#how many *******’s do they have on that app?
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tuttle-did-it · 2 days ago
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I am not going to stone you for this and I accept your position. This is not my position.
I do not and have never used TikTok. I have been off all social media for ten years for the exception of reactivating my old tumblr account a couple of years ago. Mainly for M*A*S*H.
I have no idea whether it is dangerous or safe— because ALL social media has a severe danger of misinformation, and I think that’s going to get far far worse with instagram, Facebook and twitter all getting rid of fact checking. There is no critical thinking in FB and the opposite of critical thinking in twitter.
We’ve already seen how they can impact elections— 45 would have never been elected without the ability to spread this much hate across these platforms. Now they are removing fact checking and the ability to report hate speech against queers. It’s going to get so, so much worse with the propaganda.
I think they are all POISON. Especially with Musk and Zuckerberg being so tightly aligned with 45, I think this is very dangerous. I don’t think the misinformation really moves that much faster on TT than on twitter, instagram or Facebook. In the end, the result is the same— we still got Brexit because of social media, you still got 45 because of social media - and I think twitter and Facebook are MORE dangerous being run by psychopaths like Zuckerberg and Musk than TT is being run by the Chinese.
I think TT is something that is being blamed for something that is happened across all platforms— though I would argue it is happening the very least here in tumblr cos mostly we’re are all talking about Spirk and J/7 and M*A*S*H and Interview with the Vampire. At least, that’s my corner.
I care about two things for TT—
1) the way 45 it’s using it to control the younger audiences. 45 saying he’s going to re-instate TT, or ‘just ignore that law,’ I want to make sure people remember that he was one of the ones demanding it was shut down. So if he does somehow get it back up, all these people who are going to cheer that he ‘saved’ their favourite app, just know he wanted it banned in the first place. He’s only going back on it now because he’s seen how many young people use it and how angry they are, and thinks he can lock in their support if he reinstates it. So if you really want TT back, just know you’re being played by this idiot to garner further support with the younger audiences. If someone takes away all the food in your house and then puts it back you don't thank them. If someone steals your phone or laptop and then hands it back you don't thank them. this isn't that hard.
2) multiple friends who are academics have worked specifically in the impact social media can have on people, or worked in the area of war— specifically in the Middle East— have told me that TT was the best place where real people in Palestine were able to show what was really going on there in real time. That TT is being shut down so that people no longer have access to show what is going on to the very people whose governments are giving BILLIONS to the people who are committing this genocide against Palestinians. I do not know if this it’s true. This is what my academic friends who have used TT to keep up with what is happening in Palestine have told me. If this is true, and the real reason it was shut down, that out is to silence people who are protesting against Israel committing genocide by silencing them, I think this is horrific. Again, I don’t know if it’s true or not, I just know that I have had multiple friends who have followed everything going on in Palestine say this.
I don’t know if TT is dangerous. I do think this ban on TT is going to have an impact on the ‘free speech’ Americans claim to care so much about. I know that Facebook and twitter are very dangerous because they are aligned with 45. I KNOW that 45 having instagram, Facebook, twitter and TT in his pocket is CRITICALLY DANGEROUS. I am convinced that TT is being used in a game of tug of war to try to control audiences one way or the other— and that’s 45 has claimed to be pulling on both sides of the rope.
China does not have to use TT to destroy America. America is managing that very well on its own— with help from Zuckerberg and Musk and 45. From everything I’ve seen, these three are far more dangerous than TT or China.
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Reminder for when he “saves” it. He was the one who wanted this, and now he gets to be the hero and win favour with young constituents. Don’t give him the credit for fixing his own problem.
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wagconts · 2 days ago
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F1 Alert | Formula 1
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➤ summary :: Where you create an interactive game for Formula 1 fans, and become the new star of the pits.
➤ warnings :: a quick imagine, with prior development.
➤ word count :: 0.839 words
➤ masterlist | sportify
➤ Notes :: I had this idea because Swifitie fans know about "Swift Alert", which was a game where we bet on the clothes from The Eras Tour. So I wanted to bring this into the context of Formula 1.
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Working on F1's social media was a daily grind, but you loved every second of it. Between creating posts, planning content, and keeping up with trends, your mind was always spinning, thinking of ways to make fans feel more connected to the drivers. Then, one brainstorming night, the idea hit: an interactive game where fans could bet on little details of the race weekends.
— What if we created something like a more elaborate 'Fantasy F1,' but focusing on the small stuff? Helmets, suits, celebrations... — you suggested, drawing curious looks from the team. — We could call it 'F1 Alert'.
After a few weeks of planning, meetings, and tweaks, the app was ready. It was simple: fans could make predictions about visual and behavioral items about the drivers before the GPs. Each correct guess earned points, which could be redeemed for virtual prizes or discounts on official products.
On launch day, you were nervous. Would it be a hit or a flop? It only took a few hours to get the answer: it was a phenomenon.
The app had questions that kept fans hooked, especially with the fact that those points were worth something.
— Leclerc’s helmet in Monaco: same as always or something special?
— Which driver will complain the most on the radio?
— How many drivers will retire from the race? And who?
The numbers didn’t lie. In the first weekend, a little over 70 thousand people signed up. And the drivers quickly took notice.
At the pre-GP press conference, Russell was the first to mention it:
— Did you guys see that app? F1 Alert? Are you betting on my training suit now? That’s a lot of pressure! — he joked, drawing laughs.
Next to him was Charles, who also smiled.
— I saw it too. Someone bet my helmet will have gold on it. — he made a confused face. — Gold? I don’t know if I’m that fancy.
You didn’t realize the impact would be so big until that moment. Seeing the drivers talk about something you created was surreal. But things got even more intense in the paddock.
At the Italian GP, while you were tweaking a post backstage, Pierre showed up out of nowhere behind you.
— So, you’re the one behind the app? — he asked, crossing his arms with a big grin.
You laughed, a little startled.
— It depends. If you like it, then yes. If not, marketing came up with it.
— Oh, I like it. But now I have to think of new helmets every week, because I don’t want the fans to get bored. — He winked before walking off, leaving you laughing alone.
The F1 Alert craze grew with each race. Fans’ discussions on social media were massive, and even journalists started mentioning the game in their reports. Some drivers, like Norris, began directly engaging with the fans.
— Do you think I’ll use a special helmet in Singapore? Place your bets on the app. — he smiled at the line of fans in the stands.
Meanwhile, you started getting recognized in the paddock. It wasn’t something you expected, but the drivers and teams now knew who you were. At the Las Vegas GP, Max Verstappen stopped you during a technical meeting with a rare smile.
— Just wanna know... Who was the creative genius that put “Max will smile on the podium” in the game?
You tried to keep your composure but ended up laughing.
— My bad. Sorry, but it was irresistible.
— Well, I hope no one bets on that. It’ll be money down the drain. — he joked.
The interactions with the drivers became more frequent, but the peak came at the last GP of the year, when the season had ended and some fans were satisfied with their scores on the game. And the burning question was whether the game would continue the next year.
During the final press conference, Daniel Ricciardo — who was making a special appearance as a third driver — decided to mention you.
— I wanna thank the person behind F1 Alert. Thanks to them, I’m already thinking about how to celebrate before I even know if I’ll be on the podium.
The cameras zoomed in on you in the corner of the room, as everyone laughed. It was the moment you realized how much your idea had impacted the world of Formula 1.
After that GP, you got nicknames in the paddock: “the pit star,” “the mind behind the game,” among others. And while you tried to stay grounded, you couldn’t deny that the app’s success had put you in the spotlight.
Now, you were more than just another face in the paddock. You’d built an incredible bond with the fans who always asked you questions like, “What’s the next update for the game?” and you’d made amazing friendships with some of the drivers. It was all like a dream. F1 Alert was just the beginning.
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alelathedragon · 2 days ago
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Well ga damn. I hit the big one zero zero.... OVER A MR PUZZLES AU TUMBLR SEXYMAN COMPETITION
I LOVE THIS COMMUNITY
FUCKING WHEEEEEEEEEZE god i dont even know what to say that i havent already said at this point, the small community of Mr.Puzzles lovers is so fucking wholesome and funny, ive made lots of friends. Made new mutuals. Being involved in so many things whether it be simple Answers to my asks, character interactions, drawing war.
Im going to give a quick shout out to my best friends :3
@kizzorelli my wife/playtonic one of the best things to happen to me period. Silly rodent whos art speed is concerning but amazing
@thecourtofinfestation EEEEEEVIL BEST FRIEND literally so awesome, ANOTHER best thing to happen to me in my life period. We're in sync on another level
@mothfoxwastaken bug woman. Zeroist funny person on the planet
@mpc07-foundtheinternet ramble more MORE. I love your ideas and playing with ya!
@infundi360 wife again/playtonic another best thing to happen to me in my life period. Literally how are we friends ur so pog
@your4thwallbreaker i just met you like a month ago but if anything happened to you i would kill everyone on this app and then myself. Youre super cool and i went on a rattle about that but fuck you get rattled again bc my heart is too large
@thestuffiesheadquarters you have wormed yourself into my life and i am attached to you by the hip/playtonic. Silly goober i enjoy holding in my palm
@liliththequeenofdemon you also speedran yourself into my life broda, youre really funny. Silly, and i enjoy your company :3
@alex-dolmatescu2-0 GET OVER HERE MY FELLOW SOCIALLY AWKWARD PLUSHIE!!! I wuv ya and your funnies. Youve been sweet to talk with and also just a large help with the sexyman poll i cant thank u enough like goddamn
My new mutuals!!! HIHIHI!!!
@the-masked-astro
How the FUCK do you keep track of all your characters and give them all the screen time they deserve you absolute MADMAN/pos. I always admired your artwork - but i have the funny ADHD so everytime i liked one of your posts or reblogged them... And MEANT to follow you.... I got sidetracked immediately 😅 BUT I FIXED THAT NOW!!! literally youre a god of some assortment for being able to give all your fellas screentime and awesome writing. SMG4 wishes he could do that
@michealscorneroftheinternet
Youre TEHCNICALLY my mutual now!! Following my holiday smg4 account that ive been working on slowly. And like i think you deserve to be shouted out anyways. Me when i look at your posts for literally 20 minutes picking out the smallest details and thinking about them. Me when im constantly looking forward to the next drop and all the nitpicks i get to do, it's like a gift basket to my eyes i love biting onto your content with my jagged teeth and ripping it to shreds. Even though ive never commented on your Change In Script. Know that im looking at it a normal amount and thinking about it on the regular. Same for The Fallen one you and Dorro are making. Im happy to see them here for Change in Script!!
@theclosetcreature
I CANNOT EXPRESS HOW MUCH YOUR ART TICKLES MY BONES. the way you DRAW GAW DAMN. It's so crunchy and delightfully pleasing to my soul. I have to restrain myself my reblogging every single damn post you've ever made period. Going through your entire blog and reblogging every single one type of deal lol. Ur chill. Happy to have you :3
@fenicearts420
DRAGONNNNNNS DRAGON DRAGON DRAGON DRAGON DRAAAAAAGOOOON
Ive expressed how much i love your HTTYD content BUT FUCK YOU WERE DOING IT AGAIN
THE AMOUNT OF EFFORT AND SKILL IN YOUR HTTYD ARTS BLOW MY MIND, MAKE ME KICK MY FEET, GIGGLE, RUN AROUND THE ROOM, CRY AND GIGGLE AGAIN
YOU SHOULD BE A HTTYD CONCEPT ARTIST SAVE THE SERIES. S A V E IT FROM LIVE ACTION HELL PLEAAAAAASE *cough* ahem
Your self ship dynamic is very silly and wholesome at the same time. Critter and sophisticated man dynamic my beloved. You're charming and i like seeing the tags you put in your reblogs.
