#i have some hot takes and art but those will come when I’m ready to return to tumblr

[pr0xide]

So fixated on Cinderella Boy but too ashamed to actually rant anything about it to anyone (but my sister) but I secretly am plotting a ritual incantation so the demons can possess my friends so they read it and one day walk up to me and just “happen” to talk about it with me.

CB is one of like the 20 reasons my 2025 year has been going to shit (not bc I dislike anything but bc I been so depressed over the current ending iykyk)

[katuschka]

Touch Starved Pups – One

Jake Kiszka x f!Reader x Josh Kiszka 4.011 words

Welcome to Part One of the story about what happens to two well-behaved, bored and horny romantics when a new feisty, worldly and hot social media manager enters the building...

Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction, intended for adult readers. Any resemblance to real persons is purely coincidental. Also, if you're under 18, go find some other entertainment elsewhere.

Warnings (are spoilers): expressive language, promiscuous behaviour, unprotected sex (or still rather just allusions to it , just setting the scene...), oral sex, handjob, kissing, twinfight, fistfight, angst, mockery, consensual teasing game that's borderline exploitative, slightly toxic behaviour...so, to sum it up, this is pure rock&roll filth, folks.

Also, if you like the story and want to get notifications for future updates, you can join the Taglist or see the Masterlist

Hooked? Read Part Two.

I know who I am when I'm alone

I'm something else when I see you

You don't understand, you should never know

How easy you are to need

Don't let me in with no intention to keep me

Jesus Christ, don't be kind to me

Honey, don't feed me, I will come back

Walking down the photo pit after all the other photographers cleared off is my favorite part of the day. Or night, to be more precise. That’s when I shine: strutting along, ready to capture all those best moments that make all you bitches go feral during AND after the show. This is my queendom. I make content for you lot. And I’m damn good at it.

How do I know that? The numbers just skyrocketed after I joined the team. Ka ching! All those poor things that came before me had no idea how to do their job. Tried to do some lifeless artsy shit that might be good for booklets and collectors’ crap that only collects dust, but not followers. They listened to what the band and their management wanted, but that’s not how it’s done. Nuh uh. I listen to you, my dudes. Your screeches, howls and cries. Some say that you’re crazy, but I know better. I’m here to observe what drives you crazy, and then I shall stir it up even more. When it comes to online content, the only thing that matters is what YOU want.

Make no mistake, I create art too. The crucial difference is that it’s not shit. Socials need candid eye candy and I’m here to provide it. 

I gotta admit, they make my job quite easy. All four of them do, but the twins are human masterpieces. Born pretty, they gradually learned that they could monetize it just as much as their respective talents. I didn’t need to come up with a strategy; it’s always been there for the taking. The fact that my predecessors have been mostly ignoring this is a mind-boggling mystery to me. Those guys know for sure that they ruin your panties. I just needed to know how.

So I rolled up my sleeves and went down to the barricade to do my research. Marketing’s no rocket science. Veni, vidi, vici. I just looked at them through your eyes and your own photos, and let me tell you – you bitches aren’t crazy, you are right! Yeah, I saw it too. And I get it. Some people in the team wanna keep pretending that it’s all about the music – which is surprisingly good, by the way – but that’s not what makes you sleep in the dirt and sit on a curb for days, and then again…and again. Those sons of bitches basically fuck on stage, looking very tasty while doing so. Especially Frodo and Patchybeard. Whether it’s a guitar, a mic stand or just plain air – they just shag it! Y’all look like you can feel it, and they’re very well aware. It strokes their egos, so they just keep adding fuel to the fire. The first time I saw that, I just stood there with my mouth wide open and just laughed, and laughed, and laughed. It was a fucking orgy! And then, when it was time to walk into their bright conference room and pretend to do some serious business for a change, I put on my super serious and super professional face, and I told them what needed to be done. 

Let’s just take your usual fangirl stuff and make it official. Sorry, not sorry. You crave it, so what. I keep the Facebook page artsy and businesslike for those gramps and music snobs that would go batshit crazy if they saw any more pictures with sweaty “jummies”, sparkling dicks and marshmallow balls; but anywhere else, it’s a party. 

Some of you keep wondering why they behave like such frenzied horndogs all the time. My lovelies, the explanation is pretty simple. It’s because they are! You wanna know if they are like that in real life? Yes, the answer is yes! It’s good for the show, sure thing, and they’re both true born professionals creating a breathtaking spectacle. “It’s all for you, bla bla bla!” But the truth is that they’re naturals, not really much different offstage. Lusty, filthy, bad. 

Just kidding. They’re sweethearts. Lust-driven, whiny pups that want to be played with. When the show is over, they both follow me backstage like the good boys that they are, wagging their tails at me enthusiastically. 

Ooops, what did I just say? Lemme put my fingers to my mouth and giggle like a coy lady that I’m not. Some of you already suspect it anyway, and it was collectively decided that you should hate me with passion. I guess now I’m famous, too. D’oh!

So, yeah… When I said that it was there for the taking, I forgot to mention that I also wanted to take it. Life on tour is lonely and stressful. I’m not immune to that either. Sex helps. That’s why the rockstars of yore kept fucking everything that dared to come close while they were all high as a kite. Because why not…well, apart from the fact that unlike good sex, drugs actually ruin lives. No, I’m not a fan. 

Times have changed and today’s musicians – and I’m not talking about all those wannabes with backing tracks – really need to work hard to earn their bread.They’re self-aware and sober (Take that with a pinch of salt…they’re sober while actually working.). Often homesick. Sure, some of them are still jerks or junkies. Or both. Not a fan of these either. I worked with some and it was a nightmare. 

But, when I joined the Greta Van Fleet team, I found a bunch of down-to-earth and touch starved homeboys, well aware of their power but hesitant to act upon it. That’s the difference between having a huge dick and being one. They’re – and now let me let out a sob or two for the dramatic effect – gentlemen! 

You know what a sweetheart with a huge dick is? That’s your dream come true. Believe me. That’s just something you want. I certainly did.

Not from the start, though. No. They treat the crew like friends and family, and as much as that was certainly a pleasant change, I wavered initially. They were all so kind and gentlemanly that I just decided to keep my friendly distance, thinking they really were such mama’s boys that they appeared to be…The impression didn’t last long. Soon I heard them making jokes and lewd comments when they thought no one was listening. Some of those comments were about my bouncy ass, too. 

Men, am I right? 

Alas, sweethearts’ dicks are still just dicks, and neglect will gradually take its toll. I could see right through their nervous ticks. 

Jake was the first one that fell into my snares. I didn’t really pursue it; I’m not a monster. Like I said, we were lonely and stressed, and so it just happened one fine day. He craved human contact, and I was there. Life is complicated, but certain things are still pretty simple. Thank god, or whatever supernatural entity you believe in. 

It was a lovely evening in his 2-storey hotel apartment. He often got those, because the others had this habit of gathering together in his room to discuss business – since it was his band – and to get shitfaced in the process. 

We were both sitting cross legged on his bed, both already pleasantly booze-soaked and shrouded in semi-darkness, the only source of light being the dimmed lamps in the main room. I had been giving him a lecture on the importance of a good online presence that evening. Or at least I was trying to do that… When the others got a bit too rowdy, we retreated to his bedroom to have some privacy.

When it comes to online shit, Jake’s the most difficult one. He doesn’t like it. Plain and simple. He had created this cute mask of a smooth and aloof poet slash ancient adventurer, behind which he hides, but you bitches don’t like that. You like watching him talking to his SG in front of thousands like she’s his obedient whore. See, there’s a certain discrepancy in that. I kinda understood where it was coming from, him being in his element onstage and all that shit, but I also needed him to understand my point.

And it was tough. He’s complicated. He likes to pretend to be a tough, mysterious guy, but deep down he’s just a shy and wide-eyed fawn that bounces when you say “boo”. Not always, mind. I learned that  the hard way once when I was leaving his room with scarlet imprints of his fingers on my thighs. However, drunk Jake is a meek and needy cutiepie. I could definitely use it to my advantage. So I poured us more drinks. 

“I dunno, s’not really me,” he countered after I tried to explain one more time. 

I showed him another one of the most recent videos. “Are you telling me this is not you?”

I grew really fond of his quiet “hahaha” every time he felt discomfited and flattered at the same time. Just like now. Stroking his chin with his finger, he shifted nervously and continued: “Well, yeah…uuum…you like this?” 

That was the moment when I knew I had him firmly in my grasp. Yeah, Jakey, I reeeeally like it. Let me just show you how much.

I seized my chance. We laughed and joked and flirted and all that shit. Talking about his desirable body parts that y’all take snapshots of soon turned to physical manifestations and before we knew it, his fly was open, his fat cock hard and out and firmly in my hand. I brushed my thumb gently over his pink and already leaking head before I wrapped my fingers around his shaft once again and started pumping him slowly. He just sat there and watched me with his lips parted, both mesmerized and taken aback by how quickly things escalated. I returned his stare, looking him firmly in the eye while I quickened my pace, and his breathy exhales turned to full-fledged, loud moans. I tried to shush him by forcing my other thumb in his mouth… and that only made it worse. There were still other people in the adjacent room and the door was open, but he just wouldn’t shut up! I had to grab his chin and stick my tongue in his mouth to keep him quiet. 

That sobered him up a bit. He didn’t want me to stop, he just wanted to regain control. Our tongues wrestled for a few seconds before he grabbed my cheeks and returned the kiss in such a manner that made my pussy spasm. I liked that, and we continued like that until he came all over my fingers a few minutes later. Thankfully, someone put some music on in the other room and it muffled his moans a bit, because my mouth could no longer contain them. He howled in it. It was hot.

You know, I’ve had the misfortune to cross paths with assholes who’d just throw me out after that, both satisfied and ashamed that my skills made them finish so quickly and unceremoniously, without fanfare and praises. Not Jake. He had to reciprocate AND prove himself at the same time. He’s vain, but in a good, gentlemanly way. 

After everyone else left, he just fucked my brains out. It surprised me how much he wanted to kiss, and not just my lips (either kind). His tongue was running marathons all over my body, and if I remember it correctly, I think I came five times that night. Not my record, but still a very impressive first-time. 

After that, he just kept crawling back to me, stopping me in empty hallways just to whisper obscene poems about my hungry pussy in my ear. Talking about how he’d feed me. 

He’s a sly one: the kind of a man that would run his fingertips gently down your spine in a room full of other people, while talking casually about fucking you raw, only for you to hear. I mean, that’s exactly what he did once or twice. I’m sure our “conversations” always looked completely innocent from a distance, with only Josh sometimes watching us with his lips pursed. Sometimes his eyes even narrowed a bit. That feisty chipmunk knew from the very start, and I thought I could spot jealousy in that piercing stare of his. I enjoyed that, just as much as Jake enjoyed making me wet in public, and calling it “retribution”. Honestly, I didn’t mind. Punish me as much as you want, baby, and keep using all those fancy words while doing so. Yeah. 

I’m a born provocateur, so I often just asked for more. Every time I saw him start licking his lips absentmindedly, I struck. In the end, it was always him who had to calm down, to keep it cool…to hide his hard dick. 

We both loved it. It was our little fight for dominance. We teased each other and then there would be a reward. 

It was a bit different with Josh. He’s a lover, not a fighter. He doesn’t need to fight for dominance and so he often rejects that role voluntarily.

At first I thought he wouldn’t be interested at all, even though his grabby hands landed on my bare skin more often than some would deem comfortable. But he’s like that with everyone! Including Bob, the chalice filler. It often doesn’t mean a thing. 

I knew it meant something when he almost grabbed my ass once. I tried to experiment with the same strategy I once used on Jake: using his own weapons against him, making him cross the friendly line.

It happened during a soundcheck while I was showing him a preview of my next scheduled post. His weapon was right there, on full display, and I further accentuated it by a subtle, punny caption. It made him giggle and I winked at him. 

“So, you okay with this? I mean, it’s all over the internet anyway…”

“Dear sparrow, if I weren’t okay with this, you wouldn’t be able to take such a lovely picture of it.” His hand first landed on the small of my back familiarly, just like it always did, and as we talked about other pictures in the carousel, I felt his fingers move even lower until the tip of his pinkie slid under the hem of my pants. I cleared my throat ostentatiously and he drew his hand away quickly as if I had burned him. 

“You know, I should report you for harassment for this,” I said matter-of-factly, still looking at the screen, trying to look both cool and unphased, but the twitch in the corner of my mouth gave me away. A true master of reading such subtleties, he slapped his fingers with his other hand and grinned at me. “Naughty me. Can’t blame me. You just smell so nice, sparrow. What is that?” 

“Hypnotic Poison.”

“Right…” He licked his teeth in a vain attempt not to grin even more. To be hundred percent sure, he still asked me if I wasn’t mad. Sure I wasn’t. I had been waiting for this. 

We parted after that, minding our respective businesses, but all those fleeting glances he cast my way during the rest of the afternoon didn’t escape my attention. Later, just before the show, he cornered me in the bathroom, startling me. I almost poked my eye out with a mascara when I noticed him standing right behind me. “Jesus Fucking Christ on a stick, Josh!”

“Yeah, I’m all that.” It was obvious he wasn’t there to take a leak as he kept watching me watch him in the reflection and his eyes grew darker. I slowly turned around and ran my finger down the hem of his low neckline, even more slowly. Tentatively, almost. Never breaking eye contact and with his lips slightly parted, he let me go lower until I reached the zipper head and tugged at it playfully. 

“Black velvet really suits you, you know?” I teased.

“Yeah, I know.” 

Cheeky brat. You wanna play, baby? Let me show you how it’s done. I slipped the tips of my fingers under the hem of his cleavage until I found his left nipple and started running circles over it with my middle finger. His breath hitched and his eyes widened before he seemingly regained his composure and flashed me a sly smile. 

“So…ummm…you and Jake are…exclusive?”

“Wow, you’re pretty straightforward,” I laughed. ��No, we’re not. Just having some fun. Why?” 

