#i am a very smart and capable person who cares about doing a good job - and i have a fine eye for smaller details as well

[hotsugarbyglassanimals]

it's probably the sunnier weather that's doing stuff to my brain to make me more optimistic but it's so interesting having a brain that craves a lot of self-fulfillment to the point where I can move past some hang-ups around perfection by going "oh I really wanna do that though" and then I do it well because researching how to do it right is also a rewarding part of the process

[pedrointofolklore]

This is me trying

pairing: joel miller x f!reader

summary: joel hated you. he hated the risks you took, the danger you put yourself in, the total lack of value you had for your own life. he hated how much he worried about you. click here for part two.

warnings: detailed depictions of depression, heavily implied suicidal ideation, slight violence, angst with a sprinkle of fluff, no explicit smut but it does get very suggestive (minors do not interact), minor character death, enemies to lovers, poor communication, misunderstandings, these fools don’t know how to act, joel is an asshole but then he’s sweet, brief mention of drug use, lots of swearing, age gap (unspecified), no use of y/n, boston era/ellie era.

word count: 2.6k

a/n: hey y’all. i just wanted to thank everyone who supported my last story rosebud (here’s a link if you want to read it). this story is a lot different and a lot sadder. i got the title from my favourite pop girlie taylor alison swift.

Joel hated you. It had to be his worst kept secret.

You hadn’t done anything to him. You used to think about it constantly, desperate to know what his reason was for despising you like he did, but you eventually accepted that he didn’t need a reason. He just didn’t like you. 

Joel wasn’t particularly likeable himself. He was rude and intimidating and one of the most morally bankrupt people you’d ever met, but you didn’t hate him the way he hated you. You were Tess’s lackey—Joel tolerated you, and you supposed he wasn’t obligated to do any more than that. Although, he didn’t do it very well.

You’d existed in each other’s orbit in the QZ for a while, and finally met one night in the boarded-up old mall when you’d gotten to a stash of painkillers just before them. Joel wouldn’t have hesitated to shoot you between the eyes if Tess hadn’t been there.

Tess saw something in you—not a friend, not a life worth sparing by virtue of humanity; a business investment.

And it was a smart investment. You were young, agile and clever, incredible at slipping by unnoticed and gathering information. You knew all the best routes, the best times to take them, and you could swindle anyone out of their rations just by batting your eyelashes. You were willing to take the lead, to be the first one in and out to make sure the coast was clear.

It wasn’t the threat of death or the promise of mercy that made you join them—it was the sense of purpose it gave you.

Joel was adamantly against it. Things worked fine the way they did them, and he saw no reason to add another person into it.

“Don’t need to fix something that ain’t broken,” was how he’d put it.

You didn’t dispute that. Joel and Tess had survived for years, and they were clearly more than capable of getting the job done, but what you lacked in experience, you made up for in stealth and speed—something their aging knees struggled with.

Tess convinced Joel, which you soon found out she was very good at. You also found out that his compliance didn’t mean hiding his resentment.

He thought you were a careless, impulsive loose cannon, and he’d told you so after a particularly dicey deal with a particularly dicey FEDRA agent.

“You’re gonna get yourself killed one of these days.” He followed you into your apartment uninvited. Tess made him walk you home, and you were sure he only did it because he wanted to berate you.

“Why do you care?” you asked, tossing your keys onto the counter. They slid off and hit the floor.

“You’re with us,” Joel replied. “You'll get us killed.”

You scoffed and rolled your eyes—you knew that infuriated him. “Am I on crack or have you not doubled your profits since I showed up?”

“I think you’re dangerous,” Joel said, ignoring you. “Always sneakin’ around, goin’ places you shouldn’t, playin’ mind games with FEDRA. Your luck’s gonna run out sooner or later, and I just hope I’m not around when it does.”

Your face burned with red-hot anger as you tried to fight the stinging in your eyes and the blurring of your vision, but you were too far gone. The tears fell, and they were ceaseless. You felt pathetic, but you knew this would happen. You didn’t often cry from sadness or pain, but anger always managed to bring it out in you.

“Who the fuck are you to tell me that?” you hissed. “You’re saying you don’t sneak around? You’ve never scammed anyone? You’re a smuggler, Joel! Be fucking real with me.”

“It’s different,” he said, clenching his jaw.

“Why, because you’re older? Because you have more experience?”

“‘Cause I don’t think I’m fuckin’ special.”

If his words were the dagger, the pure contempt in his tone was what plunged it into your stomach, twisted it, and left a gaping hole for all of your despair to come pouring out of, leaving behind a puddle of melancholia for him to gaze at in all its miserable glory.

It was the only time you might have hated Joel as much as he hated you. Working with him and Tess wasn’t perfect, but it was all you had, and now he’d managed to make it all meaningless. Your help wasn’t helping.

“Fuck you, Joel,” you spat.

You should have quit then, and you thought about it. After pounding your fists into Joel’s chest and screaming at him to get the fuck out of your apartment, you sunk down onto the floor and cried. You cried until you ran out of tears and were left with a nothing but a throbbing headache. You took a pill, passed out, and woke up to you discover that you’d lost the energy to really care about any of it.

You didn’t quit. If anything, you became even more audacious, but you never confused it with courage or bravery. Bravery was perseverance in the face of terror. Joel and Tess were brave. You weren’t like them.

Joel laid off after that. He wasn’t anything close to nice, but whatever animosity he held towards you was only ever expressed as quiet seething, and you could live with that.

Any fulfilment you got out of working with Joel and Tess dissolved, but for what it was, it still worked.

Until it didn’t.

Tess was dead. The buffer between you and Joel was gone, and you had no choice but to work together and get the immune girl to Wyoming.

You wondered if there was a silver-lining in this wreckage. You thought that circumstance might force Joel to finally get along with you, and so you did the one thing you never did—you tried. You tried to help him, tried to speak to him like he was someone you actually wanted to speak to, tried to rein in some of your more annoying traits so you wouldn’t get on his nerves.

None of it worked. All you could get out of Joel seemed to be irritated mumbles and blank stares, and you couldn’t even blame him after what happened to Tess.

You never really knew if Tess actually gave a shit about you, or if she only ever cared about having an extra pair of hands around. Either way, you cared about her.

So, once again, you tried. When Joel and Ellie were sleeping—or at least pretending to—you walked down to the stream and tried to cry for her, but you couldn’t muster the tears. You even tried to get angry, mentally cuss her out for leaving you behind, but your eyes were dry.

You stared into the water, gazing at the way it sparkled in the starlight, and thought that the world didn’t deserve such a pretty sight. You couldn’t cry, but a deep sadness overtook you, weighing you down like lead.

Joel didn’t hate you.

He just hated how impulsive and reckless you were. He hated that you were smart, intuitive, and so maddeningly beautiful. He hated the risks you took, the danger you put yourself in, the total lack of value you had for your own life. He hated how much he worried about you.

There was a time he had disliked you. He used to think it was arrogance—that you truly believed you were so special that you could get away with anything. It was when he called you out on it that he realised how wrong he was.

Your reaction was frightening. You cried and screamed at him, pushed him out of your space. He didn’t know you were capable of such a strong display of emotion, but he’d struck a nerve, and those were the repercussions.

He recalled how the blows to his chest didn’t hurt, like there was no force behind them. You weren’t weak at all, you just couldn’t find the willpower to really hurt him. He wished you had hurt him. Maybe getting it out of your system would have helped. Maybe he wouldn’t have had to feel so guilty.

It became so obvious to him what was happening, and he felt like an idiot for not understanding it sooner. It wasn’t that you thought you were special, or immune to the consequences—you just didn’t care what happened to you.

Now Tess was gone, and he had this horrible feeling that he was going to lose you too.

His way of dealing with it was to push you away even more. He told himself it would make things easier when you inevitably left him.

Things came to a head one night after the three of you left Lincoln. Joel had been driving all day, and he would be doing it again the next day. He was in desperate need of sleep, but as he stared out into the eerie darkness of the woods, he couldn’t shake the feeling that something terrible would happen if he didn’t stay awake.

He heard the rustling of a sleeping bag sometime after midnight. He thought it was you just rolling over in your sleep—something you often did—but then he heard the faint sound of dead leaves crunching under feet, and you were by his side a moment later.

“What are you doing, Joel?” you asked in a soft, sleepy voice that made his chest ache.

“Keepin’ watch,” he replied bluntly.

“But you’re driving tomorrow,” you said. “You need sleep.”

“I’m fine.”

“I’ve slept, so I can take over,” you offered.

“I just told you I’m fine.”

“I’m just trying to help—”

“I don’t need your fucking help.”

You backed off, hanging your head in shame, and he instantly felt horrible—you were being nice to him and he was still being a complete asshole.

Joel tried to tear his gaze away from you. He wanted to pretend this wasn’t happening, that he hadn’t just done that, but his eyes stayed on you. He watched the shame dissolve and replace itself with indignation. You pulled your head up and glared at him with a fire in your eyes that threatened to burn right through him.

“I get it, okay? I’m sorry.”

“What are you talkin’ about?”

“I never meant for you to get stuck with me. I know it’s your worst fucking nightmare. If I could switch places with Tess—“

“Stop.” He wouldn’t hear that. He couldn’t. It would kill him. “That’s not—I’m not thinkin’ that. I’m glad you’re here, understand? I need you with me.”

You let out a bitter laugh. The sound hit his ears like a gunshot. “You just told me you didn’t. All you’ve done—all you’ve ever done—is act like I’m a fucking waste of space.”

Joel’s mouth when dry, his heart dropped to his stomach, and he thought he might vomit. It shouldn’t have shocked him like it did, but hearing you say it made him sick. He put the gun he’d been clutching down on the ground, disarming himself in more ways than one. “I don’t think that…I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I just—fuck—I don’t know. I don’t know anything. Are you gonna leave?”

“Leave this mission or this mortal coil?"

“Either, I guess.”

“Do you want me to leave?” Your voice was just a whisper, and it felt like you were ripping Joel’s heart out and crushing it in your hands.

Fuck no, he didn’t want you to leave, and that was what scared him the most; feeling attached to someone so detached (and yes, he was a hypocrite). He wouldn’t be able to take it if he woke up one day and you were gone.

But he couldn’t keep doing this to you. It was selfish and cowardly and it just made everything worse. He made everything worse.

“I can’t do this without you,” he told you. He hadn’t known how true it was until he said it.

“Okay.”

“I’m serious.” He felt suddenly impassioned. “You can’t…if you…just don’t. Promise me you won’t.” He couldn’t say it, couldn’t let the words out of his mouth and into the universe. You both knew what he meant.

“I promise,” you said. You sounded oddly tranquil, but Joel was destroyed, even though he knew he didn’t have the right to be—this was entirely his fault.

“Can you let me keep watch so you can get some sleep?” you asked again.

He shook his head.

“Why not?”

“Just need to know where you are.”

You stared at him, eyes wide and glossy, and for a second he thought you might start crying. Before he could think of something to do or say, your hands were on either side of his face, pulling him down into an urgent kiss.

