#i can see the sun again.... i can live........

[mairyal]

"Can we take it day by day? Can we see who we become together?"

"I know day by day. We can take it day by day."

This dialogue means so much to me.

As someone who experienced a great loss and is still mostly closed off to the uncertainties of a relationship, Dorian's "day by day" felt like a flush of consciousness and acknowledgement.

And I loved (and cried at) how Orym was immediately understanding and caring.

He knows what it means to lose someone you love. How loss shapes and changes you from the inside out. How it takes time to find yourself again in the grey mists of grief.

And it's okay to live one day after the other. It's okay to get to know the new you with patience, one step at a time.

Until you find yourself walking again under the sun and the bright blue sky.

💙���

[letstalkaboutfandomsbaby]

Omg, I read and reread your fitness influencer x chubby cooking influencer like five or six times already! Would you consider writing more parts to it, please?

Omg i would love to, lemme cook for a sec sksksk

CW: chubby fem cooking influencer reader x fitness influencer fave, fluff, smut, mentions of internet trolls being mean, not proofread i am sorry sksksk

So, chubby cooking influencer reader and fitness influencer

A match made in heaven tbh sksksk

But it's very normal at first! Like i said in my original post, reader and fitness influencer (i.e. your fave) just start the relationship with simple conversation

Your likes, dislikes, hobbies, interests, you chat about it all on social media!

His instagram has a lot of tagged photos of your recipes that he tries, as well as photos of him at the gym

His youtube is mostly vlogs of his days as an influencer and workouts and all that

He's always very good about tagging you, even if he just mentions your channel in passing, he's tagging you in the description AND comments

And you always thank him in his dms for tagging you

He starts expecting it now, seeing your notification and it brightens his day

He plays it cool tho, always thanking you in return and asking how your day is going

Which of course leads to conversations about other things (what did you do today, what did you eat, what are you up to)

He likes you, he really likes you

But he tries to be suave, just being nice at first, but he's always thinking of you tbh

At the gym, at home, when he's eating, in the shower, in bed 😏

He ends up jerking off to you quite a bit, though he won't admit it, he's too shy for that sksksk

He does ask about the general area you live in and gets excited when he finds out how close you are

Takes a lot of guts but he ends up asking you on a date, offering to pay for a nice meal and a movie if you want

Does a fist bump and jump when you accept sksksk

He dresses nice for your date, opting to wear dress pants and a tight button up shirt to show off his muscles

BUT YOU?? OMG YOU LOOK SO CUTE

You've got on a yellow sundress with flowers and white heels and a sun hat and he is just UGH so obsessed with you

Date goes well. He's happy to see you eating freely and without a care about how he may think, plus you get dessert and you lick cream off your lips and he has to excuse himself to go to the bathroom and calm himself down bc he got a boner 😔

Before the date ends, he asks you if you two can do this again, and you turn bashful

"You really want to hang out with me again??" you ask with big doe eyes

"Of course I do. I wanna date you, Y/N. And fuck you the way you deserve"

....is what he wishes he said sksksk

But instead he just nods, screaming inside bc you are honestly just so precious

You go on a second date, and a third, and a fourth and a fifth and honestly he is getting a little frustrated bc you have not even tried to hold his hand yet

He tried making the first move, but you're always just out of reach, just a little too far away from him to do anything

He agonizes over it a little bit, asking his gym bros what he should do

"Maybe she's just not into you dude"

"Just grab her and kiss her dude"

"I don't know man, i like men, not women"

They're no help tbh sksksk

He just decides to ask you on your next date and figure out why you won't initiate things with him

When he asks you, your eyes go wide and he thinks that if you could blush, your whole body would turn red

"What?! This whole time we've been going on dates?! I thought you just liked food as much as me and wanted to share it!"

He feels like he's gonna bang his head against a wall sksksk

TO BE FAIR! When he asks you out, he always refers to it as "hanging out" so you can't be blamed for getting confused

You decide to sit down with some ice cream and talk about how you both feel

He admits that he's been crushing on you for a while before you met and that he wanted to date you

You shyly admit that you find him very attractive but thought he was out of your league so you never considered that he could have feelings for you he's gonna crack his head open on the pavement omg sksksk

He reassures you that he genuinely likes you and is attracted to you and wants to have a romantic relationship with you

It's hard for you to believe, he's just so handsome and big and strong, is this real life or a dream??

You decide to let him prove it to you with more dates uwu

You start getting closer to him, letting him put his arm around around you, holding your hand

You're very anxious when he tries to kiss you, but once it happens it feels like fireworks are going off in your brain

You really like kissing him, just because he's always so gentle and he's so close and he's warm

You really, really like him 🥺

But don't worry sweet love, he likes you just as much if not more sksksk

He's so obsessed with you it's honestly kind of silly sksksk

He thinks about you all the time! And he wants to be with you all the time! He feels like he's gonna explode every time you show up to a date in a cute outfit!

He wants to make the relationship official and exclusive, so he asks to make a vlog with you

You agree! Not only do you think it would be good traction for your channel, but it would be nice to spend the day with him :)

You both bring your cameras on the day of the vlog!

You start by getting breakfast, showing off your coffees

He gets annoyed that you JUST have a coffee, but you swear it fills you up and he lets it slide as long as you eat a good lunch

Then you go to the gym together! You just hang out on the treadmill while he does his weight lifting

Tbh he's very distracted by your outfit, your leggings make your ass look so fucking good, and he would've been fucked if he didn't have a spotter

Then you go to lunch and you gush about the food and the restaurant and he's infatuated with you 💕

You turn the camera towards him and he's just got a lovesick look on his face

Then you go to a movie and then you go to his apartment for dinner!

You cook dinner together, making a meal that the both of you can enjoy, one that is nutritious AND delicious

You finish the vlog by showing off your finished plates and talking about what a fun day you had :)

You're ready to pack up your stuff and go home, but he asks if you'd like to stay and hang out a bit more

You oblige. You're dating now so it makes sense for yall to spend more time together

You decide to cuddle up and watch a movie, but 20 minutes in, you guys are making out on his couch sksksk

Things get hot and heavy pretty quick, and now his hand is going up your shirt and he's squeezing your waist and you start getting shy 😔

Does he really want you? Is he really interested in you? Is he sure that he wants you and your body?

But then your leg moves and rubs against his crotch and good lordy you can feel his boner 😳

Ok, goodbye insecurities, he's def into you and you're gonna get your man 😏

You go to the bedroom, undress, and oh boy he is enamored by you

Your breasts, your thighs, your BELLY?? You're gorg and he's obsessed

But he's not the only one drooling sksksk has he seen himself lately? He's sculpted like a god, you can't believe you scored a guy like him

AND NOT TO MENTION HIS COCK SKSKSK like that thing is long and thick, you're genuinely wondering if it's gonna fot

The two of you spend a good five minutes just staring at each other and complimenting each others' physiques

Eventually you get to the sex part sksksk but there's a lot of praise along the way

He's so cute the way he kisses down your body and spreads your legs and nuzzles into your mound

He's not too bad at giving head. You have to give him a little direction but he gets the hang of it and makes you cum

You admit that you're a little scared of sucking his dick so he doesn't make you, you just go to the main event

You're not sure if you should let him hit it raw but you're too impatient to let him get a condom, you're on birth control and you need that dick NOW

He slides in very easily, you are unbelievably wet and oh my god, if he doesn't focus then he'll cum so easily

He fits inside you so well, filling you up just right without any pain

It's such a good fit, his cock feels soooooo good inside you

And then he starts thrusting and all bets are off

The sex is so fucking good, oh my GOD

He just keeps hitting your sweet spots and rubbing your clit and oh god you're cumming already

Your cunt squeezes him so deliciously and you're so pretty and cute when you cum and holy fuck the noises you make are just sinful and he needs to slow down bc if he doesnt he's not gonna last long

He makes you cum three times before he pulls out and cums all over your tummy

Thinks you look so cute covered in his cum 🥴

He ends up cleaning you off with his tongue which just makes you needy again and you ask him oh so sweetly if he can fuck you one more time and whoops now his cock is hard again, guess he's gotta fuck you 🤷‍♀️

You guys go at it all night, eventually showering and going to bed around 4am

Of course you sleep over, ain't no way in hell he's letting you leave after all that

You sleep in together and when you wake up he makes you breakfast 🥺💕

He uploads his vlog after editing it the next day, and you upload yours

Your comments are very sweet at first, congratulating you on your new relationship with this other influencer

But then they turn mean :( people start to say that you're not good enough for him, why is he even with you, he should be with this other fitness influencer instead :(

He is pissed. His fans are attacking you on your page 😡

He makes a video the next day and posts it where he explains that he loves you and is happy with you and that until the hate comments stop, he will not be posting on his page

He helps you delete and mute and block and filter comments and users

He's very upset about this entire experience

"I guess you don't want to be with me anymore, huh?" you ask

He's offended and hurt!

"Why would you say that?"

"Well, you saw what they said. Maybe you should be with someone better..."

"What are you talking about? I love you, Y/N. You're perfect for me and I don't want anyone else. Do you just not want to be with me?"

"No! I do! I just... worry that I'm not good enough for you..."

He grabs your hands and makes you look at him

"Y/N, you are perfect to me. I couldn't ask for anyone better. I love you and I want to be with you. Please don't let these trolls dictate your life."

You're still hurt by the comments, but your feelings for him overpower the negative things you're feeling

You keep dating, and as time goes on, you care less and less about the comments that were made about your relationship

You continue with your channel and vlogs with him and enjoy your life

You still get backlash every now and then from obsessed friends, but when that happens, you just turn your computer off and go on about your day

Negativity can really affect your life, but he's always there to cheer you up and fuck you stupid so you forget all those mean comments sksksk

You become the "it" couple in the fitness and cooking communities, everyone thinks you're so so cute together and such a good match, so fuck those online trolls! Your cooking besties and his gym bros love you two together and that's all that matters 💕

I imagine he proposes after a year of dating, not wanting to waste any more time without you

He proposes at your favorite restaurant, but you say no :(

To be fair, your reasons are justified. You guys have rarely had arguments, you haven't gone through many trials in your life, you don't even live together! How can you be sure that he's the one when you haven't truly struggled with him yet?

He understands, although he's diappointed 😔

On the bright side, you suggest moving in to an apartment together once your leases are up! And he's very happy about that :)

You guys adopt some kitty cats after you move in together! You adopt two kittens from the same litter and you love them so so much, they often appear in your vlogs and sometimes you do cat reviews like on cat trees and toys and stuff

He encourages you to go to the gym for health reasons, but he doesn't push it. He just wants you to take care of yourself so you can be around for as long as possible 💕

He's gained a little bit of pudge! He's still strong as hell, but he's got a little layer of fat over some of his muscles like his abs, he's just not as sculpted now

It's bc he can't resist your food sksksk

But you're still very attracted to him so he doesn't care so much

Overall, beautiful love story, match made in heaven 💕

[izvmimi]

cw: reader has textured hair. fluff. feet mention ig.

“Quit staring at me,” you finally pipe up, after pretending to ignore the audacious pirate whose gaze has not shifted in the least in the past ten minutes. You’re not even doing anything interesting - just in the throes of the sometimes complicated process of detangling your hair after a wash, and being stared at like a curiosity might just put you on edge.

But that’s not why Luffy’s staring at you, is it?

“Why not?” he asks, instead moving closer, so that half his torso is laying prone at the foot of your bed. His eyes are still on you, watching carefully as you comb through curls carefully and preserve them in thick braids. 

“It’s distracting. Feels like there’s something gross on my face.”

Luffy props himself up by his elbows, he tilts his head. “But I’d tell you,” he replies simply. 

You frown. 

“That’s not the point, Luffy,” you insist, nudging at him gently with your foot. Without moving any of the rest of his body, he grabs your foot in his left hand, his grip strong enough that you find that it’s not an easy feat to pull it back. His gaze shifts to your foot for a second, and you almost worry he’ll put it in his mouth, before he decides not to, and goes back to staring right in your face.

“What’s the point then?” he asks.

He hasn’t let go of your foot yet, now stroking at the sole gently with his thumb. It tickles and you tense a little and he grins as you come up with an answer that will satisfy someone as straightforward as him. 

“Maybe I feel a little self conscious,” you murmur, finally.

“About what?” he asks. “You’re pretty and there’s nothing on your face.”

He’s so simple at times that it’s both frustrating and reassuring. He draws closer, climbing onto the bed, then adjusts the damp towel over your shoulders.

“I can’t be that interesting to look at,” you insist. 