Why, indeed. He made it pretty clear why, and I let my tongue give him the answer he desired. After the show that very night, he knocked on my door with a shy smile plastered on his face after I opened it. I welcomed him in.

Josh never fought me. He always presented himself on a silver platter and let me do whatever I pleased. Then he repaid me when the payment was due. My initial impression of him being a pillow princess wasn’t completely off, but my god! The man can fuck! Never try to piss him off. Or you know what? DO try to piss him off, because it turns him to a jackhammer. 

I once called him a sissy and the wrath that poured down on me afterwards made me see stars. 

So that’s how it went. They both knew what was happening behind closed doors with the other one, and both were ok with that, as long as it didn’t interfere with their own plans. And that was just a matter of time. 

To tell you the truth, I did wonder what it would be like to have them both, so when the opportunity presented itself, I would be a fool not to encourage it. 

Every once in a while, there are shows where shit just happens and everything that can go wrong, does do wrong. It was one of those nights. Even back at the venue, right after the show, I saw how both their faces were twisted with tension, and maybe the best way to avoid even more trouble would have been to avoid them altogether. They weren’t the only people who had a rough night. I was exhausted, too. If I were a bit more responsible, I would have settled for a nice hot bath and a filthy book, but sadly, I’m a people pleaser. Also, nothing can calm me down better than the smell of male skin.

It was long past midnight when I heard a knock on my door. 

“It’s me, Bebe. Please, let me in.” 

That’s right. He gave me that nickname shortly after we started fucking, even though I teased him that he would never beat those allegation that way. 

If you guessed that I indeed did open the door, you’re right. He didn’t even wait for the invitation to enter this time. The stress was doing us no good. I could smell even more troubleon the horizon, but I ignored it.

“Jake, you can’t just storm inside like this. What if I had company?” It was no use to argue with him. No longer sober to begin with, he was already making himself at home and pouring himself another drink. 

“Please, Bebe, stop teasing. I need you! I promise you won’t regret it.”

“Well, tough luck! Josh asked first.”

“Oh no, no no no! It’s my turn, baby! You can’t do this to me. Tonight was hell. Call him and tell him that you’re mine.” I shot him a sharp look, so he added quickly: “... for the night. ” Well, that only made it worse. 

Funny how quickly they got accustomed to the fact that I was just within reach. I would have been offended if I weren’t aware of how insolently I played with them too. Still, I should have said no, but I’m just human. 

However, the whole situation was already a bit more complicated than that. “I can’t. He’s already here.” 

Jake cast me a confused look before he smiled sympathetically at my feeble attempt to get rid of him. “Where? Hiding in the closet?”

“No, he’s in the shower.”

He just stood there for a short while, contemplating something, before he grabbed my cheeks with both hands and whispered sultrily: “Please, love, just a blowjob then. Your mouth can do wonders, baby. I beg you.” Noticing that I wavered, he bent closer to whisper in my ear: “You can ride my face anytime you want. You know that.”

Again, I should have said no, but the said mouth already started watering when I noticed the rapidly growing bulge. Mentally, he was already hitting my tonsils. I was on my knees in seconds. I knew Josh usually took his time, so maybe it was manageable. And if not…well, surely there was a way to benefit from the hypothetical pickle, should it happen.

And it happened. I was deepthroating him with both his hands holding my head and his head tilted back, when we heard the door open.

“Jesus fuck, Jake!” 

The moment of surprise made me gag. Jake withdrew quickly and started tugging himself back in his pants, which wasn’t easy, given his current state. Josh, however, just stood there completely and unabashedly naked. “Get out!” he bellowed, completely forgetting that it was in fact MY room they were both in. 

“No,” Jake spat back.

They started barking at each other like berserk chihuahuas. I swear, I was seconds from throwing them BOTH out, dicks out and all. They could keep shouting at each other in the hall or even in the main lobby for all I cared, but the wicked creature in me wanted to see how this would escalate. And it escalated majestically. 

I hadn’t bothered to unpack my suitcase earlier that day. It just lay open on the floor with my purple vibrator placed haphazardly on top of my lingerie. Jake spotted it, bent down to retrieve it and before I could argue, he thrust it against Josh’s bare chest while his other hand patted his cheek: “Here, this should do. Now bugger off!” 

I think I stopped breathing for a second. They teased each other quite often, but this seemed downright mean, even to their standards. I think Jake realized it too, but it was too late. We both watched the flames that appeared behind Josh’s dilated pupils and before either of us could react, Josh started after him and pushed him against the wall. And so the party started. In a matter of mere seconds, Jake fist almost collided with Josh’s jaw. Thankfully, Frodo is quite nimble, so he ducked the blow and striked back, his knuckles colliding with Jake’s forearm. Watching them wrestle like that, fuming, limbs intertwined, I was almost sorry I had no popcorn at hand. It was a comical sight: Josh still completely naked, Jake barely tucked back in his jeans. 

Have you ever seen puppies fighting over a toy? That’s them. They were both so needy and neither one ready to give up. It was time to seize the opportunity, so I… started laughíng. Loudly and mockingly. They both let go of each other and turned their heads to the source of that offensive sound: me. 

I was sitting on the edge of my bed, leaning back on my arms and with my legs crossed, contemplating my next move. Realizing I had no panties under my punto tube dress, I decided to Basic Instinct them. Sure, nothing new, but men are simple creatures. A naked pussy is like the Moon they howl at. It’s always new. Moreover, the fact that they never saw me like this before together was surely a great bonding experience of its own. I watched their faces for more clues and grinned viciously when I saw exactly what I hoped for. See, they’re different in many ways including this. Jake licks his lips, while Josh clenches his jaw. I tutted at them, watching how they both raised their eyebrows in a silent question. 

“Guys! You both know very well that I got more than one hole.”

Hooked? Read Part Two.

@its-interesting-van-kleep @takenbythemadness @edgingthedarkness @writingcold @ignite-my-fire @jakekiszkasbuttsweat @fleet-of-fiction @lvnterninthenight @myownparadise96 @josh-iamyour-mama @jazzyfigz @sanguinebats @thewritingbeforesunrise @wetkleenex-gvf @lyndz2names @emojakekiszka @hollyco @lizzys-sunflower @fleetingjake @cheersdannyx2 @gvfstuddedmajesty @gvfmarge @dayumclarizzel @musicislove3389 @lipstickitty

[loversipod]

Shy Lover

Summary: Harry is the shy boy in school and y/n boyfriend. She gets to know him over the months and see him growing comfortable around her. So comfortable that he’s ready to make love to her for the first time.

Pairing: shy boyfriend!harry x fem!reader

Wordcount: 3,3k

Trigger warnings: soft dom, use of pet names, light teasing, begging, choking, oral (f receiving), fingering, praise, mention of handjob, hair pulling, short mention of scars, protective sex, aftercare

A/N: I don’t write much smut, so it isn’t my best, but it’s soft and caring. Please give me some feedback I appreciate it s lot :) I kinda wanna write more about them

For three months she has been Harry y/n boyfriend. She loves to hang out with him. They always study together at her house or they go on walks.

Y/n noticed how shy he is. When they go out to eat dinner he asks if y/n can order for him. Of course, she says yes. She doesn’t want him to get too nervous around strangers. If he does he picks on his painted fingernails. He’s a good boyfriend, the best she ever had.

Harry hides his hands in the sleeves of his oversized sweaters. That’s one thing she loves about her lover.

Y/n liked him for over two years and finally took the courage to ask him out. She noticed over the two years how he blushed when he talked to his friends about something and often he looked at her. When she was with her ex boyfriend he looked sad and his friends tried to cheer him up all the time. He watched her a lot when she was with his ex lover. He couldn’t help it but always had his eyes on her no matter what.

Harry thought y/n is the most beautiful girl in school. She’s smart, soft, beautiful and so talented. She’s good in art class. He loves her sundresses and her big sweaters. He wants to steal one from her.

There is no reason not to have a crush on her.

"H can I braid your hair?" She asks sweetly. Her eyes scan his face and she sees how his cheeks grew red. It’s adorable to see him like this.

"Y-you want to?" He asks her back in a whisper.

"Mhm, you hide that face too often," and before he knew it his whole face was red. "May I?" She pressed her nose in his temple. He nods. She pulls his grey hood down and can’t help it, but look into his forest green eyes.

Y/n wanted to open his grey cardigan. He laid his hand on y/n. "’M only wearing a shirt, I’ll get cold." His voice comes out in a whisper.

"Okay," she kisses his hot cheek. Y/n love doing his hair. When he allows her girlfriend, she makes her boyfriend some pigtails or braids them. Sometimes she uses just some colourful hair clips. On other days he asks for buns with those colourful hair clips. Sometimes the shy boy asks her to make him some pig tails as well. Harry likes them a lot.

He’s too shy to talk to her on some days, that’s the reason why she always plays music. Y/n parents even talked to her about it and told her to have safe sex. Always use protection and that she doesn't have to do anything that makes her uncomfortable or don’t want to do.

.⋆｡⋆˚｡⋆｡˚☽˚｡⋆.

After four months of being Harry’s girlfriend he opens up more. He’s still shy, but it gets better. He kiss y/n soft hair that smells like flowers. He loves smelling her hair or just watching her doing her make-up. He sometimes asks if he can curl her hair and of course she says yes. Harry loves helping her.

Harry brought his girl home one time to show her where her boyfriend lives. "Mom isn’t home don’t worry," he says walking into the kitchen. "Food?" He asks simple, still nervous.

"A yogurt, if I’m allowed to," he nods, taking the yogurt out of the fridge and a spoon with him upstairs.

She looks around watching him change out of his sweater into a long arm shirt. It’s the first time y/n sees how he’s looking under his long clothes. Y/n never really thought about how he looks under his big clothes, maybe a little belly that would be cute. But she never thought he had a trained back.

Y/n unlocked her phone and started to scroll on instagram she doesn’t want to make him uncomfortable by looking. "Are ya still hungry?" Harry turns around and looks up at him and shakes her head.

In school her lover let y/n eat with his friends just for a few days in the week. It makes him really nervous. She sat there and ate with them. Harry picked again on his fingernails, "you don’t have to be nervous," she whispers in his ear before kissing him on his cheek. He gives her a simple smile and tangles their fingers.

.⋆｡⋆˚｡⋆｡˚☽˚｡⋆.

Harry’s hugs are big, warm and comfortable. He was so shy, but grew more comfortable around her and touched her. He wanted to share physical touch with her. Harry hugs her now, touches her arms sometimes or kisses her face. Or talks a lot more than she was used to.

Today is a day where her boyfriend wants her to stay at his house. His sister is at home and Harry had to introduce y/n to Gemma. "Hi, it’s really nice to meet you. Harry mentioned you a lot." He turns shy, again. Gemma hugged her, they talked a lot. The prince stood by the two girls and held y/n hand patiently. Waiting for y/n to come to his room.

When they went into Harry's room he put some music on and asked y/n for pigtails. She did not put two strands in the braids, because it looks cuter.

H almost dropped his phone, when she pressed her soft lips against the delicate skin of his neck. Harry never admitted it, but he loves tiny neck kisses; it was the tingles that ran down his spine. He loved the intimacy of it. A little moan escaped his soft lips.

She was bold for the first time in their relationship. "S-sorry," she whispers and hides in his neck.

Something snapped in Harry’s head. He doesn’t know she feels that way about him. "Don’t hide from me, pretty girl," he turns his body to her. Harry can see how red her cheeks are. Now she knows how he feels around her.

He puts his hand under your chin and gently till’s her head up. "Hi," she smiles.

"Hi," he kisses her forehead. It's strange for her how gentle he holds her face in his big hands. Her eyes are big and glassy. Even with his pig tails he looks dominant. He freed his hair out of the hair ties.

He wraps his fingers with his rings around her throat and squeezes her sides with light pressure. She curls her fingers around his wrist. No one ever choked her. It's new, but it sends a rush through her body. His grip around her throat gets tighter. She can see the pleasure in his eyes just from choking her.

It’s strange to see his dominant side.

"H-harry?" He loses his grip around her throat. He smirks, he grabs her face between his palms to bring her down to his lips, he kisses her softly for the first time. She’s scared to touch him at the moment. The kiss feels so good, but she’s not sure if it’s okay to touch him now.

"Love?" Harry asks.

"Mhm," he chuckles.

"Can I touch you?" His voice is confident. H’s warm hands are smoothing over her hips. She swallows hard, "it’s okay if you don’t want to," he leans in for a second kiss.

"Do you actually like me?" She asks unsure.

"I can’t stop thinking about you for more than two years. You’re the first thing I think about when I wake up and the last when I go to sleep. You’re the best that ever happened to me. You help me a lot. I can’t lose you. I need you in my life. I told my mom about you before we even dated." She hugs him tightly, her eyes are teary. He rubs her back.

"You can," she said quietly, "I‘ve done it only once." She’s insecure about it for no reason. She knows he had more girlfriends in the past so he’s more experienced then her. One of his exes is y/n old friend. She was toxic. Y/n was happy to finally leave her behind. She told her how good he is and what they did even though she knew y/n likes him a lot at that time.

"No sex until you are 100 percent sure," he kisses her temple short. But there is another reason why she feels so insecure about it. "There is still something wrong," he murmured. "What is it?"

Her eyes closed, "you were with Lana and she told me so much stuff, what you did to her." Harry softly kissed her forehead, he stroked her knuckles.

"She was my girlfriend, but I never was intimate with her." Y/n eyes open again. Before her, he wasn’t shy. Maybe she used him, there was a rumour that he has scars on his body. She did something to him. She was never really in love with him. After she left him he was shy and insecure. Her boy won’t be the same. She did something he will never be the same.

She changed him.

"Can we wait a little longer?” He nods short.

.⋆｡⋆˚｡⋆｡˚☽˚｡⋆.

Y/n found out after six months that her boyfriend is shy, but loves to take control in the bedroom.

He often finds an excuse why he needs to see her. Is it for homework or a project he wants to help her mostly it ends in a make out session. All he wants is to taste her lips.

