten once you see the prominent bulge in his pants.

Right. There’s a reason why you ended up in this predicament in the first place.

Jisung urges you to touch him with a simple nudge. “C’mon, baby. Take it off.”

You don’t waste time discarding his sweatpants. Just when you’re about to tug his underwear off, you notice the wet patch on the fabric. A surge of mischief washes over you as you boldly cupped his hard-on over his boxers, causing an obscenely loud moan from him.

He flinches, definitely not expecting that brashness from you, and throws his head back. “S-stop teasing me already and take that goddamn thing off or God help me what I’m going to do if you push my buttons.”

That. That was a threat. That dealt much more damage to you than you like to admit.

As much as you want to watch him break and see if he’d make his threats come true, you decide against your feelings and hook your fingers under the waistband and tug the fabric down in one swift motion. A groan leaves Jisung as his cock, fully hard and leaking precum, is exposed to the cold air. He’s certainly above average; on the longer side probably, and you’re conflicted on whether to think fuck, I want him in my mouth right now or fuck, how on earth is that supposed to fit into my mouth?!

You don’t get far with your inner conflict when a hand grabs a fistful of your hair and slowly urges you closer. The next thing you know, something is tapping your lips and before you fully register it, the tip of Jisung’s cock lies heavy on your tongue.

You carefully look up and meet Jisung’s hooded eyes. His shirt has ridden up a bit and flashes just a little bit of his toned stomach. That’s just enough of an indicator to see that Jisung is holding himself back, in case his irregular breathing hasn’t been a dead giveaway.

Jisung opens his mouth, about to say something, when you give an experimental suck on his dick. “Do something— f-fuck, a little more, baby.”

That’s enough to build your confidence up. You slowly take in more of his dick, sucking carefully and making sure to cover your teeth. The rest that doesn’t fit in your mouth is barely covered with your hands, and you messily try to coordinate your hands, switching between rubbing the base of his dick to cupping his balls.

“Mmh, use more pressure,” Jisung whispers, not trusting the stability of his voice when you fondle with his balls. A groan leaves him when you suck harder on his cock and switch back to swirling your tongue around. For a total beginner, you are holding yourself up better than he expected. Fuck.

“Focus on the tip fir— hhh- aa-ah...” His brain blacks out for a moment when you swirl your tongue around his tip and dare an experimental hum, the vibrations going straight down to his dick. The grip on your hair loosens, but it’s still firm enough to experience a sharp tug. “You’re doing good baby. So good.”

The combination of his sounds, the decent taste of precum on your tongue and the way his adam’s apple bops is enough to send you into sensory overload. You notice the way Jisung tenses his thighs, as to keep them still. You’re about to pull out completely to prevent your drool from getting on your face. However, before you get the chance to complain, he forces his length back on you that it grazes the back of your throat, nearly making you choke.

“Fuck, I— I’m gonna— s-soon—“ he hisses and you take it as a sign to speed up. At this point, your jaw hurts and a mixture of drool and precum drips down your chin. It’s borderline disgusting if you think about it, but the delectable sounds leaving Jisung compensates for it.

He sharply tugs on your hair, ordering you to pull off, but you slap his hand away. “I’m going to spill in your mouth if you don’t pull off right now—“ Jisung chokes on his words when you interrupt him with a hum as if to say so what? It doesn’t help that you’re looking up at him with teary eyes and a lot of conviction, even though you’re visibly struggling to keep half of his dick in your mouth.

When he cums, it’s accompanied but drawn out moans, and you forcing yourself to swallow the horrible texture. It’s not horrible per se, but you’d gladly refuse to swallow a second time if you were given the choice.

Jisung looks down at you with flushed cheeks and is about to wipe off the drool or cum or whatever liquid is staining your bottom lip, but you quickly block his hand. “I’ll clean up by myself.”

For a minuscule second, he looks defeated; he looks borderline disappointed, but before you can pinpoint his feelings for sure, his expression changes. “But what about you?” he asks, eyes raking down your body and stopping at the waistband of your pants.

“I’ll deal with it on my own.” You shrug, avoiding his eyes. All of sudden, you find it hard to breathe in the room as the realization settles into your brain. You just sucked off Jisung. Jisung, out of all fucking people.

“You sure?” Your eyes flit to him who looks like he’s been observing you the entire time. His breathing has calmed down, his lips look a little bit plumper than before and his hair sticks out in all different directions. Looking at his current state makes you feel sick, and your undying hatred for him starts growing again. It’s your fault that he looks so fucked out and—

Why the fuck did you even do that?

“Yes. Now stop asking before I change my mind and kick you out.”

Before he can have the last word, you turn on your heels and rush into your bedroom, ignoring the fact that your underwear is practically drenched.

You wake up to the smell of pancakes emerging from the kitchen. “What are you doing?”

“I’m making breakfast?” Jisung throws you a questioning look and then plates the last batch of pancakes from the pan. “It’s the least I can do after you were friendly enough to let me crash on the couch.”

Your eyes wander to the countertop to the two plates stacked with pancakes. Jisung finishes up the second plate and hands it out to you.

You stare dumbly at the plate. It’s too early for your brain to mouth filter to work, so the first thing you spit out is, “How do I know you didn’t poison it?”

“Are you fucking serious—“ Jisung squeezes his eyes shut, mutters something inaudible under his breath before he puts on the fakest smile he can muster. “I can take a bite if you really insist.”

“Give me that plate.” You point to the other plate on the counter. Presentation-wise, it looks the same as the one Jisung is offering you, minus the visible steam.

“There. Wanna switch again or can I finally eat?” he scoffs when you walk past him to get cutlery and sit at the dining table; it’s essentially a round wooden table where one of the legs is about to break. Two plates and a pitcher at most take up the entire surface. You really should consider buying a new table, but you have better things to spend on rather than that.

From your peripheral vision, you see Jisung rolling his eyes. Perhaps you were making an entire unnecessary circus, critically cutting through the pancake and inspecting each and every side before stuffing it in your mouth. But again, in your defense, it’s too early in the morning to show basic etiquette towards him out of all people.

You have to admit that visually, the pancakes look good. What you didn’t expect were the pancakes to taste just how they look. It looks like you couldn’t contain your surprise in you, judging by the amused smirk that finds its way onto Jisung’s face as he claims the chair across from you.

“As if you could actually cook,” you splutter because there’s no fucking way you are giving him that satisfaction of the day.

However, it seems to bemuse him even more. “You literally eat this every day and know the recipe by heart. With the excessive number of times you recite the ingredients a day, obviously, something got stuck in my brain,” he explains while cutting through his own portion.

The rest of breakfast is spent in silence. You both finish at the same time and while you’re washing the dishes, he’s stayed put in the chair, mindlessly checking something on his phone.

“You didn’t have to cook, you know. You could’ve just left.” you start. It’s already awkward enough that he’s still here. Bloody hell, you should’ve just waited with the plates and ushered him out of your place instead of just getting away as fast as possible from the table. Now that you think about it, this was probably the only time you two were somewhat amicable at such proximity. (Even if you didn’t talk at all. Still, it’s progress.)

He drops his phone on the table with a soft ‘bang’. “It’s the least I could do. Besides, I was starving too.”

“In other words, you’re taking advantage of my fridge?”

“Exactly.”

Just as you’re drying your hands, he’s about to leave. “I’ll get going, lecture’s starting in a few. And, uh, thanks for letting me stay here.”

You just shoot him a weird look. “You already thanked me once. How often do you wanna repeat yourself?”

Jisung rolls his eyes. “Fine, next time I’ll just leave without a word then.”

It’s when he’s finally out of the door that his last words sink in.

“Yo, I have pics of sweaty Changbin in a jersey. How much do you wanna pay for those gems?”

You nearly choke on air. “What the fuck?” Really, that’s the only appropriate reaction.

“Hyunjin, this needs more context.” Felix looks like he’s seriously second-guessing his taste in men before shaking it off with a sigh and elaborates. “He’s been trying to find out some scoop about Chan for the campus blog and caught him in his angry boxer mode and Changbin was also there assisting him. Hey, did you know that Chan doesn’t tape his hands before punching the bag? Fuck, that’s so intimidating but so hot at the same time—“

“Yah! I’m your boyfriend! How can you say that in front of me?!”

Changbin. Changbin in a jersey. Changbin in a jersey and drenched in sweat. And Hyunjin seriously has HQ pictures of that Changbin.

It really, absolutely shouldn’t have been the first thing that crossed your mind, but the idea of that Changbin — bonus if he still has anger pent up in him — barging into your place and instantly throwing you on the bed—

“I’m not a perverted creep who’s gonna buy pictures of him that he doesn’t even know exist. Besides, isn’t that a violation of his rights? He never consented to those pics. This is college, you’re only working for the campus blog, not fucking Dispatch.” you deadpan.

“So you don’t even want to take a sneak peek at a picture?”

“No.”

You barely stepped a foot into your apartment when Jisung storms out of his own place and stops in front of you. “You fucking liar.”

“Excuse me? What the— hmph!”

The next thing you know, Jisung forces his way into your hallway, slams the door shut and crowds you against it. His face is invading your personal space, eyes enraged and jaw locked. Even though his anger is far from justified as you haven’t glanced at him ever since he stayed over, a tiny part of you believes that you pissed him off for good. It's not the first time you witness him angry. However, it's the first time you witness him look as if someone murdered his family and was trying to get revenge.

“I thought you took care of it yourself!”

“Took care of what?”

“Did you already forget that I can read your mind?!”

You scrunch your nose, trying to connect the dots in his words. It doesn't take long for you to realize that there’s no point in trying. A frustrated groan leaves you. “Why are you getting so riled up? I just breathed and you stormed into my place!”

“‘Bullshit. You weren’t just breathing,” he snaps, and you flinch when his hand lands a few inches beside your face with a loud pang. “You were thinking of Changbin again! And I mean that in the thousand sex positions and locations you want him to bang you kind of thinking! And also—“

“Also what?”

“I know you’ve been pent up for days. Seriously, why don’t you just get off like every other sane human being?”

His brutal delivery leaves you flabbergasted. How the fuck does he know that? No. No. No. He doesn’t know. He can’t. Just because he can read your mind doesn’t mean that you didn’t pleasure yourself after giving him that blowjob. Jisung’s probably bluffing — he has to be bluffing.

“W-why should I answer you?” you stutter. Suddenly the walls look much more interesting. When was the last time you painted the walls? Maybe it’s time to switch things up—

“Are you really about to get all cocky with me? Give me a break.” Jisung chews on his bottom lip after little deliberation. “You wanna know why? Because one of my best friends is going through a hard time that can utterly destroy his entire future thanks to the fucking universe! If that isn’t stressful as it is, I also see and hear all kinds of things you want Changbin to do to you. And your fantasies are also affecting me.”

You stare at him as if he sprouted eight new legs. “So you’ve also been…?”

“Sexually frustrated? Fuck yes. And it’s all your fault. So take responsibility and do something against it before I do.”

“Are you threatening me?”

“So what if I am?”

A cold shiver runs down your spine once you meet his stone-cold gaze. Frustration is displayed all over his features, from his labored breaths to the raised brow. He’s not playing mind games this time, he’s actually frustrated.

There are a billion red flags, a billion blinking signs saying NO DON’T YOU EVEN THINK OF DOING THIS! DON’T BE A FUCKING IDIOT in your mind. There are so many countless reasons why you should listen to your head, but the way Jisung is lusting after you is terrifyingly attractive.

You don’t trust your voice to respond verbally. Instead, you look down at your trembling hand and tug at the hem of his shirt. It’s just then when you also realize that your thighs are clenched. Fuck.

Jisung takes the hint. In the blink of an eye, he’s yanking you to your room, kicks the door shut with a loud ‘thud’, and manhandles you on the bed. You’re too stunned to react, and gulp when he hovers over you and strips off his jacket, leaving him in a white shirt that doesn’t hide his toned arms.

“Use the color system, alright? Green when everything is alright, yellow when you want me to slow down, and red when you want me to stop for good?” he asks.

“I know what the color system is,” you mutter, tearing your eyes away from him.

“That’s not an answer to my question.” he presses.

“Fine, color system it is. There! Happy? Now get on with it—“

Jisung pins your wrists above your head vigorously. “You don’t call the shots here. I do.”

Your stomach swoops. You really should’ve listened to your brain. This Jisung isn’t comparable with the Jisung you sucked off a few days ago. That Jisung was cocky — he’s always cocky, what are you even saying — but he still gave you room to breathe. This Jisung is downright scary.

“Good thing for you, I know exactly what you want me to do—” he starts sinisterly as his thigh settles firmly between your legs, pressing up against your clothed core. You suddenly regret wearing a skirt. “—and trust me baby, even if I couldn’t read your mind, I would do all those things because that’s what I plan on doing to you regardless.”

The look he gives you should be illegal. He shouldn’t be in the position to look down at you, as if he’s the king and has free reign over the consequences you are about to bear. Your head suddenly feels dizzy, and it’s way too hot in the room. It’s as if your bedroom has morphed into some vacuum as you’re desperately trying to breathe. Your system ceases to function once he presses his thigh even harder on your cunt, and all you manage to make is a pathetic whimper.

A menacing grin makes its way to his face. He’s clearly thriving on this ego-boost and continues to grind his thigh on you until your hips start to sway along. It seems like you found your voice again once he leans down and nibbles on your neck. Your moans are barely audible at first, but they slowly turn into drawn out mewls and labored breaths.

Your eyes snap open when he suddenly retreats his thigh and holds your hip in a vice grip, stopping you from moving. “W-what the fuck? Why did you stop?”

“Tell me what you want me to do.”

“Huh?” You squint at him. “But you can read my mind!”

“I want you to say it out loud.”

There’s no way in the universe that you’ll do that. You’ll gladly wipe off that shit-eating grin out of his face whether he likes it or not, but with his hold on your wrists, that is deemed impossible.

You should say something out loud though. Yellow. That would save you from the humiliation. You could regain at least an ounce of control, not feel so pathetic anymore. It’s a simple word, just two syllables, six letters. The tables can be turned to your advantage. It’s easy.

You don’t.

“You’re embarrassed, aren’t you? You can’t say all those filthy thoughts in your head out loud because you’re ashamed, huh? Not when you love feeling so powerless, subject to anything I do to you. Face it baby, just admit that you’re a needy little bitch who wants to get off on my fingers so bad, and I’ll give you what you want,” Jisung growls in between hot, wet kisses he leaves on your neck.

“I—“ you whimper after some difficulties, “I’m your needy little bitch w-who wants to get off on your fingers.”

Jisung’s head pipes up, his face just hovering a couple of inches away from yours. With that little distance between you, you know it’s not a trick of the light and that his eyes are blown up with hunger, hunger, and more hunger. "Not just any bitch, but mine? Do you like it when I call you mine?"

You nod. From there on, it’s a chain reaction.

He wastes no time slipping his fingers past your panties, mindlessly trailing along your folds. You throw your head back in pleasure, bucking your hips into his touch. A cry leaves you the moment he slips a finger inside you, his thumb simultaneously flicking your clit. It’s sensory overload, rendering your rationality to a standstill.

Your utter downfall is marked once Jisung adds a second finger, never slowing down. He groans at the way you clench around him like a maniac, and the sounds he makes send jolts all over your body. You’re writhing under his grasp at this point, overstimulated by everything yet at the same time, you feel your arousal slowly fading.

“Does my baby feel good? Are you close?” Jisung asks, nipping on your earlobe.

“I don’t know,” you whisper.

“What do you mean, ‘you don’t know’?”

The pit in your stomach grows. You’ve never experienced claustrophobia, but right now, it’s like everything’s suffocating you. “A-as in I don’t fucking know!” you exclaim shakily.

Jisung stops his movements. The weight on your wrists is lifted, and he looks at you, face unreadable. “(y/n), color. What’s your color?”

“Green. It’s just...” your trail off, avoiding his eyes.

“Just...?”

“I’ve never come before,” you confess in defeat. You really can’t believe that Jisung out of all people is the one to make the call of judgment. “I mean it! I’ve tried getting myself off but I never managed to... so cut me some fucking slack because I’m trying my best here and am still new to everything!”

Jisung stays silent. He stares at you in… confusion? disbelief? You really have no clue how to read his expression. Something negative for sure, though. He’s Satan’s spawn, for fuck’s sake. He’s probably thinking twice about going down on you, thinking about the gravity of a mistake he’s dealing with this time. He just has no clue how to articulate his irritation—

“You’re so cute, fucking hell,” he whispers.

You do a double-take. What? What did he say?

A small chuckle escapes his lips. As if he doesn’t mind. Wait. He doesn’t mind. “I’ll take good care of you. Trust me on this,” he says.

“That’s a little late coming from you, your fingers are literally up my vagi— h-ha-aah—“

“Just shut up and let me do the work.” Jisung rolls his eyes as he works you up again, fingers moving at a slower pace this time. Within minutes, he’s reduced you into a panting, stuttering mess. “You look so tiny and helpless underneath me. How adorable,” he coos, to which you just whine.

“Yeah? You like it when I call you tiny? Like it when your tight cunt already feels stuffed with just two fingers? Maybe we should stretch it to a third one, think you can handle that?” he presses on. That’s when he rams his fingers into a particular spot, making you arch your back. A knowing smile makes its way onto his lips. “Found it.”

“N-no, fuck— t-too much—” you babble, but he continues to abuse your sweet spot without remorse.

An unfamiliar pressure builds up in your abdomen, threatening to burst. Your whines grow louder, breaths shallower. You squeeze your eyes shut as you thrust your hips into his hand, desperate for more friction. “Jisung, I think I’m gonna—”

“Oh no, not like this,” he growls. “Keep your eyes open. I want you to look at me when you cum. So you’ll remember that it was me who made you cum for the first time. It’s me who’s making you feel good.”

That is easier said than done. You manage to open your eyes, though with a lot of difficulties. Scratch that, your eyes are barely open. Jisung is a blurry image, and you’re unable to register everything he says, the sound of his fingers squelching in your heat blaring in your ears.

You deem it fucking impossible to keep your eyes open when your orgasm hits you hard, body spasming from the sensation. But you keep on trying, keep forcing to set your eyes on him.

It’s all worth it though when the reward you get is a proud smile on his face, as well as streams of praises coming from his mouth.

It’s a continuous pattern that goes as follows:

1. You spend your days glued to your friends.

2. At least one of them (usually, it’s Seungmin) preaches how you should get your shit together and ask Changbin out.

3. Somehow, Changbin manages to leave a strong presence in your fantasies and you end up daydreaming about a scenario that stars him, you and a bed (if you’re feeling more daring, any other kind of surface or object he could pound you into.)

4. Jisung notices and forces the horniness out of your system.

5. You tell yourself that it’s the last time Jisung has such control over you.

And then the cycle repeats.

But here’s the thing: you find yourself doing no. 5 you with less conviction the more it happens. No. 5 is a formality at this point. You don’t know when you went the wrong path, but are you really in a position to complain? Jisung is good with you, he’s good with his fingers, even better with his mouth.

But then there’s this side of Jisung after he’s ruined you. He knows what you want to eat after you’re all cleaned up, knows what show you want to watch, knows if you want to just drop dead in bed or need someone to force you to finish your uni assignments. In short: Jisung is good. If you ever said that out loud and someone caught wind of it, they might assume that you liked him.

But Changbin. You like Changbin. You like Changbin you like Changbin you like Changbin—

You like Changbin, right?

“You’ve been looking at me as if I had the word CLOWN written over my forehead. Do I have something on my face or what?” you cross your arms and are met with your friends quickly averting their eyes from you.

Felix is the first one to break the silence. “Is that a new dress?”

“Not really. I recently found it when I cleared out my closet and decided to give it one more try. Why—“ you pause, and your expression turns grim once it dawns on you. “I look ridiculous in this, don’t I?”

“Yeah.”

“No!”

“You look like a clown.”

“Seungmin-Hyung, did you really just???”

If your crippling self-esteem hadn’t reached its all-time low before, then it definitely did now. “Geez, thanks,” you deadpan.

Jeongin is panicking, trying to provide some damage control as Felix snaps at Hyunjin and Seungmin. “Nobody cares about your two cents!”

“Well, but she asked for our opinion!”

“Nobody cares about your honest two cents!”

“Let’s just have lunch at the burger place and talk about this later, Hyung!”

You’re still dazed, chuckling dryly like those cartoon characters usually do when their soul leaves their body after someone dragged them. The entire situation is downright sad to witness. Is this a sign that your period is coming soon? That’s it! That probably explains why you’re acting so uncharacteristically sensitive today—

“The dress suits you, (y/n). You should wear it more often,” Changbin says.

“Hah?” you flinch and you’re sure your soul actually left your body when you turn to face Changbin smiling genuinely at you. Out of your periphery, you see Jisung and Chan behind him, but that’s not the point.

What? The? Fuck? Did he really just? Did Changbin just… compliment you?

You don’t realize how long you’ve dumbly stared at him until Jeongin nudges you. “Uhhhh, thanks!” you squeak out, cringing at how your voice just went up by an octave. You can feel Jeongin facepalming internally at your response, but you don’t blame him; you’d most likely do the same.

Changbin just smiles before he turns away to get to his next class, tugging Jisung and Chan with him.

Nevermind. Wearing this dress was the best decision you’ve made in your entire college career. The way you suddenly beam almost gives Felix whiplash — it’s obvious in the way he stares at you as if he ended up watching a comedy instead of the melodrama he was expecting. Hyunjin seems just as flabberghasted, Jeongin is still cringing from the secondhand embarrassment, and Seungmin just grins.

“Ah, so lover boy is the reason, I see.”

You roll your eyes at him. “Oh my god, just shut up, Seungmin.”

Jisung is eating you out with such fervor that has you sobbing and thrashing around. He’s merciless in every literal sense, keeping your hips planted on the couch with his hands to the point where veins are bulging out, and lapping up your juices with his tongue, continuing even though you already came. He only pulls away, lips glistening in your release, once you tug on his hair despite his orders to not do that.

“Already spent now? But baby, we just started.” he pouts. “Or is it because it’s me? Would you defy if Changbin was the one eating you out?”

You stare at him with blown out eyes. Why the fuck is he bringing up Changbin now? The words hang heavy in your throat and are threatening to burst, but the death stare he delivers stops you from doing so.

Something’s not right.

“Don’t tell me... you’re wet again because I just mentioned Changbin. Changbin this, Changbin that, huh? It’s always only Changbin, Changbin, Changbin. And I thought I was doing you good all along,” he rages, making you flinch. He can be terrifying when he wants to be, but this time, he seems completely out of it. “You know what? I’m fucking done with holding back. You’re mine, got it?”

With that, he dives back into your cunt, sucking harshly on your clit as he slides a finger in you. You try to pry him off, but his weight is restraining you to the sofa.

“Jisung, it hurts— ouch—“ Panic starts to rise in you when he finally detaches himself from your nub, but instead, moves down to your thighs and starts sucking on the skin with a force much harder than you’re used from him. “What are you doing? S-stop—!”

“You’re mine, you’re supposed to be mine. I am literally written on your skin. So why can’t you just wish to be with me? Do I have to mark you up so that you’ll finally get it?”

It hurts. It hurts. Once you feel teeth on your skin, you burst into tears. “Red, Jisung, red!”

As if it was the spell to break the cast, Jisung finally snaps out of it. His features break once his eyes meet yours. Regret sticks onto him like a second skin, and he slightly moves his hand in an attempt to reach out to you. Your muscles react faster though, and you instinctively pull your legs towards yourself and shy away from him. The way his face drops by another layer of remorse tugs at your heartstrings, but the impending fear overpowers everything else you’re feeling.

“What’s going on? What went over you?” you ask.

Jisung’s breath is shaky. He feverishly opens his mouth several times, but no sound is coming out. He’s struggling to find the right words, maybe trying to find a somewhat reasonable justification for his behavior. In the end, he lets out a defeated sigh. “I can’t do this anymore without having feelings—” his voice is weak and vulnerable and you’ve never witnessed him break down like this before, “—I like you. I like you the way you like Changbin. I just...”

Silence.

“Leave,” you whisper, but in this silence, your voice rings out loud and clear. This is… too much weight for your heart to carry.

Jisung complies. He grabs his belongings from the floor, slips on his shirt, and leaves with his head hung low. His footsteps grow more and more distant, but then he stops.

“Are you really in love with Changbin?” His voice cracks.

You don’t muster up the courage to face him. “Just read my mind.”

It’s silent again. Too overwhelming. You’re waiting for yet another outburst of him, waiting for his “I want you to say it out loud”, because that’s how the conversation always goes.

The last thing you hear is the front door falling in its lock with a soft click.

You like Changbin. You like Changbin you like Changbin you like Changbin you like—

You like him, right?

Things have changed.

You and Jisung haven’t crossed paths ever since, not even passed each other by in the hallways. It’s weird since you’ve grown used to seeing him every day outside of your apartment complex. You’ve never really acknowledged each other’s presence with a wave or something in the sorts; it was just a second where your eyes met, and then your days went on.

That being said, you run into Changbin quite frequently. If you ever exchanged words, it’s nothing more than friendly small talk and the one or other compliment about his music. Talking to Changbin is nice; he makes you smile.

You know a little bit more about Changbin now, like his favorite ice cream flavor or the fact that he has a pokemon plushie named Gyu. It’s cute, and you chuckle when you think about how you’d pay good money for that information a few weeks ago.

Changbin is nice, and there’s nothing more to the story.

The chaotic quartett you call your friends however, doesn’t seem to buy it. They are loud and nosey and have eyes, so it was set in stone that they’d tease you about it sooner or later. It’s all fun and games, and you played along with it at first, because that’s how you guys are. But as time went on, when the banter became so repetitive and blown out of proportion to the point where they have made clowning you about your small interactions with Changbin the pinnacle of their entertainment, you’ve begun to be fed up by it.

“Will you finally stop bringing him up in an indecent manner every single lunch break? Or even better, stop bringing him up altogether?” You snap, which shocks everyone at the table because you never snap.

Nobody has time to react as you quickly stomp away to grab some fresh air. You mutter out every curse under the sun, not intending to let your anger take over you this much. You’ve only made it past the door when Felix catches up to you, placing a hand over your shoulder.

“(y/n), what’s the matter? Clearly, something’s bothering you. And I know it’s not because of just Seungmin.” Concern is woven in his smooth voice.

You have to admit, it was a smart and calculated move from your friends to send Felix your way. He’s always been the compassionate one out of your little friend group. Like a pillar, he’s the one who keeps you all grounded (and he’s the one to drive your asses back home after the wild Alpha Beta Gamma frat parties).

“I don’t like Changbin that way, I realized. So it’d be very much appreciated if you asses didn’t allude to that every time,” you huff.

Felix sends you an understanding smile. “We can work that out. You know that Hyunjin and Seungmin in particular can be insensitive and sometimes don’t realize they’ve taken things too far..”

“Fine, but that’s not the main thing that’s eating me up alive, Felix.” you sigh. The words seem to flow out of your mouth like a waterfall. “I’ve realized I’ve never really liked Changbin. Okay, fine, he was just a crush I had but I don’t like him.”

He nods slowly, his brain processing your ramble. “So you like someone else.”

“Yes. And I don’t know how to fix it because we got into a huge fight.”

“Talk to them. That’s the only thing left to do.” His response is immediate, and he says it as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. “Every relationship has its ups and downs, and if you want to be committed, you have to fight for it. If you were made for one another, you’ll make it.”

The last part makes you laugh internally. If only he knew.

“Let me guess, you expect me to barge into his place to sort things out,” you say.

Felix gives you the look of judgment. “I mean, you could also show some human decency and text him in advance so he’s also prepared. But that works fine too.”

Come to think of it, you’ve never been to Jisung’s apartment. That’s about to change when you knock on his door sometime in the evening, shortly after sunset.

Jisung’s face immediately drops once he opens the door. “What are you doing here?” His voice is soft, drenched in regret.

It’s not that his appearance has reached rock bottom. He still takes good care of himself; however, you pick up the dark circles under his eyes and his complexion seems a little paler. Not sickeningly pale, but in a sense that he hasn’t seen the light of day for a few consecutive days.

You shift your weight on one leg and fiddle with your fingers. “Can we talk?”

Jisung gulps. “Yeah, sure,” he mumbles after a moment of hesitation before inviting you in.

“I’ve thought a long time about this. Everything, really,” you start awkwardly as soon as you’re both standing stiffly in his living room. “I, um…”

You cringe inwardly as your voice trails off. Truth be told, you’ve rehearsed what you wanted to say many times a few hours ago. Even wrote down the entire speech. Then threw the draft away, only to compose a new one. And then again and again and again. After what felt like an eternity, you had polished your final speech and memorized it from top to bottom, even making sure that your flow sounded natural. But now that this is the real deal, your mind goes blank. Of course, of fucking course, your illiterate brain had to give up on you in the situation that mattered the most.

Jisung purses his lips. “Do you want something to drink first? No need to rush—”

“I don’t like Changbin!” you blurt out. Jisung stares at you in confusion. “I mean, I used to like Changbin — I still do, he’s a nice guy! Don’t get me wrong — but that’s all he is. He’s… nice. I like him, as a friendly guy. I had a crush on him, but now it’s just, uh, like. Platonic! Yeah, platonic.”

Despite him nodding slowly, you know that he is still lost. You would be too if you were on the receiving end of this painfully clumsy delivery.

You give yourself a mental slap as you take a deep breath. It can’t get any worse than this. Definitely impossible. You’ve already proven to him how bad your public speaking skills are. Might as well get over it with the bluntest words. “I miss you. And not because of the sexual things we did, but everything else. I miss you coming over, miss the movie night, and all that. I miss you, Jisung.”

He stares at you silently. Your eyes search his face for any sign of emotion, and for one too many times, Jisung is impossible to read. Okay, perhaps you did manage to tell him what you wanted to tell him even worse than whatever the fuck your initial attempt was.

But then his blank armor cracks. Little by little, his eyes soften, disbelief and remorse on display for you to see. Jisung is looking at you as if his world has fallen apart even more. He’s looking at you as if he’s clinging to the last threads of reason, trying to make sense of the situation. He’s looking at you with eyes that could hold stars behind them, stars that were supposed to burn out yet shine brighter than the universe.

“How can you say that? I hurt you. I made you cry! I was being a selfish asshole who put out his anger on you!” he exclaims, voice breaking towards the end. Pain clouds his red eyes, and he’s fighting to keep the tears at bay.

You slowly prod closer to him, testing the waters. He doesn’t react once, not even when you stand directly in front of him. Not even when you gently place your hands on a shoulder each. Not until you say, “It’s alright. I’m alright. No hard feelings.”

That’s his breaking point. Tears stream down his face, while quiet hiccups jump out of his throat. “How can you be so nice to me?” His sobs are muffled as he eases into your touch, hiding his face in the crook of your neck. Instinctively, he wraps his arms around your waist, clinging onto you as if you’re his lifeline.

The answer is simple, you say to yourself, as you thread a hand in his hair. “We’re soulmates.”

The weight of the words hangs in the air, shattering the previous tension and all the worries in your heart. It’s liberating, finally being able to say it out loud without feeling like an abnormality for saying those words with happiness. You’re soulmates. You’re soulmates, and that’s okay.

Jisung’s sobs resound throughout the room, and so do his countless, tiny yeah, we are’s. You need a moment before you register the wetness on your face. It feels like an eternity standing in his warm embrace, even after there are no more tears left to cry.

“Can I kiss you?” Your voice is quiet, barely above a whisper, but Jisung catches it. two fingers gently lift your chin so that you’re facing him. You almost melt when your eyes meet, his gaze filled with adoration that makes you want to burst at the seams.

“Yeah. I’d love that.” Jisung smiles.

