#i know i’m biased cause they interacted with coffee a lot but still

[cr0ws-cha0t1c-c0llect10n]

💌 :333

re-animator!!!!! very epic wizard with cool star clothes,,,,,, moon!!!!!!! spaaacee!!!!! whimsical!!!!!! black cats!!!!!!! silly times!!!!!!!

for the cjrp knowers out there,,,,, altair,,,,,, i need to info dump about so so much to u bestie

[currymariana]

The tear in my heart (Chapter 2)

Paring: Bruce Wayne x Reader

Summary: Detective Y/L/N is the youngest yet the most skilled detective in Gotham’s Police, being one of the few James Gordon trusts with Batman stuff. After some time working closely with the Bat, Y/N starts to get the vigilante’s attention. But there’s no way this would work right? Getting close to you as Batman wasn’t a possibility, but maybe he could take a chance as Bruce, right?

Words: 6,1k

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A/N: it took so long to write this one, cause I think I rewrote about 5 times and I still couldn't be completely satisfied. Not that I'm now... but I just decided to stop demand too much of me, cause in my head is never good enough so I posted it anyways. And I'm happy with how it came out. Hope you like it too.

The next day you were sitting at your usual table at the coffee shop still working on that case. It happened with frequency, whenever you got tired of the same four walls of the station you would gather some of the documents of the case and went to the cafe nearby the station to clear your mind and work on things in a nicer environment. You usually order a sweet coffee (anything with whipped cream on it), some food to accompany, and talk to your friend the attendant Andrea.

“I can’t believe you actually meet Bruce Wayne” she said excitedly leaving your order on the table. Today the cafe is crowded, maybe it’s the time you decided to come, and all tables were occupied and Andrea was rather busy, so you didn’t have too much time to talk. “He passes by some times here, but he always seemed so busy, never really had a chance to speak with him.”

“Well, lucky you!” you said taking your coffee to take a sip “The guy is insufferable. I think I never meet someone so full of himself” you said taking another sip and rolling your eyes just remembering your encounter with Gotham’s favorite millionaire “I had to wait 30 minutes for him to decided to show up and it only takes 10 minutes of talk to make me wanna kill myself.” you were being dramatic you know that but you needed to prove your point. Andrea knew you too well those rich people, always saying that they spend their whole lives sitting around, doing nothing, looking pretty in their expensive clothes while the city falls apart. That act like going on stupid charity balls just to look like they were soo good was enough. “Didn’t even get anything helpful. At the end of the day, I just lost time and sanity”

Andrea knew your opinion about rich people. You were always saying that they spend their whole lives sitting still, doing nothing, looking pretty in their expensive clothes while the city falls apart. They act like going on stupid charity balls once or twice a year was enough. Even when they went to charity balls they were more worried about what they were wearing them the people they should be helping. You didn’t get why they were treated like celebrities, you hated it. So she could think that your opinion about Bruce Wayne was a little clouded by those previous thoughts. (It wasn’t he proved you to be exactly how you expected him to be)

“And you concluded that in 10 minutes of interaction?” she asked giving you a knowing look. Sitting in the chair in front of you. See… you sure she already thinks that you were biased, she thinks that you treated Bruce badly even before meeting him, she definitely thinks that you had your judgment clouded by your loath at rich people.

“Yes!” you answered a little too loud “10 minutes were more than enough to see how shallow he is, just like every other one of them”

“Okay!” she started speaking sarcastic “So you’re sure you didn’t conclude a lot of things even before you meet the guy and just take him for granted with everything he said?”

“I’m sure! If you had been there you would have seemed! I wasn’t biased okay?!”

“Well, I never said that,” she said giggling a little “But if the shoes fit…” she said laughing now, you just rolled your eyes at her and were going to answer when someone called her “Well I have to get back to work” she said getting up “Good luck with the case” and she gave you a smile and blew you a kiss before walking out.

You returned your focus to the documents analyzing the profile of your suspects, eating your muffin, and drinking your coffee when you heard the door of the cafe opening. You didn’t pained attention to it cause it was a busy hour, people were coming in and out all the time. It was after fell minutes that you felt a presence in front but you didn’t look up too focused on your papers. The person cleared their throat getting your attention

“Excuse me… this seat is taken?” when you look up, wearing a friendly smile with a cup of coffee in hand and pointing to the seat in front of you Bruce Wayne stands.

How great

Alfred entered the office with the tray in hand only to be greeted with the sign of his master’s spread in the chair with his hands on his face giving a frustrating moan, He walked into the room and left the tray with the teapot and cups on the coffee table.

“May I ask you, what bloody hell have you done?” he said sitting in the chair you previous were and started serving a cup of the to Bruce

“What?” he said finally looking at the butler “I didn’t do anything, I just guess she was done with questions” Bruce said defensively while taking the tea Alfred was offering him. “Thank you Alfred” he said quickly, receiving a questionable look

“Are you sure? Because she seemed quite disturbed when I saw her leaving the house and slamming every door she found in the way” Alfred said sarcastically serving a cup of tea for himself and drinking it.

“Well… she has a strong temper” Bruce said taking a drink of his tea avoiding looking Alfred in the eyes knowing there would be a lesson

“It did not seem like that to me”

“Are you kidding me?” Bruce said straightening up in the chair and resting his cup on the coffee table “Don’t you remember when I first meet her? She looked like she was going to throw me off that roof and had a staring contest with Batman, and honestly… if wasn’t for the mask I think I would lose.”

“Yeah, I remember very well. I also remember she acted like that after you were rude at her”

“That’s true, but I wasn’t being rude now! Actually, she was weird. Like a completely different person.” Bruce said relaxing again in the chair and return to his drink “And maybe I got annoyed and told her to ‘actually do her job’” he said mumbly under his breath

Alfred looks incredulous “Maybe? Or you actually said it?” he just nodded and Alfred knew what he meant. “Oooh Master Bruce” Bruce felt like the lesson he was avoiding was coming and he really didn’t want to hear how wrong he was.

Alfred was the only person who he accepted a lecture but even coming from him it wasn’t nice to be told you were wrong. Plus, he wasn’t all wrong, you were treating him badly ever since he arrived. He knew you for 2 years and had never seen you soo hostile for someone you just met. So he got frustrated, he was excited to finally meet you as Bruce Wayne, maybe you could be friends, he could get closer to you know you better since as Batman he couldn’t do this stuff. But he wasn’t expecting things to go south as they did. So now he just hoped to never see you as Bruce again. He was fine with the relation had with you like Batman and that way he could keep a safe distance.

“She was hostile! Then she asked about the hotel and I had to tell that stupid story about the fountain, then she started laughing! I got embarrassed and just lost my mind. Pretty sure he was judging me, thinking I’m stupid and shallow rich playboy” Bruce started trying to justify himself

“And is not that you want everyone to think?” Alfred said interrupting him and giving him a challenging look

“Yes, but-”

“But… you cared about what she thinks” Alfred interrupted him leading the conversation in the direction he wanted to.

“I don’t care about what other people think Alfred” Bruce said defensive

“Well.. but you did” Alfred tried to get him to see what he was refusing to see.

Alfred knew Bruce better than everybody else in the world, probably the only person who knew him at all. Maybe Bruce couldn’t see it yet but Alfred could, as clear as day, it was clear how different he acted when the subject was you. How brighter he has been ever since Batman started working on cases with you. Even in the beginning when you both didn’t get along soo well when he arrived home complaining about how stubborn you were and refused to follow a simple order and how it would get you killed, Alfred saw he was actually worried about your well-being. And as the partnership grew, as you started to learn how to work together Bruce won’t shut up about you, Alfred teases him and he always said is just professional admiration. Yeah, it may have started as it but Alfred was sure Bruce was passed that. And still had this Batman thing. How Master Bruce made it his life’s goal to protect the city, to be a lone vigilante. He would never admit it. He doesn’t know he deserves to be happy. He was just stubborn to accepted it. Alfred has made his personal mission to make Bruce see his feelings for you.

“I did not” he said angrily and practically slamming the teacup on the coffee table

“Tell me master Bruce… if it was anyone else would you be embarrassed about the fountain story or would you be worried if they thought you were a ‘stupid and shallow rich playboy’?” Alfred said finishing his tea and landing the cup on the tray, getting up and collecting the tea set setting on the tray before leaving. Bruce didn’t say a word he knew Alfred was right, he was mad because he cared for some reason he didn’t care if the whole of Gotham sees him as a rich playboy but he cares if you do. That’s why he was frustrated, that’s why he said that stupid thing. He is starting to realize that he wants you to see him differently.

Seeing that Bruce had nothing else to say probably thinking about what he just said, Alfred started to leave the room but right before stepping out he said “Fix it, okay?”

At night Bruce decided to investigate the hotel. He owned the hotel but still, he decided to put on his batman closets and trespass his own hotel. To see if he could find something to help on the case. It was late night so only some members of the staff were around. He went to the manager’s office and he has looking at every file in the drawer, some employee’s files, he looked at some numbers and hotel accounts and a lot of useless papers. When he realized that was a locked one. He managed to open it and saw more papers, it looked like the same ones he saw before for the numbers but only papers from the day he bought the hotel. Different numbers, and different numbers from the ones that were sent to him. Since he bought it he thought it was weird the hotel wasn’t giving profit, but he didn’t need it so he didn’t care. But now it was clear why. The manager is stealing and forging the numbers.

He had other things to do that night so he didn’t dig too deep. This was an important piece of information that you probably didn’t know since you haven’t mentioned it when you met him. And it could help on the case. So he decided he was going to share this with you somehow.

That’s how he finds himself, standing in front of you holding a hot cup of coffee while you’re too focused on your papers no notice his presence. So he clears his throat and finally speaks.

“Excuse me… this seat is taken?” he give you a genual smile but you looked up and seemed actually disappointed to see he was the one talking to you, so now he was a little nervous and he really hated how he didn’t have much control of his emotions when you were involved like he was it everyone else.

“No, it’s not taken!” you said seeming bothered, but anyway he started pulling the chair to sit on, “I said it wasn’t taken I didn’t say you could sit,” you said not even caring to sound rude anymore after your encounter yesterday.

“Well… but there is no other sit available,” he said giving you a smirk, you looked around and realized that all seats were taken leaving only the seat across you available when you were just opening your mouth to tell him he could sit he spoke again “And I don’t think you own the place to tell where I can seat”. SHUT UP BRUCE

“Do you? I’m sure you own a lot of places right?!” you said sarcastically but he didn’t answer you just kept looking at you, even though he said you didn’t own the place to tell him where to seat it looked like he was still waiting for your consent to sit so you decided to speak “Suit yourself.” you said return your focus to the papers without even looking at him you said “Just don’t bother me and let me do my job as you told me to yesterday” you said angrily the last part.

“Look… I’m sorry about yesterday okay?! I was rude but you were rude too. So we're good, right?” he said sting and taking a drink of his coffee

“I wasn't rude” you said defensively now looking at him. And that’s how the most heated and tension-filled argument of his life began. Both of you are too proud to let the other win.

