#i assume their mutual attraction was discussed at an earlier point

[luxintima-a-blog]

“Come here, I want you kneeling in front of me.”

bdsm kink sentence starters |nsfw| - @pridevowed

Noctis honestly had no idea how it had gotten this far, entertaining a visit with the Glaive’s commander and staring at the taller male as he gave him a command of his own. He could have said no, could have told him to fuck right off and tell his father exactly what it was the man in charge of his elite force had tried for. But the idea that Drautos knew his secret, the fact that he honestly preferred the more intimate things with men and not women, it seemed something so racy and scandalous that he wanted nothing more than to see just how far he would take it. If the look he was being given was anything to go off of, he knew full well what he wanted. He’d heard Gladio teasing him then, working him over when he’d had a rather poor day of training and Noctis had moved back in after his time in high school.

“And if I don’t? What do you intend on doing then, captain?” The quirk of his eyebrow told all, and coupled with the slow advance the other made, it was clear what was to happen next. For the briefest of moments after Drautos was standing right before him Noctis realized that this might not be the best of ideas. On the best of days he was only as tall as the man’s shoulders, but with him standing chest to chest with the prince, he felt tiny in comparison. The feeling honestly didn’t disappear when he bent slightly to whisper in his ear, the act sending a chill up his spine. ‘We both know how much we want this, so can you tell me you are ready, little prince?’

It was all he could do to nod.

Suddenly having a hand in his hair, yanking his head backwards and showing his neck to the muscular figure in front of him. Noctis probably should have tried to free himself from the grip, but the most he could do was moan as he was allowed to kneel as he’d been told. Somewhere in the back of his mind he knew whatever it was they would ultimately get up to would likely only be a fling. He wasn’t sure if he could keep up anything with any of those he’d been with to this point, but there was certainly something for hoping, right? Noctis didn’t wait a second to get to it, hands fumbling slightly at his hips before finding purchase on his clothing. Thin hands worked at the belt then the fastener to his pants, humming quietly when he finally got what he wanted despite the large hand that still had purchase in his hair.

He gave an experimental pull, trying to gauge the reaction the Captain would have to such a thing and was mildly disappointed when, other than a slight breath. Noctis was determined to fix that, giving the cock in his hand a kiss on the tip before trailing them down the underside, running his tongue back up and taking just the head into his mouth. He had to take a breath, one deep one, before he swallowed as much as he could, inch by inch until his nose was pressed against his groin. If there was any satisfaction to be hand other than the fact that he would get to have someone that likely rivaled his shield for size, it was that his conscious effort to swallow around the man had gotten him a groan and a shudder from the always put together man. The hand patted on the top of his head, ready for him to continue as he had been.

Noctis was too willing to comply, pulling back and placing a hand at the base of his shaft and swirling a practiced tongue over the tip. As with every time he did this, he was all too glad that he’d locked the door before they’d even considered beginning. The sounds of his rapt attention to his task and Drautos’ own moans of pleasure could have drawn attention had he ensured that there was no one around to catch them. Noctis had a few moments of warning, a compliment about how well he was doing before he gagged on his cock, pulled flush against him again. The rough treatment had him moaning around him, relaxing as he let the older man use him to pleasure himself. In something like this, he was an equal and he was glad that it was well known by the other.

What felt like it was far too soon to stop, Drautos pulled him off, hand moving to the back of his neck and tugging just a little to get him to his feet. One second he was standing on his own, and the next he was pushed bodily against the wall and trapped there by the mass of muscle that he’d apparently seduced, moaning against the lips on his as he was removed from what clothing he’d been wearing. The second his shirt was pulled off him, however, sinful lips were back on his neck and having him call out his name with every mark he was intent on leaving. They were quiet and breathy, and one of them even had him chuckling lightly against his skin. ‘Anxious, prince? Don’t worry, you’ll get it soon.’ He laughed again when Noctis whined at him, and it was then he decided to work on the layers that he wore on a near daily basis. Official garb for the Kingsglaive, and something he required off him. the pants didn’t take too long as they were decidedly already undone, and the pauldrons, jacket and shirt joined them in record time while  the Captain messed with the dress pants he’d been wearing for meetings today.

Two seconds was all the time he was allowed to lay hands on him, before Noctis was flipped and pressed against the wall, offered two fingers to wet with his mouth which he did so happily. Conscious effort went into showing him how eager he was, wanting nothing more than him to get to the punch and just have him. It earned a mewl from him when he actually got what he wanted, glad that his other hand was on his waist and keeping him from falling to the ground. Much to his eternal frustration, he didn’t move, waiting a few good moments to tease the prince with what was to come before he actually pushed digits to the knuckle and spread them apart. He screamed, head falling back as the noise shifted to something more a bit more manageable. Mercifully enough his torture didn’t last long, feeling the captain pressing against him and rolling hips back to meet Drautos’. All Noctis managed was a, “Please…” before they both got what they wanted.

It wasn’t much to start, just the tip and a few rolls of his hips before he got more, shallow thrusts giving an inch each time and causing Noctis to moan and mewl. How strange it had to be, the captain of one of the most impressive forces in the world, and he got to have the Prince of Lucis as his companion for the remainder of the day, because there was no doubt in his mind that he would not want to be done after just one round. If how slowly he was moving, it was clear they wouldn’t be either. Every thrust he made was painfully slow, filling so much of him that he could honestly only think of wanting it again until he got another push.

“Dr-rautos, s-stop teasing me please…” He got another laugh, and it was then Noctis decided he’d be so happy if he could hear it again. And of course the thought came to him just before the captain reeled back and slammed into him, robbing his legs of any solidity that they might have had. It felt wonderful, and if the praise he was getting in the form of kisses and marks on the back of his neck were anything to go off of he thought so as well. At first the pace was slow, and Noctis had more than enough time to vocalize how good he was feeling, one hand coming to grab at Drautos’ leg behind him when strokes got faster, just a little harder and more insistent in their searching. 

The more he got, the less he honestly needed to help himself along, each time his legs nearly gave out he managed to catch himself until he was flush against the wall with his lover railing into him from behind. Enough friction to keep him from thinking too much, and far more than he needed to help himself along. All of it felt so amazing, and hearing Drautos calling his name, not his title or something of the like, only made it better.

Until he stopped.

He was going to ask, try and turn his upper body to ask him what was wrong before he was lifted and carried to the bed across the room, all the while never coming off the captain. The second they landed on the bed he rocked back against him, urging him to keep going. It was a plea that was rewarded with no small amount of eagerness, Noctis giving a strangled cry which was quickly swallowed by the covers he was flat against. The rough comforter would prove to be his downfall, the friction it was causing had him keening and coming on something that would be rather hard to explain away, though at the very least he wouldn’t have to tell them just why it was on a wall instead.

He had at least a little bit of mental capacity, enough to push Drautos off him and lay him out on the bed. A little bit of it was the fact that he really didn’t want to have to either clean himself out later, or clean any dried semen off himself for that matter. He made a point to hold his hips down, swallowing the Glaive and wrapping a hand around the base of his cock, having learned his lesson from someone before about trying to take everything when they were close. Noctis had to knock the hand that landed on his head away, because he wasn’t going to let him try that again.

Noctis would try to make it as good for him as he possibly could, working with the rock of his hips to get him off as quickly as he could manage, hand on him fondling and coaxing him to climax. So focused on his task was the prince that when he got what he wanted, he stopped the effort to keep his hands off him and fell victim to the hand on his head holding him against his groin until he was spent, forcing him to control his gag reflex and relax. When he was sure he was well and truly done, Noctis moved, ripping the covers out from under the other so he could at the very least cling to him with something close to modesty. Covers pulled to cover their waists at least, the prince draped himself over Drautos and pressed a lazy kiss to his neck. He was happy. 

“I’m… going to assume you have no pressing need to leave. You are going to be nice and stay with me, right Drautos?”

[wildechild3]

Maurice - Chapter 3

Warning: Maurice Spoilers (mostly for the book)

Named Characters Description:

Maurice- older now (exact age not given but we can assume this chapter takes place from the time he’s 15 until 18 before heading to Cambridge)

Characters side note:

-There are several boys mentioned throughout this chapter, none are given a name but I still would like to make note of them as they are important for this phase of Maurice’s life. 

-The adored: boys that Maurice basically had a crush on but he didn’t know what it meant

-The admirers: the boys that had a crush on Maurice but he shunted off as soon as he picked up on it

-The one boy: one boy who Maurice had a crush on that also had a crush on him (further discussion about intense friendships that are basically relationships that end in that weird ‘totally not a relationship break-up but a friendship no-homo break-up’ that seems to be a universal queer experience. (He’s just like me fr fr)

Points of Note:

Maurice is plain. Again. Forster doesn’t give this man a break for even a second. Maurice is the boyest boy to ever boy and Forster wants us to remember that lol. 

Puberty hits Maurice like a goddamn train. It’s made clear that Maurice has always been attracted to men. Clive wasn’t the one who made him realize he was attracted to men, it was always there Maurice just tried really hard to ignore it.

Maurice is clumsy! He’s a very clumsy boy! Lowkey, he’s kinda your average YA protagonist, clumsy plain boy who never stands out until…

Summary:

This chapter is only four pages long and is more so about how Maurice’s sexuality changes as he hits puberty. In school, he’s not very noticeable. In Forster’s own words,

“If people noticed him they liked him, for he had a bright friendly face and responded to attention; but there were so many boys of his type- they formed the backbone of the school and we cannot notice each vertebra.” (Pg 21)

Maurice is a very stick with the crowd person. He was bullied as a new student, and so he bullied new students. This is part of why he never sticks out amongst the other boys in his school. 

This chapter also brings up Maurice’s dreams. One is your typical teenage boy wet dream (starring George the garden boy) and the other is the dream of his “friend” which is pretty blatant symbolism for later. 

In the dream about George, George is naked jumping over the wood stacks. Unfortunately for Maurice, every time he thinks he’s about to see all of George, the dream ends and Maurice wakes up very disappointed. He also feels like these dreams are a punishment for something he doesn’t have the words to describe just yet. 

In the second dream, Maurice sees a face with a voice that says,

“This is your friend,” … (Pg. 22)

Maurice thinks it might be Jesus at first. Then he figures it’s not anybody he knows, and leaves it up to being a dream and decides to not put much thought into figuring it out. Maurice is confirmed and has horny thoughts when receiving Holy Communion (understandable, I too think religious aesthetic can be oh so sexy) which doesn’t help the guilt-complex he’s developing. 

There’s also the implication that the year before Maurice went to Sunnington, a student was caught doing something elicit (probably queer) and was ousted from the school. This results in all of the boys being overly policed. 

As he gets further along in school, Maurice develops what we would recognize as ‘crushes’ on other boys.

“As he rose in the school he began to make a religion of some other boy.” (Pg. 24)

These boys would often “shake him off”, and like we see earlier in the chapter, Maurice does the same to the boys who seem to have a crush on him. There was one exception however.

“The adoration was mutual on one occasion, both yearning for they knew not what, but the result was the same. They quarreled in a few days. All that came out of the chaos were the two feelings of beauty and tenderness that he had first felt in a dream. They grew yearly, flourishing like plants that are all leaves and show no sign of flower. Towards the close of his education at Sunnington the growth stopped. A check, a silence, fell upon complex processes, and very timidly the youth began to look around him.” (Pg. 24)

River’s Notes:

So a few quick notes-

It’s not explicitly stated which church Maurice belongs to (yet), but Forster belongs to The Church of England so I’m going to guess that Maurice does as well. I also don’t know how they do communion in that church (I was raised Southern Baptist so we just passed around crackers and grape juice). During this scene I imagined that they do the whole kneeling before the priest as he puts the bread in their mouths, which explains the immediate sexual thoughts Maurice has (not judging. Completely understandable.)

The fact that the ‘super intense friendship which is definitely a no-homo relationship’ trope has been going for so long is so…comforting? Like I went through this when I was a young teenager. I was Maurice not knowing what the fuck to do with how I felt about the other girls around me. I too had an extremely homo-no-homo relationship that ended in fights and not knowing what the fuck was going on between us. I too felt like I only knew half of what was going on with me, the other half hidden behind hushed words that I wasn’t allowed to hear. Maurice is an asshole, but he’s just like me for real for real.

[ablednt]

Actually helpful advice for the kids on this hellsite

Once again tired of "don't make a carrd or tell people your triggers" posts going around literally telling kids it's Dangerous to set boundaries. So here's what I've learned in my teen years on how to stay safe in the hellscape that's the internet.

Identity

You don't have to link all your social media together but you can if you want to. Don't give out something that is more private (like discord account, Skype or zoom account, facebook, Snapchat etc.) publicly or to people who aren't familiar with yet though.

Use a nickname rather than your real name or birth name, an account and name change may unfortunately be necessary so if you want to keep a name safe or use it irl then don't attach it to public social media. This can be fun though! Go apeshit coming up with different aliases and names! Call yourself lizard if you want to!

The only thing you absolutely need to put somewhere on your account (or carrd) is that you're a minor. You don't have to give the exact age but I promise this is important because even if there's plenty of context clues that you're a minor if you don't indicate this somewhere clear and adults start treating you like shit you need to be able to point out that they're knowingly doing this to a minor. That has saved me from gross bullshit a lot. Yes, people should default to treating people who's ages they don't know as a minor to play it safe but the majority of people assume everyone is the same age as them so you need to make it clear you're not an adult.

Pronouns don't make you identifiable and anyone who acts like putting your pronouns in your bio is unsafe is probably transphobic lmao. You don't have to if you don't want to (and don't mind people not using/knowing your pronouns) but it's safe to put them there most of the time. (The only exception I can think of is if you're closeted and your parents may find your account but in that case you should probably stay closeted online to unless you feel safe/know they aren't likely to find your account.)

You don't have to list every privilege you have and you probably shouldn't but if you're white you probably should indicate this somewhere. This is to hold yourself accountable because yes even teenagers can be racist and underaged people of color also deserve to feel safe. If you're nonwhite and don't feel safe doing so you don't have to list your race or ethnicity.

If you're part of a system/plural or questioning you do NOT have to say your systems origins, if you have DID/OSDD, or list your headmates/alters. The system community has a lot of people in it (and singlets adjacent to parts of the community due to bullshit discourse groups welcoming them) who will target underaged systems to fakeclaim them or harass them etc. I suggest having everyone use aliases/nicknames on a system account and you only tell your origin to people you feel comfortable around and safe with. Your safety and privacy is more important than your trendy system carrd goals I promise!

You shouldn't really just list any disorders you have but it really does no harm to put marginalized identities you're proud of on a carrd or in your bio. You might get a shitty anon or two but I promise people aren't going to dox you if you say you're autistic on your carrd or something.

I personally wouldn't list any special interests that are particularly recognizable (popular media should be ok but more niche stuff may not be) or publicly share a kin list just because you never know if you'll want to switch up your identity online to feel safe and the more things are clearly tied to your current nickname and handle the harder it will be to do this. However if you feel safe doing so it's not the end of the world. Just be careful about it and don't feel pressured to give more info than you're comfortable giving.

You do NOT need to tell people your trauma in order to tell them your triggers. If you need something tagged with a tw you really should indicate this somewhere so people know to tag it (unless you intend to send every you're mutuals with an anon with what to tag which is also an option but may be difficult) but you shouldn't tell them your trauma or medical history to justify it. Your boundaries aren't up for debate and you have nothing to prove. You should only talk about your trauma if you feel safe doing so (and even then please don't give identifiable details like.names of people involved or specifics as that can cause serious problems.)

Boundaries & etiquette

DNIs are good! BYFs are good! Anyone who tells you that they're not good or useful is absolutely trying to disrespect your and other people's boundaries. You can and should make a DNI and list the people you don't want to interact with. (Generally it's better to say groups rather than specific people or names because it's easier to again not be recognized if you need to change accounts/aliases but you can do this if you have strong reasoning and absolutely have to to feel safe.)

DNIs (and also.trigger lists) don't have to all be bad things! You can put fandoms that make you uncomfortable, things that trigger you but aren't bad inherently, etc. on these lists. They're about helping you feel safe not having the hottest takes or being the most morally correct.

Some people you should put in your DNIs as a minor are proshippers/anti-antis and MAPs. Both of these groups have been proven time and time again to groom minors online so the earlier you get away from them the better.

Once you have your DNI please do be aggressive in reinforcing it! Block people who break your DNI, tell people who complain about your DNI to fuck off! Do not tolerate people trying to debate the boundaries You have set this is your corner of the internet to feel safe! They can go somewhere else! Being blocked by a kid on the internet is not the emotional blow abusers act like it is. You're not mean for having boundaries please internalize this and stand up for yourself!