He didn’t know what was happening, what you were thinking, or what he was thinking, but it didn’t matter, he just knew he needed to kiss you back. One of his hands found your waist while the other splayed out across your back, pulling you flush against him.

It was nowhere near sweet. It was intense and unyielding—a frantic clashing of teeth and bruising of lips. It was intoxicating, earth-shattering, but felt so right, like it was always meant to happen—or needed to happen.

Your arms wrapped around his neck, somehow bringing him impossibly closer to you. You hiked a leg up around his hip and tugged his pelvis forward. He ran a hand down from your waist, brushing it over your ass and gripping your thigh.

You rolled your hips into his, eliciting a deep, involuntary groan from him. He was painfully hard. He knew he would regret this, but he set your leg down and managed to tear his mouth away from yours. 

He missed the feeling immediately, and he didn’t have the self-control to pull away completely. His hands were still on you, pressing you against him. You looked so pretty and ruined gazing back at him; breathless and flustered with pink, swollen lips.

Fuck.

You had just kissed Joel Miller, the man you hated. 

You didn’t hate him.

You kissed the man who hated you.

He didn’t hate you.

You kissed the only person you had left. You kissed him even though it made no sense. You kissed him because you wanted to.

You started it, but then he stopped it. His eyes were dark, his face was flushed, and the bulge in his jeans was not going away. He looked like he was in pain, struggling with his own conscience.

“Sorry,” you whispered.

“Don’t be sorry.” He grinned softly and reached a hand up to tangle in your hair. It was an unexpectedly sweet gesture. “I liked it.”

Your heart melted. He was so lovely, so dear. You never imagined in your wildest dreams that Joel Miller could be like this.

“Just don’t wanna take advantage,” he said.

“You’re not. I kissed you,” you reminded him.

“I know, but you're upset, and you don’t like me much, and you’re tired. Don’t want you doing anything you don’t actually wanna do.”

You did want it, but you were also overwhelmed and exhausted, and more importantly, it would have been a majorly fucked up thing to do with a 14 year old sleeping 20 feet away.

“But if you still want it later”—he gave you another chaste kiss—“you can have it.”

You giggled, kissing him one more time. You didn’t know when you'd be able to again.

His gentle smile faded, and he looked into your eyes with devastating sincerity. “I got you now, okay?”

“I know, Joel.”

“Do you have me?” he asked.

“I’m trying.” You hoped that would be enough, because it was all you had.

“That’s all I need, sweetheart.”

a/n: so i wrote most of this when i was sick with the flu and i fully intended for it to be a one-shot, but i love this dynamic and i’m thinking of exploring it further. let me know if y’all would be interested in seeing more of these two. (edit: this a/n is now redundant bc i did in fact write the sequel).

[dreamofmetoday]

KARINA AND WINTER DYNAMIC READING

this reading was a paid request, a big thank you to the buyer!

overall:

so they’re just very out of sync, they can get along somewhat often but it’s as if every time they’re getting along they know they’re only 2.5 seconds away from them pissing each other off. they don’t really seek to be best friends but they do want to get along. i get the vibe of wanting a work bestie almost - it’s sort of like, they know a lot of members in other groups are not actual friends but when they travel together they’re able to explore the new city or country together and still have fun so they wish to achieve that sort of dynamic. they really both don’t want to waste the unique experiences that come with their job especially, knowing that these travels and events should be cherished, so it really is motivation for them to get along. in this sense they’re both definitely putting in a somewhat significant amount of effort, this effort is also coloured by what they’ve learnt about each other over the years and is genuine compromise (and comes with pushing down their feelings and inhibits some natural behaviour). so, for example, what ends up happening is essentially winter doing things like, “okay since i’m not a picky eater, i don’t mind eating what karina wants to eat so i will just go where she wants to” and karina doing things like, “instead of getting annoyed that i almost stepped on winter’s dirty laundry again, i know she is genuinely forgetful so i will just pick it up myself (or joke about it instead of addressing it angrily)”. there’s also a sense of trying to not get annoyed by what the other person says, both of them finding each other unnecessarily hurtful or irritating. however, where the problem lies is that it’s much more difficult in practice or when it’s actually happening, which is why in the beginning i said it’s as if they’re only 2.5 seconds away from pissing each other off. basically, they both tell themselves they won’t get annoyed but then when one of them actually says something annoying it’s like, “well how am i supposed to not be upset now?” and the mood shifts from being light to awkward or tense. overall, they really try to be responsible and practical with this connection but the fact that it feels like a responsibility becomes overwhelming.

how does karina see winter:

she sees winter as someone who doesn’t care what people think, for better or worse (she likes that winter is going to be who she is but finds that she’s really immature at times). she thinks winter is almost rebellious but thinks she is clever (think: giving a real answer in an interview and not a PR one but being really smart and even funny about it), karina likes this at times but it still makes her nervous. she views winter as someone who is genuinely giving, as someone who makes an effort to be a good person to other people and gives more than she receives in most cases (which karina appreciates). however, there is the sense of understanding the fact they’re not really on the same wavelength so she sees winter as someone who is inherently different from her. she also knows winter is someone who can make her laugh a lot but also someone who can make her mad easily (so karina is honest and aware of the connection in this sense, knowing winter makes her “emotional”). she has a genuine soft spot for winter, wanting good things for her and sympathising with her rather easily but it comes with a condition almost, the condition being that winter knows her place and doesn’t try to outdo her. lastly, she thinks winter can be childish and that she can be too impulsive (even in small ways, e.g. she thinks winter is likely to say the wrong thing on bubble due to immaturity and thoughtlessness).

how does winter see karina:

winter views karina as highly capable, thinking that karina just knows the correct way to do things. winter admires this about karina but thinks it also makes karina overly demanding sometimes and impatient when people aren’t as intuitive or as smart as she is. she thinks karina has great stamina and drive, that she sees karina work hard practically every single day to achieve her goals (even in small ways such as being very strict with her diet and never making an excuse to not exercise). in this sense, winter sees karina as really authentic and honest - kind of like, “when i met karina she told me she was going to make it to the top and stay there and that’s exactly what she does daily”. winter also thinks karina values money highly but doesn’t actually see her as very selfish even though she can tell karina wants to show off, she thinks karina is very generous to her family (and likely especially her mother) and tries to share and give them a lot. she thinks karina is pretty ruthless and mean sometimes but a part of winter admires this too, since she thinks a lot of people in the industry are cruel and that karina is strong for this and won’t easily be taken down. she thinks karina is pretty, seeing her as wanted by many people but also in the sense where she views it in awe a little (e.g. why does karina wake up looking refreshed everyday and i need to shower and everything before i look normal). however, she views karina as quite lonely and that her intense focus on career is harmful - both in the sense it means she focuses on other things (such as personal connections) less and also in the sense that she’s easily upset (such as crying often when she thinks a stage or variety appearance went poorly). this is also why winter thinks her and karina simply just value different things and it causes them to walk at different paces.

[thecoffeenebula]

Jennifer the energy drainer

Strange New Worlds

Scotty Fanfiction

Warnings: none

You have been working with a difficult person for the past few weeks and you are done with it. You walk up to your boyfriend Scotty who is trying to calm you down from the whole situation.

“ARRGGHHHHHH” you come walking into the engineering room. Scotty almost fell of his chair as you entered.

“Jesus Christ, are you alright?”

You give him the side eyed look. You were frowning. Everything you frowned you at two small wrinkles above your eyebrows, which sometimes made it look as if you had two extra sets of eyebrows. Scotty always found that very cute.

You did not even respond to his question. It made him stand up and follow you around the room. You noticed of course but tried to keep him in the background. You were angrily grabbing the stuff you needed for your next job.

“I am going to throw her out of an airlock.”

Scotty chuckled. All the pieces fell together for him now.

“Ahh, Jennifer.”

“Yes, Jennifer. If she says one more word…”

“Then what?” Scotty chuckles softly.

“Then she better run.”

Scotty thinks it is adorable when you are angry. Scary but adorable. He knows not to mess with you when you are angry. But to see you so furious about some stupid girl who has nothing on her makes it very adorable. He tries to turn you around, grabbing your upper arms. At first you refuse as you just want to focus on the task ahead, as frustrated as you are now. But after struggling for a few seconds you let him turn you around to face him.

“Why do you keep letting her into your head? She is not worth your energy.”

You drop your tricorder onto the table. “I know, she just makes it very difficult…” her eyes lock onto Scotty’s eyes.

“Nothing I do is good enough. ‘you have to keep it higher otherwise it won’t work.’ ‘No, don’t put that on, that won’t look good’ ‘would you do that.’ ‘oh has she not done that yet, I will go tell her to’… it drives me crazy. You know how many times I wanted to hand her all my stuff and tell her to do it on her own.”

Your eyes become watery. “As long as her back is free that everything is okay. Everything she says and does is so empty. There is literally nothing to it. She is such a narcissistic bitch!” You throw the equipment in your other hand to the panel opposite to you.

It shocked Scotty that you were throwing with stuff. He really noticed that you were done. You had been working with her for more than a week. She was supposed to stay for only one week, but due to a stupid malfunction she sticked along. You and Scotty figured out that she was not the smart one of the group, as she knew nothing about fixing it.

“How is she an engineer? She does no engineering work… we have to do all the works, she just commandeers us around! And she is not even the commander, Scott! She is not!”

You burst out into tears, your bucket has become full of working with a person like this. She only cared about herself, her looks and her image, everything else she did not bother to care for. She walked around like she was everything, like she had her back free of stuff.

You knew she was insecure. It was undoubtedly the problem. Her insecurity shined through so brightly. But she was one of those people who could not bare to see other people thrive so she kept blewing out their candles.

Scotty wraps his arms around her, as you were in dire need of a hug. You were sobbing. Sobbing so hard that it was difficult to grasp for air.

“It’s okay” he softly kisses your head.

“It’s okay to be upset about it. She is a witch, a horrible wicked witch of a person.”

“Witch…. More like bitch” you said softly. You both chuckled.

“What a bitch, she is.”

You looked up at him.

“If she is such a bother, why do we not report it to captain Pike. He notices her behaviour too, he should now about how much this is bothering you. This is not a healthy work environment for you right now.”

You nodded.

“We could do that, but I just want to be capable of standing up to myself.”

“I get that, and you will. I can train you.”

You smiled at him

“You would do that?”

He nods “For the cutest girl of the ship, I most certainly would.”

It makes you blush even more.

“Thank you.”

Scotty moved closer to her. “But only on one condition…” he smiled brightly. You knew instanly what it meant.

“If that is all…” you moved in closer to and kissed him. As you pulled back Scotty pulled you back in again. “No, just a little more.” You smiled.

After the kiss Scotty still told her he was going to make a notice of it at captain Pike, as it was distrupting his duty as well. You agreed with him. The both of you walked out and had a drink at the deck. Talking about how you could defeat this ‘Jennifer’ with the power of you.

