#i want so badly to make it for another 30 years at least

[inamindfarfaraway]

AITA for paying my employee minimum wage?

I can’t believe I’m doing this, but I suppose unusual events may call for unusual responses. I (male in my 70s) am a wealthy businessman, landlord and moneylender, making most of my income from rent and debts. My clerk (male in his 30s) is my only employee. He has a family with a few kids, not sure how many. I pay him a perfectly respectable minimum wage for his position and I even gave all of tomorrow off with pay for Christmas, despite my opinion that a frivolous holiday is not that good a reason to skip work. He’s worked for me for many years and never once complained about his pay or conditions. He might not particularly enjoy his job either, but he doesn’t have to. It’s work, not play. Hell, I don’t particularly enjoy my job.

However, this evening… I heard another point of view. You’d never believe me if I told you everything and it feels like a dream - I’d certainly like it to be a dream, but I don’t see how I could have thought of it - but let’s just say that I was visited by an old friend. He’d been my business partner (male in his late 60s). Seven years ago he… left and I never expected to see him again. He came back though, apparently just to tell me off. He’s not doing well. He’s been travelling among all sorts of people and deeply disturbed by what he’s seen. The plight of ‘mankind’ and all that. He made a big deal about how I should be nicer to people and more generous and such, as if it were a matter of life and death. Last I knew we were on the same page about everything, but just now he looked at me like I was a criminal. Or an asshole, as it were. I don’t understand it.

I want to stress that nothing I’m doing is illegal. None of my business, none of how I treat my clerk. Well, I imagine that technically, if you were being harsh, you could argue that occasionally my conduct toward him falls under ‘harassment’, but I think that’s a stretch. When I’m strict, it’s out of valid concern for productivity. I am truly dedicated to my work; all I ask is that my clerk be the same. If he needs more money so badly, he should have the guts to ask for it and explain himself (I’d still have to consider my answer, but at least I’d know that he felt that way) or just find a different job or perhaps, heaven forbid, be a bit more financially responsible. If he has to scrape together Christmas festivities, maybe he shouldn’t bother celebrating it at all, for example. Why spend his money on that instead of food or clothes? Or keeping or investing it? I’ve saved as much as possible and I’m all the better off for it. I think it’s far more likely that he simply wants more than he deserves - if he does want a raise, which he hasn’t said! He agreed to this pay. We made an arrangement, and based on the stable routine of all these years, it benefits both of us. I don’t know why my friend thinks there’s a problem.

But he does. He was… he was seriously unhappy with me. I’ve never known him to be so sentimental, and he wouldn’t get that emotional for absolutely no reason, so here I am. Am I ‘the asshole’ for paying my employee a completely legal and normal minimum wage?

Update:

I think I probably am the asshole here. I’ve read your feedback, done a lot of reflection, taken quite the walk down memory lane, and among other things I remembered my old boss and how he treated me. He dominated so much of my life, he could have done the bare minimum or made me miserable, but he was nice. He just chose to be kind. Like he asked “Why not?” when I always tend to ask “Why?”. And he payed me better than I pay my employee, especially relative to his income. I can definitely afford to give my clerk a raise, and treat him with more respect while I’m at it. Authority is a powerful thing. I’ve… I’ve been taking advantage of it. I’ve been taking my clerk for granted. But he’s a good worker and he deserves to be rewarded. I’ll raise his pay when he comes back in on Boxing Day.

Thank you for your advice. I don’t appreciate the insults - I am not a parasite, I have pulled myself up with my own honest work, and there’s nothing wrong with getting ahead when it’s eat or be eaten. We all do what we have to do. But I should also do more. So in hindsight, much of your criticism was accurate and warranted. Good for you. I know it’s a bad time and you must all busy and/or tired. I wasn’t planning to stay up this late. I will now hopefully get some sleep.

Should I say goodbye? I don’t know what I’m doing, I’ve never done this before. What the hell, why not? Goodnight.

Update:

So. Some more stuff happened and I ended up going for a… a walk, an extremely normal walk, and meeting my clerk’s family. Or at least seeing them. It’s hard to explain. What time is on your computer clocks, by the way? I think mine is broken. Anyway, my clerk is like, Poor. Poor poor. And I’m a huge asshole. I knew theoretically that the minimum wage and the living wage are not the same, but I never really thought about the effects of that, I didn’t want to think about it, but I am now! I’m beyond an asshole, I’m a piece of shit!

This family, they’re struggling so much and they have so many other problems and I’ve kept them living on a pitiful salary. One of their children is sick. I don’t know exactly what it is, but it’s bad and it’s getting worse. There is a treatment that could help him, but it’s expensive and they can’t afford it, his parents know they can’t afford it, and if he doesn’t get it… I don’t know how long this kid has left. He’s the sweetest little boy and he might not even grow up. These parents love their kids with everything they have, but they can’t fix this. But! But I’m right here! I’ve been right here with all this money all this time, and I never bothered to ask about his family or care or help. It would have been so easy. I wish I’d realised all of this years earlier. I’m such a piece of shit. But I still have time and a plenty of money. I’m going to help. I’ll do everything I can. I promise.

Also, I am sorry for my replies to some of your comments on my original post. I was spiteful and insensitive. I’ve been… very angry for a very long time, more at the world in general than anything else, and in the habit of taking it out on whoever I could. I need to stop that. I’ll add it to the list. Consider those replies redacted. Once again, thank you for your feedback and goodnight. Merry Christmas. I hope you get enough sleep if you’re awake in my time zone at this hour.

update

do you ever think about how we’re all going to die? we could all die at any moment. we never know when we never know how much time we get and that’s why life is sososo precious and you have to use it wisely. but i have not! done that! i’m old i could die any day now. i could die today and what would i have to show? for my entire great big life? loads of money i’m never gonna use? i always thought that how much of something you had was about how you spent it. money and time. what you get is what you give or deserve. but it’s not! it’s mostly just luck and other people. most rich people are just born rich already. then it’s easy to get richer from there. i wasn’t born rich not really but i had a lot of help, a good school, a good boss, my friend, and now that i am rich i do less work for more money. it’s not fair. i’ve fucked up so much for so long and yet i have so much money and i’ve had so much time and i’ve wasted both of them. i don’t need all that money in the first place but that’s what i’ve spent my whole life on, why? what’s the point?

and then on the other hand you have the fact that. children are dying right now. whenever you’re reading this. loads and load of them all over when they don’t have to. fucking kids. and innocent people good people amazing people who are happy who make people happy who use their time infinitely better than i have don’t earn any reward. they don’t get any justice. most people have less than they need and meanwhile so many bastards have so much more. why? what’s the point of it?

why is it like this? why is the world like this? like we waste so much food and water and money so why don’t we just give it to poor people if we’re not going to use it? why do you have to pay for it if there’s so much why can’t? and like rent why do people have to pay rent? why can’t you just live somewhere? or medicine why do you have to pay for that? it’s. it’s life! why do we have to pay for LIFE when you don’t choose to be born? it’s not right.

and i know that there are laws and politics deciding those big things. but we can still make it better right? we can make a difference can’t we? even though there are so many massive problems like poverty and war and hunger and so many people who aren’t helping when they could. it still matters right? being good. even though you’re just one person. right?

why do kids have to die when they don’t have to die

it’s not fair. it’s not fair

i’m sorry. i shouldn’t even be posting this. it’s just venting and rambling and it probably doesn’t make any sense. i swear to god i’m not drunk or high i’m just having a really weird night. it’s like i’ve shut out a million things over decades and tonight they’re all flooding in at once.

i just. i feel like i’m dying and i need to get these thoughts out of my head. i need to know that they’re real and i’m real and i’m alive. i need to know that it matters.

i’m sorry. i’m so sorry.

UPDATE!

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!!!!!!!!!!! I am not dead and I don’t think I’m crazy, I honestly feel the best I have in ages, and I will not elaborate on last night because that’ll only raise more questions but I will say this! I paid for my clerk’s Christmas dinner and I’m gonna give him a gigantic raise! I also donated a fuckton to charity! Thank you all so much I love you!!!!!

Update:

Happy Boxing Day, everyone. After that rollercoaster, I thought I ought to formally conlude this strange saga. My clerk came back to work this morning and I gave him his raise and a profound apology, as well as paid leave until a couple of days after New Year’s. To call him surprised would be an understatement. It was very fun. I totally understand if he chooses to get a new job now, but I hope we keep in touch. He’s a wonderful person. And I’d like to know if his son will be okay.

Although I haven’t got far yet (I’ve been catching up with family, I was the asshole there too, but no need to dump that baggage on you now that it’s being resolved), I am planning to make some major reforms to my business strategies. I’ve lowered rent on my properties to something affordable, for a start. I’m also researching charities and community projects. I have a great deal of moral debt to redeem. You can make a difference and I’m gonna prove it.

Many thanks for your support and concern, and rest assured that I’m in about as good health as I can be at this age, with the caveat of a mild hangover after a Christmas party. Turns out I like parties. I am processing that… ah, crisis, and I have people who care about me and a strong resolve to ground me. I will look into therapy.

I wish you all the best. I meant it, so I’ll repeat it: I love you. And my old friend, if you’re reading this wherever you are now, thank you for that intervention. It was worth it. I hope you’re doing better and we can talk again someday.

[candycannibal]

.

[withahappyrefrain]

⭐ 60 Fun Meet Cutes ⭐

1) A and B’s coffee orders are identical. Confusion (and promised calls) occur.

2) A always steals B’s parking spot and normally they wouldn't say anything but not today asshole!

3) A and B are seated next to each other at the singles table for a wedding.

4) B owns a bookshop and A really needs this book because their book club meeting is in two days.

5) A is a doctor/nurse treating B for an injury, but B won't stop flirting.

6) A pretends to be B’s significant other because they can tell that creep is bothering B.

7) They meet at the dog park and their dogs won't stop playing with one another.

8) They meet at the dog park and B’s dog won't stop following A’s!

9) They're both at a party and notice the other is sitting alone on the couch so we join.

10) They get volun-told to do a karaoke duet by their respective friend groups.

12) A and B’s families have been trying to set them up for years. They meet by accident.

13) A runs a stand at the local farmers market that B loves (the owner being cute and sweet is a major plus too).

14) They grab the same book at the library.

15) “You have the wrong number, but stay on!”

16) A and B have been set up on a blind date together. Neither one of them expect it to go well, given their mutual friend's track record.

17) A and B both want the last pack of cigarettes. It's not even for themselves, but they'll certainly argue about it.

18) "Hi, I'm pretty sure I saw you on a dating app and while I swiped right, you did not and wow you're beautiful in person."

19) A’s a tour guide for B, who is currently supervising a field trip of twenty seven-year olds.

20) A is B’s least favorite author but they don't realize until halfway through their rant.

21) "Hey, my friend is into your friend. But they're too scared to make a move, can you help me get them together?"

22) They're at the grocery store and A can't reach the item on the top shelf, so B helps them.

23) “Hey, so I helped your grandparent cross the street and they insisted that I meet you, their grandchild.”

24) It's their high school reunion and A is like eighty percent sure B was their lab partner, unfortunately B has no idea what they're talking about.

25) A’s friends insisted on going to a strip club for a bachelor/bachelorette party and A is really enjoying their time talking to B, the hostess.

26) An unexpected torrential downpour happens and they end up taking shelter at the same place.

27) “I'm your neighbor and I swear to God, if you don't turn that music down-"

28) They’re both PhD students and their dissertations contradict each other's and boy, are they going to have some intense eye contact about it.