I feel like im missing someone so i might come back and edit this later
Oh yeah and btw im going to be a stinky fucky little cheater and just say the tumblrsexyman competition is my 100 follower special 👊✌️👉👉👉 suck it /silly
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somaligovernment · 7 days ago
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Trying to make vinted so I can sell £20 trainers for £50 and it’s not letting me make a single username with my name in it
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nobbin0 · 1 hour ago
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Cash payments in return for interviews with North Korean refugees have been standard practice in the field for years. Initially, the payment was to cover the cost of meals and local transport, which was approximately $30 in the late 1990s when I first began interviewing in China and South Korea. However, the fees had risen to $200 per hour by the time I attempted to interview people from North Korea in May 2014. A government official from the South Korean ministry of unification told me the range of fees could vary wildly, from $50-500 per hour, depending on the quality of information. But this practice raises a difficulty: how does the payment change the relation between a researcher and an interviewee, and what effect will it have on the story itself? North Korean refugees are well aware of what the interviewer wants to hear. But many refugees say they feel pressured for defector stories. Ahn Myung-chol, a former prison guard at Camp 22, said people liked shocking stories and these so-called “defector-activists” were merely responding to this desire. Chong Kwang-il, a former prisoner at Camp 15, said the fame brought by media exposure trapped them, forcing them to reproduce a certain narrative. Choi Sung-chol, from the Korean Nationality Residents Association, said the line between small and large inconsistencies was often hard to draw: “Most North Koreans do not worry about small factual mistakes as long as the big picture that North Korea violates human rights is right.”
Why do North Korean defector testimonies so often fall apart? Btw, the Guardian is by no means an accurate source for news on the DPRK. But that's not saying much since you can say the same thing for most mainstream news sources lol.
South Korea: Man gets 14-month jail term for praising North in poem
S Korean activist Hwang Sung arrested for 'praising' North
South Korean National Security Act: Any positive speech regarding the DPRK is censored and punishable by law in South Korea
Celebrity defector returns to North Korea, stars in propaganda video
Another North Korean defector says he’s stuck in South Korea, wants to go home
South Korea boosts reward for defectors from North to $860,000
North Korean Waitresses’ Defection May Have Been Forced, U.N. Official Says
'Forever strangers': the North Korean defectors who want to go back
Effective evangelistic strategies for North Korean defectors (talbukmin) in South Korea
Free to Be: North Korean Migrants and the South Korean Evangelical Church
If you went through these articles, then you might notice they keep mentioning "brokers" or "defection brokers", who have a pattern of lying to solicit money from defectors in exchange for helping them cross the borders. Once they arrive, it is about impossible to return, so let's call these brokers what they are. They are human traffickers.
Most of the defectors are women, and are victims of sex trafficking. Most of the defectors are targets of the civilizing mission of the churches. They took full advantage of the years of famine in the 90s to recruit as many desperate north koreans as they could, and predictably their recruitment number has only dropped since. There's full fucking dissertations on strategies to best convert them that I've linked above, and they're a disgusting read.
Almost all the sources above are pointedly anti-DPRK and part of global efforts to normalize racism against the DPRK, so if anyone comes at me with screenshots of passages taken out of context, I will personally kill you. I think it speaks for itself when these stories are so vast and demanding to be heard that even the institutions least likely to hear them cannot fucking help but lend them an ear.
I hope the world can see these stories before they're too late because there's not going to be a mass exodus to a north korean social media app to help anyone come to an epiphany that people inhabiting the same earth as you are fucking human.
Leftist post about DPRK: you have been lied to about DPRK, it is a pretty normal country under siege by the west. It is not a hereditary kingdom under one man rule. It's citizens are human beings. The government is fine. You have been lied to about DPRK
The people who have been lied to about DPRK, but think they're smarter & more empathetic than the other riffraff who have been lied to abt DPRK:
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james-spooky · 4 months ago
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this is a test
#i’m bored i just wanna see how many words i can put in the tags like will it just keep going on forever or will they stop me like i know th#the tag limit is 30 ok so the iindividual tag limit is 140 characters that’s actually so rude i wanted to keep going forever and see how lo#g this could be but i guess we can do this 30 times ok what the flip should i talk about hm i was playing the guitar today but i rage quit#ause the song was hard and hurting my fingers! ermmmmm it was sunny ok this is boring let’s think of more exciting things to type hmmm acco#ding to all known laws of aviation- jk i’m not doing the bee movie script but can you imagine i think that would be funny hmmmmm words i lo#e podcasts so bad that’s a fact no one has ever know before my blog definitely isn’t all about audio dramas the people are definitely not a#ready aware of this jesus christ this is only the seventh one of these this is actually quite a lot of space i underestimated how much i ha#e to type btw there’s probably spelling mistakes in here somewhere or autocorrect has been annoying but i cba to retype anything so i don’t#care lolllllllllllll how do you feel about oscar malevolent i feel a normal amount actually (lie) yk what i really miss sam and colin alrea#y like i’m actually not okay i really hope we hear from sam again in s2 and also colin ngl i hope ur in the computers soz or not dead miss#im like a bastard my paranoid it king ok erm im running out of things to say um heartstopper s3 was crazy good i cried lmao i love gay peop#e so much it’s crazy i hope it gets renewed for s4 i need to reread the comics lowkey and the books they’re all so talented for being so yo#ng it scares me ngl !!!!!! the tmagp hiatus is getting to me slightly like february in reality is soon and not that far away for how podcas#ts go but seriously how am i supposed to live until then without knowing what happened. please colin be alive. ive only just realised i can#use fills stops. sorry that’s made everything a bit messy. i should’ve been doing this before. whoops. anyways. hi mutuals i love you all s#much i hope you enjoy my rambles and shitposts cause i enjoy yours very much! never think you’re being annoying i literally don’t care be a#annoying as you want posts as much as you want i am ur biggest fan <3 im getting a bit fatigued from typing like my mind is blank basically#now it’s just turned into a. stream of consciousness but i don’t really have any thoughts to put here idk if we’re halfway ermmmm omg it’s#lmost halloween how crazy is that time is flying by i kinda forgot it was october lmao. it’s wild how it’s basically almost christmas. like#what. that’s illegal. how is it wintertime again. what the flip. i miss summer already take me backkkkkkk. i hope my phone doesn’t crash or#smth cause i’ve not saved this as a draft and i cba to do any of this again. maybe i should save it. ok i will when i reach the next tag bc#ok it stopped me but i’ve saved it and holy jesus it’s a lot of text im just sat here giggling there’s really no point to any of this other#than me being bored sooooooooooooooooo (imagine if i just did the letter o for every character wouldn’t that be crazy) so wait there’s 140#haracters and 30 tags so what’s 30 x 140. someone hurry. i haven’t done maths lessons in two and a half years i’ve forgotten everything wai#let me get the calculator app ok im back it said 4100 characters so. i dont know how many words that roughly is but its. a decent amount. o#what the flip why am i wasting tag space with maths. i hate maths. my screen time has been actually soooooooooo bad recently like damn some#one put my phone in a block of ice please joshua gillespie style. my mind is running out of things to say. do i talk about myself. im james#im 18 which is weird cause wdym im an adult go away. ive run out of facts. i love podcasts and procedural dramas that stupid firefighter sh#w is my life unfortunately. i think chappell roan should be the queen of england instead of king charles. i dont like having a king cause#ho needs men in power not me. ok um this is the last tag equal rights for all. yolo. the time will pass anyways! thank u boredom ok bye gn:
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headspace-hotel · 7 days ago
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Y'all
Im not on tiktok and never have been, but I downloaded RedNote just to see what is up, and I am witnessing something truly amazing
The Chinese user community is giving the American tiktok refugees an overwhelmingly warm welcome, meanwhile the American users seem to have collectively agreed that not only will they not let the app be taken over with English and they will provide Mandarin subtitles for everything, they are LEARNING MANDARIN. Ive scrolled through so many videos of Americans offering greetings in Mandarin to try to acclimate to the new environment and be respectful, and speakers of both languages are posting lots of tutorials on language basics and internet slang in Mandarin
My God, there is an AMAZING outpouring of curiosity and delight among everyone to learn about each others cultures and daily lives. People are posting videos of landscapes, cities, towns, and natural areas in USA and China, posting recipes and traditional foods, vlogs of everyday life, and reaching out to find people with similar hobbies.
And it's not just young people! There are loads of videos from middle-aged American guys who have come to post about fishing or motorcycles and are now happily chatting with Chinese users sharing the same interests using Google translate
One American guy who was like. in his 60's had a comment on one of his videos that was like "Red Neck?" and he replied "Yes!" and I just about fucking lost it
Also the Chinese users love, and I mean LOVE, Luigi Mangione. He is apparently broadly adored in China. There is SO much fanart and SO many edits.
There are many threads initiating Chinese users to ask questions of American users about the USA, and vice versa, and everyone on both sides is clearing up a lot of misconceptions. Some of the questions I saw a lot from Chinese users were: "Is it true that American parents kick you out of the house as soon as you turn 18" (not often, but sometimes) "Do you all really wear shoes in bed" (NO!!! Apparently a lot of characters in American sitcoms are shown lying in bed with shoes on which I never noticed before!) and "are there really guns everywhere" (yes).
For the most part Chinese content creators seem just overwhelmed by the sudden influx of hundreds of followers that are super enthusiastic about what they're doing. A lot of them have made posts about how initially they thought the uptick in follower count was some kind of error, or that there was some kind of joke or prank, but then they realized the interest and enthusiasm was genuine and now they're welcoming all the newcomers.
I found several posts by Chinese users saying that this felt like a really profound historical moment, where these previously separated worlds are suddenly smashing together and suddenly there is freedom to learn about each other's cultures and connect. One of them said something along the lines of "This is a 21st century Tower of Babel and even though I'm an atheist I hope God lets this tower stand." OUGH MY HEART.
The app itself works a little bit like a video-based version of Pinterest. It's not really my thing so I probably won't be on there long term but it's been amazing to see what's happening.
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gallusrostromegalus · 5 months ago
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Move To A Darker Place
This is a story of Man Vs. Machine.
---
Last March, my father attempted to file his Taxes.
My beloved father is a Boomer. Unlike most Boomers, my father is rather handy with technology because he was one of the people that had a not-insignificant hand in Developing a hell of a lot of it. He was studying Computer Science at Cal Poly before the computer science degree existed. I have many fond childhood memories of skipping through the aisles of various electronic and computer part warehouses while Dad described something that either terrified the staff or made them worship him as a God.  He taught himself how to use his smartphone.  Internationally.
So when he saw the option to file digitally with the IRS through the “ID.me” program, he leapt at the chance to celebrate the Federal Government finally entering the Digital Age.
It was all going swimmingly for about six hours, until he was ready to file and the system told him that it needed to verify his identity. 
“Very Well.” said my father, a man unafraid of talking to himself and getting something out of the conversation. “It wouldn’t do for me to get someone else’s return.”