If other people have a DNI you need to check that before following them this is for both your own safety and theirs. If you're unsure what something on someone's DNI means ask around to find out before following just in case.

Do NOT get involved in discourse! This doesn't mean you can't ever take part in or boost serious things. Discussing/calling out bigotry (racism, ableism, transphobia, etc.) isn't discourse. Sometimes callout posts for legitimately harmful people is necessary so that's not automatically bad. But I'm taking about the shit that's #discourse. Stay out of ace discourse. Stay away from syscourse. Don't debate with terfs or transmeds or shitty people. I know it seems like it'd be cathartic to win debates with shitty people, I know there's people who will try to bait you into the latest argument over which lgbt+ identities can say what slurs or whatever the fuck the pointless bad faith argument is, and I know you want to prove that your marginalized identity doesn't make you a bad person like bigots say it does. But as someone who's mental health was absolutely destroyed by discourse as a teen it's not worth it. By all means discuss issues as they arise, broaden your perspectives and horizons, etc. but don't engage knowingly in discourse it will save you so much trouble in the long run.

Try to avoid talking to adults 1x1 if you can avoid it! It's okay to dm with an adult you feel safe talking to sometimes and while it's certainly okay not to interact with adults at all if you don't feel.comfortable it's generally okay to do so. But if an adult is going out of their way to consistently talk to you in private needlessly that can be a red flag. If an adult tries to insinuate that they're the only adult around you can trust that's DEFINITELY a red flag. Basically talk to people in places you can easily involve others if needs be. If someone sends you a dm that makes you uncomfortable screenshot it in case you need to show someone etc.

Don't discuss NSFW things with adults, in spaces adults have easy access to (for example a discord server open to all ages), or even with other underaged people who haven't indicated they're comfortable with it. There's nothing inherently wrong with being aware of nsfw stuff or experiencing sexual attraction as a teenager but it's very important that you don't put yourself in situations that may be unsafe for you or others. Most good discord servers have rules against this for this exact reason. Now, to make it abundantly clear, if you did or do ever say something nsfw and an adult takes advantage of this or responds in a way that makes you uncomfortable this is NOT your fault! The responsibility falls on adults to act appropriately but it's still a good idea to keep youeself out of harms way.

That's basically it on a general level. Once again, posts telling you not to make DNIs or carrds or trigger lists (all used to set clear boundaries) are very suspect and either grossly misunderstand how these things work or are intentionally demonizing them in order to have more opportunity it excuse to do harm. Setting clear boundaries is good. Doing things that help you feel safe and respected is good. Just don't go and get involved in discourse or give out personal information or anything.

[maybankiara]

HOW YOU LIKE ME NOW? (for @ptersparkers writing challenge)

pairing: Rafe Cameron x Reader

summary: Rafe falls for you at the beach. He’s nothing like they say he is, and he just so happens to turn a new leaf with you.

word count: 2k

additional: this is pure fluff with soft!rafe. doesn’t entirely ignore the addiction and other issues, but doesn’t exactly address them, either.

masterlist | tag list

written for an anon

Rafe Cameron walks up to you at the beach, on a sunny day, with hair styled with a little too much gel, a pair of sunglasses on top of it, a curious smile on his lips, and a reputation that precedes him.

  He greets you with a simple ‘hello,’ and your mind gives you a brief summary of all the things you know about him.

  Being two years older than you, he was at your high school for half of your time there. Most of your friends drooled over his fancy car, polo shirts that screamed American money, and how his tongue was allegedly made of silk. He’s renowned for being a notorious party boy, a massive flirt, and someone who hasn’t faced any legal charges yet because of who his daddy is.

  Personally, you’ve never had any particular opinions on him, but considering he’s now standing mere three feet from you and waiting for a response, the situation is calling for it.

  You decide to smile. ‘Hi.’

  ‘I’m sorry if this seems a little weird,’ he admits, ‘but I saw you from where I was standing with my friends and I had to come say hi.’

  This makes you chuckle, because his cheeks and his nose turn red, and he stumbles over his words. It’s nothing like the suave Rafe Cameron you’ve heard so much about.

  ‘Well, that’s certainly a way to get a girl’s attention.’ You give him a warm smile and extend your hand, which he takes. ‘Y/N.’

  ‘You have a really pretty name, Y/N.’ He repeats your name once more, as if testing the way it rolls in his mouth. ‘I’m Rafe.’

  ‘I know.’

  ‘I’m guessing my reputation precedes me.’

  ‘You’d guess correctly.’

  Rafe makes a grimace and sighs, shaking his head slightly. ‘And here I was thinking I’d make a great first impression.’

  You laugh because there's something so easy and unexpectedly relaxing about the boy in front of you. With his hands in his pockets, a crooked smile to his lips and a sheer layer of redness covering his face, he is nothing like you’d expect.

  So you shrug, leaning against the wooden fence with you arms crossed on your chest. ‘It’s not a bad first impression. I don’t really care about what I’ve heard.’

  An eyebrow shoots up. ‘You don’t?’

  ‘I’m not naive enough to think everything people say is the truth. I like seeing things for myself and then judging them.’

  ‘That’s a smart way to do things.’ He sounds impressed enough to bring an even bigger smile out of you.

  The conversation continues, somehow turning from small talk and introductions into a discussion about the importance of other people's opinions on one's own. It’s a pleasant surprise when you find Rafe as engaged as yourself, with a little wrinkle between his brows whenever he takes a pause to think, or the same crooked but curious grin when you tell him something he finds interesting.

  ‘Don’t your friends miss you?’ you ask, nudging your head in the direction of the two boys he pointed at earlier.

  Rafe glances over, before turning back to you. ‘Is that your way of telling me to leave?’

  ‘Kind of,’ you admit with an apologetic smile. ‘It’s getting late and I only planned on coming here for a few minutes, not almost an hour.’

  ‘Has it been that long already?’

  ‘You know how it goes, time flies when you're having fun.’

  He nods.

  You don’t know if he’s aware of how the opposite of subtle he is, but you’re as far from oblivious as he is from unnoticeable. His eyes glaze over you more than once, with the same curiosity that is in his smile when you speak. It’s a look you’ve seen on many boys’ faces. A mixture of attraction and interest, with a little bit of wonder and perplexity. is she worth my time? the look is asking. is she someone i am interested in?

  If this were all, you wouldn’t have looked at him twice, let alone held a conversation this long. The difference between the look you’re so familiar with and the one on Rafe’s face is that as the conversation goes on, whenever the corner of his mouth quips, the look becomes a little less wonder and a little more certainty.

  It’s this particular thing that lands him a ten-digit number in his contacts, and a promise of a continuation of the conversation. He walks with you until the end of the beach, which is where you leave for the town and he goes back to his friends. He leaves as he came – hands in the pockets of his shorts and a face with a red tinge to it. There is nothing smooth or Casanova-like to him, and it is that very fact that makes you realise that finally, after four years of hearing about him, you finally have an opinion on Rafe Cameron.

  And it is this: nothing you’ve ever heard about him is true.

  ★

The relationship between Rafe and you develops at a steady rate. True to his word, he calls you less than twenty-four hours after your conversation, and it’s one of the very few times you’re glad someone calls instead of texts. He has a nice, soothing voice, and he doesn’t drag out the conversation. It’s more of a confirmation that the promise he gave you was not empty.

  He asks you out after a few days of scarce conversation. He isn’t much of a texter, you notice, and he tells you it’s because conversations over message cannot even compare to those held in real life. You are almost certain that if you the two of you were closer, he’d call.

  It’s not a date. The two of you talk about everything, realising you’ve got some mutual friends. Just like the first time, talking to him is effortless. It makes your brain unwind in a was that is comfortable and soothing – you assume this has something to do with the softness in his eyes when he looks at you.

  Despite your expectations, the curious twitch in his smile doesn’t go away, weeks into hanging out. He’s lived a life different than yours and sometimes, it feels like he’s hearing of struggles of the middle of the chain for the first time. You’re not poor like the people from the Cut, but you’re not Figure Eight–rich, either.

  With time, Rafe starts walking closer, looking at you with the same gaze full of admiration, taking the eyelashes off your face instead of telling you it’s there. It’s the simplest touches, never crossing the line of just friends, even if threading on it.

  When he tries taking you to an expensive restaurant, you stay the night at his place and order takeout instead. His hair stops being gelled around you and you stop putting a lot of effort in the way you look when you come over. Hanging out turns into hanging out, as if there’s something more to it.

  Rafe kisses you on a Tuesday night. You’ve been waiting three months for this, ever since you caught his eye at the beach that sunny day. He’s gentle and reserved, giving you nothing more than a chaste peck.

  It progresses from there. One month down the line, you’re official, and nobody is surprised – even the people you’ve heard talk about him before as if he weren’t the one to be tied down. With you, he has been nothing but gentle and patient, taking things at whatever pace both of you felt comfortable with.

  There are times when you wonder what people think of you, all the same ones who had so many opinions about him that were little other than lies. Of course, you’re not a fool – you know there had to be some truth in them, too. You see it for yourself when Rafe shakes his head at parties to Topper and Kelce and you see them doing lines in the kitchen ten minutes later.

  Whatever Rafe was like before you met him, it doesn’t matter. In the time you’ve been with him, Rafe has started to feel more comfortable on a wider scale. His shoulders tense less when he's around his father, he is kinder to his sister, he doesn’t support his friends doing things that could bring harm to them or to others.

  It doesn’t matter what people say. You know your truth.

  ★

Rafe Cameron likes the beach, even when it’s autumn. He likes to wear tight turtleneck sweaters, usually in dark earth colours, and he likes to wear black skinny jeans, surprisingly. He likes the grey weather, when it’s cloudy and a little chilly, and the breeze pushes away the dry heat of the sun. He likes being cosy, playing rock songs and playing cards.

  This is the opinion you have on Rafe five months into knowing him. You look at the boy in front of you, shuffling playing cards while lying on his side, propped up on his elbow – you can’t picture this being the same person you spent so long only hearing about.

  He catches you looking and darts a card at you. ‘You better be thinking about how you’re going to treat me once I’ve won.’

  ‘It’s not fair,' you say. ‘You’ve been playing the game for far longer than I have.’

  ‘That’s life. It isn’t fair.’

  Rafe smiles and deals the cards. It’s yet another round you lose in a row, but it’s not just because of the lack of experience.

  He takes the cards and puts them away, lowering the volume on the speaker. ‘What’s bothering you?’

  You sit on the blanket with your legs crossed and his fingers playing with the bottom hem of your jeans. It’s cosy, with wind whistling as the background to the song currently playing.

 ‘It’s not bothering me,’ you say, ‘but I guess I’m wondering how someone like Rafe Cameron, the Casanova and Charlie Sheen of Outer Banks becomes the boy who wears turtleneck sweaters and skinny jeans.’

  Rafe laughs with ease evident on his face. He tugs on your jeans playfully, grinning wide. ‘Is that what you’re thinking about right now?’

  ‘You asked.’

  He turns on his back and props himself on his elbows, switching his gaze between the moving sea and you, sitting next to him, close enough to feel the heat of his body.

  One of his hands goes back to your ankle. He traces the skin underneath the jean fabric with his thumb, while his eyes give you the same glint they’ve had in them since the moment you met.

  ‘I thought you didn’t care what others thought of me.’

  ‘I still don’t, but it’s not something that’s easy to forget,’ you confess.

  Rafe gives you one of the modest smiles, shy and tentative. It wrinkles the skin around his eyes and gives him the slightest dimple and lines around his jaw, but it’s all so soft you barely notice.

  It’s the smile you feel like belongs to you only. You wouldn’t be surprised if it did.

  ‘That day at the beach,’ he begins. ‘I saw you standing there, and something in me said that I needed to talk to you.’

  You laugh, because you think he’s joking, but his smile remains earnest and he waits until you stop. The hand that was on his ankle moves to your wrist, his touch just as gentle and soft.

  ‘Please don’t say it was love at first sight,’ you say, because you haven’t even said the words to one another.

  Rafe shakes his head. ‘It wasn’t like that. It was just...’ He scratches the bridge of his nose, sighing lightly. ‘You know when you get that feeling in your chest like everything is possible?’

  You nod.

  ‘It was that.’

  ‘Rafe Cameron, you’re a hopeless romantic,’ you tell him. There’s a smile on your face, and you think about how he hasn’t actually answered your question, but you let him place a kiss on your lips nonetheless.

  He rests his forehead against yours. His fingers are right below your ear now, soft and gentle, like always. His breath is hot against your lips, and you think maybe that saying those three words isn’t going to happen far from this moment.

  He kisses you again, just like that first time, only now you feel him smile into it.

  ‘Not hopeless.’

  ★

tagging. @jjtheangel @teenwaywardasgardian @thelocalpogue @jjmaybanky @sacredto @chasefreakinstokes @drewstarkey @thatsme-johnbookerroutledge @margaritatimebaybee @outrbank @yourlocalauthor @justawilddreamerchild @snkkat @mynamewontwork13 @sunwardsss @storiesbymads @koufaxx @drewstarkeyobx @ilovejjmaybank @jjmaybanksbaby @mahleeyuh @starkeymarkey @nicolewithasoul @kiarawilliams127 @butgilinsky

[goddessofthundathighs]

X. REVELATION

Word Count: 2.9K

*taps mic* Is this thing on? Aight, I know I said that I’d update CS every 3-5 business months, but life happened for both me & @hearteyes-for-killmonger. Let me just tell y’all how many times I wanted to completely scrap this book, simply because for a second, I fell out of love with it. I also thought that you guys were no longer interested. For our loyal readers, thank you for sticking with us! This chapter is fairly short, but MAJOR progression is made!

It’s also late, so this is un-beta’d. Any errors will be corrected in the morning.

************

Skylar’s face turned up in a wide grin as O’Shea came downstairs with her latest flower arrangement. If Oya wasn’t good at anything else, she was a professional at wooing her. The bright yellow of the freshly picked sunflowers was a beautiful contrast to the deep red hue of the roses. She’d forgotten that she’d mentioned that they were her favorites.

“With love, from Bae,” O’Shea read teasingly, only making the smile on Skylar’s face stretch wider. “And again I ask, why aren’t the two of you officially a thing? The mutual attraction is obvious and I don’t think I’ve ever seen you smile this wide. Like you’re really flashing all 32 right now,” she asked, placing the vase on the corner of Sky’s desk.

“Because it’s not that easy, Shea. I have walls that need to be broken down and we both have issues that we need to work through. This is why SPT is so important. I have to understand exactly who I’m dealing with before we take things to the next level.”

O’Shea nodded. She hadn’t really thought about their situation like that. She’d just assumed that Sky was still working through ridding herself of Monica and was afraid of being heartbroken again.

“I’ve been meaning to ask about that. So is she Erik’s client now?”

“Yes. He’ll be her official therapist and draw up our plan of action as far as treatment.”

“Why does she feel like she needs treatment? She doesn’t seem to struggle sexually.”

“Looks can be deceiving, Shea. Behavior is also an indication that there may be underlying issues. Most of the clients that Erik and I treat are fully functioning. Look at you, for example.” Shea pulls a face. It was entirely too early in the workday for Skylar to be coming for her edges. She hadn’t even finished her acai breakfast bowl. “Aye, we not talking about me,” she fussed, placing her hands on her hips.

“But you fit the example. Personally, I think her excessive need to be sexual is a cover for something deeper, I just have to get her to tell me what it is.”

Sky couldn’t deny the soft spot she had for Oya. Even if things didn’t work out on the personal side of their relationship, she still cared for her and wanted to ensure she received the best treatment. Regardless of past situations, everybody deserved to be loved and accepted for who they truly are.

**

A pregnant silence engulfed Erik’s office as Oya and Skylar waited for him to speak. For the last 45 minutes he had been busy typing away at his computer, only pausing briefly to think before starting again. Once finished, he leans back in the Italian leather chair, stroking his beard as he gives the therapy plan a final onceover.

“Alright, before we begin, we first need to get to the root of the problem. Oya, why do you feel you need SPT and what do you hope to gain from it, other than my business partner as a mate?”

Ouch.

Oya recoiled slightly at his brashness. She hadn’t expected to be put on front street so quickly, nor was she prepared to discuss her history so soon. She suddenly felt bare, like she had been stripped of all of her clothing in front of a crowded high school auditorium and her anxiety was spiking. Skylar took notice of how withdrawn she’d become and placed a comforting hand on her thigh.