29) B is A’s child's new teacher and their kid won't stop mentioning that their parent is single.

30 “I'm so sorry, but my friends won't stop bothering me until I get someone's number tonight, it doesn't have to be your real one, I'm just so tired of their shenanigans.”

31) A is the hot firefighter who visits B’s classroom to talk about safety.

32) A and B are paired up for a roller coaster and one of them needs to hold the other's hand to get through the ride.

33) “Look, your date may not want to dance with you, but I certainly will!”

34) They're both celebrities and their fans ship them so A and B do an interview together for their respective press tours.

35) They're both on the bus and A is reading the book B’s been wanting so badly and they gotta know if it's good or not because the waitlist at the library is ridiculous.

36) They're at an art museum and have wildly different interpretations of the same portrait.

37) It's been arranged by their families for A and B to marry as a peace treaty. When they meet for the first time, they bond over their families fighting

38) "Do you mind if I sit here? There are no other seats available."

39) A doesn’t know why their friend's girlfriend invited them to their coworker's nephew's bar mitzvah but they have a stain from the chocolate fountain and B is an angel with their Tide to go stick.

40) “If you don't fix your collar/tie/hat, I will do it myself!”

41) “The food in your grocery store cart looks so good, what are you making?"

42) A sees B at the Renaissance Fair and is determined to give B a rose.

43) They're both at the eye doctor and can't figure out which glasses to buy.

44) They end up sitting next to each other in a movie theater during a horror movie, and cling to each other for moral support

45) A owns a flower shop and B just needs the courage to go inside and say hello.

46) B’s dog somehow got out and A find it. Yes, it's late at night but from B’s voice over the phone, A knows they need to return this dog STAT.

47) A has always signed up to bring the dessert for their work's potluck. Who does B think they are taking their slot?

48) A’s friends signed them up for a dating app and set them up on a date with B without A’s knowledge.

49) B’s running an adoption event and A doesn’t even like animals but my God, is B so damn cute with them.

50) They're spies who have to pretend to be a couple for an assignment.

51) They’re professors who teach the same course but disagree over teaching methods.

52) A is B’s friend's asshole boss and B is just trying to drop off C’s lunch without strangling A.

53) A’s a witch who run a shop. B barges in, asking about the best curse to give someone (without killing them of course).

54) A is a hairdresser at a fancy salon and B shouldn't be spending $150 on a haircut but they need to talk to A.

55) A is a personal trainer and B is their client and A knows they need to keep it professional but it's really hard!

56) A is the photographer and B’s the caterer for the worst wedding ever.

57) It's the county Fair and A has lost their niece/nephew, so they ask B for help.

58) A is having a horrendous case of writer’s block, B works at the cafe A has been staying in for the past few days and is very concerned.

59) Hades and Persephone AU bc why not

60) A is a tattoo artist and it's B's first time getting a tattoo.

[that-ineffable-devil]

Long post incoming, but I've been on and off it for days so you're gonna see it.

On Charles and Love

I think there's a lot more to Charles' reaction to Edwin's confession than what we may first assume.

Charles loves harder than anyone, but I don't think he even knows what it means or feels like to be IN love--or to be loved back. This isn't a dig at Edwin, so don't @ me. This has to do with Charles' past.

When Edwin first confesses on the steps of Hell, Charles doesn't even hesitate with his response: "Great, love you too, can we go now?" He does love Edwin, one way or another. He hasn't needed to examine that love any further. He doesn't think Edwin could mean it that way, because Edwin probably has never given any indication of feeling that for anyone. Perhaps he didn't think Edwin capable of love in that way. Perhaps it's his own repressed sexuality. Perhaps it's the feeling that he is inherently unlovable. Perhaps it's a combination of things.

On Edwin's and Charles' Repression

Look, Edwin is clearly autistic and heavily emotionally repressed--he's British, from 1916, and male. That's the perfect storm of emotional repression. But he clearly feels and feels deeply--he just doesn't always let on about it. (Which is such a nice thing to see for autistic representation, the "unfeeling alien" trope ain't it.)

And even though they've been together for 30 years, they clearly do not talk about deep emotions much, because it makes Edwin uncomfortable and Charles probably wouldn't manage to get much out before cracking a joke instead--it's his defense mechanism.

As for his own repression, Charles grew up in the 80s as a biracial kid with an abusive father. He was also at least questionably queer while alive: he was part of an alt crowd, wore eyeliner, and wore a single dangly earring. Now that doesn't mean for certain he's queer or questioning, but it IS a pretty common code in media and storytelling. And I imagine no small part of his father's excuses for abusing Charles had to do with "beating the queer out of him." Of COURSE that led to repression--how could it not?

On Feeling Unlovable

And the feeling that he's inherently unlovable? Does he really feel that way? I think so.

He wants it. He wants to be loved so badly. And because of that, he tries so hard. He tries to stay light and happy and kind, even when he's suffering underneath--he has his own flavor of emotional repression. Because if he can't be loved, he can at least be liked.

And he doesn't just want people to like him, he needs them to like him, because he needs to know he's likable. Because there's safety in being likable. There's safety in being funny and friendly and "a good sort of chap." It's proof he's not the monster his father was--the monsters his friends were. It's his shield. The shield he uses to protect himself from the world, yes, but also to protect the world from him. Or at least, who he thinks he is, deep down.

It's also, in his mind, his only chance at being loved. His only chance at staying loved. Because love is earned. Because love is the reward for good behavior. At least, that's how it was as a kid, right? And that's all he knows. He died before he could experience any other kind of love--besides the love between himself and Edwin, which is its own complicated matter.

The other difficult aspect of growing up in a household where love and affection were weaponized and where violence is an acceptable reaction to anger, is how it radically alters your perception of love and family.

You crave the love and validation you never received, but you also fear it and don't believe it's real when it comes without strings.

You struggle to identify love in healthy relationships because if it doesn't hurt, then is it really love?

And even though you crave it more than anything, you're afraid of it. You're afraid for things to get real, because real love--or your understanding of it--is dangerous.

Because love is a weapon and you can't bear for anyone to use it against you again.

Hurt People Hurt People...Sometimes

Trauma manifests differently in each person. There are some commonalities, but it's never exactly the same. I know the saying is "hurt people hurt people" and that's not entirely wrong. But sometimes, hurt people heal people--or at least try to. Charles is in the second group.

Charles never, ever wants anyone to feel the kind of love he knew while he was alive. So he paradoxically loves openly while remaining guarded. His loyalty and devotion are unmatched. He went to Hell for Edwin. But he also never told Edwin the truth about his father until essentially forced to. Because that involves vulnerability. It involves, in his eyes, weakness. And what did vulnerability and "weakness" get him in life? Well...dead.

But he craves reciprocation. He needs to feel like he can be vulnerable, safely. I don't think that Edwin has done anything to make him feel unsafe, but being that they're both emotionally surpressed boys killed by other boys for perceived weaknesses at 16 and the lack of a ghost therapist...it's not all that surprising they haven't dealt with their issues in 30 years.

I think this is why he latches onto Crystal so quickly and easily. Firstly, she's alive: he can at least pretend to ignore his own death for a bit. Secondly, she's his age (sort of) and can see him, which is an uncommon experience at best. Thirdly, again--she's alive, so it can never last--never be real. Either she'll age beyond him, or she'll die and likely be taken to her afterlife. Which he'll happily ignore for the first two reasons.

On Types of Love

I won't get too into this, because I'm in no way an expert in the wide variety of emotions attributed to love. But I will say this: Charles died at 16.

If we set aside the possibility of him being aromantic for now (which he absolutely could be), he may never have had the chance to fall in love while he was alive. If he could even recognize it for what it was. I mean, I'm in my 30s, been married and divorced twice, and I'm still not sure I've ever been in love. At 16, you're drowning in hormones and it can be hard to decipher feelings.

On Arrested Development

If you think about it, his death and subsequent ghostly afterlife are a supernatural version of the arrested development a lot of child abuse survivors experience. But his development arrested literally--he literally CAN'T grow up. At least, not physically.

He may have had 30 years to address his issues, but why would he have thought to? He doesn't have the same responsibilities or needs as a living adult. He's constantly on the job or on the run from Death, he's living with Emotional Repression the Person (my beloved), and frankly...it hurts to examine those problems. How many adults are actively avoiding their own issues?

On the Confession

Edwin, with the most heartwrenching tone of voice since David "I would like to spend" Tennant, makes clear that he's IN love with Charles. And for a moment Charles looks like he's been walloped in the gut with an iron bar, trying to process. But then the trauma-brain kicks in.

He finds the first "logical" explanation to someone (Edwin) telling him they love him: it's a literary reference, and Edwin is...maybe not "messing" with him, but maybe being extra dramatic about this? It can't be real.

But then Edwin gets upset--he's serious about this. And Charles sort of...short-circuits. He can't process this right now, not when they're running for their afterlives. Not when the Night Mother is waiting to split them up. Not when he's barely even begun to process his trauma. So he does everything he can to make sure Edwin knows that, no matter what, he loves him. Maybe not in the same way, but with the same depth.

Because they'll have time. They'll have all the time in the world to figure out what this means. Because they certainly don't right now, and everything Edwin is saying flies directly in the face of every opinion Charles has ever held about himself.

And what the hell is he supposed to do with that?

[amarylliasky]

Number 30! So close!

Another part of the Daffodils and the Meaning of au! I know this au started centered around Choi Han, but I just have too many thoughts about Cale’s life.

Kim Rok Soo, Cale Henituse

Kim Rok Soo, no, Cale didn’t know what to make of his new family.

They were…nice? He supposed? He really didn’t know enough about them to make a solid judgement. At the very least, they seem to genuinely care for him, which is more than he could say for anyone else prior to his adoption. But then again, he thought his uncle had cared about him too. Of course, they looked pretty upset after being told about how his uncle had treated him, so he couple probably rule out the possibility of them beating him.

Small mercies.

He could tell they didn’t know how to act around him. That much is obvious in the way that Mister Hen-Father addressed him. Like he’s talking to a stranger. One with a very familiar face, who happened to look exactly like his dead wife. He couldn’t imagine how it felt. And he’s not quite sure how to act around the man who claimed to be his father either.

The other members of the family weren’t any less awkward, they might be even more so, actually. What do you even say to the long lost son of your father/husband who’s just up and waltzed into your life after years of established relationship?

On all accounts, he is a stranger in this house. He is the only one who doesn’t belong here.

Aside from that fact, he couldn’t say that the last few weeks have been unpleasant. After all, he had a warm bed, clean clothes, and more food than he could eat in a lifetime. In fact, if he were to spend the rest of his life a stranger to these people and only interact with others when addressed, he can’t say he would mind. Aside from the awkward pleasantries with the house’s occupants, the servants are very courteous and only bother him about his well being, an ideal way to live a peaceful life.

At least, that’s what he thought before he met his personal butler and chef.

First of all, he had frequently stated that he didn’t need any servants assigned to him, but the Henituse couple had insisted on at least two. Not wanting to upset them after he’d been treated so well, he had relented to their wishes. But he had almost wished he hadn’t. He’d almost had a heart attack after meeting who would serve him for the foreseeable future.

While the deputy butler who was primarily in charge of his meals and basic needs was a little awkward and quirky, he wasn’t all that bad to have around. No, he wasn’t bad at all. But the other two were where the real problem lied.

His personal butler, Ron was an utterly terrifying man. With a benign smile and all observing eyes, the old man made him feel like prey in front of a predator. He felt like if he made one wrong move, his throat might be slit in his sleep. The man’s son was no less scary.