The System told him that it needed him to take a “Digital Image ID”.
a.k.a: A Selfie.
“A-ha!” Dad beams. Dad is very good at taking selfies. He immediately pulled out his phone, snapped one, and tried to upload it.
Please log into your Id.me Account and use the provided app to submit your Digital Image ID. The System clarified.
“Oh. You should have said so.”  Dad pouted, but used his phone to log onto the ID.me account, do the six security verification steps and double-checked that the filing looked the same as it did on the desktop, gave the IRS like nine permissions on his phone, and held up the camera to take his Federal Privacy Invasion Selfie.
Please align your face to the indicated grid. Said The System, pulling up a futuristic green-web-of-polygons approximation.
“Ooh, very Star Trek. Gene Roddenberry would HATE this!” Dad said cheerfully, aligning his face to the grid.  My father is a bit… cavalier, when it comes to matters of personal information and federal government, because he’s been on FBI watchlists since the late 60’s when he was protesting The Vietnam War and Ronald Regan before he’d broken containment. Alas.
Anyway, there is very little information the federal government does not have on him already, but he’s as good at stalking the FBI as they are at stalking him, and had worked out a solution:  He has something approaching a friendship with the local Federal Agent (Some guy named “Larry”. Allegedly), and got Larry hooked on Alternative Histories and Dad’s collection of carefully-researched “there is very likely buried treasure here” stories, and Larry is loath to bother his favorite Historical Fanfiction author too much.
But I digress.
After thinking for a minute, The System came back with an Error Message. Please remove glasses or other facial obstructions.
And here is where the real trouble began.
See, my father wears glasses that do substantially warp the appearance of his face, because he is so nearsighted that he is legally blind without them. His natural focal point is about 4 inches in front of his nose.  While Dad can still take a selfie because he (approximately) knows where his phone is if it’s in his hand, he cannot see the alignment grid.
He should ask someone to take it for him! I hear the audience say. Yes, that would be the sane and reasonable thing to do, but Dad was attempting to do taxes at his residence in Fort Collins, while his immediate family was respectively in Denver, Texas and Canada.  He tried calling our neighbors, who turned out to be in Uganda.
He looked down at the dog, Arwen, and her little criminal paws that can open doorknobs, but not operate cell phones.
She looked back at him, and farted.
“Well, I’ll give it a try, but if it gives me too much trouble, I’ll call Larry, and Larry can call the IRS about it.” Dad told her. 
She continued to watch him. Arwen is an Australian Kelpie (a type of cattle-herding dog), going on 14 years old, deaf as a post and suffering from canine dementia now, but she still retains her natural instinct to Micromanage. She was also trained as a therapy dog, and even if she can’t hear my dad, still recognizes the body language of a man setting himself up for catastrophe.
So, squinting in the late afternoon light next to the back door, Dad attempted to line his face up with a grid he could only sort-of see, and took A Federal Selfie.
The System thought about it for a few moments.
Image Capture Failed: Insufficient Contrast. The System replied. Please move to a darker place.
“...Huh.” Dad frowned. “Alright.”
He moved to the middle of his office, away from the back door, lit only by the house lighting and indirect sunlight, and tried again.
Image Capture Failed. Please move to a darker place.
“What?” Dad asked the universe in general.
“Whuff.” Arwen warned him against sunk costs.
Dad ignored her and went into the bathroom, the natural habitat of the selfie. Surely, only being lit by a light fixture that hadn’t been changed since Dad was attempting to warn everyone about Regan would be suitably insufficient lighting for The System.  It took some negotiating, because that bathroom is “Standing Room Only” not “Standing And Holding Your Arms Out In Front Of You Room”.  He ended up taking the selfie in the shower stall.
As The System mulled over the latest attempt, Arwen shuffled over and kicked open the door to watch.
Image Capture Failed. Please Move to a Darker Place.
“Do you mean Spiritually?” Dad demanded.
“Whuff.” Arwen cautioned him again.
Determined to succeed, or at least get a different error message that may give him more information, Dad entered The Downstairs Guest Room.  It is the darkest room in the house, as it is in the basement, and only has one legally-mandated-fire-escape window, which has blinds.  Dad drew those blinds, turned off the lights and tried AGAIN.
Image Capture Failed. Please Move To A Darker Place.
“DO YOU WANT ME TO PHOTOGRAPH MYSELF INSIDE OF A CAVE??” Dad howled. 
“WHUFF!” Arwen reprimanded him from under the pull-out bed in the room. It’s where she attempts to herd everyone when it’s thundering outside, so the space is called her ‘Safety Cave’.
Dad frowned at the large blurry shape that was The Safety Cave.
“Why not?” he asked, the prelude to many a Terrible Plan.  With no small amount of spiteful and manic glee, Dad got down onto the floor, and army-crawled under the bed with Arwen to try One Last Time. Now in near-total darkness, he rolled on his side to be able to stretch his arms out, Arwen slobber-panting in his ear, and waited for the vague green blob of the Facial grid to appear.
This time, when he tapped the button, the flash cctivated.
“GOD DAMN IT!” Dad shouted, dropping the phone and rubbing his eyes and cursing to alleviate the pain of accidentally flash-banging himself. Arwen shuffled away from him under the bed, huffing sarcastically at him.
Image Capture Failed. Please move to a darker place.
“MOTHERFU- hang on.” Dad squinted.  The System sounded strange. Distant and slightly muffled.
Dad squinted really hard, and saw the movement of Arwen crawling out from under the bed along the phone’s last known trajectory.
“ARWEN!” Dad shouted, awkwardly reverse-army crawling out from under the bed, using it to get to his feet and searching for his glasses, which had fallen out of his pocket under the bed, so by the time he was sighted again, Arwen had had ample time to remove The Offending Device.
He found her out in the middle of the back yard, the satisfied look of a Job Well Done on her face. She did not have the phone. 
“Arwen.” Dad glared. It’s a very good glare. Dad was a teacher for many years and used it to keep his class in order with sheer telepathically induced embarrassment, and his father once glared a peach tree into fecundity.  
Arwen regarded him with the casual interest a hurricane might regard a sailboat tumbling out of its wake. She is a force of nature unto herself and not about to be intimidated by a half-blind house ape.  She also has cataracts and might not be able to make out the glare.
“I GIVE UP!” Dad shouted, throwing his hands in the air and returning to the office to write to the IRS that their selfie software sucks ass. Pleased that she had gotten her desired result, Arwen followed him in.
To Dad’s immense surprise, the computer cheerfully informed him that his Federally Secure Selfie had been accepted, and that they had received and were now processing his return!
“What the FUCK?” Dad glared. “Oh well. If I’ve screwed it up, Larry can call me.”
---
I bring this up because recently, Dad received an interesting piece of mail.
It was a letter from the IRS, addressed to him, a nerve-wracking thing to recessive at the best of times.  Instead of a complaint about Dad’s Selfie Skills, it was a letter congratulating him on using the new ID.me System.  It thanked him for his help and expressed hopes he would use it again next year, and included the selfie that The System had finally decided to accept.
“You know, my dad used to complain about automation.” Dad sighed, staring at the image. “Incidentals my boy!  My secretary saves the state of California millions of dollars a year catching small errors before they become massive ones! He’d say. Fought the human resources board about her pay every year.  I used to think he was overestimating how bad machines were and underestimating human error, but you know? He was right.”
He handed me the image.
My father was, technically, in the image.  A significant amount of the bottom right corner is taken up by the top of his forehead and silver hair.  Most of the image, the part with the facial-recognition markers on it, was composed of Arwen’s Alarmed and Disgusted Doggy face.
“Oh no!” I cackled. “Crap, does this mean you have to call the IRS and tell them you’re not a dog?”
“Probably.” Dad sighed. “I know who I’m gonna bother first though.” he said, taking out his phone (Dad did find his phone a few hours after Arwen absconded with it when mom called and the early spinach started ringing). 
“Hey Larry!” Dad announced to the local federal agent. “You’re never gonna believe this. My dog filed my taxes!”
Larry considered this for a moment. “Is this the dog that stole my sandwich? Out of my locked  car?” he asked suspiciously.
“The very same.” Dad grinned.
“Hm. Clever Girl.” Federal Agent Larry sighed. “I figured it was only a matter of time before she got into tax fraud.”
---
I'm a disabled artist making my living writing these stories. If you enjoy my stories, please consider supporting me on Ko-fi or Pre-ordering my Family Lore Book on Patreon. Thank you!
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dotcie · 1 year ago
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Writers Truth & Dare Ask Game
🎱 ⇢ post your AO3 total stats  🍓 ⇢ how did you get into writing fanfiction?  🌵 ⇢ share the link to a playlist you love 🕯️ ⇢ on a scale from 1 to 10, how much do you enjoy editing? why is that? 🛼 ⇢ describe your latest wip with five emojis 🥑 ⇢ you accidentally killed somebody, which mutual(s) do you text for help? 🥤 ⇢ recommend an author or fanfic you love 💌 ⇢ how many unread emails do you have right now?  🌻 ⇢ tag someone you appreciate but don't talk to on a regular basis 🐇 ⇢ do you prefer writing original characters, reader inserts, or a mix of both?  🧃 ⇢ share some personal lore you never posted about before 🎲 ⇢ what stops you from writing more in your free time?  🍄 ⇢ share a head canon for one of your favourite ships or pairings 🧸 ⇢ what's the fastest way to become your mutual? 🪐 ⇢ name three good things going on in your life right now 📚 ⇢ what's the last thing you wrote down in your notes app?  🍬 ⇢ post an unpopular opinion about a popular fandom character 🔪 ⇢ what's the weirdest topic you researched for a writing project? 🦷 ⇢ share some personal wisdom or a life hack you swear on ❄️ ⇢ what's your dream theme/plot for a fic, and who would write it best? 🌿 ⇢ give some advice on writer's block and low creativity 🥐 ⇢ name one internet reference that will always make you laugh  🏜️ ⇢ what's your favourite type of comment to receive on your work? 🍦 ⇢ name three good things about a character you hate 🥝 ⇢ do you lie a lot? what's the most recent lie you told? 🦋 ⇢ share something that has been on your heart and mind lately  🦴 ⇢ is there a piece of media that inspires your writing?  🍅 ⇢ give yourself some constructive criticism on your own writing 🐚 ⇢ do you like or dislike surprises? 🪲 ⇢ add 50 words to your current wip and share the paragraph here ☁️ ⇢ what made you choose your username? 🐝 ⇢ tag your biggest supporter(s) and say one nice thing about them 🌸 ⇢ do you have any pets? if you do, post some pictures of them 🎨 ⇢ link your favourite piece of fanart and explain why you like it 🧩 ⇢ what will make you click away from a fanfiction immediately?
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ao3demographicssurvey2024 · 2 months ago
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The AO3 Demographics Survey 2024 was an unofficial demographics survey of 16,131 AO3 users conducted in January 2024. We have just finished posting our initial results, so here is just a taste of the graphs and data you can check out now over on AO3!
We will be continuing to work on this project in the New Year, so please make sure you follow this blog or subscribe to the project on AO3 to keep up to date.
A full list of the survey questions with links to the relevant data is below the cut!
Demographics
How old are you?
Do you identify as LGBTQ+ in any form?
What is your gender identity?
Do you identify as any of the following? (LGBTQ+ related identities)
What is your sexual orientation?
What is your romantic orientation?
What is your race?
Is English your native language?