“It’s okay, Oya. You don’t have to explain in detail just yet, we just need a general idea of what we’re dealing with so that we approach it in the best way,” Skylar explained, the gentleness of her voice causing Oya to return her soft smile.

While she knew that there wasn’t a logical reason to be afraid of Erik or his opinion, her brain had been conditioned to be critical of men ever since that fateful night in her uncle’s basement. Still, having Skylar there was comforting. Her presence made it easier to generate a Spark Notes version of her past.

“I was abused and shunned as a child and as a result, became overtly sexual. While I know that sex can’t fill the void that was left from that experience, it’s the only way to silence the voices in my head. I started looking into SPT because I saw that abuse survivors can benefit from it.”

Erik’s face softened from its usual hard line. While he’d assumed this girl had been through the ringer, his mind couldn’t begin to fathom just how deep her trauma ran.

“Here’s what we’ll do,” he started. “Since it’s obvious that you’re a lot more comfortable speaking to Sky about this, how about the two of you do dinner. If not tonight, then later this week. During dinner, Oya, I need you to be as transparent as possible. I need you to go into full detail of what happened and then Skylar will report back to me. The two of us will formulate a comprehensive 8-week therapy plan, which will be implemented starting next week. Are you okay with doing this?”

Oya nodded, finally allowing herself to completely relax.

“We’re gonna get you right, Ms. Ramirez. Over the next 8 weeks you’ll watch yourself become a new woman, I guarantee it,” Erik smiles, offering her his hand to shake.

She accepts the invitation, returning his smile in the most infectious way before turning to Skylar.

“I know SPT doesn’t always require sex, but we can still implement some BDSM therapy, right?”

Sky laughs in response. Leave it to Oya to bring sexual humor into an otherwise serious situation.

“Baby steps, Ms. Ramirez.”

**

Oya's salmon arrived on the table and she licked her chops, having been out all day without eating. Why Sky had inquired about her level of hunger, Oya stated that her radiant smile was enough to fill her, however, the angry cry of her stomach told a different tale.

The pair opted for a Friday evening dinner, an excuse for Skylar to have a drink or two and not worry about having to work the following day. She sips her Hendricks and tonic slowly, savoring the crisp taste of the cucumbers she requested be added to the concoction.

Oya slammed face first into her plate effectively scaring the shit out of Sky who was currently rethinking a few things in regard to diet based on Oya's uncouth and grizzly attack on her fish. 

"Well. She eats fish like I eat pussy," Sky sighed, brushing it off. Still, she found herself keeping her eyes down to her own plate.

"I wasn't that hungry," Oya belched, wiping her mouth with her stained paper napkin. "I'll take another one still."

After her second fish, Sky was appalled at the way Oya had violated those salmon. She decided that she would also train Oya to eat like a human being and they would practice on a sushi date, since they require smaller bites.

“Alright fish murderer,” Sky finally chirps. “You’ve avoided the inevitable long enough, it’s time to talk.” Oya lifts her head slowly, much like a dog who has just been scolded for peeing on fresh carpet.

“Do we really have to talk about this? Like is it honestly necessary?”

“Yes, Oya. With all due respect, we can’t treat you if we don’t know what we’re treating. You gotta give us something.”

“I gave you something earlier,” she snaps defensively.

“Yes, but that’s not enough. There are several forms of abuse, Oya. Just saying you were abused doesn’t really tell us anything. We can’t use verbal abuse treatment methods to treat a victim of physical abuse. You understand that, right?” Sky asks incredulously.

Oya pinches the bridge of her nose in annoyance. She was beginning to regret even bringing up the whole thing. While she thought she was ready to expose this part of her life, fear and her anxiety were getting the best of her. She was beginning to close up again.

Just tell her, her psyche coaxes. 

“I was raped by my mother’s brother when I was ten. It happened nearly everyday for 6 months. It took everything in me to say something to my mother about it, but when I finally did, she accused me of lying.”

A lone tear slid down Oya’s cheek at the memory.

“From that point on, I haven’t been able to trust or fully commit to a man. Which is why I couldn’t talk to Dr. Stevens earlier. I know he means well, but --”

“It’s a work in progress, I understand,” Skylar interjects.

“To this day, she refuses to acknowledge what that man did to me, even though he’s currently serving a 20-year prison sentence for pedophilia. From that point on, sex was my escape. I know it sounds oxymoronic, but it helped fill the void and silence the pain. Even if the gratification was short lived.

Skylar takes her hand, offering a napkin to wipe the fresh tears that slid down her face.

“I think we should start slow. I’ll get with Erik, but I feel like our first few sessions should be meditation and sensate focus. I want you to be comfortable with touching and being touched in a nonsexual manner before we move onto more advanced methods. Are you ok with that?”

“I think so,” Oya admits. “I’ve been using sex to run from my demons for majority of my life. I don’t want to hide anymore.”

“And when this is all over, you won’t have to,” Skylar smiles.

“I still wanna be your sex slave at some point, though,” Oya jokes.

“Check please!” Sky laughs.

**

After several back and forth debates as to where the session should be held, the doctors finally decided that Oya’s house would be best.

“It’s somewhere that she feels comfortable, and therefore, it should be easier for her to open up,” Erik said once the final decision was made. Sky nods her agreement, texting Oya to alert her of the plan.

Sky: Instead of coming to my office, we’ll be doing the session at your house. Is that ok?

Oya: Ooh, I get the good doctor all to myself. Say less. Here’s my address

Skylar chuckles at her eagerness, adding the address to her Maps app for later access.

“She seems excited,” she tells Erik, pocketing her phone.

“For now,” he says, sliding a manila folder towards her. “She’s flighty, so her nervousness can come back at any moment. Make sure you keep her relaxed the entire time.”

“Why you talking to me like she’s my first patient?”

“Just making sure your head is in the right place. You’re typically behind the scenes. Patients like Oya can be tricky.”

“I got this, dad,” Sky groans, swinging her bag over her shoulder as she stands to leave.

“You better stop. You ain’t called a nigga Daddy in a minute, Nola.” 

“Goodbye, Stevens! I’ll let you know how things go.”

“Text me. I promised the baby brat we’d go to the carnival later. She’s been dying for a funnel cake and a new stuffie.”

“Aww, how sweet,” Sky beams, armed with new ammunition to tease Shea with once they were back in the office. After reading through the therapy plan for herself, she rests the folder and her bag in the passenger seat and heads home. She would need the rest of the night to prepare for the next day’s session.

**

The California sun beamed brightly as Skylar made her way to Oya’s apartment. It was a beautiful three bedroom, three bath unit in Playa Vista, not far from the beach. Skylar was immediately drawn to the brightness of the space, the white walls with soft marble and gold accents adding to the feminine charm.

“I was thinking we could do this in my meditation room,” Oya said once Sky was done with her exploration.

“Ooh meditation room,” Skylar squealed, following her into what would become her favorite room in the entire unit. Behind the curtain of strung selenite crystals lay a spiritual oasis. Two black Buddah statues sat on both sides of the entrance while pink, orange, and yellow pillows decorated the floor. They looked to be from Bali or some other spiritual region. On the east and western walls were sun and moon appliques, subtle nods to the orishas Yemoja and Oshun, while chakra posters and decorations line the southern wall. On an inverted bookshelf near the front facing wall lay her crystals, sage, and a small altar Sky could tell had been used recently.

“Okay, I already loved the rest of the house, but this room is a whole vibe,” Skylar compliments, pulling out her notebook and video camera. “It’s standard practice that these sessions are recorded, but if you’re uncomfortable being on film, I have a tape recorder.”

“No, the camera is fine,” Oya assured, taking a seat on the pink pillow. She sat Indian style with her palms resting on her knees. Skylar placed her camera between two rose quartz cathedrals, taking a few test shots to ensure the angle was perfect. Once done, she mimicked Oya’s stance on the yellow pillow across from her.

“It is the third day of March and the time is 3:33 pm,” Skylar says, beginning the recording.

“I see you, Universe,” Oya muses to herself, allowing herself to be consumed by the feeling of divine protection.

“We’re going to start with simple breathing exercises to get you relaxed and comfortable, okay?” Oya nods in response. “First I need you to sit up straight, but keep your shoulders and neck relaxed.”

Oya complies, rolling her neck to the sides to release some apparent tension.

“Now, close your eyes and visualize your happy place. It could be the beach or your bed, just wherever makes you feel the happiest,” Sky instructs, doing the same. “Now, breathe in deep through your nose, hold it for about five seconds, then release through your mouth.”

The two repeat these steps about five times before Oya is finally allowed to open her eyes. Skylar makes note of the sated look in her eyes.

“How do you feel?” she asks softly.

“Surprisingly, I feel really good. I do breathing exercises often, but I don’t think I’ve ever been this relaxed before.” “Good, that’s what we want. Now, we’ll move into sensate touching. I’ll need you to remove your jewelry and as much clothing as you’re comfortable with.”

Oya’s face turns up into a sly smirk.

“Are you getting fresh with me, Dr. Greene,” she teases, slowly removing the white Nike crop top.

Sky chuckles before answering.

“Quite the opposite, Ms. Ramirez. In sensate touching, participants are typically nude and free from jewelry. The method we’ll be practicing this afternoon is non-genital sensate touching, which means that I will touch every single part of your body except your breasts and your vagina. While sensate touching may cause arousal, it is important that you remain professional and focus only on your own sensations while being touched, understood?” 

“Aye, aye, captain,” Oya responds, saluting for emphasis. This makes Skylar giggle.

“I can already tell you’re not going to make this easy for me, Ms. Ramirez.” “I promise to be a good girl, Dr. Greene. You have my word.”

“Alright. This first session will be strictly me touching you with my hands. If this goes well, then we can introduce other elements, such as feathers, scarves, and even oils. If at any point you feel uncomfortable or sleepy, let me know and we can continue another time.”

“I’m not allowed to fall asleep?” Oya questions.

“No. It’s important that you remain awake and conscious through the entire experience,” Sky responds, positioning herself behind Oya. Slowly and deliberately, Skylar rubs her hands up Oya’s arms, starting with just her palms. She moves up to her shoulders and neck, alternating between firm and subtle pressure to the pressure points there.

“Mmm,” Oya moans softly. “You should consider massage therapy,” she coos, allowing her head to fall slightly.

“You think so?” Sky asks with a grin. “Yes ma’am. Your touch is very relaxing, Dr. Greene,” Oya shudders as Skylar’s fingertips dance up and down her back.

“Well I’m glad you think so, Ms. Ramirez.”

The session continues for exactly 33 minutes before Oya’s eyes start to droop. “Okay, I think we need to stop, otherwise, I’m gonna be asleep in your arms,” Oya says, her voice audibly more soft and relaxed than when they first began.

Skylar shuts the camera off and makes a few more notes in her notebook before putting her things away. Without thinking, she sits down beside Oya, pulling her so that she was cradled against her supple bosom.

“I don’t think I’d object to that much,” she beams.

Oya bites her lip softly before staring up into Sky’s big green eyes. She could see herself getting lost in them for days.

“You think you’re capable of fixing me? I’m damaged goods, Dr. Greene.” Her voice came out just above a whisper, her tone laced with vulnerability. Skylar smoothed her hair, tucking a stray curl behind her ear before delivering her heartfelt response. 

“A smushed Reese’s cup is still a Reese’s cup, Ms. Ramirez. And I happen to really like Reese’s cups.”

Oya’s smile spread across her whole face, a soft twinkle dancing in her eyes.

“I’ll be your Reese’s cup.”

**

@vikkidc @thadelightfulone @sydneebleu @blktinkerbell @madamslayyy @chaneajoyyy @jozigrrl @thehomierobbstark @ @iamrheaspeaks @mareethequeen @forbeautyandlife @whatmoredoyouwantamericaa @blowmymbackout @wakanda-inspired @yaachtynoboat711 @nickidub718 @heyauntieeee @princessstevens @bakarilennox @xaviera108 @alexundefined @raysunshine78 @dameshaemonique @laketaj24 @youreadthatright @theogbadbitch @bugngiz @amirra88 @post-woke @im5ftbutmythroat66 @blackpinup22 @maya-leche @blessyd-bthyname @unholyxcumbucket @eclecticblkgirl @kissmyafropuff @rick-sosa @jennajai @allhailqueennel @killmongersbaby @eye-raq @thickemadame @soulfulbeauty19 -

[mahmancat]

Why Are We So In Love With Cats

Cats and also their human followers are a misunderstood lot. This I discovered when I composed "Why cats never ever became male's buddy" discussing how the recently mapped cat genome reveals that, compared with canines, residence cats are only partially tamed. The reaction on Quartz's Facebook page was legendary. The article obtained almost 1,700 remarks more than any other post on Quartz's Facebook page, ever. What triggered this outpouring? I referenced the feline stereotype frequently traded among dog people that cats are passive-aggressive and also psychologically unavailable.

On the face of it, pet people appear to be less touchy. Our short article in 2014 on pets' genetic wildness (" Quit coddling your pet dog he's 99.9% wolf") was widely read, but it sparked minimal feedback from pet dog people in any way as well as certainly no outrage.

So why do pet cat individuals come off as so darned delicate? Possibly since they are. Research studies weightgal.com do without a doubt show feline individuals often tending towards higher nervousness as well as moodiness than the pro-canine team. Current research likewise recommends animal owners with even more aberrant characteristics are additionally inclined to feel more anxiety regarding their animals' sensations towards them. Whether consciously or otherwise, both media as well as society appear to love to massage this insecurity in.

Yet many in the pro-cat camp suggest that the bond they show to their felines transcends to what pet dog individuals experience with their pets:

Sounds quite bitter, possibly. But on this point, at the very least, the pet cat people are not as crazy as the stereotype maintains. Their animal of selection has actually greatly stood up to the human meddling that has actually in some way hewn chihuahuas as well as whippets from the genetics of wolves indicating: cats simply aren't programmed to please individuals the way pets are. And also this might explain why feline people seem to have an extremely deep bond with their animals.

Meowing martyrs

This disliking on felines thing it isn't all that original. The pomposity's real leader was Pope Gregory IX, who declared in 1233 that during Satanic masses, the Devil took the form of a black pet cat.

Throughout Europe edumattress.com , the Catholic Church tortured as well as carried out pet cat proprietors for witchery. Considering that having pet cats could obtain you burned at the stake, individuals started slaughtering residential felines a fad worsened by the false impression that pet cats triggered the Black Fatality

, which started ruining the continent in the mid-1300s. Europe's entire domestic feline population was really nearly erased, and also lots of 10s of countless "witches" were burned at the stake over the following 400 years.

It wasn't simply Catholics who had it in for felines, though; Queen Elizabeth I's crowning celebrations consisted of melting a cat active (so joyful!). To today, cats withstand torture as well as persecution that just doesn't seem to take place to dogs. For instance, individuals could claim this concerning certain pet dog types pit bulls or poodles, state yet not about pets as a whole:

Canines, the people-pleasers

Against that backdrop, it's not actually all that surprising that cat individuals may be tired of combating the dominating knowledge that pet dogs are a lot more charitable of spirit than felines. And also, scientifically speaking, this bias is unfair. Recall that canine genetics have been shuffled around for centuries to suit human requirements. While people throughout the ages were melting and also brutalizing cats, pet dogs were by their sides bring ducks, going after foxes, and also eliminating Attila the Hun's enemies, among others of the abilities they were reproduced for.

This brings us back to the development issue. Once again, house felines are mainly an item of all-natural, as well as not man-made, choice they trained themselves, you could say.

Dogs, not so much. Starting between 11,000 and also 16,000 years earlier, when pet dogs were first trained from old wolves, they have actually been bred to please individuals. The convenience with which people can reproduce them likewise suggests that human beings have selected for genes that make pet dogs extra appealing to them as well as not just for skills, however likewise for aesthetics as well as individuality avantsuccess.com .

That lack of enigma might have something to do with why Hollywood, the media as well as the basic population is extra likely to relate to dogs than pet cats, notes Mikel Delgado, a researcher at the University of California, Berkeley as well as an expert cat actions specialist.

" I assume part of the [media prejudice] is because pet cats are less transparent to us they show up to have less facial expression," she states. Canines, comparative, are thought to act on their whims as well as conveniently mirror what appear to human beings to be familiar feelings. Yet pets have probably been reproduced for these traits, states Delgado. "They were fed since they can wrinkle their eyebrows, and also we bred them additionally to mirror our own expressions," she states.