Beacrox was to be his personal chef, and he was also terrifying. Cale was sure that his knives had been used for more than just cooking before. He was also a germaphobe, but that was the least of Cale’s worries.

Suffice to say, he’d almost keeled over right there and then. However, he couldn’t turn away the servants that his father had personally picked. And it was only made worse when he found out that they had previously been employed by the man’s late wife. His mother. Turning them away would be like insinuating that his mother didn’t know what she was doing hiring them. And he would never insult the dead, he may be a bad person, but he’s not that terrible.

So he was left no choice but to let them be. At least he got some good food out of it. Seriously, Beacrox’s cooking is heavenly. At this point, he wouldn’t mind being poisoned by the chef if it’s from food this good.

Scariness aside, the two didn’t treat him badly. In fact, they treated him like a king! Or how he would imagine a king to be treated. Was this how rich people always lived? He could see the appeal. Maybe he could learn to deal with having them as servants? Of course he can, he’s lived in worse conditions before anyways.

————-

Lately, Ron has noticed some interesting things regarding his new charge.

Young master Cale, who previously went by the name Kim Rok Soo, was quite a shy child. He didn’t talk much, and when he did, it was always in short sentences and said with the utmost respect, even to the servants. Ron began to wonder what this little puppy-like young master’s life was like prior to being taken in by the Henituse couple.

So he’d done some research. According to the staff, the young master was the lost child of the late Jour Henituse. Well, that much was obvious, but what wasn’t quite as obvious was the fact that the boy had apparently been taken in by a different couple and even received a new name altogether.

Kim Rok Soo was said to have lost his parents at the age of six, before staying in an orphanage, then later being taken in by a “relative.” According to various eyewitness reports and the child’s own testimony, that relative had abused him until the authorities were forced to step in and he was again placed in an orphanage.

Here’s the interesting part. Shortly before his being taken in by child services, the boy had been taken to a local hospital by an elderly couple, who took the liberty of paying for his bills and trying to locate any other living relatives. Well, the story goes that the boy’s “uncle” wasn’t related to him at all and in fact, the child hadn’t even been related to his so-called parents. Of course, the boy was ignorant of this fact until a mere few weeks ago when the authorities were finally able to narrow down who the child’s parents actually were. Imagine their surprise when the boy turned out to be the son of Deruth and Jour Henituse.

After they made contact, the Henituse’s wasted no time in bringing the boy home, much to “Kim Rok Soo’s” utter bewilderment. The poor boy must have faced quite the shock from the whole ordeal. He had gone through so much for a child of merely fourteen.

Ron had only met Rok Soo, or Cale, a few days prior. When he’d been offered the position of Cale’s personal butler, he had wasted no time in accepting. He and his son owed their lives to Lady Jour and thus, it was only right to be the ones to serve her only son. As someone who witnessed first hand how devastated she was by the loss of that same son, he felt it was his responsibility to do whatever he could for the boy now. His son Beacrox didn’t have any objections to the idea, even empathizing a bit with the situation, so they’d both made the arrangements and met with the young master shortly after.

Initially, young master Cale had been quite afraid of them, but he’d soon learned to hide it well enough. Well, for most people anyway. Though it was quite amusing to watch the puppy recoil at the lemonade he served, but drink it anyway, his reactions did strike a nerve with Ron. Disregarding the fact that Ron is who he is, the boy was unusually nervous around other people, especially adults. Well, it’s no wonder, with everything that Ron has heard. And he’s sure that the boy has experienced far more than what’s on paper.

Well, it has been too long since he’d done some reconnaissance of his own, he’s feeling a bit rusty. It might be time to repay all his debts in full.

Nonetheless, Ron will continue to serve and observe his new young master for as long as the child needs him. Who knew that he would find a new purpose in his old age? Ho! This boy will surely bring forth many more surprises in the near future.

[angelf1re]

Undercover Care

as a young, broke senior in high school, you take up a babysitting gig, not knowing you’d be babysitting a mafia bosses sons.

As soon as you were in the office you felt out of place. It was a big office, and a very fancy one too. There was a huge window on the wall behind Phil’s desk and a bookshelf that took up the entire right wall. By the left wall there was a leather couch, a glass coffee table, and a very nice rug. You walked closer to the desk, subtly running your hand over it.

“Sandalwood…” you whispered, letting your hand fall to your side. “Please, have a seat.” Phil said, sitting down on the other side of the desk. You nod, sitting on one of the two chairs set in front of the desk. You took a small breath, bouncing your leg subtly. “Now, as you are working here now, there is going to be some ground rules.” Phil said, folding his hands together on top of the desk.

You nod. “That makes sense.” You said, trying not to sound rude. “First, don’t enter rooms without knocking or being invited in. My boys can be iffy about their space.” You hummed, sounded reasonable. “Two, if you make a mess, please make sure to clean it up.” You nod, makes sense.

“Three, no having friends over. Especially when you’re working.” Phil shifted in his seat, now leaning back. “Four, there is a list of names and numbers on the fridge, call any one of them if I am unavailable when something happens.” You nodded, crossing your legs. “Five, if I am not here, please don’t come into my office. Six, if you decide to stay here, even occasionally, don’t leave your room past 9:30. Seven, the boys usually go to bed around 8:00. Don’t disturb them while they get ready for bed.”

You frowned slightly. Why couldn’t you be out past 9:30 if you stayed the night? “That’s all the rules I have, please follow them.” You nodded. “Of course. It would be disrespectful not to.” Phil smiled slightly. “Now. Let’s go meet my boys.” Phil stood, waiting for you to do the same. You quickly did so, making sure you still looked at least somewhat professional. “Techno should be training in the backyard, so we’ll go to him after we meet Tommy and Wilbur.” Phil said, starting to walk towards the door.

You were quick to follow, not wanting to upset him on your first day. ���Tommy is a bit of a…trouble maker. If he gives you too much trouble give me a call and I’ll sort him out.” Phil said, leading you towards a hallway full of rooms. “Techno is more mellow, but he can get a little…violent if provoked. Refrain from angering him.” Phil said, sounding very serious. You nodded, tensing up slightly.

“Wilbur isn’t around often, he’s already got his own place. When he is here he’ll most likely be playing music. If he offers to play for you, just accept. He holds grudges, especially over his music.” You nod along. Wilbur and Tommy didn’t seem too bad, it was Techno you were worried about. What if you accidentally angered him? What if he didn’t like you? What if he tried hurting you? You took gymnastics for a while, but that was years ago, and you doubt it would help you now.

And what about Tommy? What if he was so much worse than Phil was describing him as? You felt bad for thinking so badly of people you haven’t even met yet, but you couldn’t help it. “Ah, another thing. Tommy has a tendency to…eat anything that looks like candy. So if you have any medication that you would like to store here, make sure to keep it locked up or somewhere hidden.” Phil said, walking up to one of the doors on the wall.

You nodded, rubbing your arm slightly. Phil knocked gently in a small pattern, waiting for a response before he opened the door. You stood in the doorway as Phil walked in. You looked around the room, nothing bad, it was just a plain room painted red, posters here and there with multiple pictures of a blond and other people. There were multiple drawings and sketches scattered around the desk in the corner, some on the floor, and one or two pinned up on the wall.

“This is Y/n, your new babysitter. Don’t scare her away.” You heard Phil say, making you turn to look at him. “That’s not fair.” The blond on the bed whined, the same blond who had opened the door for you, although now he was wearing a soft looking blue sweater. You waved slightly when he noticed you looking at him. “Uh hi. You’re Tommy?” You asked, not entering the room. The blond nodded. “Well I hope we get along well, Tommy.” You said with a smile, trying to sound as friendly as possible. Tommy just hummed and looked down at the sketchbook in his lap. You frowned slightly. Did he already not like you…?

[loki-is-my-kink-awakening]

If you're still doing the kissing prompts, geraskier and 30.

30. Kiss as comfort

Jaskier saddled up against his side on the log, as the bard always did at night while they sat around the campfire.

Geralt had grown used to listening to his complaints about the cold autumn weather. He barely felt the urge to point out he’d told him numerous times to buy better clothes.

“You feel warm,” Jaskier stated. He leaned his head against Geralt’s shoulder, and they sat there watching the rabbit cook on the skewers stabbed into the ground beside the fire.

The flames licked up into the air, the wood crackling and creating a heady scent.

Geralt shifted his weight, pulling Jaskier flush against him.

“You’re too bony,” he observed.

“Catch me more rabbits and I’ll fatten up nicely,” Jaskier joked.

Geralt hummed. If they had more coin, he would buy more meals for the bard. It would keep him warmer out here in the middle of the wilderness.

He turned the rabbits, catching the paler side of the meat.

“Won’t be long,” he said when Jaskier’s stomach grumbled.

“It’s fine, darling, I can wait.”

It took another ten minutes before the rabbit was ready and Geralt put an extra handful of meat on Jaskier’s portion. He needed all the strength he could get, but he didn’t need to know the witcher was doing it.

Hearing Jaskier moan in delight at eating their simple, warm meal was enough of a reward.

If he watched his jaw working, those lips shining with animal grease as he chewed, then hopefully the bard never found out.

He wanted to kiss those lips, to feel them move against him, but he couldn’t. The bard deserved someone better to be with. Someone who didn’t bring him danger at every turn.

Later that night, they snuggled together in their shared bedroll. It had been many years since they'd slept in their own individual beds.

Geralt lay facing out into the wild dark while the bard slept soundly between him and the fire, his arms wrapped tightly around his middle.

He could feel the little puffs of breath Jaskier made against his neck and each one made him ache with want. When he dreamed these days, it was of little noises of happiness the bard would make when they kissed.

It was a sweet torment, one that had him grumbling to the bard most days when all he wanted to do was the opposite.

He just couldn’t let him know. Witchers were not meant to want anything. Nothing for themselves, at least.

But he did want. He wanted so badly to turn around and place a tender kiss upon Jaskier’s cheek, and yet he couldn’t.

Instead, he counted the days and thought about how much it would be a relief and a curse to say goodbye to Jaskier when they reached the next big town.

The next day, Jaskier woke up late to the smell of freshly cooked eggs and roasted partridge.

“Ooh, what a delight,” he said, stretching his legs and arms out, then sitting up. “A girl could get used to this.”

Geralt hummed, like he always did when he didn’t know what to say that wouldn’t reveal all his secrets.

“Yes, I know, Geralt, it was rather lovely of you. You do such a good job looking after me.”

Jaskier stood up and brushed his hair with his hands, grabbing Geralt’s cloak and wrapping it around himself.

Geralt plated the food and handed it to Jaskier, who took it and then, leaning over him, placed a gentle kiss on his forehead.

It took Geralt’s breath away. The feeling of those soft lips against his rough skin made him forget what he was doing.

He did manage to stand up after, his posture stiff. Jaskier blinked at him slowly.

“You feeling alright?”

“Ye-Yeah.”

Geralt turned around and grabbed his own plate, much smaller than what he had given Jaskier.

Hopefully not noticeably different. His tongue didn’t work at the best of times, but right now he felt like he would blurt out the truth if he opened his mouth.

‘I’m in love with you, Jaskier.’

The words twisted around in his mind while he listened to Jaskier eat.

Like everything the bard did, he was noisy. Over the years, it brought a sense of comfort until the nights he slept alone became unbearable.

Geralt couldn’t let Jaskier know. That would be the end of their friendship and that would break him more than he could even explain.