Which geographic region best describes your current place of residence?
Which religious or spiritual tradition(s) do you believe?
Do you experience the following? (Disability, Neurodivergence, and Health Conditions)
Usage of AO3
Which of the following AO3 activities have you done in the last twelve months?
How frequently do you use the following methods to find works on AO3?
In a typical week, how long do you spend on AO3 or reading downloaded AO3 works?
When did you begin using AO3, with or without an account?
When did you create your first AO3 account?
What languages do you use for reading and posting on AO3?
Works You Post On AO3
Which of the following types of works do you post on AO3? (Media)
Of the works you post on AO3, how often do you post works with the following ratings?
Of the works you post on AO3, how often do you post works focused on the following types of relationships?
Of the works you post on AO3, how often do you post works in the following genres/tags?
Of the works you post on AO3, how often do you post the following types of works? (Format & Miscellaneous)
Works You Consume On AO3
Which of the following types of works do you consume on AO3? (Media)
How much do you enjoy works with the following ratings on AO3?
How much do you enjoy works focused on the following types of relationships on AO3?
How much do you enjoy works in the following genres/tags on AO3?
How much do you enjoy the following types of works on AO3? (Format & Miscellaneous)
Fandom Beyond AO3
Which of the following types of fanworks have you consumed in the last year?
Which of the following types of fandom activity have you done in the last year?
Which of the following websites or apps do you currently use for fandom activities at least once a month?
Which of the following websites or apps have you previously used for fandom activities, but no longer regularly use?
When did you first begin participating in fandom?
How many fandoms have you considered yourself a part of in the last five years?
Which of the following types of media do you participate in fandoms for?
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northopalshore · 4 months ago
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Rising signs in the Juno Persona Chart
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✧ Juno (3). The rising sign in your JPC represents your first impression of your future spouse as well as certain physical traits they may have.
🪷 In the signs
୨ৎ Aries 1°, 13°, 25°:
Your future spouse is someone very attractive, could look very muscular or athletic and fit. They could have a little rough exterior as in they may look a bit messy or unmanaged. They are stubborn hotheads with a high s*x drive. They could act rather rash or unmannered at times. They are likely to be the first one to initiate the relationship or talk to you. Attraction/lust at first sight! You could meet at a competition or at the gym.
୨ৎTaurus 2°, 14°, 26°:
Your future spouse is someone very romantic and down to earth. They have very beautiful and symmetrical faces. You might think they have many admirers. They may also have a stubborn streak to them lol. They could be bulkier or big boned. They could be heavier or taller than you. You could meet them at a restaurant, dating apps, the mall, spas or social media (beauty related).
୨ৎGemini 3°, 15°, 27°:
Your future spouse could be very pale. They might be tall or average height but most likely on the thinner side. They could look very dorky or nerdy. You could meet them online or through friends and school. They could look very youthful or they don't age that quickly. You feel that you instantly click with them when you first meet. You will talk to each other a lot and enjoy exchanging views when you first interact.
୨ৎCancer 4°, 16°, 28°:
They are someone very sensitive, kind and reassuring. They will look very innocent and gentle. They will look very young, could also be very pale. They could be wearing comfortable clothes when you meet. Perhaps their eyes will shine like stars when you look at them. Love and comfort at first sight.
୨ৎLeo 5°, 17°, 29°:
Your future spouse is very attractive. They will strike you speechless with how charming and gorgeous they look. They can seem out of your league, and the fact that they're talking to you will leave you in a daze lol. They could look and act pretty dramatically but know with every action they take, nothing is superficial. They could have seen you or you could see them in special events or online (your thirst traps lmao)
୨ৎVirgo 6°, 18°:
They could be quite petite. If they are a woman, they are likely much shorter than you. They could look rather frail too. They will look very clean and presentable. You'll notice how they remember even the smallest things you tell them. They may act rather distant or weary at first. You'll notice they spend a lot of time looking at you, trying to understand you. You could first see them at home or while doing regular activities.
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୨ৎLibra 7°, 19° :
You could think they are someone well mannered, well dressed and very charming. They could be very flirty and extremely attractive. Smells good & looks good. They could be very particular with their appearance or aesthetics. They could be someone very popular with lots of admirers. They might give off fuck boy/ girl energy at first lol. Think Flynn Rider. You could meet on dating apps or on tiktok (beauty related).
୨ৎScorpio 8°, 20° :
They could look very cold or mysterious. You could have a hard time understanding them or their intentions at first. There is a strong sexual connection with them even from the first meeting. Something about your first meeting could be rather taboo like they could still be in a relationship (at the verge of breaking up) when you first meet but it's not always the case.
୨ৎSagittarius 9°, 21°:
They could be significantly taller or shorter (usually taller). They could look a little scruffy or unmanaged. Something about them could look foreign or exotic, usually from the way they like to dress. They could look very different from you too or are literally from a different culture. You could think they're really friendly and funny. Your relationship could start off as a friendship. You could also meet at highschool, university or church or while travelling.
୨ৎCapricorn 10°, 22°:
They could look much older than their age or are literally older than you. They look and dress very sharp & neatly. Could have a sort of dress code or just in formal wear when you meet. You could think that they're serious and distant. However, they will treat you with great care and respect. It's likely they'll show genuine interest straightforwardly. You could meet them at work or at a formal setting.
୨ৎAquarius 11°, 23°:
They could have a social media presence. They will look and dress in an eclectic way. They could be foreign from you i.e from another culture/country. They'll be very genuine and authentic with how they present themselves. They could come off very friendly or you could be friends at first. You could meet through friends or online or even through social events.
୨ৎPisces 12°, 24°:
Love at first sight. You will be enchanted by each other. They will look out of this world, they might look sleepy or detached from reality. They will come to you like prince charming lol. They will treat you very kindly and you will feel their genuine interest and curiosity when you look into their eyes. You could meet them at a healing getaway, near the ocean or at night. You could also meet them at church or online (could also be tiktok where people are collectively delulu lol).
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*** entertainment only, reader discretion is advised***
Thank you for reading ♡
@northopalshore
@northopalshore 2024 all rights reserved.
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bisexualbaker · 1 year ago
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Why do people keep recommending Dreamwidth as a Tumblr alternative, when Dreamwidth and Tumblr are so different?
To be flat-out honest, it's because Dreamwidth has so many things that Tumblr users say they want, even if it's also lacking a lot of features that Tumblr users have come to love:
Dreamwidth has incredibly lax content hosting rules. I'd say that it's slightly more restrictive than AO3, but only just slightly, and only because AO3's abuse team has been so overwhelmed and over-worked. Otherwise, the hosting policies are pretty similar. You want to go nuts, show nuts? You can do that on Dreamwidth.
In fact, Dreamwidth is so serious about "go nuts, show nuts", it gave up the ability to accept transactions through PayPal in 2009 to protect our ability to do that. (It's also one reason why Dreamwidth doesn't have an app: Dreamwidth will never be beholden to Apple's content rules this way.)
Dreamwidth cares about your privacy; it doesn't sell your data, and barely collects any to begin with. As far as I'm aware, it only collects what it needs to run the site. The owners have also spoken out on behalf of internet privacy many times, and are prepared to put their money where their mouth is.
No ads. Ever. Period. They mean it. Dreamwidth is entirely user funded.
Posts viewed in reverse chronological order; no algorithm, opt-in or otherwise. No algorithm at all. No "For You" or "Suggested" page. You still entirely create and curate your own experience.
The ability to make posts that only your "mutuals", or even only a specific subset of your "mutuals", can see. Want to make a post that's only open to Bonnie, Clyde, Butch, and Cassidy? You can do that! Want to make a post that's only open to Bonnie and Butch, but Clyde and Cassidy can't see shit? You can do that, too!
The owners have forsworn NFTs and the blockchain in general. Not as big a worry now as it was even a year ago, but still good to know!
We are explicitly the customers of Dreamwidth. Dreamwidth wants to make us happy, so any changes they make (and they do make changes) are made with us in mind, and after exploring as many possibilities as they can.
Dreamwidth is very transparent about their policies and changes. If you want to know why they're making a specific change, or keeping or getting rid of a feature, they will tell you. You don't have to find out ten months later that they're locked into a contract to keep it for a year (cough cough Tumblr Live cough cough).
So those are some things that Tumblr users would probably love about Dreamwidth.
Another reason Dreamwidth keeps being recommended is that a significant portion of the Age 30+ crowd spent a lot of earlier fandom years on a site known as LiveJournal. Dreamwidth may not be much like Tumblr, but it it started out as a code fork of LiveJournal, so it will be very familiar to anyone who spent any time there. Except better.
Finally, we're recommending Dreamwidth because some of the things that Tumblr users want are just... not going to happen on the web as it is now. Image hosting is the big one for this. Maybe in the future, the price of data will be much cheaper, and Dreamwidth will be able to host as much as we all want for a pittance that a fraction of the userbase will happily pay for everyone, but right now that's just not possible.
Everywhere you want to go that hosts a lot of images will either be running lots of ads, selling your data, or both.
Dreamwidth knows how much it costs to host your data, and has budgeted for that. They are hosting within their means, within our means.
Dreamwidth is the closest thing we may ever get to AO3 as a social media platform. One of the co-owners is from, and still in, fandom; she knows our values, because they are also her values. It may as well be the Blogsite Of Our Own.
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jackiespurnell · 3 months ago
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random questions<3
ೃ⁀➷ hiii hi here’s just a random question form ˚୨୧⋆。˚ ⋆
: ̗̀➛ what’s ur fav color
: ̗̀➛ how long have u been on tumblr for
: ̗̀➛ wheres a place u always wanted to travel to
: ̗̀➛ what’s ur fav clothing brand(s)
: ̗̀➛ what’s ur fav singer/band(s)
: ̗̀➛ what’s ur current phone lockscreen
: ̗̀➛ most recent/current hyperfixation
: ̗̀➛ what’s ur relationship status
: ̗̀➛ what’s ur dream job
: ̗̀➛ outside of tumblr, fav social app
: ̗̀➛ do u have pets
: ̗̀➛ if u do have pets, what kind/how many
: ̗̀➛ do u prefer tea or coffee
: ̗̀➛ whats ur fav ice cream flavor
: ̗̀➛ tag at least three other tumblr accounts
my tags: @nyoclosmom @stuckysimp @cherikdogfood @xxqueenofdragonsxx @carpentrz
anyone else ofc feel free to fill out :) ˚ ༘♡ ⋆。˚
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dovveri · 5 months ago
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upskill from student to parent
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synopsis: one of your students has the most obvious crush on you, but you have the most obvious crush on his mother.
warnings: swearing? maybe idek AHAHA
w/c: 6.9k
a/n: kind of an homage to my fav person on this app @miinatozakiii ‘s first published work the kindergarten teacher sana 🙂‍↕️ happy late one year anniversary babe 🥰
⋆✐ೀ⋆
“alright kids, don't forget i'm seeing most of your parents tonight so if you want to make a good impression, you better start doing your homework because i know most of you don't!"
there are collective groans across the classroom as they pack up their things and leave, thanking you as they head out the door to their next period.
you giggle, recalling the days you were a student in their position, you rarely did your math homework as well.
"ms. l/n?"
you look up from your desk with a smile.