“You’re kidding me? You weren’t exactly nice”

“I was being professional. I don’t have to be nice for an interrogation” you said

uninterested trying to end this conversation

“Was it an interrogation? I thought you said I wasn’t a suspect”

“I said that to everyone, people tend to spit out easily when they think they’re safe”

“And I’m not a suspect anymore?”

“Don't you remember what I said when I left? I put away this possibility the moment I realize you wouldn’t be smart enough to hide your trails like he is doing”

“Ouch!” he said dramatically, putting his hand on his chest. by one side he was glad to see his facade worked just fine, if people could think he has not smart enough to hide a murder they definitely couldn't think he has Batman, but on the other hand he has sad cause the person assuming it now was you. “I remember very well! Good to know that’s you being professional”

“I dropped the professional facade the moment you gently told me to actually do my job”

“Okay… I told already that I’m sorry and admitted that I was rude. Can you just admit you were rude too and apologize too.” he knew he could maybe just let it go it would be easier but his pride wouldn't let him, and it seemed yours too. You couldn't just admit that MAYBE you were rude too, but you had your reasons

“ I don’t know what you’re talking about, I have nothing to apologize for” you said and turn back to your papers “Now please... let me do my job”

You would never admit it was a heated but rather kind of fun discussion, it seemed like you both knew exactly what to say next and there wasn't a moment of silence always coming with a perfect comeback to what the other just said. Like there was some weird chemistry between you two. But you would never admit that even to yourself, either that you may need to apologize too. So you just throw these thoughts away and focus on the papers.

Bruce was cursing at himself for not keeping himself in control. God! He looked like one of those boys in kindergarten who kept teasing the girl over some attention. You weren’t helping either. He came here to bring you the information he found out and as Alfred told him to “fix it” since your first encounter with Bruce Wayne went as well as this one is going. But you were making things difficult. Why couldn't you just accept his apology? Why couldn't you just say you’re sorry too? Then he remembered this looked like your first interaction with him at all, two years ago, with Batman. But only this time it looked like the roles were reversed. You were defensive, so he had to do what you did at the time and insist. He came here with an objective in mind so he is going to make it. So after some minutes of silence with you practically with the face on the papers, Bruce cleared his throat.

“What is it now?” you said looking up annoyedly

“So... I wasn’t expecting to meet you again so soon” all lies, he knew this was your favorite coffee shop and that you practically lived here besides the station (not in a creep way, you just told Batman about it at least a thousand of times) “but… After you left I realized I should know better about the places I invest my money on-”

“No kidding” you said sarcastically

“Can you please let me continue?” he said firmly, you just nodded and he continued “Three of my employees were killed and I didn't know it until you called that day, so I decided to look at every information about the hotel I had. And my accountant discovered a diversion of large amounts of money he trailed the money to some side account of Henry Howard”

“Wait!” you said showing him the file of Henry that already was one of your principal suspects “Henry Howard? The manager?” you asked and he nodded

“Yeah, it looks like right after I brought the hotel the sucker saw the change of administration as an opportunity to steal money and forge the numbers so no one found out.”

“But someone did..” you said quietly remembering something you had seen at the beginning of your investigation and putting together the information Bruce just gave you.

“What?” he heard you mumbling at yourself and suddenly getting together all the papers you had messy on the table, throwing in your bag, and quickly getting up. You didn’t answer him.

“Thank you Mister Wayne '' it was the last thing you said before rushing out of the coffee shop Bruce was frozen seeing you rush to leave the place. He guessed you probably came to a conclusion since he knew you always get energetic when you are close to closing a case. He was glad that even in a messy way and with an awful back story he was able to help you. He even got a ‘Thank you in the end.

Turns out it was the manager. After you left the cafe you rushed to the station and started to put things together more clearly, you knew one of the widows told you that before dying her husband was really happy saying that their lives would change and the husband of Ms. Bennett had told you she said that she knew a secret that she cannot tell him now but soon he would know. That information didn’t make sense to you until now. He was arrested but was now talking to his lawyer, but since he confessed you don’t think there is much he can do. But that’s something to worry about later.

You’re now in your room staring at the pile of cases you had after losing so much time on this one but at least taking a rest before taking another one when a knock on your door got your attention. You looked up to see Gordon walking in.

“So I heard your suspect confessed” he said walking to you and taking a chair to seat

“Yeah… he did'' you said stretching in your chair “Just had to pull some pressure, told him I knew about the money he was stealing and the guy didn't take it.” you said proudly of yourself

“He was stealing money?” he asked and you just nodded “And why kill his friends?”

“They weren’t his friends, actually they found out and were blackmailing him. He said that he couldn't do that anymore, they were always asking for more money and he freaked out. Then he killed Bennett first, after some weeks Edward, and last week it was Joey’s time.

“How did you pull that out anyway?”

“Aah well.. Bruce Wayne told me. He said his accountant found the wrong numbers and they found out the scam” you said and he gave you a confused look “He was telling the truth, I could see it. So I took his word and it made sense it the rest of the story”

Bruce Wayne…..

For a moment you forgot about him. He had helped you, you don’t know how you would find out the money situation without him. Maybe he isn't the most pleasing person in the world but he helped you. You were starting to think he might deserve an apology.

“Ohh, I thought said that talking to him was just a waste of time”

“Well.. it was… at first. But later we meet at the cafe and he told me this was actually helpful information. It looks like he did something helpful at once right?”

“Stop being so mean” he said laughing “He is always helping you know?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, have you seen how much he spends on charity causes? The orphanage you grow up in included. And the handful of people his company helps? And you know��� every year we receive a generous anonymous donation, but I’m pretty sure he is the one to send it” you were shocked, you didn’t know he did all that, the media was always so focused on who he was dating. Why didn't they talk about that? Maybe they did and you just didn’t see it. Maybe that didn’t mean anything

“I’m sure he is doing it just to look good on the picture” you said

“With anonymous donations? Really Y/N” Gordon said with a challenging look “I don’t know how it went yesterday, I’m not defending him or anything… but… maybe… not all rich people are the same, you know. The same way, not every cop is the same.” Gordon knew your strong opinion about the elite of Gotham too, it’s not like it is something you hide, you actually used to talk about it a lot. So you're guessing that knowing your opinion and knowing you like nobody else Jim knows that your interaction with Bruce was in fact clouded with prejudices and hostility.

At some point he had to admit you were wrong too, of course, he was rude, but you were too. You were rude from the beginning, already judging his lateness, the story about the purchase of the hotel, and calling him dumb indirectly. Not to mention the cafe encounter where he was trying to apologize but you couldn't find in yourself how to do it too. You knew you needed to apologize, you knew you were rude too but you were just too proud to say it to him. And now knowing the things he does? If what Jim is saying is true and you know it is, he helps a lot of people, more than any other millionaire in Gotham. Maybe he deserved at least an apology.

“Maybe I was a bitch to him” you confessed to Jim and he just gave you a smile.

“Maybe?” he teased you

“I was” you confirm “But that’s in the past, what is gone is gone. I can live with it”

You couldn't. Knowing you like you do, you may think you can live without apologizing and thanking him for his help, but you couldn't. You would think about this all day, you were the kind who apologizes to the waiter if your order comes wrong. You would think about Bruce saying he is sorry in the cafe and you just saying you had nothing to apologize for, replaying the scene over and over in your head. You started to gather your things and the car's keys.

“Where are you going?” Jim asked seeing you rush out of the room.

“To the Wayne Manor”

Okay, Y/N! You can do it. Is very simple. You just come in, ask Alfred if Mr. Wayne is home... If he isn’t you just leave the message to him (which you hoped would happen), and if he is... just say your sorry for your behavior on both occasions, thank him for the help with the case, tell him that the guilty is already arrested, he will have his money back soon and leave. Simple. No need to further conversation, no need for an argument. Just say what you gotta say and leave. That’s easy.

You were standing at the front door right now replaying what you gonna say in your mind a thousand times. You wanted to do it but at the same time, you didn’t. You know it’s not a weakness to apologize, to confess you were wrong, but you didn't want Bruce to be right either.

You took a deep breath before knocking and waited, after a few seconds maybe a minute the door opened, and you were greeted by a very happy Alfred. He knew it was you, since he was the one who let you past the enormous gate that surrounded the land.

“Ooooh Detective Y/L/N how great to see you,” he said widening the door so you could come in. “What an honor to see you two days in a row right?” he asked politely as always you smiled at him and took a step in. “May I know the reason for your visit? Would like another tea?” he said already walking toward the kitchen. Excited to have you there again even after yesterday's fiasco.

“No no! You don’t have to” you said shaking your hands to stop him from taking any step further “Actually I don’t intend to spend much time. Is Mister Wayne home? I just need to talk something quickly with him.” you asked secretly hoping he would say no so you wouldn't have to deal with it directly to him.

“Yes, he is! I am going to call him now.” he said giving you a smile and showing you a place to sit “Just sit here and wait a bit please, I will get him in a minute.”

Bruce was in the cave getting ready for patrol. He was thinking about your interaction early and the disaster that went again with you probably just hate him more than you already did. He was hoping he could see you tonight, at least you were extra nice to Batman, even if he couldn't talk about personal stuff and get closer as Batman he was glad you had at least a good relationship.

But when Alfred came down the cave saying that you were upstairs wishing to talk to him, he got nervous. It couldn't be good right. It was never good. He was pretty sure already that Bruce and Y/N were synonyms of conflict, bad communication, and arguments. But he rushed upstairs anyway, having a mix of wanting to see you again and curiosity about what this was about.

You waited a few minutes analyzing the room you were in, the entrance room of the mansion had a huge portrait of the Wayne family, with a young Bruce standing close to his parents. Everybody in Gotham knew the tragic story about the Waynes, you were a baby when it happened but it was impossible to not know how Bruce Wayne became an orphan and the owner of a billionaire fortune overnight. Raised only by his butler. It must have been lonely. You never had parents but you had your brother, growing up in orphanages and foster houses he was always there to protect you. Looking at the portrait of their family you couldn't help but think about your broken little one. Something you don't do often and when you do you quickly push away. You were too lost in your thoughts that you didn't notice someone else arriving in the room.

“I was 8 in this picture” you jumped a little from hearing a voice behind you only to quickly realize it was Bruce and he had caught you staring at his family portrait. "It was taken in the same year they died" you turned to him nodded and gave him a sweet smile. Why is he telling you that?

“I never met mine” Why are you telling him that?

“That sucks!” he said before starting walking toward you “Why you’re here?” he asked genuinely and you realized he was trying extra hard to not sound rude, maybe wanting to avoid another meaningless discussion, and you were glad for it. You didn't want to discuss either.