Luffy clasps your face in his hands. “Interesting isn’t the word for it,” he admits, and you’re wondering if he’s about to upset you, but he smiles and presses a kiss to your lips.

“I just feel happy when I look at you. Even when you’re telling me to go away.”

His words stir in your chest, and you find yourself biting your lower lip as you look into his eyes. 

“I’ve already backed off touching you as much as I want to. Let me have this?” he asks. He doesn’t whine this time, but nods slowly, eager for you to agree.

You lean forward, and let your lips join his again.

“Fine. But also consider taking pictures sometimes. It’ll last longer.”

He pouts.

“But they’re not you, and-” He pulls you in his lap, and you expected you’d end up like this, so you nestle comfortably in his hold, “-you’ll last forever.”

“Are you telling me I’ll never die, Mr. Sun God?”

“Yup. We’ll both live forever,” he says. 

You find yourself laughing, then allow him to breathe in the scent of your conditioned hair.

“I’ll trust you then,” you say.

But you do make a note to see if the next time you dock near a city, you can take some pictures together. Even if he prepares to just stare at you as is, you want to see your smiles side by side.

Just in case.

[itzy-bitsy-spidey]

"Maddie screaming and Ozzy's cough (pt.6)"

or "Something made a hole in my backyard pt.6"

Notes: Did I promise this chapter like two days ago? Yes, I did. Did I deliver it two days ago? No, I did not. But the sun shines on Green Hills and I´m finally done writing this thing! This one is the longest chapter yet, and I think that from now on they will only get longer as not to make too many chapters. But until then please enjoy this one!

Part 5

As it turned out Shadow was not half bad company, he was silent and he still distrusted you and just sat broodingly on the chair as you prepared your morning coffe. But he wasn´t all that bad.

It hadn´t been not even an entire day since he woke up, and even though you had fervently insisted that he stayed on the bed while you did stuff around the house he had not left you alone for even a second. You were pretty sure that he thought you were a secret agent of sorts and were going to attack him at any moment.

But, as long as he didn´t attack you first, you were fine with that, trust had always taken time. As for his health he seemed to be a lot better than the day before, if you asked him he would say that he was fine, nevertheless you had seen him wince more than once while walking.

So there you were, grinding coffee beans on your kitchen, while a weird hedghog looked at you as though he could see right through your very soul. And why were you grinding coffee beans, you might ask. Well, because for some reason, out of your knowledge, the old lady that owned the house had a taste for buying coffee beans, and as you were lazy, and did not planned to walk all the way to the store you were dealing with what you were handed. Coffee beans.

"What would you like for breakfast? I´ve got tea, tap water, I think there is some juice left in the fridge, and eventually there will be coffee" You said looking at Shadow before thinking again "Do hedghogs even drink coffee?" you whispered to yourself.

"We also have to find you something to eat..." You turned around to look around the kitchen for at least some bread. And as you had found it, and were stratching in order to grab it, you heard an awful crunching sound behind you.

Tha scene was almost comical, all the way from how you slowly turned to look at the hedghog with a confusion face, to Shadows litlle cheeks looking full as he munched on something, and even the face that you did when you realized that what he was eating was the coffee beans .

"Are you eating the coffee?"

He nodded, a look on his face that read "yes I am, what are you going to do about it?".

"You are aware that that is not how you consume coffee?" Another nod from him "That could seriously damage your digestive system"

"I am the ultimate life form, a mere plant shall not destroy me"

You pursed your lips together and nodded back. Your mind was debating in between worrying for him and laughing at how unfitting his voice was to his tiny body.

"Alright then ultimate life form, would you at least want a spoon?" You asked as you grabbed one for him.

He looked between your hand, your face, the coffee beans bag, and then back to your face; finally he nodded yet again and agreed with a simple "Yes, thank you".

"Alright, as soon as I´m done with this I need to go to my uncle´s house to check up on them and say hi" You told the hedghog so that he would know.

"You are leaving me on my own?" He questioned as he looked at you a little weird, you couldn´t really tell what he was thinking.

"Yes, I trust you won´t get yourself killed in a few hours, just don´t let people see you, if you get bored the tv is in the living room, you´ll entretain yourself" You explained as you finished drinking your coffee and picked up your jacket.

"You would leave me alone, in your home, even though you don´t know me at all? For all you know I could blow up your entire house" You coldn´t know when the guy was kidding, he seriously had such a deadpan-kind-of-angry face all the time.

"Please do not do that, I can´t afford it" You said as you finished picking up your stuff. Meanwhile he just sat there watching you, still eating the beans.

"Ok, bye" you didn´t even noticed when you gave him a little kiss in his forehead as a goodbye, maybe it was just the habit of greeting your parents like that, but it didn´t matter because neither did you see the hedghog looking at you perplexed as you left the house.

✶✧✶✧✶✧✶✧

The walk to your uncle´s hose had thankfully felt rather short, probably because Green Hills was a rather small town and you had rented a hose near his on purpose.

By the time you stood in his front door you were barely tired, but you still took a second to gather your breath, and you were about to knock on the door when you heard Tom loudly speaking with someone.

"You should have told me in the morning, are you absolutely sure about this?" He asked someone.

"I mean he matched the description Sonic gave me, I never saw him, but I just know it is him" You were able to recognize the voice, it was your aunt Maddie, though she sounded kind of electronic, so you assumed they were talking through a phone.

"But that is good news!" Tom exclaimed.

"Tom, he nearly killed you, I´m sorry if I´m not super excited about this" Someone almost killed your uncle? Did all of this had anything to do with his broken arm?

"So you want us to not tell them anything at all? Not even about Sonic and the others? It doesn´t sound fair, and what if he wakes up?" Now he sounded a little worried, and even though you had no idea what they were talking about, you had started to worry a little too.

"I´ll go get him today, I can not have him hurting someone else on my family"

You realized then that you had been eavesdropping for longer than you intended (which was, nothing at all) and so you decided to knock on the door.

You heard your uncle say something like "Wait, there´s someone at he door" and five seconds later he opened up.

"Hey kiddo! I wasn´t expecting you to be here so early" He greeted and hugged you, messing up your hair a little bit on the process.

"Yeah, I just tought that I would drop by, y´know, check you still had your other arm in one piece" you joked as you dropped on his couch as if it was your own house. You had tecnically been raised in this house as well as your own.

"Where´s Maddie?" You asked Tom as he plopped himself besides you and turned off the tv which was playing a telenovela.

"Oh you know she´s out with the kids..." It seemed he realized his choice off words as they slowly faded towards the end of the sentence.

"Kids?" You looked at him as if he had gone crazy in the last 24 hours "Are you feeling alright? First aliens, now kids..."

He almost jumped out of the couch as he started walking towards the kitchen "Oh you know, I meant the animals, she sometimes says her patients are like her kids, so it must have rubbed off on me".

Someone had to give it to that man, Tom Wachowski was no bad liar.

"Mhm... And does she always take Ozzy to the vet with her?" You asked even further, confused for the missing friendly dog.

"No!" He nearly screamed, at that point you had gotten up from your spot and followed him all the way into the kitchen. "Is just that Ozzy had a bad cough, so she wanted to check it out".

"Okay..." You reluctantly agreed to the explanation.

The rest of the morning went by smoothly, you two talked and you even helped him with patching up some holes in the walls that he blamed the racoons for. But lunch was fastly approaching and no matter how sad it made you to leave you had a hedghog to take care of.

But, first, you had to use the bathroom. You told your uncle that much (about going to the bathroom, not about the alien hedghog) and left for the upstairs bathroom, because, you simply liked it better.

As you were done with your business and were leaving the room you noticed something strange, unusual for most of the times you had been to the Wachowski home.

The attic door was down. Right there, in the middle of the hallway.

Assuming that your Uncle had gone up to put something away, or sothing of sorts, you decided to go up to check it out. What you certainly were not expecting was the way the place was fixed up, there were comic books everywhere, a puff, and what looked like three small beds. The sudden sound of the front door banging was what took you out of your inspection.

Quikly you made your way down the stairs, and the closer you got to the front door the more you could hear your auntie screaming.

"...They were not there! And neither was him! I´m telling you, he did something to them!" You could hear her and you were sure that anyone that was outside on the sidewalk could as well.

"Maddie, calm down, they´re okay!" Tom was definitely trying to get a word in, but his wife´s shouts wouldn´t let him.

"What´s wrong, who´s missing?" You asked as you finally arrived to the place they were both standing.

Maddie whipped her head around so quickly you feard she would snap her neck, and then she just looked at you as if she could not believe you were standing there.

Tom telling her that "he tried to explain it to her" went over your head as a fluffy animal walked into the house.

"Ozzy! How´re you doing girl? Is your cough better?" You asked as you petted the animal which was constantly trying to lick your face.

"Are you alright?" Maddie asked as she knelt besides you. You laughed.

"Yeah, why wouldn´t I be?"

That answer seemed to calm her down as she stood up and left to talk to Tom.

"Dad! I know you said we had to go out for some time to take in some sun, but Tails scrapped his knee, and so we had to come back..." You heard a voice that suddenly went silent as it stood behind you.

You turned around, your aunt and uncle besides you.

There, in the front door of your uncle´s house, stood a perfect blue copy of Shadow.

"I´m sorry, why did nobody told me my cousin had come home?" It spoke.

And then you fainted.

Taglist:@boogiemansbitch@vxllys@whoisgami@baby-bloos@sapphireravensworld@mothmanperson@4rm-the-mf-concrete@eliknowsnothing@pooplyface1423

[bennyboyfics]

i loved your pranking ben fic soo much!!! How about instead of pranking ben they do the same prank but ben is the one being mean to the reader in front of his parents? Again, I love your work and tysm<3

Pranking his parents || Ben Shelton x gf!reader

A/n: THANK U SO MUCH!

Wc: 866

Warnings: none

MASTERLIST

-

You sit beside Ben in the car, your fingers intertwined as he drives toward his parents’ house. The late afternoon sun filters through the trees lining the quiet street, casting golden streaks across the dashboard. “You sure about this?” you ask, glancing at him with a teasing smile. “Your mom might actually disown you after this.”

Ben chuckles, dimples flashing as he glances at you. “She loves me too much for that,” he says confidently, then adds, “But she might slap me upside the head.” You laugh, shaking your head. The prank was simple—Ben was going to act like the worst boyfriend imaginable, treating you with uncharacteristic rudeness in front of his parents just to see their reaction.

His mother, Lisa, was fiercely protective of you, having welcomed you into the family with open arms from the moment Ben introduced you. His father, Bryan, was the more laid-back one, but he had a quiet way of making his disapproval known. Neither of them would take kindly to their son acting like an arrogant jerk toward you.

As you pull into the driveway, Ben exhales dramatically, “this should be fun.” You squeeze his hand one last time before stepping out of the car, the warm Florida air wrapping around you. Lisa greets you first, pulling you into a hug before stepping back to eye you up and down like a proud mother. “You look beautiful, sweetheart,” she gushes.

“Thanks, Lisa,” you say warmly. Ben, still standing by the car, scoffs loudly. “Can we go inside already? We don’t need a whole red-carpet moment every time we come over.” You bite your lip to keep from laughing. Lisa’s brows immediately furrow, and Bryan glances up from the porch, his relaxed posture shifting ever so slightly.

Inside, the familiar scent of home-cooked food fills the air, and you follow Ben into the living room, settling onto the couch. His parents sit across from you, chatting about their day, until Ben leans back with a groan. “God, can you not sit so close?” he mutters, shifting away from you on the couch. Lisa’s head snaps up. “Excuse me?”

You feign embarrassment, casting your gaze downward. “Sorry,” you mumble, playing into the act. Bryan sets his drink down with a little more force than necessary. “Ben,” he warns, his voice even but firm. Ben shrugs. “I’m just saying, she’s always, like, all over me. It’s suffocating.” Lisa’s lips part in pure horror.

“Benjamin Todd Shelton, what did you just say?” Ben stifles a grin, quickly adopting a smug expression. “Y’all act like I can’t have space in my own relationship. She’s always doing something annoying—” “Are you out of your damn mind?” Lisa cuts him off, eyes blazing. “I didn’t raise you to talk to a woman like that, let alone your girlfriend!”