"i- um- i just wanted to s-say- thank you for this lesson. i was really- um- struggling with derivatives when you introduced them last time but you made it really clear this class."
you beam, appreciating the feedback, "that's great to hear hideki! if you have any more trouble in the future please be sure to let me know, i'll be happy to set up bonus small group classes or even individual sessions if you guys need the help."
"t-thanks ms. l/n. that's really nice of you."
"it's my job hideki." you smile, "did you need any help with anything else?"
he shakes his head shyly, hand at the back of his neck, "that was all! thanks again miss!"
"no worries, i'll see you tonight?"
he agrees happily, darting out the door with his cheeks flushed.
it wasn't the first time a student had had a crush on you. it was normally harmless. some of them had tried to confess to you over the years, usually waiting until after they graduated because they thought it’d be okay if you no longer had a student-teacher relationship. some of them would confess while you were still their teacher regardless, those were a little tougher because you had to continue teaching them and watch them pout and lose motivation to do their schoolwork and act awkward around you, no longer wanting to participate in class or ask questions if they didn’t understand something. you’d try to let them down gently, and if you noticed they were struggling with coursework, you’d pull them aside or ask another one of the teachers to check in on them.
most of the time though, they were just simple little crushes that would pass with time or after they moved out of your class. you didn't entertain them but it was cute seeing your students in their awkward teen years discovering feelings for the first time.
you stretch, yawning, but yelp when someone's finger jabs into your exposed armpit.
there's a burst of laughter and you frown, staring at the intruder.
"really nayeon?"
the english teacher rolls her eyes with a cheeky grin, "saw hideki on the way out. did he give you that confession note?"
"what confession note?"
nayeon hops a little, a hand covering her mouth, "oh shit."
you narrow your eyes. "tell me."
she grins, not really apologetic for having accidentally spilt her student’s secret, "saw him decorating a card and everything in english class today. his grammar was a little off so i just helped him correct it a little. oh ms. l/n. how i wish to be able to call you by your first name. how i wish to be able to hold you and-" she puts on an exaggerated romeo-like voice and pose, back of her hand coming up to her forehead.
you stand up, slapping her lightly with a blush, "why did you encourage him?!"
she shrugs with a laugh, "i'm an english teacher. gotta make sure the kids are using the language right even if it's for illicit love notes."
you huff, packing up your desk and getting ready to go to lunch, "can't he find a nice girl his age to be in love with? i'm sure he has so many options since he's the star player of the school basketball team and everything."
"something about you attracts the kiddies y/n."
you scrunch your nose, "ew. that sounds gross. i don't even like younger men."
"women?"
"no preference. just someone in the same life stage y'know?"
"wait should i be offended? how come no student has ever confessed to me? aren't english teachers supposed to be like a gay girl's awakening?"
you laugh, ignoring the woman's question, dragging her out of your classroom and to lunch together before you both have to attend to your kids again.
⋆✐ೀ⋆
you enjoyed your job, but parent-teacher interviews were probably your least favourite part of it. if you wanted to deal with parents all day you'd have become a primary school teacher.
there were all kinds of them, some who didn't show up, some who didn't care, some who cared too much, some who were clueless, and some who thought they could do your job better than you.
you rub your temples, grateful for the little 5 minute break you're afforded in between quick 10 minute interviews that would normally go on for longer than that. you blink around the room, the other mathematics teachers gathered in the same classroom, nayeon was down the hall with the other english teachers. you were the youngest of them all, there was a pretty big shortage of secondary mathematics teachers across the country, so it meant maths teachers were putting off retirement for longer so they can continue to support kids, but it still left a lot of gaps that could be filled to give your students the best education they deserved.
you've dazed off enough that you barely register hideki almost bounding in, still in his basketball uniform from after-school practice.
he grins, sliding into the seat opposite yours, "hi ms. l/n!"
you return the smile, "hey hideki." even though you knew about his obvious crush on you, he was still one of your favourite students, maybe it was because he had the crush on you that he was more eager to follow instructions and to prove himself and ask questions whenever he was confused that made him one of the easiest to teach.
and then a woman in a sleek beige coat next to hideki catches your attention. your gaze flicks over to hers. and it can't seem to break away.
she's the most beautiful human being you've ever laid your eyes on. her hair is dyed an autumn brown, wavy locks tucked behind ears, expensive gold jewelry adorning her neck, ears, hands. her eyes match the colour of her hair, a deep fawn brown you could stare into for hours. she's got the most perfect nose you've ever seen, you almost itched to measure it, find the angle of it, the way it led to her pretty lips, full and parted, inviting, pulling you in. and then you realise they're curling up slightly, and you snap your eyes back up to hers to see a mirthful glint in them.
you cough, blushing brightly, "h-hello mrs. hayashi."
"just sana is fine. minatozaki sana. i never married hideki’s father." her voice is silky smooth, there's a certain drawl to it too, it makes you want to listen to her voice on repeat, teasing out every inflection in tone.
you can feel your blush reaching the tips of your ears, "o-oh sorry! i didn't know i apologise!"
sana laughs, it's bright and airy, you don't think you've heard anything purer. "nothing to be sorry about. we broke up a long time ago. when hideki was still very young."
you nod, deciding you can't continue staring at her or you may just faint, so you look down at your files, shuffling them around with no purpose, just to give your hands something to do.
"so how's hideki doing in class?" you can hear the smirk in her voice, her attentive eyes watching as you fumble around.
"he's um- very good- he always makes sure to ask questions whenever he's stuck on anything, and he's probably one of my only students who keeps up with his homework."
"well that's good isn't it deki? what were you so nervous for?" sana teases her son as he blushes, mumbling something under his breath.
you speak up again, "nothing to be nervous about. hideki is one of my best students, he keeps up very well despite his extra curriculars."
sana snorts, "i wish we could say the same about his other subjects. it seems maths is the only thing he tries in."
"mom!"
"what? you heard what your english teacher said. you need to spend some more time editing your own work than you do shooting hoops."
you laugh, "i'm sure his english is alright. nayeon can be a pretty harsh teacher."
sana looks at you again with an eyebrow raised, you quickly look away. "just wait until you read some of his work ms. l/n. you'll be surprised."
hideki blushes again, deciding he won't be giving you that love confession note he has in his bag after all.
"is there anything else i can do for him then? any particular areas he may be struggling in or any recommendations of what we can implement at home to make sure his maths marks stay consistent?"
"homework really. maths is a very practical subject so the more practice he gets the better grasp he'll have. especially with strange or out-of-the-box questions exams may throw at him; it helps a lot if he's practiced with as many question varieties as possible, most people are going to get those 1 or 2 markers, but the bigger questions that really need you to apply the concepts you learn are where you'll start to see distinctions between the students that just study and the students that really have the aptitude and patience for mathematics."
"never was me." sana jokes.
you smile, still avoiding her gaze, your cheeks pink, "i'm sure you would have been a prize student ms. minatozaki."
"just sana." she has a teasing smile on her face.
"r-right. sana."
it's quiet for a few seconds, hideki looks between his mother and you, squinting a little in confusion.
sana coughs, beginning to stand and holding out a hand, "well it was nice meeting you ms. l/n. i can finally understand why hideki goes on and on about his gorgeous maths teacher."
"mom!"
you blush again, taking her hand, almost melting at how soft it felt against yours, forcing yourself to meet her eyes again to be polite. you have to bring your other hand to hold your wrist when you shake it, to support your jelly-like arm in her presence. "it was nice meeting you too sana."
she tightens her grip, smirking a little, "i hope this won't be the last i'll be seeing you. have a good night."
and with that she's off, hideki whining and complaining next to her about how she's embarassed him. it was a little funny considering their height difference, hideki was a basketball player so he had to be tall for his sport, and sana was just a few centimetres shorter than you, though her aura commanded attention, her posture was perfect, you're caught staring at the slight sway in her hips as she walks away, but you quickly reprimand yourself, blushing even brighter at having realised you were just checking out your student's parent.
god she had your mind a mess, and you had a feeling it wouldn't be the last time for this to happen.
⋆✐ೀ⋆
you were so out of your comfort zone. you barely knew anything about basketball. but nayeon just had to drag you to be co-supervisors for your school's basketball team since you didn’t have the funds for a real P.E. teacher. even worse, the parent volunteer just happened to be minatozaki sana, the parent you hadn’t been able to stop thinking about since your first meeting with her weeks ago.
nayeon noticed your odd behaviour immediately of course. so being the annoyingly loveable best friend she was, she made herself scarce, herding the kids away with every opportunity and trying to get you and sana alone as much as possible.
that’s how you were now stuck with the woman of your dreams, sharing a hotel room in the place you were staying for the duration of the games.
“are you sure you don’t want me to get another room? the individual room was originally supposed to be meant for you- i can’t believe nayeon let herself get sick and stole it from you.”
sana giggles, plopping down her weekend bag. “it’s alright ms. l/n. i don’t mind sharing rooms with a pretty woman like you.”
you blushed brightly. that was the other problem with sana. she was a flirt. every chance she got she’d make some sort of teasing remark on the way here, or brush a little too close than what was acceptable for friends, and you were barely even friends.
“j-just y/n is fine. i feel weird if someone my age is calling me by my last name like that.”
“how do you know i’m your age?” she smirks.
“o-oh! i just- i mean- i- i’m in my early 30s and you look quite young and but hideki is already 16 so i just assumed um-“
she laughs again, “thank you for the compliment. you’re right. i had hideki when i was 19. his dad promised to take care of him, provide for us, y’know… all the works. he couldn’t take it and left not even a year into hideki’s life. i ended up having to drop out of university and learn to balance work and a baby. my parents weren't any good either, said it was my fault for getting knocked up so early in my life and that i should've been prepared for the consequences."
you perch on the end of your bed, listening attentively while she unpacks her things, "i'm sorry you had to go through that."
she shrugs, "made me who i am today. and plus i have hideki now. and he'll always have me. what about you? any kids? partner?"
you blush as she turns back to you, copying your stance and sitting on her bed facing you. "no. i’ve always been around kids so there’s not exactly a ton of romantic prospects.” you joke.
sana laughs, “what about nayeon?”
you cringe immediately, “ew gross no. we’re just friends. there aren’t that many young teachers that aren’t already married and who aren’t spread all over the country so nayeon and i easily clicked because we’re similar in age and single. not that it’s difficult to get along with the older teachers there’s just some things that we’ll be able to do that they might not necessarily want to anymore… like drink or whatever.”
“are you looking for anyone then?” there’s a smirk on sana’s face that you know can only mean she’s up to no good.
“u-um- well- i mean- uh- like if it comes it comes i’m not actively looking for it. i’m happy with the kids even if i die old and alone because there’s always going to be more kids to teach so i’m never really going to be alone unless i quit or get fired.”
“i really admire teachers y’know. you can take care of a classroom of kids and offer them knowledge when someone like my ex boyfriend couldn’t even handle one child.”
while you were talking, you didn’t even notice that sana had moved onto your bed, sitting next to you, shoulders touching, eyes peering into yours.
you chuckle awkwardly, “w-well i’m actually not that great with younger kids.”
sana frowns, “don’t do that. bringing yourself down to defend a shitty man are both things i don’t want to hear. from what i’ve seen, you love your job and you really care about your kids. you should be proud of that. teachers don’t get enough of the appreciation they should.”
“t-thank you sana.”