“Huuuuuuum…” you said slowly trying to gather the courage to do what you came here for

“I wanted to.. to apologize” you started saying and saw a smile growing on his face. “You were right! I think we were both rude and… I may have jumped to some pretentious conclusions even before we met.” you said now looking at the floor wanting to avoid eye contact with him since his eyes didn’t seem to leave your face “You see… I thought you were one of those rich selfish jerks that spend money on cars and women while the city falls apart… even if you were” his eyebrows furrowed hearing you said that “... what you do with your money is not concerned to me, right? but I know now you make good use of it.” Bruce was listening to your every word doesn't matter how messy they were but at the same time, he was hypnotized by your face, thinking how much this speech you were giving reminded him of the first time you met Batman and became a babbling mess. “Anyways… sorry about yesterday... and today too - I was a bitch! I hate being a bitch.. I swear I’m not like that - I'm usually nice” you stopped talking suddenly a habit you caught after realizing you have been babbling non-stop.

“I’m sorry too! I know I said early but it may have sounded a little fake… with me demanding you to apologize too. I just want you to know I'm genuinely sorry” he said after you stopped, you weren’t expecting him to say anything - breaking the whole plan you had made in your head, so you decided to just nod, smile, and continue with the list you had to say.

“I also wanted do thank you,” you said and he looked confused at you “for your help… with the case” you explained and he came to realization nodded and you continued “The thing you told me about the money was crucial to solving the case when I called the manager to an interrogation and mentioned we knew about the money the bastard freaked out and confessed everything” after explaining what happened with the case you just had one more thing to say to end this and be free from guilt “The money stolen will be returned to you… so don’t worry about it, it will be back in no time.”

He could tell he didn't want that money, that you could leave it to the police or find some charity cause to give to. But he didn't need you or anybody else to know what he did that wasn't the reason he was doing. He decided he would take the money back them make an anonymous donation himself.

“Thank you for letting me know. I’m glad I could help” he said only now realizing you two were standing a few feet apart in front of his family paint.

Looking up to his parents and looking down at your face Bruce never felt more conflicted. He had promised to protect the city to never let another kid lose his parents like he did. In order to do that he couldn't get distracted. But he also wanted to be happy. Putting someone else in the equation was putting this person in danger and he didn't want that. But being Batman and being alone for the rest of his life was something that deep down he knows he doesn't want too. Should he try to be happy? Should he take a chance with you?

Seeing he went silent and were weirdly looking at you and at his parent's portrait, you had already said everything you came here for so you just wanted to leave, you cleared your throat and took a step back.

“I should get going now! Thank you for hearing me out Mr. Wayne and sorry again about everything” you said awkwardly before start walking toward the entrance door. Bruce had heard you but he has still trapped inside his head with a million thoughts running through his head. This right now would be the perfect timing to make a move, he could ask you out, he could try to be happy. But as he sees you leaving he looks at his parents one more time and makes a decision.

“Yeah yeah! That’s no problem. I was a jerk too. So we are good” he decided couldn't drag anyone to this. H couldn't drag you to the mess he was. He had so many issues, being batman was only one of them. He couldn't ask no one to live in his messy world no one deserved that. He didn’t deserve that. He needed to stay focus on his goal.

You just nodded and started opening the door, when Alfred came practically running to stop you from doing so

“Leaving already Detective?” he asked and you just nodded “So please let me open the door for you” you were just opening your mouth to protest when he interrupted you “that’s my job” he said laughing and you laugh together.

“Thank you, Alfred” and you let him be a gentleman and open the door for you

But Alfred was opening that door painfully slowly. He knew his master feelings for you he knew this was a perfect opportunity. He was praying to every god that exists to Bruce stop being stupid and at least give it a try. He started looking at his master with a pleading look hoping he would understand him just with a glare.

When Alfred arrived at the scene Bruce’s mind just went a million miles again. He thought he had made a decision, to let you go, let it be. Be batman and be Gotham's protector, a lonely vigilante forever. But seeing Alfred talking to you and holding that door, opening the door with the speed of a turtle, he started having seconds thoughts. Alfred loved him and raised him with love, and ever since he came back with this Batman idea he had been supportive but wouldn't shut up about how he wanted Bruce to be happy. How he shouldn't be alone and don't push people away.

Bruce wanted that too, deep down he knew he didn't want to be alone. He started thinking of endless possibilities and realized that if he asked you out, it didn’t mean it would be forever, it didn't mean it would work but he could at least give it a try right?! Just ask, see how it goes. There was no need to share his secret or bring you to his messy world. He could enjoy life for a few moments. For that, he had to take a risk.

And after what felt like hours of Alfred looking at him and slowly opening the door Bruce opened his mouth and it came out the last thing he thought he would say today.

“Detective Y/L/N!” he called your attention and you turned to look at him confusingly, he was acting weird like he lost his confidence and turned into some shy teenager rubbing the back of his neck and looking at the floor “Would you like to go out with me?”

WHAT? Bruce Wayne was asking you out? Like… on a date? That’s definitely not how you were expecting to go on your visit to the Wayne Manor. It didn't make any sense. How should you react to this? Your mind was running miles per second and before you could help yourself your body has spoken for itself.

“No, thank you! Bye!” you said quickly getting out of the Manor and running to your car.

Chapter 3

yeah yeah I know... I feel bad for Bruce. I'm feeling mean now ksksksks I'm sorry but I had to. Things will soon start to get better, and our two idiots will start to get along... I hope

Hope you liked it and let me know what you think.

[eunjidrabbles]

Hello! I've just started getting into Dreamcatcher recently and have fallen for the charismatic rabbit Jiu! I was wondering if I could request a scenario with her? DC is in like a show and 8th member reader is a big fan of the other guests/MCs. She has a nervous habit of picking the skin on her lips so Jiu stops her anr holds her hand to keep her from doing it more. Thanks for your time :))

Soothe

(No problem! I only got into Dreamcatcher like, a month or two back too so we got that in common! ^^ Can our Jiu biased folks raise their hands 👀 

Edit: Look forward to a little something I have coming up that will be posted tomorrow. Hope ya’ll will enjoy this thing that I planned out.)

Word count: About 2.6k

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Being an idol, you were taught to keep your reactions in check from your time as a trainee. You remember sitting through hours of classes on etiquettes and how you should reply to questions that might put your reputation at risk. Your managers also knowing how you were easily excited and hyped along with the energy would always constantly remind you to keep your calm before sending you on stages and shows with a gentle pat on your back and cross their fingers. It was an amusing scene to watch sometimes when Bora starts revving up the engine and you would follow right along, which causes a chain reaction back to the hyper dancer. Usually, it’d end up with chaotic screaming and laughter exploding throughout the studios. You were as much of a ball of energy as Bora was, according to everyone who has interacted with you. Sitting comfortably just a month younger than Yoohyeon, you were happily babied by your unnies and were always seen playing around with Yubin and Gahyeon. You were not one to shy from challenges thrown your way, which balanced out the team dynamics when it came to being invited to variety shows. You were unsure of your place when you were added into the group a couple months after Dreamcatcher’s debut, but every time you look around you now, you knew that there was no where else that you’d fit better than with your second family.

Since young, you’d watch the idols perform on stage and you’d be mesmerized by the way they took to the stage. The way they called for attention to themselves without outshining their other members amazed you. You clearly remember watching a stage that blew your mind and stole your breath away, and the idol’s name that would be your bring-up name whenever you were asked in interviews who your idol was. It was during the promotions of Dreamcatcher’s latest album did you receive the news from your managers. Your jaw dropped along with your small pint of ice cream in shock, and you could barely recognize the laughter coming from your members knowing that it was your dream come true. You were going to be promoting the album along with the idol that inspired you to step into the life of an idol. You took a slow but deep breath and let out a screech in excitement before looking at your other members, some covering their ears and some unluckily slow to recognize your change of behavior before you destroyed their hearing. Ending your screech in an awkward chuckle as you realized that the teasing was about to start once they get over the damage, you nudged your head back towards your room, signaling that you were heading back and bolted away before anyone could respond.

Everyone in the same car as you were could literally feel you vibrating from excitement in your seat as you were being driven to the location of the studio. Trapped in a moving vehicle, there was no way to escape the teasing of the older members so you just submitted to your fate, occasionally throwing glances over to Yubin to beg her to help you out. She’d then look up from her phone and a look around the people teasing you before raising her hands up, giving the clear sign that you were on your own. Seeing how you were abandoned by the rapper, you gasped loudly with a “You brat. I’ll get you back later.” which earned you an amused hum in reply before you unwillingly locked eyes with Bora on your way turning back to face the front.

“So, how does our little sunflower feel about finally meeting her idol?”

You could see her grin turn into a smirk as she watch you start squirming, unsure of how to answer her question. Your lips grew dry, trying to find the right words to use to cut the teasing as soon as you could. In the end, no words came out of your mouth as you shrugged and casually turn back forward, ignoring the little “Ya! Look at me when you answer a question!” From Bora. Pretending to fiddle with your phone and silently observing her from the reflection of the screen until she got bored and turned behind her to harass Yoohyeon, you let your thoughts drift. There was no way you could remain calm this time no matter how much pep talk you were given. The thought of merely given the chance to interact with her made your heart beat anxiously, not less to say that you were there to promote your album, in which she has heard and complimented according to the letter sent. Shifting in your seat, you reached your free hand up to brush your slightly dry lips, making a mental note to reapply some more lip balm before entering the studio in a short bit. Right. The studio where you were going to meet your idol. That’s no big deal, the entertainment industry is just this big, you’ll eventually get to meet them one way or the other. Subconsciously, when your fingers brushed over a slightly chapped part of your lips, you begin picking at it. It was only until the van came to a stop did you realize what you were doing and pulled your hand away, licking your lips to moisturize it.

By the time the entire group was gathered in the lobby, you were yet again buzzing with excitement, and possibly fear. Feeling arms wrap around your waist and a head landing on your shoulder, you glance to the side slightly to see Siyeon staring at you with a small comforting smile on her face. Taking a few deep breaths with you in her embrace, you managed to push down some of the nervous feeling knowing that your members although teasing, won’t push the line.

On cue following Minji’s lead, everyone slowly piled into the small studio room, with you waddling slightly as Siyeon has yet to let go of you. Energetic music was playing to bring the atmosphere up, and along with that Bora started bouncing to the music, prompting for everyone else to join in. You were laughing as you struggled to get out of Siyeon’s arms to start the chaos when you looked past your members to meet with the amused face of her. Your mouth suddenly felt dry, and you could feel your throat tighten when the reality hit. It was like a switch in you was hit, and you were conscious of your every action. As the music faded out, everyone took their seat on the couches chuckling at each other’s antics and waited for the next cue.

“As you all know, a few of these members has been guests of our show already but I have finally managed to invite the whole group back into our studio tonight. Let’s welcome... Dreamcatcher back to Studio Moon Night!”