[algolagniaa]

having a disordered personality is the fucking worst. I’m “cured” I guess in that I don’t act crazy anymore and haven’t in a long time but I live in hell every day. I genuinely think if a lot of people had to live in my head they would kill themselves, because I’m a beautiful insanely smart tenacious capable compassionate woman who is well liked and has a lot to be proud of and I KNOW that, but I can’t make myself believe it emotionally. in my head everyone is my enemy, even the people I’m closest to only tolerate me and will leave me forever if I’m not perfect, I’m one mistake away from fucking up everything I try and I have to be perfect because no one will be there to catch me if I fall. my job has been making me so anxious since I got certified and I wasn’t sure why because yeah I get bitten and get my hair pulled a lot but since when am I afraid of physical pain? but it’s not actually the physical pain that bothers me bc all my nightmares about my job (of which I have a lot) are about the kids not liking me and/or getting fired. and I’ve been told I’m doing a really good job but that doesn’t matter bc I don’t feel like I’m in control of what happens at my job at all. and I’m literally So mean to myself in my head all the time and you guys know I can be REALLY mean when I put my mind to it especially if I know the person well. honestly most of you other than mayyyyyybe Oscar haven’t even seen a fraction of how mean I can be, and I know myself the best so I’m sooooo much worse to myself. and it makes no sense because I like myself!! but I like myself the way I like book characters, like I think I would fucking kill it as a book character in really most genres but I don’t think I’m well adapted to real life or well suited to the like actual material things that matter in actual life and not in books. and I’m not going to go into all the things in my life that have led me to believe that bc that’s pointless but there’s a lot of evidence I could use to back my statement up. and if I’m not good at life it doesn’t matter how great I am otherwise. and I think on some level I’m afraid to just let myself enjoy all the good things I have and not worry about losing them bc what if then I do lose them and I’m caught off guard by it. always better to not get complacent. and no one would get this about me bc they think I don’t care what people think about me bc it seems like I don’t, but I actually NEED people’s approval and it only seems like I don’t care bc I’m just that bad at acting like a normal person + even if I did get the act down perfectly I still wouldn’t want to bc then people wouldn’t like ME they’d like what I was pretending to be. but I’m really lonely all the time and never feel like I’m good enough or that people like me and when people don’t like me or even just don’t like me enough it feels like I got punched in the not fun way. and it gets very taxing to live like this. and I think if someone who didn’t have my numerous virtues had to live like this they just wouldn’t be able to hack it.

[queenharumiura]

@whiskeysmulti || Just a scene that played in my head as I was deliberating on a ship tag.

-

Haru was in the kitchen making some snacks. It’s been years of her doing this, and Nana-san had long since given Haru the permission to use the ingredients in the kitchen to make snacks for the guys if they were hungry and she was out running some errands. She didn’t want growing boys and kids to go starving, and she couldn’t very well bring them with her everywhere she went to run her errands.

Sometimes, the kids would join her in the kitchen and help. I-pin was the one who was an actual help in the kitchen whereas Lambo was the taste tester, as if Haru didn’t already know how to cook proficiently and had no need for one.

This time, it was just Haru and Lambo in the kitchen. Lambo was sitting in a chair watching as Haru was preparing some fillings that would go inside of onigiri. Lambo was feeling quite proud of himself recently, because he feels as though he was a big contributing factor that helped the two stubborn idiots realize they were mutually in love with each other.

As such, shouldn’t he be allowed to ask questions? “Ne, Haru, Lambo-san has a question for you. Why Gokudera?”

“Hahi? What kind of question is that Lambo-chan?” Haru chuckles. Even if the question sounded like Lambo was doubtful of Gokudera, she knew that wasn’t the case. Lambo was quite fond of Gokudera, even if the other party wasn’t the kindest to him most days. “I like him, that’s why. It’s as simple as that. He’s smart, he’s dedicated, loyal, multi-faceted, he’s got that dangerous charm about him,” she’s moving around in the kitchen so effortlessly, it’s like she’s in her own kitchen at home, “I like the sound of his voice, it’s comforting. He has the prettiest green eyes. I like the fact he’s transparent about the things he doesn’t like.” Like the case of the fangirls flocking around him, it’s apparent he’s not interested in any of them.

“Even though he’s got a rough side, he also has a gentler side to him. That, Lambo-chan, is what we call a gap moe.” She turns to look at him and waves the rice spatula for emphasis. “A lot of girls are weak to that, take note. He’s reliable and capable. He may get on my nerves a lot, but he accepts me for who I am and my quirks. He doesn’t disparage me for any of it. He may be rough, but when you realize that it sometimes hides the way he cares, it makes all the small actions feel all the more special.”

Lambo didn’t expect such a long answer to a small question, but he’s not surprised. Haru was the sort that sometimes rambled on and on if it was something she was passionate about.

“He’s a passionate person, which matches my own, I’d say.” Of course, this sometimes translated to the both of them getting into fights if one of them was passionate enough about something. “Sometimes I let my emotions take over, so he can be the one to ground me and keep me level-headed.” She would try helping him get in touch with his more emotional side. She felt like he was very closed off, and it was good to open every now and again. It was very freeing. “There is a good balance of things we have in common and things that we contrast each other on. At the end of the day, he makes me happy and feel like I’m special.”

Haru motioned for him to come closer so he could do his job: taste-testing. She got a thumbs up, so she continued prepping some other fillings. She memorized the preferences that some of the guys had, so she was putting in the effort to make rice balls for all of them that they’d like.

Sure, it was a lot of work, but she liked to see them enjoy what she made for them. They all did so much for everyone, so this amount of effort was nothing by comparison. “Any other questions?”

“Yeah! You used to say that Tsuna was perfect, does that mean Gokudera is also perfect? He’s a jerk.” He says the last thing as if he wants to remind her of a demerit to hold against Gokudera, but the way Lambo snickered, it was clear to the both of them that he was just joking.

For the mafia, being a jerk was par for the course, honestly.

Haru put all the fillings in their own separate bowls and she was waiting for the rice to finish cooking. “Hm… is Gokudera perfect, huh? Like, in which way? Is he perfect for me, you mean?” She asks as her head turns to the rice cooker when it chimes to let her know the rice is finished.

“Yeah, do you think he’s perfect for you?”

Haru is scooping the rice into a bigger bowl so she can season it before she starts forming the onigiri. She starts humming in thought.

“I don’t settle for anything less than what I want. You aren’t just what I want, either. Gokudera, you’re what I wanted and then more on top of that.”

“No, Gokudera isn’t perfect for me.” Haru is grabbing the salt, sugar, and vinegar. “You see, to me, perfection sounds like that’s the peak. You can’t get any better than that.” She starts seasoning the rice, tasting the flavor as she goes. Multi-tasking, she is. “That’s where the problem lies, I find new reasons to love him all the time. I find myself loving him more as time goes on, so there is no peak.”

There, the seasoning is perfect. Now to start making onigiri! She dips her hands in cold water and gets started on getting the warm rice in her hands, dabbing filling in the center and then rolling.

"I think, that sometimes, I feel like he's more than I deserve, and that's okay. It only means I have room to grow. So as I continue to love him more every day, I hope it's the same for him."

Lambo felt like it was a bit of a technicality, “Then, if he's not perfect, what is he for you?”

That was a good question, Haru had to pause and think about it as she was mixing the seasonings into the rice. She couldn’t think of a good word that was suitable. “How about this? Let’s just term it perfect+ that’ll do.”

“Eheheh! Perfect+! That’s funny!”

Was Haru okay with speaking about this with Lambo in the kitchen where anyone could hear their conversation if they came down the stairs? Of course, why wouldn’t she be? She wasn’t saying anything she wouldn’t say to Gokudera’s face if he asked her himself.

[onmymasa22]

I love u but its not my job to fix u

I need to reparent myself. I dont have anxiety but i was raised by parents with anxiety. People everywhere i am have anxiety. And there was a lot i wasnt allowed to do. And that suffocated me a lot of the time. They were great parents and i never needed to worry about food or a roof or clothing or school. But them being narotic made me suffer and makes me need to parent myself and reteach myself to experiment and fall and live for myself. Maybe i want a tattoo that means i live for myself now. Im taking life into my own hands now. Im going to instill confidence in myself.

Dear little me.

When you were little, mommy and daddy said no to u alot. They were incharge strictly. They wouldnt let u cross the street, walk outside alone, drive, be out in tge rain, sleepover at someones house, have someone drive me. Everything was about their wellbeing. And thats self centered. They had no room in their heads for whst was best for my well being. They cared most about their anxiety remaining at a low level, and this made u feel not confident in yourself to be okay. It made having friends difficult. N9w that ur an adult and u have friends, u see, it wasnt ever about u. It was about them. And although their might be positives to this like individuallity and confidence to stick out, it gave me very little confidence in my skilld for things that no amount of words can fix. Im sorry u were raised like that. U deserved better than that. U had self absorbed parents. And now u need to be your own parent. Because u dont need them controlling you anymore. And you know, u r more capable than u think. Life is good to u and u r good to life. You will get everything u want from life. U will live the life u dream of. I wish i was a travel for months kind of person, but vacation kills me often. Im not a vacation person. Its great for a bit, but more than that is just too much. Im brilliant. I have enough scholastic smart to get by and my street smarts is off the charts for someone who isnt overly talketive. I am beautiful. I have a beautiful body, womanly and renassance paintingy. I have red wavy thick hair, big brown eyes, skin that tans and gets freckles in the summer. Sloping shoulders, long skinny legs. My feet are in proportion, everything is in proportion. Im kind. Im one of the kindest p

I will be a world famous artist with pieces in paris and everywhere. And they will b in a secretary in an office. I lear.t in life fhat some people r beneath me to engage in conversation with. Its beneath me. Its a princess talking to the tailor. I dont argue with a tailor. I dont argue with ppl living on the street. To me, u r like some idiot who lives on the street. And u treat me vad and i just know that thsts u. I forgive u for being a jerk to me.

I dont care. Arguing is a street person thing. Im above that. So maybe theres stuff i wish i said, or couodve said. But I'm glad i didnt engage.

The classes this past year were so stupid. Every class was a bust. But i had a blast in real life. With my friends. Going everywhere on shabbats. Honestly, the best class was archtypes. Its hard to not be egotistical looking at pples art. Cuz to me, its not art, or its selling art. I want to make fine art. I want to be one of those people students will talk about.

Every time they're an asshole to u, just think, ppl were assholes to all the famous artists. But u only need one to believe in u. Thats rachel. She gets me. R they going to give me her, probably not. Just like i asked for a room on the art floor with a window.