“of course.”
it’s quiet after that, and more than awkward. you have no idea where to look, suddenly conscious of her body pressed against yours, fiddling with your hands, feeling sweat build up.
sana just watches you with a glint in her eye, observing all of your actions.
she breaks the tension that seemingly came out of nowhere first, “how do you feel about me?”
your eyes widen, not expecting such a straightforward question, “s-sorry?”
“you’re nervous. do i make you nervous y/n?”
your blush was pretty much permanently fixed on your face now.
“u-um-“
“it’s okay if i do. i just hope it's for the right reasons." she pouts. it's criminal. "you'd tell me if there was something else right?"
"r-right! yes of course yes-"
"good. so you're nervous because you find me attractive?" her pout morphs into a smirk within nanoseconds.
"um- i-"
"you said you'd tell me if it was something else remember?" and then she's straight back into a pout. it was giving you whiplash, the change in expressions, dizzying you.
"um- i- yes- you are- yes you are very pretty and-"
"so you want to kiss me?"
"um-!"
sana finally lets you go, laughing brightly and moving away to give you some space before you burst or melted.
"just joking y/n. i'm sorry you're just too easy to tease and your reactions are adorable!"
you can breathe again, the oxygen finally reaching your brain now that sana wasn't so close to you, and your lips turn downward, imitating her pout from earlier, "sana!"
she continues laughing, going back to unpacking her things while you collect yourself and think just how you were going to survive the two days away sharing a room with the potential love of your life who also happened to be a massive tease.
⋆✐ೀ⋆
thankfully, the rest of the night was pretty uneventful. you checked in on all the boys, made sure they had all had dinner and weren't planning anything irresponsible like a party behind your backs or anything. you also checked in on nayeon who in your professional opinion, looked absolutely fine, having ordered room service and was in one of the hotel robes with her feet kicked up enjoying a face mask and a bottle of wine all to herself.
sana also didn't try anything else when you retired to your own hotel room after doing the rounds on the boys' rooms again to make sure they were all in bed and getting the rest they needed before their game tomorrow. you're not sure if you were grateful or disappointed she didn't, but you quickly pushed her out of your mind, needing to rest as well before having to wake up early to take all the kids to the stadium.
you're knocking loudly on the last room you were meant to check on, annoyed the boys were taking so long, you were all meant to meet in the lobby 10 minutes ago for your bus to the stadium.
when you sigh, prepared to rap your knuckles against the door again, it falls away, revealing a distressed hideki and his roommate for the trip.
"ms. l/n! i'm so sorry we're late eric had some trouble um-" he looks behind him, "we're pretty much ready now! just got to grab some last minute stuff and-" he leaves the door open, continuing his ramble while you cross your arms, tapping your foot impatiently, watching the boys run around the room collecting last minute things and throwing them into gym bags.
by the time they're almost done, sana's snuck up behind you, peeking over your shoulder.
"deki! what are you doing? are you the one holding everyone up? what kind of example are you setting for your team if the team captain's late?"
you jump at her voice, not having noticed her standing right behind you. you turn, admiring her side profile, she's got her hair up today, but still looks as expensive as the first time you saw her.
hideki blushes at his mom yelling at him, picking up his pace a little and jabbing eric, telling him to hurry up.
sana notices you staring at her and turns with a smile, "hi y/n. missed you this morning."
you fluster immediately, snapping your eyes away, "u-um sorry! i uh- got up early and didn't want to wake you and decided to get breakfast early on my own before making sure all the kids were awake."
she pouts, "you should've woken me. we could've had breakfast together."
"s-sorry i'll remember for next time."
"next time? you planning on waking up next to me again y/n?"
you can hear the teasing tone in her voice without needing to look at her, "i meant tomorrow! tomorrow morning."
sana giggles next to your ear, relenting when hideki and eric finally finish up, slightly out of breath when they come up to you, hideki apologising to you profusely, almost bowing down in the hotel hallway while holding all his heavy gym bags before you stop him, embarrassed enough by his mother watching the interaction closely with a curious glint in her eyes.
by the time you get downstairs nayeon already has most of the kids on the bus, reprimanding the two late boys again before letting them go and telling them to get on the bus as well. she had claimed her sickness was miraculously cured overnight, and that all she needed was a good night's sleep in a hotel room by herself.
she had teased both you and sana, asking sana innocently if she'd want to change rooms again now that she wasn't sick, but sana had said it'd be too much work and she didn't mind sharing a room with you anyway. nayeon elbowed you making an exaggerated show of her eyebrows wriggling around when sana wasn't looking, winking and looking all too satisfied with herself. you ignored her, strutting ahead and onto the bus, crossing your arms and pouting.
sana comes up next, giggling at you and plopping down on the seat next to yours. thankfully, the bus ride to the stadium wouldn't take long this time, the ride here was almost 5 hours long, and sana had taken a liking to sleeping on your shoulder almost the entire way there. you were stiff and couldn't wait to fall into bed when nayeon pulled her sick move and ruined your plans of being able to relax, not possible in the presence of the other woman.
the kids are rowdy and energetic, hyping each other up on the bus. you have to tell them to quieten down a few times but you let them get away with most of what they do, smiling at the sight of them so eager for their game.
when you arrive, nayeon's the first to stand, using her loud voice and commanding attention, her voice that should've been at least a little hoarse from her apparent sickness yesterday.
"alright! remember you're representing your school district now! and you're sharing this space with other people so i don't want to hear you guys as loud as you were on this bus okay? i won't hesitate to bench anyone who fools around too much and that means you won't get to play and you'd have come all this way for nothing understand?"
nayeon really was strict as a teacher, but you knew she loved her job as much as you did.
the kids nod, determined to be good, adrenaline running from the excitement of almost getting to the court.
you step off the bus first, talking to the bus driver and letting them know when they can come back and pick you guys up to go back to the hotel. then the kids are hopping off the bus one by one, and you're making sure they don't run off or do anything stupid while waiting for everyone to assemble.
by the time the team is actually on the court and warming up, you're almost as excited as them, the atmosphere of the stadium hyping you up, sitting on the sidelines with towels and water bottles ready for their breaks. you had tried to study up a little on what exactly went on in basketball, the rules and the basics, the kids may not have a coach but you still wanted to be as supportive as you could even though your job only required you to supervise them safely between the venues and the hotel.
"have you come to a lot of these games?" you ask sana mindlessly, watching as the boys start doing practice shots and drills.
"yeah. i try to go to as many of deki's things as i can."
"that's very sweet. it's really good for the kids, when the parents show up to things they work hard for."
sana hums. "i try."
"he's lucky to have you."
"i think he may appreciate you a little more though." she teases, bumping shoulders with you.
you laugh, "he'll get over it. they all do."
"this has happened before?"
you shrug, "i swear i don't do anything out of the ordinary. maybe i'm just nicer than nayeon."
"so your type obviously isn't kids. what is it?" sana teases.
you blush, "i don't know. i don't really have one i think."
"oh come on. everyone says that. tell me the truth. i won't judge i promise."
you roll your eyes, smiling, "well... i think at this point in my life i just want someone who wants to settle down. i'm not that young anymore and i've already achieved what i wanted in my career so all i really want now is someone to share the rest of my life with."
"boring! c'mon gimme the juicy stuff. like personality, physical attributes." she pokes you with a grin on her face as well.
"fine fine. i guess when it comes to women i tend to like slightly older women, extroverted, good with kids obviously, i don't reaaaally care for all the physical stuff but probably someone around my height i guess."
"stand up for me."
you do as she asks, confused, then she stands up as well, stepping in almost eye-to-eye. you flush immediately. she brings her hand to measure the top of her head, knocking it against your forehead.
then she smirks, "so i'm pretty much your type then?"
you stutter, falling backwards and back into your seat, mumbling incoherently. sana giggles, sitting back down as well.
"if it's any consolation, my type in women tends to be slightly taller, good with kids, a little awkward, gets flustered easily, but loves her job."
you blink at her, still processing her words when the buzzer sounds signaling the start of the game.
sana winks, then turns her attention to the game, cheering on your school's team as they get in starting position. nayeon jogs over to join you both on the sideline bench, cheering as well. you put your muddled thoughts aside to focus on being there for the kids, but sana's confession? was it even a confession? never left the back of your mind.
⋆✐ೀ⋆
your school won. the boys are ecstatic, clapping each other on the back, streamers are thrown, the crowd is wild, loving the game they witnessed.
eventually, the stadium clears out while the boys cooldown. the janitors come and kick everyone off the floor soon enough, the kids still whooping and parading around their championship trophy, taking pictures with smiles all around.
you smile fondly as well, watching them leave the stadium, so proud of themselves. but then there's a cough behind you, and you turn, surprised to see hideki still there, not leading his team off on their victory lap.
"you okay hideki?"
the boy blushes, rubbing the back of his neck shyly, still in his team uniform, sweat running down his body.
"i um- i was actually wondering if we could talk?"
you frown, immediately concerned, "yeah of course. what's up?"
his eyes flit around, making sure the stadium is pretty much empty except for the janitors cleaning up after the game. and then he looks back at you, you're struck then how much he looks like sana, he has her nose, her eyes, you never noticed before but after spending more time with sana, you can start to see parts of her in her son.
he clears his throat again, obviously nervous, wringing his hands out, "u-um- so i promised myself that if we won this game, i'd finally be truthful to both myself and you. so um- ms. l/n... i think i'm in love with you!" he bows deeply with his confession.
you stand there, slightly in shock despite knowing about his feelings for a long time now. and then you feel terrible, having to reject him on what was supposed to be one of the highlights of his high school experience.
you tap his shoulder lightly, non-verbally asking him to straighten up, he flinches at the touch, eyes fierce when they meet yours.
"hideki... i'm sorry. i don't feel the same way about you. you're my student, i care about all of you equally, but never as more than a student."
his face breaks your heart, you see sana in him, it's almost like you made sana cry.
"is it my age? what if i graduated? would you be interested in me after i graduated?" he's desperate, reaching for any possibility where you could return his feelings.
you shake your head, offering a gentle smile, "i'm sorry hideki. i know you'll find the right person for you one day though. that person just isn't going to be me."
his head droops down, hair coming to cover his eyes as he stares down at his shoes, trying to hide his tears. "i understand. thank you for taking the time to listen to me ms. l/n. i'll get out of your hair now." and then he's jogging off behind you towards the exit.
you sigh, turning around, surprised to see sana there, frowning when she sees hideki in tears approaching her.
she looks between him and you in confusion, but hideki reaches her first. she cups his face, asking him what happened, but he refuses to speak, and sana brings him down into her hugging him and patting his back.
she glances at you then, still frowning. your heart sinks, not sure what sorts of conclusions she could be drawing, but knowing right now, it looked like you had said or done something that made her son cry.
she leads him away, you ache to tell her what really happened, but you know you should keep your distance for the sake of your student right now, you just pray sana doesn't think of you any differently.