Following the countdown of Minji, everyone did the group introduction. “Dream of me, hello we are Dreamcatcher!” According to the script, everyone was to do a short introduction of themselves starting from Minji who was seated next to you. You glanced at each member as they did their introduction and your eyes occasionally drifted to your idol who was sitting across the group. Being in the same room as the Moon Byuli was honestly more mind blowing than anything, you decided. Her presence was jaw dropping-

A sharp nudge to your sides snapped you out of your daze as you inhaled sharply and look around at your members and their amused faces, trying to hold back their laughter. “H-hello everyone, I’m Dreamcatcher’s sunflower, (y-y/n)!” Chuckles were then heard coming from Moon Byul when you felt hands land onto your shoulders from behind. The introductions continued to the younger members when you look back, you could see a smirk growing on Bora’s face, as your smile dropped, knowing what she was planning. “Actually, our dear sunflower here admires you a lot, Byuli-unnie!” Your eyes widened, not daring to look in the direction of your idol as your face flushed red.

“Is that so, (y/n)-sii?”

Darting your eyes to your idol, you blink blankly and tried to clear your throat and find the right words. Only managing to nod to not embarrass yourself, you hid your face in your hands to drown out the laughter shared.

“Our little sunflower is usually very loud, but look at her now!”

Whining, you peeked out between your fingers and pouted to your leader sitting next to you. Chuckling and giving you a little pat on the head, she threw a look over at the younger member to cut the teasing and let the radio show continue. Finally relenting with a huff, Bora eyed the rest of the members as if to contemplate who to target next once Moon Byul continued the script and prepared to start the actual interview. There was a series of questions that were quickly fired to different members, and in order not to make a fool of yourself again, you kept yourself on edge and alert to whenever you were called upon. Such focus given had you become uncharacteristically quiet that you were barely aware of what you were doing without thinking. Your posture was rigid, and whenever you felt that a question was about to be fired your way, you would reach up to brush and start picking at your lips in attempt to busy your mind to keep it ready.

“(Y/n)-sii! What is your TMI for today?”

Jolting up slightly with your finger still on your lips, you blink blankly at the unexpected question. “My TMI for today...” Glancing over to your leader once again pleading for help, you saw her gaze lowered down to your finger on your lip. “Ah! Jiu-unnie made coffee for everyone this morning!” Pulling your fingers away from your lips, you made a peace sign and beamed. “I drank 2 cups of coffee that Jiu-unnie made!”

“Is that why you snuck into the room and jumped onto me while I was still sleeping, unnie?” Yubin whined from the side after hearing your comment, realizing your reason for your high energy early in the morning. Everyone laughed at her contribution, and you waved it off chuckling along with everyone else. Once the attention was off of you, your fingers automatically made their way up again to your lips but this time it was caught midway with a larger hand interlacing fingers with yours. Blinking blankly at the act, you traced the hand to it's owner to see Minji smiling at you. Bringing your held hands to her lips, she turned it and pressed a soft kiss onto the back of your hand before lowering it onto her lap, clasping it with her other hand. Watching her gently brushing her fingers across your knuckles and smoothing her thumb across the back of your hand, you looked back up to see your leader nod at you before turning to answer a question given to her. The gesture, although a little awkward for someone like you who needed to move around to express yourself grounded you down. Feeling the constant movement on your skin helped you relax and you were slowly going back to chipping into the interview with little comments here and there.

During a song break, everyone was reading through the live comments and causally grooving to the music of your group’s latest song, and exchanging glances with Sua, both of you started doing the upper body half of the song’s choreography. Since Minji has yet to let go of your hand, you both chuckled when you pulled your hand to cover your eyes only to have hers come along to cover half of your face. As the song came to an end, you winked to the camera and leaned towards your leader, giving her a little peck on her cheeks while energetically waving both your intertwined hands between the both of you.

“Wow, that was-” Chuckling as she tried to reorient herself, Moon Byul threw a look over at the comment feed on her screen and back to you. “I noticed a little something, and even everyone watching is saying, (y/n)-sii.” Clasping both her hands together, Moon Byul brought it into the air for the camera to see. “Both of you have been holding each other’s hand for quite a while now. I thought I was your favorite idol.” Pretending to look upset, you started stammering in fear of actually offending your idol.

“I was the one who wanted to hold our dear (y/n)ie’s hands, since she is always so energetic, she is always very warm and I forgot to take my hand warmers onto set.” Pouting back herself, Minji pulled you into a quick hug and nuzzled into you. Seeing this, the rest of the members started chiming in on how they never received such affections from their leader and that you were her favorite. Happily laughing it off, Minji smoothly redirected the conversation back to Moon Byul once again to keep the show going.

When the PD signaled that the cameras were cut, your members started nudging you towards Moon Byul who was packing up her interview cards and scrolling through her phone. Looking back at your leader for reassurance, she gave your hand a tight squeeze and slowly released while nudging you forward. Taking a deep breath, you approached your idol, heart slowly starting to pick up its pace. Seeing you approach, Moon Byul put down her phone and focused her attention on you. “You did good, kid.” Seeing your eyes light up at her compliment, she chuckled again and continued. “I’ll look forward to your next comeback. In the meanwhile...” Picking up her phone again, she held it out for you. “Let’s keep in contact?” You nod vigorously and quickly keyed in your details, only to look up at Moon Byul again. “Can I take a picture with you please?” Ruffling up your hair slightly, as she took back her phone, she gave a nod with a playful grin and quickly snapped a photo of the both of you. Feeling your phone vibrate in your jacket pocket, you pulled it out to see a new message from an unknown contact with the photo of both of you. Bowing low, you started bouncing on the spot. “Thank you so much!”

With a pat on your back, Moon Byul nudged you back to your teammates as you let out a squeal and dived back into Minji’s open arms. Groans and were shared between those that failed to cover their ears in time again as the rest laughed at the antics.

Still clinging onto your leader as you both were the last to leave the elevator, she ran her hand through your hair as the other rubbed your shoulder. “Unnie.” Calling for her attention, Minji looked down at you in her arms and pointed to her own lips. “Ya, your lips won’t look as pretty anymore if you keep picking at it.”

“I know, unnie. Thank you for today.”

Pulling you closer to her, she shook her head. “Not just today. Whenever you feel like wanting to pick at your lip again,” Gentle pats land on your head as you leaned your weight against your leader’s. “My hands are for you to hold, alright?”

“You’re the best, unnie.” Nodding, you felt yourself relax at the soothing actions. “I know.” Frowning, you looked up with a pout to meet the grinning face of your leader. Deciding that you don’t want for her to take back her offer, you huffed in half agreement.

[roboticonography]

Fic preview: The Fixed Foot

Pals, I regret to inform you that the fic I had planned to post today is not done. I was hoping to put the finishing touches on it today, but out of nowhere it got a lot longer and somewhat sexier, so I hope you’ll forgive me for posting just this first part, a small taste of things to come.

The title is a reference to John Donne’s “A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning,” which has been in the back of my mind ever since Agent Carter’s S1 finale episode.

Extended metaphors about compasses for the win.

This is for Day 1 of Steggy Week 2019: It’s Endgame, Baby!

===========

He starts with a date range. He doesn’t want to risk making things too complicated. This is going to be tricky enough as is.

He reads up on Peggy. He’s avoided knowing some of the details thus far; she wasn’t able to tell him directly, and using the internet felt intrusive.

There isn’t a lot of detailed information to be had through official channels. Employment forms and tax forms give him a dry chronology of cities, addresses, changes in marital status.

Howard’s butler’s unpublished memoirs are more illuminating. Edwin Jarvis uses pseudonyms for all of Howard’s associates, but it isn’t hard to figure out the identity of “Nancy,” who nearly knocked Jarvis unconscious the first time they met. In spite of that—or maybe even because of it—he seems to have really liked Peggy. (Steve can’t imagine meeting her and not liking her, but he is, of course, biased.)

Steve discovers that Peggy and a friend lived in one of Howard’s Manhattan penthouses for a period of time in the late 40s, after both of them were “asked to vacate” a women’s boarding house. He suspects there’s more to the story than that. He hopes he’ll get to hear it in person.

In one entry, Jarvis specifically mentions that Peggy is single. He seems to be one of those types who loves being married so much that he thinks everyone ought to try it at least once.

Steve decides on a date.

He collects the things he’ll need: a set of clothes, a paper map, some valuables he can hock for cash when he gets there, and a few keepsakes that won’t give him away.

He debates whether to get a different haircut, whether to grow a beard or get a pair of glasses. He wishes Natasha were here to help him with this part.

He wishes Natasha were here for a lot of reasons.

He reads everything he can get his hands on: what’s happening in politics, movies, music. Who made it to the World Series. It’s a sobering reminder of the time he’s returning to, and the battles that will lie ahead.

He has Bruce explain how time travel works, again and again, until it finally feels like it might be starting to sink in. He doesn’t want to do anything that might cause harm to his loved ones—those in the here and now, or those in the past. But he also knows himself. He knows he won’t be able to sit idly by.

Bruce assures him that there’s nothing he can do in the past that will alter what’s already taken place. His actions will create a new timeline, with its own outcomes; once he’s there, he won’t be able to take anything for granted.

Last but not least, he makes sure he has a backup plan. He loves Peggy, and he knows Peggy loves him, but it’s got to be her choice.

Bucky figures it out, of course. 

Sam doesn’t.

*

The one thing he should have thought to check was the weather report. The night he lands, it’s raining in sheets. The sidewalks are flooded.

He finds a spot to disable his quantum suit and change into the clothes he brought, which are instantly soaked as soon as he goes outside. Naturally, he didn’t think to bring an umbrella.

By the time he makes it over to Howard’s building, he looks like a drowned rat. The concierge eyes him suspiciously when he asks if Miss Carter is in.

“Who?”

“Margaret Carter. I know she lives here. She’s a friend of mine. Please.”

“I’m sorry, sir, I can’t help you.”

He scans the cavernous lobby; he doesn’t particularly want to have their reunion here, under the watchful eye of the building’s staff, but he may not have much choice.

Mercifully, the place is empty, aside from a single resident. Her back is to Steve, but her arrow-straight nylons and her tidy blonde pincurls remind him of Peggy, and he feels a heady rush of longing and anticipation. 

Watching her collect a letter from a bank of tidy pigeon-holes along one wall, he has a brainwave: he’ll leave Peggy a note. She might not believe it, but it’ll probably at least make her curious enough to want to meet him. And it’ll give her time to adjust to the idea before seeing him in person.

He borrows a sheet of paper and a fountain pen from the concierge, and makes an effort not to drip on the counter as he ponders what to write. He tries to think of a place nearby where they could meet.

“Is there an all-night diner anywhere around here?”

The concierge has just opened his mouth to reply when Steve is distracted by someone tugging on his sleeve.

It’s the woman who was picking up her mail. She’s young, and looks strangely familiar, though Steve has no clue where they might have met. Hopefully not at a USO show.

Fortunately, she doesn’t seem especially star-struck. “If you’re just looking for coffee and pie, I know an okay place,” she tells him, pointing to the waitress’s uniform under her rain slicker.

“Great, thanks.”

“Did I hear you asking for Peg earlier?”

Steve nods.

“She went to the pictures. I’m the roommate.” The blonde loops her arm through his. “You can wait upstairs, it’s okay. I’ll even scare up a cup of coffee for you, pro bono. Come on.”