Bryan leans forward, his expression unreadable. “I don’t know who you think you are, son, but you better check yourself real quick.” “Bryan,” Lisa turns to her husband, gesturing wildly at Ben. “I— I have never been more ashamed. I don’t care how famous you get or how many matches you win, if I ever hear you speak to her like that again, so help me God—”

Ben finally cracks, bursting into laughter, and you can’t help but giggle as well. Lisa’s anger falters, her narrowed eyes darting between you two. “Oh, my God. Are you— is this a joke?” Ben wraps an arm around you, pulling you close. “Yeah, just a prank.” Lisa stares for a moment before smacking Ben’s shoulder. “Are you kidding me? You little—”

Bryan sighs, shaking his head with a smirk. “Damn, boy. I was about to ground you, and you’re a grown man.” Lisa exhales sharply, pressing a hand to her chest. “Don’t you ever do that again. My heart can’t take it.” Ben grins, kissing your temple. “So you do like her more than me.”

Lisa doesn’t hesitate. “Of course I do!” You beam, snuggling into Ben’s side. “I told you they’d take my side.” Ben groans dramatically, but his parents just laugh, shaking their heads. It was safe to say—prank or not—Lisa and Bryan were never going to let their son treat you any way but right.

[brotherwtf]

You’ve asked the RIGHT PLACE for soft clegan 🥹🥹 (inspired by Callum humming so sweetly as he walks around in the YouTube version of his LV commercial) How about postwar Gale is napping on the couch in the afternoon sun because he hadn’t slept well and he in that half waking-up, cozy contented stage and hears John moving around the house humming. It’s such a soothing sound because when he’s not giving a silly performance he really does have a nice voice, and hearing him means he’s there and happy and it comforts Gale. When John wanders in to the living room he sees Gale with a sleepy smile on his face and of course has to go over and kiss his forehead and stroke his hair, Gale’s arms go around him.

weeping at this actually bcs yes John does put on such a show when he's drunk, sings terribly but with gusto but when he's content and humming to himself he can actually carry a tune, but it almost never happens, never happened during the war at least

and Gale has trouble sleeping, always has, can never get through the night even in John's arms without nightmares or memories and even if he does sleep it's only one to two hours every night, and so those brief moments of peace he gets he cherishes

maybe he fell asleep on John's shoulder one afternoon, basking in the suns rays and he feels warm and safe and good, and he suspects that when he wakes up without John's shoulder under his cheek he's going to think he's dead, but there's no terror that washes over him, only the slight melody of a hum from the kitchen

he's too tired to crane his neck and see what John's doing, but he hums from his spot on the couch, smiling sleepily at the comforting tune that John whistles to himself

it's not big band, it's not jazz, it's those sappy songs you put on when you want to dance with your love and Johns humming that under his breath, quietly singing the words every so often as he finishes his task in the kitchen and wanders back into the living room, eyes crinkling upon seeing Gale's sleepy form

"hello, my love" John whispers, bending over and kissing Gale's forehead, pushing his hair back and running his thumb over his hairline, Gale smiling sleepily as he does

"I like that song," Gale mutters, voice shot from sleep

"then I'll keep singing it for you, doll," John whispers, placing another kiss on his forehead and smiling, returning to humming that little tune again

maybe at some point Gale sits up from the couch and goes to John, wraps his arms around his waist and tucks his head into John's neck, feels the vibrations of his voice as he continues his song, and lets John sway him back and forth into the evening

[desperateknot]

SINNER NO.5: MARIE

And I daresay that's why I love you. But maybe that's why one day I'll come to hate you.

You might find it frustrating or even terrifying to deal with most of your employees. In such cases, this Sinner can somewhat be relied on as a mediator between the management and the employees, at least when she's sober.

It would be a rare sight when she runs out of patience, but when she does, the best thing to do is to leave her alone to let her cool off.

SINNER NO. 8: QUEEQUEG

I shall die. Like foam of the sea. Never again hear the music of the waves. Never again see the pretty flowers. Never again see the red sun.

Because of this sinner's troubled past, others may struggle to trust and cooperate with her. Regardless, she is one of your most reliable employees.

You may find it difficult to communicate with her from times to times, as she doesn't usually have a lot to say. Her speech capability, tampered by [REDACTED], also complicated the matter. Although, it is unlikely that you would find the need to chat with her privately.

Sooner or later, you will realise that she has some "self-destructive tendencies." Under normal circumstances, this shouldn't obstruct your missions. But should you feel inclined to interfere, a delicate approach is highly recommended.

SINNER NO. 13: GRETE

I wouldn't have a brother anymore, then, but I could carry on with our lives and remember him with respect.

This Sinner appears amicable at first glance, but it is advisable that you do not test her patience: especially when intense emotions may cause her right arm to attack uncontrollably.

Please mind your words, body language, and facial expressions so that your attention to her right arm is not immediately obvious to her. More importantly, at all cost, do not talk about this Sinner's right arm with herself present unless it's absolutely necessary or she brings the matter up herself. She could be very self-conscious.

First batch of full bus swap Sinners. Also possibly the most reasonable and dependable Sinners batch? I will release the next batch after I'm done reading the next 3 source materials which should take...a year?

Technically I didn't finish reading Moby Dick, but conveniently, Queequeg has another source material that is very short. So I read that one. Queequeg is barely in Moby Dick anyway.

[slytherin-pen]

Heat Of The Moment

pairing: Lucien x Nesta

word count: 2.1k

warnings: arguing, slightly dramatized Rhysand

a/n: written for day 2 of @sjmromanceweek “first fight”

Part 1

The envelope arrived at the manor with a flourish of magic. Lucien ripped off the venetian red Dawn Court seal of a sun rising above a valley before scanning the letter, his golden eye whirring. Nesta, seated across from him at the circular table nestled in the bay window where they had sat down for breakfast, didn’t even try to hide her curiosity. Looking down her nose at the letter while she chewed a bite of sausage.

Lucien’s face gave away nothing at first, only his russet eye flicking left to right, and him quietly muttering to himself. Then his jaw tightened, a muscle ticking as he released a low, tired sigh.

Nesta, already knowing she wasn’t going to like what he was about to say, set down her utensils.

“What is it?” she asked, voice steady but sharp.

Lucien rubbed his temples before answering. “A meeting of the High Lords in three days.”

“Does it say what for?”

“To discuss the threat of Koschei.”

She stiffened. “Then I’m coming with you.”

Lucien’s head snapped up, his russet eye blazing. “No, you’re not.”

Nesta arched a brow. “Yes, I am.”

Lucien scoffed, tossing the letter onto the table as if it physically disgusted him. “Nesta, don’t start. We talked about this.”

“Don’t start?” she repeated, voice dangerously quiet. “You think you can just tell me what to do? We talked about me not forcing myself into things I’m uncomfortable with, and this isn’t that. I want to come. I haven’t seen Elain in weeks, and this could be my chance.”

“I’m not telling you what to do, I’m trying to keep you from making a decision I think you’ll regret,” Lucien countered, exasperated. He was already pacing, his long strides eating up the space between the table and the living room. “Nesta, listen to me. This isn’t some casual visit to see Elain where you two will have the privacy to speak freely. Every High Lord will be there, specifically Rhysand, and you—” He gestured at her, at the force of will burning in her storm-blue eyes. “You cannot let him get his claws in you again.”

Nesta rose to her feet, meeting his gaze without hesitation. “And you think leaving Elain alone with them is the better choice?”

Lucien ran a hand through his fiery-red hair. “She isn’t alone. She has Feyre, and—”

“Do you recall Feyre stepping in to stop Rhysand from using me like a weapon?” Nesta cut in, voice like steel. “I certainly don’t, I remember quite the opposite, actually.”

Lucien exhaled sharply. “I know. I know, but they treat Elain differently than they did you.” He shook his head. “They let her do as she pleases. They don’t force or manipulate her into anything. The one thing you and Feyre could agree on was keeping Elain safe.”

Nesta’s jaw clenched. “Maybe before, but I’m not within their grasp anymore. There are only four of us in the entire world that have been Made in the Cauldron, that we know of, and only one is still living in the Night Court. They would dangle Elain in front of me every time they ‘asked’ me to do something for them. Do you really think they are just going to pass over the fact Elain likely has the same abilities as me, at least when it comes to our connection to the Cauldron?“

Lucien went silent for a moment, his eye searching hers.

Nesta pushed forward. “I may be angry with Elain due to her involvement in that—that intervention from Hel, but she is still my sister. And despite what everyone may think of me, I love my sisters. I will not sit back while I know they will likely coerce her into using magic that no one knows how to use. You cannot train for magic that’s never been heard of before. But they made me do it anyway and I almost didn’t come back. Elain got kidnapped, and the Cauldron was in my head, and—and—“

Lucien rushed toward her and cradled her face in his hands. “Okay. It’s okay, Nesta. Just breathe.”

Her hands gripped his tunic as she rested her forehead on his chest. Inhaling and exhaling slowly as Lucien pet the back of her head.

“I’m sorry. I know this is a difficult topic for you,” he whispered. “But how do you know Rhysand hasn’t already considered that you might come? He could be planning to either do the same thing he’s always done or even try to convince the other High Lords it’s a good idea to use you before we arrive.”

Nesta took another deep breath, inhaling Lucien’s scent of fresh-cut apples and vanilla before looking up at him. “l understand your concerns, I do. But the alternative is letting them use Elain and I can’t. I can’t do it, Lucien, I refuse to. You said you were looking forward to meeting Nesta Archeron. Well, this is her. She is ready to throw herself to the wolves for the sake of her sister and you will not convince me otherwise.”

He cursed, kissed her forehead, and wrapped her in his arms again. “Okay.”

“Okay?”

“You’re right.”

Nesta smirked. “I usually am.”

“True,” he chuckled. “I supposed we have a meeting to prepare for.”

The Dawn Court Palace was an opulent structure made of sunstone and gold. Morning glories snaked up the walls, mist from the water fountains spouting out from the archways cascaded down and surrounded the palace in an ethereal shroud. The golden domes gleamed through the haze, their reflections shimmering in the pools of water below. The first light of day painted everything in shades of gold and rose.

Lucien led Nesta up the stairs with a gentle hand on the small of her back. Servants, courtiers, and healers flocked to the grand double doors being held open by sentries in gold armor with the Dawn Court insignia centered on their chest, while others used the archways that lined the entire front wall. Some even sat on the stone benches while they ate and socialized.

The sentries nodded as the two of them walked past and Lucien, ever the emissary, nodded back.

Nesta couldn’t help the slight smile that graced her lips as she watched Lucien in his element. She almost forgot what they were walking into. Almost.

The inside wasn’t any less grand than the exterior. A set of spiral stairs greeted them in the foyer, and statues of males and females carved in gold decorated the hall. Some held swords, others held books, magnifying glasses, and various tools used for tinkering. The song of doves echoed through the building as they flew around, drowning out the chatter of the palace guests.

Lucien steered Nesta to the right where they met another set of double doors, the two sentries quickly opening them as they approached.

Nesta’s heels clicked along the marble floor, her ivory gown swishing with every step. She wore her usual coronet braid, while Lucien opted for two thin braids connecting at the back of his head to keep the hair out of his face. Lucien wore a green linen shirt and brown pants tucked into his boots.

Nesta’s heels clicked against the marble floor, the soft swish of her ivory gown accompanying each measured step. Her hair was woven into its signature coronet braid, regal and precise. Beside her, Lucien’s locks were pulled back into two thin braids, meeting at the back of his head to keep stray strands from his face. He wore a green linen shirt, its earthy hue complementing the rich brown of his pants, which were neatly tucked into well-worn boots.

The High Lords were already gathered when Lucien and Nesta arrived. Cushioned oak chairs surrounded the circular reflection pool in the middle of the room. Nesta’s eyes immediately found the Inner Circle, situated between High Lord Thesan and High Lord Tarquin.

Nesta let out a breath of air when she spotted Elain next to Feyre.

They took their seats between High Lord Tamlin and High Lord Kallias, with Lady Vivianne, his mate, sitting beside him.

Nesta clenched her jaw when she made eye contact with her sister, sitting with her hands folded neatly in her lap, an unreadable expression on her delicate features. Her brown eyes flickered with something Nesta couldn’t quite place. Relief? Resignation?

“Welcome,” Thesan began, “to the meeting regarding Koschei and the threat he poses to us all.” He turned to face Lucien. “Am I correct in assuming you are here to represent the humans?”

“Yes, High Lord. Jurian and Queen Vassa sent me in their stead,” Lucien replied smoothly, earning a nod from Thesan.

Rhysand, leaned forward slightly, his gaze roaming over the gathered High Lords before settling on Thesan. “As we’ve discussed,” he began, “we may have a way to locate Koschei. Elain’s gift, her ability to see the future, could prove invaluable in this search.”

The room grew quiet at the mention of Elain’s powers, eyes flicking toward her. Elain’s face remained serene, though her hands tightened in her lap. Feyre’s narrowed, but she said nothing.