⋆✐ೀ⋆
the rest of the day goes by in a blur. the boys go out for celebratory dinner. they notice their captain is a lot more down than usual, and they try cheering him up, playing games at dinner, laughing and teasing each other, but nothing seems to be working.
you couldn't help but feel a little guilty, and sana hadn't spoken to you since the game. you're not sure if it's on purpose or if she's just busy keeping the kids entertained and checking on hideki every once in a while, but not wanting to smother him with all his friends around. he doesn't seem to mind though, in fact he only responds to sana, even when his friends try and include him he stays quiet, picking at his food aimlessly.
when you get back to the hotel, you give a speech about how they shouldn't sleep too late even though you could understand their excitement still remaining from winning the championships, they still had to get up early tomorrow so you could take the bus back home. nayeon would normally give the speech since she was a little more threatening than you, but she was also currently wasted, having gone a little too hard on the celebrations with the boys. she was currently leaning on you, almost dozing off as you rattled off instructions and rules before sending them all off to their rooms.
sana's gone with them before you can speak to her, so you sigh, wrapping an arm around nayeon's waist and helping your friend back to her own room, setting her in bed and pulling the covers up, turning off the lights and leaving a cup of water next to her bedside for when she wakes up later.
you feel nervous going back to your own room, unsure of what sana thinks of you now.
you open the door, almost grateful to hear the shower on, indicating the other woman was cleaning herself up.
you anxiously start packing your things up, cleaning around the room a little and grabbing clothes for your shower.
the shower turns off and your heart rate increases tenfold. you still have some time before she comes out though, so you continue to busy yourself, cleaning anything and everything.
"y/n?"
you turn quickly at her voice, almost fainting at the sight of her wrapped only in a towel. you yelp, turning back around just as quickly, "s-sorry!"
sana giggles, padding up to her bed, "it's okay. i left my clothes out here."
you can hear the rustle of her towel being dropped and her starting to dress yourself. your face is burning up, trying desperately to clear your mind of thoughts of a very naked sana standing right behind you, probably watching you make a fool out of yourself.
"i'm dressed." she teases, plopping down onto her bed.
you turn with a sigh, but tense up when you realise her definition of dressed was a very thin camisole and shorts that really shouldn't be considered shorts.
sana smirks at your gaze, crossing her legs and watching the way your eyes follow the movement, drinking in the skin.
"so what happened with you and deki?"
your eyes snap back up to hers at the reminder, the guilt of it all coming back.
"i'm sorry- i didn't- i hope you know i didn't mean to-"
sana giggles, grabbing the towel to start drying her hair, "relax y/n. i figured as much. he wouldn't tell me what happened but i assume it had something to do with his feelings for you?"
you gulp, nodding, not trusting your voice.
"like you said at the game, he'll get over it."
"you're not mad at me?"
she frowns, "why would i be mad at you?"
"well i- i thought you were avoiding me at dinner and- i mean i did just reject your son-"
sana lets out a loud laugh, "i think i'd be more mad if you didn't reject him. and i wasn't avoiding you. were you looking for my attention y/n?" she teases, wringing out her hair.
"oh. i'm glad then. that you weren't avoiding me. i was worried." you mumble, ignoring her question, knowing she was just trying to get a reaction out of you.
she stands up, brushing her hair behind her shoulders, walking up to you slowly. "why were you worried?"
you focus on a spot on the hotel carpet, avoiding her gaze, "i didn't want you to think i was- i don't know- i just didn't want you to think of me differently i guess."
"why do you care what i think of you?"
you blush, "well- i mean- i- you're- you're a parent of my student."
sana hums, still moving closer at a painfully slow pace, "is that all i am to you?"
"uh- well- no... you're um- you're sana."
she giggles, now toe-to-toe with you. "i am."
you almost let out a gasp when her cool fingers touch your chin, tilting your head up slightly to look her in the eyes. her eyes search yours, then they move over your face, tracing your features. you lick your lips unconsciously, the tension between the two of you unable to be explained by a simple parent-teacher relationship, or even a friendship anymore.
"it's funny." her voice is lower now, spoken right onto your lips, there was no need for volume, you were only inches apart. "i almost wonder if my ex would've fallen for you too."
you're dizzy from being so close to her, mind playing catch up. "t-too?"
"yeah. hideki fell for you. i wonder if you could just have my whole family wrapped around your finger."
you gulp, not really following, just letting her do whatever she wanted to you.
she leans in even closer, eyes dropping to your lips.
"what about me?"
"w-what about you?"
"you rejected deki. how about me?"
you inhale shakily, "are you confessing?"
she smiles then, "was it not obvious?"
"no." you breathe out.
"why not?"
"you're too- you're unbelievable."
"what does that mean?"
"i literally can't believe you're real. that someone as perfect as you could exist."
sana giggles lowly at that, "there it is. do you know how long i've been waiting for you to just say how you feel about me?"
"w-what?"
"all that teasing, all the flirting, i paid nayeon to fake sick y'know?"
"you what?!"
she throws her head back, laughing fully now. your eyes follow the lines of her throat.
"deki talked about you all the time at home. i was curious to meet the maths teacher he was so obsessed with. and then i did. and you were just so adorable. i could tell you really loved what you were doing, and you really cared for all the kids. but i didn't want to ask you out in front of my son who has the biggest most obvious crush on you. so i resigned myself to thinking i probably wouldn't be able to see you again. and then you happened to be on this trip. so i tried everything i could to get closer to you, get to know you better, and you didn't disappoint. i can safely say i'm just as obsessed with you as hideki is, dare i say even more."
"y-you are?"
"mhm. and i knew you liked me too. you're almost as obvious as deki is." she giggles, "i was just waiting for you to do something about it. but you're too nice aren't you? didn't want anything that could be between us to affect your job and your relationship with the kids."
you hadn't even noticed sana had paid so much attention to you. she had picked you apart completely, you felt so exposed in front of her now, but it wasn't unwelcome, you were just embarrassed at the way you've acted around her, thinking how many times you've replied dumbly or said something stupid while she knew you had a crush on her. you cringe at the memories.
sana laughs again, poking at the scrunch in your nose, "so can you say it officially now?"
"say what?"
"don't play dumb with me. you know."
you whine, blushing still, but close your eyes, taking a breath again, "i like you sana. i think you're the most beautiful person i've ever seen and your personality and actions are just as consistent with your looks."
sana giggles again, and then all of a sudden, her lips are pressed against yours.
it's soft, sweet, she's curling a hand around your waist and the other around your neck. you weren't the greatest with words, that's why nayeon was the english teacher, but you try make up for it with your actions, pulling her into you deeper and wrapping your arms around her, smiling into the kiss.
sana returns the smile, reattaching your lips, kissing you easily, your lips slotting together with no rush, taking as much time as you wanted to explore each other.
that night, when you come out of your shower, you find sana curled up in your bed, patting the empty space next to her for you to squeeze into, making sure she had enough space so that she wouldn't fall off the edge. you find that she's a big cuddler, not that it should've surprised you, she was always a very physically affectionate person, and you were still getting used to being on the receiving end of all of it, but you adored it.
the next morning, you'll keep to your promise and wake sana up with a gentle kiss on her lips, brushing her hair out of her face and studying her sleeping features carefully, committing everything to memory, still in slight disbelief that such a woman felt the same way you did.
you talk over breakfast, finding yourself much more at ease now that you knew she knew how you felt about her. she still takes every opportunity to tease you though, loving the way you blushed and stuttered around her.
what's hard is deciding what to do after you get home. you still wanted to keep your distance from hideki so that he could get over you, and sana agreed, saying it would be best if the both of you kept your relationship a secret for now. she was almost excited, talking about how it would be exciting and fun to sneak around like kids again, having to hide your relationship.
she's right of course, but being with her specifically probably makes it ten times harder than it normally would. she'd come to your school with bunches of flowers and lunch, acting innocent and surprised when you have to hide her and find an empty classroom for you to spend the lunch date she springs on you. she'll never stop loving to tease you.
you finally tell hideki about 2 months into your relationship. he seems to take it okay, but when you're curled up in sana's bed later, she tells you he complained to her about how she 'stole his woman', and you both end up in a giggling fit, laughing at the turn of events. regardless, you're still grateful, grateful you were able to meet her, and somehow bewitch her into falling for you. you were the luckiest person alive, and only sana would disagree, saying that was only true for herself.
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amiableness · 2 months ago
Text
Dad!James Potter x Bsf!Reader ☼ 1437 words | 18+
To anyone else, it might have seemed rushed—foolish, even—to have a baby less than a year into dating. But for you and James, it felt like the most natural decision in the world. After nearly a decade of knowing him and now raising a son together, the thought of giving Henry a sibling seemed like the next step. 
Especially after he’d come home from school, buzzing with excitement as he chattered about how his friend had a baby brother who played trains with him every night—which was entirely untrue, considering Carter’s baby brother was only two months old. Still, Henry prattled on throughout dinner about siblings, listing off how many of his schoolmates had one and leaving little doubt about what he was hinting at.
You and James exchanged amused glances throughout dinner, but it wasn’t until Henry turned to you both after his bedtime story and asked, “How do I get a sibling?” that the idea started to feel like a real possibility.
Which is why you’d bought a pack of ovulation tests—just in case—and finally decided to use one when your app suggested the timing was right. When you showed James the test, you’d half-expected him to sweep you off your feet and carry you straight to bed. But he didn’t.
Instead, he reached for your face, his hands gently cradling your cheeks as his eyes searched yours. “Are you sure, my love?” he asked softly. “You really want this?”
“It’s not like we’ve been very careful, Jamie.” You had murmured, and an amused smile emerged on his lips.
“No,” he murmured, shaking his head gently. “But this—” his gaze dropped to the ovulation test still in your hand “—feels real. And I need you to be absolutely certain.”
“I am,” you whispered, nodding as you leaned in to press a soft kiss to his lips. “Do you want this?”
“I’ve known I wanted a family with you for years, darling,” he had said, his voice steady and sure. “I’ve never been more certain of anything in my life.”
You should have known, given how seriously James took the test, that he was going to treat tonight with the same intensity. But you weren’t prepared for just how different it would feel. 
Being with James had always been good, but this—this was something entirely different.
The way he had parted your thighs with a touch that was both gentle and impossibly intense. How his eyes had never left yours, burning with quiet hunger as he had kissed and nipped his way up from your ankles, each movement slow and deliberate, filled with a promise that had made your heart race. You had laid back on your shared bed, your body humming with anticipation, watching him through heavy-lidded eyes as desperate pleas slipped from your swollen lips, a lingering reminder of his previous kisses.
Desperation laced every movement as James slid his tongue through your folds, kissing your clit with a moan that nearly rivaled your own. He licked and sucked with a hunger that seemed to chase his own pleasure—and with the way he hummed against you, he might as well have been. He stayed there for what felt like hours, drawing out every sigh, every gasp, every pant from you. You remembered telling him he didn’t need to do this, but James, thoroughly offended, had insisted that he wanted to do this, that he didn’t want this night to be anything less than special—his tone leaving no room for argument.
But nothing compared to the way it felt when he pushed into you, his body towering over yours—one hand propped next to your head, the other gripping your knee, holding you open as he locked eyes with you. 
“Fuck, baby,” he sighs, his voice low and reverent, thick with longing. “I can’t wait to make you a mum.” His words are a soft murmur, but the promise they carry sends a shiver of anticipation through you, stirring something raw and primal deep inside. A smile tugs at his lips before he leans in, his kiss gentle yet all-consuming. “Again,” he murmurs against your mouth, the word lingering between you.
The pace he sets is agonizingly slow—so slow it almost feels torturous, each deliberate thrust stretching you out deliciously. You let out a shuddering moan, your body arching with a cry as you grip the headboard, your fingers trembling. 
Your other hand digs into his bicep, the muscle flexing and rippling beneath your touch as he moves against you with such intensity as though he’s savoring every second. His gaze never leaves yours, dark with desire, as he pulls you closer, his lips brushing against your neck with a broken moan leaving his lips. 