He knows he shouldn’t; he needs to get his story straight with Peggy before he starts interacting with her social circle. But he’s been on the move for days, and it’s miserable outside.

“Sure. Thanks.”

*

The apartment is huge, a carefully curated monument to old-school wealth: antique furniture and oil paintings, dark wood and heavy fabric. The only thing that keeps it from being oppressive is the elegant simplicity of the architecture: long, clean lines and tall windows.

Angela—Angie—has the kitchen send up a tea tray. It’s enough food for six people, which is a blessing, because Steve is starving. He has to force himself not to be a pig.

“Nice spread,” he observes. He’s trying to remember the way he used to talk. It feels like he’s back in his USO days, playing a parody of himself.

Angie doesn’t seem to notice anything amiss. “I know! Oh, how the other half lives,” she says, comically, shoving half a raisin scone into her mouth.

Steve suddenly realizes where he knows her from: a 1951 movie musical called Life of the Party. She was billed as Ella Martin, but the cheeky grin is the same, and the strident voice. She couldn’t sing worth a lick, but she had razor-sharp comedic timing.

“So what’s your story?” asks Angie, still chewing. “How do you know Peg?”

“We met overseas during the war.”

“Oh yeah? What’s your name?”

He hesitates before replying, “My friends call me Steve.”

“That your way of telling me you want to be friends?”

“I’d like that a lot,” he tells her, with absolute sincerity.

She licks her fingers and eyes him suspiciously.

“I promise I’m not…” All the euphemisms he can think of are modern ones. “Trying to get anywhere with you,” he finishes, awkwardly.

“Good.” She nods in agreement with herself, and tops off his teacup.

Angie supplies the deficiency of the small talk, while Steve quietly polishes off most of the pastries. For the first time in days, he feels like he can let his guard down a little.

He starts to sink deeper into the plush sofa, his mind drifting pleasantly as Angie regales him with a story about a customer who tried to smuggle a cat into the automat in a briefcase.

Down the hall, the elevator dings.

“Angie?”

The sound of Peggy’s voice hits him like a sucker punch. It must show on his face because Angie asks, “You okay?”

“Fine. Thanks.” He sits up straighter, suddenly uncertain of where he should put his elbows.

“In here, Peg!” Angie hollers.

Steve can hear Peggy talking quietly—and a distinctly male voice whispering back.

“There’s someone with her,” says Steve.

“Probably just Daniel.”

“Who’s that?”

“Oh boy.” Her voice is suddenly soft, sympathetic. “Been a while since you saw her, huh?”

Before he can get the answer out, Peggy strides into view.

Her hair is different—longer than he’s ever seen it, swept over to one side in soft waves, like Veronica Lake. Her burgundy dress is perfectly molded to her magnificent figure, and has a very appealing neckline. She even has a tan, as though she’s just come home from a long beach holiday. 

She looks youthful, beautiful, vital. Happy.

“How was the picture?” calls Angie, oblivious.

“Absolute rubbish,” Peggy proclaims.

“It wasn’t that bad,” says her companion, helping her off with her coat. He’s young, good-looking, also tanned, and clearly smitten. “You’re just not very romantic, that’s all.”

“Oh!” She tosses the coat over a chair before turning to smack him on the arm. He chuckles, jokingly fending her off with his crutch.

Steve suddenly regrets not leaving a note.

(TO BE CONTINUED)

[org3l]

5장: when an irresistible force such as you, meets an old immovable object like me.

It was an ordinary day where most of the professors are out for their classes minding their own businesses. 

Last Monday was incredible, and by letting multimedia arts club win was not something you regret. Even if it left the sports team throwing their fits over how biased it might have looked, Minho thought it was fair at the end and even handed the gift check to the winning participants.

Either way, there was nothing else to do but to accept what has happened.

While your class was doing their lecture seatwork, a professor passed by your door and turned back to look at what you’re doing. 

You glanced, and saw Professor Kibum. You called for his attention and he entered to the class, where the students reacted differently in a good way. With his coat placed on his shoulder, buttoned undershirt with high-waist slacks and brogues, he stood beside the table and asked.

“So, how’s everything?”

“To be honest, it’s good. What brings you here?”

“Was just passing by, my class was done. It will be another hours or 2 with the next. I’m kind of… thinking if we could eat lunch together.”

It was almost lunch time anyway, and perhaps this can be a good thing to know one another. Especially for you to open connections with other departments, it’s a win win situation. Maybe you can become friends, or just pure colleagues. 

“Sure.” The students once again reacted, and they gained a glare from him. “Continue your work.”

“You have a way with the students.”

“Uhuh.”

“Why?”

“They think you’re asking me with something else.” Then he laughed hysterically that he had to cover his mouth and place his things on the table to stop laughing. As he turned around towards the board, he tried breathing and still it made him laugh.

“Professor Kim?”

“I’m fine! Really!”

“Do you even get what I mean?”

“Clear as day…ohmygod. Why do you have to say it so bluntly?”

The class was done, the seat works were submitted in time and you were on your way to lunch. You and Kibum were about to go out of the classroom when the students came blocking your way and rushing to ask you about their proposals they need to submit by the following weeks. “You could’ve asked when we were at class.”

“We didn’t want to interrupt, and we are not aware that we can.”

“I’m totally aware that I always ask if you have any reactions before the class ends and I’m welcome for questions any time.”

“You were in a rush the last time.” One student said that made his eyes widened crossed his arms. “Do you think that’s the right way to act that way especially if you are asking for someone’s time even beyond your designated schedule?”

“Sir…”

“Professor Kim.” You uttered to halt and he raised his hand to you to make a point.

“In what year are you?”

“Freshmen” The students uttered in shame, looking down to the floor out of that.

“Lucky if you are, cause if you’re going to keep acting that way until the very end, no one else will hire you. Mark my words.”

“Yes… sir.” It was almost a whisper, and you remember the days when your professors are always not available on times you want to consult them and they would be frustrated whenever you interrupt them with their own businesses. Despite that time being their schedule consultation from the faculty. 

From the aggravation it spurred, Kibum relentlessly grabbed your wrist and you glanced at your back as he pulled you outside.

“You can ask me in the faculty by Friday!”

“Alright. Thank you Professor!”

With your blurry vision, you may have seen someone tear up. 

Arriving at the cafeteria, it wasn’t as sunny as the previous day therefore you decided to eat outside. 

Separately you ordered your food, and he got his order first and tried to find a seat. Once you found him from tables filled with students, you placed your tray as he drink his coffee, there on he sighed loudly and smiled at you.

“Are you allowing your students to dictate your move if I just told you that you have a way with your students?”

“It was impeccable. And your compliment is too much for a new professor.”

“Yet, of course you have proven your point. You just need better horsepower.”

“Horsepower?”

You laughed and started eating, and his sense of himself has always been present especially with his choices of food. 

e eats anything that can be eaten, and even asked if he can have a taste of what you ordered. It tasted great, and he said that next time you both eat together you should point it to him so he can get it too.

“The cafeteria’s cook has changed course and now I’m living for his cooking.”

“Was it terrible back then?”

“No. It isn’t, just mediocre to the tastes of the dimwits.”

“Dimwits?”

“Short for students.”

“Amazing label.” You laughed again, and he smiled by your reaction.

“You’re so clueless.” He shook his head.

“Clueless?”

“Or are you pretending to be?”

“Professor Kibum, it’s just I’m assuring things triple times than to just accept.”

“Why don’t you just accept the fact?”

“Fact about what?”

“That you’re interested with Dr. Lee.”

“He’s my boss. I like him.”

“You like him as………..” He mischievously stated and by showing your displeased face made him laugh even more. “You like him as a coworker! You keep on assuming things!”

“Why do you keep insisting it though?”

“Please, if you’re really that interested just admit it. And I’m rooting for you.”

“Alright, for the love of god, if ever… and if just ever… why would you? Who are my contenders?”

“A lot of course, they are too many to count. They’re always with you often, and they are better at hiding it than you are.”

“Jesus Christ.”

“And I’m a matchmaker, it’s proven by many.”

His eye contact was with you until he turned and saw a tall man approach your direction. Wearing his workout outfit and brushing his hair up while sweating, you can’t help but notice that he gulped, and when the runner’s eyes and his eye met, he looked away and stuffed so many food on his mouth.

“Ah…. Professor Kim… are you interested with Instructor Choi?”

He pointed at his stuffed face and looked at the other way to avoid the situation.

“You’re supposed to be the one that I’m supposed to tease!”

He grumbled and weakly slapped you. There he drank his cup of water and replied. “You’re just trying to deviate the situation!”

And you whispered. “I think… he saw us.”

“What!” A loud whisper from him. 

Minho arrived and politely borrowed a seat from another table, and the one he asked just stared with her jaw open until he got to seat to your table. Must’ve been overwhelmed. “Ah…. I’m done.” He checked his watch where his steps were recorded and heart rate was placed.

“What are you doing here?” Sounding vexed.

“I’m resting. What’s the problem?”

Kibum eye rolled but you cannot help yourself but to keep on drawing your lips back to hold the laughter.

“What are you guys eating?”

You responded slowly. “Just….the…cafeteria’s choices today.” Then when you looked at Kibum again, his body language changed and he crossed his arms. “Kibum… what’s wrong?”

And his tone too, that sounded higher than before. “Someone’s here to ruin my day.”

“Am I really ruining your day?” Minho pouted, and asked you. “Is his day ruined?”

“I don’t know with him.” You raised your hands, telling that you don’t know. Minho sighed and placed his bottle that he was holding the whole time.

“You’re really not going to entertain me later?”

“I don’t want your crying ass just because you lost by such a petty show.”

“It wasn’t! It was fun!” You said, and they both looked at you for a second and laughed.

“You had fun mostly, because of Dr. Lee.” Kibum wiggled his brows that earned your eyeroll. Then Minho responded happily, explaining the same point. 

“Oh, he can sing well. Jinki hyung can sing. Every time there’s a chance we always try to make him sing in Christmas Parties or even just because we want to.”

“So…what do you think? _______?”

You replied. “I did hear it once, like when we were at the faculty room and he was at the office. But my co-workers told me that it’s better to hear his singing than something else. I can’t even understand what they are trying to say, either that was a compliment or not.”

“Oh, the ghosts. Of course! Kibum loves hanging around those places.”

“You are being sarcastic.”

“Yes I am, Mr. Coward, thinking you’re clever.”

“I’m not a coward, you are!”

Then they kept bickering one another until lunch time was done, knowing how they interact made you witness that sometimes it doesn’t have to be sweet but by how someone loves doing something with you. 

Especially the teasing and mockery, but behind that are feelings of fondness flourishing. 

Thereafter, they asked if you have more classes to attend and if there isn’t, you can come with them to watch the Flamers practice. You refused, because you had enough of their way of expressing their feelings to one another.