“Absolutely not,” Nesta said, her voice sharp, the words tumbling out before she could stop them.

Lucien stiffened beside her.

“Why?” Rhysand’s voice was deceptively calm, though the tension in his shoulders suggested he already knew her response.

“Because I won’t let you use her as some tool,” Nesta snapped, her hands tightening around the arms of her chair. “She’s not some weapon for your plans. She’s my sister, not a pawn to be manipulated.”

Elain shifted in her chair slightly, her eyes shifting between the two, but it was clear she wasn’t going to intervene.

Rhysand’s lips curled, the faintest hint of a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. “Your sister has powers, Nesta. Powers that could save us all. I’m not asking her for anything she’s unwilling to give. This isn’t about using her—this is about preventing a catastrophe.”

The temperature in the room seemed to drop.

“I don’t care what your intentions are, Rhysand,” she hissed. “I won’t let you put her in danger just because you think she’s useful. Have you even given her the opportunity to train, to explore her magic on her own or are you just planning to experiment in the moment like you did with me before trying to lock me away?”

Stunned gasps could be heard from around the room. High Lord Beron leaned forward in his seat for a better view of the sparring match.

Rhysand remained composed, picking at his black suit before returning his attention to her. “I’m sure what you mean by that, we have always treasured you, Nesta.”

Nesta’s eyes flared with silver fire. The room grew colder still, her anger thick and tangible in the air. “You know exactly what I mean, Rhysand,” she hissed. “How exactly was this Elain’s decision? Did you threaten to lock her away in the House of Wind? To be shipped off to Windhaven to train with your General?”

The High Lords exchanged uneasy glances. Lucien shifted uncomfortably, his gaze flickering between the two of them. “Nesta—”

“Let Elain answer for herself,” she cut him off, her voice like ice.

Elain cleared her throat. “He said that if I did not do it, he would find a way to drag you back to the Night Court.”

Silver flames whooshed as they burst from Nesta’s body. The attendees had the sense to jump out of their chairs and back away. Everyone but Lucien and the Night Court.

“Nesta,” Lucien tried again, tugging on the bond for the first time since he discovered it.

Elain gracefully rose from her seat and strode over to her sister. “It’s alright Nesta, I saw it coming. I’m ready to go with you now.”

Nesta cocked her head as she surveyed Elain, large doe eyes staring at placatingly.

Rhysand and Feyre shot to their feet. “You can’t do that,” Rhysand growled, darkness seeping from him.

Lucien muttered a prayer to the Mother and grabbed Elain’s arm, pulling her behind him as Nesta’s attention focused back on Rhysand.

“Oh?” she asked with a deathly quiet. “Are you saying you will not allow Elain to leave, who is not an official member of your court, and therefore has no contractual obligation to stay?”

Rhysand’s cool facade broke for a split second as murmurs from the other guests went throughout the room.

“Nesta, Elain, please,” Feyre begged.

“When you come to your senses Feyre, you can write to Lucien to be delivered to Elain, but until then, we’re leaving.” Nesta’s silver flames disappeared as she took Lucien’s hand in one and Elain’s in the other. Golden fire swirled around them as Lucien winnowed them out of the meeting chamber.

[xesnox]

(Post fall) Ancient builder x Illager toxic old man yaoi when

WIP, was planning on doing a ref for every human race but a mutual of mine practically begged me to post these two on their own so you’re probably gonna see this image again. Colors are not yet where I want them to be so I’ll definitely go over it a few more times.

I’d like to take this moment to point out that the way you summon allays in legends, where you play as an ancient builder, is pretty similar to the way evokers summon vexes.

Design / AU rant below cut, as always.

This one’s a little worse written than usual, I’m just rambling.

I practically have an infinite amount of Ancient builder designs because I draw them differently with every piece depending on how I’m feeling, but for this design I got more genuinely speculative and turned on my pattern recognition.

Steve and Alex are canonically 6’2, both of them, and all undead mobs seem to be the same height, if not taller than they are, so I made them average around 6’5. To add to that, all undead builder mobs either don’t have eyes or have solid coloured glowing ones, so I went with the latter.

Minecraft isn’t a stranger to making lifeforms appearances change drastically depending on circumstance, this render is of an Ancient builder post wither attack, around ancient city time, which meant I could adopt the idea the devs mentioned about villagers/illagers, of human skin turning desaturated if they stay out of the sun for long enough, which, if the single generation of Illagers already show signs of I bet the god knows how many decade long underground escapades of the builders probably hit ‘em hard with that trait.

I also for the longest time for some reason forgot cosmetics were very likely a thing, so they’ve got some protection spells and luck enchantments tattooed, both of them do. Doesn’t work very well, as one can probably guess. But they’re superstitious so it felt in character enough.

For the post wither attack Ancient builders I also tend to think of them as more frail, not only because they had no access to their former overworld food supplies and had to rely on the little stuff that did grow in complete lack of sunlight underground, which definitely wasn’t a lot, but also because beyond the military force that did seem to remain from the nether war (ancient city structure name: Barracks, disk 5 marching.) they definitely were no longer strong enough to properly defend themselves against the wither or the warden/mourner on their own accord.

And because they were cowards and skedaddled when the overworld was in danger AND got beat up by the piglin despite being the main kingdom in power which I just find really funny. So think tall and boney but hiding it under a lot of clothing layers to still appear strong. Definitely can’t put on armor anymore though, that back would snap like a twig.

When it comes to the robes I used some of my older armor template designs for reference, made them black and blue to fit the most well known ancient builder sprite as well as vaguely match the one of the evoker. Because, oh well, you caught me, I do believe the cargo cult theory. Got my own interpretation but I’ll leave it at that till the next bestiary entry.

I generally want the villagers to look more varied, and human, while the builders, both neo and ancient, look more unsettling, as if they’re clearly a person, but something just looks, or moves wrong. They’re too symmetrical. Too far removed from what once was flawed but sincerely their own.

A lot of villager beauty standards are inspired by medieval-renaissance era Europe, like for an example having a larger visible forehead and appearing more boxy in shape being seen as more visually appealing, I think despite the illagers trying to subvert that they do still live in a society, so having grown accustomed to it as children they probably still at-least somehow adhere to the beauty standards they know, whether consciously or not.

They perform similar experiments on themselves as the builders, they’re just ever so slightly worse at it, as they haven’t been doing it for as long, so it leaves marks like scarring or visible stitching, though I believe they wear these with pride.

There’s gonna be a dedicated post about them at some point, as I said so I don’t know how much of my design I want to pick apart for now, but I’ll just leave it at that for now.

Here’s some alternative versions.

[sturniololuvz]

Can u do a sturniolo little sister where 4 yr old y/n makes a mistake and one of her brothers get angry at her and they apologise after or something

okayyyyy

“A Little Mistake”

Sturniolos x sister

Warnings : crying

Four-year-old Y/N sat on the living room floor, happily coloring away in her notebook. She was determined to make the prettiest picture ever, using every color in her crayon box. The Sturniolo house was loud as usual—Matt, Nick, and Chris were arguing over something dumb, probably whose turn it was to do the dishes.

But Y/N wasn’t paying attention to that. She was too focused on making sure the big yellow sun in the corner of her page was perfect.

That was, until she had an idea.

Wouldn’t it be so much prettier if she made the walls colorful too?

Excited, she grabbed her red crayon and started drawing on the white wall beside her. She giggled as she made big swirls, little stars, and a lopsided heart. It was beautiful! The best masterpiece she had ever made!

That was, until she heard a sharp voice behind her.

“Y/N! What are you doing?”

She flinched and turned around, only to see Nick standing in the doorway, eyes wide with horror as he looked at the wall.

“Uh-oh,” she whispered.

Nick’s face turned red. “Y/N, you can’t draw on the walls! Mom and Dad are gonna kill us!”

Tears welled up in her big, round eyes. “B-but I made it pretty…”

Nick groaned, running a hand down his face. “It doesn’t matter, Y/N! We’re gonna get in so much trouble. Do you know how hard it is to get crayon off the wall?”

By now, her bottom lip was quivering. She hadn’t meant to do something bad. She just wanted to make everything colorful. But Nick’s raised voice made her heart squeeze, and before she knew it, big, fat tears were rolling down her cheeks.

“I-I’m s-sorry!” she hiccupped, rubbing her fists over her eyes.

Chris and Matt appeared in the doorway, immediately noticing their little sister crying.

“What happened?” Matt asked, stepping forward.

“She drew all over the wall!” Nick exclaimed, still frustrated. “We’re dead, dude.”

Chris glanced at the crayon marks and then back at Y/N, who was now sobbing into her tiny hands. He sighed and crouched down beside her. “Hey, hey, it’s okay. Don’t cry, bubs.”

“I-I didn’t mean to!” she sniffled, looking up at him with watery eyes. “I thought it was pretty.”

Matt shot a look at Nick, who still looked irritated but also… guilty.

Nick sighed, his shoulders slumping. “Alright, alright,” he muttered, kneeling down next to her. “I didn’t mean to yell, Y/N. I know you didn’t do it on purpose.”

She sniffled again, rubbing her nose with her sleeve. “You mad?”

Nick shook his head and ruffled her hair. “Nah, I’m not mad anymore. Just… next time, let’s keep the art on paper, okay?”

She nodded quickly, hugging him tightly. “Okay!”

Chris grinned. “Alright, now let’s clean this up before Mom sees.”

“Wait, we?” Nick raised an eyebrow.

“You made her cry. You clean it up,” Matt smirked, handing Nick a wet cloth.

Nick groaned but didn’t argue. Y/N giggled, wiping the last of her tears away as she watched her brothers scrub the wall.

She might’ve made a little mistake—but at least she knew her brothers would always forgive her.

[cherry-coffees]

Labyrinth ~ Chapter 2

Premise: In your first few days of staying with Vander, he announces the raid of a topside ship. After Vi teaches you how to fight, feelings continue to rise during the mission.

cw: 1.9K words | childhood crush!Vi, teens now but will be adults in later chapters, mentions of sparring (punching, shoving, pinning), both Vi and reader are in DEEP denial, fluff <3

Chapter 1 link

Lyric: "Never Trust It If It Rises Fast" (Labyrinth, Taylor Swift)

You blink your eyes open, glancing around the room hazily. For a moment, you forget where you are. But when your gaze lands on Vi’s sleeping form across the small room, the events of the past few days come back to you. You’re here, in the upstairs of Vander’s place, living with Vi and Powder and Mylo and Claggor. Right.

You slip out of your blankets as quietly as you can, stretching out your limbs when you stand. Grabbing some casual clothes from your bag, you can’t help but linger in the door frame as you turn to leave, your gaze drawn to a sleeping Vi once again. 

You’ve learned more about everyone in the past few days you’ve been at Vander’s. Powder’s an energetic kid, constantly underestimated in her abilities. Claggor’s strong, though ultimately kind at heart. Mylo, true to form, is snarky and teasing.

And Vi. Well. Vi’s about a year older than you, you’ve learned. She’s the oldest and therefore the leader of all the other teenagers. She’s strong, and though it goes unspoken, you can see it in her eyes: she’s guarded. She doesn’t trust easily. The times you’ve seen it falter are when she looks at Powder, evident care for her sister in her expression. And now, as your gaze falls on her, she looks so peaceful asleep.

Enough.

You shake your head slightly, blinking your thoughts away. You shouldn’t be dwelling on Vi like this. So, you slip into the bathroom to change, before you make your way downstairs — avoiding the one step that creaks at the bottom of the staircase.

Upon entering the main room downstairs, you’re immediately met with the sight of Powder wobbling on a stepstool. She reaches for the faucet of the kitchen sink, her arms not quite long enough to turn it on. She huffs in frustration, grey eyes narrowing as she grips the counter.

“Hey,” you make your presence known, quickly moving to Powder’s side and steadying her gently. “Do you need help?”

“Yeah,” Powder’s expression fills with relief. She grabs a box from the counter next to her, holding it up to you in slight shyness. “I stole some pancake mix earlier, but I can’t add the water.”

You smile reassuringly at her, taking hold of the box and dumping some of the mix into a bowl. “I’ve got it. Do you want to grab a pan so we can make them together?”

Powder’s smile is brighter than the sun, eyes curving up into half-moons. “Okay!” She exclaims, dashing off to grab a pan while you turn on the faucet to add some water into the bowl. She’s back in an instant, and you warm up the pan on the old stove.

“You stole this, huh?” You ask lightly, putting a palm over the pan to feel how hot it’s gotten.