He could never reveal anything to his friend. Jaskier was his mouthpiece, persuading aldermen to pay the amount they promised and innkeepers to allow a witcher to say.

The bard was a master of charm. Most of the time, anyway.

Geralt had seen Jaskier throw himself at some questionable people over the years and that’s usually when the bard would say something stupid.

‘You’ve got a sexy neck, like a goose.’

Most people would have died of embarrassment, but the bard just kept on going.

The thing about that encounter was how Geralt longed to be the person Jaskier was trying to seduce.

Not just a friend he gave compliments to or placed soft kisses against his forehead to say thanks.

Geralt wanted more. He needed more. He just couldn’t have more.

Nice things weren’t suitable for witchers.

Soft things like Jaskier weren’t meant to give grumpy monsters comfort.

His hands twitched as he picked up a handful of partridge, the plate wobbling in his grip briefly.

Jaskier seemed to notice the movement from the way he raised an eyebrow. It was almost comical if not for how Geralt felt so exposed.

He ducked his head down, staring at the food, and chewed slowly.

The bird meat tasted good, a rare treat after so many days of rabbit. No amount of seasoning could change the fact they had eaten it for every meal since the crescent moon.

Tonight, the moon would be almost full as it rose into the sky. Geralt looked to the sky, seeing it clear, the warmth of the sun spreading across it.

Small birds flew overhead, tweeting in panic. Geralt looked around, searching for signs something was wrong.

And then he smelled it: an acrid smell that told him Jaskier was not happy.

Locking eyes with the bard, Geralt realised his mistake.

Jaskier wasn't only unhappy. He was downright furious.

"You, witcher," he snapped. "You think you can pull the wool over my eyes."

He stood up, marched over the short distance between them and tossed a large piece of partridge onto Geralt's plate.

"Do you think I'm stupid? That I won't notice you serving me more food than you when all I'm doing is walking after you? You're the one fighting monsters day after day."

Geralt glanced down at his plate for only a second, but it seemed to be enough time for Jaskier to launch into another tirade.

"The first time, I thought you'd simply mixed up the plates. Then last night, I was unsure, but I thought you must've been having an off day. And this morning, well, now I know you're doing this on purpose. Am I that much of a liability to you?"

Jaskiers breathing was heavy, nostrils flaring. His heart was beating fast, pumping blood around his veins and gearing him up for a fight.

Not that Jaskier would hit him. Shout at him, yes.

"I'm sorry, I…"

"Why are you doing this to yourself? Do you ever stop to think how I might feel if you died because your body didn't have all the energy it needs to fight off a monster? I couldn't live with that."

Geralt blinked, trying to process what Jaskier was saying.

"I wouldn't die…"

"Oh, no. And all those stories of witchers from yesteryear who died on the path are just bollocks?"

The weight of Jaskier's eyes on him was intense. Geralt bowed his head, the plate he held feeling awkward in his hands.

Jaskier spluttered, "Got nothing to say?"

"Why do you care?" Geralt asked, sounding harsher than he meant it.

Jaskier spluttered, "Care? Why do I care? I'll tell you why, Mr Geralt of Rivia, because I've travelled with you for twenty years and you've never pulled this shit before. Everything has always been fair and equal between us, regardless of your brawn and my charm. Our meals were split 50/50. That was until after Rience and then you started acting weird. What is this, Geralt?"

The scent changed, moving to a deep sorrow.

"Fuck," Geralt muttered under his breath. This was not what he wanted to happen.

"Oh, yeah. Of course. I should've known. I’m a burden and you feel guilty." Jaskier folded his arms. "Well, I won't have it, witcher. You better buck up your ideas. I'm not weak."

"I've never thought of you as weak."

Jaskier scoffed.

"It's true. I don't think you're weak. You're a survivor. You're stronger than most people I know. But I can't lose you."

"That's not up to you."

They stared at each other for a second too long, then Jaskier looked away.

He turned, facing away from Geralt. His hands flexed by his side.

"Jaskier…"

"Don't, Geralt. I've told you that before."

His voice was wavering, thick with emotion. Geralt knew his eyes would be filled with tears, and he didn't want to cause Jaskier to feel that way again.

He'd caused a permanent scar when he'd yelled at Jaskier on that godsforesaken mountain.

And if he hadn't done that, Rience might not have gotten to him.

Geralt closed his eyes and swallowed.

"I love you," he breathed.

When he opened his eyes, Jaskier was still standing away from him, not turning around and looking at him like he expected.

If Geralt couldn't smell the confusion on him, he would have assumed he hadn't heard him.

But Jaskier still hadn't turned around.

He took a step towards him, noting the way his back was rigid.

"I love you, Jaskier. And it's my fault, all of it. If I could only see what I know now back then. I would never have sent you packing. I would never have lost you."

"Geralt," Jaskier said, his voice cracking. "If this is some game."

"It's not," he said, taking the final step between them and wrapping his arms around him. "I love you."

The sob that left Jaskier was choked, but he turned in Geralt's arms, burying his face into the crook of his neck.

His ear was pressed against his cheek and Geralt twisted to press a kiss against it.

Then another against his hairline when Jaskier didn't complain.

The air around them thickened with a sweet smell, happiness slowly overcoming the sorrowful emotions.

Jaskier pulled back slightly, just enough to turn his face towards Geralt and press their lips together.

Time seemed to slow down, hands coming up to cup each other's face, pouring their love into the kiss.

Those lips felt warm and just as soft as they had on his forehead. Each brush of lips—hands slipping into hair, needing each other—Geralt didn't want to let go.

They did eventually part, because Jaskier really needed to breathe. They stood, sharing each other's air, eyes roaming over each other's faces.

There was a small smirk tugging at Jaskier's lips. Geralt felt himself smile in return.

"Well, this was unexpected."

Geralt didn't answer. All he could focus on was the rhythmic beat of Jaskier's heart and the wet shine on his lips.

The heat of him, burning into his skin through their clothes.

His hands moved up and down Jaskier’s upper back, holding him close.

There could never be anything as perfect as this.

It was comforting.

"Geralt," Jaskier said.

"Hmm?"

"Kiss me again."

Without hesitation, Geralt leaned in and their lips touched once more. They melded into one another, and for the first time, everything settled within him.

It finally felt like Geralt belonged somewhere, and it was right here in Jaskier's arms.

Thank you for the prompt. Apologies it took me a bit of time to get round to it, but you're still one of the first to be filled.

List of kiss prompts

[eerna]

As an aspiring male writer, what’s your advice to make my writing not suck? What things should I avoid, what should I focus on?

Probably would want to write mostly fantasy novels, with some romance present, but not as a main focus. More so that the two characters would develop into who they need to be, which brings them together/closer. But the main focus of my stories would be on the individual characters. Thanks mate! 😎

I am not very well versed in academic level feminist discussions, or in any way shape or form educated in matters of creative writing, so I'm not sure I'm the best person to answer your questions. But if you're worried because of my earlier gender-focused criticism of RR, I can try rephrasing my thoughts a bit to make them more constructive!

Your goals in writing sound like the thing RR's author didn't have, which was looking at a romance as a partnership between two equally whole characters. His women are written as vessels of either sexual violence or adoration, their motivations and goals are very vague and their character arcs nonsensical. The men are granted clear roles in the story, as each other's foils and enemies and friends, but the women are always someone's girl and they change depending on what the story needs them to be. Sure, the female lead ends up the main ruler of the universe while the male lead is her supporter, but that doesn't mean anything because she was nothing but his love interest the rest of the time. She just gets granted an empty title to prove the writer is feminist without any clear character arcs that would make her success narratively satisfying.

In addition, you can tell he doesn't have very healthy views of gender dynamics because he created a world in which physical inequalities are gone and everyone is genetically enhanced to be the perfect candidate for whatever role they are to fulfill, eradicated sexism on a societal level so that women are viewed exactly the same as men, but he STILL uses "like a woman" as an insult and presents them as the "whores" in casual dialogue. So the society that is said to have equalized itself suddenly isn't equal at all when the main character has to call another man a little girl as an insult, or when women engage in premarital sex with men and get treated badly for it while their partners don't.

And then even if we ignore the female portion of his crimes, his writing style is very reflective of the "mansplaining" way of speaking. He is incapable of separating himself from his characters - the lead is supposed to be 16-18 years old from Mars, but he speaks like a 30-something Earthling weaned on modern politics, which the writer is. And this lead is presented as perfect: super hot, wise beyond his years, and capable of changing tides of a war with nothing but his words, which means he gives very very long monologues, and those monologues are all very on-the-nose and preachy. You can tell that this is all just an excuse for the writer to present his worldview, which he considers superior to everyone else's, through a mouthpiece, and the characters are all completely subjected to it.

Last and least because it's petty but you asked for specifically male identifiers, the worldbuilding is based on Ancient Rome, but a version of it that is clearly pulled from the typically male surface level obsession with the Roman Empire. I'm a woman and spent most of my childhood completely enamored with Rome - it was the only aspect of the book I liked - so I feel like I am allowed to criticize this approach to it. He only features the Roman pantheon/war/slavery aesthetic and doesn't care about any other aspect of their culture, which is what men usually approach history as. To use another dystopian YA novel as an example, The Hunger Games were also inspired by Rome, but they took inspiration from its philosophy on politics and crowd control, death and entertainment, and the American obsession with it. Now imagine if the only thing Panem had to say about Rome is that it named its army positions the same as they were in Caesar's time, worshipped their gods, and also they had slaves.

Anyway like I said I don't think I'm the correct person to instruct anyone on gender dynamics in creative writing. I'd recommend reading written works on the theme to truly get to the bottom of it. Happy writing!

[jasontoddiefor]

Heyyyyy roses & champagne anon here! First your answer made me feral with all the juicy brain gremlins it spawned and then you wrote that little fic and I now I’m even more insane but like all I can picture is Leewon going “fuck this shit I’m out” at like age 11, running away, accidentally running into Caesar who’s already starting to get the feelings of “hippity hoppity I want you to be my property” weird little friendship starting to form.

And then years later Leewon in full on teenage rebellion bad decision making is like “what if I lost my virginity to this dude I sometimes hang out with that my dad can not stand? Wouldn’t that be fun?” and uh accidentally turns Caesar’s budding obsession with him over the years into full blown levels of “I am planning our wedding, it’s going to be in the summer because you get cold and then you will never ever leave me.” as Leewon is like damn the dirty talk in this fwb relationship hits hard

And then Leewon finally achieves his dream of fucking off back to Korea for college and does that without hesitation and then stays even longer for law school because he likes pretending he’s normal, he likes pretending his life is normal, (he’s a lawyer and his ass is lying, he could never truly be content with normalcy) and he only goes back because he wants to say a proper goodbye, after he graduates from law school

And uh proceeds to cheerfully greet the man whose heart he unintentionally shattered and now haunted like a ghost for seven years like nothing ever happened. Oops?

Also in regards for Vladimir I feel they got a weird resentment codependency going on there but also I can’t help but feel in a world that they grew up together they’d kind of be bickering gossiping friends at their core so it’s like “I hate the roles we have been forced into because one another, sometimes I think I even hate you, but you’re are still a core of my world and I don’t know how to exist without you because of this, anyway you will not believe with this one lady did at a party-“ kind of vibe going on. He’s pissed and hurt and resentful when Leewon goes back to Korea and he spends years soothing his and everyone else’s hurt and Leewon comes back and he’s angry for like 5 minutes before breaking and filling him on the latest gossip. Because I think they deserve to have a messy, complicated relationship that’s also overrun by the need to be a bitch and discuss drama because there is literally no other option in the mafia compound.