It costs you your willpower to tear your eyes away from him before they flutter down to his lips. Despite his bottom lip being a little cracked, they look inviting and you wonder what they taste like. You expect him to nudge you, expect him to tell you to hurry up and do something because you’re pretty sure you’re staring at his lips for far too long.

He doesn’t. The grip on your chin is loose as if to tell you to take your time and go at your own pace. But the longer you wait, the more reluctance builds up. It’s a lot of power he’s given you; hell, it’s the first time he hands the reigns to you.

“Can you… uhm… I’ve never done this before, so yeah…” you look at him with a crooked smile.

The breathless chuckle that leaves him sounds like music to your ears. Jisung moves his hand to the back of your neck before closing the distance between you.

The kiss is short and sweet, but that alone suffices to make the butterflies in your stomach burst. The faint taste of coke lingers on him, and before you know it, you’re kissing again. Jisung’s lips are like an addiction, reeling you back in for another one. Somewhere along the way, the kisses change. Innocent presses of lips are long forgotten, replaced by teeth playfully tugging on your bottom lip, and Jisung kissing you deeper to the point where he steals all oxygen out of your lungs.

Your hands slide down his chest, tugging on his shirt. Startled by your bold actions, he pulls away, but you catch him back into another liplock that leaves the two of you breathless. All you can think of clearly is Jisung Jisung Jisung—

This time he forces himself away from you. Gasping for air, he places his forehead on yours. “If we go farther than this, then I don’t know if I can control myself.” His warning is barely above a whisper.

“Then don’t,” you whisper back.

That’s all the reassurance he needs before leading you to his bedroom, all the whilst latching onto your lips once more. He doesn’t let go of you until your back hits the soft mattress and he’s on top of you. Warm, slightly calloused hands trail from your cheeks to the hem of your shirt.

“Color?”

“Green,” you respond, smiling up at him. The sun has long vanished at the horizon, replaced by the dim moon and stars. Despite only a little light surging past the blinds into the room, you can see Jisung’s features crystal clear. The endearing smile is cast into the back of your mind, so is the delicacy in his touch, fingertips lightly grazing your skin as he sheds all your clothes off until you’re left in your underwear. After hearing your complaints, he discards his own clothes with an amused glint in his eyes.

Jisung takes his time pounding every single detail of your features into his memory. His hands roam all over your body, inciting goosebumps. You lean into his touch with a sigh and flit your gaze to him once he stops on a particular spot.

The look on his face is unreadable, but the hesitation in his voice speaks for itself.  “Does this bug you?” he asks, uncertainty laced in it as he runs his finger over each character of his name that’s inked under your collarbone. You shake your head with a hum that turns into a soft moan once he leaves kisses on the spots his finger burned before, one for each letter. Eventually, his actions spiral out to sucking lovebites and rutting his bulge against your heat, enticing louder whines out of you. Your vision morphs into blurriness as you move your hips in sync with his, locking your arms around his neck to pull him even closer to you.

“(y/n), baby…” Jisung heaves for air, “Is it okay if I…?.”

“Please,” you mewl, “want you inside me.” Your desperation must’ve shone through your tone, as Jisung presses a loving kiss on your forehead before he reaches over to the nightstand for a condom, grinning like a lovesick idiot.  

In books and movies, this is the part where the virgin would reach peak nervousness. Too many fears would be inhabiting their mind; the fear of pain, fear of not fulfilling their partner’s needs, fear of the entire situation, essentially. Whatever they depict in those books and movies, it doesn’t match up with the warmth and want pumping in your veins. Even after Jisung slipped your and his underwear off and slid the condom on his leaking cock, there’s no sign of fear bubbling in you. It’s rather the opposite; you nudge him to finally slide into you.

“So impatient,” he tuts playfully, and because he can’t help being a bit sadistic, he teases your dripping entrance with the tip of his cock. Tears begin to form in your eyes from the frustration of clenching around nothing. You feel like crying for good once he slowly pushes into you. The stretch feels unfamiliar and completely different than what you’re used to from his fingers, but it’s not unpleasant as you throw your head back. While you’re adjusting to his girth, Jisung observes your every expression, faltering whenever you scrunch your eyes shut. 

“You still there?” he asks in hushed tones, caressing your cheek.

In awe about his concern, you nod. “I’m fine. It’s just… new. I’ve never done this, but I guess you already figured that out.” It takes you a moment to catch your breath, and then you give him the green light to continue.

The way Jisung has your hands firmly against the bed lacks the usual roughness; he isn’t gripping your wrists as if he’s about to cut off your blood circulation. This time, he has intertwined his fingers with yours as if he doesn’t ever want to let go of you. A firework of colors and stars is all you see as he thrusts into slow and deep and with all the passion he has to offer. His lips don’t leave space for a breather either; he kisses you with so much fervor that it swallows your heart up whole. At that instant, you realize that he’s claimed your heart and isn’t going to give that up any time soon. You don’t mind, because you know that you’ve committed the same crime.

It’s not long after until you feel the orgasm building up. Jisung brings one hand down to flick your clit, and just like that, you unravel beneath him. His own release follows suit, a muffled groan coming from his lips as he spills into the condom.

It’s quiet for a moment, no words spoken between you except for harsh breathing. Eventually, Jisung slides his softening dick out of you and disappears for a moment to clean up, returning with a damp towel for you to freshen up a little, as well as a glass of water.

“I think I won’t be able to walk tomorrow,” you say after you gulped down the drink in one go, voice devoid of emotion. A laugh leaves Jisung. The way you deliver it is so casual as if he didn’t just have his dick in you minutes before. “Also, isn’t this the part where we should cuddle?”

“So bossy, your royal majesty.” He even takes a bow before he climbs back on the bed, pulling the covers over your bodies, and scooting up to you. He says something else, but you don’t register what exactly. All you care about is being wrapped in his warm embrace. The stench of sweat isn’t prominent on him anymore. Instead, it’s a huge cloud of Axe overpowering your senses. You would complain, but you’re too blissed out to bother.

Jisung must’ve noticed at a certain point that you’ve wandered to daydream paradise. “You’ve been quiet for a while. A penny for your thoughts.”

“But you can read my mind.”

“I want you to say it out loud.” His answer comes like a shot while his hand is brushing through your hair. “That, and your thoughts are too jumbled and my head is going to malfunction if I try to decode everything running in your head right now.”

The corners of your lips quirk upwards. “I’m just thinking about how we did everything in the wrong order. It’s just now that we kissed, before that I only sucked you off or something. We’re so fucked up.”

“If you word it that way, we definitely didn’t follow the book.” Jisung laughs in agreement. The vibrations from his chest causes you to bubble up in warmth.

“I don’t mind, though. That’s not the point. I’m happy.” You don’t have to look up to know that his eyes lit up. “Jisung, I’m happy that you’re mine.”

The hold around your waist tightens, and you feel a soft kiss being pressed on top of your head. “And I’m happy that you’re mine.”

In another lifetime, another universe, you probably wouldn’t have to go through these struggles. Society would normalize having someone that completes you. You wouldn’t go through countless stages of denial, countless stages of frustration, and countless stages of doubt.

In another lifetime, another universe, you potentially could’ve been on even worse terms. Just like in those cyberpunk movies, maybe you two would be enemies, one fighting alongside the government, the other assisting the villain who tries to overthrow the system. Star-crossed lovers, that’s what you two would be dubbed as.

In another lifetime, another univer—

No need to fantasize about what could be. The only lifetime that matters is this lifetime, this universe, your reality. In reality, people like you live in hiding. In reality, society is doubtful towards people with soulmates. In reality, people like you are destined for a tragedy. It’s taken you a long time to wrap it around your head.

That’s alright though. You’re alright. You’ll always be alright. The universe might have not played in your favor in this lifetime, but you still found each other. Perhaps, the universe will be more forgiving towards you in your next lifetime. Or the one after. Who knows? Whatever happens, at least you know you have one person you’re bound to meet wherever you are, whenever you are. One person who won’t ever let go of you. One person you won’t ever let go of.

“Yeah, I’m yours.”

[reneesi]

i never would have thought // CH.10

CH.10 II the walk home

A/N: GUESS WHOS BACK?? I lived hoes 😎😎. So I've been feeling a lot better and I finally got enough sleep to remember how to write and I also got an editor!! so yay! Hopefully the quality will be a little bit better writing wise :)! We will be returning to semi-scheduled programing but for my sake I'm gonna change the updates to twice a week since three time was clearly too much for me to keep up with. Tuesdays and Fridays will be the new upload days! Anyways, enjoy the rest of the chapter~

WRITTEN PORTION

“I knew you’d make it!” Tanka roared, slapping Tsukishima’s back a little too hard as the blonde took a seat beside him. Tsukishima flinched ever so slightly, and grit his teeth as he reached up to rub his shoulder.

“I only came because this is a team event.” Tsukishima mumbled, rolling his eyes as more teammates piped in with hellos and comments of joking passive aggressiveness.

When Tsukishima had initially texted the group chat that he would be skipping that night's festivities the team had erupted into light disapproval and jokes of annoyance. Although (Y/n) knew she should have been angry, the feeling that overwhelmed her senses was much closer to disappointment. She’d tried her best to hide the way her stomach had sunk deep into itself by keeping her eyes low, but her slightly hunched posture had been a dead give away. Sugawara, ever so intuitive, had taken notice.

So while the rest of the team broke out into laughter and hypothetical plans to drag Tsukishima along, Suga had wrapped an arm around (Y/n)’s shoulder and offered a sympathetic smile. (Y/n) had smiled back of course, as convincing as she could muster, but had mostly kept her head down for the rest of the walk.

And while the team was slightly annoyed with Tsukishima’s lack of presence, they weren’t the least bit surprised since it wasn’t the first time he had bailed on them. Yamaguchi, especially, had tried his best to defend Tsukishima at first. That is until he’d caught a glimpse of (Y/n)’s face. One look at her frown immediately made him go silent.  A few minutes later he had broken away from the group, typing away furiously at his screen.

Now that Tsukishima was sitting right across from her, (Y/n) couldn’t bring herself to erase the stress that was crushing her chest. She looked down at her food in confusion, he was here.. so why did she still feel awful?

“You didn’t have to come, you know?” (Y/n) finally burst out, looking up just in time to see Tsukishima’s eyes widen ever so slightly. In the dim yellow-ish light his blush was easy to miss. Tsukishima reached up to adjust his glasses and let out a signature tch.

“Of course I didn’t have to come, stupid,” He replied in irritation, looking away to avoid (Y/n)’s heavy stare. When she didn’t look away, he added “I came because I wanted to.”

“That’s convenient.” Yamaguchi cut in, unusual smirk tugging at his usual innocent face.

“Just gonna casually leave the part out where I had to basically force you to come?” Yamaguchi teased, reaching over to poke at Tsukishima’s increasingly red face. The blonde quickly swatted his best friend’s fingers away.

“You didn’t force me,” He scowled, sending Yamaguchi a glare “I just reconsidered is all.”

The latter of his words were much quieter, so much so that for a moment (Y/n) considered they may have been just for her.  A secret message of reassurance that he didn’t in fact hate her, but rather had really just been feeling lazy. She turned those five words over in her head at least seven times, staring at him intently, before receiving another glare. She came to the conclusion that it was much more likely that he hadn’t meant for anyone to hear. (Y/n) thought about what it could have meant, narrowing her eyes as her vision lulled.

“Stop staring, it’s rude.” Tsukishima said flatly, reaching across the table to flick (Y/n)’s forehead abruptly. (Y/n) shook her head in surprise and finally noticed she’d completely zoned out straight ahead. Her eyes widened as a red tint flushed across her cheeks.

“S-sorry!” She squeaked out, looking away immediately.

If it wasn’t for Tsukishima’s light chuckle drawing her eyes back just seconds later, (Y/n) would have missed what must have been the first time she’d seen Tsukishima smile in what felt like forever. He rolled his eyes before turning to ask Tanaka a question, and being pulled into a long conversation about volleyball.

Following this example, (Y/n) turned to her upperclassmen and joined their conversation, but unlike Tsukishima, she was unable to focus. And although her eyes rarely made their way back to him for the remainder of dinner, (Y/n) couldn’t get her mind to do the same.

At around 9 PM, Hinata and Kageyama announced that they would be departing early, excusing themselves with a simple mention of early training. As he hugged her goodbye, (Y/n) could have sworn she saw a blush creeping its way across her cousin's cheeks, but when she tried to ask he’d practically jumped out of his skin and laughed a little too loud.

“I’m probably just sleepy!” Shoyo had chuckled, slapping (Y/n)’s arm with more force than necessary.

(Y/n) had squinted at the pair, watching as they made their exit, wincing as she rubbed her arm thoughtfully. She would definitely have to bring this up with Shoyo later.

As for the rest of the team, most of them had stayed until at least 10 PM. After that it grew even later and people began to bid their goodbyes until only Daichi, Sugawara, (Y/n), Yamaguchi, and Tsukishima remained standing outside of the restaurant.

“I never realized how late it had gotten!” Sugawara yawned, peering at his watch. Daichi took Suga’s school bag and draped it over his own shoulder, wrapping his free arm around his boyfriend’s waist. Suga rubbed at his eyes sleepily.

“Hinata-chan, will you be okay walking home so far this late at night?” Daichi asked, turning to face the first years.

“I think I’ll be okay… I’d usually just walk with Shoyo but he left early.” (Y/n) giggled awkwardly, rubbing at the back of her neck with her palm. Daichi’s eyes suddenly widened as he looked at something just behind (Y/n). She turned back quizzically only to be met with a sheepish Yamaguchi. (Y/n) narrowed her eyes and raised a brow.

“Yama..?” She asked slowly.

“Yes?” He replied, batting his eyelashes innocently. Tsukishima rolled his eyes and groaned.

“Okay, well i'm going home. Congratulations Hinata, have a good night everyone.” He raised a hand lazily, already turning to leave.

“Would you like me to walk you h-“ Daichi began before Yamaguchi, who had grabbed Tsukishima by the collar of his shirt at some point, cut in.

“Actualllllyyy Tsukishima is gonna walk her home! You guys go home! Don’t worry about it!” Yamaguchi beamed, waving at his upperclassmen in an almost aggressive manner.

“Looks like we’re being shooed away, goodnight everybody.” Sugawara chuckled lightly, following Daichi’s lead as he turned them both around and began to walk, arm still held tight around Suagwara.

“Goodnight everyone.” Daichi called back, footsteps growing distant as a silence fell over the three remaining first years.

“I’m not walking her home.” Tsukishima said, almost on cue, as he wiggled his way free of Yamaguchi’s gasp and began to walk away once more.

“Oh no you don’t.” Yamaguchi snatched him by the strap of his bag this time “You absolutely will be walking (Y/n) home! Last time you didn’t, so you still owe her.”

“H-hey it's ok! I can just walk home alone, I don’t wanna cause any trouble-“ (Y/n) tried, words wavering as her anxiety seeped through.

“Are you kidding? It’s almost midnight! No way you’re walking that entire way alone! What if you get kidnapped? Or worse! Tsukishima are you really gonna let some random killer get a hold of our teams precious third manager because you-”

“Oh shut up.” Tsukishima finally cut in, rolling his eyes in frustration. He glared over at Yamaguchi and ripped his friend’s hand off of the strap of his bag.

“Fine, I’ll walk her home…. But fuck you Yama.” He growled, turning briskly to walk in the direction of the Hinata’s house.

(Y/n) looked over at Yamaguchi in absolute horror, Yamaguchi only offered her a cheeky grin and two thumbs up in response before Tsukishima’s angry voice rose up.

“Come one idiot.”

The first ten minutes of walking were dead silent, with Tsukishima keeping a steady pace two steps ahead and (Y/n) trying her very best not to stare at the back of his head like a total creep.

“Sorry for being late.” Tsukishima eventually grumbled, not bothering to turn back.

(Y/n) was thankful for that, given that her cheeks began to glow pink almost immediately. She blinked at the back of his head for a moment too long before remembering she was supposed to answer.

“I-it’s okay!” She stuttered out, staring up at the sky in avoidance until her face finally cooled. After more silent minutes passed, (Y/n) furrowed her brows thoughtfully and asked,

“Why didn’t.. you wanna come… at first?”

Whatever Tsukishima’s face had done in response to her abrupt question would forever be a mystery, given that from behind he appeared completely unfazed.

“Reasons.” He finally said flatly, head tilting ever so slightly to indicate he was looking up at the sky.

“But I came didn’t I?” Tsukishima added after another long moment of silence.

“Thank you for showing up, even if you were late, it meant a lot.. to me.” (Y/n) replied, voice barely above a whisper.

Tsukishima’s shoulders seemed to tense, but not enough for (Y/n) to be sure. If only they were walking side by side she could gauge his reactions better… she quickened her pace ever so slightly but not enough to close the gap.

“Yeah, congrats on winning.” Tsukishima could have been smiling, it almost sounded like he was, but in all honesty (Y/n) never knew with him.

“You deserved it.” He added after another minute of silence passed.

The walk continued in quietude for a bit as the tension finally eased off of (Y/n)’s shoulders. Even if it was just one simple kind remark, (Y/n) understood Tsukishima well enough by now to know he didn’t go around giving praise to just anyone. His kindness was not to be taken lightly, even if it was barely notable at best. Maybe he had been mad, maybe not, but it had clearly passed given that he wasn’t being mean or ignoring her at the moment. If they were okay, if Tsukishima was tossing her light compliments and walking just a little bit slower until their paces matched up and they were walking side by side, then it didn’t really matter much to (Y/n) what had been going through his head earlier that day. They were clearly still friends, so she could stop walking on so many eggshells.

“You know you never did tell me much about your brother!” (Y/n)'s voice chimed up, bubbly syllables lifting her steps into light skips as she leaned forward and turned her head back to send Tsukishima a cheeky ass grin. He scoffed and reached up to adjust his glasses, breaking eye contact quickly.

“I already told you stuff about me. If anything you should be the one talking, idiot.” Tsukishima groaned, irritated brows crossing across his forehead.

“What do you wanna know?” (Y/n) asked, pestering tone vanished from her voice. Tsukishima only shrugged, eyes held taught to the sky.

“I could tell you about my family?” (Y/n) tried after neither first years said anything for a full five minutes.

“Ok.” Tsukishima said simply, glancing over as (Y/n) held a finger up to her chin thoughtfully.

She tried to ignore the way his eyes made her cheeks burn just a bit and looked up at the stars that had gradually begun to shine brighter and brighter.

“Well my parents are pretty nice people, they just aren’t so great at being parents.” (Y/n) laughed to herself softly, glancing over at Tsukishima’s confused face for only a moment. When he didn’t reply, she continued

“They love me, I know they do. The world back home is just… different. Honestly it's difficult for me to talk about this because I feel like it’s a hard place to explain to an outsider.”

“An outsider..?” Tsukishima narrowed his eyes, not in offense but in curiosity

“My parents are kind of… wealthy. The whole social bubble that comes with that is totally different from here..” (Y/n) explained cautiously, embarrassment seeping through the cracks of her words. Tsukishima’s face relaxed to an unreadable expression.

“Oh.” He mumbled, gaze drifting to the sky in tandem with (Y/n).

“Yeah. It kind of sucks..” She sighed, “And I mean I don’t wanna sound ungrateful or anything because I’m not! It’s just that everything has a price and mine was freedom.. My whole life growing up my parents were always motoring me like some kind of doll. I always had to dress a certain way and act a certain way and hang out with certain people and the more they made me the more I hated it.”

(Y/n) paused, sneaking a glance at Tsukishima, his brows furrowed again, but instead of frustration he seemed like he was deep in thought.

“Once, when I was 11, I remember overhearing them arguing about how I'd never end up happy if I couldn’t learn how to fit in. My dad wanted to send me away to boarding school and my Mom was absolutely opposed, but she agree with him that I needed to.. improve.. or I’d never find the right man and settle down and stuff. I was too young to really understand but it just seemed so unfair. I mean, I hated school. I was always having to hang out with these girls that would spread rumors about me behind my back and the guys were.. mean, and I was just so mad that my parents were blaming me for the way I was reaction to it all that I started pushing back as hard as I possibly could and-“ (Y/n)’s lips came to a halt as realization hit her

“I-I’m sorry I’m totally rambling about stupid stuff that you didn’t even ask abou-“

“Shut up” Tsukishima cut in, “if I didn’t wanna listen I would have just tuned you out.”

“H-hey!” (Y/n) protested, mortified blush still hugging her cheeks.

“I didn’t. So stop talking about pointless stuff and keep going.” Tsukishima scoffed, stretching his arms up to provide support for his head which was tilting back into his palms.

“Okay.” (Y/n) mumbled softly, embarrassment dying down to a subtle shyness.

“W-well, I ended up dying my hair brown two years later. I wanted to because I-I never really liked my hair but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t do it mostly because I wanted to piss my parents off.” (Y/n) giggled out the last bit, tugging at a strand of hair unconsciously.

“It suits you.” Tsukishima said simply.

“Thanks!” (Y/n) lit up, too distracted by the prospect of talking about her hair to notice exactly what Tsukishima had just said.

“I did it by myself and I’ve kept it up all these years because I think it looks a lot better and-“

“Okay, I’m tuning you out.” Tsukishima yawned

“Hey! Don’t be rude!” (Y/n) glared, reaching over to punch his arm lightly. Tsukishima made a face of displeasure but otherwise ignored it.  

“Anyways, AS I WAS SAYING before SOMEONE so RUDELY interrupted me,” (Y/n) began again, clearing her throat before delving into a ten minute rant about why dying her hair was the best decision she’d ever made.

Just as she was finishing up, the Hinata household came into view. The conversation fizzled to an end as Tsukishima walked (Y/n) all the way to the door, staying a good foot behind her. He watched her with the same bored expression as they made their way to the front steps and front yard respectively. (Y/n) paused and turned back to Tsukishima with a breath held tight in her chest, it would be rude to walk inside without even saying goodbye.

“T-thank you, for walking me all the way here.” (Y/n) stuttered, eyes trained on the ground that stretched between.

“Yeah.” Tsukishima shrugged, pausing for a long moment before finally asking “Hinata-chan?”

“Yeah?” Her eyes snapped up to him almost reflexively

“While you’re here, be yourself. It’ll be a waste if you’re not… I know we all want you to feel at home so if your other home is a bad place make this a good one.” Tsukishima’s tone was nearly impossible to pinpoint. It hadn’t been quite soft but his usual cover of aloofness was completely absent, it was the kind of comfort that was candid and honest in a way that Tsukishima rarely ever displayed. (Y/n) stared at him wide eyed, before slowly nodding. He stared back for another long moment, almost as if waiting for a reply before a look of finality overtook his features and he held up a lazy hand.

“Goodbye.” He said monotonously, before turning to leave without another word. His movement snapped (Y/n) out of her shock and she called after him,

“Goodnight, Tsukishima! Thanks again!” She exclaimed, waving a frantic hand even though she knew Tsukishima wouldn’t be turning back to acknowledge it. As she watched him go (Y/n) felt an unstoppable blush stream across her face as his words rang through her head once more. His kindness was so rare, and as a result it always ended up feeling like a special gift. She touched the heated flesh of her cheek with the tips of her fingers, why was she always getting flustered around him?

“Don’t be so loud, my parents are already asleep.” Shoyo hissed from behind her, sticking his head out of the cracked front door.

(Y/n) realized Tsukishima was gone and that she’d been staring stupidly at nothing, she turned around and offered a sheepish smile.

“Sorry.” (Y/n) whispered, making her way inside once Shoyo opened the door fully and stepped aside.

“Why did you stay out so late?” Shoyo asked as (Y/n) leaned over and began taking off her shoes. After a pause she said,

“Tsukishima walks reeeeally slow.” (Y/n) smirked, lying straight through her teeth.

Shoyo’s eyes widened for a moment as he tried to do the calculations in his head, staring at her in utter perplexity. (Y/n) only snickered, slipping into her slippers as she began to walk away. Shoyo brain finally caught up and he burst out after his cousin,

“Wait, what the fuck?!”

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MASTERLIST

Tagslist: @domtamaki @kodzu-ken @clowninfortodoroki @kageyamasbabygorl @miya-yume @chaelysian @kittyddandnyla @chaseyui @it-was-just-a-ship @melanie09astrid @naorii-chan @chaoticalybiased @saltyteefff @aristatrois @iamthepenguinwhosearseisonfire @raineedayze @freyafolkvangr @scftsugawara @genuinelytodorokisbitch @cleopatera​ @tskeiki @charliefredb​ @just-snog-already​ 

[gascon-en-exil]

Mercilessly Judging the Men of Fòdlan: The Alliance

It’s been a long time coming, over eight months in fact, but now that it may be assumed that the last of the DLC has been released and the fandom as a whole has settled comfortably into its various camps I think there’s no better time than now to answer that burning question: how raunchily, outrageously gay can the male cast of Three Houses possibly be? For those unfamiliar with this fun little series of mine, I’ve been applying my extensive knowledge and experience of gay male sex and hookup culture to the men of Fire Emblem, originally as a way of reckoning with the refusal of the games themselves to provide me with any worthwhile self-insert M/M content. I stand by that premise for FE16 - you all know how absolutely nothing appeals to me about m!Byleth or his prospects on that score - but in the years since my first outing of merciless judgment with Awakening that idea has expanded into something broader, an imaginative modern AU of sorts where all these guys are into men (if not always exclusively) and willing to put themselves out there in the lewd and semi-anonymous world of hookup apps in search of their preferred carnal delights.

A note on organization before we begin, as this material is too long to cram into one post. Excluding Byleth (as Avatars and their spawn always are for this project) there are twenty-one playable male characters in Three Houses. This makes for an even threeway division to preserve the eponymous conceit of the game, but not a particularly neat one. Aligned with the Leicester Alliance I therefore have below the male Deer, Almyran and former Goneril indentured servant Cyril, runaway Alliance noble Balthus, and Alois because his biography states that he’s the son of a merchant family. The Alliance is the nation most associated with successful mercantilism, so there.

The Empire

The Kingdom

Claude

Indecipherable from the start. The alluring shirtless selfie and goofy profile read like a fun and easy lay, but rather than sending nudes he engages in long meandering conversations that last for days or weeks before the first meeting. An expert at drawing people out while revealing almost nothing of himself in return, this takes on more literal dimensions when talk and pictures get more explicit; he’ll respond to dick and ass pics with vaguely positive emojis but deflect repeated requests to send some of his own, but he’s so disarmingly chatty that few guys get angry about this. In-person encounters are similarly frustrating in a way that’s hard to convey, as he’s eager to get his hookups naked and cumming via whatever method expedites the process with as little effort on his part. He’s left more than one satisfied but confused partner wondering some time after their meeting if he’s even really into guys at all, or if he’s playing out some weird service kink or vicarious voyeurism. Whatever the case he’s not much the dating type, not because he’s closeted or non-monogamous but because he has other priorities that don’t mesh well with long-term companionship. A shame too, when he’s become a permanent part of the masturbatory fantasies of many a man with whom he’s had even the briefest of encounters (particularly tops, who see in him a cocky bottom who desperately needs to get wrecked). That’s mostly all it is with him though: just fantasies, quick and dirty and unfulfilling because sex is apparently little more than a means for him to connect with people who may help him reach something bigger. Open-minded about his partners’ kinks, but is extremely touchy about race play; he’s aware that he has an ambiguous look about him, and does not appreciate anyone bringing that up even if the intention is completely innocent.

Favored erotic tea time subjects: your erogenous zones, your fetishes, your guilty pleasures

Favored gift: a lavish dinner, not for the expense but for the pleasure of sharing it

Lorenz

You may not like the hair, or the overwrought floral motif, or the polite but pointed way he pursues dates with the men he’s scoping out, but it’s undeniable that his reputation precedes him as someone who is known and who is worth knowing in the community. He’s not as slutty as that suggests, far from it, but he does enjoy his lunch dates and his inordinately expensive shopping dates and generally being as publicly social as it is humanly possible to be. Has an assortment of fem bottom BFFs on speed dial who are always up to the minute with him on social media, but it turns out he’s more versatile than his age and his...expressive fashion sense might imply. Would absolutely love a boyfriend, but judges all his dates in every aspect and considers least of all the size of their dick or what they know to do with it. It’s unusual for him to run across a guy who’s as well-educated and career-oriented as himself who also meets his admittedly snobbish criteria regarding class, and most of the time when he does they make better friends than marriage candidates. Cannot abide poor manners in or out of bed, and has corresponding expectations about proper condom use and prep (also PreP) and won’t hesitate to interrupt a makeout session with a lecture on not fingering him when he just ate an hour ago and he hasn’t had the chance to use an enema yet. Jock types do little for him, although he does have this one celebrity crush of that sort that he holds dear to his heart precisely because it will never, ever happen (although, he does happen to move in adjacent circles....). 

Favored erotic tea time subjects: office sex, hustlers, the tea itself...not like that

Favored gift: his crush’s contact info, also measurements if he can get them

Raphael

His selfies come in two varieties, gym and food, and this perfectly sums him up as a person and a friend and sexual partner. Sociable but not particularly quick-witted, his conversations are filled with emojis and exclamation points and it’s not very long before he’s making invitations to hang out at either his favorite fitness center or one of his many favorite restaurants. Don’t expect much from the latter however, as he favors quantity over quality. Is more or less the perfect boyfriend if you like them big and dumb, and on some level he knows this because he’s clearly comfortable with who he is and the goals he’s set for himself, both in body weight and in life in general. Even nicer, he likes skinny nerds just as much as he likes guys who can hold their own (or even surpass him) during workouts, and he’ll try just about anything once. Not the most skilled at topping or giving head or anything else that demands precision in action, but he’ll always give his best effort anyway. Besides, he makes a great bottom, with enough cushion and stamina to take a really hard pounding and jerk himself to completion in just about the time it takes for him to coax his partner to orgasm. A simple man with simple tastes and an insatiable appetite for food and pleasure and good company, and if it comes to it a sweet and devoted familial sort as well. Doesn’t have much of an imagination for kinks, but the person who shows him how to combine food with sex might be on the receiving end of a marriage proposal right then and there.

Favored erotic tea time subjects: sexy workouts, feeders, power bottoms

Favored gift: food, especially if you get into watching him eat it

Ignatz

Fucking an art student is always a unique experience, and he’s determined not to disappoint. More likely to share pictures of his latest projects than nudes up front, although he welcomes receiving them himself as he’s quick to explain that he draws his influence from all areas of his life. Has a particular fascination with the kind of unintentional eroticism found in certain religious art, which is more likely to be found quietly perplexing than offensive in hookup spaces. Is shy and relatively untested when it comes to sex, and as such he’s a natural fit for tops who love to break in new twinks. Said tops may have to put up with his request to sketch them in the bed or on his sofa afterwards though, because apparently the nude models in his classes just can’t compare to the men who ten minutes prior had their dicks in him. As he gets older and acquires more familiarity with the medium he’ll start to gravitate more toward guys of a similar age and disposition as himself, who can be subjects for his art without the constant demanding to get off. (They still get off with him of course, but he has trouble convincing the less understanding that that’s not his first priority.) Sometimes too he’ll just want someone to cuddle with and tell him that he’s good at what he does and isn’t making any questionable life choices. However, with art being the uncertain career that it is he may find himself one day having to reconcile himself to a sugar daddy to spare him from a mind-numbing day job - or worse, admitting to whatever disapproving relation(s) he’s got that he screwed up his professional prospects and isn’t doing so hot in the dating scene either. Never quite loses his mawkishness in bed, but hopefully he’ll get past his public anxieties with a bit more success. Is not really into the gym bunny types, although they love him to death and he has to admit that all that toned musculature is easy to work with. Keeps the glasses on during sex, or at least until he has an accident with them.