Ill be ok

[the-firebird69]

Glenn *CONVICTED* West Sacramento,CA

He's doing this all the time getting arrested and thinks he's invincible and it's really ridiculous he's burning his people up very fast for someone who is not confident he has control over the spheres even if he did either capabilities are more limited than he thinks and they would need to be repaired and replaced and tons of parts and he's an idiot basically there's a couple of huge holes this guy was out as Ted Williams as his whole body that was frozen but then his head was detached and moved around during that time. We're fixing their computers to have these two jerk offs run around and stick their faces in everyone's face but then he says he captured them in 97 and we think that's a lie because he was in the accident and he was more injured than they were and nobody touched them from burial to now and everybody's been watching

Thor Freya

Olympus

I got to tell you you're pretty smart and all sorts of dumb things I'm saying he says he's not in the corner and it says I am and I'm about to get smashed and it's really not ashamed he says and I'm a piece of s*** and it should have gotten rid of me a long time ago. So this poor piece of s*** and he says it and I look it and I'm doing really stupid things to try and convince people to have the computer and he doesn't care about the computer it says it can't do the work it's not necessarily true and Tommy f is not crazy enough to blow the top is true and starts doing it and he knows it it says there's a few reasons why you knows David and clowns couldn't do the job. They got wiped out and we're trying to do it and say that he is he says there's nothing to say on this f****** loser who doesn't belong to the apartment next door is annoying as hell and is stalking me it should not be running for president because he's been attacking the United States who says it's not done yet but he has a few more attacks for me to do and take credit for good that's terrific

Trump

It's true too you're kind of a big huge ass scapegoat and your demand to me you demand to be that and you you are and you're dying everyday and you don't care cuz you're a huge f****** weird person

Thor Freya

I guess I won't shut up but everyone's saying I'm stupid I've been hit a lot I guess I'm missing something pretty big it's probably something I don't want and I don't want to admit it he says I don't have to admit it it's happening and I caused it and missed and should know about it and don't seem to no I know about it and I have fleets sitting up there and I'm trying to have them go after Venus and he says The fleets are pieces of s*** and the worst is the one you want to use and you couldn't kidnap a fly in a couple weeks. So I'm sitting here talking and nobody's listening and all that horse s***

Trump

You can see that he's just going to sit there saying and doing the same thing whether or not things have changed or not no matter what we say he's going to come back said your nukes are deactivate of deactivated and your threats are no longer valid

Thor Freya

What I want to know is how do you know but they say is we've been infiltrated in a big Way by a lot of groups and that sucks it's chaotic he says some of those bunkers might blow up like they have been with your armies in them boohoo so we're going to take it out on you and it's just I'm going to take it out of you and murder you first and have your stupid clan killed here as a matter of fact every time you threatens my life I'm going to start killing some of the idiots in the neighborhood you can take the brunt of it because you don't do your job

[scientia-rex]

You have no idea what my day looked like. Who I served and how. You don’t have any right to it. I didn’t decide to make activism a hobby or a part time gig; going into medicine in underserved rural communities is activism, because you’re doing the difficult thing that no one else wants to do. Another provider gave their notice this week. Another smart, capable, caring person from a city went back to a city. They will have worked here for about six months.

It’s not sexy or glamorous activism to go to work at 8am and then spend the next eleven hours working. I do it all the time. I sit there with my folder of faxes and forms I need to sign. I sign in to Epic and there are twenty patients to prep charts for, reminding myself who they are and what I said to them last time, or learning as much as I can as fast as I can about them, if I’ve never met them before. I have a panel of 1200 people and I’m still being given new patients. This means I can’t be as good a provider as I want to be to those 1200 patients. They complain about how long it takes to see me as if I control that, rather than the clinic I work for. When I open my inbox in the morning, no matter how clear I got it the night before, I can safely assume I’ll have at least 70 messages. Some of them will just be specialists CCing me on notes I don’t have time to read. Some will be angry requests from patients who think this system is my fault, personally.

I have accepted that I might fired if I keep pushing for a trans patient of mine to get the legally mandated insurance coverage for gender care. No one at the clinic has threatened me, but they are also very obviously not on my side here. And I told her this week that if the clinic won’t help, I will help her sue her insurance company. I’m not joking. She can’t possibly do this alone; she’s broke and very sweet but not savvy or intellectual about any of this. She thinks the insurance company will have to pay just because that’s the rule. I don’t want to spend money on this, I don’t want to spend time on it, but I will, the same way I am flirting with getting fired by providing medication abortions with the approval of my boss but not his bosses, who don’t know. I know exactly what this town is like and I know it would be easy to end up as a headline. There’s a reason no one does surgical abortions here, and it’s not just that the hospital is Catholic-owned and won’t allow it. I told my husband before I even went into med school that there might come a time when my safety and his are at risk because providing abortions is that important to me. He agreed. This is not an academic discussion.

You can and should care about genocide. Every one of them, every time, every life ruined, every life taken. You cannot demand that I prove I’m crying along with you, shoving knives into my eyeballs by watching children get starved and wounded and killed and traumatized to prove that I care enough to be considered good. What would you rather I do: post about Palestine and how badly the US government as a whole and Joe Biden as a person are fucking this up a thousand times, or donate ten bucks to a swing state race? What accomplishes more?

If I fuck myself up badly enough on one atrocity, I can make it impossible for me to keep doing my job, which is trying to keep a thousand much smaller atrocities at bay in a system where if I don’t do this, no one will. The jail never has enough doctors to provide care for inmates. The county never wants to pay for their care, even when we are literally being sued right now for not providing adequate care. I can’t order a hepatitis C test anymore at the jail because the head nurse will get ripped a new asshole by the leadership, because “if we’re not going to treat, we shouldn’t test.” I learned this last week when I tried to order a hepatitis C test for an at-risk inmate. The head nurse has only been here 3 months. The last one left to become a traveler nurse because she got so sick of how awful working at the jail is and how dehumanizing it is to inmates and providers alike. I’ve worked there for three years now, and two years before that as a resident. I’ve outlasted every single nurse and assistant who were working there when I started.

I care about Palestine and I can’t fix it. What I can do is show up to my job and give a furious, suicidally depressed, older queer patient twice as much time as is on my schedule while she yells at me because her unfixable chronic pain is too much to take. I have to steal that time from the next patient, whose Suboxone I’ve now been writing for five years, because I know he’s stable enough for that, although I doubt he’ll ever fully quit the meth. And the next patient, whose Nexplanon I’m putting in after managing her complicated medication abortion. This isn’t hypothetical. This is three out of twenty-one patients today. It’s supposed to be twenty, but I crammed an extra patient in because I did her abortion, too, and gave her my cell phone number so she could text me when she got scared, which she did. And now she has another health issue she needed to talk about. My medical assistant had to teach her what labia meant. She’s so young.

How much of my life do I have to spend shoving myself through a meat grinder to prove how good I am? Fuck you, fuck you, fuck you. I am shepherding my energy because no one else will do it for me, least of all the jackals of the Internet, who will never be satisfied. They’ll watch Oedipus put out his eyes and they’ll say, he didn’t suffer enough. There’s no such thing as suffering enough for them. Do you need to see me crying in my car to believe I care? Do you need me to post after post after post about how much I care about this genocide, this time? Was it enough when I watched the Gulf War footage and made myself sick over it as a child, or when I watched Slobodan Milosevic’s horrifying genocide on TV as anchors struggled to pronounce his name right? Did I not care enough about Rwanda because I didn’t watch Don Cheadle’s undoubtedly very good movie about it? By the time Darfur started I was in college and busy, and feeling guilty about being busy. Forget the workload and the depression, I owe it (to who?) to hurt myself over it. In residency there were white cops killing Black men and woman and children and I had to keep showing up to work and so did my Black colleagues, and when I proposed that we give Black residents a day off by calling in attendings when there’s a nationally televised shooting of an unarmed Black person, the admins said no and then were shocked the next year when our only Black resident in that class dropped out, citing the culture of racism. In residency there were children in cages, dying on the US side of the border, and my white assigned mentor took five minutes of all of our exhausted lives at a mandatory meeting to cry about how sad it made her. When I suggested we have a moment at the beginning of staff meetings to donate to charities she said stiffly how SHE already donated a SIZABLE portion of her earnings (to whom? How much?). She cried about the children, and it didn’t fix the problem. The people being tortured at Abu Ghraib were tortured whether I watched the news or not. Guantanamo didn’t close even though we all talked about it, a lot, even though Obama wanted to close it, because that’s not how power works. We don’t have much power, even collectively, compared to oligarchs. The US is an oligarchy. This is why we aren’t doing the obviously right thing and helping Palestinians. We should be doing that as a country, we should say here is the bright line, the senseless mass slaughter of children has to be unacceptable. We aren’t.

You don’t get to tell me what horrifying thing I should be actively seeking out today. The horrifying things come to me. I made my life this way on purpose. If you can’t be gentle and kind to someone with dementia now, I don’t think you’ll be able to do it if, when, it’s our turn, and we’re living in a destroyed husk of what was our lives.

Pick something real to do and do it and don’t waste your time policing whether other people feel the right things and display those right things loudly enough for you. Pray in your home, not on the street corner, right? Because it’s not what you do in public that shows your goodness. Any idiot can be good when they know they’re being watched.

And shit, if you can’t stand somebody’s takes, you have the power to hit the block button any time. Any damn time you please. Walk away from their life and do something real in yours.

“You’re not performing the right suffering publicly enough for me” is a shit take. It’s always been a shit take and it always will be.

[yostresswritinggirl]

Genshin Boys would be Horrible as Disney Princes

Headcanon and Reader Perspective, Drabble

Sojourner Special (Followers Event)

Despite being the gentleman and sweethearts that they are, in the wrong hands, of badly aligned context and universal rules these boys can barely function as princes given their own ideals.

Diluc in Cinderella

Shortest one, oops.

Our Diluc would honestly be too busy for balls if we're doing this canonically, night time of all times. He's not your prince tonight, he's off somewhere doing Knight stuff...

If by chance you did catch him in the ball and he did indulge you with your dance until you escapaded at midnight, he's not gonna question it.

And since he didn't even REMEMBER your face, the next day just goes on as usual. No decree for searching the whole land for your foot or anything, it's just a normal day after a party.

"They left without a word, no name or promise, who am I to say no when they clearly don't want to stay?"

He's a gentleman. Too gentlemanly...

Childe in Sleeping Beauty

In this scenario, Childe embraces his knight-ness more than the princely aspect. I mean sure, he danced with you in the forest all so lovingly, sang along to your pretty lil voice. But when the prophecy came, his focus changed—

To the thrill of fighting a big ass green fire breathing dragon! Big woah, Childe had soooo much fun fighting it that he didn't even cheese it.

He lived for every hour of the fight and made it as slow as possible. Taunting, playing with his PREY- mid-fight the dragon would realize just how strong and horrifying Prince Childe is, but the entertainment had started, and the dance won't end until Childe wills it.

When he DID finally slay the damned thing, he'll come up to your quarters and stare at your sleeping body, and then think "Hey, if them being put under this spell gave me the fight of the century? What if ANOTHER dragon comes? That would be amazing!" No waking up for you, or the whole city for that matter.

Albedo in Frog Princess

You... You don't even get the chance to be the frog princess in here... simply because he himself REFUSES to change back to normal. You have never met a man so intelligent, much more a frog.

"I know of which you are not, I won't be fooled by cardboard crowns and secondhand dresses," you choke as he berates every fiber of your being, "It matters not, I still have much to learn about the life of an amphibian."

He disappears after that and you've never heard from him ever again, although at the back of your mind you're pretty sure he's a live and well, that bastard is too smart to end up as roadkill.