He’s adorable.

H is still so shy around her, but he takes control over her, it makes her feel things. She never thought he could be like this. Not the shy boy.

She loves that about him.

Harry takes y/n out to picnic dates, in the summertime. He surprised her with a lot of dates in the past three weeks. They go book shopping or just go for a walk in the park and feed the ducks.

Harry invited y/n over, he’s alone at home for the next couple of days and he wanted to spend some time with her.

Y/n laid on his bed, he watched the pattern’s of her breathing. He tells her things she never heard before. He asked questions to the ceiling and never knew what she was thinking.

But she liked it, he liked her. He thought a lot about it. He laid his hand on her soft skin and started to stroke her inner thigh, teasingly. He saw how y/n breathing picked up. Her gaze stays on the ceiling above her. His fingers outlined her panties.

Harry loves it when it’s summer and y/n wears skirts and her pretty sundresses. Barney Stinson said it’s never too late to wear sundresses.

"Harry," she whines. His lips leave only a chuckle. It’s mean to tease her, but she looks so cute when she squirms under his touch. He can’t help it.

"Mhm, want me to touch you? Eating you out? You would like that, wouldn’t you?" She nods eagerly. "Words, bunny," he orders.

"Please touch me, need your mouth, please," a smirk grows on his lips. He hooks his fingers in her underwear and pulls her white lace panties down and puts them in his jeans pocket.

He settles his body between her legs and presses some light kisses against her skin. His fingers pull her sundress up to her belly. His plump lips suck eagerly purple bruises into her skin. Y/n reached her hand down to tangle her fingers in between his ringlet’s, "so impatient," he shakes his head and leaves a hickey on her hip bone. His tongue starts with slow board licks, y/n tugs on his hair.

"More please," she whines out. He flicks his tongue skillfully over her clit. She remembers that Harry told her to say what she wants. "C-can you maybe—" she got cut off by a moan.

He lifts his head up, "what do you want to tell me," he teased her by kissing, licking and biting her spread thigh.

"Can y-you maybe, um, suck a-and glide up," Harry nods and hums short. He brings his mouth back down to kiss her clit. The vibrations from the hum shoot through her, with the action she asked for making her eyes roll back in pleasure.

He repeated these actions using the tip of his tongue to play with her clit. All her soft whimpers and moans were music to his ears. He pulled her hips closer to his mouth. One of y/n boyfriend's hands slides down from her soft inner thigh to insert two fingers into her pulsing heat. She immediately clenched down on him. "You taste amazing," he murmurs between each stroke.

Y/n can feel how Harry brings her closer to her climax. "F-fuck…" she whimpers into the air. Her grip on his hair gets stronger, she earns a moan from him. Her legs tighten around his head. "I’m— I’m gonna—" a whiny moan comes over her dedicated lips

"Cum for me, bunny," he said out loud. Some seconds later her mouth leaves pornographic sounds. Y/n eyes are pinched and her mouth hangs open. "Good girl," Harry’s favourite sight. "You okay?" She nods. Harry kissed her hard and shoved his tongue in her mouth to let her taste herself.

“Thank you,” she pulls him down on his neck and keeps him close to her body.

“Can I– can I fuck you?” His voice comes out in a whisper.

“Please,” he opened a brown drawer from his nightstand to look for a condom. Y/n lunches inside, she sees some condoms, lube, tissues and chocolate. “Why chocolate?” She giggled.

“’M hungry after, uh, t–touching myself and too lazy to get something,” his whole face turned red and his voice broke at the end of his sentence. If she asks him, if it’s her she thinks about while doing it, he couldn’t answer her. It's too embarrassing for him. He’ll always be the shy boy around her. Obviously it gets better, but there is a part he always stays like this.

“It’s just me,” she spoke softly to him, kissing his cheeks and seeing some of her juices drip down his chin. “No reason to be nervous, you did amazing.”

“Can I stay dressed? I take off m’jeans and boxers, but not more.” He sounds really insecure, y/n don’t want to ask what it is. Why does he feel like this? She doesn’t want to make him uncomfortable. Of course she accepts him for who he is. She’s in love with him.

She’ll ask him what he has to hide and why he always wears big clothes at some point.

“Can I help?” He murmurs a quiet “yes” She sits up and fumbles with his belt when she finally undid it, he stands up from his bed and pulls his light blue wide jeans down. Her eyes scan his lower half. A long shirt covers his thighs a bit up. It looks out from under his sweater. “You are so pretty,” a shy smile formed on his swollen lips. H, crawled back between y/n legs.

He lets the loose straps from her dress fall down, “no bra, y’know my birthday isn’t anytime soon.” He smirks at chest. He had an obsession with her boobs. He often just grabs them or hides every bra she left at his house, so she never puts one on and Harry just stares at her chest with a shirt on. He loves them.

Y/n dress hung in her middle, Harry’s boxers lay with his jeans on the clean floor. Y/n gave him a lot of handjobs. But they are both horny teenagers. Knowing he will be inside her is intimidating for her. He’s not small.

He tugs a few times on his cock. “You sure about it?” She whispers a “yes” and takes his soft hand in hers. Y/n have seen him a few times but only a amount of times she can count it on her two hands. He opens the condom and rolls it carefully up. Y/n watched him, his pink tongue always pokes out when he concentrates. “We can stop whenever you want,” he pressed a kiss on her forehead. He grabs the bottle of lube, puts some on his hand and spreads it on the condom.

Her lover noticed how her face scrunched up in pain and he stopped. "Bunny? You alright? Do you want to stop?" He whispers in worry, stroking her cheek softly.

“No you’re just massive.”

“Oh bunny, you never had a cock this big?” She shakes her head, “’M sorry that it hurts.” He pouts and tangles their fingers. “I know you can be a good girl and take it.” His thrusts are slow and gentle. He doesn’t want to hurt her. He wraps her legs around his waist. His shirt and sweater are ridged up. She looks at his beautiful, soft and innocent skin.

The sunlight was bleeding through his curtains. Some whines and moans escaped both of their lips. He kept the pace filling her up to the brim, pleasure filled both of their systems. Harry peppers kisses around her chest, kitten licks her breast. He teasingly took one of her nipples into his mouth and sucked lightly. Each time he did that she moaned. “You are so handsome,” her fingers go through his damp hair.

She wraps her legs tighter around his waist and pulls him in deeper with a soft moan. “You are doing great, angel.” His hand holding her face tilted her up with tenderness, kissing her swollen lips as he ground his hips deeper into her due the new angle.

She stroked his cheekbone, her orgasm came over her. She whines and moans into his mouth and Harry is close too. He can feel his balls tightening, heavy and waiting. Two more thrusts and he shoots his load into the condom. His head drops to y/n shoulder as he rides his orgasm out.

He stayed for a short moment inside her, “Aww, did I wear you out, love?” She nods lightly and covers her chest up, he then pulls out of her. He throws the condom into the bin and returns with a warm washcloth and wipes the mess between her legs, clean.

Harry helps her to put on some of his boxers and slides the dress down from her middle. He puts a shirt over her body, “I am officially obsessed with your body.” She hasn't seen his body completely yet but she knows it makes him feel good about himself.

“Hungry?” He asks her while pressing soft kisses against her forehead and cheeks.

“Can we eat some chicken nuggets?” She kisses all over his face, brings him down on his neck holding him close. Y/n don’t want him to leave her for bringing food. She knows it’s important for him to take proper care of her.

“I must say I’m the slightest bit offended that we just had the hottest sex ever and you’re thinking about chicken nuggets,” he chuckles and sees the biggest smile on her plump ips. He went downstairs, put some dinosaur nuggets into the oven. When he comes back he sees y/n snuggled up in his bed with his teddy in her arms. “Love, I have your nuggets,” she opens her eyes, lazily grabs the water glass and drinks it. She eats a nugget. Harry ate some as well.

She kisses his chest and murmurs, "you are the best boyfriend ever,” before drifting off to sleep in his arms.

He whispers in her hair, “I love you,” but she didn’t hear it. She’s asleep. “You’re the best that ever happened to me.” He pulls her closer to his chest and kisses her forehead one last time before he falls asleep as well.

[idciminlove]

Take a Slice

Part Eight- Sitter

f!reader x Tashi Duncan x Art Donaldson x Patrick Zweig

Cinnamonacid on AO3

warnings- age gap, implied sexual content, and nothing rlly

You don’t realize that you have an audience.

Patrick leaned back in his seat, taking a deep drag from his cigarette as his eyes followed your form. He watched as you ran back and forth across the court, moving quickly and strategically, listening to Tashi’s every command. It made sense why she liked you so much. You had her fire, her drive, but at the same time you were so eager to please, doing whatever she says. It was an interesting combination, one he didn’t see often, only when he brought that fire out of people, like he did with Art.

He wondered what he could bring out of you. He wondered what he could push you to do.

For the time being, he can’t know. He’s sidelined. Unable to speak to you or even get close. Not until Tashi thinks you’re ready to handle it. Not until Tashi thinks you’re ready to handle him.

Once again, he’s left out, helpless watching as the only two people he’s truly ever loved devote all their time and attention to you. It stings. Especially with how easy it was for you, how you were able to just fall into their laps and enter their lives on a whim, while Patrick had to struggle and fight for years on end.

It wasn’t long until Tashi saw him. She locked eyes with him for a moment, pausing briefly before she finally stopped. She gave you a break to go drink some water and catch your breath. You went inside to fill up your water bottle and she made her way over to the stands and over to him.

“What are you doing here?” She asked in that same accusatory tone she always uses when he’s in trouble. The one with venom and heat behind it, when she’s stressed and wound up tight, one he could probably fix, if she let him. But judging by the way she was looking at him, she looked more like she wanted to slap him than fuck him right now....maybe she’ll do both. He hoped so.

“Am I not allowed to come watch your training sessions? You have no problem when I watch you coach those other girls from the foundation.” He played innocent.

“You know that this is different. I told you to-”

“Listen, we both know that you can’t send me away forever. If she’s going to be involved in this, she’ll find out sooner or later. Wouldn’t you want her to hear from you rather than someone else? And it’s not like I’m going to try to steal her away. You really need to loosen up, Tash.”

“Fuck you.” She hissed.

He slumped back in his seat, smirking at her. “Yeah, I know you want to. I mean, you’ve been so uptight lately, I could help you relax.”

She dug her nails into her arm, biting the inside of her cheek. She was stronger than this. She should be stronger than this. But you’ve been getting her wound tight with those tiny tennis skirts and your shaky breaths after she works you hard, your grunts and moans and it took everything in her to not dig her nails into you and keep you there forever. Keep you as hers forever.

She inhaled deeply. “You have ten minutes.”

–

You stood in the lobby that was right next to the courts, filling up your water bottle at the fountain. You took a deep breath, enjoying the feeling of the air conditioning against your heated skin. Tashi was pushing you today, like always, leaving you hot, sweaty, and exhausted. You appreciated the breaks she gave you. She was so aware of when she pushed you past your limits, and when to stop. Most coaches you had before either pushed you too hard or never hard enough, but she was perfect. It was like she knew you, inside and out. Probably since she was the best of the best. You’ve never had a coach as good as her. You were so lucky.

You gazed around the building, at the photos of Tashi lining the walls. Pictures of her when she was younger, playing tennis, winning trophies, and her adidas campaign. There was a small gap between the pictures, just the pale white space of the wall, and then there were more, from when she was older, coaching at the foundation, along with some magazine clippings.

A familiar voice echoed down the hallway, getting your attention. It was Art, holding the hand of a young girl. His daughter. “You did great, honey. I’m so proud of you.”

“Does that mean we can go get ice cream now?” You gazed at the two as they approached. She looked just like Tashi.

“If you want, but Mommy’s almost done with her coaching session. Don’t you want to wait for her?”

Finished with filling up your water bottle, you turned on your heel and approached them. “Evening, Mr.Donaldson. Who’s this?”

“This is my daughter, Lily.” She gazed over at you nervously, flashing you a small, polite smile.

You smiled warmly in return and introduced yourself. “So you’re getting ice cream, huh? That’s really cool. What’s your favorite flavor?”

“Chocolate.” She replied coyly.

“Oooh, I love chocolate. What’s the occasion?”

“I finished my math homework.”

“She’s been having a bit of a hard time with math, but she’s doing great now.” Art admitted. He was already having a hard enough time getting her to focus, and it was the only way he could really motivate her. But he didn’t mind too much, he was just happy to spend time with his daughter.

“Nice.” You leaned down and gave her a high five.

Just then, Tashi entered the room, from the opposite hallway where the bathrooms were. Weird. You never even saw her come inside. She was fixing her hair and wiping away the wrinkles in her shirt.

“Coach? What are you doing here?” You couldn’t help but ask.

“I was looking for you. C’mon, we have to get back to it.” Lily ran past you and threw her arms around her waist. “Mommy! Are you going to come with me and daddy to get ice cream?”

“In a little bit, okay baby? We just need fifteen minutes to finish up.” She spoke so sweetly to her daughter, patting her head gently. She gazed at you and tilted her head to the side, gesturing for you to go out to the tennis courts.

You did as told, but not before you turned to Art briefly. “You know, if you ever needed a babysitter or anything, I could totally help. It’s basically all I did every summer until I turned eighteen.”

You didn’t know how appropriate it was to suggest that to your coach/mentor’s husband, but it was a great opportunity. Babysitting for rich retired tennis players? You could really use that money. There was a reason why you didn’t go pro after you graduated high school. It was extremely expensive. The only way you were able to play in college was due to the full ride scholarship you had gotten. And if it weren’t for Tashi offering to cover almost all the expenses, you wouldn’t have been able to say yes. So, why not?

Tashi followed you out to the courts, and soon enough, you were practicing again. But for some reason, you couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched.

Maybe if you paid more attention, you would’ve noticed him, with his messy black curlsand tousled shirt, sitting at the very end of the stands and smoking a cigarette, watching and waiting.