Favored erotic tea time subjects: artistic nudes, sexy statuary, missionary (he likes to watch the top)

Favored gift: a set of professionally done nude selfies, for modeling

Alois

A loving and devoted husband and father, he’s only in the app space because a friend made a joke about them and he just had to check it out. Utterly clueless on the terminology and the rules of etiquette, such as they are, for a place where it’s considered perfectly acceptable to begin conversation with a picture of your erect cock. Needless to say he completely misunderstands the term “daddy” in this context, thinking it naturally applied to him without being aware of all the horny twinks that would be hitting him up as a result. Will eventually be prodded, laughing and blushing the whole time, into taking and sharing some mildly saucy selfies, and the boys go wild for his literal dad bod and hair in just the right places (including on his face; the handlebar variation is a few decades out of date, but that just makes him more endearing in a dorky retro way). It’s not clear initially whether he’s even attracted to men, but after a few months of chatting and swapping pics and perhaps furtively jerking off to the ones he gets he might agree to a discreet encounter or two. Well, they would be discreet if he weren’t always so loud, and if he didn’t always resist everyone’s immediate impulse to shove a dick in his mouth just to get him to shut up by coming up with yet another dumb joke. Doesn’t get much further than the idea of oral anyway, as he’s not the most sexual guy to start with and he can’t quite get past the immature giggling over ass play. Not a bad jerkoff buddy when it’s all said and done provided you can stand all the puns, nor is he all that bad to look at or cuddle with afterwards once he figures out that guys like his hugs too. One can only wonder what his wife thinks of all this.

Favored erotic tea time subjects: (bad) sex jokes, porn, glory holes

Favored gift: links to daddy porn, so he’ll finally figure it out

Cyril

Born into a rough background and forced to get by in some difficult circumstances has left him hardworking to a fault - emphasis on “fault.” His greatest act of teenage rebellion was to be aggressively not rebellious, and he still hasn’t grown out of that mentality as he’s quick to scorn his more carefree and hedonistic peers and wouldn’t even be on the apps at all were he not so privately, guiltily horny all the time. As may be expected this mentality wins him few admirers and even fewer friends, of any age, the more so because he’s inexperienced and still figuring out exactly what he wants from a sexual encounter. Will bottom but has a complex about the implications, but unfortunately most of the guys willing to hook up with him are tops and expect to get it in at least for a little while. Manages better when it comes to swapping head, having experimented with his more adventurous friends in school. His fastidiousness and unusually good eyesight lead him to subconsciously fixate on his partners’ minor bodily blemishes, and since pointing those out never goes over well he’s taking to prefer sex in the dark. He’s absolutely not looking for a daddy and is annoyed at the suggestion, just as much as he’s annoyed by guys who try to turn pillow talk into impromptu therapy sessions regarding his past. Will take a few more years and probably some time away at school to properly find his footing; there’s a no-nonsense if slightly insecure top buried under the fading twinkish exterior, and provided he learns out to mellow out a bit he could be quite popular one day.

Favored erotic tea time subjects: circle jerks, docking, race play (which he feels guilty about)

Favored gift: a cock ring, for those size woes 

Balthus

He was on the wrestling team in school and acquired a notable reputation for his strength and skill in a brawl, although it was also at this time that he realized he was getting hard every time he would throw down with another guy. Deflects this with an exaggerated womanizing demeanor and a blank profile announcing only that he’s looking and saving even the headless torso shot - impressive though that shot is - for messaging. Gets handjobs and blowjobs and occasionally tops, all NSA and very discreet, but his internalized insecurities fortunately do not extend to his partners. This is probably because his preferred types are either closeted muscle bros like himself or self-confident young bottoms with no patience to take anything from him except a hard fuck and a thick load. His awkward younger days will be long past him before he learns to open up to anything more than that, and even then it’s unlikely that he’ll be very relationship-minded. Has to be educated by more experienced partners on lube and prepping a bottom, and it’ll take a lot of drinks and a lot of convincing to get him to try eating ass (he will though, eventually). Bottoming himself is out of the question except perhaps with the most dedicated of vers guys, but put him on the mat with another total top and there are good odds that someone’s going to end up penetrated before it’s over. Speaking of odds, is terrible with money and not domestic in the slightest, but he’s got a rich family that he can theoretically fall back on in a pinch. Not really boyfriend material, more like the ideal perpetually naked roommate with wandering eyes and a boundless libido.

Favored erotic tea time subjects: erotic wrestling, dirty talk, praise kink

Favored gift: a harness and matching jockstrap, he’s got a thing for gear

[sundaynightnovels]

11/11/11

i was tagged by @cawolters for this questionnaire!! thank you for remembering me <3 and for tagging me in this because this set of questions seem quite fun to do!! 1. If your OC(s) had a car, what would it be? Model, paint job, decorations, gas/electric/hybrid?

Oh no. Ohhh no. I might have to quietly excuse myself from this question... I can barely recognise the different car brands, much less talk about... whatever else you’re asking me to in the question.  i’m sorry, i’ll see myself out. 2. What parts of your OCs’ personality have come from your own?

i don’t base my OCs on myself!! but after writing them for a while and yknow, ruminating about it after tons of questions on the topic... i guess... i see some parts of my personality emerge in some of them. in terms of laziness, i am totally Zhen. i am hella lazy. i wouldn’t leave the house if i can help it. my friends know that, since i’ve been dutifully going to school every weekday of the week from 9 to 6 just to finish our thesis project over these past few months (since last year), they’re not going to be seeing much of me in april after the project is over. i am GOING HOME IMMEDIATELY AFTER CLASS. NOT GOING TO SCHOOL WHEN I HAVE NONE. you want me to go out and meet my friends? pfffft fat chance, i’m going to be staying at home and reacquainting my ass to my bed. and do you think i’ll actually be productive at home? naaaah. gonna be watching all my shows and lying in bed and basically rotting at home and pondering about the existence of my future after graduation and weeping in bed because of it. so yea, i’m completely zhen. 

i also love to eat, like lu!! but i’m quite picky, unlike lu, and my appetite has become smaller over the years, so i can’t eat as much as i used to. but it’s still a big part of my personality! i love food!! i want food right now!! i can be dramatic like shou / teng, but while theirs is more of a... sincere, genuine kind of dramatic, i just do it for fun, like for dramatic purposes yknow, so that’s more like jun. i overreact just for fun, and sometimes my friends think i’m really so dramatic (rolls eyes they don’t know me well enough!!) but it’s really just entertaining to myself. i’m also like jun in the sense that i can be really really deadpan and unresponsive, especially if i’m not close to you / not comfortable around you. other than that, hmmm. i can think of more, some deeper stuff, but not gonna talk about it now! you don’t want to see me cry, do you?? (just kidding, i won’t. probably. hopefully.) 3. And what parts of your OCs’ personalities do you wish you had?

oh, i wish i had shou’s genuine, innocent love for people and society in general. it’s hard to be that way, and it’s just so pure. i also hope to have yu(f)’s determination and motivation, because as i said earlier, i’m hella lazy and am a huge procrastinator. i wish for jia’s confidence and zhen’s disregard for anything that’s not important (i’m too easily affected by things), and to be as easygoing as ren / jun and as kind as teng.  my OCs are such great people really, i’d love to know them in real life.

4. What is your favorite joke in your WIP/stories?

AHH i don’t know. i think everything is great (i mean, i wrote them, ahem ahem). i really really don’t know. my OCs are all a joke tbh, and they’re my favourite jokes.  (awww is that too mushyyy well too bad it’s true) 5. Do you have any jokes that you want to include, but can’t figure out how to? What are they?

Please. my wip is a mess because i include everything and anything that i can. haven’t included much innuendo, but that’s all going to be piled into jun’s backstory . (okay fine, not that many, but still)

i also really really like self-referential jokes, like meta stuff yknow, but i’ve actually included a tiny bit of that in my wip. all said by jun. and it’s very very vague, but i enjoy it anyway.

6. What does your OC do when they get annoyed? Angry? Pissed?

let’s go with ‘pissed’, because in my wip itself my OCs get annoyed a lot (i mean... you see who they have to deal with and you’ll understand), so it’s not as fun talking about it.

zhen would be really really really scary, like murderous scary because she doesn’t get pissed often, if ever (she’s a pretty chill girl) and like, i don’t know exactly what she’ll do to you but you’ll cry. you’ll wish you had never met her. just, don’t.

shou is scary too, and he fights really well, and if your ‘pissing him off’ triggers him to fight, well, you’re gonna get your ass kicked. 

lu’s a small kid, so he often feels powerless, and if he gets really pissed he might shout, he might yell, but very likely after all of that venting, he’ll cry, and he’ll be doubly upset about that.

yu(f) would scream at you, like you’re going to suffer critical damage because she’s not going to hold anything back. she’ll feel bad about it afterwards, but in the midst of everything, she’s not going to hold back and you’re going to feel really bad about yourself

ren is nice. too nice. he’ll stand up for others, and if he scolds you, it’ll be more in a really serious lecturing kinda way, like you’ve disappointed the person you respect the most and you’ll feel bad, not because of him, but because of yourself and your own doings. 

teng wouldn’t scold you, because if ren’s nice, teng’s the epitome of nice. and he’s kind, so he wouldn’t want to hurt you. he’ll keep it to himself and maybe cry about it to someone else later.

jun would probably shut down. i mean, his emotions are usually already pretty closed off, but if he’s really pissed, he doesn’t like to show his emotions and he’ll probably shut down really quickly. he only attacks you if there’s something he wants you to do, so yea.

yu(m) would get all quiet and serious and he’ll probably walk away. he won’t engage, and he’s not the type to explode, but he also won’t take this kind of shit from people and he’ll just walk it off. most mature OC tbh.

7. What is the theme song of one of your supporting characters?

all my characters are pretty main! i can’t answer this! they all are main and they all support one another!

8. If given a bouquet of flowers, how would your OC react?

i’ll just talk about the significant reactions. teng will cry out of joy and happiness and he’ll immediately propose to whoever who gave him the bouquet of flowers and promise a ton of things because his love is finally here!!!

9. What was one of your most grounded moments in one of your WIPs?

my whole wip is pretty grounded. like... okay i can think of a lot of moments though. shou talking about life with jun, shou talking about stuffs with lu, shou talking about more things with teng...

i mean, it’s mostly all with shou because, yknow. he talks, and thinks, a lot. also, he’s considered the main MAIN character so yea.

10. What resources do you use for brainstorming new characters?

mostly thinking about what characters i like and drawing inspiration from there!

11. What format do you think would be really interesting for your story (going from, say, text in chapter to illustrations, journal entries, poems, cassette recordings, etc) besides what you’d originally planned for?

i have no idea right now! probably a comic series, because yknow their interactions are great to write about and i love to see them illustrated!

i’m not going to give more questions so yall can use the above questions! i’m just going to be tagging a few people like @kaigods @aslanwrites @insearchof-solace @incandescent-creativity

[surveys-at-your-service]

Survey #205

forget picking song lyrics, i’m going the hell to bed now.

Do you live by yourself? I live with my mom. Do you like cleaning? Does anyone???? Who is your favorite character from Harry Potter? I've never watched the series; not even a single movie, actually. So I don't have an opinion. Do you watch PewDiePie? Extremely rarely. He's funny, but I'm not interested in his channel's content anymore. Do you like "Despacito?" My sister showed it to me once when she learned I'd never heard it, and I found zero appeal in it whatsoever. Do you play Pokemon Go? It's a brilliant idea, and I really do wish I could play it, but here where I live, there are like ZERO PokeStops (where you get Pokeballs), even in cities, so it's pretty much impossible. Did you ever color your hair pink? No. Do you like Dr. Phil? I don't watch the show and don't know him as a person. Do you prefer to be inside or outside? Inside. Do you eat meat? Sadly. I'm HOPEFULLY quitting when I get to the weight I want; I wasn't getting the nutrients I needed when I was vegetarian to where my body was desperately clinging to what it had or something like that (basically, my weight wouldn't budge in a couple of months), but even still, I don't know if I could do it without depriving myself again. I'm just such a picky eater. Do you need to do the dishes? Yeah. Not desperately, but. Are you scared of clowns? No. Do you have any subscribers on YouTube? *checks* A very impressive 66. Do you believe in ghosts? Yes. Do you salt your popcorn? Yes. Do you like McDonald's? Don't even lie to me, you'll eat there. I don't mind it at all. Do you have a Steam account? Yes. Do you like gaming? Not as much as I used to, but yes. Have you ever played Five Nights at Freddy’s? No. I don't consider jumpscares to be genuinely "scary," but rather a natural reaction to surprise, but FNAF's are intense, and I know they'd have me jumping like crazy. That aside, the games aren't of my personal appeal to actually play (though it's a fun game to watch). Do you like horror movies? Yes. Do you like chicken nuggets? I love me my chicken nuggies hunty. Have you ever tried Akinator? Yes. Can you twerk? I don't know and don't care to. Do you like dabbing? It looks stupid to me. The meme of it makes me laugh, though. What was the last country you visited? I've never left the country. Do you know your phone number? No, actually. It is incredibly difficult for me to memorize sequences, and besides, it's not like I give out my number almost ever. Do you swear in front of children? No. What’s your opinion on Brexit? Shit, I don't even remember what it's about. So obviously I can't have an opinion. It doesn't affect me, anyway. If you want children, what are some of your reasons for wanting them? N/A When you cook a dish that has beans in it, do you prefer to use canned or dry beans? I don't cook, and you'll never see me willingly eat a bean. What were some fun experiments you did in science class as a kid? The two that sharply stand out to me are dissecting an owl pellet in elementary and a frog in middle school. Both were SO cool. What was the last strong emotion you felt? Excitement. After finishing a bowl of cereal, do you drink the leftover milk? Only ever if it's Cinnamon Toast Crunch that I ate. And even then, only sometimes. Do you use dry shampoo between washes? No. What’s the scariest thing you’ve ever done? Overdosing. What’s the most severe allergic reaction you’ve ever had to something? Nothing severe, besides pollen allergies flaring up. What’s your favorite sub-genre of rock? Hard. Who was the last person to get frustrated with you, and why? Mom, but she was more than frustrated. We were having a serious fight about her attitude towards Dad and his wife. What’s something that makes absolutely zero sense to you? Anti-vax shitlords. What’s your phone background? Lock screen is Darkiplier, home screen is Sara kissing my forehead. :'> Have you ever lived with someone you didn’t get along with? No. Do you have a fitness tracker? No. What types of animals have you had as pets? A billion cats, dogs, snakes, lizards, rats, gerbils, guinea pigs, rabbits, fish, box turtles, hermit crabs... and probably more. How well do you understand economics? Have you ever taken an econ class? Not well at ALL. I had one my senior year. What was the last fruit you ate? I had two bites out of a watermelon 'cuz I was really hungry, but we didn't really have anything as a snack. (I fast daily, so I have to watch when my meals are.) I'm not a big watermelon fan, but I hadn't tried these cubes before, and at least it was something. Can you remember your first day of school? I believe I can very faintly... very faintly. I think I had a complete breakdown because of my insane separation anxiety regarding my mom, or it was the complete opposite... alskdfjaweiajr it's like I can kinda see it in the back of my head, but it's super blurry. What’s your favorite movie? The Lion King. It was my favorite as a kid and became so again as an adult just truly acknowledging how damn good and meaningful it is. Plus the soundtrack was a banger. Would you rather jump out of an airplane or go scuba diving? Scuba diving. Do you get bored looking at other peoples’ holiday pictures? Eh. If it's a whole lot, yes, but as a photographer, I enjoy noting which ones I like and why I favor them. Do you give money to charity? Not currently, no. I have no money to give. When I do have a paying job, I plan on definitely donating any time Mark does a charity stream. Are you more into music or movies? Music, easily. When was the last time you went to a swimming pool? WOW. It's been years. Either when I still lived in the apartment or once at Colleen's in-laws', I can't remember which was last. Would you rather have a pet snake or a pet turtle? I have a snake, and I'll take another for sure. Have you ever seen a band live? Who was the last you saw? Just Alice Cooper. Ma and I are seeing Ozzy next year (if the poor man ain't dead), tho!!!! And he's gonna be with Judas Priest and Megadeth. We are NOT going to survive. Do people who use massive amounts of emoticons annoy you? Yes. Emojis, more specifically. If you're writing a sentence and you use an emoji after each and every goddamn word, it drives me up a wall. What was the last clothing item you bought? Underwear, I believe? Or a bra? What does your washing powder smell like? Idk. Normal? Do you have a dishwasher or do you do dishes by hand? By hand, which I cannot explain how much I loathe. It feels disgusting. Are there any cobwebs in your room? I don't believe so, no. Have you ever used a pick-up line and had it work? Ew, I'd never use one to begin with. Have you ever entered a modelling competition? Would you? No to both. The current modelling industry is so, so harmful. Did you keep any drawings/stories from when you were younger? Like around two years ago, I remember going on a mass destruction episode of those super old things, as they embarrassed me horribly, even though I know it had no real reason. Just everything I create embarrasses me. My mom has old school stuff, though. Who did you last have an argument with? Mom today. When was the last time you cooked for yourself? If you include putting things in the microwave with few steps... not that long ago. Maybe two days back. Do you have a safe? Mom does. When was the last time you saw a relative? Mooonths ago when Grammy and her husband were driving through. My brother and his son are visiting real soon, though!! Do you shout out the answers at quiz shows? Yes, lol. Have you ever been in a TV audience? I've been to like three-four hockey games, so yeah. Have you ever entered the lottery? Won anything? No. Well, Mom or Dad would rarely get those scratch-off tickets at random, but the most we've ever got was just like five bucks or so. Do you prefer crosswords or word searches? Word searches. Have you ever drawn on a wall in your house? No. Do you like making collages? No. Have you ever kept a scrapbook? Yeah. What’s your favorite video-game? Silent Hill 2 and Shadow of the Colossus. Sigh, I want a PS4 SO bad to get the SotC remaster. I actually teared up when I saw the opening cutscene for the first time, and I just marveled through the EEEEEEENNNNtire playthrough I watched. It's unbelievable. Do you remember any inside jokes from childhood? Not off the top of my head. I'm tired, don't make me think. Have you ever made up a word? Well, as a writer, I've made up names and places. A word itself, I don't think so. Do you get nervous speaking to people you don’t know on the phone? VERY!!!!!!!! Are you scared of anything irrational? You mean like, half my fears? Do you have a passport? What’s the picture like? No. Have you ever had a full fringe? (bangs) As a kid I did. Is there anything you would never admit to liking? Don't think so. What’s the weirdest craze you can remember? Fidget spinners. Do you use bug spray or fly swatters? Fly swatters. Then we also have this hanging cylindrical sticky... thing that flies and gnats are apparently attracted to with the smell, I guess. Works like magic, though I agree it's pretty cruel. Just stuck there until you die. Are you a clumsy person? Boy, am I. Do you have tiled floors in your house? In three rooms. Do you listen to any movie soundtracks regularly? No. Do you bruise easily? Way too easily. Like normally something simple won't leave behind an obvious one, but even a normal poke in the arm hurts a lot and leaves the spot sore for a good while. I was tested for anemia, but apparently, I don't have it. What would you love to learn to do? Play the electric guitar. Do you prefer monkeys or lemurs? Ehhh... lemurs as far as cute goes, monkeys overall. Do you watch movies based on the actors or the movie plot? The plot. Do you have any phone charms on your mobile? No. What is your opinion on sex without emotional commitment? That's a big 'ole honkin' nope. Last time you puked from drinking? Never. Have you ever gotten drunk and danced on a bar? No. What is your favorite simple ice-cream flavor? Vanilla. Though sometimes I prefer chocolate. Do you pay attention to calories on the back of packages? Only for dinner. I forgot the science behind it, but one of my meds for bipolarity only works to its full effect after ingesting at least 350 calories; I only get about a 20% effectiveness of the medicine when eating less. I know it sounds weird, but my psychiatrist is a goddamn genius, and I trust every word that comes out of his mouth. When was the last time you slept on the floor? Two years ago when I was living with Colleen and I didn't have a blow-up mattress yet. Are you currently wanting any piercings or tattoos? When???????????????? do I?????????????? not???????????????????????????????????? Do you wear flip-flops? That's pretty much all I wear just about year-round... I remember in 7th grade, one of my teachers asked me about it a lot and I just told her I didn't mind the cold, which was true. Pretty sure she thought I was lying and was too poor to buy new clothes or something, as she gifted me socks one day, which I thought was incredibly sweet. I miss my 7th grade teachers. Best school year. Who was the last person to kiss you on the cheek? Pretty sure my niece Aubree when saying bye. What is your favorite sauce to eat with spaghetti? Normal Prego sauce, I think. Have you ever seen a magic show? A little one as a kid. When was the last time you vomited and why? Months and months ago when I was testing a medication. Quit that shit real fast, as it made me sick so many times. Where do you usually sit when you eat dinner? Uhhh I eat in my bed usually, lmao. We almost never sit at the table. I normally do if Mom's there, though. How often do you get headaches? Ugh, often. Why did you call the last person you called? I was calling back about my job application that I was supposed to hear about yesterday. How many windows are in the room you’re in? Two. Do you have Facebook friends that you’ve never actually met? Yes. When was the last time you had your photo taken professionally? Not since senior pictures, pretty sure. I hated how it came out. I have a lazy eye when I smile, gah. How long does it take you to get to school or work? Currently N/A. Let’s say you had a baby with the last person you kissed? We're both female, so. And neither of us want kids anyway. When was the last time you completely broke down? A couple weeks ago in a totally random and severe panic attack. Do you have someone you can spill your heart out to? Yeah. Is there a person that you would do absolutely anything and everything for? No. I'm not gonna, say, murder someone just because they want me to. What’s something you really want right now? To go and get my tattoo cleaned up by a more professional artist alsdkjfalwei. I got the approximate cost, I just have to wait until I can afford it. This tattoo is so so so important to me and it needs to be perfect. What is your relationship status? Taken. What was the longest time you’ve wasted on a certain person? Not even two weeks lmao. I said yes to dating mostly out of fear of hurting his feelings, and he QUICKLY proved he was NOT for me. Are you listening to music right now? Yeah, my iTunes is on shuffle. Anyone you would like to get things straight with? I wouldn't want to be friends I don't think, but I REALLY want to see Jason one final time to tell him how sorry I am. I recently acknowledged just how fucked up I treated him after the breakup; he wasn't the only one who made mistakes. I sure as hell did. He deserves to hear it badly. I do believe our last talk was a good ending, but I feel me finally admitting that I fucked up would be the perfect one. What was the best thing that happened to you today? Seeing Dad for his birthday. When was the last time you did something for the first time? I talk-talked to some WoW friends a couple days ago, though very very briefly. I couldn't figure Discord push-to-talk out and I ended up panicking lmao. What color are the last new pair of pants that you bought? Black. Is your room clean? I should dust and vacuum, but the latter doesn't currently work. List all the countries you’ve visited.  I've never left America. At what age would you allow your kids to dye their hair? Shit, whenever they wanted tbh. So long they sounded serious about it and it wasn't just a brief episode of "oh this would be cool." Which fast food place do you eat at the most? Hm. Wendy's or Sonic. When was the last time you weren’t lonely? Jesus fucking Christ, who knows. What kind of movies do you like? Horror, fantasy, Disney/kids' films, comedies, rom coms, and emotionally moving ones. Bats are not spooky or are they? They're adorable, omg. Do you think blue is a gay color? Fuck off. What's your opinion on gays? Fuck off harder. Do you like the song "Womanizer"? Don't even talk to me if you don't. Where is your favorite place to get fries? You can't live your fullest life without having Bojangle's fries at least once. Do you know anyone who was raised by their grandparents? Idk. Have you ever made your own pie from scratch? No. Who was the last person you had an in-depth conversation with? Sara. What was the last fast food item you ate? A hot dog. What is your favorite gaming console? You know PS2 was the best, you know it. What was the last major city you visited? Raleigh, if that even counts. Do you always have a stock of alcohol in your house? No. Have you ever had a pumpkin latte and if so, did you like it? I hate everything pumpkin-flavored. Is there an antique store in your town or city? I think so... Have you ever been to a baby shower? My sister's. Maybe others', but idr. Do you know anyone who has been to rehab? Pretty sure yes. How many romantic relationships have you been in so far? Genuinely "romantic" ones, two. Would you consider yourself to be a picky eater? I am 99% sure I am the pickiest human being to ever live. Have you ever lived in a house with a pool in the yard? Not a built-in one. What color is your toothbrush? Blue. Do you have gluten intolerance or know anyone who does? I know a few people. Have you ever slept in a car overnight? No. Have you ever fainted? Yes. Do you avoid conflict as much as possible? YUP. Do you like ice cream cake? I'm not a big fan. Have you ever made out with someone of the same sex? Yes. Where is your second home!? The place I'm second-most comfortable is probably Sara's. What song always makes you sad? I avoid listening to "The Mortician's Daughter" by Black Veil Brides unless I just really, really want to hear it. I always tear up due to memories. Have you ever played a game that required removing your clothes? No. Where is your favorite place to be kissed? Breasts and neck. Were you mean as a little kid? No. Who was the last person you hung out with? Dad. What is your mother’s name? Donna. What is your favorite song at the moment? I've been in true love with a heavy metal cover of "Invincible" from the WoW soundtrack for like a full month. What day will you never forget? The breakup night. Suicide attempt. My niece and nephew being born. Meeting Sara. Getting Teddy. First time hanging out at Jason's. 16th birthday. Alice Cooper concert. Putting Dale and Cali down. There's a lot. What was the last thing you took a picture of? Some crazy shit on FB to show Sara. Something you're looking forward to? Getting a goddamn job. What is God teaching you right now? Lul. What does Notre Dame Cathedral mean to you, and how has its fire affected you? I was devastated to hear about it; it was the one event that actually got me paying attention to the news. It is a monument of incredible art and history, and for Catholics, a house of their god. I am so thankful the damage wasn't too tremendous. What’s the last dumb decision you made that you beat yourself up over? I dunno. Surprisingly. What’s your favorite version of the Bible to read? N/A If applicable, do you underline verses in your Bible? N/A When was the last time you went to church? Not since Colleen had her extreme Christian phase two years ago. What’s the last song you listened to on repeat? "Radio" by Rammstein. That new album's gonna be bangin'. Does your town’s hospital have a good reputation? NOPE. It sure does not. I have no issue with the psychiatric care unit there, though. Every time I went to the ER for suicidal thoughts or the attempt, they were sweethearts to me. But as far as physical health, they do NOT have a good rep. I know someone's grandfather that nearly fucking died thanks to them, and I can't recall what it was exactly, but Mom had some complaints during her kidney cancer treatment. What is your hometown known for? Crime. Are you longing for and missing a toxic person? I honestly miss Colleen sometimes, but I can't go back to her. I can't. I'm done giving her more chances than she deserves. It was nice to actually have someone to hang out with, but she is just overall not a pleasant person. What’s your greatest longing? Financial stability, probably. Have you ever read a Bible verse and thought, “this isn’t true”? BOY HOWDY- What are you behind on? Being an adult. I am 23 and a SOOOOOORRYYYYYY excuse for one. Is there someone who’s stolen from you and never got caught? Yes. Someone stole our basketball hoop from my childhood home. Have you been lonely for most of your life? Most of my life, no. What color is your sleeping bag? I don’t have one. When was the last time you used a sleeping bag, and what for? When I lived with Colleen and slept on the floor for a bit. Do you live near the woods? Yeah, there's woods across the road. What do you want to be for Halloween this year? List 1-3 ideas. I wanna be the dumb blonde witch from Hocus Pocus, lmao. A pastel vampire would be pretty cool. And Rhett from the "Sleep Tight" video has instilled in me the great desire to be a steampunk toothfairy at least once. List five things people have been jealous of you for. Idk. List five things you have felt jealous of other people for. More than anyone, a friend of many friends' photography success when I can genuinely and modestly say I really think I'm better than her. That is easily the worst envy situation I've dealt with (and still do), as this is the one that is actually almost spiteful, wrong as that is. Then I have another friend who is a FANTASTIC photographer as well and is now a professional one in the fashion industry, I believe. Then there was a girl I went to school with called Cailin whose drawing skills were naturally INCREDIBLE since elementary school, and I remember back then, me and her would always get the most attention for our work, but she did moreso, but I wanted to be the "best" artist. Once I hit high school I just had great respect for her talent. Next, one of my former best friends Hannia was a natural GENIUS that got perfect scores on LITERALLY almost anything; she had the highest GPA in the entire school, while I was right behind her. And uhhhh five... I have been and still am jealous of my sisters for being proper, successful adults. What is your favorite shade of brown? Like a caramel tone, I guess? What color is your toilet seat? White. Would you rather live in an apartment or a house? Definitely a house. What’s one thing you had growing up that you miss now? Energy. Do you prefer kale, lettuce, or spinach? Lettuce. Do you listen to instrumental bands such as Hammock, Trentemoller, etc.? No. Have you ever gotten a manicure or pedicure? Just because my sisters went and Mom wanted me to hang out with them. I may have with my old friend, too. Have you ever self-harmed? Yeah. Never the answer. Do you have any eating disorders? No. I'm afraid of developing one once I (hopefully) get to the weight I want, though. Have you ever met a celebrity? No. Do you like Monster Energy or do you prefer other energy drinks? I hate energy drinks. They taste like poison. Do you plan on getting married? Yeah. Do you want kids? That's a big fat nope. What’s your sexual orientation? I don’t judge. Bisexual. At what time of day do you normally feel the best? The morning. Name one reason why someone should not commit suicide. YOU. CAN. GET. BETTER. Seek professional help if you feel suicidal, and after what I understand is a serious struggle, you truly can go into the light at the end of the tunnel. You've got, to our understanding, one shot at this. Don't end it when there is a possibility for a beautiful future. If you’re unhappy, what would it take to make you fulfilled? Have a job and be in school. Name someone you know who is a cancer survivor. My mom. Are you friends with any cancer survivors? I don't think so. Do you wish the sunrise and sunset lasted longer? Hm. Sunset, maybe. Idk. Name a country whose history you know nothing about. Lmao most. What is your favorite store at the mall? Hot Topic. Do you have a bed or do you sleep on a mattress on the floor? I have a bed. When was the last time you went for a run? Shit, not since high school gym. Do you keep Christmas lights up year-round? No. What did you win a scholarship for? Nowhere. What type of bug do you see the most often in your home? Flies. Do you put off things until the last minute? I tend to. Is your mom the same size as you? No, I'm smaller. Do you know any Christians who aren’t judgmental? No shit. Do you still think of that Gwen Stefani song when you spell bananas? Ha ha yup. Do you like the way your hair naturally is, or do you change it? It's fine. But I want it dyed badly. Do you know anyone who died accidentally by doing something stupid? Yes. How many different languages have you taken in school? Latin and German. How tall is your father? (Estimate?) Idk. Over six feet. Would you meet Miley Cyrus if you had the chance? No. What is your favorite slow song? Oh yeesh. Idk. Maybe "See You On The Other Side" by Ozzy. Do you believe in karma? No. Do you constantly check your cell phone? No. Only Sara or Mom ever text me, and I pick it up just if the green light is blinking (means I have a message). If there were aliens on earth, would you be afraid? Well yeah. If you could spend 1 hour 20 years in the future, would you? Yes. I want to see where I am, so long as I can change my behavior to improve that future if needed. Otherwise, I don't wanna know. Are your pets asleep? Teddy probably is, Bentley might be, idk where Roman is, but he likely is, I can't see Mitsu from where I am currently, Venus may be (no eyelids, so you never know) as she's in her rock, and Kaiju is awake. Have you ever wished you were an only child? Never. Have you ever hurt someone on purpose? Yes. Have you ever gotten hurt while sledding? No. Do you enjoy going through old pictures? It depends on the subject of them and my mental state. Kid pictures I'm always up for, high school ones are okay, though they can make me really upset with how healthy and skinny I was, and I deleted all photos I had on Facebook of Jason and me last year so I couldn't even risk looking at them ever again, as there's a good chance some would trigger my PTSD. Of all your exes, who do you think you had the deepest feelings for? Jason, obviously. Do you tend to have a lot of drama in your life? I have the most uneventful, bland life. No. When’s the last time someone was disappointed in you? Idk. What song are you listening to right now? Is this one of your favorite songs? "Alone I Break" by Korn. No, but I love it. What is something you have to explain a lot? My sweating issue. Gross to talk about, but I sweat seriously excessively, like you would not believe. It can be 70 degrees and I'll be sweating in seconds. People worry about it, and in VR, I've had to explain it so many times due to it affecting suitable jobs (I think we can all agree being drenched in sweat at work looks extremely bad). Hopefully I won't have to anymore when my doctor decides what to do about it. It's most likely a thyroid issue, which I have no clue about how to subdue symptoms of. There's really a shitload I have to explain lately between doctors and VR... Which compliment do you receive the most? From those that know me/see me, that I'm losing weight. From people in general, "I love your hair" or something like that. Who were you last on the phone with? My sister. What is one thing you have always wondered? Uh. Idk. I'm sure there's a lot, just nothing's coming to me atm... What do your friends think about the music you listen to? Your family? My friends and I like similar stuff, as do my parents, especially Mom. My sisters are the total opposite of me and don't enjoy metal and the like at all. Has anyone ever told you to grow up? Essentially. Do you believe people when they say they don’t judge people? Hell no. How many true friends do you have? Excluding family and my girlfriend as they're more than that, like... one or two, it feels like most of the time. Can you honestly say you’re happy right now? No. What is something you are exceptionally bad at? Doing math in my head or spelling up there. AND READING LIPS. Do you have a house phone? No. Who do you love more than anyone right now? Don't make me choose between Mom and Sara. How much money do you have saved up? I literally have $11. Do you like bright/neon colors? Yes, but I prefer pastel. What is your favorite wild animal? Meerkats. Do you ever eat breakfast? I almost always do. Do you remember who your first grade teacher was? Yes. Have you ever won any trophies? What for? Yeah, for A honor roll all through elementary school (save for 5th grade; I got one B and was so upset, lmao), then in all kid sports I played, everyone got lil ones, some from dance I believe, and I think there's one or two others I'm not thinking of...