The image of you full with his child lingers in his mind, almost tauntingly. The thought ignites a rush of desire through his veins, leaving a scorching, simmering heat in its wake as if the very idea of it consumes him entirely.
No matter how much he wants to lose control, thrusting into your wet heat at a desperate pace—he doesn’t. He takes his time, his words a steady stream of depraved and intimate thoughts whispered into your ear, each one sending a shiver down your spine. Wrecked by him, your hand slides from his bicep to his back, feeling the taut strength of his muscles beneath your touch, and you don’t think you’ve ever wanted him more.
It feels like hours—you're certain it has—lost in the depths of pure lovemaking. There's no other word for it because, in this moment, you’ve never felt so deeply connected to another person. It’s a bond so profound, so tender, that you can’t imagine ever wanting to let go. The trust, the love, between you and James is so palpable, so consuming, that it leaves you breathless, dizzy with the intensity of it.
The room hums with the soft creak of the bed beneath you, mingling with your desperate cries—begging James to “keep going,” to do it “just like that,” your voice trembling with need. “Oh, I’m close…” you whisper, your words barely audible through the haze of sensation. James feels the shift in you when your legs begin to shake, the subtle quiver of your body telling him you're on the edge. You wrap your arms around his shoulders, pulling him closer, burying your face in his neck, your breath ragged and uneven as you brace for the overwhelming wave of pleasure building inside you.
“James, please—” Your voice trembles, breaking on a near sob as your hand finds his cheek, your palm pressing firmly against his skin, urging him to meet your gaze. His eyes lock onto yours, and the raw desperation in them steals your breath; he looks seconds away from unraveling completely. You lean up, capturing his lips in a kiss that’s as frantic as it is tender, drawing a wrecked moan from deep within his chest. Pulling back just enough to catch your breath, your plea spills out again, softer this time but no less urgent. “Please, fill me up. I want to be full of you; I want it to take.”
You don’t know if it’s your desperate words or the way you beg him, but something shifts in James. His voice is a strained plea as he urges you to let go, to come for him, and the sound of it sends you tumbling over the edge. Your body tightens around him, fluttering and squeezing with a rhythm that’s almost too much for him to bear. A guttural curse falls from his lips as he follows you, his release overtaking him in a way that feels both overwhelming and grounding. He buries his face in the curve of your neck, his breath hot and uneven against your skin as he fills you completely.
It takes a few minutes for your breathing to steady, your body loose and warm, still tingling from the aftershocks. James's weight rests against you—not overwhelming, but comforting in a way that makes you feel completely safe.
He shifts slightly, propping himself up on his forearms to ease his weight off you, and his face hovers just above yours. His lips curl into a soft, tired smile, his hair a tousled mess that only makes him look more endearing. Leaning down, he presses a tender kiss to your forehead, his lips lingering.
“You’re going to be the best mum.” His voice is low, rich with sincerity, each word dripping like warm honey and settling deep within your chest. You cling to the sound, his sweet words, and more than anything, you hope he’s right.
please reblog or comment with your thoughts! they are very appreciated and keep me motivated to keep writing! 🤍
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thecuriousbeauty · 2 months ago
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A Bad Day- Harry Styles x reader
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Synopsis: y/n has a horrible day and she can't wait to come home to the comfort of her boyfriend, who can make anything better.
A/N:-Sorry for not posting anything for so long guys, college has been hectic. In fact, this blurb is based on my own bad day, except there wasn't a Harry to help me feel better. Hope everyone's doing okay and sending lots of love to you all.
Word count: 1,661
Warnings: Harry being sweet! Fluff!
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You were hanging on by a very, fine, thread. A thread you knew could break anytime, with how much you’d been through today. You really didn’t believe that there would be days where everything you did would go wrong, or get messed up. A bad day as people called it. 
You liked to take on the world with a positive headset, and it usually helped you think with a clear mind so you could find solutions to the problems. But today, no matter how positive you tried to be, horrible things just kept piling on, burying you under the weight of it. You were grateful that the day was finally over, and you were back home. 
Home, where you knew you wouldn’t be judged or frowned upon. Home, where you knew you had one person who would always have your back.
Harry probably didn’t hear you come in. You could hear him humming a tune while he worked around in the kitchen. You walk to the counter to place your bag, and see your boyfriend stirring a sauce, wearing your favorite red and white apron that has too many stains on it from your numerous cooking adventures. 
He turns his head to look at you as he hears your footsteps, and smiles, emerald eyes immediately washing over your face as he tries to figure out how you were holding up. He knew about one of the reasons for your bad day today, which was your instagram account getting hacked. You don’t even use the app that often, just to maintain contacts with everyone, and you were surprised when your friend texted you in the morning asking you to check if your account has been hacked. Your private account had been made public, messages had been sent to all your followers and they even posted things on your story. 
You were a little too panicked in the morning and the hackers had even changed the phone number of your account, so there wasn’t much you could do. When you were done panicking, you did what you could do and removed all your followers and deleted all your personal information from it before it got too late. 
“Hey.”, you say to him, going behind him and wrapping your arms around his waist, resting your head on his back, sighing.
“Hi sweetheart, I’m making a new pasta recipe!”, Harry says, placing his free hand not holding the spatula over yours and squeezing. 
“Smells good.”, you mumble into his shirt, inhaling his comforting scent. You appreciated that he was making food for you but you weren’t hungry. 
“Still worried, baby?”
You release another sigh, closing your eyes. “I-It’s not just that. Things just kept going bad after that..”
“Oh, darling.”, Harry coos, switching off the flame and taking your arms, gently lifting them from his waist so he could turn around and give you his undivided attention. Harry tugs you closer, one hand cupping your cheek. “It’s okay, you’re here now..”
You willed so hard for the tears not to form, but they did. “H-Harry..” 
“Come here, my love.”, Harry moved his hand to the back of your head and pushed your head into his chest, the other arm wrapping around you to hold you close to him. 
“T-There was a surprise oral test, a-and I knew everything but I-I got anxious and d-didn’t do so well. I-I couldn’t focus, Haz. And t-then-”
“Take a breath for me, sweetheart.”, Harry interrupts you gently as you stutter, rubbing his hand over your back in gentle circles. 
“A-And then during our practicals, a girl b-borrowed my pipette and i-it broke, s-so I couldn’t do the experiment. T-That’s gonna come for the finals, i-it was an important experiment.” You sob into his shirt, releasing all that had been building up and Harry lets you, simply listening and just being there. 
“I’m so sorry you had such a rough day, baby.”, Harry murmurs into your hair. “But you know what? You are so smart. You are where you are because of your hard work and skills, so not doing well on one test isn’t going to define your knowledge. Don’t be too hard on yourself, love, with the kind of morning you had, no one would have been able to focus!”
Harry runs his fingers through your hair, smoothing out some of the knots. “You can go ask the professor if you can do the experiment again when you have free time right? And they’ll give you revision before the finals, so don’t worry.”
You nod, looking up at him through your tear filled eyes. “I-I’m still not able to delete my account, instagram help is of no use.”
“We’ll figure it out, darling. On the bright side, at least the hackers didn’t get anything personal.” Harry wipes his thumbs under your eyes, stroking away the tears. “Breaks my heart to see you so upset.”
“I-I’m sorry, I wasn’t planning on sobbing into you as soon as I walked in.”
“You were planning on doing it maybe after a shower and dinner?”, Harry smirks, and you nudge his ribs, weakly laughing. Harry chuckles, pressing a kiss to your temple. “It’s alright, love. I’m glad you feel safe enough to let out your emotions with me. Sometimes you really need a good cry!”
“That’s true.”, you agree, sniffling.
“Let me give my girl a kiss now.”, Harry says, gently taking your chin so he could press your lips to yours. You close your eyes, enjoying the sweet, comforting kiss. Harry knows just how to kiss you depending on the moment.
“Don’t let anything get to you, okay?”, he whispers when he pulls away. “Tomorrow will be a better day.”
You finally give him a small smile, nodding. “I love you.”
“I love you too. Why don’t you go take a hot shower now, love? I’ll have dinner ready by that time.”
“Um, can you join too? I’ll help you cook later?” You really didn’t want to be alone. 
Harry understands, and he nods, turning around to find a lid for the pan. He takes off his apron as well. “Come on, darling.” He places a hand on the small of your back, leading you to the bedroom.
Harry strips, turns on the water and adjusts the water as you strip down, and holds out his hand for yours when you’re done. You sigh as the warm water hits your sore muscles, it was just the right temperature too. Harry brings you into a hug again, and you accept it gratefully, closing your eyes and just standing there for some time. 
After a few minutes, Harry reaches to turn the water off and takes some shower gel into the loofah before starting to run it over your arms and shoulders. “So beautiful.”, he praises, pressing a kiss to the back of your hand and you can’t help but smile. “So are you.”
“I’m beautiful!?”, he sends his voice up by a few octaves, making you giggle. “Yeah!”
After he finished washing your body, he envelops you in a towel and helps you dry off. You both get dressed, and Harry picks you up, your legs tucking around his hips for support. “Did you eat today, love?”
“Um, I had a banana for lunch..”
“Knew it. You always skip food when you’re upset.”, he says, setting you down on the kitchen slab. “Not to worry though, you’re going to bed with a full tummy.”
“What can I do to help?”, you ask, watching him re-wear his apron.
“Why don’t you find something for us to watch?”
“That’s not helping.”
“I just have to toss the pasta in the sauce, baby, I got it. Go, pick whatever you feel like watching.”
By the time you found a show, Harry had plated the food and was bringing it to you. He settled on the couch next to you. You took the first bite and that’s when you realized just how hungry you were. You followed it up with another, and blushed when Harry looked at you with a grin. 
“This is great, babe. Thank you.”, you tell him.
“You’re welcome, love. There’s enough for us to take seconds, so eat up!” You watched your show while eating, chatting up with Harry about it. Then you continued to cuddle on the couch. Harry rubbed your arm with one hand while the other was holding your phone. He wanted to try something one of his friend’s told him about when his account was hacked as well.
“There, think I got it to deactivate.”, he says.
“Really?” You take a look as well, and see the message that says that it should get deactivated soon. You sigh in relief and hug around his neck, burying your face into the crook of his neck. “What would I do without you?”
“You’d wither and die.”, he jokes, making you gasp and he laughs, stroking back strands of your hair from your forehead when you look up at him. “Are you feeling better now?”
“A little.”, you nod.
“Only a little?”, he asks, kissing your nose and you try to trap in the smile that’s fighting to break through.  “Mhmm.”, you hum.
“Well, I’ve got to take care of that.”, he says before holding your face in both of his hands and he leans closer so he can press little feather kisses all over your face. You start giggling, “Harry!”
Bad days and difficult times are part of life. You’re always going to have them. What you’ll always remember is that you have someone in your life that will help you through it. No matter how difficult of a time you are having, Harry will never let you deal with it alone. 
“There’s that smile.”, Harry says in success, grinning as he rubs his nose with yours. “I love you so much, y/n.”
“I love you too, H.” 
And you love that you get to come home to him.
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Taglist: -@livypops12352568 @harrydeary, @harryswifee, @harrysbxtchh, @gracelovesethan, @kiwitsayedsugar, @angeldavis777,@madstyles3204, @youngpastafanmug, @fruity-harry, @wannaliveinparadise @hermionelove
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