[marigold-hills]

Dunes & Waters, part 43

PART 1 • PREVIOUS PART • NEXT PART

NOTE: NSFW, explicit, minors DNI. This is just 1300 words of smut.

It’s so very fitting, Remus thinks, that flooding of the Nile coincides with the heliacal rising of Sirius. How right that the Ancient Egyptians should mark the start of their calendar by it, five thousand years beginning and ending to the brightest star appearing in the sky, heralding another season of life-sustaining deluge. 

Its earthly counterpart comes out of the bedroom that’s long become nothing but a walk-in closet. Remus thinks that yes, he is the Dog Star, but he fits even better in the name’s old meaning: scorching, glowing.

Sirius is always the brightest, but now…

“Alright there?” He asks because Remus is stuck, frozen solid, stood up from where before he was sitting at the kitchen table, tea and crossword forgotten.

“What’s… what’s that around your neck?”

“Oh, this?” Sirius laughs like it’s nothing, runs lovely fingers across the black leather adorning his throat.

Remus is the first to admit he’s not great at transfiguration. It’s finicky and more an art than a science, and he doesn’t have the patience for it. He uses it sporadically, only when absolutely needed.

His belt, which he changed into a still belt-like dog collar, sits comfortably snug across the delicate column of Sirius’ neck. The buckle is on the front, glinting golden-bronze in the sunlight. There’s a little hoop of metal where Remus attached the lead. It’s probably the best thing he’s ever created. His knees are about to give out.

“Figured if we’re going out of town I might go for a run. A proper one. And you never know if we’ll need to distract some Muggles again, so… this way I’m ready. I’ve got the leash too,” he shakes it in his hand to demonstrate, the leather snapping against itself and the skin of his wrist.

Sirius is way too calm for the situation. Comes over to the table and drinks from Remus’ cup. He’s wearing a cropped Nirvana t-shirt and the jutting edges of his hipbones are on display. He puts the leash down. Remus is still standing.

“What’s wrong with you?” There’s nothing in Sirius’s face that suggests he knows what this is doing. He’s just there, with a collar Remus made for him around the soft parts of his throat, and Remus discovers things about himself he never expected.

“You’re just… too beautiful for your own good.”

(And Sirius blushes, like he didn’t expect that.)

Remus can’t help himself - doesn’t want to help himself. He reaches out and runs his hand against the leather, against the same place Sirius touched. It’s hard and sturdy and covers the bit Remus likes to suck bites into, soft and supple underneath.

And, just like that, Sirius gets it - he grins like the cat that got the cream, or rather like a dog that got the cat, wide and mischievous and so pleased with himself. With his discovery. “That does it for you, is it?”

“Apparently so.”

The smile gets even bigger and Remus thinks he should maybe be afraid.

“I’m so hot you’re discovering new kinks?”

“Fucking hell, Sirius.” He’s downright flustered. The whole thing is unsettling. They should be leaving in a moment, but… 

Well, there’s a little metal hoop that just begs to be pulled. 

Remus does, finger crooking around the coldness of it and Sirius goes, the smile wiped clean into blankness. Big eyes staring upwards, through lashes, with nothing in them. For a moment Remus worries that he miscalculated, hastens to apologise, but before he can, Sirius whines. It’s low and needy and usually it takes Remus quite a bit longer to get him to sound like that. It’s a sound he’s become intimately familiar with, made it into a mission and a job to wring out of those lovely, lovely lips. He has bitten it out of Sirius’ mouth and had caused it in a myriad of ways, and he knows, without a shadow of a doubt, what it means.

Don’t stop. Keep going.

So he does. Pushes fingers underneath, between the leather and the skin and it’s such a snug fit, he feels Sirius’ pulse as if it was in the palm of his hand. 

He brings his mouth to Sirius’ and nips, the smallest bite, into the plushness of his bottom lip. “Keep going then, love. You were being so cheeky a moment ago, what happened?”

Sirius whines again when he doesn’t get a kiss, when Remus moves away instead and tugs at the collar, minuscule little pulls that seem to shake him completely. 

“Or is this what it takes to get you to behave? Had I known, I would have put a collar on you weeks ago.”

The way Sirius looks at him, almost like he’s been betrayed. By Remus’ words, or by his own body.

“What, don’t you want to be good for me?”

If Remus thought Sirius was gone before, it was nothing on this. Sirius’ eyes roll backwards, up to the sky, and his whole face becomes lose.

“Oh, you do,” it’s Remus’ turn to tease and to smile something almost feral, “now why didn’t you just say that before?”

Remus manoeuvres them to the couch. Lands on top of Sirius, hands on the skin exposed by the short top. Thinks to make a game of this, see how much and how fast can he make Sirius unravel. All the little likes he’d memorised are ammunition.

“nfrwy-pHwy.ky,” he says low, straight into the bone of Sirius’ jaw.

“What does that mean?” a whined out question.

“Your arse is exquisite,” Remus grabs at Sirius’ hip, fingers digging into the muscle he’s just complimented to illustrate his point. The way it gives makes him want to bite.

Sirius is hard underneath him. Normally so tactile and responsive, now he lays there stunned and pliant and… definitely not patient. “Please. Remus. More. I need…”

“Be good for me, love. ᵉntok noufr.  You can be, no?”

“Fuck. Yes. Yes I can. But please…”

Remus grinds his hand into Sirius’ cock and gets rewarded with a loud, desperate keen. Sirius bends into the touch, back arched like the walkways of the Abusir Necropolis, fingers scrambling for purchase on the smooth material of the sofa.

The other hand, Remus crooks underneath the collar, at the side of Sirius’ neck, and pulls. It’s not hard, but the way the leather bites into his skin means it must be restricting his breathing just a bit. Remus releases. Is about to check in.

“Why did you stop? Fucking hell Remus don’t stop.”

Better than a check in. Enthusiastic consent. Remus pulls again, a bit harder, pushes his hand into the confines of Sirius’ trousers. There is a wet spot on the material of his underwear already and he’s so hard it’s like holding metal.

Remus is beyond turned on, but doesn’t let himself indulge. Keeps himself focused on each of the sounds Sirius makes, growing louder and more desperate with each tug on the collar and pull on his cock. Remus pushes the horrible T-shirt up Sirius’ torso with his teeth and bites the exposed nipple, growls out “ii wy ink,” come for me, and that’s all it takes. 

Sirius takes a long time to come back to himself. Blinks slowly, dazedly. Remus casts a cleaning charm on him and means to get him water, maybe a blanket, but instead gets pulled down again. They lay wrapped around one another, heavy breaths mingling and Sirius clinging the way he never had before, for all that he is usually touchy after they have sex.

“Are you alright?” Remus asks when he seems to come back to himself a little, when his eyes aren’t quite so shocked and large.

“Do that to me always.”

“Anything you want, love,” Remus laughs into his hair. 

NEXT PART

NOTES:

I did say he walks well on a leash :):)

Who knew ancient Egyptians were so horny? That line about the arse is literally verbatim from an old song although originally it says “you have beautiful buttocks”. I just didn’t like the word buttocks in the context of what they are doing here and well I mean it’s the same word really. Allowing myself creative freedom

had NO IDEA that Sirius rose in the sky as Nile flooded Aswan when I wrote any of this. Love it when things just come together so neatly.

“you’re so close to the ending,” I say, “focus on the story.” Immediately writes over 1k of smut.

Crazy thought but if I were to write a fanfic of this fanfic I’d switch their roles around. Sirius would be a researcher and he’d know that he needs a werewolves voice/hair etc in order to open the Box so the Ministry provides him with one that’s in Azkaban. Remus doesn’t get a say. It’s not a condition of release, it’s just a condition of his imprisonment, to have experiments done on him. And Sirius hates it because this man is there completely against his Will, but also he needs him to get his work done and maybe make life better for werewolves? Remus thinks he just hates him because he is one.

@tealeavesandtrash

@moon-girl88

@hoje--aqui

@cocoabutterandbooks

@onion-sliced-apples

@prancingpony42

@digital-kam

@remoonysiriusly

@sweetstarryskies

@a-sunset-outside-my-window

@procrastinatingstuff

@annaliza999

@arasael

@a-pine-cone

@goldenprophetwrites

(let me know if you do/don’t want to be tagged!)

[zhounauts]

SYNOPSIS kim minji was privileged. and she was your best friend. born to the top percent, she was born to go to decelis academy, a school built by and for the elite. yet she wasn't. you were instead. and you were attending as her. GENRE mystery, rich kids au!, slight romance, angst FEATURING YN LN, MEMBERS of NEW JEANS, MEMBERS of ENHYPEN, MEMBERS of IVE, AND MORE WC 3.45k WARNINGS cursing, lying , mentions of food, death A/N VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY experimental fic, lmk how it is

THE BEGINNING OF IT ALL —

elite.

that was what decelis academy was. an academy built by and for only the most privileged and elite in the entire world. money, power, and status ran deep in the school, evident in its gold embellishments on the wall, crystal chandeliers and the tall, high ceilings.

decelis was known world-wide, a prestigious school for academics, sports, art, and everything else you could think of.

and it was where you were now enrolled, taking the place of your best friend kim minji who had run away.

decelis was a school meant for only the elite and privileged. that was rule number 1, and you had already broken it.

july had always been hot and humid, the sun blaring down onto you, not faltering. but this year, it seemed even hotter than before. it felt like the entire world was on fire, it felt like your life was at a boiling point, reading to overflow, and bubble over.

and on july sixth, it did.

“i don’t want to go to decelis,” minji whispers, “i don’t want to leave everything behind,”

“minji. . .” you trail off, “listen, i get it. you’ve been here your whole life, but it’ll be okay, it’s just a new, fresh start,”

“i can’t stand it,” she says quietly, “i can’t handle all of that pressure yn. i’m not insanely smart, insanely athletic, or anything like that. i can’t live up to those standards. those kids are going to eat **me alive,”

“minji—”

“i wish i was like you. you’re smart without having to study, you’re athletic you’re*. . .”* she stops “you’re everything decelis wants.”

“oh come on, don’t dismiss your own achievements. minji, listen i get it’ll be hard for you to adjust—”

“it won’t have to be,” she suddenly says, excited. “yn, you are everything decelis wants!”

“so?”

“swap with me,” she begs, “you are everything they want,” and in the scorching heat of early july, the boiling point of your life, your world boiled over. you were going to decelis. you were kim minji.

maybe you should’ve thought out this idea a little more before committing to it, because now that you were sitting in the front of minji’s car, acting as her chauffer, you can only shift nervously. the two of you constantly send glances at one another in the rear mirror, unable to say anything with both her parents in the car.

you’re ready to dip, yet you know you can’t betray your best friend like that. you knew how minji was. she was kind, sometimes too kind, and you knew a school like decelis was definitely not for her. but it also wasn’t a school for you. you weren’t rich. you weren’t elite. sure you had the skills, but when it came to background? you’d be eaten alive if you were found out.

yet, this was also a good opportunity for you. in fact, this would let you take classes from some of the top professors and teachers in the world, and you’d have access to opportunities many others could only dream of. the plan was simple, as a ‘chauffer’ you’d help minji unload her bags, escort her in, rush into the bathroom, swap outfits and be on your merry ways.

minji had told you that she’d be leaving for a flight promptly as soon as she got home, planning to go to America and meet up with an old friend to pursue her dreams of being a dancer. you knew how much minji loved dance, and while her parents supported her in it as an extracurricular, a hobby, they absolutely refused for her to go professional. you’d heard it one too many times, from all the times you’d hung out with her.

“it’s an unstable job, there will always be someone younger, someone better than you,”

“dancing will not make you successful in life,”

“you aren’t good enough anyways to be like the pros,”

ouch, you think to yourself, recalling the insults they had thrown at her. her parents were harsh. they were stereotypical as well: strict, stubborn, unmoving, unloving. in comparison, you didn’t have parents. they had passed long ago, and you had been passed on to your mother’s then twenty-two year old sister.

she knew about the plan, you had fought with her over it. yet, you didn’t back down and the day before you left she wished you good luck, pulling you into a tight hug, whispering to you things you could not understand.

“stay safe, stay low, don’t step out of line, don’t be like ahra,”

the mere gate of the school leaves you in awe, it’s incredibly large, with the decelis enbelm in the center of it all. your heart races. you watch as the two men in front of you open the gates, revealing a long pathway, nestled in a large amount of trees.

driving up the driveway only makes you more and more nervous, making you gulp in fear. you check on minji in the rear mirror, and you can see how scared she is as well. she doesn’t look at you, but by the way her eyes goggle at the school, you can tell she’s intimidated. you’re not sure, how long you drive up the winding path for, but the school is even more amazing.

it’s sat on top of the hill, so incredibly large, practically a castle, and you can see even taller buildings behind this main one. you pull in slowly into porte cochere, a ton of other fancy cars pulling in as well. you watch the students who step out, all of them dressed in the same uniform, only with different patches and symbols marking your year. they’re all chattering and smiling with one another. you gulp.

“chauffer?” mister kim calls out.

“right, sorry! miss minji, let me get your bags for you,” you quickly hop out of the front of the car, adjusting your cap and wig, and heading to the back. you watch as minji approaches you, scanning the school around her. she would only be going to decelis her final year of high school. her grades had always been average, and because of that her parents were always too ashamed to send her to develop. yet after one more try at the entrance exam, which you had actually done for her, they finally sent her, or well, you.

belift academy was not a bad school, ranked top fifty in the world still, yet her parents wanted her to reach new levels, to meet other kids in her circle. you pull out her luggage, setting them onto the ground, scanning the school yourself behind your sunglasses. you watch as minji’s parents approach her, talking to her. you can only watch them from the side. they don’t hug her, they only lecture her.

“mister and missus, i’ll help miss minji take her bags in, and i’ll be straight out,” the two of them nod at you, only staring at minji. you grab ahold of her two luggage, trying to pretend they aren’t heavy. as soon as the two of you enter the school, you search for a secluded place and dash to it. the two of you had practiced this earlier today, and you quickly slip on her uniform, the blazer, skirt, socks, and clunky shoes. you stare at minji, you can barely tell its her, with the stupid sunglasses and goofy wig.

you bring her into a hug.