The feline aura

Extra intriguing, however, is what turned up in the comments section at the end of Delgado and also Reevy's survey, in which pet dog owners of both types might mention on their pet of selection. Cat people rhapsodized regarding their cat's uniqueness, composing points like "my feline is the smartest." Canine proprietors, on the other hand, often tended either to celebrate their animal's obedience or make general statements concerning all pet dogs (e.g. "I love pets" or "pets are sweet!"), states Delgado.

The Facebook remark string lends even more proof to the pet cat part of that phenomenon. Dolly, Boris, Buddi, Cuddles, Snowy, Salem, Isis, George Hubert, and Noodle are amongst hundreds of other felines applauded in occasionally TMI-levels of information.

This makes good sense. Pet cats' freedom, absence of openness, and also self-sufficiency implies when individuals ultimately reach harmony with their kitty, they have actually overcome massive all-natural obstacles to develop a bond of mutual respect.

Why do we enjoy cats so much?

We're all cat lovers. That's why we're right here. But have you ever quit to wonder why we locate felines so amazing loveable?

With Valentine's Day just nearby, it seemed the perfect time to explore our attraction with our self-domesticated feline pals.

A few of that innate love could be instinct, based upon felines' one-of-a-kind facial functions manjacompany.com .

Konrad Loren z, that likewise uncovered the concept of inscribing, thought that human beings are drawn to baby-like features, such as large eyes. Because cats have reasonably big eyes symmetrical to their faces, also when grown, we feel an instinctual protectiveness over them.

The response can also depend on just how felines domesticated themselves. Unlike pets, that were bred from wild wolves to be searching tools as well as family members friends, pet cats most likely complied with human beings because that's where the victim was. Throughout background, any place people went, vermin followed, providing an enough food resource. Fast forward hundreds of years and cats have identified that humans will certainly provide sanctuary, safety and security, and food, without all the initiative.

That's one of the reasons it's so vital to have fun with your cat. He has strong hunting reactions that require exercising. Even if he seems material to sleep throughout the day, he actually needs an opportunity to show off his skill at pouncing, chasing, and scratching. Even simply a few mins a day with a wand plaything, like our Wiggly Stick can maintain kitty feeling frisky and also engaged.

There's likewise proof felines see us as part of their "litter," utilizing vocative sounds like mews and also chittering to attract our interest a habits that's just utilized between mommy pet cats as well as their kitties in the wild. Recognizing your cat sees you as an equal is certainly reason to dole out the love.

One more piece of the problem might lie in a pet cat's unique purrs, which they make use of to calm themselves when they're worried or to share satisfaction. Proof even reveals that a cat's purr can heal both pet cats and also humans alike. As well as there's absolutely nothing like a pleased purring cat in your lap.

It's likewise likely that several of us find pet cats to be a challenge, and that's why we discover them so appealing. Unlike pets, pet cats typically just reveal affection on their terms. So when they do finally show how much they like and depend upon us, it seems that a lot more satisfying.

If you're a meme lover, you could adore cats due to the fact that they are "made of liquid" or since "if I fits, I sits" seems to be their concept. Felines can fit in almost any container. In tight spaces, whiskers help them figure out if the area allows sufficient for their body. Yet likewise, pet cats love a basic cardboard box or a play tunnel like our very own Hide and also Sneak.

In all honesty, though, it's most likely the toe beans. Have you seen the tiny cute pads on the bottoms of their feet? Exactly how can you not enjoy an animal with such lovable toes?

[nyxfury]

The Big Little Merman (Part 2: The Plan is Afoot)

Rated M for swearing

Pairing: Dramione Fandom: Harry Potter / Little Mermaid

Disclaimer: I own nothing of the Harry Potter or Little Mermaid(Disney) franchise. This is just fanfiction and completely demonetised. Thanks to JKR and Disney for the wonderful sandboxes to let our imaginations run wild. This is also not beta-d so apologies for any mistakes and errors. They are my own.

Summary: Draco Malfoy suddenly finds himself thrust as the leading man in the gender bended wizard play adaptation of a muggle story, The Little Mermaid. How did it come to be this way and who’s slated to play the female lead? (Hint: Hermione)

Link to A03

“Ginevra Molly Weasley Potter!!” fumed Hermione Granger with her shrillest impression of a banshee as she barrelled into the redheads’ office.

“I take it you received your letter.” nodded Ginny, keeping her gaze focused on the document she was working on. With a final flourish of dotting a few more i’s and t’s, she re-slotted her quill in its’ holder, steepled her fingers together and took her sweet time shifting her gaze slowly to look at Hermione. Her expression remained stoic but her eyes held a scheming twinkle. She gestured to the guest chair, inviting Hermione to take a seat. 

Huffing at the redheads’ calm composure, Hermione closed the office door and sat on the opposite chair out of spite. She liked to indulge in being petty when she was in a mood. And she was feeling particularly irritated with the redhead right now.

Ginny rolled her eyes, ignoring the childish behaviour. She was a mother after all and Hermione was acting like her 2 year old son on a tantrum.

“What is the meaning of this?” Hermione clipped, waving the letter in the air in annoyance. Her initial fury deflated a little, simmering into mild anger. She crossed her arms and levelled a glare at the redhead.

“Well, Hermione, I imagine it would’ve been self-explanatory really. You broached the idea, I floated it to my boss, the HR Department head. He loved it, being half-blood himself. And now we’re working on making it a reality.” Ginny explained patronisingly.

“You know what I’m asking Ginny. I suggested the play because I thought it would be a hilarious consequence for the losing team. I never imagined nor wanted to be part of it!” she protested, waving her hands in emphasis. “Now explain why I’m finding myself cast as one of the leading characters and playing opposite Malfoy as his romantic interest!”

“Ah and therein lies your answer.” sing-songed Ginny, suggestively raising her eyebrows up and down.

“Ginny!”, Hermione spouted indignantly.

“Hermione!” mocked Ginny. 

“When will you finally admit that you find the man devastatingly attractive?” the redhead asked, leaning back in her chair and staring pointedly at her friend. She had a suspicion that her friend was carrying a torch for the blond scion. She’s never confronted Hermione about it until she felt sure that it was reciprocated. After observing both of them dance around each other for months, she’s grown impatient that neither was doing anything to pursue the mutual attraction.

Clarity dawned on the brightest witch of their age as she realized Ginny’s true motives. “Ginevra, if this is in any way related to you insisting on dolling me up for the pick up match, or that time you insisted I wear…I swear to Merlin that..that…” she fumbled, suddenly feeling flustered. Her lower abdomen felt like it was tying itself in endless knots. “Argh! Self care my arse.” she uncharacteristically exclaimed in frustration, throwing her arms in the air as she stood and walked towards the only window in the small office. She was feeling a little betrayed. Hermione Granger did not often feel backed into a corner. So she settled on some distance as she contemplated on the newfound perspective, completely missing Ginny’s small triumphant smile.

Finally, progress! A semblance of acknowledgement. Ginny happily sighed, patiently waiting for Hermione to process her emotions.

“I didn’t ask you to play matchmaker.” Hermione declared indignantly after a few beats of silence. The urge to escape the anxiety inducing conversation felt strong and she was on the verge of bolting.

“Doesn’t mean I can’t live vicariously through you and appreciate fine wine.” Ginny quipped.

Hermione stared at her friend. “You’re married.”

“Yes and a few years in matrimony can make life predictable.” Ginny waved her hand dismissively. “So you’re not denying it.” she stated more as a fact than a question.

“If you’ve come to that conclusion then my struggle to understand what this is must’ve been terribly obvious.” she sighed, shoulders slumped as she found her way back to her chair.

“But the self care campaign, Ginny? Really?” Hermione asked incredulously.

“It killed two birds with one stone.” the redhead shrugged, looking smug and unrepentant.

“To be perfectly candid, I don’t know what this is I have with Malfoy. Or that if there even is anything at all.” the brunette confessed. “There’s just been so much going on. He just broke off a long engagement for Merlin’s sake!“ 

“Hermione,” Ginny paused dramatically, “you’re probably the only person in this Universe who considers a year and a half as something recent.” Ginny pointed out. “Also, no one would’ve judge either of you if you started dating right after his engagement dissolved. In fact, half the Wizarding World assumed you’d be married with Malfoy’s babies by now!” the redhead exclaimed.

Hermione responded with a pointed glare.

“Ok, maybe that was a gross exaggeration.” Ginny conceded.

Before the conversation could go on, they were suddenly interrupted by another person barrelling through Ginny’s office in exasperation.

“Ginny, what the hell!?” exclaimed one very flabbergasted husband, waving a missive similar to the one the brunette flourished earlier.

“Alright, I’ve had it with everyone storming into my office today. Have all of you left your manners at home and forgot to knock like a decent person?”, declared the redhead more to herself than anyone in particular.

“Let me guess, you’ve also been casted for the play.” the brunette addressed Harry, who was still standing in askance as the door behind him was left wide open.

Noticing a few onlookers gathering and remembering where they were, Harry closed the door so as not to attract more attention.

“Well, yes. But I don’t understand why since our team won the pick up match! Hermione was supposed to be the only addition outside the losing team.” he huffed.

“Harry James Potter, please tell me that you and your wife aren’t actively trying to meddle in my love life!”, Hermione demanded, arms akimbo.

The bespectacled Auror had the decency to look chagrined as he stared at Ginny, silently begging for rescue as he realized his Freudian slip. The redhead’s only response was a wide-eyed stare, non-verbally replying that he was on his own.

Then there was silence.

Hermione sighed resignedly, “At least tell me that your scheming hasn’t gone beyond you two.” 

The married couple’s silent debate with their staring told her more than enough than she needed to know.

“Oh Merlin, who else is in this ploy and why am I only finding out now?”

~o~ 

“Malfoy, drinks are on you since it’s technically your fault we’re in a pickle right now.” declared Ronald Weasley as he plopped himself on a seat and signalled for a server. 

Draco already expected as much since he initiated the invite. But the gangly redhead chose a table for a larger group than their current party so he felt the need to clarify, “Expecting more company, Weasley?”

“Yeah, I’ve invited Harry and Dean. Apparently, my sister’s gone mental and casted them in the play! They’re out for blood. We’re all on the same team now.” he casually replied after ordering a round for everyone.

Draco is unsurprised by the development. The production will be a charity event after all and it’s only logical to include the Boy Who Died Twice and Lived to ensure that the tickets will sell out. It would also follow that the last member of the Golden Trio be included to complete the ensemble and seal the deal with the sales. Thus, he finds himself curious if she’s been casted as well.

He sipped his firewhiskey, feeling the smooth satisfying warmth of the liquid spread through his system. 

Harry Potter and Dean Thomas arrived and settled themselves. Blaise immediately declared that Potter got what he deserved after being so smug earlier that day. Everyone, excluding Malfoy, went into a heated discussion about the ridiculous stipulations included in the production.

“How can they demand us to be fit and have defined abs to play shirtless Mermen!? I’m an Auror but pushing paper doesn’t require exercise!”, Seamus tearfully exclaimed as he nursed his pint in one hand and his slight but definitely there beer belly in the other.

“Hear hear!”, Thomas chimed in support as he raised his own pint.

The conversation remained rowdy in the background as Draco stayed silent and in deep contemplation. A few more sips of his drink and he felt confident that Granger’s been casted in the play. Slowly, he found his mood shifting from dread to anticipation for the coming weeks.

Blaise never missed a beat and was perceptive enough to notice that the blonde finally put two and two together. Deciding that it was the right moment to sow the seeds, he executed his play.

“Speaking of fit, I noticed that Granger’s been looking really fit recently. Doesn’t she Draco?” he asked the blonde point blank.

Unprepared to be addressed after staying silent for most of the night, Draco decided to just nod in agreement and completely missed Blaise signalling Weasley to take his cue. 

“That she does. I blame you for losing us the match Malfoy but I don’t blame you for getting distracted. She was especially lush during the pick up match.” Weasley unexpectedly mooned.

The blonde felt confused as he bluntly questioned, “Hasn’t that ship sailed years ago, Weasley?”

“It has. But I’ve been re-thinking our relationship recently. I feel like it may be time to try again.” the redhead wolfishly replied as he polished his drink and signalled for another.

Seamus patted Weasley on the back in solidarity as Harry declared his support for the redhead’s declaration; as did everyone else in the table save for the blonde.

Draco never wore his heart on his sleeve but he was unable to mask the brief flash of hostility that overtook his features before schooling it back to nonchalance. The sudden and intense protectiveness he felt over Granger after Weasley’s declaration startled him. In his distraction, he failed to notice the silent triumphant look everyone shared. 

Blaise silently praised himself for a job well done as he watched his friend internally brood.

[revisitedgrunt]

Anonymous said:

“I could also say if sun was a woman they would ship it sun and blake have actual chemistry with each other romantically and I have seen bxy shippers desperately jump through hoops to ignore evidence or act like black sun was sunk etc . I have seen bxy shippers trying to use monty card as well. or act like because monty said there will be lgbt characters it must be team rwby

not to mention that despite how bXy shippers pretend blake X yang isnt confirmed despite how much they try to twist adams lines as hinting at romance like destroy everything you love. or ignore adams racism or trying to equate bxy to renoras moments ignoring context and the way it was shot all they do is but both of them involve holding hands. or another argument I have seen is but both pairings in jnpr involve partners dating when that doesnt mean it has to be the case for rwby.”

Hi Anon, thanks for getting in touch.  I was hoping my last post would start a conversation.  Allow me to respond to your points.

First things first, my post wasn't about the relevant merits of Blacksun or Bumbleby.  It was about how heterosexual and homosexual ships are viewed differently, even when both have evidence supporting them.  I could have used another show, or other ships.  The reason I used RWBY to illustrate my point is because the show made it very easy for me.  It contains a scene where a man winks at a woman, and a scene where a woman winks at a woman.  As the same thing happens in both scenes, it makes it incredibly easy to directly compare the two.

When you strip everything else away, both scenes contain the exactly same thing, a woman getting winked at.  Both winks are of a flirtatious nature, the only difference is the gender of the winker, so why is the M/F ship automatically accepted, but the F/F ship is immediately dismissed? Why do you think that happens?  I'd really, really like to get your thoughts on that.

I can give you my perspective.  We still live in a very heteronormative society.  It doesn't help that the media we consume conditions us to accept certain things, especially when it comes to attraction and romance. It all reinforces the notion that if a man and woman share an attraction, they are going to end up together.  A lot of straight people, and this isn't their fault, lack perspective when it comes to homosexual romance.  They don't see what's happening because they don't have a frame of reference.  This is why people should be more open minded.  If someone with more knowledge in a subject tells you something, you should listen.  For example, if a black person says something is racist, it's probably racist.  If a queer person says something is queer, it's probably queer.

As I said before, let me know why you think heterosexual and homosexual ships are treated differently.

Let me go back to the winking for a second.  Some people have pointed out that Yang is playful and she's winked at other people, including Weiss.  This is 100% correct.  If Yang had made a joke, or was joking around in general, we could question if the wink was flirtatious.  However, for the entire scene Yang is nothing but serious.  At the end, when she says “and if you feel like coming out tomorrow, I'll save you a dance.”, listen to the tone of her voice.  She sounds sincere, genuine, even hopeful.  She doesn’t sound like she’s joking beacuse this isn’t a joking matter for her.  She's inviting Blake out and promising to dance with her.  This seems pretty clear cut to me.  The suggestion that Yang is just being playful further reinforces my point on how differently heterosexual and homosexual interactions are viewed.

Now, onto the points you raise.

“I could also say if sun was a woman they would ship it”

You are 100% right.  Do you know why we would ship them?  Because we are desperate for representation.  We latch onto any homosexual pairing that has even the slightest hint of becoming romantic, simply because we don't get the sheer amount straight people do.  GLAAD published a report called “Where We Are on TV”.  It covers the 2018-2019 TV season and states “ Of the 857 regular characters expected to appear on broadcast scripted primetime programming this season, 75 (8.8%) were identified as gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and/or queer.” Heterosexual people can watch any show on TV and find someone to identify with.  Queer people get 8.8%.    

“sun and blake have actual chemistry with each other romantically and I have seen bxy shippers desperately jump through hoops to ignore evidence or act like black sun was sunk etc ”

No right minded Bumbleby shipper disputes the fact that Blake and Sun shared an attraction.  That is clear from what is presented on the show.  The split comes when the word romantic is used.  We all know that attraction does not always equal romance.  I haven't seen any evidence on the show to suggest that Blake and Sun's relationship went further than mutual attraction, before evolving into an amazing friendship that really helped Blake.  