[sulevinblade]

OC Interview Meme

Tagged by: @mocha-writes (hopefully it tags you properly this time? But still, THANK YOU!!)

I’ll tag: @gremlinquisitor ofc, and anyone else who wants to do it! I don’t know who all among you may have already done it for your OCs but I love reading these!!

Since I did Ghilanel here, this one will be with Varevas. I’m... sorry, about him.

1. What is your name?

“You’ve lost my confidence with the very first question.”

2. What is your real name?

“Varevas, First of Clan Lavellan and Lord Inquisitor. I should make you use the entire thing for the duration as penance for not doing the least amount of background research.”

3. Do you know why you were called that?

“The end of it is just titles, of course, and I’m called those because I earned them, more or less. My given name is a variation of one given to at least one child in every generation of our clan in order to ensure someone carries our freedom forward. But no pressure.”

4. Are you single or taken?

“I am taken, frequently and to great mutual satisfaction.”

5. Have any abilities or powers?

“I love hearing them called powers because the implication is I went to bed one night unable to conjure a great fist of stone out of the loose Fade energy pouring from the rifts and then woke up able to do so. Maybe that’s how it looks to people who don’t possess magic of their own. I have many abilities, learned and honed through time and training. I have one power and that is closing rifts. I had nothing to do with that.”

6. Stop being a Mary Sue.

“I have no idea who that is.”

7. What’s your eye color?

“Green, light green.”

8. How about your hair color?

“Dark red. I’m thinking of growing it out.”

9. Have you any family members?

“My mother was killed by human bandits but my father is still alive, and I have one younger brother and a cousin with whom I’m quite close.”

10. Oh? What about pets?

“No, but recently we were in the Emerald Graves and I found a handful of caterpillars all climbing on some sort of communal nest or cocoon site. I didn’t really think anything of it and no one there knew what kind they were or if they were dangerous, but they did seem to respond to the sound of our voices. It was as though it startled them, but it looked like they were dancing, so I spent a few minutes teaching them different rhythms. I don’t think they cared for it but I never said I was good with animals. Bull thought it was hilarious.”

11. That’s cool I guess, now tell me about something you don’t like.

“I don’t like having my ancedotes dismissed. If we’re looking on a larger scale, I really don’t like that there’s an ancient magister threatening to destroy the world and start over and some people’s greatest concern is still how the ears of the person leading the fight to stop that are shaped.”

12. Do you have any hobbies/activities you like doing?

“I enjoy reading. My clan didn’t have many books and what we did have were focused on our history and written by other elves, which is very effective if you don’t ever plan on interacting with anyone other than elves ever. I can understand why many in my clan would have preferred that but I’ll take Skyhold’s library any day.”

13. Ever hurt anyone before?

“Oh yes, it’s a running joke. If you asked Dorian what my hobbies are, he’d tell you it’s indiscriminate murder, but I think I’m very discriminating.”

14. Ever… killed anyone before?

“I got ahead of myself with the last one. Well, asked and answered, but again, it’s not indiscriminate.” He looks unusually serious for a moment. “I learned my history and I know what indiscriminate murder looks like. What Corypheus intends is indiscriminate. What I am doing, as a representative of the Inquisition, is as thoughtful as it can afford to be. I don’t expect the families of people on the other side to thank me but I am doing what I feel has to be done.”

15. What kind of animal are you?

“A bear. Please ignore all follow up commentary from Dorian should there be any.”

16. Name your worst habits.

“I enjoy reading but I’m very bad at finishing books. There’s a stack of them beside my bed, all with bookmarks in them just waiting for my attention span to resolve itself. I don’t spend as much time here [in Skyhold] as I probably ought to but I’m not comfortable here. I interrupt Dorian’s research on a daily basis, though I can’t say that’s really all that bad since he still gets an impressive amount done.”

17. Do you look up to anyone at all?

“It’s disappointing to me that our differing opinions on the sovereignty of mages keeps Vivienne from giving me so much as the time of day because she’s achieved a kind of power and status that defies all expectations I have ever held for myself as a mage, and I was going to be Keeper of my clan. She’s competent, powerful, self-possessed, and a dazzling conversationalist. Many of those same things can be said of Solas but he also hasn’t kept himself apart in the same way so what admiration I may have for him is tempered by familiarity. We’re friendly, though I do still look up to him and now that he knows we share an interest in manipulating the energy coming from the rifts I think we’ll become even closer. Vivienne, however, is a class apart.”

18. Gay, straight, or bisexual?

“Gay. What a strange way to follow up your previous question.”

19. Do you go to school?

“And yet another unexpected turn! I began a mentorship under my clan’s Keeper as soon as I came into my magic. She ensured I studied other subjects as well but the main focus was history and lore; that’s a Keeper’s function, after all, it’s... it’s literally the name. Keeper.”

20. Do you ever want to marry and have kids one day?

“I haven’t really thought about it. I want to spend the rest of my life with Dorian but marriage is complicated for a lot of reasons, and frankly I can’t imagine anyone who takes the threat our world faces right now seriously daydreaming about raising a child. I want to make sure we have a world where raising families is still a possibility at the end of this but for myself, I don’t know.”

21. Do you have any fanboys/fangirls?

"I pay for my drinks at the Herald’s Rest just like anyone else. I really don’t care for being recognized even though I realize it’s inevitable. Except with you, though, you didn’t even know my name.”

22. What are you most afraid of?

“Fucking it all up. Absolutely just ruining everything. I like to keep my fears general so I’m always just a little terrified, it’s very motivational.”

23. What do you usually wear?

“I prefer light clothing that allows me to move easily. I need to ground myself in order to cast but I need to have my arms and body free.”

24. Do you love someone?

“I do. I never imagined that being an outcome of all this but I’m also lucky enough that he loves me back.”

25. When was the last time you wet yourself?

“Have you ever been gripped by the wrist and hoisted like a wet rag doll by a twelve-foot-tall creature made of red lyrium and avarice who wanted nothing more than to snap your hand off and kill you, knowing all your back-up had fled because you sent them away and the only outcome of this encounter was your death? You’d pee a little too, trust me.”

26. Well, it’s not over yet!

“I wouldn’t be surprised if he made me piss myself again, but this time I’ll be ready.”

27. What class are you? (High class, middle class, low class)

“Being the First of the clan meant I enjoyed certain privileges but our clan was not a wealthy one. My life here in Skyhold is an improvement in a lot of ways over life with the clan in that regard, and I suppose I am a lord now.”

28. How many friends do you have?

“More than six but less than ten. Draw your own conclusions.”

29. What are your thoughts on pie?

“Surprisingly difficult to make but worth it.”

30. Favourite drink?

“The water in Skyhold is the cleanest, freshest tasting water I’ve ever had, and it’s often bitterly cold too, so cold your teeth ache when you drink it. The castle is too cold to really enjoy that but I do enjoy it. Dorian thinks I’m mad but it’s the only cold thing I like.”

31. What’s your favourite place?

“My quarters, with all the doors closed and curtains hauled over them, a fire on and my lover close at hand. It’s the only way I can thaw out.”

32. Are you interested in someone?

“Keep. Up.”

33. What’s your bra cup size and/or how big is your willy?

“I've received no complaints.”

34. Would you rather swim in the lake or the ocean?

“Dorian tells me in Tevinter they have great indoor baths for swimming in. Given the option, one of those.”

35. What’s your type?

"Fire and Rift.” He pauses and sighs. “I don’t know that I could ever be with someone who wasn’t a mage. It made life in the clan very isolating because even as the First you were still seen mostly as competition for younger mages who wanted to keep their place in the clan. Having a ‘type’ never occurred to me. It still hadn’t when I ended up here. I don’t know that I have one. I love Dorian. I don’t need a type.” 

36. Any fetishes?

His eyes flash and narrow and Varevas leans forward in his chair. “Whenever possible, I try to convince Dorian to keep his clothes on when I go down on him. I get off on the smell of the leather and the jingle of all those ridiculous buckles and clasps keeping him bound up while I try to make him explode.” He maintains eye contact the entire time he speaks and there’s not a hint of color on his cheeks. “Dorian is an incredibly private man who would be profoundly hurt if I revealed anything factual in a situation like this, so do with that statement what you will.”

37. Seme or uke? Top or Bottom? Dominant or Submissive?

“We’re done discussing this.”

38. Camping or indoors?

“Indoors. Who doesn’t like being warm and dry?”

39. Are you wanting the interview to end?

“If that’s what it takes to end these questions about my private affairs then yes.”

40. Now it’s over!

“Brilliant. You can show yourself out.”

[barbecuedphoenix]

Sorry about the kinda obvious clichê, but Iwould like to see a fake relation piece with Nevra

Just to be sure, I looked upthe ‘fake relationship’ trope in case it means something different in media thanin my mind.  

And I was dazzled by all thevariations in TV alone. o_o Getting a fake partner is step #1 on the road to landing an actual partner, apparently. 

Either way, this is what I’vegot. Hope it satisfies, @mentacomchocolate.

This much Nevra will say: hehas had to pose as a mission partner’s spouse/lover/casual bed companion/etc.for quite a few missions in order toinfiltrate a hotspot. And according to partner testimonies and his own missiontrack record… he’s pretty damn good at it, always turning heads and rollingeyes whenever he shows up at a joint with his arm locked round his colleague’swaist. As planned. ;) The fact thatit’s also his idea 99% of the time is beside the point.

What’s the secret to his success as a faux-boyfriend? Love what youdo. And in Nevra’s case, he’s enamored with both the clandestine,dinner-party intrigue that comes with the role of a fake boyfriend as well as therituals of romance itself. Not to mention that this drama-king loves making hisaudience at least a little uncomfortablewhenever he strokes his partner’s cheek and lays on the sweet-names at thedinner table. So if an attractive colleague or friend approaches him in hisoff-duty hours with the role of their fictional boyfriend—for purely personal reasons—he’sinclined to say ‘why the hell not?’ Then commend them for coming to the rightperson. ;)

And if their objective is tostick it to some disagreeable ex of theirs… that just makes their case evenharder to refuse. It is his obligationas a gentleman to show that sorry schmuck how a real lover acts.

Still, this isn’t a simplefield assignment (and he’s not everybody’son-call boyfriend). Nevra will first lay down some ‘conditions’ beforehe agrees to save his friend/colleague’s reputation. One: he’ll loan them hispretty face for a limited time only, and only if they have something really interesting to offer him inexchange. He isn’t obliged to help them look ‘not-single’. Two:they’ll let him act as he sees fit to ‘carry out the role’. Because how willpeople believe the ruse if he doesn’t act a little affectionate to them? ;) Andthree: if other complications on their end crop up—such as their objectiveactually being more than to piss-off their ex—then he’s within his rights topull out of the ploy. This is a game with people’s hearts and reputations onthe line, and if they’re not honest with him from the beginning about theiraims and the stakes, then they can’t expect him to join in.

Otherwise… let the gamesbegin. ;)    

What is he like as a fake boyfriend?  

As an actor and accomplice inthe ruse, Nevra is actually very reliable; you can’t ask for a better fakeboyfriend than a professional spy. He doesn’t easily lose his cool when put on the spot, improvising alibi after alibi if necessary. And he’s gameenough to roll with his partner’s ploys and other unexpected surprises without somuch as a blink, staying welded to their side for the entire party with a glassof wine ready (which also makes it easier for him to swoop in and save theirass if they begin to crack under scrutiny). The main drawback: if they’re notcareful, Nevra will step in to mastermind their collection of cover-stories andstrategies for ‘mingling at parties’ to draw maximum attention, until his ‘partner’begins to wonder whose idea this really is. Don’t mistake him: Nevra knows thisis his friend’s show, and if they wish to pull the plug early, he’ll defer totheir wishes. It’s just that he’s… invested in their joint success. And is98% sure that he has more experience in stoking people’s jealousy than they do.If he’s playing the role, he’ll make dead sure that they look like El’s new golden couple while this lasts.    

That said, this vampire willsimply ooze charm when it’s time to play the role of a pseudo-boyfriend. Enoughto tempt his accomplice into rolling their eyes every fifteen minutes. He’sa natural flirt who enjoys being open with his affections. So he’ll opendoors for them, pull up chairs, show up for every ‘date’ with a fancy token ofhis appreciation before dancing them under the streetlamps for everyone to see,bundle them into his scarf as soon as the night grows chill, map the backs oftheir hands with his lips and substitute their name for honeyed endearmentsthat recycle the word ‘heart’, and that’s only when he’s not declaring—loudenough for bystanders to hear—how much more radiant his ‘lover’ is looking bythe day… In short, whatever it takes to drive home the point to onlookers thathis ‘partner’ has excellent taste in choosing him. And making said partner-in-crimeblush is icing on the cake.  

Matters will get really interesting though if Nevra’spseudo-lover is both a good sport anda charmer who knows how to play the role of a graceful, coquettish object ofdesire to the ‘e’. There are few fantasies quite like working with another skilledactor, and Nevra will be inclined to prolong the ruse just to enjoy the show they’re both putting on. And then raise the bar by offering his ‘partner’ someprops to wear whenever they appear in public. Like a black silk choker ordainty ascot tied around their neck, to imply that there’s a little ‘souvenir’he left on their skin after he– supposedly– stayed over the other night. Silkhandkerchiefs dabbed in his cologne that they can—publicly—tuck into theirbodice. Tall, lace-up leather boots with just enough space to stick ariding-crop in, for ‘personal use’, as he’ll casually mention to (disgusted) bystanders.Really, if his partner is happy to follow through on this raunchier act, thenNevra will start to wonder why they aren’tactually dating each other. Just imagine the fireworks if this is all real.

When will the ruse stop?

If all goes well (i.e. notrampled feelings, inconvenient secrets, or backstabbing), Nevra will amicablywalk out of the role of their boyfriend once their designated time is up, armedwith a smooth alibi for both of them to use to explain their cordial ‘break-up’to the public. And he’ll wish his co-conspirator good luck with a smile, thenextend an invitation for a friendly drink and a status update in a few weeks’time. This was fun, don’t mistake him. Though he draws the line at offeringan encore performance: as much as he enjoys this game and the attention, hedoesn’t intend to be their social crutch in the long-term (i.e. being theirfictional on-and-off-again booty-call boyfriend). He knows what he’sworth, and it’s up to them to escapetheir rut of singlehood.  

But if Nevra genuinely enjoysplaying the role of their boyfriend and sees that they too are having fun, hemight offer to extend the ruse for even longer. Why should they ‘break up’ whenthey get along so well? He’ll avoid admitting explicitly that he too has beenmilking the situation for his own ends, but he’ll smile unabashedly at them asthey gape at realizing he just snuck an offer to turn their ruse into reality.

If they give their assent, he’llgrin wide and sweep them into his arms, pulling them into a real, unscriptedkiss and joking that he might have to thank their ex for what they’ve given him.His mind will begin churning for new places, programs, and inspiration for theirnext date to top all the others they’ve been on so far. Because this time, itisn’t an act.  

If they say no, Nevra willfight to maintain his smile, succeeding with just a split-instant drop of the cornersof his lips. But he’ll assure them drolly that he ‘understands their position’,and won’t push the point further. In fact, he’s inclined to get up and leave asfast as possible. And it’s only when he’s alone again on the pavement, walkingfast through the night and sticking to the deserted alleys, that he’ll allowthe burn of humiliation to crawl up his neck, up to his face, and scorch hisscalp. So, all they wanted from him in the end was a pretty face and fasttongue. Never had he thought that he’ll be so willingly objectified, and thenfool himself into thinking that there might be something more. This isn’t hisfirst gambit; he should have known better than to expect more from thesituation. Or from them.

Posing as the perfect boyfriend isn’t quite so amusing now. 

Oops, I did it again. I brokehis heart. Beyond the parameters of the request.

You’re still my favorite guyin the game, Nev. That’s exactly why I do this. ;)

As ever, read, enjoy(hopefully), and review. My inbox may still be closed for requests, but I’llnever say no to feedback. 

[hisquccn]

Spoils of War Chapter 4

Previously Royai Royalty but now I’ve given it a legitimate name... 

Chapter 1/Chapter 2/Chapter 3

I am also posting this to AO3 now but I’ve only posted chapter 1 on there now. I’m taking my time and not giving time limits on myself because that’s how I burn myself out sooo... i hope you enjoy. Feel free to reblog this, yes I’m a rp blog, but it’s whatever. Rp and fanfiction are both my forms of writing so it’s cool. Feel free to drop some comments in my askbox or whatevs too.

Summary: The prince used to love his gifts from his knights as they conquered new lands, until he realized the blood that was spilled for each new object. As he grew unhappy with material possessions, the knights resorted to bringing him less willing spoils of battle. He has to put an end to their capturing of innocent people… Hopefully his new prize, a blonde with a temper larger than his kingdom, can help him set the country free…

“A month.”

The dark haired man turned his eyes from his desk to the blonde in the room. He'd been so caught up with the papers on his desk that he hadn't even heard the woman enter. “A month?”

“That's how long you've kept me here.” She explained. Despite the conversation, she never turned to him. Instead, she did her duties as his maid; changing the bedding and collecting the dishes from the most recent meal he'd enjoyed at his desk. “You told me you'd let me go.”

Roy laid his quill down gently, sighing tiredly. The duties of a prince, it seemed, piled higher each day. He'd stop enjoying the company of others in the dining hall for dinner, and instead chose to retreate to his room. He'd made a promise, however, and she'd been patient. The murmurs about the newcomer in the prince's chambers had died down after a week or so, but his worries, as well as his other duties, kept him from following through on his word.

“You're right.” Pushing himself from the desk, he stretched his stiff muscles, cracking his knuckles. “I'll get you out of here. I'm sorry it's taken so long.”

The way her brown eyes widened told him she didn't expect him to follow through so easily. A pang of guilt shot through him for losinghimself so deeply in his work that he'd left her to clean his messes and she'd waited patiently for him to release her. “Tomorrow.” He told her. “I'll take you back to your village or anywhere else if you prefer.

“With the right company guarding me, you can slip away unnoticed, and you will be free. So where is it you'd like to go, Miss Riza?”

Her new name, Elizabeth, was used by everyone but him. He'd explained the importance to her of keeping under the title until her freedom. No one would search for her by a name they did not know, after all. Roy, however, never seemed able to stick to the rule unless under prying eyes and listening ears. In private, she was Miss Riza, and she'd never once corrected him.

“Home.” She answered, simply. “I need to check on my father.”

His dark eyes narrowed, a mixture of confusion and something else, almost like anger, flickered through them. “Your father who sold you. Who is the reason you're here in the first place.”

“The only father I have.” She answered, simply. She turned away once again, focusing on her duties as chambermaid. “Though it doesn't seem like this was the worst place he could have sold me to.”

“But it could have been.” He mumbled. “You could have been taken by the knights. They would have used you and never let you go.”

“But I wasn't. If I'm not mistaken, it was you who made sure that didn't happen. And for that, I'm grateful. However, there is no poing in being angry about what could have happened.”

There was an unprincely huff that came from the male. “What if he sells you again? Or someone comes to take you back?”

“Then I'll be sold or I'll come back.” She told him. “Coming back here would be the least of my problems. I have to admit, cleaning up after a spoiled prince in exchange for hot meals, a warm bed, and access to a bath is a pretty nice deal.” She laughed. It was a rare sound to his ears, but it was just infectious enough to rid the male of the angry look on his face, only to be replaced by a soft expression of concern.

“If it's not that bad then why don't you just stay?” The question came out quietly, a half-hearted request he didn't consider before it slipped from his lips.

Riza frowned. He wasn't entirely sure how to read her expression. Disappointment, perhaps? “Because he's my father.”

Her answer didn't sit well with him. Instead of complaining further, however, he simply turned back to his work. “Tomorrow.” He repeated, the softness in his voice replaced by an almost cold formality. “I'll take you home.”

“Thank you, my lord.”

The way she addressed him made him wince, but he said nothing, hearing her exit the room as his quill scratched along paper.

---

“You look tired.” The blonde greeted, following alongside the prince on the way to the stables.

She wasn't wrong. After an early breakfast with a side of scolding from his father, not to mention the late night worries for the other's safety, his eyes were shadowed with fatigue. “I'm fine.” He told her, “Thank you for your concern, Elizabeth.” Outside his chambers, even seemingly alone, he reminded himself of the name to use. “Can you ride?”

She nodded, stepping into the stable. “Though coming back with a riderless horse will draw attention, won't it?”

“I won't be coming back with one.” He commented simply. “She will be yours.” He lifted a saddle onto a brown house, a white diamond of fur decorated her face. “Her name is Lieutenant. She's a good horse. Though, not my personal one. She's one of many unclaimed extra horses, but she deserves the attention of a kind owner.”

“Thank you.” He expected an argument, but was gratefully surprised. “I'll treat her well.”

“Thank you.”

“Your highness!” A young boy, shocked and disheveled, dropped pails of feed to his side, almost toppling to the side before he caught them, bowing deeply. “Your highness, I'm sorry. I prepared Colonel, I wasn't aware you wished to take another for your ride this afternoon.” The stableboy bowed once more, shoveling the small bit of food from the ground back into the pail from which it fell.

“You weren't mistaken.” Roy corrected. “Don't worry. I was only bringing Lieutenant along for miss Elizabeth.”

“I could've--”

“I'm perfectly capable of saddling a horse. Thank you.” He chuckled gently. “The others are ready for the lunch you brought them, though. Continue where you left off.” Roy nodded respectfully in passing as he led the mare from the stables, his guest following beside him.

Only one of Roy's guards joined them. A stocky male with a face more serious than his nature rode to the prince's side. According to Roy, he was aware of the purpose of their day trip, but without any guard at all, the entire army would be on the hunt for the runaway royalty. Even in the company of his friend, however, she was still Elizabeth.

Once outside the city, the men allowed Riza to take the lead. “Do you know the way from here?” The prince asked. “I doubt you had the chance to look around on your way in.”

She nodded. “I've traveled to the city before.” She answered. “You don't need to follow along from here. Thank you.”

There was almost a sad smile that painted itself on Roy's lips. “What kind of hero would I be if I didn't see you home safely, my damsel in distress?” He teased, half-heartedly.

Riza chuckled gently. “What kind of damsel in distress punches her hero on the day they first meet?”

“My favorite kind.” He admitted. “Thank you for putting me in my place, but please let me escort you a bit further.”

There was a deep breath drawn, the faintest of colors distracting the young prince as they spread across the woman's cheeks. “Fine.” She said. “A bit further.”

There was a small smile on the guards lips, but not a word was said as they went. It was a omstly quiet trip, the three of them only breaking the silence for offhanded comments about the weather and the crops they'd passed. Roy kept his cloak, a plain dark brown fabric, pulled over his head, stating it was to protect his porcelain skin, though Hans, the young guard, corrected that it was to draw less attention. A couple of hours after their exit from the city, they saw a bustling village before them.

“That's it.” She told them. “Thank you, again, for the escort.”

Roy bowed his head, Hans following suit behind him. The prince reached over from his horse, a black stallion, and scratched the mare behind her ear gently. “Treat her well, Lieutenant.”

The blonde smiled. “I will do the same for her. Though I can't promise it will live up to a royal stable.”

With a small smile he shook his head. “She's a simple horse. The love and attention is all she needs. Royalty was just where she was placed.” Roy heard the fading steps of Hans' horse as he trotted back, giving the two of them the privacy for a proper farewell. “Thank you for being patient with me. And thank you for your time, Miss Riza.”

“It wasn't as though it was given by choice.” She commented. It might've been meant as a joke, the prince wasn't sure, but she continued. “Thank you for giving my time back. And thank you for making the time pass... pleasantly. Perhaps too quickly as pleasant as it was.”

“You can always come back.” He almost pleaded. He wasn't even sure why his voice sounded so desperate. In the month they'd met, they'd spent a few nights alone, talking about where she grew up, the life he lived as a child, sometimes simple things like how their day had went when they were trying to keep suspicions low. They'd never spoken too deeply, however. They'd never gotten so close that he should want more, but perhaps that was his regret, after all.

“You know that's not true.”

“I don't.”

“You don't want to.” She said, firmly. “You don't want to believe this is goodbye, but it is. Thank you for a month I'll never forget. It was a the best gift I never asked for. And thank you for bringing me back home.”

“Thank you...” He mumbled. He wasn't sure what he was thankful for, but it didn't feel right not to say it. “Thank you, Miss Riza.”

She didn't ask why, perhaps she knew what he didn't. “Goodbye, Roy.”

As she rode away, he couldn't help but wonder if he should have been different. Should he have kept her? Should he have never let her go? His name fell from her lips leaving more excitement in him than the fine silk placed before him at twelve-years-old, and more pain than when he'd first fallen from his horse at eight. How bitter it was that he'd never hear that sound again. All because he let her go.

His world felt colder without her. He couldn't figure out if it was that cold before she was brought to him, or if she'd simply left it colder than she'd found it.

With a deep breath, the prince lifted his head, turning to his guard, nodding quietly before they began their journey back.

Three years time was all it took for the forever that wedged between them to come to an end. In three years time, she'd be back at his feet, hair how past her shoulders, eyes as fierce as he'd first seen, and his skin warmed once more in her presence.

[twxntrash]

Society’s Broken So Grab Some Glue Ch. 3

Lapis was on her feet in seconds, her smile wider and brighter than the sun as she saw the familiar, hulking woman before her. It had taken her a moment to even recognize Jasper, the woman got bigger since she last saw her… what, three, maybe four years ago? Her hair was bleached white now, her nose a little too. Probably from getting broken so many times. But, Lapis could never forget that ugly mug that she loved so much.

“This is where you moved to?” she asked, arms held out to gesture to around them, to the city itself. She couldn’t freaking believe it that her best friend since elementary school and her partner in crime had moved here. In this freakishly boring town of all places! Whatever Gods there were must have been smiling down on her right now to have sent her to the city the one person she could trust lived. Did she make a blood sacrifice and forget about it or something? Whatever it was that caused this stroke of luck, she loved it. Jasper was here. Her day had just gotten a bit better. "What are you doing here?"

The behemoth of a woman laughed, brushing some loose white strands of hair away from her face, “I could ask the same to you. What, is Empire City not good enough for the great Lapis Lazuli anymore?” she asked with a playful bite.

“I wish that were the case,” Lapis shook her head, stuffing her hands into her pockets and kicking at the ground, she was still angry over it, but less so now that her mood had been improved, “I’m going to be stuck living here for at least a year now, some bullshit happened back home so I’m rooming with Pearl. Don’t know how I’m going to survive, I mean, Jesus this town is so boring I might die before the year is up.”

There was a glint that was born in Jasper’s eyes as Lapis said that. A familiar gleam that Lapis had come to know so well during their years of breaking into pools at night and sneaking beers back in middle school. It was a troublemaker look, gleefully knowing what she was doing was bad and eager to do more, to share with others. 

Lapis grinned and elbowed her gently, “Don’t tell me, there’s something here to do after all?”

“We’ve got loads of underground shit here,” Jasper responded, “Wrestling matches, fight clubs. I’m the reigning champion for Beach City’s underground fight club, been so for almost two years now,” she said rather proudly, puffing out her chest as she spoke, “I’m called the ‘White Tiger’. I guess they started calling me that because of my hair and vitiligo, it kind of stuck so I've kept using it.”

Lapis snorted, “So you get to beat people to a pulp and the crowds cheer you on. Sounds like it’s just up your alley.”

“You’ve no idea, Lapis. I need to go take you to my next match!” Jasper was so excited, so eager as she said that, well, how could Lapis possibly decline? Besides, she always did like seeing Jasper fight, she'd be eager to see what new moves her friend got now. The bluenette smiled and just gave a nod to her statement, which only fueled the fighter on. “I’ll get you front row seats. I’ll even sneak you in so Mr. Smiley doesn’t cheat you out of ten bucks for an entrance fee. Next match won’t be for a while, though, right now wrestling has the stage for a couple of months”

“I look forward to it,” Lapis said, nodding her head as she spoke. Leaning against the back of the bench, she looked over at the park, the screaming children, and watchful mothers, and then looked back up at Jasper. It was strange, but also comforting how easy she found it to just fall back into the same old habits and attitudes when with Jasper. Like there hadn’t been years between now and when they’d last seen each other. She wondered if Jasper liked the ease that was still there between them. Wondered if she even noticed how funny it was that they could act so familiar and friendly despite how long it had been since they’d spoken. She shook the thought out of her head, it wasn’t that important of a thing to mull over, after all. “So, is there anything other than underground violence that I can get into here?” she asked her.

Jasper gave a laugh, her usual loud, full body laugh that always filled the room, “I take it you didn’t get the Beach City Brochure when you got here?” she joked and wrapped an arm around Lapis’ shoulders, forcing the smaller girl to walk with her. “Come on, Laz, I’ll show you the real Beach City tour. I promise there’s more to do in this town than you’re giving it credit for.”

“I’ll be surprised if you’re right,” Lapis replied with a lazy grin, following her old friend as they made their way out of the park. Wondering just what sort of places and sights Jasper had to show her, and just how worth her time they would end up being anyways. Well, this was Jasper she was talking about. The woman never let her down when it came to finding good hangout places, and hopefully, that skill of hers didn’t die off during her life here in such a dull town.