If you’ve got any more thoughts on this au I would love to hear them so badly!!

Anon you’re back!!!

Aaah thank you so much for your long ask, this absolutely made my evening (literally, I’m stuck in bed bc my back is killing me and am using my bluetooth keyboard to write this reply lying down hahaha)

Let’s start on the family side: time to reveal the fact that this AU also exists to like at least 30% because I wanted younger sibling Vladimir takes. That man already behaves like a spoiled younger brother in canon, he’d be terrible here. I do think their dynamic would be exactly as you said. Vladimir gets adopted to be Leewon’s companion, his right hand, raised to be loyal and trustworthy - his one and only friend after nearly a year of living in Russia. It fucks up their dynamic because they’re raised with clear expectations but at the same tie, the only way Leewon treats him is as a younger brother? Because that is the notion that makes the most sense to him at that age. When he realizes what Vladimir’s purpose is, he very much resents it? They have a bit of a falling out because to Vladimir, his older brother suddenly started distancing himself with no explanation as to why. And like, when he realizes the reason, he doesn’t really think it’s bad because he owns the Lomonosov his life anyway? Of course he’d die for his older brother. He loves him and that’s his job.

Anyway. Vladimir thinks Dimitri ain’t shit. He would never treat his boss like that and scheme. He’s built different (loyal like a most beloved dog). Leewon staying in Korea for his studies kind of helps Vladimir gain some perspective and insight into everything because nothing makes you reflect more than your codependent better half not being within reaching distance. But at the end of the day, he still doesn��t entirely mind. He stops pushing the boundary when Leewon enforces it (opposed to his behavior as a kid) but that’s about it. They are two very gossipy siblings.

To Leewon’s life!!! Anon I am !!! At how your ideas match mine. For the simpler things - Leewon absolutely puts his foot down about studying in Korea. It’s probably the biggest fight he and Mikhail ever have. I’m thinking maybe to the point it’s the first and only time Mikhail genuinely hurts Leewon in his anger? Like, Leewon has been hit before by his father, during training, but only seldom bc Mikhail frankly speaking has Issues and was not cut out for teaching his son violence himself. But yeah, they fight, there’s injury, and hmm. Not entirely sure if Leewon just stays in his room or moves to another property in the city until his flight to Korea, with Vladimir acting as an unwilling go between father and son because he ALSO thinks this is a shit idea, but if he says so then Leewon won’t talk to him anymore either (and then he wouldn’t talk to anyone, and it’s Vladimir’s job to advise his brother, but he’s supposed to be on his side even more.)

Anyway, Leewon leaves to study and I imagine he only comes home during the holidays which are incredibly tense the first year, but get better after. I don’t think Leewon quite has the concept of I could leave this life. He’s angry and frustrated, but not to the point where he can picture a life where he’s not the family heir? I think he mostly wants to run this business differently and that most of his frustration comes from his father raising him as this sheltered princess in the tower. His best friend is his little brother who his father adopted so he would have someone to talk to. That’s deeply fucked up, especially because he spent his first nine years just attending normal school and playing with the neighborhood kids. Even more, with his mother sick and dying early, Leewon at nine is fairly used to doing things independently, and now suddenly needing an adult to go with him everywhere, if he’s allowed out of the house at all, is horrible.

Now on to our hot mess, the red flag fuck himself.

I was also 200% thinking “oh yeah they absolutely fucked when Leewon was like 15”. To Caesar this is absolutely a game at that point, some matter of pride to get the enemy’s heir in his bed (or just. Beneath him. Imma be honest, I think Leewon ran away, got drunk at a bar and they fucked in a bathroom stall under dubious consent). Drunk teenagers with too much power and too many daddy issues. Leewon got “I’m doing sth that isn’t safe my father would freak about this” out of it.

Anyway, I do think Caesar would be amused at first, and then grow into his - as you put it so aptly it made me wheeze - “hippity hoppity I want you to be my property”. The 11 year old mouthing off against his kidnappers with little strength to back it up was entertaining (Caesar was honestly just there because it seemed easier to just let himself be taken to get to the guy whose head he needs to bash in than wait around) especially because he didn’t hold back. And then it’s a game, deflowering him, taking more and more pieces, not quite like collecting fountain pens or art, more the desire to consume entirely. Till death does them part, yes? Predictably, does not react well to Leewon’s “wow why is my bad decisions fuckbuddy so intense about me?” Behavior and being left out of Leewon’s plans.

My guy has just been assuming that them being fwb means they won’t try to constantly kill each other when they’re All Grown Up and in charge of their father’s businesses. I think this Leewon would very much enjoy the illusion of normalcy, matching Caesar’s freak in the way he reacts when it is interrupted. But I think that also means he’s rather peculiar about upholding the status quo to a degree.

Meanwhile Dimitri has been under the assumption Caesar has been running a long con trying to gobble up Lomonosov via making its heir his boytoy.

Well this got long but I hope you enjoyed my thoughts!!! Feel free to dm me any time, I’d love to hear more of your ideas!

[ungoonableaddict]

Fake Pussy: Yes or No?

Pussy. Some gooners want it. Some gooners don't. Some gooners are virgins, some still get to have sex (somehow).

Personally, I'm still a virgin, so the closest I get to pussy is on a screen. Or it would be if not for the toys I've bought, mimicking pussy with soft, supple silicone. I've used these kinds of toys for a while, even before I came of age, or got into porn (addiction and gooning).

I do respect the view of any gooner who believes those of us who stay in our rooms are unworthy of any pussy, or at least humping anything except our hands.

I just can't get behind that, though. I'm into gooning for pleasure, the experience, the joy of spending several hours pumping, edging, eyes fixating on jiggly boobies or plump rumps getting pounded... Feeling good is a good part of why I do this, the other parts being- Well, a virgin who's nervous about dating yet also feels no incentive to do so at almost 30 years old.

On top of feeling good, that last point helps too, I think! Goon enough, and the desire to actually feel pussy goes away. Toys go from "just like the real thing" to "another tool to goon with". Which is really how I perceive it.

Also, as I've indicated in my other posts, gooning is a loooong commitment to make. Sometimes we need to shake things up, create some new feelings, new memories. Porn is meant to be our girlfriend. Our comfort. Our goddess.

Why not have something physical, that helps us connect? A reminder of what we can't have. What we fail to get. What we no longer desire, which effectively makes us a biological dud if we haven't already passed on your genes! Or hell, even if you DO have pussy, DO succeed at getting it, you can feel the only version of the thing your pathetic, horny self deserves during your needy brain's dopamine bath while the real pussy is elsewhere or busy.

Consider it a tribute to Porn, maybe for Valentine's Day. Make it a thing for special occasions like a birthday! If you like feeling pathetic, I don't think there's much more pathetic than planning birthday sex for yourself with a fake, silicone pussy. Last year I called out sick from work to hump one of those 3-pound ass/pussy masturbators, on V-Day. To, as I said, make love to a physical representation of the thing I am utterly swayed by. It's not the real thing, but it feels different enough from my hand that I see little reason to go out and hook up too!

So even if you already aren't dissuaded from being pussy-free in real life, or you're a virgin who badly wants to get laid yet remain a gooner, maybe some nice, pliable silicone to stick your dick in is all you need.

Oh and let's not forget. A toy with the ability to stretch and conform, without pressure being directly applied to a dick? Any one will make a great test of your PIED and/or death grip. Can you get it up for fake pussy? Can you cum for something that's snug, but lacks the same fatal squeeze as your overworked fingers?

So yeah. Get a fake pussy, the kind doesn't matter. Let yourself sink balls-deep into it, and hump it. Let it help you edge. Turn a symbol of intimacy into a gooning necessity!

[huckleberrykai]

kang taehyun ~ missing you

pairing: taehyun x fem!reader summary: taehyun wanted to surprise you by coming home early, but it turns out he got home just in time. genre: SMUT 18+ ONLY MDNI, fluff, uhhh sadness at the beginning if u squint (they just miss each other 😭) warnings: so many pet names, mostly good girl lol, sexting (?), cunnilingus, fingering, unprotected sex (don't do this lol), pussy slapping, degrading (idk how that got in there i got carried away oops), lowkey dumbification, dom!taehyun notes: TY TO ADA'S GALAXY BRAIN ASK I HOPE I DID IT JUSTICE <33 IT'S 4AM I BLACKED OUT WHILE WRITING THIS word count: 2.8k click here for my masterlist!

taehyun's flight had landed back in seoul a few minutes ago, and the boys were running to grab their bags so they could get back to the comfort of their dorm. tour really took a toll on them, eyes heavy with exhaustion and homesickness was truly setting in.

taehyun's heart was aching for you, so when management told him there was a change of plans on their return date, he was ecstatic. he decided not to tell you, wanting to surprise his love.

he loved his job, he really did. the only part he didn't enjoy was being away from you for so long. he missed your over-affectionate touches and hearty laughs, he missed all your little quirks that made his heart jump with his love for you. and as much as he missed all your soft domestic moments.. he really missed fucking you. there's only so much some nudes and a raunchy phone call could do for him, and you ached just as badly for him too.

on the hour's drive back to the dorms, he decided he was going to try rile you up a bit.. get his pretty baby all ready for his surprise return. sat in the back corner of the car, he pointed his phone away from the members and decided to text you. it wasn't like they'd notice anyway, too busy arguing over the fact kai bought the wrong kind of gummy bears at the airport store on the way out, and how beomgyu would only eat the red ones.

taehyun could feel his pants tighten the second your message came through. it seems his plan to rile you up backfired, only making his own head spin at the sight of you in his favourite sky blue lingerie set he'd bought you for your one year anniversary. he shuffled in his seat, adjusting his trousers. it was going to be at least another 30 minutes to get home, and even longer to walk to your place - but he was so excited to finally see you. and rip off that stupid lingerie hiding you from him.

your flirty texts persisted, his jeans constricting and mind hazy as more and more photos came through. it seems he wouldn't have chance to rip off your little get-up, being beaten to it by you slowly pulling it off - updating him with photos.

he swallowed thickly and used all the willpower in him to lock his phone and ignore your confused messages - desperate for a photo of him, a phone call, permission to touch yourself, anything. he breathed deep and tried to ignore the painful erection rubbing against the rough denim of his jeans with every movement.

after what seemed like the longest car ride in the world, they arrived back at the dorms. taehyun threw his bags into his room, not even bothering to unpack anything except for necessities - which he shoved into a backpack and slung over his shoulder.

yeah, he wasn't coming home tonight.

"where are you going?" soobin asked as he saw taehyun putting his shoes and jacket back on, hat and mask on for privacy and keys in his hand. "going to surprise Y/N." he answered bluntly. "i think i'm gonna stay the night so don't worry about waiting up."

soobin just nodded, waving him off as the younger member practically bolted out of the house. real subtle.

the walk took around 20 minutes usually - but never underestimate the speed of a horny man who had been away from his love for over a month.

he made it to your door in 15 minutes flat and pulled out his phone.

he shoved his phone in his pocket when he heard rustling from the other side of your apartment door. when the door slung open.. woah.

you'd covered yourself quickly with a pretty silk robe, white with a black fluffy trim - maybe a tad dramatic just to be lounging around the house in, but it was the nearest thing to grab on short notice. taehyun's eyes widened at your scantily clad figure ~ hard nipples poking through the thin fabric, calling out for him to suck on.

he tore his eyes away from your tits just quick enough to catch the sunshine beam on your face, smile reaching your eyes as you saw your love for the first time in over a month. "taehyunnie! you're home!" you threw yourself into his arms, letting his arms caress your sides while you shoved your face into his broad chest. "hi princess.." he muttered into your hair. "i missed you so much."

he pressed a few chaste kisses into your hair before leaning back and cupping your cheeks - pressing his lips to yours in a desperate fiery kiss, months of his pent-up love seeping into your skin. your cheeks were hot, made even worse as he trailed one hand up your waist, resting right below your breast.