My personal opinion is that Sun stopped pursuing a romantic relationship at the end of Volume 3.  He saw how much Blake cared for Yang and resolved to be the best friend he could be for Blake.  I believe his speech to Neptune in Volume 6 confirms this.  Having said that, the show isn't over, we have no idea what the writers are going to do.  Maybe they will go with Blacksun, none of us really know what's going to happen.

Let me be perfectly clear here.  I had assumed that Blake and Sun would enter into a romantic relationship.  However, at this point in the story, I no longer think this.  Am I saying Blacksun was never a valid ship?  No. Am I criticising Blacksun?  No.  Am I saying you shouldn't support Blacksun?  Of course not.  I'm not even saying Blacksun has sunk.  It's not sunk because the show isn't over, and both of them are still alive.  That's the big difference here, in most fandoms, even if a M/F ship seems unlikely, it's still given more validation than an F/F ship.  This is the point I'm getting at.  Lets give M/F and F/F ships the same level of respect.

I'm not sure what evidence we're ignoring, or what hoops we're jumping through.  Please provide some examples for us to discuss.

“I have seen bxy shippers trying to use monty card as well. or act like because monty said there will be lgbt characters it must be team rwby”

I guess Bumbleby shippers do use the Monty card.  When we use it, we usually say “Monty wouldn't have a problem with Bumbleby.”  We feel safe saying this because we have actual evidence to back this up.  I wrote an entire post called “Monty Oum and LGBT representation” that supports this view.  We don't make unsupported claims like the people that say Monty wouldn't want Bumbleby to happen.  They have not been able to provide one shred of evidence to support this.  Do you really think these two sides are the same?  One is saying Monty was a loving, inclusive guy and the other side is calling him a homophobe.

The LGBT characters don't have to be on team RWBY.  There's also no reason that the LGBT characters shouldn't be on team RWBY.  There's no reason they shouldn't be Blake and Yang.

“not to mention that despite how bXy shippers pretend blake X yang isnt confirmed despite how much they try to twist adams lines as hinting at romance like destroy everything you love. or ignore adams racism”

I'm a bit confused here.  Bumbleby shippers pretend Bumbleby isn't confirmed?  So you're saying Bumbleby is confirmed?  I think I can safely say that the majority of Bumbleby shippers will admit that Bumbleby isn't canon yet.  We think they are right on the edge, but they aren't in a romantic relationship yet, meaning they aren't canon, yet.

We don't try to twist Adam's lines to hint at romance, the actual lines spoken by Adam hint at romance.  “I will make it my mission to destroy everything you love.  Starting with her.”  “What does she even see in you!” Adam can see how much Blake cares about Yang, and he considers Yang a romantic rival.  

I think you're implying that Adam hates Yang because she's human.  I can see the logic, but Adam never uses the fact that Yang is human against her.  So, there's nothing there to ignore.  He could have said “Starting with that filthy human.” or “Why does she care so much about a human!” He doesn't, he clearly cares far more about Blake's feelings towards Yang, than the fact that Yang is human.

“or trying to equate bxy to renoras moments ignoring context and the way it was shot all they do is but both of them involve holding hands.”

Can you clarify what context we are ignoring?  The way I remember it is, Ren and Nora fight the Nuckelavee, a monster that has traumatised them.  They defeat it and grow closer, as evidenced by the looks they share, and them holding hands on the airship.  The fandom unanimously agrees that Renora is now canon.  Next we have Blake and Yang fight Adam, a monster that has traumatised them.  They defeat him and grow closer, as evidenced by the looks they share, and them holding hands on the airship.  For some reason, the fandom doesn't agree that Bumbleby is canon.

Damn it, this example would have been even better than the winking scenes.  Renora and Bumbleby really does highlight the different ways heterosexual and homosexual ships are viewed.

“another argument I have seen is but both pairings in jnpr involve partners dating when that doesnt mean it has to be the case for rwby.”

I don't remember ever seeing this.  Of course it doesn't have to be the case.  If someone says this, I don't think they're being serious.  I think it's safe to say that no one seriously expects Whiterose to become canon.  The work hasn't been done and the hints aren't there.  Bumbleby is another matter.  There's a reason we think this ship is going to be canon.  It's because the work has been done, the hints have been there and by the end of Volume 6, that line between platonic and romantic is looking pretty blurred.  

If you haven't seen the hints and the work, please refer back to what I said earlier.  If a queer person tells you something is queer, it's probably queer.  

Thanks anon, that was fun.  Come back if you have more points you'd like to discuss.

[eternalgirlscout]

another thing i alluded to but really should have been more explicit about in my post on terf rhetoric is the idea that “male sexuality” is inherently predatory to women. this is something i see present in terf posts that make their way insidiously onto the blogs of people who are themselves anti-terf all the time.

and it’s a tough line to walk, like a lot of red flags that trip my terf alert bells, because it is a genuine issue (to use a post i saw earlier and had to sadly inform a mutual of mine was originally from a terf blog as an example) that straight cis men will openly sexualize young women the second they turn 18. this is unfortunately true of a lot of popular posts about domestic violence or how coercive and damaging beauty standards are to women, too--between a third and a half of the time, in my experience, OP is a terf. and i can’t exactly put these things on a list of terf dogwhistles because obviously people SHOULD discuss the dangerous ordeal of being a young woman seen as a sexual object by older men; we SHOULD address domestic violence; we SHOULD acknowledge that being held (and holding each other) to standards of attractiveness predicated on misogynistic, racist, fatphobic, ableist ideas is coercive and wreaks havoc on a lot of women’s self-perception and confidence. 

terfs know that people outside their disgusting little club earnestly care about these problems, and because they willfully refuse to acknowledge how structures of misogyny impact trans women (often, of course, impacting trans women even more than their cis counterparts due to these trends compounding with transmisogyny), terfs take agreement with their posts as validation for their fucked up worldview.

the specific phrasing and point of view i started out with here, about “male sexuality,” is on the easier end of the spectrum when it comes to Things To Watch Out For Because OP Is Probably A TERF. all else aside, terfs love to pretend all men are straight unless its convenient to use gay men as a “gotcha.” so, rev up that reading comprehension, because posts that implicitly assume GBPQ men don’t exist... are worthy of suspicion.

but more broadly, it’s hard. it’s hard to know when a post about problems that disproportionately impact women (ALL women, and people who are misgendered as women, and people who experience misogyny, the list goes on and it doesn’t and never ever has ended with Wombyn-Born-Wombyn Check Your Chromosomes At The Door, i hope any terfs reading this can feel me spitting in their faces) was made by someone whose definition of “women” is violently exclusionary to so many of our sisters because they’ve hidden it in language that gets a pass unless you’re paying a lot of attention or you’ve trained yourself to spot it. and i don’t really know what the fix is, beyond blocking and deplatforming all terfs (which... do do that, but you can’t always rely upon every person eight reblogs removed from you to check the source of each and every post).

anyway, this is something i do because i can. terf violence doesn’t directly impact me, so i can stomach reading through their garbage long enough to spend an hour blocking a string of them and recognizing their urls. take some time to listen to people who aren’t in that position. reach out to the people in your life who need to know you’re on their side. don’t send your trans friends terf screenshots like “CAN YOU BELIEVE THIS LMAO” unless they’re in the headspace to make fun of terfs being dumbasses. i’d recommend the Shinigami Eyes extension, too; it’s saved me a lot of time on a few occasions. and really, ultimately, think about what the posts you reblog are really saying, the implications of their word choice. i know the internet is soundbytes and lightning-fast scrolling, but there are things worth taking the time to be careful about and this is one of them.

[n00dl3gal]

Sweeter Than a Cupcake (McCree x OC)

A commission for @junko-brewer! A challenging but fun story for me to write, than you again for your support!

Commission Info  |  Archive of Our Own

McCree didn’t consider himself to have much of a sweet tooth. It wasn’t that he was against candy or desserts, he just tended to favor savory food more. There were, of course, exceptions. If there was a plate of biscochitos in sight, he’d devour them quicker than Tracer could Blink. And if he found himself passing through Cincinnati, he’d always find himself opening Bunny’s door. 

Bunny looked up from the counter she was wiping. “Jesse McCree,” she said, voice exasperated. Her hands were on her hips like a cross mother, but her smile was warm. Despite her voice, McCree could tell she was glad to see him. The feeling was mutual.“You have a lot of nerve showing up here again.”

McCree tipped his hat in response. “And a good day to you, Miss Bunny. If this is about the tab at the bar down the street-” 

Bunny laughed. “I mean waltzing in like there isn’t a bounty on your head,” she chastised, setting her rag aside. “If I had known the first time you came by just what kind of trouble you were, I would’ve refused service.”

He shrugged, looking over the case of cupcakes. “Now we both know that’s a lie. You’ll always hold the door for a paying customer,” he teased. Bunny blushed slightly, lips downturned in a pout. “And maybe it is dangerous coming back, but with cupcakes as good as yours… well, I’ve always been a bit reckless. What’s good today?”

The baker smiled, still flushed, and reached into the case. “I think you’ll like this one in particular,” she announced, setting it on a plate. “For a man as fond as whiskey as you, a Jack-and-Coke cupcake. All the flavor, none of the booze.” McCree reached for the cupcake, but was smacked back by Bunny. “Hey! Pay first, food second.”

“Alright, alright,” he conceded, reaching for his wallet. The bell above the door jingled again. Bunny looked at the new arrival and paled, prompting McCree to turn around. “Ah, speak of the bounty…” 

“For someone with that much money on your head, you do tend to attract attention,” the bounty hunter said. “It’s pretty easy to track down a man in a serape in Ohio.” 

McCree tipped his hat. “Gotta keep up appearances, ya know? You’d know all about that, wouldn’t you, Naomi?” 

The bounty hunter- Naomi- flicked her ponytail back and cocked her gun. Bunny squawked at the sight, shaking. “Drop the cupcake and come with me, McCree. I don’t want to involve any innocents in this.” 

“Funny. Neither do I.” In a flash, he had jumped onto Naomi and had her in a stranglehold. She choked, giving McCree ample time to pry her gun away. Naomi managed to elbow him the gut, however, and used his exhale to free herself. She tore her gun back from his hands and pistol-whipped the side of his head.

McCree was seeing stars, barely able to roll out of the way. Chairs fell over in the chaos. Naomi was lining up her shot again when he used one of his flashbangs to blind her. For a moment, it seemed like it worked, but McCree wasn’t able to pull her weapon away before her eyes refocused. 

He was staring down the barrel, knowing full well a shot at this range would be instantly lethal. With a grunt, he placed his metal arm over the gun and punched Naomi in the face. “I hate beating up a lady, but if they make the first move…” 

Bunny had long since ducked under the counter, knees to her chest. She held her hands over her ears as she shook. A fight, in her bakery! All she had wanted to do today was test out the recipe for her new lavender-and-honey cupcakes and make a few sales, not fear for her life!

Naomi staggered back, holding her nose. “The rest of my team isn’t far behind, McCree. We’ve been staking this place out since Tuesday… awfully nice of the baker to confirm you’re a repeat customer.” 

Bunny gulped. She didn’t dare poke her head and look at McCree’s expression. Was all of this her fault? 

It didn’t matter. McCree had taken the opportunity to tackle Naomi head-on. In a panic, the bounty hunter’s finger slipped, firing the gun. It flew off towards the glass case Bunny was hiding behind, and the sound of shattering glass echoed across the room. McCree held Naomi down to the ground, hand over her throat, until she finally passed out. 

He stood, surveying the store. Aside from some upturned chairs and tables and the cupcake case, it remained intact. Good. He hated adding to the sum on his head. McCree leaped over the table to find- “shit!” 

Bunny was clutching her arm, bleeding. Some shrapnel from the case must have hit her. “I- is she- did you kill her?” Bunny cried. 

“Just passed out,” McCree reassured her. “You have bandages anywhere?”

“B-by the sink in the kitchen,” Bunny said, gesturing with her foot. McCree found the first aid kit easily, crouching next to Bunny. “Should I go to a hospital or-” 

“Lemme take a look,” McCree interrupted, guiding her arm away. The cut was long but not deep. Stitches probably would help, but a wanted man taking an innocent woman to the hospital was sure to stir up additional trouble. Bunny looked traumatized enough as it was, eyes darting around the place. “Bandages will do for now. This may sting a bit,” he warned, opening a wipe. 

Bunny didn’t hiss when the wipe traveled across the wound, but McCree could see tears forming in the corners of her eyes. Some part of him wanted to wipe them away. He was quick; years of working with Deadlocke and Blackwatch had trained him well. Gauze was wrapped around the cut quickly, secured with a safety pin. “There, all finished. Stay right here, I’m gonna make sure nobody else is here to mess up your store.” 

He stood and made his way to the door. There were no suspicious vehicles outside, or people with unusually large backpacks or coats. It was entirely possible Naomi was bluffing. McCree flipped the open sign around and told Bunny it was safe. 

She stood on shaky legs, eyes still searching like her namesake. “I-I don’t think we should stay here. Either of us.” “Couldn’t agree more,” McCree answered, tucking Peacekeeper back in his holster. “Lead the way back to your place, Miss Bunny.” 

“Wh-what?” Bunny choked, trembling even more. The blush from earlier had returned, stronger than before. “B-but- you should go! What if there really are more b-bounty hunters looking for you?” 

McCree shrugged. “Then I’ll deal with ‘em when they show their ugly mugs. I’m not about to let a lady in your condition walk home on her own, ‘specially with dangerous folks out for blood. Speaking of which…” He began straightening the chairs and let out a soft sigh when Bunny joined him. Good to know that, despite her anxiety, she was still able to tend to her store. “Never mind. We can discuss it once we get you home.” 

. . .

Bunny’s apartment was small, but cozy. McCree was surprised to see there was a balcony; he wasn’t sure how much Bunny made, but usually a balcony like that would hike up rent considerably. It was small, though, and covered in foliage. Potted plants, both green and flowered, dotted the railings and the floor. McCree had never been to the rainforest, but he imagined it was similar. 

The inside was just as much of a menagerie, just for fauna, not flora. As soon as Bunny had unlocked the door, an overweight house cat had come to greet her before running off at the sight of McCree. Bunny explained that he was skittish around guests, especially men. McCree wasn’t sure if he should be offended or not. He did think the bearded dragon lounging on a hammock was better company. 

Bunny was headed for the kitchen when McCree intercepted her. “Just tell me where everything is and I’ll make ya a cup of tea,” he said kindly. “Unless if doing somethin’ll help you keep your mind off things.” 

“I think it might,” Bunny replied, reaching for the cupboard. “Is there anything you’d like? I realize they don’t compare to cupcakes, but… I think I have some, uh, stronger stuff.” She pointed towards the top shelf. 

McCree pulled out his flask. “I’m fine, but I appreciate it.” Bunny nodded and busied herself with preparing the kettle. While she worked, he sat at the kitchen table, watching her work. She was a pretty young thing, wide eyes and dirty blonde hair. Short, too, making her look even younger than she was. McCree couldn’t relate. “So… what Naomi said. About you sellin’ me out.” 

Bunny sighed. She didn’t answer as she set the kettle on the stove. “I didn’t realize,” she eventually began, laughing bitterly. “I didn’t even know about the bounty. They came, asked about you, and I thought maybe they were friends of yours. I try to assume the best in people, but maybe… maybe I shouldn’t.” 

McCree shook his head. “No, it’s good to be an optimist. But ya need to be careful. There are bad people out there,” he said slowly. “But for every single bad folk, there’s at least three good’uns. Trust me, I’ve met a lotta ‘em.” 

Bunny nodded and finished making their tea. “It’s just lemon flavored, I hope that’s alright. Sugar?” she offered, passing a cup to McCree. They both added their sugar, Bunny pouring in a small portion of milk. McCree did the same, but with a shot from his flask. They both drank in silence, letting the warmth of the tea calm them down. “How did- never mind, it’s probably not something you want to talk about.” 

“If it’s about my arm, then yeah, that’s a bit personal,” McCree replied. “But if you’re wonderin’ about the bounty… well, it’s a long story.” 

“That’s alright,” Bunny told him. “I’m patient and we have time.” 

“Alrighty then, where to start… how much do you know ‘bout Overwatch?” 

Bunny stroked her chin, thinking. “They were a military-like group who rose to prominence during the first Omnic Crisis, and were recognized as heroes… but something changed and the public turned on them. I was a child when the last of them were disbanded. Why?” 

“See, I was part of Overwatch,” McCree explained. “Not at first, mind you. When I was around your age, I… well, I was one of the Deadlocke Gang’s founding members.” 