[lapeaudelamemoire]

I don't like saying people don't deserve something. I think 'deserve' is a difficult term. But I also believe in earning things. Some things should be universal, everyone deserves the same basic needs. But then you get into the particulars, and it gets complicated. It takes a lot for me to decide someone doesn't deserve my time or energy. I don't think I'm biased when I say I go out of my way for people. That doesn't always necessarily mean I give all of myself, and in that sense I don't think it needs to mean you're not giving something of yourself. But sometimes people really don't deserve some things. Everything extra after the basics need to be earned. Everyone should have safety and food and water and love and a basic amount of respect. But things like a nicer house, fancy food, those are extras. It's a tricky concept to apply to people, but sometimes, some people don't deserve you, 'you' as a particular. There's always a basic 'package' to start with. A basic amount of decency, respect, trust, and honesty, going in. Everything else needs to be earned. And it can also be lost. No one is obligated to be nice to you. It would be great if they were, but that's just not how it is. I realise now that people who don't have to think often about their privilege apply a great deal of entitlement to all sorts of things. No one is obligated to smile at you. No one is obligated to make you feel comfortable. No one is obligated to give you 100% openness or honesty or trust. There's the basic minimum of 'not fucking someone over' and 'not lying', if tenable, and nothing much else. Sometimes people are uncomfortable, moody, not in a good place, etc., and there are basic rules going in. If you choose to interact, that's your business, if it's clear they're not going to be 'super pleasant'. I hate when people put their feelings above other people's when they make that choice to keep on keeping up. I hate when people agree on something or should have agreed and then renege on that. That wasn't in the terms. You got what you agreed to. Someone called me 'the most proud, hostile, and judgemental person they know', and it sounds like anons in your inbox complaining about you when you never asked them to be here in the first place. I didn't know that being hostile to people who have earned that hostility is wrong. One does not thank a man who just burned you by accidentally spilling coffee on you not once, but multiple times. There's only so many times you can say 'It's not your fault.' Nor that judging someone for hurting others is wrong. There's a whole profession for that. It's called law. And I didn't know that being proud was necessarily a bad thing. It's called the social contract for a reason. Emotions have a 2+2=4 logic just the same as a mathematical or scientific equation. It speaks to a lack of study or understanding or time spent on it to imagine that they are irrational and follow no logic. It is a language one can speak. There are rules; there are anomalies; and even 'things that have no reason' should still be asked 'Why?' If emotions had no logic there would be no manipulation possible. No sway, just utter chaos. It's a cheap cop-out to fling one's hands up and call someone 'crazy'. It's gaslighting to cause something and say they are wrong or sick or nuts. It's like watching the entirety of human history play out in a small window of my life. Man fucks woman over. The 'psycho ex' or 'crazy bitch' 'theory'. The 'hysteria', the 'women don't make sense.' I know I'm right. I'm right. But it's just easier to say I'm 'difficult', even though I make more sense than they do.

[moonshroooms]

Random Fandom Questions Oh My

A - Ships that you currently like a lot. (They don’t have to be OTPs because not everyone has OTPs.) Friendships, pairings, threesomes, etc. are allowed.

Currently the other ships I like right now are Human Bill Cipher and Dipper (a big guilty pleasure). If there are any Billdip shippers reading this may I humbly recommend Defining Bill Cipher, cause it’s 100% fantastic with plot, characterization, and some uh, heated moments if ya get what I mean. 

I always enjoy Frisk x Sans from Undertale, though I’ve been lagging behind on fanfics. I also like Sans and Toriel (which honestly, I like Frisk and Sans better for fanfics, but I’d want Sans and Toriel to be canon), and Frisk and Asriel are super cute too.

I’ve started reading Owari no Seraph (like, I think I’m only like ch 5), and I already knew about Mika x Yuu long before I ever started reading so I’m absolutely shipping them right now A++

I also ship Gon and Killua from Hunter x Hunter, though I don’t read a lot of fanfics for them. I just kinda annoy my friend with it when we watch the show XD

B - A pairing–platonic, romantic or sexual–that you initially didn’t consider, but someone changed your mind.

You know, I actually don’t think I do

C - A ship you have never liked and probably never will.

Ciel and Sebastian from Black Butler. And it’s weird cause like, they are absolutely ripe for shipping and there are plenty of other ships in like, nearly the same position I like but just. He doesn’t love-love Ciel man. He don’t even friendship-love him. Sebastian wants to eat his soul like literally and that’s it he’s just food. For whatever reason I just can’t get into that pairing. Please just let Ciel be with Elizabeth she’s such a cutie and let them be happy forever on okay good okay

D - A pairing you wish you liked but just can’t.

Ichigo and Masaya from Tokyo Mew Mew. I am 100% a Kisshu x Ichigo shipper and I know Ichigo x Masaya is like, oddly, one of the healthiest relationships you could have in an anime and Masaya would be a boy I’d fall head-over-heels for myself if he was real like honestly everything about him is basically perfect but I just. He’s so boring. He’s a really boring character to watch. And he gets more interesting near the end of the show, but it was just kinda too little too late, yanno? If they’d put more hints at the darker side of his wonderful personality then I’d probably would have shipped them, but I saw Kishigo first and that’s who I glommed onto srry

E - Have you added anything cracky/hilarious to your fandom? If so, what?

 I don’t contribute anything to society let alone a fandom XD

  F - What’s the longest you’ve ever been in a fandom?

 I mean, that’s under the idea I’m actually in a fandom? Do I have to do something to be in a fandom? Can I just enjoy content? Does that count? If it do then I’ve been in the Tokyo Mew Mew fandom for like, 10 years or more. It’s like 99% dead so it’s not like I’ve searched up anything recently, but believe me if it ever gets a good remake I will be there 100%

G - Have you ever had an OTP? If so, do you remember your first one? Who was in it?

 My first OTP back before I ever knew what an OTP was was Kisshu and Ichigo from Tokyo Mew Mew. And that fandom is super dead and I’ll probably never read a new good fanfic ever again but I’ll probably never let them go. I still consider them my OTP, and I’ve never found anyone that tops it XD They’re also completely toxic but just. Ah. I love them so much I just want them in a cute relationship plz

H - What is your favorite source text for fandom stuff (e.g., TV shows, movies, books, anime, Western animation, etc.)?

 Ennething. I guess anime is the easiest one to find though. I think I like Western animation better than anime, if only for comedy that hits home a little bit more, since I grew up in that culture and whatnot

I - Has Tumblr caused you to stop liking any fandoms, if so, which and why?

 Nah. I avoid the Discourse by never joining the conversation e v e r. And most of the time I don’t really follow fandom blogs specifically, just blogs that happen to post some fandom stuff, so I probably don’t see any sort of annoying people or awful environments or anything. I don’t understand how people can get so annoyed I feel like discourse is just so easy to avoid/ignore??? But maybe that’s just me

J - Name a fandom you didn’t think about until you saw it all over Tumblr. (You don’t have to care about it or follow it; it just has to be something that Tumblr made you aware of.)

 Voltron. I didn’t even know it existed until some of the funny blogs I follow started posting stuff about it. I don’t even know what Voltron’s about, other than the name sounded really familiar, like it’s an old anime being remade or something.

K - What character has your favorite development arc/the best development arc?

 Peridot from Steven Universe. No wait, Rinna from Forest Born. Forest Born is one of my favorite books (from the Books of Bayern series by Shannon Hale, I highly recommend them). When I was younger I related to Rinna a lot (and I’m like, nothing like her now but that’s beside the point), and I loved her development her slow development towards not hating herself so much. It’s wonderful and steady and feels real

L - Say something genuinely nice about a character who isn’t one of your faves. (Characters you’re neutral about are fair game, as are characters you merely dislike. Characters that you absolutely loathe with the fire of ten thousand suns are exempt, as there is no point in giving yourself an aneurysm over a character that you hate.)

 Jackie from Star vs. is a really nice girl A+ girlfriend material and if I didn’t ship Marco and Star she’d be next up for the Marco ship train. I absolutely don’t hate her and she’s a fun and nice character, but sorry you can’t be Marco’s girlfriend the bloodmoon and also me said so

M - Name a character that you’d like to have for a friend.

 Isi from the Goose Girl. She already reminds me a lot of my friend, so maybe I’m a little biased, but she seems like an absolutely wonderful person to be friends with and I’d 100% love that. I’d also like Dasha from River Secrets and Enna from Enna Burning. Just. Any of the main girls from the Books of Bayern. I love them all

N - Name three things you wish you saw more or in your main fandom (or a fandom of choice).

 Since I don’t have a main fandom, I’ll just choose one:

 From Steven Universe I want more funny comics, dumb memes, and Stevonnie anything. And that’s considering there’s already a shitton of all of that. There’s never enough

  O - Choose a song at random. Which ship or character does it remind you of?

 He’s Hurting Me by Maria Mena. And Kisshu x Ichigo, mostly because I’ve seen an AMV with them and that song XD

  P - Invent a random AU for any fandom (we always need more ideas).

 Active Fandom for Tokyo Mew Mew AU!

 Okay fine, that doesn’t count. But oh geez I can’t think of any good ideas though. I don’t know but anything but a coffee shop AU. Give me something with adventure man. Uhh *spins wheel* Siren AU with *rolls dice* Pokémon. Make it happen, people

  Q - A fandom you’ve abandoned and why.

 Eh, considering I’m never an active part of any fandom, I can’t say I’ve abandoned anything. I’ll even go back to really old fandoms and try to find something I haven’t read before

R - Which friendship/platonic relationship is your favorite in fandom?

 Do Steven and Connie and Star and Marco count even though I ship them? Because I value their friendship just as much if not more than their shipping capabilities. If not then, Sailor Moon and the other sailor scouts from Sailor Moon (from the original anime). I just really like that they joke and roast and support each other. A lot of the episodes focus a lot on their random interactions and it’s a joy to watch.

S - Show us an example of your personal headcanon (prompts optional but encouraged)

 I have none honestly XD I’m not usually a person that gets into headcanons much. I ship plenty of people that aren’t together but I wouldn’t really call them headcanons, I dunno. Gon and Killua end up married. There, there’s your headcanon.

T - Do you have any hard and fast headcanons that you will die defending?

 Kisshu returns to Earth for Whatever reason (any reason that means more battles and adventures is good), Ichigo ends up falling in love with him, Pudding and Tart end up together, Lettuce and Pie are together, Masaya is just fine and not dead, and everyone’s happy the end

 That’s the best I got XD

U - Three favorite characters from three different fandoms, and why they’re your favorites.

 Kisshu from Tokyo Mew Mew: Other than the fact he’s from my long-standing OTP, he’s just really fun to watch. He’s probably the reason I have an immediate attachment to character that are slightly crazy and shit tons of dangerous. He’s cheeky and flirty and gawd I luv it A+

 Peridot and Lapis from Steven Universe. I couldn’t choose really. Peridot is such a trash gremlin and Lapis is amazing when it’s not complete angst she is just Ultimate Emo Child.

 Willis from Awful Hospital (I highly recommend this comic by the way. It’s weird and wonderful). So far he’s just the cutest little thing and I love watching him it’s great

  V - Which character do you relate to most?