 To her surprise, Lapis had to give Jasper credit. There was a bit more to this dull town than what she had initially given it when she first glossed over the places. There was an old warehouse where some fisherman's son often held raves at. A lighthouse that people thought was haunted and often had kids wander in on dares or tests of courage. Some kid used to use it as his ‘base’ of some sorts until his dad told him no more going there after he tied some guy up and locked him in the lighthouse under the belief he was an alien or something. Jasper even showed her where the nightly wrestling and fight matches were held, hosted by the Funland owner, one ‘Mr. Smiley’ with the aid of his friend Mr. Frowny.

There were also, according to Jasper, a good number of… colorful people. She had said that with hesitation and a bit of irritation that Lapis wasn’t sure how much she was going to like interacting with these people. But, the brutish woman had assured Lapis that despite their quirks they were mostly all good people. Mostly. Just that they could be a bit eccentric at times and might take a while to get used to them.

Whatever, Lapis hadn’t really intended to be buddies with the city. She had Jasper so that was enough for her.

The two had been walking the residential area now for a while after exploring the business part of the town. Jasper had chatted on and on about things that had happened in Beach City while she’d lived there, and Lapis would return with the sort of things that she had been getting into ever since Jasper had been gone. Which had been mostly the same for both of them; the two had remained major troublemakers even while separated, which they both ended up getting a kick out of. Jasper seemed especially pleased when Lapis told her how she’d egged a former teacher of theirs car one spring break. Lapis greatly appreciated it when Jasper told her what teachers to be on the lookout for, too. 

Jasper slowed as they turned the corner, and then stopped altogether much to Lapis’ surprise and mild displeasure when she nearly walked right into the large woman. She watched as Jasper turned to look at the house they’d stopped in front of. 

The house wasn’t really anything special. It was a sizable, a tall house, two floors tall and kind of nice looking with white paint and pale pink trimming. There was a vibrant garden surrounding the front too, clearly worked on with exceptional care and devotion by how healthy and well kept the flowers were. Lapis couldn’t even see a single weed among the colorful flowers, that alone spoke loudly of how devoted the owner of the garden must be. She was about to ask if this was Jasper’s house, remembering that Jaspers mom gardened a little back in Empire City when she saw a woman come around from the back holding a watering can who was most certainly not Jaspers mother.

She looked at Jasper and Lapis with a bit of surprise, but that gave way to a friendly warmth as she walked carefully around the flowers to walk to the gate separating her from the teens. She was tall, probably about six feet tall give or take. Her short hair was a pale red, almost pink, and she had a young, round face. She was probably in her late twenties at most. She put the watering can down and brushed her dirt covered gloves on her coveralls as she addressed the two.

“Jasper! It’s so nice to see you,” she greeted and turned to look at Lapis, her smile still just as warm, “and who’s your friend here? I don't think I've seen her around before.”

Jasper gave a smile in return, “It's good to see you too, Ms. Diamond,” she said and patted Lapis on the shoulder, nudging her forward, “this is Lapis Lazuli, a friend from my old town. She’s going to be attending school here starting on Monday,” she explained.

Ms. Diamonds smile seemed to grow and she held a hand out to Lapis. “I’m happy to meet you, Lapis! My name is Scarlet Diamond, I own the garden shop downtown,” she explained. Lapis hesitantly took hold of her gloved hand, not caring about the dried dirt caked on the fabric as she gave it a shake, this seemed to be the right choice as Scarlet seemed happy, “I hope you enjoy this town. We don’t have much to offer, but we’re a friendly bunch.”

Lapis gave a weak smile as she took her hand back and rubbed the back of her head with her other hand, “Yeah, I’m sure I’ll love it here,” she lied.

The large woman beside her nudged on past Lapis to draw closer to the fence, “So, Ms. Diamond. Is… is she doing any better today?” Jasper’s voice dropped to a low whisper as she glanced up to one of the windows on the house. Her expression was… strange. It was something that Lapis couldn’t quite put her finger on. Concern? Worry? Something along those lines but not quite it. Regardless, it got Lapis’ interest on what they were talking about.

Scarlet's own smile dropped and she shook her head, “Same as always. Sorry. I wish I could tell you something better.”

“Damn…” Jasper muttered and backed off a step or two, “Well… can you tell her I said hi? And that if she ever feels like hanging out, just give me a ring? You know, the usual?”

“Will do. Are you two going to head off?” Scarlet asked them.

This time Lapis spoke up with a small shrug, “Might as well? We’d hate to impose and all,” she said and glanced up at Jasper, “Still have things to do, but, it was really nice meeting you, Ms. Diamond.”

The woman waved them goodbye as Lapis and Jasper continued their tread through the neighborhood. When they were a good few houses down, Lapis glanced up at her friend and raised a brow at the white haired woman, “So…” she began slowly, “what was that all about anyways? A friend of yours?”

Jasper shrugged, putting her hands in her pockets and kicking a stray can on the sidewalk. “Scarlet’s the principal’s wife, and I used to work at her garden shop once summer. She’s a pretty nice lady, we’re kind of friends I guess,” she explained and upon Lapis’ pressing stare, pulled a hand out to scratch the back of her neck.

“She… they’re taking care of her niece right now, Peridot Diamond. She’s a friend of mine, was my best friend in this town. Some stuff… some stuff happened. She dropped out of school and hasn’t really left the house in almost a year and a half.” Jasper finished, her voice going soft as she talked about this girl.

Lapis listened in silence, watching Jaspers expression as the woman talked and taking a moment to think of her own response, “So, you go over there now and then to see if she’s doing okay?” Lapis asked and when Jasper nodded in agreement, Lapis gave a small smile, “Well, aren’t you a big teddy bear. I’m sure she’ll be fine, she has to be strong if she managed to be friends with you.”

Jasper mumbled something and shook her head, “I hope so, she’s a good kid.” she said and then glanced up at the sky, “It’s probably dinner time, do you want to grab a bite or something? I know a pretty good place to eat,” she offered.

As though on cue, Lapis’ stomach rumbled in demand for food, and Jasper let out a laugh as the blunette's face turned bright red from the embarrassment. “I’ll take that as a yes. Come on, follow me.” She doesn’t even wait for a reply, Jasper just takes Lapis’ hand in her much bigger one, practically dragging her down the street towards whatever destination the tall woman had in mind.

The place that Jasper had in mind to take Lapis too was a family dinner of sorts on the boardwalk.  With perhaps the weirdest name Lapis had ever heard that, honestly, didn’t sound that appetizing. ‘Fish Stew Pizza’? Was that supposed to be a specific pizza, was that supposed to mean they sold fish, stew, and pizza? She had questions and wasn’t sure she was too eager to try this FSP of theirs.

But Jasper tugged her inside and took her to a booth by the window. A pretty woman with nice looking earrings named Jenny took their order and Jasper was the one who did the work, asking for a medium pepperoni pizza and two sodas.

“Don’t mind the old man,” Jasper whispered, pointing at an older man behind the counter, shouting at one of the customers, “He’s a bit… angry at times. But, he makes some damn good pizza. Those are his daughters, Jenny and Kiki. The old lady must be out today, she’s cool. He’s got this… kind of rivalry of sorts? Going on with Beach Citywalk Fries, so try not to bring in any of their stuff to this place. He may fly off the handle.” the woman explained as though Lapis would need to know all of this to survive the town.

Which, for all she knew, she probably did.

Their pizza and drinks came and, though Lapis had offered, Jasper insisted on paying for the food herself. Something about it being her treat since Lapis is now living here or something like that. She didn’t really put up a fight, if someone was going to insist on paying, she’d let them. More money for her.

She had to hand it to the establishment, though. The pizza was good. Jasper hadn’t been lying when she said the man made some delicious pizza. It was nothing like the ones she’d get back in Empire City, it was way better. Lapis was glad to say she had a now a good place to go to for food when home cooked wasn’t suiting her tastes.

They ate and chatted some more and before long they were up and heading down the boardwalk and to walk along the beach. The sun had started to set by this point and the lights on the sidewalk had turned on. It was kind of a nice setting, Lapis would give it that. The way the streetlights reflected against the ocean water.

Maybe she’d been a bit harsh at first. This town wasn’t all bad, it was really a bit too early to judge it as so. Maybe she would have fun here after all. At least she already had a friend so she wouldn’t be alone. And she had the ocean, she could never really say no to the ocean and she’d been lying earlier when she said couldn’t live solely on the ocean. Sure, she couldn’t, but, she could never get bored of it either.

Jasper rested her elbow on Lapis’ shoulder as they made their way down the boardwalk, looking down at her with a smile wide and full of teeth, “I see that smile of yours. You’re starting to like this place, aren’t you?” she teased.

Lapis rolled her eyes and shrugged the offending limb off, “In your dreams, meathead,” she shot back, backing away from her and smiling as she spoke, “No way I could ever get used to such a lame town like this. I’m a city girl, after all.”

With a laugh, Jasper reached out to grab her, “Well, then I’ll just have to teach you a lesson about talking bad about my town,” she joked but Lapis took a few more bouncing steps backward out of her reach before she could grab her.

She hadn’t exactly looked to where she was going when she backed up, and as a result, Lapis’ foot caught on a loose board and she was tumbling backward faster than she could process it.

Before she could fall, however, a pair of arms wrapped around her from behind and she landed against a firm chest instead of the hard ground. “Whoa there, careful, doll, you don’t want to hurt yourself, do you?”

Something on Jaspers face twisted from amusement to disdain as Lapis was helped back to her feet. She turned around to see a tall brunette smiling slyly at her. An expression on his face she was familiar with back in Empire City and not too pleased with. “Thank you,” she said anyway, might as well thank him for catching her, even if she didn’t like the look in his eyes.

The boy shrugged, “It’s no problem, saving a pretty lady such as yourself is my job.”

“I thought your job was to get drunk and not know personal boundaries, Kevin,” Jasper shot back with an eye roll. “Or did you have a sudden career change and no one knew?”

Kevin didn’t seem all that bothered by Jaspers remark, or her towering presence at all, his eyes were only on Lapis, “So, mind telling me your name, babe?” he asked her and gestured subtly to Jasper,  “If you’re interested, we can ditch the Hulk over here, I can show around town, help you have some real fun, you know?”

Oh, Lapis knew what he meant alright and she wasn’t interested.

“Sorry… Kevin, was it?” Lapis began, a grin of her own starting to form, “I’m not all that interested in lousy fuckboys. You know?” she couldn’t help but chuckle at his stunned look. She took it that he didn’t get rejected often enough to be used to it. Well, to add more salt to the wound, “Besides, I’m not interested in guys, period. Next time you want to hit on a girl, make sure they’re straight, kay?”

Jasper just burst out laughing right behind her as Lapis said that, and Kevin began spluttering, his face red as he took a step back.

“You- you’re into chicks?” he asked, his voice rising in pitch, “Gross. I’m outta here!”

It was always a good day when she managed to get a guy to back off for her being gay, it was an even better day when it was someone with homophobic tendencies that retreated like that because she said she was gay. So, Lapis was pretty pleased with herself as she watched Jasper quickly walk away to find some other girl to hit on.

Jasper shook her head as she watched, “Kevin’s always like that,” she explained when the guy in question was too far gone to hear them, “He hits on any girl he finds cute with the intents of getting laid. A douche, really. Yet somehow girls still fall for him,” she chuckled a little as she patted Lapis on the back, “Good job though, that should keep him off your back. He’s not into the girls on girls scene unless it’s for something kinky that he can join in.”

“Ew.”

“That word describes him perfectly,” Jasper said and started walking, “Anyways, let’s get going. It’s starting to look like it might rain. You want me to walk you back home?” she offered.

Lapis shook her head, “Nah, I��m good,” she declined, “Pretty sure I can make it back home on my own. See you around, Jasper. Talk to you tomorrow?” he friend gave a nod of agreement as they started walking separate ways. The rain clouds starting to condense high above them.

 Pearl had asked her how her day was when Lapis got back, she seemed pleased that Lapis already had a friend. The air between them was still rather awkward, but that was fine, it was cool, it could be worse. Her sister offered to make Lapis some dinner but the teen declined, she’d already eaten with Jasper. Instead, she excused herself to her room.

And that was where she was found a couple hours later, lying on her bed, watching the ceiling as the rain outside downpours. She couldn’t sleep. Maybe it was the jetlag from the plane ride over here. Maybe it was just her trying to get used to the fact she’d now be living here for a while. Whatever the reason was, she just couldn’t fall asleep.

She kept thinking back to that weird dream she had on the plane. Or rather, what vague bits she remembered. A prison cell, two women… something about death? It felt like the dream had been important, but she couldn’t remember anything of it, and it kind of bugged her immensely. She couldn’t shake the feeling that something wasn’t right about it. That something wasn’t right about any of this.

Lapis let out a long groan as she dragged one of the pillows over to cover her face with it, muffling her sounds of annoyance. The rain pattered loudly against her window. She heaved a sigh and lowered her pillow slightly as she glanced over at her clock. Just a little until midnight would strike.

Two days until Monday, two days until she started school. At least she already knew one person, that was better than nothing. Still, she wasn’t looking forward to it all that much. She’d be dropped in the middle of a school year and then taken out of it again in the middle of it next year. She’d have no idea what was going on. What the class had talked about the previous week and would be behind. She hated to admit it but she would have to actually work hard to keep her grades up.

The clock ticked. A bolt of lightning struck. One of the clocks deeper in the apartment started a quiet bird chirping noise. It must be midnight. Well, it wasn’t like staying up late was something new.

Lapis slipped off her bed, her feet landing on the cool floor as she made her way to the door. If her body had no intention of falling asleep anytime soon, she might as well get herself a drink. With tired eyes, she glanced at her reflection in the full body mirror hanging on the back of her door as she reached for the handle. God, she looked so tired and dead. Must have been all the stress.

Before she could touch the handle, her reflection in the mirror vanished. Well, not so much as it vanished, rather than the entire mirror was filled with a bright white light. Lapis had to take several steps back as she stared at the sudden change in surprised. The light was too bright, to the point she had to shield her eyes for a second before they got used to the lighting.

But, the light only lasted a few second because it dimmed down, though still relatively bright. Instead of Lapis’ own reflection in the mirror, however, was something else entirely. A silhouette. There weren’t that many details to it, but Lapis had a feeling she’d seen the person before. From what she could make out, the shape in the mirror was clearly a guy, tall with short hair. He was dancing like he was at some rave, not half bad but not all that great either.

She blinked, rubbed at her eyes. She had to be dreaming, right?

Hesitantly, Lapis reached out to the mirror, as though she were reaching out to the shape that was inside the glass. Taking a cautious step forward, she drew closer to the mirror, hand held out. Her fingers touched the cool surface. But instead of feeling something firm beneath them, her fingers slipped through it, as though she were touching water. Ripples had even covered the mirror as her hand sank into it, the silhouette vanishing. The glass had gone completely white again, it’s texture like water, inviting Lapis to dive in again.

Barely able to hold back her scream, Lapis ripped her hand free from the mirror and threw herself backward away from the object. Her heart was racing, panic setting deep inside of her as she held her hand tightly, close to her chest, staring in shock and terror at her own mirror.

What just happened?!

As soon as the question crossed her mind in an angry screech, a wave of exhaustion and dizziness washed over her. Her balance was quickly lost as she took a step back, tripping over her own bed and toppling over onto it. Her strength had quickly left her, as though it had all been sapped away when she touched her mirror.

She found herself passing out quickly after that.

 The following day, the events of that night had become vague memories that Lapis could only assume to pass them off as a strange dream. Still, she looked at her mirror with slight concern and found herself being wary of touching it. Pearl would watch her like a timid rabbit, offering a few words here and there, but mostly unsure whether to be distant or try to be close to her.

Lapis continued to hang out with Jasper, and soon, the weekend passed and Monday came around.

On Monday, the entire town was buzzing with the news. Pearl didn’t tell Lapis anything, for reasons likely that she wanted to ‘protect’ her. But Lapis found out anyway that morning when she met up with Jasper in front of the high school. Kevin was dead.

[mysdrymmumbles]

Andraste’s Witch - Chapter 66 - SFW

Pairings: Slowburn Cullen x F!Witch!Inquisitor

Rating: M for later chapters which will include violence, PTSD, withdrawal,  angst, body horror (think red templars), and possibly other stuff that I will be sure to tag. This is not actually a grimdark story, but I just wanna give people a heads up for stuff that will happen. There will also be fluff and friendship and magic (though to be fair, this is Thedas, so magic will not always be positive and very rarely as adorable as that last statement implied).

Genre: Action/Adventure with elements of romance  

Summary: Cullen works to get all the last minute details into place, only to learn that Finley has gone missing -- again. 

I’m so sorry this took me so long, but thank you to everyone who puts up with the long waits! You’re great!

Chapter Warning: mild withdrawal symptoms

Andraste’s Witch

Apprehensions 

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” a loud whisper hissed as Cullen strode up the stairs toward his office, drawing him out of his thoughts about the growing headache in the back of his skull, and the nausea that had been creeping through him since he’d woken up.

“No, I’m not. The bet is real and—”

As Cullen stepped up onto the ramparts, both soldiers jumped as though he were a darkspawn crawling out of the Deep Roads, coming specifically for them. Both of them snapped to attention so quickly that the movement did nothing to ease his nausea. Cullen couldn’t help but narrow his eyes.

The guilt on their faces was so plain, but he couldn’t figure out what it was that they were on about.

“Is everything alright?”

“Yes, ser!” They both snapped in unison, a bit louder than necessary.

His head throbbed.

Were they afraid of him?

“At ease,” he murmured, deciding that whatever their problem was, he would worry about it later. After all, they’d been talking about some bet, not an assassination attempt or anything dire.

And he already had enough to get done before they left in the morning.

If he could focus.

The nausea had hit him about an hour after he’d left Finley’s side, and it was like a curse, building up and curling within him, making it a fight to make sure his steps never faltered as he reached his office.

With any luck, it would pass quickly. The last few weeks, most of the times this mess reared its ugly head, it was little more than a small swell of a wave, and as much as he feared it breaking, it never did.

If he could just keep his mind focused, then everything would be fine.

After all, there was no reason for today to be any different. Any worse.

He’d barely had a chance to settle into his office and begin reviewing a few different documents with Knight Captain Rylen—his old friend was going to be left in charge while Cullen was away—when suddenly the door leading to the rotunda snapped open and Josephine stormed in, looking something akin to a vengeful goddess.

“Commander, a moment of your time, if you can spare it?”

Cullen’s head pounded, but he lowered the papers he was going through, and inclined his chin toward her. “Has something happened?”

“Our illustrious inquisitor has run off.” The usual patience in Josephine’s voice was thin, her arms crossed and a heavy frown replacing her usual smile. “If she happens by, would you be kind enough to bring her back to me?”

Even as he nodded, trying not to notice the way the edges of his vision wavered for a second, he reached up and scratched at the pain pooling at the base of his skull. “Gladly, but…wouldn’t Leliana and her scouts be better suited for this?”

At that, Josephine hesitated, only a breath. “I have already gone to her, but I thought it good to come to you as well, seeing as she does rather enjoy your company.”

Images from the night before flitted through his mind at that, of his fingers tangled in her hair, her body arching up into his, the feel of her beneath him, around him.

He found himself at a loss for words for a moment. Even as heat crept up his neck, making his headache throb a bit harsher, he nodded again, trying to focus on the matter at hand. He’d promised Finley he’d do his job, hadn’t he? “Ah, yes.”

“Be careful,” Rylen offered, a grin in place. “Have him turn her in too often and she’ll find a new friend to hide out with.”

The words stung. That she might grow wary of his company…

As Rylen’s smile slowly gave way to a questioning look, Cullen shook his head. It was just…a joke. He felt a bit of bile rising up in his throat, though he swallowed it down. It was a good thing he’d skipped breakfast.

Maker, this wasn’t going to be a good day, was it?

With a tired sigh, Josephine nodded to both men and shook her head. “I swear, sometimes I think I understand her, and then she just…snaps. I have tried to speak with her about what exactly it is that upsets her, but it just makes things worse. I—” Josephine quite abruptly realized what she was saying and snapped her mouth shut. After a pause, she nodded to them again. “Thank you for keeping a lookout.”

And with that she was gone, just as quickly as she had come.

Part of Cullen wanted to drop everything and start his own search, if only to make certain that Finley was alright. He could remember her after their fight in Haven’s Chantry, of how she’d panicked and had just crumpled to the floor, fear overwhelming her.

If that was what was happening now, he could understand why Josephine was at such a loss.

Further, if that was happening right now, he didn’t want her to be alone.

A pang of pain shot through his skull.

Now was not the time…

“I’m sure Leliana’s scouts will find her.”

Rylen’s voice was nearer than he expected, and he snapped his head up, startled. For a moment, the Knight-captain looked as surprised as Cullen felt, though his eyes grew gentler for just a moment. Cullen hated him in that second.

He didn’t need pity, didn’t need understanding.

He needed to do his damned job.

Making a point of focusing his gaze on the papers he’d been reviewing, his voice somehow managed to come back to him, strong and measured as he continued with their briefing.

Despite having been sure that he would be up all night working his way through reports and the like, he somehow found himself with nothing to do by midafternoon.

It was the first time this had happened since…well, since he’d joined the Inquisition.

There were reports still coming in, of course—there were always reports—but he’d already set Rylen up in his office to give the man and the scouts time to see how well they worked together and to have time to admonish anyone who felt they could treat the knight-captain differently than the commander, should such an instance occur.

Security for the trip was already in order, he’d checked everything over thrice, and there would be nothing more to do until they were actually leaving, in that regard. There were no plans of moving troops while they were away, aside from a few mineral gathering missions that had already been assigned.

Fortifications to Skyhold itself were still underway, but there wouldn’t be an update on that for another few days. Rylen would have to see to that.

And despite tensions between mages and templars, they didn’t seem ready to start anything just yet.

Hopefully, they never would.

Even as he wondered if perhaps he should try to get some rest—lunch was still out, with his stomach feeling queasy—though he dreaded the thought. Twice during his rounds with Rylen, he’d thought he’d seen…things in the shadows. Figures, monsters, twisted flesh and hulking, deformed shoulders, dark eyes that only reflected an inner malice. Creatures he’d been fortunate not to see since joining the Inquisition.

Sleeping was not going to be pleasant.

Last night had been so…perfect. It felt like he was being punished for allowing himself to get lost in another’s arms. Of allowing himself to forget everything that had happened and just live in that moment, arms wrapped around one another as smile pressed against smile.

What did she even see in him?

She’d called him too kind, once, though he still couldn’t fathom how she’d drawn that conclusion.

He wanted to be, though.

Before he’d met her, he’d just wanted to be a better person, to drag himself back from what he’d been, but now…he wanted to be the man she thought he was. Someone who actually deserved her.

Like that could ever happen.

“Still not there, still not good. Can one even be good themselves if they can’t see it in others? To see the good is so…hard. So hard not to hate, not to fear. What if a first impression is wrong? Better to be wary than dead. It’s so easy to be deceived. A monster hides behind even the prettiest eyes. Any eyes. She proved it was possible that anyone could hide that sort of evil in them.”

Cullen blinked out of his thoughts and glanced toward the blonde boy standing beside him. He’d ended up on the ramparts, though he didn’t remember walking there.

He’d met the boy before, though he couldn’t place where.

“Any power can be corrupted,” Cullen murmured, mind flitting back to his former knight-commander at the boy’s words.

“And any evil can gain power if it’s ignored,” the boy agreed. “Diligence is a noble aspiration, but a difficult one.”

Cullen shifted a little where he stood, frowning. Uldred and Meredith were odd mirrors of each other. Both had worked right under the noses of those around them, poisoning minds and torturing those they felt were enemies.

The only difference was that he should have seen what Meredith was doing so much sooner.

He had. He’d known the things she did, and yet he’d turned a blind eye, telling himself she was the knight-commander and that it was her job to decide what force was necessary. It had been his job to keep the mages in the Gallows, to find them when they ran. He wasn’t there enough to know that her methods were too strict, even when the mages begged that they were.

That’s what he’d told himself…

Sometimes he wished he could tell himself that again, if only so he might rest a little easier.

It was a selfish, vile wish.

“You are better than she was,” the boy offered as he began to walk. Without thinking, Cullen matched his pace. “It is hard to stand up to evil when you find it.”

“I didn’t find it,” Cullen muttered. “I knew it was there, and I let it fester. I helped it.”

The boy nodded slowly. “Yes, but you can’t change that. Better to move forward and keep what you’ve learned in your heart and head.”

“I try.”

“I know.”

With a blink, he was standing by himself on the ramparts, near the door to one of the towers. It was the one where he’d spoken to Finley about being a witch. His headache still drummed at the back of his head, but it was a bit softer than before, and he couldn’t help but wonder if perhaps she was up there.

He opened the door and felt as though the darkness inside was ready to swallow him whole. His heartbeat quickened and he gulped as he swung the door shut, feeling as though he were already trapped in the room, with the walls too close, not enough room to stretch, to breathe.

Whirling away, he gripped the wall of the battlements, gulping down air as he looked out over Skyhold, reminding himself that he wasn’t trapped in a little space, but in one that stretched out in every direction, the open sky overhead, wide and free.

As he managed to gather himself enough to let go of the wall, his gaze just happened toward the back of the barn. There, on an outcrop of wall behind it that was mostly hidden by a few trees growing there, a ledge that must have once served as another set of stairs, though the wall was far too debilitated to know for sure, was a bit of cloth stretched out. A slender hand moved it and he caught a faint flicker of green that went with it before disappearing back behind the barn.

Cullen took in a few slow breaths, eyeing the wall to see how one might get to that spot in particular. Not wanting to walk through the tower, he chose to backtrack, going down the steps carefully, feeling a little foolish that his balance wasn’t quite what it should be, and then wandering through the courtyard and into the barn.

Stable boys and Horsemaster Dennet were busily preparing for the trip in the morrow, with the older man barking orders and making that chaos move at his whim.

It was impressive, though Cullen quickly drew himself up the stairs to the second floor of the barn. There he found Warden Blackwall going over his own supplies and inspecting the different bags he had. The warden looked up and started to get out of his seat, though Cullen waved for him to stay where he was.

“Commander,” he nodded respectfully.

Even as Cullen glanced around, wondering if the warden would even know about the ledge behind the barn, the man coughed. When Cullen looked at him, he nodded his head to the side, gaze flicking with it and then resumed inspecting his bags.

Cullen stood there a moment before slowly walking the way he’d indicated. It seemed further from where he was trying to get, but as he looked around, he found an old window was opened and, if he stepped on the sill, he could pull himself up to the beginnings of a ledge a little way to the right of it.

Once he was up there, the roof of the barn made it impossible to follow the ledge without crawling on his stomach. Instead, he opted to carefully step across the roof itself.

Even as he wondered if he was being foolish, he looked up from where he was stepping to see the roof ended shortly and there, on the small space of the ledge beyond, was Finley.

She was in a rather lovely Ferelden styled dress, with the skirt spread out around her, except for the part she had pulled to herself where she was…

Maker, she was sewing the hem herself.

No wonder Josephine had been displeased to have her run off.

As soon as his gaze was on her, she was looking back up at him. There was a second of hesitation before she straightened up where she sat, relief flitting across her features.

It sent a shiver through him that merely seeing him could make her feel better.

He made his way the last few steps before hopping down to where she was. Two long strides took him to the edge of her skirt, and he tried not to frown when he saw that her sewing skills were wanting.

While the hem looked even at a glance, it was far too thick for a typical hem, and when he looked closer he realized that she had half a dozen threads winding around. The finished sections were wide enough that they gave the illusion of being neat, but at the closer glance, he could see that the threads crisscrossed over each other, filling gaps that had been left by others. The stitches themselves varied in length and there was no way to try to pretend that the part she was working on now was in a straight line. It reminded him of a half-starved, leafless vine, twisting its way across the fabric.

He doubted that was her intention.

When she patted the edge of her dress, fingers just barely brushing the stone beyond, he took the invitation and sat beside her, watching with poorly veiled amusement as she went back to the task she was taking most seriously.

“I suppose it is too much to hope that you are here of your own volition and not on Josephine’s behalf?”

“I doubt I’d have found you if she hadn’t let me know you were missing,” he admitted. He wished his was close enough to run his fingers through her hair, but he’d have to crawl across her skirt to do that, and he wasn’t about to leave shoe prints or scuff marks on the fabric. When Finley replied with a soft ‘humph’, he couldn’t help his smile.

Leaning forward as close as he dared, he peered up at her, catching her gaze. “Is there a reason you’re up here by yourself?”

“I thought you’d be busy today.” There was a hint of disapproval in her voice as she added, “You did leave rather early.”

“I wanted to make sure I didn’t fall behind,” he said, straightening out of his lean when he felt his world spin a little.

Even as he settled back, she followed, moving onto her knees, one hand propping herself up over her skirts as her other brushed against his forehead and then cheek. “You’re not well.”

The dress she was in was well fitting at the top, though it was a low cut, and as her hair spilled over her shoulders, he found himself rather distracted by the view of her collarbone and the skin beneath. His hand was halfway to her when she repeated her statement, moving and tugging her skirt out of the meticulous circle she’d set it in so that she could reach him better.

As she tilted his head back, fingers feathering over his neck feeling for swelling or other signs of illness, his gaze finally moved to her face.

Her lips were slightly parted, eyes lowered as she looked him over so that he could see just how long her lashes were.

For a moment, he forgot to breathe.

“A headache?”

“I’m fine.” He wasn’t sure how he managed to find his voice, but as soon as he’d spoken, Finley frowned and settled back to her previous seat, busying herself with setting the fabric around her back into place. She looked mildly indignant, though she said nothing of his dismissal of his pains. He watched her resume her sewing for a few minutes before sighing. “You know, there are seamstresses here specifically to do that.”

“I wish to do this here.”

“Would you like me to show one or two of them up here to help you?”

The look she gave him was one of betrayal, and he was surprised at how sharply that hurt.

“Finley…”

Her gaze darted away from him, and he found himself resting his knees on her skirt anyway so that he could reach her. He brushed her hair back as she blinked up at him, surprised. As he tucked her hair behind her ear, he let his fingers curl around the shell of it, and he gently kissed her.

Whatever tension was in her seemed to drain at the mere touch of their lips. Their kiss was far gentler than anything last night, and yet it left his heart racing just the same. As he pulled away, she chased him just long enough to give him a quick kiss on his scar.

“There’s too much movement in Skyhold today,” she mumbled finally, slender fingers working the needle through the fabric, again and again. After a few more stitches, she dropped that thread and went back to one of the others that was waiting where she’d left the majority of them. As that second thread chased after the first, sometimes crisscrossing the stitches, he peered up at her, watching the murky expression that had taken hold.

“Wouldn’t it be easier to just go somewhere quiet with Josephine so that she can help you with what you’ll need to know when you meet the nobles in Denerim?”

“Except it wouldn’t be somewhere quiet,” Finley retorted, frown deepening. “There would be the experts on Ferelden culture and the seamstresses and whatever other manner of people she decides to drag along with us. All rushing about, moving from one side of the room to the other, slipping behind me with sharp things…” She trailed off a moment before shrugging. “They’re saying the king doesn’t care for mages.”

“Who told you that?” Cullen asked. It was likely true enough, if what little Cullen remember of King Cousland remained true, but he could hope that someone had created some elaborate story that he could dismiss to allay her fears.

“No one.” Her voice wavered slightly and she cursed softly as she stuck her finger with the needle. It was healed before a drop of blood could tarnish her skirt, and she kept going. “Alistair dragged Leliana to whisper about it. Alistair doesn’t like him, said he’s cruel, that it would be better if Leliana went to speak with him alone.” She dropped that thread and started on another. “He helped stop the Blight, you know. King Cousland.”

“I know,” Cullen murmured. He sighed, reaching up and scratching at the back of his neck. His head still hurt. “But you don’t need to worry. I’m bringing our best guards—and Leliana, Cassandra, and I will all be there to protect you. And Josephine. She knows court intrigue like no one else, and while I may not understand the necessity of it, she’s saved a lot of blood from being spilled with what she does. Have faith in us, would you?”