“A gang?” Bunny gasped, nearly dropping her cup. “You- did you-” 

McCree sighed. “I ain’t proud of what I did back then, not anymore. But at the time… Deadlocke was my family. If it felt that right, it couldn’t be wrong. But then we got busted by Overwatch and they gave me a choice: join them or rot in jail.” 

“And you chose the former,” Bunny concluded. Her shoulders were haunched, like she was still prepared to run. Maybe explaining this wasn’t the best idea. Too late to stop now. 

“Bullseye,” McCree said. “Put me in Blackwatch, Overwatch’s covert ops group. Second to Gabriel Reyes. Now Reyes… hoo, that man. He could shoot like the best of ‘em but had a temper a mile wide. Both he and Jack Morrison were in the runnin’ to be Strike Commander. Basically the head honcho of the whole organization,” he elaborated at Bunny’s blank expression. He paused to take another gulp. The burning on his throat reminded him of his cigars. Maybe he’d sneak off to the balcony for a smoke later. “Morrison got the job, and Reyes was shipped to the rejects in Blackwatch. And then… things got nasty.” 

“What do you mean, ‘nasty?’” 

“I don’t remember all the details, but there was another Blackwatch agent- Moira. She and Reyes did some science-y stuff I still don’t understand, and at some point both became double agents for Talon.” 

That got Bunny’s attention. “Talon- the terrorist organization? The ones responsible for Mondatta’s death? I was watching his speech on TV when… oh my gosh,” she whispered, gnawing at her lower lip. 

“Shit hit the fan, as it were. Overwatch was disbanded, and I… well, I had years of covert ops under my belt. And I was a former gang member. Still, sixty million…” McCree took another sip of his tea. “Gosh, it sure build up quick, don’t it?” He laughed, but there was no humor behind it. 

Bunny rubbed her arms. “I’m harboring a wanted criminal. A very attractive criminal, but I’m sitll-” “Hey now, don’t think of me like that,” McCree teased. “I’m just passing through. A houseguest for the night. Not even that, if you don’t want. Don’t stop with the compliments, though.”

Bunny looked away shyly. “Just for the night… and s-say I did want you to stay the night.” Slowly, delicately, she reached across the table and took his flesh hand in hers. “And maybe future nights, too.” “Oh darlin’, you flatter me,” McCree said earnestly. He felt a little warm. “But you’re not doing all right in the head right now, that incident must be playin’ with your mind. Savior complex or somethin’, Winston would know what it’s called.” 

“It’s not- why do you think I was so eager to talk about you in the first place, Jesse? When they said that you were coming back, I was so excited- I made those cupcakes especially for you. I mean, I was planning on testing the recipe soon anyway, but-” Bunny grew more animated as she spoke, blush spreading across her face. McCree had a feeling his was a mirror reflection. “But I wanted you to be the first to taste them, Jesse.” 

Hearing his first name was a lot for him. Most people only ever called him McCree, especially after Overwatch ended. “Ah, shit… you’re gonna make this ol’ cowboy soft yet, Miss Bunny.” He stood from his chair, teacups rattling as he pushed away from the table. Bunny blinked owlishly as he approached. He quickly pulled off his hat and set it on her head. She pushed it up with one finger, giggling. “Alright. I always thought I was coming back for the food, but I guess there was another reason I kept visiting… and while I can’t stay for long, that means we gotta make the most of our time, right?” He picked her up, bridal style, and spun her around. 

Bunny laughed, hat flying off as she threw her head back. “J-Jesse! Put me down!” 

“Whatever you say, pumpkin,” he answered in the most arrogant voice he could muster. He carried her to the couch and laid her down, kneeling beside it. He kept his hand in hers. Bunny smiled up at him, using her free hand to caress his cheek. “You know, I’ve never met a bunny as cute as you. Real rabbits’ just don’t compare.” 

“Is that supposed to be an attempt at flirting? Or are you trying to make me laugh?” Bunny joked, stroking his jaw. 

His metal fingers danced across her stomach, eliciting a number of giggles. “Nah, if I wanted to make ya laugh, I think I have a few options. That was a genuine compliment.” He kept tickling her until she threatened to fall off the couch. Distantly, he heard the cat meow in irritation. 

Between her laughs, Bunny managed to guide McCree’s face closer to hers. “I could think of a few compliments for yourself, Jesse,” she said in the air between them before pressing a kiss to 

his lips. 

She tasted sweet, with a sour undercurrent that threatened to sweep McCree away. Lemon and milk filled his nostrils and he breathed her in. It was an innocent kiss, in all honesty, with only the barest heat behind it. Still, the touch of another human so intimately was something he craved. He kissed her back, just as tenderly as she did. 

He pulled away slowly. “As wonderful as this is, kneelin’ like this ain’t do my knees any favors. You mind scooching over?” She did, and McCree joined her on the couch. “Thank you. Now, where were we?” He was still cupping her cheek, smiling like she was the only thing that brought him joy. Her eyes were half-lidded with desire, pupils wide. 

“Oh, I think I remember,” she teased, kissing him again. She grabbed fistfuls of his hair as they kissed, pulling gently. McCree hissed at the sensation, letting Bunny slide her tongue in. They stayed like that for several minutes, kissing and pulling each other close, until Bunny was basically straddling him. “I don’t… even if we just have tonight,” she whispered, kissing his jaw gingerly. “Even if it’s just tonight, I don’t want to rush this. I don’t-” 

“Hey now, darlin’,” McCree reassured her, rubbing her back. “We don’t have to do anythin’ you’re not comfortable with. But it’s startin’ to get late… should we head back to your bedroom? Again, don’t need to do anything. You can always say no or change your mind.” 

Bunny nodded. “No, I’d like that very much. Please… promise me you’ll still be here in the morning. I know you have to go, but I don’t want to lose you just yet.” 

Another quiet kiss. “I promise, Bunny.” 

And he stayed. And he always came back. 

[blooddrinkingbartender]

Rules Post for Mobile Users

Quick Disclaimer: Bar prices, processes, and other such things probably won’t be all that accurate. If that’s you wanted and came to this blog for, I apologise in advance. 

Also, please be aware that this is a sideblog and follows back from my main blog: pushspacetocontinue.  I will most likely send you an ask alerting you of this too, just to be safe.

Things I will RP:

Violence

Fluff

Fights

‘Slice of Life’ stuff.

Crossovers (although there are some fandoms I won’t, but that’s because I’m not really a fan of them or don’t know much about them.)  

Gore

AU.

General Situations (e.g. Helping someone if sick, helping to rescue someone, etc etc)

Some Magic Anons (if they’re interesting enough for people to want to RP with - e.g. Like the ‘Pocket’ one I got.

Ships. The blog is multiship and each ship is set in a different verse from the other. However, that doesn’t mean I’m only out for shipping our characters in a romantic way. I love friendships, enemies, and plots away from shipping too.

Things I won’t RP:

Smut (although I am okay with innuendo, suggestive asks, and the typical Sexual Sunday/TMI Tuesday/Fetish Friday stuff.) I am of age, but I don’t feel comfortable writing it. If sex actually happens, I’m happy to ‘fade to black’ and then skip to afterwards.

Rape/Non-con (it’s just not something I’m comfortable with. So if Bill tells your character ‘No’ or I say ‘No’ from a mod to another, it means ‘No!’ Just because he can mesmerise doesn’t mean he’ll use it for that.)

Pedophilia (No. Just no! No! I don’t think I need to explain why I won’t. At least, I hope not.)

Bestiality (Again. No. I see that kind of stuff as being very wrong, although I am willing to discuss things regarding werewolves, splices etc.)

Pregnancy (once again, not something I’m comfortable with. it scares the shit out of me and grosses me out)

Alpha/Omega/Beta verse. (Not to sound shaming to anyone who does like it, but I really don’t. It creeps me out way too much. It makes me shudder.)

Age regression to the point of depending on other muses. (It makes me uncomfortable too. If Bill ever gets turned into a kid, he will stay at an age where he is fairly independent and capable of looking after himself.)

Some Magic Anons (e.g. body swaps, weight gain, ones that change his personality in his extreme way, make him attracted to someone else, change his sexuality, ‘smutty’ stuff (e.g. aphrodisiac/heat effects) etc.)

With ‘real’ muses. If you have a real person (e.g. a youtuber, an actor, a kpop artist etc.) as your muse or one of them if you’re a multi-muse blog, I would rather not roleplay with them. Nothing against you, it just makes me feel a bit iffy. I���m okay with them being faceclaims for muses and I’m okay with alter egos (e.g. Antisepticeye or Darkiplier because they’re fictional characters as well), but if it’s an actual real person as a muse, I’d rather steer clear. Self-inserts also count under this I’m afraid. If you roleplay as yourself in threads, and the mun and muse are one and the same, then I’d rather not. Again, just like with roleplaying with real people, I just feel iffy about it.

Other things:

Please don’t godmod. Of course, minor things like passing something to Bill and assuming he took it is fine. I will let you know if you are because it can be an easy mistake to make sometimes. However, if you continue to do it, then I will not continue with the thread.

This blog is 18+. While I don’t smut, sometimes asks can be rather suggestive, and the blog does sometimes delve into more sensitive topics. For that reason, I’d rather minors stay away. 

When it comes to replies, I can be rather fast. That doesn’t mean I expect you to be. There is never any rush or pressure to reply quickly. I promise. Don’t stress yourself out. Take as much time as you want and remember that you never need to apologise or anything like that. There’s no deadline. It’s a hobby. Not a job.

I am mutuals-only but I am not completely closed off. Feel free to send an ask if you would like me to check out your blog and see if our muses are compatible.

The same goes for matching post length, especially when I write a starter. I have a habit of setting the scene and I do sometimes use a few too many details. As long as I have something to work with and it’s at least a paragraph, then don’t worry about matching reply length.

If you can’t answer an ask I’ve sent because you’ve got too many already or you feel you just can’t give a good answer, or you feel a scenario wouldn’t work, don’t worry. Just don’t answer it. Delete it, forget, and don’t sweat it.

Same for dropping a thread. If you feel a need to drop a thread with me, because you don’t have anymore ideas, you’re not enjoying it anymore, you’ve got a lot of other threads going on and you feel overwhelmed etc., just do it. I will not hold it against you.

Basically, your comfort is important. Do what’s what right for yourself and I will do what I can to accommodate you.

If you have any problems or you want me to tag something or you want to discuss anything, just talk to me. I don’t bite.

If we’re going to roleplay, I would find a lot easier if you have an About Page (for canon characters, even linking back to a Wiki page will suffice) and a Rules Page. Just enough so I know what you prefer and what your character is like. I think it just makes things a lot simpler for everybody involved.

I love getting asks. I really do. If you want to continue the ask as a thread, I would really appreciate it if you made a new post for it (linking back to my answer or quoting me) and then tag me in it. It just looks a whole lot neater and makes trimming tidier.

That said, if you want to reblog the ask just so you can keep it on your blog (I know some people who have done that), then you are more than welcome.

If you’re going to reblog an ask meme from me, please at least make the effort to send something from that meme in. It’s why I reblogged it after all. If you can’t or don’t want to, try and get it from the source instead. This is something you should keep in mind for everyone you roleplay with. I will do the same for you.

If you want to kill Bill, please talk to me first.

Bill is pansexual, but that doesn’t mean he’s going to jump into your muse’s pants the second he meets them. I do like there to be some chemistry.

If I’ve missed a reply (as much as I try not to,) please do not hesitate to message me.

I, the mod, occassionally post OOC things (e.g. things I’m interested in etc,) but I tag them as such (e.g. ‘BillMod is a butt’ or ‘OOC Interest’ for example.)

I won’t get angry or offended if you choose to unfollow me or want me to unfollow you (just tell me if you do want that by the way.) It’s your choice after all and I won’t question it.

My timezone is GMT. Which means I may go to bed a lot earlier than expected.

It’s sad that I need to add this rule, but unless I know you (drop me an ask letting me know who you are), then I’m afraid I won’t be allowing personals/non-roleplay blogs to follow me anymore. They will simply be soft-blocked. That said, if you are a personal and your roleplay blog is a sideblog, again, drop me an ask and let me know.

You don’t need to send me a password or anything like that for reading these rules. I’ll quickly know if you haven’t.

I understand that Bill’s mesmerism ability could be considered overpowered, so I will only have him use it with the other mod’s permission, if he ever really has a need to. 

[sheer-heart-attacks]

fell for you. part 2

John Deacon high school AU

word count: 1636

part 1

A/N sorry for the wait if anyone waited! this will be the last part, as i literally can’t think of anything to write. hope you all enjoy it. didn’t read it through, sorry in advance for any mistakes i made.

 ‘’So what is your great plan for getting in?’’ you asked Janet after arriving at the pub John's band were going to play.

 ‘’We'll walk through the entrance,’’ she stated confidently. After seeing your flabbergasted face, she elaborated, "It's a small town pub on the outskirts of it. No one really gives a damn about your age here. Just don't go ordering drinks at the bar and you'll be good."

 As weird as it seemed to you, no further questions were asked. Both of you went inside through the door. Immediately you could notice the rundown look of the place, but somehow it still felt quite warm and welcoming. Few people in the pub, most of them sitting at the bar. But there was still time until the band’s performance; you guessed more people would show up later on. 

 Janet wanted to come earlier so she could introduce you to the rest of the band. You weren’t against the idea, as she had predicted. Janet had noticed how you looked at John when he came up to talk to you both whenever he saw you in passing. To be honest, the whole ‘meet the band’ thing was just part of Janet’s plan to set you up with John. But you didn’t have to know that, at least not now.

 So when Janet grabbed you by the wrist and guided you through the pub to what seemed was some kind of backstage, you weren’t too surprised. And there he was, John and, what you assumed, his bandmates. All in some type of heated discussion. But when they saw you both approaching, their attention was averted to the two of you. John’s more on you than your friend.

 You didn’t notice, as Janet immediately started to introduce you to the band as soon as you were close enough to them. Finally, after months of just hearing their names, it was nice to put faces to them.

 ‘’See? Brian’s hair is as curly as I said it was! And you had the audacity to call me a liar.’’ Janet had described each of them a while back, and when she described Brian and his unruly hair, for some reason, you couldn’t believe her one bit. But now, you could feel your whole face heat up, as Janet teasingly had brought this up. It seemed like a day couldn’t pass by without an embarrassing moment.

 Thankfully, everyone laughed, and you laughed it off with everyone else when you realised Brian hadn’t taken offence. 

 Time flew when you were with the band. It seemed like you fit in just right in their little group. And what a group of people they were. It almost appeared unnatural how these people with such strong and different personalities fit together so well.

 But now the band was about to get on stage. You hugged each of them and wished them luck, Roger more hesitant than the others, as John previously had looked very unpleasantly at him when Roger’s teasing comments at you had become too teasing for John’s liking. That was enough for Roger to stop, he didn’t have to think too hard about what that look was made for.

 The last one you hugged was John. After pulling apart, he hesitated a bit but spoke nonetheless.

 ‘’Would you like to hang out after the show with me, uh, I mean, the band?’’

 The nervousness he exuded just made you like John even more.

  ‘’Sure.’’ A short answer, you knew, but you didn’t want to mess up and blurt out some nonsense and ruin everything.

 After that, John just grinned, happy with your answer, and caught up with the rest of the boys. You couldn’t wait to see for yourself if the band was as amazing as everyone kept telling you. 

 Whatever you expected of the band, this was definitely so much more. All of them in their element on the small stage. Freddie captivated everyone watching them perform with his powerful voice and stage presence. And the rest of the boys, all so focused on their playing, it seemed like they were in their own little world. You truly were amazed.

  When you looked to the side to say something to Janet, she wasn’t there. Looking around, you noticed her a few feet away from you chatting with a kid you knew from school. It appeared that she Janet wasn’t as affected by the band’s performance as you were. But she has had the chance to see them more times than you.

  Lost in thought, you hadn’t noticed that the boys were already off the stage until John ran up to you asking if you enjoyed their performance.

 ‘’I loved it. You all were great out there!’’ You said that, looking at the rest of the band. You were genuinely happy for them. With so much talent in one group, stardom didn’t seem as far fetched to you. And you told that to them.

 ‘’Oh darling, that’s very kind coming from you, but I already know we are destined to do great things,’’ Freddie states. You just roll your eyes whilst a smile spreads on your face, sensing the playful tone in Freddie's words.

 Finally, you were all sat at in a booth that was big enough for your group. Janet also had decided to join, as the boy she was previously chatting to had somewhere else to be.