 I used to relate to Rinna from Forest Born a whole bunch, especially when I was younger. Nowadays I relate much more to her older brother Razo from River Secrets. He’s self-concious, but always cracking jokes and always in the mood for eating. I think he’s hilarious and honestly I hope I can be as funny as him. He’s got a lot of talents he just never notices. I hope that gets to be me, too.

W - A trope which you are virtually certain to hate in any fandom.

 Characters with no personality. And I think this is mostly just in the otome and harem anime’s that this kind of thing is rampant, cause you gotta make a character that people can slip into but just. My god. I tried playing an otome once and I couldn’t even finish it it was so awful and infuriating. Watching Diabolik Lovers was so painful this girl just L E T everything happen she didn’t even try putting up a fight even when some dude GAVE HER A KNIFE TO STAB HER VAMPIRE WHATEVERS WITH. MY GOD. I hated everything I wanted to cry. And don’t even get me started on the manga Black Bird I hate it so much they just rinse repeat everything. ‘No love interest don’t do sexy things at me I don’t want it’ ‘I’m doing it as punishment for you doing/not doing Whatever’ ‘Noooo’ and then proceeds to just continue to love the assbag. Just stop oh my goooood

  X - A trope which you are almost certain to love in any fandom.

 Enemies to Lovers. Or enemies being in love in general. Or forbidden romances of any kind. Basically I want a shit ton of angst and a happy ending.

Y - What are your secondhand fandoms (i.e., fandoms you aren’t in personally but are tangentially familiar with because your friends/people on your dash are in them)?

 I know a little bit about Homestuck, which I tried to read once and got bored. I keep wanting to pick it back up but just… aaaah the beginning is so boring I can hardly tell what’s going on. And I hate the 1 panel thing. I’m sure it was good while it was being posted, but it just takes so long to load the next page. I need a multi-page version please.

 I also know a tad bit about Madoka Magic, which I’m not entirely sure how. I just kinda. Read stuff I came across, despite never being interested in the show myself.

  Z - Just ramble about something fan-related, go go go! (Prompts optional but encouraged.)

 Dear god please let Star and Marco be together (they probably will).

 I want at the very least a cute cheek kiss from Steven and Connie, also, can Stevonnie fuse with other gems??? That’d be wild.

 Danny Phantom needed to be longer also he needed to be with Valerie I loved her why the flip flap did they give her such a crappy reason to not be with Danny AAAH

 I haven’t been able to watch the Legend of Korra because I tear up anytime I see something about the old gang being old or dead like legit if I ever see Aang being all dead and spiritual and shit I will cry

 The Amazing World of Gumball is hilarious and I want more people to watch it

 I tried watching Bob’s Burger’s for just like, a funny show without a plot and I got bored eventually. Thankfully Gumball saved the day

 I think Ni no Kuni is an adorable game and I love their little definitely-not-Pokémon monsters and I’ll probably rant about who’s on my team one day

  I ship Link and Midna 100% but like, only the TP incarnation of Link. Skyward Sword and Breath of the Wild and Spirit Tracks Link can be with Zelda. Wind Waker and Phantom Hourglass Link can be with Tetra (specifically Tetra).

 Speaking of Tetra, why the flip flap SPOILERS IF YOU HAVEN’T PLAYED WIND WAKER BUT LIKE, IT’S REALLY OLD AND HAS A REMAKE SO I GUESS THAT’S MOSTLY YOUR FAULT BEWAAAAAAAAAARE. ALSO THE BEGINNING OF BREATH OF THE WILD I GUESS? THOUGH IT’S NOT REALLY A BIG IMPORTANT SPOILER. 

does she get pale when she turns into Zelda? Like, bam you’re royalty also kiss your tan goodbye. Same thing happens to the mysterious old man when he becomes the king. Do bluebloods just not get tan or something like, the flip?

[russellthornton]

How to Have Game with Girls: 15 Ways to Seduce Women Effortlessly

You think you have game? As a woman, I can tell you there are some key things for guys to know how to have game and be more successful with the ladies.

No one said being a guy was easy. In fact, I feel in some ways it’s harder for you. It’s expected that you make the first move, so understanding how to have game matters.

Basically, all the work is in your hands. Plus, building the chemistry between you and a woman isn’t that easy to do. You’re trying to be funny without being offensive. You want her to see that you’re a nice guy, but you also read that girls don’t like nice guys. It’s all a balancing act.

How to have game with the ladies

Now, you don’t need her to fall in love with you, but you do want to make it through the first fifteen minutes without her anxiously waving her friends over to come save her. I get it, man. This is where you do some personal research and reflection. Figure out what you do wrong and right. Your success rate is a pretty decent indicator.

Take some of these tips I’m going to give you and try to incorporate them into your interactions with women, then see if anything changes. Learning how to have game is in you, you just need to bring it out.

#1 You’re the shit. If you don’t think you’re the best, well, this isn’t going to work. This is what makes your game weak in comparison to the guy that’s rolling in numbers. He believes he’s the best of the best and that’s why he gets the girls. It’s that simple. It’s time for you to look in the mirror and see yourself in the right light. [Read: 10 eye contact flirting moves that always work]

#2 Who cares about rejection. This is another reason why your game lacks. You fear rejection. Honestly, who doesn’t? I’ve been rejected left, right and center, yet, I’m still trying. I’m still going out there and talking to guys. You cannot let rejection stop you or else you won’t win any girls. Rejection is going to happen, and it literally happens to everyone. [Read: How to overcome the fear of rejection while approaching women]

#3 Don’t fake your reactions. Listen, I’ve seen a lot of men laugh at horrible jokes or pretend they understand something when they want to get into a girl’s pants. And I understand you want to sleep with her so you don’t want to cause any problems. But listen, it’s crap.

If she makes a joke and it isn’t funny, don’t start fake laughing. You don’t need to give her approval for a bad joke, nor do you need to pat her ego. Plus, she knows you fake laugh which is even worse. Be genuine with your emotions.

#4 Be chill. When I see a man talking to me like he just drank three cups of coffee, let me tell ya, I back right off. It’s too much. You can be excited, that’s fine, but don’t be in her face. So, take a breath and lean back. When you’re nervous it’s normal to talk faster, but show her you’re not anxious around her. So, talk slow. You remember James Bond? He was a slow talker for a reason.

#5 Eliminate social anxiety. You’re nervous because you talk to a girl you like, like I said, it’s completely normal. But, your goal is to eliminate the obvious signs that you’re nervous as hell because she spots it a mile away. So, if you want to know how to have game, take your hands out of your pockets, maintain eye contact, put your phone away, and don’t constantly touch yourself. [Read: 16 effortless ways you can conquer your approach anxiety]

#6 Eye contact is key. Your eye contact is a huge indicator if you’re into her or not. In addition, it’s also how women gauge if you’re nervous or not. Which isn’t a huge deal, however, it does show us your confidence level.

You don’t have to hold eye contact like a creepy man, but you want to be able to look at her in the eyes when she talks. Test it out by holding eye contact until she looks away. You’ll figure out how much eye contact is enough.

#7 Don’t think you need to constantly talk. This is important as many people, when nervous, feel the need to talk more. You don’t need to do this. To be honest, most of the things that come out of your mouth are useless at the end of the day and fill the silences. But, those silences aren’t necessarily a bad thing. So, if you want to say something just to say it, it’s better not to.

#8 Don’t ask yes or no questions. If you’re nervous, the worst thing you do is ask her yes or no questions. Where can a conversation possibly go when she only answers yes or no? Instead, keep the questions open-ended so that she must answer them with either a story or a couple sentences. It helps you calm down while she’s talking away. [Read: 35 brilliant conversation questions that work like a charm]

#9 Don’t be so eager to buy her a drink. Maybe I’m biased, but from my experience, when I was younger I would accept a drink from almost anyone regardless if I liked them or not. As I got older, I stopped doing that. However, some women didn’t. You don’t need to buy her a drink to make her interested in you. Wait a half an hour or hour into the conversation before offering her a drink.

#10 You don’t have to ask her for permission. Okay, you do when it comes to sexual consent. Then, yes, absolutely, you must ask her permission. But I’m not talking about that. If you want to dance with her, say to her, “Let’s go dance” and take her hand, leading her to the dance floor. You can do things like this without asking her “Do you want to dance?” It’s just not as much of a turn on when a guy asks you if you want to dance, for example. [Read: How to seduce a girl – 14 moves to make her sexually desire you]

#11 Don’t lean in. I know, you may think this is a weird one, but it’s an important one. When a guy leans in, especially right in the beginning of the conversation, it shows this over-eagerness which women don’t want to necessarily see right away. Remember this is all a game you play with her. She wants to be chased and you want to chase her. Don’t give her what she wants right away.

#12 Show your best qualities. If you want to know how to have game the right way, during the conversation, show off your best qualities. You don’t need to sit there and list off all the things you think are great about yourself. Instead, use some of your life experiences to show her what kind of guy you are. The worst thing you do is literally to tell her you’re a funny guy. [Read: 15 qualities all girls want to see in a guy]

#13 Be classy. Having game doesn’t mean you’re a player. Sure, it means you get women but you’re not doing it by calling women “bitches” and treating them like shit. No, you’re a classy guy. You have manners and respect for the woman you sit across talking to because you also chose her.

#14 Dominance is hot. Women want a man. That, at the end of the day, is what all women are looking for. They want a man. For example, if you’re in a group talking, do not let another person interrupt while you’re speaking. Now, you don’t need to yell at them or raise your voice but you need to keep talking, showing that you’re not done yet. [Read: How to be a man the way he really should be]

#15 Don’t breathe like you just ran a race. I know you like her. I know the feeling but you need to chill. You may have taken your hands out of your pockets and stopped fiddling with your phone, but you breathe like you just ran a 10k. Instead, take a couple long and slow breaths, this helps drop your heart rate, calming you down.  

[Read: The best dating advice for men to up their game]

Now that you know how to have game, it’s time you went out and practiced. Remember, take some time to self-reflect and see what you do right and wrong.

The post How to Have Game with Girls: 15 Ways to Seduce Women Effortlessly is the original content of LovePanky - Your Guide to Better Love and Relationships.

[bpellerin]

True blue nightmare

How could good people with good ideas and principles end up like this? How can so many, right here in Canada, still support Donald Trump and what he represents? How can so many support (morally and financially) Ezra Levant’s Rebel Media after the Charlottesville events and the accompanying alt-right fracas?

I don’t understand it. It’s not what I thought conservatism (with which I’ve been associated for years) was all about.

It was one thing to get a chuckle out of the 2016 presidential circus. You could take a certain kind of pleasure in seeing everyone getting so upset. It’s not like the political establishment doesn’t need a good shakeup every now and then. But that wasn’t serious, was it? Sooner or later people would have to come to their senses, step away from the TV, drink some strong coffee and get back to sober, mature reality.

Alas.