“thank you so so so much yn,” she whispers, “i don’t know how i can ever repay you,”

“just be happy, and achieve your dreams,” you smile, “you can repay me that way,”. you pull away from the hug, and the two of you stare at each other one last time. you grin. “i’ll be fine minji, update me as much as you can,”

“of course,”

the school is huge and despite being in your final year of high school, you’re still a new student, so you head to the orientation, sitting in the new students section. you analyze everything, your eyes scanning the crowd to see someone you could talk to.

“are you a third year?” you whip your head around quickly, staring at three girls who stand behind you. they’re dripping in luxury, shimmery jewlery, polished hair, and glossy lips. if it were not for minji giving you her things, you would’ve looked incredibly out of place.

“yeah, i just transferred here,”

“i’m kim chaewon,” she starts, “my parents own kim food corporation,”

“danielle marsh,” the other girl says, “my parents own hyundai, plus i’m from australia”

“and i’m hwang yeji!” the third girl says, “my parents own TOI media,”

okay. holy fucking shit. you think to yourself. “nice to meet you!” you exclaim, putting on a smile, “i’m. . .kim minji. my parents own WQ group,”

“ooo!” chaewon chirps, she smiles, “your third year of high school, but first year here?’ she asks. and despite the kind smile on her face, you know she’s analyzing you.

“Yeah, I guess it is kinda weird,” you shrug, “but i’m here now and that’s all that matters,”. the three girls stare at you, and nod. yeji claps her hands together and smiles.

“find us after the orientation! we’ll be outside waiting for you,”

you watch as the three girls skip away together, and as nice as they seem you know that deeper down they’re judging you. they’re assessing you, seeing if you live up to the standards first, then if you’re worth keeping around. you grit your teeth. you had been here for less than twenty minutes, yet you knew you’d have to play it safe, keep a low profile. and most importantly, keep that smile on your face and act like you were just like them.

you meet the three of time as soon as the orientation ends, and as promised they’re standing outside the large auditorium. danielle gives you a smile, “so, where’s your dorm room?”

“uhm. . .” you mutter, taking out your sheet of information, “it says i’m in summa hall,” the three of them whistle.

“you must’ve scored high on the entrance exam,” you nod, sweating at the memory.

“you never told me that i’d have to take their entrance exam minji!” you hiss.

“you’re academics are better than me! and plus you’re the one going really,”

“aughhh!” you exclaim.

“what does summa mean?”

“it’s latin, summa cum laude, with highest honor. and then theres magna cum laude, which is with great honor. then there’s what we just call cum laude, with distinction. then at the bottom is Infimus, which just means the lowest,” she explains, “and you, minji, are in summa meaning you’re one of the top in school,”

“impressive,” chaewon whistles, “most kids enter their first year way lower, and work their way up. it’s amazing you did it in one try,”

“that entrance exam was hard though. . .” you mutter.

“guess not hard enough,” yeji laughs, “all three of us are in summa,”

“right, yeji’s rank 7, chaewon 6, and danielles 5,”

“the ranks are based on the entrance exams everyone takes before school starts, they can change after ever marking period though, based on popularity, and extracurriculars” yeji groans, “it’s hard to maintain, but the benefits are endless. plus! the summa dorms are the nicest, so enjoy it!”

yeji was right, the summa dorms were top tier. you never knew another bed could be even comfier than your own back at home, and the fluffy pillows were to die for. summa dorms only had twenty rooms, ten for the top girls, and ten for the top boys. you were still unsure where you were in this whole caste like hierarchy, you didn’t really care, the bed was enough to keep your mind off things.

you wake up at the ass crack of dawn, five thirty in the morning, to get ready. you knew impressions were everything at this school, and even walking by those of the lower ranks, they were dressed up as well. you sigh, looking at your closet, filled with minji’s things. you sigh. this was going to be a long first few weeks.

by the time you’re done with your makeup, hair, accessories, and all, it’s already seven forty, meaning breakfast would be served at eight. you grab minji’s backpack, shuffling out of your room, your shoes halfway on.

“you new?” you hear suddenly. you whip around, to see a second-year boy, standing in front of a dorm that’s six doors down. you jump.

“uhm, yeah?” you analyze him, head to toe. he’s decked out in expensive jewelry as well, and you gulp underneath his stare.

“and you dethroned leeseo ,” he grins.

“what? who?”

“well her name’s actually lee hyunseo, she was the number one girl, but now you took her place,”

“i’m. . .what?”

“danielle i’m number one?”

“you didn’t know that??” she asks, staring at you wide eyed, “what do you think the numbers on the dorms meant!?”

“w-what the!? i thought they meant just your room number! like suite one or something!” you exclaim, “i didn’t know! and now who the hell is lee uhm lee hunsoo???”

“you mean lee hyunseo??” danielle says, fake shuddering, “she’s a bitch. she’s been number one ever since first year, she’s been in that room for years,”

“shit,” you mutter, “i don’t want enemies!”

”oh please, don’t worry,” danielle says.

“i am worrying. . .” you murmur, but danielle ignores this, only dragging you faster to the dining hall. you can’t help but think have the worst feeling in your gut that this lee hyunseo, leeseo, girl wouldn’t let you take her spot so easily.

“ooo! fresh build-your-own omelettes! minji hurry up!”

being a summa means essentially all your classes, except for electives, are seperate from everyone else. you have the better classes, better teachers, and overall better programs, and it makes you feel absolutely gross.

despite having yeji, danielle, and chaewon now you still didn’t trust them. sure they were nice to you, but that was only after they knew who your supposed parents were, after you had revealed you were a summa to. you trail behind them, danielle by your side chattering to you about some trip she had taken to aruba a couple months back. and while you could care less, you nod and give short responses, letting her chatter on.

all the summa classes are in the north building, in apollo hall. you can feel the difference in atmosphere as soon as you set foot in the hall. it’s much quieter in comparison to the rest of the school, it’s decorations even more intricate, and the school’s motto is engraved into the ceiling.

Sapientia Potentia Est.

wisdom is power. . . you gulp. danielle pulls you slightly, nudging you to hurry up. you want to laugh at how untruthful the school’s motto seems, sure wisdom was power, yet in decelis that wasn’t the case. wisdom wasn’t power.

money was power in this school, and while wisdom would get you somewhere, in the end it all boiled down to your background. you look at the motto once again, engraved in the door above your classroom. you scoff.

the classroom is suffocating. despite the friendly chatter going on around the classroom, you can feel the difference almost immediately. as friendly as these kids were acting, behind their smiles, their laughs, they were all watching one another carefully.

and all eyes are on you, the new student, kim minji, who placed first in the entrance exam, and was now ranked number one in the entire school. this was not the lowkey life you had originally planned for yourself, and you realized that because of this you were going to be noticed. you would be under a spotlight.

fuck. . . you think to yourself, sighing. you bury your head into your arms at the classroom’s seats.

“kim minji?” you look up only to meet eyes with a girl you’ve never seen before. she’s pretty, really pretty. her hair is glossy, her lips and cheeks are rosy, her lashes are long, and she’s also decked out in dainty, yet glimmering, expensive jewlery. you look at her, discreetly looking at her nametag. lee hyunseo.

“yes?” you answer sweetly, smiling, “you’re, leeseo right? sorry i’m still new,”

“yes, that’s right,” she smiles a smile that doesn’t reach her eyes, “i’m lee hyunseo, but you can just call me leeseo. congratulations on your entrance exam score,”

“thank you,” you tell her, “it was a really difficult test,”. you put that stupid, sickly sweet smile on your face again, not showing any emotion. you’ve gotten used to reading others. you were a scholarship kid at belift high, the only one in fact, and ostracized. you weren’t rich enough to afford anything at belift, and because of that you were judged. it got even more intense when you became friends with minji, who was well known in the school. you knew leeseo’s facade, what she truly implied. she was feeling you out, establishing you as her competition.

“it is,” she says, “i hope you enjoy your stay in the number one dorm, it really is as nice as others say, amirite?”

“yeji told me about it and i didn’t believe her,” you answer promptly, “i was truly surprised,” she nods.

“don’t get too comfortable,” she laughs and then she walks away. that was a threat. enjoy your stay, but you’re going down

“man. . .she’s intense,” chaewon mutters, “making her move already,”

shit. you think to yourself. leeseo had said little, but the meaning behind it said so, so much.

your original had been simple. stay low profile, make a couple friends in the lower ranks, pass classes, join a sport, and live your life here.

it was simple.

but fate had other plans for you. you were now the new girl who had scored the top grade in the entrance exam, shoved into the spotlight of the entire school alongside with other elites of the school. as much as you wanted to keep it lowkey, it was all too late now.

you weren’t going to back down now, especially since leeseo was high-tailing your ass. even if she didn’t directly say it, you knew what she meant. it meant more than just getting her rank back, she was going to bring you down as far as she could. she was threatend.

for some reason, the thought makes you laugh. you were poor, if she knew where you really were from she’d laugh at you, and step all over you. the fact that some girl who had it a thousand times better than you was threatened and jealous of your presence made you happy.

“kim minji?” you turn around, to see the boy you had talked to earlier in the morning. you recognized him from some of your classes as well. he smiles at you.

“yes. . .?’

“i’m kim sunoo,” he smiles at you, “i’m a second year,”

“ah, nice to meet you. i’m minji,”

“right. . .i’d like to be straightforward with you,” he says, and you stare at the boy. he has an oval face, fox-like features and his hair’s styled down. he has a friendly face, but his eyes say otherwise. he wants something. “i don’t like leeseo,”

“. . pardon?” you blink.

“you heard me,” he sighs, “i don’t like her,”

“and. . .?”

”you’ve taken her spot,” he smirks, “i can help you keep it,”

the offer hangs in the air, it’s unexpected, strange, suspicious even. you find yourself caught off guard by his proposition, and you can only stand there, unsure of what you should do. his straightforwardness startles you, and the way his eyes gaze at you makes you nervous.

“keep her spot?” you repeat, trying to remain nonchalant, “what do you mean by that?”

sunoo laughs “you know exactly what i mean, kim minji,”

“right. . .”

“i know how she operates,” he says, “she’s not as innocent as she seems. she's ruthless. to other’s she’s just another stuck-up girl, but now that someone’s really dethroned her, she’s scared now. she’s going to do something,”

“and why are you helping me? what do you gain from all of this?”

“i have my own reasons, kim minji,” he says. there it was again. kim minji. it rolled off his tongue in a way that irked you, and the way he constantly repeated it made you fidget. it made you think he knew something, yet you couldn't be sure. “don’t wonder about me too much. i’m helping you, giving you a warning,” you narrow your eyes at him.

“who ever said i wanted to keep that spot?”

“why wouldn’t you want to?” he asks, you watch as he looks around, scanning your surroundings. he leans in close next to you, his mouth right next to your ear. you gulp.

“hey what—”

“and plus, it was your mother’s spot,” he whispers.

DECELIS BOYS TOP 10 —

??? 6. ???

??? 7. ???

??? 8. ???

KIM SUNOO 9. ???

??? 10. ???

DECELIS GIRLS TOP 10 —

KIM MINJI 6. KIM CHAEWON

LEE HYUNSEO 7. HWANG YEJI

??? 8. ???

??? 9. ???

MARSH DANIELLE 10. ???

a/n spring break = no school = time to write = clear head to write new ideas and stuff = no writers block

literally grinded this all day without stop cause i had nothing else to do, ngl i'm proud of it, but at the same time idk what i want to do with it so like. . .??? + like i said in first a/n this is a very experimental fic and i prob won't continue it, but anyways PLEASE share thoughts on this

networks @a-dream-bookmark

[changingplumbob]

Knightstone Household: Chapter 9, Part 6

Suzanna and Pollock called Adam and Silas out of the office to open some more gifts.

Adam: Pol, what happened to your costume

Pollock: Not know

Suzanna: He wanted to get in his overalls after his bath. We’ve already taken the family photo

With gifts to each other out of the way the family examine what Father Winter has left for them. Pollock gets a Blarfy, Silas gets a model train, Adam got a common gem and Suzanna got a painting. It’s like Father Winter doesn’t know Suzanna is the one collecting gems and Adam is the one who likes fine art, weird.

Pollock: Mummy, can we book

Suzanna: You want a book

Pollock: I lo books

Silas: Can I listen to Mummy

Suzanna: I guess we’re reading a book then. Let’s go in the lounge, it’ll be comfier than the table

The trio move to the lounge and Pollock grabs the spot beside Suzanna.

Suzanna: Okay let’s see. This one is about a train

Pollock: Does train have name

Suzanna: They just call it the engine

Silas: We should call it something cool like... Harold

Suzanna: What do you think Pollock

Pollock: Yes to Silas

So Suzanna reads them the story doing her best to substitute in Harold for engine whenever she can.

After the story Silas jumps online to play with Ruth and Tyree.

Suzanna: Now Pollock, did I see you hit Sydney today

Pollock: No Mummy

Suzanna sighs. She did see it which means it’s likely Pollock is an aggressive toddler. They’ll have to find some way to channel that before he ends up a hot head like Adam.

Suzanna: Want to play for a bit Moondust?

Pollock: Yes Mummy

It seems Suzanna decides the best spot to play is right in front of the TV that Silas is trying to use...

Silas: Do you have to play right there

Suzanna: I would move but I can’t find your brother

Katherine: He’s on your back Suzie. Die, clay, die!

Suzanna: Oh there you are

Pollock: *giggles*

Suzanna: Shall we fly like a rocket ship huh? Zoom

Silas: Stay on the right please Mummy. My character is on the left

At dinner Pollock finally gets his serving of the grand meal while the rest of the household has some fish and chips.