 It was nice talking to other people for once, not that Janet wasn’t fun to be around with, just that her energetic personality could get too much for you. But thankfully, Janet understood most of the time that you needed your space sometimes.

 With his friends around, John had really opened up, cracking jokes right and left, making everyone laugh. But mostly he was doing that just to hear your laugh.

 At one point, Janet stood up and said she had to go to the restroom, her eyes trying to find yours. Immediately understanding what she meant by that, you also stood up, excusing yourself, and followed her through the now filled up pub to the other side of where you all were sat.

 Upon entering the restroom, Janet swiftly turned around and exclaimed, ‘’Dear Lord, John is so into you!’’

 Taken back by her little outburst, your face morphed into a surprised expression. Nonetheless, a slight blush tinted your cheeks.

 ‘’No he’s not, just because he’s nice to me doesn’t mean he wants to shag me.’’ You tried to laugh it off, even if the idea of John being attracted to you in any way made your stomach fill with butterflies.

 ‘’Oh, he so is! John’s been looking at you for the whole evening non-stop. And don’t get me started on all the jokes he’s been telling. Never seen him act like this before in my whole time knowing him.’’ 

 While you were getting a pep talk from your overexcited friend in the restroom, the same thing was happening to John. His friends also had noticed his out of character actions, including the staredown Roger had previously experienced. Their encouragement was greatly appreciated by John, although he wasn’t entirely convinced the feelings were mutual.

 But there wasn’t much time to ponder on the statement, as you and Janet were making your way back to the booth. After sitting down, you felt that the atmosphere had slightly changed, It felt way tenser than before.

 One by one, the guys made some excuse to leave - Roger had noticed a pretty blonde across the room, Freddie, after a few minutes announced he needed a drink and went to the bar, and Brian, he went home, saying that he had to study for an important exam, which seemed odd to you as it was Friday, but you didn’t question it.

 Janet had taken notice of what was happening, and after she had gone and joined Freddie, you had too. Maybe Janet had been right about John liking her? Otherwise, why would the others leave you and John alone?

 Being more confident than usual, although that still wasn’t much, you suggested getting out of there. John agreed almost immediately by nodding his head. You couldn’t stop thinking how even more adorable that made him seem.

 On the way out, you made sure to let Janet know you where leaving. Janet, at first confused, but after seeing John behind you, waiting, winked and said to have fun. Ever the cheeky one, you thought to yourself. 

Once the both of you were outside, you took a deep breath of fresh air. While inside you hadn’t noticed how musty the air was. It was beautiful outside. A September evening, the leaves already turning different shades of red and yellow, but still warm enough to wear a light jacket. You smiled to yourself.

When you turned to look at John, he was already looking at you. That was already a surprise to you, but the words he spoke next were even more surprising.

‘’I know it’s only been about a month since I first saw you, but something about you, I don’t know, I’m not really good at this thing, but what I’m trying to say is, I think I might like you.’’

A smile slowly appeared on your face, and, as you were about to respond to John with an ’I like you too’, he disappeared from your field of view. Quickly stopping in your tracks, you looked down. And there he was, lying on the ground, looking like he would rather be anywhere else other than here.

In a similar fashion as you when the both of you first encountered each other, John had tripped. Crouching down to be closer to him, you said, your smile creeping back on your face.

‘’Guess it was your turn to fall for someone this time, huh.’’

‘’So you like me back, for real?’’ John asked sounding unsure.

‘’For real.’’

[gb-fics]

Valentine’s Rehearsal

Fanfiction:

Kiryuuin Shou x Kyan Yutaka (Golden Bomber)

Note: The title says it all. They rehearse for a romantic Valentine’s program. That’s it XD

The practicing room was large, rented by their manager especially for them. They needed the space for rehearsal. They would need it on stage later on, too.

Shou checked the floor for the marks he had attached there with sticky tape earlier.

“So, the water tank should be about here”, he mumbled. “And the audience will be there.” Mindlessly he gestured towards the left side of the room.

Then he looked up again, meeting Yutaka’s gaze. Obviously, he had been paying close attention.

“You should walk past there”, he explained. “I’ll be standing here.”

He pointed to the X the tape was forming on the ground.

“Pull me towards yourself, but not more than one step or we’ll block Kenji from view.”

“Why are we practicing without him, though?”, Yutaka asked. “He’s in the scene, isn’t he?”

Shou gave a small sigh. Something heavy seemed to sit on his chest.

“You know how it is. The more people are around, the less time you spend on the actual rehearsal. He doesn’t have text in the scene, so it’s better if he and Jun practice their parts separately.”

He expected Yutaka to complain why he hadn’t gotten a day off then, but he didn’t. Yutaka never complained. As always, Shou was surprised by how much the other members respected his decisions. He constantly felt like he needed to justify himself, but they never asked for justification.

“Since it’s a love scene, it’s better to have some privacy anyway, right?”, Yutaka joked.

The heavy feeling reappeared on Shou’s chest immediately. Again, he felt the need to apologize, to explain himself. He wasn’t forcing Yutaka to play those scenes with him for the sheer fun of it.

“It’s a Valentine’s appearance. People are kind of expecting that”, he said.

Yutaka swung his arm. Some people would give a dismissive gesture with their hand. Yutaka always used his whole body. Watching the familiar way he moved, Shou’s chest already felt much lighter.

“I was just kidding”, he said and went over to where he would start approaching Shou.

Shou himself went over to the X mark, looking out to the audience.

“Make sure they can see your face properly”, he reminded Yutaka.

Yutaka rolled his eyes. At least Shou could see his face well enough for that.

“I’m not some amateur”, he pointed out. “You need to trust us a little.”

Shou crossed the arms in front of his chest as if that could help him support the heavy weight there.

“I do trust you”, he said.

“You are already doing the music by yourself. If you could, you’d play all the roles by yourself, too.”

“I want things to go smoothly. I want the best performance for our fans. It’s not …”, Shou started.

Yutaka interrupted him with quiet laughter.

Irritated, Shou shut up.

“I wasn’t criticizing you. I was telling you, it’s okay to calm down sometimes. No need to get so defensive. Just relax, it’s only a rehearsal.”

Shou took in a deep breath and forced himself to let his arms drop to his side. Yutaka was right. His whole body felt tense, although there wasn’t even anyone around watching them.

“Okay”, he said, even managing an honest smile.

Yutaka had waited patiently. He always stayed patient whenever the feeling on Shou’s chest got so heavy he could hardly breath. Everyone stayed patient with his agitation, but with Yutaka the patience had a different quality that had something to do with his eyes and his smile and the way he held his body, that made Shou feel better even when he was at his worst.

“Okay”, he repeated, louder this time.

Yutaka gave him a short nod to assure he was ready. Then he walked towards him. His steps were dynamic. He wasn’t just walking. He was showing the audience that he was walking.

Shou admired him for this talent immensely. He himself needed words for everything. Words and melodies and props, when all Yutaka seemed to need was his body to express everything he felt so precisely. Maybe, Shou thought, Yutaka’s feelings were just simpler. Most of the time, Shou’s feelings were nothing but a mess.

He was so distracted by his own thoughts, that he only realized Yutaka was already standing in front of him, when he grabbed hold of his hips.

Shou had expected him to reach for his arm or his shoulders, so the firm grip was surprising and he actually stumbled against him, as Yutaka pulled him close. They were touching nearly from head to toe, Yutaka’s warm hands still on his hips. He could sense them clearly.

“Kiryuuin”, Yutaka said.

Even leaning backwards in Yutaka’s embrace, their faces were still close. He could smell Yutaka’s breath. It smelled of peppermint.

Shou remembered how their touch had felt different once. At the very beginning, Shou’s heart had started beating faster in Yutaka’s embrace, until he could hear the blood rushing through his ears and his chest hadn’t felt heavy at all, but warm and fuzzy. He recalled looking into those dark eyes and thinking that maybe, just maybe this entire thing was nothing but a giant foreplay, the whole founding of a band the gimmick of a boy who was too shy to simply ask for a date.

But over time, those feelings had changed. A touch wasn’t the promise of another anymore, words no longer seemed to hold the hidden meaning of a possible flirt. A touch was a touch now, and words just words.

Deep down Shou assumed that at some point their attraction had been mutual, that he wasn’t the only one who had felt the chemistry. But he had been too busy to act on it, or too reasonable. And suddenly they had behaved professional for so long, that they had turned professional indeed and the ignored tension had faded away undetected. They had turned into an old couple that was held together by friendship and mutual understanding rather than physical or romantic attraction. They had jumped from a hesitant crush right into disillusion, skipping the passion and the sex and the rose-coloured glasses altogether. Sometimes, Shou regretted that. He would have liked to wear the rose-coloured glasses for a while, and he would have liked the passion and the sex.

Now, it was too late and when Yutaka held him like this, all he felt was the warmth of his body and a tiny sting of regret.

“Kiryuuin”, Yutaka said again. “I like you. I’ve always liked you. Be my Valentine’s date!”

There had been a time when Shou had really hoped to hear those words from him. Now they sounded rehearsed and shallow. Shou was the one who had written them.

Yutaka closed his eyes, leaning in. His eyelids looked strange and unfamiliar when they weren’t covered in black.

Instinctively, Shou leaned back, turning his head away.

“What are you doing, idiot?”, he scolded, although that clearly wasn’t in the script.

Yutaka straightened himself again, allowing Shou to regain a normal body posture as well. He wasn’t letting go of his hips, though.

“Aren’t we practicing the kiss?”, Yutaka asked.

He sounded honestly surprised. For a moment, Shou wondered if Yutaka wanted to kiss him. He looked at his lips. Shou also wondered if he wanted to kiss Yutaka.

Again, he turned his head sideways.

“Don’t be stupid, we both know how to kiss.”

For the first time, he wished Yutaka would let go of him. There was no way of just casually stepping away and no way of hiding his face without making it obvious how uncomfortable he felt.

Shou didn’t like the mechanic intimacy of a rehearsed kiss at all. If it only happened once, he could – at least for a brief second – make himself believe it was spontaneous and truthful. Practicing it only made all the kisses feel fake and his chest severe.

“You always make Jun and Kenji practice their kisses”, Yutaka pointed out.

Shou snorted, using his annoyance as an excuse to take a tiny step back. Yutaka didn’t stop him, but his hands were still resting on his hips. Just above the waistline of his pants, the warmth of his palms dripped through the fabric of Shou’s shirt.

“Jun always starts giggling when looking at Kenji’s face for too long. You know he needs the inurement”, he said.

Yutaka shrugged. His lower arm brushed against Shou’s side. He didn’t know where to put his arms. When he lowered them, they were resting against Yutaka’s hands. He was wearing short sleeves.

“I’m not sure if the problem is Jun, or Kenji’s face”, Yutaka said mockingly.

Shou sighed.

“Well, see, we don’t have that problem. I don’t have the kind of face that makes you giggle. It’s the kind of face that haunts you in your nightmares.”

Now Yutaka did let go of his hips, but only with his right hand. He used it to slap Shou’s forehead not very gently.

“Stop talking like that. I would only ask an attractive guy to be my Valentine’s date, right?”

“Alright, let’s get it over with”, Shou gave in, just to change the topic. He didn’t want to be kissed, but he wanted to discuss his own looks even less.

This time, Yutaka stepped towards him, instead of pulling him in. If possible, he was standing even closer than before. Shou could feel his chest heaving against his own with each breath. He didn’t know where to put his hands. He held them by his side awkwardly.

“Kiryuuin”, Yutaka said. “I like you. I’ve always liked you. Be my Valentine’s date!”

He bent forward, placing a short kiss on Shou’s lips. Shou forgot to close his eyes in time and Yutaka’s face became larger and larger until it didn’t look human anymore, just strange and alien. He made sure to keep his lips closed, to not move his arms and not open his eyes again too soon.

The kiss didn’t last long.

Yutaka pulled back again.

Shou blinked. He did it hectically, as if a different reality might appear behind his eyelids, if he just tried his luck often enough.

“You are standing there like a stiff rock!”, Yutaka scolded. “The audience will think it’s weird!”

Breathing was hard for a moment. The weight on his chest was too heavy for his lungs to function.

Shou knew that it was his fault, that Yutaka was right, that everyone would notice. The situation made him feel awkward and his own awkwardness made it a hundred times worse and knowing that, Shou felt horrible and the anxiety spiral was winding downwards with no end in sight.

He did not know how to react to a meaningless kiss, after he had wanted it to have meaning for so long.

“You could be a little more passionate”, Shou tried to turn the accusation around. “It didn’t feel natural at all.”

“Kiryuuin!”, Yutaka shouted, too loud and too aggressive, so that Shou flinched in his arms. “I like you! I’ve always liked you! Be my Valentine’s date!”

He was passionate now, but not in a tender, honest way. His confession sounded as if he wanted to challenge Shou.

Just when he wanted to ask him to start the scene all over again, did Yutaka throw himself onto him.

Luckily, he didn’t have a real run-up, but he pushed his body forward so sudden and violently, it made Shou stumble back. He almost lost his balance, just managing to stay upright, because in a reflex he clung to Yutaka, digging his fingers into the fabric of his shirt.

Then Yutaka’s lips were on his own, not remaining there silently this time, but hot and with demanding pressure. Shou gave a surprised noise, but Yutaka only used the opportunity to shove his tongue into his mouth, kissing him fiercely now. He tasted of peppermint indeed.

Shou wanted to push him away, but his legs felt weirdly weak and he was still holding on to Yutaka to even remain standing.

He had wanted to be kissed by him like that. Until he ran all out of breath, wet and sloppy and a little bit careless about technique, but very enthusiastic.

He sensed Yutaka’s hand slipping upwards, underneath Shou’s shirt. His skin was hot on his waist, sliding up to his ribcage.  

His own fingers were still clutching to Yutaka’s shirt, although he was supporting his own weight again, crumpling the fabric, trying to release the tension from his body somewhere. Shou was starting to feel his pulse between his legs.

Without warning, Yutaka let go, stepping back again, his hands vanishing from Shou’s body.

Shou felt breathless.

“Too much”, he gasped. “Definitely too much passion.”

His lips felt sore, his mouth suddenly empty without another’s taste and breath and tongue, and his body was cold where they were no longer touching. It was a long time since someone had kissed him like that. Maybe no one ever had.

“Ah”, Yutaka said. He was smoothing out the front of his shirt demonstratively. “I thought you liked it just now.”

Shou took in a deep, calming breath. He was too aware of his body right now. Too aware of the blood rushing downwards, too aware of his lips, that wanted to kiss some more and too aware of his chest that felt just like it always did.

He did not want to think about the question why Yutaka had kissed him like that. Not with the time they had spent with watching and teasing and then not acting on it at all, and not with the way it was now. One kiss had proven that Shou clearly did not feel as indifferent towards Yutaka as time had made him believe, that there was something ready to burst up again, that his body remembered with longing and trembling and sighs what his mind had already chosen to forget.

But he did not have the time nor the energy to wonder if Yutaka felt the same and how he had to react in that case. He wanted to pretend it was nothing but a prank, because then he wouldn’t have to act at all. He could go on with his life, because the true reason why Yutaka could kiss him like that as a joke, was probably that to him it did mean nothing at all.

“We wanted to give them romance, not porn.”

Shou made a gesture towards the left side of the room, where the audience was supposed to be watching them.

He wanted to remind Yutaka that they were here for work, that it was an official meeting with no tension between them at all.

Yutaka shook his head. He was grinning. Shou thought that he had the most beautiful grin in the world. He could still taste it on his lips, just a little.

“You can never decide what you want”, he observed.

About that, he was probably right. Shou had wanted to kiss him and had wanted everything to stay professional and uncomplicated between them. Now, he wanted it to be nothing but a joke. And he wanted to be kissed again.

“Maybe you should just leave it to me”, Shou suggested.

Yutaka gave him a questioning look. He was good at speaking without words. His facial expression seemed to give everything away immediately, just like his body language did. He was so easy to read, Shou could not imagine he would be able to hide any of his feelings. Right now, he seemed amused and as if he was not thinking about the kiss at all. In Yutaka’s universe, that most likely meant, he was amused and not thinking about the kiss at all.

Shou cleared his throat. He blinked again.

“I just mean, you are the one confessing already. We don’t want it to look as if you are attacking me. I should be the one kissing you, so people will know I am returning your feelings.”

Gravely, Yutaka nodded.

“So, I will just confess and wait for you to kiss me?”, he assured.