Powder nods quickly, watching the pan sizzle as you pour circles of batter onto it. “Usually we don’t have breakfast. Only after we have a good job and get a lot of stuff to sell,” she explains. “But I was out this morning and the guy selling these wasn’t paying attention, so…”

You flip the pancakes with a fork, unable to find a spatula in the small kitchen. “That’s great! I’m sure everyone will be happy to wake up to these.”

Powder leans against your side, still standing on her stool. “Mylo doesn’t think so. Everyone always thinks I don’t help at all.”

You puff out a sigh, gently squeezing her in a side hug. “Well, you’ve got me. And you’ll definitely be better at jobs than me, so Mylo will just complain about me now.”

As you make more pancakes under Powder’s watchful eye, Mylo, Claggor, and Vander come into the room one by one. Mylo and Claggor whoop at the sight of pancakes cooking, eagerly sitting at the table as they converse in slightly better moods. Vander, to his credit, gives you both a warm smile of acknowledgement before sitting with the other two.

Vi stumbles down the stairs a few minutes later, rubbing her eyes sleepily. She’s never been one for mornings: something else you’ve been quick to learn about her. The sleep clears from her face when the smell of the pancakes hits her nose. “Pancakes?” She asks in surprise, voice rough from just waking up.

“Yeah,” you respond simply, motioning for Powder to hop down from her stool before you hand her a plate of pancakes to put on the table. The second she does, Mylo and Claggor immediately make grabs for them. 

You sit next to Powder, across from Mylo and Claggor. Vander sits at the head of the table and Vi drops down in the empty chair across from him, next to you. Her eyes are still wide with disbelief, it having been a while since she’s had a nice breakfast. “Uh, thanks,” she runs a hand through her hair, glancing at you sheepishly.

“Yeah, thanks,” Claggor mumbles between bites, Vander seconding and Mylo grunting in agreement. 

You glance at Powder next to you and smile, laying a hand on her shoulder. “Actually, Powder stole the pancake mix and did all the work. I just helped her with the stove. So we should all be thanking her.”

Mylo gives a look of almost disbelief, but reluctantly mutters a “thank you,” as does everyone else.

But Vi notices the look between you and Powder, how Powder’s smile is shy and how yours is reassuring. She knows: knows you made the pancakes, but that you gave Powder the credit because you knew she needed it. And Vi feels her own smile, hers one of soft admiration that’s directed at you.

She’s only ever smiled at Powder like that.

Vander clears his throat, catching everyone’s attention. “So,” his voice is gruff. “I have a new job for you all. A topside ship will dock in the ports tonight. It holds a lot of jewelry, which means high prices if we get it. It should be relatively safe since the crew isn’t on board, you just have to get past the guards. Are you up for it?”

Vi nods, expression morphing into one of determination. “We’ve got it.”

“Good,” Vander stands, casting a glance at Vi. “Don’t be reckless, Vi. Grab what you can and be safe about it.”

“Yeah yeah,” Vi mumbles under her breath as Vander nods his head in parting and leaves the room. As soon as he’s gone, she immediately turns to everyone else. “Okay. Topside ship raid tonight. We’ll leave at 10, when all the crew’s gone.”

Vi turns to you, her gaze running over you in consideration. “And you’ll need some training. You can come with me when the others go off to train by themselves, and I’ll teach you, yeah?”

You nod, your eyes meeting the powder-blue of hers. “Yeah.”

“Okay,” Vi’s features soften just a fraction before she breaks her stare, standing up and motioning to the door. “Let’s get on it, guys.”

|------» ~~~ «------|

You and Vi stand opposite each other in an abandoned warehouse nearby that she evidently uses for practice. It’s dark with a few makeshift punching bags, a few windows providing some sort of light.

“‘Kay” Vi starts when the others have moved to another area of the warehouse. Her stance is unguarded as she faces you. “So. I want you to punch me as hard as you can.”

You just blink at her. “Um…”

“What?” Her eyebrows furrow at your hesitance. “You’ve never punched someone before?”

“…No?”

Vi sighs, but she steps closer to you nonetheless. “Okay, let’s start with something else to ease you into it.” Before you can even register what’s happening, she suddenly moves both hands to your shoulders and shoves you lightly. “Try to stop me.”

You stumble backwards, having not expected her shove. “Um, okay,” you watch her arms carefully, so when she moves to push you again, you clasp both hands around her wrists in an attempt to hold them. 

Vi grins, but she doesn’t let up, easily shaking off your grip and shoving you a little harder. “Try harder. That won’t stop anyone.”

You huff at this, though your annoyance only benefits you. When she moves forward again, you only grab one of her arms this time, quickly ducking under it and moving behind her. It’s your turn to push her forward, albeit not that hard. That’s not your fault, though: Vi is way too strong for you to do much damage to.

She still stumbles even slightly, but her grin only widens as she turns to face you again. “Not bad. You’re learning.”

“It’s just instinct,” you shrug it off, not thinking much of your avoidance.

“Still counts, doesn’t it?” 

When Vi makes another grab for you, this time in an attempted tackle, you just barely manage to avoid her. She grunts a little at the fail, but then a small smirk spreads across your face, and you have no time to dodge before she sweeps her leg behind your own. You fall immediately, wincing as you hit the hard warehouse floor. Vi kneels beside you, one hand keeping your shoulder pinned to the ground.

You huff at her again. “That hurt.”

“Please,” Vi rolls her eyes. “It’s good you’re getting some practice for what could actually happen.” She removes her hand from your shoulder and stands, extending an arm to pull you up. You take it, and she lifts you easily.

If your cheeks warm when she pulls you up with your faces a little too close to each other, that’s nobody’s business.

“So,” Vi tilts her head toward the punching bags, smoothing out her own expression to be professional again. “Let me teach you how to throw a real punch.”

|------» ~~~ «------|

Just hours later, you’re following Mylo, Claggor, and Powder as Vi leads you all to creep through the docks until you reach the ship from Piltover. As you all duck behind a few barrels, Vi narrows her eyes, scanning the area for a blind spot the guards haven’t paid much attention to. It only takes her a minute to find one. Bingo.

She makes a silent motion, and everyone trails behind her, keeping to the shadows of the ship. When Vi finds one of the ladders at the furthest side of the boat, she climbs up first. After listening for a moment to ensure all of the crew has left, she glances down at the others and makes another motion to signal that the coast is clear.

Mylo hops up first, finding his way over to the trapdoor of the storage compartment to pick the lock. Claggor helps Powder up, and the two of them slip inside after Mylo.

You’re the last to climb the ladder, and you’re surprised to see Vi still standing beside the edge, making sure you get up unscathed. There’s something almost caring in her eyes as she watches you. “You good?” She whispers, near silently.

You swing your legs over the edge of the boat and onto the main deck, nodding at her check in. 

Vi guides you to the now open trapdoor, following in right after you. Once you’re both inside the storage compartment, she lets out another whisper, her breath hot against your ear. “This is your first job. Just stick close to me and you’ll be fine.”

Admittedly, as you join the others in grabbing whatever jewelry you can find to stick in your bag, you do stick closer to Vi. Even though you feel uneasy since it’s your first time literally robbing a ship, Vi makes you feel…safe, in some inexplicable way. Like, when you’re next to her, she’s got you.

When your bags are all full a few minutes later, Vi commands attention with a pointed whisper. “We’ve got a good haul. Let’s go.”

Her tone leaves no room for argument, so everyone falls into step. Like on the way up, Vi is the first to drop down the ladder in near-silence before doing a full scan of the area and motioning the others down. The same order follows: Mylo then Claggor then Powder. Those three slip off the ship, and you can see Vi motion them back to a sheltered, shadowy area of the docks where they can wait safely. 

You climb down the ladder last, clinging onto the rungs and trying not to look down. Your movements are slower, more inexperienced. But Vi waits patiently, and this is another thing you notice about her: she fits being the leader so naturally. She cares, and this care ensures everyone comes back okay.

You’re on your last few rungs when you hear footsteps nearing. Not quiet footsteps; heavy ones that sound like they’re from some sort of boot. A guard. Fuck.

You have no time to panic, because at the sound, Vi doesn’t hesitate to sweep you off the ladder and into her arms. Her palm clasps over your mouth to muffle your gasp of surprise. Quick and practiced, she darts behind a nearby barrel in a matter of seconds.

You can barely breathe as the guard rounds the corner, afraid that even your breath is making too much noise. And, as you hear the guard walk past the barrel, your fear overtakes you. You’re still cradled in Vi’s arms princess-style, and it makes it all too easy for you to pull yourself tighter against her chest, your face in her shoulder.

You wonder if her sharp intake of breath you feel is just your imagination.

The guard’s footsteps don’t falter, rounding the other corner without stopping. Once the sound has ceased for over a minute, Vi peers above the tops of the barrels, ensuring that no one else is around. With that, she stands, still cradling you as she dashes off in the direction of where the others are waiting. Gods, her stamina is insane.

When you rejoin Mylo, Claggor, and Powder, Vi gently sets you down, steadying you on your feet before her leader's professionalism returns. “C’mon, let’s get the hell out of here,” she whispers, and it doesn’t take another word for you and the others to slip through the shadows of the docks on the way back to Vander’s place. 

You could have sworn Mylo had given Vi a smug look when he had seen Vi carrying you, but oh well. Maybe that was also your imagination.

[volturiprincess]

Girlfriend

Demetri Volturi x fem reader

Summary: Demetri just being his sweet self Warnings: Slight mentions of people being pigs, but other than that just Fluff A/N: Another one!!!! This one just flowed out of me, I'm pretty sure it took me like 5 hours to write. I did not intend to finish it today but all well, Im just keeping everyone feed😅. The song inspiration for this was "Girlfriend" by Big Bang. Enjoy💙 Word Count: 921

_____________________⭐️

How can you be so pretty? Will you believe me if I tell you I've got more butterflies than the first time I met you

A breath of fresh air I felt as he came into my view, the air felt crispier as I inhaled and exhaled. My eyes never left him as he moved away from me. Where is my air going? Did I say something wrong? Maybe I did say something wrong but I could have sworn I saw a small smile trying to break through his serious face. My mouth spoke before I could even think, I called him pretty. Just that simple six letter word, and  that word made him walk away from me. Maybe I embarrassed him, he mentioned nobody gives him too many compliments, only stares. I probably just caught him off guard then. Yes that's it, maybe I should do it more often. 

I thought it was adorable how he looked at me with a hint of confusion at that word but when he did turn away I caught that smile. It was so adorable, if it were possible for him, I know he would have blushed. I bet he would look lovely with a hint of pink or red on his sharp cheekbones, it would probably suit him perfectly. 

I doubt he would be the one blushing, he always makes me flustered when he compliments me, it's like a second tongue for him, his own language that only he knows how to talk. I wish I knew how to talk like him but he has told me he finds it adorable when I say random things or how blunt I can be with my words.

When I'm tired and wasted. When I sometimes stumble. Girl, you always pick me up. Just like now, by my side

When he found me, I was at my lowest in life, I couldn't even look in the mirror without wanting to break it. Everything in life had no meaning to me, I would just walk life on autopilot not really living life as one should. The sun could be shining so bright, or the day would be so beautiful and I would feel like a heavy cloud would be over me, soaking me in rain. I just felt cold all the time, no amount of sweaters would help lessen the cold. But when I accidentally bumped into him, I felt that cloud be bumped away from me also. He was the warmth and air I needed to be…human again. 

When he looked down at me with the most sincere look of worry as he reached for my hand, I felt my heart beating faster. As my hand touched his cold one, I felt that shot of electricity run through my whole body. It felt like I was having one of those over dramatic sights of a first love moment you see on TV. Me and him were the main characters in some Kdrama, I was for sure seeing the spotlight on us at that moment and I could hear the music.

Yeah, my girlfriend, my girlfriend. She ain't no side chick, mistress, girlfriend. My girlfriend, my girlfriend. 'Cause ain't nothing in the world compare to my girlfriend

When I would bring him along to my work events, everyone had their eyes on him. But his eyes never left me, I was his girlfriend because we can’t say we are mates and saying we were married would bring up too many questions for our liking. And at the time we were together for a couple of months so far. People at work were questioning our relationship. How can the most perfect man to ever exist be with someone…like me. It was hard to ignore them talking, it was even at a point where they didn't even try to be hush hush about it. 

I remembered at another work event he was with some of my male coworkers talking and I heard their conversation.

“So, Demetri was it? How did you end up with a girl like y/n?”

“Was it a bet?”

“Only want her for her body?”