“A general doesn’t outrank a king.”

“No, but that doesn’t mean I won’t stand between you and him if it comes down to it. I’ll make sure you stay safe,” Cullen offered.

“No.” He was surprised at the distress in her voice as he spoke. She shook her head furiously. “No. I don’t need people deciding to stand between me and whatever threat. I’m capable of taking care of myself.” Despite her words, there was fear in her voice. “I don’t need—”

Cullen leaned forward and caught one of her wrists, tugging her to him. He wrapped his arms around her and held her a breath, his chin resting in her hair, with her half in his lap. “Would it help if I told you have I no intention of letting anyone cut me down, even a king? We’ll escape together.”

She shifted in his arms. At first he thought she was moving to put distance between them, but even as he loosened his grip, she snuggled more firmly against him, head resting against his shoulder. “Good, because I don’t like leaving people behind.”

Even as Cullen pressed a quick kiss onto the crown of her head, Warden Blackwall’s voice interrupted them. “Commander? There’s a courier looking for you.”

It was then that Cullen realized there was a window closer to the ledge than the one he’d climbed out, though it didn’t have a good way to get up to where they were. Even as his shoulders slumped, Finley slipped back to where she’d been, resuming her task.

“You know I have to let Josephine know where you are.”

Finley sat a little straighter. “If you must.” Her gaze snapped toward him. “I’m not moving until this skirt is finished, though. She’ll have to come up here.”

With a low laugh, Cullen rose to his feet, shaking his head. The motion made him a little dizzy, but it was nothing he couldn’t work through. “I think you’re underestimating our ambassador, but I’ll let her know.”

[aviationfiction]

Lovebirds in Complete and Utter Denial

I have to say that this is my favourite chapter by a long mile, and you know how much I love your writing. It speaks to the book lover in me so loudly.😩 The character development that happens here is so subtle and perfect.

Thank you so much. You know it means a lot to me to have your continued encouragement and support. I’m glad that you’re enjoying the writing and the way I’m developing this story. I think you’ll really love these two by the time this is all said and done. It’ll be a bit of a roller coaster ride (when is it not with me), but ultimately, I’m excited about where this is going.

It’s interesting to see the difference between where Autumn and Dante are each at in regards to their feelings towards one another. Dante has somewhat admitted to himself that he likes her, whereas Autumn would swear up and down that no such thing is happening. Yet they’re both having very similar subconscious reactions to each other; they can’t keep their eyes off one another for example, but they swear that they’re hardly friends. 🤔

Dante can admit that he’s attracted to her and that he’s developed a liking towards her, he’s just uncomfortable expanding on it verbally because he doesn’t want to make her uncomfortable nor does he want to feel the pressure from those around him to pursue her beyond what he’s already feeling. He knows what Autumn is going through and he understands that she’s in no predicament to be thinking about him or anyone else beyond what she’s already giving. She’s up and down and within this chapter, he referenced to her as stoic. Though she can crack a joke, smile, and enjoy herself, he does know that she’s in a lot of pain and it’s going to take some time for that pain to heal. He’s not afraid of Autumn being broken or emotionally all over the place at the moment, he’s afraid of overstepping or doing something to cause her to draw away from him. He’s comfortable around her and as he told Stacey, she makes him feel human. She sees and understands him very well. He doesn’t want to lose that.

Autumn’s not necessarily in denial, but she’s certainly trying to block it out of her mind. For her, it’s not happening because they’re never going to let it happen. Besides, she doesn’t believe he’s even the slightest bit attracted to her. They react to one another in many different manners. Whether it’s their body language, their eye contact, the way they stare at one another when the other doesn’t notice, their responses to one another during conversations, and their smiles. It’s there. But you know….it’s just the wrong time…or is it?

I love how relaxed they are around each other the most, again they don’t see it, but it says A LOT about their developing relationship. They seem to bring out the best in each other too, even though it’s not much at the moment, but the little things matter just as much tbh. That’s why Stacy was screaming at Dante FINALLY using his IG. 😂

It does say a lot. They pretty interact with one another live they’ve known one another for quite some time and like two good friends. They’ve yet to truly carry on a traditional boss/employee type of dynamic with one another even though that’s what has them in one another’s lives in the first place. He makes her take a look into herself and realize all of the changes that she has to make to better herself and she makes him look into himself and see that he needs to live and enjoy his life a lot more than he has been over these past couple of years of his life. This is why his Instagram is finally active after all of this time. Stacey couldn’t even get him to do that.

I’m so happy that Autumn has gotten the chance to fully relax and leave her troubles behind for a little bit. How nice of Dante to show her around the City of Love. 🙃🙃🙃

Well…….that’s just a mere coincidence? Right?

Something tells me that him choosing to go and see Autumn’s favourite musical was not a coincidence, and THIRTEEN THOUSAND DOLLARS a night for a hotel room for someone you’re supposedly not interested in? PLEASE. Who does Dante think he’s fooling?

You might be onto something there. How in the world would he just so happen to randomly plan for them to see a musical, only for it to turn out to be her favorite one. Also, the company books Autumn’s accommodations when she’s traveling, so how would they know to not book her a typical guestroom? Hmm.

13k a night is quite steep for someone who just so happens to work for you right? I agree with you there.

As for Autumn’s realisation at the end, I honestly can’t decide how I feel about it. Morally, she’s stuck between a rock and a hard place. On the one hand, I want her to stop feeling so guilty and just live her life, since that’s exactly what Andreas is doing. She’s the treat people how you want to be treated type though, so I don’t see that happening. She also has a lot of baggage to sort through and in that respect the timing couldn’t be any worse, not to mention he’d her boss. Goodness, why do you have to make things so bloody complicated? 😒

It’s hard a place to be in. She’s still married and though she doesn’t owe him a damn thing at this point, she still has this unspoken loyalty to the marriage more so than to Andreas. She’s honoring her vows until she signs those papers and they no longer mean anything to either one of them. She doesn’t want to feel like she’s broken them mentally and definitely not physically. She wants to walk away from all of that with her conscious clear and knowing that she respected him, the vows, and the marriage itself until the very end.

Also, she does have baggage and plenty to handle when it comes to getting her life together. She’s still figuring out what she wants to do so her emotions running amuck over someone who just came into her life is scary as hell and uncomfortable.

Lately, he’s HER BOSS and the position that he’s in doesn’t make it easy at all. There are a couple of parallels with Andreas that are there by coincidence of course, but it’s easy to have an affect on her. How does it even work? You know what they say about mixing business and pleasure…

I’m really looking forward to seeing things from Dante’s perspective next. Hopefully he gives up some juicy details and doesn’t act half as naive as Autumn.

I think this next chapter shall unfold some more details from his end and you’ll get into his thoughts about this trip far more.

There is honestly not enough I can say about how amazing your writing is. I didn’t think it was even possible for you to top FHMD, but you have, and then some. I can’t wait to read the rest of the story and see how everything turns out for them. Again, thank you for sharing such a gift with us.

Thank you once again! I’m happy for sure it with you all. The support has been incredible thus far and I hope to keep you all interested as this goes along. <3

[thanatasia]

Your the only mutual who’s seen demon slayer so I apologize if my ranting and raving is a little overwelming 🥺👉🏻👈🏻

So I’m finally getting around to Demon Slayer —mostly in part because I was waiting for the hype to die down but also because I was waiting for a streaming service that I had to grab it — and after binging 13 episodes, I can safely say that my favorite characters are The Demon Doctor Lady, The cute dude madly in love with her, Tarzan Pig Head who’s a little confused but he’s got the spirit, and Nezuko, because she gets all of the UwU’s

Crybaby Tanjiro is a decent main character but his inner monologue sometimes gets a little grading to listen to but he’s big of heart, dumb of ass sometimes so I’ll let it slide. Also he’s a big brother who absolutely adores his baby sister, so he gets brownie points for good, non problematic familial sibling love.

However, Zenitsu can literally walk off a cliff for all that I care. He’s like Sanji from One Peice but instead of being so annoying that he’s funny, Zenitsu is just annoying (also I’m very sorry if Zenitsu is your favorite but like, the screaming... the screaming...) and like, I get that being a wuss and screaming all the time is his character flaw and his arc is to become more brave as he gets confident in his demon slayer abilities, but like... can he not be so annoying about it please...?

Also Demon daddy Michael Jackson is pretty cool.

Another thing that kinda grinds my gears about this anime is the pacing. I feel like a lot of these demon fights and training montages can absolutely be cut down form three episodes each to like one and a half... maybe two at the most. I don’t know if you had the same problem, but to me it defiantly feels dragged out for the sake of getting the story to the 26 episode mark.

Hopefully the pacing gets better during the rest of the anime, but I’m not holding out hope. Time will tell I guess. And hopefully Zenitsu will learn that the power of silence can be a blessing.

But overall I am getting a positive feeling out of Demon Slayer. It’s not terrible by no means (trust me I’ve far worse) but it’s defiantly not the show-stopper that most people back during Demon Slayers time in the sun were screaming about. I personally, as of episode 13, give it a solid B-

or

a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ out of 5.

Also I’m sorry if this was too long to read 🥺

@simplysparrow14 don't feel bad about this long message. Reading other people's opinion on something I enjoy is nice!

I can definitely understand not wanting to get into a series that has a lot of hype, I kinda felt like that with BNHA in the beginning (I still need to catch up but I literally just look forward to Dabi lol)

Ahhh all those characters are so good! Lady Tamayo and Yushiro (I hope I'm right) I love them too. I love the scene where he calls Nezuko unattractive, literally his energy was funny.

Inosuke is fun! I enjoy him too. At first I thought I'd be annoyed with him but he proved me wrong. And Nezuko!!! I don't think there is anyone who truly hates her, I just want to hug her!

As for Tanjiro, I totally get being a bit iffy with him. I still enjoy his character but main characters are almost never my favorite characters in anime/manga because of how predictable they are (My faves are all side characters where anything is possible. And I really like the Hashira those character designs!!!). However, as you said, his big brother love for Nezuko is wonderful (I really like that this series has two siblings as the MC's and we see how far each would go to protect the other. We rarely see loving sibling bonds unless they'rerivals or they have grudges against each other) I also like that he's a sensitive MC. I've seen a lot of shounen anime and I like that Tanjiro isn't a Goku or Naruto (loud, obnoxious, the whole shebang). I feel like BnHA was my first experience of a sensitive MC in shounen.

No offense here about Zenitsu. It's funny I said I don't really like the loud characters but Zenitsu is the loudest one of Demon Slayer lol. I feel like comic-relief characters walk on the slippery slope of annoying af or well received. I noticed a lot of people want to see more of him fighting (because they can't stand awake Zenitsu lol) and I definitely want to see more badass, confident Zenitsu too!

OMG "Demon daddy Michael Jackson" I'm dying!!! We need to see more of him, especially being threatening.

As for the pacing (Right now I'm going by memory) I'm pretty sure the training sequences are dragged out. Usually I skip around if I'm bored, which I think I did or get distracted while it's happening. I wanna say the only training that I could see being dragged out, while making sense is the training Tanjiro did with Sabito and Makomo. One of these characters gets brought up again later (maybe the important detail was said but if you look carefully two characters have a similar haori). I'd also say it helps us to be attached to them since we later find out what happened to them. The old man (I forgot his name) meh if it went more than 1.5 eps I totally forgot because I can lose interest in training arcs lol.

I will say in future seasons (because I read the manga) some fights feel dragged out and there might be an arc that drags out but I honestly see it being at most 2 eps (the first being quick and comedic the second being more serious)

I feel like this 2nd season will be paced better because they (what I assume from the trailer) are animating one arc, "Red Light District" and I cannot wait because

1) The music I picture going alongside the calm, action and scenic moments. The trailer had a banger!

2) The fights. Something super cool happens

3) The comedy

4) ...Uzui with his hair down/messed up.... I always find a husbando in a series and it became him. (there's a joke I wanna make but after it's released)

Honestly, same. When you break it down "Demon Slayer" is your typical shounen anime that follows a lot of the tropes necessary for a series featured in big magazines like "Shounen Jump." But where it does separate itself from protagonists and characters such as "Naruto", "Bleach", "Dragon Ball", "Bkack Clover" etc, it does really well.

I wanna say this series has by far the most eyecatching character designs which is great because I can remember them a lot faster.

And I love their "breath technique" effects. Besides the first episode reeling me in, the effects kept me in (as well as characters). It's a visually appealing anime and the animation team did a wonderful job bringing these characters and this story alive.

I also like that the series takes place during an evolving/modernizing Japan, some places are modern for that time period/influenced time period (1900-20's fashion, trains!?!? I legit face-palmed at the end of season 1 because I forgot that this series wasn't taking place in medieval-ish era) Sometimes I forget that Demon daddy and Tanjiro live in the same time period because of how different their worlds are. (I'm very use to shounen being either just european medieval fantasy world, just medieval/edo fantasy Japan or in the rare case modern fantasy Japan. A mix of both if it's like Bleach but the difference was extreme and literally different worlds) In Demon Slayer, it was a work in progress, a set up perhaps. But I mean, countrysides still exists in more developed countries today but in most anime it was either or. Pre-modern or Present day modern.

And the character backstories are pretty intense. I wanna reread the series again to give a better review. But yeah, prepare to cry some things did catch me off guard and oh geez, I will be crying when certain chapters get animated.

I 100% agree with you on the rating a B- or ⭐⭐⭐⭐ is fair for "Demon Slayer"

For me to give an A+ or 5 stars, the series would have to really surprise me, main character wise (I've read so much that I can predict what will happen, kinda like my mom and horror movies)

Berserk is the closest to a 5 star but that's a Seinen series that goes by different rules and has a lot of dark and really messed up things (big big trigger warning) happen but when that big surprise came it literally took me by surprise the 2016-17 anime was a disgrace and don't get me started on that lol) and of course even then I would still critique it lol

Thank you so much for your ask! I don’t mind reading a bit more and as you can see I love writing...a bit too much. And I hope my rambles aren't too repetitive or boring.

I really do want to draw some Demon Slayer stuff, I really do love the characters in this series.

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Shoes Quotes

Official Website: Shoes Quotes

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• A lean, loose-jointed Negro had commenced plunking a guitar beside me while I slept. His clothes were rags; his feet peeped out of his shoes. His face had on it some of the sadness of the ages. As he played, he pressed a knife on the strings of the guitar in a manner popularized by Hawaiian guitarists who used steel bars. The effect was unforgettable. – William Christopher Handy • A lie can travel half way around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes. – Charles Spurgeon • A man of meditation functions differently. Whatever profession he chooses, it does not matter. He will bring to his profession some quality of sacredness. He may be making shoes, or he may be cleaning the roads, but he will bring to his work some quality, some grace, some beauty, which is not possible without samādhi. – Rajneesh • A shoe has so much more to offer than just to walk.- Christian Louboutin • A shoe is not only a design, but it’s a part of your body language, the way you walk. The way you’re going to move is quite dictated by your shoes. – Christian Louboutin • A shoe that fits one person pinches another. – Alex Flinn • A woman with good shoes i never ugly! – Coco Chanel • Age shouldn’t affect you. It’s just like the size of your shoes – they don’t determine how you live your life! You’re either marvellous or you’re boring, regardless of your age. – Steven Morrissey • Alexandros of Antioch took a block of marble and chiseled away from it everything that was not his masterpiece, the Venus de Milo. If you will chisel away one fault from your character every day, you may discover – a) that you’re actually a statue of Margaret Thatcher. b) that you’re still just a block of marble. c) that there are pigeon droppings on your shoes. d) that you, too, are a hidden masterpiece. – Robert Breault • Always double-knot your sneakers. One of my teammates once lost a shoe during a game! – Heather Mitts • An old belief is like an old shoe. We so value its comfort that we fail to notice the hole in it. – Robert Breault • An old-shoe lover loves loving old shoes. – Theodore Sturgeon • As an economist, whenever I hear the word shortage I wait for the other shoe to drop. That other shoe is usually price control. – Thomas Sowell • As tempting as it seems to wear tennis shoes with your tux, don’t do it. I think it looks ridiculous. If you’re 14 years old, maybe give it a shot. In general, don’t portray anything that says ‘I’m too cool and I don’t care. – Paul Feig • Ask a Soviet engineer to design a pair of shoes and he’ll come up with something that looks like the boxes that the shoes came in; ask him to make something that will massacre Germans, and he turns into Thomas “Fscking” Edison. – Neal Stephenson • A-well-a, splish, splash, I forgot about the bath, I went and put my dancing shoes on. – Bobby Darin

jQuery(document).ready(function($) var data = action: 'polyxgo_products_search', type: 'product', keywords: 'Shoe', orderby: 'rand', order: 'DESC', template: '1', limit: '68', columns: '4', viewall:'Shop All', ; jQuery.post(spyr_params.ajaxurl,data, function(response) var obj = jQuery.parseJSON(response); jQuery('#thelovesof_shoe').html(obj); jQuery('#thelovesof_shoe img.swiper-lazy:not(.swiper-lazy-loaded)' ).each(function () var img = jQuery(this); img.attr("src",img.data('src')); img.addClass( 'swiper-lazy-loaded' ); img.removeAttr('data-src'); ); ); ); • Before you judge a man, walk a mile in his shoes. After that who cares?… He’s a mile away and you’ve got his shoes! – Billy Connolly • Between saying and doing, many a pair of shoes is worn out. – Iris Murdoch • But be careful; sand is already broken but glass breaks. The shoes are for dancing, not running away. – Francesca Lia Block • But countless studies have shown that a cue and a reward, on their own, aren’t enough for a new habit to last. Only when your brain starts expecting the reward–craving the endorphins or sense of accomplishment–will it become automatic to lace up your jogging shoes each morning. The cue, in addition to triggering a routine, must also trigger a craving for the reward to come. – Charles Duhigg • Buying a pair of shoes is one of the most optimistic acts I know, next to falling in love. I like nothing better than to see an old man wearing a brand new pair of brogues or cap-toed oxfords, preferably jaunty orange-brown, unscuffed, heels unworn. We want to be here tomorrow, but buying new shoes, like falling in love, says I plan on being here tomorrow. – Jonathan Carroll • By the end of Fashion Week my apartment is covered with makeup and clothes and shoes. Everything you can think of. – Karlie Kloss • By the time they’re ready to be thrown away, most shoes are thoroughly comfortable – Andy Rooney

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• Craziness in a shoe is great – you can have much more freedom, you can exaggerate and it doesn’t feel stupid. But to have too much craziness near your face, that would just feel weird. – Miuccia Prada • Environmental historians . . . insist that we have got to go . . . down to the earth itself as an agent and presence in history. Here we will discover even more fundamental forces at work over time. And to appreciate those forces we must now and then get out of parliamentary chambers, out of birthing rooms and factories, get out of doors altogether, and ramble into fields, woods, and the open air. It is time we bought a good set of walking shoes, and we cannot avoid getting some mud on them. – Donald Worster • Estimated from a wife’s experience, the average man spends fully one-quarter of his life in looking for his shoes. – Helen Rowland