And well, you're right, he's out there in the world of frogs doing frog things. Triumphant over frog science and the other talking creatures he may meet.

He'll also find a way to revert himself back to normal, either making his own cure or just enlisting the help of a princess to bargain.

He might come to you upon the logic of marriage counting you as princess, but don't get too hyped, you won't be treated as his wife. He'd be too busy putting his frog research into paper...

Zhongli in Beauty and the Beast

A beast he may be, he's still dignified and elegant, upholding his end of the bargain so long as the other does the same.

Your father may have trespassed and have taken some flowers in his domain but well, really it's such a petty crime that can easily be solvable. And even if there needs to be punishment incured...

When you stumble to the mansion in search of your father, ready to take his place from his jail cell, you find him and the beast (ohh half-dragon Zhongles) by an elegant table drinking cups of tea with light conversation. Huh?

"There is no need to fret, your father and I are just discussing the terms of our contract. He spoke of his woodworks that I wish to commission in exchange, such good potential should not be wasted."

You can also, well, pay off things within contract? But either way, it would be hella awakward, he won't impose on your life and most certainly not about the curse when you had so much to live for.

Kaeya in Rapunzel

Little bitch, thru and thru. If Eugene is such a criminal, he's taking it TENFOLD.

He's not even gonna be the slightest bit trustworthy for you, little Rapunzel, because he raises so many red flags your frying pan wouldn't even be enough to threaten him. He probably has a really thick skull, and your resolve won't be able to smack that pretty face.

Bargaining won't work, he'd sleight of hand his way out and get the crown knowing you'd hid it in the pot immediately, and then just backflip outta there.

If you manage to get him to get you out, he's not gonna be of help either. Kaeya would be amused with toying with you, leaving you in the dark as you get scared shitless/dance around with some tavern criminals. Otherwise, ehh...

One way or another, he's gonna find a way to get you off his case. Either forcing you to travel with companions that's headed to the city anyways or forcefully knocking you out and heaving you back to your tower.

"You have a mother that never ages lock you up in this tower? Nu uh, sweetie, I'm not dealing with the dark forces of witchery when I'm already well off with the crown."

He got the crown.

Venti in Snow White

I'm sorry what? Free apples? Eternal sleep in a beautiful bed? He's gonna be glad to just take your place. (Spoilers, he would)

He'd be most definitely entertained with your dwarves, playing his tunes. You life would be filled with his lyre as he plays around, not even caring about the other implications of yours or his status in this woodland forest.

You ran away from home? Cool, freedom, man. Wish he could the same without jeopardizing the kingdom and his family. He'd probably take the apple too just for you~

During your rest, he'll come up with the most eloquent song to play for your seven dwarves as he watches your fate sadly. How peaceful you looked, away from the world and from the grips of death.

The dwarves would force him to please try and break the spell, and he'll shrug and indulge- except it didn't break the spell, as he expected it to be. And they are clueless on who else you had encountered in your life to even spare a true love's kiss.

"How saddening, the princess lays. Maddening to those around as they'd say, if only my kiss was enough for the curse to sway." You died, ouch.

Xiao in Mulan

Brutal. Brutal. Brutal. His voicelines would come in sooooo handy here, oh my goodness.

If you miraculously bypassed his analytical gaze enough to hide your sexuality, you're going to die in his training program. He's not gonna go easy on you, not when the fate of the nation lies upon your capability to keep up. You're gonna go through far worse than what true Mulan went through, and you may or may not just die in the process.

If by chance you survived, this would warrant enough respect to not kill you (oh, you lived) but you better not show up again.

He's never gonna be delighted to see your traitorous face again, he can save China on his own, thank you very much. And you know he can. Try and approach him, and a sword would be at your neck once again.

"Foolish gremlin, you think you had the right to present yourself after the treason you willfully committed? We won't crumble at the loss of one person, your job here is done." How sad.

Cyno in Little Mermaid

First of all, wack, mermaids exist! Sadly, that's nothing new for him. He knows a lot with that intelligent mind of his, so it would be no surprise that the existence of such mythical creatures doesn't make him bat an eyelash. He's been living near water, he's not that stupid.

With that in mind, your presence in your first meeting is going to be bad. Very bad. Cyno knows about sirens and he's not at all gonna fall for it, and if by chance he had known you before the ship was wrecked, he's probably gonna be veryyy keen in capturing you instead.

So if by chance you're stupid enough to interact with him and DESIRE to be on land with him, you're gonna deal with a lot of problems.

You're not getting that kiss easily. No, it's a huge challenge. He'd be repulsed in your naivety and will most likely be more concerned on your voice than ever. He'd be so kind to try and give a shot in helping with the cure but it's not the cure you needed.

He'll drown himself in every literature in full concentration just to see if there's any text he can find about curses and muteness. His curiousity would get the best of him, and you'll barely see him after you managed to explain your predicament without the need for words. Octopus woman doesn't even need to show up to intervene.

"A kiss? Surely not, such ailment won't be cured by fairytale methods." And then he goes back to his library once again. And you will be seafoam the next sunrise. Or was it sunset?

"So now that we've established these grounds," Exiled turns to the other two in the area, "Maybe, these boys would be better off as princesses."

And so the trio concocts a new type of fairytale, collaborated to masterpieces soon after.

@moaa @dandelion-dreams @witchsungie @zelos-simp @legionqueensav @snackgod @rxsalinee @cala-ran @wind-wheel @struggljng @ellitx @kookieyachi @dandelion-dreams

[breadqueen95]

I have been unfair to our dear Tony, so I am back, once again, to rectify that. So what I want to know is what is it about the reader that Tony finds attractive? (They don’t have to be together and honestly we love some good ol’ pining!Tony) The reader can be whatever (a mutant, a spy/agent, a techie, a genius engineer, a civilian, bomb specialist, etc.), but I would love to know what you think Tony looks for in a significant other and what he finds attractive.

BTW thanks for putting up with all my questions! You’re the best! 💜💜💜

BESTIE AS YOU KNOW TONY STARK IS V GORGEOUS TO ME

Send any AoT or MCU headcanon requests here!

tony stark x fem!reader

ooooooo tony mf stark

where to begin with tony stark

so here's the thing, tony absolutely has more depth when it comes to relationships

he appreciates physical attractiveness don't get me wrong, but there are different things that reel him in

something he notices first about someone is their attitude. tony LOVES confidence

he needs someone who can keep up with him, put him in his place

tony pretends that he loves being in control 24/7, but get a woman who can put him in his place, that man is GONE

he's also insanely attracted to intelligence

i feel like that's a given, considering that he's a certified genius

kind of goes back to that attraction to someone who can keep up with him. doesn't even have to be science smarts or book smarts in general; if you show him you have an instinct for something, he is PAYING ATTENTION

those are all the things that drew him to you in the first place, made him look beyond his individual scope

it takes someone special to get him to do that, so he knows he's in trouble

he first meets you when you're working as a spy for SHIELD, very much like how Natasha and Clint started out

you collaborated with the avengers on a mission due to your talent with gathering intelligence; nat and clint can't necessarily contribute in that way anymore, because they're too well known

you're fiery. you're deadly. you're brilliant. and tony can't get enough of you

he flirts with you pretty much right away, because of course he does. even with people he's not interested in

but you shut that mf DOWN. you don't even give him a SECOND

you just raise one brow at him, eyes icing over. completely and utterly dismissive

tony is G O N E

i'm talking infatuated

he's respectful about it, more so than you'd ever deemed him capable of, but it's no secret that he's attracted to you

when you attend a party and get dressed up, or if he sees you after a workout in your ratty exercise clothes, his eyes linger. it's electrifying

you're attracted to him too, but you try to ignore it. his reputation precedes him

but the more you get to know him, the more you wonder if all the rumors about him are still true

then SHIELD gets disbanded, and suddenly you don't have a job

you get an offer with the CIA like sharon, but tony and steve actually reach out to you to work for the avengers directly

as the team has gotten more solidified, they've realized more and more how much they need people for intelligence and spy work

the entire team is excited to utilize your talents when you accept, but tony has more of a selfish motive

he just wants to get to know you. you're a hard person to get to know, just like him

even if you never reciprocate his attraction, he finds you fascinating. you're an equation he can't seem to unravel, and he never likes to leave things unsolved

when you move into the tower, you realize just how much of tony you haven't seen yet

you see this domestic side of him that he's never shown you, and vice versa

you have trouble sleeping at night, just like he does

you're rough around the edges, but you care deeply about others. tony does too

the two of you start to have meaningful and deep conversations in the wee hours of the morning when you wander down to his lab one night

you surprise him with how soft you actually are underneath everything, and he feels incredibly lucky that he's one of the few you allow to see it

and tony surprises you in almost every way. he's so different during those quiet hours together, almost the opposite to what he presents during the day

you ask him about it one night, why he doesn't let people see this side of him

"i don't know, i guess i don't trust people with it"

"oh"

"i trust you, though"

you were taken aback for a minute, hit with the importance of those words. especially from him

"i trust you too, tony"

with that, you got the warmest, most genuine smile you'd ever gotten from him

it was that night you started to feel something more for him, something you never expected

tony had always been attracted to you, sure. but now that he's had the chance to get to know you? all of you?

god, he can't hope to ever get enough

[cowboyjen68]

Hi jen! 20 something masc bisexual who just cant figure out if theyre a man or a woman here. I dont really feel comfortable talking about this stuff but writing anonymously is a lot less daunting and you seem like a really chill person and such a good mom. When i was youger, around 16, i cut my hair short and dressed less conventional (stopped wearing what my mom put out for me lol), bc i wanted to express myself. I didnt get the "mens" haircut i wanted originally, but i made up for it with flannels and hoodies. Slowly, occasionally, people started to ask me my sex/gender and when someone read me as male i was over the moon. By the time i was 18 i had stopped wearing makeup and tried hard to pass as male. It became pretty exhausting and my bestfriend is a very feminine guy, who usually gets read as a woman, inspired me to care less what people think i am. Im trying to take things as they come but with my mullet (thick long hair in the back) i noticed people read me as female more often than not. Its not insulting, but i cant help but feel disappointed. It felt so right when people read me as male. Im considering transitioning but i hate the idea of coming out to my family (as trans) and im scared of "being wrong about all this and screwing my body up", even thougt I like the prospect of the physical changes testosterone brings. All in all, I feel like ive been stuck in this undecided period for so long and something needs to change.

Im grateful for any words of advice :)

I am so sorry for the delay, my seasonal side jobs keep me very busy. I owe you some sincerity here because you asked and trust me to give you the truth, at least as I see it.

Of course I cannot in anyway see inside you or know the mix of emotions you have or the complex amount of experiences you have had in your 20 something life. When someone is struggling with hard questions being “PC” does no one any favors so here is my best take, but ultimately you know what is best and perhaps a therapist that will not just be a "yes" person would be very helpful.