Adam: Silas are you alright? You look a bit pale

Silas: My stomach doesn’t feel good

Suzanna: Ethelyn was saying she felt sick, maybe he got the bug off her

Adam: Yeah that would- Pollock! Do you have to spill so much. Try to eat over your plate

Pollock: I do

Silas: Mummy can I stay home from school tomorrow

Suzanna: I’m not sure the mod lets you do that

Silas: Can’t you let me do that

Adam: Silas we both have work tomorrow and your brother will be going to daycare. There’ll be no one here to watch you so you’ll have to go to school

Pollock: *thinking to himself* I made a pretty mess

While Adam and Suzanna take care of the dishes the boys nap on the couches, not quite ready for Winterfest to end.

Adam: Did we do Winterfest right then

Suzanna: There is one more thing... mistletoe

Adam: And it’s a tradition to kiss under it?

Suzanna: Yep. Can’t remember why but it is

Adam: Humans and their nonsense. Come on then Starlight

The two kiss and feel their hearts flutter. It's one of those times they both feel grateful to have found each other on this lump of rock.

Suzanna: Think we could have a quick jaunt upstairs before the boys wake up from their naps

Adam: Oh absolutely

Heading back downstairs Adam starts a TV workout while Suzanna shepherds the kids to bed. Pollock is keen for another story so Suzanna reads to him while Silas falls asleep quickly with his tummy bug. Once Pollock is snoring Suzanna tucks her two sons in and is about to leave the room when she remembers the monster under the bed. She’s not too sure if Silas needs to see her spray it but she gives a precautionary spray just in case.

Previous ... Next

[devil-doll13]

Some House of Wax/Sinclair Brothers Headcanons I’ve had in my head that I’ve already shared w the server but… The rest of the world deserves to know.

Related to gif, Vincent is the ‘medical expert’ of the house solely because he’s the one who knows the human body/first aid the best. I mean, in the movie we see him stitching up those wounds on what’s-his-face pretty neatly, right? This is also part of the reason why he automatically reaches for Bo during this scene.

Given his birth date was sniffed out by fans before me (1970) and this man looks like he’s a cosplayer sometimes, I truly believe Bo idolised Elvis Presley as a kid, and maybe a bit as an adult as well. He still enjoys listening to rock n’ roll from that era when he’s in a good mood. When he’s in a bad mood, or doing his business™️ in his sex dungeon/basement, that’s when the Marilyn Manson comes on.

All of them have had an alt phase of some sort. For Vincent it was goth, for Bo it was rivethead/industrial rock and for Lester it was grunge.

Les is also down bad fucking horrendous for alt people in general. Yes, he has magazines stuffed down his sofa, yes, they used to be Bo’s.

Bo is allergic to nuts. He also gets really nasty hay fever. I also think possibly him having sensory issues/picky eater could’ve led to meltdowns as we see in the opening. And really, it’s the 1970s/80s do you expect his parents to understand or sympathise?

In contrast, Lester has the constitution of a Greek god somehow and has probably eaten some absolutely vile shit as a kid.

I know most people interpret Vince as sweet and shy but… While I do think he’s more measured and withdrawn compared to Bo, I also think being the ‘favourite’ in terms of being Trudy’s little art prodigy contributed to a sort of spoilt brattiness esp as a kid. (Exhibit A: The ‘Bo Sux’ fridge art in the opening) As an adult, there’s still a sense of entitlement to him. What I’m saying is that he’s an insufferable art nerd lol. He definitely isn’t toothless and his arguments with Bo aren’t necessarily one-sided, he’s just capable of ignoring him when he wants to; he’s used to his twin, after all. While I do think he’s capable of being soft, don’t forget this man killed a woman in cold blood and recorded it. I also think he can get snippy enough during arguments to combat Bo’s generally sharp tongue.

Speaking of which, everyone in the (surviving) family knows ASL. It’s necessary when communicating with Vincent.

Again with how prolific a killer Vincent is, I suspect he may be the one who does the most murder out of all of them. Bo is the handsome ‘face’ of Ambrose, and Vincent is right under the seedy underbelly with a knife, ready to spill guts (and then sew it up again once he’s got them in the workshop). Lester is similar to Bo in that he mostly just guides people toward the town, but I do think he gets his own notions sometimes.

From a more x reader perspective, Bo strikes me as a man who’s most charming when he’s not trying to be. Of course he can put on an act for victims/tourists, but those are just empty words, y’know? Also, has a kinda cheesy side.

I know everyone has Jonesy as Lester’s dog but… I think she’s really Vincent’s. In the movie, she’s always seen with Vin or in the house of wax itself, it’s only when he dies that she goes to Lester. I actually think Les is a cat person (tell me he wouldn’t actually encourage their hunting habits for his own personal collection…) while Vin is a dog person. Also, hot take I think Bo loves snakes and reptiles.

Given that the House of Wax and Ambrose itself is a big ol’ art project, and we’ve seen the state of the church (permanently in the middle of dead ass crusty Trudy’s funeral) I think there may be a sort of difficulty letting go of their past in the brothers, maybe some hoarding as well (I mean we haven’t even seen some of the other houses in Ambrose but this is just speculation). We get the sense that Ambrose is a place where time stands still, forever, until its conservationists finally die. Idk I’m talking out my ass here

[thevirginwitch]

Paper Poppet Spell for Luck & Success

If you want to support me and my blog, be sure to check out my Patreon for as little as $2 a month! You'll gain early access to all my posts, exclusive content, digital freebies, discount codes to my Etsy store, and tons of updates on what I'm working on! Did I mention you'll also gain voting power on research topics and future posts?

Poppets are a very popular way of typically conducting baneful magic – however, in this spell, the poppet will be representing yourself, and you will be performing sympathetic magic to increase your success and luck! This spell is to help aid you in achieving goals and success in any endeavors you may be attempting right now. I recommend carrying out this spell during a full moon, and/or on a Sunday. Of course, feel free to tweak this spell and its components as needed to better suit your needs/practice! This spell is a great beginner spell for sympathetic magic, and you can use this as a template if you wish to create any other poppet spells in the future.

Materials:

Wax warmer along with wax (in the color of your choice), or a candle (in the color of your choice) with a way to collect/use the melted wax. I personally used a mix of green and gold wax, as those colors typically represent abundance.

2 sheets of origami paper, 20cm x 20cm (if you only have typical printer paper, you can use scissors to cut to the correct size!)

Taglock – a piece of your hair, nail clipping, etc. You could also write your name on the poppet! (optional)

Art supplies - paint, colored pencils, markers, etc. Anything you feel comfortable using. (optional)

Mint

Chamomile

Star tarot card (optional)

Citrine

Water

Instructions:

Prepare your workspace and yourself for spellwork however you typically would. I personally like to smoke cleanse with incense, clear off my work area, and work through a guided meditation for focus. I also tend to light a candle or two that corresponds with what type of magic I’m trying to perform. During this step, be sure to turn on your wax warmer or light the candle you’ll be using for the spell.

Create your paper poppet using origami - you can follow this tutorial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDkxJi4kGz4. When folding your poppet, imagine you are pouring yourself into the folds of the poppet - your personality, your likeness, your life story, etc. Take some time to sprinkle each of the herbs (mint and chamomile) into some of the folds of your poppet as well - this step will help you “fold” success into yourself (your poppet). Instead of origami, you may also choose to instead cut out a human shape out of your paper - this is a great option if you are short on time, or have mobility/joint issues!

Once your paper poppet is complete, you may decorate it however you see fit - or choose to leave it plain. You may also choose to write words corresponding to your goals. For example: “new job”, “wealth”, “happy love life”, etc. Get creative with it - this poppet is supposed to represent you, after all! You may also add your taglock to the poppet during this step.

By now, your wax should be ready. Take your poppet and carefully dip each foot, hand, and the head into the wax. (Please be EXTREMELY careful if you are using a candle as a method for obtaining wax. And remember, wax is VERY hot!) As you dip each body part, feel free to recite the following (or come up with your own):

Submerge these hands in abundance; these feet in opportunity; And this head in gratitude for what’s to come.

Before the wax dries, sprinkle a bit more herbs on the wet wax to further “glue” success to yourself (your poppet). Be sure to hold onto your poppet as the wax dries before moving onto the next steps; taking care not to touch the wax as it dries.

Once the wax is nice and solid, set your poppet down on your Star tarot card (optional) and add your citrine and herbs to a bowl of water. Dip your fingertips in the bowl, and anoint your poppet with a bit of water. Be careful not to completely get it wet, as the poppet will obviously begin to fall apart - the goal is to just give it a light misting/sprinkle of water.

Finally, the ritual is complete! You may feel the urge to hold onto the poppet until your success is evident. Stash it on your windowsill or somewhere that sees a lot of foot traffic or sunlight – perhaps on your mantle or by your front door. If you’re in the broom closet, you could stash it in your daily bag/purse or wallet. Once you feel you’ve achieved the success you expected, you may dispose of the poppet in the garbage.

[wendy130]

One Of Those Days

// Very short writing prompt to get back into the groove. Inspired from this art post I made. Thanks @x-pair-o-dice-x :P

// Warnings: soft vore, safe vore, fluff

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Hi Techno.”

Techno peers an eye open, blinking slowly as his eyes flicker down onto the empty beach. His gaze lands on a familiar black-and-white haired human, and he hums sleepily, “hullo Ranboo.”

The human looks… tired. More so than usual, at least. They’re shifting back and forth on their feet, looking rather anxious. And, despite it being a hot summer day, they’re wearing a sweater and long pants. On a beach, no less. Usually, they’d be wearing some kind of floral shirt.

He shifts his tail, which is submerged into the ocean, and lifts his head off of his folded up arms with a yawn, “did you need something?”

Ranboo falters and hugs their arms, “uh. Yeah.”

He waits for them to continue on, raising an eyebrow when they don’t. “Okay? What do you need?”

Their mouth opens and closes like a floundering fish, and— now he just feels concerned for the human. “Well, uh,” they start slowly, “I— I, uh, wanted to ask something of you— you don’t have to say yes, obviously. I would understand if you wouldn’t want to—“

“Ranboo,” he cuts them off with a grumble. It only serves to make them more nervous, but he was never the best with comforting people through flowery words. “I’m sure I’ll be fine with whatever you’re talking about, but I kinda need to know what you’re on about.”

“Oh. Right. Uh,” Ranboo digs their nails into their arms with a wince. “Um. I was wondering if… well, if you’d be okay with… with… Um.” Their next words are so quiet and quick, Techno has to strain his ears to understand them. “Eating me.”

And— Oh.

Techno feels his heart soften immediately as he rolls onto his side to reveal his underbelly. “Is it one of those days?”

Ranboo takes the invitation immediately, dragging themselves over to his chest and leaning against it. “Mm.. yeah.”

“…Want to talk about it?”

“No.” 

He doesn’t push. “Okay.”

Neither one speaks for a few minutes, no words needing to be said. They know each other well enough to understand the other’s needs without tedious words. Techno breaths in and out slowly, letting Ranboo match the leisured pace, and Ranboo presses their ear against his chest, listening to Techno’s beating heart, to his powerful lungs, and to his rumbling stomach. 

They sit, until Ranboo has enough courage to pull away. 

Techno takes it as his cue to cup his hands around the boy and pulls them to his face. “Still want to hide away for a bit?” When Ranboo nods, he parts his jaw open to reveal a glistening, hungry maw awaiting the two-color haired teen. Sliding them past his sharp teeth with ease, he hums in delight. Ranboo always did taste good. 

Ranboo bats at his tongue gently as he starts to lick them, soaking up their flavor. “Oh come on, you really can’t hold yourself back, can you?” 

He chuckles fondly, mumbling around them, “hey, if I’m getting the chance to eat you, I want to enjoy it a little~”

They groan, and he lets out another chuckle, tucking them further into his mouth with a purr. Despite his teasing words, he continues onwards and left them hanging at the edge of his throat. 

“Ready?” He hums, his voice rumbling deep into the human’s bones from how close they are to his throat. 

“Yeah,” the human whispers, pawing at his tongue. 

With that confirmation, he tilts his head back and swallows. He hovers a hand right against his throat, feeling their little bump glide down against his hand and— something about Ranboo just clicks his instincts into overdrive. 

They feel like a mer pup, albeit much smaller, who’s getting tucked away to be safe and sound. He purrs, loud and comfortingly. They’re much safer in his storage, where nothing can reach them. 

He lays back down, shifting to rest on his back instead of his stomach, and he places a hand over his storage as something featherlight slips in. “You good?” he drowsily murmurs.

A muffled ‘yes’ is all he gets before he feels them flop down with a groan. 

He chuckles. “Alright. I’m going back to napping. Let me know when you want out.”

[bucksbelly]

HP Rec Fest - Part 1 (Days 1-16)

Boy, has it been a moment since I've gone through my fanfic bookmarks. Thankful that @hprecfest has given me a reason to do so and rediscover some old gems!

Anyways making this list made me realize that I'm a connoisseur of explicit content so most of these are smutty and I'll leave that up to you to decide whether that's good or bad

(These are almost exclusively post-war fics where everyone is an adult, unless otherwise stated!)

1. A favorite fic under 5k: If We Lie Like This by everythingokay

(Harry x Charlie Weasley, rated E, 4.1k)

Harry/Charlie is one of my absolute favorite ships of all time, and this is one of the sweetest pwps I've ever read of them, so you know this had to be my first rec.

2. A comfort fic: Lumos by birdsofshore

(Drarry, rated E, 41.5k)

This is one of my oldest bookmarks, and still one of the best. I love, love, love eighth year fics, in no small part because of this one. The summary really says it all:

"Harry never expected to spend eighth year listening to Draco Malfoy wanking."

3. A podfic

I've truly never listened to a podfic in my life, I just prefer reading I'm sorry

4. A fic with art: What Have You Been Hiding Under Those Robes, Professor Malfoy? by Booktopus

(Drarry, Rated E, 15k - art is NSFW!)

Finding art in my fics is such a rare, exciting surprise, especially because I rarely go looking for them. Now, a GIF? And a smutty gif at that? Of tattooed professor Draco? What. A. Find.