“Nah man she doesn't have anything to put out unless she’s hiding something under her clothes”

He didn't let them continue because his next words shut them up for the rest of the night. “You poor excuse of men are so blind, when I look at her I can see the masterpiece she is, she’s so exquisite in every aspect, you would never be able to meet a women like her”

By then he was at my side guiding us out of the building and off to a nearby lookout point. The whole city can be seen from up here and it was perfect but we only had eyes for each other. The whole world was blurred as I looked into his green contacts, I wish he could take them out so I can look at his red ones. He flashed me his pearly whites while I had one of the stupidest lopsided smiles, some adult I was right now. I was acting like a schoolgirl looking at her new crush of the month. 

I never had someone who would have my back, Demetri had more than my back, he definitely was holding my heart in his hands and he was not letting anything harm it. 

Since meeting you, I feel like I've become a fool. I can't stop smiling. It makes me feel good just to think about you

[thelanternsglow]

🌕✨Full Moon in Leo-February 12th 2025✨🌕

🔥 Full Moon in Leo – February 12, 2025: The Cosmic Spotlight Is On You 🔥

Right, if you’ve been waiting for a sign to step into your power, this is it. The Full Moon in Leo on February 12th is turning the cosmic spotlight your way, whether you’re ready or not. Leo doesn’t do things quietly—it’s all about confidence, self-expression, and standing in your truth.

But before you start planning your victory lap, there’s a twist. Uranus is in the mix, and that means surprises, shake-ups, and a few reality checks along the way. This isn’t just about shining—it’s about shedding anything that’s kept you dimming your own light.

So, what’s coming up under this Full Moon? Let’s get into it.

🌕 Full Moon in Leo: A Fire in Your Heart

Leo is ruled by the Sun, so when a Full Moon lands here, it’s big, bold, and impossible to ignore. This lunation is about:

• Authenticity – Where have you been playing small? Where have you been holding back out of fear or self-doubt?

• Creativity – Whether you’re an artist, a musician, a writer, or just someone who wants to bring more joy into life, this is your time to create.

• Recognition – The things you’ve been working on behind the scenes? They might finally get the attention they deserve.

• Courage – Leo energy doesn’t wait for permission. It’s about owning your space and showing up fully as yourself.

This Full Moon is the culmination of whatever you’ve been building since the New Moon in Leo six months ago (August 2024). If you set intentions back then around confidence, passion, or creativity, you might be seeing results—or realising what’s been holding you back.

But here’s the thing: Leo energy isn’t just about the external world. Yes, it’s about being seen, but more importantly, it’s about seeing yourself fully—and owning who you are.

⚡ Uranus is Crashing the Party: Expect the Unexpected

Now, let’s talk about Uranus in Taurus squaring this Full Moon. If you thought this was going to be a smooth ride, think again. Uranus doesn’t care about your plans—it’s here to shake things up.

This means:

• Sudden revelations – You might realise something about yourself, your relationships, or your career that changes everything.

• Emotional shake-ups – If you’ve been bottling things up, expect them to burst out—and possibly in a way you weren’t expecting.

• Unpredictable events – Plans might change last-minute, or you might get hit with a bit of shocking news. The best thing to do? Stay flexible.

Uranus in Taurus has been challenging comfort zones, money, stability, and security for a while now. This Full Moon could highlight areas where you’ve been resisting change—or push you to take a leap you weren’t expecting to take.

So if things feel shaky around this time, trust that the disruption is clearing the way for something better.

💡 The Leo-Aquarius Axis: Individuality vs. The Collective

Every Full Moon sits across from the Sun, which means we’re dealing with two energies that need to be balanced.

• Leo (the Moon) says: Be bold, express yourself, stand in your power.

• Aquarius (the Sun) says: Think about the bigger picture. What’s your role in the collective?

This is where the tension kicks in. Are you doing things because they truly light you up, or are you trying to fit into someone else’s expectations?

Leo teaches us that self-expression isn’t selfish. You can be part of a community while still being unapologetically yourself. In fact, when you shine in your truth, you inspire others to do the same.

So ask yourself: Am I living for myself, or am I waiting for external validation?

🦁 Who Will Feel This the Most?

Everyone will feel this Full Moon’s energy, but if you’ve got planets around 23°–25° of Leo, Aquarius, Taurus, or Scorpio, this one’s hitting close to home.

🔥 Fire signs (Aries, Leo, Sagittarius) – You might feel energised, motivated, and ready to take action—but try not to let impatience get the best of you.

🌍 Fixed signs (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius) – You’re feeling the pressure the most. Let go of what’s not working instead of clinging to control.

🌬 Air signs (Gemini, Libra, Aquarius) – You might get a burst of inspiration—or an unexpected opportunity that changes your direction.

💧 Water signs (Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces) – Your emotions could be all over the place, but that’s because something deep is being illuminated. Don’t ignore it.

Check where 23°–25° Leo falls in your birth chart—that’s where the Full Moon is asking you to step up.

🔥 Full Moon Rituals: Own Your Light

This Full Moon is about reclaiming your power and celebrating yourself. Here’s how to work with its energy:

🌟 Confidence Candle Ritual – Light a gold, yellow, or orange candle. Write down everything amazing about yourself—yes, everything. Read it aloud like a spell. Let the candle burn as a reminder that you deserve to shine.

🖊 Write Your Own Spotlight Story – What would your life look like if you fully embraced your power? Write it down as if it’s already happening. Speak it into existence.

🎭 Inner Child Joy Work – Leo rules play. Do something purely for joy—paint, dance, sing, dress up, watch an old favourite film. Reconnect with what made you happy before the world told you to be serious.

💖 Heart Chakra Meditation – Leo rules the heart. Sit in a quiet space, place your hands over your chest, and breathe golden light into your heart space. Feel it expand with love, confidence, and self-acceptance.

✨ Are You Ready to Step Into the Light?

This Full Moon isn’t about waiting for someone to give you permission to shine. It’s about owning your power and taking up space.

But remember—Leo’s confidence isn’t about ego. It’s about leading with heart. It’s about standing tall in who you are, not because you need applause, but because you deserve to live fully and unapologetically.

So, under this Full Moon:

🌕 Let go of the fear of being seen.

🔥 Claim your space.

💡 Trust that what’s shifting is happening for a reason.

Because you were never meant to stay small.

Now’s your time.

Follow The Lantern’s

Glow

[ubemango]

commission 6: friends-to-lovers!Hoseok

note 1: for Miss Sam!!!!!!!! Thank you for your help back in November!!!!!!!!!! I hope sexy sexy brother’s best friend/f2l!Hoseok is Good To you!!!!!!!!!!! Mwah!!! 🥰🥰🥰🥰💕💕💕💕💕😁😁😁😁😁

note 2: a little background--the premise for this story did not come easy to me. Like At All!!!! I was struggling--AGAIN--with Exposition and you know what I learned? in medias res never fails me. Truly she is God. I love her. Anywho, Keyword(s): Talking to your dog for emotional support! Tension! Mutual pining!!!!!!!!! Being so close you don’t know what to do with yourself anymore!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Word count: 4.5k. Class is in session!

note 3: a big big biiiiiiiiig Thank You to @b1usides and @angelguk for helping me out with this ;_; Truly would not have come out with this without you I love you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you for ur input and insight and interest and MWAH !!!

(note 4: I wrote all those previous notes back in 2020. GOOD LORD IT IS 2025. This is not a come back I just wanted to post this because I wrote so much of it and I’m tired of thinking my writing is too ugly to post. It can be ugly but also exist on this blog. Yay!!!!!!! Mindset mindset! I wuuuvvvv youuuu my friends I hope you’re doing well!!!!)

“Now?”

“Now,” Yoongi says, “and don’t come up with excuses about being busy because I know you’re doing your dalgona shit right now.”

You slide the bottle of instant coffee a little closer to your chest for protection. He probably overheard you talking to your mom about your plans in the kitchen last night. “You’re evil.”

“Whatever. Just–come, please? Everyone’s busy and Hoseok won’t finish unpacking today if we don’t get the help.”

Hearing that name sends electricity down to your toes. “What’s in it for me?”

“Being a nice sister–“ Yoongi’s breath is stifled with effort, probably from lifting a box– “and helping my best friend move into his new apartment?”

“I just got home–“

“I wouldn’t have called if it wasn’t important. The air conditioning here hasn’t been turned on yet,” he baits, and you hiss at that. “You know what that’s like.”

You do. The sun is unforgiving in the throes of late spring, and even you’d been contemplating holding out on your move back to avoid the heat. You’d made sure to finish unpacking last night, the loom of today’s plus-twenty weather with humidity heavy on your shoulders. Yoongi’s strangled tone tells you Hoseok’s got a billion and one things to unpack.

“Fine,” you concede. “Just text me the address.”

“Don’t take too long.”

The line cuts. You get the text in three seconds.

You stare forlornly at the whisk and bowl you’d gotten out, watching your phone screen light up with Yoongi’s text. To think you’d be hauling ass with cardboard boxes instead of making frothy coffee. What you thought would be a little welcome-back activity now that you’ve moved back home with your family instead lies toppled since you’ve been voluntold for other plans.

Plans to see Hoseok for the first time in years.

Immediately, you hold your breath. Maybe if you restrict your airflow then things won’t be so real and sudden, and why couldn’t Yoongi have called Namjoon, or something? He’s ten times as strong as you are. He lives in the city, too. You feel cheated. Older brothers don’t like taking things into consideration.

Your lungs burst into a yelp when something furry brushes against your leg, which, thankfully, stops you from contemplating all of Yoongi’s wrongdoings with revenge. You realize you’ve got your fist tight around the whisk.

“Girl, you scared me!”

Boppa stares at you with her long eyelashes and sits down at your feet. She’s the picturesque prettiness of a ten-year-old cockapoo. It’s kind of insulting looking at her sometimes.

“Boppa, I think my life’s about to fall apart and it’s all Yoongi’s fault,” you tell her.

She offers no response. You drop the whisk, reach over for her treat jar, and pop the dried meat into her mouth. Just a reward for the anxious rambling you’re about to dump on her pretty little head.

“Remember senior year, Boppa, and I couldn’t do my calculus homework because I missed too many classes? So Hoseok helped me out with all the problems I didn’t get?” You don’t think she does. She just pants, watching you put your mise-en-place away. “Or when he helped me make soup for Yoongi when he had the flu that one time?”

In your head, a dam breaks, and it all comes roiling back.

The way you remember Hoseok is different every time. Little disjointed moments throughout high school, college, and it starts with junior year, when he’d come over after a music council meeting with Yoongi. He’d walked past the living room, caught sight of your puffed face from crying over Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds; so startled by your hiccuping that he’d offered you a coupon to the pizza place near school and told you to get lunch with it the next day. Because pretty girls don’t deserve to cry, and Yoongi slapped his neck for being too nice to his little sister and dragged him upstairs to practice for their sectional.

It’s who he is, has always been. The kindness that never wavers, always there when you need help–carrying groceries into the kitchen when your mom complained about bad knees, patiently waiting for you to work through a difficult log function, walking Boppa when Yoongi was too lazy to do it. College Hoseok disappeared for a bit, busy with obligations and social circles. But like all strong currents, he came back with a force, seeking refuge on your couch after an overnight stay at school. 

(You’d made him a snack, that time. He gave you the prettiest smile ever. When you’d settled into bed, you could hear his snoring from your bedroom.

You slept so well that night.)

“Boppa, why,” you wail. “Why is this all coming back. I just got home.”

She blinks. You toss her another treat. She eats it well.

“I’m not in love with him.” Affirmations, affirmations. It’s good to air out your grievances, especially since no one is home to hear them. “I’m not!”

Boppa looks at you as if to say, I haven’t accused you of anything, so why are you so strung up?

“I don’t know what’s going on!” You shriek, slamming your palms on the counter.

Logically, you’re correct: you aren’t in love with Hoseok. He was just so overwhelmingly good. Attachments formed. Hoseok came to your home all the time. And home is a permanent fixture you could never get rid of, and you’d been away for two years, living in the western side of the city, forgetting you had a life back here, learning new intersections, knowing where to touch fruits to see if they were ripe, seducing the hot pharmacy man into a spicy romance (and subsequently dealing with the heartbreak), living, accomplishing, and these things end. Some parts of life end so you come back home, and Hoseok is home, you’re home, and the one thing about all of this is that it’s all Yoongi’s fault!

You close your eyes, feel the rush of your entire life come to a halt right at this very moment. You wanted coffee, not an attack on all your senses.

“Boppa,” you say, realizing something else. “I need a housewarming gift.”

You hear her get up, and you watch her stop where you’d left your extra bag of rice from unpacking. She lies down in front of it.