Firstly, if you decide to transition for whatever reason, comfort, ease of experiencing the world etc, there is no rule that says you have to do anything at all to alter your body. You can be who you are within yourself. I am a lesbian and a woman whether or not some stranger on the street thinks so. (and the amount of time I am called "sir" in one day changes absolutely zero about me). Same applies to you. If you are concerned about medical or hormonal intervention you are not wrong to have caution. Anytime we take any medication from a blood pressure pill to nasal spray, doing due diligence and understanding the affects on our body is important. And each of us must take into consideration body health, genetics, dr suggestions, past medical history and the reality of what time, money and effort we are capable of exerting, especially if it means for a life time 

That all being said short hair, clothes, your interests and personality are not (should not) be gendered. There is no reason a woman can’t be and exist as a female who is not always thrilled with her body (looks and function) and be a human who loves doing a myriad of things that may or may not fit what society prescribes as our gender roles.  

You say you are disappointed when read as female? Why?  Do you dislike that they are not seeing the real you OR because you know being read as such means, in our culture, you are seen as less capable, treated differently, perceived as weak, not as smart as men and treated as the lesser of our society simply based on your body?  Either way, this is a them problem and not a you problem. You are as flawed, strong, smart, confident as you are no matter how they see you. It is not up to them to decide how human you get to be based on what sex you are. No one fits all the general attributes imposed gender roles wish for us to follow. 

Ask yourself, if I transition and am still consistently read as female, how will that affect me?  Will I become angry because I am putting time, effort and money into presentation and people still see what they see?  Am I going to feel better able to shrug off mistakes make by quick glances or because people have known me for years because I am more true to me?  Transition should happen in a vacuum, in my opinion. (disclaimer: I am not trans so perhaps this is not how trans men feel) You are who you are whether in a crowd of people or alone in a forest. Others should never make that decision or set the bar for you. EVER. They have no investment in your internal self. 

Since you are asking me, this is my experience. In my early years i understood very quickly how I was treated differently when people (men and women) saw me as a little boy instead of a little girl. In my teens I saw the way girls who hit puberty before me were immediately treated sexually, will less respect and I was like” well shit”.  I would have happily been seen as a boy/man and probably went to length to insure that. At 12 I was pretty confident I wanted to be or should have been a boy. My mom very colorfully explained to me there are issues with both sides and am a girl who wants what boys get in the world.. sooo get them as a girl.  THEN I met other lesbians and butches and bi women who are masculine and they told me their stories.. which were just like mine. I realized to be a man I had to give up being a woman and being a woman, my reality, physically and in my upbringing (in the 1980′s and 1990″) was the best and only way to connect to other people because I was not different with them or alone. I needed to be me 24/7 not just in public, not just at parties, not just with friends, but when I was alone, at night or mowing the yard. Perception and societal opinion had nothing to do with my body, my mind, my personality. 

Am I still affected by gender roles? Of course. Our society genders everything from pocket knives (camo or pink camo) to cars, abilities to shampoo! Do i sometimes let it slide when a man thinks he is talking to another man, sure.. why not? I learn somethings (some things I don’t want to know on occasion). But at the end of the day, most of the people I deal with begin to see me as a kind, capable women or...(translation: human) and when it counts I don’t want to be vague or dodgy about my sex, my gender or my sexual orientation. Who I am, who I deserved to be, my right to exist as me is too important. None of these were over night revelations. Time, experience, community as all helped me understand:

You have to live with you forever and always, don’t try to exist as the easiest way for society to view you. 

[writing-prompt-s]

Hey there! First time anon asker, long time follower. I appreciate all the work you do for this blog. Just want to keep the conversation going about the Edison quote you retweeted, on "giving up" versus "knowing when to stop." Though Edison sucks as some comments pointed out, I happen to agree with the quote to an extent. I'm curious to know more about your experience. First, some background for my opinion: I work as a student tutor for fellow college students. One of the biggest things we learn as tutors is how to encourage students NOT to give up when they face a challenge. Lots of people, especially first-gen college students, give up when they're struggling in class because they assume they're "not smart enough" or something along those lines, when research and my personal experience show that that's not true. They are able to change their school habits and seek out help, but only if they already have a mindset where they believe they can do it. Those who don't believe in themselves are less likely to seek help and thus, more likely to fail. Students might also drop out of college or get bad grades because of things outside of their control, like losing their job or other difficulties that make it hard for them to continue at college. This is also an issue because some (not all) colleges have programs to help students during difficult times, but many students don't even try, they just drop out. I have benefitted from some of these programs personally, so even though they can't cure everything, these programs should be considered when a student is struggling. And sometimes, dropping out of college IS the best decision for a person, whether they intend to return later or go a different path. It's just that for many students, they don't have to give up on their education/career goals because of the hardships they're currently trying to work through, but they believe that there's nothing else they can do. The solution may be out there, but they "give up" because they didn't look for it. As a tutor, that's why phrases like "don't give up!" are so important for the people I work with. Not because college is for everyone or that people should sacrifice their well-being for a degree, but because students (again especially first generation college students, students of color, and low income students) have such low confidence in themselves and their ability to learn and grow through obstacles. The Edison quote wasn't about college, but I'm using my experience as a college student and tutor as a more concrete example of why the Edison quote could be useful. College student or not, I think having a "don't give up" attitude can get you through some hard times. So all of this is to preface my question: in your opinion, how can we know the difference between a healthy, "I will do everything I can to meet my goals" situation and an unhealthy, "I will sacrifice everything" situation? Sorry for this lengthy ask btw, if you don't want to respond I completely understand. Just hoping to hear your insight to the topic more. Thanks for this blog and for sharing your thoughts! -S

Hey S!

Read “The Dip” by Seth Godin. It counts about 80 pages but reads like 30. I highly recommend reading it and using the ideas in guiding your students. When you read it, it’s mostly common sense with a bit of oh damn, nice! But sometimes common sense needs to be conceptualized, made concrete, or put into context, and this little book does just that.

The main idea is to know if you should quit or persevere during ‘a dip’ by forecasting the probability of success and take costs/rewards into account.

However, this might not be everyone’s best skill, so some people might need practice or guidance. As Ray Dalio points out in his book ‘Principles’, everyone is wired differently. Just as our bodies come in different shapes and sizes, so do the compositions of our brains. Some people might have weak bones or naturally have lots of muscle mass. Others might regulate emotions well, or are weak at visualizing the future. (By the way, neuroscience tells us we can shape and improve our brains!)

The different compositions of our brains also affects communication between people. Everyone encodes and decodes information differently, and then also gets filtered through one’s own life experiences. So advice such as ‘first seek to understand, then to be understood’ is paramount before encouraging people to ‘not give up.’ If the other person doesn’t feel that you completely understand their situation, saying that actually might work counter-productive!

In my opinion, in most cases 'don’t give up!’ is a good motto for college students. You know what to expect from college. If you do x you will get x. If you stick through the dip (time spend getting good grades), you will get the reward (degree). However, as you point out, some students might face additional stress outside of college, or society might already have put them at a disadvantage. It might just become too much. You helping and encouraging students who are at a disadvantage is incredibly helpful. As humans, we are naturally wired to be interdependent. We cannot do everything by ourselves, nor should we want to. We thrive on meaningful relationships and social connections.

So where is the line between healthy and unhealthy? That’s actually a very tough question. Most people tend to think of life as a journey, always trying to get somewhere, trying to achieve something. It would mean telling people how to live their life and I have no clue. Of course, if in trying to get to your goal your body shows signs of it being unhealthy, stop or take a break. Stress is good, but not to the point where you break down. Self-management is key. Overall I would say it’s healthy if your values align with the process to achieve the goal, the goal, and the consequences of achieving it. But then again, always be realistic. Quitting frees up time, energy and other resources that can be spend on achieving a different, perhaps more rewarding/meaningful/attainable goal.

An attempt at a more concrete answer would be:

It’s impossible to generalize what is healthy and what is unhealthy as everyone has a different idea of what that is and is living their own complex life. Therefore, on a case-by-case basis, people should be taught to take a step back sometimes, contemplate what they are doing, analyse it, be open-minded, seek help from (qualified) people and ask for feedback and advice, and then make up their minds themselves whether what they are doing is healthy or not.

As @zeadtalost said in the comments: “Man’s gotta know his limitations”. But then I would like to add to it that ‘man’ should not be fool enough never to test what they believe to be their limitations. Because what you say is true. Often limitations are in the mind, and overcoming them is what will make people more confident and capable! So please keep doing what you are doing. I doubt you find this a concrete answer, but I am pretty sure the book by Seth Godin will help you lots! Also, by the length of your ask I can tell you are very dedicated and a compassionate tutor, and it’s your caring attitude that will give your students the best chance of succeeding!

[persephonememes]

* (  THE SEVEN HUSBANDS OF EVELYN HUGO /  SENTENCE PROMPTS

people think that intimacy is about sex. but intimacy is about truth.

never let anyone make you feel ordinary.

i’m under absolutely no obligation to make sense to you.

don't ignore half of me so you can fit me into a box.

don't do that.

it’s always been fascinating to me how things can be simultaneously true and false, how people can be good and bad all in one.

sometimes reality comes crashing down on you.

heartbreak is a loss. divorce is a piece of paper.

when you're given an opportunity to change your life, be ready to do whatever it takes to make it happen.

the world doesn't give things, you take things.

you have to find a job that makes your heart feel big instead of one that makes it feel small.

please never forget that the sun rises and sets with your smile.

you’re the only thing on this planet worth worshipping.

be wary of men with something to prove.

the cruelest thing you can do to someone you love, give them just enough good to make them stick through a hell of a lot of bad.

you wonder what it must be like to be a man, to be so confident that the final say is yours.

i think you're brilliant.

i think you're tough.

do yourself a favor and learn to grab life by the balls.

don’t be so tied up in trying to do the right thing when the smart thing is so painfully clear.

you can be sorry about something and not regret it

the world respects people who think they should be running it.

if i want things to change, i have to change how i do things. and probably drastically.

people are messy, and love can be ugly.

i’m inclined to always err on the side of compassion.

you can’t tell a single thing about a person’s true character if you both want the same thing.

no one is just a victim or a victor. everyone is somewhere in between.

just go knowing you were loved, that i will never forget you.

you were my best friend.

nobody deserves anything. it's simply a matter of who's willing to go and take it for themselves.

why have i spent so long settling for less when i know damn well the world expects more?

taking pride in your beauty is a damning act.

forgiveness is different from absolution.

sometimes divorce isn’t an earth-shattering loss. sometimes it’s just two people waking up out of a fog.

if there are all different types of soul mates, then you are one of mine.

i am absolutely positive that i need you more than i’ve ever needed another living soul.

i loved you so much that i thought you were the meaning of my life.

i thought that people were put on earth to find other people, and i was put here to find you.

i don't want to be meant for someone like you.

that’s the part i was stuck in, the part where you accept the apology because it’s easier than addressing the root of the problem.

it will be the tragedy of my life that i cannot love you enough to make you mine.

it’s a hard business, reconciling what the truth used to be with what the truth is now.

you're an idealist and a romantic, and you have a beautiful soul.