• Every day brings a chance for you to draw in a breath, kick off your shoes, and dance. – Oprah Winfrey • Every man should own a navy cashmere jacket with gold buttons, a grey suit, black shoes shoes for the city, brown shoes for elsewhere. Everything else should be simple and really well made. – Thom Browne • For many of us we are always wanting more – we would be happier if we had such and such. Maybe we should pause for a moment and hear what some people in the third world countries would like to make them happier. 1. Having enough to eat so when you go to sleep at night your stomach doesn’t ach. 2. Having shoes on your feet and any kind of clothing to keep the cold out. 3. Having a roof over your head. 4. Having the hope that you’ll be lucky enough to get some kind of an education. 5. Believing that the dream of freedom, brotherhood, and peace for all mankind will someday come true. – Abigail Van Buren • For shoes I try to choose a bootie style and opt for a heel that looks good but allows me to get around. – Rosie Huntington-Whiteley • God bless the boys from Memphis, blue suede shoes, and Elvis. – George Jones • God’s providence is not in baskets lowered from the sky, but through the hands and hearts of those who love him. The lad without food and without shoes made the proper answer to the cruel-minded woman who asked, “But if God loved you wouldn’t he send you food and shoes?” The boy replied, “God told someone, but he forgot.” George Arthur Buttrick • Good ideas are like Nike sports shoes. They may facilitate success for an athlete who possesses them, but on their own they are nothing but an overpriced pair of sneakers. Sports shoes don’t win races. Athletes do. – Felix Dennis • Good shoes – they’re the ultimate finishing touch. In fact, we actually joke in my family that your shoes have to be shined before you can leave the house. – Cam Newton • Gout is not relieved by a fine shoe nor a hangnail by a costly ring nor migraine by a tiara. – Plutarch • He warned Mother not to flout God’s Will by expecting too much of us. “Sending a girl to college is like pouring water in your shoes,’ he still loves to say, as often as possible. ‘It’s hard to say which is worse, seeing it run out and waste the water, or seeing it hold in and wreck the shoes. – Barbara Kingsolver • Hey, I put some new shoes on and suddenly everything is right. – Paolo Nutini • Hopefully 10 years from now people won’t even realize we started out selling shoes. They will just think about Zappos as a place to get the best customer service. – Tony Hsieh • I actually have more shoes than anyone will ever know. – Tamara Mellon • I also love visiting the malls but not to do shopping. The only things I enjoy shopping are clothes and shoes. I have many pairs of shoes – Tevin Campbell • I always have humour in my action movies. I think characters that make jokes under fire are more real. It somehow helps put you in their shoes. – Shane Black • I always have shoe trouble. – Jourdan Dunn • I always wear flat shoes, because I can’t walk in anything else. – Sadie Frost • I always wear the shoes of the character a week before going on set; the idea of just putting on a new pair of shoes on the first day of filming is just horrific. – Felicity Jones • I am a bit sickie happy. I am prone to black clouds too, but… I am embarrassed about them. It’s like: ‘My diamond shoes are too tight. My money clip doesn’t fit all my fifties.’ I mean – really. Shut up. – Olivia Colman • I am always surprised by who wears my shoes. This is a good thing. There is no type of woman, but all my women like to feel feminine. They are women who are happy to be women. – Christian Louboutin • I am very much a person who appreciates perennial things. Things like a Lacoste shirt, a Clarks desert boot, Persol sunglasses and Vans shoes that have been the same forever. There are certain things that once you find it, you like it and it’s done. I like Italian clothing, like suits from Battistoni and I have a shirt by Piero Albertelli. – Roman Coppola • I asked my mother could I have an instrument. She said, ‘Well if you go out and save your money.’ So I went and got – I made me a shine box. I went out and started shining shoes, and I’d bring whatever I made. – Ornette Coleman • I can count the number of great Cabernets I made at Beaulieu only by taking off my socks and shoes, but I can count the number of great Pinot Noirs on one hand with change left over. – Andre Tchelistcheff • I can tell where my own shoe pinches me. – Miguel de Cervantes • I can’t wear flat shoes. My feet repel them. – Mariah Carey • I definitely spend the most money on shoes, partly because vintage footwear can be a little funky – in a bad way. I like to keep things pretty simple up top and then go weird with the shoes. – Chloe Sevigny • I did not have three thousand pairs of shoes, I had one thousand and sixty. – Imelda Marcos • I dislike the word ‘victim.’ I dislike being told that I ‘lost’ my husband – as if I had idly abandoned you by the side of the railway track like an unwanted pair of old shoes. – Nina Bawden • I don’t fret much about the natural life spans of shoe companies. If stores don’t do the right things, they cease to exist, and that doesn’t trouble me at all. – Steve Madden • I don’t have to live the lives of my characters to write about them. It’s about really putting yourself in their shoes. – Jodi Picoult • I feel like there’s no subject that can’t be sung about. I wrote a song dedicated to people with inflammatory bowel disease, and then I wrote about shoes. And mangoes. Every rock should be turned. – Casey Abrams • I find shoes difficult to be ethical about. – Steven Morrissey • I get to the theatre in plenty of time; I prepare my shoes in advance; I eat and drink the right things at the right time. The rest you have to leave to luck! – Deborah Bull • I got an attitude, that’s rude because I walked over Elvis’ grave in some blue suede shoes. – Akinyele • I had always wanted to go to the Navy. As a young kid, I was intrigued by a Naval Officer with the beautiful brown shoes and sharp gold wings. – Wally Schirra • I had no shoes, and I felt sorry for myself until I met a man who had no feet. I took his shoes. Now I feel better. – George Carlin • I hate the French because they are all slaves and wear wooden shoes. – Oliver Goldsmith • I have a very silly sense of humor. I’ve never laughed harder in my entire life than seeing someone with toilet paper stuck on the bottom of their shoe. – Paula Poundstone • I have always loved fashion because it’s a great way to express your mood. And I’m definitely a shoe lover. The right pair of shoes can change the feel of an outfit, and even change how a woman feels about herself. A woman can wear confidence on her feet with a high stiletto, or slip into weekend comfort with a soft ballet flat. – Fergie • I have big feet. Do you know how embarrassing it is when you ask for a shoe and they look at you like, “No, we don’t make these heels for Bigfoot, sorry.” – Margot Robbie • I have to take my shoes off, you guys. – Lena Dunham • I just love clothes! I’m a girl who loves clothes, accessories, shoes, bags and jewelry. – Kelly Rowland • I know he’s retired, but I’m a big fan of Shaquille O’Neal, his game and his personality. I have a pair of his shoes in my office. You see the size of his shoe and think, ‘This is not real, this couldn’t belong to a human being.’ But he is human! – Wladimir Klitschko • I like a man who can be a real friend, has a good sense of humor, a good pair of shoes and a healthy gold card. – Victoria Beckham • I like Chanel and Yves Saint Laurent. I have some great Balenciaga jackets and I’m shoe crazy. – Melanie Laurent • I like Cinderella – she has a good work ethic and she likes shoes. – Amy Adams • I like Cinderella, I really do. She has a good work ethic. I appreciate a good, hard-working gal. And she likes shoes. The fairy tale is all about the shoe at the end, and I’m a big shoe girl. – Amy Adams • I like crazy shoes or unusual cowboy boots and I collect big belt buckles. – Patricia Cornwell • I like the fact that Hogan’s shoes all have this sporty sole that is great even for an older man with a bad back like me. – Matthew William Goode • I like to go wakeboarding. It’s my new favorite sport. It’s like skiing but on a snowboard that has little shoes on it. – Minka Kelly • I love accessories. I’m a girl. I love shoes. I love handbags. – Petra Stunt • I love jeans, T-shirts, boots, and tennis shoes. – Ashley Benson • I love living my life in flip-flops. I met a guy in the islands a while ago who told me he hadn’t worn a pair of shoes in three years! I thought, ‘Man, that’s the life!’ – Kenny Chesney • I love pedicures. And, yes, I have a ton of shoes. – Hope Solo • I love you Huey was the note I read, but there’s a strange pair of shoes underneath the bed. – Huey Lewis • I never go sexy. I’m more into a well-made pair of pants and a good shoe. – Dree Hemingway • I never wear the same shoe twice. – Deion Sanders • I own a lot of shoes; I am not sure how many. – Kristin Cavallari • I perfectly understand the obsession with shoes. I myself am pretty obsessed. I have a few hundred pairs of shoes in general, because I’ve been collecting shoes for a long time. – Christian Louboutin • I prefer to leave a little room in my bag to grab goodies when I’m travelling, but otherwise you need one good pair of shoes that can be worn day or night, a pair of black jeans, and a nice dress. – Dree Hemingway • I quit because I can’t stand seeing kids come to class hungry and needing shoes. I thought I could do more by organizing farm workers than by trying to teach their hungry children. – Dolores Huerta • I rarely buy a shoe that is completely specific to a time and outfit. I generally tend to spend money on good shoes that can go with everything. – Melanie Fiona • I really want readers to put themselves into the shoes of each character. So the opening lines are an orienting technique: this is where you are, this is who you are. Go. – Alissa Nutting • I see a pair of shoes I adore, and it doesn’t matter if they have them in my size. I buy them anyway. – Keira Knightley • I still have my feet on the ground, I just wear better shoes. – Oprah Winfrey • I think that when you put yourself, as actors have to do, in other people’s shoes, when you have to put on the costume that someone else has worn in their life, it gets much, much harder to be prejudiced against them and even to be – to not try to look at the world in a sense of “I’m not going to judge somebody. I’m going to try to understand who they are and what they’re about.” – Kevin Spacey • I think we should really discourage this sort of empathic engagement when it comes to making moral decisions. I think we should focus on something like compassion, on getting people to care more for others without putting ourselves in their shoes. – Paul Bloom • I thought it was normal to recycle pants and shoes from your older cousins. That was just my way of life. At the end of the month, there was not much food in the refrigerator and you’re hoping the first comes so food can come again. You never forget those things. – Tyson Chandler • I used to be another little fellow with some hoop dreams / Now I got the game laced up, shoe strings. – Carlos Boozer • I usually decide what to wear in the morning, but sometimes, I’ll have a favorite coat or sweater or shoes, and I’ll wear them everyday for a week! – Cameron Russell • I wanted to make the lightest shoe possible, but still be able to perform at the same time. – Carmelo Anthony • I was a hostess, I sold shoes, but I don’t function well in jobs that don’t have to do with what I love. I have cleaned bathrooms in theaters, I have sold wine in theaters, I have sold tickets, because I will do anything, anything, to stay in this world. – Nina Arianda • I was changing a light bulb over Groucho Marx’s bed, so I took my shoes off, got on his bed and changed the bulb. When I got off the bed he said: ‘That’s the best acting you’ve ever done. – Elliott Gould • I went through this phase where I thought pink and purple matched. To dance class, I’d wear purple tights and pink leg warmers and paint my shoes purple. It was really odd. – Carrie Ann Inaba • I wonder how Admat can be everywhere. Is he in my sandal? Or is he my sandal itself? Why would a god bother to be a sandal? Does he wear shoes or sandals himself, invisible ones? – Gail Carson Levine • I would be happy naked as long as I’m wearing fabulous shoes. – Anna Dello Russo • I would hate for someone to look at my shoes and say, ‘Oh my God! That looks so comfortable!’ – Christian Louboutin • I would love to have my own shoe line. That I would absolutely love. – Kristin Cavallari • I’d love to have a shoe line, or a sunglasses line, or a purse line. Who am I kidding, I’d like to have an everything line! – Bethany Cosentino • If a person lost would conclude that after all he is not lost, he is not beside himself, but standing in his own old shoes on thevery spot where he is, and that for the time being he will live there; but the places that have known him, they are lost,–how much anxiety and danger would vanish. – Henry David Thoreau • If arrogance were shoes, he’d never go barefoot. – Tamora Pierce • If everybody were a guy, the human race could easily get by on less than one twentieth the current number of shoes. – Dave Barry • If I could only fly, you see, a lot of my problems would be gone. When you think of just how much I’d save on shoes alone. – Waylon Jennings • If the shoe doesn’t fit, must we change the foot? – Gloria Steinem • If the shoe fits, buy another one just like it. – George Carlin • If the shoe fits, buy it in every color! – Jerry Smith • If the shoe fits, buy it. – Imelda Marcos • If the shoe fits, you must wear it. – Christoph Waltz • If you never want to see the face of hell, when you come home from work every night, dance with your kitchen towel and, if you’re worried about waking up your family, take off your shoes. – Nachman of Breslov • If you’re wearing a pair of shoes that’s a little flashy, then it’s important not to be flashy up top and vice versa. – Megyn Kelly • I’ll never be able to fill my father’s or grandfather’s shoes, but hopefully I can stand on their shoulders and reach farther. – Philippe Cousteau, Jr. • I’m a goody two-shoes who’s never taken anything stronger than Tylenol. – Erika Christensen • I’m a huge shoe person, and I have lots of shoes. – Kimberly Caldwell • I’m addicted to laughing. I go to see a lot of comedy shows. I’m addicted to playing really loud and obnoxious rock music in my car. I’m addicted to beautiful clothes and shoes. I just love gorgeous stuff and work hard to acquire pretty things, shiny things. I’m addicted to shiny things! – Nadia Giosia • I’m essentially a jeans girl, and I dress them up or down with accessories. For me, it’s ultimately about a great pair of shoes. – Jessalyn Gilsig • I’m from the bottom, I understand what it’s like to have and to not have. My perception on giving is to put yourself in those people’s shoes and go from there. So that’s what I did. – Kevin Garnett • I’m not a great consumer. I always ask myself, ‘Do I really need that piece?’ I have friends who have 300 pairs of shoes; how would you leave the house in the morning? – Mireille Guiliano • I’m not here to be on display. And my body is not for public consumption. I will not be reduced to an object, or a pair of legs to sell shoes. I’m a soul, a mind, a servant of God. My worth is defined by the beauty of my soul, my heart, my moral character. So I won’t worship your beauty standards, and I don’t submit to your fashion sense. My submission is to something higher. – Yasmin Mogahed • I’m not really comfortable with who I am to be honest. I feel more free to step into the shoes of somebody else. There’s always an element of me in there but, you know, if you give me a script and some clothes I can do anything. But, as Ryan, I’m a bit of a recluse. – Ryan Kwanten • I’m pretty sure I’m going to fall in my GaGa shoes one night on tour and I’m hoping it becomes a Youtube sensation. – Chris Colfer • I’m rather pleased with the new manuals. I see Inform now as a gauche young adult, having got past the stage of growing out of his shoes every few months. – Graham Nelson • Imagine for a minute yourself in the same shoes, the same sense of survival and the same nothing to lose. – Lil’ Kim • In glades they meet skull after skull Where pine cones lay-the rusted gun, Green shoes full of bones, the mouldering coat And cuddled up skeleton; And scores of such. Some start as in dreams, And comrades lost bemoan; By the edge of those wilds Stonewall had charged- But the year and the Man were gone. – Herman Melville • In sci-fi convention, life-forms that hadn’t developed space travel were mere prehistory — horse-shoe crabs of the cosmic scene — and something of the humiliation of being stuck on a provincial planet in a galactic backwater has stayed with me ever since. – Barbara Ehrenreich • It is the fragrant lack of practicality that makes high-heeled shoes so fascinating: in terms of static mechanics they induce a sort of insecurity which some find titillating. If a woman wears a high-heeled shoe it changes the apparent musculature of the leg so that you get an effect of twanging sinew, of tension needing to be released. Her bottom sticks out like an offering. At the same time, the lofty perch is an expression of vulnerability, she is effectively hobbled and unable to escape. There is something arousing about this declaration that she is prepared to sacrifice function for form. – Stephen Bayley • It isn’t the mountain ahead that wears you out; it’s the grain of sand in your shoe. – Robert W. Service • It seems to me that to take a book of mine into his hands is one of the rarest distinctions that anyone can confer upon himself. I even assume that he removes his shoes when he does so-not to speak of boots. – Friedrich Nietzsche • It takes a Real man to fill my shoes. – Madonna Ciccone • It’s a rare thing when you read a role and have this immediate ownership over it, you have this take and this connection, and it’s not even that you feel that you’re gonna do a good job, it’s that you feel like you’ve found it. It fits, it’s natural; it’s like putting on a good shoe or something. – Fran Kranz • It’s better to buy one good pair of shoes than four cheap ones. – Cary Grant • It’s not about the shoes, it’s what you do in them. – Michael Jordan • It’s what I call the haute couture, high-end version of fear perfectionism. It’s just fear in really good shoes. But it’s still fear. – Elizabeth Gilbert • I’ve always been melancholic. At a party, everyone would be looking at the glittering chandeliers and I’d be looking at the waitress’s cracked shoes. – Marian Keyes • I’ve always believed that a beautiful shoe is useless unless it feels as wonderful as it looks. – Stuart Weitzman • I’ve always looked at shoes as being immensely beautiful things. – Graham Coxon • I’ve been making shoes my whole life. – Steve Madden • I’ve been ripped for being too sensitive, but I do think people need to walk in another person’s shoes before they accuse them of being too sensitive. – Hank Haney • Jesus was a Capricorn, he ate organic foods, he believed in love and peace, and never wore no shoes. – Kris Kristofferson • Learn to sell. In business you’re always selling: to your prospects, investors and employees. To be the best salesperson put yourself in the shoes of the person to whom you’re selling. Don’t sell your product. Solve their problems. – Mark Cuban • Learning to stand in somebody else’s shoes, to see through their eyes, that’s how peace begins. And it’s up to you to make that happen. Empathy is a quality of character that can change the world. – Barack Obama • Mama’s in the factory, she ain’t got no shoes. Daddy’s in the alley, he’s looking for food. – Bob Dylan • Meeting writers is always so disappointing. I got over wanting to meet live writers quite a long time ago. There is this terrific book that has changed your life, and then you meet the author, and he has shifty eyes and funny shoes and he won’t talk about anything except the injustice of the United States income tax structure toward people with fluctuating income, or how to breed Black Angus cows, or something. – Ursula K. Le Guin • Men may not read the gospel in sealskin, or the gospel in morocco, or the gospel in cloth covers, but they can’t get away from the gospel in shoe leather. – Donald Barnhouse • Men tell me that I’ve saved their marriages. It costs them a fortune in shoes, but it’s cheaper than a divorce. So I’m still useful, you see. – Manolo Blahnik • My dad says that when I was two or three I used to go out dressed as a different character every day. I remember thinking it was perfectly normal to wear different coloured shoes and carry a pink umbrella. But now I’ve got a goddaughter of that age; I realise it’s not normal at all. – Alice Eve • My girlfriend is a fashion designer. She has her own company called Rachel Antonoff. She is doing a collaboration with Urban Outfitters right now, a shoe collaboration with Bass. She sells to Barneys, stuff like that. – Nate Ruess • My mom would take me to restaurants, and the first thing I’d ask for would be a pen and a napkin, and I’d sketch shoes and shoes and shoes. – Alexander Wang • No one is without their difficulties, whether in High, or low Life, & every person knows best where their own shoe pinches. – Abigail Adams • One minute I’m exactly what Churchill described me the most powerful man in history. Now the Order’s given, hell; I’m just audience front row center to the shoe. But a Corporal on Juno, a Private on Utah there the ones who will affect the outcome not me. It’s up to them now. – Dwight D. Eisenhower • One of the pleasures of being an actor is quite simply taking a walk in someone else’s shoes. And when I look at the roles I’ve played, I’m kind of amazed at all the wonderful adventures I’ve had and the different things I’ve learned. – Willem Dafoe • Our incomes are like our shoes; if too small, they gall and pinch us; but if too large, they cause us to stumble and to trip. – John Locke • Our job as the game creators or developers – the programmers, artists, and whatnot – is that we have to kind of put ourselves in the user’s shoes. We try to see what they’re seeing, and then make it, and support what we think they might think. – Shigeru Miyamoto • People are lonely, and only animals with fancy shoes. – Jack Johnson • People can be slave-ships in shoes. – Zora Neale Hurston • Perhaps it’s a good time to reconsider pleasure at its roots. Changing out of wet shoes and socks, for instance. – Barbara Holland • Potatoes are to food what sensible shoes are to fashion. – Linda Wells • Put yourself in Hamlet’s shoes. Suppose you were a prince, and you came back from college to discover that your uncle had murdered your father and married your mother, and you fell in love with a beautiful girl and mistakenly murdered her father, and then she went crazy and drowned herself. What would you do? Go back for a masters? – Art Buchwald • Right now I’m reading every fashion magazine I can find. As a shoe designer, I feel it’s my responsibility to learn as much as I can about the business, past and present. – Fergie • Shakespeare, he’s in the alley with his pointed shoes and his bells, speaking to some French girl who says she knows me well. – Bob Dylan • Shoes are real. Money is an end result. – Peter Drucker • Some men’s memory is like a box where a man should mingle his jewels with his old shoes. – Sir George Savile, 8th Baronet • Some people do drugs, I buy shoes! – Celine Dion • Some sensible person once remarked that you spend the whole of your life either in your bed or in your shoes. Having done the best you can by shoes and bed, devote all the time and resources at your disposal to the building up of a fine kitchen. It will be, as it should be, the most comforting and comfortable room in the house. – Elizabeth David • Sometimes I don’t even pull my shoes off for six weeks at a time, except, you know, just to take a shower. I just take breaks between 24 hours a day, just a break now and then, it don’t take me long to rest; maybe 20 to30 minutes sometime, or maybe an hour. – Howard Finster • Stepping outside the comfort zone is the price I pay to find out how good I can be. If I planned on backing off every time running got difficult I would hang up my shoes and take up knitting. – Desiree Linden • Stiletto, I look at it more as an attitude as opposed to a high-heeled shoe. – Lita Ford • The high-heeled shoe is a marvellously contradictory item; it brings a woman to a man’s height but makes sure she cannot keep up with him. – Germaine Greer • The most important thing to remember is that you can wear all the greatest clothes and all the greatest shoes, but you’ve got to have a good spirit on the inside. That’s what’s really going to make you look like you’re ready to rock the world. – Alicia Keys • The North can make a steam engine, locomotive or railway car; hardly a yard of cloth or a pair of shoes can you make. You are rushing into war with one of the most powerful, ingeniously mechanical and determined people on earth – right at your doors. You are bound to fail. Only in spirit and determination are you prepared for war. In all else you are totally unprepared, with a bad cause to start with. – William Tecumseh Sherman • The out-of-work actor wears out more than shoe leather. The very sensibilities that make him an artist are shattered by the disregard he is shown as a human being. – Bette Davis • The problem is that humans have victimized animals to such a degree that they are not even considered victims. They are not even considered at all. They are nothing. They don’t count; they don’t matter; they’re commodities like TV sets and cell phones. We have actually turned animals into inanimate objects – sandwiches and shoes. – Gary Yourofsky • The right shoe can make everything different. – Jimmy Choo • The secret of toe cleavage, a very important part of the sexuality of the shoe; you must only show the first two cracks. – Manolo Blahnik • The shoe that fits one person pinches another; there is no recipe for living that suits all cases. – Carl Jung • The shoemaker makes a good shoe because he makes nothing else. – Ralph Waldo Emerson • The ‘Tarahumara’ use their legs ‘as designed.’ By running at a young age with minimal footwear, they naturally develop the best biomechanical use of their legs. Cushioned shoes restrict foot movements and allow for over-striding. Short strides are natural. – Christopher McDougall • The thing about Paris, it’s a great city for wandering around and buying shoes and nursing a cafe au lait for hours on end and pretending you’re Baudelaire. But it’s not a city where you can work. – Malcolm Mclaren • ‘The time has come,’ the walrus said, ‘to talk of many things: of shoes and ships – and sealing wax – of cabbages and kings.’ – Lewis Carroll • The walls have ears, better think before you throw that shoe. – Elvis Presley • There are many interactions that an actor like me has in public when he gets recognized. The best are ‘You’re a great actor, good work,’ and move on. A very good interaction could be when they say ‘You were awesome on ‘The West Wing,” ‘Loved ‘In Her Shoes,’ great movie,’ ”What Women Want,’ good job dude. – Mark Feuerstein • There comes a moment during a job interview when you’re still talking, but you might as well take off your shoes. – Bill James • There is an element of seduction in shoes that doesn’t exist for men. A woman can be sexy, charming, witty or shy with her shoes. – Christian Louboutin • There is health in table talk and nursery play. We must wear old shoes and have aunts and cousins. – Ralph Waldo Emerson • There is nobody that’s ever going to fill Ted Kennedy’s shoes, and that’s a tall order for somebody in the family to try to live up to. – Douglas Brinkley • There is something that feels stagnant about having things you don’t use or wear. But shoes are my thing. Shoes and scarves, I’m a big fan of the scarf. – Leslie Bibb • There’s one good thing about tight shoes; they make you forget your other troubles. – Josh Billings • They call him the Streak, he likes to turn the other cheek. He’s always making the news, wearing just his tennis shoes. – Ray Stevens • They went into my closets looking for skeletons, but thank God all they found were shoes, beautiful shoes. – Imelda Marcos • This is why I decided to work with Nike, too, because it is even more mass-market than Givenchy and could make entry-price shoes and make people dream to be part of the journey. – Riccardo Tisci • Three quarters of the miseries and misunderstandings in the world would finish if people were to put on the shoes of their adversaries and understood their points of view – Mahatma Gandhi • To have regret is to be disappointed with yourself and your choices. Those who are wise, see their life like stepping stones across a great river. Everyone misses a stone from time to time. No one can cross the river without getting wet. Success is measured by your arrival on the other side, not on how muddy your shoes are. Regrets are only felt by those who do not understand life’s purpose. They become so disillusioned that they stand still in the river and do not take the next leap. – Colleen Houck • To match the shoes with the jacket is fey. To match the shoes with the hat is taste. – Gene Wilder • TOMS is no longer a shoe company… we’re a one-for-one company. – Blake Mycoskie • True love wasn’t found in good hair or the right clothes, make-up or shoes. True love was found in the soul – as was wisdom and compassion – P. C. Cast • We all walk in different shoes. – Kenneth Cole • We Die Young is about gang violence. That was something that was happening in Seattle, something that kinda opened our eyes. It just seemed like things were getting out of hand. Incidents where kids were getting shot, and getting their tennis shoes ripped off their dead bodies. It just seems like these kids are dying at younger and younger ages and getting involved in gang activity. – Layne Staley • We may encounter many defeats, but we must not be defeated. That sounds goody two-shoes, I know, but I believe that a diamond is the result of extreme pressure and time. Less time is crystal. Less than that is coal. Less than that is fossilized leaves. Less than that it’s just plain dirt. In all my work, in the movies I write, the lyrics the poetry, the prose, the essays, I am saying that we may encounter many defeats – maybe it’s imperative that we encounter the defeats – but we are much stronger than we appear to be and maybe much better than we allow ourselves to be. – Maya Angelou • We see women who go out and want to look like Jennifer Aniston, and they’re wearing an ill-fitting red dress and ugly gold shoes, and they’ve got flat hair and they can’t walk. – Kelly Cutrone • We will begin by learning how to tie our shoes. – John Wooden • Well, shoes, bags and clutches are usually my big weaknesses – my husband always laughs when I call them ‘investment pieces.’ – Emily Giffin • We’ve created an unnatural form of running. It’s not just the shoes, but we run on artificial surfaces – straight ahead, hard and steady – instead of speeding up and slowing down, reacting to the terrain with changes of pace and rhythm. – Christopher McDougall • What spirit is so empty and blind, that it cannot recognize the fact that the foot is more noble than the shoe, and skin more beautiful than the garment with which it is clothed? – Michelangelo • When I left school, I got a job in a shoe shop and I used to save 15 quid a week and pay for my own singing and acting lessons. – Luke Evans • When I step into a character’s shoes, I don’t judge them. I make a conscious effort not to look from the outside in but look from the inside out, and when you do that it allows you to feel and sense things more, and act and react from a core, you know? – Abbie Cornish • When the shoe fits, the foot is forgotten; when the belt fits, the belly is forgotten; when the heart is right, “for” and “against” are forgotten. There is no change in what is inside, no following what is outside, when the adjustment to events is comfortable. One begins with what is comfortable and never experiences what is uncomfortable, when one knows the comfort of forgetting what is comfortable. – Zhuangzi • When there’s uncertainty they always think there’s another shoe to fall. There is no other shoe to fall. – Kenneth Lay • When you have worn out yourshoes, the strength of the shoe leather has passed into the fiber ofyour body. I measure your health by the number of shoes and hats andclothes you have worn out. – Ralph Waldo Emerson • When you wear a fresh pair of shoes, you feel like you can never die. You feel like you’re gonna live forever. – Chi McBride • When your about to criticize someone walk a mile in thier shoes, that way when you criticize them you’re a mile away from them and you have their shoes – Ann Brashares • When your feet start to hurt, place yourself in someone else’s shoes. – Demi Lovato • When you’re comfortable, you’re more confident – I really believe that. If you’re walking around in a dress or a pair of shoes that are uncomfortable, it reads all over you. – Erin Wasson • Whenever I go to shows, I end up looking at what shoes the guy onstage is wearing and the jacket he’s got on. And when you know everything’s gonna be under scrutiny, it makes you feel more comfortable if you have cool stuff. – Julian Casablancas • When’s the last time you really thought about what you eat, how much you move throughout the day, whether or not you feel fantastic when you get up in the morning, and which shoes keep your feet comfortable? – David Agus • Who waiteth for dead man’s shoes will go long barefoot. – John Heywood • Women who had discovered pants, low-heeled shoes, and loose sweaters during World War II were reluctant to give them up in peacetime. – Susan Faludi • Yet if a woman never lets herself go, how will she ever know how far she might have got? If she never takes off her high-heeled shoes, how will she ever know how far she could walk or how fast she could run? – Germaine Greer • You can do anything, but lay off my blue suede shoes – Elvis Presley • You can never take too much care over the choice of your shoes. – Christian Dior • You can never take too much care over the choice of your shoes. Too many women think that they are unimportant, but the real proof of an elegant woman is what is on her feet. – Christian Dior • You can never walk a mile in someone elses shoes, but you can walk a mile in your own and be proud of it. – Zach Anner • You can try on our suede underwear if you choose. Do what you want, but don’t step on my blue suede shoes. – Al Yankovic • You can wear anything as long as you put a nice pair of shoes with it. – Taylor Momsen • You cannot put the same shoe on every foot. – Publilius Syrus • You cannot, by all the lecturing in the world, enable a man to make a shoe. – Samuel Johnson • You can’t really get to know a person until you get in their shoes and walk around in them. – Harper Lee • You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose. You’re on your own, and you know what you know. And you are the guy who’ll decide where to go. – Dr. Seuss • You have dancing shoes with nimble soles. I have a soul of lead. – William Shakespeare • You have two categories of Shoes, Shoes which are dressing a woman or Shoes which are undressing a Woman – Christian Louboutin • You just need to put yourself in someone else’s shoes and then see how they feel and then you will understand why they are reacting or why they are behaving the way that they are behaving. We need to be fair. – Navid Negahban • You were going to travel for love, without shoes, or cloak, or common sense. This is one of the things a woman can do when her lover leaves her. It’s hard on the feet perhaps, but staying at home is hard on the heart, and you weren’t quite ready to give up on him yet. – Kelly Link • Your shoes are only as good as the laces they’re attached to. – Greg Sampson • You’ve always had the power right there in your shoes, you just had to learn it for yourself. – William Blake • Zappos is a customer service company that just happens to sell shoes. – Tony Hsieh

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[equitiesstocks]

Shoes Quotes

Official Website: Shoes Quotes

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• A lean, loose-jointed Negro had commenced plunking a guitar beside me while I slept. His clothes were rags; his feet peeped out of his shoes. His face had on it some of the sadness of the ages. As he played, he pressed a knife on the strings of the guitar in a manner popularized by Hawaiian guitarists who used steel bars. The effect was unforgettable. – William Christopher Handy • A lie can travel half way around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes. – Charles Spurgeon • A man of meditation functions differently. Whatever profession he chooses, it does not matter. He will bring to his profession some quality of sacredness. He may be making shoes, or he may be cleaning the roads, but he will bring to his work some quality, some grace, some beauty, which is not possible without samādhi. – Rajneesh • A shoe has so much more to offer than just to walk.- Christian Louboutin • A shoe is not only a design, but it’s a part of your body language, the way you walk. The way you’re going to move is quite dictated by your shoes. – Christian Louboutin • A shoe that fits one person pinches another. – Alex Flinn • A woman with good shoes i never ugly! – Coco Chanel • Age shouldn’t affect you. It’s just like the size of your shoes – they don’t determine how you live your life! You’re either marvellous or you’re boring, regardless of your age. – Steven Morrissey • Alexandros of Antioch took a block of marble and chiseled away from it everything that was not his masterpiece, the Venus de Milo. If you will chisel away one fault from your character every day, you may discover – a) that you’re actually a statue of Margaret Thatcher. b) that you’re still just a block of marble. c) that there are pigeon droppings on your shoes. d) that you, too, are a hidden masterpiece. – Robert Breault • Always double-knot your sneakers. One of my teammates once lost a shoe during a game! – Heather Mitts • An old belief is like an old shoe. We so value its comfort that we fail to notice the hole in it. – Robert Breault • An old-shoe lover loves loving old shoes. – Theodore Sturgeon • As an economist, whenever I hear the word shortage I wait for the other shoe to drop. That other shoe is usually price control. – Thomas Sowell • As tempting as it seems to wear tennis shoes with your tux, don’t do it. I think it looks ridiculous. If you’re 14 years old, maybe give it a shot. In general, don’t portray anything that says ‘I’m too cool and I don’t care. – Paul Feig • Ask a Soviet engineer to design a pair of shoes and he’ll come up with something that looks like the boxes that the shoes came in; ask him to make something that will massacre Germans, and he turns into Thomas “Fscking” Edison. – Neal Stephenson • A-well-a, splish, splash, I forgot about the bath, I went and put my dancing shoes on. – Bobby Darin

jQuery(document).ready(function($) var data = action: 'polyxgo_products_search', type: 'product', keywords: 'Shoe', orderby: 'rand', order: 'DESC', template: '1', limit: '68', columns: '4', viewall:'Shop All', ; jQuery.post(spyr_params.ajaxurl,data, function(response) var obj = jQuery.parseJSON(response); jQuery('#thelovesof_shoe').html(obj); jQuery('#thelovesof_shoe img.swiper-lazy:not(.swiper-lazy-loaded)' ).each(function () var img = jQuery(this); img.attr("src",img.data('src')); img.addClass( 'swiper-lazy-loaded' ); img.removeAttr('data-src'); ); ); ); • Before you judge a man, walk a mile in his shoes. After that who cares?… He’s a mile away and you’ve got his shoes! – Billy Connolly • Between saying and doing, many a pair of shoes is worn out. – Iris Murdoch • But be careful; sand is already broken but glass breaks. The shoes are for dancing, not running away. – Francesca Lia Block • But countless studies have shown that a cue and a reward, on their own, aren’t enough for a new habit to last. Only when your brain starts expecting the reward–craving the endorphins or sense of accomplishment–will it become automatic to lace up your jogging shoes each morning. The cue, in addition to triggering a routine, must also trigger a craving for the reward to come. – Charles Duhigg • Buying a pair of shoes is one of the most optimistic acts I know, next to falling in love. I like nothing better than to see an old man wearing a brand new pair of brogues or cap-toed oxfords, preferably jaunty orange-brown, unscuffed, heels unworn. We want to be here tomorrow, but buying new shoes, like falling in love, says I plan on being here tomorrow. – Jonathan Carroll • By the end of Fashion Week my apartment is covered with makeup and clothes and shoes. Everything you can think of. – Karlie Kloss • By the time they’re ready to be thrown away, most shoes are thoroughly comfortable – Andy Rooney

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• Craziness in a shoe is great – you can have much more freedom, you can exaggerate and it doesn’t feel stupid. But to have too much craziness near your face, that would just feel weird. – Miuccia Prada • Environmental historians . . . insist that we have got to go . . . down to the earth itself as an agent and presence in history. Here we will discover even more fundamental forces at work over time. And to appreciate those forces we must now and then get out of parliamentary chambers, out of birthing rooms and factories, get out of doors altogether, and ramble into fields, woods, and the open air. It is time we bought a good set of walking shoes, and we cannot avoid getting some mud on them. – Donald Worster • Estimated from a wife’s experience, the average man spends fully one-quarter of his life in looking for his shoes. – Helen Rowland