“Do you think that’s a good gift?”

She yawns. You google the meaning of offering jasmine rice as a gift for new homes.

“Abundance of love and food,” you say from your findings. It’s good. “Smart girl.”

She makes a grunting noise when you carry the bag away from her, and accepts the kiss you leave behind her ear as your goodbye for now.

She’s due for her mid-afternoon nap. You’re due for a reality check.

The drive over to the apartment is short, and you’re thankful because your seat belt scorches you when you shift the wrong way,  and suddenly your mood is sour all over again. But your parallel parking, though–it’s so immaculate you almost start crying. The balance of good and evil in your life makes you tired. The giant bag of rice almost makes you tip into the asphalt of the sidewalk.

Security buzzes you in with the code Yoongi sent you, and no later than 20 seconds pass when you find yourself in front of unit two-eighteen. You knock, and steel yourself.

The door opens.

“The fuck is that?” Yoongi snorts.

You heat high in your cheeks at the interrogation. “Boppa told me to do it.”

“Our dog told you to bring rice?”

“It’s a gift,” you seethe, “and our dog is a magical dog.” (It’s the truth. Somehow when Boppa howls, your mom will suddenly come up with cryptic news. The last time, an old auntie died.)

“I like it,” a voice says, and suddenly Hoseok is nudging Yoongi out the way. His entrance freezes you in your spot. His fingers brush against yours when he takes the bag from your hands. “Really. My mom brought rice for when my sister moved out–means abundance, or something.”

“Exactly,” is all you can breathe out, and he smiles–just as you remember–and then he disappears into another room. Never one for grand gestures; he comes and goes. Maybe it was just a ghost who happened to look like Hoseok and really liked lifting rice into the netherworld.

The slam of the grain against what’s probably the kitchen counter interrupts the thought. Yoongi makes a disgruntled noise, which more or less means come in before I start insulting you.

“We’re fixing the bed frame right now,” he explains, the door squeaking shut under his hand. “It’s already super hot in there so just–don’t come in.”

“Man sweats?”

“You know how meat smells when you’ve left it out on the counter all day?”

You recoil automatically. “I–? Ew.”

He’s joking. Probably. But it’s enough to make you stay away from that part of the apartment. The living room space is comfortably small; enough square feet to classify as cozy, not cramped. The linger of heat is a silent threat–you can already feel yourself starting to get sticky under your collar. They’ve got a mini-fan propped on one of the many boxes littered on the carpeted floor, though, whirring through little bursts of air.

There are so many boxes. The thought alone is making you sweat more.

“Thank you for the help.” Hoseok pops in again. Brushing his hair away from his sticky forehead, and you’re almost offended at how suave that move was. The audacity of good-looking people to do good-looking things unprovoked. “I really appreciate it.”

You could never refuse him. This is the truth you’ve always known. “It’s no problem. I didn’t think you’d have this much stuff.”

He flounders with a sheepish smile. “Yeah. I didn’t think I did either, but I had a whole nest of shit that I had back home in my closet and I didn’t want to throw anything out.”

“So for nostalgic purposes you’re risking heat exhaustion, is what you’re saying,” you joke.

“So mean.” Hoseok puts his hand over his heart. “You really wound me, you know?”

Yoongi interrupts with a cough. “You guys are boring, I’m going back to the bed frame.”

“I’ll be there in a sec,” Hoseok calls after him. He stands rigid for a second, gathering his thoughts. Probably just avoiding responsibility for a few precious seconds because going back to the proclaimed Meat Room sounds like a painful thought. “Um–I would catch up more but I just–I really need this done before we actually pass out.”

“It’s okay. Really.” He nods his gratitude. “Where should I start?”

“We’ve already done the bathroom, so… you think you can start with the kitchen?”

You nod. Hoseok sighs another “thank you, again,” and takes two steps backwards, as if to keep that soft gaze on you for as long as possible. He spins away before you can think too hard about it.

The kitchen is separated from the living room by the sink, and this is where all the goodies sit. One box is labeled with nothing on the side. Another has nothing but a picture of a smiling plate, a tiny fork and spoon holding hands. But the most enticing one is the box that says MUGS, SO MANY MUGS! MOM CAN’T FIT THEM ALL!

His mom’s loopy handwriting is so cute. You start with this one. In the bedroom, Yoongi screams.

“Are you okay?” You yell out, ripping at the tape with your nail, sorting the bubble-wrapped mugs by… colour? Shape? Who even owns a mug made out to be a literal octopus? The suction cups are so weirdly detailed. You put that furthest in the cupboard above your head, and pop a couple bubbles of bubble wrap to feel better.

“‘M fine,” he calls back. “Hoseok almost hacked off my thumb.”

“I did not!” Hoseok responds passionately.

They stay silent, save for more banging on wood. You organize to the clipped rhythm of the fan swaying back and forth.

It barely dawns on you that you’re in Hoseok’s new kitchen, voluntarily fixing his stuff. And if you thought about it, he would absolutely do the same for you. The symbiotic relationship of being nice just because. It’s the only way you know how to interact with each other. Someone gives, someone receives.

(You missed home. You missed Hoseok.)

It takes half an hour to sort through all the kitchen essentials. The plates and the bowls are stowed away neatly, cutlery in the first drawer below the counter. All the cleaning supplies are safe under the sink. The bag of rice sits heavy in its spot where Hoseok had left it. You’re sweating.

Not as badly as Yoongi and Hoseok are, though. They trudge in the kitchen, breathing hard, eyebrows wet with their effort.

“We’re done with the room,” Hoseok greets. Yoongi ignores you and goes straight for the handle of the fridge. He reaches for two water bottles, and hands the second one to Hoseok. “Wow, you cleared this fast.”

The compliment should not be as hard-hitting as it should be. Your giddiness is silent. “It was easy. Also your octopus mug really freaked me out so I put it, like, as far away from reach as possible.”

“I got him that mug,” Yoongi complains.

“You couldn’t have gotten him a nicer mug?”

“No?”

“You’re ugly,” you retaliate. Yoongi scrunches his face, and drinks his water angrily.

“I like the mug,” Hoseok inserts, brushing past you to open the drawers, eyeing your work, “but yeah, it is kind of. Uh. Out there.”

“Am I being insulted right now?” Yoongi asks.

“It’s an ugly mug,” you say.

“And you got him an ugly bag of rice.”

“I told you Boppa told me to do it!”

“How’s Boppa?” Hoseok interrupts, checking where you’d put the medicine, the first-aid.

“She’s–“

“–good,” you and Yoongi say at the same time. The look he sends you is venomous.

“Stop copying me.”

“You’re ugly,” you say again.

“You guys need to stop giving me whiplash every five seconds,” Hoseok complains. You know he’s used to it, though. Banter that toes the line of actual hurtful words. It’s a common conversation. He inspects the cupboard above the sink next, making little approving noises. “Ooh, bowls on top of the plates. Very nice.”

“I taught her that,” Yoongi says. Which–yes, he technically did, but now you’re just annoyed because he ripped the compliment right from your nose, and now he’s smiling because he knows you’re pissed.

The fan sings its mechanical song. Fighting Yoongi burns up so much energy you fear you’ll collapse once it comes down to fixing up the living room.

Except.

Your brother opens his stupid mouth again, and announces, “I need to leave.”

Hoseok whips around from where he was inspecting the cleaning supplies. “What?”

“Shit. I had to pick up mom from the station.”

The green-lit time on the stove says it’s five till seven. You picture your sweet little mother waiting behind the doors to the passenger pick-up parking lot, and confide in the thought that she’ll probably smack Yoongi once he pulls up. “You’re gonna be late.”

“Oh really,” he mocks. “If I get pulled over for speeding you’ll bail me out, right? Yeah? Cool. I’m sorry. Good luck. Don’t die. Hoseok, take care of her. Or–whatever. It was fun.”

Before either of you can respond, he bolts out, and slams the door behind him in a spectacularly hard fashion.

“Well,” Hoseok says.

“Huh,” you comment.

You make a mental note to kill your brother. Preferably by means of limited gore, maximum pain. Because now you’re alone with the bane (boon?) of your existence in the kitchen with too many thoughts in your head again and again it’s Yoongi’s fault and you wonder why your breakdowns always have to happen in the kitchen.

Calmly, you drink your water.

“So, uh…”

Hoseok fidgets with the empty mug box on the counter. His ears are bright red.

“You wanna–get started with the living room?” You attempt to save the conversation before it gets too awkward.

“Yes,” he agrees quickly, and scurries out with the same swiftness as Yoongi’s departure.

Did he not want to be close to you? Did you smell like meat, too? You put your deodorant on this morning. You sniff at your armpit secretly while Hoseok chooses a stack of boxes to open, and conclude that it is not your good-smelling sweat that’s driving him away, but something else you’re not aware of.

“Honestly, there’s not much here to unpack, a lot of these are just like–winter jackets, the electric cords for the TV…”

“Why don’t we start with the bookcase?”

It looms with emptiness, tucked away into the corner. The dark oakwood that housed all the precious things he said he couldn’t throw away. It feels a little personal, knowing it contains his accomplishments. His secrets? His school yearbooks? A family picture, maybe, stuffed toys he might’ve won from a carnival. For a second you imagine how it would feel, unpacking your things and his things in your own shared space.

“Sure,” Hoseok decides.

You pick the biggest box to open first. The tape has ripped at the corners, sides bulging slightly from the things crammed inside. Some dust flings off when you whip the top open, and inside is way too many books. Elementary school yearbooks, a massive cookbook, the entirety of A Series of Unfortunate Events.

“I didn’t know you read,” is the first thing that comes out of your mouth.

Hoseok startles into laughter. “Uh..?”

“I meant–oh god you know what I mean.” You blush at the slip-up. But Hoseok pays no heed, just laughs even harder.

“It’s fine. It’s–yeah. Back in high school. Found the first book in some second-hand store and ended up buying the rest.”

That explains why the first one is so much more worn down than the others. Loved, flipped through. You heave the box onto the floor, sit down next to it. Criss-cross applesauce. You begin sorting through it one by one.

“So how are you? Now that you’re back home, and all.” Hoseok handles something that clinks slightly–pots of succulents. He staggers on his tip-toes to fit them pretty on the top shelf. You think back to your brief crisis of identity in the kitchen at home.

“I wanted to make the dalgona coffee today but I had a change of plans.”

Hoseok sighs. “Sorry ‘bout that.”

“All good. But to answer your question…” There was no exciting answer to impress him with. You’re back for convenience, lack of work. Ordinary reasons. You don’t want to entertain lengthy stories in the fog of this heat, anyway. “It’s… I’m just back. That internship was all I had going for me, so I’m still on a job hunt.”

“That’s really cool, though. I remember your sketchbooks. And when you built that seat to look like a huge-ass Converse shoe.”

It was one of your projects for junior year. “Yeah, it… I don’t know where that is now, probably stuck in the basement somewhere.”

“Sell it on eBay.”

“Like anyone would pay for that shit.” It literally was a giant wooden slab made to look like a shoe, soft enough for reclining. “It’s ugly.”

Hoseok shrugs. “It wasn’t. But keep thinking that, silly, go ahead.”

“It’s just–I can’t believe you know I built that. Like you remember that? I don’t even remember building it.”

He contemplates. “I’ll always remember you,” he answers, very simply, and for a while he lets it linger, like it hadn’t just gotten your heart racing so fast.

The silence is scary. Maybe he’s trying to read your mind. Maybe if you made a loud noise in your head, he’d be startled. You start thinking about the most obscene moaning noises, straight out of soft, amateur pornography that you see floating on your timeline sometimes. But Hoseok doesn’t budge. 

Damn. He just continues on.

“Do you still cry when The Proposal comes on?”

“Oh spare me,” you beg, itching to slap his leg. He shudders with his laughing. “How about you? You still cry when someone talks about the White Lady?”

You think back to a 16-year-old Hoseok sleeping over at your house once, so vexed by Yoongi’s searches on horror forums that night he’d made sure Boppa slept in the room with them. “You’ll curse my apartment!”

“I’d have to say the name three times, you know.”

He watches you from above with frightened eyes. “You wouldn’t.”

Hoseok should know better than to trust his best friend’s sister. Right as you taunt him with the first syllable–(“Whi…“)–he tucks the last succulent away on the shelf, drops down on his knees, and shoves a hot hand over your lips.

“I will actually, genuinely, really, reallyreallyreally hate you forever,” he threatens.

Well.

You wouldn’t want that.