5. A non-AO3 fic: The Lust of Gryffindors by Fearful Porpentine

(Harmione + so many pairings/groupings, rated M, 381.5k, aged-up during canon)

Yeah, I'm pretty much exclusively an AO3 girlie, so I don't have many options for this one. Still, this is a standout as one of my favorite smutty extravaganzas.

6. An unreliable narrator fic: Touch by bixgirl1

(Drarry, Rated E, 45k)

I had this fic on my TBR for so long before I actually read it, and when I finally did, I was KICKING myself for waiting so long! I love touch-starved characters finally getting what they need (is it self-fulfilling? perhaps), and I never thought a sleep-deprived Harry could be so funny.

(I'm aware this is an unreliable narrator in the loosest sense of the word but I'm sticking with it because it NEEDS to be recced)

7. A canon-compliant fic: With the Edges Worn Down by MayatheBee

(Harry x Ron x Hermione, rated E, 13k)

By "canon-compliant," we mean "takes place so far in the future that canon can't disprove it," right?

If so, then here's my pick. After Ginny's death, Ron and Hermione decide to finally act on feelings that have been ignored for their entire friendship. It is so, so sweet and so, so hot.

8. A canon-divergence fic: Safe Word is Devil's Snare by ShayaLonnie

(Neville x Hermione, rated E, 97k)

Hot Neville Agenda? Hot Neville Agenda.

Neville is fast becoming one of my favorite characters in fic (both in reading and writing). I'm a sucker for him growing into his self-confidence after the war while still being the same loveable plant guy we know. And a forced marriage with hyper-competent Hermione? Get ready for the spice, y'all.

9. A rare pair fic: 93 Diagon Alley by Schmem_14

(Harry x George, rated M, 30k)

I'm quickly realizing that most of the fic I consume (outside of drarry) is rare pairs, but this is one of the best. Harry and George leaning on each other through their grief, and realizing what they need to get through said grief is, in fact, each other? Sign me up. I usually avoid stories that feature Fred's death as a significant plot point, but this is too well done to ignore.

10. A fest fic: Beware: Naked People Ahead by SonnenFlower

(Lots of pairings, rated M, 6.6k)

I’m recommending this fic not only because of the absolute hilarity of the premise, but because it is a part of one of the best fests I’ve ever come across — the Hermione’s Nook Naked Weasley Fest! This fic had me laughing the whole way through (and crying when I wasn’t.)

11. A dark fic: Whore by orphan_account

(Harry x Fred x George + noncon, etc, rated E, 141.6k, takes place during canon)

Listen, I don't read dark fics very often. They tend to crush my soul and spin me out. This is my "I want to hurt" fic — SO MIND THE TAGS.

12. A WIP you're following: New Blood by artemisgirl

(Pairings still evolving, rated M, currently 1.3 million words, takes place during canon)

As a general rule, I don't read many in-progress fics (this is a personal fault because I get too impatient and invested). But when I started this fic, it had over 1 million words and didn't seem to be stopping anytime soon, so I took the plunge. It features a Slytherin, overpowered, badass Hermione, deep fae/wix lore, and a unique twist on all our favorite characters!

13. A fic with over 100k words: Finding Sophrosyne by mlfoyskhione

(Drarry, rated T, 136.5k)

An eighth year fic where everyone in Hogwarts falls into an unwakeable sleep...except Draco and Harry. Absolutely delectable.

14. A favorite series: Harry Potter & Seven Years of Chaos by Severitus812

(Harry x Fred + Severitus, unrated, 1+ million words; takes place during canon)

When I started this fic, the first six parts were published and part of the seventh. I DEVOURED them in a week, and I still haven't gotten around to finishing it because I'm positive it's going to break my heart. Still, an absolute beast of a story that is so, so fun to experience!

15. The most recent fic you bookmarked: The Best Laid Plans by Drarrymadhatter

(Drarry, Draco x George, Harry x Fred, rated E, 6.6k)

Okay, I’ve bookmarked entirely too many fics since the start of this fest, so to avoid repeats, I’m recommending the last fic I bookmarked BEFORE then. Based on my url, it couldn’t be more perfect — Draco, George, Harry, AND Fred? Absolute perfection. Sexy, sexy perfection.

16. A fic that made you laugh: I WANNA SEE SOME ARSE by thefrancakes

(NottPott, rated E, 10.5k)

From the title of this fic through the end of it, I was laughing. And where I wasn’t, I was fanning myself because. Hot. Damn. I’d never shipped Harry and Theo Nott until reading this.

So many excellent fics here...and yet I'm even MORE excited about the next set of prompts! Until then!

[joah-shipper]

Kinktober 2024

Day 1: Sex Work

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐍𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐩 | 𝐉𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐱 𝐇𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫

________

James' POV

The shining, neon lights bounce off his muscles as he spins around the pole. I can't take my eyes off of him. It's both incredibly hot, but also impressive how he is able to do such an art.

I'm actually glad now that I agreed to come here with Eldon and West tonight. It’s been a few weeks since I broke up with my long-time boyfriend, Alfie, and I guess they noticed I wasn’t exactly doing the best about that. The less they know that most of that was due to how Alfie was as a person in general though, the better.

His eyes lock onto mine, and he gives me a once over. It’s a bit difficult to see, but I think he is smirking.

I’m proven correct on his intentions when the song ends. As, he does some form of

a bow, stuffs the pile of 1 dollar notes into his extremely short shorts, before strutting on right over to me.

“Hey there.” I can hear him easy enough over the music, mostly because his lips are right near my ear. “Noticed you liked my dance. Good that I’m finally getting a decent looking guy here tonight.”

Eldon and West are looking at the two of us now, so I twitch my head to the side to signal for them to go. I’m roll my eyes when they both give me a thumbs up and head back over to the bar.

“Yeah well. You sure have a talent of showing those other guys what they desperately want but can’t have.” His breaths of laughter hit my skin as my fingers reach his large ass, squeezing it.

“Mm, you like that?” I slightly moan as he slowly grinds his crotch into mine, the friction from me wearing jeans making it painful and he more flared up.

“I’d like it a lot more if I was behind you and had you leaned against a wall as I ploughed this fat ass.” This time I slap his cheeks, and he moans himself.