• Every day brings a chance for you to draw in a breath, kick off your shoes, and dance. – Oprah Winfrey • Every man should own a navy cashmere jacket with gold buttons, a grey suit, black shoes shoes for the city, brown shoes for elsewhere. Everything else should be simple and really well made. – Thom Browne • For many of us we are always wanting more – we would be happier if we had such and such. Maybe we should pause for a moment and hear what some people in the third world countries would like to make them happier. 1. Having enough to eat so when you go to sleep at night your stomach doesn’t ach. 2. Having shoes on your feet and any kind of clothing to keep the cold out. 3. Having a roof over your head. 4. Having the hope that you’ll be lucky enough to get some kind of an education. 5. Believing that the dream of freedom, brotherhood, and peace for all mankind will someday come true. – Abigail Van Buren • For shoes I try to choose a bootie style and opt for a heel that looks good but allows me to get around. – Rosie Huntington-Whiteley • God bless the boys from Memphis, blue suede shoes, and Elvis. – George Jones • God’s providence is not in baskets lowered from the sky, but through the hands and hearts of those who love him. The lad without food and without shoes made the proper answer to the cruel-minded woman who asked, “But if God loved you wouldn’t he send you food and shoes?” The boy replied, “God told someone, but he forgot.” George Arthur Buttrick • Good ideas are like Nike sports shoes. They may facilitate success for an athlete who possesses them, but on their own they are nothing but an overpriced pair of sneakers. Sports shoes don’t win races. Athletes do. – Felix Dennis • Good shoes – they’re the ultimate finishing touch. In fact, we actually joke in my family that your shoes have to be shined before you can leave the house. – Cam Newton • Gout is not relieved by a fine shoe nor a hangnail by a costly ring nor migraine by a tiara. – Plutarch • He warned Mother not to flout God’s Will by expecting too much of us. “Sending a girl to college is like pouring water in your shoes,’ he still loves to say, as often as possible. ‘It’s hard to say which is worse, seeing it run out and waste the water, or seeing it hold in and wreck the shoes. – Barbara Kingsolver • Hey, I put some new shoes on and suddenly everything is right. – Paolo Nutini • Hopefully 10 years from now people won’t even realize we started out selling shoes. They will just think about Zappos as a place to get the best customer service. – Tony Hsieh • I actually have more shoes than anyone will ever know. – Tamara Mellon • I also love visiting the malls but not to do shopping. The only things I enjoy shopping are clothes and shoes. I have many pairs of shoes – Tevin Campbell • I always have humour in my action movies. I think characters that make jokes under fire are more real. It somehow helps put you in their shoes. – Shane Black • I always have shoe trouble. – Jourdan Dunn • I always wear flat shoes, because I can’t walk in anything else. – Sadie Frost • I always wear the shoes of the character a week before going on set; the idea of just putting on a new pair of shoes on the first day of filming is just horrific. – Felicity Jones • I am a bit sickie happy. I am prone to black clouds too, but… I am embarrassed about them. It’s like: ‘My diamond shoes are too tight. My money clip doesn’t fit all my fifties.’ I mean – really. Shut up. – Olivia Colman • I am always surprised by who wears my shoes. This is a good thing. There is no type of woman, but all my women like to feel feminine. They are women who are happy to be women. – Christian Louboutin • I am very much a person who appreciates perennial things. Things like a Lacoste shirt, a Clarks desert boot, Persol sunglasses and Vans shoes that have been the same forever. There are certain things that once you find it, you like it and it’s done. I like Italian clothing, like suits from Battistoni and I have a shirt by Piero Albertelli. – Roman Coppola • I asked my mother could I have an instrument. She said, ‘Well if you go out and save your money.’ So I went and got – I made me a shine box. I went out and started shining shoes, and I’d bring whatever I made. – Ornette Coleman • I can count the number of great Cabernets I made at Beaulieu only by taking off my socks and shoes, but I can count the number of great Pinot Noirs on one hand with change left over. – Andre Tchelistcheff • I can tell where my own shoe pinches me. – Miguel de Cervantes • I can’t wear flat shoes. My feet repel them. – Mariah Carey • I definitely spend the most money on shoes, partly because vintage footwear can be a little funky – in a bad way. I like to keep things pretty simple up top and then go weird with the shoes. – Chloe Sevigny • I did not have three thousand pairs of shoes, I had one thousand and sixty. – Imelda Marcos • I dislike the word ‘victim.’ I dislike being told that I ‘lost’ my husband – as if I had idly abandoned you by the side of the railway track like an unwanted pair of old shoes. – Nina Bawden • I don’t fret much about the natural life spans of shoe companies. If stores don’t do the right things, they cease to exist, and that doesn’t trouble me at all. – Steve Madden • I don’t have to live the lives of my characters to write about them. It’s about really putting yourself in their shoes. – Jodi Picoult • I feel like there’s no subject that can’t be sung about. I wrote a song dedicated to people with inflammatory bowel disease, and then I wrote about shoes. And mangoes. Every rock should be turned. – Casey Abrams • I find shoes difficult to be ethical about. – Steven Morrissey • I get to the theatre in plenty of time; I prepare my shoes in advance; I eat and drink the right things at the right time. The rest you have to leave to luck! – Deborah Bull • I got an attitude, that’s rude because I walked over Elvis’ grave in some blue suede shoes. – Akinyele • I had always wanted to go to the Navy. As a young kid, I was intrigued by a Naval Officer with the beautiful brown shoes and sharp gold wings. – Wally Schirra • I had no shoes, and I felt sorry for myself until I met a man who had no feet. I took his shoes. Now I feel better. – George Carlin • I hate the French because they are all slaves and wear wooden shoes. – Oliver Goldsmith • I have a very silly sense of humor. I’ve never laughed harder in my entire life than seeing someone with toilet paper stuck on the bottom of their shoe. – Paula Poundstone • I have always loved fashion because it’s a great way to express your mood. And I’m definitely a shoe lover. The right pair of shoes can change the feel of an outfit, and even change how a woman feels about herself. A woman can wear confidence on her feet with a high stiletto, or slip into weekend comfort with a soft ballet flat. – Fergie • I have big feet. Do you know how embarrassing it is when you ask for a shoe and they look at you like, “No, we don’t make these heels for Bigfoot, sorry.” – Margot Robbie • I have to take my shoes off, you guys. – Lena Dunham • I just love clothes! I’m a girl who loves clothes, accessories, shoes, bags and jewelry. – Kelly Rowland • I know he’s retired, but I’m a big fan of Shaquille O’Neal, his game and his personality. I have a pair of his shoes in my office. You see the size of his shoe and think, ‘This is not real, this couldn’t belong to a human being.’ But he is human! – Wladimir Klitschko • I like a man who can be a real friend, has a good sense of humor, a good pair of shoes and a healthy gold card. – Victoria Beckham • I like Chanel and Yves Saint Laurent. I have some great Balenciaga jackets and I’m shoe crazy. – Melanie Laurent • I like Cinderella – she has a good work ethic and she likes shoes. – Amy Adams • I like Cinderella, I really do. She has a good work ethic. I appreciate a good, hard-working gal. And she likes shoes. The fairy tale is all about the shoe at the end, and I’m a big shoe girl. – Amy Adams • I like crazy shoes or unusual cowboy boots and I collect big belt buckles. – Patricia Cornwell • I like the fact that Hogan’s shoes all have this sporty sole that is great even for an older man with a bad back like me. – Matthew William Goode • I like to go wakeboarding. It’s my new favorite sport. It’s like skiing but on a snowboard that has little shoes on it. – Minka Kelly • I love accessories. I’m a girl. I love shoes. I love handbags. – Petra Stunt • I love jeans, T-shirts, boots, and tennis shoes. – Ashley Benson • I love living my life in flip-flops. I met a guy in the islands a while ago who told me he hadn’t worn a pair of shoes in three years! I thought, ‘Man, that’s the life!’ – Kenny Chesney • I love pedicures. And, yes, I have a ton of shoes. – Hope Solo • I love you Huey was the note I read, but there’s a strange pair of shoes underneath the bed. – Huey Lewis • I never go sexy. I’m more into a well-made pair of pants and a good shoe. – Dree Hemingway • I never wear the same shoe twice. – Deion Sanders • I own a lot of shoes; I am not sure how many. – Kristin Cavallari • I perfectly understand the obsession with shoes. I myself am pretty obsessed. I have a few hundred pairs of shoes in general, because I’ve been collecting shoes for a long time. – Christian Louboutin • I prefer to leave a little room in my bag to grab goodies when I’m travelling, but otherwise you need one good pair of shoes that can be worn day or night, a pair of black jeans, and a nice dress. – Dree Hemingway • I quit because I can’t stand seeing kids come to class hungry and needing shoes. I thought I could do more by organizing farm workers than by trying to teach their hungry children. – Dolores Huerta • I rarely buy a shoe that is completely specific to a time and outfit. I generally tend to spend money on good shoes that can go with everything. – Melanie Fiona • I really want readers to put themselves into the shoes of each character. So the opening lines are an orienting technique: this is where you are, this is who you are. Go. – Alissa Nutting • I see a pair of shoes I adore, and it doesn’t matter if they have them in my size. I buy them anyway. – Keira Knightley • I still have my feet on the ground, I just wear better shoes. – Oprah Winfrey • I think that when you put yourself, as actors have to do, in other people’s shoes, when you have to put on the costume that someone else has worn in their life, it gets much, much harder to be prejudiced against them and even to be – to not try to look at the world in a sense of “I’m not going to judge somebody. I’m going to try to understand who they are and what they’re about.” – Kevin Spacey • I think we should really discourage this sort of empathic engagement when it comes to making moral decisions. I think we should focus on something like compassion, on getting people to care more for others without putting ourselves in their shoes. – Paul Bloom • I thought it was normal to recycle pants and shoes from your older cousins. That was just my way of life. At the end of the month, there was not much food in the refrigerator and you’re hoping the first comes so food can come again. You never forget those things. – Tyson Chandler • I used to be another little fellow with some hoop dreams / Now I got the game laced up, shoe strings. – Carlos Boozer • I usually decide what to wear in the morning, but sometimes, I’ll have a favorite coat or sweater or shoes, and I’ll wear them everyday for a week! – Cameron Russell • I wanted to make the lightest shoe possible, but still be able to perform at the same time. – Carmelo Anthony • I was a hostess, I sold shoes, but I don’t function well in jobs that don’t have to do with what I love. I have cleaned bathrooms in theaters, I have sold wine in theaters, I have sold tickets, because I will do anything, anything, to stay in this world. – Nina Arianda • I was changing a light bulb over Groucho Marx’s bed, so I took my shoes off, got on his bed and changed the bulb. When I got off the bed he said: ‘That’s the best acting you’ve ever done. – Elliott Gould • I went through this phase where I thought pink and purple matched. To dance class, I’d wear purple tights and pink leg warmers and paint my shoes purple. It was really odd. – Carrie Ann Inaba • I wonder how Admat can be everywhere. Is he in my sandal? Or is he my sandal itself? Why would a god bother to be a sandal? Does he wear shoes or sandals himself, invisible ones? – Gail Carson Levine • I would be happy naked as long as I’m wearing fabulous shoes. – Anna Dello Russo • I would hate for someone to look at my shoes and say, ‘Oh my God! That looks so comfortable!’ – Christian Louboutin • I would love to have my own shoe line. That I would absolutely love. – Kristin Cavallari • I’d love to have a shoe line, or a sunglasses line, or a purse line. Who am I kidding, I’d like to have an everything line! – Bethany Cosentino • If a person lost would conclude that after all he is not lost, he is not beside himself, but standing in his own old shoes on thevery spot where he is, and that for the time being he will live there; but the places that have known him, they are lost,–how much anxiety and danger would vanish. – Henry David Thoreau • If arrogance were shoes, he’d never go barefoot. – Tamora Pierce • If everybody were a guy, the human race could easily get by on less than one twentieth the current number of shoes. – Dave Barry • If I could only fly, you see, a lot of my problems would be gone. When you think of just how much I’d save on shoes alone. – Waylon Jennings • If the shoe doesn’t fit, must we change the foot? – Gloria Steinem • If the shoe fits, buy another one just like it. – George Carlin • If the shoe fits, buy it in every color! – Jerry Smith • If the shoe fits, buy it. – Imelda Marcos • If the shoe fits, you must wear it. – Christoph Waltz • If you never want to see the face of hell, when you come home from work every night, dance with your kitchen towel and, if you’re worried about waking up your family, take off your shoes. – Nachman of Breslov • If you’re wearing a pair of shoes that’s a little flashy, then it’s important not to be flashy up top and vice versa. – Megyn Kelly • I’ll never be able to fill my father’s or grandfather’s shoes, but hopefully I can stand on their shoulders and reach farther. – Philippe Cousteau, Jr. • I’m a goody two-shoes who’s never taken anything stronger than Tylenol. – Erika Christensen • I’m a huge shoe person, and I have lots of shoes. – Kimberly Caldwell • I’m addicted to laughing. I go to see a lot of comedy shows. I’m addicted to playing really loud and obnoxious rock music in my car. I’m addicted to beautiful clothes and shoes. I just love gorgeous stuff and work hard to acquire pretty things, shiny things. I’m addicted to shiny things! – Nadia Giosia • I’m essentially a jeans girl, and I dress them up or down with accessories. For me, it’s ultimately about a great pair of shoes. – Jessalyn Gilsig • I’m from the bottom, I understand what it’s like to have and to not have. My perception on giving is to put yourself in those people’s shoes and go from there. So that’s what I did. – Kevin Garnett • I’m not a great consumer. I always ask myself, ‘Do I really need that piece?’ I have friends who have 300 pairs of shoes; how would you leave the house in the morning? – Mireille Guiliano • I’m not here to be on display. And my body is not for public consumption. I will not be reduced to an object, or a pair of legs to sell shoes. I’m a soul, a mind, a servant of God. My worth is defined by the beauty of my soul, my heart, my moral character. So I won’t worship your beauty standards, and I don’t submit to your fashion sense. My submission is to something higher. – Yasmin Mogahed • I’m not really comfortable with who I am to be honest. I feel more free to step into the shoes of somebody else. There’s always an element of me in there but, you know, if you give me a script and some clothes I can do anything. But, as Ryan, I’m a bit of a recluse. – Ryan Kwanten • I’m pretty sure I’m going to fall in my GaGa shoes one night on tour and I’m hoping it becomes a Youtube sensation. – Chris Colfer • I’m rather pleased with the new manuals. I see Inform now as a gauche young adult, having got past the stage of growing out of his shoes every few months. – Graham Nelson • Imagine for a minute yourself in the same shoes, the same sense of survival and the same nothing to lose. – Lil’ Kim • In glades they meet skull after skull Where pine cones lay-the rusted gun, Green shoes full of bones, the mouldering coat And cuddled up skeleton; And scores of such. Some start as in dreams, And comrades lost bemoan; By the edge of those wilds Stonewall had charged- But the year and the Man were gone. – Herman Melville • In sci-fi convention, life-forms that hadn’t developed space travel were mere prehistory — horse-shoe crabs of the cosmic scene — and something of the humiliation of being stuck on a provincial planet in a galactic backwater has stayed with me ever since. – Barbara Ehrenreich • It is the fragrant lack of practicality that makes high-heeled shoes so fascinating: in terms of static mechanics they induce a sort of insecurity which some find titillating. If a woman wears a high-heeled shoe it changes the apparent musculature of the leg so that you get an effect of twanging sinew, of tension needing to be released. Her bottom sticks out like an offering. At the same time, the lofty perch is an expression of vulnerability, she is effectively hobbled and unable to escape. There is something arousing about this declaration that she is prepared to sacrifice function for form. – Stephen Bayley • It isn’t the mountain ahead that wears you out; it’s the grain of sand in your shoe. – Robert W. Service • It seems to me that to take a book of mine into his hands is one of the rarest distinctions that anyone can confer upon himself. I even assume that he removes his shoes when he does so-not to speak of boots. – Friedrich Nietzsche • It takes a Real man to fill my shoes. – Madonna Ciccone • It’s a rare thing when you read a role and have this immediate ownership over it, you have this take and this connection, and it’s not even that you feel that you’re gonna do a good job, it’s that you feel like you’ve found it. It fits, it’s natural; it’s like putting on a good shoe or something. – Fran Kranz • It’s better to buy one good pair of shoes than four cheap ones. – Cary Grant • It’s not about the shoes, it’s what you do in them. – Michael Jordan • It’s what I call the haute couture, high-end version of fear perfectionism. It’s just fear in really good shoes. But it’s still fear. – Elizabeth Gilbert • I’ve always been melancholic. At a party, everyone would be looking at the glittering chandeliers and I’d be looking at the waitress’s cracked shoes. – Marian Keyes • I’ve always believed that a beautiful shoe is useless unless it feels as wonderful as it looks. – Stuart Weitzman • I’ve always looked at shoes as being immensely beautiful things. – Graham Coxon • I’ve been making shoes my whole life. – Steve Madden • I’ve been ripped for being too sensitive, but I do think people need to walk in another person’s shoes before they accuse them of being too sensitive. – Hank Haney • Jesus was a Capricorn, he ate organic foods, he believed in love and peace, and never wore no shoes. – Kris Kristofferson • Learn to sell. In business you’re always selling: to your prospects, investors and employees. To be the best salesperson put yourself in the shoes of the person to whom you’re selling. Don’t sell your product. Solve their problems. – Mark Cuban • Learning to stand in somebody else’s shoes, to see through their eyes, that’s how peace begins. And it’s up to you to make that happen. Empathy is a quality of character that can change the world. – Barack Obama • Mama’s in the factory, she ain’t got no shoes. Daddy’s in the alley, he’s looking for food. – Bob Dylan • Meeting writers is always so disappointing. I got over wanting to meet live writers quite a long time ago. There is this terrific book that has changed your life, and then you meet the author, and he has shifty eyes and funny shoes and he won’t talk about anything except the injustice of the United States income tax structure toward people with fluctuating income, or how to breed Black Angus cows, or something. – Ursula K. Le Guin • Men may not read the gospel in sealskin, or the gospel in morocco, or the gospel in cloth covers, but they can’t get away from the gospel in shoe leather. – Donald Barnhouse • Men tell me that I’ve saved their marriages. It costs them a fortune in shoes, but it’s cheaper than a divorce. So I’m still useful, you see. – Manolo Blahnik • My dad says that when I was two or three I used to go out dressed as a different character every day. I remember thinking it was perfectly normal to wear different coloured shoes and carry a pink umbrella. But now I’ve got a goddaughter of that age; I realise it’s not normal at all. – Alice Eve • My girlfriend is a fashion designer. She has her own company called Rachel Antonoff. She is doing a collaboration with Urban Outfitters right now, a shoe collaboration with Bass. She sells to Barneys, stuff like that. – Nate Ruess • My mom would take me to restaurants, and the first thing I’d ask for would be a pen and a napkin, and I’d sketch shoes and shoes and shoes. – Alexander Wang • No one is without their difficulties, whether in High, or low Life, & every person knows best where their own shoe pinches. – Abigail Adams • One minute I’m exactly what Churchill described me the most powerful man in history. Now the Order’s given, hell; I’m just audience front row center to the shoe. But a Corporal on Juno, a Private on Utah there the ones who will affect the outcome not me. It’s up to them now. – Dwight D. Eisenhower • One of the pleasures of being an actor is quite simply taking a walk in someone else’s shoes. And when I look at the roles I’ve played, I’m kind of amazed at all the wonderful adventures I’ve had and the different things I’ve learned. – Willem Dafoe • Our incomes are like our shoes; if too small, they gall and pinch us; but if too large, they cause us to stumble and to trip. – John Locke • Our job as the game creators or developers – the programmers, artists, and whatnot – is that we have to kind of put ourselves in the user’s shoes. We try to see what they’re seeing, and then make it, and support what we think they might think. – Shigeru Miyamoto • People are lonely, and only animals with fancy shoes. – Jack Johnson • People can be slave-ships in shoes. – Zora Neale Hurston • Perhaps it’s a good time to reconsider pleasure at its roots. Changing out of wet shoes and socks, for instance. – Barbara Holland • Potatoes are to food what sensible shoes are to fashion. – Linda Wells • Put yourself in Hamlet’s shoes. Suppose you were a prince, and you came back from college to discover that your uncle had murdered your father and married your mother, and you fell in love with a beautiful girl and mistakenly murdered her father, and then she went crazy and drowned herself. What would you do? Go back for a masters? – Art Buchwald • Right now I’m reading every fashion magazine I can find. As a shoe designer, I feel it’s my responsibility to learn as much as I can about the business, past and present. – Fergie • Shakespeare, he’s in the alley with his pointed shoes and his bells, speaking to some French girl who says she knows me well. – Bob Dylan • Shoes are real. Money is an end result. – Peter Drucker • Some men’s memory is like a box where a man should mingle his jewels with his old shoes. – Sir George Savile, 8th Baronet • Some people do drugs, I buy shoes! – Celine Dion • Some sensible person once remarked that you spend the whole of your life either in your bed or in your shoes. Having done the best you can by shoes and bed, devote all the time and resources at your disposal to the building up of a fine kitchen. It will be, as it should be, the most comforting and comfortable room in the house. – Elizabeth David • Sometimes I don’t even pull my shoes off for six weeks at a time, except, you know, just to take a shower. I just take breaks between 24 hours a day, just a break now and then, it don’t take me long to rest; maybe 20 to30 minutes sometime, or maybe an hour. – Howard Finster • Stepping outside the comfort zone is the price I pay to find out how good I can be. If I planned on backing off every time running got difficult I would hang up my shoes and take up knitting. – Desiree Linden • Stiletto, I look at it more as an attitude as opposed to a high-heeled shoe. – Lita Ford • The high-heeled shoe is a marvellously contradictory item; it brings a woman to a man’s height but makes sure she cannot keep up with him. – Germaine Greer • The most important thing to remember is that you can wear all the greatest clothes and all the greatest shoes, but you’ve got to have a good spirit on the inside. That’s what’s really going to make you look like you’re ready to rock the world. – Alicia Keys • The North can make a steam engine, locomotive or railway car; hardly a yard of cloth or a pair of shoes can you make. You are rushing into war with one of the most powerful, ingeniously mechanical and determined people on earth – right at your doors. You are bound to fail. Only in spirit and determination are you prepared for war. In all else you are totally unprepared, with a bad cause to start with. – William Tecumseh Sherman • The out-of-work actor wears out more than shoe leather. The very sensibilities that make him an artist are shattered by the disregard he is shown as a human being. – Bette Davis • The problem is that humans have victimized animals to such a degree that they are not even considered victims. They are not even considered at all. They are nothing. They don’t count; they don’t matter; they’re commodities like TV sets and cell phones. We have actually turned animals into inanimate objects – sandwiches and shoes. – Gary Yourofsky • The right shoe can make everything different. – Jimmy Choo • The secret of toe cleavage, a very important part of the sexuality of the shoe; you must only show the first two cracks. – Manolo Blahnik • The shoe that fits one person pinches another; there is no recipe for living that suits all cases. – Carl Jung • The shoemaker makes a good shoe because he makes nothing else. – Ralph Waldo Emerson • The ‘Tarahumara’ use their legs ‘as designed.’ By running at a young age with minimal footwear, they naturally develop the best biomechanical use of their legs. Cushioned shoes restrict foot movements and allow for over-striding. Short strides are natural. – Christopher McDougall • The thing about Paris, it’s a great city for wandering around and buying shoes and nursing a cafe au lait for hours on end and pretending you’re Baudelaire. But it’s not a city where you can work. – Malcolm Mclaren • ‘The time has come,’ the walrus said, ‘to talk of many things: of shoes and ships – and sealing wax – of cabbages and kings.’ – Lewis Carroll • The walls have ears, better think before you throw that shoe. – Elvis Presley • There are many interactions that an actor like me has in public when he gets recognized. The best are ‘You’re a great actor, good work,’ and move on. A very good interaction could be when they say ‘You were awesome on ‘The West Wing,” ‘Loved ‘In Her Shoes,’ great movie,’ ”What Women Want,’ good job dude. – Mark Feuerstein • There comes a moment during a job interview when you’re still talking, but you might as well take off your shoes. – Bill James • There is an element of seduction in shoes that doesn’t exist for men. A woman can be sexy, charming, witty or shy with her shoes. – Christian Louboutin • There is health in table talk and nursery play. We must wear old shoes and have aunts and cousins. – Ralph Waldo Emerson • There is nobody that’s ever going to fill Ted Kennedy’s shoes, and that’s a tall order for somebody in the family to try to live up to. – Douglas Brinkley • There is something that feels stagnant about having things you don’t use or wear. But shoes are my thing. Shoes and scarves, I’m a big fan of the scarf. – Leslie Bibb • There’s one good thing about tight shoes; they make you forget your other troubles. – Josh Billings • They call him the Streak, he likes to turn the other cheek. He’s always making the news, wearing just his tennis shoes. – Ray Stevens • They went into my closets looking for skeletons, but thank God all they found were shoes, beautiful shoes. – Imelda Marcos • This is why I decided to work with Nike, too, because it is even more mass-market than Givenchy and could make entry-price shoes and make people dream to be part of the journey. – Riccardo Tisci • Three quarters of the miseries and misunderstandings in the world would finish if people were to put on the shoes of their adversaries and understood their points of view – Mahatma Gandhi • To have regret is to be disappointed with yourself and your choices. Those who are wise, see their life like stepping stones across a great river. Everyone misses a stone from time to time. No one can cross the river without getting wet. Success is measured by your arrival on the other side, not on how muddy your shoes are. Regrets are only felt by those who do not understand life’s purpose. They become so disillusioned that they stand still in the river and do not take the next leap. – Colleen Houck • To match the shoes with the jacket is fey. To match the shoes with the hat is taste. – Gene Wilder • TOMS is no longer a shoe company… we’re a one-for-one company. – Blake Mycoskie • True love wasn’t found in good hair or the right clothes, make-up or shoes. True love was found in the soul – as was wisdom and compassion – P. C. Cast • We all walk in different shoes. – Kenneth Cole • We Die Young is about gang violence. That was something that was happening in Seattle, something that kinda opened our eyes. It just seemed like things were getting out of hand. Incidents where kids were getting shot, and getting their tennis shoes ripped off their dead bodies. It just seems like these kids are dying at younger and younger ages and getting involved in gang activity. – Layne Staley • We may encounter many defeats, but we must not be defeated. That sounds goody two-shoes, I know, but I believe that a diamond is the result of extreme pressure and time. Less time is crystal. Less than that is coal. Less than that is fossilized leaves. Less than that it’s just plain dirt. In all my work, in the movies I write, the lyrics the poetry, the prose, the essays, I am saying that we may encounter many defeats – maybe it’s imperative that we encounter the defeats – but we are much stronger than we appear to be and maybe much better than we allow ourselves to be. – Maya Angelou • We see women who go out and want to look like Jennifer Aniston, and they’re wearing an ill-fitting red dress and ugly gold shoes, and they’ve got flat hair and they can’t walk. – Kelly Cutrone • We will begin by learning how to tie our shoes. – John Wooden • Well, shoes, bags and clutches are usually my big weaknesses – my husband always laughs when I call them ‘investment pieces.’ – Emily Giffin • We’ve created an unnatural form of running. It’s not just the shoes, but we run on artificial surfaces – straight ahead, hard and steady – instead of speeding up and slowing down, reacting to the terrain with changes of pace and rhythm. – Christopher McDougall • What spirit is so empty and blind, that it cannot recognize the fact that the foot is more noble than the shoe, and skin more beautiful than the garment with which it is clothed? – Michelangelo • When I left school, I got a job in a shoe shop and I used to save 15 quid a week and pay for my own singing and acting lessons. – Luke Evans • When I step into a character’s shoes, I don’t judge them. I make a conscious effort not to look from the outside in but look from the inside out, and when you do that it allows you to feel and sense things more, and act and react from a core, you know? – Abbie Cornish • When the shoe fits, the foot is forgotten; when the belt fits, the belly is forgotten; when the heart is right, “for” and “against” are forgotten. There is no change in what is inside, no following what is outside, when the adjustment to events is comfortable. One begins with what is comfortable and never experiences what is uncomfortable, when one knows the comfort of forgetting what is comfortable. – Zhuangzi • When there’s uncertainty they always think there’s another shoe to fall. There is no other shoe to fall. – Kenneth Lay • When you have worn out yourshoes, the strength of the shoe leather has passed into the fiber ofyour body. I measure your health by the number of shoes and hats andclothes you have worn out. – Ralph Waldo Emerson • When you wear a fresh pair of shoes, you feel like you can never die. You feel like you’re gonna live forever. – Chi McBride • When your about to criticize someone walk a mile in thier shoes, that way when you criticize them you’re a mile away from them and you have their shoes – Ann Brashares • When your feet start to hurt, place yourself in someone else’s shoes. – Demi Lovato • When you’re comfortable, you’re more confident – I really believe that. If you’re walking around in a dress or a pair of shoes that are uncomfortable, it reads all over you. – Erin Wasson • Whenever I go to shows, I end up looking at what shoes the guy onstage is wearing and the jacket he’s got on. And when you know everything’s gonna be under scrutiny, it makes you feel more comfortable if you have cool stuff. – Julian Casablancas • When’s the last time you really thought about what you eat, how much you move throughout the day, whether or not you feel fantastic when you get up in the morning, and which shoes keep your feet comfortable? – David Agus • Who waiteth for dead man’s shoes will go long barefoot. – John Heywood • Women who had discovered pants, low-heeled shoes, and loose sweaters during World War II were reluctant to give them up in peacetime. – Susan Faludi • Yet if a woman never lets herself go, how will she ever know how far she might have got? If she never takes off her high-heeled shoes, how will she ever know how far she could walk or how fast she could run? – Germaine Greer • You can do anything, but lay off my blue suede shoes – Elvis Presley • You can never take too much care over the choice of your shoes. – Christian Dior • You can never take too much care over the choice of your shoes. Too many women think that they are unimportant, but the real proof of an elegant woman is what is on her feet. – Christian Dior • You can never walk a mile in someone elses shoes, but you can walk a mile in your own and be proud of it. – Zach Anner • You can try on our suede underwear if you choose. Do what you want, but don’t step on my blue suede shoes. – Al Yankovic • You can wear anything as long as you put a nice pair of shoes with it. – Taylor Momsen • You cannot put the same shoe on every foot. – Publilius Syrus • You cannot, by all the lecturing in the world, enable a man to make a shoe. – Samuel Johnson • You can’t really get to know a person until you get in their shoes and walk around in them. – Harper Lee • You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose. You’re on your own, and you know what you know. And you are the guy who’ll decide where to go. – Dr. Seuss • You have dancing shoes with nimble soles. I have a soul of lead. – William Shakespeare • You have two categories of Shoes, Shoes which are dressing a woman or Shoes which are undressing a Woman – Christian Louboutin • You just need to put yourself in someone else’s shoes and then see how they feel and then you will understand why they are reacting or why they are behaving the way that they are behaving. We need to be fair. – Navid Negahban • You were going to travel for love, without shoes, or cloak, or common sense. This is one of the things a woman can do when her lover leaves her. It’s hard on the feet perhaps, but staying at home is hard on the heart, and you weren’t quite ready to give up on him yet. – Kelly Link • Your shoes are only as good as the laces they’re attached to. – Greg Sampson • You’ve always had the power right there in your shoes, you just had to learn it for yourself. – William Blake • Zappos is a customer service company that just happens to sell shoes. – Tony Hsieh

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[whatsnext13-blog]

Horror Comedies of Netflix

Best Halloween Horror Comedy Movies on Netflix.

The best of both worlds, the mix of pure fear and gut wrenching horror mixed with the gut busting laughter of comedy. Sound to good to be real…. but wait its not. One of the best genre ever known to mankind is the horror comedy genre; this is by far one of the most emotionally confusing genres ever made. One minute you have your eyes closed hiding behind a pillow and the next you on the floor holding your stomach making sure you don’t choke on your popcorn.

The genre that engages audiences on all levels use of gratification in a whole new way. By playing on both sites of emotions the audience experiences a fluctuation of emotions, thus engaging the audience. “Audience members are aware of their own individual needs and motivations in selecting certain media and are able to report their needs accurately to media researchers when asked.  Audiences around Halloween time express a higher want for excitement and fear, but not everyone has the ability to sit through a 2 hour long gore film with endless amount of blood, guts and mind games. All good media is able to immerse the audience in the film and relate to the viewer. Everyone has turned a dark corner at one time or another and was scared sh*tless of what was on the other side. That’s why the combination of light-hearted moments gives an edge to the viewing experience. The comical aspects open a larger demographic of audience, not everyone likes to get scared, but everyone loves to laugh. By taping in to this market you hit three main types of viewers: Halloween lovers, horror film enthusiasts and lastly, comedy lovers. For example, there are many people that have no interest in horror movies and will skip the genre completely. Once you add the comical aspect the love of comedy will most times over power the worry of fear.  Vice versa, not all horror film viewers like comedy, but by exposing some gruesome sense of blood, gore, and death the horror film enthusiast will watch the genre.

Halloween is a popular genre on its own and the genre is able to cover a large range of topics, as long as they have some relation with Halloween. By capitalising on the genre of Halloween, Netflix has the ability to present many different viewing experiences for their viewers. Halloween is a great way to draw a buzz, by presenting what is relevant to the audience during that time period of the year they are able to increase the amount of viewers and keep audience on the site for a much longer period of time. By using the relevance of Halloween Netflix is able to increase its ratings and overall support of the Halloween fan base. Halloween also gives Netflix the ability to re-use older films that have been created in the past and once again make them relevant. “Our needs usually emerge only when more pre-potent needs have been gratified” (Maslow, p. 115). By capitalizing on the time of year people will switch interest from TV series and Movies that are new, back to the classics in which they love. This allows Netflix to gain feed back of what will make a movie or television series a staple instead of a one-time watch. Netflix is able to track all of its own rating and “likes” which eliminate bias that can be provided from previous rating system that were used by companies like Nielsen’s.  “Ratings were really but an extension of this system of audits to provide feedback and greater control of the selling process” (Buzzard, 2015, p. 511‐512). By having an accurate system of rating Netflix was able to present Halloween classics and create new Halloween favorites for the future.

 AND the future is here Netflix has come out with some great Halloween genre films that will for sure leave and impression on the holiday as a whole and especially in the film industry. It’s now time to outline three of Netflix best horror comedy films that are perfect to watch during the Halloween season.

First we have one of the early 2000s funniest horror comedies Zombieland. Zombieland is the story of a young man that has to deal with the horror of the world coming to an end because of the zombie apocalypse. After the virus turns most people into zombies, humans that are trying to survive and remain alive are locked in an ongoing battle against the hungry undead. Four survivors follow a list of survival rules and zombie-killing methods and strategies. Their goal is to make their way toward a rumored safe haven in Los Angeles. It’s an unsuspected team of misfits and wanderers that create a comical genius of a film. Highlighted with some of the most gruesome moment in horror comedy history. Overshadowed by the love story of two Zombie apocalypse survivors, give the film and added flare and relatable depth for audiences to relate with. Even though the situation seems hopeless and uncontrollable the comic relief of how to kill zombies give this Halloween film an epic success. Netflix knows what its viewers are looking for and they delivered hardcore by put this film on the docit. The most impressive element of this movie is its ability to make the death of a zombie something to chuckle at.

Lets move on to the movie that will make you wet your pants in the middle of the thereafter not because of its fear factor but because its one of the funniest series of movie you will ever see. With an all-star cast and hilariously inappropriate comical senses of disturbing paranormal activity A Haunted House 2 is a Netflix’s must see. A Haunted House 2 is the sequel to the famous A Haunted House, both movies run on a very simple prims of paranormal activity. What makes this movie unique is the manner in which it is film. The film is captured thru a first person video camera, this makes it seem like the video is a personal documentary. After the first film where Malcolm suffered with his now former girlfriend's demonic possession, Malcolm has decided to start fresh. Malcolm, Megan (new girlfriend) and her children have now moved into their dream home. Soon afterward the family is moved in to the new home, Malcolm is once again dragged in to the loop of supernatural shenanigans. Only this time, it's not just the house that's haunted. A demon has attached itself to Malcolm, and shows no signs of letting go. The family deals with some hard-pressed situations of life and death.

The film itself doesn’t give much of a meaningful background story it is very swallow and superficial. It’s made to be an entertainment piece, something easy going and fun to watch. It gives the audience and impression that no matter what is going on in their personal life at least the not being possessed by a demonic spirit. This gave the film a very negotiated position, the dominant mean of the film is understood but not taken literally. It shows that being a good person and doing the right thing may sometimes help you out more then you know.

Last but not least, by far the most gory and graphic film in the blog, The Babysitter. With such and incent and friendly name the expectation of how notorious and savage the story becomes. When looking at the cover of this wonder Netflix original you soon release that this babysitter is like no other child hood crush. Netflix in the past couple years has been testing it boundaries with new content, this new content is outgoing and edgy.  By pushing the envelop Netflix use of gratification in this movie is directed toward peoples affective needs, by pushing the limits between extreme horror and crazy laughter the emotional rollercoaster keep the excitement of the audience and elevates the viewing experience.

 The film is set up follow a young teenager around named Cole. Cole is still a young boy that is picked on and isolated from peers his own age, the only person Cole is able to relate to and be a friend with is his extremely hot babysitter Bee. He is also has a friendship/crush with the girl across the street, Melanie. Beside the connection Cole has with the two women in his life he is bullied and misunderstood. well he is bullied. When Cole decided to stay up past his bedtime and spy on his hot babysitter. Cole will then discover that his hot baby sitter belongs to a satanic cult that will stop at nothing to keep him quiet. This leads Cole through a series of incredibly and horrific events, where luckily by fluke Cole ends up killing all members of the cult including Bee.

The movies ability to switch from a scary/serious moment to a funny unexpected variation of a classic horror film sense is very impressive. Unlike most horror comedies the film really pushes the boundaries of unexpected turns and comical moments. As an audience member at time you will be waiting for a horrible gory scene, which then turns in to a hilarious conversation that occurs between Cole and his attempted killers. The most iconic scene of the movie is the use gore and violence. When the cult is sitting in the family room playing truth or dare and Bee crawls over to kiss the new kid of the group named Sam. Sam is not used to this situation and is very nervous about kissing Bee because of her beauty. Bee stands Sam up and as she kisses the timed boy she stabs him in the top of the head with two very large blades. Instead of the expected sadness of the fellow people in the group it mad out to be a joke of what a mess the blood from Sam’s head made spraying all over the cult members. This is only one example of the pure blood tossing horror from this unexpected comedy.

 In reality watching anyone of this wonderful film will fill your night with laughs and fear.  The best part of all is that they can be all found on Netflix this make the films easy to watch and enjoy where ever you maybe on the spooky night of Halloween. By opening peoples mind to this great genre audience are able to experience a whole new world off entertainment. Horror comedies are hopefully here to stay and continue the emotional rollercoaster of up coming Halloween classics.  

 References 

Buzzard, K. (2015). The rise of market information regimes and the historical development of audience ratings. Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television, 35(3), 511–517.

Sullivan Chapter 5: Uses and gratifications (107‐131).

Sundar, S., & Limperos, A. (2013). Uses and grats 2.0: New gratifications for new media. Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, 57(4), 504‐25. Sullivan Chapter 6: Interpreting and decoding mass media texts (133‐160). Pett, E. (2017). Transnational cult paratexts: Exploring audience readings of Tartan’s Asia Extreme brand. Transnational Cinema, 8(1), 35–48.

Sullivan Chapter 4: Media ratings and target marketing (77‐104).