He is devastatingly close, his gaze so frenzied you’re starting to feel bad. The heat comes in waves: the stifling living room, the pathetic blows of wind from the fan. Hoseok’s body. Proximity you haven’t known in forever. He just stares.

You garble from behind his mouth. “Sto’ wooing ame.”

“What?”

You slide his palm off your wet lip. “Stop looking at me,” you repeat.

“I can’t just look at you?”

Oh. He –?

“You – !” You swat at him like he’s a pesky mosquito, warding off the thirst for your embarrassment. He sits next to you, laughing. “I’m sweaty and my concealer is creasing.”

“You look fine.”

“To you.” You pat under your eyes. “I’m ugly to me.”

“Me is stupid,” he counters.

“Me will kick you if you don’t finish clearing this shit out!”

Hoseok relents, careful to test your aggression. He’s sweating, too. He wipes at his neck, sighing into straight posture from creaky knees. “We can just finish this then call it a night,” he offers. “Are you almost done with that box?”

You lug the cookbook into the remaining space of the shelf. “It’s done.”

“Cool. Then could you just–” he gestures to the cardboard near his feet with one hand, arranging more succulents with the other– “grab that for me?”

You reach over with a grunt, gentle in your hold of the pot. It’s a money plant. “From your mom?”

“I don’t even like plants,” Hoseok complains. He looks to the side of the bookshelf, realizing there’s no space to accommodate the larger pot. Dejected, he just leaves it where he stands. “I’m fixing this tomorrow, I don’t care. Let’s go outside.”

Outside is the balcony, which isn’t as oppressively hot as it is inside but still has you disappointed that it’s, well, hot. There’s no escaping it. Hoseok has to use his entire body weight to slide open the glass doors. “Shit fucking doors. Do you think Yoongi carries WD-40?”

“Probably. Tell him it’s his welcoming gift for you.”

He snorts. “I’d feel guilty. He already did a lot, building the bed with me.”

You follow him to where he leans on the railing. His unit faces west. Perfect for this time of year, when the sunsets are longer. It bleeds low behind the fading bricks of the faraway houses, the inner city high-rises, and if you angled yourself correctly it’s almost as if they lean on the sun itself. 

“This is the real reason why I chose this place,” Hoseok says. “Saw this sunset and knew.”

“I didn’t know you were so sappy.” You scrunch your face like you’ve been fed something sour. He laughs. 

“How else do you think I get all the hot ladies?” He teases. You stop at that. It suddenly occurs to you that Hoseok is a man who’s lived a million lives just as you have, and just as nothing stopped you from trying to date around (re: hot pharmacy man), the same laws should apply to him, too. 

You aren’t hurt, but it does cut a little. And before you can stop yourself, you ask: “Are any hot ladies coming over anytime soon?”

He sounds like he chokes. “God no.”

“Oh.”

“I – it’s boring stuff. Just. No. Maybe there could have been, but no.”

In your heart of hearts, you believe he’s stuttering because he’s embarrassed. But a part of you wishes he’s trying to appease the part of you that’s bristling, like he knows it’s not information you want to hear. It’s almost like a puppy nipping at their owner for forgiveness, though why would he want to be apologizing?

(Unless.)

“Okay,” you say. You try not to think too hard. “Sorry. You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to.”

Your top lip is sweaty. Every crease in your body is sweaty. You’re also very much aware that Hoseok is looking at you like he wants to say more, but he just hangs his head low. “Thanks. What about you?”

“What about me?”

“You know.” He wipes his brow. “Anything, really. Plans for the summer. Hot men to woo. Or hot ladies, I don’t know.”

You watch the sun set lower. It’s cooler now, and the cicadas are humming loudly. “I… no. I’m not really… I don’t know.”

Good lord. You have the strangest feeling to cut open all your guts and let Hoseok see you for everything you are. He does it so easily, to you. This is the universal truth that’s defined your existence since he entered your life.

“Ugh. I’d offer you beer to cheers for being lonely but you’re driving.” He pouts. “Fuck. Sorry. I don’t want to keep you any longer than you want to stay.”

“I don’t mind.” And because you like to torture yourself, you add: “Not if it’s you.”

(You can almost hear your brother’s voice. You’re so easy. The you in your head gives him a sucker punch and says: Well maybe I like to be easy! The Boppa in your head also kicks him in the shin. You think she’d be cheering you on.)

Hoseok’s eyes widen. “Really.” It’s not a question but a reaction, and Mind-Boppa gives you a fist bump.

“Yeah. Or you can tell me if that was weird. Like. Really. You can.” You’re about to ramble more but Hoseok interrupts you.

“No!” He says this a little too loudly. You flinch. “Sorry. No. No. That wasn’t weird.”

For the umpteenth time today you almost burst into tears. It’s everything sweet and bad and hot pressing in on you, and is Hoseok smiling? He’s laughing. You’re about to spontaneously combust and he’s cackling like he’s cracked the code of something. You must look horrified, because he starts to flounder.

“I’m–sorry. I’m sorry. Please. I’m not laughing at you. I’m just gonna ask you something, and I want you to walk out on me and forget everything I’m about to say if you choose to. Does that sound good?”

You think: it’s hot when he takes initiative.

You say: nothing.

You: nod for him to continue.

“Can I please treat you to dinner for fixing my kitchen for me?”

Catholics say the universe was created in seven days. Hoseok bursts and collides five hundred of them with one question.

“Will you pay for me?” You ask.

“Yes.”

“Do I have to look pretty?”

“You’re always pretty to me,” he says.

“What if I say no?”

“Then I’ll pretend I never asked you and you can go woo another hot person. But I prefer you don’t.”

The sun has set. There’s pink in the sky, and there’s pink in your eyes. You wonder if your pupils have turned heart-shaped. 

“Then my answer is yes,” you decide.

.

.

.

When you sit in the driver’s seat, you think about Hoseok’s smile and what you’d do to keep it there. Then, you declare to your driving wheel, “I’m going to kill Yoongi,” then pull off into traffic.

.

.

.

Hoseok closes the door behind him, and slides down with his back against the wood. “Yoongi’s going to kill me,” he says to himself.

[holidaygirl2412]

💬New Post from holidaygirl1224

skyline

I've never been to the city… at least, not really. I went by it once. We visited my grandfather who lived just across the bay. He lived so far away, I had never even met him… but it was Christmas break, and my mom wanted a "change of pace." So off we went. Driving past the city, seeing all the blinding lights and huge skyscrapers, it felt like… a dream. It felt like that one movie where the kids are on a train that's heading to the North Pole, and so much goes wrong on their way, but when they finally make it and see Santa's village, it was the most magical thing they'd ever seen. The city was only in view for maybe two minutes before getting covered up by hills again… Then it was off to my grandpa's. It was… an awkward trip. We left a day earlier than we had planned. I don't think anyone minded. The cold apparently caused some pipes to burst at the ICE-E's back home, and the owners were threatening some sort of lawsuit against the city… so my mom had to get back as soon as possible and "sue them harder." It was barely past midnight when we left… mom wanted to make sure we were back in town before the sun was up. Driving back home, once again, the city came up over the horizon… we were nearly about to pass it, when my dad suddenly took the exit into the city, much to my mother's dismay. My dad insisted we needed to eat before driving back home. He wanted to take us to a diner he went to as a kid. He was so excited to show us. He couldn't stop praising their "unbeatable cheese sticks"… but when we pulled up, there was no diner. In the diner's place, however, was a Burger Belle… there was no drive-thru, so my dad went inside while my mom and I stood outside against the car. She took this time to make some more calls back home. Her voice quickly faded away as I took in the city sounds around me. It was late, there was barely anyone out, yet there was still so much to take in… the distant cars, distant music, the not-so-distant clanking in the alleyway. I could barely even feel my ears freezing off. I don't think I would've cared if they did. Before I knew it, my dad was already back out, and we got back into the car, quickly leaving the city. I've never been back since then… maybe one day I'll get to truly visit. Maybe one day, I can finally live my dream… our dream. Maybe one day, we can live our dream.

Stream my new song, skyline, out now. -holidaygirl1224

[putschki1969]

『Hikaru LIVE TOUR -ROUND-』 Tokyo

Today was the final concert of 『Hikaru LIVE TOUR -ROUND-』 . Keiko and Yuriko were there to support her (as well as some others)! Wakana was there in spirit by sending some gorgeous flowers.

Tweet by Hikaru | Tweet by Tacos Naomi | Tweet 1 & Tweet 2 by GAIA crew | Instagram story by Keiko | Tweet by HaKA

▼2024 11/30 (Sat) Soul Power, Toyama 17:30 / 18:00 12/07 (Sat) Music Bar Perch, Aichi 17:30 / 18:00 12/14 (Sat) LIVE HOUSE enn 2nd, Miyagi 17:30 / 18:00 12/21 (Sat) MUSE, Kyoto 17:00 / 17:30 ▼2025 02/11 (Tue) Club eX, Tokyo 17:00 / 18:00

Setlist for Tokyo 1 Lack 2 Breathe 3 Koganeiro no Yakusoku 4 Embrace 5 Survivor 6 Under The Rain 7 Ambient Border 8 Flow 9 Treasure 10 YES/NO 11 Awe 12 disclose 13 ESCAPE 14 End of line 15 Kiseki E1 With E2 Remain E3 紡 -TSUMUGU-

Setlist for Toyama/Aichi/Miyagi/Kyoto 1 With 2 Treasure 3 Koganeiro no Yakusoku 4 Spiranthes (Toyama) | Remain (Aichi) | Awe (Miyagi) | Flow (Kyoto) 5 Survivor 6 Embrace (Toyama) | Under the rain (Aichi, Miyagi, Kyoto) 7 Remain (Toyama) | Lack (Aichi, Miyagi, Kyoto) 8 Lack (Toyama) | disclose (Aichi, Miyagi) | YES/NO (Kyoto) 9 disclose (Toyama, Kyoto) | JUST DO IT (Aichi) | I am me (Miyagi) 10 Escape 11 End of line 12 Kiseki En 1 Breathe En 2 紡-TSUMUGU-

Upcoming Lives, Events & Releases

Hikaru made a lot of announcements today. It's great to see her have a bunch of projects lined up. Things are certainly going in the right direction. So happy for her!

Collaboration EP 「=［equal］」

Artists: Hikaru × YUKI SASAKI Tracklist: 4 songs Release date: March 19th, 2025 (Wed) ※Further details will be announced at a later date

『EP 「 = [equal] 」 Release Event』

To commemorate the release of this special collaboration single, Hikaru and Yuki will be holding two release events in Toyama and Tokyo (their hometowns)!

Tomorrow, on February 12, tickets will go on sale (first-come-first-served) on the platform "Live pocket". ※Non-reserved. Entry is in order of the ticket serial number.

↓↓Dates and ticket sales URLs↓↓ [Tokyo] 2025.3.19 (Wed) 18:00 / 19:00 SHIBUYA LOFT HEAVEN 🎫https://t.livepocket.jp/e/zviaj ▼Sales Period 2.12 (Wed) 20:00 ~ 3.18 (Tue) 23:59

[Toyama] 2025.3.29 (Sat) 18:00 / 19:00 TOYAMA LOGSESSION 🎫https://t.livepocket.jp/e/k-ptt ▼Sales Period 2.12 (Wed) 20:00 ~ 3.28 (Fri) 23:59

『Hikaru LIVE 2025 -Seven Deadly Sins-』 Concept Album + Live Show

Hikaru is in the midst of creating a concept album called "Seven Deadly Sins"! They are still in the very early stages of production. None of the songs have been finished yet. Seven different composers have been asked to write a song based on one of the seven deadly sins. All lyrics will be provided by Hikaru. For one day only, the concept album will be the main focus during two live performances (noon and evening) on May 24 at Haneda TIAT Sky HALL. On that day, the album will be on sale as part of the goods lineup. As of right now, there is no mention of a digital release.

Live Date: 5/24 @ TIAT SKY HALL (day and night performance)

『Hikaru LIVE TOUR -ROUND- 2nd』 + Birthday Live

Following the concept live show, Hikaru will go on tour again. The venues will be released at a later date but we can expect she will try her best to visit as many places in Japan as possible. The tour final in Tokyo will also serve as Hikaru's birthday live so it's bound to be quite special.

6/7(Sat) 6/14(Sat) 6/22(Sun) 6/28(Sat)

『Hikaru B-day LIVE 2025 -ROUND- 』 7/2(Wed) duo MUSIC EXCHANGE

Launch of Official Website

Hikaru has her own website now with all important information in one place. It's quite convenient so be sure to check it out!

Official homepage: https://hikaru0702-official.bitfan.id/