"you still need my help darling...?" he asked against your lips despite already knowing the answer. your answer was interrupted by his cool hand sneaking into the opening of your robe, slipping past the silky white fabric to take your bare boob into his hand - squeezing and groping before rubbing your nipple gently. you let out a soft gasp and exhaled shakily against his open mouth - taehyun eating up your little sounds like he'd die without it. and honestly at this point? he thought he would.

"how about you take off that pretty robe for me and go get in bed while i lock up hm?"

you nodded, not trusting your voice. he offered you a cute toothy grin and gave your tit one last squeeze before letting go of you to lock the front door.

he pulled off his coat and shoes, leaving them in his designated spot in your entryway and padded over to your bedroom. he walked in and stopped in his tracks to marvel at you laid bare, waiting for him to destroy you just the way you liked. to taehyun, you always looked so pure, so beautiful.. and he wanted to fucking ruin you. your breath hitched at the sight of him - black tank top clinging to his skin, toned arms bare and muscles rippling beneath his skin. he looked delicious.

"you were really bad today.. sending me naughty pictures like that." he commented, unbuckling his belt and unzipping his jeans - finally getting some relief after being restricted in those pants for so long. "'m sorry tyun... you were so far away, had no idea you'd be back today..." you pouted.

"you know, i wanted to rip that cute little outfit off of you.. but you beat me to it." he kneeled onto the bed, crawling to hover over your smaller frame.

"i'm sorry.."

"don't apologise sweetheart. i should be thanking you. makes it so much easier to ruin you when you're bare for me." he started pressing kisses to your neck, sucking and biting his way to your collarbone as his hand ran up and down your thigh. you sighed at the feeling, but quickly realised you needed more than just a sweet caress and a few kisses. you began to protest, but immediately earned a harsh bite to your shoulder - surely leaving a mark.

"not yet... i wanna take my time with you."

you whined at his pace, but he just gave you a light smack to the thigh. "i told you i'd only help you if you're good. now behave." he uttered lowly.

the threat of possibly not being able to cum shut you up quickly. he'd done it before - taehyun does not take lightly to brats.

he moved down your chest to kiss your boobs, lowering himself to suck on one of your nipples while he played with the other in his hand. you felt him smile against your skin when you moaned at the stimulation. "keep making those pretty sounds for me okay? that's my good girl."

his words alone drew another whine from your lips. you always loved how he could be so sweet yet so filthy. he sat up again, making you mewl in disappointment. it didn't last long though. you watched with sparkly eyes as your boyfriend pulled off his tank top, leaving him in only his boxers ~ toned abs on display just for you. he continued his kisses further down your body until he reached your pubic bone, his thumbs massaging your hips as he looked back up at your face. your head was thrown back, hair messy and eyes closed as you focused on whatever sensation he was giving you.

"look at me."

you reacted quickly to the demand, sitting up a little and making eye contact with him. "i want you to watch me, okay?"

you nodded, unsure of his next move until his hands moved to part your thighs - throwing your legs over his shoulders like you were weightless. his fingers grazed your core, gathering your wetness ~ an embarrassing amount of arousal dripping down his fingers and your inner thighs.

"i knew you missed me but.. woah." he chuckled deeply. he took his fingers into his own mouth, tasting you while you watched. "taste so good baby. you try~" he cooed, swiping his two fingers into your core again and pushing his fingers into your mouth. you sucked diligently, tasting a mix of his saliva and your own wetness, the lewd act making you hum at the taste.

"good girl."

he pulled his fingers away from your mouth, but not without tugging at your bottom lip teasingly, and shoved his two fingers straight into your sopping cunt without warning.

"ah-" you whined, feeling him curling his fingers just the way he knows you like.

"feel good baby? this what you wanted hm? wanted me to come home and touch you like this?" you nodded frantically, struggling to keep your eyes open and on him once he started circling your clit with his thumb. "so dumb for me aren't you? all bark and no bite. so confident before.. sending me those pictures. now you're just a mess."

"taehyun-" as soon as you started clenching around his fingers he knew you were close.. just a little more and-

"ahh- taehyunnie.. more please- please.."

he chuckled at you as he pulled his hand away right as you were about to finish. he couldn't have that. "no complaining princess. you're my good girl no?"

"i am-" you hiccuped. "i'm y-your good girl."

"then act like it."

he tapped your thigh, a signal for you to spread your legs wider for him, which you happily obliged. you were his good girl after all~

quickly he dived into your cunt, lapping up your juices like a man starved - tongue dipping in and out of your entrance. a throaty moan was pulled from you at his actions, taehyun lewdly sucking and slurping at your pussy. oh how he'd missed this taste.

he mumbled into your pussy, desperately needing you to finish on his face. "scream for me and i'll let you cum this time."

you would have screamed anyway with the way his nose was bumping against your clit as he ate you out. his fingers moved to dip inside you again, his plush pink lips now wrapping right around your clit - sucking and flicking his tongue over it to bring you to the edge.

you were in fact screaming by now, profanities and variations of his name falling from your lips at a mile a minute. "plea-ah- please tyun- gonna cum.. please-"

by now taehyun had been waiting far too long, his erection painful - rutting against the bed for some relief and moaning against your skin at the taste of your messy cunt. he curled his fingers up inside you once again, trying his best to bring you to your breaking point.

it didn't take long for the waves to come crashing down, pleasure washing over your whole body as your back arched harshly - walls fluttering and clenching around his fingers. he licked up your release like it was the best thing he'd ever tasted. and in his opinion, it probably was.

"there ya go.. good girl. feel good?"

he pulled away from your pussy completely, sitting back to admire his work and laying your legs back down on the mattress. there were tears in your eyes, eyes bleary and hair messy as your chest heaved with your panting. and he loved it.

he delivered a harsh slap to your clit when you didn't respond - the stimulation making you jolt and let out a little yelp.

"i asked you a question slut."

you nodded frantically, babbling out a few small "yes! feels so good tyunnie! yes..."

he chuckled to himself at your state and moved to pull off his boxers, hard pretty cock springing free and hitting against his stomach - tip wet with precum and desperate to be touched.

"can you take me baby?"

your desperate nodding continued, wanting so badly to be filled up like you wanted for the last month. "please tyun, need you inside me."

he chuckled again, kissing the pout off of your lips with a gentle kiss - passionate but not bruising. he rubbed his cock against your sensitive cunt slowly, teasing your entrance with the tip of his dick entering oh so slightly before pulling out again. "please!" you begged, pretty tears welling up again.

"patience princess."

"don't wanna be patient. waited too long~" you whined.

"oh yeah? you wanna be a brat you'll get treated like one hm?"

without warning he sank into you fully and fast - the delicious stretch making you scream. his pace was quick and brutal, his pubic bone pressing into your sensitive clit with every thrust. "taehyun!" you yelped, his brutal pace shaking your whole body and making the bed rock.

"one more chance. behave or i won't let you cum again. take it like a good girl."

you nodded, completely cock drunk - you started babbling again, words incoherent but just enough to keep your strong boyfriend going. "'m your good girl.. ah- so good. take it all for you tyunnie, fill me up- ah! please!"

he knew he wouldn't last long. not with you begging so prettily, cute cunt filled to the brim with his cock - pounding into you at an insane pace. he groped at your tits and played with your nipples in an attempt to ground himself, but the noises you made at the stimulation to your chest only turned him on more.

"takin' me so well princess. so so good, shit- gonna cum. gonna fill you up.. make you so messy." he trailed one hand down your body again to rub your clit quickly. "cum for me cutie.. cum on my cock and i'll fill you up just how you like~" he cooed.

with another cry of his name and some scratches down his back from your clinging onto him, you came undone on his cock. taehyun winced at how tight you were, clenching and spasming through your orgasm. "that's it. perfect, my good girl.. so so good, fuck." he thrust slowly as you came down from your high, pushing all the way in and stilling to a stop as his own orgasm washed over him. hours of pent up frustration finally being released into your warm, wet pussy.

"missed you.. love you so much." you muttered as he shot warm ropes of white inside you, caressing your cheek gently and wiping your tears away. "i love you Y/N. so much." you grabbed his cheek and pulled him down into a kiss. it was a little sloppy, your tired body unable to co-operate with your intentions, but your big warm loving boyfriend didn't mind.

he pulled out of you slowly, reaching for a towel to wipe you both down before you got tucked yourselves into the cosy white bed sheets to cuddle together.

"did you like the surprise?" he asked, trailing his fingers along your tummy and looking into your eyes with his big shiny brown ones - sparkling like starry boba balls. you wound down a little, reconnecting with reality enough to form an answer, "i loved it. i'm so happy you're home."

he smiled. one of his pure shiny bright smiles. genuine.

"me too." he sighed. "what do you say we order food and watch a movie? i don't think you'll be walking anywhere any time soon." he chuckled, running a hand through your silky yet messy hair. his snarky remark earned him a slap to the chest, sending you both into a fit of giggles. "it's not that bad," you retorted.

"but order me a pizza right now and i'll let you do me til i really can't walk."

"yes ma'am."

smut taglist: @subbyjvnnie @mazeinthemoon @n0-thisispatrick @banggyu0308 @majestyjun @bibibinnie @beom-pyu

[foster-the-world]

Good and bad news

The bus company claims they have not received the information from the school. The school claims they sent it. The bus company says the bus router comes to work one day per week? Who works one day per week? She could not tell me what day. My husband is currently missing at least three hours of work per day taking him to school and picking him up. This is very unsustainable. We are asking our sitters if they can do pick up. But whose sitting around waiting to babysit from 2:30-4:30 on a days notice. Our go-to daycare lady is always out of town for the first two weeks of July. Its also a big ask to have her go all the way across down and drag baby boy back. He's much better on public transport nowadays but still not great. She is afraid of subways so only buses.

We would normally ask our in-laws but they have friends in town. I wish my mom lived here so badly.

In much better news he is doing so great at school. They told my husband he has "great potential." Everyday they are impressed with how much he eats. They said he eats double what the other kids eat. No surprise there. The boy likes his food. The speech therapist reached out and said he did great during their first session. The actual school year runs Sept-Sept. He just got a July spot because another kid went away for the summer. Being the only new kid is great for him. His 3K start was so messy. Having 15 all new three year olds, many of whom who had never been away from their parents, is always going to be messy. Dropping him in a room with 4-5 kids screaming bloody murder for his first "school" experience was not great. Then his teacher died so there was quite a few subs. Anyway, this has been a smooth transition. He hasn't cried, yet. Teachers seem very professional. Three full time teachers (2 special ed and one assistant) for 15 kids (half special ed/half general ed). Plus, due to many kids having push in services there is always going to be one or two PT, OTs or speech therapist in the room. All the teachers have been there a long time and have a lot of experience. Other kids are adorable (as always). I am sad he's so far away. He's doing so well it does make me wonder if he would have done fine in a normal classroom, with an experienced teacher and a more normal start to the year. I'm reminding myself that we already knew he could possibly do fine. What we wanted is people that can help him if he has a bad week + expert opinions from special ed experts who spend a lot of time with him. After one hour assessments we've been told both (by different people) that he has moderate cognitive deficits and that he is gifted. I suspect neither of true. We need people who know what they are talking about who are able to see him day in/day out to help us find the best resources.