Every time Mr. Trump said something outrageous (which wasn’t rare), his popularity increased. It was like being stuck in a political version of Opposite Day. What should have gone up went down, and what should have disappeared in a cloud of infamy, was loudly cheered and repeated by disturbingly large crowds.

I was never a fan of this kind of politics, and of this particular politician. I find him boorish, vulgar, and dangerously self-centred. But when so many millions of people vote for someone, you have to keep a certain tiny door open because hey, democracy is how we do things.

Yeah, well. I can no longer keep that door open. For me the last Twitter straw came in late June when, in a pair of tweets, the president managed to display crazy behaviour along with extreme meanness and vulgarity. Put together, they read: “I heard poorly rated @Morning_Joe speaks badly of me (don't watch anymore). Then how come low I.Q. Crazy Mika, along with Psycho Joe, came.. to Mar-a-Lago 3 nights in a row around New Year's Eve, and insisted on joining me. She was bleeding badly from a face-lift. I said no!”

It’s not OK to stand behind a man who, as POTUS, tweets like that. Especially after all the other offensive things he’s said and done against just about everyone. A man who makes a mockery of his office and the constitution he swore to uphold by making policy on the fly and who shows contempt for the two other branches of government.

Especially after the events of Charlottesville, when he started by blaming both sides for the violence before condemning white supremacists specifically only to revert to blaming both sides the next day, well, now there’s no excuse.[1] In my book, if you still support him, and defend him, you are like him.

And you are part of the problem.

____

In Canada, Trump supporters also tend to be ardent fans of The Rebel. I’ve known Ezra Levant for a long time. I’ve worked with him at Sun News Network (not particularly closely, but he had me on his show several times). My husband, John Robson, contributed historical video vignettes for The Rebel from day one. Nobody will make me believe that Ezra is a racist or a bigot. I know he’s not. But some of the stuff he runs appeals to a lot of them. I believe it’s a mistake for Ezra to stir that pot of festering anger for clicks, YouTube views, and financial contributions.

That’s not something I’ve just recently discovered. I had been discussing these things with my husband for many long months before he finally announced he was stepping back from contributing to the site, and I do think he waited too long. He has explained himself elsewhere and I don’t need to add to that.

Charlottesville was the last straw for a lot of people, including my old friend Brian Lilley and National Post columnist Barbara Kay. If Charlottesville had been a one-off thing, many people might have opted to forgive Ezra and his crew, but it wasn’t. The tone of The Rebel had long been one of anger, sometimes paranoia, with a remarkable blind spot when it came to the company it kept. Trying to distance yourself from the alt-right was a step in the right direction, but it was too little, too late. Better than nothing, but not by much.

I know many people who still support The Rebel, post-Charlottesville, many of them financially. It makes me sad. Because I know these people are not stupid, or evil, or racist, or any more bigoted than the average person (oh, come on; we all have some of that in us). But what they are is angry, frustrated, and genuinely scared for the future of their country.

These are people who think Canada – as the West generally – may have lost its way. They worry that the values that made Canada what it is today are not, well, valued anymore. They think the people in charge are worried about the wrong stuff (in no particular order: climate change, multiculturalism, transgender rights, inclusiveness, safe spaces, organic meat) at the expense of the right stuff (traditional family values, cultural assimilation of immigrants, national security, military preparedness, law and order, property rights and free speech).

Do me a favour and hold the scorn for a minute. Forget that you disagree with these people, and try this thought experiment. Imagine that the roles are reversed. Imagine yourself – a fine, reasonable, upstanding citizen who works hard to do the best he can every day of his life – having serious concerns about the path your country has taken and being not only ignored but ridiculed for having those fears.

Keep holding that scorn. You can do it.

Imagine that your concerns are ignored and ridiculed, for years on end. That no matter how hard you try you can’t seem to get your message across. Year after year you see things deteriorate some more, and no politician speaks to your concerns. Until one day this bizarre orange person shows up and says, without fear or embarrassment, some of the things you’ve been saying for so long. Oh sure, he’s also saying things you don’t agree with – even things you find offensive. But there he is again talking about one of your biggest worries and pledging to do something to make it better!

You’re doing awesome on the scorn-holding front. You’re almost there. Keep it up!

You are so desperate and angry after being ignored and ridiculed for so many years that you are willing to ignore a lot of unpleasant facts about this weird orange person and cheer for him anyway. Because he’s the only one among all those politicians who’s not ignoring or ridiculing you. Better yet, the weird orange person gets ridiculed just like you and yet he keeps saying those things you’re so desperate to hear, and offers no apologies for his behaviour.

OK. Breathe, the thought experiment is over. Back to being you.

I know what you’re thinking. There’s a reason no serious politician speaks the way our long-frustrated angry voter does. That’s because that kind of talk is guaranteed to get anyone laughed out of the serious crowd. That’s not because everyone in the media is a liberal idiot. You’d be amazed how many conservatives and middle-of-the-road types lurk in newsrooms. I’m not prepared to say there’s no such thing as biased journalists, but as I’ve been saying to conservatives for years, if you believe in a media conspiracy to silence conservatives I’ve got a big shiny new bridge to sell you.

Also? I have news. Journalists can’t even organize pub night without 16 rounds of reply-all emails – and even then half the people typically fail to show up. Journalists couldn’t conspire to silence conservatives if they tried. They can’t even organize their own desk drawers.

Ryan Holiday, in his wonderful Ego is the Enemy, quotes Seneca that “He who indulges in empty fears earns himself real fears,” and adds that what paranoia usually does is create “the persecution it seeks to avoid, making the owner a prisoner of its own delusions and chaos.”

The reason our angry, frustrated and long-despised conservatives get ignored is because a lot of their opinions are often 1) very unpopular with normal people who are not themselves journalists; and 2) expressed in spectacularly sub-optimal ways.

I can count of the fingers of one hand the number of conservatives in this country who can express a conservative opinion without tangling themselves up in their own rhetorical ineptitude. I’m married to one of them (I disagree with him on a lot of things, but he’s one hell of a debater). It doesn’t help your cause when you look angry and clumsy while trying to make an unpopular point. It just reinforces people’s opinion of you as someone who doesn’t need to be taken all that seriously. Which angers our already frustrated conservative some more until one day he shows up at a rally wearing that red baseball cap and starts filling up his feed with #MAGA retweets.

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Nobody wins when all sides are shouting at each other when forced to interact and muttering darkly to themselves otherwise. We need to start talking to each other, not screaming at each other. And we need to start listening to one another.

We need a dialogue.

In practice, that means conservatives need to quit sounding so paranoid. That’s a big one. They also really ought to avoid whining about being ignored and/or persecuted. That just makes them sound petulant and entitled. I would also counsel evangelicals to really make an effort to refrain from using Biblical language when talking to non-Christians. It really grates on the ear, and that’s not helpful.

Fears about society going to hell in a handbasket may or may not be entirely justified. Personally I think it’s not quite as bad as all that. Human beings have been through worse, and somehow we’re still all here.

Regardless of what I think, if you’re trying to convince other people that current policies or ideas or ideologies are destructive, it helps a lot not to start the conversation with “YOU’RE TRYING TO DESTROY OUR COUNTRY!!!” I’m pretty sure there are no reasonable Canadians who are deliberately trying to do that, not even Gerald Butts. Being accused like that does not make anyone receptive to your points.

Explain your concerns gently. Acknowledge that you don’t see eye to eye with your interlocutors. Further acknowledge that there is some good in your opponents’ positions (really; do try to find something, even if it’s just good intentions). But then calmly and patiently walk them through your concerns. Help them understand something they might not even have thought about. Try to make your opponents into allies, if only for a tiny bit. That’s your beachhead. You need a beachhead. Because right now you’re out at sea.

Oh, and please – try to stay away from making people who don’t believe traditional heteronormative values are the entire point of civilized society not feel like unrepentant sinners. It’s a big, varied world with all kinds of funky people in it, and most of us are doing our best every day to be as good as we can. Gay parents aren’t worse than straight parents. In fact, I’ve met plenty of gay parents who were much better than the traditional, straight parents I had growing up. Granted, anecdotes don’t make for good policy. But do try to keep an open mind and an open heart. I strongly suggest keeping your focus on making sure children are well taken care of – because everyone agrees with that goal. And work very gently from there.

Lefties and other non-conservatives: Please stop calling people names because they hold views you consider retrograde. I get that a lot of Christians are annoying when they talk about people indulging in a gay “lifestyle”, as though being queer was a passing fad, like some kind of metaphysical fidget spinner. They make me cringe, too. But that doesn’t necessarily make them obnoxious bigots. Even in the cases where it does, there’s not much to be gained by shutting down a conversation with someone just because they take the Bible literally. Do try to engage them. Smile as you point them to statistics showing children raised in non-traditional homes do as well (if not, in certain cases, better) than their peers. Remind them – gently – that divorce does a lot more damage to children than having two mommies, and that divorce is, at the moment at least, an overwhelmingly heterosexual issue. That maybe we could all try to work to strengthen all families, for the benefit of the children who never asked to be there.

Engage conservatives on immigration and Western values. It’s to the benefit of everyone to make sure we don’t unwittingly allow tolerance to ding our cherished values of equality and inclusiveness. Agree that it would be OK to discriminate against a group that wanted to throw homosexuals off a cliff, or that anyone who demands the right to perform clitorectomies should be told to get in line or get out. Agree to some lines in the sand. Give conservatives something they can work with you to improve.

Show some sympathy for the crowds of people who – for one reason or another – find themselves bypassed by technological evolution. People whose skills are no longer in demand and who are too old to retrain. People who feel helpless and out-of-date with the world. You don’t have to remind them that their best-before date is fast approaching. They’re painfully conscious of it. The fact that some of them blame cheap labour and “job-stealing immigrants” for their troubles is unhelpful, I get it. But try to have some room in your heart for the thought that very often it’s anger and fear you hear talking, not real sentiment.

And if all of that fails, and you’re up against a wall of obtuseness in human form, keep in mind this splendid advice from The Power of No’s authors James and Claudia Altucher: 1) Don't argue; it's pointless. You will never change their mind. 2) Let them state their opinion. Try to learn something from it. Try to respect one angle of their point of view. 3) Everyone just wants to be heard. 4) Listen.

If we could all make an effort to listen to each other more, and yell insults less, we’d bring back much-needed sanity to our public square.

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[1] Lots of good people make a convincing case that there was indeed violence on all sides in Charlottesville. That some counter-protesters showed up to disrupt a rally that had been allowed by the authorities, armed with all kinds of weapons, clearly anticipating violence. Other counter-protesters were peaceful. As were some of the folks who showed up to protest the plan to remove the statue of Robert E. Lee. Fine. Nothing is 100% black-and-white, as it were. But when one person from one side (the side that associates with the KKK and neo-Nazis, as far as we know) rams his car into a crowd of people, the president has a solemn moral duty to come down hard on that side. Not to deny that there were bad people elsewhere. But to emphasize that deliberately killing people in the name of a racist ideology is unmistakably un-American.