i wish the world was ready to be the way you see it.

i wish that the rest of the people on earth with us were capable of living up to your expectations. but they aren't.

the world is ugly, and no one wants to give anyone the benefit of the doubt about anything.

i love you too much to let you live only for me.

i’m cynical and i’m bossy, and most people would consider me vaguely immoral.

i spent half my time loving her and the other half hiding how much i loved her.

it shouldn’t be wrong, to love you. how can it be wrong?

i think being yourself—your true, entire self—is always going to feel like you’re swimming upstream.

you could be a nobody living in a cardboard box, and i’d still love you.

i simply didn't care. it cost so much, caring. i didn't have any currency to spend on it.

some marriages aren't really that great. some loves aren't all-encompassing.

the media are going to tell whatever story they want to tell. they always have. they always will.

charisma is charm that inspires devotion.

you’re not really famous if anybody still likes you.

you should know this about the rich: they always want to get richer. it is never boring, getting your hands on more money.

the truth is, praise is just like an addiction. the more you get it, the more of it you need just to stay even.

you have to push people’s boundaries and not feel bad about it. no one is going to give you anything if you don’t ask for it.

when you’ve been bested, sometimes it’s good to recognize it and move on.

no one goes around throwing caution to the wind unless the wind is blowing their way.

the easiest lie to tell is one you know the other person desperately wants to be true.

pictures speak very loudly. in general, we can almost never shake what we see with our eyes.

we all can’t go around treating people like dog shit and then expecting that a simple i’m sorry erases it.

guilt is a feeling i’ve never made much peace with. i find that when it rears its head, it brings an army.

when i feel guilty for one thing, i start to see all the other things i should feel guilty for.

accepting that something is true isn't the same as thinking that it is just.

[wandsandwheezes]

Assassini | G.W

Warnings // 3.5k // SMUT 18+, Sex, knife play, assassins, murder, attempted assassination??, contracts, ownership, breath play, begging.

A/N // Hi I am literally obsessed with assassins creed that is the only thing that prompted me to want to write this. this is not by any means my best work i just couldnt get the idea out of my head. that is all. thank you @gcdric​ for helping me as historically accurate as possible. 

Your chest heaved as you stepped through the opening double doors and into a stunning reception area; rolling stone walls and a beautiful glass ceiling that showcased the fantastic hues of the Florentine sunset. You knew what you had to do, after all you would have never taken on the task if it didn’t fall within your capabilities. You rubbed your hands together before smoothing out your dress, you felt a fool coming to a high-class party on your own, knowing that the image of a stunning and well presented lady such as yourself standing on her own was sure to cause a scene among men, but with such an important target you couldn’t afford to be chasing around or keeping a date in tow; there was simply too much to lose. 

Feeling the cool metal of the dagger sheathed against your thigh brought you back down to reality, your mind had begun to wonder of a life away from the horrors that came with the trade, what it was like to be a trophy wife on the arm of a wealthy man. That was not the life you had been blessed with, instead you spent your days between contracts, taking out whoever you needed to to get the pay, taking your prize gracefully before you were onto the next. People feared your ability to be able to take a life without remorse and without question, that was the reality of who you were; a cold blooded assassin. 

The latest contract had been practically shoved down your throat, only just finishing up business before you were being shipped off to track the next target. No rest for the wicked. You were on your way to the grandest bash of your career, it would be packed with every wealthy man you could think of, every bachelor prancing around trying to find a wife but your eyes were dead set on finding one man - George Weasley. A very wealthy man, but ruthless, known well for the money of his family name but known better by the blood money that kept him feared by many. It was a contract that only a fool would take, failure ended in torture. You were no fool and you would not fail. 

You knew the person who had last attempted the Weasley Contract - not the brightest man but someone who was notorious for getting the job done, it all came as a surprise at the order when the news of his death spread through the halls like wildfire. His tactics were good; sneak past the guards and get him dead in the night, his downfall was that George knew he was coming, waited for him even. You were glad however, that despite taking on the failed contract, you had the element of surprise on your side, nobody suspects a woman, not even George. 

You caught sight of him standing with his hands pressed against the railing as he leaned over the balcony, eyes surveying the room as he spoke to someone standing beside him. George was tall, that much was obvious from the way he towered above most people standing around him, he had a chiselled jaw, dark striking eyes and long messy orange hair. He looked like a god, a pedestal he had placed himself on, and you knew that you had to get closer to him, better yet get him alone. 

You had never once whored yourself out for the sake of a job, your years upon years of training gave you a sharp enough edge that you wouldn't ever need to rely on a feminine touch but tonight was different, the way his eyes scoured the crowd, you knew he was hungry for some female attention and if you had to give in to anyone for the sake of the job, it would be him. 

You wore a beautifully detailed red gown, the corset pulled tight around your waist emphasised your ample breasts, threatening to spill at any moment and left not much to the imagination. Your plan was to catch his eye and you knew this was the dress that would do that. You followed his gaze and placed yourself directly in his line of vision, careful not to make yourself too obvious as to not attract unwanted gazes. When he caught sight of you he swore he could have stopped breathing, you truly were a vision of God. 

He couldn't take his eyes off of you from that moment on and you had to admit that having a lingering male gaze did make your cheeks flush, suddenly feeling stuffy under the many layers of dress. George instructed one of his men, rather curtly, to bring you to him, a task that was handled quickly and with hurry as one of his aides approached you. “Mr Weasley has requested your company.” 

Perfect, everything was going exactly to plan. As you were led up a grand staircase and past the guards that hadn’t even given you a second look. Now that you were on the private balcony, surrounded by members of the Weasley family and their company who were all schmoozing without any care in the world for the hundreds of guests below them, each one hoping they would be lucky enough to get that special invitation. Standing just behind George you were able to see with your own eyes just how much he truly did tower over you. Something inside of you bubbled and you refused to believe that it was anything but pure happiness for your plan going as well as it had. 

“What’s a pretty Lady like you doing here on her own?” He asked smoothly, eyes not falling away from the gaze they held over the bustling crowd. As you looked over the balcony you could see that the room was packed, spotting the way the men flirted with any and every woman they could lay their eyes on, couples falling to the edges of the room in passionate lip locks, uncaring for the vast group of people around them. 

“What makes you think I’m alone?” You quipped back, watching as a smile fell over his lips, finally pulling his eyes away from the crowd to face you. The moment your eyes locked again, this time inches away from him you felt that same bubbling feeling in the pit of your stomach. 

“No respectable partner would let their Lady come to a party with her breasts heaving like that, well… not unless the Lady wants to be seen.” His eyes scanned over your upper body before meeting your eyes once again. You weren’t sure why you were holding your breath but the second his knuckle was grazing over your exposed collarbone, brushing your hair over your shoulder, you finally let out a slow, shaky breath. 

“And to think I was just wearing a nice dress.” You sighed comically, turning back to lean your hands against the railing, taking a moment to compose yourself without having to stare into his eyes. Never in George’s life had a woman thought of talking back to him, so having you quip back at him with a tongue as sharp as his own, practically running circles around him in conversation made him even more determined to have you. 

“You’re a quick one, smart I assume, probably raised by men, or at the very least a strong minded woman. A fighter too, you have the shoulders for it, money doesn’t matter to you much from your lack of jewellery- Stop me If I’m wrong.” With every assumption that spilled from his lips, you realised that you had blown your cover, fear immediately building in the pit of your stomach until it reached your eyes. “So what brings you here, If not for a man, what for?”

“Who said I didn’t want a man?” You finally looked back at him, a teasing smile on your lips. You watched his face ease, taking a brave step closer to him as you realised that he truly didn’t have a clue.  You were brave for doing this, letting him see a vulnerable side to you, one that could leave you easily exposed. 

“I’m sure you know who I am, don’t you sweetheart? Yet I haven’t a clue who you are.” He was smooth, able to pull your name from your lips without even a second thought. Perhaps it was a bad idea to lead this way, fearing that a part of you would grow attached to his smile or addicted to his perfect laugh.

“Well, count yourself lucky that you’re up here then, all you’ll find is boys down there.” You weren’t surprised that George was the cocky sort of man, part of you found it endearing that he obviously had some sort of saviour complex about him, figuring that he would selfishly have you to himself and ‘save’ you from being surrounded by the inferior. 

“I’d be luckier alone with you.” You leaned in, whispering just low enough for him to hear. You were feeling brave enough to get suggestive with him, hoping that he would catch your tone and give you some time alone. You felt his hand pressing against the small of your back as he pulled you in closer, your mind wondering as soon as you could breathe in his scent, a part of you forgot why you were truly here as it became drunker off of the male attention. 

All it took was one look from him to his aide and you were being led by him, past his friends and family up another set of stairs. You heard the sounds of chatter, laughter and clinking glasses fade away as you were ushered into a private room, the doors swinging shut behind the two of you, finally realising that you were alone with him. 

“Are you going to tell me why you’re really here?” He sighed, pulling at your wrist to tug you into his chest, his hot breath fanning in your neck as you stood pressed against each other, uncaring for the huge amounts of space that the room had to offer. Being so close him made you lose all of your inhibitions and suddenly the contract no longer mattered to you, the one thing that did however, was bedding the man who had you in a trance. In all your years of working contracts, nobody came above the job but now as your lips were inches away from his, George Weasley was more important. 

"I'm here for you." You muttered, hand snaking up to tangle in his long, messy hair, giving the locks a gentle tug that made his eyes darken. Feeling him guide you backwards, taking small steps with him until your back hit a wall. His strong hand travelled its way up your leg, hoping to hitch it up to hook around his hip as he pushed every layer of fabric up so he could get a good look at the gorgeous thighs he wanted wrapped around his head. Your breath caught in your throat when you felt his fingers stop over your dagger, pulling it free from where it was held. 

As his eyes surveyed over the intricate detailing of the handle, you couldn't help but avoid his gaze, startled only by the chuckle that fell from his lips. "A mark of the brotherhood… They send you to bed me and leave me vulnerable?" 

You shook your head, watching as he pressed the dull side of the blade against your throat, his commanding eyes forcing you to look at him as he pressed himself closer to you. "They sent you to kill me?" 

He pulled the dagger from your throat, shoving it into your hand as he laughed, pulling away from you, letting the skirt fall back in its place as he turned around to walk away from you and deeper into the room. It was obvious that he wasn't afraid by you, certainly less the prospect of you being able to kill him. You didn't like being underestimated, much less by someone who would be easy for you to kill. You pushed yourself away from the wall coming up behind the man and tackling him to the floor, hips straddled directly over his as you pressed the knife against his throat, watching the way his eyes lit up with surprise, his hands finding your hips to grip onto tightly. 

"I like you, you've got a lot of nerve, probably one of the most gorgeous women I've ever laid my eyes on so tell me what's the contact worth?" He chuckled, hands tugging to grind your hips against his tentatively, watching as you fumbled to keep your thoughts straight. Composing yourself as you ignored the pleasurable feeling of your hips rocking against his, instead pressing the dagger closer to his throat. You were about to respond to his question when he cut you off quickly. 