[skepsiss]

Master Writing List of My Works

I've seen other people do this and it seems like a good idea. You can follow my Ao3 where more of my works are posted, but for the ones available on Tumblr I will list them below.

Skepsis_Ree on Ao3

Art, Photos, and Moodboards

Stranger Things

Steddie

Mini Fics. These are asks that people have sent me. You can send me a prompt and I'll write you Steddie stuff.

Senior Year [18+ explicit. Slow Burn] Adjoining Art Chapters 14/30 [in progress] // What happened in Steve’s senior year of high school? We know that he almost failed grade 12, and we know he had ‘lost his groove’ by mid-summer of 1985, but what happened between November 1984 and July 1985? And what if Steve actually made friends with Eddie Munson during that time instead of being alone? Senior Year is a fic about Steve struggling with PTSD and depression through his final months of high school, and how he slowly spiralled downward, making it impossible for him to get into college, and damaging his confidence so badly he couldn’t get a date if he begged. During senior year, Steve does make a connection with Eddie though, and their odd on-again, off-again ‘friendship’ becomes a staple in both their lives. This is a story about coping, the struggles of a broken heart, and making connections. There are genuine, raw moments, but in the end, the connection these two boys have is strong enough to see them through it all—even if it takes them both a long time to realize that they have feelings for one another.

The Last Strange Thing [Monster reference guide] [The art for the fic!] Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 [FINISHED] // Welcome to the apocalypse. The demo-infection has taken hold of the world, and humans are a rare thing these days. Still, people hang on to civilization in pockets across North America and beyond. Hawkins is one such place.  Steve Harrington is a scout who runs missions for Hawkins, and on one of those missions, he becomes separated from his scouting partner, Robin. He has to find his way across Indianapolis in an infected world, meeting one very important individual on the way, Eddie. The two of them must trust one another in order to journey across Indiana, while perhaps finding something softer to nurture with one another along the way.

Long Road Ahead Pt1  Pt1.2   Pt2    Pt3 Pt4 Pt5 // A Five part (maybe six?) series about Steve and Eddie getting together. Steve really struggles with the possibility of him being queer and doesn't know how to deal with it. Each part alternates between Eddie's POV and Steve's POV; lots of yearning, miscommunication, a pining with a happy ending.

Join the Party // One Shot, AU Where Steve and Eddie have been friends since childhood and I guess no Upside Down shenanigans (yet?). Hurt/comfort with confessions. Written from the period of them at 10 (ish) to 18 (ish).

Heart Beat City // One shot. A character piece on Eddie as he has some of his faith in happiness returned to him. Eddie thinks pretty firmly that love and kindness are not a real thing--at least not for him, but that changes when he meets Steve. Poetic and moody, optimistic ending.

House to Ourselves // Series of one-shots. Steve and Eddie are finally living together after a long courtship. They get every other weekend to themselves when Steve’s ex-wife takes the kids for 2.5 days. That means sex… definitely sex.

Because I Want You // Part of the adult AU, one-shot series. Steve and Eddie have been broken up for 9 years. It just so happens that they both have 3-year-olds, and they end up in the same daycare, allowing them to reunite. It’s bittersweet in a lot of ways, mostly because Eddie feels so guilty for how things ended with Steve in their previous relationship. This story is about them trying to get back together.

Modern Problems, Modern Solutions Pt1 Pt2 Pt3 Pt4 Pt5 Pt6 Pt7 [FINISHED] // Modern AU. Eddie's POV and his judgy, budgie, anxiety-filled self-denying for a long time that he has a crush on Steve. I wanted to explore what being an awkward teen was like (again) and how the personality dynamics would work between Steve and Eddie if they were in more modern times. A story full of miscommunications set in 2015 ish. This mini-series is finished, and it has a happy ending. Enjoy the very soft end for the boys.

Basketball Shorts // PWP. Explicit, 18+. Eddie and Steve are in an established relationship, and Eddie asks Steve to wear his old basketball uniform. They fantasize together about what it would have been like to date in high school (and how hard it would have been not to sneak off to bone).

Tooth and Nail Pt1 Pt2 Pt3 Pt4 // Uuhh, it's kinda sad guys. Prompt was to write something where Eddie is the one that is in denial about his queer-ness and Steve is the one who makes him question his sexual identity. Full request here. This is hurt comfort and miscommunication riddled; read some realness and slowburn towards romance. Part 4 onward is pining time with Eddie trying to figure out his feelings.

Stories of Youth (microfic) // A short (480 words) fic written for the steddie microfic month with the prompt "Suck." This is fluff and just a little window into the sweetness (and eternal horiness) that is Steve and Eddie in a relationship.

His People Chapter 1: His People // This story is more about Eddie than anything. Exploring the idea of Eddie coming back very "monstrous" from the Upside Down, and he doesn't have a lot of memories on how to be human. He does learn quickly though that the people around him do love him no matter what. This was written for Eddie Month with the Oct 13 prompt "Monster."

Chapter 2: Like. Lust. Love. // Eddie relearns what attraction is, and acts on the memories he has of himself and Steve... or what he thinks are his memories of him and Steve.... (angst, drama).

The Audacity - Corroded Coffin Lyrics only Written in Sung/Spoken form // A limerick that I wrote as if it were a song written and performed by Corroded Coffin. Angry, but also very f*ck the establishment.

The King - A Corrded Coffin Song (Accompanying art) // An imagined metal ballad written by Eddie Munson. (Think Iron Maiden's "Run to the Hills"). It's about Steve and his father, but also Vecna, and Eddie vs Hawkins. It's multi-layered and I thought it felt equally tragic and love-filled.

Time // Just a one-shot of them maturing and being in a 2-3 decade relationship. Romantic and fluffy, less than 700 words.

Through Leagues and Miles Pt1 // Eddie and Steve meet up again after 7 years. They're proper adults now and Eddie is living his dream of being a rockstar, while Steve has just started to go back to school to become a teacher. They were only supposed to be meeting up for a reunion with The Party, but one thing leads to another, and well... maybe acting on that crush from 7 years ago is worth it.

"Newly-wed Game" // Just this silly little "Newly-wed Game" post I added to. For some reason, it has 4,000 notes.

Reflection Steve's Part Robin's Part Nancy's Part Eddie's Part [FINISHED] // This is a 4 part mini-series about the Fruity Four. It's 1989 and Steve, Eddie, and Robin are visiting Hawkins over winter break. Nancy has invited them all over for a little Christmas get-together, and we read from the point of view of each member of the crew across 1 event. I wrote these pieces to be read in any order, so... enjoy some Steddie, vague Ronance, Vickie x Robin, and just the Fruity Four being... fruity. Dialogue prompt "You Remember That?" for Spicy Six Winter Fanworks Challenge.

It's Snowing In Hawkins // This is all fluff. Steve goes over to visit Eddie during a heavy snow in Hawkins and gets roped into helping him build a snow fort. Both of them have been inching toward a romance for months now, and Steve adores how innocent and young their relationship feels. It’s the start of something real tonight, and it makes Steve feel brilliantly happy. 

Before the Fire - Steddie Microfic // Wrote for December's prompt "pine" (508 words). Steve and Eddie are around a fire and Eddie is trying to cheer Steve's up because 'someone' is missing and Steve is beside himself with worry. Eddie is pining, but Steve seeks him out for comfort.

The Cock Tail Club [18+ explicit] // Society thinks poorly of Alphas who prefer to be with other Alphas. That is why underground bars like The Cock Tail Club exist. Where one lonely Alpha can meet another and hit it off for the night. Eddie is doing just that, and of course, he finds wild, satisfying release… and maybe a bit more than what he bargained for.

Batter Up [18+ explicit] Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 // This fluffy story is about Baseball Player Steve Harrington, meeting Rock Star Eddie Munson and the whirlwind 1-week romance turned committed relationship. They're instantly obsessed with one another, but neither knows how to take things to the next level. Enjoy Steve being a love-sick idiot! (The story turns explicit in Chapter 4, other chapters are all fluff).

Momento Mori Chapter 1 to 15 Adjoining Art! // Steve gradually falls in love with the memory of Eddie Munson, while creating a deep bond with the uncle Eddie left behind. Eddie Munson has died. He died and left behind people who care for him—more people than he knew. Despite his reputation, and the slander thrown at him, Eddie is deeply and fiercely loved by the people in his life. Wayne is one such person, and the hole his nephew left in his heart is something he didn’t think could ever be filled. Surprisingly—to all involved—Steve Harrington is another person who cannot shake Eddie’s death from his mind. Gradually, Steve and Wayne bond over their mutual loss, and share their fond memories of Eddie with one another. The living must move on after all… even if the dead don’t remain gone for long.

Stranger Things

Not steddie. Things like stobin etc.

Survival of the Sister [Link to art] // Max is a young knight who has lost everything to the darkness of the Upside Down. The last thing she can lose is her life. She puts it all on the line to save her family, friends, and Hawkins. Fate has another idea for her as she struggles to recall her happiest memories that will bring her back to life and toward Lucas, who is desperately searching for her. Overall, it is a short, emotional piece about Max fighting back death with sheer willpower and then getting to relish in being reunited with Lucas.

We the Youth (1987) [Link to art] Part One Part Two Part Three Part Four Part Five [FINISHED] // A five-part, mini-series that is 100% complete and being posted during the Stranger Things Reverse Big Bang 2024. This Stobin-centric story is about Robin learning how to love herself (with the help of her very queer life)! The first part of the story focuses on Robin losing her job and seeking comfort from her best friend, Steve. After moving to New York after graduation to work for a year before college, Robin has "lost her path" and isn't sure what she wants anymore.

Each chapter focuses on a different kind of love, and how difficult it is to find a place to belong when you're a young adult. (Especially when you're a young, queer adult in the 80s). The story has a happy ending though! So please enjoy this lovely platonic Stobin tale and the importance of having people in your life who love and support you.

Momento Mori [complete story 15/15] [Accompany Art] // Steve gradually falls in love with the memory of Eddie Munson, while creating a deep bond with the uncle Eddie left behind. Eddie Munson has died. He died and left behind people who care for him—more people than he knew. Despite his reputation, and the slander thrown at him, Eddie is deeply and fiercely loved by the people in his life. Wayne is one such person, and the hole his nephew left in his heart is something he didn’t think could ever be filled. Surprisingly—to all involved—Steve Harrington is another person who cannot shake Eddie’s death from his mind. Gradually, Steve and Wayne bond over their mutual loss, and share their fond memories of Eddie with one another. The living must move on after all… even if the dead don’t remain gone for long.

[laurenairay]

I never thought - P. Grubauer

Summary: Meeting Philipp Grubauer was the last thing Sera expected.

This is my entry for @wyattjohnston’s winter fic exchange 2024. I had the joy of writing for @knifeshoeboys – I really hope you like this Philipp Grubauer story, Nicole! I had a lot of fun creating this sweet piece from all of your prompts.

Words: 1.7k

Warnings: fluff, slight anxiety, mildly secret romance

Title from On Purpose by Sabrina Carpenter

~

Sera liked her routine. Monday to Friday she worked from 8.30am to 5pm as the receptionist in one of the biggest law firms in Seattle. Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday, she went straight to the gym after work, cycling from the office, rotating her workouts between legs, arms, and core. Saturday mornings were back to the gym for a yoga class at 8am, before driving her car to the grocery store on the loop back to her apartment. It was predictable. It was safe. It was boring.