“Fuck! Follow me then.”

~~~

He’s lead me to one of the rooms they have especially for this kind of situation. Though, Hunter (as he has now told me his name) informed me that most people pay to do this. That seems fucked up to me though. It’s one thing to do so for a stripper dance, but paying someone to have sex with you is a whole ‘nother.

On all fours, he’s ready for me on this queen-sized bed, how this place is able to afford one of these for each room, I don’t know. That massive ass of his is up and out, cheeks spread. I rub the tip of my cock between them, teasing his already lubed-up and fingered entrance.

Then, I go right in.

His toes curl into the sheets as all of length sinks deep inside him. His thick butt feels so good around it. Haven’t had many guys like this before. Especially since Alfie always topped.

“Ah fuck! That’s big! I’ve had a lot of guys do this but…fuck…”

His cheeks clap as I begin to thrust, gripping onto his wide hips, noises covered over by the bed squeaking.

“Yeah, you like that? Like having this huge cock rail this sexy ass?!” I spank him again, leaving a red hand-print. Hunter moans/gasps loudly in response.

We keep going for what feels like we’ll over an hour. Eventually our lips come together, noises travelling from our own mouth to the other’s. My bottom lip is definitely gonna be a bit cut after. Though that is partially my fault.

“Fuck fuck fuck! Yes! Right there! Right there! Holy fucking-ah!”

With one last thrust, he shoots all over the sheets. I’m not long after. Pulling out of him, I take the condom off and rapidly jerk myself off. Soon enough, I’m finishing all over his broad back.

I slump over after, face near his gaping hole. Hunter turns around to show me that smirk, just like before.

“I’d ask if that was what you needed to get over that slump I saw you in when you first came in here. But, I’m pretty sure I already have my answer.”

[gardeningforfun0714]

Hi everyone,

For those that may not recognize my username, I’m Maisy. My main blog is @mabrego0714 I’m an artist and often post Star Wars art (along with other fandoms). I also have a writing blog @writingforfun0714 where I write fanfics (I’m not a writer and just do that for fun).

Now I’d like to start a gardening blog where I basically just journal what I have, what I use for my plants, harvests, and maybe even share some garden/plant art as well.

I AM A NOVICE/BEGINNER. I’m still learning and am definitely open to any tips, tricks, and/or hacks to any of my plants but full on hate/condescension/general assholery will not be tolerated because I want this to be a safe space for everyone including:

—disabled/nd folks

—minors

—other beginner gardeners

—literally anyone interested in gardening

So here’s some info about my garden/area.

USA: Zone 9 (a)

Normal climate on an avg day: warm to hot/dry/arid with few days of rain though we’ve gotten more rain than normal this year. Can get windy. I do get hurricane and tornado warnings during those respective seasons.

Soil in my area is incredibly rocky and clay-like so my garden is split into 2 parts: direct-sow and container garden. Also I’ve had plants that require full sun in my yard die due to the intense heat of summer and fall. So that means some full sun plants might need protection and/or partial sun in my area.

Both gardens get sun but direct-sow garden is full sun. Potted plants get morning sun along with partial afternoon shade thanks to my house.

Now for the fun, listing what I already have and the status of them as of this post 6/4/24:

Container garden:

Apple tree—new tree/adding new growth and is currently ~7-8ft tall.

Peach tree—new tree/ has 4 small golf ball sized peaches and is currently ~6-7ft tall.

Olive tree—new tree/new growth and is ~4.5ft tall.

Fig tree/bush?—small but new growth.

Blueberries—I have 4 blueberry plants that range from a small fruiting bush to plants that are recovering from a fungal infection. I originally got 3 of them when they were packed in clay soil and developed blueberry blight (they were on clearance) and thought I could save them despite no knowledge of gardening/taking care of any kind of plant. I got some organic fungicide and changed the soil, adding in organic soil acidifier. They are currently recovering and adding new growth which I’m extremely proud of cuz I thought they would all die—which led me to buying the 4th one just in case the others didn’t make it. I’ll make a whole post about them later.

Raspberries—new plants with small buds growing. Currently ~2ft-3ft tall. I have 2 for pollination.

Blackberries—thorny vine producing fruit. I also have a thornless variety that is a small plant with new growth on it.

Elderberries—small bush that hasn’t flowered despite it being 2yrs old. Maybe it needs a pollinator?

Potatoes—I have 2 5gal buckets of potatoes. One has the plants yellowing/dying off and almost ready to harvest while the other bucket still has new growth.

Tomatoes—Lots of varieties that range from seedling, new growth to producing. Will make a tomato post as well.

Carrots—new growth and all carrots have their secondary leaves.

Onions—Chives specifically, rather small but still green and healthy.

Peppers—seedlings (we grew all our peppers from seed this year which takes longer and my dad and I started a bit late).

Chile pequin—established, flowering and producing small bush. Native plant in my area.

Green beans—producing

Cucumbers—flowering, about to produce

Native wildflowers—just past seedling, also doing great since I planted these way too late.

Daisies—seedlings

Radishes—They were doing well but we had high winds recently that wrecked them so I’m hoping they’ll come back.

Grapes—1 small 4ft vine from an online nursery and 2 fruiting vines about 6ft-7ft tall from Lowes. All green grapes.

Direct-sow/Ground Garden:

Corn—new growth, ~2ft tall with 1-inch thick stalks.

Tomatoes—Lemon boy hybrid, Super Sweet 100 hybrid, that are both flowering.

Pole beans—producing

Yellow Lantana—FLOWER. it migrated and exploded in my direct-sow garden. Doing great.

Melon patch—Mostly watermelon with cantaloupe. Everything is doing incredibly well and the watermelon have started to vine. I’ve got classic red sugar baby watermelon along with orange watermelon and yellow golden honey watermelon. Different color watermelon is common where I’m at. Will make a separate post for my melon patch too.

Exotic/Tropical/Cacti and Succulents/Unusual: I believe zones 9+ can grow lots of tropical fruit (but not all)

Pineapples—grown from tops. New growth but no flowers. All 3 are in a clay pot.

Pink Lemonade Blueberries—small plant with new growth. No flowers. Bought from online nursery early May ‘24.

Golden Raspberries—small plant with new growth. No flowers. Bought from online nursery early May ‘24. I have 2 for pollination.

Papaya—new tree with new growth but no flowers. ~3ft tall. I have 2 for pollination.

Pink Guava—new tree with new growth but no flowers. ~3ft tall. I have 2 for pollination.

I believe that’s it. So I think that’s all the important stuff I’ll include for my intro post but feel free to message me if you have a question or just wanna talk about gardening🌱🌿💚

Have a pic of one of the big grape vines I have. For reference it’s taller than me (I’m 5’3”). I will make posts about each plant this summer so get ready for that. If anyone has something they wanna see from the list, lemme know💚

Below the cut is a bit about me, how I got into gardening, why I’m doing it now, what I hope to achieve and future plans for my garden. Thanks to those that like/reblog this and it’s never too late to plant. Happy gardening🥰

I was lucky enough to grow up with a garden during my early childhood years thanks to my dad. My dad had me late in life (he was 45) and he grew up around his farmer grandparents, and his green-thumbed mother who could make anything grow but mostly grew flowers in her garden. Our garden wasn’t much but it produced a lot. It consisted of cherry tomatoes, green beans, cucumbers and corn, at least at first. Then my dad added sunflowers, melons, and peppers. It was great and I loved going out with my dad and helping him. Sadly life got in the way when I was 7 and I experienced a lot of trauma. My parents divorced and that was the end of the garden because my mom had no time or interest in the upkeep of the garden. I had tried myself but things started to die one by one.

Years and years would pass that I wouldn’t even consider gardening. I was too busy with trauma/family/school etc to focus on gardening. It wasn’t until I graduated high school that I really started to think seriously about gardening to produce food to survive. In college I started to research gardening in my spare time (being an artist, I was in school for animation and illustration) and after dropping out, I decided to pursue gardening as a way to get up and outside especially with the pandemic.

I think around the time of the pandemic, I started researching different kinds of gardens and fell in love with the idea of a food forest. I told my dad about my new interest in gardening and I think that also inspired him to also get back into it as well and now it’s our shared activity we do.

I’d love to eventually get a large enough harvest to share with friends and family and I will definitely be expanding my garden this year as well. There was lots of construction last year in my neighborhood which drove all the pests and insects towards my garden and discouraged me so lots of my plants (all the trees/most of the berries) I bought this year are new and I haven’t grown 95% of what I have now so I’m super excited.

[ayliamc]

Italia

Day 9 - Comedy of Errors

Steps walked: 26,411

Flights climbed: 15

Vehicles ridden: 2

Points of interest visited: I don’t even know anymore.

Ancient things spotted: too many

Too much of a good thing. All good things. Pick your favorite aphorism. Today was a bust.

The disappointment started when we woke up before sunrise to pop down to the Ponte Vecchio (just downstairs) to see the sunrise. Yesterday would have been a perfect day. Instead today was totally overcast so we got a Timelapse of a whole bunch o’ nothin’, and a few pictures on the bridge before it swarmed with people.

It pained me to leave Firenze. Especially as the walk to the train station took place before people had woken, when the streets were mostly empty, just how I like it. I didn’t want to tear my eyes away from the past, from Leonardo’s world, the wellspring of the art mouth. But alas.

We made it early to the train station to find our train delayed. It gave Dan enough time to find us vegan croissants for the ride. I’m counting this as a win. Another win: our seats were not next to each other. BUT. We gambled and sat together and no one came to us angrily demanding we move. Another win. The journey into Roma was uneventful. We arrived and made the exhausting journey with luggage in tow to our stay, about a twenty minute walk from the train station.

The apartment wasn’t ready for us, but they let us drop our luggage off, able to return after 3. Our first stop was the crypt of the Capuchin Monks. When Dan first told me about the crypts decorated with the capuchin bones, my mind immediately went to the monkeys and I thought, “Those poor monkeys!” To which Dan responded “I’m sure they had their consent,” referring of course to the monks. The confusion comes from the fact that there are both monkeys AND monks called Capuchin. The monks were named first. We didn’t get to see the catacombs when we were in Paris so I was all for seeing some bones. Welp. Right off the bat they took our money and told me I couldn’t have bare shoulders. I had nothing to cover my shoulders on me because it was a hot and sunny afternoon. They charged me a euro for a paper gown to cover up. This is a loss. And put me in a real sour mood. As you can see.

Especially considering the first thing we saw was a mutilated tortured body on a crucifix. But my shoulders are too inappropriate. They talk about it being a holy place and I can hear anyone arguing in their favor that it’s a way to be respectful blah blah blah. My being respectful is paying admission to learn about your culture without shouting “everything you believe is a lie!” Bare shoulders and bare knees being covered isn’t a sign of respect. It’s a sign of control.

They also make you walk thru a museum before you get to the cool stuff, and give you some audio guide which I bailed on immediately because it was some insufferable two-person-play about who gives a shit. Not me. Which is why I bailed. The museum also wasn’t interesting. It was a lot of religious artefacts that weren’t by any artists I’m interested in. So we sort of walked quickly thru to get to the crypts. Of course they take away the most important part of visiting a cool place: taking pictures. If you have no pictures, did it even happen? If you have no pictures, were you even there?

Yes, we were there.

We left in record time and decided to get lunch to stave off any more potential grumpiness. There was a vegan restaurant super close to the next thing we wanted to visit, the Ecstasy of Saint Teresa.

Vegan restaurant had no openings for people sans reservations. Another loss. Followed by a little win! Twenty paces back we had passed by a vegetarian Indian restaurant so we grabbed lunch there after some difficulty in deciphering the Italian/hindi menu. A little spicy but pretty good.

Then we looked up the super nearby Ecstasy, available to view for free at the Santa Maria della Vittoria… closed. Opens at 3:30. Hours away. Another loss. We toyed with killing time since we were so close to the church and so so tired of walking, and we meandered thru a nearby park and sat down but ultimately decided to head back to the room. We tried taking a route past both the Villa Medici and the Keats-Shelley house, two nearby buildings that had housed — you guessed it — the Medicis and the poet Keats (but not either of the Shelleys though I’m sure they all spent plenty of time there, and apparently Mary’s desk is there. You know, the one in which she kept Percy’s calcified heart?) but we didn’t even and instead trudged back to the room. ‘Twas literally a trudge. We were both so tired, our feet and legs hurting. We have logged like three marathons worth of miles in the last week. We are feeling it.

We tried three times to pick up a few groceries — namely bread — for breakfast and long story short we were unsuccessful. The slightly longer version involves bread that was behind an unmanned counter that I fetched [against the rules] and subsequently tried to pay for being snatched out of my hand and angrily thrown away while a woman yelled at me in Italian.

Empty handed, we collapsed on the bed at our apartment and took an angry nap while I obsessed over the unpleasant interaction with that woman, even in sleep. (I have a condition. In which I obsess. I was born this way.)

Dan made me a cup of tea and he had a cup of coffee as we braced ourselves to try to salvage the day. We had reservations for a vegan restaurant that has cats, the Romeow Cat Bistrot. It was high on my list in Roma but regrettably far from our accommodations. (An hour walk!) So we found a few points of interest semi-along the way and headed out, our legs and feet only mildly rested.

First stop: the Mouth of Truth. Closed for the night.

Second stop: Circus Maximus. Closed. For an event next weekend.

Third stop: Aventine Hill. Dark. The sun has set. Shitty views of the city. There’s a keyhole that you can look thru for a great view. The line was about a hundred people deep and moving slowly. But because everything else we had planned to see was closed, we got in line to kill time and maybe get a good view after all, even if it was dark. Dan grabbed a beer while we waited, I waved away a bunch of cigarette smoke from the people in line ahead of us, we moved up about 50 spaces in half an hour, and then decided to bail. We had enough time to get to the cat bistrot in time for the reservations we had to make two weeks ago, and there was no chance of getting to the keyhole in time. Another bust.

A quick aside here to address the things we’ve encountered during our numerous walks thru Roma:

- These drivers are the craziest drivers in all of Italia. We haven’t gotten hit, but it is a true battle of wills. Who wants to go more? You? Or the driver? Or that other driver? Let’s find out and godspeed.

- Firenze felt like an old city. This feels like a modern city filled with old shit. Everywhere you look: ruins. What the hell is that ruin? Don’t know. It’s clearly not that important. It’s not even on Google maps.

- Seriously with the ruins tho. Our host in Venezia excitedly told us about an old wall, “the first wall” I dunno what he said, right next to the train station. Sure enough there it was. No signs, nothing. Barely even worth looking at. Dan felt mildly obligated because our Venetian host was so nice but I was too tired to take the few steps in that direction. No regrets. We’ve walked by like a hundred other 2,000 year old things that are just by the side of the road. Or two hundred buildings that are 1,000 years old with AC window units, clearly apartments now. Anyway it’s like… enough.

We made it to Romeow before they opened at 8, which was also the time for our reservation, and joined the small, growing crowd of people waiting to be let in. There’s been a lot of joking about how Roma is ruined after the day we’ve had, much to Dan’s particular chagrin as he not only has such fond memories of visiting this city in the past, but I had no initial interest in coming here so the pressure is on. So it was easy to joke about walking home without dinner and call the whole day a wash when they were ten minutes late to let us in. But we could see some sleepy cats in the window. They let us in two at a time thru a two-door system to prevent any critters from escaping, and we were seated upstairs. Only one cat joined us on the second level; a little black rascal who played a little bit but otherwise stretched out luxuriously on one of the many cat lounge areas set up. They have a strict “no flash” policy and seem to care a lot about the welfare of the cats. Lots of toys, perches, and escapes from unwanted attention. Booklets on every table reminding patrons not to pick up the cats or wake them and to let the cats set the tone of any interactions.

The cats all seemed super chill. I wish they’d come over to us, tho. We got to pet two of them. A black one and a white one. Both friendly but mostly uninterested. The food was good.

I managed to convince Dan to take the metro home because it was such a straightforward journey. We even managed to snag a baguette on the way! But we did get yelled at about a tomato and she wouldn’t let us buy it because we hadn’t weighed it. What the hell, Roma? It shouldn’t be this hard to buy groceries. Anyway, the metro was easy and fast — once we got the tickets, which was as complicated and frustrating as Italia’s track record might suggest. But it worked out. We made it home after breaking our daily step count record and I even killed a mosquito before bed.

Let’s see what tomorrow brings.

[nickgerlich]

Doing A 360.

A couple of years ago, we went to one of those traveling Van Gogh immersive experiences. It was a little pricey, but it was fun. I thoroughly enjoyed being surrounded by floor-to-ceiling video. It allowed me to enjoy Van Gogh’s works in a way that books and reproductions in art galleries could ever begin to accomplish.

But what if we could harness some of this presentation style and use it to sell things? A year ago, TIME Magazine said that such augmented reality (AR) is the future of online shopping. And this year, Target is doubling down on it, at least when it comes to toy shopping.

As a side note, Toys ‘R Us, take note. Target is doing something you cannot do in an airport or on a cruise ship, or even inside a Macy’s boutique shop. Their new 360-degree immersive online shopping experience is top-shelf, and stands head and shoulders above everything that Toys ‘R Us and all the other toy retailers can offer.

I took it for a test drive, and all I can say is this: If I were a kid, I’d be busy writing my Wish List right about now. Oh, and sharing the link with Mom and Dad. It’s that cool.

Target is also trying to make bank this holiday season with a slew of toys at $25 or less, in response to inflation concerns and a tight economy. Make it cool, make it cheap, and wait for the shopping carts—virtual and IRL—to fill up. All this comes at a time when analysts are predicting record online discounts this shopping season.

And the rationale for an online sales pitch is compelling, because only three-percent of children 18 and under do not have internet access, either via a computer (93%) or smartphone (4%). Mom and Dad don’t have to take them shopping these days, because they can do it all at home, and hopefully without a POS (Parent Over Shoulder) to monitor.

The timing is also just as expected, because Target announced not long ago it would be launching its Christmas campaign the first week of October. They did not disappoint.

Immersive shopping allows for maximum interactivity in a virtual space. “Hot spots” on the screen are clickable, which spawn a pop-up to the side with full product details. Users can easily spend significant amounts of time on the site, which, of course, is the whole idea. In the land where engagement is king, Target is poised to become royalty.

Target’s offerings once again feature collaborations with long-time toy seller FAO Schwarz. These items are available only at Target. Other exclusives include the Disney100 Retro Reimagined Collection. I’m betting these will all be hot items this season. Anything to make your site a destination is shrewd.

And including entertainment in the online arena is just smart marketing, especially at a time when all the big retailers have websites. For kids and anyone else stuck in Short Attention Span Theatre, this is golden. Heck, I bet there might even be parents who are toy collectors perusing the site.

Because there’s a kid locked up inside everyone of us adult folks. Shopping at Target online this year may not be quite as much fun as the Van Gogh event, but it’s a nice alternative to otherwise mundane online shopping. I’m ready to take the plunge.

Dr “Full Immersion” Gerlich

Audio Blog

[criedoverspiltmilkz]

So Hello…

I admit, a 4 year hiatus suddenly and without warning is probably not good ill-advised. I sort of, well…

I forgot. I literally forgot I had a blog. Crazy, I know! But true. There were also a lot of other things that happened in my life that have led me to where I am now. Whoops I guess? I had 3 kids, bought a house and adopted 2 kittens honestly, have been through it for the last couple years. Coming out of an abusive relationship, discovering I’m autistic, meeting the love of my life, getting a job, accepting who I really am and getting ready to start university really takes a toll on you. I’m getting there. But hey, you live and you learn. You’re due an updated about me…

ABOUT ME

I’m Milk/Kass, I will go by either. I use he/they pronouns and I label myself as nonbinary. I’m 19 and live in the UK. I like to travel, play games of all varieties and cook for the most part. I don’t really have a favourite colour but if I had to choose I would probably say red.

I play dungeons and dragons when I’m able and have been running campaigns for over a year (it’s a whole thing). It really opened my eyes as to what I want to do for the rest of my life. I’m a gamer through and through and designing games is for me. I also do art. I promise I have improved. I love telling stories in any form I can, whether it be acting , writing or drawing. I guess you can say I’m a creative at heart.

I don’t really keep track of my personality types anymore but I like to keep my irl circles quite small and I struggle to keep up contact with people, making it difficult to maintain some friendships. I’m open to talk most of the time although I am extremely busy with my job at the moment. I like to have specific schedules and struggle when things change.

I love burritos, like so much. Especially pork burritos. Or char siu bao buns. Or my partner’s mum’s shepherd’s pie. If I had to pick a favourite savoury food…those would be my top three. My favourite sweet treats are probably maple pecan plaits, hot cookie dough and pistachio chocolates. I’m very partial to a lemon iced tea at the moment as well and will rarely say no to a diet pepsi (NOT COKE).

I listen to a lot of music but my current favourite artists are Chappell Roan, Jesse Detor, Taylor Swift, Twenty One Pilots and Conan Gray. I don’t think that list will change too much. My favourite songs right now are Peter (Taylor Swift), Red Wine Supernova (Chappell Roan), Backslide (Twenty One Pilots) and Mirror (Jesse Detor).

As I mentioned before, I enjoy playing games. Some of my recent plays include Baldur’s Gate 3, Beacon Pines, Stray Gods, Paper Mario: A Thousand Year Door, Tears of the Kingdom, Mario Odyssey and a LOT of Pokemon games. I also collect Pokemon cards (gambling).

I don’t watch much anime anymore (due to not having time) but I am STILL a fan of haikyuu and mha. I don’t think that will ever change. I’m currently watching Criminal Minds for the first time and it’s very fun to watch. Voltron: Legendary Defender will always have my heart too.

I don’t know how active I’ll be but I will try. That’s all anybody can do.