"Whatever it is I'll double it, hell I'd even triple it under two conditions." He spluttered quickly, hands stilling as he realised that you weren't to be messed with. You cocked your head to the side, pulling the blade from his throat as you considered what he had to say, dragging the tip of your dagger gently over his jawline and down his chest with a sickly sweet smile, the alluring confusion evident in your tone of voice "Conditions?" 

"Condition one, Work for me and I'll pay better than any contract ever could and two, you're mine to have." He suggested, his tone coming across as commanding making it seem like you truly had no choice in the matter but you knew better. 

"I don't belong to anyone, Weasley, especially not someone I work for." You bit back, watching as he laughed softly, hand gripping at your waist as he flipped you over, the dagger clattering against the floor as he pinned your hands down, back pressed firmly against the cold surface, feeling him press his lips to your exposed neck. "You belong to me now, seems a waste of such perfect breasts for you not to be."

"Were you going to whore yourself out for me? That's precious." His lips travelled down, peppering wet kisses along your collarbone as his hands still gripped onto your waist. Any semblance of fight in you disappeared the minute his lips were on your skin, a sick part of you adored how he wanted you but an even sicker part wanted him to take you. 

"Where's the confidence, darling? Not ready to submit to me already, are you?" His voice was thick with arousal, hands finding their way to your hips again as he slowly ground his hips into yours, teasing you ever so slightly as he pushed himself closer to you. Somehow George had managed to shock you into silence, your head filled with nothing but the the image of him fucking you into the morning, not even room to think of a quick remark or retorting comment to quip back at him.

“You’re insufferable.” You breathed out, letting his strong arms pull you off of the floor, hoisting you up on his hips to trap you between the wall and his chest once again, his hand this time was quickly up your skirt once again, feeling the wetness that pooled between your legs that confirmed you wanted him just as much as he wanted you. “And yet you spread your legs for me with ease.”

He didn’t dare tease you any longer, pulling himself free and sinking into you like there was no time to lose. Just when you thought you were full, he had more to give and you were feeling stretched out beyond belief. Your nails dug into his shoulders as he pulled loud moans from you with every deep and slow thrust, the pleasure coursing through you had you rolling your head back which he only took as an invitation for him to wrap his hand around your throat, groaning lowly as his eyes flicked over the way your face contorted with overwhelming pleasure,  “You’re so fucking tight.” 

“George, please.” He hummed at the way your voice came out with the strained begging, feeling pleasure build in the pit of your stomach as you realised the churning movement you had been feeling throughout the evening had been butterflies, the building want and desire for the man who was now fucking you loudly into the wall. 

“I like hearing you beg, what do you need, sweetheart?” He hummed, pressing his lips to your exposed neck, right over where your vocal chords were, feeling the vibrations of your moans flow through his lips, pushing him over the edge to pick up his pace, focused intently on making you cum as he found himself growing addicted to the way you squeezed around him.

“I need to- George, It feels so good.” He shook his head, pulling completely from you, letting your feet drop to the floor as he spun you around so that your chest was pressed to the wall, whines still falling from your lips as his hands were back up your skirt, pulling your hips into the right position to push himself inside you again, this time his hands pulled at the strings of your corset, tightening it to a point where it only added to the pleasure he was making you feel.

“You only get to cum when you ask for it.” With every thrust, it felt as if he was tugging your corset that little bit tighter. Pushing you closer and closer to the release you craved, so desperate for it that the only word that fell from your lips was ‘please’. Not what he wanted to hear. One of his strong hands pulled your hair into his fist, pulling your head back to rest on his shoulder, a smirk evident on his lips through the tone he used, “Please, what?”

“Please, I need to cum, George” You whined, hand coming up to wrap around his forearm, nails digging into his skin as his pace picked up finally, the hand still attached to the strings of your corset giving a final tug as you released around him, becoming a mess of spluttering moans for him as he pulled out of you, spinning you around once again to thread his fingers into your hair and pull you into a passionate kiss. 

Something about the way his lips tasted made you never want to pull away, finding yourself chasing his lips as he pulled away to gaze over your features, a smile on his lips as he took in just how beautiful you were, feeling like for a moment he may have truly met his match, watching as your chest heaved while you slowly drank in the high he had given you. “Next time I hope to see these beautiful breasts in all their glory,” 

“Next time? Thought you knew I have to kill you now.” You laughed as his fingers tucked your hair behind your ear, an action that sent a shiver down your spine. You watched as his tongue darted out to wet his lips, head shaking slightly to sway the hair out of his eyes, an action that made you melt at the knees.

“Very funny, now about your first contract.” He spoke quickly, tucking himself away and making himself presentable before pulling you deeper inside of the room, standing you by a large painting, tilting your chin up to avert your gaze to a particular individual, “Know who that man is, angel?” 

You swallowed thickly, eyes gazing over the large, pristine painting, well aware of who he was. The man that had set the contract over George’s head. You nodded at his question, his arm slinking around your waist as he leaned down to press a chaste kiss to your ear. “Good, I want information; You tell him I’m dead and find out what his next move is, if you get me that, I’ll know you’re loyal, just for that I’ll pay you more than you’ve ever seen.” 

“George, he’s the one that requested this cont-” You spoke quietly, his hand tugging you closer to his body, a deep sigh falling past his lips, leaving you in silence for a few moments until his warm toned voice spoke up once again.

“I know, and you’re going to find out why, understand?” He sounded genuinely upset, the man who had ordered the hit on him was a close family friend, but yet someone who craved the power that George had. Part of you knew that it wasn’t just Cedric Diggory that wanted him dead but he was the only one with enough money to make the bounty worth it, and yet you had found yourself wound up on his side. “Good girl.” 

Your chest was still heaving as you stepped through the opening double doors, this time hand in hand with the man who you had come here to kill, something had changed in your time alone and you knew that you would be the last person to hurt him. You were running off the high of belonging to someone, a new contract and the willingness to submit. You were George’s new personal weapon, a force that even he didn’t know the true extent of. Better to have you on his side than against him, as good as you felt against him after all. 

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[prof-peach]

My old, disabled grandpa needs a pokemon in the house to keep him company after his wife passed away and to take care of some basic house chores for him. My parents don't know anything about Pokemon so they're letting me choose the pokemon for him. What do you recommend? (For reference, he's all there mentally, he just needs a wheelchair to move around the house)

OK! se we had a brief chat about what Gramps likes to do, and what stuff he enjoys, which has narrowed the list a little. 

Most would say get him a Mr.Mime or Audino or something traditionally used in the care industry and be done with it, but the suggestions I am about to make are a little more unusual and fun, BUT depend entirely on a pokemon with the right personality. ALL species can be hyper, difficult, rambunctious, naughty or even flat out fussy, not something you'd want for a companion. You are looking for a slower paced, patient and caring individual, who will be happy to take on some household roles to help their trainer. 

So heres my choices, and bare in mind they're just suggestions, and something far more appropriate may come along and surprise you both. 

Geodude: overlooked as care providers and helpers, they're tough, often patient, with versatile bodies and skills, they can carry shopping with ease, push wheelchairs if need be, and in the wild take pride in their home being quite tidy, being found cleaning the areas they frequent regularly, so not adverse to a little tidying or a few household jobs. Of course they come with a lot of different personality types, but also they're not rare, so finding a good match personality wise might be far easier than if you had to hunt down say a Chansey or something far more difficult to find. They're usually good natured, and have no issue bonding to trainers who give them tasty snacks and show them some love. 

Miltank: Overtly loving, they are easy to domesticate, simple to care for, and strong enough to do jobs, push chairs, and keep up with a busy man wheelin’ bout town. This species has a fondness for quiet moments, naps in the shade on hots days, and lounging about. They can be very dozey and sweet, and he’ll enjoy their entertainment, they can be a little ditzy after just waking up. Ive seen many entrust a great deal to Miltank, and the species handles tasks with skill and surprising adaptivity should things go awry a touch. 

Grumpig: often seen napping, generally lounging about, and overall being very slow paced, this pokemon is a good match to those who like a laid back way of life, and they also have the added bonus of strong psychic abilities, to get Gramps up stairs should he find himself unfortunately blocked without disability access to somewhere. They can be a little lazy, BUT they will use their telekinetic powers to do jobs for them, and despite their usual ways, they do enjoy a trip to a local park or quiet river to sit and take it all in at their own pace.

Bronzor: Kind, energetic, loving, durable, and even more so when evolved. This species, its whole line really, is a great match, needing no real feeding, and the occasional bit of care with a good dust or scrub. they're smart enough to perform tasks, and have skills with their psychic abilities, meaning they can help with household work AND with mobility should an issue arise. They also don’t need exercise to be healthy (though of course they do enjoy a good walk or bit of work) so hanging about the house a lot isn't a bad thing for them so much as a fleshy more ordinary pokemon.

Reuniclus: I mean, I cant say enough about this line, the pokemon within it are superb for care work, no need for feeding, no need for training, they're just super clean, super kind, and also very smart pokemon, capable of helping a number of people, let alone one with all his wits about him! they also make for very fun companions and enjoy partaking in any activity that involves their trainers time and attention. You could get this pokemon from a younger age and it’d do just as well, and bond to Grampa no doubt a little faster.

Diggersby: Tough, easy going, functional in the home, capable of running errands and also ding jobs around the home. They have varying personality sure, but are very functional and robust day to day. They also keep good time, so reminding their trainers about lunches, taking medicines, or otherwise doing tasks is easy stuff for them.

Oranguru: Hyper smart, often understanding and kind, with patience galore, they're overlooked often enough on all fronts, but i think they make excellent companions and care givers. their skill set means they're dexterous, capable of understanding a lot of human speech and more subtle hints and nods to how our languages work (ie sarcasm or hidden feelings aren't lost on them, they just get our language really well). They’re known for their skill with flavours, so cooking with Granpa may be a fun task they could share, and learn new things together.

Indeedee: Gaining energy from gratitude, they're happy to help others often enough, and mean well in all of their actions. They have a strong sturdy nature, good bodies that can perform many tasks, and adaptable learning skills, meaning they'll be able to tackle new or unusual task with a fair amount of logic and wisdom from prior experience. They may even enjoy a good story if their trainer would read them one. 

one of these may suit, but its the personality that means everything, so get both Gramps and the pokemon to meet, so they can see if they get along. Getting out and taking in fresh air is so vital at all stages in life, but that your fam use to enjoy going out, and doesn't so much anymore, is a saddening thing to hear. With luck they regain company, and can go back to taking time out in the local parks, read a book in the sun, or simply pop to the shops with their new partner, with confidence that nothing will stop them, or get in the way. The pokemon chosen will want to get out, so even if he stays at home, make sure they get time in the fresh air, and days off from working, so potentially two working on shifts would work best for this situation. Everyone deserves a day off, our darling pokemon carers included. Good luck, hope this leads you to finding the right pick, and don’t forget to check the local shelters, some pokemon get handed in with lack of a trainer (who may have passed away) and have no issue other than wanting company, just like your family needs now. That may just help bond the two, it wouldn't be unheard of.