But at least she always knew what to expect.

It was just her luck that she couldn’t control the weather, really. Even more her luck that she’d left her umbrella in her car in stead of putting it in her gym bag – and that she’d parked on the other side of the parking lot. As Sera left the gym after her Saturday yoga class at the beginning of November, the rain was pouring down in sheets, and she knew without a doubt that she would get soaked to the bone, unable to shake the chill for hours. She could only imagine how badly the waves in her dark hair would be tangled after traipsing through this downpour.

But just as she was steeling herself to step out of the gym doors, she heard a groan of disbelief from behind her.

“Oh man, it’s really coming down, isn’t it?”

The light accent – definitely European – caught her attention, and she turned her head to see a tall handsome man smiling wryly at her. As her blue eyes locked with his hazel ones, she felt her breath hitch in her throat, and she couldn’t help herself from smiling back at him.

“Not a great start to the weekend, no,” she mused.

He barked out a laugh, making her stomach flutter with butterflies, even more so when he flashed a grin at her while he rooted in her his own gym bag. After only a breath, the sweetly-smiling man pulled out an umbrella with a triumphant ‘hah!’, making her laugh, earning another grin.

“I was not looking forward to walking all the way across the parking lot in this,” he said, grimacing as he wiggled the umbrella at the deluge outside.

“Yeah, I’m still trying to psych myself up to do that,” she said, grimacing in turn.

“Oh damn, I thought you were waiting for someone,” he admitted, “Did you want to share my umbrella with me?”

That sweet simple gesture, innocent and genuine, set her heart racing like nothing she could ever remember. How could she turn down such a kind offer from a gentleman?

“I’d like that, if it’s not too much trouble,” she said, smiling softly, “It’s not like I’ll take up much room.”

The man just laughed as she waved her hand between them, him clearly towering over her 5ft self.

“I’m Philipp, by the way,” he grinned.

Philipp. It suited him.

“Sera.”

~

Sera had never been one for surprises, or going with the flow. After most of her childhood spent watching her mother – her beloved hippie artist mother – drift along with no real direction, just seeing where the wind took the two of them, Sera had always craved control. Now that she was 30 years old and living on her own, Sera finally had it. True, she had mellowed out over the past few years, not needing everything to be excruciatingly perfect anymore, but that routine had always helped ease her anxieties.

Philipp Grubauer had been the biggest surprise she never knew she needed.

After that fateful meeting at the gym six weeks ago, the two of them having exchanged phone numbers with shy smiles as they stopped by her car, they’d spoke nearly every single day – and not just text messages either. Full-on phone calls, even down to facetiming each other while they each cooked dinner just to spend that low-maintenance time together, their schedules not always allowing face to face time so early on in getting to know each other.

And then there were the dates.

A dinner every week. Several coffee dates telling stories and giggling over lattes. Even a night out at the ballet, Sera never having seen The Nutcracker and Philipp insisting that he took her to enjoy the Christmas magic. She didn’t know where this man had been all her life, but if being single this long meant waiting for him? Well, the wait was definitely worth it.

Philipp was so easygoing, adapting to her obvious anxieties with ease as he went, but not just coasting along. He slotted into her routine perfectly, timings calls and dates around her typical timings and his own hockey schedule – even joining her in the gym for a yoga class, showcasing his extraordinary flexibility – but still encouraging her to try new things. He was funny, sweet, and genuinely interesting, and Sera found herself eagerly anticipating every moment they spent together. There was just one thing though – he had never ventured further than kissing her cheek and holding her hand.

Maybe it was just her anxieties talking. Maybe it was a European thing. Maybe he really was just that much of a gentleman. But if she didn’t say something soon, she felt like she was going to burst. Sera just liked him so much, and she didn’t want to ruin their blossoming relationship by stewing in her own head.

If only she could find the right moment.

Mid-December rolled around before Sera even realised it, her office Christmas party making her realise just how close to the holidays the year had come. Philipp had even woken her up with fresh pastries and coffee from the bakery down the street from her apartment, the two of them making plans for him to come over to hers for the first time for a chilled day, Sera knowing she would most likely have some form of hangover (and she had been right in that fact), but still wanting to see him while he had a free Saturday. She’d even forgone her usual Saturday yoga class, which, if nothing else, told her exactly her fast she was falling for him.

“You are a godsend, Philipp Grubauer,” she groaned, accepting the almond croissant from him with a smile.

He just grinned, sitting down next to her on the sofa in silence. Not only was this the first time that he was at her apartment, it was also the first time that they’d seen each other in loungewear, both in a sweatpants and sweater combination, something that made Sera smile at the direction their relationship was taking. It just felt right.

They talked about her office Christmas party, about his upcoming game in Nashville, about his teammates new babies, about her looking forward to a week’s break between Christmas and the New Year, all while eating their pastries and drinking their coffee. It was easy, and comfortable, and domestic, and yet it still sent electricity running through her veins like nothing ever had. What was it about Philipp that sent her into such a tizzy? Whatever it was though, she liked it. She really liked it.

“There was something I’ve been meaning to ask you,” Philipp said, putting down his plate after a short silence.

“Oh?” Sera asked, putting down her own plate on the coffee table too.

“Would you come to my team christmas party with me?”

She inhaled sharply, lips parting in surprise, and Philipp quickly barrelled onwards with a wince.

“I know we’ve only known each other six weeks, but things have been going really well, right? And…I see a future between us, and normally I wouldn’t bring anyone to meet my teammates and their partners so soon, but…well, not that I’ve brought anyone in the years I’ve been in Seattle, but I would really like you to meet them? It's an informal thing really, at Belly's house, but all the guys will be there. Burky’s mostly house-trained now, and Larss will keep Dunner on a leash, and Yanni’s wife is an absolutely sweetheart, you’ll love her, and…”

“Yes.”

Philipp startled slightly at her interruption, before her simple answer registered, a wide smile spreading across his lips at Sera’s shy smile.

How could she not want to? The very fact that he wanted to bring her into such an important part of his life meant everything, she knew that. And he saw a future for them, just like she did? How could she want anything other than to meet his friends and colleagues?

Well, there was one thing she wanted too.

“You’ll come with me? You’ll meet them?” he asked hopefully, “I’m pretty sure they think I’m making you up at this point, with the amount that I talk about you but haven’t brought you to a game.”

At least he wasn’t keeping her a secret on purpose. That eased her nerves a little.

“I’d love to,” she said, laughing a little at his confession, “On one condition.”

“Of course, anything,” he nodded immediately.

A dangerous promise. But she needed to say something, just as her gut had been nagging her, or she really was going to explode.

“Kiss me?” she blurted, her heart racing.

Oh damn it.

That was not the way she wanted to say that.

What if he thought she was too forward? What if he thought she was being too much?

But Philipp didn’t even answer her with words. His hands reached out to cup her face gently, his eyes never leaving hers as he leaned in to kiss her as she asked. The moment that his lips touched hers, Sera let out a soft sigh, all but melting into his body, hands clutching at his biceps. His hands felt rough against her cheeks, hockey hands she knew, and the feeling of his beard brushing her skin only added to that. He smelled solely of a woodsy cologne, sharp in her nose and yet comforting all the same, suiting him perfectly. All she could taste was coffee and flaky pastry between their closed lips, her senses completely overwhelmed in the best way.

The moment lasted only seconds before he pulled away, cheeks as flushed as his mouth. She knew her own cheeks were flushed as well with the heat she felt, even more so as all she could think of was wanting more.

“I've been wanting to kiss you for weeks,” he said, voice uncharacteristically rough.

Sera made a noise she’d never heard before, a cross between a sigh and a moan, before she leaned in to kiss him again. How could she not?

[bonesandthebees]

ICELAND HIGHLIGHTS!!! PT 1

a fun anecdote from the iceland trip is i met someone on the flight who was super cool!! i looked over to her and saw her reading a spiderman comic from tumblr and i was just like ayo 👀👀👀 but was too shy at first to say anything but then later on... ider how but i think it was like turbulence or smth and we ended up making the same expression and laughing together and i got the courage to talk to her and we exchanged discords and stuff it was really neat!! :))

cool wall art from the reykjavik airport !!

iceland is... really rainy LMFAO like. super rainy lol. i did not know this ahead of time HAHAHAH

it was really funny bc the rest of the trip was like 30 degrees (86 fahrenheit) + heat warning + blistering sun

but then iceland was 10 (50f) degrees, intense rain, wind, cold so cold HAHAHAH

and then denmark after that was 20 (68) but rainy lmaooo

i at least packed a pair of pants and a rain jacket and i could borrow my aunts winter jacket but yeah it was wild lolll

another thing is no trees!!! when the vikings first came over to iceland the tree population went from 40% of the island to less than 1% in under 100 years

it's very eerie not having any trees hahaha

look at the money!!! very diff i like it

the conversion is nice and easy too lol. 500 icelandic krona equals 5 cad

cool church downtown:)

downtown was super cute!!! i spent hours there just going from store to store lmao. they had so many souvenir stores lmaooo

i saw this street and HAD to take a photo

i dont even play bg3 but KDJSFKJDSF

oh I'm so jealous you ended up making friends on the plane. sometimes I really want to chat with the person next to me but I'm too socially anxious so I end up just staring dramatically out the window with my headphones on like an indie movie character for the entire flight lol

godddd the rain and chilly weather sounds so nice. I love that kind of weather so I'd probably adore iceland. also that landscape looks so gorgeous but also it's so strange to not see any trees. have there been any major reforestation efforts to replant trees or was the population just so decimated by the vikings it can never really go back to the way it was?

obsessed with that woman's hat on the dollar. that's also a super easy conversion very easy to think about vs when I'm using the euro and I'm like "alright how close are the euro and the us dollar at this time of year"

that church is GORGEOUS especially the outside holy shit. it looks like the kind of building you'd see in a dystopian movie or something.

man from your pics reykjavik looks so cute I want to visit so badly. all those little shops look so fun

lmaooooo the bg3 fans need to make pilgrimages to reykjavik now

[stiffyck]

hi, it’s the anon that brought up the ‘Scar never left tcd’ thing. I’m back for more ✨💖

I was laying in bed last night thinking about how he would’ve developed as a child all the way up into adulthood with no human contact, and constantly fighting for his own life. Like, how far removed from society would he be at that point (besides the obvious)? I think if anything, he’d be severely antisocial, at least if he were to end up on hermitcraft all of a sudden. Or maybe not?? I dunno. Like, if I hadn’t seen another living human being since I was 12 or 13 years old, and suddenly I was dropped in the middle of a small community in my mid 30’s after being alone for years, I’d probably either be extremely curious about people in general, or just terrified of them. But then you kinda have to take into account the sheer trauma of living alone for that long with walking corpses, living everyday trying to make sure you don’t die, and at some point losing any remaining hope of finding other survivors. Like, there’s just so much to think about with a version of Scar who never left. I kind of place the end of tcd taking place when Scar is around 19-21 years old, at least in my own headcanon. So the Scar who never left has been living that way for an additional 15 or so years, and all without any form of human interaction. He’s developed through adolescence and early adulthood completely alone, and I can’t even imagine how badly that would fuck someone up for life.

OOOH YEA YES

i love the potential in this.

would scar even know how to interact with real humans who can reply to him? sure he used to have some living people in his life before, but when he spent so long with just zombies who dont reply back and want nothing more than to kill him-

yea i love this sm skdjfhks