“Just …” Shou waved his hand through the air helplessly. He didn’t know what to tell Yutaka. He did not know what he wanted him to do. He was confused and didn’t feel in control of the situation at all. His feelings were messy and all over the place and the old familiar panic was sitting on his chest again. He did not know where to turn and what to do, but he knew he was surely disappointing someone.

“Hey”, Yutaka said surprisingly gentle.

He was looking at Shou’s chest as if he could see the problem sitting there clearly.

“It’s okay. We will work it out. That’s what we are here for. That’s why we are rehearsing. We’ll just play it through again and see what feels natural.”

Shou nodded. He felt calmer already.

Yutaka took a step forward, this time stopping before he reached Shou. He was close enough to reach out to him now, but their bodies weren’t touching.

“Kiryuuin”, Yutaka said and reached out for Shou’s hand.

Shou was following his motions with his eyes. Yutaka held his hand between his palms, in front of his chest, the rest of their bodies not touching. His palms were warm and dry. One of his thumbs was drawing small circles on Shou’s wrist. It felt soothing.

“Kiryuuin”, Yutaka repeated and now Shou looked up, meeting his gaze.

The name sounded strange, in a way it had not felt strange before. It reminded him of a time when they were not so close yet, when calling each other by their last names was still the normal thing to do. Back then, he had still been excited when Yutaka touched him. His heart would beat faster, even if he just held his hand like that.

Shou listened to his own heartbeat.

It was picking up pace.

Back then, they still had had all opportunities ahead of them. Passion and sex and rose-coloured glasses had still been a possibility.

“I like you”, Yutaka said. He spoke quietly now. He wasn’t addressing an audience. He was addressing no one but Shou. “I’ve always liked you. Be my Valentine’s date.”

Shou scanned his face. His expression was open, honest. He was such a good actor, Shou wanted to believe him.

He took a step towards him. Yutaka’s lips were slightly apart, inviting him for a kiss.

Just for a moment, Shou felt as if they had turned back time. If he had had the courage to kiss him back then, to tell him how he truly felt, instead of just ignoring those feelings, maybe their story would have taken a different turn. This was his second chance. This was his chance to make it right.

Lightly he placed his hand on Yutaka’s neck. The tips of his hair were soft under his fingertips.

Instead of pulling him close, Shou leaned in himself.

He closed his eyes and kissed Yutaka like he should have kissed him back then. His lips were warm and slightly opened. There was no tongue in his mouth this time, just hot breath and the fair hint of peppermint. His chest felt incredible light.

He pulled back again, still standing close. Yutaka was still holding his hand.

There was a moment of silence. Shou had the feeling he ought to say something, but he couldn’t think of anything. Just for a little while, he didn’t worry enough to bother.

“I forgot my lines”, he admitted with a chuckle.

Yutaka chuckled, too. It sounded nice, so close to his ears.

“It’s okay”, he said. “Just improvise. Tell me, what you want to tell me.”

Shou locked eyes with him again. He wasn’t quite sure if they were still acting. To him, it didn’t feel like it at all. He just wanted to tell Yutaka, what he had always wanted to tell him.

“I’ve always liked you, too”, he said quietly. “I wish I had told you sooner. We wasted time, because I was too busy being worried with everything.”

“Hey”, Yutaka said.

He let go of Shou’s fingers with one hand to place it on his chest instead. It was resting on his breastbone, right where the heavy feeling used to weight down on him. Right now, all that Shou could feel was the warmth of Yutaka’s palm.

“It’s not too late, you know?”, he continued.

“For what?”, Shou asked.

He placed his free hand over Yutaka’s. He wanted it to stay on his chest forever. Feeling so light, he was almost floating.

Yutaka grinned.

“Valentine’s Day, idiot.”

[medibate]

8

OOC HONESTY MEME     (  accepting. )

8. Name any three things about the rpc that bother you.

          ok #1, i don’t like the thoughtlessness of a lot of starters (i just bitched abt this to gami earlier so it’s fresh on my mind). if you write me a starter that just says something like, “what are you doing here?” with NO background, and I’M supposed to also come up w where “here” is, then all you’ve done is make ME come up w the scenario (which is what the starter is for) while ALSO limiting my options on what it could be. it’s useless. yes, rp is abt being creative, but i’d rather you tell me you can’t come up w a starter than give me this or something like it. “why did you want to meet with me?” when we haven’t plotted and our muses haven’t interacted at all. i have no idea, man, honestly my muse has NO reason to call a meeting w yours! also starters that go against my muse. 

          #2, ship etiquette? people anticipating a ship and getting upset when they don’t get it. just because you think our muses would be a good match doesn’t mean i think so. i had someone with a female muse unfollow my OC when the mun realized he was gay. i also had someone send me a smut meme on that same OC (another female muse) immediately after we became mutuals. EVEN IF he weren’t gay or their muse had been someone he could potentially find attractive, don’t do that? very few people are ok w it. don’t approach me about smut if we don’t know each other. also, discussing potential for a ship doesn’t mean we are going to ship. i’ve had people assume that’s what was happening and it put me in a real awkward position.

          #3, i think sometimes people can take shit way too seriously. we’re here to have fun. just let people have fun in peace. i’m not saying ignore nasty shit, but if what someone is doing is easily corrected, just let them know??? i hate seeing callouts for shit people easily could have been talked to about. like you really didn’t have to do all that. someone doing something wrong doesn’t justify you writing a callout. “it isn’t my job to educate people” ok then what’s the point of ur callout. you want people to ostracize them? this is esp ugly when the person being called out immediately fixes it and apologizes like you really could have talked to them and they clearly would have listened, instead you put it out all on the dash, and it’s just..... clearly uncalled for and kind of mean.

[ornathe]

brief rant about characters and consent below cut 

with there now being a fair number of friendsim routes that involve trolls being very forward about romance stuff and in some cases pressuring the MC into uncomfortable situations, I feel like it’s probably about time to reiterate that, at least in my case and likely for a lot of others here, there’s a vast difference between liking characters for being good/interesting characters vs approving of what they do or considering them to be good people? like, this conversation has been happening on and off basically every single time new homestuck/hiveswap characters have been introduced, for about as long as homestuck has existed, most notably in the vriscourse and every single conversation ever that involves amporas. 

a lot of the characters, and especially a lot of the trolls, aren’t great people! they do a whole lot of shit that I would absolutely not condone! I could go on in another 3000 words long post about Alternian culture as we know it and how it differs significantly from ours in a lot of aspects, but the fact remains that yeah, as humans who live in the world we do, we’re going to view those actions as by and large Kind Of Not Great, especially since we’ve also got all reason to assume the friendsim MC is also from our earth, which means the MC’s lens of experiencing these things is relatively similar to ours. 

perhaps most specifically, Diemen, Zebruh, and the gold duo have been the ones most flagrantly going against the MC’s very clear intent of all friendship, no romance, and that’s worth talking about! (I’m not including Polypa in this, because that entire route was written as being very consensual and nice, without the mc being visibly uncomfortable about it at all, unlike in those listed. Polypa’s a gem and we’re glad to have her)

Diemen kinda tricks the MC into a situation that’s obviously supposed to end up in makeouts, which backfires spectacularly, and that’s a scene that read as pretty uncomfortable for a fair amount of people in the fandom for various reasons, and that’s completely fair. whether that was a matter of Diemen misreading the situation and moving faster than generally advised, or Diemen being pushy and manipulative, that’s entirely up for discussion, and while I love Diemen and read it as the former, I fully understand that some people get a bit squicked out by that route, even if it didn’t actually go anywhere and ended up with him just getting super dead. even so, the flirting is limited to one particular ending, where Diemen is comforted and made to feel safe and appreciated, to the point where he seems to feel like there could be some chemistry. 

Zebruh is a very different matter to me, because rather than the uncomfortable flirty bits being confined to one specific ending, it permeates the entire route from beginning to end, and it’s written pretty explicitly that he’s just all-round kind of a real gross dude whose flirting is selfish and insincere, with the subject of the flirting not mattering at all. where Diemen feels the MC is responsive and kind ad a good potential datemate, Zebruh doesn’t really appear to give a shit about the person, as long as he gets what he wants, and completely steamrolls the MC in all conversations and actions. Zebruh’s a very interesting character to me, but he’s also a complete scumbag whom I’d personally like to sock in the face, and those two are not mutually exclusive to me? it might be to some people, and that’s completely fair and just as reasonable, imo. 

the gold gremlins are possibly the most egregious example, because Diemen physically acts on his impulses but out of a genuine attraction and misunderstanding of the situation, while Zebruh’s super gross about it but doesn’t really physically initiate anything other than being very close and like, keeping an arm around the MC and stuff, but Folykl and Kuprum straight up start putting their mouths on the MC in a way that completely forgoes consent; while it’s possible to argue that the MC wasn’t protesting and stated that they probably would enjoy it if they were actually interested in this kind of relationship with them, the fact does remain that they still... weren’t? and lack of protest doesn’t equate consent, even though these things can be confusing as hell irl when you’re still figuring out your own feelings, because we do know for a fact that the MC was very much aware that making out with Folykl, and ESPECIALLY with Kuprum joining in without warning, was something of a nature they didn’t actually want. Kuprum and Folykl are just about literal trash gremlins, yeah, and they’re kind of terrible in a lot of ways, ranging from weird and endearing to “this is actually not really okay”, and while I still like them as characters, they’re very much a YMMV case of whether they’re loveable assholes or straight up unlikeable. 

basically, just. disclaimer: I love a lot of objectively morally grey characters in HS, and I find them to be fun and interesting characters, but I definitely don’t expect everyone to agree or feel the same, and it definitely doesn’t mean I condone everything they say or do. during these wild friendsim times that somewhat approximate the earlier days of upd8 culture, with frenzied content production and excited yelling about characters, it’s still important to be aware that not everyone is going to be excited about the same characters or for the same reasons, and character critical posts are okay and important to the discussion even if they get kind of drowned out in the immediate time following the release of new canon content to yell about 

(this isn’t aimed at anyone in particular, btw. I’m just seeing some stuff popping up here and there that’s very reminiscent of discourse days gone by from the old days of homestuck, and I know not everyone in the hiveswap/revived fandom was here when these things first came up in discussion, like with the Vriska/Tavros kiss and the trickster frenzy.)

[jos-corner-of-the-world]

Last House on the Left - {13}

{1} – {2} – {3} – {4} – {5} – {6} – {7} – {8} -- {9} -- {10} -- {11} -- {12}

You spent most of the night sitting and talking with Kihyun.  

It was just as easy of a friendship with him as it was with the rest of the guys. You fell into easy conversation, and it felt like you'd know him for a long time.

“Have you met the principal yet?” Kihyun asked you after dinner.

“I have not. How is he?” You asked.

The principal had changed from the previous year, so you hadn't gotten the chance to get acquainted yet.

“He's...eccentric” Kihyun said cryptically.

“Is that a good thing?” You asked.

“Oh, it's a great thing. He's this mix between sarcastic and just...weird.  But the kids seem to respond to him very well from the interactions I've witnessed”

“That's good then. I know that was kind of a problem last year. The previous principal didn't seem all that keen on kids.” You told him.

“Well, that's definitely the wrong career choice for someone then.” He laughed.

After that, Jooheon came over talk to Kihyun.  You watched them interact, amazed that they'd bonded so quickly.  But then you shouldn't be surprised, you'd bonded with every single one of Minghao's friends upon first meeting also. There was something very nice and real about every one of them.

You'd spent some time mingling with the guys, getting to know more about them.

You hadn't been surprised to learn that Mingyu was studying to get his master's degree in counseling. He was currently working as a counselor at a youth shelter.

Jihoon was a music producer and composer. He'd gone to college with Hoshi and Coups, all majoring in music.  Hoshi ended up taking an alternative route after college and was working as a choreographer for the same company Jihoon worked for.

You still weren't quite sure what Coups did.

You were intrigued to find out Wonwoo managed a bookstore. You had to stop yourself from going overboard talking about books with him, but knew that would definitely be a topic of discussion with him later down the road.

All in all, it was a great night. You'd gotten to know more about some of the guys, and built a pretty good rapport with Kihyun, barring the Lyn incident from earlier in the day.

Since both you and Minghao had to work in the morning, most of the guys had cleared out by 9.  Kihyun left, promising to come back as often as possible

The only people left after most had dispersed was Mingyu, Minghao and yourself.

“Ya know, I give you guys shit for using any opportunity to get together, but it's always fun.” You told them as you were lounging in the couch.

“Well, we're nothing it not entertaining” Mingyu laughed.

“You're the most interesting out of everyone” you mused to Mingyu.

“Why's that?”

“Because from what I've seen, you're clumsy and some common sense things seem to fly over your head.  Yet, your the most calm, collected, and observant of them all.  I'd even wager on saying smartest.”

“I chalk it up to my years of schooling.” Mingyu said, brushing aside the psuedo praise you were giving him.

“Ya know. I think it's more than that. You have such great observations and you're never judgmental. Let's be honest, in this house there's more than enough reasons to judge, but you always see things from a different perspective. It's like you see the world different than everyone else.”

“No one person sees the world the same.” Mingyu pointed out.

“I guess that's true. But I still feel like you're different. Your disposition on things is different than I assumed they'd be when I first met you.”

“You should know that first impressions aren't always accurate. And there are times when people have a persona, so to speak, that is different than who they really are. Not everyone is comfortable showing their true selves. I am around you guys, but a lot of people think I'm this tall, dumb, athletic type. I just let them think that. People are going to think whatever they want of you. You can either waste your whole life defending yourself, or just live the way you want, no regrets.”

Mingyu's words hit too close to home.

You thought back to the conversation with Jihoon last night about masking your pain from the breakup with mindless flirting.  It wasn't necessarily a persona for you, you were naturally “bubbly” and tended to speak that was on your mind, whether that be appreciation for some of the boys thighs, or Jooheon’s dimples.  You'd always been comfortable around other people you considered friends, but also knew where to draw the line.

Minghao for example.  There was a line you'd never cross. You two had built such a great friendship, but the “flirting” didn't come naturally like it did with the others.

Minghao was your rock. In the last two months you'd gone to him with your troubles and minor tribulations. He'd been there to support you through anything.

He had let you crash in his bed over the weekend when you were scared.  He'd hugged you when you cried one night about your ex.  A month ago when you were sick, he'd gotten the medicine for you, cooked your food, and checked on you as often as he could.

The friendship with Minghao was different. Solid. And while most people would see that and assume it was because of a mutual attraction, it was different than that. More than that.

You respected Minghao more than anyone else.  You'd even questioned yourself a time or two if you might have feelings for him.  But hearing him say he was going out on a date, and seeing Lyn in the house hadn't sparked even the slightest bit of jealousy or anger.

You were happy for him. And you felt guilty that you were the one that had come between the two of them, albeit unintentionally.

It was a weird place for you emotionally. You cared for him more than you ever did your ex. You loved Minghao, but there were no feelings of attraction or want attached to that.

“You’re deep in thought over there.” you heard Minghao say, pulling you from your errant train of thought.

“Oh yeah, sorry. I was just thinking.”

“About what?”

“Everything? I don't know. About what Mingyu said, and what Lyn said.” You admitted.

“Please don't let that affect you. She was just bring salty.” Minghao said, hating that you’d internalized the situation just as he’d feared you would.

“I get that. But it's still stuff to ponder on”

“No it's not. I mean, not really. You're never over the top, or borderline harassing when you do it. It's innocent banter back and forth between everyone. Hell, it's the best part of some of their days” Minghao laughed.

“Yeah, I guess, but it’s still something to keep in mind.”

“Can I throw something out there?” Mingyu asked.

You couldn’t help but find yourself intrigued.

“Let’s hear it.”

“You don’t flirt with all of them.  I know I’ve already told you about how you “mold” yourself to each conversation effortlessly.  You really only act that way towards Dk, Jooheon, and Coups.  I think that’s because you realize they’re the most receptive to it.  From what Coups told me earlier about the situation with Lyn, he was wrong in saying you flirt with everyone.  You’re friendly, and some people just can’t distinguish flirting from friendly.  You’re outright with the other three, but that’s it.  You shouldn’t really worry too much.  Also, people who don’t like it can go fuck themselves.”

“Whoa! You went from philosophical to savage!” you laughed.

“Sometimes ya just gotta say screw what other people think about you, and just live your life.  I just wanted to point out the facts that I’ve seen.”

“Thanks Mingyu, it means a lot to me.” you said, smiling softly at him.

“Seems I’m good for more than just entertainment.” Mingyu said, smiling back at you.

{14}